InterMat Staff

The oldest and greatest sport has undergone significant changes since it first arrived on college campuses in the early part of the 20th century. Over the years, uniforms have changed ... rules have been revised ... and a point-scoring system has been implemented. However, for today's wrestling fans, the most startling difference may be that, prior to World War II, a number of colleges conducted their wrestling events in a roped-off ring like we associate with boxing or professional wrestling. UNI wrestling ring (Photo/NWHOF Dan Gable Museum) A couple weeks ago, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa shared on its Twitter account a 1933 photo of a wrestling ring at the University of Northern Iowa. This writer retweeted the image ... stirring up more retweets -- and questions. With all the interest and curiosity generated by that photo, it seemed appropriate for InterMat to serve up a College Wrestling Rings 101 in words and images. What do you mean by "a wrestling ring"? Photos indicate that there were basically two types of wrestling rings used at some colleges more than 75 years ago. The most common type of ring set-up appears to have been square wrestling mats placed on the gym floor, surrounded by multi-tiered wrestling ropes connected together with a ring post in each of the four corners of the mat. This describes the ring pictured in the 1930s photo from UNI posted on social media by the Hall of Fame. Coach Ed Gallagher with Oklahoma State wrestlers in a ring (Photo/Life Magazine) Then there's the wrestling ring this writer has seen in photos of the same era from Oklahoma State that look like what we would expect from a professional wrestling or boxing match, with the ring raised up off the floor approximately three-to-four feet. (Take a look at the photo -- supplied by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame -- from a 1939 Life magazine photo-shoot at the then-new Gallagher Hall (now Gallagher-Iba Arena), showing Oklahoma State wrestlers working out inside an elevated wrestling ring.) Did every college wrestling program have a ring? Iowa wrestling ringNo. In more than a decade of conducting research for InterMat Rewind historical features, I have come across photos of wrestling rings from a number of colleges, most of them in the Midwest. In addition to Northern Iowa and Oklahoma State, other schools that had wrestling rings included University of California-Berkeley, University of Oklahoma, University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa, Iowa State, University of Minnesota, and Northwestern University. As you can see, most of these schools are in the midsection of the country. What about other parts of the country? I have not seen photos of wrestling rings at Eastern colleges such as Penn State, Lehigh, or Cornell University ... nor have I seen similar images at schools in the far west (other than Cal, which no longer has wrestling), including Stanford or Oregon State. (Note: My list is incomplete; if you are aware of college programs that wrestled in rings and have visual evidence -- a photo, or a link to an article or yearbook page with a photo, or to online film/video -- please email me.) What were the rules regarding college wrestling rings? Want to know the rules governing college wrestling in the past? Take a look at the Official Wrestling Guide, published each year by the NCAA. These Guides provided explanations and photographs to illustrate wrestling rules, legal uniforms and more ... along with results from the previous college wrestling season. These compact booklets were used by wrestling officials, athletic directors, wrestling coaches and wrestlers to make sure they were in compliance with the latest rules and requirements. (PDF files of most of these guides going back to the late 1920s are available for viewing and downloading at no charge at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame website.) The 1939 Official Wrestling Guide featured nearly two full pages on nothing but college wrestling rings, starting on page 5. In addition to detailed text, there are drawings of regulation rings, complete with dimensions/measurements. Here is the entire text from the 1939 Guide regarding rings: "1. The area of the mat shall not be less than 20 feet by 20 feet and this dimension shall be considered the standard size when ropes are used. When ropes are not used, a 24-foot by 24-foot mat shall be considered standard. The 'roped in' area, when used, shall conform to the following specifications: Three 1-inch ropes shall be tightly stretched 2 feet, 3 feet and 4 feet, respectively, above the mat. These ropes shall extend in from four supporting posts which shall be placed at least 18" back from (each of) the (four) corners of the ring. Cotton ropes are recommended but if manila or sisal ropes are used, they must be wrapped in bunting or other soft material to avoid 'rope burns.' To prevent the spreading of ropes during bouts, they shall be securely fastened together by 12 vertical 3/8" ropes, there of which shall be placed equidistant on each side of the ring. Raised platforms are not recommended and should not be used without ropes. Even when used with ropes, the platform should extend at least six feet beyond the ropes on all sides of the ring. "It is recommended for competition and for practice that the wrestling mat be covered with a Canton flannel cover sufficiently large enough to fold under the mat. This cover should be stretched tight and may be held in place by horse blanket safety pins fastening the cover to the underside of the mat." To provide some perspective, let's compare today's wrestling mats to those used 80 years ago: Today's NCAA rules require a larger wrestling area for college wrestlers compared to what's used by high school wrestlers, which leads to a slightly larger mat. College wrestlers must have a minimum of a 32-foot-square wrestling area, which requires a mat that is at least 42 feet on each side. In the 1930s, the surface area college wrestlers wrestled was required by NCAA rules of the era to be 20-feet square at minimum in a roped-off ring, or 24-feet by 24-feet square without ropes ... a significantly smaller wrestling area than mandated today. Today's foam-core mats with a bonded vinyl surface (often referred by the wrestling community by one iconic brand name, Resilite) first appeared in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In other words, today's modern mats were not available to wrestlers in the era of roped-off wrestling rings eight decades ago. In other words, today's college wrestlers not only have a larger area in which to wrestle, but a safer surface than what their grandfathers used. For starters, today's foam-core mats provide better impact absorption, thanks to the foam-core construction (compared to mats of the 1920s and 1930s that were stuffed with anything from shredded cotton to straw to newsprint) ... while the non-porous vinyl surface is much easier to clean and disinfect than old-time mats with canvas or flannel surfaces that not only held germs (making infections more likely), but had a rough surface more likely to cause mat burns and skin rashes. What about rules for what wrestlers could do in the ring? The typical NCAA Wrestling Guide of the 1920s and 1930s had incredibly detailed rules about how to build a college wrestling ring ... but nothing specific about how wrestlers were supposed to behave inside the ring that would be different than wrestling on a mat on the floor without ring ropes. "The Cowboys Ride Again!" -- a history of Oklahoma State wrestling by historians Doris and Bob Dellinger, published in 1994 -- describes a couple incidents involving Cowboy wrestlers in a roped-off ring that might provide some insight as to what might have been allowed -- or forbidden. In an account of a 1932 "Bedlam Series" dual between Oklahoma State and the University of Oklahoma held at the Armory in Stillwater (home gym for the Cowboys until Gallagher Hall was dedicated in 1939), the Dellingers paint a word picture of a seesaw battle between Cowboys and Sooners ... with the winner to be determined in the last match of the evening at heavyweight. The home team was down four points, with a multi-year win streak going back more than a decade on the line. Realizing his predicament, legendary Oklahoma State coach Ed Gallagher put in defending 155-pound champ LeRoy McGuirk in against "massive Sooner heavyweight" Ellis Bashara. For Oklahoma State to win, McGuirk would have to pin Bashara. Here's how the Dellingers described this battle between cross-state rivals with at least a 100-pound weight difference: "Aggressive at once, the fiery McGuirk drove Bashara to the ropes, switched behind and took the Sooner to the mat. Bashara also knew the score and had prepared accordingly. Those who saw the historic bout say Bashara, out to hand his team a triumph that had been denied all American teams since 1921, squatted like the Rock of Gibraltar, legs spread, arms wide ..." "Bashara had only to last out the 10 minutes, his massive limbs immobile. The whistle sounded; the final score was 13 ½ to 12 ½, Oklahoma." In this account, it would appear that Bashara was thrown/forced into the ropes by McGuirk who then brought the giant Sooner down ... without the referee stopping the match or penalizing -- or disqualifying -- the undersized Cowboy. To this writer, it seems that using the ropes as a springboard was not against the rules ... though it didn't lead to a victory for the home team. (By the way, both Bashara and McGuirk became pro wrestlers after college.) The same book also tells about a bout at an AAU (American Athletic Union) championship in Birmingham, Alabama in the early 1920s (prior to the first NCAA wrestling championship, held at Iowa State in 1928). The match in question featured two top middleweights of the era: Oklahoma State superstar Guy Lookabaugh taking on Eino Leino of Finland, who eventually became a four-time Olympic medalist. "Lookabaugh began his match by throwing Leino over the ropes, climbing over after him, and pinning him to the floor. The referee ruled that was not a legal fall, and the angry Finn returned to the ring to pin Lookabaugh after a hard fight." From this write-up, a reader could deduce that throwing your opponent over the top rope -- or through the ring ropes -- was not a legal way to win a match. Any of us who've watched pro wrestling have seen the ropes used to advantage by a "heel" -- using the ropes to attempt a chokehold, or getting the "good guy" tangled up in the ropes so he can't move. However, unlike professional wrestling, it appears that the ropes in a college wrestling ring could not be used in any way during the match; a wrestler could not gain leverage from the ropes, "rebound" off them, or duck through them to take a break. Even in the 1920s and 30s, there were strict rules against using chokes or other intentional efforts to injure an opponent whether the match was held inside a roped-off ring ... or on mats on the floor without ring ropes. A model of a wrestling ring donated to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame by Clara and Rex Peery, legendary Oklahoma State wrestler of the 1930s and University of Pittsburgh coach (Photo/NWHOF) What happened to wrestling rings? According to "Cowboys Ride Again!" ropes and rings became illegal in 1942, the last full season of college wrestling before the sport took a three-year break for World War II. (All able-bodied athletes were needed as soldiers -- or as instructors to teach hand-to-hand combat to soldiers new to wrestling.) In the 1947 Official Wrestling Guide, in the rules section titled "Mats, Ropes and Costumes" it states in large, bold type: "Ropes and Raised Platforms are Illegal." Unlike previous editions of the Official Wrestling Guide, there are no drawings or explanations-in-words regarding the requirements for a college wrestling ring as featured in the 1939 Guide. This writer has not been able to find an explanation as to why the NCAA outlawed wrestling rings for college. In my years in researching and writing about U.S. amateur wrestling history, it often seems to be the case that rules are changed because of a series of injuries (for example, rules outlawing full overhead bodyslams) or a specific incident (one late 1950s/early 1960s college wrestler who told this writer that the NCAA started requiring college wrestlers to wear shirts after he witnessed a match between two bare-chested heavyweights where one of the wrestler's genitalia came out over the waistband of his trunks). In my research, I have not come across any account(s) of incident(s) where wrestlers were injured in a wrestling ring in a way that would have led the NCAA to ban roped-off rings. It's possible the reason rings went away is as simple as ... it must have been expensive to purchase the equipment to build a wrestling ring (especially one with a raised platform), and time-consuming to set up a ring and make sure everything is safely assembled. Stanley HensonSadly, to my knowledge, no one who ever wrestled in a college wrestling ring is alive to tell us his experiences. The last collegiate mat champ to step inside "the square circle" in his home gym was Stanley Henson, three-time NCAA champ at Oklahoma State in the late 1930s for coach Ed Gallagher, with only one loss in his entire collegiate career. Henson died on January 30, 2018 at age 101; at the time of his passing, he was believed to be the oldest living NCAA champion in ANY sport. There's the classic photo of a young Henson in the Oklahoma State wrestling ring, in the uniform he wore as a Cowboy matman: wool trunks, without a shirt. Arguably one of the all-time greats of the pre-World War II era, and one of the last collegiate wrestlers to do his thing in a wrestling ring. Help solve the riddle of the college wrestling ring As you can see, there's a lot we don't know about the era when some colleges wrestled in roped-off rings. Perhaps you have some photos or old-school yearbooks with images of matches conducted in a ring. Maybe you've seen vintage films of college wrestling in a ring. Or you have stories to share from your dad, granddad, uncle or family friend. If you have images, articles or memories to share, please contact the author at mark@intermatwrestle.com.

David Carr after winning the Walsh Ironman title (Photo/Sam Janicki) STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced that David Carr of Massillon, Ohio, is the 2018 national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA). Carr will be presented with his award during the 42nd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on June 1-2 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. "It's an extreme honor for me to receive this award," said Carr. "I'm truly blessed. Dave Schultz was a legendary wrestler and it is so great that there is an award in his memory. The people who have received this award have gone on to do big things and accomplish the things I want to accomplish." He is the son of Linda and Nate Carr, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, and the brother of Nate Carr, Jr., who was the DSHSEA winner for Georgia in 2006. The DSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The Hall of Fame also presents the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award, which recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers. Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner is chosen from the regional winners. The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. "Every year our committee has a difficult task determining the national winner for our Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award because there are so many deserving candidates," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "We are so fortunate to have so many young men who are not only tremendous wrestlers, but also excellent students and good citizens. We are pleased to name David Carr as our national winner and are confident that he will represent the sport in a positive manner as he continues his career." Carr becomes the fifth national winner from Ohio, joining Logan Stieber (2010), David Taylor (2009), C.P. Schlatter (2003) and Jeff Knupp (1997). Ohio has had the most national winners, followed by Pennsylvania with three and California, Minnesota and Oklahoma with two winners each. Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin have each had one winner. Carr was a four-time Ohio High School state champion for Perry High School and he also won a Kentucky High School state title as an eighth grader. He was voted the Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament as a junior and as a senior and finished with a career record of 188-6. Carr was a Junior Nationals champion and was named Outstanding Wrestler in 2017, and he won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2016. Carr volunteers at a homeless shelter in Dayton, Ohio, and helped produce an anti-bullying video in response to the number of suicides at his high school. He has a 3.2 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Iowa State University. 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 its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. National winners of the DSHSEA award have combined to win 18 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners Steven Mocco (2001), Taylor (2009) and Teyon Ware (2002). The 2016 winner of the DSHSEA Mark Hall won an NCAA title as a freshman in 2017 while 2015 winner Zahid Valencia defeated Hall in the finals to win an NCAA title in 2018. All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 2018 - David Carr, Perry High School, Massillon, Ohio 2017 - Daton Fix, Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma (Junior World Champion) 2016 - Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota (NCAA Champion, 2X Junior World Champion) 2015 -Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California (NCAA Champion, Junior World Silver Medalist) 2014 - Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2013 - Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania (3X NCAA Champion) 2012 - Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2011 - Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2010 - Logan Stieber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio (4X NCAA Champion) 2009 - David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio (2X NCAA Champion) 2008 - Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2007 - Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellogg High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2006 - David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2005 - Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York (NCAA Champion) 2004 - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (NCAA Champion and Olympic bronze medalist) 2003 - C.P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2002 - Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma (2X NCAA Champion) 2001 - Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey (2X NCAA Champion and Olympian) 2000 -Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 1999 -Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas (NCAA Champion) 1998 - Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin (2X Olympian) and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah (Olympian) 1997 - Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1996 - David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa 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.

North Central College is adding a women's wrestling program to join its existing men's program, the suburban Chicago school announced Tuesday. Joe Norton, a former North Central wrestler who has coached the Cardinals men's program since 2014, will serve as the head coach of the women's team as well. The new women's program will take to the mats for the first time during the 2019-2020 school year. Women's wrestling will the 29th sport at North Central College. "We're really proud of the fact that, as an institution, we've been able to be a leader in terms of providing competitive opportunities for women," said North Central athletic director Jim Miller. "We've tried to be creative and forward-thinking in how we decide where to expand our department and seeing the tremendous growth of this sport nationwide at the youth and scholastic levels, it made a lot of sense to move forward with women's wrestling. There's no question we have the capacity to provide a top-caliber competitive experience in this sport and we're excited to get started." As with all women's collegiate programs, the new North Central program will be governed by the rules of the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA), where women wrestle in freestyle competition (compared to folkstyle for men's collegiate wrestling). According to North Central, a total of 45 collegiate institutions will field varsity women's wrestling teams in 2018-2019, an increase of 29 percent over the previous year. Thanks to the growth of women's wrestling at both the high school and collegiate level, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has applied to add women's wrestling to the NCAA's Emerging Sports for Women program. Joe Norton is eager to lead the new women's program at North Central in part because of the sport's growth. "The popularity of women's wrestling is rising at an encouraging rate across the country," Norton said. "We saw potential for North Central to be a leader in it, and we have a great opportunity to do so as the first CCIW school to add it at the varsity level. I fully expect other Division III schools in the Midwest and elsewhere to follow suit in the coming years. "I'm grateful for the leadership of Jim Miller, Marty Sauer and President (Troy) Hammond for buying into this vision and for their faith in me to build a program that can compete with the best in the country." Joe Norton has deep roots within North Central College. As a student-athlete, Norton was a four-year starter for the Cardinals wrestling program from 2006-2010, and was team captain for the 2009-2010. After serving as head coach at the now-defunct wrestling program at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, Norton returned to his alma mater, where earlier this year was named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) and NWCA Lower Midwest Region Coach of the Year in February after leading the men's team to a 12-2 record in dual meets and the program's seventh CCIW team championship. North Central is the fourth collegiate institution in the state of Illinois to announce the addition of varsity women's wrestling, joining MacMurray College in Jacksonville, McKendree University in Lebanon, and Lindenwood University-Belleville. Located in Naperville, Ill. in west-suburban Chicago, North Central College is a private liberal arts college. Founded in 1861, the school has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students. With the exception of the just-announced women's wrestling program, North Central's sports teams -- the Cardinals -- compete in NCAA Division III.

Justin Oliver RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio has announced the transfer of All-American Justin Oliver to the Wolfpack. A graduate transfer from Central Michigan, Oliver will have one season of eligibility remaining. Oliver was a three-time NCAA Qualifier at 149 pounds for Central Michigan, and earned All-American honors in his redshirt-freshman season in 2016. He was seeded ninth or better in the last three NCAA Championships, falling one win short of All-American honors each of the last two seasons. For his career, he is 10-6 at the NCAAs. "This is an exciting time for NC State Wrestling," said Popolizio. "Justin's experiences as a student-athlete, coupled with his already decorated wrestling resume, will have an immediate impact for Wolfpack Wrestling this upcoming season. Justin's style mirrors our mentality, and he will be fun and exciting for Wolfpack Nation to watch." A Davidson, Michigan native, Oliver went a combined 92-23 at Central Michigan the last three seasons, and finished the 2017-18 campaign ranked #11 nationally in the final FloWrestling rankings. Oliver went 28-7 this past season, and was ranked as high as #3 for six straight polls by FloWrestling. He entered the 2018 NCAA Championships as the No. 6 seed, and went 3-2. Also this past season, he won the Cliff Keen Invite and was second at the Midlands Championships.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Trevor Brandvold as officially joined the University of Minnesota wrestling coaching staff, Brandon Eggum announced today. Brandvold, who spent the last six years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, begins his role immediately. Trevor Brandvold"We are extremely excited to bring Trevor on board," Eggum said. "With his experience on the mat as a two-time Big Ten Champion along with his time as an Associate Head Coach, he will excel here at the University of Minnesota. He has great relationships in the Midwest, he a phenomenal leader and mentor that will help us each and every day in the wrestling room." With the addition of Brandvold, Dustin Schlatter will move on to a role with the Minnesota Regional Training Center team, Minnesota Storm, as their head coach. After Schlatter's legendary career with the Gophers, where he won a NCAA Championship and was a three-time All-American, he also won a gold medalist in freestyle at the 2015 Pan American Championships in the 70-kilograms weight class. "Dustin's move to the Minnesota RTC program is one that will benefit not only Dustin, but a lot of people and wrestlers in this state," Eggum said. "It really is a perfect fit for Dustin who has had a lot of international success in his life, and will be able to coach a program that has a strong senior level group that will be competing for Olympic spots." In his six years with the Badgers, Brandvold coached alongside Barry Davis who left Wisconsin this past season. He was the head recruiter for the Badgers where he primarily coached the five heaviest weight classes, helping bring nine NCAA qualifying spots, three All-Americans, a national finalist and a Big Ten Medal of Honor winner over the past two seasons. Along with his coaching accomplishments on the mat, he has also been in charge of academics, community service, high school outreach and was the Badger Regional Training Center liaison. "I am eager to get started here at the University of Minnesota," Brandvold said. "I have always admired this program, and I can't wait to contribute and build toward the same goal of winning a national championship. I look forward to shaping this program with the right people in the right way. To develop each and every one of our student athletes into great wrestlers and even better men is my biggest goal as I begin here in the Twin Cities." On the mat, along with being a two-time Big Ten Champion, Brandvold was a two-time All-American and also has experience in international wrestling. He finished second at the USA Olympic qualifier, and top six at the U.S. Open and Olympic trials in 2012. Brandvold, who graduated from Wisconsin in 2011 with a degree in life sciences communications, comes to Minnesota with his wife Ali, daughter Izraya and son Abel. He enjoys golf, meeting with Life Group and spending time up north. Follow along with Minnesota Wrestling all offseason on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you do not miss any content this summer.

Alejandro Valdes Tobier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NEW YORK -- The wrestling federation of Cuba has provided its lineup for the Beat the Streets Annual Benefit, dubbed the "Rumble on the River," set for May 17 at Pier 17/Seaport District in lower Manhattan. A team of talented men's freestyle wrestlers from Cuba will face top U.S. wrestlers as part of the exciting card of international competition. Cuba brings a veteran team with past Olympic, World and Pan American medalists. 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Livan Lopez Azcuy will compete at 79 kg. He boasts three other World medals, including World silver medalist in 2011 and 2013 and a World bronze medal in 2014. 2013 and 2014 World silver medalist Reineris Salas Perez, who was also fifth at the 2016 Olympics, will compete at 97 kg/213 lbs. Salas was a 2015 Pan American Games champion. 2016 Olympian Alejandro Valdes Tobier, who won a 2017 World bronze medal, will compete at 70 kg. Valdes has won three Pan American Championships. 2015 Pan American champion Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta is on the team at 92 kg. 2017 U23 World champion Reineri Andreeu Ortega is competing at 57 kg. Two-time Pan American Championships silver medalist Yudenny Alapajon Estevez is the Cuban entry at 125 kg/275 lbs. This is the second time a Cuban team has competed in a Beat the Streets Benefit. A team of men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers were included in the 2015 Beat the Streets Benefit "Salsa in the Square," held in Times Square. The U.S. men's freestyle roster for the Beat the Streets Benefit will be announced tomorrow. The Beat the Streets Benefit is coming together nicely, with most pieces in place. The Team USA women, whose roster includes Helen Maroulis, Alli Ragan and Tamyra Mensah-Stock, will take on a highly-regarded squad from Nigeria. In addition, two Super Matches will take place, with 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs battling Italian Frank Chamizo, and American standout Jordan Oliver challenging two-time Olympic Medalist Togrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan. In addition, a Super High School Match has been scheduled, featuring the nation's top scholastic 126-lb. star in Patrick Glory of Delbarton H.S. (N.J.) against third-ranked Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson Morgan H.S. (Pa.). This year will mark the first time that Beat the Streets has held its annual event at Pier 17/South Street District. In 2013, the event dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails," was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. Playing an important role in the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, this historic wrestling event gained international media coverage and helped wrestling retain its status on the Olympic Games program. Coverage will be available live and on-demand exclusively on FloWrestling.com. To access live and on-demand coverage of the Beat the Streets New York City Annual Benefit, visit FloWrestling.com and become a PRO subscriber. A subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network, as well as the matches from the Beat the Streets program starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on May 17. Watch the event across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku or Apple TV 4. This will be the ninth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Benefit activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Times Square has been the venue for the 2011, 2012 and 2014-2017 events. This year, top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 2:30 p.m. to kick off the NYC Benefit. For the third straight year, the Benefit will feature the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, showcasing the two top New York City girl's freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl's freestyle season. Then it's Team USA vs. an international squad at 6:00 p.m. and super matches between Burroughs and Chamizo, as well as Oliver and Asgarov, with video highlights and special guest appearances followed by the Beat the Streets Benefit Celebration. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased by visiting www.btsny.org, calling 212-777-5702 or emailing Joe DelConte at jdelconte@btsny.org. The Benefit Celebration at Pier 17 will follow the wrestling competition. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it's providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one's goals and creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year. 2018 Beat the Streets Benefit, "Rumble on the River" The Seaport District/Pier 17, New York City, May 17, 2018 Cuba Men's Freestyle Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Reineri Andreeu Ortega 70 kg/154 lbs - Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier 79 kg/174 lbs. - Livan Lopez Azcuy 92 kg/189 lbs. - Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta 97 kg/213 lbs. - Reineris Salas Perez 125 kg/275 lbs. - Yudenny Alapajon Estevez Wrestling Schedule 2:30 p.m. - Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches 4:45 p.m. - New York City Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals 6:00 p.m. - World Class Wrestling to include: • Team USA vs. Nigeria in women's freestyle 57 kg - Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria) 59 kg - Alli Ragan (USA) vs. Adeniyi Aminat (Nigeria) 68 kg - Tamyra Stock (USA) vs. Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria) • Team USA vs. Cuba in men's freestyle • High School Super Match, Patrick Glory vs. Gavin Teasdale (time TBD) • Super Match 1 - Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Frank Chamizo (ITA) • Super Match 2 - Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Togrul Asgarov (AZE) (time TBD) Followed by Annual Benefit Celebration, Pier 17 About Beat the Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com.

Cassy Lopez has earned a place in the history books before she ever steps onto a collegiate mat. Cassy LopezWith a stroke of a pen, Lopez became the first woman to sign a letter of intent to wrestle at an NCAA Division I school, Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. Lopez, who is just completing her senior year at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, will compete in the brand-new women's program at Presbyterian in freestyle as one of 40 programs in the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association in 2019. Unlike men's college wrestlers who wrestle folkstyle, college women in the WCWA wrestle freestyle. Why? While men's college wrestling is an official NCAA sport, women's wrestling is not ... but that may be changing, as efforts to make women's wrestling an NCAA sanctioned sport are underway. Lopez will be wrestling for Mark Cody, who was hired as Director of Wrestling at Presbyterian in December, after having served as head wrestling coach at American University and at University of Oklahoma. Presbyterian College -- also known as PC -- is a private, four-year, liberal arts school located in Clinton, S.C. between Greenville and Columbia, the state capital. Founded in 1880, Presbyterian has approximately 1,300 students. The school's sports teams compete in NCAA Division I as the Blue Hoses.

Jamill Kelly (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State head wrestling coach Zeke Jones announces the addition of Jamill Kelly to the coaching staff. Kelly will bring a wealth of experience, as a coach at the collegiate and world freestyle levels, and as a standout wrestler. Kelly, a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in Athens, Greece, is a two-time World Team member, and four-time US National Team member. A US Open Champion, he also is a two-time Pan Am Games silver medalist, competing for Oklahoma State from 1997-2000. Most recently, he leaves Stanford as the Associate Head Coach, also previously coaching at NC State (2012-14) where he helped guide Nick Gwiazdowski to an NCAA Championship at heavyweight. Prior to NC State, he coached at Cal Poly (2011-12) where he helped Boris Novachkov to a third-place finish at NCAA's, the Dallas Dynamite Wrestling Club (2008-11) where he coached and mentored Dallas area youths, and Harvard (2007) where he helped coach the team to their highest NCAA finish in program history. In freestyle coaching, Kelly is currently a member of the USA Wrestling national coaches pool and will also serve as a coach of the Sunkist Kids Regional Training Center based in Scottsdale, Arizona. He recently served as the USA Cadet World Team Coach from 2013-15 where he coached four Cadet World Champions including Aaron Pico, Spencer Lee, Mark Hall, and Mason Manville. In 2016, he was a USA Junior World Team Coach and was on the support staff for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. He also helped establish the California Regional Training Center. Kelly, who will serve in the volunteer coaching position, joins the staff of the back-to-back Pac-12 champions who earned their first top-10 finish and individual national champion (Zahid Valencia) since 2011 this season.

The Senior Pan-American and Senior European Championships are running concurrently this weekend in Lima and Kaspiysk. Both streams are available online with results, photos, stories and video content available on the United World Wrestling homepage and all social media. The weekend has me busy (I'm in Lima), but being here reminds me of the 2014 Senior Pan-American Championships in Santiago. The event was much different than what you see online today. There was little institutional branding, videos were only being uploaded within the week, and we had one photo/video person and one writer available for the event. Social media output was low. Results were difficult to check. Live streams were iffy depending on Internet … You get the point. Today the level of expectation has risen and the wrestling community has more wrestling available for free online. There are more than 50,000 international wrestling matches posted on the United World Wrestling YouTube page and hundreds more highlights and news wraps. Video is just a part of the larger ecosystem of content created for the wrestling community, and United World Wrestling is just one partner in the process; InterMat, FloWrestling, USA Wrestling and about 100 other news sites and distribution networks are helping our sport reach our diehard fans and those we hope to bring into the fold. We are able to write to each other about our thoughts, read tweets, see training footage and access our favorite athletes with a click of a button. This is the golden age of wrestling. A sport steeped in history that only needed a modern distribution network to start to reach its potential I look forward to reading reactions of fans this weekend who get to sit in their house and watch women's and men's freestyle wrestling (non-stop) from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. What a time to be a wrestling fan! To your questions … Josh Moore coaching against Kent State at the Thanksgiving Throwdown (Photo/Sam Janicki) Q: What kind of impact do you see Josh Moore making at Cleveland State? Will he make the program nationally relevant? -- Mike C. Foley: Succeeding at any program is always larger than just finding the right person to lead the program. The funding, support and ability to recruit to the institution are also major factors. All things being equal, Josh Moore is as good a hire as any made this offseason. As an assistant coach Moore was an integral part of Kent State's revival, which included the NCAA championship of Dustin Kilgore. No question he learned more than just mat coaching at Kent State. He saw how to build a program: what works, what doesn't. Moore will need to rely on those lessons in Cleveland. While the university is surrounded by arguably the best scholastic wrestling programs in the country, there has been an exodus of that talent for many years. To recover Moore will need to bring the community back into the fold, excite that base to send their children to Cleveland State and then convert them on the mat. Overall, Moore will have to earn the funding he needs to be wildly successful. Investment will come only after success on the mat and in recruiting. I think that it'll happen for Moore. The area is ready to win again, and Moore can be the leader for the job. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME BUY YOUR TICKETS or support Beat the Streets with a small donation. This is the type of media attention we all love to see in the sport! Q: Thoughts on the Jordan Oliver match with Toghrul Asgarov at Beat the Streets in New York? -- Sean M. Foley: I'm bummed for Jordan Oliver. He was only a few days from being able to compete at the U.S. Open. Alas it wasn't to be, but as one door closes … Wrestling Asgarov should allow Oliver to refocus on his mat needs earlier than he would have given the inopportune reinstatement date. Because Oliver won't be on the ladder he'll need to self-fund any trip overseas this season. Having an Olympic gold and silver medalist come to your nation for a big money opportunity is spectacular luck. The actual match might be difficult for Oliver to win. Though he'll be two weeks off of the European Championships in Kaspiysk, I think Asgarov is the type of wrestler that gives every first-time wrestler fits. He moves in ways that most opponents don't. Some of it is creativity on the fly, but most his counters, throws and exposures are well-practiced techniques that give first-time opponents a fit. But in NYC and coming off a year of absence, I like Oliver's chances to keep it close. No better reference point than his 7-6 decision loss to Frank Chamizo at last year's Beat the Streets. Oliver can roll with the best, and with emotion filling his sails he may just find a surprising result. Q: As I understand it, Daton Fix can get a special wrestle off for the Junior World Team spot (because he placed in the top three), but Gable Steveson cannot (because he placed fourth). Is that correct? -- Mike C. Foley: Correct.

Truman State University will be eliminating its wrestling program - along with men's tennis -- effective immediately, the Missouri-based school announced Wednesday. This move affects 17 returning student-athletes, one full-time and one part-time staff member. Jerry Wollmering, Truman State director of athletics, notified coaches and student-athletes of the cuts via email Wednesday. "Sport elimination is extremely difficult as it affects the lives of our students and staff," Wollmering said in a statement. "Athletics, along with every area on campus, is dealing with cost-cutting measures due to University revenue decreases and mandatory cost increases." Truman is facing a recommended $3.1 million cut in state core appropriations. This reduction is on top of a $3.8 million cut in the current year. "With reduced University revenues and mandatory cost increases across campus, every area at Truman is making tough decisions in moving forward," Wollmering wrote in an email obtained by the Kirksville (Mo.) Daily Express which was sent to coaches and student-athletes Wednesday. "With this reduction from 20 to 18 sports, Truman will still sponsor more athletics programs than every other D2 Missouri public institution." In fact, despite the elimination of wrestling and men's tennis, Truman State will still sponsor more varsity sports (18) than the other 12 four-year public institutions in Missouri with the exception of the University of Missouri-Columbia, which has 20 intercollegiate sports. The elimination of wrestling and men's tennis will not affect Truman's affiliation with the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The GLVC requires seven sports for membership: men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, softball and baseball. "This isn't just an athletics issue on campus," Wollmering told the Kirksville newspaper in a phone interview Wednesday. "It's not like we just said to cut athletics for the fun of it." The specifics of eliminating the Bulldog wrestling program David Schutter, wrestling coach at Truman State since 1990 - the longest-serving coach on campus - said, "I had no inkling of this at all. I was blindsided. I found out at 9:15 this morning." Following that phone call, Schutter said Wollmering met with him and the team at 12:30 p.m. There, Schutter said his athletes were "respectful" while pressing Wollmering to reverse the decision. Wollmering expressed the financial details on a whiteboard, claiming that the wrestling team costs $99,000 to continue. Schutter is surprised the wrestling team costs enough money to help erase any gap in Truman funding, especially considering the program raising between $15,000 and $20,000 per year in alumni donations. "I just think it's interesting you chose to go after wrestling. We aren't costing any money, we've got to be making money," Schutter said. "I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around this." Truman State University is a four-year public university in Kirksville, Missouri. It was originally called Northeast Missouri State but was later renamed after Harry Truman, president of the United States long associated with the state of Missouri. Truman State has an enrollment of approximately 6,300 students. The school's sports programs compete in NCAA Division II.

PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie College athletic department and Director of Athletics Kelley Kish has named Jeff Breese the second Head Wrestling Coach in program history. Jeff BreeseHead Coach Jeff Breese said, "I am thrilled to be only the second wrestling coach in the history of Lake Erie College Wrestling. This program is a unique and exciting opportunity on so many levels. I want to thank former Head Coach Kevin Hoogenboom for building a great foundation and tradition. The goal is now to build on that and create new history for Lake Erie College." Director of Athletics Kelley Kish stated, "After an extensive national search, we found the right fit to lead our Wrestling Program in Jeff Breese. His record of coaching an NCAA Champion, 9 All-Americans and 30 National Qualifiers is stellar and aligns with the Championship vision we have for the program. Jeff's vision for the academic and campus achievements of our student-athletes excites us all about the future of Storm Wrestling." In his four years at Buena Vista University Breese has helped produce a pair of IIAC Freshmen of the Year, as well as one national qualifier in 2014-15. BVU had its highest NCAA finish that season since 2010. During his tenure, he's also coached five Scholar All-Americans. In 2015, Breese's squad was honored with the Beaver Service Award as the most active team on campus with civic engagement. BVU Wrestling also finished just outside the Top 30 in the NWCA Scholar Team Awards with a 3.1 team GPA. Prior to coming to BVU as just the program's fourth head wrestling coach, Breese served as the director of operations at his alma mater of North Carolina State University since 2012. During his time there, he has managed the team's budget and coordinated its travel schedule. He also co-directed social media and video promotions, developed a satellite camp system and a match film system, and directed match day events and activities, among other duties. In addition to his time as a member of the Wolfpack, he was the first head wrestling coach in program history at Penn State New Kensington. He created the first varsity wrestling team in 2009 and recruited 15 student-athletes for that inaugural season. He also fundraised and facilitated the construction of the wrestling room at Penn State New Kensington. He began his career in the coaching field in 2006 at Seton Hill University where he spent two years assisting in starting up the university's wrestling program. He then became the first head coach at Penn State New Kensington in 2009 before moving to Division I Northern Illinois University as an assistant coach in 2010. Throughout his coaching career, he has coached 22 NCAA Qualifiers, including one national champion, and three All-Americans. He's also had a hand in four top-30 national recruiting classes, including one ranked in the top-5. A 2006 graduate of North Carolina State University, Breese was a three-year starter for the Wolfpack and a member of their 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship Wrestling team. Coach Breese concluded, "I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity by President Posler, Athletic Director Kelley Kish and the entire search committee."

One of the more emotional moments of the 2018 NFL Draft last week was when Shaquem Griffin -- a linebacker with one hand -- was selected by the Seattle Seahawks. Paul FeiteOne day later, Paul Feite -- a one-handed wrestler who, like Griffin, was born with a rare birth defect -- made a verbal commitment to wrestle at Penn State. Feite, a senior at Northern York High School in Dillsburg, Pa., created a sensation of his own at the 2018 PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state wrestling championships at Giant Center in Hershey in March, placing fourth in the 138-pound weight class despite having been born without a left hand as the result of amniotic band syndrome, a congenital birth defect that occurs in one in every 1,200 births. Among those in the stands for the semifinals at the state tournament was Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson and other members of his coaching staff ... a fact that was noticed by Feite and his coach Josh Murray, who kidded each other that the Nittany Lions coaches must have been there to see him. Feite received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd at Giant Center ... and not because of his ability to wrestle with just one hand, but because of his tough, physical wrestling style, and, to use a phrase from the Centre Daily Times, "relentless offense." "I don't think there's anyone who can hold my pace," Feite told PennLive.com. "Once I can control my stuff in my wrestling, I think I'm going to excel. I want to slow things down a little bit in a good way and stay relentless on the attack." It appears the Nittany Lions coaching staff at the state championships was just as impressed with Feite as the crowd was. Cody Sanderson contacted Paul Fiete's father, who alerted his son that he would be hearing directly from the assistant coach. The younger Feite expressed his disbelief at the notion that a coach from Penn State would have asked his dad for his contact information. "I was like, ‘Funny. That's funny,'" Paul Feite disclosed to PennLive.com. "I thought he was messing with me." Cody Sanderson did reach Paul Feite directly and, according to PennLive.com, told him how much he liked his style, his relentlessness and the fact he was always the first wrestler back to the circle. Penn State wasn't the only school to have seen Paul Feite in action ... and expressed an interest in recruiting him. In fact, the 2018 PIAA championships was, in the words of PennLive.com, "just the start of a fast-paced, hectic recruiting push where Feite heard from a number of high-profile wrestling programs." "The whole process was just as stressful as actually wrestling," according to Feite. Feite visited Penn State the weekend of April 20-21, and, according to PennLive.com, "knew right away that's where he wanted to be." However, he had also arranged a campus visit with West Virginia University, and, true to his word, visited the Morgantown campus this past weekend ... then made the call to Cody Sanderson Sunday night. Penn State anticipates that Feite will wrestle at 141 or 149 pounds. Feite won't have a scholarship right away, but that's a possibility in the future. "It's pretty unreal," Feite said. "I didn't think I'd get most of these opportunities or any of these phone calls or emails. I only took fourth at states. I didn't really think that was good enough to get where I wanted to be, but sometimes things have a way of working out."

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Fontbonne University Director of Athletics, Maria Buckel, is pleased to announce Amond Prater as the inaugural head men's and women's wrestling coach. Amond Prater"I'm excited to welcome Coach Amond Prater into a new role within our department in leading our inaugural wrestling programs," said Buckel. "Coach Prater has an extensive wrestling background and is highly regarded in the wrestling community locally and nationally. Coach Prater brings many skills to our department outside of wrestling. Therefore, I look forward not only to his leadership in building our wrestling programs but the impact he has on our department." "It's exciting because I feel Fontbonne is a hidden gem, especially in the wrestling community now as it's a chance to get more high school students an opportunity to wrestle in college," said Prater. "I'm definitely excited about the opportunity." Prater is all too familiar with Fontbonne as he's currently the strength and conditioning coach for the men's volleyball team. "I'm excited about working with a familiar staff and knowing the area will help out," Prater added. Outside of Fontbonne, Prater is the current Head Wrestling Coach at Fox High School. There, he oversees the development of all levels of the wrestling program, coordinates fundraising events to help program financially and monitors academic progress of student-athletes to ensure eligibility requirements are met. Also at Fox, Prater's been the Special Education Teacher. This year, Prater was named the Fox High School Teacher of the Year. Since July 2015, he's been a part of the Missouri National Team coaching staff where he prepares athletes across the state to compete at regional and national tournaments by facilitating practices to work on techniques and conditioning. Prior to his time with Fox, Prater spent two years as the Assistant Wrestling Coach at Seckman High School. He's certified in Social Science 9-12, Special Education, IYCA High School Strength and Conditioning Coach, along with being a USA Wrestling Bronze Level Coach. He's a 2006 graduate from the University of Missouri Columbia with a Bachelor of General Studies: Emphasis in Music, History and Education. Also, at the University of Missouri, Prater was a three year letter winner in wrestling and notched 71 career victories. He went on to earn his Masters of Educational Administration -- Secondary and Master of Arts in Teaching: Emphasis in Secondary Education Social Studies from Missouri Baptist University. Fans make sure to stay updated on fontbonnegriffins.com for more updates on the men's and women's wrestling programs.

Toghrul Asgarov wrestles Frank Molinaro at the Olympic Games in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NEW YORK-In what is shaping up to be a "Super" evening of wrestling action, American standout Jordan Oliver, a three-time World Team Trials runner-up, will compete against two-time Olympic Medalist Togrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan in one of two Super Matches scheduled on May 17 in the annual Beat the Streets Benefit at Pier 17/Seaport District in lower Manhattan. The match is part of a festive evening that also features Team USA men and women followed by a Super Match between 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs and Italian Frank Chamizo. Oliver, an Oklahoma State graduate, has twice competed in Beat the Streets action, including a matchup with Chamizo last year. The 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion placed second in the U.S. World Team Trials in 2014, 2015 and 2016, highlighting a career which has also included NCAA Championships in 2011 and 2013, his sophomore and senior years at OSU. The Easton, Pa., native, who will turn 28 by the BTS event date, was also a three-time Pennsylvania High School state champion. Asgarov was the Olympic gold medalist at 60kg in 2012 and followed up with a silver medal at 65 kg in the 2016 Games. In addition, he was the 2011 World Champion and won gold at the 2012 European Championships and 2015 European Games. The 25-year-old is competing in his first Beat the Streets event. The super matches follow the Team USA women, whose roster includes Helen Maroulis, Alli Ragan and Tamyra Mensah-Stock, vs. Nigeria, and a lineup of Team USA men (TBD) vs. an opponent to be announced soon. This year will mark the first time that Beat the Streets has held its annual event at Pier 17/South Street District. In 2013, the event dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails," was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. Playing an important role in the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, this historic wrestling event gained international media coverage and helped wrestling retain its status on the Olympic Games program. Coverage will be available live and on-demand exclusively on FloWrestling.com. To access live and on-demand coverage of the Beat the Streets New York City Annual Benefit, visit FloWrestling.com and become a PRO subscriber. A subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network, as well as the matches from the Beat the Streets program starting at 2:30 p.m. ET on May 17. Watch the event across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku or Apple TV 4. This will be the ninth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Benefit activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Times Square has been the venue for the 2011, 2012 and 2014-2017 events. This year, top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 2:30 p.m. to kick off the NYC Benefit. For the third straight year, the Benefit will feature the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, showcasing the two top New York City girl's freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl's freestyle season. Then it's Team USA vs. an international squad at 6:00 p.m. and super match between Burroughs and Chamizo with video highlights and special guest appearances followed by the Beat the Streets Benefit Celebration. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased by visiting www.btsny.org, calling 212-777-5702 or emailing Joe DelConte at jdelconte@btsny.org. The Benefit Celebration at Pier 17 will follow the wrestling competition. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it's providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one's goals and creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year. 2018 Beat the Streets Wrestling Schedule The Seaport District/Pier 17, New York City, May 17, 2018 2:30 p.m. - Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches 4:45 p.m. - New York City Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals 6:00 p.m. - World Class Wrestling to include: • Team USA vs. Nigeria in women's freestyle 57 kg - Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria) 59 kg - Alli Ragan (USA) vs. Bisola Makanjuola (Nigeria) 68 kg - Tamyra Stock (USA) vs. Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria) • Team USA vs. TBA in men's freestyle • Super Match 1 - Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Frank Chamizo (ITA) • Super Match 2 - Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Togrul Asgarov (AZE) Followed by Annual Benefit Celebration, Pier 17 About Beat the Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com.

WORCESTER -- WPI head wrestling coach Steve Hall has announced that he will be retiring from his coaching responsibilities but will remain with the department to focus on alumni relations and special projects. A national search for a new wrestling head coach will begin immediately. Steve Hall"Steve has been an impactful leader for not only the WPI Wrestling Program but also for all of WPI Athletics," commented WPI Director of Athletics Dana L. Harmon. "He has been a tireless champion of the WPI educational experience helping many of his student-athletes achieve not only in competition but also more importantly academically and in the community. Our wrestling program has thrived under his leadership and he has made many great contributions to our entire athletic program. I cannot thank him enough for all that he has done to help us "Engineer Excellence" in all that we do every day." Hall, a Hall of Fame wrestler for the Engineers, returned to the program for the 2010-2011 season. He has amassed 83 victories in his eight years as head coach, including double digit win totals in each of his last five season at the helm. "WPI and WPI wrestling had an immeasurable effect on my career and my life," remarked Hall. "I have been unbelievably fortunate to have been able to spend the last eight years on the WPI campus working with the student-athletes in the wrestling program to hopefully provide them with the same type of experience that I had when I was here as a student. I am looking forward to the new chapter for the program and I am excited for our athletes to have the opportunity to achieve even higher levels of success for many years to come under new leadership." The 2017-2018 campaign was his most successful one as was named the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year. The Crimson and Gray posted an 18-4 dual meet record, the third most wins in a season in program history, and the most since the 1993-94 season. Bolstered by seven regional place winners, Hall's wrestlers collected a second place finish at the 17-team NCAA regional tournament in March and a program-best third place showing in the NEWA Dual Meet Championships in January. Sophomore Tyler Marsh represented the team this year at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, joining Zach Hartzell (2013) and Brian Amato (2015 All-American) as national tournament participants during the Hall era. During his eight seasons as head coach, WPI boasted 30 regional tournament place-winners at the national qualifying tournament. Hall's wrestlers also enjoyed success in the classroom during his tenure as his squads were consistently in the top three in NEWA and top 20 nationally in team GPA. Over the past four years, the WPI Wrestling program has earned sixty All-NEWA Academic honors and sixteen Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Founded in 1865, Worcester Polytechnic Institution (WPI) is a private research focusing on the instruction and research of technical arts and applied sciences.[institution. Located in Worcester in central Massachusetts, WPI has an enrollment of approximately 7,000 students. The WPI wrestling program competes in NCAA Division III.

Josh Moore CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State University Director of Athletics Mike Thomas announced the hiring of Josh Moore as head wrestling coach Tuesday afternoon. "We're very excited that Josh will be remaining in Cleveland and will be the leader of our program in the next chapter of CSU wrestling," Thomas said. "Josh has significant experience in leading programs to newfound success and a variety of team firsts, and we hope he has a similar impact on our program. He competed at the highest level collegiately at a premier program and has the knowledge and experience necessary to have success as a head coach." Moore, a two-time All-American in his collegiate days at Penn State, brings 14 years of Division I coaching experience to the top spot at CSU. "I want to thank Director of Athletics Mike Thomas, Associate Athletic Director Kathy Worthington Wilson and the entire search committee for believing in me as the next head wrestling coach at Cleveland State University," Moore said. "I feel honored and excited for the opportunity to lead this program and these amazing student-athletes into the future. I plan on using the relationships that I have built over the past 20 years to help develop Cleveland State wrestling into a nationally competitive program while preparing our student-athletes for life after college. I'm ready to get to work and rewrite the record books here at CSU." Moore served as the top assistant at Cleveland State over the past three seasons and helped multiple individuals to noteworthy performances. During this past season, Evan Cheek won Outstanding Wrestler of the Eastern Wrestling League Championships honors after dominating en route to the 141-pound title. Cheek posted a pair of pins over competitors that earned automatic NCAA qualification, including winning by fall against an undefeated, top-five opponent in the championship bout. During the 2016-17 season, Nick Corba won two matches with bonus points at the NCAA Championships, the first Viking to achieve that feat in over 20 years. A pair of Vikings, Riley Shaw and Sam Wheeler, reached the round of 16 at the 2016 NCAA Championships under Moore's guidance. Both reached 30 wins for the season while CSU tied for second in the EWL dual standings with a 4-2 mark. In his 11 years at Kent State, Moore was a key piece in helping to rebuild a program that had not had an All-American in nearly 20 years before his hiring. During Moore's tenure, the program had nine All-Americans, the program's first national champion and 54 national qualifiers. Kent State also finished the season ranked as a top 25 dual meet team eight times. In his time coaching at Kent State, Golden Flash student-athletes won 19 MAC titles, four MAC Wrestler of the Year awards and four MAC Freshman of the Year honors. Kent State had at least one All-American in each of Moore's final seven seasons. When Dustin Kilgore won the national championship in 2011, he was not only the first champion in program history, but it was also the first by any MAC grappler in over a decade. Moore has not only overseen improvement on the wrestling mat but also in the classroom. Kent State had a 2.35 team grade point average before Moore's hiring, a mark that improved to over 3.0 beginning in 2012. In the 2013-14 season, at Kent State, and in the 2015-16 season, at Cleveland State, teams Moore worked with were among the top 15 nationally in team GPA. Moore served as the recruiting coordinator for Kent State and garnered multiple top 20 ranked classes, recruiting heavily from Ohio and Pennsylvania, as his efforts in the role raised the Golden Flashes' stature in the Division I ranks. Moore was a two-time NCAA All-American, finishing as a national runner-up in 2004 and a third-place finisher in 2003. He is the Penn State record holder for all-time matches wrestled (184), single-season pins (24) and senior wins (44) and is tied for the top spot in career pins (53). Moore, a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic First Team honoree, is third in career wins at Penn State with 146. Moore's twin brother, Scott, is the current head wrestling coach at fellow EWL member Lock Haven University and was also an All-American at Penn State (2003) and the University of Virginia (2004). Moore and his wife, Shianne, reside in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with their three sons, Joshua (10), Jacob (8) and Jason (7), and their yellow lab, Nittany. A native of Franklin, Pa., Moore graduated from Penn State in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in crime, law & justice. Moore earned a Master of Arts degree in sports management from Kent State in 2009.

The University of Regina has cut its men's and women's wrestling programs -- along with its men's volleyball team -- the Canadian university announced. In a statement issued Monday, the university said it made the decision to save money. According to the statement, a 2017 athletics programming and operations report issued by the university concluded that it was unsustainable for the school to financially support 16 teams, while 13 sports programs -- the new number of intercollegiate sports programs on the university's roster -- aligned with similar-sized institutions and also represented a better balance of male-to-female athlete ratio. With the decision, two full-time coaches have been released, including Leo McGee, who had coached the wrestling teams for 23 years. In that time, McGee coached a pair of national championships and mentored Dean Schmeichel, who wrestled in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In the University of Regina statement, kinesiology dean Harold Riemer said, "The decision was extremely difficult. While our elite sports teams are a source of pride for the university, reducing the number of teams on campus enables us to concentrate efforts. "We will look to meet the teaching and programming needs of a faculty where enrollments have increased by 31 per cent over the past five years and more effectively support competitive excellence within our remaining U Sports teams." The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan in western Canada. Originally founded in 1911 as a private church-affiliated school, over the years the University of Regina evolved into an autonomous public university in 1974. The University of Regina has an enrollment of over 15,000 full and part-time students.

Jordan Burroughs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- 2012 Olympic champion and four-time World champion Jordan Burroughs, who won two NCAA titles for Nebraska, two-time World medalist James Green, a four-time All-American for Nebraska, and 2017 World silver medalist Thomas Gilman, who was a high school star from Omaha, Neb., are among the headline athletes who have qualified to compete in Final X in Lincoln. With the conclusion of the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nev. on April 28, half of the field for Final X in Lincoln has been determined. The event will be hosted at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, starting at 6 p.m. CST on Saturday, June 9, with exclusive live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling.com, as well as on the FloSports apps on iOS, Roku and Apple TV 4. Tickets remain available for Final X in Lincoln. Fans can order tickets for Final X in Lincoln, and all three Final X events, by visiting FinalX.tv Final X will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Teams in men's and women's freestyle. FloWrestling will provide exclusive coverage of all three Final X events. The two other Final X events will be held in State College, Pa. on June 16 and Bethlehem, Pa. on June 23. There are seven weight classes assigned to Final X in Lincoln: men's freestyle (57 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg) and women's freestyle (55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg). Six of the seven wrestlers who have already qualified for Final X in Lincoln have won World medals, with the other qualifier being a past World Team member. There is a strong Nebraska connection with three of the qualifiers, as Burroughs and Green currently live and train in Lincoln, after completing their college careers at the University of Nebraska. Gilman was a four-time state champion for Skutt Catholic High School in Omaha. Burroughs boasts an Olympic gold medal from the 2012 Olympics in London, England. He claimed World gold medals in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017, and added a 2014 World bronze medal. He was also a 2016 Olympian. Burroughs has won six World Cup gold medals and has claimed two Pan American Games titles (2011 and 2015). Burroughs won two NCAA titles (2009, 2011) and three All-American honors for the University of Nebraska. He was the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation's best college wrestler. Burroughs was a 2006 New Jersey state champion for Winslow Township High School. Green won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France and a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. He was a 2016 World Cup champion. Green also captured a silver medal at the 2014 University World Championships. He won the 2017 U.S. Open. In college, Green was a four-time All-American for Nebraska, placing third at the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Championships, and seventh at the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Championships. Green won a 2011 New Jersey state title for Willingboro High School. Gilman won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France, competing on his first Senior World Team. He also competed on three age-group World Teams for the United States, including winning a 2014 Junior World bronze medal. He was a 2017 Grand Prix of Spain champion. Gilman was a three-time All-American for Iowa, placing second at the 2016 NCAA Championships, third at the 2017 NCAA Championships and fourth at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Olympic champion and two-time World champion Kyle Snyder will compete in Final X at Lincoln. Snyder won his Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016. He added World titles in Las Vegas in 2015 and in Paris in 2017. Snyder also boasts Junior World gold and Junior World bronze medals. Snyder won three NCAA titles and was a four-time finalist for Ohio State. He was a three-time National Prep School champion for Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Maryland, then graduated from Coronado High School in Colorado as a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete during his senior year. Two 2017 World medalists in women's wrestling have accepted their automatic qualification for Final X in Lincoln, both with roots from the American heartland. Two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan hails from Carbondale, Ill. and currently trains in Iowa City, Iowa. Ragan won silver medals at the 2016 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France. A five-time U.S. Senior World Team member, she was also fifth at the 2014 World Championships. Ragan was second in the 2013 World University Games and is a two-time Junior World bronze medalist. She was a 2013 and 2014 WCWA national champion for King University, and a four-time WCWA finalist. 2017 World bronze medalist Becka Leathers is a native of Choctaw, Okla. In her first Senior World Championships, Leathers won a World bronze medal at 55 kg in Paris, France. She won gold medals at the 2017 Pan American Championships and the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial. Leathers recently won the 2018 U23 World Team Trials. She was a 2015 Junior World bronze medalist, competed in two Junior World Championships and one Cadet World Championships. She was a WCWA national champion for Oklahoma City Univ. in 2016. Also qualifying for Final X in Lincoln is 2017 World Team member Tamyra Stock, who previously competed under her maiden name Mensah. Stock is a native of Katy, Texas. She competed for Wayland Baptist in college, winning two WCWA women's college national titles and four All-American honors. Stock qualified for Final X by winning the 2018 U.S. Open, her second career Open title. She was the first American to win back-to-back gold medals at the respected Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix in Russia. The Final X field will be finalized at the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament for men's and women's freestyle, set for Rochester, Minn., May 18-20, where the champions will advance to Final X. The Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament will air live and on-demand only on FloWrestling. For Final X in Lincoln, ticket prices are available in these pricing levels: VIP seating for $75.00, Reserved seating (online option for early buyers) for $50.00 and General Admission seating (first come, first serve) for $30.00. Age 2 and under are free. To order tickets, please visit FinalX.tv For more information, visit FinalX.tv, FloWrestling.com or TheMat.com. FINAL X IN LINCOLN, JUNE 9 Qualifiers as of April 30 Men's freestyle 57 kg 2017 World silver medalist - Thomas Gilman, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Men's freestyle 70 kg 2017 World silver medalist - James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Men's freestyle 74 kg 2017 World champion - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Men's freestyle 97 kg 2017 World champion - Kyle Snyder, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Women's freestyle 55 kg 2017 World bronze medalist - Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Women's freestyle 59 kg 2017 World silver medalist - Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - Women's freestyle 68 kg 2018 U.S. Open champion - Tamyra Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) 2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion - About FloSports FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, partners with event rights holders and governing bodies to unlock a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for. Through live streaming of premier events, original video programming, and weekly studio shows, FloSports is growing the sports, the events, the athletes and the fans. Current verticals under the FloSports header are Basketball, MMA, Football, Wrestling, Track, Gymnastics and more. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the sport of wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling has more than 232,000 members, including athletes, coaches, officials, parents, fans and others who are actively involved in the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

Tom Sleigh BLACKSBURG -- Head coach Tony Robie announced Monday the addition of Tom Sleigh, a 197-pound graduate transfer from Bucknell, to the Virginia Tech wrestling program. Sleigh was a three-time NCAA qualifier and three-time EIWA place winner who racked up 89 wins in three seasons with the Bison. The DuBois, Pa., native will have one year of eligibility remaining and is eligible to compete for the upcoming 2018-19 season. As a true freshman, Sleigh went 30-18 at 184 pounds and earned an automatic berth to nationals with a fifth-place finish at the EIWA Championships. After going to 2-2 at NCAAs as a sophomore, Sleigh bumped up to 197 pounds as a junior in 2016-17 where he earned a second-place finish at EIWAs and qualified for the national tournament for the third time. Sleigh was able to retain his final year of eligibility after suffering an injury in the first dual of the 2017-18 season. The two-time EIWA All-Academic selection received his undergraduate degree in environmental studies.

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- Limestone College officials have announced the addition of women's wrestling as a varsity sport, with 2019-20 expected to serve as the inaugural season. The addition of women's wrestling comes on the heels of Limestone announcing earlier this year that it is adding an Acrobatics & Tumbling squad that will begin competition in February of 2019. Limestone Athletics now fields 25 intercollegiate sports at the NCAA Division II level. "The addition of women's wrestling will be a tremendous asset to the College and this region," said Limestone President Dr. Darrell Parker. "We have wonderful facilities already in place. We are proud to be among the pioneers who are offering collegiate women's wrestling in South Carolina, and we believe this will encourage other schools in the area to add the sport as well. The addition of women's wrestling enables Limestone to continue to be a leader in higher education and Division II athletics." A timeline for the development of the women's wrestling program is being finalized, with an anticipated start during the '19-'20 academic year. "We are excited for the opportunity to support a growing sport and provide an opportunity for women to continue to compete at the collegiate level," noted Mike Cerino, Limestone's Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. "We will become an even more sought-after wrestling program by diversifying and offering a female team that provides access and opportunities to young women that few other colleges do at this time." During its recent regularly scheduled spring meeting, at the recommendation of its Athletics Committee, the Limestone Board of Trustees officially voted to move forward with adding women's wrestling. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the College were officially notified of the new sport on Monday, April 30, before the news was released to the general public. The addition of wrestling and acrobatics & tumbling will provide 13 female-sponsored sports for Limestone, not including competitive cheer and dance. It will also dramatically increase the total number of female student-athletes enrolled at the College. The average squad size for acrobatics & tumbling is 26, while the majority of women's wrestling programs across the country boast an average squad size of over 30 student-athletes. The Saints will compete in the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) and are expected to become members of the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA). Women's wrestling is considered one of the fastest growing sports at the scholastic and collegiate levels. Since 1994, the number of females who wrestle in high school has grown from 804 to over 11,000. Women's wrestling has been recognized as an Olympic sport since 2004. Under the direction of head coach Kaelyn Cowan, Limestone has already started the process of recruiting acrobatics & tumbling student-athletes for the 2018-19 season. Limestone Trustees also opted recently, at the recommendation of its Athletics Committee, to discontinue its men's and women's swim teams.

Austin DeSanto wrestling Michigan's Stevan Micic at the NCAAs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) A former Drexel Dragon will become an Iowa Hawkeye. Weeks after Austin DeSanto was granted a release by Drexel University reportedly seeking "a tougher room" (according to his high school coach), the 133-pounder who just completed his freshman season will be wrestling next season at the University of Iowa. "I thought about it for a while," DeSanto told Andy Hamilton of Trackwrestling.com Sunday night. "This whole week I thought about what I'm about and this opportunity and what I want to do with them and how hard they wrestle and how hard they train. That's what I'm about. That's what I want to become and I think they can get me to the point where I can become a national champ. That's why I chose them." DeSanto will be reunited with former high school rival Spencer Lee, who won the 125-pound title for the Hawkeyes at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in March. One year earlier, wrestling for Exeter High School in Reading, Pennsylvania, DeSanto upset Lee, who was going for his fourth consecutive PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) individual title and an unbeaten career at Franklin Regional High. After the match it was revealed that Lee had been wrestling with a torn ACL. "In my mind it's awesome because I get a really, really good training partner to work with and so many other training partners who are going to make me better," DeSanto told Andy Hamilton. "They have a lot of lightweight workout partners. It's going to be awesome." Trackwrestling.com reported that DeSanto had visited the Iowa campus the first week of April, during the 2018 World Cup held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A number of schools had been mentioned as possible new homes for DeSanto in addition to Iowa, including Penn State and Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey… all Big Ten schools. NJ.com -- a website for a number of newspapers in New Jersey -- reported Sunday that DeSanto had visited the Rutgers campus two weeks ago; sportswriter James Kratch said, "there was mutual interest" in DeSanto, who was expected to move up to 141 pounds if he were to wrestle for the Scarlet Knights. Kratch went on to report that speculation is that Rutgers placed second in the battle for DeSanto's services. Austin DeSanto could be a difference-maker for Iowa, possibly helping to propel the Hawkeyes beyond their third-place team finish at the 2018 NCAAs. "Iowa certainly has a knack for developing and fielding extraordinary talent at 125 and 133, so the fit seems natural," according to Jordan Hansen of the Iowa fan website Black Heart Gold Pants. "The Hawkeyes had issue filling the 133-pound spot all year, as senior Philip Laux went 9-4 and sophomore Paul Glynn went 8-11." "This was a spot Iowa desperately needed some help and to get a guy who went 30-7 last year is pretty great," Hansen continued. "DeSanto made it all the way to the round of 12 at the NCAA tournament last year, so I feel safe to say he's probably for real." Prior to launching his collegiate career at Drexel in Philadelphia, DeSanto was a three-time Pennsylvania state championship medalist, having lost to Spencer Lee in the 2016 PIAA finals. A year later, DeSanto avenged that defeat by handing Lee his first high school career loss in the 126-pound title bout, which some have labeled as the greatest upset in PIAA championships history. That upset vaulted DeSanto into the national spotlight. Sadly, an incident at the 2018 NCAAs may have done some damage to DeSanto's reputation. Towards the end of a quarterfinal bout with Michigan's Steven Micic -- a match DeSanto was losing -- it appeared the Drexel freshman had applied a dangerous arm bar on his opponent before an official stepped in to break the hold. The seemingly unsportsmanlike incident stirred up much discussion among college wrestling fans in online discussion groups and in social media, much of it directed against DeSanto. Micic eventually placed second at 133.

Zeke Moisey (Photo/WVU Athletics) Two-time All-American and 2015 NCAA runner-up Zeke Moisey will join the Nebraska wrestling program as a graduate transfer, NU Head Coach Mark Manning announced Monday. Moisey will be immediately eligible to wrestle for the Huskers as a redshirt senior in 2018-19. He is expected to graduate from West Virginia this August with a bachelor's degree in multidisciplinary studies. "We're extremely excited to have Zeke join our program," Manning said. "He comes to Nebraska as a two-time All-American and a national runner-up. Zeke can be very instrumental in our team's success next year and will provide leadership in the lighter weight classes." A native of Northampton, Pa., Moisey has a career record of 84-37 in three seasons competing for the Mountaineers, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in each of his three years in the lineup. He took a medical redshirt in 2016-17 and did not compete that season. Moisey earned his second All-America honor in March, as he finished eighth at 125 pounds at the 2018 NCAA Championships. He went 26-11 on the season, including 9-3 in duals, with five pins, three technical falls and two major decisions. He placed second at the 2018 Big 12 Championships. He qualified for the 2016 NCAA Championships, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. He posted a 26-11 record on the year, and participated in the 2015 NWCA All-Star Classic prior to the season. Moisey broke through on the national stage as a freshman in 2014-15, as he was the NCAA runner-up at 125 pounds at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Unseeded entering the tournament, Moisey knocked off four seeded wrestlers, including a decision over second-seeded Nahshon Garrett of Cornell in the second round and a pin over sixth-seeded Thomas Gilman of Iowa in the semifinals. He was the first unseeded wrestler to make the NCAA finals since 2003, and he became WVU's first All-American since 2007. He finished the season with a 32-14 record overall, including 16 wins by bonus points. He was also the runner-up at the Big 12 Championships in 2015. Moisey prepped at wrestling powerhouse Bethlehem Catholic High School in Bethlehem, Pa. He won the 2014 PIAA Class AA state title at 126 pounds, and he finished in the top five at the state tournament in all four seasons.

Bret Maughan coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) It's a homecoming of sorts for Bret Maughan, who has been named head wrestling coach at Fargo North High, the school where he earned four North Dakota state championship titles in the early 1980s. Maughan replaces Sean Ritchie and Graelin Garlington as the Spartans' head coach. Bret Maughan's long career as a successful wrestler and coach took root at Fargo North. He was a six-year starter for the Spartans. After placing sixth at the state tournament as an eighth grader at 98 pounds, Maughan never lost another match ... adding up 126 consecutive wins, including four straight state titles. He was selected to wrestle for Team USA at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic in Pittsburgh. After graduating from Fargo North, Maughan wrestled for North Dakota State University from 1986-91. He was a three-year letterman and back-to-back NCAA Division II All-American for the NDSU (1990, 1991) in the era when the Bison wrestled in Division II. Those same years, Maughan was also a two-time Division I national qualifier back when D2 All-Americans automatically earned an invitation to wrestle at the Division I championships. Maughan's coaching career spans more than two decades, first at Bismarck State College in North Dakota from 1993-95, then at Moorhead (Minn.) High School from 1995-2000. He then returned to his college alma mater North Dakota State where he served as an assistant coach from 2001-14, most of those years under head coach Bucky Maughan, his father, who was a 1963 NCAA Division I champ for Minnesota State Moorhead. Bret Maughan has already earned a place of honor at his new place of employment, having been welcomed as a distinguished member of the Fargo North Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Fargo North High School Hall of Fame as an athlete. In addition, Bret Maugham has been inducted into the North Dakota High School Wrestling Hall of Fame and the NDSU Bison Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1988 national championship team. "Bret brings a wealth of experience to the position," Fargo North activities coordinator Travis Christensen told Forum Communications. "Bret cares deeply about using the sport of wrestling to help young people grow and learn."

A wild, wacky and entertaining week of wrestling at the U.S. Open proved something most wrestling observers already know. Making a U.S. world team this year will be no easy feat. The first step of qualifying for the 2018 world team certainly demonstrated that when a total of 30 champions -- 10 in each style -- were crowned this past weekend in Las Vegas. There was no shortage of top-notch competition as wrestlers gained momentum heading into the final qualifiers that will determine this year's world team. Here are 10 takeaways from the U.S. Open: Isaiah Martinez cruised to a U.S. Open title, beating Dan Vallimont in the finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 10. Martinez impressive as his focus turns to freestyle Two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez didn't finish his college career the way he wanted after suffering a second straight NCAA finals loss. But Martinez certainly has plenty of competitive fire left. That was evident when he powered to the Open title at 74 kilograms. Martinez steamrolled veteran Dan Vallimont with a 10-0 win by technical superiority in the finals. He scored three takedowns and two turns to make quick work of Vallimont. It will be interesting to see how Martinez matches up in a potential Final X matchup with Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs. 9. Greco Olympians still chasing medals The U.S. has struggled in Greco-Roman wrestling over the past decade, but this could be the year the Americans turn their fortunes around. Two-time Olympian Ben Provisor, along with Olympians Robby Smith and Ellis Coleman, looked strong in earning championships in Vegas. They now take aim at qualifying for Budapest at the Greco World Team Trials in Tulsa, Okla. All of those wrestlers are still competing at a high level and are capable of winning world medals. Sarah Hildebrandt won her U.S. Open title by defeating Olympian Haley Augello (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 8. Hildebrandt knocks off Olympian Sarah Hildebrandt earned Outstanding Wrestler in women's freestyle after downing 2016 Olympian and 2017 World Team member Haley Augello in the Open finals at 53 kilograms. Hildebrandt, a 2016 world team member, scored a pair of takedowns in the first period and another in the second period to win her first U.S. Open title. This may be the year Hildebrandt lands a spot on the world podium. She's a talented and aggressive wrestler who is capable of that type of performance. 7. Ramos outlasts young stud Fix Tony Ramos has cut back down to 57 kilograms and he had his hands full in winning the U.S. Open. Ramos scored a second-period takedown late in the match to edge 2017 Junior world champion Daton Fix 2-2 on criteria in the finals. Kudos to Ramos for looking to bounce back after falling to eventual world silver medalist Thomas Gilman in last year's world team trials. They could meet again for this year's world team spot. And kudos to Fix, who still has four years of college eligibility left, for turning in a strong showing in a top-level Senior event. 6. Conder hits jackpot by downing Anthony Three-time world team member Whitney Conder may have found a home at the new weight class of 50 kilograms. Conder won her fifth U.S. Open title by downing past world fifth-place finisher Victoria Anthony 7-3 in the finals. Conder controlled the match on her feet while enjoying a size advantage in the bout. Conder previously wrestled at 53 kilograms and Anthony was in the former 48-kilogram class. Conder could be a force internationally in this women's freestyle division. 5. Colon, Garrett light up scoreboard with combined 33 points In a match filled with big moves and huge momentum swings, Joe Colon emerged with a wild 20-13 win over Nahshon Garrett in the finals at 61 kilograms. Colon, a past All-American for Northern Iowa, actually trailed after the first period before executing a succession of turns to take control in the second period. Colon won a loaded class that included the last four NCAA champions at 133 pounds. He was named Outstanding Wrestler in men's freestyle. Kamal Bey won his second straight U.S. Open title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 4. Don't turn away when watching Bey The maturation and progression of talented young Greco star Kamal Bey continues. And that's bad news for his opponents. The Junior world champion continues to turn in sparkling performances and he put on another show in winning his second straight U.S. Open. The explosive Bey scored back-to-back spectacular four-point throws in cruising past Peyton Walsh in the finals at 77 kilograms. He celebrated his win Friday night with a backflip. Don't be surprised if you see him doing that same move again in a few months at the worlds. 3. Gray returning to championship form Three-time World champion Adeline Gray has stormed back onto the women's freestyle scene this year, finishing ahead of the reigning Olympic and world champions this season. As expected, Gray dominated the field at 76 kilograms in prevailing in Las Vegas. The women's wrestling legend, a five-time world medalist and 2016 Olympian, is going to be very tough to beat by anyone on the planet this year. Once Gray scores a takedown, the match is virtually over because she is so lethal at turning her opponents. She has bounced back in a big way after missing last season with a shoulder injury. 2. Dake holds off Dieringer in classic finale There was a reason the finals match between four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake and three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer was the last bout of the tournament. The battle at 79 kilograms lived up to its billing as Dake, coming off wins over two world silver medalists at the World Cup, earned a hard-fought victory. A wild scramble late in the match resulted in two points apiece for both wrestlers and Dake won on criteria after the match ended in a 5-5 deadlock. It would've been fun to see an overtime decide this match instead of criteria. Dake landed a spot in the Final X event which will determine the world team spot. Dieringer is a top freestyle prospect who is a past Junior world silver medalist. Adam Coon defeated Jake Varner in the U.S. Open freestyle finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 1. Coon nearly strikes it rich twice in Vegas Most wrestlers go their entire career without defeating an Olympic gold medalist. Adam Coon has now done it twice in the same year. Coon capped a phenomenal weekend by downing 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner 3-1 to win the U.S. Open freestyle title at heavyweight. Coon enjoyed a big size advantage over Varner, who previously competed at a weight class below. That win came a night after Coon placed second to Olympian Robby Smith in the Greco-Roman tournament. Coon knocked off 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder during the college season before Snyder came back to edge Coon twice in the postseason. The massive 6-foot-6 Coon, a past Cadet world champion and Junior world medalist, could be a force in both international styles for years to come. 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.

Zhan Beleniuk at the 2015 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Zhan Beleniuk, Greco-Roman silver medalist at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, said he had been prohibited from going to Russia for the 2018 European Wrestling Championship which starts next week, the Russian news agency TASS reported Saturday. The 85 kilogram/187-pound Beleniuk revealed his situation on his Instagram account. "I would rather not go into details, but want to say that we fought until the very end for the right to go," Beleniuk said. "Everything will change in the future, including the political environment, just like it was many times before, however, no one will be able to give back athletes their youth and chances for high achievements, while they are young and strong," the 27-year-old wrestler added. Beleniuk has wrestled at the European Championship in the past, earning gold in 2014 and 2016, as well as the bronze medal at the 2012 European Championship in Belgrade. In addition, Beleniuk was a gold medalist at the 2015 World Championships, and received bronze at the Worlds the year before. In mid-March, Ukrainian Sports Minister Igor Zhdanov issued an official directive banning national athletes from participating in all sports competitions held on the territory of Russia. A document signed by Ukrainian Sport Minister Zhdanov on March 14 stated that athletes of Ukrainian national sports teams had been banned not only from participating in Russia-hosted competitions, but travelling to Russia for training camps as well. At the time of that announcement, Nenad lalovic, President of United World Wrestling (UWW), said Ukraine's possible boycott of the 2018 European Wrestling Championship in Russia would split the wrestling family and such decisions were inadmissible. This month, the Ukrainian Sports Ministry stated that it withdrew the direct order for national athletes to stay away from all international competitions hosted by Russia. In fact, on April 17, the press service of the Ukrainian Wrestling Association stated that the national freestyle wrestling team planned to take part in the European Wrestling Championship this year in Russia. The issue of whether Ukraine would send wrestlers to the European Championship in Russia has a political dimension going back at least a handful of years, made worse when Russia launched an invasion of neighboring Ukraine in August 2014.