InterMat Staff

Bubba Jenkins, former wrestling champ at Arizona State who parted ways with Bellator MMA less than a month ago and just last week signed a multi-fight deal with Russia-based Absolute Championship Berkut, lost his first fight with his new organization. Jenkins suffered a loss by technical submission in the form of a reverse triangle choke at 4:01 of the second round of his lightweight (155-pound) bout with Ali Bagov at the ACB 54: Supersonic event in Manchester, England Saturday night. "During the second round of the bout, Bagov attempted to execute a triangle submission," reported the Spanish-language MMA website MMA.uno. "Once achieved, Jenkins fell asleep and his eyes turned back…" "Fortunately, referee Herb Dean demonstrated his experience and authority in the cage, quickly stopping the actions and avoiding the worst damage and consequences for Bubba Jenkins." Here's how Simon Samano of MMAJunkie.com described the end of the match: "Bagov managed to pull off an inverted triangle choke for the win, causing Jenkins to go unconscious with his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The maneuver surprised even [MMA fighter/commentator Frank] Mir, who you can hear is in complete shock at what he just witnessed. "It was a remarkable -- and again, terrifying -- display of Brazilian jiu-jitsu by Bagov. "Kudos to referee Herb Dean for quickly being able to notice the danger Jenkins was in and putting a stop to the fight then and there." Jenkins, who was 8-3 in Bellator, now falls to 11-4 overall since launching his pro career in 2011. Bagov, who has been competing in MMA since Oct. 2009, improves to 23-10. Jenkins won the 157-pound title as a senior at Arizona State at the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships by pinning former Penn State teammate David Taylor in the finals. March 14 UPDATE: Bubba Jenkins posted the following message on his Facebook page Monday evening: "Man it has been a blessed time in the UK. We didn't get the results we wanted with the outcome of the fight but on a 27pound 8day notice, up 2weight classes I wasn't looking for an easy way out. Nor will I ever!! We are just getting started people! To friends a family...the love is real and thank you for the support!! Let's keep working."

Spencer Lee, arguably the No. 1 recruit in high school wrestling, suffered the first loss of his high school career in the finals at the 2017 Pennsylvania state wrestling championships at Giant Center in Hershey Saturday night. Lee, a senior from Franklin Regional High going for his fourth PIAA crown, lost to fellow senior Austin DeSanto of Exeter in the PIAA Class 3A 126-pound finals, 6-5. It was Lee's first loss in 145 matches in high school. DeSanto scored two takedowns in the last half-minute, the final one at the buzzer after releasing Lee to go for the winning takedown, the Reading Eagle reported. DeSanto gave the unbeaten Lee a battle throughout the match, then tied the score with 29 seconds left with a takedown to become Exeter's first state champ. DeSanto, who has committed to Drexel University, finished his senior year 53-0 and completed his prep career with a 188-7 record. DeSanto avenged a loss to Lee by technical fall in the 120-pound finals at last year's PIAA championships. Lee committed to University of Iowa for the 2017-18 season after having considered Penn State, Ohio State, North Carolina State, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford. He is seeking a career in Sports Administration. Just three days ago -- prior to the start of the 2017 PIAA championships -- PennLive.com wrote a feature article on Spencer Lee with the attention-getting headline: "Is Spencer Lee the world's best wrestler?"citing these accomplishments in the opening paragraph -- a four-time WPIAL champion, three-time world champion, three-time Pennsylvania State champion -- concluding with "and undoubtedly one of the greatest wrestlers in the world." Update: As seen on the video, Lee was wearing a leg brace, having suffered a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) prior to the finals. "I'm excited but at the same time I wrestled a hurt Spencer Lee," DeSanto said. "You could see his knee, he was favoring it the whole time. I just kind of feel bad for him. But at the same time, I'm excited for myself. I worked every day after that tech fall [loss in the 2016 PIAA finals] to beat him and I got my dream I guess." DeSanto was named the event's Outstanding Wrestler. Meanwhile, Spencer Lee's father offered an explanation of his son's injury and how it did not stop him from wrestling. "He didn't want his career to end in a doctor's office," Larry Lee said. "I'm proud of him for making that call. We have an appointment next week to see what type of damage was done to (his knee) the last three weeks and just to see what the answer is. But no excuses, he wrestled the best he could on this day."

Brian Murphy (Photo/Michigan Sports Information) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan senior Brian Murphy has withdrawn from the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships due to injury, head coach Joe McFarland announced Friday (March 10). Murphy, a 2015 NCAA All-American, was slotted as the No. 10 seed at 157 pounds. "Obviously, we're extremely disappointed for Brian," said McFarland. "This is not how anyone wants to end their collegiate career, but we all agreed that the risk of further injury was too great. Brian has been a great captain this season and has been a leader in our program throughout his career. Though he won't be on the mat, our team can count on his continued leadership next week in St. Louis." Murphy took fourth place at the Big Ten Championships last weekend (March 4-5) to qualify for his fourth straight NCAA appearance. The injury occurred in the closing seconds of his third-place match against Nebraska's Tyler Berger. Murphy ends his collegiate career with a 75-38 record, including a 16-8 mark this season. He had won 10 of his last 12 matches, including victories over Rutgers' John Van Brill, Central Michigan's Colin Heffernan, Wisconsin's T.J. Ruschell, North Carolina State's Thomas Bullard, Purdue's Alex Griffin and Nebraska's Berger -- all in the NCAA field at 157 pounds. Murphy placed in the top five in all four appearances at the Big Ten Championships, including a third-place finish last season, and claimed NCAA All-America honors with a seventh-place finish as a sophomore in 2015.

Any wrestling fan will tell you that the final night of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships is one of the most exciting sporting events in the world. However, at the 2017 edition of the tournament, there are several bouts in the first round that will likely bring the fans to their feet in St. Louis. Below is a look at the best first-round matchup in each weight class. 125: Dylan Peters (UNI) vs. No. 4 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) Even though he went only 8-6 this season, Peters is a two-time All-American. That is a pretty tough draw for Cruz, the fourth seed, who has beaten everyone he faced this season not named No. 6 Nick Suriano (Penn State) or No. 5 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota). 133: No. 13 Earl Hall (Iowa State) vs. Pat D'Arcy (Princeton) Hall had a tough season after being granted an extra year of eligibility. He lost 10 matches this past season, which is more than he has lost in a season since 2014. Hall did manage to defeat the likes of No. 14 Mitch McKee (Minnesota), No 18 Jamal Morris (NC State) and 12th-seeded 125-pounder Sean Fausz (NC State). D'Arcy went only 15-14 for the Tigers, but he should be a good early test to see if Hall is ready to go out with an All-American run. 141: Ryan Diehl (Maryland) vs. No. 4 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) Diehl did not become a starter for the Terps until February, and he did not really make a lot of noise until the Big Ten Championships. However, in that bracket, he took decisions over Topher Carton (Iowa) and 14th-seeded Tommy Thorn (Minnesota). He also scored a 46-second fall over Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State). The former PIAA state champion might finally be living up to the hype that was heaped upon him following high school victories over NCAA runner-ups Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) and Jason Nolf (Penn State). Diehl will certainly be facing a tough challenge in Kolodzik, who has been downright dominant this season. The EIWA champion put up a 27-2 record with multiple wins over ranked wrestlers. Sahid Kargbo of George Mason enters the NCAAs with a 27-3 record 149: Sahid Kargbo (George Mason) vs. No. 3 Lavion Mayes (Missouri) Mayes is the clear favorite in this one, but he should not look past Kargbo. The Patriot wrestler came into this season with a 43-27 career record but ended up having a breakout senior season, compiling a 27-3 record heading into St. Louis. He dropped a pair of matches against No. 8 Pat Lugo (Edinboro) and fell to No. 16 Alfred Bannister (Maryland) in a marathon overtime match. 157: No. 9 Joshua Shields (Arizona State) vs. Ryan Mosley (Gardner Webb) The first round at 157 pounds features a matchup between the Pac-12 champion and the SoCon champion. Shields had a strong season for the Sun Devils. He went 30-7 and knocked off No. 13 Clark Glass (Oklahoma), Victor Lopez (Bucknell), No. 14 John Van Brill (Rutgers) and No. 10 Brian Murphy (Michigan). Mosley entered the SoCon tournament as the fourth seed but managed to upset Aaron Walker (The Citadel) in the semifinals and Austin Kraisser (Campbell) in the finals. 165: Johnny Sebastian (Northwestern) vs. No. 5 Chad Walsh (Rider) Walsh is the rightful favorite in this bout. The Rider junior went 29-4 this season and scored bonus points in 64 percent of his matches. Sebastian went 22-8 but showed he can be a live underdog. In the first round of the Big Tens, he faced two-time champion No. 1 Isaiah Martinez of Illinois. Even though he lost, Sebastian had his moments in a bout that ended up with 37 total points on the scoreboard. VT's Zach Eppery has beaten NC State's Nick Reenan twice this season (Photo/HokieSports.com) 174: Nick Reenan (NC State) vs. No. 4 Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) Reenan earned an at-large berth after going 21-11 in his true freshman season for the Wolfpack. He has faced Epperly twice already this season with Hokie wrestler taking the victory both times. In their first bout, Epperly narrowly escaped with a 5-3 victory in a back-and-forth contest. The two met again at the ACC Championships, with Epperly winning 4-1 in the semifinals. 184: No. 8 Jack Dechow (ODU) vs. Dylan Gabel (Northern Colorado) Dechow has not been able to get back on the podium since finishing fourth as a freshman. Now, the senior has one last crack at it. This season he went 28-3 with victories over No. 16 seed Jordan Ellingwood (CMU), No. 13 seed Bryce Carr (Chattanooga) and No. 10 seed Michael Macchiavello (NC State). Gabel reached the finals of the Big 12 Championships before falling to No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State). On the season, he went 24-9 with a 73 percent bonus rate. 197: Brett Harner (Princeton) vs. No. 7 Aaron Studebaker, Nebraska Studebaker comes into this bout with a much higher ranking and seed. However, these two have a history. Over the last two seasons, Harner and Studebaker have faced off three times. Studebaker won a pair in overtime, while Harner won the other match via first-period fall. If history holds this one will be another dramatic finish. 285: Joey Goodhart (Drexel) vs. No. 10 Nathan Butler (Stanford) Butler managed to receive the No. 10 seed, while Goodhart was randomly drawn in. The two faced off in January during a dual meet between their respective schools. Goodhart managed to escape with a 4-3 victory. Goodhart went on to finish second at the EIWA tournament, while Butler placed third at the Pac 12 tournament.

The NCAA Wrestling Committee went to work this week making at-large selections and seeding the tournament at each of the 10 weight classes. Overall, a job well done. Few complaints on who was left out of the tournament and even fewer on the seeding. Mostly the process went as planned -- plenty of GIFs on Twitter and no controversy. And while we could be blissful that the NCAAs system allotted and organized a mostly correct batch of individuals for the tournament, the system itself remained a target, and for good reason. The NCAA system for selecting and seeding wrestlers is opaque and unnecessarily subjective. As we've seen with issues of amateurism and pay-to-play appeals, the NCAA (like any closed club) restricts information. Athletes, parents and fans are treated as potential sources of income, and thus, of friction. The NCAA's campaign to restrict information is probably best seen in basketball's selection process, but is mirrored well in wrestling. Wrestling may even be the murkier of the two sports, with a challenge and review process hidden from fans in the arena. Like the most controversial calls on the mat, the discussion of administration off the mat are hidden from the public eye. But why? Shouldn't transparency be the best avenue forward for any educational organization? The NCAA is an organization directly supported by its members, most of whom are publicly funded universities. That means your state and federal tax dollars help to, at least in part, fund the organization which will then not allow you to see how the sausage is made. Why? Is there anything to hide? I don't doubt the individuals on the committee have the best interest of wrestling in mind. This is not an indictment of them or recent decisions. However, we can't be left to stand by and not question why in 2017 we still have bureaucrats in a closed-door meeting making decisions that belong to more than them alone. We live in a time that demands more clarity, not less. I hope that the NCAA prioritizes truth and transparency in the future and either adjusts the qualification system for wrestling and makes it totally objective, or at the very least opens the selection process for total and complete public review. To your questions … Q: I'm still trying to figure out what's up with Kevin Dresser. I watched much of the ACC tournament on the computer and did not see him or hear any discussion about him. In your mailbag you speculated that Dresser would be at the ACCs. Then, during the Big 12 finals (on TV), no mention of him. Since Iowa State did not have a finalist, I never got to see who was coaching. Was Dresser there? Or is Kevin Jackson still in charge? The whole bad boy Pat Downey situation is puzzling also. Hadn't Jackson already retired and Dresser been hired when Jackson dismissed Downey from the team? How did that work? -- Mike J. Foley: Kevin Jackson had chosen to step aside after he stepped down, and right about the time Kevin Dresser was hired. Travis Paulson was named the interim coach for the postseason. Dresser was not the coach at Iowa State, nor was he in the corner for Virginia Tech. I called the ACC tournament, so admittedly I was unable to check ever crevice of the facility, but from my understanding Dresser was not at the event. Though he was rumored to be appearing, it's not difficult to imagine that the coaching staff asked that he hold off on attending. Or not … it's difficult to dig in too deep. The Virginia Tech wrestling team comes together as a team after winning the ACC title (Photo/HokieSports.com) What is obvious is that the upheaval did nothing to affect the Virginia Tech wrestling team. The athletes were in prime condition and competed better than they ever had at the ACC tournament. In a post-tournament interview, interim head coach Tony Robie resisted naming Coach Dresser by name, but did shine a light on the adversity the team faced that week. No matter how they felt as individuals the team performed. Smart money gives Virginia Tech four All-Americans, possibly five, at the NCAAs in St. Louis. Smarter money says Robie becomes the full-time head coach. As for Pat Downey … his behavior isn't worthy of thoughtful discussion. Q: Who are your picks for the individual NCAA champions? -- Gregg Y. NC State's Kevin Jack rides Lehigh's Randy Cruz (Photo/Juan Garcia) Foley: I'm betting the chalk, save 141 pounds where I think Kevin Jack of NC State will have a completely dominant NCAA tournament. Does Jack have a nickname? His build, coupled with that type of dominance, demands something. 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) 141: No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) Dylan Geick Q: What are your thoughts on high school wrestler and Columbia recruit Dylan Geick? -- Gregg Y. Foley: To catch readers up on Dylan Geick and his decision to publicly announce that he's gay, please read this article. As an athlete, Geick's a two-time state placewinner in Illinois, a state that produces a high number of NCAA Division I wrestlers and national qualifiers. He's an athletic competitor with more muscle to put on in college, but he might be a great addition at 174 pounds. Maybe 165 pounds for a season or two. Columbia is the perfect place for Dylan to study, wrestle and live openly gay. College can be the worst type of bubble, but Columbia can be an exceptionally welcoming place, despite the controversy from earlier this year. Dylan seems likable, talented and outgoing, which should bode well for creating friendships and insulating himself from naysayers. I understand that there are some in the community who'd rather not see Dylan wrestle and they have a … wait, no they don't have a point. It's 2017 and Dylan is a fully actualized human being who can chase any dream he likes: wrestling, school, career, piano and marriage. Rock on, Dylan. Insight on THAT Taleb Rahmani move By Larry S. Taleb Rahmani scores nearfall points in the ACC finalsThe move the Pitt kid did was known as a reverse double arm bar. If you look at the replay you will notice the top guy (Sal Mastriani of Virginia Tech) is not grabbing anything, just draping both arms over his opponent. That is the only way it works, if the opponent grabs a bicep or wrist you stop the move. In fact, the front headlock, used as defensive move, was taught as a counter. Any anyone who used it was deemed a cowboy in western PA in the 70s. College coaches immediately stopped you from using it, if a guy knows it is coming you literally set him up to pancake you. Remember, 40 years ago most high school wrestlers in PA wrestled 70-80 percent of the match on the mat. Only kid I ever saw let up an opponent after taking him down was Ronnie Headlee, Drew Headlee's dad -- Cary Kolat's high school coach -- and everyone talked about him as if he was a great innovator, like a Jason Nolf. TRIVIA TIME By Larry S. The only reason Coleman Scott was not a four-time PA state champion is that he could not beat his high school teammate Drew Headlee out for the starting spot at 103 pounds. So Coleman. who looked like he weighed about a 100 pounds, had to wrestle up at 112 pounds. He still made it to the semifinals, but would, in my opinion, have won at 103 pounds. I coached midgets at that time, at a neighboring high school, and based on head-to-head matches with our kids, Coleman was 4 or 5 points better, but when you grow up wrestling a kid on your team every day and he starts out beating you at age 5 … well, it's a mental thing. INTERESTING THOUGHT OF THE WEEK By @footestomper I found a report from the NCAA which indicated there were 90 challenges during the 2016 Division 1 Wrestling Championships: 20 calls were reversed, and 1 was inconclusive. Simple subtraction yields 69 were valid. Therefore 70 out of 90 resulted in no change. I'm a growing a little weary of coaches challenges during collegiate wrestling matches. Why? Because it seems to me that a lot of the challenges are made by the coach of the wrestler trailing in the match. And, it appears to being used more and more as a strategy by coaches to give their wrestler a rest, particularly when the losing wrestler is in a close match with a highly ranked opponent. It isn't difficult to for any fan to think of an example lately -- regardless of which conference championship you watched. And, it will be happening in the upcoming NCAAs. Part of the reason the highly ranked wrestler is highly ranked is superior conditioning. And, by calling for a delay in the match, this takes away one advantage of the more conditioned athlete. Proposed rule change: For conference tournaments, and the NCAA tournament, employ one extra assistant referee. If a question/challenge arises, then the 3 officials quickly meet. If 2 out of 3 agree, go with the decision. And, get back to wrestling! Also, limit coaches to a certain number of challenges (if not already in the rule book). I enjoy watching some matches where the underdog is fairly competitive for one period, maybe half way into the second, then the superior skilled and conditioned wrestler just explodes with a flurry of points. I do not enjoy watching when a coach notices that his wrestler is getting tired, and then jumps on the first opportunity to question a call, resulting in a much-needed rest for their wrestler.

Jakob Bergeland, a University of Minnesota recruit, will compete at the "War at West Gym" (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum will be the site of the weigh-ins for the first-ever "War at West Gym" wrestling event on Saturday, March 11 at noon, the facility announced Thursday. The weigh-in is open to the public at the museum, located at 303 Jefferson St. in downtown Waterloo, Iowa, which will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission. "War at West Gym" is a brand-new event where some of the top amateur wrestlers in the state of Iowa will face off against each other, or take on other talented wrestlers from across the nation. In addition, the main event of the evening will feature two former college wrestlers with Iowa roots: Kyven Gadson, 2015 NCAA champ for Iowa State and Waterloo East High alum, taking on Blaize Cabell, former UNI Panther wrestler who originally hails from Independence, Iowa, in what is being described as a "professional match." "War at West Gym" will take place at the iconic West Gym at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Saturday, March 11 at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets for "War at West Gym" are $8 each in advance, or $10 at the door. Ages 4 and under are free. The West Gym hosts all Northern Iowa wrestling duals and was the site of the 1950 NCAA wrestling tournament when the host Panthers won the team title and crowned three individual NCAA champions. The West Gym also hosted the Iowa high school state wrestling championships from 1951-62. 2017 "War at West Gym" matchups: Felicity Taylor (South Winn) vs Tateum Park (Davenport North) Gable Fox (Don Bosco) vs Drake Doolittle (Webster City) Michael Millage (New Hampton) vs Cade DeVos (Southeast Polk) Bradan Birt (Western Dubuque) vs Matt Robertson (Davenport Assumption) Keaton Geerts (New Hampton) vs Jakob Bergeland (Centennial, Minnesota) Triston Lara (Fort Dodge) vs Zach Barnes (Southeast Polk) Cayd Lara (Fort Dodge) vs Issac Judge (South Tama) Austin Yant (Waverly-Shell Rock) vs Dylan Schuck (Sibley Ocheyedan) Julien Broderson (Davenport Assumption) vs Billy Higgins (Skutt Catholic, Nebraska) Brock Jennings (Osage) vs Marcus Coleman (Ames) Max Lyon (Western Dubuque) vs Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wisconsin) Aaron Costello (Western Dubuque) vs Brandon Metz (West Fargo, North Dakota) Professional matchup: Blaize Cabell (Panther Wrestling Club) vs Kyven Gadson (Cyclone Wrestling Club)

Kyle Snyder is the youngest American wrestler to win a World title and an Olympic gold medal in men's freestyle history. But not even the amazing Snyder won an NCAA title as a freshman. As a 19-year-old true freshman for Ohio State, Snyder lost by a stunning second-period fall to Iowa State's Kyven Gadson in the 2015 NCAA finals at 197 pounds. That's a prime example of how difficult it can be to win an NCAA title. That was a crushing loss for Snyder, who came back with a vengeance to win NCAAs as a sophomore in between collecting World and Olympic gold for the United States. That same year, in 2015, another Buckeye freshman did win an NCAA title. Nathan Tomasello won it all at 125 before OSU's Myles Martin followed suit last year with a surprise title as a freshman at 174. With wrestlers excelling at even younger ages now, in part because of having more opportunities internationally, freshmen annually are contenders for NCAA championships each March. This year is no exception. Here is a look at the top 10 freshmen entering next week's NCAA tournament in St. Louis. Zahid Valencia won by pin the Pac-12 finals, and enters the NCAAs undefeated (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 1. Zahid Valencia (Arizona State, 174) The top-ranked wrestler in the country and the No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament, Valencia has continued to mature and progress at an exponential rate. He's unbeaten this season at 33-0 and rolled to a Pac-12 title under Coach Zeke Jones, the former U.S. National freestyle coach. He is an aggressive wrestler who is frequently in attack mode. He will come at you with both barrels firing from the opening whistle. 2. Logan Massa (Michigan, 165) Overpowered and nearly pinned early in his Big Ten finals match against two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois, Massa somehow got off his back and managed to fight his way back into the match. Massa is another fearless, go-for-broke wrestler who is entertaining to watch. It would be a treat for fans to see Massa battle Martinez, who won titles as a freshman and sophomore, again on the big stage on Saturday night. He is seeded second. 3. Nick Suriano (Penn State, 125) Some may question how high Suriano is here, especially after he suffered an apparent ankle injury that forced him to skip Big Tens, but this kid is rock solid. He proved that when he battled Iowa's top-ranked Thomas Gilman, a senior and returning NCAA finalist, to a one-point match in front of a hostile crowd in Iowa City. Suriano is a strong and powerful wrestler with a gas tank to match. The big key, obviously, will be how he holds up physically in a grueling, three-day national tournament. He is the 3 seed in his weight class. Mark Hall reached the Big Ten finals before losing to Ohio State's Bo Jordan in overtime (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 4. Mark Hall (Penn State, 174) Hall is another wrestler who is very advanced for his age. He already owns Cadet and Junior World titles on the freestyle circuit, and he won't be intimidated by the big stage in St. Louis. Hall was pulled out of a redshirt after Christmas and the move has paid off so far as Hall has made steady gains with the Nittany Lions. Hall is a tremendous talent who definitely could be standing on top of the 174 podium this year. Expect him to come back strong from an overtime loss to two-time All-American Bo Jordan of Ohio State in the Big Ten finals. A strong showing by Hall in St. Louis could lift Cael Sanderson's crew to a sixth team title in the past seven years. He is seeded fifth for the NCAAs. 5. Michael Kemerer (Iowa, 157) He's not overly flashy, athletic or dynamic, but Kemerer is a solid, steady, consistent, hard-nosed wrestler who has been a mainstay in the Hawkeye lineup all season. His only losses are a pair of setbacks to top-ranked Jason Nolf of Penn State, and the matches weren't close. Nolf is far ahead of the rest of the pack in this class. Kemerer certainly has a shot to meet Nolf, who he has trained with and knows well, again in the national finals. He is the 2 seed at 157. OSU's Kaid Brock enters the NCAAs as the No. 3 seed at 133 pounds (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 6. Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State, 133) Here is another young stud with an outstanding pedigree. Brock came out of redshirt last year and pinned returning national champion Cody Brewer of Oklahoma before being injured. Now back and still a freshman eligibility-wise, Brock is another push-the-pace wrestler who has the type of makeup to hold up strong at his first NCAAs. This is a very strong weight class, but Brock certainly is capable of being in the top three. He beat Iowa's Cory Clark, second nationally the past two years, by a 7-6 score in a January dual. He is the 3 seed at 133. 7. Kollin Moore (Ohio State, 197) The Big Ten Freshman of the Year has an opportunity to become the third straight Buckeye freshman to win a national title. That will be a very tall order with two-time NCAA champion and Olympic bronze medalist J'den Cox in the weight class, but Moore showed his ability in knocking off top seed Brett Pfarr of Minnesota 15-11 in a wild Big Ten finals bout. Moore had lost twice to Pfarr during the regular season. He is seeded third. 8. Stevan Micic (Michigan, 133) He is thriving with the Wolverines after transferring from Northwestern, and Micic has come on late in the season. He's a proven freestyle wrestler who won a Junior World bronze medal, and he's very good on his feet. Micic lost a hard-fought 4-3 semifinal to NCAA champion and top-ranked Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State at the Big Ten tournament. Trust me, Micic is a guy you don't want to draw at nationals. He is the No. 5 seed at 133. PSU's Vincenzo Joseph defeated OSU's Chandler Rogers in the NWCA National Duals championship (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 9. Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State, 165) The studs keep rolling in and out of the powerful Nittany Lions lineup, and Joseph is a guy who often gets overshadowed by being on such a strong team. Joseph has been superb all season and he earned a big win over returning national finalist Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin in the third-place bout at Big Tens. He's another young guy who seems unfazed by competing on the big stage. He will be the 3 seed in St. Louis. 10. Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton, 141) It's always great to see kids from elite academic schools excelling on the mat as well. Kolodzik has helped lead a revival at Princeton with a stellar freshman campaign. He looked strong in winning an EIWA title and he's a wrestler that can't be overlooked at the national tournament. Kolodzik defeated two-time league champ Randy Cruz of Lehigh 3-2 in the EIWA finals. A good performance could lead to a top-four finish in a weight class where the top three NCAA finishers return. He is seeded fourth at 141. Other top freshmen to keep an eye on in St. Louis: Anthony Valencia (Arizona State, 165). He won a Pac-12 title. Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa, 149). Runner-up at MAC tournament.

Cornell's Gabe Dean leads Division I in falls (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has released the updated standings for the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. There is no change to the Division II and III standings as those respective national championships begin on Friday, while Division I standings reflect conference championship competition from last weekend. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. For falls and tech falls to be counted they must come against opponents in the same division. Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. In Division I, Penn State 149-pounder Zain Retherford slightly raises his top average to 5.52 team points per match in the race for the Most Dominant Wrestler, while a couple of falls in the EIWA Championships push Cornell 184-pounder Gabe Dean to second with 5.41 points. Austin Goergen of 2015 and 2016 national champion St. Cloud State is the leader in Division II with an average of 5.11 points as a heavyweight, while Pittsburgh-Johnstown 157-pounder Cody Law is second with 4.79 points. Three-time national champion and the 2016 Division III Most Dominant Wrestler Riley Lefever of Wabash averages 5.58 team points per match to lead all divisions. The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per match are awarded as follows. * Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss) * Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss) * Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss) * Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss) This week's Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated with a 17-match minimum against wrestlers from the same division. Dean has moved alone into first place with 17 falls this season in Division I, followed by Retherford with 16 and Rider 165-pounder Chad Walsh with 15. Tiffin heavyweight Garrett Gray and Western State 125-pounder Ronald Wardleigh each have 16 falls in Division II, with Gray holding the tiebreaker with an aggregate time of 42:53. Hunter Harris of Messiah has pulled ahead further in Division III with 30 falls this season at 133 pounds, five more than his nearest competitor. Virginia 125-pounder Jack Mueller and Wisconsin heavyweight Connor Medbery both have 11 technical falls in Division I. Mueller holds the tiebreaker with an aggregate time of 43:02 to 51:20 for Medbery. Illinois 165-pounder Isaiah Martinez and Lock Haven 141-pounder Ronald Perry each have 10. Nic Goebel of Findlay has compiled 11 tech falls in Division II, while Nicholas Fiegener of California Baptist has nine. Stephen Jarrell of Johnson & Wales (Rhode Island) has 17 tech falls at 174 pounds to hold a lead of four over Ursinus 149-pounder Alex Kramer and Messiah 174-pounder Ben Swarr. Award Standings

A rendering of the interior of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum One year after the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. experienced an extreme makeover to upgrade its facilities, its sister facility in Waterloo, Iowa -- the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum -- is expected to undergo a similar renovation to the tune of $1.4 million. "The proposed $1.4 million renovation will not only transform the facility into a state-of-the-art museum with interactive displays, but it will also feature an expanded wrestling room, teaching center and theater," according to the announcement in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Journal Spring 2017 issue. Despite the name, the facility more than a tribute to legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable. Presently, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum features exhibits showcasing wrestling at all levels, with displays that trace the history of the sport in photos, artwork, and one-of-a-kind collectibles. In addition, there's the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco Hall of Champions, the Glen Brand Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Dan Gable Teaching Center (a wrestling room for demonstrations and instruction), a research library, a video theater, and a separate section on professional wrestling. The museum's namesake, Dan Gable, weighed in with what he sees the mission of the facility now and after the renovations. A look at a floor plan for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum "It's not just a building; it's a place you want to go to, time and time again, and it never gets old," said the Iowa State wrestling champ, 1972 Olympic gold medalist, and former head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. "There are more than 110 years of wrestling on display." "With these proposed upgrades, it will be a symbol of excellence for everything -- not just for wrestling -- for people all over the world, regardless of gender or age." The NWHOF Dan Gable Museum upgrade is under the direction of Robert Buckley, who is chairman of the Hall of Fame Construction Committee, with assistance from committee members and members of the Hall of Fame staff. Exhibits are being developed by Dimensional Innovations of Kansas City, creators of the exhibit spaces and kiosks for the $3.8 million makeover of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Stillwater, which was completed in June 2016. According to the NWHOF Journal, the Wrestling Beyond the Walls Dan Gable Museum Capital Campaign "has already received a significant number of financial commitments, and is now at a critical stage of seeking the remaining donations needed to fully fund and start construction on the $1.4 million project." Those in the wrestling community who wish to contribute to this effort may call the NWHOF Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745. In 2010, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame absorbed the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, which had previously been operated by the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum. That museum had originally opened in 1998 in Newton, Iowa prior to moving to Gable's hometown in 2006.

The team race at the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships is expected to be a very close. The question everyone is asking is who will win the team title in St. Louis? After getting the brackets Wednesday evening, I sat down and analyzed how things may play out next week. Here are five reasons Penn State will not win the NCAA title in St. Louis. PSU's Nick Suriano earned the No. 3 seed at 125 pounds despite defaulting at Big Tens (Photo/Juan Garcia) Reason 1: Nick Suriano's health Coming into the season, Nick Suriano was expected to make an immediate impact ... and he did. Many people had him pegged as a potential NCAA finalist, and he looked to be on his way before suffering an injury in his final regular season match against Oklahoma State. After how he appeared at the Big Ten Championships just a few days ago, it's hard to envision him scoring any points for the Nittany Lions. Suriano, as tough as he is, was limping to the mat just to give an injury default. It was also reported he has been on crutches ever since hurting his foot in the dual meet against Oklahoma State. With only a week until the NCAAs it would be hard to picture even a fifty percent Nick Suriano next Thursday. Without Suriano, this changes the whole dynamic of the team race and opens the door for Oklahoma State 125-pounder Nick Piccininni. Looking at the brackets, Piccininni will have a hard round of 16 bout against Josh Rodriguez of North Dakota State, who he just beat in double overtime in the Big 12 finals. If he is to get by that match he will match up with No. 1 Thomas Gilman of Iowa, who is undefeated on the season. Piccininni's consolation road is where the Cowboys could score major points as he will likely face American's Josh Terao and Nebraska's Tim Lambert, which are both winnable matches for the Cowboy 125-pounder that would push him into the third-place match. PSU's Jimmy Gulibon battles OSU's Dean Heil at the NWCA National Duals (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Reason 2: Penn State will score minimal points at the first three weights This somewhat coincides with the first reason, Nick Suriano's health, but it also relates to having no NCAA qualifier at 133 pounds, and a Jimmy Gulibon (141) that doesn't look like the old Jimmy. Gulibon was pinned three times at the Big Tens, resulting in him taking eighth place. Gulibon will open his NCAA tournament with Michigan State's Javier Gasca III, one of the wrestlers who pinned him at the Big Tens. If he drops his first match to Gasca, Gulibon could face Maryland's Ryan Diehl, who also pinned him at the Big Tens. I feel these minimal points at the first three weight classes will come back to bite the Nittany Lions as the team with the best shot to knock them off went 28-2 in their conference tournament. Reason 3: Oklahoma State brings all 10 wrestlers to St. Louis Not only is Oklahoma State bringing all 10 of its wrestlers to the NCAAs, but realistically speaking, all 10 could place in St. Louis. All 10 of Oklahoma State's starters are seeded in the top nine. The only one that is seeded outside the coveted All-American spot of eighth is Chandler Rogers at 165 pounds. As many know, Rogers is capable of pulling off upsets and electrifying the arena. He has a win this season over Missouri's Daniel Lewis, who is the sixth seed in the field. The fact that the Cowboys have "ten bullets in the chamber" will help them push by Penn State in the team race next week. OSU's Joe Smith won a Big 12 title in dominant fashion, and is seeded No. 5 in St. Louis (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Reason 4: Joe Smith is BACK This season has not been the best season of Joe Smith's career. Last season he had everyone's attention in the wrestling world when he wrestled both national finalists, Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) and Jason Nolf (Penn State), to close bouts. After finishing in seventh place at last year's NCAA tournament, Joe Smith got off to a rocky start in his sophomore campaign. However, last weekend at the Big 12 Championships, Smith looked to be back to form as he went on to win the title without surrendering a point throughout the tournament. Even his father and head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys was quoted as saying, "I saw some things in him that he had not did all year." Smith is a huge cog for the Cowboys coming into St. Louis and they will need him to wrestle to or above his No. 5 seed next week. Reason 5: NCAA finalist potential Oklahoma State may not have sure-fire NCAA finalists like Penn State does with their one-two punch at 149/157, or Ohio State does with Olympic champion Kyle Snyder, but the Cowboys do have potential to push wrestlers through to the finals on Saturday night. Although the Cowboys do have returning NCAA champion Dean Heil (141), he is viewed by many as one of the most likely No. 1 seeds to fall before the finals. Despite that, Heil has been undefeated this season and has to be the favorite going into NCAAs to win the 141-pound championship. In addition to Heil, the Cowboys also have finalist potential at 149 pounds with Anthony Collica as the No. 2 seed, and Kaid Brock as the No. 3 seed at 133 pounds. Collica has been rock-solid all season, losing only to Zain Retherford of Penn State and third-seeded Lavion Mayes of Missouri. Mayes is someone Collica has gone back-and-forth with in the past. They are 1-1 against each other this season, and it's a match that is considered by most a tossup. Brock is coming off a close loss in the Big 12 finals to South Dakota State's Seth Gross, who is seeded No. 2. The two would meet in the semifinals on Friday night, and Brock could very well could flip the script and punch his ticket into Saturday night's NCAA championship match. Summary I expect the team race to be neck-and-neck between Penn State and Oklahoma State. Penn State's sure-fire NCAA finalists and bonus point machines will be tough for the Cowboys to match, but I believe the depth of the Cowboys will pay huge dividends come next weekend. One or two matches either way could make the difference in which team is hoisting the first place trophy in the middle of the Scottrade Center on Saturday night, and which team is wondering what could have been. All we can do now is wait and see.

The NCAAs take place in St. Louis (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The brackets have been released for the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The event takes place March 16-18 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Link: Brackets

The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in each weight class for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were announced this afternoon. The brackets will be released at 6 p.m. ET as part of the NCAA Division I Selection Show. Below are the top two seeds in each weight class. 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) No. 2 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin)

West Virginia University's Jake Smith will not be competing at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, it was announced on Wednesday. Jake Smith (Photo/WVUSports.com)Smith, who is ranked No. 8 by InterMat at 197 pounds, suffered a lower leg injury in the finals of the Big 12 Championships. He was examined by the medical staff at the Big 12 Championships, and then at WVU when he returned to Morgantown. It was determined that he would be out for the remainder of the season. "We would like to thank the Big 12 medical staff as well as our medical staff for their professionalism in handling the situation," said WVU head wrestling coach Sammie Henson. "We are saddened that Jake will not be able to represent West Virginia and cap off an exceptional season on the national scene." Smith, who competed at the NCAAs in 2015 and 2016, finishes his junior season with a 20-5 record.

In this last weekend of the scholastic wrestling season for 2016-17, two state championships are on the docket. The one in Ohio, and this one in Pennsylvania. On an annual basis, the nation's most robust state tournament classification is the big-school division (Class AAA) in the Keystone State. This year is zero exception, as more than half of the weight classes (eight) feature multiple nationally ranked wrestlers. The small-school tournament (Class AA) has three such weight classes. Class AAA also features four nationally ranked teams: No. 9 Bethlehem Catholic, No. 10 Nazareth, No. 23 Kiski Area, and No. 48 Northampton. The championship will most likely come down to Bethlehem Catholic and Nazareth. The ninth-ranked Hawks, who were runner-up at the dual team event, bring ten wrestlers with them to Hershey after going 6-0 in the go-to-state round this past weekend. Dual team champs Nazareth qualified six, all of whom won their regional tournament; however, the Blue Eagles saw a pair of returning state qualifiers - Ryan O'Grady (120) and Tyler Tarsi (126) - lose go-to-state bouts. The extra scattering of wins that Bethlehem Catholic can pick up should make the difference, as both Lehigh Valley powers have similar strength at the top of their rosters. Also qualifying six was Northampton, which features a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. The Konkrete Kids just may be the favorites to finish in third place. Kiski Area qualified five wrestlers, but they are much more a dual meet team than one that is strong in power tournaments. The team that could derail Northampton for third is probably North Allegheny, which qualified five to state, including a pair ranked within the top three nationally. In Class AA, No. 50 Reynolds dominated their way to the dual team title. Qualifying ten to state, including six regional champions, their journey to double state titles should be a cake walk. An interesting change to note for the state tournament this year in the Keystone State is how the state tournament pairings are being completed. Instead of being 100% random with the exception if a pair of state champions win regional titles, this year the PIAA has implemented a ranking scheme for the regional champions (Class AAA has five regions, Class AA has four to feed into the 20-man brackets). The ranking scheme is based on a combination of prior year state placement and current year record. Upon the ranking of the regional champions, the other qualifiers from each region are populated on the brackets as per previous protocol/formula. The eleven weight classes featuring multiple ranked wrestlers are as follows. Class 3A: 132 pounds The Keystone state is known for robust state weight classes with extreme depth. Nowhere is that more the case than in this weight class that features FOUR nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 11 Cole Manley (Altoona), No. 17 K.J. Fenstermacher (Northampton), and No. 19 Zack Trampe (Council Rock south) are the top three ranked regional champions in the first year of the new state draw structure in Pennsylvania. Manley is in the upper half-bracket, while Fenstermacher and Trampe are in the lower half-bracket. The fourth nationally ranked wrestler is No. 18 Jimmy Hoffman (Hazleton), who lost by fall in overtime against Fenstermacher in the regional final, which will place him in a round of 16 match against regional champion Caleb Morris (Waynesburg), who also was runner-up at the Powerade in late December. The winner would then likely face Wyatt Long (Cumberland Valley) in the quarterfinal, who upended 2015 state placer Andrew Wert (Central Dauphin) to win his regional title. Wert will face two-time state placer Hunter Baxter (Pine Richland) in a round of 16 match, which feeds into the Fenstermacher quarter. Trampe is most likely to clear to the semi, though a round of 16 match against returning state placer Job Chishko (Penn Trafford) is notable. For Manley, his most likely obstacle before the semis would come from Jared Papcsy (Bethelehem Catholic) in the quarterfinal. Class 3A: 220 pounds There are three nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class, however none is the highest ranked of the regional champions. That distinction goes to Evan Callahan (Bethlehem Freedom), who finished sixth at state last year. Two of the three nationally ranked wrestlers were regional champions, No. 11 Francis Duggan (Cedar Cliff) and No. 12 Brian Kennerly (Upper Darby); Duggan is second ranked on the bracket, as he placed seventh at 195, while Kennerly was only a qualifier at 195 and is ranked third. Duggan and Kennerly occupy the regional champion positions in the bottom half of the bracket. Duggan is looking at a likely quarterfinal against Billy Korber (Belle Vernon Area), while the undefeated Kennerly is most likely to see Powerade placer Nathan Feyrer (Parkland) in that quarterfinal round. The other nationally ranked wrestler in this class is No. 13 Joe Doyle (Council Rock South), fourth last year at the state tournament in the 195 class, but fell by a 3-2 score to Kennerly in the regional final. Doyle finds himself looking at a quarterfinal date with Callahan, where the winner is likely to clear to the final. There is an additional returning placer in this weight class, Jesse Enck (Daniel Boone) who was seventh at state in this weight last year. His lone loss on the season came in the regional final to Duggan, and is now looking at a round of 16 match against regional champion Ian Edenfield (Laurel Highlands); that winner advancing to the other quarter of the Callahan/Doyle half, most likely against regional champion Pete Haffner (State College). Class 3A: 120 pounds No. 2 Julian Chlebove (Northampton) and No. 9 Matt Parker (Pennridge). They are also the top two ranked regional champions on the bracket. The third ranked regional champion is returning state placer Vincent DiStefanis (Hempfield Area). The other two regional winners are Zurich Storm (New Oxford) and Tyler Dilley (St. Mary's), both in the Chlebove half. Super 32 placer Logan Macri (Canon-McMillan) is looking at a quarterfinal match with Chlebove after losing to DiStefanis in the regional final; 2015 state placer Aidan Burke (Council Rock North) draws Dilley in the round of 16; two-time state placer Luke Werner (Bethlehem Liberty) is likely to face DiStefanis in a quarterfinal; while two-time state placer Chris Wright (Central Dauphin) is looking at a quarterfinal against Parker after losing the regional final to Storm. Class 3A: 126 pounds No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) and No. 4 Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township). They are also the top two ranked regional champions on the bracket. Lee is seeking to cap off an undefeated career with four state titles, while two-time state placer DeSanto is on a "vision quest" after finishing runner-up to Lee last year. The third ranked regional champion is two-time state placer Jakob Campbell (Boyertown), who is on the DeSanto half; while Super 32 placer Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic) and Garrett Rigg (Bald Eagle Area) are the champ/champ quarter in the Lee half. Three-time state placer Chandler Olson (Shippensburg) draws into a round of 16 match against Anderson after losing by major decision to DeSanto in the regional final; assuming a preliminary round win, returning state placer Patrick Gould (East Stroudsburg South) would face Campbell in the round of 16, the winner of which likely faces returning state placer Noah Levett (Kiski Area) in the quarterfinal; DeSanto could face returning state placer Noah Myers (Mifflin County) in the quarterfinal. Class 3A: 138 pounds No. 2 Sammy Sasso (Nazareth) and No. 15 Colin Cronin (Upper Darby) are the first and third ranked regional champions. The junior phenom Sasso has two state tournament losses in his career, in the final to Lee as a freshman and a one-point match in last year's champ/champ quarterfinal against Luke Pletcher, which catalyzed the changed bracket structure. Super 32 placer Cronin placed fourth at state last year in this weight class, while the second ranked regional champion is Luke Kemerer (Hempfield Area), who was third at 132. The one roadblock to a Cronin vs. Kemerer semifinal would come in the form of a likely quarterfinal for Cronin against three-time state placer Dan Moran (Northampton), who was a regional runner-up to Sasso. While there is no true challenger to Sasso in the upper half of the draw, the weight class's other returning state placer is Seth Koleno (Bald Eagle Area), and he could meet Sasso in the semifinal. Class 2A: 138 pounds No. 5 Max Murin (Central Cambria) and No. 11 Cole Matthews (Reynolds) are the top two ranked regional champions on the bracket. Each won a state title in 2015, but fell victim to Brian Courtney's reign of terror at last year's state tournament. Murin is undefeated on the season, while Powerade champion Matthews lost in the Ironman final. 2014 state placer Sammy Hepler (Tri-Valley), a NHSCA Juniors runner-up last year, is the other regional champion in the half-bracket with Matthews. Class 3A: 160 pounds No. 2 Eric Hong (North Allegheny) and No. 7 Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County). The undefeated Hidlay is a two-time Super 32 placer and was a state runner-up last year, so he's the top ranked regional champion in this weight. Returning state placers Josh Stillings (Pennridge) and Jonah Barley (Penn Manor) are the second and third ranked regional champions respectively, so they occupy the bottom half of the draw. Lacking any "prestige" criteria, since he came over from National Preps, the undefeated Hong is stuck in the same half-bracket as Hidlay. Furthermore, that will drag two-time state placer Zach Hartman (Belle Vernon), runner-up to Hong at the regional meet, into a likely quarterfinal against Stillings; the winner of which should face Barley in the semi. Hong is most likely looking at a quarterfinal against returning state qualifier Quentin Milliken (Cumberland Valley), who should beat regional champion Cade Wilson (Nazareth) in the round of 16; Hidlay is clear to the semi basically. Class 3A: 182 pounds No. 2 Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park) and No. 4 Travis Stefanik (Nazareth) are the top two ranked regional champions. Returning runner-up Bonaccorsi is undefeated on the season, while returning third Stefanik lost in the Ironman and Beast finals. The third ranked regional champion is returning state placer Drew Peck (Chambersburg), also a Super 32 placer, which puts him in Stefanik's half. Returning state placer Kevin Edwards (Avon Grove) is a likely quarterfinal opponent for Stefanik after losing in the regional final to Elijah Jones (Boyertown), who is one of the two regional champions in the other quarter of the Bonaccorsi half. Undefeated sophomore Cole Urbas (State College) is that other wrestler, and he has a win over Peck on the season. Class 2A: 195 pounds No. 6 Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville) and No. 20 Anthony Walters (Bishop McCort) are the top two ranked regional champions, Hoffman won state last year in this weight class with Walters a runner-up two weights below. Each is a junior and a two-time state placer. It would be a major shock if these two wrestlers did not meet in the Saturday afternoon championship bout. Class 2A: 220 pounds No. 14 Josiah Jones (Bishop McCort) and No. 15 Cole Nye (Bishop McDevitt) are the nationally ranked wrestlers. As the defending state champion, Nye is the top ranked regional champion. Two-time state placer Blake Reynolds (Greenville), fourth last year at 195, is the second ranked of the regional champions; however, he did not compete during the season prior to the state series. Third ranked of the regional champions, which puts him in the Reynolds half, is returning state runner-up Jones; Jones is 25-3 with all three losses coming to nationally ranked opposition. Returning state placer Devin Fontanez (Saucon Valley), regional runner-up to Nye, is a likely quarterfinal opponent for Jones; while returning state qualifier Tyler Cook (Brookville), regional runner-up to Reynolds, is probably the closes thing to a threat in the Nye half. Class 3A: 285 pounds No. 11 Niko Camacho (Bethlehem Catholic) and No. 18 Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan). Returning state placer Camacho is the top ranked regional champion, while the next two in the bracket rankings are returning state placer Kawaun Deboe (Cathedral Prep) and the undefeated Michael Wolfgram (Central York). As a result, Super 32 champion Furman finds himself in the champ/champ quarter in the half-bracket with Camacho; luckily it would emerge as a shock if those two did not meet in the Saturday morning semifinal. Returning state placer Isaac Reid (Kiski Area), sixth last year and runner-up to Furman at the regional meet, is likely to face returning state eighth Deboe in the quarters. Other nationally ranked wrestlers across the two tournaments are as follows. Class 3A: 106 pounds: No. 8 Andrew Cerniglia (Nazareth) is the fifth ranked regional champion due to being a freshman with five losses, though most of his season was up at 113 pounds. He is in the same half as top ranked regional champion Doug Zapf (Downington West), a returning state qualifier. Class 3A: 113 pounds: No. 2 Sam Hillegas (North Hills) is the third ranked regional champion as an undefeated freshman. In his half-bracket are regional champion J.J. Wilson (Cedar Cliff), a returning state qualifier along with returning state placers in Brandon Meredith (Spring-Ford) and Geo Barzona (Central Mountain); those three wrestlers populate the opposite quarter. The top ranked regional champion is returning state qualifier Matt Wilde (Boyertown), who is in the same half as returning state runner-up Lewis Newell (Seneca Valley), regional runner-up to Hillegas. Among those in the other quarter of Wilde's half is returning state placer Dalton Rohrbaugh (Spring Grove), regional runner-up to Wilson. Class 2A: 113 pounds: No. 20 Jaret Lane (Southern Columbia) seeks a repeat state title and is the top ranked regional champion. There are three other returning state placers in this weight class, though none is a true threat to the undefeated Lane. Class 2A: 126 pounds: No. 2 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan) is extremely favored to remain undefeated for his career through a third state title in this his junior season. Last year's runner-up to Teasadale, Kollin Meyers (Boiling Springs) is stuck in the same half bracket, opposite quarter of Teasdale, after losing at the regional meet; he draws returning state placer Joseph Klock (Benton) in the round of 16. The opposite half is anchored by returning state placer Brian Earlston (Lime Mountain). Class 2A: 132 pounds: No. 7 Brian Courtney (Athens) is an extreme favorite to repeat as state champion. There is a quarterfinal against returning state placer Tanner McHugh (Tamaqua). The undefeated Gabe Miller (Penns Valley) anchors the lower half. Class 3A: 145 pounds: No. 1 Jarod Verkleeren (Hempfield Area) is the fourth ranked regional champion since he did not wrestle in last year's state tournament series due to a weight management issue. Verkleeren's lone loss this season came up a weight class in a dual meet against Cameron Coy, and he was a Super 32 champion before the season started. His likely semifinal is against returning state runner-up Brock Wilson (Nazareth). The lower bracket features likely quarterfinal matches as follows: 2014 state placer Riley Palmer (Council Rock South), a regional champion, against two-time state placer Jake Hinkson (North Allegheny); undefeated two-time state placer Brock Port (Bellefonte) against Super 32 placer and returning state placer Joey Blumer (Kiski Area); Hinkson and Blumer finished third and second respectively to Verkleeren at the regional. Class 3A: 152 pounds: No. 2 Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford) seeks a third state title in four years, and is the top ranked regional champion. Returning state placers Chase Stephens (Coatesville) and Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep) are the regional champions in the bottom half, while freshmen phenom Gerrit Nijenhius (Canon-McMillan) looms as a quarterfinal opponent for Starocci. Class 3A: 170 pounds: No. 2 Michael Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic) is undefeated and prohibitively favored to repeat as state champion. The weight class features no other returning state placers. Class 2A: 170 pounds: No. 7 Jacob Oliver (Huntingdon) is favored to repeat as state champion. No other returning placer is in his half, though freshman talent Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia) looks as a probable semifinal opponent. Returning state placer Dalton Group (Susquenita) and Ironman placer Jared Leise (Reynolds) are the regional champions in the other half-bracket, while returning state placer Justin McCoy (Chestnut Ridge) is a likely quarterfinal match for Leise. Class 3A: 195 pounds: No. 3 Jacob Woodley (North Allegheny) has been most excellent this season, and is favored to repeat as state champion. His half bracket features zero returning state placers. The only other state placer in the weight is two-time state eighth Eli Grape (Upper St. Clair), who was regional runner-up to Woodley. Grape has a likely quarterfinal against Junior double All-American Miles Lee (South Philadelphia), while the other semifinalist down low will most likely come from a round of 16 match between Ethan Laird (General McLane) and Colin McCracken (Waynesburg).

The last weekend of the scholastic wrestling season across America is upon us, with only two states remaining to determine their state champions. One of those events is being held in the Buckeye State tomorrow through Saturday at Value City Arena on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. The big-school division (Division I) tournament is strong as it has been in a significant amount of time with eight nationally ranked teams and six weight classes containing multiple nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 3 St. Edward is the clear favorite to win the Division I state title, as the Eagles have qualified a tournament high 13 wrestlers in the bracket. They are seeking a third straight title, which would be a sixth in seven years and a 19th in 21 seasons. No. 14 Elyria and No. 18 Olentangy Liberty each qualified ten wrestlers to the state tournament, while No. 16 Massillon Perry and No. 49 Cincinnati LaSalle each have nine in the brackets. No. 31 Wadsworth and No. 36 Mason have eight, Cincinnati Elder qualified seven to state, while No. 37 Brecksville has six in the tournament. Within Division II, No. 5 St. Paris Graham is the obvious favorite to win a 17th straight state title, and the Falcons could possibly triple the point total of the runner-up team. They have 11 in the state brackets. Second place is likely to be contested between two-time dual team runner-up Wauseon (seven qualifiers), last year's individual tournament runners-up Canfield (six qualifiers), Carrollton (six qualifiers), and CVCA (four qualifiers, but three potential finalists). In the small-school competition, Mechanicsburg is likely to win its first ever state wrestling title in Division III. Even though the Indians lost narrowly in the dual team state semifinals, they have the most individual firepower with three projected state champions and two others expected to finish in the top three. Contenders for second include Oak Harbor (seven qualifiers, all district finalists), Genoa (five qualifiers, a trio projected to finish in the top three), and dual team state champion Milan Edison (six qualifiers). Qualifying a tournament high of eight was dual team state runner-up Tuslaw. Across the three tournaments, there are seven weight classes with multiple nationally ranked wrestlers present (six in Division I, one in Division II). Division I: 106 pounds A trio of nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this big-school division opening weight class. Due to no wrestler being a returning top three in the state finisher, the draw here is completely random. It just happens that No. 3 Lucas Byrd (Cincinnati LaSalle) and No. 4 Julian Tagg (Brecksville) are the district champions in the same bracket; Byrd placed seventh in this weight last year as a freshman. These two wrestlers have split matches on the season, Tagg winning in the Ironman final in overtime, while Byrd earned an 8-4 victory in the late December finals meeting at Brecksville. Both wrestlers have earned at least a victory over the third of the ranked wrestlers, No. 12 Mick Burnett (Elyria), who is sitting in the opposite half. Byrd beat Burnett 3-1 in the quarterfinal at Brecksville, while Tagg has two wins over Burnett, 4-3 in the Ironman semifinal and a 4-1 tiebreaker in the Bill Dies Memorial final in mid-January. Burnett is looking at a quarterfinal against returning state placer Zach Shupp (Fairfield), sixth in this weight last year, who has lot narrow matches to Byrd the last two weeks in the sectional and district finals. The semifinal for Burnett or Shupp would most likely be against freshman Logan Agin (Lancaster), a Super 32 placer who won his district. In the upper half-bracket, Tagg is mostly clear to the semifinal, while Byrd is looking at a quarterfinal against Cadet freestyle All-American Angelo Rini (St. Edward), an opponent he beat semi-comfortably in a late January dual meet. Division I: 152 pounds Another weight with three of the nation's top twelve wrestlers, with the added attraction of a potential state champ vs. state champ finals bout. One of the biggest moments of the scholastic wrestling season came the first Saturday of February when No. 4 Jaden Mattox (Central Crossing) made an absolute statement during the Rieman Invitational at Delaware Hayes. He knocked off nationally ranked 145 pound wrestler Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman) by a 14-5 major decision in the semifinal, before out-lasting No. 5 David Carr (Massillon Perry) in the championship bout. Both Mattox and Carr are juniors with a pair of state finals appearances, Mattox won state last year while Carr has a pair of titles; last year's title for Carr came in another champ-champ showdown when he beat Demas. In the district final this past Saturday, Mattox upended No. 12 Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty) by a 1-0 score. This was the second straight year that Mattox beat Brady at the district level, though the previous year at 132 it was in the semifinal round; Brady placed fourth at state last year, but was third at this year's Ironman and (competing at 145) fifth at the Super 32 Challenge. As a result, Mattox and Carr were seeded into opposite half-brackets. Brady is in Carr's half on the basis of finishing second to Mattox in the district tournament, and the draw has made the Brady vs. Carr match a quarterfinal bout on Friday morning. Division I: 170 pounds This is the third weight class in the big-school division for Ohio that features three nationally ranked wrestlers, though all are in the lower portion of the rankings. Returning state runners-up No. 17 Trevor Lawson (Olentangy Liberty) and No. 19 Joey Baughman (Wadsworth) both won their respective district tournaments, which meant that they earned seed positions in opposite half-brackets. Baughman pinned now No. 20 Emil Soehnlen (Massillon Perry) in the district semifinal to avenge a loss in the consolation quarterfinal at the Ironman three months ago. In other common opponent results, Soehnlen has a pair of wins over Lawson on the season, 3-1 overtime in the Ironman consolation final and then last month in a dual meet via a late penalty point; while Lawson has a 2-1 victory over Baughman from mid-January. While Soehnlen has a combined 1-4 mark in two previous tournaments, there is a third wrestler with podium finishes in this weight class. That would be two-time state placer Andrew Sams (Fairfield), who placed sixth in the 152 pound weight in which Soehnlen went 1-2 last year, while also placing eighth at 126 as a freshman in 2014. Those two wrestlers are slated to meet in the quarterfinal, with the winner most likely to face Lawson in the semifinal. Baughman is relatively clear in the upper half, with a most likely semifinal against the winner of a first round battle between returning/previous state qualifiers Michael Baker (Cincinnati LaSalle) and Josiah Harrell (Licking Heights). Division II: 126 pounds No. 13 Hunter Kosco (Canal Fulton Northwest) and No. 15 Jordan Decatur (CVCA) are likely to face each other in the state final, it would be a third championship match for them this season; Kosco won in mid-January at the Top Gun, while he earned a pin this past weekend at the district tournament. A nominal challenge could come for each in the semifinal, where a returning state placer could be the opposition, state runner-up Jeff Thomas (St. Paris Graham) for Kosco, Matt Taylor (Ashland) for Decatur. Division I: 132 pounds No. 5 Zack Donathan (Mason) and No. 10 Allan Hart (St. Edward) have already met this season, Donathan winning 6-3 in the dual team semifinal; Donathan was champion at the Ironman, while Hart placed fourth. The undefeated Donathan is looking at a quarterfinal against UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Marco Regalbuto (Brecksville), and then a semifinal most likely against returning state placer Luke Hernandez (Tri-Valley). A 2015 state champion, and three-time state placer, Hart's path to the final most likely involves a semifinal against undefeated Jarrod Brezovec (Aurora), a two-time state placer. Division I: 138 pounds No. 16 Moises Guillen (Perrysburg) and No. 18 Corey Shie (Cincinnati LaSalle). Ironman champion Guillen suffered his first loss of the season in overtime during the district semi against two-time state placer Nick Henneman (Oregon Clay), an opponent he beat one month earlier; Henneman would then lose an overtime decision in the district final against returning state placer Sam Dover (St. Edward); two-time state placer Shie won his district. Guillen and Henneman occupy different quarters of the top half, while Shie and Dover are in opposite quarters of the lower half. The most viable threat to break up those semifinals comes in a first round bout for Guillen against sophomore Chris Donathan (Mason). Division I: 160 pounds No. 12 Nick Kiussis (Brunswick) and No. 16 Kyle Lawson (Olentangy Liberty). Kiussis is a three-time runner-up, and trying to avoid the ignominious distinction of being the first four-time runner-up in Buckeye State history. On the other hand, Lawson is a three-time state champion; failure to win this year would make him just the second ever three-time champ not to win their fourth while competing at the state tournament. Both wrestlers won district titles and are in opposite half-brackets. It should be noted Kiussis beat Lawson 5-3 in mid-January at the Bill Dies Memorial. Kiussis is looking at a quarterfinal against returning state placer Mike Carpenter (St. Edward), and then a semifinal against two-time state qualifier Ti'Ric Evans (Cincinnati Elder). Lawson could draw returning state placer Cody Surratt (Wadsworth), one of three wrestlers to beat Lawson this season. Past state placers Joe Koontz (Massillon Perry) and Jack Stein (Mason) meet in a first round bout in the other quarter of the Lawson half, while returning state qualifier Brendan Price (Elyria) is the district champ there. Other nationally ranked wrestlers in the tournament: Division II: 106 pounds: No. 7 Jacob Decatur (CVCA). He is the only returning state placer in the weight class. Division III: 113 pounds: No. 11 Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa). His primary challenge would come in the final against three-time state placer, and the runner-up in this weight class last year, Greg Quinn (Shadyside). Division II: 120 pounds: No. 15 Jordan Crace (St. Paris Graham). Primary challengers include two-time state placer Eric Bartos (Medina Buckeye) in a possible semifinal, and then in the final with the winner of a quarterfinal between two-time state placer Caleb Brooks (Circleville) and returning state placer Lukus Stricker (Akron Hoban). Division I: 120 pounds: No. 19 Bryce Andonian (St. Edward) is among nine past state placers in this weight bracket, which is highest among the 42 weight classes this year in Ohio. Most notable challenges would come in a possible semifinal against two-time state placer Gio DiSabato (Hilliard Davidson) and possible final against returning state champion Brendon Fenton (Elyria) or two-time state placer Colin Schuster (Mason). A match against Fenton would be a champ vs. champ final, and a rematch of the district final that Andonian won 7-6, while Schuster beat Andonian in a high scoring bout at the team state tournament last month. Division I: 126 pounds: No. 16 Matt Kazimir (St. Edward) is looking at a likely finals match against returning state runner-up Matt Fields (Walsh Jesuit). Fields beat Kazimir in the state semifinal last year 3-0, but lost to Kazimir in a preseason exhibition match; while Kazimir placed sixth at the Ironman, with Fields failing to place. Division III: 126 pounds: No. 19 Drew Mattin (Delta) seeks a third state title. His primary challenges come from a semifinal against two-time state placer Tyler Wetzel (Mechanicsburg), and a likely final against one of two returning state placers, Bruce Hrynciw (Oak Harbor) or Ruger Goeltzenleuchter (Wayne Trace). Division II: 132 pounds: No. 3 Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham) is prohibitively favored to win his third state title in as many years. Returning state runner-up Ben Pasiuk (Carrollton), who was at 106 last year as a freshman, is in the other half. Division I: 145 pounds: No. 7 Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman) is most likely going to face returning state placer Jake Marsh (Marysville) in the final for a third straight week. Demas is 3-0 against Marsh on the season, winning all the bouts by one or two points. Division II: 152 pounds: No. 14 Rocky Jordan (St. Paris Graham). The junior is prohibitively favored to win a second title in three finals appearances. The other three returning state medalists in the weight are all in one quarter of the opposite half-bracket. Division II: 160 pounds: No. 8 Georgio Poullas (Canfield) is undefeated on the season, including a title at the Ironman and is after a repeat state title. He is most likely going to face returning state placer Ashton Eyler (Claymont) in the semi and then two-time state placer Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham) in the final, Thomas placed fourth in the Ironman weight that Poullas won. Division III: 170 pounds: No. 1 Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg) is probably the state's best wrestler this season. The three-time state champion is bound for Ohio State, and has not lost since the early part of his sophomore season. Returning state runner-up Cole Draper (Mohawk) is in his quarter bracket, the only other state placer in the weight class. Even so, look for an all bonus-point journey to gold for Romero. Division III: 182 pounds: No. 17 James Handwerk (Lutheran West) is a two-time state champion, and pitted in the third of three potential champ vs. champ showdowns this weekend. Zach Steiner (Norwayne) scored a 6-3 victory over Handwerk in this past weekend's district final, while Handwerk won the battle between state champs when they met in late December's Medina Invitational final 11-5. Division I: 220 pounds: No. 5 Jared Campbell (St. Edward) is the prohibitive favorite after finishing as runner-up to Matt Stencel each of the last two seasons. Division I: 285 pounds: No. 8 Kevin Vough (Elyria) was state champion two years ago as a sophomore, before suffering defeat in last year's state final against Kameron Teacher. This year's potential state final against Duke football recruit Ben Frye (Dublin Coffman) poses a similar challenge in an athletic and mobile opponent, though Teacher was probably the more talented of the two.

Gary Pfahler, first Pennsylvania state wrestling champion for Chestnut Ridge High School in 2008, died last Thursday while in Florida. He was 26. Gary Pfahler won a state title in 2008In reporting Pfahler's death, the Altoona Mirror said that the wrestler "pulled off a shocker" at the 2008 PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state tournament, defeating returning state champ Jordan Shields of Burrell, 4-3, in the 140-pound Class 2A finals, avenging a loss at the regionals the previous year. For that achievement, the newspaper named Pfahler "Wrestler of the Year" in 2008. "It's the best feeling in the world," Pfahler told the Mirror after winning the state title. "It's better than any other match I've ever won, better than anything. It's something me and my family have always dreamed about since I was 4 years old. Got my gold medal. It's what I've worked for all year, endured for the last 13 years, and I finally got it. It was my last chance, and I had to go for it." In discussing Pfahler's passing, his former coach at Chestnut Ridge, Jim Clark, said in an interview with the Mirror, "It's a tragedy for his family. It's obviously a very sad situation." "(Pfahler) was a phenomenal competitor," Clark continued. "He had a very good combination of strength, agility and quickness. As a coach, it was really nice to see an athlete reach his ultimate goal in becoming a PIAA state champion. "He was a very good team leader and inspired other kids to go above and beyond. He worked with the elementary program for a whole year and inspired a lot of kids to get better and work to achieve their goals. I know he really loved working with those little kids." Tom Elling, award-winning journalist who covers the Pennsylvania wrestling scene, described Pfahler as a two-time PIAA state placer (placing 8th at 112 pounds in 2006 before winning the title two years later at 140) who was "a hard worker and tenacious." In an interview with the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat , Joe Kimmel, who was the superintendent at Chestnut Ridge in 2008, remembered Pfahler as a "very personable kid. He was tough as nails on the wrestling mat and, I heard, off. But he was pleasant, courteous, respectful as anyone in the school setting. Very likeable and fun-loving." After graduating from Chestnut Ridge, Pfahler served in the U.S. Marines until he was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant in 2013. He participated in at least one amateur mixed martial arts fight at VFL 42: Broad Avenue Brawlers on July 19, 2013. Pfahler lost on a decision to Scott Wilbe in a welterweight match at 162 pounds. Gary Lee Pfahler, Jr. was born in Altoona on June 1, 1990. He is survived by his mother Lisa and stepfather Rick Mcdonnell, father Gary Lee Pfahler, Sr., five brothers and two sisters. Visitation will take place at Crossroads Bible Church, 5564 US 220 Business, Bedford, Pa. on Friday, March 10 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m., and on Saturday from 10-11 a.m. with funeral service to follow immediately after. Military Rites accorded by the Fort Bedford Honor Guard.

Matt Hickman, a California high school wrestling standout who continued in the sport at Fresno City College and California Baptist University, was killed in a highway accident on his way home from the state championships Sunday. He had turned 25 on Feb. 23. Hickman was returning from the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield when he was involved in a one-car crash while driving south on I-5 near Pyramid Lake at approximately 5 a.m. Sunday. California Highway Patrol officers believe Hickman got out of his car and ran across the northbound lanes of the freeway when he was struck by another vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Matt Hickman was a Junior National freestyle finalist in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The Ventura County Star declared Hickman, a former wrestler at Camarillo High School, to be "arguably the greatest wrestler to ever come out of Ventura County." Hickman won the 165-pound title at the 2012 CIF Masters championships but he was unable to defend his title the following year because of a broken ankle. His career mark at Camarillo was 184-29, including 110 pins. Hickman continued his wrestling career in college, first at Fresno City College, then at California Baptist University in Riverside. "He was a real special kid," Fresno City wrestling coach Paul Keysaw told the Fresno Bee newspaper. "He affected everyone's lives that he came in touch with. "I look at social media and see all the people talk about Matty and they all say the same things, saying he has a huge heart and loved everybody. He was one tough sucker and he just worked hard and persevered. Had a bright future in front of him." After graduating from Fresno City, Hickman headed south to Cal Baptist, where he compiled a 22-3 record at 149 pounds during the 2014-15 season before being sidelined by a neck injury as a senior. Hickman's bond with Camarillo High continued even after college, as he returned to his high school alma mater to help as a coach alongside his father Matt Sr., an assistant coach. "Our hearts are broken for the Hickman family," Camarillo head wrestling coach Ron Wilson told the Ventura County Star. "Matt was a wonderful young man. He was a tremendous competitor and a hard worker on the mat and was a prankster off the mat who loved to have fun. He had an infectious smile. Everywhere he went people wanted to talk with him. He was someone that others wanted to be around[MP1] ." Richard Carrillo, the longtime Royal head wrestling coach, said Hickman was generous with other wrestlers, sharing his insights and his knowledge because he loved seeing other wrestlers succeed. "More than once I asked Matty to help my sons when I saw him at a tournament. He never said no," Carrillo said. "I often told my wrestlers to watch him as an example of what I thought our wrestlers should be." Matt Hickman, Jr. is survived by his father Matt, Sr., his mother Louisa, and two sisters. A Go Fund Me Page has been established to help the Hickman family with funeral and other expenses. As of Tuesday night the fund had raised approximately $25,000.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa redshirt freshman Joey Gunther was awarded an at-large berth to the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, on March 16-18. The NCAA announced the 330-person tournament field Tuesday. Gunther is one of seven 165-pounders to earn an at-large berth. He missed an automatic bid to the national tournament by placing outside the top seven at the qualifying tournament in Bloomington, Indiana, last weekend. He was placed in the field by the tournament committee after posting a season record of 18-8. He is ranked 16th in RPI and 16th in the Coaches' Poll. He has six wins over wrestlers in the RPI top 28. The Hawkeyes enter the 2017 NCAA Championships with eight tournament qualifiers. Thomas Gilman (125), Cory Clark (133), Topher Carton (141), Brandon Sorensen (149), Michael Kemerer (157), Alex Meyer (174), and Sammy Brooks (184) earned automatic berths at the Big Ten Championships. Gunther, Carton, and Kemerer are making their NCAA debuts. Gilman, Clark, Sorensen, Meyer, and Brooks are returning All-Americans. The NCAA Championships selection show will release tournament seeds and brackets Wednesday at 5 p.m. (CT) at NCAA.com. The top two seeds at each weight class are expected to be released Wednesday afternoon on the NCAA Wrestling social media accounts.

PSU's Nick Suriano was ranked No. 2 before defaulting at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) The team race for the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships is shaping up to be an interesting one. All the contenders have their workhorse wrestlers who will need to come through in order for their teams to be successful. However, who are the X factor type guys who could make an unexpected contribution? The following takes a look at those very wrestlers for all team currently listed in the InterMat tournament rankings top 10. No. 1 Penn State: Nick Suriano The Nittany Lions have been the title favorites for most of the season, but Ohio State's upset win at the Big Ten Championships has shown them to be vulnerable. Suriano injured his ankle in the NWCA Dual Championship match against Oklahoma State and has not wrestled since. He weighed in for the conference tournament but defaulted out. For most of the season, Suriano appeared to be a lock for a high All-American spot with victories over No. 3 Darian Cruz (Lehigh), No. 4 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) and No. 5 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota). Now, his All-American chances are in question due to injury. No. 2 Oklahoma State: Austin Schafer Going into this season, it looked like heavyweight might be a hole in the Oklahoma State lineup. Instead Schafer has moved up from 197 pounds to fill the void. This season he went 22-1 and picked up bonus points in 69.57 percent of his matches. Along the way, he registered signature wins over No. 8 Michael Kroells (Minnesota), No. 12 Jared Johnson (Chattanooga) and No. 15 Nathan Butler (Stanford). This past weekend, he captured his first Big 12 title with bonus points in every match. If the Cowboys are going to make a legitimate run at their first NCAA title since 2006, they will need a big performance from Schafer. No. 3: Ohio State: Myles Martin It might seem odd to call a returning NCAA champion an X factor. However, Martin moved up in weight this season and had some issues. With that being said, he showed once again that he can turn it on in March with yet another upset over previously undefeated No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) in the Big Ten semifinals. Martin's seven losses might drag down his seed but remember he entered last year's tournament as the No. 12 seed before winning it all. With a strong performance from Martin, the Buckeyes might be able to take their second title in the past three seasons. Iowa's Alex Meyer finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) No. 4 Iowa: Alex Meyer Last year Meyer lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament but managed to wrestle his way back to finish eighth. After injuries to Sam Stoll and Cory Clark, the Hawkeyes will likely need a huge performance from Meyer to have any shot at their 24th national title. This year was another up-and-down season for the senior. He ended up finishing fifth at the Big Tens, but he did defeat several ranked wrestlers during the season including No. 15 David Kocer (SDSU), No. 16 LeLund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) and No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State). No. 5 Virginia Tech: Zach Zavatsky Zavatsky entered the 2016 NCAA tournament as the fifth seed, but he ended up finishing one match short of All-American status. The Hokies still ended up finishing fourth. With a stronger performance from Zavatsky, the ACC champions might be able to move up the podium. This season, the sophomore has only lost two matches and avenged one of those losses, No. 10 Michael Macchiavello (NC State), this past weekend at the ACC Championships. No. 6 Missouri: Jaydin Eierman After an impressive redshirt season, Eierman was expected to make some noise this season. He did just that putting together a 24-5 record and winning his first MAC championship. During the season he suffered close losses to returning NCAA champion No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) and No. 6 George DiCamillo (Virginia). Could Eierman become the next freshman to take a big step up at the NCAA tournament and shock people with a deep run? No. 7 Nebraska: Colton McCrystal This season McCrystal has shown himself to be a boom or bust type of competitor. He has suffered some tough losses but also scored some signature wins. Despite posting nine losses, McCrystal has defeated the likes of No. 12 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State), No. 19 Ryan Diehl (Maryland), No. 16 Tommy Thorn (Minnesota), No. 20 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), No. 15 Javier Gasca (Michigan State) and returning NCAA finalist No. 8 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming). The top of this weight is loaded with hammers, but McCrystal might end up going on a run. No. 8 Cornell: Dylan Palacio Palacio never really got on track this year and only wrestled five matches before the EIWA Championships. However, in that tournament, he showed very little mat rust and captured the championship, beating No. 11 Russell Parsons (Army West Point) along the way. In previous seasons, he has defeated No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) and No. 14 Clark Glass (Oklahoma). Cornell just won their 11th straight EIWA championship, and a big performance from Palacio might help the team get another team trophy. No. 9 Michigan: Conor Youtsey Despite having a year of eligibility left, Youtsey, a two-time All-American, appeared to be done competing. However, after a series of injuries opened the door at 125 pounds, he returned to the lineup. In the shortened season, Youtsey went only 5-6, but he managed to qualify with a fifth place finish at the Big Ten Championships where he scored a win over No. 5 Lizak (Minnesota). As a returning All-American, the Wolverine clearly has the pedigree to steal a podium spot at this year's tournament. Minnesota's Mitch McKee battles No. 1 Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) No. 10 Minnesota: Mitch McKee As a true freshman, McKee took some lumps this season. However, the blue chip prospect managed to finish sixth at the Big Ten Championships and in the process upset No. 6 Eric Montoya (Nebraska). After a season with 19 losses, an All-American spot seems unlikely, but McKee is still a six-time Fargo champion who could be peaking at the right time.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- For the first time in school history, the NC State wrestling team qualified all 10 of its starters for the NCAA Championships. The Wolfpack, along with Oklahoma State, are the only two schools nationally that will have one wrestler competing in each of the 10 weight classes at next week's NCAA Championships in St. Louis. “This is a very exciting time for our program. Getting all 10 athletes into the national championship is a reflection of the continued commitment from our administration, staff, and especially the athletes themselves,” said head coach Pat Popolizio. “Our focus now shifts to producing NCAA champions and All-Americans next week out in St. Louis.” NC State had six automatic qualifiers based off of their finishes in the past weekend's ACC Championship in Reynolds Coliseum. Junior Kevin Jack captured his second straight ACC title at 141 pounds. Redshirt-juniors Brian Hamann (165) and Michael Macchiavello (184) along with redshirt-sophomores Sean Fausz (125) and Jamal Morris (133) all were ACC finalists. Redshirt-senior Mike Kosoy also got an automatic bid at 285 pounds. On Tuesday, the NCAA announced it at-large bids for each weight class, and the Wolfpack placed four more into the NCAAs. Redshirt-senior Sam Speno (149), redshirt-sophomore Malik McDonald (197) and freshmen Thomas Bullard (157) and Nick Reenan (174) all also qualified for the 2017 NCAA Championships. National seeds and brackets will be announced tomorrow.

Dan Gable's warm-up is being auctioned Dan Gable retired as the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa 20 years ago. Celebrate his legacy with this one-of-a-kind auction. All proceeds from the auctions benefit the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, a non-profit organization committed to advancing the sport of wrestling. Contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org with questions about the items. Official Dan Gable warm-up This is the uniform Dan Gable wore when he won the 1970 national freestyle championships in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was a historic event for Gable since it came three weeks after his one loss in college at the NCAA wrestling tournament finals his senior year. To bid on warm-up, click here. Signed Dan Gable "record performance" chair Dan Gable made history in 1997 by setting the all-time Division I NCAA tournament scoring record (170 points) during his final season as Iowa's head wrestling coach. Gable has signed this official 1997 NCAA tournament chair with the inscription "record performance, 170 points." To bid on chair, click here.

STANFORD, Calif. -- Paul Fox, Peter Galli, Connor Schram, Keaton Subjeck and Gabriel Townsell were five of 53 wrestlers to receive at-large berths into the 2017 NCAA Tournament, the NCAA announced today. Stanford has set a program record with nine individual NCAA qualifiers in 2016-17 with its previous record being six (2015-16). Joining the at-large qualifiers in St. Louis, Missouri, March 16-18 are Nathan Butler, Josh Marchok, Joey McKenna and Zach Nevills. McKenna (141 pounds) and Nevills (184 pounds) both won Pac-12 titles, while Marchok (197) finished as the runner-up and Butler (285 pounds) took third at the conference tournament to receive automatic bids into the championships. Fox, a redshirt sophomore, is third on the team this season with 25 wins at 157 pounds. He was third at the Pac-12 Championships and is a first-time NCAA qualifier. He holds a 47-20 career record after going 22-7 as a redshirt freshman before his rookie campaign was cut short with a season-ending knee injury in 2016. Galli is 26-6 overall, ranking second on the team in total wins and falls (8). He finished third at the Pac-12 Championships at 174 pounds and will be making his first NCAA Tournament appearance in his final year on The Farm. He boasts a 61-29 career record for the Cardinal. Schram is 17th in the nation at 133 pounds with a 14-4 overall record. A returning All-American, he was the runner-up at the Pac-12 Championships and won the Reno Tournament of Champions back in December. He will be making his third straight NCAA Championships appearance and looking to become just the sixth two-time All-American in program history. Subjeck, who is 22-7 and ranked 15th nationally at 165 pounds this season, placed third at the Pac-12 Championships on Feb. 26. At 63-28 for his career, the redshirt junior will be making his second consecutive postseason appearance. Townsell, a true freshman from Oak Park, Illinois, propelled himself into the national rankings in January with a fifth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. At 16-9 overall, Townsell has defeated three top 15 opponents at 125 pounds. The at-large selections were made by the Division I Wrestling Committee using the following selection criteria: head-to-head competition, quality wins, results against common opponents, winning percentage, rating percentage index, coaches ranking, qualifying event placement, and number of matches contested at that weight class.

The NCAA announced the 53 at-large selections for the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. 125: Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan) Noah Gonser (Eastern Michigan) Johnny Jimenez (Wisconsin) Nick Suriano (Penn State) Gabe Townsell (Stanford) 133: Kevin Devoy (Drexel) Earl Hall (Iowa State) Connor Schram (Stanford) Colby Smith (Appalachian State) 141: Logan Everett (Army West Point) Noah Forrider (Ohio) Salvator Profaci (Michigan) Russell Rohlfing (CSU Bakersfield) 149: Nick Barber (Eastern Michigan) Eric Barone (Illinois) Matthew Cimato (Drexel) Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) Kyle Shoop (Lock Haven) Sam Speno (North Carolina State) 157: May Bethea (Penn) Thomas Bullard (North Carolina State) Archie Colgan (Wyoming) Paul Fox (Stanford) Victor Lopez (Bucknell) Timothy Ruschell (Wisconsin) Casey Sparkman (Kent State) 165: Cody Burcher (Ohio State) Andrew Fogarty (North Dakota State) Joseph Gunther (Iowa) Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma) Keaton Subjeck (Stanford) Cole Walter (Lehigh) Seldon Wright (Old Dominion) 174: Peter Galli (Stanford) Jordan Pagano (Rutgers) Nick Reenan (North Carolina State) Austin Trott (Gardner-Webb) Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) 184: Nick Corba (Cleveland State) Michale Fagg-Daves (Rider) Garrett Hoffman (Bucknell) Christian LaFragola (Brown) Mitch Sliga (Northwestern) 197: Jacob Berkowitz (Northwestern) Steban Cervantes (Navy) Brett Harner (Princeton) Malik McDonald (North Carolina State) Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley) Austin Severn (Central Michigan) 285: Youssif Hemida (Maryland) Conan Jennings (Northwestern) Zack Parker (Ohio) Newton Smerchek (Central Michigan)

The brackets are set for the 2017 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. The event takes place Friday-Saturday at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisc. Link: Brackets

Kyvon Gadson battles Jake Varner at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kyven Gadson, a recent Iowa State mat great -- along with the newly-hired head wrestling coach for the Cyclones, Kevin Dresser -- will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, March 8, the broadcast announced Monday. Gadson won the 197-pound title for the Cyclones at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships… while Dresser, a former University of Iowa wrestler, announced two weeks ago that he is leaving Virginia Tech to take the helm of the Iowa State wrestling program. "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. Email dgmstaff@nwhof.org with questions or comments.