InterMat Staff

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion wrestling head coach Steve Martin announced the additions of Daryl Thomas as assistant coach and Chris Mecate as volunteer assistant coach this week. Thomas, a former standout at Illinois, comes to Norfolk after serving as the head coach at Lincoln College in Illinois, while former two-time All-American Mecate will stick around his alma mater after exhausting his eligibility in 2016. Daryl Thomas"We are very excited to add Daryl Thomas and Chris Mecate to our coaching staff," head coach Steve Martin said. "They are both very enthusiastic and will provide a big spark to our coaching staff. They are dedicated to bettering our student-athletes and helping them achieve their goals academically and in pursuit of becoming All-Americans and national champions." Thomas comes to ODU after serving as the head coach at Lincoln College, an NJCAA School transitioning to NAIA, during the 2016-17 season. His team finished fourth in the nation at NJCAA Nationals, garnering five All-Americans. Lincoln also won a District title and Thomas was named District Coach of the Year. Off the mat, Thomas' squad posted a 3.06 team GPA. Before his stint at Lincoln, Thomas was the volunteer assistant at Northern Illinois University from 2014-2016. He was instrumental in coaching five NCAA National Tournament qualifiers in the 2015 and 2016 seasons including Shawn Scott, who reached the round of 12 at 197. Thomas also helped coach freshman Austin Eicher (133) to the 2016 MAC Championship, the team's first since 2011. In the 2015-2016 season, Thomas helped guide Husky 141-pounder Steve Bleise to NIU's first Midlands Tournament finalist since 2006. Prior to that, Thomas was an assistant at Edwardsville High School, where he helped the Tigers advance four wrestlers to the Illinois state tournament. In addition, EHS also won the team title at the Granite City Regional and finished the regular season with a perfect 28-0 record and a Southwestern Conference title. At Illinois, Thomas was a two-time placewinner at the Big Ten Championships – placing sixth in 2012 and 2013 – and also advanced to the NCAA Championships as a senior. In his career, Thomas placed at four open tournaments, while also advancing to the placing rounds at the 2012 Midlands Championships and the 2009 Las Vegas Invitational. Thomas was ranked as high as seventh by WIN Magazine as a senior, while finishing third at the 2012 ASICS USA Wrestling University Nationals to earn Freestyle All-American honors. Thomas earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in Communications in the spring of 2013. “I am extremely excited to join the staff here at Old Dominion," Thomas said. "I would like to thank Lincoln College and Dave Klemm for the opportunity I had there. I would also like to thank Steve Martin, Mike Dixon and Athletic Director Dr. Wood Selig for the opportunity here at ODU. I look forward to continuing to help raise the bar here at Old Dominion as the student-athletes chase their goals of All-American and National Championship honors." Former Old Dominion wrestling phenom Chris Mecate will also join the program once again as a volunteer assistant coach. A 2016 graduate of ODU with a bachelor's degree in communications, Mecate became the school's first-ever back-to-back NCAA DI All-American in 2016, capturing fifth place as a senior and sixth place as a junior at the NCAAs at 141 lbs. Tied for eighth on the program's all-time wins list with 115, Mecate's illustrious career also included two conference titles, including one MAC crown and one CAA championship, two top-eight finishes at the Midlands and two top-eight finishes at the Southern Scuffle. At the conclusion of his senior season in the spring of 2016, Mecate was named the ODU Alumni Association Male Athlete of the Year. Excelling in the classroom, Mecate was a four-time NWCA All-Academic Team honoree as well as a Dean's List student multiple semesters throughout his undergraduate academic career. A native of Highland, California, Mecate spent the 2016-17 athletic season serving as an assistant coach at the Slaughterhouse youth wrestling club in Smithfield, Virginia. He was also busy training and fighting in amateur mixed martial arts, for which he currently holds a record of 1-0. "It's an honor to be brought on staff at my alma mater and help future Monarchs work towards achieving their goals," Mecate said. "I look forward to watching the development of our young men on and off the mat."

Hunter Hoeptner, 2014 Oregon state wrestling champ for Eagle Point High School, was killed in a motorcycle crash Tuesday morning. He was 21. Hoeptner's Honda sport bike struck the side of a pickup that was crossing Highway 140 about 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Oregon State Police. Hoeptner was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup driver was uninjured. Hunter HoeptnerHoeptner won the Oregon Class 5A 160-pound state wrestling championship in March 2014. This past season, Hoeptner had volunteered with Eagle Point High School's wrestling program, assisting with tournaments among other off-season events. While in high school, Hoeptner had logged more than 100 hours of community service, including assisting at the guest services desk at Ashland Community Hospital, socializing with residents at Emeritus at Eagle Cove Assisted Living and helping them with electronics issues, volunteering as a lunch buddy for Eagle Rock Elementary students and volunteering with Eagle Point School District in repairing electronics. Kacey McNulty, head wrestling coach at Eagle Point High, described Hoeptner as a former class president who was a “great leader” who was sensitive and good to people. “He was just a very generous young man who'd give his time to help people out,” McNulty told the Medford (Oregon) Mail Tribune. “He was a great wrestler, a great competitor. He was a good young man.” Funeral services for Hunter Hoeptner have yet to be announced.

When Boise State University administrators announced the elimination of the school's NCAA Division I wrestling program in mid-April, the crushing news devastated the wrestlers and coaches of the Broncos mat program. It also stirred anger throughout the wrestling community well beyond Boise, even generating a response from UFC president Dana White on Twitter. (Former Boise State wrestler Johnny Nunez is a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter; former BSU mat stars Scott Jorgensen and Jens Pulver have also previously competed in the UFC.) What Boise State may not have realized is that its sudden, seemingly out-of-the-blue decision will have a huge impact on wrestlers and programs outside the state of Idaho. For starters, the elimination of wrestling at Boise State leaves the entire state of Idaho without an NCAA Division I wrestling program. In fact, now there will be few D1 mat programs remaining west of the Rocky Mountains. Idaho will join Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada and Washington without a single Division I wrestling program, according to the Utah-based Desert News. Another set of states -- Arizona, Wyoming, Oregon and Utah -- have only one school with a D1 program. Furthermore, as Brian Preece pointed out in his piece for the Deseret News Sunday, the elimination of Boise State's wrestling program will create a hole in the schedule of a number of teams in the western U.S. Saying goodbye to the Broncos also means a loss of college opportunities for top high school wrestlers throughout the Rocky Mountain region -- and for elite wrestlers from elsewhere in the nation -- who find the rugged beauty and matchless opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors (with hunting, fishing, hiking, camping) in Idaho to be an attractive setting to go to college. Kevin Vough (Photo/Tony Coles, ImpactActionPhotos.com)Take Kevin Vough. A two-time Ohio high school heavyweight state champ from Elyria (a city west of Cleveland), Vough had been heavily recruited by programs throughout the nation ... but signed a letter of intent with Boise State days before the school unexpectedly dropped its program. "It was just a hectic mess," Vough told the Elyria Chronicle-Telegraph. "I thought I was set and was working on going to Boise since the early season, and I just got thrown back out there. It was chaotic." Once the smoke cleared, Vough did a lot of searching, eventually selecting South Dakota State because of the emerging success of its wrestling program ... and availability of his intended major, general business/entrepreneurship. Other prep champs who committed to Boise State have had their dreams dashed. Jose Tapia, a five-time New Mexico state champ at Capital High in Santa Fe, signed his letter of intent to wrestle at Boise State -- becoming that school's first wrestler to earn a Division I scholarship -- less than a week before BSU administrators pulled the plug on the school's wrestling program. Ethan Rotondo, a two-time Washington state champ at Union High School, thought he could relax, knowing he would be wrestling for the Broncos after signing his letter of intent the same week as Tapia. Ironically, his prep coach went through the same thing years earlier when University of Oregon axed its wrestling program. Sammy Eckhart after signing with Boise State (Photo/Nik Streng, Angus Observer) Fruitland High senior Sammy Eckhart, a four-time Idaho state champ and labeled "one of the best wrestlers in the state" by Boise State head coach Mike Mendoza -- who had been in that position for just one season -- was yet another young athlete who had committed to the Broncos just before the axe fell on the program. Austin Harris, a 182-pound Oregon state champ for Roseburg High, was scheduled to sign a letter-of-intent to wrestle at Boise State, but learned two days before that ceremony that the program was being eliminated. (UPDATE: Harris was expected to sign a letter of intent at Oklahoma State on May 16.) All these prep mat champs now must make other plans ... as well as the athletes who have pulled on a Boise State singlet during their college wrestling careers. Some of these Broncos will seek to transfer to other college wrestling programs, while others may stay at BSU to complete their academic careers ... but not be able to continue in the sport they love and has been an integral part of their lives for years. There are other colleges in the region that offer intercollegiate wrestling. One is Eastern Oregon University in Le Grande. Its new wrestling program -- the nearest four-year school to Boise to offer the sport -- just completed its inaugural season. "It's tough to see any type of program get cut, especially one so close to home," Eastern Oregon head coach Dustyn Azure told the Le Grande Observer. "It's horrible for the athletes (and) for the coaches. All around, just not a good thing. And to replace it with a sport like baseball -- nothing against baseball, it's a great sport, but they have different opportunities to go and compete. With wrestling, there are not as many programs. "Taking away opportunities for athletes is just a bum deal." Eastern Oregon is prepared to offer wrestlers who had planned to go to Boise State a chance to continue their education and their wrestling careers, in a Pacific Northwest environment. And, as Azure pointed out in his interview with the local newspaper, Eastern Oregon offers in-state tuition rates for athletes -- and all students -- who are from Idaho and Washington State. The decision made by Boise State administrators to eliminate their nearly-60-year-old intercollegiate wrestling program indeed has implications far beyond the state of Idaho. With that in mind, the wrestling community can take action to see about revising the decision. Contribute to "Save Boise State wrestling" GoFundMe.com page Sign the petition directed at Boise State president Bob Kustra Check out the "Save Boise State Wrestling" Facebook page

Alex Tirapelle (Photo/Hunter Martin) PHILADELPHIA -- Alex Tirapelle, the Roger Reina Head Coach of Wrestling at the University of Pennsylvania, has resigned his position, Director of Athletics Dr. M. Grace Calhoun announced today. "I want to thank Alex for his service to Penn Wrestling and wish him the best in the future," Calhoun said. "We will endeavor to find the best candidate to lead the program moving forward." Tirapelle compiled a 21-18 record in three seasons as the head coach at Penn and had five wrestlers advance to the NCAA Championship this past winter. He previously was an assistant at Stanford and UC-Davis following a wrestling career at Illinois where he earned All-America and Academic All-America honors. A national search will be conducted to find Tirapelle's replacement.

In the current landscape, success in college wrestling is defined by success at the NCAA tournament, which is an individual bracket event. One half of this season's All-Americans (40 out of 80) were ranked within the top 30 of their high school graduating class, which is a pretty exclusive subset of all participants within Division I collegiate wrestling. Looking more narrowly, 19 out of 80 (almost one-quarter) were within the top 10 of their respective graduating class; while more broadly, three quarters of the All-Americans (60) were ranked within the top 100. Of the remaining 20, seven were weight class ranked, while the others were not ranked at all. With that premise laid out there, one can see the importance for programs to land elite talent in recruiting, while it goes without saying that recognizing which have the true goods in all aspects to perform in college as well as developing said talent once on campus is also vital. The importance of elite talent is made abundantly clear when looking at the lineups that Penn State and Ohio State put on the mat during this past season. All five of Penn State's NCAA champions were can't-miss recruits coming out of high school, the lowest ranking for any in their graduating class was a pair in the No. 7 position, Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph. When looking at Penn State's nine national qualifiers, all were top 100 recruits, while injury to a 10th top 100 recruit (Jered Cortez) left a hole in the lineup at 133 pounds (the lone weight class not to qualify for the national tournament). From an Ohio State perspective, Olympic, World and NCAA champion Kyle Snyder was the No. 1 recruit in his graduating class. Also No. 1 in his graduating class was third-place finisher Bo Jordan, fellow third-place finishers Nathan Tomasello and Kollin Moore were ranked 15th and 32nd respectively; while additional All-Americans Micah Jordan and Myles Martin were ranked fourth and sixth. Two of Ohio State's three other qualifiers were top 100 recruits as well, Jose Rodriguez and Luke Pletcher. Below is a listing with commentary of the top 25 recruiting class for 2017, as well as the recruits that encompass each class. Spencer Lee is the prized recruit in Iowa's top-ranked recruiting class (Photo/Tom Elling) 1. Iowa Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 7 Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.), No. 30 Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.), and No. 75 Aaron Costello (Western Dubuque, Iowa) Other ranked recruit: Myles Wilson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) Additional notables: Zach Axmear (North English, Iowa) Commentary: Since Iowa last won the national title in 2010, they have finished second just once (2015), third twice (2011/2012), fourth three times (2013/2014/2017), and outside the trophies once (fifth-2016). For almost every other program, this would be exceptional, but the standard at Iowa is different. It should be noted that the last No. 1 recruiting class for Iowa was fifth-year seniors this past season. The Hawkeyes had three recruiting classes outside the top 10 between 2012 and the fourth rated class in 2016. There is an obvious injection of impact talent in this class, most notable in the form of super-studs Lee and Warner; while Murin is a very solid talent as a lower-to-middle weight with Costello a more than solid heavyweight. 2. Cornell Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), No. 3 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), and No. 58 Jake Brindley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Other ranked recruits: Andrew Berreyesa (Reno, Nev.), Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), and Seth Janney (Malvern Prep, Pa.) Additional notables: Sammy Cokeley (St. James Academy, Kansas), Dom LaJoie (Gaylord, Mich.), and Hunter Richard (Holland Patent, N.Y.) Commentary: 2017 marked a 10th straight top-10 finish at the national tournament for the Big Red, while the quartet of All-Americans made it 15 consecutive seasons with three-plus on the podium. Three of those All-Americans graduate, which means it's time for kind of a reboot, and that's coming with in-state stars Diakomihalis and Arujau who were each four-time state champions; Diakomihalis was a three-time Super 32 champion and two-time Cadet World champion, while Arujau was a Cadet World silver medalist and a Super 32 champion this past fall. It's also a very deep class when looking at the plethora of proven wrestlers that have produced in national level competitions. Read analysis for all 25 teams. Not an InterMat Platinum subscriber? Subscribe now! 2017 InterMat Recruiting Class Rankings 1. Iowa 2. Cornell 3. Michigan 4. Virginia Tech 5. Penn State 6. Oklahoma 7. Ohio State 8. Arizona State 9. Nebraska 10. North Carolina 11. Oklahoma State 12. Virginia 13. Wisconsin 14. Missouri 15. Iowa State 16. Binghamton 17. Princeton 18. Purdue 19. Brown 20. Fresno State 21. Army West Point 22. Ohio 23. West Virginia 24. Drexel 25: South Dakota State Honorable Mention: Lehigh, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Pittsburgh

In the current landscape, success in college wrestling is defined by success at the NCAA tournament, which is an individual bracket event. One half of this season's All-Americans (40 out of 80) were ranked within the top 30 of their high school graduating class, which is a pretty exclusive subset of all participants within Division I collegiate wrestling. Looking more narrowly, 19 out of 80 (almost one-quarter) were within the top 10 of their respective graduating class; while more broadly, three quarters of the All-Americans (60) were ranked within the top 100. Of the remaining 20, seven were weight class ranked, while the others were not ranked at all. With that premise laid out there, one can see the importance for programs to land elite talent in recruiting, while it goes without saying that recognizing which have the true goods in all aspects to perform in college as well as developing said talent once on campus is also vital. The importance of elite talent is made abundantly clear when looking at the lineups that Penn State and Ohio State put on the mat during this past season. All five of Penn State's NCAA champions were can't-miss recruits coming out of high school, the lowest ranking for any in their graduating class was a pair in the No. 7 position, Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph. When looking at Penn State's nine national qualifiers, all were top 100 recruits, while injury to a 10th top 100 recruit (Jered Cortez) left a hole in the lineup at 133 pounds (the lone weight class not to qualify for the national tournament). From an Ohio State perspective, Olympic, World and NCAA champion Kyle Snyder was the No. 1 recruit in his graduating class. Also No. 1 in his graduating class was third-place finisher Bo Jordan, fellow third-place finishers Nathan Tomasello and Kollin Moore were ranked 15th and 32nd respectively; while additional All-Americans Micah Jordan and Myles Martin were ranked fourth and sixth. Two of Ohio State's three other qualifiers were top 100 recruits as well, Jose Rodriguez and Luke Pletcher. Below is a listing with commentary of the top 25 recruiting class for 2017, as well as the recruits that encompass each class. Spencer Lee is the prized recruit in Iowa's top-ranked class (Photo/Tom Elling) 1. Iowa Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 7 Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.), No. 30 Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.), and No. 75 Aaron Costello (Western Dubuque, Iowa) Other ranked recruit: Myles Wilson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) Additional notables: Zach Axmear (North English, Iowa) Commentary: Since Iowa last won the national title in 2010, they have finished second just once (2015), third twice (2011/2012), fourth three times (2013/2014/2017), and outside the trophies once (fifth-2016). For almost every other program, this would be exceptional, but the standard at Iowa is different. It should be noted that the last No. 1 recruiting class for Iowa was fifth-year seniors this past season. The Hawkeyes had three recruiting classes outside the top 10 between 2012 and the fourth rated class in 2016. There is an obvious injection of impact talent in this class, most notable in the form of super-studs Lee and Warner; while Murin is a very solid talent as a lower-to-middle weight with Costello a more than solid heavyweight. 2. Cornell Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), No. 3 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), and No. 58 Jake Brindley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Other ranked recruits: Andrew Berreyesa (Reno, Nev.), Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), and Seth Janney (Malvern Prep, Pa.) Additional notables: Sammy Cokeley (St. James Academy, Kansas), Dom LaJoie (Gaylord, Mich.), and Hunter Richard (Holland Patent, N.Y.) Commentary: 2017 marked a 10th straight top-10 finish at the national tournament for the Big Red, while the quartet of All-Americans made it 15 consecutive seasons with three-plus on the podium. Three of those All-Americans graduate, which means it's time for kind of a reboot, and that's coming with in-state stars Diakomihalis and Arujau who were each four-time state champions; Diakomihalis was a three-time Super 32 champion and two-time Cadet World champion, while Arujau was a Cadet World silver medalist and a Super 32 champion this past fall. It's also a very deep class when looking at the plethora of proven wrestlers that have produced in national level competitions. 3. Michigan Top 100 recruits: No. 29 Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.), No. 31 Layne van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.), No. 37 Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), and No. 52 Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) Other ranked recruit: Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio) Impact transfer: Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion) Commentary: While last year was a lean year in recruiting for the Maize and Blue, this is anything but. Leading the way are four top 100 recruits, whom have gotten the job done in national-level events during their scholastic careers. The five key incoming freshmen represent virtually the full cross-section of weight classes as well. In addition, returning All-American Beazley will compete for the Wolverines at 197 pounds as a senior, as an absolutely loaded squad seeks that elusive trophy (top four) finish at the NCAA tournament. 4. Virginia Tech Top 100 recruits: No. 26 John Borst (Sherando, Va.), No. 38 Hunter Bolen (Christiansburg, Va.), No. 46 Mekhi Lewis (Bound Brook, N.J.), and No. 97 Cole Manley (Altoona, Pa.) Other ranked recruit: Jeffrey Allen (Amherst County, Va.) Additional notables: Caden Darber (New Kent, Va.) and Josh Wyland (Benedictine Prep, Va.) Commentary: Despite some of the tumult within the Hokies wrestling program during 2016-17, with Kevin Dresser leaving for Iowa State late in the season as well as injuries to derail a true run at another trophy, it was still a fifth straight top-10 finish (sixth) with five All-Americans at the NCAA tournament. Furthermore, the momentum in recruiting is strong, as there were no defections after the coaching transition, though retaining lead assistant Tony Robie as the full time head coach may have helped in that front. This class features four top 100 recruits, most notably Junior freestyle runner-up and Super 32 champion Borst along with two-time New Jersey state champion Lewis. 5. Penn State Top 100 recruits: No. 5 Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind./NLWC), No. 8 Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), and No. 16 Jarod Verkleeren (Hempfield Area, Pa.) Additional notable: Joey Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.) Commentary: Just what the two-time defending national champions need, the injection of more firepower. Furthermore, the Nittany Lions have won six of the last seven national titles and return all five of their national champions from this year for the upcoming 2017-18 season. In addition, their 2018 recruiting class is possibly set to be one for the ages, as things stand right now. This class features three high-end talents, though all are somewhat similar in weight class. Lee is expected to start immediately, as the Junior National freestyle champion spent this past season training with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club while finishing high school online. Berge and Verkleeren both won Super 32 titles this past fall, Berge is a four-time state champion while Verkleeren was a Cadet World champion in 2015. 6. Oklahoma Top 100 recruits: No. 24 Jake Woodley (North Allegheny, Pa.), No. 27 Tanner Litterell (Tuttle, Okla.), No. 40 Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.), No. 44 Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio), and No. 76 Matthew Waddell (Gilmer, Ga.) Other ranked recruit: Jake Boyd (Smithville, Mo.) Additional notables: Eli Boulton (Lowell, Mich.) and Kyle Lawson (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) Commentary: One of the charges for head coach Lou Rosselli as he took the job in time for the 2016-17 season was to address the clear talent gap that has existed between the Sooners and other top teams in the country. This class is a clear success on that front, as there are five top 100 recruits and a significant talent injection for the program. While none is an absolute "can't miss" prospect, all have the potential to be very good college wrestlers; most notably Woodley, Litterell, and Mantanona. Boyd and Lawson were top 100 recruits at various points of the 2016-17 season, so each also has the potential though their senior season productivity did not align with said potential/talent. 7. Ohio State Top 100 recruits: No. 6 Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 12 Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, Ohio), and No. 53 Ethan Smith (Sparrows Point, Md.) Other ranked recruit: Brakan Mead (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) Impact transfers: Te'Shan Campbell (Pittsburgh) and Dayton Racer (Iowa Central) Additional notables: Ryah Ferro (Warwick Valley, N.Y.) and Zach Steiner (Norwayne, Ohio) Commentary: Recruiting at the high end of the talent pool has been a staple for Tom Ryan since he's taken the Buckeyes' head coaching job, and this year is no exception with two top 12 recruits and a third top 100 recruit in FloNationals champion Smith. It is an eighth top 12 recruiting class in the last nine seasons. Impact transfers will play a role as NCAA qualifier Campbell and Junior College national champion Racer each have two years of competitive eligibility remaining. Mead, Ferro, and Steiner all have positive high school productivity while competing in power states. 8. Arizona State Top 100 recruits: No. 47 Navonte Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.), No. 49 Kendall Norfleet (Marian Catholic, Ill.), and No. 74 Brandon Courtney (Desert Edge, Ariz.) Additional notable: Dakota Galt (Beresford, S.D.) Impact transfers: Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) and Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) Commentary: Arizona State was the top ranked recruiting class two years ago, and that started to show itself in the 2016-17 season with a Pac-12 championship. That group of recruits included All-Americans Zahid Valencia and Tanner Hall, consolation round of 12 Anthony Valencia, along with NCAA qualifiers Josh Shields and Josh Maruca. The impact transfers can help shift that core toward a top five-to-10 finish at the 2018 NCAA tournament; 2014 national champion Tsirtsis will have one season remaining, while Millhof was an All-American in 2016 and has two seasons left. Among the high school newcomers, Demison and Norfleet are two-time state champions, while Courtney is very productive in the international styles. 9. Nebraska Top 100 recruits: No. 9 Michael Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 39 Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 79 Colton Wolfe (Columbus, Neb.), and No. 91 Tucker Sjomeling (Delano, Minn.) Other ranked recruit: Wyatt Wriedt (North Scott, Iowa) Additional notable: Trevor Nichelson (Ashland-Greenwood, Neb.) Commentary: The year-to-year success of the 'Huskers across their roster is very impressive. Mark Manning manages to always put out a very competitive team in all weight classes, one that this past season saw seven make the NCAA tournament; all won at least one match, four were All-Americans, while another two missed the podium by a solitary match. Solid recruiting and development of that talent is an obviously key ingredient. This year's group is no exception, as there are four top 100 recruits with a fifth weight class ranked wrestler who projects to compete at 285 pounds. The anchor of this class is from the Lehigh Valley, which is the stomping grounds of associate head coach Bryan Snyder, while the other recruits are from the Midwest. 10. North Carolina Top 100 recruits: No. 15 Austin O'Connor (St. Rita, Ill.), No. 36 Zach Sherman (Blair Academy, N.J.), and No. 60 Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) Other ranked recruit: Chasen Blair (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) Additional notable: Clay Lautt (St. James Academy, Kansas) Commentary: While 2016-17 was far from the best "on the mat" season for the Tar Heels, 2-3 in ACC dual meets and a second from last finish in the conference tournament, the recruiting class is second best among the ACC schools. Four-time state champion O'Connor was undefeated in high school, and has big time potential; he and Hernandez come from the Chicago area, which happens to also be where new assistant coach Tony Ramos is from. The five key recruits in this class fill the cross-section of weight classes as well; Sherman, Hernandez, and O'Connor lower-to-middle with Lautt and Blair in the upper-weights. 11. Oklahoma State Top 100 recruits: No. 4 Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) and No. 20 Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall, Okla.) Additional notables: Christian Bahl (Stillwater, Okla.) and Jet Taylor (Sallisaw, Okla.) Commentary: Pulling in high end talent is never a problem for head coach John Smith and the Cowboys. The 2014 and 2015 classes combined for 11 top 100 recruits, last year's class had three, and this year's group has two; though the two this year are both among the mega-stars of the 2017 class. Fix and Gfeller will add to what is a very deep stable of wrestlers in the lower-to-middle weight classes in Stillwater. Both will likely have the luxury of redshirting as true freshmen due to said depth, so if one or both is an immediate starter, then they've earned it. 12. Virginia Top 100 recruits: No. 10 Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.), No. 43 Brian Courtney (Athens, Pa.), and No. 87 Quinn Miller (Archer, Ga.) Other ranked recruit: Brian Kennerly (Upper Darby, Pa.) Additional notable: Michael Battista (Broad Run, Va.) Commentary: This will mark a fifth straight recruiting class for head coach Steve Garland that is nationally ranked. The Pennsylvania connection runs deep in the class with anchor wrestlers Coy and Courtney combining for seven state finals appearances and five state titles between them, while Super 32 Challenge champion Kennerly was an undefeated state champion this season. Miller is another talented upper-weight, and most notably made the decision to pursue wrestling in college instead of playing football as a linebacker (he was pretty good through high school). 13. Wisconsin Top 100 recruits: No. 17 Trent Hillger (Lake Fenton, Mich.), No. 69 Devin Bahr (West Salem, Wis.), and No. 86 Paul Konrath (Connections Academy, Ind.) Other ranked recruit: Jackson Hemauer (DeForest, Wis.) Additional notable: Garrett Model (Stoughton, Wis.) Commentary: Unlike last year, the Badgers did a pretty solid job on the in-state recruiting front this go around, as they landed Wisconsin's lone top 100 senior in three-time state champion Bahr; while also securing commitments from 2016 state champion Model and two-time state champion Hemauer, a Junior National freestyle All-American. On the out-of-state front, Hillger is a potential stud heavyweight, who was a three-time state champion and also a multi-position talent on the gridiron; while Konrath is a two-time Junior National folkstyle champion and a Junior National freestyle runner-up last summer. 14. Missouri Top 100 recruits: No. 45 Jared Campbell (St. Edward, Ohio) and No. 63 Allan Hart (St. Edward, Ohio) Other ranked recruits: Lane Stigall (North Marion, Ore.), Dack Punke (Washington, Ill.), and Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.) Impact transfer: Colby Smith (Appalachian State) Commentary: Though an up-and-down regular season, the post-season tournaments were a celebratory time for "Tiger Style" wrestling. A sixth straight conference title was followed by a fifth place finish at the NCAA tournament (third highest in program history) that featured five All-Americans (tied for most in program history). Effective recruiting has been key for Brian Smith in building this program, and Mizzou did itself well yet again. Anchoring the class are a pair of wrestlers from St. Edward, more notably three-time state finalist Campbell, who has the potential to be an excellent collegiate heavy. Punke, Hart, Stigall, and Raschka should be solid contributors across the weight classes. The transfer Smith was runner-up at the Southern Conference Tournament as a true freshman this past season. 15. Iowa State Top 100 recruits: No. 18 Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.), No. 56 Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa), and No. 94 Ryan Leisure (Clear Lake, Iowa) Additional notable: Alec McDowell (Maquoketa Valley, Iowa) Commentary: Five top 100 recruits last year, three top 100 recruits this year can certainly provide a strong foundation for the rebuild that Kevin Dresser is about to undertake as the new head coach of the Cyclones. Based on the early signing period this had potential to be a top five class, but three major defections (Verkleeren, Ethan Smith, and Jake Allar) have dropped the class into the mid-teens. Three-time state champion Gomez has the potential to compliment Parker and Storr in the lower weights and be a key cog in the Cyclones' rebuild. Bigger picture, the determining factors of Iowa State going forward will be to establish a "championship caliber culture/training environment" (I know that sounds so lame, but there's a lot of truth to that statement). 16. Binghamton Top 100 recruits: No. 13 Louie Deprez (Hitlon, N.Y.), No. 82 Zack Trampe (Council Rock South, Pa.) Other ranked recruit: Joe Doyle (Council Rock South, Pa.) Additional notables: Dane Heberlein (Alexander, N.Y.) and Matthew Swanson (Lynbrook, N.Y.) Commentary: The Bearcats have not seen this type of talent since Pat Popilizio, the current head coach at North Carolina State, was in charge at this State University of New York. Three-time state champion Deprez was a champion at the Super 32 Challenge this past fall and has the potential to be a program defining wrestler for head coach Matt Dernlan. Trampe and Doyle were each Super 32 placers this past season, while Heberlein is a three-time state champion in the Empire State. 17. Princeton Top 100 recruits: No. 21 Travis Stefanik (Nazareth, Pa.) and No. 28 Patrick Brucki (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) Additional notables: Kendall Elfstrum (Monroe-Woodbury, N.Y.), Jonathan Gomez (Locust Valley, N.Y.), John Pipa (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.), and Dale Tiongson (St. Paul's, Md.) Commentary: Chris Ayres and the Tigers continue to have success in recruiting, this time coming in the form of a pair of top 30 recruits, something not normally seen for this program. However, it's a sign of the excellent work this coaching staff has done. Stefanik and Brucki have the potential to be key contributors in the near-term; while the additional notable wrestlers all have demonstrated positive results against solid competition through their high school careers. 18. Purdue Top 100 recruits: No. 51 Anthony Falbo (Newtown, Ct.), No. 54 Max Lyon (Western Dubuque, Iowa), and No. 57 Parker Filius (Havre, Mont.) Additional notables: Abdullah Assaf (Lockport, Ill.), Jared Florell (Totino-Grace, Minn.), and Alec White (New Palestine, Ind.) Commentary: This is the second straight year that Tony Ersland and his staff have landed three top 100 ranked recruits. However, the next step for the Boilermakers is going to be translating these positive recruiting outcomes into on the mat success, as the three seasons so far at the helm have yielded Big Ten tournament finishes of 10th or worse and NCAA tournament finishes below 40th. Filius is a middle-weight, while Falbo and Lyon are upper-weights; among the other notables, Assaf and White should help provide depth in the lower-weights. 19. Brown Top 100 recruits: No. 42 Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 55 A.J. Pedro (Phillips Exeter, N.H.), and No. 98 Hunter Kosco (Canal Fulton Northwest, Ohio) Additional notables: Evan Ellis (Eastern, Ind.) and Drew Peck (Chambersburg, Pa.) Commentary: Todd Beckerman came over to Brown from Maryland, where he was their recruiting coordinator, and was able to bring in a number of excellent wrestlers to the Terrapins program. In four seasons at Brown, the Bears have shown improvement, including an individual All-American (Ophir Bernstein in 2015) for the first time since the late 1990's. This recruiting class is further evidence of the positive things going on in Providence, R.I. Three top 100 recruits plus another pair of wrestlers that were weight class ranked at varying points of their high school career can help further shift the competitive relevance for Brown wrestling. 20. Fresno State Top 100 recruit: No. 65 Robert Garcia IV (Selma, Calif.) Other ranked recruit: Owen Pentz (Morgan, Utah) Additional notables: Chris Deloza (Clovis North, Calif.), J.J. Figueroa (Bakersfield, Calif.), Gary Joint (Lemoore, Calif.), Jacob Wright (Dinuba, Calif.) Impact transfers: Josh Hokit (Drexel), A.J. Nevills (Penn State), Josh Reyes (Clackamas), Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) Commentary: For over 10 years the wrestling program at Fresno State was dark. Its return to competition will come in the fall, while the procurement of that roster started about nine months ago. There is an eclectic mix of high school graduates and transfers within the 2017 commitment list, which makes for an inexact evaluation. If the Bulldogs can just recruit the Central Section of California effectively, they'll be well on their way to a quality roster. Among the impact transfers, Clovis graduates Hokit and Nevills were top 100 wrestlers in their senior year; Saavedra was also a top 100 recruit his senior year; while Reyes was a Junior College national champion this season. Among the high school graduates, Garcia is a two-time state runner-up and four-time placer, Pentz is a Junior National freestyle runner-up, while the four additional notables are all multi-time state placers. 21. Army West Point Top 100 recruits: No. 84 Brad Loughlin (Yorktown, Ind.) and No. 99 Casey Cornett (Simon Kenton, Ky.) Other ranked recruits: Gunnar Larson (Avon, Ind.) and Corey Shie (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) Additional notabes: J.T. Brown (Elyria, Ohio), Owen Brown (Commerce, Ga.), Colton Cummings (Lowell, Ind.), and Eric Keosseian (Howell, N.J.) Commentary: Though this group does not have that solitary anchor type, there is a significant quantity present here for head coach Kevin Ward. Loughlin placed at the Super 32, while Cornett was a FloNationals runner-up; Larson and Shie each made a state final during high school careers in which they placed three times; J.T. Brown and Keosseian were state champions in power states this year, Owen Brown had a huge win in the undercard of the Pittsburgh Wrestling classic, while Cummings was a state champion the two years prior to this one. 22. Ohio Top 100 recruits: No. 62 Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.), No. 90 Moises Guillen (Perrysburg, Ohio), and No. 96 Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) Additional notables: Robbie Bowers (Defiance, Ohio) and Mason Kroening (Waubonsie Valley, Ill.) Commentary: The Bobcats are trying to find their place in the "new MAC", one that Missouri has dominated, while Northern Iowa and Central Michigan lead the challenge pack. Trying to make a move on these three teams is going to take expert recruiting and strong talent development, and this group can be very helpful on that front. There's a trio of top 100 recruits, though all are relatively similar in size; the Hagan twins combined for multiple Fargo All-American finishes, three state titles and seven state final appearances while Guillen was a state champion and Ironman champion during his senior season. The additional notables are both upper-weight types; Bowers is a Junior National freestyle All-American and two-time state runner-up, while Kroening was a state runner-up. 23. West Virginia Top 100 recruits: No. 34 Noah Adams (Independence, W.Va.) and No. 61 Nick Kiussis (Brunswick, Ohio) Other ranked recruit: Brenden McRill (Davison, Mich.) Commentary: With three of the five top 100 recruits from the 2015 recruiting class that was ranked third nationally having transferred out of the program, there is a slight transition going on in Morgantown. Part of navigating that transition is continuing to identify and procure talented individuals for the roster. Head coach Sammy Henson had some success on that front his year, as he addressed the middle and upper-weight classes. Adams is a very talented in-state wrestler, who was a FloNationals and NHSCA Junior Nationals champion last spring and a three-time state champion; Kiussis earned a big-school state title this past year after finishing runner-up the previous three years; while McRill earned a second state title and can now entirely focus on wrestling after a successful prep football career at the quarterback position. 24. Drexel Top 100 recruit: No. 14 Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township, Pa.) Other ranked recruit: Bryan McLaughlin (Woodbridge, N.J.) Additional notables: Evan Barczak (Monroe-Woodbury, N.Y.) and Chandler Olson (Shippensburg, Pa.) Commentary: This is a second straight nationally ranked recruiting class, though the core high school graduate in last year's class already left the program to go back home to Fresno State. Similarly, this class is driven by one core wrestler, the giant killer Austin DeSanto; the two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up beat Spencer Lee in the state final and then knocked off Justin Mejia in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. McLaughlin placed at the Super 32 Challenge and is a two-time state placer; while Barczak and Olson are three and four-time state placers respectively in power states. 25. South Dakota State Top 100 recruits: No. 70 Connor Brown (Oak Grove, Mo.) and No. 100 Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) Additional notables: Samuel Grove (Moorhead, Minn.), Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.), and Hunter Shelton (Oak Park, Mo.) Commentary: The ever-building momentum for head coach Chris Bono and his Jackrabbits continues in recruiting. During 2016-17, they beat Iowa State and Oklahoma in dual meets, while finishing third out of 10 teams in the Big 12 Championships. At the NCAA tournament, they had a pair of All-Americans including national runner-up Seth Gross. This year's recruiting class features a pair of top 100 recruits in four-time state champion Brown and two-time state champion Vough. Grove was a Junior National freestyle All-American and Molitor a Super 32 Challenge placer, so the talent level is ever growing. Honorable Mention: Lehigh, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and Pittsburgh

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University wrestling coach Duane Goldman announced at the team's year-end banquet that recent graduate Nate Jackson will return to the Hoosiers as a volunteer assistant coach. Goldman, who coached both Jackson and newly hired associate head coach Angel Escobedo, enters his 26th season next fall with both of his most recent two-time All-Americans on his coaching staff. Nate Jackson (Photo/Sam Janicki)"It's important to our program to keep the successful wrestlers of its past involved," Goldman commented on Jackson's retention. "To keep someone right out of college, one who was a two-time All-American that had a huge impact on our team, will be a great situation for the current wrestlers and coaches alike." Jackson's accolades within the contemporary wrestling landscape will provide a boost for the culture in Goldman's wrestling room. The Crete, Illinois native twice reached the All-American podium (5th in 2016 at 174 lbs.; 8th in 2017 at 184 lbs.) and surpassed 100 career victories despite a shortened freshman campaign. Wrestling: Escobedo Returns to Indiana as Associate Head Coach In his final year, Jackson made a successful move to 184 lbs. after three seasons at 174 lbs. The senior jumped out to a 19-0 unbeaten mark, culminating with a 3-1 decision win over No. 5 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) in the Midlands quarterfinals. And with Jackson's 15-3 major decision in the NWCA Dual Series upset over Appalachian state, Hoosier fans saw Indiana's first unbeaten dual season since 2011 (Matt Powless, 197 lbs.). Jackson's illustrious college wrestling career included two All-American finishes, three NCAA Championships qualifications, and four regular season tournament championships. He posted a career record of 107-37 with 35 major decisions, 11 technical falls, and 14 wins by fall. In addition to working under his former head coach, Jackson will learn the instructional side of wrestling from an inspirational staff. Jackson now has an opportunity to work alongside assistant coach Travis Pascoe, who played an instrumental role in Jackson's success since joining Indiana for the 2015-16 season. He also joins fellow IU wrestling alumni Angel Escobedo (2007-10) as new members of the 2017-18 coaching staff.

Derek Moore RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Derek Moore, a former NCAA Division I standout and California Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, joined California Baptist University Wrestling's coaching staff this week. Moore spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach helping rebuild the program at Division I Sacred Heart University. Sacred Heart earned two top-10 All-Academic finishes and had four Pioneers secure top-eight individual finishes at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships in Moore's four seasons. "I would like to thank President Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, Vice President Kent Dacus and Director of Athletics Dr. Micah Parker, for this amazing opportunity and their patience during the hiring process," Moore said. "There is no doubt in my mind the Lord had His hand in bringing me to Riverside. I look forward to recruiting and developing young Lancers into champions, both on and off the mat." The move reunites him with Head Coach Lennie Zalesky, who he wrestled under at UC Davis from 2003 to 2007. After walking on to the program at Davis, Moore became the first Aggie in any sport to win an individual NCAA championship at the 2007 Division I Championships. "After being away for over 10 years, I am incredibly excited to be back in my home state, working with my college mentor, at an institution committed to honoring Christ through excellence in athletics," Moore said. "I have watched Coach Zalesky and (Assistant) Coach Arsen Aleksanyan transform CBU wrestling over the last six years and believe there is something very special happening with this program." The former 141-pounder won two Pac-10 championships at his weight class in 2006 and 2007. Moore was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships in 2007 after he went 5-0 in the tournament and upset top-seeded Ryan Lang of Northwestern with a 17-2 technical fall. Moore was also named the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year and UC Davis Male Athlete of the Year in 2007. After college, Moore served six years in the United States Army as a field artillery officer. During that time, he spent 4 years training at the Olympic Training Center with the Army's World Class Athlete Program. As a soldier-athlete, he represented the Army in World and Olympic competition and qualified for the 2012 freestyle Olympic trials at 60 kilograms. Moore received his master's in Business Administration in May 2016 from Sacred Heart, serving as his class' graduate commencement speaker. He graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Austin DeSanto (Photo/Tom Elling) NEW YORK -- Beat the Streets is pleased to announce that it will be featuring matches between highly accomplished student-athletes from New York City and visitors from Philadelphia and Providence, R.I., at its annual benefit on Wednesday, May 17 in Times Square. Additionally, there will be a special match between Austin DeSanto (Exeter HS), the Pennsylvania state champion, and four-time undefeated Oklahoma state champion Daton Fix (Sand Springs HS/committed to Oklahoma State Univ.) Notably, DeSanto denied superstar Spencer Lee his fourth straight state title after losing to Lee in the state finals in 2016. Fix was a 2016 Junior World bronze medalist for the USA. He also wrestled in the 2016 Beat the Streets United in the Square match, defeating Junior star Kheyrollah Ghahramani of Iran, 14-3 in Times Square. Additionally, Fix was the prestigious 2017 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. There will be a special scoring system in place for this match, with the first to score five takedowns earning the win. The gala is Beat the Streets' annual fundraiser that helps provide wrestling equipment and opportunities to 3,000 kids across the five boroughs every year. The youth match-ups will be held starting at 3 p.m., prior to the NYC PSAL Girls Dual Meet Championships and world-class wrestling matches between members of Team USA and Team Japan. The NYC Beat the Streets boys team members include: • Wilver Mariano-Peralta, 8th grade, M.S. 129, Bronx, 112 lbs. (2017 City Champion, 2017 Regional Champion, 2017 NY State Finalist) • Mitchell Barcus, 8th grade, Eagle Academy, Bronx, 115 lbs. (2017 third at Cities, 2017 NY State Finalist) • Edwin Kent, 8th grade, East Harlem, 125 lbs. (2017 City Champion) • Daniel Bogie, 11th grade, Eagle Academy, Bronx, 145 lbs. (2017 6th place at NY State Championships) • Simon Chee, 12th grade, Benjamin Cardozo, Queens, 195 lbs., (2017 NY State Finalist, wrestling at Wesleyan next year) • Brandon Nunez, 12th grade, John Bowne, Queens, 99 lbs. (two-time NY State placewinner, first Division I NY State Champion from PSAL, wrestling at Rhode Island College next year FloWrestling will be live streaming the entire event at www.flowrestling.org. There will also be three girls matches, with the BTS wrestlers and opponents to be announced. The boys' opponents are as follows: • Jay Copeland, 8th grade, Belmont Charter, Philadelphia, 112 lbs. • Talib Copeland, 8th grade, Belmont Charter, Philadelphia, 115 lbs. • Obed Yancor, 8th grade, Esek Hopkins Middle School, Providence, R.I., 125 lbs. • Ousmane Diarra, 12th grade, Central HS, Philadelphia, 145 lbs. • Lee Miles, 12th grade, South Philadelphia HS, 195 lbs. • Jonathan Prata, Titan Mercury, 99 lbs. The United States men's freestyle team is highlighted by 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC) at 96 kg/213 lbs, 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling TC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 2016 World champion Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), at 61 kg/134 lbs. On the women's side, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Sunkist Kids) headlines the roster taking on Japan. 2017 BEAT THE STREETS BENEFIT At New York, May 17 Event Schedule 3 p.m. (ET) - Beat the Streets youth exhibition matches 4:45 p.m. (ET) - NYC PSAL Girls Dual Meet Championships 6 p.m. (ET) - Team USA vs. Team Japan, preceded by special match between Austin DeSanto and Daton Fix Announced Team USA Roster Men's Freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tarheel WC) 61 kg/134 lbs. - Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 65 kg/143 lbs. - Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) 70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling TC) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling TC) 86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor (State College Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) 97 kg/213 lbs. - Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 125 kg/275 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C/Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) Women's Freestyle 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) 58 kg/128 lbs. - Helen Maroulis (New York, N.Y./Sunkist Kids/NYC RTC) 69 kg/152 lbs. - Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC) Team Japan Roster Men's freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Rinya Nakamura 61 kg/134 lbs. - Shingo Arimoto 65 kg/143 lbs. - Daichi Takatani 70 kg/154 lbs. - Nobuyoshi Takojima 74 kg/163 lbs. - Sohsuke Takatani 86 kg/189 lbs. - Takahiro Murayama 97 kg/213 lbs. - Koki Yamamoto 125 kg/275 lbs. - Katsutoshi Kanazawa Women's freestyle 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Yuki Irie 58 kg/128 lbs. - Yuzuru Kumano 69 kg/152 lbs. - Miwa Morikawa Team Leader - Kosei Akaishi Freestyle Coach - Shinichi Yumoto Women's Coach - Ryo Kanehama Special Challenge Match - Jordan Oliver (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) vs. Frank Chamizo (Italy) 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. 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 athletes and the fans. Current verticals under the FloSports header are Wrestling, Grappling, MMA, Elite Fitness, Boxing, Softball, Tennis, Pro Wrestling, Gymnastics, Marching, Basketball, Volleyball, eSports, Rodeo, Climbing, Swimming, Cheerleading, and Track.

The iconic 1985 high school wrestling movie "Vision Quest" will be released on Blu-ray for the first time on Tuesday, May 16. The "Vision Quest" Blu-ray may be ordered in advance from various retailers, including Amazon.com. The film, released to theaters in February 1985, is based on the popular coming-of-age novel "Vision Quest" by Terry Davis which focuses on high school wrestler Louden Swain (played by Matthew Modine) as he puts his efforts into dropping weight to take on the muscular, menacing -- and undefeated -- state champ Brian Shute (Frank Jasper) ... all while dealing with the distraction of "older woman" Carla (Linda Fiorentino) who has come to live with him and his father (Ronny Cox). The film also stars Michael Schoeffling, Daphne Zuniga, and Forest Whitaker. "Vision Quest" is also known for its hit soundtrack. Among the songs featured: Journey's "Only the Young," Foreigner's "Hot Blooded," John Waite's "Change" and The Style Council's "Shout to the Top." In addition, Madonna makes her first major film appearance as a bar singer, performing her hits "Gambler" and "Crazy for You." This about-to-be-released "Vision Quest" Blu-ray is a new high-definition remaster, and includes the original movie trailers. It weighs in at 107 minutes, and is rated R. To learn more about the making of "Vision Quest" from the actor who played Shute, check out this InterMat interview with Frank Jasper.

Travis Paulson (Photo/Cyclones.com) Chad Zaputil and Travis Paulson -- two of five honorees to be welcomed into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa next month -- will be guests on the "On the Mat" broadcast this Thursday, May 11. Zaputil, a two-time Iowa state champ for Centerville High School, was a three-time Big Ten champion and three-time NCAA finalist at the University of Iowa. Paulson, a three-time NCAA All-American for Iowa State and finalist at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. Before that, he was a three-time Iowa state champ at Council Bluffs-Lewis Central High School. Chad Zaputil and Travis Paulson -- along with Travis' twin brother Trent -- and Tom Kettman (Gilbertville-Don Bosco), Chris Flanagan (posthumously) and the 1987 Iowa State wrestling team are the Class of 2017 to be inducted 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. "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 Thursday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, the Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com.

Nick Brascetta (Photo/GoMocs.com) University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger announced the promotion of Nick Brascetta to assistant coach today. Brascetta spent the 2016-17 season as the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development for the Mocs. "We are excited to move Nick into the role of assistant coach," stated Eslinger. "He did a great job for us last year, but now he will be able to work directly with our student-athletes from training to competition." Brascetta finished third at the 2016 NCAA Championships, competing for Virginia Tech at 157 pounds. A native of Graham, Ohio, he was also the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2012 and won three league titles in his career. A three-time All-American, Brascetta also finished fourth at 157 in 2015. He earned his degree in Accounting at Virginia Tech and is currently working on his M.B.A. at UTC.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Former All-American wrestler Austin Marsden has been hired as an assistant coach for the University at Buffalo wrestling program, head coach John Stutzman announced on Monday. Marsden was a four-year letterwinner at national powerhouse Oklahoma State where he compiled a career-record of 108-22 as a heavyweight. He went 37-8 in duals meets over his career and was a three-time Big 12 champion. Marsden was an NCAA qualifier all four seasons and was an All-American in 2014 and 2016. Austin MarsdenFollowing graduation, Marsden spent the 2016-17 season as a volunteer assistant at Army West Point. He helped lead the Black Knights to a 7-5 dual meet record - their most dual wins since the 2013-14 season. Army West Point had four wrestlers compete at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. "Austin is a great hire for us," Stutzman said. "Not only was he a four-time NCAA Qualifier and a two-time NCAA All-American, but he was mentored by two of the sports best coaches in John Smith at Oklahoma State and Kevin Ward at West Point. We are excited to welcome him to UB and our guys are excited to work with him." Marsden will work primarily with the upper weights at UB, including 2017 Mid-American Conference Heavyweight Champion Jake Gunning. "I am really excited to join the UB wrestling program," Marsden said. "There is a lot of potential here and it's something I want to be a part of. When I visited here for the first time, it came off as a family environment with the coaching staff and the wrestlers. I can't wait to get started here and make an impact with a great team." The Bulls are coming off their best season in recent memory. Their 11 dual wins were their most since 2004. In addition, UB won four MAC duals, its most since joining the conference in 1998. Three wrestlers advanced to the NCAA Championships.

A.J. Poellot, Christian Hancock and Mason Quinn Wrestling is for everybody. That's one of the most appealing aspects of amateur wrestling. It's a sport that is open to all types of individuals. Males and females. Individuals of every height, weight and body-build. Athletes dealing with hearing or vision loss, missing limbs or other physical aspects that might be considered "limitations" (or even "deal-breakers") in other sports. Add autism to that list. Many individuals diagnosed with autism have found that wrestling is the right sport for them. This article will explain what autism is ... and how some individuals who had tried other sports or activities have found the right fit in amateur wrestling. Ohio State head wrestling coach Tom Ryan, sister Kim Ryan and Jeff Sitler How this story came together Originally, I had been talking to Jeff Sitler of Ohio's Mad River Wrestling Officials Association about writing a recap of their annual Wrestle Against Autism tournament held in Columbus each April for the past decade. This year's tourney, held at Otterbein University, attracted approximately 300 participants, ranging in age from six to 30-something ... with the majority of participants being in high school. As Sitler told InterMat, "Not all participants are autistic, but all are there to support someone with autism." The tournament is a fundraiser to assist individuals who have been diagnosed with autism. In addition to ticket sales and entry fees, Wrestle Against Autism also raises funds through auctions held at the tournament, including autographed headgear from Cael Sanderson, a singlet signed by Mark Schultz, and t-shirts from Frank Jasper, the former wrestler who played Brian Shute in the 1980s movie "Vision Quest." Proceeds from Wrestle Against Autism go to purchase laptops and other learning tools; in addition, another primary benefactor of the event is 4 Paws for Ability, a Xenia, Ohio-based organization that provides service dogs for individuals on the autism spectrum. As I interviewed Sitler, I learned more than the facts and stats about the Wrestle Against Autism tournament. I also gained a new understanding of autism and how wrestling has proven to be an ideal sport for some diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. It occurred to both of us that the subject deserved more than a basic recap ... but, instead, a more detailed feature story incorporating the personal stories of some of the Wrestle Against Autism participants who have autism. First, what is autism? Here's how the website Autism Speaks defines autism: "Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. We now know that there is not one autism but many types, caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences. "The term 'spectrum' reflects the wide variation in challenges and strengths possessed by each person with autism." The Autism Speaks website goes on to state that the most-obvious signs of autism tend to appear between 2 and 3 years of age ... though it can be diagnosed as early as 18 months. Some developmental delays associated with autism can be identified and addressed even earlier, with early intervention which can improve outcomes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in 68 children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with autism, translating to one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls. Approximately one-third of individuals with autism spectrum disorder remain nonverbal; a similar portion of those diagnosed with autism have an intellectual disability. In interviewing individuals for this feature who have a personal connection to autism spectrum disorder, one phrase came up more than once: "If you know someone with autism, you know someone with autism." In other words, each situation -- and each individual with an autism diagnosis -- is unique. Broad, sweeping generalizations just don't work. Jeff Sitler officiating a wrestling a match That said, a number of young people with an autism diagnosis have found a place in the sport of wrestling. Wrestling Against Autism's Jeff Sitler put InterMat in touch with the parents of three wrestlers of different ages from various parts of the country who all share some form of autism. Meet A.J., age 6 A.J. is a six-year-old wrestler from Parkersburg, W.Va. who has competed at Wrestle Against Autism -- and appears to have found his place in "the oldest and greatest sport." "We tried lots of other sports -- basketball, for instance -- along with other physical activities such as dance and gymnastics," A.J.'s mother Victoria Poellot-Tauber told InterMat. "His social skills are lacking. He didn't speak until age two. He has sensory processing disorder, meaning his brain doesn't interpret signals appropriately -- what is called 'textural issues.' For example, taking a bath made him scream. The feeling of the water upset him. After all, 'texture' can be called a sixth sense." "Smells can also bother him. We use essential oils to mask odors. Sounds are also exacerbated." A.J. Poellot "A.J. is on the higher end of the autism spectrum, almost like Asperger's syndrome." (Here's how AutismSpeaks.org defines Asperger syndrome: "Asperger syndrome was generally considered to be on the 'high functioning' end of the spectrum. Affected children and adults have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviors. Motor development may be delayed, leading to clumsiness or uncoordinated motor movements. Compared with those affected by other forms of ASD, however, those with Asperger syndrome do not have significant delays or difficulties in language or cognitive development...") "He avoids eye contact," Victoria explained. "A lot of his autism is anxiety-based." "The first couple of practices, he cried a lot. Since then, he's adjusted to it well." So well, in fact, that in his second year of wrestling, A.J. managed to compile a 61-11 record this past season, placing first at one state tournament, and second at another. ("He said, 'I want to go back next year and not be second'" according to Victoria.) So ... what is it about wrestling that works for A.J. and his situation? For starters, Victoria described her 6-year-old son as being "extremely physically strong." She added, "It's a solo sport. He doesn't need to depend on others." That said, Victoria cited the "sense of camaraderie in wrestling" that appeals to her son, adding, "You don't mess with a teammate." "Sportsmanship is very important. He pinned an opponent who started to cry. A.J. tried to care for him, rubbing his back." A.J. Poellot and his coach Jeremy AbbottA.J.'s club coach, Jeremy Abbott, a Parkersburg native who has wrestled since age 5 and competed for West Virginia powerhouse Parkersburg South High, told InterMat, "I had no idea A.J. was autistic until about three-fourths of the way through the season." "He's a real natural at (wrestling)," Abbott continued. "He's very coachable. I can yell out a move from the sidelines and he'll attempt it." "I don't treat him any different than any of the other wrestlers. In fact, I expect more from him." "He's come a long way in two years. Last year, if he lost, he'd have a meltdown. This year, I'd talk to him and he'd calm down within a minute or so." "That growth is his biggest accomplishment. Even in losing, he's demonstrating that he's learning." Wrestling has had a positive impact on A.J. off the mat as well. "His grades have improved since wrestling. The discipline of wrestling has helped with his classroom behavior. He gets worn out in wrestling practice, sleeps better, and focuses more at school." "He's making friends. His teammates want to include A.J. in on things, like inviting him to sleepovers." "He's never loved anything before wrestling," said Victoria. "He gets excited about going to practice, to wrestling events. These people love him." "Wrestling opens so many doors for my son, providing so many opportunities I never thought he'd have," according to Victoria. "Helps him become assimilated into society. He's making friends, developing trust, empathy, integrity, sportsmanship ... It's completely life-changing." "He's even talking about wanting to be a college wrestler someday." That's a possibility reinforced by his club coach. "I can see him doing well in high school and maybe even in college," said Jeremy Abbott. Christian Hancock Christian, age 16 Christian, who lives in White Bear Lake, Minn., a suburb of St. Paul, came to his autism diagnosis -- and to the sport of wrestling -- somewhat late. "He was diagnosed with autism in sixth grade, which is rather late," said his father Terry Hancock. "His teacher had an autistic kid and she recognized some of the same aspects in Christian." "Growing up, Christian tried different sports, but would give up on them. He played eighth-grade football. His coaches thought he should wrestle," said Hancock, who wrestled some growing up in southeast Ohio near Wheeling, W.Va. "He had a rough start. Lost every single match -- approximately 60 of them -- in his first year. But he wanted to do it again, this time in high school (at White Bear Lake High)." "He was an extra on the JV Freshman squad -- wrestled 195. Won his first match at a cancer fundraiser. That was the first of two wins that season." "Sat out his sophomore year because of a football injury. Lost a lot of weight." "Discovered Brazilian ju-jitsu in the off season, and found out that wrestling and ju-jitsu complement each other." "In his junior year, Christian became a JV starter, weighing about 165. He had a winning record, scored a lot of points for his team, and placed sixth at the JV Conference championships." "He was voted 'Most Improved JV Wrestler' that year." "He's now doing club wrestling with the Ice Bears, learning freestyle and Greco-Roman. (Former University of Minnesota wrestler/mixed martial arts fighter) Jacob Volkmann is his coach." "As a ninth grader, Christian hoped to win. This year, he expected to win." Christian has demonstrated steady improvement and greater success in wrestling. He has put in much effort ... and that has paid dividends beyond the practice room and the mat. "Christian used to be bullied," according to his dad Terry. "Wrestling has helped him find his place as an individual, while also finding he's a part of a community. That's given him a sense of belonging." "We've built a support network which helps him with athletics and academics." "He received an award for high GPA as an athlete. His academics have improved, as he has a greater determination to do well. I'd say it's a complete turnaround." In addition, Christian has gained additional interests. He's teaching himself to play the guitar, and repairs VCRs and other electronics. What does the future hold for Christian? "He definitely has plans for college," Terry Hancock told InterMat. "Lots of his teachers want him to go to Augsburg, so he may go there to school. While he may not wrestle for them, he may want to give back to wrestling in some way, as a manager, for instance, or in some other capacity." "Wrestling has been nothing but a positive for Christian. Life has been so much better for him because of it. Such a brotherhood." Mason Quinn Mason, age 20 Mason was born in Maryland, but now lives in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati with his parents and brother Jensen, who's just 20 months younger. Mason was diagnosed at age five. His mother had an intuition that something was wrong, despite assurances otherwise from his pediatrician and nurses. Both Quinn boys wrestled at Lakota West High School, where Jensen is third on the school's all-time pin list. Their dad Mark Quinn, a retired FBI agent, grew up competing in a combat sport himself -- boxing -- which he said "got me through some tough times, but I knew that wasn't for my sons." "I think individual combat sports are great for young people," Mark Quinn told InterMat. "They teach valuable lessons." "Joe Hiles -- Mason's godfather, and related to Luke Fickell (football coach first at Ohio State, now at University of Cincinnati, and some say was the best high school heavyweight wrestler in Ohio) -- got the boys into wrestling club." "I think the world of wrestling. We knew Mason was a strong kid. To be a wrestler, you don't have to be a superstar athlete, but tough, hard-working." Mason started wrestling in second grade. However, it wasn't Mason's first sport. He started swimming at age six months, and was competing at age four, through the sixth grade. ("It gave him confidence and exercise," said Mark Quinn.) He also played one year of flag football, and ran cross country for three years." Mason found success in wrestling, accumulating a total of 54 wins in his junior and senior years at Lakota West. "Wrestling is an arena where an individual with autism can succeed," said the elder Quinn. "It gives him socialization with his peers, and a sense of purpose." At age 20, Mason has served as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater for the past two years, and works out with the upper-weight wrestlers. In addition, he now works as an unpaid intern at the nearby West Chester Medical Center, learning various jobs at the hospital. "Wrestling gave Mason acceptance," according to his father. "Wrestling is a team sport. After all, the individual wrestler is scoring points for the team. And, conversely, the team can provide support to the individual athlete." "The camaraderie in wrestling is strong." Mason has gained much from his participation in wrestling ... and so have his teammates and opponents, as well as fans. "Mason helps his peers understand that everyone has something to contribute. He has been embraced by members of other teams." To learn more about autism, visit AutismSpeaks.org and check out this brief video. And, to find out more about the annual Wrestle Against Autism tournament in Columbus, check out their website.

SALVADOR DA BAHIA, Brazil -- The U.S. men's freestyle team put together a superb effort at the Pan American Championships on Sunday with seven wrestlers earning a medal, led by Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury/Ohio RTC) who took top prize at 97 kilograms/213 pounds. Snyder, the top-ranked wrestler in the World at 97 kilograms, navigated three matches on the day, all of which were decided by 10-0 scores. He downed Felipe Cesar Camilo De Oliveira of Brazil and Nishan Preet Singh Randhawa of Canada in the preliminary rounds before defeating two-time South American silver medalist Luis Miguel Perez Sosa of Dominican Republic in the finals. "It was a pretty good day. I was excited to compete and wrestle here," Snyder said following his gold-medal win. "It was real hot in the arena, so it's good to wrestle in those types of atmospheres where you don't usually get to compete under these circumstances." Read complete story on TheMat.com … Freestyle medalists 57 kilograms: Gold: Tyler Graff (United States) Silver: Aso Palani (Canada) Bronze: Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba) Bronze: Wber Euclides Cuero Munoz (Colombia) 61 kilograms: Gold: Dabian Quintana Jaime (Cuba) Silver: David Moreira (Brazil) Bronze: Logan Stieber (United States) Bronze: Tommy Jesus Garcia Sanchez (Dominican Republic) 65 kilograms: Gold: Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba) Silver: Franklin Gomez Matos (Puerto Rico) Bronze: Dillon Williams (Canada) Bronze: Wilfredo Aogusto Rodriguez Bocaney (Venezuela) 70 kilograms: Gold: James Green (United States) Silver: Luis Isaias Portillo Mejia (El Salvador) Bronze: Mauricio Javier Sanchez Saltos (Ecuador) Bronze: Carlos Eduardo Romero Millaqueo (Chile) 74 kilograms: Gold: Kyle Ruschell (United States) Silver: Nestor Joaquin Tafur Barrios (Colombia) Bronze: Luis Esteban Quintana Martinez (Cuba) Bronze: Pedro Soto Cordero (Puerto Rico) 86 kilograms: Gold: Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta (Cuba) Silver: Pedro Francisco Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela) Bronze: Gabe Dean (United States) Bronze: Jordan Steen (Canada) 97 kilograms: Gold: Kyle Snyder (United States) Silver: Luis Miguel Perez Sosa (Dominican Republic) Bronze: Nishan Preet Singh Randhawa (Canada) Bronze: Andres Ramos Dinza (Cuba) 125 kilograms: Gold: Dom Bradley (United States) Silver: Yudenny Alpajon Estevez (Cuba) Bronze: Korey Jarvis (Canada) Bronze: Luis Antonio Olivares Diaz (Venezuela)

In an update of an InterMat story in early Feb., a 15-year-old female wrestler and her family have settled a federal lawsuit they filed against the Davis School District in Utah which will now allow girls to wrestle in junior high. Kathleen JanisNinth-grader Kathleen Janis of Layton, Utah had been denied the right to participate in Central Davis Junior High's wrestling program because she was a girl. In exchange for the Janis family dismissing their complaint, Davis District officials agreed to allow girls to participate in any wrestling school-sanctioned wrestling program. The school district also agreed to pay the family's legal fees and a monetary settlement, the Desert News reported Thursday. "That was the big win," said Janis family attorney Stewart Gollan of the change in district policy that barred girls from participating in junior high wrestling programs. "I wasn't surprised that it got resolved quickly. … We were pretty confident that the case law was so clear." Gollan also credited a federal judge who granted Janis a temporary restraining order against the Davis District earlier this year, in persuading the district to settle the case. Back in February, the Janis family attorneys had filed a request for an injunction in federal court to allow Kathleen to join the team during wrestling season. At that time, U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby granted the injunction, the day before her junior high school's wrestling tryouts. Davis District Community Relations director Chris Williams confirmed the settlement and that school policy had changed, telling the Deseret News, "We had a number of girls who wrestled (this winter), and wrestled competitively. We are moving forward, and that will be standard opportunity for girls as well as boys." The district had already allowed girls to compete on the high school wrestling team. "Kathleen is ecstatic she was able to wrestle," her mother Kelly Janis told the Deseret News. "It's heightened her desire for wrestling. She's blossomed through all of this. Being told no twice, and then say, ‘Hey, this is wrong.' It's made Kathleen so much stronger." The fight for Kathleen Janis to wrestle in junior high was not easy. Her mother said the family endured abuse, ranging from having their house pelted with eggs, to vulgar insults, even death threats. All that aside, Kelly Janis said her daughter is proud to have led the effort to change the rule because she felt it was the right thing to do. "She knows a lot of young girls will be able to follow in her footsteps," Kelly Janis said. "She's very, very happy to be at the forefront of this. She's very proud, and I'm proud of her." Another point of pride for the Janis family: In addition to competing for Central Davis Junior High, Kathleen recently wrestled at the U.S. Marine Corps girls folkstyle national tournament, where she placed seventh, earning All-American honors.

Nick Becker (Photo/UW-Parkside Sports Information) FAYETTE, Iowa -- Nick Becker, a redshirt junior from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, is the 2017 NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year presented by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association. Becker is the tenth recipient of this award since its inception in 2008. Becker capped his perfect 25-0 season by winning his second consecutive NCAA Division II title at 174 pounds. The Ranger defeated UNC Pembroke's Blaze Shade in both the super region and national championship finals to become a two-time champion. Prior to his finals match with Shade, Becker earned two technical falls at the national championships. With his 25 wins this season, the Ranger wrestler registered 17 bonus-point wins including 8 falls, 3 tech falls and 6 majors. "Nick's success is due in large part to his composure on the mat and his even-keeled temperament," said Wisconsin-Parkside Head Wrestling Coach Gregg Lewis. "His attitude while competing mixed with his intense work ethic and determination to put the time into his technique are the foundation for the wrestler that he is. Nick is quick to get on the attack and force his style of wrestling onto his opponents. I am excited to see what he can do next year and curious as to where he will push himself toward his ultimate goal." The Hartford, Wis. product is currently riding a 66-match winning streak with one season left in a UWP singlet. Following the 2017 campaign, Becker was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Wrestler of the Year and NCAA Division II Super Region Two Wrestler of the Year. Becker came to Wisconsin-Parkside prior to the 2014-15 season after transferring from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich. During his first season with the Rangers, he wrestled unattached at three tournaments before returning to the varsity mats during the 2015-16 season. As a redshirt sophomore, Becker posted a 41-0 record with 31 of the victories coming with bonus points. He tallied 10 falls, 11 tech falls and 10 majors on his way to the NCAA Division II title in Sioux Falls, S.D. Becker earned the NCAA Division II Super Region Two Wrestler of the Year last season as well. The four NCAA Division II Regional Wrestlers of the Year were released earlier in the week and included 165-pound freshman Isaiah White from Notre Dame College for NCAA Super Region One, Becker from Super Region Two, 141-pound senior Nate Rodriguez from Maryville University for Super Region Three and 197-pound senior Jacob Waste from California Baptist University for Super Region Four. All four earned titles at their respective NCAA Division II Super Regionals and the National Championships in Birmingham, Ala. in early March. The previous nine winners of the award were Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev (2008), Nebraska-Omaha 157-pounder Todd Meneely (2009), Pittsburgh-Johnstown 133-pounder Shane Valko (2010), Western State 197-pounder Donovan McMahill (2011), Upper Iowa 133-pounder Trevor Franklin (2012), Grand Canyon heavyweight Tyrell Fortune (2013), Kutztown heavyweight Ziad Haddad (2014), Central Oklahoma 165-pounder Chris Watson (2015) and Notre Dame's 184-pounder Joey Davis (2016).

Kyven Gadson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Collegiate coaches Zach Sanders, Glen Lanham and Andy Lausier -- along with Iowa State mat champ Kyven Gadson -- will be among the featured guests on the Takedown Radio broadcast this Saturday, May 6. Join Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Steve Foster 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. Zach Sanders, University of Minnesota assistant coach 9:20 a.m.Yianni Diakomihalis, two-time Cadet World champion 9:40 a.m. Nick Santonastasso, disabled teen turned internet star “lives by inspiring others” 10 a.m. Kyven Gadson, NCAA champ for Iowa state and 2017 U.S. Open champion 10:20 a.m. Andy Lausier, Davidson College head coach 10:40 a.m. Glen Lanham, Duke University head coach

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. -- Delaware Valley University is proud to announce that current assistant wrestling coach Jim Wertman has been promoted to head coach as Steve Cantrell has resigned to further concentrate on his growing duties as the Aggies' director of athletics. Jim Wertman and Steve Cantrell"This was not an easy decision for me as my passion for wrestling and the student-athletes on the team will never waver," Cantrell said. "However, I knew when I became the Director of Athletics four years ago that this day would eventually come, it is the right time to step away, allowing me to dedicate all of my attention to enhancing and growing the department as a whole. "What makes the decision a little easier is the fact that Jim will take over as head coach. He has been my right-hand man for the last five years and has played an instrumental role in our success on and off the mat. It is the perfect transition for DelVal and the wrestling program." JIM WERTMAN Wertman has helped the team finish in the top 20 at the NCAA Division III Championships in each of the last four years, including a fifth-place finish in 2013-14 and a sixth-place showing in 2014-15. In 2014-15, the team also won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) and NCAA East Regional title. Over Wertman's five years on the staff, the Aggies have crowned two national champions, 12 All-Americans and nine Scholar All-Americans. Both national titles came from heavyweight Zach Roseberry as he took the NCAA crown in both 2015-16 and 2016-17. Wertman joined the Aggie wrestling staff after five seasons as a varsity wrestling coach at nearby William Tennent High School. His coaching experience also includes four seasons with the Warminster Spartans youth wresting club. Wertman served 21 years in the United States Navy and retired in 2011 at the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He is a former Division III wrestler at Lycoming College and also competed with the United States Navy, All Navy team. Wertman graduated from DelVal with a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis on sports management. He then received his Master's in business administration from the institution. Wertman is also the President of Ivyland Printing, LLC. "I feel extremely excited and humbled at the same time," Wertman said. "To follow in the footsteps of the great coaches that this program has had and to mentor the student-athletes that come through it is opportunity of a lifetime. I've learned so much from Steve over the past five years and am thankful for this opportunity. I look forward to continuing the success that this program has had on the mat and in the classroom." STEVE CANTRELL Cantrell posted a 54-37 record in dual meets during his six years as head coach of the Aggies. His teams have combined to produce two top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, a Middle Atlantic Conference and NCAA East Regional title, two national champions, 14 All-Americans and 10 Scholar All-Americans. The first, top 10 finish was the 2013-14 campaign as Cantrell and the Aggies produce an 11-5 record. Three of the four national qualifiers earned All-America accolades as the team finished tied for sixth place and the sixth-highest finish in program history. The next year, DelVal notched an 11-3 record and captured both the MAC and NCAA East Regional championships in tournaments that were both decided in the final match. Six wrestlers qualified for the NCAAs and four came back as All-Americans as the team just missed out on a national trophy with a fifth-place showing. Cantrell was honored for his work by being named the MAC Co-Coach of the Year. The last two seasons have been highlighted by Roseberry's run to national titles as he became just the third wrestler in the program's storied history to win multiple NCAA crowns and earn All-America honors all four years. Since becoming director of athletics, Cantrell has overseen initiatives such as the addition of five new intercollegiate sports (women's golf, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's tennis and women's tennis), the installment of artificial turf and lights at the stadium, the implementation of a new athletic branding project, and the department's transition when DelVal obtained University status. During his first year at the helm of the athletic department, Cantrell was also the building project manager for Delaware Valley's new $15 million Life Sciences Building. A former Division I wrestler and assistant coach, Cantrell served as a member of the United States Marine Corps for 24 years before retiring from the service in 2007. He was a Commissioned Officer for 16 of those years, holding various positions as a Combat Helicopter Pilot.

The NFHS announced this week that schools will have the option to wear a two-piece uniform option, including shorts. Compression tops must be worn and can be no longer than the elbow. Guys, we did it. After five-plus years of #deathtothesinglet and #killthesinglet there has been a major action by an institution to implement fan and wrestler-friendly outfits. No more 14-year-old pre-pubescent kids forced to take center mat in a shiny piece of ill-fitting spandex, but plenty of financial opportunities for schools and wrestlers. There is finally a uniform available which wrestling fans and family members can also wear during their workouts, or around the house doing chores. This is an expansion of the wrestling brand and a massive opportunity for a new expansion of the sport. There is a lot that might be tied in with the change, but undoubtedly this will bolster the number of participants in youth wrestling, create additional revenue and bring our sport into the 21st century. While many programs have already transitioned, this high-level direction will give the clearance to many more whose wrestlers undoubtedly want these uniforms as an option. After last month's announcement by the NCAA to recommend the removal of headgear, I'm starting to think sanity has seeped into the drinking water of our sport's highest levels. Now, if we can only get rid of these new-fangled "wrestling helmets" our sport will be a safe place for our children to compete. To your questions … Pat Downey placed fifth at the U.S. Open at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Pat Downey defeated Gabe Dean on his way to fifth place at 86 kilograms at the U.S. Open. Thoughts on his performance? Did he silence his critics? Do you think he will return to Division I wrestling? If so, where? Did the door close at Iowa State? -- Mike C. Foley: No. His critics were still loud. Kudos to Pat for winning his match against Dean. I sense it was an important moment of validation for his time spent on Twitter. He will not be returning to Iowa State, but there is always a market for a one-and-done face on campus. The only issue would be transfer eligibility, and likely a Twitter-based stipulation. Q: Word is J'den Cox is wrestling at the World Team Trials. If David Taylor beats him, don't they have to go to an overseas tournament and compete, and whoever places higher wins the spot? -- Frank C. Foley: The rules regarding the top spot in the USA have changed in recent years. I don't believe that David Taylor and J'den Cox would have to travel before the World Championships. If Taylor makes it to the finals and wins the best-of-three series he will be the World Team member. Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the U.S. Open? -- Mike C. Foley: That David Taylor is not to be trifled with this season. My goodness. There are almost always challenges along the way, but whatever issues Taylor faced in getting up to weight have been resolved. He's strong, fast and lean. The style he's created for himself seems to be transitioned to the freestyle rules, which is to say he's limiting over-wrestling or over-scrambling and optimizing his output. The real test will come against J'den Cox at the World Team Trials. Will Taylor be able manage a high stakes match against a somewhat familiar opponent? Though he's excelled in almost every respect, that is one area he's consistently fell short. I'm betting he can get the job done in June. Q: Why is Kyle Dake allowed to stall with constant one/two hands being put on the mat while in his "stalling neutral" stance? -- Mr. Juice Foley: I agree that there are certain matches in the United States where Dake is given incredible leeway to place his hands on the mat and not engage with his opponent. I think that the finals match of the U.S. Open was called closer-to-fair and the referee put Dake on the clock twice. There is a big difference between the way freestyle and folkstyle are called, and it's a difference that not many Americans can grasp right away. The freestyle model is about rewarding aggression and penalizing defensive gestures and posturing. Hold a wrist, lock tight to an elbow, pull down on a tight front headlock but don't progress and the international referee will immediately step in. Action is incentivized, which is part of the reason you see such action-packed matches. In the United States the sport is based a lot more on control, which tends to allow these defense postures. For many fans (and referees) seeing Dake on an international mat hasn't meant a change of perception. They see the stance as acceptable even as it is clearly meant to limit action. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME New highlight films being produced by United World Wrestling which recap finals action for fans. Labor intensive, but this should help promote top-level athletes and deliver a consumable news wrap for those who like to watch, rather than read! Q: When are the UWW weight classes going to change? When will the announcement be coming? -- Mike C. Foley: Following the end-of-the-year meetings this September at the World Championships in Paris. Ten weight classes, but the review of the two-day system will follow the testing at the Cadet World Championships in Greece. Q: Mason Manville won a U.S. Open Greco-Roman title at 75 kilograms. It seems like he has a bright future in the sport. I'm a little flustered that he's still planning on wrestling in college, which will hinder his Greco-Roman development. Obviously, it's his life and it's not our place to judge his decisions. But why do Americans put so much emphasis on NCAA wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: Greco-Roman won't pay for college and in the long run the investment he makes in his education will take him further than a career as a Greco-Roman athlete. No matter if he wins two Olympic gold medals or zeros out after a ten-year career the finances behind a college education demand that you take the free money. Think of it this way: Someone is willing to pay him $250,000 for his high school wrestling accomplishments. If he wins the Olympics he makes … wait for it … $250,000. Q: David Habat seems to be progressing well and won a bronze medal at the European Championships for Slovenia. Thoughts on his progression? -- Mike C. Foley: Solid wrestler who performed up to his ability. Not more, not less. His medal performance at the European Championships is a great harbinger of his potential come the 2017 World Championships in Paris. I will mention that a few wrestling heads here in Serbia mentioned how much they enjoyed his wrestling style. There is often some jabbering about top wrestlers, but it's rare to hear these compliments for bronze-medal finishers. COMMENT OF THE WEEK By Paul E. Here is where I am with Jordan Burroughs: I'm a New Jersey native and longtime JB fan and follower since his high school and college days and was all in on him until leading up to Rio I had a hunch that he was not in a good place. The morning he walked out onto the arena floor for his first match I could see it on his face -- he was not good. I told my wife I don't think he is going to win today The endorsements, appearances, declaring that he wanted to surpass John Smith (biggest mistake), all of it took its toll (I think) unbeknownst to most in his circle and he cracked under the pressure. He knew he had to win gold because he declared he wanted to surpass Smith. You'll never hear Snyder say this. It's similar to Tiger Woods (who also declared he wanted to surpass the best -- Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors). Tiger Woods' major edge for the longest time was his mindset. It's amazing how it just crumbled after his sordid 'hobby' became international news that one fateful morning in November many years ago. He hasn't and will never be the same. It's an amazing story in psychology on how he went 180 overnight. Same for JB so far. Well, being humiliated by international news (for many years now) doesn't help. Similar to JB, listen to him talk now. Post-match with Dake still talking about the tough road back from Rio, talks like a defeated man, 180 from the way he used to talk. There's no way he lost that much of his physical gifts in one tournament. He lost his mental toughness and needs to get it back ASAP before June. It was one match -- get over it. All the best lose a big match at some point.

Jordan Burroughs at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NEW YORK -- The United States men's freestyle team, which will compete against Japan at the 2017 Beat the Streets Benefit on Wednesday, May 17, has been finalized, with the additions of seven standout wrestlers. They include 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC) at 96 kg/213 lbs.; 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling TC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.; Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tarheel WC) at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., James Green (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling TC) at 70 kg/154 lbs.; David Taylor (State College Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) at 86 kg/189 lbs.; Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C/Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) at 125 kg/275 lbs.; and Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 65 kg/143 lbs. They join the previously announced 2016 World champion Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC), at 61 kg/134 lbs. Snyder was the youngest U.S. wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal, when he claimed his title at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games at age 20. He was also the youngest U.S. wrestler to win a World gold medal, when he captured the title at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. at age 19. He is a two-time NCAA champion and one-time runner-up for Ohio State, with his senior year with the Buckeyes still ahead of him. Snyder was a 2013 Junior World Champion, as well as a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist. Snyder has a 1-1 record in previous Beat the Streets Benefits, with a win over World medalist Javier Cortina of Cuba in 2014 and a loss to Olympic and World champion Khadjimurad Gatsalov of Russia in 2013. Snyder will face Katsutoshi Kanazawa of Japan this year. Burroughs has added three World gold medals to go along with his Olympic gold medal from the 2012 London Olympic Games. He won World titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015, and was also a 2014 World bronze medalist. Burroughs also competed in the 2016 Olympic Games. Burroughs has won two Pan American Games titles (2011 and 2015), four World Cup titles (2012-15), four U.S. Open titles (2011, 2013-14, 2017) and two Pan American Championships titles (2014, 2016). He won an amazing 69 straight matches to start his international career. Burroughs was named 2015 USOC Male Olympic Athlete of the Year. He was a two-time NCAA champion for Nebraska, and won the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's top college wrestler. A native of Sicklerville, N.J., he was also a 2006 New Jersey high school state champion. Burroughs, who is a perfect 6-0 in previous Beat the Streets Benefits, will compete in one of the most anticipated showdowns this year against 2014 World silver medalist and two-time Olympian Sohsuke Takatani, the most successful athlete on Japan's roster. Burroughs is among five 2017 U.S. Open champions who will compete against Japan in the Beat the Streets Benefit, after capturing national titles in Las Vegas on April 29. The other U.S. Open champions in the lineup are Ramos, Green, Taylor and Gwiazdowski. Green, a 2015 World bronze medalist and 2016 World Team member, was a 2016 World Cup champion. He was a four-time All-American for Nebraska. A native of Willingboro, N.J., he was a New Jersey state high school champion. Competing in his first Beat the Streets Gala, Green's opponent from Japan is Nobuyoshi Takojima, who was fifth in the 2015 World Championships. Ramos, a two-time World Team member for Team USA, won his second U.S. Open title last week. He was second in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Ramos lost his only previous Beat the Steets Benefit match in 2015 to Yowlys Bonne of Cuba. He was an NCAA champion for Iowa. This year, he faces 2011 Cadet World medalist Rinya Nakamura in Times Square. Taylor won his second career U.S. Open title this season. He was a 2013 University World bronze medalist, and boasts international gold medals in events in Spain and France. He has a perfect 3-0 record in previous Beat the Streets Benefits, with wins over Livan Lopez of Cuba in 2015, Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan in 2014 and Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia in 2013. Taylor won two NCAA titles and two Dan Hodge Trophies and was a four-time NCAA finalist for Penn State. His opponent from Japan is Takahiro Murayama. Gwiazdowski is the only native New Yorker on the 2017 Beat the Streets team, having won two New York state titles for Duanesburg High School. He won the Bill Farrell International in New York City in November 2016. Gwiazdowski was a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist for NC State, and won his first All-American honor for Binghamton Univ. Making his Beat the Steets debut, Gwiazdowski will face Katsutoshi Kanazawa in Times Square. Retherford was third in the 2017 U.S. Open at 65 kg/143 lbs., and also third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. A two-time NCAA champion and three-time All-American for Penn State, Retherford won the 2017 Dan Hodge Trophy. He was also a 2012 Cadet World champion in freestyle. Competing in his first Beat the Streets Benefit, Retherford will battle 2014 Junior World bronze medalist Daichi Takatani. Stieber was a 2011 Junior World silver medalist. He won four NCAA titles for Ohio State, and was a 2015 Dan Hodge Trophy winner. Stieber, with a 2-1 record in previous Beat the Street Benefits, will battle Shinjo Arimoto, a 2016 World Team member for Japan. Also announced today is a Special Challenge Match between 2017 U.S. Open champion Jordan Oliver (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) and 2015 World champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Frank Chamizo of Italy. Oliver was second in the U.S. World Team Trials in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and boasts gold medals at the Bill Farrell International and the Dave Schultz Memorial International. He won two NCAA titles for Oklahoma State. Chamizo was a 2015 and 2016 European Champion and was second in the 2015 European Games. He started his career in Cuba, where he was a 2010 World bronze medalist before emigrating to Italy. The three U.S. women stars who will face Japanese opponents have been previously announced, as 2016 Olympic champion and 2015 World champion Helen Maroulis (New York, N.Y./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 58 kg/128 lbs., along two-time Junior World champion Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC) at 69 kg/152 lbs. All three of these women were 2017 U.S. World Team Trials champions in Las Vegas last weekend. Maroulis, who has a 4-0 record in past Beat the Streets Benefits, will face 2016 Junior World champion Yuzuru Kumano. Anthony and Mensah are in their first Beat the Streets Benefit. Anthony will battle Junior World and University World champion Yuki Irie and Mensah has drawn 2016 Cadet World silver medalist Miwa Morikawa. 2017 BEAT THE STREETS BENEFIT At New York, May 17 Event Schedule 3 p.m. (ET) - Beat the Streets youth exhibition matches 4:45 p.m. (ET) - NYC PSAL Girls Dual Meet Championships 6 p.m. (ET) - Team USA vs. Team Japan Announced Team USA Roster Men's Freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Tony Ramos (Chapel Hill, N.C./Sunkist Kids/Tarheel WC) 61 kg/134 lbs. - Logan Stieber (Columbus, Ohio/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 65 kg/143 lbs. - Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) 70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska Wrestling TC) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling TC) 86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor (State College Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) 97 kg/213 lbs. - Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 125 kg/275 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C/Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) Women's Freestyle 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Victoria Anthony (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) 58 kg/128 lbs. - Helen Maroulis (New York, N.Y./Sunkist Kids/NYC RTC) 69 kg/152 lbs. - Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC) Team Japan Roster Men's freestyle 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Rinya Nakamura 61 kg/134 lbs. - Shingo Arimoto 65 kg/143 lbs. - Daichi Takatani 70 kg/154 lbs. - Nobuyoshi Takojima 74 kg/163 lbs. - Sohsuke Takatani 86 kg/189 lbs. - Takahiro Murayama 97 kg/213 lbs. - Koki Yamamoto 125 kg/275 lbs. - Katsutoshi Kanazawa Women's freestyle 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Yuki Irie 58 kg/128 lbs. - Yuzuru Kumano 69 kg/152 lbs. - Miwa Morikawa Team Leader - Kosei Akaishi Freestyle Coach - Shinichi Yumoto Women's Coach - Ryo Kanehama Special Challenge Match - Jordan Oliver (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) vs. Frank Chamizo (Italy) 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

Two-time state champion and four-time big-school state placer Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) signed with South Dakota State on Thursday afternoon. The No. 100 overall recruit in the Class of 2017 earned all four of those state placements at 285 pounds, finishing third as a freshman and then making it to the finals in his three other campaigns, winning as a sophomore and senior. Vough was also a Junior National freestyle runner-up in 2015, a UWW Cadet National double champion in 2015, and a Cadet National Greco-Roman champion in 2014. He won the Walsh Jesuit Ironman in the fall of 2014, and was a Flo Nationals champion in the spring of 2014. He had originally signed with Boise State in the fall, but with the Broncos dropping their wrestling program, Vough had to re-open his recruiting process. The Jackrabbits are the ultimate beneficiary, where he will join No. 70 Connor Brown (Oak Grove, Mo.) as a top 100 Class of 2017 recruit.

J'den Cox at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Mizzou Wrestling head coach Brian Smith has named three-time NCAA national champion J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) as the program's volunteer assistant coach, as announced on Thursday. In addition to joining the wrestling staff, Cox will continue to wrestle in international competitions under the Missouri Wrestling Foundation, beginning with the U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials June 9-10, in Lincoln, Neb. "J'den treats the sport of wrestling with great respect and is an amazing student of the sport," Smith said. "He will be a fantastic coach because of the positivity he brings to the mat and his dedication to helping our program reach its full potential. On the mat, J'den knows the importance of being technical and having the right mindset going into matches, as well as the role nutrition plays toward the success of a wrestler. With recruiting, he's going to be the person I point to when conversing with recruits and say, 'you can accomplish everything J'den did and more while at Mizzou.'" Cox concluded his illustrious Mizzou wrestling career this past March by winning his third NCAA National title at 197 pounds, becoming the second four-time All-American in program history and first to reach the top of the podium three times. He ended the season second in Dan Hodge Trophy voting with a perfect 28-0 record, becoming just the second wrestler in program history to finish the season with an unblemished record. In 2014, the hometown Tiger became the first wrestler in program history to win a national title as a true freshman, and after a fifth-place finish in 2015, Cox returned to the pinnacle of collegiate wrestling with a national title in 2016 at Madison Square Garden. "I'm appreciative of the opportunity to continue my journey with the Mizzou Wrestling program," said Cox. "I'm thankful they have given me another door to walk through as a coach. I look forward to being able to work with and continue to train with the great wrestlers in our room." In the Mizzou Wrestling record book, Cox ranks first in winning percentage among wrestlers with over 100 wins (.965, 136-5), tied for second in overall wins (136), second in career technical falls (20), third in career major decisions (31) and tied for eighth in career falls (27). Between his second and third national titles, Cox represented the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where he won a bronze medal in men's freestyle wrestling at 86 kg. Just two weeks following his collegiate triumph in New York City, Cox began his journey to Olympic bronze by winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa. Cox entered the trials as the No. 9 seed and proceeded to defeat two-time All-American Clayton Foster, 2012 Olympian Jake Herbert and 2008 National Champion Keith Gavin just to reach the finals, where he drew four-time NCAA Champ Kyle Dake. In the finals, Cox outlasted Dake in a two-out-of-three finals series to earn his spot on the national team. Not yet qualified for the Olympics, Cox traveled to Mongolia in April to wrestle in the World Games Qualifying Tournament, where Cox dominated the competition in a first-place finish, winning five matches by a combined score of 36-3. After a flurry of trips to Colorado Springs, New York, Los Angeles and Germany with the U.S. National Team in preparation for Olympics, Cox arrived in Rio in August and competed in the 31st Olympiad on August 20. After a setback in the semifinals, Cox rebounded to defeat Cuba's Reineris Salas Perez in the bronze medal match to become the seventh University of Missouri athlete to win a medal at the Olympics. Cox will assume his volunteer assistant role on May 15 following his graduation from the University of Missouri. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).

Eric Juergens (Photo/Steve Woltmann Eric Juergens, head wrestling coach at Augustana College, announced Wednesday he will be stepping down from the position he's held for a decade at the Rock Island, Ill. NCAA Division III school to spend more time with his young family. "I've always talked about wanting to be there when they started to become involved in sports and other activities," Juergens, a two-time NCAA Division I champ at University of Iowa and father of a three-year-old and a six-year-old, told the Quad City Times. "I didn't want to find myself in the situation where I had to choose between going out recruiting or going to one of my kids' activities." "This was a hard decision," Juergens said. "I love the sport of wrestling and enjoy helping young men develop both on and off the mat. However, we have two young children and my wife and I thought it best to step away from the day-to-day duties of running a top-flight college wrestling program. " "I'm beyond grateful for my experience at Augustana," said Juergens, a native of nearby Maquoketa, Iowa. "It was a lot of fun taking this program to the point where we are a perennially solid team that is a contender in the conference and in the region every year." "The time just felt right," the long-time Vikings coach added. "We have everybody coming back. On paper, next year's team has a chance to be the best team I would have ever coached at Augustana. I've always wanted to leave this program in a good place for the next guy.'' In the official announcement of Juergens' departure, the man who has coached the Vikings since 2007 -- first as an interim head coach for one season, then in an official capacity since 2008 -- said has an interest in staying involved with the program in some capacity. "I plan on staying committed to helping student-athletes in the program as much as I can but in a different role," he said. "I always told our wrestlers that our program was a family and things come and go and life changes but our family is always there for us." "Eric has done a tremendous job leading the Augustana wrestling program the last 10 years," said Director of Athletics Mike Zapolski. "We are grateful for his dedicated effort to build our level of competitiveness and roster size. Eric's intensity and work ethic has become an important part of the program's culture and he leaves this team in an outstanding position to make continued improvement." The Augustana wrestling program made significant strides with Juergens at the helm. In his first three seasons, the Vikings compiled an 11-30 dual record and placed no higher than third in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin. However, in the past seven seasons, Augustana has finished with a winning dual record and combined for a 67-39 mark. The Vikings won the CCIW championship in 2014 and have finished second in the conference on three other occasions since 2011, including in this year's CCIW finals. Juergens coached 13 CCIW individual champions and four NCAA Division III All-Americans during his tenure, including third-place finisher Adarios Jones and seventh-place finisher Christos Giatras during the 2016-17 season as the Vikings finished 17th at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. Eric Juergens' on-the-mat career was impressive. At Maquoketa High, he was a four-time Iowa state champion, compiling a perfect 144-0 record. As an Iowa Hawkeye, Juergens won NCAA titles in 2000 and 2001, and was a four-time NCAA All-American. As a senior, he was named team captain, and was voted the school's Male Athlete of the Year. Juergens started his collegiate coaching career at Iowa's Loras College as a volunteer assistant coach for two seasons, then came to Augustana as a volunteer assistant coach in 2006. He is also owner of the Young Guns Wrestling Club. Augustana, a private four-year college with approximately 2,500 students located in Rock Island, Ill. (one of the Quad Cities on either side of the Mississippi River), has already launched its search for a new head coach.

Daton Fix won a UWW Junior National title this past weekend (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that Cierra Foster of Post Falls, Idaho, has been chosen as the 2017 recipient of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA), and Daton Fix of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, has been chosen as the 2017 recipient of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA). The awards recognize and celebrate the nation's most outstanding high school seniors for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. Fix and Foster will be presented with their awards during the 41st Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on June 2-3 in Stillwater. 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. Schultz 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. First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. "There are so many worthy candidates for our High School Excellence Awards that it is a difficult decision every year for our committee to select the national winners," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "It is a testament to our sport to have so many young men and women who excel on and off the wrestling mat. We are pleased to name Cierra and Daton as our national winners and are confident they will represent the Hall of Fame admirably as they continue to achieve athletically and academically." Foster won the gold medal in the 56 kg/123.25 lbs. division at the 2016 Pan American Cadet Championships and helped the U.S. capture the team title. She received the Golden Boot as the Outstanding Wrestler of the event after winning all three of her matches by pin. The daughter of Todd and Angelique Foster, she is a two-time champion and five-time finalist at USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals, while also winning the USA Wrestling Cadet Freestyle Nationals and finishing second at USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle Nationals. "It is unbelievable," said Foster. "I am honestly speechless, but am extremely thankful that I was chosen for the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award. I think the best part is getting recognition for the hard work I've put into the sport I love." Foster finished third in the Class 5A state boy's tournament as a freshman, after becoming the first girl to be a 5A district champion in Idaho. Foster was named Sophomore of the Year and Wrestler of the Year by USA Idaho Wrestling. She also captained the girls' soccer team as a junior and senior, and she was awarded the Scholar Athlete award all four years in two sports. Foster volunteers at Real Life Ministries, local churches and soup kitchens while also coordinating food drives for food banks in Idaho. She was asked to be a member of the National Honor Society but had to decline because of her class and wrestling schedule. Foster has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Oklahoma City University. Her older brother, Drake, wrestles at the University of Wyoming. Foster was selected as the West Region winner and then was chosen as the national winner over other regional winners. The 2017 regional winners are: Charliette Hamer of The Colony, Texas (Central Region), MacKenzie Matta of Finleyville, Pennsylvania (Northeast Region), Kayla Marano of Jefferson, Georgia (Southeast Region) and Katlyn Pizzo of Clawson, Michigan (Midwest Region). Fix is a four-time Oklahoma High School state champion, compiling a 168-0 high school record to become the fourth wrestler in state history to go undefeated. He helped Charles Page High School capture both the team title and the dual championship title in 2017. The son of Derek and Stacee Fix, he was named Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament twice and was named Wrestler of the Year by the Tulsa World three times. "Being named as the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award recipient is an amazing honor," said Fix "As I reflect on past recipients, I am honored to have my name amongst many wrestlers that I have looked up to throughout my career. I am going to continue my journey of working hard to have excellence on and off the mat. I would like to thank my coaches, my family, my teammates and my fans for inspiring me daily to keep pressing for all that God has to offer me in the greatest sport in the world." Fix is the second national winner from Oklahoma, joining Teyon Ware from Edmond North High School in Edmond, who won the award in 2002. Fix won his third United World Wrestling Junior Nationals title on April 27 and captured the USA Wrestling Triple Crown in 2013. He was a Youth Olympic silver medalist in 2014, a Cadet World bronze medalist in 2015 and a Junior World bronze medalist in 2016. Fix is a two-time Pan American champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, and he was a FloNational Champion in 2015. Fix's father, Derek, wrestled at Oklahoma State while both of his grandfathers were also Division I wrestlers and high school coaches. Grandfather, David Fix, wrestled at Colorado State Teachers College (now Northern Colorado) and coached at Eaton High School in Eaton, Colorado. Maternal grandfather, Alan Karstetter Sr., wrestled at Brigham Young University and was the wrestling coach at Charles Page High School for 24 years. Karstetter was honored wi Daton Fix posed in Sandites singlet th the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from our Oklahoma Chapter in 2002. Fix also lettered in cross country and was named Athlete of the Year for football in 2013. He is active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and volunteers to read to children at Read Across America while also working as a peer tutor for special needs physical education. Fix was named Student of the Month three times and was named as one of the Top 10 People of the Year to Watch by the Tulsa World in 2017. He has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Oklahoma State University. Fix was selected as the Central Region winner and then was chosen as the national winner over other regional winners. Regional winners are Brady Berge of Mantorville, Minnesota (Midwest Region), John Borst of Stephens City, Virginia (Southeast Region), Spencer Lee of Murrysville, Pennsylvania (Northeast Region) and Haydn Maley of Roseburg, Oregon (West Region). The regional winners were chosen from state winners, who are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for the High School Excellence awards, and a committee, with input from Hall of Fame state chapters, selects state and regional winners. National winners are then chosen from the regional winners. The inaugural recipient of the TSHSEA in 2104, Marina Doi has won back-to-back Women's Collegiate Wrestling championships after a runner-up finish to four-time national champion Emily Webster as a freshman. National winners of the DSHSEA award have combined to win 16 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010) and two-time winners Steven Mocco (2001), Zain Retherford (2013), David Taylor (2009) and Teyon Ware (2002). Retherford, who will look to win his third title in 2018, and Mark Hall (2016), who won as a freshman, both captured titles in 2017. Ohio has had the most national winners with four, followed by Pennsylvania with three. California, Minnesota and Oklahoma have each had two winners while Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin have each had one winner. All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2017 - Cierra Foster, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 2017 - Daton Fix, Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma 2016 - Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota (NCAA Champion) 2015 - Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California 2014 - Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2013 - Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania (2X 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 Bluff