InterMat Staff

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.).

The wrestling federation of Iran has provided its lineup for the 2016 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., June 11-12. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. The Iranian team is experienced and talented, with a World or Olympic medalist in six of the eight international weight classes. The team includes 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Komeil Ghasemi at 125 kg/275 lbs. Ghasemi was second in the 2014 World Championships and the 2014 Asian champion 2013 World champion Hassan Rahimi is on the World Cup team at 57 kg/125 lbs. Rahimi is a four-time World medalist, with a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2011 and 2014 World Championships. He placed eighth in the 2012 Olympic Games. The team features a pair of two-time World medalists, Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi at 65 kg/145 lbs. Esmaeilpoorjouybari was second in the 2014 World Championships and third in the 2013 World Championships. Mohammadi was second in the 2014 World Championships and third in the 2015 World Championships. Other past World medalists competing for Iran in Los Angeles are 2015 World silver medalist Hassan Yazdani Charati at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Alireza Karimimachiani at 86 kg/189 lbs. Yazdani and Karimimachiani were also both 2014 Junior World champions. Iran placed second at the 2015 World Championships, which were held in Las Vegas, Nev., and has won the last two World Cup team titles. The eight nations which will compete for the World Cup are (alphabetically) Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Iran, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey and the United States. Nations were invited based upon final team standings at the 2015 World Championships. Iran has drawn into Group B, and will face the United States, Azerbaijan and India. The 2014 and 2015 Freestyle World Cup were also held in Los Angeles. The host United States was second at the 2015 World Cup and third at the 2014 World Cup. The USA team will feature all six 2016 Olympic team members in freestyle wrestling. Attendees can purchase tickets for the popular international competition through Ticketmaster. Iran Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Hassan Rahimi 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Reza Atrinagharchi 61 kg/134 lbs. - Behnam Ehsanpoor 61 kg/134 lbs. - Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari 65 kg/143 lbs. - Seyedahmad Mohammadipahnehkolaei 65 kg/143 lbs. - Meysam Nasiri 70 kg/154 lbs. - Mostafa Hosseinkhani 70 kg/154 lbs. - Saeid Dadashpoourkerikalaei 74 kg/163 lbs. - Hassan Yazdanicharati 74 kg/163 lbs. - Alireza Ghasemi 86 kg/189 lbs. - Alireza Karimimachiani 86 kg/189 lbs. - Meisam Mostafajoukar 86 kg/189 lbs. - Reza Bayat 97 kg/213 lbs. - Amir Mohammadi 97 kg/213 lbs. - Abbas Tahan 125 kg/275 lbs. - Komeil Ghasemi 125 kg/275 lbs. - Parviz Hadi Basmanj Team Leader - Ali Bayat Coach - Mohammad Talaei Coach - Hossein Karimi Coach - Amir Tavakolianhaghighi Coach - Alireza Loresstani Coach - Reza Layegh Referee - Naser Foroutan Official - Farnaz Panahizadeh Official - Abolfazl Ansari Official - Fardin Ghanbari Official - Ali Jamshidi Medical - Tooraj Malek Mohammadi Massage Therapist - Mohammad Kavari Iran World Cup bios 57 kg/125 lbs - Hassan Rahimi 2013 World champion… Second in 2015 World Championships… Third in 2011 & 2014 World Championship… Eighth in 2012 Olympic Games…Tenth in 2009 & 2010 World Championship… 2012 Asian champion…2012 World Military champion…2008 & 2009 Junior World champion… Second in 2008 Junior World Championships… Second in 2012 & 2013 World Cup…Third in 2009 Asian Championship…Fifth in 2007 Junior World Championship… Fifth in 2010 Asian Games… Fifth in 2012 World Cup…Seventh in 2010 Asian Championship…Ninth in 2009 World Cup… Tenth in 2011 World Cup…2012 Grand Prix of Spain champion…2009 & 2011 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Born June 15, 1989…Age 26 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Reza Atrinagharchi 2016 Medved Prizes champion (Belarus)… Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… Third in 2015 World Military Games… Second in 2015 Dan Kolov International (Bulgaria)…. Third in 2015 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Fifth in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Seventh in 2014 Junior World Championships… Second in 2014 Junior Asian Championships… Born: August 8, 1994… Age: 21 61 kg/134 lbs - Behnam Ehsanpoor 2012 Junior World champion… 2015 World Team member… 2015 Asian champion… 2015 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Second in 2016 Asian Championships… Second in 2013 World University Games…Second in 2011 Junior World Cup…Second in 2008 Cadet Asian Championship… Third in 2007 Cadet Asian Championship… Eighth in 2010 Junior World Championship…2012 Golden Grand Prix champion… Third in 2014 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)…Eighth in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born February 16, 1992… Age 24 61 kg/134 lbs. - Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari Second in 2014 World Championships… Third in 2013 World Championships… Seventh in 2012 Olympics... 2008 Junior World champion… 2014 and 2015 Asian champion… Second in 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… 2014 Asian Games champion… 2012 Grand Prix of Spain champion… 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament champion… Second in 2012 Asian Championships… 2010 Asian Championships champion… Third in 2010 Takhti Cup… Third in 2009 Asian Championships… 2008 Junior Asian Championships champion… Competed in 2006 Junior World Championships… 2005 Cadet Asian Championships champion… Fourth in 2004 Cadet Asian Championships… Born: August 6, 1988… Age: 27 65 kg/145 lbs - Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi Second in 2014 World Championships… Third in 2015 World Championships… 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… 2014 Asian champion… Third in 2014 Ziolkowski Memorial (Poland)…Third in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Seventh in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born January 11, 1992…Age 24 65 kg/143 lbs. - Meysam Nasiri 2016 Asian champion… 2014 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Ninth in 2013 and 2015 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2012 Hari Ram Grand Prix (India)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion (Iran)… Third in 2012 Yasar Dogu International (Turkey)… 2010 Habibi and Movahed Cup champion (Iran)… Third in 2010 Takhti Cup… Born January 6, 1989… Age: 27 70 kg/154 lbs. - Mostafa Hosseinkhani 2016 Asian champion… 2014 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Third in 2015 Golden Grand Prix Finals (Azerbaijan)… Seventh in 2014 Asian Games… 2014 World Team member… 2012 Hari Ram Grand Prix champion (India)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion (Iran)… Eighth in 2011 Olympic Test Event (England)… Ninth in 2010 and 2011 Asian Championships… Second in 2011 World Cup… 2008 and 2009 Asian Junior champion… 2006 Asian Cadet champion… Born: March 27, 1989… Age: 27 70 kg/154 lbs. - Saeid Dadashpoourkerikalaei Second in 2016 Ukraine Memorial International… Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Eighth in 2015 Asian Championships… Second in 2015 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Third in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2013 World Military champion… 2009 Takhti Cup champion… Third in 2007 Junior World Championships… 2007 Asian Junior champion… Born June 1, 1987… Age: 28 74 kg/163 lbs - Hassan Yazdani Charati Second in 2015 World Championships… 2014 Junior World champion… Second in 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Second in 2016 Medved Prizes (Belarus)… 2015 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Fifth in 2015 Grand Prix of Paris (France)…2014 Junior Asian champion… Second in 2011 Cadet World Championships…Third in 2011 Cadet Asian Championships…Born December 28, 1994…Age 21 74 kg/163 lbs. - Alireza Ghasemi Fifth in 2015 World Championships… Fifth in 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… 2015 Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)… Second in 2012 Golden Grand Prix (Iran)… 2001 Asian Junior champion… Born: September 24, 1989… Age 26 86 kg/189 lbs - Alireza Karimimachiani Third in 2015 World Championships… 2014 Junior World champion… 2015 and 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… 2015 Stepan Sargsyan champion (Armenia)… Second in 2015 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2013 Junior Asian champion… Second in 2011 Cadet World Championships…2010 & 2011 Cadet Asian champion… 2013 Dimitri Korkin Tournament champion (Russia)…Third in 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third in 2013 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born March 21, 1994…Age 22 86 kg/189 lbs - Meisam Mostafa Joukar 2014 Asian champion… Third in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Second in 2007 & 2008 Asian Championship… 2014 Asian Games champion…2012 World University champion…2013, 2014 & 2015 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Third in 2012 Golden Grand Prix…Third in 2012 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)…Third in 2009 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Fifth in 2011 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Seventh in 2010 Imamali Habibi & Abdollah Movahed Cup (Iran)…Born January 29, 1985…Age 31 86 kg/189 lbs. - Reza Bayat Third in 2016 Ukranian Memorial International… Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2012 Golden Grand Prix (Iran)… Third in 2012 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Born: September 21, 1987… Age: 28 97 kg/213 lbs. - Amir Mohammadi Second in 2016 Takhti Cup (Iran)… 2014 Dmitry Korkin International champion (Russia)… 10th in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Second in 2011 Asian Junior Championships… Born November 14, 1991… Age: 21 97 kg/213 lbs. - Abbas Tahan Fifth in 2015 World Championships… Third in 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Second in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2013 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third in 2012 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… Third in 2012 University World Championships… Third in 2012 Hari Ram Grand Prix (India)… 2012 Golden Grand Prix champion… 2011 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Fifth in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Born February 1, 1989… Age: 27 125 kg/275 lbs - Komeil Ghasemi 2012 Olympic bronze medalist…Second in 2014 World Championships… Second in 2011 and 2015 Asian Championship…2014 Asian champion…Tenth in 2013 World Championship… 2016 Grand Prix of Paris champion (France)… Third in 2016 Medved Prizes (Belarus)… 2007 Junior Asian champion…Third in 2008 Junior World Championship…2008 Junior Asian champion…Third in 2007 Junior World Championship…2013 Rumble on the Rails champion… 2012 Grand Prix of Spain champion…Second in 2014 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Second in 2012 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals…Second in 2009 & 2011 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Third in 2014 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Ninth in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Born February 27, 1988… Age 28 125 kg/275 lbs - Parviz Hadi Ninth in 2015 World Championships… 2012 & 2013 Asian champion…2014 Asian Games champion… 2014, 2015 and 2016 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… Second in 2012 World University Championship… Third in 2013 World University Games… Third in 2010 Takhti Cup (Iran)…Ninth in 2013 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals…Born November 16, 1987… Age 28 FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE Saturday, June 11 Session I - Round 1 & 2 of Pools (3 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) Sunday, June 12 Session II - Round 3 of Pools, 5th & 7th Place Matches (11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) Session III - 3rd Place Match, followed by 1st Place Match (5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) General admission for both the Saturday and Sunday sessions are just $60 total or $35 for individual days. Preferred seating options are available for $85 for both Saturday and Sunday, or $55 individually.

The agent of J Robinson sent InterMat a press release, disputing allegations that the Gophers head wrestling coach tried covering up a prescription drug issue within the team. Below is the press release from James C.W. Bock. Last Tuesday, May 24th, KMSP aired during their late evening news a report concerning University of Minnesota wrestlers' alleged drug use and alleged drug sales. On Thursday, May 26th, a number of newspaper stories picked up the television report advancing more specific allegations against Coach Robinson. J Robinson talks to Skyler Petry during a dual meet in Minneapolis (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The media coverage to date appears to be a self-circulating story based on one, anonymous source; blather from anonymous sources and a media environment that disperses what it wants to be true rather than what actually is true is troubling. In late February / early March, Coach Robinson became suspicious members of the University of Minnesota wrestling team were using drugs. Pursuant to University of Minnesota Department of Intercollegiate Athletics policy Coach Robinson notified his direct supervisor within the Athletic Department of his concerns. Coach Robinson specifically notified the interim Athletic Department Director as well, and of his desire to have specific wrestlers tested. Coach Robinson was instructed he needed to complete a 'testing form' (i.e., The University of Minnesota Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Alcohol and Drug Testing Reasonable Suspicion Reporting Form) before requesting the testing of student athletes. The 'reasonable suspicion' form was completed, and testing of student athletes took place on or about Monday, March 21st. It was on March 25th the interim Athletic Director sent Coach Robinson the 2016 University of Minnesota Drug and Alcohol Policy in twenty pages via email. The 'Drug and Alcohol Policy' states: "Any student-athlete who identifies him/herself as having a substance abuse problem may self-refer to the Department of Athletic Medicine to be entered into a Safe Harbor program pending approval of the Review Board." Coach Robinson specifically informed the University through multiple channels of his knowledge of the situation. The University did not test the student athletes for Xanax. Coach Robinson informed University staff of his specific concerns. As a result there are electronic communications between University employees within the University's control on these issues. The University has now been placed on written notice the communications and electronically stored data in its control may not be damaged, altered and/or destroyed and must be available for future dissemination. As of this date no specific person or identifiable employee of the University has made a statement of fact that can be corroborated. The University has been asked to test athletes, has tested athletes and has not disclosed this fact or seemingly instructed its employee on how to deal with the consequences of its testing results and/or the serious allegations being advanced in the media by an anonymous wrestler. Coach Robinson has earned respect over the past thirty years as one of the most honorable, loyal and successful coaches in University history. Coach Robinson's accomplishments and loyalty to the University, to his teams, to the hundreds of student athletes he has coached, and to his fans, and detractors, would seem to be lost at this time. Fairness and appropriate disclosures by the University are at issue, and balanced coverage by the media of all facts is required.

Sara McMann, first U.S. woman to earn a silver medal in Olympic wrestling, earned a unanimous decision over Jessica Eye in their 135-pound preliminary-card bout at UFC Fight Night "Almeida vs. Garbrandt" event at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Sunday night. Sara McMann (Photo/UFC)McMann, who medaled at the 2004 Athens Olympics -- the first Games to feature women's freestyle competition -- swept all three judges' scorecards by identical 30-27 scores. "Former title challenger Sara McMann completely neutralized Jessica Eye with wrestling and positional control, taking a unanimous verdict over her former training partner," is how Tristen Critchfield opened his write-up on the match for mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com. Hinting at the former training partner aspect, MMAJunkie.com wrote, "Onetime title challenger Sara McMann and Jessica Eye fought like opponents all too aware of their fight's stakes, approaching each other cautiously for much of the 15 minutes they shared the Octagon." "Perhaps wary of her opponent's wrestling, Eye struggled to pull the trigger throughout the contest, often waiting for countering opportunities that never arrived," Sherdog.com reported. "Meanwhile, McMann got stronger as the bout progressed. After grinding her opponent against the fence in a tepid opening stanza, McMann landed takedowns in both the second and third rounds. From there, Eye was helpless as her foe won virtually every transition and positional battle while attacking with periodic ground-and-pound." McMann, halting a two-fight losing streak, now improves to a 9-3 overall record in MMA, and 3-3 in UFC competition. Eye, who has lost three straight in the Octagon, falls to 11-5 overall, and 1-4 in UFC. After the win, McMann "humbly asserted herself" (in the words of MMAJunkie.com) for the opportunity to take on the winner of the upcoming title match at UFC 200 between champion Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes -- both familiar foes to McMann, who lost to both. "I definitely was comfortable standing with (Eye), but I am an Olympic wrestler so I used that to neutralize her counter-punching ability," McMann said. "I was a little more comfortable going in to this fight because of my time training with her in the past, but at the same time I was nervous because she wasn't going to be surprised by anything. I'd love to rematch Miesha as the champion, but if Amanda wins I'd love to rematch her, as well. I just hate my losses and I want to get those back." McMann, 35, first entered MMA competition as with two amateur bouts in 2010, having her first professional fight in June 2011. She signed with Ultimate Fighting Championships event in February 2013. McMann started wrestling at age 14 at McDowell High School in Marion, North Carolina. She first wrestled at University of Minnesota-Morris for the 1998-1999 season, then joined the men's wrestling team at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania from 1999-2003. McMann made a name for herself in international competition. In addition to receive a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics at 63 kilograms/138.75 pounds, she also won silver medal in the 2003 World championships and a bronze medal in the 2005 and 2007 World championships.

Want to shake hands with Shute? Frank Jasper, who played the muscular, menacing undefeated state champ Brian Shute in the iconic wrestling movie "Vision Quest," has joined the list of U.S. wrestlers, celebrities and heroes who will be featured next month at the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala presented by the United States Marine Corps. The gala, which takes place Thursday, June 9 at L.A. Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles, coincides with World Cup of Wrestling Week, culminating with the United World Wrestling's men's freestyle World Cup competition to be held at The Forum in Los Angeles June 11-12. Frank Jasper"Join us for an inspirational evening with the toughest people on the planet -- our heroes from the military, MMA champions, stars from movies and entertainment, our Olympic and wrestling greats, and some very special guests," according to the website announcing the event, which is presented by the U.S. Wrestling Foundation and USA Wrestling. The subject of a one-on-one interview with InterMat last month, Frank Jasper wrestled in high school (starting as a 112-pounder on the JV team as a freshman), then at Eastern Washington University. The pre-med student learned that a movie being filmed nearby was seeking a six-foot tall wrestler to join the cast. After a round of auditions -- and a wrestle-off with another grappler who had become an actor -- Jasper won the part as the rival to Matthew Modine's character Louden Swain. In addition to Frank Jasper, other featured guests at the Olympic Wrestling Gala include Olympic gold medalists Kurt Angle, Rulon Gardner and Steve Fraser; NCAA champ Anthony Robles; and MMA stars Daniel Cormier, Randy Couture and Joe Warren; and many stars from the world of combat sports, film, and more. The 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala begins with a "Meet the Stars" opportunity from 5-6 p.m., followed by a VIP reception from 6-7 p.m. The General Reception runs from 7-9 p.m. Individual tickets are available for $600 each; a table for ten is $5,000. Additional unique options for sponsorship are available; for details, contact Mark Malick at (412) 378-4509 or email him at Mark@USWrestlingFoundation.com. For more information on the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala, visit the official website, call Jack Clark at (703) 297-6351; or email him at Jack@USWrestlingFoundation.com. Donations made be made online at http://USWrestlingFoundation.com . The U.S. Wrestling Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Tax ID # 37-1698099 that supports the missions of USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, to grow wrestling at all levels and develop opportunities for new participants. Check out another special event during World Cup of Wrestling Week: The Wrestler's Esthetic art show, featuring original artwork related to the sport of wrestling and its competitors.

Memorial Day. Sadly, too many of us have lost sight of the real reason for the holiday. It may be considered to be the kickoff for summer, time to fire up the grill, dive into the swimming pool, and make that first visit to the local amusement park. Memorial Day is the one day of the year when we honor those who gave their lives for our nation, to ensure that the rest of us can experience and enjoy freedom. On this day, InterMat thought it would be appropriate to honor just some of the wrestlers who stepped off the mat to fight for our country ... and paid the ultimate price. Dale Hanson: Despite being nicknamed "PeeWee" because he was at first too small to wrestle, Hanson became a two-time Iowa high school state champ for Cresco High School, one of the all-time great prep powerhouses of wrestling in the nation. Hanson then headed north to the University of Minnesota, where he was never defeated in 43 dual-meet matches. Hanson earned back-to-back Big Ten titles (1939, 1940) and was a two-time NCAA finalist, winning the 128-pound crown -- and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 1939 NCAAs. An Air Force First Lieutenant, Hanson was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and participated in the Battle of Midway in June of 1942. He lost his life in October 1942 as a co-pilot of a B-17 that was shot down in a battle over Rabaul, New Britian in the South Pacific. He was 24 years old. Max Silverstein: A Chicago native, Max Silverstein wrestled at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, where he compiled a 20-1 record with 13 falls. He was runner-up at 158 pounds at the 1932 NCAAs. Silverstein was promoted through his Navy career, being named Lieutenant in March 1940. On May 7, 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea, Silverstein's ship, the USS Sims, came under aerial attack. Though knocked unconscious by the first bomb, Silverstein recovered and directed efforts to try to prevent the ship from sinking. He was lost with the ship. Silverstein was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for "his relentless determination and inspiring heroism." Tommy Noonan: One of his friends called Tommy Noonan, " ...the best wrestler Hunter College ever had." Noonan graduated from the New York City-based college in 1966 with a degree in physical education. In 1967 he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve and was subsequently deployed to Vietnam. Marine Lance Corporal Thomas Noonan Jr. was killed in action against the enemy on February 5, 1969. For his valor in that action, Noonan was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a fire team leader with Company G, in operations against the enemy ..." The citation went on to state, "L/Cpl. Noonan moved from his position of relative security and, maneuvering down the treacherous slope to a location near the injured men, took cover behind some rocks. Shouting words of encouragement to the wounded men to restore their confidence, he dashed across the hazardous terrain and commenced dragging the most seriously wounded man away from the fire-swept area. Although wounded and knocked to the ground by an enemy round, L/Cpl. Noonan recovered rapidly and resumed dragging the man toward the marginal security of a rock. He was, however, mortally wounded before he could reach his destination." Bob Arvin: Winner of a Michigan high school state title in 1961, Bob Arvin went on to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he continued his wrestling career. Arvin served in Vietnam, where he was wounded in battle in September 1967, earning two Silver Star medals for his actions. One month later, First Lieutenant Arvin's unit was pinned down in an exposed position while completing a sweep of an enemy base. He was killed on October 4 while enabling his battalion to defeat an enemy force three times its size. Arvin was promoted to Captain posthumously. In 1989, the gym at West Point was renamed in his honor. Ray MendozaRay Mendoza: Born in New Jersey in 1968, Ray J. Mendoza wrestled at the storied Blair Academy in his home state before eventually heading west to Ohio State. As a Buckeye, Mendoza was a two-time NCAA qualifier and twice placed at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, as runner-up in the heavyweight bracket in 1993 after placing fourth the previous year. Mendoza entered the Marine Corps in February 1995 and after successfully completing Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Va., he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in Aug. 1995. He then reported to The Basic School and was assigned as an infantry officer ... while continuing his wrestling career (becoming an Olympic Alternate for the 1996 Atlanta Games). Steadily moving up through the ranks to Major in October 2005 while serving in Iraq. On November 14, 2005, Mendoza died of wounds sustained during Operation Steel Curtain in New Ubaydi, Iraq. Just last year, Ohio State honored Mendoza with the establishment of the Ray Mendoza Leadership Scholarship for the John Glenn School of Business. Doug Zembiec: A native of New Mexico, Doug Zembiec was the first state champion wrestler at La Cueva High School. He went on to the Naval Academy, where he was a three-time NCAA qualifier, earning All-American honors by placing eighth in the 177-pound bracket at the 1995 NCAAs. Zembiec was commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the Marines immediately after graduating from Annapolis. As a platoon commander, Zembiec's reconnaissance platoon was among the first conventional forces to enter Kosovo during Operation Joint Guardian in June 1999. In April 2004, as a rifle company commander, Zembiec led the first ground assault on Fallujah, Iraq where his heroism earned him the nickname "The Lion of Fallujah" (having been seriously wounded by shrapnel during that battle). On May 11, 2007, Major Doug Zembiec died while commanding a raid on insurgent forces in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. It was his fourth tour in the Middle East. This list is by no means complete. You may know other former mat stars who gave their all to protect the rest of us. This is the day to remember and honor them all. Special thanks to uber-wrestling supporter Jim Brown and his "View from Section GG" blog as well as the "Glory Beyond the Sport: Wrestling and the Military" book by wrestling writer Roger Moore, published in 2009 by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Jordan Burroughs, 2012 Olympic gold medalist in men's freestyle, is the only amateur wrestler to earn a spot on Sports Illustrated's online list of the "Fittest 50" male athletes. No women in amateur wrestling made the corresponding "Fittest 50" female athletes list. Burroughs was ranked No. 8 on the list posted at the sports magazine's website. Jordan Burroughs celebrates after defeating Andrew Howe in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Here's what Sports Illustrated said about Burroughs: "The reigning Olympic 74 kilogram freestyle wrestling champion (and three-time world champ) started wrestling at age five and, at 27, shows no sign of slowing down. Sure, when asked last month where he would go to celebrate making his second Olympic team, Burroughs replied, "To a 24-hour doughnut place." But don't let that fool you; he's a workout monster whose combination of strength, speed and endurance make him a favorite for Rio." In addition to Burroughs, there were a handful of male athletes on the "Fittest 50" list who participate in combat sports, including UFC interim light-heavyweight champ -- and former junior college wrestling champ -- Jon Jones (4th fittest male athlete); boxer Gennady Golovkan from Kazakhstan (No. 12); UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson (No. 17); and UFC's Conor McGregor (No. 39). In addition, WWE star Seth Rollins (Colby Lopez) placed No. 24 on the list. No. 1 on the men's "Fittest 50" list was track and field star and decathlete Ashton Eaton. While there were no women wrestlers on SI's "Fittest 50" list of female athletes, again, a number of honorees participate in combat sports, including UFC stars Holly Holm (ranked No. 9); Ronda Rousey (No. 19); Michelle Waterson (No. 26); and Miesha Tate (No. 30). Other women in combat sports on the list included boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields (No. 7); 2012 Olympic gold medalist in judo, Kayla Harrison (No. 31); and Kacy Catazaro, former college gymnast and participant in American Ninja Warrior (No. 46). WWE star Charlotte (Ashley Fliehr) placed 24th on the list. The top-rated female athlete was Jessica Ennis-Hill, track star and heptathlon participant. In explaining its "Fittest 50" lists, Sports Illustrated stated, "With the help of a panel of trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, performance experts, pro athlete coaches and more, SI's editors set out to answer the question: Who are the fittest athletes in all of sports? Athletes were assessed based on characteristics that define fitness and conditioning: strength, speed, endurance, agility, flexibility and skill in his or her respective sport." The website listed six consultants who had compiled the list. "Athletes were assessed on six criteria, including strength: the pushing power of a lineman or the force of an ultimate fighter; speed: the top end of a sprinter or the burst of a running back; endurance: a runner's bottomless reserve or a boxer's ability to keep going in a bout; and agility: the balance of a downhill skier or a euro step at full speed on the break," according to Sports Illustrated. Many in the wrestling community have expressed frustration with the lack of coverage that Sports Illustrated has provided to the sport, especially in recent years. In the more than 60-year history of the national sports magazine, only one amateur wrestler has appeared on its cover as an amateur wrestler: Dan Hodge, in the April 1, 1957 issue. (In 2002, when the magazine failed to put Cael Sanderson on its cover after completing his college mat career with a perfect 159-0 record and four titles, Sports Illustrated magazine threw upset wrestling fans a bone by including a photo of an "All Hail Cael!" cover mock-up in a later issue.)

Chris Honeycutt, past NCAA All-American wrestler at Edinboro University, has been added to the main card portion of Bellator 156, Bellator MMA announced Thursday. Honeycutt, who is moving up to 185-pound competition, will be facing Mikkel Parlo in what Bellator describes as a "middleweight feature event" at its Bellator 156 event, to be held at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California June 17. Honeycutt is coming off of an impressive unanimous decision victory over Matt Secor at Bellator 153 in April, his third win since joining Bellator MMA. The former Fighting Scot wrestler is now 7-1 overall in MMA. Parlo, his Bellator 156 opponent, will be having his first bout in the Bellator organization in nearly two years, coming off a two-fight winning streak and a stretch of four victories in his last five bouts. Parlo is now 13-2 overall. The Honeycutt-Parlo fight is one of three added to Bellator 156 this week. The other two bouts are preliminary bouts: Ben Reiter (16-1) vs. A.J. Matthews (8-4) at middleweight, and Ricky Rainey (11-4) taking on Thiago Jambo (18-4) at welterweight. These new fights will be on a card featuring a Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title match between champ Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) and Eduardo Dantas (17-4), along with welterweights Chidi Njokuani (14-4) and Douglas Lima (26-6) in a co-main event, and Brandon Halsey (9-1) vs. John Salter (11-3) at middleweight. Honeycutt-Parlo and other main card bouts at "Bellator 156: Galvao vs. Dantas 2" will be featured on Spike TV at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator mobile app starting at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. Prior to launching his MMA career, Honeycutt had an impressive collegiate wrestling career at Pennsylvania's Edinboro University, where he was a two-time EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) champ in 2009 and 2011, and earned back-to-back NCAA Division I All-American honors, placing fifth at 184 pounds in 2011, and runner-up at 197 in 2012. The night before his match for the 197-pound title at the 2012 NCAAs, Honeycutt announced his intention of competing in MMA. The Cleveland area native launched his professional career in January 2013.

The art of wrestling takes center stage as three artists present their works as part of their exhibit, The Wrestler's Esthetic, featuring photography and paintings from the wrestling world, during the World Cup of Wrestling Week in Los Angeles in June. The exhibit, featuring images from artists Justin Hoch, Jonny Ruggiano and Joey Krebs, will debut on Wednesday, June 8 from 6-9 p.m. at Angel City Brewery & Public House, 216 South Alameda Street, in the art district of Los Angeles. The Wrestler's Esthetic exhibit, open to the public, coincides with the United World Wrestling's men's freestyle World Cup competition to be held at The Forum in Los Angeles June 11-12. Justin Hoch has photographed some of the most famous members of the amateur wrestling world, including John Smith, Dan Gable and Jordan Burroughs, to name just three Olympic gold-medalists. Hoch's collection of portraits for The Wrestler's Esthetic is tilted The Fire Inside. The New York-based photographer has worked with Beat the Streets New York and shot many of the most important wrestling events including the 2015 World Championships, the 2016 Olympic Trials and the BTSNY Gala. Jonny Ruggiano, who is also the Director of Operations for this year's World Cup of Wrestling as well as the Director of Media and Design for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club will feature the collection, Wrestling Never Sleeps. This show is a collection of works of photography, paintings and design. Through this collection, Ruggiano has captured some behind-the-scenes images of Team USA at the 2015 World Championships. The artist also gives an in-depth look into the development of the creative design of this year's World Cup of Wrestling campaign. Additionally Ruggiano will exhibit several of his larger abstract paintings in this collection. Artist Joey Krebs, also known as the Phantom Street Artist, will feature his works through his collection titled The Contestation of Forms. The Phantom's work features paintings that are silhouette-based impressions. Krebs' work is both often performance-based as well as featured artworks at galleries and shows. The Phantom is best known for his street art, including work for such artists as Rage Against the Machine as well as work for Takedown Radio. For details on the exhibition, click here. To learn more about another event leading up to the 2016 World Cup -- the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala to honor wrestlers in Los Angeles Thursday, June 9 -- click here.

STANFORD, Calif. -- Former Illinois standout Steven Rodrigues will join the Stanford wrestling staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2016-17 season, head coach Jason Borrelli announced today. Steven Rodrigues wrestles Nebraska's Austin Wilson at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)"We are thrilled that Steven will be joining our program as the volunteer assistant," said Borrelli, who begins his ninth season at the helm of the program this fall. "As we searched the country for the right person to fill that role, it was critical that we found someone that shares our Cardinal Caliber values. Steven is that guy! "He is an example of what you can accomplish through hard work, sacrifice, passion, positive attitude, and integrity. He is the perfect addition to the Stanford wrestling family and will definitely have a positive impact on the entire program." Rodrigues will assist the staff in all areas of the program, focusing on the middle weights. Illinois' starter at 165 pounds in 2015-16, Rodrigues secured All-America honors by placing fifth at the NCAA Championships in New York City. He took third at the Big Ten Championships as a senior, boasting a 30-5 record. He also won the Reno Tournament of Champions, while leading the Fighting Illini in major decision on the year (11). Rodrigues, who is a native of Mount Kisco, New York, was a sports management major at Illinois. He is a three-time Big Ten All-Academic selection.

The Olympics are 70 days away and with no more qualifying events the only thing left to consider is who each country is going to send as their representative. With such a massive event on the horizon you would think spots had been earned and teams named, but in two prominent freestyle stories those answers are amiss. The most compelling drama belongs to two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar's court action against the Indian Wrestling Federation. Though he's been absent from competition for much of the last four years, he's requesting a special wrestle-off against Narsingh Yadav, the 2015 World bronze medalist for India at 74 kilos. While Kumar is unquestionably the best wrestler in Indian history, his absence from the sport and bumping up of weights can't be ignored. For their part the IWF has been stalwart in their repelling of Kumar's attempts at securing the wrestle-off, saying that since Yadav qualified the spot he should go to the Olympics. A fair assessment, since allowing Kumar an opportunity to wrestle off would open a Pandora's box of challengers across all weight categories. Yadav will likely retain the spot, but the entire drama has been fun to watch and is worth the read. The other drama is going on now with the Russian National tournament in Yakutsk. Earlier today the match Dagestan's Muskaev started a fistfight and prompted the entire Dagetani contingency to boycott wrestling after a bad call gave Yakutia's hometown hero Viktor Lebedev a controversial win. Be sure to watch and see how the rest of the tournament unfolds! To your questions … Q: Why are our top guys competing in Beat the Streets and the World Cup? What if they get hurt? Seem a bit much to have folks going full out live within 60 days of the Olympics, no? -- Bryan R. Foley: The Beat the Streets event was up in weight and against opponents who either offered a great learning opportunity (Kim Hyeon-woo of Korea) or who offered little real threat of winning (see: entire freestyle opposition). As for the World Cup I think it's a perfect time to tune the engines. There will be a nice weight cut, some good match experience (again, against lower accredited opponents) and a warm-up to the atmosphere expectant in Rio. The rest of the world is actually choosing to wrestle 60 days out as well. I'm currently in Tokyo for a documentary on Yoshida and Icho and learned that Icho is headed to Poland for a tournament in two weeks. Along the same lines Frank Staebler is also headed to Poland to compete, as is most of the Mongolian women's national team. Overall, I think 60 days is a nice time to get in one last tune-up tournament, or at least a few matches. Morgan McIntosh battles J'den Cox in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: About 14 months ago Morgan McIntosh beat both Kyle Snyder (4-1) and J'den Cox (3-1). Granted, these were folkstyle matches. But do you think McIntosh has a chance to make a World team in the next Olympic cycle? -- Ronald M. Foley: After Frank Molinaro made the U.S. Olympic Team, it's safe to say that everyone has a chance. McIntosh's best chance would be if Snyder moved into heavyweight at some point and allowed for some room in the lineup. Otherwise, he may need to move up on his own and see how he fairs. Important to note as well that freestyle and folkstyle are dramatically different. Would need to see more of Morgan before I could endorse him with an upset victory over two very promising young Olympians, with one of them being the defending World champion. Q: What are your thoughts on the Minnesota state of affairs? J Robinson handled a Xanax case in house? -- Todd S. Foley: This is a shorter mailbag so let me leave you with my initial reaction. J Robinson did what he thought was best by his team and the individuals involved. There was nothing nefarious about his actions and it was never (in my opinion) his job to turn the athletes into the police. So far no cover up seems afoot, so it's really just a concerned father figure looking to help his athletes make better decisions. And for anyone who thinks that pills aren't on every campus and being sold by damn near everyone with a prescription, you're fooling yourself. Abuse of prescribed medications like Xanax and Oxycontin is an epidemic and like all good American scandals someone is getting rich off it … and it's not the Minnesota wrestling team. For J I imagine that the real rub is that the drugs were being sold by his team and to his team. While there were pills being sold outside of his program, he knew that correcting their behavior would benefit everyone. Whether pills or marijuana or other recreational drugs the impulse to punish those involved is too high (pun not intended). Should they be forced into jail, or clog the justice system because they helped others consume a drug to help them relax? This argument isn't for the wrestlers, but a broader issue we face in determining what the right course of action is for this behavior. On the scale of just punishments J Rob's was much more in line with a sensible solution than that of a random judge adjudicating the process. And again, I feel this way about most recreational non-habit-forming drug users and sellers. Q: Will J Robinson survive this drug scandal at Minnesota? Or is too early to know? -- Mike C. Foley: Dealing strictly with J Rob's job security -- not the above mentioned analysis of right/wrong -- I'll guess that he resigns rather than is made to suffer some ongoing investigation. These things have legs because they find clicks and reaffirm the belief that college athletics is dirty business. Basically he'll go because there will be pressure by the media, for the sake of the media. In my opinion, J's career is far too distinguished for him to be bogged down in this type of mess. My hope is that he stays this year and resigns at the end of next season, handing off to someone like Damion Hahn whose name recognition and coaching pedigree are fantastic and appropriate. Overall, probably too early to know, but in my experience these stories -- especially on college campuses -- don't just disappear. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Panda-monium Water Bottle Flip is the best Internet video … Ever? Q: With Mike Mendoza leaving CSU Bakersfield for Boise State, any thoughts on who might take over at CSU Baskersfield? -- Mike C. Foley: I haven't the faintest. There are a lot of challenges to that job. Bring back Joe Seay? Q: I know this is very subjective, but if Spencer Lee keeps winning like he has been, do you put him as the greatest high school wrestler of all time? What he has done the last few years on the high school, national, and international stages is mind blowing. -- Joe F. Foley: Yes, but I think he needs to make a senior team or log some type of senior level victory to be on the same level as Cary Kolat. That and he needs to win out the rest of his matches until graduation on both stages and do so in dominant fashion. I think that the amount of attention he receives (InterMat, Flo, etc.) will help further the argument that he's as good, or maybe better, than Kolat. Q: Who wins American Wrestling Idol between Olympians Kerry McCoy (2000, 2004) playing the cello (pre-YouTube, apparently) and J'den Cox (2016) playing the guitar and singing? -- Irv O. Foley: J'den is undefeated on the mat. Imagine that will remain when he steps on stage since in addition to playing an instrument the guy also can belt a note.

Four Americans -- Dave Schultz, Rick Tucci, Bill Farrell, and Joe Scalzo -- are among the 15 former wrestlers, coaches, officials and community members to be welcomed into the Class of 2016 of the Hall of Fame for United World Wrestling, the international governing body for the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. Dave SchultzThe class will be presented on August 12 at the start of wrestling competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dave Schultz is among the honorees in the men's freestyle wrestling category. Among Schultz's accomplishments: Olympic Champion 1984; World Champion 1983; World Silver medalist 1985, 1987, and 1993; World Bronze medalist 1982 and 1986. Schultz was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997, one year after being murdered by John du Pont at the multi-millionaire's Foxcatcher Farm training facility outside Philadelphia. Rick Tucci is an honoree in the Officials category. Among Tucci's achievements: Officiated eight Olympic Games; International Instructor from 1990-2012; officiated 75 World Championships at the Senior, Junior, and Cadet levels; presented with FILA Golden Whistle in 1988; awarded two FILA Gold Stars; President of USA Wrestling Officials Association since 1986. Tucci was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2001 and received the Meritorious Official award in 1994. William "Bill" Farrell is being inducted posthumously into the Coaching category. Among Farrell's accomplishments: New York Athletic Club President and Coach; Coach of 1972 USA Freestyle Olympic Team and medalists Dan Gable, Wayne Wells, and Ben Peterson; coached 13-time World and Olympic medalist Bruce Baumgartner. Farrell was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1987. He passed away in June 2012. Being welcomed posthumously into the Leadership category is Joe Scalzo. Among his career achievements: Vice President. Founder and Organizer of FILA World Cup in 1973 and hosted the first 13 World Cups in the USA; organizer of 1962 and 1966 World Championships. Scalzo died in June 1986; he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1987. The Hall of Fame class will include one Order of Merit recipient, two Leadership recipients, one Officials recipient, two Coaching recipients, two Female freestyle recipients, three Men's freestyle recipients, and four Greco-Roman recipients. Wrestlers from 11 countries are represented in the class with a total of seven individual Olympic gold medals and 17 individual World Championship titles included in their combined accomplishments. "I want to thank our Hall of Fame Commission and wrestling vice president Stan Dziedzic for their work in selecting the honorees for the Hall of Fame Class of 2016," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "This is the 13th anniversary of the Hall of Fame and this class pays special tribute to individuals in our sport with legacies of excellence which are worthy of recognition and preservation." "This year's ceremony is special for me," said Dziedzic, who was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1996. "Bill Farrell was my coach at the NYAC and I was the USA National Coach when Dave Schultz won his 1983 World title and 1984 Olympic Gold Medal." For a complete list of honorees, click here.

Daniel Cormier, a two-time Olympian in men's freestyle wrestling and current UFC light heavyweight champion, will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the 2016 World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, set for The Forum in Los Angeles, June 11-12. Cormier will be supporting the promotional efforts for the World Cup and encouraging the public to come out to see the action, which will feature the top eight men's freestyle nations in action. The U.S. World Cup team will include all six of the 2016 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestlers. Many of the other nations will also include their 2016 Olympic athletes on their rosters. "It is a great opportunity. You get to see guys in the final stages of their preparation. During off-Olympic years, you may get to see guys who are not peaked. This is in the phase of when they are peaking for the Olympic Games, two months before the competition. The foreign wrestlers will also be in peak condition. Not only will you get to see our guys at their best, but you get to see them competing against some of the best wrestlers in the world at their peak. It is very rare that we get that kind of opportunity here in the United States," said Cormier. This is the third straight year which the World Cup has been held in Los Angeles and hosted at The Forum. Cormier joins two other former wrestlers and major public figures who have served as Honorary Chairman of the World Cup. In 2014, award-winning actor Billy Baldwin was the Honorary Chairman. In 2015, Stephen Neal, a World champion wrestler and three-time Super Bowl champion with the NFL New England Patriots, served as the Honorary Chairman. Cormier had a successful career in international freestyle wrestling. He was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Athens, Greece, as well as the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Beijing, China. Cormier placed fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games. He was a 2007 World bronze medalist and placed fifth in the 2003 World Championships. He wrestled on six straight U.S. World or Olympic Teams, and won six straight U.S. Open national titles. Cormier, who follows international wrestling closely in spite of his busy schedule as a UFC athlete and a television commentator, is excited about the U.S. team which will compete at the World Cup and at the Olympic Games. "We have an amazing team this year. A chance to see them live is something you can't get back after it's gone. We have one of the better Olympic teams that we have had in a long time," said Cormier. A native of Lafayette, La., Cormier was a two-time NJCAA Junior College national champion for Colby CC in Kansas. He went on to Oklahoma State, where he placed second in the 2001 NCAA Div. I Championships, competing for two-time Olympic champion John Smith. The 37-year-old Cormier trains at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose alongside fellow UFC standouts such as Cain Velasquez and Luke Rockhold. Since moving to California, he has been impressed by the quality of the wrestling and the culture of the sport in the state. "Wrestling in California is huge. The state championships draws massive numbers. I have a youth wrestling club, and every weekend, we wrestle in massive tournaments. The kids get to wrestle five, six times a weekend. In the LA area, this is a big deal, for people to be able to see wrestling at such a high level. The last time I was at the World Cup at the Forum, it was amazing. You can feel the history of the building. The team went out and had a fantastic performance. It will be a big crowd. People should not miss this opportunity to see the best in the world," said Cormier. Cormier won a silver medal at the 2005 World Cup which was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. "It is the history of the event that make it special. It dates back as far as I can remember. Some of the greatest American wrestlers have won the World Cup. It is a very prestigious event. The World Cup is different than other international events. It brings you back to your days in high school wrestling and college wrestling when you wrestle in dual meets. Your result directly affects the team and its ability to win. I only wrestled in one World Cup, with six years on the World Team and eight years on the national team. It was a great experience," said Cormier. He is excited that wrestling, his favorite sport, will be showcased once again in Los Angeles, the U.S. bid city for the 2024 Olympic Games. Having been on two Olympic teams (2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing), Cormier would to see the Olympics hosted in the United States once again. "LA right now is a great sports city. The World Cup will show that Olympic sports can draw people. We have not had an Olympics in LA since 1984. If the Olympics go back to LA, it will be great. LA is a huge city, a sports city. The people in LA would love it. This is a chance to show that the city can host an Olympic-level competition and be successful. Los Angeles is so diverse. You have everybody in Los Angeles. You have a ton of different cultures in the LA area," said Cormier. Cormier has excelled in his Mixed Martial Arts career, compiling an impressive 17-1 record while competing at heavyweight and light heavyweight. Cormier will not be able to attend the World Cup this year due to training. Cormier is currently preparing for the UFC light heavyweight title fight against Jon "Bones" Jones at UFC 200, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nev. on July 9. This is a huge fight, as both of these former wrestlers have held the UFC title belt during their careers. Jones beat Cormier in their only previous battle by decision, a title match during UFC 182 on January 3, 2015. "Preparation is going great. I have had Ed Ruth in training camp to wrestle, Deron Winn in training camp to wrestle. I've got a kid from Iowa State coming in to wrestle also. I am wrestling with the best guys I can find to emulate Jon Jones. (Khadjimurad) Gatsalov of Russia was the best wrestler I ever wrestled, but he didn't have the type of style and the funky ability of Jones. Ed Ruth is a wiry, tricky wrestler. I am bringing in guys who can give me that feel. I was outwrestled the last fight. He pushed me against the fence and took me down two or three times. That is not happening again," said Cormier. Cormier has helped with the World Cup in Los Angeles in the past, serving as the Honorary U.S. Team Captain in 2014, sitting with the team mat side and providing support to the athletes and coaches. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, as the eight best men's freestyle teams will compete against each other. At the 2016 World Cup, the United States will be joined by (alphabetically): Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Iran, Mongolia, Russia and Turkey. Lineups for the other seven teams in the World Cup will be announced shortly. The United States is slated to face Iran, Azerbaijan and India in Group B competition. Russia headlines a tough Group A pool that also includes Georgia, Turkey and Mongolia. Attendees can purchase tickets for the popular international competition through Ticketmaster. FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE Saturday, June 11 Session I - Round 1 & 2 of Pools (3 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) Sunday, June 12 Session II - Round 3 of Pools, 5th & 7th Place Matches (11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) Session III - 3rd Place Match, followed by 1st Place Match (5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) General admission for both the Saturday and Sunday sessions are just $60 total or $35 for individual days. Preferred seating options are available for $85 for both Saturday and Sunday, or $55 individually.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City University has chosen Matt Stevens as head women's wrestling coach. Stevens had spent the past two seasons as assistant coach on OCU's coaching staff. During that time, OCU produced six national champions, 26 all-Americans and a 59-17 dual record. In 2015-16, OCU finished runner-up in the Women's College Wrestling Association Championships with three national champions and nine all-Americans. The Stars went 16-5 with a runner-up showing in the NWCA National Duals. OCU owns WCWA championships won in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Stars had three all-Americans to finish 13th in the NAIA Championships last season. OCU won the NAIA Central Qualifying Group Tournament title while going 16-4 in duals. "Women's wrestling is an important program on our campus, and I'm happy to have Matt as our head coach," OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. "Matt is committed to building the program academically, socially, and competitively. I have every reason to believe that he will continue the program's tradition of success under Matt's direction." Stevens' other coaching experience has been at Tulsa Union High School, Westmoore High School in Oklahoma City and Moore West Junior High. In 2013-14 with Stevens' aid, Union had three state placers, including Chance Wenglewski, the runner-up at 195 pounds, in the Class 6A state tournament. Union finished sixth place in the team standings and reached the semifinals of the dual state tournament. At Westmoore, Stevens helped produce a state champion and multiple state placers. Stevens guided 10 state champions and a team state champ at Moore West. On Team Oklahoma, Stevens has been serving as team director, leading the team to the freestyle national championship in the Junior National Duals in June at Abe Lemons Arena. Stevens represents Oklahoma in the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Stevens earned his bachelor of arts degree in communications from Fort Hays State (Kan.). Stevens wrestled on the collegiate level for three years at Fort Hays. As a high school wrestler, he posted a 107-13 record, became a state champion and all-stater while placing multiple times in the state tournament at Junction City, Kan. Stars pick Campbell as men's wrestling coach Oklahoma City University has named C.J. Campbell as head men's wrestling coach. Campbell had spent the past two seasons as assistant coach on OCU's coaching staff. During that time, OCU produced six national champions, 26 all-Americans and a 59-17 dual record. In 2015-16, the Stars had three all-Americans to finish 13th in the NAIA Championships. OCU won the NAIA Central Qualifying Group Tournament title while going 16-4 in duals. OCU finished runner-up in the Women's College Wrestling Association Championships with three national champions and nine all-Americans. The Stars went 16-5 with a runner-up showing in the NWCA National Duals. OCU owns WCWA championships won in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. "We are excited to have C.J. leading our men's wrestling program," OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. "C.J. brings a wealth of experience, including collegiate head-coaching experience, and has proven his capabilities in the time that he has been on campus." Campbell said, "I am honored for the opportunity to lead the men's wrestling program at Oklahoma City University. We have a talented group of wrestlers returning next season, along with a great recruiting class. Our goal is to win a national championship, and I believe that is on the horizon. More importantly, we are looking to shape and mold young men into champions in life by upholding a culture of strong moral values and a commitment to excellence in every aspect of life." Prior to coming to OCU, Campbell spent three seasons as Jamestown (N.D.) head coach and one as assistant for the Jimmies. Campbell mentored two NAIA all-Americans, two qualifying group champions and 16 national qualifiers with the Jimmies. The Jimmies also achieved in the classroom with three NAIA scholar-athlete award winners and a CoSIDA academic all-American during Campbell's tenure. Campbell's previous head-coaching experience came at Shelley High School in Shelley, Idaho, where he produced six state qualifiers and three state placers. Campbell has experience guiding Olympic athletes, helping the Chinese train for the 2008 Olympics as strength and conditioning coach for the Guong Dong Institute of Sports in 2007. As a wrestler, Campbell became a two-time NAIA all-American, national finalist, and regional champion for Lindenwood University (Mo.). He was a two-time NJCAA all-American at Southwestern Oregon Community College. As a prep wrestler, Campbell was a state champion, two-time state finalist, four-time state placer and a two-time district champion.

Four University of Minnesota wrestlers are being investigated for selling the prescription drug Xanax and ten others are suspected of using the anti-anxiety drug, while head coach J Robinson is being investigated for how he may have tried to handle the situation internally, according to a news report from KMSP-TV Fox 9, the Fox affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Tuesday. The KMSP-TV Fox 9 Investigators story also alleged that an informant told University of Minnesota Police the wrestlers were selling what they called "Zanny" for $5 a pill to individuals who used the drug with caffeinated sports energy drinks to get high. In addition, Fox 9 reported that campus police are investigating a series of post-season team meetings in March, where long-time head wrestling coach J Robinson allegedly ordered mandatory urine testing, telling his wrestlers if they wrote a one-page personal essay about what they had done, they'd be "granted amnesty." Minnesota coach J Robinson coaching at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)In April, Robinson allegedly sent a text to his wrestlers, saying, in part, "remember that paper is due on my desk by tomorrow evening. #1 What emotions you're feeling by getting caught? #2 What did you learn from this? #3 What are you going to do different, your plan, so it doesn't happen again." KMSP-TV stated that university police interviewed Robinson at his office on campus in April. The coach reportedly told them he was aware of narcotics use on the team, and he had fully taken care of the issues. He would not provide the essays or the names of those involved to police, unless they were granted immunity. When KMSP-TV contacted Robinson by phone last week, he didn't deny an investigation, but said "it's all data practices," referring to Minnesota's open public records law. KSTP-TV, the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities, reported Wednesday that the alleged drug-related incidents took place between January and March, 2016. Late Wednesday night, the Star-Tribune reported that an unidentified Minnesota wrestler told the paper that Robinson collected about 1,400 Xanax pills that members of his team were ready to sell, yet did not report the drug issue to police. The wrestler, who spoke to the Star-Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said he talked to police about Robinson's handling of the team's Xanax issue. "It was $5 a pill for anyone on the team and $8 for anyone else," said the source, who estimates that 10 to 12 members of the team were abusing Xanax. He said wrestlers also sold pills to athletes from other Gophers sports. While efforts to reach Robinson have been unsuccessful, the school's press department has issued statements. "The University takes allegations of this nature seriously, and upon receiving information the University provided it to UMPD (University of Minnesota Police Department)," spokesperson Evan Lapiska wrote in a statement to the Star-Tribune. "In consultation with UMPD, the University is allowing for the legal investigation to conclude before conducting its own internal investigation. As it remains part of an active investigation, we do not have anything additional to share at this time." Lapiska said that Robinson remains an active employee of the university. The spokesman added that incoming athletic director Mark Coyle is aware of the investigation and is monitoring it. Lapiska also made clear that any information on student discipline would remain private, in compliance with FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law which prohibits colleges and universities from releasing personally identifiable information derived from education records, including information regarding student disciplinary matters, even in cases of nationally-recognized student-athletes. Xanax is a brand name for alprazolam, a prescription drug which is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and anxiety caused by depression, according to Drugs.com. First introduced in 1969 by Upjohn (now Pfizer), Xanax is the 12th most widely prescribed medication in the U.S. Xanax is not considered to be a performance enhancer. Nor is it a banned substance according to the NCAA. Therefore, any alleged use of Xanax on the part of student-athletes may not violate NCAA rules. Wrestling has been on the roster at University of Minnesota since 1919. During that time, the Golden Gophers have won three NCAA team titles: 2001, 2002 and 2007. 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 an overall record of 440-145-4, for a .747 winning percentage, the highest of any wrestling coach at the school.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- USA Wrestling has announced its lineup for the 2016 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., June 11-12. The team will be led by the six members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team in freestyle wrestling, including 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs. and 2012 Olympian Tervel Dlagnev at 125 kg/275 lbs. Burroughs is also a three-time World champion (2011, 2013, 2015) and a 2014 World bronze medalist. He has an amazing 124-2 career international record, which includes gold medals at the Pan American Games, the World Cup and many other major international events. He was a two-time NCAA champion for the Univ. of Nebraska, and won the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top college wrestler. Dlagnev was a 2009 and 2014 World bronze medalist, and placed fifth at the 2012 Olympic Games. He was also fifth at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships. He won two NCAA Div. II national titles for Nebraska-Kearney. Burroughs and Dlagnev will be joined by first-time Olympians Daniel Dennis at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., Frank Molinaro at 65 kg/145.5 lbs., J'den Cox at 86 kg/189 lbs. and Kyle Snyder at 97 kg/213 lbs. Snyder became the youngest U.S. Senior World champion when he won the 2015 World title in Las Vegas at the age of 19. These four Olympians all have strong college backgrounds. Cox and Snyder are still college student-athletes, with Cox a two-time NCAA champion for Missouri and Snyder an NCAA champion for Ohio State. Molinaro was an NCAA champion for Penn State, while Dennis was an NCAA runner-up for Iowa. Each team will have athletes in the six Olympic weight classes and two non-Olympic weight classes, and can have as many as two wrestlers per weight class. The United States is expected to bring 12 athletes to World Cup, with two in every weight. There will be a seventh Olympian on the roster, 2012 Olympic champion and 2011 World bronze medalist Jake Varner at 97 kg/213 lbs. Varner is one of two California natives on the U.S. team. He was a a two-time state champion for Bakersfield High School, before going to Iowa State, where he won two NCAA titles. The other Californian is Nahshon Garrett at 61 kg/134 lbs., who was a two-time state champion for Chico High School, before going to Cornell, where he was a 2016 NCAA champion. It was previously announced that LA-area native Aaron Pico would compete at 70 kg/154 lbs. but he had to withdraw for medical reasons. That spot on the U.S. team is currently not filled. The team will feature two other members of the 2015 U.S. World Team, World bronze medalist James Green at 70 kg/154 lbs., as well as Zach Rey at 125 kg/275 lbs. Rey was an NCAA champion for Lehigh, and Green a four-time All-American for Nebraska. Other past NCAA champions on the U.S. roster include three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer from Oklahoma State at 74 kg/163 lbs., two-time NCAA champion David Taylor from Penn State at 86 kg/189 lbs., plus NCAA champions Tony Ramos from Iowa at 61 kg/134 lbs. and Zain Retherford from Penn State. Ramos was also a member of the 2014 and 2015 U.S. World Teams. Dieringer and Taylor have won Hodge Trophies as the nation's top college wrestlers. Also on the USA lineup is Missouri All-American Alan Waters at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. Combined, the 2016 U.S. Freestyle World Cup Team has won two Olympic gold medals, four World titles, 10 World medals, 19 NCAA titles and three Dan Hodge Trophies. The U.S. team will train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. prior to coming to Los Angeles for the competition. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, as the eight best men's freestyle teams will compete against each other. At the 2016 World Cup, the United States will be joined by (alphabetically): Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Iran, Mongolia, Russia and Turkey. Lineups for the other seven teams in the World Cup will be announced shortly. The United States is slated to face Iran, Azerbaijan and India in Group B competition. Russia headlines a tough Group A pool that also includes Georgia, Turkey and Mongolia. This is the last chance for fans to see the U.S. Olympic Team, plus other Olympians and world-class athletes in action one more time before the Summer Olympics. Attendees can purchase tickets for the popular international competition through Ticketmaster. FREESTYLE WORLD CUP At The Forum, Inglewood, Calif., June 11-12 United States roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Daniel Dennis, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Alan Waters, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation) 61 kg/134 lbs. - Tony Ramos, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) 61 kg/134 lbs. - Nahshon Garrett, Chico, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Finger Lakes WC) 65 kg/145.5 lbs. - Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 65 kg/145.5 lbs. - Zain Retherford, Benton, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green, Lincoln, Neb. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska WTC) 70 kg 154 lbs. - TBA 74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC) 74 kg/163 lbs. - Alex Dieringer, Port Washington, Wis. (Cowboy WC) 86 kg/189 lbs. - J'Den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Foundation) 86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 97 kg/213 lbs. - Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 97 kg/213 lbs. - Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 125 kg/275 lbs. - Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC) 125 kg/275 lbs. - Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley WC) Team Leader - Andy Barth, San Marino, Calif. National Freestyle Coach - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo. Assistant National Freestyle Coach - Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. Assistant National Freestyle Coach - Brandon Slay, Colorado Springs, Colo. FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE Saturday, June 11: Session I - Round 1 & 2 of Pools (3 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) Sunday, June 12: Session II - Round 3 of Pools, 5th & 7th Place Matches (11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) Session III - 3rd Place Match, followed by 1st Place Match (5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) General admission for both the Saturday and Sunday sessions are just $60 total or $35 for individual days. Preferred seating options are available for $85 for both Saturday and Sunday, or $55 individually.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- New Cal Poly wrestling head coach Jon Sioredas has completed his coaching staff by announcing the additions of Todd Schavrien and Mike Hatcher. Schavrien was an NCAA All-American wrestler at Missouri while Hatcher was a part of four national championship teams at Iowa. “We are thrilled to announce that Schavrien and Hatcher are officially on board to help lead the future of Mustang Wrestling,” said Sioredas, hired April 5 after spending the last two seasons as head coach at Grand Canyon. “Coach Schavrien will be our head assistant and will oversee both recruiting and operations while Coach Hatcher will be our director of development, taking on the primary role in the wrestling room,” Sioredas added. “Both have strong wrestling backgrounds, but more importantly they understand the mission here at Cal Poly and what it takes to be successful both on and off the mat,” Sioredas said. “I have known both of these guys for a long time and I am more than excited to get them on campus to help continue the strong wrestling tradition here at Cal Poly.” Hatcher has already assumed his new duties at Cal Poly while Schavrien begins June 1. Schavrien has served coaching stints at Appalachian State, Missouri, and Drexel. He was the head assistant at Appalachian State last season and helped guide the Mountaineers into the Top 25, being ranked as high as No. 18 in the country. The Mountaineers also topped Indiana in the NWCA National Duals Championship Series last season. Schavrien also spent three years on the coaching staff at Missouri, where he was the Director of Operations for two years and promoted to the Volunteer Assistant Coach for the No. 1-ranked Tigers in 2015. He also coached at Drexel University after a successful wrestling career at Missouri. Schavrien has coached two NCAA National Champions, 12 All-Americans and three of his teams finished in the Top 15 at the NCAA Championship. He was also instrumental in recruiting three top-10 recruiting classes. A three-time NCAA qualifier himself, Schavrien capped his wrestling career with the Tigers by winning the Big 12 Championship and placing sixth in the country, earning All-America honors at 141 pounds, in 2011. Schavrien finished his career with an 86-44 record in three years with Mizzou after spending his first two seasons at Arizona State. He served as Mizzou's team captain during the 2010-11 campaign and won the team's Hap Whitney Coach's Award at the end of that season. The award is given to the wrestler who displays dedication, commitment, sacrifice and selflessness to the team on a consistent basis. Schavrien, a product of powerhouse Poway High School in San Diego County, was a 2006 California high school state champion and a two-time prep All-American. He also captured an FILA Junior National Championship at 60kg in 2007. Schavrien earned his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Missouri in 2011 and a master's degree in business administration from William Woods University in 2016. “Coach Schavrien has been an integral part of one of the best-run programs in the country at the University of Missouri as both a student-athlete and a coach,” said Sioredas. “He also brings coaching experience at the mid-major level, having spent time at App State and Drexel.” Hatcher comes to Cal Poly after coaching roles at Grand Canyon and Tennessee at Chattanooga. Hatcher also has extensive experience training senior-level athletes, having coached multiple World Team members and multiple athletes on the World/Olympic ladder. Hatcher wrestled for the legendary Dan Gable at Iowa from 1993-96 and also succeeded in the classroom at Iowa, making the dean's list in his senior campaign. Hatcher was on staff at Chattanooga for four years, capturing three Southern Conference team championships and producing 14 individual conference champions and 17 NCAA qualifiers. UTC was also in the top 15 twice in team GPA during Hatcher's tenure. While on the Chattanooga staff, Hatcher was also the director of the Chattanooga Wrestling Club. The CWC produced 30 state champions, 60 state place winners and 10 All-Americans in that time. Hatcher has also spent five years as the Director of Olympic Regional Training Centers in both Tennessee and Arizona. In his time as director, he has coached multiple University All-Americans and FILA Junior All-Americans at the collegiate level. His high school-level Regional Training Center members have placed in Fargo, FILA Cadets and numerous other national level events. Hatcher was a high school physical education/health teacher for 10 years. He spent four years at Durant High School (Iowa), four years at Martin County High School (Fla.) and one year each at Krop High School (Fla.) and Coral Glades High School (Fla.). Hatcher earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Iowa. He is also an active member of USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport, having held positions on both the board of directors and as the state chairman. “Having been on four national championship teams at Iowa while wrestling for legendary coach Dan Gable, the experience Hatcher brings to the table goes without saying,” said Sioredas. “He has also coached at the highest level of our sport, having trained several senior level guys that have made world teams and been on the Olympic ladder.”

The NHSCA National Duals take place this weekend in Virginia Beach. In this event's 17th edition, there are now divisions for high school, junior high, and elementary school-aged competitors. The high school division features over 160 teams, with many of the nation's elite talent present. The Young Guns Black entry is the defending champions in the high school division. The squad is anchored by five state champions, four from Pennsylvania and Iowa's Bryce West (Highland Riverside). Champions from Pennsylvania include Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford), Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney), Jacob Robb (Armstrong), and Jake Besitel (Southmoreland). Also on the squad are nationally notable wrestlers Drew West (Highland Riverside, Iowa), Cole Manley (Altoona, Pa.), Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.), and Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.). Iowa State signee Kanen Storr is expected to be a key contributor for Team Kong United at this weekend's NHSCA National Duals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)However, this year's favorite is Team Kong United, which is a mixed entry of stars from across the United States and wrestlers from New York. This group was runners-up last year, and is in prime position to ascend a step higher on the podium this year. Anchoring the squad is the possibility of nine starting weight classes with wrestlers that ended the season nationally ranked by InterMat: Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.), Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, N.Y.), Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) or Alex Felix (Gilroy, Calif.), Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.), Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio), Tucker Leavitt (Highland, Idaho), Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.), and Gannon Gremmel (Dubuque Hempstead, Iowa). Additional entries to watch include Team Nauman Goofy, Bad Karma Silver, Illinois Outsiders, Indiana High Rollers Black, Bison Legend Orange, and Shore Thing CFWA. Additional notable wrestlers in the field include the following top 100 graduating seniors: No. 13 Hayden Hidlay (Bison Legend Orange), No. 15 Luke Karam (Renegade Elite), No. 30 Dakota Geer (Team Nauman Goofy), No. 32 Drew Hughes (Indiana High Rollers Black), No. 33 Jake Wentzel (Team Nauman Goofy), No. 46 Tyshawn White (Diesel), No. 53 Brent Moore (Team Stomp Blue), No. 60 Sebastian Rivera (Elite Wrestling NJ Gold), No. 67 Austin Bell (Team Nauman Goofy), No. 68 Elijah Cleary (Shore Thing CFWA), No. 75 Tariq Wilson (Ohio Raptors), No. 80 John Jakobsen (Renegade Elite), No. 90 Dan Perry (Wrestling Addix Bad Boys), and No. 95 Ryan Deakin (Ragin Raisins Pink). Also present are the following otherwise not listed top 50 rising seniors: No. 10 Austin O'Connor (Illinois Outsiders), No. 12 Michael Labriola (Renegade Elite), No. 14 Austin Gomez (Illinois Outsiders), No. 17 Trent Hillger (Money Team), No. 21 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pit Bull), No. 25 Jelani Embree (Michigan Gold Pitbulls), No. 29 Eric Hong (Pit Bull), No. 39 Jared Campbell (Team Nauman Goofy), No. 42 Stephan Glasgow (Bad Karma Silver), No. 45 Travis Stefanik (Dark Knights), No. 48 Paul Konrath (Indiana High Rollers Black), and No. 50 Mekhi Lewis (Bad Karma Silver). Other rising seniors to watch include: Noah Adams (Team Indy), Zane Black (Iron Eagle), Jake Brindley (Shore Thing CFWA), K.J. Fenstermacher (Dark Knights), James Handwerk (Ohio Raptors), Allan Hart (Team Nauman Goofy), Gunnar Larson (Indiana High Rollers Black), Max Lyon (Team Kong United), Drew Marten (Money Team), Georgio Poullas (Bad Karma Silver), Bryce Rogers (Shore Thing CFWA), Corey Shie (Ohio Raptors), Denton Spencer (Powerhouse Virginia), Kyron Taylor (South Florida Lightning), Zach Trampe (SEPA Blue), and Jake Woodley (Pit Bull). Top 50 Class of 2018 prospects -- otherwise not listed -- in the field include: No. 6 Michael Beard (Malvern WC), No. 9 Sammy Sasso (Dark Knights), No. 11 Mitch Moore (Team Stomp Blue), No. 21 Mason Parris (Indiana High Rollers Black), No. 31 Trent Hidlay (Bison Legend Orange), No. 32 Grant Aronoff (South Florida Lightning), No. 34 Gavin Hoffman (Bison Legend Orange), No. 35 Quinn Kinner (Seagull Wrestling Club), No. 37 Francis Duggan (Pit Bull), No. 38 Cody Matthews (Bad Karma Silver), No. 48 Joe Manchio (Elite Wrestling NJ Gold), and No. 49 Anthony Walters (Young Guns Black). Also in the field are the following additional top 25 Class of 2019 wrestlers: No. 4 Julian Chlebove (Dark Knights), No. 6 Jordan Decatur (Bad Karma Silver), No. 8 JoJo Aragona (SIR Wrestling), No. 12 Travis Ford-Melton (Illinois Outsiders), No. 13 Connor McGonagle (Team Nauman Goofy), No. 19 Sam Dover (Battlezone). Other notable rising sophomores include: Ryan Anderson (Renegade Elite), Zach DelVecchio (Shore Thing CFWA), and Edmund Ruth (Iron Eagle). Impact rising freshmen in the event include: No. 10 Andrew Cerniglia (PA Slam).

The next four to six weeks are going to be rather busy when it comes to high school-aged wrestling. There are many different types of events going on across all three styles (folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman). Some of the events are major, while others are less than major. All provide opportunity for scholastic-aged wrestlers to showcase their skills, as well as to grow and develop as wrestlers and young people. In addition to the NHSCA National Duals, which take place this weekend in Virginia Beach, other events over the Memorial Day holiday weekend include USA Wrestling's Southeast Regional in Atlanta to be held on Friday through Sunday. This is an all level event, kids through Juniors and will have tournaments in all three styles. Also to be conducted will the NUWAY America's Cup tournament on Saturday and Sunday in Post Falls, Idaho. The "big ticket" event for the first weekend of June is the UWW Cadet and University Nationals in Akron, Ohio. The Greco-Roman tournament at each level will be on Friday (6/3) with freestyle slated for Saturday (6/4) and Sunday (6/5). Fields in this tournament will be loaded, and there is qualification for a World Championship on the line in each event across levels and style. Also to be held is the Southern Plains Regional on Saturday and Sunday in Dodge City, Kansas. The second week of June is anchored by the Schoolboy National Duals to be held at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis. Greco-Roman competition is slated for Thursday (6/9) and Friday (6/10) with freestyle to be held on Saturday (6/11) and Sunday (6/12). Also on that weekend is the UWW Freestyle World Cup in Los Angeles, though that is clearly not a scholastic-aged event. The AAU Scholastic Duals (aka Disney Duals) take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is within the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. Competition in the District divisions (all-star and developmental) take place from Sunday (6/12) through Wednesday (6/15), while the Community divisions (D1 and D2) take place Tuesday (6/14) through Friday (6/17). The list of committed teams is rather strong, and should yet again yield excellent competition. Being held somewhat concurrent to the Disney Duals this year is the Cadet National Duals, which are in York (Pa.) during the third week of June. Greco-Roman competition is slated for Wednesday (6/15) and Thursday (6/16), with freestyle competition taking place on Friday (6/17) and Saturday (6/18). Father's Day is that next day, Sunday, June 19. Team Oklahoma celebrates after defeating Team Illinois to win the Junior National Duals freestyle title in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Photo/Austin Bernard)That following week will be the Junior National Duals in Tulsa, Okla. Greco-Roman is slated for Wednesday (6/22) and Thursday (6/23) with freestyle set for Friday (6/24) and Saturday (6/25). At the conclusion of this stretch of wrestling, InterMat will unveil the initial grade rankings to reflect the 2016-17 period. Top 100 rising seniors (Class of 2017), top 50 Class of 2018, the extension to a top 50 for the Class of 2019, the initial top 25 for the Class of 2020, and the top 15 Junior High wrestlers (Class of 2021+). Within the month of July, the ASICS Kids Freestyle and Greco-Roman Championships will be held July 6 through 8 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Greco-Roman will be on Thurday (7/7) with freestyle the following day, Friday 7/8. Rounding it out will be the annual Fargo event, the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships from July 16 through July 23.