InterMat Staff

IRVING, Texas -- Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer and John Smith have been awarded yearly Big 12 Wrestling honors, as voted on by fellow conference coaches. Dieringer is the 2016 Big 12 Wrestler of the Year, while Smith earned the 2016 Big 12 Wrestling Coach of the Year accolade. Coach Smith has picked up the recognition for the fourth straight season and 13th time in 20 seasons. This year marks the first time a wrestler of the year has been awarded. 2016 Big 12 Wrestler of the Year: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State, 165 pounds, Sr., Port Washington, Wis. Dieringer capped off an impressive collegiate campaign with his third straight NCAA National Championship and second straight at 165 pounds. The senior topped Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan in a 6-2 decision in the title match. A couple weeks earlier, the Cowboy picked up his second straight Big 12 title at 165 pounds, triumphing in a hard-fought 4-2 bout with Iowa State's Tanner Weatherman. The Cowboys' prowess on the mat earned him the 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy, the highest honor in collegiate wrestling. Dieringer completed his senior season with a 33-0 record, recording bonus points in all but six matches. He ended his career on a dominating 82-match win streak that dated back to January of 2014. The Port Washington, Wisconsin native proved dominant in his career, collecting four All-America honors and four Big 12 titles (two at 157 pounds and two at 165 pounds), along with three NCAA individual titles. 2016 Big 12 Coach of the Year: John Smith, Oklahoma State, 25th Season Coach Smith helped lead a poised Cowboy squad to a second place finish at the NCAA Championship, along with a landslide team victory at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship in Kansas City. Smith guided OSU to a 12-2 overall record and 6-0 mark against fellow Big 12 opponents. Led by Dieringer and Dean Heil, the Cowboys claimed seven Big 12 individual titles and qualified 10 wrestlers in NCAA competition, with eight seeded. The aforementioned duo won NCAA individual national titles, with Dieringer taking home the 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy along the way. In total, six Oklahoma State student-athletes earned All-America honors. In 25 years at the helm in Stillwater, Smith has coaches over 30 national champions and over 115 All-America honorees. The Oklahoma State alum has led his alma mater to four straight Big 12 titles as head coach and boasts a 383-58-6 career mark.

Greg Randall coaching at the 2016 Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Greg Randall will not return as Boise State's head wrestling coach, it was announced on Monday. Randall guided Boise State to six top-25 finishes and four Pac-12 titles. However, the Broncos have posted a record of 9-26-1 over the past three seasons. Randall spent 14 years as Boise State's head wrestling coach and 23 years with the program. "We want to thank Greg for all his years of service to Boise State and his commitment to our student-athletes," Boise State's director or athletics Curt Apsey Apsey said. "A national search for a new wrestling head coach will begin immediately." Taylor Meeks, who has served as an assistant coach for the Broncos, will take over as the interim head wrestling coach until a replacement is hired.

Three decades after first arriving in theaters, the 1985 movie "Vision Quest" still holds a special place in the hearts and minds of wrestlers and wrestling fans. Based on the popular late 1970s book of the same name by Terry Davis, the movie focuses on high school wrestler Louden Swain in his quest to defeat the muscular, menacing -- and undefeated -- defending state champ, Brian Shute. Brian Shute gets ready to wrestle"Vision Quest" helped launch a number of careers, including Matthew Modine (as Swain), Linda Fiorentino (as Carla, the "older" woman who comes to live with Louden and his dad), Michael Schoeffling and Forest Whitaker as Kuch and Balldozer, respectively (Swain's high school teammates), and the one and only Madonna, who plays a bar singer in her first major film role. However, for most in the wrestling community, the actor to remember is Frank Jasper, the guy who played Shute. Jasper recently submitted to an interview with InterMat to talk about his life before "Vision Quest", what it was like filming the iconic movie, what he's been doing in the years since, and how he still gets a reaction from fans who still have passionate feelings about the film. Yeah, but could he wrestle? Yes, the guy who played Shute wrestled for real. "I started off at 112 (pounds) as a freshman in high school, JV," Jasper told InterMat. "Sophomore year, I moved up one weight. By my senior year, I was wrestling at 155." Wrestling wasn't the only sport for Jasper. "I also played tennis my last two years of high school. I practiced indoors, and got a scholarship at North Idaho College." After high school, Jasper took a detour from his educational career, working as an ironworker in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State for four years before enrolling at Eastern Washington University, where, as a student in the pre-med athletic training program, served as athletic trainer for the school's wrestling team. "For three months I served as a training partner for a wrestler at 190 pounds," said Jasper. "A guy on the team was working as an extra on this movie about a high school wrestler being filmed in Washington (State). Said they were looking for a six-foot tall guy to wrestle in the movie. At the time I was a bodybuilder, and had bulked up to about 215 pounds." "I thought it was worth a shot. I went to where they were filming the movie, with the idea that I would simply play a wrestler. I wasn't expecting to have to deliver any lines." Frank Jasper was in for a surprise. Will wrestle for a movie role "I met with the casting director first. She handed me some lines from a script, asked me to read them," said Jasper. "She then took me to meet the director, Harold Becker. She grabbed the script out of my hands, saying, 'Do the lines.' I delivered the lines, then Harold said, 'Let's see you wrestle.' Luckily I had just participated in a wrestling competition, so I got through the practice demonstration." "They said that I looked to be about the same age as Matthew and Linda," Jasper continued. "The only thing they asked me to change was -- get rid of my moustache." Matthew Modin, who played Louden Swain, and Frank Jasper, who played Brian Shute, talk at a Beat the Streets event (Photo/Larry Slater)Jasper was then invited back to read for the "Vision Quest" producers, Jon Peters and Peter Guber. "Two other guys had tried out for the part but didn't work out. They apparently had a new guy that they liked, while the casting director and Harold were backing me for the role." "I had to do my reading for the producers with my shirt off. I felt ridiculous." "We all went over to the set. The other guy -- his name was Frank Zagarino -- demonstrated his ability to wrestle. They'd say, 'do a takedown' or whatever wrestling move, and he'd do it, then I would do the same. Back and forth. Sort of a wrestle-off." Jasper's story confirms a popular legend within the wrestling community -- that he had won a wrestling match with another actor to win the role of Brian Shute. Don't feel bad for Frank Zagarino; the former high school wrestler enjoyed a career in action movies before becoming a personal trainer. The making of a movie -- and an iconic character Winning the wrestle-off was just the beginning of the hard work for Frank Jasper. "I was a 215-pound bodybuilder who had to drop down to 189 in two-and-a-half weeks, before my scenes were to be filmed," Jasper told InterMat. "I know what it's like for wrestlers sucking weight." "The ironic thing was, as I was cutting weight, Matthew (Modine) was bulking up his frame so he looked to be more like a 189-pounder." Once the weight was off, Jasper was ready. "We shot for ten weeks, back in 1983, with some follow-up work in 1984." But that wasn't the end of Jasper's work on "Vision Quest." "Three months after filming, I was called back. They needed to shoot the weigh-in scenes. In the meantime, I had ballooned back up to 217. I had a month to get back down to what I weighed during the earlier filming." "In the weigh-in scenes, I thought I looked a little thin." About a month later, Jasper got another call: We need you again, this time for the famous -- or infamous -- scene where Shute confronts Louden Swain in the men's room with the line "You can't hold your mud." Jasper called director Harold Becker to warn him that he was up to 225. Luckily, it didn't really matter. "In the bathroom scene, I was wearing a jean jacket, which covered up the fact I was weighing in at about 200 pounds." Jasper revealed that the first scene he shot was of him getting off the school bus to enter the gym at Thompson High, Louden Swain's school. Over the course of a total of twelve weeks of filming, Frank Jasper learned just how much work -- and how many long hours -- go into making a movie. "It was an interesting process to film," Jasper said of his first assignment on a Hollywood movie, citing ten-to-twelve-hour days involving filming particular scenes over and over, especially the wrestling scenes. Brian Shute trainingJasper shared some background on the filming of yet another truly memorable scene in the movie: where Shute is climbing the stadium stairs with a log hoisted across his shoulders. "Yes, it was a real log!" Jasper disclosed. "And, even though the inside was hollowed out, it was still damn heavy!" "The other part no one realizes: even though the scene was to take place on a hot day, it was actually freezing cold. The sweat on my face was glycerin." Despite it being his first foray into film, Jasper has positive feelings about director Harold Becker, who had also directed "The Onion Field", "Taps" and "Sea of Love", among other films. "Harold was clear in telling me what he wanted, setting me up to be the monster." When asked if the director deliberately kept him away from the other actors -- a process that has been employed in some boxing movies and other films where a mano a mano confrontation is key to the story -- Jasper replied, "The only time I spent with other actors was in wrestling practice. I really didn't hang out with Matthew, but that wasn't necessarily by design." What about Madonna? "I wasn't around when they filmed her scene," Jasper said. "Realize that this movie was filmed before she became a star, so I wouldn't have really known who she was, even if I had been around for that scene." "Vision Quest" hit theaters on February 15, 1985. ("I thought they released it at a bad time," Jasper told InterMat.) Jasper described the making of "Vision Quest" as being "a very cool experience." So cool, it seems, that the student who was a Dean's List honoree in a very academically-demanding athletic training program -- "essentially pre-med" as he described it -- decided to relocate from the Pacific Northwest down to Los Angeles to see if he could make a go of it as an actor. "For one-and-a-half years, I took acting classes four nights a week, from 6 p.m. to midnight," said Jasper. "Got a gig for the Universal Studios tour where I worked for two-and-a-half years doing stunt work for a live stage show." (He also appeared in a couple other movies -- as well as in Van Halen's "Right Now" video where he played a drifter holding up a sign, "Will wrestle you for food" about a minute into the song.) Jasper's life beyond "Vision Quest" Frank Jasper with his wife SandaFrank Jasper never lost sight of his original career goals of learning and perfecting various aspects of the healing arts. Since 1995, he and his business and life partner Sanda Jasper have operated Osani Holistic Health Care in Pacific Palisades, Calif., just outside Los Angeles. As his bio at the Osani website states, Frank Jasper's early background incorporated pre-med studies, energy medicine and athletic training, with a Master's degree in Oriental Medicine from Yo San University, where he did his internship. He holds both California state and national certificates in acupuncture, specializing in sports medicine. He also trained and is certified in clinical nutrition, meridian stress assessment, craniosacral therapy, and reflexology. That doesn't mean that Jasper is no longer involved in athletics. In fact, he works with a number of athletes at Osani, with a focus on deep-tissue massage, acupuncture, and nutritional guidance for a holistic approach to wellness. In fact, Jasper has developed the TAN program -- Tennis, Acupuncture, and Nutrition -- for tennis players. ("Yes, I'm playing tennis again!" said the 58-year-old Jasper, who, in addition, holds a black belt in Aikido, is a Reiki Master and has studied and taught Qi Gong for over 25 years.) Looking back at "Vision Quest" Frank Jasper has fond memories about the making of "Vision Quest", but it's been only in more recent times that he actually had the opportunity to see the finished product. "I got a call from a policeman in South Carolina, who sent me a VHS copy of the movie which remained sealed in its original packaging until about a year or so ago," Jasper disclosed. "I saw it on the big screen for the first time in December 2015 in a theater here in Los Angeles. I was very pleased with the final product. I thought the wrestling was good, and it showed the hard work wrestlers put into their sport." "Harold Becker did such a great job," Jasper continued. "He wanted everything to be perfect. Before shooting a particular scene, he had me get my hair trimmed to make sure it matched what had been filmed four days earlier." "I'm honored that he picked me for the part, and have made a point of thanking him for having that vote of confidence in me." "'Vision Quest' the movie was part of a vision quest for me, personally," Jasper continued. "It made it possible for me to end up here in Los Angeles, involved in holistic health." He also seems to marvel that the role he played over 30 years ago still resonates within the wrestling community. "It was so cool to be at the Beat The Streets USA vs. Russia event at Times Square a few years ago," Jasper said. "Sat with Matthew Modine right at matside. What a great guy. Still with the same woman after all these years." "It was an incredible experience and honor to be there and to have fans come up to us." Frank Jasper with Scott GlabbThe opportunity for InterMat to interview Frank Jasper came courtesy of Scott Glabb, wrestling coach at Santa Ana High School outside Los Angeles who chronicled his experiences in the book "A Saint in the City: Coaching At-Risk Kids To Be Champions" which was the subject of an InterMat feature a few years ago. Jasper and Glabb were wrestling teammates at Eastern Washington University, and have remained friends over the years. "I've been down to his school to hand out trophies," Jasper said. "This year, the wrestlers knew who I was because they got to see 'Vision Quest.'" Jasper is planning to be a part of the 2016 World Cup wrestling event to take place at The Forum in Los Angeles in June. He told InterMat that he has two shirts in development featuring iconic images from "Vision Quest": Shute in a singlet, and carrying that log in the stadium stair climb. "I'm trying to support wrestling and generate interest in the event." It's easy to imagine Frank Jasper won't have any trouble selling those T-shirts.  

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Former Spartan All-American Chris Williams has been named assistant wrestling coach, first-year head coach Roger Chandler announced on Monday. Chris WilliamsWilliams has served as the head wrestling coach at Adrian College since November 2014, where he restarted the program and led the Bulldogs in their first season of competition in 31 years in 2015-16. He previously was an assistant coach at Michigan State, along with Chandler, for eight seasons (2005-13). "The biggest thing about Chris is his experience and his relevance in the Michigan wrestling community," said Chandler, who assumed the head coaching duties following this past season with the retirement of 25-year head coach Tom Minkel. "He's very connected and a well-respected coach. There are not very many people out there who have more of a passion for wrestling and developing student-athletes than Chris. Starting the program back up at Adrian College speaks volumes about the type of enthusiasm he has for the sport. "I've worked with Chris many years in the past, so I know the energy he brings to a program and the wrestling room every single day while working with kids, and that was very important to me. He has a special way of being able to connect to people and possesses a unique quality of building meaningful relationships. As a former All-American and coach here at Michigan State, he's also very knowledgeable about our program and is well known throughout our alumni base." Williams recruited an entire class of wrestlers to Adrian College, created the competition schedule for the 2015-16 season, and established and managed operating budgets. With experience as a head coach, Williams led fundraising efforts, developed and implemented practice plans and strategies, and organized all equipment needs, all while mentoring student-athletes and creating a positive environment that stressed success on and off the mat. In Williams' first season at Adrian College, the Bulldogs made their fifth all-time NCAA appearance at the Division III Championships, finishing in a three-way tie for 23rd place out of 58 teams with 15.5 points. Adrian had a dual-meet record of 7-3, with all three losses coming to nationally ranked teams. Angus Arthur, who finished with a 34-2 record, earned All-America accolades at 197 pounds after placing fourth at nationals. Arthur and Zach Rieger both became the first wrestlers in program history to be named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Scholar Team. During his time as an assistant at MSU, Williams helped Spartan wrestlers earn All-America honors on eight occasions, including 2009 NCAA Champion and two-time Big Ten Champion Franklin Gomez. Williams also took part as the head coach of the Michigan USA Wrestling Team from 2007-12. He was selected to be the leader of more than 100 of the top wrestlers in the state as they competed in national events. He also served as a coach in MSU Wrestling Camps. A native of Fowlerville, Michigan, Williams wrestled at MSU from 1997-2002, earning All-America honors in 2001 at 125 pounds. He recorded 102 career wins, which ranks 18th most in program history, and was named a team captain as a senior. A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier (2001, 2002), Williams took seventh at the NCAA Championships in 2001 and placed third at the Big Ten Championships in 2001 and seventh in 2002. He won a career-high 34 matches as a junior. Williams was a two-time Michigan high school state champion and four-time all-state honoree at Fowlerville High School, compiling a 195-10 record, including a 101-2 mark his last two seasons. He also had extensive success in the freestyle and Greco-Roman ranks as well. He was a Greco-Roman Junior Fila National Champion in 1998, and took Greco-Roman University national champion honors in 2001. Williams received his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Michigan State in 2002. Following his time in East Lansing, Williams earned his certificate in secondary education from Eastern Michigan University in social studies and economics in 2011. Williams and his wife, Nicolette, who is also an MSU graduate, have a daughter, Nolla (7).

Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray take a picture after winning gold medals at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)NEW YORK -- World champion women wrestlers Adeline Gray and Helen Maroulis of the United States will compete against talented Canadian opponents as part of the 2016 Beat the Streets international competition, which returns to New York City's Times Square on Thursday, May 19. Gray is a three-time World champion who earned a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team with her victory at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on April 10. Gray will face 2015 Canadian World Team member Justina Distasio in a match at 75 kg/165 lbs. Gray won World gold medals in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and is also a two-time World bronze medalist in 2011 and 2013. Gray is currently on a 37-match winning streak. She was a 2015 Pan American Games champion, is a two-time World Cup champion, and has also won World titles on the University and Junior levels. She is a native of Denver, Colo., and competes for the New York Athletic Club. Di Stasio competed on the 2015 Canadian Senior World Team. She won gold medals in the 2015 and 2016 Pan American Championships, and was a silver medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games. Di Stasio was second at the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials. She was fifth in the 2012 Junior World Championships. Di Stasio was a three-time WCWA Women's College national champion for Simon Fraser University. This is a rematch of the 2015 Pan American Games gold medal finals, won by Gray with a come-from-behind last-second score for a 9-6 victory. It will be Gray's first time competing in Times Square at a Beat the Streets competition, and Di Stasio will be making her Times Square debut as well. Maroulis was a 2015 World champion at 55 kg, and has won a 2012 World silver medal and a 2013 World bronze medal. Maroulis recently won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 53 kg, and will be competing at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia, April 22-24, where she will attempt to qualify the United States for the Rio Olympic Games at her weight class. Maroulis is a six-time U.S. Open champion. She has won two World Cup gold medals and 2011 Pan American Games champion. She won three career Junior World titles. Maroulis won four WCWA women's college national titles for Simon Fraser University. She is a native of Rockville, Md. and competes for the Sunkist Kids. Stewart was a bronze medalist at the 2012 World University Championships, and was a 2016 Pan American Championships gold medalist. She placed fourth in the 2009 Senior World Championships. Stewart has won medals at international competitions in Germany, Canada, France, Brazil and Romania. She won the Canadian Team Trials in December 2015. Maroulis has competed in a Beat the Streets event three previous times, scoring victories in all of her bouts. She first competed in the "Rumble on the Rails" in Grand Central Terminal in 2013, pinning Irina Kisel of Russia in the second period. In 2014, she scored a pin over Marcia Andrades of Venezuela in 5:53 in Times Square at the "Team USA vs. the World" event. In 2015, she scored a 10-0 technical fall over Yamilka del Valle of Cuba in the "Salsa in the Square" in Times Square. This will be Stewart's first appearance in a Beat the Streets event. Competitors for Team USA will also compete in men's freestyle against world power Iran. There will be two Olympic-level matches and four Junior-level matches as part of the men's freestyle competition. In addition, there will also be Greco-Roman competition on the card. These matchups 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 6:30 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 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: USA vs. Iran freestyle matches and featured Greco-Roman bout to be announced later. 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 and Canada 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.

Concussions continue to grab headlines in the sports world, especially football, thanks to Will Smith's "Concussion" movie and news stories of late NFL legends whose brains indicated concussion-caused trauma. Now the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee has weighed in, with new, proposed precautions regarding concussion-related injuries in collegiate wrestling announced Friday. Last week, the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee recommended a rules change that would allow medical personnel an unlimited and unimpeded amount of time for concussion evaluation of wrestlers, beginning in the 2016-17 season. In addition, the committee also recommended that medical staff be given the ability to remove participants from the wrestling mat or sidelines to perform a concussion evaluation when the situation is not clear-cut. During the evaluation, the match will be suspended until a decision is rendered by the medical professional. The referee, the coaches of both participants and the non-injured wrestler would be required to remain on the mat during the evaluation. A concussion evaluation timeout will not count as an injury timeout or recovery timeout. Coaching of the wrestler being evaluated would not be permitted. In a separate recommendation from the rules committee, an injured wrestler would not be permitted to be coached during all other non-bleeding injury timeouts. In the case of a potentially severe or traumatic situation, medical personnel may request the wrestler's coach to assist in calming the injured wrestler. However, coaches would be required to step away from the situation during any assessment period related to the injury or concussion evaluation. "Both of these new rules proposals are about providing medical personnel dedicated and uninterrupted time with the injured athlete so they can make a more accurate health and safety decision in an already limited timeframe," said NCAA Wrestling Secretary-Rules Editor Chuck Barbee. "These rules recommendations are a good indicator of the committee's commitment to continuing to explore and advance new rules that positively impact the student-athlete's health and safety, said Barbee, former head coach of the Army wrestling program at West Point. Last fall, in an interview with InterMat to discuss new rules for NCAA wrestling for the 2015-16 season -- including then-new protocols for handling potential concussions sustained during a match -- Barbee made clear as to how a concussion evaluation can be requested, saying, "The referee or medical professionals are the ones who can request a concussion timeout. The wrestler who suspects he may be concussed may also ask for a timeout. Coaches cannot ask for this." During that 2015 InterMat interview, Barbee pointed out that wrestling has the highest rate of concussion in sports ... higher than football. All proposed rule changes for the 2016-17 season put forth by the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee -- including any adjustments to handling potential concussions -- must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss wrestling rules proposals via teleconference June 15. "Overall, the committee is pleased that for the 2016-17 season, other than our health and safety rules, we have no additional new or experimental rules that will be recommended for implementation," Barbee said. "This rule change respite should allow for everyone to continue to improve and perfect the application of our existing rules."

Two-time Ohio state runner-up Jared Campbell (St. Edward) verbally committed to the University of Missouri on Sunday evening. The projected 285 pound wrestler is ranked No. 39 overall in the Class of 2017, and was champion at the FloNationals and NHSCA Junior Nationals this spring, finishing the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 8 nationally at 220. He is the second Class of 2017 commitment to Missouri, joining Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.)

Two-time state champion Louie Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) verbally committed to Binghamton University on Sunday evening. The projected 184/197 pound wrestler is ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2017, and finished the 2015-16 season ranked No. 7 at 170 pounds. Deprez was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge in the fall, and placed at the Flo Nationals in 2014 and 2015.

Central Christian College announced doubly-good news Saturday, as the Kansas-based school revealed it was launching a men's varsity wrestling program this fall, and has already hired Tom Carr, assistant coach at George Mason University, as the new program's head coach. Tom CarrCarr will complete his duties with the GMU Patriots this spring, while at the same time starting to recruit for the new Central Christian wrestling program. He is slated to join the staff at CCC sometime around the first of June. "I am excited that Tom has agreed to come on board as our new head wrestling coach," said CCC Athletic Director Twiggs Reed. "He is an outstanding leader and coach, an exceptional recruiter, and is the ideal person to lead our inaugural men's wrestling program. We look forward to having Coach Carr build a winning tradition with student-athletes on the wrestling mat and in the classroom." Carr, a 2004 graduate of Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, brings a dozen years of varied wrestling coaching experiences to the new Tiger wrestling program. Carr launched his coaching career at Land O'Lakes High School in Florida, where he guided teams with three state qualifiers, one state champion and three AAU All-Americans. From there he moved on to become an assistant coach at Central College in Pella, Iowa. He spent a year at Central College and then took a position as an administrative assistant with the wrestling program at Michigan State. After two years with the Spartans, Carr became a fulltime assistant at NCAA Division I Bucknell University, coaching five nationally-ranked wrestlers, three All-American finishers and six NCAA Division I qualifiers. After a three-year stint at Bucknell, Carr was hired as an assistant coach at Minot State University, a NCAA DII school in Minot, North Dakota, where he helped start program from scratch. During his time with the Beavers, Carr earned a spot at the National Wrestling Coaches Association / Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Academy. In 2013, Carr joined the George Mason wrestling staff as an assistant and has coached there the past three seasons. While at GMU, Carr has coached four NCAA qualifiers, hosted the NWCA All-Star Classic, and recruited the first top 20 high school recruit to Mason in program history. "It is an absolute honor to be named the first head wrestling coach at Central Christian," said Carr. "I am grateful to Mr. Reed and President Hoxie for the opportunity and faith they have shown in me." Carr cited a number of coaches and mentors in his life that have helped him along his coaching journey. "I owe a great deal to many people that helped me get to this point and need to thank Eric Reed, Roger Chandler, Tom Minkel, Dan Wirnsberger, Robin Ersland, Joe Russell and Kevin McNamee for their mentorship and friendship," said Carr. "I also need to thank the athletes I have had the privilege of coaching, who have now become personal friends, without you I would not have the opportunity to start the Tiger program." "I am looking forward to building a team that competes hard on the mat, performs in the classroom, and is a credit to the great wrestling tradition in McPherson, Kansas." The new wrestling program joins an already impressive roster of intercollegiate sports offered by Central Christian College. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Located in McPherson, Kansas in the center of the state, Central Christian College describes itself as a small, private, four-year college.

Here's your invitation to walk the red carpet ... for wrestling. Tickets are now available for the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala, an opportunity to meet U.S. wrestlers, celebrities and heroes who love the oldest and greatest sport. The event will take place Thursday, June 9 at L.A. Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles. "Join us for an inspirational evening with the toughest people on the planet -- our heroes from the military, MMA champions, stars from movies and entertainment, our Olympic and wrestling greats, and some very special guests," according to the website announcing the event, which is presented by the US Wrestling Foundation and USA Wrestling. The website also describes the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala as a "game-changing event to grow wrestling. This is a star-studded night out on the red carpet to meet the stars and heroes who love our sport." It offers supporters of the sport an unbeatable opportunity to provide a great sendoff for Team USA wrestlers as they prepare for World Cup competition before the 2016 Rio Games this August. Among the featured guests: Kurt Angle (NCAA heavyweight champ for Clarion; Olympic gold medalist) Daniel Cormier (Oklahoma State All-American; current UFC light-heavyweight champ) Randy Couture (Oklahoma State All-American; three-time UFC heavyweight champ; actor) Steve Fraser (Olympic gold medalist; U.S. Greco-Roman coach) Rulon Gardner (Olympic gold medalist) Dan Henderson (Strikeforce light-heavyweight champ) Bennett Miller (Oscar-nominated film director "Foxcatcher") Ben Reed (actor) Anthony Robles (NCAA champ for Arizona State; ESPN wrestling announcer) Brian Stann (U.S. Marine Silver Star honoree; UFC commentator; CEO for Hire Heroes USA) Joe Warren (World champion in Greco-Roman; Bellator MMA champ) Michael Trucco (actor) The 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala begins with a "Meet the Stars" opportunity from 5-6 p.m., followed by a VIP reception from 6-7 p.m. The General Reception runs from 7-9 p.m. Individual tickets are available for $600 each; a table for ten is $5,000. Additional unique options for sponsorship are available; for details, contact Mark Malick at (412) 378-4509 or email him at Mark@USWrestlingFoundation.com. For more information on the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala, visit the official website, call Jack Clark at (703) 297-6351; or email him at Jack@USWrestlingFoundation.com. Donations made be made online at http://USWrestlingFoundation.com/. The U.S. Wrestling Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Tax ID # 37-1698099 that supports the missions of USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, to grow wrestling at all levels and develop opportunities for new participants.

Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at University of Minnesota, maintained his perfect 4-0 record as a professional in mixed martial arts with a second-round TKO in his welterweight match at Resurrection Fighting Alliance's RFA 37 at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Friday night. Logan StorleyStorley dispatched Cody Lincoln with what MMA website Sherdog.com described as a "bone-jarring right hand and follow-up punches" in 13 seconds of the second round of their scheduled three-round bout. "Lincoln (3-1) offered little in terms of resistance," Sherdog's Brian Knapp continued. "Storley executed a double-leg takedown early in round one, carved through the North Dakotan's guard and battered him with ground-and-pound. Lincoln weathered the initial advances but only prolonged the inevitable. Storley met him with a straight right hand at the start of the second round and pounded away with punches until referee Bobby Wombacher had seen enough." "He was very good on the ground with jiu jitsu -- better than I expected," Storley told the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. "But I put some pressure on him, hit him with some right hands, and hurt him." When the former Golden Gopher mat star saw Lincoln come out of his corner for Round Two, Storley noted, "I knew he was hurting but I had to continue to push that pace -- get in his face, and then I landed that big shot that ended the night for him." Storley posted this message on Instagram: "I can't say thank you enough to the great state of South Dakota for all the support. Awesome experience getting the win in front of family, friends and fans." Storley didn't mention one of the most significant individuals in the audience: Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championships, who commented on the prospect's earlier comments of taking his time and not rushing his MMA career in a cageside interview. "I agree with him one-hundred percent," said White. "He's green, he's young… This kid needs to take his time. Four or five more fights, I'd like to bring him into The Ultimate Fighter, see how he does. I agree with him. He's smart." With the win, Storley is now 4-0 in his young pro MMA career which he announced almost exactly one year ago. A native of Webster, S.D. -- same hometown as fellow former Golden Gopher wrestler and former UFC champ Brock Lesnar -- Storley was a six-time South Dakota high school state champion wrestler who went on to a sterling career at Minnesota. After three amateur MMA events, Storley has made a splash by ending his first three pro matches in short order, scoring first-round TKOs in that trio of earlier events.

Ben Askren, two-time NCAA wrestling champ at University of Missouri, scored a unanimous decision over Nikolay Aleksakhin in a five-round match at ONE Championship 41 at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on Friday night. The match, originally for Askren's ONE FC welterweight title, became a non-title bout after the Russian contender failed to make weight. Ben Askren (Photo/ONE Championship)"Not the performance I wanted, but champions always find a way to dig deep and get the job done. #andstill" is the message the ONE FC welterweight champ posted on his Twitter account Friday afternoon U.S. time. "Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position," James Goyder of MMAMania.com reported. "Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn't enough to trump Askren's overall solid performance." "Askren jumped the gun early, scoring multiple takedowns and looking like his typical 'Funky' self," Goyder continued. "He even threw a few spinning strikes to show off his growing arsenal. However, the Russian found a home for his fists after the second round and pushed Askren the distance for the first time since 2012." "Not surprisingly, Askren dominated much of the fight on the floor, setting the pace in the opening round by wading into a body lock, throwing Aleksakhin into side control, then methodically going to work with elbows, punches, and knees to the head of his grounded opponent," is how MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti described the bout. "Askren repeated the favor in round two, but faced the first real adversity of his ONE career once Aleksakhin started opening up with heavy strikes in the third." Brian Knapp of Sherdog.com wrote, "Like so many other Askren opponents, Aleksakhin was put in untenable situations, often pinned beneath the four-time NCAA All-American and onetime Olympic wrestler. The champion executed a takedown inside the first minute, advanced to side control and grinded away at the chiseled Russian with elbows, short punches and knees to the head. With that, the tone was set." "The fight more or less followed the narrative for the remaining four rounds," Knapp continued. "Aleksakhin (17-4) gave the Roufusport star pause in the third with power punches and a high kick but could not keep him at bay for long. Whenever Askren sensed danger, he turned to his takedowns and drove the challenger to his back. Aleksakhin stung Askren with a right hand in the fourth round but faded down the stretch, as the 'Funky' wrestler's work took an obvious toll on his gas tank and left him incapable of turning the tide with meaningful offense." With the win, Askren is now 15-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career overall, and 3-0 (1 NC) in ONE Fighting Championships. Askren, 31, was a four-time finalist at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as a Missouri wrestler, winning titles at 174 pounds in 2006 and 2007. The Wisconsin native was a member of the U.S. men's freestyle wrestling team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In February 2009, Askren launched his pro MMA career, earning a Bellator Fighting Championships title. He signed with ONE FC in December 2013, and won the welterweight crown at ONE FC 19 in September 2014.

Thank you to all the readers who sent kind notes on my recent marriage. Your thoughts meant a lot. Since the big day I've been sunning myself poolside and laying down sucker bets at a small casino. Though I had no intention to jump into the drama that was the Olympic Team Trials, I feel it's my duty to hop in head first and sans floaties. From everything we are reading online, the center of last week's controversies seems to center on the matches featuring Nahshon Garrett and J'den Cox. In reviewing the tweets at the time and since, the one thing that seems abundantly clear to me isn't that there were refereeing errors, but that most American fans, coaches and athletes simply don't know the freestyle rules well enough to lodge complaints with much veracity. The majority of American coaches, wrestlers and fans don't watch international wrestling until the Trials or other major events. USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling have gobs of content up (for free) on their site and YouTube, with more coming every week from tournaments around the world. Still, most content doesn't reach the core American wrestling fan. Why? Because the NCAA and local high school seasons run simultaneous to the international season and we believe in American exceptionalism in making international sports our own and then claiming their "objective" superiority (rugby to football, cricket to baseball). I like NCAA wrestling, but freestyle is a totally different sport with different rules, motivations for referees and outcomes for wrestlers. Unfortunately, in wrestling, that exceptionalism and blind eye is resulting in the mistakes like we saw last weekend in Iowa. From where I sit it looks like the issues faced in America are always unique to the world discussion. The stalling this weekend is just the most recent iteration. Before that it was the near takedown and other since-clarified rules. Never in another country have I seen or heard of the controversies that bubble up stateside. Part of the issue is that referees and coaches are bringing in too many habits and notions from NCAA into a sport that has drastically different rules. The best example of this is the kerfuffle surrounding Nahshon Garrett. He was absolutely, one-hundred percent stalling in trying to protect his lead in the last 30 seconds. That is a conditional call we are used to seeing be ignored on the NCAA mat, because we don't want referees involved. International referees are asked to get involved from the very start of the match to ensure that the athletes wrestle. If action is maintained they fade into the background. When they don't they are forced to prompt action. No referee at the international level would have allowed Garrett that type of repetitive hold fleeing. Garrett was explicitly warned of this action and told to not flee … and then immediately fled! And yet there is another wrinkle … The call which cost Garrett the match was not confirmed by all three referees and should have been challenged by the coaching staff where it would have been overturned! Not only would the referees have seen the white paddle of the mat chairman, but also, even if he'd somehow lost the challenge, Garrett would have still needed the same takedown. It was a gimme challenge that the coaches never took. With more international wrestling experience, all these issues, from understanding referee judgment to knowing what to challenge, would cease to exist. On the other side of this issue, J'den Cox was correct in not being called because Kyle Dake was not making any wrestling actions in his attempts to score. While fans think a pushout is a pushout, there is mention in the rules that extended arm pushing does not receive the single point for stepping out of bounds. The international community doesn't want to see a shoving match and it was obvious that Dake wasn't attempting a takedown, but a series of pushouts. In Dake's case, were he not in Dake country, he would have been cautioned for stalling in the second period. International referees don't let you drop into a sumo squat, pull and underhook and sprawl. They believe the losing wrestler should attack or move position just the same as the winning wrestler. In the final few seconds Dake made almost no wrestling maneuvers. This match really should never have been equated with the happenings of Garrett since they were much different realities and flees. Americans should love freestyle! There is an incredible impetus put on action. Unfortunately the NCAA control-based rules system has infected our brains and made us believe that MORE time is somehow the key to action-based results. It's one-hundred percent not. The amount of wrestling action we saw in well-competed matches at the Trials far outstripped the best of the NCAA wrestling tournament where many matches saw fewer than TWO offensive scoring actions. The Mongolian Qualifier is next week. For fans looking to get ready for the Olympics I recommend watching these matches not just for Team USA but to get a feel for the rules and nuances of the international style. To your questions .. Q: When watching Kyle Dake wrestle, he is consistently seen complaining about calls to the refs and in a match against J'den Cox seemingly purposefully pushing him off the stage when they were clearly already out of bounds and the one point was awarded. Does he lack good sportsmanship and is this overlooked because of his stature as one of the most successful college wrestlers ever? -- K.K. Foley: Dake is popular and carries a lot of cache in the American wrestling community for having won four NCAA titles. That might be why he avoided an absolutely blatant penalty call when driving Cox off the mat after the whistle had blown and he'd earned his point. Dake's behavior was unacceptable, but like you mentioned not totally out of character. Should Dake have hurt Cox, it would have major consequences for Team USA and that type of wrestling only sets back the team's ability to win at the international level. To most fans, it looked like Dake was too focused on relieving his frustrations than trying to solve the technical problems he was facing on the mat. There is a bigger message here. Wrestlers from around the USA need to chill the hell out with their tough guy bravado. Stop trying to win matches with "intensity." Stop chest-pounding and screaming into the air. Focus more on technique, game planning and match experience. Being humble and gracious in victory and defeat is not easy, but it's a richer path forward than having to always act as though the man in front of you is holding your family hostage and you have to club their freedom out from the back of his head. Look around the world, we are the only ones with a habit for this behavior and it's time to take a hint and drop the act. Q: I believe there should be some tweaks when it comes to winning by criteria. Specifically, winning the match when it's tied on equal criteria with a passive point I think is completely and utterly absurd. Most of us are used to a situation like that in folkstyle: you're winning by a point, and the ref hits you for a stall point to send it into OT. But in the case where criteria is the same, and that passive point decides the match, there is a problem -- passivity (like stalling) is subjective. The last thing we want is to give too much control to anyone other than the two guys wrestling. Case in point: Tony Ramos vs. Nahshon Garrett. The referee basically decided the match there. I don't see that much difference in what Cox did in the final match against Dake. Again, it's all subjective, and another ref could have easily hit Cox for a passive point there. I am not saying Cox should have been called for passive, but another ref in another country could have seen it differently. My solution would be simple: in the case of a tie match where criteria is the same, and the losing wrestler earns a passive point, we should go to sudden death. So in the case of Ramos vs Garrett, it would be overtime, not the ref declaring him the winner. I am sure that many people in both instances think the right calls were made, but that is not really the point. This has huge implications internationally. Go watch or re-watch the Cary Kolat documentary; the goal is always to keep it as objective as possible. I heard Rob Koll got an official warning (think they said a yellow card) because he went ballistic after the call, and rightfully so! What are your thoughts? -- Frank C. Foley: The absolute beauty of criteria is that you have to wrestle six minutes but ONLY six minutes. Referees are there to ensure that the action is maintained. Though I was tuxed up on Saturday and in transit Sunday I saw enough of the American college kids wrestling to see that there is WAY too much focus on trying to eke out a one-point victory starting in the FIRST PERIOD. The international guys know better and don't turn off their offense. The attacks don't stop! Maybe they take fewer risks in their attacks, but they don't just shut it down. Same can be said for Jordan Burroughs. He doesn't just sit back and allow his one point edge to carry him into the next round. He is constantly looking to score. Kyle Dake battles J'den Cox in the finals of the Olympic Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)As mentioned above, please go back and watch Kyle Dake in the second period. He's losing by a takedown but sumo stances and drops his haunches … that is preposterous unless he's planning to edge it out at the end via pushout. But why do that? The guy is an incredible athlete with a myriad attacks. Why risk it all on some uber-level of gamesmanship that is both ineffective and basically illegal? Overtime is not a solution to anything. The only thing it would provide is even more action like you saw from Dake and many others. Lead holding and dancing for OT when a regulation tie is in effect. The difference is that in America the wrestlers think it's OK to just wait around as you're losing on criteria or points, whereas internationally nobody ever thought that doing nothing was a method for winning. Q: What did you make of Tony Ramos' comments about Tom Brands and Iowa following his loss to Dan Dennis? Do you see where he's coming from? Or is just sour grapes? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't think Olympian Tony Ramos says anything about the coaching staff at the press conference, but I don't think it was just sour grapes. He had his feelings hurt when seeing the coaches he trusted to help him secure his dream backed a guy he knew. If they also helped find a flaw in his technique then he's got a case for some serious professional misconduct. I think Dan Dennis has a style that will likely see more success at the international level. Q: Per Wikepedia (yes, that's right, Wikipedia), your boy Sadulaev won't have to wrestle off for his spot on the Russian Olympic team. Do you know anything about this? I could be wrong, but I feel like even Buvaisar Saitiev had to wrestle off at Russian Nationals for his spot each year. Speaking of Russian Nationals, do you happen to know when they are (I think early June?) and if there is a way to watch? -- Mark R. Foley: I have zero problem with this decision. Even if some clown beat him, none of the backups have yet to win anything of merit, or even place. There would be no reason to take them over Sadulaev. The deal he cut was that he had to win U23 Europeans and he could sit out. He did that with relative ease and is on his way to Rio. The matches will be livestreamed on a Russian site. The Russian Nationals are at the end of May in Yakutsk. Q: I'm still a little confused … Is wrestling an 'official' or 'core' sport for Rio? I though it wasn't until 2020 when it would be back as a full sport after some sort of probationary period. From the screenshot from the official Rio 2016 page, it looks as if the men's disciplines are fully integrated, while women's freestyle is not. How does this impact media coverage, medal count (are the medals counted if the sport is not 'official'), and historical records? -- Coach K Foley: Not only is it an official sport of the 2016 Games but going forward it is among the 28 core sports of the Olympic Games. That list will not change, or be put back up for reconsideration. The only changes made will be additional disciplines added by the organizing committees of each Games, starting with Tokyo 2020 who will most likely choose baseball and softball as an additional sport. Q: As former wrestler and coach, I am now starting my BJJ journey. In being a loyal reader to your mailbag on InterMat and knowing that you also train BJJ, I would like to know if you have any good references/blogs/articles for someone transitioning from wrestling to BJJ? -- Nick J. Foley: The best piece of advice for anyone entering into BJJ is to try to let go of your ego. There is so much to learn, but to understand the roll more you have to understand that there is a lot of tapping at each stage of your journey. There is always someone out there who is doing it bigger and better than you, so make the sport about personal growth and challenging your learning patterns. Wrestling is checkers. BJJ is chess. Embrace that difference and it'll become extremely enjoyable and fulfilling. As for some of the details this is a pretty good primer. Q: With so much talk about Jake Herbert, Kyle Dake, David Taylor, etc. leading up to the Trials, I am surprised there is not more news coverage about J'den Cox's performance and his victory at the Trials, especially given his admitted limited training in freestyle. Why isn't this bigger news? -- KK Foley: Unclear! I think that there is more coverage to come on Cox and his achievements, but right now he needs to focus on qualifying the weight for Rio! Q: With the Olympic Team Trials over, who do you see retiring and/or moving on to MMA? -- Mike C. Foley: Unfortunately, I think we've seen the last of Brent Metcalf. For me his recent improvements on the mat, and in his demeanor since the NCAA days, has been a pleasure to watch. He's got incredible insights into competition and has been a leader for the USA team on and off the mat. I don't know him well, so I don't know that he is retiring, but I do know that if he does I'll miss watching him wrestle and wish him the best in his next career. Uniform Update of the Week By Dan B. I am the team lead for Team Nevada wrestling. I have been following your commentary for several years regarding the need for a change in the uniforms in our great sport. I want you to know that Nevada USA Wrestling is on board. Attached is a picture of our national team, which competed this last weekend at Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls. Fight gear was the uniform we chose. Our tiny little state finished with two national champs, a runner up and four additional All-Americans. Did it all in compression shirts and board shorts. Thought of the Week By Nate H. After watching the Olympic Team Trials, I should add ... I can't help but notice the name recognition that NCAA success brings to U.S. male freestyle athletes. It builds really compelling storylines at home and that's great, I love seeing prominent NCAA champs compete in the international styles. But … this lends itself to a men's freestyle bias where everyone wants to see former NCAA stars match up, even if said NCAA stars are markedly below the world's elite. Here in the ol' USA, both our women and our men put damn good wrestling on the mat. Although just as impressive in the quality of technique and scrapping, the women's matches have a noticeable PR disadvantage with the average American wrestling fan whose international knowledge comes from former folkstyle name recognition. The male Greco athletes who go through Northern Michigan or straight to the OTC have the same PR disadvantage. In the U.S., freestyle and Greco, men and women, all have fantastic, ascending programs. I hope that come August, our U.S. fan base (including media) can get just as hyped about Adeline Gray or Robby Smith et al. as watching former NCAA champs rematch their collegiate rivalry in the quarters of domestic freestyle meets. I look forward to seeing Helen Maroulis' and Adeline Gray's gold medal runs right next to Kyle Snyder's and Jordan Burroughs'!

Two-time National Prep finalist Eric Hong (Kiski Prep, Pa.), champion of that event in 2015, verbally committed to the University of Pennsylvania on Thursday afternoon. The projected 157/165 is currently ranked No. 29 overall in the Class of 2017, and ended the 2015-16 season ranked No. 11 nationally at 145 pounds. He is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, including a third place finish at 145 this past fall.

ROCHESTER, NY -- RIT Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Lou Spiotti Jr., announced the appointment of Jason Bovenzi as head wrestling coach on Wednesday, April 13. Jason BovenziBovenzi spent the last three seasons as assistant wrestling coach at RIT. In 2014-15, Bovenzi played an integral role in helping RIT develop the program and guide Brad Mayville (Marion, NY/Wayne) and Tory Cain (Ontario, NY/Wayne) to All-American honors. Bovenzi replaces Scott Stever, who served as head coach at RIT for the last 18 seasons. "Jason has all the tools and the drive to bring our program to new competitive heights," said Spiotti. "He has an outstanding background as an elite wrestler at the collegiate level and as a coach." Bovenzi was a standout collegiate wrestler both at St. Lawrence University and Ithaca College, advancing to the NCAA Championship four times. He was a three-time All-American and two-time National Champion in 1993 and 1995. In his final season at Ithaca in 1994-95, Bovenzi won his second straight national title at 190 lbs., finishing with an undefeated record. "It is a privilege to be named head coach of the RIT wrestling program," said Bovenzi. "RIT is one of the most inspiring campuses I have been associated with. I am humbled and grateful that Lou Spiotti has entrusted me with the wrestling program at RIT. It is my intention to raise awareness in the wrestling community to the great academic and athletic opportunities that RIT offers." In March 2015, Bovenzi was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his incredible collegiate career. Originally from the suburb of Greece in Rochester, Bovenzi was also a standout on the mats at Greece Athena High School. He is a member of the Greece Athena and Section V Wrestling Halls of Fame. For 17 seasons, Bovenzi served as the head varsity wrestling coach at East Rochester (1996-2002) and Pittsford (2002-2013) High Schools in the Greater Rochester Area. Bovenzi developed both fledgling programs into New York State ranked teams while coaching 36 class champions, 19 State Qualifiers, and a New York State champion. He coached the Panthers to a 159-58 record with 10 straight winning seasons and six state ranked teams. In 2000, Bovenzi founded the Apex Wrestling Club, which has been one of the largest wrestling clubs in the state. Apex Wrestling Camps have brought in Division I, II, and III All Americans, National Champions, and legendary coaches during that time frame to assist in the development of local area wrestlers. Bovenzi earned his bachelor's degree in sports and leisure studies from St. Lawrence University in 1994, health education concentration degree from Ithaca College in 1995, and his master's degree in liberal studies from The College at Brockport in 2000. "Our student athletes will benefit greatly from Jason's many years of experience as a teacher and a coach," said Spiotti. "We look forward to working with him and the team to continue the rich tradition of RIT wrestling."

This past weekend, a number of U.S. wrestlers qualified for the 2016 Olympics ... but a critical question some experts are asking is: Is host city Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ready for them? Rio de JaneiroWrestlers take to the mat at the 2016 Summer Games in about four months (starting August 14). The good news for grapplers is that the venue for wrestling -- Olympic Hall 2 -- is reportedly already in a position to welcome approximately 350 freestyle and Greco-Roman competitors from around the world. However, the 2016 Olympics as a whole -- along with their host city, and country -- face incredible obstacles that already have made news well beyond South America. Most of us whose attention has been focused on high school and college wrestling seasons -- and Olympic qualifying events -- may be only vaguely aware of some of these issues impacting the Rio Games, such as the Zika virus that has grabbed attention worldwide. Other questions -- such as "Will everything be ready on time?" -- are not uncommon of any host city, but they escalate especially in an Olympic year, and Rio is no exception. Why does this all matter? In addition to approximately 10,000 athletes -- and a like number of media representatives -- an estimated half-million visitors will descend on Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics from August 5-21. Of those, 200,000 are expected to come from the U.S ... including wrestlers, coaches, their families, and fans. Zika virus It's almost impossible to avoid hearing about the Zika virus. The virus is disease that is spread to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has issued travel alerts for a number of nations in the Americas, including Brazil, because of the Zika virus. While the disease can have symptoms much like the flu with no lasting effect for most infected individuals, the CDC states that the Zika virus infection in pregnant women is linked to serious medical conditions -- including microcephaly, a serious birth defect of the brain -- as well as miscarriages and other birth defects. The CDC has issued special recommendations for pregnant women (or women planning to become pregnant) traveling to the Olympics in Brazil, as well as their male partners. Crime and safety Brazil is statistically one of the world's most violent nations. The firearm-related death rate in Brazil ranks eighth in the world, with 18.79 homicides per 100,000 individuals. (By comparison, the U.S. has a gun-homicide rate of 3.43 deaths per 100,000.) Major slums with almost daily gun battles are adjacent to the Rio de Janeiro's international airport and the stadium hosting the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Coupled with heightened concerns about terrorism in light of attacks in Brussels and Paris -- and the realization that the Olympics could be a potential target for similar attacks -- and some potential attendees of the Rio Games might decide it's simply safer to stay home and follow the action on TV or online. Adding to a feeling of unease was the abrupt resignation last week of the national public security chief. In its Brazil Crime and Safety Report for the Rio de Janeiro area, the U.S. State Department has given the host city for the 2016 Olympics a "Critical" crime rating. "Street crime is a problem especially in the evenings and late at night," said the report. "In Rio, robbery, assault, burglary and theft are concerns for foreigners and Brazilians alike. Criminals are determined and sophisticated, which requires visitors to be alert to their surroundings. Violent crimes (murder, kidnapping, carjacking, armed assault, and burglary) occur regularly. The consolidation of power among a few large criminal gangs has led to a decrease in gang-on-gang violence; however, this has resulted in an increased focus on civilian targets. Many criminals use weapons and often gratuitous violence." To deal with these challenges, more than 85,000 police, soldiers and other personnel are being deployed in Rio for the two weeks of the Games. That's twice as many as were needed for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, according to Associated Press. Brazil's economic and political crises When the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2016 Games to Rio de Janeiro over fellow finalist Madrid, Spain in 2009, Brazil was enjoying a booming economy and political stability. Seven years later, the country is deep in recession, with various political scandals that could have a negative impact on this summer's Olympics and their attendees. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff faces impeachment; in fact, she may be forced out of office before the Olympics get underway. Adding to that uncertainty is what some economists consider the nation's most damaging recession in 85 years, which has forced deep cuts to the Olympic budget. From security to the opening ceremony and even facilities for athletes in the Olympic Village there is less to spend. Specific to athlete and fan safety, the head of Rio de Janeiro's Public Safety Department told state legislators in late March that his department's budget has been cut 32 percent. That means there's not enough money to expand police "pacification" units in the violent slums near Rio's international airport. The units were to have been completed before the start of the Olympics. Ready for the world? Some past Olympics -- most notably, the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games -- incorporated existing facilities in an attempt to keep costs down and ensure that all venues would be competition-ready in time for the Opening Ceremonies. However, most of the facilities for the 2016 Rio Games were specifically designed and built new for this event. In any massive, multi-billion-dollar undertaking for a new-from-the-ground-up Olympics such as those in Rio, there are bound to be design and construction delays. While reports indicate that construction on the 10,000-seat wrestling venue has been completed and the facility will be ready for action in August, other sports facilities are not yet finished. Venues for track and field, swimming, and cycling -- as well as an international media center --remained incomplete as of late February, according to USA Today. It is unclear whether a major public transit system upgrade designed to ease Rio de Janeiro's notorious traffic congestion will be ready for Olympic visitors. Political scandals have had an impact on completion of Olympics construction projects and related infrastructure improvements, the website for Global Risk Insights reported. Companies involved in Olympics construction projects found themselves blocked from receiving bank loans and credit lines during the ongoing investigation of the current administration's scandal involving the government-owned oil company. This has forced Rio de Janeiro's city government to act as a bank and lend companies money to prevent an inevitable slowdown in construction. Despite their efforts, projects for the Olympics already have been delayed and sometimes halted; essential repairs on sewers in the city are going uncompleted. Ticket sales With the issues surrounding the 2016 Rio Games already mentioned, it's not hard to imagine that ticket sales have been far short of expectations. Only 50 percent of tickets to the Olympics have sold so far, Rio 2016 Organizing Committee spokesman Phil Wilkinson revealed last Saturday. For the Paralympics which are being held in Rio immediately after the traditional Olympics, the figure is far worse: just 12 percent of available tickets have been sold. Ricardo Leyser, just hired as Brazil's minister of sport, said plans are already in the works to boost ticket sales among Brazilians, adding, "There is a perception that the Brazilian population has not yet woken up for the Games. We are going to work energetically on this because it's still not in people's heads. We need to sound an alert so that people remember this event and go and buy tickets." Stop me if you've heard this story before ... Questions about Rio's readiness aren't a last-minute phenomenon. In May 2014, some British newspapers were reporting that the International Olympic Committee was seriously thinking of moving the 2016 Olympics from Rio to London, host of the 2012 Summer Games, after an IOC vice-president declared Rio's preparations to be "worst ever" the month before. The IOC was quick to deny and dismiss the rumors. "This is simply a non-starter -- totally without foundation and totally unfeasible. Not a shred of truth," said an IOC spokeswoman in response to those media reports from two years ago. Another IOC source said the story was "total rubbish". Some perspective Putting on a party as huge as the Olympics is a costly, complex, time-consuming undertaking under any circumstances. Right now, Brazil is facing a host of challenges that make hosting the 2016 Games that much harder. That said, other host Olympic cities have dealt with problems of their own ... and the Games went on. Just two years ago, media reports coming out of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia were focused on cost overruns, venues and accommodations that had not been completed on time, transportation snafus, and uncooperative weather. Similar stories have sprung from coverage of past Olympic events. There were reports from the 2004 Athens Games of workers doing last-minute painting and seat installation in the wrestling venue on the first day of competition. Despite various challenges, Rio de Janeiro has considerable experience with mega-events -- and welcoming guests from around the world with gracious hospitality -- over the years. The city has successfully hosted New Year's celebrations and Carnival -- each attracting upwards of one-and-a-half million participants -- for decades. We can only hope that the Rio Games will continue that colorful, fun-filled spirit in welcoming the world's athletes and their fans this August.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The National Wrestling Media Association announced its annual journalism and media awards at a social and meeting in Iowa City on April 8. Founded in 1989 as a professional membership organization for wrestling-based journalists, broadcasters, photographers and sports information directors, the NWMA has expanded its reach in recent years to include online media professionals, bloggers and social media specialists. The NWMA presents annual awards in eight individual categories as well as the Jay Hammond Special Recognition Award, named in honor of the late Jay Hammond, a past president of the NWMA. Mark Lundy of Lutte-Lens was named Photographer of the Year by the National Wrestling Media Association (Photo/NWMA)Winners were nominated by current NWMA membership and selected by the NWMA officers. "This year's field of winners is impressive," said NWMA President Jason Bryant. "It seems each and every year the bar gets raised by our media professionals. We're seeing new blood come into the sport and provide outstanding content, stories and photography that makes our sport more visible to the masses and also satisfying the need for content by the rabid wrestling fanbase." "The field of potential winners is expanding every year and that makes these awards so difficult to select, because there are so many deserving people who dedicate their lives and careers to the sport," said Bryant. Here are this year's award recipients: Broadcaster of the Year: Eric Olanowski, MichiganGrappler.com A native of Virginia Beach, Va., and an alum of Michigan State University, Olanowski has become a credible and consistent voice with numerous Big Ten Network broadcasts as well as ESPN3. Olanowski has also been part of the ESPN3 online broadcast team for the NCAA Division I Championships. Olanowski's strengths as a color commentator lend knowledge and experience to any wrestling broadcast. Journalist of the Year: Andy Hamilton, Des Moines Register A native of Williams, Iowa and a graduate of the University of Iowa, Hamilton has been one of the finest wrestling journalists for well over a decade. A previous winner in 2003-04 while at the Iowa Press Citizen, Hamilton's beat included all levels of college wrestling and the competitive high school wrestling scene in Iowa. Hamilton also covers auto racing and high school football. Photographer of the Year: Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com A resident of Lee's Summit, Mo., and a western Iowa native, Lundy has been active in shooting major high school, college and international events. Lundy began shooting more actively when his son started wrestling in middle school over 10 years ago. The foray into online coverage began in 2003 and now with his website, Lutte-Lens.com, Lundy has traveled the world and has emerged as one of the top wrestling photographers in the world. Publication of the Year: Colorado Springs Gazette The sports section of the Colorado Springs Gazette has always done a tremendous job covering international wrestling and events focusing on athletes based in Colorado Springs, with the Army's World Class Athlete Program and resident athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. It's one of the few daily newspapers in the country with a dedicated focus to Olympic sports. Website of the Year: IndianaMat.com Founded in 2008 by Joe Caprino, Chad Hollenbaugh and Eric McGill, IndianaMat has become one of the country's most robust wrestling resources, focusing on high school and college wrestling in the Hoosier State. Focusing on features, accurate rankings, individual bios, full results and an active forum, IndianaMat has been a leader in how a state-based site should be and covers wrestling at all levels. The site features numerous contributors with Mike Reiser joining Caprino and Hollenbaugh with a big part of the site's content. New Media Specialist: Geoffrey Riccio, Riccio Productions A graduate and wrestler at Rhode Island College, Riccio has been a notable force in photography, design and video production since starting Riccio Productions in 2008. Ricco has worked with major colleges, senior-level athletes along with national and international wrestling organizations providing top-level, professional content. Two of Riccio's productions have won awards through the Elite Level Sports Marketing's Best of Brand competition with the NWCA. Riccio also spends countless hours working with wrestling programs in the northeast and is an ardent supporter of Division III wrestling. Division I SID of the Year: Chris Brewer, University of Iowa With one of the toughest assignments in college sports, Brewer, the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, handles the media relations duties for the University of Iowa's wrestling program. In 2015-16, Brewer's duties also included managing the massive Grapple on the Gridiron, an outdoor wrestling dual with Iowa and Oklahoma State that drew a record 42,000 fans in November, the Big Ten Championships and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Brewer is an Iowa City native and a 2004 graduate of the University of Iowa. He joined the Athletic Communications team in 2009 and added wrestling to his responsibilities in 2011. Small College SID of the Year: Josh Manck, Newberry College A native of Gilmer, Texas, Manck has handled the primary communications for Newberry's 19 sports since coming to Newberry 10 years ago. Previously a sports reporter at the Times-Review in Cleburn, Texas, Manck has gone from a wrestling notice to one of the vital cogs in Division II wrestling information. In addition to serving numerous roles within CoSIDA, he was the sports information operations coordinator at the 2013 NCAA Division II Championships in Birmingham, Ala., and has also been the primary content provider for D2wrestle.com, which also involves the ranking coordination for the NCAA Division II wrestling rankings. Jay Hammond Memorial Special Recognition Award: Martin Floreani, FloSports Along with his brother Mark, Floreani launched FloSports in 2006 as an online video medium aimed at expanding the reach and promotion through one of the charter Flo sites - Flowrestling. A native of Chicago and a graduate of Cal Poly. Floreani's launch of Flowrestling, it's become one of the top destinations in the world for wrestling content. Recently, Flowrestling has amped up its live streaming and film-making game, providing professional documentaries highlighting the sport's legends and the events that go with it. Floreani and his team have "changed the game" when it comes to wrestling promotion, distribution and online viewing. FloSports has blossomed into a company with numerous sports under its banner. Jay Hammond Memorial Special Recognition Award: Jason Bryant, Mat Talk Online The current President of the NWMA, the Poquoson, Va., native and graduate of Old Dominion University, Bryant has forged a career in wrestling media and promotion spanning over 20 years. Starting as a writer at the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press, Bryant has also held positions with the National Wrestling Coaches Association, USA Wrestling and Amateur Wrestling News. His current outfit, Mat Talk Online, provides on-demand audio content to a diverse group of schools, state associations and wrestling organizations. He's also been a consistent voice at national and international wrestling events as a journalist, broadcaster and PA announcer. About the NWMA The National Wrestling Media Association (NWMA) is the national professional organizations for journalists who cover the sport of amateur wrestling. This includes reporters, editors, publishers, webmasters, photographers, broadcasters, sports information directors and other media professionals who share an interest and involvement in the sport. Dues are $25 annually, which can be sent to the National Wrestling Media Association, P.O. Box 120889, New Brighton, MN 55112.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pac-12 Conference has announced the 2016 Pac-12 Wrestling awards. OREGON STATE's Amarveer Dhesi was voted Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year, while STANFORD's Joey McKenna was named Pac-12 Wrestling Freshman/Newcomer of the Year. OREGON STATE's Jim Zalesky was selected Pac-12 Wrestling Coach of the Year for the fifth-straight season, becoming just the second head coach all-time to achieve the feat. PAC-12 WRESTLER OF THE YEAR - Amarveer Dhesi, Oregon State - Dhesi placed fifth at NCAA Championships and earned All-America honors for the Beavers. He boasted a 32-5 record, improving his OSU career mark to 59-15. The redshirt sophomore was the Pac-12 Champion in the heavyweight class and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet at the Pac-12 Championships. He posted a 16-1 record in duals and scored a team-leading 69 team points. On the year, Dhesi had a team-best 12 pins and had winning streaks of 15 and 14 matches. Dhesi also took second place at the Canadian Olympic Trials. Dhesi's honor is the seventh all-time for Oregon State and he the first Beaver since Les Gutches in 1996 to garner the recognition. PAC-12 FRESHMAN/NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Joey McKenna, Stanford - McKenna posted a 27-3 overall record and an 11-1 mark in duals as Stanford's starter at 141 pounds. He became just the fifth freshman in school history to win a Pac-12 title and is the first Cardinal to ever win a Conference title at 141 pounds. McKenna is the first freshman in program history to earn All-America honors and he is the first Cardinal wrestler to finish third in the national tournament. This is Stanford's second Freshman/Newcomer of the Year honor in the last three years and the fourth all-time. PAC-12 WRESTLING COACH OF THE YEAR - Jim Zalesky, Oregon State - Zalesky earns his fifth-consecutive Pac-12 Wrestling Coach of the Year honor and sixth in the past seven seasons as the Beavers claimed their fifth-straight Pac-12 title. The win marked the seventh Conference title in Zalesky's 10 seasons at the helm. Under Zalesky's direction, Dhesi was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet, claiming the Beavers' only individual crown. Zalesky helped the Beavers place four wrestlers in championship bouts. Oregon State also had six wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships, where the Beavers finished 21st overall, their highest finish since they took eighth place in 2013.

There's a mantra in real estate: location, location, location. That raises the question: does the location of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships have a direct impact on issues such as attendance and media coverage? These issues are worth exploring three weeks after the conclusion of arguably one of the most exciting, best-attended NCAAs in recent memory. It all comes to mind as the latest issues of the national wrestling magazines covering the latest Nationals arrived in my mailbox this past week. These magazines were chock-full of statistics and analysis of the 2016 NCAAs that went beyond the action on the mat. The 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in New York welcomed 110,184 fans over the course of six sessions in three days, ranking third in overall attendance over the 86-year history of the event (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The 2016 NCAAs -- held for the first time at storied Madison Square Garden in New York City -- welcomed 110,184 fans over the course of six sessions in three days, ranking third in overall attendance over the 86-year history of the national wrestling championships (behind the 2015 and 2012 NCAAs held at Scottrade Center in St. Louis). The Saturday night finals were witnessed by 19,270 fans, which also ranked third for total attendance. Much has been made of the location of the 2016 NCAAs. Most members of the wrestling media gave the venue and the event high marks (other than lack of accessibility for some writers located in the rafters to conduct timely interviews with athletes on the arena floor). There were some negative comments about tiny New York hotel rooms and high prices for beer and food and other basics, something that those who visit The City That Never Sleeps on a regular basis for business or fun already knew. On a less judgmental note, more than one journalist pointed out that the crowd largely appeared to be from Eastern schools, while fan attendance from Midwestern schools appeared to be down. This may have been a product of convenience; if you live in Iowa or Oklahoma, it's no big deal to drive to St. Louis for the NCAAs. To get to New York from the heartland is a major road trip ... or involves flying. The midtown Manhattan location of Madison Square Garden also precluded driving the Winnebago and camping out nearby. Those who had hoped having the NCAAs in the heart of THE media center of the world must have been disappointed in the lack of traditional media coverage coming out of the 2016 NCAAs. From a distance, I observed preview coverage from Newsday ... an article from the business magazine Forbes ... and a photo-feature of battered and bruised wrestler faces from The New Yorker. There was daily coverage from NJ.com (website for the Newark Star-Ledger and a number of other New Jersey newspapers) but I didn't see anything from the New York dailies. (I may have missed something; however, I am not alone in this observation, having seen reports from journalists who were at The Garden complaining about the lack of local coverage.) In the latest issue of WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine), columnist and historian Mike Chapman again protested the "lack of respect" shown by USA Today's lack of NCAA wrestling coverage, as he has in past years. Unless I missed something, the same could be said for ESPN: The Magazine and Sports Illustrated. So ... if the hope/expectation was "let's hold the NCAAs in NYC and we'll get tons of media coverage", well, in terms of local and national reporting, it didn't seem to work. (By contrast, lack of media coverage hasn't been as much of an issue when the NCAAs have been held in heartland cities such as St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Des Moines ... and shouldn't be an issue when the Nationals return to Cleveland, a traditional hotbed for high school wrestling.) Lack of coverage as well as fan convenience and costs all get down to a fundamental issue: the future of the NCAA Wrestling Championships. As I wrote in a May 2015 feature for InterMat, the audience attending the NCAAs is getting older. According to a survey conducted by the NCAA at the 2014 NCAAs in Oklahoma City, the average age of attendees was 42 ... with more than one-third of fans being age 50 or better. The NCAA must do what it can to attract new generations of fans to its top collegiate wrestling event ... while making it still attractive to long-time fans who have been attending year after year. There are also discussions of considering host cities that aren't known as wrestling hotbeds, but might attract new fans and new media coverage. (Atlanta is being mentioned as a future NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships site; Louisville and its YUM! Brands Arena -- one of the nation's largest arenas in terms of seating capacity -- put in an attractive proposal during the last round of bidding, despite being located in a state without having any NCAA D1 mat programs.) That said NCAA attendance shows no sign of diminishing. The top ten NCAAs in terms of attendance have all taken place in the new millennium. In fact, getting a ticket to March Matness seems to be getting harder and harder. One possible solution mentioned by Mike Finn in an article in the April 8 issue of WIN: the possibility of having future NCAA mat championships in a domed stadium, a la the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four. (The UNI-Dome at University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls was the site of the 1999 NCAAs.) A domed mega-facility with greater seating capacity would certainly open up the event to more fans ... but with the possibility of a diminished experience for those in the stands, especially for fans whose home venue is an intimate gym that puts them close to the action. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships have grown in attendance over the years, especially in the past two decades, when the event has (for the most part) been held in big-city arenas with a seating capacity of at least 19,000. (For some historical perspective: 8,800 fans packed what is now Welsh-Ryan Arena at Northwestern University to see arguably the greatest upset in NCAA finals history, Iowa State's Dan Gable falling to Larry Owings of the University of Washington, at the 1970 Nationals.) There may well be pressure to continue to grow attendance for college wrestling's premier event by having it at a domed stadium. There are two other issues that have been raised in post-mortems of the 2016 NCAA championships: the concept of a permanent location ... and scheduling. Having a designated site for the NCAAs year-after-year has been discussed for years; WIN editor Mike Finn concluded his column in the April 8 issue with a proposal to make St. Louis the site for all future NCAAs. It's not an off-the-wall idea; Omaha has hosted the NCAA Baseball Championships for a number of years, with success. Then there's the issue of having the biggest event in college wrestling take place during March Madness, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Again, this is an idea that has been discussed for many years. (One of the early proponents of moving the wrestling championships to a later date is University of Minnesota's J Robinson, one of the most promotion-minded head wrestling coaches in the country.) More recently, advocates for this shift in scheduling have tied this idea to making college wrestling a single-semester sport with a season that would basically span January- April. Again, this schedule might work to boost attendance and media coverage. It's certainly worth examining. By most measures, the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were a success. As with the top collegiate wrestlers, however, it's never enough to be merely satisfied with the most recent performance. The NCAA and member programs must continue to strive to make the event even better for athletes, coaches and fans -- as well as wrestling and general media.

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was back in the news this week, as his attorneys sought probation for their client ... while the Chicago Tribune revealed that at least four individuals have said that Hastert sexually abused them when he was a high school wrestling coach and teacher decades ago, and a sports columnist and a victims' rights group both called for Hastert to be removed from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Hastert, who wrestled at Wheaton College in suburban Chicago in the 1960s before becoming an educator, then politician, pleaded guilty in late October 2015 to evading federal banking rules in an apparent scheme to pay hush money to an unidentified individual. In accordance with a plea deal reached last year, Hastert, 74, pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago to withdrawing funds from several bank accounts in increments less than $10,000 to evade bank reporting rules. The money -- approximately $1.7 million -- was paid to someone from his Hastert's hometown of Yorkville, Ill., identified in federal documents only as "Individual A" but widely reported to be a former student at Yorkville High School. The school, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, is where Hastert taught history and coached wrestling from 1965 to 1981 before entering politics. Hastert was originally slated to be sentenced February 29 but that was delayed when attorneys revealed their client had been hospitalized since suffering a stroke last fall. That sentencing hearing is now scheduled for April 27. Lawyers seek leniency On Wednesday, Hastert's attorneys asked a federal judge to sentence their client to a term of probation -- with no jail time -- saying he was in poor health and already thoroughly shamed by the criminal case against him, the Washington Post reported. "Mr. Hastert's fall from grace has been swift and devastating," Hastert's attorneys wrote. "Neither we as his lawyers, nor Mr. Hastert, have the present insight to understand and reconcile the unfortunate and harmful incidents he caused decades ago with the enduring achievements, leadership, and generosity that earned him extraordinary affection and respect throughout this country during his many years of public service." Four victims come forward The next day, the Chicago Tribune published an in-depth, 2700-word investigative piece which stated that Hastert had sexually abused four male students at Yorkville High in the 1960s and 70s. They are identified in federal court documents as Individuals A, B, C and D. The Tribune made contact with three of the reported victims, sharing their accounts of what allegedly happened to them long before Hastert served in the Illinois legislature, then in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Congressman, then as Speaker of the House from 1999-2007, the longest tenure for a Republican in that position. The statute of limitations on cases involving inappropriate sexual contact with a minor have long expired, according to the Tribune, so federal prosecutors pursued allegations that Hastert had illegally structured payments to one former student -- Individual A -- essentially as hush money. At least one victim -- identified as Individual D -- has said he may offer a statement in court during the sentencing hearing scheduled for later this month on what Hastert did to him, after the former coach's lawyers had contacted a family member of Individual D, seeking a letter supporting leniency in sentencing. Prosecutors have recommended a sentence for Hastert ranging from probation to up to six months in prison, the lowest possible sentence under federal guidelines for anyone convicted of a felony. U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin has noted that he is free to sentence Hastert to as long as five years in prison. Calls to remove Hastert from Wrestling Hall This week, an Oklahoma sportswriter and an organization dedicated to the rights of child-abuse victims both came out in seeking Hastert's removal from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Berry Tramel, long-time sports columnist for The Oklahoman -- the daily newspaper for Oklahoma City -- wrote Friday that Hastert no longer deserves his place as an Outstanding American at the Stillwater, Oklahoma-based Hall of Fame because of his behavior as a teacher and wrestling coach. Tramel mentioned that the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is also seeking that the Wrestling Hall of Fame "remove all references to and all honors of" Hastert, according to director David Clohessy. "Continuing to treat Hastert as a role model or even a celebrity hurts victims of sexual violence and deters them from reporting predators," Clohessy said. "And this week, he's minimizing his wrong-doing with a vague and self-serving ‘apology' while refusing to come clean about how widespread and long-standing his crimes." Tramel contacted Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the Hall, who said the facility's board of governors has sent a review to the organization's ethics committee. The board will be meeting in June. "I'm sure we'll take some action," Smith told Tramel. Hastert's life and career Born not far from Yorkville in Plano, Ill. in 1942, Hastert was a member of the wrestling team at Wheaton College, a private, four-year school in the western suburbs of Chicago, in the early 1960s. He then taught government and history at Yorkville High, and coached wrestling, taking his team to an Illinois state championship in 1976. His coaching record also included three runners-up and a third place finish, according to his National Wrestling Hall of Fame biography, where he was inducted as an Outstanding American in 2000. Four years earlier, Hastert was honored for his efforts and contributions to wrestling as the recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Order of Merit. Hastert had served three terms in the Illinois General Assembly before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1986. In 1999, the six-term congressman was elected Speaker of the House after the incumbent Speaker Newt Gingrich stepped down, and his intended replacement, Bob Livingston of Louisiana, gave up the position before he ever assumed it after admitting to having conducted adulterous affairs. Hastert left Congress in 2007.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Helen Maroulis didn't want to return to Iowa City. Helen Maroulis gets her hand raised after winning in the finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Four years ago she entered the Olympic Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as the favorite to represent her weight class for the United States at the London Games, but was upset by Kelsey Campbell. Her only memory of Iowa was tears of sadness. On Sunday, Maroulis exercised demons from four years ago by winning the Olympic Team Trials in dominant fashion at 53 kilos. She finished the tournament with five technical falls in five matches. In the finals Maroulis did not surrender a point in two matches against Whitney Conder. "It feels great," Maroulis said of winning the Olympic Team Trials. "To be honest, I thought it was going to be more tears and everything, but I think all the tears happened over the past three weeks just leading up to this. It was so emotional. Now it's just about enjoying it." Her weight class is not yet qualified for the Olympic Games, but Maroulis will be a heavy favorite to qualify the weight class when she competes in Mongolia in two weeks. Maroulis was one of four returning World champions to win titles on Sunday in Iowa City. The other three World champions, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Adeline Gray, punched their tickets to Rio. Jordan Burroughs with his son Beacon after winning the Olympic Team Trials title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, put on a show in the finals, outscoring Andrew Howe 19-3 in two matches at 74 kilos. In the final match he scored an early takedown, transitioned to a leg lace and rolled to a 10-0 technical fall. "This is just really a stepping stone," said Burroughs. "Making the team for a lot of guys is an amazing feat, but for me it's customary. I expected to make this team, and that's what we trained to do. So now we go back to the drawing board. We reset, reevaluate our goals and try to improve upon the little things." Snyder, three weeks after winning an NCAA title, made his first Olympic team at 97 kilos. After dropping the first match to Olympic champion Jake Varner, Snyder battled back to win the finals two matches by scores of 4-0 and 6-1. "I had all intentions of going out there and winning the first match and doing it in two and a row, but that's why the sport of wrestling is great, because you never know what's going to happen," said Snyder. "You never know if you're going to win. You never know if you're going to lose. You can just prepare to the best of your ability." Adeline Gray was overcome with emotion after winning the Olympic Team Trials title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Gray, a three-time World champion, showed why she's one of the top women's freestyle wrestlers in the world across all weight classes by dominating Victoria Francis in the finals. She won both matches by technical fall without surrendering a point. Immediately after winning Gray was overcome with emotion. "I'm just so excited," Gray said as she fought back the tears. "It's really surreal. I just can't even believe it's here. I have kind of like been holding back a lot of emotions leading up to this moment. I qualified the weight. I knew I was No. 1 in the world. I knew I could do this. But to still actually get it done is another story." Daniel Dennis made his first Olympic team at 57 kilos, beating two-time World Team member Tony Ramos in a battle of former Hawkeyes. Dennis took the first match 2-1. In the second match Dennis scored an early takedown, then locked up a gut wrench and rolled Ramos four times for the 10-0 technical fall. "I'm confident if I can get on top I can do some damage," said Dennis. "I've known that, and that's what the coaches have been telling me for a while." J'den Cox celebrates after winning the Olympic Team Trials title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)University of Missouri wrestler J'den Cox came through to win the title at 86 kilos, beating four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake in the finals. Cox dominated Dake 8-1 in the first match, but Dake battled back to win the second match 5-3 and force a third and deciding match. Cox won the third match 5-3. "I think of all the people that are with me in this journey to get here," said Cox. "God works in mysterious ways." Cox is looking forward to future battles with Dake. "It was just awesome to have the chance to wrestle him," said Cox. "We're going to have a lot of battles. I look forward to them. We're going to make each other grow. It's going make each other evolve. I think that's awesome for the sport, and it's awesome for us both." Andy Bisek smiles after making the 2016 Olympic Team (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek and Robby Smith earned their spots on the Olympic team in Greco-Roman by claiming titles on Sunday night. Bisek topped Geordan Speiller in two straight matches by scores of 6-2 and 4-0. "To get it done and be the guy on this stage, it's incredible," said Bisek. Smith handled Adam Coon in two straight matches by scores of 4-1 and 7-2. Smith scored with a five-point arm throw in the final match, which proved to be the difference. "Coon wrestled his ass off out there," said Smith, who has placed fifth at the World Championships twice. "He gave me a great fight. I'm proud of that kid. I just wasn't going to let this one go." Haley Augello defeated Victoria Anthony in the finals at 48 kilos (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Haley Augello, a past Cadet World champion, captured the title at 48 kilos in women's freestyle, beating two-time Junior World champion Victoria Anthony in a three-match battle. Earlier in the day Augello knocked off two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe. "I feel happy, but I don't feel like my goal is succeeded yet, so I'm not like ecstatic," said Augello. "I've still got to go qualify the weight, and then obviously at the Olympics. I feel happy, but I also feel excited about the future. I'm ready to keep competing and just keep following my dream." Finals Results Men's freestyle 57 kilos: Daniel Dennis defeats Tony Ramos 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Dennis dec. Ramos, 2-1 Match 2: Dennis dec. Ramos, 10-0 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs defeats Andrew Howe 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Burroughs dec. Howe, 9-3 Match 2: Burroughs tech. fall Howe, 10-0 86 kilos: J'den Cox defeats Kyle Dake 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Cox dec. Dake, 8-1 Match 2: Dake dec. Cox, 5-3 Match 3: Cox dec. Dake, 5-3 97 kilos: Kyle Snyder defeats Jake Varner 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Varner dec. Snyder, 4-4 Match 2: Snyder dec. Varner, 4-0 Match 3: Snyder dec. Varner, 6-1 Greco-Roman 75 kilos: Andy Bisek defeats Geordan Speiller 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Bisek dec. Speiller, 6-2 Match 2: Bisek dec. Speiller, 4-0 130 kilos: Robby Smith defeats Adam Coon 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Smith dec. Coon, 4-1 Match 2: Smith dec. Coon, 7-2 Women's freestyle 48 kilos: Haley Augello defeats Victoria Anthony 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Augello dec. Anthony, 6-4 Match 2: Anthony dec. Auguello, 11-6 Match 3: Augello dec. Anthony, 8-2 53 kilos: Helen Maroulis defeats Whitney Conder 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Maroulis tech. fall Conder, 10-0 Match 2: Maroulis tech. fall Conder, 11-0 75 kilos: Adeline Gray defeats Victoria Francis 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gray tech. fall Francis, 11-0 Match 2: Gray tech. fall Francis, 10-0

Men's freestyle 57 kilos: Daniel Dennis defeats Tony Ramos 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Dennis dec. Ramos, 2-1 Match 2: Dennis dec. Ramos, 10-0 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs defeats Andrew Howe 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Burroughs dec. Howe, 9-3 Match 2: Burroughs tech. fall Howe, 10-0 86 kilos: J'den Cox defeats Kyle Dake 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Cox dec. Dake, 8-1 Match 2: Dake dec. Cox, 5-3 Match 3: Cox dec. Dake, 5-3 97 kilos: Kyle Snyder defeats Jake Varner 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Varner dec. Snyder, 4-4 Match 2: Snyder dec. Varner, 4-0 Match 3: Snyder dec. Varner, 6-1 Greco-Roman 75 kilos: Andy Bisek defeats Geordan Speiller 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Bisek dec. Speiller, 6-2 Match 2: Bisek dec. Speiller, 4-0 130 kilos: Robby Smith defeats Adam Coon 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Smith dec. Coon, 4-1 Match 2: Smith dec. Coon, 7-2 Women's freestyle 48 kilos: Haley Augello defeats Victoria Anthony 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Augello dec. Anthony, 6-4 Match 2: Anthony dec. Auguello, 11-6 Match 3: Augello dec. Anthony, 8-2 53 kilos: Helen Maroulis defeats Whitney Conder 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Maroulis tech. fall Conder, 10-0 Match 2: Maroulis tech. fall Conder, 11-0 75 kilos: Adeline Gray defeats Victoria Francis 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gray tech. fall Francis, 11-0 Match 2: Gray tech. fall Francis, 10-0

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Tony Ramos entered the Olympic Team Trials with an undefeated record at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That undefeated streak remained intact after Sunday's opening session of the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City. Ramos, a two-time returning World Team member, had to dig deep in his two matches to punch his ticket to tonight's finals at 57 kilos. He opened his tournament by defeating Nahshon Garrett 3-3 on criteria. Ramos trailed 3-2 in the third period, but earned a caution point late in the match to win on criteria. Ramos then edged 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott 4-4 on criteria in an action-filled semifinal match. Scott led 2-0 at the break after scoring off the shot clock and by a step out. Ramos battled back in the second period, countering a Scott attack for a takedown to make the score 2-2. The former Hawkeye kept the pressure on and scored another takedown to go up 4-2. Then in the final five seconds Scott took down Ramos to make the score 4-4. However, Ramos held criteria based on having more two-point moves. He will now face another former Hawkeye, Daniel Dennis, in the finals. Dennis earned his trip to the finals by notching a 6-2 victory over Tyler Graff in the semifinals. Graff led 2-0 at the break, but Dennis came back to score six unanswered points in the second period. Three weeks after winning his second NCAA title, J'den Cox will wrestle in the Olympic Team Trials finals at 86 kilos. He had an impressive run to the finals, which included victories over Clayton Foster, Jake Herbert and Keith Gavin. On the bottom side of the bracket, Kyle Dake defeated David Taylor 4-3 to advance to the finals. The match was knotted 1-1 at the break. Dake picked up a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the second period to lead 3-1. The two then traded step out points, and Dake led 4-2 late. Taylor took a shot late and was able to get to Dake's legs but unable to finish for a takedown. At 74 kilos, Andrew Howe came through the challenge tournament with victories over Mark Hall, Alex Dieringer and Nick Marable, setting up a rematch from the 2012 Olympic Team Trials finals against Jordan Burroughs. Olympic champion Jake Varner battled through the challenge tournament to reach the finals tonight at 97 kilos against returning World champion Kyle Snyder. Varner was unscored upon in three matches. In women's freestyle, a surprise came at 48 kilos where Haley Augello, a past Cadet World champion, defeated two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe, 7-6 in the semifinals. On the bottom side of the bracket, Victoria Anthony handled 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun 9-2 in the semifinals. World champion Helen Maroulis had three technical falls to advance to the finals at 53 kilos. In the finals she will face three-time World Team member Whitney Conder. Conder had two technical falls and a 7-2 victory in the semifinals over Michaela Hutchison. Victoria Francis won the challenge tournament at 75 kilos. She will meet three-time World champion Adeline Gray tonight. In Greco-Roman, returning World fifth-place finisher Robby Smith was unchallenged in the opening session at 130 kilos, earning a 39-second pin in his first match, which he followed up with an 8-0 technical fall. Smith will meet Adam Coon in the finals. Coon had a pair of technical falls to reach the finals. In the only other Greco-Roman weight class contested on Sunday, 75 kilos, Geordan Speiller came through the challenge tournament. He defeated Cheney Haight 7-0 to advance to tonight's finals against two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek. Finals Matchups Men's freestyle: 57 kilos: Tony Ramos vs. Daniel Dennis 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs vs. Andrew Howe 86 kilos: J'den Cox vs. Kyle Dake 97 kilos: Kyle Snyder vs. Jake Varner Greco-Roman: 75 kilos: Andy Bisek vs. Geordan Speiller 130 kilos: Robby Smith vs. Adam Coon Women's freestyle: 48 kilos: Haley Augello vs. Victoria Anthony 53 kilos: Helen Maroulis vs. Whitney Conder 75 kilos: Adeline Gray vs. Victoria Francis

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Tervel Dlagnev thought about hanging up his wrestling shoes two days before competing in the Olympic Team Trials. Tervel Dlagnev gets ready to compete in the finals of the Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)After arriving in Iowa City, the two-time World bronze medalist was preparing to compete by doing a couple minutes of stance and motion drills in the sauna when he experienced a painful sensation. "I had a really, really weird, scary pain go down my back and into my legs," said Dlagnev, who had back surgery last year. "I don't want to go through that again. At that point I wasn't even thinking about performance. I was thinking about my future and playing with my boys and being a dad and being a husband." His coaches told him that he if at any time he was scared, that he should hang it up. The pain did not return. On Saturday night, Dlagnev came through to make his second straight U.S. Olympic team, beating Zack Rey in two straight matches at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa. Dlagnev grinded out a 3-1 victory in the first match on the strength of a takedown early in the second period. The second match was a back-and-forth affair. Rey went up 3-1 in the second period after countering a Dlagnev attack. Dlagnev responded with a takedown in the final minute to make the score 3-3 and take the lead on criteria. Rey shot a low single late in the match and was in deep, but Dlagnev countered for a takedown to win 5-3. "It's cool to go the first day if you win because then you get to watch it as the Olympian that's already on the team and see the guys battle tomorrow," said Dlagnev. Dlagnev was one of three wrestlers to secure a spot in the Rio Games on Saturday night. Joining him on the 2016 Team USA Olympic roster are Ben Provisor and Elena Pirozhkova. All three wrestlers who punched their tickets to Rio were 2012 Olympians. Ben Provisor walks out onto the mat for his finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Provisor made his second straight Olympic team, beating two-time World Team member Jake Clark in the finals at 85 kilos in Greco-Roman. Provisor used a gut wrench and step out point to beat Clark 3-0 in the first match. In the second match Provisor scored a takedown early to go up 2-0. Clark knotted the score at 2-2 after a caution and two. Provisor then countered a Clark turn and secured the fall. Provisor has battled several injuries since the London Games. He moved up a weight class this year ... and also recently moved from Colorado to Florida to train. "The best thing that I've done in the last two months is move to Florida and start training with the Florida Jets and with Geordan Speiller," said Provisor. "It's a lot of one-on-one stuff. I didn't feel like I was getting the right things in Colorado, so I had to move." Pirozhkova, a four-time World medalist, became the first wrestler to secure a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team by beating Erin Clodgo in two straight matches. Pirozkhova claimed a 3-1 victory in the first match, and then was able to pin Clodgo in the second match after going up 6-0. "Making an Olympic team is awesome and exciting," said Pirozhkova. "But last time it was awesome just to make the team. This time I made the team and I was like it's just a step in the way for me to get my gold." Six other champions were crowned on Saturday, but those six wrestlers will have to qualify their weight classes for the Olympic Games at one of the final two qualifying events. Frank Molinaro came through as the No. 9 seed to win the title at 65 kilos, arguably America's deepest men's freestyle weight class. After beating three multiple-time NCAA champions, including top-seeded Brent Metcalf, in the opening session, Molinaro defeated 19-year-old rising star Aaron Pico in the finals. Pico won the first match 4-2, but Molinaro battled back to take the second and third matches by scores of 4-3 and 4-4 to claim the championship. "That was a battle out there," said Molinaro. "Aaron's an animal. I knew that was going to be a dog fight. It hasn't really set in yet, really." Kelsey Campbell remained undefeated at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in two trips, winning her second straight U.S. Olympic Team Trials title. In the finals she topped three-time returning World Team member Alli Ragan in two straight matches at 58 kilos. Campbell won both matches by identical scores of 2-1. In the final match, Ragan scored first when Campbell failed to score when on the shot clock. Campbell, though, battled back to score two points in the final period to take the match. "I really didn't know what was going to happen today," said Campbell. "I truly didn't know. I just knew what I could control and focus on, and that's what I did focus on. It just worked out. I'm just really thankful, and I'm in shock right now." Tamyra Mensah lived up to her No. 1 seed, winning the Olympic Team Trials at 69 kilos with two dominating victories over Brittney Roberts in a battle of Texas natives. Mensah, a WCWA national champion for Wayland Baptist won both matches 8-1. All 16 of Mensah's points in the finals were scored off takedowns. "I can't even put it into words, but it feels amazing," said Mensah. "I want to cry, and I'm trying not to." She will now head to Mongolia in two weeks to attempt to qualify for the Olympic Games. "I'm excited," Mensah said of wrestling in Mongolia. "I want to be able to wrestle the same way there like I did here. Hopefully I'll get top two." Jesse Thielke, a 2013 World Team member, capped off an impressive day with two straight victories over 2008 Olympian Ildar Hafizov to win the title at 59 kilos. In the first match Thielke went up 5-0 and then executed a five-point throw to finish the match. Thielke took the second match 9-3. "I've wanted it for so long," said Thielke. "I've been here four years ago. I lost to my friend Ellis [Coleman] in the quarters. I couldn't feel that way again, especially in this arena in front of these fans. I'm doing that twice in a lifetime." The 23-year-old Thielke was an NCAA qualifier for Wisconsin in 2015, but decided to take an Olympic redshirt in the 2015-16 season. "Greco is my passion," said Thielke. "I live for this. I thrive for this. It's my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world." Joe Rau captured the title at 98 kilos with a hard-fought three-match victory over Caylor Williams. Williams used a big throw in the first period of the first match to pin Rau and go up 1-0 in the series. Rau came back to win the next match 5-2, setting the stage for a third and deciding match. In the final match Rau jumped out to a 4-0 lead and looked to be in command. Williams came back with a four-point throw to make the score 4-4 and take the lead on criteria. Williams would add a step out point to go up 5-4. Rau stayed aggressive, and with 40 seconds left scored a takedown off a high dive to take the lead 6-5, which is how the match would end. "It feels great, but it's not over yet," said Rau, who trains with the Minnesota Storm. "I still have to qualify this weight for the Olympics. I'm happy for tonight, and then tomorrow it's back to work." RaVaughan Perkins topped Pat Smith two matches to one to claim the crown at 66 kilos. After losing the first match 4-0, Perkins edged Smith 2-2 on criteria in the second match, and then rolled to a 9-2 win in the third match. In 2014, Perkins won both the U.S. Open and World Team Trials. However, he was unable to compete at the 2014 World Championships after testing positive for a banned substance. He served a six-month suspension. "It's been a tough couple years in my life," said Perkins. "I just feel amazing." Sunday action is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT. The final nine weight classes will be contested. Finals Results Men's freestyle 65 kilos: Frank Molinaro defeats Aaron Pico 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Pico dec. Molinaro, 4-2 Match 2: Molinaro dec. Pico, 4-3 Match 3: Molinaro dec. Pico, 4-4 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev defeats Zack Rey 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Dlagnev dec. Rey, 2-0 Match 2: Dlagnev dec. Rey, 5-3 Greco-Roman 59 kilos: Jessie Thielke defeats Ildar Hafizov 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Thielke dec. Hafizov, 10-0 Match 2: Thielke dec. Hafizov, 9-3 66 kilos: RaVaughan Perkins defeats Pat Smith 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Smith dec. Perkins, 2-0 Match 2: Perkins dec. Smith, 2-2 Match 3: Perkins dec. Smith, 9-2 85 kilos: Ben Provisor defeats Jake Clark 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Provisor dec. Clark, 3-0 Match 2: Provisor pinned Clark, 2:30 98 kilos: Joe Rau defeats Caylor Williams 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Williams pinned Rau, 1:37 Match 2: Rau dec. Williams, 5-2 Match 3: Rau dec. Williams, 6-5 Women's freestyle 58 kilos: Kelsey Campbell defeats Alli Ragan 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Campbell dec. Ragan, 2-1 Match 2: Campbell dec. Ragan, 2-1 63 kilos: Elena Pirozkhova defeats Erin Clodgo 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Pirozkhova dec. Clodgo, 3-1 Match 2: Pirozkhova pinned Clodgo, 4:00 69 kilos: Tamyra Mensah defeats Brittney Roberts 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Mensah dec. Roberts, 8-1 Match 2: Mensah dec. Roberts, 8-1

Men's freestyle 65 kilos: Frank Molinaro defeated Aaron Pico 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Pico dec. Molinaro, 4-2 Match 2: Molinaro dec. Pico, 4-3 Match 3: Molinaro dec. Pico, 4-4 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev defeated Zack Rey 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Dlagnev dec. Rey, 2-0 Match 2: Dlagnev dec. Rey, 5-3 Greco-Roman 59 kilos: Jessie Thielke defeated Ildar Hafizov 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Thielke dec. Hafizov, 10-0 Match 2: Thielke dec. Hafizov, 9-3 66 kilos: RaVaughan Perkins defeated Pat Smith 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Smith dec. Perkins, 2-0 Match 2: Perkins dec. Smith, 2-2 Match 3: Perkins dec. Smith, 9-2 85 kilos: Ben Provisor defeated Jake Clark 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Provisor dec. Clark, 3-0 Match 2: Provisor pinned Clark, 2:30 98 kilos: Joe Rau defeated Caylor Williams 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Williams pinned Rau, 1:37 Match 2: Rau dec. Williams, 5-2 Match 3: Rau dec. Williams, 6-5 Women's freestyle 58 kilos: Kelsey Campbell defeated Alli Ragan 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Campbell dec. Ragan, 2-1 Match 2: Campbell dec. Ragan, 2-1 63 kilos: Elena Pirozkhova defeated Erin Clodgo 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Pirozkhova dec. Clodgo, 3-1 Match 2: Pirozkhova pinned Clodgo, 4:00 69 kilos: Tamyra Mensah defeated Brittney Roberts 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Mensah dec. Roberts, 8-1 Match 2: Mensah dec. Roberts, 8-1