InterMat Staff

Chris Bono with A.J. Schopp coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bono, Strittmatter, Lee among guests on Takedown Radio Coaches Chris Bono and Jody Strittmatter -- along with multiple-time world champion Spencer Lee -- will be among the featured guests on the Takedown Radio broadcast this Saturday, April 1. Join Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Steve Foster and Brad Johnson for this special three-hour broadcast from 9:00 a.m. to noon Central available on KXNO 1460 AM radio and online at www.KXNO.iHeart.com Here's this Saturday's guest list: 9:20 a.m. Spencer Lee, three-time world champion 9:40 a.m. Bradley Banks, assistant coach at Iowa Central 10:00 a.m. Chris Bono, South Dakota State head coach 10:20 a.m. Seth Gross, 2017 NCAA 133-pound runner-up for South Dakota State 10:40 a.m. Jody Strittmatter, Young Guns Club head coach

Colby Robinson has been hired as the first head coach of the brand-new wrestling program at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the Bartlesville-based school announced Wednesday. Colby RobinsonAs InterMat reported back in December, OKWU had announced it was adding a men's intercollegiate wrestling program, effective in the 2017-18 academic year. For the past four years, Robinson has served as head wrestling coach at De Smet High School in St. Louis. Prior to that, Robinson was assistant coach of the men's and women's wrestling programs at Missouri Baptist. While at MBU, Robinson coached over 10 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) All-Americans, 15 WCWA (Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association) All-Americans, a Pan-Am placer, and a WCWA National Champion. Robinson helped lead the Spartans to a 2nd place finish in the Metro Catholic Conference. What's more, Robinson recruited both men and women wrestlers from Texas, Oklahoma, California, Missouri, and Florida. "We are pleased to announce that we have hired Colby to start our wrestling program," said OKWU Director of Athletics Mark Molder. "We feel his passion for the sport and his alignment with the mission of our university are perfect the direction we want to take our program." "We look forward to watching Colby start the program," Molder added. "We feel he will do an amazing job in growing our athletes spiritually, insuring academic success in the classroom, and at the same time producing a product that will compete at the highest level nationally." Located in Bartlesville about 45 miles north of Tulsa, Oklahoma Wesleyan University can trace its roots back to 1909. At its website, here's how Oklahoma Wesleyan describes itself: "As an evangelical Christian university of The Wesleyan Church, OKWU models a way of thought, a way of life, and a way of faith grounded in these four pillars (Christ. Scripture. Truth. Wisdom.). We are a place of serious study, honest questions, and critical engagement, all in the context of a liberal arts community that feels like family." The four-year school has approximately 1,300 students, with about half of them at the Bartlesville campus.

Dan Gable watches the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Photo/Mark Lundy) Legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable will be signing autographs at the 2017 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals on Saturday, April 1. The signing session, sponsored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, will take place from 1:30-3 p.m. Saturday at the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. "USA Wrestling always puts on great events, and I'm proud to be a part of this one. I always enjoy coming back to Cedar Falls," said museum namesake Dan Gable, who grew up in nearby Waterloo. Dan Mack Gable is one of the all-time great wrestlers and coaches. He crafted a near-perfect record in folkstyle wrestling, first at Waterloo West High School, then at Iowa State. In freestyle, Gable won a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics without surrendering a single point. As the head coach at the University of Iowa, Gable lead his Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA team titles in 21 years, compiling a 355-21-5 dual-meet record. The UNI-Dome was the site of the 1997 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, where Gable not only led his Hawkeyes to that 15th title but made history by setting the record for the most team points scored, with 170.

InterMat senior writer Mark Palmer wrote a story on Wednesday which gave the coroner's details into last month's unexpected death of Nick Roberts, a 23-year-old wrestler from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. The report stated that the defending NCAA Division II national champion overdosed on fentanyl, a drug tied to America's opioid crisis. Roberts' passing was difficult for many in the wrestling community, but how he died can serve as an education for those in the wrestling community about the dangers of opioids in their community. Like wrestling, opioids thrive in lower middle class white communities. In addition to a demographic concentration similar to that of wrestling, the geolocations of the largest problem areas tend to also be wrestling hotbeds: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and western New York have all seen dramatic increases in overdoses over the past few years, with no signs of slowing. While the general population is always at risk for addiction to prescription medication, wrestlers can be particularly vulnerable to the epidemic since they are prone to long-held injuries (back, neck, knee), which tend to be prescribed opioid pain medications like OxyContin, Percocet, and which can lead to the abuse of stronger opioids like fentanyl. A lot of time has passed since I was in college at the start of the century, but at that time we were readily prescribed OxyContin for care post-injury or post-surgery. For many, including me, the high from the drug not only took away or dulled the pain, but became a necessary part of recreational inebriation efforts. Considering what we know now, and having read about the explosion of this crisis, I can only be thankful that the more powerful cousins to the drugs we were prescribed had not become available for black market purchase. The drugs did make an impact on our team. The turning point came after a close friend and teammate served time in jail for forging a prescription of OxyContin. In the end it was a petty crime by a brilliant guy, which showed total apathy to the shortsighted nature of his con for more drugs. His ingenuity, his passion, they were stifled by the need for the drug. Thankfully no other long-term effects were suffered by our team, but to this day I refuse pain medications, even after a recent appendectomy. The risk is just too great. The opioid crises is more insidious than ever with profit-hungry pharmaceutical companies showing total ambivalence about the consequences of their drugs on the American people. We can hope that laws are changed and education increased, but that seems unlikely given recent cuts to programs servicing these victims. Let's make sure that Nick Roberts' life and the story of his addiction strikes a chord with those in the wrestling community and inspires positive change. We, as a community, should stay aware of these issues and use Roberts' story and those of the thousands of other lives to prevent our sons and brothers from falling victim to this deadly epidemic. To your questions … Sammie Henson coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: To be honest, I expected better results out of West Virginia with Sammie Henson. He has now been leading the Mountaineers for three seasons. So far the results have been underwhelming. Only one WVU wrestler competed at the NCAAs. They had one other NCAA qualifier who was injured and unable to compete. Do you see WVU ever turning the corner with Henson? Or do see them moving on if things don't turn around soon? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't know any details, but I had heard that Sammie was still managing to clean out some bad influences on campus. Also remember that Morgantown takes a lot of pride in their party culture, and that can lead to at least a few wrestlers being distracted and/or getting in trouble. The turnaround may take a bit of time as both Sammie and the wrestlers settle into the new expectations of their coach. I have a lot of faith that Sammie will deliver results in the next few seasons. Q: Let me just say that I'm a Hawkeye fan to my core, but watching what PSU did, and especially Zain Retherford, was fun. I don't remember seeing a wrestler -- aside from maybe his head coach -- be as dominant as Zain has been the last two seasons. We're to the point that we are shocked if he doesn't tech. fall or pin everyone. My question is, has there been wrestler in the past 25-30 years on as dominant a run as Zain is on right now? -- Jared W. Foley: Of course the first name that pops into my head when considering dominating performances throughout an NCAA career is that of Zain's coach, Cael Sanderson. The Zain Train is something different altogether. He's a bit more focused on total and complete domination of the person rather than just the technical fall or pin. Zain is almost never in a close match or threatened. He seems to have cracked some code that other wrestlers aspire to understand. So, I guess the answer is no. Zain's method of dominance is almost wholly unique … and that's exhilarating to watch as a fan, no matter your allegiance. Q: What do you think of Aaron Pico making his MMA debut in June? Was it a mistake not to have any amateur fights and go straight to pro? What will happen with his wrestling career? -- Gregg Y. Foley: It's unclear what will become of Aaron Pico's wrestling career. For most fighters, MMA is an all-consuming pursuit to become competent (and effective) from both standing and the ground. That versatility will require new fighters like Pico to spend more time in jiu-jitsu and striking class than he will perfecting his gut wrench defense. As for Pico's first fight … whoa. The California youngster is opening in Madison Square Garden against a legitimate opponent. He might not have any amateur fights, but I think that after getting tagged once or twice he'll be just fine. No need for amateur fights when you can get close-to-live sparring at the gym. Q: Where has Logan Storley been? He started out fast and furious. He has not fought in a while. What made the transition for him from wrestling to MMA seem so seamless? -- Gregg Y. Foley: It could be that he's having a tough time finding opponents. Most strikers aren't willing to fight an accomplished NCAA wrestler since being controlled on the ground in a boring fight means limited opportunities with future organizations. There's a reason that Conor McGregor hasn't fought a legitimate NCAA wrestler. Logan is an incredible wrestler, with serviceable jiu-jitsu and the type of punching power from ground-and-pound you'd want to see in an athlete looking to make this a full-time career. Q: After Issac Jordan of Wisconsin missed winning an NCAA title this year I was curious how many Big Ten champs have not won a national title in their career? -- Jimmie D. Foley: Too many to count! The Big Tens are difficult, but it's by no means a guarantee of a national title. Readers might have done this in the past … anyone? Jesse Delgado, with Mark Perry, coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: Jesse Delgado is back wrestling and earned a bronze at the Cerro Pelado. He's also a coach at Illinois. Where do you see him fitting into the current landscape in the United States? Is he a contender for a spot on the U.S. World Team? -- Mike C. Foley: Contender? Maybe. Tough to not include a two-time NCAA champion in the discussion for a weight class that hasn't delivered a medal in the past few years. There is a need for something to happen at the lowest weight class for the USA to have a well-rounded team capable of competing at the World Cup with Russia and Iran. Delgado might be the answer, but even if he isn't he provides substantial support to the USA Wrestling program in terms of a training partner.

Tim Flynn coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has released the major award winners for the 2016-17 Wrestling season, the league office announced Thursday afternoon. The awards are determined by a vote of the league's head coaches. Edinboro redshirt sophomore Sean Russell was named PSAC Athlete of the Year. Russell represents the 18th time that the Fighting Scots have garnered the award. He won his second consecutive Eastern Wrestling League championship and is now a two-time PSAC champion at the 125-lb weight class. Seeded seventh is his weight class, Russell would end his second trip to the NCAA DI National Championships as an All-American following a seventh-place finish. Russell was dominant in winning PSAC and EWL crowns. He won all three of his PSAC Championships bouts by major decision, and won by fall, decision and major decision at the EWL Championships. He finished the year with a 37-8 mark while amassing 15 major decisions, four falls and two technical falls. Gannon's Carmine Ciotti was named PSAC Freshman of the Year. He is the first Golden Knight to win any major postseason award. Ciotti became Gannon's first freshman All-American since 2005 with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships. The true freshman was ranked No. 1 at 133 pounds in NCAA Division II Super Region One for the majority of the season, before finishing second at the regional championship following an overtime setback. He finished the 2016-17 campaign 26-5 overall and 7-0 in dual competition, recording the seventh-highest single-season pin total in program history and 10th-highest single-season overall winning percentage. Ciotti's freshman resume included 13 pins, three major decisions and two technical falls. He is Gannon's third 133-pound All-American, but first since 2010. Ciotti was 20-2 during the regular season. Edinboro's Tim Flynn claimed the PSAC Coach of the Year award. This marks the 14th time Flynn has received the award and it is the 15th time EU has claimed it since 1988-89. Flynn concluded his 20th season as the head coach for the Fighting Scots with a 9-6 dual record, winning the PSAC and EWL championships while finishing 20th at the NCAA Championships. EU finished the EWL regular season with an unblemished mark for the fourth consecutive season. Flynn boasts a 215-90-5 record while 38 student-athletes have received All-America recognition under his watch. PSAC Wrestling Athlete of the Year: Sean Russell, Edinboro PSAC Wrestling Freshman of the Year: Carmine Ciotti, Gannon PSAC Wrestling Coach of the Year: Tim Flynn, Edinboro

Mark Hall with PSU assistant coach Jake Varner at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Penn State's Mark Hall has been named InterMat Freshman of the Year for 2017, the amateur wrestling website announced on Thursday. This award, presented each year since 2006 to best college freshman wrestler in all divisions for his/her college wrestling performance during the 2016-17 season, is based exclusively on the balloting of writers and executives at InterMat prior to the announcement of other national wrestling awards. Each staff member is asked to select five freshman wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Hall was listed at the top of seven ballots out of 10 submitted by InterMat staffers, for a total of 84 votes. The other freshman to receive any first-place votes was Vincenzo Joseph, Hall's Nittany Lion teammate, with three first-place votes for a total of 60 votes overall. Mark Hall arrived in Happy Valley with one of the most impressive wrestling resumes in recent memory. Hall became the first wrestler to win six individual Minnesota state championships … helping to lead Apple Valley (Minn.) High School to an equal number of consecutive state team titles. While at Apple Valley, Hall crafted a 277-4 record which included a 171-match win streak and 189 career pins. In addition to these accomplishments in folkstyle, Hall also made his mark in freestyle, winning world titles at both the Cadet and Junior levels. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 74 kilograms. For all these achievements, Hall was twice named InterMat High School Wrestler of the Year, and also named winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2016. When Hall first entered the Penn State wrestling room, it had been decided he would take a redshirt in his first season. However, in early 2017, Hall made the decision on his own to remove the redshirt, saying, "I just wanted to be a part of the national championship run." That decision has paid dividends for both Hall and the Nittany Lions. In his first year, Hall built a record of 31-3, claiming the 174-pound title at the 2017 Southern Scuffle, and placing second at the 2017 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Two weeks later at the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the fifth-seeded Hall avenged that loss to Ohio State's Bo Jordan -- the No. 3 seed -- 5-2, to end his freshman season with the national title. In the dozen-year history of InterMat awards, Mark Hall is the third Penn State wrestler to have been voted Freshman of the Year. Jason Nolf received the honor last year; David Taylor was voted Freshman of the Year in 2011. On Tuesday, InterMat announced that Hall's teammate, Zain Retherford, had been voted InterMat Wrestler of the Year for the second consecutive year. The website will announce its choice for Coach of the Year in the coming days. 2017 InterMat Freshman of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Mark Hall, Penn State 84 (7) 2. Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State 60 (3) 3. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State 48 4. Kollin Moore, Ohio State 29 5. Michael Kemerer, Iowa 16 6. Logan Massa, Michigan 12 7. Nick Suriano, Penn State 1 InterMat Freshman of the Year Past Winners: 2016: Jason Nolf, Penn State 2015: Isaiah Martinez, Illinois 2014: Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern 2013: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State 2012: Logan Stieber, Ohio State 2011: David Taylor, Penn State 2010: Kyle Dake, Cornell 2009: Andrew Howe, Wisconsin 2008: Mike Grey, Cornell 2007: Jake Varner, Iowa State 2006: Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota

Midland University wrestling has replaced a Vest with a Vote. Dana VoteThe Fremont, Neb. university has named Dana Vote as head coach for both the men's and women's wrestling programs, replacing Beau Vest, who took the helm at the new mat program at Cowley College in Kansas in mid-March. Vote comes to Midland from Iowa State, where he served as Director of Wrestling Operations. Prior to that, Vote was head coach at Concordia (Neb.) University for four years where he was twice named Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Wrestling Coach of the Year. Vote guided the Bulldogs to two GPAC Championships and two Regional Championships. He was also named the North Region Coach of the Year on two occasions. Vote's coaching career began at Iowa's Buena Vista University, where, after wrestling varsity for three years, first served as a student assistant coach for one season, then four additional years as an assistant coach. In his decade as a college wrestling coach, Vote has mentored one national champion, 11 All-Americans, 32 national qualifiers and 12 Academic All-Americans. "Coach Vote has cultivated excellence throughout his career and we look forward to seeing him build on our wrestling tradition," said Midland University Director of Athletics Dave Gillespie. "A leader who embodies the ideals of our university, Dana will push our athletes to excel in the classroom, in their sport, and as citizens." Midland University is a four-year, private liberal arts college located in Fremont, Neb., 25 miles northwest of Omaha. The school has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students. The Midland men's wrestling program competes in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics); the Lady Warriors women's wrestling program is part of the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA).

Currently ranked No. 39 overall in the Class of 2018, Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.) verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin on Wednesday evening. The projected 184/197 in college is a three-time state placer, finishing third at state each of the last two years. Last off-season, Krattiger placed a the Flo Nationals and was a UWW Cadet National freestyle All-American. He is also currently ranked No. 19 nationally at 182 pounds.

Nick Roberts won a national title at the NCAA Division II level last season (Photo/Ali Single) Nick Roberts, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown wrestling champ, died of a fentanyl overdose, the coroner in Pennsylvania's Cambria County ruled Wednesday. Coroner Jeff Lees ruled the death accidental. Roberts, 23, was found dead in his apartment on UPJ's campus on Feb. 25. Lees said he couldn't determine every pain medication Roberts had been prescribed in the past year without speaking to every one of his doctors first, the Daily American reported Wednesday. However, Lees did say Roberts was not being prescribed fentanyl by a doctor at the time of his death. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institutes of Health . It is a schedule II prescription drug, and it is typically used to treat patients with severe pain or to manage pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. In its prescription form, fentanyl is known by such names as Actiq®, Duragesic®, and Sublimaze®. Roberts won the 133-pound title at the 2016 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in his first season wrestling at Pitt-Johnstown, having transferred there after starting his collegiate mat career at Ohio State. A knee injury in November 2016 ended Roberts' wrestling career. Prior to college, Roberts graduated from North Star High School in 2012, where he was a three-time PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) Class AA state champion. He also was a four-time District 5 champion and three-time Southwest Regional champion. Roberts finished his high school career with a record of 146-10. He holds the school record for most falls. Roberts also had an impressive prep career beyond his home state of Pennsylvania. He was a two-time Junior World Team member who placed fifth in the world. In addition, Roberts was a four-time Fargo National Champion and a 2010 Asics First-Team All-American.

Zeke Jones at the Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pac-12 Conference has announced the 2017 Pac-12 Wrestling awards. Arizona State's Zahid Valencia was voted Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year, as well as the Pac-12 Wrestling Freshman/Newcomer of the Year. Arizona State's Zeke Jones was selected Pac-12 Wrestling Coach of the Year. Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year and Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year: Zahid Valencia, Arizona State Valencia becomes the first Pac-12 wrestler to earn both Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year and Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year in the same season. He's just the second Sun Devil to be tabbed Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year and the 18th to be tabbed Conference Wrestler of the Year. Valencia placed third at NCAA Championships and earned All-America honors for the Sun Devils. The Bellflower, Calif., native was the Pac-12 Champion at 174 pounds and boasted a record of 38-1 this season. He recorded 14 falls, including his Pac-12 semifinal match win that occurred in 0:16. The redshirt freshman was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet at the Pac-12 Championships. He posted a 14-0 record in duals and scored a team-leading 70 team points. Pac-12 Wrestling Coach of the Year: Zeke Jones, Arizona State Jones earns his first Pac-12 Wrestling Coach of the Year honor and becomes the fifth different Arizona State coach to earn the honor. Jones led the Sun Devils to a top 25 ranking this season and their first Pac-12 title since 2006. Under the guidance of Jones, the Sun Devils went on to finish 14th at the NCAA Championships and had a pair of teammates pick up third-place finishes to earn All- America honors (Zahid Valencia and Tanner Hall)

ODU's Jack Dechow earned a spot on the All-MAC Wrestling team (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CLEVELAND -- The Mid-American Conference announced its 2017 Academic All-MAC Wrestling team today as 34 students were named to the team. Highlighting the 2017 Academic All-MAC Wrestling Team is four-time Academic All-MAC selection Eastern Michigan senior Nick Barber (2014-17). In addition, three-time Academic All-MAC honors were earned by Central Michigan's Newton Smerchek, Kent State's Chance Driscoll and Stephen Suglio, and Missouri's Zach Synon. There were also 15 additional MAC wrestlers that were honored for the second time in their wrestling careers. Kent State led the way with eight wrestlers (Isaac Bast, Chance Driscoll, Devin Nye, Tim Rooney, Jerald Spohn, Stephen Suglio, Anthony Tutolo and Jared Walker) named to the Academic All-MAC Team. Eastern Michigan had seven honorees (Nick Barber, Zac Carson, Noah Gonser, Derek Hillman, Kayne MacCallum, Sa'Derian Perry and Kyle Springer), while Central Michigan (CJ Brucki, Corey Keener, Austin Severn, Newton Smerchek and Mason Smith) had five named to the Academic All-MAC Team. The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for a particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments for the current season are only considered. 2017 Academic All-MAC Wrestling Team (34): Kyle Akins, Buffalo, Sophomore, 3.34 GPA, Occupational Therapy (Sycamore, Ill.) *Muhamed McBryde, Buffalo, Senior, 3.32 GPA, Sociology (Buffalo, N.Y.) Brett Perry, Buffalo, Sophomore, 3.32 GPA, Engineering (East Fishkill, N.Y.) CJ Brucki, Central Michigan, Junior, 3.20 GPA, Accounting (Orland Park, Ill.) *Corey Keener, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.28 GPA, Physical Education (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) ~Austin Severn, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.57 GPA, Information Systems (New Lothrop, Mich.) *~Newton Smerchek, Central Michigan, Junior, 3.99 GPA, Physical Education (Casco, Wis.) Mason Smith, Central Michigan, R-Freshman, 3.73 GPA, Undecided (Clio, Mich.) *~@Nick Barber, Eastern Michigan, Senior, 3.71 GPA, Masters Business Administration (Cleveland, Ohio) Zac Carson, Eastern Michigan, R-Freshman, 3.94 GPA, Secondary Education (Akron, Ohio) Noah Gonser, Eastern Michigan, R-Freshman, 3.48 GPA, Environmental Science (Grand Blanc, Mich.) *Derek Hillman, Eastern Michigan, Sophomore, 3.64 GPA, Economics (Woodhaven, Mich.) Kayne MacCallum, Eastern Michigan, Sophomore, 3.57 GPA, Management (Libertyville, Ill.) Sa'Derian Perry, Eastern Michigan, R-Freshman, 3.22 GPA, Secondary Education (Lakeland, Fla.) *Kyle Springer, Eastern Michigan, Junior, 3.55 GPA, Exercise Science (New Boston, Mich.) Isaac Bast, Kent State, Junior, 3.30 GPA, Earth Science (Massillon, Ohio) *~Chance Driscoll, Kent State, Senior, 3.60 GPA, Economics (Aurora, Ohio) *Devin Nye, Kent State, Junior, 3.80 GPA, Pre-Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy (Springfield, Ohio) Tim Rooney, Kent State, Sophomore, 3.80 GPA, Exercise Science (Columbus, Ohio) Jerald Spohn, Kent State, Senior, 3.20 GPA, Entrepreneurship (New Lexington, Ohio) *~Stephen Suglio, Kent State, Senior, 3.70 GPA, Integrated Science (Richfield, Ohio) *Anthony Tutolo, Kent State, Junior, 3.60 GPA, Communication Studies (Concord, Ohio) Jared Walker, Kent State, Sophomore, 3.60 GPA, Geology (South Fayette, Pa.) John Erneste, Missouri, Sophomore, 3.762 GPA, Mathematics (Kansas City, Mo.) Matt Lemanowicz, Missouri, Senior, 3.667 GPA, Nutrition & Exercise Psychology (Lee's Summit, Mo.) *~Zach Synon, Missouri, Senior, 3.519 GPA, Business Administration (Cary, Ill.) Caleb Gossett, Northern Illinois, R-Freshman, 3.350 GPA, Business (St. Charles, Mo.) #Dylan Peters, Northern Iowa, Senior, 3.21 GPA, Movement and Exercise Science (Denver, Iowa) Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa, Sophomore, 3.21 GPA, Management (Waverly, Iowa) Max Thomsen, Northern Iowa, R-Freshman, 3.21 GPA, Management (LaPorte City, Iowa) Arsen Ashughyan, Ohio, Sophomore, 3.499 GPA, International Business (Vanadzor, Armenia) Kade Kowalski, Ohio, R-Freshman, 3.816 GPA, Marketing (Nashport, Ohio) ~@Kevin Beazley, Old Dominion, Junior, 3.37 GPA, Sport Management (Howell, Mich.) *Jack Dechow, Old Dominion, Senior, 3.25 GPA, Communications (Richmond, Ill.)

Riley Lefever Wabash College senior wrestler added another award to his list of honors by being named the 2017 D3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Year Wednesday morning. Lefever repeated as the honoree after winning the award in 2016. He captured his fourth consecutive national title earlier in the month, winning the 197-pound weight class at the 2017 NCAA DIII Wrestling National Championship Tournament in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Lefever won three titles at 184 pounds in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He joined Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur as the only NCAA Division III wrestlers to capture four national titles. LeVesseur won tournament titles in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007. Lefever became the 11th wrestler overall at any division in NCAA history to win four titles. Lefever finished his career 129-0 in matches versus DIII opponents. In addition to the national championship, he was named the 2017 NCAA DIII Most Dominant Wrestler by averaging 5.79 points per match over the course of the season. He also earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet Award for his performance at the 2017 championship event. Lefever dominated Division III wrestling over his four seasons of competition. In his 129 victories, 73 came by pin in addition to 18 technical fall wins. He captured his fourth national title with a second-period pin --- one of three pins in his four victories at the championship event. An excellent student as well as a talented wrestler, Lefever was named to the prestigious Academic All-America Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2016. He was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team in 2017 for third time in his career. He also serves as the head resident assistant at Wabash.

This week on Takedown TV: National champions Cruz, Heil, Clark, Snyder and Cox reflect on season NWCA National Coach of the Year Brian Smith weighs in on the video review process Author, broadcaster, motivational speaker and NCAA champ Anthony Robles looks back at this years NCAA Championships Head coach at Virginia Tech Tony Robie checks in live on Takedown TV Watch online or on these cable networks/channels. Cablevision- Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable- Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable- Friday at 5:00 p.m. Cox Cable- Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD- Sundays at 4:00 p.m. KCWI 23- Saturday 4:00 p.m. KWEM- Stillwater, Oklahoma- Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Long Lines Cable- Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable- Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network- Saturday 10:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. SECV8- Friday at 5:00 p.m. Suddenlink Cable- Check your local listings. Multiple air times. Time Warner Cable Sports- Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Western Reserve Cable- Tuesday at 11:00 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10:00 p.m.

Bluefield College will be adding wrestling as a club sport this fall, and has hired Jason Waelti as the program's first coach, the school located in Virginia announced Tuesday. Waelti is a familiar figure in the sport in southwestern Virginia, having wrestled at the club level at Virginia Tech, then staying in Blacksburg after graduation to serve as principal and head wrestling coach at Blacksburg High School. He is now the coach of the Blacksburg Wrestling Club. Jason Waelti's wrestling roots run deep within the commonwealth of Virginia. His father Mike Waelti introduced Jason to the sport at age five. Jason Waelti went on to be a four-year starter for William Byrd High School where he was an All-State wrestler, Region and District champion, and achieved the program's single season and all-time pin records. He was named All-Timesland Wrestler of the Year at his weight, and was a captain of the team. Jason Waelti then went on to compete at the wrestling club at Virginia Tech in the NCWA (National Collegiate Wrestling Association), placing third in the MAC Conference and qualifying for Nationals, according to the Bluefield College press statement. After graduating from Virginia Tech, Waelti was interim head coach for the school's Club Wrestling Team. During that time, the club qualified three wrestlers for the NCWA National Tournament, a first for the program. Later, Waelti became head wrestling coach at Blacksburg High School, leading the Bruins to their first top ten finishes at the Virginia State Wrestling Tournament. Blacksburg placed sixth with a roster of only eight wrestlers, and eighth in the state with a roster of only six wrestlers. He has coached 10 All-State wrestlers, including a state champion, state runner-up, and two third place winners, as well as two nationally ranked wrestlers in the Beast of the East, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. With Waelti at the helm, wrestling at Bluefield College will begin as a club program starting in fall 2017. According to the school, after a couple years, the club will transition to a varsity program slated to compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). The school also have plans to start a women's program shortly after that, WVVA-TV reported Tuesday. "I'm familiar with the area," Waelti told WVVA. "I know a lot of the kids and I know a lot of the coaches already. Even though we are behind I feel like we are ahead in a lot of ways." Located straight west of Blacksburg on the Virginia-West Virginia border in southwest Virginia, Bluefield College is a four-year, private college affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Virginia. Founded in 1922, Bluefield College has approximately 920 students.

Shorter University has eliminated its NCAA Division II wrestling program, the Georgia-based school announced Tuesday. When the program was added in fall 2010, it was touted as the only intercollegiate wrestling program in the state of Georgia. "The decision to discontinue our wrestling program was a difficult one that was made only after considering many other alternatives,” said Corey Humphries, Vice President of Student Affairs. "The lack of nearby competition has proven to be a challenge,” said Aaron Kelton, Shorter's interim athletic director. "In NCAA Division II, only one other program now exists in Georgia with two in North Carolina, three in South Carolina and one in Tennessee. This means our wrestlers have to travel to places as distant as Pennsylvania and Ohio for competitions, increasing costs and time missed out of classes.” Because the program is being discontinued, all Shorter wrestlers will be given a release to discuss transfer opportunities at other institutions, and they would be eligible to compete in wrestling at other Division II colleges and universities next semester, provided their academic performance is satisfactory, Kelton said. He added the school will notify other NCAA Division II programs so they may consider Shorter wrestlers for recruiting purposes. "Shorter University and our athletic department will work with these student-athletes should they wish to continue wrestling at another institution," Kelton said. "These are fine young men who are good students and good athletes, and we will do all in our power to assist them in this transition." Located in Rome, Ga., Shorter University is a four-year, private college affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention. Founded in 1873, Shorter has approximately 2,200 students.

ASU's Tanner Hall maintained a 3.64 GPA (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) SAN FRANCISCO -- Following are the 2017 Pac-12 Conference Wrestling All-Academic teams, announced today by Commissioner Larry Scott. To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and appear in at least 50 percent of his team's scheduled competition. FIRST TEAM Name, School Yr. GPA Major Nathan Butler, Stanford (3) RS JR 3.52 Computer Science Kadyn Del Toro, Boise State RS SO 3.9 Entrepreneurship Management Spencer Empey, Cal Poly (2) RS JR 3.43 Mechanical Engineering Peter Galli, Stanford RS SR 3.33 Science, Technology & Society Tanner Hall, Arizona State SO 3.64 Electrical Engineering Joey McKenna, Stanford SO 3.52 Undeclared Matt Penyacsek, CSU Bakersfield RS FR 3.72 Health Care Administration Ted Rico, Arizona State RS FR 3.45 Health Sciences Tyler Sage, Arizona State RS FR 3.67 Finance Dakota Wall, Boise State RS FR 3.7 Biology (2) Two-time first-team All-Academic selection (3) Three-time first-team All-Academic selection SECOND TEAM Name, School Yr. GPA Major Paul Fox, Stanford RS SO 3.41 Science, Technology & Society Coleman Hammond, CSU Bakersfield RS JR 3.45 Business Administration Carson Kuhn, Boise State SO 3.53 Public Health Josh Marchok, Stanford RS SR 3.28 Management Science & Engineering Sean Nickell, CSU Bakersfield RS SO 3.18 Engineering Joey Palmer, Oregon State RS SR 3.19 Human Development & Family Sciences/Education Russell Rohlfing, CSU Bakersfield RS FR 3.18 Engineering Connor Schram, Stanford RS JR 3.38 Science, Technology & Society Keaton Subjeck, Stanford RS JR 3.12 Computer Science Matt Williams, CSU Bakersfield RS JR 3.37 Criminal Justice HONORABLE MENTION ASU: Austyn Harris, Josh Kramer, Josh Shields, Anthony Valencia; Boise State: Harley DiLulo, Josh Newberg, Demetrius Romero; CAL POLY: Colt Shorts; STAN: Tommy Pawelski, Peter Russo. * - Injury/Illness does not count against criteria to appear in 50 percent of team's scheduled competition.

Jason Russell CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. -- Thomas More College president David A. Armstrong, J.D. and athletic director Terry Connor have named Jason Russell the new head wrestling coach at Thomas More. Russell comes to Thomas More after serving as an assistant coach the last two season at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. At Whitewater, he helped lead the Warhawks to the 2016 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, while coaching four NCAA Qualifiers during the 2015-16 season and Jordan Newman to the NCAA Division III Championship at 184 lbs. Russell assisted Whitewater's recruiting efforts, monitored the program's academic success, scouted and handled the team's social media presence. "We are very happy that Jason has agreed to become the head wrestling coach at Thomas More," commented Connor. "The search committee felt his dedication and passion for wrestling will allow him to build a successful program, which just finished its inaugural season at Thomas More." "I would like to thank President David Armstrong, director of athletics Terry Connor, associate athletic director Jeff Hetzer, assistant athletic director Lindsay Eagan and the entire athletic department for the opportunity to lead the Thomas More wrestling program," stated Russell. "The athletic programs at Thomas More have a long standing tradition of excellence. I am looking forward to learning from some of the best coaches in the country and I am excited to continue to build a team that strives to achieve greatness on the mat, in the classroom and within the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati communities." Prior to coaching at Whitewater, Coach Russell served as a volunteer assistant at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio during the 2014-15 season. At Heidelberg he coached NCAA All-American Richard Dowdley and NCAA Qualifier Nino Majoy. Russell also handled scouting and fundraising planning for the Student Princes. Russell earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Heidelberg in 2014, where he was a four-time varsity letter winner and a 2014 NCAA National Qualifier. He had a 69-29 career record and was a 2013-14 Heidelberg Scholar Athlete as well as a second team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection in 2014. Russell will earn his Masters of Science Education in Athletic Administration from Wisconsin-Whitewater this May. Thomas More College is a four-year, private liberal arts school located in Crestview Hills, Ky. in metropolitan Cincinnati. Founded in 1922 and affiliated with the Catholic church, Thomas More has an enrollment of approximately 1,900 students.

Kevin Dresser and Tony Robie (Photo/HokieSports.com) GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The ACC announced Tuesday that current Virginia Tech head coach Tony Robie and former head coach Kevin Dresser have been named ACC Co-Wrestling Coaches of the Year. Robie led the Hokies to the team title at the ACC Championship and a sixth-place finish at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis as interim head coach - Tech's fifth-straight top-10 finish at nationals. Robie served as Tech's associate head coach for 11 seasons before being promoted to head coach on a full-time basis on March 21. "I'm honored to receive and share this award with Kevin," Robie said. "I feel that it is rather fitting considering the work we have done at Virginia Tech over the last 11 years. More than anything, it is a reflection of our entire program and the student-athletes that represent Virginia Tech wrestling. I am very proud of how we were able to stick together." Dresser guided the Hokies to an 18-1 overall record and a 5-0 mark in the ACC during the regular season. Two of those wins included a 20-14 victory over No. 8 NC State for the ACC regular-season title and a 22-15 win over No. 6 Nebraska in the NWCA National Duals Championship Series. The Hokies finished the regular season ranked fourth in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Rankings. The Humboldt, Iowa native accepted the head coaching position at Iowa State on February 20. Robie led Tech to its first conference tournament championship since 2014 and coached five All-Americans at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Since his arrival in Blacksburg in 2006-07 as Dresser's top assistant, he has helped elevate the profile of the Tech wrestling program. Since that inaugural season on the Tech staff, the Hokies have won three ACC Dual Meet Championships, three ACC tournament championships and finish in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships five times. He's also helped recruit and coach 17 ACC champions and 14 All-Americans. Virginia senior George DiCamillo received ACC Wrestler of the Year honors while fellow Cavalier Jack Mueller was named ACC Freshman of the Year.

Zain Retherford defeated Missouri's Lavion Mayes in the NCAA finals NEWTON, Iowa -- The WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy has been awarded to the most dominant collegiate wrestler since 1995. Out of an amazing group of four Hodge finalists this year, Penn State two-time NCAA champ Zain Retherford has been named the 2017 Hodge winner, presented annually to the top collegian by ASICS. "I met Dan Hodge at a National Wrestling Hall of Fame event a few years ago. To win something like this named in his honor is pretty awesome," Retherford said. "This award symbolizes who he is as a person and competitor." The award, created by Culture House's Mike Chapman, is named after Hodge, who was a three-time NCAA champion for the University of Oklahoma from 1955 to 1957, was undefeated over those three years at 46-0 and pinned an amazing 36 of those opponents. Retherford won a second straight NCAA title at 149 pounds after completely dismantling competitors at the weight for a second straight year. Retherford has won 63 straight matches over the past two years to move his career record to 95-3. And much like his 2015-2016 run of domination, this year's tally included only two matches in which the Nittany Lion did not score bonus points. Retherford received 33 of 45 first-place Hodge Trophy votes to win the award known as wrestling's version of the Heisman Trophy. The Nittany Lion junior finished well ahead of two 2016 Olympic medalists -- Missouri's J'den Cox and Ohio State's Kyle Snyder -- and sophomore teammate Jason Nolf, whose domination at 157 pounds this past season was stride for stride with Retherford's stats. Cox, the three-time champ and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, finished second in Hodge voting with five first-place Hodge votes from the official Hodge Committee made up of every past Hodge winner, national wrestling media, a retired college coach from each region of the country and a representative of the national wrestling organizations. Snyder, a two-time NCAA champ, Olympic and World gold medalist, was third in the 2017 Hodge race with four votes, while Nolf received the final three votes. Cox's third title at 197 featured a 28-0 record with six pins, seven technical falls and seven majors. Snyder, who wrestled only a portion of the college season because he was wrestling overseas in Senior-level freestyle events, had a 17-0 record, with four pins, five techs and four majors at 285 pounds. Nolf had a 28-0 record with 14 pins, eight techs and three majors. As in past years, WIN Magazine also conducted a national fan vote the week following the NCAAs for the Hodge. Nearly 23,000 unique fans voted with Retherford winning that total with 49 percent of the vote from 11,260 voters, earning him two additional official Hodge first-place ballots. Cox finished second in fan voting as well, with 35 percent of the vote from 8,554 votes. Snyder finished third with seven percent of the total vote with 1,651 fan votes. Nolf was fourth in the fan voting with 1,317 votes for six percent. Retherford becomes the third Penn State wrestler to win the prestigious award. Two-time NCAA champ David Taylor was a two-time winner of the Hodge in 2012 and 2014, while former Nittany Lion heavyweight and current Maryland coach Kerry McCoy won the Hodge in its third year of existence in 1997. In a day and age when increased parity seems to rule the day in college wrestling, the manner in which Retherford tore through opponents mirrored the culture and approach that Penn State took in winning six of the last seven national team titles: a culture focused on the output of extreme effort by each wrestler to do their absolute best the entire seven minutes of the each college match as opposed to wins and losses. Retherford's explanation of his approach to the sport reveals more about how he's able to dominate to the level that he does. "Dominating is a lot like anything in life, like school or whatever you're doing… you need to be giving your best and not holding back on anything," he said. "You need to keep scoring and looking for the pin. But, giving your best is the most important part of it. If you can pin or tech the guy, then do it. If 2-1 is your best result, then it's your best." Only two opponents all winter kept Retherford from scoring bonus points. Iowa's 2016 runner-up Brandon Sorensen took the Nittany Lion into the second set of tiebreakers in January before Retherford won 9-8. And one month later, in the National Duals final, Retherford defeated Oklahoma State's Anthony Collica, 2-1. Otherwise, the Benton, Pa., native pinned 17 of 28 opponents for a .610 pinning percentage while also getting seven technical falls and one major decision. At the NCAA Championships, Retherford was a scoring machine. He had tech falls in his first three matches, pinned Sorensen in the semis, then teched Missouri's No. 3-seed Lavion Mayes, 18-2 in the final. For this NCAA tourney run he was also named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. Retherford finished second to Oklahoma State's three-time champ Alex Dieringer in the 2016 Hodge race. Now winning the Hodge as a junior with a year left, he'll start next season as the favorite to repeat as the 2018 Hodge winner. However, two of the other three finalists will be back as well. Snyder, also a junior, will be going for this third straight title and Nolf has two years left in State College. Growing up on a small Pennsylvania farm, Retherford said his perspective on life and wrestling goes back to his parents Sarah and Allen and what he learned through long days of physical labor working as a family on that farm. "Growing up on a farm, I learned to be grateful for everything I've been given. My whole family worked really hard so I learned there was more to life than just wrestling, and that I needed to be grateful for every opportunity," Retherford said. "So I looked at it like this year was the second opportunity I had to win a title. My mindset was to be grateful for the experience, that it was another chance I had to win a title rather than something I had to defend." As in past years, Retherford will be officially awarded the Hodge Trophy at the team's wrestling banquet on April 9. He then will be publically presented the award a second time at a fall football game in the same Beaver Stadium where Taylor was presented his two Hodges in front of over 100,000 people sometime this fall.

Jacobson Exhibition Center KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced that the 2018 and 2019 NAIA Wrestling National Championships are heading to Des Moines, Iowa. The Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau (Catch Des Moines) serves as the official host of the events, which take place at the Jacobson Exhibition Center March 2-3, 2018, and March 1-2, 2019. "We're excited to partner again with the Greater Des Moines CVB for the NAIA Wrestling National Championships," said Jim Carr, NAIA President and CEO. "Between the strong tradition of wrestling in the state of Iowa and the terrific job that Des Moines did with the 2012 and 2013 championships, I have no doubts that it will be a great experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans." The Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center, which housed the NAIA Wrestling National Championships in 2012 and 2013, is a multipurpose facility used for hosting a wide variety of events, including concerts and sports events. Completed in 2010, the venue features a 32,000 square foot area floor and permanent seating for 3,500. The Jacobson Exhibition Center is part of the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The state of Iowa has previously welcomed the NAIA Wrestling National Championships nine times in association history. Prior to the previously mentioned stops in Des Moines, the event found a home in Cedar Rapids in 2011 and Sioux City from 2005 to 2008. Sioux City also hosted the championships in 1973 and 1975. "We are pleased to see the NAIA Wrestling Championships return to Des Moines," says Greg Edwards, President and CEO of Catch Des Moines. "With a rich wrestling history in the state and a long-standing tradition of executing successful wrestling events in the metro, we look forward to providing a first-class experience for athletes and fans." The NAIA has sponsored wrestling since the 1957-58 academic year, with the inaugural championship taking place in Mankato, Minn. Mankato State (Minn.) (now Minnesota State University Mankato) had five individuals claim national titles en route to 97 team points and the associations first-ever team title in the sport. Since then, 18 different programs have won the title, including a NAIA record six-straight championships by Grand View (Iowa). Currently, there are 57 institutions that sponsor the sport of wrestling. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs and championships in proper balance with the overall educational experience. In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character-building aspects of sport. Through the Champions of Character program, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. To learn more about NAIA wrestling, click here. To learn more about Catch Des Moines, click here.

Zain Retherford defeated Missouri's Lavion Mayes by technical fall in the finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Zain Retherford, Penn State's 149-pound NCAA champion, has been voted InterMat Wrestler of the Year for the second year in a row, the amateur wrestling website announced on Tuesday. Presented each year since 2006 to the best collegiate wrestler in all divisions, the award is based exclusively on the balloting of wrestlers and executives at InterMat prior to the announcement of other college wrestling awards. Each staff member is asked to select five wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Retherford received eight of the 10 first-place ballots for a total of 86 votes. Penn State teammate Jason Nolf, 157-pound champ at the 2017 NCAAs, was at the top of two InterMat staffers' ballots, for a total of 57 votes. The Benton, Pa. native racked up yet another dominating season, with a 28-0 record as a junior to add to his 63-match overall win streak -- the longest in NCAA Division I wrestling -- putting bonus points on the board in 98 percent of his matches. At the 2017 NCAAs, the top-seeded Retherford continued that trend, scoring four victories by technical fall and one by pin, concluding his three days at the Scottrade Center with an 18-2 technical fall over No. 3 Lavion Mayes of Missouri in the finals. That dominating win set the stage for all four of his Penn State teammates to win their title matches in succession ... going five-for-five in the finals. Even though the Nittany Lions had already locked up the championship before the finals, Cael Sanderson's five finalists winning five titles was a substantial contribution to Penn State winning its sixth national team title in the past seven years in runaway fashion. Retherford not only left St. Louis with his second consecutive title at 149, but also earned NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler honors for the 2016-17 season, his second year in a row for that award. If that weren't enough, "Zain Train" was also voted Outstanding Wrestler of the 2017 NCAAs. Retherford is only the second wrestler to have earned back-to-back Wrestler of the Year honors in the dozen years InterMat has presented the award, joining Missouri's Ben Askren, who won the award in 2006 and 2007. In addition, Retherford is the third Penn State wrestler to have been voted InterMat Wrestler of the Year, joining Ed Ruth who received the honor in 2012, and David Taylor in 2014. In the coming days, InterMat will announce winners of its annual Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year honors. 2017 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th Place Votes: 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Zain Retherford, Penn State 86 (8) 2. Jason Nolf, Penn State 57 (2) 3. J'den Cox, Missouri 41 4. Kyle Snyder, Ohio State 28 5. Bo Nickal, Penn State 13 6. Dean Heil, Oklahoma State 9 7. Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State 7 7. Riley Lefever, Wabash 7 9. Cory Clark, Iowa 2 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Past Winners: 2016: Zain Retherford, Penn State 2015: Logan Stieber, Ohio State 2014: David Taylor, Penn State 2013: Kyle Dake, Cornell 2012: Ed Ruth, Penn State 2011: Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska 2010: Jayson Ness, Minnesota 2009: Jake Herbert, Northwestern 2008: Brent Metcalf, Iowa 2007: Ben Askren, Missouri 2006: Ben Askren, Missouri

Nick MitchellGrand View head wrestling coach Nick Mitchell and Wartburg head wrestling coach Eric Keller will go "On the Mat" on Wednesday, March 29. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

Want to know what the oldest and greatest sport looked like 80 years ago? The finals of the 1937 NCAA Wrestling Championships -- held at Indiana State University -- provide a glimpse of college wrestling as it was eight decades ago, in what may be the oldest surviving film of the NCAAs available for viewing online. The black-and-white, silent film of the finals -- posted to YouTube by Oklahoma State -- provides nearly an hour of footage of most of the title matches that year. InterMat thought it would be fun to travel back in time to take a look at the ultimate college wrestling event of 80 years ago, and learn a bit about the event, its host, and participants. Hot spot for the '37 NCAAs: Terre Haute The 1937 NCAAs were held at was then called Indiana State Teachers College on March 19-20, 1937. The school now known as Indiana State is located in Terre Haute, a city on the Indiana-Illinois border located about an hour southwest of Indianapolis. (The name Terre Haute is French for "high land.") Just to be clear ... Indiana State is not to be confused with Indiana University, the Big Ten school in Bloomington, about one hour straight east of Terre Haute that's home to the Hoosier wrestling program that recently hosted the 2017 Big Ten conference championships. The 1937 NCAAs were the tenth edition of the collegiate wrestling championships. The first NCAAs were held at Iowa State University in 1928. Ohio State welcomed the NCAAs in 1929 and 1930, followed by Brown University in 1931, Indiana University in 1932, Lehigh in 1933 and 1935, University of Michigan in 1934, and, in 1936, Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. The 1937 NCAAs can claim some notable firsts. It was the first time Indiana State had hosted the wrestling championships -- or any national sporting event. It was the first time any teachers' college had welcomed the ultimate college wrestling event. And, it was the first time a school that didn't have an intercollegiate wrestling program hosted the NCAAs, according to the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. Despite not having a wrestling program back in the late 1930s -- or today, for that matter -- Indiana State once had an intercollegiate wrestling program ... and it produced the U.S. heavyweight mat champ with the arguably most impressive hardware. Bruce Baumgartner, the wrestler who, despite never having won a state championship in his native New Jersey, won the heavyweight title for the ISU Sycamores at the 1982 NCAAs, and a total of four Olympic freestyle medals: two gold (years), one silver, and one bronze. (Indiana State can also claim at least two other internationally-known sports superstars among its alumni: gymnast Kurt Thomas ... and basketball's Larry Bird.) The Sycamores put on a successful show Despite not having a wrestling program, by all accounts Indiana State was a great host for the 1937 NCAAs. The school and the city of Terre Haute welcomed 85 wrestlers and their coaches from 25 colleges representing 12 states -- along with numerous officials representing the NCAA -- who converged upon the Indiana State Teachers College Gym on North Seventh Street in the western Indiana city. "By all accounts, the college and the community were gracious hosts," according to a historical feature published by the Tribune-Star in 2010. "The Chamber of Commerce and the Elks purchased tickets to promote the meet and student and faculty committees allocated responsibilities to advance the event." The 1937 Sycamore yearbook devoted an entire page to the 1937 NCAAs which included a half-dozen small photos, and some text about the event. "To various committees of students and faculty members goes the distinction of performing a splendid job in the promotion of this affair," the yearbook reported. "The National Committee wrote that they had never been so impressed with the efficiency exercised by local committees. Not only were the essential details taken care of in a proficient manner but other items were incorporated in the program that contributed to the success of the tournament." Both the yearbook and the 2010 newspaper retrospective both singled out the Indiana State band -- under the direction of Harold Bright -- for praise for performing the school songs for each of the participants. Despite the Terre Haute public schools providing its students holding tickets for the NCAAs a "holiday" on Friday, March 19 to attend the championships, "attendance at the sessions was very disappointing," to quote the Sycamore yearbook, which quickly went on to say, "The visitors were completely satisfied with the treatment they were accorded. The members of the National Committee were unanimous in their praise of the meet as the best conducted in the history of the championships." What college wrestling was like 80 years ago Today's college wrestlers, coaches and fans would be blown away by the differences between the 1937 and 2017 NCAAs. Eight decades ago, the NCAAs were a much smaller event than nowadays -- 85 wrestlers in 1937, vs. 330 participants at recent NCAAs. What is now a three-day event took just two days to complete 80 years ago. Watching even just a minute or two of the 1937 NCAA wrestling championships finals film on YouTube, and it's obvious that college wrestling was a much different sport than it is today. For starters, matches lasted ten minutes regulation ... with up to two three-minute overtime periods. What's more, the point-scoring system we know today didn't exist until 1942. Instead of awarding points for takedowns and escapes, winners were determined by what was then called "time advantage" -- a tally of the number of seconds each wrestler was in control of his opponent, very much like today's riding time. If there was no clear difference in the "time advantage" tallied by each wrestler, the referee would determine the winner based on his assessment of who was more active or aggressive. All that said, there was one way to win a match back in 1937 that still holds true today: by fall. However, back then, a wrestler had to hold his opponent's shoulders to the mat for two seconds, not one second as today. You won't see anyone wearing singlets or headgear in the 1937 NCAA film. Singlets were not allowed by the NCAA until the late 1960s; headgear first made its appearance in the mid-1950s at the collegiate level. Standard uniform for college wrestlers in the Thirties was usually wool trunks, with full-length tights, and shirts optional. Wrestlers at some schools such as Oklahoma State and others in the Midwest often competed in just trunks, bare-chested. Per NCAA rules, it was up to the host school to determine uniform requirements. From the 1937 NCAA finals film, it appears that Indiana State required all wrestlers to wear shirts, as wrestlers from Oklahoma State and other schools that usually wrestled stripped to the waist wore shirts at the Nationals in Terre Haute. You'll note that the mats also don't resemble those we see in amateur wrestling today. Eighty years ago, there were no vinyl-covered, foam-core mats; mats were usually covered in something called Canton flannel, and stuffed with anything from horsehair to shredded newspaper to straw. These old-school mats did not have the ability to absorb shock like today's mats ... and, because they could not be easily disinfected, rashes, boils and other skin conditions were a constant foe for all wrestlers of the past. A few words about the film ... Realize that back in 1937, there was no Internet, so no live streaming coverage like we enjoy today. Television was a brand-new invention which would not find its way into American homes for another decade or so. Until the early 1960s, it was up to the host school to film (at minimum) the finals matches, then make those films available to other schools for rent or purchase outright. The first NCAA finals to appear on TV: the 1963 NCAAs at Kent State University in Ohio, as part of ABC's "Wide World of Sports", a weekly "sports anthology" show that brought together segments of action from two or more sporting events, on a tape-delayed basis, two or more weeks after the event. This writer has seen ABC's coverage of the 1964 NCAAs from Cornell University; it showed only two or three matches in edited form, interspersed with NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships footage, all linked together by a studio announcer saying something like, "We'll return to the heavyweight title match in a few minutes, but, first, let's head back to the pool ..." Now, onto the film ... The 1937 NCAA finals film is approximately 50 minutes in length. Back then, there were only eight weight classes: 118 pounds, 126, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, and heavyweight (called unlimited, because, back then, there was no top weight limit as there is today). All-American honors were awarded to the top three placers in each weight class. The film on YouTube does not show the finals matches in ascending order from 118 to heavyweight. As you'll see in the comments section under the screen where the film appears, a viewer has provided links to when each match starts and ends, which, to this writer, appear to be pretty accurate if you want to watch them in weight-order, or want to start your viewing at 155 pounds, for instance. Here's a bit of information about each of the title matches on the film: 118 pounds: Joe McDaniel of Oklahoma State (called Oklahoma A&M -- Agricultural & Mechanical -- at that time) earned a 2:15 time advantage over Bill Carr of Oklahoma in the finals. Carr placed third after losing to Davis Natvig of University of Northern Iowa in the second-place match. Dale BrandThis was the first of three NCAA titles for McDaniel, who won again in 1938 and 1939. 126 pounds: Dale Brand of Cornell College of Iowa defeated Ted Anderson of Central Oklahoma, time advantage 1:37, in the finals on film. Anderson had won the 123-pound crown at the 1936 NCAAs. 135 pounds: Northern Iowa's Ray Chaney earned a referee's decision over Morey Villareal of Central Oklahoma. This match is not on the film. 145 pounds: Oklahoma State's Stanley Henson beat Jack McIlvoy of Illinois, time advantage 8:30. Henson was named Outstanding Wrestler for the 1937 NCAAs, and went on to win two more titles in 1938 and 1939. Henson, considered by many historians to be the best college wrestler of the 1930s (and some say, in the era between World Wars I and II), was featured in a 1939 Life magazine photo-shoot of the Oklahoma State wrestling program. Henson celebrated his 100th birthday in November 2016. 155 pounds: Bill Keas of University of Oklahoma earned a 35-second time-advantage win over Kansas State's Ernest Jessup in the finals. Keas owns the distinction of being the only college wrestler to defeat Stanley Henson. 165 pounds: Harvey Base of Oklahoma State defeated cross-state rival Marshall Word of Oklahoma, with a 3:40 time advantage. John Whitaker175 pounds: John Whitaker became University of Minnesota's first-ever national mat champ with a 6:07 time advantage win over Illinois' John Ginay, who went on to win the title at 165 at the 1938 NCAAs. Unlimited: Oklahoma State's Lloyd Ricks got a 1:35 time advantage victory over Indiana's Bob Haak. Minnesota's Clifton Gustafson defeated Haak in the second-place match, putting the Hoosier big man in third place. (In addition to being an NCAA All-American wrestler, Gustafson was an NCAA heavyweight boxing champ for the Gophers.) At the end of the event, Oklahoma State ran away with the team title, with 31 points, to claim their fourth consecutive championship, and sixth overall. (Note that in some early years of the NCAA championships, team points were not tallied.) The Cowboys won half of the individual titles, with Joe McDaniel, Stanley Henson, Harvey Base, and Lloyd Ricks leaving Terre Haute as champs. The Oklahoma Sooners came in second in the team standings, with 13 points, and one individual champ: Bill Keas. Tied for third place was Northern Iowa and University of Minnesota, with 9 points each, and one champ each: Ray Chaney for the UNI Panthers, and John Whitaker for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. University of Illinois placed fifth with 8 points, despite having no individual champs ... with Cornell College right behind with 7 team points, and Dale Brand winning an individual title for the Mount Vernon, Iowa-based school. Can't get enough old-school amateur wrestling? Check out these InterMat Rewind features: Major changes in wrestling ... and old-time wrestling uniforms. And, to see film of the Nationals from 55 years ago, take a look at the finals of the 1962 NCAA wrestling championships.

Funeral services have been announced for Jim Koch, retired University of Wisconsin-Parkside head wrestling coach who died Thursday from injuries sustained when struck by a car in St. Louis March 17 while attending the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Visitation for Koch will take place Tuesday, March 28 from noon to 8 p.m. at the UW-Parkside Sports and Activity Center, located off County Highway E on Inner Loop Road in Kenosha. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m. in the Alfred A. De Simone Gymnasium at UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Road. Private burial will take place in Sunset Ridge Memorial Park. Jim KochFriends who wish to offer memorial remembrances to honor Koch may be made to the University Wisconsin-Parkside Foundation (Wrestling Program), c/o UW-Parkside, 900 Wood Road, Kenosha, WI 53144. Born in Milbank, S.D. on July 16, 1947, James P. Koch played football at Milbank High School until the school started a wrestling program when he was a junior. As a senior Koch was captain and MVP of this team and finished 23-1-1. He then moved on to South Dakota State University where he served as co-captain, and assisted his team to a third-place national finish. After graduating with honors from SDSU in 1969, Koch served one season as a graduate assistant at his college alma mater. In 1970 Koch headed east to become the first wrestling coach at Wisconsin-Parkside where he remained until his retirement in 2011. During his 41-year tenure, Koch coached 128 All Americans and 80 Academic All-Americans. His teams won 277 dual meet victories and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Division II level 23 seasons. Koch received many coaching awards over the course of his four-decade career. In 1971 he was selected rookie national coach of the year by Amateur Wrestling News. He was named Wisconsin/Midwest Regional Coach of the year ten times. Koch was inducted into six Halls of Fame: NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Wrestling, NCAA Division II Wrestling, UW-Parkside, George Martin Wrestling, NAIA District 14 Wrestling and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. In 2003 Koch earned perhaps his most prestigious honor, receiving the Lifetime Service Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Koch also served wrestling in many leadership capacities, serving as presidents of both the NAIA and NCAA II Wrestling Coaches Association, and as chairman of both organizations' Hall of Fame selection committees. Only two weeks ago the Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association renamed its hall of fame the Jim Koch Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame. Last year UW-Parkside renamed its Wisconsin Open wrestling tournament the Jim Koch Open. Koch is survived by three brothers, Charles (Dorothy) of Milbank, SD, Dan (Betsy) of Sioux Falls, SD and twin, John (Dianne) of St. Cloud, MN; 12 nieces and nephews, their children and grandchildren; and Donna Namath, who is described in his funeral home obituary as "the love of his life, who became his constant companion and confidante over his last 14 years, and expanded his worldview and enriched his life."

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Championship matches were wrestled at the NHSCA grade level nationals on Sunday afternoon in Virginia Beach, Va. Among the grade-level national champions were five top 100 seniors, four top 50 juniors, four top 50 sophomores, and two top 25 freshmen. Below are the results from the finals for each tournament. Senior: 113: P.J. Ogunsanya (Oak Par River Forest, Ill.) dec. Jake Ferri (Shawseen Valley Tech, Mass.), 7-1 120: No. 18 (at 126) Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio) dec. Taylor Kreith (Francis Howell, Mo.), 5-0 126: Clayton Currier (Colstrip, Mont.) pinned Bjorn Schroeder (Bozeman, Mont.), 5:55 132: Franco Valdes (Miami Southwest, Fla.) dec. Bradley Beaulieu (Marshwood, Maine), 3-2 138: No. 5 (at 132) Zack Donathan (Mason, Ohio) dec. No. 19 (at 145) Denton Spencer (Camden County, Ga.), 5-4 145: Brandon Konecny (Corona del Sol, Ariz.) dec. Ryan Monteiro (Minnechaug, Mass.), 3-2 152: No. 10 Hunter Willits (Pueblo County, Colo.) dec. No. 10 (at 160) Jake Brindley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 3-2 160: No. 4 (at 152) Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.) tech. fall Kyle Jasenski (Albany Academy, N.Y.), 24-9, 5:37 170: No. 6 (at 182) Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. No. 14 (at 182) Caleb Little (Jefferson, Ga.), 3-1 182: No. 17 Casey Randles (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) dec. Michael Battista (Broad Run, Va.), 9-2 195: Eddie Smith (Belton-Honea Path, S.C.) dec. Jake Lowell (New Trier, Ill.), 7-6 220: No. 10 Chei Hill (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Chris Kober (Haverford Prep, Pa.), 7-4 285: Gavin Nye (Corning, Calif.) pinned No. 11 Sammy Evans (Alcoa, Tenn.), 4:53 Junior: 106: No. 15 Dylan Ryder (Half Hollow Hills West, N.Y.) dec. No. 8 Jonathan Prata (Downey, Calif.), 11-4 113: Jace Koelzer (Olathe South, Kansas) dec. No. 10 Nico Aguilar (Gilroy, Calif.), 3-2 120: Chris Wright (Central Dauphin, Pa.) dec. Orion Anderson (Schuylerville, N.Y.), 3-2, tiebreaker 126: Elijah Palacio (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) pinned Weston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.), 5:20 132: No. 4 Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Alex Felix (Gilroy, Calif.), 3-1 138: No. 9 (at 132) Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, N.Y.) dec. No. 11 Cole Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), 7-5 145: No. 11 (at 152) Anthony Artalona (Tampa Prep, Fla.) maj. dec. Kasper McIntosh (Portage, Ind.), 12-3 152: No. 15 (at 160) Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.) dec. Robert Patrick (Ligonier Valley, Pa.), 7-3 160: Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Billy Higgins (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), 3-1, overtime 170: Tyler Barnes (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) maj. dec. Luke McGonigal (Clearfield, Pa.), 14-4 182: Caden Steffen (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.) dec. Blake Barrick (Big Spring, Pa.), 5-3 195: No. 6 Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.) dec. Tony Andrade (Gilroy, Calif.), 6-4 220: Peter Acciardi (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) dec. Ben Goldin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 2-1 285: Terrese Aaron (Mexico, Mo.) dec. Deonte Wilson (Amityville, N.Y.), 3-1 Sophomore: 106: Sam Latona (Thompson, Ala.) dec. Jacob Moran (Crown Point, Ind.), 7-5, overtime 113: Josh Blatt (North Henderson, N.C.) dec. Marcus Branford (Wilson, Pa.), 10-6 120: Gabe Hixenbaugh (Thompson, Ala.) dec. James McClain (Franklin, Texas), 3-1 126: Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.) dec. Garrett Kloeppel (Parkway South, Mo.), 5-1 132: Gabe Miller (Pequea Valley, Pa.) pinned Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.), 2:50 138: Michael Weber (Forsyth, Mont.) dec. Devin Schwartzkopf (Francis Howell Central, Mo.), 2-1 145: No. 20 Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade, Fla.) dec. Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II, Pa.), 6-0 152: Mason Reiniche (Baylor School, Tenn.) dec. Ross McFarland (Phoenix, N.Y.), 2-1 160: Edmund Ruth (Susquehanna Township, Pa.) dec. Jackson Turley (St. Christopher's, Va.), 8-7 170: Jacob Cardenas (Queen of Peace, N.J.) dec. Troy Fisher (Goddard, Kansas), 4-1 182: Jack Parr (St. Paul's, Md.) dec. Cole Urbas (State College, Pa.), 9-2 195: Ryan Reyes (Clovis West, Calif.) dec. Zach Marcheselli (Broken Arrow, Okla.), 5-4 220: Owen Trephan (Ashley Ridge, S.C.) dec. Jordan Pryor (Oakdale, Md.), 5-1 285: Michael Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.) pinned Jervey Sistrunk (Bound Brook, N.J.), 4:20 Freshman: 106: Dylan Cedeno (Fair Lawn, N.J.) pinned Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.), 2:16 113: No. 16 (at 106) Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) dec. Justin McDougald (Niagara Wheatfield, N.Y.), 6-1 120: Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va) dec. Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.), 5-0 126: Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) dec. Ethan Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.), 3-2 132: A.J. Tamburino (William Tennent, Pa.) dec. Kolby Allred (Great Bridge, Va.), 6-2 138: Gage McClenahan (Bald Eagle Area, Pa.) over Alan Kovacs (Danbury, Ct.) by injury default 145: Kai Bele (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Domonic Mata (Poway, Calif.), 6-5, ultimate tiebreaker 152: Tyler Stoltzfus (Mifflinburg, Pa.) dec. Colton Hawks (Holt, Mo.), 3-2 160: Micah Ervin (Union County, Ky.) maj. dec. Andy Aldridge (Lee-Davis, Va.), 9-0 170: Nicholas Villarreal (Gilroy, Calif.) maj. dec. Jacob Lagoa (Ashtabula St. John, Ohio), 12-2 182: Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) maj. dec. Samuel McNulty (Sandusky Perkins, Ohio), 12-3 195: Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.) dec. Daniel Miranda (Somerset Academy, Fla.), 7-1 220: Cody Williams (McDonogh, Md.) dec. Jeffrey Worster (Oxford Hills, Maine), 10-3 285: D.J. Lundy (Irwin County, Ga.) maj. dec. Curtis Ruff (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 14-3