InterMat Staff

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

As he looks to become just the second four-time, undefeated state champion in New Jersey history this upcoming season, Nick Suriano had a college choice to make. Sunday evening after a long recruiting process, the Bergen Catholic, N.J., senior verbally committed to Penn State over Iowa and Nebraska. The Suriano family gave me exclusivity among the national high school media to speak with Nick about his decision. When and how did you reach your final decision? Suriano: A few days back. I just stuck with my gut. Penn State gives me everything I need to succeed. (Head coach) Cael Sanderson is the greatest wrestler ever, in my opinion, and I want to associate myself with the greatest. I gave it a couple of days (to announce the commitment) so I could reach out to the coaches of the other schools that recruited me. I wanted to show them the respect they gave me. Nick Suriano defeated Jake Newhouse of Massillon Perry to claim his third Beast of the East title (Photo/Rob Preston)What were the key factors in deciding on Penn State? Suriano: Winning. I have aspirations to win World and Olympic championships. The education played a big part in it, as well. All the great partners in the wrestling room. The coaching staff is tremendous from Cael, Cody (Sanderson), Casey Cunningham, and Frank Molinaro. I will be three and a half hours away from home, so the distance was another big factor. How was the decision making process? Suriano: I stuck with my gut choice. Penn State wins on and off the mat. They (Penn State) have it all. It's what I am representing as a person and I have levels to go (in regards to being the best). What weight do you plan on wrestling? Suriano: I will be a 125-pounder my freshman year. It is all about proper communication with the coaches. I will probably end up at 133 after a few years. Who besides Cael Sanderson played a role in committing to Penn State? Suriano: (Associate head coach) Cody (Sanderson). He's legit as well. I have faith in him. He was a two-time NCAA finalist. That staff doesn't get enough credit. Nico Megaludis will be one of my partners every day. It is only going to benefit me having him around with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. It is filled with potential. Everything about Penn State is well done and classy. Did Jered Cortez's decision to transfer to Penn State play a role in your choice? Suriano: I probably told the Penn State coaches first (about committing). It is a great coincidence. I am looking forward to meeting Cortez and having him be workout partner of mine. Who would you like to thank for helping you throughout your life? Suriano: My family and all my coaches since I started wrestling. My brother, father, and mother are the ones I want to thank most. My brother Mike is my best friend and my biggest supporter. My dad (Bob): we traveled everywhere together growing up and he set it all in place for me. I wouldn't be at where I am today without my dad. I want to win for my family, the Penn State wrestlers, coaches and fans.

Three-time state champion Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), who is undefeated for his high school career, verbally committed to Penn State on Sunday afternoon. The nation's No. 2 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2016 projects to compete at 133 pounds in college, and joins No. 15 Mason Manville (South County, Va.) as impact commits for the Nittany Lions this early in the recruiting process. During his high school career, Suriano is a three-time Beast of the East champion, a two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist (champion in 2012), and was runner-up at the UWW Cadet freestyle nationals in 2014.

Dustin McKinney, who wrestled at George Mason University, will be featured on the NBC reality TV series "American Ninja Warrior" Monday evening, Aug. 17. The series, which will begin its seventh season this fall, puts athletes from various backgrounds through a supersized obstacle course with various tests of physical skill and endurance, with names such as the Warped Wall and the Salmon Ladder ... all under the series slogan "No greater test. No greater glory." "American Ninja Warrior" is based on the global hit "Sasuke" from Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, which is now in its 31st season in Japan. Dustin McKinneyThe 5'2" former wrestler, who will turn 29 three days after the broadcast, invited fans to a public watch party via a post on his Dustin McKinney American Ninja Warrior Facebook page: "IT IS OFFICIAL! Monday, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m. We are having another watch party at Buffalo Wild Wings. Like last time, if you mention the Navy Ball or The American Ninja Warrior Fundraiser 10% of your purchase will be donated to the CSRA Navy Ball! Even if you can't make the watch party you can buy food anytime that day and still participate in the fundraiser." McKinney, a lieutenant, junior grade, in the United States Navy, currently stationed in Georgia, has participated in earlier rounds of the special "American Ninja Warrior" competition for retired and active-duty military professionals. Last year, when he was just an ensign, he competed in the Miami, Fla., tryouts, in front of his wife, Tish, and his dog, Java. "I had seen the Japanese version years ago, and I thought that it looked like a lot of fun," McKinney, a four-time North Carolina high school state champ, told ColumbiaCountyMag.com. "On the American version, they did gymnastics and parkour. There were skateboarders and skiers. I thought 'I can do all that.' It looked like a big challenge, and I wanted to test myself." In a July 2015 interview with Patheos.com, McKinney said, "I told my wife, 'I'm scared of everything. But if I get to that last obstacle, there's no way I'm not going to finish.' The one I'm not scared of, I get to it, and that's the one I go out on. "Number one, never overlook an obstacle; always do the obstacle right in front of you. Number two is: shoes are very important." McKinney has a diverse on-the-mat background. Wrestling for East Gaston High School in Mt. Holly, N.C., McKinney became only the fourth four-time champ in North Carolina history in 2004, and was named Wrestler of the Year by both NCMat.com and the Charlotte Observer that year. He also earned two titles at the respected Super 32 prep tournament. McKinney then headed north to George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. in suburban Washington, D.C. where he wrestled at 125 pounds. According to ColumbiaCountyMag.com, McKinney competed in national wrestling tournaments as part of the All-Navy Wrestling Team five years ago. McKinney isn't the first former wrestler to have participated in a reality TV series. Earlier this year, Clint Arlis, who wrestled at the University of Illinois from 2005-2011, competed on the ABC series "The Bachelorette". Prior to that, in the most recent edition of "The Bachelor", Chris Soules had wrestled at Starmont High School in Iowa, according to his official website. One year ago, Bridgewater State University mat alum Andrew Frazer battled ogres, dragons and agents of a dark lord on the ABC-TV series "The Quest". More than a decade ago, CBS's "Survivor" featured Matthew Ertfelda, a vice-president for Marriott International, who brought along his high school wrestling jacket as his "luxury item." A few years later, "The Amazing Race" had a team with former University of Central Missouri wrestler and coach Gary Ervin and his 20-something daughter Mallory.

Spencer Lee (Photo/Martin Gabor) SALVADOR, Brazil -- 2014 UWW Cadet World champion Spencer Lee (Murraysville, Pa./Young Guns) added a new title to his expanding trophy case, UWW Junior World champion. Lee tore up the field on the way to the title at 50 kilos/110 pounds, including an impressive 10-0 technical fall in the gold medal finals over another 2014 Cadet World champion Ali Reza Goodarzi of Iran at the UWW Junior Worlds on Saturday night. Lee scored an early takedown then locked up his feared ankle lace, turning Goodarzi at least four times for two points, to get his 10 points and stop the match early in the first period. "I was surprised I had a leg lace. They told me to cinch it up, and I cinched it up and started rolling. I didn't stop until I heard the whistle," said Lee. Read complete story ... Team USA Results (Saturday): 50 kilos/110 pounds -- Spencer Lee, Murraysville, Pa. (Young Guns), gold medal WIN Roman Gutsalyak (Ukraine), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Darkhan Kalkenov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 12-2 WIN Roberti Dingashvili (Georgia), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Bhart Datil (India), tech. fall 12-2 WIN Ali Reza Goodarzi (Iran), tech fall 10-0 74 kilos/163 pounds -- Mark Hall, Apple Valley, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 9th WIN Yayuro Yamasaki (Japan), 6-2 WIN Murad Suleymanov (Azerbaijan), pin 5:34 LOSS Peter Nagy (Hungary), 4-2 96 kilos/211.5 pounds -- Anthony Cassar, Bridgewater, N.J. (Nittany Lion WC), 8th WIN Kristoff Wittmann (Hungary), tech. fall 10-0 LOSS Roubel Singh (India), pin 1:33

Three wrestlers verbally committed to the University of Illinois on Friday afternoon, all of whom are ranked among the top 100 overall in the Class of 2016. No. 74 Mike Carr (South Fayette, Pa.) was the first to announce his commitment. The two-time state placer won a state title this past season, and projects to compete at 141/149 in college. Next to commit was No. 46 Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.). The two-time state champion was a Junior National freestyle All-American last month in Fargo, after winning a Cadet National freestyle title the previous summer. Duncan projects to compete as a 133 pound wrestler in college. Last of the three commits is No. 61 Travis Piotrowski (Prairie Ridge, Ill.). The projected 125 pound wrestler has twice placed third at his state tournament, and is now a three-time Fargo All-American in freestyle. Last month he placed third at the Junior level in the 120 pound weight class, after a pair of All-American finishes at the Cadet level the previous two summers.

Participation in high school wrestling and football was down for the 2014-15 season compared to the previous year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations in a report issued Thursday. NFHS -- the organization which tracks high school sports participation on a nationwide and state-by-state basis, among other responsibilities -- reported there were 11,306 fewer participants in wrestling across the country last season, while 11-player football saw 9,617 fewer participants. In reporting these NFHS stats, USA Today offered its own reasons for declines in these sports, stating that football may be taking a hit over concerns about concussions, while claiming that wrestling "has seen a precipitous drop in college scholarships." (Over the past 40 years, there has been a significant decline in the overall number of NCAA Division I wrestling programs, resulting in fewer individual scholarships.) Because fewer male athletes took to the wrestling mat and football field this past season, the NFHS' overall participation numbers indicate 8,682 fewer boys participated in high school sports overall in 2014-15, while the number of girls athletes increased by 20,071. Looking at overall participation levels for boys and girls combined, more athletes than ever are participating in high school sports, with 7,807,047 high school athletes in the last school year across the U.S., an increase of 11,389 from the previous school year, according to the latest NHSF statistics. This year's reported drop in the overall number of high school wrestlers bucks a long-running trend of increasing numbers of participants in the sport over the years. Wrestling remains a popular high school sport, with a total of 269,704 boys and girls participating, and 12,403 schools offering the sport nationwide. In addition to providing overall numbers, the NHSF also breaks down statistics by sex. For boys, the sport ranks eighth in terms of the number of high schools, with 10,597 schools offering wrestling for boys ... and sixth in numbers of male participants, with 258,208. Every state in the nation has boys participating in high school wrestling ... even Mississippi, which is the one state that does not have a sanctioned state championship; however, according to the NHSF report, two schools in that state have a total of 25 wrestlers. In terms of the numbers of individual male participants, the top five states are California (26,374 male wrestlers), Illinois (15,036), New York (13,668), Texas (11,139) and Ohio (11,114). In counting the number of high schools that offer boys wrestling, the top five states are California (848 schools), Ohio (585), New York (497), Pennsylvania (493), and Michigan (445). According to the NFHS, a total of 11,496 girls wrestle at 1,806 schools in 38 states. In terms of number of individual participants, Texas is tops with 3,977 girl high school wrestlers, followed by California (2,747), Washington state (1,210), Michigan (593), and Hawaii (498). The states with the most high schools that have at least one female wrestler: California ranks No. 1 with 523 schools, followed by Texas (259), Washington state (197), Alaska (102), and Maryland (85). The NFHS report also provides a big-picture look at overall high school sports participation going back more than four decades. Overall participation among boys and girls has nearly doubled from 1971-72 (the first year of the survey) to today, with 3,960,932 student-athletes in 1972 vs. 7,807,047 participants this year. The number of male athletes has grown by 852,395 since 1972, while the number of girls participating in high school sports has grown more than ten times in that same timeframe.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska Wesleyan University has named Brandon Bradley as its first head wrestling coach. It was announced in July 2015 that wrestling would be added as a varsity sport in the 2016-17 school year. Bradley comes to NWU from Ferrum College, a NCAA Division III institution in Virginia, where he has served as the Head Assistant Wrestling Coach the past two seasons. He assisted in starting Ferrum College's brand new DIII wrestling program. While at Ferrum, He coached one national qualifier, in two years had six wrestlers place in top six of the region and personally planned and organized the college's first open wrestling tournament. "It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I announce the hiring of Brandon Bradley as our wrestling coach," NWU athletic director Ira Zeff said. "We are very fortunate to have someone with his experience to start our NCAA III wrestling program." Prior to coaching at Ferrum, Bradley was an assistant coach at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from 2010-13. During his tenure, UWW placed third at the 2013 NCAA III Tournament qualifying wrestlers for nationals in eight of 10 weight classes, with six wrestlers earning All-America honors. The Warhawks also won the DIII Midwest Regional as well as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the second straight year. "I am very excited and honored to be selected as NWU's first wrestling coach." Bradley said. "It is a great opportunity to start a brand new NCAA III wrestling program in the state of Nebraska and compete in one of the toughest conferences (IIAC) in the nation." Bradley wrestled four years at University of North Carolina at Pembroke, an NCAA Division II school, starting all four years for the Braves in the 149-pound weight class. He competed internationally in Bulgaria and Romania in the summer of 2012. He will begin at NWU immediately to start recruiting student-athletes as the Prairie Wolves will begin varsity competition in the 2016-17 athletic season.

MINNEAPOLIS -- MatBoss and Trackwrestling are partnering to integrate wrestling statistics and results captured within MatBoss directly into Trackwrestling, it was announced on Friday. The development of this integration is underway and will be available for the upcoming 2015-16 wrestling season. "Trackwrestling is the leading wrestling event management platform available on the market," said Jeremy Hipps, a partner with MatBoss. "Coaches that utilize the video and statistics management capabilities of MatBoss in conjunction with Trackwrestling's event management platform are giving themselves and their programs an advantage." Added Justin Tritz of Trackwrestling: "We are very excited about what MatBoss has to offer and look forward to integrating it with the Trackwrestling platform for the 2015-16 season. The iPad application they have created is a great compliment to our statistics program and the Trackcast tools we have and continue to develop." The MatBoss-Trackwrestling integration will streamline the process of reporting results, eliminating the need to manually enter statistics on Trackwrestling. Teams registered with MatBoss will receive a Trackwrestling statistics program. Users will have the ability to pull roster and events into the MatBoss application and push results data back into Trackwrestling. To learn more about MatBoss, visit the website, which provides additional product information and testimonials. For coaches who have additional questions or would like to request a demo, simply fill out this form. For more information on Trackwrestling, visit www.trackwrestling.com.

The Wrestling World Championships start Monday, September 7, in Las Vegas. With Olympic qualifications on the line and the ease of travel into Sin City, the 2015 championships could be the most well-attended and competitive championship in the sport's history. If you are thinking about going for a day, or two, or six then you need to get busy on buying airplane tickets, tournament tickets and reserving your hotel room for the event. Book your tickets now at www.vegasworlds2015.com. This is your assignment for the week. (No, I make no extra money if you attend.) Q: Zero medals for the U.S. at the Junior Worlds in Greco-Roman. The lack of success for the U.S. Greco-Roman program on the senior level in recent years is well documented. What needs to change to make the U.S. more competitive internationally in Greco-Roman? -- Mike C. Foley: The USA is a top 15 nation at the senior level in Greco-Roman, but junior-level success has been fleeting at best. There are efforts to develop all levels of the program. Matt Lindland is just outside of his first year and anything he is looking to implement -- from culture to technique -- will take time to mature. The larger question is what the expectations should be for the U.S. Greco-Roman team. Do we think they'll ever compete with the Iranians, Azerbaijanis, Russians, Hungarians and Georgians when there is no support at home? Those other nations wrestle Greco-Roman YEAR-ROUND from age 5. They compete in the club system within their country and travel to events in Europe 4-5 times a year and attend 1-2 training camps. Can the United States afford the ramp-up costs to compete? With attention and resources focused so heavily on folkstyle, freestyle and women's freestyle, there is significantly less available to the Greco-Roman team than in European countries. Everyone wants to be No. 1, but when it comes to Greco-Roman and the coming years there should be more attainable goals for Team USA, such as multiple medalists at this year's World Championships and to qualify all of the Olympic weight classes. Q: What do you think about the Virginia Tech hiring of Mike Zadick and Derek St. John? -- @takedow1 Foley: There is a lot of talent that comes from Iowa and I don't think it's surprising a few of their best guys end up coaching with fellow alums of the program. Virginia Tech has been powerful over the past five years and if Coach Dresser feels that this duo can pack an added punch, I tend to trust they will. Overall the ACC has been acquiring a lot of top talents. Remember that U.Va. has NCAA champions Jordan Leen and Keith Gavin on staff and Coleman Scott just signed on as UNC-Chapel Hill's new head coach. Good luck to the Iowa guys in Blacksburg. I'm sure they'll find the culture in that part of Virginia is similar to that what they enjoyed in Iowa. Isaiah Martinez celebrates after defeating James Green in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Rob Preston)Q: Isaiah Martinez beat James Green multiple times during the college season. Should we look at Martinez in a more favorable light now that Green is on the World Team? -- Mike C. Foley: Who was looking at the undefeated freshman NCAA champion with any light other than favorable?! Imar is a generational talent and what you saw this year is just his opening act. Want a guy who can challenge Jordan Burroughs in 2017? Imar might be your MAN. Q: I really need the slip rule explained! I don't like it, but I also don't understand it so I need it clarified. -- @wrestlingnomad Foley: In order to promote action, wrestlers who attempt and miss a throw are not penalized. There are wrestlers who will be losing position (especially in Greco-Roman) who then try a bad throw in an attempt to draw a slip. That behavior is almost always caught and takedowns are awarded. It's a weird rule for sure, but without it there may never be a big throw attempt, and in Greco-Roman there needs to be as many incentives as possible in order to promote action. The rule is also present in men's freestyle and women's freestyle, though you see it much less frequently given the ability to attack legs. Q: What are your thoughts on David Habat representing Slovenia in wrestling? See others do it just so they can be an Olympian, World Team member.‬ -- @nathanjohn_319 Foley: "… just so they can be an Olympian." You miiiiight be underestimating how difficult it can be to make the Olympics. Remember that you must qualify from your continent or at a last-chance qualifier. Those are stacked tournaments with every country entering their very best athletes to each competition. If Habat qualifies then he deserves to be in the Olympics, regardless of what nation is on his singlet. David Habat (Photo/Rob Preston)Habat and others are well within their right to fight for a spot on the Olympic stage outside of the USA. Many of us have been watching too much NBC coverage of wave-flagging Star Spangled Olympic footage to see that wrestling, and many athletic events in the Games, are individual, not nationalistic. Does nation vs. nation drive viewership and interest? One-hundred percent. Does Habat owe his entire future to the fact that NBC sells beers and cars to millions of viewers based on national pride? No. Q: Who takes over as head coach of Team USA's men's freestyle program after 2016? -- Mike C. Foley: My top candidates: Cael Sanderson John Smith Tom Brands Brandon Slay Sean Bormet Q: How likely is it that we'll see Tervel Dlagnev on the mats again? -- @ShogunOfSonoma Foley: I don't know the extent of injury, but the answer is one-hundred percent. After Rio, or the qualifications? Zero percent Q: What are your thoughts on Coleman Scott becoming the new head wrestling coach at UNC? Does this mean he's done competing? Or is he still training for the 2016 Olympic Games? -- Mike C. Foley: From all accounts Coleman Scott is a talented coach. His success on the mat will play a large role in his recruitment of future athletes and with a stable of active alumni I think we'll see the program expand in several meaningful ways. I assume that this signals the end of his competitive career. Keeping up with Brent Metcalf, Logan Stieber and the rest of the stable at 65 kilos is not an easy task if you train year-round. It is significantly more difficult with an 80-90 hour-a-week job. If Scott wants to compete then he'll have blessings all around. If he chooses to spend his little bit of downtime with the family nobody will cast a doubt. If they do, I recommend he just hold up that Olympic bronze and shh' them from the room. Q: World Championship preparation. Few questions! 1. What countries will be represented in Vegas? 2. Does the U.S.'s entire squad get to wrestle? The guys didn't have to qualify, did they? 3. Who besides our guys should we be looking out for? I'm not familiar with the foreign wrestlers (much). Who do you think is really exciting to watch? -- John G. Foley: Answers below. 1. All. The only qualification for the World Championships is that you enter a wrestler at that weight class during the continental championships. The motivation for this year's bloated continental championships was that the top six finishers at the World Championships automatically qualify their weight class for the Olympic Games. For many countries that is their best shot to qualify for Rio. 2. Yes. All of 'em. 3. Men's freestyle: Every Russian is entertaining to watch, as are the Iranians. Each has their own style, but they are equally active and beautiful in their execution. Women's freestyle: Japan dominates, but also look out for Azerbaijan, China and some of South America's wrestlers. Sleepers are the Cuban women who are love-to-throw former judokas who compete at one-hundred percent for six minutes. Greco-Roman: Georgia is looking solid, but Russia and Iran are more likely to win matches with moves that get your blood going. However, the No. 1 most entertaining wrestler in the world right now is world No. 1 Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) at 71 kilos -- a throw a minute. Incredible to watch. Q: Can you dive into the Corey Mock decision and how this affects C.D. Mock's future? Also, since there are many high school coaches and wrestlers that read your article, please address the issue that males will always be assumed guilty before innocent in issues of sexual assault. I think this is an issue we need to address with our athletes and the ramifications it can have on someone's life (ex. Corey Mock and Jordan Holm). -- Tim H. Foley: The decision of the court to rule that Corey Mock was denied due process has no bearing on C.D. Mock's choice to publish blog posts about the sexual assault crisis on college campuses. Corey may have been denied due process and the court overturned it, but that wasn't because of C.D.'s public relations campaign. It was because the judge saw the legal argument. Disparaging women is juvenile. Yes, they make mistakes and of course one-hundred percent of accusations are not true, but to use the court's ruling to buoy some knuckle-dragging theory that some tiny percentage of women are ACTUALLY sexually assaulted and that the rest lie is bogus. C.D. was fired because he wasn't protected by academic freedom to espouse any belief he wish. He was hired as a wrestling coach, not a sociology professor. He represented the university in his role as a coach and when he embarrassed them he was shown the door. He also wasn't winning enough matches. But again, to be clear, this ruling does NOT exonerate Corey or C.D., it simply says that the former was denied due process on a college campus, something that many advocates on both sides have pointed to as a weakness of prosecuting sex crimes on campus. Q: I have a question. How are you doing on this fine day? -- @maggiehendricks Foley: I woke up in Brazil, watched wrestling and got to write. Today was a great day! RANT OF THE WEEK By Jacob R. Aside from Flo's immature shenanigans and their extremely biased reporting of U.S. wrestlers, I would have to say the organization provides a good service. I usually only pay for Flo Pro when the U.S. Open and World Team Trials are underway. Doesn't really make sense to pay money to watch ESPN matches from the NCAAs that are dubbed over with their screaming. Anyways, I have noticed that a lot of the matches on their pay-per-view service involve a lot of our youth and amateur ranks. I am curious if the youngsters competing in Fargo, the Junior World Championships, and other events that are within the Flo Pro umbrella get any of the profits. I would assume no, which leads me to ask, "Shouldn't a high school athlete who competes in an event that is broadcast over a pay-wall network get something from her or his hard work?" Similar to college football and basketball, if it wasn't for the athletes and their abilities there really would be no need to broadcast an event and have people pay money to watch it. Now this leads me to ask if the senior level wrestlers get any money from Flowrestling covering their events. Obviously, Flo has some sort of deal with USA Wrestling and I think they even struck a deal with United World Wrestling to do coverage of Junior Worlds and the Senior Worlds. My question is shouldn't the senior level wrestlers get a cut instead of the governing body? It appears that wrestlers, both in the U.S. and worldwide and dare I say athletes in many of the non-professional uber popular ball sports are relegated to a weird limbo in which they are kinda sorta amateurs who will get paid if they win World or Olympic gold, but likely get very little from the revenues yielded from the broadcast of their triumphs. While I dig the confidence that is exhibited from Burroughs and the plethora of other senior level wrestlers in the U.S., it sure would be nice if they approached Flo with a "Show me the money!" attitude. I would probably be more inclined to pay for a full year's subscription to Flo Pro knowing that the wrestlers are actually benefiting from it.

The week of grade rankings updates reaches its conclusion with the top 15 junior high wrestlers updated for the happenings of the summer to date, most notably the Schoolboy Nationals held in Wisconsin during late June. These wrestlers will graduate from high school in the Class of 2020 or later. The top three spots in the rankings remain unchanged, with Joshua Saunders (Missouri) holding onto the No. 1 spot. Andrew Alirez enters the rankings at No. 4 (Photo/Xtreme Pro) The highest ranked newcomer is Andrew Alirez (Colorado), who jumps into the rankings all the way at No. 4 overall after finishing fifth at 113 pounds in last month's Cadet National freestyle tournament. The other newcomer to the rankings is No. 7 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma). Four Schoolboy Nationals freestyle champions are among the fifteen ranked junior high wrestlers: No. 3 Beau Bartlett (Pennsylvania), No. 5 Cullan Schreiver (Iowa), No. 8 Carson Manville (Virginia), and No. 14 Carter Young (Oklahoma). Two wrestlers each from Missouri, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Oklahoma populate the rankings, while seven other states have a single wrestler in the top 15. View Top 15 Junior High Wrestlers

A pair of past event champions were among the five teams added to The Clash XIV National High School Wrestling Duals to be held on January 1st and 2nd of 2016. Five-time tournament champions Apple Valley, Minn. most recently won the tournament in January 2014, and finished third overall in the event this past season. Also joining the field are St. Edward, Ohio, who won the tournament in December 2011. Both Apple Valley and St. Edward finished this past season ranked in The Fab50 National Team Rankings, the Eagles from Minnesota were ranked No. 17, while the Eagles from Ohio were No. 15 overall. Apple Valley won a tenth consecutive state title in Minnesota Class AAA, which is the big school division, and a 16th championship in the last 17 years. St. Edward won the individual state tournament in Ohio Division I, which is the big-school division, earning the title for the 16th time in the last 18 years. Also joining these perennial national powers in The Clash field are Carrington, N.D., Hastings, Minn., and Wasatch, Utah. Fifteen teams out of the 32 school field for this year's event have been unveiled. Carrington won both the individual bracket and dual meet state tournament in North Dakota Class B, which is that state's small-school division. The Cardinals return 11 wrestlers that competed in the state tournament last year, including nine that placed, and five that were in the state finals. Returning state champions include Walker Carr (145), Billy Holtan (152), and Riley Lura (182); while Bridger Anderson (170) and Bradee Schroeder (285) finished as state runners-up last year. It is a debut appearance in The Clash for Carrington. Hastings participated in The Clash last year, finishing third in their opening day bracket, but going 0-3 in the day two pool of third place teams. The Raiders were state dual meet semifinalists in Class AAA in 2014, but failed to make the final eight last year. They return five state qualifiers, but only Mark Vaith (182), who finished fourth, earned a state placement finish this past season. Wasatch also participated in The Clash last season, finishing seventh in their opening day bracket, then going 1-2 to finish third in the day two pool of seventh place teams. The Wasps were state champions in Utah Class 4A during the 2014-15 season. Nine state placers return for the upcoming season, including state champion Braiden Parker (113), along with five state runners-up. Circling back to Apple Valley and St. Edward, each squad features many high profile wrestlers. Leading the way is a pair of wrestlers ranked tops in their grade level that compete for Apple Valley, Mark Hall in the Class of 2016 and Gable Steveson in the Class of 2018. They are joined by three other returning state qualifiers, including Nate Larson (106) and Kyle Rathman (113) who each finished in third place. St. Edward has had a wrestler earn All-American honors at the Division I NCAA tournament in each of the last 25 years. This year's squad returns five state qualifiers, four of whom earned top three finishes at the state tournament. Allan Hart (113) was the lone state champion, Hunter Ladnier (132) and Jared Campbell (195) placed second, while Jack Conway (145) finished third. The field for the January 2016 edition of The Clash National High School Wrestling Duals now features seven teams that were members of the Fab50 National Team Rankings to end the 2014-15 season.

As the summer wrestling season came to its conclusion, the Schoolboy National freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments, along with the Cadet National freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments, were the major events for the ranking period. Happenings within these events had significant influence on the top 25 rankings for the incoming freshman Class of 2019. Two of the newly ranked wrestlers, No. 11 Carson Kharchlava (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) and Aden Reeves (Albia, Iowa) had most excellent Fargo performances. Kharchlava placed fifth in a loaded 132-pound weight bracket at the Cadet Nationals, while Reeves earned All-American honors in both styles at 106 pounds (fifth in Greco-Roman, fourth in freestyle). In all, there are four new members in the top 25, as Kharchlava and Reeves are joined by No. 14 Chris Cannon (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 25 Adrian St. German (Vashon, Wash.). After St. Germain went undefeated across the Olympic styles at the Schoolboy National Duals in early June, he went on to win titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle at 144 pounds at the national championships in late June. Leading the way in the top 25 with four ranked wrestlers each are the states of New Jersey and Ohio, while it's three from Colorado, and a pair each from Pennsylvania and Iowa. Jordan Decatur up from No. 19 to No. 8 after winning a Cadet freestyle title in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The top six wrestlers in the rankings remain unchanged, anchored by Cadet National champions No. 2 Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.), No. 3 Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.) and No. 5 Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio); Schultz was champion in Greco-Roman and runner-up in freestyle at 220 pounds, Raimo won titles in both styles at 120, while D'Emilio won a title in freestyle at 106. Josh McKenzie (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) remains ranked in the top position for the Class of 2019. The biggest upward move within the national rankings came from Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio), the Cadet National freestyle champion at 106 pounds; he moved from No. 19 to No. 8 among incoming freshmen. Other Cadet National freestyle champions in the rankings are Raimo and D'Emilio; unranked incoming freshman Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.) was a Cadet National triple crown winner at 88 pounds. View Top 25 Freshmen

Lee Roper has joined the team as a volunteer coach. Roper is the co-founder of Compound Wrestling Facilities in McDonough, Georgia. Since its inception in 2008, the club has coached 13 wrestlers who advanced as Division I athletes, including former All-American for UNI Joey Lazor and current Panther Jake Hodges.11386 Lee RoperRoper was a four-year starter at Appalachian State University from 2001-06 and an NCAA qualifier in 2003. He earned all-conference honors in 2002 and 2003. As a prep athlete, Roper was an All-American and two-time state champion from Madison, Georgia. "How Lee goes about things is a fit for our program and how we are trying to raise men," said head coach Doug Schwab. "I saw how he related to his club wrestlers and built that up. We have very similar philosophies in our lives and how we want to build a program." In addition to Lazor and Hodges, Roper helped train in-coming freshman Taylor Lujan. Lujan is a four-time Georgia state champion. He lost just one match as a prep in Carrollton, Georgia. Lujan closed out his high school career ranked fourth in the nation by Intermat and is projected to wrestle at 174 pounds for the Panthers. "He adds some expertise in areas we don't have," said Schwab. "We have brought in a middle-weight guy to fill that role. He was highly sought after, but this is the place he wanted to be." Schwab said Roper's desire to be at UNI is apparent when he is talking to student-athletes. "I came to UNI, because I believe in the passion and vision the coaching staff and athletes have set in place," said Roper. "I wake up every day excited knowing national championships are possible at Northern Iowa."

Two-time NCAA All-American wrestler Sean Gray is among six individuals to be welcomed into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in September, the Blacksburg, Va. school announced this past weekend. Sean GrayEnrolling at Virginia Tech in 1997, Gray crafted a career of accomplishment on the mats for the Hokies. A four-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier, Gray earned back-to-back NCAA All-American honors at 141 pounds as a sophomore and junior in 2000 and 2001. In addition, the New Jersey native won the Colonial Athletic Association title at 134 pounds as a freshman, then followed up with three consecutive Eastern Wrestling League championships, earning a place in the EWL Hall of Fame in 2007. Gray completed his Virginia Tech mat career as the program's all-time leader in wins (133), winning percentage (.850), pins (45), and pins in a single season (15). Gray still ranks as the school's leader in career individual wins and pins and second in winning percentage (87.5), behind Devin Carter. Since graduating from Virginia Tech, Sean Gray has developed a successful collegiate coaching career, first at the now-defunct program at Boston University for seven seasons, then as an assistant coach for the past five seasons at Princeton University. In addition to Gray, other members of the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2015 include Roscoe Coles (football), Will Furrer (football), April Byrd Mosley (track), Bryan Randall (football), and Dr. Duane Lagan (team physician). The six new honorees will be inducted during a Hall of Fame dinner on the Virginia Tech campus on Friday, Sept. 11, the evening before the Hokies' home football game against Furman. The inductees will be introduced to fans at halftime of the football game. The Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame, which is located at the south end of the Cassell Coliseum ambulatory, was established in 1982. The Class of 2015 inductees will bring the total number enshrined to 181. Gray is the ninth individual connected to the Virginia Tech wrestling program to be welcomed into the hall, joining eight former Hokie wrestlers, and one past coach (Frank Teske).

A familiar face is taking on a new role at Labette Community College, as the Kansas-based two-year college has hired Ben McKenzie as its new head wrestling coach. A native of Parsons, Kansas where Labette is located, McKenzie has spent much of his life and career at the school, having wrestled for the Cardinals in the late 1990s then served as head athletic trainer at Labette for a dozen years before becoming an instructor last year. The news was message posted at the Labette wrestling Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon: "We have our first team meeting scheduled for tomorrow, August 13th at 3:00. The new coaching staff is excited to meet all of the young men and ready to begin preparing them to become successful student athletes. For those that haven't heard, this year the Cardinals will be coached by '99 Cardinal wrestling alumnus and longtime LCC employee, Ben McKenzie. Coach McKenzie will be assisted by Kansas native and NJCAA National Champion, Jeff Vesta as well as former Cardinal wrestling alumnus John Hambleton. We are excited about the upcoming year and look forward to continuing the success of Labette Wrestling. We appreciate the ongoing support of the Cardinal family and look forward to seeing you in the stands this upcoming season." According to his coach's biography already posted at the Labette wrestling website, McKenzie graduated from Parsons High School in 1996, then stayed in town to attend Labette, where he wrestled for coach Jody Thompson. After earning his Associate in Arts degree in Athletic Training in 1999, McKenzie went on to wrestle at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. while completing his degree in Athletic Training, graduating in 2001. After spending one year in Hays, Kan., McKenzie had the opportunity to return to Labette, where he served as Head Athletic Trainer for the Cardinals from 2002 until 2014. In 2014-15, McKenzie started the Exercise Science program at Labette, and will continue to serve as a faculty member as well as head wrestling coach. McKenzie replaces Ryan Phillips, who had headed up the Labette Community College wrestling program for the past two seasons. Phillips' first season as head coach was challenging; in 2013-14, the Cardinals compiled a 1-11 dual-meet record just two years after winning the team title at the 2012 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Wrestling Championships. However, the following season, Phillips turned things around, sending eight wrestlers to the national championships, with four of them finishing as All-Americans, and the team just missing placing among the top ten in the overall standings. For his turnaround performance, in 2015 Phillips was named the NJCAA West Central District Coach of the Year.

CHAPEL HILL -- Coleman Scott has been named the head coach of the North Carolina wrestling team, Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham announced Wednesday. Scott, who came to UNC as an assistant in 2014 and has served as the interim head coach since June, becomes the sixth head coach in the history of the program. Coleman Scott (Photo/GoHeels.com)"I am pleased to announce Coleman Scott as our new head wrestling coach," Cunningham said. "His energy and enthusiasm for the job is contagious and will play a key role in returning the program to the level of success it has achieved in the past. Coleman will develop his student-athletes on a personal level and coach the whole student while providing them with the tools to succeed in life beyond athletics. In addition to his work with our current students, his focus will be to recruit outstanding young men to Carolina." "When I got into coaching I knew immediately I wanted to be a head coach one day," Scott said. "I am thankful for the opportunity that Bubba Cunningham and the University of North Carolina have given me. I had the opportunity to learn from the best under John Smith at Oklahoma State. He showed me what it takes to win on and off the mat and that's what we will do here at UNC." A native of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Scott was a four-time All-America performer at Oklahoma State and the 2008 NCAA champion at 133 pounds. In addition to his success at the collegiate level, Scott has also excelled at the international level as a four-time member of the United States National Team. His crowning achievement came at the 2012 London Olympics, where he won a bronze medal in freestyle wrestling at 60 kg. Prior to starring at Oklahoma State, Scott was a three-time Pennsylvania state champion at Waynesburg Central High School. Scott and his wife Jessica have two children: daughter Leighton Ann and son Stetson Lewis.

Two-time state placer Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.) verbally committed to the Air Force Academy yesterday afternoon. He placed fourth and third the last two high school seasons, and was a Cadet National freestyle runner-up in 2013. Carello was also a UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up in the spring of 2014. He was one match away from All-American honors in Junior freestyle last month at 160 pounds. Ranked No. 100 in the Class of 2016, Carello projects to compete at 165/174 in college.

SALVADOR, Brazil -- University of Iowa freshman Sam Stoll lost 5-1 to Turkey's Osman Yildirim in the bronze medal match at the 2015 UWW Junior World Championships on Wednesday. Stoll, a 2013 Junior World Championships bronze medalist, advanced to the semifinals with a pin in the opening round and a 4-1 decision in the quarterfinals. He dropped to the bronze medal match following an 8-0 loss in the semis to 2014 cadet world champion Zviadi Pataridze (Georgia). Stoll was the only U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to advance to the medal round. The United States was 1-4 on Tuesday and 3-5 on Wednesday. The United States senior team completes the 2015 season Sept. 7-12 at the World Championships in Las Vegas. Hawkeye Wrestling Club members Brent Metcalf (65 kilos) and Tony Ramos (57 kilos) represent Team USA in the men's freestyle division. UWW JUNIOR WORLD GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Sam Stoll, Kasson, Minn. (Minnesota Storm/Hawkeye WC) Opening Round: WIN Mohammed Sayed Abdelatif (Egypt), pin 1:24 Quarterfinals: WIN Jello Kramer (Germany), 4-1 Semifinals: LOSS Zviadi Pataridze (Georgia), tech. fall, 0-8 Bronze medal round: LOSS Osman Yildirim (Turkey), 5-1

Like the 2017 group, InterMat's Class of 2018 top 50 rankings powered by Flips Wrestling remain relatively static in the post-Fargo update. The top four wrestlers remain unchanged. Still leading the ladder is Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), who won a Cadet National freestyle title last month at 220 pounds, and will be competing at the end of this month in the UWW Cadet World Championships in freestyle at a similar weight class. Next in the rankings remain Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) and Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.); Teasdale will be competing in the UWW Cadet World freestyle championships at 50 kilos. Rounding out the top four is Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), who went 11-1 at 120 (+5) pounds in the AAU Scholastic Duals at Disney. Slots six through ten in the rankings remain unchanged, with California state champion Seth Nevills (Clovis) shifting up from No. 11 to No. 5 in the Class of 2018 rankings. Cadet National double champion Anthony Artalona (Tampa Prep, Fla.) slides into the rankings at No. 14 after being correctly considered for this grade level, as opposed to being No. 44 in the Class of 2017 rankings last go around. Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa), a Cadet National freestyle runner-up in Fargo, moves up 18 spots in the sophomore rankings (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The biggest movement by any individual in the Class of 2018 rankings came from Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa), who went from No. 45 to No. 27 overall. Thomsen was an undefeated state champion during the high school season, and was a Cadet National double All-American last month at 120 pounds; fourth in Greco-Roman, runner-up in freestyle. Two other wrestlers moved up six spots in the rankings, Cadet National freestyle champion Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) and Cadet National freestyle runner-up Anthony Madrigal (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.); Lee goes from No. 22 to No. 16, while Madrigal moves from No. 42 to No. 36. Two other new wrestlers enter the rankings, No. 45 Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) and No. 50 Braeden Redlin (Allen, Texas). Both wrestlers were Cadet National double All-Americans. Lewan was fifth in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle, both at 120 pounds; while Redlin was third in Greco-Roman at 145, and seventh in freestyle at 152 pounds. Seven Pennsylvania wrestlers, led by No. 3 Teasdale, populate the top 50 rankings. Ohio is next with six, while it's three each for California, New York, Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Iowa. View Top 50 Sophomores

Jason Welch, three-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Northwestern University, will be the new head wrestling coach at Loyola Academy in north suburban Chicago, the Glencoe Anchor reported Tuesday. Welch replaces long-time coach Chris Stephens, who decided to step down to spend more time with his family while accepting a promotion at Coldwell Banker. Stephens will continue as a volunteer assistant and youth coach. Jason Welch finished fourth at the U.S. World Team Trials at 70 kilos in 2014 (Photo/Milena Wick, Tech-Fall.com)Welch brings stellar on-the-mat experience to the Jesuit high school located in Wilmette, Ill. A three-time California state champ at Los Lomas High, Welch was InterMat's top-ranked prep wrestler in the nation when he committed to Northwestern in 2008. As a Wildcat, Welch was a four-time qualifier for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, earning All-American honors three times. In addition, he won the 157-pound title at the 2013 Big Ten conference championships, and was crowned champ at the 49th Ken Kraft Midlands Classic, the prestigious post-Christmas event held each year at Northwestern. As a junior, Welch earned the honor of being invited to wrestle at the 2011 NWCA All-Star Classic, where he defeated Ganbayar Sanjaa of American University. In addition to taking on the role as head coach at Loyola Academy, Welch is in training for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and completing a master of fine arts degree through Bennington College in Vermont. In announcing his new job at Loyola Academy, Welch also addressed his jam-packed schedule in a post on his Facebook page last week: "I'm going to continue to be heavily involved with Northwestern University wrestling as the Wildcat WC and Chicago Regional Training Center's Resident Athlete. That said, I'm lucky enough to also be supported by and involved with Wrestling Prep and Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, as well as finishing up my last year of my MFA in Creative Writing. Competing, coaching, and school will be a heavy course load, but I'm looking forward to the challenge this year." At its website, Loyola Academy describes itself as a "Jesuit college preparatory experience." According to Wikipedia, the private, co-educational academy is the largest Jesuit high school in the U.S., with over 2,000 students from more than 80 different ZIP Codes throughout metropolitan Chicago. Loyola Academy's wrestling website features the following message: "Wrestling is an experience that prepares students for all of these and helps lay a foundation for the formation of an outstanding work ethic and moral character. This work ethic will help in fulfilling Loyola's mission of cura personalis, the formation of the whole person. Lessons learned from wrestling make student-athletes proud to call themselves wrestlers and even more proud to call themselves Ramblers (Loyola's team name)."

Rocco Mansueto, former assistant wrestling coach at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, will be taking the head coaching position at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, the Chattanoogan.com reported Tuesday. Rocco MansuetoMansueto, who left UTC as associate head coach in 2013 after having been on the Mocs coaching staff for four seasons, replaces Notre Dame's long-time coach John Mullin, who will continue as the school's dean of students. Mansueto brings impressive credentials as wrestler and coach to the Notre Dame program, which has been in existence for eight decades. A native of Middletown, N.Y., Mansueto was a two-time New York state champ who headed west to Cleveland State. As a Viking wrestler, Mansueto was a three-time NCAA Division I qualifier and Eastern Wrestling League champion at 125 pounds… and was a three-time team captain and national-scholar athlete at Cleveland State. After earning his bachelor degree from CSU, Mansueto stayed in the Cleveland area, launching his coaching career as a graduate assistant at John Carroll University. Later, he returned to his native New York State, where he continued his coaching career at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point before coming to Tennessee-Chattanooga in 2009. Mansueto left the UTC staff two years ago to focus on building the Flips Wrestling headphone business, where he is one of four principals. Mullin led the Irish to three TSSAA state small school dual championships (2006-07-08) and numerous individual state champions, including his nephews Packy and Luke Mullin. Their dad, Chris, was also a two-time state champion for the Irish. "The wrestling community will miss John matside as he now joins a long list of retired coaches who have made such an impact on our sport," said one former coach who mentioned other retired coaches including Steve Logsdon, Roger Vandergriff and hall of famers Al Miller, Turner Jackson, Danny Gilbert, Jim Morgan, Gordon Connell and Steve Henry to name a few, the Chattanoogan.com reported. Mansueto will be officially introduced as Notre Dame wrestling coach at a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the school's Varallo Center. Founded in 1876, Notre Dame is the only Catholic high school in the region and the oldest independent school in Chattanooga. According to PrivateSchoolReview.com, Notre Dame has just over 400 students in grades 9-12.

Marcus Coleman finished runner-up in the Cadet freestyle competition in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)While the Class of 2016 rankings saw some semi-significant changes in the post-Fargo update, rankings for the Class of 2017 remain static by comparison. Within the updated top 50 for the rising junior group, there are only two new wrestlers present: No. 45 Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa) and No. 50 Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.). Coleman was a Cadet National freestyle runner-up at 160 pounds last month, while Hagan was a Cadet double All-American at 126 pounds (second Greco-Roman, fourth freestyle) after going 8-1 in the 120 (+5) pound weight class at the AAU Scholastic duals in late June. At the top of the rankings, things remain unchanged with Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) holding on to the number one spot after winning the Junior National freestyle title at 120 pounds. He will compete at the end of this month in the UWW Cadet World freestyle championships at 54 kilos. Ranked second is Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), who will be representing the United States this week in the UWW Junior World freestyle championships at 50 kilos. Also slated to be on the UWW Cadet World team are three of the next four wrestlers in the rankings: No. 3 Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) at 69 kilos, No. 4 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) at 54 kilos, and No. 6 Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) at 63 kilos. The two biggest movers in this update are a pair of Junior National All-Americans in freestyle from the 126 pound weight class. Third place finisher Kaden Gfeller (Sand Springs, Okla.) jumps sixteen spots from No. 31 to No. 15, while runner-up Navonte Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.) ascends fifteen spots from No. 39 to No. 24. Gfeller was also undefeated in six matches at the Junior Duals in late June, including three wins over fellow Junior freestyle All-Americans. Another Junior freestyle All-American who moved up in the rankings was Luke Troy (San Marino, Calif.); the fourth place finisher at 152 pounds jumped up five spots from No. 24 to No. 19. Ten Pennsylvania natives are in the top 50, which is the most of any state. Next in line is California with six, Ohio with five, and Illinois with three. New York and New Jersey have two each. View Top 50 Juniors

A state judge has ruled that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga made a mistake in finding former Moc wrestler Corey Mock guilty of sexual misconduct based on his inability to prove he had obtained verbal consent from a woman who described her own memory of their encounter as clouded by intoxication. Corey Mock (Photo/GoMocs.com)Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Carol L. McCoy held that UTC Chancellor Steven R. Angle had rendered an "arbitrary and capricious" decision last December in ordering the expulsion of Corey Mock, a senior. In demanding that Mock prove he had obtained verbal consent in advance of sexual intercourse, Angle held the student to an untenable standard, partly because the campus's code of conduct defines as consent not just verbal messages but "acts that are unmistakable in their meaning," according judge McCoy who is based in Nashville. In addition, the judge held, Angle violated Mock's due-process rights by interpreting the university's code of conduct, which requires initiators of sexual activity to obtain consent, as establishing a judicial requirement that students accused of sexual misconduct prove that they had obtained consent in order to clear themselves. The case began nearly 18 months ago. According to a timeline published in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, on March 16, 2014, Mock and the alleged victim (who InterMat is not identifying) met at a party. Mock said they had consensual sex; the woman said she was unconscious and was raped. On April 3, she filed a complaint with the university. Mock went before University Judicial Officer Joanie Sompayrac for a hearing under the school's Uniform Rules and Procedures Act on June 24; in early August, Sompayrac ruled that Mock was not responsible for sexual misconduct. However, three weeks later, Sompayrac reversed her decision after the woman and the university asked her to reconsider. At that time, Mock was expelled from UTC, but Sompayrac stayed that decision pending an appeal. On Dec. 2, 2014, Angle, ruling on Mock's appeal, found him responsible; the former student/athlete was expelled. Mock appealed Angle's decision to Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, which granted Mock a temporary injunction, allowing him to take his fall semester finals. After a Jan. 9, 2015 hearing in Nashville, the Chancery Court granted a protective order allowing Mock to continue his studies during spring semester, citing "irreparable harm" that result from him losing a semester if he were to win his appeal. However, a protective order allowing Mock to return to the UTC Mocs wrestling team was denied. On Jan. 26, UTC filed an objection to that protective order, saying that Mock would not graduate that spring because the two classes he needed would not be offered until summer. Mock was expelled. No criminal charges were ever filed against Mock; university officials said the decision to press charges is typically left up to the victim. State law does not require instances of sexual assault on college campuses to be reported to police. InterMat first learned of the decision to overturn UTC's decision on Monday from the CoreyMock.net blog created by Corey's father C.D. Mock, who had been head wrestling coach at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill until mid-June, when he was fired. In a post dated Aug. 9 titled "Corey Mock Wins In State Appeals Court", C.D. Mock described the judge's decision, then wrote, "Needless to say, we are very happy. It has restored a sense of justice and fairness to me personally for our judicial system that I was losing. The judge followed the law, no BS, no politics, no games … "This has been a long fight. My son has remained at UTC in school in a horrible environment -- something very few young men would do in his situation. They took away his senior year as a student. They took away his senior year as an athlete. They took away any chance he ever had to fulfill his dream of being a wrestling coach as a career. His reputation will never be restored; this will follow him forever in 'googleland'. Our family has spent thousands of dollars defending him. I have personally been called sexist, woman-hater, men's rights advocate ... for nothing more than defending my son's innocence. (It will be interesting to see if any of those folks apologize). I lost my job and a lot of "friends" over this …" The former Tar Heel coach went on to say, "This has never been about being victims. This has always been about standing up for what we believed to be right and honorable … We need to find ways to better address sexual assault against women in colleges. But, not at the expense of creating a whole new class of victims!" " … Everyone wants women to be protected better -- everyone!" C.D. Mock continued. "Let's find a way to do that which doesn't create an environment where young men's lives are ruined because we took away their rights. Both of these are worthy objectives and the only reason people can't get together on them is because of ridiculously stubborn people who refuse to care about anything except satisfying their personal agendas, at whatever cost." C.D. MockC.D. Mock had drawn heat for comments he had made about his son's situation on his CoreyMock.net blog as well as on social media. The former coach had identified the victim publicly, and provided graphic details of the alleged incident in his blog. In a January 2015 interview with The Daily Tar Heel student newspaper at North Carolina, C.D. Mock said, "The purpose of the blog was simply because I want people to know the other side of this story. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that my son is not guilty of sexual assault or rape … Mud has been slung. I have been called every name in the book. They're copying the chancellor on things that I've written, and they've called for me to be fired." On Friday, June 12, North Carolina announced that C.D. Mock had been relieved of his duties as the head wrestling coach. UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said, "I made the decision that a coaching change was in the best interest of our wrestling program moving forward. I appreciate C.D.'s service to the program over the last 15 years and wish him luck in his future endeavors. I believe a new head coach will re-energize the program and return it to the level of success I expect from all of our teams." In the same statement, the school announced that Coleman Scott, who came to UNC as an assistant coach last May, had been named interim head coach.