InterMat Staff

The U.S. will be sending its smallest number of wrestlers to the Olympics in over six decades, having failed to qualify wrestlers in a total of five classes for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August, NBC reported Saturday. U.S. Olympic Team Trials champions pose for a photo (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)According to NBC -- the official broadcast network for the 2016 Rio Games -- the U.S. had qualified 13 of 18 classes across men's and women's freestyle and Greco-Roman competition as of Saturday. The one hope for an additional weight class -- 65 kilograms/143 pounds freestyle -- fell by the wayside as Frank Molinaro lost in the quarterfinals at the final Olympic qualifying tournament held in Istanbul, Turkey Sunday, eventually placing third and earning a bronze medal. (Had the former Penn State mat champ made it to the finals, he would have qualified his weight for this summer's Olympics.) The U.S. has not sent fewer than 16 wrestlers to the Olympics since 1952, when it didn't send a Greco-Roman team to the Helsinki Games. In the past 64 years, the U.S. had never failed to qualify more than two classes at one Olympics. In its article, NBC did not point out some aspects which provide some additional historical perspective. From the 1948 London Olympics through the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, the Games had 16 weight classes, evenly divided with eight weights each in men's freestyle and men's Greco-Roman. In 1972, opportunities for wrestlers opened up, as there were ten weight classes each for free and Greco, for a total of 20 weight classes, all for men. This age of greater opportunity ended with the 2000 Sydney Games, which reverted back to the eight-and-eight structure prior to the '72 Munich Olympics. In 2004, the Athens Olympics welcomed women's freestyle wrestling for the first time… and a new weight class structure: seven weights for men's freestyle, six for Greco, and four for women's freestyle. This structure endured through the 2012 London Games. In February 2013, the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee eliminated all wrestling from the Olympics, effective in 2020. This decision was reversed by the entire IOC in August 2013. United World Wrestling -- the Olympic governing body for wrestling -- then implemented a new weight class structure consisting of 18 weight classes, six each in men's and women's freestyle, and men's Greco-Roman, for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Frank Molinaro fell short in his bid for a spot in the Olympic Games on Sunday. Frank Molinaro (Photo/Mark Lundy)Competing in the 2nd World Olympic Games Qualifier at 65 kilos, Molinaro reached the quarterfinals before losing 5-2 to former Cal Poly wrestler Boris Novachkov, who wrestles for Bulgaria. He came back to win two more matches and claim a bronze medal. Only the top two wrestlers in each weight class qualify for the Olympic Games. It was the final Olympic qualifying event. The 27-year-old Molinaro opened with a 3-2 victory over 2013 World champion David Safaryan of Armenia. In his second match he came from behind to defeat 2015 Junior World silver medalist Yuhi Fujinami of Japan 7-6. After losing to Novachkov, Molinaro defeated Dauren Zhumagazyyev of Kazakhstan 4-1 to advance to the bronze-medal match. He then topped Azamat Nurykau of Belarus 5-2 to secure the bronze medal. Molinaro is the lone U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion in men's freestyle to fail to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On Saturday, U.S. women's freestyle wrestlers Kelsey Campbell (58 kilos) and Tamyra Mensah (69 kilos) fell short of qualifying for the Olympic Games. U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler Jesse Thielke (59 kilos) earned his spot in the Olympic Games on Friday by earning a silver medal, while RaVaughn Perkins (66 kilos) and Joe Rau (98 kilos) failed to qualify. The U.S. qualified 13 of the 18 weight classes for the Olympic Games.

Steve Powell, long-time wrestling coach at Easton High School in Pennsylvania, announced his retirement at the program's annual awards banquet Friday night. Steve PowellAs a coach at Easton for 40 years -- 32 of those as head coach of one of the legacy programs in the Lehigh Valley -- Powell had coached 19 state champs, which tied him for No. 3 all-time in Pennsylvania. Powell guided the Rovers to 534 dual-meet wins, making him the winningest coach in District 11 history. His teams won 13 league championships and nine District 11 tournament titles... and, at the state level, since Powell took the helm in 1985, the Easton program won four PIAA state team championships and four state dual-meet titles. In revealing his plans to step down in an email, coach Powell wrote, "Bottom line, I am old…40 years of coaching at Easton, 32 as head coach, have been awesome. The Journey Truly is the Reward." Powell, a 1972 graduate of West Chester Henderson, arrived at Easton upon graduating from West Chester University in 1976, building a successful, enduring career in one place. "I got the job teaching and I never went on another interview," Powell said. "The community support for wrestling in Easton has always been huge. One thing that makes the Easton fans so special is their passion and knowledge of the sport. A huge 'thank you' to the parents and the fans and especially the wrestlers. The support I have received from the community here exceeded all my expectations." When asked about his four decades of coaching at one high school, Powell replied, "(I have) no regrets. I couldn't have had better people to work with. The other high school coaches were awesome to work with. And this community -- when kids are born at Easton Hospital and it's a boy, he's a wrestler. It's expected, with all the community support there is for wrestling. The people here have been amazing." Powell was widely hailed for focusing his instruction on technique. "My job as a coach is, ideally, to have my wrestlers coach themselves," Powell said. "You give them ideas, they know the routine and they believe in it." As Brad Wilson wrote in his tribute to coach Powell for LehighValleyLive.com, "Powell makes his wrestlers students of the sport, not automatons just carrying out rote moves. This may help explain why Easton always seems to be improving: season to season, month to month, week to week. Some teams' wrestlers hit a plateau of achievement and stay there; Powell's keeping marching up the ladder of success."

Three-time state champion Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) committed to Iowa State on Saturday afternoon. The nation's No. 76 ranked Class of 2016 prospect was on the open market after Grand Canyon dropped its wrestling program about two months ago. Vega was victorious in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic in late March and won his second consecutive Junior National folkstyle title the next week. This past summer Vega placed sixth in both styles at the Junior Nationals in Fargo after winning titles in both styles during the 2014 summer. He projects to compete at 125 pounds in college, and joins No. 14 Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.), No. 43 Gannon Gremmel (Dubuque Hempstead, Iowa), No. 45 Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.), and No. 72 Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.) as part of the Cyclones 2016 recruiting haul.

A GoFundMe.com webpage has been established for Jon Llewellyn, 1991 NCAA heavyweight champ for the University of Illinois, and his family, as the former Illini wrestler battles with early-onset dementia. Jon Llewellyn with wife KaraAs of Friday afternoon -- less than 24 hours after the GoFundMe.com page was set up -- approximately $12,000 of the $24,000 goal had been raised for the Llewellyn family. Llewellyn, 47, has been diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Lobe Dementia, which is characterized by rapid progressive brain atrophy. According to the Llewellyn GoFundMe.com page, "FTD causes dramatic changes in personality, continual decline in behavior and/or language; becoming socially inappropriate, impulsive, and emotionally indifferent (with memory usually relatively preserved). As the disease progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult for people to plan or organize activities, interact with others, and care for oneself. There is no known cure for FTD and doctors can only focus on easing the symptoms. The disease inevitably gets worse and eventually patients require 24-hour care. Caregivers need assistance from family members, friends, community, and support groups." Originally from Illinois, Jon Llewellyn has a family now living in suburban Toledo: wife Kara, and four children -- Killian (24), pursuing a medical degree; Kaitlin (22), enrolled in a Physician's Assistant program; Kadin (19), currently enrolled at Ohio State, and Kimber (17), a Perrysburg High School senior who will be attending Ohio State this fall. The GoFundMe.com page, created Thursday, describes the situation now faced by Jon Llewellyn and his family. "After supporting his family for years, Jon has lost his job and is now unable to work," according to the fundraising website. "He has also had to surrender his driver's license and is increasingly reliant on Kara and others for support. Although Kara has always worked, while raising their children, her employment has been part-time. Jon has applied for social security disability benefits but because he is so young, he's not likely to receive approval anytime soon. Jon is unable to work and his condition is worsening. Kara is seeking full-time employment. The entire family is in desperate need of your prayers and any assistance you can provide." Jon Llewellyn was a one-time Illinois state championships qualifier at Hinsdale Central High School outside Chicago. He then headed south to Champaign-Urbana, where he wrestled for the University of Illinois while earning a Master's degree in Civil/Structural Engineering. He became the program's first three-time NCAA All-American, placing third at 275 pounds in 1989 (losing to eventual champ Carlton Haselrig of Pitt-Johnstown in the semifinals) and 1990 (falling to David Jones of CSU-Fullerton in the quarterfinals). In 1991, Llewellyn won the heavyweight title by defeating defending champ (and future Olympic gold medalist and pro wrestler) Kurt Angle of Clarion, 6-3, in the finals. That made Llewellyn the first Fighting Illini NCAA champ since Robert Norman who won heavyweight titles in 1957 and 1958. Llewellyn's other on-the-mat accomplishments at Illinois included winning three straight Big Ten heavyweight titles (1989-91), and beating Kurt Angle at the 1990 All-Star Classic. He also placed third at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in 1992 and 1996.

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Jesse Thielke is headed to Rio. Jesse Thielke (Mark Lundy, LutteLens.com)On Friday, the 23-year-old Wisconsin native claimed a silver medal at the 2nd World Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament to secure his spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman Team at 59 kilos. He becomes the fourth and final U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to qualify for the Rio Games, joining Andy Bisek (75 kilos), Ben Provisor (85 kilos) and Robby Smith (130 kilos). Thielke's tournament started with a technical fall shutout victory, 8-0, over Olympic medalist Peter Modos. He followed that up with a 13-6 win over another Olympic medalist, Revaz Lashkhi of Georgia, 13-6. In the quarterfinals Thielke faced Frunze Harutyunyan of Sweden. Thielke used a throw to go up 2-0, but Harutyunyan responded with two points of his own to make the score 2-2 at the break. Harutyunyan then took a 4-2 lead in the second period before Thielke reversed the action and put the Swede on his back and secured the fall. In the semifinals -- and the match to qualify for the Olympic Games -- Thielke faced 2012 World University champion Donior Islamov of Moldova. The first period saw 17 points put on the scoreboard, which included two four-point throws from Islamov, but Thielke led 9-8 at the break. In the second period Thielke used a body lock to go up 13-8, and then put the match away with a takedown and turn to earn the 17-8 technical fall. With his Olympic spot already secured, Thielke faced six-time World champion and Olympic champion Hamid Soryan of Iran in the gold-medal match. Soryan proved to be too much for Thielke on Friday, earning an 8-0 technical fall. Two other American Greco-Roman wrestlers, RaVaughn Perkins (66 kilos) and Joe Rau (98), competed on Friday but fell short of qualifying for the Olympic Games. Perkins opened with an 11-2 technical fall victory over Pan Zheng of China. Zheng led 2-0 after the opening period, but Perkins came back strong in the second period, scoring with multiple gut wrenches in a row to earn the technical fall. In his second match Perkins came from behind to defeat Vladimiros Matias of Greece 9-4 to reach the quarterfinals. His Olympic dream was shattered in the semifinals when he was edged 4-3 by Ruslan Tsarev of Kyrgyzstan. Perkins was then placed in repechage for a chance at a bronze medal, where he fell 8-0 to Armen Vardanyan of Ukraine. Rau dominated Narek Setaghyan of Spain 9-0 in his first match. He dropped his second match to Kevin Mejia of Honduras 8-0. U.S. women's freestyle wrestlers Kelsey Campbell (58 kilos) and Tamyra Mensah (69 kilos) will attempt to qualify for the Olympic Games on Saturday in Turkey.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced that Mark Hall II of Apple Valley, Minnesota has been chosen as the 2016 recipient of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA) and Katie Brock of Whitwell, Tennessee has been chosen as the 2016 recipient of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). Coach Brandon Slay talks to Mark Hall at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)"Selecting the winners of these two awards is always difficult for our committee because we receive so many deserving nominees, who have all excelled on and off the wrestling mat," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "We are pleased to name Mark and Katie as our national winners and believe that they are great representatives, who will continue to achieve athletically and academically at the next level." Hall is the first six-time Minnesota High School state champion, finishing with a career record of 277-4, including 171 consecutive wins. The son of Mark Hall and Melissa Warren, he helped Apple Valley High School win six team state titles to become the only wrestler in state history to earn 12 combined titles. "Winning the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award is a tremendous honor. When I think of the company that I am in, it makes it that much better," said Hall. "Dave Schultz is a name that rings through the wrestling world and to receive an award named after him is something that I will always remember." Brock is a four-time Tennessee state champion for Sequatchie County High School in Dunlap, Tennessee, capturing more state championships than any team or individual in school history. The daughter of Scotty and Marsha Brock, she had a career record of 113-2 and earned Best Wrestler honors at the regional and state tournaments as a senior. "It is so exciting just to have my name mentioned in the same sentence with Tricia Saunders, who is not only known for being an amazing female wrestler but also an outstanding coach. If it were not for her dedication and perseverance I would not have had the opportunity to be where I am today," said Brock. "She made impossible dreams possible for so many young women. From the beginning, my teammates and coaches have viewed me as a wrestler, not as a girl, and have pushed me to give my best in each and every match. They would give up their Saturdays and go to a tournament just to support me. They are my extended family. "Despite having a very small team, the school and community have been very supportive and stood behind us 100 percent," she added. "It is a privilege that someone from a small town in Tennessee would be honored with such a prestigious award as the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award." Hall won his second consecutive UWW Junior National title and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2016 UWW Junior Freestyle Nationals on April 27-30 in Las Vegas. He captured a Pan American cadet title and a FILA cadet world championship, and competed in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials where he advanced to the quarterfinals. Hall has a GPA of 3.72 and has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Mary's Place, which offers transitional apartments for homeless families with children. He has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for national champion Penn State University. Brock was captain of the wrestling team all four years while also lettering four years in volleyball and serving as team captain as a senior. She has a GPA of 3.54 and has worked as a volunteer with the Sequatchie County Fair as well as being involved with Junior Health Council, Beta Club, and Connect Crew. She has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Campbellsville University. The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January of 1996. He was inducted as a Distinguished Member into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1997. Hall was chosen from the five regional winners - Taylor LaMont of Mapleton, Utah (West Region), Jack Mueller of Dallas, Texas (Central Region), Nick Suriano of Paramus, New Jersey (Northeast Region), and Kyle Norstrem of Valrico, Florida (Southeast Region) - which were selected from the winners chosen from the 49 states that sponsor boys' high school championships. Past winners of the DSHSEA include Logan Stieber, who became the fourth wrestler to win four NCAA Championships, and Coleman Scott, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics. In addition to Stieber, DSHEA winners have won 10 NCAA titles with Steven Mocco, Teyon Ware, and David Taylor each winning two championships. First presented in 2014, the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award is named for Saunders, a four-time World champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2006, and is also a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame. Brock was chosen from the winners from the seven states that sponsor an all-female girls' high school championship - Roberta Christopher of New Stuyahok, Alaska, Gabby Garcia of Anaheim, California, Teshya Alo of Honolulu, Payton Rigert of Hood River, Oregon, Brianna Holcomb of El Paso, Texas and Jordyn Bartelson of Puyallup, Washington. The awards recognize and celebrate the nation's most outstanding high school seniors for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. Nominations for the DSHSEA award are accepted from the 49 states that sponsor boys' high school championships while nominations for the TSHSEA are accepted from the seven states that sponsor an all-female girls' high school championship. Winners are determined by a committee with input from National Wrestling Hall of Fame State Chapters, where applicable. Five regional winners are chosen for the DSHSEA, and the national winner is selected from those winners. The inaugural recipient of the TSHSEA in 2014, Marina Doi won the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association championship and was 30-1 as a sophomore in 2016 after a runner-up finish to four-time national champion Emily Webster as a freshman. All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 2016 - Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota 2015 - Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California 2014 - Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2013 - Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania 2012 - Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2011 - Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2010 - Logan Steiber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio 2009 - David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio 2008 - Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2007 - Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellog High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2006 - David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2005 - Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York 2004 - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania 2003 - C. P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2002 - Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma 2001 - Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey 2000 - Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 1999 - Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas 1998 - Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah 1997 - Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1996 - David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Dunlap, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. With museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa, the Hall of Fame has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world including the Hall of Honors in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where wrestling legends are enshrined at the national, regional, and state level. The rich heritage and diversity of the sport will be highlighted throughout the newly-renovated museum. There is also a library featuring historical documents and books on the sport as well as a theater. The Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is currently closed to visitors while undergoing an entire interior renovation. It is scheduled to re-open on June 3-4, 2016, just in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary at the annual Honors Weekend induction ceremonies. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

The United States, along with wrestling nations around the world, will make their last attempt to qualify for Rio 2016 this weekend in Istanbul. The Last Chance Qualifier advances two wrestlers per weight to the Olympics, with no true second. That means only finalists will be granted tickets to the Games. The American side will feature Frank Molinaro attempting to qualify 65 kilos on Saturday, while Tamyra Mensah (69 kilos) and Kelsey Campbell (63 kilos) look to lock up the remaining berths for Team USA on the women's side. Though not decided as of this writing on Thursday night, Greco-Roman wrestlers Jesse Thielke (59 kilos), RaVaughn Perkins (66 kilos) and Joe Rau (98 kilos) will have likely already decided their fate by the time you read this sentence. To watch how they perform, you can watch for free at UnitedWorldWrestling.org. Follow the action on social media by searching and using the hashtag #lastchance2rio. To your questions … Q: With the recent commitments of Spencer Lee and Gavin Teasdale to Iowa, I started to wonder about the difficulty in receiving one-hundred percent full-ride scholarships at the top flight programs. Do wrestlers who are top tier recruits like Mark Hall, Spencer Lee, Gavin Teasdale, David Taylor, etc. receive one-hundred percent full rides, or is it more of an eighty or ninety percent scholarship to allow for money to pull lesser touted wrestlers? -- Derek O. Foley: Every school handles the allocation of scholarships differently. I know some that say they never move off a top opening bid of sixty percent, but there are other grants that could supplement a kid's education, which makes that number a bit disingenuous. If you're asking me if Hall, Lee or Teasdale is paying for college then the answer is "no, they are not paying for college." What percentage comes from scholarship and what percentage comes from other means I wouldn't know, but the value of those particular athletes seems indisputable. Remember also that until 2015 scholarships had been subject to annual review based on athletic performance. The NCAA recently moved to have the performance distinction eliminated. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships return to St. Louis in 2017 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: Any inside track or thoughts on the next cycle of NCAA tournament host cities after Cleveland? -- Frank C. Foley: The NCAA has shown no interest in changing direction and hosting the event in one location over several years. Assuming they stick to their tradition of moving the championships I could imagine another visit to NYC, possibly Atlanta and then the same Midwestern characters with St. Louis, Kansas City and Des Moines all making bids. There is profit in hosting the event so I also predict we'll get a number of new cities down south willing to show serious bids. Q: I find myself continually frustrated with only six Olympic weight classes per style. There is too much talent left out of the Olympics. I think you've covered this in the past. But, instead of six double bronzes, why doesn't the UWW work with the IOC to shift the six extra bronze medals to two new weight classes? This doesn't increase the total number of medals for wrestling. What are the barriers? -- Mark H. Foley: My first contention would be that there is "too much talent left out of the Olympics." When you look at the number of countries qualifying wrestlers it looks as though none will qualify all their weight classes in 2016, just as they didn't in 2012. To conclude that there is too much talent being kept at home you'd have to show me that several countries (or at least one) suffered from this problem. Take the United States as an example of a country with boundless resources, a strong wrestling tradition and solid support from their National Olympic Committee. There are currently six Olympic positions still not qualified, despite three opportunities. One of these openings is at 65 kilos, a weight class most in the USA would argue has the depth you describe as being left out of the Olympics. I'd disagree, but were there THAT much talent at 60-70 kilos wouldn't just one of those guys gotten the job done by now? Six weight classes may not seem like enough, but it's already too much for most national federations to support. If you want a robust and growing sport you need to make participation reachable for young national federations. As is countries like Palau, Indonesia, Namibia and others have trouble supporting one style of the sport. Adding weight classes for them to fill would not solve anyone's problems. In regards to the medals, that has never been an issue. The real issues is number of participants and with wrestling hosting 19 per weight in Greco-Roman and freestyle along with 18 in women there is almost no room for contraction in a way that would allow for a competitive event and for robust participation from wrestlers around the world. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Back to the Sand Q: Will the May 19 Beat the Streets match event be televised? -- @Gyonekura Foley: Yes. FloWrestling.org. Q: InterMat's article about Jake Clark said that a Minnesota native has been in every Olympics since 1968. What other states have long streaks sending representatives to the Olympics? -- Jeff S. Foley: From our man Mark Palmer … I did some quick research, and found a string of Oklahoma natives as members of U.S. Olympic teams running unbroken from `1924 thru 1976 (no Olympics in 1940 or '44). Here we go: 1924: Guy Lookabaugh, Charles Strack 1928: Clarence Berryman 1932: Bobby Pearce, Jack VanBebber 1936: Harley Strong, Frank Lewis, Ross Flood 1948: Bill Jernigan, Dick Hutton (born in Amarillo, but moved to Tulsa as a baby) 1952: Bill Borders, Joe Henson, Dan Hodge 1956: Myron Roderick, Dan Hodge, Tommy Evans, Dale Lewis 1960: Shelby Wilson, Doug Blubaugh, Dale Lewis 1964: Wayne Baughman 1968: Baughman, Wayne Wells 1972: Wells 1976: Bruce Thompson As for Iowa natives … Allie Morrison was first, in '28, then I believe the next from the Hawkeye state was in '48, with Bill Koll and Glen Brand, so that's a long absence. Without looking up hometowns of other U.S. Olympians, I would think California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York would not be in contention RE the streak as would be Minnesota or Oklahoma.

State champion and Junior National freestyle runner-up Navonte Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.) committed to Arizona State on Wednesday evening. The nation's No. 26 overall junior was ranked 12th nationally at the end of the 2015-16 season in the 138 pound weight class. In addition to his runner-up finish last summer in Fargo, Demison also has earned national titles at the Junior Folkstyle tournament in Cedar Falls the last two years during the month of April. In state tournaments prior to this year, Demison was runner-up as a sophomore and third as a freshman. He projects to compete at 149 pounds in college.

Arnold Plaza, one of the most accomplished wrestlers in a century of the sport at Purdue University, passed away April 1 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was 90. Arnold PlazaPlaza owns some significant historical distinctions for his wrestling career with the Boilermakers from 1947-1950. Plaza is not only the program's only two-time NCAA champion, as well as the only four-time Big Ten conference champion. Competing in four consecutive Big Ten championships, Plaza claimed a pair of 114.5-pound titles in 1948 and 1949, then two more at 121 pounds in 1947 and 1950. His individual title-winning success helped propel the wrestling program at the West Lafayette, Indiana-based school to three straight Big Ten team titles from 1948 to 1950. Plaza qualified for the NCAA Championships each of his four seasons at Purdue and remains the only grappler in program history to advance to the title match three times. He became the Boilermakers' first-ever national champion, winning the 114.5-pound crown as a sophomore in 1948. The following year, Plaza found himself winning his second title, this time at 121 pounds. As a senior, Plaza made it to the finals for a third time ... but came up one point shy of yet another NCAA title, suffering a 7-6 loss to Tony Gizoni of Waynesburg in the 121-pound championship match at the 1950 NCAAs. Despite that loss, Plaza's performance at that Nationals helped the Boilermakers finish as the national runner-up in the team standings, which is the program's highest-ever finish. After graduating from Purdue, Plaza served in the United States Army from 1950 to 1952. Arnold Jesse Plaza was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming but grew up in Chicago. He later moved to El Paso, Texas in 1970 and spent nearly 40 years living in the La Union community. "He was well known for his big heart and willingness to help his neighbors and anyone who needed a hand," according to his obituary in the El Paso Times. "He was instrumental in leading an initiative to bring public water lines to the La Union community. A devoted Catholic, Arnold was active at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church where he served as choir director for over 20 years. He was a teacher for 35 years, 17 in Chicago and 18 in El Paso. Students had great respect for "Coach Plaza," a firm but engaging teacher with an endearing sense of humor. Arnold had a passion for the outdoors and traveled throughout the Southwest sharing his love for camping, hiking and bonfires with his large family." In 1994, Plaza was inducted into the inaugural class of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in alongside legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese, among others. Plaza was also selected for the Helms Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame. Arnold Plaza is survived by his wife of 39 years, Irene Plaza; his children Marc Plaza, Melissa Ryan, Andrea Plaza, Marisusan Plaza, and Arnold Anthony Plaza; his step children, Ruben, Richard, Martin, Robert, Freddy and Ray Labrado and Trinidad Garcia; 25 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and their respective families. Plaza would have been at the vanguard of Latino collegiate wrestlers in the U.S., launching his collegiate wrestling career at Purdue just as Rometo "Rummy" Macias of University of Iowa and Joseph Garcia of University of Illinois were completing their mat careers, and nearly a decade before Dick Delgado won two NCAA titles for the Oklahoma Sooners. Services have already been held.

NEW YORK -- The Senior-level matches have been finalized for the 2016 Beat the Streets international competition, which returns to New York City's Times Square on Thursday, May 19. Competing against tough opponents from Iran in men's freestyle will be 2012 Olympic champion, three-time World champion and 2016 Olympian Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg and 2016 Olympian and two-time NCAA champion J'Den Cox at 86 kg. Two-time World bronze medalist and 2016 Olympian Andy Bisek will battle an Olympic and World champion from Korea at 75 kg. Burroughs will face 2105 Asian champion Peyman Yarahmadi, who won bronze medals at the 2013 Junior World Championships and 2012 Cadet World Championships. Yarahmadi won the highly respected Takhti Cup held in Iran in 2015 and has also won a silver and a bronze at that tournament in other years. Burroughs is considered one of the greatest wrestlers on the planet, and one of the most successful in U.S. history. He won World titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015, to go with his Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Games in London, England. Burroughs was a 2014 World bronze medalist, overcoming a leg injury in his first match. His career record is a remarkable 124-2. He is a four-time World Cup champion (2012-15) and two-time Pan American Games champion (2011, 2015). He was a two-time NCAA champion for Nebraska and won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's best college wrestler in 2011. He hails from Sicklerville, N.J. and was a New Jersey high school champion. Burroughs has wrestled in the Beat the Streets international events five previous times and won all of his matches. Four of those events were in Times Square, where he beat Aniuar Gedeuv of Russia in 2011 (1-0, 2-1), Kamal Malikov of Russia in 2012 (8-0, 5-0), Atsamaz Sanakoev of Russia in 2014 (pin, 5:58) and Luis Quintana of Cuba (pin, 4:50). In 2013, when the event was held in Grand Central Terminal, Burroughs beat Saba Khubezhty of Russia (1-1, 5-0, 7-3). Cox will be tested by Meisam Mostafa Joukar, who won both the Asian Games and the Asian Championships in 2014. Mostafa Joukar was a 2012 World University champion, and has won the respected Takhti Cup three times (2013-15). Cox burst onto the Senior freestyle scene in the last month, after winning his second career NCAA title as a junior for the University of Missouri. He came into the U.S. Olympic Team Trials as a No. 9 seed in the Challenge Tournament, winning three matches to reach the championship finals, where he defeated four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake in a memorable three match series. Two weeks later, in his first international event ever, Cox won five matches to claim the gold medal at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Mongolia, qualifying the USA and himself for the Rio Olympic Games. This will be Cox's first Beat the Streets appearance. Bisek has drawn 2012 Olympic champion and 2013 World champion Kim Hyeon-Woo of Korea in the featured Greco-Roman match. Kim was also a 2011 World bronze medalist and 2006 Junior World silver medalist. Kim boasts a 2014 Asian Games title and three Asian Championships gold medals. Bisek won World bronze medals in both 2014 and 2015, and qualified for his first Olympic Games in April. He has been on four U.S. World Teams. Bisek won a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games and boasts two Pan American Championships title. He competed for the USOEC program at Northern Michigan University before moving on to the U.S. Olympic Training Center. This will be his first Beat the Streets event appearance. There will be five 2016 U.S. Olympians competing in Times Square. Previously, the two women's freestyle matches were announced, as 2016 Olympian and three-time World champion Adeline Gray will face Canada's Justina Distasio at 75 kg, while 2016 Olympian and 2015 World champion Helen Maroulis will battle Canada's Samantha Stewart at 53 kg. There will also be four Junior-level matches between the United States and Iran in men's freestyle, the first age-group international matches in Beat the Streets event history. These Junior matchups, as well as additional youth competition, will be announced at a later date. Billed as "United in the Square," this will be the second time that Iran has been featured as part of the Beat the Streets Gala competition. In 2013, the event dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails," was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. The world-class competition has been hosted in Times Square four previous times. In 2011, the United States defeated World Champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men's freestyle. In 2014, Team USA defeated a World All-Star Team in Times Square, 8-3. In 2015, "Salsa in the Square" featured a meeting between Team USA and Team Cuba in the three Olympic styles, held shortly after the historic change in USA and Cuban political relations. This will be the seventh straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Gala activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 3:45 p.m to start the evening. A new feature to be held is the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, featuring the two top New York City girl's freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl's freestyle season. Then it's Team USA vs. Iran and other guests at 6 p.m., followed by the Beat the Streets Gala Celebration. The Beat the Streets competition requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala Celebration at the PlayStation Theater. More details are available at http://www.btsny.org/gala. The Gala Celebration will follow the wrestling competition. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets (BTS) raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it's providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one's goals, creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year. "United In The Square," Beat the Streets Matchups In New York City, May 19, 2016 Men's freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Pehman Yarahmadi (Iran) Men's freestyle 86 kg/189 lbs. - J'Den Cox (USA) vs. Meisam Mostafa Joukar (Iran) Greco-Roman 75 kg/165 lbs. - Andy Bisek (USA) vs. Kim Hyeon-Woo (Korea) Women's 53 kg/116.5 lbs. - Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Samantha Stewart (Canada) Women's 75 kg/165 lbs.- Adeline Gray (USA) vs. Justina Di Stasio (Canada) Note: Four USA vs. Iran Junior freestyle matches to be announced next week. Wrestling Schedule 3:45 p.m. - Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches between 42nd and 43rd Streets 4:45 p.m. - New York City Girl's Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals between 42nd and 43rd Streets 6:00 p.m - World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Iran, Canada, Korea between 42nd and 43rd Streets Followed by Gala Celebration About Beat the Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City's student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com.

What do Cael Sanderson, Dan Gable and Dan Hodge have in common? Dan Gable in letter jacket, congratulating Cael Sanderson in robe, at Hilton Coliseum in 2002Before stepping onto the mat, these legendary college wrestling champs -- and thousands of mat stars of the past -- wore robes over their wrestling uniforms. Nowadays, most college wrestlers wear warmups or sweat suits before and after matches. That has not always been the case. In the early 1900s, wrestlers at a number of schools wore sweaters while on the sidelines. As for robes ... that tradition of wrapping wrestlers in robes goes back decades at a number of colleges and high schools in the past, roughly from the 1930s into the 1960s and early 70s when they were largely replaced by warmups. The idea of resurrecting robes may be gaining some traction, as at least one major college wrestling program is openly discussing the idea. In the past, Iowa State wrestlers came out into the arena decked out in robes of cardinal and gold -- the school colors. At the 2013 NCAAs, Kyven Gadson -- 2015 NCAA Division I champ at 197 pounds -- wore the robe of his late father Willie Gadson, an NCAA All-American for the Cyclones in the 1970s. In the past couple weeks, there's been discussion at Iowa State about bringing back the classic look of robes, with some Cyclone wrestlers -- and head coach Kevin Jackson -- weighing in with their opinions. That discussion appears to have carried over at other wrestling websites and online forums. Could Iowa State resurrect the robe? A couple weeks ago, the Iowa State Daily student newspaper had a feature story titled "ISU wrestling considering bringing back wrestling robes." The article opened with the story of Kyven Gadson talking about his father's Cyclone wrestling robe. Willie, a two-time All-American for Iowa State in 1975 and 1976 after transferring from Nassau Community College in New York, went on to coach his son to two undefeated seasons at Waterloo East High School in Waterloo, Iowa. Kyven Gadson wearing a robe (Photo/Iowa State Daily)Three years ago, Willie Gadson was battling Stage IV bone and lung cancer. As he was about to be transported to the hospital having been given hospice care at home, Kyven asked his dad if he might want to put on that prized robe one last time. "I was like, 'Dad, do you want to put on the robe?'" Kyven Gadson told Iowa State Daily. "Because [ISU wrestling] was something he was really prideful about. We put him in his robe, and that was the last thing he had on before they changed him." After battling cancer for more than a year, Willie Gadson passed away in early March 2013. Less than two weeks later, Kyven wore his dad's robe at the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Des Moines. "It was a very emotionally charged moment for Kyven," the Iowa State Daily's Ben Visser wrote. "Growing up, Willie wouldn't let Kyven wear his robe. After Willie's passing, Kyven's mom, Augusta, gifted the robe to Kyven with a few adjustments. "'Willie' was embroidered on the right sleeve, and 'Kyven' was embroidered on the left sleeve. "Gadson Legacy" is embroidered right under the big block "Iowa State" lettering on the back of the robe." Once Kyven wore his dad Willie's robe, that got Iowa State's coach Jackson thinking about having his Cyclones wear robes ... following in the footsteps of one of his predecessors, Harold Nichols. Nichols, who guided Iowa State to six NCAA team titles during his tenure from 1954-1985, came up with the idea of enrobing his wrestlers in terrycloth robes. (It certainly helped that the entrepreneurial Nichols owned a fabric business in Ames that made the team's robes.) That said, Iowa State wrestlers weren't the first to wear robes instead of warmups before and after matches. From Cowboys to Crims, wearing robes Oklahoma State head wrestling coach Ed Gallagher takes off the robe of Lloyd Ricks, 1937 NCAA heavyweight champ (Photo/1936 Redskin yearbook)It would be nearly impossible to declare that a particular wrestling team was the first to wear robes in a specific year. Thumbing through my own archives of college wrestling images going back nearly a century, about the oldest photo I have of a wrestler in a robe is from the 1936 Redskin yearbook at Oklahoma State. The image shows Cowboy wrestling coach Ed Gallagher pulling a knee-length robe off the shoulders of Lloyd Ricks, 1937 NCAA heavyweight champ. Ricks is wearing the Oklahoma State uniform of that era: wool trunks, with no shirt. (This was decades before today's one-piece singlets were OK'd as a uniform by the NCAA.) Interestingly, this is the only image I can find of an Oklahoma State wrestler in a robe from my collection of wrestling images from the Redskin from roughly World War I through modern times. (By contrast, there are a number of photos of Cowboy wrestlers from the 1920s and '30s dressed as, um, Cowboys -- complete with Stetsons, flannel shirts, and chaps -- as they sometimes wore those clothes on trips back East to reinforce the notion that they were from what was then the American frontier.) Cornell College of Iowa It appears Iowa State weren't even the first college wrestling program in the state of Iowa to wear robes. During the 1946-47 season -- the first year college wrestling was "back to normal" after a good number of wrestlers were away from school, serving in World War II -- an unlikely team from a tiny college located about a half-hour from Iowa City and Cedar Rapids upset the top programs of the era, including Lehigh and Illinois. That school was Cornell College of Mount Vernon, Iowa. With a total enrollment of approximately 700 students at the time, Cornell of Iowa was the smallest college to ever win an NCAA team title, in 1947. (This was back before college wrestling programs were organized into NCAA Division I, II and III.) Photo from Arno Niemand's "Dream Team of 1947" book shows Cornell College wrestlers in robesDuring that Cinderella season -- and in other years as well -- Cornell College wrestlers made an impressive showing before even stepping onto the mat. On the road or at home, the Cornell Purple (that was the team name back then -- now the Rams) wore what The Cornellian student newspaper described as "purple boxing robes." Under the boxing robes, Purple wrestlers wore purple tights with a white stripe on the side of each leg, running from waist to foot, with white shorts that fit snugly over the tights. Normally, the Cornell of Iowa wrestlers competed bare-chested. (Wrestlers at many colleges and high schools in the Midwest and West wrestled stripped to the waist; shirtless wrestling was allowed by NCAA rules until the mid 1960s.) University of Oklahoma It appears the Oklahoma Sooners were another program that had robes for its wrestlers when they weren't engaged in mat combat. One OU wrestler who was photographed more than once all wrapped up in a robe was none other than Dan Hodge. The man whose name now graces the Hodge Trophy presented each year to the best college wrestler was arguably the greatest collegiate mat star of the 1950s. Dan Allen Hodge was a three-time Big Seven conference champion and three-time NCAA titlewinner at 177 pounds from 1955-57. (In Hodge's day, freshmen were not able to compete for conference and national titles.) Hodge had earned the nicknames of "Dangerous Dan" and "Homicide Hodge" -- and for good reasons. As a Sooner, Hodge compiled a perfect 46-0 record. Of those wins, 36 were by fall, for a pinning percentage of 78%, one of the all-time highest in NCAA history. He is also one of only two three-time NCAA champs to have won all three title matches by pin (the other being Oklahoma State heavyweight Earl McCready, 1928-30). Hodge defeated the studs of the era who had won (or would win) conference and national titles, including Oklahoma State's Ned Blass and Jim Gregson, and Iowa's Gary Kurdelmeier. Oklahoma Sooner wrestler Dan Hodge holding infant son Dan Jr.When he wasn't on the mat making short work of his opponents, Hodge was often wearing an Oklahoma Sooner robe. There's a photo of the Perry, Oklahoma native on the sidelines with Sooner head coach Port Robertson (in a business suit) along with teammate and 1956 NCAA heavyweight champ Gordon Roesler (ready to wrestle in white trunks, no shirt). And there's the classic image of Hodge the nurturing daddy in his mid-20s, sitting on the bleachers, enwrapped in a robe, with his infant son on his lap. Yuma Criminals The athletic programs at Yuma High School in Yuma, Arizona all wear the unusual name of the Criminals (reportedly because the community is home to a major state prison). In the early 1960s, Yuma wrestlers wore silky, boxing-style robes while on the sidelines. Arguably the most famous of those robe-wearing wrestlers at Yuma High was Curley Culp. Three years ago, Culp was welcomed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, having completed a stellar NFL career as a defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions. However, prior to being drafted into the NFL, Culp was a genuine two-sport athlete, excelling at both football and wrestling, first at Yuma High, then at Arizona State. As a wrestler at Yuma High, Culp was a two-time Arizona high school state champion at heavyweight in 1963 and 1964. After graduating from Yuma, Culp enrolled at Arizona State, where, as a Sun Devil wrestler, Culp won three WAC (Western Athletic Conference) titles and was a two-time NCAA qualifier, winning the heavyweight title at the 1967 NCAAs by pinning his finals rival in just 51 seconds. (In case you were wondering, Culp and his ASU teammates wore warmup suits, not robes.) 1963 Yuma High school wrestling teamYuma wrestlers of the early 1960s weren't the only robe-wearing wrestlers at the high school level. This writer has found more recent examples of prep programs such as Detroit Central Catholic wrestlers entering the gym in robes in a 2011 video ... and, in 2015, when Rutgers mat alum Scott Winston became coach at Camden Catholic High in his native New Jersey, he waxed nostalgic about the program he was about to join: "When I was a young wrestler, I always looked up to the kids at Camden Catholic. They had the robes, the tradition and pretty much ran New Jersey wrestling when I was a kid. I want to return them to that level." Gable, Cael = robe-wearing Cyclones As mentioned earlier in this article, Iowa State had a long history of having their wrestlers wear robes during the 30+ years that Harold Nichols was head coach. That era included some all-time great Cyclone mat champs, including Les Anderson, Ron Gray, Larry Hayes, Tom Peckham, Veryl Long, Jason Smith, Ben Peterson, and Chris Taylor, to name a few. Arguably the greatest of the Nichols era was Dan Gable. While at Iowa State, Dan Mack Gable put up some impressive stats. In three years wrestling varsity for the Cyclones (he was among the last collegians not allowed to wrestle varsity as a freshman), Gable racked up 118 wins, 83 of those by fall, for an impressive pinning percentage of 70.3%. He also claimed three Big 8 conference titles (1968-1970) and back-to-back NCAA championships -- the 130-pound title at the 1968 NCAAs, and, the following year, the 137-pound crown at Nationals. When he wasn't on the mat, Gable was on the sidelines, wrapped in a cardinal and gold robe. Fast forward three decades, to a guy from Heber City, Utah that rewrote the book on college wrestling, achieving a level of perfection rarely seen. Cael Norman Sanderson came to Ames to wrestle for head coach Bobby Douglas, and proceeded to rack up win after win. In four years as a Cyclone (1999-2002), Sanderson tallied a flawless 159-0 record, four conference titles, and four NCAA individual championships, becoming only the second wrestler in NCAA history to win a quartet of National titles. As part of Cael's quest for perfection and a fourth title, Sanderson was often seen wearing an old-school wrestling robe that would have made him look right at home back in the Harold Nichols era. Any chance that Iowa State wrestlers will go back to wearing robes like previous generations of Cyclone matmen? If ISU head coach Kevin Jackson had his way, the answer would be yes. Jackson told the Iowa State Daily that he wants to keep the robe as classic as possible -- a cardinal-color, terrycloth robe with cardinal trim. The only gold on the robe would be the belt and the lettering. "We need the cardinal color," Jackson told the student paper. "The cardinal color is hard to produce." The Iowa State Daily featured design ideas and artist sketches for robe proposals from coach Jackson, as well as wrestlers Kyven Gadson, and Earl Hall. There was significant variation among the three designs in terms of color and material, with Hall preferring a silk robe. All three did agree on one element: the robe must have a hood. "I definitely want to bring [the robes] back with a little different twist," Jackson said. "Maybe put a hood on them and make it a current robe that's going to be good for our fans to see. Bring back some old memories. I'd absolutely love to bring back the robes." So what's stopping Iowa State from a throwback look? As of now, they can't find a company to produce the robes. "If you're aware of any company out there that can produce a cardinal robe with a hood, let me know and we'll invest some money in your company," Jackson said. If that happens, it could launch a whole new trend for college and high school wrestling programs that brings together nostalgic respect for the past ... and a bit of contemporary swagger, too. Want to know more about what wrestlers once wore? Check out these InterMat articles on old-school wrestling gear ... and how that gear affected wrestler strategy.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- One of the world's top young wrestling stars, 19-year-old Aaron Pico (Whittier, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), will compete in his native Southern California for the United States at the 2016 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., June 11-12. Aaron Pico (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The Freestyle Wrestling World Cup is one of the most important international events each year. Alongside Pico, members of the U.S. Olympic freestyle team will be on the U.S., in their final competition before heading to the Rio Olympic Games. "I am super excited to be competing on the World Cup team. Anytime you can represent your country internationally is an honor," said Pico."The fact that this will be held in the USA is awesome. I will be part of a great team which will have members of the Olympic Team on it. I am going to focus on getting ready for the World Cup and putting on a great show." The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, as the eight best men's freestyle teams will compete against each other. At the 2016 World Cup, the United States will be up against (alphabetically): Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Iran, Mongolia, Russia and Turkey. Pico has been one of the nation's best young stars, winning a Cadet World title in 2013, a Junior World silver medal in 2014 and a Junior World bronze medal in 2015. He has also won numerous medals on the Senior level, competing against many of the best Olympic-caliber wrestlers in the world. Pico also boasts USA Wrestling age-group national titles on the Cadet and Junior levels. Pico is coming off an impressive second-place finish at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowaat the 65 kg/143 lb. weight class. Seeded seventh, Pico knocked off three of thetop wrestlers - Jayson Ness, Jordan Oliver and Reece Humphrey - to reach the finals. He dropped an extremely close three-match Championship Series to Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) to finish as the runner-up. "I came up short at the Olympic Trials, butI wrestled my heart out and put on a great show," said Pico."I still have Olympic goals. As the Olympic alternate, I am ready to go at all times. I will stay in great shape and be ready, in case something happens and I get to go to Rio." Pico will compete at 70 kg/154 lbs. at the World Cup, a non-Olympic weight class where he has won a number of international medals. This will be his first World Cup appearance, although he was a member of the U.S. team and trained for the tournament at the 2015 World Cup also held at the Forum in Inglewood. This will be Pico'sfirst competition in California since 2013, when he won the California state high school title for St. John Bosco High School. Following the 2013 season, Picoceased competing in high school wrestling to concentrate full-time on international freestyle wrestling and his Olympic dream. "This is in my backyard. I'm a local kid, and it will be great to have my family and friends here to support me. I am excited to compete," said Pico."I have so many fans in California. I have done a lot of clinics all across the state. I expect a lot of these fans to be there to support me and the USA team." The rest of the U.S. team is being finalized at this time, and will be announced when available. This is the last chance forfans to see these world-class athletes in action one more time before the Summer Olympics. Attendees can purchase tickets for the popular international competition through Ticketmaster. Teams will be randomly drawn into the two pools, which will be announced prior to the start of the competition. For more information, visit: www.wrestlingworldcup.com The local organizing committee benefits from the talent and membership of Beat the Streets Los Angeles, California USA Wrestling, the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club and other premiere Los Angeles-based sports organizations. The Freestyle World Cup was developed in 1973 in the United States, which has hosted the event 28 times since its inception - more times than any other nation. FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE Saturday, June 11 Session I - Round 1 &2 of Pools (3p.m.-7:30p.m.) Sunday, June 12 Session II - Round 3 of Pools, 5th& 7th Place Matches (11a.m.-2:30p.m.) Session III - 3rd Place Match, followed by 1st Place Match (5p.m.-7:30p.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 National Wrestling Coaches Association has named Pat Simpson of Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Tenn. as Head Coach of the Year, and Doug Tovey of Hermiston High School in Hermiston, Ore. as selected Assistant Coach of the Year, the organization announced . Winners were selected from a pool of state and regional winners by the NWCA's Scholastic Board of Directors. "Both Coach Simpson and Coach Tovey have long careers in coaching at the high school level and have served as tremendous mentors for our next generation of teachers and coaches," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "One of the hardest things about recognizing great scholastic coaches is there are so many viable and deserving coaches to consider." Simpson has coached at Father Ryan for 38 years. The long-time coach had considered the 2015-16 team his best, having posted a 22-0 record and claimed state championships at the Division II individual and dual tournaments, having topped another state power, Baylor, was the second largest margin in state duals history. Tovey has served as a coach for 27 years, with the last four at Hermiston. This past season, the Bulldogs went 17-2, including a 5-1 record at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Minnesota. Tovey helped Hermiston claim the 5A state championships, with eight individual placewinners, seven finalists and four state champions. NWCA Scholastic Head Coach of the Year Sectional Winners Section 1: John Stout, Southern Regional H.S., Manahawkin, N.J. Section 2: Bill Swink, Colonial Forge H.S., Stafford, Va. Section 3: Pat Simpson, Father Ryan H.S., Nashville, Tenn. Section 4: Travis Young, Valley H.S., West Des Moines, Iowa Section 5: Tyler Herman, Amherst H.S., Amherst, Neb. Section 6: Matt Surber, Tuttle H.S., Tuttle, Okla. Section 7: Troy Tirapelle, Buchanan H.S., Clovis, Calif. Section 8: Craig Hanson, East Valley H.S., Spokane, Wash. NWCA Scholastic Assistant Coach of the Year Sectional Winners Section 1: Robert Zetzsche, Newark Valley H.S., Newark Valley, N.Y. Section 2: Chris Chidlaw, Elyria H.S., Elyria, Ohio Section 3: Caleb Myeers, Science Hill H.S., Johnson City, Tenn. Section 4: Dion Cobb, Valley H.S., West Des Moines, Iowa Section 5: Chad Olson, Kenyon-Wanamingo H.S., Kenyon, Minn. Section 6: Jimmy Filippo, Tuttle H.S., Tuttle, Okla. Section 7: Paul Vasquez, Ironwood Ridge H.S., Oro Valley, Ariz. Section 8: Doug Tovey, Hermiston H.S., Hermiston, Ore. NWCA Scholastic Head Coach of the Year State Winners Alabama: Steve Burrough, Oak Mt High School Alaska: Michael Kimber, Mt. Edgecumbe High School Arizona: Eric Brenton, Liberty High School Arkansas: Jayson Howard, Greenbriar California: Troy Tirapelle, buchanan high school Colorado: Eddie Soto, Pueblo County High School Delaware: Don Parsley, Milfor H.S. Florida: Kris Hayward, Riverdale High School Georgia: Kendall Love, Commerce High School Hawaii: Walden Au, Iolani School, HI Idaho: Jeff Klotzer, Caldwell High School Illinois: Keith Healy, Providence Catholic HS Indiana: Brett Smith, Prairie Heights H.S. Iowa: Travis Young, Valley High School (WDM) Kansas: Carlos Prieto, Garden City High School Kentucky: Aaron Riordan, Oldham County High School Louisiana: Rod Cusachs, De La Salle Maine: Temey S. Noyes + Brooks Thompson, Skowhegan High Maryland: Bryan Hamper, South Carroll Massachusetts: Bruce Rich, Chelmsford HS Michigan: Tim Roberts, Dundee High Schoo Minnesota: Matt Ryan, Kenyon-Wanamingo Missouri: Taylor Middleton, Smithville Montana: Bob Owen, Polson Nebraska: Tyler Herman, Amherst High School Nevada: Joe Imelli, Spanish Springs HIgh School New Hampshire: Bob Gannon, Campbell High School New Jersey: John Stout, Southern Regional High School New Mexico: Lee Chaves, Belen High School New Mexico: Corey Anderson, Cleveland High School New York: Brian Uvena, North Babylon High School North Carolina: Bill Edmundson, Rosewood High School Ohio: Todd Haverdill, Brecksville HS Oklahoma: Matt Surber, Tuttle HighSchool Oregon: Luke Cleaver, Nyssa High School Pennsylvania: Dave Klepfer, Brookville South Carolina: Chad Singleton, Dorman High South Dakota: Shawn Lewis, Riggs HIGH Tennessee: Patrick Simpson, Father Ryan H.S. Texas: Shane Seleznoff, Heath Utah: Jake Woolstenhulme, South Summit High School Vermont: Scott Legacy, Mt. Anthony Union HS Virginia: Bill Swink, Colonial Forge HS Washington: Craig Hanson, East Valley Spokane West Virginia: Cliff Warden, Independence Wisconsin: Jeff Matczak, Kaukauna Wyoming: Tom Seamans, Campbell County HS NWCA Scholastic Assistant Coach of the Year State Winners Alabama: John Daly, Athens High School Alaska: Michael "Bubba" Wells, Homer High School Arizona: Paul Vasquez, Ironwood Ridge HS Arkansas: Chuck Mackey, Har-Ber California: Buchannan HS Staff, Buchanan High School Colorado: Josh Weissman, Poudre High School Delaware: Luke Pierson, Milford H.S. Florida: William Hunter Hill, Clay High School Georgia: Rusty Transue, North Forsyth High School Hawaii: Wayne Ibarra, Idaho: Zach Horsley , Lakeland High School Illinois: Nich Miller, Washington Indiana: Ken Zuber, Evansville Memorial Iowa: Dion Cobb, Valley High School Kansas: Cade Blair, Andover High School Kentucky: Garret Headley, Henry Clay Louisiana: J P Pierre, Brother Martin Maine: Jim Smith, Biddeford High School Maryland: Ed Obendorfer, Damascus Massachusetts: Annie Staulo, Newton North Michigan: Scott Warren, Lakewood High School Minnesota: Chad Olson, Kenyon-Wanamingo Missouri: Kevin Durbin, Seneca Montana: Cody Turnquist, Billings Senior Nebraska: Scott DeLong, Filmore Central High School Nevada: Dan Shaw, Fallon High School New Hampshire: Jeff Sellars, Milford High School New Jersey: Dan Roy, Southern Regional High School New Mexico: Mark Pratt, Hobbs High School New York: Robert Zetzsche , Newark Valley High School North Carolina: Mike Turner, West Forsyth High School Ohio: Chris Chidlaw, Elyria HS Oklahoma: Jimmy Filippo, Tuttle Oregon: Doug Tovey, Hermiston High School Pennsylvania: Nick Deloia, Brookville South Carolina: Chris Pannebaker, Dorman High South Dakota: John Kalda, Riggs Tennessee: Caleb Myers, Science Hill H.S. Texas: Gabe Reyes, Prosper Utah: Bob Piscatelli, Wasatch High School Vermont: Nick Mayer, Mt. Anthony Union HS Virginia: Carlos Eason, Great Bridge Washington: Dave Laird, Ephrata West Virginia: Jory Whorton, East Fairmont Wisconsin: Joel Kuhl, Two Rivers Wyoming: Tim Flynn

The 2015-16 scholastic wrestling season marked the sixth year of the InterMat Fab 50 national high school wrestling team rankings. Even in what would seem like such a small sample size, one can make conclusions about the overall landscape of high school wrestling. One should take into consideration that six seasons reflects the full high school experience for three different graduating classes, and that nine graduating classes in all have participated in high school during those years. Coach Scott Green has guided Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) to national top-10 finishes in each of the past five seasons (Photo/Juan Garcia)Last year's longitudinal study of the Fab 50 national team rankings identified eleven schools that have appeared in the rankings each of the previous five seasons (2011-15) of the rankings' existence. From that group, eight teams ended this season ranked, which means they have now been ranked at the end of the last six seasons. Four additional teams have ended the last five seasons (2012-16) ranked within the Fab 50, which makes it twelve teams that have been ranked each of the last five seasons. Outside of the three teams that were ranked in the five previous seasons, but were not ranked at the end of this one, another pair of teams have appeared in the final rankings five times in the last six seasons. This reflects seventeen schools that have ended the season ranked five times in the last six years. The following eight programs have been ranked at the end of each of the last six seasons: Blair Academy, N.J. (2011: 2nd, 2012: 1st, 2013: 1st, 2014: 1st, 2015: 3rd, 2016: 1st) St. Paris Graham, Ohio (4th, 8th, 5th, 6th, 1st, 3rd) Wyoming Seminary, Pa. (11th, 9th, 2nd, 4th, 4th, 2nd) Clovis, Calif. (7th, 5th, 8th, 3rd, 5th, 9th) Apple Valley, Minn. (1st, 3rd, 13th, 5th, 17th, 14th) Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. (21st, 12th, 20th, 13th, 9th, 6th) St. Edward, Ohio (5th, 2nd, 4th, 50th, 15th, 7th) Montini Catholic, Ill. (28th, 26th, 12th, 18th, 16th, 39th) Six of the ten programs ranked in the top ten nationally this season have been nationally ranked in each of the last six seasons; Blair Academy, St. Paris Graham, and Clovis have been top ten in the country each of those seasons. These four additional programs have ended the last five seasons in the Fab 50: Oak Park River Forest, Ill. (2012: 31st, 2013: 11th, 2014: 3rd, 2015: 2nd, 2016: 8th) Southeast Polk, Iowa (13th, 17th, 22nd, 7th, 30th) Poway, Calif. (21st, 23rd, 32nd, 8th, 13th) Tuttle, Okla. (28th, 41st, 31st, 23rd, 11th) An additional pair of Illinois programs have ended five of the last six seasons within the Fab 50 rankings: Carl Sandburg (2011: 26th, 2012: 36th, 2013: 9th, 2014: NR, 2015: 19th, 2016: 16th) Marmion Academy (16th, NR, 26th, 27th, 32nd, 15th) Three teams saw their five-year runs of ending the season within the Fab 50 rankings come to an end this past season: Bettendorf (Iowa), Broken Arrow (Okla.), and Massillon Perry (Ohio) Two teams have been ranked in the Fab 50 at the end of each of the last four seasons: Bergen Catholic, N.J. (2013: 34th, 2014: 9th, 2015: 10th, 2016: 4th) Archer, Ga. (48th, 10th, 11th, 25th) Bergen Catholic and Oak Park River Forest have ended three straight seasons in the top ten of the national team rankings, while Wyoming Seminary has been top ten in the last five seasons, to join the three schools that have been ranked top ten in all six seasons. Basically demonstrating the monopolistic nature of the mega-programs in the national high school wrestling landscape. Three other teams were ranked at the end of this season, which made it four times ranked in the last six seasons: St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. (2011: NR, 2012: 42nd, 2013: 10th, 2014: NR, 2015: 21st, 2016: 19th) Allen, Texas (36th, 23rd, 15th, NR, NR, 26th) Lowell, Mich. (NR, 24th, NR, 16th, 25th, 48th) In addition, three schools were ranked from 2011-2014 but have not ended the last two ranked. Those being Brandon (Fla.), Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), and St. Johns (Mich.). Look for Detroit Catholic Central to make a strong return to the national rankings in the coming season, as the Shamrocks return five wrestlers that won state titles in early March. During the past season, four programs saw their three-year strings of ending the season nationally ranked come to an end: Bound Brook (N.J.), Brecksville (Ohio), Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), and Franklin Regional (Pa.). Another pair of programs made it three consecutive years as nationally ranked teams: Buchanan, Calif. (2014: 39th, 2015: 12th, 2016: 5th) Delta, Ohio (46th, 31st, 24th) Three other teams appeared in the final rankings for the third time in six seasons: Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. (2011: 44th, 2012: NR, 2013: 24th, 2014: NR, 2015: NR, 2016: 27th) Nazareth, Pa. (32nd, NR, NR, 25th, NR, 21st) Neosho, Mo. (33rd, NR, NR, NR, 18th, 43rd) Early indicators suggest that Buchanan will be in top ten contention again next season, while Nazareth is likely to make the leap into that type of position. It should also be noted that eight other teams were not ranked this season, but also have ended three previous seasons in the InterMat Fab 50 national team rankings. Looking at the 26 other teams that appeared in this year's final Fab 50, three of them were ranked for a second straight season, another three teams were ranked for the second time in the six-year history of the Fab 50, while for 20 teams it was their first time ending the season as a nationally ranked squad. Those with back-to-back Fab 50 appearances were Belle Vernon (38th, 10th), Boyertown (43rd, 22nd), and Elyria (33rd, 20th). For No. 28 Camden County (40th in 2012), No. 36 Park Hill (3rd in 2013), and No. 50 Good Counsel (42nd in 2013) it marked a return to the rankings after some hiatus. Four of the 20 debut teams were within the top 25 of the national rankings (No. 12 Lake Highland Prep, No. 17 Washington, No. 18 Mt. Carmel, and No. 23 Malvern Prep); while the other 16 fit into the final 22 spots of the rankings (29th through 50th). In addition to identifying programs of excellence, a longitudinal analysis of the Fab 50 rankings can identify some trends, which can help provide an assessment of what to expect for the following year of the national team rankings. The presence of 20 debut teams in the final Fab 50 was the highest number in the history of the rankings, outside of the first year where every team was technically making its debut. The four seasons prior to this one saw anywhere from 13-to-18 schools making their first appearance in the end of season rankings, with the numbers on an overall downward trend, as one would expect on a year-to-year basis: 2012: 18, 2013: 15, 2014: 16, 2015: 13 The following is an exhibit showing the relative position for these debutant schools. Furthermore, the highest ranking for a school in its initial Fab 50 appearance was eleventh, achieved by Stillwater (Okla.) To illustrate further the extreme turnover within the national rankings during the 2015-16 season, here is a chart illustrating the number of schools that were ranked in certain tiers of the rankings in the previous season that did not return to the national rankings in the (following) listed season. The four seasons prior to this one saw either 18 or 19 schools that were ranked the previous season not end that next season in the rankings. On the other hand, 26 teams that were ranked in 2014-15 did not end the 2015-16 season in the final Fab 50. During the last five years of compiling the Fab 50 national team rankings, 132 different schools from 27 states have appeared in the season-end rankings. The following are some "by the numbers" observations about the rankings. 56 = schools that have been ranked at the end of just one season 34 = schools that have been ranked at the end of exactly two seasons 17 = number of different schools to end the season ranked from Pennsylvania, which is the most of any state (11 different New Jersey and Ohio are next in line) 1 = number of unique schools to be ranked from Arizona, Delaware, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, and Tennessee 0 = schools to appear in the end of season national team rankings from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi (doesn't have high school wrestling), Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Evan HendersonBUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Campbell wrestling head coach Cary Kolat announced a new addition to his coaching staff on Tuesday afternoon. Joining the Fighting Camels coaching ranks is UNC Chapel Hill graduate Evan Henderson. Henderson joins the Fighting Camels in his first assistant coach position after wrestling at North Carolina. He collected a 125-35 career record as a Tar Heel achieving All-American honors twice during his career. He qualified for the NCAA Wrestling National Championships all four years of his wrestling career. Henderson wrestled for the Tar Heels from 2011 to 2016 including a redshirt year (2014-15) in the 141 and 149-pound weight classes. He is a two-time ACC Champion claiming the 2016 ACC title at 149 pounds and the 2013 title at 141-pounds. "We are very happy to have Evan joining the coaching staff here at Campbell University," said head coach Cary Kolat. "He will be an asset for our middleweight athletes while he trains for the 2020 Olympic team and world teams in between. We are committed to helping Evan reach his competitive goals as much as he is committed to helping our team advance and succeed." The Johnstown, Pennsylvania native has a twin brother Robert who also wrestled at UNC and is the son of Allen and Lydia Henderson.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The life of University of Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson will take center stage in an upcoming feature-length documentary film, J Robinson: Full Circle, which will premiere on May 3, 2016, streaming online at jrobinsonfullcircle.com. Directed by independent filmmaker Ryan Leer, the documentary traces Robinson's life from childhood through the present, offering unprecedented access to one of the most influential personalities in the sport. The film chronicles multiple stages of Robinson's life, examining how his experiences, including his abrupt exit from the University of Iowa's wrestling program, led to the creation and development of one of the most highly regarded wrestling camp systems in the country, J Robinson Intensive Wrestling Camps. J Robinson talks to Skyler Petry during a dual meet in Minneapolis (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Through Oklahoma State University, the U.S. Army as an Airborne Ranger, the Munich Olympics, the University of Iowa, and the University of Minnesota, Robinson has forged an enduring legacy in the sport of wrestling. This film offers a retrospective examination of his life, mirroring his successes and failures to the experience of attending an Intensive Camp, embodied by the ups and downs of two high school wrestlers from Pennsylvania at the 28-Day Intensive Camp. The film was shot and produced over the course of two years and includes a series of in-depth interviews with wrestling legends Dan Gable and Bruce Baumgartner, members of Robinson's family, camp staff, the two high school wrestlers, and their high school coach, Brad Silimperi, himself an Intensive Camp graduate from 1987 Now entering its 38th year, J Robinson Intensive Camps (JRIC) has trained more than 35,000 wrestlers with a training philosophy that focuses on developing technical skill, physical preparation, building mental toughness, and life skills. Founded in 1978 by current University of Minnesota Head Wrestling Coach J Robinson, JRIC now operates 11 summer wrestling camps in 7 states across the country. For more information, please call 612.349.6585 or visit jrobinsoncamps.com.

Add Jarod Trice's name to the list of accomplished amateur wrestlers to commit to a professional mixed martial arts career. Jarod TriceTrice, three-time NCAA All-American heavyweight wrestler at Central Michigan, has signed a contract with Bellator MMA, the organization announced Monday. Bellator described the deal as "an exclusive, multi-fight contract." Specifics of the deal were not revealed. Trice, 27, was a thrice an All-American at Central Michigan in the 285-pound weight class, placing sixth at the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, fourth in the 2011 NCAAs, and eighth in 2010. In addition, the Highland Park, Michigan native was a 2011 MAC (Mid-American Conference) champion, and twice a titlewinner at the prestigious Midlands Classic at Northwestern University. Beyond his collegiate mat career with the CMU Chippewa, Trice has made a name for himself in Greco-Roman wrestling. He was a three-time University Nationals champion, winning both Greco and freestyle in 2010, and adding a Greco-Roman title in 2015 and the Outstanding Wrestler Award. He achieved great success at both 120 kilograms (264.5 pounds) and 98 kilos (216 pounds) after an impressive 50-pound weight-loss transformation. Trice recently competed in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Greco-Roman at 98 kilos. Trice is the latest amateur wrestling star to sign with Bellator, joining Ed Ruth, Tyrell Fortune and Aaron Pico who joined the organization in the past year. As the MMA website Sherdog.com wrote in its announcement, "Those fighters have yet to set foot inside the cage, but Trice may be on the fast track to fighting, as Bellator stated that he could debut by the end of 2016." "Following in the footsteps of guys like Ruth and Fortune to Bellator MMA was a no-brainer for me," Trice said in a statement. "(Bellator President) Scott Coker is a promoter that treats the fighters with so much respect, and dealing with him and his team through this signing process has been amazing. I'm really looking forward to fighting for Coker, the Bellator promotion, and for every wrestling and MMA fan out there before the end of the year. If you aren't familiar with my name yet, you will be as soon as I get in that cage." "We're excited to be adding yet another world-class wrestling talent to our ever-growing roster of fighters here at Bellator," said Coker. "I've always taken great pride in our ability to identify and build stars in this business, and I have great confidence that we've found a gem in Jarod Trice."

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced on Monday that its Board of Governors has unanimously passed a resolution to revoke all honors bestowed upon Dennis Hastert by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The Board of Governors decision comes after a complete and thorough review by the NWHOF Ethics Committee that concluded Hastert acted in a manner considered detrimental to the ideals and objectives and contrary to the mission statement of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and his actions were grounds for removal in accordance with the NWHOF Ethics Policy. "In the 40 years since it was founded, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame has never had to remove an individual who had received one of its highest awards," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director. "When the NWHOF learned of the charges against Dennis Hastert, the ethics committee decided that the United States court system should determine the veracity of the charges. The NWHOF wanted to ensure that Mr. Hastert received due process and his day in court before a course of action was recommended to the Board of Governors." The awards that have been removed are the Order of Merit and the Outstanding American awards presented by the NWHOF in 1995 and 2000, the Outstanding American award presented by the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Sport of Lincoln Award presented by the Dan Gable Museum in 2009. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. With museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa, the Hall of Fame has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world including the Hall of Honors in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where wrestling legends are enshrined at the national, regional, and state level. The rich heritage and diversity of the sport will be highlighted throughout the newly-renovated museum. There is also a library featuring historical documents and books on the sport as well as a theater. The Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is currently closed to visitors while undergoing an entire interior renovation. It is scheduled to re-open on June 3-4, 2016, just in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary at the annual Honors Weekend induction ceremonies. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Potential future collegiate wrestling stars for Penn State, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Utah Valley University, Campbellsville University, King University and University of the Cumberlands are among the finalists for the 2016 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Awards and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Awards announced by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma Friday. Penn State recruits Mark Hall II and Nick Suriano, future Utah Valley wrestler Taylor LaMont, Cavalier recruit Jack Mueller, and Virginia Tech signee Kyle Norstrem are the five regional finalists for the 2016 Dave Schultz award, while Campbellsville recruit Katie Brock, Cumberlands signee Payton Rigert, and future King wrestler Gabby Garcia are among those in the running for the 2016 Tricia Saunders award. Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 5, with awards to be presented at Honors Weekend at the Stillwater Hall of Fame June 3-4. 2016 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award Regional winners Winner of the West Region, Taylor LaMont of Mapleton, Utah is a four-time state champion, who was 66-0 with 53 pins as a senior for Maple Mountain High School in Spanish Fork, Utah. He was Academic All-State with a 3.97 GPA and a nominee for the Utah Governor High School Male Athlete of the State. He has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Utah Valley University. Central Region winner Jack Mueller of Dallas, Texas is a four-time state champion, who was undefeated as a senior at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, Texas. Mueller is a member of the Lead Team at Watermark Community Church, an organization that helped facilitate vacation Bible school for children in inner city Dallas, as well as volunteering with Young Men's Service League, a group that tutors youth, serves meals to the homeless, and assists the elderly. He will be wrestling at the University of Virginia. Mark Hall of Apple Valley, Minnesota -- winner of the Midwest Region -- is the first six-time state champion, finishing with a career record of 277-4, including 171 consecutive wins. He has a GPA of 3.72 and has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Mary's Place, which offers transitional apartments for homeless families with children. Hall has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Penn State. Representing the Northeast Region is Nick Suriano of Paramus, New Jersey, a four-time state champion and only the second wrestler in history to finish his career without a loss, going 159-0 for Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey, where he does volunteer work. Suriano will wrestle at Penn State. Kyle Norstrem of Valrico, Florida -- chosen to represent the Southeast Region -- is a five-time state champion, with a career record of 287-3-5. He won his first state title after going 41-1 as an eighth grader at Tampa Bay Christian, and captured his next four championships at Brandon High School where he was 246-2. Norstrem has volunteered at fundraisers for the YMCA, and has worked as a volunteer tutor to assist fellow students in mathematics. He has committed to wrestle at Virginia Tech. 2016 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award nominees Alaska: Roberta Christopher of New Stuyahok, Alaska won the state championship and is the student government president for Chief Ivan Blunka School. California: Gabby Garcia of Anaheim, California is a four-time state champion for Valencia High School in Placentia, California. She has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for King University. Hawaii: Teshya Alo of Honolulu is a four-time state champion for Kamehameha High School. She won the U.S. Nationals/Trials Qualifier in 2015, defeating 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell in the finals. Oregon: Payton Rigert of Hood River, Oregon won three state championships and finished runner-up once while helping Hood River Valley High School capture three state titles. She will be wrestling at the University of the Cumberlands. Tennessee: Katie Brock of Whitwell, Tennessee is a four-time state champion for Sequatchie County High School in Dunlap, Tennessee. She has signed a letter of intent to wrestle at Campbellsville University. Texas: Brianna Holcomb of El Paso, Texas was a state champion and a runner-up for Hanks High School while capturing four district and three regional titles. Washington: Jordyn Bartelson of Puyallup, Washington is a four-time state champion, who as 143-7 with 127 pins, for Puyallup High School. About the awards The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted as a Distinguished Member into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1997. First presented in 2014, the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award is named for Saunders, a four-time World champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2006, and is also a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame. The awards recognize and celebrate the nation's most outstanding high school seniors for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. Nominations for the Dave Schultz award are accepted from the 49 states that sponsor boys' high school championships while nominations for the award named for Tricia Saunders are accepted from the seven states that sponsor an all-female girls' high school championship. Winners are determined by a committee with input from National Wrestling Hall of Fame State Chapters, where applicable. Five regional winners are chosen for the Dave Schultz award from the state award winners; the national winner is selected from those regional winners. 2016 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners Alabama: Nick Cater, Arab High School Alaska: Seth Hutchison, Soldotna High School Arizona: Danny Vega, Ironwood Ridge High School Arkansas: Nick Noel, Pulaski Academy California: Evan Wick, San Marino High School Colorado: Ryan Deakin, Legacy High School Connecticut: Charles Kane, Fairfield Warde High School Delaware: Justin Bennett, Sussex Central High School Florida: Kyle Norstrem, Brandon High School Georgia: Thomas Bullard, Archer High School Hawaii: Liam Corbett, Leilehua High School Idaho: Tucker Leavitt, Highland High School Illinois: Isaiah White, Oak Park-River Forest High School Indiana: Chad Red, New Palestine High School Iowa: Carter Happel, Lisbon High School Kansas: -- Michael Prieto, Garden City High School Kentucky: Keegan Duncan, Trinity High School Louisiana: Brock Bonin, Teurlings Catholic High School Maine: Peter Del Gallo, Gardiner High School Maryland: Austin Kraisser, Centennial High School Massachusetts: Peter Tedesco, Belmont Hill School Michigan: Kanen Storr, Leslie High School Minnesota: Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School Missouri: Matthew Schmitt, Platte County High School Montana: Luke Weber, Forsyth High School Nebraska: Zemua Baptista, Friend High School Nevada: Reese Neville, Yerington High School New Hampshire: Dylan Barreiro, Pinkerton Academy New Jersey: Nick Suriano, Bergen Catholic High School New Mexico: Dylan Udero, Las Cruces High School New York: Christian Araneo, Ward Melville High School North Carolina: Sawyer Davidson, Asheboro High School North Dakota: Taylor Nein, Bismarck High School Ohio: Alex Marinelli, Graham High School Oklahoma: Wyatt Sheets, Stilwell High School Oregon: Osawaru Odighizuwa, David Douglas High School Pennsylvania: Luke Pletcher, Greater Latrobe High School Rhode Island: James Sauro, Bishop Hendricken High School South Carolina: Zack Clary, Dorman High School South Dakota: Jebben Keyes, TF Riggs High School Tennessee: Trey Chalifoux, Father Ryan High School Texas: Jack Mueller, Trinity Christian Academy Utah: Taylor LaMont, Maple Mountain High School Vermont: Tyler Raetz, Mount Anthony Union High School Virginia: Joey Prata, St. Christopher's School Washington: Michael Soler, Lake Stevens High School West Virginia: Cam Moore, Roane County High School Wisconsin: Hunter Marko, Amery High School Wyoming: Taylor Jeffries, Campbell County High School All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 1996: David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa 1997: Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1998: Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah 1999: Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas 2000: Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 2001: Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey 2002: Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma 2003: C. P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2004: Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania 2005: Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York 2006: David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2007: Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellog High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2008: Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2009: David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio 2010: Logan Steiber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio 2011: Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2012: Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2013: Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania 2014: Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2015: Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2014: Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California 2015: Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington

Leo KocherLeo Kocher, long-time head wrestling coach at the University of Chicago, now regrets sending a letter on school letterhead on behalf of former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, the university's student newspaper reported Friday. On March 7, 2016, Kocher sent a letter to the judge seeking leniency for Hastert, who on Wednesday was sentenced to 15 months in prison for committing bank fraud to cover up sexual abuse while a high school wrestling coach in suburban Chicago. "Like many people I did not want to believe these allegations about someone whom I respected. In light of the recent confirmation of detailed allegations, I now deeply regret my decision seven weeks ago to submit this letter and to write it on University of Chicago Wrestling Program letterhead," Kocher wrote in his email to the Chicago Maroon student paper. "I have only sympathy for the victims in this case." Kocher's letter was written before a court filing on April 8 that detailed allegations by four individuals who said that Hastert sexually assaulted them as teens during his time as a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School from 1965 to 1981. During his sentencing hearing Wednesday, Hastert admitted to sexually abusing his athletes. In response, federal judge Thomas Durkin called Hastert a "serial child molester" and imposed a longer sentence than the one of up to six months which had been recommended by the federal prosecutor. The judge also made clear he could not sentence Hastert for the assaults, because the statutes of limitations on the sexual abuse allegations have long passed. In the letter, written on UChicago Wrestling stationery, Kocher identifies himself as head wrestling coach and associate professor at the school for 35 years, and that he grew up in Sycamore, Illinois -- a community about 65 miles west of Chicago -- in the U.S. House district Hastert served. "I am writing to testify to the fact that Denny Hastert is an outstanding human being who made enormous contributions to society -- particularly the youth of society -- over his lifetime," wrote Kocher. "Denny told me over 10 years ago that his work as a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School meant much more to him than any accolades he received as an elected government official. I have no doubt he meant it." Kocher then addressed the work that he and Hastert did together "when it became apparent that the U.S. Department of Education had created a strong incentive for colleges to eliminate intercollegiate athletic opportunities through its interpretation of Title IX." (A PDF file of Kocher's complete letter -- along with others submitted to the judge on behalf of Hastert -- is available at the Chicago Tribune website .) Through an email from a school spokesperson sent to the Chicago Maroon, University of Chicago made clear that Kocher's letter did not represent the views of the school. "UChicago Athletics is committed to upholding core principles of education, excellence and integrity, and helping students develop as athletes, teammates, and as citizens in the world," said Marielle Sainvilus. "Members of the University community express their individual views on a wide range of topics, and none of these are to be taken as positions of the University itself." The court received more than 60 letters written on behalf of Hastert. Kocher was one of 40 individuals whose letters were made public by the judge late last week. Along with pleas from family members, constituents, and political figures such as former CIA director Porter Goss and former House Majority leader Tom DeLay, there were at least three other letters from individuals with wrestling backgrounds: David Kapple, who wrestled on a Yorkville team coached by Hastert; Dale Anderson, two-time NCAA champ at Michigan State in the late 1960s; and wrestling historian Mike Chapman. Kocher just completed his 37th season as head coach of the UChicago Maroons. During his tenure, Kocher has coached 22 All-Americans, including a pair of NCAA Division III champions, and has guided UChicago to four top-15 team finishes at the NCAA III Championships as well as 15 University Athletic Association team titles, according to his official school biography. In 2013, Kocher was honored with a lifetime service award by the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Prior to his arrival at UChicago, Kocher served a two-year stint as assistant coach at Northwestern University. Kocher began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Northern Illinois University. Kocher wrestled at Northwestern, and also wrestled in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. At its official website, University of Chicago describes itself as "one of the world's premier academic and research institutions." Founded in 1890 by John D. Rockefeller, the private, four-year university has approximately 15,500 undergraduate and graduate students at its main campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood south of downtown Chicago, and at facilities located around the world. UChicago's Maroons intercollegiate sports teams -- including wrestling -- compete in NCAA Division III.

Sherwyn Thorson, the first University of Iowa wrestler to win an NCAA heavyweight championship who earned All-American honors in both wrestling and football for the Hawkeyes, died in early April. He was 75. Sherwyn ThorsonThorson passed away April 6 after a lengthy battle with cancer, according to his college alma mater. Funeral services have already been held in his hometown of Fort Dodge, Iowa. Thorson was a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler for Iowa under coach Dave McCuskey, making it to the Nationals finals twice. At the heavyweight title match at the 1960 NCAAs, the Hawkeye lost to Dale Lewis of the University of Oklahoma, 3-1. He took a year away from wrestling during the 1960-61 season to concentrate on football. At the 1962 NCAAs, Thorson pinned Wisconsin's Roger Pillath at 3:21 of the finals, not only winning the unlimited (heavyweight) championship, but also avenging the outcome of the 1962 Big Ten finals two weeks earlier, where the Badger pinned the Hawkeye in the conference title match. In addition to turning the tables on Pillath, Thorson was involved in an earlier situation where he avenged a humiliating loss on the mat. As a wrestler at Fort Dodge High School in north-central Iowa, Thorson lost in the Class A heavyweight finals at the 1958 Iowa state wrestling championships. When he arrived at Iowa City, he discovered he would be teammates with the wrestler who defeated him for that title. In wrestling room matches, Thorson repeatedly beat the man who denied him a state crown, earning the starting spot as heavyweight. Also known by the nicknames of "Thumper" and "Thor", Thorson was more than a national champion wrestler at Iowa. He also played offensive guard and linebacker for the football Hawkeyes, earning All-American honors on the wrestling mat and on the gridiron, the only Hawkeye athlete to accomplish both of those feats ... and perhaps the only athlete in NCAA history to do both, according to the Iowa sports website BlackHeartsGoldPants.com. Thorson was a physical specimen who was very agile for a big man, having grown from being a 138-pound wrestler as a high school freshman into a 235-pounder at Iowa. He was an early proponent of working out with weights, in an era when college wrestling and football coaches feared their athletes would become "muscle-bound" if they set foot in the weight room. "I went at the weights hard my junior year when a professor failed me in a course that I know I did well in. He told me he considered me a paid professional athlete and just wasn't going to give me a passing grade," Thorson told the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. That time helped the two-sport star muscle up to be more successful against larger opponents in wrestling and football. After being selected in both the NFL (Los Angeles Rams, seventh round) and the AFL (Boston Patriots, third round) drafts (this was before the two organizations merged to become today's NFL), Thorson elected to play in the Canadian Football League. Playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1962-68), Thorson helped his team win the Grey Cup in 1962 and return to the title game in 1965. He was named a Western Conference All-Star in 1962. Thorson has been inducted into a number of Halls of Fame. In addition to being welcomed into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007, Thorson was inducted into the Fort Dodge Senior High School Hall of Fame in 1967. He is also an honoree of the University of Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame, and the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame. Thorson is survived by his wife, Linda, children Tjeran and Joryn, and four grandchildren, Lehr, Asle, Ayden and Amelia. See video of the 1962 NCAA finals match where Sherwyn Thorson pinned Wisconsin's Roger Pillath to win the National title. The heavyweight match begins at 35 minutes into the film, which is silent and was shot in black-and-white. Pillath is wrestling bare-chested.

LAS VEGAS -- Two-time InterMat High School Wrestler of the Year Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) won a second straight UWW Junior National freestyle title on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, Nevada. The nation's top Class of 2016 prospect, and bound for Penn State, Hall won all five matches at 74 kilograms against wrestlers that were on collegiate rosters this past season. That included three wins against elite prospects in the Class of 2015, who redshirted this past season. It was first a 10-0 win in the quarterfinal over Josh Shields (Arizona State), which was followed up by an 8-4 win in the semifinals over future college teammate Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State), and then a pin over Logan Massa (Michigan) in the final. Hall and Massa wrestled a shootout at the Olympic Team Trials earlier this month, a match that Hall won; on this occasion, Hall trailed early on, but rallied back for the pin in 1:34. Two other competitors repeated as champions in this tournament, Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) at 55 kilograms and Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) at 84. In three matches prior to the final, Fix amassed a trio of victories by technical fall, most notably the 10-0 semifinal technical fall against fellow elite Class of 2017 prospect Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.); Gomez was a returning UWW Junior Nationals medalist in this weight class. Then it was a 6-5 victorious battle over Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) in the final; both wrestlers were UWW Cadet National freestyle champions the previous two seasons. Valencia wrestled five matches in the tournament and only allowed one point throughout the event, that coming in an 11-1 quarterfinal victory over Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.), a top 30 Class of 2016 prospect. His semifinal and final victory came against fellow top ten wrestlers from the Class of 2015, a 4-0 victory over Bobby Steveson (Minnesota) and then a 7-0 win over NCAA champion at 174 pounds Myles Martin (Ohio State); Valencia also beat Martin 7-0 in last year's final at this event. These three champions will have the opportunity to compete against an Iranian opponent as part of the Beat the Streets "United in the Square" dual meet on May 19th, along with the champion at 60 kilograms. In addition, all champions in the eight contested weight classes advance to the final of the UWW World Team Trials, which will be in Irving, Texas on May 21st and 22nd; those choosing to compete at Times Square have the right to delay their match against the challenge tournament champion. One of the other champions on Saturday was returning UWW Junior World freestyle champion Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), who won all three of his matches in the tournament by 10-0 technical fall at 50 kilograms. The nation's top Class of 2017 prospect faced Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) in the championship match. The other wrestler having first choice to compete at the Beat the Streets event on Times Square will be Minnesota signee Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), the champion at 60 kilograms. He earned a pin in 2:15 against Seth Gross (South Dakota State), a three-time Fargo freestyle champion in high school, who was one match from All-American honors in the NCAA tournament at 141 pounds last month. The other four matches that McKee won in this tournament all came by technical fall. Rounding out the champions for weight classes that will be contested at the UWW Junior World Championships in France later this summer were Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) at 66 kilograms, Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado) at 96 kilograms, and Rylee Streifel (Minnesota) at 120 kilograms. Pantaleo was a semifinalist in the NCAA tournament at 149 before dropping three matches to finish sixth. Leading up to this tournament's championship match, he had four pins sandwiched around a 12-2 technical fall in the quarterfinal round. In the championship match, it was a 5-1 decision over Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton), a top ten Class of 2015 prospect. Seely was runner-up at this weight class last year in this same tournament, as well as a challenge tournament finalist at the World Team Trials. Before enrolling at Northern Colorado this past fall, he also was a Junior National freestyle champion in Fargo. This afternoon, he beat fellow redshirting freshman Lance Benick (Arizona State) 9-2 in the championship match. In another championship match battle of redshirting freshmen, it was Rylee Streifel (Minnesota) scoring a 10-8 victory over Patrick Grayson (Nebraska). Champions in the three weight classes not to be contested at the UWW Junior World Championships were Cole Martin (Wisconsin) at 63 kilograms, Michael Kemerer (Iowa) at 70 kilograms, and Beau Breske (Hartford Union, Wis.) at 79 kilograms. Martin, who redshirted this season as a true freshman, beat top 50 Class of 2017 prospect Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.) by an 8-8 criteria decision in his championship match. Kemerer, a top 15 prospect in the 2015 class also redshirted this past season, advanced to the final with three technical falls and a pin in the semifinal. He earned a 9-8 victory in the final over top 40 Class of 2016 prospect Evan Wick (San Marino, Calif.), who was a Junior National freestyle runner-up last summer in Fargo. Breske, ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2016 and a commit to Nebraska, advanced to the final with three shutout technical falls and then a 13-9 semifinal decision. He upended Myles Amine (Michigan), a redshirting true freshman 9-4 in the championship match.

Former Speaker of the House Denny Hastert was sentenced this week to 15 months in federal prison for crimes committed as part of an attempt to cover up his sexual abuse of athletes while serving as a wrestling coach in Illinois. Dennis Hastert holding a trophy after the wrestling team he coached won the state championship in 1976The wrestling community is rightfully dismayed about one of the sport's most important public figures admitting to being a child molester, and later, to committing crimes in the hopes of keeping that secret quiet. The scenario is playing out far too often, and with community leaders we not only trust but revere. I was once an employee of Speaker Hastert, interning in the summers of 2000 and 2001 for his congressional office on Capitol Hill. In my first year the work was basic, if not droll, with little more being asked of my faculties than shuttling constituents along on Capitol tours, answering phones and taking care of the mail. The time was made more interesting by the Chandra Levy crisis and the various media-driven fallouts that would affect interns from around the Hill. Some had mistakenly chosen to speak with the press about THEIR relationship with the male congressman only to find their desks empty the morning after their interviews aired on TV. My role matured a bit in 2001 after I was asked to compile stories of men affected by Title IX. The assignment was meaty, allowing me both an opportunity to work on something more than my letter opening skills and to be part of something possibly consequential. As a wrestler at Virginia we had ourselves just dodged a previous year's attempt to cut our program -- largely for reasons, we were told, to do with Title IX. The Speaker didn't directly address my work, but on the occasions I met him he'd ask about the project and about my training. In the end a commission was formed, but needing majority approval for changed to the Office of Civil Rights' standing interpretation, the two nay votes cast by Brandi Chastain and Sheryl Swoopes torpedoed the effort. After college, a coworker from the Speaker's office got me a job working as a low-level staffer for the 2004 Mel Martinez for Senate campaign in Florida. We won, but by the end of the campaign I'd seen enough of politics. I'd spent a considerable amount of time with some of the biggest Republican names at the time, but politics -- specifically Martinez's dismantling of opponent Betty Castor's support of equal rights for the LGBT community -- left me jaded. Martinez -- whose posturing and antics around the matter knew no limits -- actually employed more than a handful of gay men and yet each week stumped about their sins. I left my behind-the-scenes political ambitions and returned to coaching, then later to this career which allows me to travel for, discuss and practice the sport I love. With some perspective it became easier to see what is now abundantly clear. Speaker Hastert was never "Coach" or a man focused on positive change in his community. He was always an opportunist and a pragmatist. What made him great at politicking is the same part of his ethos that was effective at manipulating and silencing of the boys he molested. The sexual abuse of his high school wrestling team is not morally comparable to some drunken night at a Vegas strip joint. The former Speaker of the House violated the trust of those in his command in the most intimate manner and did so without remorse -- his current attrition only a show in the hopes of finding fewer years locked in a steel cage. His whole career was a sham, a series of personal gains based on a lie about wholesome Midwestern values and conciliatory policy making. The unfortunate reality is that America, like the wrestling community, continues to fall for these unscrupulous leaders. The men (and women) who display outward badges of HONOR and SUCCESS so often become leaders who most entangle and endanger our communities. In the midst of being led astray we are too quick to assign them labels as holier-than-thou leaders, free of personal fault or indiscretion, and give them access to the highest realms of power and influence. For wrestling, the clown show of manipulative, self-interested leaders is as old as the sport, but America, in the last 20 years, has the distinction of giving national titles for excellence to a would-be murderer (John du Pont) and a child molester. To add insult to the current set of circumstances University of Chicago head wrestling coach Leo Kocher wrote a letter to the presiding judge asking for leniency, in part because of Hastert's work in combating Title IX. Were there a ranking of all-time boneheaded, thick-skulled, tone-deaf responses to a tragedy, Leo Kocher's would be an almost impossible to top nugget. Dennis HastertIn addition to not voicing support for a man recently admitting child molestation, would-be Hastert supporters also have to recognize now that Title IX didn't kill wrestling and that the years and money spent fighting the law only weakened our sport. Today, with the court cases sidelined, the sport is rebounding, adapting and growing. There is a burgeoning women's wrestling culture in this country in large part thanks to pro-Title IX efforts, like those Mike Burch led in the 1990s, made by effective leaders hoping to bring the sport into more schools. Title IX, like the wars Hastert helped rush us into, the restrictive social policies he helped enact, and his general pandering to the lowest common denominator, all have been proven backward and reductive. The Hastert case should serve as a wake-up call to our community. Now is the time to dispel with the honoring of characters carrying false promises. The Ponzi schemers and liars, the all-show-and-no-content bullshit artists trying to make a name for themselves on the backs of our community. Ignore them and we will make them irrelevant. Instead, look closer at the good people we still have in the sport and let them be our emotional leaders. With the Olympics coming up, it won't be difficult to find a new batch of heroes to follow. To your questions … Q: As a former Pennsylvania wrestler I've taken great pride in Penn State's surge to the top wrestling program in the nation. Lehigh, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Pitt, F&M and others have done their best in past years to represent PA on the college level, but it took Sanderson at Penn State to bring it all home. And when Sanderson took the Penn State job he went out of his way to say that Pennsylvania is the heart of the nation's wrestling and he was going focus on recruiting in-state, which he has done successfully (Ed Ruth, Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf, Nico Megaludis). So that set up is a long-winded way of asking what happened with Spencer Lee and Gavin Teasdale? They are two world-class products of Pennsylvania wrestling, so why did they end up going to Iowa? Can you shed some light on the situation? And I'm not buying the rationale that Penn State was full up with Suriano and didn't have room either on their roster or for scholarships. You don't pass up a kid like Spencer Lee … ever. -- Steve S. Foley: There are any number of reasons that Spencer Lee traveled to Iowa for college rather than stayed in Pennsylvania. My instinct tells me that Jody Strittmatter, who coaches both guys on the Young Guns, influenced their decision to go to Iowa. However, I am almost as certain that Strittmatter wasn't heavy-handed about the approach, and rather these kids just grew up knowing about their coach's Iowa roots, hearing stories and maybe envisioning themselves in the singlet. Coach Sanderson probably didn't go down without a fight, but the reality is that these guys probably saw much less opportunity to start right away at Penn State than they did at Iowa. You mentioned Suriano, but there are others in the room waiting to get their chance. Maybe that was something the duo chose to ignore. It's also possible that they wanted to wrestle together in college and Iowa was the best fit for that situation. Coach Sanderson is smart enough to realize missing out on one or two recruits doesn't sink a program. However, if this somehow continues to happen, then there is something with which Penn State fans can finally start to worry about. Q: Haley Augello's rise has been incredible. I have been very impressed with her. Do you see her as a potential Olympic medalist in Rio? -- Mike C. Haley Augello gets her hand raised after a victory over Victoria Anthony in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: Agreed. She has been wrestling really well the past several months and showed real talent in navigating past Vicky Anthony and Alyssa Lampe at the Olympic Team Trials. She also looked solid in Mongolia, beating her first four opponents before falling in the finals to the North Korean. That loss might be a bad bell-weather as the North Korean has seen underwhelming results versus much of Asia and Europe. My guess is that Haley can earn a bronze if landing in the right position. She's going to have a very tough time against Mariya Stadnyk, Eri Tosaka and Sun Yanan. All three have shown the ability to wrestle at a level above the rest of the girls at 48 kilos. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Take the money and run Not aimed at everyone, but if anyone wants to surf, train and have a great time, Bali MMA is owned by former college wrestlers. Link: Let's eat Dagestan Training Camp Q: What do you think our chances are for qualifying the remaining weight classes at the last Olympic Qualifier? Specifically, with Frank Molinaro, do you think criteria wins at the Trials mean we don't have our best foot forward to qualify the weight class or medal in Rio? -- G.H. Foley: As someone pointed out to me at the 1st World Olympic Qualifier in Mongolia, the system seems to be working out pretty well. With the notable exception of Hamid Soryan of Iran, almost all the top wrestlers in the world are qualified and the best from each nation seem to also be included in the Olympic roster. Molinaro is the least experienced on the roster and faced a wrestler in Yakup Gor who has placed at the World Championships. Still, he managed to come pretty darn close to pulling off that upset and possibly finding a path to qualification. As it was, he lost a heartbreaker. In my opinion, Molinaro is better than 50/50 to qualify in Istanbul. Most of the heavy hitters have qualified and any shuffling by the remaining countries will probably not reap positive outcomes. As for the women, Tamyra Mensah should be qualifying. There is an enormous amount of talent that hasn't yet been realized, but once she sees what others do there is no limit to what she can achieve. Kelsey Campbell didn't look great in Mongolia, but she's wrestled plenty of international tournaments and could bring some veteran grit with her to Turkey. The Greco-Roman qualification will be the toughest. RaVaughn Perkins took bronze in Mongolia, but lost in the true third-place match. His style may not lend itself to success in Europe where many more classic style enthusiasts will show up from smaller cash-strapped countries. Jesse Thielke can get the job done but needs to close out matches more effectively in Istanbul than he did in Mongolia. Joe Rau didn't show much in the first qualifier, leaving many question marks about what will happen in Turkey. Q: How do wrestling fans outside of the United States view Kyle Snyder? As a one-hit wonder? -- Mike C. Foley: Everyone has an opinion on who is legit and who isn't, but I think it's universally accepted that Kyle Snyder is not a flash in the pan. He wrestles with the very best in the world while simultaneously wrestling a collegiate season. That's not unnoticed by the Russians, Iranians or other opponents. This past week in Mongolia I heard a lot of inquiries about his position on the team, as many thought that the USA would still send Jake Varner given his Olympic gold medal. More importantly however, when Snyder's name comes up it's usually always framed in the question of if he will win the Olympics. That's a sign that most think he's at the top of the heap. Request of the Week By Dexter H. I'm writing because I want to conclude the chapter with a brief discussion of the way wrestling has proven a common cultural practice between United States servicemen in the military and the local communities where they are stationed. I know that many of our servicemen and women have had the chance to engage in wrestling (formally and informally) while stationed overseas, and I wanted to see if any of your readers might be interested in contacting me to discuss their experiences of either training or competing with local Afghan, Iraqi, Kuwaiti or other communities while stationed overseas. For example, I know that the Army 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division hosted a Palawan (Afghan wrestling) tournament on FOB Wilson in Kandahar Province back in 2012. I'm also aware of our servicemen wrestling when stationed in Europe and the Pacific. I'm wondering if any readers might be able to give me some insight into their wrestling experiences abroad so that I can speak to how wrestling continues to cross cultural boundaries and connect peoples globally, even in times of international conflict. If you wouldn't mind, could you plug this in your mailbag section to see if I can find some informants for the closing of this article? I can be reached at dex@berkeley.edu.