InterMat Staff

Anthony Ashnault batting Joey McKenna for third place at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- When Anthony Ashnault takes the mat at on November 5 at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center, he'll be doing something no Rutgers wrestler has ever done -- compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Ashnault, a two-time All-American, will face returning NCAA runner-up Bryce Meredith of Wyoming at 141 pounds in the seventh matchup announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The event, presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company and hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network, has served as the major kick-off event for the wrestling season since becoming and early-season event. In 2012, the event moved to the first weekend of the major college wrestling calendar and has been a fixture ever since. "We've got two All-Americans who can put on a show," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Anthony Ashnault has been able to help his program ascend to new heights under coach Scott Goodale. We saw a tremendous run to the finals last year from Bryce Meredith and you've got two non-traditional powers putting their All-Americans into this fine event. That's a win for Cleveland and that's a win for wrestling." Meredith transferred back to his native Wyoming after competing for N.C. State as a freshman. His run to the finals included wins over his former teammate and No. 3 seed Kevin Jack of N.C. State, No. 6 Micah Jordan of Ohio State and No. 2 Joey McKenna of Stanford. Meredith is a native of Cheyenne, Wyo., and was a four-time state champion at Central High School. He comes into the match with a career record of 44-12 after going 29-5 last season and finishing third at the Big 12 Championships. Ashnault has the distinction of being New Jersey's first unbeaten four-time state champion. The South Plainfield, N.J. native went 170-0 during his high school career and is already a two-time All-American. Last season, Ashnault became the first wrestler from Rutgers to win a Big Ten title, while also becoming the school's first NCAA semifinalist since 1960. He finished fourth at 141 pounds and finished last season with a 32-4 record. Ashnault is 61-12 in two seasons. Meredith and Ashnault have not met in college competition. For Wyoming, Meredith will be the seventh participant in school history. Wyoming last appeared in the All-Star Classic in November of 2011 with Shane Onufer (165) and Joe LeBlanc (184) both competing. LeBlanc is the only Cowboy wrestler to win a bout in the All-Star Classic, winning both his appearances in 2010 and 2011. Overall, Wyoming is 2-4 in the event. Rutgers becomes the 104th school to add its name to the list of programs that have participated in the NWCA All-Star Classic. 2016 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company Hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network November 5, 2016 - Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University Time: Showcase Matches 6 p.m.; Main Event 7 p.m. Tickets: $15 GA, $100 Preferred Seating/Social. Group options available. Tickets available at www.goallstarclassic.com or Wolstein Center Box Office ( 844-407-2279) or Northeast Ohio Discount Drug Marts. Streaming: Trackwrestling.com Officially Announced Matchups 125: 133: Zane Richards, Sr. (Illinois) vs. Eric Montoya, Sr. (Nebraska) 141: Bryce Meredith, Jr. (Wyoming) vs. Anthony Ashnault, Jr. (Rutgers) 149: 157: Brian Murphy, Sr. (Michigan) vs. Max Rohskopf, Sr. (NC State) 165: Isaac Jordan, Sr. (Wisconsin) vs. Daniel Lewis, So. (Missouri) 174: 184: Gabe Dean, Sr. (Cornell) vs. Myles Martin, So. (Ohio State) 197: Brett Pfarr, Sr. (Minnesota) vs. Brett Harner, Sr. (Princeton) 285: Ty Walz, Sr. (Virginia Tech) vs. Connor Medbery, Sr. (Wisconsin) About the National Wrestling Coaches Association The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with a primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and the promotion of wrestling. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) Wrestlers in Business Network is a registered 501 C-3 that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have graduated from the sport and are now in their respective careers. Our mission is to build a community that serves as a platform to connect our members and facilitate business and job opportunities across the nation by leveraging a talent rich pipeline of wrestling alumni, with the ultimate byproduct of increasing reinvestment back to the sport. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Anthony Ralph, who played an integral role in helping to mold Notre Dame College into a Division II power, has been hired as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes, head coach Tom Ryan announced today. “Anthony is a great addition to our staff,” said Ryan. “He's a tireless worker and outstanding recruiter. He's also a home grown Buckeye who has a great passion for the state of Ohio. As a state champion in high school and NCAA qualifier in college – all while in Ohio – he knows firsthand just how special the wrestling community is in this state. His success at Notre Dame has established that program as a dominant force year in and year out. He brings a mindset and philosophy that fits in perfectly with our coaches and athletes. The rapport he's developed with the student-athletes that's he's coached is rooted deeply in his desire to see them succeed in all aspects of their lives. We're excited that the next chapter of his career will be with the Scarlet and Gray.” Ralph was with Notre Dame since its inception in 2006-07, serving as an assistant coach until he was named co-head coach in the summer of 2015. Ralph played an instrumental role in making the program a model of success - since joining the Division II ranks in 2012, the Falcons have captured a team national championship (2014), produced 18 national champions, 62 All-Americans and 102 NCAA qualifiers. Prior to 2012, Ralph and the Falcons won the national titles at the NAIA level in 2010, 2011 and 2012. On the recruiting trail, Ralph was responsible for bringing in the No. 1-ranked classes for five straight years between 2012 and 2016 according to Amateur Wrestling News. Included in that group was Joey Davis, the only undefeated and four-time national champion in NCAA Division II history (133-0). Ralph wrestled collegiately at Kent State for current Notre Dame head coach Frank Romano. He earned a Mid-American Conference championship at 157 pounds in 1997 when he also qualified for the NCAA Championships. A native of Cleveland, Ralph was a three-time state placer in high school for St. Peter Chanel (the same program that produced two-time national champion and assistant coach J Jaggers). He won state championships in 1996 and 1997 and compiled a career high-school mark of 125-19. In 2001, Ralph returned to St. Peter Chanel and was an assistant coach for five years. In that span, he coached six state champions, 23 state placers and three Fargo All-Americans. Ryan's coaching staff now consists of Jaggers, Tervel Dlagnev and Ralph. The credentials of the group includes two Olympic appearances, four NCAA titles, five NCAA finals berths and nine All-America honors. On the sidelines, they've accumulated over 40 years of combined coaching experience.

Cowley County Community College has made it official: it will add intercollegiate wrestling starting in fall 2017. The board of trustees at the two-year college, located in Arkansas City, Kan. south of Wichita, approved the plan to launch a mat program at the monthly board meeting held Monday. Back in January, Cowley College's board approved a study, conducted by college administrators, to see about the feasibility of adding a wrestling program. This week, the board approved the results of that study. In addition, the board also made the recommendation to retain former Arkansas City High School wrestling coach Wayne Jackson as a consultant to Cowley College athletic director Shane Larson if Coach Jackson is willing. Jackson led the Bulldog program from 1979 to 2000 and won a record 13 Kansas State Team championships during his tenure. The Ark City High wrestling team's accomplishments included the success of 150 individual state placers and 57 individual state champions. Coach Jackson has remained involved with the program since stepping down in 2000. During Monday's meeting, Larson provided the Cowley board with a feasibility study that showed the benefits of adding a new athletic program at the college. Four sports were taken into consideration in the study. The study showed there is a large recruiting base in the region to support the addition of a wrestling program at Cowley College. The NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) allows 18 scholarships for wrestling, and most intercollegiate programs carry rosters of 30-35 athletes. The study also showed the popularity of wrestling in the Cowley County region could lead to more participation in the Tiger Booster Club and provide an opportunity for increased enrollment. Along with the study, Larson provided the board with printed emails and letters from individuals supporting the startup of a wrestling program at Cowley College. Larson said the college will look to hire a head wrestling coach in early 2017, allowing the new coach time to assemble a roster and schedule matches before Cowley wrestlers would start competition in fall 2017. Cowley County Community College got its start in 1922 as the Arkansas City Junior College. For the first 30 years of its existence, the school was located in the basement of the Arkansas City High School. The school gained its own campus in 1950, and was renamed Cowley County Community College and Vocational-Technical School in 1965. According to the school's website, Cowley has approximately 5,000 students.

Ethan Lizak was one of four Gopher wrestlers suspended (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Four University of Minnesota wrestlers have been suspended until Jan. 1, 2017 for their alleged involvement in this summer's drug investigation, according to multiple media reports Wednesday. The wrestlers -- Tommy Thorn, Ethan Lizak, Larry Early and Brandon Krone -- have been suspended "for violation of team rules" according to a spokesman for the school's athletic department. Early is a redshirt freshman; the others are registered redshirt sophomores. Thorn, a returning NCAA qualifier, earned a No. 7 ranking at 141 pounds in InterMat's NCAA Division I preseason rankings. Lizak, an NCAA qualifier in 2015 who redshirted last season, comes into this season ranked No. 11 at 125 pounds. The athletes are suspended only from competing. They can attend class and can practice with the team, spokesman Jake Ricker said. University officials would not confirm if these suspensions are related to the drug investigation. While the wrestling season starts in November, most matches for the upcoming season will take place in 2017. News of the university's drug investigation broke in late May 2016. In InterMat's first story, titled "Minnesota wrestlers investigated for selling, using Xanax" -- dated May 26 -- reported that four University of Minnesota wrestlers were being investigated for selling the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax, while head coach J Robinson was being investigated for how he may have tried to handle the situation internally. On June 1, coach Robinson was suspended with pay. On June 24, Hennepin County prosecutors declined to charge any Minnesota wrestlers with selling Xanax, citing "insufficient evidence at this time." Despite that announcement, university police continued its investigation. One week later, Minnesota announced that Brandon Eggum has been named the acting head coach of the school's wrestling program. On Sept. 7, Robinson was fired after 30 years of service; Eggum was named interim head coach.

Bellarmine University students are about to be "schooled" on the oldest and greatest sport -- wrestling, which happens to be the Louisville school's newest intercollegiate sport -- at a "Wrestling 101" event this Thursday. The free "introduction to wrestling" program will take place at Frazier Hall on the Bellarmine campus on Thursday, Oct. 20. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with complimentary hot dogs, drinks and popcorn available, courtesy of Bellarmine Interim President Dr. Doris Tegart. The formal program will begin at 6 p.m. with the introduction of the team and coaching staff. The Knights wrestlers will then put on an exhibition, with head wrestling coach Spencer Adams "miked up" to provide commentary. In addition, handouts will be available to help explain rules and wrestling terms. Following the exhibition, fans will be invited to a "meet and greet" on the main floor, where the team will be available to sign free posters featuring the schedule for the inaugural season of Bellarmine wrestling in 2016-17. Wrestling is Bellarmine's 22d intercollegiate sport -- and the tenth men's sport. The new Knights wrestling program will compete in NCAA Division II. Back in June, Bellarmine announced it would essentially "absorb" the intercollegiate wrestling program at St. Catharine College, a tiny college in central Kentucky, which had announced it would be closing its doors this past summer. As InterMat reported back on June 15, "Bellarmine's decision to absorb the St. Catharine mat program is good news for the staff and wrestlers at the soon-to-be-closed school. The Patriots' head wrestling coach Spencer Adams and assistant coach Gary Canter will remain coaches at Bellarmine, and all former SCC team members wishing to transfer will be retained as well. In addition, Bellarmine will honor the commitment to all of the St. Catharine signees for the 2016-17 season, provided they meet Bellarmine admission standards, according to the Bellarmine announcement." "Although wrestling wasn't originally in our short-range plans, St. Catharine's closing certainly made starting a new program a viable and logical option," said Bellarmine Director of Athletics Scott Wiegandt back in June. "Taking over an existing program allows us to hit the ground running while allowing Coach Adams to build on the inroads he made since founding the program at St. Catharine two years ago." Head coach Spencer Adams weighed in with his thoughts on the significance of Bellarmine adding wrestling to its roster of intercollegiate sports. “This is also a great day for the sport of wrestling in the state of Kentucky as Bellarmine University makes history in adding the only NCAA II wrestling program in the state,” Adams said in June. “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to start yet another wrestling program and to provide my student athletes with a bright future here at Bellarmine University." Founded in 1950, Bellarmine (pronounced BEL-ur-men) University is a private, Catholic, four-year school located just outside downtown Louisville. Bellarmine has an enrollment of approximately 3,600 students. Its Knights sports teams – including its new wrestling program – compete in NCAA Division II.

The "Lou Rosselli effect" has struck yet again on the recruiting landscape. Yet another Ohio native has verbally committed to the University of Oklahoma, this one a lightweight. Two-time state champion Tommy Hoskins (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio) did the honors late on Wednesday afternoon. Hoskins, ranked No. 42 overall in the Class of 2018, was also a Junior National freestyle All-American this summer when he placed eighth at 120 pounds. In addition, he was a Cadet freestyle All-American last summer, placing third at 113. He projects to compete as a 125/133 in college, and also ended the 2015-16 season ranked No. 14 nationally at 113 pounds.

Lindsey Durlacher lifts Mike Mena in their Real Pro Wrestling match (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) Three prominent Greco-Roman wrestlers -- Jim Hazewinkel, Dave Hazewinkel and the late Lindsey Durlacher -- will be inducted into the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions this Saturday, Oct. 22. In addition, the Minnesota Wrestling Club will be presented with the Legacy Award, and Joe DeMeo will receive the Alan Rice Leadership Award. While the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions is located in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, the induction ceremony for its seventh class will held at the Christensen Center Commons on the campus of Augsburg College in Minneapolis. The reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.; the induction ceremony will start at 8 p.m. Tickets for the dinner are $50 each and may be purchased by contacting the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745. Jim and Dave Hazewinkel in 1972 Dave and Jim Hazewinkel, identical twin brothers from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, were members of the 1968 and 1972 United States Greco-Roman Olympic teams and were both members of six consecutive World and Olympic teams from 1967 to 1972. Dave was the first American to win two World medals in Greco-Roman wrestling, earning a bronze medal in 1969 and a silver medal in 1970. Jim was also a member of the 1966 World team and his highest finish at the World Championships was fourth in 1969. The Hazewinkels were presented the Legacy Award by the Alan & Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Champions in 2012. Lindsey Durlacher helped lead the United States to its first Greco-Roman World Championship team title in 2007, finishing fifth. He was a silver medalist at the Pan American Championships in 2003, and again in 2007 after moving up a weight class. He won a bronze medal at 121 pounds at the 2006 World Championships, and was also a member of the USA team for the 2005 World Championships. He was the U.S. Open champion in 2006 and was runner-up in the event five times. Joe DeMeo was head coach of the U.S. Greco-Roman World team four times, and was a member of the Olympic coaching staff in 1976, 1980, 1988, and 1992. He was named National Coach of the Year three times by USA Wrestling, which named him Developmental Coach of the Year in 2005. The Minnesota Wrestling Club -- also known as Minnesota Storm -- has consistently supported the sport of wrestling since its formation in the 1960s. The team has won more than 20 national team championships and produced four USA national and Olympic team coaches. They had a domineering presence in the recent Olympic team trials, and continued their record of placing a wrestler on every USA Olympic wrestling team since 1964. Kyle Klingman, director of the NWHOF Dan Gable Museum, provided perspective on the significance of the Class of 2016 honorees. "The Minnesota Wrestling Club has a remarkable history," Klingman told InterMat. "The state of Minnesota continues to carry the torch for Greco-Roman wrestling in this country. The Hazewinkels are among that group. These identical twins were pioneers for their brand of the sport, and their influence carries on with Sam Hazewinkel. Lindsey Durlacher was taken from us too soon, but his legacy of winning a World medal and for being part of the United States' 2007 Greco-Roman World Championship team continue to be remembered." If that weren't enough to get Greco fans to attend, Klingman offers some additional, powerful reasons to attend what is sure to be a memorable event. "It's pretty remarkable that we have so many past inductees attending the event: Steve Fraser, Mike Houck, Brandon Paulson, Brad Rheingans, Dennis Koslowski, Jim Martinez and Alan Rice. That's on top of several successful wrestlers from the Minnesota Wrestling Club who will be in attendance," said Klingman. "This will be a room filled with champions." Klingman pointed out that both Steve Fraser and Mike Houck will be at the induction ceremony. "Steve beat Mike to make the 1984 Olympic team, which he eventually won -- becoming the first American wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal in the Greco-Roman discipline. The following year, Mike Houck became the first American wrestler to win the World Championships in Greco-Roman wrestling," according to Klingman.

Can't make it to Rochester, Minnesota, this Saturday for the 2016 InterMat JJ Classic? You can catch all the action online. InterMat is not only providing live video streams of all the mats from the JJ Classic, but also recording every match and posting them live on the brackets via Trackcast. There will be a full production for the finals, which will include interviews with the 15 champions. Catch some of the nation's top high school wrestlers in action this Saturday. The tournament begins at 9 a.m. CT. Visit the

Q: When does 12 equal 10? A: When the Big 12 conference continues to have ten member schools ... rejecting the idea of expanding its membership after nearly three months of speculation. The idea of expanding the conference was introduced in July -- with the idea of adding two new members to return to a roster of 12 schools, or perhaps adding four members to increase to 14 -- and it ended Monday night at a press conference featuring Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and University of Oklahoma president David Boren at the conclusion of all-day talks Monday. Big 12 conference officials held interviews in September with Air Force and Colorado State from the Mountain West; Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, South Florida, SMU (Southern Methodist University) and Tulane from the American Athletic Conference; and BYU (Brigham Young University), which is a football independent with its other sports in the West Coast Conference. While the issue of adding new schools was driven by football, the Big 12 has a long legacy of success in wrestling going back decades (with conference member Oklahoma State No. 1 in the latest InterMat pre-season NCAA Division I rankings) ... with the possibility that a newly-expanded Big 12 might have had a positive impact on growing the sport at major universities that don't have intercollegiate wrestling programs. In fact, of the ten candidate schools interviewed, only Air Force currently has a Division I wrestling program ... and the Falcon wrestling program is already an affiliate member of the Big 12. In March 2016, Air Force competed in the Big 12 conference wrestling championships for the first time, along with fellow affiliate members North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Utah Valley, and Wyoming. These six wrestling programs that are new affiliate members of the Big 12 join the four full-fledged members of the conference that offer intercollegiate wrestling -- Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia -- for a total of ten wrestling programs competing at the Big 12 conference wrestling championships. With only four fully-affiliated Big 12 schools offering intercollegiate wrestling, that means six members of the conference do not offer intercollegiate wrestling: Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU (Texas Christian), Texas and Texas Tech. Some of these schools -- including Kansas, Kansas State, and Texas -- once had Division I mat programs but have not offered intercollegiate wrestling in decades. Through much of the history of the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Big 12 schools took home a large percentage of NCAA team trophies. From the first championships in 1928 through the mid-1970s, three Big 12 schools -- Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Iowa State -- took home the lion's share of NCAA team titles. However, in the past 40 years or so, most NCAA team titles have been won by Big Ten schools, including Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, and Ohio State. The last Big 12 program to be crowned NCAA team champs: Oklahoma State, in 2006.

Brady Berge was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Super 32 Challenge (Photo/Rob Preston) The 2016 edition of the Super 32 Challenge happened this past Saturday and Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. Yet again the field was smattered with elite wrestlers at the top, along with a high quality and quantity of depth throughout the field. The gauntlet of competition that wrestlers have to navigate in order to win and place in this tournament is extremely impressive; heck, just making it to the second day is a genuine battle. Furthermore, it is impressive to see how well run and efficient the event is. Here are a few points of highlight and discussion from the weekend that was. Most Outstanding Wrestler Award The tournament selected an Outstanding Wrestler for a fourth year. In previous years, the high school division Most Outstanding Wrestler went to Spencer Lee (2013), Yianni Diakomihalis (2014), and Nick Suriano (2015). With that being said, the selected wrestler should be among the best in the country and one who had multiple quality wins during the course of the tournament. This year's OW was Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), champion of the 152-pound weight class. Berge is ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2017, the second highest ranked senior wrestler that competed in the tournament this year. In addition, his path to the title included a pair of wins over fellow top 50 ranked seniors: 10-6 over No. 43 Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.) in the semifinal and 5-3 over No. 20 Quentin Hovis (Poway, Calif.) in the championship bout. Two other wins of note were a 10-3 win in the quarterfinal over Cadet National double champion Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.) and a 9-4 round of 16 win over National Prep placer Bailey Thomas (Good Counsel, Md.) That being said, there were a litany of other champions that impressed over the course of the weekend. Repeat champions A pair of wrestlers won weight class titles in the high school division for a second straight year. Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) won the title at 113 pounds, while Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) won the title at 126. It is a fifth straight Super 32 title for Busiello, as the No. 8 overall wrestler in the Class of 2019, also won middle school division titles from 2012-2014. For Silva, ranked No. 21 in the Class of 2018, he beat Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township, Pa.) in the championship bout for a second straight year; on this occasion he beat the No. 37 overall senior 7-2. During the course of the tournament, Busiello had the following wins over credentialed opposition: pin in 3:09 over state champion Trey Lane (Brandon, Fla.), 11-2 major decision over Cadet freestyle All-American Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio), 16-1 technical fall over two-time state champion Joe Thomas (South Carroll, Md.), 10-2 major decision over state champion and Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Joseph Harrison (Omaha Burke, Neb.) in the semifinal, and then a 5-2 finals victory over No. 12 overall freshman Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) In addition to his victory in the championship bout noted above, Silva had the following wins over credentialed opposition: pin in 2:26 over state medalist Ethan Smiley (Beech Grove, Ind.), pin in 4:56 over two-time state medalist Weston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.), 11-6 quarterfinal decision over Junior freestyle All-American and three-time state medalist Dan Moran (Northampton, Pa.), along with a 14-7 semifinal decision over two-time state medalist Isaiah Perez (Dinuba, Calif.) The flagship wrestler Probably the most talented wrestler in the whole tournament was Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), the No. 3 overall senior and a Cadet World freestyle silver medalist last month. He was the basically unchallenged champion of the 132-pound weight class. The most notable win being an 11-4 domination of now three-time Super 32 Challenge placer Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) in the championship match; Moore is ranked as the No. 12 overall junior. Other wins of note included a 13-4 major decision over two-time state runner-up Cal Hansen (Deerfield, Wis.); a 14-0 major decision over state champion Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), a Cadet freestyle All-American ranked No. 37 overall in the sophomore class; 3-0 in the quarterfinal over two-time state placer Zack Donathan (Mason, Ohio), also a placer at the FloNationals; and a 12-4 major decision over three-time state third place finisher Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) in the semifinal. The most dominant wrestler If there was an award for the tournament's most dominant wrestler, there would be zero debate. It would go to 138-pound champion Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.), who won all seven of his bouts by bonus point margins. It included two technical falls to open the tournament, three major decisions (including the quarterfinal and final), along with pins in the round of 16 and semifinal. Last year, Sasso placed third in this tournament at 132 pounds, losing just to Yianni Diakomihalis (you might have heard of him!) in the semifinal round. Since then, he was champion at the FloNationals (his third placement in that event), runner-up to Arujau at the UWW Cadet National freestyle tournament, and a Cadet National freestyle runner-up (which made him a two-time Cadet National double All-American). Sasso is currently ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2018. All three major decisions came against state champions: 18-6 over Alex Rivera (Smithville, Mo.) in the round of 32; 11-3 over Nate Keim (Collinsville, Okla.) in the state final, though three-time state placer Keim won his title in 2015; and 15-1 over Jake Bergeland (Centennial, Minn.). The pair of pins came against wrestlers that placed third in the big-school division of power state tournaments last season; Luke Kemerer (Hempfield Area, Pa.) and Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio). Stock up: ran the gauntlet If one was to assess the champions based solely on the credentials of the opposition they faced, the championship journey through the 195-pound weight class by John Borst (Sherando, Va.) would have to be the most impressive. On Sunday, Borst beat a trio of elite wrestlers to earn the belt. In the quarterfinal it was a 7-2 decision over Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Mich.), who is ranked No. 61 overall in the senior class; Davison is also a Junior National double All-American from Fargo and a Junior folkstyle national champion. In the semifinal it was a 14-9 decision over Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.), who is ranked No. 53 overall in the senior class; Raschka was state champion this past season, a FloNationals placer, and a 2015 Cadet National freestyle champion. The championship bout was a 4-3 victory over state champion and FloNationals placer Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.), ranked No. 26 overall in the Class of 2018.

The 2016 edition of the Super 32 Challenge came to a conclusion on Sunday evening. Here were the results for all of the medal matches. 106 pounds 1st: Antonio Lorenzo (Del Oro, Calif.) decision Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) 1-0 3rd: Brandon Kaylor (Bonney Lake, Wash.) decision Lucas Byrd (LaSalle, Ohio) 6-1 5th: Ryan Chauvin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) decision Elijah Varona (South Dade, Fla.) 5-3 7th: Logan Agin (Lancaster, Ohio) decision Cody Craig (Skowhegan, Maine) 7-6 113 pounds 1st: Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) decision Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 5-2 3rd: Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) decision Antonio Mininno (Gateway Regional, N.J.) 4-3 5th: Logan Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) over Joseph Harrison (Omaha Burke, Neb.) by forfeit 7th: Ben Kamali (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) decision Matthew Cardello (CVCA, Ohio) 5-3 120 pounds 1st: Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) decision Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) 4-2 3rd: Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.) decision Jakob Camacho (Danbury, Ct.) 4-2, overtime 5th: Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers, Mo.) decision Killan Cardinale (Patriot, Va.) 3-1 7th: Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) over Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.) by fofeit 126 pounds 1st: Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) decision Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township, Pa.) 7-2 3rd: Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, N.Y.) decision Isaiah Perez (Dinuba, Calif.) 5-3, tiebreaker 5th: Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa) decision Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.) 9-4 7th: K.J. Fenstermacher (Northampton, Pa.) over Weston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.) by forfeit 132 pounds 1st: Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) decision Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 11-4 3rd: Brandon Courtney (Athens, Pa.) decision Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) 4-2 5th: Devin Schwartzkopf (Francis Howell Central, Mo.) over Zach Trampe (Council Rock South, Pa.) by disqualification 7th: Grant Willits (Pueblo County, Colo.) decision Francisco Valdes (Miami Southwest, Fla.) 6-2 138 pounds 1st: Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) major decision Jake Bergeland (Centennial, Minn.) 15-1 3rd: Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio) pin Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) 0:29 5th: Ryan Vulakh (North Penn, Pa.) decision Colin Cronin (Upper Darby, Pa.) 3-2 7th: Jake Silverstein (Hauppauge, N.Y.) decision Jake Martinez (Licking Valley, Ohio) 3-1 145 pounds 1st: Jarod Verkleeren (Hempfield Area, Pa.) decision Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.) 5-2 3rd: Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.) decision Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.) 5-1 5th: Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) major decision Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) 11-3 7th: Joe Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.) decision Peter Pappas (Plainview JFK, N.Y.) 7-6 152 pounds 1st: Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) decision Quentin Hovis (Poway, Calif.) 5-3 3rd: Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.) decision Jaden Mattox (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio) 8-5 5th: Austin O'Connor (St. Rita, Ill.) decision Hunter Willits (Pueblo County, Colo.) 3-2 7th: Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) decision Nathan Atienza (Livonia Franklin, Mich.) 4-1 160 pounds 1st: Kyle Cochran (Paramus, N.J.) decision Emille Shannon (Christian Brothers, Mo.) 2-2, tiebreaker rideout 3rd: Trent Hidlay (Miffin County, Pa.) decision Brad Loughlin (Yorktown, Pa.) 3-1, overtime 5th: Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) pin Mekhi Lewis (Bound Brook, N.J.) 1:00 7th: Tristan Brady (Elyria, Ohio) decision Skitch Light (Central Dauphin, Pa.) 1-0 170 pounds 1st: Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) decision Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) 7-3 3rd: Ethan Smith (Sparrows Point, Md.) decision Bryce McLaughlin (Woodbridge, N.J.) 6-4, overtime 5th: Myles Wilson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) over Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.) by forfeit 7th: Emil Soehnlen (Massillon Perry, Ohio) pin George Walton (Bound Brook, N.J.) 4:14 182 pounds 1st: Louie Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) decision Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa.) 6-0 3rd: Drew Peck (Chambersburg, Pa.) decision Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.) 2-1 5th: Khamari Whimper (Baylor School, Tenn.) decision Matthew Waddell (Gilmer, Ga.) 5-2 7th: Kendall Elfstrum (Monroe Woodbury, N.Y.) decision Clifton Wang (Edgemont, N.Y.) 4-3 195 pounds 1st: John Borst (Sherando, Va.) decision Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.) 4-3 3rd: Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) decision Daniel Kerkvleit (Simley, Minn.) 6-2 5th: Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.) pin Jacob Rashcka (Pewaukee, Wis.) 3:21 7th: Jake Woodley (North Allegheny, Pa.) major decision Joe Doyle (Council Rock South, Pa.) 11-2 220 pounds 1st: Brian Kennerly (Upper Darby, Pa.) decision Cole Nye (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) 5-4, tiebreaker 3rd: Ryan Vasbinder (Byron Center, Mich.) decision Peter Acciardi (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) 6-0 5th: Eric Keosseian (Howell, N.J.) decision Joe Soreco (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) 3-1 7th: Diata Drayton (Marist, Ill.) decision Jeffrey Allen (Amherst County, Va.) 7-3 285 pounds 1st: Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) decision Sammy deSeriere (Mullen, Colo.) 3-1 3rd: Zach Muller (Downers Grove South, Ill.) pin Mansur Abdul-Malik (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 2:52 5th: Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.) decision Michael Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.) 6-2 7th: Blake Zalapi (Hononegah, Ill.) pin Paul Robinson (Bremen, Ga.) 1:53 Outstanding Wrestler: Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), 152 pound champion

Junior National freestyle runner-up Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.) verbally committed to Northwestern University late on Tuesday afternoon for the Class of 2018. The No. 35 overall junior nationally placed third at state as a sophomore at 285 pounds, and has been on fire since then. Going in order of events, he won by styles at the UWW Cadet Nationals, he was undefeated at the AAU Scholastic Duals, he was undefeated in freestyle at the Junior National Duals, and was also third place in Junior Greco-Roman prior to the Junior freestyle runner-up finish. Cassioppi was also third in both styles competing at the Cadet level at 285 pounds during the summer of 2015. In addition, he plays both ways on the varsity of his high school football team, and is a high-level boxer and kickboxer for his age group. He projects to compete at 285 pounds in college.

Spencer Trenary claimed a Cadet National Greco-Roman title in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Spencer Trenary (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Iowa), a Cadet National Greco-Roman champion, has registered for the InterMat JJ Classic at heavyweight. Trenary was a top-three finisher in all three styles at Cadet Nationals this year. He was a runner-up in the Cadet National folkstyle competition in April, and then earned double All-American honors in Fargo, claiming the Greco-Roman title and finishing third in freestyle. Trenary was a state placewinner as a freshman heavyweight in Iowa's Class 2A. He was also a state champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman this year. The 2016 InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Rochester, Minnesota. For more information on the InterMat JJ Classic and to register, visit the event website.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Sun Devil wrestling alum ('65) and long-time program supporter Art Martori will receive the 2016 Alumni Service Award as part of annual homecoming festivities. His contributions to the sport, especially at Arizona State, span over five decades. Art Martori"Art's vision and impact have made a large impact on the sport of wrestling. His knowledge, broad perspectives, and personal standards have been invaluable for Sun Devil wrestling and for student-athletes," says head coach Zeke Jones. Martori previously served as President of USA Wrestling (1992-94) during which the team won its first World team title in freestyle wrestling and U.S. Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team Leader. As a student-athlete, he won the Western Athletic Conference title in 1965. He is a member of the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame and was awarded the Gold Star by FILA, the international governing body of wrestling. In order to give back to up-and-coming young wrestlers, Martori started Sunkist Kids in 1976 to give opportunities, resources, and funding for U.S. Olympic hopefuls. "Sun Devil wrestling is privileged to count Art Martori among our friends, and we are proud to count him among our alumni. He helps to provide well-prepared student-athletes and to inspire competitors of character. Art sets the bar high and motivates others to reach higher still," Jones continues. The Alumni Service Award recognizes distinguished, exemplary, and extraordinary service to Arizona State University and the Alumni Association by an alumnus/alumna. The award will be presented during halftime at ASU's Homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 22 vs. Washington State at 7 p.m.

Eric Akin competed in Real Pro Wrestling (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) Eric Akin will be the exclusive guest on this week's edition of the On the Mat wrestling broadcast on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Akin was a four-time NCAA All-American for Iowa State who is now the owner of East Kansas Wrestling Club. 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.

Max Rohskopf defeated Nebraska's Austin Wilson in a dual meet last season (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- With the nation's top wrestlers on display, there will be plenty for Ohio wrestling fans to cheer about at the 51st annual NWCA All-Star Classic on November 5 at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center. NC State's Max Rohskopf becomes the fourth wrestler with Ohio ties set to participate. The Wolfpack senior moves down to a new weight class this year and he'll tangle with 2015 All-American Brian Murphy of Michigan. The event, presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company and hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network, has served as the major kick-off event for the wrestling season since becoming and early-season event. In 2012, the event moved to the first weekend of the major college wrestling calendar and has been a fixture ever since. This is Rohskopf's second straight appearance in the event. He topped Oklahoma's Clark Glass 9-2 in last year's event in Atlanta. "You've got two very dynamic wrestlers here," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Rohskopf's got length and leverage while Murphy's an outstanding athlete. We know the Ohio fans will like to see another native in the event, although I don't think it would matter much in terms of who to root for because Murphy's from 'that state up north'." Both wrestlers missed placing at the 2016 NCAA Division I championships. Rohskopf, a big part of NC State's stellar 2015-16 season, entered as the No. 5 seed at 165 pounds but was upset early and bounced from the tournament and finished 1-2. Murphy, who was saddled with injuries for much of the season, reached the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to Kent State's Ian Miller. In the consolations, Murphy's bid to repeat at 157 pounds as an All-American was ended by Rohskopf's teammate, Tommy Gantt. A native of Killbuck, Ohio, Rohskopf went 16-4 last season and enters the All-Star Classic with a 49-33 overall record. He's a two-time NCAA qualifier. Murphy is a three-time NCAA qualifier. He placed seventh as a sophomore and enters the event with a 59-30 career record. Murphy hails from Carol Stream, Illinois and wrestled at national powerhouse Glenbard North. A four-time state placewinner and three-time finalist, he was also a four-time All-American in Fargo, winning the Cadet freestyle national championship in 2010. The two have not met in college. Rohskopf's latest appearance will be the 11th all-time at the All-Star Classic by Wolfpack wrestlers and they hold a 4-6 all-time record. Murphy will make Michigan's 37th appearance. Wolverine wrestlers are 15-18-3 all-time and have never lost a match by more than a decision. 2016 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company Hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network November 5, 2016 - Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University Time: Showcase Matches 6 p.m.; Main Event 7 p.m. Tickets: $15 GA, $100 Preferred Seating/Social. Group options available. Tickets available at www.goallstarclassic.com or Wolstein Center Box Office ( 844-407-2279) or Northeast Ohio Discount Drug Marts. Streaming: Trackwrestling.com Officially Announced Matchups 125: 133: Zane Richards, Sr. (Illinois) vs. Eric Montoya, Sr. (Nebraska) 141: 149: 157: Brian Murphy, Sr. (Michigan) vs. Max Rohskopf, Sr. (NC State) 165: Isaac Jordan, Sr. (Wisconsin) vs. Daniel Lewis, So. (Missouri) 174: 184: Gabe Dean, Sr. (Cornell) vs. Myles Martin, So. (Ohio State) 197: Brett Pfarr, Sr. (Minnesota) vs. Brett Harner, Sr. (Princeton) 285: Ty Walz, Sr. (Virginia Tech) vs. Connor Medbery, Sr. (Wisconsin) About the National Wrestling Coaches Association The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with a primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and the promotion of wrestling. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) Wrestlers in Business Network is a registered 501 C-3 that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have graduated from the sport and are now in their respective careers. Our mission is to build a community that serves as a platform to connect our members and facilitate business and job opportunities across the nation by leveraging a talent rich pipeline of wrestling alumni, with the ultimate byproduct of increasing reinvestment back to the sport. http://www.wrestlersinbusiness.org

Graham Wrestling Training Center Say "wrestling room" and many will immediately picture a dark, dank room deep in the basement of a gym ... a cramped, tight space with so little actual wrestling practice area, athletes spend more time fighting for workout space than actually working out. The new wrestling training facility at Bucknell University -- officially dedicated this week -- is none of those things. It's spacious, bright and airy, with huge windows letting in natural light ... and advanced features and plenty of space for the mat Bison to maintain top condition. It features a 50-foot-by-100-foot mat room providing enough space for 36 wrestlers to grapple simultaneously in 18 circles, as well as a fitness area with weight benches and exercise equipment. Next to the mat room are a weigh-in area, coaches' offices, team room and a glass-walled trainer's office with hydrotherapy and ice baths, which allows coaches to keep an eye on recuperating wrestlers. Bison head wrestling coach Dan Wirnsberger said it's "the best wrestling-specific training facility in the country." Assistant coach Kevin LeValley described the new room as "state of the art." One of the facility's most intriguing, high-tech features: a camera system mounted in the ceiling above the mats, which provides instant-replay capability via monitors along the walls, allowing wrestlers to observe and adjust their technique in near-real time. "The cameras in the wrestling room are going to be awesome," said Victor Lopez, captain of the Bison wrestling team. "It's easier to learn by watching yourself than by having someone else tell you what to do." In addition, the new wrestling center also features coaches' offices, team study area ... and, for the first time, specially designated locker rooms for the Bucknell wrestlers. (No more having to share with users of the campus fitness facility.) These impressive new facilities that comprise the new Graham Wrestling Center are located, appropriately enough, on the second floor of the brand-new Graham Building on the Bucknell campus in Lewisburg, Pa. Named in honor of lead donor and former Bison wrestler William "Bill" A. Graham IV, Chairman and CEO of The Graham Company, and 1962 Bucknell graduate, the new building is intended to serve as a resource to the entire campus. The first floor is the new home for Bucknell Student Health, the Counseling and Student Development Center, Bucknell Nutrition, Physical Therapy, and the Be Well Program. The entire 36,000 square foot structure was built at a cost of $12 million. Most of the facilities were opened in August. However, the official dedication of the Graham Building took place this past week. In addition to Bill Graham and his wife Frances, other dignitaries at the dedication included 1972 Olympic gold medalist and retired University of Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable, retired Bucknell coach Bob Ferraro, and Michael Moyer, chief of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "Bucknell helped me develop into the person I am, and I think it's important to try to pay back a small part of what you've gotten from an institution," said Graham, a four-year wrestler who was captain of the Bucknell mat squad in 1961. "I think it's important to give back after all I've taken away, and I think more people should do that." Graham was also instrumental in bringing wrestling back after Bucknell dropped the program in 2001, and the new wrestling and wellness complex is his second major gift in just over a decade. A prior gift of approximately $8 million led to the installation of Graham Field for field hockey and women's lacrosse, created an endowment to support women's varsity sports -- primarily women's crew -- and allowed the wrestling program to regain varsity status in 2006-07. Graham's latest gift for the new building named in his honor totals more than $7 million. Bucknell University is a private liberal arts school located in central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846, the school has a total enrollment of approximately 3,600 students. The Bison wrestling program and other Bucknell sports teams compete in NCAA Division I. Video

Cornell College will open its wrestling season in the great outdoors, as Iowa-based school will host cross-state rival Simpson College on its football field early next month. Ash Park StadiumThe dual meet will be held under the lights at Ash Park Stadium on Cornell's Mt. Vernon campus on Thursday, Nov. 3 starting at 6:30 p.m. "We wanted to do something a little different and create more fan interest for our wrestling program," Cornell Coach Mike Duroe said. "We want to put our guys on a big stage that will attract some attention. From my perspective, we have a great product to promote and our guys deserve an opportunity to wrestle in front of a big crowd." The wrestling mat will be centered on the 50-yard line of the south side of the football field, closest to the home grandstands. In case of precipitation or cold temperatures, the meet will be moved into the Small Multi-Sport Center on the Cornell campus. The Cornell-Simpson outdoor dual follows in the footsteps of other college wrestling events held outside a gym or arena, including last November's Iowa vs. Oklahoma State's Grapple on the Gridiron held outside at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City a few miles south of the Cornell campus which shattered the dual-meet attendance record. Other schools have conducted dual meets on the stage of on-campus theaters. In fact, Cornell has participated in at least two of these events hosted by Simpson and Illinois' Millikin University. "Ever since I've been here, we've talked about hosting a meet in (Cornell's) King Chapel. But we just don't have enough space," Duroe said. "We decided to move the meet outdoors under the lights." To encourage fans to pack the stands, Cornell will offer free admission to eastern Iowa wrestling programs. Cornell College is a private, four-year school located about a half-hour from Iowa City and Cedar Rapids in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. The school owns a place in the history books as the smallest school to ever win an NCAA wrestling team title (at the 1947 NCAAs), with an enrollment at the time of approximately 700 students, before today's three-division system was established. Simpson is known as the alma mater of Nick Ackerman, a double-leg amputee who won the 2001 NCAA Division III title at 197 pounds, and was named co-winner of the Hodge Trophy (along with Iowa State's Cael Sanderson) presented each year to the nation's top collegiate wrestler. Both schools' wrestling programs now compete in NCAA Division III.

Adam Busiello defeated Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) in the Super 32 Challenge finals (Photo/Rob Preston) GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The nation's best scholastic age folkstyle tournament came to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon from Greensboro, N.C. A pair of wrestlers repeated as champions at the Super 32 Challenge. Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) won at 113 pounds, while Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) earned a championship at 126 pounds. Busiello, who won this event last year as a freshman at 106 pounds, was also champion in the middle school tournament from 2012-2014. He opened the tournament with a pair of pins before earning an 11-2 major decision over Cadet freestyle All-American Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio) in the round of 32. It was a technical fall and a pin before his 10-2 major decision victory over Joey Harrison (Omaha Burke, Neb.), a Junior Greco-Roman runner-up last summer, in the semifinal. Busiello upended freshman phenom Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), who is ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2020, by 5-2 decision in the final. The two-time champion had a takedown in the first period and near fall in the second, before a garbage time takedown by Howard shrunk the final margin. Silva, last year's 120 pound champion, advanced to Sunday's quarterfinal round with a technical fall in the opening round and then a trio of pins. In the quarterfinal, it was an 11-6 victory over Junior National freestyle All-American Dan Moran (Northampton, Pa.). The semifinal match was a 14-7 victory over two-time state placer Isaiah Perez (Dinuba, Calif.). As a result, it led to a finals rematch for the No. 21 overall Class of 2018 prospect against Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township, Pa.). This year's bout was much less competitive, as Silva totally dominated the No. 37 overall Class of 2017 prospect by a 7-2 score. Silva scored three takedowns, one in the first period and then a pair in the third period. Even with those two underclassmen being the shining stars, it was still a senior dominated championship round. Nine of the fourteen weight classes were won by seniors, including six by top 100 wrestlers from the Class of 2017. Three of these nine beat a pair of top 100 seniors on the way to their championships: Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), who is ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2017, won the title at 152 pounds; Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), ranked No. 64, won the title at 170; while John Borst (Sherando, Va.) won the 195 title. Though all but one of Berge's seven wins came by decision, he was not truly challenged in any of them. The three victories on Sunday were rather notable. In the quarterfinal, he beat Cadet National double champion Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.) 10-3; then he beat Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.), the No. 43 overall senior, by 10-6 decision in the semifinal. This set up a finals match against No. 20 overall senior Quentin Hovis (Poway, Calif.), after Hovis upset No. 11 overall Austin O'Connor (St. Rita, Ill.) by 5-3 decision in the other semifinal. Berge beat Hovis 5-3 in the championship match, with single takedowns in the second and third periods being the determining factor. Rogers needed a late takedown to beat state champion Myles Wilson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) 4-3 in the quarterfinal round. However, he was absolutely on fire in a 10-3 semifinal victory over returning Super 32 placer Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.); Mantanona is ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2017. This would lead to a finals showdown against Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), the nation's No. 30 overall senior, and also a returning Super 32 placer; Allar rallied to beat fellow returning Super 32 placer Ethan Smith (Sparrows Point, Md.), the No. 73 overall senior, 7-5 in overtime in his semifinal. The championship match at 170 had a scoreless first period. However, Rogers would use a late second period takedown to take a 2-1 advantage. Then an escape followed by a pair of third period takedowns gave the Brown commit a 7-3 championship victory. Junior National freestyle runner-up Borst, also a two-time state champion and NHSCA Junior champion, used two pins sandwiched by a major decision to reach the Sunday morning quarterfinal round. The Virginia Tech commit would advance to the final with a pair of wins over top 100 seniors: 7-2 over No. 61 Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) in the quarterfinal, before a 14-9 victory over No. 53 Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.) in the semifinal. The championship match was an absolute barn-burner against returning Super 32 placer and Flo Nationals placer Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.), the nation's No. 26 overall junior. Borst would score the match's only two takedowns, one each in the first and second period. In what was a match with many scrambles and exchanges, the last exchange saw Hoffman have a takedown that was subsequently waved off right before time was up. Borst won the bout 4-3. Four additional top 100 seniors won championships on Sunday afternoon. No. 3 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) at 132 pounds, No. 24 Jarod Verkleeren (Hempfield Area, Pa.) at 145, No. 56 Kyle Cochran (Paramus, N.J.) at 160, and No. 18 Louie Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) at 182. Arujau beat Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) by 11-4 decision in the championship bout. It was a third Super 32 Challenge placement for Moore, who is ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2018. Arujau, a Cadet World freestyle silver medalist last month, scored takedowns in each period to propel himself to the victory. Verkleeren beat Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.) by 5-2 decision in his championship bout. For Rider, it was a second Super 32 Challenge placement for the No. 40 overall junior. Verkleeren, a Cadet World freestyle champion last year, scored takedowns in the second and third period to earn his victory. Cochran beat Emille Shannon (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) by a 2-2 score with a rideout in the tiebreaker for his championship final. Shannon beat another New Jersey state champion Mekhi Lewis (Bound Brook) by a 3-2 score with an escape in the tiebreak period during the semifinal. Cochran won state two weights above Lewis last year, and was also a NHSCA Junior National champion. In this match, he had no takedowns but used two escapes and a second period rideout to tie the bout. Despite the lack of scoring, it wasn't for the lack of offense and opportunities. Deprez upended Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa.) 6-0 in a rematch of last year's semifinal bout down a weight at 170 pounds, Deprez earned a 1-0 victory on that occasion. In this finals match, it was a takedown and a turn in the first period that were the decisive points to beat the No. 21 overall senior - and Flo Nationals champion - Bonaccorsi. Other seniors to win weight class titles at the Super 32 were Brian Kennerly (Upper Darby, Pa.) at 220 pounds and Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) at 285. Kennerly was a total Cinderella in this tournament, having only a state qualification on the resume. His big victory was a 4-3 upset over Junior National double All-American Jeffrey Allen (Amherst County, Va.) in the quarterfinal. For his championship match, it was a 5-4 victory over returning Super 32 placer Cole Nye (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) in the tiebreaker. Furman, yet to make the state tournament in his high school career dominated returning Super 32 placer Mansur Abdul-Malik (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 10-3 in the semifinal. Then it was a 3-1 victory over state champion Sammy de Seriere Mullen, Colo.) on a very late takedown in the championship bout. Rounding out the weight class champions were Antonio Lorenzo (Del Oro, Calif.) at 106 pounds, Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) at 120, and Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) at 138. Lorenzo, who placed seventh in California at 106 pounds last year as a freshman, beat Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) 1-0 in the finals bout. He rode out Diakomihalis in the second period, then scored an escape in the third period; Diakomihalis was a high school state champion at 99 pounds last year as an eighth grader, and also a Cadet freestyle All-American. Glory, ranked No. 49 in the Class of 2018, was runner-up in this tournament last year and is a two-time state runner-up. He started the Super 32 with four pins before a 6-2 decision over state champion Cameron Valdiviez (Rockhurst, Mo.) in the round of 16. He started today's run with a 7-4 quarterfinal victory over Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.), a state champion and the No. 5 overall wrestler in the Class of 2019. In the championship match, Glory upended Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) by a 4-2 decision. Alirez, ranked No. 17 in the Class of 2019, scored the match opening takedown and had a 2-1 lead after one period. With the match tied 2-2 to start the third period, Alirez chose the neutral position. Glory scored a very early takedown in the third period, and rode Alirez for the duration. Sasso, ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2018, was in total beast mode throughout this tournament. Saturday started with a pair of technical falls before a pair of major decisions, those coming against state champion Alex Rivera (Smithville, Mo.) and fellow state third place finisher Luke Kemerer (Hempfield Area, Pa.) Sunday started with an 11-3 major decision over 2015 state champion Nate Keim (Collinsville, Okla.) in the quarterfinal before a pin in 1:31 over two-time state medalist and returning Super 32 placer Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio) to advance to the final. The championship match was total domination, a 15-1 major decision over state champion Jake Bergeland (Centennial, Minn.), who otherwise had a terrific tournament.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The quarterfinals at the Super 32 Challenge start on Sunday at 8 a.m. ET. Winners of these matches are in the semis and guaranteed top six placement, while those who lose need to win their subsequent match in consolation to place top eight. Below are the pairings. 106 pounds: Cody Craig (Skowhegan, Maine) vs. Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) Ryan Chauvin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. Brendan Kaylor (Bonney Lake, Wash.) Lucas Byrd (LaSalle, Ohio) vs. Elijah Varona (South Dade, Fla.) Antonio Lorenzo (Del Oro, Calif.) vs. Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) 113 pounds: Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) vs. Adam Mininno (Gateway, N.J.) Matthew Cardello (CVCA, Ohio) vs. Joseph Harrison (Omaha Burke, Neb.) Logan Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) vs. Ben Kamali (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.) 120 pounds: Jakob Camacho (Danbury, Ct.) vs. Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) vs. Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.) Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.) vs. Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. Killan Cardinale (Patriot, Va.) 126 pounds: Jake Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. Dan Moran (Northampton, Pa.) Colin Valdiviez (Rockhurst, Mo.) vs. Isaiah Perez (Dinuba, Calif.) Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, N.Y.) vs. Shane Metzler (West Morris Central, N.J.) Elan Heard (LaSalle, Ohio) vs. Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township, Pa.) 132 pounds: Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) vs. Zack Donathan (Mason, Ohio) John Burger (New Milford, N.J.) vs. Breyden Bailey (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) Brian Courtney (Athens Area, Pa.) vs. Francisco Valdes (Miami Southwest, Fla.) Zach Trampe (Council Rock South, Pa.) vs. Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 138 pounds: Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) vs. Nate Keim (Collinsville, Okla.) Robert Cleary (Bound Brook, N.J.) vs. Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio) Josh Humphreys (St. Alban's, W.Va.) vs. Colin Cronin (Upper Darby, Pa.) Jake Bergeland (Centennial, Minn.) vs. Chris Sandoval (Windsor, Colo.) 145 pounds: Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) vs. Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) Peter Pappas (Plainview JFK, N.Y.) vs. Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.) Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.) vs. Denton Spencer (Camden County, Ga.) Ryan Leisure (Clear Lake, Iowa) vs. Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) 152 pounds: Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) vs. Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.) Jaden Mattox (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio) vs. Stephan Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.) Quentin Hovis (Poway, Calif.) vs. Matthew Grippi (Fox Lane, N.Y.) Hunter Willits (Pueblo County, Colo.) vs. Austin O'Connor (St. Rita, Ill.) 160 pounds: Mekhi Lewis (Bound Brook, N.J.) vs. Isaiah Johnson (A.L. Brown, N.C.) Emille Shannon (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Sammy Cokeley (St. James Academy, Kansas) Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) vs. Brad Loughlin (Yorktown, Ind.) Dale Tiongson (St. Paul's, Md.) vs. Kyle Cochran (Paramus, N.J.) 170 pounds: Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) vs. Ashton Eyler (Claymont, Ohio) Zach Ancewicz (John Glenn, N.Y.) vs. Ethan Smith (Sparrows Point, Md.) Bryce Rogers (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) vs. Myles Wilson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) George Walton (Bound Brook, N.J.) vs. Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.) 182 pounds: Louie Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) vs. Kaden Russell (St. Ignatius, Ohio) Drew Peck (Chambersburg, Pa.) vs. Matthew Waddell (Gilmer, Ga.) Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.) vs. Lucas Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) Khamari Whimper (Baylor School, Tenn.) vs. Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa.) 195 pounds: Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.) vs. Daniel Kerkvleit (Simley, Minn.) Jake Woodley (North Allgeheny, Pa.) vs. Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.) Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) vs. John Borst (Sherando, Va.) Noah Bushman (Cave Spring, Va.) vs. Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.) 220 pounds: Cole Nye (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) vs. Max Darrah (Whitfield, Mo.) Joe Soreco (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) vs. Diata Drayton (Marist, Ill.) Ryan Vasbinder (Byron Center, Mich.) vs. Colin Lawler (Kinkaid School, Texas) Brian Kennerly (Upper Darby, Pa.) vs. Jeffrey Allen (Amherst County, Va.) 285 pounds: Evan Ellis (Eastern, Ind.) vs. Michael Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.) Will Hare (The Hill School, Pa.) vs. Sammy deSeriere (Mullen, Colo.) Zach Muller (Downers Grove South, Ill.) vs. Brandan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) Evan Surgeon (Southeast Guilford, N.C.) vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Here are the consolation pairings. These wrestlers need too more wins in a row to finish within the top eight. 106 pounds: Dylan Ryder (Half Hollow Hills West, N.Y.) vs. Cevion Severado (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.) vs. Jacob Moran (Portage, Ind.) Logan Agin (Lancaster, Ohio) vs. Nic Bouzakis (Florida - 8th grade) Riley Weir (Sand Springs, Okla.) vs. Doug Zapf (Downington West, Pa.) 113 pounds: Nico Aguilar (Gilroy Calif.) vs. Jake Ferri (Shawseen Valley Tech, Mass.) Joey Thomas (South Carroll, Md.) vs. Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.) vs. Kyle Golhoffer (Woodland, Ga.) E.J. Walker (Hopewell, N.C.) vs. Colt Newton (Choctaw, Okla.) 120 pounds: Luke Werner (Bethlehem Liberty, Pa.) vs. Kyle Cisneros (Jefferson, Colo.) Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.) vs. Sidney Flores (Bishop Amat, Calif.) Zurich Storm (New Oxford, Pa.) vs. Chris Wright (Central Dauphin, Pa.) Connor O'Neill (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) vs. Korbin Meink (Skutt Catholic, Neb.) 126 pounds: Jakob Campbell (Boyertown, Pa.) vs. Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa) Weston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.) vs. Jet Taylor (Sallisaw, Okla.) Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.) vs. Matt Siszka (Kiski Area, Pa.) Colin Gerardi (Powhatan, Va.) vs. K.J. Fenstermacher (Northampton, Pa.) 132 pounds: Kris Rumph (Portage, Ind.) vs. Alex Felix (Gilroy, Calif.) Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) vs. Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.) Zach Van Alst (Montgomery Catholic, Ala.) vs. Devin Schwartzkopf (Francis Howell Central, Mo.) Grant Willits (Pueblo County, Colo.) vs. Jose Tapia (Capital, N.M.) 138 pounds: A.J. Leitten (Rock Hill, S.C.) vs. Ryan Vulakh (North Penn, Pa.) Jake Martinez (Licking Valley, Ohio) vs. Danny Bertoni (Middletown, Md.) Jake Silverstein (Hauppauge, N.Y.) vs. Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) vs. Zander Silva (Alta Loma, Calif.) 145 pounds: David Johnson (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) vs. Nick Santos (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.) Brik Filippo (Tuttle, Okla.) vs. Ryan Monteiro (Minnechaug, Mass.) Joe Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.) vs. John Pipa (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) Joseph Koontz (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Wis.) 152 pounds: Jordan Robison (Frisco Liberty, Texas) vs. Isaiah Luellen (Rossville, Kansas) Nathan Atienza (Livonia Franklin, Mich.) vs. Mason Reiniche (Baylor School, Tenn.) Bailey Thomas (Good Counsel, Md.) vs. Nicholas Palumbo (Lenape Valley, N.J.) Joshua Kim (Santiago Corona, Calif.) vs. Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 160 pounds: Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Michael Vernagallo (Jack Britt, N.C.) Skitch Light (Central Dauphin, Pa.) vs. Jared Lough (Colonial Forge, Va.) Grant Cuomo (Brewster, N.Y.) vs. Tristan Brady (Elyria, Ohio) Quentin Milliken (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) vs. Josh Stillings (Pennridge, Pa.) 170 pounds: Michael Battista (Broad Run, Va.) vs. Bryan McLaughlin (Woodbridge, N.J.) Joe Accousti (Newtown, Ct.) vs. Emil Soehnlen (Massillon Perry, Ohio) Joseph Eiden (Sachem East, N.Y.) vs. Ty Bagoly (Exeter Township, Pa.) Bumni Smith (Camden County, Ga.) vs. Benjamin Root (Solanco, Pa.0 182 pounds: Garrett Niel (Pine Creek, Colo.) vs. Kendall Elfstrum (Monroe Woodbury, N.Y.) Cody Mulligan (Saegertown, Pa.) vs. Miles Lee (South Philadelphia, Pa.) Clifton Wang (Edgemont, N.Y.) vs. Michael Lopouchanski (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) Nic Casperson (Beresford, S.D.) vs. Jared Ball (Hilliard Darby, Ohio) 195 pounds: Miles Nuessle (Liberty, Ariz.) vs. Chris Williams (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) Daniel Conley (Chaminade, Mo.) vs. Joe Doyle (Council Rock South, Pa.) John Kelbly (Smithville, Ohio) vs. Tony Wuest (Smyrna, Del.) Jackson Rheault (Somers, Ct.) vs. Kyle Lightner (Delaware Valley, N.J.) 220 pounds: Johnny Shafer (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Nathan Feyrer (Parkland, Pa.) Nico Manzonelli (Allen, Texas) vs. Jaret Lester (Akron SVSM, Ohio) Eric Keosseian (Howell, N.J.) vs. Tyler Cook (Brookville, Pa.) Billy Korber (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) vs. Ron D'Amico (Shaler Area, Pa.) 285 pounds: Oscar Daniels (Exeter Township, Pa.) vs. Paul Robinson (Bremen, Ga.) Calvin Hayford (Mt. Anthony, Vt.) vs. Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.) Ryan Stewart (Warwick, Pa.) vs. Blake Zalapi (Hononegah, Ill.) Donnie Tice (Strawberry Crest, Fla.) vs. Kobe Hicks (Hillgrove, Ga.)

Zane Richards (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) MANHEIM, Pa. -- A pair of returning All-Americans from Big Ten programs have agreed to meet in Cleveland to reacquaint themselves with one another. Illinois' Zane Richards and Nebraska's Eric Montoya is the latest bout released by the NWCA as the pair will face off with one another at 133 pounds at 51st annual NWCA All-Star Classic on November 5 at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center. The event, presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company and hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network, has served as the major kick-off event for the wrestling season since becoming and early-season event. In 2012, the event moved to the first weekend of the major college wrestling calendar and has been a fixture ever since. Richards entered the 2016 NCAA championships as the third seed. He finished fourth, ending his season with a 27-3 mark and his first All-American honor. Montoya went 29-10 and placed fifth after entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed. "These two have a good familiarity with one another," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Sometimes that can lead to tighter matches, but since neither has anything to lose here, I would expect them to get after it and put on a show." Richards, a three-time NCAA qualifier, hails from Carbondale, Illinois where he was a two-time Illinois state champion. In Fargo at the age-group levels, Richards placed eight times during his high school career and won four USA Wrestling national titles, three in Greco-Roman and the 2011 Junior freestyle crown. Collegiately, Richards comes into the bout with an 82-20 career record. Montoya started his career at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., where he was an NCAA qualifier in 2013 at 125 pounds. Montoya transferred to Nebraska and redshirted and has qualified for the NCAA championships each of the last two seasons. Montoya, a four-time high school state champion from Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, N.M., enters the bout with an 83-42 career record. This will be the fifth meeting between the two wrestlers. Richards holds a 3-1 mark in the series including winning the most recent meeting, a 5-1 decision at the 2016 Big Ten semifinals last March. Montoya earned a 10-1 major decision at the 2015 NCAA championships, while Richards won a pair of bouts earlier in 2015, 3-2 in the dual meet and 10-3 at the 2015 Big Ten Championships. Richards will be making Illinois' 20th all-time appearance in the event. Illini wrestlers hold a 10-8 record in the dual with one no contest. The last time Illini wrestlers were represented came in 2013 when Jesse Delgado (125), B.J. Futrell (141) and Jordan Blanton (174) all competed in November of 2012 at American University in Washington, D.C. Montoya will be the 24th appearance for the University of Nebraska. Husker wrestlers hold a 13-10 all-time record in the dual with the most recent wins coming from James Green at 157 pounds and Robert Kokesh at 174 pounds in November of 2014 at the Palestra in Philadelphia. 2016 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Brewer-Garrett Company Hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network November 5, 2016 - Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University Time: Showcase Matches 6 p.m.; Main Event 7 p.m. Tickets: $15 GA, $100 Preferred Seating/Social. Group options available. Tickets available at www.goallstarclassic.com or Wolstein Center Box Office ( 844-407-2279) or Northeast Ohio Discount Drug Marts. Streaming: Trackwrestling.com Officially Announced Matchups 125: 133: Zane Richards, Sr. (Illinois) vs. Eric Montoya, Sr. (Nebraska) 141: 149: 157: 165: Isaac Jordan, Sr. (Wisconsin) vs. Daniel Lewis, So. (Missouri) 174: 184: Gabe Dean, Sr. (Cornell) vs. Myles Martin, So. (Ohio State) 197: Brett Pfarr, Sr. (Minnesota) vs. Brett Harner, Sr. (Princeton) 285: Ty Walz, Sr. (Virginia Tech) vs. Connor Medbery, Sr. (Wisconsin) About the National Wrestling Coaches Association The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with a primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and the promotion of wrestling. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) Wrestlers in Business Network is a registered 501 C-3 that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have graduated from the sport and are now in their respective careers. Our mission is to build a community that serves as a platform to connect our members and facilitate business and job opportunities across the nation by leveraging a talent rich pipeline of wrestling alumni, with the ultimate byproduct of increasing reinvestment back to the sport. WrestlersInBusiness.org

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University wrestling coach Sammie Henson made a pair of changes to his prospective lineup this week, announcing on Friday that Zeke Moisey will sit out the 2016-17 season, while senior Dylan Cottrell will compete at 165 pounds. Moisey, who enters his third year with the Mountaineers, will redshirt the season after competing at 125 pounds in his first two seasons. Most notably, the native of Northampton, Pennsylvania, upset four seeded opponents on his way to a runner-up finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Missouri. Moisey earned an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Championships, but was forced to withdraw due to injury. “With a solid line up at the lower weights, including senior Cory Stainbrook and the addition of Mathew Schmitt, we are fortunate enough to redshirt Zeke and give him another year to improve,” said Henson, who enters his third season at the helm of the Mountaineers. Cottrell will make the jump from 157 pounds to 165 pounds in his final campaign with the Mountaineers. After starting his career at 149 pounds at Appalachian State, the Spencer, West Virginia, native finished third at 157 pounds at the 2016 Big 12 Championship to earn a bid to the 2016 NCAA Championships. Cottrell narrowly missed earning All-America honors in New York, bouncing back from a first-round loss to defeat Neal Richards of VMI, Richie Lewis of Rutgers and No. 16 Markus Scheidel of Columbia before dropping a 5-3 match in the blood round to No. 6 seed Joe Smith of Oklahoma State. “After a full summer of lifting and training, Dylan looks to be a solid 165 pounder,” said Henson. “We expect him to contend for All-American status.” West Virginia will open the 2016-17 season at home when the Mountaineers host Campbell, Pitt and Ohio in the Mountaineer Quad at the WVU Coliseum on Sunday, Nov. 6.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY -- United World Wrestling has announced that the 2018 and 2019 wrestling world championships will be scheduled for the month of October. The premier wrestling event of the season, the world championships have traditionally been held in late August or early September. The change comes as part of the recently approved 2018 and 2019 competition calendars, which saw a smattering of adjustments meant to optimize viewership and increase participation. The calendar also sought to accommodate quadrennial Games such as the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2019 Pan-Am Games. "We are looking forward to the 2018 and 2019 seasons and think the calendar gives our wrestlers and fans many options to get involved with the sport," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "We must always stay aware of our partners' needs and any potential scheduling conflict with other sports." As part of the shift, the Wrestling World Cup -- wrestling's annual team-based competitions -- will be held after the world championships, near the end of the calendar year. The 2018 Cadet continental championships were also moved to earlier in the year to ensure athletes could qualify from their respective regions in time for the Youth Olympic Games. In 2014 the wrestling federation held a separate qualifying tournament for competitors. The full 2018 and 2019 calendar can be found on the United World Wrestling website, here.

The first day of NCAA-approved wrestling practices started this week, and with the malaise following a less-than-successful final day of wrestling at the Olympic Games, many in the wrestling community (me!) are looking forward to the new season. Like all larger organizations the NCAA is deeply flawed, but for the past few years the wrestling action has been improving. I'm hopeful that the 2016-2017 season will see a more aggressive style brought to the mat and that the competition stays intense from wire-to-wire. Our fans are the best in the world and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to supporting their teams. I know that I am. Happy wrestling season, folks! Go 'Hoos! To your questions … Q: Adeline Gray's signature shoe was recently released. Do you expect Helen Maroulis to get her own shoe since she was the first American to win a gold medal in women's wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: Given the release date, Adeline's shoe was in the pipeline prior to the Olympic Games. Like most of us it would seem ASICS saw Adeline as a lock to win the Olympics and with her massive social media following and mainstream media appearances she was a slam dunk. Also interesting to consider that Helen Maroulis was competing to win her Olympic title facing Japanese legend Saori Yoshida. ASICS, I'll remind you, is a Japanese company. Taylor Massa gets in on a shot against Utah Valley's Ethan Smith at the 2015 NCAAs (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Q: Taylor Massa's name does not appear on the 2016-2017 University of Michigan wrestling team roster. Any news on him? -- Jim Foley: Taylor has retired from competition after a series of injuries left him sidelined for good. He's still enrolled at Michigan and helping out at Davison High School. Wrestling is an incredibly grueling sport and Taylor Massa racked several hundred, if not more than 1000, matches in his prep career. That kind of wear and tear can't be endured forever, and unfortunately for Taylor it seems that his clock ticked to an end in Ann Arbor. Best of luck to the young man as he pursues a coaching career! Q: 165 pounds looks super loaded to me. I didn't realize Logan Massa, Anthony Valencia and Vincenzo Joseph are all projected in this weight class, along with Brian Realbuto going down to it from 174 pounds. Who do you think poses the biggest threat to Imar? What percentage would you put it at that Imar will not win the title this year? -- Ross B. Foley: The idea that there is a deeper field certainly increases the chances that Imar could drop a match, but I don't think any of those individuals reaches his level of talent or is better than a one win out of ten matches. Collectively it feels like he's more likely to face a roadblock given the names, but one-to-one he's still unmatched. Look back at last year and review the match Imar lost. It was a dual meet with one hour weigh-ins. Give that kid more time and a few extra pounds each day and he seems to increase the likelihood of his winning any individual match. Now he's got an extra eight pounds! Buckle up. Realbuto can threaten most top-level opponents with his mixture of offense and creative scrambling, but both are areas where Imar is already more established. Also, Realbuto seems deficient in whatever gene Imar has coursing through his DNA which allows for scoring early and/or late. Also, while you cite Logan Massa, I think we need to see him on the mats in the Michigan singlet before we draw too many conclusions. He's certainly got the firepower to be an All-American on his first trip to NCAAs, but I'm never willing to put a lot of stock in national championship potential unless the wrestler has worn the uniform. I think Imar is better than 90 percent to win the NCAA title at 165 pounds. Q: I'm old school, two piece wool top/long pants combo…. I don't have any great preferences … the rash guard tops seems an improvement, and it does NOT appear that the looseness of the top resulted in any inadvertent snags or illegal grabs requiring penalty, but the shorts are a non-starter. I attended the Flo Who's Number One meet again this year, and again this year the majority of the participants either sewed or rolled up the shorts to get them out of the way. Too long, they covered the knees when in neutral position, and too loose, they caught while in the down position. Perhaps a work in progress? -- Mike M. Foley: One size does not fit all. Imagining that they were given the uniforms that day it's easy to see that they would adjust them a touch. I wear a long sleeve rash guard and shorts for every no-gi jiu-jitsu practice and can think of almost no time my feet (or exposed toes) were caught in my opponent's shoes. From where I sit there doesn't seem to be a functional issue, though I agree the wrestler's may *think that they disagree. A work in progress indeed. The human body varies significantly and there will need to be a way to cut the cloth to allow for a better fit. Likewise a moderate amount of stretch may help. Lucky for wrestling there is money to be made in these uniforms which means that those invested in creating competition clothes might look to innovate. On that note … MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Nebraska will now allow fight shorts and moisture wicking as a suitable alternative to the singlet! Q: Is Andy Bisek done competing? I haven't seen anything come out after Rio. -- Mike C. Foley: There hasn't been much for the Greco-Roman team to enter since Rio. Also, the stress of the Olympics wears people down. If he's like Jordan Burroughs, Adeline Gray, or any number of top-level wrestlers, Bisek is trying to spend time with family and get his circuit boards cleared up for the next step in life. I'd like to think that Bisek would continue to wrestle. With the rules changing to no forced par-terre I think that the Americans are going to see a significant increase in their winning percentage. We aren't the most technical bunch, but the Americans are certainly in shape come match time, and few more so than Bisek. If you do want to watch some wrestling this weekend the freestyle team will be in Khasavyurt. Check out Wrestdag and Wrestrus for links. Q: These are my picks in order of likelihood to win the NCAA title this season: Hwt: Kyle Snyder 197: J'den Cox 149: Zain Retherford 157: Jason Nolf 165: Isaiah Martinez 125: Thomas Gilman 133: Nathan Tomasello 174: Bo Jordan 141: Joey McKenna 184: Zahid Valencia Thoughts? Obviously, Zahid Valencia is a risky pick in what looks to be the most loaded weight class and has Gabe Dean in it, but I like him as an upset pick. -- Ross B. Foley: C'mon, man! Gabe Dean is looking for his third NCAA title. You can certainly make the argument he doesn't light up the scoreboard, but he's consistent in March. Not loving that you sleep on Dean or that you chose Valencia to emerge as a freshman atop the podium. Also, the McKenna pick is a touch risky. Heil gets the job done. Q: Dana White just announced that Ronda Rousey is returning to the UFC and fighting Amanda Nunes on Dec. 30. How do you see that fight playing out? -- Mike C. Foley: The UFC would love to see Ronda Rousey return to her pre-Holly Holm form, but Amanda Nunes poses a mighty difficult obstacle for MMA's queen. Nunes is without question a better striker than Rousey and her grappling IQ is equal. Rousey certainly has an advantage in earning the takedown, but she won't be as equipped to find a quick submission from top. Ground and pound? Maybe. Rousey's coaching staff is abysmal. Should she find the heart to leave them before her fight then she has a chance to create a nuanced and successful fight plan. If she stays with Edmund she's destined to fight from HEART and, I see Nunes having an immense tactical advantage. It should be noted that Rousey opened as a 2-1 favorite when the fight was announced on Thursday. Q: Do Iowa Hawkeye fans tailgate before wrestling meets? I've never been to Carver-Hawkeye Arena and always wondered that. -- Mike C. Foley: I've never been to Carver-Hawkeye Arena and not certain I'd be welcome. In an ideal world I'd dress up as Dan Gable and slug Bud Lights in the parking lot with Brent Metcalf. Road trip, anyone?

Trent Hillger Two-time state champion Trent Hillger (Lake Fenton, Mich.) verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin on Thursday evening. The projected 285-pound wrestler is ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2017, and finished the 2015-16 as the sixth-ranked wrestler at 285 pounds in the nation. Hillger joins No. 40 Paul Konrath (Connections Academy, Ind.) and No. 69 Devin Bahr (West Salem, Wis.) as commits to the Badgers. Hillger enters his senior season on a 123 match winning streak, with his last loss being in the consolation final at state his freshman year. In addition, he is a two-way and multi-position star on the football field.