InterMat Staff

Don Buzzard, Iowa high school state champ, then Iowa State wrestling finalist, died Tuesday at Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo, Iowa. He was 69. Don BuzzardDonald Stephen Buzzard, Jr., was born July 16, 1946, in Waterloo. According to his biography at the Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame, Don Buzzard followed in his older brother Bob's footsteps into wrestling, taking up wrestling as a third grader by practicing with the local junior high team after school. Buzzard wrestled throughout junior high and his talent was quickly noticed. As a ninth grader, he was invited to wrestle on the Waterloo East High School varsity team at 120 pounds. That year he placed second at the state championship. Buzzard was undefeated his junior and senior year, winning back-to-back state wrestling titles at 165 in 1963 and 180 in 1964. (As a senior, Don Buzzard was one of five individual champs at East that year.) Buzzard's high school record was 50-4. Buzzard was a three-sport athlete at Waterloo East. In addition to his on-the-mat accomplishments, he was also All-state in football at East, according to his obituary. Buzzard received a scholarship to Iowa State University where he wrestled for legendary head coach Harold Nichols. As a Cyclone, Buzzard was a 1965 Midlands champion, a two-time Big 8 conference finalist, and a two-time All-American, making it to the 191-pound finals at the 1966 and 1967 NCAA championships. Buzzard compiled an overall college record of 54-5. Among his teammates at Iowa State: his brother Bob, Veryl Long, Gordon Hassman, Vic Marcucci, and Dale Bahr. Don Buzzard was welcomed into the Battle of Waterloo Hall of Fame in 2014. Donald Buzzard, Jr., is survived by his brother, Bob Buzzard of Salem, Oregon; two sisters, Kim Brown and Debbie Sillman of Montgomery, Alabama; brother-in-law Wally Dietz of Waterloo and nieces and nephews. Friends are invited to a Remembrance Gathering hosted by Bob and Pat Buzzard Thursday, April 28 at the Waterloo Elks Club at 407 East Park Avenue from 4-6 p.m. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family.

EDMOND, Okla -- The University of Central Oklahoma announced Friday that David James will not return next season as Central Oklahoma's head wrestling coach. David James"I want to thank Coach James for his extraordinary contributions to the University of Central Oklahoma," Muller said. "At UCO, we always expect to compete at a very high level and after evaluating our program over the past several weeks, I feel that it's necessary to move in a different direction." The university has offered James another position in the athletic department, but he has yet to make a decision on whether he will stay at UCO. "It has been a tremendous honor to be the UCO wrestling coach for such a long time," said the 58-year-old James. "I want to thank all the wrestlers who I have been associated with for 34 years and greatly appreciate all the relationships and friendships that I have with all the wrestlers in the program. UCO is a special place to me and always will be. "I would also like to thank the many people associated with the university and the athletic department for all their support all of these years. And certainly I want to thank my wife (Cherrie) and daughters (Hayden and Ryann) for their support and love throughout my career. "UCO is a special place to me and always will be." James led the Bronchos to 12 national championships - seven in NCAA Division II, five in NAIA - and a 396-144-5 dual record that ranks in the top 30 for career wins on all collegiate levels during his 34 years at the helm. He coached 48 individual national champions and 182 All-Americans, including a pair of rare four-time champions in Johnny Nimmo (1987-90) and Cole Province (2000-03). A prep standout at Del City High School, James became UCO's first-ever four-time All-American and was a two-time national champion from 1977-80, finishing with a 116-16 career record. James spent the 1980-81 season as a graduate assistant for the Bronchos before spending one year as assistant coach at Edmond Memorial High School. He returned to UCO in 1982 to take over the head coaching reigns. The search for James' replacement will begin immediately.

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia -- Friday brought disappointment for Team USA's Greco-Roman wrestling program. RaVaughn Perkins came up just short of earning a spot in the Olympic Games, losing in a true bronze medal match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)All three athletes competing at the 1st Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament failed to earn berths in the Olympic Games. The countries that place in the top three in each weight class earn qualification spots in the 2016 Olympic Games. The United State has qualified three weight class for the Olympic Games, but still has yet to qualify three. RaVaughn Perkins, competing at 66 kilos, came within one victory of earning an Olympic berth as he lost 5-0 in a true bronze medal match to Edgaras Venckaitis of Lithuania, a 2014 World bronze medalist. Jesse Thielke (59 kilos) and Joe Rau (98 kilos) both lost their opening matches. They were eliminated when the wrestlers who beat them failed to advance to the finals. Thielke was leading 5-0 before surrendering his lead late and losing 6-5 to Gaurav Sharma of India. Rau lost 4-1 to Sweden's Carl Fredrik Schoen. Perkins, Thielke and Rau will have one more opportunity to earn a spot in the Olympic Games. That opportunity comes May 6-8 in Istanbul, Turkey, at the 2nd Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament. Four U.S. women will look to qualify for the Olympic Games on Saturday in Mongolia.

The 1st World Olympic Qualifier starts today in Mongolia and the wrestlers from Team USA still need to qualify nine weight classes. The two freestyle weight classes are the focus of most fans and also the biggest concern. After his stunning set of upsets two weeks ago Frank Molinaro will head into the Ulaanbaatar event facing down arguably the most difficult weight class in the competition. Similarly, senior-level freestyle newcomer J'den Cox will take his 86-kilo upsets into the qualifier with a loaded field of opponents standing in his way. Though he hasn't wrestled much freestyle, Cox's aggressive and explosive attack-style of wrestling will throw many of his opponents off their game plan. There is no way for most foreigners to prepare for Cox and that'll leave the first few of his opponents in a stunned state. Can he carry that to the finals, or at least to a true third? Of course. After his Olympic Trials performance who'd dare doubt him. On the women's side, 55-kilo World champion Helen Maroulis is down to 53 kilos where she hopes to qualify. Assuming a solid weight cut she should be a lock to get the job done and focus on dethroning three-time champion Saori Yoshida. Tamyra Mensah (69 kilos) and Haley Augello (48 kilos) are also hoping to book their ticket. Mensah has shown incredible potential in the past year and with some coaching help should be able to place in the relatively light field. Augello, who has won a Cadet World title, will have a tougher road, but will need to work past top-level completion in North Korea, India and Mongolia. Kelsey Campbell is facing an uphill battle at 58 kilos with a slew of talented women entering the fray, including Grace Bullen of Norway, In Sun Jong of North Korea, and Natalia Golts of Russia. The Greco-Roman results are already decided with everything available for review at unitedworldwrestling.org. To your questions … Q: We've seen how successful our Cadet/Junior World champs can be at a very young age (see Aaron Pico and Kyle Snyder at World Team Trials). Do you think that our two-time World champ Spencer Lee will be a threat to make the 2017 World Team? Or is he still a few years away? -- Irv. Foley: Weight class and strength both play significant factors when sizing up the opportunities of youngsters at the senior level. Pico, and some extent Henry Cejudo, have overcome those obstacles by being full-time in the sport. Snyder seems to already have man strength at his age (out of puberty) and through hard work has learned how to stay in position. Spencer Lee, who this week committed to Iowa, is not done growing. That's good for Iowa, but bad for his chances of making a World team on the senior level any time soon. He'll need to specialize in the NCAA game, grow and find some man strength before he can compete with guys like Tony Ramos and Dan Dennis. However, I do like his chances of putting together a nice run in 2020, though I still think he'd have some filling out to do. Q: In my opinion, Ian Miller has been one of if not the most exciting college wrestler to watch over the past few seasons. I think he's as dynamic from the neutral position as anyone in the country, including a lot of the senior level guys around his weight. (Jordan Burroughs is probably the lone exception.) Has there been any information regarding what his future plans in the sport are? I think he could absolutely be in the mix at 74 kilos, but his athletic ability and penchant for explosive moves could make for an interesting transition to MMA? What do you think? -- James R. Ian Miller battles Isaiah Martinez in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: Something about Ian Miller feels like an MMA fighter, but I think there is a lot to your point that he is explosive and can score moves quickly. If I were his agent -- or running his life free of knowing personal responsibilities -- I'd advocate giving freestyle a real try. Move to the training center, get funding to wrestle overseas, and make the most of his talents on the mat. If after giving it two years he still isn't competing with top international guys he can raise his hand and be chosen by any number of fight teams around the country. There is no loss at starting MMA later, but there is almost no going back to wrestling after you slip on the gloves. Q: I think Tom Brands should be on the hot seat at Iowa. He needs to recruit better and change his ways a bit to compete with Penn State. Like any biz, you need to adapt to the changes to compete. -- Paul E. Foley: In fairness you wrote this question before Brands landed top recruits Spencer Lee and Gavin Teasdale. Those guys are pretty sure bets for the podium, and one could assume that includes that top of the podium. As for changing his ways … there you might have a point. If Brands can find the right balance between intensity and technique, he can win big with recruits like Lee and Teasdale. Q: What is the pay for USA Wrestling athletes? In light of the recent institutional discrimination by USA Soccer, I want to know specifically what our women and men make when on the Olympic and World teams and in camp at the USOTC. Are travel and per diems standardized? Do world and Olympic medal bonuses pay identically? Are accommodations identical when on the road? -- Nate H. Foley: Each athlete on the ladder (top three) is paid the same stipend, with men and women receiving equal pay. The athletes are given increases to their stipend for winning tournaments like the World Championships, which means that Dan Dennis is not making the same monthly stipend as Adeline Gray -- not even close. The bonuses from Living the Dream Medal Fund pay the exact same amount to both men and women medalists, too. Accommodations on the road are exactly the same at any given tournament. Q: I notice a larger public push for NCAA (male) athletes football and basketball players to be paid. If the push is successful do see it having adverse effects on college wrestling at the Division I level? -- Marcus R. Foley: Loaded question, but I don't think so. In fact, I think it'll be a boon. The NCAA is most likely going to allow athletes to sign endorsement deals while still in college. This means that the school won't assume any more financial burden and athletes across the board can make extra income. For example, Kyle Snyder could sign with Asics and maybe wear their shoes, or maybe even sing with Milwaukee Tools and do TV spots. More money in the system may only be the start. Once the NCAA moves closer to admitting these aren't amateurs they may open up the legal route to having the entirety of the system be challenged (again) in court. Q: What is going on with Chance Marsteller? Is he done? Is he transferring? -- Matthew R. Foley: I don't know. There hasn't been any solid rumors and the guys I depend on for this information didn't know much as of two weeks ago. Q: If you're the AD at Boise State, who are the coaches you're calling about the head coaching position? -- Mike C. Foley: There was a weird turn of events at Boise State with the wrestling program first parting ways with longtime assistant coach Chris Owens, and then Greg Randall getting fired. That tells me the administration learned of something they didn't like, or possibly that the team spoke up. I'd keep an eye on what happens next because that might tell us a lot about the future of the program. Yet, it could just be a lack of performance as they were 9-25-1 in the past three seasons. You're going to see the same names applying here that you see for most jobs, but I don't have someone in mind that would be a shoe-in option. Randall was at that program for so long that I'd have to think of regional ties in order to fill that role. For me the best option may be Cody Sanderson. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Power of Sport Cornish Wrestling Q: Watching Anthony Valencia at the Last Chance Olympic Team Trials Qualifier reminded me of how stacked Arizona State will be next year. What do you think is their team's ceiling at the NCAAs? Can they win a trophy? Beat Penn State/Ohio State/VPI? -- Irv. Foley: I love that you called Virginia Tech "VPI." That feels like an old school dig from my Wahoo days, but I don't know that it is really anything more than their appropriate acronym. No, Arizona State won't beat Penn State, but I do think that a well performing Zeke Jones squad is in the top ten. An incredible performance puts them in the top five. They certainly are showing signs of sparkle, but until these all-star recruits, namely the Valencia boys, start wading through the NCAA season you can't project their total impact. Case in point is judging the effect of Myles Martin midseason, or Chance Marstellar at the start. Possessing promise is only part of the equation in a collegiate season that spans five months and 30-plus matches. In reality promise is mostly a handicap, especially if you find out that you have thin skin or delicate ears. Q: Does Henry Cejudo have a legit shot at beating Mighty Mouse for the UFC title on Saturday night? -- Mike C. Foley: Mighty Mouse looks about as unbeatable an opponent as we've seen in the UFC. The smaller guys don't have as much knockout power, so Johnson can depend almost entirely on outpointing an opponent. While Cejudo has good striking he hasn't yet perfected it for the octagon in the same way as Johnson. He also lacks that KO power to even the fight or make Johnson honest in the pocket. Most concerning for Cejudo is that Johnson's wrestling might be on the same level while in the octagon … seriously. The champ's techniques are adapted to the octagon and he's proven very difficult to take to the mat and hold down. I'm pulling for Cejudo, but he's winning this fight, at most, two of ten times. Q: The Madison Square Garden NCAA tournament was cool. I know the attendance wasn't quite as high, but I agree they need to put it on both coasts occasionally or even the South to grow the sport. What was not encouraging was the slight drop in the TV ratings. The common wisdom was that it would go up due to being in NYC. Two years ago Bob Bowlsby spoke to the Wrestlers in Business during the St. Louis NCAAs. He was very supportive of wrestling, but very frustrated at why they don't move the tourney back a week so it's not up against the opening week of NCAA men's basketball March Madness. This would be a great change and I was wondering if there is any traction for that move? -- Mike S. Foley: I think that the attendance was about as sold out as you're going to find. The numbers were lighter, but that was mostly based on the size of the arena. Money was made and crowds were joyous. Pretty much all you can ask for in terms of crowd size and makeup. The international sports community loves to send tournaments to smaller countries because they are able to make money for their federation AND typically earn more medals (which usually results in more money from government officials). The NCAA model works differently. You need to have a large local fan base, or the accessibility of a major transportation hub like something in Dallas or Atlanta. Still, you run a risk of having light crowds, or worse still, unenthusiastic crowds. The days of the tournament are silly. The NCAA controls that, though I think they would be responsive to pressure from a proposal, which outlined a benefit to student welfare and the bottom line. The larger matter is having the sport span two semesters. Solving that should be top priority, but not letting perfection be the enemy of good, I think that moving conference a week earlier (Pac-12) along with the NCAAs would be an easy solution and result in much more viewership. Q: Is Aaron Pico done wrestling? I'm excited to see him compete in MMA. -- Mike C. Foley: I don't know. I think it would be foolish to give up when he still has another four years to travel the world, make the World team and generate a livable income. What's the pressure to go work on jiu-jitsu and boxing for three years when in that same time he can make more money and likely increase his name recognition. There is so much for him to learn about the sport of wrestling it would be a shame to see him leave. Q: While watching the Olympic Team Trials, I started to wonder about something. When the weight classes are qualified and the team is officially set, do they practice in Colorado as a team or do they remain with their respective clubs and practice partners until competition time? -- Derek O. Foley: Both. There are team training camps that every wrestler must attend, including the second and third team members. When not at a training camp they will supplement with their respective clubs.

Messiah College, a private Christian college in central Pennsylvania, has enjoyed a strong tradition of excellence on a national level in NCAA Division III athletics, particularly in the fall with men's and women's soccer winning multiple national championships and field hockey making multiple Final Four appearances as well. The wrestling team has recently added to this tradition, with the 2015-16 season bringing many new highs for the program. Messiah was the national runner-up, finishing 29.5 points behind perennial Division III wrestling power Wartburg and 36 points ahead of third-place finisher Luther College, The Falcons earned six total All-Americans and crowned two national champions: Lucas Malmberg at 125 pounds and Ben Swarr at 174 pounds. Bryan Brunk celebrates after a victory (Photo/Messiah College)This rise to national contention has been led for the past 13 seasons by head coach Bryan Brunk, who was named the Coach of the Year for 2016 by the NWCA and d3wrestle.com, Rookie Coach of the Year in 2004, and received the Bob Budd Coaching Excellence Award in 2005. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with coach Brunk and talk about Falcon wrestling, the success of the program, and what he believes makes Messiah a unique and special place for college wrestling. We initially talked about how he came to Messiah and what made it the right fit for him as a head coach. "For me, Messiah College is a round hole and I'm a round peg," said Brunk. "I think I'm a great coach here but I have no clue if I'm a great coach anywhere else. I know wrestling OK, I think, but my strength as a coach is in relationships. I disciple young men here through the sport of wrestling to be more like Jesus Christ. That's what I'm put on earth to do and here, with guys who know that's the mission of the place, it works. I can inspire them. I can lead them. I can mold them. And they respond to it. If I were someplace else, I'd have to find a different way to inspire and lead and mold, and maybe I could still do it, but I just know that this place is a round hole and I'm a round peg." I asked Coach Brunk what he tells a high school wrestler considering coming to Messiah to wrestle. "I have a whole spiel and it probably sounds somewhat canned because I say it a lot, but it's easy for me to sell Messiah," said Brunk. "Part of my job as a recruiter is to sell it, but it's easy for me because I really, really believe it. I think that Messiah is the best place to wrestle in the country. Now of course that doesn't mean we're the best team every year. We haven't won a national title yet in Division III, and certainly if we wrestled Penn State in a dual, they might edge us out [with a grin]. But we can't say that without first producing on the mat, so some of that is the athletic product that we're putting out there. "We're producing All-Americans, and national champions, and teams with winning records, and conference and regional championship teams, and now two trophies at the national championship in the past three years. So to start with, we have to show that we have the ability to produce athletically and to develop our guys athletically. If a kid comes here, he knows that he has the chance to develop into one of those types of athletes." He emphasized the focus on academics at the college as well but then elaborated on what he feels to be the distinguishing factor for Messiah wrestling. "I just think we have the best team culture in the country. We're having so much fun as a team. I don't think enough college coaches talk about having fun. I mean, you come in with a recruit and you tell him how you're going to make him a national champ and how you're going to help him get good grades so that he can get a job after college. Everybody talks about those things. But these are the best years of your life. You've got so much fun as an 18-22 year old living on a campus full of 18-22 years-olds and at a place like Messiah where all these guys are mostly like-minded … You're never going to have that experience again. It's a fun time! And we want to make sure that the wrestling team contributes to that great, fun experience. There's a time for putting aside fun and working hard, but even there we try to find ways to have fun. There are weekends where I show up at a tournament with some weird beard because the guys won a competition like 'who got the most takedowns' at the last tournament and got to tell me how I had to shave my beard for the next tournament. We're having fun in those kinds of ways, where it doesn't take anything away from the hard work, but we're going to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously. "And then finally, within the team culture is just a real spiritual focus. I am put on earth to disciple. That's what I am most gifted at. We do this through formal ways and informal ways, through the ways we talk about ourselves, about why we wrestle, how we're different than other programs, about what our identity is and what winning and losing mean to us. I think we're known as a team for how we love each other and for having a culture that's focused primarily on knowing Jesus Christ better and making Him known to other people." Bryan Brunk was named Coach of the Year by the NWCA and D3Wrestle.com (Photo/Messiah College)We talked briefly about Coach Brunk's emphasis in the wrestling room on aggression and an attacking style. "Any technique set that somebody runs can be aggressive and relentless, constantly trying to score points. We try to make sure that our guys are constantly attacking for a full seven minutes because you never want to be satisfied and let up. I think that's not just good wrestling technique, I think it's good character. When you've done enough and then you try to coast -- I mean that happens in life all the time too -- and that's not good character. When you tense up and try to hold onto something, you tend to make more mistakes or at least give someone else a chance to come back and take it from you." "I think that coaching, more than anything else, is building relationships. The best coaches are the coaches that have somebody on the other end that would run through a brick wall for them." Finally I pointed out that the gap between Messiah and Wartburg was smaller than the gap between Messiah and the third place team and asked what coach Brunk felt it would take to get to the top of the podium as a team. "I think it is more of the same, and I also think it doesn't matter if it happens or not. People may hear that and take it the wrong way. If someone hears that and thinks, 'Well, they don't really want it,' then they don't know me. It's not that I don't care, but that it doesn't matter. If I become the coach of a national championship team, it's going to be gratifying and I'm going to be excited about it. I'm going to pump up that trophy and we're going to celebrate. But 15 years from now nobody's going to remember, and it won't matter. I asked my guys to do a lot of work on their identity so that they could go into the postseason specifically with it being OK if they win a national title and OK if they lose and don't reach All-American status. But only OK either way. And it's going to hurt if you don't reach your goals and that's OK. It's OK to hurt. And it's going to be exciting if you do, and that's OK. It's OK to be excited. "But the baseline is that my identity and my value are already predetermined. I don't base my value or my identity on any of my wrestling or coaching accomplishments. I base it on who I am in Jesus Christ and as an off-shoot of that, I base it on the relationships I have around me because I know that they are an off-shoot of my relationship with Jesus Christ." Coach Brunk speaks fondly of and with high praise for his assistant coaches and feels that they deserve much of the credit for the success of the program. All five of them are former wrestlers at Messiah during Brunk's tenure. "I get really uncomfortable with the accolades, I really do," said Brunk. "I don't like it. I don't want that to be taken the wrong way either. I'm not ungrateful. I'm grateful for it. But in part it's because I know my assistant coaches won the Coach of the Year more than I did when I look at the amount of time each one of them put into our guys. These guys have done it. I'm just kind of facilitating it. That's where I find my sense of worth and value. I hope that is seen as a product of my true value only coming from Jesus and what He did for me and who I am in Him. I'm a child of the King. I'm forever forgiven. Those are the things that make me who I am, and I'll coach hard because of that." I found Coach Brunk to be passionate about what he is doing with a love for his team, assistant coaches, and school that he could not hide. It is clear to me from my time spent with him and from the results his team is getting on the mat that he is the right man for the job and, as he says, a round peg for a round hole.

A former New Jersey wrestling star who has been battling kidney disease and searching for a transplant for the past 18 months, has found the perfect match: his girlfriend. Brett Epps with girlfriend Alixandra CiriglianoBrett Epps, 26, a one-time wrestler at Rutgers Prep, has been living with a serious kidney disease since October 2014 -- and months of searching for a compatible donor -- has found that "perfect matc" in the person who he intends to marry: Alixandra Cirigliano. Here's the message posted Tuesday on the "Wrestling My Toughest Opponent Ever" Facebook page set up to help Epps with a kidney transplant: "We got some wonderful news today! Brett has a kidney donor! A loving, selfless, caring young woman has offered her kidney, and she's been fully approved! Even better, it's Brett's girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancee, Alix! He's asking for her hand in marriage, and she's giving him more than that -- she's giving him life. It may be the first time in Verizon's corporate history that two employees get married and share a kidney! "The surgery is set for May 11! We are praying that everything goes well, and we know you are, too. We will certainly keep you posted!" Epps' plight had been well-publicized within his home state of New Jersey, outlining his health issues, frequent nine-hour dialysis treatments, and providing news updates on potential donors. His former coach had volunteered to be a donor; months ago, a seemingly perfect match had been found, with the would-be donor going into surgery only to have complications get in the way of contributing his kidney. Epps had learned that his girlfriend of three years was the right one, in terms of a kidney match. But the chivalrous former wrestler originally didn't want her to endure the procedure ... but, in time, changed his mind. "She was very persistent and did it anyway," Epps told New Jersey News 12. "It really just showed her love for me, and I really can't thank her enough for that." The couple, who now lives in North Carolina, plan to get married, assuming the surgery works. Epps had established a GoFundMe.com page to help provide funding for the transplant. At that website, Epps described his situation: "Up until October 2014, I had never been sick a day in my life. I graduated from Elizabethtown College in PA in 2010, and I had my whole life in front of me. I moved to North Carolina and began working and planning for the future. "But a short time ago, I was rushed to the hospital with extremely high blood pressure. There, I was diagnosed with a kidney disease I never heard of, much less knew I had. It's called FSGS -- old fashioned doctors called it 'Nephrotic Syndrome' -- and it was attacking my kidneys without me even knowing. "By the time I was released from the hospital, my kidneys were functioning at just 13% of capacity. My doctor here in North Carolina, an excellent physician, advised me that I would need to go on dialysis in preparation for a kidney transplant. "Unfortunately, this disease has caught me 'between insurances,' and I may have to foot a large portion of my medical bills by myself." As of late Wednesday night, Epps' GoFundMe account had raised just over $17,000 of a goal of $25,000.

A pair of wrestlers that ended the 2015-16 high school season ranked No. 1 in the nation at their weight class verbally committed to the University of Iowa on Wednesday afternoon. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) is ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2017, and was the top-ranked 120-pound wrestler this past season. Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.) is ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2018, and was the top-ranked 113-pound wrestler this past season. FloWrestling.com first reported the commitments. Spencer Lee (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)Both Lee and Teasdale are undefeated in their high school careers, Lee having won three state titles and Teasdale two. Each is projected as a 125/133 for their collegiate career. Lee is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge champion, a UWW world freestyle champion each of the previous two years at 50 kilograms (Cadet in 2014, Junior in 2015), and a two-time Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion. Teasdale has twice represented the United States at the UWW Cadet world championships after winning a Cadet freestyle national title, 42 kilograms in 2014 and 50 kilograms in 2015. At present, Iowa has three other verbal commitments from top 50 prospects in the 2017 class, while Teasdale is the first commit for 2018.

Bob Hartman, first wrestler to earn NCAA All-American honors for Columbia University who went on to share his mat expertise as a collegiate coach, passed away March 15 at Blue Ridge Hospice Residential Center in Virginia. He was 84. InterMat recently learned of Hartman's death from the Columbia University alumni publication, "Columbia College Today" Spring 2016 issue. Bob HartmanRobert Stephen Hartman wrestled for New York City-based Columbia, becoming the first Lion to become an All-American by placing fourth in the 137-pound bracket at the 1951 NCAA championships held at Lehigh University. The Tuckersville, Pennsylvania native took second as a junior at the Eastern Championships at 137 pounds, and placed third in the same competition as a senior. Hartman, a two-time team captain, earned 28 victories and one tie in 31 dual meets, according to a 1952 issue of the Columbia Daily Spectator. The student newspaper also quoted Columbia head wrestling coach Dick Waite as saying "Hartman does so many things well in a wrestling match." Prior to coming to Columbia, Hartman graduated from Wyoming Seminary in 1948. He wrestled and ran track at the prep school located Kingston, Pennsylvania in the northeast portion of the state. Hartman won the National Prep School Wrestling Championship in the 128 weight class as a senior. In addition, he met his future wife, the former Nancy Jackson. After graduating from Columbia, Hartman served as a freshman wrestling coach at his college alma mater for a time before serving in the United States Army from 1955-1957 in Korea. He coached the Far East Army wrestling team while there. From 1957-1978, Hartman was a professor of physical education and the wrestling coach at SUNY Farmingdale, a junior college of the State University of New York on Long Island, New York. He was instrumental in the creation of the first NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Wrestling National Championship in 1966. In addition to coaching individual national champions, Hartman's 1972 team went on to win the national title. Hartman was twice voted the NJCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year by his peers in 1969 and 1972. He was inducted into the NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1979. In 1973, Hartman was selected to be the coach of the U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team at the World University Games in Moscow. He was also the wrestling team leader in the junior Pan-American Games in Caracas, Venezuela in 1978, the year he retired from SUNY. Survivors include daughters, Judy Brown and Holly Flynn; son, Robert S. Hartman, Jr "Butch"; and 11 grandchildren. Sadly, Nancy, his wife of 61 years, passed away not long after Bob. Memorial contributions may be made to North Mountain Fire and Rescue, 186 Rosenberger Lane, Winchester, VA 22602 or Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 West Cork Street, Suite 405, Winchester, VA 22601. Robert "Bob" Hartman is being inducted posthumously into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Friday, April 29, 2016 at the Melville Marriott in Melville, Long Island.

Jim Kinyon, Oklahoma State wrestler who later coached at Colorado State University until the program's demise, passed away in February at age 80, Amateur Wrestling News reported in its April 15 issue. Jim Kinyon Although born in Lovington, New Mexico on December 1, 1936, Jimmy Floyd Kinyon is long associated with wrestling in the states of Oklahoma, then Colorado. Kinyon grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he was a two-time state champion at Stillwater High School in the early 1950s. He stayed in town for his college education, attending what was then called Oklahoma A&M (Agricultural and Mechanical) College (now Oklahoma State), where he was a multi-sport athlete, competing in football, track and wrestling until he was drafted into the Navy in March 1957. As a Cowboy wrestler, Jim Kinyon compiled a 68-2-1 record, according to the Oklahoma State student newspaper, the Daily O'Colly, in its announcement of Kinyon's passing. After completing his service in the Navy as a sports specialist, Jim Kinyon earned his bachelor's degree at Oklahoma State in 1962, then his Master's at Central State College in Edmond, Oklahoma. Kinyon began his teaching and coaching career as a classroom teacher and head wrestling coach in Oberlin, Kansas where his teams won two consecutive state championships before he returned to Oklahoma. At Sapulpa High School, Kinyon became a teacher and head wrestling coach, claiming back-to-back Oklahoma state championships, according to his obituary in The Coloradan. Later he was the wrestling coach, classroom teacher, and counselor at Midwest City High School in suburban Oklahoma City where his teams again won two consecutive state championships. He was named Rookie Coach of the Year and Wresting Coach of the Year while in the Sooner State. Jim Kinyon's success in high school coaching propelled him into the collegiate coaching ranks at Colorado State University in Fort Collins in 1972. In addition to being named head wrestling coach, Kinyon was also a physical education instructor. In his first season at CSU, Kinyon took the Rams to a 13-2 season – the best record in the history of the program, according to the 1973 Silver Spruce yearbook. For those efforts, Kinyon was named NCAA Rookie Coach of the Year. He took the Rams to their first Western Athletic Conference title in the 72-year history of wrestling at the school, and guided his wrestlers to an overall record of 73-62. When the wrestling program was eliminated at Colorado State in 1984 because of Title IX, Jim Kinyon become a dean of students and head wrestling coach at Smokey Hill High School outside of Denver. Jim Kinyon was past President of Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and past President of the Western Athlete Conference Coaches Association. He was also a certified NCAA and high school wrestling official as well as serving on the National High School Wrestling Rules Committee. Kinyon is survived by a son, Jay and daughter, Jennifer. He has two granddaughters and a great-granddaughter, as well as a brother Phil, a three-time NCAA finalist at Oklahoma State in the early 1960s who won the 157-pound title at the 1961 NCAAs. A memorial service for Jim Kinyon was held in Fort Collins, Colorado on February 24. Contributions in Jim Kinyon's memory may be made to National Wresting Hall of Fame and Museum at 405 Hall of Fame Ave, Stillwater, OK 74075 or National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at 303 Jefferson St, Waterloo, IA 50701.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger announced the addition of former NCAA All-American David Hoffman to the Mocs coaching staff today. Hoffman has over 10 years of experience as an NCAA Division I assistant coach, including six years at Bucknell and the last for at his alma mater, Virginia Tech. David HoffmanHoffman coached the lower weights for the Hokies, who just set a school record with a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championships in March. He also assisted in recruiting and aided with other various duties. "We are extremely excited to add David to our staff," stated head coach Heath Eslinger. "I was impressed by the candidates that were interested in this job, but he separated himself from the rest of the group during the interview process. "David brings a lot to the room from a technical coaching aspect, and that is evident by the number of All-Americans he has coached in his career. However, I am also excited about the recruiting connections he brings. He will open up new doors for us as we continue to work towards our goal of making an impact at the NCAA Championships." Virginia Tech finished in the top-10 at the NCAAs all four years Hoffman was on the staff. He helped the Hokies to two ACC team titles, two ACC dual meet titles and 12 wrestlers earned All-America honors in his tenure. In four seasons at Tech, Hoffman directly worked with All-Americans Nick Brascetta (149 & twice at 157), Devin Carter (twice at 141), Solomon Chisko (141), Joey Dance (125), Jarrod Garnett (125) and Zach Neibert (141). Hoffman coached six seasons with the Bison, including five as the top assistant. There he helped 149-pound Kevin LeValley to two All-American honors and several school records. He also guided 133-pounder David Marble to four consecutive appearances at the NCAAs. A Spring City, Penn., native, Hoffman graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006 with a degree in Health and Physical Education. He was a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier on the mat. As a senior in 2006, Hoffman placed eighth at the NCAAs, earning All-American honors at 141 pounds. He placed with a dramatic, last-second win over Michigan's fifth-seeded Josh Churella, that included a takedown at the buzzer. During his career with the Hokies, Hoffman compiled a record of 116-32, including 38 pins. He also earned Freshman All-America honors from Amateur Wrestling News in 2002 and was a three-time captain of the Hokies' squad. At The Hill School in Pottstown, Penn., Hoffman was a five-time prep All-American, two-time prep national champion and one of only two wrestlers in school history to achieve All-America status five times. He posted a record of 195-17 in his prep school career. Hoffman and his wife, Lisa, have one daughter, Madelyn Rose.

Morgan McIntosh was dominant in Fargo in the summer of 2011 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The 2015-16 collegiate wrestling season came to its conclusion one month ago with the completion of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in New York City. The seniors competing in that tournament were mostly fifth-year seniors, so that means in most cases they graduated high school in 2011. An interesting discussion to have is one about the overall careers of the graduated wrestlers. Another perpetual question is if those that come into college as the best prospects perform the best in college. There's also the conversation about those that grow, develop, and thrive through their college careers from both highly touted prep prospects and being lesser touted entering college. Below are the top 25 Division I collegiate careers for wrestlers that graduated high school in 2011. 1. Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) Rank in 2011: No. 15 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA All-American, three-time NCAA champion (2014-2016) 2. Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State/Binghamton) Rank in 2011: No. 12 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA All-American, three-time NCAA finalist, 2014 and 2015 NCAA champion 3. Nico Megaludis (Penn State) Rank in 2011: No. 5 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA All-American, three-time NCAA finalist, 2016 NCAA champion 4. Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) Rank in 2011: No. 49 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA All-American, two-time NCAA finalist, 2016 NCAA champion 5. Logan Storley (Minnesota) Rank in 2011: No. 4 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA All-American, competed from 2012-2015 without redshirting as a freshman 6. Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) Rank in 2011: No. 42 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA All-American, 2015 NCAA champion 7. James Green (Nebraska) Rank in 2011: No. 21 Four-time NCAA All-American, competed 2012-2015 without redshirting as a freshman 8. Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) Rank in 2011: No. 1 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American, 2016 NCAA runner-up 9. Ian Miller (Kent State) Rank in 2011: No. 45 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American 10. Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) Rank in 2011: No. 37 Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American 11. Conner Hartman (Duke) Rank in 2011: None Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three-time NCAA All-American 12. Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) Rank in 2011: No. 7 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American (2012 and 2013 as true freshman and sophomore) 13. Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) Rank in 2011: No. 52 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, 2015 NCAA runner-up 14. Mason Beckman (Lehigh) Rank in 2011: No. 6 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 appearance 15. Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State) Rank in 2011: No. 22 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 appearance 16. Cody Walters (Ohio) Rank in 2011: None Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 appearance 17. Evan Henderson (North Carolina) Rank in 2011: No. 26 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American 18. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) Rank in 2011: No. 75 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American 19. Jordan Conaway (Penn State) Rank in 2011: Weight Class Only Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 appearance 20. Earl Hall (Iowa State) Rank in 2011: No. 84 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American, additional round of 12 appearance (has one year of eligibility remaining) 21. Connor Youtsey (Michigan) Rank in 2011: No. 60 Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American (has one year of eligibility remaining) 22. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers) Rank in 2011: Weight Class Only Three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time NCAA All-American 23. Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Rank in 2011: No. 59 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, fourth in the 2015 NCAA tournament (has one year of eligibility remaining) 24. Vic Avery (Edinboro) Rank in 2011: No. 86 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, third in the 2015 NCAA tournament 25. David Terao (American) Rank in 2011: None Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, fourth in the 2016 NCAA tournament, two time in the round of 12 (2014, 2015) Honorable Mention (alphabetical order): Kenny Courts (Ohio State) Rank in 2011: No. 16 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, fifth in the 2015 NCAA tournament, additional round of 12 appearance Matthew Miller (Navy) Rank in 2011: None Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, fifth in the 2015 NCAA tournament, additional round of 12 appearance Daniel Neff (Lock Haven) Rank in 2011: No. 57 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, 8th in the 2015 NCAA tournament Jade Rauser (Utah Valley) Rank in 2011: No. 32 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, eighth in the 2016 NCAA tournament Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) Rank in 2011: No. 18 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, two-time in the round of 12 (2013, 2016) Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) Rank in 2011: None Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA qualifier, sixth in the 2014 NCAA tournament, additional round of 12 appearance Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State) Rank in 2011: No. 82 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA qualifier, three times in the round of 12 (2013, 2014, 2016) Below are some notable collegiate wrestling careers for top 100 Class of 2011 student-athletes that competed outside of Division I: Robert Dierna (SUNY-Cortland) Rank in 2011: No. 98 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA Division III All-American, 2016 NCAA Division III champion Donny Longendyke (Augsburg) Rank in 2011: No. 20 Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA Division III finalist, 2015 NCAA Division III champion Destin McCauley (Nebraska-Kearney) Rank in 2011: No. 2 Accomplishments: Two-time NCAA Division II All-American, 2016 NCAA Division II champion Travis McKillop (Pitt-Johnstown) Rank in 2011: No. 31 Accomplishments: Four-time NCAA Division II All-American, 2014 and 2016 NCAA Division II runner-up Terrell Wilbourn (Lindenwood/Iowa Central) Rank in 2011: No. 29 Accomplishments: Three-time NCAA Division II All-American, 2016 NCAA Division II champion; 2012 NJCAA champion Below are some notable career performances outside of collegiate wrestling, for top 100 Class of 2011 student-athletes: Jack Allen (Michigan State football) Rank in 2011: No. 96 Accomplishments: Four-year starter on the offensive line (guard/center 2012, center 2013-2015); Three-time All-Conference honoree (Two-time First Team), 2014 and 2015 All-American Austin Blythe (Iowa football) Rank in 2011: No. 25 Accomplishments: Four-year starter on the offensive line (guard 2012, center 2013-2015); Three-time All-Conference honoree, 2015 All-American Jesse Thielke (Wisconsin/USOTC) Rank in 2011: No. 3 Accomplishments: 2015 NCAA Division I qualifier; fourth in the 2012 Olympic Team Trials (Greco-Roman), 2013 Senior World Championships participant (Greco-Roman), 2016 Olympic Team Trials champion (Greco-Roman) For reference purposes, below were the final top 25 Class of 2011 wrestler rankings: 1. Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) 2. Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, Minn.) 3. Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis.) 4. Logan Storley (Webster, S.D.) 5. Nico Megaludis (Franklin Regional, Pa.) 6. Mason Beckman (Reynolds, Pa.) 7. Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio) 8. Austin Ormsbee (Blair Academy, N.J.) 9. Chris Phillips (Monroeville, Ohio) 10. Tanner Hall (Meridian, Idaho) 11. Nick Hodgkins (Wyomissing, Pa.) 12. Nick Gwiazdowski (Duanesburg, N.Y.) 13. Jahwon Akui (St. Rita, Ill.) 14. Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, N.J.) 15. Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, Wis.) 16. Kenny Courts (Central Dauphin, Pa.) 17. Zach Horan (Nazareth, Pa.) 18. Jake Sueflohn (Arrowhead, Wis.) 19. Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, Calif.) 20. Donny Longendyke (White Bear Lake, Minn.) 21. James Green (Willingboro, N.J.) 22. Austin Marsden (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.) 23. Peter Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) 24. Edwin Cooper (Providence Catholic, Ill.) 25. Austin Blythe (Williamsburg, Iowa)

Nine champions from the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling will compete in the 1st Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament, set for Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, April 22-24. These athletes will be attempting to qualify their weight class and themselves for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There will be four U.S. women freestyle wrestlers, three Greco-Roman wrestlers and two men's freestyle wrestlers in this important competition. So far, there have been two stages of Olympic Qualification. In these phases, the United States qualified for the Rio Olympic Games in nine weight classes, but did not qualify in nine other weight classes. The U.S. wrestlers who won the Olympic Trials in the nine non-qualified weight classes will be wrestling in Mongolia. The U.S. delegations in all three styles have already traveled to Ulaanbaatar to prepare for the tournament. The top three men's freestyle and Greco-Roman placewinners in Mongolia qualify their nations to compete at the Olympic Games, while the top two women freestyle placewinners in each weight qualify their nation for the Olympics. Nations may only enter athletes in this tournaments in weight classes which they have not already qualified for Rio. Greco-Roman will be contested on Friday, April 22, women's freestyle on Saturday, April 23 and men's freestyle on Sunday, April 24. On Friday, the U.S. will be represented in Greco-Roman by U.S. Olympic Team Trials champions Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wis./New York AC/OTC) at 59 kg/130 lbs., RaVaughn Perkins (Omaha, Neb./New York AC/OTC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Joe Rau (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 98 kg/215 lbs. Thielke, who wrestled at the Univ. of Wisconsin, was a member of the 2013 U.S. World Team, while Rau, an NCAA Div. III champion for Elmhurst College, was on the 2014 U.S. World Team. Perkins is a 2014 U.S. Open champion. On Saturday, the four women competing are U.S. Olympic Team Trials champions Haley Augello (Lockport, Ill./New York AC/OTC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Helen Maroulis (Huntington Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 53 kg/116.5 lbs., Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 58 kg/128 lbs. and Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC/OTC) at 69 kg/152 lbs. Maroulis was a 2012 World champion and is a three-time World medalist. Campbell was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team and competed in the 2010 and 2011 World Championships. Augello was a 2011 Cadet World champion and is on her first Senior U.S. team. Mensah is also on her first Senior U.S. World-level team. All four are past women's college national champions, with Augello at King Univ., Maroulis at Simon Fraser, Campbell at Arizona State and Mensah at Wayland Baptist. Maroulis won four WCWA college national titles. On Sunday, competing for the USA in men's freestyle are U.S. Olympic Team Trials champions Frank Molinaro (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) at 65 kg/143 lbs. and J'Den Cox (Columbia, Mo./Missouri Wrestling Federation) at 86 kg/189 lbs. Both were seeded ninth at the Olympic Trials, and both qualified for their first U.S. Senior-level team with outstanding performances. Molinaro was an NCAA champion for Penn State, while Cox, a junior at Missouri this year, is a two-time NCAA champion. If any of the nine U.S. entries fall short of the qualifying standards, there will be only one more chance to earn a spot in the Rio Olympic Games, the 2nd Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament set for Istanbul, Turkey, May 6-8. United World Wrestling is expected to have a live web stream of the competition from Ulaanbaatar, and also live results on their website, UnitedWorldWrestling.org. Please note that Ulaanbaatar is 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone. TheMat.com and all of USA Wrestling's social media platforms will also provide extensive coverage. In wrestling, nations must qualify participants to compete in the Olympic Games, as the size of the field is restricted. There will be 19 wrestlers in each weight class in the men's disciplines, and 18 wrestlers in each weight class in the women's disciplines. There could be some additional athletes included in the field from the host nation Brazil and through the Tripartite Commission invitation process. In total, there will be 344 wrestlers competing in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Phase One was the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., where the top six athletes in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes qualified their nation for the Olympic Games. Phase Two were the continental Olympic Games Qualifiers (Europe, Asia, Pan American, Africa/Oceania). The 2016 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier was held in Frisco, Texas, March 4-6, as the top two athletes in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes qualified their nation for the Olympic Games. All of the continental qualifiers have now been completed. The United States has qualified complete Olympic Teams in wrestling for every Olympics since qualification was instituted in 1996, except for 2008 in Beijing, China, when it did not qualify at 74 kg in Greco-Roman and for 2012 in London, England, when it did not qualify at 60 kg in Greco-Roman. 1st OLYMPIC GAMES WORLD QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT At Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, April 22-24 U.S. Greco-Roman roster (competes April 22) 59 kg/130 lbs. - Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (New York AC/OTC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. - RaVaughn Perkins, Omaha, Neb. (New York AC/OTC) 98 kg/215 lbs. - Joe Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) National Greco-Roman Coach - Matt Lindland, Colorado Springs, Colo. Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach - Momir Petkovic, Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Women's freestyle roster (competes April 23) 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC/OTC) 53 kg/116.5 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 58 kg/128 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 69 kg/152 lbs. - Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Titan Mercury WC/OTC) National Women's Coach - Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo. Coach - Maxim Molonov, Colorado Springs, Colo. Coach - Afsoon Johnston, San Diego, Calif. Coach - Valentin Kalika, Aliso Viejo, Calif. U.S. Men's freestyle roster (competes April 24) 65 kg/143 lbs. - Frank Molinaro, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 86 kg/189 lbs. - J'den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Missouri Wrestling Federation) National Freestyle Coach - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo. Assistant National Freestyle Coach - Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. Coach - Cody Sanderson, State College, Pa. Coach - Joe Johnston, Columbia, Mo. Referee - Casey Goessl, Osceola, Wis. Medical - Dr. Kenneth Lane, Highland, Calif. Medical - Rod Rodriguez, Colorado Springs, Colo. Message Therapist - Cyrus Portier, Berkeley, Calif. Nutritionist - Rob Skinner, Colorado Springs, Colo. USA Wrestling Executive Director - Rich Bender, Colorado Springs, Colo. Team Manager - Cody Bickley, Colorado Springs, Colo. Event Schedule (times are in Ulaan Bataar, which is 13 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone) Friday, April 22 Greco-Roman (59 kg, 66 kg, 75 kg, 85 kg, 98 kg, 130 kg) U.S. contestants: Jesse Thielke (59kg), RaVaughn Perkins (66kg), Joe Rau (98 kg) 9:00 a.m. - Qualification rounds and repechage 5:30 p.m. - Opening Ceremony 6:00 p.m. - Finals and Award Ceremonies Saturday, April 23 Women's Freestyle (48 kg, 53 kg, 58 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg) U.S. contestants: Haley Augello (48kg), Helen Maroulis (53kg), Kelsey Campbell (58kg), Tamyra Mensah (69kg) 9:00 a.m. - Qualification rounds and repechage 6:00 p.m. - Finals and Award Ceremonies Sunday, April 24 Men's Freestyle (57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg) U.S. entries: Frank Molinaro (65 kg), J'den Cox (86 kg) 9:00 a.m. - Qualification rounds and repechage 6:00 p.m. - Finals and Award Ceremonies

IRVING, Texas -- Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer and John Smith have been awarded yearly Big 12 Wrestling honors, as voted on by fellow conference coaches. Dieringer is the 2016 Big 12 Wrestler of the Year, while Smith earned the 2016 Big 12 Wrestling Coach of the Year accolade. Coach Smith has picked up the recognition for the fourth straight season and 13th time in 20 seasons. This year marks the first time a wrestler of the year has been awarded. 2016 Big 12 Wrestler of the Year: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State, 165 pounds, Sr., Port Washington, Wis. Dieringer capped off an impressive collegiate campaign with his third straight NCAA National Championship and second straight at 165 pounds. The senior topped Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan in a 6-2 decision in the title match. A couple weeks earlier, the Cowboy picked up his second straight Big 12 title at 165 pounds, triumphing in a hard-fought 4-2 bout with Iowa State's Tanner Weatherman. The Cowboys' prowess on the mat earned him the 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy, the highest honor in collegiate wrestling. Dieringer completed his senior season with a 33-0 record, recording bonus points in all but six matches. He ended his career on a dominating 82-match win streak that dated back to January of 2014. The Port Washington, Wisconsin native proved dominant in his career, collecting four All-America honors and four Big 12 titles (two at 157 pounds and two at 165 pounds), along with three NCAA individual titles. 2016 Big 12 Coach of the Year: John Smith, Oklahoma State, 25th Season Coach Smith helped lead a poised Cowboy squad to a second place finish at the NCAA Championship, along with a landslide team victory at the Big 12 Wrestling Championship in Kansas City. Smith guided OSU to a 12-2 overall record and 6-0 mark against fellow Big 12 opponents. Led by Dieringer and Dean Heil, the Cowboys claimed seven Big 12 individual titles and qualified 10 wrestlers in NCAA competition, with eight seeded. The aforementioned duo won NCAA individual national titles, with Dieringer taking home the 2016 Dan Hodge Trophy along the way. In total, six Oklahoma State student-athletes earned All-America honors. In 25 years at the helm in Stillwater, Smith has coaches over 30 national champions and over 115 All-America honorees. The Oklahoma State alum has led his alma mater to four straight Big 12 titles as head coach and boasts a 383-58-6 career mark.

Greg Randall coaching at the 2016 Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Greg Randall will not return as Boise State's head wrestling coach, it was announced on Monday. Randall guided Boise State to six top-25 finishes and four Pac-12 titles. However, the Broncos have posted a record of 9-26-1 over the past three seasons. Randall spent 14 years as Boise State's head wrestling coach and 23 years with the program. "We want to thank Greg for all his years of service to Boise State and his commitment to our student-athletes," Boise State's director or athletics Curt Apsey Apsey said. "A national search for a new wrestling head coach will begin immediately." Taylor Meeks, who has served as an assistant coach for the Broncos, will take over as the interim head wrestling coach until a replacement is hired.

Three decades after first arriving in theaters, the 1985 movie "Vision Quest" still holds a special place in the hearts and minds of wrestlers and wrestling fans. Based on the popular late 1970s book of the same name by Terry Davis, the movie focuses on high school wrestler Louden Swain in his quest to defeat the muscular, menacing -- and undefeated -- defending state champ, Brian Shute. Brian Shute gets ready to wrestle"Vision Quest" helped launch a number of careers, including Matthew Modine (as Swain), Linda Fiorentino (as Carla, the "older" woman who comes to live with Louden and his dad), Michael Schoeffling and Forest Whitaker as Kuch and Balldozer, respectively (Swain's high school teammates), and the one and only Madonna, who plays a bar singer in her first major film role. However, for most in the wrestling community, the actor to remember is Frank Jasper, the guy who played Shute. Jasper recently submitted to an interview with InterMat to talk about his life before "Vision Quest", what it was like filming the iconic movie, what he's been doing in the years since, and how he still gets a reaction from fans who still have passionate feelings about the film. Yeah, but could he wrestle? Yes, the guy who played Shute wrestled for real. "I started off at 112 (pounds) as a freshman in high school, JV," Jasper told InterMat. "Sophomore year, I moved up one weight. By my senior year, I was wrestling at 155." Wrestling wasn't the only sport for Jasper. "I also played tennis my last two years of high school. I practiced indoors, and got a scholarship at North Idaho College." After high school, Jasper took a detour from his educational career, working as an ironworker in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State for four years before enrolling at Eastern Washington University, where, as a student in the pre-med athletic training program, served as athletic trainer for the school's wrestling team. "For three months I served as a training partner for a wrestler at 190 pounds," said Jasper. "A guy on the team was working as an extra on this movie about a high school wrestler being filmed in Washington (State). Said they were looking for a six-foot tall guy to wrestle in the movie. At the time I was a bodybuilder, and had bulked up to about 215 pounds." "I thought it was worth a shot. I went to where they were filming the movie, with the idea that I would simply play a wrestler. I wasn't expecting to have to deliver any lines." Frank Jasper was in for a surprise. Will wrestle for a movie role "I met with the casting director first. She handed me some lines from a script, asked me to read them," said Jasper. "She then took me to meet the director, Harold Becker. She grabbed the script out of my hands, saying, 'Do the lines.' I delivered the lines, then Harold said, 'Let's see you wrestle.' Luckily I had just participated in a wrestling competition, so I got through the practice demonstration." "They said that I looked to be about the same age as Matthew and Linda," Jasper continued. "The only thing they asked me to change was -- get rid of my moustache." Matthew Modin, who played Louden Swain, and Frank Jasper, who played Brian Shute, talk at a Beat the Streets event (Photo/Larry Slater)Jasper was then invited back to read for the "Vision Quest" producers, Jon Peters and Peter Guber. "Two other guys had tried out for the part but didn't work out. They apparently had a new guy that they liked, while the casting director and Harold were backing me for the role." "I had to do my reading for the producers with my shirt off. I felt ridiculous." "We all went over to the set. The other guy -- his name was Frank Zagarino -- demonstrated his ability to wrestle. They'd say, 'do a takedown' or whatever wrestling move, and he'd do it, then I would do the same. Back and forth. Sort of a wrestle-off." Jasper's story confirms a popular legend within the wrestling community -- that he had won a wrestling match with another actor to win the role of Brian Shute. Don't feel bad for Frank Zagarino; the former high school wrestler enjoyed a career in action movies before becoming a personal trainer. The making of a movie -- and an iconic character Winning the wrestle-off was just the beginning of the hard work for Frank Jasper. "I was a 215-pound bodybuilder who had to drop down to 189 in two-and-a-half weeks, before my scenes were to be filmed," Jasper told InterMat. "I know what it's like for wrestlers sucking weight." "The ironic thing was, as I was cutting weight, Matthew (Modine) was bulking up his frame so he looked to be more like a 189-pounder." Once the weight was off, Jasper was ready. "We shot for ten weeks, back in 1983, with some follow-up work in 1984." But that wasn't the end of Jasper's work on "Vision Quest." "Three months after filming, I was called back. They needed to shoot the weigh-in scenes. In the meantime, I had ballooned back up to 217. I had a month to get back down to what I weighed during the earlier filming." "In the weigh-in scenes, I thought I looked a little thin." About a month later, Jasper got another call: We need you again, this time for the famous -- or infamous -- scene where Shute confronts Louden Swain in the men's room with the line "You can't hold your mud." Jasper called director Harold Becker to warn him that he was up to 225. Luckily, it didn't really matter. "In the bathroom scene, I was wearing a jean jacket, which covered up the fact I was weighing in at about 200 pounds." Jasper revealed that the first scene he shot was of him getting off the school bus to enter the gym at Thompson High, Louden Swain's school. Over the course of a total of twelve weeks of filming, Frank Jasper learned just how much work -- and how many long hours -- go into making a movie. "It was an interesting process to film," Jasper said of his first assignment on a Hollywood movie, citing ten-to-twelve-hour days involving filming particular scenes over and over, especially the wrestling scenes. Brian Shute trainingJasper shared some background on the filming of yet another truly memorable scene in the movie: where Shute is climbing the stadium stairs with a log hoisted across his shoulders. "Yes, it was a real log!" Jasper disclosed. "And, even though the inside was hollowed out, it was still damn heavy!" "The other part no one realizes: even though the scene was to take place on a hot day, it was actually freezing cold. The sweat on my face was glycerin." Despite it being his first foray into film, Jasper has positive feelings about director Harold Becker, who had also directed "The Onion Field", "Taps" and "Sea of Love", among other films. "Harold was clear in telling me what he wanted, setting me up to be the monster." When asked if the director deliberately kept him away from the other actors -- a process that has been employed in some boxing movies and other films where a mano a mano confrontation is key to the story -- Jasper replied, "The only time I spent with other actors was in wrestling practice. I really didn't hang out with Matthew, but that wasn't necessarily by design." What about Madonna? "I wasn't around when they filmed her scene," Jasper said. "Realize that this movie was filmed before she became a star, so I wouldn't have really known who she was, even if I had been around for that scene." "Vision Quest" hit theaters on February 15, 1985. ("I thought they released it at a bad time," Jasper told InterMat.) Jasper described the making of "Vision Quest" as being "a very cool experience." So cool, it seems, that the student who was a Dean's List honoree in a very academically-demanding athletic training program -- "essentially pre-med" as he described it -- decided to relocate from the Pacific Northwest down to Los Angeles to see if he could make a go of it as an actor. "For one-and-a-half years, I took acting classes four nights a week, from 6 p.m. to midnight," said Jasper. "Got a gig for the Universal Studios tour where I worked for two-and-a-half years doing stunt work for a live stage show." (He also appeared in a couple other movies -- as well as in Van Halen's "Right Now" video where he played a drifter holding up a sign, "Will wrestle you for food" about a minute into the song.) Jasper's life beyond "Vision Quest" Frank Jasper with his wife SandaFrank Jasper never lost sight of his original career goals of learning and perfecting various aspects of the healing arts. Since 1995, he and his business and life partner Sanda Jasper have operated Osani Holistic Health Care in Pacific Palisades, Calif., just outside Los Angeles. As his bio at the Osani website states, Frank Jasper's early background incorporated pre-med studies, energy medicine and athletic training, with a Master's degree in Oriental Medicine from Yo San University, where he did his internship. He holds both California state and national certificates in acupuncture, specializing in sports medicine. He also trained and is certified in clinical nutrition, meridian stress assessment, craniosacral therapy, and reflexology. That doesn't mean that Jasper is no longer involved in athletics. In fact, he works with a number of athletes at Osani, with a focus on deep-tissue massage, acupuncture, and nutritional guidance for a holistic approach to wellness. In fact, Jasper has developed the TAN program -- Tennis, Acupuncture, and Nutrition -- for tennis players. ("Yes, I'm playing tennis again!" said the 58-year-old Jasper, who, in addition, holds a black belt in Aikido, is a Reiki Master and has studied and taught Qi Gong for over 25 years.) Looking back at "Vision Quest" Frank Jasper has fond memories about the making of "Vision Quest", but it's been only in more recent times that he actually had the opportunity to see the finished product. "I got a call from a policeman in South Carolina, who sent me a VHS copy of the movie which remained sealed in its original packaging until about a year or so ago," Jasper disclosed. "I saw it on the big screen for the first time in December 2015 in a theater here in Los Angeles. I was very pleased with the final product. I thought the wrestling was good, and it showed the hard work wrestlers put into their sport." "Harold Becker did such a great job," Jasper continued. "He wanted everything to be perfect. Before shooting a particular scene, he had me get my hair trimmed to make sure it matched what had been filmed four days earlier." "I'm honored that he picked me for the part, and have made a point of thanking him for having that vote of confidence in me." "'Vision Quest' the movie was part of a vision quest for me, personally," Jasper continued. "It made it possible for me to end up here in Los Angeles, involved in holistic health." He also seems to marvel that the role he played over 30 years ago still resonates within the wrestling community. "It was so cool to be at the Beat The Streets USA vs. Russia event at Times Square a few years ago," Jasper said. "Sat with Matthew Modine right at matside. What a great guy. Still with the same woman after all these years." "It was an incredible experience and honor to be there and to have fans come up to us." Frank Jasper with Scott GlabbThe opportunity for InterMat to interview Frank Jasper came courtesy of Scott Glabb, wrestling coach at Santa Ana High School outside Los Angeles who chronicled his experiences in the book "A Saint in the City: Coaching At-Risk Kids To Be Champions" which was the subject of an InterMat feature a few years ago. Jasper and Glabb were wrestling teammates at Eastern Washington University, and have remained friends over the years. "I've been down to his school to hand out trophies," Jasper said. "This year, the wrestlers knew who I was because they got to see 'Vision Quest.'" Jasper is planning to be a part of the 2016 World Cup wrestling event to take place at The Forum in Los Angeles in June. He told InterMat that he has two shirts in development featuring iconic images from "Vision Quest": Shute in a singlet, and carrying that log in the stadium stair climb. "I'm trying to support wrestling and generate interest in the event." It's easy to imagine Frank Jasper won't have any trouble selling those T-shirts.  

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Former Spartan All-American Chris Williams has been named assistant wrestling coach, first-year head coach Roger Chandler announced on Monday. Chris WilliamsWilliams has served as the head wrestling coach at Adrian College since November 2014, where he restarted the program and led the Bulldogs in their first season of competition in 31 years in 2015-16. He previously was an assistant coach at Michigan State, along with Chandler, for eight seasons (2005-13). "The biggest thing about Chris is his experience and his relevance in the Michigan wrestling community," said Chandler, who assumed the head coaching duties following this past season with the retirement of 25-year head coach Tom Minkel. "He's very connected and a well-respected coach. There are not very many people out there who have more of a passion for wrestling and developing student-athletes than Chris. Starting the program back up at Adrian College speaks volumes about the type of enthusiasm he has for the sport. "I've worked with Chris many years in the past, so I know the energy he brings to a program and the wrestling room every single day while working with kids, and that was very important to me. He has a special way of being able to connect to people and possesses a unique quality of building meaningful relationships. As a former All-American and coach here at Michigan State, he's also very knowledgeable about our program and is well known throughout our alumni base." Williams recruited an entire class of wrestlers to Adrian College, created the competition schedule for the 2015-16 season, and established and managed operating budgets. With experience as a head coach, Williams led fundraising efforts, developed and implemented practice plans and strategies, and organized all equipment needs, all while mentoring student-athletes and creating a positive environment that stressed success on and off the mat. In Williams' first season at Adrian College, the Bulldogs made their fifth all-time NCAA appearance at the Division III Championships, finishing in a three-way tie for 23rd place out of 58 teams with 15.5 points. Adrian had a dual-meet record of 7-3, with all three losses coming to nationally ranked teams. Angus Arthur, who finished with a 34-2 record, earned All-America accolades at 197 pounds after placing fourth at nationals. Arthur and Zach Rieger both became the first wrestlers in program history to be named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Scholar Team. During his time as an assistant at MSU, Williams helped Spartan wrestlers earn All-America honors on eight occasions, including 2009 NCAA Champion and two-time Big Ten Champion Franklin Gomez. Williams also took part as the head coach of the Michigan USA Wrestling Team from 2007-12. He was selected to be the leader of more than 100 of the top wrestlers in the state as they competed in national events. He also served as a coach in MSU Wrestling Camps. A native of Fowlerville, Michigan, Williams wrestled at MSU from 1997-2002, earning All-America honors in 2001 at 125 pounds. He recorded 102 career wins, which ranks 18th most in program history, and was named a team captain as a senior. A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier (2001, 2002), Williams took seventh at the NCAA Championships in 2001 and placed third at the Big Ten Championships in 2001 and seventh in 2002. He won a career-high 34 matches as a junior. Williams was a two-time Michigan high school state champion and four-time all-state honoree at Fowlerville High School, compiling a 195-10 record, including a 101-2 mark his last two seasons. He also had extensive success in the freestyle and Greco-Roman ranks as well. He was a Greco-Roman Junior Fila National Champion in 1998, and took Greco-Roman University national champion honors in 2001. Williams received his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Michigan State in 2002. Following his time in East Lansing, Williams earned his certificate in secondary education from Eastern Michigan University in social studies and economics in 2011. Williams and his wife, Nicolette, who is also an MSU graduate, have a daughter, Nolla (7).

Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray take a picture after winning gold medals at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)NEW YORK -- World champion women wrestlers Adeline Gray and Helen Maroulis of the United States will compete against talented Canadian opponents as part of the 2016 Beat the Streets international competition, which returns to New York City's Times Square on Thursday, May 19. Gray is a three-time World champion who earned a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team with her victory at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on April 10. Gray will face 2015 Canadian World Team member Justina Distasio in a match at 75 kg/165 lbs. Gray won World gold medals in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and is also a two-time World bronze medalist in 2011 and 2013. Gray is currently on a 37-match winning streak. She was a 2015 Pan American Games champion, is a two-time World Cup champion, and has also won World titles on the University and Junior levels. She is a native of Denver, Colo., and competes for the New York Athletic Club. Di Stasio competed on the 2015 Canadian Senior World Team. She won gold medals in the 2015 and 2016 Pan American Championships, and was a silver medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games. Di Stasio was second at the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials. She was fifth in the 2012 Junior World Championships. Di Stasio was a three-time WCWA Women's College national champion for Simon Fraser University. This is a rematch of the 2015 Pan American Games gold medal finals, won by Gray with a come-from-behind last-second score for a 9-6 victory. It will be Gray's first time competing in Times Square at a Beat the Streets competition, and Di Stasio will be making her Times Square debut as well. Maroulis was a 2015 World champion at 55 kg, and has won a 2012 World silver medal and a 2013 World bronze medal. Maroulis recently won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 53 kg, and will be competing at the World Olympic Games Qualifier in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia, April 22-24, where she will attempt to qualify the United States for the Rio Olympic Games at her weight class. Maroulis is a six-time U.S. Open champion. She has won two World Cup gold medals and 2011 Pan American Games champion. She won three career Junior World titles. Maroulis won four WCWA women's college national titles for Simon Fraser University. She is a native of Rockville, Md. and competes for the Sunkist Kids. Stewart was a bronze medalist at the 2012 World University Championships, and was a 2016 Pan American Championships gold medalist. She placed fourth in the 2009 Senior World Championships. Stewart has won medals at international competitions in Germany, Canada, France, Brazil and Romania. She won the Canadian Team Trials in December 2015. Maroulis has competed in a Beat the Streets event three previous times, scoring victories in all of her bouts. She first competed in the "Rumble on the Rails" in Grand Central Terminal in 2013, pinning Irina Kisel of Russia in the second period. In 2014, she scored a pin over Marcia Andrades of Venezuela in 5:53 in Times Square at the "Team USA vs. the World" event. In 2015, she scored a 10-0 technical fall over Yamilka del Valle of Cuba in the "Salsa in the Square" in Times Square. This will be Stewart's first appearance in a Beat the Streets event. Competitors for Team USA will also compete in men's freestyle against world power Iran. There will be two Olympic-level matches and four Junior-level matches as part of the men's freestyle competition. In addition, there will also be Greco-Roman competition on the card. These matchups will be announced at a later date. Billed as "United in the Square," this will be the second time that Iran has been featured as part of the Beat the Streets Gala competition. In 2013, the event dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails," was hosted in historic Grand Central Terminal and featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran. The world-class competition has been hosted in Times Square four previous times. In 2011, the United States defeated World Champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men's freestyle. In 2014, Team USA defeated a World All-Star Team in Times Square, 8-3. In 2015, "Salsa in the Square" featured a meeting between Team USA and Team Cuba in the three Olympic styles, held shortly after the historic change in USA and Cuban political relations. This will be the seventh straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Gala activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. 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 6:30 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. "United In The Square," Beat the Streets Matchups In New York City, May 19, 2016 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) Note: USA vs. Iran freestyle matches and featured Greco-Roman bout to be announced later. 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 6:00 p.m. - World Class Wrestling: Team USA vs. Team Iran and Canada 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.

Concussions continue to grab headlines in the sports world, especially football, thanks to Will Smith's "Concussion" movie and news stories of late NFL legends whose brains indicated concussion-caused trauma. Now the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee has weighed in, with new, proposed precautions regarding concussion-related injuries in collegiate wrestling announced Friday. Last week, the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee recommended a rules change that would allow medical personnel an unlimited and unimpeded amount of time for concussion evaluation of wrestlers, beginning in the 2016-17 season. In addition, the committee also recommended that medical staff be given the ability to remove participants from the wrestling mat or sidelines to perform a concussion evaluation when the situation is not clear-cut. During the evaluation, the match will be suspended until a decision is rendered by the medical professional. The referee, the coaches of both participants and the non-injured wrestler would be required to remain on the mat during the evaluation. A concussion evaluation timeout will not count as an injury timeout or recovery timeout. Coaching of the wrestler being evaluated would not be permitted. In a separate recommendation from the rules committee, an injured wrestler would not be permitted to be coached during all other non-bleeding injury timeouts. In the case of a potentially severe or traumatic situation, medical personnel may request the wrestler's coach to assist in calming the injured wrestler. However, coaches would be required to step away from the situation during any assessment period related to the injury or concussion evaluation. "Both of these new rules proposals are about providing medical personnel dedicated and uninterrupted time with the injured athlete so they can make a more accurate health and safety decision in an already limited timeframe," said NCAA Wrestling Secretary-Rules Editor Chuck Barbee. "These rules recommendations are a good indicator of the committee's commitment to continuing to explore and advance new rules that positively impact the student-athlete's health and safety, said Barbee, former head coach of the Army wrestling program at West Point. Last fall, in an interview with InterMat to discuss new rules for NCAA wrestling for the 2015-16 season -- including then-new protocols for handling potential concussions sustained during a match -- Barbee made clear as to how a concussion evaluation can be requested, saying, "The referee or medical professionals are the ones who can request a concussion timeout. The wrestler who suspects he may be concussed may also ask for a timeout. Coaches cannot ask for this." During that 2015 InterMat interview, Barbee pointed out that wrestling has the highest rate of concussion in sports ... higher than football. All proposed rule changes for the 2016-17 season put forth by the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee -- including any adjustments to handling potential concussions -- must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss wrestling rules proposals via teleconference June 15. "Overall, the committee is pleased that for the 2016-17 season, other than our health and safety rules, we have no additional new or experimental rules that will be recommended for implementation," Barbee said. "This rule change respite should allow for everyone to continue to improve and perfect the application of our existing rules."

Two-time Ohio state runner-up Jared Campbell (St. Edward) verbally committed to the University of Missouri on Sunday evening. The projected 285 pound wrestler is ranked No. 39 overall in the Class of 2017, and was champion at the FloNationals and NHSCA Junior Nationals this spring, finishing the 2015-16 scholastic season ranked No. 8 nationally at 220. He is the second Class of 2017 commitment to Missouri, joining Jacob Raschka (Pewaukee, Wis.)

Two-time state champion Louie Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) verbally committed to Binghamton University on Sunday evening. The projected 184/197 pound wrestler is ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2017, and finished the 2015-16 season ranked No. 7 at 170 pounds. Deprez was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge in the fall, and placed at the Flo Nationals in 2014 and 2015.

Central Christian College announced doubly-good news Saturday, as the Kansas-based school revealed it was launching a men's varsity wrestling program this fall, and has already hired Tom Carr, assistant coach at George Mason University, as the new program's head coach. Tom CarrCarr will complete his duties with the GMU Patriots this spring, while at the same time starting to recruit for the new Central Christian wrestling program. He is slated to join the staff at CCC sometime around the first of June. "I am excited that Tom has agreed to come on board as our new head wrestling coach," said CCC Athletic Director Twiggs Reed. "He is an outstanding leader and coach, an exceptional recruiter, and is the ideal person to lead our inaugural men's wrestling program. We look forward to having Coach Carr build a winning tradition with student-athletes on the wrestling mat and in the classroom." Carr, a 2004 graduate of Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, brings a dozen years of varied wrestling coaching experiences to the new Tiger wrestling program. Carr launched his coaching career at Land O'Lakes High School in Florida, where he guided teams with three state qualifiers, one state champion and three AAU All-Americans. From there he moved on to become an assistant coach at Central College in Pella, Iowa. He spent a year at Central College and then took a position as an administrative assistant with the wrestling program at Michigan State. After two years with the Spartans, Carr became a fulltime assistant at NCAA Division I Bucknell University, coaching five nationally-ranked wrestlers, three All-American finishers and six NCAA Division I qualifiers. After a three-year stint at Bucknell, Carr was hired as an assistant coach at Minot State University, a NCAA DII school in Minot, North Dakota, where he helped start program from scratch. During his time with the Beavers, Carr earned a spot at the National Wrestling Coaches Association / Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Academy. In 2013, Carr joined the George Mason wrestling staff as an assistant and has coached there the past three seasons. While at GMU, Carr has coached four NCAA qualifiers, hosted the NWCA All-Star Classic, and recruited the first top 20 high school recruit to Mason in program history. "It is an absolute honor to be named the first head wrestling coach at Central Christian," said Carr. "I am grateful to Mr. Reed and President Hoxie for the opportunity and faith they have shown in me." Carr cited a number of coaches and mentors in his life that have helped him along his coaching journey. "I owe a great deal to many people that helped me get to this point and need to thank Eric Reed, Roger Chandler, Tom Minkel, Dan Wirnsberger, Robin Ersland, Joe Russell and Kevin McNamee for their mentorship and friendship," said Carr. "I also need to thank the athletes I have had the privilege of coaching, who have now become personal friends, without you I would not have the opportunity to start the Tiger program." "I am looking forward to building a team that competes hard on the mat, performs in the classroom, and is a credit to the great wrestling tradition in McPherson, Kansas." The new wrestling program joins an already impressive roster of intercollegiate sports offered by Central Christian College. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The college is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Located in McPherson, Kansas in the center of the state, Central Christian College describes itself as a small, private, four-year college.

Here's your invitation to walk the red carpet ... for wrestling. Tickets are now available for the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala, an opportunity to meet U.S. wrestlers, celebrities and heroes who love the oldest and greatest sport. The event will take place Thursday, June 9 at L.A. Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles. "Join us for an inspirational evening with the toughest people on the planet -- our heroes from the military, MMA champions, stars from movies and entertainment, our Olympic and wrestling greats, and some very special guests," according to the website announcing the event, which is presented by the US Wrestling Foundation and USA Wrestling. The website also describes the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala as a "game-changing event to grow wrestling. This is a star-studded night out on the red carpet to meet the stars and heroes who love our sport." It offers supporters of the sport an unbeatable opportunity to provide a great sendoff for Team USA wrestlers as they prepare for World Cup competition before the 2016 Rio Games this August. Among the featured guests: Kurt Angle (NCAA heavyweight champ for Clarion; Olympic gold medalist) Daniel Cormier (Oklahoma State All-American; current UFC light-heavyweight champ) Randy Couture (Oklahoma State All-American; three-time UFC heavyweight champ; actor) Steve Fraser (Olympic gold medalist; U.S. Greco-Roman coach) Rulon Gardner (Olympic gold medalist) Dan Henderson (Strikeforce light-heavyweight champ) Bennett Miller (Oscar-nominated film director "Foxcatcher") Ben Reed (actor) Anthony Robles (NCAA champ for Arizona State; ESPN wrestling announcer) Brian Stann (U.S. Marine Silver Star honoree; UFC commentator; CEO for Hire Heroes USA) Joe Warren (World champion in Greco-Roman; Bellator MMA champ) Michael Trucco (actor) The 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala begins with a "Meet the Stars" opportunity from 5-6 p.m., followed by a VIP reception from 6-7 p.m. The General Reception runs from 7-9 p.m. Individual tickets are available for $600 each; a table for ten is $5,000. Additional unique options for sponsorship are available; for details, contact Mark Malick at (412) 378-4509 or email him at Mark@USWrestlingFoundation.com. For more information on the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Gala, visit the official website, call Jack Clark at (703) 297-6351; or email him at Jack@USWrestlingFoundation.com. Donations made be made online at http://USWrestlingFoundation.com/. The U.S. Wrestling Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Tax ID # 37-1698099 that supports the missions of USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, to grow wrestling at all levels and develop opportunities for new participants.

Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at University of Minnesota, maintained his perfect 4-0 record as a professional in mixed martial arts with a second-round TKO in his welterweight match at Resurrection Fighting Alliance's RFA 37 at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Friday night. Logan StorleyStorley dispatched Cody Lincoln with what MMA website Sherdog.com described as a "bone-jarring right hand and follow-up punches" in 13 seconds of the second round of their scheduled three-round bout. "Lincoln (3-1) offered little in terms of resistance," Sherdog's Brian Knapp continued. "Storley executed a double-leg takedown early in round one, carved through the North Dakotan's guard and battered him with ground-and-pound. Lincoln weathered the initial advances but only prolonged the inevitable. Storley met him with a straight right hand at the start of the second round and pounded away with punches until referee Bobby Wombacher had seen enough." "He was very good on the ground with jiu jitsu -- better than I expected," Storley told the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. "But I put some pressure on him, hit him with some right hands, and hurt him." When the former Golden Gopher mat star saw Lincoln come out of his corner for Round Two, Storley noted, "I knew he was hurting but I had to continue to push that pace -- get in his face, and then I landed that big shot that ended the night for him." Storley posted this message on Instagram: "I can't say thank you enough to the great state of South Dakota for all the support. Awesome experience getting the win in front of family, friends and fans." Storley didn't mention one of the most significant individuals in the audience: Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championships, who commented on the prospect's earlier comments of taking his time and not rushing his MMA career in a cageside interview. "I agree with him one-hundred percent," said White. "He's green, he's young… This kid needs to take his time. Four or five more fights, I'd like to bring him into The Ultimate Fighter, see how he does. I agree with him. He's smart." With the win, Storley is now 4-0 in his young pro MMA career which he announced almost exactly one year ago. A native of Webster, S.D. -- same hometown as fellow former Golden Gopher wrestler and former UFC champ Brock Lesnar -- Storley was a six-time South Dakota high school state champion wrestler who went on to a sterling career at Minnesota. After three amateur MMA events, Storley has made a splash by ending his first three pro matches in short order, scoring first-round TKOs in that trio of earlier events.

Ben Askren, two-time NCAA wrestling champ at University of Missouri, scored a unanimous decision over Nikolay Aleksakhin in a five-round match at ONE Championship 41 at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on Friday night. The match, originally for Askren's ONE FC welterweight title, became a non-title bout after the Russian contender failed to make weight. Ben Askren (Photo/ONE Championship)"Not the performance I wanted, but champions always find a way to dig deep and get the job done. #andstill" is the message the ONE FC welterweight champ posted on his Twitter account Friday afternoon U.S. time. "Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position," James Goyder of MMAMania.com reported. "Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn't enough to trump Askren's overall solid performance." "Askren jumped the gun early, scoring multiple takedowns and looking like his typical 'Funky' self," Goyder continued. "He even threw a few spinning strikes to show off his growing arsenal. However, the Russian found a home for his fists after the second round and pushed Askren the distance for the first time since 2012." "Not surprisingly, Askren dominated much of the fight on the floor, setting the pace in the opening round by wading into a body lock, throwing Aleksakhin into side control, then methodically going to work with elbows, punches, and knees to the head of his grounded opponent," is how MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al-Shatti described the bout. "Askren repeated the favor in round two, but faced the first real adversity of his ONE career once Aleksakhin started opening up with heavy strikes in the third." Brian Knapp of Sherdog.com wrote, "Like so many other Askren opponents, Aleksakhin was put in untenable situations, often pinned beneath the four-time NCAA All-American and onetime Olympic wrestler. The champion executed a takedown inside the first minute, advanced to side control and grinded away at the chiseled Russian with elbows, short punches and knees to the head. With that, the tone was set." "The fight more or less followed the narrative for the remaining four rounds," Knapp continued. "Aleksakhin (17-4) gave the Roufusport star pause in the third with power punches and a high kick but could not keep him at bay for long. Whenever Askren sensed danger, he turned to his takedowns and drove the challenger to his back. Aleksakhin stung Askren with a right hand in the fourth round but faded down the stretch, as the 'Funky' wrestler's work took an obvious toll on his gas tank and left him incapable of turning the tide with meaningful offense." With the win, Askren is now 15-0 in his professional mixed martial arts career overall, and 3-0 (1 NC) in ONE Fighting Championships. Askren, 31, was a four-time finalist at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as a Missouri wrestler, winning titles at 174 pounds in 2006 and 2007. The Wisconsin native was a member of the U.S. men's freestyle wrestling team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In February 2009, Askren launched his pro MMA career, earning a Bellator Fighting Championships title. He signed with ONE FC in December 2013, and won the welterweight crown at ONE FC 19 in September 2014.