InterMat Staff

Dan Gable, legendary, long-time wrestling coach at the University of Iowa, really likes the idea of the Hawkeyes-Oklahoma State outdoor meet to be held on the football field at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 14 ... so much so, in fact, he had come up with a similar idea back in his college coaching days. Dan Gable speaks at the United 4 Wrestling event in 2013 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"It was in the late '80s, early '90s and what I tried to do was set up a match at halftime of a football game," Gable told the Davenport (Iowa) Grid Club Monday, the Quad City Times reported Tuesday. "I worked on setting up a deal to have (former Iowa Hawkeye) Royce Alger and Iowa State's Kevin Jackson come out and wrestle in front of that kind of a crowd. Both of them were still wrestling after their college careers and I thought it would be great exposure for our sport." Gable still likes the idea of grappling on the gridiron ... and thinks next month's dual between the Hawkeyes and Cowboys will be good for wrestling. After all, both are storied mat programs that together own the vast majority of NCAA Division I wrestling team titles ... and both are expected to be ranked in the top five nationally for the 2015-16 season. "Both teams have the right guys coaching their teams to make it work," Gable said. "Tom Brands and John Smith both have an understanding of how this can help our sport or they wouldn't have agreed to it." The 1972 Olympic gold medalist wrestler and two-time NCAA champ for Iowa State realizes that the participants must prepare for the unique demands of wrestling outdoors in Iowa in mid-November. Not just potential issues with the weather and temperature (average high in Iowa City on Nov. 14 is 50 degrees; low: 31) ... but also the number of fans in attendance, expected to be thousands more than a typical dual meet at Carver-Hawkeye Arena or Gallagher-Iba Arena at Oklahoma State. "They can't just throw guys out there and have them wrestle," said Gable. "Both Tom and John will have to have their kids ready mentally. Coming out into whatever the conditions are, in front of that size of a crowd, it's going to be different. Those guys will have to get their kids to understand that and deal with it." "It's a different mentality. To have 10 matches in that kind of environment, I think it's going to be a pretty cool deal," Gable continued. "I'm glad that it's happening at Iowa. It probably should have happened about 20 years ago but we couldn't quite pull it off." Weather permitting, it appears that the college dual-meet attendance record will be shattered, judging by just-released ticket sales information. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported Tuesday that approximately 28,000 seats had already been sold for next month's Grapple on the Gridiron at Iowa City. The current NCAA record for attendance at a college dual is 15,996, set at Penn State in 2013 for the Pittsburgh-Penn State meet at the Bryce Jordan Center. If rain, snow or cold makes it impossible to hold the event outdoors at Kinnick Stadium, the dual will be moved inside to Carver-Hawkeye, with the first 15,000 ticket purchasers guaranteed a seat for the Iowa-Oklahoma State meet. The remaining ticket-buyers would get a chance to attend another Iowa home dual.

Beau Breske gets his hand raised after winning a Junior freestyle title in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Junior National freestyle champion Beau Breske (Hartford, Wis.) verbally committed to Nebraska on Tuesday evening. The three-time state finalist, twice a state champion in 2013 and 2014, is ranked No. 13 overall in the Class of 2016 and projects to compete at 184 pounds for the Cornhuskers. In addition, Breske placed third in Junior Greco-Roman this summer, and was a Cadet National double champion in Fargo the two previous summers. Breske is the second major commit for the University of Nebraska in this recruiting class, joining No. 5 Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.) in being bound for Lincoln.

Three-time state champion Carter Happel (Lisbon, Iowa), the highest rated Hawkeye State native at No. 30 overall in the Class of 2016, verbally committed to the University of Iowa on Tuesday evening. Happel has an excellent resume in freestyle, finishing fifth this summer at the Junior Nationals in the 138 pound weight class, competing on the UWW Cadet World team last summer at 58 kilograms, and winning a Cadet freestyle title in the summer of 2013 at 132 pounds. The projected 141 in college joins No. 3 Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) and No. 32 Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.) as nationally ranked wrestlers in Iowa's 2016 recruiting class.

Dan Gable will go "On the Mat" is this Wednesday, Oct. 21. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. Gable was an Olympic gold medalist in 1972. He coached the University of Iowa to 15 NCAA team titles during his 21 seasons as head wrestling coach (1977-97). A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

With the Big Ten seeking its 10th consecutive wrestling national championship, BTN's 2015-16 wrestling coverage, presented by returning sponsor Cliff Keen Athletic, will take fans along for the ride with some of the most noteworthy matchups of the season. The schedule includes the Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern; a key matchup between Ohio State and Penn State, winners of the past five national championships; the NWCA National Duals; and coverage of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Iowa City. The championships' final session will be televised live at 4 PM ET on Sunday, March 6. Additionally, BTN Plus on BTN2Go will carry at least 73 matches, a new record-high. A large number of those streamed events will be televised on delay as part of BTN's Student U initiative. BTN will also debut a new wrestling show on Monday, Jan. 11. B1G Mat Attack will compile the conference's most exciting dual matches from the previous weekend to be showcased on Monday nights. According to InterMat's rankings, the Big Ten has three of the top four squads in the country with No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Iowa and No. 4 Michigan. Also projected in the top-10 is No. 7 Nebraska and No. 8 Ohio State. The Buckeyes claimed their first team national title in program history last season, capturing 102 points to finish ahead of the second place Iowa Hawkeyes. All matches can also be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices on BTN2Go, BTN's digital extension.

Alex Lloyd celebrates after winning a Cadet Greco-Roman title in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Cadet National Greco-Roman champion Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) and undefeated state champion Adam Hedin (Rosemount, Minn.) have entered the InterMat JJ Classic at 138 pounds. The two wrestlers met in January during the high school wrestling season, with Hedin winning 3-0 in overtime. Lloyd was a Cadet double All-American this past summer in Fargo, winning a Greco-Roman title and finishing sixth in the freestyle competition. He was a Junior National folkstyle runner-up in April. He has state finishes of third (2014) and fifth (2013). Last fall he won the JJ Classic title at 126 pounds. Lloyd is the nation's No. 22 sophomore. Hedin compiled a perfect 45-0 record this past season as a junior en route to winning a state championship at 132 pounds. He was a Rumble on the Red champion. Last fall Hedin placed third at the JJ Classic. He was a state fourth-place finisher as a sophomore. The 2015 InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Sunday, Nov. 8, in Rochester, Minnesota. For more information on the InterMat JJ Classic or to register, visit the event website.

Devin Bahr (LAW, Wis.), one of the nation's top juniors, has registered for the 2015 InterMat JJ Classic at 152 pounds. Bahr has compiled a 73-1 career record heading into his junior year. He was a state champion as a freshman in 2014. Last season he suffered a torn ACL at the Bi-State Classic in late December that cut his season short. In 2014, Bahr was an All-American in all three styles. He was a Cadet National folkstyle champion, and finished runner-up in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle. Bahr was a Preseason Nationals champion in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was a member of the Cadet World Team in Greco-Roman in 2013. Bahr finished fourth at the JJ Classic in 2013. The 2015 InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Sunday, Nov. 8, in Rochester, Minnesota. For more information on the InterMat JJ Classic or to register, visit the event website.

There will be two weigh-in options for wrestlers competing in the 2015 InterMat JJ Classic on Sunday. Nov. 8, 2015, at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minnesota. The weigh-in locations will be held in Minneapolis and Rochester on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Minneapolis weigh-in will take place at Bierman Field Athletic Building on the campus of the University of Minnesota from 12:30 p.m. CT until 2 p.m. CT. For those interested in watching Division I wrestling, the University of Minnesota will be hosting the Gopher Duals starting at 3 p.m. that day at Williams Arena. The Rochester weigh-in will be held at Centerstone Plaza Hotel in Rochester from 2:30 p.m. CT until 4:30 p.m. CT. Wrestlers have the option of weighing in at either location. There is a three-pound allowance. For more information on the InterMat JJ Classic or to register, visit the event website.

Nearly 20 years after the tragic murder of beloved wrestler-coach Dave Schultz at the hands of multi-millionaire benefactor John du Pont, a second telling of the story within the past year will debut on ESPN this coming week. Mark Schultz"The Prince of Pennsylvania", an ESPN "30 for 30" documentary, will premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. Eastern on the flagship ESPN channel, less than a year after "Foxcatcher", the much-anticipated Hollywood version of the Schultz/du Pont story, opened in theaters ... and just three months before the 20th anniversary of Dave Schultz's murder in Jan. 1996 at du Pont's Foxcatcher Farms estate and Olympic wrestling training facility outside Philadelphia. Just to be clear ... this new hour-long ESPN documentary has nothing to do with a 1988 fictional comedy/drama of the same name, starring a young Keanu Reeves. In text to accompany a trailer for its "Prince of Pennsylvania" documentary posted online Friday, ESPN described it as "the tragic story of the turbulent relationship between Olympic wrestling stars Mark and Dave Schultz and multimillionaire John du Pont." At its "30 for 30" webpage for "The Prince of Pennsylvania", ESPN provided a somewhat more detailed telling of the tragic story known all too well by the wrestling community: "Back in the 1980s, the road to the Olympics was long and hard for an amateur wrestler. But then along came John du Pont, an eccentric heir to the family fortune with a passion for wrestling. His 800-acre Foxcatcher Farm outside Philadelphia became the hub of the sport, with state-of-the-art training facilities, free accommodations, generous stipends and the support of America's best freestyle wrestlers, brothers Mark and Dave Schultz. It all seemed too good to be true -- and tragically it was, with a savage ending. Featuring fresh testimonials and never-before-seen footage, 'The Prince of Pennsylvania' is the story of a paradise lost to the madness of its creator, a man who had the means to buy anything except for the one thing he truly wanted." Jesse Vile, "The Prince of Pennsylvania" director, was 14 when the murder took place at Foxcatcher Farm, not far from his home. After seeing previews for "Foxcatcher" in early 2014, Vile realized Dave Schultz's killing had ramifications well beyond suburban Philadelphia, saying, "It was rich territory for a documentary and ESPN felt the same way." "John du Pont was a strange man who did some terrible things. He hurt a lot of people," said Vile. "But during my research, I was surprised to discover there were many who remember him as a good-hearted but deeply troubled person. This made it a difficult story to tell because it's hard to humanize a killer. But it was important that du Pont wasn't treated as a two-dimensional monster in order to understand the depth of the tragedy that occurred on Jan. 26, 1996, in Newtown Square, Pa. Dave Schultz brought out the best in John du Pont, but, unfortunately, also the worst." The Hollywood entertainment publication Variety weighed in with its review of ESPN's "The Prince of Pennsylvania" documentary on Saturday. "The movie, notably, centered heavily on du Pont's relationship with Mark Schultz, played by Channing Tatum, the brother of his eventual victim," wrote Brian Lowry, TV critic for Variety. "Mark is interviewed extensively here, along with a number of the other wrestlers, but the focus shifts pretty squarely to Dave, who seemingly felt he could control, or at least manage, du Pont, despite his drug and alcohol abuse and increasingly erratic and paranoid behavior." "While the movie frittered around the edges of what motivated du Pont, the documentary more directly zeroes in on his desire to achieve greatness through his contact with those who accomplished it within this sphere, including his pathetic desire to become an Olympian himself in middle age." Lowry wrapped up his review of the ESPN documentary by writing, "Clearly, 'Foxcatcher' and 'Prince of Pennsylvania' grapple with the same story from different angles. But viewed in concert, the two paint a complementary portrait of a madness that was sadly allowed to go unchecked, largely because of the size of a checkbook." For another perspective, check out InterMat's in-depth feature on the murder of Dave Schultz, written by Mark Palmer a decade after the crime.

To launch its Legends interview series, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame selected one of the all-time greats of college wrestling, Stanley Henson. Now wrestling fans can hear this three-time NCAA champ for Oklahoma State talk about his life as a wrestler, surgeon and sports medicine pioneer in an audio interview with award-winning wrestling journalist Jason Bryant, the Hall announced via press statement Thursday. At 98, Henson is the oldest living NCAA wrestling champ, according to the Stillwater, Okla.-based National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Welcomed into the Hall as a Distinguished Member in 1978, Henson was a two-time Oklahoma state champ for Tulsa Central High School who then headed west to Stillwater to wrestle at what was then called Oklahoma A&M (Agricultural and Mechanical) College. Wrestling for Ed Gallagher (named one of the three greatest college mat coaches of all time in a 2005 NCAA survey), Henson compiled a near-perfect 31-1 record as a Cowboy, winning three consecutive national titles as a middleweight (145-155 pounds) in 1937, 1938 and 1939. He was twice named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, becoming the first to earn that honor as a sophomore. One magazine declared Henson to be the best amateur wrestler of 1930s; Jay Hammond's "History of Collegiate Wrestling" book named Henson as the greatest college matman of the pre-World War II era. Stanley Henson with his coach Ed GallagherHenson wrestled in a world today's college wrestlers, coaches and fans would not recognize. Instead of wearing a singlet of synthetic fabric, Henson competed in wool trunks, usually without a shirt. And, rather than wrestle on a foam-core mat, Henson's home matches were conducted on a canvas mat, inside a raised, roped-off wrestling ring, like those we associate with professional wrestling or boxing today. After serving in World War II, Henson entered medical school. He became the first surgeon in Ft. Collins, Colo. and is considered to be a pioneer in the field of sports medicine. In the Legends interview, Henson speaks about growing up in the Great Depression, working in the oil fields, wrestling for coach Gallagher (a fellow Distinguished Member of the Hall of Fame), serving in the United States Navy, and his distinguished career in medicine. The interview may be heard for free at mattalkonline.com. It is also available via iTunes, Stitcher, Spreaker, and Soundcloud as well as an RSS link for use in other third-party podcasting applications like Downcasts, BeyondPod, and Podcast Republic. "We are excited about the Legends interviews because it gives fans the opportunity to hear the greats of our sport talk about their lives and careers in their own words," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Our goal is to preserve the sport of wrestling's history, and these audio histories are important to helping us achieve it." Bryant of the Mat Talk Podcast Network created the Legends interview concept, and also serves as the host and producer of the interviews. Bryant is president of the National Wrestling Media Association, and has been honored for his work as both a broadcaster and writer, including the Bob Dellinger Wrestling Writer of the Year award. "I've wanted to do a show with our legends for a while, and crowdfunding has made that a reality," said Bryant. "There are so many stories to tell and preserve, and we hope that fans of our great sport will enjoy and be supportive of the Legends series."

2014 state champion Noah Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio), a Junior National freestyle All-American this summer, verbally committed to Cornell University on Saturday afternoon. The projected 133 pound wrestler also placed third at state this past high school season, and was a runner-up at 113 pounds last year in the Super 32 Challenge. Ranked No. 92 overall in the Class of 2016, Baughman is joined as a Big Red verbal commit by No. 25 Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio) and No. 57 Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.)

In the years since the University of Oregon axed its wrestling program in 2007, fans within the state and beyond have been working to reinstate the Ducks varsity mat program. Now the school located in Eugene, Ore. seems to have given these supporters the "kiss off" -- to quote one of these supporters -- according to a column in The Oregonian newspaper this week. In his column titled "The University of Oregon to Save Oregon Wrestling: Kiss Off", long-time Oregonian sportswriter Ken Goe presented the ongoing efforts of Paul Fenley, who heads up the National Wrestling Restoration Foundation, and former Oregon Ducks head wrestling coach Ron Finley, to bring back intercollegiate wrestling to the school ... and the stunning response from officials at Oregon. Fenley and Finley had been working with the idea to raise $10 million for a wrestling endowment to restart the varsity program, which they believed would generate enough income to sustain a program at Oregon. Beth Campbell of the Duck Athletic Fund had other ideas. In early October, she wrote to Fenley and Finley, saying, "I recently learned that you had asked for information on what it might take to bring back the wrestling program. In my research, I have been told that it would take a $75 million endowment that would kick back $3 million annually which would cover wrestling and adding another sport to stay compliant with Title IX." Goe quoted former UO wrestler Hank Hosfield: "That's a kiss-off figure. That's supposed to be discouraging, and it is discouraging." According to Goe, the Duck Athletic Fund's figures are based on two mistaken assumptions: lower-than-expected investment income ... and that running a NCAA Division I wrestling program is a pricey proposition, requiring $2-$3 million a year. (Oregon State manages to do it for just over $900,000 a year.) As Goe points out, the varsity sports programs at Oregon with expenses of more than $2 million for 2016 are football, baseball, basketball, women's basketball and track & field. He also shares figures with other UO programs which are arguably comparable to wrestling, in terms of scholarship numbers (wrestling is limited to 9.9 scholarships). Women's soccer, which has a limit of 14 scholarships, has projected expenses of $1,228,675 ... while women's tennis, with eight scholarships, comes in at $763,598. If all this weren't bad enough for wrestling fans in the state of Oregon and beyond, follow-up correspondence from the University of Oregon is potentially even more chilling. Goe reported that a subsequent email from an UO spokesperson stated, "To add any sports, first of all there has to be (a) fit before an endowment would even factor in." As Goe wrote, "That leaves open the possibility that even if presented with a $75 million check, the UO athletic department could decide wrestling didn't ‘fit.'" The Oregonian sports columnist added, "It's hard to know what the current administration has against wrestling. It's one of the original Olympic sports. There is a strong wrestling tradition in Oregon high schools." The University of Oregon decided to cut its wrestling program in 2007, replacing it with men's baseball and competitive cheerleading. Duck wrestlers, coaches, and supporters filed a lawsuit but the courts ruled the team filed too late. Various individuals and organizations such as Save Oregon Wrestling and the National Wrestling Restoration Foundation continue the fight to bring back varsity wrestling to the school in Eugene.

Daniel Page proves that once you've gone Dutch, there's no turning back, as the NCAA All-American wrestler for Central College is returning to his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach for the Dutch, the Division III school in Pella, Iowa announced Friday. Page, who graduated this spring from Central, earned All-American honors by placing seventh at the 2015 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. The four-year letterwinner from Tumwater, Wash. was a three-time NCAA qualifier, and was named all-Iowa Conference three consecutive years. Page was team co-captain as a senior, completing his mat career with a 103-44 record. He is just the 11th wrestler in Dutch wrestling history to reach the 100-win mark, and the first since 2003. Beyond the impressive stats, Page achieved additional honors as a Central wrestler. He earned the team's outstanding freshman award in 2012, the most outstanding performer award in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and the Lawrence Award for outstanding work ethic in 2014 and 2015. "We're really excited to have Daniel join our staff," head coach Eric Van Kley said. "He has been through our program and knows the expectations of the wrestlers. Daniel is going to be a huge help working with our 125 and 133 weight classes." "Daniel is a tremendous young man," Van Kley added. "He is an all-American and guys really look up to him." Page is now the sixth coach on Central's wrestling staff. "Our staff continues to get stronger every year," Van Kley said. "It helps anytime you can grow the staff and add more experience."

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Twenty Division I All-Americans will kick off the college wrestling season at the 50th annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network on November 1 in Atlanta, Ga. The All-Star Classic is also sponsored by Raymond James and will be held at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion at 5 p.m. The last two All-Americans were added at 133 pounds where Lehigh's two-time All-American Mason Beckman was selected to compete for a third time. He will face All-American Rossi Bruno of Michigan, one of three Wolverines set to compete in the event. He'll join Max Huntley and Adam Coon. This will be Beckman's first All-Star match against a wrestler not named A.J. Schopp. The previous two years, Beckman and the Edinboro graduate traded wins at the event. "Obviously Mason Beckman enjoys competing in the event, it's his third time," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "But more than just competing three times, Mason really does embody what it's like to be a student-athlete. He performs at a high level, he attends a prestigious academic institution and he loves to compete." Beckman finished sixth at 133 pounds, finishing last season with a 30-8 record. As the No. 10 seed, he rebounded from an opening round loss at the NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis to win five straight matches and clinch his second All-American honor. Bruno entered as the No. 14 seed and finished eighth. After opening the NCAA tournament with an overtime win over Rider's Rob Deutsch, Bruno was sent to the consolation bracket by eventual finalist Cory Clark of Iowa. In the consolations, Bruno won three straight matches, including two over fellow Big Ten wrestlers, to earn his first All-American honor. He defeated Drexel's Kevin Devoy in sudden victory to cement his place in the top eight. "Rossi Bruno comes from a great wrestling tradition at Brandon High School in Florida," said Moyer. "His exciting finish at last year's NCAA championships in the All-American round are the types of matches this sport is made of." Bruno and Beckman, who hails from Reynolds High School in Western Pennsylvania, have wrestled one another just once during their careers - a 7-5 victory by Bruno at last season's Southern Scuffle. Beckman enters with a career record of 85-25, while Bruno is 61-45 in three seasons in Ann Arbor. Beckman's appearance will mark the 30th time a Lehigh wrestler has competed in the event. They've compiled a 16-13 record overall with the last wins coming in 2013 at George Mason where Beckman and teammate Joey Napoli both earned victories. Beckman is also the 23rd wrestler in the event's history to make at least three appearances in the All-Star Classic. Coming into 2015, Michigan wrestlers are 14-16-3 all-time in the event, with Steve Luke picking up the school's last victory back in 2009 against Iowa's Jay Borschel at 174 pounds. Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups 125: Nathan Tomasello, So. (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey, So. (West Virginia) 133: Mason Beckman, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Rossi Bruno, Sr. (Michigan) 141: Cody Brewer, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. Dean Heil, So. (Oklahoma State) 149: B.J. Clagon, So. (Rider) vs. Alexander Richardson, Sr. (Old Dominion) 157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 165: Alex Dieringer, Sr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Ethan Ramos, So. (North Carolina) 174: Kyle Crutchmer, Jr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Zach Epperly, So. (Virginia Tech) 184: Nathaniel Brown, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Vic Avery, Sr. (Edinboro) 197: Conner Hartmann, Sr. (Duke) vs. Max Huntley, Sr. (Michigan) 285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech) WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga. TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15 PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider) EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org About ESPNU The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- When mentioning Duke in sports circles, the conversation almost always centers around its legendary basketball program. For Conner Hartmann, he's looking to cement himself as one of the school's all-time great athletes and his quest for a third medal at the NCAA Division I Championships starts with an appearance at the 50th annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network on November 1 in Atlanta, Ga. The All-Star Classic is also sponsored by Raymond James and will be held at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion at 5 p.m. Hartmann, a two-time All-American from Port Orchard, Washington, will face Michigan's Max Huntley at 197 pounds. He will be the first wrestler in Duke history to compete at the event. Hartmann became Duke's second-ever two-time All-American after a sixth-place finish at the 2015 NCAA Division I Championships. He and former heavyweight Konrad Dudziak are the only two wrestlers in school history with All-American honors and Hartmann will look to become the first three-time All-American at Duke. He finished last season with a 29-5 record. "Duke University is known the world over for its tremendous academics," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "To have a student-athlete of this caliber represent Duke at the All-Star Classic for the first time is a tremendous accomplishment for coach Glen Lanham's team and for the school as a whole." Huntley has battled injuries throughout his career in Ann Arbor, but last year, he finally broke through and hit the podium with an eighth-place finish. The NCAA granted Huntley a sixth year of eligibility after he'd seen two prior seasons end due to injuries. He finished last season with a 24-11 record. "It's great to see Max Huntley get an opportunity to finish out his career after such a rocky beginning," said Moyer. "I'm excited to see this matchup." Seeded 10th, Hartmann reached the semifinals of the 2015 NCAA championships by opening up with a win over Penn's Caanan Bethea before upending seventh-seeded Abe Ayala of Princeton and second-seeded Morgan McIntosh of Penn State. He fell to eventual NCAA champion Kyven Gadson of Iowa State in the semifinals. Huntley was the No. 8 seed and fell to returning NCAA champion J'Den Cox of Missouri in the quarterfinals. Huntley earned his first All-American honor by defeating Wisconsin's Timmy McCall. Coming into 2015, Michigan wrestlers are 14-16-3 all-time in the event, with Steve Luke picking up the school's last victory back in 2009 against Iowa's Jay Borschel at 174 pounds. Huntley and teammate Adam Coon are two of the three Wolverines competing in Atlanta. Rossi Bruno accepted the invitation at 133 pounds and information on his bout will be released in the coming days. Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups 125: Nathan Tomasello, So. (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey, So. (West Virginia) 133: 141: Cody Brewer, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. Dean Heil, So. (Oklahoma State) 149: B.J. Clagon, So. (Rider) vs. Alexander Richardson, Sr. (Old Dominion) 157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 165: Alex Dieringer, Sr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Ethan Ramos, So. (North Carolina) 174: Kyle Crutchmer, Jr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Zach Epperly, So. (Virginia Tech) 184: Nathaniel Brown, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Vic Avery, Sr. (Edinboro) 197: Conner Hartmann, Sr. (Duke) vs. Max Huntley, Sr. (Michigan) 285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech) WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga. TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15 PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider) EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org About ESPNU The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling program has named six additions to its coaching staff, announced head coach Tim Fader. Former Olympic Gold Medalist John Peterson headlines the group, bringing decades of experience to the Blugold staff. A 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist, Peterson also won a Silver Medal in 1972 and was a World Cup Champion in 1973, 1975 and 1980 along with being a five-time United States National Freestyle Champion. In addition to his many accolades on the mat, Peterson coached U.S. teams in over 10 countries. "His wisdom and experience as a wrestler, coach and human being will help our students be the best they can be," said head coach Tim Fader. "The athletes and this university are fortunate to have him as part of this campus; it's just fantastic we have someone of his caliber here at UWEC." Also joining the staff is Blugold wrestling alum, Mat Rieckoff. A season ago, Rieckoff capped off his senior season at NCAA national tournament and earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American honors. Former Warhawk Elroy Perkin also joins the coaching ranks. Perkin earned All-America honors, finishing fifth at the national meet the last two seasons and was the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) champion at 149 pounds a year ago. "My goal is to surround the student-athletes with the best possible people," said Fader. "These mentors will help them be not only excellent wrestlers, but also better men." Also added to the staff are three volunteer assistants; former head coach Steve Wozniak, former coach and UW-La Crosse two-time All-American Russ Peloquin and alum Jeremy Peery. "We are very fortunate to have our volunteer coaches as they will be key with helping with the transition," said Fader. "And with being professionals in the community they can really help us with our community outreach. It says a lot when you have so many people who are willing to help elevate the program." The Blugolds will kick off the season on Nov. 1st at the Yellowjacket Open hosted Rochester Community and Technical College.

NCAA-sanctioned wrestling practices started this week, and for many in the wrestling community that has meant a timeline filled with photos and videos of their alma mater and favorite wrestlers enjoying their first taste of organized practice. The NCAA wrestling seasons is certain to be rife with controversy about scoring, anger over new rules, heckling of referees incapable of stopping the #snoreride and a couple rants about ancillary topics. Still, this is the NCAA wrestling season and the eclipsing any negative takes or critiques is the resurgence of the American wrestling community's favorite time of year. Let us (briefly) be filled with high expectations for our programs, favorite wrestlers and the outcome of the season. Let us chat online about likely winners and losers -- possibly opine about this being the greatest sport (nay, COUNTRY) in the world. Let us chill out, drink a beer and let ourselves be taken with the excitement of action and that familiar tinge of nostalgia. The self-important musings of the fans aside, a special congratulations should be extended to all the first-year wrestlers stepping onto the collegiate mat right now for the first time. Good luck, men. To your questions … Nahshon Garrett is a three-time All-American at 125 pounds (Photo/Rob Preston)Q: How do you see Nahshon Garrett doing moving up from 125 pounds to 133 pounds? -- Mike C. Foley: My hope is that we see him come off of his knees and wrestle an aggressive style in big matches. He's a national champion-caliber wrestler and with his speed in attacking positions he should give 133-pound wrestlers fits. He really just needs to focus on his offense and not wrestling like a cat pawing their owner for treats. Q: Who do you like coming out of the U.S. Olympic trials at 86 kilos next year? Will we qualify this weight? -- @bufhall Foley: There are a plethora of unknowns at 86 kilos. While we ponder the impact (and endurance) of David Taylor and Kyle Dake, there is still a substantial challenge looming from a bunch of established 86-kilo wrestlers: Keith Gavin, Clayton Foster, Ed Ruth, Jon Reader and returning World Team member Jake Herbert. There is a lot of excitement about the new faces, but for those guys to get a look at the Olympics will require them besting a slew of talent. My pick, for now, is David Taylor. I think that he's always relied on being coy and technique-based rather than strength. While I think Dake is much stronger than Taylor, I don't know if that will be true up a weight, and I don't know if that strength will help him blow past those mentioned above. I have five percent confidence in my pick, but for some reason that's the name that keeps popping up. Q: Will United World Wrestling's new bidding process keep Worlds in more First World locations? Is that a good thing? -- @Bloodround Foley: Not necessarily. The new bidding process is only meant to streamline the relationships between National Federations, United World Wrestling and the cities that want to host. Most often the NF's would reach out to cities on their own and attempt to coordinate. The new method incorporates the city from the get-go. Those cities will not all be first world, but it should make for a better event since the cities will assist with all the larger issues ranging from internet to hotels to transportation and even such things as airport arrivals. The new model is untested, but from what I understand the initial interest has been positive. My hope is that wrestling finds homes across the world for their events, which will help grow and promote the sport for years to come. Q: When can we expect a uniform announcement from UWW? The January changes indicated a new uniform for this calendar year. -- @gaertnbw Foley: They are in the works. Wouldn't expect too much drama, but you can certainly look forward to a change for the better. Q: In freestyle, when a competitor is put on the shot clock, why is the non-shot clock competitor not awarded one point after the shot clock expires if the non-shot clock competitor scores during the 30 seconds? It seems like it would incentivize the non-shot competitor to continue to be aggressive during the shot clock if the non-shot clock competitor was still awarded one point even if he or she scores during the shot clock. Without awarding that point, the non-shot competitor is of course less likely to take risks during the shot clock. If the non-shot competitor were to receive that 1 point in addition to any other additional points scored during the shot clock, he or she would take more risks and create more excitement. -- Craig T. Foley: That would eliminate the efforts by the wrestler who has been warned. Why take any risks if you're only going to give up a point anyway? Also, the wrestler who was previously aggressive will play active defensive (more than currently). The incentive here isn't to award points, but to incentivize action and leave the point scoring in the hands of the wrestlers, and out of the direct determination of the referees. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Excellent piece by Anthony Bourdain on the grip jiu-jitsu has on his life. I agree. Burroughs looking sharp Q: Do you think the Flo guys will license the Kolat documentary to get it some viewership outside of us wrestling die-hards? Imagine it as an ESPN 30 for 30 or on the film festival circuit. I recognize my bias but believe it has the makings of a story that people independent of the wrestling community will find inspirational. That, and a cattle prod! -- Jordan L. Foley: First of all the cattle prod thing is amazing. Horrible, but amazing. We had a cattle prod in an apartment once after college. More fights started because of alcohol and the cattle prod … it was a bad idea. The Kolat piece was beautiful, but there isn't a news hook that's viable for the general audience and the level of assumption of the viewer is high. Like with writing this mailbag (which should ABSOLUTELY be on Grantland or Deadspin!) the documentary assumes that the viewer knows of Cary Kolat. Even though they remind you of his accomplishments the big reveal is what happens behind-the-scenes at international tournaments and within college programs. Q: I have always wondered if international wrestling could develop an annual international circuit of tourneys with "grand slams" similar to tennis' world circuit of tourneys. Maybe have "grand slams" in Russia, Mongolia or Japan, United States, Cuba and other wrestling hotbeds or even rotate countries with a "grand slam" on each continent. Points would be accumulated from each tourney and then the top overall competitors at each weight would receive prize money based on how many points they accumulate throughout the year. The points could also be used to seed Worlds and the Olympics so you would award wrestlers for competing during the year while also creating additional interest in the sport. -- Craig T. Foley: That's the goal. The Golden Grand Prix was the first iteration of that system and is being competed over Thanksgiving in Baku, Azerbaijan. The points systems, as stated in previous mailbags, will be something that the federation looks hard at implementing in future years! Q: If I am reading the following correctly regarding athlete change in nationality, "In cases where a wrestler practices more than one wrestling style, the host federation shall indicate to United World Wrestling under which style the change of nationality must be recorded," does that mean a male wrestler could theoretically compete in Greco for country A and freestyle for country B in the same tournament? -- Dan L. Foley: No! You can only be wrestling under one passport! This is to say if the incoming wrestlers can't come in as Greco-Roman and freestyle, but then automatically both become freestyle wrestlers. Imagine a country like Italy recruiting athletes in both styles, but with only a freestyle program. It was a way to restrict countries from gaming the system of one athlete per year, per style. Tanner Hall, an Idaho native, gets his hand raised after winning a Junior National freestyle title in Fargo in 2010 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Q: Tanner Hall is expected to be Arizona State's heavyweight this year. Hall was a beast in high school. I remember him beating Kyle Snyder and Nick Gwiazdowski. He took a Mormon mission and hasn't competed much lately. Can he be an NCAA champion this season? Or what are realistic expectations? -- Mike C. Foley: I've been fortunate to coach a few LDS wrestlers and have of course seen Matt Brown compete. I don't think that Hall will have lost too much in his two years overseas, but I do think it would be ambitious to put him in the NCAA finals after two full years off the mat! I think he's an All-American, and if he makes it the NCAA finals it'll be hats off to him, but also to that coaching staff.

Dennis Hastert, former Wheaton College wrestler and high school wrestling coach who later became U.S. Speaker of the House, is expected to plead guilty on federal charges relating to a hush-money case, his lawyers told a U.S. District Court judge in Chicago on Thursday. Hastert's attorney, John Gallo, told U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin that a written plea agreement has been worked out in the case. Durkin set a hearing for Hastert to enter the guilty plea on Oct. 28 -- five months to the day after the indictment against the former Illinois politician was announced, according to the Chicago Tribune. Hastert, the longest-serving Republican House Speaker, was indicted in May for lying to the FBI and setting up cash withdrawals to avoid bank reporting requirements to make payments to an unnamed individual to "compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct" against that person. Various media reports at the time indicated that Hastert paid a man -- identified in court documents only as "Individual A" -- to conceal sexual misconduct while the man was a student at Yorkville High School. The school, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, is where Hastert taught history and coached wrestling from 1965 to 1981 before entering politics. The indictment alleged that Hastert agreed to make $3.5 million in hush money payments to Individual A to cover up wrongdoing from Hastert while he was a teacher and coach at Yorkville. According to the charges, Hastert lied to the FBI about the reasons he withdrew $952,000 in cash over the previous 2 1/2 years when questioned last December. Back in June, Hastert, 73, pleaded not guilty to one count each of evading currency reporting requirements and lying to the FBI and remains free on his own recognizance. He did not attend Thursday's brief hearing. Neither Hastert's attorney nor a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor would answer reporter questions after today's hearing. Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor who now heads up the Chicago-based security firm Kroll, told the Chicago Tribune, "Dennis Hastert wants to avoid a sentencing hearing probably more than any other public official in history. Normally a public figure wants to present all the good things he's done in his life. But that opens the door for prosecutors to bring in their own evidence." Hastert faces a maximum prison term of five years for the crimes for which he is charged. Born not far from Yorkville in Plano, Ill. in 1942, Hastert was a member of the wrestling team at Wheaton College, a private, four-year school in the western suburbs of Chicago, in the early 1960s. He then taught government and history at Yorkville High, and coached wrestling, taking his team to an Illinois state championship in 1976. His coaching record also included three runners-up and a third place finish, according to his National Wrestling Hall of Fame biography, where he was inducted as an Outstanding American in 2000. Four years earlier, Hastert was honored for his efforts and contributions to wrestling as the recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Order of Merit. Hastert had served three terms in the Illinois General Assembly before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1986. In 1999, the six-term congressman was elected Speaker of the House after the incumbent Speaker Newt Gingrich stepped down, and his intended replacement, Bob Livingston of Louisiana, gave up the position before he ever assumed it after admitting to having conducted adulterous affairs. Hastert left Congress in 2007.

Junior National freestyle All-American Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.) verbally committed to Stanford University on Thursday morning. Ranked No. 39 overall in the Class of 2016, Dallavia was a National Prep runner-up during the previous high school season at 160 pounds after finishing fourth at 170 during his sophomore campaign. In addition, Dallavia placed third in Junior freestyle at 160 this summer after earning All-American honors the two previous summers at the Cadet level in that same weight class; champion in 2014 and fifth in 2013. The projected 165 is joined by No. 27 Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.) as a nationally ranked commit for the Cardinal in this class.

Good food and good times -- all for a good cause -- are the plan for the Northwestern University wrestling kickoff event and fundraiser, to be held Friday, Oct. 23 at Pranzi, 434 West Ontario Street, Chicago. The event lasts from 8-11 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person, including all drinks. All proceeds go to benefit Northwestern Wildcat wrestling. In addition, there will be raffles for prizes including two front-row tickets for the 2015 Ken Kraft Midlands Classic; two all-access passes for the Midlands; four premium tickets for the Northwestern vs. Penn State; a Wildcat football helmet signed by Pat Fitzgerald; a basketball signed by coach Chris Collins, and more. For more information, contact assistant wrestling coach Conor Beebe at (708) 519-0708, or email him at conor.beebe@northwestern.edu. Visit the event webpage.

Chicago area wrestlers will have the opportunity to learn directly from Northwestern Wildcat coaches and wrestlers at the program's 35th annual Coaches Clinic on Sunday, Oct. 25. The clinic will start at 11 a.m. at Barrington High School, 616 W Main St., in Barrington, Ill in suburban Chicago. It will conclude at 2 p.m. Clinicians will include Northwestern coaches and wrestlers, along with Chicago Regional Training Center athletes. Heading up the group slated to participate in this instructional event include Drew Pariano, head wrestling coach at Northwestern, as well as coach of the Wildcat Wrestling Club and Chicago Regional Training Center. Other clinicians include Matt Storniolo, Northwestern assistant coach and two-time NCAA All-American; Brandon Hatchett, Northwestern assistant and NCAA finalist; Conor Beebe, assistant coach who is ranked third in the senior U.S. freestyle rankings at 61 kilos/134 pounds; Jason Welch, 2013 NCAA finalist for the Wildcats who is currently ranked fourth at 70 kilos/154 pounds; and Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern's first freshman NCAA champ in 2014, and two-time All-American. Among the topics to be presented at the clinic: takedown drills (set-ups and approaches to drilling), hand fighting essentials (controlling your opponent), bottom position (escapes, reversals, body control), quick tilts and turns (pinning combinations and riding), drill techniques (focus on the proper way to drill), and a question-and-answer session (technical assistance). For more information, contact Tim Cysewski at (847) 491-4799, email wrestling@northwestern.edu, or fill out an application.

John Toggas, the first York County, Pa. wrestling coach to reach 300 victories, coach three Pennsylvania high school state champions, and be honored by six separate halls of fame, passed away Friday, Oct. 9, the York Dispatch reported Wednesday. He was 83. John Toggas (middle), pictured with West York assistant coaches Don Lehman and John Sprenkle."(West York) lost a great coach, mentor and friend," Don Lehman, who runs the West York Wrestling Alumni website, told Steve Heiser of the York Dispatch. "Coach Toggas left a lasting mark on West York wrestling." Charlie Jacobs, longtime wrestling coach of West York rival Dover, said of Toggas, "John loved the sport of wrestling. He brought great energy and enthusiasm, which always generated much excitement during any matches with his Bulldogs. His 'Bulldog Pride' caused all opposing coaches to work extra hard to compete with his tough squads." Born in York, Pa. in Jan. 1932, John T. Toggas lettered in wrestling, football and track at York High School, graduating in 1951. He earned his bachelor's degree at Gettysburg College in 1958 (where he was appointed Recreation Director of the Gettysburg Recreation Association as a senior). That year, Toggas began teaching and coaching at Biglerville High School, where he taught science, health, and physical education, was assistant football coach, and head wrestling coach. In six seasons at Biglerville, his wrestlers compiled a 38-32-2 record. Toggas then moved on to West York High, where he taught health and physical education, and coached wrestling. During Toggas' tenure at West York, the wrestling program built an impressive 269-78-2 overall record from 1964 through 1983 and 1986 through 1991. In addition, he guided three wrestlers to PIAA state titles - Dana Luckenbaugh in 1965, and Bill Luckenbaugh and John Sprenkle in 1969. Toggas was the first wrestling coach in York County to reach 300 wins (Biglerville and West York records combined). Toggas was welcomed into six unique Halls of Fame: the District 3 Wrestling Coaches' Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980, the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches' Hall of Fame in 1992, the York Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999, the South Central Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Adams County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. John T. Toggas is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Mary Jane, and his daughter Stephanie, and other family members. He was preceded in death by son John S. "Mac" Toggas, Parkland High School wrestling coach until he was struck and killed while walking in 2008. Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 17 at 11 a.m. at Christ Chapel on the campus of Gettysburg College, 300 N. Washington St., with Father Andrew Tsikitas of York officiating. Visitation will take place before the service from 9-11 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the West York Wrestling Booster Club, c/o Butch Ludwig, 101 Summer House Lane, York, PA 17408; Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 2500 Pine Grove Road, York, PA 17403; SpiriTrust Lutheran Home and Hospice of Gettysburg, 260 W. High St., Gettysburg, PA 17325; or Caring Hospice Services, 400 Commerce Drive, Suite C, Ft. Washington, PA 1903.

Eighteen of the nation's most talented wrestlers will convene at Grace Hall on the campus of Lehigh University on Saturday evening for the third annual Who's Number One showcase put on by FloWrestling. While not all of the wrestlers may emerge as top two wrestlers in the country at their respective weight classes for the preseason rankings, each is within the upper tier at their weight class. The matches will start at 7 p.m. ET, and here is a preview of them in order of being wrestled. 132: Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.) vs. Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) This match features a pair of past Fargo freestyle champions, both of whom are in the top 20 for the Class of 2017. Red was a Cadet National champion in 2014, and is a three-time state champion in the Hoosier State, without a scholastic loss. The No. 5 overall senior was champion at the Super 32 Challenge and FloNationals during the 2014-15 season. Like Red, LaMont is a three-time state champion. He is ranked No. 19 overall in the senior class, and was a double finalist at the Junior Nationals this summer at 132 pounds, winning the title in freestyle. 132: Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) This match features a pair of two-time defending champions at the Super 32 Challenge; Pletcher winning the last two years at 120 and 132 pounds, while Diakomihalis has won titles at 106 and 120. Pletcher, a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist, is ranked No. 9 overall in the senior class; also a three-time FloNatonals finalist, he has runner-up finishes the last two years after winning in 2013. Diakomhalis, a three-time state champion when considering the title he won in eighth grade, is ranked No. 4 overall in the Junior Class; he is also a two-time FloNationals finalist, winning a title in 2014, and a UWW Cadet World freestyle champion this summer. 182: Dakota Geer (Franklin, Pa.) vs. Beau Breske (Hartford, Wis.) Both wrestlers in this match are ranked within the top 50 of the Class of 2016. Ranked No. 41 overall, Geer was a state champion this past season, after placing third the prior season. In addition, he placed seventh at the Super 32 Challenge, won a FloNationals title, and went undefeated at the Disney Duals. Breske is currently No. 13 overall in the senior class, and was a Junior National freestyle champion this summer at 170 pounds; he also is a three-time state finalist, having won state titles during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. 113: Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) vs. Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) This match features a pair of wrestlers ranked in the top 15 overall for the Class of 2018, each of whom won state during their freshman year of high school. Ranked No. 3 overall in the sophomore class, Teasdale has made the UWW Cadet World Team in freestyle each of the last two years, first at 42 kilos then at 50 kilos. Bravo-Young is ranked No. 15 overall in the sophomore class, finishing third at the UWW Cadet National freestyle tournament in the 50 kilo weight class and winning double title in the Cadet Nationals at 113 pounds this summer. 145: Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) vs. Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) Despite failing to make even the semifinals of his high school state tournament during his two years of high school to date, Verkleeren has already won a UWW Cadet World title in freestyle, and is a two-time team member at 63 kilos. Ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2017, he also placed fourth in the Super 32 Challenge at 138 pounds last fall before his fourth at state finish in the 145 pound weight class during the 2014-15 season. A three-time state finalist in as many seasons, Bierdumpfel won the elusive state title during his junior year after runner-up finishes the previous two seasons. Ranked No. 35 overall in the Class of 2016, he placed fourth in Junior freestyle this summer. 152: Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) vs. Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) This is a fourth meeting for the wrestlers across styles during the last three calendar months, with Hidlay having won the previous three meetings; Junior National Greco-Roman final, Junior National freestyle consolation quarterfinal, and Journeymen Classic final in folkstyle. The pair of wrestlers occupy back-to-back positions in the Class of 2016 rankings, North Carolina State commit Hidlay is No. 14, while Penn State commit Manville is No. 15. In addition, Hidlay is a two-time state placer (third and sixth), finished third at the Super 32 Challenge last fall, and a FloNationals champion this spring; Manville was a UWW Cadet freestyle world champion last summer, and placed third at the FloNationals this spring. 195: Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.) Both wrestlers in this match occupy top ten positions within the Class of 2016. Ranked No. 7 overall in the senior class, Reenan was a National Prep champion and FloNationals champion in folkstyle during 2015 at 170 pounds, before winning double titles at 182 pounds in Fargo at the Junior level. The No. 10 ranked Colbray is a three-time state champion, a NHSCA Junior Nationals champion at 195 pounds, and a Junior Nationals double runner-up at 195 in Fargo this summer. 220: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) vs. Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) This match features the last two United States representatives on the UWW Cadet World Team at 100 kilos in freestyle. Steveson earned a world championship this summer, while Wood was a silver medalist the year before; Steveson earned a decisive victory over Wood in the semifinals of the UWW Cadet Nationals on the way to his national title this spring. Ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2018, Steveson was a state champion during his freshman year after a runner-up finish in eighth grade, and was also Cadet National freestyle champion this summer at 220. Wood is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2016, earning his elusive state title this past high school season after runner-up finishes as a freshman and sophomore; in addition, Wood was a Junior National double finalist at 220 pounds, winning the title in freestyle. 126: Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) vs. Rudy Yates (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) Fix is the nation's top ranked Class of 2017 wrestler after his two match sweep of Spencer Lee at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle competing at the 54-kilo weight class. The two-time state champion earned a bronze medal on the world level, and during the 2014-15 year was a finalist at both the Super 32 Challenge and FloNationals in the 120 pound weight class (runner-up to Diakomihalis at Super 32, beating Diakomiahlis to win at FloNationals). Yates is ranked No. 17 overall in the senior class, winning state titles as a freshman and junior to sandwich the fourth place finish from his sophomore campaign 132-pound final: winners of the matches to open the evening at 132

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Alex Dieringer comes into this season with the opportunity go to down as one of Oklahoma State's all-time greats. The Port Washington, Wisconsin native, Dieringer comes into his senior season with a 100-4 career record and is poised to become the Cowboys' 15th three-time NCAA champion. His quest will start out with a matchup with North Carolina's Ethan Ramos at 165 pounds at the 50th annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network on November 1 in Atlanta, Ga. The All-Star Classic is also sponsored by Raymond James and will be held at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion at 5 p.m. Dieringer repeated as an NCAA champion last season, going 33-0 and piling up mountains of bonus points. Of his 33 wins, 28 of them were by fall, major decision or technical fall. Dieringer is also accomplished on the freestyle side of things, earning a silver medal at the 2013 Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. He claimed the Cowboys' 139th individual championship last season. "When you look at the tradition of Oklahoma State wrestling, Alex Dieringer's fearless attitude plays right into it," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Fans in Atlanta are going to see one of the very best step on the mat." This will be Dieringer's second straight appearance in the All-Star Classic. He defeated Virginia's Nick Sulzer 4-2 last year in Philadelphia. Ramos was a surprise success at the NCAA championships last year. As a freshman last season, the Hawthorne, N.J., native finished 31-11 and closed out his season with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA championships coming in as the No. 15 seed. Ramos reached the NCAA semifinals with a fall over Oregon's Seth Thomas before knocking off Nebraska's Austin Wilson. In the quarterfinals, he moved on past Northwestern's Pierce Harger by injury default before falling to Indiana's Taylor Walsh. "Anytime you have a program with the proud tradition that North Carolina has participate in the All-Star Classic, it's great for wrestling," said Moyer. "It's been a while since they last appeared in the event, but I'm certain we won't have to go nearly as long to see another Tar Heel wrestler in the event in the future." Ramos will be coached by Coleman Scott, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist who enters his first year as the head coach at North Carolina. Scott was an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State. Scott competed in the All-Star Classic at 133 pounds in 2007. Ramos and Dieringer met once last season, with Dieringer earning a 17-6 major decision in a February dual meet. Oklahoma State, with a long tradition of competing in the event, has seen its wrestlers compete in the event a record 87 times coming into this season. Dieringer will join Cowboy teammates Kyle Crutchmer and Dean Heil in the event. Crutchmer will face Virginia Tech's Zach Epperly at 174 pounds, while Heil will face Oklahoma's Cody Brewer. Cowboy wrestlers are 43-38-6 all-time in the All-Star Classic, winning five of the last six matches they've wrestled. Ramos will be North Carolina's first entrant into the Classic since 2007 when Spencer Nadolsky fell 3-2 in overtime to Harvard's Bode Ogunwole at 285 pounds. Tar Heel wrestlers are 7-7 all-time in the event with the last victory coming in 1995 in Chapel Hill when Stan Banks defeated Wyoming's Reese Andy 4-3 at 177 pounds. T.J. Jaworsky was also a winner for the Heels in the same dual at 134 pounds. Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups 125: Nathan Tomasello, So. (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey, So. (West Virginia) 133: 141: Cody Brewer, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. Dean Heil, So. (Oklahoma State) 149: B.J. Clagon, So. (Rider) vs. Alexander Richardson, Sr. (Old Dominion) 157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 165: Alex Dieringer, Sr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Ethan Ramos, So. (North Carolina) 174: Kyle Crutchmer, Jr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Zach Epperly, So. (Virginia Tech) 184: Nathaniel Brown, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Vic Avery, Sr. (Edinboro) 197: 285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech) WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga. TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15 PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider) EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org About ESPNU The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.