InterMat Staff

Joe Warren (Photo/Bellator) Joe Warren, former Bellator champion and NCAA All-American wrestler, won his bantamweight co-main event bout at Bellator 161 at the HEB Center in Cedar Park, Texas Friday night. The 39-year-old Warren submitted Sirwan Kakai with a neck crank at 1:04 of the third round. "Warren and Kakai traded blows for over ten minutes of heart-pounding action in the evening's co-main event," according to PWInsiderxtra.com . "Warren (14-5) had to work for it," Sherdog.com reported, saying that the first round was all Kakai, then continuing, "Warren turned the tide in the middle stanza, where the NCAA All-American wrestler dropped the American Top Team-trained Swede with a knee strike, assumed top position and freed himself from an armbar before unleashing his ground-and-pound. "Inside the first minute of round three, Warren connected with another knee that appeared to break his counterpart's nose. Kakai responded by retreating to the fence and shooting for a takedown, blood pouring from his face. Warren scrambled out of his advances, caught a guillotine on the transition and shifted to the neck crank, prompting the tapout." With the win, Warren is now tied for second all-time in Bellator MMA victories with 12. The former two-division Bellator champ has now won seven of his last nine contests. For Kakai, who is now 12-5, it was the first time in his eight-year career that he has been finished by an opponent. Before launching his pro MMA career in March 2009, Joe Warren had an impressive career in both folkstyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. The Grand Rapids native was a Michigan state champion at East Kentland High School. Warren then wrestled at the University of Michigan, where he earned All-American honors by placing third at 133 pounds at the 2000 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Among his championships in Greco: 2006 FILA Wrestling World Championships, 2006 Pan-American Championships, and the 2007 World Cup, all at 60 kilograms/130 pounds

Chael Sonnen's last MMA fight came in November of 2013 Chael Sonnen, mixed martial arts veteran and NCAA All-American wrestler for the University of Oregon, announced he has parted ways with UFC and signed a multi-year, multi-fight deal with Bellator. Sonnen, 39, confirmed media reports with this simple message on his official Twitter account: "The Rulers Back." The former Oregon Duck wrestler had built a 29-14-1 record in pro MMA going back to his first fight in May 2007 but received a two-year suspension in July 2014 from the Nevada Athletic Commission for failing multiple drug tests. After testing positive, Sonnen announced his retirement, and had been serving as an MMA analyst for ESPN. He repeatedly denied interest in returning to MMA. When asked Thursday why he took that stance, Sonnen said: "I'm a heel. Heels lie." On Friday, Sonnen said his contract states that if he fails a drug test he will lose his entire purse and an additional $500,000. "I had all of those [money] and ratings records when I retired," Sonnen said. "I lost them all, and I'm here to get them all back. ALL." In July, Sonnen told The MMA Hour that he was interested in fighting again and had officially entered the UFC's USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) drug testing pool. "I definitely have that itch," Sonnen said in that interview two months ago. "I fantasize about it. But it's one step at a time. I'm not holding back from you. I'm not acting like my return is some kind of breaking news. I'd tell it to you right now. But I have to pass this first test, quite frankly. It's still out there. I've gotta pass it. If I pass that, I'll pass all of them. But I have to know that everything is out. Boom, step one down." The MMA fighter known as The American Gangster disclosed some of his plans in a conference call alongside Bellator president Scott Coker. "I'm on a legends ass-kicking tour. I hope they book two guys because one of them is going to pull out. All I can tell you is that for myself, no matter what happens, I will make that walk when my music hits those speakers. Anybody, any time, any weight class, and that isn't bravado or tough guy talk. I've just had it, man. I thought my race was ran. I wrote the book on this thing, and I can tell there's a couple of chapters left." "I'd like to go at light heavyweight," said Sonnen, who had made a name for himself competing in the Octagon at 185 pounds. "I've been mentally preparing to compete and I was thinking about going into the middleweight division. I think with the change of being over in Bellator, just looking at the lineup, looking at the guys they have, I just think 205 is the place to be for right now." Sonnen hasn't fought in an MMA event since November 2013, when he suffered a first-round TKO at the hands of Rashad Evans at UFC 167. Prior to launching his pro MMA career nearly a decade ago, Sonnen was a runner-up at the Oregon high school state wrestling championships. He originally started his wrestling career at Brigham Young University but transferred to University of Oregon when it appeared the Utah school was about to eliminate its wrestling program. While at Oregon, Sonnen earned All-American honors by placing eighth in the 190-pound bracket at the 1998 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. In addition, he was twice a runner-up at 197 pounds at the Pac-10 Conference Championships in 1999 and 2001. Sonnen also competed in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Josh Dziewa rides Iowa State's Dante' Rodriguez (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) PHILADELPHIA -- Drexel Wrestling Head Coach Matt Azevedo has added Josh Dziewa to his coaching staff, the athletic department announced on Friday. Dziewa will join the program as an assistant coach as the Dragons prepare for the 2016-17 season to begin. Dziewa comes to Drexel after serving as the Director of Operations for Penn Wrestling during the 2015-16 season. His responsibilities in this role included coordinating all of Penn Wrestling's operational needs, including travel arrangements, video scouting, camp and clinic registration, and recruiting. In addition, he also served as Penn's liaison to the Beat The Streets program. Dziewa was a two-time NCAA qualifier for Iowa and finished his career there with an 84-26 record. In his senior season, he was runner-up at the Big Ten Championships at 141 pounds and finished the year with a 29-9 record. A four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Dziewa was named to the NWCA All-Academic team in 2015 and received Iowa's J. Donald McPike, Sr. Award as the senior wrestler with the highest GPA. A Yardley, Pa. native, Dziewa attended Council Rock South High School where he posted a career record of 124-7 and was a state champion. Dziewa graduated from Iowa in 2015 with a degree in recreation and sports business.

Macey Kilty and Gracie Figueroa claimed bronze medals TBILISI, Georgia -- The U.S. women's freestyle squad capped off the 2016 Cadet World Championships with a three-medal performance on Friday evening at New Sports Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia. The repeat bid fell just short for 2015 Cadet World champion Ronna Heaton as she was edged by 2015 Cadet World bronze medalist Haruna Okuno of Japan, 4-2, in the 52-kilogram/114.5-pound finals. Okuno won the takedown battle two to one over Heaton to come away with the win. "I felt pretty good today. My finals match I was feeling alright then, just little mistakes I can work on. My defense, I'll go back and work on that with my coaches. [Okuno] just had really good positioning. I really wanted to be a Cadet World champ, two time, but maybe Junior World champ sometime," said Heaton following the loss. Heaton finished with a 3-1 record on the day, picking up three pins in the morning session to secure her spot in the championship match for the second-straight year. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Hunter Burnett compiled a 41-0 record en route to winning a state title (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Undefeated state champion Hunter Burnett (Pipestone Area, Minn.) has registered for the 2016 InterMat JJ Classic at 120 pounds. Last season Burnett capped a 41-0 sophomore season with a state championship at 113 pounds in Minnesota's Class A division. In the state semifinals he took out returning state champion Ethan Cota (Kenyon-Wanamingo), then in the state finals dominated previously unbeaten Jace Geving (Deer River) 15-3. Burnett was a state fourth-place finisher as a freshman in South Dakota. He placed sixth at the 2014 InterMat JJ Classic competing at 100 pounds. He is ranked as Minnesota's No. 9 junior wrestler by The Guillotine. The 2016 InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Rochester, Minnesota. For more information on the InterMat JJ Classic and to register, visit the event website.

This Thursday marked the Mid-Autumn Festival for the people of China, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan. The festival shifts depending on the lunar calendar but is the 15th day of the 8th month and coincides with a full moon. The diversity of cultures celebrating the same holiday means you have a variety of events and traditions accompanying the day. For the Chinese it's important to give moon cake to friends and family and release floating sky lanterns. Filipinos play a dice game and Koreans cook a massive feast called Cheosuk, which is essentially their version of Thanksgiving. The festival takes a slightly different form in each country, but there is another common thread to these festivals outside of eating and seeing a new moon rise: traditional wrestling. The Chinese hosts a variety of matches in villages throughout the country, but one of the biggest is in Xinzhou, Shaanxi, China where competitors take part in a version of traditional wrestling (known as Shuai Jiao) where they look for takedowns against six straight opponents. There is no touching of anything except the bottom of your foot and opponents simply walk out from the collection of fans. The winners (there are usually three rounds) are awarded a sheep and roughly $1500. The Koreans celebrate Cheosuk with a traditional wrestling event as important as watching the Lions get smashed on Thanksgiving. Traditional Korean wrestling tournaments -- the style is known as Ssireum -- are held nationwide, with the top tournament being shown on national television. The style is most closely associated to belt wrestling, but is extremely entertaining and high-flying. In Vietnam traditional Dau Vat tournaments are held in villages and town centers, often in stadiums built only for wrestling. Like with the other styles there are no weight categories or other classifications and prize money is awarded to the last wrestler standing. The aim of the style is to either lift your opponent off the ground or expose his belly to the sky. The Mid-Autumn tournament is usually the most important of the year, with the possible exception of the New Year tournament in February and the end of season tournaments in April and May. Wrestling is everywhere. To your questions … Q: What do you make of Kyle Snyder's comments about wanting to fight in UFC? What kind of fighter do you think he will be? -- Mike C. Foley: I mostly have mature thoughts that tell me he can handle learning the new techniques without taking away from his wrestling. However, my initial reaction was more "eww" than anything positive. While I think MMA is a great career path for athletes to take after their career has ended, I don't think you can be great at more than one sport at a time. Snyder hasn't spent much time in jiu-jitsu practices, Muay-Thai sessions or boxing classes. While he is a physical freak and natural athlete there is A LOT to learn and those interested in excelling need to have an appetite for humble pie. I'd prefer that he tackle school, NCAA wrestling (if he HAS to) and compete overseas. Most mortals would break with only having to approach the above, never mind the additional considerations of family and a significant other. I'd be a touch depressed to see Snyder miss an opportunity to be a legend of our sport, just for the chance to be decent in another. Q: Here is an idea for an offseason tournament that would make matches interesting. Matches would consist of three, two-minute periods all starting in neutral. The three periods would each be a different style (folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-Roman). The match would begin with a flip of a coin, the winner could either pick the style of the first period. The second period the other wrestler gets his choice of the two remains styles and the third period wrestled is the remaining style. It would take a lot more strategy. What do you think? -- Mark M. Foley: I'm totally in for this type of madness! As you might be able to figure out there are a variety of nationalities at work during most international wrestling tournaments. Among the group of IT workers and cameramen, is a former Serbian Greco-Roman wrestler in his young 30's. After two years of talking trash to each other about wrestling each other we finally took to the mats at the Youth Olympic Games in 2014. Like your scenario, however, we faced an issue of which styles to wrestle. Ultimately, we flipped a coin and went freestyle first and Greco-Roman second. My Serbian friend was completely incapable of stopping a shot, which helped me rack up an eight-point advantage. That spread was almost eliminated in the second period when I was tossed through time and space for a five-point throw. The match was certainly difficult in terms of my conditioning, but I liked that the various styles forced us into strategies -- some of which worked, others that ended with me being tossed onto my head. Q: I am working on recruiting some football players right now. Do you have or know of a list of current NFL players who have wrestled? The only lists I can find have some great players, but most of the middle school guys I am trying to recruit are too young to know who they are. -- S. Mead Foley: I did a quick Google search and came upon this list, which might be the one you are referencing. If you look around there are quite a few quotes from big-time college coaches that advocate for their recruits to wrestle as it teaches them about balancing and conditioning. Good luck! MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Korean Ssrieum Dau Vat Chinese Shuiajiao Q: Team USA failed to get a medal at the Cadet World Championships and Olympic Games. The Americans won a couple bronze medals at the Junior World Championships. Why is Team USA struggling so much in Greco-Roman, especially on the senior level? Is it simply because the best athletes in the United States just aren't wrestling Greco-Roman? -- Mike C. Foley: There are a number of issues for the Greco-Roman team to solve, primarily how to score early, in bunches and hold a lead. For many American fans (and wrestlers) the sport is just too distant, with very few entry points. There are limited youth club opportunities and very little upper-level coaching. Even if the majority of American athletes choose freestyle, there are enough eligible athletes in this country to make any dream a reality. The numbers are an issue, and I'm not sure that we have the correct development program in place to help the middle and high school-aged wrestlers improve quickly. Even if they chose to only wrestle Greco-Roman year-round there are almost no tournaments to enter between September and April. No tournaments means no style-specific training or on-the-mat learning session and that is a massive concern when considering the likelihood of positive growth and development for Greco-Roman in the United States. Q: Do you think Chance Marsteller will focus on senior level freestyle wrestling now? Or do you think we will see him back in college wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: I think Chance's days on the mat are over. There is always room for forgiveness, but from what I'm being told Chance doesn't want to make the tough decisions. He was great for his span of time. He excelled and then he hit a downward spiral. As much as I'd love to see him fulfill his potential, my instinct says this behavior is part of his character, not an exception.

Julia Salata talks to her coach Travis Mercado at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Robbert Wijtman) BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Former Tornado women's wrestler has returned to her Alma Matter as head wrestling coach Jason Moorman announced the hire of Julia Salata earlier this week. Salata had an outstanding career wearing the scarlet and navy and returns to help lead the Tornado as a coach. In her four years as a wrestler at King, Salata was a four-time Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) All-American, winning two national championships. The Canton, Michigan native finished fourth her freshman season at the WCWA National Championships before taking runner-up as a sophomore. Her final two years as a Tornado may have been the best two, going undefeated and winning national titles in both her junior and senior seasons. Along with the individual success, Salata helped the Tornado to the first two of their three straight National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals championships. "I am excited to return to the King wrestling program in a new role," Salata said. "I take a lot of pride in being an alum of such a great program, and I'm thrilled to return to this special team." Outside of collegiate wrestling, Salata has been successful internationally as well. She has been a training partner for 2016 Olympian Adeline Gray and is a current U.S. Senior National Team member. In 2014 she was a U.S. World Team Trials runner-up and finished fourth in 2012 and 2016 at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She was a 2014 University World Championship bronze medalist and a two-time University National and University World Team member. Salata was a two-time Junior World Team member and a two-time Pan American Championships bronze medalist. "I am excited to have Julia join our coaching staff, as a former King wrestle she understands what our program is about," said Moorman. "She has already brought some great ideas this year." Off the mat, Salata interned for USA Wrestling, and later graduated from a pair of wrestling coaching courses, the NWCA Women's Leadership Academy and the United World Wrestling Level 1 International Coaching Course. Salata has been involved in wrestling in many different ways, including providing commentary and articles for Flowrestling on high school national championships and the U.S. Open.

Chance Marsteller walks off the mat after losing to Isaiah Martinez at University Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki) On the same day Chance Marsteller waived his right to a preliminary hearing for alleged crimes last month the local district attorney claimed the former Oklahoma State and Lock Haven University wrestler was drunk and had illegal drugs in his system during those incidents. Clinton County district attorney David Strouse said Tuesday that Chandler S. Marsteller, a four-time undefeated Pennsylvania state wrestling champ for Kennard-Dale High School, had cocaine and marijuana in his body, and a blood alcohol level of .274, more than three times the legal limit. At the preliminary hearing, Strouse added a charge of public drunkenness against Marsteller, who had been originally charged with six counts each of aggravated and simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of open lewdness, according to the arrest report. Marsteller is free on $50,000 bail and is now staying his parents. According to his attorney, Ryan Gardner, the 21-year-old wrestling phenom will be undergoing intensive counseling. Marsteller's next court appearance - a formal arraignment -- is scheduled for Oct. 17, but Gardner said it could be waived. Marsteller had been on the roster at Oklahoma State for two seasons, but was suspended from the team last February for an unnamed violation of team rules. He left the Cowboys to return to his native Pennsylvania, announcing that he would enroll at Lock Haven and wrestle for the Bald Eagles. On August 25, Lock Haven police reported they received calls that a naked man was banging on doors at a university-owned apartment complex. Police said they found Marsteller clad in a towel, and took him into custody after he dropped it twice, exposing his genitals. Once under arrest, Marsteller threatened police, yelled obscenities and banged his head on the partition between the front and back seats of the police cruiser, according to the police report. Police said they used pepper spray to get him to stop and instead of taking Marsteller to the county jail, transported him to Lock Haven Hospital for detoxification. According to the incident report, Marsteller was handcuffed behind his back and lunged at a hospital staff member trying to obtain information. Officers said they attempted to restrain Marsteller, but he repeatedly banged his head on the floor, causing injuries to his nose and face and profuse bleeding. According to the arrest report, he kicked, elbowed and head-butted the officers and pulled vigorously on his handcuffs while attempting to stand. He is accused of spitting blood into one of the officer's eyes, the report states. Police said Marsteller continued to act violently until the effects of several doses of a tranquilizing agent took effect. The incident in the hospital lasted nearly an hour, police said. The following day, Lock Haven University announced that Marsteller was "no longer associated" with the Pennsylvania school. Marsteller had a 166-0 career record at Kennard-Dale, tallying four Pennsylvania state titles to become only the fifth undefeated four-time state champ. The highly-recruited wrestler had originally committed to Penn State before switching to Oklahoma State. However, Marsteller's two years with the Cowboys were challenging. The wrestler who had won a 170-pound title at the 2013 PIAA championships was struggling to compete in college at 157 pounds. In his Thfirst season (2013-14) at the Stillwater school, Marsteller compiled a 14-4 record wrestling unattached as a true freshman. Last season, the Keystone State phenom went 6-5 before coach John Smith suspended him in mid-January for an undisclosed violation of team rules for the remainder of the year. This summer, Marsteller announced he would be transferring to Lock Haven in his home state.

Macey Kilty and Gracie Figueroa claimed bronze medals TBILISI, Georgia - Macey Kilty and Gracie Figueroa have announced themselves to the World. Both Americans posted breakout performances at the 2016 Cadet World Championships held at New Sports Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia by scoring bronze medals in women's freestyle competition on Thursday evening. Kilty left no doubt in her 49-kilogram/108-pound bronze medal match against Cadet European silver medalist Zhala Aliyeva of Azerbaijan. From the first whistle Kilty was on the offensive, notching six takedowns and picking up a 13-2 technical fall win. "It feels pretty good. It's something I've been working for for a long time," Kilty said after her bronze medal performance. "I've still got two more years to prove that I'm good enough to get the gold." Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Adam Coon (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan senior Adam Coon, a two-year wrestling team captain and two-time NCAA All-American at heavyweight, will redshirt the 2016-17 season due to injury. Coon, who reached the nation's No. 1 ranking as a true freshman, had not yet used his redshirt season and will have one more year of eligibility. Coon has ranked among the nation's top heavyweights over the last three seasons, claiming NCAA runner-up honors in 2015 before earning a third-place NCAA finish as a junior last season. He owns an 87-13 career record, twice leading the Wolverines with 32-win seasons, and boasts 42 bonus wins, including 26 career falls. Coon last competed in April's 2016 USA Olympic Team Trials, where he took second place to Robbie Smith in the best-of-three championship final in the 130kg/286-pound Greco-Roman division. Coon earned a pair of dominant technical falls in the preliminary rounds to advance to the final series. He is a two-time world team member, capturing freestyle gold at the 2011 Cadet Worlds and claiming double bronze in freestyle and Greco at the 2014 Junior Worlds. Michigan returns six starters for the 2016-17 season, including NCAA All-Americans Alec Pantaleo (149 pounds) and Brian Murphy (157) and Big Ten champion Domenic Abounader (184). The Wolverines have three additional heavyweights on their roster: freshman Dan Perry, sophomore/freshman Kostya Golobokov and senior/junior Payne Hayden.

2015-16 Saint Amant wrestling team Hit hard by last month's flooding in Louisiana, the wrestling program at Saint Amant High School near Baton Rouge is seeking help to replace mats, singlets, headgear, warm-ups, scales and other items destroyed by devastating floodwaters. A GoFundMe page has been established to raise funds to replace damaged items worth thousands of dollars which had been used by the wrestling team at St. Amant, a public high school of approximately 2,000 students located in Ascension Parish, about 20 miles east of the Louisiana capital. The entire region suffered severe flooding in mid-August caused by 31 inches of rain in 36 hours which damaged over 100,000 homes and businesses in greater Baton Rouge. "We figured we lost about $40,000 in equipment, uniforms and gear," St. Amant head wrestling coach Brian Hess told InterMat. "We had a wrestling mat, brand-new last season, which we purchased after a fundraiser. It had been used maybe ten times. We found it floating in the water in the wrestling storage room at the high school. It had to be thrown out." "In addition, we had to toss a digital score clock, digital scale, singlets, and 40 sets of headgear," coach Hess added. "All of our trophies were also destroyed. This really got to me because our boys worked so far for each of them." "In our district, five schools were flooded," said Hess, a Pennsylvania native. "However, we believe ours was the only wrestling program to have suffered damage." "I'd say seventy-five percent of my wrestlers had their homes flooded. Three out of four of our coaches live in homes that were damaged by the flooding." Saint Amant High School on Aug. 16 St. Amant High remains closed one month after the epic flood which damaged approximately 10,000 of the 45,000 homes located within Ascension Parish. All St. Amant High students are now attending a nearby high school within the district on a split-shift basis. "The tough thing is, our wrestling season starts in about seven weeks," said Hess. Right now, about the one thing the St. Amant Gators wrestling program will have is off-the-mat uniforms -- T-shirts, shorts, sweatshirts and polo shirts. These items were ordered just two days before the flood, and will be delivered at a later date. The need remains great. That's why an assistant coach set up the GoFundMe page, with a goal of $20,000. As of Wednesday night, the St. Amant High wrestling program had raised approximately $2,150. Saint Amant wrestling coaches:Chase Dupuis, Brian Hess and Mike Pernat "We appreciate any help we can get," said Hess. "Donations to the fund -- as well as items to replace what was destroyed in the flood -- would be welcome." "I want our wrestlers to have their own (wrestling) things because some of them don't even have school clothes because of the flood." Saint Amant's new wrestling matFounded in 2001, the St. Amant wrestling program has been on the rise in recent years. Hess became head coach in 2011; last season, he led the Gators to a 32-5 overall record. (According to Hess, the state of Louisiana does not have limits on how many total events a team may participate in, other than there's a limit of one dual meet or tournament per week.) He told InterMat that he expected a similar record for the 2016-17 season. "Over the past three seasons we've become one of the top one or two programs in the state," Hess said of the St. Amant program, which competes in Louisiana's Class 5A. Readers wishing to help the St. Amant Gators wrestling program may visit the GoFundMe page or contact Coach Hess directly at brian.hess@apsb.org or at (410) 430-4255.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Former Central Michigan All-American wrestler Joe Roth has returned to the Chippewa mats. Roth, who earned All-America honors in 2014 with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships at 133 pounds, has joined coach Tom Borrelli's staff as a volunteer assistant coach. “Joe will work with our lighter weights and should be a major boost to them as a workout partner and technician,” Borrelli said. “He will also add value to our staff and help each athlete with mental preparation and motivation. Being an alum and former All-American gives him immediate credibility with our current student-athletes.” Roth finished a standout career at CMU in 2014, joining the Chippewas' 100-Win Club with a 100-33 career mark. He was a Mid-American Conference champion in 2012 and earned the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler Award. He placed second in the MAC Tournament in 2014 and closed his career as a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier. He earned Academic All-America honors in 2014. Roth earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master's degrees from CMU. His bachelor's is in health fitness preventative and rehabilitation, and his Master's is in exercise science.

It's an extreme makeover designed to give more New Jersey high school wrestlers greater opportunities to win titles. On Wednesday the Executive Committee of the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) approved three proposals that will realign districts and regions for greater equity, increase the number of qualifiers to the individual state championships, and expand the number of teams that qualify for the team championships. New Jersey's state high school wrestling tournamentThe vote to realign the districts and regions passed by a 21-6 vote. The other two proposals were each approved by a unanimous vote. "This is my 42nd year in athletic administration," said NJSIAA Executive Director Steve Timko. "I don't think I've ever been in a committee before that unanimously approved a specific recommendation. "This committee did." All three proposals will need to be officially approved by the Executive Committee on Oct. 19, which Timko pretty much expects to be a done deal. District/region realignment Under the proposed realignment, the NJSIAA sought to balance districts and regions both in terms of number of teams and strength of programs. To that end, teams will be placed into eight regions based on geography. A total of 321 schools have wrestling teams -- 281 public schools and 30 non-public schools. To even out the strength of the regions, the NJSIAA determined each team's power-point average over the last five years to identify the top 32 programs in the state. An effort then was made to balance those "power" programs among regions, with no region having more than five or fewer than three of the power schools. Once the regions were determined, efforts were made to even out the strengths of each district as well, according to Timko. Timko said there has been a long-time push for realignment among coaches and others in wrestling. "For the 16 years I've been here, I've been hearing concerns about districts and regions," Timko said. Last December, the NJSIAA Executive Committee voted for separate post-season competitions for parochial and public schools in wrestling and football ... a decision vetoed by the state's commissioner of education, David C. Hespe. That episode gave greater impetus for the NJSIAA's proposed realignment approved Wednesday. More qualifiers for state individual tournament In a proposal approved unanimously by the Executive Committee, there will now be a new methodology for determining which individual wrestlers will compete at the state individual championships. Now the number of wrestlers going to Atlantic City from the eight region tournaments will grow from three per weight to four. The expansion to four qualifiers per region for each weight for the individual championships would result in 448 wrestlers or 32 per weight, instead of 336 wrestlers or 24 per weight that has been in place for many years, when only the top three finishers from each region qualified. With an increased number of wrestlers competing at Boardwalk Hall during the individual state championships, there would be an increased number of matches, necessitating another full round for both the main and wrestleback portions of the tournament. If the Executive Committee gives its final blessing to this proposal in October, Timko said he will hold discussions with officials at the iconic Atlantic City venue about starting the first day of competition two hours earlier. More qualifiers for state team tournament The third proposal -- also approved by unanimous vote -- would increase the number of teams that qualified in each of the 24 sections to the state team tournament to eight. This would mean 192 teams will be eligible to participate in the team tournament, instead of 144 teams -- or six per section -- as has been the case in recent years. The new proposal will eliminate byes within the brackets. After the Executive Committee's approval of the three proposals that could substantially change the post-season for New Jersey wrestlers, their coaches and teams, Timko said, "I think, without hesitation, this is progress for wrestling." The changes, if approved in October, will go into effect this season, which begins in early December.

Brent Jones (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Three-time state champion Brent Jones (Shakopee, Minn.) verbally committed to the in-state Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday evening. The No. 99 overall ranked wrestler in the Class of 2017 placed fifth in both styles at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D. this summer at 132 pounds. It was a second consecutive All-American finish in Junior Greco-Roman as well. In addition, Jones was an All-American in both styles at the Cadet level in both 2013 and 2014. He projects to compete as a 133/141 in college.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum announced that it will offer all-session tickets for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 16-18, 2017 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Hall of Fame tickets are located in the lower bowl and cost $245 each. To be eligible to purchase two tickets in the Hall's section, you must make a tax-deductible donation of $500 to the Hall of Fame before Oct. 14. Donations can be made online at NWHOF.org/support, by telephone at (405) 377-5243 and by mail at NWHOF, 405 West Hall of Fame Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74075. The Hall of Fame reopened in June following a $3.8 million renovation that included a complete demolition and rebuild of the interior. The museum now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Located on the corner of Hall of Fame Avenue and Duck Street, the museum is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for military veterans and seniors (65 and older), $3 for students and $15 for a family. Children 5 and under and active military with an ID are free. For more information, visit www.nwhof.org or telephone (405) 377-5243. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum As America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport.

Jaden Van Maanen was dominant en route to winning a JJ Classic title in 2015 (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Top 100 recruit Jaden Van Maanen (La Crosse Central, Wis.) is returning to the InterMat JJ Classic. He will compete at 138 pounds. Last year Van Mannen captured a JJ Classic title at 132 pounds, outscoring his opposition 29-1. Van Maanen compiled a 46-1 record this past season as a junior en route to winning a state championship at 132 pounds. It was his third state medal after finishing runner-up as a sophomore and third as a freshman. He has a career record of 142-4. He is a two-time Bi-State champion. This summer Van Maanen placed fourth in the UWW Cadet National freestyle competition at 63 kilograms. Van Maanen is ranked as the No. 93 senior wrestler in the country by InterMat. The 2016 InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Rochester, Minnesota. For more information on the InterMat JJ Classic and to register, visit the event website.

HENNIKER, N.H. -- Director of Athletics Louis Izzi is pleased to announce the hiring of John Archambeau as the program's first head wrestling coach at New England College. John Archambeau"We are very excited to have John join our coaching staff and lead our men's wrestling program into its first season of varsity competition," said Izzi. "His passion, vision, and knowledge of the sport are essential to successfully building our program from the ground up. I am looking forward to seeing our wrestling program grow and consistently compete at the highest level in Division III under John's direction." Archambeau joins NEC after serving two seasons as head wrestling coach at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. Archambeau is no stranger to the creation of a program as he was responsible for the establishment of varsity wrestling at Daniel Webster in 2014. Prior to Daniel Webster Archambeau served two seasons as a graduate assistant for Springfield College. While at Springfield, Archambeau coached 12 all-regional wrestlers, eight national qualifiers, four All-Americans and one national champion. "I want to thank New England College President Michele Perkins, and athletic director Lou Izzi for this great opportunity," stated Archambeau. "The entire college campus community has been very welcoming and I look forward to doing everything I can to make this program successful from the start." Archambeau earned his Masters of Science degree in advance physical education licensure pedagogy and his Bachelors of Science degree in movement and sport studies both from Springfield College. As an undergraduate Archambeau was a member of the varsity wrestling program earning all-conference honors in 2010 and 2011. New England College wrestling will be a member of the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) and will begin varsity competition this November. Members of the NEWA include, in-state opponent Plymouth State University, neighboring University of Southern Maine and Norwich University, plus 11 other institutions.

MatBoss recording screen on the iPad (Freestyle/Greco-Roman score pads shown) As a wrestling coach, you want -- and expect -- your wrestlers to constantly improve. To gain new skills. To perform better each time they step out onto the mat. In the highly competitive environment that is wrestling, maintaining the same level of performance just isn't good enough. That same idea of continuous improvement drives the folks at MatBoss, the product arising from a joint venture between InterMat and JP Chaos that brings together stats and video in one seamless solution that incorporates the technology of a tablet that most coaches and wrestling programs already have. The MatBoss App for iPad integrates wrestling stats directly into the video recorded for each match, eliminating the need for traditional, labor-intensive pencil-and-paper scoring. John Peterson, former wrestling coach at Elk River High School in Minnesota for nearly three decades, is the "boss" behind MatBoss ... and what he describes as new "bells and whistles." These new features for 2016 make this already proven app even stronger and better for the upcoming season, helping coaches save even more time and labor, while gaining additional flexibility for a competitive advantage. A proven winner, now made even stronger MatBoss was already incredibly easy to use, allowing wrestling coaches to easily bring together match video, scoring information and statistics, and additional notations in various forms, all for the purpose of providing enhanced instruction to wrestlers ... without the time and effort of traditional methods that made separate functions of filming matches and keeping stats using paper and pencil. MatBoss offers various options for a coach to annotate match footage with his own comments or illustrations. The coach can offer verbal instruction with a voice-over ... or written commentary, with words that appear right on the screen ... or with illustrations, using a "telestrator" feature added last season that allows the coach to make markings, directional arrows or other drawings on the screen -- just like sports commentators on football telecasts, or your local TV weather forecaster -- as an instructional tool for wrestlers. New SpeakToScore feature Now it's even easier for MatBoss users to annotate match footage, thanks to the brand-new SpeakToScore feature for the 2016-17 season. A user with a headset and microphone can speak into the mic to note a specific scoring action -- for instance, saying "takedown, red" -- and MatBoss automatically puts the correct number of points on the board for the right wrestler. The feature recognizes verbal commands for standard scoring procedures, such as "takedown" and "escape." "With SpeakToScore, the user doesn't need to look at the scoring pad," according to John Peterson. "Though, if they prefer to use the buttons on the screen to note scoring, they can still do that. The user has the option to turn the voice-activation feature on or off." "SpeakToScore has been thoroughly tested," Peterson added. "It has worked very well in our testing, even in large spaces with lots of background noise. It recognizes standard scoring terms, as long as they are accompanied by an ID of who scored the move -- for instance, 'takedown, green' or 'escape, red.'" New zoom-while-recording feature It can easily happen at any wrestling event, especially a big tournament. You're recording a match right in front of you. As that action wraps up, suddenly one of your wrestlers is stepping onto the mat across the gym. How do you get a clear view of that match without flying across six mats? With MatBoss' new zoom-while-recording feature, a coach, team trainer or anyone else operating the iPad with the MatBoss app can easily zoom in on distant action without having to purchase a separate zoom lens. That way, a team can record and annotate the action of all its wrestlers, without having to purchase additional iPads or train additional users. New freestyle/Greco scoring "We've received requests from coaches whose wrestlers also compete in freestyle and Greco-Roman as well as traditional folkstyle," Peterson said. "Now MatBoss incorporates scoring symbols for freestyle and Greco along with folkstyle. This new feature allows wrestling programs to use MatBoss to record and score folkstyle, freestyle and Greco within the same event, all at no additional cost." This new functionality is great for programs with wrestlers who take to the mats beyond the traditional high school and/or college season to also compete in freestyle and/or Greco-Roman. Match viewer accessible from inside customer's online account Easy access to new features, greater functionality Even with these new features, MatBoss remains an easy-to-learn, easy-to-use recording-and-scoring tool that simplifies things for coaches, trainers and others who maintain stats and records for their team. "We offer users access to an extensive library of instructional videos -- what we call MatBoss University," said Peterson. "Tutorials, refresher courses, all designed to provide clear instruction to our users. We want every one of our users to get full functionality from the MatBoss app." As Peterson proudly pointed out, a number of these new features are the result of comments and suggestions direct from existing users. "I'd say at least 70% or more of our new features come from existing users," according to Peterson. "As coaches contact us with ideas for new features, we start working to see how we can add them to our existing product." "Once we incorporate a specific new feature and test it thoroughly, we then roll it out to our customers as soon as possible, at no extra charge." Upgrades to the MatBoss Cloud One of the best aspects of the MatBoss app is that makes it easy to archive (save, store and file) video footage of each wrestler. All footage is saved to the Amazon Cloud. To save footage, simply hit the 'start' button. It takes only about 2-3 minutes per match to upload to the Cloud. This eliminates the need to make DVDs for each wrestler. What's more, because footage is stored to the Cloud, a wrestler or his friends or family can call up their matches on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, and watch anywhere, at any time. New for the 2016-17 season, coaches can order highlight clips that can be dropped directly into video editing software to make highlight videos. "Coaches can notify us for memorable clips from their wrestlers," said Peterson. "This is so much easier than the coach having to review hours of footage and edit just the best parts for a highlight reel." "This feature is great for end-of-season highlight videos for team banquets, the team website or Facebook page," Peterson added. Another feature for marking memorable moments: MatBoss can alert coaches as the team or individual wrestlers are about to reach a milestone (for instance, 100 wins) or break a record. That way, the historic moment can be acknowledged and celebrated right away; no worries about missing a big event in the lives of athletes and their families. New 'Career Leaders' report MatBoss also provides career reports for users that have been using this innovative technology tool for multiple years. For example, coaches can request individual or team records over the years to acknowledge milestone performance achievements, and for motivating athletes to attain goals. Enhanced interconnectivity = time-savings MatBoss' Cloud feature also now offers additional connectivity tools that make life easier for coaches ... so you can concentrate on instruction and motivation, not paperwork and record-keeping. For instance, now MatBoss users can easily email their lineups to opposing coaches without having to retype the roster for every event. Enter the roster once; MatBoss stores it so you can easily share it with others in seconds. What's more, MatBoss makes it easy for coaches in Illinois and Ohio to fill out paperwork online, in full compliance with the athletic associations in those states ... without giving a second thought as to "did I do this right?" MatBoss can work with state athletic associations, districts, conferences, regions and other competitive divisions to provide seamless solutions for record-keeping and compliance ... making life so much easier for individual coaches, and for the athletic organizations they work with. In fact, MatBoss is already working with officiating organizations in three states -- Minnesota, Missouri, and Tennessee -- by providing features sure to be a valuable tool for wrestling referees and other mat officials. For instance, state officials can review officiating of any event -- whether it's a dual meet or a tournament -- remotely, by seeing the same match video with scoring annotations as seen by any coach or staff member on a team. "With these features, state officials can now review (on-site) officiating from anywhere, make comments, add notes," according to Peterson. "It can save hours in travel time." Making MatBoss better As stated in the opening of this article, the most successful wrestling programs are the ones where individual athletes and coaches work together towards improving performance and enhancing competitive advantage. That philosophy is at the heart of how MatBoss works. "We're constantly growing and improving MatBoss as time goes on," Peterson said. "Our yardstick is: 'Is it easy to use?' We want our tools to be easy and intuitive to use. We strive to make MatBoss a robust, all-encompassing solution that makes life easier for wrestling programs." It's the basic functionality of MatBoss -- along with a quest for constant improvement to make life easier for coaches and more rewarding for individual wrestlers -- that makes this app so popular with programs at every level, from youth groups to high schools to colleges. In fact, four of the top eight NCAA Division I wrestling programs (as ranked by InterMat) now use MatBoss. For more information on MatBoss, wrestling's premier VideoStats app, visit www.MatBossApp.com.

Three-time state champion Parker Filius (Havre, Mont.) became the first Class of 2017 verbal commitment for the Purdue Boilermakers. Filius is ranked as the No. 62 overall prospect in the senior class, and has earned All-American honors in Junior freestyle the last two summers in Fargo. His projects to compete as a 141/149 pound wrestler in college.

"Big Ten Battle in the Bronx will take place at Yankee Stadium PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics today announced it will host the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx," a football and wrestling doubleheader between the Scarlet Knights and Maryland, at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. The wrestling match, which will be the first in the history of the Stadium, will take place first, before head coach Chris Ash leads the football team into action later that day. "Never before has a doubleheader such as this taken place at a venue so iconic," said Director of Athletics Patrick Hobbs. "We are thrilled to provide our fans this one-of-a-kind experience while enhancing the Big Ten brand in the world's media capital. This is certain to be a very special day. We are thankful to the New York Yankees, the Big Ten Conference and the University of Maryland for helping to make it possible." Rutgers football is 2-1 in three games at the current Yankee Stadium, including two appearances in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Overall, RU has played 12 games at Yankee Stadium dating back to 1926 and 50 contests in venues that also serve as homes to Major League Baseball clubs. Maryland leads the all-time series dating back to 1920 on the gridiron, 6-5, but Rutgers has won two of the last three meetings. The teams have split a pair of Big Ten match-ups. "We are excited to be a part of this event, bringing together college football and wrestling at one of the most iconic venues in sports," said Rutgers head football coach Chris Ash. "The Scarlet Knight fan base is passionate about both its football and wrestling programs and the opportunity to play at Yankee Stadium offers a unique platform." Rutgers wrestling completed the best season in program history in 2015-16, placing two wrestlers on the All-America podium for a record 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Scarlet Knights return nine NCAA qualifiers and host Princeton in "Battle at the Birthplace," presented by Autoland, this Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium. The match-up will precede the football team's primetime showdown against Penn State that evening. The Scarlet Knights own a 7-5-1 series advantage against Maryland on the mat. "It is an incredible opportunity for our program to be compete inside Yankee Stadium," said Rutgers head wrestling coach Scott Goodale. "We are absolutely honored to wrestle inside one of the greatest cathedrals in all of sport. I don't think we ever envisioned this when we started here 10 years ago. This is significant not only for the Rutgers and Maryland programs, but for the sport of wrestling. We sincerely thank Pat Hobbs, the University of Maryland and the New York Yankees for making this wrestling milestone a reality." Ticket information for the "Big Ten Battle in the Bronx" is still to be announced. Season ticket holders will receive priority consideration for the exclusive event, which will be included in season ticket packages. Follow Rutgers Athletics on Twitter and Instagram (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding football, follow @RFootball and @RUWrestling for wrestling.

Hooman "Mo" Tavakolian NEW YORK -- Hooman "Mo" Tavakolian never achieved his goals as a competitive wrestler. He fell short of being a collegiate All-American. But he's doing more than his part to make sure others have the same opportunity to achieve their dreams. By giving back to wrestling in a huge way, and on a number of fronts. The 39-year-old Tavakolian, born in Iran and raised primarily in the United States, has emerged as an influential figure in the sport of international wrestling. "Wrestling is such an awesome sport," he said. "No other sport can bring the world together like wrestling can. It teaches you so many life lessons -- the value of hard work and battling through adversity in pursuing a goal. It taught me to never give up, no matter what the circumstances are. I never had anything handed to me. Wrestling taught me you had to work hard if you wanted to earn anything worthwhile." Tavakolian manages to balance his involvement in wrestling with his successful career in business. He is a Deputy Chief Compliance Officer at a hedge fund in New York City. Tavakolian is heavily involved with the New York Athletic Club as a vice president who handles international relations. He also is the director of the annual New York AC wrestling tournament in November. Tavakolian moved to the United States from Iran when he was 8 years old. The family settled in Great Neck, New York on Long Island. "Being an Iranian, wrestling is part of the culture -- it is the national sport in Iran," he said. "My family members wrestled. It's a fun thing we did growing up and it's always been in my blood. We were dirt poor when we came to America. My dad encouraged us to try wrestling. That was a way for us to fit in and adapt to being in America. Wrestling helped us adjust to a new culture. And it taught us that if you work hard you can be successful in whatever you do in life." Tavakolian wrestled under Coach Tom Ryan at the NCAA Division I level at Hofstra University. Tavakolian has worked as a liaison for the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Senior and Junior World Championships for wrestling, handling sports diplomacy between Iran, the U.S. and other countries from around the world. He also was in attendance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He became more heavily involved with wrestling during 2013 when the International Olympic Committee Executive Board recommended wrestling be removed from the Olympic Games program. Wrestling teams from Russia, Iran and the U.S. were brought to New York City for an event in 2013 to promote the saving wrestling effort. The teams met at the United Nations and competed in an event at Grand Central Station in New York. Tavakolian was involved as an interpreter and a liaison at that event. "It was amazing to see how those countries came together," he said. "Everyone was united through the sport of wrestling despite political, cultural and religious differences. It was a perfect sign of what sports diplomacy does." Tavakolian also has spent many years giving back to young people through wrestling. "I have a huge outreach wrestling program where I provide wrestling gear to kids around the world," he said. "I show them this is a way out of poverty and that they can chase their dreams in wrestling. I send shoes and gear to villages in Iran, Brazil, Romania, Bulgaria and Spain. I also help kids in the U.S. I am a board member at Beat the Streets, which does a lot to help young boys and girls in this country. "This outreach program I have has been my pride and joy. Making a difference and providing a small opportunity to these kids solidifies my purpose in this sports arena." Hooman "Mo" Tavakolian at the Beat the Streets eventTavakolian also played a role in bringing an Iranian team to Times Square for a dual meet against the U.S. in 2016. Tavakolian received a chance to return to his native Iran as part of a United States team that competed in the World Clubs Cup in Iran in 2014 and 2015. He served as a liaison and interpreter for the American teams that competed in the cities of Jouybar and Tehran. "It was great having an opportunity to go back to Iran -- they treated me really well and made it feel like home for me," he said. "It was an awesome experience. Events like this create a great opportunity for our athletes, and in promoting our sports and creating dialogue between our nations. There is great fellowship and sportsmanship between the U.S. and Iran in wrestling." Iranian fans came out in full force when the U.S. competed there, banging drums, playing horns, and clapping while doing rhythmic chants and cheers in supporting their beloved wrestlers. "The Iranian fans always give me goosebumps," Tavakolian said. "They absolutely love wrestling and support it very enthusiastically. It was always a dream of mine to compete in wrestling in Iran and have the crowd cheering. The crowds are so passionate and knowledgeable. The Iranian crowds also were very welcoming to the American team and showed their appreciation for the U.S. team going there to compete. The fans in Iran appreciate great wrestling, no matter who country you are from. Jordan Burroughs is a prime example of that. They love watching a great champion like Jordan compete and they loved it when he wrestled in Iran (in 2013)." Hooman "Mo" Tavakolian with Stan Dziedzic and Sonny GreenhalghThe U.S. team, sponsored by Andy Barth and the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, finished second at the World Clubs Cup in 2014 and 2015. "The club championships is a great concept," Tavakolian said. "I am hopeful it will grow and other countries will participate. The prize money is also large, so that helps. Iran has sent a precedent and is leading in promoting the sport. Our sport needs as much publicity as possible and needs to attract big corporate sponsors." Tavakolian also was honored at the White House in 2016 among a group of "Who's Who of Iranian-Americans." First Lady Michelle Obama was there to honor the group. "It was very humbling to be a part of that," he said. "I was super honored to be there." Tavakolian hopes to continue in his role as an international ambassador for the sport. Wrestling is now assured of a spot in the Olympic Games through 2024. "Wrestling will always be an Olympic sport," Tavakolian said. "It is a big part of civilization and cultures around the world. The USA and Iran are powerful participants of the sport, and the cooperation and joint partnership of these two powerful wrestling cultures creates an effective vehicle to move the sport forward and keep the sport in many more Olympics. The USA Wrestling community has been very proactive in promoting the sport and the federation does a great job. All ages and levels are involved with the sport and keep the sport alive. We just need more media coverage and more corporate sponsorship." Hooman "Mo" Tavakolian next to Rasoul Khadem (right)Tavakolian said he has been fortunate to work with some of the most influential people in the sport. "I've been able to sit at the table with some of the greats of this sport and work with legends like Rasoul Khadem, Alireza Rezaei, Dan Gable and Cael Sanderson and many more," he said. "I hope we continue to build bridges and move forward through wrestling. I have so much respect for the art of wrestling. It has no borders and because of wrestling I have made so many friendships around the world." Another goal Tavakolian has is to bring the Iranians to the annual NYAC tournament that he runs. "I hope I can have Iran compete there one day," he said. "It would be an honor to host them, and have a country with a rich wrestling culture like theirs compete in a rich historic club like the New York Athletic Club." Tavakolian played an important role in Iran's three-year campaign to gain a seat in the United World Wrestling Bureau. Those efforts paid off in September 2016 when Iran's Rasoul Khadem won a seat unanimously. "I am very happy that Iran gets a seat at the table, and with the help of other countries such as the USA, they can unite and combat the issues and conflicts that are harming our sport," Tavakolian said. "I am humbled to be part of the equation." Tavakolian also somehow finds time to raise his young family. He and his wife, Lorelei, have two sons, Navid, 6, and Nima, 3, and one daughter, Nikki, 9 months. Tavakolian said he is grateful for the opportunities he's been afforded in the sport. "I was born in Iran and I grew up in America, and I am an Iranian American," he said. "I am very proud of being a part of both countries and both cultures. "In my life, I never chased titles. I love the sport of wrestling and what it stands for. It brought me out of poverty. I want to do the same for other kids. This whole journey has been amazing for me. I hope to impact so many lives through this great sport."

Matt Kraus battles Geo Martinez in the Pac-12 finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com Arizona State head wrestling coach Zeke Jones announces the hiring of Maddie Schossow as the team's Director of Operations while recent graduate Matt Kraus will stay with the team and serve as an undergraduate assistant coach. "Being a part of Sun Devil Athletics is such an honor and I am excited for the many opportunities that will come my way," said Schossow. Schossow is a native of Altoona, Iowa where she worked for the University of Iowa wrestling team during her entire undergraduate career as a team manager. While with the Hawkeyes, Schossow traveled with the team, helped coordinate nutrition and travel, worked summer wrestling camps and collected and processed all video. Kraus competed for the Sun Devils from 2012-16, earning 80+ career victories and competing at NCAA Championships as a senior. Starting as a true freshman, Kraus recorded a major decision at Pac-12 championships as a sophomore and took second at Pac-12 championships as a junior. Kraus adds "It feels good to be able to give back and help a team and university that have done so much to help me succeed."

Alex Lloyd was a double All-American in Fargo (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.), a state champion and Junior All-American in all three styles, has registered for the InterMat JJ Classic at 145 pounds. Lloyd will be in search of his third straight JJ Classic title. Last year Lloyd defeated Kanen Storr of Michigan in the JJ Classic finals to take the title at 138 pounds. His previous JJ Classic title came at 126 pounds. This past season Lloyd compiled a 42-1 record en route to winning a state championship at 145 pounds as a sophomore. In the spring he claimed a Junior National folkstyle title at 145 pounds. In Fargo, Lloyd earned double All-American honors, placing sixth in Greco-Roman and seventh in freestyle. Lloyd is ranked No. 30 among all high school junior wrestlers in the United States. To learn more about Alex Lloyd, read Steve Elwood's stories: From Russian orphan to American wrestling star and Three days in Fargo with Alex Lloyd. The 2016 InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Rochester, Minnesota. For more information on the InterMat JJ Classic and to register, visit the event website.

Greg Flournoy, Mark Weader and Canaan Bethea FAIRFAX, Va. -- George Mason wrestling head coach Joe Russell has announced that Mark Weader and Canaan Bethea have been added to the staff as assistant coaches and Greg Flournoy will join the staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Weader, a native of Danville, Pa., spent five years as an assistant coach and six years as the head coach at Mason. Before his coaching career began he was a four-year starter for the Patriots and finished his career with 75 wins. "Since my arrival on campus, I have valued the support that Mark has given George Mason wrestling and myself," Russell said. "He cares deeply about George Mason University and the wrestling program. I have called on him to help me lead this program on multiple occasions, now we will get to work together in a more formal setting and I'm excited to build the program together." Weader won the Colonial Athletic Association championship at 157 pounds and advanced to the NCAA Championships after the 1998-99 season. He has been coaching at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va. "I'm really excited to be part of the program again," Mark Weader said. "Wrestling and coaching here for so long I think I know from a technical standpoint what will help and from a mental approach, especially the new wrestlers getting used to college wrestling and building confidence. Joe and I have very similar ideas on where the program can go and what's important in terms of developing student-athletes." Bethea, from Trenton, N.J., joins the Mason coaching staff with a history of being one of the best wrestlers in the country and has continued to train at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. "I have been a fan of Canaan from afar for several years," said Russell. "His older brother Jaaziah wrestled at Mason and I was able to get to know the wonderful Bethea family. I have particularly enjoyed watching Canaan compete, seeing him help build youth wrestling programs and have been impressed with our interactions." Bethea's older brother, Jaaziah, wrestled for the Patriots from 2009-13 and finished fourth in the CAA Championships at the 157 weight class in 2013. "I've known the program for a while and I came to matches when my brother was here," Bethea said. "To have some coaches that have so much experience that's all you can ask for and I'm excited to do what I can to help the program. One of my goals is to model what we want to see in our student-athletes, so I want to compete the way I would want them to compete and study." During his time at the University of Pennsylvania, Bethea qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2013 and 2015. "I am confident he will be a great mentor for our student-athletes. Canaan has a bright future and I am pleased he has chosen to coach at Mason," Russell said. Flournoy, a four-year letterwinner at Mason from Rappahannock County, Va., will also join the coaching staff. He finished his final season wrestling for the Patriots with a 31-12 record and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler by the team. "I wrestled for 18 years and to end it at a program like Mason with coach Russell, I couldn't ask for anything better," Flournoy said. "To be able to come back and give back as much as possible is a great feeling. I still want to be active and help the program that made me successful." Flournoy qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2015 and 2016. "Without a doubt, I am pleased Greg has agreed to stick around to coach at his alma mater," Russell said. "His recent experience as a student-athlete will certainly help him lead the team. He has walked down the same path and done so with success and his knowledge will shorten the learning curve for the current wrestlers at Mason." The Mason wrestling team begins the season at home on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. against Indiana University at the Recreation and Athletic Complex.

Sam Lovello, Pennsylvania high school wrestling coach who accumulated over 500 wins in 39 seasons, died early Sunday. He was 69. Sam LovelloLovello, who built a 533-226-3 record in 37 seasons at Brandywine Heights High School and two at Wilson, was only the sixth high school wrestling coach in the Keystone State to exceed 500 victories. The Reading (Pa.) High School graduate also coached two PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) Class AA champions and led the Brandywine Heights Bullets to the PIAA Class AA team title at the 2001 PIAA Wrestling Championships. "The wrestling world is sadder today after losing one of the giants in our sport at the high school ranks. Sam Lovello, the longtime head coach of Brandywine Heights died early this morning," according to a post at the Berks County Wrestling Facebook page. At a February 2013 tribute to celebrate Lovello's 500th win -- and the 50th year of Bullet wrestling at Brandywine Heights -- the coach told the Reading Eagle, "I love seeing these kids. It's any coach's dream when kids come back to see them. Any good coach gets attached to his kids. I'm attached to all these kids." At that same reception three years ago, Brandywine Heights assistant coach Steve Adam said, "He hasn't changed; he's always the same person. It's always fun coaching with him. He has so much knowledge and his memory is amazing." Lovello had been welcomed into a number of wrestling halls of fame, including the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1999, and, in 2013, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Tom Elling, an NCAA All-American for Lock Haven and author of "PA Wrestling Handbook" who now shares his insights into the sport in the Keystone State with his Pennsylvania Wrestling website http://pawrsl.com, shared his thoughts on Lovello with InterMat. "Probably the most recent 'name' wrestler who learned from Coach Lovello would be NC State's Peter Renda. Pete was a 4-time PIAA placer, winning his state title at 179 pounds in 2013. Kyle Kemmerer was his first state champion, winning the 112-pound title in 2003. Sam's son Joey was a three-time placer for his dad." "Sam was a man of character and was always very humble and gracious," Elling added. "His wrestlers truly loved and respected him. "I know I'll miss his easy smile at the 2017 PIAA State Tournament." Funeral arrangements had yet to be announced as of Monday evening.