InterMat Staff

The 2018 NCAAs took place at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com ESPN's presentation of the NCAA Wrestling Championships from Cleveland reached nearly eight million fans over the course of the three days (March 15-17) as ESPN televised all six sessions of the high energy event for the fifth straight year. Second round draws record numbers; semifinals audience among best ever Fans tuned into the first night of competition in record numbers, as ESPN averaged 308,000 viewers (March 15, 8 p.m. ET), the network's best viewership for the second round ever. The audience increased the next two nights, as the semifinals (March 16, 8 p.m.) averaged 451,000 viewers on ESPN and the finals (March 17, 8 p.m.) averaged 628,000 viewers on ESPN2. The semifinals are the third best audience ever for the round and up from last year's semifinals (443,000 viewers). The medal round, airing on ESPNU (March 17, 11 a.m.), averaged 153,000 viewers, up 6% from last year and was the most-watched since 2015.

The wrestling federation of Azerbaijan has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. Leading the Azerbaijan team is 2012 Olympic champion Sharif Sharifov at 92 kg. Sharifov was also a 2011 World champion, and claimed a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. He also boasts a 2009 World bronze medal. Haji Aliyev is a three-time world champion (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com Another international star on the Azerbaijan team is three-time world champion Haji Aliyev at 65 kg. Aliev won his World gold medals in 2014, 2015 and 2017. He also added a 2016 Olympic bronze medal. Aliyev was a 2014 European champion. Another Olympic medalist in the lineup is 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Jabrayil Hasanov at 79 kg. Hasanov was a World bronze medalist in 2010 and 2011, and boasts a 2009 Junior World title. Heavyweight Jamaladdin Magomedov is a two-time World medalists, winning a World silver medal in 2015 and a World bronze in 2011. He was also a 2016 Olympian. Other past World medalists on the Azerbaijan team include 2016 World bronze medalist Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov at 61 kg and 2016 World bronze medalist Aslanbek Alborov at 92 kg. The team has considerable depth. Giorgi Edisherashvili, who is entered at 57 kg, boasts two Senior European titles. Nuramagomed Gadzhiev, a 2015 Junior World champion, will wrestle at 96 kg. An entry at 70 kg, Joshgun Azimov has won three Military World medals. Alexander Gostiev, who competes at 86 kg, has been a European silver medalist twice. Azerbaijan has drawn into Pool B, against the nations of Russia, Cuba and Kazakhstan. Pool A consists of the United States, Georgia, Japan and Iran. Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include a Gold all-session package ($225), a Black all-session package ($150), and standard all-session tickets ($75/$50). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event. Azerbaijan Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Giorgi Edisherashvili 61 kg/134 lbs. - Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov 65 kg/143 lbs. - Haji Aliyev 70 kg/154 lbs. - Murtazali Rakhmatulla Muslimov 70 kg/154 lbs. - Joshgun Azimov 74 kg/163 lbs. - Gasjimurad Omarov 79 kg/174 lbs. - Jabrayil Hasanov 86 kg/189 lbs. - Aleksander Gostiev 92kg/203 lbs. - Sharif Sharifov 92kg/203 lbs. - Aslanbek Alborov 97 kg/213 lbs. - Nurmagomed Gadzhiev 125 kg/275 lbs. - Jamaladdin Magomedov Azerbaijan World Cup bios 57 kg/126 lbs. - Giorgi Edisherashvili 2005, 2012 and 2017 European champion… 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament champion…… Tenth at 2013 World Championships… Third at the 2017 Alany Tournament (Russia)… Second at the 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Third at the Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)…2016 Golden Grand Prix champion… Third at the 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2012 and 2013 Golden Grand Prix…Second at 2013 Moscow Lights (Russia)… Stepan Sargsyan Tournament champion (Armenia)… Third place at 2013 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Born March, 17 1988… Age: 30 61 kg/134 lbs. - Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov Third at 2016 World Championships… Two-time World Team member… 2017 and 2018 International Ukrainian Memorial champion… 2013 Junior World champion…2012 Junior European champion … Second at 2013 Junior European Championships… Ninth at 2017 European championships… 2016 Golden Grand Prix champion … Fifth at 2016 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… Second at 2015 Alrosa Cup (Russia)…Second at Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)…Fifth in 2015 U23 European Championships…Second at 2014 Moscow Lights (Russia)… Second at 2014 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2012 and 2014 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)…Third at 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… 2013 Golden Grand Prix champion… Fifth at 2012 Junior World Championship… Ninth at 2010 Cadet European Championships… Born February 23, 1993… Age: 25 65 kg/143 lbs. - Haji Aliyev 2016 Olympic bronze medalist… 2014, 2015 and 2017 World champion… Four-time World Team member… 2014 European champion… Third at 2016 European Championships… Second at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games champion… 2014 and 2016 Grand Prix of Germany champion… Fifth at 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… 2012, 2014 and 2015 Golden Grand Prix champion… Third at 2015 European Games… Third at 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… 2014 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament champion (Bulgari)… Second at 2013 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2013 World University Games… Eighth at 2013 European Championships… Third at 2013 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2012 Grand Prix of Germany… Third at 2012 International Ukrainian Tournament… Second at 2011 Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)… Second at 2011 Junior European Championships… Eighth at 2011 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Eighth at 2010 European Championships… Second at 2008 Cadet European Championships… Born March 21, 1991… Age: 27 70 kg/154 lbs. - Murtazali Rakhmatulla Muslimov Second at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Second at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games… 70 kg/154 lbs. - Joshgun Azimov Third at 2017 World Military Championships… Second at 2016 World Military Championships… Second at 2015 World Military Games… Third at 2018 Takhti Cup… Fifth at 2017 Vladimir Semenov Tournament (Russia)… Tenth at 2017 International Cup (Russia)… Third at 2017 G. Kartozia & V. Balavadze Price (Georgia)… Third at 2016 Golden Grand Prix… 2015 Ali Aliev Tournament champion (Russia)… Seventh at 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Ninth at 2014 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2012 Golden Grand Prix… 74 kg/163 lbs. - Gasjimurad Omarov 2017 U23 European champion… Second at 2016 U23 European Championship… Third at 2013 Junior World Championship… Second at the 2013 Junior European Championships… Fifth at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Tenth at 2017 U23 World Championships… Tenth at 2017 International Ukrainian Tournament… Ninth at 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Ninth at 2016 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia) … Second at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2015 Alrosa Cup (Russia)…Eighth at 2016 International Cup (Russia)... Third at 2014 Golden Grand Prix… Fifth at 2014 Junior European Championships… Third at 2012 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2011 Cadet European Championships… Born August, 9th 1994… Age 23 79 kg/174 lbs. - Jabrayil Hasanov Two-time Olympian…2016 Olympic bronze medalist… Third at 2010 and 2011 World Championships… Six-time World Team member… 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Golden Grand Prix champion… 2011 European champion… Second at 2011, 2014 and 2016 European Championships… 2009 Junior World champion… Third at 2007 Junior World Championships…2007 Cadet European champion…Second at 2008 Junior World Championships… Third at 2008 European Championships… Third at 2006 Junior European Championship… Second at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Seventh at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games … Third at 2015 European Games… Seventh at 2015 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… Third at 2014 Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)… 2014 Grand Prix of Germany champion… Third at 2014 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2013 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2013 Intercontinental Cup (Russia)… Third at 2013 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)… Second at 2013 World University Games … Born February 24, 1990… Age: 28 86 kg/189 lbs. - Aleksander Gostiev Fifth at 2017 World Championships… Second at 2017 European Championship… Fifth at 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament… Fifth at 2017 Alany Tournament (Russia)… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… 2017 Vladimir Semenov Tournament champion (Russia)… Fifth at 2017 International Cup (Russia)… Second at 2017 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… 2017 G. Kartozia & V. Balavadze Price champion (Georgia)… Fifth at the 2013 and 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Second at the 2016 European Championships… 2013, 2015 and 2016 Yasar Dogu champion (Turkey)… 2015 Golden Grand Prix champion… Eighth at 2015 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… Second at 2014 Moscow Lights (Russia)… Second at 2014 International Cup (Russia)… Third at 2011, 2012 and 2014 Golden Grand Prix… 2013 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)… Fifth at 2013 World University Games… Fifth at 2012 Grand Prix of Germany… Third at 2012 European Championships… 2012 International Ukrainian Tournament champion… Second at 2011 Moscow Lights (Russia)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion… Born January 24, 1987… Age: 31 92kg/203 lbs. - Sharif Sharifov 2012 Olympic gold medalist… 2016 Olympic bronze medalist… 2011 World champion… Third at 2009 World Championships… Second at 2010 European Championships…2018 International Ukrainian Tournament champion… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Third at 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games… Second at 2015 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… 2015 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… Second at 2014 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… 2014 Dan Kolov- Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2013 Grand Prix of Spain… Second at 2012 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… 2011 FILA Test Tournament champion… 2011 Golden Grand Prix champion… 2011 Ali Aliev Tournament champion (Russia)… Third at 2011 European Championships… Third at 2008, 2009 and 2010 Golden Grand Prix… Born November 11, 1988… Age: 29 92kg/203 lbs. - Aslanbek Alborov Third at 2017 World Championship… 2011 Junior World Cup champion… 2011 Junior European champion… Second at 2009 and 2010 Junior World championship… Third at 2011 Junior World Championship… 2017 Intercontinental Cup… 2017 Ali Aliev Tournament champion (Russia)… Sixth at 2017 European Championship… 2017 Yasar Dogu champion… Third at 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Seventh at 2014 and 2016 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… Third at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2015 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… Fifth at 2015 Intercontinental Cup (Russia)… Fifth at 2014 and 2015 Ramzan Kadyrov Cup (Russia)… Second at 2014 Moscow Lights (Russia)… 2014 Miners' Fame Tournament champion (Russia)… Second at 2013 Dmitri Korkin Tournament (Russia)… Tenth at 2012 International Ukrainian Tournament… Third at 2011 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Second at 2008 European Championship… Born March 4, 1991… Age: 27 97 kg/213 lbs. - Nurmagomed Gadzhiev 2016 U23 European champion… 2015 Junior World champion… 2014 Junior European champion… Third at 2013 Cadet World Championships… 2013 Cadet European champion… 2018 International Ukrainian Tournament champion… 2017 Islamic Solidarity champion… Third at 2017 World Cup… 2016 Grand Prix of Germany champion… 2016 Alexander Medved Prizes champion (Belarus)… Second at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Fifth at 2015 European Games… Second at 2015 U23 European Championships… Fifth at 2014 Junior World Championships… Born January 9, 1996… Age: 22 125 kg/275 lbs. - Jamaladdin Magomedov Second at 2015 World Championships… Third at 2011 World Championships… 2016 Olympian… Two-time World Team member… Third at 2013 European Championships… Second at 2009 Junior World Championships… 2009 Junior European champion… Third at 2007 Junior European Championships… Second at 2017 Alrosa Cup (Russia)… 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games champion… Second at 2017 European Championships… Third at 2017 World Cup… 2016 Grand Prix of Germany champion… Ninth at 2016 European Championships… Third at 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2015 European Games… Third at 2015 World Cup… Second at 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Seventh at 2014 European Championships… 2014 Dan Kolov- Nikola Petrov Tournament champion (Bulgaria)… Third at 2013 Golden Grand Prix… Eighth at 2013 World Championships… 2013 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)… Seventh at 2013 World University Games… Third at 2013 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2011 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2008 and 2010 Golden Grand Prix… Born March 14, 1989… Age: 29

Four former wrestlers with roots in the state of Iowa -- Steve Hamilton, Shane Light, Kirk Myers, and Lennie Zalesky -- have been announced as honorees for the Class of 2018 by the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Steve Hamilton was a four-time NCAA All-American at Iowa State from 1989-1992. Prior to wrestling for the Cyclones, Hamilton was a two-time Iowa high school state champ from Emmettsburg. He coached at University of Northern Iowa, University of Nebraska, and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before becoming a high school coach. Shane Light was only the eighth wrestler to become a four-time Iowa state champ. Light wrestled at Lisbon High for coach Brad Smith. Kirk Myers was a three-time NCAA Division II champ for University of Northern Iowa at 190 pounds in 1978-1980 ... then earned NCAA Division I All-American honors those same years (back when D2 and D3 champs automatically qualified for the Division I championships). Before wrestling for the Panthers, Myers was an Iowa high school state champ as a senior at Algona. Lennie Zalesky Lennie Zalesky was an Iowa state champion at Cedar Rapids Prairie before heading south to the University of Iowa. Wrestling for coach Dan Gable, Zalesky was a three-time Big Ten conference champ at 142 pounds for the Hawkeyes (1980-1982), and a three-time NCAA All-American those same years. He has had a long and distinguished coaching career, currently serving at California Baptist University in Riverside, just outside Los Angeles. Awards for these honorees will be presented on Monday, April 9 at the Cresco Country Club just south of Cresco. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30. Tickets are $25 each, with advance registration required. To reserve your place, call the Cresco Chamber of Commerce at (563) 547-3434. Located in Cresco in north-central Iowa, the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame focuses on honoring native Iowans who have contributed to the sport of wrestling. Since its beginning in 1970, 129 members have been welcomed into the Hall. To learn more about the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, visit their website.

Nathan Tomasello was the nation's No. 15 recruit in 2013 (Photos/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The 2017-18 collegiate wrestling season came to its conclusion this past weekend with the completion of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland. The seniors competing in that tournament were mostly fifth-year seniors, so that means in most cases they graduated high school in 2013. An interesting discussion to have is one about the overall careers of the graduated wrestlers. Another perpetual question is if those that come into college as the best prospects perform the best in college. There's also the conversation about those that grow, develop, and thrive through their college careers from both highly touted prep prospects and being lesser touted entering college. Below are the top 25 NCAA Division I collegiate careers for wrestlers that graduated high school in 2013. 1. J'den Cox (Missouri) Rank in 2013: No. 6 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American (without a redshirt year), three-time NCAA champion (2014, 2016, 2017); also 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 world bronze medalist 2. Zain Retherford (Penn State) Rank in 2013: No. 3 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American (redshirt came after true freshman season), three-time NCAA champion (2016-2018); also 2017 world team member, 2017 Hodge Trophy winner (favorite for 2018 Hodge as well) 3. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Rank in 2013: No. 5 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American/finalist, two-time NCAA champion (2014, 2015) 4. Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) Rank in 2013: No. 15 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American, 2015 NCAA champion 5. Bo Jordan (Ohio State) Rank in 2013: No. 1 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American, 2017 NCAA runner-up 6. Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) Rank in 2013: No. 17 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, two-time NCAA champion (2016, 2017); round of 12 in 2018 7. Adam Coon (Michigan) Rank in 2013: No. 2 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, two-time NCAA runner-up (2015, 2018); round of 12 as true freshman in 2014 8. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) Rank in 2013: No. 62 Accomplishments: Four-time All-American, 2016 NCAA runner-up 9. Darian Cruz (Lehigh) Rank in 2013: No. 50 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, 2017 NCAA champion; round of 12 in 2016, redshirt year was in 2015 10. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2013: No. 68 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time All-American, 2018 NCAA runner-up 11. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) Rank in 2013: No. 7 Accomplishments: Three-time All-American, injured this past season and seeking a 6th year of eligibility 12. Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2013: No. 8 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American (did not redshirt); round of 12 in 2015 13. Amar Dhesi (Oregon State) Rank in 2013: From Canada Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American 14. Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2013: No. 26 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American; round of 12 in 2017, did not utilize fifth year senior eligibility 15. Chad Walsh (Rider) Rank in 2013: No. 91 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American; round of 12 in 2018 16. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) Rank in 2013: No. 20 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American (did not redshirt); round of 12 in 2015 17. Joey Lavallee (Missouri) Rank in 2013: No. 73 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2017 NCAA runner-up; round of 12 in 2014 as a true freshman and 2018 18. Peter Renda (North Carolina State) Rank in 2013: No. 54 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American; round of 12 in 2018, redshirt year came in 2017 19. Jacob Kasper (Duke) Rank in 2013: Not ranked Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American 20. Domenic Abounader (Michigan) Rank in 2013: No. 11 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American; round of 12 in 2016, redshirt year came in 2017 21. Brett Harner (Princeton) Rank in 2013: No. 45 Accomplishments:Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American (did not redshirt) 22. Michael Macchiavello (North Carolina State) Rank in 2013: Not ranked Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 NCAA champion; round of 12 in 2017, redshirt year came in 2016 23. B.J. Clagon (Rider) Rank in 2013: No. 10 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2015 All-American; round of 12 in 2017, injured this past season 24. Ethan Ramos (North Carolina State) Rank in 2013: No. 93 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2015 All-American 25. Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) Rank in 2013: No. 76 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American; round of 12 in 2016 Honorable Mention Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) Rank in 2013: Weight class only Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2017 and 2018 Nathan Butler (Stanford) Rank in 2013: No. 64 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2018 Scott DelVecchio (Rutgers) Rank in 2013: No. 73 Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American, redshirt year came in 2016 Troy Heilmann (North Carolina) Rank in 2013: No. 48 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American, redshirt year came in 2016 Mike Hughes (Hofstra) Rank in 2013: Weight class only Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 All-American, redshirt year came in 2017 Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) Rank in 2013: No. 49 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2015 and 2017, injured this past season Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven) Rank in 2013: Not ranked Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2018 NCAA runner-up Clayton Ream (North Dakota State) Rank in 2013: No. 59 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time Elite 90 winner (2016-2018) Connor Schram (Stanford) Rank in 2013: No. 24 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, 2016 All-American, injured this past season Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) Rank in 2013: No. 22 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, round of 12 in 2017 and 2018 For reference purposes, below were the final top 100 Class of 2013 wrestler rankings: 1. Bo Jordan (Graham, Ohio) 2. Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Michigan) 3. Zain Retherford (Benton, Pennsylvania) 4. Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Michigan) 5. Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, California) 6. J'Den Cox (Hickman, Missouri) 7. Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, New Jersey) 8. Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Virginia) 9. Oliver Pierce (Allen, Texas) 10. Bryant Clagon (Toms River South, New Jersey) 11. Domenic Abounader (St. Edward, Ohio) 12. Brooks Black (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 13. Zach Beard (Tuttle, Oklahoma) 14. Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan, Pennsylvania) 15. Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) 16. Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania) 17. Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) 18. Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 19. Brandon Jeske (Cox, Virginia) 20. Anthony Collica (Solon, Ohio) 21. Ryan Solomon (Milton, Pennsylvania) 22. Nick Wanzek (Simley, Minnesota) 23. Mikey Racciato (Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania) 24. Connor Schram (Canon-McMillan, Pennsylvania) 25. Kyle Langendorfer (Lincoln Way East, Illinois) 26. Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Virginia) 27. Brian Murphy (Glenbard North, Illinois) 28. Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pennsylvania) 29. Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 30. Jake Short (Simley, Minnesota) 31. Mitch Sliga (Fishers, Indiana) 32. Aaron Bradley (Nazareth, Pennsylvania) 33. Ricky Robertson (Carl Sandburg, Illinois) 34. Mitch Bengtson (St Cloud Apollo, Minnesota) 35. Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pennsylvania) 36. Spencer Empey (Reed, Nevada) 37. Brooks Climmons (Pope, Georgia) 38. Neal Molloy (Danville, Indiana) 39. Dalton Brady (Chandler, Arizona) 40. Ray O'Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania) 41. Garrett Krohn (Arvada, Colorado) 42. Kevin Norstrem (Brandon, Florida) 43. Jacob Taylor (Bald Eagle Area, Pennsylvania) 44. Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pennsylvania) 45. Brett Harner (Norristown, Pennsylvania) 46. Preston Lehmann (West Fargo, North Dakota) 47. Jake Hart (Hampton, Pennsylvania) 48. Troy Heilmann (South Plainfield, New Jersey) 49. Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pennsylvania) 50. Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pennsylvania) 51. Edgar Bright (St. Edward, Ohio) 52. Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central, Illinois) 53. Cole Johnson (De Soto, Wisconsin) 54. Pete Renda (Brandywine Heights, Pennsylvania) 55. Broc Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minnesota) 56. Tyler Askey (Northgate, Georgia) 57. T.J. Miller (Camden Catholic, New Jersey) 58. Adam Reth (West Delaware Manchester, Iowa) 59. Clayton Ream (Holt, Missouri) 60. Markus Scheidel (St. Edward, Ohio) 61. Brad Perkins (Oak Park, Missouri) 62. Brandon Sorensen (Denver-Tripoli, Iowa) 63. Jacob Schmitt (St. Johns, Michigan) 64. Nathan Butler (Leavenworth, Kansas) 65. Jake Marlin (Creston, Iowa) 66. Zach Zupan (Canastota, New York) 67. Christian Pagdilao (Santiago Corona, California) 68. Jared Haught (Parkersburg, West Virginia) 69. Jonas Gayton (Clovis, California) 70. Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) 71. Jake Velarde (North Kitsap, Washington) 72. Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nevada) 73. Scott DelVecchio (South Plainfield, New Jersey) 74. Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Illinois) 75. Nick Kee (Scotland, North Carolina) 76. Ronnie Bresser (Henley, Oregon) 77. Peter Santos (Oakmont, California) 78. Cain Salas (Blue Springs, Missouri) 79. Parker Vonegidy (Piedmont, North Carolina) 80. Chet Spears (Sheldon, Oregon) 81. Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Virginia) 82. Kaleb Baker (Christian Brothers, Tennessee) 83. Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, California) 84. Chris Vassar (Cedar Cliff, Pennsylvania) 85. Wayne Stinson (Northern Highlands, New Jersey) 86. Darick Lapaglia (Blue Springs, Missouri) 87. Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg, Illinois) 88. Noah Forrider (Marysville, Ohio) 89. Luke Wilson (Righetti, California) 90. T.J. Fabian (Shoreham-Wading River, New York) 91. Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic, New Jersey) 92. B.J. Toal (Troy Christian, Ohio) 93. Ethan Ramos (Hawthorne, New Jersey) 94. Mech Spraggins (Belleville West, Illinois) 95. Cody Crawford (Cascade, Oregon) 96. Lawrence Otero (Volcano Vista, New Mexico) 97. Justin Arthur (Huntington, West Virginia) 98. Payne Hayden (St. Johns, Michigan) 99. Jed Mellen (Payson, Utah) 100. Andrew Atkinson (Liberty Christian Academy, Virginia)

Ed Ruth (Photo/Bellator) Ed Ruth, former Penn State wrestling champ, will be dropping down to welterweight (170 pounds) for his next mixed martial arts fight in less than two weeks. Ruth, who has been fighting at middleweight (185 pounds) in his pro MMA career, will be entering the cage at 170 for Bellator 196 in Budapest, Hungary on Friday, April 6. The 27-year-old former Nittany Lion mat star will take on Laszlo Furko, a 28-year-old Budapest native who will be making his Bellator debut. Ruth is 4-0 in his pro MMA career which began at Bellator 163 in November 2016. None of Ruth's fights have gone the distance; all have ended in knockout or TKO within the first two rounds. His most recent bout was at Bellator 186 last November, where he scored a knockout in the first half-minute of the second round. Furko is 6-3 in his pro career which started four years ago. All of his wins have been by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Ruth posted this message on Twitter Wednesday: "Happy to announce that I will be fighting again real soon! April 6th in Budapest, Hungary, I'm prepared to step in at welterweight, and I'm feeling great without without the extra lbs.!! #EZway " Ruth, a native of Harrisburg, Pa., is one of the most decorated wrestlers to come out of the legendary Penn State wrestling program. The Harrisburg, Pa. native was a four-time NCAA All-American, becoming the first three-time NCAA champ for the Nittany Lions, winning the 174-pound title in 2012, and back-to-back championships at 184 in 2013 and 2014.

The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics is saddened and shocked to learn of the death of redshirt-sophomore student-athlete Francis Edelen, a member of the Illini wrestling team from Oak Forest, Illinois. Edelen was killed following a car accident in Champaign County late Wednesday evening. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time. "This is shocking news for our team and coaching staff as no words can truly reflect the emotions that we are going through at this time," Illinois wrestling coach Jim Heffernan said. "Francis was a productive member of our program. We are extremely saddened by this news. We just released this news to our team, so the healing process after the loss of a teammate and friend has just begun." "Our hearts are broken by the news of Francis Edelen's passing," Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. "Losing someone so early in his life when he has so much yet to experience and to give is a tragedy of the highest order. Our thoughts are with Francis' family and friends. We will come together and draw strength from each other as an Illini family during this difficult time." Illinois will provide more information on services, condolences and memorials when they are available.

With evolution of MMA into a mainstream sport of sorts, collegiate wrestlers have another solid option to continue their athletic career after school. From 1979 to 2015 at least one NCAA Division I All-American has tried their hand at MMA. It is clearly not for everyone, but former wrestlers have always been some of the best fighters in the sport. The following is a look at six senior All-Americans who would excel in they decided to transition in MMA. Nathan Tomsello finished his college career as a four-time All-American at Ohio State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) After finishing his career as a four-time All-American, it is clear that Tomasello has the wrestling pedigree to be successful in MMA. However, he might be a little ahead of his contemporaries. Tomasello has been working on his boxing for years and regularly hits the mits with Ohio RTC strength and conditioning coach Dustin Myers. The Ohio State grad is expected to take a shot at the international wrestling circuit, but if he continues to crosstrain, he could be well positioned to start an MMA career. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) Those who want to see the multiple-time NCAA/world/Olympic champion in an MMA cage got a bit of a boost this week when he called out former UFC champion Brock Lesnar. The only problem is that he called him out for a match in WWE. Originally Snyder said he was not interested in MMA. After attending UFC 203, he tweeted about his interest in the sport and told FOX Sports, "I want to fight. Basically what that tweet means. I love wrestling. I really do. I would want to continue wrestling but I want to do both at the same time." However, earlier this year, he told FloCombat that he received some sage-like advice from UFC champion Daniel Cormier. He said, "He's 39 years old now, and he's the champion and really no one can push him in the 205-pound weight class. So when I'm done wrestling, fighting will still be there if I still want to compete. I think that I could be a really good fighter, but we'll see what happens." Bryce Meredith getting interviewed after a victory in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) If Meredith decides to move to MMA after his runner up finish, he will have two main factors working in his favor. First, he has already shown the ability to adapt and jump levels in his wrestling career. That aptitude will likely translate into picking up the aspects of a new sport. Second, his scrambling ability and leg riding are signs of leg dexterity, which is an invaluable trait when it comes to the MMA ground game. It also probably won't hurt that he told Quint Kessenich that he enjoyed his psychical match against Vince Turk, which forced him to wear a head wrap for the rest of the tournament. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Martinez is clearly a gifted athlete. His strength and explosiveness would help him succeed in most sports. For MMA, his ability to control opponents and underhook could allow him to dominate fighters against the cage. Also, an MMA career would be fitting for Martinez in some ways. Lemoore, Calif., his hometown, is the site of the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, which has been the host for multiple MMA promotions include the original WEC. Tachi Palace Fights currently promotes regular shows at the casino and serves as one of the best feeder leagues on the West Coast. Mike Hughes (Hofstra) At the NCAA tournament, Hughes finished his five-year collegiate wrestling career by becoming an All-American for the first time. On the season, he went 38-6 with 19 falls. It remains to be seen the proverbial "killer instinct" in wrestling translate into MMA, but some wrestlers known to be pinners have been very successful in MMA. Hughes is also an extremely large heavyweight, and that could help him deal some of the bigger heavyweight fighters. If he chooses to follow the path laid out by Hofstra alumnus Chris Weidman, he should be quite successful. Scott DelVecchio (Rutgers) Until further notice, all senior All-Americans from Rutgers will make this list. The team has a very close relationship with former UFC champion Frankie Edgar. Plus, last offseason rumors swirled that Nick Suriano's transfer to Rutgers was partially due to his future plans in MMA after college. DelVecchio entered the NCAA tournament unseeded. He lost his first-round match. However, he then went on a run in the consolation bracket and finished sixth. Along the way, he picked up a pair of falls and knocked out Austin DeSanto (Drexel) in overtime.

Seth Gross edged NC State's Tariq Wilson in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) IRVING, Texas -- National champion Seth Gross added to his growing list of awards Wednesday by being named Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Year. The award is determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches. Gross completed his junior season at South Dakota State by winning the 133-pound title at last week's NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. With the win, he became South Dakota State's first national champion in any sport in the Division I era. Ranked No. 1 at his weight class throughout the 2017-18 season, Gross compiled a 29-1 overall record that included recording his second consecutive Big 12 Conference individual championship. Of Gross' 29 wins, 12 were by pin and seven were by technical fall. Earlier this week, he selected as one of four finalists for the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top collegiate wrestler. The Apple Valley, Minnesota, native is a three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-American. He has racked up 89 wins against 17 losses in three seasons at SDSU.

Bill Smith with UNI wrestling coach Dave McCuskey (Photo/NWHOF) Olympic gold medalist. Two-time NCAA champ. Successful wrestling coach at all levels. National Wrestling Hall of Fame honoree. All these describe Bill Smith, who died Tuesday in a nursing home in Humboldt, Iowa at age 89. Smith won the gold medal in freestyle at 160.5 pounds at the 1952 Olympics, the only U.S. wrestler to have won a championship at the Games in Helsinki, Finland. Four years later he won the U.S. Olympic trials at 174 pounds -- pinning Oklahoma Sooner superstar Dan Hodge in the finals -- but later was declared ineligible for the Games because he already had worked as a coach, breaking the rules defining "amateur athletics" of that era. (Hodge went on to wrestle in Smith's place at the '56 Melbourne Olympics, winning a silver medal.) Bill Smith (Photo/NWHOF)Prior to competing in the Olympics, Bill Smith made a name for himself at what was then called Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Smith won back-to-back NCAA Division I championships for ISTC at 165 pounds in 1949 and 1950, compiling a near-perfect 52-0-1 collegiate career record. He was a key ingredient in the Tutors winning the NCAA team title in 1950 after placing second the previous year. Smith was also a three-time National AAU Freestyle champion at 165 pounds from 1949-51. Born in Portland, Oregon in September 1928, William Thomas Smith launched his wrestling career at Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa where he placed twice at the Iowa state wrestling championships, once as runner-up and another year in third place. The wrestling room at his high school alma mater is named in his honor. It was at Thomas Jefferson where Bill Smith met his college coach Dave McCuskey, who was seeking a lighter-weight wrestler (Dick Lewis), and ended up also recruiting Smith, who had already accepted a scholarship to wrestle at the University of Nebraska which had been arranged by his father. Years later, when asked to name his fiercest on-the-mat opponent, Bill Smith was quick to name some of his college teammates. "Bill Koll (three-time NCAA champ for UNI, 1946-1948) was the toughest person I ever wrestled. He would just chew you up," Smith said in the book "Tutors to Panthers: A Brief History of UNI Athletics." "Bill Nelson would also crunch you on the mat. It was either toughen up or get killed in that room. The room made me a collegiate champion, working every day with people like Nelson, Keith Young, and Fred Stoeker, our heavyweight." After graduating from ISTC/UNI, Bill Smith launched his successful coaching career that spanned many levels of competition. He started at Rock Island High School on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities, where, in four seasons, he produced a state high school team championship and a 57-5 record. Smith then headed north to coach at Ann Arbor High School in Michigan ... then west to serve at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Smith later moved to California where he coached and served as athletic director at the Olympic Club of San Francisco for nearly a decade. Smith led the powerhouse of open competition to three national team titles in freestyle and four national team titles in Greco-Roman wrestling. After serving as Canadian Olympic coach in 1968, Smith returned to the high school ranks in California. In 1976, his Clayton Valley team from Concord won the California high school championship, marking Smith as one of the few coaches to guide prep teams to state titles in more than one state. While in California, Smith also coached at Pacific High School, as well as at San Jose State and San Francisco State universities. Bill Smith at the Olympics (Photo/NWHOF)For all his accomplishments as a wrestler and coach, William T. Smith was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1978. Prior to that, Smith was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame on 1972, and the Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1977. "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Smith, who will always be remembered as one of the sport's greatest wrestlers and coaches," said National Wrestling Hall of Fame Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "His legendary career as a student athlete, as an Olympian, and as a coach leaves a legacy of inspiration. On behalf of the Hall of Fame, we extend our deepest sympathies and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, former wrestlers and students." Wrestling historian Arno Niemand -- author of "Dream Team '47" about Cornell College of Iowa's winning the team title at the 1947 NCAA Wrestling Championships -- identified Bill Smith as having been the oldest living U.S. Olympic gold medalist at the time of his passing. "Smith was the last of the great ISTC wrestling champs that included Bill Koll, Gerry Leeman, and Bill Nelson," Niemand told InterMat. "He was one of the giants of U.S. wrestling in the post-World War II era."

Yuki Takahashi claimed a gold medal at the World Championships in Paris (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The wrestling federation of Japan has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. Leading the Japanese team is 2017 World champion Yuki Takahashi at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. Takahashi was also a 2017 Asian champion, and captured a Youth Olympic Games gold medal in 2010. Two other past Senior World medalists are on the Japan roster. Two-time Olympian Sohsuke Takatani, a 2014 World silver medalist, will compete at 79 kg/174 lbs. Takatani was seventh in the 2016 Olympic Games. Yuhi Fujinami, a 2017 World bronze medalist, will compete at 70 kg. Fujinami also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Junior World Championships. The Japanese team is also loaded with past age-group World medalists. Rinya Nakamura, a 2017 U23 World champion, is set for 61 kg. Kazuya Koyanagi, who will also compete at 61 kg, was a 2013 Cadet World champion in Greco-Roman. Also competing is 2015 Cadet World champion Takuto Otoguro at 65 kg. Another past age-group World medalists scheduled to compete in Iowa City are Daichi Takatani at 65 kg, who has World bronze medals as both a Cadet and a Junior. Other age-group World medalists are 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Keisuke Otoguro at 70 kg, 2008 Junior bronze medalist Nobuyoshi Arakida at 125 kg and 2012 Cadet World bronze medalist Shota Shirai at 86 kg. A total of 10 athletes on the Japanese lineup are past Senior World Team members, giving this squad considerable experience at the highest level. Japan has drawn into Pool A against the nations of the USA, Georgia, and Iran. Pool B consists of teams from Russia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, and Kazakhstan. Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include a Gold all-session package ($225), a Black all-session package ($150), and standard all-session tickets ($75/$50). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event. Japan Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Yuki Takahashi 61 kg/134 lbs. - Kazuya Koyanagi 61 kg/134 lbs. - Rinya Nakamura 65 kg/143 lbs. - Daichi Takatani 65 kg/143 lbs. - Takuto Otoguro 70 kg/154 lbs. - Keisuke Otoguro 70 kg/154 lbs. - Kirin Kinoshita 74 kg/163 lbs. - Ken Hosaka 74 kg/163 lbs. - Yuhi Fujinami 79 kg/174 lbs. - Sohsuke Takatani 86 kg/189 lbs. - Shota Shirai 86 kg/189 lbs. - Masao Matsusaka 92kg/203 lbs. - Takashi Ishiguro 97 kg/213 lbs. - Takeshi Yamaguchi 97 kg/213 lbs. - Taira Sonoda 125 kg/275 lbs. - Nobuyoshi Arakida 125 kg/275 lbs. - Taiki Yamamoto Japan World Cup bios 57 kg/126 lbs. - Yuki Takahashi 2017 World champion… 2017 Asian champion… Fifth at 2014 World Championships… Ninth at 2015 World Championships… 2010 Youth Olympic Games champion… Second at 2012 Junior Asian Championship… Third at 2016 Golden Grand Prix (Azerbaijan)… 2015 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)…Second at 2014 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)… Third at 2014 Yasar Dogu… Born November 29, 1993… Age: 24 61 kg/134 lbs. - Kazuya Koyanagi Second at 2018 Asian Championship…2013 Greco-Roman Cadet World champion… Third at the 2017 Asian Indoor Games… 61 kg/134 lbs. - Rinya Nakamura 2017 U23 World champion… Fifth at the 2017 World Championships… Third at 2011 Cadet World Championships… Second at 2015 Grand Prix of Spain… Ninth at 2017 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Born March 23, 1995… Age: 23 65 kg/143 lbs. - Daichi Takatani Third at 2014 Junior World Championships… Seventh at 2014 World Championships… Two-time Senior World Team member…. Third at 2011 Cadet World Championships… Second at 2018 Asian Championships… Second at 2017 Asian Indoor Games… 2016 Dmitiri Korkin Tournament champion (Russia)… Seventh at 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Fifth at 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Born November 22, 1994… Age: 23 65 kg/143 lbs. - Takuto Otoguro 2015 Cadet World champion… 2014 Cadet Asian champion… Third at 2013 Cadet World Championships… 70 kg/154 lbs. - Keisuke Otoguro Eighth at 2018 Asian Championships… Third at 2016 Junior Asian Championship… Fifth at 2016 Asian Championships… Fifth at 2013 Cadet World Championships… Third at 2011 and 2012 Cadet World Championships… 70 kg/154 lbs. - Kirin Kinoshita Second at 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Fifth at 2012 Cadet World Championships… 74 kg/163 lbs. - Ken Hosaka Tenth at 2019 Asian Championship… Third at 2014 Copa Brasil (Brazil)… 2014 Senior World Team member… Ninth at 2014 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)… Third at 2014 Asian Championships… Born July 25, 1992… Age: 25 74 kg/163 lbs. - Yuhi Fujinami Third at 2017 World Championships… Third at 2017 Junior World Championship… Second at 2015 Junior World Championships… Second at 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Second at 2013 Cadet World Championships 79 kg/174 lbs. - Sohsuke Takatani Second at 2014 World Championships… Seventh at 2016 Olympic Games… 2012 Olympian… Seventh at 2013 World Championship… Eighth at 2017 World Championships… Sixth at 2017 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Second at 2015 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)…Ninth at 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Second at 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Fourth at 2012 Dave Schultz Memorial International… Seventh at 2010 World University Championships… Ninth at 2009 Junior World Championships… Seventh at 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Fifth at 2007 Junior World Championships… Seventh at 2006 Cadet Asian Championships… Fifth at 2005 Cadet Asian Championship… Born March 4, 1989… Age: 29 86 kg/189 lbs. - Shota Shirai Third at 2012 Cadet World Championships… Fifth at 2015 Junior World Championships… Ninth at 2018 Asian Championships… Seventh at 2015 Grand Prix of Spain… 86 kg/189 lbs. - Masao Matsusaka Tenth at 2017 Asian Championships… Second at 2017 Dave Shultz Memorial International… 2017 Senior World Team member… Seventh at 2016 Asian Championships…Fifth at 2014 Copa Brasil (Brazil)… Born July 18, 1994… Age: 23 92kg/203 lbs. - Takashi Ishiguro 2014 Cadet Asian champion… Seventh at 2018 Asian Championship… Fifth at 2017 Asian Indoor Games… Eighth at 2016 Junior World Championship… Seventh at 2014 Cadet World Championship… Born June 17, 1997… Age: 20 97 kg/213 lbs. - Takeshi Yamaguchi Third at 2015 and 2018 Asian Championships… Eighth at 2013 World Championships… Two-time Senior World Team member… Third at 2015 Mongolia Open… Third at 2015 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Tenth at 2013 Asian Championships… Third at 2012 Dave Schultz Memorial International… Fifth at 2006 Cadet Asian Championships… Born March 4, 1989… Age: 29 97 kg/213 lbs. - Taira Sonoda Eighth at 2012 Cadet World Championship… 2017 U23 World Team member… Born November 27, 1995… Age: 22 125 kg/275 lbs. - Nobuyoshi Arakida Third at 2008 Junior World Championship… 2006 Junior Asian champion… Eighth at 2015 World Championships… Four-time Senior World Team member… Tenth at 2015 Asian Championships…Second at 2015 Mongolia Open… Ninth at 2015 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Third at 2014 Asian Games… Eighth at 2014 Asian Championships… Fifth at 2012 Asian Championship… Fifth at 2010 Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2009 Asian Championship…Fifth at 2005 Dave Schultz Memorial International… Seventh at 2008 Asian Championship… Ninth at 2006 Junior World Championship… Tenth at 2005 Junior World Championship… Born March 3, 1988… Age: 30 125 kg/275 lbs. - Taiki Yamamoto Tenth at 2017 World Championships… Third at 2017 Asian Championships… Ninth at 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Eighth at 2015 Junior World Championships… Third at 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Eighth at 2013 Greco-Roman Cadet World Championships… Born October 18, 1996… Age: 21

Blair Academy won its 38th national prep championship Want to know how many teams in the season-ending InterMat Fab 50 national high school team rankings completed the season without a dual meet loss or finishing somewhere other than first at a tournament? How about a big fat ZERO! With every nationally ranked team having suffered a "loss" somewhere, how does one go about picking a No. 1 team? How does one go about ranking the teams in any semblance of an order? Three obvious components come to mind: roster talent, dominance, and performance against other elite competition. This year's top ranked team certainly meets and exceeds those three standards. Blair Academy, N.J. has EIGHT wrestlers in the top 20 of their respective weight classes as of the most recent rankings. Only two other teams even have six, and they are the teams ranked second and third nationally, Bergen Catholic (N.J.) and Wyoming Seminary (Pa.); schools with five ranked wrestlers include No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.), No. 5 St. Paris Graham (Ohio), and No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.). When it comes to dominance and performance against other elite competition, take a look at their performances at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, Beast of the East, Geary Invitational, and National Prep Championships. All of those events featured multiple other nationally ranked teams in the field. In addition, look at their 5-1 dual meet record against other teams ranked in the top 15 of the country: wins over No. 3 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), No. 6 Buchanan (Calif.), No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 8 St. Edward (Ohio), and No. 15 Delbarton (N.J.); the lone blemish coming against No. 2 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), a team they out-pointed at the Beast of the East. This marks a sixth national title in seven years for the Buccaneers. Unlike last year, this was not a "wire-to-wire" crown for Blair Academy, as the Bergen Catholic held down the No. 1 position for two weeks in mid-to-late January. Below is a listing of the previously crowned national champions by InterMat, since the website has compiled the Fab 50 national high school team rankings: 2016-17: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2015-16: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2014-15: St. Paris Graham (Ohio) 2013-14: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2012-13: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2011-12: Blair Academy (N.J.) 2010-11: Apple Valley (Minn.) Rounding out the top ten of the national rankings are the following squads: No. 2 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) Champions of the Doc Buchanan Invitational, runners-up at the Beast of the East; winner of the non-public Group A state title and the unofficial individual state tournament; 6-1 record in dual meets against top 15 teams, including a win over No. 1 Blair Academy, the lone loss was to No. 4 Montini Catholic. No. 3 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) Third at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, champions of the Powerade Wrestling Tournament, lost dual meets against the top two ranked teams in the country, earned dual meet victories over four teams within the top 17 of the rankings, National Prep runners-up. No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.) Fourth at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, champions of the Clash National Duals (beat No. 8 St. Edward in the final) and Cheesehead Invitaitonal; dual team state champions and unofficial individual state tournament champions; beat No. 2 Bergen Catholic in a dual meet, lost to No. 3 Wyoming Seminary. No. 5 St. Paris Graham (Ohio) Second at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, beat No. 8 St. Edward twice in dual meets; dual team state champions (opting up to Division I), individual state tournament champions. No. 6 Buchanan (Calif.) Second at the Reno TOC and Doc Buchanan Invitational, dual meet losses to the top two teams in the country, dual meet victory over No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, state tournament champions. No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) Fifth at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, third at the Beast of the East, runners-up at the Powerade Wrestling Tournament; lost all three duals against top six opposition at the Who's Number One Duals; dual meet and individual state tournament champions. 8. St. Edward (Ohio) Sixth at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, runners-up at the Clash National Duals (lost to Montini in the final), lost a pair of dual meets to St. Paris Graham, lost additional dual meets to the top three teams in the country, beat No. 9 Detroit Catholic Central in a dual meet along with nine other ranked teams; 11-6 in dual meets against ranked opposition, state dual meet runners-up and individual state tournament champions. No. 9 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) Champions of the Brecksville Holiday Tournament and Detroit Catholic Central Invitational, dual meet loss to No. 8 St. Edward, dual meet victories over No. 16 Cincinnati LaSalle and two other ranked teams; dual team state champion and unofficial individual state tournament champions. No. 10 Poway (Calif.) Champions of the Reno TOC, Battle for the Belt, and Mid-Cals Classic; third place finish at the state tournament. Teams from 18 states were represented in the rankings to start the season, while only 16 states have teams represented in the end of season rankings. Leading the way with seven Fab 50 teams is the Buckeye State of Ohio, while the Golden State of California is next in line with six. Five teams from Pennsylvania and Minnesota are ranked, while it's four from Indiana. Three teams from New Jersey crack the rankings, all among the top fifteen; as do a trio of teams from Illinois, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Iowa. A pair of teams are ranked from Missouri and Nebraska respectively. Single teams from Florida, Texas, West Virginia, and Kansas round out the rankings. From the preseason to end of season rankings, there was a turnover of eleven teams, which is in line with the turnover of ten from last season; during the 2015-16 season there was a switch-over of 18 teams. Ten of the eleven teams switched out were ranked 31st to 50th in the preseason rankings, with five of them occupying positions 45 to 49. Three teams within the final top thirty were not ranked to start the season: No. 24 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.), No. 27 Indianapolis Cathedral (Ind.), and No. 28 Parkersburg South (W.Va.). Another trio of teams occupy positions in the 30's, while the other five teams are between 41st and 48th nationally.

Helen Maroulis Beat the Streets is pleased to announce that Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis has joined the New York staff as a Student-Athlete Mentor and Coach Educator. Maroulis has been involved with BTSNY for years and has decided to form a significantly more engaged partnership with the organization to work directly with the program's youth. "I'm very excited to step into this role of working with BTSNY," Maroulis said. "I've always loved working with kids, and I became more passionate about this and writing programs/curriculums after meeting with the entire Beat the Streets team last October. Mentoring and writing curriculums seemed to be where I could be of most value to the organization. I love what BTSNY does, what they represent, and getting to see firsthand the daily impact they have on kids all over New York makes me look forward to more possibilities for these children in the future." Maroulis began her relationship with BTS in 2011 at the age of 20 when she competed in BTSNY's USA vs. Mongolia dual meet at Brooklyn's Grand Street Campus. Maroulis won her match and proved to be an inspiration to the BTSNY student-athletes in attendance, especially the female participants. She has competed in nearly every BTSNY Annual Benefit since, growing her fan base within New York City and across the world. After earning a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Maroulis' desire to fully realize her role as an ambassador for the sport of wrestling led her to pursue a formal opportunity with BTSNY. This Fall, Maroulis became more involved with current programming at BTSNY, working on curriculum development and providing mentorship. Her involvement paid immediate dividends during recent sessions at Harlem's DREAM Academy and at the Queens Junior League Kickoff event in September. Notably, Maroulis will be working closely with programming staff to conduct site visits and collect input from coaches, with a primary goal of implementing a new, comprehensive coaching curriculum. This curriculum will better assist coaches in connecting off-the-mat objectives and real-life experiences with the values student-athletes will learn on a wrestling team. In helping develop this curriculum, Maroulis brings her unique perspective as an elite athlete who has thoughtfully observed wrestling in different environments across the globe.

AMES, Iowa -- The Cyclone Regional Training Center has made another big addition to its staff. The C-RTC has announced that three-time NCAA Champion Nate Carr will serve as the Associate Director of the Cyclone Regional Training Center. Nate Carr"We are all very excited about bringing Nate into the Cyclone RTC," C-RTC Director Kevin Dresser said. "I said from day one that we want to make Ames, IA the place to train for all levels and all styles and Nate fits right into that plan." Carr joins the C-RTC staff after coaching for three years at Perry High School, a national powerhouse in prep wrestling in Massillon, Ohio. As the Associate Director, Carr will assist the C-RTC and head coach Mike Zadick in a number of aspects including athlete development and fund raising efforts. "Anything I can do to help them rise back to the top, I want to do," Carr said. "We can do this. The most important thing is dreaming and building, it's bringing back that history and making it the present." Carr grew into one of the most prolific athletes in school history. The Erie, Pa., native won three national titles and two Big 8 titles while wrestling for the Cardinal and Gold. Following his collegiate career, Carr competed for the United States World Team on a number of occasions and won the Bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. In 2000, Carr was inducted into the alma mater's Athletics Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "When we look at that mission statement, Nate brings so many things to the table for such a position," Dresser stated. "He will be on the ground right away selling our dream and working with our staff and our athletes The Cyclone RTC just got much stronger and a special thank you to all of you who helped make this position happen. Your contributions do make a difference." Carr will be moving to Ames with his wife, Linda. His position as Associate Director will begin on June 1. Nate's son, David, is a four-time Ohio state champion and will be a freshman in Ames this fall. "I like to think of myself as a professional encourager," Carr said of himself. "Anything I can do to help bring these young athletes along to be champions on and off the mat, I'm going to give 100% of myself to that. We're going to make things happen that people are saying are impossible." For more information on the Cyclone Regional Training Center and to find out how you can get involved today, visit cyclonertc.org.

Every season there are wrestlers who change weight classes, either by moving up or down. Kyle Dake of Cornell won four NCAA titles in four different weight classes, which had never been done before. For the 2012-2013 season, Dake moved up a weight class to 165 pounds for the challenge of facing Penn State's David Taylor, a returning NCAA champion and Dan Hodge Trophy winner. While some wrestlers move up for a challenge, others move up in weight because they are growing and can perform at a higher level or to help the team. Here is a look at five wrestlers who should move up in weight next season. Zahid Valencia finished the season as an undefeated NCAA champion at 174 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) Zahid Valencia has been competing at the UWW Junior level in freestyle at 84 kilograms (184.8 pounds). He was a Junior world silver medalist this past summer after previous world finishes of 10th and seventh. Zahid has reeled off two consecutive undefeated regular seasons in NCAA wrestling, finishing third at the NCAAs in 2017 and winning a title over the defending champ Mark Hall of Penn State this season. Since he will soon be competing for a spot on world and Olympic teams at 86 kilograms (189.2 pounds), it makes sense for Zahid to get bigger and stronger and compete at 184 pounds rather than continuing to cut weight. Also, with two-time NCAA champion Bo Nickal returning for his senior season at Penn State, it presents another challenge for Zahid. While Zahid has multiple wins over Nickal in freestyle, the two have not competed against each other in college wrestling. Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) Anthony Valencia is coming off a disappointing season. He entered the NCAAs as the No. 15 seed and failed to reach the podium for the second consecutive season. Anthony was one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school, but has failed to live up to the high expectations placed on him by others after placing in the top four at the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. He has won by technical fall over Tyler Caldwell. Anthony is extremely gifted on his feet, but has struggled on the mat. If Zahid moves up in weight, it seems like the right move would be for Anthony to move up as well. He wouldn't have to focus as much on his weight, and it would give him a fresh set of opponents and potentially reenergize him. Minnesota's Ethan Lizak knocked off Darian Cruz of Lehigh in the consolation bracket in Cleveland (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) The long and lanky Lizak is a monster on the mat. He can ride and turn almost anyone in the country. A 2017 NCAA runner-up, Lizak is coming off a strong performance in Cleveland. He entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed and placed fourth. In the consolation bracket, Lizak teched past All-American Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State, pinned past NCAA runner-up Zeke Moisey of WVU and defeated past NCAA champion Darian Cruz of Lehigh. He lost in overtime in the third-place match to four-time All-American Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State. While Lizak would be a top contender next season at 125 pounds, his path to a title would likely have to go through NCAA champion Spencer Lee of Iowa. Lee is a bad matchup for Lizak and hammered him 15-0 in the dual meet. NCAA runner-up Nick Suriano of Rutgers also returns. Moving up to 133 would certainly be a challenge with the top five finishers returning next season, including NCAA champion Seth Gross of South Dakota State, but Lizak's length and top game would put him in the mix for a national title. This would allow his teammate Mitchell McKee to either redshirt or move up a weight. Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) Ever since Brock made his college wrestling debut as a true freshman, pinning NCAA champion Cody Brewer of Oklahoma, expectations have been high for the Stillwater (Okla.) native. He entered the 2017 NCAAs as the No. 3 seed and placed fifth. This season he was the fourth seed and placed fifth. Brock is dynamic on his feet and can score with a variety of different attacks. Maybe the weight cutting has taken a toll on him and hindered his late-season performance. With two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil graduating -- and Daton Fix and Nick Piccininni on the roster -- a move to 141 pounds could be beneficial for both Brock and the Cowboys. Nebraska's Taylor Venz placed fourth in the NCAAs at 184 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Taylor Venz (Nebraska) Venz won his first state championship in Minnesota as a freshman at 106 pounds, beating Mitchell McKee. He continued to grow in high school and capped off his high school career with a state championship at 182 pounds. He learned to wrestle as a lightweight, which has helped him as an upperweight wrestler. Venz had a strong redshirt freshman campaign, which culminated with a fourth-place finish in Cleveland. He's long and could certainly add more muscle to his frame. With Bo Nickal and Myles Martin returning -- and potentially Zahid Valencia moving up -- Venz's path to a national title has fewer land mines at 197 pounds. Kent State's Kyle Conel, who entered the NCAAs unranked, is the highest returning placewinner at 197 pounds.

David Bolyard has served as Eastern Michigan's head wrestling coach since 2014 (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Eastern Michigan University announced that it will eliminate its NCAA Division I wrestling program -- along with three other intercollegiate sports -- effective spring 2018, the Ypsilanti-based school announced Tuesday. In addition to the Eagles mat program, other sports to be axed include softball, men's swimming and diving, and women's tennis. With the elimination of a total of four varsity athletic programs, EMU will go from 21 sports down to 17 sports -- seven men's sports and 10 women's sports. The cuts will affect 58 male student-athletes and 25 female student-athletes. Fourteen of the 83 are currently seniors who will exhaust their eligibility during the 2017-18 academic year. The decision to drop wrestling not only impacts student-athletes, but will cost three coaches their jobs: head coach David Bolyard, and assistant coaches Luke Smith and Scott Mattingly. A total of eight full-time coaching positions, one graduate assistant, and one part-time assistant coach will be part of the EMU athletic program cutbacks. "We're trying to figure out ways to maintain opportunities for our student-athletes here at Eastern Michigan wrestling," coach Bolyard told InterMat Tuesday afternoon. "We intend to fight this. We're working towards a solution." "We understand; overall enrollment has gone down. However, we don't think this decision will help that cause. We have 30-plus guys on the wrestling team. The more wrestlers we have on the roster, the better overall enrollment figures will be." "Our athletes are nothing but awesome," Bolyard continued. "We have the highest APR of any men's program at the school. Our team GPA is 3.2 overall. We had four Academic All-Americans this year. We do well academically. We've just completed our most successful season on the mat in years. We scored the most points at the MAC championships ever. We had the most NCAA qualifiers in history, and our first NCAA All-American in two decades." The wrestling community beyond southeastern Michigan is commenting on EMU's decision to eliminate wrestling. For example, the National Wrestling Coaches Association posted this message on its Twitter account: "EMU had their 1st All-American since 1999 just days ago, & now they have announced the wrestling program will be cut. It's time to come together and work to save this program!!" The decision is also stirring up discussion on the EMU campus and within the state of Michigan. Here's how the Detroit Free Press addressed the issue: "The moves don't touch the football program, which continues to be controversial, with many faculty hoping to see spending on the program cut. Those calls for cuts in football have gone on for years, but there also was a renewed debate about athletics at Eastern Michigan in the past couple of years, including an HBO Real Sports segment on athletic department spending that was critical of Eastern Michigan. "A number of faculty and students have called for the university to drop out of Division I football -- either completely dropping the program or moving down in division, which would decrease the cost. In recent years, Eastern Michigan, with about 21,000 students, has spent more than $27 million a year from the university's general fund on sports." According to EMU, axing wrestling and the other three sports programs is part of the university's overall budget restructuring efforts. The school claims an anticipated expense reduction of approximately $2.4 million. Despite the cutbacks, Eastern Michigan will remain part of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The NCAA requires Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools to sponsor a minimum of 16 sports and the Mid-American Conference requires member universities to sponsor football, men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball, according to the university. "We are very saddened by having to make this move, which is necessary as we continue to align the University budget with enrollment and state funding trends," said University President James Smith. "This aligns us with our Mid-American Conference peers in total number of sports, and is part of our ongoing effort to realign resources to ensure that we continue to invest in high-demand high-quality academic programs and world-class facilities." "The student-athletes affected by this are our priority. We will honor all athletics scholarships for the students should they decide to remain at Eastern to complete their degrees, which we hope they will." "We understand that some may leave Eastern to continue their sport at another university, and we have committed to offering them our full support in that process. We have wonderful student-athletes, coaches and athletics staff here at Eastern who make a tremendous contribution to campus life - in competition, in class and in our greater community. This is a difficult day for all of them, and for all of us." Founded in 1849, Eastern Michigan University is the second-oldest public university in the state. EMU has a student enrollment of approximately 20,000. A GoFundMe page to keep wrestling at Eastern Michigan U has been set up. To make a donation, click here. https://www.gofundme.com/save-emu-wrestling UPDATE 3/23/18: A new article updates the Eastern Michigan situation, including a protest involving some EMU wrestlers at a major Michigan high school event... new comments from two of the EMU wrestling coaches... and what the National Wrestling Coaches Association has to say about the elimination of the program. http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/19940

Fan voting for the 2018 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy has begun. The Hodge Trophy is the top award in college wrestling and has been presented annually since 1994 to the nation's most dominant collegiate wrestler. The award is named after Dan Hodge, the former three-time (1955-57) NCAA champion from the University of Oklahoma, who did not allow a takedown in his career and pinned 36 of 46 victims. Voting Criteria Criteria for the award include: A wrestler's record; Number of pins; Dominance on the mat; Quality of competition; Past credentials; Sportsmanship/citizenship; and Heart The first four criteria are the primary criteria. Number of pins is an extremely important criteria. Part of the reason the award was created was to elevate the importance of the pin, and to motivate top collegians to go for the fall. The Hodge Trophy is a single-season award. However, if you have two candidates who are virtually equal, consideration can be given to past credentials, which is criteria No. 5. The last two criteria should be used to help guide voters to select a winner who also is a good representative of the sport. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 27. The winner of the fan vote will earn two first-place votes among the total ballots from a group of formal voters which includes each former Hodge Trophy winner, national media, representatives of national wrestling organizations and retired former college coaches from different regions. The deadline for your vote is this Friday, March 23, at 5 p.m. CST. Link: VOTE NOW!

Spencer Lee claimed the NCAA title at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Spencer Lee, the University of Iowa true freshman who won the 125-pound title at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland this weekend, has been named recipient of The Hammer award by Amateur Wrestling News, the magazine announced Monday. As AWN -- the nation's oldest publication covering amateur wrestling -- describes its award, "The Hammer is presented to that wrestler who wins what our selection panel feels was the deepest, most competitive weight class at the NCAA tournament." "This year's choice was difficult," the magazine went on to state. "Several weights contained multiple returning NCAA champions but the 125-pound class got the nod. What a piranha tank!" There were seven returning All Americans competing in the 125-pound bracket at the 2018 NCAAs, according to AWN, including a pair of past NCAA champs -- Darian Cruz of Lehigh, and Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello. In fact, it was the only weight class with four wrestlers who had previously competed in an NCAA final. Lee progressed through the NCAAs with two pins and two technical fall before getting a 5-1 win over No. 4 seed -- and fellow former high school and freestyle phenom -- Nick Suriano of Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey. Past winners of AWN's Hammer award include Logan Stieber (Ohio State), Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State), and Bo Nickal (Penn State). Want to know more about Spencer Lee? Check out this InterMat feature on a 2017 documentary on the young wrestler.

FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. -- Athletic Director Nate Moorman announces the hiring of Link Davis as the new Men's Wrestling Head Coach. Davis is no stranger to Emmanuel as he has built up the Emmanuel women's wrestling program from the ground up over the previous three years. Links wife Kristie Davis who was named Co Head Coach of the Women's Program earlier this year will now assume the sole Head Coach position for the women's program. "I would like to thank Nate Moorman and Dr. White for having the confidence in me to be able to take over our men's program." Says Coach Davis. "I am very thankful for this opportunity and looking forward to this new challenge. I have wanted to be a men's college wrestling coach from when I first decided to be a coach and now that dream has come true." Davis has proven himself as an elite women's coach with several successes during his tenure at Emmanuel, most recently coaching one of his wrestlers to a National Championship at the WCWA National Tournament in February. Davis still plans to assist with the women's wrestling program that he has been so invested in over the last several years. "I think the biggest thing to being able to make this change was that I will still be able to help with the women's program as well." Davis continued. "I see things being just like one big wrestling family with Kristie taking on her new role as women's coach." While a husband and wife leading both programs isn't a common thing seen in college programs, these two highly qualified individuals are certain to continue making an impact in the wrestling community. Congratulations to both Link and Kristie on their new roles as they work hard to make both programs the best in the country. For more news on Emmanuel College Athletics, visit goeclions.com.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) presented its NCAA post-event awards Saturday evening based off performances at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. With his dramatic fall in the finals that sealed a Penn State team victory, Nittany Lion 184-pounder Bo Nickal was voted the tournament's most outstanding wrestler by member coaches of the NWCA. Nickal scored a fall in the finals over former champion Myles Martin of Ohio State in 2:30. Nickal advanced to the finals for the third time with a major decision in the first round followed by three decisions. He joins Jeff Prescott (1994), David Taylor (2012, 2014) and Zain Retherford (2017) as the fourth Penn State wrestlers to earn this award. Mike Moyer presents the NWCA Coach of the Year Award to Cael Sanderson (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Leading his team to their seventh team title in eight years, Penn State's Cael Sanderson was named the NWCA Tournament Coach of the Year. This award is awarded to the coach is voted upon by the NWCA member coaches and is awarded to the coach based off tournament performance. Sanderson's Nittany Lions scored a 141.5 points to edge second-place Ohio State by seven points. The Nittany Lions entered the final session of the tournament trailing the Buckeyes by six points but on the strength of four individual champions, Sanderson's team was able to capture a third straight title. Sanderson was previously named the NWCA National Coach of the Year in 2007 when he was the head coach at Iowa State and 2013 at Penn State. Sam Stoll became the sixth wrestler in Iowa wrestling history to earn the Manuel Gorriaran Award to wrestler with the most falls in the least amount of time at the championships. Stoll had three falls in a total time of 8:50. The NWCA post event awards are given out each collegiate national tournament. These awards while based off of NCAA Performance are not affiliated with the NCAA.

Michigan coaches Josh Chuerella and Sean Bormet in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Barry Davis has been a fixture in the Wisconsin corner for the past 25 years. Joe McFarland has excelled in the same role at Michigan for the past 19 years. But next season, the Badgers and Wolverines will have new coaches running their respective Big Ten Conference wrestling programs. Davis resigned prior to the NCAA Championships and McFarland retired after guiding the Wolverines to a fourth-place finish Saturday night in Cleveland. So now a pair of coveted Big Ten coaching positions are available for the first time in a couple of decades. Let's take a look at possible successors for the head coaching positions at Michigan and Wisconsin. Possible candidates at Michigan Sean Bormet Bormet looks to be the heir apparent at Michigan. He's a Michigan man, where he was a two-time All-American. He is the current associate head coach and he has made huge contributions since returning to the Michigan staff eight years ago. Bormet played a key role in helping the Wolverines to a fourth-place finish at the 2018 NCAA tournament. Bormet also is a top international freestyle coach, having mentored and coached some of the top American wrestlers at the world and Olympic level. He also ran a highly successful club in the Chicago area prior to returning to Ann Arbor. PSU coach Casey Cunningham (left) is a Michigan native (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Casey Cunningham During Penn State's remarkable run of winning seven national titles in the past eight years, the coaching staff in State College has remained virtually intact. Casey Cunningham has been there the entire time. He's been an outstanding assistant to Cael Sanderson during that time, helping turn Penn State into a college wrestling dynasty. Cunningham, if he's interested, would be an ideal candidate. He grew up in Michigan and competed and coached at Central Michigan. He's a superb coach with a magnetic personality who relates well to the athletes. He also is a great training partner who can get on the mat and work with the athletes he coaches. And he obviously knows the blueprint for what has worked so well with the Nittany Lion program. Josh Churella Another Michigan assistant with strong ties to the program, Churella was a three-time All-American for the Wolverines. His father, Mark, was a three-time national champion for Michigan. Churella is another top young coach who is involved with the freestyle program in Ann Arbor. Chris Bono Bono has done an outstanding job at South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits had a strong showing at NCAAs with three All-Americans, including national champion Seth Gross. SDSU placed a very respectable 12th in the team standings. Bono is an enthusiastic, high-energy, tough, hard-nosed coach who would bring a spark to whatever program he is working with. He has earned a shot at running a major D1 program. NC State coach Pat Popolizio celebrates after Michael Macchiavello picks up a semifinal win (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Pat Popolizio He's one of the hottest young head coaches in the country right now after leading North Carolina State to a fourth-place tie with Michigan at the national tournament. Popolizio really has it rolling now with the Wolfpack. He's assembled an excellent coaching staff and has a number of superb young wrestlers in his lineup that return next season. Not sure if he would consider leaving right now unless Michigan offered him an opportunity worth his while. Other candidates Mark Branch has done a terrific job at Wyoming in a place he's very happy at. Branch was a top assistant at Oklahoma State, where he had an outstanding career as a wrestler as well. Missouri associate head coach Alex Clemsen is another guy who might be considered to be a good fit to lead a D1 program. Possible candidates at Wisconsin Donny Pritzlaff Pritzlaff had an outstanding career at Wisconsin, where won two NCAA titles before winning a world bronze medal in freestyle wrestling. He followed by becoming an outstanding coach, where he was the top assistant to Barry Davis in Madison. Pritzlaff has continued to be a top-level assistant, most recently at Rutgers where he has helped lead a revival of that program in the Big Ten. Pritzlaff reportedly didn't leave Wisconsin on the best terms, so that may have an impact on whether he will be strongly considered or not for the position. He certainly would be an excellent hire for a program he is very familiar with and has a strong affinity for. Pritzlaff also could be a candidate at Michigan, where he was an assistant coach alongside Bormet after leaving Wisconsin. Casey Cunningham See above on possible candidates at Michigan. Chris Bono See above on possible candidates at Michigan. Ben Askren If Wisconsin was looking to make a big splash and draw attention to its program, Askren would be a guy who could make that happen. The charismatic Askren was a two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner at Missouri before going on to make an Olympic team. He's had a highly successful career in mixed martial arts. Askren is a huge name in the sport who also has excelled as an assistant coach at the collegiate level. He also is a Wisconsin native who has the type of personality and pedigree that could attract recruits and fans to Madison. Other candidates Trevor Brandvold has served as the associate head coach under Davis at Wisconsin. He was a two-time Big Ten champion and two-time All-American for the Badgers. Kyle Ruschell has also been a long-time assistant coach for Wisconsin. He was a two-time All-American for the Badgers as well. Twins Terry and Troy Steiner served as assistant coaches under Davis at Wisconsin, but that was a number of years ago. Terry has been the long-time U.S. National women's freestyle coach and Troy just took over the reinstated program at Fresno State. St. Cloud State's Steve Costanzo has won three NCAA Division II titles after winning an NAIA title for Dana. He runs at outstanding program at St. Cloud State and has been successful recruiting kids from Minnesota and around the Midwest. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

LITTLE ROCK -- The University of Arkansas at Little Rock today unveiled a plan to add a major sport to its intercollegiate athletics program, a strategic decision that is expected to increase student enrollment. The final decision is conditional on approval from the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees. Chancellor Andrew Rogerson said UA Little Rock plans to add wrestling as its 15th sport, becoming the only NCAA Division I wrestling program in the state. The news was announced at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, March 17. Pending board approval, Little Rock wrestling will begin competition in fall 2019. "This is exciting news for the university as we continue to elevate and grow our athletics program and find opportunities for enrollment growth," said Rogerson. "Our student-athletes as a group have the highest Division I graduation success rate in the state, so we're confident this program will bring in additional students with high GPAs and success in the classroom." The addition of wrestling is a major milestone for both the athletics department and the sport. Arkansas has seen tremendous growth with about 200 high schools across the state supporting a wrestling program. "Little Rock Athletics is thrilled to announce the addition of Division I wrestling to our campus," said Director of Athletics Chasse Conque. "This serves as an exciting milestone for our department, adding a program that will complement and enhance the profile of our existing 14 sports." The idea came to fruition after a recent $1.4 million pledge from Greg Hatcher to secure funding to begin the program. The gift from Hatcher, a prominent Little Rock businessman and supporter of youth sports, will help UA Little Rock build a wrestling facility, purchase equipment, and fund operational expenditures. "Thanks to Chancellor Andrew Rogerson and Athletic Director Chasse Conque, Little Rock and the state of Arkansas will now be the home to Division I wrestling," Hatcher said. "This will now bring wrestling at the highest level to our city in the grandest way possible, and I couldn't be happier for our city and state." "Trojan Athletics is most grateful to Greg Hatcher for his generous commitment, helping take this from a concept to a reality," Conque said. "Greg's passion for wrestling has been felt across the entire state as interest in the sport has gained tremendous momentum in Arkansas over the last decade." Little Rock will begin the process of seeking the program's first head coach, who will then begin recruiting student-athletes. With the addition of wrestling, as well as increased scholarship opportunities in a number of female sports, the Trojans will bring the number of student-athletes competing for Little Rock to more than 250 in the next few years. Wrestling is not new to the Jack Stephens Center, which has served as the host venue for the Arkansas State Wrestling Championships since 2008. The Little Rock Trojans will host their home meets at the Jack Stephens Center with the first meet anticipated to take place in late 2019. Bringing a Division I wrestling program to Little Rock has been a conversation that has been ongoing for a number of years. The decision was reached independently of the ongoing feasibility study, which is expected to conclude in late spring 2018. The possibility of adding a football and marching band program remains viable.

Joe McFarland ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Head coach Joe McFarland announced that he is retiring after 19 seasons at the helm of the University of Michigan wrestling program. McFarland made his announcement Saturday night (March 17) following the conclusion of Michigan's involvement at the 2018 NCAA Championships in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. "My wife and I had been thinking about the right time for me to step away, and what better place to end my career than in the city where I grew up," said McFarland. "It has been such a wonderful opportunity for me to be a student-athlete at Michigan and then return to coach at my alma mater. It's been a great journey, and I look forward to the next chapter as a Wolverine fan and supporter. "I'm proud of the achievements we've had over the years, but I'm even prouder of all the young men who earned their Michigan degrees and went on to great success in their adult lives. I have been privileged to work with some outstanding student-athletes, fellow coaches and athletic directors throughout my career, and I can't thank them enough for making my experience so rewarding." Since taking over the reins in 1999, McFarland has helped mold Michigan into a highly-touted national contender, guiding the U-M wrestling squad to three Big Ten dual-meet championships (2004, '05, '06) and 11 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships (2001-08, '16-18) -- including an NCAA runner-up performance in 2005 and a fourth-place finish this weekend. He ranks third on Michigan's head coaching career wins list (214) behind legendary head coach Cliff Keen (274, 1926-42, '46-70) and his own collegiate coach, Dale Bahr (221, 1979-99). Michigan claimed a team trophy with its fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships this weekend -- its best finish in 13 seasons -- and boasted five NCAA All-Americans with a pair of finalists. The Wolverines also earned their best Big Ten Championships finish in nine seasons with a third-place showing and a pair of individual champions, and U-M went 11-3 in dual meets to finish fourth in the final NWCA national rankings. "Joe is one of the most respected wrestling coaches in this country, and I am thankful for his passion for and tireless dedication to our students," said Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel. "Joe has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to Michigan, first as a student-athlete, then as an assistant and head coach. Throughout his career, Joe has developed championship-caliber wrestlers as well as leaders within our community. We are thankful for his contributions and wish him well in retirement." McFarland led 31 different student-athletes to five NCAA individual titles, 60 All-America citations and 19 Big Ten individual crowns. Among McFarland's most decorated pupils were two-time NCAA champion and four-time Big Ten champion Kellen Russell (2008-09, '11-12), two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American Ryan Bertin (2002-05), NCAA champion and three-time All-American Steve Luke (2006-09), four-time All-American Eric Tannenbaum (2005-08) and three-time All-Americans Otto Olson (1997, '99-2002), Andy Hrovat (1999-2002), Ryan Churella (2003-06), Greg Wagner (2003-06), Josh Churella (2005-08), Tyrel Todd (2006-09) and Adam Coon (2014-18). With McFarland's emphasis on academics, Michigan wrestlers have also earned numerous academic honors, including 40 individual distinctions by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and 135 by the Big Ten Conference. As a Wolverine wrestler (1981-82, '84-85), McFarland compiled one of the most impressive careers in the program's history. His 166-24-4 career record ranks third only to John Fisher (183 wins) and Otto Olson (175), while his 48 wins during the 1983-84 season are the most recorded by a Michigan wrestler in a single season. He was a four-time NCAA All-American and a two-time NCAA finalist at 126 pounds (1984, '85). He finished fifth (1981) and sixth (1982) in his first two national championship appearances. Serving as team captain in each of his final two seasons, McFarland helped lead the Wolverines to a fifth-place finish at the 1985 NCAA Championships. McFarland is one of only six Michigan wrestlers to earn All-America honors in each of his four seasons. His 18-7 career record at the NCAA Championships is tied for fourth at U-M for most wins. McFarland won the Big Ten crown in 1984 and reached the conference final all four seasons. McFarland also won the prestigious Midlands Championship in 1982 and 1983. After earning his bachelor's degree in 1985, McFarland embarked on a successful international wrestling career. He was the silver medalist at the 1986 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. McFarland captured the 1987 Tblisi Tournament bronze medal before winning the 1988 World Cup Championship, where he defeated the Soviet Union's world champion Hazar Isiev in the gold-medal match. McFarland was also named the Outstanding Wrestler of the 1988 USA-USSR dual meet in Orlando, Florida. Prior to his coaching career at U-M, McFarland was head coach at Indiana University from 1990-92. He produced one of the most impressive first-year improvements in Big Ten history when he guided the Hoosiers to a perfect 14-0 dual meet record in 1989-90, the program's first undefeated season since 1946. He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1990.

Penn State hoists the team trophy after winning the NCAA title in Cleveland (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CLEVELAND -- The nation's best wrestlers rocked Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena Saturday night at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, with Penn State winning their third consecutive team title, clinched by a first-period pin in the 184-pound finals ... not to mention two freshmen winning individual championships ... and an epic heavyweight title bout that made history. If that weren't enough, the 2018 NCAAs broke three-day and finals attendance records, with a total of 113,743 fans -- about 700 more fans that at the 2015 NCAAs in St. Louis -- with 19,776 in attendance for the Saturday night finals. The Nittany Lions and Big Ten rival Ohio State had been back-and-forth on the team championship title race until the 184-pound match when Penn State's Bo Nickal pinned the Buckeyes' Myles Martin. Two freshmen claimed national titles -- Iowa's Spencer Lee at 125, and, at 141, Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell. And, it all ended with the 285-pound match, a much-anticipated third meeting between two big men of the Big Ten, with Ohio State's Kyle Snyder edging out Michigan's Adam Coon to become only the fifth three-time heavyweight champ in the 87-year history of the NCAA championships. True freshman Spencer Lee topped Nick Suriano in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The evening began with the 125-pound bout featuring two studs who had made names for themselves in high school wrestling: top-seeded Spencer Lee of Iowa, taking on No. 4 seeded sophomore Nick Suriano of Rutgers. Lee scored a crucial takedown towards the end of the first period, which propelled the Pennsylvania native to a 5-1 victory, making him the Hawkeyes' first true freshman national champ in 25 years, and helping his team to clinch third place in the team title battle. Suriano made history of his own, becoming the Scarlet Knights' first-ever wrestler to make the NCAA finals. In the post-finals press conference, Lee said of his opponent, "We haven't wrestled each other since I was a freshman in high school. He was a sophomore. So feeling each other out: What do we have? Is there really a big difference? I mean, there is. We both have improved a lot. Hopefully." At 133, No. 1 seed Seth Gross became South Dakota State's first national champion, scoring a 13-8 win over Michigan's second-seeded Stevan Micic. Gross got off to a great start in the first period, with a takedown and four nearfall points from a bar-arm tilt. Micic tried valiantly to make up the deficit, scoring four takedowns in the second and third periods. South Dakota State's Seth Gross celebrates with his coaches after winning the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) "It feels amazing," said Gross after winning the title. "Best feeling ever right here. And something I've been working for my whole life. Again getting it done finally after getting second last year, there's a chip on my shoulder this year, need to get it done." True freshman Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell -- the No. 3 seed -- topped top-seeded Bryce Meredith of Wyoming, 7-4, in the 141-pound finals. The match was full of action, with the lead changing hands throughout, until the Big Red wrestler locked up a cradle for four points in the third period. Diakomihalis became the first true freshman NCAA champ for Cornell since 2010. When asked about match-changing big move in the final period, Diakomihalis responded, "I can't believe I hit that on him. It's one of those moves that I've hit all through high school. And I kind of got away from it because guys were so aware of it. But at the same time, as soon as he saw it, it was, like, oh, it's going to be there ... "So it's just kind of what you're talking about staying composed, being able to recognize that you have a position that you could win or you could lose, and learning how to capitalize." The 149-pound match saw the first of five Penn State finalists ... with top-ranked Zain Retherford concluding his final collegiate match with a 6-2 win over No. 15 seed Ronnie Perry of Lock Haven. The "Zain Train" became only the second Nittany Lion to win three national individual titles (joining Ed Ruth) ... wrapping up a stellar college career with 94 consecutive wins, and tying a school record for most pins. "I felt a lot of emotions today for sure," Retherford said of his third title bout. "I know my heart was racing all last night and pretty much all today. So I took a walk in the sun and went and saw the lake a little bit, just to get my mind off of things. But definitely emotions are going and you gotta kind of relax. That's what makes this tournament different." At this point in the evening, Ohio State was holding a two-point lead in the team title race. Jason Nolf repeated as NCAA champion, defeating Hayden Hidlay in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) At 157, sort of the same outcome -- another Penn State win, by the same score, as No. 3 seed Jason Nolf got a 6-2 win over top-seeded -- and undefeated freshman -- Hayden Hilday of North Carolina State. Nolf used a pair of first-period takedowns to seal the victory. When asked how the thrill of a second title compared to the first, Nolf responded, "That one was a little bit closer match ... Hayden has really good defense. He stays in a really good position." Nolf addressed weeks of speculation regarding the health of his injured knee by saying, "The knee is feeling really good tonight." The 165-pound title bout was a rematch of last year's finals -- same wrestlers, same winner -- as No. 2 seed Vincenzo Joseph continued the Penn State win streak going with a 6-1 win over No. 1 seed Isaiah Martinez of Illinois, 6-1. Imar had been a two-time NCAA champ at 157 before losing to Joseph twice at 165. Joseph addressed the issue of having lost to Martinez at the 2018 conference championships, saying, "Yeah, at Big Tens I felt like I was a little too relaxed. This match I kind of wanted to come out aggressive, push the pace a little bit, make it work a little bit in my favor. That's what I did." The championship match at 174 was yet another rematch -- this one, from the 2017 NCAA semifinals -- but with a different outcome, as Arizona State's top-seeded Zahid Valencia gained an 8-2 victory over Penn State's Mark Hall. The Sun Devil had nearly 90 seconds of riding time to top off a bout that ended with him icing the outcome with yet another takedown in the closing seconds. "It's an awesome feeling (to avenge last year's loss to Hall)," said Valencia. "Being out there and seeing all the fans just going crazy after that win, I mean most of them were probably Ohio State fans. But we know it was awesome just being able to get my revenge. Everyone says the exhibition match didn't count. And it really doesn't. Even an undefeated season doesn't really matter. You have to do 5-0 in this tournament. I'm just grateful and blessed to be here." The 184 pound finals match was one of those "blink and you'll miss it and kick yourself later" kind of moments. Ohio State's Myles Martin scored a blast double, then as InterMat's Josh Lowe described it in live coverage, "then, somehow in some way, Bo Nickal scooted out of it, created a reversal and near falls of his own" before scoring the fall at 2:29 ... sealing the team title for Penn State. "The most electric moment of these championships, and arguably of any," according to Lowe ... a point that's hard to argue. A reporter asked Nickal about a similar match with a similar outcome from two years earlier. Bo Nickal was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) "I think about that match every day almost," said Nickal. 'It's something that sticks in my mind. I feel that, one of my goals was to be a four-time national champion coming to Penn State. So not being able to accomplish that, it hurts ... But I think it's just part of the plan that God has for me. It's going to make me a better person. And in the end, I'm really happy with where I'm at and really happy to be able to help my team out a little bit with the pin." The finals at 197 proved to be just about as thrilling. A takedown in the last 15 seconds provided North Carolina State's Michael Macchiavello -- the No. 4 seed -- with a 3-1 victory over ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) rival Jared Haught of Virginia Tech, who was seeded third. With the win, Macchiavello not only got a win, but a bit of revenge after having lost to Haught twice during the season. When asked about this, Macchiavello said, "I don't have any words. It's a great feeling. I think I was thinking about if Haught wouldn't have made it to the finals, you could have potentially made the argument, oh, if I had won, which I did, thankfully, if I had won, oh, he won because the way the bracket played out, you know what I'm saying? Because he's the only guy who beat me twice in the year." The evening concluded with the much-hyped, highly anticipated heavyweight matchup between Snyder and Coon. The two Big Ten big men were 1-1 this year, with the Wolverine winning a dual-meet match, handing the 2016 Olympic gold medalist his first collegiate loss in three years ... only to have Snyder avenge that loss at the conference championships two weeks ago. Who would win the rubber match? In the weeks since Snyder's loss to Coon, social media was abuzz with discussion concerning the size differential between the two. Snyder gave up nearly a half-foot in height and considerable poundage; for the NCAA finals, ESPN reported that Snyder weighed in at 226, while Coon was just two pounds under the top limit of 285. An ESPN commentator used the phrase "chess match" to describe Snyder-Coon 3 ... and that seems very appropriate. There was no scoring in the first period; the only scoring in the second was the Buckeye getting a one-point escape. Coon started the third period with an escape of his own to knot the score ... only to have Snyder score a takedown with 20 seconds left. With a last escape near the end from Coon, the final score was 3-2 for Snyder ... making him one of just five NCAA Division I heavyweight champs to win three national titles in college. When asked about the takedown at the post-match press conference, Snyder said, "Coon is real big, real strong. He's a very good wrestler. He's had a great career. And he's a really good guy ... "It was a lot of me holding him off, trying to kind of pick and choose my shots and time 'em strategically throughout the match. And I was surprised that he shot at that point. I wasn't expecting that. I was expecting me to go underneath of him, and I was about to try to set a couple of things up because I knew there was only 30 seconds left. "But he took the shot when I had my underhook, and kind of extended himself. So I was able to throw him by and there wasn't much time after that. "And the team title, yeah, of course, you know, it was an amazing race. It would have been awesome to end my career at Ohio State with a team title. I still believe we have an amazing team." Instead, the team title went to Penn State for the third consecutive year. "I'm just happy and proud of these guys, man," said head coach Cael Sanderson. "They did a great job this weekend. "I think they remained calm and focused on their goals and that's important." The 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held in Pittsburgh, the first time that city has hosted the event since 1957. 2018 NCAA Division I champions (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Finals Results 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) dec. Nick Suriano (Rutgers), 5-1 133: Seth Gross (South Dakota State) dec. Stevan Micic (Michigan), 13-8 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) dec. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 7-4 149: Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven), 6-2 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) dec. Hayden Hidlay (NC State), 6-2 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois), 6-1 174: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) dec. Mark Hall (Penn State), 8-2 184: Bo Nickal (Penn State) pinned Myles Martin (Ohio State), 2:29 197: Michael Macchiavello (NC State) dec. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), 3-1 285: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. Adam Coon (Michigan), 3-2 Final Team Standings 1. Penn State 141.5 2. Ohio State 133.5 3. Iowa 97 4. Michigan 80 4. NC State 80 6. Missouri 61.5 7. Cornell 48 8. Virginia Tech 47.5 9. Nebraska 47 10. Arizona State 43 11. Rutgers 42.5 12. South Dakota State 42 13. Illinois 37.5 13. Oklahoma State 37.5 15. Lehigh 36.5 16. Lock Haven 35 17. Minnesota 27.5 17. Wisconsin 27.5 17. Wyoming 27.5 20. North Carolina 27

Bo Nickal celebrates his NCAA title with his coach Cael Sanderson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CLEVELAND -- Penn State went 4-for-5 in the NCAA finals to claim its third straight NCAA team title on Saturday night in Cleveland, Ohio. The Nittany Lions finished with 141.5 points, 8 points ahead of runner-up Ohio State. Iowa finished third with 97 points. Michigan and NC State tied for fourth with 80 points. Ohio State's Kyle Snyder captured his third straight NCAA title with a 3-2 victory over Michigan's Adam Coon at heavyweight. Penn State's Bo Nickal, who pinned Ohio State's Myles Martin in the NCAA finals, was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. Iowa's Sam Stoll picked up the the Gregorian Award. Nittany Lion coach Cael Sanderson was honored by the NWCA as Coach of the Year. Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis defeated Wyoming's Bryce Meredith in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Two true freshman won NCAA titles: Iowa's Spencer Lee (125) and Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis (141). Check back later for a complete finals recap … Link: InterMat Running Notebook Finals Results 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) dec. Nick Suriano (Rutgers), 5-1 133: Seth Gross (South Dakota State) dec. Stevan Micic (Michigan), 13-8 141: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) dec. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 7-4 149: Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven), 6-2 157: Jason Nolf (Penn State) dec. Hayden Hidlay (NC State), 6-2 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. Isaiah Martinez (Illinois), 6-1 174: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) dec. Mark Hall (Penn State), 8-2 184: Bo Nickal (Penn State) pinned Myles Martin (Ohio State), 2:29 197: Michael Macchiavello (NC State) dec. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), 3-1 285: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. Adam Coon (Michigan), 3-2 Final Team Standings 1. Penn State 141.5 2. Ohio State 133.5 3. Iowa 97 4. Michigan 80 4. NC State 80 6. Missouri 61.5 7. Cornell 48 8. Virginia Tech 47.5 9. Nebraska 47 10. Arizona State 43 11. Rutgers 42.5 12. South Dakota State 42 13. Illinois 37.5 13. Oklahoma State 37.5 15. Lehigh 36.5 16. Lock Haven 35 17. Minnesota 27.5 17. Wisconsin 27.5 17. Wyoming 27.5 20. North Carolina 27 21. Oregon State 26 22. Duke 21 22. Kent State 21 24. Northern Iowa 20 24. Northwestern 20