InterMat Staff

Fredy Stroker recently watched a replay of the Minnesota-Penn State dual meet from Feb. 9 broadcast on the Big Ten Network. The Bettendorf (Iowa) High School senior saw Dylan Ness of Minnesota pin Dylan Alton and electrify the Gopher faithful in Minneapolis. The Gophers would go on to defeat the Nittany Lions, 18-17, in front of 5,600 fans at the Sports Pavilion. "I'm hoping to have a moment like that in the future," said Stroker, a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist with a career record of 144-3. Fredy Stroker after winning his second state titleThat could soon become a reality. On Tuesday, Stroker gave a verbal commitment to the University of Minnesota. He becomes the second top-15 recruit from the Class of 2015 to commit to the Gophers, joining Junior National freestyle champion Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.), who committed last fall. "Minnesota has everything I've wanted," said Stroker. "The Carlson School of Management is a really prestigious college within the university. I like Minneapolis and I feel like can go right from college to a job and transition pretty smoothly. The Minnesota wrestling program has been pretty consistent and been in the running for an NCAA title the past couple years. I feel like at Minnesota I have the best chance of winning an individual title and team title." Stroker has developed relationships over the years with many of the current and future Gopher wrestlers, including Tommy Thorn, Bobby Steveson, Ethan Lizak and Jack Bass, among others. "It's just going to be a really fun time with my friends," said Stroker, who finished his junior season with a perfect 52-0 record. "At Minnesota I felt like I fit in with the guys and I could see myself being around them for the next five years." Fredy Stroker won Flowrestling's Who's Number One event last fall, which included victories over Seth Gross and Michael Kemerer (Photo/Rob Preston)Stroker also cited wrestling in the Big Ten Conference as one of the determining factors in his college decision. The Big Ten is widely considered to be the elite wrestling conference in NCAA Division I wrestling. Of the 10 NCAA Division I champions in 2014, six came from Big Ten programs. Thirty-four of the 80 All-Americans were Big Ten wrestlers. "The Big Ten Network does a great job of broadcasting the matches," said Stroker. "It's the toughest conference in the country. A lot of times the guys that win the Big Tens get the top seeds at NCAAs. It definitely gives you some great preparation wrestling the best guys in the country all season. It will definitely prepare you for March." Stroker, a four-time Fargo All-American, was recruited by many of the top collegiate wrestling programs. His initial list of college choices included 15 different colleges. As the summer months wore on, he continued to narrow that list. Ultimately it came down to five schools: Minnesota, Missouri, Penn State, Cornell and Lehigh. After returning home from a FILA Junior camp in Columbus, Ohio, Stroker sat down and wrote a pros and cons list for each of the colleges. He told his dad, "Minnesota just feels right." He then took one more trip to Minnesota, which confirmed those feelings. Stroker said it was "tough" making the phone calls to college coaches informing them that he would not be wrestling in their program. The phone call to Missouri coach Brian Smith was especially difficult. "You build relationships with these coaches," said Stroker. "Coach Smith is literally someone I've known since sixth grade. He is a really great guy. Missouri was probably my second choice behind Minnesota. I have a lot of respect for Coach Smith." Fredy Stroker with his sisters Cecelia and Demaris on the campus of the University of MinnesotaStroker said despite the tough phone calls and stressful times, the recruiting process was enjoyable. "It was definitely a little bit stressful, but it was really fun experience," said Stroker. "It's not every day that you have Olympians in your living room. It was pretty fun just having coaches call me, but there is definitely a stress factor to it." Stroker projects at 149 pounds and/or 157 pounds in college. He currently tips the scale at 155 pounds, but says he is still "skinny and immature." "I definitely see myself as a 157-pounder once I grow and get stronger, maybe a true freshman 149-pounder when I redshirt." Fredy Stroker finished fourth in the Junior National freestyle competition (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Last month Stroker finished fourth in the Junior National freestyle competition in Fargo at 145 pounds. He was initially planning on competing at 138 pounds, but shortly before the tournament he made the decision to wrestle at 145 pounds because he thought he would feel better at the higher weight class. "There's definitely some room for improvement, which is always a good thing," Stroker said of his performance in Fargo. "If you peak too early and have no room for improvement that's probably not a good thing. But I'm excited because I still have one more year to go back and try to win it next year." Stroker is an Army brat who was born in Panama and moved frequently as a child because of his father's military duties. He lived in Pennsylvania in junior high before moving to Iowa as a high school freshman. Stroker is looking forward to the opportunity to return to Iowa and compete against the Hawkeyes as a college wrestler. "I literally have dreams of coming back to Carver-Hawkeye Arena in a maroon and gold singlet," said Stroker. Stroker has been a state champion on a state championship team at Bettendorf. In college he's hoping to become an NCAA champion on an NCAA championship team at Minnesota. "My ultimate goal is to win an NCAA title," said Stroker. "There aren't that many places where you have a chance to also win a team title. Minnesota is a pretty special place where I can win both." So what can Gopher fans expect to see when Stroker steps on the mat? "They're going to see a lot of points on the scoreboard and hopefully some pins too."

After two years away from competition, Jake Herbert is back. The 29-year-old Herbert announced that he will compete this fall for the first time since the 2012 Olympic Games in London. "I really can't wait to show the world what I can do in 2015 and 2016," Herbert said Saturday on Takedown Radio." Herbert, a two-time NCAA champion at Northwestern, claimed a World silver medal in 2009, and represented the U.S. at the World Championships in 2010 and the Olympic Games in 2012 before stepping away from competition. He will compete at 86 kilos, and is looking forward to the opportunity to compete against 23-year-old rising star Ed Ruth, who made his first U.S. World Team this year. "Ed Ruth is looking fantastic," said Herbert. "I'm very, very, very excited to wrestle him because he's going to bring out the best in me. He's a three-time NCAA champion. He's a Pennsylvania boy. I couldn't be more proud of what he's done at Penn State and what he's looking to do. I'm hoping that he comes away with gold this year." Herbert, along with Andy Hrovat, founded Double Leg Ninja Clothing, and the two developed a BASE Wrestling system. Herbert is training at the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "I want to help the sport," Herbert said. "I want to make sure that it's around when I'm 50, when I'm 60, when I have kids and grand kids. I want to make sure that wrestling is in the Olympics, that wrestling is succeeding." Listen to the full interview from Saturday's episode of Takedown Radio.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan wrestling head coach Joe McFarland announced Friday (Aug. 15) the addition of Kellen Russell to the coaching staff. Russell, a two-time NCAA champion during his career at Michigan (2008-12), will serve as the Wolverines' volunteer coach. Kellen Russell (Photo/Michelle Wick, Tech-Fall.com)"Kellen will be a great addition to our coaching staff," said McFarland. "As a student-athlete, he was incredibly driven and focused and a tremendous role model and leader in the program. I think he'll bring those same attributes as a coach. He loves Michigan wrestling, and he knows what it takes to be successful. I'm looking forward to him being a big contributor this year." "I've been lucky enough to have had really good coaches throughout the years, from youth to high school to college," said Russell. "It's something I've always wanted to do and something I'm passionate about. I feel like I can add something from the standpoint of having confidence in yourself and knowing what it takes to be at the top -- what it takes to win Big Ten and national titles. I've been part of the wrestling family here at Michigan for a while; this feels like home, and I'm happy to start this new chapter here. We are definitely on the rise as a program, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to help out and see that through." Russell was a two-time NCAA 141-pound champion (2011, '12) and three-time All-American, also placing seventh as a sophomore (2009). He became the sixth multiple champion in U-M program history with a 6-4 sudden-victory decision over Iowa's Montell Marion at the 2012 NCAA tournament. He defeated Cal Poly's Boris Novachkov, 3-2, in the 141-pound final the previous year to complete a perfect 38-0 junior campaign. Russell, who redshirted prior to his junior season, claimed 71 of 72 matches over his final two seasons. He boasted a perfect 14-0 record in collegiate overtime matches. Russell also claimed four Big Ten titles at 141 pounds, becoming just the 11th four-time Big Ten champion in conference history and the first in Michigan history. He was named the Co-Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships as a senior (2012) and Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2008. Twice named Michigan's Male Athlete of the Year (2011, '12), Russell completed his collegiate career with a 134-12 record, tying for eighth place on Michigan’s all-time wins list. His career win percentage of .918 ranks second in program history. Off the mat, he twice earned Academic All-Big Ten and NWCA All-Academic honors. Since his graduation, Russell has enjoyed a successful freestyle career as a member of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. He captured the 66kg/145.5-pound title at the 2013 U.S. Open and claimed runner-up honors at the 2013 World Team Trials. Internationally, he has won medals at the Guelph Open (gold, 2013) and Cuba's Cerro Pelado Tournament (bronze, 2014). He is currently training for the 2016 Olympic Games. Originally from High Bridge, N.J., Russell graduated from Michigan in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He lives in Ann Arbor with his fiancé Kristyne Cole, a former Wolverine swimmer (2009-12).

Former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon's recent court victory against the NCAA was only the start of the NCAA's weakening grip on "amateur" athletics. Last week the Indianapolis-based organization announced a plan to give autonomy to the five major conferences, especially in how they regulate athlete pay in the major sports. The fallout is unknown, and that uncertainty has fueled speculation on the fallout for at-risk sports like wrestling. The questions all run in a similar vein. Will wrestling suffer due to limited funding? Will Title IX be applied to player pay rates and therefore double the expected impact and further jeopardize Olympic sports on campus? Will our sport die? Who knows? But also ... Who cares? The wrestling community spends far too much time worrying about outcomes or trying to change instituted laws. We don't hold any cards, and we can't influence the courts. The only way to prove our worthiness is to become, in the public eye, the sport we claim to be -- action-packed and egalitarian. Division I wrestling programs need to become more media savvy in packaging their content. Wrestling is a perfect fit for the online generation. Just last week an Iranian flipped over his head to score a defensive takedown at the Junior World Championships in Zagreb. The 25-second clip was put on YouTube and in a matter of 48 hours had been seen by a quarter-million people online and aired on ESPN and FOX Sports. Every wrestling dual meet has a moment that impresses. Film it, post it, promote it and keep the administration interested in the product. Yes, there are another 100 items on the checklist, but without incredible self-promotion there is no team to protect. Coaches need to make multimedia content (not just social media) a cornerstone of their program. But to protect our programs is also to grow new ones and show the world the meritocracy of wrestling. There is a famous T-shirt that says "AnyBODY can wrestle!" And we've seen the success of bodies ranging from Anthony Robles to Stephen Neal succeed on the mat. Well, if anybody can wrestle then why haven't we started Division I programs for more women? Where is the independent leadership from the sport's greats when it comes to gender equality? If you want to defend wrestling, if you truly love the sport of wrestling, then where are the women? Wrestling cannot waste a moment worrying about the NCAA and it's changing amateur structure. A moment spent moaning is a moment that could have been spent building. We won't stop the change, or even misdirect it at a macro-level, but we can promote our sport and its values. That is all we can do, and with our passion and work ethic we should be able to do that with more efficacy and impact than other sports. We can survive, but to do so will take leadership and hard work from now until ... well, forever. To your questions ... Q: Who showed up for camp in Colorado Springs? Those who didn't? Would like to know why. Men's freestyle is area of interest. -- @Eagle_Fan Foley: The entire starting men's freestyle team showed up to team camp in Colorado Springs. When he took over the program in 2009 Zeke Jones established a no-questions-asked, must-attend team camp policy that applied to every wrestler equally. This was a departure from Kevin Jackson's leadership model, which had allowed for exceptions of athletes and personal situations. Jackson's model was his prerogative, but the feedback had been that it led to occasional spats of angst among teammates. Creating the expectation of camp attendance seems to have eliminated that sniping. Bruce Burnett is extending Jones' method and ideology. Burnett knows exactly what he is doing. This training camp thing is old hat for the legendary coach, and all members of the team showed up in shaped and are headed next week to the acclimation camp in Italy. Their individual workout partners and coaches will also make the trip. Q: What's the deal with takedowns/exposure on the edge of the mat? Didn't see a lot of consistency from refs on that. Some gave points. Others just gave one for a pushout. And when is it OK to call out of bounds and not award a point, or should it be a point very time? -- Don C. Foley: The judgment of the referee dictates many of the scoring calls on the edge of the mat. There are times when the athlete first "flees" the mat and steps out (one point) only to then give up the takedown (two points) or takedown with exposure (four points). This is similar to NCAA rules in terms of continuation of the move. The fleeing isn't wiped out just because the end result was a scoring action. However, some referees, or head officials, don't see the need for the fleeing call if there is a large scoring action. That's complicated because it's a judgment on whether or not the defensive wrestler was engaging at the time they stepped out, or was avoiding action, but that's just the nature of refereeing and being granted some leeway for interpretation. But you know that the REAL lesson is WRESTLE ON THE EDGE!! Q: Am I crazy to think Aaron Pico's losses this summer might have been just what he needed? It seemed like the hype train was out of control. Pico seems like a really great kid who is mature beyond his years. He takes defeat like a true champion. Athletes young and old could learn a lot from him how about how to handle setbacks. These losses not only take some pressure off him, but also should motivate him even more. Thoughts? -- Mike C. Foley: You do learn more from a loss than you do from a win and that applies to fans as much as it does Aaron Pico. One of the recent realizations of the "Pico Generation" of wrestling fans is that the American side is not always the best in the world, and that countries have wrestlers who can inspire and cause reason for cheer. Respect for international competitors is a huge lesson for the young American wrestling fan who can quickly fall back of national alliances in celebrating the sport, whereas fans in Iran, Japan and other wrestling-fueled nations respect athletic performance regardless of the flag on the singlet. Pico, as an individual, does lose with graciousness and that makes me immensely proud. (He still loses with passion. Don't get it flipped. He HATES losing.) The Ugly American is a tough image to shake, but seeing Pico (and most of our athletes) lose with honor is something that I (and other fans around the world) note. Jordan Burroughs is as much loved for his double leg and dominance as he is for his respect for fans and opposing wrestlers. There was a small moment after defeating the Iranian at the World Cup in Los Angeles when Burroughs bowed and covered his heart in looking at the Persian fans. Intentional or not (I think it was), his actions were a subtle sign of respect that melted the hearts of the Persian fans in attendance. Kinda reminiscent of Dave Schultz and his legacy of international popularity. In pure wrestling terms, of course Pico will get better from these losses. There are some incredible talents around the world and Pico will have seen them dozens of times before he takes the mat at his first Senior World Championships or Olympics. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Programs around the country can mimic these types of videos and create sharable content with little work. The beauty is a beast. This week Marwa Amri became the first female wrestler from Africa to earn the worldwide No. 1 ranking. She was raised Muslim and has become a hero in her local Tunisia. She deserves your attention, and as long as she's not wrestling the USA, your support. Marwa Amri (Photo/T.R. Foley) Q: Can we please keep the Angry Birds as the official wrestling "challenge flag?" It made me giggle. -- Tom B. The Angry Bird is being used for challengesFoley: Outside of the action those stuffed birds are my absolute favorite thing about international wrestling. Hysterical to see an angry Romanian coach wing a stuffed bird at the referee. How serious can you be when you're tossing a fuzzy animal at a man in a yellow tie and suit jacket? The Angry Birds were first used at the European Championships in Helsinki, as a shout-out to Rovio, the creator of the video game whose headquarters are in the region. The Commonwealth Games used red, blue and white flannel-covered rectangles in homage to the kilted designs of the countrymen. Cute, but not nearly as comical as Angry Birds getting tossed and tumbled across the mats. Love it. Q: Kyle Snyder now has two Junior World medals before he even wrestles his first college wrestling match. What's your early prediction on where Snyder finishes this season at NCAAs? -- Mike C. Foley: Right now I'm predicting Snyder is a national semifinalist. From that position he can make it to the national finals where he's 50/50 to win the title. At worst he busts out and places sixth as a freshman. Remember that there are seven returning All-Americans at 197 pounds and another who reached the round of 12. We will know much more about Snyder's success on the college scene after two months. He will be adjusting to mat wrestling, successive weight cuts and the added grind of schoolwork. He may even get a shot at J'den Cox, who does own a win over the Ohio State wrestler and is the defending NCAA champion. Q: I know that Jon Jones is out of the fight with Cormier until January, but did the whole press tour seem staged to you? I don't recall any rumbles at UFC staredowns in the past, especially over a month out from the scheduled fight, but then the thing on ESPN's hot mike seemed a bit far-fetched to me. Your thoughts? -- Curt H. Foley: I don't think the duo's tete-a-tete was a "work." More likely, there is some bad blood that exists, much of which is driven by Jones's personal insecurity, but also some that comes from Cormier's (understandable) provocation. Cormier is a good man. He's honest, hard working and has an enormous heart. I would never suspect him to do anything that misled his family and friends, especially something as questionably crass as threatening to spit in someone's face. That emotion, raw and disgusting as it seemed, came from a place of true anger and resentment. I had a journalism professor once tell me that readers can always tell the truth. You can try to hide facts with fancy language, or mislead with tone, but in the end the reader can detect the hidden message. Don't underestimate the reader's ability to sniff bullshit and read between the lines. The Jones and Cormier spat extends that idea for me. Jon Jones is not well-liked and that truly bothers him, but he's not liked because he's largely just an unlikable guy. In honest off-camera moments or in social media rages he comes across selfish, dishonest, and two-faced. The façade -- his attempts to mask his unlikable side -- has always fallen flat with fans, who have an innate ability to sense earnest behavior. Cormier told Jones to drop the "church voice" act and that touched a nerve in Jones, as the truth told by our adversary often bothers us more than lies told by our friends.

This weekend's UFC Fight Night doesn't have a ton of star power, but it does have intriguing style match-ups that should make for a fairly exciting event. The inclusion of Shawn Jordan vs. James May and Seth Baczynski vs. Alan Jouban seems head scratching with potential flyweight and female contenders on the undercard, but we digress. For Richard and John's full fight card breakdown, click the link thingy! Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

With the high school wrestling season's start nearing, InterMat is taking readers across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From mid-August until mid-November, InterMat is introducing readers to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. In this installment, Eric Johnson looks at the top senior wrestlers in Kansas. Kansas applauded as the state sent four wrestlers in 2014 to Division I programs: Dustin Williams (Nebraska), Tagen Lambotte (Iowa), Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) and Andrew Millsap (Bucknell). Kansas welcomed in a gem of a freshman class and have a talented group competing in 2015. The class includes three Fargo All-Americans and two favorites to join the elite four-time state champion fraternity. It is my pleasure to introduce to you Kansas' top 10 and honorable mention for the Class of 2015! 1. Sean DeShazer (Wichita Heights) Projected High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Sean DeShazerAnalysis: DeShazer cemented his elite place in Kansas wrestling history by finishing as a double All-American in Fargo, placing third in Greco and fourth in freestyle. This effort was on the heels of his folkstyle national runner-up finish. With a career record of 97-6 and three state titles under his belt, DeShazer also has his sights set on his third undefeated season. His last two seasons, he finished 36-0 in both campaigns while only allowing a single takedown (at a higher weight class)! His quickness and agility make him a phenom on his feet. He also has the pedigree of two nationally ranked wrestlers in his extended family. Division I coaches and national rankings are moving Sean way up the list! Words from the corner: "Sean has really stepped his training up these past two seasons. He is a wrestler and wrestling is his passion. He has only given up one takedown in the past two seasons and has dominated! He wants to be the champ at everything he does. Whether it is on the wrestling mat or a cup cake eating contest, he wants to win! After this past summer, I have no doubt he will end up at a good Division I program who will take him to the next level." -- Coach Mike Church 2. Isaac Dulgarian (Olathe North) Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Isaac DulgarianAnalysis: Isaac is a highlight reel to watch. This two-time state champion and Fargo All-American has a career record of 128-5. He has made the All-Tournament Team in both styles at the Junior Duals the last two years with a record of 24-1! In 2013, he was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the Rocky Mountain Nationals. He has wins over many nationally ranked wrestlers, is a true technician and has an unlimited upside. Coaches and ranking services from around the country have noticed and will be watching closely this season. Words from the corner: "One the best talents I have seen from the neutral position, having already broke the all-time Kansas takedown record going into his senior year. He is the favorite to bring home his third state title this season." -- Coach Josh Carroll 3. Jared Langley (Newton) Projected High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 184/197 Jared LangleyAnalysis: Langley is a Fargo All-American with a career 111-21 record. He is a two-time state finalist and stood atop the podium last season. He is a veteran on Kansas' National dual teams and has that rare athletic length that makes him a legitimate college recruit. Langley is also a star in the classroom with a 3.857 GPA. This kid will have many choices next fall! 4. Ben Ewing (St. Thomas Aquinas) Projected High School Weight Class: 220 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Ben EwingAnalysis: Ewing is a three-time state placer and one-time champion with a 111-17 career record. He is a multi-sport star with plenty of college choices in front of him. If he chooses wrestling, this kid has a huge upside on the mat. His strength and speed make him a crowd pleaser. He has been one of my favorite wrestlers on the All-Class dual teams, winning the Rocky Mountain National title twice. Words from the corner: "Ben has devoted himself to the weight room each summer, working out three days a week to help with his performance in football and wrestling. Ben's wrestling technique on his feet is exceptional. His aggressive attacks on his feet scored 67 takedowns. In the top position Ben uses tilts and constantly applies pressure from the top. He is also a prolific pinner (30 out of 38 matches)." -- Coach Lorne Parks 5. Emilio Fowler (Olathe North) Projected High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 184/197 Emilio FowlerAnalysis: When the bright lights come on, Fowler goes into battle mode. He has made a name for himself on the national stage. In 2013 he was the FILA Cadet folkstyle national champion. He followed that up with a double All-American accomplishment in Fargo! This summer he was named to the Junior Dual All-tournament Team, finishing 7-0 in freestyle. This kid is a flat-out athlete! Words from the corner: "Emilio has a personality that all coaches want around the room. He is a hardworking, talented, two-sport athlete that loves competing. He has had great success in his short amount of time wrestling, having started in the eighth grade. I expect big things from him this season." -- Coach Josh Carroll 6. Brandon Ball (Hoisington) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Brandon BallAnalysis: With a career record of 124-2, Ball is the favorite to join the four-time state champion fraternity in Kansas. He carries a 3.85 GPA while finishing the last two seasons at 44-0 and 43-0. He is a workhorse in the practice room and weight room. Any college program would be fortunate to have this kid, as the sky is the limit! 7. Zak Hensley (St. James Academy) Projected High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Zak HensleyAnalysis: Hensley is a two-time placer and 2014 state champion with a career record of 101-20. He is also a three-time varsity letterman in football. He has traveled well since kids wrestling and has many wins over nationally ranked wrestlers. He is a blast to watch with his unique athleticism and strength and was a huge help to his team's state title in 2014. Look for him to bring home another gold state medal this year. Words from the corner: "Zak had a breakthrough season. With the difficult schedule we had, including the Kansas City Stampede and Allen Texas Outlaw, Zak really stepped up for the competition. He understood that he needed to see the best competition he could, in order to reach his goal of being a state champion and to have a chance to wrestle at the next level. By placing at the Stampede, winning the Texas Outlaw and Garden City Invite against solid competition, he was prepared to win his first state championship. In the practice room, he is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached. I know that Zak will pay the price to have great success at the next level." -- Coach Mike Medina 8. Tevin Briscoe (Garden City) Projected High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Tevin BriscoeAnalysis: Briscoe is a two-time state champion with a 97-13 career record, while carrying a 3.2 GPA in the classroom. After a highly successful kids career, he contributed greatly to his team's back-to-back state titles. His athleticism makes him a crowd favorite. I expect big things for him this season! Words from the corner: "Tevin is one of the most talented wrestlers that I've had the privilege to have coached. He is very explosive on his feet as he usually leads the team in total takedowns. His passion for the sport of wrestling has helped transform him into one of the best wrestlers of Garden City. He has a chance of becoming a three-time state champion, which would be a first for Garden City! Tevin plans on wrestling at the next level and I believe he has the talent to do so. I look forward to this coming wrestling season and watching him achieve his goals!" -- Coach Carlos Prieto 9. Taylor Watkins (Columbus) Projected High School Weight Class: 170 Projected College Weight Class: 165 Taylor WatkinsAnalysis: This kid is a beast and a scholar. He is a three-time state placer and 2014 state champion with a career 110-18 record as well as an All-State linebacker on the gridiron. Watkins carries a 3.97 GPA and was elected as class president this coming year. He took second last season at the Rocky Mountain Nationals and had some solid wins in Fargo this year. Words from the corner: "He was the 4A state champion last year in Kansas. He was 40-2 on the season, but more importantly he is a hard worker while also excelling in the classroom. He was chosen by Team Kansas for the Rocky Mountain Nationals after the season ended and had three quality wins including a victory over Spencer Heywood from Utah who wrestled at the FILA Pan Am Games. Heywood was ranked as the No. 9 recruit in the nation for juniors." -- Coach Eric Napier 10. Greg Tooley (St. Mary's) Projected High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: Tooley is a 2014 state champion and two-time state finalist with a 112-7 career record, running the table last season at 46-0. He is a workout machine with solid skills on his feet with dynamic speed. The first look at Tooley tells you he's spent a lot of time in the weight room. His effort at the Rocky Mountain Nationals put him on the radar of many college coaches. Words from the corner: "Greg is an outstanding young man who absolutely has come to love the sport of wrestling. The thing I like about Greg the most is how he presents himself on and off the mat. He one of the hardest working and most respectful wrestlers I have ever been around. How much he has improved since his freshman year is a credit to how hard he works all year round. Greg is an exceptional wrestler who has just started to be recognized on the national level. It is exciting to see what Greg will be able to accomplish in his senior season and what college will pick him up." -- Coach Travis Van Vleck Honorable Mention: Austin Cook (Smoky Valley) Tyler Harris (St. James Academy) Kevin Kissane (Maize South) Nick Nolting (Bishop Carroll) Saul Ortiz (Wichita Northwest) Seth Pesek (Gardner-Edgerton) Matt Pratt (St. James Academy) Logan Terrill (Arkansas City)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue head wrestling coach Tony Ersland has assembled another piece of his staff with the hiring of Zach Tanelli as an assistant coach. Tanelli, who is no stranger to the Big Ten Conference as a 2009 All-American at Wisconsin, joins the Boilermaker wrestling program after a five-year coaching stint at Hofstra. "I was really impressed with Zach when he talked about the importance of being in a role of mentoring and guiding young men," Ersland said. "He's got the right mindset as a coach and we're very much in line with the school of thought in mentoring. A coaches' role goes beyond wrestling. With him, it's always about the student-athletes first. It's about serving them and I have a sense that is very important to him. "Zach has had to wear a lot of different hats at Hofstra and has done a lot of different things. He's been put in a lot of different situations and scenarios during his coaching career. That's what I also like about him. His experience is going to be invaluable to us moving forward. "We now have a staff with goals and expectations for this program to take it to the next level," Ersland said. "There's no doubt that Tyrel [Todd], Zach and I are all on the same page and are going to put in the work necessary to get there. I'm excited to get to work with these guys."

Six weeks into the official 2014-15 recruiting contact period, things seem to be going at a slower pace than they did with last year's recruiting class. At this point of the process, less than one quarter of the current top 100 Class of 2015 prospects have verbally committed to colleges. Zahid Valencia (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)During the last eight days, a pair of top 100 wrestlers in the Class of 2015 made verbal commitments. One week ago Tuesday, No. 86 Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) committed to the University of Wisconsin as a projected 133/141; while this past Saturday, it was No. 29 Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.) choosing to join the Arizona State program as a 149/157. The commitment of Maruca is a third top 30 prospect for the Sun Devils in their 2015 class. It further creates positive momentum for new head coach Zeke Jones, as he also has secured the services of the nation's No. 1 and No. 5 Class of 2015 prospects, with Anthony and Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) headed to Tempe next fall. In addition to those three commitments, Jones secured the transfer of the excellent Oliver Pierce (Allen, Texas) from the University of Oklahoma. Pierce was the nation's No. 9 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2013, and after a redshirt year will either have four years to compete over the next four, or lose the 2014-15 season and have three seasons to compete thereafter. That circumstance will depend on how he left the Sooners' program, as well as how the release was handled. Zeke Jones (Photo/Larry Slater)The ability of Arizona State to rise quickly in recruiting shows a couple of things. First and foremost is the relative cache that Zeke Jones brings to the table having just served as the national freestyle coach. Jones is a thoroughly prepared tactical and technical coach, and showed excellent administrative skills in his previous position. It will be very interesting to see how those skills translate to success at the Division I college level. Additional factors include the relative attraction of Arizona State as a campus, position as one of the very few wrestling programs in the western third of the country, as well as their "Power Five" status, and other monetary factors. The latter two issues probably will come into increasing play in the next few years at the NCAA navigates a “separate but equal” Power Five world, and the realities of governance post-O'Bannon ruling. The Sun Devils are one of five programs to have multiple top 100 commits so far in the Class of 2015. The University of Virginia also has three, with the commitments of No. 6 Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.), No. 26 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), and No. 42 Cameron Harrell (McDonogh, Md.). Oklahoma State technically has just a pair in No. 33 Kaid Brock (Stillwater, Okla.) and No. 46 Boo Lewallen (Yukon, Okla.). However, one can surmise that the son of head coach John Smith, No. 13 Joe Smith (Stillwater, Okla.), will also end up as part of the Cowboys' wrestling roster come next fall. Oklahoma State loaded up during 2014 recruiting, and is well-positioned to do so again, as the in-state talent base is yet again excellent with eight ranked within the top 100. The other two programs with multiple top 100 commits at present are Michigan with No. 2 Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) and No. 32 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), as well as Northern Iowa with in-state commitments coming from No. 40 Max Thomsen (Union) and No. 45 Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock). Myles Martin (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Given more than three quarters of the top 100 has yet to commit, many high-end (at least in the context of this recruiting year) prospects remain to be procured by programs. This includes five within the top ten nationally: lightweight No. 4 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill, Mo.) and No. 9 Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville, N.Y.); lighter middle-weights in No. 7 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 8 Vincenzo Joseph; and upper middleweight No. 3 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) The best middleweight prospect -- though the differences between a lighter middleweight and a middleweight may be somewhat minutiae -- remaining is No. 11 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.). Among clear upperweights, No. 12 Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.) leads the way. There are five clear (uncommitted) heavyweight prospects right near the top 50 of the Class of 2015 rankings. However, one note of caution to consider with these types is if they will end up pursuing wrestling in college, or another sport instead. Names to watch would be: No. 13 Kenneth Brinson (Marist, Ga.), No. 17 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 20 Austin Myers (Campbell County, Ky.), No. 47 Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.), and No. 52 Jake Marnin (Southeast Polk, Iowa).

MINNEAPOLIS -- A solid recruiting and transfer class of 17 student-athletes are expected to join the Augsburg College wrestling team this fall, interim head coach Jim Moulsoff has announced. Combined, this season's recruiting and transfer class has combined to win six high school state championships and 18 state tournament placings in their careers, along with numerous junior and cadet wrestling honors. Two are college transfers. The class joins an Augsburg wrestling program that lost just three seniors from a squad that finished fifth at the 2014 NCAA Division III National Championships -- the 27th straight year that Augsburg has finished in the top 10 in national tournament competition. Augsburg finished 8-5 in dual meets in 2013-14, finishing in fourth place at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals. "We are excited to formally welcome this incoming class to the Augsburg wrestling family," Moulsoff said. "These young men are not only accomplished wrestlers, but also leaders in the classroom and in their communities. This class will make an instant contribution to our program, and we are looking forward to working with them for the next four years and in their future endeavors." Here is a look at the 2014 Augsburg wrestling recruiting and transfer class. The players listed have made deposits to attend Augsburg College this fall. Jameson Allen (Blaine, Minn.), 165 pounds: All-conference honorable mention in 2012-13. Ray Carter (Jordan, Minn./Scott West), heavyweight: 2014 Minnesota state tournament qualifier (182-AA) ... Finished 26-11 in 2013-14 ... Also competing in football at Augsburg as a linebacker. Gable Frandsen (Ellsworth, Wis.), 165 pounds: Two-time Wisconsin state champion (160-Division 2 in 2014 and 2013), state tournament qualifier in 2012 (170-Division 2) ... Finished 53-1 in 2013-14, 45-6 in 2012-13, 28-10 in 2011-12 ... Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at 2014 Cheesehead Tournament ... Ranked No. 9 nationally at 160 pounds by Intermat ... Ranked No. 10 in Wrestling USA magazine's Best 2013-14 High School Seniors at 160, No. 12 in all-class national rankings at 160 ... Finished fourth at 170 pounds in Greco-Roman at 2014 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals, seventh in 2013 ... Crossface magazine All-State Academic second team in 2013-14. Tone Fuenffinger (Hibbing, Minn.), 157 pounds: Four-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier (138-AA in 2014, 126-AA in 2013, 120-AA in 2012, 112-AA in 2011) ... Finished 37-4 in 2013-14, 34-4 in 2012-13, 26-6 in 2011-12 and 29-8 in 2010-11 ... Finished second in 152-Greco Roman and third at 152-freestyle at 2014 Minnesota/USA Wrestling Junior state tournament, 1st in 145-freestyle and third at 145-Greco-Roman in 2013, won state titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle at 126 in 2012 ... Brother of Mike Fuenffinger, who won 125-pound national title for Augsburg in 2014. Joe Hoeve (Farmington, Minn.), 174 pounds: Finished 4th at 2014 Minnesota state tournament (182-AAA) ... Finished 37-8 in 2013-14 ... 2013 Minnesota state tournament qualifier (160-AAA), finishing 26-15 ... Finished third at 195 pounds at 2014 Minnesota/USA Wrestling Junior Freestyle state championships, placed sixth at 182 in 2013 ... Won more than 100 matches in high school career. Sean Jordan (Chaska, Minn.), 184 pounds: Transfer from Heidelberg (Ohio), where he competed in 2012-13 season. Sebastian Larson (River Falls, Wis.), 174/184 pounds: Finished fourth at Wisconsin state tournament in 2014 (182-Division 1) ... Finished 45-4 in 2013-14 ... Set single-season school record with 210 takedowns in 2013-14 ... Voted as team's Most Valuable Wrestler in 2013-14 ... Finished third in sectional tournament in 2013 ... Finished 28-9 in 2012-13. Jake Lehmann (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd HS), heavyweight: Placed sixth at 2014 Minnesota state tournament (285-AA) for Dawson-Boyd/Lac Qui Parle Valley/Montevideo United ... 42-7 record in 2013-14 ... Won Section 3AA title at 285 in 2014 with pins in all three matches. Dylan Lesar (Cedarburg, Wis.), 133 pounds: Finished 36-12 in senior season ... Placed third at 120 pounds at WIAA Menomonee Falls Regional (Division I) in 2013-14 ... Finished 29-12 in 2012-13 season, placing fourth at regionals at 113. Donny Longendyke (Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS), heavyweight: Transfer from University of Nebraska, where he redshirted in 2011-12 and competed as a redshirt first-year in 2012-13 ... Went 34-10 with 22 pins in redshirt season (2011-12) ... Went 6-11 in 2012-13 season ... Won Minnesota state titles in 2011 (285-AAA) and 2010 (285-AAA), while placing second in 2009 (285-AAA), qualified for state in 2009 (215-AAA) ... Went 46-1 in 2010-11, 47-0 in 2009-10, 39-2 in 2008-09 and 30-9 in 2007-08, compiling 189-25 high school career record ... Won title at 286 pounds in Greco-Roman at 2014 Northern Plains Senior Regional (Minnesota Storm) ... Won title at 285 in Greco-Roman and placed second in freestyle at 2011 Minnesota/USA Wrestling Junior state championships ... Finished second at 285 in Greco-Roman and sixth in freestyle at 2010 USA Wrestling Junior Nationals ... Won title at 285 freestyle and placed third at 285 Greco-Roman at 2009 USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals ... Claimed multiple All-America honors in USA Wrestling ... Ranked as No. 1 heavyweight recruit in nation by Intermat in 2011, No. 20 overall among Intermat's 2011 Top 100 Recruits. Reid Lyden (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge HS), 133/141 pounds: Two-time Minnesota state tournament placewinner, finishing fourth in 2013 (120-AAA) and sixth in 2012 (106-AAA) ... Finished 32-6 in 2013-14, 38-9 in 2012-13 and 39-6 in 2011-12 ... Finished 182-49 in high school career ... Won state titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at 132 pounds at 2013 Minnesota/USA Wrestling state tourney. Chase Nottestad (Westby, Wis.), heavyweight: Wisconsin state titlist (220-Division 3) in 2014 ... Finished in second place (220-Division 3) in 2013 ... Finished 47-1 in 2013-14, 42-9 in 2012-13, 29-14 in 2011-12 and 24-11 in 2010-11 ... 142-35 career record ... La Crosse Tribune All-Tribune first-team in 2014, second-team in 2013 ... Also an offensive lineman in football, competed in Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game in 2014, earning all-conference first-team, all-region and La Crosse Tribune All-Tribune first-team honors in 2013, all-conference second-team in 2012. Andrew Overstreet (League City, Texas/Clear Falls HS), 141 pounds: Two-time Texas state tournament placewinner ... Finished second in state tournament in 2014 (145-5A) and fourth in 2013 (145-5A) ... 45-1 record in 2013-14, 44-3 record in 2012-13 ... Placed 2nd at 160-pound freestyle at 2013 Texas-USA Wrestling state tournament ... Won both freestyle and Greco-Roman titles at 145 pounds at 2012 Texas-USA Wrestling state tournament ... Cadet state titlist at 152 freestyle at 2011 Texas-USA Wrestling state tournament. Jordan Reisinger (Tomah, Wis.), 197 pounds: Wisconsin state titlist (195-Division 1) in 2014 ... Placed fourth (182-Division I) in 2013 ... 45-1 record in 2013-14, 42-12 record in 2012-13, 29-13 record in 2011-12, 17-16 in 2010-11 ... 133-42 career record ... La Crosse Tribune All-Tribune first-team in 2014, second-team in 2013. John Reynolds (Andover, Minn.), 184 pounds: Placed third at 182 pounds in Section 7AAA in 2014 ... Finished 34-7 in 2013-14 ... Placed fifth in sectional tournament at 152 in 2013 ... Finished 21-14 in 2012-13. Dwayne Williams (St. Paul, Minn./Johnson HS), 165 pounds: Placed second at 152 pounds at St. Paul City Conference tournament in 2014 ... Placed third in Section 4-AA tournament at 152 ... Finished 23-15 in 2013-14 ... Team captain in 2013-14. Bryce Zdanovec (Little Chute, Wis.), 141 pounds: Three-time Wisconsin state tournament qualifier ... Finished fifth in 2014 (138-Division 2), fifth in 2013 (126-Division 2), state qualifier in 2012 (120-Division 2) ... 43-6 record in 2013-14, 44-6 record in 2012-13, 29-10 record in 2011-12, 28-10 record in 2010-11 ... Finished fourth at 145 pounds in Wisconsin Wrestling Federation Greco-Roman state tourney in 2013 ... Crossface magazine All-State Academic second team in 2013-14.

PHILADELPHIA -- Head Coach Matt Azevedo has announced the addition of Jimmy Sheptock to the wrestling coaching staff for the 2014-15 season. Sheptock will serve as Assistant Wrestling Coach while completing his master's degree in sport management at Drexel. Jimmy Sheptock finished as an NCAA runner-up in 2014 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"I am so excited to have Jimmy on staff!" Azevedo commented. "Jimmy will definitely help with recruiting and have an immediate impact with our current wrestlers. He has a strong work ethic and will be great mentor to our student-athletes." Sheptock comes to Drexel from the University of Maryland where he was a two-time All-American at 184 pounds. As a senior he placed second at the NCAA Championships, making him the first Maryland national finalist since Gobel Kline won the national championship at 152 pounds in 1969. The previous year, Sheptock placed sixth at NCAAs after leading the team in wins (40) and major decisions (10). He totaled 129 victories, 29 major decisions, 20 technical falls, and 18 pins over the course of his career as a Terp.

Aaron Pico captured a silver medal at the Junior Worlds (Photo/T.R. Foley) ZAGREB, Croatia -- It was a day full of success and challenges for the U.S. Junior World Freestyle Team, which entered the day tied in third in the team standings with two medals. With four talented and motivated wrestlers on the mat Sunday, the USA had its share of ups and downs, but came out of the day with four more medalists, bringing their total to six medals out of eight weight classes. In the final team standings, the United States took second place, behind only the champions from Iran. The team had a 16-4 record for the day. Claiming a silver medal at 66 kilos/145.5 pounds was Aaron Pico (Whittier, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) at 66 kilos/145.5 pounds, who dropped his finals bout to Hassan Yazdanicharati of Iran, 2-9. The match was close most of the way, with two key points that went the Iranian’s way. Late in the first period, Pico got behind Yazdanicharati and tried to score a takedown but stepped out instead, giving the Iranian a 3-2-lead. Early in the second period with the score still 3-2, the Iranian was put on the 30-second shot clock. Right off the whistle, Yazdanicharati shot in on Pico and ultimately converted the shot for a score. Had Pico emerged in those situations, the result may have been different. Read full story ... 55 kilos/121 pounds -- Thomas Gilman, Council Bluffs, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), 3rd WIN Abdelhak Kherbache (Algeria), tech fall, 10-0, 2:29 WIN Methodli Chadli (Tunisia), tech. fall, 10-0 WIN Reza Atri (Iran), 4-4 LOSS Michalan Hasan-Zada (Azerbaijan), 2-5 WIN Vladimir Kurdin (Kazakhstan), 11-6 66 kilos/145.5 pounds -- Aaron Pico, Whittier, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 2nd WIN Deichi Takatani (Japan), 7-5 WIN Kyrillos Binembaoum (Greece), 10-0, 2:25 WIN SurkoRashitkhanov (Belarus), tech. fall 10-0, 3:42 WIN Mihail Georgie (Bulgaria), tech. fall 11-0, 5:52 LOSS Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran), 2-9 84 kilos/185 pounds -- Gabe Dean, Lowell, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/FLWC), 3rd WIN Selimmuhamet Muhadeyyev (Turkmenistan), tech. fall, 10-0, 1:16 WIN Adris Ruhle (Latvia), tech. fall 12-2, 4:08 LOSS Azamat Dauletbekov (Kazakhstan), 6-7 WIN Pavlos Sotiriadis(Greece), tech. fall 14-3, 3:33 WIN Nuramagomed Gadzhiyev (Azerbaijan), injury default 120 kilos/264.5 pounds -- Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (Cliff Keen WC), 3rd WIN Qiang Tao (China), tech fall 10-0, 1:17 WIN Rangi Roubaljeet (India), tech. fall 10-0, 2:48 WIN Oyan Nazaryani (Azerbaijan), pin LOSS Amar Dhesi (Canada), 6-7 WIN Yusuf Emre Dede (Turkey), pin 2:20

Joey McKenna earned a silver medal at 60 kilos (Photo/T.R. Foley) ZAGREB, Croatia -- The United States won a pair of medals on the first day of men's freestyle at the FILA Junior World Championships in Saturday. Claiming a silver medal at 60 kilos/132 pounds was Joseph McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), with a bronze medal from Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./Sunkist Kids) at 96 kilos/211.5 pounds. In the finals, McKenna fell to Iman Sadeghikoukandeh of Iran, 0-8, but the match was way closer than that. The Iranian took a lead in the first period, and added to it in the second, leading 4-0 until the final seconds when McKenna attempted a throw and was countered for four points. McKenna had difficulty getting his shots through the Iranian's defense. Read full story … U.S. men's Freestyle performances on Saturday 50 kilos/110 pounds -- Jabari Moody, Country Club Hills, Ill. (Harvey Twisters), 5th WIN Azamat Toibek (Kazakhstan), 16-12 WIN Tsedev Mandalsuren (Mongolia), pin 1:47 LOSS Maghudjon Shavkatov (Uzbekistan), tech. fall 8-19, 4:26 LOSS Saber Sharestani (Iran), 0-10, 1:39 60 kilos/132 pounds -- Joseph McKenna, Towaco, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), 2nd WIN Burghum Aliyev (Azerbaijan), 10-2 WIN Yo Nakata (Japan), 6-2 WIN Giorgi Bregadze (Georgia), tech. fall 10-0 WIN Dzianis Maksimau (Belarus), pin 1:49 LOSS Iman Sadeghikoukandeh (Iran), 0-8 74 kilos/163 pounds -- Anthony Valencia, Pico Rivera, Calif. (Sunkist Kids), 9th WIN Tarzan Maisuradze (Georgia), tech fall 10-0 WIN Lawrence Jayden (Australia), tech. fall 10-0, 1:43 LOSS Murat Erturk (Turkey), pin 1:33 96 kilos/211.5 pounds -- Kyle Snyder, Woodbine, Md. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd WIN Alexios Kaousilidis (Cyprus), 12-1 4:42 WIN Said Gamidov (Azerbaijan), 9-2 LOSS Gergii Gogaev (Russia), 1-8 WIN Angel Gochev (Bulgaria), tech fall 10-0 WIN Pedram Jamshidi (Iran), 7-1

Victoria Francis (Photo/T.R. Foley)ZAGREB, Croatia -- Victoria Francis (Litchfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC/Lindenwood) finished a strong day with a bronze-medal win at 72 kilos/158.5 pounds on the final day of women’s freestyle at the FILA Junior World Championships on Friday. Francis scored an impressive 16-6 technical fall in the bronze-medal bout over Francy Radelt of Germany, giving Team USA its third bronze medal of the women's tournament. Francis was very effective with her counter defense, stopping Radelt's double leg attacks and spinning behind for multiple takedowns. Radelt scored one four-point double leg to tighten up the match in the first period, but Francis continued her effective wrestling, reaching the 10-point lead as time ran out. Read full story ... U.S. Women's freestyle performance on Friday 48 kilos/105.5 pounds -- Cody Pfau, Brush, Colo. (OKCU Gator RTC), dnp/21st LOSS Milana Dadisheva (Russia), pin 0:36 55 kilos/121 pounds -- Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Choctaw WC), 8th WIN Anastassia Krasanova (Estonia), pin 2:32 LOSS Tetyana Kit (Ukraine), 4-4 LOSS Amber Maschke (Canada), pin 0:41 63 kilos/138.75 pounds -- Alexis Porter, Ballston Lake, N.Y. (New York AC), dnp/12th WIN Signe Fidje (Norway), 6-2 LOSS Burneebaatar Nyamgerel (Mongolia), 2-7 72 kilos/158.5 pounds -- Victoria Francis, Litchfield, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC/Lindenwood), 3rd WIN Pooja (India), pin 0:39 LOSS Anzhela Kataeva (Russia), 2-9 WIN Gracelynn Doogan (Canada), 9-1 WIN Francy Radelt (Germany), tech. fall 16-6

The UFC did wrestling a favor this week when it watched as its most profitable figure engaged in fisticuffs with an opponent. There is plenty of blame to be dispersed to both Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier for their on-stage antics, but the real gift was that MMA showed once again that spectacle and promotion does not make a sport. Wrestling has long been intrigued by the popularity and profitability of MMA. There have been attempts to make weigh-ins more dramatic and hype the clash of likely opponents. Often these promotional stunts barely increase the attendance, or large-scale media acceptance of wrestling events. More often it's an oddity that distracts. The simple truth is that wrestling is a sport, not a promotional spectacle. International sport can make money, but there are certain restrictions that must always be in place to ensure fair play and equity. Often those don't mesh with pre-fight brawls in casino hotel lobbies. Go Cormier! To your questions ... Q: How do you think Matt Lindland does as the USA Greco-Roman coach? -- Dan A. Foley: There was a nice article on Coach Lindland and where he sees his value as a coach. There is some appeal in having an athlete who has been exposed to various forms of martial arts while still having been successful in what they coach. Greco-Roman success won't be immediate. The international community loves the sport and while we have some of the better athletes, we are deficient in training and competition schedules. These guys are good because they wrestle more matches against top competition. Though it would be great to see some of the top freestylers migrate to Greco-Roman, that change will need to occur well before they enter their 20s. The competition has only practiced this one style their whole life, and our team (who is better than most give them credit) would launch for five many of the names being floated as possible Greco-Roman converts. Q: Did you see the article on the rise of women's wrestling? That's good press for the sport. -- Susan A. Foley: The article does a great job of reminding wrestling fans how far removed most media consumers are from understanding the growth of our sport. Marina Doi won a Junior World bronze (Photo/T.R. Foley)Female wrestling is incredible. Whether it's Marina Doi, who won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, or Helen Maroulis whose become the face of the sport in the USA, women's wrestling is experiencing more success and popularity in America. However that popularity isn't translating into positive PR for the sport. Women deserve a shot, but to get to the next level the sport needs advocates motivated by their love for wrestling to take the forefront. We need ambassadors in every city and every state. We need individuals who see that the sport of wrestling (not just men's) can benefit from having gender equity -- that these women don't just have a value as mat stars, but are competent, brilliant and courageous competitors. If you don't like women's wrestling, that's your choice, but if your put down the prejudice and head over to FILA-Wrestling.com today at noon ET, I think you'll find that the sport can be every bit as exciting and complex as the men's side. Multimedia Halftime Metamorsis Preview Link: Kiki Kelley: The only woman to go in Iran's wrestling arena Q: Could you please make mention of these young men in your mailbag who died this past weekend in Epworth, Iowa following a parade where they participated on the high school wrestling float. One of the young wrestlers killed, Mitchell Kluesner, was the nephew of my co-worker. Three of the four young men were on the Western Dubuque High School wrestling team and all four were good kids in school and the community. I am sure the wrestling community would like to hold these families in their thoughts and prayers as they mourn the loss of their sons, grandsons, brothers, nephews, and cousins. -- Tom G. Foley: Thank you for taking the time to eulogize these young men. Bringing their passing to the attention of the entire wrestling community is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the loss of these families and grow appreciation for how fortunate we are to be healthy and happy. Like many in the wrestling community, I saw this story posted on Facebook and my heart was crushed in thinking of the loss of these parents and the surrounding community. Life is filled with the promise of tomorrow and a better outcome, but young life has more chances built in and a story yet to be written. To lose these young men on the precipice of life that may include first loves, children and self-exploration seems cruel. It is cruel. We are taught to love our neighbors and for wrestlers that extends to everyone who has shared in the turmoil. To a person, the tight knit wrestling community might not have individually known these young men, but their struggle on their mats and hopes for a bright future was a common connection by which all wrestlers can relate. Their early deaths are a reminder of the fragility of life and how much we should respect each day. I will keep these boys and their families in my thoughts. I also trust that our entire community will do the same. Thank you again for writing and I wish the best to their family and everyone at Western Dubuque High School during this time of need. Comment of the Week By Mark B. I wanted to commend you for your stance on youth wrestling. I have a 3-year-old son and I am torn on getting him involved in wrestling ... largely because of the broken system of youth wrestling that is in place. Too much, too early. I do not see much middle ground. This pains me because I love wrestling and am an avid fan. I wrestled though college at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. It put me in the company of great men who guided me through my youth. It has molded me to be the father and husband I am today. That being said I do not want my son to be involved in the current youth wrestling culture. In my opinion the cost now outweighs the benefits. I am 40 and have been involved with wrestling since I was a 10. I have seen my share of overzealous and outright crazy fathers. I have countless horror stories of kids whose fathers wrestled them non-stop. Their lives revolved around wrestling. They lived in a wrestling prison. Three tournaments a weekend, cutting weight, traveling all over the country and traveling hours just to attend a certain club. I have yet to see this end well for the young men. Fathers sacrificed their sons' youth, personal development and innocence to satisfy their egos and/or to fulfill a void in accomplish from their own wrestling careers. All for accolades and trophies that will mean very little when they reach adulthood. In large most of the kids that I know that wrestled non-stop as kids are low functioning adults. Crime, and substance abuse stain many of their lives. They struggle through adulthood. Their identity wrapped up in an activity that carries very little value in the adult world. It's tragic. How different would their lives turned out if they had more balance? The way things are now is insane and it needs to stop. Wrestling should be a tool that teaches kids skills and tools that will help them be successful in the important aspects of life. An extracurricular activity. Not the center of a kid's universe. If my kid wrestles I will start my own club and do things my way. Low pressure, little competition, based in skill and personal development. He might not end up being a championship wrestler but he will end up being a championship human being.

ZAGREB, Croatia -- The United States came home with a pair of bronze medalists on the first day of women's freestyle at the FILA Junior World Championships on Thursday. Kayla Miracle (Photo/T.R. Foley)Capturing bronze medals with big pins in the evening session were Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) at 44 kilos/97 pounds and Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids) at 59 kilos/130 pounds. Both athletes won their first FILA Junior World medals, after a successful career on the FILA Cadet level. Doi won three Cadet World medals, including a Cadet World title, while Miracle was a Cadet World silver medalist. Doi broke open a close match against Weronika Sikora of Poland in the bronze-medal bout, with Sikora having a decided height advantage. Doi battled for a second-period takedown that she converted into a cradle, and pressed for a fall at 4:21. Read full story ... U.S. Women's Freestyle performances on Thursday 44 kilos/97 pounds -- Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 3rd LOSS Haruka Uchijo (Japan), tech. fall 0-11, 5:25 WIN Mariya Georgiyeva (Ukraine), 6-6 WIN Weronika Sikora (Poland), pin 4:21 51 kilos/112.25 pounds -- Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Jamestown), dnp/12th LOSS Lilya Horishna (Ukraine), 5-8 59 kilos/130 pounds -- Kayla Miracle, Campbellsville, Ky. (Sunkist Kids), 3rd WIN Bayhan Derya (Turkey), pin 1:46 WIN Madina Bagbergenova (Kazakhstan), pin 2:14 LOSS Luisa Niemesch (Germany), 3-4 WIN Patrizia Liuzzi (Italy), pin 5:44 WIN Kriszta Tunde (Romania), pin , 4:30 67 kilos/147.5 pounds -- Kayla Aggio, Rohnert Park, Calif. (OKCU Gator RTC), dnp/15th LOSS Martina Kueuz (Austria), 3-4

Without much MMA on the docket this weekend, Richard and John break down the rather overpriced Metamoris grappling card going down on Saturday, featuring BJJ specialists Saulo Ribeiro and Andre Galvao and accomplished fighters such as Chael Sonnen and Josh Barnett. But seriously, $300 for front row seats? And $20 to stream the pay per view? OK then. On top of that, this show previews the World Series of Fighting card and discusses the Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier brawl. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Sophomore Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich./Fowlerville HS) of the University of Michigan wrestling team posted a 4-1 record, including three falls, en route to a 120kg/264-pound Greco-Roman bronze medal at the FILA Junior World Championships on Wednesday (Aug. 6) at the Dom Sportova Sport Hall. Adam Coon (Photo/T.R. Foley)Coon pinned Japan's Arata Sonoda in his medal match, countering a throw attempt to catch Sonoda in a seat-beat scramble before throwing in a half and turning him over at the 0:45 mark. It was Coon's second world medal, adding to his 2011 FILA Cadet World Freestyle gold; he competed in the 2011 Cadet World Greco competition. "It has been a pretty good day," said Coon. "I had some ups and downs with it. I got caught in a few positions I didn't like, and got beat up by the Russian in the semifinals. It is just the mentality that you never give up. Until that final whistle, you don't give up. That was my mentality for each match. In my final match here, I went out the best as I could. I got into a position where I thought I could get the fall, so I worked extremely hard to get that fall." Coon also pinned in the first round and quarterfinals, using a late hip toss to complete a dominant effort against Hungary's Adam Mertse in the latter match. Coon was up five points at the time of the fall after scoring on a quick pushout and two takedowns. He rallied to defeat Korea's Seungchan Lee, 8-5, in the second round, fighting off his back for nearly a minute after an early Lee four-point throw to storm back with a pair of four-point throws of his own. Down a point midway through the second period, he scored on a bodylock trip on the edge to ice the comeback win. His lone blemish of the tournament came in the semifinal round, where he dropped a quick 8-0 technical fall to two-time FILA Junior World champion Sergey Semenov of Russia. Semenov, who earned a 3-1 decision in the championship match, jumped on Coon immediately, hitting an early four-point and adding a pair of gut wrenches to end the bout just 29 seconds in. Coon gave Team USA its only medal of the Greco-Roman competition. He will return for freestyle action on Sunday (Aug. 10). He is one of only two athletes in the entire FILA Junior World tournament competing in both styles. Complete Results: First Round - pinned Stepan David (Czech Republic), 0:45 Second Round - dec. Seungchan Lee (Korea), 8-05 Quarterfinals - pinned Adam Mertse (Hungary), 5:10 Semifinals - tech. fall by Sergey Semenov (Russia), 8-0 Bronze Match - pinned Arata Sonoda (Japan), 0:45 Finished in third place with 4-1 record

The summer wrestling period had three major events -- AAU Scholastic Duals at Disney, Junior National Duals, and Cadet and Junior National Championships that were just held in Fargo, North Dakota -- in which large numbers of nationally ranked wrestlers were participants. These grade rankings of early August "react" and "reflect" what has happened in these tournaments, as well as other events in the period. The number No. 1-ranked wrestlers remain unchanged in the senior, junior, sophomore and freshman rankings. Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) is the nation's top prospect in the senior class, and will be competing in Croatia this week at the FILA Junior World Championships. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), who won a FILA Cadet freestyle world title in July, stays atop the junior rankings. Fellow FILA Cadet freestyle World champion Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) anchors the sophomore class rankings. Lastly, the freshman class anchor remains FILA Cadet World Championships participant Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.). Two wrestlers moved up 20-plus spots into the top 30 for the senior rankings: Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.), third in Junior freestyle at 145 pounds and the Outstanding Wrestler at the Disney Duals; and Chaz Tucker (Blair Academy, N.J.), Junior freestyle runner-up at 126 pounds. In the sophomore rankings, a pair of wrestlers moved up 20-plus spots into the top 20: Cadet National double runner-up Kamal Bey (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) and Junior freestyle 126 pound champion Mitchell McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.). InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. InterMat ranks the top 100 seniors, top 50 juniors, top 50 sophomores, top 25 freshmen, and top 15 junior high wrestlers. Sneak Peek Senior: 1. Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 2. Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) 3. Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) 4. Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill, Mo.) 5. Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 6. Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) 7. Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.) 8. Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) 9. Nick Piccininni (Ward Melville, N.Y.) 10. Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) Junior: 1. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) 2. Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) 3. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) 4. Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 5. Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) Sophomore: 1. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) 2. Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) 3. Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) 4. Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) 5. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) Freshman: 1. Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 2. Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 3. Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.) 4. Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) 5. Rocky Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) Junior High: 1. Josh McKenzie (New Jersey) 2. Theorius Robison (Colorado) 3. Nick Raimo (New Jersey) 4. Cohlton Shultz (Colorado) 5. Adam Busiello (New York)

Takedown Wrestling Media presented by 04 Water/Blue 04 "The Evolution in Hydration" announced that they've reached an expanded distribution agreement with Time Warner SportsChannel. Under the terms of the agreement Time Warner SportsChannel will expand distribution of Takedown Wrestling and USA Wrestling Weekly to promote and grow the sport of wrestling on Ch. 323 in New York City, the Hudson Valley and both North and South Carolina. The distribution agreement between Takedown Wrestling Media and Time Warner SportsChannel is both important and strategic. Effective immediately both USA Wrestling Weekly and Takedown Wrestling Weekly News Programs will be available to the expanded audience. These additions increase the total number of homes receiving the wrestling news programs to 55 million homes first run 52 weeks per year. "Takedown Wrestling Media is excited to grow our partnership with Time Warner SportsChannel to keep fans up to date on the world of wrestling. College and International styles alike will benefit from the wide and growing distribution of Time Warner SportsChannel," said Scott Casber, Founder of Takedown Wrestling Media. Casber's views were mirrored by Time Warner Cable Sports Sr. Director and General Manager Steve Arvan, who said, "We believe that the time is right to expand our wrestling news coverage. We see the sport of wrestling as being under-reported nationally and feel that by teaming with Takedown Media and USA Wrestling Weekly we can give Time Warner SportsChannel's grappling fans access to the finest worldwide wrestling coverage available." USA Wrestling's President James Ravanack added "that the increased coverage of USA wrestling events and its athletes will serve to continue wrestling's growth especially in the south eastern United States. We're confident that wrestling's growth in the US and around the world will benefit from the increased coverage and expanded distribution from our relationship with Time Warner SportsChannel " The distribution agreement between Takedown Wrestling Media and Time Warner SportsChannel continues and grows the original 2 year old distribution between the two companies. Time Warner SportsChannel and Takedown Wrestling Media will add additional markets in the coming months. The agreement is part of Takedown Wrestling Media's strategy to create a network of news outlets covering, promoting and growing all disciplines of the growing sport. About Takedown Wrestling Media Takedown Wrestling Media started 17 year ago as a single one-hour radio program broadcast from Clear Channel's KXNO studios in Des Moines. TDR pioneered Internet distribution of its weekly audio format and coverage of live events and specials. TDR TV was born as an addition to the radio program, initially available only on the Internet, the program is now available on a variety of different web sites, DirecTV, Dish Network and cable systems in the US. More information can be found at: Takedownradio.com About USA Wresting Weekly USA Wrestling Weekly was started in 2011 as a way to self promote the efforts of our US Wrestlers on the international level. Starting with Internet distribution, USAWW has been successful in growing its programming base with cable affiliates around the country. Host Scott Casber, well-known throughout the sports community, speaks to wrestling groups and promotes the sport wherever he can. More information can be found online at USA Wrestling's TheMat.com About Time Warner SportsChannel Time Warner Sports connects people and businesses with information, entertainment and each other. That's why we bring you the latest innovations for your home-from high-definition television, to Enhanced TV features, to high-speed data and Digital Phone services. We also believe in the power of community, which we show through our signature education programs, countless hours of volunteerism and by contributing cash and in-kind support to benefit the communities where we operate.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Former NCAA champion and current U.S. National Team member Keith Gavin has been hired as an assistant coach for the Virginia wrestling program, as announced Wednesday by UVa head coach Steve Garland. “We are thrilled to welcome Keith Gavin as an assistant coach,” Garland said. “Not only was Keith an NCAA champion, and thus has a very high level of wrestling knowledge himself, he also has been mentored by some of the best coaches in the nation. He has traveled the world learning and wrestling, and I am excited to have our kids now learning from him.” A two-time All-American while wrestling at the University of Pittsburgh, Gavin has extensive international experience and currently is a member of the U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Team, where he is ranked No. 1 nationally at 86 kilograms (185 pounds). “I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Virginia wrestling program,” Gavin said. “Coach Garland and his staff have done a great job building this program, and I look forward to doing everything I can to contribute to future success at UVa.” Gavin wrestled from 2003-08 at Pittsburgh, earning All-America honors in 2007 and 2008. He was the NCAA champion at 174 pounds during an undefeated campaign in 2008 (27-0 record) and was the national runner-up in 2007. He finished his career with a 120-37 record. Gavin is a member of the Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame and was the EWL Wrestler of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Gavin has wrestled internationally since graduating from Pitt in 2008 and has been part of the U.S. national team for each of the last five years. He placed third at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and then won U.S. national championships in 2013 and 2014. He also competed for the United States at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Gavin was the runner-up at the 2010 and 2014 U.S. World Team Trials and placed third at the 2011 World Team Trials. He also was the runner-up at the 2011 Pan-American Championships. Since February 2012, Gavin has trained at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio, while working toward the world championships and Olympics. He trained at the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club in Bethlehem, Pa., from 2009-12. After earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 2008 from Pitt, Gavin remained at his alma mater from April 2008 to August 2009 as an assistant coach, working directly with the middle to upper weight classes. Gavin and his wife, Carrie Foster Gavin, recently welcomed their first child, Nora.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- California Baptist University wrestling expanded Monday with the announcement that Andrew Nicola was joining the staff of Lancers head coach Lennie Zalesky. Nicola comes to CBU after assistant coaching jobs at Cumberland University and at the University of Central Missouri. He also held coaching jobs at a pair of Indiana high schools – Bloomington South and Culver Academies. “Andrew is very good in the areas we are looking to improve,” said Zalesky, who now has two assistant coaches in Nicola and Arsen Aleksanyan. “He is well connected to the national wrestling community and has a very good understanding of the things we need to do to bring our team up another level.” It is a task Nicola is excited to take on at CBU. "I am very excited to work with Coach Zalesky and Coach Aleksanyan,” Nicola said. “These two coaches have a wealth of knowledge and are proven winners. I have so much to learn about the sport and about coaching, and I am confident that these are the two that I want mentoring me. They lead by example in every facet of their lives. I am eager to help bring CBU wrestling to national prominence." Cumberland posted a number of program-best performances over the last two years with Nicola on board. He was responsible for running practices, teaching technique and handling recruiting for the Bulldogs, as well as arranging travel and assisting with scheduling. He also handled ordering gear for the squad, monitoring student-athlete grades and class attendance, along with organizing community service and support activities for the team. The Bulldogs enjoyed their highest-ever finishes at the NAIA Championships (sixth), National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals (third) and NWCA Academic All-American Team standings (fourth) in 2013-14. They also had six wrestlers earn All-American honors after the program had just 11 in its previous 16 seasons, with a NAIA National Champion and runner up. Nicola also holds coaching experience at the international level as a USA Wrestling Silver Certified coach, serving on the Indiana National Team coaching staff over the last 12 years. He was a Team USA Senior World Team Coaching Ambassador in 2013, traveling to Budapest, Hungary for the World Championships. In 2012, Nicola was named the 2012 Indiana Cadet/Junior Coach of the Year "[President] Dr. Ronald Ellis, [Vice President] Kent Dacus and [Director of Athletics] Dr. Micah Parker have blessed me with a great opportunity to join the CBU family,” Nicola said. “The school is growing and is very invested in the athletic programs. The school support and community support are second to none, and this will -- without a doubt -- be a great place for me." Nicola is a Fort Wayne, Ind. native, where his family and two brothers – Adam and Daniel – still reside. He is currently working on completing his second master’s degree in education from Cumberland, which is scheduled to be completed in December. He earned his first master’s degree in athletic and sport business administration in 2012 from Central Missouri. In 2008, he finished his bachelor’s degree in biology from Indiana.

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Chris Chionuma, a three-time All-American wrestler, has been named interim head coach of Ouachita Baptist University wrestling, according to Athletic Director David Sharp. Chris ChionumaChionuma, who has served the past year as a wrestling team graduate assistant at Ouachita, succeeds Kevin Ward who was named wrestling head coach Aug. 1 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “We’re excited to have Chris Chionuma during this interim time to continue the wresting tradition here at Ouachita,” Sharp said. “The fact that Chris has assisted with our program for the past year will help us maintain and build on Ouachita’s outstanding wrestling program.” “I am honored to continue the tradition that Coach Ward has built here at Ouachita,” Chionuma said. Noting that the Ouachita Tiger wrestling team has “an outstanding senior class,” he added, “Our goal is to bring back another trophy accompanied by OBU’s first national champion in this upcoming season.” Chionuma holds a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Oklahoma State University. While wrestling at Oklahoma State his senior year, he was the Big XII wrestling champion in his weight class. He previously wrestled at Lindenwood University where he was an NAIA national champion and a three-time All-American. While in college, Chionuma’s other honors included being named an Academic All-American and serving as wrestling team captain at both OSU and Lindenwood. He also has served as an Athletes in Action assistant coach in Mongolia. He is pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration. Ouachita’s wrestling program, established in 2010, has had 10 All-Americans and two national runner-ups in just four seasons of competition. The Tigers finished fourth nationally in 2014 and gained a program-record five All-Americans. Ouachita wrestling has finished in the top 15 in the nation each of the past three seasons.

Every summer in the third week of July there is a national tournament that hardly anyone watches in person. It's hard to get to and is held in a cavernous building that somehow is called a dome. It might be the least fan-friendly place to watch wrestling anywhere. But if you happen to be a coach or a member of the media, it is arguably the single most thrilling event in amateur wrestling. If you're lucky enough to get on the floor of the FARGODOME during the ASICS/Vaughan Junior & Cadet National Championships, you will never want to settle for a patron's seat. I know, I've done both. If you have ever wrestled in this event (especially the Junior division), you have officially entered the three most brutal days of staged competition. If you place in the top eight, you are one of the elite in the nation. Frankly, there should be a penalty to a wrestler's national ranking if he chooses to skip Fargo. The risk to reward is too high and the penalty for skipping is none. For the last three Fargo tournaments I have picked a well-known national wrestler and asked if I could follow him through the three days of competition. The first year I traveled along with current Minnesota Gopher wrestler Brandon Kingsley, who finished fourth. The following year I chose current Gopher wrestler Jake Short, who finished third. Last summer I trailed incoming Gopher freshman Tommy Thorn, who failed to place. Each was a slight favorite to win the title and I have since developed a reputation as a bad luck charm. T-shirts were made honoring the late Jim Short, a Minnesota wrestling legend (Photo/David Peterson)This came my way by none other than the grandmother of Minnesota wrestling, Pat Short. This year she cornered me and asked whose tournament I'm going to ruin this year. I told her Fredy Stroker from Iowa. She seemed pleased with the answer, had a tear in her eye and kept moving. Pat Short has been attending this event for many decades but this is the first year she was without her husband Jim. He passed away a few months ago and there were many Minnesota coaches wearing shirts honoring the late great Jim Short. Fredy and I met up Thursday morning as the small guys were on the mat. He had a smile as wide as a river and looked fresh. I was a little skeptical. Two nights earlier he was involved in a serious accident that totaled his dad's car. Fredy's mom Anabel begged him to stay home and forget about Fargo. Also, this was Fredy's first live competition since the Iowa state tournament where it was determined he wrestled the entire event with a torn MCL. I also happen to know every big-time wrestling coach in America wants him at his college. In the past two weeks he has hosted several head coaches in his parents' living room that have recently won national titles. I couldn't help but wonder if the pressure was going to be too much. Finally, he is wrestling one weight class higher (145) than he planned. He simply did not want to cut weight for this event Day 1: Thursday, July 24, 2014 Match No. 1: Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Kaleb Winebarger (Oregon) This is an opponent that Fredy knows nothing about. Kaleb is a two-time state placewinner in Oregon and last season was a runner up. This is a mismatch from the beginning and Stroker walks away with an easy 10-0 technical fall. Fredy barely breaks a sweat and is happy to be off with an easy start. Since this tournament no longer uses the pairing style and has moved to traditional bracketing, it has almost guaranteed the top wrestlers will be separated. In the past it was common for crazy tough matchups to happen right away. Also, once you lose here, there is no chance to wrestle in the finals. Many people favor this and many longed for the way it's always been. One thing is clear: this new form of bracketing is here to stay. The only question many people had on the opening day is, "Will Friday night be as exciting as it has always been?" Fredy Stroker (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Match No. 2: Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Chase Lemons (Idaho) This is the second straight match with an unknown opponent. Lemons is more recognizable in Idaho and recently finished as a runner-up in the state tournament. Fredy gets an early takedown for a 2-0 lead. As the first period rolls on, Lemons is becoming more confident and has found a way to slow Fredy down. The period ends 2-0. As the second period begins, it's clear Lemons smells victory and gets in deep on a few takedowns. Stroker has to work hard to fend off being pushed out of bounds. Clearly Stroker is hanging on to his lead and the momentum is on Lemons' side. The last 30 seconds of the period ends with a few nice scrambles, but Fredy hangs on for a close 2-0 win. He walks off the mat with a sigh of relief and another smile. He knows this thing is going to be rough. Fredy Stroker is an Army brat and has moved several times. He considers Pennsylvania his home state and has several friends in this weight class. They are not only his friends; he has wrestled with these guys throughout his youth wrestling career. Each of them at one time or another has been ranked near the top of the national rankings. Right now that spot belongs to Fredy. The Stroker family moved to Bettendorf, Iowa, three years ago just in time for Fredy to enter high school. He is currently a two-time state champion and is on track to break most of the Bulldogs' long-standing records. He is coached by Iowa wrestling legend Dan Knight, who is one of Iowa's four-time state champions. Match No. 3: Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Rocco Russo (New York) Once again Fredy knows nothing about this opponent. He's damn good. He has a high school record of 237-33 and is a multiple-time state placer. He has committed to Buffalo. This match gets off to a quick start. Fredy gets an early takedown followed by a two-point tilt. He follows this with another takedown and the period ends 6-0. This match will be over halfway through the second period with Fredy picking up the fall. Later I ask him why this match seemed so much easier. "I wasn't mentally ready for my second match," said Fredy. "I came into this one warmed up and ready to go." I asked if he felt like he was ready to make a deep run. He smiled and said, "I am!" Last fall Fredy skipped his usual preseason events and only entered Flo's "Who's Number 1?" This inaugural event in Pennsylvania featured four of the nation's top 132-pounders. Fredy surprised most of his critics by defeating multiple-time Fargo champion Seth Gross in his first match and then took out his friend Michael Kemerer in the finals. He spent the season ranked No. 1 by some publications and ran the table to the state championship. Many people have asked if he deserved that ranking, and this weekend in Fargo provides an opportunity for Stroker to silence the doubters. Day 2: Friday, July 25, 2014 Match No. 4 (Round of 16): Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Zac Carson (Ohio) There will be nothing easy today. Anyone still alive without a loss today is a very good wrestler and the chances to win by large margins are small. In the old pairing system mentioned earlier, this day (Cadet finals are in the middle of the day) used to be considered the toughest day of wrestling anywhere. I'm excited to see if it holds up. Carson is another unknown opponent nationally, but certainly is known in Ohio circles. Two years ago he was a runner-up to four-time state champion Dean Heil, and was a bronze medal winner last year. He was also a placer at FloNationals. Steve Elwood (right) and Lance Hughes take in the action from the elevated mat in Fargo (Photo/David Peterson)As Fredy is warming up, he mentions he has never wrestled on the championship stage. "I have never had any match up there," said Fredy. "I hope my first time is in the finals tomorrow." I ask him where this next match is and he doesn't know. We part and a few minutes later I read on the screen "Mat 1: Stroker vs. Carson." This is the championship stage. As the match gets underway, neither wrestler can gain an advantage. A minute goes by without any scoring. Carson tries a few leg attacks that are blocked easily by Stroker and then Fredy receives a passivity warning. He is told he has 30 seconds to score, or a point will go to his opponent. Within 10 seconds Stroker has Carson's leg in the air and brings him to the mat for a 2-0 lead. The period ends with that score and another look of relief is on Stroker's face as he comes to the corner to cool down. Forty seconds into the second period Fredy gets an easy takedown to build the lead to 4-0. He is now doing a little shuffle with his feet and daring Carson to come in on him. Carson takes him up on this offer and picks up a nice two points of his own. The last minute of the match is pure excitement as Carson tries everything he can to even the score as Fredy circles and tries to fend him off. The match ends 4-2 Stroker. Fredy is not happy with his performance here and is frustrated he isn't scoring more points. "I should have run away with that win. It should never have been that close." Every wrestler thinks his weight class is the tournament's toughest. The experts agree that 120, 126, 145 and 195 pounds are probably the deepest. Entering the weekend, most thought the top competitors at 145 pounds were Isaiah White, Fredy Stroker, Michael Kemerer, Josh Maruca, Vincenzo Joseph, Patrick Duggan and Mark Voss. We are now in the quarterfinals and all those wrestlers have yet to take a loss. Match No. 5 (Quarterfinals): Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Patrick Duggan (Pennsylvania) This is one of Fredy's longtime wrestling pals. They have known each other since they were 6. Mr. Stroker and Mr. Duggan are very good friends. This will not be an easy match for either wrestler. They shake hands and it is clear Duggan has spent many days in the weight room. His muscles are bulging out of his singlet and he's clearly the strongest opponent Stroker has faced in Fargo. Duggan has plenty of accolades. He is a multiple-time placewinner here at Fargo, Beast of the East placewinner and a two-time Pennsylvania state placer. They meet in the center and Duggan comes at Stroker right away. Fredy has to fight hard to ward off a takedown. The pressure keeps coming and like the match before, Fredy is put on the 30-second clock for passivity. This time he is unable to capture a point and for the first time in the tournament, Stroker is behind 1-0. Fredy Stroker gets his hand raised (Photo/David Peterson)Duggan shoots in again and almost picks up a takedown. The period ends with Duggan ahead 1-0. Stroker gets on the offensive early in the second period and gets a nice takedown to jump ahead 2-1. Fredy keeps coming at Duggan and the referee returns the favor and puts Duggan on the 30-second passivity clock. Patrick tries several moves to prevent the one-point penalty, but can't pick up any points. It's now 3-1 Stroker with under a minute remaining in the match. Duggan is desperate and tries several throws and leg attacks. None of them are successful, but with 15 seconds to go, Duggan gets one point for a pushout. He vainly tries another dive in on the legs but comes up empty. Final score is 3-2 Stroker. This guarantees All-American honors for Stroker. How tough is it to be an All-American in Fargo? There were 108 entrants at the 145-pound weight class. 100 of those will not be All-Americans. It's a big deal and I can attest that virtually every one of those 108 competitors thought they would make it. The look in the eyes of the wrestlers as they are eliminated is ghost-like. Most do their best to get away from the crowd. It is almost always followed by the saddest tears and time spent alone. No one wants to be caught crying, but many of the competitors can't hold the tears back as their opponents' arms are raised. It is tough to watch a young boy hang his head as he goes to every corner to shake all coaches hands and make his way to the center judge to do the same. There's something sadly shameful about this that only a wrestler understands. They have no one to hang their loss on. It's their fault and their dreams are dead. Match No. 6 (Semifinals): Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Vincenzo Joseph (Pennsylvania) Here is another longtime friend and wrestling partner of Stroker's. Vince has been in the shadow of the likes of Kemerer, Stroker and Maruca, but unfairly. Joseph is the reigning Pennsylvania state champion and a multiple-time state placewinner. He also finished fourth in the prestigious Walsh Ironman last December. Still, most don't give this tough wrestler his due. He is another very strong athlete with very little body fat. He looks much bigger than Stroker. The match starts with Joseph diving and successfully grabbing the ankle and gets a quick 2-0 lead. Fredy tries a similar move but finds himself at the edge of the circle and is easily pushed out. It's now 3-0 Joseph. Fredy Stroker (Photo/David Peterson)Coach Knight recognizes this match is not going to be like the others and is yelling for Fredy to control the ties and get him off the head! The period comes to a close with Joseph confidently walking off the mat with a nice 3-0 lead. The second period starts just like the first, but this time Fredy blocks the shot to the ankle with his signature whizzer hold. It does nothing except take valuable time off the clock. After the referee breaks the action, Joseph is in again and this time scores the two points. He follows this right away with a two-point tilt and suddenly Stroker is down 7-0. With less than 90 seconds to go, Fredy takes a few wild shots that are easily blocked. As the period comes to an end, Joseph gets one more point for a pushout and the match ends 8-0 Joseph. I'm stunned this happened so fast. I didn't see this coming and neither did most others. I have been here enough times to know to get away from a wrestler after a devastating loss. I know he needs time alone and I'm all about giving it to him. Fredy Stroker's dream of being a national champion is dead. The rest of the semifinal round is lights out. Some of the very best wrestling matches are condensed to this two-hour period and the action is breathtaking. My traveling companion Lance Hughes and I are constantly running between the three semifinal mats making sure we don't miss anything special. We are fortunate enough to see Mitchell McKee (Minnesota) score an unbelievable 10 points in the last 20 seconds of his match to march to the finals. We watch Tommy Thorn roar back from a three-point deficit with less than 30 seconds on the clock. We slap hands as Bobby Steveson (Minnesota) avenges his loss to Samuel Colbray with another gut-check comeback (was down 5-2) with 45 seconds to go. The new bracketing system seems to bring out the best in these guys. The famous Friday night blood round has been replaced by some thrilling semifinal matches. Match No. 7 (Consolation Semifinals): Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Michael Kemerer (Pennsylvania) This is the third straight opponent from PA for Stroker. These two know each other all too well. Kemerer is a two-time state finalist and a multiple-time All-American in Fargo. He was clearly one of the favorites to win this title. These two are now wrestling to make it into the third-place match. The loser will wrestle for fifth. Kemerer strikes first with a takedown in the first minute of the match to go up 2-0. Stroker battles back with a takedown in the final 30 seconds of the period to knot the score at 2-2 as the opening period comes to a close. Kemerer regains his lead, 3-2, with a pushout 57 seconds into the second period. Kemerer nearly scores a takedown midway through the period, but the two wrestlers go out of bounds. Both wrestlers remain aggressive, and with 23 seconds left in the match Stroker fires off a shot and converts it to a takedown with 16 seconds left to take a 4-3 lead, which is how the match would end. He will wrestle for third place in the medal round tomorrow. Day 3: Saturday, July 26, 2014 By this time most of the competitors are in the stands. The Junior division started with over a thousand wrestlers and we are down to the final 120. There will be 15 champions taking a stop sign (the big plaque is octagon shaped) home with them. Most wrestlers covet this hardware more than any other besides an Olympic gold medal. There is nothing harder to win as a high school-age wrestler, and their peers consider them the best in the nation. It's the only major national wrestling event without travel restrictions or barriers to enter. If you think you have it, bring it. Fredy Stroker with Bettendorf teammate Logan RyanMatch No. 8: (Third Place): Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Josh Maruca (Pennsylvania) Fredy and I can't believe he is about to wrestle his fourth straight friend from Pennsylvania. The state of Pennsylvania is without argument the deepest wrestling state in the nation. State placers in PA would win state titles in the majority of the other 49 states. The match does not start off well for Fredy. Maruca gets in on a takedown and traps Stroker's arm. He uses his leverage and rolls Fredy back and forth in a series of successive moves. Each roll is worth two points and they are coming fast and furious. Like some other freestyle moves, when a wrestler is caught in deep, there is very little he can do. The points are awarded faster than I can keep up with and just like that, it's over. Maruca wins the third-place match 11-0. I give Fredy plenty of space to absorb the loss. I know this is painful and I'm not getting near that agony. I make my way to the championship stage to take in that action. Later, Fredy comes up on the stage with the other All Americans at 145 pounds and accepts his fourth-place trophy. He is happy and light on his feet. He tells me he feels bad about the losses he took here, but fourth place feels pretty good. He knows he has one more year of this next summer and he looks me in the eye and says, "It's mine next year!" I believe him. Isaiah White of Illinois went on to win the championship at 145 pounds in convincing fashion, defeating Vincenzo Joseph 9-3 in the championship match.

Dennis Papadatos has been named head wrestling coach at Hofstra HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Dennis Papadatos, a two-time NCAA Division I NCAA National Championship qualifier for the Pride, has been named the 12th head coach in the history of the Hofstra University Wrestling program. The announcement was made by Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeffrey A. Hathaway. "This is an exciting time for the Hofstra Wrestling program," stated Hathaway. "From my initial meeting with Dennis I could see the tremendous passion he has for Hofstra University and our wrestling program. Hofstra Wrestling has experienced great success in its history and Dennis has played a role in that both as a student-athlete and as a staff member. His belief in developing well-rounded student-athletes who succeed in the classroom, on the mat and in the community made him the perfect choice to lead our program. Dennis' tireless efforts have enhanced every program that he has worked with during his journey resulting in him becoming our new head coach. Dennis is a native Long Islander who understands what it will take to be successful at Hofstra on a local, regional and national level. On behalf of the entire Hofstra University community I am thrilled to welcome Dennis, Angela and their three children to our family." "I would like to thank Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz and Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeff Hathaway for their trust in me to lead my alma mater and this outstanding wrestling program," commented Papadatos. "Words cannot describe my emotions and my passion for this University. It is home in so many ways and I feel blessed to be a part of it again. I want the Hofstra faithful to know that I will work relentlessly to have this program succeed at the highest level in every aspect and our student-athletes will strive for greatness in everything they do, both on the mat and in the classroom. We will focus and work on building great individuals, who will be fantastic role models, citizens and alumni. I am thankful for my support network that has made this possible, and I am so excited that I can bring my wife and kids home! Go Pride!" Papadatos was a four-year starter at Hofstra under then-head coach Tom Ryan from 1997-2001 and recorded 95 career victories. At 157 pounds, he qualified for the NCAA Championships in 1999-00 after earning a New York State championship and a second-place finish in the ECWA Championships. He returned to nationals as a senior in 2000-01 after winning the ECWA title with three straight victories. Papadatos has served an assistant coach with three well-respected Division I wrestling programs, including the previous two seasons at North Carolina under head coach C.D. Mock. At Chapel Hill Papadatos served as the recruiting coordinator, where he helped the Tar Heels post a top-10 recruiting class for 2014 following a top-20 ranked class in 2013. As a key member of Mock’s staff in running practices, he helped work with the upper weight classes and was part of a coaching unit that saw nine North Carolina wresters qualify for the NCAA Championships. Under his tutelage, North Carolina earned its first All-America selection in eight seasons when Evan Henderson earned the spot at 141 pounds in 2013. Henderson would follow that up with another All-America selection in 2014, becoming UNC's first two-time All-American since 2005 and also the highest finisher in nearly two decades as he finished in fourth place. The Tar Heels had success in the classroom as well as Alex Utley earned NWCA All-Academic Team honors in both 2012-13 and 2013-14, while also being a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic Team. North Carolina also finished in the top 25 at the NCAA Championships in 2013 and 2014, marking the first time since 1996 and 1997 that the Tar Heels had finished in the top 25 in back-to-back seasons. Off the mat, Papadatos was responsible for the program’s budget, travel logistics, compliance and the student-athletes’ academic progress. He also helped coach Tar Heels to a 21st-place team finish in 2013, which was the program’s best showing since 1996. Before coming to North Carolina, Papadatos spent five years as an assistant at Binghamton from 2006-11 and helped produce 16 NCAA individual qualifiers and the first four All-America selections in school history. Binghamton saw six wrestlers make it to the NCAA Championships in each of his final two seasons, culminating with a 21st-place national finish in 2010. In the classroom, Papadatos helped Binghamton improve its academic progress rate (APR) score over a four-year period and helped recruit a 2008 class that was ranked in the top-25. He was also part of a staff that led the Bearcats to their first and only Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title in 2010. Papadatos earned his first assistant wrestling coach position at Northern Illinois, where he helped coach four NCAA Championship qualifiers and Josh Wooton to a Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship at 141 pounds. He assisted in recruiting and arranged the team’s travel and scheduling logistics. Papadatos started his collegiate coaching career as a strength and conditioning assistant at Hofstra from 2001-04 following his graduation. As a certified personal trainer, Papadatos structured team and individual lifts and conditioning programs. Hofstra won the Colonial Athletic Association title in all three of his seasons. As a wrestler, Papadatos was named to the ECWA All-Freshman team in 1998 and was a three-time NWCA Academic All-America. He graduated from Hofstra in 2000 with a degree in exercise physiology and completed a master's in health education from Hofstra in 2002. Dennis and his wife, Angela, have three children (Gabriella - 6, Apostoli - 4 and Yianni - 2). Papadatos was born and raised in Bethpage, New York and attended Island Trees High School. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT DENNIS PAPADATOS ... Tom Ryan, Head Wrestling Coach at Ohio State (Hofstra Wrestling Coach from 1995-2006) Hofstra is a place where I was nurtured and grew as a coach. I have tremendous pride and many great memories at Hofstra. Former President Shuart remains a friend as does the leader of the athletic department Jeff Hathaway. I am proud of the decision Hofstra made in the hiring of Dennis Papadatos. Dennis is the perfect hire as the Head Wrestling Coach. He was a tremendous example as a student-athlete. His past speaks volumes about the passion and energy he will bring to Hofstra wrestling. I'm excited about the future of the program. Dennis will continue to move the program forward. Noel Thompson, Teammate of Papadatos at Hofstra from 1999-01 and current CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Thompson Global LLC Dennis has always had tremendous passion for wrestling and he’ll bring that enthusiasm with him as he returns to Hofstra. Even when we were teammates, he was always a student of the sport. He was very proficient technically and his continued focus on technique has made him a great coach. He’s going to put Hofstra in position to have great success as a program. Nick Gallo, Former Hofstra Wrestler and 1977 national champion at 126-pound weight class Dennis is a great choice to take Hofstra Wrestling to another level. He has shown great leadership in his previous coaching stops and has incredible passion for both Hofstra and the sport of wrestling. With all the exciting events for Hofstra Wrestling in the future, especially being the host of the upcoming 2016 NCAA National Championships at Madison Square Garden, we are all looking forward to seeing the program’s future. I am sure Dennis will steer us in the right direction. Neil Duncan, Two-time NCAA qualifier for Hofstra from 1971-72 Dennis is an outstanding hire as Hofstra’s new head wrestling coach. He’s a proven top-notch recruiter. As a well-known and respected former Hofstra wrestler, Dennis relates well to the local wrestling community. He has a tireless work ethic and great passion for the sport, which is apparent as soon as you meet him. C.D. Mock, Head Wrestling Coach at North Carolina It has been a great pleasure having Dennis on staff with the Tar Heel family the past few years. Dennis was a big part of our program and certainly instrumental in the positive changes we've experienced during that time. He is the right person to lead the Hofstra program and I have no doubt about his prospects for success. Dennis and his family will always be a part of our family and we wish him much success and happiness. Pat Popolizio, Head Wrestling Coach North Carolina State (was head coach at Binghamton with Papadatos on his staff) I had the honor to work with Dennis first hand during my time at Binghamton University. Dennis was a vital part of the success we had at BU and he will bring a work ethic that is unparalleled to Hofstra. He has all the knowledge and experience to build and brand a national powerhouse and Dennis will bring an exciting attitude and personality to the college ranks. Hofstra has a rich history of wrestling and I am confident Dennis will continue to build upon that. He is the perfect coach, mentor and leader for the Hofstra Pride. Jim Norris, Retired Athletic Director/Binghamton University Dennis Papadatos is one of the finest teacher-coaches that I have ever been associated with and he will do a super job as the Head Wrestling Coach at Hofstra University. Dennis is a first-class person with great integrity and he will continue to be a tremendous role model for young people. His work ethic, inexhaustible energy level, and positive enthusiasm are all second to none. Without a doubt, Dennis Papadatos will build a wrestling program that everybody associated with Hofstra University will be extremely proud of and he will do it the right way. Mike Moyer, Executive Director of National Wrestling Coaches Association Dennis is a terrific hire for Hofstra University. He is fully committed to an educationally based coaching philosophy. Dennis is absolutely tremendous and I know that Hofstra is home for him. He is one of the bright shining stars in our coaching community and Hofstra Wrestling is in good hands with Dennis at the helm. Dennis’ ongoing commitment to pursue professional development on multiple occasions in our CEO Leadership Academy clearly separates him from many others. Coaching development is an important aspect of his maturation as a coach and we couldn’t be happier for Dennis and his family. Pat Tocci, Senior Director of National Wrestling Coaches Association Hofstra University is getting an outstanding coach in Dennis. He is extremely committed and a tireless worker who understands the necessities both on and off the mat it requires to build a successful program. I have no doubt he will continue to build on the rich history of Hofstra Wrestling. Scott Casber, Co-Founder/Host Takedown Wrestling Media Dennis has been a fixture in college wrestling and he’s a tremendous recruiter and outstanding coach. He expects nothing but the best from his student-athletes. Hofstra has made a good hire and he’ll be an incredible asset to the athletic department.

Deron Winn