InterMat Staff

Rob Koll has led Cornell to top-five finishes in six of the last seven seasons. This past season Gabe Dean won the NCAA title at 184 pounds and was one of four All-Americans on a Big Red team that finished fifth at the NCAAs. Koll talked to Takedown about his late father Bill Koll, Greco-Roman, MMA and more.

U.S. delegation poses with champ Zahid Valencia ANTALYA, Turkey -- Zahid Valencia (Pico Rivera, Calif./Sunkist Kids) won a bronze medal today at 84 kilos/185 pounds in men's freestyle on the final day of the respected Mithat Bayrak and Ismet Atli Junior International. Valencia, a 2015 UWW Junior Nationals champion, won four matches on the way to the gold medal. He defeated Zharuel Shapiev of Russia in the championship finals in a 2-2 criteria decision He scored three 10-0 technical fall victories over Grzegos Sadovik of Poland, Enes Altun of Turkey and Iliskehan Cihilayev of Kazakhstan on the way to the finals. "I was very proud of the way Zahid battled the entire day. He had three 10-0 technical fall wins on the way to the final and beat a salty Russian 2-2 to earn the gold. This was Zahid's very first international tournament, so for him to win is very impressive and points to a bright future," said Assistant National Freestyle Coach Brandon Slay. Read full story ...

MANHEIM, Pa. -- There's a new king at the top of the National Wrestling Coaches Association's All-Academic teams and individuals on Friday. Eastern Michigan's wrestling team checked in with a team grade-point average of 3.382, edging second-place Harvard, which checked in with a 3.372. It's the first time Eastern Michigan has claimed top honors, while Harvard was the top team each of the past two years. Link: NWCA All-Academic Top 30 Teams Link: NWCA All-Academic Individuals Awarded annually, the NWCA All-Academic Team contains 118 student-athletes and of those, 28 were All-Americans. This year's list also includes half of the Division I champions and eight of the 20 wrestlers who competed in the finals in St. Louis back in March. "What's extremely promising about the All-Academic standings for the teams and the individuals is there is a lot of competition for the top spots in these rankings," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "As you might expect, some of our nation's finest academic institutions, like the Ivy League schools for example, are represented very well, but when you see schools like Eastern Michigan, SIU-Edwardsville and South Dakota State, it goes to show the nation that great educations and great educational resources can be found everywhere. These schools know they have top-notch academics and we're glad to be able to have our student-athletes showcase it through wrestling." The team grade-point average was determined using a system that includes 12 student-athletes from each program. A total of 10 of these came from the wrestlers that were entries in the NCAA tournament conference qualifier. American University (3.358) Gardner-Webb (3.352) and Brown (3.328) rounded out the top five teams. It's the second straight year Harvard, Gardner-Webb and Brown have landed in the top five. Duke, Bucknell, Stanford, SIU-Edwardsville, and Minnesota rounded out the top 10. Eastern Michigan was 30th least year. The Eagles are represented individually by graduate student Brandon Zeerip. The Michigan native and 157-pounder is pursuing his Master's Degree in Business Administration with a 3.88 GPA. Harvard's top individual was 197-pound senior James Fox. The Psychology major has a 3.803 GPA. SIU-Edwardsville broke into the Top 10 for the first time. Coach Jeremy Spates' team came in ninth with a 3.242 GPA. The Cougars had two individuals on the All-Academic Team, Jake Residori and Jake Tindle. Individually, NCAA champions Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State), Matt Brown (Penn State), Gabe Dean (Cornell), Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) and Nick Gwiazdowski (N.C. State) were all on the All-Academic Team. Three other finalists -- Brian Realbuto (Cornell), Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh), and Adam Coon (Michigan) -- were on the team as well. Two schools -- Missouri and Stanford -- each had five wrestlers on the All-Academic team while Duke, Lehigh, Nebraska, Old Dominion, Penn State, Penn and South Dakota State had four each. Of note, Penn State's Brown earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, while Old Dominion's Tristan Warner ended his career as a two-time recipient of the NCAA's Elite 89 Award. NCAA team champion Ohio State had two wrestlers on the All-Academic Team -- Tomasello and All-American Bo Jordan. Ninety-six wrestlers on the team qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships, which is an increase of 19 wrestlers compared to the 2013-14 team. Of the 77 Division I wrestling programs, 56 teams had at least one representative on the All-Academic Team. "The NWCA All-Academic Team and Individual Team is one of the best acknowledgements that we can give to our coaches and athletes at the end of a physically grueling season" said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "These young men have proved that they are not only talented competitors but are leaders in the classroom as well. The NWCA Board of Directors and staff look forward to watching these student-athletes continue their success at the collegiate level and eventually as the leaders of the future once they earn their college degrees." About National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with a primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and the promotion of wrestling.

BLACKSBURG -- Coming off three consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, Virginia Tech wrestling coach Kevin Dresser has released the team's 2015-16 schedule, one that will test the Hokies once again as they continue to build upon the team's recent success. Highlighted in the schedule are home matches with perennial national powers Penn State, Iowa State and West Virginia, as well as two matches at the Moss Arts Center. "I am excited about next year's team and next year's schedule," Dresser said. "I feel it is one of the most challenging schedules we have put together. I also feel we have a few breaks to rest and heal up throughout this season if need be. It's going to be a fun season with what could be a very good team." The Hokies will open the season on Nov. 6, playing host to Iowa State in a dual match inside Cassell Coliseum. Two days later, Tech will hold its annual Hokie Open tournament in Rector Field House in Blacksburg. The tournament has grown into one of the top early-season events in the region and attracts competitors from all over the country. The Nittany Lions of Penn State, a team many forecast to be the best in the country this upcoming season, roll into town on Sunday, Nov. 15 for a big dual meet in Cassell Coliseum, as the program looks to break the attendance record in the venue. Tech then hits the road for two months, traveling to South Dakota State and North Dakota State for duals, and will then participate in the Las Vegas Invitational to wrap up the calendar year. The Hokies open 2016 with a dual match at George Mason on Jan. 3 and will then look to defend their Virginia Duals title Jan. 8-9 in Hampton. After the arousing success of last year's events, the program will once again hold two matches in the Moss Arts Center on campus. On Friday, Jan. 15, the Hokies will play host to Northern Iowa and then a day later, the Hokies will take on North Carolina in the venue. Tech's last home match will come on Friday, Jan. 29 as it plays hosts to West Virginia in Cassell Coliseum. "Getting big names like Penn State, West Virginia and Iowa State to all come to Cassell next year is big," Dresser said. "It's a great home schedule for the fans. And of course, the opportunity to go back to the Moss Arts Center for back-to-back dual meets with UNI and UNC in mid January will be great thing for my guys and the Hokie Nation to look forward to this season. Our experience with wrestling in the Moss Arts Center was super exciting. What an electric venue!" All five teams venturing to Blacksburg finished in the top 34 of the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships: Penn State (6th; won four of last five national team titles), Iowa State (14th), West Virginia (20th), North Carolina (24th), and Northern Iowa (34th). Tech wraps up the season with a match at defending ACC champion Virginia (Jan. 31), and then concludes with road trips to Pitt (Jan. 5), Edinboro (Feb. 7), NC State (Feb. 12), Duke (Feb. 13) and the National Duals (Feb. 20). The 2016 ACC Championships are scheduled for Saturday, March 5, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the NCAA Championships will be held March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. All dates, times and even locations are tentative until the ACC releases the men's and women's basketball schedules later this summer. The full schedule can be found here.

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Minnesota State University Moorhead head wrestling coach Kris Nelson has announced that former North Dakota State All-American Steven Monk has joined the Dragon coaching staff. "We are very excited to add Steven Monk to our coaching staff at MSU Moorhead. Steven has proven that he knows what it takes to be successful at the college level having been an NCAA Division I All-American," Nelson said. "I see Steven's hard work, dedication and commitment to his wrestling career carrying over into his role as assistant coach at MSUM. He will help with all day to day operations of the wrestling program from recruiting to working on the mat with student athletes. The MSUM wrestlers are very excited to get started working with Steven and they know they will benefit from his vast knowledge of the sport." A native of Wausau, Wis., Monk had a decorated Division I wrestling career at NDSU. In 2014 he was a Division I All-American after placing third in the nation at 165 pounds. Monk is a three-time national qualifier and a three-time Western Wrestling Conference champion. He finished with a 134-24 career record with 52 pins. He was also the fifth-most dominant wrestler in Division I in 2014. He was also the 2013 Midlands Tournament champion. Monk is the brother of former Dragon wrestler Conner Monk, who was a national qualifier in 2014. "I'm really excited for the opportunity to coach at MSUM," Monk said. "Coaching wrestling is something I've always wanted to do since the sport has given me so much. I look forward to working with both the wrestlers and coaching staff to help this program get to the top."

In his UFC farewell last week in Manila, UFC veteran Mark Munoz told the audience that he intended to help his native Philippines establish the sport of wrestling. Munoz, who won the 2001 NCAA title for Oklahoma State, has remained a constant figure in the wrestling community during his long in-cage career. That Munoz, who's known as an affable and intelligent fighter, wants to move into more of a public service role in the Philippines is not surprising. He's a talented orator (as you can see below) who attracts good people and is wildly popular in the Philippines -- a country with a high-rate of English fluency and the need for progressive thought. Munoz's announcement abuts the annual Beat the Streets match and fundraiser in New York City hosted by financier Mike Novogratz. The match, which this year featured Team Cuba and Team USA in the billed "Salsa in the Square" will raise millions of dollars for youth wrestling in NYC. That, of course, is a great thing. To develop wrestling around the world the actions of individuals like Munoz and powerful non-profits like BTS will need to continue and expand. How best then to grow the sport? One idea being floated is Wrestling Corps, a program that could mimic the government's Peace Corps program that sends young post-grads to economically needy areas around the world. Wrestling could essentially do the same using college students in countries around the world There is no need to dwell on the specifics, but the idea that many of America's thousands of NCAA wrestling graduates could travel the world, make money and help support the growth of our sport seems like a no-brainer. Wrestling Corps is certainly an idea that someone like Mark Munoz or Mike Novogratz could support and endorse. To your questions ... Kyle Snyder (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Q: Kyle Snyder recently said he's considering taking an Olympic redshirt season. Do you see this as a smart decision for Snyder? Also, if he does take an Olympic redshirt, does Ohio State still have a chance to repeat in 2016? -- Mike C. Foley: Snyder should absolutely take an Olympic redshirt, but only if he plans to travel and train internationally. There is no benefit in the year off if he stays in Columbus and treks to Colorado Springs for two-week spurts. Snyder needs to go overseas and see as much international competition as possible. He needs to approach the international calendar like a collegiate program tackles the NCAA season. Ohio State would not be able to repeat without Snyder's team points. Great program, but to win without Logan Stieber and Kyle Snyder just won't be possible. Q: Last week's discussion of Kyle Snyder got me thinking ... In Vegas, the freestyle 97-kilo bracket included seven (please, correct me if I'm wrong) individual NCAA champions, across NCAA Division I and Division II. Nineteen-year-old Kyle Snyder was not one of them. Snyder is obviously a wrestler of that caliber, but can you think of another instance where someone (with remaining collegiate eligibility) won the U.S. Open in men's freestyle the same year they were not an NCAA champion? -- Ethan S. Foley: I don't know if Henry Cejudo had already accepted sponsorship money, but it would seem like the last and certainly most well-known wrestler to match your criteria. Although he slips in on a technicality (was he ever going to try college?), the answer is not apparent to me, nor to the experts I asked. Readers? We need your powers! Q: Who is the most exciting wrestler in the world across all genders, countries and styles? -- Mike C. Foley: There are several answers to this question, based on what you find exciting, but for me there are only two: Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) and Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia). I have included match videos below. Chunayev is the world's top-ranked 71-kilo wrestler because he's incredibly adept at matching styles with some of the best wrestlers in the world and coming out on top. However, what makes him the most exciting wrestler in the world is that in the flips of his hips he can headlock anyone on the planet. There is almost nothing more exciting that waiting in anticipation as the backup from Greece waddles onto the mat, shakes hands with Chunayev and tries to avoid the inevitable. It almost never works! Chunayev is not only an incredible headlock artist, but he's danced and marched his way into the wrestling community's good graces with his post-match humor. The only competition in terms of excitement comes from Sadulaev, whose youth, talent and size reminds me of Mike Tyson. Sadulaev crushes opponents, and at 19 years old has taken a simple move -- the fireman's carry -- and made a game of tossing fully-grown men around the mat by the elbow. Watching his greatness and potential for more always draws my attention. My final entry is Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan), who recently won the 59-kilo Greco-Roman Asian Championships in Doha. He's the type of Greco-Roman wrestler you want to see promoting the sport. He's tough, athletic and never backs down from a position. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Mark Munoz speaks from the heart Rasul Chunayev gets down Rasul Chunayev marches Abdulrashid Sadulaev wins the World championship Tasmuradov cartwheels to gold Q: Do you have a prediction on Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson this weekend at UFC 187? -- Mike C. Foley: DC is the man! He has worked hard and is part of the wrestling family. There is no way I can bet against my heart ... or those takedowns. Q: Any word on where JimmyKennedy has been hiding? -- @Robbybobbi Foley: The last I heard was that he was recovering from a leg injury and would be try to be ready by the World Team Trials in Madison. Will that happen? Unclear. Remember that being on the World Team won't do much for his Olympic dreams except put him through the grinder at 65 kilos and the USA will want to make sure he places in the top six and qualifies for the Olympic Games. Q: Why is arm wrestling on ESPN right now and not real wrestling? I just watched a match. Not real exciting. -- @alliseeis_ Foley: Probably because "Over the Top" was an incredible movie? I'm sure that we don't do a good enough job of marketing collegiate and international wrestling, but no schedule should be so open that the arm wrestling championships are being aired online. Please remember that there is a lot of ESPN and other national media for the sport of wrestling on the cable channels and living online. We are not THAT poorly marketed or covered overall, there are just moments like watching a fake Stallone grunt it out that makes it seem that way. By the way ... who won?! Q: This year Tanner Hall is enrolling at Arizona State after returning from a Mormon mission. The plan is for him to wrestle heavyweight. Is he an immediate national title contender at heavyweight? -- Mike C. Foley: I was fortunate to coach a few LDS wrestlers after they came back from their missions, including heavyweight Kevin Lester. There is nothing keeping Tanner Hall from competing at the top level, but like I saw from Lester and LDS wrestlers, there tends to be a brief readjustment to collegiate life and the intensity of a collegiate wrestling room. Wish Arizona State the best of luck, though with their talent and coaching I'm not sure they need an NCAA champion heavyweight to carry them through the tournament.

NEW YORK -- Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs capped Team USA's 9-4 victory over Cuba with a fall at 74 kilos in the final match of Beat the Streets' "Salsa in the Square" on Thursday night in New York. The 26-year-old Burroughs dominated Luis Esteban Quintana Martinez from start to finish and nearly had a technical fall before earning a fall with 1:10 remaining in the match. "That dude was extremely athletic," said Burroughs. "He was quick as a cat and he wanted to keep the score close, and obviously I didn't." It was Burroughs' third time competing in Times Square. "It gets better every year," said Burroughs. "The crowd is more excited. I knew that the elements were a little bit different, a little bit colder in here than it is in the wrestling room or arena. But wrestling is the same, no matter if you're wrestling here or on top of the Empire State Building." In another 74-kilo men's freestyle matchup, U.S. Open champion David Taylor showed that he is a force to be reckoned with by earning a technical fall victory over Livan Lopez Azcuy, an Olympic bronze medalist and three-time World medalist. Taylor scored an ankle pick takedown off the whistle and eventually raced out to a 6-0 lead. Lopez would battle back to tie the score 6-6 late in the first period on the strength of a throw. The Cuban would take a one-point lead early in the second period before the American took control of the match. Taylor used a four-point move to go up 10-7, and then continued to pour it on before earning the 18-7 technical fall. "I wrestle my best when I'm wrestling the entire time," Taylor told USA Wrestling's Gary Abbott. "In that match I just tried to keep wrestling. I got up 6-0, we got in that scramble and he scored six, I gave up a four. He's a very explosive wrestler. In the break the coaches said, 'You've got to keep wrestling.' So I just went back out there and tried to get to my offense and kept scoring. I've just got to continue doing that as much as I can." Nineteen-year-old Kyle Snyder, who won his first U.S. Open title last month, blanked World bronze medalist Javier Cortina Lacerra 4-0 at 97 kilos. Snyder used a pushout and takedown in the first period to go up 3-0 at the break. He added another point off a pushout in the final period. "Gosh, that guy was strong," said Snyder. "It was good to wrestle a World bronze medalist and compete well against him. There are still a couple things I can fix, but it was good." Also getting victories in men's freestyle for Team USA were Tervel Dlagnev (125 kilos) and Brent Metcalf (65 kilos). Dlagnev won by technical fall over Cuba's Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez. Metcalf earned a hard-fought 8-5 victory over Franklin Maren Castillo. Cuba's two victories in men's freestyle came from Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (57 kilos) and Reineris Salas Perez (86 kilos). Bonne, a World bronze medalist, earned a 14-1 technical fall victory over U.S. Open champion Tony Ramos. It was Bonne's second win over Ramos in two months. His previous victory over Ramos came by fall at the World Cup in Los Angeles. Salas, a three-time World medalist, handled 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert 8-4. The two wrestlers met twice in 2010, including once in the World Championships, with Salas winning both meetings. USA and Cuba split the two Greco-Roman matches. World bronze medalist Andy Bisek opened the Greco-Roman matches with a 3-1 victory over Yurisandi Hernandez Rios. Cuba would take the second Greco-Roman match as Maykel Anache Lamout topped Spencer Mango 6-4. In women's freestyle, Randi Miller (69 kilos), Clarissa Chun (48 kilos) and Helen Maroulis (55 kilos) picked up wins for Team USA. Cuba's lone victory in women's freestyle came from Yekelin Stornell Elastigue (Cuba), who won by technical fall over Rosemary Flores at 60 kilos. In a special challenge match, two-time NCAA Division I champion Alex Dieringer claimed a convincing 9-0 victory over three-time undefeated NCAA Division II champion Joey Davis. Dieringer led 1-0 after the opening period and broke the match open in the second period with two takedowns and two turns. Results Women's freestyle: 69 kilos: Randi Miller (USA) tech. fall Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez (Cuba), 11-0 60 kilos: Yekelin Stornell Elastigue (Cuba) tech. fall Rosemary Flores (USA), 11-0 48 kilos: Clarissa Chun (USA) dec. Yusneylis Guzman Lopez (Cuba), 8-2 55 kilos: Helen Maroulis (USA) tech. fall Yamilka del Valle Alvarez (Cuba), 10-0 Special challenge match: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. Joey Davis (Notre Dame), 9-0 Greco-Roman: 75 kilos: Andy Bisek (USA) dec. Yurisandi Hernandez Rios (Cuba), 3-1 59 kilos: Maykel Anache Lamout (Cuba) dec. Spenser Mango (USA), 6-4 Men's freestyle: 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) tech. fall Andres Ramos Dinza (Cuba), 11-0 57 kilos: Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba) tech. fall Tony Ramos (USA), 14-1 97 kilos: Kyle Snyder (USA) dec. Javier Cortina Lacerra (Cuba), 4-0 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba), 8-5 74 kilos: David Taylor (USA) tech. fall Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba), 18-7 86 kilos: Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) dec. Jake Herbert (USA), 8-4 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) pinned Luis Esteban Quintana Martinez (Cuba), 4:50

BATESVILLE, Ark. -- A three-time United States Olympic wrestler alternate, a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State University and a former assistant coach on the staff at NCAA Division I Purdue University, Tom Erikson has been named the head men and women's wrestling coach at Lyon College, according to Athletics Director Kevin Jenkins. Erikson, 50, has more than 25-years of coaching experience at a variety of levels, demonstrating the proficiency in developing athletes to the status of national-level competitors. He has spent 13 years (1999-2012) at Purdue as an assistant coach at the main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, working extensively in the physical and mental development of a number of All-Americans and Honorable Mention All-Americans. Erikson has been on the U.S.A. Wrestling national staff since 2013, working as the head coach of the National Team, which represented the United States in the Medved Cup in Minsk, Belarus. During that time he was also coach of Team U.S.A. in an exhibition dual, competing against Team India in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2014. He made time to serve as an assistant wrestling coach since 2012 at Hamilton Heights High School in Arcadia, Indiana. Erikson has served as team leader of Team Indiana (2004-present), was a club coach at River City Wrestling Club (2000-07) in West Lafayette, and was vice chair of ticket sales, marketing and promotion for the 2004 Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in 2002-04. "We're excited about the kind of coaching and stability that Coach Erikson brings to our programs here at Lyon," Jenkins stated. "He has experience on a variety of levels and knows the kind of student-athletes we're looking for here." A graduate of Bloom High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Erikson then attended Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, where he received his Associate of Arts degree. He went on to attend Oklahoma State and then later graduated from Western Governors University, with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Marketing and Management. Erikson, who is in the Bloom High School Athletics Hall of Fame ('86), the Illinois Wrestling and Officials Association Hall of Fame ('96), the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame ('96), the Midlands' Hall of Fame ('04) and the Indiana Wrestling and Officials Association Hall of Fame ('10), was an U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team alternate in 1988, 1992 and 1996, a two-time NJCAA National Champion at Triton College (1984 & 1985), a member of the All-Big 8 Academic Team in 1986 and a NCAA Wrestling All-American at OSU in 1986 and 1987. He feels Lyon is the right place at the right time for him and is excited about continuing the growth of the young wrestling programs. "(Lyon is) a small school and a family atmosphere and a beautiful campus; what more could a coach ask for," Erikson said Wednesday. "I'm looking for a college that I can build a legacy and a strong wrestling program that will eventually be on the national map. The Lyon women's team was ranked in the Top 25 this past year and there's no reason to not believe the men's program couldn't be right there in the next two years. "I know what it's like to compete in collegiate wrestling. I've coached some of the best collegiate wrestlers and I've learned from some great coaches in my years at Purdue." An added incentive for the Lyon men's program is the fact that Lyon will join Missouri Baptist University, Williams Baptist College, Hannibal-LaGrange University, Lindenwood University-Belleville and conference newcomer Central Baptist College for the first-ever AMC men's wrestling team title in 2015-16. Erikson believes that being a part of a young growing program at Lyon -- which will enter its second season in both men and women in 2015-16 -- can be both a challenge and a benefit. "Coming in on the ground floor has its challenges, but it also means I can build and mold these programs the way I want to," he continued. "My goal is to bring in kids that are true student-athletes, which means they are here to be outstanding students first, and then outstanding wrestlers. I want them to be proud Lyon College graduates by the time their careers are over here." Erikson hopes to build relationships with other wrestling professionals in the Arkansas and surrounding states like he did in Indiana. He also says he plans on using the established relationships he has built in the Midwest to expand the Lyon programs. The Lyon women's program has two freshmen WCWA All-Americans returning in Jazmin Perez (FR/West Covina, Calif.) and Jesse Grubbs (FR/Azle, Texas). The Scot women were 6-12 in their first year of competition. The Lyon programs return 17 lettermen from a year ago, in which all are going to be sophomores. Erikson and his wife, Randi, have two children, a 24-year old son, Bowdi, and a 14-year old daughter, Jadlynn.

The Fight Network presents Takedown Radio LIVE from the IHeart Studios in Des Moines. Takedown is powered by Kemin Industries and 04 Water as we take the pulse of America's sport. Join Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Mike Chapman, Stephen Stonebraker and Brad Johnson this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT) live on iHeart Radio and TakedownRadio.com Enter our Takedown Sportswear Super Sunday Singlet giveaway for a chance to win a singlet every Sunday of the year by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/TakedownWrestling and on Twitter at @TakedownWrestle @TakedownShop and @IAwrestle 9:00 am Jay Borschel- Two-time NCAA All American and owner of The Wrestling Lab 9:15 am Rob Koll- Head Coach at Cornell 9:35 am Reece Humphrey- 2015 61 kg U.S Open Champion 10:00 am John Stutzman- Head Coach at Buffalo 10:15 am Tom Borrelli- Head Coach at Central Michigan 10:35 am Mike Chapman- Award Winning Wrestling Author For contests and conversation use 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CST. Listen to the show on the radio, iPhone/Android iHeart Radio app, KXNO.com or Takedownradio.com. Special thanks to our friends at Adidas, Cadillac, Dollamur, All American Wrestling Supply, Defense Soap, 04 Water, Nike, Legends of Gold National Training Center, St. Louis Sports Commission, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Sunflower Wrestling, Fast Signs, McCarger Works, Fenemore Brothers Tree Service, Rockstar Satellite DirecTV, DanMarWarrior.com and Max Muscle Sports Nutrition and Louie's Wine Dive

LAS VEGAS -- The first inductees for the new look UFC Hall of Fame have been announced. Jeff Blatnick -- a key personality during the UFC's formative years -- and the April 2005 rematch between Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg will be inducted as in this year's Contributor and Fight categories, respectively. The announcements were made moments ago on UFC Tonight, the UFC's official magazine show on FOX Sports 1. The formal induction will take place at a gala event on Saturday, July 11 at the UFC Fan Expo, during the UFC's annual International Fight Week. Jeff Blatnick will be posthumously inducted as a UFC Hall of Fame Contributor, in recognition for his historically significant services to the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts. UFC President Dana White said: "Jeff Blatnick is a name that newer fans may not be familiar with, but this guy was a huge part on the UFC's development in the 1990s. He pushed for greater regulation, unified rules and - because he was an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling - he had credibility with everyone in the sport. It is our honor to recognize his huge contributions to the UFC by inducting him into the UFC Hall of Fame." Blatnick's story is an incredible one. In 1982 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma -- a form of cancer -- and had to undergo life-saving surgery and chemotherapy. Astonishingly, he won the super-heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in Los Angeles less than two years later. He became a national hero and inspiration for cancer patients worldwide. A decade later, Blatnick watched an early UFC event. He recognized the sport behind the spectacle and joined the organization as lead color commentator from UFC 4 (December 1994) through to UFC 34 (November 2001). In those seven years at Octagonside, Blatnick educated a generation of fight fans on the finer points of grappling and sportsmanship. But, perhaps more importantly, as the Commissioner of the UFC (1998 to 2001) Blatnick is widely credited with coining the term "mixed martial arts" and championing its use to describe the emerging sport. As Commissioner, Blatnick served as a key member of the group who drafted what would become the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts � the framework for all regulated MMA around the world to this day. In his later years, the New York born Blatnick served as an MMA judge for many different state athletic commissions; in fact Blatnick's final contribution to the UFC came as a ringside judge at the UFC 152 event, just weeks before he passed away in October 2012. Lori Blatnick, Jeff's widow, will accept her late husband's UFC Hall of Fame induction on his behalf. She said: "Jeff would have been so honored to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. It's awesome, and it is right that he is recognized. He worked so hard to improve the sport and keep it alive in the 1990s. People in the industry, or have been around the UFC for years, they know what Jeff did behind the scenes but the viewers who watch the fights today probably haven't heard of him. That's probably because of Jeff's character, he was very humble and didn't like to talk about himself. But it is great he will now be recognized in such a huge way." Blatnick was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999. He was a two-time Div. II national champion for Springfield College, and was third in the 1979 NCAA Div. I Nationals. He was a state high school champion for Niskayuna High School (New York). Joining Blatnick in the class of 2015 will be Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg, who will be inducted together for their April 2005 rematch in the newly-minted Fight wing of the UFC Hall of Fame. Hughes vs Trigg II took place on April 16, 2005, at UFC 52 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was a rematch from 2003, where UFC welterweight champion Hughes defeated reigning WFA champion Trigg inside four minutes. Trigg won two bouts to earn a chance to avenge his loss to Hughes, and the build-up to the rematch saw Trigg goad the champion with a relentless campaign of insults. UFC President Dana White said: "I've said it a million times over the last 10 years, Hughes vs Trigg II is one of my favorite fights ever. In four minutes five seconds, it showed everything that is great about the UFC." FIGHT PASS members can watch the fight here: http://www.ufc.tv/video/matt-hughes-vs-frank-trigg-ufc-52 Hughes now becomes a two-time UFC Hall of Famer, having already been recognized by the Hall in 2010 for a legendary career which included two reigns as UFC welterweight champion. Hughes said: "When I got my hand raised, I thought I'd just come through a tough fight. It was only afterwards, when my team were congratulating me on this great win, that I started to realize this wasn't just another fight. Then Dana called me a few days later telling me it was the best fight he'd ever seen and, in the years since, I get asked about that one rematch with Trigg about as much as I do any big fight I've ever been in." Hughes added: "I occasionally get invited to speak to servicemen, and I try and speak to them about never giving up when they are in bad situations. The fight I use as an example is the second Trigg fight; I was in a very bad situation, I'd been hit low, I was hurt, rocked, Trigg had my back and he had me in a choke. But I didn't panic and as long as you don't panic, you don't quit on yourself and you have a little time, you can get out of even the worst of situations." Trigg said: "This is a great honor. Every great fight has a winner and a loser, but I am very proud that, 10 years on, people still ask me about this fight. I may not have won the UFC title that night, but this goes some way to make up for that." Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg were both successful Div. I wrestlers, Hughes was a two-time All-American for Eastern Illinois. Trigg wrestled at both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on the Div. I level, and was also a NJCAA Junior College national runner-up. The inductees in the Modern Era and Pioneer Era categories will be announced this weekend as part of scheduled UFC 187 programming. The UFC Hall of Fame 2015 induction ceremony will take place on July 11 as part of the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas. Fans with tickets to the UFC Fan Expo will be able to attend the UFC Hall of Fame 2015 event for no additional cost. Tickets to the UFC Fan Expo are available at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two-day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite. To visit the UFC Hall of Fame fight library � which includes the induction speeches for the first 12 UFC Hall of Famers � go to www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-library. For additional information please visit UFC.com, and follow UFC on Twitter @ufc. About UFC UFC is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter� reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS� a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM� locations, and owns UFC.TV� (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT� (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club�, UFC Fan Expo�, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

It has been said that success and excellence are habits. By extension, sustained success and excellence would be testament to the strength of a program. Even with just five seasons of data (i.e. those in which the InterMat Fab 50 has been in existence), one can identify those scholastic wrestling programs that are beacons of sustained excellence. This past December, Blair Academy won its 15th consecutive Beast of the East title (Photo/Rob Preston)Five seasons is enough time for multiple "groups" to have come and gone. In fact two full groups have competed all four seasons of their scholastic wrestling careers during this five-year period. Last year's longitudinal study of the InterMat Fab 50 rankings identified 14 programs that appeared in the rankings at the end of the previous four seasons (2011-2014). From that group, 11 appeared in the Fab 50 at the end of this season. In a related note, 15 programs have appeared in the rankings at the end of the most recent stretch of four seasons (2012-2015). Two other programs have appeared in the Fab 50 rankings at the end of four of the last five seasons. The following is a ranking of the 11 programs to end the last five seasons in the Fab 50: 1. Blair Academy, N.J. (2011: 2nd, 2012: 1st, 2013: 1st, 2014: 1st, 2015: 3rd) 2. St. Paris Graham, Ohio (4th, 8th, 5th, 6th, 1st) 3. Clovis, Calif. (7th, 5th, 8th, 3rd, 5th) 4. Wyoming Seminary, Pa. (11th, 9th, 2nd, 4th, 4th) 5. Apple Valley, Minn. (1st, 3rd, 13th, 5th, 17th) 6. Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. (21st, 12th, 20th, 13th, 9th) 7. St. Edward, Ohio (5th, 2nd, 4th, 50th, 15th) 8. Massillon Perry, Ohio (19th, 22nd, 16th, 7th, 24th) 9. Montini Catholic, Ill. (28th, 26th, 12th, 18th, 16th) 10. Broken Arrow, Okla. (29th, 19th, 36th, 12th, 13th) 11. Bettendorf, Iowa (12th, 10th, 50th, 21st, 20th) These four additional programs have ended the last four seasons in the Fab 50: Oak Park River Forest, Ill. (2012: 31st, 2013: 11th, 2014: 3rd, 2015: 2nd) Southeast Polk, Iowa (13th, 17th, 22nd, 7th) Poway, Calif. (21st, 23rd, 32nd, 8th) Tuttle, Okla. (28th, 41st, 31st, 23rd) An additional pair of Illinois programs have ended four of the last five seasons within the Fab 50 rankings: Carl Sandburg (2011: 26th, 2012: 36th, 2013: 9th, 2014: NR, 2015: 19th) Marmion Academy (16th, NR, 26th, 27th, 32nd) Three teams saw their four-year runs of ending the season within the Fab 50 rankings come to an end this past season: Brandon (Fla.), Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), and St. Johns (Mich.) The following six teams have now been ranked within the Fab 50 to end the last three seasons: Franklin Regional, Pa. (2013: 33rd, 2014: 8th, 2015: 6th) Bergen Catholic, N.J. (34th, 9th, 10th) Archer, Ga. (48th, 10th, 11th) Brecksville, Ohio (19th, 26th, 26th) Don Bosco Prep, N.J. (37th, 23rd, 37th) Bound Brook, N.J. (40th, 20th, 41st) Three other teams ended this past season within the Fab 50 for the third time during the last five years: Glenbard North, Ill. (2011: 22nd, 2012: 39th, 2013: NR, 2014: NR, 2015: 22nd) Lowell, Mich. (NR, 24th, NR, 16th, 25th) St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. (NR, 42nd, 10th, NR, 21st) A pair of teams saw three-year runs of ending their season within the Fab 50 rankings come to an end: Marist (Ill.) and McDonogh (Md.) In addition to identifying programs of excellence, a longitudinal analysis of the Fab 50 rankings can identify some trends, which can help provide an assessment of what to expect for the following year of the national team rankings. During the last five years of compiling the Fab 50 national team rankings, 112 different schools from 25 states have appeared in the season-end rankings. The following are some "by the numbers" observations about the rankings. 42 = schools that have been ranked at the end of just one season 33 = schools that have been ranked at the end of exactly two seasons 15 = number of different schools to end the season ranked from Pennsylvania, which is the most of any state (11 different New Jersey schools, and 10 different Ohio schools are next in line) 1 = number of unique schools to be ranked from Arizona, Delaware, Nebraska, Texas, and Tennessee 0 = schools to appear in the end of season national team rankings from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi (doesn't have high school wrestling), Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. In the last four seasons (i.e. excluding the first season), there have been anywhere from 13-to-18 schools that have made their first appearance in the end of season rankings: 2012: 18, 2013: 15, 2014: 16, 2015: 13 The following is an exhibit showing the relative position for these debutant schools: Furthermore, the "best" season end position for a debut school is 11th, which happened in 2014 by Stillwater (Okla.) In the last four seasons, when compared with the previous season (i.e. excluding the first season, as that had no previous season), either 18 or 19 schools that were ranked at the end of the prior year finished outside of the rankings The following is an exhibit that shows the relative position from the previous year for schools that did not repeat as nationally ranked: In all years but for 2014, the "best" ranking of a team not to return in the rankings was 14th. In the 2014 end of year rankings, teams that were ranked 6th, 9th, 10th, and 15th from the 2013 end of year rankings were not ranked. An additional factoid to note is that only 11 teams have been ranked, fallen out of the rankings in the following season, and made a subsequent return to the rankings. Some of that may be due to the lack of years present in the longitudinal study; while another part is that it is easier to make the "rise" than it is to recover from a "fall." Seven members of the 2015 end of season Fab 50 had a season in which they were not ranked after their initial appearance in the end-of-season rankings: Carl Sandburg (Ill.), Colonial Forge (Va.), Glenbard North (Ill.), Lowell (Mich.), Marmion Academy (Ill.), Neosho (Mo.), and St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.) The other four fitting this description are: Hermiston, Ore. (2011: 43rd, 2013: 46th) Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. (2011: 44th, 2013: 24th) Nazareth, Pa. (2011: 32nd, 2014: 25th) Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa (2011: 17th, 2014: 34th)

Joey Davis of Notre Dame College has compiled a perfect record of 110-0 in three seasons of college wrestling. Davis will face two-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State on Thursday at Beat the Streets' Salsa in the Square. The Iceman talks with Takedown.

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley University head coach Greg Williams announced on Monday that he's added Luke Lofthouse to his coaching staff. The former strength and conditioning coach at the University of Iowa and former All-American wrestler for the Hawkeyes will join Williams' staff as a volunteer assistant. "We are excited to have Luke with us. He has a passion for coaching and is already making an impact with our wrestlers through his energy, knowledge and work ethic," said Williams. "Luke believes in the vision we have here at UVU and we are happy to have him back in Utah." Lofthouse not only returns to his home state of Utah, as he hails from Avon, Utah, but also reunites with his nephews Ethen Lofthouse and Raider Lofthouse at Utah Valley as well. Ethen, who was recently promoted from a volunteer assistant to a full-time assistant at UVU, will work alongside Luke on Williams' staff while Raider will enter his redshirt freshman season at Utah Valley this fall after redshirting at 157 pounds for the Wolverines during the 2014-15 campaign. "It's exciting to be back close to family and to be able to work with my nephews here at UVU," Lofthouse said. "I like the team, I like the coaching staff, and I like what's happening with youth wrestling here in Utah. There's a lot of opportunity for development and growth, not only for me personally, but also us as a program and a university." Luke Lofthouse recently completed his third season as the strength and conditioning coach for coach Tom Brands at his alma mater of Iowa. Prior to his gig as the strength and conditioning coach for the Hawkeyes, Lofthouse capped his wrestling career with an All-American finish during his senior season (2011) by placing fifth in the nation at 197 pounds. That year he posted a 25-7 record and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. During his four-year career as a Hawkeye, Lofthouse compiled a 57-39 win-loss record and received UI's John & Dorothy Sill Award, which is presented to the team's most dedicated wrestler, during his senior season. Lofthouse, who prepped at Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah, was a three-time Utah State Champion during his high school days. He went a combined 161-8 while at Mountain Crest and went undefeated during both his sophomore (41-0) and junior (43-0) seasons. Lofthouse was also a three-time Utah state wrestler of the year, as well as a Wrestling USA Academic All-American as a senior. He also set school records for most wins in a season (44) and career (161), least career losses (8), consecutive falls (35), and most falls in a season (41) and career (123) while at Mountain Crest. "I've been exposed to a lot of different coaches throughout my career and this has definitely allowed me to grow in all aspects of the sport," added Lofthouse. "You always have to be a student of the game in wrestling, and I've been able to learn a lot over the years including on the psychological side. Hopefully I can help teach some of these experiences and lessons that I've learned to the team and I'm looking forward to coaching here at UVU." Lofthouse was also a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in 2012. He and his wife, Allison, have a son, Nicholas, and a daughter, Lilly. He is a 2011 graduate of the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in heath sciences (health coaching emphasis). Luke and Ethen Lofthouse, along with associate head coach Erkin Tadzhimetov will make up Williams' staff for the 2015-16 season.

Isaiah Bird, a 7-year-old wrestler, was born without legs but finds strength on the mat and a father figure in his compassionate coach. ESPN tells the story.

TEMECULA, Calif. -- On Friday night, 2009 NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell dazzled in his bantamweight debut in Bellator MMA. Caldwell improved his MMA record to 7-0 with a unanimous decision over Rafael Silva in what was being called the toughest test of the former North Carolina State wrestler's MMA career. Darrion Caldwell (Photo/Bellator MMA)The 27-year-old Caldwell dominated much of the might, taking Silva down multiple times, including once by hip toss, and using an effective top game. Silva had his moments in the second round, but was unable to take control of the fight. After the victory, Caldwell paid tribute to a close friend who recently passed away. "This fight tonight wasn't for me," Caldwell said in his post-fight interview. "I have a really close friend of mine, a guy I considered a bigger brother, take his life not too long ago. He was one of my biggest fans. I really wanted to come out here and get the victory for him. Everything that he's instilled upon me in terms of being a fighter and a hard worker. So big Lynch, I know you're out there ... I love you, bro. Thank you." Caldwell had a parting shot for the Bellator MMA president. "Scott Coker, I'm here to be your guy, your 135-pound bantamweight champion. Give me the opportunity and I'm going to thrive."

GREELEY, Colo. -- Northern Colorado Wrestling Head Coach Troy Nickerson announced on Friday that Tucker Lane will be the program's next assistant coach. Lane, originally from Nucla, Colorado joins UNC after spending three seasons as the top assistant coach at The Citadel where he worked primarily with the upper weight classes. "We are very happy to add someone of Tucker's caliber to our coaching staff," Nickerson said. "Being a Coloradan, Tucker is very familiar with the makeup of the state and our program. I have been very impressed with what Tucker has done in his three years, working at The Citadel. He will make a significant impact on our upper weights." In three seasons, Lane has coached 11 NCAA qualifiers including three All-Americans. Lane came to The Citadel from the University of Nebraska where he was a four-time NCAA qualifier, collecting eight victories in his four appearances at nationals. After the Cornhuskers made the move to the Big Ten in 2012, Lane nabbed seventh place as a No. 4 seed at his first Big Ten Tournament. As a Big XII contender from 2008-2010, Lane earned three consecutive third place finishes in the conference tournament, racking up six victories. Lane also excelled in the classroom at Nebraska, receiving numerous academic accolades including the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. He was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2012 and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, including first team honors his senior year. Lane was a four-time National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic team member, academic All-Big Ten and two-time first team academic All-Big XII and an eight-time member of the Big XII Commissioner's Honor Roll. Before enrolling at Nebraska, Lane was a three-time state champion at Nucla High School in Colorado under the direction of former professional wrestler, head coach and father Larry Lane.

At first glance last weekend's U.S. Open seemed to lack the type of intrigue most wrestling fans have grown accustomed to over the past several years. Gone was Jordan Burroughs, who earned his World Team Trials appearance last year in Tashkent. Absent too was Kyle Dake, who won the Northeast Regionals qualifier the week prior and chose that event to qualify for the World Team Trials. With that duo gone the dream of a 74-kilo showdown with Andrew Howe and David Taylor wasn't to be. And still the U.S. Open delivered. Though the United States is not the most internationally successful wrestling nation, we do enjoy a depth that allows for excitement at domestic tournaments like the U.S. Open, World Team Trials and even smaller events like the NYAC Invitational. That depth is important to remember as wrestling fans begin their discussion of Ed Ruth signing his developmental contract with Bellator -- and not only because he lost to Jake Herbert. Ruth, and any other wrestler who wants to pursue MMA should feel glad to go forward with the full support of the wrestling community. It's unrealistic to think that everybody in the room matters to the overall success of Team USA when we already enjoy one of the deepest programs in the world. Ruth will likely have another crack at Herbert at the World Team Trials and if he wins his developmental contract will seem like nothing more than good business, but if he loses the rematch, or in an earlier round to Keith Gavin, then the community is likely to blame the cage. Don't. Fighting is just another job, and for men who have lived their life wrestling it's a natural fit for their talents. The benefit of MMA is that it can cut loose those who no longer have the drive to compete in wrestling. That's a blessing for a sport in a constant struggle for financial resources. USA Wrestling hosts these tournaments for a reason -- they want to see who is the most talented AND the most dedicated of their flock. Ruth has given a lot to the sport of wrestling and he should be supported fully by the community whether he decides to transition to MMA, run a car dealership or pursue coaching. Our best should be cheered for any career they choose after they leave the mat -- no exceptions. To your questions ... Q: Now that Kyle Snyder has won his first U.S. Open title, do you see him being the man in the U.S. at 97 kilos through 2020? Or am I getting ahead of myself? -- Mike C. Foley: I do. I expect he will need to hold off Jake Varner during the finals of the World Team Trials, but predicting he's able to repeat that performance I think he will be in a great position to be "the guy" at 97 kilos for 2016 and 2020. Standing in Snyder's immediate way is his lack of size. By international standards Snyder is a pretty stout, even small, 211.5 pounds. When comparing Snyder to Abdusalam Gadisov or Reza Yazdani you can see that there is some size for him to add before he can zero in on a gold medal. Big boys at the international level aren't one dimensional, and neither is Snyder, but the pounds still matter. Given that he continues his progress, I'd expect Snyder's first gold medal on the senior level to come at the 2018 World Championships. Q: I had the amazing opportunity to attend Worlds last year in Tashkent, my first international wrestling event. I'm looking forward to Vegas this September as well, but am confounded why UWW awards two bronze medals and fifth-place awards instead of the traditional 1st-6th or 1st-8th places. Maybe it's because I'm from the U.S. but I am glad they still place it out to eighth at last weekend's U.S. Open. I'm used to this at NCAAs and high school state tournaments as well, but it really seems odd to me to see four guys on the podium at international events. I remember watching the last Olympics with some non-wrestling friends. We caught a highlight of Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner on the podium and they were totally weirded out by the double bronzes. I had no explanation for them and had to chalk it up as one more confusing thing about our beloved sport. Is the rest of the world used to this? Does this happen in other sports? I know you're involved with UWW. What's your take? -- Andrew S. Foley: Wow. You made it to Tashkent?! That's incredible. Good on you! I'm immune to it at this point. Wrestling was given the extra medal spot in order to follow a repechage and save time at the Olympics. The average number of nation's medals per games increased to 29 in 2012 up from 22 in 2004. That is a significant increase that allows national federations to appeal for funding and grow the sport. The sport is so hard and the margin for error so tiny that I don't think it's a terrible precedent to follow (was established by judo). Yes, the Olympic community is familiar with the practice, but I don't think they'll be taken off the stand unless there are more weight classes given, or possibly a two-day format figured out for Tokyo 2020. I also don't think that the IOC has asked wrestling to change their double bronze situation. Until that happens, nothing would occur. Assuming Victoria Anthony makes the World Team, how does she stack up against the world at 48 kilos? Do you view her as a medal threat? -- Mike C. Victoria Anthony claimed her first U.S. Open title at 48 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: She's currently ranked No. 12 in the world and though there is a fairly objective criteria used I think she can do much better on the world stage. Right now I see her as a 50/50 to make the bronze medal match at the World Championships in Vegas. Unfortunately, she's behind two-time world champion and World No.1 Eri Tosaka, Azerbaijan hammer Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan), No. 3 Sun Yanan (China) and who ever Russia sends, but likely Valentina Islamova (Russia) who ranks No. 4. Maybe she knocks off Islamova, but those top three are tough, tough, and unbeatable. For example, two years ago Sun Yanan won a World championship but then ran into Eri Tosaka the following year and lost a tight bout. Their follow-up match she got teched at the Asian Games. I do enjoy watching Anthony wrestle and think she's developing a lot under the closer coaching of Valentin Kalika, who also coaches Helen Maroulis, Aaron Pico and Elena Pirozhkova. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME The pitch is back (today) Cartwheels. Seriously, the world gets pitch slapped Q: What do you make of Denis Tsargush losing to Aniuar Geduev at the Russian Freestyle Wrestling Championships? How, if at all, does this affect the United States? -- Mike C. Foley: Ahhhh, but Tsargush actually lost to Iakub Shikhdzamalov who eventually lost to (very talented) Khabib Batyrov in the bronze-medal match. Aniuar Geduev won the Russian championship and the starting spot. Russia will almost certainly sit Tsargush. He lost in 2013 and they kept him on the bench, so there is little reason to think that he would leapfrog Geduev, even if they felt he might beat Burroughs. Russia believes in the system more than the individual -- as well they should given their success. This is GREAT news for Team America in the short term. I think that Burroughs will be much more likely to cruise to a World title than if he had to battle Tsargush again. However, the big wrench might be if the Russian doesn't finish second place and then Tsargush wins the Olympic spot in 2016. By design the gold and silver medalist countries from the previous year are separated at the following year's championships or Olympics. That won't happen if Geduev doesn't make it to the finals, and it could be Burroughs who beats him before the finals. Lots of ways this can play out. Q: I saw you rank your top four four-timers. What are your top four three-timers; top four two-timers; and top four on-time NCAA champs? -- MC Foley: For the sake of argument and intrigue I'll focus this on the modern-era wrestlers (1980-today) and I won't go down the long, dark hallway of one-time champions! Three-timers: Ed Ruth (Penn State) Stephen Abas (Fresno State) Joe Williams (Iowa) Tom Brands (Iowa) Two-timers: Ben Askren (Missouri) John Smith (Oklahoma State) David Taylor (Penn State) Donny Pritzlaff (Wisconsin) Q: Anthony Valencia and Mark Hall were very impressive in Las Vegas! Hypothetically speaking, if Valencia, Hall, Alex Dieringer and Bo Jordan were in a four-man tournament in freestyle, what would the final placements be? -- Mike C. Foley: Good grief that's one terrifying bracket. I think that Valencia's recent U.S. Open performance proved he's the leader of the group. Following him up would be Dieringer, Jordan and Hall. I think. Hell, I don't know. Those four are pretty evenly matched, but I do think in terms of freestyle Valencia proved he might be on a different level than his age group. Q: Who do you think will win the 86-kilo spot for Team America in men's freestyle? -- Theo P. Foley: Jake.

Arizona State landed the nation's No. 1 recruiting class this year, but Sun Devil fans will have to wait until the 2016-17 season to see their two highest ranked recruits wrestle in the lineup. Zahid Valencia (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Brothers Anthony Valencia and Zahid Valencia, ranked first and third respectively in the Class of 2015, will redshirt next season in Tempe. "I'm going to be redshirt my first year, and so is my brother," Zahid Valencia told Takedown Wrestling. "It won't be until two years before we'll be winning NCAA championships." Zahid won a UWW Junior National freestyle title at 84 kilos this past weekend in Las Vegas, beating Ohio State signee Myles Martin 7-0 in the championship match. Anthony placed third at the U.S. Open on the senior level at 74 kilos. In his third-place match he won by 10-0 technical fall over University World champion Tyler Caldwell. Said Zahid of his brother Anthony: "He made that big jump and he wrestled really well. He came a little short of what he wanted, but still really impressive." Arizona State's 2015 recruiting's class includes five InterMat top 100 recruits. In addition to the Valencia brothers, the other top 100 recruits are Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.), Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.) and Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.).

In the Sunday editions of ESPN SportsCenter on May 17, the weekly SC Featured segment will tell the story of Isaiah Bird, a seven-year-old wrestler in Long Beach, N.Y., who was born without legs and has formed a strong bond with his coach. In its simplest definition a family refers to a group of people closely related by blood, but often family extends beyond the boundaries of relatives. In Bird’s hometown, there's a wrestling community that is exactly that -- a family. And to Bird, his coach, Miguel Rodriguez, has become like a father. Bird was born without legs, but that's not his greatest challenge in life. Tom Rinaldi reports for SC Featured on the unseen challenges Bird faces and the bond formed between a remarkable boy and a remarkable man. The feature will debut in the 10 a.m. ET edition of SportsCenter and will re-air in other editions of the program throughout the day. Some quotes from the feature: “He gives me love. I give him love. Coach protects me, and I like when he protects me.” -- Isaiah Bird. “He knows that I will never let anything happen to him. I will always be in his life. I can never let him go.” -- Coach Miguel Rodriguez.

BLACKSBURG -- Devin Carter of the Virginia Tech wrestling squad has been selected to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-District Men's At-Large Team announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America Thursday morning. The Capital One Academic All-District At-Large Team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. The Academic All-District teams include student-athlete that are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. Carter is one of 10 student-athletes that were selected from District Three which includes the states: North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Carter closed out his career with a third-place finish at the national championships at 141 pounds. He went 32-3 this season and won the ACC title. The 2014 ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete, he became the first wrestler in league history to earn four All-ACC Wrestling citations, four ACC individual Wrestling championships and four All-ACC Academic Wrestling team awards. The All-ACC Wrestling Academic team began in just 2007. Carter was also honored this year as a recipient of the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship. This is the third CoSIDA academic recognition for Carter. He is now eligible for Academic All-America honors, which he earned last year as a second-team selection. The Christiansburg, Virginia, native graduated with a degree in psychology and is finishing up graduate school in curriculum and instruction. He has been accepted into a PhD program at Tech, as well.

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference office announced its annual postgraduate scholarship recipients on Thursday, with $15,000 awarded to each institution. Twenty-nine student-athletes from the 14 Big Ten institutions who plan to continue their education at a graduate degree program were awarded the scholarship, based on primarily academic achievements. Of the 29 recipients, three were wrestlers: Matt Brown (Penn State), Joshua Polacek (Maryland) and John Coukos (Northwestern). Brown finished his career as an NCAA champion and three-time All-American at 174 pounds. Polacek posted a 6-13 record this past season at 125 pounds. Polacek won 18 matches as a redshirt freshman. He will graduate with a degree in general biology in Mayand will be attending Dental school in the fall. Coukos went 1-2 this season at 133 pounds and finished his collegiate career with a 10-29 career mark.

On Thursday, the Atlantic Coast Conference released its championship sites for the 2015-16 academic year as the league concluded its annual spring meetings. The University of Virginia will host the 2016 ACC Wrestling Championships on March 5 or March 6.

The Fight Network presents Takedown Radio LIVE from the iHeart Studios in Des Moines. Takedown is powered by Kemin Industries and 04 Water as we take the pulse of America's sport. Join Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Stephen Stonebraker and Brad Johnson this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT) live on iHeart Radio and TakedownRadio.com Enter our Takedown Sportswear Super Sunday Singlet giveaway for a chance to win a singlet every Sunday of the year by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/TakedownWrestling and on Twitter at @TakedownWrestle @TakedownShop and @IAwrestle 9:00 a.m. Mitch Smith- West Liberty Head Coach 9:15 a.m. Kyle Snyder- 2015 U.S. Open Champion 9:35 a.m. Adeline Gray- 2015 U.S. Open Champion 10:00 a.m. Rocky Burkett- Northern State Head Coach 10:15 a.m. Joey Davis- Notre Dame of Ohio three-time National Champion 10:35 a.m. Tervel Dlagnev- 2015 U.S. Open Champion For contests and conversation use 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CST. Listen to the show on the radio, iPhone/Android iHeart Radio app, KXNO.com or Takedownradio.com. Special thanks to our friends at Adidas, Cadillac, Dollamur, All American Wrestling Supply, Defense Soap, 04 Water, Nike, Legends of Gold National Training Center, St. Louis Sports Commission, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Sunflower Wrestling, Fast Signs, McCarger Works, Fenemore Brothers Tree Service, Rockstar Satellite DirecTV, DanMarWarrior.com and Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, and Louie's Wine Dive.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio has announced that Frank Beasley has been promoted to Associate Head Coach. Beasley came to NC State with Popolizio in the spring of 2012, and after three seasons, the Wolfpack wrestling program has seen its most success in over 20 years. "I am excited to announce the promotion of Frank Beasley to the well-deserved title of Associate Head Coach," said Popolizio. "His dedication, tireless work ethic, commitment and loyalty to NC State Wrestling have been instrumental to the success of the program. "Frank has shown tremendous growth as a coach over the last several years, and as our recruiting coordinator, he has had an immense impact on the program helping elevate it to where it is today." While he works with the entire team, his primary training focus is the middle and upper weights. He has also been the Pack's recruiting coordinator in each of his three seasons, helping the Pack to top-25 recruiting classes. "I'm honored to accept the position at NC State," said Beasley. "I've really enjoyed the last three years with the program and I am excited for many more. It has been an incredible experience helping Coach Popolizio build the program. From the moment I met Pat, I knew he would be a great mentor. "Our outstanding team, staff, and support staff really make it an easy decision to accept the position and continue to build for the future. Our staff is all on the same page and our team is committed to winning ACC titles and competing for a national championship. NC State is a special place to my family and myself. I would like to thank Dr. Yow, Sherard Clinkscales, the rest of the administration, and especially Pat for the opportunity to continue to learn from him and work together." Beasley has help NC State earn three All-America honors over the last two years, most in back-to-back years since 1992-93. In his three seasons, Beasley has helped coach 13 NCAA qualifiers - the most in a three-year span at NC State since 2007-09. NC State posted top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships each of the last two seasons for the first time since 1992-93. The 2015 season marked one of the top seasons in NC State history, as the Pack's 16th place finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships was the highest team finish since 1993. NC State had a pair of All-Americans for the first season since 1993, as redshirt junior Nick Gwiazdowski repeated as NCAA Champion at 285 pounds and became the first wrestler in school history to win multiple NCAA titles, and only the third ACC wrestler all-time to do so, and the first since 1995. Freshman Kevin Jack went from unseeded to a fifth place finish at 141 pounds. Gwiazdowski repeated as ACC Wrestler of the Year, while Jack was named the ACC Freshman of the Year. NC State finished 2015 with a dual record of 16-6, with all but one of the losses coming to top-10 teams at the time of the dual. The 16 wins are the third-most in a single season at NC State, as only the 1985 (18) and 1988 (19) squads recorded more. NC State finished 3-2 in ACC dual action in 2015, placing second - its highest regular season finish since 2007 and an improvement from fifth place in 2014. The Pack finished the regular season ranked 17th nationally in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. NC State was also ranked #14 by InterMat.com and #18 by FloWreslting.com in their final regular season polls. Beasley joined the NC State wrestling program for the 2012-13 season after serving as an assistant on Pat Popolizio's staff at Binghamton for one year.