InterMat Staff

LAS VEGAS -- Hitting a five-point throw in the first period, then a pair of clutch two-point exposures late in the match, Joe Rau of the Minnesota Storm knocked off three-time U.S. World Team member Caylor Williams in an entertaining finals at 98 kg/215 lbs. at the U.S. Nationals/Trials Qualifier in Greco-Roman. Rau nailed a back arch on the edge of the mat for five points to lead 5-0 at the break. Williams came back strong early in the second period, to score six straight points for a 6-5 lead. Initially, officials gave Williams four points, but he protested the call, and one of his two-point moves was changed to a four-point throw. Late in the period, Rau got a pair of exposures for four more points, reclaiming the lead at 9-6. He was able to hold off Williams as time ran out, and he captured his first national title. Rau was a member of the 2014 U.S. World Team at 80 kg, but has moved back up in weight this year. "I wanted to beat him worse than I did the first time, and I think I did that, but I made a little bit more mistakes too. I got scored on more, but I was getting some pretty big moves, which was hard for me to get too. Usually I'm a small move guy. I really just wanted this for bragging rights," said Rau. Also winning his first Senior national title and earning the Outstanding Wrestler award was Geordan Speiller of the Florida Jets, the champion at 75 kilos. Read complete story ... U.S. NATIONALS/TRIALS QUALIFIER At Las Vegas, Nev., December 18 Greco-Roman Championship Finals 59 kg/130 lbs. - Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) by injury default over Spenser Mango (Army WCAP) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Ellis Coleman (Army) dec. Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm), 4-2 75 kg/165 lbs. - Geordan Speiller (Florida Jets) dec. Cheney Haight (NYAC/OTC), 5-1 85 kg/187 lbs. - Jacob Clark (Minnesota Storm) dec. Ben Provisor (NYAC/OTC), 4-0 98 kg/216 lbs. -. Joe Rau (Minnesota Storm) dec. Caylor Williams (Army WCAP), 9-6 130 kg/286 lbs. - Adam Coon (NYAC/CKWC) tech. fall Parker Betts (Minnesota Storm), 8-0 Final Greco-Roman results 59 kilos: 1st: Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) by injury default over Spenser Mango (Army WCAP) 3rd: Ryan Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP) tech. fall Sam Jones (NYAC/NMU), 10-2 5th: Max Nowry (Army WCAP) by injury default over Jermaine Hodge (Army WCAP) 7th: Dmitry Ryabchinskiy (NYAC/NMU) dec. Aaron Kalil (U.S. Marines), 6-4 66 kilos: 1st: Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) dec. Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm), 4-2 3rd: Jesse Thielke (NYAC/OTC) tech. fall Christopher Gonzalez (NYAC/NMU), 8-0 5th: Alejandro Sancho (NYAC/NMU) tech. fall Devin Scott (Minnesota Storm), 11-0 7th: Brian Graham (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Bo Beckman (NYAC/OTC), 8-0 75 kilos: 1st: Geordan Speiller (Florida Jets) dec. Cheney Haight (NYAC/OTC), 5-1 3rd: Justin Lester (Army (WCAP) tech. fall Tarrence Williams (CSU Pueblo wrestling RTC), 8-0 5th: Corey Hope (NYAC/OTC) by injury default over Jacob Fisher (Minnesota Storm) 7th: Barrett Stanghill (NYAC/NMU) tech. fall Colin Schubert (NMU-OTS), 8-0 85 kilos: 1st: Jacob Clark (Minnesota Storm) dec. Ben Provisor (NYAC/OTC), 4-0 3rd: Patrick Martinez (Army (WCAP) tech. fall Lucas Sheridan (Army WCAP), 8-0 5th- Kevin Radford, Jr. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Mark Stenberg (NYAC/NMU), 13-12 7th: Ryan Hope (NYAC/CKWC) dec. Courtney Myers (Army WCAP), 6-4 98 kilos: 1st: Joe Rau (Minnesota Storm) dec. Caylor Williams (Army WCAP), 9-6 3rd: G'Angelo Hancock (NYAC/OTC) tech. fall Marcus Finau (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC), 9-0 5th: Orry Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (NYAC/NMU) by injury default over John Wechter (Minnesota Storm) 7th: Jacob Kasper (Roughhouse) pinned Endhyr Meza (Army (WCAP), 3:31 130 kilos: 1st: Adam Coon (NYAC/CKWC) tech. fall Parker Betts (Minnesota Storm), 8-0 3rd: Jacob Mitchell (CSU Pueblo Wrestling RTC) dec. Matthew Lamb (Army (WCAP), 2-1 5th: Zach Merrill (Titan Mercury WC), tech. fall Eric Fader (U.S. Marines), 8-0 7th: Jack Griggs (NMU-OTS) pinned Christopher Pierce (Patriot Elite WC), 2:10 Outstanding Wrestler: Geordan Speiller (Florida Jets), 75 kilos Div. I team standings: 1. U.S. Army, 67 points, 2. New York Athletic Club, 66 pts. Div. II team standings: 1. Minnesota Storm, 38 points

LARAMIE, Wyoming -- Oklahoma State's seventh-ranked wrestling team put on another dominating performance, defeating new conference opponent Wyoming, 34-7, on Friday night at the UniWyo Sports Complex. The Pokes (4-2) won eight bouts with five coming with bonus points. "It's always tough to come here and wrestle," coach John Smith said. "We didn't wrestle to our full potential in some of those matches, but I will say that I'm pleased with the score." Eddie Klimara improved to 12-1 on the season, opening the dual with a win for Oklahoma State. The All-American defeated Drew Templeman after putting up a strong first-period performance that saw Klimara score two takedowns. Later in the third period, he notched two more takedowns to pull ahead and take the bout, 9-4. Kaid Brock, ranked 10th after his debut last week, came out strong once again as he took on P.T. Garcia at 133 pounds. Brock was on the mat only two minutes, picking up 16 points to end the match in a technical fall. Brock had just one takedown and picked up four sets of nearfall points. At 141 pounds, top-ranked Dean Heil handed No. 15 Bryce Meredith his first loss of the season with a 5-4 win. The bout was scoreless after the first period, but a takedown from Heil with nine seconds left in the second gave him a 2-1 advantage heading into the final period. Heil tallied the escape and another takedown to separate the score, 5-1. An escape from Meredith and stalling calls on Heil kept the bout close as Heil edged out Meredith by one point. "From the standpoint of the entire match, I thought we wrestled pretty well. We pretty much left off where we ended last week," Heil said. "As far as my match goes, it was ugly. Definitely wasn't the match I wanted. Winning ugly matches like that is nice, but I could've stretched the score in the match and I didn't. I can take away a lot from the match and I've got plenty of time to work on what I need to in time for the Southern Scuffle." After losses at 149 and 157 pounds, OSU responded with four-consecutive bonus-point victories, including back-to-back falls at 165 and 174 pounds. No. 1 Alex Dieringer picked up his third fall of the year, sticking Chaz Polson in 32 seconds. He is now in the midst of a 58-match win streak, tying OSU legend Yojiro Uetake to sit at sixth all-time. Chandler Rogers followed suit with a pin of his own in his varsity debut for the Cowboys, competing at 174 pounds. He knocked off No. 16 Ben Stroh, taking him down twice before sticking him in 2:41. Rogers improves to 10-2 on the season. "Tonight was fun," Rogers said. "It was a great first experience starting for OSU. It's definitely tough wrestling on the road, but being able to overcome that was a proud moment. It was a good night." At 184 pounds, Nolan Boyd put up a solid performance, scoring a major decision for OSU with an 18-5 win over Jace Jensen. Boyd led the bout 7-0 after the second period and racked up 10 more points and riding time to close out the match. On the night, Boyd earned seven takedowns. The final bonus points of the night came from Austin Schafer at 197 pounds, who put up 12 points against Brandon Tribble. Schafer stayed consistent throughout the match, picking up at least one takedown in each period. The win was Schafer's 12th of the year. Heavyweight and fourth-ranked Austin Marsden finished out the dual with a 5-3 win over Tanner Harms. The bout was closely contested but two takedowns from Marsden gave him the advantage and the win. The Cowboys are back in action on Jan. 1-2 as they compete in the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn. Results: 125: No. 5 Eddie Klimara (OSU) dec. Drew Templeman (WYO), 9-4 133: No. 10 Kaid Brock (OSU) TF5 PT Garcia (WYO), 16-0; 1:59 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (OSU) dec. No. 15 Bryce Meredith (WYO), 5-4 149: Austin Breckenridge (WYO) MD Jonce Blaylock (OSU), 13-3 157: Archie Colgan (WYO) dec. Chance Marsteller (OSU), 3-1 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) fall Chaz Polson (WYO), 0:32 174: Chandler Rogers (OSU) fall No. 16 Ben Stroh (WYO), 2:41 184: No. 18 Nolan Boyd (OSU) MD Jace Jensen (WYO), 18-5 197: Austin Schafer (OSU) MD Brandon Triblle (WYO), 12-4 285: Austin Marsden (OSU) dec. Tanner Harms (WYO), 5-3

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Victories at 184, 197 and 285 pounds, including a dominating 16-0 tech fall by senior Kenny Courts (184 lbs.) lifted the sixth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team to a 27-16 victory over Northwestern on Friday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. The Buckeyes move to 4-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten while Northwestern falls to 1-5. THE SHORT STORY Ohio State won five of the nine weight classes that were contested (NU forfeited at 157 lbs.) and received key bonus points from Courts, redshirt sophomore Bo Jordan (fall in 2:15) and Johnni DiJulius (major decision, 8-0) to pull out the hard-fought victory. Other winners for the Buckeyes included Mark Martin at 197, who edged Jacob Berkowitz, 8-6, and Nick Tavanello, who held on for a 6-3 decision over Conan Jennings. DIJULIUS GETS THINGS STARTED After Northwestern jumped out a 5-0 lead on the strength of Garrison White's 17-2 tech fall over Mike Manuche at 125 pounds, Johnni DiJulius swung the momentum back in Ohio State's favor with an 8-0 major decision against Dominick Malone. Ahead 6-0 late in the third period and with riding time locked up, DiJulius got one final takedown to earn the extra bonus point. Ranked eighth in this week's InterMat poll, DiJulius moved to 10-1 on the season and also picked up his 107th career victory. His opponent, Malone, was 9-1 coming into the match and was the Wildcats' win leader so far this season. WILDCATS WIN AT 141, 149 NU's Jameson Oster earned a 16-0 tech fall over Mike Hozan at 141 pounds, setting the stage for the 149 pound match between third-ranked and defending Big Ten champion Justin Tsirtsis and redshirt freshman Cody Burcher. A Gnadenhutten, Ohio native, Burcher dropped a hard-fought 5-3 decision in which he gave up just one takedown. Tsirtsis led 2-1 at the end of the first period and 4-1 in the second after a reversal, but Burcher was able to escape and then score another escape at the start of the third period, but could get no closer. Tsirtsis tacked on his fifth point via riding time. JORDAN GIVES THE BUCKEYES THE LEAD A forfeit by NU at 157 pounds made the score 13-10 in favor of the Wildcats, but second-ranked Bo Jordan gave Ohio State the lead with a pin of Luke Norland in just 2:15. Jordan, how 7-0 on the year, has three falls this season, the last coming at Cleveland State on Nov. 24. OHIO STATE WINS THE FINAL THREE Tied at 16-16 after Mitch Sliga's 4-0 decision at 174 over Dominic Prezzia, Kenny Courts needed just 3:29 to pick up a 16-0 tech fall over Regis Durbin at 184 pounds, giving Ohio State the lead for good at 21-16. Courts scored early and often in the first period, getting a takedown and three four-point near-falls to take a commanding 14-0 lead. The match lasted just 29 seconds into the second period as Courts picked up one final takedown to secure the tech fall, his 11th win of the year and fifth via bonus points. Martin took down Berkowitz twice in the first period for a 4-1 lead and once in the second to go ahead 6-2. It was 7-4 late in the third when Berkowitz drew to within one, 7-6, on a takedown, but Martin's defense allowed him to hang on in the end and tack on one more point for riding time. Tavanello closed the night out with a 6-3 decision at 285 pounds that was highlighted by a first-period takedown, a third-period escape to take a 5-3 lead and well over one minute time that added up to his 13th win of the season. A NCAA at-large qualifier last year, Tavanello is ranked 19th this week by InterMat and is 13-2 on the season. TEAM/INDIVDUAL NOTES Ohio State has now won seven of the past eight meetings against Northwestern. Courts' 16-0 tech fall was the 80th win of his career. Nathan Tomasello did not compete tonight for Ohio State because he will wrestle tomorrow in the 2015 Senior Nationals/Trials Qualifier in Las Vegas. Tomasello must finish in the top seven of his weight class (57 kg.) to earn a sport at the Olympic Trials, which takes place April 9-10 at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Mike Hozan made his varsity debut at 141 pounds. Hozan is a redshirt sophomore from Homerville, Ohio. Seven of the nine wrestlers for the Buckeyes tonight are Ohio natives. UP NEXT Ohio State is off until Jan. 3 when it travels to Champaign, Ill. to tangle with No. 12 Illinois. The Ilini are 8-0 this year and feature 2015 Big Ten and NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez at 157 lbs. Results: 125: Garrison White (NU) tech fall over Mike Manuche (OSU) 17-2 | NU 5, OSU 0 133: #8 Johnni DiJulius major decision over Dominick Malone 8-0 | NU 5, OSU 4 141: Jameson Oster (NU) tech fall over Mike Hozan (OSU) 16-0 | NU 10, OSU 4 149: #3 Jason Tsirtsis (NU) decision over Cody Burcher (OSU) 5-3 | NU 13, OSU 4 157: #13 Jake Ryan (OSU) won by forfeit | NU 13, OSU 10 165: #2 Bo Jordan won by fall over Luke Norland (NU) 2:15 | OSU 16, NU 13 174: Mitch Sliga (NU) decision over Dominic Prezzia (OSU) 4-0 | OSU 16, NU 16 184: #11 Kenny Courts tech fall over Regis Durbin (NU) 16-0 | OSU 21, NU 16 197: Mark Martin (OSU) decision over Jacob Berkowitz (NU) | OSU 24, NU 16 285: #19 Nick Tavanello (OSU) decision over Conan Jennings (NU) 6-2 | OSU 27, NU 16

EVANSTON, Ill. -- With the 53rd Ken Kraft Midlands Championships just over a week away, the Midlands Championships Committee has released its annual top contestants list. The premiere collegiate wrestling event will feature many of the nation's top wrestlers at Welsh-Ryan Arena from Dec. 29-30. Tickets to the event are available now online at NUsports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE. Fans are encouraged to join the conversation via social media by using the hashtag No. Midlands53. Please note that championship participants are subject to change. The following list is not reflective of seeding. That process will take place on Sunday, Dec. 28 - the night before the Midlands begin. Individual rankings are taken from InterMat as of Tuesday, Dec. 15. 125 Sponsored by Tadaaki Hatta No. 2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) No. 6 Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) No. 7 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) No. 10 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) No. 9 David Terao (American) No. 15 Ryan Millhof (Oklahoma) No. 14 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State) No. 17 Sean McCabe (Rutgers) 133 Sponsored by Frank Paris and Bob Dane No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) No. 3 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) No. 9 Zane Richards (Illinois) No. 7 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) No. 5 Earl Hall (Iowa State) No. 14 Eric Montoya (Nebraska) Scott Delvecchio (Rutgers - Unattached) No. 13 Geoffrey Alexander (Maryland) Dominick Malone (Northwestern) No. 18 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) No. 16 Dom Forys (Pittsburgh) No. 20 Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers) Brance Simms (South Dakota State) 141 Sponsored by Mark Massery No. 2 Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) No. 5 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) No. 3 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) No. 8 Mike Racciato (Pittsburgh) No. 10 Todd Preston (Harvard) No. 17 Anthony Abidin (Nebraska) No. 19 Rick Durso (Franklin & Marshall) Jameson Oster (Northwestern) No. 20 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) 149 Sponsored by Gary Sagui and Paul Scott No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) No. 3 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) No. 4 Alex Richardson (Old Dominion) No. 7 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) No. 13 Michael DePalma (Kent State) Kenny Theobald (Rutgers - Unattached) No. 15 Matt Kraus (Arizona State) No. 14 B.J. Clagon (Rider) No. 20 Chris Perez (Princeton) No. 17 Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma) No. 19 Alex Griffin (Purdue) 157 Sponsored by Peter Karampelas and Don Duck No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) No. 2 Ian Miller (Kent State) No. 7 Thomas Gantt (North Carolina State) No. 6 Cody Pack (South Dakota State) No. 11 John Boyle (American) No. 20 Chad Walsh (Rider) Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) No. 15 Lou Mascola (Maryland) No. 16 Edwin Cooper (Iowa) No. 19 Doug Welch (Purdue) No. 17 Richie Lewis (Rutgers) No. 18 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 165 Sponsored by Dr. Russ Schneider No. 3 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) No. 10 Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers) No. 11 Austin Wilson (Nebraska) No. 6 Max Rohskopf (North Carolina State) No. 17 Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) No. 7 Chad Welch (Purdue) No. 14 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) No. 9 Clark Glass (Oklahoma) No. 12 Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa) No. 20 Devon Gobbo (Harvard) No. 15 Connor Brennan (Rider) Seth Thomas (Oregon State) 174 Sponsored by Bob Conlon No. 6 Zac Brunson (Illinois) No. 3 Alex Meyer (Iowa) No. 9 Cody Walters (Ohio) No. 7 Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield) No. 12 Micah Barnes (Nebraska) No. 11 Nate Jackson (Indiana) No. 15 Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) No. 17 Matt Reed (Oklahoma) No. 13 Jonathan Schleifar (Princeton) TeShan Campbell (Pittsburgh) Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin) 184 Sponsored by Robert Rowell No. 8 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) No. 3 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) No. 7 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) No. 9 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) No. 12 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State) No. 16 Abram Ayala (Princeton) No. 17 Pete Renda (North Carolina State) Andrew Romanchik (Ohio) Jeff Koepke (Illinois) No. 20 Nicholas Gravina (Rutgers) 197 Sponsored by Bob Schnarr No. 4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) No. 12 Phil Wellington (Ohio) No. 16 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) No. 6 Reuben Franklin (Bakersfield) No. 11 Anthony Abro (Eastern Michigan) No. 13 Nathan Rotert (South Dakota State) No. 17 Michael Boykin (North Carolina State) No. 14 Brett Harner (Princeton) Brad Johnson (Oklahoma) No. 19 Jeric Kasunic (American) Nick Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) Cody Crawford (Oregon State) 285 Sponsored by Robert Artoe No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) No. 5 Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) No. 6 Ross Larson (Oklahoma) No. 11 Billy Smith (Rutgers) No. 14 Collin Jensen (Nebraska) No. 15 Brooks Black (Illinois) No. 16 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) No. 9 Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa) No. 20 Ryan Solomon (Pittsburgh) Ray O'Donnell (Princeton) Garrett Ryan (Columbia) No. 10 Sam Stoll (Iowa)

The Olympic Team Trials qualifiers are this weekend and as usual the majority of the wrestling community is waiting to see how newly minted 86-kilo wrestlers Kyle Dake and David Taylor fare against national competition. Kyle Dake defeated David Taylor at the U.S. World Team Trials in Madison (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Though their previous bouts have undoubtedly been overdramatized, this year's potential matchup is made compelling by the entry of Taylor's former Penn State teammate Ed Ruth To review, the top seven finishers in each of the six Olympic weight classes qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held April 9-10 in Iowa City. In all likelihood Taylor and Dake will qualify, but who they wrestle and how they wrestle is of incredible interest to wrestling fans. Since both are coming up a weight class, neither will be seeded, making it possible that they could meet early in the competition. However, Ruth, the 2014 World Team member at 86 kilos who recently made a very impressive run at the Bill Farrell International in November, will forgo his freebie and compete at the Open. Keith Gavin, a 2013 World Team member and current assistant coach at the University of Virginia, will also be also entered at the weight. Jake Herbert will not be entered. Though it seems like anyone's tournament, the safe money is that come Monday morning the wrestling community will be talking about the resurgence of a refocused Ed Ruth more than they are the performances of Dake or Taylor. To your questions … Q: Has a true freshman ever pinned the defending NCAA champ in his first ever college match out of redshirt or was this a first? -- Seth D. Foley:I think Kaid Brock might have grabbed a little bit of history when he decked Cody Brewer on Sunday. I'm sure Coach Smith won't let him lay back and retire. There is a lot of wrestling left this year and he'll see Brewer again, probably multiple times, and it's likely the senior won't give the double overhooks as easily in a rematch. Q: What is going on at Bloomsburg? They seem to be in an ever increasing free fall since John Stutzman left for Buffalo. They can't keep any new recruits on the team for more than a semester and at this point and time wouldn't be a top 30 Division II program. Is there hope for them to regain relevance, and if so is it under the leadership of Jason Mester? -- Jake M. Foley: I can't speak to the validity of the first two statements, but I have received a few emails filled with rumblings. Truth is, there is almost never enough information available to the public, which would lend to a strong assessment of a team like Bloomsburg. However, like you mentioned, there is evidence of a fall in productivity on the mats. Maybe that's the turnover, or maybe that's culture and coaching. Tough to say. We'll see if any of Coach Mester's young guys can make it through the conference tournament. If not, then the wrestling community needs to take note and if need be, action to see if there is a problem that money or support can solve. Despite being down this year, the sport of wrestling needs each of their Division I wrestling programs to remain intact and attractive to administrators. Q: So, a few friends and I decided that we would start our own fantasy wrestling teams using NCAA wrestlers. We had the draft and picked our team members. I was wondering if you would be interested in giving me your opinion of my team? I'm sort of Bo-heavy, but that's not a bad thing. And, although I don't have a lot of No. 1-ranked guys, I think it's a strong team. 125: Joey Dance 133: Ryan Taylor 141: Joey McKenna (I was surprised no one wanted him) 149: Jake Short (OK, maybe not my strongest pick, but I like the guy) 157: Jason Nolf (this one has great potential) 165: Bo Jordan 174: Bo Nickal 184: Jack Dechow (if you are not in the Big Ten, people can forget about you. Dechow is great.) 197: Morgan McIntosh (my only current No. 1) 285: Brooks Black So, have I got a shot? -- John G. Foley: You "having a shot" depends on the scoring system your commissioner implemented before the draft. How many points are you given for taking a lower ranked wrestler? Are you incentivized to take risk? (I think that risk is how a number dweebs at daily fantasy sites like DraftKings make their cash.) I'd say you are collecting on no better than 20 percent. You have man-children McKenna and Nickal who could do the deed and a top-ranked McIntosh, but the rest seem a little reach-y for my tastes. Joey Dance is a personal favorite, but I don't see him beating Nathan Tomasello or even Thomas Gilman. Bo Jordan would have been a great pick to win had he stayed at 174 pounds. Jack Dechow is a fantastic wrestler with the unfortunate luck of sometimes being overlooked given his 757 area code. Though I doubt Dechow will beat returning champ Gabe Dean, I do think that he is a favorite to beat Vic Avery and make the NCAA finals. Who knows, once you're in the finals anything can happen. Also, if you can please post in the comments and let us know how you, or the commissioner, structured the league we'd be very grateful. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Seems like a sweet kid (unless you wrestle at 133 pounds). What an inside trip! YIKES! So I guess you're getting Netflix … Classic wrestling match in Lahore, India (now Pakistan) Guys in Russia are trying to stop people from driving on the sidewalk. A noble cause. Fastforward to the 4-minute mark to see a very nice hip toss. Q: Two guys who desperately need to switch weight classes: Bo Jordan and Cody Brewer. Why on earth would Jordan go from 174 where he was ranked No. 1 to 165 where he's miles behind Alex Dieringer and would have to wrestle his cousin? Particularly as Ohio State just dropped a meet to Mizzou and didn't even try to wrestle the full squad. Meanwhile, Cody Brewer bumps up at the NWCA All-Star Classic and beats consensus No. 1 Dean Heil. Now he's struggling mightily at 133. Why not go up to 141 where a national championship is a sure thing? -- Rick J. Foley: I totally agree that something is off about Cody Brewer, though I'm just as willing to say it's an injury as it is cutting weight. What in the hell Bo Jordan was thinking is well past my pay grade, maybe it's a vendetta, or to help build the team? Or maybe he thought he'd wither away by NCAAs and not have as good a shot as he would at 165 pounds. Willingly giving up a top spot to take on Dieringer takes some stones. Back to Brewer. Yes, he should move back up to 141 pounds, but not to run from Kaid Brock or anyone else at 133 pounds. I don't know if the weight cut is that difficult (he's obviously a tough human having won an NCAA title), but he is so tall you would assume that he could fill that frame and be healthy. We need more wrestlers to stay in the game, and while there is probably little doubt that Brewer is a lifer I'd hate to see him burn out, or fade away in the years to come because he was sick of the "other" sport of weight cutting. Q: So Indiana beat Minnesota in a tiebreaker this past weekend, which raises some questions to me for the Big Ten. For as long as I can remember, Indiana, Purdue, and Michigan State have been in a race for who's lowest in the conference. With Indiana beating national powerhouse Minnesota (granted the Gophers are in a down year), and Purdue having success already with their new head coach as far as their current guys improving and the amazing recruits they have coming in next year, how much more scrutiny does Michigan State have coming their way over the next few seasons considering they have shown the opposite of the latter teams' growth? -- Nick B. Foley: Michigan State has charted their course with incoming head coach Roger Chandler. How effective will an internal hire be after almost a decade of lackluster results? That's unclear. Chandler may be able to adopt a new vision and hire assistants to improve the team's technique as he pitches big recruits. There is obviously something that Chandler brings to the table that the Michigan State athletic department believes can make them successful in the years to come. Still, that will be a slow process and there will be plenty of wrestling fans willing to criticize Coach Chandler's every decision, every result. On the other side of the coin there are plenty of other programs to look at in the Big Ten. As you mentioned, Minnesota is in a down year. How long will that last? What happens if Michigan underperforms given all the support they've enjoyed the last 10 years? How will Northwestern do with Matt Storniolo at the helm? This Big Ten season will be one of the most compelling in recent memory, if only for the off-the-mat developments. STATEMENT OF THE WEEK By Andy L. While I appreciate the new stalling rules and the officials zeal for following them, I have to question the calls against the bottom man. Time and time again we see the top man straddling, both legs in, or riding parallel not working to score and the bottom man gets called. Both men should be working to improve, but holding your opponent in a position where he is unable to gain his base while making no attempt to score yourself is stalling on the top man not the bottom. The top man should not be rewarded with stalling calls or riding time for simply immobilizing the bottom man.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Wrestling in front of a national audience on the Pac-12 Network, CSU Bakersfield (4-2) defeated Stanford (2-2) 22-16 in the conference opener for both schools. The dual began at 125 pounds where Sergio Mendez rallied from a four-point first period deficit to defeat Brian Rossi 14-8. Mason Pengilly tied the dual for the Cardinal when he defeated Carlos Herrera at 133. Ian Nickell picked up a technical fall when he defeated Eric Kramer 19-0 in the 141-pound bout. Coleman Hammond pushed the CSUB advantage to 12-3 when he earned a major decision, 12-3, against Paul Fox. AJ Fierro provided the Roadrunners a 15-3 lead heading into halftime when he posted an 8-3 victory over Tommy Pawelski. No. 5 Jim Wilson scored nine of his 10 points in the third period as Stanford broke the CSUB winning streak 10-1 over Adam Fierro at 165. Keaton Subjeck took an early 6-1 lead against No. 7 Bryce Hammond. Hammond rallied with a two-point reversal at the end of regulation to send the match to overtime before he took Subjeck down with less than 30 seconds to go in overtime for a 10-8 victory. Zach Nevills defeated Dylan Bollinger 7-0 in the 184-pound bout. No. 6 Reuben Franklin clinched the dual with his seventh major decision of the year, 11-2, against Boomer Fleming. No. 18 Nathan Butler pinned Matt Williams with six seconds remaining in the heavyweight bout to make it the final 22-16. The CSUB victory was the first for the Roadrunners in Palo Alto since Jan. 16, 2004 (21-18). The Roadrunners now lead the all-time series 27-10, winning for the second time in the past seven years against the Cardinal. The Roadrunners are at the Reno Tournament of Champions Sunday. The meet will run all day. The next home CSUB dual is Jan. 8 when the Roadrunners host Cal Poly in a Pac-12 dual Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Vallitix.com. Results: 125 Sergio Mendez (CSUB) def. Brian Rossi, 14-8 133 Mason Pengilly (STAN) def. Carlos Herrera, 9-3 141 Ian Nickell (CSUB) def. Eric Kramer via tech fall (19-0) at 5:37 149 Coleman Hammond (CSUB) def. Paul Fox, 12-3 157 AJ Fierro (CSUB) def. Tommy Pawelski, 8-3 165 No. 5 Jim Wilson (STAN) def. Adam Fierro, 10-1 174 No. 7 Bryce Hammond (CSUB) def. Keaton Subjeck, 10-8 (SV) 184 Zach Nevills (STAN) def. Dylan Bollinger, 7-0 197 No. 6 Reuben Franklin (CSUB) def. Boomer Fleming (STAN), 11-2 285 No. 18 Nathan Butler (STAN) pinned Matt Williams (CSUB) at 6:54

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- On the night, the Lock Haven University wrestling team (4-5, 1-0 EWL) won 16 of 20 bouts and picked up bonus points in nine matches on the way to a pair of dominating wins. The Bald Eagles won seven of 10 bouts vs. Messiah on the way to a 29-10 victory and Lock Haven dominated rival Bloomsburg, 39-3. With the two wins tonight, LHU moves to 4-5 overall. Lock Haven won nine of 10 bouts in the Bald Eagles 2015-16 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) opener vs. Bloomsburg. Six different Bald Eagles went 2-0 on the night, including Dan Neff (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco), who returned to 149 pounds. Neff, who had been competing at 141 up until tonight, moved back up 149, where he was an All-American last season. Neff looked comfortable and racked up a pair of tech falls. Bobby Rehm (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor), Joe Ghione (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial), Aaron McKinney (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny), Cody Cordes (Edwardsville, Pa./Wyoming Valley) and Brad Emerick (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Coughlin) all went 2-0. Lock Haven opened the night with a dominating 29-10 win over NCAA Division III power Messiah (5-2). The Bald Eagles won seven of 10 points and picked up bonus points in four matches, thanks to a major decision, two tech falls and a pin. After falling behind 4-0 vs. Messiah after the opening bout at 125, Lock Have rattled off six straight wins (133-174) on the way to the big win. Following the win over Messiah, the Bald Eagles opened EWL action with a rout of the Huskies (0-7, 0-3 EWL). Bloomsburg opened the match with a win 125, but it was all Lock Haven from there, as the Bald Eagles ripped on nine straight wins, including a Tristan Sponseller (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) pin at 184. LHU returns to action Tuesday, December 29 at 9:30 a.m. when the Bald Eagles host the 2015 Lock Haven Classic Tournament. Lock Haven 29, Messiah 10 125: Lucas Malmberg (MC) major dec. David Sheesley (LHU) 16-5; Messiah leads 4-0 133. Bobby Rehm (LHU) tech fall Hunter Harris (MC) 18-0 (2:43); Lock Haven leads 5-4 141: Joe Ghione (LHU) major dec. Andres Gutierrez (MC) 15-4: Lock Haven leads 9-4 149: Dan Neff (LHU) tech fall Adam Peris (MC) 24-9 (7:00); Lock Haven leads 14-4 157: Aaron McKinney (LHU) dec. Larry Cannon (MC) 7-5; Lock Haven leads 17-4 165: Cody Cordes (LHU) dec. Jeff Hojnacki (MC) 10-3; Lock Haven leads 20-4 174: Travis Moyer (LHU) dec. Derek Beitz (MC) 7-5; Lock Haven leads 23-4 184: Ben Swarr (MC) dec. Adam Mackie (LHU) 10-3; Lock Haven leads 23-7 197: Kyle Koser (MC) dec. Matt Moore (LHU) 7-1; Lock Haven lead 23-10 285 Brad Emerick (LHU) pinned Jason Wright (MC) 4:41: Lock Haven wins 29-10 Lock Haven 39 - Bloomsburg 3 125: Jon Haas (BU) dec. Jake Field (LHU) 8-6 SV-2; Bloomsburg leads 3-0 133: Bobby Rehm (LHU) dec. Andy Schutz (MC) 6-2; Tied 3-3 141: Joe Ghione (LHU) wins by forfeit; Lock Haven leads 9-3 149: Dan Neff (LHU) tech fall Ran Snow (BU) 20-4 (5:11); Lock Haven leads 14-3 157: Aaron McKinney (LHU) dec. Brendon Colbert (BU) 8-1; Lock Haven leads 17-3 165: Cody Cordes (LHU) dec. Matthew Carr (BU) 6-2; Lock Haven leads 20-3 174: Tyler Wood (LHU) major dec. Kyle Wojtaszek (BU) 13-2; Lock Haven leads 24-3 184: Tristan Sponseller (LHU) pinned Casey Glunt (BU) 2:21; Lock Haven wins 30-3 197: Matt Moore (LHU) wins by injury default Dom Carfagno (BU); Lock Haven leads 36-3 285: Brad Emerick (LHU) dec. Saul Wilkins (BU) 2-0; Lock Haven wins 39-3

LAS VEGAS -- Seeds have been set for Greco-Roman and women's freestyle for the U.S. Senior Nationals/Trials Qualifier, which begins on Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. All six Olympic Greco-Roman weight classes weighed-in and will compete on Friday. There were eight seeds selected in each weight class. In women's freestyle, there will be three weight classes held on Friday. Seeds were selected for these three weights, with five at 53 kilos, and four at 58 kilos and 75 kilos. The three remaining weight classes in women's wrestling will weigh in on Friday and compete on Saturday. The women's club coaches seeded those three weight classes, with five seeds at 48 kilos and 63 kilos, and four at 69 kilos. An alternate was selected in each of these weights, in case an athlete does not weigh in. If there is an athlete who does not weigh in, that athlete will be removed, the wrestlers moved up, and the alternate will receive the last seed. Brackets are being finalized and will be posted online at TrackWrestling.com Greco-Roman: 59 kilos: 1. Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 2. Ildar Hafizov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 3. Ryan Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 4. Max Nowry, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 5. Sammy Jones, Folsom La. (New York AC/USOTS) 6. Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 7. Aaron Kalil, Sneads Ferry, N.C. (U.S. Marines) 8. Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, Brooklyn, N.Y. (New York AC/USOTS) 66 kilos: 1. Alejandro Sancho, Miami, Fla. (New York AC/USOTS) 2. Brian Graham, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 3. Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 4. Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 5. Bo Beckman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 6. Christopher Gonzalez, Bolingbrook, Ill. (New York AC/USOTS) 7. Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (New York AC) 8. Devin Scott, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 75 kilos: 1. Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 2. Cheney Haight, Orem, Utah (New York AC) 3. Jake Fisher, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 4. Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets) 5. Dillon Cowan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 6. Taylor Walsh, Bloomington, Ind. (Rider Broncos WC) 7. Alec Ortiz, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 8. Barrett Stanghill, Philipsburg, Mont. (New York AC/USOTS) 85 kilos: 1. Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 2. Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 3. Patrick Martinez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 4. Jake Clark, Rathdrum, Idaho (Minnesota Storm) 5. Mark Stenberg, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC/USOTS) 6. Khymbakhy Johnson, Sacramento, Calif. (New York AC/USOTS) 7. James Souza, Puyallup, Wash, (All-Navy Wrestling) 8. Lucas Sheridan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 98 kilos: 1. Caylor Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 2. Josef Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 3. John Wechter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 4. Jarod Trice, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Orry Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (New York AC/USOTS) 6. Marcus Finau, Colorado Springs, Colo. (CSU Pueblo RTC) 7. Patrick Carey, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 8. Daniel Miller, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines) 130 kilos: 1. Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC) 2. Matt Lamb, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 3. Parker Betts, St. Michael, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 4. Jacob Mitchell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (CSU Pueblo RTC) 5. Zach Merrill, Bermuda Dunes, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Eric Fader, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines) 7. Zack Wilcox, Omaha, Neb. (MWC Wrestling Academy) 8. Jack Griggs, Brighton, Mich. (USOTS) Women's freestyle Friday's weight class seeds: 53 kilos: 1. Michaela Hutchison, Lebanon, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC/OTC) 3. Sharon Jacobson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP) 4. Katherine Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC/OTC) 5. Sarah Hildebrandt, Granger, Ind. (New York AC/OTC) 58 kilos: 1. Kelsey Campbell, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Teshya Alo, Honolulu, Hawaii (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Maya Nelson, Denver, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 4. Randi Beltz, Chesterfield, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC) 75 kilos: 1. Jaclyn Surber, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Victoria Francis, Litchfield, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC/OTC) 4. Brandy Lowe, Paxico, Kan. (Bearcat WC) Saturday's weight class seeds (pending weigh-ins): 48 kilos: 1. Cody Pfau, Brush, Colo. (OKCU Gator Women`s RTC) 2. Erin Golston, Lake In The Hills, Ill. (NYAC/USOEC) 3. Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Breonnah Neal, Clemons, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Nicole Woody, Bristol, Tenn. (Terrapin WC) Alternate: Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 63 kilos: 1. Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/OTC) 2. Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Leigh Jaynes-Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 4. Shai Mason, Gardena, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Jennifer Page, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC) Alternate: Jessi Kee, Laurinburg, S.C. (King University) 69 kilos: 1. Tamyra Mensah, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 3. Veronica Carlson, Rock Hill, S.C. (New York AC) 4. Rachel Watters, Ankeny, Iowa (OKCU Gator Women's RTC) Alternate: Forrest Molinari, Benicia, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Four of the Wolfpack's five wins were bonus point wins, as the No. 3 NC State wrestling team defeated No. 24 Old Dominion 26-15 Thursday night. Starting with a technical fall in the first bout, the Wolfpack (11-0) scored back-to-back pins in the middle of the dual, and concluded the win with a DQ. NC State improves its season record to a perfect 11-0, the most consecutive wins to start a season in school history. The Pack has also defeated all three ranked opponents it has faced thus far -- No. 13 Minnesota, 31-3 and No. 4 Oklahoma State, 19-15. Earlier in the day Tommy Gantt walked in graduation ceremonies getting his degree in Social Work, then tonight he started the Pack off with a bonus point win at 165 pounds. Wrestling up a weight, Gantt used a four-point near-fall in the third period and scored a 22-6 technical fall win that put NC State up 5-0. ODU won the next two bouts by decision, giving the Monarchs a 6-5 lead. One of the featured bouts came at 184 pounds, as No. 3 Jack Dechow pulled off a comeback 11-9 OT win over No. 17 Pete Renda. At 197 pounds, No. 17 Michael Boykin scored a 9-4 decision to put the Pack back up 8-6. NC State then scored back-to-back pins, first at 285 pounds then at 125 pounds. No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski turned an early takedown into a 50 second pin to push his NCAA-best winning streak to 66 matches. At 125, NC State's Sean Fausz scored the Pack's second straight win with a pin at the 5:56 mark. Up 6-5 in the third, Fausz scored a takedown and immediately turned it into his third pin of the season. ODU reeled off three straight wins at 133, 141 and 149 pounds to pull within 20-15. The Pack concluded the match with an unconventional six points at 157 pounds. NC State's Chad Pyke was in control of the bout late in the third with a 6-2 lead and the ride time point locked up, when ODU's Austin Eads threw a punch and was disqualified. Results: 165: #7 (at 157) Tommy Gantt (NCSU) tech fall Sheldon Wright; 22-6 5-0 174: Brooks Climmons (ODU) dec. Nicky Hall; 2-1 5-3 184: #3 Jack Dechow (ODU) dec. #17 Pete Renda; 11-9 (SV-1) 5-6 197: #17 Michael Boykin (NCSU) dec. Austin Coburn; 9-4 8-6 285: #1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) fall Andrew Snyder; 0:50 14-6 125: Sean Fausz (NCSU) fall Brandon Jeske; 5:56 20-6 133: Emilio Saavedra (ODU) dec. Jamal Morris; 3-1 20-9 141: #5 Chris Mecate (ODU) dec. #2 Kevin Jack; 3-5 (SV-1) 20-12 149: #4 Alexander Richardson (ODU) dec. Beau Donahue; 3-2 20-15 157: Chad Pyke (NCSU) DQ Austin Eades 26-15 Up Next: The Pack will be back in action after a short holiday break. NC State returns to action December 29-30, traveling to the Midlands Championships.

CASTLETON, Vt. -- Castleton University Associate Dean for Athletics and Recreation, Deanna Tyson, is pleased to announce the hiring of Scott Legacy as the inaugural head coach of the Castleton Wrestling program, which will begin varsity competition in the fall of 2016. "We're thrilled to welcome Scott as the first wrestling coach at Castleton," said Tyson. "He is a nationally recognized wrestling coach who knows the sport intimately and we're excited to see the success he'll have at the collegiate level." Legacy comes to Castleton following a Hall of Fame career as the wrestling coach at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington for the past 30 years. The 2014 USA Today National Coach of the Year and New England Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee created a dynasty at Mount Anthony, illustrated by his program's 27 consecutive Vermont State Wrestling Championships. During his tenure he amassed an impressive 654-35-2 overall record, including eight New England Champion teams and eight more which were runner-up. In the last five years alone he has won three New England Championships and finished second once. He also has had 15 teams ranked in the top-25 nationally. "First of all I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to lead the new wrestling program from the ground up at Castleton University," said Legacy. "I would like to thank President Wolk, Scott Dikeman and Deanna Tyson for creating the opportunity for student-athletes who want to wrestle in college. Especially those student-athletes from Vermont who want to stay close to home and be part of a University which is growing academically and athletically. Coaching in college is the next natural progression for me. My goal is to hopefully be an ambassador for Vermont Wrestling on the college level, while providing student-athletes with memories and a family-type atmosphere that Castleton already provides as one of the leading universities in Vermont." Legacy has shown the ability to develop wrestlers at all weight classes, with 168 individual Vermont State Champions - a national record for all high school coaches, and 84 All-American wrestlers. He has coached seven national champions, 28 New England Champions and has had three high school USA Team Members. One of his wrestlers has gone on to make the USA World Team and over 180 have competed at all levels of collegiate wrestling. In addition to his coaching merits, Legacy has held numerous leadership positions within the wrestling community. He has served as the Cadet/Junior National Team Coach since 1990 and for the past 13 years has been a board member of the National High School Coaches Association since 2002. He has been the Vermont State Chairman for USA Wrestling for nearly 30 years and is the Co-President of Catamount Wrestling Club. Legacy holds a bachelor's degree from Oswego State and a Master of Education Degree in Athletic Administration from Endicott College. He was a three-time high school state champion in Vermont and a high school All-American. He recorded over 100 wins in college, while spending two years each at Morrisville State and Oswego. At Morrisville he was a Junior College National Qualifier and Region 3 Junior College Place winner. Legacy then was named team captain at Oswego, where he was a SUNYAC Place winner. Legacy will coach his Mount Anthony team through the end of the season before turning his complete attention to Castleton wrestling.

The past week(end) of wrestling brought about some disharmony to both the team and individual rankings. There is a new No. 1, as Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) takes the mantle after their team championship at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman. The previous top-ranked team, Blair Academy (N.J.) drops to the No. 2 position, as they were runners-up at the Ironman. Three new number one's on the individual side of things: David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) at 145 pounds, after an ultimate tiebreaker victory over Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.); Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 152, after his Ironman title; and Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) at 195, after Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.) was upset by Trevor Eicher (Deer Park, Wash.) while wrestling up at 220. Major shakeups also occurred within the Fab 50, with three schools moving up ten or more positions in the rankings. No. 15 Malvern Prep (Pa.) moved up eleven spots after a seventh place finish at the Ironman, No. 25 Apple Valley (Minn.) moved up ten spots after their championship at the Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic, while No. 27 Montini Catholic (Ill.) moved up thirteen after a fourth place finish at the Ironman. Now it's on to the next week of competition on the mats, which is even more event-heavy than the most recent one. Beast of the East Nine nationally ranked teams anchor the field for this Saturday (8:30 a.m. ET) and Sunday's (8:30 a.m. quarters and semis/finals at 3:15 p.m.) event from the University of Delaware. No. 2 Blair Academy (N.J.) seeks a 16th consecutive title in the tournament, and a 20th overall in this the 23rd edition of the event. No. 3 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) and No. 6 Bethlehem Catholic (N.J.) both are gunning down the Buccaneers this year, and seek to win their first ever Beast title. Six other nationally ranked teams populate the field: No. 15 Malvern Prep (Pa.), No. 18 Elyria (Ohio), No. 31 Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), No. 33 Phillipsburg (N.J.), No. 34 Boyertown (Pa.), and No. 44 Delbarton (N.J.) Seeking his fourth Beast of the East title is No. 1 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), who is slated to compete at 126 pounds. In order to join Mark Grey as the only wrestlers to accomplish such feat, Suriano will most likely have to clear past No. 2 Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); Karam was the Outstanding Wrestler in last year's tournament after winning the 120 pound weight class. The wrestlers met in the final of the Super 32 Challenge on November 1, with Suriano winning. Five other wrestlers seek second Beast of the East titles: No. 10 Jonathan Tropea (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) at 113 pounds, No. 3 Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 4 Brandon Paetzell (Phillipsburg, N.J.) at 120, along with No. 2 Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) and No. 5 Matt Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.) at 220. Below is a listing of nationally ranked wrestlers that may possibly be in the tournament field. 106: No. 15 Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 19 Michael Kelly (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.) 113: No. 6 Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 10 Jonathan Tropea (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.), No. 11 Matthew Parker (Pennridge, Pa.) 120: No. 3 Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 4 Brandon Paetzell (Phillipsburg, N.J.), No. 5 Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.), No. 17 Zach Sherman (Blair Academy, N.J.) 126: No. 1 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 2 Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 12 Tyshawn White (Central Dauphin, Pa.) 132: No. 8 Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.), No. 14 Nick Farro (Delbarton, N.J.) 138: No. 3 Shane Griffith (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 145: No. 1 David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio), No. 10 Quentin Hovis (Seton Catholic, Ariz.) 152: No. 6 Eric Hong (Kiski Prep, Pa.), No. 14 Hunter Bolen (Christiansburg, Va.) 160: No. 6 Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), No. 10 Michael Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 19 Ryan Karoly (Blair Academy, N.J.) 170: No. 3 Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 9 Joe Grello (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 182: No. 5 Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.), No. 12 Kyle Gentile (Pennridge, Pa.) 195: No. 3 Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 4 Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio), No. 7 Kevin Mulligan (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 20 Rashon Lusane (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 220: No. 2 Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.), No. 5 Matt Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.), No. 16 Seth Janney (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 285: No. 11 Anthony Helm (Matoaca, Va.) Likely out due to injury: No. 11 Requir van der Merwe (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 132 pounds, No. 3 Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) at 285 Kansas City Stampede Forty teams will convene at Hale Arena in Kansas City (Mo.) for the Stampede, including six ranked within the Fab 50 -- those being No. 12 Archer (Ga.), No. 17 Tuttle (Okla.), No. 23 Allen (Texas), No. 35 Neosho (Mo.), No. 36 Sand Springs (Okla.), and No. 41 Platte County (Mo.). The Archer Tigers seek a third consecutive title in this tournament. Wrestling starts at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, and resumes with sessions at 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday. The event has a pool-to-bracket format, eight pools on Friday with the top two advancing to the upper bracket; in that upper bracket, semifinalists finish top four, wrestle-back is for fifth place. Below are the nationally ranked wrestlers in the field: 113: No. 4 Paxton Rosen (Edmond North, Okla.) 120: No. 11 Jack Wagner (Bettendorf, Iowa) 126: No. 3 Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.), No. 10 Matthew Schmitt (Platte County, Mo.), No. 17 Dalton Duffield (Southmoore, Okla.) 132: No. 7 Colby Smith (Holt, Mo.) 145: No. 15 Ethan Karsten (Platte County, Mo.), No. 20 Beau Guffey (Tuttle, Okla.) 160: No. 2 Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.) 170: No. 4 Daniel Bullard (Archer, Ga.), No. 15 Canten Marriott (Park Hill, Mo.) 220: No. 19 Quinn Miller (Archer, Ga.) Reno Tournament of Champions Yet another large field of talented and excellent teams -- and wrestlers -- will convene at the Reno (Nev.) Events Center starting on Friday at 12-Noon Eastern Time, with the quarterfinals and semifinals slated for Saturday starting at 12-Noon, and medal matches at 8 p.m. Anchoring the field are a quartet of nationally ranked teams: No. 21 Poway (Calif.), No. 38 Mesa Mountain View (Ariz.), No. 46 Roseburg (Ore.), and No. 50 Crook County (Ore.) Below are the nationally ranked wrestlers in the field: 106: No. 6 Jason Holmes (Chandler, Ariz.), No. 20 Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.) 113: No. 3 Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.), No. 5 Ian Timmins (Wooster, Nev.), No. 17 Tomas Gutierrez (Pomona, Co.) 132: No. 4 Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) 138: No. 9 Brock Hardy (Box Elder, Utah), No. 17 Evan Fidelibus (Easton, Pa.) 152: No. 7 Jaron Chavez (Centennial, Idaho) 160: No. 8 Layne van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.), No. 12 Wyatt Sheets (Stilwell, Okla.), No. 17 Matthew Park (Centennial, Idaho) 220: No. 9 Cohlton Schutlz (Ponderosa, Colo.) Minnesota Christmas Tournament The All Force Minnesota Christmas Tournament is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the RCTC Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. The 33-team field features the vast majority of prominent squads in the Gopher State, which makes it a de factor single-class state tournament, as well as a couple of squads from Wisconsin and North Dakota. Wrestling starts at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, and resumes with the quarterfinals and semifinals at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, then concludes with medal matches at 4:30 p.m. Three nationally ranked teams anchor the field: No. 13 St. Michael-Albertville, No. 25 Apple Valley (defending tournament champions), and No. 45 Kasson-Mantorville. The top 9, and 11 of the top 12 teams in Minnesota's big-school division (Class AAA) are in the field; along with four of the top five from Class AA, the top two teams in North Dakota, and the top team in each of D1 and D2 in Wisconsin. Below are the nationally ranked wrestlers in the field (Minnesota unless noted): 106: No. 5 Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka), No. 9 Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville) 138: No. 4 Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville), No. 12 Alex Lloyd (Shakopee) 145: No. 7 Hunter Marko (Amery, Wis.) 152: No. 3 Griffin Parriott (New Prague), No. 9 Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville) 160: No. 5 Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville) 170: No. 1 Mark Hall (Apple Valley) 182: No. 7 Owen Webster (Shakopee), No. 10 Lucas Jeske (St. Michael-Albertville) 195: No. 1 Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central) 220: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Apple Valley) Dvorak Memorial Invitational Three nationally ranked teams will be attending the 28th Annual Al Dvorak Memorial Invitational hosted by Harlem High School in Machesney Park, Ill. Though it is not the mega-tournament for Illinois as it was about five years ago, it still has a most excellent field, probably the best for any single regular season event in the Land of Lincoln. Come Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, 12/22 and 12/23, 33 teams from the host state plus those from Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida will be in attendance. Below are the nationally ranked wrestlers and teams in the field (Illinois unless noted): Teams: No. 19 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 26 Mt. Carmel, No. 27 Montini Catholic 106: No. 11 Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic) 113: No. 2 Real Woods (Montini Catholic), No. 7 Michael McGee (Plainfield East), No. 20 Mason Wohltman (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 126: No. 9 Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 132: No. 5 Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic), No. 6 Austin Gomez (Glenbard North) 138: No. 13 Will Lewan (Montini Catholic) 145: No. 4 Austin O'Connor (St. Rita) 160: No. 13 Elijah Cleary (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 182: No. 11 Kyle Betourne (Bishop McNamara), No. 15 Jack Jessen (Willowbrook) Marmion Academy meatgrinder continues While it may not be THE toughest schedule for any team in the country, the group of tournaments and dual meet events that No. 11 Marmion Academy (Ill.) has on its docket for this season certainly is a bunch of stern tests. The journey continues on Saturday when they host No. 26 Mt. Carmel (Ill.) for a dual meet. It continues one week from Wednesday, on 12/23, when the Cadets play host to No. 29 Washington (Ill.) as part of a multi-team dual meet event. CIML rivalry The two best teams in the state of Iowa compete in dual meet action on Thursday night when No. 28 Fort Dodge will host No. 16 Southeast Polk in a conference match. The higher ranked Rams are the perennial powers, as they seek a third sweep of the dual meet and individual bracket state meets in four years come the end of this season. However, Fort Dodge is the emergent force, as they enter this season with the most returning state meet points in Iowa's big-school division (Class AAA). The following are potential key matches in the dual meet: 113: No. 19 Brody Teske (Fort Dodge) vs. Gauge Perrien 126: Triston Lara (Fort Dodge) vs. Nate Lendt 132: Keenan Cook (Fort Dodge) vs. Zach Barnes Fort Dodge also has No. 12 Sam Cook at 195 pounds, while Southeast Polk has No. 4 Ethan Andersen at 220 as defending state champions. Quick hits No. 8 Buchanan (Calif.) hosts the Zinkin Classic this Friday and Saturday. Wrestling will start at 11 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, 9 a.m. on Saturday with the semifinals, and the medal matches from 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Also in the field are No. 5 Clovis (Calif.), Gilroy (Calif.), Mission Oak (Calif.), and Selma (Calif.) Two of the nation's top ten teams -- No. 7 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) and No. 9 Carl Sandburg (Ill.) -- will butt heads at the Rex Whitlach Invitational hosted by Hinsdale Central on Friday and Saturday. The tournament starts at 4:30 p.m. CT on Friday, continues at 9 a.m. with the quarterfinals on Saturday, semifinals at 1 p.m. and medal matches at 4. Another pair of ranked teams will collide at the Franklin Regional (Pa.) duals just east of Pittsburgh on Saturday, as No. 10 St. Edward (Ohio) and No. 14 Belle Vernon Area (Pa.) are both slated to compete. Another formidable team in the event, presuming they have all personnel available, is North Allegheny (Pa.).

The middle of December is here, and it's the opening weekend of competition in New Jersey, which means everyone has taken to the mats. This is another weekend with multiple major events happening across the country. The following are the schedules of competition for Fab 50 teams from Dec. 16 to Dec. 23. No. 1 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- host Excalibur Tournament at Wilkes University in Wilkes Barre, Pa. on Friday and Saturday No. 2 Blair Academy, N.J. -- travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 3 Bergen Catholic, N.J. -- travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday, host dual meet against Clifton (N.J.) on Monday 12/21 No. 4 St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- travel to Canfield, Ohio for multi-team dual meet event on Saturday No. 5 Clovis, Calif. -- travel to Buchanan, Calif. for the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 6 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- host East Stroudsburg North, Pa. in dual meet tonight, travel to Freedom, Pa. for dual meet tomorrow, and travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 7 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- travel to Hinsdale Central, Ill. for the Rex Whitlach Invitational on Friday and Saturday No. 8 Buchanan, Calif. -- host Zinkin Classic on Friday Saturday No. 9 Carl Sandburg, Ill. -- host Joliet Central, Ill. in dual meet tomorrow, travel to Hinsdale Central, Ill. for the Rex Whitlach Invitational on Friday Saturday No. 10 St. Edward, Ohio -- host St. Ignatius, Ohio in dual meet tomorrow, travel to Franklin Regional, Pa. for multi-team dual meet event on Saturday No. 11 Marmion Academy, Ill. -- host No. 26 Mt. Carmel, Ill. on Saturday, host No. 29 Washington, Ill. as part of multi-team dual meet event on Wednesday 12/23 No. 12 Archer, Ga. -- compete in Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 13 St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. -- host Big Lake, Minn. in a dual meet tomorrow, compete at Minnesota Christmas Tournament in Rochester, Minn. on Friday and Saturday No. 14 Belle Vernon, Pa. -- host Thomas Jefferson, Pa. in a dual meet tonight, travel to Franklin Regional, Pa. for multi-team dual meet event on Saturday No. 15 Malvern Prep, Pa. -- travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 16 Southeast Polk, Iowa -- travel to No. 28 Fort Dodge, Iowa for dual meet tomorrow night, host Red Owens Holiday Classic on Saturday No. 17 Tuttle, Okla. -- compete in Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 18 Elyria, Ohio -- travel to Shaker Hts., Ohio for tri-meet tomorrow, travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 19 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. -- travel to Machesney Park, Ill. for the Dvorak Memorial on Tuesday and Wednesday (12/22 and 12/23) No. 20 Lowell, Mich. -- compete in Kent County Classic at Davenport University on Saturday No. 21 Poway, Calif. -- compete in Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 23 Allen, Texas -- compete in Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 24 Warren Central, Ill. -- travel to Lawrence North, Ind. for their county tournament on Saturday No. 25 Apple Valley, Minn. -- compete at Minnesota Christmas Tournament in Rochester, Minn. on Friday and Saturday No. 26 Mt. Carmel, Ill. -- travel to No. 11 Marmion Academy, Ill. for dual meet on Saturday, travel to Machesney Park, Ill. for the Dvorak Memorial on Tuesday and Wednesday (12/22 and 12/23) No. 27 Montini Catholic, Ill. -- host tri-meet on Friday, travel to Machesney Park, Ill. for the Dvorak Memorial on Tuesday and Wednesday (12/22 and 12/23) No. 28 Fort Dodge, Iowa -- host No. 16 Southeast Polk, Iowa tomorrow, host invitational tournament on Saturday No. 29 Washington, Ill. -- compete in Yorkville (Ill.) Invitational on Saturday, travel to No. 11 Marmion Academy, Ill. for multi-team dual meet event on Wednesday (12/23) No. 30 Monroe Woodbury, N.Y. -- compete in final day of Section IX Duals today, compete in Carlucci Duals at SUNY-Purchase on Friday and Saturday No. 31 Don Bosco Prep, N.J. -- travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday, host Hackensack, N.J. in dual meet on Tuesday (12/22) No. 32 Dundee, Mich. -- travel to Brighton, Mich. for double dual tonight, compete in Bedford (Mich.) Invitational on Saturday No. 33 Phillipsburg, N.J. -- travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday, host West Morris Central (N.J.) in dual meet Tuesday (12/22), travel to Voorhees (N.J.) for dual meet on Wednesday (12/23) No. 34 Boyertown, Pa. -- host Pope John Paul II, Pa. in dual meet tonight, travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 35 Neosho, Mo. -- travel to Joplin, Mo. for dual meet tomorrow, compete in Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 36 Sand Springs, Okla. -- compete in Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 37 Bakersfield, Calif. -- travel to No. 49 San Marino, Calif. for dual meet on Tuesday (12/22), host Vacaville, Calif. for dual meet on Wednesday (12/23) No. 38 Mesa Mountain View, Ariz. -- compete in tri-meet at Gilbert, Ariz. tonight, compete in Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 39 Hartland, Mich. -- travel to Defiance (Ohio) College for the Frickers' Duals on Friday and Saturday No. 40 Olentangy Liberty, Ohio -- travel to Delaware Hayes, Ohio for multi-team dual meet event on Saturday No. 41 Platte County, Mo. -- host Winnetonka, Mo. in dual meet tonight, compete in Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 42 Camden County, Ga. -- travel to Charleston, S.C. for the Coastal Clash on Monday and Tuesday (12/21 and 12/22) No. 43 Kiski Area, Pa. -- host Burrell, Pa. in dual meet on Friday, travel to Canon-McMillan, Pa. for dual meet on Tuesday (12/22) No. 44 Delbarton, N.J. -- travel to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 45 Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. -- host Lake City, Minn. tomorrow night in a dual meet, compete at Minnesota Christmas Tournament in Rochester, Minn. on Friday and Saturday No. 46 Roseburg, Ore. -- compete in Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 47 Reynolds, Pa. -- travel to Slippery Rock (Pa.) for dual meet tomorrow, travel to Canfield (Ohio) for multi-team dual meet event on Saturday, compete at Thiel College against Greenville (Pa.) on Monday, host Lakeview (Pa.) on Wednesday (12/23) No. 48 Father Ryan, Tenn. -- compete in Bradley Central (Tenn.) Invitational on Friday and Saturday, travel to Thompson (Ala.) for dual meet on Tuesday (12/22) No. 50 Crook County, Ore. -- compete in Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday

With less than two weeks until Christmas, you may be stumped as to what to give the wrestler or wrestling fan on your holiday gift list. Don't panic! The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum has a limited number of winning gifts for anyone involved in the oldest and greatest sport. And, better still, they've been signed by the one and only Dan Gable himself! Wear a gift of Gable with a "Gable: The Legend" T-shirt, available in youth sizes M and YL, as well as adult S, M, L, XL, and 2XL, for $20 each. Top that with a Gable hat, also $20 each. Pin Gable to your wall with a "Once You Have Wrestled, Everything Else in Life is Easy" poster for $20 ... or a "In 1972, He Turned Blood and Sweat into Gold" poster, also $20. And ... read all about Dan the Man with the brand-new "A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable" by Gable with Scott Schulte for $23 ... and the classic "A Season on the Mat" by Nolan Zavoral, capturing Gable's last season as University of Iowa head coach, for $20. For the perfect stocking stuffer, how about this set of four collector cards -- Dan Gable Press Pass Fusion, Pinnacle, Upper Deck Olympic card, and 1972 Munich Trading Cards -- 4 for $10. To purchase any of these Gable items, contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org to order. Not only will you make your wrestling fans happy this holiday season, but you'll also benefit the sport of wrestling, as all proceeds from the sales benefit the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, a not-for-profit organization committed to advancing the sport of wrestling.

The Iowa Presidential caucuses and the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials aren't the only major grappling events slated to take place in the state of Iowa in 2016. The inaugural Frank Gotch World Catch Championships will take place in Humboldt in north-central Iowa on July 3, 2016. The event, sponsored by the Catch Wrestling Alliance, bears the name of Frank Gotch, arguably the most famous catch wrestler in history, and will be held in Gotch's hometown. "Catch wrestling was the top form of wrestling in America in the early part of the 20th century, and Frank Gotch was its foremost star," said Dr. Raul Ramirez, executive director of the CWA and a catch wrestling instructor and practitioner. "He is the Babe Ruth or the Muhammad Ali of this sport." Born in 1878 on a farm just outside Humboldt about 90 miles northeast of Des Moines, Frank Alvin Gotch took on the best wrestlers on the planet in the early 1900s. He won the world championship by defeating George "the Russian Lion" Hackenschmidt in a two-hour match in Chicago in April 1908 ... then successfully defended his title against "Hack" on Labor Day 1911 also in Chicago. Although Gotch has been dead for nearly a century, his legacy lives on in Humboldt, as an eight-foot bronze statue of the "Iowa Plowboy" was unveiled there July 4, 2012, in the park that served as his training camp. The Frank Gotch World Catch Championships will include five weight classes with eight contestants per weight class. There will also be one division for women, with no weight divisions. Ramirez expects the event to have an international flavor as he already has fielded inquiries from England, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Australia and Singapore. Frank Gotch StatueCurran Jacobs, 2011 Michigan State wrestling team captain who now has a winning record in catch wrestling, described it as "a fast moving, exciting style of wrestling that allows joint-lock submissions as well as pins. I am a huge Frank Gotch fan and this is going to be an incredible event for all of catch wrestling." Matches will be 20 minutes long. According to Ramirez, the primary way an athlete can win is with a joint-lock submission or a three-second pin. If neither happens during the time limit, then the referee will pick the winner based on aggressiveness. Kicking, hitting and choke holds are not allowed. The Frank Gotch World Catch Championships, which will take place at Humboldt High School, is being co-sponsored by the Gotch Statue Committee and the Frank Gotch Kids Wrestling Club. All participants will receive a certificate suitable for framing, and the top three placewinners will receive a large medal with Gotch's image on it, attached to a ribbon. "This seems like a very appropriate way to continue to support what Frank Gotch means to this community," said Maury Abens, a member of the Frank Gotch Statue Committee. "We think it's very exciting that Frank's style of wrestling is having a comeback, and the Chamber of Commerce and city administration are all very supportive. We think it's a great educational opportunity."

Cole Jones, 2015 Ohio high school state champion wrestler who has been at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point this fall, announced on his Facebook page Tuesday that he will be transferring to Indiana University. Jones, who won a 220-pound title for Cincinnati St. Xavier High School last March, had been accepted into West Point to play football and wrestle. "After a semester at West Point, I'm proud to finally announce my decision to transfer to Indiana University, where I will continue my academic and wrestling careers," Jones wrote on Facebook. "Met some great friends and learned quite a bit about myself, but it's time to come home." Jones told InterMat, "I'm going either 197 or HWT. Not sure yet." When asked about his athletic career for Army, Jones responded, "I was on the (football) team for a little bit, but wasn't really enjoying it, so I quit and started wrestling. I was wrestling for a while and really enjoyed it, but finally decided that the military wasn't for me and that I also needed to be closer to home. So I contacted Indiana and was lucky enough to be offered a scholarship to transfer and wrestle there." Indiana University, located in Bloomington, is about 130 miles -- or a 2 ½ hour drive -- from Cincinnati. By contrast, West Point is approximately 680 miles from Jones' hometown, or a 10 ½ hour road trip. Jones completed his high school career at St. Xavier by winning the Ohio Division I 220-pound state championship with a 3-1 win in overtime over Olmsted Falls' Noel Caraballo at Schottenstein Center at Ohio State University in Columbus. The win capped a 41-0 season for Jones, who told the Cincinnati Enquirer at the time that he couldn't think of a better way to end his high school mat career: "Undefeated, state champ." The 5'11" Jones also played inside linebacker for the St. Xavier Bombers football squad.

Nebraska's Micah Barnes is ranked No. 12 at 174 pounds by InterMat. He has won 11 of his first 12 matches to start the season. In November he claimed a title at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open and finished 3-0 at the Northeast Duals. InterMat talked with Barnes about his season, Mark Manning, Jordan Burroughs, Simley wrestlers, goals and more. Micah Barnes (Photo/Nebraska Athletic Communications)You're off to a strong start in your junior season and continue to climb the rankings. Why are you having your best season? Barnes: I'm at my best weight class. 174 pounds is my most natural fit. The biggest reason is probably because I have guys like Robert Kokesh, Jordan Burroughs, Bryan Snyder and Mark Manning to help me out. If I didn't have those guys I wouldn't be nearly as good as I am now. I think those are the main reasons I'm improving and getting better as the season goes on. Last season you competed at 197 pounds. Now you're down two weight classes at 174 pounds. How different is it competing against 174-pounders as opposed to 197-pounders? Barnes: It's quite a bit different. In high school I was 170 pounds. I've wrestled at 174 pounds before, so I knew what the weight class felt like. I think one of the things I'm good at is just being an athlete and being strong. Being two weight classes down I can definitely feel the difference. Guys aren't as strong. They are definitely a little quicker, probably a little bit more technical. As far as strength and power goes, it has definitely decreased. I've been able to feel a difference there. I feel like my hands are heavier at this weight class. I definitely feel stronger. Earlier this season you defeated Minnesota's Nick Wanzek, a wrestler who attended the same high school as you, Simley. You also beat him at University Nationals. Is it strange wrestling him because you're from the same high school? Barnes: It is a little bit awkward at times. We grew up wrestling against each other in tournaments since probably fifth or sixth grade. So I was kind of familiar with the feeling. I just kind of had to put it aside, not look at his face and just look at him as the opponent I'm wrestling. There were some personal feelings, but by the time the whistle blows all that stuff kind of goes away and it's just wrestling from there. Micah Barnes was an undefeated state champion for Simley High School in 2012 (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)There are several Simley wrestlers competing in college. Do you try to follow their progress throughout the season? Barnes: I follow them. We all grew up together … me, Nick [Wanzek], Jake [Short], Kyle [Gliva] and Kurtis [Julson], who was an All-American last season. I definitely keep up with how they're doing, and I wish them the best. But for the most part I'm concerned about what I'm doing and my progression. I talk to them every now and then and check out their results. Your lone loss this season came to NCAA runner-up Brian Realbuto of Cornell, 9-6. What did you take away from that loss? Barnes: He got the best of me in a couple positions. From a technical standpoint there were a few things I took away. He's good at scrambling and sitting the corner. That's definitely an area I'll be working on and working to improve. There are also some mentality things I'll learn from. I'm not going to sulk about it. I usually reflect on it for a little bit, go back to the drawing board, get back to practice and get better from there. Mark Manning is considered to be one of the nation's top wrestling coaches. What's it like wrestling for Coach Manning? Barnes: It's awesome. He brings such a passion and intensity to not only competition, but every day in practice. He really brings a good energy into the room. It helps us all to wrestle a little bit harder in practice and competition. It's fun wrestling for him. We all believe that he knows what he's talking about. We're all bought in and committed to doing what we have to do to get better. It's fun. Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs has been training in Lincoln since he graduated from Nebraska. How much have you wrestled Burroughs since you arrived in Lincoln? Barnes: I have wrestled him quite a bit. There are periods of time where he's out at the OTC. But I feel like I get quite a bit of time to scrap with him, and that's a huge asset. If I'm going into a match and maybe feeling nervous I can think no one is as good as Jordan. There's nothing to worry about. He's definitely helped us all out. It gives us a lot of confidence knowing the things he brings up are going to be the best coaching and teaching in the world. He's a just a huge asset, not only to me, but to all the guys from 125 pounds to heavyweight. He has a wealth of knowledge. I definitely try to pick his brain as much as I can, and I try to work out with him as much as I can. What makes Burroughs one of the best wrestlers in the world? Barnes: I think from the naked eye most people look at him and say he's so explosive. He's so strong. He's so fast. That's true. But the thing that I feel separates him is that he's always in good position, and he wrestles as hard as anybody. He wrestles extremely hard, gets off a lot of attacks, doesn't break positioning hardly ever and he just keeps wrestling. He can scramble with anybody, and that just makes him tough to beat. Most guys that have a really high gas tank, their attacks maybe aren't as good. But when you have a guy who has the best attacks in the world, plus he has one of the best gas tanks in the world, it just makes him all the more dangerous. I think his positioning and his ability to keep wrestling in all positions really separates him from other people. James Green earned a medal in his first World Championships on the senior level this fall. Were you surprised that he was so successful on the world stage so soon? Barnes: No, I don't think anyone here was really surprised. I think we all thought that if he wrestled up this ability that he would find his way to a medal. It was just a matter of time before he wrestled up to his full potential. I think he has a good style for freestyle wrestling. He's good on his feet. He's explosive. He's extremely strong for his size. So I don't think anyone here was too surprised when he earned a bronze at the Worlds. You originally committed to Old Dominion before changing your mind and signing with Nebraska. Has Nebraska been everything you thought it would be? Barnes: Looking back on it, yes. It was definitely the right move for me. Don't get me wrong there were times I doubted and questioned whether this was the right place for me. But now that I have a spot in the lineup and things are starting to spiral up I can definitely see how this was the right place. Wrestling is only a fraction of it. I think socially, spiritually and everything else, this is just the best fit. I'm definitely glad I stuck it out and made that decision. Your redshirt year you beat Illinois' Jordan Blanton, who was ranked fourth in the county at the time. What do you remember about that win? What did it do for you? Barnes: I remember he beat the crap out of me later on in that tournament. It gave me the confidence that the coaching at Nebraska and what they're teaching is going to work. If you really buy in and trust the coaches, then it will come together. It might take a little time, but it will come together. It also helped me understand that I have the ability to compete with the best guys at that weight class. It was a confidence builder. It helped me stick with it a little bit. Nebraska is ranked in the top 10 in both the tournament rankings and dual meet rankings. All 10 wrestlers in the lineup are ranked in the top 20. What are realistic expectations for the program this season? Barnes: We're gunning for a national title. All of us believe that we can get there. We definitely have work to do at every weight class, and we definitely have a lot of growth to do. But I think we're all on the same page in terms of believing that if we just work hard each day, put the effort in, buy in, then come March it will come together and we'll have a legitimate chance at a national title. There are some other good teams. It's definitely going to be hard, but we believe we have the talent and right mindset to get there in March. Micah Barnes finishes a takedown against Wyoming (Photo/Nebraska Athletic Communications)What are your individual goals? Barnes: Long term I want to be a Big Ten champion and national champion. But really I try to focus on each day, just take it a day at a time and just work hard each day. It's pretty simple. It's nothing new. It's no secret. I just try to put forth the effort in the practice room and do the right things off the mat, and work hard and work smart, and believe in myself. I think it will pay off. I just have to stay positive and stay enthusiastic about it. You still have another season after this one, but at this point do you plan on continuing on with your wrestling career in freestyle after your collegiate wrestling career is over? Barnes: The thought has crossed my mind, and honestly I'm not really sure. There are some days I think, yeah, maybe it would be something to look at to keep training. Then there are days I think maybe I won't. In two years, I don't know … I might want to keep training, or I might say I want to move on to a different area of life. I don't worry about that at all. I think in two years, and even after this season, I think I'll have a better idea. This story also appears in the December 11 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Over the years, InterMat Reads has written about a wide range of novels aimed at young adult readers that incorporate the sport of wrestling, from light-hearted tales with heaping helpings of humor, to gritty fiction with large doses of truly serious drama. Nancy May's new young-adult novel, "Dogs Don't Talk" -- just published by iUniverse -- is something of a hybrid ... or as she described it in an interview with InterMat, "It's a crossover book. You could give it to your mother who's not a wrestling fan and she would understand and enjoy it." At the heart of "Dogs Don't Talk" is a high school wrestler, Benjamin McDowell, a 16-year-old who is also an honor student and an avid reader. All he wants is "a reasonably hot-looking girlfriend" (to quote the book) which he thinks will help him fit in with his wrestling teammates, and the overall student body. "Fitting in" is also an issue at home, living with an older brother who is autistic, a younger sister who has challenges of her own as she tries to find her place in the world, a demanding father who expects him to maintain his grades and win a state title to help him land a scholarship at a good college, and a mother who converses with the family dog Rosie -- the genesis for the book's title. Nancy May brings an interesting background to her first novel. She earned a degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina. Her career took her to New York City, where she sold advertising, and worked in the publishing industry. Despite writing a novel in which the main character is a high school wrestler, May readily admits her roots are not in wrestling country. "I'm from South Carolina. I didn't grow up with it. I've tried to make the sport approachable for people like me ... I've been going to wrestling matches since my son was in second grade, and there are still things I don't understand." Son Daniel just won the 138-pound title at the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association wrestling tournament in Richmond last weekend, along with Wrestler of the Year honors. He will continue his education and mat career at the Merchant Marine Academy. Her husband Larry had a long wrestling career himself. With two wrestlers in the house, May made it clear during the InterMat interview that Daniel is NOT Benjamin, saying, "Benjamin is a composite, a fictional character." May sees the sport of wrestling as a metaphor for life itself, and a universal element that all can relate to, even if they've never actually stepped onto the mat. "Wrestling is so personal. It's something we all do. We wrestle with demons, with personal issues." Daniel May"Dogs Don't Talk" is written in first-person, with Benjamin the wrestler telling his story, in his own words. When asked why she wrote her first novel using the "I" perspective, May said, "It came organically. It started from writing the opening sentence of the book: 'I think my mother likes the dog better than me, even though I've never pooped on her Oriental carpet, dragged her facedown on a leash because I couldn't resist sniffing the dog's butt that just went by, or even left bales of dog hair all over the house for her to vacuum up.'" As May pointed out, using first-person voice of Benjamin "has him talk like a 16-year-old, tells the reader what he's thinking. He's there to fit in with the team, get a hot girlfriend. In other words, a typical teen-aged boy. It helps us get into the mind of a teenager and a wrestler ... It takes us into Ben's psyche. For example, how Ben wishes he could touch his autistic brother, or the other dynamics within his family ... I could not have written it any other way." As an author, Nancy May made other choices as she wrote "Dogs Don't Talk" ... for example, making Benjamin a scholar-athlete. "I wanted to make Ben cerebral, with his reading, playing chess. Wrestling is very much like a chess match -- move, counter-move. I liked the idea of having the main character be a boy who likes to read." Even the choice of sport was carefully considered. "Ben is introduced to wrestling by his wrestler dad to help fend off those who bully his autistic older brother. Wrestling is a good sport for a boy growing up. It gives him confidence. It reinforces independence and individual growth because it's an individual sport." Nancy May"I wanted to get rid of some people's misconceptions about wrestling. There's the scene where Benjamin invites his new girlfriend Emily to one of his wrestling events. She's reluctant, saying she doesn't like violence. Ben has to convince her that what he does has nothing to do with pro wrestling." Even with Nancy May's love of wrestling, she has been careful to craft a book with appeal beyond wrestlers and their parents. "'Dogs Don't Talk' doesn't hit the reader over the head with wrestling. The main character thinks about other things, like girls, his grades, his family." "I get feedback from girls who enjoyed the book because of the dog," May continued. "'Dogs Don't Talk' will have a lot of girls reading it. I think the dog angle gets the girls." "I think there are also elements to appeal to older readers, too, not just the traditional YA (Young Adult) reader. For instance, when the autistic brother sings Beatles song lyrics, that's for more mature readers." "I intended 'Dogs Don't Talk' as a crossover book, to appeal to both boys and girls, and to readers of all ages," said May. "People who don't know wrestling will enjoy it. A good read for those who are familiar with that sport ... Besides, everybody loves a dog book." May has crafted a book that provides a positive portrayal of high school wrestling, that doesn't require the reader to be knowledgeable about the intricacies of the sport to enjoy it. Although written specifically for young adults, "Dogs Don't Talk" addresses universal issues beyond wrestling that readers of all ages can appreciate and understand. "Dogs Don't Talk" is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iUniverse.com websites.

Drury University announced that it has hired Maryville assistant coach James Reynolds to be the inaugural head wrestling coach for the Panthers. Reynolds and the Panthers wrestling program will start competition during the 2016-17 academic year. He will stay with the Saints through their competition Dec. 19-20 at the Midwest Classic hosted by the University of Indianapolis. Reynolds was in his fifth season with the Maryville wrestling program. He made the move to St. Louis with head coach Mike Denney to start the Saints program. During his seasons with the Saints, Reynolds has coached 13 NCAA Division II All-Americans, one NCAA Division II National Champion and one CoSIDA Academic All-American. He helped guide the Saints to back-to-back third-place finishes at the Division II National Championships. Reynolds attended Adams State College (University) where he wrestled for Coach Jason Ramstetter. Throughout Reynolds' career at Adams State, he beat a number of ranked athletes as well as All-Americans. Reynolds had also made several appearances in the NWCA Division II National Rankings. James finished his education at Adams State College with a Bachelor's Degree in Human Performance Physical Education K-12 in December of 2007. After finishing his career at Adams he decided to start his coaching career with his long time mentor and friend, coach Jason Ramstetter. Reynolds helped coach the Grizzlies to a fifth place finish as a team at the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A native of Alamosa, Colo., Reynolds graduated from Sargent High School (Monte Vista, Colo.) in 2002.

BOONE, N.C. -- Appalachian State University wrestling took on its third consecutive ranked ACC opponent in No. 24 Duke on Tuesday night and won four of the final five bouts to defeat the Blue Devils by a score of 26-14. "There's a lot going through my head right now and we had a lot of ups and downs tonight," said head coach JohnMark Bentley. "We really had some guys step up when we desperately needed them to." The Mountaineers gained all the momentum early on with victories in both the 125 and 133-pound weight classes. At 125, Vito Pasone cruised to a 12-4 major decision over Thayer Atkins before Jacob Grigg won by forfeit at 133 and the Apps were already ahead 10-0. However, Duke began to figure some things out and won two hard-fought decisions at 141 and 149. At 141, Michael Longo dropped a back-and-forth showdown with Zach Finesilver, 7-6, in which the score was tied 4-4 after one period and Longo was up 6-5 before the third. At 149, Matt Zovistoski and Mitch Finesilver were scoreless through the first two periods before M. Finesilver got his takedown in the third. At that point, the score was 10-6 in favor of the home team, but David Peters-Logue lost an 11-0 major decision to Connor Bass at 157 to make it 10-10. Then came the intermission and that was just what Appalachian needed to regroup. In the 165-pound bout, Forrest Przybysz scored a first-round takedown and later escaped to win 3-1 over Jake Faust. Defending SoCon Wrestler of the Week, Nick Kee kept the momentum going for the Apps in the following match. Kee was up 2-1 after two periods before four takedowns and an escape in the third period spearheaded the 11-6 decision for Kee. "One wrestler from tonight that really stands out in my mind is Forrest Przybysz," added Bentley. "He stepped up, won a hard-fought match and did it against one of their best kids. That was kind of a momentum turner for us and he did an outstanding job. Hats off to him for a great individual win, but also getting the team back on track. Not only him, but it was an outstanding job from the last five weights." With the home team back up 16-10, Appalachian State's Taylor Jackson provided a spark for the Black and Gold at 184. Jackson was trailing Spencer Neff 7-5 with just a minute to go before he pinned Neff with 18 seconds left in the match. That fall at 6:42 pushed App State's advantage to 12, 22-10. Randall Diabe fell to one of the best 197-pounders in the nation in Conner Hartmann by major decision, 8-0, but kept things out of reach for the visitors before Denzel Dejournette stepped onto the mat. The junior grappler was in control throughout and took a 12-4 major decision to give App four more team points and a 26-14 victory over a ranked opponent. "This validates the training and hard work that these guys have put in," said Bentley. "I'm a firm believer that our guys work as hard as anyone in the country and beating a team like this says a lot about our program. It also says a lot about our guys, the work their putting in and it shows that wrestling is a sport that Appalachian State can succeed in. I'm just proud of our guys for finding a way to win tonight." Next up, the Mountaineers will travel to Clarion, Pa. on Saturday, Dec. 19 to take on both the Golden Eagles and Buffalo for their final action of 2015. Results: 125: Vito Pasone (APP) def. Thayer Atkins (DUKE) MD, 12-4 (4-0 App) 133: Jacob Grigg (APP) wins by forfeit (10-0 App) 141: Zach Finesilver (DUKE) def. Michael Longo (APP) D, 7-6 (10-3 App) 149: Mitch Finesilver (DUKE) def. Matt Zovistoski (APP) D, 2-0 (10-6 App) 157: Connor Bass (DUKE) def. David Peters-Logue (APP) MD, 11-0 (Tied 10-10) 165: Forrest Przybysz (APP) def. Jake Faust (DUKE) D, 3-1 (13-10 App) 174: Nick Kee (APP) def. Brian Dorsey (DUKE) D, 11-6 (16-10 App) 184: Taylor Jackson (APP) def. Spencer Neff (DUKE) F, 6:42 (22-10 App) 197: Conner Hartmann (DUKE) def. Randall Diabe (APP) MD, 8-0 (22-14 App) Hwt: Denzel Dejournette (APP) def. Brendan Walsh (DUKE) MD, 12-4 (26-14 App)

Two weeks after filing a lawsuit against the Michigan High School Athletic Association, a deaf high school wrestler will be allowed to have a sign language interpreter who is allowed to move around the mat while he wrestles. The MHSAA and representatives of Royal Oak wrestler Ellis Kempf agreed to a consent decree, a mutual agreement that alters the original MHSAA rule which required the interpreter to remain seated with Kempf's coach, limiting the wrestler's ability to see the interpreter relay his coach's instructions. According to Kempf's attorneys, who had filed suit in federal district court, "the MHSAA rewrote its rules about interpreters for deaf or hard-of-hearing wrestlers, allowing them full 360 access around the mat at all matches, provided they don't interfere with wrestlers, coaches, referees or scoring officials," the Detroit News reported Monday. Interpreters will now be allowed 360-degree access on the wrestling mat to stay in the line of sight for the wrestler, according to MLive.com. But interpreters must stay 6 feet from the outer circle, guaranteeing that they can't interfere with wrestlers, coaches, referees or scoring officials. "Both sides worked really well together for the benefit of both," MHSAA communications director John Johnson said. "The new rule is well-crafted that allows the wrestler to see his interpreter during the match while also maintaining our priority, which was always the safety of the participants." "The entire purpose of the rule was to maintain the safety of the participants," Johnson continued. "This rule allows for the communication between the athlete and the interpreter without endangering the safety of anyone involved." "We commend the Michigan High School Athletic Association for doing the right thing to protect the safety of hearing-impaired wrestlers and also to level the playing field for them," said Jason Turkish in a press release for the suburban Detroit law firm Nyman Turkish PC, which represented Kempf. "Athletes with disabilities don't want advantages, they simply want to complete equally. This case ends as it began, with Ellis simply looking for a fair fight." Kempf, who wrestles at 152 pounds for Royal Oak High School outside Detroit, has been deaf since age 2 due to meningitis. At 5, he underwent a successful cochlear implant that partially restored his hearing. For safety reasons, the implants are removed during contact sports, leaving Kempf completely deaf. (Kempf also participates in football and track.) The new rules are expected to be in place for Kempf's next match, slated to be this Wednesday.

Two-time state champion Ethan Karsten (Platte County, Mo.) verbally committed to the University of Missouri this weekend. Projected as a 149/157 pound wrestler in college, Karsten is ranked No. 81 overall in the Class of 2016, and is No. 17 nationally in the 145 pound weight class at present. The last two years, Karsten has finished one match away from placement in the Super 32 Challenge, and was a Cadet National double champion in the summer of 2014. He joins No. 79 Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah) as a top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler to commit to Missouri.

Two-time state champion Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.) verbally committed to the University of Michigan on Monday afternoon. Ranked No. 44 overall in the Class of 2017, he projects to compete as a 141/149 in college. His career resume also includes two Super 32 Challenge placements, two Cadet National freestyle All-American finishes, and three UWW Cadet National freestyle medals.

In late June, Tom Minkel announced the 2015-16 season would be his last as head wrestling coach at Michigan State, with long-time assistant Roger Chandler selected as his replacement. Tom Minkel is in his final season as Michigan State's wrestling coach (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)As Minkel takes his Spartans through his 25th season at the helm, it's important to realize that it's pretty rare for a college mat coach to get the opportunity for a long goodbye. It seems that so many coaches don't have that chance, for they are either suddenly, unceremoniously dumped (fired) -- or reveal their retirement plans -- immediately after the end of wrestling season. For wrestling fans outside Sparta, Tom Minkel is known for having a pet bird ... and for heading up a program that has struggled for a number of years that had a negative team score in the final standings of the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, and, just this month, was shut out 35-0 by Eastern Michigan, and suffered yet another loss to cross-state Big Ten rival University of Michigan. However, there are other aspects of Tom Minkel which are revealed in a fascinating, detailed profile this week in The State News . In the second paragraph of an article that weighs in at a hefty 2,000 words, Casey Harrison writes, "Whether it's hyperbole or not, MSU wrestling head coach Minkel is one of, if not, the most fascinating people on campus. He's both wrestled and coached at the collegiate level, for the U.S. National and Olympic teams. He's traveled the world while playing in a band with his wife. He's even competed in the World Series of Poker. And if you can find a more interesting person at MSU, then kudos to you." Tom Minkel was first introduced to wrestling as a fifth grader, when his mother signed him up for wrestling camp. He not only fell in love with the sport, but immediately sought to beat older, more experienced wrestlers. However, Minkel's quest was detoured a bit when the family moved to Guatemala for two years ... only to be resumed when the father accepted an administrative position at Michigan State. Tom Minkel settled in at Williamston High School just outside East Lansing, becoming the school's first Michigan state wrestling champ. After graduation, Minkel headed north to Central Michigan University, where he was a three-time NCAA All-American and twice a Mid-American Conference champion. He was undefeated in dual-meet competition for the Chippewa. It was at this time that Minkel took another time-out from wrestling, this time to pursue a music career. He and his wife Jackie formed a rock band called The Masque, where they performed with superstars such as Little Richard, and in unusual venues, such as on Carnival Cruise Lines. After five years on the road (and out on the high seas), Minkel returned to wrestling, as an assistant coach at his college alma mater ... and on the mat, earning a place on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team that did not participate at the Moscow Olympics because of the U.S. boycott over the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Casey Harrison's profile of "The Most Interesting Man on Campus" is full of facts and stories that may be news to college wrestling fans who may not know much about Tom Minkel. For instance, as the article points out, in his 25 seasons with the Spartans, Minkel has produced 38 All-Americans, 13 Big Ten champions and has had 13 teams place in the top 25 at the NCAA Championships. Harrison also goes to great lengths to share Minkel's coaching philosophy, in his own words, as well as from the perspective of future head coach Roger Chandler, and some MSU wrestlers. And it's fun to discover Minkel's post-retirement plans. (Let's just say that he plans to continue to compete ... just not on the mat, or as a coach at the edge of the mat.)

Dan Russell"I've watched a lot of friends who struggle with the transition after achieving great things, asking themselves, 'What's next?'" "It's part of the hamster wheel we jump on. Then we realize there has to be more to life." Those are the words of Dan Russell, who, after achieving great things as a wrestler -- as a four-time high school state champ, four-time NCAA Division II champ, and two-time U.S. Olympic alternate in Greco-Roman -- found himself with those same kinds of thoughts about what more is there. How did he deal with those feelings? Russell wrote a book titled "Finish Strong: The Dan Russell Story" published in September by Rising Star Studios. The journey to write this book "It was healing for me to process my journey," Russell said of the writing process. "I had a taste of that in my senior year of college, when The Oregonian followed me around, and came up with a series that ran nine complete newspaper pages. That was very revealing. You're exposing yourself in an intensely personal way." "It was like that all over again, writing the book." "Then again, wrestlers learn to put everything on the line." Russell told InterMat that it took eight years to write "Finish Strong." However, the idea for a memoir came about more than two decades ago. "I started writing a book at age 19," Russell disclosed. "I had about a hundred pages written. Then my brother Joe (now head coach at George Mason University outside Washington, D.C.) said, 'Why don't you wait 'til you're 40 and have lived more of your life." "When I was forty, I was coaching at an event in Turkey. Joe Warren asked me, 'How did you finish strong?' -- a sincere, heartfelt question, and, where the title came from." Fast-forward a few years. "The printed book arrived at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships," said Russell. "I had a table set up to sell it." "Joe Warren had a booth set up right next to mine. I told him, 'Here's the answer to that question you asked in Turkey.'" More than a memoir Dan Russell's book is a memoir, in that it is an account of his life on and off the mat. But it's so much more than "I wrestled so-and-so" and "I won this title" ... addressing deeper, more philosophical matters that will resonate with anyone who's lived life, even if they've never pulled on a singlet. "How do wrestlers navigate their lives after wrestling?" Russell told InterMat. "After winning my fourth national title and earning my third Outstanding Wrestler award, I arrived back home to the airport, where the local media -- TV and newspapers -- met me at the gate. It was an opportunity to talk about my accomplishments with each reporter. As the process went on, my coaches and teammates had left. I couldn't wait to get home and put my trophy up on display with the others." "It ended up being the loneliest night of my life. It was exciting, even fun, to reach the goal I always had in mind, but I immediately wondered, 'What's next?'" "I think that's true for so many of us, not just wrestlers. We pursue a goal, and, once we reach it, then we wonder what's next." "It was that night that I said, 'God, I want you to shape my life.'" "I continued to have a great (wrestling) career but my life became more than titles and trophies. I now had a God perspective." An audience beyond wrestling "People of all walks of life tell me they identify with the book, not just wrestlers," Dan Russell continued. "It's not just for wrestlers. After all, life is a wrestling match. In fact, I think people outside the sport can identify with the sport." "It's fun to get responses from readers. So many have said, 'I couldn't put it down.'" Dan Russell was a four-time NCAA Division II champThat has to be extremely gratifying for an author who was initially told by publishers, "People don't read memoirs." Russell continued, "When I said this was a story that would speak to men, they said, 'Men don't read.'" So how did "Finish Strong" come together? "I met a literary agent who introduced me to a writer outside the wrestling world," Russell told InterMat. "Craig Borlase came to my home, looked at what I had written. He streamlined it, seeking to help me focus on what would speak to a wider audience, while still remaining true to my life." "It was a great collaboration." "I'm unbelievably pleased with the finished product ... I can't tell you how exciting it was to first hold the published book in my hands at the Worlds." Much has happened since September. Russell is hearing from lots of folks who have told him his book spoke directly to them ... including a couple former wrestlers well-known beyond the wrestling community. "Jim Jordan (Republican Congressman from Ohio, and NCAA champ for Wisconsin) said it reminded him of his upbringing. I had a great conversation about the book with Dan Gable." Someday, Dan Russell may find even more people talking about his life story. "Screenwriters have expressed interest in the book," said Russell. "The goal: to make a signature film that speaks to folks beyond wrestling. I want to make a signature film that reaches people outside the sport. A universal story of triumph over tragedy." Russell hopes this could open doors for more wrestlers to share their own lives. "I think there are amazing stories in wrestlers that wrestlers need to tell to the outside world ... There are so many unsung heroes in the sport." Russell sees a receptive audience for these stories. "I think the International Olympic Committee dropping the sport (in 2013, then reinstating it months later) has actually widened interest in the sport." "Finish Strong: The Dan Russell Story" is available in as a printed trade paperback as well as an e-book. Visit http://battleground.tv/finishstrong/# to order direct from the publisher or for a list of online resources such as Amazon.com. Enjoyed reading about this book? You might want to check out InterMat's article from June 2014 about the book "Faith and Wrestling" by Michael Fessler, former wrestler at Apple Valley High School and Cal State Bakersfield.

Stating the obvious, the biggest developments of the past weekend were at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman. No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. beat No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. to win the team title by 25 points. The Blue Knights had two champs and medaled eight, while the runner-up Buccaneers had a single champion and medaled seven. Also, there is going to be a new national No. 1 at 145 pounds, as Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) lost in the ultimate tiebreaker when No. 3 David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) rode him out at the end of a 4-4 finals bout. However, there was high school wrestling across the rest of the country other than the Ironman. Bethlehem Catholic wins King of the Mountain It was a most excellent opening "major event" to the season for the No. 6 in the nation Hawks this past weekend at Central Mountain, Pa. as they were decisively defended their tournament title at the King of the Mountain. Bethlehem Catholic had three champions, six others earning a top four finish, and eleven total medalists on the way to 214 points. Anchoring the effort were weight class champions in No. 2 Luke Karam (126), No. 9 (at 160) Michael Labriola (170), and Niko Camacho (285); Karam and Labriola with wins over fellow nationally ranked wrestlers in the final. Cole Karam (152) finished second; Luke Carty (120) and Joey Gould (138) earned third place; while Zach Glenn (106), Stephen Maloney (145), and Adam Soldridge (182) took fourth. No. 34 Boyertown finished second in the tournament with 182 points, medaling nine wrestlers, including five in the top four. The Bears were led by weight class champions Jakob Campbell (106) and No. 1 Jordan Wood (220); Campbell beat state champion Tyson Klump (Nazareth) 6-0 in the final, while Wood beat a nationally ranked competitor in his championship bout. Three other wrestlers finished third, returning state placers Lucas Miller (126), Greg Harvey (182), and Tommy Killoran (285). The other team with multiple champions was Penn Trafford, Pa. On top of the podium for their squad were Job Chishko (106) and No. 2 Cameron Coy (145). Three additional weight class champions beat a nationally ranked wrestler in their championship bout: No. 16 Zach Trampe (Council Rock South, Pa.) at 132 pounds, No. 2 (at 132) Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) at 138, and Justin Allman (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) at 195. Rounding out the champions were No. 9 Austin DeSanto (Exeter, Pa.) at 120 pounds, No. 4 Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) at 152, No. 10 (at 152) Jonathan Ross (Northern York, Pa.) at 160, and Jake Woodley (North Allegheny, Pa.) at 182. Clovis champions of the Clovis West Shootout Even with some starters up weight classes, and with state placer Jared Hill (152) out of the lineup, No. 5 Clovis (Calif.) dominated the proceedings on Saturday at their neighboring high school. The tournament was double elimination event, with semifinalists guaranteed a top four finish. The Cougars won six weight classes and saw another six starters earn places on the podium as they scored 249 points. Champions for Clovis were No. 2 (at 120) Justin Mejia (126), Dylan Martinez (152), Brandon Martino (160), No. 8 (at 182) Josh Hokit (195), No. 14 (at 195) A.J. Nevills (220), and No. 7 Seth Nevills (285). As far as the other medalists: Wyatt Cornelison (120) earned runner-up honors; Victor Vargas (170) took third; Brandon Paulson (106), Jordan Geiger (138), and Jerrin Dean (182) finished fifth; while Brandon Rhoads (132) earned sixth. Tournament runners-up were No. 21 Poway, Calif. with 185 points. The Titans were led by nine medalists, including two champions as well as another trio taking second and third place respectively; in addition reserve wrestlers finished second and third. Weight class champions for Poway were Jacob Allen (106) and Grant Smith (145); runner-up finishers were Chase Zollman (113), Scott Kiyono (126), and Chris Bailey (195); Jason Chua (120), Brandon Kier (132), and Alex Enloe (152) took third; while Celso Silva (170) finished sixth. Other weight class champions were Liam Cronin (Servite, Calif.) at 113 pounds, David Ortega (Victor Valley, Calif.) at 120, Alex Felix (Gilroy, Calif.) at 132, Lawrence Saenz (Vacaville, Calif.) at 138, Dominic Ducharme (Windsor, Calif.), and Antonio Gutierrez (Bakersfield, Calif.) at 182. Lake Highland Prep wins tight team race at the Graves Invitational Even with nine top three finishers, and a tenth top four finisher, No. 16 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. was endured a very tight team race at the Jim Graves Invitational this weekend at Brandon, Fla. The championship team scored 554 points, led by weight class champions No. 10 Joey Silva (126), Erich Byelick (152), and No. 12 (at 160) Elijah Cleary (170). Silva's championship bout with two-time state champion Francisco Valdes (Miami Southwest, Fla.), one that he won 4-2 in overtime, was the highlight bout of the tournament. Lake Highland Prep also had a trio of second and third place finishers. No. 20 (at 113) Mason Wohltman (120), Bryce Rogers (160), and Ben Goldin (220) finished as runners-up; while Noah Castillo (106), No. 19 (at 138) Jake Brindley (145), and Kevin Ford (182) placed third. The other top four placer was Kai Bele (132) taking fourth. Tournament runners-up were Camden County, Ga. They scored 545 points based on the breadth of their roster, even with Super 32 Challenge placer Denton Spencer (138) having to pull out in the middle of the tournament due to infection. Bunmi Smith (160) was their lone weight class champion, while Adrian Hughes (145) and Dominique Hargrave (182) were the only runners-up. Four wrestlers placed third: Raydan Wilder (120), Antonio Stewart (170), Matt Wall (195), and Gabe Smith (285); while Tyler Crew (106) and William Vincent (126) finished fourth. Third place in the tournament standings was South Dade, Fla. They scored 503 points with seven wrestlers finishing inside the top three. Weight class champions were Elijah Varona (106), Ozzy Lugo (145), and Chei Hill (195); runner-up finishes came from Brevin Balmaceda (132) and Kyron Taylor (285); while Arie Reyes (113) and Aaron Flores (160) finished third. The other team with multiple champions was Fort LeBoeuf, Pa. Abe Guariello (113) and Charles Lenox (120) won titles for the Bison. Other weight class champions were Alex Urquiza (Southwest Miami, Fla.) at 132 pounds, Frankie Bruno (Brandon, Fla.) at 138, Steven Mercadante (Sarasota, Fla.) at 182, Bret Winters (Hoover, Ala.) at 220, and No. 14 Dante Jiovanetta (Coral Shores, Fla.) at 285. Apple Valley showing that rumors of their demise are false After the graduation of four state placers from the big-school state champions of the Gopher State at the end of the 2014-15 season, along with graduation losses from previous seasons, there was question about how strong Apple Valley (Minn.) would be during the 2015-16 season. The Eagles started the year close to 40th nationally, and were No. 35 coming into this weekend's Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic. Pre-tournament, they were not the favorites with No. 27 Fort Dodge, Iowa present in the field. However, by the end of the tournament, Apple Valley asserted its dominance as they out-pointed Fort Dodge by more than 150 points (703.5 to 544); the distance between second and third place Kearney (Neb.) was over 130 points. The Eagles had four weight class champions, with four other top five finishers. Leading the way was the nation's best senior Mark Hall (170), who earned pins in all eight of his matches, seven of them in the first period; this included a championship match pin over No. 19 Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa) at the 1:50 mark. Other champions were Kyle Rathman (132), Brock Morgan (145), and No. 1 Gable Steveson (220). Those other top five placers were runner-up Nate Larson (113), Devin Roberts (138) in third, Sebas Swiggum (132) in fourth, and Tony Watts (160) finishing fifth. Tournament runners-up Fort Dodge had four finalists, with two others finishing in the top five. Weight class champions were No. 19 Brody Teske (113) and No. 12 Sam Cook (195), while Drew Bennett (106) and Triston Lara (126) took second place in highlight finals bouts; Bennett lost 1-1 to Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa) in the ultimate tiebreaker, while Lara fell by 8-7 decision to No. 13 (at 120) Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa). Other top five medalists were Cayd Lara (145) in third and Jonah Egli (170) taking fifth. Joining Biscoglia and Thomsen as additional weight class champions were Rhyker Sims (Sergant Bluff-Luton, Iowa) at 120 pounds, Stephen Tujague (St. James Academy, Kansas) at 138, No. 11 Colton Clingenpeel (Council Bluffs Jefferson, Iowa) at 152, Matt Malcom (Glenwood, Iowa) at 160, Darrin Sornson (Nebraska City, Neb.) at 182, and Chase Miller (Olathe North, Kansas) at 285. Another No. 1 wrestler upset On Saturday at the Hermiston Quad, No. 1 (at 195) Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.) lost 4-2 in the tiebreaker against two-time state champion Trevor Eicher (Deer Park, Wash.) competing at 220 pounds. Crook County falls short at Coast Classic Ranked No. 42 in the nation, Crook County (Ore.) was out-pointed at the Coast Classic by unranked Roseburg (Ore.). In the tournament hosted by North Bend High School, Roseburg won by almost 50 points, 261 to 213. They were anchored by No. 8 Layne Van Anrooy, who beat No. 15 Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) 5-1 in the 160 pound final.