InterMat Staff

Duane Waters, a wrestler at Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) in the early 1960s who was active in the sport before and after college, passed away after complications from a stroke on Saturday, Sept. 3 in St. Cloud, Minn. He was 75. Duane WatersBorn in July 1941 in Guttenberg, Iowa, Duane Allen Waters was a multi-sport athlete at Hampton High School, where he wrestled as well as played football and Babe Ruth baseball. After graduating from Hampton High in 1959, Waters attended Iowa State Teachers College (ISTC) in Cedar Falls, where he was given the nickname of "Abe." At ISTC he wrestled for Panthers' legendary head coach Bill Koll, and counted among his teammates Bill Dotson, Frank Freeman, and Bob Stevens (late husband of wrestling announcer/journalist Sandy Stevens). Waters also played football at ISTC, where he was a first-team all-conference selection and a co-captain. His 1963 team was inducted into the UNI Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. After Waters graduated from ISTC in 1963, he accepted a job at Wapsie Valley High School, where he taught history, and coached football and wrestling. In 1966, Waters and his young family moved to Atlantic, Iowa where he began his career with Josten's, Inc. as a sales manager in the ring division. In 1975, Waters' career took the family Iowa City in 1975, where, he resumed his connection to the sport of wrestling, officiating matches and becoming a strong fan of the University of Iowa wrestling program. He is also credited as a co-founder of the Hawkeye Area Wrestling Club (H.A.W.K.). Duane WatersWaters' life later took him from his native Iowa to southern California where he owned and operated a limousine company for nearly two decades. In 2004 he returned to the Midwest, first settling in Brainerd, Minn. to be closer to family, then settling in St. Cloud in 2008. Duane Waters leaves behind his children Cindy Steinke (St. Cloud) and Pat Waters (Steamboat Springs, Colo.); four grandchildren; two siblings; and several nieces and nephews. Services have yet to be announced. However, the family has already requested that, in lieu of flowers, individuals wishing to pay tribute to Duane Waters consider a donation to the Alzheimer's Association of Minnesota.

Max Wessell battles Michael Kroells for seventh place at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Max Wessell has wrestled his last match at Lehigh University, but it may not be the last time college wrestling fans see of the former Mountain Hawk heavyweight, as the 2016 NCAA All-American and EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) champ has reportedly signed a development deal with WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). WWE reportedly signed Wessell and MMA fighter Alvin Abitz to developmental contracts. Both will report to the WWE Performance Center in October, 411mania.com reported Monday. WWE has not made any official announcement. However, WWE talent scout Gerald Brisco -- an Oklahoma State wrestler in the 1960s -- retweeted the report on Wessell's signing. A number of friends have posted congratulatory messages on Wessell's Facebook page, though the 2016 Lehigh graduate has yet to post any message of his own as of Tuesday evening. A native of Boulder, Colo., Wessell concluded his collegiate mat career with his best season ever for Lehigh, winning the 2016 EIWA heavyweight title, then a couple weeks later, earning All-American honors by placing eighth in the 285-pound bracket at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Madison Square Garden. In addition, Wessell was named Outstanding Athlete at Lewis Wrestling Dinner at Lehigh, and earned a place on the NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) All-Academic Team this year. He compiled an overall record of 52-21 during his career at Lehigh. Prior to coming to Lehigh, Wessell won a Colorado high school state title at 189 pounds as a senior. He also was a top-ranked participant in judo. Over the years, a number of top college wrestlers have launched pro wrestling careers, including NCAA champs Earl McCready and LeRoy McGuirk in the 1930s ... Dick Hutton, Verne Gagne, Joe Scarpello and Dan Hodge in the 1950s ... Jack Brisco in the 1960s ... and Kurt Angle in the 1990s.

Action from the InterMat JJ Classic Registration has opened for the 2016 InterMat JJ Classic, a premier preseason high school wrestling tournament. This year's event takes place on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. Weigh-ins will be held on Friday, Oct. 21, at the venue. The JJ Classic is open to high school wrestlers, as well as seventh and eighth-graders. The event has attracted wrestlers from all across the country since it was founded in 2010. Last year Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) claimed his fifth straight JJ Classic title and earned Outstanding Wrestler honors. Champions from last year's event came from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. The entry fee is $40 if registered in the month of September. The entry fee increases to $50 on Oct. 1. Proceeds from the event go toward the Justin Kukowski Foundation, which provides scholarships for people living with cancer. For more information on the JJ Classic and to register, visit the event website: www.intermatwrestle.com/jjclassic.

Myles Martin celebrates after winning the NCAA title as a true freshman at 174 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The finals of the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were labeled by large numbers of wrestlers, coaches, fans and journalists to be the "most exciting" and "best ever." They were also one for the history books -- and not just because they were the first to be held in New York City at the famed Madison Square Garden. The 2016 NCAA finals were historic because they saw the crowning of only the 15th true freshman wrestler to win a Division I title: Myles Martin of Ohio State. When you consider that the NCAAs have been held since 1928 -- and realize that hundreds of men have won at least one individual title in 86 editions of the Nationals -- the fifteen men who achieved that honor in their first year of college are in rarified territory. In fact, by the time NASA stopped putting men on the moon, more had set foot on the lunar surface than had won an NCAA title as true freshmen. I wish I could claim to have figured this out the "moonwalkers/first-year mat champs" equation on my own. Instead, I must give credit to Jim Kalin, who did the research, and shared his list of the fifteen fab freshmen in a feature article simply titled "The 15" in the August 15 issue of Amateur Wrestling News. Kalin, recipient of the Dellinger Award as the nation's best wrestling journalist in 2009, emphasized the rarity of a first-year student winning an NCAA D1 title at least twice in his historical feature ... first with the fact that a greater number of astronauts have strolled on the lunar surface than a true freshman claiming college wrestling's greatest individual championship. Or, if that weren't clear enough, Kalin emphasized his point thusly: "True freshman national champs are wrestling's version of a Bigfoot sighting. Tartare-rare." Realize that true freshmen have not always been allowed to wrestle at the NCAAs. In fact, that was the case for the first two decades of the Nationals ... and for another two decades, roughly from the late 1940s through the late 1960s. All-time greats such as Oklahoma State's Stanley Henson, Oklahoma's Dan Hodge, and Iowa State's Dan Gable were not allowed to wrestle at the NCAAs in their first year of college. That was the rules back then. There have been only two times when first-year students have been eligible for varsity competition: during a small window of eligibility for a couple years immediately after World War II ... and since 1969. That said, in those two time-frames when freshmen could compete at the NCAAs -- nearly 50 years in all -- only fifteen managed to nab a title as a true freshman. Dick HuttonIf that weren't amazing enough, dig this: four first-year collegians did it in 1947. Three were baby-faced freshmen, fresh out of high school, wrestling for colleges in the state of Iowa. The fourth was a hairy-chested World War II vet in his mid-20s originally from Amarillo who wrestled in Oklahoma. The kids: Dick Hauser and Lowell Lange, both of Cornell College of Iowa that won the team title at the '47 NCAAs ... along with Bill Nelson of what was then Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa). Hauser was champ at 121 pounds; his teammate Lange claimed the title at 136 ... while Nelson won the 165 crown. The Army veteran: Dick Hutton, heavyweight for Oklahoma State, an eventual four-time finalist who came incredibly close to becoming the first four-time NCAA champ. Fast-forward a quarter of century to the next set of first-year collegians to win individual titles. Pat Milkovich, 126-pound champ for Michigan State at the 1972 NCAAs (at 17, the youngest wrestler ever to win a title) ... the following year, Clarion's Don Rohn took home the title at 134 ... then, in 1979, Darryl Burley of Lehigh, at 134. The 1980s had only one champ who made Kalin's ultra-exclusive list: Matt Reiss, 167-pound titlist for North Carolina State at the 1980 NCAAs. Lincoln McIlravyIt would be an entire decade before another true freshman would snag a title. At the 1990 NCAAs, Pat Smith of Oklahoma State won the first of his four national titles. Three years later, Iowa's Lincoln McIlravy won his first of three NCAA championships at the 1993 NCAAs. In the new millennium, five collegians won NCAA titles as true freshmen: Oklahoma's Teyon Ware in 2003 ... in 2006, Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter ... Cornell University's Kyle Dake in 2010 ... in 2014, Missouri's J'den Cox ... and Ohio State's Myles Martin this past March. Kalin's four-page freshman feature is liberally sprinkled with great photos of these highly accomplished mat champs ... along with fun facts and rich details that will dazzle your friends, confound your frenemies, and perhaps even help you win a bar bet or two. For all these reasons, "The 15" is must reading. Can't get enough Jim Kalin? He has written a brand-new book, "Mustang", which chronicles the storied Maple Heights High School wrestling program in suburban Cleveland and the coach that put the Mustangs on the map, Mike Milkovich.

Dana Vote Dana Vote, head wrestling coach at Concordia University of Nebraska, has been named Director of Wrestling Operations at Iowa State, the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star reported Monday. In four seasons heading up the wrestling program at Concordia - a four-year private school located in Seward, Nebraska -- Vote had coached eight All-Americans and the Bulldogs' first-ever individual NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national champion, Andrew Schulte, this past March. The Gillmore City, Iowa native helped guide the Bulldogs to Great Plains Athletic Conference dual and tournament titles in each of the past two seasons. Vote was twice named GPAC Coach of the Year. "It was one of the toughest decisions I've made in my life," Vote said of leaving Concordia for the new position at Iowa State. "It's a good group of kids here. The commitment they've shown is what made it so hard to leave. It's also what's helped me feel better about the decision because I know that they're going to succeed in whatever they do. They've all shown tremendous growth. "My time here is time I'll never forget. I went through basically every emotion you can go through as a coach. We went from being one of the least competitive programs in the country to being nationally relevant and having a national champion and GPAC team championships. It was an awesome opportunity. I enjoyed every bit of it." Director of Athletics Devin Smith complimented Vote on turning around what he described as "a program that had fallen on hard times" into a "national contender." Meanwhile, Vote starts his new job at Iowa State this week. "Dana is a piece of the puzzle that our program needs," said Cyclones head coach Kevin Jackson. "He brings a multitude of experience being a head coach. We're also excited about his experience as a full-time administrator." Prior to heading to Nebraska to take the helm at Concordia in 2012, Vote was very much a fixture in wrestling within the state of Iowa. He had spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Vote had started his collegiate mat career at Iowa Central Community College, where he was a national qualifier during his two seasons at the Fort Dodge school. He completed his wrestling and academic career with the BVU Beavers, wrestling for two seasons at 149 and 157 pounds, before graduating in 2008. Concordia has already begun a nationwide search for Vote's replacement.

Nick Brascetta earned his third All-American honor in NYC (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger announced the addition of Nick Brascetta to the Mocs staff this week. Brascetta joins Chattanooga's program as the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development. Brascetta is a 2016 graduate of Virginia Tech where he was a three-time All-American for the Hokies. He finished third at last year's NCAA Championships at 157 pounds. He was also a three-time ACC Champion during his career at Virginia Tech. "We are excited to add Nick to our staff," added Eslinger. "He is very accomplished on the mat and is the total package as a coach. He is going to be a great addition for our student-athletes. "Competitively, he brings a very high expectation to our program." A native of Graham, Ohio, he was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2012 after winning the league title at 149 pounds. He repeated his ACC crown and placed eighth at the NCAAs in 2013, before redshirting in 2014. He won another ACC title at 157 in 2015 and went on to finish fourth at the NCAAs. He earned his degree in Accounting at Virginia Tech and is currently working on his M.B.A. at UTC.

Students of the G. C. Foster College of Physical Education and neighboring residents practice during a workshop The G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, which has produced some of Jamaica's most outstanding athletes and coaches in various disciplines, is adding wrestling to its roster of sports, the Jamaican Information Service reported Sunday. The reason the college is adding wrestling is to educate future coaches for the sport, who then can bring wrestling to schools throughout the Caribbean island nation. Dr. Joyce Graham-Royal, who heads up the college located just outside the capital of Kingston, said that the introduction of wrestling at the college "will bring tremendous opportunity for students to be exposed to a new discipline." Graham-Royal is already looking to a future where Jamaicans can compete in wrestling at the international level, saying if children are introduced to the sport at an early age, by the time they get to Olympic-level competition, "they will be excellent at it." The school's president also noted that wrestling, like other sports, offers benefits beyond improving physical health. "You can gain many skills that our nation needs at this time, such as body awareness, self-confidence, mental toughness, team spirit and tolerance," she said. Last month, G.C. Foster College hosted a five-day wrestling workshop conducted by the Future Champs of Texas organization which attracted more than 50 students from primary and secondary schools and colleges, as well as community members and persons interested in becoming instructors. Participants were exposed to the areas of coaching and competition, and engaged in the sport as a fun activity. G.C. Foster College and Future Champs of Texas have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding, and plan to conduct additional wrestling workshops over the life of that contract, according to the Jamaica Observer. The G.C. Foster College of Physical Education & Sport is a full-time residential institution located on 41 acres at St. Catherine, Jamaica, approximately 20 miles from Kingston. The college, the first of its kind to be established in the English-speaking Caribbean in September 1980, was named in honor of Gerald Claude Eugene (G.C.) Foster, an athlete in the early 20th century who, among other accomplishments, earned a gold medal for Jamaica in the 100-meter dash at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis.

Logan Storley Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at University of Minnesota, has been signed for his fifth professional mixed martial arts fight at RFA 45 at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minn. on Friday, October 28. No opponent for the former Golden Gopher mat star now fighting as a middleweight (170 pounds) has been named. Storley, who launched his pro MMA with Resurrection Fighting Alliance in August 2015, is now a perfect 4-0 in that promotion. All of Storley's matches have ended with a TKO; all but one was over within the first round. (His most recent fight went 13 seconds into the second round.) A native of Webster, S.D. -- same hometown as fellow former Golden Gopher wrestler and former UFC champ Brock Lesnar -- Storley was a six-time South Dakota high school state champion wrestler who went on to a sterling career at Minnesota. Storley is part of a card which will feature a double main event. Fighting for the vacant RFA middleweight title is Gerald Meerschaert taking on Chase Waldon. In the co-headliner, Dan "The Hitman" Moret will challenge reigning RFA champion Raoni Barcelos for his featherweight crown.

Daton Fix won a bronze medal at 55 kilograms (Photo/Justin Hoch) MACON, France -- First-year Junior Daton Fix sent the U.S. home from the 2016 Junior World Championships in style on Sunday, picking up a bronze in men's freestyle at 55 kilograms/121 pounds. Standing opposite the electric American youngster was two-time Cadet World champion Andriy Yatsenko of Ukraine. Yatsenko has medaled at four Senior-level tournaments in 2016, including a finals appearance at the European Championships. Fix came out firing from the first whistle against the well-versed Ukrainian, scoring two electrifying takedowns to take a 4-0 lead. Yatsenko struck on a low-level single to cut the lead in half, but that's as close as the Ukrainian would get. Fix rode his offense to three second period takedowns and a 10-3 win. Read complete story on TheMat.com …

Three-time state champion Layne van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) verbally committed to the University of Michigan late on Sunday afternoon. The projected 157/165 placed fourth at the Flo Nationals this past spring, and was a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion in the spring of 2015. This summer, van Anrooy placed third in Junior Greco-Roman. He is ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2017, joining No. 25 Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.), No. 30 Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), No. 61 Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.), and No. 63 Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio) as elite commitments for the Wolverines in this recruiting class.

The first Saturday of September became a more than banner day for Iowa State in terms of 2017 recruiting. Adding to the verbal commitment of No. 28 Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) is two more high end commitments, those coming from No. 24 Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) and No. 32 Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.) Verkleeren was a state medalist during his sophomore season of high school. Within the last 12-to-15 months, Verkleeren was a UWW Cadet World freestyle champion at 69 kilograms and a runner-up at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman competing in the 145 pound weight class. He also was a Junior freestyle runner-up this summer at 145 pounds. Verkleeren projects to compete as a 149/157 in college. Mantanona is a two-time state medalist, including a runner-up finish this past year at 170 pounds. Prior to the start of last season, he placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge in the 170 pound weight class; while after the season, he was champion of the Flo Nationals competing at 160 pounds. Mantanona also was a Junior National champion in Greco-Roman this summer at 160 pounds, and projects to compete at 174 in college. Verkleeren and Mantanon join the earlier reported verbal commitment of Allar, along with those from No. 13 Austin Gomez and No. 68 Marcus Coleman in what is a banner start to 2017 recruiting for the Cyclones.

Junior National freestyle champion Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) verbally committed to Iowa State University on Saturday afternoon. The No. 28 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017 became the third top 100 commit for the Cylcones in this year's recruiting class. Allar is also a three-time state medalist, winning a state title during his junior season. Further accomplishments for Allar include a fifth place finish in last fall's Super 32 Challenge, a 2015 Cadet folkstyle national title, a 2014 Cadet Greco-Roman national title, and making the 2015 UWW Cadet World team in Greco-Roman at 69 kilograms. He projects to compete at 174/184 pounds in college, and will join No. 13 Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.) and No. 68 Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa) as ranked recruits in this class going to Iowa State.

Spencer Lee and Mark Hall won junior world titles (Photo/Justin Hoch) MACON, France -- It was a golden night for the U.S. men's freestyle team at the 2016 Junior World Championships with Spencer Lee and Mark Hall both claiming gold medals and hoisting the American flag at night's end. The American duo gave the U.S. its first two gold medalists at the Junior Worlds this week, and both achieved the monumental feat in thrilling fashion. Lee entered the 50-kilogram gold medal match as the defending champion in the weight class and heavy favorite to repeat, but the American received all he could handle from Kyrgyzstan's Khurshid Parpiev who was competing in his first international tournament. Right off the bat, Lee charged in with a body lock maneuver and was hip tossed for four points. Lee returned to score a takedown and step out to cut the lead to 4-3. The American soon found himself down by five after giving up two exposures off his own takedown attempt. Lee reeled off eight straight points in the waning moments of the match to win it in dramatic fashion, 11-9. Read complete story on TheMat.com …

Alec Donovan won a New Jersey state championship in 2015 It's a homecoming of sorts for Alec Donovan, as the 2015 New Jersey state wrestling champ has transferred from Cal Poly to Centenary College in his home state. "I'm getting a lot of questions about college so I will make one big post. I transferred from Cal Poly to Centenary. I am a Cyclone now and I'm happy with my choice," Donovan wrote on Facebook Friday. Centenary is a four-year private school located in Hackettstown, N.J. with an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students. The Cyclones wrestling program competes in NCAA Division III. When contacted by InterMat, Donovan responded, "I am eligible for the next four years to wrestle for Centenary. I made the transfer prior to August. Had all of the transfer release forms in from Cal Poly." Donovan won the 145-pound title for Brick Memorial High School at the 2015 NJSIAA championships at Atlantic City and was named Shore Conference Wrestler of the Year in 2015 by NJ.com. On a college recruiting trip Donovan revealed that he is gay, not long after Mike Pucillo, 2008 NCAA champ for Ohio State, came out in an interview. Donovan is believed to be the first openly gay college wrestler. "I am not a gay wrestler, I am a wrestler who just happens to be gay," Donovan said at the time he came out. "Being gay has nothing to do with wrestling." Donovan had considered Limestone College in South Carolina and Edinboro University in Pennsylvania before signing a letter of intent at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. In his first season as a Cal Poly Mustang, Donovan compiled an overall record of 14-7 -- including six falls, two major decisions, and two technical falls -- wrestling in tournaments at 157 pounds.

A trio of 2016 Olympic wrestlers are among the guests on this Saturday's Takedown Radio, the broadcast announced Friday. Join hosts Scott Casber, Tony Hager, and Brad Johnson this Saturday from 9-11 a.m. live on KXNO.com, IHeartRadio.com and TakedownWrestle.com. Fans, athletes and coaches are invited to participate by calling 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966. This week's guests include (all times Central): 9:00 a.m.: George Ivanov -- 2016 Freestyle Olympian 9:20 a.m.: J'Den Cox -- 2016 Olympic freestyle bronze medalist, University of Missouri NCAA champ 9:40 a.m.: Andy Lausier -- Sacred Heart Head Wrestling Coach 10:00 a.m.: Jesse Thielke -- 2016 Greco-Roman Olympian 10:15 a.m.: Colby Covington -- UFC Welterweight 10:35 a.m.: Raul Ramirez -- Founder of the Catch Wrestling Alliance

Bill "Red" Schmitt, longtime wrestling coach at Illinois' Granite City High School just outside St. Louis, passed away last weekend. He was 94. Bill "Red" SchmittThe man affectionately known as "Schmitty" coached at Granite City from 1950 to 1985. Under Schmitt, the Warriors captured the 1965 Illinois state wrestling title, marking the first time a team outside of Chicago had won a state wrestling crown. His first three teams at Granite City were undefeated. Schmitt was the first wrestling coach in the country to reach 500, 600 and 700 career wins, eventually reaching 1,400 dual-meet victories, according to the Alton Telegraph, the newspaper in his hometown. He is a member of numerous national, state and regional wrestling Halls of Fame. http://thetelegraph.com/sports/88472/legendary-wrestling-coach-red-schmitt-dies-at-94 Born in Alton, Illinois in 1922, William C. Schmitt was a champion wrestler at Alton High School, where he graduated in 1940. After serving in World War II, Schmitt earned a bachelor's degree from Shurtleff College and a master's from University of Illinois. He began coaching at Alton's Western Military Academy in 1947, then came to Granite City High, where he remained for 35 years. Schmitt led Granite City to 18 conference titles and 26 sectional championships. In addition to winning the state title in 1965, Schmitt's Warriors also placed in the top 10 at the state tournament 15 times. Schmitt also had 47 individual state place winners and coached four state champions. With Schmitt at the helm, Granite City had a 605-82-5 record, the Belleville News Democrat reported. A number of individuals who knew "Red" and "Schmitty" spoke glowingly of the late coach. "The metro east area lost a great man this weekend," Granite City High School Athletic Director John Moad said. "Coach Schmitt was a coaching legend. He was a wrestling icon not only in southern Illinois. But he was an icon throughout the state." "He was an iconic figure in Granite City and in wrestling," said current Warrior coach George Kirgan. "He cared about the kids who wrestled for him and when I started coaching, he helped mentor me. I learned a lot of positives from him and we were very fortunate to have him here as a coach." "Coach Schmitt was the kind of coach that as an athlete you wanted to run through the wall for," said Mike Garland, who served as assistant to Schmitt, then later became head coach at Granite City. "One of the most amazing was the number of dual matches his teams won. Back then, teams didn't wrestle more than 12-15 dual matches a year. For him to win as many as he did was an amazing number. "Some of it had to do with tradition. Maybe a lot of it," Garland continued. "Coach Schmitt built such a good program and was such a strong part of his athletes lives that as an athlete or a team, you didn't want to be the one or the team to let him down. To let the program down." "Coach Schmitt was the Dan Gable of high school wrestling," said Mike Garland of the man whose name now adorns the annual Granite City High Christmas wrestling tournament. "He will be missed and remembered forever." Schmitt is survived by his wife of 70 years, Helen; two daughters; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild… along with one brother, Ron. A memorial celebration for Bill Schmitt will be held on October 9, 2016, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Hatheway Gallery on the campus of Lewis & Clark College in Godfrey, Illinois. Memorials may be made to The Nature Institute, 2213 S. Levis Lane, Godfrey, IL 62035, or to Granite City High School, designated for the William "Red" Schmitt Holiday Wrestling Tournament, 3101 Madison Ave., Granite City, IL 62040.

Coleman Scott at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Four years after U.S. men's freestyle wrestler Coleman Scott won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics, it may be possible that he may end up with a substantial upgrade: a gold medal four years later. Scott, now head wrestling coach at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, was one of two bronze medal winners at 60 kilograms/132 pounds, along with Yogeshwar Dutt of India. However, a number of media reports out of India are reporting that either Scott or Dutt may receive the gold because of recent reports concerning the gold and silver medal winners. On Monday, it was announced that silver medalist Besik Kudukhov of Russia -- who was killed in a car crash in 2013 -- had tested positive for banned substances, and would be stripped of his 2012 Olympic silver medal. Now there are reports that 2012 Olympic gold medalist Toghrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan has also been found guilty of using a banned drug this week. Asgarov also won a silver medal in men's freestyle at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro at 65 kilograms/143 pounds. The tests are being done by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a part of its revised "retrospective testing" policy. Under the policy, the blood and urine samples of athletes, collected from international tournaments, are kept in deep freeze for up to 10 years for re-testing with the help of advanced technology. The WADA has been re-testing the samples of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Games. That re-testing of Asgarov's samples from the London Games have shown traces of a banned substance in his body and is likely to be stripped of his medal by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, there is no official confirmation from WADA or the United World Wrestling (UWW) on the subject, the Tribune of India reported Friday. The Tribune of India goes on to state that, according to the UWW rules, the gold medal should go to Scott, who was defeated by Asgarov during the preliminary stage and had later settled for bronze after winning his repechage round. Scott was also in the top half of the draw with Asgarov and has the first claim on the gold. TheHindu.com reports that there is no precedent of both finalists in wrestling testing positive. Asked about the possibility of being upgraded as a gold medal winner, Yogeshwar was quoted by DNAIndia.com as saying, "I have heard about these reports, but, according to me, I will only be getting the silver medal. We (Scott and Yogeshwar) were two bronze medalists. I had qualified through repechage and lost to the silver medalist. The other bronze medal winner, Coleman Scott of the United States, should get the gold because he lost to the eventual champion. Thus, I don't think my silver will be upgraded to gold. However, I am yet to receive any formal information about this and I am only saying what I feel." If Coleman Scott were to receive a gold medal now for his performance four years ago, he would join fellow Team USA men's freestyle wrestlers Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner who won Olympic championships in London.

Owen Webster celebrates after winning a Junior freestyle title in Fargo (Photo/The Guillotine) MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg College wrestling team will welcome an incoming class with numerous major accomplishments, including a world cadet bronze medal, two junior/cadet national championships, eight junior/cadet All-American honors, and five state high school championships, the coaching staff has announced. The 17-member incoming class, which includes 16 first-year wrestlers and one transfer, has combined to produce 41 state tournament qualifications and 29 state placings, including five state championships. "The coaching staff and I are very excited about our incoming recruiting class. It is one of the most accomplished classes in Augsburg College history," said Jim Moulsoff, entering his third season as Augsburg's head coach in 2016-17. "Combined, this class has had eight All-American honors at the USA Wrestling Junior and Cadet National Championships, and five different wrestlers won individual high school state championships. As well as being great wrestlers, these young men have also done a great job in the classroom and are committed to continuing our great team culture of commitment to academics." Winners of a record 12 NCAA Division III national titles since 1991, the Auggie wrestlers are coming off a 12-4 dual-meet record and fifth-place national tournament finish in 2016, the Auggies' 28th straight top-10 national finish. Augsburg has finished among the top five teams nationally 34 times in school history, including 27 of the last 28 years. In addition, the Auggies have been a tremendous success in the classroom, claiming 135 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America honors over the past 31 years. Augsburg has finished among the top-10 Division III teams in the NWCA's Scholar All-America team rankings since 1998, including a 10th-place finish in 2016 with a 3.27 team grade-point average. Augsburg has claimed the academic national title twice since 1998. "These individuals will be a great addition to our current wrestlers in the room, which include a national champion, three returning All-Americans and 10 wrestlers who have competed at the national championships," said Tony Valek, Augsburg's associate head coach. "We look forward to continuing our strong tradition of Augsburg wrestling, as we work toward adding to our record 12 NCAA Division III national championships." Augsburg's 2016-17 season opens on Nov. 19 with the annual Auggie-Adidas Open at Si Melby Hall. Here is a look at the 2016-17 Augsburg wrestling incoming class: SAM ANDERSON (East Bethel, Minn./Totino-Grace HS, heavyweight) • Three-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier, including a third-place finish in 285-AA in 2016 and 4th-place finish at 285-AA in 2015. • Finished 24-3 in 2015-16 and 37-7 in 2014-15. JOHN BARTEE (Fridley, Minn., 141 pounds) • Two-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier • Finished 26-6 in 2015-16 and 18-9 in 2014-15. JACK BERGELAND (Blaine, Minn./Centennial HS, 133 pounds), transfer from Wisconsin-La Crosse • Three-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier, finishing fourth at 106-AAA in 2014 and sixth at 106-AAA in 2013. • Finished 33-12 in 2014-15, 40-6 in 2013-14 and 37-10 in 2012-13. BRENT CHAMBERS (Princeton, Minn., 197 pounds or heavyweight) • Two-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier, finishing sixth at 220-AA in 2015. • Finished 29-5 in 2015-16 and 36-7 in 2014-15. RYAN EPPS (Cannon Falls, Minn., 149 or 157 pounds) • Double All-American at 152 pounds at the 2016 USA Junior Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Championships. Epps placed sixth in Greco-Roman and eighth in Freestyle, one of only three Minnesota seniors to accomplish double All-American honors. • Won the 145-AA Minnesota state championship in 2016. Also finished fourth at 132-AA in 2015, and second at 120-AA in 2014. • Four-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier. • Finished 39-0 in 2015-16, 39-4 in 2014-15, 37-6 in 2013-14 and 32-5 in 2012-13. MONTY FREDERIKSEN (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS, 125 or 133 pounds) • Two-time state tournament qualifier (132-AAA in 2015 and 2016). • Finished 30-10 in 2015-16 and 30-8 in 2014-15. JULIAN GEORGESCU (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons HS, 174 pounds) • Two-time Florida state tournament qualifier, finishing third at 170-1A in 2016 and sixth at 170-1A in 2015. • Finished 48-2 in 2015-16 and 52-6 in 2014-15. VICTOR GLIVA (Farmington, Minn., 125 pounds) • Won the 113-AAA Minnesota state championship in 2016. Also finished second at 106-AAA in 2015. • Three-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier. • Finished 44-1 in 2015-16, 45-3 in 2014-15 and 29-16 in 2013-14. BRANDONN GORE (South St. Paul, Minn., 184 pounds) • Finished sixth at 182-AA at the 2016 Minnesota state tournament with a 24-15 record. ETHAN HOFACKER (Spring Valley, Wis., heavyweight) • All-American at the 2016 USA Cadet Greco-Roman National Championships, when he placed sixth at 220 pounds. • Won the 220-D3 Wisconsin state championship in 2016. Also finished second at 220-D3 in 2015 and third at 195-D3 in 2014. • Three-time Wisconsin state tournament qualifier. • Finished 40-3 in 2015-16, 40-6 in 2014-15 and 44-4 in 2013-14. LUCAS JESKE (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS, 165 or 174 pounds) • Ranked as Intermat's No. 55 overall recruit in the nation entering the 2015-16 season. • Ranked No. 15 in Intermat's 2015-16 final high school rankings at 182 pounds. • All-American at the 2016 USA Junior Freestyle National Championships, after making the finals and recording a national runner-up finish at 160 pounds. • Won the 152-AAA Minnesota state championship in 2015. Also finished second at 170-AAA in 2016. • Two-time Minnesota state qualifier. • Finished 45-3 in 2015-16 and 20-1 in 2014-15 MARCUS PLACIDE (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS, 165 or 174 pounds) • Competed at the Minnesota state tournament (170-AAA) and compiled a 31-7 record in 2015-16. CAMERON SCHMITZ (New Prague, Minn. 184 pounds) • Finished third at 182-AA at the 2016 Minnesota state tournament with a 36-11 record. BYRON SIMMONS (Chicago, Ill./Simeon HS, 141 pounds) • Competed at the 138-3A section tournament in Illinois in 2016 with a 29-4 record. TANNER VASSAR (Maple Lake, Minn./Annandale-Maple Lake HS, 141 pounds) • Finished fourth at Minnesota state tournament at 132-AA in 2016, second at 126-AA in 2015, and third at 120-AA in 2015. • Four-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier. • Finished 38-8 in 2015-16, 40-4 in 2014-15, 33-9 in 2013-14 and 29-10 in 2012-13. JOSHUA VERBETEN (Wrightstown, Wis. 149 or 157 pounds) • Three-time Wisconsin state tournament qualifier, finishing second at 152-D2 in 2016 and fifth at 132-D2 in 2014. • Finished 40-8 in 2015-16, 28-14 in 2014-15 and 37-17 in 2013-14. OWEN WEBSTER (Shakopee, Minn. 184 pounds) • Ranked as Intermat's No. 40 overall recruit in the nation entering the 2015-16 season. • Bronze medalist at the 2015 UWW Cadet World Championships at 187.5 pounds freestyle. • National champion at the 2016 USA Junior Freestyle National Championships (182 pounds). • National champion and national runner-up at the 2015 UWW National Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships. • Four-time All-American at the USA Junior & Cadet Freestyle & Greco-Roman National Championships. • Won the 152-AAA Minnesota state tournament in 2014. Also finished fifth at 160-AAA in 2015 and fourth at 138-AAA in 2013. • Three-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier. • Finished 38-4 in 2014-15, 32-5 in 2013-14, and 30-10 in 2012-13. JONNY ZARNKE (Chaska, Minn. 184 pounds) • Two-time Minnesota state qualifier, finishing third at 182-AAA in 2016 and fifth at 182-AAA in 2015. • Finished 34-7 in 2015-16 and 24-10 in 2014-15.

Kyle Dake finished second at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Junior World Championships are this week in Macon, but the real drama might be off the mats as United World Wrestling holds its bi-annual congress and elections for the sport's leadership bureau. Most of the issues from the Olympic Games focused on the potential influence of this body and their election is often a chance for nations around the world to vote in new blood. Six seats are up in this election with at least two new members to join after previous members announced their retirement. New voices should be good for the sport as they might add new perspective. I will be sure to let the wrestling community know the results of the elections as soon as the votes are cast. To your questions … Q: If you are Kyle Dake, do you move back down now that Jordan Burroughs would have to go through the gauntlet at the Trials? Is it likely that David Taylor would stay at 86kilos? Frank C. Foley: If I'm Dake, I don't know that I'd want to head back down and take on a super motivated Jordan Burroughs in an open field any more than I'd want to challenge an ever-improving J'den Cox at 86 kilograms. The big thing fro Kyle should be to get healthy and travel to as many tournaments and camps as possible. There is nothing more he can do here in the states to give himself an edge. Overseas will get him up close and help him figure out his weight class and learn the winning strategies and techniques of wrestlers from Iran, Russia and Turkey. Q: Do you know what wrestlers from other countries get as a reward for bringing home a gold, silver or bronze medal? Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey? -- KK Foley: The most celebrated returns seem to come from these countries, and though I don't know much about each reward I do know that Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia has so far received six million rubles ($100k), a brand new BMW sports car … and a golden horse. The Turks are rumored to pay $500k for each gold medal and a lifetime salary. The Iranians are certain to pay a good amount, but I will need to ask very personal questions. I'd heard in the past that they receive money, but most of their income comes from sponsorships and finding themselves in preferential business arrangements. An interesting side note, the most celebrated Iranian wrestler Gholamreza Takhti is in part beloved for refusing a gift of land from the government. There was some argument about who had currently owned the land and Takhti didn't want to take from his countrymen. The decision endeared him to the nation. Q: It was difficult to watch a devastated Migran Arutyunyan on the podium accepting his silver medal after the ref decided he was not worthy of gold. Some have suggested the match was called in favor of the Serb in an effort to please the head of UWW. Could there be any truth to this or are we talking way-out-there conspiracy theory? -- KK Foley: I don't know what was in the mind of the referee from Taipei! Obviously Arutyunyan should not have been put down twice. However, I never thought it was a conspiracy as much as poor officiating. Though the match was not as many would have hoped, it's also not as though Stefanek is a nobody. He had a great tournament prior to making the finals. Q: I caught the 48 and 58-kilogram women's finals last night. I thought the 48-kilogram final went smoothly with Azerbaijan girl choking at the end. Japanese girl really swarmed her at the end, pretty impressive and great way to close. What I could not understand was how the Russian 58-kilogram wrestler got put on the shot clock twice, and I don't believe Icho took a single shot the entire match?!?! That last score was a counter off the Russian's sloppy 'diving' shot. Seems like many wrestlers' fates are being put in the ref's hands and not their own. Help me make sense of this. -- Willy D Foley: First of all, we have to come to a consensus in the wrestling community that women's wrestling was the most entertaining of the Olympic Games. High drama, massive upsets and last-second victories defined their two days of competition. They also attracted the most media and had the highest attendance of any style. The women also competed well and with a high level of technical acumen. There were WAY more throws and a wider variety of takedowns than the 2012 Games, showing that the sport is rapidly growing and changing. As for Icho's match I think that the Russian should have been penalized much earlier in the match for repeated blows to Icho's face and head. That tactic benefited the Tunisians in the first round and was imitated by the Azerbaijani wrestler in the semifinals. However, Valeria Koblova's attempts were more direct and with little offense in mind. To me her late period shot clock violations also seemed warranted. Q: Can you provide any data on the viewership of the Olympic wrestling events and how it compared with other Olympic sports? -- KK Foley: We will be working on these numbers over the next several weeks. I can say that if you look on NBC Sports the top posts were all from stories surrounding wrestling: Helen's win, Burroughs' interview, and the throw by Kawai. Also, the Mongolian protest skewed a lot more attention in wrestling's direction, even if it was for unwanted reasons. RANT OF THE WEEK By Ben H. How is wrestling at the NCAA level recognized as an Olympic sport but they don't even wrestle the same style of Olympic wrestling? Shouldn't it be that all sports at the NCAA level, that are Olympic sports, look the same at the NCAA level as the Olympic sport? I don't know any of the other sports -- swimming, track and field, water polo, gymnastics -- any of them that play by a different set of scoring/rules during the NCAA level then switch to a different style for the Olympics. Student-athletes are allowed to take an Olympic redshirt but again they aren't even competing with the same rules and style as they do during the NCAA season. My thoughts are we should go freestyle and/or freestyle/Greco during both NCAA season and high school season then if we want to keep folkstyle wrestling as something special to our country everyone can do it for "fun" during the summer months or offseason. Or … Why don't we flip the folkstyle and freestyle/Greco seasons in America? Have high school and colleges compete in freestyle/Greco during the actual season then in the offseason train folkstyle as we do with freestyle/Greco now. It's pretty ironic that we have Olympic redshirts in college wrestling but those same wrestlers never wrestle the Olympic style EVER in a school uniform. Every four years wrestling is showcased in the Olympics and we have people like Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray all over talk shows but then the casual fan watches it on TV it looks nothing like the couple of duals they saw on the ESPN/Big Ten Network/online. Then people like you and me are explaining wrestling once again on the couch to someone that we tried to get to understand the scoring and what's going on just a couple months ago watching the ESPN/Big Ten Network/online. Switch the freestyle/Greco seasons with the folkstyle seasons.

Jason Mester BLOOMSBURG -- Bloomsburg University announces the resignation of head wrestling coach Jason Mester. Mester completed three seasons as the team's head coach posting a mark of 10-38 in that time. "We would like to thank Jason Mester for his support and dedication to the program and we wish him and his family the best with this transition," Dr. Michael McFarland said. An announcement will be made soon about a search for a new head coach.

Oklahoma's Mark Schultz defeated Iowa's Ed Banach in the 1982 NCAA finals Now that it's official -- Lou Rosselli is the new head wrestling coach at the University of Oklahoma -- the question has to be asked: what kind of program is the long-time staff member at Ohio State and Edinboro University inheriting? Despite some recent struggles, the Sooner wrestling program has a long, rich, successful history spanning nearly a century. A number of top wrestlers have competed for Oklahoma, including NCAA champs of the past decade such as Cody Brewer (2015), Kendric Maple (2013) and Teyon Ware (2003, 2005) ... 1980s legends such as Melvin Douglas, Dan Chaid, Dave Schultz, Mark Schultz and Andre Metzger ... 1960s superstars such as Wayne Wells, Wayne Baughman, Mike Grant ... and greats of the 1950s, including Dick Delgado, Stan Abel, Tommy Evans, and the one and only Dan Hodge. The Sooners, by the numbers Since the wrestling program was launched at Oklahoma in 1920, the Sooners have put up some pretty impressive numbers over the years: Seven NCAA team titles (only Oklahoma State, University of Iowa and Iowa State can claim more); Sixty-seven individual national titlists ... and 271 NCAA All-Americans; Twenty-three conference crowns ... and 182 individual conference champions. University of Oklahoma's first national title in any sport came in 1936, when the Sooner wrestling program, led by head coach Paul V. Keen, took the NCAA team title 80 years ago. (In case you were wondering, that coach Keen was the brother of Cliff Keen of University of Michigan coaching fame.) The Sooners scored six more NCAA championships: three with Port Robertson as head coach (1951, 1952, and 1957) ... two under Tommy Evans (1960 and 1963) ... and the most recent with Stan Abel at the helm in 1974. (Note: Of these title-winning coaches, three -- Robertson, Evans, and Abel -- all wrestled for the Oklahoma Sooners. Paul Keen wrestled at cross-state rival Oklahoma State.) In the four decades since Oklahoma has won an NCAA team title, the Sooners have finished among the top 10 at the national tournament 27 times, including four runner-up finishes. It's been a while since the Sooners have claimed a conference title -- the 2002 Big 12 championship, to be exact, under then head coach Jack Spates. Rosselli -- the fourteen Sooner mat coach Lou Rosselli becomes the fourteenth head wrestling coach at Oklahoma, replacing Mark Cody, who, in five seasons, guided the Sooners to a 55-34 overall record, for a winning percentage of .618. The first OU mat coach was Dewey Luster, who could claim a lackluster 0-2-0 record during the 1920 season. After a rapid succession of coaches who each lasted a year or two at the most, Paul Keen came in 1928 to become the first truly successful Sooner wrestling coach. In his dozen seasons at the helm, Keen led his wrestlers to a 51-34-3 overall record, for a .597 winning percentage. Port Robertson, a top wrestler under Paul Keen, was head wrestling coach from 1947-1959, then returned for one season in 1962 when Tommy Evans had a military obligation. In that time, the big, burly, no-nonsense Robertson and his mat greats like Hodge, Evans, Abel and Delgado compiled an 88-27-7 record, for a .750 winning percentage. Tommy Evans took the reins in 1960, and was in control until 1973 (other than that '62 season). The Sooners built their highest win percentage under any coach -- .775 -- with a record of 140-40-2. Stan Abel was head coach for two decades -- 1973-1993. His Sooners were 279-123-8, for a .690 winning percentage. Jack Spates succeeded Abel as coach, compiling a 243-97-13 record and .709 win percentage in his time until retiring in 2011, handing over the program to Mark Cody. When introduced as the fourteenth head wrestling coach in Sooner athletics history, the 46-year-old Rosselli said, "I look forward to leading this Oklahoma program and building on its significant tradition. OU is a very strong and storied program with a ton of potential, and I'm hoping I can lead it to an eighth national title." Readers who want to know more about Oklahoma Sooner wrestling history should check out "Port Robertson: Behind the Scenes of Sooner Sports" by Ed Frost ... and Mike Chapman's "Oklahoma Shooter: The Dan Hodge Story."

This week's Takedown TV covers all levels of amateur wrestling. Among this week's features: Helen Maroulis and Kyle Snyder on Takedown Radio UWW Junior World Championships Daton Fix from Junior Freestyle Camp Cael Sanderson offers his opinion on wrestling at the 2016 Olympic Games One-on-one with Doug Schwab Watch this week's episode here… or at the Takedown Wrestling's YouTube Channel. In addition, Takedown Wrestling TV is aired on these television networks. All air times are Central. Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable: Friday at 5:00 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4:00 p.m. KWEM, Stillwater, Oklahoma: Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Long Lines Cable: Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10:00 a.m. and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. SECV8: Friday at 5:00 p.m. Suddenlink Cable- Check your local listings. Multiple air times. Time Warner Cable Sports- Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Western Reserve Cable- Tuesday at 11:00 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10:00 p.m.

Judson University is bringing back its wrestling program after more than four decades, and has hired Matt TreDenick as its head coach, the Elgin, Illinois-based school announced Wednesday. The Eagles wrestling program, which last took to the mats in 1970, will start up again for the 2017-2018 school year, competing as a NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) program. TreDenick has more than 30 years of high school and college coaching experience, working at schools in the greater Chicago area such as Wheaton Warrenville South, and Driscoll Catholic High in Addison, Illinois, as well as Cedar Springs High in Michigan. Most recently, TreDenick has served as assistant wrestling coach at Triton College, a two-year junior college in River Grove, Illinois. TreDenick has also been active in the community developing many youth programs that include the Bartlett Junior Hawks in Bartlett, Illinois, the Villa Lombard Cougars in Carol Stream, Illinois, and the Carson City Youth Wrestling program in Carson City, Michigan. Prior to launching his coaching career, TreDenick attended Carson City High School where he was a two-time Michigan high school state wrestling champion and team captain. TreDenick then attended Grand Valley State on both a football and wrestling scholarship and was the Chapter President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He would later complete his bachelor's degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in Christian Ministries. "I am honored, thrilled, and thankful to be at Judson where I can share the love of Jesus through the medium of wrestling," said TreDenick. Founded as the undergraduate division of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1913, the school became Judson College in 1963, and Judson University in 2007. Located in Elgin, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago, Judson has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students.

Jason Chamberlain shoots on Reece Humphrey at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno State wrestling staff continues to take shape as head coach Troy Steiner announced the hiring of Jason Chamberlain as an assistant coach on Tuesday. "Jason is young and eager to learn and we are happy to add him to the Fresno State wrestling program," said head coach Troy Steiner. "He is still training and competing so he brings that leadership to the young team that we are going to have. He will be able to show them how to train at the highest level and he will bring that leadership to the team. He is a great competitor and a two-time All-American and has done real well at the international level so he brings a wealth of knowledge as a competitor and the student-athletes will see him training with a purpose and hopefully feed into that work ethic and follow suit." Chamberlain arrives at Fresno State after a lengthy wrestling career filled with numerous accolades. A 2013 graduate of Boise State with a degree in health sciences, Chamberlain was a two-time All-American and a three-time Pac-12 champion at 149 pounds as a Bronco. "Being one of the first programs to bring back Division I wrestling, I wanted to be apart of that unique opportunity and help nuture it and build a program," said Chamberlain. "I think that fits my personality to build and I have known Coach Steiner and Silva for awhile and I thought I would be a good fit here. It is well known that the Fresno Valley is a hotbed for high school talent and I believe Fresno State has an excellent opportunity to have a good program quickly." He compiled a 107-23 overall record during his four years at Boise State finishing third at the NCAA Championships in 2011 and was the runner-up at the 2013 NCAA Championships falling by a narrow 3-2 margin to two-time national champion Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State. Chamberlain earned the 2013 Pac-12 Male Athlete of the Year as a senior and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in all four of his seasons. After competing in his first three years at Boise State, he took a redshirt season in 2011-12 and earned a spot on the University World Team after winning the University Freestyle National Championship at 66kg/145.5lbs. After his collegiate career was over, Chamberlain continued to compete in freestyle most notably winning the Pan American Championship in 2015 at 65kg/143lbs. He also claimed the Paris Grand Prix silver medal and qualified for the Olympic Trials in both 2012 and 2016. Since leaving Boise State in 2013, Chamberlain has spent the last three years coaching and training at the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center in Lincoln, Neb. In addition to training, he has coached and learned alongside 2012 Olympic Gold medalist and two-time World Champion Jordan Burroughs. He has also worked with the University of Nebraska wrestling program coaching technique and organizing individual workouts for the student-athletes. "Being from Boise State, they were a growing program when I got there and we were able to be very successful so I saw as a student-athlete what it takes for a program to build into that," added Chamberlain on how his experience as a Bronco will benefit his time with the Bulldogs. "My time at Nebraska has also benefited me since I have seen what it is like to be at an established program in the Midwest and they have everything set in place and top resources so it has allowed me to see both worlds and what we want to accomplish here." A native of Springville, Utah, Chamberlain was a four-time Utah State Champion at Springville High School from 2005-2008. He compiled a prep career record of 191-2 and holds the state record for most wins as a prep He earned the Dave Shultz High School Excellence National Award and Asics Wrestler of the Year as a senior in 2008. He and his wife Abbey have two daughters, Violet (5) and Kitt (six months). Chamberlain File 2013-16 - Coach/Athlete, Nebraska Wrestling Training Center 2008-13 - Student-Athlete, Boise State

Brandon Metz won a Junior Greco-Roman title in Fargo this past summer (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Fall sports have started all throughout the United States, or at least in the vast majority of states. While specialization seems to increasingly be the new normal, there are still many multi-sport athletes who are impact contributors in multiple sports. A number of the nation's top wrestlers will also be making an impact on the gridiron this fall, here are some of their stories. Patrick Brucki (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) On the wrestling mat, Brucki is a two-time state medalist, placing third and second at the state tournament this last two seasons. In Fargo this summer, he finished third in Junior freestyle at 195 pounds. Brucki is currently ranked No. 35 overall in the Class of 2017. He started at linebacker as a junior for a perennial state playoff team, and this season will add playing fullback to his duties. Trent Hillger (Lake Fenton, Mich.) On the wrestling mat, Hillger has not lost a match since the consolation final at state his freshman season. The last two seasons have been undefeated state championship campaigns, with records of 60-0 and 63-0. He is ranked as the No. 16 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017. On the football field, this athleticism translates in the form of multi-position stardom. Hillger started at running back as a freshman and sophomore before getting moved to quarterback as a junior, while on the defensive side of the ball it was two years of starting at defensive end before a move to linebacker his junior season. For this coming season, Hillger is slated to start at running back and defensive end. Dylan Meeks (Dr. Phillips, Fla.) On the wrestling mat, Meeks advanced to the state final bout at 195 pounds as an eighth grader before winning state titles each of the next three seasons (freshman year at 195, the last two at 220). However, the No. 38 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017 will be a collegiate football player. His two older brothers are currently Division I-A football players (Alton at Northern Illinois, and Colby at Colorado State). Dylan is going to be a four-year varsity player for a power football program at the linebacker position, and will be entering his third season as a starter. In terms of his football outlook, Meeks is rated as a three-star recruit, and has many offers from "power five" programs. Brandon Metz (West Fargo, N.D.) On the wrestling mat, Metz is a three-time state champion and multi-time USA Wrestling All-American. The No. 42 overall prospect in the Class of 2017 has won a pair of titles in Greco-Roman, the first as a Cadet in 2014 and most recently just over a month ago at the Junior level. Metz was also a Junior Greco All-American in 2015, and has earned a pair of All-American finishes in freestyle, as a Cadet in 2014 and at the Junior level last month. Metz has verbally committed to North Dakota State, where he will be a scholarship wrestler and attempt to walk-on for the five-time defending Division I-AA (FCS) national champions. On the football field, he is a defensive lineman. Quinn Miller (Archer, Ga.) On the wrestling mat, Miller is a three-time state finalist, earning his lone state title as a sophomore. He was also runner-up at the NHSCA Junior Nationals this spring in the 220 pound weight class, and is ranked No. 94 overall in the Class of 2017. As a football player, Miller is a three-star rated linebacker with offers from multiple "group of five" football programs in Division I-A. Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) On the wrestling mat, Parris has one loss across his two seasons of high school competition, that coming in the state semifinal round as a freshman. The No. 17 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 was an undefeated state champion during his sophomore season, and also went undefeated at the AAU Scholastic Duals this summer. As a football player, the linebacker was named Defensive MVP in his conference as a sophomore; Parris averaged 13 tackles per game, including two per game for a loss. Even more important, he has over a 4.0 GPA. Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, Ohio) On the wrestling mat, Romero is a three-time state champion with 150 wins against just three losses, the last two of them coming in early December of 2014. He is ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in the Class of 2017. On the football field, Romero will be entering his fourth season as a two-way starter at the quarterback and free safety positions. He was named all-state first team at the QB position during his junior season. In terms of team success, Romero has been a key part of three straight playoff teams, including a state semi-final run his freshman season before last year's state quarterfinal run. Furthermore, Romero also played baseball as a freshman, where he was a center-fielder with a .430 batting average. Chase Shiltz (Creston, Iowa) On the wrestling mat, Shiltz is a three-time state finalist, with state titles in each of the last two seasons. This multi-sport star is ranked No. 70 overall in the Class of 2017, and has verbally committed to North Dakota State for wrestling. As a football player, Shiltz has amassed over 30 touchdowns each of the last two seasons as a running back. Last season, he was top five overall in Iowa both in rushing touchdowns (35) and rushing yards (2,542). Shiltz is also an impact contributor in a third sport, playing both third base and pitcher on the baseball field. Travis Stefanik (Nazareth, Pa.) On the wrestling mat, Stefanik placed third in the PIAA big-school state tournament this season, and then built upon that with superlative performances at both the FloNationals and NHSCA Junior Nationals. The No. 55 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017 was champion at the FloNationals and then finish runner-up the following week at NHSCA Juniors. As a football player, Stefanik will be entering his third year as a quarterback at the varsity level, his second as the full-time starter. Last year, he averaged 200 yards passing a game with 60-plus percent completions, while rushing for another 100 a game and contributing for just over three TD's a game (28 passing, 8 rushing in 11 games). During the senior season, Stefanik will add starting free safety duties to his plate. Brey Walker (Southmoore, Okla.) On the wrestling mat, Walker won a state title during his sophomore season. In addition, the No. 13 overall prospect in the Class of 2018 was champion at the NHSCA Sophomore and Freshman Nationals each of the last two seasons. However, his meal ticket in college is going to be football, where the four-star recruit has already committed to Oklahoma. Walker is a physical freak at the offensive tackle position.