InterMat Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Rudis, a premier athletic apparel brand that is uniquely marketed to the national wrestling community, has partnered with The Clash to promote an exclusive event driven product line. The line, which will be unveiled at The Clash XIV, will feature a new logo and look to promote the single greatest high school dual meet event in the United States. Since 2003, The Clash has been the battlefield for some of the most storied dual meets that high school wrestling has seen in the past decade. Many of America's most storied programs have made the trip to Rochester, including but not limited to St. Paris Graham, St. Edward, Apple Valley, Clovis CA, Oak Park River Forest, Montini Catholic, STMA, Brandon FL, and many more. Th¬is year's event is no different, as many teams in the top 20 return to Rochester for another great event on January 1-2, 2016. Rudis co-founder and President Jesse Leng comments on the partnership; "As a clothing brand founded by wrestlers, it has always been our goal to align Rudis with the greatest athletes and events the sport of wrestling has to offer. Partnering with The Clash is a tremendous source of pride for our brand. There is no better illustration of adopting wrestling as a Way of Life than thirty-two of the best high school teams converging on one location to do battle in the dead of winter. This is what wrestling is all about." The Clash executive director Lance Hughes discusses the alignment with Rudis. "The first time I saw the Rudis logo it stood out everywhere in the gym and I knew I had to learn more about the brand. The Clash is committed to putting on a great wrestling event that moves our sport forward and part of moving our sport forward means selling apparel that represents and supports wrestling rather than selling products of brands that spend their marketing dollars on other sports." The product line, which features over 10 licensed clothing items and accessories, is co-branded with the upstart Rudis brand and the newly designed and distinguishable Clash logo. Rudis and The Clash designed the product line to streamline awareness around the event and offer a consistent look for one of our country's greatest high school sporting events. The product line will be exclusively available at the event and for sale on www.clashmn.com. About Rudis Formed in September of 2013, Rudis is a brand that develops and market merchandise tailored to satisfy the ¬t and tastes of the global amateur wrestling community. Rudis proudly partners with some of the greatest names in wrestling including The Sunkist Kids, Ohio State, and Dave Schultz. To contact RUDIS please email info@therudis.com or visit www.therudis.com About The Clash The Clash is the premier national high school wrestling tournament held annually in Rochester, Minnesota. 32 of the best high school wrestling programs from around the country will gather at Rochester Community & Technical College January 1-2, 2016 for this unique two day, dual-format wrestling tournament. 100% of The Clash proceeds are given to wrestlers and wrestling organizations. To contact The Clash please email Lance.Hughes@ClashMN.com or visit www.clashmn.com.

SAN MARINO, Calif. -- Craig Sesker, a national award-winning journalist, publicist and author, has been named public relations director for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. Sesker, 49, spent the past 10 years working for USA Wrestling in the role of Communications Manager. He served as the editor for USA Wrestler, the member magazine of USA Wrestling which is distributed to more than 150,000 people. Sesker wrote thousands of articles, features and press releases for various USA Wrestling platforms. He also promoted the sport through media relations, and also played a key public relations role in wrestling's successful 2013 fight to stay in the Olympic Games. Chief Executive Officer Andy Barth and Executive Director of Development Wayne Boyd, co-founders of Titan Mercury, officially brought Sesker onboard with their highly successful club this week: "We're very pleased to announce the addition of Craig Sesker as Public Relations Director for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. Craig is an outstanding writer who brings years and years of experience to this position. He's done an excellent job promoting the sport of wrestling and we're very excited to have him join our team. Please join us in welcoming Craig Sesker to the Titan Mercury family." Sesker has also authored award-winning wrestling books on Hall of Fame coach Bobby Douglas and the highly successful Omaha Skutt Catholic high school team. He co-authored the book, Saving Wrestling, with veteran author Jamie Moffatt. That book documented the events of the 2013 Olympic fight. Sesker worked as a sportswriter for the Omaha World-Herald from 2000-06, covering high school, college and international wrestling. He won a national APSE award and won first place in the state Associated Press contest during his tenure there. Sesker was sports editor at the Burlington Hawk Eye from 1993-99. He managed a staff with four full-time and five part-time employees. He was a sportswriter with The Hawk Eye from 1988-1993. He won three national APSE writing awards and more than a dozen state writing awards in Burlington. Sesker is a two-time National Wrestling Writer of the Year. He also received special awards from the National Wrestling Media Association for his Bobby Douglas and Saving Wrestling books, in addition to a national award for best publication with USA Wrestler magazine. Sesker is a graduate of Wartburg (Iowa) College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations. He was named Outstanding Senior in Communications Arts. He covered wrestling for the school newspaper and also worked in sports information at Wartburg. He was a standout in track and field for the Knights. He ran on seven school-record relays at Wartburg, including the Iowa Conference champion 4×400-meter relay. He was team captain as a senior. Sesker competed in wrestling from fourth grade through high school, where he was a two-time district qualifier and a four-year varsity starter for Tipton (Iowa) High School. He was a member of two state championship track teams at Tipton, running a leg on three state champion and one state runner-up relay team for the Tigers. Sesker has one daughter, Hayley. He resides in Colorado Springs, Colo.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- University of Maryland head wrestling coach Kerry McCoy announced the addition of Ganbayar Sanjaa and Frank Goodwin to his staff Tuesday. Sanjaa will join as a volunteer assistant while Goodwin, who finished his Maryland career in 2015, will serve as an administrative assistant. “We are very excited for Ganbayar and Frank to join our staff,” head coach Kerry McCoy said. “Both are very accomplished and they will both elevate the level of our program.” Sanjaa was a two-time All-American as a competitor at American University. The Mongolia native finished sixth at the NCAA Championships in 2012 after a season that saw him go 25-6 at 157 pounds. He placed second at the Midlands Championships, participated in the NWCA All-Star Classic and finished third at the EIWA Championships. In 2011, Sanjaa took fourth in the NCAA Championships after a 26-8 mark. He defeated four ranked opponents over the course of that season and took second at the Keystone Classic. Sanjaa also earned Academic All-American honors from the NWCA. Before transferring to American, Sanjaa competed for Colby Community College and won the 2009 NJCAA National Championship and was a finalist in 2010. He was a two-time NJCAA Academic All-American and earned the Sportsmanship Award at the NJCAA National Tournament. Sanjaa has also wrestled for the Mongolian national wrestling team. Goodwin wrestled for five seasons for the Terrapins and was a three-year starter. The Gambrills, Md., native earned over 50 wins in his career and qualified for the 2013 NCAA Championships after a fourth-place finish at the 2013 ACC Championships. Goodwin was also a two-time Maryland high school state champion. Maryland opens its season with the Red & Black Wrestle-Offs on Oct. 25 at noon.

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Otterbein University has hired Brent Rastetter as its new head coach for wrestling, announced Tuesday morning by Dawn Stewart, director of athletics. Brent RastetterRastetter, 43, was chosen after the search committee narrowed down the pool of initial applicants to five finalists. He comes to Otterbein from Lexington High School in Lexington, Ohio, where he spent the past 12 years as the varsity wrestling coach and the past five as Dean of Students/Athletic Director for Lexington Junior High. "Otterbein's decision to add varsity wrestling has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response," Stewart said. "I am proud of this addition and now, more importantly, to hire Brent as the coach. He is a competitor who has put Lexington on the map. I'm excited for him to now be the face of our program and to provide our student-athletes with the same commitment and dedication that he has given to Lexington for so many years." "The most appealing aspect of this position was the opportunity to build a program from the ground up," Rastetter added with excitement. "Everything started to seem like a perfect fit once I got to campus and was able to meet Dawn and the rest of the staff. I couldn't be any more humbled or proud to be a part of this." Rastetter enjoyed a very successful run at Lexington, compiling a dual-meet record of 208-34 while capturing eight-straight conference championships. In addition, the Minutemen won eight sectional titles, finished sectional runners-up four other times, and finished state runner-up as a team in 2009. His program achieved six top-10 individual finishes at the OHSAA state wrestling tournament over the past seven years. "I think my entire career has led to this point," said Rastetter, the 2010 Division II Ohio Coach of the Year. "I'm excited to have this challenge and to be able to evolve as a coach. It gives me a great chance to push myself and grow as an individual, which is exactly the same thing I want from my wrestlers. It's going to be fun." An eight-time Ohio Cardinal Conference Coach of the Year, Rastetter has produced 189 district qualifiers, 45 state qualifiers, 27 state placers and four state champions during his career. Eleven of his former Lexington wrestlers have gone on to compete at the college level, including five at Duke University. He is now eager to begin developing another winning formula at Otterbein. "I want a first-class program all the way," Rastetter said of his vision. "We are going to focus on being the true student-athlete; promoting a quality education and walking out with a degree. At the same time, our guys will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level on the wrestling mat." Rastetter holds 23 years of coaching experience in all, which also includes 18 in both football and track at the junior high and high-school levels. He spent 15 years as a teacher, grades 4-8, before taking over his recent Dean of Students/Athletic Director role. Prior to Lexington, he taught and coached at Crestview High School in Ashland, Ohio, where he got his first head coaching job at the age of 20. Rastetter received his bachelor's degree from Ashland University, in 1995, before obtaining a master's in technology education from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) in 2005. He and his wife, Michelle, have three children together; son, Collin, an 18-year old freshman at Ohio Wesleyan University, 15-year old son, Caden, and a four-year old daughter, Ella. "I especially need to thank my family for supporting me in this endeavor," Rastetter said. "It's going to be a big change for everyone, but they have allowed me to chase after this 100 percent. I'm so appreciative and just very excited to get going as a Cardinal." Otterbein had previously offered wrestling from 1961-1974 before the program was cut.

Loras College dedicated its Dr. Michael Early Wrestling Wall of Fame to honor the greatest Duhawk wrestlers during its Homecoming celebration this past weekend, the Iowa-based school announced Saturday . Loras College dedicated its Dr. Michael Early Wrestling Wall of Fame to honor the greatest Duhawk wrestlers during its Homecoming celebration this past weekendThe display, which will showcase six national champions and 55 NCAA Division III All-American wrestlers, will be located just outside the Loras wrestling room in Graber Sports Center. It is named for Dr. Michael Early, an instrumental figure in the history of Duhawk wrestling, as a coach and long-time supporter, over the past 35 years. Early became head wrestling coach at Loras in 1981. During five seasons at the helm, Early led the Duhawks to success competing in the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NAIA), with four of his wrestlers earning NAIA All-American honors. In addition to coaching wrestling, Early also served as assistant football coach, residence hall director and faculty member of the physical education department of the school located in Dubuque, Iowa. Early left Loras in 1986 to accept a coaching position at University of Wisconsin-Stout, but has maintained ties to the school in the three decades since. His son Dave wrestled at Loras from 2003-07. "It is with great pleasure that we are able to name the Loras College Wrestling 'Wall of Fame' in honor of Dr. Michael Early," said Duhawk head wrestling coach Randy Steward. "He has had the opportunity to coach here, watch his son compete in the program and has been a fantastic supporter of Loras Wrestling for many years. A big thank you goes out to Mike and his wife, Gay." A native of Davenport, Iowa, Early graduated from Assumption High School in 1976 and started his collegiate wrestling career at the University of Northern Iowa before transferring to St. Ambrose University located in his hometown. He continued to wrestle there and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education in 1981. Early earned his Master's Degree in Education Leadership at Loras in 1986. In 2003 he received his doctorate in Education from Northern Illinois University. Early is Superintendent of the Richland School District 88A in Crest Hill, Ill.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has hired Stillwater native Jack Carnefix as its new operations manager, responsible for overseeing all programming of the organization. Jack CarnefixA graduate of both Stillwater High School and Oklahoma State University, Carnefix has a bachelor's degree in journalism and extensive experience in media relations. He will work to create a comprehensive marketing and public relations strategy for the Hall of Fame as well as continuing to develop and enhance the educational exhibits and materials presented throughout the wrestling community. "We are excited to add Jack to our staff," said Lee Roy Smith, executive director of the Hall. "Jack brings an accomplished work history in sport communications and media and a blend of operating skills needed to advance the mission of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame at a strategic time in the organization's evolution." The Hall of Fame is currently closed to visitors as it prepares to undergo an entire interior renovation. It is scheduled to re-open in spring of 2016, just in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary at the annual Honors Weekend induction ceremonies. The staff of the Hall of Fame continues to raise the last of the funds needed to put the finishing touches on the renovation. Smith said that Carnefix and his communication skills will be vital to the capital campaign's completion. "I am delighted about this opportunity, and feel privileged to join such a respected organization, particularly during such an exciting period," Carnefix said. "I look forward to becoming part of a group that works so hard to preserve the heritage of wrestling and recognize achievements while also encouraging young people to learn and engage with the sport." He replaces Tiffany Clark who has left the Hall of Fame to pursue other opportunities. Most recently, Carnefix has been operating Communications for Your Business, a firm dedicated to providing marketing and public relations assistance to small businesses. He has also worked as the interim director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Perkins, Oklahoma. Before returning to Oklahoma, Carnefix spent three years as senior manager of public relations for Professional Bull Riders in Pueblo, Colorado, as well as 10 years as the senior vice president of communications for the ECHL in Princeton, New Jersey. "Jack clearly has experience providing major league service to minor league teams in baseball, hockey, tennis and indoor football," Smith said. "We can't wait to see what he can do with wrestling."

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- Brian Owen has been named an assistant coach for the SIUE wrestling team, announced Head Coach Jeremy Spates. Owen was a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier as a student-athlete at Boise State from 2008 to 2014. He was a four-time Pac 10/Pac 12 place-winner and captured a Pac 12 championship during the 2011-12 season at 133 pounds. After an outstanding high school career as a four-time state qualifier at University High School in Spokane, Washington, Owen capped his prep carerr by going undefeated as a senior and earning a state championship. Owen also was a two-time All-State honoree in academics (2007 and 2008). Later in 2008, he earned two medals at the Junior Pan American Games in Cuenca, Ecuador. He won a silver in the Greco competition and a bronze in the freestyle event. During the 2014-15 season, Owen was an assistant coach at Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington, where his team earned two individual state titles. He also was the club head coach at the Inland Northwest Training Center. Owen, who is the younger brother of SIUE assistant coach Tommy Owen, earned two bachelor's degrees in communications and environmental science. He is currently completing a master's in environmental science at Idaho.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Coming into the 2015 NCAA Division I championships, then two-time All-American Cody Brewer of Oklahoma wrestled like he had a chip on his shoulder. With just one loss and two All-American finishes on his resume, Brewer was tagged with the No. 13 seed. He subsequently blistered the field to win the NCAA championship at 133 pounds. Cody Brewer finishes a takedown on Minnesota's Chris Dardanes (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Brewer will have a new challenge as he'll wrestle up at 141 pounds and take on Oklahoma State's Dean Heil 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. Brewer, a senior from Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri, blitzed through the field at the NCAA championships at 133 pounds last season. Four of his five wins were bonus victories, including a major decisions over No. 4 Johnni DiJulius of Ohio State, No. 12 George DiCamillo of Virginia and top-seeded Chris Dardanes of Minnesota. He defeated Iowa's Cory Clark 11-8 in the finals. Brewer finished last season 22-1 and comes into the match with a career record of 70-19. He'll try to become just the 11th wrestler to earn four All-American medals all at Oklahoma and the first since Sam Hazewinkel earned his fourth honor in Auburn Hills, Mich., in 2007. Brewer is expected to move down to 133 pounds later in the season. Heil, a sophomore who earned a fourth-place finish last season at 141 pounds after coming in as the No. 14 seed, is from wrestling powerhouse St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. He finished last season 27-10 and his tournament was highlighted by wins over No. 3 Lavion Mayes of Missouri, allowing him to reach the quarterfinals. Wins over Boise State's Geo Martinez, Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers and N.C. State's Kevin Jack followed until he fell in the third-place match to Virginia Tech's Devin Carter. "Cody Brewer wrestled like a man possessed last year at the NCAA championships," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "What's more amazing about this matchup is we're looking at two wrestlers with realistic chances of winning an NCAA championship or repeating as a champion and they were the No. 13 and No. 14 seeds at last year's tournament and now they're kicking off the season at the All-Star Classic." This will be the first meeting between the two wrestlers. Heil did compete at 133 pounds for the first part of his true freshman season in 2013-14. 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. Heil and teammate Alex Dieringer will make it 89. Brewer will make the 52nd Sooner appearance in the event. Andrew Howe was the last Sooner to win at the event in 2013, defeating Penn State's Matt Brown. Oklahoma wrestlers are 26-25 all-time in the event. Cowboy wrestlers are 43-38-6 all-time in the All-Star Classic, winning five of the last six matches they've wrestled. Virginia Tech is still looking for its first win in the event and will have three cracks at it as Nick Brascetta (157) and Ty Walz (285) are also competing. Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups 125: 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.

Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah), a Junior National Greco-Roman champion this summer, made his college decision late on Sunday evening. The projected 197 pound wrestler verbally committed to the University of Missouri. Koelling is ranked No. 79 overall in the Class of 2016, also finishing sixth in Junior freestyle this summer after placing sixth at the Flo Nationals during the spring. Prior to the 2014-15 high school season, Koelling was a Preseason Nationals champion at 195 pounds. During that high school season, he won a state title. Koelling joins No. 43 Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) as a top 100 commit to Missouri in the 2016 recruiting class.

Former Oklahoma State NCAA finalist and Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier held onto his Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight title, while Ryan Bader, three-time Pac-10 champ at Arizona State, earned a unanimous decision in his light-heavyweight bout at UFC 192 at Toyota Center in Houston Saturday night. Cormier earned a split-decision win over Alexander Gustafsson in the five-round headline event. Two judges scored it 48-47 and 49-46 for the champ, while the third went with Gustafsson, 48-47. It was Cormier's first defense of his title which he won back in May by submitting Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in Las Vegas in May. Daniel Cormier (Photo/UFC)"The two men engaged in a remarkable war of wills across five grueling rounds," wrote Brian Knapp of Sherdog.com. "Cormier set the early pace, as he delivered a slam takedown -- Gustafsson was vertical at one point, his head pointed toward the mat -- in the first round. The Swede answered back, cutting Cormier near his right eye with a left hook in the second before flooring him with a knee strike and follow-up punches in the third. The champion took Gustafsson's best shots and did not blink. "Cormier found the inner strength and resolve to press through fatigue and considerable damage in the fourth and fifth rounds ... By the end of the bout, Gustafsson (16-4, 8-4 UFC) was suffering from severe swelling to both eyes and a nasty gash across the bridge of his nose, having failed in his second attempt to capture UFC gold." Cormier, who as a Cowboy lost to Cael Sanderson in the 197-pound finals at the 2001 NCAAs, is now 17-1 in his MMA career, and 6-1 in UFC, while Gustafsson fell to 16-4 overall, and 8-4 in UFC. In a co-main event also at 205 pounds, Bader beat former champ Evans, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27 for the former Sun Devil. According to Sherdog.com, "Evans looked like a fighter that had not competed in 686 days. In his first appearance since 2013, the Blackzilians cornerstone was routinely beaten to the punch by his younger, fresher adversary ... Damage accumulated over time, as 'Suga' grew more desperate and less effective." Bader now enjoys an overall record of 20-4, 13-4 in UFC ... while Evans, who wrestled at Michigan State, is now 19-4-1 in his MMA career, and 14-4-1 in UFC. A third, much-anticipated welterweight match between former collegiate mat rivals Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley had to be scrapped because of what UFC President Dana White referred to Friday as "weight-cutting issues" for Hendricks. The former Oklahoma State two-time NCAA champ was reportedly rushed to the emergency room after suffering a kidney stone and a blockage in his intestines Thursday night as a result of his efforts to cut weight, An opponent for Woodley could not be found on such short notice, so the former University of Missouri All-American wrestler did not fight at UFC 192. One day before the news of the cancellation of the Hendricks-Woodley 170-pound bout, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about how wrestling is a great training ground for success in MMA, pointing out in the opening paragraphs that five of the six athletes slated to compete in the top-of-the-card matches at UFC 192 had been amateur wrestlers.

Three-time state placer Carter Isley (Albia, Iowa), a state champion during last high school season, verbally committed to the University of Northern Iowa on Sunday evening. The projected 285 pound wrestler really emerged during this past off-season when he was a Junior National double All-American in Fargo. Isley was a runner-up at 285 in Greco-Roman and fifth in freestyle, after finishing runner-up in folkstyle at 220 pounds. He is also a star football player, having led Iowa's Class 2A in rushing yards as a junior in 2014.

The first of the major high school preseason tournaments was held on Sunday in upstate New York, when the Journeymen Fall Classic was held at Union College just outside of Albany. Most of the best wrestlers from the Empire State, along with some from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the New England region were the bulk of the field; while there was a smattering of wrestlers from other parts of the country. Within the top flight, there were fifteen weight brackets contested. Each - actually all but one - featured wrestlers getting three matches within one of two round-robin pools and then a crossover match against the wrestler in the same placing position of the other pool. When all was done by the late afternoon, two juniors from the Empire State shined above all others, Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton) and Vitali Arujau (Syosset). Diakomihalis dominated his way to the title at the 135-pound weight class with three major decisions in pool competition, and then a pin over top 100 senior Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) in the championship match. In pool competition for Diakomihalis, it was a 12-1 major decision over state champion John Arceri (Huntington, N.Y.), a 10-1 major decision over Junior Greco All-American Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio), and then a 14-4 major decision over top 100 senior Kellen Devlin (Amherst, N.Y.) Arujau came home with the 125-pound title as he upset Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 2-1 in the championship match; Suriano is ranked as the No. 2 overall wrestler in the Class of 2016. The three preliminary pool matches for Arujau were all major decision victories. Two other New York natives also won Journeymen Fall Classic titles, Kevin Parker (Shenendehowa) at 182 and Christian Araneo (Ward Melville) at 225. Those four titles won by Empire State natives was tied for the most with the four won by natives of New Jersey. Champions from the Garden State included Joe Heilmann (South Plainfield) at 106, Patrick Glory (Delbarton) at 113, Sebastian Rivera (Christian Brothers) at 120, and Anthony Porcaro (Sayreville) at 285. Highlighting the results among that group of champions was a 5-4 win for Rivera in his championship match over three-time state champion Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio), who is ranked No. 45 in the Class of 2016. Another of the day's stars was Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.), who is ranked No. 14 in the Class of 2016, and earned the title at the 152-pound weight class. Hidlay's championship match victory came by 3-1 decision over Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), ranked No. 15 overall in the senior class. Other wins for Hidlay came 1-0 over three-time state placer Nick Monico (Saegertown, Pa.), 4-3 over two-time state champion Foster Karmon (Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.) and 10-3 over top 50 junior Mekhi Lewis (Bound Brook, N.J.) The two other champions from the Keystone State were a pair of Bethlehem Catholic teammates in Luke Karam and Michael Labriola. The grade level ranked wrestlers took care of business in their respective weight classes. Karam, ranked No. 28 in the senior class, was champion at 130; while Labriola, ranked No. 20 in the junior class, was champion at 160. Rounding out the day's weight class champions were Charles Kane (Fairfield Warde, Ct.) at 140, Ryan Peters (Timberlane, N.H.) at 145, Anthony Falbo (Newtown, Ct.) at 170, and Blake Rypel (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) at 195. Link: Results

Greg Schroeder proves you can go home again, as the former University of Wisconsin wrestler and state champ at Madison West High School will be returning to his prep alma mater as a wrestling coach, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Friday. Greg SchroederSchroeder has deep roots in wrestling in Wisconsin's capital city. He wrestled at Madison West in the early 1980s, where he was a three-time letterwinner. A two-time state qualifier, Schroeder won the 105-pound title at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association state championships in 1986, capping off a perfect 32-0 record as a senior. Schroeder then stayed in town to continue his education at Wisconsin, where he was a member of the Badger wrestling team from 1986-1989. After graduating from UW, Schroeder became head wrestling coach at Madison West, serving until 1994. In addition, Schroeder has served on the board of directors for the Badger Wrestling Club since 2010, and Beat the Streets -- Madison, which develops youth wrestling programs in the community to attract at-risk youth in on-going, structured programs since 2013. "We are thrilled to have Greg Schroeder back at Madison West leading our wrestling program," said the school's athletic director, Sandy Botham. "Greg brings a wealth of experience, a passion for wrestling and a plan to help our student-athletes reach their full potential in the classroom and on the athletic mats." When Schroeder coached previously at West, he led the Regents to a Big Eight Conference dual-meet championship in 1993, according to Botham. "As Madison West's last state champion in wrestling, I am confident Greg will mentor and help our student-athletes aspire to reach similar heights," Botham said.

Chris Mintz, college student, father, Army veteran and former wrestler, took seven bullets and broke both of his legs trying to save his fellow students in the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon Thursday that left nine victims dead, according to multiple media reports. Chris MintzThe Washington Post reported when the gunman, 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer, approached the Snyder Hall classroom where Mintz and fellow students were located, the 10-year Army infantryman instructed his classmates to take cover before telling the shooter, "You're not getting by me." The gunman then opened fire on Mintz, but then moved on. Mintz suffered gunshot wounds to his upper back, abdomen, left hand and upper and lower leg, according to a Facebook post by Jayme Skinner, the mother of Mintz's son, who was marking his sixth birthday on the day of the shooting. Mintz was recovering Friday after 6 ½ hours of surgery performed on Thursday. A NPR report Saturday morning said that Mintz was alert, in stable condition, and wishing that others would focus their attention on the families of those who lost loved ones. Mintz's aunt, Sheila Brown, gave credit to her nephew's combat sports background for what he did to save others at the community college in Roseburg in southwestern Oregon. "He was on the wrestling team and he's done cage-fighting so it does not surprise me that he would act heroically," Brown told NBC News Friday. HollywoodLife.com reported that Mintz, a North Carolina native who had just started classes at UCC this fall, had wrestled in high school before joining the Army in 2003. According to the mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com, Mintz, 30, had two amateur fights. He won his first by submission (armbar) over John Dennis in the second round of their November 2011 bout ... but in his second match was knocked out in the opening seconds by Ron Schroter in September 2012. A GoFundMe.com page has been established to help Mintz with his recovery, provide care for his autistic son, and other expenses. As of Saturday morning, donations totaled over $579,000.

During the course of this week, two more top 100 prospects in the Class of 2016 made verbal commitments. Wednesday afternoon saw No. 54 Matt Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.) commit to Rutgers, while No. 59 Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) committed to Iowa State on Friday. Correnti became the third top 100 commit to Rutgers in the 2016 class, joining No. 62 Brandon Paetzell (Phillipsburg, N.J.) and No. 71 Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio). Correnti has finished on the podium all three years at the New Jersey state tournament, including runner-up honors this past season. He is a three-time All-American in freestyle in Fargo, including a fourth place finish at 220 pounds at the Junior level this summer. Correnti projects to compete at either 197 or 285 in college. Storr became Iowa State's first top 100 commit in the 2016 class on Friday afternoon. He won state as a freshman and a junior, finishing second in his sophomore campaign. Prior to his junior season, Storr placed third at the Super 32 Challenge. This spring, Storr earned All-American honors in Greco-Roman at the UWW Junior Nationals, and was runner-up in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals. He projects to compete as a 141 in college.

2015 World wrestling champions Adeline Gray and Jordan Burroughs have made the final ballot for the Team USA Best of September Awards from the U.S. Olympic Committee. Click below to vote for Adeline Gray and Jordan Burroughs. http://www.teamusa.org/awards Gray was one of five finalists in the Female Olympic/Paralympic Athlete of the Month. Burroughs is one of five finalists for Male Olympic/Paralympic Athlete of the Month. Gray won a gold medal at 75 kilos/165 pounds at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., September 10. It was Gray's third career World gold medal, to go along with titles in 2012 and 2014. She has won five career World medals. She was one of four U.S. wrestlers to win World titles in 2015. U.S. women's freestyle wrestler Adeline Gray with her gold medal from the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Gray opened with a 10-0 technical fall over Naranchimeg Gelegjamts of Mongolia, then shut out Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus, 6-0. In the quarterfinals, she got another technical fall over Daria Osocka of Poland, 10-0. In the semifinals, she controlled 2014 World silver medalist Aline da Silva of Brazil, 10-2. In the finals, she dominated 2014 World bronze medalist Qian Zhou of China by a 13-2 technical fall. Gray's third World title puts her second in U.S. women's history, behind only Tricia Saunders (4). Her fifth World medal puts her second in U.S. women's history, behind only Kristie Davis (9) and tied with Tricia Saunders (5). Saunders (1998, 1999) and Gray (2014, 2015) are the only U.S. women to win back-to-back World titles. Other women finalists are Morgan Craft, Gwen Jorgensen, Beezey Madden and Allysa Seely. Burroughs won a gold medal at 74 kilos/163 pounds at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., September 12. It was Burroughs' third career World gold medal, to go along with titles in 2011 and 2013. Burroughs also boasts a 2012 Olympic gold medal and a 2014 World bronze. He was one of four U.S. wrestlers to win World titles in 2015. Burroughs won six matches on the way to the title. He opened with a 5-2 win over Krystian Brzozowski of Poland, then scored a pair of technical falls over Oleg Zakharevych of Ukraine, 10-0 and Mihaly Nagy of Hungary, 11-0. In the quarterfinals, Burroughs shut out Alireza Ghasemi of Iran, 5-0. He stopped 2015 European Games champion Aniuar Geduev of Russia, 4-3 in the semifinals. He finished strong, with a 10-0 technical fall over Unurbat Purevjav of Mongolia, 10-0. The victory secured a position for the USA at this weight class at the 2016 Olympic Games. Burroughs career record is now 114-2. Burroughs joins John Smith (6) and Bruce Baumgartner (5) as the only American freestyle wrestlers who have combined to win four or more World and Olympic titles. His three World titles puts him behind John Smith (4), and tied with Baumgartner (3) and Lee Kemp (3). Other men's finalists are Matt Anderson, Will Groulx, Vincent Hancock and Michal Smolen. The U.S. Olympic Committee launched its new Team USA Awards program, presented by Dow, earlier this year. At this point, no wrestler has yet to win one of these monthly awards, which includes a Fan Vote and a vote within the Olympic family. You can help Adeline and Jordan win the September award by voting for them today. Please share this with your friends, family and colleagues!!! Click below to vote for Adeline Gray and Jordan Burroughs. http://www.teamusa.org/awards

October has arrived and accompanying the crisp air and pumpkin spice lattes is a swing in focus from the freestyle and Greco-Roman season back into 'Merican folkstyle. There is a multitude of compelling storylines heading into the NCAA season, but nothing seems to be hotter right now than the rule changes proposed by the NCAA. Admittedly, some are fantastic, and others -- while implemented in the spirit of positive change -- will cripple some competitions. First there are two rules that were implemented in response to the Ian Miller screw-job from last year. Like we'll see in Cary Kolat piece next week on FloWrestling where FILA implemented rule changes post-hosing, the NCAA has followed suit and admitted that the handling of the match (and the involvement of the NCAA suits afterwards) were both regrettable. The Miller Rules say that all scoring and timing issues can be questioned on the mat without the use of a challenge, and that the issue must resolved on the mat rather than inviting the NCAA administration to assist in the discussions. There was also an emphasis put on handshakes, which was well overdue. As most fans noticed, in international wrestling there is ZERO tolerance for grumpy behavior and wrestlers are made to not only shake hands and face both sides of the competition hall, but also made to leave the mat via their opponent's corner. This should go some way in eliminating the awkward temper tantrums some wrestlers throw after losing a match. Intensity and aggression are skills, but they don't need to be lifestyle choices. There were other items (see video), but the major thrust was the out-of-bounds stall calls and guidance on how they might be called for pushing, pulling and backing out of bounds. There is no amount of written detail that can describe the inanity of what is being asked, but there are two easy takeaways from this change. The first is that the NCAA clearly sees the need and desire to keep the wrestling in the center, and the second is that the NCAA referees need an incredible amount of guidance and rule-based assistance in calling for stalling. The error with the first thrust is that it stops short of restricting gamesmanship on the edge. The NCAA rarely makes large changes, so this is probably part of a two-year plan to implement a scoring element to out-of-bounds, but for this year there is no doubt that the stalling calls asked by the NCAA will be handed out free of the consistency necessary to make it effective or judicious. The language actually opens the rules up to MORE gamesmanship on the edge. The rule reminds me of the liberty some wrestlers would take in dropping to a knee when their opponent was locking hands from behind. That rule was changed, but that type of one year turnaround can be expected with all the push and pull and step-out interpretations for stalling. The referees also need to be given a less complicated set of rules. Step-outs in freestyle and Greco-Roman are difficult enough to judge with only a single outcome, the job of deciphering the NCAA step-out rule adds in layers of interpretation that make it unruly. The NCAA referee is currently incapable of making stall calls outside of the one early call and the 15-second-remaining makeup call. There is no reason to believe that referees will begin asserting themselves with these stalling calls. On a brighter note the Grapple on the Gridiron featuring Iowa vs. Oklahoma State is barreling towards a sellout. So we will now all have the pleasure of listening to 60k+ Hawkeye fans scream "C'mon ref, he's stalling!!" every time the action even flirts with the edge of the mat. Oh, how wonderful a year it will be. To your questions … Q: How would you implement freestyle if we switched? College and high school? Lot of high school coaches are way behind on freestyle. Also, less control = more injuries? I am for the move but think it's a lot harder to do than to say. Possible? -- @RobbyHitch Foley: Excellent question. I think that you give it a start date. The little kids can transfer their skills immediately, but to the college kids it's not fair. The best idea is to offer a November 2020 start date and work back from that point. Anyone graduating from high school in 2020 will then know that they should start training for the style. Additionally, you could start training referees on the style and put in place the rule and oversight structure necessary to ensure a fair bout. Q: How long for David Taylor to adjust to 86? -- @Eagle_Fan David Taylor battles Tyler Caldwell in the challenge tournament at the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Foley: The weight jump from 74 kilos to 86 kilos is difficult for a few reasons. The actual poundage (especially at first) probably won't be all lean muscle. That lack of adequate muscle could lead to being out-gunned by opponents. I spoke with Brendan Weafer, a well-respected trainer at Epic Hybrid in NYC and he outlined the typical drawbacks for guys like Taylor when they rapidly build muscle, but still require vast amounts of cardio. The effect is a learning curve for the body. Weafer explained that like being at elevation the body has trouble supplying the right amount of oxygenated blood and nutrients to the new tissue. The athlete may be in shape, but the muscles become exhausted much faster. The big advantage for Taylor -- or Dake if he decides to also make the move -- is that what they lack in strength they make up for in speed. Quickness and agility can win close matches, but the issue of endurance will need to be solved well before hoping to make the Olympic team. Taylor's given himself a year to make the weight and I trust that he has nutritional advisors at the ready. I think that he'll have a stumble early (at least in terms of fitness) but be winning big matches by St. Patrick's Day. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: An important article on the impact of football deaths … This is what happens when you can't funk … Maybe it's time to start looking at the way we look at ourselves? Q: Chances of more weights being added back? -- @Eagle_Fan Foley: Zero for 2020. If additions made before the IOC Session in 2017 (when the new host city for 2024 is announced) there will be no chance for additional weights the 2024 Games. After that deadline you are looking at the IOC meeting in 2021 as the hard deadline for the 2028 Games. Movement can happen before the IOC dates, but you have to read between the lines of sporting politics to understand if/when that might happen. I suggest checking out "Inside the Games" and "Around the Rings" for stories about the Olympic movement and changes on the horizon. Q: I understand the debate between freestyle vs folkstyle in terms of developing elite wrestlers, but I don't understand the argument switching to freestyle to have more fans. Can't we just do a better job of marketing freestyle without making major changes? Why not have dual meets between elite wrestling clubs? Imagine the matchups between Sunkist Kids vs Nittany Lion WC? Ed Ruth vs. David Taylor, Dustin Kilgore vs. Jake Varner interest anyone? This type of format would usher collegiate fans into freestyle, creating more fans, revenue streams for clubs, and opportunities for non-Olympians to create fan bases. Win for everyone without drastic changes to styles. -- Josh C. Foley: The argument for more fans is based mostly in the amount of action seen in a typical freestyle match versus a typical folkstyle match. As Andy Hamilton noted last year, scoring is WAY down on the college level and scoring from the feet has been even more abysmal given the benefits to wrestling on the mat. I don't think the freestyle folks are hoping to push a new religion of sport onto anyone, as much as trying to help the future outcome at the Olympic level. At the base the argument makes total sense, because training in a thing (given equal season time, etc) is certain to bring about an improved performance. The United States is uniquely suited to bring about the most successful freestyle league in the world by simply adopting the freestyle rules at the NCAA level. The club teams simply aren't plentiful enough to compete year-round and create the buzz you are mentioning. There are club leagues in Iran and India which are competing this winter, which should be good competition for the Ohio-ROTC, Titan Mercury, NYAC and Sunkist. As a traditional wrestling enthusiast I'd hate to see American folkstyle disappear completely, but it is worth noting that adaptation to norms is part of folkstyle's history. In that vein there are changes to implement that could compliment freestyle without losing the folkstyle appeal, namely counting points against maneuvers intentionally exposing the back, enforcing an out-of-bounds and moving to two three-minute periods. Q: Confidence USA qualifies all men's freestyle weight classes for Rio? -- @Eagle_Fan Foley: If I were asked to bet, I'd tell you that I don't think the men's freestyle will qualify every weight class. There are too many variables at play and with the Cubans not qualifying at several weights and the South American countries wrestling better than ever (with Cuban coaches) there is less chance of qualification at the Pan Ams. The international qualifiers will be tough, but the three-allocation Mongolian tournament will be the best bet for the Americans since it's unlikely to draw as many wrestlers and has more spots. Also, the top-three allocation means an extra match, which for in-shape Americans can be very beneficial.

Otero Junior College is the first two-year institution in Colorado to announce the addition of a Wrestling program. It is expected that the program will bring an additional 30-50 students to the campus each year. OJC's athletic director, Gary Addington, is excited about what this will mean for Southeast Colorado. "This is going to be good for the Arkansas Valley with its strong wrestling tradition that spans all the way to the Kansas border. Members of the community are extremely supportive of the plan," said Addington. At this time, there are few wrestling programs in the state and they are all at four year institutions. "OJC having a program gives opportunities to kids who may not see them otherwise," explained Addington. "A two-year institution opens doors to everybody. These wrestlers will have the opportunity to complete a two-year degree, but also have an increased opportunity to move on to both wrestle and study at a four year school." There will be 20 Letters of Intent available. OJC has multiple other forms of need-based financial assistance and academic scholarships available to all students. The next step will involve a large scale search for a coach who will fit with OJC Athletics' philosophy: combining hard work, persistence, and dedication with the ultimate goal of success in the classroom and in athletic pursuits. The goal is to have a coach in place by January 2016 to begin recruiting for the team. In addition, OJC will be building another unit in the Conley Complex to house the additional students. The team will initially wrestle open tournaments in Kansas and Wyoming as well as dual meets with teams in the region. There are a few other junior/community colleges looking to add programs in the next few years, both in Colorado and in neighboring states. For more information on the OJC Wrestling program, contact Gary Addington, athletic director at 719.384.6859 or at gary.addington@ojc.edu .

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands has signed a three-year extension to his current contract. The agreement was announced today by UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta. Tom Brands coaching at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Brands is now signed through the 2019-20 season, a three-year extension to his previous five-year base contract, agreed upon prior to the 2012-13 season. "Tom continues to lead one of the most successful programs in the country in any sport," said Barta. "He demonstrates tremendous passion for his program, and is an excellent ambassador for the University of Iowa and this community. I'm excited about the future of Iowa wrestling." "We have high expectations for this program, and I know our fans, administration, and campus leaders share those expectations," said Brands. "Being a part of Hawkeye wrestling is a privilege, and as head coach it comes with a responsibility that I take very seriously. We've got work to do." A three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Brands has won four conference tournament titles and three NCAA Championships in nine seasons at Iowa. He became the eighth head coach in program history in 2006, and has since coached nine NCAA individual champions, 50 All-Americans, and 70 academic All-Big Ten honorees. "We have high expectations for this program, and I know our fans, administration, and campus leaders share those expectations. Being a part of Hawkeye wrestling is a privilege, and as head coach it comes with a responsibility that I take very seriously. We've got work to do." The Hawkeyes have won or shared seven of the last eight Big Ten regular season titles, and placed in the top four at the NCAA Championships eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the country. Iowa has led the nation in attendance in each of Brands' nine seasons, and the Hawkeye fan base is poised to break the national dual attendance record when Iowa hosts Oklahoma State on Nov. 14 in a never before seen college wrestling dual at Kinnick Stadium. Brands was also instrumental in delivering the United States Olympic Team Trials to Iowa City in 2012. The two-day event drew a combined attendance of 54,766, shattering the previous event record, and generated more than $5.6 million for Johnson County. The community's response to the first Olympic Team Trials prompted USA Wrestling to return the event to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on April 9-10, 2016. Iowa's dual against the Cowboys, billed as the "Grapple on the Gridiron", marks the beginning of Brands' 10th season. The University of Iowa hosts the Big Ten championships on March 5-6, and the NCAA Championships are March 17-19 in New York City. The Hawkeyes return four All-Americans from a team that shared the Big Ten Championship and placed second at the NCAA tournament in 2014-15.

Six NCAA Division III wrestling champions are among the members of the Class of 2015 who will be welcomed into the St. Lawrence University Athletic Hall of Fame this fall, the upstate New York school announced this week . The induction ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place Saturday, Oct.10 at noon in the Eben Holden Center. Tickets are $25 per person and must be reserved in advance by calling (315) 229-5418 to make reservations. The national champion wrestlers to be inducted include Phil Lanzatella '83, Dr. Tod Northrup '85, Lelan Rogers, N86, Mark Shortsleeve '87, Pat Conners '88 and Jason Bovenzi '94. Lanzatella was a four-time All-American, winning a title at the 1982 NCAA Division III wrestling championships for St. Lawrence. He qualified for the 1983 NCAA Division I championships despite placing second at the Div. III championships, and, in fact, was ranked as one of the top six wrestlers at 190 pounds in any division. A three-sport star at St. Lawrence, Rogers won the 1985 NCAA Division III championship at 190 pounds, and was national runner-up at the 1983 NCAA D3s at 177. He later wrestled at Syracuse University, where he was a two-time EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) finalist. In addition to wrestling, Rogers competed in football and lacrosse. Northrup was the 1983 NCAA Division III 167-pound champion, becoming the first Saint to win a national title as a sophomore, and only the fourth national champ in program history. He was a two-time NCAA All-American and selected St. Lawrence outstanding freshman scholar-athlete. Shortsleeve joined the Saint wrestling program in 1985 after transferring from the University of Nebraska. He became the 1986 NCAA Division III champ at 134 pounds after wrestling just one season for St. Lawrence. Shortsleeve compiled a 29-5 record in that single season. Conners was crowned the heavyweight champ at the 1988 NCAA Division championships, making a key contribution to the Saints winning the team title that year. A four-time NCAA Division III championships qualifier, Conners was a two-time NCAA East Regional Champion and a two-time NCAA All-American. He also played football for the Saints. Bovenzi owns the distinction of being a national champion for both St. Lawrence and Ithaca College. A four-time NCAA Division III championships qualifier, Bovenzi was a three-time All-American, winning the NCAA 190-pound crown in 1993. After being sidelined with a shoulder injury after the 1993 football season, Bovenzi transferred to Ithaca, where he won the 1995 NCAA title at 190. He is now an assistant coach at Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition to the six St. Lawrence wrestlers, other members of the 37th Hall of Fame class include men's hockey All-Americans Brian McColgan '88 and Hank Lammens '88, women's hockey All-American Gina Kingsbury '04, soccer All-America Laura LoGiudice Pecchia '01, track star Amy Farrell '99, football standout Richard "Dick" Cootware '79 and baseball and football star Andy Gustafson '75. The St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1979. With these new inductees, the Hall will include 229 athletes, 12 coaches/administrators and 19 teams. Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in upstate New York. It has approximately 2,500 students. The wrestling program was eliminated in 1995.

Four larger-than-life wrestlers -- Dan Gable, Norman Borlaug, Gary Kurdelmeier, and Harold Nichols -- now stand watch on a large, just-completed mural outside the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in Cresco, Iowa. The 40-foot by 17-foot mural, painted on the exterior of The Exchange Cresco, features the image of the foursome of wrestlers with deep Iowa roots. Three of the honorees -- Borlaug, Kurdelmeier, and Nichols -- grew up in Cresco, a community of approximately 4,000 residents in northeast Iowa, just south of the Minnesota border. From the 1920s through the 1960s, Cresco produced a number of top-flight wrestlers, including three Olympic wrestlers, nine NCAA champions, seven Iowa state team titles, and 65 individual state champs. (The Cresco wrestling legacy was the subject of a 2008 InterMat Rewind historical feature.) Gable grew up in Waterloo, about an hour straight south of Cresco. Jim Turvold of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame's Board of Directors told the Cresco Times, "The board decided who would be on the mural. We simply said we would use who was the most recognizable. Dan Gable was unanimous. He is the most notable." "Dan Gable is the face of wrestling of the United States, if not the world," Turvold told KAAL-TV. "Dr. Harold Nichols was the coach at Iowa State, who was Gable's coach. Gary Kurdelmeier was the coach who turned the Iowa program around." Borlaug is known well beyond the wrestling world as the scientist who won the Nobel Prize in 1970 for developing high-yield, disease-resistant wheat that literally saved millions -- if not billions -- of lives worldwide. Borlaug and Nichols were teammates at Cresco High in the 1930s, then went their separate ways -- Nichols to University of Michigan, Borlaug to University of Minnesota -- only to face each other at least once on the mat in college. Kurdelmeier was a two-time Iowa state champ for Cresco High in the early 1950s who went on to win NCAA and Big Ten titles at University of Iowa in the late 1950s. When he took the helm of the then-struggling Hawkeye mat program in 1972, Kurdelmeier hired Gable as an assistant coach ... and launched a mat dynasty of individual and team Big Ten and NCAA titles. The mural, commissioned by the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, was painted by Robin Macomber, who has done murals all over the United States for about two decades. She has been working on the Cresco mural for the past month. It is expected to last 20-25 years; the artist has promised to touch up the work as needed. The mural is expected to be dedicated at a future date, when Gable -- the only surviving subject of the painting -- is available. The Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame was organized in 1970 to promote amateur wrestling in Iowa by honoring native Iowans who wrestled, coached wrestling or otherwise contributed to the sport. (It is a completely independent facility; it is NOT affiliated with the University of Iowa, nor with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.) Each spring, the facility conducts an annual awards banquet and induction ceremony. Since that inaugural class of 1970, the Hall has welcomed 117 individuals. To learn more about the honorees, wrestling fans can explore the Hall inside the Welcome Center in downtown Cresco, or visit the Hall's website for photos and biographical information.

TEMPE, Ariz.-- In preparation for the upcoming Olympic Trials and the 2016 Rio Olympics, Arizona State wrestling's Anthony Valencia has decided to redshirt the upcoming competition season, head coach Zeke Jones announced on Wednesday. Anthony Valencia reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open before losing to Andrew Howe (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Valencia reached the qualification standards while still in high school as he finished in the top-8 at the 2015 Senior World Team Trials earlier this year. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Anthony (Valencia) to compete at the highest level this year while he is at ASU," Jones said. "He has the opportunity to travel the country and the world to prepare to try to make the Olympic team. The best wrestlers want to not just be NCAA Champions, but World and Olympic champions as well." The U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, in 2016. The event is scheduled for April 8-10, four months prior to the Olympic Games. The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Valencia joins the Sun Devil program as part of the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, which also includes his brother, Zahid Valencia (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco), Lance Benick (Fridley, Minn./Totino-Grace), Tanner Hall (Meridian, Idaho/Meridian), Josh Maruca (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional), and Josh Shields (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional). ASU will open the 2015-16 season with the Maroon and Gold Intersquad on Friday, Oct. 30, at the Riches Wrestling Campus. The preliminary matches are set for 10 a.m. PT, while the finals are set to follow at 5 p.m. PT. The 2015-16 campaign will kick off in Morgantown, W.Va., on Sunday, Nov. 8, as ASU competes at the West Virginia Duals. The Sun Devils' home opener follows on Thursday, Nov. 12 against Northern Colorado at 7:30 p.m. MT at wells Fargo Arena. The most successful University athletics programs have a committed community behind them. Help affect change for Sun Devil wrestling by making a donation to their program and Embrace Success.

Stephen Neal will go "On the Mat" today. "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. Neal was an NCAA champion at heavyweight for Cal State-Bakersfield in 1998 and 1999. He won a freestyle World Championship in 1999 before becoming an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2010. Neal was part of three winning Super Bowl teams. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- In 2015, only two underclassmen earned All-American honors at 174 pounds at the NCAA Division I Championships. They'll meet to kick off the 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. Virginia Tech's Zach Epperly and Oklahoma State's Kyle Crutchmer navigated through a senior-laded weight class a year ago and the two are now contenders for this year's NCAA championship. Epperly, a sophomore, placed seventh, while Crutchmer, a junior, finished fifth. The two did not meet last season. For Virginia Tech, Epperly is the third wrestler from the program in the event, a school record. 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. "Oklahoma State wrestlers have been a fixture in the event since its inception in 1967. When you think about some of the all-time greats who have competed from Oklahoma State, it's clear the program has always supported the event and it's fitting in our golden anniversary, we have one of wrestling's most-storied programs competing again in the All-Star Classic," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Virginia Tech has made a significant jump under coach Kevin Dresser and with three Hokies in the mix, it will also add a bit of southern flavor to the event in Atlanta," added Moyer. Kyle Crutchmer (Photo/Rob Preston)Crutchmer entered the NCAA championships as the No. 12 seed and reached the semifinals after defeating Navy's Jadaen Bernstein in the opening round, fifth-seeded Blaise Butler of Virginia in the second round and unseeded Joe Latham of Oregon State in the quarterfinals. He fell to eventual runner-up Tyler Wilps of Pittsburgh in the tiebreaker in the semifinals. He would finish his 2015 with a tiebreaker victory over Iowa's Mike Evans. Epperly came in seeded seventh and was knocked into the consolation bracket by eventual champion Matt Brown of Penn State with a 2-1 quarterfinal loss. Epperly pinned Butler, a wrestler who'd defeated him three previous times, to earn All-American honors. He would defeat North Dakota State's Kurtis Julson for seventh place. Cowboy wrestlers are 43-38-6 all-time in the All-Star Classic, winning five of the last six matches they've wrestled. Virginia Tech is still looking for its first win in the event and will have three cracks at it as Nick Brascetta (157) and Ty Walz (285) are also competing. Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups 125: 133: 141: 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.