InterMat Staff

India's Narsingh Yadav, banned from competing at the 2016 Olympics for a failed drug test in late July only to be reinstated on Aug. 1, has been banned again after the World Anti-Doping Agency won its appeal against his earlier exoneration late Thursday. Narsingh Yadav Originally slated to wrestle for India in men's freestyle at 74 kilograms/163 pounds, Narsignh Yadav has been prohibited from competing for four years, effective immediately, and will not be able to wrestle in Rio, having failed to get a clearance from Court of Arbitration for Sports. WADA filed an urgent application before CAS to challenge the decision of NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency) of India to exonerate Narsingh Yadav following two positive anti-doping tests in June and July. The wrestler had originally claimed that his food and supplements had been sabotaged by jealous fellow wrestlers. "The CAS Panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault, nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Therefore the standard 4-year period of ineligibility was imposed by the Panel," said CAS in its verdict. "Narsingh Yadav was sanctioned with a four-year ineligibility period starting today and that any period of provisional suspension or ineligibility effectively served by the athlete before the entry into force of this award shall be credited against the total period of ineligibility to be served," it added. "It is very sad and unfortunate. We were hopeful until the last proceeding of the CAS that he will get through which unfortunately did not happen," said India's Chef de Mission Rakesh Gupta. "It is really very sad because he had a real potential to clinch a medal." Narsingh Yadav's name had originally appeared in the official schedule released for Friday after he underwent the regular weigh-in on Thursday. He was scheduled to take on France's Zelimkhan Khadjiev in the qualification round.

Helen Maroulis gets her hand raised after beating Saori Yoshida (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RIO DE JANEIRO -- Team USA's Helen Maroulis won the gold medal at 53 kilograms/116.5 pounds at the 2016 Rio Games Thursday, becoming the first U.S. women's wrestler to win an Olympic championship ... and denying Japan's Saori Yoshida her fourth gold medal. Maroulis' magic; disappointment for teammates To win the gold, the 24-year-old Maroulis defeated three-time defending Olympic champion Yoshida, 4-1. The 33-year-old Yoshida, who has won 13 consecutive world championships, scored the first technical point in the first period but eventually lost ground -- and the match -- to Maroulis. Once the match was over, both wrestlers burst into tears. Maroulis dropped to her knees and started bawling ... while Yoshida wept uncontrollably. "I've dreamed of this my whole life," Maroulis said. "I put it on this pedestal." "I've been dreaming about wrestling Saori for so long," Maroulis, a first-time Olympian, added. "She's a hero. She's the most decorated wrestler in the sport. It's such an honor to wrestle her." Meanwhile, after being denied a fourth Olympic gold, Yoshida said, "I am sorry to finish with a silver medal despite all the cheers from so many people. As the Japanese captain, I should have gotten the gold medal." "I kept thinking that I would be able to win in the end, but it got to the point where I could no longer come back," the Japanese mat star added. "I'm sorry I couldn't exert all my strength." Yoshida said that she has not decided yet if she will return in the 2020 Tokyo Games. Before the gold-medal match, the top-ranked Maroulis handled a quartet of Top Ten contenders, starting with a decisive 12-1 win over No. 8-ranked Yulia Khavaldzhy Blahinya of Ukraine ... a 10-0 shutout of China's Xuechun Zhong (ranked fourth) ... a 7-4 win over fifth-ranked Myong Suk Jong of North Korea ... and with a pin of Sweden's Sofia Mattsson -- ranked second in the world -- 5:24. On the same day as Maroulis' stunning, historic achievement, her teammates, Elena Pirozhkova and Adeline Gray, failed to earn medals. In her match for bronze at 63 kilograms/138.75 pounds, Pirozhkova had been leading Yeakterina Larionova of Kazakhstan, 3-0 ... but then was thrown to her back and pinned at 4:01 of their match. Pirozhkova placed fifth. Adeline Gray fell to Vasillisa Marzaliuk of Belarus (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Gray had been on a lot of lists as a strong possibility for bringing home the gold at 75 kilograms/165 pounds, including Sports Illustrated's 2016 Olympic Preview Issue earlier this month. However, after pinning her opponent in her first match, the Colorado native lost to third-ranked Vasillisa Marzaliuk of Belarus, 4-1, dashing Gray's hopes for a gold medal. When Marzaliuk lost to Canada's Erica Wiebe in the semifinals, Gray was eliminated from medal contention, and ultimately placed seventh. U.S. women's freestyle coach Terry Steiner said, "We all need to celebrate for Helen. This is a stepping stone for this sport in our nation. For the others, Haley Augello, Adeline Gray and Elena Pirozhkova, they need to hold their head up high and be proud of who they are and what they have become through this sport. I don't think their days are done. It is a great movement for women's wrestling to have that gold medal. We needed it so very much. We finally got that done." Medal results at 53 kilos Helen Maroulis winning the gold medal at 53 kilos wasn't the only news in this weight class. In one bronze-medal match, Natalya Sinishin of Azerbaijan earned a 2-1 victory over Venezuela's Betzabeth Arguello ... while, in the other, Sweden's Sofia Mattsson made short work of Xuechun Zhong, pinning her Chinese opponent in 29 seconds. Medal results at 63 kilos In the gold medal match at 63 kilos, Japan's Risako Kawai made up for her teammate Yoshida's disappointment, shutting out European champion Maryia Mamashuk of Belarus, 6-0. In addition to the bronze medal match where Pirozhkova was pinned by her Kazakhstani opponent, Poland's Monika Ewa Michalik earned a 6-3 decision over Inna Trazhukova of Russia. Erica Wiebe celebrates after winning gold at 75 kilograms (Photo/Martin Gabor) Medal results at 75 kilos Canada's Erica Wiebe fought her way to a gold medal Thursday after holding Guzel Manyurova of Kazakhstan scoreless, 6-0. It was the 16th medal for Canada at the Rio Olympics. In one bronze-medal match, China's Fengliu Zhang defeated Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus, 8-4 ... while, in the other, Russia's Ekaterina Bukina got a 5-3 decision over Annabel Laure Ali of Cameroon. Thursday saw the end of women's freestyle wrestling at the 2016 Olympics. Friday will launch three days of men's freestyle competition. Taking to the mats tomorrow for the U.S. is three-time World champion and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilograms and Daniel Dennis at 57 kilograms.

Kaori Icho with the Japan flag after winning her fourth Olympic title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RIO DE JANEIRO -- Japan's Kaori Icho made history by becoming the first wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals, joined by teammates Eri Tosaka and Sara Dosho who claimed their first Olympic championships on the first day of women's freestyle competition at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Wednesday. The 32-year-old Icho did something no other wrestler -- male or female -- has been able to do in the 120 years of the Modern Olympics: score four gold medals. The defending world champion did it in dramatic fashion, scoring a last-second victory over Russia's Valeria Koblova in the finals at 58 kilograms. Tosaka earned her gold medal at 48 kilograms/105.5 pounds, while Dosho won gold at 69 kilograms. With less than five seconds to go -- and trailing 2-1 -- Icho countered a Koblova shot to score the difference-making two points that gave her the victory ... and that unique place in the Olympic history books. In addition to those four consecutive Olympic titles -- the first at the 2004 Athens Games, the first to feature women's freestyle competition -- Icho also owns ten World championships, going back to 2002. Eri Tosaka celebrates after defeating Mariya Stadnik (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Eri Tosaka, despite being a three-time defending World champion at 48 kilos, was ranked only third in the world. That ranking will now change as Tosaka toppled top-ranked Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan, 3-2, for her first Olympic gold medal. Sara Dosho, a three-time World medalist, struck gold for her first time, and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. The fifth-ranked Dosho upset defending World and Olympic champion Natalia Vorobieva of Russia with a takedown in the waning moments of the 69 kilo final, winning on criteria, 2-2. With Icho, Tosaka and Dosho all winning gold Wednesday, Japan now has a record 10 gold medals and a total of 14 Olympic medals. In fact, Japan has medaled in every women's freestyle bracket contested at the Olympic Games, except one, since the sport joined the Olympic roster a dozen years ago. Japan may claim more gold in the second day of Olympic women's freestyle competition Thursday, as three-time Olympic champion Saori Yoshida hopes to earn her fourth gold medal. Bronze-medal match results Winning bronze medals at 48 kilos were China's Yanan Sun and World No. 8 Elitsa Yankova of Bulgaria. Sun, a 2013 World champion ranked second in the world, scored a quick technical fall over No. 4-ranked Zhuidyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan, 10-0. The win gave China its fifth Olympic medal in women's freestyle. Yanakova, ranked No. 8, became just the second Bulgarian woman to win an Olympic wrestling medal with a 7-6 decision over No. 6-ranked Patricia Bermudez of Argentina. Sakshi Malik became India's first-ever medalist in women's wrestling (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The two bronze medalists at 58 kilos -- Marwa Amri of Tunisia and India's Sakshi Malik -- were the first Olympic medalists for their respective nations in women's freestyle. Amri, ranked No. 12, scored a four-point double leg with four seconds remaining against six-time world and Olympic medalist Yuliya Ratkevich of Azerbaijan to win, 6-3. Sakshi, who had been unranked going into the Olympics, was a last-second winner with a buzzer-beating takedown of No. 6 ranked Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan. After a failed challenge by Tynybekova, the final score was 8-3. The bronze medal winners at 69 kilos were Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan and Sweden's Jenny Fransson. Syzdykova, ranked No. 9 in the world, claimed Kazakhstan's third Olympic medal in women's freestyle with a 7-4 victory over Enas Ahmed of Egypt. Jenny Fransson was all smiles after winning a bronze medal (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The third time was the charm for third-ranked Fransson who won an Olympic medal after two previous attempts. Fransson defeated No. 12 Dorothy Yeats of Canada, 2-1, to capture Sweden's first Olympic medal in women's freestyle. Day 2 of women's freestyle competition Thursday will feature three U.S. wrestlers -- Helen Maroulis at 53 kilograms; Elena Pirozhkova at 63 kilograms; and, at 75 kilograms, Adeline Gray. All three have been world champions.

Haley Augello finished 1-2 in the Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RIO DE JANEIRO -- After three days of disappointment for Team USA wrestlers, Haley Augello managed to make it as far as the repechage round 48 kilograms in women's freestyle competition at the 2016 Olympics Wednesday, but lost the match, and has been eliminated from medal contention. Augello fell to Zhuidyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan, 3-2, in the match that determined who would move on to wrestle for a bronze medal in that weight class later today. The No. 17-ranked American was down 1-0 at the end of the first period. In the second, Augello scored a double-leg takedown to try to close the gap ... but the match ended with the final score of 3-2 for her fourth-ranked opponent, who then advanced to the bronze-medal match. Augello got off to a great start Wednesday morning with a decisive 7-0 win over No. 12-ranked Jessica Blaszka of Netherlands, a 2015 world bronze medalist. In the quarterfinal round, Augello went up against Eri Tosaka, three-time defending world champion from Japan. Augello trailed the No. 3-ranked wrestler 1-0 after the first period with a shot clock point the only difference. The Lockport, Illinois native scored a takedown midway through the second period to lead Tosaka, 2-1. However, the tide turned against Augello when Tosaka picked up a key reversal and exposure to take the lead, 7-2. Augello gave up four additional points, to fall, 11-2. "I got too high on the high gut and slipped off," Augello said after that loss. "She fell right into her leg lace and it gave her a five to seven-point lead. That is hard to come back from when you are wrestling a country like Japan who has solid basic defense, and kind of just holds you off. I should have just kept my lead, been patient on top. I made a mistake and paid for it." However, because Tosaka advanced to the gold-medal match, Augello then qualified for the repechage round, where she lost to Eshimova. Augello had journeyed further through the 2016 Olympics than any other U.S. wrestler to date. In the first three days of wrestling in Rio, all four Team USA Greco-Roman wrestlers lost in the first or second rounds of competition.

BUENA VISTA, Va. -- Head wrestling coach Logan Davis today named Blake Roulo as Southern Virginia's head assistant coach. "One of the great things Blake brings to our program is a deep technical wrestling knowledge base and the ability to connect with individual athletes and refine their methods," Coach Davis commented, "He has a great connection with the wrestling community in Virginia and he will be a great asset as we move forward." Roulo, who recently graduated from George Mason University, was a four-year starter, two-time Mid-American Conference finalist and two-time Eastern Wrestling placer. In 2013 he was a NCAA Division I national qualifier and three-time member of the Eastern Wrestling League All-Academic team. Before college Roulo was a Virginia state champion, four-time Fargo All-American and holds the record as the only seven-time National High School Coaches Association National Champion. He has worked as a private coach and clinician at every level and will be the director of camps and clinics as well as the recruiting coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Region this year. "We are in a great place right now as a program," Davis continued, "and Coach Roulo will help drive our future success."

​​Mike Wilcox will experience a homecoming this winter as the former NCAA national champion and junior college standout will return to his alma mater as the new wrestling coach at Rowan College at Gloucester County (RCGC). Mike WilcoxRCGC Executive Director for Athletics Brian Rowan announced the hiring, which he hopes will elevate the program back to its glory days as a national powerhouse among junior college schools. The Roadrunners won six JUCO national championships in its illustrious history. Wilcox has a lengthy track record of success as a competitor, winning a NCAA Division 3 national crown at 184 pounds for Delaware Valley College in 2009 and previously placing third in the JUCO Nationals for Gloucester County College (now RCGC) in 2007. In 2007, he led the Roadrunners to a junior college national title under former coach Mario Iraldi. The former standout wrestler finished his college career as a three-time All-American with a combined record of 121 wins and 17 losses. "Mike (Wilcox) is a proven performer and will be a great fit for our wrestling program," Rowan said. "Our alumni and fans will definitely rally around Mike as the new head coach. They know he will set up our program for long-term success." Wilcox, who also competes in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) professional fighting, placed fifth in the state at 189 for coach Doug Castellari at Buena Regional High School as a senior, graduating in 2005. He has served as head coach of the Bucks County (Pa.) Storm Wrestling Club since 2010 and as assistant wrestling coach at Delaware Valley College from 2009 through 2014. "This is a fantastic opportunity to come home to RCGC," Wilcox commented. "When I was here we had a lot fun and just great team morale. That's the spirit I want to bring to the team as well as build the program back into a national powerhouse." Wilcox notes he and his staff will counsel the athletes both on nutritional intake and conditioning. "During my career I've seen a lot of kids peak early and then fade out.," he said. "We'll work with them on nutrition and conditioning so they are in good shape year round and peak at the right time when we enter our national tournaments." The new RCGC coach will hold a meet and greet with his team later in August and will form a youth wrestling club at the college for interested wrestlers from South Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Davor Stefanek celebrates after winning an Olympic gold medal (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) RIO DE JANEIRO -- Davor Stefanek of Serbia became his nation's first Olympic gold medalist in wrestling by winning the 66 kilogram title, while Armenia's Artur Aleksanyan claimed gold at 98 kilograms on the third and final day of Greco-Roman competition at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Tuesday. Medal matches at 66 kilograms Stefanek, ranked No. 6 in the world, defeated Armenia's Migran Arutyunyan in the gold medal finals. The match ended in a 1-1 score, but Stefanek -- the 2014 world champion -- got the win on criteria over his eighth-ranked foe because he was the last one to be awarded a point. Immediately after winning his gold medal, Stefanek celebrated with a backflip. The bronze medals in this weight class went to Shmagi Bolkvadze of Georgia and Azerbaijan's Rasul Chunayev. Bolkvadze edged Tomohiro Inoue of Japan, 1-0, to pick up his first senior-level medal in World or Olympic competition. The Georgian, ranked No. 10 at 66 kilos, was a junior world champion in 2014. The top-ranked Chunayev, the 2015 World champion at 71 kilograms, had to drop down a weight class to compete at 66 kilos in Rio. The Azerbaijani shut out 2013 world champion Ryu Han-Su of South Korea by an 8-0 technical fall. No U.S. wrestlers competed in this weight class. Artur Aleksanyan gets his hand raised after winning the Olympic gold medal (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Medal matches at 98 kilograms In the gold-medal match, No. 2 ranked Aleksanyan held Yasmany Daniel Lugo Cabrera of Cuba scoreless, 3-0, to win his third consecutive world title. In addition to winning gold today, the Armenian had won back-to-back World titles in 2014 and 2015. Bringing home bronze medals at 98 kilos were Cenk Ildem of Turkey and Ghasem Rezaei of Iran. The No. 6 ranked Ildem, a two-time World bronze medalist, added Olympic bronze to his trophy case by shutting out 19th-ranked Alin Alexuc-Ciurariu of Romania, 4-0. Rezaei scored a come-from-behind win over Sweden's Carl Fredrik Schoen. The third-ranked Iranian had been down 4-0 in the second period when he scored two gut wrenches to win the match by criteria, 4-4. Rezaei is now a two-time Olympic medalist; the bronze won in Rio joins the gold medal earned in London in 2012. The U.S. had failed to qualify a wrestler at this weight. Greco medal tally Parity is a word often used to describe the evenly-matched competition in NCAA Division I wrestling. A similar statement could be made for Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Rio Games. Individual wrestlers from sixteen nations were able to win at least one medal out of the 24 Olympic medals up for grabs in three days of competition just concluded. No one country ran away with all the hardware. Two nations could claim three medals each: Cuba, with two golds and one silver … and Russia, with two golds and one bronze. A quartet of countries won two medals each: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey. For the second straight Olympics, the U.S. Greco-Roman team left the Summer Games empty-handed. Greco competition concluded, women's freestyle wrestling will take center stage for the next two days in Rio. On Wednesday -- Day Four of the Olympics -- there will be women's competition at 48, 58 and 69 kilograms, with Haley Augello taking to the mats for Team USA at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Dan Neff, a 2015 NCAA All-American and a four-time national qualifier, has joined the Bucknell wrestling coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. He will also represent the Buffalo Valley Regional Training center as a resident athlete, where he will train and compete to represent the United States at the World and Olympic levels. A 2016 graduate of Lock Haven University, Neff finished in eighth place in the 149-pound bracket at the 2015 NCAA Championships, becoming the school's 39th All-American and the first in nearly a decade. He finished his career with an impressive 109-46 record, placing him 11th on Lock Haven's all-time wins list. A 2016 Eastern Wrestling League champion, Neff is a Quarryville, Pennsylvania, native who was a 2011 Pennsylvania State Champion for Solanco High School. “I am thrilled to welcome Dan to the Bucknell Wrestling family,” said Bison head wrestling coach Dan Wirnsberger. “His passion for the sport and unique style are sure to provide an immediate positive impact on our lightweights.” Neff will be joining a Bucknell coaching staff that has guided the Bison to back-to-back third-place finishes at the EIWA Championships. The Bison had a record-tying six NCAA qualifiers this past March and have now had at least two NCAA qualifiers in 10 consecutive years.

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt wrestler Tyler Nauman has been added to the wrestling coaching staff for the upcoming season as a volunteer assistant, head coach Jason Peters announced Monday. “It's exciting to have someone who had so much success on the mat during his career at Pitt come back and teach our guys,” Peters said. “He will bring more confidence and a winning attitude to our team.” Nauman returns to the University of Pittsburgh after various coaching stints at the collegiate, club and high school levels, including Team Nauman Wrestling Club, South Park High School and Drexel University. “Having the opportunity to come back and coach at Pitt where I wrestled has been a dream of mine since the day I left,” Nauman said. “Pitt provided me with a number of great opportunities and I'm happy to be able to provide these same opportunities to all current and future Panthers. I hope to bring a lot of new energy and focus to the wrestlers and program, leading to many national champions and All-Americans.” During his time as a Panther, Nauman etched his name in the record book after amassing the third-most wins (141) and falls (39) in a career. He was also a two-time All-American, four-time NCAA qualifier, four-time EWL champion and joined an elite group of Pitt wrestlers after collecting a perfect 18-0 record against EWL opponents during the 2009-10 season. Pitt returns five of six NCAA qualifiers from a year ago to a team that finished 10-7 overall and was ranked among the top 25 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll for nine straight weeks.

Mijain Lopez became the third Greco-Roman wrestler to win three Olympic gold medals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RIO DE JANEIRO -- Mijain Lopez Nunez of Cuba made history by winning the Greco-Roman superheavyweight championship at the 2016 Rio Games, becoming only the third Greco wrestler -- and ninth overall -- to win a trio of Olympic gold medals, while Russia's Davit Chakvetadze claimed gold at 85 kilograms/187 pounds in the second day of wrestling competition Monday. Medal matches at 130 kilograms In a battle of two big men who had served as flag bearers for their respective nations at the Opening Ceremonies a week ago Friday, No. 2-ranked Lopez shut out top-ranked Riza Kayaalp of Turkey, 6-0, to claim his third Olympic gold medal, to go with those won in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. The Cuban opened the bout with a four-point chest lock to take a 4-0 lead. Adding a step out and a caution point, and it was all Lopez, who was avenging his loss to Kayaalp in the finals of the 2015 World Championships. Lopez will need a bigger display case to hold his hardware. In addition to now having three Olympic gold medals, Lopez also owns five World titles and three World silver medals. In bronze-medal competition at 130 kilos, the winners were No. 15-ranked Sabah Shariati of Azerbaijan and Russia's Sergey Semenov, ranked sixth. Shariati pinned No. 4-ranked Eduard Popp of Germany in 1:47, while Semenov -- a two-time Junior World champ -- racked up points instantly with a five-point throw to defeat two-time World champion Heiki Nabi of Estonia, 6-0, for his bronze medal. Davit Chakvetadze celebrates after winning gold (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Medal matches at 85 kilograms Russia's Chakvetadze won his gold medal at 85 kilos in dominant style, upsetting defending World champion Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine, 9-2. The third-ranked Chakvetadze "unleased an assault of par terre attacks" (to quote USA Wrestling's Richard Immel) on the top-ranked Beleniuk in the second period to score the win. Claiming bronze medals at 85 kilos were Belarus' Javid Hamzatau and Denis Kudla of Germany. No. 13-ranked Hamzatau defeated No. 14 Nikolai Bayrakov of Bulgaria, 4-1, while Kudla narrowly escaped with a 3-3 criteria win over Viktor Lorincz of Hungary to become the 32nd Olympic medal for Germany in Greco-Roman. Disappointing day for USA Both of Team USA's Greco-Roman wrestlers competing on Monday -- Robby Smith at 130 kilos, and Ben Provisor at 85 kilos, each lost his opening-round match, so each placed 12th in his respective bracket. Team USA had no entries for Tuesday's competition at 66 kilos and 98 kilos -- the last day for Greco-Roman wrestling. Therefore, no U.S. Greco wrestlers will have earned a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the second consecutive Olympics where Team USA failed to medal in Olympic Greco competition.  

Brent Metcalf wrestling at the 2015 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Brent Metcalf, all-time University of Iowa mat great, appears to be moving away from freestyle competition as he prepares to become an assistant wrestling coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, according reports at IAWrestle.com and Trackwrestling.com Monday. In a Trackwrestling story titled "Metcalf likely stepping away from competition for 2017," Andy Hamilton wrote, "Brent Metcalf isn't ready yet to close the door on his career as a competitor, but it appears the four-time World Team member is leaning toward hanging up his shoes," adding that the former Hawkeye mat champ is likely will step away from competition in 2017. "That's kind of how I'm moving forward," Metcalf told Trackwrestling. "My intention was to be done after the Olympic Games. Just because I didn't get what I want, that doesn't mean I go do it anyway and change plans." In recent years, Metcalf had been arguably a major force in the 65 kilogram/143-pound weight class in men's freestyle. However, at last April's U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena -- what had been his home gym as an Iowa wrestler -- he lost to Penn State mat alum Frank Molinaro, who will be wrestling for Team USA later this week at the 2016 Rio Olympics. IAWrestle.com -- a website that covers wrestling in the state of Iowa -- reported that Metcalf would be taking an assistant coach position at Prairie, joining Kane Thompson's staff. "It was one of those things where we both kind of knew the same person and things just kind of got hooked up in the right way," Prairie coach Kane Thompson told IA Wrestle. "I couldn't be more excited for somebody like that to be willing to come and take their time and be willing to help some high school kids and a high school team, and help them continue to grow and reach the vision that we are trying to set at Prairie." In a May interview with Takedown Wrestling, Metcalf said that his wife, Kristen, was working toward a graduate degree at the University of Iowa and that it would take "a pretty great opportunity" to uproot him from Iowa City. (Prairie High is located just off I-380, the highway that links Iowa City and Cedar Rapids a few minutes to the north.) This past season Cedar Rapids Prairie qualified eight wrestlers for the state tournament, with four of those wrestlers earning a spot on the stand, IA Wrestle reported. Their 62 team points was good enough for a seventh-place team finish. Since its inception in 1956, Prairie has won two Iowa team titles (1979, 1995), two Iowa dual team titles (1994, 1998) and 36 district championships. Brent Metcalf, who turned 30 last month, has crafted a sparkling wrestling career at all levels. He was a four-time Michigan state champ at Davison High, with a perfect 228-0 record. As an Iowa Hawkeye, Metcalf was a three-time NCAA Division I finalist, winning the 149-pound title in 2008 and 2010. He earned the Hodge Trophy as the nation's outstanding college wrestler in 2008. Among Metcalf's accomplishments as a freestyle wrestler: a two-time medalist in World Cup competition (bronze in 2014, silver in 2015), and the gold medal at the Pan Ams in 2015, and bronze in 2009.

Ben Provisor dropped his opening match at the Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) RIO DE JANEIRO -- Team USA's Ben Provisor and Robby Smith were knocked out of medal contention in their opening-round matches in Day 2 of Greco-Roman competition at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Monday. Provisor, 26, wrestling at 85 kilograms/187 pounds, lost to No. 2 seed Rustam Assakolov of Uzbekistan, 6-3. The match had been 2-1 when the defending World silver medalist scored a four-point throw to make the score 6-1. Provisor added two points later in the bout, but it wasn't enough for the Stevens Point, Wisconsin native to reverse the outcome. "I have to hope that I can come back in four years and do it again," said Provisor. "It sucks that I didn't have the chance to go as far in this tournament than I wanted to but it is a live-and-learn process. The last three or four years, I have not been able to be on this stage. Now that I have gotten on this stage, I know I can wrestle and bang with these guys as well as I can. I made one mistake. I let the refs get to me a little bit and it is what it is." Robby Smith fell to Sabah Shariati of Azerbaijan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Smith, 29, the U.S. representative at 130 kilograms/286 pounds, fell to Sabah Shariati of Azerbaijan, 8-2. The California big man put points on the board first with a two-point arm throw to make the score 2-0. The No. 15-ranked Shariati scored a takedown and three gut-wrench turns to erase Smith's lead, and win by six points. "I was prepared for this day," Smith said after his match. "This is the day I have been looking for my whole entire life. I was very excited to wrestle. I was in the best condition in my life. I thought I wrestled a very good match. I was prepared to go four matches today. It didn't happen." Neither Provisor nor Smith qualified for the repechage after their opening-round rivals lost in the next round of competition. Today's losses -- coupled with Sunday's disappointing results for Jesse Thielke and Andy Bisek at 59 kilograms/130 pounds and 75 kilograms/165 pounds respectively, and having no wrestlers qualify for action Tuesday at 66 kg and 98 kg -- mean that the U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers will have failed to earn a medal at a second consecutive Olympics, having left London without any hardware in 2012 and now Rio in 2016. Adam Wheeler was the last American to medal in Greco-Roman at the Olympics, earning a bronze in 2008. "They have done everything I asked them to do," said U.S. head coach Matt Lindland. "We have got to continue doing what we are doing. I fell in love with the team, the guys. They are a part of each other's lives. They are more than a team; they are a family." The gold-medal match at 85 kg will feature defending World champion and top-ranked Zhan Beleniuk of Ukraine taking on Russia's David Chavketadze, ranked No. 3 in the world. At 130 kg, it'll be a battle of two big men who carried the flags for their respective nations at the Opening Ceremonies last weekend in Rio. Top-ranked Riza Kayaalp of Turkey will tangle with Cuba's Mijain Lopez Nunez, ranked No. 2, for the gold at 130 kilograms.

Ismael Borrero Molina celebrates with the Cuban flag (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Medal matches at 59 kilograms Cuba's Ismael Borrero Molina won the gold medal at 59 kilograms in dominant style with an 8-0 technical fall over 12th-ranked Shinobu Ota of Japan. The top-ranked, 24-year-old Cuban -- who had won the gold at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas -- opened up the scoring in the first period with a four-point throw, followed with a turn to take a 6-0 lead. He then followed with a takedown in the second period to claim the gold. Stig-Andre Berge and Elmurat Tasmuradov each won bronze medals at 59 kilograms. The No. 8 ranked Berge of Norway won his first Olympic medal -- and the first for his country since 1992 -- by defeating Azerbaijan's Rovshan Bayramov in a 1-1 criteria decision. Bayramov, who had been ranked No. 2 in the world, scored the first point off passivity, but Berge came back to score the final point to take the match. Uzbekistan's ninth-ranked Tasmuradov defeated No. 7 ranked Arsen Eraliev of Kazakhstan, 13-8. Tasmuradov led 5-0 after the first period and appeared to be in control. Eraliev came out strong in the second, scoring a four-point throw on the way to knotting the score 6-6. In the third period, Tasmuradov broke the tie it to take a five-point victory. Russia's Roman Vlasov repeated as Olympic champ (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Medal matches at 75 kilograms In the battle for gold, Russia's top-ranked Roman Vlasov claimed his second straight Olympic title by defeating No. 3 Mark Madsen of Denmark, 5-1, using a four-point throw in the first period to build an insurmountable lead. One could consider Madsen the perpetual bridesmaid; he is now a five-time silver medalist in world-level events. Iran's Saeid Mourad Abdvali and Korea's Kim Hyeon-Woo will each be bringing home bronze medals at 75 kilograms. Abdvali defeated 33-year-old Peter Bacsi of Hungary, 5-2, in a battle of past world champions. The tenth-ranked Iranian scored a takedown in the first 10 seconds of the match, which was challenged and upheld, making the score 3-0. No. 8-ranked Bacsi tightened the score after a two-point throw. In the second period Abdvali added a step-out and point-off passivity to win 5-2. Kim, a 2012 London Olympic gold medalist at 66 kilograms who was ranked No. 4 in Rio, defeated Bozo Starcevic of Croatia, 6-4. The Korean jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Starcevic came back with two gut wrench turns to take a 4-2 lead heading into the second period. In the second period Kim reversed his fortune with a duckunder and a two-point throw to get to the 6-4 win.

State champion and NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Kyle Cochran (Paramus, N.J.) verbally committed to the University of Maryland on Sunday evening. The projected 165/174 pound wrestler in college is ranked No. 56 overall in the Class of 2017. He ended the 2015-16 high school season ranked No. 17 in the country at 160 pounds.

Andy Bisek reached the quarterfinals before losing (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) RIO DE JANEIRO -- Team USA's Jesse Thielke and Andy Bisek failed to earn medals in Greco-Roman competition on the first day of wrestling at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Sunday. Both men won their opening round matches but lost in the quarterfinal round, not qualifying for the repechage after their previous-round rivals lost in the next round of competition. Thielke, ranked No. 19 at 59 kilograms/130 pounds by United World Wrestling, scored four fast turns to earn a 8-0 technical fall over El Mahadi Messaoudi of Morocco. However, in the quarterfinals Thielke lost to four-time World medalist and two-time Olympic silver medalist Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan, 9-0. After a scoreless first minute on the feet, Bayramov was awarded top position and converted on multiple turns to end the bout. Thielke's hopes of advancing were ended when Bayramov was pinned in the semifinals by Japan's Shinobu Ota, eliminating the Wisconsin native from medal contention. After falling to Bayramov, Thielke said, "It's upsetting. I should have won the match. I should have defended. I should have not challenged so many things. There's nothing you can do now. I just have to move forward." Jesse Thielke opened with a win over El Mahadi Messaoudi of Morocco (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) "The only positive I can see right now, obviously at this time, is I didn't get psyched out," said the 24-year-old Thielke. "I didn't treat this as anything but another tournament. Laser focused, head on straight the whole time, so, I mean, that's positive." Meanwhile, Bisek, ranked fifth at 75 kilograms/165 pounds, got a 1-0 decision over Cuba's Yurisandy Hernandez Rios in the opening-round match. Qualifying for the quarterfinals, Bisek lost to Bozo Starcevic of Croatia, 2-0. Bisek's medal hopes were dashed when Starcevic lost to defending Olympic champion and two-time World champion Roman Vlasov of Russia, 6-3 in the semifinals, thus eliminating Bisek from competition. In reviewing his Olympic performance, Bisek -- who will turn 30 later this week -- said, "I went out there and felt good, felt I was dominating in positions on the feet, really close to scoring and, I don't know, I didn't get a turn on top. Huge failure, and then when I went down I got turned. I should not have got turned." "I made a few mistakes," Bisek continued. "It is very frustrating, but when you win it's extremely rewarding. That's what we're doing it for, to have the total package, to have it all together on that day." In its 2016 Olympics preview issue, Sports Illustrated had predicted Bisek -- a product of Chaska, Minnesota -- would earn a silver medal in Rio. Wrestling for the gold medal at 59 kilos will be Japan's Shinobu Ota (who reached the finals with a first-round pin of Bayramov) will take on defending World champion Ismael Borrero Molina of Cuba. At 75 kilos, Vlasov will defend his 2012 Olympic title gainst five-time World medalist Mark Madsen of Denmark.

J Robinson coaching at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) The agent for suspended University of Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson said that negotiations for an exit strategy are falling apart, claiming that the school is trying to place all blame for allegations of some wrestlers using and selling prescription pills on the doorstep of the long-time coach, the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reported Friday. The newspaper reported that James C.W. Bock, an attorney and Robinson's agent, told WCCO Radio, "The bottom line is, in all candor, we've been negotiating with the University of Minnesota, and if the university wants a scapegoat, then pay (Robinson) his contract and kick him out the door." "From the inside, it looks to me as though the university, for some reason, wants to blame Coach Robinson for internal athletic department, and probably larger, failures." "It looks like their internal practices broke down, so they need a scapegoat," Bock said in an interview with WCCO's Mike Max. Robinson was suspended indefinitely by Athletics Director Mark Coyle on his first day on the job on June 1. The coach remains on paid administrative leave pending the results of a school investigation into the way he handled allegations that some of his wrestlers were taking and selling the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax. That investigation is still underway. In the meantime, Robinson has been ordered to stay off campus. In late June, Hennepin County prosecutors as well as Minneapolis city attorneys announced they would not pursue criminal charges against Gopher wrestlers suspected of using and selling Xanax earlier this year, nor would there be any obstruction charges leveled towards coach J Robinson, citing a lack of evidence. Less than two weeks ago, head assistant coach Brandon Eggum was named acting head coach. Robinson, 69, was hired as head coach at Minnesota in 1986. During that time, the Gophers have claimed their first three NCAA Division I team titles in 2001, 2002, and 2007 (placing second six times), with 62 individuals earning NCAA All-American honors, and 14 individual NCAA champs. J Rob has also guided Minnesota to six Big Ten conference team titles, with 30 Gopher wrestlers accounting for 48 individual titles. Almost exactly one year ago, Robinson's contract was extended by the university until 2019.

Kearney, Neb. -- Nebraska-Kearney Director of Athletics Dr. Paul Plinske announced today that head wrestling coach Marc Bauer is stepping down to become an assistant professor in UNK's Kinesiology and Sport Sciences Department and to pursue a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University. Bauer, who hopes to become a full professor in the near future, will remain involved as a part-time assistant for a program that will now be led by Dalton Jensen. An Iowa native and 2012 national champion for the Lopers, Jensen was promoted to associate head coach last fall. Dalton JensenCoach Jensen will name a head assistant coach at a later date, but Kearney wrestling legend Tom McCann and graduate assistant Zac Ondrak will round out an impressive coaching staff. "Marc and I talked extensively for the past year and a half about his future professional aspirations," Plinske said. "In working with him, it was always my goal to help him attain his goals and dreams. Marc has been a leader of one of the most successful wrestling programs in the country. He is a builder of men and a maker of champions. Knowing that we may lose him at some point to other professional opportunities was a concern of mine, but I'm thrilled that he is staying close to the program to help us transition Dalton to the head role." Taking over as head coach prior to the 1999-2000 season, Bauer has turned the Lopers into a national power. The Kearney native led UNK to three national titles (2008, 2012 and 2013), five national runner up finishes and 14 conference and regional titles. During the dual season the Lopers have gone 218-81 since 2000, including wins over five Division I members. Under Bauer's leadership, 89 of his wrestlers earned All-American honors, including 22 national champions and 15 national runners-up. One of those All-Americans and national champions, Tervel Dlagnev, will compete in the Summer Olympics next weekend. The heavyweight was named the inaugural Division II Wrestler of the Year in 2008. A recipient of numerous coaching awards, Bauer saw 136 of his wrestlers earn Academic All-American status. That long list included his son Ryan, a four-time qualifier. Since Jensen joined the coaching staff in summer 2012, the Lopers have won one national title, had two national runner-up finishes, seven individual national champs and 22 All-Americans. UNK has also won four straight MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) and West Region titles. "Marc and Dalton have established an outstanding program and the new leadership structure will keep this program on track for continued greatness. I could not be more excited for Marc and his new professional endeavors. Equally so, I'm fired up to work with Dalton as he begins this new chapter of his already outstanding career," said Plinske. The Missouri Valley, Ia., native began his collegiate career at Iowa State where he was a 2010 NCAA Championships qualifier. As a junior for UNK, he was a national runner up at 141 lbs., going 30-5 with a team-best 10 falls. In his senior season, Jensen helped the Lopers win its second team national title by winning the 141 lbs. class. Posting a 30-4 mark, he finished his career with 11 straight victories, capped by a fall at 4:18 in the national title match. He and his wife, Brenda (Petersen), live in Kearney. The Lopers officially hit the mats on Monday, Oct. 10. Among the returners are 2016 national champion Destin McCauley (149 lbs.), two-time All-American Keith Surber (141 lbs.), one-time All-Americans Kevin Barrett (285 lbs.) and Calvin Ochs (174 lbs.) and 2016 MIAA Freshman of the Year Zach Stodden (184 lbs.). Coach Bauer's Comments … on the timing of this decision "I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the head coach of the UNK wrestling program for 17 years. During that time, this program has flourished with amazing student-athletes and coaches coming together with the common goal and expectations of winning championships. I still feel young in years, and have always been driven to further myself and my education. To me, learning never ends. I have 18 years of successful public school teaching and 21 years of successful college coaching experience. My experience combined with additional education and growth and knowledge of leadership, I feel I have even more to offer the coaches, student-athletes, and the KSS department at UNK. I don't look at what I am doing as stepping away. I see this as an amazing opportunity for me to give back more. I will still play an important role in the UNK wrestling coaching staff, I just won't be putting in all the long hours associated with managing, marketing, and promoting the program. By reversing roles within our staff, I will have more needed time to study, teach, and direct more energy into doing the very best that I am capable of doing." .. on his new schedule "Our staff will be the same next season; however, until I develop a solid routine with my studies and teaching, I will not be as involved with daily practices and team activities. I will miss the daily interactions and spending time with our guys. Developing those close relationships with our student-athletes is integral in their development and success. I like being there for the guys." .. on Dalton Jensen "Dalton has always shown a passion for coaching. I have asked him to always think as though he were the head coach. There were many times I would catch him thinking or doing things before or as I was doing it. I have always been impressed with him on so many different levels. He does an amazing job of communicating and connecting with our community, administration, alumni, parents, student-athletes, coaches, and potential recruits, which is vital to our success. His experience as a member of our coaching staff the past four years will serve him greatly. He fully understands and embodies our team philosophy and mission and strives to keep expectations high. I have appreciated his ability to make our fundraising efforts more efficient, his drive to connect with our student-athletes intentional, and his ability to embrace and stimulate the culture within our program a priority." .. on the transition to Dalton and his coaching staff "Transitions like this are never easy, but they are inevitable. If not now, then it will take place in the future. Change is never the easiest thing in the world, but it can be very healthy for our program. Dr. Plinske has been an integral factor in this process and smooth transition, and we could not be more pleased with the manner in which he has helped us get to this point. I want all of our alumni, parents, and student-athletes to know that I am forever grateful and thankful for the opportunity to lead and be associated with the Loper Wrestling Program and Family. Our expectations for our program will continue to be high as we help provide the best training, competition, and opportunities for everyone to excel at this level. We will continue to do what it takes to help our student-athletes excel both in the classroom and on the mat. That's that "Loper Wrestling Style!" Coach Jensen's Comments … on becoming the eighth head coach in UNK history "The UNK Wrestling program has seen a wealth of success for over a decade now and I am very honored and blessed to be named the head coach of such an established and rich program. With any program there is room to improve and my staff and I will continue to build to be the most dominant program in NCAA Division II. Our program has always been very process oriented and that will continue to be our main focus moving forward. Many people have contributed to this phase of my life in addition to Coach Bauer including my parents, brothers, and most importantly my wife. I'm very grateful for the love and support these people have given me to help me attain this dream job." ... on Coach's Bauer's influence "The amount I owe to Coach Bauer in my development, not only as an athlete and coach, but as a man is insurmountable.His work ethic, high energy, and compassion are things I think of when I think of Marc Bauer.It's because of these things he has been so successful, not only in his professional career but also in caring for his family.These are things I strive for as a coach and as a young married man. This program has not only been sustainable over the last decade, but it has flourished under Coach Bauer's direction and he has left the blueprints for success in my hands. Coach Bauer has been a phenomenal mentor for me but an even better friend. I look forward to continuing to work with him and having his help in developing our student-athletes."

Matt Nagel previously served as head wrestling coach at Concordia Matt Nagel, head wrestling coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota is crossing the state line to become an assistant coach at North Dakota State University, the Fargo-based school announced Friday. Nagel had been on the coaching staff of the Concordia Cobbers for eight years, three years as head coach of the NCAA Division III program. By crossing the Red River of the North, Nagel will be moving to a Division I program, and joining another fellow former University of Minnesota mat star, Bison head coach Roger Kish. Nagel earned All-American honors for the Golden Gophers at 165 pounds at the 2005 NCAAs; Kish was a two-time NCAA All-American at 184 in 2006 and 2007. Since joining the Concordia coaching staff eight years ago, Nagel was named a two-time NCAA Division III West Region Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016. While keeping Concordia among the top 25 programs nationally, he produced a pair of individual NCAA Division III champions as well as 13 NCAA All-Americans. Concordia also had 18 student-athletes earn National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic honors. "We are excited to have Matt join the Bison wrestling program," said Kish. "He is an outstanding technician and mentor. Not only does Matt bring a great deal of experience and enthusiasm, but is well-respected all over the country." "I am very excited to join coach (Roger) Kish and coach (Jarrod) Garnett," said Nagel. "I look forward to the opportunity to coach in the Big 12, and help these young men win conference championships. My family and I are excited to be a part of the Bison family."

Kenny Moenkedick becomes the sixth head wrestling coach at Concordia since 1955 MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Concordia interim Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson announced that Phil Moenkedick has been named the new head wrestling coach. Moenkedick, who was the Cobber assistant coach, takes over for Matt Nagel who stepped down to take the position as assistant coach at North Dakota State. Moenkedick becomes only the sixth head wrestling coach at Concordia since 1955. "It was tough to see Matt go," commented Bergeson. "He has done an incredible job with the program and continuing the success his father (former Cobber head coach Clay Nagel) started 10 years ago." Matt Nagel was with the Cobber program for eight seasons including the last three as the head coach. Nagel was named the NCAA West Region Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and helped 22 Concordia wrestlers earn a spot in the NCAA National Meet. Under Nagel the Cobbers were ranked in the Top 10 of the nation all three years and finished as high as 12th at the NCAA National Meet. Moenkedick is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Concordia history and has been the assistant coach for the Cobbers for the past two seasons. Moenkedick is a two-time NCAA national champion, three-time All-American and is the all-time wins leader in program history. "To have a coach like Phil on staff and be able to step into the position will be a huge asset for the program," added Bergeson. "He has been an invaluable part of the success the past two seasons and his background with Concordia makes him a terrific next step in the progression of the program." Moenkedick has had success at all levels of wrestling. He was a runner-up at the Minnesota State High School Meet for Perham high school and then flourished in college under the tutelage of Clay and Matt Nagel. Moenkedick went 135-10 in his four seasons at Concordia and had over 30 wins in three of his four years in maroon and gold. He won the NCAA title in 2010 and 2011 and was a three-time NCAA West Region champion. "I am honored to be able to carry on the tradition that Clay and Matt started," said Moenkedick. "They taught me what it was like to compete at the highest national level and I look forward to carrying on the tradition of Cobber All-Americans and high caliber student/athletes." In addition to his dominance on the mat, Moenkedick was also successful in the classroom where he earned Capital One Academic All-District Team honors in his junior and senior seasons and was a three-time Scholar All-American. Moenkedick carried a 3.50 grade point average over his four years at Concordia while majoring in Health and Physical Education. Before coming back to Concordia Phil served as an assistant coach for the Perham High School wrestling program and was a teacher at the school.

J'den Cox, Jordan Burroughs and Frank Molinaro at a press conference in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The 2016 Olympic Games wrestling competition begins on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Get ready to watch, comment and enjoy! Schedule Sunday, August 14: Greco-Roman 59,74 Monday, August 15: Greco-Roman 85, 130 Tuesday, August 16: Greco-Roman 66, 98 Wednesday, August 17: Women's 48, 58, 69 Thursday, August 18: Women's 53, 63, 75 Friday, August 19: Freestyle 57, 74 Saturday, August 20: Freestyle 86, 125 Sunday, August 21: Freestyle 65, 97 How to watch USE THIS LINK: http://uww.io/live Yes, this exact link … clicks you through and counts for the IOC metrics. Follow United World Wrestling for results, links, photos and more. InterMat will also be providing daily stories from the Rio Games. Social media Facebook Twitter Instagram Pre-Olympic rankings Greco-Roman Women's wrestling Freestyle Style previews Greco-Roman Women's wrestling Freestyle Weight class previews PLAYLIST: Olympic preview video Greco-Roman: Aug. 14: 59 kilograms and 75 kilograms Aug. 15: 85 kilograms and 130 kilograms Aug.16: 66 kilograms and 98 kilograms Women's wrestling: Aug. 17: 48 kilograms, 53 kilograms, 69 kilograms Aug. 18: 53 kilograms, 63 kilograms, 75 kilograms Freestyle: Aug. 19: 57 kilograms and 74 kilograms: Coming Friday Aug. 20: 84 kilograms and 130 kilograms: Coming Saturday Aug. 21: 65 kilograms and 97 kilograms: Coming Sunday Documentaries Kyle Snyder: Level 10 Yoshida and Icho: The Celebrity and the Samurai Battsetseg: Mongol Queen Frank Staebler: Melee Machine of Musberg

Oklahoma head wrestling coach Mark Cody (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) NORMAN -- Mark Cody announced Thursday that he has resigned as the University of Oklahoma's head wrestling coach after five years at the post. "I am extremely grateful to have had the privilege to coach at the University of Oklahoma," said Cody. "I believe it is time for new leadership and for this reason I am resigning effective immediately. I want to wish nothing but the best for everyone associated with the program." Cody, who led the Sooners to a 55-34 (.618) overall record and to a 10th-place NCAA finish in 2014, coached five OU wrestlers to a total of 10 All-America honors. Two of those wrestlers -- Kendric Maple in 2013 and Cody Brewer in 2015 -- won national championships. Cody was also instrumental in developing wrestlers off the mat and in fostering an OU Wrestling presence in the community. His student-athletes earned a total of 13 National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-America honors, and OU's six Academic All-Americans during the 2013-14 school year were most in the nation. He also instituted an anti-bullying campaign last year in which his wrestlers and staff routinely spoke to students at area elementary schools. "I want to express our sincere appreciation for the leadership Mark has provided the last five years," said OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. "In addition to producing some highly accomplished wrestlers, he developed high-character student-athletes who also performed well in the classroom. Mark was well respected by his student-athletes, by members of the OU community and by his peers. We thank him for his time here and we wish him the very best." Cody, who came to OU after nine years as head coach at American University, led the Eagles to a program-best fifth-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Championships. He also had assistant coaching stints at Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri and Bloomsburg. From Binghamton, N.Y., Cody was a three-time All-American as a wrestler in college. He spent two years at the State University of New York at Delhi before transferring to Missouri in 1983. His greatest success came during his senior season of 1984-85 when he earned All-America status and was named the team's most outstanding wrestler. He graduated from Bellevue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business. Castiglione said that Michael Lightner, who has served as an OU assistant coach for the last seven years, has been named interim head coach. Lightner was a four-time Big 12 champion and four-time All-American at OU, and won a national title in 2001.

Bob Boesen, a long-time fixture in the wrestling community in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa as an athlete and coach, died Thursday, August 4. He was 83. Bob Boesen with Waterloo West trophiesRobert Bernard "Bob" Boesen was born in Waterloo on Christmas Eve 1932. He wrestled at Waterloo West High School, placing third as a senior at heavyweight at the 1951 Iowa state championships for then-first-year coach Robert Siddens, one of the all-time great high school wrestling coaches. (One of Siddens' protégés: Dan Gable.) In addition, Boesen was Wahawk team captain that year. He then attended University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls where he wrestled for head coach Bill Koll, and played football as well. Boesen served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, then was employed by the United States Postal Service until his retirement at age 60. Boesen had an enduring career as both a football and wrestling coach at schools within the Cedar Valley. He coached football at Sacred Heart School in Waterloo for 40 years, as well as serving as a wrestling coach at Sacred Heart and at Waterloo's Columbus High School through the 2016 season - more than a half-century. An award was created in coach Boesen's name at Columbus High to recognize an "unsung hero from the wrestling team who exemplifies the best qualities of not only a wrestler but a student and community member," according to his obituary. "To receive this award, a person must have the characteristics that defined Bob: a great work ethic, positive attitude, willingness to help others, and selflessly work for the betterment of others. This award, like its namesake, does so without recognition and strives to do the right thing at all times." Bob Boesen with Ken Snyder and Chuck YaglaAmong coach Boesen's honors: He was named the Iowa High School Athletic Association Junior High Coach of the Year in 1993, and, in 2004, Boesen served as an assistant coach on the Sailors' one and only state team championship. He was welcomed into the Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame in 2012. Arguably one of Boesen's most accomplished wrestlers was Chuck Yagla, two-time NCAA champ for the University of Iowa (1975, 1976), assistant to Dan Gable at Iowa for four seasons, member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's freestyle team, and NCAA referee for nearly a quarter-century. "(Boesen) influenced many, many young men throughout his years at Sacred Heart Grade School and also Columbus High School," Yagla told InterMat. "He started the wrestling program at Sacred Heart when I was in the fifth grade ... Coach Boesen was very good at teaching the fundamentals and of course he was coached by the legendary Bob Siddens (Coach Siddens' first year at Waterloo West was Bob Boesen's senior year in high school). I always tell people that I was indirectly a product of Coach Siddens as I was coached by two of his pupils -- Bob Boesen and Dan Gable!" Bob Boesen is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Betty; three sons; a daughter; and four grandchildren. Visitation will take place Thursday, Aug. 18 at Locke Funeral Home, 1519 West Fourth St. in Waterloo from 4-7 p.m. Services will be held Friday, Aug. 19 at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 627 West Fourth Street in Waterloo.

Robby Smith placed fifth at the World Championships last year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This week's Takedown TV covers the world of wrestling, from college to Olympics and beyond. Among this week's features: Interviews with Team USA Greco-Roman wrestlers from the Olympic Training Center UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley talks money fights and wrestling "Wrestle Like A Girl" featured video Trailer for United World Wrestling documentary on Frank Stabler "Melee Machine of Musberg" 2016 NWCA All-Star Classic details with Aaron Grossman 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 CT. 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.

Iowa gets ready to battle Minnesota this past season at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling program announced Wednesday that Iowa State, Penn State, and Ohio State are among the five schools the Hawkeyes host this season at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The home schedule includes six dates total, including the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Dec. 10, and duals against Penn State and Ohio State during the final two weeks in January. The Nittany Lions visit Iowa City either Jan. 20 or 22, and the Buckeyes follow either Jan. 27 or 29. Those dates will be finalized in mid-September when BTN releases its television schedule. Other home dates include the Iowa City Duals on Nov. 18, Wisconsin on Feb. 3, and Nebraska on Feb. 12. Season tickets are $75 and available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com or by contacting the UI Athletics Ticket Office at 800-IA-HAWKS. The Hawkeyes open the season Nov. 5 at the Grand View Open in Des Moines, Iowa. It's the first of two tournaments on the regular season schedule. Iowa competes at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Illinois. The regular season schedule also includes five Big Ten road duals and nonconference trips to South Dakota State (Dec. 2) and Oklahoma State (Jan. 13 or 15). The Hawkeyes visit Purdue on Nov. 27, Michigan and/or Michigan State on Jan. 6 and Jan. 8, Minnesota on Feb. 5, and Indiana on Feb. 10. The Hawkeyes will compete at the NWCA National Championships Dual Series at a date and location not yet determined. The 2017 Big Ten Championships are March 4-5 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. The NCAA Championships are March 16-18 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. SCHEDULE NOTES: Start times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date. 2016-17 SCHEDULE Nov. 5 at Grand View Open Nov. 18 Iowa City Duals Nov. 27 at Purdue Dec. 2 at South Dakota State Dec. 10 Iowa State Dec. 29-30 at Midlands Jan. 6/8 at Michigan Jan. 6/8 at Michigan State Jan. 13/15 at Oklahoma State Jan. 20/22 Penn State Jan. 27/29 Ohio State Feb. 3 Wisconsin Feb. 5 at Minnesota Feb. 10 at Indiana Feb. 12 Nebraska March 4-5 Big Ten Championships March 16-18 NCAA Championships

Bruce Baumgartner after being voted in as USA Wrestling's president at the USA Wrestling Board of Directors meeting Bruce Baumgartner, four-time Olympic medalist as a Team USA freestyle wrestler, has been voted president of USA Wrestling. The organization announced the decision in a tweet this weekend: "The @USAWrestling Board of Directors meeting concludes & Bruce Baumgartner voted in as new President of USAW!" https://twitter.com/USAWrestling The vote, conducted during a weekend meeting of the USA Wrestling Board of Directors in Colorado Springs, was unanimous, according to the Terre Haute (Indiana) Tribune-Star. Baumgartner was in Colorado Springs for the send-off of the USA Wrestling team, leaving for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The Titusville (Pennsylvania) Herald reported that the Edinboro University athletic director lit the cauldron at the wrestler's training center, as part of the countdown to the Olympics. Baumgartner, 55, earned medals at four consecutive Olympics -- gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, silver in Seoul in 1988, gold in Barcelona in 1992, and bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics -- all in men's freestyle competition at superheavyweight at 130 kilograms/286 pounds. The New Jersey native was a nine-time medalist at the World Championships, winning three gold, three silver and three bronze medals. Baumgartner also brought home a total of four medals from the Pan American Games, including three gold and one bronze. For his accomplishments in international competition, Baumgartner was named the recipient of the 1995 Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete, and carried the flag for the U.S. team during the Opening Ceremonies for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Prior to making his presence known in freestyle, Baumgartner wrestled for the now-defunct mat program at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. He was a three-time NCAA finalist for the Sycamores, concluding his collegiate career by winning the heavyweight title at the 1982 NCAAs. His collegiate record was 134-12 with 73 falls. In 1998, Baumgartner was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 2002 and the International Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2008, Baumgartner was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.