InterMat Staff

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Citadel will host the 2017 and 2018 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship inside McAlister Field House, it was announced Tuesday. The annual event has been conducted in Charleston seven times, most recently in 2009 when the Bulldogs took fourth place. Dating back to 1961, The Citadel has had 67 cadet-athletes earn individual championships in the tournament. The SoCon Wrestling Championship had been held at UNC Asheville's Kimmel Arena in Asheville, North Carolina, in conjunction with the league's basketball tournaments the last two seasons, but because of uncertainty over Kimmel's availability going forward, the wrestling tournament was put back out to bid. The 2017 championship will take place March 4, while the 2018 event will be held March 3. Tickets for the 2017 SoCon Wrestling Championship will be made available for purchase via The Citadel's ticket office at a later time. Further ticket information will be offered as the tournament date approaches. For more information on The Citadel wrestling, follow @CitadelWrestle or visit CitadelSports.com.

Mike and Max Soria Former University at Buffalo wrestlers Mike and Max Soria competed on NBC's American Ninja Warrior series Monday night, with Mike advancing to the next level of competition. The twin brothers participated in the Philadelphia qualifier event on the show which describes itself as an "action-packed series [which] follows competitors as they tackle a series of challenging obstacle courses in both city qualifying and city finals rounds across the country." Despite not successfully completing the course in the allotted time, Mike Soria will advance to the next round of competition to be held in July. Those that successfully complete the finals course in their designated region move on to the national finals round in Las Vegas, where they face a four-stage course modeled after the famed Mt. Midoriyama course in Japan, according to the American Ninja Warrior website. The winner takes home a grand prize of $1 million. The NBC series, now in its eighth season, is based on a successful Japanese show Sasuke, now in its 31st season. Mike and Max Soria were on the wrestling team at Buffalo, competing at 125 pounds. Both earned Bachelor's degrees. Mike went on to graduate school at Seton Hill University, an NCAA Division II school, where he was on the Griffins wrestling roster. Bulls head wrestling coach John Stutzman shared his thoughts on the 25-year-old twin matmen from Kings Park, N.Y., who he met as juniors when he first came to Buffalo. "They both competed like cats and dogs in the (wrestling) room," Stutzman told InterMat. "Yet they made a point of never wrestling each other in tournaments." "Most of his career here, Mike was right behind Max, who was the starter at 125 (pounds), but he was just as good." "American Ninja Warrior really fits their personalities," said Stutzman. "They both have incredible gymnastics skills, and have appeared in YouTube videos doing acrobatic stunts." Stutzman described both Max and Mike Soria as being "fitness gurus." "They've done a great job representing their family, their school, and the sport of wrestling."

Just six weeks before the Opening Ceremonies at the 2016 Olympics, the Rio de Janeiro laboratory responsible for processing all athletes' drug test samples has been suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA issued a statement Friday saying the lab was shut down last week due to "non-conformity with the International Standard for Laboratories" and is prohibited from "carrying out all anti-doping analyses on urine and blood samples." Outgoing WADA director general David Howman said the suspension was due to technical errors, calling it "pretty disturbing," according to the New Zealand sports website stuff.co.nz. WADA's incoming director general was more upbeat. "WADA will work closely with the Rio Laboratory to resolve the identified issue," said Olivier Niggli. "The Agency will ensure that, for the time being, samples that would have been intended for the Laboratory, will be transported securely, promptly and with a demonstrable chain of custody to another WADA-accredited laboratory worldwide. This will ensure that there are no gaps in the anti-doping sample analysis procedures; and that, the integrity of the samples is fully maintained." "Athletes can have confidence that the suspension will only be lifted by WADA when the Laboratory is operating optimally; and that, the best solution will be put in place to ensure that sample analysis for the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games is robust," incoming WADA director general Niggli added. The Rio Laboratory may appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days of receipt of notice. With the Opening Ceremonies taking place August 5, there is concern as to whether the drug-testing facility in Rio will be ready in time for the 2016 Olympics. Officials at the Rio lab believe the issues raised by WADA can still be resolved in time for the Summer Games, saying, "The lab expects its operations to return to normal in July after a visit from WADA's technical committee." If the Rio lab is not ready in time for the Olympics, WADA has a number of other accredited drug testing facilities in the Western Hemisphere, including UCLA in Los Angeles; Salt Lake City, Utah; Bogota, Colombia; Havana, Cuba; and Mexico City. Brazilian officials invested $60 million in a new facility and expanded the lab's staff from 20 to more than 100 after the previous test facility had been closed twice in four years by WADA, according to ESPN.com. News of WADA's suspension of the Rio drug testing lab comes on the heels of a steady stream of not-so-great news relating to the 2016 Summer Olympics, including concerns about the Zika virus, Brazil's economic and political crises (including the impeachment of Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff ), and crime and safety issues, such as Brazil's gun homicide rate 5.5 times higher than that of the U.S. In addition, there have been basic Olympic-related infrastructure concerns, including whether some sports venues -- as well as a major new transit line -- will be completed on time. (Work on the wrestling venue has been completed; the arena was inaugurated in mid-May.)

University of Maryland wrestling is seeking an assistant wrestling coach, according to a job listing posted at the official Maryland Athletics website. "The Assistant Coach -- Wrestling will support the Head Coach with the organization, development and implementation of a competitive NCAA Division I wrestling program," is how the listing described the position. "Responsibilities include assisting with scouting, recruiting, coaching, practice and dual meet scheduling, fundraising, clinics, and the administration of team budgets." Candidates for the assistant wrestling coach for the Terps must have a bachelor's degree, and a minimum of two years of experience in coaching or collegiate competition. Those interested must apply online. The link -- along with instructions, and a list of documents the applicant must provide -- are available at the link for the Maryland wrestling assistant coach position. Intercollegiate wrestling at Maryland first took to the mat in 1940. The program was a fixture in the Atlantic Coast Conference for decades before starting competition in the Big Ten in 2014. Kerry McCoy has been the Terps head wrestling coach since 2008.

Adam Busiello (Photo/Josh Conklin) Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2019, verbally committed to Penn State University on Monday evening. Already a three-time state finalist, as wrestlers can compete in high school varsity competition from seventh grade onward in New York, Busiello had a sensational freshman season. It included a title at the Super 32 Challenge during the fall, a second consecutive state title, and finished with him ranked No. 1 in the country at 106 pounds. Busiello also placed third last summer in Cadet freestyle at 106 pounds. His commitment to Penn State continues the Nittany Lions' strong momentum in recruiting. That includes the second ranked class in 2016, along with key verbal commitments in each of the next three classes: Nick and Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) for the 2017 and 2018 classes, plus Busiello in 2019. He projects to compete in college at 141 pounds.

Lee Roper (right) was hired as an assistant coach at Northern Iowa CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- UNI wrestling hired Lee Roper as an assistant coach, and Brett Robbins was named as the volunteer coach. "Lee brings a love for the sport of wrestling," said head coach Doug Schwab. "When you have options of where to go, and this is where you want to be, that says something." Roper joined the UNI wrestling team as a volunteer coach in the 2015-16 season. "Last year, he really proved himself as far as how valuable he is to the program," Schwab said. "You know when guys fit well. We all get along well as a group, and we have all bought in to the program and believe in what we can do here at UNI." Roper is the co-founder of Compound Wrestling Facilities in McDonough, Georgia. From its inception in 2008 until the start of last season, the club had coached 13 wrestlers who advanced as Division I athletes, including former All-American for UNI Joey Lazor and current Panthers Jake Hodges and Taylor Lujan, a four-time state champion as a prep in Georgia. "It's just the right fit," said Roper. "You see those billboards all around that say 'UNI is the right fit,' and it is for me, too. There are a lot of schools around us that offer the same thing, and this place is just different. When I was looking for a place that fit me, I wanted to find that family atmosphere where the head coach is completely invested in his student-athletes." Roper was a four-year starter at Appalachian State University from 2001-06 and an NCAA qualifier in 2003. He earned all-conference honors in 2002 and 2003. As a prep athlete, Roper was an All-American and two-time state champion from Madison, Georgia. Each coach on staff plans to continue taking an active role in the academic affairs of the team, but Roper will be the point person to monitor the process. "Everybody works really hard at wrestling at this level, and we are trying to win a national championship as a team," Roper said. "However, we are trying to pinpoint all aspects of their life. We all stress academics a lot. It's something that maybe other places don't stress as much, but if we get their lifestyle in order and they are handling their academics, wrestling starts getting pretty easy." Roper fills a vacancy created when assistant head coach Mark Schwab stepped out of coaching to start his own company at the end of the last season. "We'll never be able to replace Mark, but you try to find a guy who complements your lesser strengths," said Doug Schwab. "As far as planning, technique, skill and passion for the sport, Lee has just as much as anyone. So we are excited to add him on full time and excited to put Brett Robbins on our staff." Robbins will move into the volunteer coach role. "He is as selfless as you get," said Schwab. "He is 100 percent about the athletes. He is eager to learn and always asking questions. He has been here from day one since I got here. He has been bought in since I got here, so I'm excited to have him on our staff." As a collegiate wrestler at UNI, Robbins qualified to compete internationally at the FILA Junior World Championships in 2006. In June 2006, he was named the FILA Junior Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Month and won the FILA Junior World Team Trials at 132 pounds. In his senior year at UNI, Robbins bounced back after a long battle with a medical hardship to win the Loras and Jim Fox opens and go undefeated in dual matches. He posted a 19-5 record, and graduated from UNI in 2010 with a degree in history. He was still competing at 66 kilograms until recently and placed eighth at the 2013 U.S. Open. Robbins is a native of Bloomington, Illinois. He is engaged to be married to Holli Rutherford next month. "These are the guys who need to be on staff to move our program forward," said Schwab. "It will be a seamless transition. We have had very little turnover since my start seven years ago. They have built relationships with these guys, and that's important." LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016-17 UNI will be led by two-time All-American Dylan Peters. The Panthers will have five returning Division I NCAA qualifiers on the roster. In addition to Peters, Cooper Moore will enter his senior year as a three-time qualifier. He will be joined by sophomores Josh Alber and Bryce Steiert. Senior JJ Everard transferred from South Dakota State and sat out the 2015-16 season. The heavyweight qualified for the 2014 NCAA tournament at SDSU. UNI will open its home dual season Nov. 11. A full schedule will be released at a later date. The Panthers expect to have at least nine home events, including the Mid-American Conference championships March 4-5, 2017. "The culture we have on the team is something I would put up with anyone in the country," said Roper. "We just have a lot of guys who are fun to be around. They are trying to do some big things in their life, and they are buying into the lifestyle we are putting before them. They are making a lot of sacrifices in the offseason and the summer. We expect big things of them, and they expect big things of themselves, so when you get those two things in align, we know a lot of fun things are going to happen."

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- For 23 years, Randy Steward has owned his place at the side of the mat as the head coach of the wrestling program at Loras College. Beginning in November, the Duhawks will have a new leader at the helm, but one that has stared success right in the eyes. TJ Miller and Randy StewardLoras Director of Athletics Denise Udelhofen accepted the resignation of Steward and approved the transition to promote TJ Miller as head coach on Monday. "Randy has been a hallmark of Loras College and the wrestling program for many years. He has personally overseen the development of hundreds of student-athletes and forged success in their lives, both on and off the mat," Udelhofen said. "I have had the pleasure of knowing Randy for over 20 years and consider him to not only be a trusted colleague, but also a dear friend. We are extremely grateful for his dedication and service to Loras and we wish him the best in his future." Steward's new role brings him to Calhoun, Ga. and Sonoraville High School where he will serve as a physical education instructor and head wrestling coach. "Some people out there may think that my time has come to retire, but that motivates me to no end and I am tickled to death to begin the final chapter of my coaching career," Steward said. "I've been given the opportunity to relocate to Georgia and put my stamp on what is already a very successful program at Sonoraville High School." Throughout Steward's 23 years at Loras, he coached 56 All-Americans, with the most recent being Malcolm Watson at the 2016 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships this past March. His accolades include 228 dual victories, 15 Academic All-Americans, nine top-16 national finishes and six national champions. This past season, Steward was inducted into the DeWitt Central Athletic Hall of Fame and the NWCA NCAA Division III Hall of Fame. "Reflecting on the past 23 years here at Loras has proven to be an emotional undertaking," Steward said. "How many people can honest get up every morning and have the opportunity to do something they love? I've been extremely fortunate to do just that." Steward was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year and NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in 2014 after qualifying three for nationals and winning the national championship at 285#. In total, the Iowa Conference has recognized Steward as its Coach of the Year on four occasions. "It is the end of an era, but I want to make it clear that it is not all about me, I am just one lucky man who had a vision and a passion to build upon something very special," Steward added. "There are so many people who have helped in one way or another to build the program, including student-athletes, parents, alumni and friends of the program." As a Division III student-athlete himself at Cornell College, Steward was a four-time national qualifier before graduating with a degree in physical education. He later went on to earn his master's degree from Northwest Missouri State University. With one season under his belt as associate head coach, Miller is eager to lead a collegiate program for the first time in his career. Prior to Loras, Miller was the head wrestling coach at Holy Cross High School in New Orleans where the Tigers won two team state championships and 14 individuals were crowned state champions. "This move also marks the beginning of a new era with many things already in place and ready to be taken to the next level," Steward shared. "I will be watching from afar as TJ puts his own personal spin on the program. His imminent success will be fun and exciting to see develop." Miller was an NCAA Division III National Champion in 2007 at 197#, finishing with a career record of 110-9. Miller was a three-time NCAA All-American and three-time Iowa Conference Champion. During his time at Wartburg, the Knights won three NCAA Division III National Championships. "I would like to thank President Jim Collins and Director of Athletics Denise Udelhofen for their confidence in me to lead the wrestling program moving forward," Miller said. "I will forever be grateful to Randy Steward for giving me my original opportunity, for his friendship and for his guidance. My wife and I are thrilled to be a part of the Loras College family for the years to come and are excited to take the wrestling program to the next level." Miller inherits a program that went 2-13 in duals a season ago, but qualified two for nationals in sophomore Michael Triplett (133#) and Watson (197#). In total, four wrestlers earned All-Conference designation, with junior Evan Weaver (141#) and freshman Quin Gilliam (285#) joining Triplett and Watson. "This past year has been pretty special, given my induction into two hall of fames and my final All-American in Malcolm Watson," Steward added. "I would like to thank everyone that has a connection to Loras College Wrestling. I will continue to treasure the countless relationships that I have had the pleasure of developing over the past two decades at Loras."

Bad news from Badger-land: Ryan Taylor, 133-pound starter for University of Wisconsin, will be undergoing surgery which will end his wrestling career. Ryan Taylor battles Cory Clark at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Taylor, who just completed his redshirt junior season for the Badgers, posted the following message on Instagram early Sunday evening: "Wrestling has been a very important facet of my life, although a new journey has begun due to injury I must say goodbye to this great sport. It was a great journey and lifestyle and I owe it nothing more than the greatest respect. Thank you to all the people that followed me in this journey that was my life." The official Twitter account for Wisconsin Badger wrestling followed up with this Tweet: "You will be missed @rtbadger but thanks for all you did." In three seasons at Wisconsin, Taylor was a three-year starter, first at 125 as a freshman, then at 133 the past two years. A three-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier, Taylor earned NCAA All-American honors by placing seventh at 133 at the 2015 NCAAs. Prior to coming to Madison, Taylor wrestled at nationally-ranked St. Paris Graham High School, where he won three consecutive Ohio state titles at 120 pounds as a sophomore, junior and senior.

TULSA, Okla. -- Illinois must have felt pretty good at the start of the Junior Nationals Freestyle Duals finals against Ohio on Saturday. With the dual meet starting at 138 pounds, Illinois came out with wins in four of the first six bouts, including a pin and a technical fall, for a 16-10 lead. But Ohio had them just where they wanted them. Led by a group of powerful lightweight stars, Ohio won six of the final nine matches for a comfortable 37-27 victory over Illinois and the Junior Duals freestyle title. The early run by Illinois included victories by Jaime Hernandez (138), Shayne Oster (152), Austin O'Connor (160) and Logan Gruszka (182). Gruszka needed just 37 seconds to take James Handwerk to his back and score a pin, worth five big team points. Read complete story … JUNIOR NATIONAL DUALS At Tulsa, Okla. Freestyle results CHAMPIONSHIP DUAL - Ohio 37, Illinois 27 138 Jaime Hernandez (Illinois) over Corey Shie (Ohio) Dec 12-7 145 Dom Demas (Ohio) over A.J. Jaffe (Illinois) Dec 4-1 152 Shayne Oster (Illinois) over Davey Tunon (Ohio) TF 21-10 160 Austin O`Connor (Illinois) over Austin Hiles (Ohio) Dec 9-2 170 Jesse Beverly (Ohio) over Sage Heller (Illinois) TF 10-0 182 Logan Gruszka (Illinois) over James Handwerk (Ohio) Fall 0:36 195 Benjamin Darmstadt (Ohio) over Patrick Brucki (Illinois) Fall 0:50 220 Jared Campbell (Ohio) over Christian Brunner (Illinois) TF 10-0 285 Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois) over Matt Adams (Ohio) Dec 9-7 100 Lucas Byrd (Ohio) over Matthew Ramos (Illinois) TF 14-2 106 Oscar Sanchez (Ohio) over Anthony King (Illinois) TF 10-0 113 Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio) over Joey Melendez (Illinois) Dec 8-2 120 Drew Mattin (Ohio) over Louie Hayes (Illinois) TF 10-0 126 Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) over Allan Hart (Ohio) Dec 8-3 132 Gabriel Townsell (Illinois) over Tariq Wilson (Ohio) Dec 21-21 THIRD PLACE - New Jersey 50, Minnesota Red 17 138 Mitchell McKee (Minnesota Red) over Requir Van Der Merwe (New Jersey) TF 14-4 145 Alex Crowe (Minnesota Red) over Nicholas Palumbo (New Jersey) TF 11-0 152 Andrew Merola (New Jersey) over Travis Ostby (Minnesota Red) TF 18-6 160 Kyle Bierdumpfel (New Jersey) over Jake Allar (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 170 Brandon Dallavia (New Jersey) over Jerod Novak (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 182 Joseph Grello (New Jersey) over Taylor Venz (Minnesota Red) Fall 1:11 195 Brandon Kui (New Jersey) over Jonah Lange (Minnesota Red) TF 11-1 220 Kevin Mulligan (New Jersey) over Trenten Rogich (Minnesota Red) TF 12-0 285 Chase Singletary (New Jersey) over Sam Erckenbrack (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 100 Matthew Petersen (Minnesota Red) over Thomas Fierro (New Jersey) TF 12-2 106 Nicholas Shutzenhofer (New Jersey) over Ashton Clark (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 113 Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey) over Patrick McKee (Minnesota Red) TF 20-9 120 Sebastian Rivera (New Jersey) over Curtis LeMair (Minnesota Red) TF 12-2 126 Zachary Sherman (New Jersey) over Jake Gliva (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 132 Nicholas Farro (New Jersey) over Brent Jones (Minnesota Red) Dec 5-2 FIFTH PLACE - Pennsylvania 35, Iowa Red 32 138 Wyatt Long (Pennsylvania) over Carter Happel (Iowa Red) Fall 0:22 145 Sam Sasso (Pennsylvania) over Nelson Brands (Iowa Red) Dec 8-4 152 Matt Malcom (Iowa Red) over Trevor Elfvin (Pennsylvania) TF 18-6 160 Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania) over Colton Clingenpeel (Iowa Red) TF 20-10 170 Marcus Coleman (Iowa Red) over Eric Hong (Pennsylvania) Dec 11-9 182 Anthony Welch (Pennsylvania) over Max Lyon (Iowa Red) Fall 3:23 195 Jake Woodley (Pennsylvania) over Isaac Bartel (Iowa Red) Dec 8-6 220 Zane Black (Pennsylvania) over Wyatt Wriedt (Iowa Red) Dec 8-7 285 Carter Isley (Iowa Red) over Brendan Furman (Pennsylvania) Dec 4-0 100 Matt Rodriquez (Pennsylvania) over Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa Red) TF 10-0 106 Jaret Lane (Pennsylvania) over Hans Von Rabenau (Iowa Red) Fall 1:22 113 Kyle Biscoglia (Iowa Red) over Ryan Green (Pennsylvania) TF 10-0 120 Jack Wagner (Iowa Red) over Zurich Storm (Pennsylvania) Fall 2:48 126 Brenden Baker (Iowa Red) over Brandon Bach (Pennsylvania) TF 12-2 132 Brock Rathbun (Iowa Red) over Cary Palmer (Pennsylvania) Fall 1:53 SEVENTH PLACE - Oklahoma Blue 56, Michigan Blue 15 138 Jaxen Gilmore (Oklahoma Blue) over Trent Lashuay (Michigan Blue) Fall 1:32 145 Brik Filippo (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 152 Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma Blue) over Dustin Gross (Michigan Blue) TF 10-0 160 Dayton Garrett (Oklahoma Blue) over Bret Fedewa (Michigan Blue) TF 20-9 170 Drew Hinkle (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 182 Dan Baker (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 195 Zach Marcheselli (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 220 Gunner Cash (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 285 Trenton Lieurance (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 100 Alex Fields (Oklahoma Blue) over Devon Johnson (Michigan Blue) Dec 14-8 106 Ravon Foley (Michigan Blue) over Wyatt Adams (Oklahoma Blue) TF 10-0 113 Dominic LaJoie (Michigan Blue) over Colt Newton (Oklahoma Blue) TF 12-2 120 Jet Taylor (Oklahoma Blue) over Jordan Hamdan (Michigan Blue) TF 10-0 126 Daton Fix (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 132 James Whitaker (Michigan Blue) over Jacob Butler (Oklahoma Blue) Fall 3:53 BRONZE/COPPER Results (Places 9-16) 1st Place - Missouri 2nd Place - California 3rd Place - North Dakota-Blue 4th Place - Utah Blue 5th Place - Kansas Blue 6th Place - Florida 7th Place - Iowa Blue 8th Place - Washington 1st Place Match - Missouri defeated California 39-28. 3rd Place Match - North Dakota-Blue defeated Utah Blue 37-32. 5th Place Match - Kansas Blue defeated Florida 40-26. 7th Place Match - Iowa Blue defeated Washington 36-35. RED/BLUE Results 1st Place - Texas Blue 2nd Place - Arizona 3rd Place - Minnesota Blue 4th Place - Nebraska Blue 5th Place - Oklahoma Red 6th Place - Indiana Gold 7th Place - Tennessee 8th Place - Texas Red 1st Place Match - Texas Blue defeated Arizona 36-32. 3rd Place Match - Minnesota Blue defeated Nebraska Blue 39-29. 5th Place Match - Oklahoma Red defeated Indiana Gold 34-33. 7th Place Match - Tennessee defeated Texas Red 61-10. GREEN/YELLOW Results 1st Place - Georgia 2nd Place - Nebraska Red 3rd Place - Arkansas 4th Place - Kansas Red 5th Place - Utah Red 6th Place - North Dakota Red 7th Place - Georgia Blue 8th Place - Michigan Red 1st Place Match - Georgia defeated Nebraska Red 49-20. 3rd Place Match - Arkansas defeated Kansas Red 50-14. 5th Place Match - Utah Red defeated North Dakota Red 37-29. 7th Place Match - Georgia Blue defeated Michigan Red 35-23. PURPLE/GREY Results 1st Place - Colorado 2nd Place - South Dakota 3rd Place - North Carolina 4th Place - Louisiana 5th Place - Montana 6th Place - Indiana Blue 7th Place - South Carolina Louisiana defeated South Carolina 29-29. Colorado defeated Montana 47-24. North Carolina defeated Indiana Blue 42-16. South Dakota defeated Louisiana 50-12. Montana defeated South Carolina 32-15. Colorado defeated Indiana Blue 55-10. Colorado defeated Louisiana 61-3. North Carolina defeated Montana 34-28. South Dakota defeated Indiana Blue 49-7. Louisiana defeated Indiana Blue 36-31. South Dakota defeated Montana 37-25. North Carolina defeated South Carolina 48-13. North Carolina defeated Louisiana 43-25. Colorado defeated South Dakota 50-21. Indiana Blue defeated South Carolina 22-21. Montana defeated Indiana Blue 25-21. South Dakota defeated North Carolina 45-14. Colorado defeated South Carolina 64-4. Louisiana defeated Montana 34-29. Colorado defeated North Carolina 51-13. South Dakota defeated South Carolina 56-2 A POOL Results 1st Place - Illinois 2nd Place - Pennsylvania 3rd Place - Florida 4th Place - Missouri 5th Place - Indiana Gold 6th Place - Texas Red 7th Place - North Dakota Red 8th Place - Georgia Blue 1st Place Match - Illinois defeated Pennsylvania 45-25. 2nd Place Wrestleback - Pennsylvania defeated Florida 49-17. 3rd Place Match - Florida defeated Missouri 39-30. 5th Place Match - Indiana Gold defeated Texas Red 38-27. 7th Place Match - North Dakota Red defeated Georgia Blue 39-20. B POOL Results 1st Place - Minnesota Red 2nd Place - Oklahoma Blue 3rd Place - Utah Blue 4th Place - Iowa Blue 5th Place - Nebraska Blue 6th Place - Tennessee 7th Place - Kansas Red 8th Place - Michigan Red 1st Place Match - Minnesota Red defeated Oklahoma Blue 35-31. 3rd Place Match - Utah Blue defeated Iowa Blue 32-31. 5th Place Match - Nebraska Blue defeated Tennessee 45-21. 7th Place Match - Kansas Red defeated Michigan Red 42-21. C POOL Results 1st Place - Ohio 2nd Place - New Jersey 3rd Place - Washington 4th Place - North Dakota-Blue 5th Place - Arizona 6th Place - Texas Blue 7th Place - Georgia 8th Place - Arkansas 1st Place Match - Ohio defeated New Jersey 34-33. 3rd Place Match - Washington defeated North Dakota-Blue 34-30. 5th Place Match - Arizona defeated Texas Blue 47-23. 7th Place Match - Georgia defeated Arkansas 48-21. D POOL Results 1st Place - Iowa Red 2nd Place - Michigan Blue 3rd Place - California 4th Place - Kansas Blue 5th Place - Minnesota Blue 6th Place - Oklahoma Red 7th Place - Nebraska Red 8th Place - Utah Red 1st Place Match - Iowa Red defeated California 35-34. 2nd Place Wrestleback - Michigan Blue defeated California 36-33. 3rd Place Match - Michigan Blue defeated Kansas Blue 39-31. 5th Place Match - Minnesota Blue defeated Oklahoma Red 36-30. 7th Place Match - Nebraska Red defeated Utah Red 41-23.

Germane Lindsey, Ohio University All-American wrestler who won an Ohio state title for Moeller High School in 2007, will be serving as head wrestling coach at his prep alma mater, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Friday. Lindsey, who had been an assistant coach at Moeller, replaces James Yonushonis, who, according to his Facebook page, is moving to upstate New York so that he can pursue a degree as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Germane LindseyAs a wrestler at Moeller, Lindsey built a 155-26 career record, and still ranks as one of the all-time leaders in takedowns for the Crusaders. Lindsey was a three-time Ohio state tournament qualifier and two-time placer, winning the 140-pound title at the Ohio High School Athletic Association wrestling championships in 2007. After graduating from Moeller in 2007, Lindsey headed east to Ohio University. As a Bobcat, Lindsey became the first Moeller wrestler to earn NCAA All-American honors with his sixth-place finish at 141 pounds at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. During his time as an Ohio wrestler, Lindsey lettered all four years, was voted the team's hardest worker all four years, and led the team in wins twice. Upon graduation, Lindsey stayed in Athens to serve as an assistant coach for the Bobcats before coming back to Moeller as an assistant varsity coach. Located in the northeastern suburbs of Cincinnati, Archbishop Moeller High School is a private, all-male, four-year Catholic college-prep school. It has an enrollment of 870 students. Among the school's most famous non-wrestling alums: Barry Larkin, Hall of Fame professional baseball player, and John Boehner, recently retired U.S. Speaker of the House.

North Idaho College has signed Hasaan Hawthorne, 2016 Alabama high school state wrestling champ and double amputee, the two-year school in Coeur d'Alene announced Friday. Hawthorne made headlines back in February by winning the Class 6A 145-pound title -- and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 2016 Alabama State Wrestling Championships in Huntsville, despite having been born without tibias. Both his legs were amputated below the knees as a child. Hasaan Hawthorne Hawthorne, who just graduated from Pelham High School, was heavily recruited by two- and four-year colleges his senior season, according to North Idaho College. "After a visit to Coeur d'Alene last spring, he and his family fell in love with the area and scenic campus," said NIC head wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb, adding that Hawthorne is "well aware" of the approximately 2,000-mile distance between Alabama and Idaho. "His dad said Hasaan wanted to go somewhere where he would win national championships. He does not like to lose," Whitcomb said. That shouldn't be an issue, as the NIC wrestling program can claim 14 national titles and has had 54 individual national champions, according to the team website. "We're elated to have him join North Idaho College -- not only because of his athletic ability, but for his academic ability and character as well," said Whitcomb. "He can come in and make an immediate impact for us. For an 18-year-old, his maturity is beyond his years." Whitcomb also said that Hawthorne intends to study Communications and will participate in all the team outreach activities, such as a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, holding a school supply giveaway every August and distributing its 15,000 book to elementary students through the Shirley Parker Reading program in May. "The community will be much richer for having Hasaan here for a couple years," according to the coach. Founded in 1933, North Idaho College describes itself as a comprehensive, two-year community college located on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Spokane, Washington metro area. Approximately 6,000 students are enrolled in credit classes and more than 4,400 participate annually in non-credit courses. The NIC Cardinal wrestling program competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

It was a rewarding homecoming for St. Louis area native Michael Chandler as the former University of Missouri wrestler won the vacant Bellator MMA lightweight (155-pound) title at Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 at Scottrade Center in the Gateway City Friday night. Michael Chandler (Photo/Bellator)Chandler knocked out Patricky Freier with what MMAJunkie.com described as "one monstrous right hand on the button" at 2:14 of the first round to win the belt which had been vacated earlier this year by Will Brooks, who signed with UFC. Sherdog.com reported, "It did not last long, as Chandler bailed on a few takedown attempts before settling in on his feet. The 30-year-old NCAA All-American wrestler feigned a left jab and fired a right cross behind it, connecting square on the chin. The crushing blow sent an unconscious 'Pitbull' crashing to the canvas, where no follow-up strikes were necessary." Chandler celebrated in front of his hometown fans by jumping to the top of the cage, then doing a back flip in the center of it before climbing the fence twice more. It was a rematch for Chandler and Freier, as the two had met just over five years ago, with the former Mizzou mat star winning by unanimous decision. In November 2011, Chandler won the Bellator lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez ... only to lose it to Alvarez two years later at Bellator 106. With the win, Chandler not only earns the Bellator lightweight crown, but also improves to 14-3, while Freier falls to 16-8. Prior to launching his pro mixed martial arts career in August 2009, Chandler made a name for himself on the wrestling mats of the Show-Me State, first in high school as a Missouri state championships finalist, then at University of Missouri. Wrestling for the Mizzou Tigers, Chandler was a two-time Big 12 championships finalist and four-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier, earning All-American honors by placing fifth in the 157-pound bracket at the 2009 NCAAs in the same arena as Friday's title fight.

County prosecutors have declined to charge a University of Minnesota wrestler with selling the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax, according to a report Friday on KMSP-TV, the Fox affiliate for Minneapolis-St. Paul. A spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney's Office told KMSP there is, "insufficient evidence at this time." An investigation by the University of Minnesota Police remains open. J Robinson, head wrestling coach, remains on paid administrative leave as the school continues its investigation. Last month, the same station broke the story alleging that four Gopher wrestlers had been selling Xanax to fellow students, and that ten student-athletes were using the drug. In subsequent weeks, Robinson's agent, James C.W. Bock, issued a statement on behalf of the long-time mat coach, refuting some of the information that has been in multiple media reports.

Dustin Kilgore (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlesAreWarriors.com) Air Force wrestling has announced three-time wrestling All-American Dustin Kilgore as the volunteer assistant coach for the upcoming 2016-17 season. The Berea, Ohio native is a four-time MAC champion and boasts the accolade of being the only national champion Kent State has ever produced in wrestling. "This is a great honor to be able to learn and coach under such a professional staff," said Kilgore. "I am really looking forward to developing my skills as a coach and teaching a younger generation some of the techniques that have helped with my success on the mat." After earning his bachelor's in criminal justice at Kent State, Kilgore broadened his wrestling resume by earning a silver medal at the World University Championships in 2014. He is a four-time USA National Team member and currently trains freestyle wrestling at the U.S. Olympic Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. "We're excited to have Dustin Kilgore join our staff" claims Sam Barber, head wrestling coach. "A guy of his caliber and competition credentials is going to have a tremendous impact on the growth and improvement of our wrestlers" Kilgore's addition to the Falcon wrestling staff is a continuation of an already blossoming relationship between Air Force wrestling and USA Wrestling, as Kilgore is the third wrestler to volunteer as an Air Force assistant while training at the Olympic Training Center. "I will enjoy watching the team grow this year as I contribute to the program the moves and technique that helped me to become a successful college wrestler," Kilgore explained. "With five years of Division I wrestling experience and nearly 20 years of experience on the mat, I know what it takes to be successful at the collegiate level and I cannot wait to finally share my skills and knowledge with an already great program." Kilgore currently resides in Colorado Springs with his wife Abby and their sphynx cat, Koshka. He will be mat side with Falcon wrestling as competition kicks off later this year.

The summer can be a slow time for wrestling, but with the 2016 Summer Olympics coming up in mid-August the drumbeat around the sport has stayed constant. The last several months have seen the most fan-accessibility to matches the sport has ever enjoyed and plenty of social media chatter to accompany. This week there comes a new addition to the catalogue of wrestling content. Working along with United World Wrestling and some talented videographers there comes the first documentary series to ever focus on international wrestling stars. The first of the subjects is Battsetseg Soronzonbold, a two-time women's wrestling world champion from Mongolia. Wrestling is a sport that takes us many places and while for some it's only emotional and educational, for Battsetseg the journey started on the Mongolian countryside -- raised as the daughter of nomadic herders -- and continues this summer in Rio de Janeiro where she looks to become that country's first-ever Olympic champion. The money, housing, education and social mobility she will (and already has) experienced is nearly incomprehensible. The teaser for this first docu-bio is in place with the full video (10 minutes) to be released in 3-4 weeks. A variety of teasers and trailers will also be released in the coming weeks with each subject and their story at center stage. I'm proud of what I think will be a significant contribution to pre-Olympic hype, but I'm happiest that these four extraordinary athletes will have their stories told. BATTSETSEG: Mongol Queen To your questions … Q: Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia has to be the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world. He wins everything, and in dominant fashion. When is the last time the "Russian Tank" has lost? -- Mike C. Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev (86 kilos) after winning a gold medal at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: Sadulaev last lost at the 2013 Golden Grand Prix where he wrestled Gamzatat Osmanov at the senior level and lost via a five-point move with a total score of 8-2. He was 17. This guy is arguably the best wrestler the world has ever seen at 86 kilos. There are legends and guys with small collections of world and Olympic titles, but not many have combined The Tank's size, strength, technical acumen, athleticism, mat savvy, confidence and command of the mat. You asked about his last loss, but it's interesting to note that before the Poland tournament he hadn't given up an offensive point overseas in almost two years. We revere Dan Gable for his shutout Olympics (no stepout), now imagine that happening for two years. This is why I have a shirt with his face on it. Not because I love Russia (too cold), but because you have to admire that type of dominance. Q: When is this University of Minnesota situation going to be resolved? The early recruiting period is fast approaching, and this scandal can't be helping Minnesota's recruiting efforts. -- Mike C. Foley: Given this week's release of Coach Robinson's emails to the administration -- which plainly showed the coach's attempt to include their involvement -- I'd suspect the new AD will have little choice but to lift the paid suspension and reinstate J as head wrestling coach. The other alternative is to fire J, which I'm assuming the school's lawyers have informed the AD would be costly to defend against if/when J would file a wrongful termination suit. This entire incident is the function of poor reporting and this inane desire to get clocks for headline journalism. An essay to reflect on poor decision making is not some unforgivable sin of leadership. J Robinson has been the leader of young men for quite some time and in all his years as coach there has been very little criticism of his treatment of his wrestlers (harsh or otherwise). Let's hope the good coach is back on the recruiting trail by July. Q: I recently came across your 2014 article on the best female amateur wrestlers at that time. Pretty impressive list. Have you -- or do you know of anyone who has -- ever prepared a top 10 (or 20) list of the best female amateur wrestlers of all-time? My Google searches have not revealed anything like this. -- Patrick P. Foley: Here is a top six list. Who are four more to add? Let the arguments commence! 1. Saori Yoshida (Japan) 2. Kaori Icho (Japan) 3. Carol Hunyh (Canada) 4. Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan) 5. Adeline Gray (United States) 6. Natalia Vorobieva (Russia) Q: It sounds like Gabe Dean and J'den Cox could potentially meet at the NWCA All-Star Classic. If that match happens, how do you see it playing out? -- Mike C. Foley: A match between Gabe Dean and J'den Cox would certainly drive a lot of interest in one of wrestling's premier early season events. The idea that an Olympic Team member (and potential Olympic medalist) is facing off against a two-time NCAA champion will certainly compel me to briefly shut up about snore rides and lack of an established out of bounds. Briefly. Dean is strong, but I wonder if he'd have enough strength to break through Cox's positioning on his feet. If freestyle is teaching him lessons for folkstyle it's that remaining in good position is as important as proper shot selection. Cox may also benefit from match poise that comes with facing Olympic-caliber talent. Where Dean may find his advantage is on the mat. Cox is unlikely to be held down, but who knows if a whole summer of waiting for the referee to return him to his feet will have an impact on his desire to act on bottom. Overall I'm thinking this stays on the feet and that Cox strings together enough offense to secure a nice 2-3 point victory. However, Dean has every chance to even the odds on the mat and if I were Cox I'd be aware of that slight mismatch. Though for now, I'd prefer he worry more about Abdulrashid Sadulaev than Gabe Dean. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Sadulaev loses Cauliflower ear One takedown is enough? Doubtful. Q: What's going on at Columbia? Do you think there will be a decision soon? Any thoughts on who the next coach will be? If you don't put in the mailbag, I would love to know your thoughts. My son committed there and will be attending in the fall. We really liked Carl, but understand the situation. We are getting a little anxious and love to see what's going to happen next. -- John W. Foley: I wouldn't be doing anyone favors if I released the names of who they were seeking, but I will say that when I heard two of the names I was VERY impressed. If they are able to land one of these guys, or even guys in this ballpark, I think that you'll be exceedingly happy with the outcome. My thought is that the delay means one of these big names is in serious discussions, but that is just my own speculation. As an alumnus I want to see the program in the hands of some top-level talent! Q: Is there any way you and/or Intermat could tweet a link and encourage fans to vote for Beat the Streets Philly? Link: https://www.thewawafoundation.org/hero-award. Voting takes about 15 seconds (even for me!). Obviously, no pressure and no worries if you can't. Totally understand. Just wanted to throw it out there. -- Nick M. Foley: Done. Vote! Q: Are Andy Bisek and Robby Smith Team USA's only legit shots at medals in Greco-Roman in Rio? -- Mike C. Foley: Jesse Thielke has plenty of the world's top wrestlers wary of him appearing in their bracket. How do you know -- I mean have 100 percent confidence -- that you win a matchup with Thielke when you've seen him come back from 6, 7, 8 even 9-point deficits. There is something special about him. Maybe he won't place, but he certainly can place. Other than Thielke the best shots are Robby Smith (40 percent) and Bisek (30 percent), but much of that will be determined by repechage and draws.

Michael Miller will be leaving his position as men's wrestling coach at Life University, the suburban Atlanta school announced Thursday. Mike MillerMiller, who has been at the helm since the program's inception in 2012, will be leaving to return to his native Ohio to be near family. His official departure date will be June 30. Since coming to Life University four years ago, Miller has taken the program from launch to a perennial top-15 program in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). In that time, Miller has coached 9 All-Americans and 25 national qualifiers. "Mike Miller has been a valuable member of Life U Athletics,” said Life U Athletic Director Dan Payne. “He has started something great here and has left some big shoes to fill, but we feel confident that he is leaving the program in good shape for his replacement. We recognize the importance of family and fully support his decision.” "It's been quite a journey for me here at Life U," said Miller. "It's gratifying for me to see the effort and hard work by the student-athletes, the coaching staff and trainers, turn into positive results both on and off the mat. My decision to leave comes with mixed emotions, however family is very important to me and I appreciate the understanding and support of the Life U administration and the student-athletes in my decision." Prior to helping launch wrestling at Life U, Miller was a three-time Ohio high state champion and two-time NCAA All-American at Central Michigan University. He started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Darton State College in Albany, Georgia. Founded in Marietta, Ga. in 1974, Life University is a private health sciences institution offering a number of undergraduate programs, along with its doctoral degree program in chiropractic medicine, the largest in the world. The men's wrestling program was established in 2012; Life launched a women's intercollege program in 2014, headed up by David Mathews.

Minnesota Junior Duals Greco-Roman Team (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) TULSA, Okla. -- Showing consistent skill throughout the lineup, Minnesota Blue came out fast and kept up the pressure, winning 11 of the 15 matches for a 42-21 victory over defending National Duals champion Illinois in the Junior National Greco-Roman Duals on Thursday. Minnesota came out strong right away, winning five of the first six matches. That included bonus points in the first two matches, as Minnesota Blue jumped to a 9-0 lead. Taylor Venz came out quickly against Zack Crosby, with a takedown, a turn and then an quick first period pin at 195. Next up was Keegan Moore, who opened with a four-point throw and piled up the points for an 11-0 technical fall over Sergio Villalabos. Thomas Helton won the first match for Illinois, a 6-3 decision over Sam Erckenbrack. The next three matches went to Minnesota, with decision victories by Matt Peterson at 100, Ashton Clark at 106 and Patrick McKee at 113. Clark had to come from behind to win a 4-4 criteria win over Anthony Molton. Trailing 4-2, Clark scored on an arm throw and a stepout to tie it up and get the criteria. Read complete story … JUNIOR NATIONAL DUALS At Tulsa, Okla., June 23 CHAMPIONSHIP DUAL - Minnesota Blue 42, Illinois 21 195 Taylor Venz (Minnesota Blue) over Zack Crosby (Illinois) Fall 0:53 220 Keegan Moore (Minnesota Blue) over Sergio Villalobos (Illinois) TF 11-0 285 Thomas Helton (Illinois) over Sam Erckenbrack (Minnesota Blue) Dec 6-3 100 Matt Peterson (Minnesota Blue) over Anthony King (Illinois) Dec 6-1 106 Ashton Clark (Minnesota Blue) over Anthony Molton (Illinois) Dec 4-4 113 Patrick Mckee (Minnesota Blue) over Joey Melendez (Illinois) Dec 20-15 120 Louis Hayes (Illinois) over Victor Gliva (Minnesota Blue) TF 11-0 126 Peyton Robb (Minnesota Blue) over Anthony Madrigal (Illinois) Dec 7-6 132 Brent Jones (Minnesota Blue) over Gabe Townsell (Illinois) TF 10-0 138 Mitchell Mckee (Minnesota Blue) over Nolan Baker (Illinois) TF 15-4 145 Will Lewan (Illinois) over Calvin Germinaro (Minnesota Blue) Dec 16-11 152 Austin O`Connor (Illinois) over Ryan Epps (Minnesota Blue) TF 11-0 160 Jake Allar (Minnesota Blue) over Emille Shannon (Illinois) Dec 5-1 170 Lucas Jeske (Minnesota Blue) over Drew Matticks (Illinois) TF 11-0 182 Owen Webster (Minnesota Blue) over Logan Gruszka (Illinois) TF 12-2 THIRD PLACE - California 40, Washington 23 195 Bonifacio Escobar (California) over Jeremy Smith (Washington) Dec 9-9 220 Darryl Aiello (California) over David Comacho (Washington) TF 11-0 285 Gavin Nye (California) over Nick Workman (Washington) TF 10-0 100 Brenden Chaowanapibool (Washington) over Giovanni Villegas (California) TF 10-0 106 Brandon Kaylor (Washington) over Eric Sanchez (California) TF 11-0 113 Ethan Rotondo (Washington) over Oscar Nellis (California) TF 10-0 120 Mason Hartshorn (California) over Riley Gurr (Washington) Dec 12-8 126 David Campbell (California) over Jake Howerton (Washington) Fall 2:32 132 Clai Quintanilla (Washington) over Patrick Ramirez (California) Dec 5-1 138 Jaden Enriquez (California) over TJ Baun (Washington) TF 12-0 145 Michael Zaragoza (California) over Layn Pannkuk (Washington) TF 10-0 152 Peyton Omania (California) over Ryden Fu (Washington) Fall 1:29 160 Tommy Strassenburg (Washington) over Andrew Cervantez (California) Dec 13-12 170 Anthony Mantanona (California) over Carson Hoffine (Washington) Fall 1:38 182 Logan Nelson (Washington) over Juan Rosales (California) Dec 6-3 FIFTH PLACE - Michigan Blue 45, Oklahoma Red 21 195 Brandon Whitman (Michigan Blue) over Bear Hughes (Oklahoma Red) TF 18-8 220 Anthony Riopelle (Michigan Blue) over Tanner Hawkins (Oklahoma Red) Fall 0:49 285 Trent Hillger (Michigan Blue) over Gage Johnson (Oklahoma Red) TF 10-0 100 Devon Johnson (Michigan Blue) by Forfeit 106 Ravon Foley (Michigan Blue) over Wyatt Adams (Oklahoma Red) TF 10-0 113 Dominic LaJoie (Michigan Blue) over Alec McDoulett (Oklahoma Red) Dec 12-9 120 Dalton Duffield (Oklahoma Red) over Jordan Hamdan (Michigan Blue) TF 16-5 126 Drew Marten (Michigan Blue) over Jet Taylor (Oklahoma Red) Dec 6-3 132 Jacob Butler (Oklahoma Red) over Nick Freeman (Michigan Blue) Dec 3-0 138 Ben Freeman (Michigan Blue) over Jaxen Gilmore (Oklahoma Red) TF 15-4 145 Brik Filippo (Oklahoma Red) over Trent Lashuay (Michigan Blue) TF 12-0 152 Jaryn Curry (Oklahoma Red) over Dustin Gross (Michigan Blue) Fall 1:54 160 Bret Fedewa (Michigan Blue) over Ezequiel Rubio (Oklahoma Red) Fall 4:04 170 Hayden Kinjorski (Michigan Blue) over Nick Mahan (Oklahoma Red) TF 10-0 182 Jelani Embree (Michigan Blue) over Dan Baker (Oklahoma Red) Dec 15-8 SEVENTH PLACE - Iowa 36, Florida 30 195 Isaac Bartel (Iowa) over Nelson Hernandez (Florida) TF 12-0 220 Darius Hamilton (Florida) over Caleb Ring (Iowa) TF 10-0 285 Kyron Taylor (Florida) over Aaron Costello (Iowa) Dec 2-1 100 Jacob Cochran (Florida) over Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa) TF 12-0 106 Elijah Varona (Florida) over Carter Weeks (Iowa) TF 10-0 113 Drew Bennett (Iowa) over Malyke Hines (Florida) TF 10-0 120 Brenden Baker (Iowa) over Craig Marshall (Florida) Fall 0:26 126 Jordan Marshall (Florida) over Dante Tacchia (Iowa) TF 10-0 132 Nathan Lendt (Iowa) over Marcus Abreu (Florida) Dec 9-2 138 Ryan Leisure (Iowa) over Demetrius Anderson (Florida) TF 12-1 145 Anthony Artalona (Florida) over Nelson Brands (Iowa) Dec 9-1 152 Matt Malcom (Iowa) over Christian Febus (Florida) TF 13-2 160 Max Wohlabaugh (Florida) over AJ Geers (Iowa) TF 14-4 170 Carter Rohweder (Iowa) over Mikall Fundora (Florida) Fall 0:46 182 Bailey Chyma (Iowa) over Josiah Gittman (Florida) TF 14-4 BRONZE/COPPER Results (Places 9-16) 1st Place - Ohio 2nd Place - Kansas Blue 3rd Place - Utah Green 4th Place - North Dakota Blue 5th Place - Nebraska Blue 6th Place - Minnesota-Red 7th Place - Missouri 8th Place - Tennessee 1st Place Match - Ohio defeated Kansas Blue 45-23. 3rd Place Match - Utah Green defeated North Dakota Blue 47-20. 5th Place Match - Nebraska Blue defeated Minnesota-Red 39-26. 7th Place Match - Missouri defeated Tennessee 38-25. RED/BLUE Results 1st Place - Texas-Blue 2nd Place - Pennsylvania 3rd Place - Georgia 4th Place - Colorado 5th Place - Kansas-Red 6th Place - North Carolina 7th Place - Indiana 8th Place - North Dakota-Red 1st Place Match - Texas-Blue defeated Pennsylvania 35-34. 3rd Place Match - Georgia defeated Colorado 38-30. 5th Place Match - Kansas-Red defeated North Carolina 43-20. 7th Place Match - Indiana defeated North Dakota-Red 40-17. GREEN Results 1st Place - Arizona 2nd Place - Utah White 3rd Place - Nebraska Red 4th Place - Texas Red 5th Place - South Carolina Arizona defeated South Carolina 61-11. Utah White defeated Nebraska Red 32-30. Utah White defeated Texas Red 38-24. Arizona defeated Nebraska Red 57-14. Texas Red defeated South Carolina 34-25. Arizona defeated Utah White 47-22. Nebraska Red defeated South Carolina 47-19. Arizona defeated Texas Red 55-15. Utah White defeated South Carolina 50-19. Nebraska Red defeated Texas Red 47-14. YELLOW Results 1st Place - South Dakota 2nd Place - Georgia Blue 3rd Place - Montana 4th Place - Michigan-Red 5th Place - Louisiana Montana defeated Michigan-Red 34-17. Georgia Blue defeated Louisiana 31-22. South Dakota defeated Georgia Blue 47-16. Montana defeated Louisiana 32-23. South Dakota defeated Michigan-Red 53-11. Georgia Blue defeated Montana 30-28. Michigan-Red defeated Louisiana 30-30. South Dakota defeated Montana 45-18. Georgia Blue defeated Michigan-Red 35-24. South Dakota defeated Louisiana 51-11 A POOL Results 1st Place - Minnesota Blue 2nd Place - Washington 3rd Place - Missouri 4th Place - Tennessee 5th Place - Colorado 6th Place - Indiana 7th Place - South Carolina 8th Place - Michigan-Red 1st Place Match - Minnesota Blue defeated Washington 54-16. 3rd Place Match - Missouri defeated Tennessee 37-29. 5th Place Match - Colorado defeated Indiana 44-21. 7th Place Match - South Carolina defeated Michigan-Red 29-23. B POOL Results 1st Place - Illinois 2nd Place - Florida 3rd Place - Utah Green 4th Place - Kansas Blue 5th Place - Georgia 6th Place - North Dakota-Red 7th Place - Nebraska Red 8th Place - Louisiana 1st Place Match - Illinois defeated Utah Green 46-17. 2nd Place Wrestleback - Florida defeated Utah Green 39-28. 3rd Place Match - Florida defeated Kansas Blue 34-32. 5th Place Match - Georgia defeated North Dakota-Red 49-13. 7th Place Match - Nebraska Red defeated Louisiana 58-14. C POOL Results 1st Place - Michigan Blue 2nd Place - California 3rd Place - Ohio 4th Place - Minnesota-Red 5th Place - Texas-Blue 6th Place - North Carolina 7th Place - Arizona 8th Place - Montana 1st Place Match - Michigan Blue defeated Ohio 32-25. 2nd Place Wrestleback - California defeated Ohio 41-26. 3rd Place Match - California defeated Minnesota-Red 37-27. 5th Place Match - Texas-Blue defeated North Carolina 60-8. 7th Place Match - Arizona defeated Montana 48-17. D POOL Results 1st Place - Oklahoma Red 2nd Place - Iowa 3rd Place - North Dakota Blue 4th Place - Nebraska Blue 5th Place - Pennsylvania 6th Place - Kansas-Red 7th Place - Utah White 8th Place - Georgia Blue 1st Place Match - Oklahoma Red defeated Iowa 41-29. 3rd Place Match - North Dakota Blue defeated Nebraska Blue 38-26. 5th Place Match - Pennsylvania defeated Kansas-Red 37-24. 7th Place Match - Utah White defeated Georgia Blue 50-16.

STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State wrestling great Alex Dieringer has been nominated for an ESPY in the category of Best Male College Athlete, the ESPYs announced today. The 2016 ESPYS, hosted by John Cena, are live on ABC Wednesday, July 13th at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The flagship event is the one night where the sports world joins together to celebrate the best moments of the year. Alex Dieringer gets in on a shot against Isaac Jordan in the NCAA finals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"It's a great honor to be nominated for best male college athlete," Dieringer said. "I didn't see this coming. This continues to show that my hard work has paid off. It feels good to know that what I accomplished in my career is not going unnoticed, even outside the wrestling world. It's exciting to think that my nomination might expose people to wrestling." The three-time NCAA champion and 2016 Hodge Trophy recipient served up a 33-0 record during the 2015-16 season, recording bonus points in all but six matches. His 27 bonus-point wins included 12 falls -- 10 of which came in the first period -- eight major decisions and seven technical falls. He proved his dominance even more as he allowed only one takedown this season and just three takedowns the past two seasons. In 2014, he won his first NCAA title at 157 pounds before moving up to 165 pounds, where he dominated the last two years, going 66-0 and cruising his way to two more national titles. Dieringer wrapped his career with an impressive 133-4 overall record and an 82-match win streak, dating back to January 2014. He leaves behind an impressive legacy, becoming the 14th four-time All-American and the seventh four-time conference champion at OSU, in addition to the 16th three-time NCAA champion after a convincing 6-2 win over Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan in this year's NCAA finals. Fans will have the chance to select the winners by voting online or via mobile at ESPN.com/ESPYS. Follow the official @ESPYS Twitter page and Tweet about your nomination and the ESPYS leading up to and during the live show. When you tweet, be sure to tag @ESPYS so that your tweets connect to the show. Then on the day of the show, Wednesday, July 13th, use #ESPYS in your tweets to join the conversation. The ESPYS and related events benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research in memory of the late Jim Valvano. At the first annual ESPYS back in 1993, Jimmy V accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage award, reminded us to live each day to the fullest, and asked for our help in raising money for cancer research. Keep his dream alive by telling fans to be #BeInspired.

The body of Adlan Varayev, winner of a silver medal in men's freestyle wrestling for the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, was found this week after the former wrestler and coach who became vice-president of the Russian Wrestling Federation fell into a river in his native Chechnya in early May. He was 54. Adlan Varayev"Varayev's body was found today," three-time Olympic champion wrestler Buvaisar Saitiyez told the Russian TASS news agency on Sunday. "He has identified by relatives. The search has not stopped since the day when it happened. Many people have been involved in the search, in difficult weather conditions, in a landslide-prone area. Many have been hoping to find him alive." One news source indicated that Varayev had been posing for a photo in the mountains of Chechnya, and fell off a 50-meter cliff into a chasm into the Argun River on May 3. According to the North Caucasian Regional Emergency Center, the body was found on June 19, 25 kilometers away from the place where Varayev had fallen. Born January 2, 1962, Adlan Abuevich Varayev had a successful career as a freestyle wrestler. He earned a silver medal at 74 kilograms/163 pounds for the Soviet Union at the 1988 Olympics, falling to USA's Kenny Monday in overtime in the gold medal match. With that silver medal, Varayev became the first ethnic Chechen to win an Olympic medal in any sport. Varayev was also a two-time medalist at the World Championships. He won the gold medal by defeating USA's Dave Schultz at the 1987 Worlds at Clermont-Ferrand, France. The previous year, Varayev claimed silver at the 1986 Worlds in Budapest. Varayev also earned three gold medals at the European Championships from 1986-1988. After retiring from competition, Varayev worked as a wrestling coach, helping to train the Russian national freestyle team. In 2013, he was elected vice-president of the Russian Wrestling Federation.

The 2016 InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. The event is open to wrestlers in grades 7 through 12. More information about the 2016 InterMat JJ Classic will be released in the coming weeks. Last year Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event after claiming his fifth straight InterMat JJ Classic title.

Dennis Hastert, former college wrestler, high school wrestling coach and past U.S. Speaker of the House, must surrender to a federal prison hospital on Wednesday to begin serving his 15 month-sentence. Hastert will report to the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. for evading federal banking rules in an apparent scheme to pay hush money to an unidentified individual regarding sexual assaults to members of his wrestling program which took place in the 1960s and 70s. The prison hospital is affiliated with the world-renowned Mayo Clinic -- also located in Rochester -- with doctors and nurses on site, and is known for providing high-level services to the 700-plus male inmates who require long-term physical and mental health care, the Chicago Tribune reported. The 74-year-old Hastert has dealt with a number of health issues in recent months, including a stroke, blood infection and a spinal infection, hence his assignment to a prison medical facility. Dennis HastertArticles in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times describe the facilities and rules that Hastert can expect, including a set schedule that starts at 7 a.m., frequent checks, and regulations that dictate what he wears, and when he eats, sleeps and showers. He will be allowed personal family photographs, and up to 300 minutes per month phone time to keep in touch with his family. In addition, the former Wheaton College wrestler and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School outside Chicago will have access to exercise facilities as well as a library. Once he is released from prison, Hastert also faces two years of supervised release, which will bar him from communicating with the former wrestling team members in the case and from possessing a firearm. In addition, he will be required to participate in a treatment program for sex offenders as he is now a convicted sex offender. Originally a Minnesota state mental hospital, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons opened the Federal Medical Center in the mid-1980s. The facility is described as eleven hospital-style buildings on 65 "secured" acres outside the city of Rochester, in southeastern Minnesota, about 90 miles south of the Twin Cities. The facility was once home to former U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois, television evangelist Jim Bakker, and past presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche. Currently, Jared Loughner, convicted in the 2011 Tucson shooting that killed six people and severely wounded then-U.S. Rep.Gabrielle Giffords, is assigned to the Rochester facility. J. Dennis Hastert was first investigated by the FBI and IRS for making sizeable withdrawals from his bank account in 2013; federal officials were concerned that he might be the victim of an extortion plot. In May 2015, Hastert was indicted on one count of seeking to skirt bank reporting requirements and one count of lying to the FBI about the reason for his cash withdrawals. (The accusation about lying was later dropped.) In October 2015, Hastert pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to withdrawing funds from several bank accounts in increments less than $10,000 to evade bank reporting rules. The money -- approximately $1.7 million -- was paid to someone from his Hastert's hometown of Yorkville, Ill., identified in federal documents only as "Individual A" but widely reported to be a former student at Yorkville High School. The school, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, is where Hastert taught history and coached wrestling from 1965 to 1981 before entering politics. In April 2016, Hastert learned his sentence. A total of five individuals came forward to state that they were molested by Hastert while he was coach at Yorkville High; one now-53-year-old victim, a former wrestler, testified in person at the sentencing. Since the indictment and subsequent events, Hastert has suffered a fall from grace as a widely respected political leader and major figure in U.S. amateur wrestling. In addition to having his name stripped from a local high school wrestling tournament, just last month Hastert was removed from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla.

St. Cloud State University wrestling, winners of the team title at the 2016 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in March, will be honored by the Minnesota Twins at their game on Thursday, June 23. The pre-game ceremony will include an on-field introduction of the SCSU wrestling team at the Twins' ballpark, Target Field, in downtown Minneapolis. In addition, Huskies' head wrestling coach Steve Costanzo will throw out the honorary first pitch of the game. The festivities will precede the Twins-Philadelphia Phillies game scheduled to start at 12:10 p.m. Thursday afternoon. St. Cloud State won its second consecutive NCAA Division II national title in March, led by Brad Velasquez who won the 125-pound individual title, along with seven Huskies earning All-American honors. SCSU racked up an overall record of 16-1 in 2015-16, with a perfect 8-0 mark in the Northern States Intercollegiate Conference, taking their fifth consecutive NSIC title. Steve Costanzo was named the DII Coach of the Year in 2016.

Nico Megaludis, 2016 NCAA wrestling champion, is one of two Penn State athletes to be named Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients for 2015-16. Britt Eckerstrom of the Nittany Lions' women's soccer team is also receiving the award, established by the Big Ten more than a century ago to recognize both academic and athletic excellence. Nico Megaludis celebrates after winning the NCAA title on Saturday night (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Nico Megaludis capped off his Penn State wrestling career by winning the 125-pound title at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in March, becoming the 24th Nittany Lion wrestler to have won an individual national title. His first individual title helped Penn State wrestling to its fifth NCAA team title in the last six years. With that championship, Megaludis became a four-time NCAA All-American, becoming only the ninth Nittany Lion to earn that distinction in more than a century of Penn State wrestling. Megaludis concluded his collegiate mat career with a 119-19 overall record. Megaludis earned additional honors beyond the mat. The finance major was selected a 2016 first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American, earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors and is a three-time first team NWCA National All-Academic selection. First presented in 1915 to one student from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work," the Big Ten Medal of Honor has been presented to nearly 1,400 students in the 102-year history of the award. However, of the more than 9,500 student-athletes competing in intercollegiate sports within the 14-school conference during the 2015-16 season, only 28 have earned this prestigious award this year ... including Megaludis and Eckerstrom. Megaludis is the second consecutive Penn State wrestler to earn the Big Ten Medal of Honor. Last year, Matt Brown -- 2015 NCAA 174-pound champion -- received the award.

The hosts from Oklahoma seek a three-peat in the freestyle portion of the Junior National Duals that start on Friday at the Cox Business Center in Tulsa, Okla. The Greco-Roman portion of the event starts today, and concludes with the championship pools and finals tomorrow (Thursday 6/23). Illinois is the defending champions in Greco-Roman, and were runners-up to Oklahoma in freestyle. In today's preliminary pools of Greco-Roman, Minnesota is the top overall seed of the tournament, and anchors Pool A. Illinois is the second overall seed, top of Pool B; California tops Pool C, and Iowa tops pool D. The four seeded teams in each pool are as follows: Pool A: Minnesota, Missouri, Washington, and Tennessee Pool B: Illinois, Utah, Kansas, and Florida Pool C: California, Ohio, Arizona, and Michigan Pool D: Iowa, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska As with the freestyle competition, the preliminary pool is actually a double-elimination bracket that competes back to true second. The top two teams in each preliminary pool move to the championship pools, which are truly a pair of four-team round-robins with a cross-match for placement at the end. Championship pools are contained of the following: A1, B2, C2, D1 and A2, B1, C1, D2. Looking ahead to the freestyle competition, it will be a star-studded showcase event. Even with the proliferation of dual team events onto the out-of-scholastic-season wrestling calendar, the Junior Freestyle Duals still present a unique opportunity to see the best of the best from each state match up with bragging rights and supremacy on the line. Based on the lineups posted to Trackwrestling, the defending champions from the host state of Oklahoma will have a solid squad, one that could feature a state finalist starting at every single weight class but for 100 pounds. Eleven of the fifteen weight classes have a state champion present. The anchor figures on the Sooner State team would be Daton Fix (126), Kaden Gfeller (138), and Wyatt Sheets (152). As the host team, they'll obviously have the advantage of depth and being able to rotate wrestlers through matches in both the Greco-Roman and freestyle competitions. While the squad from traditional power New Jersey isn't going to have the roster quantity of the hosts, the Garden State group will have the advantage of not having to grind through the Greco-Roman competition. As is their normal practice, they will not participate in the Greco-Roman event today and tomorrow. Their roster is likewise loaded with 13 of 15 weight classes featuring a top three or better finisher from either the National Prep tournament of the single-class New Jersey state tournament (nine were state champions). Roster anchors include back-end hammers in Brandon Dallavia (170), Joe Grello (182), Kevin Mulligan (195), and Chase Singletary (220). Runners-up last year to Oklahoma in the Junior National freestyle team point race in Fargo, Ohio will bring a most excellent squad to the freestyle competition this weekend. While the freestyle roster is not entered in Track, if the Buckeye State has the same group as in Greco-Roman, twelve weight classes will feature a wrestler that finished top three or better in this year's scholastic state tournament. Even though starters at 100 and 106 were not top three placers, each is talented, which will provide opportunity to steal wins in many of the core dual meets; Lucas Byrd (100) placed at state, and was a Cadet double All-American last year, while Oscar Sanchez (106) backed up a state champion and went undefeated at the Cadet Duals last week. Overall roster anchors on the Ohio squad include Dylan D'Emilio (113) and Drew Mattin (120) down low, Dom Demas (145) in the middle, with Ben Darmstadt (195) and Jared Campbell (220) up top. Perennial powers Illinois do not have their freestyle roster in Track Wrestling. The Land of Lincoln is also notorious for having a number of "freestyle only" participants. From the Greco-Roman group, look for Joey Melendez (113), Louie Hayes (120), Austin O'Connor (152), and Anthony Cassioppi (285) to play key roles in the freestyle team. Another pair of teams looking pretty strong from top-to-bottom are Iowa and Minnesota. The Iowa squad features state champions as starters in eleven of the fifteen weight classes, with another manned by a state third. Anchor wrestlers include Kyle Biscoglia (113), Carter Happel (138), Marcus Coleman (170), and Carter Isley (220); Colton Clingenpeel (160) and Wyatt Wriedt (220) also ended the scholastic season in the national weight-class rankings. Minnesota has nine weight classes occupied by a state champion from this past season, a number that could be stretched by one depending on how the Gopher State coaches align their lineup on a match-to-match basis. Also key is that the opening two weight classes have state medalists present, which can be a "hidden points" opportunity. Of the remaining four weight classes, three have a top three state medalist listed to compete. Anchor wrestlers for Minnesota include Patrick McKee (113), Mitch McKee (138), Lucas Jeske (170), Owen Webster (182), and Keegan Moore (195). Finally, the Golden State of California is bringing it strong to the Junior Freestyle Duals. Five state champions from this scholastic season are present: David Campbell (126), Trence Gillem (145), Zander Wick (152), Evan Wick (160), and Jeremy Thomas (170). Five other weight classes have a state medalist present. Their susceptibility against elite squads will come in the opening couple weight classes and the back weight classes (though three of those back four weight classes do have state medalists present, other power states have nationally ranked competitors). Some of the other individuals to watch in freestyle, listed by team: Arizona: Jason Holmes (106), Danny Vega (113), Brandon Courtney (120), Quentin Hovis (152) Florida: Anthony Artalona (145), Max Wohlabaugh (160), Kyron Taylor (285) Georgia: Codi Russell (126), Justin Ruffin (145) Indiana: Paul Konrath (126), Andrew Davison (195) Iowa (2nd): Ryan Leisure (138) Kansas: Clay Lautt (170), Kayne Hutchison (285) Michigan: Rayvon Foley (106), Ben Freeman (138), Jelani Embree (182), Brandon Whitman (195), Trent Hillger (285) Missouri: Malik Johnson/Cody Phippen (113), Colin Valdiviez (126), Ethan Karsten (145), Daniel Filipek (160) Nebraska: Joseph Harrison (113) Oklahoma (2nd): Paxton Rosen (120) Pennsylvania: Jaret Lane (106), Sammy Sasso (145), Trent Hidlay (160), Eric Hong (170), Zane Black (220) Tennessee: Knox Fuller (138), Sammy Evans/Nick Boykin (285) Texas: Dylanger Potter (152), Braedin Redlin (160), Brian Andrews (285) Utah: Taylor LaMont (132), Brock Hardy (138), Wyatt Koelling (195)

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Former Central Michigan All-American and U.S. Senior Nationals Champion Wynn Michalak has been named assistant wrestling coach, first-year head coach Roger Chandler announced on Tuesday. One of the most successful wrestlers in Central Michigan history, Michalak was a four-time Mid-American Conference Champion (2005-08), three-time MAC Wrestler of the Year (2006-08), and a three-time NCAA All-American (2005, 2006, 2008), including a runner-up finish at 197 pounds in 2008. He won the 2015 U.S. Senior Nationals title at 97 kg/213 pounds on Dec. 19, 2015, in Las Vegas, and competed in the past two U.S. Olympic wrestling trials. His coaching experience includes four seasons as a volunteer assistant at Illinois (2012-16), where he helped train two-time NCAA Champion Isaiah Martinez, and two seasons (2009-10) as a graduate assistant at CMU. "Wynn brings with him the success that we expect from our Spartan wrestlers," said Chandler. "He has not only competed at the highest levels in our sport but he has also been very successful. He was a three-time All-American and NCAA finalist, and became U.S. Nationals Champion this past year. He comes from a program (Illinois) where he has coached All-Americans and National Champions each year. His knowledge and experiences will have a huge impact on our program as we begin a new era of Spartan wrestling." Michalak ranks second all-time at Central Michigan in winning percentage (.842, 128-24 record), third in pins (50) and fourth in victories (128). The two-time team MVP (2006, 2008) was named the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2005 and MAC Wrestler of the Year three times (2006-08). The first Chippewa to win four MAC Championships, all at 197 pounds, Michalak was also a three-time All-American, placing sixth at the NCAA Championships in 2005, eighth in 2006 and second in 2008. He also helped lead the Chippewas to team conference championships all four of his seasons in Mount Pleasant. Michalak owns two of the best seasons (winning percentage) in CMU history, going 30-2 (.938) in 2007-08 and 33-4 (.892) in 2005-06, and also has two of the Top 10 single-season pin totals (15 in 2005-06 is tied for fifth; 13 in 2007-08 is tied for ninth). Not only was Michalak successful on the mat at CMU, he was a four-time Academic All-MAC and NWCA All-Academic team selection and earned Academic All-America honors in 2008. He received both the NCAA post-graduate scholarship and Bob James Memorial Scholarship in 2008. Michalak graduated with a 3.8 grade-point average and earned a bachelor's degree in secondary mathematics education and physical education from Central Michigan. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in athletic administration from CMU. Post collegiately, Michalak was the 2010 Hargobind International champion and was runner-up at the 2011 Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Open and Sunkist Kids International Open. Wrestling for the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Michalak won the 2015 U.S. Senior Nationals title at 97 kg/213 pounds over Scott Schiller in the finals, 12-4, on Dec. 19 in Las Vegas. Michalak was a two-time state champion, three-time all-state honoree, and four-time conference champion at Caro (Mich.) High School. He helped lead his team to the Division III state title in senior season and finished his career with a 232-8 record. He lettered four times in wrestling and three in football, and received all-state honors twice as a quarterback. Michalak married Jessica Davis on Jan. 1, 2016.