InterMat Staff

Kyle Snyder gets in on a double leg against Koki Yamamoto (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NEW YORK -- Led by Olympic champions Kyle Snyder, Jordan Burroughs and Helen Maroulis, the Americans were dominant against Japan at the Beat the Streets Benefit in Times Square on Wednesday night. The United States swept the seven freestyle matches against Japan and picked up wins in two of the three women's wrestling matches. The 21-year-old Snyder cruised to a 10-0 technical fall over Koki Yamamoto at 97 kilograms. The 2016 Olympic gold medalist started the match with bang, picking up four points off a double leg. He added three more takedowns in the first period to finish the match quickly. "I was just happy Japan could bring a guy for my weight class," said Snyder, who won his second NCAA title at Ohio State two months ago. "Competing out here is so cool, as you guys can see. It's just good to be able to compete at this event. I wasn't able to last year, so I'm glad I could this year." Jordan Burroughs gets his hand raised after defeating Sohsuke Takatani (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Burroughs, competing in his seventh Beat the Streets event, claimed a convincing 9-2 victory over world silver medalist Sohsuke Takatani in the final match of the event at 74 kilograms. The score was 1-1 after the opening period before Burroughs broke it open in the second period. "It's a difficult position that I'm in," said Burroughs, a three-time world champion who Olympic gold in London in 2012. "I'm probably the most reviewed, most watched, most scouted wrestler. I never have a game plan. My game plan is to score as many points as possible. Sometimes that's extremely difficult because those guys have game plans. So I just keep firing off what I have, continue to improve in positions and have fun." Helen Maroulis defeated Yuzuru Kumano (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Maroulis, who became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in women's wrestling last summer in Rio, notched a 7-4 victory over Yuzuru Kumano. The American scored two first-period takedowns to build a 5-0 lead at the break. Maroulis went up 7-0 after securing another takedown with just under a minute remaining. Kumano scored four points late in the match, but it was too little too late. "I was really excited to wrestle this Japanese girl," said Maroulis, who defeated Japanese wrestling legend Saori Yoshida to win her Olympic gold medal. "I heard she won Junior Worlds. Japan is always at the top. They're always performing the best. So any time you get to wrestle one of them, it's a really great experience. They always bring a fire. They always bring a discipline and a respect and push. So you know it's always going to be a good battle. It was really just amazing to get that here today, and to get that on this stage, for this cause." World champion Logan Stieber rolled to a technical fall, 11-0, over Shingo Arimoto at 61 kilograms, improving his record at Beat the Streets events to 3-1. Tony Ramos (57 kilograms), James Green (70 kilograms) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms) also picked up technical falls by shutout. David Taylor locks up cradle against Takahiro Murayama (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) World No. 6 David Taylor used a cradle to earn a fall in the first period over Takahiro Murayama at 86 kilograms. "I take a lot of pride in wrestling in Times Square, wrestling for the United States," said Taylor, who was named Outstanding Wrestler at the U.S. Open last month. "I've had a lot of great opponents over the years. Right now, just going out, having fun. Going out wrestling as hard as I can. Ben Askren told me to hit a cradle today. I haven't hit one in a while, so I was trying really hard for that today. Wrestling right now is more than it's ever been. I'm wrestling the best guys in the world, so I can't complain." Two Americans competed at 65 kilograms, U.S. Open champion Jordan Oliver and Hodge Trophy winner Zain Retherford. Italy's Frank Chamizo, a world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, edged Jordan Oliver 7-6 in an action-filled match. Retherford topped Daichi Takatani 8-2. In women's wrestling, Tamyra Mensah earned a 5-1 victory over Miwa Morikawa at 69 kilograms. Japan's lone win came from Yuki Irie, who defeated Victoria Anthony 10-6 at 48 kilograms. Daton Fix opened the event with a technical fall victory over Joey Melendez (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Oklahoma State signee Daton Fix, the nation's No. 4 wrestler in the Class of 2017, opened the event with a 14-1 technical fall over Joey Melendez. Results High school: 55 kilograms: Daton Fix (Oklahoma) tech. fall Joey Melendez (Illinois), 14-1 Women's wrestling: 48 kilograms: Yuki Irie (Japan) dec. Victoria Anthony (USA), 10-6 69 kilograms: Tamyra Mensah (USA) dec. Miwa Morikawa (Japan), 5-1 58 kilograms: Helen Maroulis (USA) dec. Yuzuru Kumano (Japan), 7-4 Freestyle: 70 kilograms: Frank Chamizo (Italy) dec. Jordan Oliver (USA), 7-6 57 kilograms: Tony Ramos (USA) tech. fall Steven Takahashi (Canada), 10-0 61 kilograms: Logan Stieber (USA) tech. fall Shingo Arimoto (Japan), 11-0 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford (USA) dec. Daichi Takatani (Japan), 8-2 70 kilograms: James Green (USA) tech. fall Nobuyoshi Takojima (Japan), 10-0 86 kilograms: David Taylor (USA) pinned Takahiro Murayama (Japan), 1:19 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder (USA) tech. fall Koki Yamamoto (Japan), 10-0 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) tech. fall Katsutoshi Kanazawa (Japan), 11-0 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Sohsuke Takatani (Japan), 9-2

Michael Beard defeated Jelani Embree at Who's Number One (Photo/Juan Garcia) Two-time National Prep champion Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) verbally committed to Penn State University on Wednesday evening. The No. 6 overall prospect in the 2018 class ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 2 nationally at 195 pounds. He was champion at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman this past season in the 182 pound weight class and runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle at 85 kilograms last spring. Beard projects to compete in college as a 197 pound wrestler, and will join No. 2 Seth Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), No. 3 Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.), No. 4 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.), No. 5 Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) and No. 16 Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) as verbal commitments to the Nittany Lions in the 2018 class. Beard had originally committed to Northwestern with high school teammate Ryan Karoly, but decommitted and reopened his recruiting in late March. His older sibling is currently a student-athlete at Penn State as well.

Services have been announced for Earl Stottler, Minnesota State Moorhead's first national wrestling champ, who died in his home Saturday. He was 76. Earl StottlerVisitation will be held Friday, May 19 from 5 - 7 p.m. at Minnewaska Lutheran Church in Starbuck, Minn., as well as one hour prior to the funeral service Saturday, May 20 at 1 p.m. at Fron Lutheran Church in Starbuck. Stottler won the 123-pound title at the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national wrestling champions in 1961, becoming the Dragons' first national titlewinner in the sport. Earl Lester Stottler was born in November 1940 on a farm near Clontarf, Minn. He was a Minnesota state wrestling champion at Princeton High School as a senior in 1958. Stottler went on to wrestle for the University of Minnesota, then at what was then called Moorhead State College in Moorhead, where he made history by claiming the wrestling program's first national crown. After graduating from North Dakota State University in 1969, Stottler began his teaching career, first in Milbank, S.D., then in Starbuck, where he taught and was head wrestling coach and assistant football coach for many years. In 1986, health concerns forced Stottler to give up coaching, but he continued to teach until his retirement in 1996. Stottler was welcomed into a number of Halls of Fame, including the David Bartelma MWCA (Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association) Hall of Fame, MSUM Athletics Dragons Hall of Fame, and the Minnesota Chapter of NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Hall of Fame. Stottler is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kathleen; two sons; four grandchildren; and six siblings. Condolences may be posted at the funeral home website.

Mike Schadwinkel is resigning after three seasons as head coach of the Hastings College wrestling program, the Nebraska-based school announced Tuesday. Mike Schadwinkel This past season, Schadwinkel led the Broncos to a third-place finish in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, the best conference finish in the ten-year history of the school's mat program. In addition, Schadwinkel coached Jeremiah Gerl to a fourth-place finish at the 2017 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national wrestling championships, the highest finish for a Hastings wrestler. The past two seasons, Hastings had sent a total of five wrestlers to the Nationals. Schadwinkel's wrestlers also performed well in the classroom. In his three years at the helm, one Bronco wrestler earned NAIA Scholar Athlete honors ... while one-hundred percent of his student-athletes who finished their eligibility graduated from Hastings. Prior to coming to Hastings, Schwadwinkel had coached wrestling at Dakota Wesleyan University, and at Grand Island High School in Nebraska. "On behalf of Hastings College, I want to thank Coach Schadwinkel for his tireless service to Hastings College and to the wrestling program," said Patty Sitorius, Hastings College Athletic Director. "We will certainly miss Mike's commitment and leadership but know that his drive for excellence will help him to succeed in his future endeavors. Coach Schadwinkel has been given a wonderful opportunity outside of athletics and I have no doubt he will be nothing but successful." "I am very appreciative for the opportunity to meet my professional goals of successfully leading a collegiate wrestling program," said Schadwinkel. "I wish nothing but the best for the student-athletes, the new coaches and the program." A search for a new head wrestling coach will begin immediately. Hastings College is a four-year, private liberal arts college located in Hastings, Neb. Founded in 1882, Hastings has an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students.

Mike Golic was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 (Photo/Larry Slater) It's official: Mike and Mike are splitting up. After nearly two decades together on the popular ESPN Radio show "Mike and Mike in the Morning," National Wrestling Hall of Fame honoree Mike Golic will be co-hosting a new morning drive show on ESPN Radio with on-air partners other than Mike Greenberg. Golic will be paired with Trey Wingo on the new show that will broadcast from 6-10 am Eastern starting sometime this fall, according to the network. His son, Mike Golic Jr., will also join the show for the first hour each day. The new radio show will be simulcast at first on ESPN2 and later on ESPNU when the lineup changes are finalized. It will be the first time that the two Mikes won't be partnering on the airwaves since Mike Greenberg first filled in as a co-host on Mike Golic's ESPN Chicago radio show in 1998. The "Mike and Mike in the Morning" show went national in 2000. "One of the many benefits of working at ESPN is that change and evolution are in our DNA," Greenberg said in a statement released by the network. "My run with Golic has been an incredible experience that I'll always treasure, but having the chance to engage multiple voices every morning in a dialogue on each day's sports stories will be a great new challenge." Golic, who joined ESPN in 1995 as a reporter and analyst for Sunday NFL Countdown, anticipates a new era at his long-time employer. "With 'Mike and Mike'ending later this year, I am looking forward to the opportunity to begin the next chapter of the ESPN morning show with Trey and my son Mike," Golic said in a statement. "Both men will bring new and interesting voices to our morning conversations and help to create a fresh fun show for our audience. I appreciate the loyalty of those who have started their mornings with us over the years and hope they continue to do so for years to come." Mike Golic's bio at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame opens with "Mike Golic is famous for his voice, and he made it loud and clear that wrestling deserves a place among a national audience." Golic was welcomed into the Stillwater hall as an Outstanding American in 2015. Mike Golic (Courtesy National Wrestling Hall of Fame)Golic was a two-sport star in high school and college, making his mark on the football field and on the wrestling mat. The Willowick, Ohio native participated in both sports at St. Joseph High School outside Cleveland… then headed east to the University of Notre Dame to continue his athletic career as a grappler and on the gridiron. (Notre Dame eliminated its intercollegiate wrestling program a few years after Golic graduated.) Golic shared his opinion on both sports in an interview with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Gazette while participating in a golf fundraiser for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in 2014. "As I have said before, I love wrestling easily as much as I love football," Golic told sports columnist Jim Nelson. Nelson then shared Golic's account of his heartbreaking loss in the heavyweight finals at the Ohio state wrestling championships as a senior. After concluding his prep and collegiate careers, Mike Golic spent nine seasons as a defensive lineman in the National Football League before becoming an ESPN commentator and national morning show host.

The annual Beat the Streets Benefit returns to Time Square on Wednesday. The slate of matches includes several world medalists and representatives from the U.S., Italy and Japan. The following is a match-by-match preview of the event. Daton Fix (USA) vs. Austin DeSanto (USA) Last summer Fix added a junior world bronze medal in freestyle to his resume. In the previous year, he brought home a bronze at the cadet level. He recently finished his high school career with a 165-0 career record and four state championships. He will wrestle at Oklahoma State next winter. DeSanto became the talk of the wrestling world when he bested the previously undefeated Spencer Lee in the PIAA Class 3A state championship. The Drexel recruit kept his momentum going with another upset over four-time California state champion Justin Mejia at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. Fix is clearly the favorite here as he has a sizable experience advantage in freestyle. However, DeSanto is coming off an impressive string of upsets and is a danger to anyone at this weight. 48 kilograms: Victoria Anthony (USA) vs. Yuki Irie (Japan) Anthony is off to a great start in 2017. She has won titles at the International Ukrainian Tournament and the Pan American Championship. Last April, she won the U.S. Open as well. In the best-of-three finals, she swept Cody Pfau without allowing a single point. Irie has twice won gold medals at age-group world championships. In 2012, she won gold at both the Junior and University World Championships. Last year, she won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix for the second time. In the finals, she defeated multiple-time junior world medalist Nadeshda Fedorova. Irie will prove to be a tough opponent for Anthony, but the American has all the momentum on her side and will likely put on a show for the fans in Times Square. 69 kilograms: Tamyra Mensah (USA) vs. Miwa Morikawa (Japan) Mensah came up just short of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics as she placed third in both of the last two qualification tournaments. She has returned this year and already won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and the U.S. Open. In the finals at the Open, she defeated four-time world medalist Elena Pirozhkova in two matches, 4-2 and 6-2. At the cadet level, Morikawa won the 2015 Asian Championship and took a silver at the 2016 World Championship. She has not been able to duplicate that success at the senior level. So far this year, she has placed seventh at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and fifth at the Klippan Lady Open. Mensah appears to have taken a step forward after her near miss at the 2016 Olympics. She should be able to score a dominant victory over Morikawa. 58 kilograms: Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Yuzuru Kumano (Japan) After two previous losses against Saori Yoshida in world championship tournaments, Maroulis broke through in the finals of the 2016 Olympics and defeated Yoshida 4-1. In the process, Maroulis became the first Olympic gold medalist for the U.S. in women's wrestling. She returned at the U.S. Open took home the title. In the finals, she took two-straight matches over Kayle Miracle by a combined 25-2 score. Kumano is the returning junior champion at this weight. In the finals, she defeated Ukraine's Anzhelina Lysak. Last February, she placed third at the Klippan Lady Open. Kumano will look to do what her compatriot Yoshida was unable to accomplish at the Olympics. She will be fighting an uphill battle. Maroulis proved she is one of the pound-for-pound best in the women's wrestling game, and her performance at the U.S. Open showed that she is already back in top form. Frank Chamizo throws Toghrul Asgarov in the semifinals of the Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 65 kilograms: Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Frank Chamizo (Italy) Oliver started his 2017 with a gold medal finish at the Dave Schultz Memorial International. He returned at the U.S. Open and went on quite a run. In the semifinals, he defeated Zain Retherford and then bested 2016 Olympic team member Frank Molinaro. Oliver appears to be in the driver's seat to make the World Team later this summer. Chamizo moved from representing Cuba to wrestling for Italy in 2015. Since the change, he has won a pair of gold medals at the European Championships, a gold medal at the 2015 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. In the Olympic bronze medal match, Chamizo defeated Molinaro via a 5-3 score. The Italian has shown that he can beat some of the best that the U.S. can offer. With his victory over Molinaro, Oliver looks primed and ready to take over the 65-kilogram spot for the U.S. This match should be a preview to see how he will perform if he makes the 2017 World Team. 57 kilograms: Anthony Ramos (USA) vs. Rinya Nakamura (Japan) Ramos appeared to get back on track at the U.S. Open. He took the title after defeating Nathan Tomasello in the semifinals and besting Nahshon Garrett in the finals. Prior to that, Ramos had reached the finals of the 2016 Olympic team trials but fell in pair of matches against Daniel Dennis. Nakamura's best result came in 2011 when he took home a bronze medal in the cadet World Championships. He moved up to the senior level in 2015 and took a silver medal at the Grand Prix of Spain. Earlier this year, he competed at 61 kilograms in the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Tournament but failed to medal. Ramos appears to be rounding into form after moving to train at UNC-Chapel Hill RTC. The transition was not as easy as some expected, but if he is able to get to his offense, he should be able to put up a lot of points against Nakamura. 61 kilograms: Logan Stieber (USA) vs. Shingo Arimoto (Japan) Stieber hit a little bit of a bump at the most recent Pan American Championships. He ended up finishing with a bronze medal after falling to Dabian Quintana Jaime of Cuba. However, he is still one of the top wrestlers in the world at 61 kilograms. After failing to make the 2016 Olympic team at 65 kilograms, Stieber dropped down to 61 kilograms for the non-olympic weight World Championship last December where he ended up winning a gold medal. Arimoto represented Japan at the 2016 World Championships in the non-Olympic tournament. While Stieber won the weight, Arimoto could only manage an 11th place finish. One of his best results to date was a fifth place finish at the 2015 Golden Grand Prix. Stieber is a much better offensive wrestler than Arimoto. He should be able to get to his opponent's legs and score with his non-traditional turns on top. This match will likely end up being a technical fall for Stieber. 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford (USA) vs. Daichi Takatani (Japan) Retherford has been downright dominant at the collegiate level. This past season, he led Penn State to another team title while capturing his second NCAA title and the Dan Hodge Trophy. On the freestyle side, he came in third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. In 2014 Takatani competed in both the Junior and senior World Championships. In the junior tournament, he lost in the first round to Aaron Pico before battling through the repechage to finish with a bronze. Takatani also won a bronze medal at the 2011 Cadet World Championships. Takatani will be an interesting test for Retherford. So far most of Retherford's success has come on the folkstyle mats, but his performance at the trials showed that he can get it done in freestyle as well. A win over Takatani will help him announce his presence on the international scene. 70 kilograms: James Green (USA) vs. Nobuyoshi Takojima (Japan) Green, a 2015 world bronze medalist, has had a strong start to 2017. He has won titles at the International Ukrainian Tournament, the Pan American Championship and the U.S. Open. At the Open, he defeated NCAA champion Jason Nolf by a 9-8 score. 2016 was a tough year for Takojima. He was one match away from medaling at both the Asian Championship and the World Championship and finished fifth both times. At the 2015 Grand Prix of Spain, Takojima fell to Green via a 7-0 score. In the junior ranks, he took home a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championship. Green has defeated Takojima before and will likely be able duplicate that performance here. After a disappointing performance at the 2016 World Championships, Green is looking to get back on the medal platform this year. 86 kilograms: David Taylor (USA) vs. Takahiro Murayama (Japan) Taylor had his international coming out party at 86 kilograms at the Freestyle World Cup. There, he went undefeated and scored wins over a pair of Olympic gold medalists, Sharif Sharifov of Azerbaijan and Hassan Yazdanicharati of Iran. He continued that dominance at the U.S. Open where he won five matches by a combined score of 50-4. Murayama does not have a lot of international experience at any level. The only tournament listed in his UWW profile is an eighth place finish at the 2014 Junior Asian Championship. This match is destined to be a blowout. Taylor is wrestling at the highest level of his entire career. Unfortunately for Murayama, he is not even close to that level. 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. Koki Yamamoto (Japan) At this point, wrestling fans all over the world know the name Kyle Snyder. At only 21 years old, Snyder has already won the World Championships and the Olympics. During this collegiate wrestling season, he continued to compete in freestyle. This year he has already won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and the Pan American Championships. Yamamoto was Japan's pick to qualify this weight for the 2016 Olympics, but he failed to do so. His best international finish at the senior level came when he finished fifth at the 2016 Asian Championship. Snyder had some injury concerns after winning his second NCAA title for Ohio State. However, he erased those concerns with a dominant performance at the Pan American Championships. He should be able to dominate Yamamoto and score an early finish. 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) vs. Katsutoshi Kanazawa (Japan) After Tervel Dlagnev retired many expected Gwiazdowski to take over his spot at heavyweight. However, Zach Rey was always standing in his way. Well, Gwiazdowski finally broke through after defeated Rey in the finals of the U.S. Open. Kanazawa's only international result since 2010 is a 17th place finish at the 2015 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. His best performance came in 2010 when he captured a bronze medal at the Junior Asian Championship. Gwiazdowski is only going to get better as he continues to grow as a freestyle competitor. Even without any evolution, his athleticism and folkstyle background is more than enough to carry him to a victory here. 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Sohsuke Takatani (Japan) Since unexpectedly failing to medal at the 2016 Olympics, Burroughs has been on the comeback trail. While his comeback tour has not been entirely dominant, it has been successful. He went undefeated at the Freestyle World Cup, and he won a hard fought battle over rival Kyle Dake in the finals of the U.S. Open. Takatani won a silver medal at the 2014 World Championships, but he failed to medal at the 2015 World Championships or 2016 Olympics. So far this year, he placed sixth at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. It would be easy to say that Takatani will be an opportunity for Burroughs to prove that he is back to his old form. In reality, he has already beaten tougher competitor since 2016. Look for Burroughs to handle Takatani with little trouble.

Wilmington College is starting wrestling as an intercollegiate varsity sport beginning in fall 2018. The College will hire a full-time wrestling coach and designate a training space in its athletics complex especially for the sport, which will become its 19th varsity-level program. WC will field the Ohio Athletic Conference's eighth wrestling team. Dr. Terry Rupert, vice president for athletic administration, said the combination of wrestling's popularity in Ohio high schools and the recent expansion of the College's athletics facilities makes starting a wrestling program a proposition with a "great opportunity" for success. "Wilmington College is geographically located in the center of outstanding, high school wrestling programs in the greater Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus areas," he said. "We believe many of those high school athleties will wish to take advantage of the opportunity to continue competing in the sport they love on the NCAA Division-III level." Rupert said the College's recent acquisition of the former Wilmington YMCA, which is adjacent to WC's athletics complex, will allow for a dedicated space for the wrestling program's training activities. "The College is committed to hosting a top-level, college wrestling program based on the Division III commitment to the concept of the student-athlete," he added. "Wrestling, as with our other athletics programs, will not only offer students the opportunity to compete in their sport as a college student, but it also will provide those distinct educational, leadership and character-building components that are unique in D-3 intercollegiate athletics." While this program will be new in 2018, Wilmington College has a long history with the sport, which it placed on hiatus in fall 2011. A number of Fightin' Quaker wrestlers have won conference championships and advanced to the national tournament. Indeed, 2003 graduate Jimmy Wallace won the 2002 national title in the 157-pound weight class and was selected as that tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Rupert said the College will begin recruiting student-athletes immediately.

Tony DeAnda accepts the Team Scholar Award while at Jamestown from Archie Randall Tony DeAnda has been named head coach of the brand-new women's wrestling program at the University of Great Falls, the school announced Monday. In January, the University of Great Falls announced it would launch the first intercollegiate women's wrestling program in the state of Montana, joining an existing men's program. The women's program will take to the mats during the 2017-18 school year. DeAnda brings considerable experience as a women's wrestling coach to the new Lady Argos mat program. For the past six seasons, DeAnda served as head coach of the women's program at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. During his tenure, the Jimmies had 16 WCWA (Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association) All-Americans, and finished in the top 10 in the team standings at the national championships all but one season. What's more, the Jimmies were winners in the classroom under DeAnda's guidance, with six WCWA Scholar-Athletes. Prior to coaching at Jamestown, DeAnda spent six years as an Assistant Women's Freestyle Wrestling Coach at the United States Olympic Education Center for USA Wrestling. During his time with USA Wrestling, he coached two Cadet Pan-Am Championship teams, two Junior Pan-Am Championship teams, one Youth Olympic Games Pan-Am Championship team, and one Senior Pan-Am Championship team. He also coached 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist Randi Miller and conduced an Olympic Solidarity Coaches Seminar for the International Olympic Committee in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2010. DeAnda launched his coaching career just over two decades ago, first, as an assistant at Lincoln East High School in Lincoln, Neb., then as a graduate assistant at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa before returning to his high school alma mater to join the staff at Bishop Heenan Catholic in Sioux City. Tony DeAnda gets his hand raised after defeating Scott Schatzman at RPW (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) DeAnda's on-the-mat career was equally impressive. He was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American at Augustana University in South Dakota who then transferred to the University of Nebraska, where he was a NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier. In freestyle, he was a five-time Mexican National Champion and placed at the U.S. Nationals three times. In addition, DeAnda won a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Games, having been ranked in the top 10 in the USA from 2001-05. What's more, Tony DeAnda was champion at 60 kilograms/132 pounds for Real Pro Wrestling, a 2005 venture where amateur wrestlers could compete for prize money. "I'm excited to start a program from scratch. There are obviously two sides to that, but I see it as a chance to create something great," DeAnda said about taking the helm of the new women's program at University of Great Falls. "I think the location of being close to the west coast, and being able to get recruits from California, Oregon, and Washington is going to be a good pitch. I think the town is a great size, and the wrestling community in Great Falls is tremendous which for any wrestling coach is a dream come true." The school's Vice-President for Athletics, Dave Gantt, was equally upbeat. "We have high hopes for this program and wanted to make sure we hired the right person to build it from the ground up," said Gantt. "Through the process, it became clear that Tony's experience, character, personality, and fit with the University's mission made him an excellent overall fit. He has already proven he can lead a successful, reputable college women's wrestling team, and with his coaching experience, this program can have an instant impact on the national stage." The University of Great Falls is a private Roman Catholic university located in Great Falls, Montana. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students.

Trent Paulson and John Kriebs will be guests on the "On the Mat" broadcast this Wednesday, May 17. Paulson, a 2007 NCAA Division I champ for Iowa State, is one of five honorees -- along with his twin brother Travis -- to be welcomed into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on June 24 in Waterloo, Iowa. This Hall of Fame, designed to honor wrestlers, coaches and others who have contributed to amateur wrestling in the state of Iowa, is located at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo. The Hall is named in honor of Glen Brand, 1948 Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champ for Iowa State. Kriebs, a two-time NCAA All-American for the University of Northern Iowa, is now the associate athletics director at Fresno State. The California school has brought back its Division I wrestling program which will return to the mat for the 2017-18 season. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in northeast Iowa this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, the Fan.

Mark Perry (left) spent six seasons at Illinois (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Mark Perry is leaving the University of Illinois and returning to Iowa City to oversee elite-level athlete development with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Trackwrestling first reported the story on Monday. Perry spent six seasons as associate head coach at Illinois. Prior to his time in Champaign, Illinois, Perry coached at Cal Poly and Penn State. While at Cal Poly he served as co-head coach in 2010-11 and as an assistant coach in 2009-10. As a college competitor at Iowa, Perry was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American. He helped lead the Hawkeyes to an NCAA team national championship in 2008.

Eric Burgey, former wrestler at Pennsylvania's Easton Area High School who went on to win three national mat titles at colleges in Iowa and Ohio, has been arrested and charged with arson, the Express-Times of Easton, Pa. reported Monday. Police reported seeing fire coming out of a gas tank door of a vehicle in the Wegmans supermarket parking lot in Lower Nazareth Township Saturday at about 8:30 p.m. The fire was started by a rag or shirt put into the gas tank and lit. Officers extinguished the fire quickly. Eric Burgey (Photo/Simon Jimenez)Burgey, 26, approached the officers and said the vehicle was his and he started the fire, according to the police. Burgey was arrested on arson, along with other charges, including reckless endangerment, risking a catastrophe and disorderly conduct. He was taken to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. Burgey earned a trio of national championships in college -- first, a NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) title at 149 pounds for William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa in 2011 ... then back-to-back NCAA Division II championships for Notre Dame College of Cleveland in 2013 (at 174 pounds) and 2014 (at 165). Prior to college, Burgey wrestled at Easton Area High, where he placed seventh as a junior at the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state championships. Nearly a decade ago, Burgey was kicked off the wrestling team as a senior for allegedly possessing marijuana and being intoxicated at a high school football game as a 17-year-old in Sept. 2008. His family filed suit to have him reinstated to the team; they dropped the suit three months later. Burgey graduated from EAHS in 2009.

Michigan's Adam Coon is a multiple-time All-American at heavyweight (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) During this season there are many veterans of the college wrestling game that are sure to make an impact that you may have not seen much of last season. Due to injuries, being a backup, or redshirting, people you may not know or may have forgotten about will be back in the college wrestling world looking to take home titles and All-American plaques. Here is the list of some of the non-freshman wrestlers coming off redshirt that will make an impact immediately for their team. Adam Coon (Michigan) Adam Coon took a redshirt in 2016-17 after a season in which he finished third at the NCAAs, behind two-time NCAA champ Nick Gwiazdowski and Olympic champion Kyle Snyder. Coon has made Junior World teams in the past and has challenged Robby Smith for the Senior World Team Greco-Roman spot. Going into the 2017-2018 NCAA wrestling season expect Coon to be ranked in the top four in the weight class and should be a finalist contender for the Wolverines. Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) Alec Pantaleo is part of the crew of Michigan wrestlers that redshirted this past season to make this team loaded this coming season. Pantaleo was an All-American in 2016 at 149 pounds. He followed that up by making the Junior World Team in his first year of training full freestyle. Pantaleo recently has wins over Jason Welch and Jason Chamberlain in freestyle just last week. Expect Pantaleo to either slot in at 149 pounds or 157 pounds for the Wolverines next season and be a finalist threat at either weight class. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) Zeke Moisey is best known for his run in the 2015 NCAA Championships where he knocked off Cornell's Nahshon Garrett and Iowa's Thomas Gilman on his way to reaching the finals. Moisey went on to lose to Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello in the finals. So far to this point Moisey has had an up-and-down career at West Virginia where he has shown he can beat anyone, but has had some surprising losses as well. In 2016, Moisey battled injuries and that is how his season ended. He will be looking to join the Mountaineers and bring an All-American plaque back to West Virginia. Pete Renda (NC State) Pete Renda redshirted this past season after becoming an All-American for the Wolfpack. Renda took third at the NCAAs at 184 pounds, where he was the 13th seed and went 5-1, only losing to Cornell's Gabe Dean. This past year during his redshirt season he went 13-2 and had a win over Ohio State's 2016 NCAA champion Myles Martin. Renda will join the already talented group at 184 pounds looking for an All-American plaque. David McFadden (Virginia Tech) David McFadden burst on the scene for the Hokies with a good freshman season, becoming an All-American at 165 pounds. In the 2015-2016 season McFadden went 27-11 with a third-place finish at ACCs and sixth at the NCAA Championships. McFadden will continue to grow as a wrestler and now after recovering from a knee injury expect him to be even better. McFadden will slot in nicely for the Hokies at 165 and is an immediate All-American threat during the 2017-2018 season. Dom Abounader (Michigan) Dom Abounader is the last of the Wolverine pack to redshirt this past season. Abounader fell short of becoming an All-American back in 2016, losing in the blood round. He does have some impressive wins on his resume throughout his college tenure though and has captured the Big Ten title. Abounader will be one of many quality guys at 184 pounds looking to get on the podium come the end of the season. Ryan Millhof (Arizona State) Ryan Millhof was an All-American at Oklahoma in 2016 at 125 pounds. He was the Big 12 champ and seventh-place finisher at the NCAA Championships. Millhof has quality wins over Eddie Klimara for the Big 12 title and other wins at NCAAs, including an All-American in this year's NCAAs, Sean Russell, and the NCAA champ from this past season, Darian Cruz. Now Millhof is at Arizona State under the Zeke Jones regime and will slot in nicely at 125 for the Sun Devils. Geo Martinez won a Pac-12 title for Boise State before transferring to Oklahoma State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Geo Martinez (Oklahoma State) Geo Martinez transferred out of the recently dropped Boise State wrestling program after the 2015-16 season. He is now at Oklahoma State. Martinez seems to be the clear heir apparent to Oklahoma State's Anthony Collica at 149 pounds. One thing that could throw a monkey wrench in this situation is if Oklahoma State's 141-pounders Boo Lewallen and Tristan Moran challenge Martinez for the 149 spot. While at Boise State, Martinez beat Oklahoma's Davion Jeffries and Nebraska's Jake Sueflohn during his All-American run in 2016. Richie Lewis (Rutgers) Richie Lewis of Rutgers will be back in the lineup after suffering an injury this past season. He only got the chance to wrestle two matches in the 2016- 2017 season before suffering the injury -- one of which was a victory of Missouri's NCAA finalist Joey Lavallee. Lewis is not only looking for a coveted All-American plaque he is quoted on Twitter saying, "If anyone wanna bet on my title holla @ me." He went on to tag Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph who were Penn State's NCAA champs at 157 and 165 pounds respectively. It is unclear what weight class Lewis will be at this coming season, but will be sure to make some noise for the Scarlet Knights. Ronnie Bresser gets in on a shot against Connor Schram in the Pac-12 finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) Ronnie Bresser is coming off redshirt this year as a two-time NCAA qualifier. In 2016 Bresser fell just short of reaching All American honors as he lost in the blood round. During the NCAA tournament in 2016 Bresser had wins over Eddie Klimara, Sean Russell, and Tim Lambert before eventually losing to Connor Schram in the blood round. Now as a redshirt junior Bresser will be looking to push through and get on the podium for the first time in his career.

Bacone College is pleased to announce the promotion of Geneva Gray as the head coach of the women's wrestling program. Coach Gray spent one season as the assistant to both the Men's and Women's programs here at Bacone College. "I am happy to promote Geneva to head coach. I think she will provide outstanding leadership to the young ladies in the program", said Alan Foster the Athletic Director at Bacone College. "Having a female head coach is such an asset. I believe we are one of very few colleges to have this luxury. We look forward to the Women's Wrestling Program growing under Coach Gray." "I am very excited for this opportunity and I am going to build a culture here of student athletes becoming college graduates and national placers", said Geneva Gray. Head Coach Geneva Gray, a native of Denver, CO, joined the Bacone Warriors for the 2016-2017 Women's Wrestling inaugural season, where she took 10 wrestlers to the National Tournament. Also while at Bacone Coach Gray helped the men's team who qualified 9 for the NAIA National Championships. Coach Gray began coaching men's varsity wrestling in Colorado for Bear Creek and Chatfield High Schools where she helped coach seven 5A state qualifiers and one 5A State Champion. She also was a wrestling official for Folkstyle, Greco Roman, and Freestyle for Colorado and USWOA (United State Wrestling Officials Association). Gray graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies where she was able to take time to train at the Olympic Training Center and travel internationally with her sister, Adeline Gray, three-time world champion in Women's Wrestling and 2016 Olympian as her training partner and coach. Gray also worked for USA Wrestling for a year in the Events department where she helped with tournaments like World Team Trials, the US Open, and the Dave Schultz Memorial International. Gray chose Bacone to help grow women's wrestling at the college level and establish this program as one to be respected for athletic and academic achievements.

Young wrestling superstars Daton Fix, Spencer Lee and Cierra Foster -- along with Steve Garland of the University of Virginia -- will be among the featured guests on the Takedown Radio broadcast this Saturday, May 13. Join Scott Casber, Tony Hager and Brad Johnson for the two-hour broadcast from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Central available on KXNO 1460 AM radio and online at www.KXNO.iHeart.com Here's this Saturday's guest list: 9 a.m. Jeff Upson, producer of PAPowerWrestling.com's new documentary on Spencer Lee 9:10 a.m. Spencer Lee, three-time World champion, three-time Pennsylvania high school state champ 9:20 a.m. Steve Garland, head wrestling coach at University of Virginia 9:40 a.m. Gary Mayabb, USA Wrestling Greco-Roman manager 10:00 a.m. Lance Campbell, Central California Wrestling Academy 10:20 a.m. Daton Fix, 2017 Dave Schultz award winner 10:40 a.m. Cierra Foster, 2017 Tricia Saunders award winner

Jon Mendoza is returning to his college hometown to become head wrestling coach at the local high school. Mendoza, a national championships qualifier at Central College in Pella, Iowa, has been hired to head up the wrestling program at Pella High School. He replaces Joe Burch, who stepped down following the 2016-17 season to spend more time with his family. In addition to coaching the Little Dutch wrestlers, Mendoza will also teach third grade at Lincoln Elementary in Pella, a community located southeast of Des Moines which describes itself as "America's Dutch Treasure" and is home to an annual tulip festival in May. For the past three years, Mendoza has served as an elementary school teacher and tech integrationist -- as well as assistant wrestling coach at Van Meter High School -- in Van Meter, Iowa, just west of the state capital. As a competitor and coach, Mendoza has made a name for himself in wrestling in the state of Iowa. At Norwalk High School, he was member of the 100-win club at Norwalk, having qualified for the Iowa state tournament twice. In addition, Mendoza was twice a place-winner at the Brute Adidas High School Nationals. Mendoza started his collegiate career at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa but after one season transferred to Central College. As a Dutch wrestler, Mendoza qualified for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, and was a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree. He graduated with a degree in Education in 2012.

Jeff Havelka, former wrestler at Pennsylvania's Burgettstown High School and University of Findlay in Ohio, has been named varsity head wrestling coach at Canon-McMillan High School. Jeff HavelkaHavelka had been working as assistant coach at Waynesburg University under head coach Ron Headlee for the past three years. Prior to that, Havelka had served as head wrestling coach at Chartiers-Houston High School for one year. "I'm a Southwest Pennsylvania guy and I know the tradition and history of this wrestling program," Havelka told the Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter . "I'm really excited to meet the guys and get in there to start working with them. There are definitely expectations there to do well and I'm excited for the challenge." "I saw the story when Coach (Jason) Cardillo resigned and it crossed my mind to apply," said Havelka. Cardillo resigned after the season to spend more time with his family. The 30-year-old Havelka brings wrestling and coaching experience to Canon-McMillan. He wrestled at Burgettstown High School, compiling 119 wins and qualifying for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) championships. Havelka then headed to University of Findlay in northeast Ohio where he was a two-time NCAA Division II national qualifier, two-time team captain, and three-time NCAA Academic All-American at the Division III school. During his one year at Chartiers-Houston High School in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Havelka led the Buccaneers to the WPIAL team tournament and sent two of his wrestlers to the 2013 PIAA state championships. Havelka then advanced to the college coaching ranks at Waynesville University, serving for two years as a graduate assistant before being named assistant coach by Ron Headlee in 2014. "We are excited to have a quality person in Jeff to lead one of the top high school wrestling programs in the country," said Canon-McMillan athletic director Frank Vulcano. "He knows the expectations are high and that the tradition of Canon-McMillan is second to none."

Joe Williams, University of Iowa wrestling champ and 2004 Olympian, has been named co-head wrestling coach of the wrestling program at the yet-to-be-opened Liberty High School outside Iowa City, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported Thursday. Joe WilliamsTom Van Dyke will join Williams to lead the first wrestling team at the new school, located in North Liberty. Liberty High School, part of the Iowa City school district, will open this fall for the 2017-18 school year. "Liberty is excited to announce its co-head wrestling coaches," said Liberty principal Scott Kibby in a press release issued Thursday. "Tom Van Dyke and Joe Williams will lead Liberty wrestling together in its inaugural season." Both coaches bring on-the-mat and coaching experience to the program that has yet to wrestle its first match. Williams was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA All-American while at University of Iowa, wrestling for legendary head coach Dan Gable. Williams went on to craft an impressive freestyle career, winning two gold medals at the Pan-American Games, two bronze medals at World championships, and placing fifth at the 2004 Athens Olympics. After graduating from Iowa, Williams served as the Hawkeyes' head assistant coach for three seasons. In 2012, Williams launched his own youth wrestling academy in North Liberty, where he serves as head coach and managing director. Van Dyke, an Iowa high school state heavyweight champ, has spent the last five years teaching at Iowa City West High School, where he has also served as an assistant wrestling coach under head coach Mark Reiland. Prior to coming to Iowa City West, Van Dyke was head wrestling coach at two other Iowa schools. The first season for the Liberty Lightning wrestling program will be during the 2017-18 school year. Starting in 2018-19, Liberty will compete in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

The Pan-Am Championships ended last weekend with the United States claiming five of eight gold medals in freestyle, three in Greco-Roman and two in women's wrestling. The haul was impressive, but it left some (online) wondering why the U.S. sent some their personnel to Brazil, while keeping others at home. There is a myriad reason why nations choose to send some wrestlers and not others to a continental championship, but one fact often overlooked in the cyclical effect that the Olympics can create within national teams. From surgeries, to mental rest, to peaking for future events nations around the world have a variety of ideas as to who should train when and for what reason. This year nations were incentivized to send Olympic starters to their continentals with the promise of points which could solidify seeds at the World Championships in September. In other individual sports money plays a role in which tournaments and events athletes choose to attend. For soccer players it's not uncommon to stay with your club team and make millions instead of playing in national team games. It's rare to see top-level competitors in soccer and like-minded sports go into the national circuit instead of collecting paychecks. In wrestling however, there is just not a lot of choice for cash, but there is a need for rest. Wrestling, for all its gains, is still not a sport that pays enough money to impress all the big names to the mat early in the Olympic cycle. That could change with time and innovation, but for now that's just a reality which nobody can change overnight for all wrestlers and all nations. Some wrestlers choose to compete, while others choose to sit. The system is developing. The plan is to create a more competitive, profit-driven system that is careful to not devolve into spectacle (read: UFC's current issues). This will take time, but with organization-down type incentives offered to top-level tournaments the change is certain to happen in the next few years. To your questions … Mark Perry, with Jesse Delgado, coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: Have you heard the rumor of Mark Perry leaving Illinois and possibly going to coach the Hawkeye Wrestling Club? Does that rumor have any legs? What kind of impact do you think that would have on college wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: I've seen the rumor, but haven't heard much corroboration on an actual move. We do know that Mark Perry was one of the hottest names in coaching the past several years. Maybe he wants a marquee job and figures the best path is to join up with his alma mater and play spoiler to Penn State? Tough to put down in numbers, but if Perry were to join the staff and the Hawkeyes won an NCAA title his name would likely be first on a list of new hires in 2018. As for his impact, I think there is no questioning Perry's abilities as a coach. He would 100 percent have a positive technical impact on the Iowa program, which I believe would translate to more wins and more medals. Q: What do you expect out of Fresno State in their first year of competition? They'll obviously be young, but they have a deep recruiting class of California talent, plus some interesting transfers in Emilio Saavedra, A.J. Nevills, Josh Reyes, and Josh Hokit. Furthermore, what do you think the program will look like in three years? -- Alex S. Foley: Three years is a long time to project out for such a young program. It would be tough to think a group of young wrestlers and new coaches could find the top 20 in three years. However, if I were to make the case for how it might happen, it might look something like this. The Fresno State coaching staff has the benefit of reflection. In some ways they are an incredible case study on what a college wrestling program could achieve given all the right inputs. There are no corrosive hand-me-down wrestling personalities for the coaches to inherit, no ongoing legacy (physical of emotional) for them to battle, and plenty of support. With foresight the coaching staff could even supplement and change their style to ensure it matches the most successful programs in the country, namely Penn State. Assuming they create the type of atmosphere for athletes proven to be successful elsewhere and control the other variable I suppose it's not impossible that Fresno State could flirt with a national top-20 finish in as few as three years. Unlikely, but possible. Q: Any insight on why Alex Tirapelle is out as head wrestling coach at Penn? I heard he was asked to resign because he was going to be fired. What's next for the program? Hire Quaker legend Brandon Slay? -- MC Foley: All signs point to the return of Roger Reina. Unclear of all the internal politics, but it seems that Penn has very influential alumni who were unhappy with Tirapelle's output over the past three seasons. I imagine that he set the expectations low and was told that he met the internal markers laid out when he was hired. However, there were some who didn't like the direction, or thought there was a different direction they could take in the short term. Yes, his resignation was a modern firing, which is too bad because it looked to me like he was in a slow build to making Penn a legitimate player on the conference and national stage. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Please read-up on the story of recently injured wrestler, Myles. Links: GoFundMe Page | Facebook Page Yui Susaki: Going for Gold Q: I was a little surprised new Pitt coach Keith Gavin didn't retain Matt Kocher. Any idea what's next for Kocher? Will he stay in wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: No idea on Kocher's next move, but I think that from 10,000 feet it was difficult to keep another Pittsburgh guy on staff, especially one who already shared head coaching duties with the another hired assistant coach, Drew Headlee. Gavin is a smart guy. The decision to hire Jordan Leen will boost the on-the-mat credentials of his staff and provide him an assistant he already had a successful working relationship with at the University of Virginia. I've always appreciated what Kocher has brought to the sport of wrestling and would love to see him stay. But if he goes I'm certain he'll be successful in whichever field he chooses. Tweet of the Month

Gable Steveson after winning his third state title (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Gable Steveson of Apple Valley (Minn.) is the nation's No. 1 wrestler in the Class of 2018. He's a two-time Cadet world champion in freestyle and three-time state champion. Steveson finished his junior season with a 42-0 record and 41 pins. In March, Steveson gave a verbal commitment to the University of Minnesota. He will join his older brother Bobby on the Gopher wrestling team in 2018. InterMat recently caught up with Gable Steveson. You recently won a UWW Junior Nationals title, beating past Cadet world silver medalist Jordan Wood 9-2 in the finals. How did you feel about the way you performed in Las Vegas? Steveson: I felt real good. I felt better than I did last time I wrestled Wood. I was just more prepared, more focused and more ready to go. You have two world titles at the Cadet level and are still eligible to compete as a Cadet. Why are you moving up to the Junior level this year? Steveson: I can't make 220 [pounds] anymore for Cadets, so Junior was my next option. I'm also trying to bulk up for college. I want to get my weight up and get stronger. Gable Steveson won the UWW Junior National title recently in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) What do you expect to be different at the Junior level compared to the Cadet level? Steveson: More physicality, stronger, older guys. More high pace. More physical matches with bigger and better guys. What area of your wrestling do you feel like you need to improve upon the most over the next year? Steveson: Getting faster. I'm already pretty quick as it is. But I want to keep building all aspects of my wrestling. Not just one main thing. Everything. Gable Steveson's last loss came over three years ago in the state finals to Justin Cumberbatch (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) When was the last time you lost a wrestling match? Steveson: It was my eighth grade year. I wrestled a kid named Justin Cumberbatch in the state finals. In Minnesota, seventh and eighth-graders can wrestle in high school. I was ranked No. 1 in the state. He was No. 2. I remember going back stage and my coach was like, 'Dude, you just lost.' I was like, 'I know, man.' But it lit a fire in me. I just want to keep winning and progressing. I don't want to have that feeling again. You announced your college decision during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Why was it important for you to make your college decision during your junior year? Steveson: If you know where you want to be, there is no need to wait. The place I want to be is Minnesota. Coaches were texting me and it was real stressful. It was a lot. So I was ready to make my decision. What excites you about becoming a Gopher? Steveson: The legacy of the heavyweights and trying to bring the program back to the top. Are you expecting to wrestle immediately as a true freshman at Minnesota? Steveson: Yeah, I talked to the coaches and they want me to step in right away as a true freshman. It was recently announced that the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. What were your thoughts when that was announced? Steveson: I was pumped. I'm excited to wrestle in front of my home city and try to win a national title and a team title. 2020 is also an Olympic year. So you don't anticipate taking an Olympic redshirt during the 2019-2020 season? Steveson: I haven't thought about it. Kyle Snyder took the Olympic redshirt for half a year, came back and won the NCAA title and Olympic title. Being on the mat and wrestling in competition gets you more prepared than just practicing freestyle. You just have to be on the mat and competing all the time. Gable Steveson with his brother Bobby and father Robert at UWW Junior Nationals (Photo/David Peterson, Minnesota/USA Wrestling) Describe your relationship with your brother Bobby. Steveson: We have a good relationship. We argue sometimes. Nothing serious now. We're older and more mature. It's a real good relationship. That's my brother. I'm excited to be at Minnesota with him. Are you and Bobby still close enough in weight so you can wrestle? Steveson: Yeah, I'm a good chunk bigger than him, but he still comes up and wrestles. You moved to Minnesota from Indiana when you were in middle school. When did you start following the Gopher wrestling program? Steveson: Right when we moved up to Minnesota they invited us in the room. I was just a little kid, getting whooped on by Scott Schiller, Brett Pfarr, Chris Pfarr, all those guys. Bobby committed there, and that's how it kind of got started. Gable Steveson won by pin in 11 seconds in his state finals match (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) You won your state championship this season by pin in 11 seconds and had 41 pins in 42 matches. Because you are so dominant, is it hard to get motivated against high school competition? Steveson: Sometimes it's hard. But every time I step out on the mat I treat every wrestler the same. I have to do my business. Olympic champions Henry Cejudo and Kyle Snyder both spent their senior year of high school at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Is that something you are considering doing? Steveson: My family and I have not decided yet. We're just taking it one step at a time and trying to get through my junior year right now. We have talked about where we want to go a couple times, but we haven't decided anything. You attended your first NCAAs in St. Louis this past March. What did you think of the Gophers' performance? Steveson: They performed real well. A lot of the wrestlers did better than their seeds. The team took home seventh, even though that's not what they want. They want to bring home a team trophy. Seventh for a team that wasn't highly ranked all year was pretty good, though. Your former high school teammate Mark Hall won the NCAA title this year as a true freshman for Penn State. What was it like for you watching him win the NCAA title in St. Louis? Steveson: It was nice watching him wrestle and win. He has helped me a lot both in wrestling and life. Gable Steveson with the American flag after winning gold at the Cadet World Championships (Photo/Alireza Akbari) What will your training situation be like this spring and summer? Steveson: I practice with Tony Nelson a lot. That's my training partner, my brother. We're just going to hammer it out and try to make the Junior World Team, and then if I do we go to Finland, and see what I can do at the Junior World Championships. What do you like about training with Tony Nelson? Steveson: He's real strong. He's real fast. He's a big heavyweight, but he has the full package. He shows me a lot of new things. This story also appears in the May 12 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Even though the 2024 Summer Olympics are still seven years away, the International Olympic Committee is in the process of visiting the two finalists to host the Games: Los Angeles and Paris. This week, the IOC is spending three days in California's largest city, scrutinizing L.A.'s proposals and visiting proposed sports venues. Next week, the Committee will do the same in France's capital city. Both Paris and Los Angeles have each hosted the Summer Olympics twice in the past. Paris welcomed Olympic athletes in 1900 and 1924. The 1900 Games did not have wrestling on the sports roster. At the 1924 Paris Olympics, wrestling took place at the Paris Velodrome D'Hiver, a 10,800-seat facility which also served as the venue for boxing, fencing, weightlifting, and, yes, cycling. In its proposal for the 2024 Olympics, Paris plans to have wrestling at Bercy Arena II, an 8,000-seat venue which will also host some preliminary basketball games as well. Los Angeles also hopes to welcome the Olympics for a third time, having hosted the event in 1932 and 1984. The 1932 Olympics were notable for being the first to have Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and an Athletes' Village for male competitors. (The few women to compete in 1932 were put up in a hotel.) The wrestling venue in 1932 was the Grand Olympic Auditorium, a 15,300-seat hall built in 1924, which also played host for boxing and weightlifting. At the 1984 Olympics, wrestling events were held in an arena at the Anaheim Convention Center in suburban Anaheim, home to Disneyland. The venue's website touts a seating capacity of 7,500 in the arena. A mockup of what the wrestling venue (Pauley Pavilion) could look like at the 2024 Olympics For the 2024 Olympics, Los Angeles proposes that Pauley Pavilion -- home to UCLA's basketball program -- will be the venue for wrestling events. The arena, built in 1965 but substantially upgraded in 2012, has approximately 13,800 permanent seats. The wrestling venue would be very convenient for mat athletes, as Olympic athletes will be housed on the UCLA campus. The seating capacities for the proposed wrestling venues for the 2024 Olympics are comparable to those from recent Summer Games. For example, the Carioca Arena 2 -- purpose-built for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro -- had a seating capacity of 10,000. While Los Angeles and Paris are putting their best foot forward for IOC visitors in the coming days, the two cities will have to wait a few months longer to learn which city will be the site of the 2014 Olympics. IOC will announce its decision later this summer. It's possible that both cities may come out winners. The Los Angeles Times reported the IOC sending strong indications that it could name two winners, giving 2024 to one city and 2028 to the other, adding that "the race is considered neck-and-neck at this point, with Paris as a sentimental favorite and L.A. as -- perhaps -- a more fiscally reasonable option." Originally, there were five cities vying to host the 2024 Olympics. In addition to Los Angeles and Paris, other cities in the running were Budapest, Hungary; Hamburg, Germany; and Rome, Italy.

Robert Kokesh after winning in the NCAA consolation semifinals in 2015 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Robert Kokesh, three-time NCAA All-American at the University of Nebraska, has been named head wrestling coach at South Dakota's Wagner High School, his prep alma mater, the Mitchell (S.D.) Republic reported Wednesday. Kokesh's hiring was approved by the Wagner School Board this week. He replaces Brad Lhotak. The former Cornhusker and Red Raider mat star posted this message on Facebook: "Proud to say I am the new head wrestling coach of the Wagner Red Raiders!!!" While at Wagner High, Kokesh was a star on the football field and on the wrestling mat. He was a three-time South Dakota Class B state champion (2008-10) who helped lead the Red Raiders to team state titles each year. Kokesh compiled an impressive individual 216-24 prep record. In addition, Kokesh was the National High School Coaches Association Sophomore Nationals champion before he claimed a pair of runner-up finishes at Junior Nationals in 2009 and 2010. At Nebraska, Kokesh was a four-time NCAA qualifier, a three-time All-American, and twice a Big Ten conference champ (2014-15). The South Dakota native ranks second in Husker history with 144 victories, 13 behind Tolly Thompson (1993-1997). In addition, Kokesh was named Nebraska's most outstanding wrestler in 2012-13 and 2013-14. After graduating from Nebraska with a degree in agronomy in August 2015, Kokesh served as a volunteer administrative assistant for the Husker wrestling program.

Nick Heflin throws Bo Nickal at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NORMAN -- Oklahoma wrestling coach Lou Rosselli announced Thursday the addition of Nick Heflin to his staff as an assistant coach. Heflin joins the Sooners after spending the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Princeton. Heflin helped lead the Tigers to their seventh top-25 finish in program history in 2016-17 after sending seven student-athletes to the NCAA Championships, including freshman All-American Matthew Kolodzik. In 2015-16 under Heflin's direction, 197-pounder Brett Harner earned the EIWA crown and reach the podium at the national tournament. The Massillon, Ohio, native, who competed collegiately at Ohio State University, also worked closely with Princeton's Regional Training Center. "I'm very excited about being in Norman," Heflin said. "I get the opportunity to coach with someone who coached me. It's kind of crazy how life works out, and I'm excited to be joining Oklahoma and helping lead their program. Lou coming on staff is huge. He helped me tremendously throughout my career as a wrestler and helped raise my level as a competitor. I know Oklahoma made a great decision in hiring Lou, and I'm excited to be joining that staff and this new direction the Sooners are going in." A three-time All-American for the Buckeyes and the 2014 NCAA Runner-Up at 197 pounds, Heflin wrestled for Rosselli at Ohio State from 2010-2014. After graduating, he worked as a strength coach with both the Ohio State football and wrestling teams and with the Ohio Regional Training Center before joining the Princeton staff. "Nick will be a great addition to our OU program and this coaching staff," Rosselli said. "He will be able to train and coach our upper weights, so we are very excited about Nick's arrival in Norman." Earlier this month, Heflin placed third at 86kg at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas. He has a degree in human nutrition from Ohio State.

What if Henry Cejudo had continued to compete full-time in wrestling after becoming the youngest Olympic champion in American history? What if Cael Sanderson hadn't shut it down after striking Olympic gold? Or if Dan Gable hadn't stopped after winning back-to-back gold medals at his only World Championships and Olympics? Those are questions we will unfortunately never know the answer to as we think back to what these tremendous wrestlers could have added to their already impressive resumes. Times obviously have changed, even within the last decade, where elite wrestlers can actually make a good living competing. Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner became the first American wrestlers to earn $250,000 apiece for winning Olympic gold in 2012. Back in Gable's day, wrestlers were still considered amateurs and didn't make money. Even when Sanderson and Cejudo won, there wasn't a whole lot of money to be made. Many wrestlers back in the day stepped away from competition because they needed to get into coaching or another field to financially support themselves and their families. So just for fun, we have put together a wish list of wrestlers we would've loved to have watched for just a few more years. Some wrestlers on this list obviously had to hang it up because of injuries. This list is in no way, shape or form a criticism of their decisions to step away from competition when they did. Here is my top 10 list of wrestlers who left the sport too soon: Jake Deitchler Deitchler was just 18 years old when he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic Trials history by defeating two-time world medalist and heavily favored Harry Lester to make the 2008 Olympic team. Deitchler was a star in the making in Greco-Roman wrestling, but a series of concussions ended his career prematurely. Lester actually retired briefly after the 2008 Trials, but came back to make the next Olympic team in 2012. Ben Askren When Askren made his Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008, he was the most talked about wrestler on an American team that included Henry Cejudo and Daniel Cormier, who both went on to excel in the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Askren was brash, cocky and had backed it up until he stepped on the Olympic mat in China. Askren was taken apart on his feet in a decisive loss to veteran Ivan Fundora of Cuba. Askren was just 24 years old then, but he left wrestling and embarked on a successful career in mixed martial arts. Askren had the potential to win a world or Olympic title. He just needed more experience and seasoning at that level. Askren went on to win a Bellator world title and remains undefeated in MMA. Garrett Lowney Lowney stormed onto the scene as a 20-year-old competing at his first major international tournament in the 2000 Olympic Games. Lowney knocked off five-time world champion Gogui Koguouachvili of Russia, scoring a five-point throw late in the bout, en route to winning an Olympic bronze medal in Greco. Lowney battled injuries for most of his career after that, in part because he wrestled as an undersized college heavyweight. Lowney did come back to land a spot on the 2004 Olympic team, but he wasn't the same wrestler after being hampered by injuries. Jamill Kelly (far left) with his Olympic silver medal in 2004 Jamill Kelly Kelly was one of the surprise stories when he made the U.S. world team in 2003, and many observers didn't believe he could follow suit by making the Olympic team in 2004. Kelly proved all of them wrong, and went on to reach the Olympic finals in Athens before settling for a silver medal. Kelly was just 26 years old when he retired after Athens. Kelly looked like a guy who had another Olympic quad left in him. He has gone on to be a successful college assistant coach. Kurt Angle and Tom Brands Angle and Brands were members of the loaded 1996 U.S. Olympic team that turned in a superb showing on American soil in Atlanta. Angle was 27 and Brands was 28 when both won gold medals in 1996. Angle (1995) and Brands (1993) had also won world titles. Both wrestlers were on top of the world when they retired from international competition. Brands' twin brother, Terry, a two-time world champion, won an Olympic bronze medal in 2000. Angle, of course, went on to fame and fortune in professional wrestling while Brands went into coaching where he has led Iowa to three NCAA titles. Aaron Pico after defeating Reece Humphrey at the Olympic Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Aaron Pico Pico has long been considered the future of American wrestling as he progressed through the age-group ranks, winning a Cadet world title before collecting Junior world silver and bronze medals. Pico nearly made the Olympic team last year at age 19, being narrowly edged by eventual Olympic fifth-place finisher Frank Molinaro in the finals at the Trials. Now 20 years old, Pico has jumped into mixed martial arts and is scheduled to make his Bellator debut this summer. Pico's days as a wrestler may have unfortunately come to an end. Ed and Lou Banach The Banach brothers, standout wrestlers at the University of Iowa, became the first set of American twins to capture wrestling gold medals in the same Olympics. Ed and Lou Banach were just 24, and just a year out of college, when they both struck Olympic gold in 1984 in Los Angeles. The twins stepped away from competitive wrestling after that. Health was a consideration for Ed Banach, who had battled concussion issues during his career. Cael Sanderson after winning Olympic gold with other Olympic medalists Cael Sanderson Sanderson's international wrestling resume doesn't quite reflect it, but he's as gifted and skilled as any wrestler who has ever put on an American singlet. Sanderson made the 2001 and 2002 world teams, but did not compete either year at the World Championships. He didn't wrestle at the 2001 Worlds after it was delayed following the 9/11 attacks and he did not compete in 2002 when the U.S. pulled out of the event in Iran. Sanderson did win world silver in 2003 before turning in a tremendous, dominating performance to win Olympic gold in 2004. Sanderson was just 25 when he retired, but he was clearly at his peak. If he wrestles another cycle, he could've won four more gold medals (three world, one Olympic). He was that good. Sanderson had become frustrated with rough, bullying strategies and tactics employed by overmatched opponents. He also was getting into coaching, and now has led Penn State to a remarkable six NCAA team titles. Dan Gable The most dominant Olympian in American history, Gable didn't allow a point in steamrolling to the 1972 Olympic gold medal in Munich, Germany. Many people forget Gable won a gold medal at his only World Championships performance the previous year in 1971. Gable never lost a match in the two biggest wrestling tournaments he competed in. He stepped away from wrestling after Munich at age 23. He went on to become a legend in coaching as well, winning 15 NCAA titles at Iowa. But imagine what he would've done if he would've wrestled another four years after Munich. Henry Cejudo with his Olympic gold medal in 2008 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Henry Cejudo Like Gable, Cejudo only wrestled in one World Championships and one Olympics. He was just 20 when he made his first world team in 2007. A year later, Cejudo turned in a magical and surprising performance by rallying to win his first three matches before powering to a win in his gold-medal bout at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. He became the youngest Olympic wrestling champion in American history at age 21. Cejudo, a slick, fast, skilled and very young wrestler, looked poised to become one of the best wrestlers in U.S. history. But Cejudo walked away from competition in 2008, made a brief comeback in 2012 and then went on a highly successful mixed martial arts career where he has fought for the UFC title. We can only wonder what Cejudo would've done if he would've kept his focus on wrestling for one more Olympic quad.

MCPHERSON, Kan. -- Central Christian College Athletics Director Twiggs Reed is pleased to the addition of women's wrestling to Central's docket of athletic programs for the 2017-2018 season and the appointment of Don Schreimann as the new head coach for the Tiger women's wrestling program. Coach Schreimann brings strong experience with both women's and men's coaching at the high school and college level. He began his coaching career at the high school level 42 years ago at Warrensburg High School In Warrensburg, Missouri. He spent 37 years at Warrensburg, before transitioning to the college ranks. This past season he was the head women's wrestling coach at Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri, but this spring, the college announced that it would be closing its doors at the end of the school year. Coach Schreimann has two great loves outside of his family. The first is a love for Jesus Christ and His gospel, and the second is coaching wrestling. He fell in love with women's wrestling about 10 years ago when he was the Freestyle and Greco coach for a club program at the University of Central Missouri. His work with the women at Central Missouri, garnered him the attention of Missouri USA Wrestling, who asked him to become their women's coach. He was drawn to women's wrestling because of the attitude and work ethic he saw in female wrestlers. "I'm excited to finally be a part of a private institution where I can freely share my faith publically", said Schreimann. "God have given me the opportunity to do the two things I love, spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, and impact lives of athletes through the sport of wrestling. This is a fantastic opportunity, and I will work my tail off to do both. Women's wrestling is an emerging sport in college athletics across the nation, and after adding men's wrestling this past winter, adding a women's program was on the radar of the Central athletic department, but not for at least another year. However with Wentworth closing their doors Central Athletic Director, Twiggs Reed, saw an opportunity to make the transition a little sooner than expected. "We've hired a great wrestling coach," said Reed. "He has experience at the college level at several schools, with a great understanding of women's wrestling." Reed continued, saying, "Coach Schreimann is a Godly man who fits the culture and what we desire out of our coaches at Central Christian College. He has a great ability to communicate and comes to us with 42 years of coaching experience." Schreimann earned both his Bachelor's Degree and Master's degree from the University of Central Missouri, and then went on to receive his Juris doctorate from the University of Missouri. He is married to wife Mary with two grown children Dan and Jennifer. Coach Schreimann is already in the process of actively recruiting and will make the transition to McPherson this summer.

Services have been announced for Beau Haizlip, former Iowa State wrestler and high school coach for more than three decades, who passed away last Friday, May 5 in Glenwood, Iowa at age 83. Visitation will take place Wednesday, May 10 from 5-7 p.m. at Eastside Christian Church, 331 West Bennett Ave., Council Bluffs, Iowa. The funeral service will be Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at Eastside Christian Church. Beauford E. Haizlip was born in Loveland, Iowa in August 1933. He was a graduate of Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson High School, where, as a junior, he reached the Iowa state finals at 123 pounds. In the 1950s Haizlip wrestled at Iowa State before and after serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, but an injury cut short his career on the mat. He graduated from Iowa State with a bachelor's degree, then earned a Master's from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After graduating from ISU, Haizlip began his wrestling coaching at Colby, Kan. where he coached three state champions in two seasons. He then took the helm at Omaha South High School in 1960, replacing Mickey Sparano who had accepted the head coaching job at the Nebraska Cornhusker wrestling program. Haizlip guided the Omaha South Packers to state titles in 1962, 1963, 1966 and 1967. His record in 31 seasons was 233-72-2 with 21 state champion wrestlers. In addition to his coaching career, Haizlip served as president of the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association, conducted rules clinics for the Nebraska School Activities Association and served on the national high school rules committee. "The early success of the NSWCA was largely due to Beau's contributions as a coach and mentor to our organization," said Norm Manstedt, the association's CEO. Haizlip was named the National High School Athletic Coaches Association's Region 6 coach of the year in 1985. He was inducted into the NSWCA, Metro Wrestling Coaches and Officials, South High Packer Greats and Omaha Public Schools Athletic Halls of Fame. When he received the Packer Greats honor, Haizlip said, "This honor is really a tribute to the many fine students and athletes I have had over the many years. I am especially proud of those who have gone on to be teachers, coaches, referees and in many ways followed in my footsteps. No one could ask for a better legacy than that." Haizlip is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara; a daughter, two sons, ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.