InterMat Staff

I was in Colorado Springs early last week and had the chance to sit-in on a few practices including now-members of the University World Team. And wow … just wow … what a stable of studs coming through USA Wrestling. I'm not sure why this crop seems so much more talented than those in years past, but as I watched technique and live session I was struck with the thought that a lot of the guys I was watching had the talent to be future Olympic and world champions. And this isn't fanboy behavior. I've been fortunate to watch a lot of international wrestling over the past several years, from practice to competition, and what I saw last week in Colorado Springs struck me as some of the best yet. Some of my perspective was shaded by the consideration of their "potential," but the raw talent level was simply undeniable and awesome. Zain Retherford is a hammer who haunts my thoughts. Imar is a generational type of talent with the winner's attitude that'll extend past the NCAA. Kyle Snyder is a transformative figure in USA Wrestling who beat the defending Olympic champion in back-to-back years en route to winning a world title and making the Olympic team. There others that impressed but simply put I will watch the University World Championships with a lot of red, white and blue-themed optimism. To your questions … Q: Bill Zadick was hired over Kenny Monday and Lou Rosselli to lead the U.S. freestyle program. Did USA Wrestling get it right? -- Mike C. Bill Zadick coaches Kyle Snyder in the gold-medal match at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: The USA Wrestling head coaching position is about much more than simple name ID and is dissimilar to many traditional coaching jobs in what it asks of occupants. Before Zeke Jones and Bruce Burnett the main goal of the head coach was to convince the various stars to live at the training facility, sleep in dorms and take international tours. The new model will be one of development -- to attract younger wrestlers to the camps earlier in the careers, let them discover what the place is about, develop skills and get them on the freestyle path. For that job Zadick was most qualified given his understanding of the development program and his thoughts on where it may lead. I'm also sure that Lou Rosselli could have followed through on that mission as well, but Zadick (who I think is the man) has a much better vision given that current role and years of experience. Also, I think that right coach needed to understand what the modern wrestler is getting from his club programs and find ways to supplement their training rather than remove them from their surroundings. From what I can tell, being at "home" in their respective college towns has assisted both Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs. Q: Is Brock Lesnar's return to the UFC merely a publicity stunt to sell PPV subscriptions? Or is he a real threat to become the UFC heavyweight champion again? -- Mike C. Foley: Everything the UFC does is a publicity stunt to sell PPVs! Brock Lesnar is a more transparent move to grab PPV buys, but it's not a move outside of the promotion's recent history of moves. I'd normally be very vocal in stating the obvious -- that Brock can't win the heavyweight crown -- but with so many big stars getting knocked out at heavyweight I suppose anything could happen. Then again, no, there is no chance that even a series of softball fights would lead Brock Lesnar to another UFC championship. Q: When will countries buy in to the World Cup as a real long-term option? Will there be qualifiers beside the World Championships? -- @wrestlingnomad Foley: I'm not sure what you mean by "long-term" option, but I do think that there are difficulties in hosting the World Cup concurrently with the Olympic Games. For example, while the United States, Iran and Turkey are using this as a warmup for Rio 2016 the Russians are staying inside the borders. That could affect the quality of the competition overall, but I don't think it's discouraging viewership. Q: I want to hear some more technical in-depth talk about Fresno State. What are the big hurdles? Who do you think will be on the staff? How long until they're contending individually and maybe as a team? What do you think their singlets will look like? -- Ben R. Foley: I like that you started with wanting to hear about the technical in-depth and then trailed off with a sartorial inquiry into their color and design of their singlet! Love the focus. The coaching staff could be anyone, but I think that Fresno State will certainly have two years of recruiting before they are allowed to compete at the Division I level in 2017-2018. That's going to mean a tough start for the program as they are starting from scratch -- no existing wrestlers or mentality, only that distant memory of the program's glory years in the 1990s. I think I'd be aggressive in projecting an All-American before the 2020 NCAA Championships. For now, the team title will be a 15-20 year goal for the program. Not sure even Cael Sanderson could put all the keys for victory in place with any more efficiency than that. Q: What's the biggest thing that watching international wrestling from every angle has taught you? What is the 'key' to wrestling? I wouldn't/you don't need to tie it into American wrestling. God knows when you say anything critical the Anons of the community dig in ridiculously. -- Ben R. Foley: The Anons already love to dig in, so I don't mind pushing all in! From what I've seen there are typically a few factors at play with the very top competitors from around the world. The first is that they have tight family relationships and rely on those for emotional support during their career. Someone to cheer you up is an important factor to keeping it on an even keel as your wrestling (unavoidably) goes sideways at times. Another VERY consistent theme seems to be faith. Whether Christianity, Islam or Hinduism wrestlers at the highest level tend to have a lot of faith in their God. Just an observation. In terms of training I've seen that most of the world's top wrestlers don't train with insane in-the-room intensity, or that those moments are much more rare than we see and feel in America. For example, I was in Germany this week shooting a documentary on Greco-Roman world champion Frank Stäbler and watched his practice routine. Last week I was in Colorado Springs filming world champion Kyle Snyder for another documentary and saw his practice routine. These guys aren't relying on aggression to solve their on-the-mat issues, but are instead intensely focused on technique, strength, conditioning and situational live. More with Frank and older wrestlers, but there is WAY less head-banging than you may imagine -- and Frank is known for his conditioning and aggressiveness on the mat. Were I to head up a program I'd love to foster that type of mentality and training schedule as I think it keeps wrestlers much healthier and more psychologically capable to manage longer careers.

Although Los Angeles has hosted the Freestyle World Cup since 2014, this weekend there is a different attitude about the event. For the past two years the World Cup has taken place earlier (April in 2015 and March in 2014) and with wrestling for the Olympics occurring in August (a month earlier than the World Championships in non-Olympic years) this year's World Cup is most certainly a late tune-up for Rio -- a chance to gauge performances, test out techniques and get a feel for opponents before the final phase of making adjustments in pursuit of Olympic glory. The eight teams participating fall into two camps about how to approach the event. Iran, Georgia, Mongolia and the USA are sending what looks to be their strongest lineups. Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan are leaving many of their top athletes at home. Traditionally, Russia never sends their strongest team to the World Cup, and given the success that they continuously demonstrate at the World Championships and Olympics, it's hard to argue with that strategy. Russia knows how to peak and they also know how to plan for individual opponents -- opponents that they clearly get good intel on at events like the World Cup. For Russia, the event may be the deciding factor on determining two of their athletes for the Olympic team. Because of controversy in the officiating at the Russian Nationals, Victor Lebedev (57 kilos) announced he will not be competing in Rio. A good World Cup by 57-kilo Gadzhimurad Rashidov would allow him to make his case to be the Olympian for Russia. Similarly, 2014 world champ Abdusalam Gadisov (97 kilos) did not compete at Russian Nationals. The weight was won by Anzor Boltukaev, who was very impressive. Gadisov will be at the World Cup while Boltukaev will not. A strong run by Gadisov this weekend could return him to the Olympic stage or at least set up a wrestle-off with Boltukaev. While Iran has always taken the World Cup seriously, it being in Los Angeles, which has such a high population of Iranian-Americans, seems to elevate the status of the event even more. During the final World Cup match for the past two years, the inside of the Forum could easily be mistaken for a stadium in Tehran. Aside from the injured Reza Yazdani at 97 kilos, Iran will once again bring their strongest team and a full roster of backups, which will make them the favorite to win their fifth World Cup in a row. Georgia shocked everyone by winning the European Championships over Russia earlier this year. 57-kilo world champ Vladimir Khinchegashvili bumped up to 61 kilos and defeated fellow 2015 world champ Haji Aliev of Azerbaijan decisively. And at heavyweight Geno Petriashvili came from behind to defeat 2014 and 2105 world champ Taha Akgül of Turkey, who looked unbeatable at Worlds in Las Vegas. Georgia has Russia right off the bat in the first session and, surprisingly should be considered a favorite over them. Although Team USA boasts two standing world champions and two more world medalists, the squad is mostly unseasoned and many questions will get answered this weekend. In general, America has gotten better at transitioning college wrestlers from folkstyle to freestyle, but it is still a transition -- and it can only be made through match experience. At 57 kilos, Daniel Dennis has looked great since dropping down from 61 kilos. He won the U.S. Open, Olympic Trials and indeed seems like a complete freestyle wrestler. How complete will become apparent in the first session when he faces 2013 world silver medalist Amit Kumar of India. In Session III, he will get and even bigger test from four-time world medalist Hassan Rahimi of Iran. At 61 kilos, it's unclear if USA will send out Nahshon Garrett or two-time World Team member Tony Ramos. Most likely, it will be a combination of the two. They will get stiff competition from India, Azerbaijan and Iran in the first three rounds. It was recently announced that a World Championship will be held for non-Olympic weights in December. So for the World Cup, athletes at 61 kilos and 70 kilos are not just wrestling to help out their teams and their countries, but to gear up for the quest to become a world champion. Frank Molinaro came out on top at an absolutely loaded 65-kilo weight class at the Olympic Team Trials -- ahead of many athletes who were picked to finish higher. He defeated Kellen Russell, Brent Metcalf, logan steiber and aaron pico to become champion. He then competed in both remaining Olympic qualifying tournaments and punched his ticket to Rio when two previous qualifiers tested positive on drug tests. Every match Molinaro gets will help him prepare for the Olympics. His biggest test will come against Seyed Mohammadi of Iran in the third session. 2015 world bronze medalist James Green will return to 70 kilos after lackluster results dropping to 65 kilos to try to make the 2016 Olympic Team. Green was probably just too big for the lighter weight class and with the opportunity to be a world champ later this year will probably fully commit to the higher weight class. Jordan Burroughs celebrates after picking up a woiin against Iran at the World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)If America is to win the World Cup this weekend, it will in no doubt be in part to the energy provided by USA Wrestling's golden child Jordan Burroughs. The four-time gold medalist stands 124-2 in freestyle competition and remains at the peak of his wrestling game. Burroughs is definitely team-oriented and uses his talents to elevate those around him. At 86 kilos, J'den Cox has been enjoyable to follow. Still with a year of NCAA eligibility left, Cox appears to be a much more experienced senior level freestyler than he actually is. He constantly demonstrates intelligent wrestling, creates action when he needs to, scrambles out of dangerous positions and never loses his cool. Cox seems to be developing at a rapid pace and the ceiling of his potential is unknown. It should become much clearer in the third round when he faces Alireza Karimi of Iran, the 2015 bronze medalist and the 2014 junior world champion. Yes, Kyle Snyder may be the world champ at 97 kilos, but he's still got two years of college eligibility left and is far from being done improving. Moreover, although Snyder won the World Championships he can hardly rest on his laurels as he had two international losses this winter in Russia. A rematch with Gadisov this weekend would be huge for both athletes. The big question with two-time world bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev (125 kilos) is how his back will hold up through the Olympics. He made the 2015 World tTeam, but then withdrew prior to the event due to injury. After returning from injury he won the Pan Am Games and the Olympic Trials. Will he wrestle in all four matches this weekend? It's impossible to predict, but most certainly backup Zack Rey will step in to keep Dlagnev as healthy as possible for Rio. Said Gamidov of Azerbaijan could be a good test for him in the second round.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Former Kent State All-American Ian Miller (pictured above, in gold) has joined the Oregon State wrestling program as the volunteer assistant coach, head coach Jim Zalesky announced Thursday. Ian Miller battles Isaiah Martinez in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)A native of Oak Harbor, Ohio, Miller was a three-time All-American and a four-time NCAA qualifier at 157 pounds. He is the only wrestler in KSU history with three top-6 finishes at the NCAA championships. Miller placed sixth at the 2016 NCAAs, fifth at the 2015 NCAAs and fourth at the 2014 NCAAs. He was a three-time Mid-American Conference champion, the 2012 MAC Freshman of the Year, and ranks third all-time at KSU in wins (138) and fourth in pins (36). “We have known Ian for a long time, he attended our camps when he was in high school, and we have followed his career,” Zalesky said. “We were looking for a middleweight coach after Troy [Steiner] left” in May to become the new head coach at Fresno State. “Ian fills that void. He's a three-time All-American, he has a winner's mentality, and he will be a good workout partner, and he really wants to coach. “He's done some good things, some of them unconventional, that I would like to see added to our coaching staff. “He will really help our program. He will be a tough workout partner, so when our middleweights come into the room they'd better be ready to go.” This past season, he advanced to the NCAA semifinals and finished 23-2 overall, with 11 bonus-point wins and individual titles at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Navy Classic. He gave up just one takedown all season. Miller also has experience at national and international meets in the 70- and 74-kilogram weight classes. He placed second at 2015 FILA University Nationals; was the champion and the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2014 FILA University Nationals; placed fourth at ASICS University Nationals, and won the championship at 2012 ASICS University Nationals. He was the Ohio Division II state champion as a junior, the runner-up as a senior and the third-place finisher as a sophomore at Oak Harbor High School. He was The Open Mat's No. 2 national recruit at 152 pounds as a senior. Miller succeeds Devin Mellon, who has returned to the staff at the University of Missouri, his alma mater, after spending the 2015-16 season at OSU. For more information on the Oregon State wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OSU_Wrestling or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling.

It must be devastating for a college wrestler who has learned that your wrestling program has been given the axe. Now, imagine a situation where your school has announced it's being closed, taking its wrestling program with it. That's the case with St. Catharine College and its NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) wrestling program. The tiny four-year college located southwest of Lexington, Kentucky announced earlier this month it was closing its doors for good in July. Just this week, newspapers headlines throughout the Bluegrass State trumpeted the news that Midway University was hiring coaches for men's sports programs at St. Catharine's. Score one for wrestling, right? Not so fast. Midway's offer is truly generous -- and groundbreaking, as the school situated halfway between Lexington and Louisville has been a women-only school until now. However, the offer only extends to St. Catharine's men's basketball, soccer and baseball coaches. That leaves most other St. Catharine College athletes without a school. Not just wrestlers, but also men's bowling, cross country, golf, swimming, tennis and track ... as well as all athletes from all women's intercollegiate sports. Why is St. Catharine College closing its doors after 85 years? Officials at the school, located in Springfield, Kentucky in the heart of the Bluegrass, cited declining enrollment and unmanageable debt as the main causes for the decision made June 1. St. Catharine's, a Roman Catholic school affiliated with the Dominican Sisters of Peace, have a $5 million deficit brought on by the construction of new residences halls, a health-sciences building, and a new library. Additionally, the college's dispute with the government over withheld student aid resulted in enrollment declining from 600 students to 475 for the fall 2016 semester. Students at St. Catharine College are being offered "teach-out agreements” -- articulation agreements to allow students' college credits to easily transfer to other designated schools, along with tuition rates similar to what St. Catharine students have been paying. In addition to Midway University, other Kentucky-based schools involved in this program include Bellarmine University in Louisville, Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky State University in Frankfort and Kentucky Wesleyan in Owensboro. None of these schools offers intercollegiate wrestling. There are three NAIA wrestling programs in the state of Kentucky: Campbellsville University in Campbellsville; Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia; and University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky.

The Tiger is now a Bull, as Le'Roy Barnes, who just graduated from the University of Missouri, has been hired as an assistant coach at the University at Buffalo, the Bulls head coach John Stutzman announced Monday. Barnes, who won the 2016 Mid-American Conference title at 157 pounds just three months ago for the Mizzou Tigers, will remain in the same conference with his new coaching job, as Buffalo also wrestles in the MAC. Le'Roy Barnes (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Barnes launched his wrestling career at Belton High School in Missouri, where he was a two-time Missouri state championship placer. He then spent two years at Neosho County Community College in Kansas where, as a sophomore, he won the 2013 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) title after placing third at the 2012 NJCAAs as a freshman. Barnes then transferred to Missouri, where, after a redshirt season, he competed for the Tigers for two complete seasons. After wrestling at 141 as a junior, Barnes moved up to 157 his senior year, where he compiled a 26-11 record, won the MAC title, and qualified for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. During his time at Missouri, the Tigers won consecutive MAC team titles, and placed among the top five in the team standings at the NCAAs. "Le'Roy is a tremendous hire for our program and comes highly recommended from Coach [Brian] Smith at Missouri," Stutzman said. "Having wrestled for Missouri and being a part of a program that has won multiple MAC Championships while producing National Champions, All-Americans and Olympians, his knowledge and energy is exactly what we need right now to continue moving our program forward. I am excited to bring him to Buffalo." "The best thing about Le'Roy is that he believes in what we are doing here as he has seen the progress from the other side," Stutzman added. Barnes is eager to move into his first collegiate coaching position. "I'm excited to work with the wrestling team here at Buffalo," Barnes said. "The coaching staff is extremely motivated, the athletes are bought in and the administration gives this program what it needs to be successful. This team is headed in a great direction and I'm excited to contribute to that."

The AAU Scholastic Duals (aka, Disney Duals) commence this weekend near Orlando, Florida, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex located at Disney World. The event features four different competitions, two tiers each in a pair of competition categories. The District divisions (all-star and developmental) are open tournaments for any wrestlers within a geographical area, while the Community divisions (split based on school enrollment) are restricted to competitors that attend(ed) the same school with allowance for three wrestlers not from that school. Starting on Sunday, June 12, and coming to conclusion on Wednesday, June 15, are the District divisions. The all-star competition is the elite level open team event that features some teams which look and feel like squads you saw at the NHSCA Duals (also folkstyle) last month and the Cadet/Junior Duals (Greco-Roman and freestyle) later this month. On the other hand, the developmental division is restricted to wrestlers who did not place at their high school state tournament this season. The Community divisions start on Tuesday, June 14, and will end next Friday, June 17. There are two divisions of competition, split based on the student body size of the registered schools; however, squads can choose to wrestle up in Division 1 even if they have enrollment size commensurate to being in Division 2. While roster information is not public at this time, one can make some informed guesses about who the primary contending teams could be in the District all-star and Community divisions. In what was an excellent move for the event, results and related information were available on Trackwrestling last year. It seems that this year's events will have results on Track Wrestling. However, we will have to confirm that closer to the event. Last year Young Guns won their third straight Disney Duals titleThe Young Guns Black team coached by Jody Strittmatter out of Western Pennsylvania has dominated its way to the championship in the District All-Star Division each of the previous three years. Until proven otherwise, they are the team to beat. Keep in mind that with just two wrestlers from outside their traditional footprint, they finished runner-up at the NHSCA Duals last month in a tournament where many of the elite teams had wrestlers from multiple areas of the country. Last year's runner-up in the District All-Star Division was the Mid-Atlantic Blue squad, a club team that was the last to win the Disney Duals prior to the three-year Young Guns Black run. They are a perennially strong team in this event, featuring wrestlers mostly from the Lehigh Valley and other parts of central/eastern Pennsylvania. The six other squads to earn a placement finish in the top bracket are all committed to return for this year's edition of the event (based on registration as of June 1st): CFWA-South Florida Lightning, Team Ohio Mafia, Team Iowa Black (runners-up in 2014), Ohio Grapplers, Michigan Blue, and Brawlers Elite Thunder. Others to watch in this event include Ozark Team STL (last year's name, slightly different this year), Team Vision Quest Colorado, Illinois Outsiders (possibly a similar entry to the one that won the NWCA Scholastic Duals in April), Contenders Elite, and Indiana Gorillas. This year's Community Division(s) will receive a boost, as multiple Indiana teams will return to the field after not participating last year due to the timing of their state association's "dead/no-contact period" in relation to the Disney Duals. An addition note of caution when doing pre-analysis of this competition is that schools have varying strategies in terms of their team rosters: some schools may not have stronger wrestlers present due to them being on a District All-Star team or participation in the Cadet Duals, some schools choose to include graduated seniors while others do not, and some schools may choose to use "outside wrestlers" to bolster the overall team talent while others don't procure as strong "outside wrestlers". The two-time returning champions in Community Division 1 are the Dakota (Illinois) Wrestling Nation. However, the teams to beat "on paper" would be a pair of schools that ended the 2015-16 season nationally ranked, No. 33 Brownsburg (Ind.) and No. 37 Olentangy Liberty (Ohio); Olentangy Liberty's entry is named Liberty Patriots. The Bulldogs qualified seven for their state tournament, five of them underclassmen; while Olentangy Liberty had eight state qualifiers, seven of them underclassmen. Last year's event runner-up was PA Rampage, which is an entry consisting of primarily Central Dauphin wrestlers. That school qualified six for the state tournament in a loaded classification, four of which were underclassmen. The 2014 runners-up Avon (Ind.) return to the tournament this year, and their team was top ten in the Indiana state tournament this past season with four of five state qualifiers being underclassmen. Other teams to watch include Brandon (Fla.), Mason (Ohio) -- entry is Ohio Comets, Penn (Ind.) -- entry is XTreme Gold, along with Social Circle (Ga.) -- champions of Division 2 last year. Leading the way in Division 2 is Oak Harbor (Ohio) -- Oak Harbor Rockets, the runner-up in this tournament the previous two years. As a high school program, they qualified eight to the state tournament and return six of those for 2016-17; the Rockets will also enter as a joint pre-season favorite in Ohio's small-school division. Team Montana Sidney has finished third in this tournament the previous two seasons.

Amateur wrestlers are among the best conditioned, best-built athletes of any sport. It's always been the case. Nowadays, wrestlers benefit from weight work using sophisticated workout equipment and routines, smarter nutrition, scientifically-developed nutritional supplements and other advances to enhance wrestler strength, speed, endurance and recovery. All these advances weren't available to wrestlers of the past. Yet how is it possible that a number of the mat athletes of the 1960s and earlier could possess incredible strength and impressive physiques that, if they were wrestling today, would still generate positive buzz at a tournament and on social media? It occurred to me that it was time to take a look at this topic, in light of responses to photos I've posted of past college mat greats (including Dan Hodge as an Oklahoma Sooner wrestler in the mid-1950s, in honor of his 84th birthday in mid-May) ... and in my recent tribute to Sherwyn Thorson, 1962 NCAA heavyweight champ for the Iowa Hawkeyes, who passed away this spring at age 75. Thorson breaks open the weight room The late Sherwyn Thorson owns a number of enduring distinctions in his amateur athletic career at Iowa. He was the Hawkeyes' first NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ. What's more, Thorson was the only U of Iowa athlete to earn All-American honors in both wrestling and football ... and perhaps the only athlete from any NCAA school in history to do both, according to the Iowa sports website BlackHeartsGoldPants.com. And ...Thorson was one of the first to be open about working out with weights. Known affectionately by the nickname Thumper, Thorson was a physical specimen who was very agile for a big man, having grown from being a 138-pound wrestler as a high school freshman into a 235-pounder at Iowa. Yet the Fort Dodge, Iowa native apparently felt he was a bit undersized for both sports, so he hit the weight room. Sherwyn Thorson"I went at the weights hard my junior year when a professor failed me in a course that I know I did well in. He told me he considered me a paid professional athlete and just wasn't going to give me a passing grade," Thorson told the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame upon his induction into that Hall which honors wrestlers born in the state of Iowa. That prof's accusation motivated Thorson to go all-out to be even more successful against larger opponents in wrestling and football ... and that plan included weightlifting. It apparently worked, as Thorson concluded his collegiate mat career by winning the heavyweight title at the 1962 NCAAs by pinning Wisconsin's Roger Pillath, the guy who put his shoulders to the mat at the Big Ten championship finals two weeks earlier. Thorson then went on to a successful career in professional football in Canada. Weight room: once off-limits to wrestlers During Thorson's time -- and long before that -- most wrestling coaches forbid their athletes from pumping iron. "It'll make you muscle-bound!" was the conventional wisdom of the time. However, the 1960s was a time of revolution and innovation in amateur wrestling, with wider use of foam-core mats (widely known by one brand name, Resilite), digital scoreboards, protective headgear, and specialized shoes designed specifically for wrestling (rather than simply wearing "sneakers"). Some wrestling coaches started to see how amateur athletes in other sports -- such as swimming, and track and field -- were gaining benefits of weight work, becoming faster, more agile, with greater endurance ... without becoming "muscle-bound." So how did wrestlers who competed more than 50 years ago gain strength and muscle that still looks impressive to many of today's wrestlers and fans? In some cases, it's a matter of great genes. However, there are some common environmental issues that helped make some wrestlers known for their power and/or their powerful physiques. InterMat has singled out some examples of accomplished wrestlers of the past who were also known for their strength and/or strong physiques. Some of these guys may have been blessed by choosing their parents carefully, so to speak. Others may have earned their muscles from hard work on the farm, in the oil fields, or other demanding physical labor. A couple overcame incredible physical challenges to build themselves into high-achieving mat champs. Note: The focus of this article is on wrestlers who competed more than 60 years ago, in the era before weight-room workouts were the norm ... so you won't find Brock Lesnar, Kenny Monday, Kevin Randleman, Mark Johnson, Lee Kemp or other more recent wrestlers known for their muscular strength and/or muscularity in this InterMat Rewind feature. And ... note that all the photos featured in this article are of these wrestlers in their uniforms of the time. Prior to today's singlets becoming the standard uniform about 45-50 years ago, many high school and college wrestlers competed in trunks and/or tights, with shirts optional. The NCAA started requiring all collegiate wrestlers to wear shirts in the mid-1960s. Jack VanBebber Looking at photos of Jack VanBebber in his wrestling prime, it's not obvious that he would belong in an article about wrestlers with impressive physiques and/or incredible strength. Yet this athlete overcame a near-fatal accident as a child to become one of the most accomplished wrestlers of the 1930s competing at Oklahoma State and on the international stage. Jack VanBebber Oklahoma State wrestling accomplishments: Three-time NCAA champ (1929-31) at 165 pounds. Overall college record of 21-0, with 9 falls. Beyond the Cowboys: VanBebber won a gold medal in freestyle at (weight class) at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, despite being punched by his Canadian opponent in one match. In the finals, the farm boy from north-central Oklahoma managed to beat a three-time Olympic medalist to claim gold of his own. Overcoming a near-fatal injury: When he was six years old, Jack VanBebber fell off a wagon and was run over by one of the wheels, severely injuring his chest. Immediately after the accident, doctors didn't think he would survive ... or, at best, would be an invalid the rest of his life. However, as he slowly recovered, doctors encouraged him to get some exercise such as walking ... but forbade him from participating in sports. That all changed in junior high school when a playground bully picked a fight with him. He and the bully were taken to the school's football/wrestling coach, who made the two boys put on boxing gloves and "settle their differences." VanBebber got knocked down, but the coach liked how VanBebber worked to defend himself, and encouraged him to consider going out for wrestling once he came to high school. The coach gave VanBebber a workout regime which included walking, jogging and doing more strenuous farm chores such as lifting hay bales. Over time, VanBebber became stronger and healthier; the coach finally allowed him to go out for wrestling, but only if he would join the football team too. VanBebber's long-term workout regime prior to taking up sports -- along with participation in both football and wrestling in high school -- helped his wrestling career in college and beyond. While at Oklahoma State wrestling for the legendary coach Ed Gallagher, at times VanBebber needed to have one-on-one workouts with an assistant coach because his class schedule interfered with the regularly-scheduled team workouts. A grueling schedule: In addition to wrestling practices and a demanding class schedule, VanBebber was forced to take up multiple part-time jobs to earn money for his education and expenses during the beginning of the Great Depression, which hit the state of Oklahoma particularly hard. It's almost exhausting to read about one of VanBebber's typical days in his memoir "A Distant Flame"; here's his schedule as a freshman: "My day began at 3:45 in the morning when I left for the dairy barn. That milk delivering turned out to be challenging track work ... The milk delivered, I legged it to my morning classes. (After lunch) from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 I attended classes. From 4:00 to 5:00 I swept classrooms at Whitehurst Hall. I double-timed it to the gym for an hour of wrestling." After going back to where he lived for evening study, late at night VanBebber went to wash dishes and pots and pans at a local diner for a free meal. These jobs not only helped build VanBebber's bank account; they also helped make the wrestler stronger physically and mentally ... which served him in his academic and athletic endeavors. All that helped VanBebber develop a level of physical conditioning and stick-to-it-ness which was critical to his success at the 1932 Olympics. However, the former Cowboy almost didn't make it to one of his matches. He had been given the wrong schedule, and was taking a nap at the Olympic Village when he was told he needed to be at the arena -- which was miles away -- in one hour. Unable to find transportation, VanBebber started running ... and barely made it to the arena in time for his match. Thanks to his incredible conditioning -- and years of running going back to grade school -- he won his match, and the gold medal. VanBebber's athletic accomplishments and inspiring life story of overcoming near-fatal injuries led Associated Press in 1950 to declare him one of the Top Ten athletes of the first half of the 20th century. Stanley Henson At age 98, Stanley Henson is not only one of the oldest NCAA wrestling champs still alive, but also arguably the most accomplished college mat star of the 1930s, despite battling ongoing issues with his shoulder throughout his athletic career. No less an expert than wrestling historian Mike Chapman said this of Henson: "All the old-timers I talk to consider him -- without exception -- one of the top four or five wrestlers of all time." Oklahoma State wrestling record: Three-time NCAA champ (1937-39). Overall college record of 31-1 record, with 12 pins. Named Outstanding Wrestler at the 1937 NCAAs, the first sophomore to earn that honor. Beyond the Cowboys: Henson barely missed out on qualifying to wrestle for the U.S. at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He was an odds-on favorite to earn a gold medal at the 1940 Olympics, which never took place because of the threat of World War II. During the war, Henson served in the Navy on the USS San Francisco in the Pacific. After five years as a physical instructor and wrestling assistant at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Henson attended medical school in Maryland and trained at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for four years before moving to Fort Collins, Colorado to work as a surgeon, becoming the first doctor to perform open-heart surgery at the local hospital. In addition, he was a pioneer in the field of sports medicine. Henson was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1978. A rugged wrestling work ethic: As a self-described "skinny little kid," Henson first went out for wrestling in junior high in Tulsa, Oklahoma without much success ... and, in fact, quit. At Tulsa Central High, legendary coach Art Griffith encouraged him to participate in the sport. Henson learned the value of hard work, vowing never to leave the wrestling room as long as a teammate remained who needed a workout partner. He even worked out with guys much larger and more experienced, but believed he was learning skills and gaining valuable experience. Henson also learned of a wrestler who ran four miles a day ... so he did that, twice a day. It all led to three Oklahoma high school state titles, and interest from a number of college wrestling programs, including the top program at the time, Oklahoma State. Hard at work at home on the farm ... Henson grew up on a farm, so daily chores were a fact of life, including a cow that needed to be milked twice a day. "My dad made it clear that the cow came first, and wrestling came second," Henson wrote. "I didn't realize at the time, but I was developing strong hands and forearms that were also a real asset to me in wrestling." ... and in the oil fields: Henson's father was a general contractor in the Oklahoma oil fields ... and Stanley and his brother worked on his dad's crews during summers off from high school and college. Being a rig builder was hard work, and dangerous, too. "We dug cellars, ran concrete, and set pumping units," said Henson. "It was hard work, but not as dangerous as rig building ... I didn't mind because I was building muscle and endurance which would pay off during the next wrestling season." "We didn't lift weights in those days, but we spent all that summer (1938) swinging a 16-pound sledge, driving stakes into the ground for a rod line that ran several pumping units. After that summer, Joe (McDonald, Oklahoma State teammate) said he felt so strong that he thought he could 'crush' his opponents with his hands." Stanley HensonThat strength and endurance paid off in the wrestling ring. (Yes, back in the 1930s, Oklahoma State was one of a number of college teams that wrestled in a roped-off ring like those in boxing or pro wrestling. Rings were outlawed by the NCAA in 1942.) During a critical match, Stanley Henson suffered a dislocated shoulder. With the help of a physician in the audience, he was able to re-set the shoulder during a time-out, continued wrestling, and won the match, avenging his only collegiate loss. A photo-ready physique: In 1939, Stanley Henson was featured prominently in a three-page photo spread for Life magazine on the Oklahoma State wrestling program. Henson was one of the Cowboys picked to demonstrate various holds. A competing coach weighs in: Charlie Mayser, legendary coach at Iowa State in the 1930s, said, "(Henson) is positively the greatest wrestler to come along in generations, and I've seen some of the best." The Cyclone coach later said, "That Henson -- he's just not human!" Dan Hodge Dan Allen Hodge is one old-school wrestler who is well-known and respected even among today's wrestlers of all ages. After all, the now 84-year-old mat legend has been seen on NCAA telecasts demonstrating his strength by crushing apples on live TV, makes appearances at major youth tournaments, and lends his name to the Hodge Trophy, presented each year to the top college wrestler in America. Sixty years ago, Hodge was THE most admired and feared college wrestler in the country largely for his pinning prowess. The Oklahoma Sooner mat champ earned nicknames like "Dangerous Dan" and "Homicide Hodge." Even as a youngster, Hodge could walk across a football field on his hands, and even do a one-hand stand for long periods of time ... demonstrating incredible strength and balance. University of Oklahoma wrestling accomplishments: Three-time Big Seven champ (1955-57); three-time NCAA champ (same years), all at 177 pounds. Twice named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAAs (1956, 1957). Undefeated in college, with a 46-0 record, with 36 pins, giving him a 78% pin percentage that still ranks among the highest ever in college wrestling. Dan Hodge Beyond the Sooners: Hodge was twice a member of the U.S. Olympic men's freestyle team. As a 19-year-old Navy sailor, Hodge represented his country at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he was pinned in the second round and did not place. At the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Hodge made it to the finals, where he was caught in a rolling fall in a highly questionable call ... but earned a silver medal. After college, Hodge became a boxer ... but, disgusted with the shady dealings of that sport, then switched to professional wrestling, where he had a career that spanned nearly two decades, until he was in a near-fatal car wreck in 1976. A tough life for a kid: Dan Hodge grew up on a farm outside Perry, Oklahoma in the 1930s and 40s -- tough times, thanks to the tail end of the Dust Bowl drought and the Great Depression. As a farm boy, he picked cotton, dragging 40-50-pound bags of the cotton across the fields. Hodge also helped harvest wheat, and milked cows. Life beyond the field and barn was rugged for Hodge, too. His father left the family; their farm house burned to the ground, causing serious injuries physically and psychologically to his mother. Hodge was sent to live with his grandfather who beat him regularly. He ran away from the abuse, where he found refuge -- and a home, and some extra income -- living at the Perry fire station, keeping the fire trucks and station clean. He also worked at a local gas station. He also found refuge as a wrestler at the storied Perry High School wrestling program. One college rival remembers wrestling Hodge: Gary Kurdelmeier, future champ and later head wrestling coach at University of Iowa, tangled with Hodge a couple times during his collegiate career. In a 1976 interview with historian Mike Chapman, Kurdelmeier described one of those matches where he actually held the Sooner scoreless in the first period: "I knew all about Hodge, of course, and was pretty nervous. I was doing OK with him on my feet, but I ran into a little trouble with him when we went to the mat. Dan was very, very strong, of course, but it was more than that. He had good balance and exceptional leverage and knew where he was all the time. He just kind of positioned me onto my back and I seemed to go along with him, though I certainly didn't want to." In talking about Hodge's renowned grip strength, Kurdelmeier also mentioned having black-and-blue marks on his wrists and arms for days after tussling with "Dangerous Dan." Sports Illustrated weighs in: Dan Hodge owns the distinction of being the only amateur wrestler to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine as an amateur wrestler in the magazine's more than 60-year history. In their April 1, 1957 cover story, the magazine describes in great detail his Bedlam Series bout with Jimmy Harding of Oklahoma State. Hodge managed to bring the Cowboy to the mat, applying a double grapevine. "Now Harding was powerless from the waist down and on his back," SI reported. "The double arm bar was easy: both of Harding's arms were up over his head in agonizing parallel, squeezed and held vice-like -- not the 'punishment' hold of pro wrestling but a preliminary in Dan's book for the pin. Then Dan increased the grapevine pressure. The muscles where shoulders make a V at the base of the neck bunched. His legs stiffened and he pushed down, down, down. All his strength was focused on the man beneath him, striving for the moment when a wordless surrender passes from his opponent -- when resistance is gone and muscles relax ... It was all over and Dan Hodge was standing in the middle of the mat, his arm raised in victory. It had taken 50 seconds." Video: Dan Hodge pins a college opponent in less than a minute Doug Blubaugh Douglas Morlan Blubaugh grew up on a farm outside Tonkawa, Oklahoma ... and, even late in life, described himself as a "farm boy." Yet this lifelong farmer achieved greatness as a wrestler in high school, in college and at the Olympics. Like fellow Oklahoma farm boy Dan Hodge, Blubaugh was another mat champ of the past who was recognized and beloved by younger wrestlers because he was still participating in wrestling instructional camps right up until his tragic death when his motorcycle was struck by a pickup truck in his hometown in May 2011. Oklahoma State wrestling accomplishments: Three-time NCAA All-American (1955-57); 1957 NCAA champ at 157. Overall record of 27-3-1, with 2 pins. Beyond the Cowboys: Blubaugh earned a place on the freestyle team for the 1960 Olympics in a rugged series of a dozen bouts with fellow Oklahoma State wrestler Phil Kinyon. In Rome, Blubaugh made headlines by pinning defending World champion Emam Ali Habibi of Iran. In addition, Blubaugh was named Outstanding Wrestler of the year for his Olympic achievements. Doug Blubaugh A rock-like physique: At least two individuals from the wrestling community used stone-related metaphors to describe how Doug Blubaugh was put together. "When I first met him, he was a physical specimen. Carved out of rock," said Jack Duncan, a coach who was introduced to Blubaugh in 1961 at a wrestling camp at Michigan State where the gold medalist was a clinician. Wayne Baughman, a three-time Olympian, NCAA champ for the Oklahoma Sooners, and, for nearly three decades head coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy, said, "The first time I remember seeing Doug was when he came to OU to train for the '60 Olympic team. He looked like he was chiseled from a block of granite. He had muscles everywhere, even on his fingers." A muscular work ethic from the farm: In a 2010 interview with InterMat for a feature on the 1960 Olympics, Doug Blubaugh said, "Thank God I grew up on a wheat farm in Oklahoma that didn't have electricity or running water 'til during World War II. Doing farm chores built a work ethic. It was hard work. I never lifted weights -- couldn't afford them -- but hefted bales of hay. Strength from working on a farm is different; you get 'endurance strength' from farm work." Pre-Olympic strength vs. U.S. Olympic Trials rival Phil Kinyon: One prime example of Doug Blubaugh's toughness: his series of freestyle matches with Phil Kinyon, a U.S. Navy veteran who was enrolled at Oklahoma State at the time. (More about Kinyon later.) The two Cowboys of different eras (mid 1950s for Blubaugh; early '60s for Kinyon) were on a collision course to see who would wrestle for the U.S. at the 1960 Olympics. Russ Camilleri, San Jose State mat alum who earned a place on the 1960 Olympic team, said of the Blubaugh-Kinyon matches: "Both were compact, muscular and strong ... They had wrestled each other so often, they knew each other well. Despite the matches ending in draws without a score, they were NOT boring matches. Plenty of tough action." In his 2011 tribute to Blubaugh for Amateur Wrestling News, Oklahoma's Baughman shared his memories of the Blubaugh/Kinyon battles: "After having battled to numerous draws in previous matches, a winner/U.S. team member had to be determined. The mat was placed under the biggest shade tree on campus, removed from the entire athletic complex. The battle was waged. It was not pretty, or a disappointment to anyone in attendance, except Kinyon and (Myron) Roderick [Oklahoma State head coach]; and they certainly had nothing to be ashamed of. It was like two raging rams charging directly into each other over and over. At the end of the match, Doug was bleeding profusely from his face and forehead and Kinyon's eye was swollen shut. Doug won but it could have gone either way." Pre-Olympic strength in workouts: Baughman shared his memories of practice sessions helping Blubaugh prepare for the 1960 Olympics: "I thought I'd been sentenced to death when Port Robertson [Oklahoma wrestling coach] made me Doug's primary workout partner even though I weighed 180 compared to Doug's 160. Doug's style was extremely aggressive. He had the hardest head literally, and somewhat figuratively, of anyone I've ever wrestled; and, because of his poor vision, he kept in right in your face. I walked off the mat after every workout feeling as if I'd been the beat up with a jackhammer. I had continuous scrapes, cuts and bruises. He also had the toughest bottom defense I have ever encountered. He was like trying to turn or move a fireplug." Olympic strength in "The Epic Struggle": At the 1960 Olympics, Doug Blubaugh faced Iran's Emam Ali Habibi, multi-time World champion and 1956 Olympic gold medalist known as "The Tiger of Mazandaran" (his hometown). Here's Blubaugh's account: "At the start of my match with Habibi, he comes right after me and knocks me on my butt. I get out of it, get up and boom, he does it again. Once more, I get out of it but am now behind by five points. I tell myself he can't do that to me a third time, so when he comes after me again, I flip him onto his back, hold him tightly while he is vainly bridging, and pin him." Respected wrestling historian Dan Sayenga added a bit more detail to the match captured in posters titled "The Epic Struggle": "(Blubaugh) drew from every reserve of strength, balance, willpower, and technique in his body. Suddenly the audience gasped in amazement. Doug reversed out of the bridge, and the Iranian was on his own back!" "'I knew the bout wouldn't go 12 minutes,' he said later. "One of us had to get pinned." "He clamped with all his might against Habibi's high-arch bridge. The fall was signaled in less than three minutes." Blubaugh called on his "endurance strength" gained from toiling on the farm to pin Habibi at 2:37 of the bout ... then went on to win two more matches that day to earn his gold medal. Video: Doug Blubaugh pins Habibi at the 1960 Olympics Les Anderson Starting in the early 1950s, Leslie A. Anderson established an enduring career in wrestling that spanned decades which included on-the-mat success in high school and at Iowa State, a long-time coaching career at his college alma, and as creator of instructional books and videos, establishing TheWrestlingSite.com ... despite doctors' orders to give up the sport when he was in high school. Iowa State wrestling accomplishments: Two-time Big Eight champ. Three-time NCAA All-American, winning the 130-pound title at the 1958 NCAAs, and the championship at 137 at the 1960 NCAAs. Overall record of 50-3-1. Les Anderson Beyond wrestling for the Cyclones: In addition to folkstyle wrestling, Les Anderson also competed in freestyle. He placed fifth at the 1956 U.S. Olympic Trials; four years later, he was an alternate for the 1960 Olympic team which competed in Rome. A life in coaching: Les Anderson's professional life was centered on wrestling. After graduating from Iowa State in 1960, he launched his coaching career at Blue Earth High School in Minnesota, making it one of the top ten programs in the state. In 1964, Anderson returned to Iowa State to serve as assistant coach to Harold Nichols for a decade before becoming head coach at University of Washington until that program was eliminated. Anderson came back to ISU in 1977, where he continued to assist Nichols until his retirement ... then worked with Jim Gibbons after he was named head coach. During Anderson's time on the coaching staff, the Cyclones were five-time NCAA team titlewinners, placing second six times, and coming in third four times. A diagnosis that nearly ended a career: At Clarion High School in north-central Iowa, Anderson crafted a near-perfect career for coach Dale Brand. Anderson's only loss in high school was in the 119-pound finals at the 1955 state championships, having won the title at 103 in 1954. Anderson's mat career nearly ended in high school, having been diagnosed with polio, an acute viral infectious disease spread from person-to-person that causes inflammation of the spinal cord and brain, sometimes causing paralysis in limbs and muscles used in breathing. Anderson spent time in an iron lung as part of his therapy to overcome the potential ravages of polio which hit him between his junior and senior years of high school. In fact, his doctors had urged Anderson to give up wrestling, but he persevered, finding great success at Iowa State. An Iowa farm boy: Les Anderson grew up on a farm outside Clarion. Included among the photos as part of a 2007 roast to honor the former Iowa State wrestler/coach are images of a young Les out on the farm, driving a tractor, riding his horse Trigger, and wrestling in the front yard with one of his two brothers. Anderson was a key contributor to keeping the family farm running smoothly ... and, in fact, this became an issue more than once. When Les was first asked to go out for wrestling in high school by coach Brand, the coach came out to the farm for supper to reassure the family that their son would make it home from wrestling practice in time to keep up with his chores. Les Anderson's parents were also concerned about their son leaving the farm to go to Iowa State. In fact, Anderson left college for a year to return home to help out with running the farm. Phil Kinyon Phil Kinyon had a long, successful amateur wrestling career that spanned more than a decade, taking him from Stillwater High School in the early 1950s to Oklahoma State in the early 60s ... with stops along the way wrestling freestyle for the U.S. Navy (being featured in a full-page photo in Life magazine tussling with a Russian wrestler in 1958), and even a year on the wrestling team at UCLA before completing his college career back home with the Cowboys. Phil Kinyon Oklahoma State wrestling accomplishments: Three-time Big 8 champ (1961-63) at 157 pounds, three-time NCAA finalist, winning the 157 crown at 1961 NCAAs. Oklahoma State record: 39-3-4, with two pins. Iron sharpens iron into gold x 2: We've already read how Phil Kinyon battled Doug Blubaugh in a series of a dozen matches to determine spot on freestyle team for 1960 Olympics. Kinyon, gracious in defeat, turned his attention to help another Oklahoma State mat alum and eventual gold medalist, Shelby Wilson, prepare for the Games. As Wilson said in a 2007 interview with InterMat, "That summer, I linked up with Phil Kinyon. I owe him a lot. We went at each other every day. We worked out, ran, worked his farm, then would wrestle two twelve-minute matches. That's where I perfected my moves." "Phil was a very important part of my Olympic victory and without him, I'm not sure what would have happened." With that, Kinyon was instrumental in helping two of the three U.S. gold medalists -- Doug Blubaugh, and Shelby Wilson -- achieve greatness at the Rome Olympics. (The third who earned gold in 1960 was Terry McCann, a Chicago native and University of Iowa mat champ.) Before college: At Stillwater High School, Phillip Kinyon must have been considered to be a "big man on campus" -- one of those guys who participated in a wide range of activities. As a wrestler, Kinyon earned back-to-back Oklahoma high school state titles in 1953 and '54, played football, was senior class vice-president, sang in Glee Club, and a member of the Future Farmers of America. "Best Physique" in high school ... and beyond: Phil Kinyon was named "Best Physique" at Stillwater High School at least twice, according to the Pioneer yearbook. Back then, Stillwater wrestlers competed shirtless ... and from the photos, it was easy to see that Kinyon was put together, even as a teenager. Throughout his wrestling career, Kinyon was compact, muscular, and strong. One of this writer's favorite photos that shows off Kinyon's strength and ripped physique features the Cowboy carrying Oregon State's Fritz Fivian high over his head on the way to the 157-pound title at the 1961 NCAAs in Fivian's home gym. Phil KinyonBased on photos and film this writer has seen of Kinyon in college, the old-time phrase "hairy-chested he-man" seems appropriate. Or, as a fellow collegiate wrestler of the early 60s said of Kinyon, "He was hairy as a bear and built like a brick s***house." A wrestling historian weighs in: The late wrestling historian Jay Hammond told this writer that Kinyon was so feared in college, some would-be opponents would drop down a weight or move up just to avoid him. Hammond also considered Kinyon's loss as defending champ to unseeded, unheralded Jack Flasche of Northern Colorado in the 157 finals at the 1962 NCAAs to be among the three biggest upsets in NCAA finals history, right behind Dan Gable losing to Larry Owings at the 1970 NCAAs, and Darrion Caldwell upsetting defending champ Brent Metcalf at the 2009 NCAA finals. A second historian weighs in: Wrestling writer and historian Mike Chapman shared memories of the first time he saw two Cowboys described in this article: Joe James (more about him later) and Phil Kinyon. "My first impression of great wresting strength came as a senior in high school in Waterloo, Iowa, way back in 1962. I saw Oklahoma State for the first time, and was awestruck by the presence of two Cowboys in particular. At 157 was Phil Kinyon, a marvelous physical specimen. Phil won the NCAA title at 157 pounds as a sophomore in 1961, and was runner-up the next two years. At 191 that year, was the sensational Joe James, sporting a physique that almost defies description. Both Kinyon and James were lean and rippling with muscle. Like anatomy charts. It wasn't until year later that I learned that both Kinyon and James could do ONE-HAND CHINS. Pure one-hand chins, with one arm firmly behind the back ..." Joe James Joe James, the first African-American to step onto the mat for the storied Oklahoma State wrestling program (coming to Stillwater in 1960), was an accomplished mat champ who is better known for his incredible physique and physical strength. Words like "Adonis", "physical specimen" and "carved from granite" were used by sportswriters and fans to describe James. Joe James Oklahoma State wrestling accomplishments: Two-time Big Eight champ, three-time NCAA All-American (heavyweight champ at 1964 NCAAs). 1963 Pan-American Games gold medalist. Oklahoma State record: 51-3-2, with 14 falls. Before college: As a student at what was then called Tilden Tech High School in Chicago, James placed third at the 1960 Illinois state championships. Dennis McCabe, 1963 Midlands champ who made it to state as a suburban Chicago high school wrestler at the time, said, "He had the Chicago city heavyweight title, and, even in high school, he was 6' 3" and 220 pounds. As soon as he took off his jacket, the crowd went 'ooh.' They were blown away by his incredible physique. Most had never seen anything like it." One Cowboy teammate weighs in: Jack Brisco -- a 1965 NCAA champ at 191 who went on to a pro wrestling career -- shared his memories of his Oklahoma State teammate in Mike Chapman's book "Wrestling Tough": "Joe had the widest shoulders and smallest waist of any athlete I have ever seen ... He was about as cut as anyone who ever stepped on to the mat. The most amazing thing about Joe was that he was all-natural; he never lifted a weight in his life, back then." Another Cowboy teammate weighs in: Bill Harlow -- 1966 NCAA champ at 191, and just inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member of the Class of 2016 -- recalled Joe James in a 2009 WrestlingReport.com interview: "The first day I went into the varsity room I got there about 45 minutes early. The room had a pull-up bar around the corner and someone just kept doing pull ups. Eventually the person stopped and began doing a ridiculous number of pushups. I was just standing there taking in the atmosphere of being in the room when the person said "Hey, are you a wrestler?" I remember thinking he can't be talking to me. He was about 6'3" tall and 220 pounds of 7% body fat ... Joe begins walking towards me and I nod my head indicating that I was a wrestler. I was thinking, "Oh geez, he is going to kill me." "Joe just wanted someone to drill with," Harlow continued. "He was incredibly patient with me and had a phenomenal grasp of wrestling technique. He was the best teacher I ever had. I was at practice early for the rest of the year. Joe was one of the reasons I progressed so fast." A TV network weighs in: Joe James won the heavyweight title at the 1964 NCAAs at Cornell University. It was only the second championships to be nationally televised. The story goes that ABC-TV told winning wrestlers to be sure to put on their robes or warm-ups for their post-match interviews ... all except James, who was reportedly told to stay in uniform so viewers could see his musculature. Curley Culp Mention the name Curley Culp to most Americans, and they think of a NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame honoree with an enduring career on the gridiron in high school, college and the pros that spanned from the early 1960s into the early 80s. However, Culp was also a major force in amateur wrestling because of his agility -- and muscular strength and physique -- on the mat, too, at Yuma High School where he won back-to-back Arizona state titles at heavyweight in 1963 and 1964, then at Arizona State. Curley Culp Arizona State wrestling career: Three-time WAC (Western Athletic Conference) champ. Two-time NCAA qualifier, winning the heavyweight title at the 1967 NCAAs with a pin in less than a minute in the finals. The Sun Devil big man also pinned down the Gorriaran Award, presented to the wrestler who racked up the most falls in the least amount of time at the championships. Overall record of 84-9-4. Beyond the mat: Culp played defensive tackle at Arizona State, then in the NFL with a career that spanned 14 seasons and 179 games. Culp played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1968-74, then for the Houston Oilers from 1974-80, concluding his career with one season for the Detroit Lions (1980-81). Among his NFL career highlights: a six-time Pro Bowl selection, 1975 Defensive Player of the Year honors, and a participant in Super Bowl IV. Culp was welcomed into the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in August 2013. Farm boy strength: Born on a farm outside Yuma, Curley Culp gained his strength doing farm chores which served him well as a defensive lineman for his high school football team ... and as a wrestler, where he won back-to-back state heavyweight titles in 1963 and 1964. "Many athletes nowadays gain size and strength through weightlifting. Not Curley. He attained physical strength through physical labor -- namely, helping his dad in Yuma, Ariz. with work on the farm," according to an article in a 1967 Arizona State football program. "His father raised pigs and contracted for garbage with many firms in Yuma. Many are the 50-gallon barrels of garbage toted by Curley. He also has pitched watermelons and worked at an ice plant which accounts for his 18" neck and biceps to match." His high school wrestling coach weighs in: "(Culp) had a body build that was just unbelievable," said Pat Patterson, Culp's mat coach at Yuma High. "He had muscles on top of muscles on top of muscles ..." His hometown paper weighs in: In an article prior to Curley Culp being welcomed into the Canton Hall of Fame, the Yuma Sun newspaper wrote, "Once Culp, a heavyweight, shed his robe, the opposing crowd would voice a collective gasp that resonated throughout the gymnasium." "Football coach Al Alvarez confirmed that description, saying, 'When it was his turn to wrestle, he'd take his robe off and everybody stood in awe at his physique and how big he was and how he went about his business.'" An NCAA opponent weighs in: Frank Paquin, Lehigh heavyweight who battled Curley Culp at the 1967 NCAAs -- and the only one not to be pinned -- described the eventual champ in a 2013 interview with the Canton Repository, saying, "His arms were literally the size of legs, and believe me, they were all muscle ... I have to say that I never experienced human strength to the level of Curley Culp. It wasn't that he was a great technical wrestler. His strategy was just to get his hands on his opponent and destroy him with his strength." On-the-field show of strength: In both wrestling and football, Culp was well-regarded for his incredible strength ... and physical toughness. The story goes that he was so strong, he broke the helmets of three Sun Devil teammates during football practice. Strength ... with character: In both high school and college, Curley Culp was a well-rounded, well-liked student-athlete. At Yuma High, Culp was an A student, National Honor Society member, and elected president of his school's Future Farmers of America. In addition, Culp was a Who's Who Among Student Leaders in High Schools of America honoree, American Legion Student of the Year, and a delegate to Arizona Boys' State in 1964. Little wonder that Culp was highly recruited by a number of colleges. He chose Arizona State because he could play football and wrestle. Judging from the Arizona State yearbooks which featured Culp prominently in photo and text, he truly was a "Big Man on Campus" beyond his 6' 2", 265-pound physique. As a senior, he was voted Homecoming King ... and named "Boy With The Best Smile." Hope you've enjoyed this look at some of the strong men of college wrestling of the past who got that way without lifting weights or other modern-day developments. If you think we missed anyone, let us know.

With the passing of Muhammad Ali this weekend, the world lost a legendary boxing champion, a fighter for social justice, and a man who lived the last 30 years of his life battling Parkinson's disease. Many in amateur wrestling may not realize that our sport lost a giant to the same debilitating disease 75 years ago: Ed Gallagher, legendary head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State, who lost a long battle with Parkinson's at age 53. Meet coach Gallagher Edward Clark Gallagher coached the Cowboys from roughly World War I (1916) to just before America entered World War II (1940). In that timespan of 24 years, Gallagher guided the wrestling program at Oklahoma A&M (as the school in Stillwater was called until the late 1950s) to 19 undefeated seasons, winning eleven NCAA team titles. The Cowboys lassoed a 138-5-4 overall record for an amazing .952 winning percentage (a greater win ratio than most all-time great college mat coaches can claim). Gallagher coached 22 wrestlers to earn 37 individual national championships; seventeen of his Cowboys wrestled in Olympic competition, with three winning gold medals. Because of these accomplishments, Ed Gallagher's name adorns the arena at Oklahoma State ... and he was named one of three "Best Wrestling Coaches" in an online poll of wrestling fans for the NCAA 75th Anniversary Team honors in 2005. (The other two coaches so honored: Iowa State's Harold Nichols, and University of Iowa's Dan Gable.) Ed GallagherGallagher and his wrestlers achieved these impressive honors despite the fact that the coach had never wrestled (though he was a track star and played football in college) ... and, that, throughout the last ten years of his life, dealt with Parkinson's, a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement, often including tremors, that affected Ali, actor Michael J. Fox, and approximately one million others. "Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time," according to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation website . "Nearly one million people in the US are living with Parkinson's disease. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms." Back in Gallagher's time, there were no treatment options ... or at least, none which were proven or widely available. Coach Gallagher traveled to Europe with his son who was a physician, for the stated purpose of watching the 1936 Berlin Olympics, but also to seek out potential treatments from a doctor in Austria. A Cowboy wrestler weighs in on his coach's condition One individual who was on the front lines of Gallagher's battle with Parkinson's was Stanley Henson, a three-time NCAA champ for Oklahoma State (1937-39), with a near-perfect 31-1 record, including 12 falls. Henson, now age 98 and a retired surgeon living in Colorado, is considered by historians to be one of the greatest college wrestlers of the pre-World War II era; some have gone as far to say Henson would rank among the all-time greats of any era. Ed Gallagher with one of his OSU wrestlersHere's how Henson described his relationship with his coach, who he (and other Cowboy wrestlers) always referred to as "Mr. Gallagher" as a show of respect: "Mr. Gallagher had Parkinson's disease, which is a progressive nervous disorder, characterized by rigidity of the arms, a shaking tremor of the hands, a partial facial paralysis, and a walk leaning forward as though to propel himself. He had stopped driving his car, and he could hardly talk. He would sometimes sit on his hands during a match to keep them still. When we shook his hand before going out to the mat, we would take hold of it carefully and gently. It seemed so fragile." "Mr. Gallagher had trouble caring for himself because of his illness. During my senior year, I was captain of the team. I drove him in his car. I roomed with him on trips and dined with him. When he ordered a meal, I would order the same thing. I would then cut the meat in small pieces, butter the bread, put his glass straw in the milk, and then just exchange plates with as little fanfare as possible. "He accepted it without comment. How it must have hurt, but he never complained. He knew we all loved him. "Mr. Gallagher was a sweet and gentle little Irishman who had us mesmerized without him or us even knowing it. As one of his wrestlers said, 'He made us wrestle better than we could.' You just couldn't lose for him." Optimism right up to the end Oklahoma State wrestling fans may not have fully realized what Stanley Henson and his fellow Cowboy wrestlers knew all too well about the mostly private battle that their coach was waging against Parkinson's. Most newspaper accounts and other publications covering the Oklahoma State wrestling program and its coach in the 1930s did not mention Ed Gallagher's condition ... or, if they did, tried to present an upbeat, optimistic picture of the situation. For example, the 1940 Redskin yearbook concluded its report on the 1939-40 season with this upbeat message: "With two intercollegiate champions and several intercollegiate runners-up returning, Coach Gallagher should have little trouble turning out another national championship for Oklahoma A&M College for 1940-1941." A year earlier, the printed program made available to fans attending the February 1939 Gallagher Day dedication of the building that was later named in Gallagher Hall was no less optimistic. Randle Perdue, sportswriter and long-time friend, wrote, "The big news about Ed Gallagher is that he is improving in health! In recent weeks he has found a new medicine, the results of long search by his son, Dr. Clarence Gallagher, and evidently it is effective. Ed has gained nearly twenty pounds in weight. He is more cheerful, more hopeful. He is optimistic about the future. In fact, he has made a date to go quail hunting next fall. It will be his first in about five years. When Ed gets back to quail hunting, it will be the Ed Gallagher of old." True to Randle Perdue's prediction, coach Gallagher did get to take a hunting trip to Colorado in August 1940 ... very much against the wishes of his wife, Austella. When he returned, he became ill with pneumonia ... and died in a hospital in Oklahoma City, just one week shy of his 54th birthday. Ed Gallagher's funeral was held in the brand-new building that had been dedicated just 18 months earlier on Gallagher Day with a dual meet featuring Oklahoma State vs. then Big Ten power Indiana University. Thousands showed up for the service which included a number of his former Cowboy wrestlers, including a good number who had become college wrestling coaches themselves. Newspapers around the country referred to Gallagher as "the Dean of Collegiate Wrestling" and "the Knute Rockne of the Mats" (referring to the legendary Notre Dame football coach killed in a plane crash a few years' earlier). While Ed Gallagher has been dead for 75 years, his legacy lives on. The building dedicated in 1939 is still the home for Oklahoma State wrestling, having been significantly expanded and upgraded in 2001, and with a new name, Gallagher-Iba Arena. What's more, the school continues to give the Gallagher Award to a Cowboy mat great of the past.

Sushil Kumar, two-time Olympic medalist for India, had his request denied for a new wrestling trials event in an attempt to compete at the 2016 Olympics, the Delhi High Court ruled on Monday. Dismissing Sushil Kumar's plea to wrestle for India at 74 kilograms/163 pounds in men's freestyle competition at the Rio Games in August, Justice Manmohan said that "last-minute challenge to selection can disturb the mental preparation of the selected athlete Narsingh Yadav." India's Sushil Kumar won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London (Photo/Andrew Hipps)The court accepted Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) submission that the "consistent current form" of Yadav was better than Kumar's. Justice Manmohan also noted that Kumar failed to take part in a number of events, including selection trials in 2014 and 2015 as well as in the National Championship on December 31, 2015 and January 1, 2016 and the Asian Championship held in February 2016. The court said Kumar has not won any major national or international tournament between September 2014 and now. By comparison, Yadav defeated Purvjav Unurbat of Mongolia, the silver medalist in the September 2015 World Championship, in the Pro Wrestling League last December. "It is not understood as to why Sushil Kumar has challenged Narsingh Yadav to a 'duel' only in the month of May, 2016 i.e. with only two and a half months left for the Olympics," the court said. "Sushil Kumar being a professional wrestler [as in, wrestling is his profession, not that he is a himself would know that any direction to hold a trial at this stage would seriously jeopardize the chance of India winning a medal in the Olympics inasmuch as Narsingh Yadav would have to halt his training midway and would have to lose his weight earlier than scheduled," it added. "The high probability of an injury in a trial cannot be 'lost sight of'," the court noted, holding that the practice that a wrestler who has earned a berth for the country will represent it, is neither perverse nor contrary to the national sports code, the selection procedure followed by the WFI." Sushil Kumar has said he may now take his case to the Supreme Court of India. In a related matter, the Dehli High Court also issued notice to WFI vice president Raj Singh for allegedly filing a false affidavit in connection with the case, asking him why perjury proceedings should not be initiated against him for statements he made with regards to the qualification process for Indian wrestlers for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Sushil Kumar, 33, has earned medals in a number of international freestyle wrestling events. He earned a bronze medal at 66 kilos/145 pounds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and silver at the same weight class at the 2012 London Games. Kumar earned a gold medal at the 2010 World championships in Moscow, as well as gold at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

This past weekend was one for the history books at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The facility, which describes itself as "America's shrine to the sport of wrestling", just concluded its 40th Honors Weekend, the one time each year the Hall of Fame welcomes a new class of honorees ... and, as of Monday, June 6, is now open to the public after being closed for nearly a year for a $3.5 million upgrade. New honorees The culmination of the two-day Honors Weekend was the 40th Honors Banquet held at the Oklahoma State Student Union Ballroom Saturday night. The Class of 2016 was inducted during the banquet, including four new Distinguished Members -- William "Bill" Harlow, Carlton Haselrig, Brandon Slay, and the late Dick Wilson -- as well as special award winners. Brandon Slay was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Bill Harlow was a World silver medalist and three-time national champion in freestyle. He was a three-time NCAA finalist and 1966 NCAA champ for Oklahoma State at 191 pounds. Carlton Haselrig won six NCAA titles at heavyweight, three as the Div. I champion and three as the Div. II champion for Pitt-Johnstown. He later played football in the NFL. Brandon Slay earned a gold medal in men's freestyle at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Prior to that, he wrestled at University of Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time NCAA finalist. Dick Wilson was a three-time Olympian in Greco-Roman (1956, 1960 and 1964). He was a three-time NCAA runner-up for the University of Toledo. He passed away in January 2009. The special award recipients include Outstanding American Joseph Galli Jr.; Medal of Courage honoree Randy Bortles of Georgia; Order of Merit recipient Ron Good, long-time writer/editor of Amateur Wrestling News; and Marcia Haise of New York, who was named Meritorious Official. Also honored on Saturday night: Mark Hall II of Minnesota, recipient of the 2016 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, and Tennessee's Katie Brock, 2016 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award winner. New facilities A look inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame after an extreme makeover (Photo/Nancy Schultz Vitageli)In addition to welcoming new honorees, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame had its big reveal for Honors Weekend participants after an "extreme makeover" months in the making, and years in the planning. Lee Roy Smith, executive director for the Hall, said the facility that just reopened is the product of a nearly a decade of design work that sprang from visits to other national museums. Past visitors seeing the newly renovated facilities -- first opened in 1976 -- may be startled by the extent of changes to the Hall of Fame. "They'll notice that the history of the sport has just met a contemporary design," Smith told the Stillwater NewsPress "That's a combination of state-of-the-art technology and a wonderful use of the space." Here's how the local newspaper described the upgraded space: "The 15,300 square foot building is divided into wings for the hall of fame and museum. The museum flows from exhibits covering the sport's history and different levels of competition ... World championships, collegiate, Olympic and high school wrestling have exhibits including memorabilia and uniforms. The renovation also included touch screens that allow visitors to find archived footage and search by school, year or wrestler." Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling also provided his take on the new-and-improved National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Even though the footprint has not been expanded considerably, there seems to be so much more space here because of the physical and visual design," wrote Abbott. "As Lee Roy said to me, 'it was purposed to be multi-purposed.' They will have the flexibility to do some many things in this facility, all of which will help celebrate the history and tradition of our sport while expanding the wrestling community." "The press releases will tell you that the renovation will 'allow visitors to experience the rich history of wrestling in a new way, including interactive exhibits,'" Abbott continued. "That is an understatement. This place has been transformed, taking all of the assets that made the Hall of Fame so great in the past, and presenting it in a modern and refreshing new way." Clarissa Chun, World champion and two-time Olympian, mentioned one new feature on Twitter that should have old-school wrestlers and fans salivating: the ability to call up and watch any NCAA finals match, going back to 1937. A look at one of the exhibits at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Other Honors Weekend participants who got a sneak preview of the upgraded Hall of Fame offered positive comments about the finished product. "This is beyond expectations," said famed wrestling announcer and 1998 Order of Merit award recipient Sandy Stevens. "And they will be able to change exhibits all the time. This is just a fraction of what they have to show here." "What a change, a great change," said Bob Smith of the Colorado Chapter. "It has all of these great electronic things to play with. This is beautiful. I would have never believed we could have done this." Gary Abbott put it this way: "The entire American wrestling community can take pride in the fact that their sport's museum is first-class." This writer was not at this past weekend's unveiling of the new-and-improved National Wrestling Hall of Fame ... nor was I at the original grand opening in September 1976. My visit was a decade ago, and, from looking at some photos taken in the early days, some of the original features may have already been eliminated by 2006 (such as the phone receivers mounted on the wall next to individual honoree displays, presumably to provide an audio version of that individual's accomplishments). I remember the long banks of floor-to-ceiling, glassed-in display cases that provided something of a timeline for the oldest-and-greatest sport, featuring everything from photos to posters to programs to even sweaters, all neatly secured to a bulletin-board-type wall with pushpins. The displays may not have sophisticated by even the standards of ten years ago, but this amateur wrestling historian was enthralled. Most of the treasures I was taking in were completely new to me. A view of the outside of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Overall, museum design has come a long way in the past few years. I think about the U.S. Presidential museums my family visited when I was a kid -- relics of the 1950s and 60s -- in comparison to the more modern facility commemorating the life of Abraham Lincoln, that incorporates multimedia, holograms, sophisticated lighting and sound and other technological advances in ways that look more Disneyesque than dry-old museum, without any dumbing-down. Very eager to see what the imaginative minds of the folks at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum have created. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum, located (appropriately) on Hall of Fame Blvd. in Stillwater, Oklahoma, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for students and $10 for a family. Website: www.nwhof.org.

AKRON, Ohio -- NCAA All-American Zane Richards stole the show in the freestyle finals of the 2016 University Nationals Sunday afternoon by downing U.S. National Team member Tyler Graff in a thrilling three match series. Graff took match one with his vintage fast attack style, jumping on Richards early to win by technical fall, 10-0. Graff led Richards, 11-9, late in a wild second bout, but Richards was able to secure a match-clinching takedown in the final stanza to win on criteria, 11-11, and force the rubber match. Match three was tight throughout, but Richards held strong to win it, 4-2, and secure his spot on the U.S. University World Team at 61 kilos/134 pounds. "Even after the first match I thought one match at a time, one position at a time. I thought I was better than him. He outwrestled me in the first one obviously, but I believed in myself. I just kept pushing. I knew eventually I'm going to get to my attacks, keep scoring, wrestle smart, good thing will happen," said Richards. Richards was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for his championship performance. Read complete story … Best-of-Three Championship Finals Results 57 kilos/125.5 pounds: Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC) dec. David Terao (American), 9-4 Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC) dec. David Terao (American), 11-2 Megaludis wins series 2-0 61 kilos/134 pounds: Tyler Graff (New York AC) tech. fall Zane Richards (Illinois RTC), 10-0 Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) dec. Tyler Graff (New York AC), 11-11 Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) dec. Tyler Graff (New York AC), 4-2 Richards wins series 2-1 65 kilos/143 pounds: Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Kyle Ayersman (Boilermaker RTC), 9-1 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) tech. fall Kyle Ayersman (Boilermaker RTC), 10-0 Kolodzik wins series 2-0 70 kilos/154 pounds: Adam Hall (Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 11-0 Adam Hall (Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 10-0 Hall wins series 2-0 74 kilos/163 pounds: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois RTC) dec. Chance Marsteller (MatTown USA), 14-10 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois RTC) tech. fall Chance Marsteller (MatTown USA), 15-5 Martinez wins series 2-0 80 kilos/176 pounds: *Non-World Team weight, one match wrestled Alex Meyer (Iowa) tech. fall Burke Paddock (Iowa), 13-2 86 kilos/189 pounds: Morgan McIntosh (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 12-2 Morgan McIntosh (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Sammy Brooks (Iowa), 11-0 McIntosh wins series 2-0 97 kilos/213 pounds: Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC) dec. Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado), 7-2 Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado) fall Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC), 0:45 Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC) dec. Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado), 4-1 Gadson wins series 2-1 125 kilos/275 pounds: Nick Gwiazdowski (New York AC/Wolfpack WC) dec. Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids), 3-1 Nick Gwiazdowski (New York AC/Wolfpack WC) dec. Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids), 4-1 Gwiazdowski wins series 2-0 Semifinal Results 57 kilos/125.5 pounds: Nico Megaludis (Nittany Lion WC) dec. Skyler Petry (Minnesota Storm), 8-2 David Terao (American) tech. fall Joseph Deangelo (Blue and Gold), 16-5 61 kilos/134 pounds: Tyler Graff (New York AC) dec. Jered Cortez (Nittany Lion WC), 5-2 Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) dec. Mark Grey (Cornell), 7-5 65 kilos/143 pounds: Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) tech. fall Kevin Jack (Wolfpack WC), 10-0 Kyle Ayersman (Boilermaker RTC) tech. fall Mitch Bengston (BWC), 10-0 70 kilos/154 pounds: Adam Hall (Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Maaziah Bethea (PARTC), 10-0 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. Michael Kemerer (Iowa), 4-1 74 kilos/163 pounds: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois RTC) tech. fall Tyrel White (NYCRTC), 10-0 Chance Marsteller (MatTown USA) dec. Thomas Gantt (Wolfpack WC), 8-6 80 kilos/176 pounds: Alex Meyer (Iowa) fall Phillip Bakuckas (Scarlet Knight WC), 4:42 Burke Paddock (Iowa) tech. fall Geno Morelli (Nittany Lion WC), 15-4 86 kilos/189 pounds: Morgan McIntosh (Nittany Lion WC) tech. fall Jack Dechow (Virginia Beach RTC), 11-0 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) tech. fall Peter Renda (Wolfpack WC), 14-4 97 kilos/213 pounds: Kyven Gadson (Cyclone WC) tech. fall Kyle Conel (Golden Pride), 10-0 Nikko Reyes (Northern Colorado) fall Blaize Cabell (Panther WC), 0:44 125 kilos/275 pounds: Nick Gwiazdowski (New York AC/Wolfpack WC) tech. fall Garrett Ryan (Sunkist Kids), 10-0 Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids) dec. Ty Walz (VA/Southeast), 2-1

AKRON, Ohio -- The UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals concluded on Sunday morning in Akron, Ohio with the ten-member World Championships team determined in a best-of-three championship series. Returning world champions Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) and Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) each won national titles, Diakomihalis up one weight class from last year at 63 kilograms and Steveson again in the 100 kilogram weight class. For the tournament, Diakomihalis did not allow a single point from seven matches, and earned technical fall victories in five of the bouts. On Sunday morning, the No. 2 overall ranked Class of 2017 prospect swept Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), a two-time top three finisher in Fargo in Cadet National freestyle, by 9-0 decision and then by 10-0 technical fall during the first period. Conversely, Steveson had a rather tight opening match in the finals round, as he won by just a 2-1 score over Noah Adams (Independence, W.Va.), scoring on a first period takedown. However, the second match saw the nation's top Class of 2018 prospect turn it up with two high-amplitude takedown scores in an 11-0 technical fall victory. The third wrestler to earn a second straight Cadet World team spot was Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.), winning the title at 46 kilograms after competing last year down a weight class at 42 kilograms. Heinselman advanced to the final with three of four wins coming by shutout technical fall, while his two finals win came by technical fall over Eric Faught (Clear Lake, Iowa). The first match of the finals series was a 14-3 technical fall for Heinselman in 3:35, with the second win by a 10-0 score in 58 seconds. On the other hand, Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) moved up to 50 kilograms after making the world team last year down at 46 kilograms, but was upended in two finals matches by Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.); Cashman won a Cadet folkstyle national title this year and last year, while earning sixth in Cadet freestyle at 106 pounds last summer in Fargo. Cashman earned a 4-2 victory in the first finals match, his two takedowns coming in the first period, while D'Emilio scored very late in the bout. During the second match, it was a 1-0 victory for Cashman, with the only point coming in the first period when D'Emilio was put on the 30-second shot clock and was unable to score. Seven months ago in folkstyle, Cashman did beat D'Emilio at the Super 32 Challenge. Another pair of wrestlers on this year's Cadet World Team lost in the finals of this tournament last year. Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), ranked third overall in the Class of 2017, won the title at 58 kilograms this year after falling short against Diakomihalis last year. He swept the finals series against Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.), a Cadet National freestyle champion in Fargo last summer at 132 pounds. In the first match of the series, Arujau won 6-3, keyed by a counter takedown in each period; the one in the opening period was a high amplitude lift off a Sasso attack. The second match was a 7-3 Arujau victory, as he jumped out to a 7-0 lead midway through the second period keyed by a takedown in each period. David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio), ranked second overall in the Class of 2018, won at 69 kilograms one year after finishing second place in that weight class. He swept his finals series against Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), a Cadet National champion in Fargo last summer at 138 pounds. Carr rallied from a 3-0 first period deficit in the opening match to secure a 9-5 victory, before winning 4-1 in the second bout. Among other wrestlers to make their initial world freestyle team is Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.), who is now a three-time medalist in this tournament, finishing fifth and third the previous two years down at 76 kilograms. He also qualified for the Greco-Roman world team at 85 kilograms on Friday afternoon, winning all five bouts by technical fall. On Saturday, Warner won all four of his bouts by technical fall to reach the championship series in freestyle at 85 kilograms. Then on Sunday, he earned a pair of eight point decision victories over Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) to earn the world spot, those coming by 12-4 and 11-3 scores. Rounding out the group to qualify for the Cadet World Championships in freestyle are Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) at 42 kilograms, Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) at 54 kilograms, and Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) at 76 kilograms. McHenry upended Jeremiah Reno (Missouri, Class of 2020) in the lone series to go to a third bout. McHenry won both the first and third matches by technical fall in the first period (10-0 in 47 seconds, then 12-0 in 1:44), while Reno rallied back from an early 3-0 deficit to win the second match by 13-5 decision, which was keyed by a pair of four point high-amplitude scores. Bravo-Young, a two-time Cadet National double champion in Fargo, improved upon second and third place finishes in previous years at this event (at 46 and 50 kilograms respectively) to win this title in dominant fashion. Just to reach the final, he had five shutout technical falls, including a pair over wrestlers ranked No. 2 overall in Junior High and the Class of 2019. The championship series opened with a 13-2 technical fall over Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio), who won a Cadet National freestyle title last year in Fargo at 106 pounds. Leading 3-2 early in the second period, Bravo-Young scored a takedown and then accrued four consecutive gut wrench exposures to achieve match termination. The second bout of the series was an 8-2 victory for Bravo-Young. Wittlake had an impressive run on the way to the final, most notably with a 6-4 victory over last summer's Cadet National freestyle champion Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa) in the quarterfinal. Then in the championship series, it was a pair of decisive victories over Jack Jessen (Willowbrook, Ill.), who has finished third and second in both styles each of the previous two summers in Fargo at the Cadet level. Wittlake scored a 6-2 victory in the opening bout, earning the match's only three takedowns; in the second bout it was a 14-3 technical fall in 3:23. Also winning a championship on Sunday, though it came in a single was Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.), who won the 125 kilogram title with a 12-2 technical fall over Kayne Hutchison (Pittsburg, Kansas) at the 4:00 mark. That weight class will not be contested at the World Championships come September in Tblisi, Georgia.

Brock Lesnar, 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ for the University of Minnesota who has made an even bigger name for himself in both mixed martial arts and professional wrestling, appears to be returning to the Octagon to compete in UFC 200 next month. Brock LesnarEarly reports had Ultimate Fighting Championships denying the story ... but then UFC later announced Lesnar's return during its UFC 199 event Saturday night. UFC 200 is scheduled for July 9 in Las Vegas. An opponent for Lesnar has not yet been determined. Lesnar entered professional MMA competition in June 2007. His next fight was his debut in UFC, losing to Frank Mir at UFC 81 in February 2008. The former Minnesota mat champ then racked up four straight wins in UFC fights, then lost to former Arizona State wrestler Cain Velasquez at the UFC 121 main event by first-round TKO in October 2010. Lesnar's last appearance in the Octagon was at UFC 141 in December 2011, falling to Alistair Overeem via first-round TKO. Lesnar's pro MMA record is 5-3 overall. For pro wrestling fans concerned that this UFC news means the end of Lesnar's WWE career ... CBS Sports is reporting otherwise. "Brock Lesnar remains under contract to WWE," the company said Saturday in a statement shared with CBS Sports. "However, he has been granted a one-off opportunity to compete at UFC 200. Following this milestone event on July 9, Brock will return to WWE for SummerSlam on Sunday, August 21, live on WWE Network." Long before getting involved in MMA and WWE, Brock Edward Lesnar was "the next big thing" in amateur wrestling, thanks to his powerful physique that, in the words of legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable, "turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong." A product of Webster, South Dakota, Lesnar launched his college career at Bismarck Junior College in North Dakota, where he dominated the National Junior College Athletic Association competition, racking up an incredible 56-3 record in his two years at BJC, culminating with the 1998 NJCAA heavyweight championship. Brock Lesnar's physique and take-no-prisoners wrestling style turned more than a few heads ... including that of J Robinson, University of Minnesota's head coach, who brought the South Dakota native to the Golden Gophers for his junior year where he built up a near-perfect 24-1 regular-season record against Division I competition. After winning the 1999 Big Ten heavyweight title, Lesnar made it to the finals of the 1999 NCAAs, where he lost to defending champ Stephen Neal of Cal State Bakersfield. As a senior, Lesnar lost only one regular-season bout (to Iowa's Wes Hand), but avenged that loss by winning his second Big Ten title. At the 2000 NCAAs in St. Louis, top-seeded Brock Lesnar pinned three of his four pre-finals opponents to find himself going for the heavyweight title against familiar foe Hand. The Minnesota big man beat Hand in a tiebreaker to claim the national heavyweight crown.

During competition on Saturday in Akron, Ohio on the campus of the University of Akron, All-Americans were determined at the UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals. The championship best-of-three series in each weight class will be wrestled at the start of Sunday morning's session, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Consolation wrestling will be contested to its completion as well, starting with the consolation quarterfinals through the medal rounds, including potential true second bouts. Below are the semifinal results and consolation quarterfinal pairings for each weight class. 42 kilograms Semifinal results: Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) technical fall Dylan Ragusin (Illinois, c/o 2020), Jeremiah Reno (Missouri, c/o 2020) technical fall Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich., c/o 2020) Consolation Quarterfinals: Caden McCray (Georgia, c/o 2020) vs. Blake Noonan (Michigan, c/o 2020), Kase Mauger (Idaho, c/o 2020) vs. Justin Bierdumpfel (New Jersey, c/o 2020) 46 kilograms Semifinal results: Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.) technical fall Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho) 10-0, Eric Faught (Clear Lake, Iowa) decision Steele Dias (Green Valley, Nev.) 6-2 Consolation Quarterfinals: Matthew Ramos (Lockport, Ill.) vs. Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.), Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) vs. Lucas Byrd (LaSalle, Ohio) 50 kilograms Semifinal results: Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) decision Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) 11-2, Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.) decision Matthew Cardello (CVCA, Ohio) 2-1 Consolation Quarterfinals: Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Ty Smith (Virgin Valley, Nev.), Jesse Vasquez (El Dorado Hills, Calif., c/o 2020) vs. Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.) 54 kilograms Semifinal results: Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) decision Real Woods (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 12-7, Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) technical fall Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.) 11-0 Consolation Quarterfinals: Travis Ford-Melton (Marian Catholic, Ill.) vs. Chase Zollmann (Poway, Calif.), Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) vs. Jack Skudlarczyk (Westlake, Texas) 58 kilograms Semifinal results: Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) technical fall Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) 12-2, Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) technical fall Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.) 10-0 Consolation Quarterfinals: Marco Regalbuto (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. Keaton Geerts (New Hampton, Iowa), Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.) vs. Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa., c/o 2020) 63 kilograms Semifinal results: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) decision Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 9-0, Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) over Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) by forfeit Consolation Quarterfinals: Jaden Van Maanen (LaCross Central, Wis.) vs. Nikolas Chavez (Willard, Mo.), Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.) vs. Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) 69 kilograms Semifinal results: Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) decision Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.) 9-7, David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) technical fall Trevell Timmons (Lockport, Ill.) 16-5 Consolation Quarterfinals: Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.) vs. Tyler Dow (Stoughton, Wis.), Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J./Tampa Prep, Fla.) vs. Robert Patrick (Ligonier Valley, Pa.) 76 kilograms Semifinal results: Jack Jessen (Willowbrook, Ill.) pin Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) 0:46, Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) decision Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) 7-3 Consolation Quarterfinals: Daniel Butler (Leavenworth, Kansas) vs. Clay Lautt (St. James Academy, Kansas), Josh Ramirez (Archbishop Rummel, La.) vs. Jake Hendricks (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 85 kilograms Semifinal results: Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) technical fall Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) 10-0, Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) pin Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.) 1:13 Consolation Quarterfinals: John Borst (Sherando, Va.) vs. Anthony Perrine (Nordonia, Ohio), Jake Boyd (Smithville, Mo.) vs. Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.) 100 kilograms Semifinal results: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) decision Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) 7-1, Noah Adams (Independence, W.Va.) decision Brady Daniel (Good Counsel, Md.) 8-2 Consolation Quarterfinals: Henry Willoughby (Cibolo Steele, Texas) vs. Jake Cook (Ballston Spa, N.Y.), Dakota Howard (St. Edward, Ohio) vs. Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.) 125 kilograms (not contested at the World Championships) Semifinal results: Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.) pin Ronald Tucker, Jr. (Lockport, Ill.) 0:44, Kayne Hutchison (Pittsburg, Kansas) technical fall Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) 10-0 Consolation Quarterfinals: Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.) vs. Matt Spaulding (Lakota East, Ohio), Jack Carruth (Eau Claire North, Wis.) vs. Jon Spaulding (Lakota East, Ohio)

It's official: Two months after first posting an opening for a wrestling coach, University of Saint Mary will be launching both men's and women's wrestling programs ... and has hired Chuck Kearney to head up those new programs, the Kansas-based school announced Thursday. Chuck KearneyIf the name Chuck Kearney sounds familiar, it's because the new coach of the newest Spires sports programs once wrestled at both Oklahoma State, then University of Oregon ... then later served as head coach of the Oregon Ducks until the program was eliminated in 2009. In fact, Kearney comes to USM with over 20 years of coaching experience, a decade of that at the helm at Oregon. While at the Eugene, Oregon school, Kearney coached 24 Pac-10 champions and 16 NCAA Division I All-Americans. Kearney also earned the distinction of mentoring the first NCAA champion at Oregon in 37 years, Shane Webster, 184-pound titlewinner at the 2006 NCAAs. Six of his recruiting classes were ranked in the top 20 by "Amateur Wrestling News," two of which were in the top 10. Prior to becoming a coach, Kearney built a successful on-the-mat career. The native of McMinnville, Oregon was a two-time high school state champ who then went on to wrestle for two years at Oklahoma State before returning to his home state. In two years as an Oregon Duck wrestler, Kearney was a Pac-10 champ and earned All-American honors at 177 pounds at the 1988 NCAAs. In addition to coaching, Kearney has served as the Director of Athletic Alumni Development at the University of Oregon, along with managing every facet of Oregon Wrestling Camps. He currently works as both an accountability coach for an international IT training company and as a baseball and wrestling coach in Eugene, Ore. "Coach Kearney is an outstanding leader, recruiter, and coach, with an impressive list of accomplishments" said USM Athletic Director Rob Miller. "He's ready to build a winning program at USM, and I'm excited to see where he takes our wrestling program." "It is an absolute honor to be named the first head wrestling coach at Saint Mary," said Kearney. "I look forward to building a team that competes hard on the mat and performs exceptionally well in the classroom." Both new wrestling programs at University of Saint Mary are slated to first take the mat in the 2016-17 academic year, competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The men's mat program will be the ninth intercollegiate sports program at the school; women's wrestling will become the Spires' tenth athletic program for USM women. The University of Saint Mary (USM) is a private liberal arts university in Leavenworth, Kansas. Established as a school for women in 1923, it is now co-educational. It has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students.

It's a homecoming for Josh Malave, as the former University of Mount Union wrestler is returning to his alma mater to become head wrestling coach, the Alliance, Ohio-based school announced Thursday. Josh MalaveMalave replaces Bill Schindel who recently left to become the head coach at Adrian College in Michigan. A 2012 graduate of Mount Union, Malave brings experience as a Purple Raider wrestler back to the program. Malave was a two-time NCAA Division III qualifier, earning All-American honors by placing seventh at 141 pounds at the 2012 NCAAs. The Rocky River, Ohio native was also a three-time All-OAC (Ohio Athletic Conference) selection, two-time conference champion who was also a two-time Academic All-OAC and NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Scholar All-American selection. A two-time team captain, Malave's 97 wins still rank as sixth best on the school's all-time wins list. Malave also brings coaching experience as the ninth head wrestling coach at Mount Union. For the past two years, he has been the head coach at Firelands High School in Oberlin, Ohio. At his time at the northern Ohio high school, Malave was the 2014-15 Lorain County Coach of the Year and the 2015-16 Patriot Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, leading the Falcons to Patriot Athletic Conference Individual and Dual Meet titles in 2016 with a total of 13 district qualifiers. In addition, Malave spent one year as an assistant coach at Union Pines (N.C.) High School where the team won conference individual and dual meet titles while placing fifth in the state. What does the former Purple Raider mat star have to say about returning to his college alma mater? "I look forward to meeting the opportunities and challenges of taking over a wrestling program at Mount Union that has meant so much to me," said Malave. "We have great facilities, programs, faculty and staff and Mount Union has competed on a national level and I am excited to continue and grow that tradition in the coming years." Mount Union athletic director Larry Kehres concurred, saying, "We are confident that the hard work and dedication to wrestling Josh has shown so far in his career will give him the ability to motivate our student-athletes." The University of Mount Union is a private, coeducational four-year college. Located in eastern Ohio in Alliance, Mount Union has an enrollment of approximately 2,200 undergraduate students. Its wrestling program and other intercollegiate sports compete in NCAA Division III.

J Robinson (Photo/David Peterson)The Minnesota wrestling drug scandal hit full throttle this week with the announcement that head wrestling coach J Robinson was placed on immediate paid administrative leave. While the details of the Xanax-for-sale scandal aren't quite clear, what has become evident is the reporting of the "essay writing" story by Joe Christensen and Amelia Rayno of the Minneapolis Star Tribune doesn't seem to pass journalistic tests for veracity of sourcing, and instead relies on the uncorroborated story of one source whose name, motivations and relationships to key players in the piece is not further specified. For me, the story comes down to this quote, which cannot be verified and if J Robinson's letter is to be trusted, is false. Robinson tried to handle the Xanax issue internally, the source told the Star Tribune. He ordered suspected users to undergo mandatory urine testing and had them write a one-page essay. On April 5, the coach texted some team members with a reminder about their assignment. Robinson's letter states he didn't try to handle the situation "internally" and had instead contacted the administration, a claim he went so far in backing as to file a motion that the university email servers be protected from hampering or the deletion of files. Robinson believes that there is evidence in his correspondence with the school will exonerate him of wrongdoing, namely "handling it internally." The issue with poorly reported stories from respectable news organizations is that no matter how flawed the reporting gets, the headline sticks. Often the juicy the gist of the story "DRUGS, COLLEGE SPORTS, COVER-UP" is regurgitated by blogs lacking original reporting but with massive followings like Deadspin and Bleacher Report. Now, other news outlets like the Washington Post who have also switched to a blog method of information dissemination wherein they just make snarky comments on the existing flawed story. Here's a little ethical test for your Thursday morning. Let's say you're the coach of a successful Division I wrestling program and you find out that some of your players are both abusing Xanax and dealing it to other students. What do you do? a.) Call the police? b.) Tell your bosses? c.) Confiscate some of the drugs and have the players in question write a one-page essay in which they write about letting down the team. If you answered a. or b., you are probably fit to coach Division I wrestling. If you answered c., you're probably Minnesota Coach J Robinson, who reportedly did exactly that. (Yes, that's his real first name.) So … What then happens if J Robinson is shown to have done the right thing all along? What if the source ends up being someone with an axe to grind, who told falsehoods because he wanted Robinson to resign? Will those stories be broadcast in the same fashion as this piece? Will the larger media world apologize? No. Anonymous sourcing is an essential part of journalism, but it's also extremely risky for editors and papers. Leaks from the White House or State Department can help realign policy and inform the American people about what is going on in the world. However, an anonymous source must be corroborated in detail by an independent second source to ensure that the information isn't being offered up as a misdirection, or an outright lie. In general, quotes on personal feelings are acceptable without a second source, but an accusation (even in-quote) if stated as fact must have a second source. Another wrestler who spoke to the Star Tribune on the condition of anonymity said he did not receive that same text message, but later received an e-mail from U police who were investigating the wrestling team. I've been around J for a while, and this is the first time anything of that level has hit our program," the second source said. "Obviously we were a younger team last season, and this was more a younger issue. A few guys came in that maybe weren't ready for the college transition. What the writers of the article failed to do with this attribution is to make the second source substantiate the story offered by the original source. That an investigation exists shouldn't provide the journalists the latitude to then publish the otherwise shallow claims of the source. Why not interview a third wrestler that can talk about the exact claims? Why not talk to someone in the administration off the record? A list of people unwilling to return your phone call is wonderful to show you did your due diligence, but it provides no additional veracity to the claims of the unnamed source. There is no paper trail or printouts of sent text messages. There is no Xanax-addled youth telling of the wrestler's sweet deal via Coach Robinson. There are no photos or videos, Facebook chat, Snapchat story, or Instagram post. There is no administrator, no coach, no trainer. There is no wrestler on the record. Assume for a moment that the wrestler is telling the truth and that Robinson had the students write a letter. How does that reflect on Robinson having told the administration? Those two things are mutually exclusive and the fact that the journalists here only consumed them together weakens their narrative, and the credibility of an otherwise (maybe) credible source. Right now Coach Robinson is at the receiving end of what looks like journalistic malfeasance and an NCAA culture that tolerates no negative press. It's no secret that Robinson and the Minnesota administration have a tense and challenging relationship. How much that played into their choices has yet to be seen, but in reading the letter posted by Robinson's lawyer there is at least some belief that the administration will do anything to ensure that they are pegged as having been responsible for some part of the initial response to the drug allegations. I'd love to know the truth, but with the reporting so far the truth seems to be less important than the number of clicks received.

LeRoy GardnerCLARKSVILLE, Ark. -- Collegiate Hall of Fame wrestler LeRoy Gardner III has been named the new head men's wrestling coach at the University of the Ozarks, it was announced Thursday by Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. Gardner, a native of Golden Valley, Minn., has been the head coach at University of Houston-Downtown since 2014, where he was named the 2016 National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Southwest Conference Coach of the Year. There, he coached the university's first All-American and Academic All-American. Prior to UH-Downtown, Gardner coached at the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and Wartburg College. He wrestled at Wartburg where he was a three-time All-American and led his team to a pair of national championships. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. "We are thrilled to announce the hiring of LeRoy Gardner as our new head coach," said Clark. "We will keep the program moving forward with this hire. Coach Zastrow did a great job, and now Coach Gardner has the opportunity to build upon that. Our goals in the athletic department are to recruit, retain and graduate student-athletes, and I know Coach Gardner will accomplish this. He appreciates the NCAA Division III experience, and understands the value of education and being involved within the community. He is a great addition to the athletic department." Clark believes Gardner's well-rounded experience will have a tremendous impact on the program. "He has a varied coaching and professional background," said Clark. "He is an impressive guy. Recruits and their families will recognize how well-rounded he is. And, he is respected in the wrestling community. He will represent the University of the Ozarks well and accomplish great things. We want to have our wrestlers qualify for the national tournament and achieve All-American status." Gardner developed the first comprehensive wrestling development program for the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and served as its head coach from 2006-2009. There he coached four NCWA national champions and 11 All-Americans. He also was an assistant coach at Wartburg from 2003-2005, helping the program to back-to-back NCAA Division III national championships. The program produced 16 All-Americans during his tenure. "It is an honor to be the head coach at the University of the Ozarks," said Gardner. "The credit goes to President Richard Dunsworth, Athletic Director Jimmy Clark, Coach Jason Zastrow and wrestling supporter Greg Hatcher for laying the groundwork and developing the program's vision of the future. It is clear to me the university's support for its student-athletes is tremendous, and that's priceless. I really see the value in education and athletics, and being able to share that with potential student-athletes is exciting to me." Gardner believes Ozarks provides a special opportunity for young men pursing a degree while wrestling collegiately. "Ozarks has a small-town community feeling with a beautiful outdoor setting," he said. "This is a great place to focus academically and wrestle collegiately. I want to convey all the positive attributes I learned as an NCAA Division III student-athlete and teach that here. The student-athletes here will appreciate the university's support and see what is possible when the campus community is behind them. I want our student-athletes visible in the community." As a wrestler, he earned honors on the international stage, placing eighth in the 2002 Fila Junior World Greco-Roman Championships and fifth in the 2002 U.S. Senior World Team Trials. He was inducted into the Wartburg Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. "As their coach, I want my student-athletes to know I am in their corner, and that I care about them beyond the mat," he said. "I want them to trust me, and I want them to reach their goals, both on and off the mat. I want my student-athletes to realize by putting in the time and work, they have a chance to be successful, and that carries into other things off the mat." Gardner received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Wartburg in 2003. He earned his MBA in finance from University of Rhode Island. Gardner serves as an officer in the United States Navy. He and his wife, Suzanna, are the parents of one son. Gardner takes over for Zastrow, who is pursuing a family opportunity in Ohio.

Seth Gross was a Big 12 runner-up and went 3-2 at the NCAAs as a redshirt freshman (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Seth Gross, a graduate of Apple Valley (Minn.) High School, earned a spot on the Junior World Team in freestyle at 60 kilos by defeating Mitchell McKee in the finals of the UWW Junior World Team Trials on May 22 in Irving, Texas. He will compete in the UWW Junior World Championships on Sept. 3 in Macon, France. Gross found a new home at South Dakota State last summer after spending his first year of college at Iowa. As a redshirt freshman at SDSU, Gross compiled a record of 26-14 and finished as a Big 12 runner-up. He posted a 3-2 record at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in New York City, finishing one win away from earning All-American honors at 141 pounds. InterMat recently caught up with Gross. You finished second to Mitchell McKee at the UWW Junior Nationals in late April, and then less than a month later came back to defeat McKee in a best-of-three finals to make the Junior World Team. What adjustments did you make between those events? Gross: I did pretty well against everyone else in Vegas besides McKee, so going into Trials I really just focused on training in the positions where he's good and being able to do well in those positions. I knew he was good at that front head roll. He's good with his hips. If I shoot in and don't have my head in the right position, he's going to hip in. He's good at digging underhooks. So I really worked on those areas. He beat me up a little bit in Vegas, but I trained hard in those areas and was a little more ready at the Trials. I felt more prepared going into the tournament. Seth Gross was a three-time state champion for Apple Valley High School (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You and McKee are both Minnesota natives. Did you have any history with McKee before this spring? And how familiar were you with his style? Gross: I've never actually wrestled him before this year. Apple Valley and St. Michael-Albertville have a huge rivalry, so our teams have always wrestled each other. He's always wrestled guys a little lighter than me. I've watched him quite a bit, but never really felt how he actually wrestles. But I know him pretty well just throughout the years in Minnesota. Your high school teammate Mark Hall is on the Junior World Team with you. What does that mean to you? Gross: That's awesome. A few years ago I made the [Cadet] team, and he fell a little short after losing to Bo Nickal, and we were kind of bummed about that. So I think it's cool that we're now both on the team and we'll get to spend some time together this summer. We were really good friends in high school. I haven't seen him too much since, so it will be cool to hang out with him this summer and train together. I'm excited. You have had your most success nationally in freestyle. You were a multiple-time Fargo freestyle champion in high school, made a Cadet team and now a Junior team. Do you enjoy wrestling freestyle more than folkstyle? Gross: Yeah, freestyle has always been my favorite style. Obviously, it's a little bit more fun when you do better in it. I've always enjoyed freestyle. It's a lot more on your feet wrestling. There's a lot more action. Folkstyle is a lot more strategic and a lot of riding. One of my strengths is conditioning. In freestyle when you wrestle on your feet the whole time that comes into play a little more. Seth Gross picked up three wins at the NCAAs, including one over Jimmy Gulibon (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You were a Big 12 runner-up and reached the round of 12 at the NCAAs as a redshirt freshman. How would you characterize your performance in your first season at South Dakota State? Gross: I probably fell short of a few of my goals. The biggest one is I wanted to be on the podium in March. I think just going through what happened to me last year, I was still proud of my performance, just to make it to nationals and get that close was good. But it also sucked. It really motivated me a ton for freestyle this year. I really wanted to go out and make this World team. Losing at those events really got a fire going in me. Overall, it was all right. Obviously, not what I wanted but I think it helped me in the long run. At the Big 12s you defeated Wyoming's Bryce Meredith. Two weeks later he reached the NCAA finals. Did his run to the NCAA finals give you reassurance that you're right there with the nation's best? Gross: Yeah, I knew I was right there with them. I wrestled a close one with [Dean] Heil at the Big 12s and he won it, and Meredith was second. It was rough watching him in the finals after I beat him. But it shows that I'm right up there with those guys. I know that I can beat any of them if I'm on and wrestling my best. It was good knowing that. You're competing in freestyle at 60 kilos, which is 132 pounds. Is there a chance you could move down to 133 pounds for the next college wrestling season? Gross: Yeah, I'm planning on going down to 133 pounds now. The coaches and I talked before the freestyle season and if I felt pretty good after making weight I would decide to move down. It was a little tougher in Vegas the first time getting down, but I made it pretty easily for the Trials. My natural weight walking around is about 142 or 143. So I don't think it will be too bad. I think the main reason I was up at 141 this year was just because I came into the season out of shape and real heavy, and it just took me so long to get my weight down that I don't think I could have made 133. What was attractive to you about South Dakota State? Gross: When I came to the campus I really liked it, and [Chris] Bono was awesome. I just clicked with him right away. Then I saw their schedule and it was a tough schedule. It's always awesome wrestling tough competition. I got to go to Midlands and wrestle all the top teams in the country. It seemed like a lot of the guys really wanted to do well there, and it was really like a family. So all that stuff came into play. South Dakota State coach Chris Bono coaching against Minnesota this past season (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Was South Dakota State even on your radar when you were going through the recruiting process in high school? Did you ever consider it? Gross: No, it wasn't, so I think it's crazy that I ended up where I am. I couldn't be more happy. I think God really had a plan for me to be here. I'm glad I ended up here. What do you like about Bono as a coach? Gross: I like that he doesn't take it easy on you no matter what. If you're slacking, he'll call you out for it. If you're doing something wrong, he'll tell you. He's straightforward about everything. No taking it easy on guys. He holds everyone accountable in everything, not just wrestling, but also in school and social life. This past season South Dakota State cracked the top 25. What are your expectations for the program next season and in the coming seasons? Gross: I think we're going to do really well. I hope that we'll be top 15 at least this year. I'm expecting that. There are a lot of young guys that are really going to have step up this year. But I think we're going to be ready. A lot of guys are sticking around this summer and working their butts off. Obviously, we fell short of getting any All-Americans this year, so I'm hoping we get at least two or three on the podium next year. We could get more. We have the talent to get more, but it's just who is training hard this summer and who is going to be ready to go. I think we'll do well. What was the biggest thing you learned from your experience at Iowa? Gross: From a wrestling standpoint, I really learned how to work hard on my own. The coaches showed me the path to what you need to do to succeed in wrestling. What I learned from the whole situation is just hanging around the right people and taking responsibility for what I did, manning up to what I did and moving forward. Where did your motivation come from after the incident at Iowa? Gross: I think after that a lot of people looked down on me. It was really an opportunity to give the praise to God. That really motivated me, just to show people how good He is if you follow Him and stick on the right path. That just really pushed me this past year. He gave me a second chance, so I'm going to do everything I can to make the best of it. What's your training situation look like this summer leading up to the Junior World Championships? Gross: I'll be at South Dakota State most of the time. There are a few other guys around my weight that will be around all summer. I have a few training camps out in Colorado, but most of my training I'll just do with Bono, [A.J.] Schopp, Henry Pohlmeyer and a couple other guys around my weight, so that will be good. Seth Gross gets his hand raised after picking up a victory at the NCAAs in New York City (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)What aspect of your freestyle wrestling do you need to improve upon the most before the Junior World Championships? Gross: I think I need to keep working on getting my offense going a little more. I probably sit around too much waiting to force guys into my shots. I think if I can develop one really good attack that I can get on most guys that will help me a ton going overseas. Also, I need to work on controlling ties. When I wrestled McKee, he probably got that underhook and controlled the ties a little bit more than I should have let him. I feel like my defense is pretty good. I let guys get to the legs a little bit too easily. I've always let guys in a little bit too much. Those are the main things, getting my offense going and controlling ties. What are your thoughts about the Junior World Championships being held in France? Gross: I haven't though too much about it. I'm not sure what it's going to be like. I went overseas to Azerbaijan, and that was a cool experience. I don't know what to expect at all or what it's going to be like. This story also appears in the June 3 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

University of Minnesota NCAA wrestling champs Jared Lawrence and Pat Neu are among the eleven former Golden Gopher athletes to be welcomed into the "M" Club Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2016, the letterwinner organization announced Tuesday. Jared Lawrence battles Eric Larkin in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in 2002 (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)The eleven represent a total of ten male and female sports; wrestling and football are the only two sports to have two former athletes as members of the 2016 Class. This newest group will be officially inducted during the "M" Club's annual Hall of Fame banquet, which will be held in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium on October 20. Jared Lawrence wrestled for Minnesota from 2000-03. In an era when Minnesota cemented its place as a collegiate wrestling power, Lawrence was one of the team's top performers. The 2002 national champion at 149 pounds and a two-time Big Ten champion, Lawrence posted a 130-23 career record and contributed to three consecutive Big Ten team titles for the Gophers. On the national stage, Lawrence helped Minnesota win the first two national titles in program history (2001, 2002) and -- along with teammate and fellow Hall-of-Famer Luke Becker -- became the first Gopher to be both a four-time NCAA All-American and an individual national champion. Wrestling for the Gophers from 1973-77, Pat Neu built an impressive 136-32 career record. A two-time runner-up at the Big Ten conference championships, Neu managed to win the 134-pound title at the 1977 NCAAs despite being unseeded. His effort helped the Gophers place fourth in the team standings at the tournament, the highest finish in program history to that point, and one that would remain the program's high-water mark until 1997. Lawrence and Neu join other 2016 inductees Greg Eslinger (Football), Dave Gumlia (Men's Golf), Tim Harrer (Men's Hockey), Amber Hegland (Softball and Women's Hockey), MaryAnne Kelley (Women's Gymnastics), Howard Nathe (Baseball), Al Nuness (Men's Basketball), Clay Strother (Men's Gymnastics), and Jeff Wright (Football). Honorees in the "M" Club Hall of Fame are featured in a display within the T. Denny Sanford Athletics Hall of Fame inside TCF Bank Stadium. Including this year's 11-member class, the Hall of Fame now honors 345 Gopher student-athletes from 27 different varsity sports. Each member of the Hall of Fame is recognized with an engraved plate on the wall. The Hall of Fame induction process begins with a research committee which pores over the careers of Gopher Athletics' alums from all eras and determines a group of approximately two dozen names to appear on each year's Hall of Fame ballot. Former and current coaches, athletics administrators and all University letterwinners are eligible to receive a ballot and vote for who they believe should be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. "Earning a varsity letter and the opportunity to proudly wear the M on your chest is an accomplishment that brings pride to someone for the rest of his or her life," said "M" Club director George Adzick. "To be recognized as not just a letterwinner, but as one of the greatest letterwinners in the history of Gopher Athletics, is an honor reserved for a very select few. I am delighted for the 11 newest members of our Hall of Fame and excited to be there as their names are placed forever among other Minnesota legends."

J Robinson, long-time head wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota, has been placed on paid administrative leave by the school's new athletic director, Mark Coyle, announced Wednesday. J Robinson (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Coyle said Robinson will remain on administrative leave through the completion of the school's internal investigation of allegations that some members of the Golden Gopher wrestling team may have used or sold Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety drug. Coyle, only in his second job as AD at Minnesota, informed Robinson of his decision privately before making a public appearance at an already-scheduled golf event for Minnesota athletics at a country club in Hutchinson, Minnesota, a community west of the Twin Cities, where he made the announcement to the press. "[University of Minnesota] President [Eric] Kaler and I had conversations about [Robinson's leave] and given the seriousness of the allegations, and the beginning of the internal investigation with the office of the general counsel, I thought that was the best thing to do at this time," Coyle said. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune also reported Wednesday afternoon that the university police department was granted a warrant and recently searched Robinson's house in suburban Minneapolis, and that investigators are searching his personal computer. The same newspaper reported last week that a Minnesota wrestler revealed four teammates had acquired 2,500 Xanax pills earlier this year and were selling them to teammates and others. The athlete, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said 10-12 teammates were also abusing the drug, and that Robinson had learned of the abuse and selling and offered to grant them amnesty if they confessed to him in written essays. The wrestler said his teammates turned over 1,400 Xanax pills to Robinson and the rest went "in the river." Yesterday, J Robinson's agent, James C.W. Bock, issued a statement on behalf of the Minnesota mat coach, refuting some of the information that has been in multiple media reports since the first news story on the matter was broadcast by KMSP-TV, the Fox affiliate in the Twin Cities, and reported on by InterMat one week ago. J Robinson was named head coach in 1986, making him the second-longest serving in Minnesota mat history (behind Wally Johnson, who was at the helm for 34 seasons immediately before J Rob). In his 30 seasons as head coach, Robinson has guided the Gophers to three NCAA team titles (2001, 2002, and 2007), and an overall record of 440-145-4, for a .747 winning percentage, the highest of any wrestling coach at the school.

Kent State announced the hiring of Danny Mitcheff as assistant wrestling coach on Wednesday. An All-American with the Golden Flashes in 2010, Mitcheff returns to his alma mater with a wide array of experience in both coaching and competition. "It's great to have Danny back," Head Coach Jim Andrassy said. "I'm excited for our lightweights. He gives them a coach they can go to and work on anything they need. When he wrestled with us, he brought a lot of integrity and an incredible work ethic that we needed at the time. Now he will bring that as a coach." Mitcheff's wrestling career continued for six years after Kent State in freestyle competition. He qualified for the United States World Team Trials four times, placing as high as fourth. Mitcheff also has five top six finishes at the U.S. Open and won a tournament title at the 2014 Guelph Open. A full-time assistant coach at Army for two seasons, Mitcheff has also been a volunteer assistant at Penn and Cleveland State. "He's helped at three other colleges, so he brings a different perspective," Andrassy said. "When he combines that experience with the Kent State way, he can help take us to another level." In 2010, Mitcheff was named Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Year and became the fourth wrestler in Kent State's history to be a four-time NCAA qualifier. Named Outstanding Wrestler at the MAC Championships in both his junior and senior seasons, he was a four-time MAC finalist. Mitcheff also owns the second most career victories in Flashes' history with 131. Most recently, Mitcheff was a resident at the Pennsylvania Olympic Regional Training Center and coached the Philadelphia branch of USA Wrestling's Beat The Streets program. The Lorain, Ohio native has also worked numerous camps and clinics throughout the country. Kent State concluded its 2015-16 season with a 16th place finish at the NCAA Championships and two All-Americans. The Flashes' eight straight years with at least one All-American is the 10th longest active streak in the nation.

Bill Zadick of Colorado Springs, Colo., currently an Assistant National Freestyle Coach with USA Wrestling, has been named as the next National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport in the United States. Bill Zadick (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"To be named USA Wrestling's Freestyle National Coach is a great honor. It is humbling, and I feel a tremendous responsibility to the United States and to USA Wrestling and to the athletes. I love freestyle wrestling. I cut my teeth in freestyle as a young kid, coming up through the developmental ranks. It has always been a huge passion for me. It is an important component to the American wrestling system. I am a patriot. I love red, white and blue and I want us to be the best wrestling nation in the world," said Zadick. He becomes the fifth full-time National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling, following Lee Roy Smith, Bruce Burnett (two terms), Kevin Jackson and Zeke Jones. USA Wrestling conducted an in-depth interview process, which included input from an advisory committee of respected wrestling leaders. "I am proud of the process we went through to select our next National Freestyle Head Coach," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. "It included virtually all of the appropriate stakeholders in the process. Bill will lead this program with character and dignity. We are confident that the best is yet to come for Team USA." Zadick will assume the duties after the current National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett completes his tenure after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Burnett, who was the National Freestyle Coach from 1992-2000, was rehired in May 2014 to lead USA Wrestling's freestyle national program through the Rio Games. "We had great candidates and it was a difficult decision," said Les Gutches, USA Wrestling Associate Executive Director for Programs and Strategy. "When it came to the final three candidates, we were impressed by all of them. As part of the interview process, each of the coaches had to lay out their four-year plan and vision. Bill nailed it, with great detail and insight. Bill has had the benefit of working around three National Freestyle Coaches, Bruce Burnett, Kevin Jackson and Zeke Jones. He comes from the Iowa program where he was coached by Dan Gable and the Brands brothers. He has done a good job pulling the collective wisdom of these and other coaches and developing his own philosophy." Bill Zadick first joined USA Wrestling in the position of Resident Coordinator and Assistant National Freestyle Coach in January 2009. He was a liaison between the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the resident athletes in all three styles and was also part of the national freestyle coaching staff. Zadick was promoted to the position of National Freestyle Developmental Coach and Assistant National Freestyle Coach in September 2010. He oversaw the programs intended to improve the quality and quantity of men's freestyle athletes prior to the Senior level, working with age-group World Teams and programs. During his four years working with the USA age-group teams (2011-2014), the USA won eight Cadet World medals, nine Junior World medals and 10 medals at the University Worlds or University World Games. Included were Cadet World champions Adam Coon, Zain Retherford, Aaron Pico, Spencer Lee, Mason Manville and Mark Hall, Junior World champion Kyle Snyder and University World champions Tyler Caldwell and Tyrell Fortune. In 2014, the U.S. age group World Teams reached new levels of success in freestyle, with the Cadets placing third in the World, the Juniors placing second in the World and the University team winning the World title. In 2015, Zadick's duties as Assistant National Coach were changed, where he focused upon the athletes and teams on the Senior level, working directly with National Coach Bruce Burnett working with the elite Senior athletes in all areas. He was part of the coaching staff at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships, where the United States won three medals, led by World champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder. The USA also won the medal count at the 2015 Pan American Games with six medals, led by champions Brent Metcalf, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Zach Rey. Prior to joining USA Wrestling, Zadick served as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Iowa wrestling team for two seasons (2003-04). "We want the United States to be the best wrestling nation in the world in all styles. Of course, my focus will be on freestyle. It will take a lot of work. We are going to need all hands on deck. We have a lot of great wrestling minds within the United States, and it is going to take a coordinated effort and inclusion of all those people to move us forward. With Russia, Iran, the former Soviet republics including Georgia, Azerbaijan and others, there are a lot of really strong wrestling nations that are well organized and well funded. We will need to be the same and even more so for us to make up ground, win more medals and improve. We will not only have to work hard, but we will have to work smart. We will need to be smarter about our sport, technically, tactically, scientifically and areas outside of that. We will need to draw on all of the resources within the United States borders to make us better," said Zadick. Zadick was one of the nation's best wrestlers on the youth, college and international levels before his coaching career started. Zadick reached the top of the freestyle wrestling world in 2006, when he won a World gold medal at 66 kg/145.5 pounds in Guangzhou, China. His younger brother Mike won a silver medal at 60 kg/132 pounds at the 2006 World Championships, making them the first U.S. brothers to reach the World finals on the same year since Tom and Terry Brands in 1993. Zadick also competed in the 2001 World Championships, placing seventh. He was a runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2000 and 2008. He was a three-time U.S. Nationals runner-up (2003, 2006, 2008) and a two-time World Team Trials runner-up (1999, 2002). Zadick won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Championships, and won the Sunkist Kids International Open in 1997 and 1998. He won a NCAA Div. I title for the Univ. of Iowa in 1996 and was a two-time All-American, competing for the legendary Dan Gable. Zadick won a Big Ten title and posted a career record of 87-13 with 16 pins. Zadick earned a B.A. in art from the University of Iowa in 1996. Originally from Great Falls, Montana, Zadick won four high school state titles for Great Falls High School (1988-91). He was active in USA Wrestling's age-group programs as a youth and through college. Zadick was a U.S. Olympic Training Center Resident athlete from 2004-2008, where his freestyle career flourished on the mat. "He was a World champion as an athlete. It came through loud and clear that he has the support of the athletes. They respect him and his accomplishments and his abilities as a coach. We have momentum at this time. As a national freestyle program, we go into the Rio Olympic Games after winning three medals with two champions in 2015. Bill is the guy who can continue this momentum and increase it," said Gutches.

The UWW Cadet National Championships are the place to be this weekend if one wants to watch elite scholastic aged wrestling in the United States. Close to 400 of the finest wrestlers born in 1999 through 2001 will take to the mats at the University of Akron during the freestyle competition to be held on Saturday and Sunday. Apple Valley's Gable Steveson, a returning Cadet World champion, gets his hand raised after winning a state title with a technical fall in the finals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Champions in ten weight classes (excluding 125 kilos, which is not contested at the Cadet World level) will qualify for the tournament to be held in Tblisi, Georgia (the former Soviet Republic) during mid-September of this year. Two Americans with UWW Cadet eligibility won world titles last year, and each will be seeking to repeat. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) has moved up one weight class to 63 kilos, the weight class that was won last year by fellow American Jarod Verkleeren, while Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) remains at 100 kilos. One needs to just look at last year when Steveson upended returning world silver medalist Jordan Wood just to earn the American berth at 100 kilos to be reminded that there are no "free lunches" in this tournament. The depth across the weight classes in this tournament is impressive, with a mere placement finish (top eight) being an accomplishment in and of itself. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the competition based on participants that entered as of the close of pre-registration on Tuesday evening. 42 kilos: Leading the way in this weight class is Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.), who placed third at the National Prep tournament as an extremely undersized 106 pound wrestler during his freshman season; McHenry was a semifinalist in Fargo as a Cadet at 94 pounds last summer, and won multiple Roller World of Wrestling titles prior to entering high school. Two other high schoolers to watch are two-time Cadet folkstyle All-American Daniel Kimball (Don Bosco, Iowa) and Cadet freestyle All-American Destin Summers (Snake River, Idaho), a state champion this past high school season. Among the junior high wrestlers, the anchor figure is Jeremiah Reno (Missouri), who is ranked No. 7 per InterMat in this grade level after winning the 15U Roller World of Wrestling triple crown at 89 pounds. Others to note include a pair of Cadet folkstyle champions in Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa) and Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.). Also with strong reputations are Caden McCrary (Georgia), Dylan Ragusin (Illinois), Justin Bierdumpfel (New Jersey), and Wyatt Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.). 46 kilos: Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.) made the Cadet World team in freestyle last year down a weight class at 42 kilos, and was also a Cadet National double champion in Fargo at 94 pounds last summer. In 2014, Heinselman was a Cadet National freestyle champion at 88 pounds. During the 2015-16 scholastic season, he was a state champion, and finished the year ranked No. 16 nationally at 106 pounds. The most direct threat to Heinselman will come from a perennial rival, Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.), who was runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals to Heinselman last year. They met multiple times during the 2015-16 folkstyle season, with Heinselman winning most meetings, but Schwartz did pick up a victory in early December. This summer, he already was a Junior National folkstyle champion; while last off-season he was a Cadet Triple Crown winner at 88 pounds. Others of note include returning Cadet National freestyle All-Americans in Derek Ramos (Hillcrest, Idaho), Lucas Byrd (LaSalle, Ohio), and Ridge Lovett (Post Falls, Idaho). Also here is two-time state champion Brandon Kaylor (Bonney Lake, Wash.), two-time Cadet folkstyle runner-up Eric Faught (Clear Lake, Iowa), last year's UWW Cadet Greco-Roman champion at 42 kilos Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.), two-time Cadet folkstyle champion Steele Dias (Green Valley, Nev.), and notable junior high wrestler Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.). 50 kilos: Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) was the UWW Cadet World team representative down a weight class at 46 kilos, and won a Cadet National freestyle title at 100 pounds in Fargo last summer. He is also the No. 11 overall wrestler in the Class of 2019, and finished the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 5 at 106 pounds. His most direct rival is going to be a known commodity in Travis Ford-Melton (Marian Catholic, Ill.), an opponent D'Emilio has beaten narrowly on a number of occasions. Ford-Melton is ranked No. 12 overall in the 2019 class, finished 2015-16 as a state champion in his own right and No. 6 overall at 106 pounds; last off-season he was fourth at 46 kilos at the UWW Cadet Nationals, and runner-up to D'Emilio in Fargo. There are six other wrestlers in this weight division that ended the 2015-16 season nationally ranked at 106 pounds (in rank order): Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), Aaron Cashman (Mound Westonka, Minn.), Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa), Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.), Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.), and Joseph Harrison (Omaha Burke, Neb.). All but Melendez were Cadet freestyle All-Americans last summer in Fargo, while Melendez was on the Cadet freestyle podium in 2014. Other Cadet National freestyle All-Americans in this weight class include Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio), Peter Ogunsanya (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), Rayvon Foley (Ann Arbor Pioneer, Mich.), and Rhett Golowenski (Tuttle, Okla.); Golowenski was runner-up to D'Emilio last year at this tournament in the 46 kilogram weight class. Three additional wrestlers registered won notable scholastic state titles this season: Asa Garcia (Avon, Ind.), Ben Kamali (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and Bryce Andonian (St. Edward, Ohio). Also meriting attention is Super 32 placer Christian Nunez (St. John Bosco, Calif.); Cadet folkstyle champion Jesse Vasquez (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), the nation's No. 5 overall Junior High wrestler; and multi-time state placer Matthew Cardello (CVCA, Ohio). 54 kilos: A pair of returning UWW Cadet freestyle All-Americans from the 50 kilogram weight class are among the headline wrestlers in this field, Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) and Jaden Abas (Frontier, Calif.). Decatur is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2019, and was also a Cadet National freestyle champion last summer at 106 pounds; while Abas is No. 10 overall in the Class of 2019, and was a scholastic state runner-up at 120 pounds. However, the favorite here is fellow Class of 2019 wrestler Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.); Raimo was one match from a top six finish in this weight class at last year's tournament, and is ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2019 after earning double titles in Fargo at the Cadet 120 weight class and a scholastic state runner-up finish at 120 pounds. Among other contenders are a pair of elite junior high wrestlers, both incoming freshmen: No. 2 Joshua Saunders (Missouri) and No. 3 Sam Hillegas (Pennsylvania); Saunders was a Cadet folkstyle runner-up this spring at 126 pounds. Also grade-ranked in this weight class is Tommy Hoskins (Dayton Christian, Ohio), No. 45 overall in the Class of 2018 after winning a pair of scholastic state titles and finishing third in Cadet freestyle at 113 pounds last summer; along with Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.), ranked No. 20 in the Class of 2019 after a scholastic state title and a fifth place finish in Cadet freestyle at 113. Additional wrestlers to watch include state champion Cameron Valdiviez (Rockhurst, Mo.), state champion and Super 32 Challenge placer Colin Valdiviez (Rockhurst, Mo.), two-time state placer Chase Zollman (Poway, Calif.), a pair of state champions and Cadet double All-Americans in Atilano Escobar (Liberty, Ariz.) and Jack Skudlarczyk (Westlake, Texas), two-time state champions Jet Taylor (Sallisaw, Okla.) and Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.), along with 2015 state champions in Logan Treaster (Newton, Kansas) and Michael Millage (New Hampton, Iowa). 58 kilos: Though relatively unproven as a freestyle wrestler, no All-American finishes in Fargo or at the UWW Cadet Nationals, Joseph Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) is an extreme talent. The No. 5 overall ranked wrestler in the Class of 2018 is already a three-time state champion and won the Super 32 Challenge at 120 pounds this fall; he also upset Austin Gomez to win the Dvorak title in mid-December. Six other wrestlers in this weight class carry a grade-level ranking, led by Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who is the nation's top junior high wrestler; the incoming freshman was a Cadet folkstyle champion at 126 pounds. Ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2017 is Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), a three-time state finalist and 2016 state champion, who was a double All-American at the Cadet Nationals last summer. Joining Silva as ranked in the Class of 2018 are No. 16 Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa) and No. 44 Jack Davis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); Thomsen is a two-time undefeated scholastic state champion and Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer at 120 pounds, while Davis won a National Prep title this scholastic season, and was a Cadet double All-American last summer. Rounding out the group are those from the Class of 2019: No. 14 Chris Cannon (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 16 Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.). Another pair of legitimate contenders in this weight ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked in their weight class: Max Murin (Central Cambria, Pa.) and Kyran Hagan (Eureka, Mo.). Murin is a three-time state placer, state champion in 2015, a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American (2014 runner-up), and the lone returning UWW Cadet freestyle All-American (6th at 54 kilos last year); while Hagan is also a three-time state placer, state champion in 2015, and a Cadet double All-American last summe (fourth in freestyle). Additional names to watch include two-time state placer Alec White (New Palestine, Ind.0, state champion Drew Marten (Tecumseh, Mich.), 2014 state champion Hunter Dusold (Locust Valley, N.Y.), two-time National Prep placer Malcolm Robinson (St. John's College, D.C.), state runner-up Nathan Lendt (Southeast Polk, Iowa), 2015 state champion Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.), and impact junior high wrestler Sonny Santiago (California), fifth in Cadet folkstyle at 132 pounds. 63 kilos: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) is the defending Cadet World champion at 58 kilos, and a strong favorite to make his second straight Cadet World team. He has done about everything under the sun in scholastic wrestling; the Cornell commit is the No. 2 overall prospect in the Class of 2017. Six other wrestlers in this weight class are ranked within their respective grade levels. From the junior high group it is incoming freshmen No. 11 Albert Ferrari (Allen, Texas) and No. 15 Ashton Habeil (Tampa Prep, Fla.); Habeil was a scholastic state runner-up this season. State placer Sam Dover (St. Edward, Ohio) is ranked No. 19 in the Class of 2019. Lastly it's a trio of wrestlers from the Class of 2018: No. 24 Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.), No. 36 Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and No. 38 Cole Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.). Lee was third in Cadet freestyle last summer at 132 pounds and a scholastic state champion in 2015-16; Lewan is a two-time scholastic state placer and was a Cadet double All-American last summer, third in freestyle; while Matthews was a scholastic state champion in 2015 before settling for third place this season. Another eight wrestlers were scholastic state champions this past season: Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.), Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), Jaden van Maanen (LaCrosse Central, Wis.), Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.), Niko Chavez (Willard, Mo.), Roderick Mosley (Heritage Hall, Okla.), Sam Stuhl (Ellsworth, Wis.), and Taylor Brown (Warrensburg, Mo.). Hagan also placed fifth in Cadet freestyle, and was a double All-American in Fargo, while Brown was eighth in Cadet freestyle at 126 pounds. An additional quartet were scholastic state runners-up this past year: Cal Hansen (Deerfield, Wis.), Jacob Mariakis (Ridgeland, Ga.), Jamie Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), and Tyler Shilson (Centennial, Minn.); Hernandez also placed second and third the previous two summers in Cadet freestyle. Also to watch in this weight class is impact incoming freshman Alfonso Martinez (Arizona), who was third in Cadet folkstyle at 132 pounds. 69 kilos: Even without the registered participation of David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio), last year's runner-up in this competition at the weight class and ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2018, the field is still very strong. Arguably its anchor would be Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.), who is ranked no. 7 overall in the Class of 2018; the two-time state champion ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 7 nationally at 145 pounds. Three other wrestlers in this field ended the scholastic season ranked nationally at their respective weight class: Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.), Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.), and Julian Ramirez (Tampa Prep, Fla./Blair Academy, N.J.). Lee was ranked No. 20 nationally at 145 pounds after winning a scholastic state title; last year's Cadet freestyle champion at 138 pounds is also ranked no. 23 overall in the Class of 2018. Rider was ranked No. 9 nationally at 152 pounds, and the scholastic state champion is ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2018. Ramirez was ranked No. 10 nationally at 152 pounds, and the two-time scholastic state champion is ranked No. 5 overall in the Class of 2019. The other wrestler with a grade-level ranking in this weight class is National Prep champion Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.), who is No. 33 in the Class of 2018, after also finishing fourth in Cadet freestyle last summer (Greco-Roman champion). Additional Cadet freestyle All-Americans in this weight class include three-time state champion Eli King (Father Ryan, Tenn.), state champion Emile Shannon (CBC, Mo.), state champion Jaryn Curry (Choctaw, Okla.), state runner-up Michael O'Malley (Hasbrouck Hts., N.J.), and two-time state placer Trevell Timmons (Lockport, Ill.). Curry was a Cadet freestyle runner-up, while Cadet freestyle champion Timmons also placed third in this weight class last year at the UWW Cadet Nationals. Three additional wrestlers to watch in this weight class are state placer Edmund Ruth (Susquehanna Township, Pa.), 2015 state champion Jon Trowbridge (Basheor-Linwood, Kansas), and state champion Nelson Brands (Iowa City West, Iowa). 76 kilos: This is arguably one of the more open weight classes, where any of about five competitors could see themselves on the Cadet World team. The one with Cadet World experience would be Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), who competed in Greco-Roman at 69 kilos last summer; he was also a scholastic state champion this past season, and ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 8 at 152 pounds and as the No. 34 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017. The other Class of 2017 wrestler among primary contenders is two-time state champion Marcus Coleman (Ames, Iowa), who ended the 2015-16 scholastic year ranked No. 16 at 170 pounds and as the No. 41 overall wrestler in that class; he was a Cadet freestyle runner-up last summer. Among Class of 2018 wrestlers, there is No. 12 Jack Jessen (Willowbrook, Ill.), No. 14 Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.), and No. 31 Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.). Jessen is a two-time scholastic state placer, runner-up as a freshman, and a two-time Cadet double All-American at 170 pounds (third in 2014, runner-up in 2015); Wittlake is a two-time Cadet folkstyle champion, and was third in Cadet freestyle last year after winning the Greco-Roman tournament at 160 pounds; while Hidlay was a state runner-up this year after placing eighth last year in Cadet freestyle and seventh at the Super 32 Challenge in the fall. Additional returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans in this weight class include scholastic state medalist Ben Sarasin (Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Iowa), two-time state champion Clay Lautt (St. James Academy, Kansas), and Lucas McFarland (St. Johns, Mich.). Also of note in this field are three-time state placer Leo Tarantino (Tampa Prep, Fla.), two-time state placers Cameron Caffey (Carbondale, Ill.) and Kenny O'Neil (Prior Lake, Minn.), state medalist Josh Stillings (Pennridge, Pa.), and state champion Ritchie Heywood (Wasatch, Utah). 85 kilos: Though there is a lot of talent present, one can argue that Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) is arguably the most impressive wrestler in this whole tournament outside of Yianni Diakomihalis and Gable Steveson without having their sanity questioned. The nation's No. 11 overall Class of 2017 prospect ended the 2015-16 season ranked third overall at 182 pounds after winning a second straight scholastic state title; this past off-season he was a Cadet National double champion at 170 pounds, and has earned UWW Cadet freestyle All-American honors the previous two years at 76 kilos (5th in 2014, 3rd in 2015). The most talented contender would arguably be Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.), the National Prep champion, who ended the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 8 nationally at 182 pounds and No. 6 overall among Class of 2018 prospects. However, his freestyle experience and productivity is relatively limited, especially in comparison to others in this field. There are another pair of 2015 Cadet National freestyle champions to challenge Warner in Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.) and Jake Boyd (Smithville, Mo.). Raschka won a Fargo title at 182 pounds, before winning a scholastic state title up at 195; while Boyd took gold at 195 as part of a double All-American finish, before ending the scholastic season ranked No. 18 nationally at 195 pounds. Two other extreme talents are in this field: Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.) and Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.). Davison has Junior and Cadet folkstyle national titles the last two years, placed fourth in this weight class at the UWW Cadet Nationals last year, and was third in Cadet freestyle at 182 last summer (double All-American); while two-time state champion Whitman is ranked No. 10 overall in the Class of 2018, and a returning Cadet freestyle runner-up (double All-American). Other returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans include Andrew Demos (Warren, Ill.); two-time state placer Anthony Sherry (Glenwood, Iowa), also a two-time double All-American; two-time state champion Colton Wolfe (Columbus, Neb.); two-time state placer Danny Salas (St. John Bosco, Calif.); and Ian Malesiewski (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), runner-up to Boyd. Also meriting attention are state champion Daniel Kerkvleit (Simley, Minn.), two-time state placer Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.), two-time state champion John Borst (Sherando, Va.), and Cadet folkstyle runner-up Lucas Davison (Chesterton, Ind.). 100 kilos: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) is the nation's top Class of 2018 prospect and the extreme favorite to get the chance to repeat as Cadet World champion. The primary challenger among those registered would be Noah Adams (Independence, W.Va.), a Cadet double fourth place finisher last summer and two-time state champion, who ended the scholastic season ranked No. 19 at 195 pounds. Other contenders include Brady Daniel (Good Counsel, Md.), a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American and third at National Preps this scholastic season; Cadet double All-American Colin Lawler (Kinkaid School, Texas); along with state placers Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.) and Sean O'Malley (Hasbrouck Hts., N.J.). 125 kilos: This weight class will not be contested at the World Championships in Tblisi, Georgia. None the less, the favorite is state placer Tony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.), who placed third at the Cadet Nationals in both styles last summer. Other contenders include Cadet folkstyle champion Ronald Tucker, Jr. (Lockport, Ill.), who is ranked No. 15 overall in the Class of 2019; returning Cadet freestyle All-American Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan, Pa.); state placer Jon Spaulding (Lakota East, Ohio); state champion Kayne Hutchison (Pittsburg, Kansas), third in Cadet freestyle last year at 220 pounds; along with returning UWW Cadet double All-American Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.).