InterMat Staff

1. Iowa 152 2. Nebraska 135 3. Rutgers 110 4. North Carolina State 95.5 5. Rider 67 6. Iowa State 64 7. Old Dominion 63.5 8. Princeton 63 9. Northwestern 61 10. South Dakota State 57 11. Purdue 54.5 12. Oregon State 50 13. Northern Iowa 45 14. Oklahoma 41 15. Ohio 40.5 16. Grand View 38 17. North Dakota State 37.5 18. Arizona State 36 19. American U. 35 20. Northern Illinois 35 21. Maryland 33 22. CSU Bakersfield 31 23. Nittany Lion WC 26 24. Buffalo 23 25. Columbia 20 26. Wisconsin 17.5 27. Eastern Michigan 16.5 28. George Mason 16 29. Lock Haven 13 30. Cal Baptist 12.5 31. Kent State 10.5 32. Lehigh 8.5 33. Indiana 5.5 34. SIU-Edwardsville 5.5 35. Bloomsburg 4.5 36. Illinois 3.5 37. Messiah College 2.5 38. Poeta WC 1 39. Bears Wrestling Club 0 39 Chicago 0 39. Franklin & Marshall 0 39. Wabash College 0 39. Wisconsin-Whitewater 0

125: 1st: No. 2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. No. 6 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State), 5-1 3rd: No. 10 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) dec. No. 16 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State), 4-2 5th: Kris Williams (Nebraska) maj. dec. Kegan Calkins (Oregon State), 12-4 7th: Ben Thornton (Purdue) dec. Brandon Jeske (Old Dominion), 6-4 133: 1st: Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) dec. No. 18 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa), 4-2 SV2 3rd: No. 14 Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. No. 20 Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers), 4-2 5th: Dom Malone (Northwestern) by medical forfeit over Cory Clark (Iowa) 7th: No. 5 Earl Hall (Iowa State) maj. dec. No. 17 Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 11-3 141: 1st: Andrew Long (Grand View) tech. fall No. 20 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois), 23-6 3rd: No. 5 Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) dec. No. 2 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers), 5-2 5th: Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven), 8-6 7th: No. 19 Rick Durso (Franklin & Marshall) dec. No. 3 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion), 3-1 149: 1st: No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), 3-1 SV 3rd: No. 7 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) maj. dec. No. 4 Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion), 10-1 5th: Michael Kemerer (Iowa) by medical forfeit over No. 14 Bryant Clagon (Rider) 7th: Ken Theobald (Rutgers) pinned No. 16 Gabe Moreno (Iowa State), 1:12 157: 1st: No. 7 Thomas Gantt (North Carolina State) dec. No. 6 Cody Pack (South Dakota State), 4-2 3rd: No. 20 Chad Walsh (Rider) maj. dec. No. 17 Richie Lewis (Rutgers), 10-1 5th: Greg Flournoy (George Mason) by medical forfeit over No. 11 John Boyle (American) 7th: No. 18 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) dec. Markus Scheidel (Columbia), 5-2 165: 1st: No. 6 Chad Welch (Purdue) pinned No. 15 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa St.), 3:54 3rd: No. 19 Connor Brennan (Rider) dec. Mitch Wightman (American), 6-2 5th: No. 11 Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Adam Fierro (CSU Bakersfield), 3-1 7th: Patrick Rhoads (Iowa) pinned Tyler Rill (Buffalo), 6:42 174: 1st: No. 9 Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. No. 13 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton), 1-0 3rd: No. 3 Alex Meyer (Iowa) by medical forfeit over No. 12 Micah Barnes (Nebraska) 5th: Phil Bakuckas (Rutgers) dec. David Kocer (South Dakota State), 4-1 7th: No. 15 Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) pinned Trace Engelkes (Northern Illinois), 0:18 184: 1st: David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) dec. No. 8 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 5-3 3rd: No. 12 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State) dec. No. 7 Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 9-5 5th: No. 17 Pete Renda (North Carolina State) dec. No. 16 Abram Ayala (Princeton), 3-2 7th: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) pinned No. 20 Nick Gravina (Rutgers), 2:44 197: 1st: No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. Derek White (Nebraska), 6-1 3rd: No. 13 Brett Harner (Princeton) pinned No. 16 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), 2:50 5th: No. 6 Reuben Franklin (CSU Bakersfield) by medical forfeit over Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers) 7th: No. 12 Nate Rotert (South Dakota State) dec. Ryan Wolfe (Rider), 7-3 285: 1st: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) dec. No. 18 Tanner Hall (Arizona State), 4-3 3rd: No. 8 Sam Stoll (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 11 Ross Larson (Oklahoma), 11-1 5th: No. 9 Billy Smith (Rutgers) dec. Dawson Peck (Maryland), 5-0 7th: Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan) tech. fall Joseph Fagiano (Cal Baptist), 26-8

125: No. 2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. No. 16 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State), 4-1 No. 6 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) pinned No. 10 Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 2:21 133: Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) by medical forfeit over No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) No. 18 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 20 Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers), 5-2 141: Andrew Long (Grand View) tech. fall Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven), 25-8 No. 20 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) dec. Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton), 5-4 TB 149: No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. No. 7 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska), 7-4 No. 3 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 4 Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion), 3-1 SV 157: No. 6 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) dec. No. 11 John Boyle (American), 6-2 No. 7 Thomas Gantt (NC State) dec. No. 20 Chad Walsh (Rider), 6-4 165: No. 15 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) dec. Adam Fierro (CSU Bakersfield), 10-4 No. 6 Chad Welch (Purdue) maj. dec. Mitch Wightman (American), 15-2 174: No. 9 Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. No. 3 Alex Meyer (Iowa), 7-0 No. 13 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton) dec. No. 12 Micah Barnes (Nebraska), 5-4 TB2 184: David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) dec. No. 7 Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 7-2 No. 8 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) pinned No. 16 Abram Ayala (Princeton), 6:55 197: No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. No. 16 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), 4-2 Derek White (Nebraska) dec. Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers), 6-2 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) maj. dec. No. 8 Sam Stoll (Iowa), 10-1 No. 18 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) maj. dec. No. 11 Ross Larson (Oklahoma), 10-2 Finals Matchups: 125: No. 2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) vs. No. 6 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) 133: No. 18 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) vs. Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) 141: Andrew Long (Grand View) vs. No. 20 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) 149: No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) vs. No. 3 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) 157: No. 6 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) vs. No. 7 Thomas Gantt (NC State) 165: No. 6 Chad Welch (Purdue) vs. No. 15 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) 174: No. 9 Cody Walters (Ohio) vs. No. 13 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton) 184: David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) vs. No. 8 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) 197: No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) vs. Derek White (Nebraska) 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. No. 18 Tanner Hall (Arizona State)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Myles Martin, a highly-touted true freshman on the Ohio State wrestling team, will make his 2015-16 debut in the Buckeyes' starting lineup this Sunday at No. 11 Illinois, head coach Tom Ryan announced today. Martin, who is 18-2 so far this season wrestling unattached in open tournaments, came to Ohio State as the nation's top-ranked recruit at 182 pounds and was the No. 3 pound for pound prospect by Flowrestling. He will wrestle at 174 pounds this season for the No. 6 Buckeyes. “We're excited to see Myles compete in the varsity line up,” said Ryan, the 2015 National Coach of the Year. “He is an elite recruit and the past six months I have witnessed his world class work ethic. He will have a significant impact in our lineup. He is selfless and we expect big things from him at 174 pounds.” “My training partners in the practice room and coaches have prepared me for this and I couldn't be more excited,” said Martin. “I came to Ohio State because I knew I'd be around people who would push me to be better, to reach my full potential – and that's exactly what's happened. I'm ready to help this team in any and every way that I can.” Included in Martin's resume this year are titles at the Eastern Michigan Open, Findlay Open and a second place showing at the Penn State Open. Thirteen of his 18 wins have come via bonus points (six tech falls, five falls, two major decisions). On his way to his Findlay Open title, Martin had pins in the first and second rounds before winning his final three matches by a combined score of 52-6 (all tech falls). At Eastern Michigan, he went 5-0 with a pin, tech fall and major decision before edging Indiana's Nate Jackson, a NCAA qualifier last year, 7-5 in the championship match. Martin, a Penns Grove, N.J. native, comes to the Buckeyes from the McDonogh School, where he was a four-time national prep finalist and junior freestyle national champion. Martin twice won the Beast of the East Tournament and placed first at the 2014 National Preps. He went 46-1 as a junior with 25 pins in leading McDonough to a triple crown: the MIAA dual meet title, tournament title and MIS wrestling team title. In his final two high school seasons, Martin was 92-2. He won 171 matches over his four-year career. True freshmen making a major impact in Ohio State's lineup in not uncommon. Under Ryan, the Buckeyes have produced five true freshmen All-Americans -- JD Bergman, Lance Palmer, Cam Tessari, Hunter Stieber and Kyle Snyder. Snyder's run to the 197-pound NCAA finals last March was key in Ohio State's first-ever team national title. Ohio State's match at Illinois on Sunday can be seen live on FightingIllini.com (subscription required). The Illini feature sixth-ranked Zac Brunson (13-0) at 174 lbs.

The recent death of Austin Roberts, Spencer (Iowa) High School senior wrestler who collapsed during the 220-pound finals at a tournament in his home gym the Saturday before Christmas and died in the hospital hours later, can only give pause to those involved in the sport. Yet athletes, coaches, families and fans can take comfort in knowing that wrestler deaths tied directly to an incident during workouts, practice or in an actual match are incredibly rare. Since Roberts' passing, the Des Moines Register cited a report from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, which found just one fatality in high school wrestling across the country for the 2012-13 school year, the most recent year for which statistics were available. The National Federation of State High School Associations lists 278,890 high school wrestling participants in that season. To provide additional perspective ... in a separate article, the Des Moines Register cited statistics from another report from the same organization which found four fatalities from all high school winter sports nationwide for the 2012-13 school year. (This article was published in light of the deaths of two prep athletes in Iowa while directly participating in their respective sports. In addition to Roberts, a high school basketball player collapsed during a game in early December, and passed away one week later.) The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported that there isn't a record of wrestling-related deaths in Iowa, according to Iowa High School Athletic Association officials. That said Roberts' death was the first in Executive Director Alan Beste's 28 years with the ISHAA. To be eligible to participate, Iowa high school male athletes must pass a yearly physical conducted by a "physician and surgeon, osteopathic physician and surgeon, osteopath, qualified doctor of chiropractic, licensed physician's assistant or advanced registered nurse practitioner," the IHSAA rules state. An autopsy was performed on Roberts the day before Christmas. As of this writing, results have not been made public. An initial exam indicated the late Spencer High wrestler -- who was a placer at the Iowa high school state championships in March, and was 12-0 this season -- died of natural causes, and had not been injured or poisoned. Austin Roberts' father Travis Roberts told NBC News that his son had no history of collapsing during matches or workouts, nor any other known health issues. Witnesses to Austin Roberts' last match on Dec. 19 said there was no collision or slam or any other incident. InterMat has reported on the deaths of three high school wrestlers so far during the 2015-16 season. Two involved prep wrestlers in the state of Iowa. In addition to the passing of Roberts this month, in November, Tristan White, 14, of Treynor High in western Iowa, was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle while doing roadwork with his wrestling teammates on a country road not far from home. A third death took place in Virginia; in early December, Cullen Porter, 17, a senior at Franklin High School, died after being injured in wrestling practice. No cause of death had been reported in the local media. Anecdotal evidence may provide additional comfort for wrestlers, their families and friends beyond statistics. In 2009, this writer began producing news stories about U.S. amateur wrestling, including reporting on the deaths of active and former participants in the sport. In that time, most of the deaths involving current high school or college wrestlers have taken place far from the sport. Prior to the deaths of the three high school matmen this season, the last U.S. amateur wrestler to have died while involved in an activity related directly to his sport was in September 2013, when a wrestler at Georgia's Darton State College collapsed during an outdoor team run in extreme heat, and died nine days later. From my experience, the two most common causes of death for active wrestlers have involved vehicle accidents, with accidental drownings ranking a close second.

EVANSTON, Illinois -- The University of Iowa wrestling team posted a 7-3 record in the quarterfinal round of the Midlands Championship on Tuesday night. The Hawkeyes have individual title hopes in seven weights, with all No. 1 seeded wrestlers remaining en route to the championships. Iowa sits in first place with 96 points. Nebraska is a distant second with 78 points, followed by Rutgers (62), North Carolina State (49.5), and Northwestern (42.5). "It's up, then it's down, but it's a lot more up than down," said UI head coach Tom Brands. "Advancing seven wrestlers is good, even with takedowns at what seems like a premium right now". First-seeded Thomas Gilman continued to rake in bonus points for the Hawkeyes, delivering a pin to No. 8 Keegan Calkins (Oregon State) at 2:53. The fall is Gilman's fifth of the season and 14th overall. "Gilman, every time he comes out tries to wrestle harder and he has wrestled harder", Brands said of the 125 pounder. "That match was like an avalanche for that guy and that's what we've got to have. That seems to be Gilman's best chance to dominate and he has, so good for him". Defending champion Cory Clark secured a semifinal berth for the second consecutive year at 133 pounds. Clark collected a 7-1 decision over Columbia's Angelo Amenta, recording two takedowns to continue his run towards the finals. Brandon Sorensen, seeded first at 149, advances to the semifinals for the third time in as many years at the Midlands. The sophomore posted a 9-5 decision against eighth-seeded Ken Theobald, wrestling unattached from Rutgers. Alex Meyer (174) collected a 3-1 decision over #9 Phil Bakuckas (Rutgers) and Sammy Brooks (184) used a 5-2 decision against #5 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State) to continue into the semifinal matches. Senior Nathan Burak continues his advancement towards consecutive titles at 197, earning a spot in the semifinals with an 8-2 decision over North Carolina State's eighth seeded Michael Boykin. The victory pushes Burak's season record to 10-0 on the season. Continuing his streak of firsts, Sam Stoll will be making his Midlands semifinals debut at heavyweight after collecting a tight 2-0 decision victory over fifth-ranked Billy Smith (Rutgers). "The biggest thing in tournaments like these is getting ready for multiple matches and being ready for whatever is thrown at you," Brands said. "If you're looking too far ahead, you could be the one that gets upset so you want to be focused one match at a time and keep things going." Session III of the Midlands Championships is set to begin at 12 p.m. (CT) Wednesday. Updated team standings and complete tournament brackets are available throughout the tournament at nusports.com and on trackwrestling.com.

125: No. 2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. Kegan Calkins (Oregon State), 2:53 No. 16 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State) dec. Alex Madrigal (Old Dominion), 2-1 No. 10 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) dec. Brandon Jeske (Old Dominion), 7-1 No. 6 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) maj. dec. Garrison White (Northwestern), 13-4 133: No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Angelo Amenta (Columbia), 7-1 Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) dec. No. 17 Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 4-2 SV No. 18 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) dec. Cameron Kelly (Ohio), 10-5 No. 20 Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers) dec. No. 5 Earl Hall (Iowa State), 5-4 141: Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven) dec. No. 3 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion), 3-2 Andrew Long (Grand View) pinned Danny Sabatello (Purdue), 6:09 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. No. 19 Rick Durso (Franklin & Marshall), 6-3 No. 20 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) dec. No. 5 Kevin Jack (North Carolina State), 4-2 SV 149: No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. Ken Theobold (Rutgers), 9-5 No. 7 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) pinned No. 14 B.J. Clagon (Rider), 6:47 No. 4 Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion) dec. Michael Kemerer (Iowa), 11-9 No. 3 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 16 Gabe Moreno (Iowa State), 8-2 157: No. 6 Cody Pack (South Dakota) pinned Markus Scheidel (Columbia), 5:52 No. 11 John Boyle (American) dec. Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa), 3-1 SV No. 20 Chad Walsh (Rider) pinned No. 15 Lou Mascola (Maryland), 6:21 No. 7 Thomas Gantt (NC State) maj. dec. No. 16 Edwin Cooper (Iowa), 17-6 165: Adam Fierro (CSU Bakersfield) dec. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers), 6-4 No. 15 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) pinned Patrick Rhoads (Iowa), 0:46 No. 6 Chad Welch (Purdue) by medical forfeit over No. 13 Clark Glass (Oklahoma) Mitch Wightman (American) dec. Seth Thomas (Oregon State), 8-4 174: No. 3 Alex Meyer (Iowa) dec. Phil Bakuckas (Rutgers), 3-1 No. 9 Cody Walters (Ohio) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 7-2 No. 13 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton) dec. Jacob Holschlag (Northern Iowa), 9-5 No. 12 Micah Barnes (Nebraska) dec. Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa), 6-5 184: David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Zahid Valencia (Arizona State), 15-0 No. 7 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) dec. No. 12 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State), 5-2 No. 8 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) dec. No. 17 Pete Renda (NC State), 6-5 No. 16 Abram Ayala (Princeton) dec. No. 3 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion), 8-7 197: No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. No. 17 Michael Boykin (North Carolina State), 8-2 No. 16 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) dec. No. 13 Brett Harner (Princeton), 3-1 SV Derek White (Nebraska) dec. No. 11 Phil Wellington (Ohio), 7-4 Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers) dec. Josh DaSilveira (Arizona State), 11-5 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) maj. dec. No. 15 Collin Jensen (Nebraska), 11-3 No. 8 Sam Stoll (Iowa) dec. No. 9 Billy Smith (Rutgers), 2-0 No. 11 Ross Larson (Oklahoma) dec. No. 7 Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa), 6-3 No. 18 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) dec. No. 5 Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State), 6-5 Semifinal Matchups: 125: No. 2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) vs. No. 16 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State) No. 6 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) vs. No. 10 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) 133: No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion) No. 18 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 20 Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers) 141: Andrew Long (Grand View) vs. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven) No. 20 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) vs. Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) 149: No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) No. 3 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. No. 4 Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion) 157: No. 6 Cody Pack (South Dakota) vs. No. 11 John Boyle (American) No. 7 Thomas Gantt (NC State) vs. No. 20 Chad Walsh (Rider) 165: No. 15 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) vs. Adam Fierro (CSU Bakersfield) No. 6 Chad Welch (Purdue) vs. Mitch Wightman (American) 174: No. 3 Alex Meyer (Iowa) vs. No. 9 Cody Walters (Ohio) No. 12 Micah Barnes (Nebraska) No. 13 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton) 184: David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) vs. No. 7 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) No. 8 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) vs. No. 16 Abram Ayala (Princeton) 197: No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) vs. No. 16 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) Derek White (Nebraska) vs. Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers) 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. No. 8 Sam Stoll (Iowa) No. 11 Ross Larson (Oklahoma) vs. No. 18 Tanner Hall (Arizona State)

Live Blog Midlands Championships

Link: Brackets EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Midlands Championship Committee released the official brackets and seeding Monday night for the 53rd annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. #Midlands53 begins tomorrow morning, Dec. 29, at 9:30 a.m. and runs through the finals on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. The championship round will air live on Big Ten Network. Top seeds include: Thomas Gilman, Iowa (125); Cory Clark, Iowa (133); Chris Mecate, Old Dominion (141); Brandon Sorensen, Iowa (149); Cody Pack, South Dakota State (157); Anthony Perrotti, Rutgers (165); Alex Meyer, Iowa (174); David Taylor, Nittany Lion Wrestling Club (184); Nathan Burak, Iowa (197); Nick Gwiazdowski, North Carolina State (285). For more information, please visit the Midlands home page at NUsports.com and TrackWrestling.

Funeral services have been set for Brad Paddock, upstate New York wrestler and coach who mentored a number of athletes to state titles and college success, who passed away this week at age 50. Visitation will take place this Saturday and Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. each day, at Robinson & Hackemer Funeral Home in Warsaw, N.Y. The funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday in Warsaw, at Valley Chapel Free Methodist Church. Brad Paddock died Tuesday after multiple diseases caused organ failure over the course of about three weeks at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported Thursday. Brad Paddock owned and operated a business that offered breeding services for livestock and dairy supplies. He had described himself as a "decent wrestler" during his days at Perry High School, winning the 167-pound Livingston County title in 1983, according to the Livingston County News. However, it can be argued that it was as an assistant coach at Warsaw High School -- and as founder of the nationally-recognized Team X wrestling club -- where Paddock's greatest accomplishments took place. At Warsaw, Paddock coached his wrestlers to 90 Section V individual championships, eight Section V team titles, and three New York State team titles. His Team X wrestlers included 50 NYS place finishers, 20 NYS individual champs, and 30 NCAA All-Americans. Nearly two-dozen of Brad Paddock's wrestlers went on to compete at NCAA Div. I programs, including three of his sons: Ian, who wrestled at Ohio State, Paul at Edinboro University, and Burke at the University of Iowa. Two other sons also wrestled: Joey followed in his father's footsteps to Liberty University ... while Aaron continues his high school career at 195 pounds. "Brad Paddock was an amazing man," Jackie Carman, the wife of longtime Geneseo head wrestling coach Danny Carman, told the Livingston County News. "He was a gentle giant who in his quiet way brought the best out in many young wrestlers. He opened his home and his heart to so many who will be forever impacted by his touch." "Brad was all about the kids, all of the time," Warsaw Athletic Director Ed Stores Jr. said. "He worked extremely hard for his own kids and he meant everything to his kids. He opened his doors up to all Warsaw kids, particularly our wrestlers. He opened his doors up to wrestlers from neighboring districts as well. If they were willing to put the work in, he was willing to work with them. He was without question a major factor and major contributor to our success we have experienced over the last 15 years." "We have all lost an amazing coach, friend, and father today," said Rob Hirsch, who was head coach at Warsaw High from 2000-2012. "But we are so much stronger for having him with us in our lives. We now know what the '10' stands for in Team X. Think of the most amazing person in your life and then times it by 10 and you will understand what Brad meant to people." Brad Paddock is survived by his wife Jeanie, nine children (ranging in age from 16 to 30 years old), and two grandchildren.

NCAA All-American. Sumo wrestler. Mixed martial arts fighter. Actor. Heftiest athlete on earth. All these describe Emanuel Yarbrough, who passed away Monday, Dec. 21 in Richmond, Va. at age 51. Emanuel Yarbrough Known to fans by the nicknames "Manny" and "Tiny", Yarbrough held the distinction of being the world's largest athlete, standing 6'8" and tipping the scales at 616 pounds, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. (His bio at his official website lists 675 lbs.; NJ.com reported "over 700 pounds", while another source claimed he was once 880 lbs.) Born Sept. 5, 1964 in Rahway, N.J., Emanuel Yarbrough played football at Morgan State University in the 1980s, and wrestled for the now-defunct mat program at the Baltimore-based school. In 1983, he earned his first All-American honor, placing eighth in the unlimited weight class (now 285 pounds) at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. At the 1986 NCAA Division I championships at the University of Iowa, Yarbrough was unseeded in the unlimited weight bracket. He pinned his first opponent, but lost to eventual champ Kirk Trost of Michigan by disqualification in his second match. Yarbrough battled back in the consolation bracket to eventually place eighth for his second All-American honors. (Yarbrough was among the last of the supersized heavyweight wrestlers in college competition, along with 370-pound Jimmy Jackson of Oklahoma State (three-time champ, 1976-78) and 1984 champ Tab Thacker of North Carolina State (who weighed in at over 400 pounds). It was about this time that the NCAA put a top weight limit on what had been "unlimited", first, 265 pounds, then, later, 285.) Forced to discontinue wrestling because of weight restrictions place on Olympic-style wrestling, Yarbrough took up sumo wrestling. He was a member of the U.S. National Sumo team starting in 1992. Yarbrough was the World Amateur Sumo Champion in 1995, and won a number of medals at the Sumo World Championships. Yarbrough was certified as 4th Dan/Yodan by Nihon Sumo Renmei in 1996. During the same era, Yarbrough also ventured into professional MMA, then a fledging sport, with no weight classes or restrictions. At the Ultimate Fighting Championships' UFC 3 event in Charlotte in Sept. 1994, the 600+ pound Yarbrough drew to fight 195-pound Keith Hackney. In the opening seconds of their bout, Yarbrough drove Hackney out of the cage through the door. When the match resumed, Hackney knocked Yarbrough down with handstrikes, winning on a TKO in less than two minutes. Yarbrough had a total of three pro MMA bouts in the 1990s, compiling a 1-2 overall record. Yarbrough became something of a multi-media star, appearing in TV series and commercials, and movies. Among his more famous roles included the HBO series "Oz", and in the Mickey Rourke movie "The Wrestler." A GoFundMe.com campagin has been launched to help raise funds to bring Yarbrough back to New Jersey and pay for funeral costs and has already raised more than $6,000.

Just in time for the holidays, Brown University wrestling received a gift that will keep on giving. The mat program at the Providence, R.I. Ivy League school was the recipient of what head coach Todd Beckerman described as a "particularly generous gift" in a letter emailed earlier this week to Brown alumni, parents and friends of Bears wrestling. "A former Brown wrestler and his wife made a $1M gift to create a new endowment for the program," Beckerman wrote. While he did not identify the donor couple by name, Beckerman revealed the name the couple selected for their gift -- the Marvin L. Wilenzik '56 Head Coaching Chair for Brown Wrestling -- which is designated to provide funds to sustain the head coaching position for the school's NCAA Division I wrestling program. "This is an amazing gesture, but it is even more powerful because they have also decided to name the endowment in honor of Marvin Wilenzik, Brown Class of '56," Beckerman added. "Marv's influence and reach spans decades of Brown wrestlers, and there is no better person to receive this recognition than Marvin. In the coming weeks and months, we will share more information about Marvin and this endowment." "This is just the beginning," Beckerman continued. "Our hope is to grow this endowment to $2 million which will truly have a lasting impact. Just in the few weeks since the gift was revealed, a number of alumni and friends have already contacted me about adding to the endowment." The Brown wrestling endowment is the latest in similar gifts from generous alumni to sustain Division I wrestling programs. Early this summer, wrestling announcer and WIN Magazine columnist Sandy Stevens established the Bear and Sandy Stevens Head Wrestling Coach Endowment for her alma mater, University of Northern Iowa, with funds designated to support the salary of the Panthers wrestling coach position. (Her late husband Bob -- also known as Bear -- wrestled for legendary coach Bill Koll at the school in the early 1960s.) In September 2014, David Lehman, a former wrestler at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., provided a $5 million gift to fully endow his alma mater's mat program.

Due to how the events and the calendar fall between Christmas and New Year's, the next set of rankings will not be published until Wednesday, January 6. As a result, this schedule article will summarize scheduled competitions for nationally ranked teams from December 24 through January 5. No. 1 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- travel to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 2 Blair Academy, N.J. -- travel to No. 4 St. Paris Graham (Ohio) for dual meet on Saturday 1/2 No. 3 Bergen Catholic, N.J. -- compete in BCCA Tournament at Hackensack (N.J.) on 12/29 and 1/30, host DePaul Catholic (N.J.) for dual meet on 1/5 No. 4 St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- compete in GMVWA Tournament at Wright State University on 12/28 and 12/29, host No. 2 Blair Academy (N.J.) in dual meet on Saturday 1/2 No. 6 Carl Sandburg, Ill. -- compete in Berman Holiday Classic at Palatine (Ill.) on 12/29 and 12/30, travel to Lincoln-Way East for dual meet on 1/5 No. 7 Buchanan, Calif. -- compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 8 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 9 St. Edward, Ohio -- compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 10 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- host Christmas City Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30, compete in Easton (Pa.) Invitational on Saturday 1/2 No. 11 St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. - compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 12 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. -- compete in Osceola (Fla.) Knockout Classic on 12/29 and 12/30, compete in Prep Slam VIII at Holy Innocents (Ga.) on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 13 Tuttle, Okla. -- compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 14 Archer, Ga. -- host Takedown Sportswear Invitational on 12/28 and 12/29, compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 15 Belle Vernon Area, Pa. -- travel to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 16 Southeast Polk, Iowa -- host North/Hoover, Iowa in dual meet on 1/5 No. 17 Poway, Calif. -- compete in Cerritos (Calif.) Tournament of Champions on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 18 Elyria, Ohio -- compete in Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Invitational Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 19 Marmion Academy, Ill. -- host tri-meet on Monday 12/28, compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 20 Malvern Prep, Pa. -- travel to Indian River (Del.) for the Battle of the Beach on 12/28 and 12/29, compete in Easton (Pa.) Invitational on Saturday 1/2 No. 22 Lowell, Mich. -- compete in Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) Invitational on Saturday 1/2 No. 23 Delta, Ohio -- compete in Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Invitational Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 24 Allen, Texas -- host Texas Outlaw Tournament on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 25 Warren Central, Ind. -- compete in IHSWCA Team State at Fort Wayne (Ind.) War Memorial Coliseum on Saturday 1/2 No. 26 Apple Valley, Minn. -- compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 27 Montini Catholic, Ill. -- compete in quad meet at Antioch (Ill.) on 12/30, compete in tri-meet at St. Rita (Ill.) on Saturday 1/2 No. 28 Boyertown, Pa. -- travel to Cumberland Valley (Pa.) for dual meet on Saturday 1/2 No. 29 Washington, Ill. -- compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 31 Nazareth, Pa. -- compete in Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty Holiday Classic on 12/28 and 12/29 No. 32 Monroe Woodbury, N.Y. -- compete in Massapequa (N.Y.) Holiday Tournament on Tuesday 12/29 No. 33 Don Bosco Prep, N.J. -- compete in Mustang Classic at Brick Memorial (N.J.) on Monday 12/28 No. 34 Platte County, Mo. -- travel to Park Hill South (Mo.) for dual meet on 1/5 No. 35 Dundee, Mich. -- compete in Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Invitational Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 36 Camden County, Ga. -- compete in Osceola (Fla.) Knockout Classic on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 38 Olentangy Liberty, Ohio -- compete in Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Invitational Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 41 Park Hill, Mo. -- compete at The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Rochester, Minn. on 1/1 and 1/2 No. 42 Kiski Area, Pa. -- travel to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 44 Delbarton, N.J. -- travel to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 45 Reynolds, Pa. -- travel to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 45 Neosho, Mo. -- travel to Granite City (Ill.) for the Red Schmitt Holiday Classic on 12/29 and 12/30 No. 47 Father Ryan, Tenn. -- travel to Archer (Ga.) for the Takedown Sportswear Invitational on 12/28 and 12/29, travel to Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) for dual meet on 1/5 No. 48 San Marino, Calif. No. 49 Post Falls, Idaho -- compete at the Hall of Fame Duals in Moses Lake, Wash. on 1/2 No. 50 Good Counsel, Md. -- travel to Canon-McMillan (Pa.) for the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament on 12/29 and 12/30 Off: No. 5 Clovis (Calif.), No. 21 Mt. Carmel (Ill.), No. 30 Fort Dodge (Iowa), No. 37 Bakersfield (Calif.), No. 39 Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.), No. 40 Hartland (Mich.), No. 46 Pomona (Colo.).

Christmas has come and gone, and here's hoping everyone had the best of holidays. Now it's on to the post-holiday week of wrestling, which in many states is one of the more prestigious of the regular season. It's chock full of tournaments and dual meets of consequence The Clash XIV National Wrestling Duals Ten nationally ranked teams will be among the 32 in attendance at this event in Rochester, Minn. on New Year's Day and January 2, 2016. The assignment of teams into day one brackets will be unveiled at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 28th. Nationally ranked teams include No. 7 Buchanan (Calif.); No. 8 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.), the defending tournament champions; No. 9 St. Edward (Ohio), champions in the 2011-12 season; No. 11 St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.), champions in the 2012-13 season; No. 13 Tuttle (Okla.); No. 14 Archer (Ga.); No. 19 Marmion Academy (Ill.); No. 26 Apple Valley (Minn.), five-time champions of this tournament; No. 29 Washington (Ill.); and No. 41 Park Hill (Mo.) For the first day, there will be four eight-team brackets. Each team will compete three times, winners of the opening match will seek first through fourth place, while losers in that opening match will compete for fifth through eighth place. On the second day, there will eight four-team pools, with each team wrestling in a dual meet against the three other squads that finished in the same place they did on day one. Competition on each day takes place in two sessions, the first of them at 9 a.m., 11, and 1 p.m. Central Time; the second at 4 p.m., 6, and 8 (the late session on day two will have teams that finish first through fourth on day one). Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), ranked No. 1 in the nation, will be making its debut in this prestigious event held south of Pittsburgh at Canon-McMillan High School on December 29 and 30. The Blue Knights are joined by five other Fab 50 teams in the field: No. 15 Belle Vernon Area (Pa.), No. 42 Kiski Area (Pa.), No. 44 Delbarton (N.J.), No. 45 Reynolds (Pa.), and No. 50 Good Counsel (Md.). In all, teams from nine different states are present in the 48-school field. Twenty-eight nationally ranked wrestlers are slated to be in the tournament this coming week, including three ranked first in the country, and another four ranked second nationally. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) seeks to be the sixth ever four-time champion in tournament history, while Gavin Teasale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.) is a junior after his third title in this event. Below is a list of all the nationally ranked wrestlers in the field. 106: No. 19 Kurt McHenry (St. Pauls, Md.) 113: No. 1 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.), No. 4 Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.), and No. 7 Matthew Parker (Pennridge, Pa.) 120: No. 3 Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) 126: No. 9 Ethan McCoy (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), No. 15 Cole Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.) 132: No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), No. 10 Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.), and No. 17 Nick Farro (Delbarton, N.J.) 138: No. 2 George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.), No. 19 Patrick Munn (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 145: No. 2 Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.), No. 3 Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.) 152: No. 1 Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 3 Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.), and No. 15 Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.) 160: No. 5 Jake Wentzel (South Park, Pa.) 170: No. 2 Austin Bell (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.), No. 15 Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa.) 182: No. 1 Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 9 Kyle Gentile (Pennridge, Pa.), and No. 15 Greg Bulsak (South Park, Pa.) 195: No. 9 Christian Dietrich (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 12 Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.), and No. 20 Kevin Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) 220: No. 11 Will Hilliard (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 18 Cole Nye (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament Four nationally ranked teams will be among the 49 squads in the 55th annual Brecksville (Ohio) Holiday Invitational Tournament on December 29 and 30. Those teams are No. 18 Elyria (Ohio), defending tournament champion No. 23 Delta (Ohio), No. 35 Dundee (Mich.), and No. 38 Olentangy Liberty (Ohio). A couple other teams will be contesting for the team title as well, the hosts Brecksville and Davison (Mich.). Three weight classes have possible showdowns involving a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 8 Tommy Hoskins (Dayton Christian, Ohio) and No. 9 Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) at 113 pounds, No. 14 Mario Guillen (Perrysburg, Ohio) and No. 17 Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio) at 120, along with No. 9 Kyle Lawson (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) and No. 12 Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, Ohio) at 160; Lawson and Romero are both juniors, each of whom has already won two state titles. Five other nationally ranked wrestlers potentially feature in the field: No. 16 Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) at 126 pounds, No. 11 Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.) at 182, No. 2 Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio) at 195, No. 3 Matt Stencel (Oregon Clay, Ohio) at 220, and No. 3 Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) at 285; it is possible that Whitman could also be at 195, which would put him in the same weight class as Darmstadt. Knockout Christmas Classic Two nationally ranked teams, No. 12 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) and No. 36 Camden County (Ga.), are among the 26 schools slated to compete in Osceola (Fla.) on December 29 and 30 for this relatively new event that has shown the ability to get a more than solid field. Six nationally ranked wrestlers are among the formidable competitors in the field. Listed below are some of the wrestlers to watch in this tournament. 106: Ryan Chauvin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Elijah Varona (South Dade, Fla.) 113: Angel Perez (Southwest Miami, Fla.), Alex Victor (Braddock, Fla.) 120: Mason Wohltman (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 126: No. 8 Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Brevin Balmaceda (South Dade, Fla.), Jacob Conrad (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.), Jordan Marshall (Miami Southridge, Fla.), and Francisco Valdes (Southwest Miami, Fla.) 138: No. 20 Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.), Denton Spencer (Camden County, Ga.) 145: No. 16 Anthony Artalona (Tampa Prep, Fla.), Jake Brindley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Adam Lewis (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.), and Ozzy Lugo (South Dade, Fla.) 152: No. 19 Julian Ramirez (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.), Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and James Nereim (Winter Springs, Fla.) 160: Giovanni Bonilla (Osceola, Fla.), Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Bunmi Smith (Camden County, Ga.), Leo Tarantino (Tampa Prep, Fla.), and Max Wohlabaugh (Winter Springs, Fla.) 170: No. 12 Elijah Cleary (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Brian Buser (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) 182: Dominique Hargrave (Camden County, Ga.) 195: Ryan Thomas (American Heritage, Fla.) 220: No. 14 Dylan Meeks (Dr. Phillips, Fla.), Darius Hamilton (Miami Southridge, Fla.), and Chei Hill (South Dade, Fla.) 285: Kyron Taylor (South Dade, Fla.) Blair Academy travels to St. Paris Graham for January 2 dual meet Last year St. Paris Graham (Ohio) made the trip to Blair Academy in New Jersey on the first Saturday in January coming off a title at the Walsh Ironman. The Falcons, ranked first in the nation, took one on the chin in the form of an unexpected upset loss. It temporarily dropped them from the top spot in the Fab 50, and created a rankings debate for the rest of the season, one though that would end in favor of St. Paris Graham as they won the national title. This year, it's No. 2 Blair Academy who makes the trip to west-central Ohio in hopes of not being upset by No. 4 St. Paris Graham. The Buccaneers will do so in all likelihood missing No. 9 Requir van der Merwe from the lineup at 132 pounds, his return is more likely to come the next week at the Geary Invitational in Oklahoma. Below are the projected matchups: 106: No. 14 Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy) vs. Jordan Crace (St. Paris Graham) 113: Chris Cannon (Blair) vs. Jeffrey Thomas (Graham) 120: Zach Sherman (Blair) vs. Justin Stickley (Graham) 126: Josh Gobencion (Blair) vs. No. 13 Mitch Moore (Graham) 132: Mekhi Holley (Blair) vs. Ryan Thomas (Graham) 138: Shane Brackup (Blair) vs. No. 6 Brent Moore (Graham) 145: Andrew Merola (Blair) vs. No. 18 Rocky Jordan (Graham) 152: John Manning (Blair) vs. Joey Sanchez (Graham) 160: No. 17 Ryan Karoly (Blair) vs. No. 1 Alex Marinelli (Graham) 170: No. 3 Brandon Dallavia (Blair) vs. Garrett Jordan (Graham) 182: Jimmy Stillerman (Blair) vs. Gage Braun (Graham) 195: No. 3 Chase Singletary (Blair) vs. Kanan Sarver (Graham) 220: Nick Mosco (Blair) vs. Johnny Shafer (Graham) 285: Neil Putnam (Blair) vs. Nick Newport (Graham) The national rankings would give Graham an advantage in four weight class, with Blair having the edge in three weight class. Looking at those matches that are bereft a nationally ranked wrestler, Blair would have a clear edge in three (113, 152, and 285) with Graham favored in one (132). The other three matchups have some degree of tossup to them, though Blair would appear to have the slight edge in each (120, 182, and 220). In order to get this to a seven-all dual meet, it looks like the Falcons will have to get some combination of an upset over one of the Blair Academy ranked wrestlers or steal one/some of the slight tossups involving non-ranked wrestlers. Again, the above presumes this is the list of contested matches in the dual meet on January 2nd. Quick hitters Before traveling to The Clash National Wrestling Duals in Minnesota, No. 14 Archer (Ga.) hosts the Takedown Sportswear Invitational on December 28 and 29. The field also includes No. 47 Father Ryan (Tenn.) No. 31 Nazareth (Pa.) travels to neighboring Liberty High School for the 27-team Bethlehem (Pa.) Holiday Wrestling Classic. Other notable teams in the field include Central Dauphin (Pa.), Council Rock South (Pa.), Northampton (Pa.), and Phillipsburg (N.J.) No. 10 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) and No. 20 Malvern Prep (Pa.) will be among the attendees at the Easton (Pa.) Invitational on January 2nd, though that is a dual meet event, with the schedule of matchups unknown at this time.

Five Delaware Valley University wrestlers, along with their head coach/athletic director, were struck by a car driven onto a sidewalk on the Las Vegas Strip Sunday night, the Pennsylvania-based school announced. The DelVal wrestlers and their coach/AD Steve Cantrell – along with four wrestlers from Pacific University in Oregon – were among those hit by Lakeisha N. Holloway, 24, who is accused of intentionally driving her car onto the sidewalk repeatedly on a busy stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, killing a woman from Arizona and injuring dozens of others on Sunday night. http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/15412 The athletes from both schools were in town to compete at Wartburg Desert Duals wrestling tournament. Although the Delaware Valley wrestlers and Cantrell were released from the hospital and expected to make full recoveries, the coach decided to pull the team from the tournament. "We need to feel blessed. The way our students acted at the scene and the way they were caring for everyone was amazing," said Cantrell. "I called the tournament director and said, 'It doesn't make sense to focus on wrestling today.' They have gone through something emotional and they are processing what they witnessed." The coach and his wrestlers were on their way to see Star Wars after working out in preparation for Monday's Desert Duals tournament before the accident, WPVI-TV reported. The team was taken to a nearby hospital. "They were released after a couple of hours, mostly bumps, bruises and scrapes. Now they're just shaken up emotionally," Laurie Ward of Delaware Valley University said. The DelVal wrestlers received counseling while in Las Vegas and will have access to counseling on campus, according to the Doylestown, Pa. school. "The University is thankful that Steve and our student-athletes were not more seriously injured," said Dr. April Vari, DelVal's vice president for student affairs. "Please keep all involved in the incident in your thoughts and prayers." Holloway is accused of deliberately swerving her car onto the sidewalk two or three times in front of the Paris Hotel and Casino at approximately 6:30 p.m. local time Monday. At least one individual who was struck landed on the car's windshield, shattering it. Holloway, who resided in Oregon, had been in Las Vegas for about a week, living in her 1996 Oldsmobile sedan with her three-year-old daughter, parking the car at garages throughout the city, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. After the incident, Holloway parked at a casino a few blocks away, telling a parking attendant that she had run down people and asked the valet to call 9-1-1, Lombardo said. Her daughter, who was in the back seat, was not hurt. Authorities declined to comment on a potential motive and said they were struggling to piece together Holloway's background.

Tributes are pouring in as new details emerge in the death of Austin Roberts, 18-year-old Iowa high school wrestler who died after participating in a tournament in his home gym at Spencer High School Saturday night. Austin RobertsThe 6'4" Roberts was wrestling in the 220-pound championship match at the Spencer Invitational Wrestling Tournament against Sioux Center's Ko Kieft when the Spencer senior took injury time late in the third period. "With about 30 seconds left in the match we ran out of bounds and then came back in to reset," Sioux Center Coach Aaron Schmidt told the Sioux City Journal . "The score was tied and we were on bottom and got set and he went to get on top of us and asked for injury time. "It seemed like he was not quite able to catch his breath ... it wasn't anything that was alarming or anything serious at that point." Roberts was unable to continue to wrestle after injury time expired and met Kieft to shake his hand after losing by injury default. Schmidt said that he did not notice any action out of the ordinary for a wrestling match that occurred between the two wrestlers. "Not a single thing," Schmidt told the Des Moines Register. "No slam, no hit heads, nothing. It was about as clean and classy as can be. It was one of those matches people would've continued to watch at the state tournament if it had been down there." "I really don't know what happened. It looked like things were going OK and then all of a sudden he was on the floor like there was nothing there left to give like he was completely worn out," said Gwen Kardell, Sacred Heart Catholic Church Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry. Roberts' father said his son had never collapsed before. "That's the hard part. He has never had any warning signs. We don't understand what happened," Travis Roberts, Austin's father, told NBC News . "One minute he was competing for the championship and was doing fine. The third period started and he just went down and never got back up." Austin Roberts was tended to on the mat by emergency medical personnel, then rushed to Spencer Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9 p.m. Central time. Meanwhile, the community gathered to mourn and share their recollections of their fallen friend. Spencer Community Schools Superintendent Terry Hemann described Austin Roberts as "a bigger-than-life kid, he's a big 6" 4', 220 pound gentle giant." "He wouldn't hurt a flea," Hemann continued. "One thing you know about Austin is when he's in the room because of his big, deep laugh, he had a positive impact on his classmates, friends." "He was such a great kid to be around," Hemann said. "In 40 years of being involved in wrestling, this was a shock to me. It was completely new to me." Spencer High School head football coach Jim Tighe described Roberts as a nice kid, a hard worker who was always ready to help another. "He was engaging," Tighe said. "You couldn't help but like him. Everyone liked him." Roberts' wrestling coaches paid tribute to the wrestler who had placed eighth in the 220-pound bracket in Class 2A competition earlier this year at the Iowa high school state wrestling championships in Des Moines, his first trip to the tournament, after compiling a 47-12 record as a junior. He won 14 matches in a row this senior year. "He had a large heart with a personality that could light up the room," Spencer High mat coaches said in a statement. "We have had the great opportunity to watch Austin grow in recent years from a young child to mature young adult. His attitude about wrestling and football was second only to his attitude about life. "Through wrestling we saw his personality change from a shy, quiet kid into a confident, outgoing person, who others on the team and in the school could look up to." Reynold Peterson, mayor of Spencer, a community of approximately 11,000 in northwest Iowa perhaps best-known as being the hometown to Dewey the Library Cat immortalized in a series of popular books, said Roberts' death was a tragic loss for the community. "He was a fine young individual in the community and school," Reynolds said. "There's been a tremendous response; it has been a total shock." As for cause of death ... KEYC-TV of Mankato, Minn, reported that Roberts died of natural causes, according to a preliminary investigation by the state medical examiner's office. However, an autopsy and laboratory analysis will be performed to determine the official cause of death. Visitation for Austin Michael Alan Roberts will begin Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Sunday with the family present from 3 to 5 p.m. at Spencer High School Gymnasium in Spencer. Funeral services will be held Monday, Dec. 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Spencer High School Gymnasium. In the meantime, the community has established a GoFundMe.com page to accept donations for medical and funeral expenses. As of Tuesday evening, over $43,000 had been raised.

The dorms just weren't for me. That's not to say my freshman year I didn't enjoy making new friends there and the forced atmosphere of living with a bunch of other freshmen, but I was a somewhat easily distracted 18/19 year-old, and I wanted to be an All-American my true freshman year (a goal I came shy of). Jake HerbertAway from home for the first time, big goals, trying to ante up my education at Northwestern University (I had to change all my habits when it came to school) -- I needed more guidance. Obviously my dorm RA (resident assistant) was not that person. Not to mention cafeteria food was not going to get me down to 157 pounds, and my roommate was redshirting. It's hard to match those two very different lifestyles, and, when I redshirted the following year, I saw the opposite side of that situation. Over winter break at Northwestern the dorms close and those in winter sports, who can't go home for the long holiday, claim empty beds of non-athletes or couches at their perspective athlete houses. My holiday home was a two-story duplex on Hamlin Street where six of the wrestlers lived. I was upstairs with Andrew Nadhir (149) Frank Battaglia (165) and Jake Herbert (184), and already familiar with the L-shaped, black leather couch. It sat across one side of the living room opposite the TV, and the other side ran up the wall to Jake's door. Jake's door(s) actually ran on two separate hinges, and only one ever opened because the couch blocked the entrance. Long story short, I made myself at home and never looked back. Unbeknownst to the administration or coaches, I asked the guys if I could stay, permanently. They took me in. When Jason Welch was a freshman he took his Northwestern teammates on a California tour during spring breakI kept my things stored around the house: a suitcase tucked behind the couch, on top of a side-table in the living room, for a little while a shopping cart that someone had put in our house as a prank one night. I did the dishes a part of my rent (sometimes), and chipped in for groceries. I was like a young apprentice. I loved it. Jake was a senior, and we all looked up to him. A big part of my decision not to red-shirt was because I wanted to be on the same team as him, to learn from him. Here are 10 things I learned from Jake during my first Chicago winter and that spring when I still refused to go back to dorm life. 1. Delegate Be confident in those around you. Use your resources. Know your own strengths, weaknesses, and time constraints. In that vein -- share, collaborate. Take notes, share notes, study in groups. Help each other. 2. Practice vs. Competition It's always a big surprise for people to see a stud wrestler not dominate in practice. Not only would Jake not always dominate, there are plenty of times he would get beat up. I think this is something he would readily admit. But this was because he was willing to try stuff in practice, make himself better, and make himself extremely tired. He wouldn't hold back or worry about getting taken down. His focus was improvement rather than the score of the day. The practice room should be a safe zone of sorts, a place where you can improve and push yourself past your limit, so that you can then prove yourself outside of it. On that note, competition is a whole other matter. Practice Jake' is not the same as Competition Jake. 3. Smile Be friendly and kind and outgoing. People are attracted to someone who walks in the room smiling, eyes up, confident. 4. Travel comfortably/bring home with you Always bring a pillow on road trips (with your travel pillow case). This is physical-comfort plus psychological-comfort. If you happen to have a small blanket, a stuffed animal, rabbits foot, or favorite pair of socks -- same rule applies. 5. Leverage If you pick up a guy's foot while scrambling, he falls to his back. 6. Make friends As much as it pays to know people in high places, it also pays to know their assistants ... i.e. You may not have a key to the weight room, but the grad assistant will let you in during off hours if you're on his good side. 7. Work hard Be the hardest worker in the room no matter who you are, your skill level, or your life outside the room. It's one thing you can always control. 8. Score more points In order to win, you need to score more points than the other guy. Or just pin him. 9. Hate losing Hate to lose (I would say, love winning, but this is Jake's list). 10. Enjoy yourself Keep it fun. Jake always made it seem like he was having fun. No matter the scenario, he still found a way to keep perspective and not the let pressure get to him.

The George Mason wrestling team won the inaugural Byrd- Moseley Cup by defeating Davison 33-12 at the Recreation and Athletic Complex on the Mason campus. The three anchors of the Patriot squad, redshirt senior captain Vince Rodriguez, redshirt senior captain Greg Flournoy and redshirt freshman Matt Voss all won matches to keep move the Mason dual win streak to three. Mason jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Davidson's Adian Conroy earned a 6-4 decision over redshirt senior Konbeh Koroma(149). In the first match of the night, Mason redshirt sophomore Ibrahim Bunduka(125) pinned the Wildcats Zamir Ode, at the 6:29 mark. After Davidson forfeited the match at 133 pounds, redshirt freshman Tejon Anthony(141) won by technical fall against Davidson's Billy McClelland. The Patriots scored 10 unanswered points to increase the lead to 27-3 after redshirt senior captain Greg Flournoy earned a major decision, 17-3 against the Wildcats Tony Palumbo. Redshirt junior Patrick Davis(165) pinned Zach Colangelo at the 1:33 mark in the contest. This was Davis' second dual victory this season and first pin overall. Davis looks to be wrestling more consistently which can only help the Patriots going into away dual meets in hostile environments. Mason would forfeit the match at 174 and in the subsequent 184 pound bout, three overtimes were necessary to decide the winner. Davidson's Konner Pritchard would prevail in the second overtime scoring one point with an escape breaking the deadlock to win, 2-1. Mason's redshirt freshman Austin Harrison(197) opened up the scoring with a 3-0 lead before the Wildcats Ryan Devlin scored two unanswered points. Harrison would score a takedown with seven seconds remaining to get the decision, 5-2. This placed the Patriots comfortably up 30-12 heading into the heavy-weight match. Freshman Matt Voss(HWT) improved to 11-4 on the season with a 10-3 decision against Davidson's Will Cooley. Voss has now won four straight matches and continues to impress, only one week after being named the EWL Freshman of the Week. The Patriots travel to the Lock Haven Classic on Tuesday, December 29. The team will look to continue their momentum in Pennsylvania before their next home dual against Virginia Tech at the RAC on Jan. 3. Byrd-Moseley Cup: The Byrd-Moseley Cup is named after William Byrd II (Virginia) and Edward Moseley (North Carolina). Both men were appointed along with surveyors to create a border between North Carolina and Virginia however several difficulties arose. For example, Virginia blamed North Carolina for blocking surveying efforts and Virginians blamed Moseley for seeking to advance private land privileges. These two men were at the center of the initial disputes in 1710 and is only right that Mason and Davidson continue what they fought for all these years later. Results: 125: Ibrahim Bunduka (Mason) pinned Zamir Ode, (6:29)/Mason 6-0 133: Vince Rodriguez (Mason) won by forfeit/ Mason 12-0 141: Tejon Anthony (Mason) dec. Billy McClelland, Technical Fall, 23-8/Mason 17-0 149: Adian Conroy dec. Konbeh Koroma (Mason), 6-4/Mason 17-3 157: Greg Flournoy (Mason) Maj. dec. Tony Palumbo 17-3/Mason 21-3 165: Patrick Davis (Mason) pinned Zach Colangelo, (1:33)/Mason 27-3 174: Nathaniel Powers (Davidson) won by forfeit/Mason 27-9 184: Konner Pritchard dec. Luke Ludke (Mason), 2-1/Mason 27-12 197: Austin Harrison (Mason) dec. Ryan Devlin, 5-2/Mason 30-12 285: Matt Voss (Mason) dec. Will Cooley, 10-3/Mason 33-12

WASHINGTON -- Winning seven of eight contested bouts, the American University wrestling team picked up a 41-10 victory over Davidson in a non-conference dual on Monday afternoon at Bender Arena. Davidson took the early 6-0 lead with an American forfeit at 125 pounds, but the score was neutralized with a Wildcat forfeit at 133. The action finally began at 141, where redshirt senior Tyler Scotton was dominant, winning with an 18-2 technical fall, to put American ahead in the team scoring. Junior Tom Page and senior captain John Boyle each increased the Eagles' lead with major decisions at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively. Page racked up nearly five minutes of riding time against his opponent to earn the 11-1 win. Boyle, ranked 11th in the nation, scored a takedown with five seconds remaining in regulation to secure the major decision and added a four-point near fall to pick up a 14-2 win. At 165 pounds, redshirt senior Mitchell Wightman scored AU's first fall of the day, pinning his opponent in 46 seconds. The Eagles scored another victory at 174 pounds, as junior Jason Grimes rolled to a 16-2 major decision to clinch American's team victory. AU dropped its lone contested bout at 184 pounds, as Davidson's Konner Pritchard scored an 8-0 major decision. However, the Eagles finished strong, recording back-to-back first-period falls to close out the match. Sophomore Jeric Kasunic, ranked 19th in the nation at 197 pounds, scored the fastest fall of the day, pinning his opponent in 39 seconds, while freshman heavyweight Jake Scanlan recorded a fall with 25 seconds remaining in the first period. “I think the one thing we've been preaching in the room is taking advantage of every opportunity when they step on the mat, and today, that really shined through,” said American head coach Teague Moore. After taking a short break for the holidays, American returns to action Dec. 29-30 for the annual Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern. Results: 125: Zamir Ode (DC) win by forfeit 133: Esteban Gomez-Rivera (AU) win by forfeit 141: Tyler Scotton (AU) tech fall Billy McClelland, 18-2 (3:51) 149: Tom Page (AU) maj. dec. Aidan Conroy, 11-1 157: No. 11 John Boyle (AU) maj. dec. Tony Palumbo, 14-2 165: Mitchell Wightman (AU) fall Tien Hunter, 0:46 174: Jason Grimes (AU) maj. dec. Nathaniel Powers, 16-2 184: Konner Pritchard (DC) maj. dec. Joe Salvi, 8-0 197: Jeric Kasunic (AU) fall Ryan Devlin, 0:39 HWT: Jake Scanlan (AU) fall Will Cooley, 2:35

FOREST GROVE -- Four Pacific University wrestlers were among those injured early Sunday evening when a vehicle plowed into pedestrians on a busy sidewalk on the Las Vegas Strip. Police say a woman intentionally swerved her car two or three times onto the sidewalk outside the Paris Hotel & Casino at about 6:30 p.m., killing one person and injuring nearly 40 others. Included in that group were the four Pacific student-athletes, all of whom sustained non-life threatening injuries. The Pacific's men's wrestling team was in Las Vegas to compete in the Wartburg Desert Duals on Monday. The team, comprised of 19 student-athletes and coaches, were walking together when the incident occurred. Three of the four injured students were transported to a local hospital, two of whom were later released. The other student was been kept overnight for observation. "Due to the tragic incident in Las Vegas, where four members of the traveling party of our wrestling team were injured and the remainder were witnesses to this terrible event, we have decided that the team will not participate in the scheduled matches on Monday," said Pacific University athletic director Ken Schumann. "The mental and physical well-being of our student-athletes is our top priority and to attempt to wrestle after experiencing such an event would not be in their best interests." Arrangements are being made for the team to return home today (Monday).

Austin Roberts, a 220-pound senior wrestler at Spencer High School in northwest Iowa, died after collapsing at an invitational tournament in his home gym Saturday. Spencer Hospital spokeswoman Tia Manwarren said Roberts died Saturday night at the hospital. No other details surrounding his death have been revealed in media reports as of Sunday evening. The 6'4" Roberts, who first took up wrestling in seventh grade, placed eighth at the Class 2A Iowa state wrestling tournament last year at 220 pounds, his first appearance at the championships. This year, Roberts ranked fifth in his weight class in Class 3A (Spencer High has moved up a class). In addition to wrestling, Roberts played offensive and defensive lineman for the Spencer Tailtwisters. Media reports indicate he had planned to wrestle and play football at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge next fall. Here is the text of a message posted at the Spencer Public Schools Facebook page Sunday morning: Students, Parents, and Staff of Spencer High School, Last night at the Spencer Invitational Wrestling Tournament, Austin Roberts collapsed on the wrestling mat and was taken to the Spencer Hospital. Tragically, Austin has passed away. This is a time for grieving and providing support for Austin's family, the wrestling team family, our school system, and the entire community of Spencer. The Spencer High School will be open this morning beginning at 10:00 a.m. for grief counseling for any and all who need support. Please gather in the student center. This is also a place for our students, families, and staff to gather to support each other. Please keep Austin, his family, and the Spencer Schools Family in your thoughts and prayers. With deep sympathy, Terry Hemann, Superintendent of Schools Grief counselors were stationed at the high school Sunday for students. Classes will take place as scheduled Monday, Dec. 21. Funeral arrangements have yet to be made public. However, a GoFundMe.com page has been established to help the family with funeral expenses. As of Sunday evening, $14,595 had been raised, exceeding the $10,000 goal.

Blair Academy with 20th Beast of the East title Placing a tournament-high eight wrestlers, No. 2 Blair Academy (N.J.) won the Beast of the East on Sunday scoring 240.5 points. The Buccaneers were anchored by a pair of weight class champions, No. 15 Michael Colaiocco (106) and No. 3 Brandon Dallavia (170). No. 19 Ryan Karoly (160) and No. 3 Chase Singletary (195) earned runner-up finishes. Other placements came from Nick Mosco (220) and Neil Putnam (285) in fourth, along with Chris Cannon (113) and John Manning (152) in fifth place. Two other wrestlers finished one match short of placement, and the Buccaneers were without No. 11 Requir van der Merwe (132) Finishing as runner-up was a short-handed, but impressive Bergen Catholic (N.J.) squad with 201.5 points. The third-ranked Crusaders were led by championships earned by No. 1 Nick Suriano (126) and Chris Foca (132); Suriano pinned No. 2 Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) in the first period to become just the second ever four-time Beast of the East champion, while Foca pinned No. 14 Nick Farro (Delbarton, N.J.) in his finals bout. Five other wrestlers earned a placement finish: Gerard Angelo (120) was second, No. 9 Joe Grello (170) and No. 7 Kevin Mulligan (195) each placed third, No. 3 Shane Griffith (138) injury defaulted from the semifinals to take sixth, and Carmen Ferrante (113) earned eight. Bergen Catholic also wrestled without freshmen phenom Josh McKenzie (182) and returning state placer Danny DeLorenzi (220). Other nationally ranked wrestlers to win titles on Sunday were No. 6 Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) at 113 pounds, No. 12 (at 126) Tyshawn White (Central Dauphin, Pa.) at 120, No. 8 (at 132) Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) at 138, No. 1 David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) at 145, No. 6 Eric Hong (Kiski Prep, Pa.) at 152, No. 6 Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) at 160, No. 12 Kyle Gentile (Pennridge, Pa.) at 182, No. 4 Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio) at 195, and No. 5 Matt Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.) at 220. Additional head-on matches involving nationally ranked wrestlers in the final came at 145, where Carr beat No. 10 Quentin Hovis (Seton Catholic, Ariz.) 4-3; Hong with a 5-3 win over No. 14 Hunter Bolen (Christiansburg, Va.) at 152; Biedumpfel with a 3-2 ultimate tiebreak victory over No. 19 Ryan Karoly (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 160; Dallavia with a 6-3 decision over No. 10 (at 160) Michael Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) at 170; Gentile over No. 5 Michael Beard (Nazareth, Pa.) at 182; Darmstadt avenging a semifinal loss at the Ironman with a 2-0 victory over No. 3 Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 195; and Correnti with a 6-5 win over No. 2 Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) at 220. Rounding out the weight class champions was Mansur Abdul-Malik (St. Vincent Pallotti, Md.), who beat No. 11 Anthony Helm (Matoaca, Va.) 5-3 in the final at 285. Tuttle champions at the KC Stampede Even without the services of returning state runner-up Brandon Mason at 285 pounds, though the replacement placed 11th in the gold bracket, No. 17 Tuttle (Okla.) came home with the championship from the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede this weekend. The Tigers were anchored by a trio of weight class champions: Noah McQuigg (120), Brik Filippo (138), and Blake Berryhill (220). Two other wrestlers placed second, Tanner Litterell (132) and Dayton Garrett (160); Litterell had an 8-6 semifinal win over No. 7 Colby Smith (Holt, Mo.). Additional placers within the top nine were Cale Johnson (106) in third, Rhett Golowenski (113) in fourth, and No. 20 Beau Guffey (145) in seventh. Finishing runner-up despite the absence of No. 19 Quinn Miller at 220 pounds was No. 12 Archer (Ga.) with 258 points. They were led by a trio of weight class champions in No. 2 Thomas Bullard (160), No. 4 Daniel Bullard (170), and Jacob Lill (285). Only three additional wrestlers finished within the top nine: runner-up Chris Diaz (145), along with fourth place finishers Gavin Smith (120) and Vinny Artigues (126). Third place in the standings, but with the second most top nine placers, was No. 23 Allen (Texas) with 243.5 points; however, the Eagles only had one wrestler place in the top three, Braeden Redlin taking second at 152 pounds. Fourth in the standings with three champions, but only three other top nine placers, was No. 41 Platte County (Mo.) with 239.5 points. Winning titles for the Pirates were Cody Phippen (106), No. 10 Matthew Schmitt (126), and No. 15 Ethan Karsten (145); their other high placer was Johnny Blankenship, third at 160 pounds. Nationally ranked Neosho (Mo.), No. 35 in the most recent Fab 50, finished sixth with 195.5 points. They featured one weight class champion, Kyler Rea (152), and had five other wrestlers place between fourth and eight. Non-ranked Park Hill (Mo.) was fifth with 213 points, as the Trojans placed seven wrestlers within the top nine, including a pair of runners-up in Kevin Eblen (106) and No. 15 Canten Marriott (170); though five of those placed between fifth and ninth. Rounding out the weight class champions were Sidney Oliver (Holt, Mo.) at 113 pounds, No. 3 (at 126) Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) at 132, Antonio Agee (Hayfield, Va.) at 182, and Ryan Parker (The Baylor School, Tenn.) at 195. Carl Sandburg shows strength in winning Rex Whitlach title Both No. 7 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) and No. 9 Carl Sandburg (Ill.) had positives to take away from this weekend at the Rex Whitlach Invitational hosted by Hinsdale Central. The defending state champion Huskies showed that even short-handed they are a very talented team, as they had three champions, seven top three placers, and eleven on the podium in all. On the other hand, the tournament champion Eagles had essentially a full deck, placed everyone, and had five champs from nine finalists. Carl Sandburg scored 319.5 points, led by the weight class titles from Louie Hayes (113), Kevin Stearns (120), No. 4 (at 126) Rudy Yates (132), No. 18 Patrick Brucki (182), and Cole Bateman (195); runner-up finishers were Robbie Precin (126), Anthony Cimino (138), Ben Schneider (160), and Brian Krasowski (170). Oak Park River Forest was led by champions Anthony Madrigal (126), Rollan Sturkey (170), and Allen Stallings (220); P.J. Ogunsanya (106) and Christopher Middlebrooks (285) finished as runners-up; while Roberto Campos (120) and Mike Ordonez (145) finished third. The Huskies still felt the absence of No. 10 Jason Renteria (120), No. 17 Gabe Townsell (132), Jamie Hernandez (138), and No. 2 Isaiah White (152). Analyzing the likely impact of the four missing starters, the team points in this event would have been about equal given full personnel; which affirms the notion that Illinois Class 3A will be tightly contested this year. Other tournament weight class champions were Hassan Johnson (Brother Rice) at 106, Mac Casella (138) and Johnny Mologousis (160) for Lyons Township, Hunter Grau (Geneseo) at 145, No. 16 Nick Foster (Belleville West) at 152, and Matt Allen (Hinsdale Central) at 285. St. Michael-Albertville fires opening shot at Apple Valley Even with No. 25 Apple Valley (Minn.) going seven-for-seven in medal matches, including four championship bouts, it was No. 13 St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.) that won the All Force Minnesota Christmas Tournament this weekend by 21 points. The champion Knights scored 224 points, amassing nine placers, and earning three weight class titles of their own; those coming from No. 4 Mitch McKee (138), No. 9 Jake Allar (152), and No. 10 Lucas Jeske (182). No. 9 Patrick McKee (106) was a runner-up for St. Michael-Albertville, who had two finish in fourth, one in fifth, one in sixth, and one in eight. Tournament runners-up Apple Valley scored 203 points, anchored by the weight class titles from Nate Larson (113), Brock Morgan (145), No. 1 Mark Hall (170), and No. 1 Gable Steveson (220). Other placers were one in third, and two in seventh. Third place in the standings went to the other nationally ranked team in the event, No. 45 Kasson-Mantorville (Minn.); the lone weight class champion for the Komets was No. 5 Brady Berge (160), who beat No. 3 (at 152) Griffin Parriott (New Prague, Minn.) by 3-1 decision in the championship match. The Komets had seven other placers: one in third, two in fourth, two in fifth, one in sixth, and one in eighth. Other showdowns of nationally ranked wrestlers in the final came at 106 and 138 pounds. Patrick McKee fell by 5-4 decision against No. 5 Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.) at 106, while Mitch McKee beat No. 12 Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) 7-6 at 138. Additional weight class champions were Jake Gliva (Simley, Minn.) at 120 pounds, Brent Jones (126) and Alex Crowe (132) of Shakopee (Minn.), No. 1 Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) at 195, and Brandon Metz (West Fargo, N.D.) at 285. Buchanan with the opening statement over Clovis, win Zinkin Classic at home Yes, it's mid-December; however, when No. 8 Buchanan (Calif.) and No. 5 Clovis (Calif.) compete against each other in the same event, the goal is to win. That's what Buchanan did in their home gym this weekend at the Zinkin Classic. Both teams had some wrestlers off of their projected weights, Clovis slightly more than Buchanan; while Clovis was without two key pieces in state round of 12 participant Brandon Martino and state sixth placer Jared Hill. With 333.5 points on the strength of four champions, four runners-up, and medalists in every weight class, Buchanan won the tournament. Their champions were No. 13 Durbin Lloren (132), Joel Romero (138), Abner Romero (170), and Cade Belshay (182); Abner Romero upset No. 13 Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.) 10-6 in the championship bout. Runner-up finishers were Matthew Olguin (106), Dawson Sihvanog (113), Greg Gaxiola (152), and Jake Levatino (160); third place finishers were Trevor Ervin (195) and Isaiah Ortiz (285). Runner-up Clovis scored 285 points, and were led by five weight class champions: Wyatt Cornelison (113), No. 2 Justin Mejia (120), No. 9 (at 182) Josh Hokit (195), No. 13 (at 195) A.J. Nevills (220), and No. 7 Seth Nevills (285). Mejia had a state finalist rematch in his finals match, as he beat No. 20 David Campbell (Mission Oak, Calif.) by 6-2 decision. The Cougars had no runners-up, but placed four wrestlers in third: Brandon Betancourt (106), Dylan Martinez (145), Jake Ladd (160), and Victor Vargas (170). An additional wrestler finished fourth. Other weight class champions in the tournament were No. 3 Nico Aguilar (106) from Gilroy, Robert (126) and Ruben (152) Garcia from Selma, Mason Bovtain (145) from Benicia, and Brandon Claiborne (160) from Palm Desert. Poway dominates at Reno TOC yet again For a third straight year, it was No. 21 Poway (Calif.) coming home with the championship hardware from the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions. The Titans placed seven wrestlers, which was joint most in the tournament, and with four runners-up scored 212 points. Finishing second for Poway were Jacob Allen (106), Chase Zollmann (113), Brandon Kier (132), and Chris Bailey (195); other wrestlers to place were Jason Chua (120) in fifth, Scott Kiyono (126) in seventh, and Josh Tolentino (138) in eighth. Tournament runners-up were Pomona (Colo.) with 181.5 points, and a joint tournament-high of seven podium finishers. Anchoring the effort was freshman sensation Theorius Robison, who won the 126 pound weight class. Placing third was Colton Yapoujian (106), No. 17 (at 113) Tomas Gutierrez (120) and Jason Romero (152) finished fourth, Justin Pacheco (113) and Cameron Gonzales (182) placed sixth, while Uriah Virgil (170) earned seventh place. The other three nationally ranked teams in the field placed outside the top five: No. 46 Roseburg (Ore.) finished sixth with 131.5 points and four placers; No. 50 Crook County (Ore.) was ninth in the standings with five placers, though none was in the top three; while No. 37 Mesa Mountain View (Ariz.) was eleventh with 119 points, and three placers. Two teams had multiple weight class champions, a pair each for Ponderosa (Colo.) and Easton (Pa.). Champions for Ponderosa were a pair of freshman, No. 20 Mosha Schwartz at 106 pounds and No. 9 Cohlton Schultz at 220. Both Easton champions, No. 17 Evan Fidelibus (138) and Jimmy Saylor (152) came through with upsets in their finals bout; Fidelibus beat No. 9 Brock Hardy (Box Elder, Utah) 13-5, while Saylor beat No. 17 Jaron Chavez (Centennial, Idaho) 6-3. Other champions were No. 3 Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) at 113 pounds, Jet Taylor (Sallisaw, Okla.) at 120, No. 4 Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) at 132, Jaron Jensen (Herriman, Utah) at 145, No. 12 Wyatt Sheets (Stilwell, Okla.) at 160, Reese Neville (Yerrington, Nev.) at 170, Jeff Oakes (Battle Mountain, Nev.) at 182, Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah) at 195, and Ben Bos (Wasatch, Utah) at 285. The other notable final had Sheets beating No. 8 Layne van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) by 12-8 decision at 160. Quick hits No. 10 St. Edward (Ohio) won the last nine matches of the dual meet to beat No. 14 Belle Vernon Area (Pa.) 45-18 on Saturday afternoon. No. 4 St. Paris Graham (Ohio) won ten matches in a 43-18 dual meet victory over No. 47 Reynolds (Pa.) on Saturday at the Canfield Duals; Reynolds split matches at seven-apiece in a 37-28 against the host squad. No. 26 Mt. Carmel (Ill.) upended No. 11 Marmion Academy (Ill.) 32-23 on Saturday afternoon, as the Caravan took home victories in eight weight classes; the Cadets wrestled without nationally ranked Riley DeMoss (160/170).

RENO, Nev. -- In the team's first tournament-style competition of the season, five Illini won an individual title, while three others placed second at the Reno Tournament of Champions. As a result of the dominating individual performances, Coach Heffernan's squad won the team competition as well, finishing with 152 points despite having no wrestlers compete at 125 pounds or 149 pounds. "Our team looked very solid and we are getting better each week," said Heffernan. "Still have time to figure things out as we move on. The Big Ten season will force our guys to raise their level even more, which we will have to. "[I thought] both Emory [Parker] and Andre [Lee] had good days and had solid wins, both are making progress and getting better." No. 3 Zane Richards continued his dominating start to 2015-16 with five victories on the afternoon, four of which were by major decision or greater. The junior began the day with back-to-back pins over Pt Garica and Michal McDaniel before using a decision over Jaydin Clayton (Missouri) and Corey Keener (Central Michigan) to reach the title bout. Once there, Richards wasted no time as he jumped out to an early 12-2 lead and never relinquished it, claiming a 20-8 final tally against Corey Keener of Central Michigan. At 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Isaac Reinemann finished the day with two tough losses, falling in the first round and the consolation round, his day ending after Tyler Cowger (Southern Oregon) edged him 4-0. No. 1 Isaiah Martinez notched consecutive wins 51-56 on Sunday afternoon in Reno on his way to a convincing first-place finish in Reno. Martinez reached the 157-pounnd title match with four technical falls accompanied by his third pin of the season. In the title bout, Joe Smith of Oklahoma State gave him his best test of the day, but eventually succumbed to the defending national champion by a count of 11-5. No. 9 Steven Rodrigues impressed again with five victories to push his record to a perfect 13-0 on the season. The senior used three major decisions and a technical fall to advance to the 165-pound championship bout. Rodrigues was tested by Jim Wilson of Stanford in a hard-fought, low scoring affair through most of three periods, but Rodrigues battled his way to a 3-2 decision to earn the individual title. The most dominating start to the tournament came from No. 4 Zac Brunson as he piled on three pins in his first three matches, giving him eight on the season and more than doubling his career total entering the season. After a decision and technical fall in the 174-pound quarterfinal and semifinal, Brunson notched his own individual crown with an 8-4 victory over Big Ten foe Nate Jackson of Indiana. 184 pounds proved to be the most compelling weight class for the Illini in Reno, as both No. 16 Jeff Koepke and Emory Parker worked their way through the bracket. Koepke recorded a team-high four falls on the afternoon on his route to the title bout, while Emory Parker used grit to fight his way through four decisions, before grabbing a semifinal clinching pin. With both teammates undefeated on the day, the 184-pound title bout would be the decider. Although Parker stayed within in striking distance of Koepke into the third period, the veteran Koepke proved too much for the younger Parker, taking the bout by a score of 8-4. Much like Parker, Andre Lee showed grit and toughness as he grinded out decisions on his way to the semifinal round this afternoon. After earning a late pin against Garrett Demers (MSU-Northern), Lee gave Marshall Haas (Citadel) everything he could handle in the title match. However, Haas moved ahead of Lee in the third period, and held on for a 4-2 victory. After receiving an opening bye to start the heavyweight bracket, No. 13 Brooks Black edged Eskam Chace (Arizona State) 2-1, and then tacked on three more decisions to reach the championship match. However, Tanner Harms (Wyoming) got the best of Black, edging him 4-1 to place first. Next up for the Orange and Blue will be Midlands a week from Tuesday where they will look to improve upon their second place finish last year. Coverage will begin at 9 a.m. on BTN Plus on December 29 and concludes with the championship matches live on Big Ten Network Wednesday, December 30 at 8 p.m. Team Scores: 1. Illinois - 152 2. Central Michigan - 119 3. Stanford - 91 4. Wyoming - 90.5 5. Indiana - 84.5

Russ Doan, Kent State wrestling champ who led Wadsworth High School to an Ohio state team title, died last week at age 99, the Medina Gazette reported Thursday. Russ DoanBorn in Woodsfield, Ohio in Sept. 1916, Russell Kennedy Doan's athletic career began at Ravenna and Paris (now Southeast) high schools in northeast Ohio. For college, Doan stayed close to home, attending Kent State University. As an athlete for the Golden Flashes, Doan was a three-time Interstate wrestling champ at 128 pounds in 1937-39. Wrestling for legendary, long-time coach Joe Begala, Doan served as captain his senior year and lost only two matches in a four-year career, which included an undefeated junior season. Doan earned four varsity letters in wrestling, as well as three in baseball. He was inducted into the Kent State Hall of Fame in 1982; his bio described him as "one of Joe Begala's favorites." After graduating from Kent in 1939, Doan came to Wadsworth, Ohio to coach the high school wrestling squad. He took the Grizzlies to the team title in 1942, coaching individual state champions Junior McCrork and Ken Cartwright, runners-up Robert Shannon and Jack Smith and state placers James Sailors, Bob White, Art Cartwright and Elmer Webber the year the Grizzlies won it all. Doan stepped away from his teaching/coaching career at Wadsworth from 1943-46 to serve as a U.S. Navy Lieutenant in charge of the V-5 wrestling program for pre-flight cadets. He assisted coach Begala in producing the first hard-cover naval wrestling instructional manual. In 1955, Doan came to Elyria High School, where he was an athletic director for 24 years. During his tenure at that school west of Cleveland, the Pioneers basketball team reached the regional level nine times in the ten-year span from 1957-65, and the Elyria football team was unbeaten in 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1979. In addition, Doan managed the local big-school sectional basketball tournament and later the Class AA district tournament for many years. The school also hosted the district track tournament for many years under his watch. Doan helped establish the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, and was welcomed into it in 1975. All told, Doan has been honored in 13 halls of fame. Doan is survived by his daughter Susan (Donald) Dobina of Louisville, son Terry (Laurie) of Elyria along with six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Eileen, who passed away in 2012. Services and burial have already taken place. In lieu of flowers donations in Russell's name can be made to Elyria Sports Hall of Fame Ring of Honor Scholarship Fund P.O. Box 1462 Elyria, OH 44036-1462.

Two Bellator Fighting Championships veterans who each were two-time NCAA Division I All-Americans -- Paul Bradley, and Chris Honeycutt -- will be meeting again for the second time in a main-event matchup at Bellator 148 next month, the organization announced Thursday. Bradley, who wrestled at University of Iowa, and Honeycutt, 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro University, faced each other at Bellator 140 back in July, with the bout ending in a no-contest after the two 170-pounders unintentionally butted heads in the second round, with the former Hawkeye suffering a deep gash on his forehead just under the hairline which required nine stitches. The two former collegiate matmen will have an opportunity to settle things once and for all at Bellator 148 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Jan. 29. Headlining the event will be another former Edinboro wrestler, Josh Koscheck, who will be going up against Matt Secor. Honeycutt, the former Fighting Scot, posted fighting words on his Facebook page: "Looking forward to kicking ass again, let's get it on!!" By contrast, Paul "the Gentleman" Bradley let others do the talking for him. Bradley, 32, has compiled a professional record of 22 -- 6 (along with two no-contest decisions) since launching his mixed martial arts career in 2006. Since joining Bellator in Oct. 2013, the native of Tama, Iowa is 2-1 in his bouts other than this summer's set-to with Honeycutt. Honeycutt, 27, who announced his MMA career plans the night before this 2012 NCAA title match, is 6-0 in his MMA career, and is 2-0 since signing on with Bellator in 2014. Bradley-Honeycutt and Koscheck-Secor welterweight matches will be shown live on Spike TV, along with a third welterweight bout described as a Co-Main Event, featuring Paul Daley vs. Andy Uhrich, according to MMAmania.com. Three other matches -- two featherweight bouts, Anthony Avila vs. John Reedy, and Art Arcienega vs. Justin Smiley --and a heavyweight fight between Javy Ayala vs. Carl Seumanutafa -- will be shown on Spike.com.