InterMat Staff

South Dakota State University head wrestling coach Chris Bono announced Tuesday the addition of A.J. Schopp to the Jackrabbit coaching staff. "I am thrilled to have A.J. join our program," Bono said. "He brings a tireless work ethic and extensive knowledge of the sport, and is one of the most respected young coaches in the country. He is a perfect fit for not only our athletic program, but for the community, as well. He shares the same mindset and philosophy as Coach (Jon) Reader and myself. A.J. will have an immediate impact on our team -- I cannot wait for him to get started." Schopp recently completed a standout wrestling career at Edinboro University (Pa.), where he was a four-time NCAA qualifier and three-time All-American. He finished fourth at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as both a sophomore and junior before placing third in the 133-pound division this past March. He compiled a 133-17 career record with 67 pins, including a 26-3 mark with 16 falls as a senior. As a team, Edinboro posted a pair of top-five finishes in the team standings at the Division I Championships, including a third-place showing in 2015. "I am excited to have the opportunity to coach at SDSU," Schopp said. "The atmosphere created by the coaches, athletic administration, the student-athletes and the community is unbelievably warm and welcoming. I can't wait to be a part of the Jackrabbit family -- we are going to do some great things." Schopp will begin his duties in June. South Dakota State finished the 2014-15 season with an 11-8 record in duals, including a 3-2 mark in the Western Wrestling Conference. The Jackrabbits later placed third at the NCAA West Regional and sent three wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Six members of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club travel to Las Vegas this week to compete at the U.S. Senior Open on Saturday and Sunday at the South Point Hotel Casino and Spa. Daniel Dennis (61 kg), Phil Keddy (86 kg), Matt McDonough (57 kg), Brent Metcalf (65 kg), Tony Ramos (57 kg), and Derek St. John (70 kg) compete in the men's freestyle tournament beginning Friday at 11 a.m. (CT). The consolation round continues Saturday at 11 a.m., and the championships are Saturday at 9 p.m. The top five athletes in each weight class automatically qualify for the U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials in Madison, Wisconsin, on June 12-14. The winner of each weight class receives an automatic berth to the finals at the World Team Trials. Metcalf outscored his opponents 39-0 to win the 2014 U.S. Senior Open. He later swept the best-of-three finals at the World Team Trials to earn a spot on the U.S. World Team. Ramos and St. John are making their U.S. Senior Open debuts. Keddy placed sixth a year ago and McDonough placed fourth. Universal?Sports Network will televise the finals Saturday at 9 p.m. (CT). NBC Sports Network will replay a broadcast Wednesday, May 13, at 10:30 p.m. (CT). The entire Open Wrestling Championships will be webcast live by FloWrestling.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia wrestling head coach Steve Garland announced Tuesday that redshirt junior Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) will not return to the program next season. Butler, who will complete his undergraduate degree from Virginia this semester, has requested and received his transfer release to another institution. He plans on beginning classes in pursuit of his master's degree while competing in his final year of eligibility. "Blaise is a tremendous competitor who worked extremely hard here," Garland said. "He will be dearly missed. I'm disappointed about his departure, but I love him just the same. We wish him all the best in his future plans." A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier, Butler was 21-6 in 2014-15 and leaves UVa with a 56-20 career record. He won the 2014 ACC Championship at 157 pounds, then moved up two weight classes to 174 this season. He was the No. 5 seed at 174 pounds at the NCAA Championships this year, reaching the round of 12 before bowing out. "I love the University of Virginia and the UVa wrestling program and want to thank my coaches and teammates for everything they have done for me," Butler said. "This was an extremely tough decision for me and was strictly a move based on my future career outside of wrestling. Toward the beginning of the year, I made the decision that I wanted to pursue a career in business. I knew that there was a chance I would not get into a business master's program at UVa, so I began to explore my options at other universities. I'm excited to work toward my MBA next year and make one more run at a national championship, but it is hard to leave the guys that I have had so many great memories with." Butler will be attending graduate school at the University of Missouri and wrestling for the Tigers.

NEW YORK -- In what has become a rite of spring in New York, Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. and USA Wrestling today announced details of this year's international competition, which returns to Times Square on Thursday, May 21, this time back in the Duffy Square location at 46th Street in Manhattan. Competitors for Team USA and the Cuban National Team will compete in all three Olympic styles, a preview of top contenders for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Team USA shakes hands with Cuba at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Billed as the "Salsa in the Square," this will be the first time that a dual meet between a U.S. team and a Cuban team in an Olympic sport will take place in the United States since the historic change in USA and Cuban political relations earlier this year. It is also the first time that a Cuban wrestling team will compete in New York City in a dozen years, since the successful 2003 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships were held at Madison Square Garden. Overall, this unique and electrifying annual event helps raise significant funds to further BTS' mission to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and the strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. "The entire night, from our historic outdoor wrestling in Times Square to the awards gala at The Best Buy Theater ensures that we can continue to help, support and grow wrestling for kids in New York City and beyond ," said Jim Fallis, Executive Director of Beat the Streets. "The format with our top American wrestlers taking on a Cuban team gives us an added bonus this year and shows that sport can go even further in overcoming political obstacles that once existed, all of which should make for another amazing night for our sport, for our kids and for our great city." The Cuban Wrestling Federation has announced its lineup of stars who will be competing against the United States in Times Square. Team Cuba will include seven men’s freestyle wrestlers, four women’s freestyle wrestlers and two Greco-Roman wrestlers, showcasing talent in all three Olympic styles. The Cuban team features four past medalists in men's freestyle: 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and three-time World medalist Livan Lopez Azcuy at 74 kilos in men’s freestyle, three-time World medalist Reineris Salas Perez at 86 kilos, plus 2014 World bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez at 57 kilos and Javier Cortina Lacerra at 97 kilos. The women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman athletes are a mix of veteran stars and exciting young talents. Combined, the team has won 11 Pan American individual gold medals and four Junior World medals. The U.S. opponents for each of the Cuban wrestlers are currently being determined, with match-ups to be released individually in the upcoming days. The U.S. team will feature veteran World and Olympic medalists, along with some young stars who have already made a big impact on the international scene. Top Beat the Streets middle school and high school students will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 4pm to start the evening. Then it's Team USA vs. Cuba at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Beat the Streets Award Gala at 7:30 p.m. at Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway). The USA vs. the World dual requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala. More details are available at http://www.btsny.org/gala The Gala Celebration will follow the wrestling competition at Best Buy Theater. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets(BTS) raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it's providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one's goals, creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year. The world-class competition has been hosted in Times Square three previous times. In 2011, the United States defeated World champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kilos/132-pound position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men’s freestyle. In 2014, the USA defeated a World All-Star Team in Times Square, 8-3. This will be the sixth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Gala activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. In 2013, the event was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal. Dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails," it featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran and was an important part of the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, which resulted in wrestling retaining its status on the Olympic Games program. "Salsa In The Square," Beat The Streets Wrestling Schedule At New York, May 21, 2014 4:00 p.m. Beat the Streets Exhibition Matches in Duffy Square at 46th Street 5:30 p.m. World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Cuba at 46th Street 7:30 p.m. Gala Celebration at Best Buy Theater at 1515 Broadway Cuba's Lineup Men's freestyle 57 kilos: Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez 65 kilos: Franklin Maren Castillo 74 kilos: Livan Lopez Azcuy 74 kilos: Luis Esteban Quintana Martinez 86 kilos: Reineris Salas Perez 97 kilos: Javier Cortina Lacerra 125 kilos: Andres Ramos Dinza Women's freestyle 48 kilos: Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 55 kilos: Yamilka del Valle Alvarez 60 kilos: Yekelin Stornell Elastigue 69 kilos: Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez Greco-Roman 59 kilos: Maykel Anache Lamout 75 kilos: Yurisandi Hernandez Rios Team Leader: Eduardo Perez Tellez Coach: Julio Mendieta Cuellar Coach: Mario Olivera Hernandez Coach: Elio Garraway Clark Medical staff: Siggilfredo Acosta Chacon Referee: Yunior Sosa Naranjo About Beat The Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City's student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and mentoring. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Former Bucknell great Kevin LeValley is returning to his alma mater as an assistant wrestling coach, Bison head coach Dan Wirnsberger announced Monday. A 2011 Bucknell graduate, LeValley was a two-time All-American during his time as a Bison and he still holds school records for wins in a season and a career. "Words cannot express how thrilled I am to bring Kevin back to Lewisburg," said Wirnsberger, the 2015 EIWA Coach of the Year. "He is an ideal fit for our program. He truly understands the student-athlete model for an institution like Bucknell because he lived it during his four years. Kevin graduated as our most successful wrestler in program history and returns with a wealth of coaching experience as well as international wrestling experience. He will have an immediate impact in the development of our student-athletes." "I am beyond excited to return to my alma mater and the Lewisburg community," said LeValley. "I want to thank Bucknell University and Coach Wirnsberger for this opportunity. Bucknell truly holds a special place in my heart, and I look forward to helping current and future student-athletes achieve success both in the classroom and on the mat." LeValley, who served as team captain, had a remarkable career during his time as a Bison, earning All-America honors in 2010 and 2011. The three-time NCAA qualifier at 149 pounds compiled a 127-40 career record, including 42-8 as a junior and 34-3 as a senior. He became the second Bucknell wrestler to win an EIWA title, handing Cornell's Kyle Dake his final collegiate loss in the 2011 EIWA finals in Sojka Pavilion. Following his graduation from Bucknell with a degree in education, LeValley moved to Minneapolis to pursue a master's degree in applied kinesiology and sport management at the University of Minnesota, which he obtained in December 2013. LeValley spent four years at Minnesota working as an administrative assistant and recruiting coordinator with the Gophers wrestling team that placed in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships four times and in the top five three times. Additionally, LeValley was a coach at the Pinnacle Wrestling School in Shoreview, Minnesota. While at Minnesota, LeValley continued to compete internationally for the Gopher Wrestling Club and Minnesota Storm. He is ranked 18th in the world at 70kg (154 pounds) and has had great success in international competitions, earning gold at the 2013 Cerro Pelado International in Cuba, taking second at the 2014 Alexander Medved International in Belarus and placing third at the 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International. He also finished fourth at the 2014 U.S. Open, LeValley and his wife, Amanda, were married in October 2014. She is a certified athletic trainer. LeValley will be joining a Bucknell program that had a banner 2014-15 season as it set a school record for victories and finished with a 15-4 overall record including 8-1 in EIWA duals. The Bison finished in third place at the EIWA Championships. Bucknell was ranked as high as 22nd in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll and finished the season listed 24th nationally.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- California phenom Zahid Valencia and Washington native Marizza Birrueta have been named the national winners of the High School Excellence Awards given by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Zahid Valenica (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Valencia, a senior from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif., is the 2015 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner. Birrueta, a senior at Grandview High School in Grandview, Wash., is the winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award. Each award recipient is evaluated on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. "Zahid Valencia and Marizza Birrueta have set new standards of excellence for California and Washington high school wrestlers with their success in wrestling," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Each of these student-athletes pursued and achieved their wrestling goals while taking equal responsibility for their performances in the classroom and in serving their communities." Valencia was selected from the 49 state winners and five regional winners that were announced on April 27 by the NWHOF. Valencia is a three-time California high school state champion who earned the Outstanding Wrestler award three times at the event. He put together a 164-1 record while at St. John Bosco High School. He claimed two USA Wrestling Freestyle Junior National titles and one Greco- Roman title. He earned 135 community service hours during his high school career. He also served as a youth wrestling coach and volunteered at a senior convalescent home in his hometown. On the scholastic side, he carries a 3.72 GPA and will attend Arizona State University this fall as a projected 184 pounder. This is the 20th annual Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, which is named in memory of World and Olympic champion Dave Schultz. This year marks the Hall of Fame's second annual Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award, given to outstanding female seniors in states that sponsor a female high school state wrestling championship. Saunders, who inspired the award, was a four-time World Champion, a member of the FILA Hall of Fame and the first female Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Birrueta is a three-time Washington state high school champion, becoming the first girl to ever win a state title for Grandview High School. She is also a state freestyle champion. At the national level, Birrueta is a member of Team Washington and won a USA Wrestling Junior National title last year. She placed first at the 2015 Flo Reno Worlds. Over the last four years, Birrueta has maintained a 3.4 GPA and has chosen to attend Oklahoma City University in the fall. In addition to wrestling, she lettered in track and field. Birrueta was Homecoming Princess in 2012-2013. As a part of her community service, she has coached a local youth wrestling program and volunteered at her church. Valencia and Birrueta will accept their awards during Honors Weekend on June 5-6. The following is a list of previous award winners: Dave Schultz High School Excellence National Winners: 1996 David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa 1997 Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1998 Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah 1999 Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas 2000 Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 2001 Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey 2002 Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma 2003 C. P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2004 Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania 2005 Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York 2006 David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2007 Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellog High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2008 Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2009 David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio 2010 Logan Steiber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio 2011 Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2012 Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2013 Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania 2014 Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn grove, Pennsylvania

Dan Gable remains an icon in wrestling. Takedown's Scott Casber and Tony Hager talk to Gable about his new book "A Wrestling Life," rule changes, Olympic Team Trials returning to Iowa City in 2016 and more.

The pre-seeds have been released for the U.S. Open men's freestyle competition. The event is scheduled for May 8-9 at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas. The seeds are subject to change based on weigh-ins that will be held on May 7. 57 kilos: 1. Tony Ramos, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Tyler Graff, Dublin, Ohio (New York AC) 4. Joe Colon, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Angel Escobedo, Ames, Iowa (New York AC) 6. Dan Mitcheff, Cornwall, N.Y. (New York AC) 7. Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 8. Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC) 61 kilos: 1. Coleman Scott, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC) 3. Joey McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC) 4. Cody Brewer, Kansas City, Mo. 5. Kyle Hutter, Virginia Beach, Va. (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Connor Beebe, Western Springs, Ill. (Beebe Trained) 7. Kyle Jahn, Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bristol Gladiators) 8. Alan Waters, Kansas City, Mo. (Sunkist Kids/Missouri RTC) 9. Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Ia. (Hawkeye WC) 10. Jon Morrison, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC) 65 kilos: 1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (NYAC/Hawkeye WC) 2. Jordan Oliver, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 3. Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Frank Molinaro, South Plainfield, N.J. (Nittany Lion WC) 5. Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Michigan RTC) 6. Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC) 7. Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) 8. Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Michigan RTC) 70 kilos: 1. Nick Marable, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Dustin Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 3. James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) 4. Jason Welch, Evanston, Ill. (Chicago RTC/Wrestling Prep) 5. Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP) 6. Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 7. Adam Hall, New York, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC) 8. Cyler Sanderson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 9. Dan Vallimont, Long Beach, N.Y. (Blue & Gold WC) 74 kilos: 1. David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 2. Andrew Howe, Norman, Okla. (New York AC) 3. Colt Sponseller, Edinboro, Pa. (New York AC) 4. Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) 5. Ian Miller, Oak Harbor, Ohio (Golden Pride WC) 6. Quinton Godley, Raleigh, N.C. (Wolfpack WC) 7. Anthony Valencia, Pico Rivera, Calif. 86 kilos: 1. Ed Ruth, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Keith Gavin, Charlottesville, Va. (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC) 4. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC) 5. Richard Perry, Washington, D.C. (New York AC) 6. Deron Winn, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC) 7. Phillip Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC) 8. Jon Reader, Brookings, S.D. (Sunkist Kids) 9. Austin Trotman, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC) 10. Jake Herbert, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Michigan RTC) 97 kilos: 1. Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 2. Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/OTC) 4. J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC) 5. Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Illinois RTC) 6. Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Ohio RTC) 7. Micah Burak, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC) 8. Enock Francois, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC) 9. Matt Gibson, Ames, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC) 10. David Zabriskie, Northampton, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 125 kilos: 1. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids WC/Ohio RTC) 2. Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 3. Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (Wolfpack WC) 5. Dom Bradley, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids) 6. Tony Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 7. Matthew Meuleners, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) 8. Eric Thompson, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 9. Justin Grant, Buffalo, N.Y. (New York AC/Buffalo WC)

The 2015 ASICS U.S. Senior Open returns to Las Vegas, May 8-9. This is not new. In fact, the U.S. Open, presented by USA Wrestling, has been hosted in Las Vegas 22 previous times. What is new is that this is an important first step for U.S. wrestlers hoping to compete in the first World Wrestling Championships ever held in Las Vegas, which comes to the Orleans Arena, Sept. 7-12. This will be a spectacular year for Olympic wrestling in Las Vegas. Something else that is new is the venue for the Open. For the first time, the U.S. Open will be hosted at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. Spectators will be able to enjoy the excitement from stadium seating that provides the best viewing experience possible for all. The U.S. Open includes these provisions for qualifying athletes for the World Championships in Vegas: For Greco-Roman athletes, the U.S. Open serves as the first stage of the World Team Trials. Only the two gold-medal finalists in each weight class will advance to the U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Trials Wrestle-off in Ithaca, N.Y. on June 4. The U.S. Open championship match will serve as the first bout of their best-of-three series for the World Team. Round two and three (if necessary) will be held in Ithaca Men's freestyle athletes that place in the top five of their weight class will qualify for the U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials in Madison, Wis., June 12-14. Women's freestyle athletes that place in the top seven of their weight class will qualify for the U.S. Women's Freestyle World Team Trials, also in Madison, Wis., June 12-14. This year's U.S. Open is expected to be star-studded. Olympic champions who may compete in Las Vegas are Jordan Burroughs (74 kg -- men's freestyle) and Jake Varner (97 kg -- men's freestyle). Olympic medalists expected in the field are 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun (48 kg -- women's freestyle), 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott (61 kg -- men's freestyle) and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller (women's freestyle -- 69 kg). Two-time World champions Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray (75 kg -- women's freestyle) could be joined by World champions Clarissa Chun, Elena Pirozhkova (women's freestyle -- 69 kg) and Iris Smith (women's freestyle -- 75 kg). Gray, Pirozkhova and Burroughs have won four career World medals. Two-time World medalists who may compete in the Open include Tervel Dlagnev (125 kg -- men's freestyle), Alyssa Lampe (48 kg -- women's freestyle) and Helen Maroulis (55 kg -- women's freestyle). Other past World medalists to watch include Andy Bisek (75 kg -- Greco-Roman) and Jake Herbert (86 kg - men's freestyle). The field will also include numerous World and Olympic team members in all three styles. These are the athletes expected to challenge for spots on the 2015 U.S. World Team, the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team and beyond. The U.S. Senior Open Greco-Roman tournament will have championship finals on two nights, with four weight classes competing on Friday, May 8 (66 kg, 71 kg, 85 kg, 130 kg) and the other four weight classes having championship finals on Saturday, May 9 (59 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg, 98 kg). For the U.S. Senior Open tournaments in men's and women's freestyle, the semifinals will be held during the evening session on Friday, May 8, with the championship finals set for the evening session on Saturday, May 9. In addition to the U.S. Senior Open, there will be many other competitions going on during the week, including the UWW Junior Greco-Roman and Freestyle National Championships, the Veterans Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals, the Western Junior Regionals for boys and girls and the second year of the new U.S. Kids/Cadets Open. In short, athletes of all ages will compete during the week, with all of the styles of wrestling being contested. Competition in these other important tournaments begins on Wednesday, May 6 and continues all of the way through Saturday, May 9. A schedule with the championship finals of each of these tournaments is below. The U.S. Senior Open finals will be telecast on two major national networks. Universal?Sports Network will go live on?Saturday, May 9 with a two-hour show at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time. NBC Sports Network is doing a 90-minute tape-delayed show on Wednesday, May 13 at 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Check your local listings for time and station in your area. The entire Open Wrestling Championships week will be webcast live by FloWrestling, on its Flo Pro platform, with expanded coverage planned. Tickets can be purchased online in advance at TrackWrestling.com or will be available at the door For fans, All-event (4-day pass) admission is $160 for VIP (main floor next to mats), $75 for General Admission Adults and $40 for General Admission Youth (ages 6-17). A two-day pass is $90 for VIP, $50 for General Admission Adults and $30 for General Admission Youth. One-day tickets are $45 for VIP, $25 for General Admission Adults and $15 for General Admission Youth. Click here to purchase tickets for the 2015 ASICS U.S. Senior Open on the TrackWrestling website. http://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/registration/BasicPreReg1.jsp?tournamentGroupId=145034009&TIM=1416333050767&twSessionId=ekpkqdmhjghadgq For more information, and also to receive media accreditation for the U.S. Open, please contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at gabbott@usawrestling.org or call his cell at 719-659-9637. 2014 ASICS U.S. SENIOR OPEN MEN'S FREESTYLE CHAMPIONS 57 kg/125.5 lbs -- Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids) 61 kg/134 lbs -- Jimmy Kennedy (NYAC/Cliff Keen WC) 65 kg/143 lbs -- Brent Metcalf (NYAC/Hawkeye WC) 70 kg/154 lbs -- Nick Marable (Sunkist Kids/Missouri WF) 74 kg/163 lbs -- Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling TC) 86 kg/189 lbs -- Keith Gavin (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 97 kg/213 lbs -- Jake Varner (Nittany Lion WC) 125 kg/275 lbs -- Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids WC/Ohio RTC) Outstanding Wrestler -- Jordan Burroughs (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska Wrestling TC) 2014 ASICS U.S. SENIOR OPEN GRECO-ROMAN CHAMPIONS 59 kg/130 lbs -- Spenser Mango (Army WCAP) 66 kg/145.5 lbs -- RaVaughn Perkins (ReadyRP Nationals) 71 kg/156 lbs -- Justin Lester (Army WCAP) 75 kg/165 lbs -- Andy Bisek (Minnesota Storm) 80 kg/176 lbs -- Kendrick Sanders (NYAC/USOTS) 85 kg/187 lbs -- Jordan Holm (Minnesota Storm) 98 kg/216 lbs -- Caylor Williams (Army WCAP) 130 kg/286 lbs -- Robert Smith (NYAC) Outstanding Wrestler -- RaVaughn Perkins (Ready RP Nationals) 2014 ASICS U.S. SENIOR OPEN WOMEN'S FREESTYLE CHAMPIONS 48 kg/105.5 lbs -- Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) 53 kg/114.5 lbs -- Whitney Conder (Army WCAP) 55 kg/121 lbs -- Helen Maroulis (Sunkist Kids) 58 kg/128 lbs -- Alli Ragan (NYAC/King University) 60 kg/132 lbs -- Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC) 63 kg/138.75 lbs -- Elena Pirozhkova (Titan Mercury WC) 69 kg/152 lbs -- Randi Miller (Army WCAP) 75 kg/165 lbs -- Jackie Cataline (Titan Mercury WC) Outstanding Wrestler -- Helen Maroulis (Sunkist Kids) ASICS U.S. SENIOR OPEN SCHEDULE May 8-9, 2015 Friday, May 8 9:00 a.m. -- Session I Senior Men's Freestyle: Preliminaries, Quarterfinals & Consolation Men's Greco-Roman: (66 kg, 71 kg, 85 kg, 130 kg) -- Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals & Consolation Semi-Finals 12:00 p.m. -- Session II Senior Women's Freestyle -- Preliminaries, Quarterfinals & Consolation 12:30 p.m. -- Mandatory Check-in, Weigh-in Card Pickup and Waiver Drop-off for Senior Men's Greco-Roman 59 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg, 98 kg 1:00 p.m. -- Senior Men's Greco-Roman Medical Check & Weigh-in 59 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg, 98 kg 6:30 p.m. -- Session III Senior Men's Freestyle: Championship Semifinals (beginning at 7 p.m.) Men's Greco-Roman: (66 kg, 71 kg, 85 kg, 130 kg) -- Medal Matches for 1st, 3rd, 5th & 7th Senior Women's Freestyle: Championship Semifinals (beginning at 7 p.m.) Saturday, May 9 9:00 a.m. -- Session IV Senior Men's Freestyle: Consolation, Consolation Semifinals & Medal Matches for 3rd, 5th & 7th Men's Greco-Roman: (59 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg, 98 kg) -- Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals &Consolation Semifinals Senior Women's Freestyle: Consolation, Consolation Semifinals & Medal Matches for 3rd, 5th & 7th 6:30 p.m. -- Session V Senior Men's Freestyle: Championship Finals (beginning at 7 p.m.) Men's Greco-Roman: (59 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg, 98 kg) -- Medal Matches for 1st, 3rd, 5th & 7th Senior Women's Freestyle: Championship Finals (beginning at 7 p.m.) SESSIONS WITH CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS FOR OTHER TOURNAMENTS Note: Exact finals time for some tournaments may not be set. Wednesday, May 6 9:00 a.m. -- Preliminaries, Medal Matches and Finals -- Veterans Greco-Roman 2:30 p.m. -- Semifinals, Consolation, Consolation Semifinals & 1st-6thPlace Matches -- Western Junior Greco-Roman 2:30 p.m. -- Preliminaries, Medal Matches and Finals -- Western Junior Women 3:00 p.m. -- 1st Place Finals -- Kids/Cadet Greco-Roman Thursday, May 7 3:30 p.m. -- Consolation, Consolation Semifinals, 1st-8th Place Championship Matches -- UWW Junior Greco-Roman 4:30 p.m. -- Preliminaries, Medal Matches and Finals -- Veterans Freestyle Friday, May 8 10:00 a.m. -- 1st Place Finals -- Kids/Cadet Folkstyle 2:30 p.m. -- 1st-6th Place Medal Matches -- Western Junior Freestyle Saturday, May 9 11:00 a.m. -- 1st Place Finals -- Kids/Cadet Freestyle 2:00 p.m. --Semifinals, Consolation, Consolation Semifinals, 1st -- 8th Place Matches -- UWW Junior Freestyle

It has been six weeks since the last whistle blew at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis and no head coaches have been fired or asked to resign. There are just under 80 Division I wrestling programs and it's unlikely that each of these coaches is doing a perfect job. We know that there are programs in desperate need of change, and there is likely at least one or two coaches secretly hopeful that they can move forward into other careers. For anyone who has wrestled or coached at the Division I level, there has been a noticeable increase in what is asked of most coaches. No longer are they just teaching outside singles, setting the schedule and doling out per diem. The modern coach is coaching, recruiting, fundraising, marketing AND running the daily operations of their program. There is little time for relaxation and the pressure to win is always present and ever-stressful. Still, six week after the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships none of the almost 80 coaches have left their post. Tom Minkel has served as Michigan State's head wrestling coach for 24 seasons (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Change is needed in several programs. It's no secret that Michigan State finished with negative points at the national tournament, and that their placement was less a fluke and more the result of years of apathy and malaise. Tom Minkel has served the sport for more than 50 years, but the time has come to usher in a new era, and yet still there is no change. (Minkel signed a three-year extension at the beginning of the season.) The character of the Michigan State head wrestling coach has never been in question and he elicits vehement support from alumni -- most who graduated in the 1980s and 1990s. I know their loyalty to Coach Minkel because they are always eager to email, a fact that I appreciate, even if at times their threats have become physical. I have respect for Coach Minkel, and yet the fact remains that change is needed in East Lansing. Six weeks after the NCAA tournament and still no change at the top of any programs. That's apathy, plain and simple, and for a sport run on passion nothing could be more dangerous. To your questions ... Q: What are your thoughts on last year's medal winners at the World Championships getting byes to the finals of this year's World Team Trials? Should they have to prove themselves every year? Is sitting out the mini tournament too much of an advantage, especially at some of the deeper weight classes? -- Scott M. Foley: USA Wrestling wants to win the most medals possible at the World Championships and Olympic Games. At the core of that mission is the ability for wrestlers to defeat foreign competition, while also remaining the best in the country. While making it past your countrymen is important, the balance struck by USA Wrestling seems to reflect the want to get the right wrestler in front of the foreign competition. USA Wrestling has done a great job with this model. There should be considerations given to previous World medalists since they've proven to be able to achieve the ultimate goal of the organization. Still, they will need to beat the best local opponent to have that option. I think we can all agree that putting Jordan Burroughs into the mini tournament doesn't reveal much about his ability to beat foreign competition. Yet Burroughs won't be given a free pass (as is the habit of other countries) and will need to defeat the very best of the mini tournament, which as you recognized will likely be a formidable opponent. Yes, sitting out the mini tournament is an advantage in that it reduces risk of injury and potential exhaustion, but to be competitive worldwide the USA should ensure these minor advantages to its performers. Q: I'll be the first to admit to being ignorant in regards to the structure and bracketing of international wrestling tournaments. That being said, how did Andrew Hochstrasser manage to win Pan Ams with "only" two matches? It seems like a lot of training, traveling, and (what I'm only assuming) was a less than enjoyable weight cut for very minimal mat time. Looking at the performance as a whole, over half of the matches that the U.S. wrestled were won by large margins. What does that say about the depth of the Pan Ams, or was the U.S. freestyle team just THAT good? -- Ethan S. Foley: The USA men's freestyle team is probably the third deepest in the world behind the Russians and Iranians. The advantage seems to come from the number of matches wrestled in a lifetime (albeit not all freestyle) by such a large number of wrestlers willing to compete into their twenties. While Azerbaijan and Turkey pour resources into their teams, the programs don't seem to have the same depth as the American side. As for the Pan American Championships, many of the nations were only concerned with qualifying for the Pan American Games in Toronto, which led some nations to send backups, or nobody at all. Some of the weight classes ended up thinned out and in Hochstrasser's case he also ended up with a first-round bye. Look for the Pan American Games in July to be a much more competitive tournament. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: A funny and eye-opening look into the world of kid's MMA This is how to finish a double leg Baby panda falls out of a tree Q: Which 2014 World Team member has the greatest risk of being unseated in Greco and freestyle? -- @CodyOcho5 Foley: It's tough to say since so many are performing well at the international level. My initial reaction was Tony Ramos, but he's been wrestling so well that I'd hate to see him miss another year on the roster. Still, he might be vulnerable to guys like Angel Escobedo and even Zach Sanders who can find a way to knock him out early. I'd keep an eye on 48 kilos in women's wrestling where longtime rivals Alyssa Lampe and Victoria Anthony are set to do battle. Lampe has owned the majority of the matches, but Anthony has the last win, catching Lampe on her back. The Greco-Roman team probably won't see much upheaval, though I'd expect Ellis Coleman to have the advantage versus Bryce Saddoris should the two meet in the mini tournament.

Last season there were three non-freshmen wrestlers that came off redshirt seasons to earn All-American honors at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. One of those wrestlers, Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh), reached the NCAA finals. The other two, Alan Waters (Missouri) and Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech), became two-time All-Americans. Here is a look at 10 wrestlers (non-freshmen) coming off redshirt seasons that will be in the hunt for All-American honors and NCAA titles in 2016. Nico Megaludis (Penn State) Nico Megaludis has been a national title contender at 125 pounds since his true freshman season in Happy Valley. In three NCAA tournament appearances, Megaludis has only suffered three losses. After NCAA runner-up finishes as a freshman and sophomore, Megaludis placed third as a junior, losing to Cornell's Nahshon Garrett, 6-4, in the NCAA semifinals. He spent his redshirt season focusing on freestyle. In January, Megaludis won a gold medal at the Guelph International Open in Canada. Zain Retherford battles Jordan Oliver in the semifinals of the Dave Schultz Memorial (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Zain Retherford (Penn State) Two seasons ago, Zain Retherford showed he can not only compete with the nation's best wrestlers, but also beat them. The 2012 Cadet World freestyle champion sent shockwaves through the college wrestling world when he defeated eventual four-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State in a December dual meet. Retherford finished fifth in his first NCAA tournament, losing to the NCAA finalists at 141 pounds from this past season, Stieber and Edinboro's Mitchell Port. He spent his redshirt season adding bulk and will likely move up a weight class for the 2015-16 season. Evan Henderson (North Carolina) Evan Henderson, a Pennsylvania native, is a two-time All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier. He has amassed a career record of 103-30 during his time in Chapel Hill. In 2014, Henderson stunned top-seeded Mitchell Port of Edinboro in the NCAA quarterfinals. He would end up finishing fourth in the tournament, losing the second meeting to Port in the third-place match. Henderson has been competing in freestyle competitions during his redshirt campaign. He was a runner-up to Jason Chamberlain at the Bill Farrell International. Rick Durso (Franklin & Marshall) In 2014, Rick Durso became Franklin & Marshall's first All-American in wrestling since 1981 with an eighth-place finish at 141 pounds. The three-time NCAA qualifier moved up a weight class as a redshirt and posted a 31-3 season record. Two of his three losses as a redshirt came at the Midlands Championships where he placed fifth. One of his wins at the Midlands came over Old Dominion's Alexander Richardson, who wound up earning All-American honors in March. Durso is expected to move back down to 141 pounds for his senior season at F&M. Jake Sueflohn rides Oklahoma State's Josh Kindig at the 2014 NCAAs (Photo/Milena Wick, Tech-Fall.com)Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) The Wisconsin native Sueflohn is arguably the best college wrestler without an All-American honor. He has been productive ever since stepping in the Husker lineup as a true freshman. Sueflohn has been seeded in the top 10 in all three of his NCAA tournament appearances, and has five NCAA tournament wins. During the 2013-14 season, Sueflohn went 3-0 against Michigan's Eric Grajales, who found up placing third at the NCAAs. He was expected to finish out his career in Lincoln this past season, but tore his ACL before the season, which caused him to redshirt. Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) A native of Canada, Amarveer Dhesi is a rising star in freestyle. Last year, Dhesi won a Junior World title in freestyle, finished runner-up at the Canada Cup and won the Pan American Junior championship. He defeated Michigan's Adam Coon in the semifinals of the Junior Worlds in Zagreb, Croatia. Dhesi qualified for the NCAAs at heavyweight in his only collegiate wrestling season in 2013-14. Before the start of the 2014-15 season, Dhesi injured his knee in the semifinals of the Bill Farrell Invitational while wrestling Tyrell Fortune, which prevented him from competing for the Beavers. Darian Cruz escapes from ISU's Earl Hall in the seventh-place match at the NCAAs (Photo/LehighSports.com)Darian Cruz (Lehigh) As a true freshman two seasons ago, Darian Cruz had an unlikely run to All-American honors at 125 pounds. He entered the tournament unseeded and lost by technical fall in the opening round to Penn State's Nico Megaludis. He then reeled off four straight victories before losing to Virginia Tech's Joey Dance. He came back to win his seventh-place match against Iowa State's Earl Hall. Cruz compiled a 22-3 record this past season as a redshirt. Nathan Kraisser (Campbell) Nathan Kraisser, a two-time NCAA qualifier at UNC, redshirted this past season after transferring to Campbell, a program that was ineligible for the postseason in 2014-15. He came to Campbell to be with his former coach Cary Kolat, who took over the program a year ago. Kraisser was a four-time Maryland state champion and one of the nation's top recruits in the Class of 2012. He was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2013, and the following year claimed an ACC title at 125 pounds. He will be looking to become Kolat's first All-American at Campbell. Mathew Miller (Photo/NavySports.com)Mathew Miller (Navy) Mathew Miller has qualified for the NCAAs in each of his first two seasons in Navy's lineup. During those two seasons he has won 48 of 61 matches. In 2014, Miller dropped his opening match at the NCAAs, then won three consecutive matches to reach the round of 12 before losing to Penn State's Matt Brown. He suffered an injury that prevented him from competing this past season. Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan) Mike Ottinger is a two-time MAC champion and three-time NCAA qualifier, but is still in search of his first All-American honor. He went 2-2 in his last NCAA tournament, but had a forgettable finish to his season as he was disqualified for biting in his last match against the aforementioned Miller.

Two-time state champion Steven Holloway (Mediapolis, Iowa), who ended the 2014-15 season ranked No. 13 nationally at 195 pounds, committed to the University of Iowa on Wednesday evening. The projected 197-pound wrestler added a second place finish in 2013 to the state titles earned the last two years, and was also a Silver Medalist at the Disney Duals this past summer. He joins three other nationally ranked commits for Iowa in their 2015 class: Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and Cash Wilcke (OA-BCIG, Iowa).

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State coach Pat Popolizio has announced the hiring of Adam Hall as an assistant coach for the NC State wrestling team. Hall, a former two-time NCAA All-American and Pac-10 champion, joins the Wolfpack after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach at Columbia. "Adam brings a wealth of experience and knowledge both as a competitor and as a coach to NC State as he has competed at the highest level, collegially and internationally," said Popolizio. "He will play a vital role in the development of our student athletes on and off the mat. "He will also be a great resource as he continues to compete internationally and trains alongside our middle weights. His strong sports management background will help us in various aspects of our program and bring a lot of new insight and creative ideas which will help us in continuing to brand NC State Wrestling." In his four seasons at Columbia, Hall coached 15 NCAA Qualifiers and one NCAA All-American (3rd place finish). He also completed an internship under the head coach of the National Wrestling Team at the USA Wrestling National Office before he got into coaching. Hall had an outstanding athletic career at Boise State from 2007-11, posting a 122-18 career record (87.1 win percentage). His 122 career victories rank second in Boise State wrestling history. He won two Pac-10 titles in the 157-pound class and qualified for the NCAA National Championships all four years he competed. Hall also earned All-America honors as a redshirt junior in 2009-10. As redshirt junior in 2009-10, Hall posted a 32-3 record while competing in the 157-pound class. He took third at the 2010 NCAA Championships and earned All-America status after going 5-1 in six bouts as the No. 2 overall seed. Hall also won his first Pac-10 Conference title in 2010. Hall finished the year with a team-high 32 overall wins and 16 major decisions and tied for the lead in dual wins (16) and dual win percentage (16-0). Competing at 157 pounds as a redshirt senior in 2010-11, Hall went 30-2, capturing his second Pac-10 Championship and finishing fifth at the 2011 NCAA National Championships. Hall entered the NCAA National Championships at a perfect 25-0 and earned the top overall seed. He led the Broncos in overall wins (30), dual wins (12) and dual win percentage (12-0). Hall placed fifth at the 2012 Olympic Trials and was a U.S. Open Placewinner in both 2013 and 2014. Hall earned a B.S. degree in health science studies from Boise State in 2011. Named the 2010-11 Pac-10 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, he posted a 3.52 GPA during his five years at Boise State, graduated Cum Laude and was named to the Dean's List three times. He earned an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, and is expected to receive his master's degree in sports management from Columbia this spring.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame recently lost one of its most legendary members. Verne Gagne passed away on Monday, April 27, 2015. Vern GagneGagne is a member of two halls of fame within the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999, and he was given the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award by the Minnesota State Chapter in 2003. A standout athlete at Robbinsdale High School in Minnesota, Gagne was a state high school wrestling champion in 1942 and 1943. His football and wrestling career was interrupted by a tour of duty with the United States Marine Corps in 1943. Verne returned to the University of Minnesota where he won four Big 10 titles and Division I NCAA wrestling championships in 1948 and 1949. He also earned All-American Honorable Mention in football at the University of Minnesota. Gagne became a successful professional wrestler and AWA promoter from 1949 to 1986. Gagne was a key financial contributor to amateur wrestling and a great ambassador for the sport.

Last week, InterMat posted its final grade rankings for the Class of 2015 prospects. The journey through college wrestling, especially on the Division I level, can take many twists and turns. There is so much that goes into determining which wrestlers thrive at the college level, and to what extent. Talent and ability are just at the beginning of the "tool box." Two other factors, sometimes they seem obvious but can be derailing ones, are eligibility and health. The rest of the puzzle is that amorphous mix of development, improvement, connecting with coaching, work ethic, etc. In most cases, a college careers lasts five seasons -- one as a redshirt, with four on the mat. Last year around this time, InterMat looked back at the Class of 2009 in terms of their performance on the college mats. It provided a "re-rank" for wrestlers that graduated high school in 2009 based on their collegiate careers, with their Class of 2009 recruiting rank present. This year's feature takes a look at the Class of 2010. The anchor of college wrestlers graduating in 2015 is also the wrestler that topped the Class of 2010 recruiting rankings, four-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber (Ohio State). Two other wrestlers in this graduating class were four-time All-Americans, two-time finalist Dylan Ness (Minnesota) and four-time top-three finisher Mike McMullan (Northwestern). Jesse Delgado was not ranked in the top 100 out of high school, but finished as a two-time NCAA champion and three-time All-American (Photos/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Neither of those wrestlers were NCAA champions, as just three other wrestlers that graduated high school in 2010 won Division I championships: 2013 and 2014 champion Jesse Delgado (Illinois), along with Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) and Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), who won titles this past year. This trio was among the twelve wrestlers to earn three All-American medals at the Division I level during their college careers. Also of interest is that three wrestlers outside the top 100 in the final Class of 2010 prospect rankings were multiple-time All-Americans: Jesse Delgado, David Habat (Edinboro), and Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh); with a fourth, Pierce Harger (Northwestern), in the revised top 25. In the case of Delgado, Habat, and Harger -- they were top 100 recruits prior to the senior season, with certain factors of their senior season shifting them to the outside of the rankings; Wilps on the other hand was totally unheralded, entering college with a pair of mid-to-low state placements, seventh and fifth. Re-Ranking Class of 2010 Top 100 recruits in Class of 2010 No. 1 Logan Stieber No. 2 Andrew Alton No. 3 Chris Villalonga No. 4 Marshall Peppelman No. 5 Mike Evans No. 6 Derek Garcia No. 7 Jackson Morse No. 8 Dylan Alton No. 9 Josh Kindig No. 10 Lee Munster No. 11 Tyler Beckwith No. 12 Nick Moore No. 13 Nick Sulzer No. 14 Mike McMullan No. 15 Ryak Finch No. 16 Josh Dziewa No. 17 Jimmy Lawson No. 18 Bobby Telford No. 19 Keith Surber No. 20 Frank Cagnina No. 21 Nick Schenk No. 22 Sam Sherlock No. 23 Devin Carter No. 24 Kyle Cowan No. 25 Ryen Nieman No. 26 Dylan Ness No. 27 Jacob Ballweg No. 28 Mitchell Port No. 29 Max Thomusseit No. 30 Nick Arujau No. 31 Joey Cozart No. 32 Nick Dardanes No. 33 Ravaughn Perkins No. 34 Joel Smith No. 35 Jerome Robinson No. 36 Brandon Wright No. 37 Colin Shober No. 38 Ty Mitch No. 39 Robert Kokesh No. 40 Kyven Gadson No. 41 Spencer Myers No. 42 Josh Demas No. 43 Ben Dorsay No. 44 Eric Hess No. 45 Ryan Callahan No. 46 Frank Goodwin No. 47 Evan Craig No. 48 Louis Trujillo No. 49 Alan Waters No. 50 Jamie Clark No. 51 Michael Moreno No. 52 Trevor Rupp No. 53 Nazar Kulchytsky No. 54 Dirk Cowburn No. 55 Levi Wolfensperger No. 56 Nick Visicaro No. 57 Steven Hernandez No. 58 Ronald Coleman No. 59 Brad Squire No. 60 Drake Houdashelt No. 61 Justin DeAngelis No. 62 Stephen Dutton No. 63 Tyler Lehmann No. 64 Brandon Wilbourn No. 65 Andrew Lenzi No. 66 Kaleb Friedley No. 67 A.J. Schopp No. 68 Sean McMurray No. 69 Chris Dardanes No. 70 Hank Stinson No. 71 Scott Schiller No. 72 Mark Hartenstine No. 73 Taylor Walsh No. 74 Nathan Hoffer No. 75 Ronnie Balfour No. 76 Josh Keszler No. 77 Michael Kelly No. 78 Jesse Shanaman No. 79 Parker Madl No. 80 Jamie Callender No. 81 Alex Polizzi No. 82 Joe Latham No. 83 Matt Nereim No. 84 Cody Ruggirello No. 85 Jake Snider No. 86 Carson Kuhn No. 87 Greg Amos No. 88 Mike Morales No. 89 Simon Kitzis No. 90 Billy George No. 91 Isaiah Williams No. 92 Joe Duca No. 93 Quincy Mondaine No. 94 Mike Rhone No. 95 Jordan Beverly No. 96 Taylor Meeks No. 97 Tucker Armstrong No. 98 Henry Chirino No. 99 Justis Flamio No. 100 Preston Keiffer No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) Rank in 2010: No. 1 Four-time NCAA champion, 2015 Hodge Trophy recipient No. 2 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Rank in 2010: No. 26 Four-time NCAA All-American, 2012 and 2014 NCAA runner-up No. 3 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) Rank in 2010: No. 14 Four-time NCAA All-American, 2013 NCAA runner-up No. 4 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Rank in 2010: Not in top 100 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American, 2013 and 2014 NCAA champion No. 5 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Rank in 2010: No. 28 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American, 2013 and 2015 NCAA runner-up, additional round of 12 finish No. 6 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) Rank in 2010: No. 60 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American, 2015 NCAA champion No. 7 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) Rank in 2010: No. 40 Three-time NCAA All-American, 2015 NCAA champion No. 8 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2010: No. 23 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American; 2014 NCAA runner-up, additional round of 12 finish No. 9 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) Rank in 2010: No. 67 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 finish No. 10 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) Rank in 2010: No. 39 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 finish No. 11 Bobby Telford (Iowa) Rank in 2010: No. 18 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American No. 12 Mike Evans (Iowa) Rank in 2010: No. 5 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American No. 13 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) Rank in 2010: No. 69 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American No. 14 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) Rank in 2010: No. 13 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American No. 15 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) Rank in 2010: No. 71 Three-time NCAA All-American No. 16 Alan Waters (Missouri) Rank in 2010: No. 49 Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 appearance (qualified as true freshman in 2011) No. 17 David Habat (Edinboro) Rank in 2010: Not in top 100 Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American; 2015 NCAA runner-up, additional round of 12 appearance No. 18 Michael Moreno (Iowa State) Rank in 2010: No. 51 Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 appearance No. 19 Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh) Rank in 2010: Not in top 100 Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, 2015 NCAA runner-up No. 20 Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) Rank in 2010: No. 9 Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2014 NCAA runner-up No. 21 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) Rank in 2010: No. 73 Four-time NCAA qualifier, 2015 NCAA runner-up No. 22 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) Rank in 2010: No. 3 Four-time NCAA qualifier, 6th in this year's NCAA tournament, additional round of 12 appearance No. 23 Pierce Harger (Northwestern) Rank in 2010: Not in top 100 Four-time NCAA qualifier, 8th in the 2014 NCAA tournament, additional round of 12 appearance No. 24 Spencer Myers (Maryland) Rank in 2010: No. 41 Three-time NCAA qualifier, 6th in the 2011 NCAA tournament as true freshman, additional round of 12 appearance No. 25 Nick Dardanes (Northwestern) Rank in 2010: No. 32 Four-time NCAA qualifier, 7th in the 2013 NCAA tournament Honorable Mention Dylan Alton (Penn State) Rank in 2010: No. 8 Three-time NCAA qualifier, 3rd in the 2012 NCAA tournament, additional round of 12 appearance Stephen Dutton (Lehigh & Michigan) Rank in 2010: No. 62 Three-time NCAA qualifier, 7th in the 2014 NCAA tournament, additional round of 12 appearance (as a true freshman) Jackson Morse (Illinois) Rank in 2010: No. 7 Three-time NCAA qualifier, 4th in this year's NCAA tournament Max Thomusseit (Pittsburgh) Rank in 2010: No. 29 Four-time NCAA qualifier (as true frosh in 2011, then 2013-2015), Three-time round of 12 participant (2013-2015) Tristan Warner (Old Dominion) Rank in 2010: Not in top 100 Three-time NCAA qualifier, Two-time Elite 89 Award recipient (highest GPA for a qualifier to the NCAA tournament)

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has announced its winners of the Dave Schultz and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Awards for 2015. Originally created in honor of Schultz, an Olympic and World champion, the High School Excellence Award is based on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. State winners for both the Schultz and Saunders Awards have been selected in each of the states that sponsor high school state championships. For the boys, there are 49 state winners. For the girls, there are seven from the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. "We are very excited to announce these high school senior winners of the Dave Schultz and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence awards for 2015," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Schultz award and the second anniversary of the Saunders award. "These student-athletes are role models who influence young people in a very meaningful way," Smith said. "We are not surprised to find that these winners represent diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds; reinforcing why the sport of wrestling is by nature and design a sport for all." A national winner of the Saunders Award will be named from the seven winners in the states that sponsor an all-female state championship. For the Schultz Award, five regional winners have been announced. The national winners of both High School Excellence Awards will be revealed on May 4, 2015, and presented at Honors Weekend in Stillwater on June 5-6. Dave Schultz's widow, Nancy Schultz, will attend Honors Weekend festivities this June to present the Schultz and Saunders awards to each national recipient. "We are grateful that Nancy will attend this year's Honors Weekend ceremonies as an award presenter and has also agreed to speak about a soon-to-be released documentary on the life of Dave Schultz," Smith said. The five male regional winners for 2015 are: Central Region: Joe Smith, Stillwater High School, Stillwater, Okla. High school record was 154-1, winning three individual state titles. His overall grade point average is 3.2. Smith will attend Oklahoma State University this fall as a projected 157-pounder. Midwest Region: Logan Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Mich. High school record was 182-4, winning three individual state titles. His overall grade point average is 3.2. Massa will attend the University of Michigan this fall as a projected 174 pounder. Northeast Region: Matthew Kolodzik, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey. High school record was 144-8, winning three National Prep Championships. His overall grade point average is 4.0. Kolodzik will attend Princeton University this fall as a projected 141-149 pounder. Southeast Region: Fox Baldwin, Osceola High School, Osceola, Flor. High school record was 395-17, winning five individual state championships. His overall grade point average is 3.98. Baldwin will attend the University of Virginia this fall as a projected 165-174 pounder. West Region: Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, CA. High school record was 164-1, winning three individual state championships. His overall grade point average is 3.71. Valencia will attend Arizona State University this fall as a projected 174-184 pounder. The 2015 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winners by state, name and school are: Alabama, Arick Shankles, Muscle Shoals High School Alaska, Josh Roetman, Kotzebue High School Arizona, Josh Kramer, Desert Edge High School Arkansas, Braden Zini, Central Arkansas Christian California, Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School Colorado, Jacob Trujillo, Grand Junction High School Connecticut, Zack Murillo, Southington High School Delaware, Clint Ferrazzo, Caravel Academy Florida, Fox Baldwin, Osceola High School Georgia, Taylor Lujan, Carrollton High School Hawaii, Boman Tokioka, Kamehameha High School Idaho, Seth McLeod, Post Falls High School Illinois, Michael Johnson, Montini Catholic High School Indiana, Garrett Pepple, East Noble High School Iowa, Max Thomsen, Union High School Kansas, Sean DeShazer, Wichita Heights High School Kentucky, Austin Myers, Campbell County High School Louisiana, Paul Klein, Brother Martin High School Maine, Cody Hughes, Marshwood High School Maryland, Myles Martin, McDonogh High School Massachusetts, Jonathan Viruet, Springfield Central High School Michigan, Logan Massa, St. Johns High School Minnesota, Lance Benick, Totino-Grace High School Missouri, Ke-Shawn Hayes, Park Hill High School Montana, Luke Entzel, Big Sky High School Nebraska, Doyle Trout, Centennial High School Nevada, Beau Billingsley, Lowry High School New Hampshire, Jean-Luc Lemieux, Londonderry High School New Jersey, Matthew Kolodzik, Blair Academy New Mexico, Rico Montoya, Robertson High School New York, Nick Piccininni, Ward Melville High School North Carolina, Will Clark, Cary High School North Dakota, Jordan Shearer, West Fargo High School Ohio, Cameron Kelly, Bellbrook High School Oklahoma, Joe Smith, Stillwater High School Oregon, Alex Rich, Crescent Valley High School Pennsylvania, Michael Kemerer, Franklin Regional High School Rhode Island, Ebed Jarrell, East Greenwich High School South Carolina, Matt Rudy, Cane Bay High School South Dakota, Brett Bye, Vermillion High School Tennessee, Chris DeBien, Cleveland High School Texas, Garrett Miller, Allen High School Utah, Jacob Armstrong, Salem Hills High School Vermont, Troy Gassaway, Mount Anthony Union High School Virginia, Neal Richards, Matoaca High School Washington, Tate Orndorff, University High School West Virginia, Bryce Humphreys, Winfield High School Wisconsin, Robert Lee, Kaukauna High School Wyoming, Tevis Bartlett, Cheyenne East High School The 2015 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award winners by state, name and school are: Alaska, Brittany Woods-Orrison, Mt. Edgecumbe High School California, Alyssa LaFrancis, Rancho Buena Vista High School Hawaii, Carly Jaramillo, Lahainaluna High School Oregon, Jessica DeHart, Hood River Valley High School Tennessee, Alexandria Knowles, Science Hill High School Texas, Daniela Flores, Hanks High School Washington, Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School

INDIANAPOLIS -- A more standardized pre-match procedure requiring referees to perform skin checks or verify that skin checks had been completed on-site by an appropriate health-care professional was approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 8-10 meeting in Indianapolis. This clarification of the skin-check rule for dual meets and tournaments, along with one other change recommended by the committee for the 2015-16 season, were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. Under Rule 3-1-4a, the new pre-match procedure further clarifies the duties of wrestling referees before a dual meet begins. A new rule (3-1-5) will add the same inspection requirements before tournaments. The actual requirements were not changed, only written in clearer, more specific language. "The skin-check rule has always been in the NFHS Wrestling Rules Book, but the committee felt it needed to be clarified and specified that this needed to be done," said Bob Colgate, NFHS director of sports and sports medicine and liaison to the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee. Alan Beste, executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and chair of the Wrestling Rules Committee, said there continues to be national concern about communicable skin conditions in wrestling. Some of those conditions can pose significant health risks that may have lifelong effects. "The two major rules changes reflect the committee's feeling that it is important to emphasize this concern and give referees, who are the impartial parties at every competition, more responsibility in determining a wrestler's readiness to compete safely," Beste said. The other rule change was to Rule 10-2-9, regarding a situation where two wrestlers in the championship bracket simultaneously cannot continue a match and the score is tied. A new criterion was added to the rule. The new criteria states, "the wrestler whose opponent has received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at any time during the match will continue in the consolation round." If neither wrestler received an unsportsmanlike penalty, then the previously set criteria will be used to determine advancement to the consolation bracket. The committee added this new criterion to emphasize sportsmanship during competition. "I think it's a good change," Colgate said. "It puts more emphasis on sportsmanship in wrestling, which the committee feels is very important." A complete listing of the wrestling rules changes is available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on "Activities & Sports" at the top of the home page, and select "Wrestling." According to the 2013-14 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, wrestling is the sixth-most popular boys sport nationwide with 269,514 participants. There were 9,904 girls who participated in the sport as well. ### This press release was written by Ben Sieck, a spring semester intern in the NFHS Publications and Communications Department and a junior at Butler University. About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 16 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.7 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.

Tyler Caldwell won a gold medal at 74 kilos (Photo/T.R. Foley) SANTIAGO, Chile -- The United States dominated the men's freestyle competition at the Pan American Championships on Sunday, with six champions and two runners-up. The United States went an amazing 27-2 in the competition, with 17 of the bouts by either pin or technical fall. In the morning session, the USA went a perfect 22-0. Team USA won the team title with 78 of a possible 80 points, a full 20 points ahead of runner-up Canada with 58 points. Cuba, which had the other two individual champions, was third with 54 points. "The entire team came not just to compete and win, but they wanted to dominate. That was what we talked about and expected. We lost two close matches in tournament that we could have won. We have to continue to build our skills, but the team did a great job of controlling their matches and continuing to score. Coaches Jeff Buxton, Kerry McCoy and Mark Perry were great for the team with their knowledge and intensity," said National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett. Read full story ... Men's Freestyle Results 57 kilos: Gold: Alfredo Cisnero (Cuba) Silver: Zach Sanders (USA) Bronze: Jefferson Maya Figueroa (Ecuador) Bronze: Steven Takahashi (Canada) 5th: Yersor Hernandez (Colombia) 5th: Pablo Benitez (Peru) 61 kilos: Gold: Andrew Hochstrasser (USA) Silver: Wilmar Hernandez (Colombia) Bronze: Vincent DeMarinis (Canada) Bronze: Cesar Osorio (Venezuela) 5th: Danny Naranjo (Ecuador) 6th: Felipe Esteves (Brazil) 65 kilos: Gold: Jason Chamberlain (USA) Silver: Abel Herrera (Peru) Bronze: Lazaro Carbonell (Cuba) Bronze: Wilfredo Henriquez Hernandez (Venezuela) 5th: Luis Portillo (El Salvador) 5th: Martin Miranda (Guatamala) 70 kilos: Gold: Dustin Schlatter (USA) Silver: Ahmed Shamiya (Canada) Bronze: Esteban Sanchez (Colombia) 4th: Lincoln Messias (Brazil) 5th: Juan Pablo Peralta (Chile) 74 kilos: Gold: Tyler Caldwell (USA) Silver: Jevon Balfour (Canada) Bronze: Luis Quintana (Cuba) Bronze: Eduardo Gajardo (Chile) 5th: Yoan Blanco Reinoso (Ecuador) 5th: Pedro Rocha (Brazil) 86 kilos: Gold: Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba) Silver: Chris Perry (USA) Bronze: Pool Ambrosio (Peru) Bronze: Matthew Miller (Canada) 5th: Luis Perez Sosa (Dominican Republic) 5th: Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela) 97 kilos: Gold: Dustin Kilgore (USA) Silver: Abraham Conyedo (Cuba) Bronze: Juan Bittencourt (Brazil) Bronze: Arujun Singh Gill (Canada) 5th: Nathanael Rose (Trinidad and Tobago) 5th: Yuri Maier (Argentina) 125 kilos: Gold: Zack Rey (USA) Silver: Andres Ramos (Cuba) Bronze: Korey Jarvis (Canada) Bronze: Luis Vivenes Urbaneja (Venezuela) 5th: Hugo Cunha (Brazil) 5th: Edgardo Lopez Morell (Puerto Rico) USA Performances 57 kilos: Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 2nd WIN Hecjomar Cruz Encarnacion (Puerto Rico), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Yersor Hernandez (Colombia), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Steven Takahashi (Canada), 10-3 LOSS Alfredo Cisnero (Cuba), 2-8 61 kilos: Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC), 1st WIN Cesar Osorio (Venezuela), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Wilmar Hernandez (Colombia), tech fall 10-0 65 kilos: Jason Chamberlain, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC), 1st WIN Wandeci Silva (Brazil), pin WIN Lazaro Carbonell (Cuba), 11-5 WIN Luis Portillo (El Salvador), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Abel Herrera (Peru), 6-0 70 kilos: Dustin Schlatter, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 1st WIN Esteban Sanchez (Colombia), tech. fall, 10-0 WIN Ahmed Shamiya (Canada), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Juan Pablo Peralto (Chile), tech. fall 11-0 WIN Lincoln Messias (Brazil), tech. fall 10-0 74 kilos: Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 1st WIN Edison Hurtado (Colombia), tech. fall 11-0 WIN Yoan Blanco Reinoso (Ecuador), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Luis Quintana (Cuba), 9-0 WIN Jevon Balfour (Canada), 9-0 86 kilos: Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC), 2nd WIN Jose Mercado Estacio (Ecuador), pin WIN Matthew Miller (Canada), 7-0 WIN Pedro Ceballos Fuentes (Venezuela), 7-2 LOSS Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba), 1-3 97 kilos: Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 1st WIN Moises Friddrick (Nicaragua), pin WIN Juan Bittencourt (Brazil) pin WIN Yuri Maier (Argentina), pin WIN Abraham Conyedo (Cuba), 6-2 125 kilos: Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), 1st WIN Edgardo Lopez Morell (Puerto Rico), tech. fall 11-0 WIN Korey Jarvis (Canada), 2-1 WIN Andres Ramos (Cuba), 4-0 Team Standings: 1. United States, 78 pts. 2. Canada, 58 3. Cuba, 54 4. Venezuela, 36 5. Brazil, 34 6. Colombia, 27 7. Peru, 23 8. Ecuador, 22 9. Argentina, 18 10. Chile, 17 11. Puerto Rico, 10 12. Mexico, 8 13. Dominican Republic, 7 14. Nicaragua, 7 15. El Salvador, 6 16. Guatemala, 6 17. Panama, 6 18. Trinidad and Tobago, 6 19. Honduras, 3 20. Bahamas, 2

The news of Rampage Jackson's return to the UFC and end of legal troubles with Bellator is hot off the presses. Oddly, at this point in his career it is tough to argue that he re-addition to the card improves this pay-per-view offering, headlined by an extremely talented Demetrius Johnson who has cleared out his division so thoroughly, the UFC is running out of opponents. Anyway, enjoy the breakdown. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Cliff Keen Athletic has entered into a marketing and athlete endorsement deal with women's 48-kilo freestyle wrestler Victoria Anthony. Victoria Anthony is currently ranked No. 2 in the world (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Victoria Anthony joins Cliff Keen with an outstanding resume in women's freestyle wrestling. A Dave Schultz Memorial International, and Pan American Championships gold medalist from California, Victoria was also hailed as the 2009 Women's Junior World champion, and is currently ranked No. 2 in the world at 48 kilos. "Victoria is a tough competitor with a graceful wrestling style. Off the mat, Victoria is a terrific young woman, with an infectious personality. She is certainly a great role model for young girls and a wonderful ambassador of our sport. We are very excited to have her on our Cliff Keen team," said Tom Keen of Cliff Keen Athletic. Victoria is a 2015 World Team hopeful and is aspiring for her first U.S. Olympic Team spot for the 2016 Summer Games. Training under coach Valentin Kalika (Huntington Beach, CA), Victoria competes for Titan-Mercury Wrestling Club and will wear Cliff Keen Athletic singlets and training apparel. Victoria will be a prominent fixture in Cliff Keen's brand marketing and advertising to the growing women's wrestling market. A long-time supporter of women's wrestling, Cliff Keen Athletic is the world's leader in wrestling uniforms, equipment, and training apparel.

Have you seen Horrible Bosses 2? I recently saw the first half, which included very suggestive comments about little boys wrestling in singlets. Never mind the details, the entire setup was about the outfits and the message wasn't about the sport, but about some other qualities comedians wanted to attach to the sport because of the outfits. Shiny lycra is no longer the only or best outfit choice for our sport. Time to make the change. Waiting costs our sport participants, fans and dollars. #KilltheSinglet To your questions ... Q: Will Isaiah Martinez compete on the senior level in freestyle this year and be a factor at the U.S. Open and/or U.S. World Team Trials? Or he is still too young and inexperienced to make an impact? -- Mike C. Isaiah Martinez defeated Nebraska's James Green in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Foley: I don't think Imar can be called anything except "incredible." He's an enormous talent with every chance to make the U.S. World Team at 20 years old ... were he not to wrestle at 74 kilos. That might signal a problem. Imar will likely miss the U.S. Open because he's taking exams. However, if he does compete I think he's your third-place finisher. I know that means one of the Big Four (Jordan Burroughs, David Taylor, Kyle Dake and Andrew Howe) would have to lose, and that's what I'm predicting, Imar earns an upset over one of these guys. Should Imar make 70 kilos I think he challenges Nick Marable for the spot on the World Team. He's dynamic and strong and though I like Marable to win any best-of-three series, I think it's close. Also, with fewer entries as everyone flees the non-Olympic weight (sans 61 kilos and 70 kilos) he will have a considerably easier path than he would at 74 kilos. Q: We ascribe much hoopla to the national rankings of high school wrestlers. But what we never know is how well they do/did in college. Has anyone done an analysis of the success of ranked wrestlers? Going back eight years this would be an interesting guide to recruiting. -- John A. Foley: We do it every year! I agree that this is a great guide to understanding who are the effective coaches and just how much the HIGH SCHOOL HYPE MACHINE plays into our perception of real talent. Q: Could you explain those new NCAA rules? A guy gets called for stalling if he pushed opponent out? Did I read that wrong? -- @German663 Proposed rules here. In shorthand (with my snarky comments in parenthesis) ... Back points are now 2 for a two-count and 4 for a four-count. (This won't promote anything except more points on the board and a much-reduced chance that the kid that gets caught early can mount a comeback. Throwing someone to their back should never be for SIX POINTS! That's ONE technique!) No more four-point technical fall in dual meets. (OK, sure. Not a huge impact since dual meets don't mean anything to the final outcome of the season and this effects 1/100 dual meets. Might as well make pins count 6.5 points) Interlocking fingers will be stopped (You're welcome) Pushout rule from neutral. Both feet go out and you get hit with stalling. (FINALLY) Three-point takedown (Why does this make ANY sense? If you don't want to reward escapes then don't reward escapes. If you want to quicken the return to the feet then eliminate riding time) Q: What, if any, rules-scholarship-structural-cultural differences vs. today in NCAA wrestling do you see that allowed for Iowa to be so dominant during the Gable era vs. the programs/situations that are currently present? -- Jimmie D. Foley: Big question, but you have to assume that these things are at the center of wrestling's recent parity, and the "downturn" in Iowa wrestling: The first is that there is significantly more money in the sport in 2015 than there was in the mid-80s. The fundraising at major college athletic programs is highly sophisticated and generates hundreds of thousands of extra dollars in spending cash annually for teams across the top forty. Also, more schools have more scholarships. The second is that a reduction in the number of programs has allowed for more talented wrestlers to concentrate at a variety of programs, making the culture of any one program less effective since it's not backed up by all-stars. The rising number of teams loaded with talent also means there is a larger chance for upsets since guys who might've once ridden pine for Iowa get time to wrestle at (insert your school's name here). The third is social media and the unwillingness of modern kids to take gruff from superiors, especially if they can get praise from their online friends and family. Iowa wrestling is a strong culture and you either fell in and succeeded or you left. Social media and having friends to comfort the afflicted makes it difficult to enforce an all-or-nothing mentality. The fourth is a change in the rules to avoid harmful or injurious situations and a re-focus on top wrestling. This benefits more technical wrestling, which has traditionally favored teams like Oklahoma State and now Penn State. Q: How long until Zeke Jones has Arizona State in the hunt for team trophies? With the Valencia bros. coming in and other top recruits, it doesn't seem like it will be long. -- Mike C. Foley: With arguably the best recruiting class in the history of college wrestling you'd have to assume that he could get them into the top four in three years and title hunting in four. He knows how to coach champions, has all the resources he needs and now has the most talented class of athletes in the sport. They're making a title run. Q: I watched the World Cup last weekend and to me the wrestling sucked, especially among the bigger guys who just hang on to each other and do push outs. It's almost sumo-like to a degree. Overall, it's pushouts, takedowns and if a guy's back is exposed in any way, they reward backpoints and the refs are too involved (who by the way all look like they'd be gassed if they ran a mile). I don't have a proposal but seems these rules need to change to make it better and more exciting. And didn't they just change the rules last year and do a reorg to get with the times and stay in the Olympics? -- Paul E. Foley: Not too many people complain about the freestyle rules (save the lack of overtime)! This is a good mixture. I disagree about the rules overall, as I think they produce a lot of action. However, if you aren't used to the out-of-bounds rule I guess it would seem kind of funny. As you may know, I work in the media department for the federation -- the numbers of viewers have never been better. Also, the IOC seems to enjoy the improvement of the sport's watchability, while Greco-Roman is still in question!

FERRUM, Va. -- Ferrum College has announced that it will build on the success of its current men's wrestling program with the addition of women's wrestling and men's club wrestling. Both will begin immediately, with the Panther coaching staff already recruiting for the programs. Under the leadership of Head Coach Nate Yetzer, men's wrestling has produced place-winners at the NCAA Div. III East Regional in the first two seasons as a varsity program, including the College's first-ever NCAA national championship qualifier. President Jennifer Braaten, noted that Ferrum will be one of the first institutions on the east coast to provide collegiate wrestling as an option for women. "We have a long tradition of strong, award-winning athletic programs," said Braaten. "Through the additional opportunities provided to our student-athletes through these new offerings, Ferrum will continue to distinguish itself in athletics." Ferrum's women will compete under the Women's College Wrestling Association (WCWA), while the men's club program will compete under the National Collegiate Wrestling Association as a sanctioned club program. The WCWA holds a national championship tournament, contested annually in February with over 200 competitors. Both programs will have strong competition nearby. The King University (Bristol, Va.) women won their second straight WCWA national championship this year, while Liberty University (Lynchburg, Va.) won the 2015 NWCA club program national title. Ferrum announced that it would begin a wrestling program for men in the summer of 2012. Yetzer was hired to begin recruiting and in a span of six weeks, brought 15 wrestlers to campus before the beginning of the school year. The Panthers competed as a club program during the 2012-13 school year, then made the jump to a varsity, NCAA Division III program. The 2013-14 inaugural varsity season produced three place-winners at the NCAA East Regional, including the College's first-ever NCAA national championship qualifier. Yetzer's team placed third at the prestigious Virginia Duals, one of the oldest collegiate wrestling tournaments in the country. Ferrum finished with a 9-6 dual meet record. Ferrum was selected to host the 2015 NCAA East Regional, held at the Berglund Center in nearby Roanoke, an event which included 19 schools from along the east coast. The Panthers placed seventh in a field of 18 teams that competed in the regional, and once again had three place-winners. Yetzer beefed up Ferrum's schedule this, competing against four nationally-ranked NCAA Div. III programs, and NCWA national champion Liberty. "The addition of these two new programs will help to elevate our wrestling program here at Ferrum," said Yetzer. "I'm excited to continue to bring quality student-athletes that want to continue to wrestle at the next level. Our goal is to build all three of our programs into championship teams." Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, expressed his appreciation to Ferrum for establishing a women's wrestling program. "On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors and our President, Coach Mark Cody at University of Oklahoma, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Ferrum College President Jennifer Braaten for her extraordinary leadership in establishing an intercollegiate women's wrestling team," said Moyer. "This is a region where our sport is so underserved at the college level. Wrestling prides itself on the fact that virtually anyone can participate regardless of size, weight, gender and even most disabilities. This will undoubtedly inspire many other college administrations in the region to establish intercollegiate women's wrestling teams in an effort to accommodate the exploding number of aspiring young female wrestlers in our sport." There are currently 24 college women's wrestling programs that hold WCWA membership. Women's collegiate wrestling follows International Freestyle Rules, as used in the Olympic Games. Women's wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 2004. Since 1994, the number of women who wrestle in high school in the United States has grown from 804 to over 9904. States that sponsor a high school wrestling championship include California, Oregon, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Anyone interested in wrestling at Ferrum should contact Coach Yetzer at nyetzer@ferrum.edu

Last year, Team USA shined at the Cadet and Junior World Championships in freestyle, winning a combined 10 medals, including three gold medals. Many of those same teenagers who competed at the Cadet and Junior Worlds in 2014 will be looking to get back on Team USA's Cadet and Junior teams and win medals in 2015. Others will look to make their mark on the senior level. Here is a look at the top 10 teenage wrestlers in the United States ... Aaron Pico, Age: 18 It's scary to think Aaron Pico could still be wrestling high school competition had he chosen the more conventional route. Since focusing strictly on freestyle and turning professional, Pico has established himself as one of the nation's top 65-kilo wrestlers on the senior level and become a contender on the world stage. The 2013 Cadet World champion and 2014 Junior World silver medalist won a gold medal at the Cerro Pelado International in Cuba earlier this year where he defeated two-time U.S. World Team member Reece Humphrey in the finals. Pico's signature win to date, though, is his victory over 2013 World champion David Safaryan of Armenia in the gold-medal match at the Henri Deglane Challenge in France. Kyle Snyder defeated J'den Cox in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Rob Preston)Kyle Snyder, Age: 19 Kyle Snyder, a Maryland native, was the nation's No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2014. As a prep wrestler, Snyder compiled a perfect record of 179-0 and won virtually every major event for a high school wrestler. He became a Junior World champion in 2013, and last year earned a bronze medal at the Junior Worlds, losing only to Russia's Georgii Gogaev. He became the youngest two-time Junior World medalist in American history. This year as a true freshman at Ohio State he reached the NCAA finals before losing by pin to Iowa State's Kyven Gadson. Mark Hall, Age: 18 Mark Hall has been a household name in wrestling circles for several years. The Apple Valley (Minnesota) High School junior was recently named the 2015 InterMat High School Wrestler of the Year. Hall won a Cadet World title in freestyle last summer. He has claimed five Minnesota state high school titles, and next year will look to become Minnesota's first-ever six-time state champion. This past fall Hall dominated the nation's No. 1 recruit high school wrestling recruit Anthony Valenica, 10-2, at FloWrestling's Who's Number One event. He will enter his senior season as the nation's No. 1 recruit. Hall recently said he expects to make his college decision by the start of next wrestling season, and has official visits planned to Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Wisconsin. He hasn't ruled out spending next season at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Anthony Valencia won his third state championship (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Anthony Valencia, Age: 18 Anthony Valencia, the nation's top recruit, has had a meteoric rise since his freshman season at St. John Bosco High School in California. Early in his high school career he showed flashes of his potential, but lacked the consistency of the nation's elite prep wrestlers. Victories over top wrestlers were mixed in with head-scratching losses. As he grew, he became more consistent and dominant. This year, Anthony and brother Zahid captured their third state championships in California. Anthony beat Mark Hall at the Southwest Kickoff in the fall of 2013, but Hall avenged the loss a year later. Last spring Anthony dominated Isaiah Martinez in two straight matches, 10-0, 10-0, in the best-of-three finals of the FILA (now UWW) Junior World Team Trials. Jason Nolf, Age: 19 Jason Nolf helped put Penn State on top of the recruiting class rankings a year ago, and will now look to put the Nittany Lions back on top of the college wrestling world. As a high school wrestler, Nolf went 176-1 and claimed three PIAA titles. He put together a tremendous redshirt season in Happy Valley, going 15-1, with his only loss coming to four-time All-American James Green of Nebraska in the finals of the Southern Scuffle. Nolf's impressive run to the Scuffle finals included a victory over Cornell's Brian Realbuto, who would go on to reach the NCAA finals at 157 pounds. Joey McKenna, Age: 19 Joey McKenna, a Junior World silver medalist last year, deferred enrollment at Stanford this year. In late December, McKenna placed third at the Midlands competing unattached. In February, McKenna, a Blair Academy product, won a gold medal at the Cerro Pelado International, which was his first gold medal on the senior level. He is currently ranked No. 20 in the world at 65 kilos. Spencer Lee dominated his competition at the Walsh Ironman (Photo/Rob Preston)Spencer Lee, 16 Lee, a high school sophomore from Franklin Regional, Pennsylvania, is light years ahead of his competition at the high school level. In two years of high school wrestling, Lee has amassed a perfect record of 97-0. In addition to his two PIAA titles, he has won both the Super 32 Challenge and Walsh Ironman two times. Like Mark Hall, Lee won a Cadet World title in freestyle last summer. His mother Cathy was a Pan-American silver medalist in judo and Olympic alternate; his father Larry is former judo national team coach and served as the head coach for the visually impaired judo team for both the 1992 and 1996 Paralympic Games. Lee has drawn comparisons to four-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber, who recently tweeted about Lee: "Great workout this morning with @LeeSpencerlee36 wow he's a beast!!" Zain Retherford, Age: 19 Zain Retherford redshirted this past season at Penn State after earning All-American honors as a true freshman in 2014. He won a Cadet World title in freestyle in 2012. Last year he sent shockwaves through the wrestling world when he beat Logan Stieber in a dual meet. He came up short of making the Junior World Team in 2014, losing to Aaron Pico in the best-of-three finals of the World Team Trials. Chance Marsteller, Age: 19 Marsteller has been under a watchful eye ever since his eighth grade year when he competed in a college open and won a match. Amazingly, he lived up to the lofty expectations in high school, finishing his career as a four-time undefeated state champion in wrestling-rich Pennsylvania. Marsteller started his redshirt season at 157 pounds, and after a bit of a slow start moved up a weight class to 165 pounds and showed great promise, placing fourth at the Southern Scuffle. His future looks bright in Stillwater, but with two-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer returning to the Cowboy lineup next season, and 174-pound All-American Kyle Crutchmer back, it remains to be seen where Marsteller fits into OSU's plans next year. Zahid Valencia, Age: 18 At one point Zahid Valencia was the nation's No. 1 wrestler in the Class of 2015. He has hovered in the top five in the Class of 2015 for much of his career and finished ranked No. 3 overall, two spots below brother Anthony. The three-time California state champion went through a major growth spurt between his junior and senior years, moving up six weight classes from 132 pounds to 182 pounds. The weight jump didn't seem to hinder his performance, though. In fact, Zahid might be even more dominant now as an upperweight because of his ability to wrestle like a lightweight. This past season he become only the second wrestler ever to win four Walsh Ironman titles, joining David Taylor in that elite club. Zahid and his brother Anthony signed with Arizona State.

FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. -- Emmanuel College is pleased to announce the hiring of Link Davis as its new women's wrestling coach. The women's wrestling program will begin in the Fall of 2015 as EC's newest intercollegiate sport. This is very exciting news for Emmanuel as Davis is a very well respected coach within the collegiate and Olympic wrestling community. Davis' previous college coaching experience is well documented as he served as assistant wrestling coach for Oklahoma City University, where he has helped build its women's wrestling program into a national powerhouse. Under Davis' guidance, OCU won two consecutive WCWA Women's national team titles and they finished second at the national tournament the following season. In three seasons, OCU women's wrestlers won eight individual WCWA national titles and four OCU women's wrestlers qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials. Nate Moorman, Athletic Director at Emmanuel, is very familiar with Davis' coaching successes. Nate and his brother Jason were instrumental in founding the women's wrestling program at King University while Davis was at OCU. "I am excited to bring Link to Franklin Springs, Georgia because his vision is to create a program that will compete at the national level year after year, and I know that Link will succeed. Women's college wrestling is a rapidly growing sport and Emmanuel is excited to be a part of it." Davis, about his coming to Emmanuel, says "I am coming into Emmanuel looking for student-athletes that are not only searching for a great education but who are also looking to wrestle at the highest level possible, to showcase their wrestling abilities beyond a college environment." Davis has also been an integral part in coaching the U.S. Senior women's team, which competed at the 2010 Canada Cup and the 2010 Junior World team, competing in Hungary. He also helped coach a WCWA college team which competed at the Spanish Grand Prix. Davis has coached a number of other teams that have competed in Canadian tournaments. As a college wrestler, Davis was a member of Central Oklahoma's 1996 NCAA Division II runner-up squad. He is married to Kristie Davis, a two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist in women's freestyle wrestling, and a member of the 2010 U.S. World Team. They have three children - Bryleigh, Kayla, and Lilly. "I want to thank Nate, President White, and the search committee for giving me this opportunity. God has had a hand in this process and I look forward to creating something good here in Georgia."