InterMat Staff

It's been a week to remember for actor and film director Nate Parker, as the former wrestler at Penn State and University of Oklahoma learned he would be receiving a major film award ... and be named a member of the board that votes for Oscar nominees. Nate ParkerParker will receive the Sundance Institute's Vanguard Award at Night Before Next, a benefit for the Institute and its artists at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on Aug. 11, the Institute announced this week. The Vanguard Award was founded in 2011 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program and its founding director, Michelle Satter. The award also includes a cash grant. Seven months ago, Parker's film, The Birth of a Nation, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where it won both the audience award and grand jury prize. The film -- which Parker wrote, financed, directed and starred in -- tells the story of a pre-Civil War slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, was the focus of a bidding war at that same festival, won by Fox Searchlight Pictures paying $17.5 million, the most ever for a Sundance film. The Birth of a Nation will be released to theaters on Oct. 7; the first trailer for the film was posted online this week. Also this week, Parker learned that he is one of 683 new members named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- the organization best known for the annual Oscar awards presented for excellence in movies - in an effort to make the voting membership more diverse. The Class of 2016 membership - which, in addition to Parker, also includes actors Idris Elba, America Ferrera, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael B. Jordan, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac -- is 46% female, and 41% people of color. If all accept their invitations to join, the percentage of female members and members of color will rise to 27% (up 2%) and 11% (up 3%) respectively, according to USA Today. Parker's film career started when he was discovered at a modeling convention in Dallas (he was attending with a friend) which led to a commercial ... then roles in TV and movies. His films include Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters, Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond the Lights. Prior to launching his film career, Nate Parker made a name for himself on the wrestling mat. Born in November 1979 in Norfolk, Va., Parker was introduced to wrestling as a high school sophomore. At national wrestling powerhouse Great Bridge High School, Parker claimed the 125-pound Division AAA title at the 1998 Virginia state championships, and an eighth place finish at the Junior Nationals. Parker earned a scholarship to wrestle at Penn State, and became a starter. However, he left the school after he and a teammate were accused of having had non-consensual sex with a woman; he was acquitted in 2001. Parker transferred to the University of Oklahoma, where he earned All-American honors by placing fifth in the 141-pound bracket at the 2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Alex Dieringer wins at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The incredible year that Alex Dieringer has enjoyed appears to have become a bit more rewarding. The Oklahoma State wrestler who just concluded his career as three-time NCAA champ and Hodge Trophy winner earlier this year has signed with Nike Wrestling. Dieringer posted this message on Twitter Thursday: "I am proud to announce that I am officially a @NikeWrestling athlete!! #athleteps #nikewrestling" Dieringer won his third consecutive national title and second straight at 165 pounds at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships to cap his collegiate wrestling career on an 82-match win streak, dating back to January 2014. The product of Port Washington, Wisconsin was also a four-time NCAA All-American and four-time Big 12 conference champ. Dieringer closed his Cowboy career with a 133-4 overall record, putting him second only to current head coach John Smith in victories in the 100-year history of the program. Days after winning his third title, Dieringer was named recipient of the 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy, given each year to the top college wrestler. In April, Dieringer earned a place on the U.S. National Team by placing third at 74 kilograms/163 pounds in men's freestyle at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Iowa City. Just last week, Dieringer learned that he's in the running for an ESPY award as Best Male College Athlete.

Beau Bartlett (Photo/Josh Conklin) High school starts in just under two months for the wrestlers in the Class of 2020. Many of the incoming freshmen are already known commodities, as they have performed strongly at multiple national events. The Roller World of Wrestling Triple Crown tournaments (Kickoff Classic, Tulsa Nationals, Reno Worlds), Super 32 Challenge, FloNationals, Schoolboy Nationals, Schoolboy Duals, and Virginia Challenge. On the other hand, others are less traveled nationally. Heck, there will likely be some wrestlers not in this initial top 25 who emerge their way towards the top of the class, as the identification process becomes more precise. Leading this class is Beau Bartlett, who will be attending Wyoming Seminary, Pa. in the fall. He already has a pair of Eastern States Classic titles, since Wyoming Seminary was able to enter him as their high school varsity wrestler in that event, as New York allows junior high wrestlers to compete at the varsity level. In addition, Bartlett was a Cadet National folkstyle champion this spring, a UWW Cadet freestyle All-American at the beginning of June, along with about everything else there is to win. Bartlett is one of five Pennsylvania wrestlers in the initial top 25 for the Class of 2020. Joining him are six-time PJW state champion Sam Hillegas; PJW junior high state champion Andrew Cerniglia (Nazareth), who was undefeated at the Virginia Challenge; Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan), a Tulsa Nationals and Super 32 Challenge middle school division champion; and PJW junior high state champion Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia). Other states with multiple top 25 rising freshmen are California, Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio. InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. Link: Top 25 Freshmen Below is a sneak peek of the top five freshmen. 1. Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 2. Josh Saunders (Missouri) 3. Sam Hillegas (Pennsylvania) 4. Jesse Vasquez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 5. Braxton Amos (West Virginia)

The United States Olympic Committee has revoked 2016 Olympics credentials for FloSports, SportsBusiness Daily reported Thursday. The business website said the USOC was denying credentials to the sports media organization for allegedly posting video footage of several Olympics trials events, including the 2016 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials held in Iowa City in April. NBCUniversal owns exclusive rights to Olympics and team-selection events through 2032, according to the USOC. "After multiple infractions of use of video in trial venues, we revoked credentials for trials and Olympics going forward," a USOC spokesperson said. FloSports CEO & co-founder Martin Floreani disputed the allegations. "There were no repeated use violations," Floreani said. "We disagree with the spirit of the claims, which resulted in the USOC's withdrawal of two credentials. The USOC's response is odd. We understand that the USOC is struggling to keep up with current media trends. Their actions illustrate their inexperience with emerging media. Withdrawing our credentials just hurts the USOC. We wish them the best of luck." FloSports operates FloWrestling.org as well as other media organizations devoted to several sports. According to SportsBusiness Daily, FloSports has a contract with United World Wrestling -- the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling -- but not with the International Olympic Committee or the USOC.

Jim Vollrath compiled a career record of 72-24 at Penn State (Photo/Bill Ennis) A GoFundMe.com webpage has been established for recent Penn State wrestler James Vollrath who is battling cancer. "Jim Vollrath was recently diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma cancer," according to his fundraising page. "We are raising money to help with his chemotherapy treatments and all other medical expenses. Any donations will be extremely helpful! Thank you to everyone who is supporting Jim's battle." In the week since the page was established by Taryn Marino, approximately $7,700 of the $20,000 goal had been raised as of Thursday evening. Ewing's sarcoma is a primary bone cancer, meaning that it originates within bone cells, according to WebMD.com . A native of Richboro, Pa., Vollrath wrestled at 157 pounds for the Nittany Lions from 2009-2014, crafting an overall record of 72-24. Among his PSU highlights: winning ESU Open title in 2010, and defeating eventual three-time NCAA champ Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State and eventually placing second at the prestigious 2013 Southern Scuffle. Prior to coming to Penn State, Vollrath wrestled at Council Rock South High School at 145, where he compiled a 132-45 mark, and was a PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state championships place winner.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Taylor Meeks, a four-time NCAA qualifier during an impressive career at Oregon State, has returned to the program as an assistant coach, head coach Jim Zalesky announced Thursday. Taylor MeeksZalesky also announced that assistant coach Kevin Roberts has been promoted to associate head coach. Meeks comes back to Corvallis after serving one season as an assistant coach at Boise State. "He's been through the program, he wrestled here and has the respect of the guys on the team," Zalesky said. "He can work with the upper weights, which is what I was looking for. We should be pretty strong there next year. He will be a great asset to our team." Meeks completed his Oregon State career in 2014 after winning 122 matches, which is tied for 10th all-time. His 32 pins, meanwhile, rank him 13th. Meeks won the Pac-12 crown at 197 pounds in 2013 and was named an All-American after finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. The Beavers finished eighth that year, their second consecutive top-10 finish. He also wrestled at 184 pounds during his career, and took home three additional conference runner-up finishes in addition to his 2013 title. "It means a lot to me to be able to come back to Oregon State," Meeks said. "I've been around Coach Zalesky for a long time and I know what his expectations are, what he wants. I'm real excited to be here." Roberts has been with Oregon State since the 2006-07 season. In 10 seasons as an assistant under Zalesky, he's helped guide the team to seven conference championships, including a school-record five consecutive. Roberts, a native of Spokane, Wash., has helped coach 10 All-Americans and 22 conference champions. "He's been with the program since I've been here," Zalesky said. "He's put in 10 good years for us and has worked hard to earn that promotion." "I'm very excited for the opportunity and I'd like to thank Coach Zalesky and Oregon State for their continued support," Roberts said. "I'm looking forward to continuing to build the program to new heights." Prior to joining the Oregon State staff, he was an assistant coach at North Idaho College and Wyoming in addition to a stint as a strength and conditioning coach at Minnesota. He was a two-time All-American during a career at Oregon that saw him claim three team Most Valuable Wrestler honors. For more information on the Oregon State baseball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeaverWrestling, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateBaseball or on Instagram at Instagram.com/BeaverWrestling. OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.

Cohlton Schultz was a Doc Buchanan champion (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) As the summer after their freshman high school season is beginning, the initial edition of a top 50 rankings for the Class of 2019 is here. Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) retains his status as the top prospect in this class. During the spring, he qualified for the UWW Cadet World Championships in Greco-Roman at 100 kilograms, along with a third-place finish in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals. In addition, he went undefeated at the NWCA Scholastic Duals in folkstyle during April. Though it was reported this spring by Five Point Move that Schultz is going to be wrestling Greco-Roman at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs moving forward, he remains in the Class of 2019 prospect rankings for two reasons. First, unlike Aaron Pico, he has not renounced amateur status (i.e. eliminated NCAA eligibility). Second, Schultz has competed in both folkstyle and freestyle since the announcement. Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.) and Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) retain their positions at No. 2 and No. 3 in the Class of 2019. Raimo placed third at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle at 54 kilograms, losing to the eventual champion in the semifinals; while Busiello verbally committed to Penn State this week. Rounding out the top five are Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.) and Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio). Ramirez, who competed for Tampa Prep, Fla. has transferred to Blair Academy for the 2016-17 season. Already this off-season, he placed third at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle competing at 69 kilograms, and was undefeated at the Cadet National Duals in freestyle this month. Decatur finished as runner-up at 54 kilograms at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle, with undefeated performances at both the NWCA Scholastic Duals and Disney Duals in folkstyle. Ramirez is one of four top 50 sophomores on the Blair Academy team, as he is joined by Michael Colaiocco, Chris Cannon, and Mike Madara; those three were the Buccaneers' starters at 106 through 120 in the 2015-16 season. Five other wrestlers are ranked from New Jersey, including a pair that compete for Bergen Catholic. Additional teammates in the rankings include those that compete for Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), Northampton (Pa.), Pomona (Colo.), and Simley (Minn.). InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. Link: Top 50 Sophomores Below is a sneak peek of the top 10 sophomores. 1. Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) 2. Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.) 3. Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) 4. Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.) 5. Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) 6. Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.) 7. Josh McKenzie (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 8. Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) 9. Anthony Jackson (Simley, Minn.) 10. Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio)

Jake Brindley Three-time state champion Jake Brindley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) verbally committed to Cornell University on Wednesday evening. The projected 157/165-pound wrestler is ranked as the No. 79 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017, and joins No. 2 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) and No. 3 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) as elite commitments for the Big Red in this recruiting class. Brindley has four state finals match appearances, winning titles in 2013, 2014, and 2016. He also placed eighth at the Super 32 Challenge in the fall of 2014, and finished third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals this spring. Brindley also ended he 2015-16 season ranked No. 18 in the nation at 145 pounds.

J Robinson coaching at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Related: U wrestler's essay submitted to J Robinson | University of Minnesota police report Hennepin County prosecutors as well as Minneapolis city attorneys have decided not to pursue criminal charges against University of Minnesota wrestlers suspected of using and selling the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax earlier this year, nor would there be any obstruction charges leveled towards coach J Robinson, according to multiple media reports Wednesday evening. The county attorney's office declined to pursue the case due to "a lack of evidence." Minneapolis city attorney Susan Segal said that University police presented their case to her office last week, after approaching the county attorney's office. "We reviewed all the evidence and there was not sufficient evidence to support charges in the case and it's as simple as that," Segal told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. In addition, Segal said that there wasn't enough evidence to support misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor charges against Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson "regarding this case and specifically concerning an obstruction charge being brought against (name redacted)," with that name reportedly being Robinson, according to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Segal added that school officials did not inquire about drug charges concerning the wrestlers who were allegedly involved. "Declining charges is different from saying that people acted appropriately," Segal said. "It means there's not evidence that fit in the criminal charges that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt." Meanwhile, the university will continue its investigation. Coach Robinson remains on paid administrative leave, prohibited from having any involvement with the Gopher wrestling team, nor is he allowed on the campus.

J Robinson has guided Minnesota to three NCAA titles (Photo/David Peterson) Gophers wrestling coach J Robinson, who allegedly found out about some members of his team selling and using Xanax in March, told University of Minnesota police a month later the matter had been "fully taken care of," according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune Tuesday. Campus police have been conducting a criminal investigation into a team member's disputed allegation that Robinson attempted to cover up allegations that four Minnesota wrestlers had been selling Xanax to fellow students, and that ten student-athletes were using the prescription anti-anxiety drug. After being alerted to the allegations, Robinson told the team in March that anyone who was involved in the use or sales of drugs had until the end of the month to report that information to him and turn in any drugs they may have. At that point, Robinson said those team members would be granted immunity, according to the affidavit, which had been issued April 21. According to Robinson's attorney Ryan Kaess, the coach gave wrestlers who came to confess a form he had created with check boxes indicating whether they had bought, used or sold the drug. When Robinson received the completed forms, he discussed them with the athletes and then threw them away, Kaess said. Robinson told the wrestlers to report to the athletic trainer to begin the school's "Safe Harbor" program, which protects athletes from drug test-related punishments if they self-report. Student-athletes in the program are temporarily ineligible to participate in university sports. The affidavit stated that, once the forms were turned in, Robinson gave those wrestlers immunity and considered the matter closed. According to the affidavit, Robinson met with University of Minnesota police officers April 12 but refused to provide them with wrestlers' names, documents in his possession and other information pertinent to the investigation. "Robinson said that he would provide more detailed information beyond possession and use by his players if we could grant his players immunity," university investigator Aaron Churness wrote in the report. Two days later, campus police tried to interview wrestlers. When officers arrived at the students' classes, they were not present, according to the affidavit. When contacted again, the informant told police that Robinson had alerted some wrestlers that they were being investigated and recommended they seek legal counsel. The university police then issued a search warrant directed at both Robinson and the 14 wrestlers alleged to be involved, which was served April 15. Investigators seized three computers, a DVD drive, 15 storage drives and an iPhone from Robinson's office at the Bierman Athletic Building, according to the warrant. Through his agent, Robinson has insisted he followed proper channels by alerting both his direct supervisor and then-interim Athletics Director Beth Goetz of his suspicions that some of his wrestlers were using Xanax. On June 1, Minnesota's new athletic director Mark Coyle told Robinson that he would be on paid administrative leave, suspended of all coaching duties, and not allowed to be on campus. All J Robinson wrestling camps originally scheduled to take place at the University of Minnesota campus were relocated to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The investigation by the University of Minnesota Police remains open; coach Robinson remains on paid administrative leave as the school continues its investigation. However, earlier this week, Hennepin County prosecutors announced they were not planning to charge a University of Minnesota wrestler with selling Xanax, saying there was "insufficient evidence at this time." J Robinson was named head coach of the Minnesota wrestling program in 1986. In his 30 years at the helm, the Golden Gophers won three NCAA team titles in 2001, 2002 and 2007. Robinson has led Minnesota to an overall record of 440-145-4, for a .747 winning percentage, the highest of any wrestling coach in the nearly 100 years of the program's existence.

Gable Steveson claimed his second state title in late February (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Since the last grade level rankings were published in mid-April, which was right after the post-season national tournaments at the end of the scholastic season, two-plus months including many major competitions have occurred. As a result, there are some changes to be had in the Class of 2018 rankings. What does remain constant though is the top four wrestlers within the rising junior class. Leading the way is Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), who continues to be locked in with his form. The returning UWW Cadet world champion in freestyle at 100 kilograms won the national title in that weight class in early June, and will seek a repeat gold medal in September. In addition, Steveson dominated his way to championships at two different Junior regional tournaments. David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) remains second overall in this class after winning a UWW Cadet national title at 69 kilograms, which is a one position improvement from his runner-up finish last year. Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) remains third after most notably finishing runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals in April at 55 kilograms, a tournament run that included a shutout technical fall over elite 2015 recruit Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State). Two-time California state champion Seth Nevills (Clovis) remains in the fourth position. Three other wrestlers from this grade level made upward movements in the ranking after qualifying for the UWW Cadet World Championships in freestyle, as they earned national titles in Akron earlier this month. Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) and Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) each moved up six positions in the rankings, to No. 7 and No. 8 respectively, while Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.) moved into the top 50 at No. 44 Making a significant move up into the top ten was Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), the UWW Cadet Nationals runner-up at 69 kilograms in freestyle. He jumped fourteen positions from No. 23 to No. 9 overall in this class. A pair of wrestlers moved up eight spots in the grade level rankings, Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) and Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.), who are now ranked No. 23 and No. 28 respectively; Hidlay placed third at the UWW Cadet Nationals in the 76 kilogram freestyle competition, while Lewan was fifth at UWW Cadets in the 63 kilogram weight class along with undefeated performances at the NWCA Scholastic Duals and the Cadet Freestyle Duals. Earning debut appearances in the top 50 are Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.), Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.), Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.), Nelson Brands (Iowa City West, Iowa), and Jake Gliva (Simley, Minn.). Pennsylvania natives are most popular in the rankings, as eight wrestlers from the Keystone State appear in the top 50. Five wrestlers each reside from Illinois, New Jersey, and Ohio; while four are from Minnesota, as well as three being from California, Indiana, and Florida. InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. Link: Top 50 Juniors Below is a sneak peek of the top 10 junior recruits. 1. Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) 2. David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) 3. Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) 4. Seth Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) 5. Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 6. Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) 7. Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) 8. Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) 9. Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) 10. Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.)

Spencer Lee is the nation's No. 1 senior recruit (Photo/Robbert Wijtman‎) July 1 is Friday, and with that is the official start of the open contact period for Class of 2017 prospects. On that note, InterMat is unveiling its initial ranking of the top 100 wrestlers (recruits, prospects, etc.) for the rising senior class. It is a most excellent group with a pair of world gold medalists anchoring the class. University of Iowa verbal commitment Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) has been -- with the exception of six months during 2015 -- the top wrestler in this class since November of their eighth grade year. That was when he finished runner-up at 106 pounds in the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge, losing a narrow decision in the final to Nick Suriano, who just finished high school as the No. 2 overall wrestler in the Class of 2016. Lee is a two-time world champion in freestyle, winning the UWW Cadet title at 50 kilograms in 2014 before taking home UWW Junior gold last year at 50 kilos. He will be seeking a repeat UWW Junior world title in late August, also at 50 kilos. In terms of scholastic style wrestling, he is a two-time Super 32 Champion and a two-time Walsh Jesuit Ironman, missing out on the chance to win a third title in each during the fall of 2015 due to injury. Furthermore, he is undefeated for his high school career, one in which he is a three-time state champion in Pennsylvania's big-school division. Right behind in the rankings is Cornell verbal commitment Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), who was a UWW Cadet world champion in freestyle at 58 kilograms last year, and seeks to add a title at 63 kilos come September. In addition, Diakomihalis is already a four-time state champion, including a title at 99 pounds during his eighth grade season; New York State has that additional lower weight class and allows junior high wrestlers to compete at the varsity level. He is already a three-time Super 32 Challenge champion, and would become the tournament's first-ever four-time champion should he compete and win the title this fall. Three other wrestlers in this grade level will be competing at UWW World Championships in freestyle this summer. No. 3 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) is slated to represent the United States at the Cadet level in the 58 kilogram class, No. 4 Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) is slated to compete on the Junior level at 55 kilos, while No. 8 Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) is slated to compete at 85 kilos on the Cadet level. In terms of state representation, the "usual suspects" lead the way. Spencer Lee anchors 18 top 100 wrestlers from the Keystone State, a total that includes seven in the top 30 and nine in the top 50. Ohio has the second most in the rankings with 11, while it's eight from California and seven from Illinois. States with five ranked top 100 prospects include Iowa, New York, New Jersey; while Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma each have four rated in the top 100. In all, 27 states have a wrestler appearing in the top 100 for the Class of 2017, eighteen when one narrows it down to the top 50. InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. Link: Top 100 Seniors Below is a sneak peek of the top 10 senior recruits. 1. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), University of Iowa commitment 2. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), Cornell 3. Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), Cornell 4. Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) 5. Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), Penn State 6. Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.) 7. Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.), Virginia 8. Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) 9. Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) 10. Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall, Okla.), Oklahoma State

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Coker College has named Michael Baxter as its head wrestling coach, Dr. Lynn Griffin, vice president of athletics and athletic facilities, announced today. Baxter becomes the second coach in program history. "We are very excited to have Michael join the Coker family," said Griffin. "He brings a wealth of experience, passion and a proven record of success to Coker. We look forward to watching Michael build on the academic and athletic success that our wrestling program has earned over the last three years." Baxter comes to Coker after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Mercyhurst University. During the 2016 season, Baxter helped guide the Lakers to an 11-4 record, including going 6-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. Nine wrestlers earned All-American status, with 125-pound Willie Bohince finishing second at the NCAA Division II National Championship. Off the mat, Mercyhurst had nine wrestlers named National Wrestling Coaches Assocaition (NWCA) Scholar All-Americans and as a team the Lakers had the second highest grade-point average in the nation, with a 3.350 team GPA. There were also two wrestlers, Bohince and Augusta Mizia, named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District at-large team. "I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead and coach at Coker College," Baxter said. "I want to thank Dr. Wyatt and Dr. Griffin for giving the me the chance to take the helm of the Coker wrestling team. Coker has done a fantastic job of building a program that is competitive athletically, as well as academically. I am confident with the group of student-athletes we have here, along with the vision of our leadership and administration, that Coker wrestling will continue to improve and compete at the highest level on and off the mat." Baxter, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, wrestled for the Lakers for two seasons before injuries derailed his athletic career. Over his two seasons, he compiled a 41-23 record, including a stellar 29-14 mark as a freshman. The 29 victories he recorded as a freshman are tied for fifth in program history by a rookie. He also led the Lakers with ten victories by fall as a freshman, which is also tied for fifth in program history in a single season. He missed qualifying for the NCAA Division II National Championship by one place after finishing fifth at the NCAA Super Region 1 Tournament. After having his wrestling career cut short due to injuries, Baxter stayed on with the program as a student assistant coach during his junior and senior seasons. Over his two seasons on the Laker bench, Mercyhurst has posted a 28-9 record in duals, including a program-best 15-3 mark in 2012-13. The Lakers also won the first-ever Division II PSAC Championship in 2013-14. Baxter wrestled at Perkins High School in Sandusky, earning third- and seventh-place finishes at the State Championships during his career. A 2013 graduate of Mercyhurst with a bachelor's degree in sports medicine, he also earned a master's degree in exercise science from Mercyhurst in 2014. He assumes command of a Cobra wrestling team that has produced three national qualifiers, seven NWCA Scholar All-Americans and the program's first-ever All-American in 2016, Austin Akins, in just three seasons.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Citadel will host the 2017 and 2018 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship inside McAlister Field House, it was announced Tuesday. The annual event has been conducted in Charleston seven times, most recently in 2009 when the Bulldogs took fourth place. Dating back to 1961, The Citadel has had 67 cadet-athletes earn individual championships in the tournament. The SoCon Wrestling Championship had been held at UNC Asheville's Kimmel Arena in Asheville, North Carolina, in conjunction with the league's basketball tournaments the last two seasons, but because of uncertainty over Kimmel's availability going forward, the wrestling tournament was put back out to bid. The 2017 championship will take place March 4, while the 2018 event will be held March 3. Tickets for the 2017 SoCon Wrestling Championship will be made available for purchase via The Citadel's ticket office at a later time. Further ticket information will be offered as the tournament date approaches. For more information on The Citadel wrestling, follow @CitadelWrestle or visit CitadelSports.com.

Mike and Max Soria Former University at Buffalo wrestlers Mike and Max Soria competed on NBC's American Ninja Warrior series Monday night, with Mike advancing to the next level of competition. The twin brothers participated in the Philadelphia qualifier event on the show which describes itself as an "action-packed series [which] follows competitors as they tackle a series of challenging obstacle courses in both city qualifying and city finals rounds across the country." Despite not successfully completing the course in the allotted time, Mike Soria will advance to the next round of competition to be held in July. Those that successfully complete the finals course in their designated region move on to the national finals round in Las Vegas, where they face a four-stage course modeled after the famed Mt. Midoriyama course in Japan, according to the American Ninja Warrior website. The winner takes home a grand prize of $1 million. The NBC series, now in its eighth season, is based on a successful Japanese show Sasuke, now in its 31st season. Mike and Max Soria were on the wrestling team at Buffalo, competing at 125 pounds. Both earned Bachelor's degrees. Mike went on to graduate school at Seton Hill University, an NCAA Division II school, where he was on the Griffins wrestling roster. Bulls head wrestling coach John Stutzman shared his thoughts on the 25-year-old twin matmen from Kings Park, N.Y., who he met as juniors when he first came to Buffalo. "They both competed like cats and dogs in the (wrestling) room," Stutzman told InterMat. "Yet they made a point of never wrestling each other in tournaments." "Most of his career here, Mike was right behind Max, who was the starter at 125 (pounds), but he was just as good." "American Ninja Warrior really fits their personalities," said Stutzman. "They both have incredible gymnastics skills, and have appeared in YouTube videos doing acrobatic stunts." Stutzman described both Max and Mike Soria as being "fitness gurus." "They've done a great job representing their family, their school, and the sport of wrestling."

Just six weeks before the Opening Ceremonies at the 2016 Olympics, the Rio de Janeiro laboratory responsible for processing all athletes' drug test samples has been suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA issued a statement Friday saying the lab was shut down last week due to "non-conformity with the International Standard for Laboratories" and is prohibited from "carrying out all anti-doping analyses on urine and blood samples." Outgoing WADA director general David Howman said the suspension was due to technical errors, calling it "pretty disturbing," according to the New Zealand sports website stuff.co.nz. WADA's incoming director general was more upbeat. "WADA will work closely with the Rio Laboratory to resolve the identified issue," said Olivier Niggli. "The Agency will ensure that, for the time being, samples that would have been intended for the Laboratory, will be transported securely, promptly and with a demonstrable chain of custody to another WADA-accredited laboratory worldwide. This will ensure that there are no gaps in the anti-doping sample analysis procedures; and that, the integrity of the samples is fully maintained." "Athletes can have confidence that the suspension will only be lifted by WADA when the Laboratory is operating optimally; and that, the best solution will be put in place to ensure that sample analysis for the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games is robust," incoming WADA director general Niggli added. The Rio Laboratory may appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days of receipt of notice. With the Opening Ceremonies taking place August 5, there is concern as to whether the drug-testing facility in Rio will be ready in time for the 2016 Olympics. Officials at the Rio lab believe the issues raised by WADA can still be resolved in time for the Summer Games, saying, "The lab expects its operations to return to normal in July after a visit from WADA's technical committee." If the Rio lab is not ready in time for the Olympics, WADA has a number of other accredited drug testing facilities in the Western Hemisphere, including UCLA in Los Angeles; Salt Lake City, Utah; Bogota, Colombia; Havana, Cuba; and Mexico City. Brazilian officials invested $60 million in a new facility and expanded the lab's staff from 20 to more than 100 after the previous test facility had been closed twice in four years by WADA, according to ESPN.com. News of WADA's suspension of the Rio drug testing lab comes on the heels of a steady stream of not-so-great news relating to the 2016 Summer Olympics, including concerns about the Zika virus, Brazil's economic and political crises (including the impeachment of Brazil's president Dilma Rousseff ), and crime and safety issues, such as Brazil's gun homicide rate 5.5 times higher than that of the U.S. In addition, there have been basic Olympic-related infrastructure concerns, including whether some sports venues -- as well as a major new transit line -- will be completed on time. (Work on the wrestling venue has been completed; the arena was inaugurated in mid-May.)

University of Maryland wrestling is seeking an assistant wrestling coach, according to a job listing posted at the official Maryland Athletics website. "The Assistant Coach -- Wrestling will support the Head Coach with the organization, development and implementation of a competitive NCAA Division I wrestling program," is how the listing described the position. "Responsibilities include assisting with scouting, recruiting, coaching, practice and dual meet scheduling, fundraising, clinics, and the administration of team budgets." Candidates for the assistant wrestling coach for the Terps must have a bachelor's degree, and a minimum of two years of experience in coaching or collegiate competition. Those interested must apply online. The link -- along with instructions, and a list of documents the applicant must provide -- are available at the link for the Maryland wrestling assistant coach position. Intercollegiate wrestling at Maryland first took to the mat in 1940. The program was a fixture in the Atlantic Coast Conference for decades before starting competition in the Big Ten in 2014. Kerry McCoy has been the Terps head wrestling coach since 2008.

Adam Busiello (Photo/Josh Conklin) Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2019, verbally committed to Penn State University on Monday evening. Already a three-time state finalist, as wrestlers can compete in high school varsity competition from seventh grade onward in New York, Busiello had a sensational freshman season. It included a title at the Super 32 Challenge during the fall, a second consecutive state title, and finished with him ranked No. 1 in the country at 106 pounds. Busiello also placed third last summer in Cadet freestyle at 106 pounds. His commitment to Penn State continues the Nittany Lions' strong momentum in recruiting. That includes the second ranked class in 2016, along with key verbal commitments in each of the next three classes: Nick and Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) for the 2017 and 2018 classes, plus Busiello in 2019. He projects to compete in college at 141 pounds.

Lee Roper (right) was hired as an assistant coach at Northern Iowa CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- UNI wrestling hired Lee Roper as an assistant coach, and Brett Robbins was named as the volunteer coach. "Lee brings a love for the sport of wrestling," said head coach Doug Schwab. "When you have options of where to go, and this is where you want to be, that says something." Roper joined the UNI wrestling team as a volunteer coach in the 2015-16 season. "Last year, he really proved himself as far as how valuable he is to the program," Schwab said. "You know when guys fit well. We all get along well as a group, and we have all bought in to the program and believe in what we can do here at UNI." Roper is the co-founder of Compound Wrestling Facilities in McDonough, Georgia. From its inception in 2008 until the start of last season, the club had coached 13 wrestlers who advanced as Division I athletes, including former All-American for UNI Joey Lazor and current Panthers Jake Hodges and Taylor Lujan, a four-time state champion as a prep in Georgia. "It's just the right fit," said Roper. "You see those billboards all around that say 'UNI is the right fit,' and it is for me, too. There are a lot of schools around us that offer the same thing, and this place is just different. When I was looking for a place that fit me, I wanted to find that family atmosphere where the head coach is completely invested in his student-athletes." Roper was a four-year starter at Appalachian State University from 2001-06 and an NCAA qualifier in 2003. He earned all-conference honors in 2002 and 2003. As a prep athlete, Roper was an All-American and two-time state champion from Madison, Georgia. Each coach on staff plans to continue taking an active role in the academic affairs of the team, but Roper will be the point person to monitor the process. "Everybody works really hard at wrestling at this level, and we are trying to win a national championship as a team," Roper said. "However, we are trying to pinpoint all aspects of their life. We all stress academics a lot. It's something that maybe other places don't stress as much, but if we get their lifestyle in order and they are handling their academics, wrestling starts getting pretty easy." Roper fills a vacancy created when assistant head coach Mark Schwab stepped out of coaching to start his own company at the end of the last season. "We'll never be able to replace Mark, but you try to find a guy who complements your lesser strengths," said Doug Schwab. "As far as planning, technique, skill and passion for the sport, Lee has just as much as anyone. So we are excited to add him on full time and excited to put Brett Robbins on our staff." Robbins will move into the volunteer coach role. "He is as selfless as you get," said Schwab. "He is 100 percent about the athletes. He is eager to learn and always asking questions. He has been here from day one since I got here. He has been bought in since I got here, so I'm excited to have him on our staff." As a collegiate wrestler at UNI, Robbins qualified to compete internationally at the FILA Junior World Championships in 2006. In June 2006, he was named the FILA Junior Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Month and won the FILA Junior World Team Trials at 132 pounds. In his senior year at UNI, Robbins bounced back after a long battle with a medical hardship to win the Loras and Jim Fox opens and go undefeated in dual matches. He posted a 19-5 record, and graduated from UNI in 2010 with a degree in history. He was still competing at 66 kilograms until recently and placed eighth at the 2013 U.S. Open. Robbins is a native of Bloomington, Illinois. He is engaged to be married to Holli Rutherford next month. "These are the guys who need to be on staff to move our program forward," said Schwab. "It will be a seamless transition. We have had very little turnover since my start seven years ago. They have built relationships with these guys, and that's important." LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016-17 UNI will be led by two-time All-American Dylan Peters. The Panthers will have five returning Division I NCAA qualifiers on the roster. In addition to Peters, Cooper Moore will enter his senior year as a three-time qualifier. He will be joined by sophomores Josh Alber and Bryce Steiert. Senior JJ Everard transferred from South Dakota State and sat out the 2015-16 season. The heavyweight qualified for the 2014 NCAA tournament at SDSU. UNI will open its home dual season Nov. 11. A full schedule will be released at a later date. The Panthers expect to have at least nine home events, including the Mid-American Conference championships March 4-5, 2017. "The culture we have on the team is something I would put up with anyone in the country," said Roper. "We just have a lot of guys who are fun to be around. They are trying to do some big things in their life, and they are buying into the lifestyle we are putting before them. They are making a lot of sacrifices in the offseason and the summer. We expect big things of them, and they expect big things of themselves, so when you get those two things in align, we know a lot of fun things are going to happen."

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- For 23 years, Randy Steward has owned his place at the side of the mat as the head coach of the wrestling program at Loras College. Beginning in November, the Duhawks will have a new leader at the helm, but one that has stared success right in the eyes. TJ Miller and Randy StewardLoras Director of Athletics Denise Udelhofen accepted the resignation of Steward and approved the transition to promote TJ Miller as head coach on Monday. "Randy has been a hallmark of Loras College and the wrestling program for many years. He has personally overseen the development of hundreds of student-athletes and forged success in their lives, both on and off the mat," Udelhofen said. "I have had the pleasure of knowing Randy for over 20 years and consider him to not only be a trusted colleague, but also a dear friend. We are extremely grateful for his dedication and service to Loras and we wish him the best in his future." Steward's new role brings him to Calhoun, Ga. and Sonoraville High School where he will serve as a physical education instructor and head wrestling coach. "Some people out there may think that my time has come to retire, but that motivates me to no end and I am tickled to death to begin the final chapter of my coaching career," Steward said. "I've been given the opportunity to relocate to Georgia and put my stamp on what is already a very successful program at Sonoraville High School." Throughout Steward's 23 years at Loras, he coached 56 All-Americans, with the most recent being Malcolm Watson at the 2016 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships this past March. His accolades include 228 dual victories, 15 Academic All-Americans, nine top-16 national finishes and six national champions. This past season, Steward was inducted into the DeWitt Central Athletic Hall of Fame and the NWCA NCAA Division III Hall of Fame. "Reflecting on the past 23 years here at Loras has proven to be an emotional undertaking," Steward said. "How many people can honest get up every morning and have the opportunity to do something they love? I've been extremely fortunate to do just that." Steward was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year and NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in 2014 after qualifying three for nationals and winning the national championship at 285#. In total, the Iowa Conference has recognized Steward as its Coach of the Year on four occasions. "It is the end of an era, but I want to make it clear that it is not all about me, I am just one lucky man who had a vision and a passion to build upon something very special," Steward added. "There are so many people who have helped in one way or another to build the program, including student-athletes, parents, alumni and friends of the program." As a Division III student-athlete himself at Cornell College, Steward was a four-time national qualifier before graduating with a degree in physical education. He later went on to earn his master's degree from Northwest Missouri State University. With one season under his belt as associate head coach, Miller is eager to lead a collegiate program for the first time in his career. Prior to Loras, Miller was the head wrestling coach at Holy Cross High School in New Orleans where the Tigers won two team state championships and 14 individuals were crowned state champions. "This move also marks the beginning of a new era with many things already in place and ready to be taken to the next level," Steward shared. "I will be watching from afar as TJ puts his own personal spin on the program. His imminent success will be fun and exciting to see develop." Miller was an NCAA Division III National Champion in 2007 at 197#, finishing with a career record of 110-9. Miller was a three-time NCAA All-American and three-time Iowa Conference Champion. During his time at Wartburg, the Knights won three NCAA Division III National Championships. "I would like to thank President Jim Collins and Director of Athletics Denise Udelhofen for their confidence in me to lead the wrestling program moving forward," Miller said. "I will forever be grateful to Randy Steward for giving me my original opportunity, for his friendship and for his guidance. My wife and I are thrilled to be a part of the Loras College family for the years to come and are excited to take the wrestling program to the next level." Miller inherits a program that went 2-13 in duals a season ago, but qualified two for nationals in sophomore Michael Triplett (133#) and Watson (197#). In total, four wrestlers earned All-Conference designation, with junior Evan Weaver (141#) and freshman Quin Gilliam (285#) joining Triplett and Watson. "This past year has been pretty special, given my induction into two hall of fames and my final All-American in Malcolm Watson," Steward added. "I would like to thank everyone that has a connection to Loras College Wrestling. I will continue to treasure the countless relationships that I have had the pleasure of developing over the past two decades at Loras."

Bad news from Badger-land: Ryan Taylor, 133-pound starter for University of Wisconsin, will be undergoing surgery which will end his wrestling career. Ryan Taylor battles Cory Clark at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Taylor, who just completed his redshirt junior season for the Badgers, posted the following message on Instagram early Sunday evening: "Wrestling has been a very important facet of my life, although a new journey has begun due to injury I must say goodbye to this great sport. It was a great journey and lifestyle and I owe it nothing more than the greatest respect. Thank you to all the people that followed me in this journey that was my life." The official Twitter account for Wisconsin Badger wrestling followed up with this Tweet: "You will be missed @rtbadger but thanks for all you did." In three seasons at Wisconsin, Taylor was a three-year starter, first at 125 as a freshman, then at 133 the past two years. A three-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier, Taylor earned NCAA All-American honors by placing seventh at 133 at the 2015 NCAAs. Prior to coming to Madison, Taylor wrestled at nationally-ranked St. Paris Graham High School, where he won three consecutive Ohio state titles at 120 pounds as a sophomore, junior and senior.

TULSA, Okla. -- Illinois must have felt pretty good at the start of the Junior Nationals Freestyle Duals finals against Ohio on Saturday. With the dual meet starting at 138 pounds, Illinois came out with wins in four of the first six bouts, including a pin and a technical fall, for a 16-10 lead. But Ohio had them just where they wanted them. Led by a group of powerful lightweight stars, Ohio won six of the final nine matches for a comfortable 37-27 victory over Illinois and the Junior Duals freestyle title. The early run by Illinois included victories by Jaime Hernandez (138), Shayne Oster (152), Austin O'Connor (160) and Logan Gruszka (182). Gruszka needed just 37 seconds to take James Handwerk to his back and score a pin, worth five big team points. Read complete story … JUNIOR NATIONAL DUALS At Tulsa, Okla. Freestyle results CHAMPIONSHIP DUAL - Ohio 37, Illinois 27 138 Jaime Hernandez (Illinois) over Corey Shie (Ohio) Dec 12-7 145 Dom Demas (Ohio) over A.J. Jaffe (Illinois) Dec 4-1 152 Shayne Oster (Illinois) over Davey Tunon (Ohio) TF 21-10 160 Austin O`Connor (Illinois) over Austin Hiles (Ohio) Dec 9-2 170 Jesse Beverly (Ohio) over Sage Heller (Illinois) TF 10-0 182 Logan Gruszka (Illinois) over James Handwerk (Ohio) Fall 0:36 195 Benjamin Darmstadt (Ohio) over Patrick Brucki (Illinois) Fall 0:50 220 Jared Campbell (Ohio) over Christian Brunner (Illinois) TF 10-0 285 Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois) over Matt Adams (Ohio) Dec 9-7 100 Lucas Byrd (Ohio) over Matthew Ramos (Illinois) TF 14-2 106 Oscar Sanchez (Ohio) over Anthony King (Illinois) TF 10-0 113 Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio) over Joey Melendez (Illinois) Dec 8-2 120 Drew Mattin (Ohio) over Louie Hayes (Illinois) TF 10-0 126 Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) over Allan Hart (Ohio) Dec 8-3 132 Gabriel Townsell (Illinois) over Tariq Wilson (Ohio) Dec 21-21 THIRD PLACE - New Jersey 50, Minnesota Red 17 138 Mitchell McKee (Minnesota Red) over Requir Van Der Merwe (New Jersey) TF 14-4 145 Alex Crowe (Minnesota Red) over Nicholas Palumbo (New Jersey) TF 11-0 152 Andrew Merola (New Jersey) over Travis Ostby (Minnesota Red) TF 18-6 160 Kyle Bierdumpfel (New Jersey) over Jake Allar (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 170 Brandon Dallavia (New Jersey) over Jerod Novak (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 182 Joseph Grello (New Jersey) over Taylor Venz (Minnesota Red) Fall 1:11 195 Brandon Kui (New Jersey) over Jonah Lange (Minnesota Red) TF 11-1 220 Kevin Mulligan (New Jersey) over Trenten Rogich (Minnesota Red) TF 12-0 285 Chase Singletary (New Jersey) over Sam Erckenbrack (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 100 Matthew Petersen (Minnesota Red) over Thomas Fierro (New Jersey) TF 12-2 106 Nicholas Shutzenhofer (New Jersey) over Ashton Clark (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 113 Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey) over Patrick McKee (Minnesota Red) TF 20-9 120 Sebastian Rivera (New Jersey) over Curtis LeMair (Minnesota Red) TF 12-2 126 Zachary Sherman (New Jersey) over Jake Gliva (Minnesota Red) TF 10-0 132 Nicholas Farro (New Jersey) over Brent Jones (Minnesota Red) Dec 5-2 FIFTH PLACE - Pennsylvania 35, Iowa Red 32 138 Wyatt Long (Pennsylvania) over Carter Happel (Iowa Red) Fall 0:22 145 Sam Sasso (Pennsylvania) over Nelson Brands (Iowa Red) Dec 8-4 152 Matt Malcom (Iowa Red) over Trevor Elfvin (Pennsylvania) TF 18-6 160 Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania) over Colton Clingenpeel (Iowa Red) TF 20-10 170 Marcus Coleman (Iowa Red) over Eric Hong (Pennsylvania) Dec 11-9 182 Anthony Welch (Pennsylvania) over Max Lyon (Iowa Red) Fall 3:23 195 Jake Woodley (Pennsylvania) over Isaac Bartel (Iowa Red) Dec 8-6 220 Zane Black (Pennsylvania) over Wyatt Wriedt (Iowa Red) Dec 8-7 285 Carter Isley (Iowa Red) over Brendan Furman (Pennsylvania) Dec 4-0 100 Matt Rodriquez (Pennsylvania) over Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa Red) TF 10-0 106 Jaret Lane (Pennsylvania) over Hans Von Rabenau (Iowa Red) Fall 1:22 113 Kyle Biscoglia (Iowa Red) over Ryan Green (Pennsylvania) TF 10-0 120 Jack Wagner (Iowa Red) over Zurich Storm (Pennsylvania) Fall 2:48 126 Brenden Baker (Iowa Red) over Brandon Bach (Pennsylvania) TF 12-2 132 Brock Rathbun (Iowa Red) over Cary Palmer (Pennsylvania) Fall 1:53 SEVENTH PLACE - Oklahoma Blue 56, Michigan Blue 15 138 Jaxen Gilmore (Oklahoma Blue) over Trent Lashuay (Michigan Blue) Fall 1:32 145 Brik Filippo (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 152 Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma Blue) over Dustin Gross (Michigan Blue) TF 10-0 160 Dayton Garrett (Oklahoma Blue) over Bret Fedewa (Michigan Blue) TF 20-9 170 Drew Hinkle (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 182 Dan Baker (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 195 Zach Marcheselli (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 220 Gunner Cash (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 285 Trenton Lieurance (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 100 Alex Fields (Oklahoma Blue) over Devon Johnson (Michigan Blue) Dec 14-8 106 Ravon Foley (Michigan Blue) over Wyatt Adams (Oklahoma Blue) TF 10-0 113 Dominic LaJoie (Michigan Blue) over Colt Newton (Oklahoma Blue) TF 12-2 120 Jet Taylor (Oklahoma Blue) over Jordan Hamdan (Michigan Blue) TF 10-0 126 Daton Fix (Oklahoma Blue) forfeit 132 James Whitaker (Michigan Blue) over Jacob Butler (Oklahoma Blue) Fall 3:53 BRONZE/COPPER Results (Places 9-16) 1st Place - Missouri 2nd Place - California 3rd Place - North Dakota-Blue 4th Place - Utah Blue 5th Place - Kansas Blue 6th Place - Florida 7th Place - Iowa Blue 8th Place - Washington 1st Place Match - Missouri defeated California 39-28. 3rd Place Match - North Dakota-Blue defeated Utah Blue 37-32. 5th Place Match - Kansas Blue defeated Florida 40-26. 7th Place Match - Iowa Blue defeated Washington 36-35. RED/BLUE Results 1st Place - Texas Blue 2nd Place - Arizona 3rd Place - Minnesota Blue 4th Place - Nebraska Blue 5th Place - Oklahoma Red 6th Place - Indiana Gold 7th Place - Tennessee 8th Place - Texas Red 1st Place Match - Texas Blue defeated Arizona 36-32. 3rd Place Match - Minnesota Blue defeated Nebraska Blue 39-29. 5th Place Match - Oklahoma Red defeated Indiana Gold 34-33. 7th Place Match - Tennessee defeated Texas Red 61-10. GREEN/YELLOW Results 1st Place - Georgia 2nd Place - Nebraska Red 3rd Place - Arkansas 4th Place - Kansas Red 5th Place - Utah Red 6th Place - North Dakota Red 7th Place - Georgia Blue 8th Place - Michigan Red 1st Place Match - Georgia defeated Nebraska Red 49-20. 3rd Place Match - Arkansas defeated Kansas Red 50-14. 5th Place Match - Utah Red defeated North Dakota Red 37-29. 7th Place Match - Georgia Blue defeated Michigan Red 35-23. PURPLE/GREY Results 1st Place - Colorado 2nd Place - South Dakota 3rd Place - North Carolina 4th Place - Louisiana 5th Place - Montana 6th Place - Indiana Blue 7th Place - South Carolina Louisiana defeated South Carolina 29-29. Colorado defeated Montana 47-24. North Carolina defeated Indiana Blue 42-16. South Dakota defeated Louisiana 50-12. Montana defeated South Carolina 32-15. Colorado defeated Indiana Blue 55-10. Colorado defeated Louisiana 61-3. North Carolina defeated Montana 34-28. South Dakota defeated Indiana Blue 49-7. Louisiana defeated Indiana Blue 36-31. South Dakota defeated Montana 37-25. North Carolina defeated South Carolina 48-13. North Carolina defeated Louisiana 43-25. Colorado defeated South Dakota 50-21. Indiana Blue defeated South Carolina 22-21. Montana defeated Indiana Blue 25-21. South Dakota defeated North Carolina 45-14. Colorado defeated South Carolina 64-4. Louisiana defeated Montana 34-29. Colorado defeated North Carolina 51-13. South Dakota defeated South Carolina 56-2 A POOL Results 1st Place - Illinois 2nd Place - Pennsylvania 3rd Place - Florida 4th Place - Missouri 5th Place - Indiana Gold 6th Place - Texas Red 7th Place - North Dakota Red 8th Place - Georgia Blue 1st Place Match - Illinois defeated Pennsylvania 45-25. 2nd Place Wrestleback - Pennsylvania defeated Florida 49-17. 3rd Place Match - Florida defeated Missouri 39-30. 5th Place Match - Indiana Gold defeated Texas Red 38-27. 7th Place Match - North Dakota Red defeated Georgia Blue 39-20. B POOL Results 1st Place - Minnesota Red 2nd Place - Oklahoma Blue 3rd Place - Utah Blue 4th Place - Iowa Blue 5th Place - Nebraska Blue 6th Place - Tennessee 7th Place - Kansas Red 8th Place - Michigan Red 1st Place Match - Minnesota Red defeated Oklahoma Blue 35-31. 3rd Place Match - Utah Blue defeated Iowa Blue 32-31. 5th Place Match - Nebraska Blue defeated Tennessee 45-21. 7th Place Match - Kansas Red defeated Michigan Red 42-21. C POOL Results 1st Place - Ohio 2nd Place - New Jersey 3rd Place - Washington 4th Place - North Dakota-Blue 5th Place - Arizona 6th Place - Texas Blue 7th Place - Georgia 8th Place - Arkansas 1st Place Match - Ohio defeated New Jersey 34-33. 3rd Place Match - Washington defeated North Dakota-Blue 34-30. 5th Place Match - Arizona defeated Texas Blue 47-23. 7th Place Match - Georgia defeated Arkansas 48-21. D POOL Results 1st Place - Iowa Red 2nd Place - Michigan Blue 3rd Place - California 4th Place - Kansas Blue 5th Place - Minnesota Blue 6th Place - Oklahoma Red 7th Place - Nebraska Red 8th Place - Utah Red 1st Place Match - Iowa Red defeated California 35-34. 2nd Place Wrestleback - Michigan Blue defeated California 36-33. 3rd Place Match - Michigan Blue defeated Kansas Blue 39-31. 5th Place Match - Minnesota Blue defeated Oklahoma Red 36-30. 7th Place Match - Nebraska Red defeated Utah Red 41-23.

Germane Lindsey, Ohio University All-American wrestler who won an Ohio state title for Moeller High School in 2007, will be serving as head wrestling coach at his prep alma mater, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Friday. Lindsey, who had been an assistant coach at Moeller, replaces James Yonushonis, who, according to his Facebook page, is moving to upstate New York so that he can pursue a degree as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Germane LindseyAs a wrestler at Moeller, Lindsey built a 155-26 career record, and still ranks as one of the all-time leaders in takedowns for the Crusaders. Lindsey was a three-time Ohio state tournament qualifier and two-time placer, winning the 140-pound title at the Ohio High School Athletic Association wrestling championships in 2007. After graduating from Moeller in 2007, Lindsey headed east to Ohio University. As a Bobcat, Lindsey became the first Moeller wrestler to earn NCAA All-American honors with his sixth-place finish at 141 pounds at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. During his time as an Ohio wrestler, Lindsey lettered all four years, was voted the team's hardest worker all four years, and led the team in wins twice. Upon graduation, Lindsey stayed in Athens to serve as an assistant coach for the Bobcats before coming back to Moeller as an assistant varsity coach. Located in the northeastern suburbs of Cincinnati, Archbishop Moeller High School is a private, all-male, four-year Catholic college-prep school. It has an enrollment of 870 students. Among the school's most famous non-wrestling alums: Barry Larkin, Hall of Fame professional baseball player, and John Boehner, recently retired U.S. Speaker of the House.

North Idaho College has signed Hasaan Hawthorne, 2016 Alabama high school state wrestling champ and double amputee, the two-year school in Coeur d'Alene announced Friday. Hawthorne made headlines back in February by winning the Class 6A 145-pound title -- and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 2016 Alabama State Wrestling Championships in Huntsville, despite having been born without tibias. Both his legs were amputated below the knees as a child. Hasaan Hawthorne Hawthorne, who just graduated from Pelham High School, was heavily recruited by two- and four-year colleges his senior season, according to North Idaho College. "After a visit to Coeur d'Alene last spring, he and his family fell in love with the area and scenic campus," said NIC head wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb, adding that Hawthorne is "well aware" of the approximately 2,000-mile distance between Alabama and Idaho. "His dad said Hasaan wanted to go somewhere where he would win national championships. He does not like to lose," Whitcomb said. That shouldn't be an issue, as the NIC wrestling program can claim 14 national titles and has had 54 individual national champions, according to the team website. "We're elated to have him join North Idaho College -- not only because of his athletic ability, but for his academic ability and character as well," said Whitcomb. "He can come in and make an immediate impact for us. For an 18-year-old, his maturity is beyond his years." Whitcomb also said that Hawthorne intends to study Communications and will participate in all the team outreach activities, such as a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, holding a school supply giveaway every August and distributing its 15,000 book to elementary students through the Shirley Parker Reading program in May. "The community will be much richer for having Hasaan here for a couple years," according to the coach. Founded in 1933, North Idaho College describes itself as a comprehensive, two-year community college located on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Spokane, Washington metro area. Approximately 6,000 students are enrolled in credit classes and more than 4,400 participate annually in non-credit courses. The NIC Cardinal wrestling program competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

It was a rewarding homecoming for St. Louis area native Michael Chandler as the former University of Missouri wrestler won the vacant Bellator MMA lightweight (155-pound) title at Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 at Scottrade Center in the Gateway City Friday night. Michael Chandler (Photo/Bellator)Chandler knocked out Patricky Freier with what MMAJunkie.com described as "one monstrous right hand on the button" at 2:14 of the first round to win the belt which had been vacated earlier this year by Will Brooks, who signed with UFC. Sherdog.com reported, "It did not last long, as Chandler bailed on a few takedown attempts before settling in on his feet. The 30-year-old NCAA All-American wrestler feigned a left jab and fired a right cross behind it, connecting square on the chin. The crushing blow sent an unconscious 'Pitbull' crashing to the canvas, where no follow-up strikes were necessary." Chandler celebrated in front of his hometown fans by jumping to the top of the cage, then doing a back flip in the center of it before climbing the fence twice more. It was a rematch for Chandler and Freier, as the two had met just over five years ago, with the former Mizzou mat star winning by unanimous decision. In November 2011, Chandler won the Bellator lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez ... only to lose it to Alvarez two years later at Bellator 106. With the win, Chandler not only earns the Bellator lightweight crown, but also improves to 14-3, while Freier falls to 16-8. Prior to launching his pro mixed martial arts career in August 2009, Chandler made a name for himself on the wrestling mats of the Show-Me State, first in high school as a Missouri state championships finalist, then at University of Missouri. Wrestling for the Mizzou Tigers, Chandler was a two-time Big 12 championships finalist and four-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier, earning All-American honors by placing fifth in the 157-pound bracket at the 2009 NCAAs in the same arena as Friday's title fight.