InterMat Staff

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State two-time All-American wrestler Earl Hall has been granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA, the Iowa State Athletics Department announced today. Earl Hall gets ready for his quarterfinal match at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Hall has wrestled three years for the Cyclones, earning All-America status in 2014 and 2016. Hall competed at the Olympic Training Center in his first season out of high school in 2012-13. Hall enrolled at Iowa State in 2013-14 as a sophomore. The NCAA waived its initial decision and will allow Hall to compete in his fourth and final year as a Cyclone in 2016-17. "He's back," Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. "Having three returning All-Americans on your team is a good thing. We are thrilled for Earl and we expect him to capitalize on this opportunity." Hall is a three-time NCAA qualifier and was the Big 12 runner-up at 133 pounds in 2015. He finished eighth at 125 pounds and seventh at 133 pounds at the 2014 and 2016 NCAA Championships, respectively. With the return of Hall, the Cyclones will boast three All-Americans in the wrestling room. Senior Lelund Weatherspoon (174 pounds) and junior Patrick Downey (197 pounds) both earned All-America honors at the 2016 NCAA Championship.

Nerf the world. While I'd typically land on the side of administrators when it comes to protecting wrestlers on the mat, the latest rule clarification from the National Federation of State High School Associations is a little bit of an overreach. The rule states that an arm-trapped body lock from the rear position should be considered potentially dangerous and monitored closely by referees. The impetus for the ruling seems to be the assumption that a defensive wrestler may be injured without finding an arm to post out in defense. However, the rule already in existence which states that a wrestler must return a wrestler to the mat safely already exists. Why the extra clarification for this position? That's unclear, but with a multitude of referees around the country with varying level of expertise, the results will be predictable. My guess is that coaches on the losing side of the exchange will appeal each trapped-arm maneuver, including chest-to-chest throws. Referees, with only limited training, are going to overcall the holds, which could eventually work to see it eliminated by coaches unwilling to take the risk. The time spent on this clarification may have been better spent on a multitude of other areas. Banging of the head with the back of the hands has a much more detrimental effect on the athlete and the sport than a once-a-dual-meet type of situation. There are clarifications that may also be made to pulling on ankles from funk defense or where hands can be positioned in a front headlock. Certainly the NFHS meant the best in recommending this latest rule adjustment, but this one clearly misses the mark. To your questions … Q: Why was Frank Molinaro selected instead of Dave Habat for the Olympic spot, when both won bronze at the 2nd World Olympic Games Qualifier? Was it because Molinaro lost to the eventual champion (who won by default in the finals)? Assuming that this is the case, any chance UWW sees the potential problem here (i.e., Garcia doesn't want to potentially wrestle Habat again, so he defaults in the finals), and move to true third (or for that matter, true second) place finishes in future qualifying tournaments? -- Irvonian Foley: The adjustments were made well after the event and to your point, Boris Novachkov qualified in Mongolia two weeks earlier, not by his top placement in Turkey. While I see where the qualification system was weak to these types of doping citations, I don't know that there was any established protocol that would have elevated Habat to the OG qualification spot given the circumstances. True second and true third place finishers have been discussed for years, but they leave a lot to be desired for many reasons, not the least of which is concern for injury in what would 99.9 percent of the time be a meaningless match. Remember: MANY fans were wondering aloud online why ANYONE would wrestle in the repechage of a tournament. Well, now we see, but that isn't always the case. Frank Molinaro battles Aaron Pico in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Q: I am also a bit dismayed at the way the wrestling fan base has turned on Frank Molinaro. He simply did what every wrestler should aspire to do: wrestle his heart out and leave everything on that mat. That he may not be our best wrestler at 65 kilos has nothing to do with his abilities and everything to do with how our qualifying system is constructed. As a wrestling coach, I can certainly say that the way Mr. Molinaro continued to compete after he realized (thought) he wouldn't be going to Rio is a testament to his character and serves as a fantastic example for my kids after disappointing losses. He picked himself up and continued to compete. In the end, he deserves his opportunity because he did everything he could to achieve that opportunity. What could be a better example to a young competitor? -- Steve T. Foley: Frank's story isn't done. He should be the type of athlete that coaches point to as an example of never giving up on a dream. Not only did he continue competing after placing sixth at the U.S. Open in December, he kept competing at the tournament in Turkey and took third, which is what cemented his trip to Rio. Q: Any insight into why Carl Fronhofer resigned as Columbia's head wrestling coach? What's next for him? -- Mike C. Foley: Carl is the man. I ran into him this week at the Beat the Streets New York event and was told that he's leaving coaching to move closer to family in California and take an exciting new job. We see this happen in wrestling all the time, but in addition to long hours and stress related to the Division I job, he was battling the costs of raising a family in NYC. There are pre-schools in NYC that cost $30k and have a two-year waiting list, according to my sister-in-law. Life on the West Coast seems like the logical choice. Excited for him and hoping for a great hire in my alma mater at Columbia. Do you see any resemblance between Wade Wilson and Cael Sanderson? Is Deadpool Cael's doppelgänger? -- Dave D. Foley: I have not seen the movie, but doesn't the character of Wade Wilson have a terrible burn on his face? If so, then I disagree. If you mean Ryan Reynolds with his correct skin, then maaaybe. As a note, I don't watch movies at home or in the theaters. With the Olympic Games coming up I've been traveling every weekend (Tokyo tomorrow) and keep these unwatched movies as a way to pass the time in flight. I'm telling you it's really something when you start tearing up to Frozen crammed between two large Turkish men on your way to Istanbul. (My claim is the airplane was "dusty.") How good is Logan Storley as an MMA fighter? Do you see him being in the UFC or another organization? Will he be as successful as other wrestlers turned MMA fighters? -- Gregg Y. Foley: I like the idea of Logan Storley making it in MMA. There are a few fights online and though he's not very good at jiu-jitsu and still exhibits the grind-em-out style we've seen from too many wrestlers, he has one hell of a killer instinct. Remember that what makes these wrestlers effective is their ability to execute a new skill set and then use their wrestling as their best defense. For example, what makes Aaron Pico so interesting to fight fans is that he can box so effectively as a stand-alone skill. Also, when adding that to a VERY MMA-ready wrestling style there is no real attack that fighters can quickly find to make Pico vulnerable. Can't strike with a guy like that and you can't take him down. What's the next best option, a head kick? MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Logan Storley in the cage Q: Sparked from the 65-kilo weight class, it looks like TWO people with U.S. citizenship will be competing in Rio with Boris and Tank. Since there are TWO wrestlers who failed the doping test in Magomedmurad Gadzhiev of Poland and Andriy Kvyatkovskyy of Ukraine, could Dave Habat be the next in line to fill the void? Then it would be THREE wrestlers in that weight ckass with U.S. citizenship. Who are the notable competitors in the Olympics who can claim more than one country? Names that come to mind are the aforementioned, plus Haislan Garcia from Canada (by way of Cuba), Bekzod Abdurakhmonov and Tervel Dlagnev. -- Dan C. Foley: There are pretty strict citizenship rules when it comes to international athletic competition. Yes, there has been a dramatic increase in wrestlers competing for other countries, but those you mentioned I think are all wrestling for their home or adoptive countries. From my understanding, athletes must spend 180 days a year in the country for which they compete. I could be wrong, but I'm not sure Boris is an American citizen. Same with Bekzod. Tervel is, which is why he competes for the USA. Habat is a dual holder since his mother was born in Slovenia. Garcia (I believe) is a Canadian citizen, post-defection. Q: Which weight class (any of the styles) intrigues you the most in the Olympic Games? -- Mike C. Foley: Women's freestyle at 53 kilos is incredibly intriguing! On the top of the heap you have three-time Olympic champion Saori Yoshida -- untouchable, unbeaten in major tournaments and a total killer. Next, you have Sofia Mattsson, the Swedish superstar who has lost two close matches to Yoshida the last two years, but who is closing the gap and fast. Then you have Helen Maroulis, a talented, multi-dimensional wrestler who won the World championship at 55 kilos. But the most compelling wrestler is Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria who took bronze at last year's World Championship at 53 kilos. She had an incredible India Professional League tournament, was 6-6 with Helen Maroulis at the Golden Grand Prix … and has only been wrestling FOUR YEARS! Do not miss this weight. Do not, do not, DO NOT blink. Inspirational stuff. Rant of the Week! By Irvonian Why is wrestling so insecure that every time we find a minor celebrity (Ray Lewis, Billy Baldwin, Mario Lopez) with any sort of tangential relationship to wrestling, we want to bring him front and center? Does the community really think that mainstream media are going to start paying attention to BTS because we're trotting out Ray Lewis? OK, rant over. But really, Ray Lewis? Now look, I went to Penn State, so I understand that anytime you try to honor somebody, even someone with a lifetime of good works, there could be huge skeletons hiding in the closet. (Hastert is another example of this.) But with Ray Lewis, the skeletons are already public knowledge. And anyway, what are his "lifetime achievements" that we want to celebrate? Playing a professional sport (that isn't even wrestling)? I'd imagine that with a 60-second Google search you could find a dozen former high school wrestlers who have achieved things over their lifetimes that actually benefited society (and didn't just enrich themselves while entertaining others). So I guess the rant wasn't actually over before, but it is now. "Thrown to the Wolves" Submission of the Week By Jacob R. Lee Greenwood's anthem "God Bless the USA" (also known as "I'm Proud to Be an American") has a special place in my brain housing group. It was not too long ago in 2002 that I found myself coaching some kids at a freestyle tournament in Lowell, Michigan, when as usual before the beginning of the competition a voice on the sound system asked that everyone in attendance in the gymnasium stand and remove their hats for the national anthem. For all of my life this was simply standard operating procedure for any wrestling event that I had attended, but something different occurred. Instead of hearing a subpar recording or the brilliant rendition of Whitney Houston singing the "Star Spangled Banner" from Super Bowl XXV the aforementioned song by Mr. Greenwood was played. In retrospect I am not too shocked that song was played. Considering the overt sense of nationalism that was abundant in the country just under a year after 9/11 it makes perfect sense. But, at the time I was baffled. Nearly, fourteen years have passed since this event which have allowed me to observe and critique the phenomena of national pride and nationalism that are displayed within not only our political spheres, but also within the minutia of our daily lives and from the scope of things sports and in particular wrestling events are a rather minute detail of our lives here in the U.S. So, where is this little rant taking me you might ask (or maybe not?)? With regards to wrestling in the United States or what many fans refer to as the "wrestling community" (personally the term "wrestling community" inhibits an air of masculine hegemony.... for more on this I'll refer you to Blake 2013 and Walton & Helstien 2008) there appears to be an abundance of persons -- coaches, wrestlers and fans -- that adhere to what I consider antiquated ideologies based on concepts such as colorblindness, meritocracy, rugged individualism, masculine hegemony, christian hegemony etc. Considering this I am not too shocked that comments submitted by readers from your mailbag last week were riddled with criticism of your comment on Trump. Walton & Helstien 2008 discuss the need to do away with communities of identification (e.g. the wrestling community) and instead move towards communities of articulation. I second that and challenge you and your readers to engage in this paradigm shift with regards to your discourse revolving around your views of the sport (both the political and the minute aspects).

NEW YORK -- A mix of USA Wrestling's biggest stars and up-and-coming stars shined on Thursday in New York. U.S. wrestlers won seven of nine matches against international stars from Iran, Korea and Canada in the Beat the Streets "United in the Square" event held in Times Square. The event consisted of one Greco-Roman match, two women's freestyle matches, four UWW Junior freestyle matches and two men's freestyle matches. Returning World champions Jordan Burroughs, Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray dominated their competition. Burroughs, an Olympic champion and three-time World champion, crushed Iran's Pehman Yarahmadi 11-2 in the final match of the evening. The match was competitive early in the second period after Yarahmadi scored a takedown to cut the deficit to 3-2. But it was all Burroughs the rest of the way. He used his trademark blast double leg to score four points and take a 7-2 lead. A step out-point and takedown for Burroughs made the score 10-2. He added another late step-out point for a nine-point victory. It was Burroughs' sixth victory in six appearances at Beat the Streets events. "It's always fun to be here," Burroughs said of wrestling in Times Square. "I never get more pumped than when everything is on the line. And although you guys might see it as an exhibition, I see it as a legacy builder. A lot of people out here are seeing me for the first time, maybe for the last time. I want to give them something to talk about." Maroulis, a returning World champion and three-time World medalist pinned Samantha Stewart of Canada at 2:41. She scored four first-period takedowns to go up 8-0 and then secured the pin early in the second period. "Sam is a great competitor," said Maroulis. "The Canadians ... It's awesome that they came down to battle us. We've had a lot of tough bouts with them before." Gray, a three-time World champion, hammered Canada's Justina Di Stasio 11-0. She had trouble getting to her offense early in the match, and led just 2-0 at the break. Gray turned it up in the second period, though, scoring first off the shot clock before earning a takedown. She then transitioned to a leg lace, which she used to score four more points and go up 9-0. Gray then scored a takedown with two seconds left on the clock to secure the technical fall. "It was a fabulous time," said Gray. "The energy here is unbelievable." Olympian J'den Cox was impressive in beating Iran's Meisam Mostafa Joukar 10-5 at 86 kilos. The first period ended 1-1 after the wrestlers traded step outs. The action picked up significantly in the second period. Cox jumped out to a 5-1 lead after two takedowns. Joukar cut the deficit to 5-3 after scoring two more points off step outs. Cox responded with takedown and then picked up a point off a step out to go up 8-3. Joukar scored a takedown with just over a minute left, but still trailed 8-5. A late takedown by Cox put him up five points, which is how the match would end. Olympic champion Kim Hyeon-Woo of Korea battles two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek of USA in the opening match of the Beat the Streets event in Times Square (Photo/T.R. Foley)The event opened with Olympic champion Kim Hyeon-Woo of Korea blanking two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek 3-0 in a Greco-Roman match at 75 kilos. Kim used an arm spin to go up 2-0 in the first period, and then added a step-out point in the second period. The U.S. won three of four UWW Junior freestyle matches At 60 kilos, Daton Fix, the nation's No. 4 wrestler in the class of 2017, claimed a second-period technical fall, 14-3, over Iran's Kheyrollah Ghahramani in a battle of Cadet World medalists. Fix started quickly, scoring a takedown off a slide-by and adding a trapped-arm gut wrench to lead 4-0. Ghahramani inched closer with a late first-period takedown. In the second period, after Ghahramani scored a point off a step out, Fix picked up a takedown and locked up a trapped-arm gut wrench and rolled it three times to open up the scoring and take a commanding 12-3 lead. He then put the match away with another takedown off a slide-by. Mitchell McKee, a University of Minnesota signee, won a wild back-and-forth match on criteria, 8-8, over Iran's Peiman Biabani. The Iranian led 4-2 after the opening period, but McKee battled back, scoring a four-point move off a head pinch to go up 6-4. McKee extended his lead to 7-4 after a step-out point. Biabani cut the lead to 7-6 after a takedown off a duck under, and quickly added a gut wrench to take a one-point lead. McKee, though, was able to earn a reversal late to make the score 8-8 and give him the criteria victory. Mark Hall, the nation's No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2016, picked up an 8-5 win over Iran's Ahmad Bazrighaleh in an action-filled match at 74 kilos. Bazrighaleh scored first with a takedown to go up 2-0. Hall was able to score a reversal and make the score 2-2 at the break. In the second period Hall scored a takedown to go up 4-2, and then added a two-point exposure from neutral to lead 6-2. Bazrighaleh used a reversal to cut the deficit to 6-4. A late exchange saw Hall get another two-point exposure, while Bazrighaleh was awarded a point. The U.S. dropped its only UWW Junior freestyle match at 84 kilos where Junior World champion Mojtaba Goleij of Iran handled Zahid Valencia 10-1. Valencia, who attends Arizona State, scored the first point of the match off a step out, but Goleij dominated the rest of the way. Fix, McKee, Hall and Valencia will compete in this weekend's UWW Junior World Team Trials in Irving, Texas. Results: Greco-Roman 75 kilos: Kim Hyeon-Woo (Korea) dec. Andy Bisek (USA), 3-0 Women's 53 kilos: Helen Maroulis (USA) pinned Samantha Stewart (Canada), 2:41 Women's 75 kilos: Adeline Gray (USA) tech. fall Justina Di Stasio (Canada), 11-0 Junior men's freestyle 55 kilos: Daton Fix (USA) tech. fall Kheyrollah Ghahramani (Iran), 14-3 Junior men's freestyle 60 kilos: Mitchell McKee (USA) dec. Peiman Biabani (Iran), 8-8 Junior men's freestyle 74 kilos: Mark Hall (USA) dec. Ahmad Bazrighaleh (Iran), 8-5 Junior men's freestyle 84 kilos: Mojtaba Goleij (Iran) dec. Zahid Valencia (USA), 10-1 Men's freestyle 86 kilos: J'den Cox (USA) dec. Meisam Mostafa Joukar (Iran), 10-5 Men's freestyle 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Pehman Yarahmadi (Iran), 11-2

After winning two NCAA titles in two seasons at 157 pounds, Isaiah Martinez is moving up a weight class for his junior season. Isaiah Martinez after winning his second NCAA title at 157 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Martinez announced his decision to move up to 165 pounds next season on Twitter. Martinez, a native of Lemoore, California, was an undefeated freshman NCAA champion in 2014-15. He was InterMat Freshman of the Year and a Dan Hodge Trophy finalist that season. This past season Martinez finished 32-1 en route to winning his second NCAA title. He has gone 67-1 over his first seasons in the Illini lineup. Martinez has earned bonus points in 47 of his 67 wins in his college wrestling career. He started his college wrestling career on a 54-match winning streak before it was snapped on Jan. 23, 2016, when he was pinned by Penn State's Jason Nolf. Martinez came back to defeat Nolf in the Big Ten finals and NCAA finals.

The annual Beat the Streets event is back. Wrestlers will take over Times Square today. Several of the country's best wrestlers will be in action against competitors from Iran, Canada and South Korea. The following is a match-by-match preview of the event. Greco-Roman 75 kilos: Andy Bisek (USA) vs. Kim Hyeon-Woo (Korea) Bisek will represent the U.S. in the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games at 75 kilos. He is coming off back-to-back bronze medals at the UWW World Championships. As a returning medalist, he automatically reached the finals of the Olympic Team Trials where he defeated Geordan Speiller in a two-match sweep. In 2012, Kim took the gold medal at the Olympic Games in the 66-kilo weight class. In the semifinals, he defeated returning gold medalist Steeve Guenot (France) before besting Tamás Lőrincz (Hungary) in the finals. Since failing to medal at the 2015 World Championships, Kim has won both the Golden Grand Prix and the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Women's freestyle 53 kilos: Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Samantha Stewart (Canada) After winning silver and bronze medals, Maroulis finally broke through last year and won her first World championship. At the U.S. Olympic Trials she defeated Whitney Conder in the best-of-three series to make the team. Maroulis then qualified the weight class for the Olympics with a dominant first-place performance at the World Qualifying Tournament. In her four matches, she scored two technical falls and a pin. Stewart has continued to build on her bronze-medal performance at the 2014 University World Championships. This year she won the Pan American Championships at a non-Olympic weight. Women's freestyle 75 kilos: Adeline Gray (USA) vs. Justina Di Stasio (Canada) Gray is a three-time World champion and five-time medalist. In the past two years alone, she has won the Pan American Games, World Championships, UWW Test Tournament and the U.S. Olympic Trials. Di Stasio is a two-time gold medalist at the Pan American Championships. Last November she placed third at the Bill Farrell Memorial International. Junior freestyle 55 kilos: Daton Fix (USA) vs. Kheyrolla Ghahramani (Iran) Fix is a two-time member of the U.S. Cadet World Team. At last year's Cadet World championships he picked up a bronze medal in the 54-kilo division. He earned his spot at this event by winning the UWW Junior Nationals. During his run there, Fix scored victories over the likes of Austin Gomez and Gavin Teasdale. Ghahramani had his most success at the Cadet level. In 2012, he won a silver medal at the Cadet Asian Championship. The following year, he took bronze at 46 kilos at the Cadet Worlds. On the senior level he has failed to place at the 2015 Takhti Cup and 2016 Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov tournament. Junior freestyle 60 kilos: Mitchell McKee (USA) vs. Peiman Biabani (Iran) After finishing as a runner-up last year, McKee claimed the UWW Junior Nationals title this year. In the finals he defeated fellow Minnesotan Seth Gross of South Dakota State who was one match away from All-American status at this past year's NCAA tournament. Biabani represented Iran at the 2015 Junior Asian Championship and captured gold. He won his four matches by a combined score of 25-7. Later in the year, Biabani ended up one match away from making Iran's Junior World Team. He lost a special wrestle off to Iman Sadeghikoukandeh who went on to win his second Junior World title. Junior Freestyle 74 kilos: Mark Hall (USA) vs. Ahmad Bazrighaleh (Iran) After winning gold at the Cadet World Championship in 2014, Hall moved up to the Junior level last year. He won a spot on the Junior World Team but ended up finishing ninth. Hall appears determined to improve upon that result this year. In the last two months alone, he has won Junior Nationals and the U.S. Last Chance Olympic Team Trials Qualifier. He posted a 2-2 record at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. In 2014, Bazrighaleh held the 69-kilo spot at the Cadet level for the Asian and World Championships. He scored a bronze medal at the Asian Championships and did not medal at Worlds. Junior freestyle 84 kilos: Zahid Valencia (USA) vs. Majtaba Goleij (Iran) Valencia was a member of the 2015 Junior World Team. In the finals of this year's Junior Nationals, he defeated reigning NCAA champion Myles Martin (Ohio State). Valencia will come off redshirt and make his debut for Arizona State next winter. Goleij is the reigning Junior World champion at this weight class. He did not meet Valencia in the tournament, but Goleij did defeat Musalaliev Arsen (Russia), which knocked Valencia out of a shot in the repechage. Earlier this year, he won a bronze medal at the Takhti Cup on the senior level falling only to Olympic medalist Ehsan Lashgari (Iran). Men's freestyle 86 kilos: J'den Cox (USA) vs. Meisam Mostafajoukar (Iran) Cox's entry into the Olympic Team Trials shortly after he won his second NCAA title had a lot of people excited. It turned out to be entirely justified. At the Trials, the Missouri wrestler scored signature victories over Clayton Foster, Keith Gavin and World silver medalist Jake Herbert to reach the finals. There, he edged four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake in the best-of-three series. Cox went on to qualify the weight for the Olympic Games at the First World Qualifying Tournament. Mostafajoukar, mostly known as Jokar, is a three-time medalist and one-time champion at the Asian Championships. Last year, he dominated his way through the World Cup. During his run in Los Angeles, he scored tech fall victories over Aleksandr Gostiyev (Azerbaijan), Serdar Boke (Turkey) and Clayton Foster. Jordan Burroughs is all smiles at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Men's freestyle: Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Peyman Yarahmadi (Iran) At this point, everyone in the wrestling world knows about Burroughs. He is a three-time World champion and one-time Olympic champion. His combined record at the world team trials, Pan American Championships and World/Olympic Championships is 50-1. Yarahmadi was a Cadet and Junior World bronze medalist. In 2013, he eliminated Northwestern's Jason Tsirtsis from the Junior bracket. Since moving up to the senior level, he has been a part of two World Cup gold medal winning teams and won the Asian Championships. Schedule: 3:45 p.m. Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches between 42nd and 43rd Streets 4:45 p.m. New York City Girl's Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals between 42nd and 43rd Streets 6:30 p.m. World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Iran, Team Canada and Team Korea between 42nd and 43rd Streets Followed by Gala Celebration Richard Mann currently runs the data-driven MMA blog StrikeScoreMMA.com.

Andrew Howe is returning to the Big Ten Conference. Andrew Howe gets in on a shot at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Howe, who began his college wrestling career in the Big Ten at Wisconsin, will be joining the Northwestern coaching staff after serving as an assistant at Oklahoma since July of 2014. Takedown Wrestling first reported the news. Howe finished runner-up to Jordan Burroughs at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 74 kilos. He was also runner-up to Burroughs at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. As a collegiate competitor at Wisconsin and Oklahoma, Howe was a four-time All-American, finishing in the top three at the NCAAs in all four appearances. Howe claimed an NCAA title as a sophomore in 2010. He was an NCAA runner-up in 2009 and 2014, and third in 2011.

No. 18 junior Justin Mejia has already committed to the University of Iowa (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-fall.com)The college recruiting process is ever accelerating. It's not even the 20th of May yet in the junior year for the Class of 2017, and more than 40 percent of the current top 50 prospects have verbally committed to the school of their choice. Furthermore, that includes five of the nation's top seven, and half (13) of the top 26. In terms of early recruiting, the University of Iowa is off to an excellent start. The Hawkeyes have a verbal commitment from the top overall recruit in this class, Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), along with three other top 50 prospects: No. 18 Justin Mejia (Clovis, Calif.), No. 32 Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), and No. 44 Luke Troy (Martin Luther King, Calif.). Something to watch for is if all of the commitments in this class stick: Lee, Mejia, and Renteria are likely to project as either 125 or 133-pound wrestlers. Also off to an excellent start is Cornell, who has verbal commitments from the No. 2 and No. 3 overall recruits in this class: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) and Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.). Two other schools have verbal commitments from a pair of top 50 recruits: Navy with No. 22 Quentin Hovis (Seton Catholic, Ariz.) and No. 38 Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.), Wisconsin with No. 33 Kyle Lawson (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) and No. 48 Paul Konrath (Connections Academy, Ind.) Summary of notable early recruiting hauls: Iowa: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), No. 18 Justin Mejia (Clovis, Calif.), No. 32 Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 44 Luke Troy (Martin Luther King, Calif.) Cornell: No. 2 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), No. 3 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), Andrew Berreyesa (Reno, Nev.) Navy: No. 22 Quentin Hovis (Seton Catholic, Ariz.), No. 38 Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.), Ian Timmins (Wooster, Nev.) Wisconsin: No. 33 Kyle Lawson (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio), No. 48 Paul Konrath (Connections Academy, Ind.), Jackson Hemauer (DeForest, Wis.) Michigan: No. 43 Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), Andrew Davison (Chesterton, Ind.), Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio)

Darrion Caldwell, 2009 NCAA champion wrestler for North Carolina State who has competed for Bellator MMA since March 2014, signed a seven-fight contract extension with the mixed martial arts organization Monday. Darrion Caldwell choked out Joe Warren (Photo/Bellator)"Bellator MMA is proud to announce the contract extension of undefeated bantamweight superstar Darrion "The Wolf" Caldwell (9-0) to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract," according to the announcement posted at the official Bellator website. "Darrion is a fighter who I really think has that x-factor," said Scott Coker, Bellator's president. "After his last fight, I looked at our matchmaker and I just said, 'Wow, this is kid is exploding with talent.' I'm very happy we were able to get this deal done and I look forward to seeing this star rise for years to come." The former Wolfpack mat champ expressed his appreciation for Bellator's commitment to his undefeated MMA career. "Just believing in what they had in mind and their plan for me, that's the biggest thing," Caldwell said. "It's bigger than me. I know they have a vision. Even though I have a vision as well -- my vision is to be the world champ -- they have a vision on how to put me in a position to make sure I maximize everything outside of the cage. And so, I feel like we touched on a lot of subjects there. I think we've got a star in the making." Caldwell made his pro MMA debut in 2012. In his most recent fight -- his sixth for Bellator -- the 28-year-old Caldwell defeated former two-division Bellator champion, and Greco-Roman world champion wrestler Joe Warren back in March. Prior to entering MMA competition, Caldwell was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American at N.C. State, winning the 149-pound title at the 2009 NCAAs by upsetting defending champ Brent Metcalf of Iowa in the finals, in what the late amateur wrestling historian Jay Hammond considered to be one of the three biggest upsets in NCAA finals history. Caldwell was named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament.

A former Old Dominion wrestler claims was knocked out three times in practice over a six-week period, but despite exhibiting concussion symptoms, coaches failed to refer him for medical treatment, so he has filed a lawsuit seeking $4 million, the Virginian-Pilot reported Tuesday. Jordan Marshall, who wrestled at 157 pounds for ODU, said in the suit that in his freshman season of 2014, he suffered three concussions in May and June, and that head coach Steve Martin and assistants Mike Dixon, Alex Dolly and Kyle Hutter were negligent in not referring him for diagnosis and treatment and encouraging him not to complain about his injuries or seek medical attention. The suit also alleges that coaches "encouraged and directed" Marshall, originally from Bradford, Ohio and wrestled at Troy Christian High School, to return to practice while he still suffered from symptoms that included headaches, confusion and trouble concentrating. It wasn't until Marshall had suffered three concussions and later began to "convulse, vomit and spit up blood" at a wrestling camp at Virginia's Hampden-Sydney College that coaches referred him to ODU's athletic trainer, according to the lawsuit filed in Norfolk Circuit Court. As a result, Marshall sustained "serious and permanent injury in the form of traumatic brain injury, and concussion and brain injury syndrome and symptoms, and other physical and psychological injuries," the suit alleges. Marshall's lawyer, Edward F. Halloran, did not immediately respond to a message left at his office on Tuesday, the Virginian-Pilot reported. ODU senior associate athletic director Debbie White said coaches could not comment on the suit, in keeping with school policy. The Norfolk newspaper went on to say ODU has had concussion protocols in place for all sports for a number of years. According to a 2014 story in the Virginian-Pilot, the school has done baseline testing of all athletes for more than a decade. Athletes who suffer concussions must pass a series of tests before being allowed to return. A legendary figure in Virginia wrestling, Old Dominion head coach Steve Martin just completed his 12th season at the helm. Volunteer assistant Kyle Hutter has been on staff for five years, while former Northern Iowa wrestler Alex Dolly joined the coaching staff in May 2012. Founded in 1930, Old Dominion University is a four-year public university located in Norfolk, Virginia. The ODU Monarchs wrestling program competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Want to know more about concussions and wrestling? Check out this April 2016 InterMat article about proposed NCAA rules regarding concussions.

Cliff Keen Athletic has entered into a marketing and athlete endorsement deal with United States men's 57-kilo freestyle wrestler Daniel Dennis. Daniel Dennis joins Cliff Keen after his stunning performance at the recent U.S. Olympic Team Trials, capturing first place in the 57-kilo freestyle category, and punching his ticket to Rio as a member of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team. A 2016 U.S. Open Championships gold medalist originally from Ingleside, Illinois, Daniel also recently earned a solid third-place finish at the Bill Ferrell International Tournament, first place at the Grand Prix of Spain, and was runner-up at the 2015 World Team Trials. Daniel Dennis (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)"Daniel is one tough competitor with an exciting wrestling style. Off the mat, Daniel is a humble, polite gentleman, with an infectious personality. He's a great role model, with a terrific back story, and a wonderful ambassador of our sport. We are very excited to have him on Team Cliff Keen," said Tom Keen, President of Cliff Keen Athletic. Dennis, who will compete this coming August in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, has been heralded for going from living in his pickup truck in California, to working his way back onto the mat, to now earning a spot on the 2016 Olympic Team. Training out of Iowa City, Iowa, Dennis (a former Iowa Hawkeye wrestler) will be a prominent fixture in Cliff Keen's brand marketing and advertising to the Wrestling market. A long-time supporter of International Wrestling, Cliff Keen Athletic is the World's leader in Wrestling uniforms, equipment, and training apparel.

EDMOND, Okla. -- Todd Steidley, a former national champion for Central Oklahoma who went on to win seven state titles as a high school coach in the state, has been tabbed to take over as the Bronchos' head wrestling coach. Todd SteidleyUCO athletic director Joe Muller made the announcement Tuesday, with Steidley set to take over the perennial powerhouse program in early June. “Todd's experience is impressive,” Muller said. “His success as a head coach, his contacts in Oklahoma wrestling circles and his administrative and leadership development skills make him an ideal fit for this prestigious program.” “It's my dream job,” said Steidley, currently principal at Claremore High School. “It's the only job I would have left Claremore for. Edmond is a wonderful place to live, UCO is a great institution and we're excited about coming back to take over the reigns of the wrestling program.” Steidley replaces legendary head coach David James, who led the Bronchos to 12 national championships and 396 dual wins during a 34-year career. “I wouldn't be where I am today without the influence of David James,” Steidley said. “He had a huge impact on me when I went to school at UCO and a lot of the things I've done in coaching I do because of him. I want to continue his legacy. “I guess it's a new era and I'm excited about it. I feel UCO is the best Division II program in the country and we want to fight for national championships and continue to mold young men into productive citizens.” A prep standout at Tulsa Union High School, Steidley was a Division I qualifier at Utah State before spending his last two seasons at UCO. He went 64-11-2 with the Bronchos from 1986-88, winning the 142-pound national title as a junior and finishing runner-up as a senior. Steidley spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at UCO, helping the Bronchos capture the NAIA team title in 1989 before finishing second in the school's first year in NCAA Division II in 1990. He served as assistant coach at Clemson in 1990-91 before going to Enid High School as head coach for one year. Steidley led Bristow High School to three Class 3A state championships during a six-year career there and then guided Ponca City High School to four consecutive Class 6A titles from 1998-06. Steidley, who finished with a phenomenal 211-18 career dual record, has been principal at Claremore High School since 2006. Todd and his wife, Kelli, have two children – Erin Delk and Garrett -- and one grandson (Loudin).

ADRIAN, Mich. -- Adrian College athletics director Mike Duffy has named Bill Schindel as head coach of the Bulldogs men's and women's wrestling programs, replacing alumnus Chris Williams who returned to the Michigan State coaching staff at the end of this past season. Bill SchindelSchindel plans to start his new duties on June 7. Schindel, a two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, comes to Adrian after posting a 46-20 (.697) dual-match record in four years at Mount Union. "We are pleased that Bill has agreed to take the reins of the Bulldogs wrestling program," Duffy said. "Coach Williams has laid a solid foundation for Bill to take it to the next level. An experienced coach, Bill has a great skill-set that will serve him well here." In Adrian, Schindel inherits a program that produced a school-record 23rd place (and another top AC mark of 15-1/2 points) at the 2016 NCAA III Men's Wrestling Championships, an NCAA All-American and two Scholar All-Americans--all in the sport's first season since the College reinstated varsity status after a 31-year absence. On the women's side, the Bulldogs competed in an all-invitational format. In the first-year program's debut at the Oct. 18 Emmanuel College Tournament in Georgia, junior Rachel McFarland took first place at 143 pounds. Then at the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association Nationals in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Feb. 12, freshman Sam Cushard earned All-America status at 155. "When considering Adrian one of the biggest reasons I accepted the job was putting my family in a great situation. I am a coach who believes in teaching about values first. Family is a huge value that I preach to the team. This opportunity put me and my family only 30-40 minutes away from a support system as me and my wife, Krista get ready to start our own family in September," stated Schindel. "I know this is also a great opportunity for my career as Adrian has shown a lot of support in the athletic department and programs. I am very excited for this opportunity to get started working with the men and women to help them achieve their team and individual goals." Last season, Mount Union went 12-9 in dual matches (3-2 OAC) and was 9th out of 18 teams with 47-1/2 points in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional. Schindel coached All-American Jeremy Border who advanced to the NCAA Championships for a third straight year and is one of only five wrestlers in school history with over 100 career wins. The team also had two other places at the regional meet. During the 2014-15 campaign, Schindel led the Purple Raiders (14-3 in dual matches) to their second OAC title in the last three years and a third-straight second-place finish at the NCAA Mideast Regional with OAC Coach of the Year honors. Mount Union also had four national qualifiers with one earning All-American honors. In addition, the team finished seventh at the National Wrestling Coaches' Association duals. In 2013-14, Schindel led the Purple Raiders to an eighth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals, second in the OAC and second at the NCAA Mideast Regional. Mount Union (12-5 overall) had three national qualifiers and a pair of All-Americans on its way to a 17th place finish at the NCAA Championships. In his first season, the Purple Raiders (8-3 in duals) claimed the 2013 OAC title and finished second in the NCAA Mideast Regional. He spent one season as an assistant coach at Mount Union and assisted in every facet of the program as the Raiders won the OAC title and finished 15th at the NCAA Division III Championships. During his tenure with the Purple Raiders, there have been six All-Americans, 14 national qualifiers, nine NWCA Scholar All-Americans and 16 All-OAC First Team selections. Schindel made the move off the mat after a stellar career at Mount Union as a three-time All-American after placing third at NCAA Division III National Championships in 2011, seventh in 2010 and eighth in 2009. A three-time OAC Champion at 197-lbs., he ranks ninth on the school's all-time wins list with an 83-17 record over his three-year career. Schindel's accomplishments off the mat are just as impressive as those on it. He was a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American and received the Clyde Lamb Award, which is presented annually to the top male and female student-athlete from each OAC institution. A native of Tallmadge, Ohio, he attended Akron Archbishop Hoban High School and has both a bachelor's degree in education and master's in educational leadership from Mount Union.

The wrestling world, and for that matter, the world is full of stories. Without a good storyline, there really isn't much of a reason to tune in. In Minnesota, we all want to know who will be the next team to knock off Apple Valley. Or will anyone ever win six state titles like Mark Hall pulled off this season? The storylines and how we describe them are what make life interesting and fun. Sometimes the narrative is heartbreaking and personal, and we can't help but want to lend a hand. McKee familyTwenty-six months ago I asked Mitch McKee if he would allow me to follow him through the state tournament and write his story. He was gracious and politely agreed. He took a stunning upset loss the year before in the semifinals to Taylor Venz and found out the next day his dad, Steve, had cancer. It was the beginning of some of the darkest moments of his life. The following year, everyone in the stands knew about Steve's diagnosis, and there was hardly a person who wasn't pulling for Mitch to win. The pressure was immense, and he reminded me of the statue of Atlas with the world balancing on his back. He would go on to capture his first state title that year and subsequently went on to have the best wrestling success of his life over the next few months. He became the national folkstyle and freestyle champion that summer. A love story Nina met Steve McKee the old fashioned way, having a fun time at a line dance in a sports bar in St. Cloud, Minn. They dated for four years and were married on April 19, 1997. Like most couples they had to adjust to some opposite traits. Steve was fun loving and embraced the lighter side of life. Nina is more serious and goal driven. They were madly in love and set out to make a life together. They settled in Becker, Minn., opening a "gently used" sports store for Nina to run and manage while Steve worked in the wholesale oil business. They had a busy life. Steve dabbled in sports photography and coached at all levels of soccer, football and wrestling. Nina was busy with the store and raising two active little boys born 20 months apart. Soon it became apparent the store would have to close, and later they moved to St. Michael. Mitch McKee hugs his father Steve after claiming a state title in 2014 (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Wrestling came into their lives more by accident than design. Both Steve and Nina were athletes in their younger days. Nina (under 5 feet tall) was, of all things, a pretty good volleyball player. No, she wasn't a spiker but was a pretty good setter. Steve wrestled two years in high school. When the boys were around 5-7 years old, it was clear they were going to be very good wrestlers, and later they dropped other sports to focus on what they did best. Steve and Nina decided to expose the boys to as many tournaments as possible and they soon developed friends all over Minnesota and the nation. Steve found out he had a health problem after looking at an X-ray taken by a friend, Andy, a chiropractor. These films were sent to a radiologist, and it didn't take long to realize this was a serious problem. An exhausting and thorough exam was done at Mayo Clinic, and the news was not good. He had cancer of the spine, and it was in stage 3, the highest number. Steve did everything a young man could to stay alive. He traveled countless trips to Rochester and took every treatment recommended. Along the way, he would lose his hair, his weight, but never his spirit. He decided to live out his life with courage and vulnerability. These lessons haven't been lost on Mitch and Patrick. Patrick, Nina and Mitch McKeeLosing a father at a young age is not normal. Most of us get to live a long time before we face the ugly truths about death. Steve and Nina made it a point to ensure the boys are able to keep living with their dad's memory. They recorded videos to be played at significant moments in the future. Mitch will be able to watch his dad congratulate him at his high school graduation this month. If Patrick gets married, there is a video clip of Steve talking to him and his future bride. If grandchildren come along, there is a warm and loving message waiting for them. Steve hasn't gone away in spirit, only in body. While Steve was near the end of his journey, life became especially hard. He wasn't able to walk, and he needed to be lifted out of bed into a wheelchair. This was helped along by an army of St. Michael parents, as well as a few other wrestling communities. They were called the "lift train." Meals were arranged and delivered on a timely basis. This was called the "meal train." Steve and Nina's extended family were seemingly always there to lend a hand. There was a lot of love to go around, and some of it was overwhelming. Everyone wanted to help, and this became a job in and of itself. Patrick McKee celebrates after winning a state championship at 106 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Steve died on December 7, 2014. He was 51 years young. He leaves behind a pair of boys that loved him more than life. Mitch is a semi-stoic and serious 18-year-old senior. "I miss playing catch with my dad. He was a lot of fun, and he taught me how to enjoy life. If I had another day with him, I would spend it playing in the yard tossing a ball, tackling each other and laughing. Patrick is an emotional and fun-loving 16-year-old sophomore. He shows emotions like others flash their cell phones. He's often misunderstood as volatile and angry. It's far from reality. Patrick is a happy young man and his only spot reserved for aggression is the wrestling mat. He's the defending 106-pound state champion. "If my dad was here for a day, I would just want to be his son. I miss my dad, and I'm proud of how he raised me. I love him." When Nina is asked what she misses most, she doesn't hesitate. "I miss his friendship. I want to wake up in the morning and feel him next to me. I wish I could kiss him goodnight. I want to feel him next to me." The day he passed she remembers the long and lonely absence of the oxygen tank. It used to bring her comfort to hear it day after day. It stung to listen to the silence. In a small town with a high profile family, there isn't a church big enough to fit all the mourners. Somehow Mitch and Patrick had enough reserve to get up and sing to the crowd that cold December day. Later, there was a service at the cemetery with pheasant feathers left behind on the burial site. There was an enormous chili feed and plenty of good story time. Mitch would go on to win two more state titles and become one of the nation's most sought-after recruits. He will join his friends at the University of Minnesota and likely will wrestle 133 pounds. Patrick will be alone with his mom starting in the fall, and his future looks bright. Both of these young men are stellar students, hunters, and singers in the all-male choir. McKee family and their dogsRecently Nina visited a medium. Steve was waiting for her and had plenty of messages. He congratulated her on adding a few dogs to the family and admitted he was wrong in advising her to, "Please don't get a dog when I'm gone!" Thirty years earlier Steve's sister Suzie died in an auto accident, and she was with Steve on this day. Nina is a complete believer in hearing these messages and doesn't have any doubt it was Steve and Suzie visiting that day. She hears his voice all the time in her home and feels blasts of love at the most unsuspecting moments. She's learned to stop and take them in and remember. "He was the love of my life. I'll never forget him." The McKees live a good life. Fortunately, Steve had the foresight years ago to purchase some life insurance before he became sick. This allows the family to live a comfortable life and pursue the dreams they all have. It's comforting to know they are doing well and are happy. Do they miss Steve? Oh yes, more than they can accurately describe. But, he's there. Their home is warm. The dogs love the boys and Nina. The wrestling community is nearby to lend a hand as they should. It all works, and life just keeps moving. Until they meet again. This story also appears in the May 6 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

NEW YORK -- Robby Smith, the 2016 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling heavyweight, has become a fan favorite worldwide because of his exciting style of wrestling, and his outgoing and enthusiastic approach to the sport and to life. There is no doubt that when he is in front of the media and the general public, he is very inspiring and entertaining. Robby Smith battles Adam Coon in the Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Smith will put those communication skills to work on Thursday as he serves as one of the emcees for the 2016 Beat the Streets "United In the Square" international wrestling event, which will be held in historic Times Square. "It is a great opportunity. It's a wonderful thing I get to do, to promote wrestling and represent Greco-Roman wrestling. You have to take the opportunity when it presents itself to help promote the sport. It's mostly a freestyle dual with a Greco-Roman match, announced by a Greco-Roman wrestler," said Smith. He will work with Olympic public address announcer Kenny Berger as part of the announcing crew, helping introduce the athletes, identify celebrities on hand, and entertain the thousands who will see top-caliber Olympic wrestling in one of the world's most iconic locations. "I have never done this before. Why not do the first one with a bang, in the middle of Times Square? That's how I do things. Go big or go home. I am going to give it my best shot, be myself with my big personality," said Smith. There will be a full card of world-class competitors on display, as Team USA takes on Iran in six men's freestyle matches, faces Canada in a pair of women's freestyle bouts and also battles an Olympic champion from Korea in a Greco-Roman match. One of the reasons that Smith was invited to do this announcing gig was his public interview in front of the crowd after winning the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City. He fired up the crowd with his enthusiasm and genuine joy. "My whole life I have been confident in how I speak to people in public. It is always fun for me. I am big on showing emotion, and that is what happened at the Olympic Trials. After the Trials when I won, Kyra Barry of Beat the Streets said they loved what I did there. Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, that is what I do. It was inspiring as an athlete to go out there with people cheering you on. I felt I had to thank the crowd there. It hit a lot of people the right way. My parents raised me to be a humble athlete and to be a thankful person," said Smith. Joining Smith at the Beat the Streets event will be five of his teammates on the U.S. Olympic Team who will wrestle in the event. 2012 Olympic champion, three-time World champion and 2016 Olympian Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg and 2016 Olympian and two-time NCAA champion J'Den Cox at 86 kg will face opponents from Iran. 2016 Olympian and three-time World champion Adeline Gray and 2016 Olympian and 2015 World champion Helen Maroulis will battle Canadian stars in women's freestyle. Two-time World bronze medalist and 2016 Olympian Andy Bisek will battle an Olympic and World champion from Korea at 75 kg in Greco-Roman. Three other members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team will be in attendance. 2016 Olympian and 2015 World Champion freestyle wrestler Kyle Snyder will be on hand to receive the Beat the Streets Man of the Year Award during the Gala event. The two other members of the U.S. Olympic Team in women's freestyle, 2012 World champion Elena Pirozhkova and Cadet World champion Haley Augello will also be on hand to support their teammates on the mat. Top Beat the Streets youth wrestlers will take the mat showcasing their skills in exhibition matches beginning at 3:45 p.m. to start the evening. A new feature to be held is the PSAL Girls Freestyle Dual Meet Championships finals, featuring the two top New York City girl's freestyle wrestling high school teams from the spring girl's freestyle season. Then it's Team USA vs. Iran and other guests at 6 p.m., followed by the Beat the Streets Gala Celebration. The Beat the Streets competition requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala Celebration at the PlayStation Theater. More details are available at http://www.btsny.org/gala. The Gala Celebration will follow the wrestling competition. This unique and electrifying annual event helps Beat the Streets (BTS) raise significant funds to further its mission. Whether it's providing a safe, constructive outlet for our urban youth, fighting childhood obesity, empowering women, or uniting entire nations, wrestling teaches persistence, dedication, and the value of working hard to achieve one's goals, creates opportunities for personal and universal growth. BTS currently serve over 3,000 student-athletes every year. The entire competition will be broadcast live on Flowrestling. "United In The Square," Beat the Streets Matchups In New York City, May 19, 2016 Main Event match-ups in order of presentation Greco-Roman 75 kg/165 lbs. - Andy Bisek (USA) vs. Kim Hyeon-Woo (Korea) Women's 53 kg/116.5 lbs. - Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Samantha Stewart (Canada) Women's 75 kg/165 lbs.- Adeline Gray (USA) vs. Justina Di Stasio (Canada) Junior men's freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. - Daton Fix (USA) vs. Kheyrollah Ghahramani (Iran) Junior men's freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. - Mitchell McKee (USA) vs. Peiman Biabani (Iran) Junior men's freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. - Mark Hall (USA) vs. Ahmad Bazrighaleh (Iran) Junior men's freestyle 84 kg/185 lbs. - Zahid Valencia (USA) vs. Mojtaba Goleij (Iran) Men's freestyle 86 kg/189 lbs. - J'Den Cox (USA) vs. Meisam Mostafa Joukar (Iran) Men's freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Pehman Yarahmadi (Iran) Note: Event will be broadcast by Flowrestling Wrestling Schedule 3:45 p.m. - Beat the Streets Youth Exhibition Matches between 42nd and 43rd Streets 4:45 p.m. - New York City Girl's Freestyle Dual Meet Championships Finals between 42nd and 43rd Streets 6:30 p.m. - World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Iran, Team Canada and Team Korea between 42nd and 43rd Streets Followed by Gala Celebration About Beat the Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City's student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 220,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Mizzou Wrestling head coach Brian Smith has named Devin Mellon (Lawson, Mo.) as a volunteer assistant coach, announced on Monday. Mellon wrestled for Mizzou from 2010-15 where he qualified for the NCAA Championships three times (2012, 2014 and 2015) and captured the 2015 MAC Championship at heavyweight. "Devin is one of our own," Coach Smith said. "He knows our program inside and out and what it takes to succeed as a member of #TigerStyle. He wrestled for me whandwent to nationals three times. He's worked camps for me and he's been a student at Mizzou, so he knows Mizzou inside and out. He brings the whole package of knowing how to deal with student-athletes." In four years as an attached wrestler, Mellon complied a 99-39 record, scoring 17 major decisions and nine falls. In his senior campaign (2014-15), the Lawson, Mo., native posted a 33-11 record and won the MAC Championship after going 3-0 at the tournament. Mellon defeated Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa) in the championship bout for his third win over a ranked opponent that season. A fixture in the starting lineup for three seasons, Mellon posted 20 or more wins in three of four seasons. Following graduation, Mellon accepted a position on the Oregon State wrestling coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. With Oregon State, Mellon helped coach heavyweight Amarveer Dhesi to All-America status, finishing fifth at the 2016 NCAA Championships in New York City in March. Dhesi was also named PAC-12 Wrestler of the Year in April. "I honestly think it's good for guys to experience another program and see how things are done. A lot of times, you pick up new ideas and other nuances of another program," said Coach Smith. "Devin went across the country to work under Coach Jim Zalesky at Oregon State, which won the PAC-12 this past year. He will have a chance to work with a lot of young heavyweights in our room and will be a big impact on those guys." For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).

The search for the next U.S. men's national freestyle wrestling coach has been narrowed down to three candidates. Lou Rosselli coaches Kyle Snyder at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Lou Rosselli, Kenny Monday and Bill Zadick are the final three candidates for the position. Bruce Burnett has held the position since May of 2014, a month after Zeke Jones resigned as the U.S. national freestyle wrestling coach. Rich Bender, USA Wrestling's executive director, talked about the candidates Saturday on Takedown Wrestling Radio. "Our program is in good shape," said Bender. "These are three quality individuals that are all very capable and have incredible resumes and abilities to coach. We will go through another round of in person interviews and allow these guys to articulate their plan for the future of American freestyle wrestling and the program at USA Wresting, and evaluate which one is going to be the best in our opinion and the best chance to be successful." Rosselli is currently the associate head wrestling coach at Ohio State. He was the NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009. Rosselli wrestled on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, and was a three-time U.S. Open champion. He wrestled collegiately at Edinboro where he earned All-American honors twice. Monday has coached at all levels of wrestling, and has worked as the wrestling coach with the Blackzilians, a mixed martial arts camp. He is a two-time Olympic medalist, winning gold in 1988 and silver in 1992. Monday was also an NCAA champion and three-time NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State. "I'm hands on," Monday said on Takedown Wrestling Radio. "I'm still able still able to work out with the guys, but I can do both. Whatever I need to do as far as organizing training. I am a little of both. I can do whatever is needed, I have the skill set to do that." Zadick is a national freestyle development coach with USA Wrestling. He was a World champion in freestyle in 2006. Zadick was a two-time All-American at Iowa.

The keys for the Carioca Arena 2 -- the venue for freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling and judo for the Summer Olympics -- were handed over from Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes to Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman in Barra Olympic Park on Saturday, the official Rio 2016 website reported. Olympic wrestling will take place in Carioca Arena 2Also at the ceremony was Christope Dubi, the International Olympic Committee's sports director, and Brazil's new sports minister Leonardo Picciani, on his first official engagement. The IOC's Dubi praised the new venue, saying: "When you see an arena like this, everyone (involved) should be proud and I hope they are." Some Olympic athletes also at the inaugural weighed in with their opinions on the 10,000-seat arena. "To see everything ready like this is even more motivation. It's a sign that it's nearly here, it's close," according to Sarah Menezes, who won the gold medal for Brazil at 48 kilograms at the 2012 London Olympics. "It's good to know that everything is on track, that the structural things are being sorted." Immediately after the conclusion of wrestling competition at the 2016 Olympics August 14-21, Carioca Arena 2 will be the home venue for boccia -- a precision ball sport, much like bocce ball -- at the 2016 Paralympics. Maciel Santos, gold medalist in the individual BC2 boccia category at the London 2012 Paralympic Games was eager to see where he'd be competing in September. "For me the Paralympic Games start from now," Santos said. "You see yourself, the court, the crowd, your relatives, the Brazilian fans. It will be like how we saw in London. I hope the Brazilian public really gets behind this Paralympic sport." After the Games, Carioca Arena 2 will become a training facility for weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, fencing, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics and table tennis. It will comprise part of the Olympic Training Centre, an enduring legacy of the 2016 Rio Games. Want to know more about the challenges facing organizers, participants and fans at the 2016 Olympics? Check out InterMat's April 2016 feature "Is Rio ready for wrestlers?"

Stipe Miocic, former Cleveland State wrestler, scored a first-round knockout of Fabricio Werdum to win the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championships heavyweight title, while ex-Penn State big man Patrick Cummins was knocked out in the first round of his bout at UFC 198 at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil Saturday night. Miocic brings title to Cleveland "Cleveland, we've got a champion, baby," Miocic, a native of suburban Euclid, Ohio who wrestled for the CSU Vikings during the 2003 season, said of his infamously championship-starved hometown. Stipe Miocic "Miocic was backpedaling when Werdum aggressively charged after him and ran right into a looping right hand which caught him flush on the jaw," Dave Doyle wrote for MMAFighting.com. "Werdum face-planted to the mat and the bout was waved off at the 2:47 mark of the opening round in front of an estimated 45,000 fans at Arena de Baixada." "The two men traded punches and kicks before Werdum made his move -- and his mistake," mixed martial-arts website Sherdog.com reported. "The 38-year-old Kings MMA rep charged forward and walked right into a counter right hook from the backpedaling Miocic His lights were out before he landed on the mat, his reign atop the heavyweight division and six-fight winning streak at an end." "This was an ideal result for Miocic," according to MMAMania.com. "The two were trading rather evenly, but Miocic was able to capitalize on a reckless moment from his opponent. That's all it took for him to win a world title. "Honestly, there's not a whole lot to analyze. Miocic spent a couple minutes kickboxing with his opponent, and neither man really pulled ahead. Then, he knocked his opponent out cold." Along with the UFC heavyweight title, Miocic is now 15-2 overall, while Werdum had a six-fight win streak snapped, and drops to 20-6-1. A loss for Penn State alum Cummins Two-time NCAA All-American wrestler Patrick "Durkin" Cummins was the victim of a TKO at 4:52 of the first round at the hands of Antonio Rogerio "Little Nog" Nogueira in their 205-pound light-heavyweight bout at UFC 198. "Cummins keeps his lead left hand outstretched as he circles cautiously around Nogueira in the opening minute, giving the Brazilian southpaw a few inside kicks to the knee ..." Sherdog.com reported in its live coverage. "Cummins takes a hard right hook on the jaw and staggers backward to the fence, where Nogueira assaults him with more heavy punches. Another left hook lands before a right cross drops "Durkin" to his knees at the base of the fence. Cummins survives Nogueira's ground-and-pound and somehow powers back to his feet, where he's met with three more crushing left hands from the former Pride champ. The shots put Cummins out on his feet, and referee Leon Roberts steps in to save him from any further damage." Cummins drops to 8-4 (with two consecutive losses), while "Little Nog" is now 22-7, coming off of two consecutive losses. Before launching his MMA career in 2010, Cummins made a name for himself in the 285-pound weight class ... despite being a walk-on at Penn State. He became a two-time NCAA All-American, placing third at the 2003 NCAAs, then making it to the heavyweight finals of the 2004 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, where he lost to 2002 champ Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State in the finals.

In a battle of former college wrestling greats, Phil Davis -- 2008 NCAA champ for Penn State -- defeated Oklahoma State All-American Mohammed "King Mo" Lawal in a top-of-the-card light-heavyweight match at Bellator 154 at SAP Center in San Jose, California Saturday night. Two judges scored the bout 30-27 for Davis, while a third saw it 29-28, also for the former Nittany Lion. Phil Davis (Photo/Bellator)"The scorecards did not quite reflect how close the bout really was ..." wrote Tristen Crutchfield of the mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com. "The first two rounds were especially hard to score. Lawal picked his spots with power punches, relying on his left hook and right hand while also digging to the body when the opportunity presented itself. Meanwhile, the taller Davis' offense consisted primarily of a variety of kicks. Overall, it appeared that Lawal landed the more powerful shots through 10 minutes." Eddie Mercado of BloodyElbow.com wrote, "The first round was predominantly a kickboxing bout with small gloves however neither competitor inflicted any significant damage. King Mo started the second stanza by securing brief takedown. The action stalled as King Mo was hit below the belt and as the match resumed it returned to the low impact kickboxing match." In the third round, Davis staggered King Mo with a short right hand and uppercut and then drove his dazed foe to the canvas. The former Penn State champ attempted a kimura and an armbar before Lawal could escape to his feet. "I should have had a little bit more urgency," said Davis about his kimura attempt. "You've got to be careful with a guy like Mo. Even though he may be tired, he's never too tired for an overhand right." With the win, Davis is now the top contender for Bellator's light-heavyweight title, held by Liam McGeary, who confronted Davis after the match, saying, "I hope you stand up with me like that, because I'm knocking you out definitely." "To that I say, good luck," Davis replied. Both Davis and Lawal had been participants at Bellator's Dynamite 1 one-night tournament back in September, and, in fact were slated to face each other in the finals, but Lawal was unable to compete because of an injury sustained in an earlier match at that event. Davis, a four-time All-American and 2008 NCAA 197-pound champ for Penn State, had signed with Bellator in 2015 after competing for Ultimate Fighting Championships. He is now 16-3-1 overall in MMA. Lawal, a 2002 NCAA Division II champ at University of Central Oklahoma who then earned NCAA Division I All-American honors at Oklahoma State at 197 in 2003, is falls to 19-5-1 in MMA competition.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Oklahoma State transfer Ryan Blees will join the Hokies this fall, head coach Kevin Dresser announced on Saturday. Ryan BleesAs a redshirt freshman, Blees finished 17-5 at 157 pounds for the Cowboys, notching a second place finish at the Oklahoma Open and two third place finishes at the OCU Open and Joe Parisi Open. During his redshirt year, Blees went 22-10 on the season, competing only in open tournaments, wrestling most of the season at 165 pounds. He tallied six falls and seven major decisions, with his fastest fall coming in 54 seconds. Blees attended Bismarck High School, where he accumulated a record of 250-25 and was a five-time Fargo National All-American. He won the 2013 Junior National freestyle championship at 152 pounds. Tech is coming off a 2015-16 season that saw the program record a best-ever fourth place finish at Nationals, with six grapplers earning All-America honors and top six finishes.

Averett University has announced it will be adding a men's wrestling program to its roster of intercollegiate sports, the Virginia-based school announced Thursday. "Through the support of an anonymous donor, Averett University is proud to announce the addition of three NCAA Division III varsity athletics programs -- men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and men's wrestling," according to a press statement released by the school. "All three are scheduled to begin play during the 2017-18 academic year." An anonymous donor came forward with $500,000 to fund the startup of the three programs which is intended to cover the hiring of head coaches for all three teams, development strategies and recruiting student-athletes, GoDanRiver.com reported Thursday. "We are so very appreciative of this most generous gift that will help us achieve new levels of athletic and academic excellence," school president Tiffany M. Franks said. "Adding these sports will help us to diversify our enrollment pipelines by attracting prospective students from geographical regions outside of Averett's traditionally targeted territories." With the addition of wrestling and the two lacrosse teams, Averett will now have 16 intercollegiate athletics programs. It comes as part of the school's "Averett 2020" strategic plan to increase enrollment and expand the geographic diversity of its student population. Averett expects that the teams will generate 90 new students within four years, helping the school toward achieving a goal of having 1,100 traditional students. "Through the addition of these three programs, Averett Athletics' expansion is an integral part of the university's strategic growth," said Director of Athletics Meg Stevens. "To establish the proper foundation for sports expansion, we have thoughtfully and carefully positioned ourselves well through our comprehensive planning. We've done our research, and these are three in-demand sports that perfectly fit our university profile." "These are the right sports at the right time," Stevens continued. "This is a great day for Averett, Averett athletics, and for Danville and Southern Virginia. This could make a big impact on our area. As Averett explained in its announcement, wrestling has seen growth at the Division III level. Six new men's wrestling programs are scheduled to take to the mat for the first time in 2016-17, with three non-NCAA programs scheduled to transition to Division III in the next three years. Located in the city of Danville in south-central Virginia near the North Carolina border, Averett University describes itself as a four-year, fully accredited, private, co-educational college with a traditional residential campus. Originally founded as a women's college in 1859, the school became co-ed in 1969, and took on its present name in 2001.

NEW YORK -- Carl Fronhofer resigned as the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling, announced today by the Columbia athletics department. Carl Fronhofer"It was an absolute privilege to coach the sport I love at one of the best universities in the world," Fronhofer said. "The thing I'll remember the most is the great relationships I've built with the players, coaches and administration. Right now, this is the best move for my family and I." Fronhofer spent the past eight years at Columbia, and has been the head coach of the Lions since the 2011-12 season. Every single season, Fronhofer has seen his wrestlers perform at the NCAA Championships, including an All-American finish from Steve Santos - the current John Huemer Second Assistant Coach. "During the past five seasons, Carl has done a spectacular job at the helm of our wrestling program," said Director of Athletics Peter Pilling. "Columbia is very sad to see him go, but wishes him the best in the future." As the head coach, Fronhofer tutored 29 EIWA place winners, 20 All-Ivy League selections, 19 NCAA qualifiers, and five New York State Champions. Additionally, his teams and student-athletes have earned numerous National Wrestling Coaches Association academic awards. The wrestling program is left in superb standing, with three returning student-athletes who each competed at the NCAA Championships the past two seasons. A search for Fronhofer's replacement will begin immediately, and Columbia expects to be able to name another excellent head coach in the near future. The entire Columbia athletics department thanks Fronhofer for his years of service and wishes his wife Claire, and his sons Xander and Wolfgang the best in their future endeavors.

What a week. After initially failing to qualify the 65-kilo category at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Frank Molinaro was granted a license on Wednesday after it was discovered that some wrestlers at his weight class had earlier accumulated doping violations. While the intrigue about how and why these violations came up has international intrigue, the online reaction to Molinaro's original inability to qualify the weight class ended up being the story of the week. There was rage and then more rage and then a whole heck of a lot of finger-pointing. The biggest gripe registering with fans was that Molinaro, despite his win at the Trials, was not the best wrestler in the country at 65 kilos. As such, the USA should reform their qualification process to not allow for wrestlers to "simply" breakout at the Trials and become an Olympian for the Stars and Stripes. There was also advice that the Trials be decided before the Pan Am qualifier -- an idea with some merit. However, that seemed to be the end of the positive idea making and the Internet pretty much did what it is designed to do, and devolved into a Trump-themed birthday party for 5-year-olds. Altogether the episode was a regrettable step back for a sport priding itself on national unity. Though I think that 65 kilos is America's most vulnerable weight class, I think Brent Metcalf has been a consistent top twenty wrestler for the past two years and that should the takedown against Franklin Gomez get called correctly there is no Frank issue. However, that's not where we stood after wrestling on Sunday. All that aside, it's fairly evident that for unqualified weight classes, where no major international titles have been won and no significant international ranking is held, there should be an open tournament to decide who is the wrestler to qualify the weight class and go to the Olympics. It's that way in most every country in the world and is the system used by the Russians and Iranians. Where there is a difference in selection process might be for wrestlers who are returning World champions and Olympic champions. Russia rarely sits a wrestler from the national tournament. In recent memory it's only been multiple-time World champion Besik Kudukhov and undefeated-since-2013 Abdulrashid Sadulaev. The theory goes that if they are doing the job asked, why risk upsetting that balance, or worse, injuring them? Nobody at 86 kilos in Russia, or worldwide, has come close to compiling a win-loss record or title history within the same stratosphere as Sadulaev. So why would you ever send them to the Olympics? That might be the lesson for the United States. Kyle Snyder and Jordan Burroughs made it through their national tournaments, but maybe they shouldn't have to at all? Does anyone give us a better chance to win at 74 kilos? No. Why take on the chance that Burroughs could get hurt, or be upset? Molinaro was competing at a weight class where almost no major international successes were recorded in 2015 and 2016. Why not let him represent the country if he's able to beat the entire field in a seeded tournament? The accusation against him -- that he performed well on one day -- is exactly what fans should want in their competitors. That single day of greatness describes a whole bunch of the USA's Olympic and World greats, most recently Henry Cejudo. The real improvements need to come much sooner than the Trials. There should be a real examination of what the goals are for wrestling in the United States. If international success ranks highly on that list then a gradual move from folkstyle to freestyle (and Greco-Roman) should be discussed. If international success is not a major priority then the community needs to accept that, due to time not competing in the style as a lifelong pursuit, America will have some weaker weight classes, including those that might not qualify for the Olympic Games. The change wouldn't be easy, but the outcome is obvious: increased international success and more gold medals at the Olympic Games. To your questions … Q: I was impressed with Nico Megaludis at the Olympic Team Trials despite the fact that he went 0-2. Both losses were by a point. I believe with full-time freestyle training he will blossom as a freestyle wrestler and represent Team USA at 57 kilos in the coming years. Thoughts? -- Mike C. Nico Megaludis with Penn State coach Cael Sanderson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: Agreed! And if not for his personal potential, his coaches have shown panache for preparing their athletes to win medals. I don't know how Cael and staff manage all the workouts and techniques, but the Penn State room is simultaneously the best collegiate wrestling program in the country and is quickly becoming a go-to spot for Olympic-style competitors. In addition to Frank Molinaro, the Nittany Lion room has Olympians Franklin Gomez and Jaime Espinal. Megaludis on the international stage is going to be something to get excited about for most American wrestling fans. With some added muscle and a year or two of tournaments under his belt I think the odds are that Megaludis will be on top of the heap at 57 kilos, likely with teammate Zain Retherford holding down 65 kilos. Megaludis' biggest competition going forward might be from Nahshon Garrett -- a thought that should keep American audiences excited about the future of the 57-kilo weight class, and the future medal chances in Tokyo. Q: I feel like Joe McFarland has underachieved at Michigan. He continually leaves redshirts on the table with his wrestlers: Rossi Bruno, Alec Pantaleo, Brian Murphy, Domenic Abounader and Adam Coon. All of these wrestlers could have used a redshirt their freshman year, but the lack of depth in the wrestling room doesn't allow him to maximize his wrestlers potential. He continually has top flight recruiting classes, but it doesn't seem to materialize tournament time continually hovering around the top 10 the last few years. When does Michigan break through? -- Dave D. Foley: The Michigan program hasn't had a terrible two-year run. Under McFarland and assisted by Sean Bormet, Josh Churella and Kellen Russell, the Wolverines finished tied for ninth in the NCAAs in 2016 and they were 11th in 2015 with five All-Americans, including NCAA finalist Adam Coon. The 2016 team only had three All-Americans but one of those, Conor Youtsey, was fairly surprising. While breaking through can certainly take on many meanings, I imagine you mean for a trophy. No matter what school you support, finding a trophy at NCAAs will from now on be a difficult accomplishment. If you just assumed some combination of Penn State, Iowa, Oklahoma State and Ohio State as shoe-ins for two of the top four trophies each year, you're pretty much putting yourself in a tough spot against teams like Minnesota, Virginia Tech, NC State and Oklahoma. If you add in the coming resurgence of Arizona State and Rutgers you are faced with a steep hill to climb in finding a trophy. Still, Michigan has talent, depth, coaching and recruits well. They have the right keys to victory and are just in need of a great tournament. Maybe that'll happen in 2017. Q: Fresno State hired Troy Steiner. Thoughts? -- Gary B. Troy Steiner was officially introduced as Fresno State's head wrestling coach on ThursdayFoley: Incredible hire. Not only was Troy Steiner a great wrestler, but he's been in the coaching game for almost thirty years. That's a lot of experience to tap into when starting his program. Building the Fresno State program will take considerable time and that means a patient leader. From what I know of Coach Steiner, and from what I've seen, that won't be an issue. Lastly, Steiner has considerable regional ties from having been at Oregon State for so many years. Not that he'll need much when heading into such a wrestling-rich area as the Central Valley. FresYes! MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Must-watch video. Well done by judo… Link: My favorite type of story on the Internet: self-righteous man busted for doing what he preaches against. Q: Outside of Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder, what American freestyle wrestler has the best chance to earn a medal in Rio? -- Mike C. Foley: J'den Cox. I don't think that he has a style or game plan that other nations can prepare to defend. Even if a nation like Iran teaches their guy to stop Cox's deep underhook, the youngster is so capable of adaptation (both before a tournament and during a match) that he'll figure out a way to score. That will matter at the Olympics, which is essentially a 16-man bracket that moves quickly. There won't be much time to scout and prepare for each wrestler, and with the exception of Abdulrashid Sadualev, there aren't many that I think will be able to hang with Cox for a full six minutes. Q: It's great to see there will be a World Championships for non-Olympic weight classes later this year in Hungary. Predict the Team USA lineup in men's freestyle for the Worlds in December. -- Mike C. Foley: I'm not sure if they will hold a separate World Team qualifier, but my guess right now is Reece Humphrey at 61 kilos and Zain Retherford at 70 kilos. Q: If Adeline Gray wins gold in Rio, will she be considered the greatest American women's freestyle wrestler ever? -- Mike C. Foley: The Olympic gold would tie her for World titles with Tricia Saunders, who had four World gold medals and one silver medal. However, if you properly weigh the advancement of the women's sport, the depth of 75 kilos and give a nudge for an Olympic gold then there isn't much doubt that Gray is the best women's wrestler in the history of the USA. Comment of the Week By Tyler So the United States qualified the fewest weights since the 50s. This happened during a time where wrestling talent in the country seems to be very high. How can this possibly happen? To me, it seems we have a very flawed qualifying system. The winner of a single tournament is who we send but this is often not the best guy. Frank Molinaro really spotlights this problem. While he is good, he is not better than the guys he beat on that day. I think Aaron Pico, Logan Stieber, Jordan Oliver and Brent Metcalf all have a better chance to not only qualify but also medal. James Green, Zain Retherford, Jimmy Kennedy and Kellen Russell all also are probably better on a number of other days. Our qualification system ignores international results and instead focuses only on domestic. David Taylor has shown the most promise, but we almost sent Kyle Dake who has not done well internationally and if J'den Cox gets hurt it will be Dake instead. The single tournament looks to be more based on fairness rather than results. Coleman Scott has an Olympic medal, but lost a criteria match to a wrestler who likely should have lost in a previous round and was unable to go. Daniel Dennis even said he thinks Scott is the best guy at the weight class! In the other styles, four weight classes were also not qualified. I do not know the competitors as well, but I am sure similar things happen. Should more be done to make sure the best team is sent?

Joliet Junior College, the nation's oldest two-year public college, is celebrating its 115th birthday by reinstating its intercollegiate wrestling program which had been eliminated nearly 30 years ago, the school located just outside Chicago announced Wednesday. The school's Board of Trustees approved at their Tuesday meeting the establishment of a wrestling program as a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) sport in fall 2017, if wrestling advocates raise the $30,000-$35,000 needed to relaunch the program by April 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported. As for the costs to Joliet Junior College, Athletic Director Wayne L. King, Jr., said Tuesday that he believed a $10,000 line item in the 2017 school budget to launch the wrestling program would be adequate for roughly 30 athletes. Overall insurance costs for the school would increase approximately $12,000 with the addition of wrestling, according to the Joliet Herald-News . In addition to budget aspects, the proposal approved by the board includes the establishment of a wrestling committee to be chaired by King which will oversee the hiring of a coach for the wrestling program. The inaugural season for the program would coincide with the 2017 opening the JJC Events Center which would have space for the program and its athletes. JJC currently has four sports for male athletes including baseball, basketball, soccer and cross country; and five sports for female athletes including basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball and cross country. Cheerleading and dance also are available for both males and females. In recent years, there have been efforts from within the local community -- including from local high school wrestling coaches -- to bring back wrestling at Joliet Junior College, with an eye to providing more competitive opportunities for wrestlers from the area ... and to increase enrollment at JJC. "This program has the potential to bring more student-athletes to JJC in the future, and I look forward to working with the wrestling advocates in our community to bring back a sport that has a rich history at the college," said King. "Joliet is known for producing excellent wrestlers," JJC Trustee Patricia Deiters said. "I think it's something that's going to attract people to this area and stay here." "We look forward to introducing wrestling once again to the athletic department at JJC," said Vice President of Student Development Dr. Yolanda Isaacs. "Our hope is that this program will offer current and future students another opportunity for developing themselves in athletic competition as well as in the classroom." Wrestling had been on the roster of Joliet Junior College from the 1960s into the mid-1980s, according to the school's official announcement. Individual JJC wrestlers and teams earned local, national and even international awards and recognition. Wrestling Coach Henry Pillard, who retired in 1985 after leading the program in the mid-60s then again from 1970 to 1985, was arguably the major force in the past success of the program. One of his most celebrated JJC wrestlers was Harry Geris, a Canadian native who started his collegiate career at Joliet, then went on to continued success as an Oklahoma State heavyweight, going up against the giants of the early 1970s such as Iowa State's Chris Taylor ... then wrestling for Canada at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. (Harry Geris' life is chronicled in the book "Buried Under the Maple Leaves" which was the subject of an InterMat Reads feature in July 2015.) Founded in 1901, Joliet Junior College is the oldest public two-year college in the U.S. It now serves 35,000 students at multiple campuses in and around Joliet, Illinois, a city located southwest of Chicago.