InterMat Staff

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- United World Wrestling, the international federation for Olympic wrestling, is launching its new bidding process in connection with the Smart Cities & Sport Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland. The improved bidding process will open for all United World Wrestling events in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The new procedure will focus on taking a partnership approach with the interested cities. Together, United World Wrestling and bid cities will decide which events are the best fits for the city. In line with the new approach, cities are encouraged to bid for multiple events to optimise their investments. “To grow the great sport of wrestling and promote it to existing and new audiences around the world,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. “We want world class events and our host cities are important in this endeavour. Our new process will establish long-term partnerships that benefit both the sport of wrestling and host cities.” During the Wrestling World Championships in Las Vegas last month, a number of selected cities already previewed the new process and were very enthusiastic about the new approach. “The World Championships were a fantastic event,” said Kathy Nelson, President and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission. “During our visit we witnessed the worldwide passion for the sport, and learned so much about the benefits hosting a wrestling event. We are excited about future opportunities to host wrestling in Kansas City.” To learn more about the bidding process please visit: www.unitedworldwrestling.org/host-cities

Jeff Bradley will host a special edition of "On the Mat" is this Wed., June 3. His featured guests are Northern Iowa wrestling All-American David Bonin and Jim Miller, a Div. II NCAA champion and a Div. I All-American for Northern Iowa in 1974 and 1975. "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. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments. Bonin was a fourth placed finisher at the 2013 NCAA wrestling tournament. Miller coached Wartburg to 10 Div. III NCAA team titles as the head wrestling coach at Wartburg.

A lot has happened in the nearly 18 months since InterMat first introduced former wrestler Michael Fessler's book "Faith and Wrestling: How the Role of a Wrestler Mirrors the Christian Life." First, the good news: the book has been incredibly well-received within the wrestling community who openly profess their religious faith, and has touched countless lives. Now, the bad news: the original publisher of the book went belly-up a few months ago, forcing Fessler to scramble to find a new publisher. Now, for the really great news: the new publisher just made "Faith and Wrestling" available again. Since May, "Faith and Wrestling" had not been available to prospective purchasers, as its original publisher, CrossBooks, went out of business with little warning. As Mike Fessler told InterMat last week, "All their titles -- including mine -- were going away. Customers who had ordered the book started contacting me, saying they had been notified their orders had been canceled." "Another publisher -- Westbow Press, which is connected to well-known religious book publishers Thomas Nelson and Zondervan -- contacted me. They were aware of CrossBooks folding, and took on the project at no cost to me." "The book has been rebranded with the Westbow Press name and logo, but otherwise, it's the same book," Fessler continued. "They offered to create a new cover, but I decided to keep the existing design." "Faith and Wrestling" 101 So ... what is "Faith and Wrestling" ... and what drove Mike Fessler to write it in the first place? First, a bit about Fessler. He wrestled at the storied Apple Valley High School in the suburbs of the Twin Cities, winning a Minnesota state title as a senior. He was recruited to wrestle at Cal State Bakersfield, but was thrown into the role as starter to replace an injured wrestler, and was forced to deal with injuries of his own ... and losses. Fessler left California -- and wrestling -- returned home, and, eventually, enrolled at Bethel University to study theology. (Fessler said he became a wrestler -- and a Christian -- at age 6.) So ... how did the book originally come about? Michael Fessler"I was not only engaged in religious study at Bethel, but also had reconnected with wrestling as a fan," Fessler told InterMat in 2014. "Wrestling and faith (as subjects) collided in my head. My experience as a wrestler and my faith became even more interconnected, an idea that I could not keep from swirling in my mind." There is a powerful linkage between religious faith and wrestling. Wrestling is featured in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, as Jacob wrestles with the angel. Numerous wrestlers openly profess their religious faith with their clothes, their tattoos, in their participation in groups such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action, and in their interviews. It was even the subject of a 2009 InterMat article titled "Christian faith serves wrestlers on and off the mat." "The (InterMat) article was a springboard," Fessler disclosed last year. "I thought, 'Readers might want to hear what I have to say.'" After considerable struggle with writing -- to the point where he shelved the project more than once -- Fessler completed his "Faith and Wrestling" book in early 2014. One year later, the original publisher folded, making the book unavailable for a number of months ... until Westbow made the book available again in October 2015. Lives touched The real news is in all the positive developments that came about in the time since "Faith and Wrestling" was originally published. "A year ago, I was a former wrestler and a theology grad that no one had heard of," Fessler told InterMat last week. "Now, to see how it has been received, well, it's beyond anything I had hoped for." Dylan Ness after beating Ian Miller to advance to the NCAA finals in 2014 (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)It has reached individuals who are well-known within the wrestling community for their accomplishments on the mat ... and their open profession of their Christian faith. Dylan Ness, a two-time NCAA finalist for the University of Minnesota, purchased "Faith and Wrestling" on his own ... then shared it with John Peterson, two-time Olympic medalist for the U.S. in the 1970s. Peterson apparently left the book sitting in his bedroom for a couple months, then finally picked it up ... and, according to Fessler, "stayed up all night reading it, then called me the next day. We got together at Augsburg (College) to talk about the book. He had handwritten notes and Post-It notes throughout his copy." "He now uses the book in his ministry." "I can immediately relate to the things that Michael Fessler writes about in his book 'Faith and Wrestling,'" said Peterson. "Wrestling demands a high degree of commitment, perhaps more than any other sport. Therefore, the common temptation we face is to make wrestling our main source of significance. Michael helps us see the importance of allowing God to let us use wrestling as an act of worship of God, rather than making wrestling our God. He helps us see how the struggles we deal with in wrestling can help us in dealing with the spiritual battles that are a part of life. This book is an excellent resource for anyone working in the athletic world." Peterson then shared the book with 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brandon Slay ... who was already using it in Bible studies at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The Olympic Training Center isn't the only place where wrestlers are using "Faith and Wrestling" in Bible study. Fessler is aware of at least three colleges and a number of high schools where the book is part of religious study groups conducted by wrestlers. Lennie Zalesky"Cal Baptist coach Lennie Zalesky emailed me that they would have a brief Bible study before wrestling practices, using the book," said Fessler. Zalesky said of the book, "'Faith and Wrestling' is a book that teaches and conveys very practical Biblical truths to any reader but especially to the wrestler. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in how God interacts with man. For the wrestler interested in how God may work through his or her wrestling life, I would strongly encourage you to get a copy and read it several times." "Messiah College, a Division II school in Pennsylvania, has study groups led by team captains," according to Fessler. Then there's the moving story of how "Faith and Wrestling" came into use at Liberty University. "A Pennsylvania high school coach named Greg was confronted with a cancer diagnosis," according to Fessler. "He said the book gave him new fight. We corresponded right up this passing. He's the reason the book got into Liberty." "His son was planning on attending Liberty University in Virginia, and in fact, now wrestles there," said Fessler. "So when Greg went with his son on a visit to Liberty, Greg brought his copy of 'Faith and Wrestling' with him, handed it to Coach (Jesse) Castro and said, 'This book impacted my life and helped me in approaching my fight with cancer. Promise me you will read this book. And after you do, buy this book for every wrestler on your team.' Coach Castro promised Greg he would do so, and he lived up to this promise. After reading the book, Coach Castro contacted me, thanked me for writing it, and proceeded to purchase a copy of the book for every wrestler on his team." (Fessler has produced a free study guide to accompany "Faith and Wrestling" for use in group-study settings, complete with study questions, which is available online in PDF format for users to print out as many copies as they need at no charge. Simply email Fessler at mrfess@hotmail.com to request your study guide.) "The book connects with people at different places in their lives," Fessler continued. "Wrestling moms have picked up the book and have emailed me to tell me how important the book is to their kids." "A guy named Terry in Minnesota who has a son who's autistic, and a wife with cancer, is a one-man army, promoting the book." "Bill Holton in North Dakota contacted me because he said the book spoke to him. He buys the book from me, then gives out those copies to others." "So many folks buy the book, then give it out to others." To learn more about Mike Fessler's "Faith and Wrestling: How the Role of a Wrestler Mirrors the Christian Life" book, check out the brief video. To purchase the book, visit Amazon.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Fans will have their first opportunity to see the defending national champion wrestling team on Saturday when the Buckeyes host an open practice at Fan Fest on the south end of St. John Arena beginning at 4:30 p.m. The event will conclude at approximately 5:30 p.m. with a meet and greet. This will mark the second straight year that Ohio State has hosted an outdoor practice, giving fans the perfect opportunity to get their fill of wrestling and football on the same day. This year's squad features four wrestlers who have previously earned All-America honors, led by the reigning NCAA champion at 125 lbs., sophomore Nathan Tomasello. Other headlines include redshirt seniors Kenny Courts and Hunter Stieber and sophomore Bo Jordan, who was third last year at 165 lbs. In addition to the return of four All-Americans, the Buckeyes also welcome on the nation's most highly-touted recruiting classes. The group is led by Ke-Shawn Hayes (ranked No. 11 overall by Flowrestling and No. 2 at 138 lbs.), Myles Martin (Junior National Freestyle champion, No. 3 overall by Flowrestling and No. 1 at 182 lbs.) and Kollin Moore (Ohio state champion at 182 lbs., 204-11 at Norwayne High School). Redshirt freshmen expected to contribute this year are Micah Jordan (157 lbs., 31-3 in open tournament last year) and Jake Ryan (149 lbs., 19-3 in open tournaments last year). TICKETS Season tickets for new accounts are on sale now and can be secured with for either general admission or reserved seats. Fans interested in becoming a season ticket holder can contact the Ohio State Athletic Ticket Sales Department at 1-800-GOBUCKS (select option 2) or AthleticSales@osu.edu for pricing, details and information. Those interested in group tickets can utilize the same contact information. Information on single-match tickets will be available later this month on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.\ This year's home schedule features matches with three teams ranked in the FloWrestling Preseason Top 20 – Michigan (No. 4), Nebraska (No. 10) and Wisconsin (No. 14).

The first annual Night of Conflict is an event being held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the University of Iowa campus, conducted by IAwrestle.com on Friday evening. Matches primarily feature a wrestler from Iowa against one from outside of the state. The official order of matches is pending final determination, but they will start at 7 p.m. CT. The wrestlers have been split to two teams, each coached by a recent Hawkeyes national champion who competed for the United States at last month's World Championships in Las Vegas. These are the matchups and a profile of the contestants (Team Ramos wrestler listed first, followed by the Team Metcalf wrestler): 106: Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa) vs. Cody Phippen (Platte County, Mo.) This a rematch of the Cadet National final in folkstyle from April at 100 pounds, a match won by Biscoglia, who was a backup to state runner-up Jakob Allison this past high school season. Now a sophomore, he placed sixth at both the UWW Cadet Nationals (46 kilos) and Cadet Nationals (100 pounds) in freestyle. Phippen was a state runner-up in Kansas as a freshman before moving across the border this off-season, and is also a two-time All-American in Greco-Roman at both the UWW Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals; he also earned All-American honors in freestyle at both the Cadet and Junior Nationals this summer. 113: Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) vs. Brody Teske (Fort Dodge, Iowa) Hayes was a state runner-up during his junior season of high school, and has verbally committed to the Unviersity of Virginia. He also was a Junior National champion in both Greco-Roman and freestyle at 106 pounds this summer. Teske won state this past year as a freshman at 106 pounds, and was runner-up at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals, but failed to earn All-American honors in Cadet freestyle at 113 pounds this summer. 113: Justin Portillo (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa) vs. Aden Reeves (Albia, Iowa) The senior Portillo is a two-time state finalist, both times in the 106-pound weight class, winning the title this past season. Incoming freshman Reeves is ranked No. 13 nationally among all wrestlers in the Class of 2019 after earning All-American honors in both styles at this summer's Cadet Nationals at 106 pounds, fifth in Greco-Roman and fourth in freestyle. 120: Cole Manley (Altoona, Pa.) vs. Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa) Manley was a state runner-up last season competing at 106 pounds in the big-school division, and had an excellent Disney Duals, going undefeated at the 106-pound (+5) weight class. Thomsen is ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2018 after following up an undefeated state title at 113 pounds, with a double All-American finish at the Cadet Nationals, fourth in Greco-Roman and runner-up in freestyle at 120 pounds. 120: Josh Portillo (Clarion Goldfield, Iowa) vs. Justin Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) The senior Portillo is a two-time state champion, winning his state title last year at 126 pounds, and he also won a Junior National folkstyle title at 120 pounds last spring. Fellow senior Stickley is a two-time state placer, both times at 106 pounds, which includes his runner-up finish last season; he also earned runner-up honors at the NHSCA Junior Nationals competing up at 113 pounds 120: Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) vs. Jack Wagner (Bettendorf, Iowa) Two-time state runner-up Renteria is ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2017. He was a Cadet National folkstyle champion this spring at 120 pounds, and earned All-American honors in both styles at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo this summer (third Greco-Roman and sixth freestyle at 126 pounds). Wagner is a two-time state champion, and was undefeated at the Disney Duals competing in the 113-pound (+5) weight class. When the two wrestlers met at the Clash this past January, Renteria emerged with the victory. 126: Gabe Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) vs. Drew West (Highland Riverside, Iowa) Two-time state placer Townsell is ranked No. 76 overall in the Class of 2016, placing third at 126 pounds during his junior season. This summer, Townsell earned a Junior National title in Greco-Roman at 126 pounds. The junior West won state as a freshman before placing third this past season, losing to Thomsen in the quarterfinal round; he is also a three-time Fargo All-American in Greco-Roman, including his third place finish at the Junior level in the 113 weight class this summer. 126: Brock Rathbun (Center Point-Urbana, Iowa) vs. Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.) Both wrestlers in this match won state titles this past season; with Rathbun also being a two-time champion, three-time finalist, and ranked No. 84 overall in the Class of 2016. The junior Murin placed fifth during his freshman season, and was excellent this past off-season; finished sixth at the UWW Cadet National freestyle tournament, went undefeated at the Disney Duals competing at 113 (+5), and took fourth in Cadet freestyle. 138: Ryan Leisure (Clear Lake, Iowa) vs. Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) Both wrestlers in this match won state this past season. The junior Leisure is a two-time state finalist, and was also a UWW Cadet All-American in Greco-Roman at 58 kilos this spring. Storr is a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist, and ranked No. 59 overall in the Class of 2016; he also placed third at the Super 32 Challenge last fall, and was a UWW Cadet National runner-up in freestyle at 63 kilos. 138/145: Carter Happel (Lisbon, Iowa) vs. Jarrett Degen (Belgrade, Mont.) This is a battle of three-time state champions, both of whom are ranked nationally within the Class of 2016. Happel placed fifth in Junior freestyle this summer at 138 pounds, competed in the 2014 UWW Cadet World Championships at 63 kilos, and is ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2016. Degen earned a NHSCA Junior Nationals title at 138 pounds this summer, placed eighth in Junior Greco-Roman this summer, and is ranked No. 87 overall in the 2016 class. 138/145: Happel vs. George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) Happel will also face off against another nationally ranked Class of 2016 prospect in two-time state champion Phillippi. The University of Virginia verbal commit is ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2016, and is a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer; fourth at 132 pounds last fall, runner-up at 120 in the fall of 2013. 160: Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) vs. Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) Both wrestlers in this match are ranked among the elite Class of 2016 prospects nationally. Three-time state placer Hughes won state this past season, after finishing fifth and second the previous two seasons; the No. 31 overall senior also placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge last fall at 152 pounds, and went undefeated this summer in the Disney Duals at 152 pounds (+5). Marinelli is a three-time state champion, and ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2016; he was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge last fall at 160 pounds, and is now a three-time finalist at the Walsh Ironman, winning the title during his junior season. 160: Colton Clingenpeel (Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Iowa) vs. Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.) Clingenpeel is a two-time state placer, including a third place finish at 138 pounds last season. He also earned All-American honors in Junior Greco-Roman this summer, finishing eighth at 152 pounds. Fellow two-time state placer Young is ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2016, placing seventh in last year's Super 32 Challenge at 152 pounds and sixth at the FloNationals during this past spring. 220: Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) vs. Dylan Prince (Pittsburg, Kans.) Andersen is a two-time state champion, and three-time state placer, along with holding the No. 43 overall position in the Class of 2016. He was champion in Junior folkstyle this spring at 220 pounds, and also competed at the UWW Cadet World Championships in Greco-Roman last summer at 100 kilos. The junior Prince finished third at state in the 182-pound weight class last season, and was All-American in both styles at 195 pounds in the Cadet Nationals (fourth Greco-Roman, fifth freestyle) 285: Zach Muller (Downers Grove South, Ill.) vs. Gannon Gremmel (Dubuque Hempstead, Iowa) The junior Muller has yet to make the state tournament, but was most excellent this off-season, starting with a Cadet folkstyle title at 285 pounds. He also earned All-American honors in both styles at the UWW Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals competing at heavyweight. The senior Gremmel, ranked No. 60 overall nationally, has placed in all three state tournaments of his career at 220 pounds. He had an in-season win over eventual state champion Andersen, but lost to him during the state tournament on the way to a third-place finish. Women: Morgan Becker vs. Rachel Watters

The LHU wrestling team officially opens practice for the 2015-16 season on Monday (October 12) and the Bald Eagles will host "Midday Matness," taking the session outdoors. At 1:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.) on Monday, head coach Scott Moore and his Bald Eagles will throw the mats down outside Stevenson Library by the Fountain.

For Fort Hays State University national wrestling champ Daryl Henning, this Halloween will be all treats and no tricks as he and others connected to the Kansas-based school's sports programs will be inducted into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame, the Hays Post reported Friday. Henning won the 158-pound title at the 1981 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Wrestling Championships as a senior, helping the Tigers to a sixth-place finish in the team standings at the nationals. He was a two-time NAIA All-American at FHSU, coming in fourth at the 1979 NAIAs as a sophomore, helping the team to place seventh that year. Henning was the second-ever national champion for FHSU in wrestling, eleven years after Leland Tresner won his NAIA title in 1969. (The FHSU Tigers now wrestle in NCAA Division II.) In addition to Henning, other members of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015 include Jeff Bieker (baseball), Jayme Eichner (volleyball), Jim Montgomery (track & field), Vicki Thom Smith (gymnastics), and Ed and Donna Stehno (contributors). The induction ceremony will take place Halloween morning, Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Memorial Union Ballroom on the campus of Fort Hays State University at 10 a.m. The inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the football game vs. Nebraska-Kearney at 2:30 p.m. Fort Hayes State established the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame in 1986. The school's wrestling program was founded in 1927.

The idea of a redshirt season is widely accepted for college student-athletes, with the idea of helping students become accustomed to the demands of college life, including more rigorous coursework. However, some parents of younger student-athletes appear to be using the same idea by having their kids repeat a grade in middle school, with the hope that these youngsters will be more mature physically and mentally than their high school competitors in a number of sports, including wrestling. This past week, two New Jersey state senators co-sponsored a bill that would penalize student-athletes who were purposely held back a year for reasons other than failing grades, disruptive behavior, or lack of emotional maturity. The bill would limit student-athletes who repeat grades six, seven or eight -- despite being academically on track -- to three years or six consecutive semesters of athletic eligibility once they begin high school. The three years of eligibility would include all levels of play: freshman, junior varsity and varsity. The proposed legislation has generated a series of articles at NJ.com and its NJ Advance Media Division, including a profile of Damion Hahn, two-time NCAA champ for the University of Minnesota just over a decade ago, who weighed in on the issue, having been held back by his parents in middle school in New Jersey for other reasons. Damion Hahn (Photo/Rob Preston)"Twenty-one years ago, Hahn was held back by his parents at Lakewood Middle School," wrote Matthew Stanmyre of NJ.com Thursday. "Hahn, now 35, says he had done just enough to meet academic requirements and pass the seventh grade, but he was disruptive in class, lacked self-discipline and was not socially ready to move on." "Hahn -- one of the greatest wrestlers to ever slide on a singlet in New Jersey and now the top assistant coach at Cornell -- admits athletics played a secondary role in the decision to stay back. But he says regardless of the specific reasons, it was a life-changing choice that propelled him on a path for success." Before wrestling for Minnesota, Hahn was a three-time New Jersey state champ at Lakewood High School, and named the state's High School Wrestler of the Century by the Newark Star-Ledger in 2000. "Unless they can come up with some substantial facts that this is hurting kids, then I don't understand it," Hahn told NJ.com. "None of these things that people are doing I feel are breaking the law. We're not talking about giving kids performance-enhancing drugs or anything like that. We're just talking about if you're holding kids back." State Sen. Peter Barnes, co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation isn't about limiting opportunities for student-athletes, but, rather, to ensure everyone plays by the same rules. "It's not just about your kid; it's about the fairness of all the kids who have to compete, all of whom want to succeed," Barnes said. "If your kid gets a full year of extra eligibility, that's not fair to kids who are playing by the rules, who are going to school at the right age and matriculating through at the right age." "I've seen the abuses over the years," said Barnes, a father of three who has been involved in coaching youth sports. "This is a gimmick and it's been going on a long time. People are milking the system. They are gaming the system." State Sen. Richard Codey, original sponsor of the bill, is a long-time youth basketball coach. "It's clear in 99 percent of these cases it's being done for athletic advantage," Codey said. "This phenomenon has been around, but it's to me, anecdotally, growing by leaps and bounds." While there is no known or reliable data on how many students have been held back a grade with the hope of boosting their athletic careers, some coaches estimate twenty to fifty percent of top-tier New Jersey high school athletes have repeated a grade. An article published Wednesday at NJ.com names some Garden State athletes, including 2015 No. 1 NBA draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns, 2015 McDonald's All-Americans Isaiah Briscoe and Malachi Richardson, three-time state wrestling champion Johnny Sebastian and former Big East Conference football Rookie of the Year Brian Toal ... all who repeated the eighth grade. In fact, the proposed legislation -- and recent series at NJ.com -- sprang from a NJ Advance Media special report in September on Josh McKenzie, described as the nation's top-rated football player and wrestler entering ninth grade, who repeated the eighth grade with his idea of advancing his athletic career. Reactions to proposals restricting middle-school student-athletes repeating a grade are mixed. "We're losing sight of exactly what high school sports are and what drives it," Nutley High athletic director Joe Piro told NJ.com. "High school sports are extracurricular activities, and the most important thing that happens during the course of the day in a teenager's life should be the quality of the education they're getting. What's happening now is people are doing everything they can chasing the infamous full scholarship." "You can't deny the benefits," Montclair High football coach John Fiore told NJ.com back in September. "That year of maturity really helps -- with boys especially." Damion Hahn offered his perspective as a parent, coach and one-time wrestling superstar. "You're drawing a fine line," Hahn said. "I have two young boys that are 3 and 9 months old and I want better for them than what I had. I want to provide them the same athletic benefits as the next kid. So that is something that me and my wife have talked about. I think it's crazy to say to a parent, 'That's wrong.' You want to give your kid the best possible chance; how can you say that's wrong?" It will be interesting to see what happens with the proposed legislation in New Jersey ... and whether it will help spark similar efforts in other states.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Four wrestlers from New Jersey had chances to earn All-American honors at 149 pounds at the 2015 NCAA Division I championships when the infamous blood round started. Only two -- Rider's Bryant "B.J." Clagon and Old Dominion's Alexander "Lenny" Richardson -- found spots on the podium. Clagon and Richardson will kick off the season with a matchup at 149 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. Clagon and Richardson will join Lehigh's Mason Beckman, Nathaniel Brown and Edinboro's Vic Avery as wrestlers in the event from non-Power 5 conferences. As a freshman, Clagon entered the 2015 NCAA championships as the No. 15 seed and wrestled his way to a fifth-place finish as a redshirt freshman. Clagon fell to No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis 2-1 in the second round and then won four straight bouts before falling again to Tsirtsis by the same 2-1 score in the consolation semifinals. Clagon upended No. 5 Chris Villalonga of Cornell 6-3 in the fifth-place match and finished the season with a 30-11 record. Richardson went 29-9 and entered the NCAA championships as the No. 8 seed and reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual NCAA champion Drake Houdashelt of Missouri. Richardson defeated No. 14 Cody Ruggirello of Hofstra 2-0 to earn All-American honors. Clagon and Richardson would meet in the consolation quarterfinals with Clagon gutting out a 4-3 victory in the tiebreakers. Richardson won the a previous meeting earlier in the season in the same manner, a 2-1 tiebreaker victory at the Midlands. "Many across the country know how good the wrestling is in New Jersey," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "That's apparent by how many wrestlers from the Garden State excel on the next level whether they choose to stay in state or to go out of state for their college careers. B.J. Clagon and Alexander Richardson have had two very close bouts already in their careers and there's no reason this matchup should be any different." Clagon will give Rider its fifth all-time appearance at the event and the first since Shawn Scannell wrestled Iowa State's Cael Sanderson at 184 pounds in 2001 when the event was hosted at Franklin & Marshall. Rider wrestlers are 1-3 in the event with the only win coming in Philadelphia in 1991 when Adam Derengowski defeated Oregon's Dan Vidlak 7-3 at 118 pounds. Richardson will also be the fifth appearance in the All-Star Classic from his school. Wayne Bright made the program's first appearance back in 1970, falling to Iowa State's Dan Gable. James Nicholson made back-to-back appearances in 2008 and 2009, while Jack Dechow competed for the Monarchs last season. The school is looking for its first individual win in the event. So far, the first seven announced matches feature three NCAA champions and 14 All-Americans with 17 medals between them. 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: 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.

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Franklin & Marshall's head wrestling coach Mike Rogers announced former Penn State standout Andrew Alton as the Diplomats' new assistant coach. Andrew AltonAs a member of the staff, Alton's duties will involve helping run all aspects of the program, including recruiting, scheduling practice plans and assisting with technique. His responsibilities will also contain a focus on developing the lighter/middle weights. A 2015 graduate from Penn State, he wrestled under renowned head coach Cael Sanderson and was present for one of the most successful runs in collegiate wrestling history, as the Nittany Lions captured four consecutive NCAA National Championships from 2011-14. "The coaching staff is excited to bring someone like Andrew Alton into the program," said head coach Mike Rogers. "Andrew has trained under one of the best programs in the country at Penn State and his experience in competing in the Big Ten will be a valuable resource for us." Starting his collegiate career at 141, Alton received the Shalles Award as a freshman by accumulating 18 pins, placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships and was an NCAA Qualifier. He went 2-2 at the tournament with a pin and a major decision, finishing just one win shy of All-America status. He moved up to the 149 weight class after his first year in State College and again qualified for the NCAAs as a sophomore, placing fourth in the Big Ten Tournament and assisting his team's National Championship run with a key pin. Alton competed alongside his identical twin brother, Dylan, who was an All-American his freshman year after taking third at Nationals. Rogers is personally familiar with the Alton family, as their father, Neil, served as a volunteer assistant coach at Lock Haven when Rogers wrestled for the school. "I've seen both Andrew and Dylan develop over the course of their career and I've gotten to know the Alton family very well over that time," said Rogers. "I'm excited to be working with Andrew as he starts his collegiate coaching career here at F&M." Graduating from Central Mountain High School in 2010, Alton was a two-time Pennsylvania State Champion (2009-10) and a four-time Asics Junior Freestyle National Champion.

This week FloWrestling released Episode 2 of their documentary film series "Kolat" a miniseries on the life and career of the American wrestling legend. Where Episode 1 recapped Kolat's upbringing, high school career and college career, Episode 2 focused on Kolat's international career and the controversies that seemed to follow him to three consecutive World Championships. The episode tapped into Kolat's raw emotions after taking losses at the World Championships which were mired in poor refereeing and perceptions of corruption among the top brass of the international federation, then known as FILA. Kolat's losses weren't just dramatic failures on the mat, they were off-the-mat sagas, which added depth to a story that might otherwise have been scripted in the normal humdrum of wrestling community speak. The piece didn't focus as much on high crotches and top technique as it did Kolat's humanity, something the wrestling community had never seen up close. Fans across the country identified with Kolat's struggle to understand his losses since they too, in their own career, had felt some injustice, or the proper recognition of their ability or contribution. The producers, led by Mark Bader, did an excellent job to let the story speak for itself, a testament to their experience as storytellers. There is extraordinary skill in allowing the subject's voice to be heard and the Flo crew did that with precision, allowing Kolat's grieving occupy the episode's emotional space. This was exceptional and brilliant work. I'm happy that we no longer live in the era of re-wrestling matches and have the benefit of immediate challenges. An independent refereeing body and improved internal governance have allowed the new governing body to focus on the wrestlers. Still, shining light on these episodes of the past can be important in ensuring the sanitation of the sport for generations to come. Fifteen years ago Kolat was failed by a system, but this week he seems to have recovered the respect and admiration he was always meant to receive. From here, anything is possible for Kolat -- for the first time in a generation he's the talk of the town, and for all the right reasons. To your questions … Q: So far I'm loving the matchups scheduled for the NWCA All-Star Classic. However, I find it strange that it's being held at a university with no wrestling program in a state (Georgia) with a fairly weak wrestling history and background. I kind of felt the same way with the World Championships being held in Las Vegas. I was pumped it was in the U.S., but how many people in Nevada tend to care that much about wrestling compared to some other states? Anyway, any reason U.S. wrestling organizations tend to pick such questionable locations for these types of events from time-to-time? Am I missing something? -- Ryan P. Foley: A few years ago I attempted to skewer USA Wrestling for holding the World Team Trials in Stillwater, Oklahoma. I believe I said something of tumbleweed and six shooters, but I couldn't be certain. Anyway, to learn more I flew to Oklahoma to see Stillwater up close, and since then have learned a lot about the financials of running an event. Though I'm far from an expert, I can tell you that there a myriad reasons for selecting a World Championship and USA Wrestling location. The NWCA All-Star Classic is a bit of a different beast. For years they've looked to hold the match in areas looking to either SAVE or GROW wrestling. There was an event in Fresno a few years ago, which was poorly attended, but with the recent reinstatement of Fresno State wrestling, may have been a huge political success. This year's matchups focus on Georgia, a state that's enjoying more success in recent years and with a growing fan base. It might be the aim of the NWCA to create some local publicity and give a further push to the idea of wrestling in the south -- an area whose culture and socio-economic status isn't that removed from the culture and SES of almost every other successful wrestling region in the country, nay WORLD. As for Las Vegas, the city itself is a loss leader, meaning they ensure cheap transportation into and out of the city, as well as cheap hotel rooms for guests. There was no chance that fans would be bored at the event, the arena size was perfect for a wrestling audience, and teams had easy access to the airport. As World Championships go the feedback from international wrestling lifers was that the 2015 iteration was the best of all-time. Subjectivity aside it was certainly the highest-grossing, most-watched, and (maybe) the best participated event in wrestling history. I'll agree that the event locations are a tricky calculus, but I will also give you a touch of breaking news. Next week the process for bidding on international events will be officially overhauled. The changes, which you can read about on Monday, could mean much more visible and profitable sport. Q: Bruce Burnett recently said in an interview at the World Championships that 2016 is his last year as the national freestyle coach. He also mentioned that he would like to have the new incoming coach on board during his last year to help with the transition. Who do you think are the likely suspects for this position, and can we expect to see this announcement anytime soon? -- Scott M. Bruce Burnett speaks at a press conference prior to the start of the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Foley: Burnett has always said that he was a place-filler for whoever was hired in 2016. What Burnett has given the American team is a strong, experienced and successful voice for the two years running up to the Olympics. He's on track to have a solid Olympic year with two top-ranked wrestlers and five medal threats. He's won before and there is no doubt he'll win again in 2016. Honestly for what he's done on such short notice, Burnett deserves to have the wrestling center named in his honor. Incredible career and leadership. There will be no announcement before the Olympics. Afterward I think the process will open up to several big-name coaches to include Cael Sanderson and John Smith. Both have other obligations, but there is at least a chance they bite after the 2016 Games. Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick will also throw their names in the ring along with a Brands or two? Oh, and … Q: I like the idea of Cary Kolat becoming the national freestyle coach after 2016. Leading young men to World and Olympic medals could help heal some of the wounds, I would think. Could you see Kolat leading Team USA? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't know that he would LEAD Team USA right off the bat, but I think that they would love to have him involved in the program. Maybe as a national team coach? There are already some talented coaches on staff and there is only so much room, but I think everyone would enjoy having his knowledge on the mats in Colorado Springs. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Babies are CUTE. That Olympic rematch with Kolat Kolat backflip (5:50) Q: Is Lee Kemp the best U.S. wrestler to never win an Olympic gold medal? -- Mike C. Foley: Unsure that we could ever answer that question with clarity. Cary Kolat sure seems like another solid candidate. Remember that Lee Kemp faced stiff competition throughout his international career. Certainly the boycott in 1980 hurt his chances, but he still needed to get past Dave Schultz in 1984, which didn't happen. He lost to the future Olympic champion at the Trials at Grand Valley State. Kemp is in the discussion. Q: Can Dustin Schlatter make 65 kilos in the Olympic year? Or will we see him at 74 kilos? -- Mike C. Foley: Bah! I think he'll go 65 kilos, but only because that is his best chance for making the team. He is a longshot to beat Brent Metcalf, Jordan Oliver and Logan Stieber, but an even longer shot to do anything to Burroughs at 74 kilos. Q: A persistent question in the wrestling community is how tournament scoring should be done, to try and give the most accurate display of the "best" team was at a given tournament. In the NCAA, we have seen second-place guys score more than the man who beat them in the finals (David Taylor-Kyle Dake in 2013 comes to mind) and A.J. Schopp this year scored 21 points, tying a few champs. UWW uses a very simple 10-1 sliding scale, ensuring no silver medalist can outscore the champ. I like that model, but is there any possibility UWW would move to a model similar to that used by Formula 1? They use 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 as their model. This would ensure more World champs at the World Cup, as using this year's men's freestyle results Italy would've placed 10th on the back of Chamizo's title. -- The Wrestler Foley: The scoring is under discussion and President Lalovic said at a press conference in Las Vegas that he is desperate to change it for the better. That said, any scoring changes would also need to lead back to a possible season-long ranking system. No matter how much people complain, I've seen several proposals and can tell you that the right mixture isn't out there. I also know that everyone is hoping to open an email and find an attachment that solves all these riddles. Recognition of the Week John C. On October 10, six Division III NCAA champions will be inducted into the St. Lawrence University Athletics Hall of Fame. The inductees are Phil Lanzatella, Tod Northrup, Leland Rogers, Mark Shortsleeves, Patrick Conners, and Jason Bovenzi. Let me know if you are interested in more information. The SLU wrestling program won a D3 title in 1988. Unfortunately, the program was discontinued in 1995.

Less than four months before Madison Square Garden hosts its first NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the New York City arena will welcome a number of the nation's top college wrestling programs at its fourth-annual Grapple at the Garden dual-meet event, to be held Sunday, Nov. 29, MSG Sports announced via press release Thursday. For a number of college wrestling programs, Madison Square Garden's Grapple at the Garden 4 will be the opening event for the entire season that will ultimately culminate with the 2016 NCAA championships, to be held in the "world's most famous arena" next March 17-19 for the very first time in the 86-year history of the NCAAs. Cornell was 2-0 at the 2014 Grapple at the Garden, which included wins over Edinboro and UNI (Photo/Juan Garcia)A total of 22 colleges and universities will participate in the event which has become an early-season staple of the college wrestling calendar since the first Grapple at the Garden took place in Dec. 2012. This year's Grapple at the Garden will feature a total of 11 NCAA Division I programs, including five schools which placed among the top 20 in the team standings at the 2015 NCAA championships, including No. 5 Cornell University, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 12 Illinois, and No. 15 Northwestern. In addition, the event will also feature one Division II and seven Division III mat programs, along with three school-affiliated wrestling clubs. The full roster of participating NCAA programs includes Cornell, Drexel, Franklin & Marshall College, George Mason, Hofstra, Illinois, LIU Post, Maryland, Mount Saint Vincent, Muhlenberg, Nebraska, New York University, Northwestern, Oswego State, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Princeton, Rutgers, Stevens Institute and Wilkes University, as well as wrestling clubs from Penn State, Stony Brook University, and SUNY Farmingdale. Wrestling being an individual sport, the 2015 edition of Grapple at the Garden will feature some of the most accomplished athletes in college wrestling right now, including 2015 NCAA Champion Gabe Dean and the 2014 Grapple at the Garden Most Outstanding Wrestler Nahshon Garrett from Cornell along with 2015 NCAA and Big Ten Champion Isaiah Martinez from Illinois. Additionally, Anthony Ashnault from Rutgers achieved All-American status as a redshirt freshman, marking two consecutive years for the Scarlet Knights with an AA (Anthony Perrotti, 2014). In addition to announcing Grapple at the Garden 4 participants, Madison Square Garden also revealed match-ups for the dual-meet-format event. As in the past, there will be three separate sessions for college programs. The first session, which begins at 8 a.m., features Mt. St. Vincent vs. SUNY Farmingdale, and Stony Brook vs. PSU. Session two begins at 10:00 a.m. and will include Cornell vs. Nebraska, George Mason vs. Rutgers, Illinois vs. Maryland, Northwestern vs. Drexel, Hofstra vs. Princeton, Franklin & Marshall vs. Oswego State, LIU Post vs. Wilkes, and NYU vs. Stevens. Session three gets underway at noon, featuring Cornell vs. Rutgers, Princeton vs. Nebraska, Northwestern vs. Franklin & Marshall, Illinois vs. Drexel, Maryland vs. Hofstra, George Mason vs. Pitt - Johnstown, and Muhlenberg vs. Oswego State. Tickets, priced at $20.00, $35.00 and $55.00, are currently on sale and may be purchased online at www.thegarden.com, all Ticketmaster locations and the Madison Square Garden box office.

The Fight Network presents Takedown Wrestling Radio live from the iHeart Studios in Des Moines, Iowa. Powered by Kemin Industries, Takedown takes the pulse of America's sport. This week's cast of Takedown Radio includes Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Stephen Stonebraker, Jeff Murphy, Tim Harms and Brad Johnson. Join us this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT) live on the iHeart Radio App, KXNO.com or TakedownWrestle.com. For contests and conversation use 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966 Listen for the chance to win a pair of Nike Takedown Wrestling shoes and Defense Soap travel kit. 9 a.m. Dan Gable and Mike Doughty, Dan Gable Musuem Gala event coordinators 9:20 a.m. Tom Brands, Iowa head wrestling coach 9:40 a.m. Jim Heffernan, Illinois head wrestling coach 10 a.m. Brian Smith, Missouri head wrestling coach 10:20 a.m. Roddy Rieger, professional wrestler 10:40 a.m. Dylan Wanagiel, executive producer of the Grapple at the Garden. Enter our Takedown Sportswear Super Sunday Singlet giveaway for a chance to win a singlet every Sunday of the year by following us on Facebook and on Twitter. Enter our Wednesday Warrior Contest to win a headgear from DanmarWarrior.com by following us on Facebook and on Twitter. Special thanks to our friends at Adidas, Cadillac, Dollamur, All American Wrestling Supply, Defense Soap, 04 Water, Nike, Legends of Gold National Training Center, St. Louis Sports Commission, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Sunflower Wrestling, Fast Signs, McCarger Works, Fenemore Brothers Tree Service, Rockstar Satellite DirecTV, DanMarWarrior.com and Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Louie's Wine Dive, TheWrestlingSite.com, IAWrestle.com, Roller Productions, and Kaldenberg Landscaping.

George Thompsion, national wrestling champion for North Dakota State University, is among five athletes to be inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 9. George ThompsonThompson won the 134-pound title at the 1997 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships for NDSU, and was a four-time NCAA Div. II All-American (1995-1998). He also was crowned North Central Conference champ in 1997. Wrestling for legendary coach Bucky Maughan, Thompson compiled a 99-35 overall record for the Bison, including 34-9 in duals and 17 pins. Following graduation with honors from NDSU in 1998, Thompson went to the University of Northern Colorado and earned his master's degree in sport administration, and served as the top assistant for the UNC Bears for seven years, coaching several All-Americans while helping guide the program through their transition from Division II to Division I classification. Thompson was inducted into the South Dakota Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014. In addition to Thompson, other members of the Bison Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015 include men's track and field All-American Jason Breitzman, national award-winning women's basketball player Jayne Even Gust, softball All-America shortstop Nikki Gregg, and women's track and field high jump national champion Andrea Jeseritz Pearson. The 44th annual induction ceremony will bring the number of individuals enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 269. The induction will take place at the Holiday Inn in Fargo. Lunch will begin at 11 a.m. with the induction ceremony starting at 11:30 a.m. A limited number of tickets will be available from the NDSU athletic department for a cost of $25 per ticket. Please contact Helena Johnston at (701) 231-6172 or email Helena.Johnston@ndsu.edu. The group will also be recognized at halftime of NDSU's homecoming football game Saturday, Oct. 10, against Northern Iowa.

Bill Kerslake, three-time U.S. Olympic wrestler who launched his mat career at what is now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, died Sept. 29 in Ohio. He was 85. Bill Kerslake wrestling Hallow WilsonWrestling heavyweight for the U.S. freestyle team, Kerslake placed fifth in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, seventh in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and eighth in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. In addition, Kerslake won the gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City. In its Oct. 7 announcement of Kerslake's passing, USA Wrestling described Kerslake as "one of the nation's top wrestlers on the international level in the 1950s, winning numerous national titles and major events." Born in Euclid, Ohio in suburban Cleveland, William Roy Kerslake did not compete in wrestling until he attended Case Institute of Technology. As an undergraduate, Kerslake earned nine letters in wrestling, football and track and field. He set the Case and Ohio Conference shot put record in track, was an All-Big Four tackle (defensive and offensive) in football and was one of the premier wrestlers in the country, according to his Case Western Reserve Hall of Fame biography. For all those accomplishments, Kerslake was voted Case's outstanding athlete of 1951. Kerslake graduated in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in industrial chemistry and later went on to also earn a master's degree in chemical engineering from Case in 1955. "Bill was a wrestling alum, Case Institute 1951, and legend has it that the founding father of Case Western Reserve Wrestling, Claude Sharer, pulled Bill out of phys. ed. class to start his career as a Hall of Fame wrestler," according to Danny Song, head wrestling coach at Case Western. "He was a 15-time U.S. Open Champion, a 3-time Olympian at heavyweight while simultaneously serving in rocket propulsion development as a rocket scientist for NASA (then NACA)." Yes, Kerslake the wrestler was also Kerslake the rocket scientist. After college, Kerslake started his career at the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA, the forerunner of NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in suburban Cleveland, where he was instrumental in the development of rocket propulsion, including the first ion thruster which propelled U.S. astronauts to the moon, over a career lasting more than three decades. That career alone would be more than enough for most rocket scientists. Yet Kerslake managed to excel in his chosen profession while being a world-beater on the wrestling mat. "Unlike most of today's athletes who can train year-round thanks to sponsorships or their youth, Kerslake had to juggle a full-time job and his large role at home with preparing to wrestle the world's best," the 2008 article titled "Case's Three-Time Olympian and Rocket Scientist" reported. "Kerslake had to use all his vacation days and some unpaid leave time to train for and compete in the games. Although he would never admit it, that may have been what held him back from an Olympic medal." In addition to his on-the-mat success winning a total of 15 national titles -- eight in freestyle, seven in Greco-Roman -- Kerslake served as a high school referee in the Cleveland area for over a decade. Kerslake has been welcomed into a number of athletic and academic halls of fame, including the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. as a Distinguished Member in 1982, and the Case Western Reserve University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975. Kerslake is survived by four children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His wife of 61 years, Pat, preceded him in death. Services were held Thursday afternoon, Oct. 8 in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, the community Bill and Pat Kerslake called home for decades.

A pair of twin brothers, both Junior National freestyle All-Americans this summer, verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin on Wednesday evening. Zander Wick (San Marino, Calif.) is ranked No. 47 overall in the Class of 2016, and was a state runner-up during the past high school season; he also finished fifth in Junior freestyle this summer at 145 pounds. Evan Wick (San Marino, Calif.) is ranked No. 56 overall in the Class of 2016, and is a two-time state placer, finishing fifth and fourth the previous two seasons; he finished as a runner-up in Junior freestyle this summer at 152. Both wrestlers project as 149/157-pound wrestlers.

State champion Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.) made it a pair of Class of 2016 recruits for Iowa State from the state of Michigan on Wednesday night when he verbally committed to the Cyclones. The Junior National freestyle All-American is ranked No. 72 overall in the Class of 2016, and joins No. 59 Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) as part of this Iowa State recruiting class. Parker is also a three-time state placer, having won state this past year. In addition, he placed fourth at the Flo Nationals this past spring, and is also a three-time UWW Cadet National freestyle All-American. Parker projects to compete as a 125/133 in college.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello was one of the catalysts for the Buckeyes' championship run in 2015. West Virginia's Zeke Moisey was the Cinderella story of last year's championships. Nathan Tomasello and Zeke Moisey hug after their NCAA finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Tomasello defeated Moisey to win the 125-pound championship at the 2015 NCAA Division I Championships and the two will renew their series as they've both accepted invitations to compete 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. "What we saw last year with Nathan Tomasello and Zeke Moisey is how ready wrestlers are coming into college," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Even after a year redshirting at Ohio State, Tomasello stepped in and beat the undefeated top-seed to make the finals and Moisey, who was a true freshman last season, came into the tournament unseeded and reached the finals with a stunning pin in the semifinals." Tomasello, an Ohio native and graduate of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, defeated Moisey, a Pennsylvania native and graduate of Bethlehem Catholic, 9-5 in St. Louis. Tomasello finished the year 33-4, he came into the championships as the No. 4 seed after winning the Big Ten Championship. Moisey's 31-14 record was offset by his finals appearance. He upset four seeded wrestlers in last year's championships including second-seeded Nahshon Garrett of Cornell, seventh-seeded Eddie Klimara of Oklahoma State and sixth-seeded Thomas Gilman of Iowa. Tomasello defeated Moisey on three occasions last season, with each outcome getting closer each time. Ohio State's Logan Stieber was a participant in each of the last two All-Star Classics and Tomasello will make the Buckeyes' 20th appearance overall. Moisey becomes West Virginia's first participant in over a decade. The last Mountaineer to compete in the event came back in November of 2004 when eventual three-time NCAA champion Greg Jones defeated Iowa's Paul Bradley at 184 pounds. West Virginia coach Sammie Henson competed in the event back in 1994 in Pittsburgh. Wrestling for Clemson, Henson defeated rival Eric Akin of Iowa State 4-2 at 118 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: 157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 165: 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.

Matt Petsinger (Photo/NCAA)Matt Petsinger, 2001 NCAA Division II champ for Minnesota State University, Mankato, is one of four individual former athletes to be members of the Class of 2015 for the Minnesota State Athletics Hall of Fame, the school announced Monday. Petsinger was a four-time NCAA All-American -- one of only eight MSU wrestlers to have earned that distinction -- who capped off his collegiate career by winning the 157-pound title at the 2001 NCAA Div. II wrestling championships. The four-year letterwinner from Ellendale, Minn. was also crowned North Central Conference champion that year. Petsinger owns the school record for career pins with 84, and stands tied for fourth on the Minnesota State career wins list with a 120-26 record. He was named Minnesota State Senior Male Athlete of the Year for the 2000-01 school year. In addition to Petsinger, other new Hall of Fame honorees include men's cross country/track & field All-American Gordon Cookshaw (MSU 1973-77), women's hockey standout Shari (Vogt) Dickerman (MSU 2000-04), and women's volleyball icon Jennifer (Blendermann) Nelson (MSU 1999-2002), along with former faculty athletics representative Ron Hybertson (1991-2000) and former women's soccer coach Chris Miskec (1996-2007). In addition, the men's track & field team from 1975-76 will be welcomed into the Class of 2015. The Minnesota State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015 will be inducted this Friday, Oct. 3 with the formal induction ceremony taking place at the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner held in MSU's CSU Ballroom. Registration at 6:00 p.m.; the program starts at 7:00 p.m. Those who wish to attend the dinner may register by calling (507) 389-3235, or 888-234-3796, or online at http://alumni.mnsu.edu/hof. The dinner price is $25.00 per person.

Imagine getting to dine on grilled steak and crab -- all you can eat, outdoors -- with all proceeds going to benefit the Colorado Mesa University wrestling program. Stop imagining -- and bring your appetite to the Tenth Annual Steak & Crab Fest 2015, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. next to Colorado Mesa's Stocker Stadium, alongside the pool, in Grand Junction, Colo. For $60 per person, participants may enjoy all the steak and crab they can handle, with drinks included. The Beer Garden is included with Steak & Crab Fest ticket purchase. For kids, hotdogs and soda will be available for $5. All proceeds benefit CMU Maverick wrestling. Last year's Steak & Crab Fest was the biggest in event history, with approximately 800 people attending, according to Colorado Mesa head coach Charles Pipher. Those interested in attending may purchase tickets online at tickets.CMUmavericks.com, or by contacting coach Pipher by email at cpipher@coloradomesa.com. Colorado Mesa competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and in NCAA Division II.

Steve Blackford, two-time Pac-10 titlewinner and Bob Buzzard, two-time Big 8 champion for Iowa State, are among the six honorees named to the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame, the ISHAA announced Monday . Others to be welcomed into the Hall during the IHSAA State Championships on Saturday, Feb. 20, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines include Dan Cummings, Dave Ewing, Vance Light, and Doug Trees. Steve BlackfordBlackford claimed back-to-back state titles (1995, 1996) at Dowling Catholic, and also a 1996 Freestyle Nationals finalist, placing third at the Junior Greco-Roman Nationals. He then headed west to Arizona State, where he was a three-time NCAA All-American in addition to winning Pac 10 titles twice. While a law student at Catholic University, he was killed in a car accident in Colorado in Sept. 2004. Buzzard was a two-time Iowa state champ at Waterloo East High School in 1958 and 1960. At Iowa State, Buzzard, in addition to twice winning conference crowns, was a two-time NCAA All-American for the Cyclones in the early 1960s, where he also was on the ISU 1963 NCAA runner-up team and 1965 team titlewinning squad. Buzzard was a 1969 World Champion in Greco-Roman, and earned a place on the 1972 US Olympic team. Later, Buzzard became a successful high school coach in Illinois and Oregon. Cummings just completed 38 years at Mediapolis, with 36 as head coach, crafting an overall dual-meet mark of 460-167-3, fourth-best all-time in Iowa. In just the past three seasons, his teams have a 79-12 record, finishing third, second and first in the traditional tournament. Cummings has coached 31 wrestlers with 100 or more wins and 10 who have surpassed 150 victories; 131 of his wrestlers have qualified for the state tournament, with 56 medal winners, seven runners-up and eight champions. Ewing earned NCAA All-American honors at Iowa State in 1985, then served as a grad assistant for the Cyclones for one season before joining the coaching staff at nearby Ankeny High School. In 26 seasons, Ewing led the Hawks to a 354-141 record before retiring in 2013, when he was named Coach of the Year in 3A. Ewing coached 105 state qualifiers of which four were champions and 32 were medal winners. Light was a four-time state qualifier for Lisbon High, winning back-to-back Iowa titles in 1986 and 1987. At Drake University, Light was a four year letterwinner and NCAA qualifier. His 139 wins at Drake was best in the school's history. As coach at Mount Vernon High, Light is the school's winningest head coach, with a 332-127 record. He has coached 81 state qualifiers with 31 medal winners including four champions. Trees was a four-time Iowa state finalist for Greene High, taking second in 1966 and 1967 before winning championships in 1968 and 1969, He had a 113-5 record as a prep. He was named twice to the high school All American squad. He went on to wrestle for North Iowa Area Community College where he was a national qualifier in 1970 with a 19-2 record before suffering a career-ending injury. Trees has volunteered hours and service to the North Butler wrestling program.

State champion Christian Araneo (Ward Melville, N.Y.) verbally committed to Princeton University early on Monday evening. He is ranked No. 86 overall in the Class of 2016, and joins No. 67 Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) as a grade-level ranked commit for the Tigers in this class. Araneo projects to compete at either 197 or 285 pounds, placed 7th in last year's Super 32 Challenge at 195 pounds, and was third in this spring's NHSCA Junior Nationals at 195.

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DES MOINES, Iowa --The Dan Gable Museum Gala just added star power to an already historic line-up of wrestling greats, announcing that Terry Steiner, head coach at USA Wrestling for the women's national team and three-time women's freestyle wrestling World champion Adeline Gray, are scheduled to attend. The Dan Gable Museum Gala is the culmination of a yearlong capital campaign for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. It is also an opportunity to kick off the wrestling season. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is a not-for-profit organization based out of Waterloo, Iowa. Its mission is to preserve history, recognize excellence, and inspire generations. The Gala will be Sat., Oct. 24 at the Holiday Inn Airport in Des Moines, Iowa. Dan Gable, namesake of the museum, will be the featured speaker. Steiner, an NCAA champion under Gable in 1993, and Gray will appear on-stage with Gable during his presentation. Anyone interested in attending the Dan Gable Museum Gala on Sat., Oct. 24 should contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org. A native of Waterloo, Gable is arguably the greatest athlete and coach ever. In 1972 he won a gold medal at the Munich Olympics without surrendering a point after winning NCAA titles for Iowa State in 1968 and 1969. As the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa he led the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA team titles in 21 years (1977-97), compiling a 355-21-5 dual meet record. “I love that Terry Steiner and his most famous pupil, Adeline Gray, will be in attendance at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum Gala on Oct. 24,” said Gable. “One of the main points of the evening is to enhance our total sport to all. This is pioneer work being done in Des Moines, Iowa. We are laying the groundwork for the future.” The appearance of Steiner and Gray comes weeks after the United States women's freestyle wrestling team earned a bronze medal team finish at the World Championships in Las Vegas. Gray earned her third World Championship in dominant fashion, outscoring her five opponents by a combined score of 49-4. The Gala will be a momentous event featuring representation from all 26 collegiate wrestling programs within the state of Iowa. Numerous Hall of Famers, Olympians, NCAA wrestling champions, and legendary coaches will also be in attendance. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is being transformed into a state-of-the-art museum with an expanded wrestling room and training center. Updated interactive displays throughout the museum are in the works, along with a new theater. The evening includes an update on the efforts to promote the 2016 Olympic Trials being held at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on April 10-12, 2016. Presenting sponsor for the Dan Gable Museum Gala is Casey's General Stores. Wild Rose Casino and Resort is a corporate sponsor for the event. Schedule of Events 6:30 PM: Registration, social hour, and silent auction open 7:30 PM: Program and dinner begin 8:30 PM: Live auction Holiday Inn – Airport 6111 Fleur Dr. Des Moines, IA 50321