InterMat Staff

Sushil Kumar, two-time Olympic medalist for India, had his request denied for a new wrestling trials event in an attempt to compete at the 2016 Olympics, the Delhi High Court ruled on Monday. Dismissing Sushil Kumar's plea to wrestle for India at 74 kilograms/163 pounds in men's freestyle competition at the Rio Games in August, Justice Manmohan said that "last-minute challenge to selection can disturb the mental preparation of the selected athlete Narsingh Yadav." India's Sushil Kumar won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London (Photo/Andrew Hipps)The court accepted Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) submission that the "consistent current form" of Yadav was better than Kumar's. Justice Manmohan also noted that Kumar failed to take part in a number of events, including selection trials in 2014 and 2015 as well as in the National Championship on December 31, 2015 and January 1, 2016 and the Asian Championship held in February 2016. The court said Kumar has not won any major national or international tournament between September 2014 and now. By comparison, Yadav defeated Purvjav Unurbat of Mongolia, the silver medalist in the September 2015 World Championship, in the Pro Wrestling League last December. "It is not understood as to why Sushil Kumar has challenged Narsingh Yadav to a 'duel' only in the month of May, 2016 i.e. with only two and a half months left for the Olympics," the court said. "Sushil Kumar being a professional wrestler [as in, wrestling is his profession, not that he is a himself would know that any direction to hold a trial at this stage would seriously jeopardize the chance of India winning a medal in the Olympics inasmuch as Narsingh Yadav would have to halt his training midway and would have to lose his weight earlier than scheduled," it added. "The high probability of an injury in a trial cannot be 'lost sight of'," the court noted, holding that the practice that a wrestler who has earned a berth for the country will represent it, is neither perverse nor contrary to the national sports code, the selection procedure followed by the WFI." Sushil Kumar has said he may now take his case to the Supreme Court of India. In a related matter, the Dehli High Court also issued notice to WFI vice president Raj Singh for allegedly filing a false affidavit in connection with the case, asking him why perjury proceedings should not be initiated against him for statements he made with regards to the qualification process for Indian wrestlers for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Sushil Kumar, 33, has earned medals in a number of international freestyle wrestling events. He earned a bronze medal at 66 kilos/145 pounds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and silver at the same weight class at the 2012 London Games. Kumar earned a gold medal at the 2010 World championships in Moscow, as well as gold at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

This past weekend was one for the history books at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The facility, which describes itself as "America's shrine to the sport of wrestling", just concluded its 40th Honors Weekend, the one time each year the Hall of Fame welcomes a new class of honorees ... and, as of Monday, June 6, is now open to the public after being closed for nearly a year for a $3.5 million upgrade. New honorees The culmination of the two-day Honors Weekend was the 40th Honors Banquet held at the Oklahoma State Student Union Ballroom Saturday night. The Class of 2016 was inducted during the banquet, including four new Distinguished Members -- William "Bill" Harlow, Carlton Haselrig, Brandon Slay, and the late Dick Wilson -- as well as special award winners. Brandon Slay was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Bill Harlow was a World silver medalist and three-time national champion in freestyle. He was a three-time NCAA finalist and 1966 NCAA champ for Oklahoma State at 191 pounds. Carlton Haselrig won six NCAA titles at heavyweight, three as the Div. I champion and three as the Div. II champion for Pitt-Johnstown. He later played football in the NFL. Brandon Slay earned a gold medal in men's freestyle at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Prior to that, he wrestled at University of Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time NCAA finalist. Dick Wilson was a three-time Olympian in Greco-Roman (1956, 1960 and 1964). He was a three-time NCAA runner-up for the University of Toledo. He passed away in January 2009. The special award recipients include Outstanding American Joseph Galli Jr.; Medal of Courage honoree Randy Bortles of Georgia; Order of Merit recipient Ron Good, long-time writer/editor of Amateur Wrestling News; and Marcia Haise of New York, who was named Meritorious Official. Also honored on Saturday night: Mark Hall II of Minnesota, recipient of the 2016 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, and Tennessee's Katie Brock, 2016 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award winner. New facilities A look inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame after an extreme makeover (Photo/Nancy Schultz Vitageli)In addition to welcoming new honorees, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame had its big reveal for Honors Weekend participants after an "extreme makeover" months in the making, and years in the planning. Lee Roy Smith, executive director for the Hall, said the facility that just reopened is the product of a nearly a decade of design work that sprang from visits to other national museums. Past visitors seeing the newly renovated facilities -- first opened in 1976 -- may be startled by the extent of changes to the Hall of Fame. "They'll notice that the history of the sport has just met a contemporary design," Smith told the Stillwater NewsPress "That's a combination of state-of-the-art technology and a wonderful use of the space." Here's how the local newspaper described the upgraded space: "The 15,300 square foot building is divided into wings for the hall of fame and museum. The museum flows from exhibits covering the sport's history and different levels of competition ... World championships, collegiate, Olympic and high school wrestling have exhibits including memorabilia and uniforms. The renovation also included touch screens that allow visitors to find archived footage and search by school, year or wrestler." Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling also provided his take on the new-and-improved National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Even though the footprint has not been expanded considerably, there seems to be so much more space here because of the physical and visual design," wrote Abbott. "As Lee Roy said to me, 'it was purposed to be multi-purposed.' They will have the flexibility to do some many things in this facility, all of which will help celebrate the history and tradition of our sport while expanding the wrestling community." "The press releases will tell you that the renovation will 'allow visitors to experience the rich history of wrestling in a new way, including interactive exhibits,'" Abbott continued. "That is an understatement. This place has been transformed, taking all of the assets that made the Hall of Fame so great in the past, and presenting it in a modern and refreshing new way." Clarissa Chun, World champion and two-time Olympian, mentioned one new feature on Twitter that should have old-school wrestlers and fans salivating: the ability to call up and watch any NCAA finals match, going back to 1937. A look at one of the exhibits at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Other Honors Weekend participants who got a sneak preview of the upgraded Hall of Fame offered positive comments about the finished product. "This is beyond expectations," said famed wrestling announcer and 1998 Order of Merit award recipient Sandy Stevens. "And they will be able to change exhibits all the time. This is just a fraction of what they have to show here." "What a change, a great change," said Bob Smith of the Colorado Chapter. "It has all of these great electronic things to play with. This is beautiful. I would have never believed we could have done this." Gary Abbott put it this way: "The entire American wrestling community can take pride in the fact that their sport's museum is first-class." This writer was not at this past weekend's unveiling of the new-and-improved National Wrestling Hall of Fame ... nor was I at the original grand opening in September 1976. My visit was a decade ago, and, from looking at some photos taken in the early days, some of the original features may have already been eliminated by 2006 (such as the phone receivers mounted on the wall next to individual honoree displays, presumably to provide an audio version of that individual's accomplishments). I remember the long banks of floor-to-ceiling, glassed-in display cases that provided something of a timeline for the oldest-and-greatest sport, featuring everything from photos to posters to programs to even sweaters, all neatly secured to a bulletin-board-type wall with pushpins. The displays may not have sophisticated by even the standards of ten years ago, but this amateur wrestling historian was enthralled. Most of the treasures I was taking in were completely new to me. A view of the outside of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Overall, museum design has come a long way in the past few years. I think about the U.S. Presidential museums my family visited when I was a kid -- relics of the 1950s and 60s -- in comparison to the more modern facility commemorating the life of Abraham Lincoln, that incorporates multimedia, holograms, sophisticated lighting and sound and other technological advances in ways that look more Disneyesque than dry-old museum, without any dumbing-down. Very eager to see what the imaginative minds of the folks at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum have created. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum, located (appropriately) on Hall of Fame Blvd. in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for students and $10 for a family. Website: www.nwhof.org.

AKRON, Ohio -- NCAA All-American Zane Richards stole the show in the freestyle finals of the 2016 University Nationals Sunday afternoon by downing U.S. National Team member Tyler Graff in a thrilling three match series. Graff took match one with his vintage fast attack style, jumping on Richards early to win by technical fall, 10-0. Graff led Richards, 11-9, late in a wild second bout, but Richards was able to secure a match-clinching takedown in the final stanza to win on criteria, 11-11, and force the rubber match. Match three was tight throughout, but Richards held strong to win it, 4-2, and secure his spot on the U.S. University World Team at 61 kilos/134 pounds. "Even after the first match I thought one match at a time, one position at a time. I thought I was better than him. He outwrestled me in the first one obviously, but I believed in myself. I just kept pushing. I knew eventually I'm going to get to my attacks, keep scoring, wrestle smart, good thing will happen," said Richards. Richards was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for his championship performance. Read complete story … Best-of-Three Championship Finals Results 57 kilos/125.5 pounds: Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC) dec. David Terao (American), 9-4 Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC) dec. David Terao (American), 11-2 Megaludis wins series 2-0 61 kilos/134 pounds: Tyler Graff (New York AC) tech. fall Zane Richards (Illinois RTC), 10-0 Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) dec. Tyler Graff (New York AC), 11-11 Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) dec. Tyler Graff (New York AC), 4-2 Richards wins series 2-1 65 kilos/143 pounds: Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Kyle Ayersman (Boilermaker RTC), 9-1 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) tech. fall Kyle Ayersman (Boilermaker RTC), 10-0 Kolodzik wins series 2-0 70 kilos/154 pounds: Adam Hall (Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 11-0 Adam Hall (Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 10-0 Hall wins series 2-0 74 kilos/163 pounds: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois RTC) dec. Chance Marsteller (MatTown USA), 14-10 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois RTC) tech. fall Chance Marsteller (MatTown USA), 15-5 Martinez wins series 2-0 80 kilos/176 pounds: *Non-World Team weight, one match wrestled Alex Meyer (Iowa) tech. fall Burke Paddock (Iowa), 13-2 86 kilos/189 pounds: Morgan McIntosh (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 12-2 Morgan McIntosh (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 11-0 McIntosh wins series 2-0 97 kilos/213 pounds: Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC) dec. Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado), 7-2 Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado) fall Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC), 0:45 Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC) dec. Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado), 4-1 Gadson wins series 2-1 125 kilos/275 pounds: Nick Gwiazdowski (New York AC/Wolfpack WC) dec. Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids), 3-1 Nick Gwiazdowski (New York AC/Wolfpack WC) dec. Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids), 4-1 Gwiazdowski wins series 2-0 Semifinal Results 57 kilos/125.5 pounds: Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC) dec. Skyler Petry (Minnesota Storm), 8-2 David Terao (American) tech. fall Joseph Deangelo (Blue and Gold), 16-5 61 kilos/134 pounds: Tyler Graff (New York AC) dec. Jered Cortez (Nittany Lion WC), 5-2 Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) dec. Mark Grey (Cornell), 7-5 65 kilos/143 pounds: Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) tech. fall Kevin Jack (Wolfpack WC), 10-0 Kyle Ayersman (Boilermaker RTC) tech. fall Mitch Bengston (BWC), 10-0 70 kilos/154 pounds: Adam Hall (Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Maaziah Bethea (PARTC), 10-0 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. Michael Kemerer (Iowa), 4-1 74 kilos/163 pounds: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois RTC) tech. fall Tyrel White (NYCRTC), 10-0 Chance Marsteller (MatTown USA) dec. Thomas Gantt (Wolfpack WC), 8-6 80 kilos/176 pounds: Alex Meyer (Iowa) fall Phillip Bakuckas (Scarlet Knight WC), 4:42 Burke Paddock (Iowa) tech. fall Geno Morelli (Nittany Lion WC), 15-4 86 kilos/189 pounds: Morgan McIntosh (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Jack Dechow (Virginia Beach RTC), 11-0 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) tech. fall Peter Renda (Wolfpack WC), 14-4 97 kilos/213 pounds: Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC) tech. fall Kyle Conel (Golden Pride), 10-0 Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado) fall Blaize Cabell (Panther WC), 0:44 125 kilos/275 pounds: Nick Gwiazdowski (New York AC/Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Garrett Ryan (Sunkist Kids), 10-0 Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids) dec. Ty Walz (VA/Southeast), 2-1

AKRON, Ohio -- The UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals concluded on Sunday morning in Akron, Ohio with the ten-member World Championships team determined in a best-of-three championship series. Returning world champions Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) and Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) each won national titles, Diakomihalis up one weight class from last year at 63 kilograms and Steveson again in the 100 kilogram weight class. For the tournament, Diakomihalis did not allow a single point from seven matches, and earned technical fall victories in five of the bouts. On Sunday morning, the No. 2 overall ranked Class of 2017 prospect swept Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), a two-time top three finisher in Fargo in Cadet National freestyle, by 9-0 decision and then by 10-0 technical fall during the first period. Conversely, Steveson had a rather tight opening match in the finals round, as he won by just a 2-1 score over Noah Adams (Independence, W.Va.), scoring on a first period takedown. However, the second match saw the nation's top Class of 2018 prospect turn it up with two high-amplitude takedown scores in an 11-0 technical fall victory. The third wrestler to earn a second straight Cadet World team spot was Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.), winning the title at 46 kilograms after competing last year down a weight class at 42 kilograms. Heinselman advanced to the final with three of four wins coming by shutout technical fall, while his two finals win came by technical fall over Eric Faught (Clear Lake, Iowa). The first match of the finals series was a 14-3 technical fall for Heinselman in 3:35, with the second win by a 10-0 score in 58 seconds. On the other hand, Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) moved up to 50 kilograms after making the world team last year down at 46 kilograms, but was upended in two finals matches by Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.); Cashman won a Cadet folkstyle national title this year and last year, while earning sixth in Cadet freestyle at 106 pounds last summer in Fargo. Cashman earned a 4-2 victory in the first finals match, his two takedowns coming in the first period, while D'Emilio scored very late in the bout. During the second match, it was a 1-0 victory for Cashman, with the only point coming in the first period when D'Emilio was put on the 30-second shot clock and was unable to score. Seven months ago in folkstyle, Cashman did beat D'Emilio at the Super 32 Challenge. Another pair of wrestlers on this year's Cadet World Team lost in the finals of this tournament last year. Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), ranked third overall in the Class of 2017, won the title at 58 kilograms this year after falling short against Diakomihalis last year. He swept the finals series against Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.), a Cadet National freestyle champion in Fargo last summer at 132 pounds. In the first match of the series, Arujau won 6-3, keyed by a counter takedown in each period; the one in the opening period was a high amplitude lift off a Sasso attack. The second match was a 7-3 Arujau victory, as he jumped out to a 7-0 lead midway through the second period keyed by a takedown in each period. David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio), ranked second overall in the Class of 2018, won at 69 kilograms one year after finishing second place in that weight class. He swept his finals series against Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), a Cadet National champion in Fargo last summer at 138 pounds. Carr rallied from a 3-0 first period deficit in the opening match to secure a 9-5 victory, before winning 4-1 in the second bout. Among other wrestlers to make their initial world freestyle team is Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.), who is now a three-time medalist in this tournament, finishing fifth and third the previous two years down at 76 kilograms. He also qualified for the Greco-Roman world team at 85 kilograms on Friday afternoon, winning all five bouts by technical fall. On Saturday, Warner won all four of his bouts by technical fall to reach the championship series in freestyle at 85 kilograms. Then on Sunday, he earned a pair of eight point decision victories over Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) to earn the world spot, those coming by 12-4 and 11-3 scores. Rounding out the group to qualify for the Cadet World Championships in freestyle are Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) at 42 kilograms, Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) at 54 kilograms, and Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) at 76 kilograms. McHenry upended Jeremiah Reno (Missouri, Class of 2020) in the lone series to go to a third bout. McHenry won both the first and third matches by technical fall in the first period (10-0 in 47 seconds, then 12-0 in 1:44), while Reno rallied back from an early 3-0 deficit to win the second match by 13-5 decision, which was keyed by a pair of four point high-amplitude scores. Bravo-Young, a two-time Cadet National double champion in Fargo, improved upon second and third place finishes in previous years at this event (at 46 and 50 kilograms respectively) to win this title in dominant fashion. Just to reach the final, he had five shutout technical falls, including a pair over wrestlers ranked No. 2 overall in Junior High and the Class of 2019. The championship series opened with a 13-2 technical fall over Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio), who won a Cadet National freestyle title last year in Fargo at 106 pounds. Leading 3-2 early in the second period, Bravo-Young scored a takedown and then accrued four consecutive gut wrench exposures to achieve match termination. The second bout of the series was an 8-2 victory for Bravo-Young. Wittlake had an impressive run on the way to the final, most notably with a 6-4 victory over last summer's Cadet National freestyle champion Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa) in the quarterfinal. Then in the championship series, it was a pair of decisive victories over Jack Jessen (Willowbrook, Ill.), who has finished third and second in both styles each of the previous two summers in Fargo at the Cadet level. Wittlake scored a 6-2 victory in the opening bout, earning the match's only three takedowns; in the second bout it was a 14-3 technical fall in 3:23. Also winning a championship on Sunday, though it came in a single was Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.), who won the 125 kilogram title with a 12-2 technical fall over Kayne Hutchison (Pittsburg, Kansas) at the 4:00 mark. That weight class will not be contested at the World Championships come September in Tblisi, Georgia.

Brock Lesnar, 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ for the University of Minnesota who has made an even bigger name for himself in both mixed martial arts and professional wrestling, appears to be returning to the Octagon to compete in UFC 200 next month. Brock LesnarEarly reports had Ultimate Fighting Championships denying the story ... but then UFC later announced Lesnar's return during its UFC 199 event Saturday night. UFC 200 is scheduled for July 9 in Las Vegas. An opponent for Lesnar has not yet been determined. Lesnar entered professional MMA competition in June 2007. His next fight was his debut in UFC, losing to Frank Mir at UFC 81 in February 2008. The former Minnesota mat champ then racked up four straight wins in UFC fights, then lost to former Arizona State wrestler Cain Velasquez at the UFC 121 main event by first-round TKO in October 2010. Lesnar's last appearance in the Octagon was at UFC 141 in December 2011, falling to Alistair Overeem via first-round TKO. Lesnar's pro MMA record is 5-3 overall. For pro wrestling fans concerned that this UFC news means the end of Lesnar's WWE career ... CBS Sports is reporting otherwise. "Brock Lesnar remains under contract to WWE," the company said Saturday in a statement shared with CBS Sports. "However, he has been granted a one-off opportunity to compete at UFC 200. Following this milestone event on July 9, Brock will return to WWE for SummerSlam on Sunday, August 21, live on WWE Network." Long before getting involved in MMA and WWE, Brock Edward Lesnar was "the next big thing" in amateur wrestling, thanks to his powerful physique that, in the words of legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable, "turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong." A product of Webster, South Dakota, Lesnar launched his college career at Bismarck Junior College in North Dakota, where he dominated the National Junior College Athletic Association competition, racking up an incredible 56-3 record in his two years at BJC, culminating with the 1998 NJCAA heavyweight championship. Brock Lesnar's physique and take-no-prisoners wrestling style turned more than a few heads ... including that of J Robinson, University of Minnesota's head coach, who brought the South Dakota native to the Golden Gophers for his junior year where he built up a near-perfect 24-1 regular-season record against Division I competition. After winning the 1999 Big Ten heavyweight title, Lesnar made it to the finals of the 1999 NCAAs, where he lost to defending champ Stephen Neal of Cal State Bakersfield. As a senior, Lesnar lost only one regular-season bout (to Iowa's Wes Hand), but avenged that loss by winning his second Big Ten title. At the 2000 NCAAs in St. Louis, top-seeded Brock Lesnar pinned three of his four pre-finals opponents to find himself going for the heavyweight title against familiar foe Hand. The Minnesota big man beat Hand in a tiebreaker to claim the national heavyweight crown.

During competition on Saturday in Akron, Ohio on the campus of the University of Akron, All-Americans were determined at the UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals. The championship best-of-three series in each weight class will be wrestled at the start of Sunday morning's session, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Consolation wrestling will be contested to its completion as well, starting with the consolation quarterfinals through the medal rounds, including potential true second bouts. Below are the semifinal results and consolation quarterfinal pairings for each weight class. 42 kilograms Semifinal results: Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) technical fall Dylan Ragusin (Illinois, c/o 2020), Jeremiah Reno (Missouri, c/o 2020) technical fall Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich., c/o 2020) Consolation Quarterfinals: Caden McCray (Georgia, c/o 2020) vs. Blake Noonan (Michigan, c/o 2020), Kase Mauger (Idaho, c/o 2020) vs. Justin Bierdumpfel (New Jersey, c/o 2020) 46 kilograms Semifinal results: Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.) technical fall Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho) 10-0, Eric Faught (Clear Lake, Iowa) decision Steele Dias (Green Valley, Nev.) 6-2 Consolation Quarterfinals: Matthew Ramos (Lockport, Ill.) vs. Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.), Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) vs. Lucas Byrd (LaSalle, Ohio) 50 kilograms Semifinal results: Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) decision Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) 11-2, Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.) decision Matthew Cardello (CVCA, Ohio) 2-1 Consolation Quarterfinals: Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Ty Smith (Virgin Valley, Nev.), Jesse Vasquez (El Dorado Hills, Calif., c/o 2020) vs. Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.) 54 kilograms Semifinal results: Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) decision Real Woods (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 12-7, Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) technical fall Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.) 11-0 Consolation Quarterfinals: Travis Ford-Melton (Marian Catholic, Ill.) vs. Chase Zollmann (Poway, Calif.), Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) vs. Jack Skudlarczyk (Westlake, Texas) 58 kilograms Semifinal results: Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) technical fall Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) 12-2, Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) technical fall Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.) 10-0 Consolation Quarterfinals: Marco Regalbuto (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. Keaton Geerts (New Hampton, Iowa), Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.) vs. Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa., c/o 2020) 63 kilograms Semifinal results: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) decision Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 9-0, Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) over Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) by forfeit Consolation Quarterfinals: Jaden Van Maanen (LaCross Central, Wis.) vs. Nikolas Chavez (Willard, Mo.), Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.) vs. Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) 69 kilograms Semifinal results: Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) decision Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.) 9-7, David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) technical fall Trevell Timmons (Lockport, Ill.) 16-5 Consolation Quarterfinals: Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.) vs. Tyler Dow (Stoughton, Wis.), Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J./Tampa Prep, Fla.) vs. Robert Patrick (Ligonier Valley, Pa.) 76 kilograms Semifinal results: Jack Jessen (Willowbrook, Ill.) pin Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) 0:46, Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) decision Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) 7-3 Consolation Quarterfinals: Daniel Butler (Leavenworth, Kansas) vs. Clay Lautt (St. James Academy, Kansas), Josh Ramirez (Archbishop Rummel, La.) vs. Jake Hendricks (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 85 kilograms Semifinal results: Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) technical fall Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) 10-0, Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) pin Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.) 1:13 Consolation Quarterfinals: John Borst (Sherando, Va.) vs. Anthony Perrine (Nordonia, Ohio), Jake Boyd (Smithville, Mo.) vs. Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.) 100 kilograms Semifinal results: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) decision Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) 7-1, Noah Adams (Independence, W.Va.) decision Brady Daniel (Good Counsel, Md.) 8-2 Consolation Quarterfinals: Henry Willoughby (Cibolo Steele, Texas) vs. Jake Cook (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), Dakota Howard (St. Edward, Ohio) vs. Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.) 125 kilograms (not contested at the World Championships) Semifinal results: Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.) pin Ronald Tucker, Jr. (Lockport, Ill.) 0:44, Kayne Hutchison (Pittsburg, Kansas) technical fall Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) 10-0 Consolation Quarterfinals: Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.) vs. Matt Spaulding (Lakota East, Ohio), Jack Carruth (Eau Claire North, Wis.) vs. Jon Spaulding (Lakota East, Ohio)

It's official: Two months after first posting an opening for a wrestling coach, University of Saint Mary will be launching both men's and women's wrestling programs ... and has hired Chuck Kearney to head up those new programs, the Kansas-based school announced Thursday. Chuck KearneyIf the name Chuck Kearney sounds familiar, it's because the new coach of the newest Spires sports programs once wrestled at both Oklahoma State, then University of Oregon ... then later served as head coach of the Oregon Ducks until the program was eliminated in 2009. In fact, Kearney comes to USM with over 20 years of coaching experience, a decade of that at the helm at Oregon. While at the Eugene, Oregon school, Kearney coached 24 Pac-10 champions and 16 NCAA Division I All-Americans. Kearney also earned the distinction of mentoring the first NCAA champion at Oregon in 37 years, Shane Webster, 184-pound titlewinner at the 2006 NCAAs. Six of his recruiting classes were ranked in the top 20 by "Amateur Wrestling News," two of which were in the top 10. Prior to becoming a coach, Kearney built a successful on-the-mat career. The native of McMinnville, Oregon was a two-time high school state champ who then went on to wrestle for two years at Oklahoma State before returning to his home state. In two years as an Oregon Duck wrestler, Kearney was a Pac-10 champ and earned All-American honors at 177 pounds at the 1988 NCAAs. In addition to coaching, Kearney has served as the Director of Athletic Alumni Development at the University of Oregon, along with managing every facet of Oregon Wrestling Camps. He currently works as both an accountability coach for an international IT training company and as a baseball and wrestling coach in Eugene, Ore. "Coach Kearney is an outstanding leader, recruiter, and coach, with an impressive list of accomplishments" said USM Athletic Director Rob Miller. "He's ready to build a winning program at USM, and I'm excited to see where he takes our wrestling program." "It is an absolute honor to be named the first head wrestling coach at Saint Mary," said Kearney. "I look forward to building a team that competes hard on the mat and performs exceptionally well in the classroom." Both new wrestling programs at University of Saint Mary are slated to first take the mat in the 2016-17 academic year, competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The men's mat program will be the ninth intercollegiate sports program at the school; women's wrestling will become the Spires' tenth athletic program for USM women. The University of Saint Mary (USM) is a private liberal arts university in Leavenworth, Kansas. Established as a school for women in 1923, it is now co-educational. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students.

It's a homecoming for Josh Malave, as the former University of Mount Union wrestler is returning to his alma mater to become head wrestling coach, the Alliance, Ohio-based school announced Thursday. Josh MalaveMalave replaces Bill Schindel who recently left to become the head coach at Adrian College in Michigan. A 2012 graduate of Mount Union, Malave brings experience as a Purple Raider wrestler back to the program. Malave was a two-time NCAA Division III qualifier, earning All-American honors by placing seventh at 141 pounds at the 2012 NCAAs. The Rocky River, Ohio native was also a three-time All-OAC (Ohio Athletic Conference) selection, two-time conference champion who was also a two-time Academic All-OAC and NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Scholar All-American selection. A two-time team captain, Malave's 97 wins still rank as sixth best on the school's all-time wins list. Malave also brings coaching experience as the ninth head wrestling coach at Mount Union. For the past two years, he has been the head coach at Firelands High School in Oberlin, Ohio. At his time at the northern Ohio high school, Malave was the 2014-15 Lorain County Coach of the Year and the 2015-16 Patriot Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, leading the Falcons to Patriot Athletic Conference Individual and Dual Meet titles in 2016 with a total of 13 district qualifiers. In addition, Malave spent one year as an assistant coach at Union Pines (N.C.) High School where the team won conference individual and dual meet titles while placing fifth in the state. What does the former Purple Raider mat star have to say about returning to his college alma mater? "I look forward to meeting the opportunities and challenges of taking over a wrestling program at Mount Union that has meant so much to me," said Malave. "We have great facilities, programs, faculty and staff and Mount Union has competed on a national level and I am excited to continue and grow that tradition in the coming years." Mount Union athletic director Larry Kehres concurred, saying, "We are confident that the hard work and dedication to wrestling Josh has shown so far in his career will give him the ability to motivate our student-athletes." The University of Mount Union is a private, coeducational four-year college. Located in eastern Ohio in Alliance, Mount Union has an enrollment of approximately 2,200 undergraduate students. Its wrestling program and other intercollegiate sports compete in NCAA Division III.

J Robinson (Photo/David Peterson)The Minnesota wrestling drug scandal hit full throttle this week with the announcement that head wrestling coach J Robinson was placed on immediate paid administrative leave. While the details of the Xanax-for-sale scandal aren't quite clear, what has become evident is the reporting of the "essay writing" story by Joe Christensen and Amelia Rayno of the Minneapolis Star Tribune doesn't seem to pass journalistic tests for veracity of sourcing, and instead relies on the uncorroborated story of one source whose name, motivations and relationships to key players in the piece is not further specified. For me, the story comes down to this quote, which cannot be verified and if J Robinson's letter is to be trusted, is false. Robinson tried to handle the Xanax issue internally, the source told the Star Tribune. He ordered suspected users to undergo mandatory urine testing and had them write a one-page essay. On April 5, the coach texted some team members with a reminder about their assignment. Robinson's letter states he didn't try to handle the situation "internally" and had instead contacted the administration, a claim he went so far in backing as to file a motion that the university email servers be protected from hampering or the deletion of files. Robinson believes that there is evidence in his correspondence with the school will exonerate him of wrongdoing, namely "handling it internally." The issue with poorly reported stories from respectable news organizations is that no matter how flawed the reporting gets, the headline sticks. Often the juicy the gist of the story "DRUGS, COLLEGE SPORTS, COVER-UP" is regurgitated by blogs lacking original reporting but with massive followings like Deadspin and Bleacher Report. Now, other news outlets like the Washington Post who have also switched to a blog method of information dissemination wherein they just make snarky comments on the existing flawed story. Here's a little ethical test for your Thursday morning. Let's say you're the coach of a successful Division I wrestling program and you find out that some of your players are both abusing Xanax and dealing it to other students. What do you do? a.) Call the police? b.) Tell your bosses? c.) Confiscate some of the drugs and have the players in question write a one-page essay in which they write about letting down the team. If you answered a. or b., you are probably fit to coach Division I wrestling. If you answered c., you're probably Minnesota Coach J Robinson, who reportedly did exactly that. (Yes, that's his real first name.) So … What then happens if J Robinson is shown to have done the right thing all along? What if the source ends up being someone with an axe to grind, who told falsehoods because he wanted Robinson to resign? Will those stories be broadcast in the same fashion as this piece? Will the larger media world apologize? No. Anonymous sourcing is an essential part of journalism, but it's also extremely risky for editors and papers. Leaks from the White House or State Department can help realign policy and inform the American people about what is going on in the world. However, an anonymous source must be corroborated in detail by an independent second source to ensure that the information isn't being offered up as a misdirection, or an outright lie. In general, quotes on personal feelings are acceptable without a second source, but an accusation (even in-quote) if stated as fact must have a second source. Another wrestler who spoke to the Star Tribune on the condition of anonymity said he did not receive that same text message, but later received an e-mail from U police who were investigating the wrestling team. I've been around J for a while, and this is the first time anything of that level has hit our program," the second source said. "Obviously we were a younger team last season, and this was more a younger issue. A few guys came in that maybe weren't ready for the college transition. What the writers of the article failed to do with this attribution is to make the second source substantiate the story offered by the original source. That an investigation exists shouldn't provide the journalists the latitude to then publish the otherwise shallow claims of the source. Why not interview a third wrestler that can talk about the exact claims? Why not talk to someone in the administration off the record? A list of people unwilling to return your phone call is wonderful to show you did your due diligence, but it provides no additional veracity to the claims of the unnamed source. There is no paper trail or printouts of sent text messages. There is no Xanax-addled youth telling of the wrestler's sweet deal via Coach Robinson. There are no photos or videos, Facebook chat, Snapchat story, or Instagram post. There is no administrator, no coach, no trainer. There is no wrestler on the record. Assume for a moment that the wrestler is telling the truth and that Robinson had the students write a letter. How does that reflect on Robinson having told the administration? Those two things are mutually exclusive and the fact that the journalists here only consumed them together weakens their narrative, and the credibility of an otherwise (maybe) credible source. Right now Coach Robinson is at the receiving end of what looks like journalistic malfeasance and an NCAA culture that tolerates no negative press. It's no secret that Robinson and the Minnesota administration have a tense and challenging relationship. How much that played into their choices has yet to be seen, but in reading the letter posted by Robinson's lawyer there is at least some belief that the administration will do anything to ensure that they are pegged as having been responsible for some part of the initial response to the drug allegations. I'd love to know the truth, but with the reporting so far the truth seems to be less important than the number of clicks received.

LeRoy GardnerCLARKSVILLE, Ark. -- Collegiate Hall of Fame wrestler LeRoy Gardner III has been named the new head men's wrestling coach at the University of the Ozarks, it was announced Thursday by Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. Gardner, a native of Golden Valley, Minn., has been the head coach at University of Houston-Downtown since 2014, where he was named the 2016 National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Southwest Conference Coach of the Year. There, he coached the university's first All-American and Academic All-American. Prior to UH-Downtown, Gardner coached at the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and Wartburg College. He wrestled at Wartburg where he was a three-time All-American and led his team to a pair of national championships. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. "We are thrilled to announce the hiring of LeRoy Gardner as our new head coach," said Clark. "We will keep the program moving forward with this hire. Coach Zastrow did a great job, and now Coach Gardner has the opportunity to build upon that. Our goals in the athletic department are to recruit, retain and graduate student-athletes, and I know Coach Gardner will accomplish this. He appreciates the NCAA Division III experience, and understands the value of education and being involved within the community. He is a great addition to the athletic department." Clark believes Gardner's well-rounded experience will have a tremendous impact on the program. "He has a varied coaching and professional background," said Clark. "He is an impressive guy. Recruits and their families will recognize how well-rounded he is. And, he is respected in the wrestling community. He will represent the University of the Ozarks well and accomplish great things. We want to have our wrestlers qualify for the national tournament and achieve All-American status." Gardner developed the first comprehensive wrestling development program for the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and served as its head coach from 2006-2009. There he coached four NCWA national champions and 11 All-Americans. He also was an assistant coach at Wartburg from 2003-2005, helping the program to back-to-back NCAA Division III national championships. The program produced 16 All-Americans during his tenure. "It is an honor to be the head coach at the University of the Ozarks," said Gardner. "The credit goes to President Richard Dunsworth, Athletic Director Jimmy Clark, Coach Jason Zastrow and wrestling supporter Greg Hatcher for laying the groundwork and developing the program's vision of the future. It is clear to me the university's support for its student-athletes is tremendous, and that's priceless. I really see the value in education and athletics, and being able to share that with potential student-athletes is exciting to me." Gardner believes Ozarks provides a special opportunity for young men pursing a degree while wrestling collegiately. "Ozarks has a small-town community feeling with a beautiful outdoor setting," he said. "This is a great place to focus academically and wrestle collegiately. I want to convey all the positive attributes I learned as an NCAA Division III student-athlete and teach that here. The student-athletes here will appreciate the university's support and see what is possible when the campus community is behind them. I want our student-athletes visible in the community." As a wrestler, he earned honors on the international stage, placing eighth in the 2002 Fila Junior World Greco-Roman Championships and fifth in the 2002 U.S. Senior World Team Trials. He was inducted into the Wartburg Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. "As their coach, I want my student-athletes to know I am in their corner, and that I care about them beyond the mat," he said. "I want them to trust me, and I want them to reach their goals, both on and off the mat. I want my student-athletes to realize by putting in the time and work, they have a chance to be successful, and that carries into other things off the mat." Gardner received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Wartburg in 2003. He earned his MBA in finance from University of Rhode Island. Gardner serves as an officer in the United States Navy. He and his wife, Suzanna, are the parents of one son. Gardner takes over for Zastrow, who is pursuing a family opportunity in Ohio.

Seth Gross was a Big 12 runner-up and went 3-2 at the NCAAs as a redshirt freshman (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Seth Gross, a graduate of Apple Valley (Minn.) High School, earned a spot on the Junior World Team in freestyle at 60 kilos by defeating Mitchell McKee in the finals of the UWW Junior World Team Trials on May 22 in Irving, Texas. He will compete in the UWW Junior World Championships on Sept. 3 in Macon, France. Gross found a new home at South Dakota State last summer after spending his first year of college at Iowa. As a redshirt freshman at SDSU, Gross compiled a record of 26-14 and finished as a Big 12 runner-up. He posted a 3-2 record at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in New York City, finishing one win away from earning All-American honors at 141 pounds. InterMat recently caught up with Gross. You finished second to Mitchell McKee at the UWW Junior Nationals in late April, and then less than a month later came back to defeat McKee in a best-of-three finals to make the Junior World Team. What adjustments did you make between those events? Gross: I did pretty well against everyone else in Vegas besides McKee, so going into Trials I really just focused on training in the positions where he's good and being able to do well in those positions. I knew he was good at that front head roll. He's good with his hips. If I shoot in and don't have my head in the right position, he's going to hip in. He's good at digging underhooks. So I really worked on those areas. He beat me up a little bit in Vegas, but I trained hard in those areas and was a little more ready at the Trials. I felt more prepared going into the tournament. Seth Gross was a three-time state champion for Apple Valley High School (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You and McKee are both Minnesota natives. Did you have any history with McKee before this spring? And how familiar were you with his style? Gross: I've never actually wrestled him before this year. Apple Valley and St. Michael-Albertville have a huge rivalry, so our teams have always wrestled each other. He's always wrestled guys a little lighter than me. I've watched him quite a bit, but never really felt how he actually wrestles. But I know him pretty well just throughout the years in Minnesota. Your high school teammate Mark Hall is on the Junior World Team with you. What does that mean to you? Gross: That's awesome. A few years ago I made the [Cadet] team, and he fell a little short after losing to Bo Nickal, and we were kind of bummed about that. So I think it's cool that we're now both on the team and we'll get to spend some time together this summer. We were really good friends in high school. I haven't seen him too much since, so it will be cool to hang out with him this summer and train together. I'm excited. You have had your most success nationally in freestyle. You were a multiple-time Fargo freestyle champion in high school, made a Cadet team and now a Junior team. Do you enjoy wrestling freestyle more than folkstyle? Gross: Yeah, freestyle has always been my favorite style. Obviously, it's a little bit more fun when you do better in it. I've always enjoyed freestyle. It's a lot more on your feet wrestling. There's a lot more action. Folkstyle is a lot more strategic and a lot of riding. One of my strengths is conditioning. In freestyle when you wrestle on your feet the whole time that comes into play a little more. Seth Gross picked up three wins at the NCAAs, including one over Jimmy Gulibon (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You were a Big 12 runner-up and reached the round of 12 at the NCAAs as a redshirt freshman. How would you characterize your performance in your first season at South Dakota State? Gross: I probably fell short of a few of my goals. The biggest one is I wanted to be on the podium in March. I think just going through what happened to me last year, I was still proud of my performance, just to make it to nationals and get that close was good. But it also sucked. It really motivated me a ton for freestyle this year. I really wanted to go out and make this World team. Losing at those events really got a fire going in me. Overall, it was all right. Obviously, not what I wanted but I think it helped me in the long run. At the Big 12s you defeated Wyoming's Bryce Meredith. Two weeks later he reached the NCAA finals. Did his run to the NCAA finals give you reassurance that you're right there with the nation's best? Gross: Yeah, I knew I was right there with them. I wrestled a close one with [Dean] Heil at the Big 12s and he won it, and Meredith was second. It was rough watching him in the finals after I beat him. But it shows that I'm right up there with those guys. I know that I can beat any of them if I'm on and wrestling my best. It was good knowing that. You're competing in freestyle at 60 kilos, which is 132 pounds. Is there a chance you could move down to 133 pounds for the next college wrestling season? Gross: Yeah, I'm planning on going down to 133 pounds now. The coaches and I talked before the freestyle season and if I felt pretty good after making weight I would decide to move down. It was a little tougher in Vegas the first time getting down, but I made it pretty easily for the Trials. My natural weight walking around is about 142 or 143. So I don't think it will be too bad. I think the main reason I was up at 141 this year was just because I came into the season out of shape and real heavy, and it just took me so long to get my weight down that I don't think I could have made 133. What was attractive to you about South Dakota State? Gross: When I came to the campus I really liked it, and [Chris] Bono was awesome. I just clicked with him right away. Then I saw their schedule and it was a tough schedule. It's always awesome wrestling tough competition. I got to go to Midlands and wrestle all the top teams in the country. It seemed like a lot of the guys really wanted to do well there, and it was really like a family. So all that stuff came into play. South Dakota State coach Chris Bono coaching against Minnesota this past season (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Was South Dakota State even on your radar when you were going through the recruiting process in high school? Did you ever consider it? Gross: No, it wasn't, so I think it's crazy that I ended up where I am. I couldn't be more happy. I think God really had a plan for me to be here. I'm glad I ended up here. What do you like about Bono as a coach? Gross: I like that he doesn't take it easy on you no matter what. If you're slacking, he'll call you out for it. If you're doing something wrong, he'll tell you. He's straightforward about everything. No taking it easy on guys. He holds everyone accountable in everything, not just wrestling, but also in school and social life. This past season South Dakota State cracked the top 25. What are your expectations for the program next season and in the coming seasons? Gross: I think we're going to do really well. I hope that we'll be top 15 at least this year. I'm expecting that. There are a lot of young guys that are really going to have step up this year. But I think we're going to be ready. A lot of guys are sticking around this summer and working their butts off. Obviously, we fell short of getting any All-Americans this year, so I'm hoping we get at least two or three on the podium next year. We could get more. We have the talent to get more, but it's just who is training hard this summer and who is going to be ready to go. I think we'll do well. What was the biggest thing you learned from your experience at Iowa? Gross: From a wrestling standpoint, I really learned how to work hard on my own. The coaches showed me the path to what you need to do to succeed in wrestling. What I learned from the whole situation is just hanging around the right people and taking responsibility for what I did, manning up to what I did and moving forward. Where did your motivation come from after the incident at Iowa? Gross: I think after that a lot of people looked down on me. It was really an opportunity to give the praise to God. That really motivated me, just to show people how good He is if you follow Him and stick on the right path. That just really pushed me this past year. He gave me a second chance, so I'm going to do everything I can to make the best of it. What's your training situation look like this summer leading up to the Junior World Championships? Gross: I'll be at South Dakota State most of the time. There are a few other guys around my weight that will be around all summer. I have a few training camps out in Colorado, but most of my training I'll just do with Bono, [A.J.] Schopp, Henry Pohlmeyer and a couple other guys around my weight, so that will be good. Seth Gross gets his hand raised after picking up a victory at the NCAAs in New York City (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)What aspect of your freestyle wrestling do you need to improve upon the most before the Junior World Championships? Gross: I think I need to keep working on getting my offense going a little more. I probably sit around too much waiting to force guys into my shots. I think if I can develop one really good attack that I can get on most guys that will help me a ton going overseas. Also, I need to work on controlling ties. When I wrestled McKee, he probably got that underhook and controlled the ties a little bit more than I should have let him. I feel like my defense is pretty good. I let guys get to the legs a little bit too easily. I've always let guys in a little bit too much. Those are the main things, getting my offense going and controlling ties. What are your thoughts about the Junior World Championships being held in France? Gross: I haven't though too much about it. I'm not sure what it's going to be like. I went overseas to Azerbaijan, and that was a cool experience. I don't know what to expect at all or what it's going to be like. This story also appears in the June 3 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

University of Minnesota NCAA wrestling champs Jared Lawrence and Pat Neu are among the eleven former Golden Gopher athletes to be welcomed into the "M" Club Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2016, the letterwinner organization announced Tuesday. Jared Lawrence battles Eric Larkin in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in 2002 (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)The eleven represent a total of ten male and female sports; wrestling and football are the only two sports to have two former athletes as members of the 2016 Class. This newest group will be officially inducted during the "M" Club's annual Hall of Fame banquet, which will be held in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium on October 20. Jared Lawrence wrestled for Minnesota from 2000-03. In an era when Minnesota cemented its place as a collegiate wrestling power, Lawrence was one of the team's top performers. The 2002 national champion at 149 pounds and a two-time Big Ten champion, Lawrence posted a 130-23 career record and contributed to three consecutive Big Ten team titles for the Gophers. On the national stage, Lawrence helped Minnesota win the first two national titles in program history (2001, 2002) and -- along with teammate and fellow Hall-of-Famer Luke Becker -- became the first Gopher to be both a four-time NCAA All-American and an individual national champion. Wrestling for the Gophers from 1973-77, Pat Neu built an impressive 136-32 career record. A two-time runner-up at the Big Ten conference championships, Neu managed to win the 134-pound title at the 1977 NCAAs despite being unseeded. His effort helped the Gophers place fourth in the team standings at the tournament, the highest finish in program history to that point, and one that would remain the program's high-water mark until 1997. Lawrence and Neu join other 2016 inductees Greg Eslinger (Football), Dave Gumlia (Men's Golf), Tim Harrer (Men's Hockey), Amber Hegland (Softball and Women's Hockey), MaryAnne Kelley (Women's Gymnastics), Howard Nathe (Baseball), Al Nuness (Men's Basketball), Clay Strother (Men's Gymnastics), and Jeff Wright (Football). Honorees in the "M" Club Hall of Fame are featured in a display within the T. Denny Sanford Athletics Hall of Fame inside TCF Bank Stadium. Including this year's 11-member class, the Hall of Fame now honors 345 Gopher student-athletes from 27 different varsity sports. Each member of the Hall of Fame is recognized with an engraved plate on the wall. The Hall of Fame induction process begins with a research committee which pores over the careers of Gopher Athletics' alums from all eras and determines a group of approximately two dozen names to appear on each year's Hall of Fame ballot. Former and current coaches, athletics administrators and all University letterwinners are eligible to receive a ballot and vote for who they believe should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. "Earning a varsity letter and the opportunity to proudly wear the M on your chest is an accomplishment that brings pride to someone for the rest of his or her life," said "M" Club director George Adzick. "To be recognized as not just a letterwinner, but as one of the greatest letterwinners in the history of Gopher Athletics, is an honor reserved for a very select few. I am delighted for the 11 newest members of our Hall of Fame and excited to be there as their names are placed forever among other Minnesota legends."

J Robinson, long-time head wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota, has been placed on paid administrative leave by the school's new athletic director, Mark Coyle, announced Wednesday. J Robinson (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Coyle said Robinson will remain on administrative leave through the completion of the school's internal investigation of allegations that some members of the Golden Gopher wrestling team may have used or sold Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety drug. Coyle, only in his second job as AD at Minnesota, informed Robinson of his decision privately before making a public appearance at an already-scheduled golf event for Minnesota athletics at a country club in Hutchinson, Minnesota, a community west of the Twin Cities, where he made the announcement to the press. "[University of Minnesota] President [Eric] Kaler and I had conversations about [Robinson's leave] and given the seriousness of the allegations, and the beginning of the internal investigation with the office of the general counsel, I thought that was the best thing to do at this time," Coyle said. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune also reported Wednesday afternoon that the university police department was granted a warrant and recently searched Robinson's house in suburban Minneapolis, and that investigators are searching his personal computer. The same newspaper reported last week that a Minnesota wrestler revealed four teammates had acquired 2,500 Xanax pills earlier this year and were selling them to teammates and others. The athlete, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said 10-12 teammates were also abusing the drug, and that Robinson had learned of the abuse and selling and offered to grant them amnesty if they confessed to him in written essays. The wrestler said his teammates turned over 1,400 Xanax pills to Robinson and the rest went "in the river." Yesterday, J Robinson's agent, James C.W. Bock, issued a statement on behalf of the Minnesota mat coach, refuting some of the information that has been in multiple media reports since the first news story on the matter was broadcast by KMSP-TV, the Fox affiliate in the Twin Cities, and reported on by InterMat one week ago. J Robinson was named head coach in 1986, making him the second-longest serving in Minnesota mat history (behind Wally Johnson, who was at the helm for 34 seasons immediately before J Rob). In his 30 seasons as head coach, Robinson has guided the Gophers to three NCAA team titles (2001, 2002, and 2007), and an overall record of 440-145-4, for a .747 winning percentage, the highest of any wrestling coach at the school.

Kent State announced the hiring of Danny Mitcheff as assistant wrestling coach on Wednesday. An All-American with the Golden Flashes in 2010, Mitcheff returns to his alma mater with a wide array of experience in both coaching and competition. "It's great to have Danny back," Head Coach Jim Andrassy said. "I'm excited for our lightweights. He gives them a coach they can go to and work on anything they need. When he wrestled with us, he brought a lot of integrity and an incredible work ethic that we needed at the time. Now he will bring that as a coach." Mitcheff's wrestling career continued for six years after Kent State in freestyle competition. He qualified for the United States World Team Trials four times, placing as high as fourth. Mitcheff also has five top six finishes at the U.S. Open and won a tournament title at the 2014 Guelph Open. A full-time assistant coach at Army for two seasons, Mitcheff has also been a volunteer assistant at Penn and Cleveland State. "He's helped at three other colleges, so he brings a different perspective," Andrassy said. "When he combines that experience with the Kent State way, he can help take us to another level." In 2010, Mitcheff was named Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Year and became the fourth wrestler in Kent State's history to be a four-time NCAA qualifier. Named Outstanding Wrestler at the MAC Championships in both his junior and senior seasons, he was a four-time MAC finalist. Mitcheff also owns the second most career victories in Flashes' history with 131. Most recently, Mitcheff was a resident at the Pennsylvania Olympic Regional Training Center and coached the Philadelphia branch of USA Wrestling's Beat The Streets program. The Lorain, Ohio native has also worked numerous camps and clinics throughout the country. Kent State concluded its 2015-16 season with a 16th place finish at the NCAA Championships and two All-Americans. The Flashes' eight straight years with at least one All-American is the 10th longest active streak in the nation.

Bill Zadick of Colorado Springs, Colo., currently an Assistant National Freestyle Coach with USA Wrestling, has been named as the next National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport in the United States. Bill Zadick (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"To be named USA Wrestling's Freestyle National Coach is a great honor. It is humbling, and I feel a tremendous responsibility to the United States and to USA Wrestling and to the athletes. I love freestyle wrestling. I cut my teeth in freestyle as a young kid, coming up through the developmental ranks. It has always been a huge passion for me. It is an important component to the American wrestling system. I am a patriot. I love red, white and blue and I want us to be the best wrestling nation in the world," said Zadick. He becomes the fifth full-time National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling, following Lee Roy Smith, Bruce Burnett (two terms), Kevin Jackson and Zeke Jones. USA Wrestling conducted an in-depth interview process, which included input from an advisory committee of respected wrestling leaders. "I am proud of the process we went through to select our next National Freestyle Head Coach," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. "It included virtually all of the appropriate stakeholders in the process. Bill will lead this program with character and dignity. We are confident that the best is yet to come for Team USA." Zadick will assume the duties after the current National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett completes his tenure after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Burnett, who was the National Freestyle Coach from 1992-2000, was rehired in May 2014 to lead USA Wrestling's freestyle national program through the Rio Games. "We had great candidates and it was a difficult decision," said Les Gutches, USA Wrestling Associate Executive Director for Programs and Strategy. "When it came to the final three candidates, we were impressed by all of them. As part of the interview process, each of the coaches had to lay out their four-year plan and vision. Bill nailed it, with great detail and insight. Bill has had the benefit of working around three National Freestyle Coaches, Bruce Burnett, Kevin Jackson and Zeke Jones. He comes from the Iowa program where he was coached by Dan Gable and the Brands brothers. He has done a good job pulling the collective wisdom of these and other coaches and developing his own philosophy." Bill Zadick first joined USA Wrestling in the position of Resident Coordinator and Assistant National Freestyle Coach in January 2009. He was a liaison between the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the resident athletes in all three styles and was also part of the national freestyle coaching staff. Zadick was promoted to the position of National Freestyle Developmental Coach and Assistant National Freestyle Coach in September 2010. He oversaw the programs intended to improve the quality and quantity of men's freestyle athletes prior to the Senior level, working with age-group World Teams and programs. During his four years working with the USA age-group teams (2011-2014), the USA won eight Cadet World medals, nine Junior World medals and 10 medals at the University Worlds or University World Games. Included were Cadet World champions Adam Coon, Zain Retherford, Aaron Pico, Spencer Lee, Mason Manville and Mark Hall, Junior World champion Kyle Snyder and University World champions Tyler Caldwell and Tyrell Fortune. In 2014, the U.S. age group World Teams reached new levels of success in freestyle, with the Cadets placing third in the World, the Juniors placing second in the World and the University team winning the World title. In 2015, Zadick's duties as Assistant National Coach were changed, where he focused upon the athletes and teams on the Senior level, working directly with National Coach Bruce Burnett working with the elite Senior athletes in all areas. He was part of the coaching staff at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships, where the United States won three medals, led by World champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder. The USA also won the medal count at the 2015 Pan American Games with six medals, led by champions Brent Metcalf, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Zach Rey. Prior to joining USA Wrestling, Zadick served as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Iowa wrestling team for two seasons (2003-04). "We want the United States to be the best wrestling nation in the world in all styles. Of course, my focus will be on freestyle. It will take a lot of work. We are going to need all hands on deck. We have a lot of great wrestling minds within the United States, and it is going to take a coordinated effort and inclusion of all those people to move us forward. With Russia, Iran, the former Soviet republics including Georgia, Azerbaijan and others, there are a lot of really strong wrestling nations that are well organized and well funded. We will need to be the same and even more so for us to make up ground, win more medals and improve. We will not only have to work hard, but we will have to work smart. We will need to be smarter about our sport, technically, tactically, scientifically and areas outside of that. We will need to draw on all of the resources within the United States borders to make us better," said Zadick. Zadick was one of the nation's best wrestlers on the youth, college and international levels before his coaching career started. Zadick reached the top of the freestyle wrestling world in 2006, when he won a World gold medal at 66 kg/145.5 pounds in Guangzhou, China. His younger brother Mike won a silver medal at 60 kg/132 pounds at the 2006 World Championships, making them the first U.S. brothers to reach the World finals on the same year since Tom and Terry Brands in 1993. Zadick also competed in the 2001 World Championships, placing seventh. He was a runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2000 and 2008. He was a three-time U.S. Nationals runner-up (2003, 2006, 2008) and a two-time World Team Trials runner-up (1999, 2002). Zadick won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Championships, and won the Sunkist Kids International Open in 1997 and 1998. He won a NCAA Div. I title for the Univ. of Iowa in 1996 and was a two-time All-American, competing for the legendary Dan Gable. Zadick won a Big Ten title and posted a career record of 87-13 with 16 pins. Zadick earned a B.A. in art from the University of Iowa in 1996. Originally from Great Falls, Montana, Zadick won four high school state titles for Great Falls High School (1988-91). He was active in USA Wrestling's age-group programs as a youth and through college. Zadick was a U.S. Olympic Training Center Resident athlete from 2004-2008, where his freestyle career flourished on the mat. "He was a World champion as an athlete. It came through loud and clear that he has the support of the athletes. They respect him and his accomplishments and his abilities as a coach. We have momentum at this time. As a national freestyle program, we go into the Rio Olympic Games after winning three medals with two champions in 2015. Bill is the guy who can continue this momentum and increase it," said Gutches.

The UWW Cadet National Championships are the place to be this weekend if one wants to watch elite scholastic aged wrestling in the United States. Close to 400 of the finest wrestlers born in 1999 through 2001 will take to the mats at the University of Akron during the freestyle competition to be held on Saturday and Sunday. Apple Valley's Gable Steveson, a returning Cadet World champion, gets his hand raised after winning a state title with a technical fall in the finals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Champions in ten weight classes (excluding 125 kilos, which is not contested at the Cadet World level) will qualify for the tournament to be held in Tblisi, Georgia (the former Soviet Republic) during mid-September of this year. Two Americans with UWW Cadet eligibility won world titles last year, and each will be seeking to repeat. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) has moved up one weight class to 63 kilos, the weight class that was won last year by fellow American Jarod Verkleeren, while Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) remains at 100 kilos. One needs to just look at last year when Steveson upended returning world silver medalist Jordan Wood just to earn the American berth at 100 kilos to be reminded that there are no "free lunches" in this tournament. The depth across the weight classes in this tournament is impressive, with a mere placement finish (top eight) being an accomplishment in and of itself. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the competition based on participants that entered as of the close of pre-registration on Tuesday evening. 42 kilos: Leading the way in this weight class is Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.), who placed third at the National Prep tournament as an extremely undersized 106 pound wrestler during his freshman season; McHenry was a semifinalist in Fargo as a Cadet at 94 pounds last summer, and won multiple Roller World of Wrestling titles prior to entering high school. Two other high schoolers to watch are two-time Cadet folkstyle All-American Daniel Kimball (Don Bosco, Iowa) and Cadet freestyle All-American Destin Summers (Snake River, Idaho), a state champion this past high school season. Among the junior high wrestlers, the anchor figure is Jeremiah Reno (Missouri), who is ranked No. 7 per InterMat in this grade level after winning the 15U Roller World of Wrestling triple crown at 89 pounds. Others to note include a pair of Cadet folkstyle champions in Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa) and Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.). Also with strong reputations are Caden McCrary (Georgia), Dylan Ragusin (Illinois), Justin Bierdumpfel (New Jersey), and Wyatt Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.). 46 kilos: Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.) made the Cadet World team in freestyle last year down a weight class at 42 kilos, and was also a Cadet National double champion in Fargo at 94 pounds last summer. In 2014, Heinselman was a Cadet National freestyle champion at 88 pounds. During the 2015-16 scholastic season, he was a state champion, and finished the year ranked No. 16 nationally at 106 pounds. The most direct threat to Heinselman will come from a perennial rival, Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.), who was runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals to Heinselman last year. They met multiple times during the 2015-16 folkstyle season, with Heinselman winning most meetings, but Schwartz did pick up a victory in early December. This summer, he already was a Junior National folkstyle champion; while last off-season he was a Cadet Triple Crown winner at 88 pounds. Others of note include returning Cadet National freestyle All-Americans in Derek Ramos (Hillcrest, Idaho), Lucas Byrd (LaSalle, Ohio), and Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho). Also here is two-time state champion Brandon Kaylor (Bonney Lake, Wash.), two-time Cadet folkstyle runner-up Eric Faught (Clear Lake, Iowa), last year's UWW Cadet Greco-Roman champion at 42 kilos Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.), two-time Cadet folkstyle champion Steele Dias (Green Valley, Nev.), and notable junior high wrestler Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.). 50 kilos: Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) was the UWW Cadet World team representative down a weight class at 46 kilos, and won a Cadet National freestyle title at 100 pounds in Fargo last summer. He is also the No. 11 overall wrestler in the Class of 2019, and finished the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 5 at 106 pounds. His most direct rival is going to be a known commodity in Travis Ford-Melton (Marian Catholic, Ill.), an opponent D'Emilio has beaten narrowly on a number of occasions. Ford-Melton is ranked No. 12 overall in the 2019 class, finished 2015-16 as a state champion in his own right and No. 6 overall at 106 pounds; last off-season he was fourth at 46 kilos at the UWW Cadet Nationals, and runner-up to D'Emilio in Fargo. There are six other wrestlers in this weight division that ended the 2015-16 season nationally ranked at 106 pounds (in rank order): Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.), Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa), Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.), Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.), and Joseph Harrison (Omaha Burke, Neb.). All but Melendez were Cadet freestyle All-Americans last summer in Fargo, while Melendez was on the Cadet freestyle podium in 2014. Other Cadet National freestyle All-Americans in this weight class include Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio), Peter Ogunsanya (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Rayvon Foley (Ann Arbor Pioneer, Mich.), and Rhett Golowenski (Tuttle, Okla.); Golowenski was runner-up to D'Emilio last year at this tournament in the 46 kilogram weight class. Three additional wrestlers registered won notable scholastic state titles this season: Asa Garcia (Avon, Ind.), Ben Kamali (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and Bryce Andonian (St. Edward, Ohio). Also meriting attention is Super 32 placer Christian Nunez (St. John Bosco, Calif.); Cadet folkstyle champion Jesse Vasquez (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), the nation's No. 5 overall Junior High wrestler; and multi-time state placer Matthew Cardello (CVCA, Ohio). 54 kilos: A pair of returning UWW Cadet freestyle All-Americans from the 50 kilogram weight class are among the headline wrestlers in this field, Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) and Jaden Abas (Frontier, Calif.). Decatur is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2019, and was also a Cadet National freestyle champion last summer at 106 pounds; while Abas is No. 10 overall in the Class of 2019, and was a scholastic state runner-up at 120 pounds. However, the favorite here is fellow Class of 2019 wrestler Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.); Raimo was one match from a top six finish in this weight class at last year's tournament, and is ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2019 after earning double titles in Fargo at the Cadet 120 weight class and a scholastic state runner-up finish at 120 pounds. Among other contenders are a pair of elite junior high wrestlers, both incoming freshmen: No. 2 Joshua Saunders (Missouri) and No. 3 Sam Hillegas (Pennsylvania); Saunders was a Cadet folkstyle runner-up this spring at 126 pounds. Also grade-ranked in this weight class is Tommy Hoskins (Dayton Christian, Ohio), No. 45 overall in the Class of 2018 after winning a pair of scholastic state titles and finishing third in Cadet freestyle at 113 pounds last summer; along with Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.), ranked No. 20 in the Class of 2019 after a scholastic state title and a fifth place finish in Cadet freestyle at 113. Additional wrestlers to watch include state champion Cameron Valdiviez (Rockhurst, Mo.), state champion and Super 32 Challenge placer Colin Valdiviez (Rockhurst, Mo.), two-time state placer Chase Zollman (Poway, Calif.), a pair of state champions and Cadet double All-Americans in Atilano Escobar (Liberty, Ariz.) and Jack Skudlarczyk (Westlake, Texas), two-time state champions Jet Taylor (Sallisaw, Okla.) and Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.), along with 2015 state champions in Logan Treaster (Newton, Kansas) and Michael Millage (New Hampton, Iowa). 58 kilos: Though relatively unproven as a freestyle wrestler, no All-American finishes in Fargo or at the UWW Cadet Nationals, Joseph Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) is an extreme talent. The No. 5 overall ranked wrestler in the Class of 2018 is already a three-time state champion and won the Super 32 Challenge at 120 pounds this fall; he also upset Austin Gomez to win the Dvorak title in mid-December. Six other wrestlers in this weight class carry a grade-level ranking, led by Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who is the nation's top junior high wrestler; the incoming freshman was a Cadet folkstyle champion at 126 pounds. Ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2017 is Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), a three-time state finalist and 2016 state champion, who was a double All-American at the Cadet Nationals last summer. Joining Silva as ranked in the Class of 2018 are No. 16 Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa) and No. 44 Jack Davis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); Thomsen is a two-time undefeated scholastic state champion and Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer at 120 pounds, while Davis won a National Prep title this scholastic season, and was a Cadet double All-American last summer. Rounding out the group are those from the Class of 2019: No. 14 Chris Cannon (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 16 Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.). Another pair of legitimate contenders in this weight ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked in their weight class: Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.) and Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.). Murin is a three-time state placer, state champion in 2015, a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American (2014 runner-up), and the lone returning UWW Cadet freestyle All-American (6th at 54 kilos last year); while Hagan is also a three-time state placer, state champion in 2015, and a Cadet double All-American last summe (fourth in freestyle). Additional names to watch include two-time state placer Alec White (New Palestine, Ind.0, state champion Drew Marten (Tecumseh, Mich.), 2014 state champion Hunter Dusold (Locust Valley, N.Y.), two-time National Prep placer Malcolm Robinson (St. John's College, D.C.), state runner-up Nathan Lendt (Southeast Polk, Iowa), 2015 state champion Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.), and impact junior high wrestler Sonny Santiago (California), fifth in Cadet folkstyle at 132 pounds. 63 kilos: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) is the defending Cadet World champion at 58 kilos, and a strong favorite to make his second straight Cadet World team. He has done about everything under the sun in scholastic wrestling; the Cornell commit is the No. 2 overall prospect in the Class of 2017. Six other wrestlers in this weight class are ranked within their respective grade levels. From the junior high group it is incoming freshmen No. 11 Albert Ferrari (Allen, Texas) and No. 15 Ashton Habeil (Tampa Prep, Fla.); Habeil was a scholastic state runner-up this season. State placer Sam Dover (St. Edward, Ohio) is ranked No. 19 in the Class of 2019. Lastly it's a trio of wrestlers from the Class of 2018: No. 24 Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.), No. 36 Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and No. 38 Cole Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.). Lee was third in Cadet freestyle last summer at 132 pounds and a scholastic state champion in 2015-16; Lewan is a two-time scholastic state placer and was a Cadet double All-American last summer, third in freestyle; while Matthews was a scholastic state champion in 2015 before settling for third place this season. Another eight wrestlers were scholastic state champions this past season: Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.), Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Jaden van Maanen (LaCrosse Central, Wis.), Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.), Niko Chavez (Willard, Mo.), Roderick Mosley (Heritage Hall, Okla.), Sam Stuhl (Ellsworth, Wis.), and Taylor Brown (Warrensburg, Mo.). Hagan also placed fifth in Cadet freestyle, and was a double All-American in Fargo, while Brown was eighth in Cadet freestyle at 126 pounds. An additional quartet were scholastic state runners-up this past year: Cal Hansen (Deerfield, Wis.), Jacob Mariakis (Ridgeland, Ga.), Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), and Tyler Shilson (Centennial, Minn.); Hernandez also placed second and third the previous two summers in Cadet freestyle. Also to watch in this weight class is impact incoming freshman Alfonso Martinez (Arizona), who was third in Cadet folkstyle at 132 pounds. 69 kilos: Even without the registered participation of David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio), last year's runner-up in this competition at the weight class and ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2018, the field is still very strong. Arguably its anchor would be Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.), who is ranked no. 7 overall in the Class of 2018; the two-time state champion ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 7 nationally at 145 pounds. Three other wrestlers in this field ended the scholastic season ranked nationally at their respective weight class: Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.), and Julian Ramirez (Tampa Prep, Fla./Blair Academy, N.J.). Lee was ranked No. 20 nationally at 145 pounds after winning a scholastic state title; last year's Cadet freestyle champion at 138 pounds is also ranked no. 23 overall in the Class of 2018. Rider was ranked No. 9 nationally at 152 pounds, and the scholastic state champion is ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2018. Ramirez was ranked No. 10 nationally at 152 pounds, and the two-time scholastic state champion is ranked No. 5 overall in the Class of 2019. The other wrestler with a grade-level ranking in this weight class is National Prep champion Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.), who is No. 33 in the Class of 2018, after also finishing fourth in Cadet freestyle last summer (Greco-Roman champion). Additional Cadet freestyle All-Americans in this weight class include three-time state champion Eli King (Father Ryan, Tenn.), state champion Emile Shannon (CBC, Mo.), state champion Jaryn Curry (Choctaw, Okla.), state runner-up Michael O'Malley (Hasbrouck Hts., N.J.), and two-time state placer Trevell Timmons (Lockport, Ill.). Curry was a Cadet freestyle runner-up, while Cadet freestyle champion Timmons also placed third in this weight class last year at the UWW Cadet Nationals. Three additional wrestlers to watch in this weight class are state placer Edmund Ruth (Susquehanna Township, Pa.), 2015 state champion Jon Trowbridge (Basheor-Linwood, Kansas), and state champion Nelson Brands (Iowa City West, Iowa). 76 kilos: This is arguably one of the more open weight classes, where any of about five competitors could see themselves on the Cadet World team. The one with Cadet World experience would be Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), who competed in Greco-Roman at 69 kilos last summer; he was also a scholastic state champion this past season, and ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 8 at 152 pounds and as the No. 34 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017. The other Class of 2017 wrestler among primary contenders is two-time state champion Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa), who ended the 2015-16 scholastic year ranked No. 16 at 170 pounds and as the No. 41 overall wrestler in that class; he was a Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer. Among Class of 2018 wrestlers, there is No. 12 Jack Jessen (Willowbrook, Ill.), No. 14 Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.), and No. 31 Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.). Jessen is a two-time scholastic state placer, runner-up as a freshman, and a two-time Cadet double All-American at 170 pounds (third in 2014, runner-up in 2015); Wittlake is a two-time Cadet folkstyle champion, and was third in Cadet freestyle last year after winning the Greco-Roman tournament at 160 pounds; while Hidlay was a state runner-up this year after placing eighth last year in Cadet freestyle and seventh at the Super 32 Challenge in the fall. Additional returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans in this weight class include scholastic state medalist Ben Sarasin (Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Iowa), two-time state champion Clay Lautt (St. James Academy, Kansas), and Lucas McFarland (St. Johns, Mich.). Also of note in this field are three-time state placer Leo Tarantino (Tampa Prep, Fla.), two-time state placers Cameron Caffey (Carbondale, Ill.) and Kenny O'Neil (Prior Lake, Minn.), state medalist Josh Stillings (Pennridge, Pa.), and state champion Ritchie Heywood (Wasatch, Utah). 85 kilos: Though there is a lot of talent present, one can argue that Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) is arguably the most impressive wrestler in this whole tournament outside of Yianni Diakomihalis and Gable Steveson without having their sanity questioned. The nation's No. 11 overall Class of 2017 prospect ended the 2015-16 season ranked third overall at 182 pounds after winning a second straight scholastic state title; this past off-season he was a Cadet National double champion at 170 pounds, and has earned UWW Cadet freestyle All-American honors the previous two years at 76 kilos (5th in 2014, 3rd in 2015). The most talented contender would arguably be Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.), the National Prep champion, who ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 8 nationally at 182 pounds and No. 6 overall among Class of 2018 prospects. However, his freestyle experience and productivity is relatively limited, especially in comparison to others in this field. There are another pair of 2015 Cadet National freestyle champions to challenge Warner in Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.) and Jake Boyd (Smithville, Mo.). Raschka won a Fargo title at 182 pounds, before winning a scholastic state title up at 195; while Boyd took gold at 195 as part of a double All-American finish, before ending the scholastic season ranked No. 18 nationally at 195 pounds. Two other extreme talents are in this field: Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) and Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.). Davison has Junior and Cadet folkstyle national titles the last two years, placed fourth in this weight class at the UWW Cadet Nationals last year, and was third in Cadet freestyle at 182 last summer (double All-American); while two-time state champion Whitman is ranked No. 10 overall in the Class of 2018, and a returning Cadet freestyle runner-up (double All-American). Other returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans include Andrew Demos (Warren, Ill.); two-time state placer Anthony Sherry (Glenwood, Iowa), also a two-time double All-American; two-time state champion Colton Wolfe (Columbus, Neb.); two-time state placer Danny Salas (St. John Bosco, Calif.); and Ian Malesiewski (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), runner-up to Boyd. Also meriting attention are state champion Daniel Kerkvleit (Simley, Minn.), two-time state placer Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.), two-time state champion John Borst (Sherando, Va.), and Cadet folkstyle runner-up Lucas Davison (Chesterton, Ind.). 100 kilos: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) is the nation's top Class of 2018 prospect and the extreme favorite to get the chance to repeat as Cadet World champion. The primary challenger among those registered would be Noah Adams (Independence, W.Va.), a Cadet double fourth place finisher last summer and two-time state champion, who ended the scholastic season ranked No. 19 at 195 pounds. Other contenders include Brady Daniel (Good Counsel, Md.), a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American and third at National Preps this scholastic season; Cadet double All-American Colin Lawler (Kinkaid School, Texas); along with state placers Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.) and Sean O'Malley (Hasbrouck Hts., N.J.). 125 kilos: This weight class will not be contested at the World Championships in Tblisi, Georgia. None the less, the favorite is state placer Tony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.), who placed third at the Cadet Nationals in both styles last summer. Other contenders include Cadet folkstyle champion Ronald Tucker, Jr. (Lockport, Ill.), who is ranked No. 15 overall in the Class of 2019; returning Cadet freestyle All-American Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.); state placer Jon Spaulding (Lakota East, Ohio); state champion Kayne Hutchison (Pittsburg, Kansas), third in Cadet freestyle last year at 220 pounds; along with returning UWW Cadet double All-American Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.).

The wrestling federation of Iran has provided its lineup for the 2016 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., June 11-12. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. The Iranian team is experienced and talented, with a World or Olympic medalist in six of the eight international weight classes. The team includes 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Komeil Ghasemi at 125 kg/275 lbs. Ghasemi was second in the 2014 World Championships and the 2014 Asian champion 2013 World champion Hassan Rahimi is on the World Cup team at 57 kg/125 lbs. Rahimi is a four-time World medalist, with a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2011 and 2014 World Championships. He placed eighth in the 2012 Olympic Games. The team features a pair of two-time World medalists, Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi at 65 kg/145 lbs. Esmaeilpoorjouybari was second in the 2014 World Championships and third in the 2013 World Championships. Mohammadi was second in the 2014 World Championships and third in the 2015 World Championships. Other past World medalists competing for Iran in Los Angeles are 2015 World silver medalist Hassan Yazdani Charati at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Alireza Karimimachiani at 86 kg/189 lbs. Yazdani and Karimimachiani were also both 2014 Junior World champions. Iran placed second at the 2015 World Championships, which were held in Las Vegas, Nev., and has won the last two World Cup team titles. The eight nations which will compete for the World Cup are (alphabetically) Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Iran, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey and the United States. Nations were invited based upon final team standings at the 2015 World Championships. Iran has drawn into Group B, and will face the United States, Azerbaijan and India. The 2014 and 2015 Freestyle World Cup were also held in Los Angeles. The host United States was second at the 2015 World Cup and third at the 2014 World Cup. The USA team will feature all six 2016 Olympic team members in freestyle wrestling. Attendees can purchase tickets for the popular international competition through Ticketmaster. Iran Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Hassan Rahimi 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Reza Atrinagharchi 61 kg/134 lbs. - Behnam Ehsanpoor 61 kg/134 lbs. - Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari 65 kg/143 lbs. - Seyedahmad Mohammadipahnehkolaei 65 kg/143 lbs. - Meysam Nasiri 70 kg/154 lbs. - Mostafa Hosseinkhani 70 kg/154 lbs. - Saeid Dadashpoourkerikalaei 74 kg/163 lbs. - Hassan Yazdanicharati 74 kg/163 lbs. - Alireza Ghasemi 86 kg/189 lbs. - Alireza Karimimachiani 86 kg/189 lbs. - Meisam Mostafajoukar 86 kg/189 lbs. - Reza Bayat 97 kg/213 lbs. - Amir Mohammadi 97 kg/213 lbs. - Abbas Tahan 125 kg/275 lbs. - Komeil Ghasemi 125 kg/275 lbs. - Parviz Hadi Basmanj Team Leader - Ali Bayat Coach - Mohammad Talaei Coach - Hossein Karimi Coach - Amir Tavakolianhaghighi Coach - Alireza Loresstani Coach - Reza Layegh Referee - Naser Foroutan Official - Farnaz Panahizadeh Official - Abolfazl Ansari Official - Fardin Ghanbari Official - Ali Jamshidi Medical - Tooraj Malek Mohammadi Massage Therapist - Mohammad Kavari Iran World Cup bios 57 kg/125 lbs - Hassan Rahimi 2013 World champion… Second in 2015 World Championships… Third in 2011 & 2014 World Championship… Eighth in 2012 Olympic Games…Tenth in 2009 & 2010 World Championship… 2012 Asian champion…2012 World Military champion…2008 & 2009 Junior World champion… Second in 2008 Junior World Championships… Second in 2012 & 2013 World Cup…Third in 2009 Asian Championship…Fifth in 2007 Junior World Championship… Fifth in 2010 Asian Games… Fifth in 2012 World Cup…Seventh in 2010 Asian Championship…Ninth in 2009 World Cup… Tenth in 2011 World Cup…2012 Grand Prix of Spain champion…2009 & 2011 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Born June 15, 1989…Age 26 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Reza Atrinagharchi 2016 Medved Prizes champion (Belarus)… Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… Third in 2015 World Military Games… Second in 2015 Dan Kolov International (Bulgaria)…. Third in 2015 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Fifth in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Seventh in 2014 Junior World Championships… Second in 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Born: August 8, 1994… Age: 21 61 kg/134 lbs - Behnam Ehsanpoor 2012 Junior World champion… 2015 World Team member… 2015 Asian champion… 2015 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Second in 2016 Asian Championships… Second in 2013 World University Games…Second in 2011 Junior World Cup…Second in 2008 Cadet Asian Championship… Third in 2007 Cadet Asian Championship… Eighth in 2010 Junior World Championship…2012 Golden Grand Prix champion… Third in 2014 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)…Eighth in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born February 16, 1992… Age 24 61 kg/134 lbs. - Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari Second in 2014 World Championships… Third in 2013 World Championships… Seventh in 2012 Olympics... 2008 Junior World champion… 2014 and 2015 Asian champion… Second in 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… 2014 Asian Games champion… 2012 Grand Prix of Spain champion… 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament champion… Second in 2012 Asian Championships… 2010 Asian Championships champion… Third in 2010 Takhti Cup… Third in 2009 Asian Championships… 2008 Junior Asian Championships champion… Competed in 2006 Junior World Championships… 2005 Cadet Asian Championships champion… Fourth in 2004 Cadet Asian Championships… Born: August 6, 1988… Age: 27 65 kg/145 lbs - Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi Second in 2014 World Championships… Third in 2015 World Championships… 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… 2014 Asian champion… Third in 2014 Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)…Third in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Seventh in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born January 11, 1992…Age 24 65 kg/143 lbs. - Meysam Nasiri 2016 Asian champion… 2014 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Ninth in 2013 and 2015 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2012 Hari Ram Grand Prix (India)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion (Iran)… Third in 2012 Yasar Dogu International (Turkey)… 2010 Habibi and Movahed Cup champion (Iran)… Third in 2010 Takhti Cup… Born January 6, 1989… Age: 27 70 kg/154 lbs. - Mostafa Hosseinkhani 2016 Asian champion… 2014 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Third in 2015 Golden Grand Prix Finals (Azerbaijan)… Seventh in 2014 Asian Games… 2014 World Team member… 2012 Hari Ram Grand Prix champion (India)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion (Iran)… Eighth in 2011 Olympic Test Event (England)… Ninth in 2010 and 2011 Asian Championships… Second in 2011 World Cup… 2008 and 2009 Asian Junior champion… 2006 Asian Cadet champion… Born: March 27, 1989… Age: 27 70 kg/154 lbs. - Saeid Dadashpoourkerikalaei Second in 2016 Ukraine Memorial International… Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Eighth in 2015 Asian Championships… Second in 2015 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Third in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2013 World Military champion… 2009 Takhti Cup champion… Third in 2007 Junior World Championships… 2007 Asian Junior champion… Born June 1, 1987… Age: 28 74 kg/163 lbs - Hassan Yazdani Charati Second in 2015 World Championships… 2014 Junior World champion… Second in 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Second in 2016 Medved Prizes (Belarus)… 2015 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Fifth in 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)…2014 Junior Asian champion… Second in 2011 Cadet World Championships…Third in 2011 Cadet Asian Championships…Born December 28, 1994…Age 21 74 kg/163 lbs. - Alireza Ghasemi Fifth in 2015 World Championships… Fifth in 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… 2015 Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)… Second in 2012 Golden Grand Prix (Iran)… 2001 Asian Junior champion… Born: September 24, 1989… Age 26 86 kg/189 lbs - Alireza Karimimachiani Third in 2015 World Championships… 2014 Junior World champion… 2015 and 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… 2015 Stepan Sargsyan champion (Armenia)… Second in 2015 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2013 Junior Asian champion… Second in 2011 Cadet World Championships…2010 & 2011 Cadet Asian champion… 2013 Dimitri Korkin Tournament champion (Russia)…Third in 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third in 2013 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born March 21, 1994…Age 22 86 kg/189 lbs - Meisam Mostafa Joukar 2014 Asian champion… Third in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Second in 2007 & 2008 Asian Championship… 2014 Asian Games champion…2012 World University champion…2013, 2014 & 2015 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Third in 2012 Golden Grand Prix…Third in 2012 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)…Third in 2009 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Fifth in 2011 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Seventh in 2010 Imamali Habibi & Abdollah Movahed Cup (Iran)…Born January 29, 1985…Age 31 86 kg/189 lbs. - Reza Bayat Third in 2016 Ukranian Memorial International… Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2012 Golden Grand Prix (Iran)… Third in 2012 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Born: September 21, 1987… Age: 28 97 kg/213 lbs. - Amir Mohammadi Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2014 Dmitry Korkin International champion (Russia)… 10th in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Second in 2011 Asian Junior Championships… Born November 14, 1991… Age: 21 97 kg/213 lbs. - Abbas Tahan Fifth in 2015 World Championships… Third in 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Second in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2013 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2012 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… Third in 2012 University World Championships… Third in 2012 Hari Ram Grand Prix (India)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion… 2011 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Fifth in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Born February 1, 1989… Age: 27 125 kg/275 lbs - Komeil Ghasemi 2012 Olympic bronze medalist…Second in 2014 World Championships… Second in 2011 and 2015 Asian Championship…2014 Asian champion…Tenth in 2013 World Championship… 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… Third in 2016 Medved Prizes (Belarus)… 2007 Junior Asian champion…Third in 2008 Junior World Championship…2008 Junior Asian champion…Third in 2007 Junior World Championship…2013 Rumble on the Rails champion… 2012 Grand Prix of Spain champion…Second in 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Second in 2012 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals…Second in 2009 & 2011 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Third in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Ninth in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born February 27, 1988… Age 28 125 kg/275 lbs - Parviz Hadi Ninth in 2015 World Championships… 2012 & 2013 Asian champion…2014 Asian Games champion… 2014, 2015 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Second in 2012 World University Championship… Third in 2013 World University Games… Third in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Ninth in 2013 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals…Born November 16, 1987… Age 28 FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE Saturday, June 11 Session I - Round 1 & 2 of Pools (3 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) Sunday, June 12 Session II - Round 3 of Pools, 5th & 7th Place Matches (11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) Session III - 3rd Place Match, followed by 1st Place Match (5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) General admission for both the Saturday and Sunday sessions are just $60 total or $35 for individual days. Preferred seating options are available for $85 for both Saturday and Sunday, or $55 individually.

The agent of J Robinson sent InterMat a press release, disputing allegations that the Gophers head wrestling coach tried covering up a prescription drug issue within the team. Below is the press release from James C.W. Bock. Last Tuesday, May 24th, KMSP aired during their late evening news a report concerning University of Minnesota wrestlers' alleged drug use and alleged drug sales. On Thursday, May 26th, a number of newspaper stories picked up the television report advancing more specific allegations against Coach Robinson. J Robinson talks to Skyler Petry during a dual meet in Minneapolis (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The media coverage to date appears to be a self-circulating story based on one, anonymous source; blather from anonymous sources and a media environment that disperses what it wants to be true rather than what actually is true is troubling. In late February / early March, Coach Robinson became suspicious members of the University of Minnesota wrestling team were using drugs. Pursuant to University of Minnesota Department of Intercollegiate Athletics policy Coach Robinson notified his direct supervisor within the Athletic Department of his concerns. Coach Robinson specifically notified the interim Athletic Department Director as well, and of his desire to have specific wrestlers tested. Coach Robinson was instructed he needed to complete a 'testing form' (i.e., The University of Minnesota Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Alcohol and Drug Testing Reasonable Suspicion Reporting Form) before requesting the testing of student athletes. The 'reasonable suspicion' form was completed, and testing of student athletes took place on or about Monday, March 21st. It was on March 25th the interim Athletic Director sent Coach Robinson the 2016 University of Minnesota Drug and Alcohol Policy in twenty pages via email. The 'Drug and Alcohol Policy' states: "Any student-athlete who identifies him/herself as having a substance abuse problem may self-refer to the Department of Athletic Medicine to be entered into a Safe Harbor program pending approval of the Review Board." Coach Robinson specifically informed the University through multiple channels of his knowledge of the situation. The University did not test the student athletes for Xanax. Coach Robinson informed University staff of his specific concerns. As a result there are electronic communications between University employees within the University's control on these issues. The University has now been placed on written notice the communications and electronically stored data in its control may not be damaged, altered and/or destroyed and must be available for future dissemination. As of this date no specific person or identifiable employee of the University has made a statement of fact that can be corroborated. The University has been asked to test athletes, has tested athletes and has not disclosed this fact or seemingly instructed its employee on how to deal with the consequences of its testing results and/or the serious allegations being advanced in the media by an anonymous wrestler. Coach Robinson has earned respect over the past thirty years as one of the most honorable, loyal and successful coaches in University history. Coach Robinson's accomplishments and loyalty to the University, to his teams, to the hundreds of student athletes he has coached, and to his fans, and detractors, would seem to be lost at this time. Fairness and appropriate disclosures by the University are at issue, and balanced coverage by the media of all facts is required.

Sara McMann, first U.S. woman to earn a silver medal in Olympic wrestling, earned a unanimous decision over Jessica Eye in their 135-pound preliminary-card bout at UFC Fight Night "Almeida vs. Garbrandt" event at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Sunday night. Sara McMann (Photo/UFC)McMann, who medaled at the 2004 Athens Olympics -- the first Games to feature women's freestyle competition -- swept all three judges' scorecards by identical 30-27 scores. "Former title challenger Sara McMann completely neutralized Jessica Eye with wrestling and positional control, taking a unanimous verdict over her former training partner," is how Tristen Critchfield opened his write-up on the match for mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com. Hinting at the former training partner aspect, MMAJunkie.com wrote, "Onetime title challenger Sara McMann and Jessica Eye fought like opponents all too aware of their fight's stakes, approaching each other cautiously for much of the 15 minutes they shared the Octagon." "Perhaps wary of her opponent's wrestling, Eye struggled to pull the trigger throughout the contest, often waiting for countering opportunities that never arrived," Sherdog.com reported. "Meanwhile, McMann got stronger as the bout progressed. After grinding her opponent against the fence in a tepid opening stanza, McMann landed takedowns in both the second and third rounds. From there, Eye was helpless as her foe won virtually every transition and positional battle while attacking with periodic ground-and-pound." McMann, halting a two-fight losing streak, now improves to a 9-3 overall record in MMA, and 3-3 in UFC competition. Eye, who has lost three straight in the Octagon, falls to 11-5 overall, and 1-4 in UFC. After the win, McMann "humbly asserted herself" (in the words of MMAJunkie.com) for the opportunity to take on the winner of the upcoming title match at UFC 200 between champion Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes -- both familiar foes to McMann, who lost to both. "I definitely was comfortable standing with (Eye), but I am an Olympic wrestler so I used that to neutralize her counter-punching ability," McMann said. "I was a little more comfortable going in to this fight because of my time training with her in the past, but at the same time I was nervous because she wasn't going to be surprised by anything. I'd love to rematch Miesha as the champion, but if Amanda wins I'd love to rematch her, as well. I just hate my losses and I want to get those back." McMann, 35, first entered MMA competition as with two amateur bouts in 2010, having her first professional fight in June 2011. She signed with Ultimate Fighting Championships event in February 2013. McMann started wrestling at age 14 at McDowell High School in Marion, North Carolina. She first wrestled at University of Minnesota-Morris for the 1998-1999 season, then joined the men's wrestling team at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania from 1999-2003. McMann made a name for herself in international competition. In addition to receive a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics at 63 kilograms/138.75 pounds, she also won silver medal in the 2003 World championships and a bronze medal in the 2005 and 2007 World championships.

Want to shake hands with Shute? Frank Jasper, who played the muscular, menacing undefeated state champ Brian Shute in the iconic wrestling movie "Vision Quest," has joined the list of U.S. wrestlers, celebrities and heroes who will be featured next month at the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala presented by the United States Marine Corps. The gala, which takes place Thursday, June 9 at L.A. Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles, coincides with World Cup of Wrestling Week, culminating with the United World Wrestling's men's freestyle World Cup competition to be held at The Forum in Los Angeles June 11-12. Frank Jasper"Join us for an inspirational evening with the toughest people on the planet -- our heroes from the military, MMA champions, stars from movies and entertainment, our Olympic and wrestling greats, and some very special guests," according to the website announcing the event, which is presented by the U.S. Wrestling Foundation and USA Wrestling. The subject of a one-on-one interview with InterMat last month, Frank Jasper wrestled in high school (starting as a 112-pounder on the JV team as a freshman), then at Eastern Washington University. The pre-med student learned that a movie being filmed nearby was seeking a six-foot tall wrestler to join the cast. After a round of auditions -- and a wrestle-off with another grappler who had become an actor -- Jasper won the part as the rival to Matthew Modine's character Louden Swain. In addition to Frank Jasper, other featured guests at the Olympic Wrestling Gala include Olympic gold medalists Kurt Angle, Rulon Gardner and Steve Fraser; NCAA champ Anthony Robles; and MMA stars Daniel Cormier, Randy Couture and Joe Warren; and many stars from the world of combat sports, film, and more. The 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala begins with a "Meet the Stars" opportunity from 5-6 p.m., followed by a VIP reception from 6-7 p.m. The General Reception runs from 7-9 p.m. Individual tickets are available for $600 each; a table for ten is $5,000. Additional unique options for sponsorship are available; for details, contact Mark Malick at (412) 378-4509 or email him at Mark@USWrestlingFoundation.com. For more information on the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala, visit the official website, call Jack Clark at (703) 297-6351; or email him at Jack@USWrestlingFoundation.com. Donations made be made online at http://USWrestlingFoundation.com . The U.S. Wrestling Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Tax ID # 37-1698099 that supports the missions of USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, to grow wrestling at all levels and develop opportunities for new participants. Check out another special event during World Cup of Wrestling Week: The Wrestler's Esthetic art show, featuring original artwork related to the sport of wrestling and its competitors.

Memorial Day. Sadly, too many of us have lost sight of the real reason for the holiday. It may be considered to be the kickoff for summer, time to fire up the grill, dive into the swimming pool, and make that first visit to the local amusement park. Memorial Day is the one day of the year when we honor those who gave their lives for our nation, to ensure that the rest of us can experience and enjoy freedom. On this day, InterMat thought it would be appropriate to honor just some of the wrestlers who stepped off the mat to fight for our country ... and paid the ultimate price. Dale Hanson: Despite being nicknamed "PeeWee" because he was at first too small to wrestle, Hanson became a two-time Iowa high school state champ for Cresco High School, one of the all-time great prep powerhouses of wrestling in the nation. Hanson then headed north to the University of Minnesota, where he was never defeated in 43 dual-meet matches. Hanson earned back-to-back Big Ten titles (1939, 1940) and was a two-time NCAA finalist, winning the 128-pound crown -- and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 1939 NCAAs. An Air Force First Lieutenant, Hanson was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and participated in the Battle of Midway in June of 1942. He lost his life in October 1942 as a co-pilot of a B-17 that was shot down in a battle over Rabaul, New Britian in the South Pacific. He was 24 years old. Max Silverstein: A Chicago native, Max Silverstein wrestled at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, where he compiled a 20-1 record with 13 falls. He was runner-up at 158 pounds at the 1932 NCAAs. Silverstein was promoted through his Navy career, being named Lieutenant in March 1940. On May 7, 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea, Silverstein's ship, the USS Sims, came under aerial attack. Though knocked unconscious by the first bomb, Silverstein recovered and directed efforts to try to prevent the ship from sinking. He was lost with the ship. Silverstein was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for "his relentless determination and inspiring heroism." Tommy Noonan: One of his friends called Tommy Noonan, " ...the best wrestler Hunter College ever had." Noonan graduated from the New York City-based college in 1966 with a degree in physical education. In 1967 he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve and was subsequently deployed to Vietnam. Marine Lance Corporal Thomas Noonan Jr. was killed in action against the enemy on February 5, 1969. For his valor in that action, Noonan was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a fire team leader with Company G, in operations against the enemy ..." The citation went on to state, "L/Cpl. Noonan moved from his position of relative security and, maneuvering down the treacherous slope to a location near the injured men, took cover behind some rocks. Shouting words of encouragement to the wounded men to restore their confidence, he dashed across the hazardous terrain and commenced dragging the most seriously wounded man away from the fire-swept area. Although wounded and knocked to the ground by an enemy round, L/Cpl. Noonan recovered rapidly and resumed dragging the man toward the marginal security of a rock. He was, however, mortally wounded before he could reach his destination." Bob Arvin: Winner of a Michigan high school state title in 1961, Bob Arvin went on to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he continued his wrestling career. Arvin served in Vietnam, where he was wounded in battle in September 1967, earning two Silver Star medals for his actions. One month later, First Lieutenant Arvin's unit was pinned down in an exposed position while completing a sweep of an enemy base. He was killed on October 4 while enabling his battalion to defeat an enemy force three times its size. Arvin was promoted to Captain posthumously. In 1989, the gym at West Point was renamed in his honor. Ray MendozaRay Mendoza: Born in New Jersey in 1968, Ray J. Mendoza wrestled at the storied Blair Academy in his home state before eventually heading west to Ohio State. As a Buckeye, Mendoza was a two-time NCAA qualifier and twice placed at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, as runner-up in the heavyweight bracket in 1993 after placing fourth the previous year. Mendoza entered the Marine Corps in February 1995 and after successfully completing Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Va., he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in Aug. 1995. He then reported to The Basic School and was assigned as an infantry officer ... while continuing his wrestling career (becoming an Olympic Alternate for the 1996 Atlanta Games). Steadily moving up through the ranks to Major in October 2005 while serving in Iraq. On November 14, 2005, Mendoza died of wounds sustained during Operation Steel Curtain in New Ubaydi, Iraq. Just last year, Ohio State honored Mendoza with the establishment of the Ray Mendoza Leadership Scholarship for the John Glenn School of Business. Doug Zembiec: A native of New Mexico, Doug Zembiec was the first state champion wrestler at La Cueva High School. He went on to the Naval Academy, where he was a three-time NCAA qualifier, earning All-American honors by placing eighth in the 177-pound bracket at the 1995 NCAAs. Zembiec was commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the Marines immediately after graduating from Annapolis. As a platoon commander, Zembiec's reconnaissance platoon was among the first conventional forces to enter Kosovo during Operation Joint Guardian in June 1999. In April 2004, as a rifle company commander, Zembiec led the first ground assault on Fallujah, Iraq where his heroism earned him the nickname "The Lion of Fallujah" (having been seriously wounded by shrapnel during that battle). On May 11, 2007, Major Doug Zembiec died while commanding a raid on insurgent forces in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. It was his fourth tour in the Middle East. This list is by no means complete. You may know other former mat stars who gave their all to protect the rest of us. This is the day to remember and honor them all. Special thanks to uber-wrestling supporter Jim Brown and his "View from Section GG" blog as well as the "Glory Beyond the Sport: Wrestling and the Military" book by wrestling writer Roger Moore, published in 2009 by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Jordan Burroughs, 2012 Olympic gold medalist in men's freestyle, is the only amateur wrestler to earn a spot on Sports Illustrated's online list of the "Fittest 50" male athletes. No women in amateur wrestling made the corresponding "Fittest 50" female athletes list. Burroughs was ranked No. 8 on the list posted at the sports magazine's website. Jordan Burroughs celebrates after defeating Andrew Howe in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Here's what Sports Illustrated said about Burroughs: "The reigning Olympic 74 kilogram freestyle wrestling champion (and three-time world champ) started wrestling at age five and, at 27, shows no sign of slowing down. Sure, when asked last month where he would go to celebrate making his second Olympic team, Burroughs replied, "To a 24-hour doughnut place." But don't let that fool you; he's a workout monster whose combination of strength, speed and endurance make him a favorite for Rio." In addition to Burroughs, there were a handful of male athletes on the "Fittest 50" list who participate in combat sports, including UFC interim light-heavyweight champ -- and former junior college wrestling champ -- Jon Jones (4th fittest male athlete); boxer Gennady Golovkan from Kazakhstan (No. 12); UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson (No. 17); and UFC's Conor McGregor (No. 39). In addition, WWE star Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) placed No. 24 on the list. No. 1 on the men's "Fittest 50" list was track and field star and decathlete Ashton Eaton. While there were no women wrestlers on SI's "Fittest 50" list of female athletes, again, a number of honorees participate in combat sports, including UFC stars Holly Holm (ranked No. 9); Ronda Rousey (No. 19); Michelle Waterson (No. 26); and Miesha Tate (No. 30). Other women in combat sports on the list included boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields (No. 7); 2012 Olympic gold medalist in judo, Kayla Harrison (No. 31); and Kacy Catazaro, former college gymnast and participant in American Ninja Warrior (No. 46). WWE star Charlotte (Ashley Fliehr) placed 24th on the list. The top-rated female athlete was Jessica Ennis-Hill, track star and heptathlon participant. In explaining its "Fittest 50" lists, Sports Illustrated stated, "With the help of a panel of trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, performance experts, pro athlete coaches and more, SI's editors set out to answer the question: Who are the fittest athletes in all of sports? Athletes were assessed based on characteristics that define fitness and conditioning: strength, speed, endurance, agility, flexibility and skill in his or her respective sport." The website listed six consultants who had compiled the list. "Athletes were assessed on six criteria, including strength: the pushing power of a lineman or the force of an ultimate fighter; speed: the top end of a sprinter or the burst of a running back; endurance: a runner's bottomless reserve or a boxer's ability to keep going in a bout; and agility: the balance of a downhill skier or a euro step at full speed on the break," according to Sports Illustrated. Many in the wrestling community have expressed frustration with the lack of coverage that Sports Illustrated has provided to the sport, especially in recent years. In the more than 60-year history of the national sports magazine, only one amateur wrestler has appeared on its cover as an amateur wrestler: Dan Hodge, in the April 1, 1957 issue. (In 2002, when the magazine failed to put Cael Sanderson on its cover after completing his college mat career with a perfect 159-0 record and four titles, Sports Illustrated magazine threw upset wrestling fans a bone by including a photo of an "All Hail Cael!" cover mock-up in a later issue.)

Chris Honeycutt, past NCAA All-American wrestler at Edinboro University, has been added to the main card portion of Bellator 156, Bellator MMA announced Thursday. Honeycutt, who is moving up to 185-pound competition, will be facing Mikkel Parlo in what Bellator describes as a "middleweight feature event" at its Bellator 156 event, to be held at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California June 17. Honeycutt is coming off of an impressive unanimous decision victory over Matt Secor at Bellator 153 in April, his third win since joining Bellator MMA. The former Fighting Scot wrestler is now 7-1 overall in MMA. Parlo, his Bellator 156 opponent, will be having his first bout in the Bellator organization in nearly two years, coming off a two-fight winning streak and a stretch of four victories in his last five bouts. Parlo is now 13-2 overall. The Honeycutt-Parlo fight is one of three added to Bellator 156 this week. The other two bouts are preliminary bouts: Ben Reiter (16-1) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-4) at middleweight, and Ricky Rainey (11-4) taking on Thiago Jambo (18-4) at welterweight. These new fights will be on a card featuring a Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title match between champ Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) and Eduardo Dantas (17-4), along with welterweights Chidi Njokuani (14-4) and Douglas Lima (26-6) in a co-main event, and Brandon Halsey (9-1) vs. John Salter (11-3) at middleweight. Honeycutt-Parlo and other main card bouts at "Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2" will be featured on Spike TV at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator mobile app starting at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. Prior to launching his MMA career, Honeycutt had an impressive collegiate wrestling career at Pennsylvania's Edinboro University, where he was a two-time EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) champ in 2009 and 2011, and earned back-to-back NCAA Division I All-American honors, placing fifth at 184 pounds in 2011, and runner-up at 197 in 2012. The night before his match for the 197-pound title at the 2012 NCAAs, Honeycutt announced his intention of competing in MMA. The Cleveland area native launched his professional career in January 2013.

The art of wrestling takes center stage as three artists present their works as part of their exhibit, The Wrestler's Esthetic, featuring photography and paintings from the wrestling world, during the World Cup of Wrestling Week in Los Angeles in June. The exhibit, featuring images from artists Justin Hoch, Jonny Ruggiano and Joey Krebs, will debut on Wednesday, June 8 from 6-9 p.m. at Angel City Brewery & Public House, 216 South Alameda Street, in the art district of Los Angeles. The Wrestler's Esthetic exhibit, open to the public, coincides with the United World Wrestling's men's freestyle World Cup competition to be held at The Forum in Los Angeles June 11-12. Justin Hoch has photographed some of the most famous members of the amateur wrestling world, including John Smith, Dan Gable and Jordan Burroughs, to name just three Olympic gold-medalists. Hoch's collection of portraits for The Wrestler's Esthetic is tilted The Fire Inside. The New York-based photographer has worked with Beat the Streets New York and shot many of the most important wrestling events including the 2015 World Championships, the 2016 Olympic Trials and the BTSNY Gala. Jonny Ruggiano, who is also the Director of Operations for this year's World Cup of Wrestling as well as the Director of Media and Design for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club will feature the collection, Wrestling Never Sleeps. This show is a collection of works of photography, paintings and design. Through this collection, Ruggiano has captured some behind-the-scenes images of Team USA at the 2015 World Championships. The artist also gives an in-depth look into the development of the creative design of this year's World Cup of Wrestling campaign. Additionally Ruggiano will exhibit several of his larger abstract paintings in this collection. Artist Joey Krebs, also known as the Phantom Street Artist, will feature his works through his collection titled The Contestation of Forms. The Phantom's work features paintings that are silhouette-based impressions. Krebs' work is both often performance-based as well as featured artworks at galleries and shows. The Phantom is best known for his street art, including work for such artists as Rage Against the Machine as well as work for Takedown Radio. For details on the exhibition, click here. To learn more about another event leading up to the 2016 World Cup -- the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala to honor wrestlers in Los Angeles Thursday, June 9 -- click here.