InterMat Staff

Shaun Williams, who wrestled for the now-defunct University of Oregon mat program, is leaving his head wrestling coaching job at an Oregon high school to take a similar position in Washington State, The Oregonian reported Friday. Williams had been coaching at Hermiston High School since 2012, taking the Bulldogs to three consecutive Oregon Class 5A championships from 2013-15. Citing family and job reasons, Williams turned in his resignation Thursday, and will be making his new home in Spokane, Wash. where he will coach and serve as a special education teacher at Central Valley High. The former Duck wrestler told The Oregonian that a major factor in making the move is to be closer to his 11-year-old son, who lives with his mother in Spokane. "(My son) has a great support system up there, and I want to be a part of what he does," Williams said. "I weighed my options of do I stay or do I go, but in the end I've got to go up there and be closer to him." It's a homecoming of sorts for Williams. Although a native of South Africa, Williams launched his collegiate mat career at North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho which is about 30 miles east of Spokane. Earlier in his coaching career he served as an assistant at Central Valley. Williams had an impressive on-the-mat career. He won a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) title at North Idaho, then came to Oregon, where he was a two-time qualifier for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2001 and 2002 at 125 pounds. In 2002, Williams, the No. 8 seed, reached the round of 12, where he lost to eventual champ Stephen Abas of Fresno State. Beyond college, Williams wrestled freestyle for his native South Africa, placing 11th at the 2003 World Championships, and competing at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

J.D. Oliva, former Northern Illinois University wrestler who has coached at the high school level and has participated in the production of documentaries about the sport, will be taking the helm of the Harvard High School wrestling program in northern Illinois, the Northwest Herald reported Friday. J.D. OliviaThe former Huskie - who graduated from NIU in 2003 with a degree in communication -- posted this message on his Twitter account: "It's official. I'm the Head Wrestling Coach at Harvard High School! Excited to start a new chapter in a school w/a huge wrestling tradition!" Oliva, who had been an assistant wrestling coach at South Elgin High School for a decade, echoed that sentiment in his interview with Northwest Herald reporter Caitlin Swieca, saying he wanted to guide the Harvard Hornets to reclaim past glory. "Wrestling is such a big deal here," Oliva said. "Five Hall of Fame coaches, all the state place winners, and two-time state champions, there's so much tradition that goes into a place like this. As a guy who grew up in an area that wasn't very rich in wrestling tradition, it's everything I've always wanted." "That's why I came here," Oliva continued "It's a place that's done it before, and now they're ready for it to happen again. It's just steering it in the right direction." Oliva has first-hand familiarity with Harvard's success. As a wrestler at Streamwood High in northwest suburban Chicago, he has fond memories of competing at a tournament at Harvard. As the owner of a video production business, Oliva got an inside look at the program when the team's coaches asked him to make a video for the program's 50th anniversary back in 2009. In addition to producing that documentary about Harvard High's wrestling program, Oliva has been involved in other film projects about amateur wrestling, including a feature-length independent movie titled "7 Minutes," and "Independence: Wrestling with a Community", a 2010 documentary chronicling an entire season of the high school wrestling program in Independence, Iowa, located between Waterloo and Dubuque, which was the subject of an InterMat Rewind feature five years ago.

The one-time Buckeye who briefly joined the Pride is now a Blue Raider, as former Ohio State wrestler Cam Tessari is one of three transfer students and 18 new recruits who will be on the roster of the Blue Raider wrestling program at Lindsey Wilson College, the Kentucky-based NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school announced. Tessari, 24, left Ohio State after thde 2012-2013 season to transfer to Hofstra University. ElevenWarriors.com, an unofficial Buckeyes sports website, reported in February 2014 that Tessari was no longer at the Long Island, N.Y. Division I school, according to Coach Rob Anspach. Cam Tessari battles Jason Chamberlain in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational during the 2012-13 season (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Tessari spent two seasons at Ohio State, where earned All-American honors after finishing fourth in the 149-pound bracket as a freshman at the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. As a Buckeye, Tessari compiled an overall record of 41-18. Prior to coming to Columbus, Tessari was a four-time Ohio state champion at Monroeville High School, the same alma mater as former Buckeye teammate -- and four-time NCAA champ -- Logan Stieber. Tessari, who had been the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation at 140 pounds, concluded his high school career with a 189-6 record, including a 52-1 mark his senior season. Tessari was also a 2009 Junior Nationals Champion and helped Monroeville to the state team title as a junior. "Cam's wrestling ability is amazing," said Lindsey Wilson head coach Corey Ruff. "He has a great feel for things and is comfortable in any situation. He's already proven a great deal to me and I can't wait for him to not only take advantage of this opportunity, but to see him meet his own expectations." In addition to Tessari, the other two collegians transferring to Lindsey Wilson include Arizona native Diorian Coleman, a 2014 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) 165-pound national champ for McKendree University in Illinois, and Matthew Walker from Iowa Western Community College, who is originally from Ohio. "All three transfer students are supreme talents that will have the opportunity to make a huge impact for this team," Ruff said. "Our staff is really excited to see them start off doing all the right things in the classroom and on the mat." Most of the other wrestlers entering Lindsey Wilson this fall as freshmen are from high schools located in Kentucky. Lindsey Wilson College describes itself as "a four-year liberal-arts college affiliated with the Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church." Located in Columbia, Ky., Lindsey Wilson is in south-central Kentucky, about 20 miles from Lake Cumberland. Founded in 1903, Lindsey Wilson has approximately 2,700 students.

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzogovina -- American Alleida Martinez captured a silver medal and teammate Alexis Bleau earned a bronze medal at the UWW Cadet World Championships on Friday night. Martinez dropped a 10-0 technical fall to returning Cadet World champion Yui Sasaki of Japan in the gold-medal finals in women's freestyle wrestling at 46 kilos/101.5 pounds. Bleau scored three second-period takedowns to down 2015 Asian Cadet silver medalist Tsetsegbayar Byambadorj of Mongolia 6-3 in the bronze-medal match at 70 kilos/154 pounds. Read complete story ... Team USA results (Friday): 40 kilos: Vayle Baker, Benton, Pa. LOSS Rumi Fujisawa (Japan), 6-6 46 kilos: Alleida Martinez, Selma, Calif. -- SILVER WIN Florenta Diaconu (Moldova), pin WIN Aynur Ege (Turkey), 2-1 WIN Maria Tiumerekova (Russia), 3-2 LOSS Yui Susaki (Japan), 0-10 52 kilos: Gracie Figueroa, Sanger, Calif. LOSS Leyla Gurbanov (Azerbaijan), 3-4 LOSS Sae Nanjo (Japan), 2-4 60 kilos: Ashlynn Ortega, Pueblo, Colo. LOSS Wiktoria Choluj (Poland), 2-7 70 kilos: Alexis Bleau, Berne, N.Y. -- BRONZE LOSS Mei Shindo (Japan), pin WIN Justyna Walotek (Poland), tech fall 10-0 WIN Tsetsegbayar Byambadorj (Mongolia), 6-3

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- The Ouachita Baptist University Athletic Department officially announced the hiring of new wrestling head coach Todd Allen. Allen's hiring comes after a nationwide search of prospective candidates to take over the position. Athletic Director David Sharp complimented Allen's career both as a coach and a leader. Todd Allen (Photo/Kyle Parris)"Coach Allen is the perfect fit for our program," Sharp said. "He brings with him a history of success as a coach and a competitor. He has a distinguished career as a serviceman and those qualities will be of great benefit to our wrestlers and the program." Allen most recently served as the head coach at Cumberland State University in Lebanon, Tennessee where he coached and trained six NAIA All-Americans, including a national champion and a national runner-up. While at Cumberland, Allen's squad's finished sixth nationally in 2013-14 and produced three Academic All-Americans. "I'm extremely grateful to become the head coach at Ouachita," Coach Allen said. "It's a great opportunity to work with the athletes here and continue to build on the winning traditions already established here." Allen added, "Being here and seeing the facilities, I know with the guys we have coming back we will meet and exceed expectations going into this season." A native of Kentucky, Coach Allen also served as a company commander for the Kentucky Army National Guard and earned the Bronze Star during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky and earned his Masters of Business Administration from Cumberland University in 2008.

PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania wrestling team has added Josh Dziewa as its director of operations, head coach Alex Tirapelle announced. "I am excited to announce that Josh Dziewa has officially joined the Penn Wrestling staff as our new director of operations," said Tirapelle, the Roger Reina Head Coach of Wrestling. "Josh is a Pennsylvania product that spent his collegiate career competing for the storied University of Iowa program. In addition to his contributions to Penn Wrestling, Josh will also spend time with the Pennsylvania RTC and Beat the Streets Philadelphia. All three organizations will benefit greatly from his wealth of experiences." In his role, Dziewa will be responsible for coordinating the handling all of Penn Wrestling's operational needs; including travel arrangements, video scouting, camp and clinic registration, and recruiting. In addition, he will serve as Penn Wrestling's liaison to Beat The Streets. Dziewa, a 2015 graduate of Iowa, was a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Hawkeyes where he compiled an 84-26 career record. In 2015, Dziewa was runner-up at the Big Ten Championships at 141 pounds, and finished the season with a 29-9 record. A four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Dziewa was named to the NWCA All-Academic team in 2015 and received Iowa's J. Donald McPike, Sr. Award as the senior wrestler with the highest GPA. A Yardley, Pa. native, Dziewa attended Council Rock South High School where he posted a career record of 124-7 and was a state champion. Dziewa graduated from Iowa with a degree in recreation and sports business.

On Monday, Sept. 7 the Wrestling World Championships will visit the United States for the first time since 2003. The last championships in America -- hosted in part by a New York City Olympic Committee hoping to land the 2012 Olympic Games -- were a successful event for spectators and athletes. The 2015 World Championships should be a similar success. USA Wrestling is working around the clock to ensure that athletes, fans and press all have access to what they need to enjoy the championships. Based on what was seen at the World Cup the level of production will be extraordinarily high and there is every reason to think that #VegasWorlds will be a top notch international event. Despite the increased attention to Olympic style wrestling, many watching the World Championships in the United States will be largely unaccustomed to watching freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling. Save a few spectacular spring matchups many wrestling fans focus almost entirely on the NCAA season. To better understand the differences in folkstyle and the Olympic styles it's helpful to think of American folkstyle wrestling as more akin to grappling or jiu-jitsu than to any one of the international styles. For starters folkstyle developed from catch-as-catch-can wrestling and had no previous relationship with freestyle -- the closer cousin of the two styles. The schism between catch and folkstyle began at the turn of the 20th century when schools wanted to endorse the sport, but needed more governing rules. Though the split is now noticeable, many of catch's traits can be seen in today's folsktyle, most notably, "riding" opponents and the idea of "control." As opposed to American folkstyle, international wrestling is based on the idea of rewarding techniques rather than control. For example, exposing an opponent's belly to the sky is always two points in the Olympic styles, where extended control in American folkstyle can be worth as many as four points. The Olympic styles promote action by requiring a new move for each set of points. The rules can seem confusing to first-time fans, but make somewhat more sense when through the lens of rewarding technique rather than control. For example, Wrestler A will double leg Wrestler B and earn four points for also exposing their back during the technique. That technique is worth four points because it's from the feet to the back. However, there will be scramble-like takedowns with follow-up exposures from the same position (no gut wrench, etc.) that may only score two points. One technique results in one set of points. There is a pushout rule in all three styles, though no push -- defined as arms at full extension -- should be rewarded. This is strictly enforced in Greco-Roman but is more lax in freestyle and women's wrestling since there is more action on the mat re: leg attacks and tougher to distinguish intent. Challenges must be registered within a reasonable time frame of the action in question -- roughly five seconds depending on if the call in question was the final action in the sequence or in the midst of a flurry of action. You cede a point for losing a challenge. You retain your challenge if you win and are allowed a subsequent challenge. These rules are why many tight matches will end with an angry coach tossing out the challenge block. There is little to lose and sometimes those last-second calls can be complicated. There is no overtime. The criterion for deciding the winner of a match with the same numerical score is 1. the highest value of holds; 2. the least amount of cautions; 3. the last technical point(s) scored. The criteria is always known throughout the match with the winning wrestler enjoying an underline under their score on the scoreboard. Technical falls are 8 points in Greco-Roman and 10 points in freestyle and women's wrestling; repechage is a follow-the-leader style of wrestleback; full results, video and wraps are available on UnitedWorldWrestling.org via a dedicated event page. InterMat will also be providing coverage throughout the event. There are plenty of other differences in the styles, but as a general introduction this should get you started. Be sure to follow the action and join the conversation with the hashtag #VegasWorlds! To your questions … Q: Correct me if I am wrong, but there has never been an individual who has won four Olympic gold medals in any of the styles. I am curious if Saori Yoshida (Japan), Kaori Icho (Japan), or Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan) have any plans to compete in Rio 2016. It certainly would be a treat to see one, two, or three individuals achieve such an amazing accomplishment! -- Jacob R. Foley: Yoshida and Icho will both compete in the 2016 Games and are each heavy favorites to win their fourth Olympic gold -- something has never been accomplished in the sport of wrestling. The cool thing is that Yoshida will almost certainly go for her fifth in 2020 as the Games are being hosted in Tokyo. Icho is less certain to compete another four years, but were she to attempt a fifth title would also be the favorite. She hasn't lost since the 2004 World Championships and is on a 153-match winning streak. As for Taymazov … Artur Taymazov (Photo/Andrew Hipps, InterMat)Q: Every Olympic year some past stars come out of retirement and make one last run at Olympic glory. Who do you think you think we might see come out of retirement in 2016? -- Mike C. Foley: Artur Taymazov from Uzbekistan is the most likely candidate. He's still large and though Taha Akgul has been dominant for a few seasons I think Taymazov sees little downside to throwing his name into the Olympic competition. Uzbekistan's current heavyweight is not nearly as talented and the idea that Taymazov could win a fourth Olympic title must be compelling many within the Uzbeki ranks to compel him to compete. His comeback would be a huge news story for the sport of wrestling. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Kaori Icho highlights Artur Taymazov vs. Tervel Dlagnev at 2012 Olympic Games Q: Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in MMA. Do you think a women's freestyle wrestler will ever be USA Wrestling's biggest star? -- Mike C. Foley: I'd like to believe it was possible for a woman to be the biggest star, but unfortunately there aren't yet enough opportunities for women to be seen before reaching the international stage. Where Jordan Burroughs had four years to make his name at the NCAA level, even the top-tier women like Adeline Gray don't enjoy that same exposure. For a woman to be the most marketable entity for USA Wrestling would require an undefeated record, brash personality, and (sorry to say) beauty. I think our current women are incredibly talented, well-marketed and beautiful. But for them to overcome the NCAA head start that Burroughs, Ramos and others enjoy is a bridge too far. By the way, in terms of superstardom Ronda Rousey now says things that make NyMag. Can any female athlete do the same? No. Q: What is your prediction for the Bulgarian 74-kilo wrestler who wrestled for Boise State? I can't his remember name. -- @Will_J_157 Foley: Georgi Ivanov the Bulgarian Nightmare. Talented, young and well-prepared for international competition. Should he end up making the trip I'd expect him to give some of the top ten guys a challenging match, though I doubt he's on the level of Jordan Burroughs or Aniuar Geduev. Q: If you were an AD starting a new Division I wrestling program and you had the choice of any current coach to lead your new program, which coach would you pick? -- Mike C. Foley: Cael Sanderson and whoever he chose as his top assistant. You can't argue with his success on the mat, relationship with alumni, public image, etc. There are myriad qualified candidates (Zeke Jones) but Coach Cael is as surefire a choice as there is in the collegiate coaching ranks in any sport.

Ronna Heaton (Photo/Martin Gabor)SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzogovina -- Ronna Heaton became the first American medalist at the 2015 UWW Cadet World Championships. And she did it in convincing fashion. Heaton scored takedowns on counters in each period to defeat Japan's Saki Igarishi 4-0 and win a Cadet World title in women's freestyle wrestling on Thursday night. Heaton ran around the mat carrying an American flag in celebration of her big win. Read complete story ... Team USA results (Thursday) 38 kilos: Jessica Rudick, Quarryville, Pa. LOSS Cansu Yilmaz (Turkey), pin 43 kilos: McKayla Campbell, Wauseon, Ohio -- 5th WIN Mariana Dragutan (Moldova), pin LOSS Yubeka Tanabe (Japan), tech. fall 2-12 WIN Nikoleta Molnar (Hungary), pin 1:50 LOSS Stefania Priceputu (Romania), tech. fall 2-12 49 kilos: Ronna Heaton, Brookings, S.D. -- GOLD WIN Esra Pul (Turkey), 12-3 WIN Anastasia Sizenko (Russia), 10-6 WIN Yevgenia Pavlova (Ukraine), pin 1:50 WIN Saki Igarishi (Japan), 4-0 56 kilos: Alexandria Liles, Allen, Texas WIN Krystsina Sazykina (Belarus), 8-2 WIN Johanna Lindborg (Sweden), 6-1 LOSS Shabnam Ahmadova (Azerbaijan), 0-2 65 kilos: Kayla Marano, Tulsa, Okla. -- BRONZE WIN Siyka Ivanova (Bulgaria), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Karina Moissevenko (Kazakhstan), 3-0 LOSS Koumba Larroque (France), tech. fall 0-10 WIN Enrica Rinaldi (Italy), 6-0

The organizing committee for The Clash XIV, National Wrestling Duals, announced five more teams slated to appear in the 32-team event on January 1st and 2nd of 2016. Four of those squads are making debut appearances at The Clash, with the most notable of those being Archer, Ga. The Tigers finished last year ranked No. 11 in the InterMat Fab50 national team rankings, and earned their third straight state title in both the dual meet and traditional state tournaments. Archer also has won 79 consecutive dual meets headed into the 2015-16 season, and return six state place-winners from last year squad. That includes a quartet of state champions in Chris Diaz (132), Thomas Bullard (160), Daniel Bullard (170), and Quinn Miller (220); Diaz and the Bullard twins are ranked among the top 100 Class of 2016 wrestlers nationally, while Miller is among the top 50 in the Class of 2017. Gavin Smith (106) placed third, Vinny Artigues (120) placed second, while Jacob Lill (285) placed at state in 2014. The lone team with previous Clash experience is Simley, Minn. The Trojans have won back-to-back state titles in Class AA, along with seven of the last eight overall. In the January 2015 edition of The Clash, they finished third in Bracket "A" on day one and third place in the round-robin of third place teams on day two. Two state placers return for Simley, state runner-up Jake Gliva (113) and two-time state fourth placer Anthony Jackson (126); Jackson is ranked No. 12 overall among Class of 2019 wrestlers. Six other wrestlers return from state tournament appearances during the 2014-15 season, including Greg Kerkvleit (152) whom is now a two-time state qualifier. Other debutants announced today are Jefferson City, Mo., Sand Springs, Okla., and Victor Valley, Minn. Jefferson City placed seventh in the big-school, Class 4, state tournament. They return eight state qualifiers from last year's team, including a quartet of state medalists. Leading that group is returning state runner-up Jalen Martin (195), who is joined by third place finisher Logan Moriarty (160), fourth place finisher Christian Mayberry (126), and sixth placer Rashaun Woods (182). Sand Springs placed third in the big-school, Class 6A, state tournament; directly ahead of them in the standings were a pair of nationally ranked teams. The Sandites return two state placers from this past year's team in state champion Daton Fix (120) and third place medalist Trace Fleischman (2016). Also returning is 2014 state runner-up John Jimanez (126). Of note here is that Fix is presently ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2017. Sand Springs also returns five additional wrestlers with state tournament appearances. Rounding out the newcomers to the field is Victor Valley, which returns just one wrestler with state tournament experience in Austin Fifer (195).

The National Wrestling Coaches Association released its annual True Freshman All-Academic Team for the 2014-15 season on Wednesday. The NWCA annually recognizes student-athletes who excel both on the mat and in the classroom. Earlier this year, the NWCA released its Top 30 All-Academic teams and it's individual All-Academic Team. “We believe it's important for the coaches, administrators and everyone within the wrestling community to know the value of the work wrestlers put into their school work,” said NWCA Executive Director. “Often the toughest transition our student-athletes endure is their freshman year where they're taking college-level classes, many are away from home for the first time and they get thrown into competition at the Division I level right away. Retention after the freshman year is vital to the success of our programs and these athletes personify what it means to be a student-athlete at the Division I level." Two Division I All-Americans lead the charge for this year's True Freshman All-Academic Team -- 197-pound NCAA runner-up Kyle Snyder of Ohio State and 141-pound All-American Kevin Jack of North Carolina State. Snyder, a Maryland native, reached the finals before falling to Iowa State's Kyven Gadson, but since, Snyder has excelled in freestyle, making the U.S. World Team at 213 pounds. He'll compete at the World Championships in Las Vegas in early September. Snyder is majoring in Sports Industry. Jack, a Connecticut native, stormed into the NCAA semifinals as an unseeded wrestler. He knocked off Iowa's Josh Dziewa, North Carolina's Joey Ward and Virginia Tech's Devin Carter in back-to-back-to-back matches. He fell to eventual four-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State in the semifinals and ultimately finished in fifth place. Jack's major is undeclared. Two additional NCAA qualifiers were also represented: Lehigh's Scott Parker and Michigan's Garrett Sutton. Parker, a Pennsylvania native majoring in business, went 1-2 at the NCAA Division I Championships at 125 pounds last season and finished the year with a 19-11 mark. Sutton, who came into the starting lineup late in the season and qualified at 165 pounds, is undeclared. He placed sixth in the Big Ten Conference. He was 17-11 this season. N.C. State was the only team with two wrestlers represented, as 133-pounder Bryce Meredith was also named to the True Freshman All-Academic team. Like Jack, he too is still undeclared. Meredith finished the season at 15-7.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Sean Harrington, a two-time All-American and one of the top wrestling veterans from the state of Massachusetts, returns to Harvard as an assistant coach for 2015-16. "I couldn't be more thrilled to bring Sean back to our wrestling program," said Jay Weiss, The David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling. "He is one of the most passionate people I have ever met and will truly make a huge impact with the student-athletes on our team. He's a true difference-maker and I am delighted he's on our side again." Harrington previously served on the staff at Boston University for three years from 2011-13. While at BU, Harrington took the Terriers to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in 2013, helped the squad receive eight individual NCAA berths and the team earned two NCAA Public Recognition Awards in the multi-year Academic Progress Report (APR). Prior to that he was an assistant at Harvard from 2009-11, where he helped Weiss and the Crimson secure eight individual NCAA berths over three seasons, including 2010 national champion J.P. O'Connor '10. "I am so excited to be part of the Harvard Athletics family," Harrington said. " It is an honor and a pleasure to put the Harvard shield on my chest every morning. I can think of no other institution in which I would have similar pride. Coach Weiss and Coach Abdurakhmanov are two outstanding men. I look forward to working alongside them both to develop this team and help build these young men into champions in life and wrestling. I am wholly ready for the challenge ahead of me and am so thrilled to undertake it." A native of Dracut, Massachusetts, Harrington has been involved in the sport of wrestling as an athlete or coach for over 20 years. He was a two-time All-American at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell and later coached for the River Hawks from 1997-98. Harrington returned to competition as a member of the New York Athletic Club and went on to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., for four years. In 2011, Harrington received the PCA Double-Goal Coaching Award presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance. A Double-Goal Coach's first goal is winning, and second, more-important goal is teaching life lessons through sports. As PCA and Liberty Mutual Insurance strive to create a positive, character-building youth sports environment for all youth athletes. Harrington served as the Massachusetts Junior National Wrestling team coach in 2008-09. He is also a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Committee. Harrington, who graduated from UMass-Lowell in 1997 with a degree in business administration, managed BrickHouse Wrestling Fitness LLC, a wrestling and fitness company in Lowell, Mass. Quotes on Sean Harrington from around the country: "Sean Harrington is one of the best coaches I've ever had the pleasure to work with. His work ethic, dedication to his wrestlers and understanding of what it takes to be successful, is unsurpassed. Sean exceeded all that I had hoped for when he assisted with the wrestling program at Boston University." -- Carl Adams, Boston University wrestling head coach for 33 years "I had the pleasure of Coaching/Training Sean Harrington for 3 years at the Olympic Training Center. Sean was an Olympic hopeful at the time. I am confident Sean will pursue his duties at Harvard with the integrity, intensity and energy in which he pursued his Olympic dreams. His technical and tactical knowledge of wrestling is World Class and second to none. I congratulate Harvard on selecting Sean as their Assistant Wrestling Coach." -- Kevin Jackson, Iowa State head wrestling coach

The Fight Network presents Takedown Wrestling Radio live from the iHeart Studios in Des Moines, Iowa. Powered by Kemin Industries, Takedown takes the pulse of America's sport. This week's cast of Takedown Radio includes Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Stephen Stonebraker, Jeff Murphy, Tim Harms and Brad Johnson. Join us this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT) live on the iHeart Radio App, KXNO or TakedownWrestle.com. Every listener has a chance to win a pair of Adidas Wrestling's new Mat Wizard wrestling shoes. Defense Soap Deluxe Travel Kit will also be given away on the show. For contests and conversation use 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966 9 a.m. Lance Hughes, The Clash co-creator 9:15 a.m. Jay Borschel, coach and owner of The Wrestling Lab 9:35 a.m. Spencer Lee, 2015 UWW Junior World champion in freestyle 10 a.m. Bob Johnson, National Chairman of AAU Wrestling 10:15 a.m. Joe Williamson, GM of FloWrestling 10:35 a.m. Fredy Stroker, 2015 Junior National freestyle champion Enter our Takedown Sportswear Super Sunday Singlet giveaway for a chance to win a singlet every Sunday of the year by following us on Facebook and on Twitter.

J Robinson talks to heavyweight Michael Kroells at the NCAAs in St. Louis (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)The University of Minnesota has extended the contract of long-time head wrestling coach J Robinson through April 2019, according to multiple media reports Wednesday. Robinson was one of three Golden Gopher varsity sports coaches to receive contract extensions without a raise, along with men's track and field/cross-country coach Steve Plasencia whose contract was extended to June 2018, and women's rowing coach Wendy Davis, with a contract extension through June 2017, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. Three other Minnesota coaches -- men's basketball coach Richard Pitino, women's basketball coach Marlene Stollings, and softball coach Jessica Allister -- received raises with their contract extensions. In early August, football coach Jerry Kill received a raise. Robinson, 69, took the helm of the Minnesota wrestling program in 1986. During that time, the Gophers have claimed their first three NCAA Division I team titles in 2001, 2002, and 2007 (and runner-up status six times), with 62 individuals earning NCAA All-American honors, and 14 individual NCAA champs. The coach affectionately known as J Rob has also guided Minnesota to six Big Ten conference team titles, with 30 Gopher wrestlers accounting for 48 individual titles. His .751 winning percentage is a program record, and his 417 dual meet victories stand as the best record in Minnesota wrestling history. Robinson ranks as one of the most honored college wrestling coaches. He was named the Dan Gable Coach of the Year by Wrestling Insider News (WIN) Magazine in 1998, 2001, and earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Coach of the Year award in 2001 and 2012. Robinson also has earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors seven times in his career, more than any other coach in the conference's history. In 2001, Robinson received the Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year award for his work and support of wrestling at all levels. In 2005, Robinson was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member. Prior to taking the head coaching position at Minnesota, Robinson was an assistant coach at the University of Iowa from 1976-84. In addition, Robinson served as an assistant coach on four consecutive U.S. Olympic squads - 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988 - and was the head coach for the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games. Robinson wrestled at Oklahoma State in the late 1960s, and participated in the ROTC program. He graduated in 1969 as a Distinguished Military Graduate, Distinguished Military Student and was offered a Regular Army Commission as a Second Lieutenant in June 1969. Robinson then attended Airborne and Ranger School (where he was an honor graduate) before beginning his first of two tours in Vietnam. Robinson then represented the U.S. in international competition, and was a member of the 1972 Olympic team that competed in Munich.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Former Central Michigan wrestler Ryan Cubberly has joined coach Tom Borrelli's staff as an assistant coach. Cubberly earned three varsity letters at CMU from 2009-11 and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree. He majored in sports management with a minor in athletic coaching. Cubberly worked as a personal trainer at Snap Fitness and as the assistant wrestling coach at Clay High School in Oregon, Ohio, from 2011-12. He served as the head assistant coach at Ashland (Ohio) University from 2012-15 before returning to CMU. He earned his master's of education in sports management from Ashland. Cubberly will serve alongside assistant coach Ben Bennett and under Borrelli, who is entering his 25th season at the helm of the program. “I am very excited to have Ryan back in our program,” Borrelli said. “He gained valuable experience while working at Ashland University as an assistant coach. I think he and Ben will be a great team.”

The Clash National Wrestling Duals announced five more teams to be a part of the field for the January 1-2 event. Twenty teams out of the 32 slated to be in the event have been unveiled. Oak Park River Forest, Ill., champions of the 13th edition of The Clash, are among those additions. The Huskies, who finished the 2014-15 season ranked No. 2 nationally, return four state placers as well as two other wrestlers who competed at the state tournament. Leading the way is state champion Isaiah White (152), who is ranked fourth overall in the Class of 2016. Jason Renteria (113) finished as a state runner-up, Gabe Townsell (126) placed third, while Jamie Hernandez (132) placed fourth; additional state qualifiers were Roland Sturkey (182) and Allen Stallings (220). Also returning are potential impact lightweights Peter Ogunsanya and Anthony Madrigal, as well as upper-weight Christopher Middlebrooks, all of whom were Fargo All-Americans. Two of the five teams are debutants at The Clash: Dakota, Ill., and Rio Rancho, N.M. Dakota has won three consecutive small-school, Class 1A, state tournament championships in Illinois. They return three state champions, two additional placers, and a sixth state tournament participant from the 2014-15 season for the upcoming season. Returning state champions are Alec Henze (113), Nate Olsen (138), and Greg Krulas (152); Andrew Wenger (132) was a runner-up, Jared Packer (160) placed sixth, while Collin Baker (106) participated in the state tournament. Rio Rancho has won or shared the big-school state title in New Mexico during ten of the last 13 seasons, including back-to-back championships. They return six state qualifiers for the upcoming season, led by their lone returning state champion, Ryan Rochford (132). Gabriel Gray (106) and Orion Gutierrez (113) were state runners-up this past season, Santiago Salazar (138) placed fourth, Grant Hermanns (220) earned fifth, while Joseph Glenn (160) was a state qualifier. Prior Lake, Minn. won the second-day round-robin involving teams that placed fifth on the first day of the January 2014 edition of The Clash. The Lakers have advanced to the state (dual meet) tournament semifinals each of the last six seasons in Minnesota's big-school division, Class AAA. They return just three state qualifiers this upcoming season, led by fifth place finishers Zach Smith (113) and Kenny O'Neil (145), with Cadet Greco-Roman All-American Curtis Lemair (106) as that other state qualifier. Rounding out the newly announced quintet of teams is Roseburg, Ore. In their previous Clash appearance, back in January of 2010, they placed sixth overall; finishing second in their day one bracket, then finishing second in their second day round-robin. They return seven state placers for this upcoming season, including a pair of state champions in Layne van Anrooy (152) and Haydn Maley (182). Additional podium finishers were third place medalists Austin Harris (132) and Will Reddekopp (195), fourth place finishers Bennett Mesa (120) and Shane Sabins (132), along with Hunter Sparks (106) who took sixth. Yet again, Roseburg won Oregon's big-school state title in Class 6A last season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh Moore, a two-time All-American and national runner-up who spent the last 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Kent State, has been named the head assistant wrestling coach at Cleveland State. Head Coach Ben Stehura made the announcement on Friday. In addition, Stehura announced the hiring of Fred Garcia as graduate assistant. Garcia is a 2015 graduate of Lock Haven University and a three-time NCAA Division I national qualifier. "When we had the opportunity to hire Josh, I knew we had to bring him on," Stehura said. "I'm extremely excited to have him in Northeast Ohio to help build our program even further. I've known him for a long time and I have been extremely impressed by his work over the last 11 seasons at Kent." Moore is a 2004 graduate of Penn State where he was a two-time NCAA All-American, finishing as a national runner-up in 2004 and third place in 2003. He is the Penn State record holder for all-time matches wrestled (184), falls (53) and senior wins (44). In his 11 years at Kent, Moore was a key piece in helping to rebuild a program that had not had an All-American in 20 years before his hiring. Since then, the program has had nine All-Americans as well as a national champion and several top-25 team finishes over the last eight seasons. Moore coached five MAC Freshman of the Year honorees and had at least four NCAA qualifiers in each of the last five seasons. In the classroom, the program had a team GPA of 2.35 before Moore's hiring and has now been over 3.0 every year since 2012. He is also the founder and director of Kent State Wrestling Camps which has eclipsed 3,000 campers since 2006. "I'm excited to help Coach Stehura continue to build a competitive program that has had a lot of pride over the years," Moore said. "I'm looking forward to building even further on last year's success." Garcia, a native of Donora, Pa., comes to Cleveland State very familiar with EWL wrestling. At Lock Haven, Garcia made it to the EWL Championship in his weight class each of the last three seasons as well as a bid to the NCAA Championships.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- South Dakota's four college wrestling programs will compete at the Sanford Pentagon's inaugural South Dakota Showcase Dec. 6. South Dakota State, Augustana, Northern State and Dakota Wesleyan will all wrestle each other in afternoon duals on Heritage Court. "Gathering our state's college wrestling programs into one venue is the Pentagon's way of honoring South Dakota's rich history with the sport," said Eric Larsen, general manager of the Sanford Sports Complex. "This special and unique event gives fans an opportunity to see wrestling at the NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NAIA levels in one Sunday afternoon." The Pentagon has annually hosted a wrestling event since opening in 2013. The past two years, South Dakota State and Augustana faced off in the venue. South Dakota State went 11-8 last season and enters its first season in the Big 12 Conference for wrestling. Augustana posted an 18-5 mark in 2014-15, including a 7-1 record and second-place finish in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Northern State is coming off a 3-12 campaign, and Dakota Wesleyan finished 1-15 a year ago. Dual times will be announced later this fall.

NORFOLK, Va. -- Kevin Beazley, a 2015 NCAA Qualifier who racked up 27 wins for the Monarchs in his sophomore campaign, will take an Olympic redshirt during the 2015-16 season, as was announced by head coach Steve Martin. Beazley will spend this year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co. with his sights set on earning a trip to the 2016 Olympics in Rio while representing the U.S. Greco team at 98 kilos. "I'm excited for the opportunity to chase my dreams, and I am thankful to be a part of a program and university that fully supports me," Beazley said. "I am confident that I will be representing the United States in Rio at 98 kilos." Kevin BeazleyMartin, who has always recognized Beazley's aptitude for the Greco Roman international style of wrestling, acknowledged what an exceptional opportunity this is for the prized 197 pound grappler. "Kevin is the first student athlete in the history of the Old Dominion wrestling program to make the finals of the Greco Roman World Team Trials," Martin declared. "Making an Olympic and World Team is a goal for the student athletes in our program. That being said, although we will miss him in our lineup, taking an Olympic redshirt will put Kevin in the best situation to make the team and bring back a gold medal to the United States. The Olympic Training Center will afford him the opportunity to practice with some of the best Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestlers in the nation and the world." In the spring, while competing in his first U.S. Senior Open, Beazley defeated his first two opponents by tech fall and his semifinal opponent by fall en route to reaching the finals. Beazley fell to current World Team member Caylor Williams of the U.S. World Class Athlete Program in a best-of-three showdown that culminated on June 4 in Ithaca, N.Y. at the World Team Trials. Despite the setback, Beazley remains optimistic about the prospect of not only wrestling at the 2016 Olympics but wrestling at a world-class level. "Training full time at the OTC not only puts me in the best position to make the team but also to come home with a medal," Beazley explained. "My goal is not just to compete at the Olympics. I want to bring back some hardware. That's the most important thing." Beazley will return to the Old Dominion wrestling lineup in time for the start of the 2016-17 season and will have two years of eligibility remaining. "Being able to compete domestically and overseas against top-level competition is an incredible opportunity for a 21 year-old, and we know Kevin will return to us in 2016 even more mentally strong and technically polished," Martin added. "We look forward to helping him chase his goals of becoming an NCAA champion and an Olympic champion."

HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Stevens Institute of Technology head wrestling coach Joe Favia has named Anthony Bonaventura the Ducks new assistant coach for the 2015-16 season. Bonaventura comes to Stevens having spent last season as a graduate assistant coach at Waynesburg University. In that role, Bonaventura assisted with all aspects of the program including implementing training plans, coordinating team travel, and scheduling events. "I'm thrilled to welcome Anthony into our family, and I have no doubt that he'll live the lifestyle we preach at Stevens," Favia said. "He'll be a valuable asset as we continue our pursuit for national title, and the highest levels of academic success." A 2014 graduate of Waynesburg, Bonaventura was a two-time NCAA national qualifier in addition to being named the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2013. As a senior in 2014, Bonaventura was an NCAA national finalist en route to being named a Division III All-American. Bonaventura was no stranger to success in the classroom as well, being named Waynesburg's male scholar athlete of the year in 2013-14 while compiling three Academic All-American nods. Bonaventura joins a Ducks squad that's coming off a successful 2014-15 campaign which culminated with the program's first Centennial Conference championship.

Leigh Jaynes-Provisor and Tony Ramos will go "On the Mat" is this Wed., Aug. 26. “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. Jaynes-Provisor will represent the United States at the World Wrestling Championships in women's freestyle wrestling at 132 pounds. She made World teams in 2007 and 2012. Ramos will represent the United States at the World Wrestling Championships in men's freestyle wrestling at 125.5 pounds. He was an NCAA wrestling champion for the University of Iowa in 2014. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

Kyle Kiss, 26, a former assistant coach and wrestler at North Carolina, was named as the assistant wrestling coach at Clarion University by athletic director Dave Katis. Kyle Kiss"We are really happy to announce the hiring of Kyle Kiss to be our assistant wrestling coach here at Clarion, " said Katis. "He had all the ingredients we were looking for in an assistant coach and will do a great job for our program under coach Ferraro. " "I am incredibly excited about adding Kyle to our staff," said second year head coach Keith Ferraro. "He brings some new excitement to the program and has a philosophy that fits in well with the fabric of our program. He is already developing strong relationships with our team and will be a huge part of an environment that breeds success." Kiss, a native of Loch Arbour, New Jersey and a 2007 graduate of Ocean Township High, was a 4-time New Jersey state placewinner. He was second at states as a senior at 171 while also placing second at Beast of the East. He was 7th at 171 as a junior and second at Beast of the East, 5th as a sophomore at 160 and 7th as a Kyle moved on to wrestle for the Tar Heels at North Carolina starting in the 2007-08 season at 174 pounds, posted 19 wins and was 4th at ACC's. After a red-shirt season, freshman at 145-pounds.he notched 24 wins at 165 and placed 3rd at ACC's in 2010. Kyle was injured and missed the 2011 campaign and came back in 2012 to post 19 wins and placed 4th at ACC's at 165. He was nationally ranked in the top 20 during the 2012 and 2010 seasons. A 2012 graduate of UNC with a B.S. Degree in Exercise and Sports Science, he became the head coach of the Carolina Wrestling club from 2012-15 and was an assistant coach at UNC during the 2014-15 seasons. "I am really happy to be here at Clarion," said Kiss. "I really like the direction coach Ferraro is taking the program and want to be part of growing a winning program. I've met so many great people here, I can't wait to get the season started." CLARION NOTES: Kiss replaces former Eagle NCAA Qualifier Tyler Bedelyon who was the interim assistant last season … Coach Ferraro begins his fourth season at Clarion and his second year as head coach… A native of Brookville, Pa., Ferraro was named interim head coach on September 25, 2014 when Troy Letters stepped down, and then was named head coach on December 16… The Golden Eagles were 1-16 in dual meets last season, 5th at PSAC's and 6th at EWL's… Clarion opens its 2015-16 season with its annual blue-gold match on October 23 , hosts the Clarion Open on Nov. 1 and travels to the EMU duals on Nov. 7 … the first home dual meet is Nov. 20th vs Edinboro at 7pm.

New York, NY -- Director of Athletics Recreation and Intramurals Terry Wansart has announced the hiring of Carlos Dolmo as the new head coach of Hunter's wrestling team. Dolmo brings over 15 years of experience with him as both an athlete and coach. Dolmo has been the head coach at Yeshiva High School and the assistant coach at Yeshiva University since 1999. On the high school level, he was responsible for the selection process of incoming athletes, managing the support staff, promoting the sport to school officials and scheduling. Additionally, he instituted competitions with non-parochial high schools; the first of its kind for Yeshiva students. He also created a parent organization to provide parents fluency in understanding wrestling techniques and terminology in order to help them support their child better and understand the sport. On the collegiate level, as an assistant coach, he specialized in teaching double and single leg takedowns, knee picks and firemen's carry. He ran practice three times per week and focused not only on the physical aspects of the sport, but enforced the mental edge of wrestling as well by simulating meet scenarios to reinforce quick decision making and maneuverability. A competitor himself, Dolmo has appeared in dozens of regional, national and international competitions including the World Championships, Empire State Games, USA and World Beach Championships, and USA Sombo National Championships where he has numerous gold, silver and bronze medals to his name. His level of competition as both a collegiate athlete as well as his post-collegiate career has led him to meets in Montenegro, Albania, Turkey, Puerto Rico and all over the United States. As a collegiate wrestler, he was All-State in the 285 pound division, an All-American in the 197 lb weight class, and two-time national JUCO qualifier. Professionally, he was named Coach of the Year three times and led the Yeshiva High School wrestling team to the team championship on three occasions. The Bronx resident also acts as a college liaison, mentoring inner city high school students with financial aid applications, serving as a guardian on visits, and mediator between the college and administration and parents who do not speak fluent English. Dolmo earned his associates degree in applied sciences from SUNY Cobleskill and then earned a bachelor's of arts with a concentration in accounting from SUNY Oswego in May of 1999. He currently resides in the Bronx.

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Notre Dame College Assistant Wrestling Coach Anthony Ralph received a promotion today, as he and Frank Romano have been named Co-Head Coaches of the Notre Dame College wrestling program. Ralph, who has been an assistant to Coach Romano since the program began back in 2006, has been the driving force in recruitment efforts that have produced what is now a juggernaut program in small-college wrestling. "I'm extremely honored to have this new position, and we've been blessed as a coaching duo to have the success that we've had," said Coach Ralph. "I think this move will help us to continue to grow this already successful dynasty. I'd like to thank Scott Swain and the NDC administration for their support, because a great administration is an integral part of this process." Under the new title of Co-Head Coach, the responsibilities will not change for Coach Romano, who has been with the program since its inception in 2006. Coach Romano's teams have won two NAIA National Championships, an NCAA II National Championship, seven Team National Championships at several levels and seven individual National Championships at the NCAA-II level. "This is really a positive for the program, and it will help us moving forward," said Coach Romano. "Anthony really deserves this promotion, and this will help us in a number of different areas moving forward. We'll see the benefits of this move right away, as we have a tremendous recruiting class coming this fall. We've had the top recruiting class in all levels of College Wrestling the last few years, and this year we expect the same." This coaching tandem has been at the helm of the program through all of its success, and produced the school's first National Championship, when they captured the NAIA National Title back in 2010 and the school's first NCAA-II National Title in 2014. Altogether they have won seven different national championships in three different divisions. "The decision to move forward with this co-coaching model and promotion for Anthony Ralph was an easy one. Anthony has proven how valuable a coach he is through the many successes our program has had. With both Coach Ralph and Coach Romano leading this program I expect our wrestling successes to continue for quite some time," said Scott Swain, Director of Athletics. The Falcons will begin the 2015-16 season on Nov. 1, when they participate in the Clarion Open in Clarion, Pa.

Nathan Cross, three-time NCAA Division III All-American at Illinois' Augustana College, is returning to his hometown to become head wrestling coach at Moline High School, QCOnline.com reported Saturday. Cross, 36, is returning to his high school alma mater to replace former teammate Todd Thompson, who has resigned after three years in May to join the Augustana coaching staff. Pending school board approval on Monday, Cross will be the fourth head coach at Moline since the 2001 season. He is also expected to teach art classes. Cross attended high school in Moline, Ill. then went to Augustana College, located in nearby Rock Island, Ill. Both communities are located along the Mississippi River, across the water from Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa. These cities -- along with East Moline, Ill. -- comprise the metropolitan area known as the Quad Cities. For the past 15 years, Cross has been in Colorado Springs, originally moving to Colorado to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. While out west, Cross also taught, served as a volunteer wrestling coach, worked in the ministry and operated a landscaping business. Prior to heading west, Cross crafted a stellar mat career in the Quad Cities. Wrestling for the Moline Maroons, Cross compiled an 84-6 dual record and won the 1996 Class AA state title his junior year. Cross continued his career at Augustana, where he won 143 career matches and was a three-time NCAA Division III All-American at 142 pounds in 1998, and at 149 in 2000 and 2001. In addition he was a four-time CCIW (College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) conference champ. Cross concluded his career as an Augie by earning the team's Hardest Worker Award, and being named an NCAA Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar Athlete. He was welcomed into Augustana's Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame in 2014. "We went through a long process to get the right person," Moline athletic director Todd Rosenthal said. "This isn't something we took lightly. We thought long and hard about this." "He knows what it takes to be successful," Rosenthal added. "I'm excited he's got a chance. He's a great person. He's the right candidate. He's the perfect person to take over the program." "The expectations I'm placing on myself are higher than anyone's," Cross said. "I'm trying to do the best I can. With my background, history, my love for the sport and the kids, I think we'll have a great program." "The whole thing is exciting," said Cross. "I can't wait to get in there and get to know these kids."