InterMat Staff

State champion Riley DeMoss (Marmion Academy, Ill.) verbally committed to Princeton University on Sunday evening. His state title came at 170 pounds in Illinois' big-school division during February 2015. However, DeMoss projects as a 165 pound wrestler in college. He joins two New Jersey natives as commits to Princeton for the Class of 2016: top 100 wrestler, and 2014 state champion, Ty Agaisse (Delbarton) as well as state placer Danny DeLorenzi (Bergen Catholic).

Wrestlers are never afraid to put in some road work to get into top shape. Now wrestlers and their fans can lace up their shoes and lend their support to a worthy cause, as the Bucknell University wrestling program is partnering with the Travis Manion Foundation to host the first-ever 9/11 Heroes Run 5K race on Saturday, Sept. 12. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Travis Manion Foundation, which offers veterans and families of the fallen unique opportunities to help them take the next step in their journeys and accomplish their personal and professional goals. The Foundation honors the memory of Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, a former wrestler at the U.S. Naval Academy, who was killed by a sniper in Iraq in April 2007 as he protected his battalion. "The Travis Manion Foundation is such a great cause," said Kevin LeValley, Bucknell assistant wrestling coach. "They hold these runs all over the country to raise money, and we thought it would be great if the wrestling team would bring it here." "It just made sense with Travis being a former wrestler at the Naval Academy," LeValley added. "It was a perfect fit for us." One could say the timing of Bucknell's 9/11 Heroes Run 5K race for Sept. 12 is also perfect, as it honors those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the US on Sept. 11, 2001. Before his final deployment, Manion visited Rescue One in New York City -- famous for losing almost all of their men on that day -- and returned home with deeper passion about why he was fighting in Iraq. At its heart, the 9/11 Heroes Run is a tribute to Travis Manion's personal commitment to never forget the heroes of that day. "Knowing that so many people gave their lives during the 9/11 attacks touched my brother Travis in a way that would forever change him," said Ryan Manion, President of Travis Manion Foundation. "Six years after 9/11, my brother also gave his life for his country, so every year we gather communities together to run a 5K to honor the fallen. We are looking forward to this exciting race season and uniting people around the world to remember those whose service has given us freedom." The inaugural 9/11 Heroes Run 5K race will start Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. Eastern at the Pawling Sports Complex at 48 Fairground Road in Lewisburg, Pa., the home of Bucknell. This event is part of the 9/11 Heroes Run series, which has featured races in more than 50 locations across the U.S. and abroad in its seven years. "We are so looking forward to this event," said Bucknell head coach Dan Wirnsberger. "The Travis Manion Foundation is a great cause and we are hoping this is a great event for Lewisburg and the surrounding communities." For more information on the race, or to register, go to www.travismanion.org/tmf_911run_race/911-heroes-run-lewisburg-pa/.

Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American for the University of Minnesota, took care of business in less than three minutes in his professional mixed martial arts fight at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Friday night. Logan StorleyThe Webster, S.D. native and former Golden Gopher mat star scored a first-round TKO via punches over fellow South Dakotan Bill Mees at 2:32 of the first round of their middleweight (170-pound) undercard match at the RFA 29 event. In an earlier article, the Sioux Falls, S.D. Argus-Leader described the Resurrection Fighting Alliance as "the UFC's unofficial developmental league." In its account of the fight, the Argus-Leader said that Storley "shot at Mees' legs early to drive him to the mat for the duration of the fight." After keeping his opponent on the mat, Storley then landed a barrage of punches until scoring the TKO. “Obviously, I want to keep it standing and get some punches in,” Storley said after the bout. “But I went in and the wrestling instinct just took over… And I took him down and finished the fight there.” Storley revealed his plans to go pro this past April. In late July, it was announced that the 2015 Minnesota grad would be making his pro MMA debut in his native state, where he was a six-time South Dakota state champ at Webster High School, alma mater to Brock Lesnar, another former Minnesota wrestler who found fame and fortune in MMA and pro wrestling. However, RFA 29 was not Storley's first MMA event; the former Gopher who graduated this spring had three amateur bouts while still in high school. Since announcing his plans to compete in MMA as a professional, Storley has been training with Power MMA & Fitness in Phoenix, working with UFC veterans -- and former Arizona State wrestlers -- Ryan Bader and C.B. Dolloway. While at Minnesota, Storley became only the tenth Golden Gopher grappler to become a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, racking up four top-six finishes in the 174-pound weight class. He placed sixth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore, third as a junior and, fourth as a senior at the 2015 NCAAs in St. Louis. He also was a four-time placer at the Big Ten conference championships, placing fourth in 2015 and 2014, seventh in 2013, and runner-up in 2012. Storley completed his collegiate career with an overall record of 119-27. Storley isn't the only former college wrestler to enter pro MMA competition. Earlier this week, Tyrell Fortune, 2013 NCAA Division II heavyweight champ at Grand Canyon University, signed an exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA. Earlier this year, Ed Ruth, three-time NCAA champ for Penn State and top-ranked US men's freestyle wrestler at 86 kilos/189 pounds, told BleacherReport.com that he plans to start his fight career immediately after wrestling freestyle at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A number of other former NCAA champs and All-Americans now compete as professionals in MMA, including Chris Honeycutt, 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro University; Paul Bradley, two-time All-American at University of Iowa; Bubba Jenkins, 2011 NCAA titlist for Arizona State; and 2009 NCAA champ for North Carolina State, Darrion Caldwell.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- It was a time to look back at the remarkable lives of one of the great leaders in wrestling and the Olympic movement, while looking ahead to a bright future for the young men and women who will be American Olympic wrestling heroes for many years ahead. USA Wrestling and the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center hosted a special Ribbon Cutting and Dedication Ceremony for the newly renovated Bill Farrell Wrestling Center on the OTC campus. Family and friends of the late Bill Farrell came together with a variety of wrestling dignitaries and current athletes and coaches for the public dedication of the renovated and updated world-class wrestling training facility. Bill Farrell was the head coach of the 1972 U.S. Olympic freestyle team, New York Athletic Club athlete, and leader and innovator in the wrestling products industry with ASICS. But even more importantly, Farrell changed the course of wrestling in our nation, creating a strong foundation for great success for American wrestlers in the three Olympic styles. Rich Bender, Bill Farrell's children Kyle and Leigh Farrell and Jim Ravannack cut the ribbon for the Bill Farrell Wrestling Center"This is an exciting evening for the USOC and USA Wrestling. One of the greatest honors an athlete can receive is representing their country in international competition. It's one thing to see it here at the Olympic Training Center every day. It's another thing to hear it from the athletes themselves. Our goal here, just like their goal, is to be the best in the world. Our goal is to provide them with all the support and all the tools they need in order to achieve their goals and dreams," said Aron McGuire, Director of the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. Cutting the ribbon at the dedication of the Bill Farrell Training Center were Farrell's children, Leigh and Kyle Farrell, along with USA Wrestling President James Ravannack and Executive Director Rich Bender. Bender thanked some of the people who made significant contributions to the project including Herb House, the New York Athletic Club, Dave Foxen, Hooman Tavakolian, Steve Friedman, Andy Barth, Tony Bobulinski and ASICS America. "Bill Farrell was the most consequential figure in the history of USA Wrestling. What we are today, we are standing squarely on his shoulders. USA Wrestling is what we are because of the vision that he had, and the support that he gave to wrestlers. We have many of those champions here tonight," said Bender. Two close friends and business partners with Bill Farrell from ASICS, Nick Gallo and Neil Duncan, talked about their mentor and leader. "We want to thank USA Wrestling for putting Bill's name on this wrestling center. He would have been super honored to know his name is enshrined here. Bill's biggest passion in life was wrestling. I worked with Bill. He hired me right out of college. He was a superb leader. He coached under the great Vince Lombardi. Bill learned a lot from him. He taught us how to lead and to work business correctly. He was a great friend, a great family man, a very competitive personality," said Gallo. "Bill had a tremendous sense of humor. He was the ultimate people person. He could speak to anybody. One of his great leadership qualities was his sense of humor. He had the unique ability to bring people together from different walks of life, from different points of view, and get them to work towards a goal. One of the great things about working for him in our company is that he could motivate you. He was good at figuring out what people needed in order to be better," said Duncan. USA Wrestling presented Leigh Farrell and Kyle Farrell with a special award, and invited them to cut the ribbon for the facility. "On behalf of myself, my brother, my mother Lorraine, thank you so much for honoring our father today. Thank you to USA Wrestling and the Olympic Training Center. Bill Farrell was an exceptional man. He was an exceptional athlete, coach, businessman, family man. He would be honored today, although he would have probably said 'enough honors.' He was a very humble man," said Leigh Farrell. After the ribbon was cut, USA Wrestling's High Performance Manager Cody Bickley led in the many guests, which included two-time Olympic champion and three-time World champion Bruce Baumgartner, Olympic champion Steve Fraser, two-time World champion Adeline Gray, World champion Bill Zadick, Olympian Jim Scherr and many others. Members of the USA Wrestling Board of Directors, and numerous state association leaders were also there. Bickley told them about the $325,000 in expansion and upgrades that went into the beautiful eight-mat wrestling facility, an increase from three mats in the previous wrestling room. He pointed out the expanded cardio area, the bleachers for fans, the new office spaces for the national coaches, the sound system, the mat divider which can be raised and lowered, the special photos and graphics on the walls and many other cutting-edge additions to the facility. Focus turned to the current and future athletes who will benefit from the new Bill Farrell Wrestling Center, in their quest to win Olympic and World medals for the United States. "In the past, our practice times were very strict. We were always working around the men's schedules to find times. We can now train at the same times. The chance to have the space here to separate and have a private room is unbelievable. We were limited before. This is amazing, I thank you all for making this possible. This was something we needed. It will help our athletes have success," said Adeline Gray, who is currently preparing in the facility for the upcoming 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas. Fundraising for the final $75,000 for the costs of the renovated Bill Farrell Training Center is underway. Those who would like to contribute can do so online at usawrestling.rallyme.com.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State wrestling's heavyweight Chace Eskam has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, head coach Zeke Jones announced on Friday. Chace EskamThe 2015 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and conference runner-up in his weight class last season, Eskam was granted a final year to compete for the Sun Devils following the successful cancer battle that sidelined him during his sophomore year. "We're excited to have Chace back for his sixth year," Jones said. "Obviously he's a tremendous student-athlete, so to have somebody of his character, with his leadership and ability to perform both in the classroom and on the wrestling mat is great for the team. Obviously when you're going into your sixth year, you've had some challenges, and the NCAA did the right thing by giving him the opportunity to have a sixth year to compete for a spot in our lineup." Following his freshman season at Cal State Fullerton, Eskam transferred to Arizona State in 2011, was diagnosed with the illness in 2012, and went into remission the following year. In 2013-14, Eskam returned to the mat at 197 pounds, winning his first bout in over a year by way of a 4-2 sudden-victory decision. Later in the season, Eskam moved up a weight class and started at heavyweight for the Sun Devils for the rest of the year. In 2014-15, Eskam started each match for ASU at heavyweight, going 17-14, including a 4-1 mark in Pac-12 dual bouts. He also recorded three bonus-point victories on the year, and was the first wrestling conference scholar-athlete since the 2013 season. "When you already have five years under your belt, you come with a lot of wisdom and experience as a student-athlete, so I think he'll provide leadership in that respect for the younger guys that we have in the wrestling room," Jones said. "The room is a lot deeper this year, and will being him some very unique challenges that will be very good for him. Chace has the kind of character where he can overcome very big obstacles in the past, and that gives him the foundation to tackle more challenges in the future." Sun Devil wrestling will open the 2015-16 campaign with the annual intersquad on Friday, Oct. 30. Location and time are currently TBA.

For the Ohio State wrestling program, it apparently pays to win an NCAA team title, as the Big Ten school has revealed plans for new on-campus athletic facilities, including a new wrestling training facility, and a new arena for various sports including the Buckeye mat program. Ohio State fans cheer on the Buckeyes at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Mo. (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)These new facilities were flagged in a Facebook post by Ohio State head wrestling coach Tom Ryan on his personal page Friday afternoon. "Can't wait to grab my shovel and help! Finest wrestling complex ever built is on its way! A place not only for our college team, but for youngsters all over Ohio to pursue their dreams! The new home for Ohio State Wrestling. Digging begins in 2016!" Ryan's post also had a link to a story on Cleveland.com based on a meeting Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith had with the Northeast Ohio Media Group earlier this month. Smith presented additional, updated information on three major athletic facilities projects for the Columbus campus with a total cost of more than $67 million. Two of those new facilities will benefit the Ohio State wrestling program and its fans. In the works is a new training facility for the Ohio State wrestling team at a cost of $7.5 million. It would replace the existing Steelwood Athletic Training Facility, presently home to the Buckeye wrestling program as well as men's and women's gymnastics, and fencing, located west of campus, off Kenny Road. The new facility would be more centrally located to other existing athletic facilities such as Ohio Stadium, French Fieldhouse, and Schottenstein Center, as well as other new, planned facilities also outlined in Smith's presentation in Cleveland. About $2 million has been raised for the new wrestling facility, according to Smith. In addition to a new training facility, the Buckeye mat program will also gain a new place for dual meets. The $30 million Covelli Arena will host wrestling as well as volleyball, gymnastics and four other sports. It will replace the nearly 60-year-old St. John Arena, located across Lane Avenue from Ohio Stadium. The new, 4,000-seat arena will be named for Sam and Caryn Covelli, owners of the nation's largest Panera Bread franchise. The Covellis contributed $10 million for the facility in November 2012, the largest single gift to Buckeye sports in the history of Ohio State. Smith told Cleveland.com that fundraising for Covelli Arena is above the $20 million mark, and groundbreaking is expected to take place in 2016. The third project will bring most of Ohio State's 1,000 varsity athletes into the same part of campus by constructing a new $30 million home for Olympic sports. This new student-athlete development center will be attached to the existing football headquarters at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, and will replace a smaller wing of offices and training rooms which will be torn down to make way for the new construction. Smith said the athletic department has raised more than $20 million for the facility; Ohio State plans to complete fundraising this year, then break ground in 2016. The plan will go before the Ohio State Board of Trustees at its August meeting. This trio of projects is part of a long-range plan presented in 2013 to center athletic facilities in a village on the west side of Olentangy River Road, where the football facility, Schottenstein Center basketball arena and practice facility, track stadium, baseball stadium, softball stadium and outdoor tennis courts are located. Smith said the Buckeyes' recent athletic successes have helped fuel the fundraising for these new facilities. In addition to the wrestling team winning its first NCAA team title, Ohio State also won national titles in football, pistol, synchronized swimming and rowing.

Pennsylvania wrestling legend Jack Cuvo who won two NCAA titles for East Stroudsburg University in the late 1980s was arrested early Friday morning for allegedly forcing an underage boy to consume vodka and wait in the car while he was drinking in a Nazareth, Pa. bar, the Allentown Morning Call reported Friday. Jack CuvoNazareth police reports indicate that Jack W. Cuvo, Jr., 48, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of a minor, furnishing liquor to a minor and public drunkenness. The Palmer Township resident who won a Pennsylvania state title at Easton High School, then claimed back-to-back Division I titles for ESU in 1988 and 1989, is being held on $20,000 bail. Court records do not identify the boy or his age, nor do they indicate his relationship with Cuvo, or why he was with Cuvo after midnight Thursday. Police said Cuvo flagged down an officer at 12:42 a.m. Friday outside the American Hotel in downtown Nazareth. Court records indicate the officer described Cuvo as having an "unsteady gait, bloodshot glassy eyes, and slurred speech and a very angry demeanor." The officer went on to say the former wrestler was angry because the bartender had taken his keys from him. A bartender told police Cuvo had entered the bar drunk Thursday evening and was drinking for about an hour and a half when a boy came into the bar and said he was afraid to leave without Cuvo. Police contacted the boy's parents, who picked him up and drove him to the police station. According to court records, the boy then told police that Cuvo had forced him to drink vodka with him while they were at Cuvo's home. Cuvo then drove to the bar with the boy, allegedly making him wait in the car while Cuvo went inside to continue drinking. The court records do not include Cuvo's blood-alcohol content nor the results of a portable breath test. Cuvo was arraigned after 4 a.m. Friday, then sent to Northampton County Prison. A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 3. Over the past decade, Cuvo -- who runs a wrestling supply business that bears his name -- has found himself in the news for incidents beyond the sport. In 2005 he received a $2.5 million settlement from Easton police after he was allegedly beaten following a traffic stop in the city. Police charged him with assaulting the officers, but he was later acquitted of those charges. In 2009, Cuvo was the subject of a brief manhunt after relatives found a suicide note in his home. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to theft after breaking into his estranged wife's home in Wilson to "get his dog." Cuvo is currently assigned to the accelerated rehabilitative disposition program in Northampton County following a 2014 drunken-driving arrest in Palmer Township. In addition, he is currently awaiting trial on charges stemming from a hit-and-run accident in March in Hershey, Pa. outside Giant Arena, which was hosting the Pennsylvania state wrestling championships. Cuvo allegedly turned left in front of another car against a red light, causing injury to that driver, then reportedly drove on for two miles. Cuvo is charged with leaving an accident involving death or personal injury, driving an unregistered vehicle, disregarding traffic lanes, driving without a valid inspection and the seat belt violation. That trial is scheduled Sept. 21 in Dauphin County Court.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser has announced the additions of Mike Zadick and Derek St. John to volunteer positions with the Virginia Tech wrestling program. Zadick will serve as volunteer assistant coach. He spent 10 years on the University of Iowa staff, serving as Iowa's interim assistant coach for two seasons until 2012, a volunteer assistant coach for four seasons (2004-06, 2009-10) and the strength training coach for three seasons (2006-08). Zadick won the 2008 U.S. Freestyle Olympic Team Trials at 132 pounds (60 kg), and earned a spot in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. “Mike Zadick is a winner,” Dresser said. “He was a winner as an athlete and is a winner as a coach. He brings knowledge, toughness, and, he brings a genuine excitement and passion to be at Virginia Tech. He is double dangerous with his knowledge in the folk and freestyle arenas, our program just got much stronger.” During his tenure, Zadick has helped the Hawkeyes to three NCAA and Big Ten team titles. Since 2005, Iowa has crowned seven NCAA champions, 10 Big Ten champions, 43 All-Americans and 43 academic all-Big Ten honorees. Zadick was a three-time All-American (2000-02) at Iowa, winning the 149-pound Big Ten title in 2002. He earned a spot on the 2010 World Team at 60kg/132 pounds and was the 2009 U.S. Senior Nationals freestyle champion at that weight. In 2007, he was the U.S. World Team Trials champion and won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. Zadick's other international accomplishments include a silver medal at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China, and runner-up finishes at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team trials and U.S. Nationals, and the 2005 World Team Trials challenge tournament. A native of Great Falls, Montana, Zadick earned a bachelor's degree in sports studies from the University of Iowa in 2004. St. John will serve as the volunteer Director of Wrestling Operations for the Hokies. He comes to Virginia Tech after one season as an assistant coach at North Dakota State. Last season, the Bison finished 9-4 overall and a perfect 5-0 in Western Wrestling Conference action. NDSU finished 23rd in the NCAA Championship. St. John, the 2013 NCAA champion at 157 pounds, became the 18th four-time All-American in Iowa history in 2014. He placed fourth at the NCAA Championships as a freshman, second as a sophomore, first as a junior and fifth as a senior, claiming his spot as one of the most decorated Hawkeye wrestlers in history. “We are very excited with the addition of Derek St. John to our staff,” Dresser said. “Derek has goals of being a head coach someday and this role will benefit him greatly. He will be involved in many new areas. Derek also wants to have the opportunity to compete in the near future so having a great place to train is important as well. The addition of Derek St. John at Virginia Tech will benefit all of us.” The Parnell, Iowa, native concluded his collegiate career with a record of 106-17. St. John was the 2012 Big Ten champion and a two-time Big Ten runner-up at 157 pounds. He posted a record of 31-2 in his national championship campaign of 2012-13, earning Iowa's Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler Award. St. John was a redshirt on the Iowa team that won the NCAA team title in 2010. He graduated from Iowa in May 2014 with a degree in business studies.

A dozen years after graduating from St. Patrick High School, former Calumet College wrestling coach Dominic Angelo is returning to his prep alma mater to become head wrestling coach, the Chicago-based school announced. Dominic AngeloAngelo brings seven years of high school and coaching experience to the Shamrock mat program. For the past four years, Angelo was the head coach at St. Ignatius Prep. During his tenure, Angelo produced three Illinois state qualifiers, one IHSA Sectional Champion and twenty-four IHSA Sectional Qualifiers. In addition, Angelo's St. Ignatius wrestlers earned the IHSA All State Academic Team Award for exceeding a 3.0 grade point average throughout the entire season all four seasons. Prior to St. Ignatius, Angelo coached for two seasons at Calumet College in nearby Whiting, Ind., working under the guidance of Leroy Vega, three-time Big Ten champ and two-time NCAA All-American for the University of Minnesota, Leroy Vega. While at Calumet, the Crimson Tide had five qualifiers for the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) wrestling championships, and two NAIA East Regional Champions. As an athlete at St. Patrick's, Angelo was the team captain of the school's first Regional and Sectional Championship teams and Elite 8 state qualifier. The 2003 team was recently inducted into the Saint Patrick Athletic Hall of Fame. Individually, Angelo was a state qualifier as a senior and a two-time NHSCA (National High School Coaches Association) national qualifier while in high school. After graduating in 2003, Angelo headed south to McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill., where he received a full wrestling scholarship. While competing for McKendree's inaugural team, Angelo compiled 85 collegiate wins and qualified for the NAIA National tournament four consecutive times. In his fifth year senior season, the Bearcats took second place as a team at the NAIA tournament. St. Patrick High School is an all-male college preparatory Catholic high school located on the northwest side of Chicago. Opened in 1861, the school is the oldest Catholic school in Chicago, and is among the oldest continuously-open high schools in greater Chicago.

Mark Weber, former University of Michigan wrestler who was a four-time Michigan high school state champ, is joining the wrestling coaching staff at St. Joseph High School coaching staff, MLive.com reported Thursday. Mark WeberThe 25-year-old Weber will join head wrestling coach Jim Gioiosa, and assistant coaches Taylor Misel and Zach Mallo, assisting with the high school, middle school and youth wrestling programs within the St. Joseph, Mich. community. In addition, Weber will also serve as a substitute teacher in the area beginning in September. Weber wrestled at Goodrich High School, winning four Michigan state titles (2005-08), and helped guide his team to the 2008 Michigan Division III state wrestling title. That same year, Weber was named the Michigan recipient of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, presented to the top high school wrestler in each state who demonstrates excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. Weber earned the award, named for the late wrestler who won a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, for his accomplishments on the mat -- compiling a 224-7 overall record -- as well as being a member of the National Honor Society and four-year member of Goodrich's Honor Roll. Weber then headed to University of Michigan, where he was a four-year member of the Wolverine mat squad. Weber was enrolled in the School of Kinesiology, majoring in physical education. Upon graduating from the Michigan's School of Kinesiology with a degree in education and physical education, Weber helped open and operate the All-American Grappling Academy in Burton, Mich., where he coached hundreds of wrestlers age 4-14. "Having Mark, Taylor and Zach in the wrestling room adds a rare amount of coverage for instruction and hands-on coaching," said head coach Gioiosa. "Wrestling is very visceral. Verbal coaching can be very effective; however 'hands on' coaching can dramatically cut a student's learning curve and compress time. Most high school and youth wrestling rooms are fortunate if they have one or two hands-on facilitators of coaching instruction. At St. Joe, we have four." St. Joseph High School is the public high school serving St. Joseph, Mich., a community on Lake Michigan in the southwest portion of the state. The school has approximately 1,000 students in grades 9-12.

With the Junior World Wrestling Championships in the rearview and the Senior World Wrestling Championships looking on the horizon the wrestling community had a lot discuss this week. So with no further ado, let's get to your questions … Q: Has there been any consideration of eliminating the double bronze medal in order to increase the number of weight classes from six to eight? Eight weight classes with three medals per weight class is 24 medals; six weight classes with four medals per weight class is also 24 medals. If the IOC wants to limit the number of medals, this seems to be a good compromise. -- Alex R. Foley: I think that a reduction in the number of bronze medals was considered during the movement to Save Olympic Wrestling, However, the IOC wasn't as interested in reducing medal counts as much as they were ensuring gender equity and stabilizing the overall number of athletes to 10,500. In the hopes of creating a powerful partnership the sport of wrestling delivered on the promise of a 6-6-6 format for men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman. That move and the positive reaction, subsequently led to the Super 8 campaign, which again brought an immense amount of positive attention to role of women in wrestling. As for weight classes I understand that eight weight classes feels like it would be better for the sport because there are more opportunities for weight class competition. But the reduction in the number of weight classes actually offers wrestling a myriad benefits. Contrary to the idea that wrestling has crowded national fields at many weights (e.g., 74 kilos in USA and 65 kilos in Russia), no country, including the United States and Russia, was able to fill every Olympic qualification spot in 2012. That means that no matter what the funding, training system, or location near the Caspian Sea there was no nation able to fill an entire Olympic roster. The ability to fill a roster is something that the IOC considers in their quadrennial reports, along with just about every other metric of worldwide success and popularity. To accommodate growth, wrestling also sticks with two bronze medals because the average number of medaling countries at the Olympics and World Championships with one bronze is 22, but is 29 when there are two bronze medals. That seven nation difference results in a tidal wave of potential funding to wrestling programs from their NOC's. More money means more travel and more training, which means a more worldwide sport. For now 6-6-6 with two bronze medals is a working model. Almost certainly there will be changes made to the format of wrestling in the future, but this is not the top concern. Q: Since Stevan Micic won bronze at the Junior Worlds in Brazil, how does this impact his first year at Michigan? -- David C. Foley: I don't think it will have much influence outside of any personal confidence he's acquired in reaching the status of international medalist. Micic looked tough in the repechage, but his semifinal matche was a bit of a letdown. The youngster was winning 8-4 against India late in the second when he seemed to tire and possibly panic. That loss will be a good learning experience for Micic and something he can carry with him as he embarks on his career at Michigan. Q: I read about a little league softball game being thrown in order to eliminate a tough competitor (Iowa) they had already beaten. By losing to another team, Washington would still advance but eliminate one of its toughest challenges (Iowa) in the process. The coach from team Iowa protested and the board of directors made these two teams play again. Iowa won and advanced. Washington went home. The board said that Washington "did not play with the effort and spirit appropriate for any Little League game." Huh? I'm not sure there is even a rule about that anywhere and if I were Washington I would appeal but I digress. This long intro leads me to my question. Have you seen this in wrestling? I'm pretty sure that I have. After coaching midget wrestling for years, I know that I've seen some pretty good wrestlers get 'upset' by lower ranked kids to not face one of the top seeds. Then, come storming back through the loser's bracket by winning against the supposed easier half of the bracket. Knowing the child probably couldn't win against the top dog, the strategy is to have an easier consolation route to the highest place possible. I've never done this, but I see the strategy. What are your thoughts? I'm sure the comment section will have some opinions on this one. -- Brad H. Foley: I've never seen this. Like ever. Has anyone else? What are some anecdotal stories? We have a kid on my team at Virginia who took third a bunch in high school and people joked that he felt more comfortable wrestling in the consolation rounds. That was a joke and the implication was that he wilted under pressure, not that he intentionally took a dive. Compelling question! Q: Is Aaron Pico done wrestling after 2016? I'm hearing mixed reports. -- Mike C. Aaron Pico battles Teymur Mammadov of Azerbaijan in the semifinals of Junior Worlds (Photo/Martin Gabor)Foley: Pico is a great kid, and after speaking with him in Brazil I have no idea what he'll do in the future. My opinion is that 21-22 is too young to enter MMA and that with a few more years of experience he'd be the favorite to make the 2020 Olympic team. My prediction isn't worth much, but if you look at the average age of American medalists it tends to be much higher than other countries. Pico has a lot of money on the table that he'll also need to consider before making his decision, but in speaking with him I know that the only decision he made is the one he made two years ago, and that is to go full throttle at the 2016 Olympics. No matter if he does or does not make the team the way in which he's attacking his dream is an admirable. Q: Assuming Coleman Scott makes 57 kilos, he has to be considered a strong favorite to win the Olympic Team Trials in 2016, right? Or do you think the weight cut and his duties with UNC hinder his chances? -- Mike C. Foley: That's a big cut, but if he's well fed and rested up he could be dangerous at 57 kilos and give Ramos some trouble with that size. Scott is a super talented wrestler and especially well-disciplined human. If he wins the spot it'll be another great accomplishment for his career. If he falls short, then you have to assume that the pressure he puts on Tony Ramos and the rest of the 57-kilo division will add up to a better roster for Team USA. Q: If UWW was able to double the number of weight classes and expand the Olympic freestyle competition to a 32-man bracket, would it be worth sacrificing Greco? It seems that if we put the best Greco and freestyle guys together in one tournament, the differing styles would result in more high amplitude throws in freestyle and perhaps more scoring and fan appeal. -- Matt C. Foley: That is a wild idea. It would never work, but it sounds REALLY fun and entertaining for at least one year. There might also be a few too many injuries! To give you some indication of how that turns out, I wrestled a touch of freestyle. The video team for United World Wrestling is Serbian and one of their guys is/was an accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler. Both past our primes we chose to see what would happen if we split periods. It was ugly. Multimedia Halftime Freestyle vs. Greco-Roman Junior World freestyle action Junior Greco-Roman action Junior World women's freestyle wrestling Q: One gold medal and four medals for the U.S. Junior World Team in men's freestyle. Did the team underperform? Or were some expectations unreasonable? -- Mike C. Foley: Underperformed. That team was good enough to win three gold medals. As seen by many, Pico should have beaten Teymur Mammadov save that first-period leg cutback and wacky last-second scramble. Joey McKenna not making weight was a huge blow. Zahid Valencia could have beaten the Russian, but because they battled so hard the Russian quit (literally QUIT) against the Iranian in the next round, eliminating Valencia from the repechage. Mark Hall also fell asleep at the end of his match, giving up a last-second takedown versus an opponent who was several steps below him in talent. The issue in Hall's match seemed to be playing for the win and overcommitting to the collar tie, rather than staying active on his feet. As discussed before, Micic SHOULD have made the finals, but blew a later lead. I think he still loses that matchup in the finals, but it would have meant an improvement to silver. Overall a subpar performance for Team USA, but with young wrestlers it's about the learning experience and a hiccup in Brazil in 2015 may prevent similar errors in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2020. Q: Do people really doubt Isaiah Martinez? I saw him in person at the Big Ten tournament and he blew me away with his power and quickness. I spoke with Mark Perry about him and he had nothing but good things to say about Martinez. -- Curt H. Foley: Yeah, I was also flummoxed that anyone would doubt him! The guy is on his way to greatness, whether that will be at just the NCAA level or also the international level has yet to be determined, but it would be foolish to predict anything but gold for Imar. Q: Joey McKenna missed weight at the Junior Worlds, which really hurt the U.S. Did you ever miss weight in a competition? -- Mike C. Foley: I did not, and I know that there are many wrestlers who pride themselves on never missing a cut. That said, I don't have a quarter of the medals that McKenna does and I'm sure he'll outperform me on the college stage. McKenna tried very hard to make weight, but he was obviously too big for the class and ill-prepared for the cut. For the sake of his career (and health) it looks like now is the time to enjoy a higher weight class and see how he competes with a better year-round diet and exercise regimen. Stanford might be the best place for him to reanalyze things and make a smart decision about his future competition weight. McKenna is one of America's best young talents and there is no doubt he bounces back from this failure a little bit stronger than he was before. Q: Care to update your thinking about Spencer Lee vs. Tony Ramos? We recently saw what someone who won a Junior World title while in high school could do to an Olympic champion. -- Ronald M. Foley: Spencer Lee is a buzz saw and after seeing him wrestle at the last two World championships I'm CERTAIN he will be an NCAA champion and make a World team. However, given his lack of size I don't see him challenging Ramos at the senior level in 2016. There is a chance that we see him mature into a full 57-kilo wrestler for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, but as of yet he has a lot of learning to do. Also, should Lee land in Happy Valley I think that the chances of him making an Olympic run are greatly improved since he'll have a room full of young talent and Franklin Gomez with whom he can roll and learn. I was in Brazil for the Junior World Championships and like many fans I spoke with, I really enjoyed watching Lee wrestle at Worlds. He was dominant, but it came to be not because he's physically talented, but because he scores in bunches -- something that shows other athletes, coaches and press that he's mentally tough and never satisfied. Team USA has a lot to look forward to with Lee. Q: Mason Manville is attending Wyoming Seminary for his senior year. He is from Virginia and has attended Apple Valley (Minnesota), Blair Academy (New Jersey) and now Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania). What do you make of all this transferring? -- Mike C. Foley: He wants the frequent flier miles?! I'd only be speculating, so I'm fine with leaving this question alone.

Tyrell Fortune, college wrestling heavyweight champ and U.S. freestyle wrestler who has dreams of competing at the 2016 Olympics and launching his professional mixed martial arts career that same year, has signed an exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA, multiple media sources reported. "The 25-year-old's focus is currently set on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, which he will attempt to qualify for during Olympic Trials next April," to quote Bellator's statement posted at the USA Wrestling website TheMat.com. "Regardless of whether or not he does make the team, Fortune hopes to have his first heavyweight mixed martial arts contest in early 2016." "Wrestling in the Olympics and representing the United States of America has always been a dream of mine," Fortune said. "Now that the dream is nearly a reality, I have taken the necessary steps to make sure I'm able to provide for myself going forward and there's no better place to do that than with (Bellator CEO) Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. I can't wait to show the heavyweight division what I can do inside the cage and I look forward to being one of the names that continues to propel Bellator MMA to the top of the mixed martial arts landscape." Tyrell Fortune fell in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open to Zack Rey of Lehigh (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Fortune has heavyweight amateur wrestling credentials. A product of Portland, Ore., Fortune was a three-time finalist -- and two-time state champ -- for Lake Ridge High School. He won six national freestyle and Greco-Roman titles. Fortune then launched his collegiate career at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, where he won two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight titles. Back in 2010, Fortune had accepted an offer to wrestle at Ohio State, but instead chose Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where he was crowned heavyweight titlist at the 2013 NCAA Division II championships, and was also named Division II Wrestler of the Year. The 6'2" Fortune is currently the third-ranked U.S. freestyle wrestler at 125 kilos/275 pounds. Fortune has been training with simultaneous goals of wrestling in Rio and launching his pro MMA career, spending time working out with Ed Ruth, three-time NCAA Division I champ for Penn State who is also pursuing a similar goal of making the 2016 U.S. Olympic freestyle team and launching his pro MMA career later that year, and getting mixed martial arts training with the Blackzilians in Florida. Back in January 2014, MMA/wrestling writer Mike Riordan declared "Tyrell Fortune is MMA's next great heavyweight" in a detailed profile for MMA website BloodyElbow.com. After citing Fortune's high school and college mat successes, Riordan wrote, "Fortune's true area of expertise lies in the Olympic wrestling styles. Since high school, Fortune has won nearly every national age-group championship in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. In 2008, he won a double Fargo championship, placing first in the USAW Junior National Championships in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Fortune placed first at the 2009 U.S. FILA Junior World Team Trials in two styles, competing at both Junior World Championships, and placing seventh in freestyle." "In terms of specific techniques, Fortune has the mobility and versatility to successfully perform a wide variety of attacks, even at his large size ..." Riordan continued. "Unlike most big men, Fortune shoots quality double legs from open space. I hate to say something hackneyed, but he moves like a much smaller man." After providing a detailed analysis of Fortune's matches with Division I heavyweight champs Tony Nelson (Minnesota) and Zach Rey (Lehigh), Riordan wrote, "Stylistically, he is the blueprint for a successful wrestling to MMA conversion." In concluding his extensive analysis of Fortune, Riordian wrote, "At his current rate of development, Fortune, if he continued wrestling, was not just one of the front runners for the 2016 Olympic team, but also a serious medal threat. Modern mixed martial arts has never received a commitment from a wrestler of this quality in such a vital part of his developmental life. Sweetening the pie, Fortune is a heavyweight, a division with a dearth of true athletes with elite skills." "In the last few years we have welcomed a number of highly regarded wrestlers into the world of fighting, including multiple NCAA Division I champions and finalists, as well as four of the seven members of the United States 2008 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team. Let me say this clearly so as to eliminate any possible ambiguity: Fortune is a much bigger prospect than any of them. In fact, he has the highest MMA upside of any wrestler that has converted to the sport, ever. I fully expect him to establish himself as the best MMA heavyweight in the entire world within five years." Fortune joins a growing roster of former college wrestlers who have entered -- or have declared their intentions to enter -- MMA. In addition to Ed Ruth -- who signed with Bellator this past May -- and Logan Storley, four-time University of Minnesota NCAA All-American who has his first pro MMA fight this weekend in South Dakota, other ex-collegians now fighting professionally include Chris Honeycutt (NCAA finalist for Edinboro), Paul Bradley (two-time All-American at University of Iowa), Bubba Jenkins (2011 NCAA titlist for Arizona State), and Lance Palmer (Ohio State four-time All-American).

Riverdale, N.Y. -- The Department of Athletics and Recreation at the College of Mount Saint Vincent has announced the appointment of Dean Zenie to the positions of assistant director of athletics and recreation and head wrestling coach. Zenie joins the Mount Saint Vincent staff after a successful four year athletic career at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and with extensive coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels. Dean ZenieZenie got his start in coaching in 1989 when he took on the assistant coach role at Herricks High School. He then moved on to head the Division I program at Wagner College from 1993-94 where he was responsible for all budgeting, recruiting and scheduling, before returning to the high school ranks in 2011. Zenie assumed the assistant coach role at Paul D. Schreiber High School in 2011 where he mentored multiple All-League, All-County and All-State wrestlers. During the 2015 season, his squad was ranked inside the top-10 in Nassau County and in 2014 his team was a Conference 1B runner up and ranked as a top-16 seed in the dual meet playoffs. In 2008, Zenie began work with USA Wrestling. He has held the positions of Suffolk County Chairman, New York State Kids Director, and most recently as a New York State National Duals Team Coach and Fargo Team Leader. "I'm looking forward to leading this group of outstanding men and building a wrestling tradition here at the College of Mount Saint Vincent," stated Zenie upon his appointment. As a high school wrestler at Long Island Lutheran, Zenie was a two-time Private School State place winner including a championship at 215 pounds his senior year. Zenie continued his wrestling career at WPI from 1987-92 where he was a four year starter with the wrestling program at 167 and 177 pounds. Also with a wealth of officiating experience, Zenie currently holds certification as a USA Wrestling Freestyle and Greco-Roman Mat Official and Pairing Official and is a Section XI High School and Middle School Official. A 1992 graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Zenie currently resides in Melville, N.Y. with his wife Laura, daughter Skyler and son Jared. Like Mount Saint Vincent Athletics onFacebookand Follow the Dolphins onTwitter.

Private lessons are now offered in almost anything imaginable, from music to art to chess to sports. While the sport of wrestling has primarily been taught in team practice settings, private lessons in wrestling are growing in popularity. Parents and wrestlers are often times faced with the decision of whether or not to pursue private lessons. Many parents wonder if private lessons are necessary for their son or daughter to reach his or her potential in wrestling. "I believe that each individual is different," says Kerry Boumans, director of Overtime School of Wrestling in Illinois. "There are some kids that are phenoms and can just compete. They don't need private lessons. I think private lessons will help any wrestler with the right instructor who will give them what they need." Joe Kemmerer, a two-time NCAA champion at the Division II level for Kutztown University (Pennsylvania), coaches wrestlers from ages 6 to 18 and runs Hammer Wrestling Club, which has locations in Tennessee and Virginia. Kemmerer believes the decision process comes down to two things. "It comes down to who is a real wrestler and who is a throwing dummy," says Kemmerer, who was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in 2009. "The real wrestlers want to learn as much as they can. They love it. The second aspect of it is money. Not everybody can afford it, even if the kid wants to do it." The cost of private lessons in wrestling varies from club-to-club and coach-to-coach. Most clubs and coaches set hourly rates and those rates differ by the number of wrestlers in the private lesson. A one-on-one lesson will likely cost more for a wrestler than a group lesson that includes two or more wrestlers. Read complete story on MatBoss ...

The Fight Network presents Takedown Wrestling Radio live from the iHeart Studios in Des Moines, Iowa. Powered by Kemin Industries, Takedown takes the pulse of America's sport. This week's cast of Takedown Radio includes Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Stephen Stonebraker, Jeff Murphy, Tim Harms and Brad Johnson. Join us this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT) live on the iHeart Radio App, KXNO.com or TakedownWrestle.com. For contests and conversation use 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966. Every listener has a chance to win a pair of Adidas Wrestling's new Mat Wizard wrestling shoes. 9:00 a.m. Roger Kish, head coach at North Dakota State 9:15 a.m. Lee Miracle, head coach at Campbellsville 9:35 a.m. Bob Patnesky, head coach at Davidson 10:00 a.m. Sam Barber, head coach of the Air Force 10:20 a.m. Troy Nickerson, head coach of Northern Colorado 10:35 a.m. George Ivanov, assistant Coach at Maryville 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. Special thanks to our friends at Adidas, Cadillac, Dollamur, All American Wrestling Supply, Defense Soap, 04 Water, Nike, Legends of Gold National Training Center, St. Louis Sports Commission, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Sunflower Wrestling, Fast Signs, McCarger Works, Fenemore Brothers Tree Service, Rockstar Satellite DirecTV, DanMarWarrior.com and Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Louie's Wine Dive, TheWrestlingSite.com, IAWrestle.com, Roller Productions, and Kaldenberg Landscaping.

What a difference a year makes. Coleman Scott, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle, was named head wrestling coach at UNC after one year on staff in Chapel Hill (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)This time last summer, the college wrestling community was abuzz with the stunning number of new head wrestling coaches at NCAA Division I schools. As of this time in August 2014, a dozen wrestling programs had new leadership ... twice as many head coaching changes as the previous summer, according to the Aug. 8, 2014 issue of WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine). This year? By our count, there has been one new head coach named at a D1 program in the offseason ... and that was just last week, when Coleman Scott officially took the helm at the University of North Carolina, having been named interim head coach upon the firing of C.D. Mock in mid-June. This late in the game, we're not expecting any additional announcements; most schools have their coaching staffs in place. (Just to be clear, we're not including the announcement earlier this summer from Michigan State, revealing that long-time head coach Tom Minkel would be retiring at the end of the 2015-16 season, with Spartan assistant coach Roger Chandler named to take the reins.) Let's take a quick look back at the summer of '14. From Long Island to the Grand Canyon State, a dozen Division I schools sported new head coaches by the end of August. In alphabetical order ... the Air Force Academy landed Sam Barber. Kevin Ward took command at Army. Arizona State welcomed Zeke Jones. Cary Kolat came to Campbell University. Eastern Michigan elevated assistant coach David Bolyard. Grand Canyon University, a fairly new member of the D1 ranks, fired R.C. LaHaye, and hired Jon Sioredas. Hofstra hired Dennis Papadatos. Navy welcomed long-time Air Force coach Joel Sharratt onboard. Troy Nickerson became head coach at Northern Colorado. Penn picked Alex Tirapelle. Tony Ersland now heads up the Purdue Boilermakers. And, after a decade-and-a-half of serving as assistant coach at various programs, Sammie Henson is now the head coach at West Virginia. The coaching changes in 2014 weren't limited to a dozen head honchos. Last Labor Day, I tallied approximately 90 coaching hires, ranging from the naming of new volunteer assistants, to the hiring of new head coaches ... a number far exceeding the typical number of new coaching staff changes in a typical year. (And it's possible that I missed a few along the way.) In fact, since I had first started charting the coaching changes (the summer of 2009), a typical off-season might have two dozen changes at any level. So 2014 appears to have been not only extremely busy, but also an aberration. Why the difference between 2014 and 2015? For starters, it's not every day that all three of the Division I service academies now have a new head wrestling coach. And, it's not as if there have been no coaching changes during this off-season. However, most hiring announcements this summer have involved head coaches at schools other than D1, such as NCAA Division III ... or the naming of assistant coaches at all levels. So ... what happened in 2014? Last year, in recapping the myriad Division I head coaching changes, I used the image of the kids' game of musical chairs. As one head coaching chair opens up, others vie for it -- whether they're assistant coaches seeking a move up, or head coaches who think the new assignment would be more attractive. In 2014, the "game" seemed to go into overdrive -- more contestants, with more open positions becoming available faster, then being filled at incredible speed. While the number of coaching changes seems to be in flux from year to year, it appears there may be an emerging trend -- a big-picture change -- in the coaching carousel. In the past, there seemed to be a fairly standard model: a wrestler landed a graduate assistant position at a school, then got hired on as a paid assistant, then, eventually, was elevated to the head coaching position at that school (or another) until, after two decades or more, he retired. More recently, a number of fairly young head coaches in their thirties or early forties seemed to reach a point where they have said, "Enough!" and announced they were going into the world of business ... or becoming high school coaches. More than one official announcement of a coach's voluntary leaving used phraseology such as "I want to spend more time with my family." In other words, seeking a better work-life balance while their kids were still at home.

Clay FrenchSt. Laurence High School's wrestling program will be coached by two former college wrestlers who also have fought in mixed martial arts competition. The Catholic high school outside Chicago has hired Clay French, who wrestled at Eastern Illinois University, as its head wrestling coach, while Purdue University mat alum Carson Beebe will be assistant coach, the Beverly Review reported Tuesday. Born in the Chicago suburb of Villa Park, Ill., French, 34, graduated from Charleston High School in east-central Illinois, where he was a Class AA all-state wrestler. For college, French continued his education in the same town, wrestling at Eastern Illinois where he was coached by EIU alum and MMA legend Matt Hughes. After earning his bachelor's degree, French helped coach at EIU while working on his master's degree. (The EIU wrestling program was eliminated in 2007.) French brings coaching experience to his new position at St. Laurence, having coached six years at Willowbrook High School, and a year as the head coach at Mt. Carmel High School, both in Illinois. "Clay is very well respected in the wrestling community because of his work ethic and his ability to teach the technical aspects of wrestling," said St. Laurence Athletic Director Tim Chandler. "Additionally, I was impressed with Clay's high moral compass and passion for wrestling. I am confident he and his staff will deliver sustained success and stability within the program." "As the wrestling coach at St. Laurence, I will use the sport to develop the student-athletes' work ethic, confidence, integrity, self-discipline, humility, respect and a goal-setting mindset," said French. "It is an honor to be named the head coach at a school with such a strong wrestling tradition. I look forward to building the program back to a championship caliber." Carson BeebeFrench will be joined by Carson Beebe, 34, who also brings strong Midwest wrestling roots and an MMA background as the Vikings' assistant wrestling coach. Beebe was a two-time captain, two-time dual-team state champion and three-time state place winner for Montini Catholic High. He then continued his education and mat career to Purdue, where he was a starter for the Boilermakers. Both French and Beebe also bring MMA backgrounds to their new coaching positions. French has built an overall record of 20-7 over his decade-long professional career. He won the King of the Cage lightweight title and defended it three times. Beebe, who launched his pro MMA career in 2010, has compiled a 15-4 record as a professional. St. Laurence is an all-male high school for grades 9-12. The school, located in Burbank, Ill. southwest of downtown Chicago, was founded in 1961.

Less than a week after being introduced as North Carolina's head wrestling coach, Coleman Scott announced that he will compete at 57 kilos as he makes one last run at the Olympic Games in 2016. Scott, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle, competed at 61 kilos at the U.S. Open this year where he placed third. However, 61 kilos class is not one of the six Olympic weight classes. So instead of moving up four kilos to 65 kilos in 2016, he will drop four kilos. Coleman Scott competed for Team USA at the World Cup at 61 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"It's not going to be fun," Scott told Jason Bryant on the Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast. "I know that. It's going to be tough. But with it being 2015 and a year away ... Sort of my end plan has been (20)16 for a lot of years. It's hard to just say, 'I'm done right now.' I'm going to make sure nothing ever interferes with the team." Scott and his wife Jessica have two young children, Leighton and Stetson. "My family is the most important thing to me," Scott said on the podcast. "My wife, after this all happened, she was the first one to say, 'This is what we need to do to make sure you give yourself the best shot at being the best coach and making a run at the Olympic team. We're willing to sacrifice you being away in the office, in the room, for the next year so you can achieve that goal.'" Scott says he currently walks around close to 145 pounds. He has already started his descent to his new weight class. He's working with a company out of St. Louis called Metabolic Meals that is helping him with his meals each week. "It's never fun -- that part of it -- but it's the name of the game," Scott said of cutting weight. "Again, you just look at it and you don't complain about it. You just do it and make sure it gets done the right way."

Jim Aguiar, former head wrestling coach at New Hampshire's Plymouth State and Minnesota State University Moorhead, died after a two-battle with cancer on Thursday, Aug. 13. He was 68. Born in Biddeford, Maine, in December 1946, James D. Aguiar was a two-time state wrestling champion at 165 pounds at Biddeford High School, and the school's first all-state football player. Jim AguiarAfter graduating from Biddeford High in 1965, Aguiar attended Boston University on a football scholarship. His obituary credits Aguiar with helping to launch the Terrier wrestling program which was eliminated by BU at the end of the 2013-14 season. Aguiar earned his bachelor's degree from BU in 1969, then pursued a Master's degree at the University of Oregon while coaching football. In 1974, Aguiar was hired as an assistant professor of health education, assistant football coach, and head wrestling coach at Plymouth State University, an NCAA Division III school in the central New Hampshire city of Plymouth. At the helm of the Panther wrestling program from 1974-1985, Aguiar coached many All New England Wrestlers and the first NCAA Division II All-American wrestler at Plymouth State. He still owns the distinctions of being PSU's longest-serving wrestling coach (11 years) and still holds the record for most career dual meet victories, with a 109-90-1 record. After earning his doctorate in education from Boston University in 1986, Aguiar headed west to become an instructor and wrestling coach at Minnesota State University Moorhead, located in far western Minnesota as the twin city for Fargo, N.D. In two seasons at MSUM, Aguiar led the Dragons to an overall record of 10-23. In 1988, Aguiar moved to Ithaca College in upstate New York, where he spent the remainder of his career teaching health education and supervising student teachers. Aguiar retired from teaching at Ithaca in 2003, then returned to his former college home at Plymouth State, where he served as an assistant coach for the Panthers for the past dozen years, with a focus on recruitment and alumni relations. Recently, he it was announced he would be inducted into the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame (in late August), the New England Wrestling Hall of Fame, and won the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance's Lifetime Achievement Award. In honor of his longstanding contributions, Plymouth State established the annual Jim Aguiar Wrestling Tournament. Upon his return to New Hampshire, Aguiar became active in local Democratic party politics. In 2005, Aguiar won the first of five elections to serve in the State House of Representatives. He was particularly proud of helping to pass the Marriage Equality Law and introducing local elementary students to government, according to his obituary. Beyond wrestling and politics, Aguiar had a number of other passions, including travel (visiting all seven continents and all 50 states), playing guitar at open mic nights and at the local farmer's market, and all forms of boating. Aguiar is survived by his wife Martha, daughters Gretchen and Jessica, his brother Daniel, and nieces, cousins and grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 22 at 10 a.m. at the Plymouth Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to: The Aguiar Family Award, c/o Treasurer, Biddeford High School, 20 Maplewood Avenue Biddeford, ME 04005. Or, Friends of Plymouth Wrestling c/o Coach Ryan Schieding, Plymouth State University P.E. Center, Plymouth NH, 03264.

A former Ohio high school wrestler died after performing a skydiving stunt for the Army's Golden Knights at the Chicago Air & Water show this weekend. Corey HoodCorey Hood, 32, who wrestled at Lakota West High School in suburban Cincinnati, was injured Saturday when he collided with a Navy Leap Frog parachute team member while performing a stunt known as a "bomb burst" on Saturday morning at the annual two-day event. While the Navy skydiver was able to land on a Lake Michigan beach with a broken leg, Hood apparently clipped the top of a building on Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood of high-rise apartment buildings along the lake, then fell, according to eyewitness accounts. Hood died Sunday afternoon from his injuries at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "The Golden Knights are an important connection between the Army and the American people," Mark S. Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Marketing, which oversees the USAPT, said. "Corey's loss is a loss for the Army team and every single person he has touched and inspired wherever and whenever he jumped." Army officials said they are still investigating the accident. Long-time friend and Lakota West classmate Austin Rhoades told WLWT-TV, the NBC affiliate in Cincinnati, "When we heard about the accident, a few of my friends just knew we had to be there for him because he would do the same for us, he was always there for us. We're so proud of him being a part of that elite sky diving unit, he was so proud of himself I know and really loved those guys." A 2001 graduate of Lakota West, Sgt. First Class Corey Hood was a decorated 14-year Army veteran who had been jumping since 2010, logging more than 200 free fall jumps and 75 military static line jumps. Before he became a parachutist, Hood served the country with five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded two Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge and the Combat Action Badge, according to an Army representative. Lakota West wrestling coach Scott Fetzer recalled a story that Hood told during a visit to his high school alma mater in 2006 about being trapped in a foxhole for two days during crossfire in Afghanistan. "Corey told our team what kept him going in that foxhole is if I can make it through wrestling practice, I can survive this," said Fetzer. "Now I'll tell you this: after he told our kids that story, it was probably the greatest practice my team has ever had." "He took that mental toughness and he lived it," Fetzer told Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO-TV. The coach went on to describe Hood as "a national hero" with "a lot of grit and a lot of determination." In a November 2014 profile of Hood for a Lakota West publication, coach Fetzer said, "Wrestling helps build mental and physical toughness and Corey has always displayed these characteristics. I'm so proud and honored to say, 'Corey Hood ... once a Lakota West Wrestling Hammer, always a Lakota West Wrestling Hammer!'" (In that same feature, Hood said he was proud to still wear his Lakota West "Drop the Hammer" T-shirt, saying, "I still drop the hammer in my everyday lifestyle.") That same article concluded with some advice from Corey Hood to Lakota West students. "Enjoy your time as these are the best days of your young adult life," said Hood. "Cherish your friendships and remember that decisions that you are making now can and could impact the rest of your life so think smart and remember tomorrow is another day." Hood is survived by his wife Lindsey.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana Wrestling head coach Duane Goldman announced the addition of Travis Pascoe to the coaching staff for the 2015-16 season on Monday morning. Pascoe comes to IU after spending one year as the assistant coach at Brown University. "We are excited to add Travis to our staff. He brings a very strong record of training with and producing All-Americans," Goldman said. "His background and goals will fit well with the tenets of IU Athletics. He will be a great addition to our staff and the team as a whole." In Pascoe's one-year stay at Brown, he assisted the Bears in qualifying Ophir Bernstein and Justin Staudenmayer for the NCAA tournament, and Billy Watterson as a First Team All-Ivy selection. In addition, his Brown squad posted the nation's fifth-best team GPA in the 2014-15 academic year. "I am very excited to join the IU Wrestling staff and would like to thank coach Goldman for the opportunity to work at a great institution," Pascoe said. "I hope we can help the Hoosiers move into the top tier of the Big Ten and the nation. I would also like thank my wife, Sara, for being wonderful while moving across the country to help young men reach their goals." Prior to joining Brown's coaching staff, Pascoe spent two seasons in a return to Oregon State, his sixth and seventh years overall with the Beavers. His seven years at Oregon State were split by a one-year stint at Arizona State during the 2011-12 season. Pascoe's first stretch with the Oregon State program spanned five seasons, beginning in the 2006-07 season and ending in the 2010-11 academic year. In that time, Pascoe helped coach six wrestlers to seven Pac-10 Conference titles, along with two team Pac-10 titles in 2007 and 2010. Pascoe also took part in molding two NCAA All-Americans in those five years. Pascoe continued his wrestling career at Oregon State, training for the world championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials. Pascoe's first post-graduate assistant coaching position came in the 2005-06 academic year, when he was an assistant at Fresno State. Pascoe coached one season for the Bulldogs before Fresno State discontinued their wrestling program. In that year, Pascoe coached Greg Gifford, the NCAA West Region Champion at 184 pounds. Before ascending to the coaching ranks, Pascoe was an accomplished wrestler at the University of Nebraska, where he wrestled at 184 pounds from 2000-2005. Pascoe redshirted his first season, but proceeded to start his remaining four years. Pascoe accumulated a career record of 100-36, which ranked as the 13th-most wins in Nebraska history. Pascoe was a four-time NCAA qualifier, reaching the semifinals and a sixth-place finish in 2005. Pascoe received All-American honors in 2005 for his outstanding season. Furthermore, Pascoe helped the Huskers to Top 20 finishes in all four seasons, including fifth in 2004 and eighth in 2002. In the Big 12 Championships, Pascoe posted third-place finishes in 2002 and 2003, a fourth-place finish in 2004, and a second-place finish in 2005. Prior to his collegiate career, Pascoe was a two-sport standout at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash. A four-year member of both the wrestling and football squads, Pascoe was a three-time Washington State Champion at 189 pounds, and a High School All-America honoree in his senior year. Pascoe also achieved a fourth-place finish at the Cadet World Trials in 1997. The Rathdrum, Ida. native and his wife, Sara, have one daughter, Piper, and one son, Hudson.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Redshirt-sophomore Phillip Laux will join the Northwestern wrestling program in 2015-16 after transferring from the University of Iowa, head coach Drew Pariano announced Monday. Laux spent his first two collegiate seasons, including a redshirt year in 2013-14, at Iowa. While wrestling unattached during his first season in Iowa City Laux was 23-1 at 125 pounds, won three tournament titles and led the Hawkeyes with a .958 winning percentage. He placed fourth at University Nationals in 2015 at 57 kilos after a fifth-place finish in 2014. "Phillip will impact our lightweight dynamic in the room immediately," Pariano said. "He has been well-coached his entire career, beginning in high school at Iowa City West. Our entire staff and team are extremely excited to welcome Phillip to Evanston and the Northwestern community." Laux was a high school standout in Iowa. The Brighton native won two state titles at Iowa City West and was named an Asics first team All-American as a junior. He was the No. 8 ranked amateur wrestler in the country at 113 lbs. in 2012. "I am excited about the opportunity to receive a world-renowned education while pursuing my wrestling goals at Northwestern," Laux said. "I look forward to competing on the mat and in the classroom alongside teammates who value the Northwestern experience. I am excited to see what Jesus has in store for me as I begin this next chapter. "I want to thank my coaches, club members and teammates at Iowa. I enjoyed my time there and wish them nothing but the best." Laux will wrestle at either 125 or 133 pounds for the Wildcats and must complete one academic year of residency at Northwestern before he is eligible to compete.

Seven individuals with roots in wrestling in the state of Oklahoma -- including Mark Leen, Rex Edgar, and Mike Jones who have strong connections to the sport at the college level -- will be welcomed into the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame this October. Edgar, Jones and Leen -- along with Larry Wilkey, who coached at Stillwater and Jenks, and William E. "Butch" Jacobsen, high school coach who guided Geary to its only Oklahoma state title then coached Pat Smith at Del City High, and also served as a high school and college referee for 25 years -- will be honored with a Lifetime Service to Wrestling award, presented to coaches, officials and contributors who have given at least 20 years of service to the sport of wrestling. In addition, Larry Estep will receive the Medal of Courage award, given to an individual who has overcome insurmountable odds whether it be physical or mental, and Kelly Gregg will take home the Outstanding American award, given to an individual who has gone on to succeed in other walks of life but attribute part of their success to what they learned in wrestling. Born in Hayward, Okla. in 1935, Rex Edgar wrestled at powerhouse Perry High School, then at University of Oklahoma, where he was a Big Seven conference champ at 167 pounds, and an NCAA All-American in 1957. Wrestling for the legendary Port Robertson, one of Edgar's Sooner teammates was none other than Dan Hodge. In addition to careers in banking and in the Army, Edgar served as head wrestling coach at Perry High through most of the 1960s. Mike JonesMike Jones wrestled and served as a coach at Oklahoma State in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After graduating in 1982, Jones stayed in Stillwater, serving as a graduate assistant coach for the Cowboys in 1983. He then launched an enduring career as a junior high and high school wrestling coach at several Oklahoma high schools, including Broken Arrow, and at Bixby High School, as well as a mat official. Just last year, Jones was awarded the Gallagher Award, named in honor of the legendary Cowboy wrestling coach Ed Gallagher, presented annually to an Oklahoma State alumnus who, according to the press statement, "exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions." Mark Leen enjoyed a long wrestling career which he launched as head coach at Shawnee High School in Oklahoma from 1979-86, then moving on to the collegiate ranks, first at Garden City Community College in Kansas for nine seasons, then at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga for six seasons, taking home three straight Southern Conference championships before entering private business in 2001. Mark Leen is the father of Jordan Leen, NCAA champ for Cornell University who is now coaching at the University of Virginia. The Class of 2015 honorees will be welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Oklahoma Chapter at the organization's annual ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 11 at the Jim Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City.

SALVADOR, Brazil -- Three U.S. wrestlers won bronze medals in freestyle wrestling on the final day of the UWW Junior World Championships on Sunday. Stevan Micic (Cedar Lake, Ind. (Chicago RTC) won the bronze medal at 55 kilos/121 pounds with a strong 6-0 win over 2014 Asian Junior bronze medalist Zanzabar Zandanbud of Mongolia. Micic came out and got the first takedown, and was able to force Zandanbud to his back twice for tilts to lead 6-0 at the break. In the second period, Micic wrestled aggressively, held position and shut down the Mongolian's attack, as no other points were scored. Micic was much more in control than in his opening bout, when he lost an 8-2 lead to Ravi Kumar of India in the second period to lose 8-12. When Kumar reached the finals, pulling Micic back in, he took full advantage. He won his repechage match over Canada's Samuel Jagas, 10-0, then came out strong in the bronze-medal round. Micic is a past Cadet World Team member, but this is his first World medal. Read complete story ... Team USA Results (Sunday): 55 kilos/121 pounds -- Stevan Micic, Cedar Lake, Ind. (Chicago RTC), bronze medal LOSS Ravi Kumar (India), 8-12 WIN Samuel Jagas (Canada), 10-0 WIN Zanzabar Zandanbud (Mongolia), 6-0 66 kilos/145.5 pounds -- Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), bronze medal WIN Kalman Balasz (Hungary), 11-0 WIN Ilyas Zhumay (Kazakhstan), 10-0 LOSS Teymur Mammadov (Azerbaijan), 7-7 WIN Enus Uslu (Turkey), 13-4 84 kilos/185 pounds -- Zahid Valencia, Pico Rivera, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 10th WIN Benjamin Optiz (Germany), tech. fall, 10-0 LOSS Arsen Musalaliev (Russia), 7-4 120 kg/264.5 lbs. -- Nathan Butler, Leavenworth, Kan. (California RTC), bronze medal WIN Beka Kandelaki (Georgia), 6-2 LOSS Said Gamidov (Azerbaijan), 1-5 WIN Kamil Kosciulek (Poland), 2-1