InterMat Staff

Day 1: Saturday, July 19 Cadet women's freestyle Session I: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation and Consolation Semifinals Session II: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Day 2: Sunday, July 20 Cadet Greco-Roman Session I: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. 1/8 Championship, Quarterfinals and Consolations Day 3: Monday, July 21 Cadet Greco-Roman Session III: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Consolations, Semifinals and Consolation Semifinals Session IV: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Junior Greco-Roman Session I: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Consolations and 1/8 Championship Junior women's freestyle Session I: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Preliminaries, Consolations and 1/8 Championships Day 4: Tuesday, July 22 Junior Greco-Roman Session III: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Quarterfinals, Consolations, Semifinals and Consolation Semifinals Session IV: 2:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Junior women's freestyle Session II: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Quarterfinals, Consolations, Semifinals and Consolation Semifinals Session III: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. If needed Session IV: 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Day 5: Wednesday, July 23 Cadet freestyle Session I: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Preliminaries, 1/8 Championships, Consolations Junior women's freestyle duals Session I: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Preliminaries Session II: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Preliminaries, Finals, Medal Matches, & Awards Day 6: Thursday, July 24 Cadet freestyle Session III: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Quarterfinals and Consolations Session IV: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Semifinals, Consolations and Consolation Semifinals Junior freestyle Session I: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Day 7: Friday, July 25 Cadet freestyle Session V: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Junior freestyle Session III: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1/8 Championships, Quarterfinals, Consolations Session IV: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Semifinals, Consolations and Consolation Semifinals Day 8: Saturday, July 26 Junior freestyle Session V: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards

FARGO, N.D. – Michigan's Kenya Spencer has been here before. Michigan's Kenya Spencer won a battle of returning champions at Cadet Nationals in Fargo on Saturday (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Spencer repeated as women's freestyle champion at the Cadet Nationals on Saturday night at the FARGODOME. Spencer downed returning champion Taylor Rosario of Texas 9-2 in the finals at 172 pounds. "It was definitely harder to win this year," Spencer said. "She won it last year, so it was a huge win for me. It's a tough tournament with a lot of good competitors." The eight-day ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals kicked off on Saturday. Colorado's Ashlynn Ortega was named Outstanding Wrestler after winning by technical fall over Kayla Marano of Oklahoma in her finals match at 132. Read full story ...

The Junior National Greco-Roman tournament will kick-off on Monday morning in Fargo, North Dakota. It is a tournament that serves as an opportunity for many rising juniors and seniors to increase their visibility, or just to get visible, on the national landscape. For those that are moving on to college in the fall, it is a last high school competition, and can serve to set the tone for their college track. The following is a weight-by-weight overview of the field for this event. Keep in mind, information for this analysis is based on weight classes and registrations posted on Track Wrestling as of late Saturday evening. 100: Last year's opening weight champion in Cadet Greco-Roman enters this tournament as a joint favorite in the opening weight of the Junior Greco-Roman competition. That would be Louie Hayes (Illinois), who is also a three-time All-American in the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman competition. The other primary contender is Randon Miranda (California), who seeks the second leg of the Junior Triple Crown, after winning the folkstyle title in early April at this weight class. Last year Miranda was runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman at 94 pounds, and this spring was fifth at 101 pounds in the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman event. Other challengers in this weight class include returning Cadet freestyle runner-up Zach Murillo (Connecticut), state qualifier Victor Gliva (Minnesota), and state champion Cole Rohan (Oregon). 106: Last year's champion in Junior Greco-Roman at 100 pounds, Dalton Roberts (Michigan) is entered in this weight class. However, the two rated favorites in this field would be Kirk Johansen (Illinois) and Danny Vega (Arizona). Johansen was runner-up to Roberts in Greco-Roman last summer, but won the freestyle tournament, and was a FILA Junior freestyle champion this spring at 110 pounds (third in Greco-Roman); while Vega is after the second leg of a Junior Triple Crown after winning the folkstyle title in this weight class in April, and last year was a Cadet double finalist (runner-up in Greco-Roman, champion in freestyle) at 100 pounds. Others to watch in this weight class include past Fargo All-Americans Bryce Brimhall (Utah), Brendan Coughlin (Maryland), and Kade Evans (Utah). 113: Two Junior National folkstyle champions are among the contenders in this weight class, Joey Cisneros (California) and Doyle Trout (Nebraska). Cisneros won his title at 113 pounds, and last year was a Junior National double runner-up (Greco-Roman and freestyle) in Fargo at 106 pounds; while Trout was fourth in Cadet Greco-Roman in 2012. The Fargo champion in this weight class is Joey Prata (Virginia), who won the Cadet Greco-Roman title at 100 pounds last summer, and was also a Cadet double All-American in 2012 at 94 pounds. Other contenders in this weight class include 2013 FILA Cadet Greco-Roman World Team member Tanner Cox (Utah); Brock George (Utah), who was third in Junior Greco-Roman at 106 pounds last summer; 2013 state champion Benny Gomez (Michigan), 2012 Cadet Greco-Roman third place finisher Ethan Koan (Missouri), state champion Corbin Nirschl (Kansas) and Toribio Navarro (Tennessee), two-time state runner-up Garrett Pepple (Indiana), two-time state champion DeVaughn Sapien (Idaho), and returning Cadet double All-American Josh Venia (Ohio). 120: There is a defending Junior Greco-Roman champion in this weight class, Brandon Staley (Florida), who won the 106 pound title last year. However, the joint favorites would have to be Anthony Cefolo (New Jersey) and Skyler Petry (Minnesota). Cefolo was third in Junior Greco-Roman last year at 113 pounds after earning a pair of Cadet All-American honors in Greco-Roman the previous two years, while Petry was finished second in the Junior Greco-Roman competition at 113 pounds last year. Others to watch include two-time state champion Nelson Baker (Illinois); 2013 state champion Dalton Duffield (Oklahoma); Paul Fitterer (Minnesota) and Trayton Libolt (Oregon), a pair of two-time Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Adam Flatt (Georgia); Ryan Friedman (Maryland), who placed sixth at 113 pounds in Junior Greco-Roman last year; two-time state champion Logan Griffin (Michigan); returning Cadet double All-American Josh Kramer (Arizona); J.J. McClelland (Wisconsin), a two-time Junior Greco-Roman All-American; and a pair of 2012 Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Perez Perez (California) and Tyler Schilling (Oregon). 126: Two FILA Cadet Greco-Roman World Team members anchor the field in this weight class, Taylor LaMont (Utah) and Jake Spiess (Ohio). LaMont won the FILA Cadet title at 127 pounds in late May, and was on his second consecutive world team. In addition, the nation's No. 18 ranked Class of 2016 wrestler was seventh last year in Junior Greco-Roman at 120 pounds, and was a Cadet freestyle champion; while Spiess was the representative at 119 pounds, and is now a two-time FILA Cadet All-American, both at 119 pounds. Another pair of wrestlers is legitimate contenders in this weight class, Mitch McKee (Minnesota) and Cub Yeager (Oklahoma). McKee is ranked No. 44 in the Class of 2016, is a two-time Cadet Greco-Roman champion, and seeks the second leg of a Junior Triple Crown as he was champion in Junior folkstyle this past April. Yeager is a two-time All-American in Junior Greco-Roman, including a runner-up finish last year in this weight class. Others to watch include multi-time state champions Austin Anderly (Minnesota), Sean DeShazer (Kansas), and Brett Velasquez (Nebraska); returning Junior Greco-Roman All-Americans in Keegan Calkins (Illinois) and Austin Lister (Oregon); three-time state placers Cody Karstetter (Oklahoma) and Justin Patrick (Pennsylvania); Ty Pelot (Wisconsin), a 2011 Junior Greco-Roman All-American; along with returning Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Raul Nevaraez (Idaho) and Ted Rico (Arizona). 132: The highest returning Junior Greco-Roman placers in this field are Blaine Tschida (Minnesota) and Will Koll (New York); Tschida was runner-up at 120 pounds last year after placing third at 106 pounds on the Cadet level in 2012, while Koll placed third at 126 pounds. Another notable contender here is Josh Bird (Wisconsin), who was the Cadet Greco-Roman champion in this weight class last summer. Others to watch in this weight class include returning Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Nick Casella (New York), Aaron Grigsby (Arkansas), Marty Margolis (Maryland), and Armando Molina (California); two-time state champion Jarrett Degen (Montana); Hunter Kelley (Georgia), a 2012 Junior Greco-Roman All-American; William Kui (New Jersey), a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; and 2012 Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Brady O'Keefe (Nevada). 138: The lead contender in this weight class is returning Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Blake Clevenger (Missouri), who also was runner-up in the FILA Junior Greco-Roman competition this past April. Others to watch include Griffin Parriott (Minnesota), who is ranked No. 36 in the Class of 2016 and was runner-up in the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman competition this past May; Matt Findley (Utah), who placed fifth in Junior Greco-Roman last summer; four-time state champion Dusty Hones (Utah); Cadet double All-American (seventh Greco-Roman, second freestyle) Chase Lemond (Idaho); and returning Cadet freestyle All-American Johnny O'Hearon (Utah). 145: Two of the nation's top Class of 2014 wrestlers is the lead figures in this absolutely loaded weight class, No. 35 Grant Leeth (Missouri) and No. 42 Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (New York). Leeth was champion in Junior folkstyle this April, and is after the second leg of a Triple Crown, and was ffith in Junior freestyle last summer; while Rodriguez-Spencer is a highly productive Greco-Roman wrestler, third in Junior Greco-Roman in 2012 at 132 pounds, and a three-time FILA Junior All-American in this style. Additional challengers in this weight class include a trio of top 100 Class of 2015 prospects: No. 74 Patricio Lugo (Florida), a Cadet double All-American (runner-up in Greco-Roman, fifth in freestyle) last summer at 138 pounds; No. 81 Wyatt Wyckoff (California), a two-time state runner-up; and No. 100 Isaac Dulgarian (Kansas). Also in this weight class is a trio of top 50 ranked Class of 2016 wrestlers: No. 25 Hayden Hidlay (Pennsylvania), a Cadet double runner-up last year at 126 pounds; No. 28 Kevin Budock (Maryland); and No. 43 Austin Kraisser (Maryland), a Cadet double All-American (fouth Greco-Roman, runner-up freestyle) last year at 145 pounds. Additional contenders include returning Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Logan Kass (Minnesota); additional Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Rudy Guillen (Georgia), Chandler Michael (Oregon), and Fritz Schierl (Wisconsin); along with Sir Romeo Howard (Illinois), who was fifth last year in this weight class in Junior Greco-Roman. 152: In what is a relatively open weight class, a pair of top 100 Class of 2015 populates the field, No. 67 Dayton Racer (Missouri) and No. 97 Cole Walter (Pennsylvania). Racer was a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American in 2012, while Walter earned Cadet All-American honors in 2011 and 2012. Two other wrestlers in this field have finished runners-up in Greco-Roman in Fargo: Joey Gunther (Illinois), who has done so each of the last two years at the Cadet level; and Andrew Millsap (Kansas), who was second in this Junior weight class last year. Additional wrestlers to have earned All-American honors in Greco-Roman at the Cadet level are Colbran Meeker (Oregon), Jesse Porter (New York), Jared Scharenbock (Wisconsin), and Chase Straw (Iowa). Another pair of wrestlers were All-Americans in FILA Cadet Greco-Roman in 2013: Brooks Robinson (Utah) and Andrew Webb (Georgia). 160: The probable favorite in this weight class is Jon-Jay Chavez (Idaho), the No. 32 overall prospect in the Class of 2014 and a FILA Cadet World bronze medalist in Greco-Roman last year. He also has won Fargo titles twice in the style, last year at the Junior level and in 2011 at the Cadet level. Three top 100 Class of 2015 prospects are among the primary challengers in this field: No. 7 Fox Baldwin (Florida), No. 47 Colston DiBlasi (Missouri), and No. 87 Jonathan Viruet (Massachusetts). Baldwin was a Cadet freestyle champion in 2012, DiBlasi finished fifth in Cadet Greco-Roman in 2012, while Viruet was fifth at 152 pounds in this competition last year. Returning All-Americans in Junior Greco-Roman include Logan Breitenbach (Maryland), Jake Deutschlander (Minnesota), and Dalton Harmon (Utah). Additional wrestlers to earn All-American honors in Cadet Greco-Roman in the past include Dalton Ray (Pennsylvania), Gavin Grater (Kansas), and Spencer Heywood (Utah). Other notables in the field include a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American in Regan Bye (South Daktoa); state champions Dakota Greene (Florida), Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma), and Izaec Quintanilla (Washington); past Cadet freestyle All-Americans in Corbin Allen (Virginia) and John Leal (California); along with Burke Paddock (New York), a Junior Greco-Roman All-American in 2011. 170: The most notable name in this relatively open weight class is returning All-American Gable Frandsen (Wisconsin), who also finished as the No. 95 overall wrestler in the Class of 2014. The lone other grade-level ranked wrestler in this weight class is Seth McLeod (Idaho), who is positioned at No. 79 in the Class of 2015. Others to watch include Preseason Nationals champion Brett Bye (South Dakota); 2012 Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Kaden Campbell (Utah), Billy Duffert (Wisocnsin), Tyler McNutt (Missouri), Mason Reinhardt (Wisconsin), and Keiffer Taylor (Arizona); Dustin Gray (Missouri), a two-time Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; returning Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Vincent Guerrero (Arizona); and Christian Stackhouse (New Jersey), who placed third last year in Junior freestyle at 160 pounds. 182: Timothy Young (Illinois) has emerged as a clear specialist figure in this weight class having won the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman title at 187 pounds in May, and earning fifth in the World Championships this past week. However, a pair of top 100 Class of 2015 wrestlers will provide him with a stern challenge: No. 41 Justan Rivera (Georgia) and No. 43 Dylan Wisman (Virginia). Rivera was a two-time Cadet double All-American at 182 pounds, 4th Greco/3rd freestyle in 2012 and 2nd Greco/1st freestyle in 2013; while Wisman placed fourth at the Junior level in both styles at this weight class last year. Other contenders in this weight class include Jacob Armstrong (Utah), a returning Junior Greco-Roman All-American; state champions Mitch Bowman (Iowa) and Nick Weldon (Alabama); two-time state runner-up Chance Cooper (Missouri); Jeremiah Imonode (Arizona), a returning Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; and Tyler Wildmo (Michigan), who was a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American in 2012. 195: Samuel Colbray (Oregon), who is ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2016, won Cadet Greco-Roman titles in each of the last two years. He was also a double runner-up at the FILA Cadet level this past May at 187 pounds. Providing his primary competition will be two-time state champion Robert Steveson (Minnesota), who is ranked No. 16 in the Class of 2015. Returning Junior Greco-Roman All-Americans include Terrell Fields (Pennsylvania) and Edgar Ruano (Illinois). Another pair of wrestlers was double All-Americans at the Cadet level last year, Emilio Fowler (Kansas) and Randy Scott (Indiana). Additional wrestlers to have earned Cadet Greco-Roman All-American honors entered in this weight class include Tyler Crow (Missouri), Andrew Fenton (Ohio), Isaac Florell (Minnesota), Ben Honis (New York), and Nick Osowski (Wisconsin). Others to watch include Cody Damiana (New Jersey), Preseason Nationals champion Kyle Fank (Iowa), and state champion Cody Vigoren (Washington). 220: Returning Junior double champion Roy Nash (Utah), who ended as the nation's No. 23 overall prospect in the Class of 2014, enters as the favorite in this competition. Primary challengers include returning runner-up in this event Tyler Schmidt (Wisconsin); Austin Myers (Kentucky), who is ranked No. 23 in the Class of 2015; and returning Junior Greco-Roman sixth place finisher Rafael Rokosz (New York). Others to watch include past Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Kyle Anderegg (Oregon), Shane Coombs (Colorado), and James Ford (Ohio); two-time state runner-up Christian Dulaney (Minnesota); and two-time state third place finisher Robert Enmon (Florida). 285: Sam Stoll (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The favorite in this weight class is Sam Stoll (Minnesota), who ended up as the No. 10 overall wrestler in the Class of 2014. He was a runner-up in Junior Greco-Roman last year and a runner-up at the FILA Junior Greco-Roman level this year. However, it is a formidable field of wrestlers behind him that includes three others who earned Junior Greco-Roman All-American honors last year: Michael Hobbs (Illinois) and Jesse Webb (Vermont), who earned those honors in both styles, and Adarios Jones (Illinois) who is after the second leg of a Triple Crown as he won the Junior folkstyle title in early April. Others to watch in a deep field include returning Cadet Triple Crown winner Jake Marnin (Iowa), who is ranked No. 46 in the Class of 2015; two-time state champion Ryan Prescott (Michigan); state champions Blake Andrews (Texas) and Matt Halverson (Wisconsin); state placer Ryan Monk (Pennsylvania); Cadet freestyle All-Americans Collin Braun (Missouri) and James Huwe (Minnesota); FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion Tate Orndorff (Washington); Dane Drimmer (Colorado), 2012 Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; along with FILA Cadet Greco-Roman third place finishers in Dante Jiovanetta (Florida) and Michael Rogers (Pennsylvania).

SNINA, Slovakia -- For the fourth straight year, Team USA has struck gold in men's freestyle at the FILA Cadet World Championships, earning two gold medals on Saturday in Snina, Slovakia. Mason Manville (Photo/Martin Gabor)The dynamic duo of Spencer Lee and Mason Manville ran through their respective brackets to join Adam Coon, Zain Retherford and Aaron Pico as U.S. Cadet World Champions since the tournament was reimplented in 2011. Lee, a Pennsylvania product, put on a dominant display at 50 kilos/110 pounds, picking up three technical falls and a fall while not surrendering a single point en route to the gold medal. Utilizing a relentless pace, Lee defeated Afgan Khashalov of Azerbaijan 11-0 in the gold medal match. He opened up the scoring with a quick takedown in the first 20 seconds to set the tone and take a 2-0 lead. Lee followed that up with four more takedowns and a push out point to earn the technical fall and the gold. Manville also put on quite the show for the fans in Slovakia, winning his first three bouts by technical fall before stopping Radik Valiev of Russia in the finals 5-0. Manville scored the first point in the gold medal bout after Valiev was put on the 30-second shot clock and did not score. Manville put the match out of reach with two second period takedowns over the talented Russian. Read full story ... 2014 FILA Cadet World Championships At Snina, Slovakia, July 19 Men's freestyle results 42 kilos/92.5 pounds Gold: Alireza Goodarzi (Iran) Siver: Maksim Zamorshchikov (Russia) Bronze: Daigo Hattori (Japan) Bronze: Giorgi Khachidze (Georgia) 5th: Intrigam Valizada (Azerbaijan) 5th: Gavin Teasdale (United States) 7th: Costel Tarcoci (Romania) 8th: Urna Cihan (Turkey) 9th: Pavlo Vyzir (Ukraine) 10th: Anuar Nurgeldi (Kazakhstan) 50 kilos/110 pounds Gold: Spencer Lee (United States) Siver: Afgan Khashalov (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Nicolai Grahamez (Moldova) Bronze: Nader Nasrisamakoush (Iran) 5th: Balazs Egyed (Hungary) 5th: Vasant Kolekar Prakash (India) 7th: Gaioz Gongladze (Georgia) 8th: Chermin Valiev (Russia) 9th: Arseniy Zur (Belarus) 10th: Akkaya Deniz (Turkey) 58 kilos/127.75 pounds Gold: David Baev (Russia) Siver: Mhir Amiraslanov (Azerbaijan) Bronze –Kuatbek Mukhambet (Kazakhstan) Bronze: Mojtaba Amouzad (Iran) 5th: Ali Cam (Turkey) 5th: Mamuka Chachua (Georgia) 7th: Enrike Fombeya (Ukraine) 8th: Temuulen Enkhtuya (Mongolia) 9th: Sharvan (India) 10th: Hiromu Sakaki (Japan) 69 kilos/152 pounds Gold: Mason Manville (United States) Siver: Valiev Radik (Russia) Bronze: Pritam (India) Bronze: Alberts Jurcenko (Latvia) 5th: Gheorgi Pascalov (Moldova) 5th: Samuel Scherrer (Switzerland) 7th: Patryk Kazmierowski (Poland) 8th: Martynas Damidavicius (Lithuania) 9th: Ahmad Bazrighaleh (Iran) 10th: Fazli Eryilmaz (Turkey) 85 kilos/187.4 pounds Gold: Ahamil Sadullayev (Azerbaijan) Siver: Semih Yazici (Turkey) Bronze: Ilija Matuhin (Germany) Bronze: Karamjeet (India) 5th: Hovhannes Mkhitaryan (Armenia) 5th: Ruslanbek Aldiev (Russia)

The Cadet and Junior National Championships open today (Saturday) with the Cadet women's freestyle competition. However, for most aficionados of the sport, the competition truly starts on Sunday when Cadet Greco-Roman kicks off. Many of the leading figures in this competition are already known and proven commodities. Over the next two days in Greco-Roman, and in freestyle towards the end of the week; some confirmation of these elite figures will occur, while others will emerge onto the radar of followers with their performances here. The following represents a weight-by-weight overview of the tournament field. Participant information is based on the Track Wrestling entry list as of late Friday night. 88: The opening weight is led by Cody Phippen (Kansas), who placed 5th in the 92 pound weight class at the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman tournament in late May, and is seeking the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown having won the Cadet Folkstyle title at 94 pounds in early April. Two other FILA Cadet Greco-Roman placers are in this weight class: Troy Keeley (Illinois), who placed third, and Patrick McKee (Minnesota), who placed sixth. Others to watch include Malik Heinselman (Colorado) and Jaret Lane (Pennsylvania). 94: Illinois wrestlers have been the dominant narrative at the Cadet level this summer, and across levels at Fargo over the last few years. The two FILA Cadet Greco-Roman medalists in this weight class both reside from Illinois, Peter Ogunsanya and Holden Heller; Ogunsanya was 2nd in both styles (Greco-Roman and freestyle) and 92 pounds, while Heller was 4th in both styles. Others to watch include Rhett Golownoski (Oklahoma), Kade Lincoln (Idaho), and Elijah Varona (Florida). 100: Five wrestlers that earned All-American honors in Greco-Roman last summer in Fargo return to this weight class. The highest placer among those is Brayden Schwalbe (Montana), who was 3rd in this style and fourth in freestyle, both coming at 88 pounds. Dylan and Brady Koontz (Wisconsin) were also All-Americans at 88 pounds, coming in fourth and seventh respectively, with Brady also placing in freestyle. Jakob Campbell (Pennsylvania) and Dominic Lajoie (Michigan) placed 6th and 7th respectively at 94 pounds in Greco-Roman last summer. While in this wide open weight class, the favorite may end up being incoming freshman Roman Bravo-Young (Arizona), who was runner-up in FILA Cadet freestyle at 101 pounds. 106: Drew West (Iowa) just competed in the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman World Championships this past week at 110 pounds, so one could argue that he is the favorite headed into the tournament. However, he'll have to clear a pretty formidable field of challengers to get the Fargo stop sign. Most notable among them is Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma), the No. 39 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017, and champion in Cadet freestyle last year at 94 pounds. The highest returning Greco-Roman placer from Fargo last year is Alex Crowe (Minnesota), who took second at the Cadet level in the 88 pound weight class. The other returning Fargo All-American is Ty Lee (Wisconsin), who was third at the Junior level in the 100 pound weight class. Others to watch include two-time FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Drew Mattin (Ohio), Cadet folkstyle runner-up Rylee Molitor (Minnesota), two-time FILA Cadet All-American Zach Sherman (New Jersey), and FILA Cadet Greco-Roman third place finisher Trae Vasquez (Montana). 113: Two of the nation's best Class of 2017 prospects headline the field in this weight class, No. 19 Ben Freeman (Michigan) and No. 26 Austin Gomez (Illinois). Freeman seeks the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown, having won the folkstyle title already at 113 pounds; while Gomez is after a repeat Greco-Roman title in Fargo, having won last year at 94 pounds. However, it is not just a two-person race, as there is a strong challenge pack headlined by Brent Jones (Minnesota) and Dack Punke (Illinois). Jones finished third in Fargo in both styles last summer at 94 pounds, and took fourth at the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman tournament in the 110 pound weight class; while Punke was the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion at 101 pounds this spring. Other Fargo All-Americans in Greco-Roman last year in this field include Paul Bianchi (Wisconsin), Will Egli (Indiana), and Dalton Young (Washington); while Chris Deloza (California), Will Kaldes (Pennsylvania), and Chase Wickman (Washington) were All-Americans in freestyle. Two additional incoming ninth graders in this field merit attention: Jon Trowbridge (Kansas), who finished sixth in FILA Cadet Greco-Roman at 119 pounds; and Andrew Merola (New Jersey), who is ranked No. 23 overall in that class. 120: Not as strong a weight class as the one above and the one below, but it is led by one of the notable Class of 2017 prospects in Austin O'Connor (Illinois). The state champion is ranked No. 10 overall among all rising sophomores. Others to watch include returning Cadet All-American Nolan Baker (Illinois), FILA Cadet Greco-Roman third place finisher Jacob Greenwood (Colorado), state runners-up Ryan Leisure (Iowa) and Ethan Reel (Illinois), state champion Ozzy Lugo (Florida), National Prep third place finisher Requir van der Merwe (New Jersey), and returning Cadet freestyle All-American Coltan Williams (Texas). 126: A pretty solid weight class overall, which is led by Jaden Enriquez (California) and Chad Red (Indiana). Enriquez is ranked No. 13 overall in the Class of 2017, a returning Cadet double All-American (3rd in Greco-Roman, 4th in freestyle), finished as runner-up in FILA Cadet Greco-Roman and 127 pounds, and is after the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown as he won the folkstyle title at 132 pounds in early April. Red, already a two-time state champion, is ranked No. 22 overall in the Class of 2016, placed 4th last year at 113 pounds in Cadet Greco-Roman, and has placed at both the Super 32 Challenge and Flo Nationals in his two high school seasons. Others meriting attention include returning Cadet double All-American (3rd Greco-Roman, 5th freestyle) Quentin Hovis (Arizona); two-time state placer Jon Busiello (Pennsylvania); two-time state champion Michael Soler (Washington); Alex Lloyd (Minnesota), who is ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2018; and 2013 state placer Gaige Torres (Indiana). 132: This weight class is headlined by two of the nation's elite Class of 2017 prospects in Eric Hong (Pennsylvania) and Corey Shie (Ohio). Hong was a Cadet double All-American last year at 113 pounds (3rd Greco-Roman, 4th freestyle), and is No. 9 overall in the class; while Shie was a FILA Cadet double All-American in May at 127 pounds (4th Greco-Roman, 6th freestyle), seeks the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown after winning the folkstyle title at 126 pounds, and is No. 23 overall in the class. Others to note include a pair of returning All-Americans in Jaron Chavez (Idaho) and Jaron Jensen (Utah); Chavez finished 5th last year at 106 pounds and is ranked No. 40 in the Class of 2017, while Jensen doubled in Fargo at 120 pounds (3rd Greco-Roman, 8th freestyle). Additional notables are state placers Jake Allar (Minnesota) and Kris Lindemann (New Jersey). 138: Two present/past world team members in FILA Cadet Greco-Roman, along with a third ranked Class of 2017 prospect make for a formidable lead group in this weight class. The highest ranked of the rising sophomores is Hunter Bolen (Virginia), who comes in at No. 16 overall. However, the two world team members are No. 25 Domenick Demas (Ohio) and No. 28 Devin Bahr (Wisconsin), who were also both All-American last summer in Fargo in Greco-Roman. Demas won his FILA Cadet title this past year at 138 pounds; while Bahr did so last year at 127 pounds, and is also after the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown after he won this weight class in folkstyle during early April. Two other returning Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans are also in this field, Hayden Bates (Oregon) and Ethan Karsten (Missouri). Additional figures to note in this field are Leonard Merkin (New York), a two-time FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; and Josiah Rider (Colorado), who is ranked No. 10 overall in the Class of 2018. 145: Two nationally ranked Class of 2017 wrestlers led the way in this weight class, No. 38 Anthony Mantanona (California) and No. 44 Max Wohlabaugh (Florida). Mantanona seeks the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown, as he won the folkstyle title in this weight class in April, while Wohlabaugh was a state champion this past year in high school. The contenders pack isn't as strong here, but is led by returning All-American Liam Corbett (Hawaii), National Prep placer Paul Hutton (Maryland), Brandon Kui (New Jersey), incoming freshman Quentin Milliken (Pennsylvania), and state champion Mattew Park (Idaho). 152: Arguably the shallowest weight class in this field as presently constituted. Two of the lead contenders are state champion Johnny Blankenship (Missouri) and state runner-up Jacob Covaciu (Indiana). 160: Among those featured in this field are two wrestlers seeking Cadet Triple Crowns, Jacob Warner (Illinois) and Oscar Ramos (Wisconsin). Both wrestlers were also champions at the Preseason Nationals this past fall, while the pre-tournament favorite Warner was a FILA Cadet All-American in freestyle and is also ranked No. 24 overall in the Class of 2017. Others to watch in this weight class are returning Cadet freestyle All-American Andrew Berreyesa (Nevada), state placer Andrew Buckley (Missouri), state champion and Cadet folkstyle runner-up Tucker Leavitt (Idaho), two-time state placer Trey Meyer (Washington), state champion Ashton Seely (Utah), along with state champion and FILA Cadet Greco-Roman third place finisher Owen Webster (Minnesota). 170: Beau Breske (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Beau Breske (Wisconsin) has to enter this tournament as the favorite, as he was a double champion last year in Fargo at 170 pounds. The nation's No. 6 ranked Class of 2016 prospect was also runner-up in both styles at the FILA Cadet Nationals in late May at 167 pounds. However, he will not be without strong challenge. That group is led by Kamal Bey (Illinois), who is ranked No. 37 overall in the Class of 2016 and was a Cadet double All-American last year in Fargo (3rd Greco-Roman, 2nd freestyle) at 160 pounds. Among the others to watch are state champions Jared Bird (Idaho) and Randy Meneweather (Illinois), returning Cadet Greco-Roman All-Americans in Brandon Haas (Iowa) and James Handwerk (Ohio), the No. 6 overall incoming freshman in Jack Jessen (Illinois), and Cadet folkstyle runner-up Casey Randles (Idaho). 182: There is a clear favorite in this weight class, and it is Keegan Moore (Minnesota). The nation's No. 10 overall Class of 2016 prospect is after the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown, as he won a second straight Cadet Folkstyle title in April. He was also runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman last year at 170 pounds. Others to watch include state runner-up Antonio Agee (Virginia); returning All-American Dean Drugac (New Jersey); and Wyatt Koelling (Utah), who was a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American in late May. 195: There is no clear star in this weight class. The two lead contenders for the title did both place in their state tournaments this past year, and happened to split matches at the Cadet National Duals last month. State runner-up Matt Stencel (Ohio) won the meeting in freestyle, while Cadet folkstyle champion Kobe Woods (Indiana) won the match in Greco-Roman. Other contenders include state champion Jeffrey Allen (Virginia); returning Cadet freestyle All-American Brian Barnes (Oregon); and Cadet folkstyle runner-up Jacob Cavins (Indiana), who placed seventh in this tournament last year. 220: Gannon Gremmel (Iowa) is the favorite in this weight class, as he seeks the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown. The No. 47 overall Class of 2016 prospect was also a Preseason Nationals champion this fall and is already a two-time state placer. Others to watch include state champion Sammy Evans (Tennesee), returning Cadet Greco All-American Garyn Huntley (New York), state champion Brandon Metz (North Dakota), and Allen Stallings (Illinois). 285: Arguably the most obvious favorite in the whole competition comes in the last weight class, as Kevin Vough (Ohio) leads the way here. The No. 14 overall Class of 2017 prospect placed third at state during his freshman campaign, and was a Flo Nationals champion. Last summer as a first-year Cadet, he was 7th in Cadet Greco-Roman and 283 pounds, and this year was a FILA Cadet double All-American (4th Greco-Roman, 2nd freestyle) at 275 pounds. Others to watch include FILA Cadet double All-American Thomas Helton (Illinois), Michael McCauley (California), and state champion Osawaru Odighizuwa (Oregon).

The Cadet World Championships wrap up this weekend in Slovakia and from where I've been sitting youth wrestling has never looked better. After the first three days of competition it's apparent that Greco-Roman, freestyle and female wrestling have a strong future. These kids can roll ... Fargo, the annual a youth-wrestling extravaganza in North Dakota, also gets started this weekend. The largest wrestling tournament in the United States, Fargo features middle and high school aged wrestlers from around the country competing for the titles colloquially known as "Fargo All-American" and "Fargo national champion." For many coaches, athletes and parents it's the single biggest event outside of their folkstyle state tournament. For some it's come to symbolize something much larger adding more stress to an event overwrought with needless drama and pointless valuations. I never competed in Fargo and only attended a few times as a coach. The last time I was in Fargo wasn't even for wrestling. I was playing Trivial Pursuit for money during a 24-hour car ride from Philipsburg, Montana, to Chicago and had to stay overnight at the Holiday Inn. When it comes to wrestling in Fargo I have no emotional connection to the city and no meaningful connection to the event. Maybe that emotional and physical distance from Fargo is why the tournament feels like the embodiment of what's gone awry in youth wrestling. Wrestling fans are now glued to the screen to see how wrestlers as young as 14 years old are competing at a tournament which will have absolutely no effect on the rest of their life (outside of prompting some to get a USA Wrestling tattoo on their shoulder in honor of their "All-American" achievement). Worse still the wrestlers themselves begin to mistakenly believe that Cadet and Junior National Championships at 14 or 15 or 16 will in some way ensure future success. Hint: There is no correlation between high school success and Olympic success. Look around the wrestling world and see that for every Fargo Megastar like David Taylor there are 10,000 participants who never made it to college and burned out of the sport completely -- many before their first day of college. Humans assign value to plenty of dumb things (Beanie Babies, stamps, diamonds) but none seems as overgrown and ready to implode than the self-important gaze by which parents and coaches glare upon the youth sports. In wrestling that over-infatuation and skewed value is epitomized by what goes on inside the FARGODOME. I applaud the efforts of our wrestling community to have a single, large event by which to evaluate youth wrestlers and celebrate the sport. But Fargo is not a celebration - it's a cutthroat competition for medals that very soon will mean nothing except the loss of formative years. Fargo means more to parents, scouts and the wrestlers than what it could ever create in return. Util to util Fargo has a terrible ROI. Jake Herbert has been promoting his BASE wrestling system, which focuses on skill-building, fun activities for youth wrestlers, without discrediting the idea of competitionThe error is in thinking that with hyper-focus, a wrestler -- buoyed by family and coaches -- can become an elite athlete. Some might, but most pre-pubescent, over-worked 14-year-old boys won't become Jordan Burroughs or Cael Sanderson, and most won't become Jordan Oliver or Cyler Sanderson. Most will become former wrestler with weird stories to tell girls at the bar about how they have "actually been to North Dakota." They don't make it to the top of the pile and when they don't they leave -- the price they paid for failure too great. The truth remains that despite the hero-worshipping and creation of the Fargo-Dreamscape, the vast majority of the youth wrestlers who venture to the tournament will end up outside of the sport, disenfranchised and burned out. There are ways to keep Fargo on the schedule and our kids happy, but that will require parents, teachers and coaches to CALM THE HELL DOWN. Over-competitiveness and hyper-specialization isn't a new trend -- American wrestlers having been burning out for decades, but never before has what led to that burnout -- overexposure, high-stress, low-return on investment -- been more prevalent. Today's wrestler is living in his father's car being toted around, their life a miserable go-round: Practice ... cutting weight ... Super 32; Practice ... cutting weight .. Fargo; Practice ... cutting weight ... Pop and Flo; Practice ... Life for a teenage wrestler is lived within a single opportunity and single expression. Kids -- that's what they are -- deserve the opportunity to be supported in doing more than just one sport. They deserve to be given a chance to negotiate what it is they like and dislike. Adult life is about being forced to absorb and process the absolute repetitive hell that is "day-in, day-out." Being a child or young adult means getting to avoid that quicksand and live an optimistic, healthy existence -- preferably with three meals a day and gallons of fresh drinking water -- and it's this generation of wrestling parent that can change the prevailing 24/7, "Win you live, lose you die" attitude of the community. Sport specialization happens. You don't have to ask too many wrestlers over thirty what life was like as a child to see that vast separation between their experience and that of the modern youth wrestler. I started at 14 years old, wrestled ONLY in season and at the end of the day I smile more than I laugh, won more matches than I lost and made some lifelong friends. I also still work within the sport. Youth sports should be about teaching determination and competition, but a variety of options allow for personal growth ... Play to winDon't get confused about this message. Competition is OK and something that can be taught through passion. I'm not a psychopath about winning, but I can see that I have a drive to succeed and have been known to take ping-pong games with 12-year-olds too seriously. Some of that passion through wrestling, but a lot of that came from the confidence my parents let me create by allowing me choose my path (even as early as fourth-grade baseball). Fargo isn't the only cause of wrestling's high-turnover problem, but it is a result of priorities and poor leadership by coaches and parents. There will always be savants who excel at the sport, and kids who love wrestling so much that they have to get their beatings six days a week, but we all know that the vast majority of our little guys are neither. They're just dudes (and dudettes, though that's a separate culture) who don't want to disappoint Mom and Dad and who think that they (mostly) like some part of the sport of wrestling. So please, this week, give the poor kids a break. Cheer them on, support them and should the need arise allow them go on to do something else active, healthy and fun. The beauty of wrestling is that anyone might become a champion, but that not everyone can. Your kid included. To your questions ... Q: Failed drugs tests in MMA … How much do managers/coaches/partners know when athletes are using drugs? Should a guy like Greg Jackson be held accountable at all for Ali B. failed test vs. Mighty Mouse? -- @Rob_SwagginU Foley: I once interviewed an unnamed, very well-known MMA fighter who said that he believed 90 percent of fighters were on some type of performance enhancing drug. According to him the fighter would typically use them to help in training and then get off in enough time to pass the drug tests. For a long time that system was working, but now the commissions and the UFC (kinda) are cracking down. Were it up to Uncle Dana, fighters would probably all be on juice to improve their "KNOCKOUT!!!!!" potential, but as it stands he can't ask that of his contracted employees. He's a bright guy and probably sees how drugs almost killed baseball and would do the same to the UFC. The trainers are one-hundred percent aware of their fighters' in-the-gym activities, or at least should be. Did Jackson know about Ali B? It's possible, but he has a lot of fighters on his roster and Ali had a lot of people jabbering in his ear. There is a cloud of confusion that comes over operations like Jacksons and to make him responsible might be ill-advised. Athletes will always cheat to get ahead and while I think it's preposterous not to test them more often, it's also an expensive proposition. Without blanket procedures for who gets tested when the entire thing becomes a gamble, though in Ali's case I think it was a scheduled test. Who will hold him accountable are the young fighters coming up. Do they want to be in a camp with a bunch of guys that have peed hot in the past? Are they comfortable in being surrounded by a culture of cheating? Jackson needs to get involved from a business perspective and see that it's bad for the brand to have his title contenders get their butt kicked AND test positive for drugs. Q: Will there be line bracketing at Fargo this year? How will the seeding or bracket placement be done with so many competitors? -- @ghwcoach? Foley: Yes. The old system has been replaced by a simple bracket system that you see at the NCAA tournament. The top wrestlers will be separated as best as possible, though nothing can be guaranteed. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Stuart Scott Motivates Athlete of the Week: Mighty Mouse Kacy Catanzaro Wealth Gap: Wrestling can relate and Billy Baldwin reference! Link: John Bardis, The Wrestling CEO Q: What's your feeling on the state of wrestling in the American West? Grand Canyon turmoil, Pac-12 rebuilding, Wyoming, UVU? -- @NHoughSnee Foley: I'm hopeful. The recent firing of the Grand Canyon staff is tumultuous, but that program is being prepped for Division I and that means it will attract talent. No matter the reasons for the dismissal of the coaches there is opportunity, and with the right replacement Grand Canyon can keep up their recent successes. The Pac-12 is still reeling from a lack of depth, but with the news that Fresno State is closer than ever to re-adding their program and Zeke Jones moving to Tempe there is reason to stay optimistic. Conference growth is never an easy or quick fix. Cal-Poly should improve this season with guys coming out of redshirt and the Stanford Cardinal will place wrestlers at the NCAA tournament (Jason Borelli is proving to be one of the best coaches in the country). So why not? Let's go ahead and be hopeful. It's the American way. **FINAL READ** Doug ZembiecThe Washington Post reported this week that Marine Maj. Doug Zembiec's 2007 death in Iraq was while fighting on behalf of the CIA. Nicknamed "The Lion of the Fallujah" Zembiec starter his military career ate the Naval Academy where he was a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler. The story is worth reading in full, but here are a few quotes that speak to his force as a commander and man. He was without questions a warrior and remarkable in his perseverance and courage. "I was with him in Fallujah," the Marine continued. "And if we had to go back in there, I'd follow him in with a spoon." "The radio operator on Zembiec's death, 'Five wounded and one martyred.'" -- Wall Street Journal Final quote from Zembiec, given at his funeral "Be a man of principle. Fight for what you believe in. Keep your word. Live with integrity. Be brave. Believe in something bigger than yourself. Serve your country. Teach. Mentor. Give something back to society. Lead from the front. Conquer your fears. Be a good friend. Be humble and be self-confident. Appreciate your friends and family. Be a leader and not a follower. Be valorous on the field of battle. And take responsibility for your actions. Never forget those that were killed. And never let rest those that killed them."

SNINA, Slovakia -- Last year at the Cadet World Championships Teshya Alo earned a bronze medal, this year she struck gold. Teshya Alo (Photo/Martin Gabor)The Honolulu, Hawaii native, Alo won an impressive five matches on the day at 56 kilos/123.25 pounds during her run to gold, including two close one-point victories. She defeated Tatjana Rizhko of Ukraine in the quarterfinals 9-8, followed by a semi-final victory over Kumi Irie of Japan 4-3. In the gold medal bout it was all Alo. She opened up her offense early against Russian opponent Ksenia Nezgovorova, scoring a takedown in the first 20 seconds of the match. Heading into the second period the score favored Alo 3-2, a lead she would extend to 9-2 by the final whistle, crowning her Cadet World Champion. Read full story ... 2014 FILA Cadet World Championships At Snina, Slovakia, July 17 Women's freestyle results 38 kilos/83.75 pounds Gold: Al Tauguchi (Japan) Silver: Cristina Elena Zoltan (Romania) Bronze: Veronika Ryabovolova (Ukraine) Bronze: Sujata Sujata (India) 5th: Ari Rahime (Turkey) 5th: Laura Almaganbetova (Kazakhstan) 43 kilos/94.75 pounds Gold: Yui Susaki (Japan) Silver: Sonu Sonu (India) Bronze: Veronika Gurskaya (Russia) Bronze: Munkhnar Byambasuren (Mongolia) 5th: Ulkar Babajeva (Azerbaijan) 5th: Lisa Ersel (Germany) 49 kilos/108 pounds Gold: Kika Kagata (Japan) Silver: Leyla Qurbanova (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Suzana Georgiana Seicariu (Romania) Bronze: Viktoriia Vaulina (Russia) 5th: Kremena Petrova (Bulgaria) 5th: Anna Krol (Poland) 56 kilos/123.25 pounds Gold: Teshya Alo (United States) Silver: Ksenia Nezgovorova (Russia) Bronze: Alexandra Wolczynska (Poland) Bronze: Kumi Irie (Japan) 5th: Vatansever Ayse (Turkey) 5th: Tatjana Rizhko (Ukraine) 65 kilos/143.25 pounds Gold: Khanum Velieva (Russia) Silver: Irina Kapitanova (Kazakhstan) Bronze: Nellie Brink (Sweden) Bronze: Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria) 5th: Katerina Lobsinger (USA) 5th: Alina Levytska (Ukraine) U.S. women's freestyle performances 43 kilos/94.75 pounds -- Hailey Cox, Mapleton, Utah WIN Kim Gmeiner (Austria), 17-6 LOSS Lisa Ersel (Germany), 10-10 49 kilos/108 pounds -- Theresa Rankin, Grass Lake, Mich. LOSS Alena Sauko (Belarus), 2-8 56 kilos/123.25 pounds -- Teshya Alo, Honolulu, Hawaii, Gold WIN Simona Zamocnikova (Slovakia), 10-0 WIN Aurora Campagna (Italy), 10-0 WIN Tatjana Rizhko (Ukraine), 9-8 WIN Kumi Irie (Japan), 4-3 WIN Ksenia Nezgovorova (Russia), 9-2 65 kilos/143.25 pounds -- Katerina Lobsinger, Concord, Calif., 5th LOSS Khanum Velieva (Russia), 0-10 WIN Magdalena Ragginger (Austria), Fall LOSS Nellie Brink (Sweden), 0-5

We're still not saying that UFC Fight Pass is worth the money. However, this weekend's card has a solid lineup. Up-and-comer Connor McGregor headlines the Dublin show against Diego Brandao. As polarizing as McGregor is, Brandao probably won't be the one to derail the Irishman's hype train. But the best fight on the card might be the flyweight bout between Ian McCall and Brad Pickett. In a division short on new contenders, the winner could be on the short list to challenge Demetrius Johnson. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

The annual mega-showcase of high-school-aged wrestling that is "Fargo" kicks off this Saturday with the Cadet Women's freestyle competition, and will conclude one week from Saturday with the championship and medal matches of the Junior freestyle competition. In between many of the nation's best known, and yet to be known, star wrestlers will test and show their mettle. No more vertical pairing in Fargo One major story that is going to be beaten to a bloody pulp by the end of the Cadet and Junior National Championships is the change from "vertical pairing" to "line bracketing" for the tournaments throughout the event. At a simple level, vertical pairing splits the competitors into two pools. Matches are conducted in kind of a round-robin format where wrestlers are eliminated upon their second loss of the event. Once the pool is down to four wrestlers, those are the All-Americans, while the last three (or two) remaining with less than two losses are then re-paired into a mini-round-robin structure. Upon determining placement in the pool, the medal round is cross-paired, so the champion of each pool competes for first place. Line bracketing is a fancy way of saying a traditional double-elimination tournament, like one is to see throughout their scholastic career (and like the NCAA tournament). Still, the top eight wrestlers will earn All-American honors. Four will do so through making the semifinals; while the other four will earn that distinction by winning a consolation match after losing in the quarterfinals, or winning a series of consolation matches and then beating a quarterfinal loser. Let's look at some varying aspects of the formats, and try to analyze reasons for (and against) the changed format. For those wondering if there is efficiency achieved in terms of the number of matches during the tournament, the answer is that each format yields about the same number of matches. See the below chart that compares the number of matches wrestled in each weight during the 2013 Junior National freestyle competition relative to if the event was wrestled as a double-elimination bracket. However, there is a clear variance in how the matches are distributed between the vertical paired tournament and the line bracketed tournament. While there are slight imperfections because tournament management may choose to skip certain weight classes within a round in order to achieve varying efficiencies (rest periods, making sure all weights participate in a session), the below should provide a general idea. For the vertical pairing, rounds one through nine represent preliminary rounds prior to the "round-robin" matches (as well as any tiebreaker bouts for fourth in a pool) being conducted. The latter matches are represented by rounds ten through twelve. For line bracketing, the rounds are as follows: all championship (of 128), mixed championship (of 64) and consolation, consolation, mixed championship (of 32) and consolation, consolation, mixed championship (of 16) and consolation, consolation, mixed quarterfinals and consolation, consolation round of 12, mixed semifinals and consolation quarters, and consolation semifinals. One of the major discussion points about the vertical pairing system is that a wrestler can lose during the course of the tournament (heck, even twice) and still make it to the finals should certain events within the course of pool competition happen. Well, in a line bracket, that obviously cannot happen. Another question to ask is how many matches -- generally speaking -- does a wrestler have to win to earn All-American honors within each system. The median bracket size in Junior freestyle last year was between 64 and 96 wrestlers, which in a line bracket would mean that either four or five straight wins on the "front side" would clear a wrestler to the semifinals; while a loss in the first match of competition would mean having to win seven or eight consecutive bouts to earn a top eight finish. Within the vertical pairing structure, winning six bouts before losing two is likely what it will take to be an All-American (sometimes a 5-2 mark is enough, though in other cases 6-2 is not enough). In terms of "bracket luck", each format has its own dynamics that one could classify into that bucket. Therefore, I don't think it's fair to say that one format's "bracket luck" is better or worse than the other in terms of earning an All-American finish. Additionally, on that track, different people will have different definitions of "bracket luck." Impact of FILA Cadet Worlds being this week Now moving onto topics that involve actual wrestlers and wrestling. One factor that will have an influence on field composition is the FILA Cadet World Championships being held this week in Slovakia. The Greco-Roman competition was conducted yesterday and today, while freestyle is being held on Saturday and Sunday. However, the travel itinerary has all competitors slated to travel back from Slovakia on Monday. Therefore, it is implausible for any of those wrestlers competing in the FILA Cadet World Championships to appear during the Greco-Roman tournaments (Cadet on Sunday and Monday, Juniors on Tuesday and Wednesday). Additionally, it would be rather ambitious for those competing in Slovakia to return for the Fargo freestyle competitions at the end of the week (Cadets on Wednesday through Friday, and Juniors on Thursday through Saturday), though some may choose to do so. The following wrestlers on the FILA Cadet World team in Slovakia are Cadet eligible for Fargo: Jason Holmes (Arizona) -- Greco 92.5 pounds Gavin Teasale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.) -- freestyle 92.5 pounds, No. 3 in the Class of 2018; Cadet freestyle 88 champion 2013 Dack Punke (Washington, Ill.) -- Greco 101.25 pounds Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) -- freestyle 101.25 pounds, No. 1 in the Class of 2018 Drew West (Highland Riverside, Iowa) -- Greco 110 pounds Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) -- freestyle 110 pounds, No. 1 in the Class of 2017 Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) -- freestyle 119 pounds, No. 3 in the Class of 2017; Cadet Greco 106 and freestyle 113 champion 2013 Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) -- Greco 127.75 pounds, No. 18 in the Class of 2018; note that he would have competed in Greco at the Junior level if going to Fargo; Cadet freestyle 120 champion 2013 Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) -- Greco 138.75 pounds, No. 25 in the Class of 2017 Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, Pa.) -- freestyle 138.75 pounds, No. 15 in the Class of 2017 Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) -- freestyle 220 pounds, No. 5 in the Class of 2016 The following wrestlers would have to compete at the Junior level: Jake Spiess (Delta, Ohio) -- Greco 119 pounds Carter Happel (Lisbon, Iowa) -- freestyle 127.75 pounds, No. 17 in the Class of 2016; Cadet freestyle 132 champion 2013 Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) -- Greco/freestyle 152 pounds, No. 2 in the Class of 2016; Cadet Greco/freestyle champion 145 2013 Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) -- Greco 167.5 pounds, No. 9 in the Class of 2016; Cadet Greco/freestyle champion 152 2013 Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) -- freestyle 167.5 pounds, No. 1 in the Class of 2016; Cadet Greco/freestyle champion 160 2013 Timothy Young (East Aurora, Ill.) -- Greco 187.5 pounds Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.) -- freestyle 187.5 pounds, No. 37 in the Class of 2015; Cadet Greco champion 182 2013 Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) -- Greco 220 pounds, No. 32 in the Class of 2016 Returning Fargo champions The following wrestlers that won 2013 Fargo titles are eligible to return at the same level at which they won the title last year (note that wrestlers competing in Slovakia this week are excluded below): Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.) -- Cadet Greco 94; No. 26 overall Class of 2017 Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall, Okla.) -- Cadet freestyle 94; No. 39 overall Class of 2017 Beau Breske (Hartford, Wis.) -- Cadet Greco/freestyle 170; No. 6 overall Class of 2016 Dalton Roberts (Fowlerville, Mich./graduated) -- Junior Greco 100 Kirk Johansen (Glenbard North, Ill.) -- Junior freestyle 100 Brandon Staley (Winter Springs, Fla.) -- Junior Greco 106 Hunter Marko (Amery, Wis.) -- Junior freestyle 106 Elijah Oliver (Christian Brothers, Tenn.) -- Junior freestyle 113; No. 38 overall Class of 2015 Jordan Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.) -- Junior Greco 126; No. 93 overall Class of 2015 Jered Cortez (Glenbard North, Ill./Illinois) -- Junior freestyle 126; ended No. 39 overall Class of 2014 Hayden Tuma (Centennial, Idaho/Nebraska) -- Junior Greco 132; ended No. 30 overall Class of 2014 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn./Iowa) -- Junior freestyle 132; ended No. 58 overall Class of 2014 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J./Stanford) -- Junior Greco 138; ended No. 8 overall Class of 2014 Aaron Pico (California) -- Junior freestyle 138; not competing scholastically Jon-Jay Chavez (Centennial, Idaho/Cornell) -- Junior Greco 152; ended No. 32 overall Class of 2014 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D./Oklahoma State) -- Junior freestyle 152; ended No. 18 overall Class of 2014 Davonte Mahomes (Oak Park River Forest, Ill./Michigan) -- Junior Greco 160; ended No. 41 overall Class of 2014 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla./Oklahoma State) -- Junior Greco 170; ended No. 20 overall Class of 2014 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas/Penn State) -- Junior freestyle 170; ended No. 5 overall Class of 2014 Michael Pixley (Blue Springs, Mo./Lindsey Wilson) -- Junior freestyle 182; ended No. 13 overall Class of 2014 Chance McClure (Commerce, Ga./Virginia) -- Junior Greco 195 Roy Nash (Taylorsville, Utah/Utah Valley) -- Junior Greco/freestyle 220; ended No. 23 overall Class of 2014 The following wrestlers won 2013 Cadet National titles in Fargo but have to move up to the Junior level this year (the below list also excludes those competing in Slovakia this week): Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) -- Cadet Greco 88 Joey Prata (St. Christopher's, Va.) -- Cadet Greco 100 Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) -- Cadet freestyle 100 Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian, Texas) -- Cadet freestyle 106; No. 29 overall Class of 2016 Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) -- Cadet Greco 113; No. 44 overall Class of 2016 Gabe Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) -- Cadet Greco 120 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) -- Cadet Greco/freestyle 126; No. 6 overall Class of 2015 Josh Bird (Burlington, Wis.) -- Cadet Greco 132 Larry Early (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) -- Cadet Greco 138; No. 42 overall Class of 2015 Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) -- Cadet freestyle 138; No. 8 overall Class of 2016 Justan Rivera (Kennesaw Mountain, Ga.) -- Cadet freestyle 182; No. 41 overall Class of 2015 Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.) -- Cadet Greco 195; No. 12 overall Class of 2016 Tyler Johnson (Lockport, Ill.) -- Cadet freestyle 195; No. 44 overall Class of 2015 Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.) -- Cadet Greco/freestyle 220; No. 5 overall Class of 2015 Jake Marnin (Southeast Polk, Iowa) -- Cadet Greco/freestyle 285; No. 46 overall Class of 2015 Emerging starlets One of the year-to-year narratives of the Fargo week is the opportunity for incoming ninth graders to make some major noise during a first major showcase opportunity on the "high school type of stage". While two of the most obvious names with that potential will be in Slovakia -- Cade Olivas and Gavin Teasdale -- and each kind of is already a well-known commodity, there will be others that stand out this coming week. Three of the most elite incoming ninth graders to be in Fargo this week happens to be middle-weights and slightly above, so it will be interesting to see if each can make a dent in what is not traditionally a weight area in which incoming ninth graders thrive in Fargo. Those being discussed are Jack Jessen (Willbowbrook, Ill.), Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.), and Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.) Fargo coverage Keep your eye glued onto InterMat for Fargo coverage throughout the coming week including some event-specific previews and recaps, and well as a broad recap of the whole group of tournaments after the festivities are complete. Schedule Day 1: Saturday, July 19 Cadet women's freestyle Session I: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Preliminaries, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Consolation and Consolation Semifinals Session II: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Day 2: Sunday, July 20 Cadet Greco-Roman Session I: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. 1/8 Championship, Quarterfinals and Consolations Day 3: Monday, July 21 Cadet Greco-Roman Session III: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Consolations, Semifinals and Consolation Semifinals Session IV: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Junior Greco-Roman Session I: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Consolations and 1/8 Championship Junior women's freestyle Session I: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Preliminaries, Consolations and 1/8 Championships Day 4: Tuesday, July 22 Junior Greco-Roman Session III: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Quarterfinals, Consolations, Semifinals and Consolation Semifinals Session IV: 2:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Junior women's freestyle Session II: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Quarterfinals, Consolations, Semifinals and Consolation Semifinals Session III: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. If needed Session IV: 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Day 5: Wednesday, July 23 Cadet freestyle Session I: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Preliminaries, 1/8 Championships, Consolations Junior women's freestyle duals Session I: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Preliminaries Session II: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Preliminaries, Finals, Medal Matches, & Awards Day 6: Thursday, July 24 Cadet freestyle Session III: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Quarterfinals and Consolations Session IV: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Semifinals, Consolations and Consolation Semifinals Junior freestyle Session I: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Session II: 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Preliminaries and Consolations Day 7: Friday, July 25 Cadet freestyle Session V: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards Junior freestyle Session III: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1/8 Championships, Quarterfinals, Consolations Session IV: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Semifinals, Consolations and Consolation Semifinals Day 8: Saturday, July 26 Junior freestyle Session V: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Finals, Medal Matches & Awards

SNINA, Slovakia -- Day 1 of the 2014 FILA Cadet World Championships produced a tough start for the U.S. Greco-Roman squad, as none of the five competing athletes reached a medal match. Columbus, Ohio's Domonick Demas was the star of the day for the U.S. winning his first two bouts impressively at 63 kilos/138.75 pounds, 8-0 over Bulgar Madalin of Romania and 4-4 over Ramon Betschart of Switzerland. Demas's run ended in the quarterfinals when he fell 5-16 to 2014 Cadet European Champion Nikoloz Tchikaidze of Georgia. Demas was the lone U.S. athlete to win a match on the day. Read full story ... 2014 FILA Cadet World Championships At Snina, Slovakia, July 15 U.S. Greco-Roman performances 50 kilos/110 pounds -- Drew West, Riverside, Iowa LOSS Aleh Zhuikou (Belarus), 0-8 54 kilos/119 pounds -- Jacob Spiess, Delta, Ohio LOSS Davit Makoidze (Georgia), 0-4 58 kilos/127.75 pounds -- Taylor LaMont, Mapleton, Utah LOSS Mikko Peltokangas (Finland), 2-10 63 kilos/138.75 pounds -- Domonick Demas, Columbus, Ohio WIN Nicolae Bulgar Madalin (Romania), 8-0 WIN Ramon Betschart (Switzerland), 4-4 LOSS Nikoloz Tchikaidze (Georgia), 5-16 100 kilos/220 pounds -- Ethan Andersen, Des Moines, Iowa LOSS Povilas Danilevicius (Lithuania), 2-11

UFC 175 had a lot of hiccups but middleweight champion Chris Weidman looked impressive in his win over Lyoto Machida. Ronda Rousey was even more dominant, but it is hard to tell whether the women's division can produce a viable challenger at this point. Richard and John analyze last weekend's card and look ahead to the July 16 show featuring Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Grand Canyon University announced today that head wrestling coach R.C. LaHaye and assistant coach Larry Wilbanks have been dismissed for violation of institutional policy. LaHaye joined the program for its inaugural season in 2007-08. Wilbanks was with the program the last five seasons. A search for replacements will begin immediately.

Nebraska Wrestling Head Coach Mark Manning announced the hiring of Husker legend and Olympic Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs as an assistant coach for the team on Friday. “We are pleased to announce Jordan as one of my top assistants,” Manning said. “Jordan is one of the best wrestlers in the world and his accomplishments speak for themselves. We want him to continue to win World and Olympic titles until he completes his career. Jordan and his wife Lauren have made a commitment to be a part of Nebraska Athletics for a very long time. I along with the wrestlers and staff are glad to have the influence, mentorship and knowledge that Jordan brings to Nebraska wrestling. He has been a part of Nebraska wrestling for the last eight years and will continue to be a tremendous ambassador for the University of Nebraska.” Burroughs previously served on the Nebraska wrestling staff as an administrative assistant for the 2012-13 season. He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in sociology in May 2011. “This is a huge stepping stone for my career and for Nebraska wrestling,” Burroughs said. “These are great facilities, people and tradition, and I’m extremely happy to continue to be a part of it. Now I get to look at things from the inside-out, whereas before it was from the outside-in. I want us to win team championships.” A native of Sicklerville, N.J., Burroughs joins the staff in the midst of one of the most successful international freestyle wrestling careers in U.S. history. In addition to claiming the 74-kilogram Olympic Gold Medal at the 2012 Games in London, England, Burroughs won a pair of FILA World Championships in 2011 and 2013. He is also the three-time defending U.S. Open champion and two-time reigning World Cup champion. Burroughs has earned several other titles during his post-collegiate career, including the 2011 Pan American Championships, 2011 U.S. World Team Trials, 2012 Olympic Trials, 2013 Alexander Medved Championships and 2013 Stephan Sargsyan Championships. In addition, he won his first 69 matches on the senior circuit. Following the IOC’s initial recommendation to drop wrestling from the Olympics in February 2013, Burroughs became a key advocate to keeping the sport in the Games. In September 2013, the decision was overturned and wrestling will remain in the Olympics. In 2011, Burroughs completed his decorated collegiate career with a second national title and claimed the Hodge Trophy Award. He went 36-0 as a senior at 165 pounds and also captured 2011 InterMat Wrestler-of-the-Year honors. Burroughs’ first NCAA crown came in 2009, when he posted a perfect 35-0 record at 157 pounds. In 2009-10, his season was cut short by a torn PCL and LCL after racing to a 7-0 start. The three-time All-American finished third at the 2008 NCAA Championships with a 34-6 record. He won a Big 12 title during the same season and added conference crowns in 2009 and 2011. Burroughs completed his college career with a 128-20 record, the fourth-most victories in school history. He also holds the fifth-best career winning percentage in Nebraska history at .865.

PECS, Hungary -- Patrick Smith (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) won a silver at 71 kilos/156.5 pounds and Sam Jones (Folsom, La./USOEC) added a bronze at 59 kilos/130 pounds in Greco-Roman at the University World Championships on Friday. Patrick Smith and Sam Jones (Photo/Tommy Owen)Smith, who competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, was defeated by technical fall in the finals by 2012 Olympic silver medalist and three-time European champion Tamas Lorincz of Hungary. Smith opened with an 8-0 win over Austria’s Stefan Fuchstreiter, then stopped Naoya Nakamura of Japan, 9-7 in the semifinals. Smith was second at the 2014 U.S. Senior Open this year, and has been a rising star within the age-group ranks. Jones pinned Andrey Borisov of Bulgaria in the bronze-medal round to earn his medal. He dropped his opening bout to Akan Baimagambetov of Kazakhstan, and when Baimagambetov reached the finals, Jones was drawn back into repechage. The other American in competition today, Orry Elor (Marquette, Mich./New York AC/USOEC) at 98 kilos/216 pounds, lost his opening bout to 2010 Junior World silver medalist Alin Alexuc-Ciurariu of Romania and was eliminated from repechage when Alexuc-Ciurariu failed to make finals. The results website hosted by the Hungarian Wrestling Federation has not yet been updated, so we are not able to post the medalists in each weight class, nor the pairings for the U.S. wrestlers competing Saturday. As soon as this information becomes available, we will update this story. There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at: http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69 UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 10 U.S. Greco-Roman performances 59 kilos/130 pounds – Sam Jones, Folsom, La. (USOEC), 3rd LOSS Akan Baimagambetov (Kazakhstan), tech. fall, 0-10 WIN Andrey Borisov (Bulgaria), pin 71 kilos/156.5 pounds – Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), 2nd WIN Stefan Fuchsreiter (Austria), 8-0 WIN Naoya Nakamura (Japan), 9-7 LOSS Tamas Lorincz (Hungary), tech. fall 0-10 98 kilos/216 pounds – Orry Elor, Marquette, Mich. (New York AC/USOEC) LOSS Alin Alexuc-Ciurariu (Romania), 0-5 U.S. Greco-Roman entries for Saturday 66 kilos/145.5 pounds - Kade Moss, South Jordan, Utah (Nittany Lion WC) 85 kilos/187 pounds - Josef Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 130 kilos/286 pounds - Toby Erickson, East Helena, Mont. (New York AC/USOEC)

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- University of Maryland wrestling head coach Kerry McCoy announced the addition of United States Olympian and former University of Pennsylvania coach Rob Eiter as an assistant coach Friday. Eiter arrives at Maryland following nine seasons at Penn, six as the head coach, producing four All-Americans in his six years at the helm. The native Chicagoan brings Big Ten experience to College Park as well having served as an assistant at Northwestern for four seasons prior to taking over the Quakers. “Rob is a great addition,” said McCoy. “He’s got a ton of experience in the sport. Being a former head coach, being an Olympian, a national team member means international connections, recruiting, just everything he brings to the table. He’s one of those guys that has all the bases covered and we’re really fortunate that he’s going to be coming aboard and helping move our program into the Big Ten.” The Arizona State graduate has well over a decade’s worth of international experience and an abundance of collegiate coaching experience. Beginning in 1992, Eiter represented the United States in nine international competitions including an eighth-place finish at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Including his participation on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, Eiter represented the United States in nine elite-level international competitions. He also competed in the 1993 and 1995 World Championships. Eiter was a five-time U.S. Open national champion and won two silver medals at the World Cup. His success on the mat translated into a decorated international coaching career. Eiter guided the 1999 United States women’s team to a first-place finish at the world championships, marking the first and only time a U.S. women’s team has won a world team title. In addition, Eiter’s 2007 and 2008 U.S. Junior Women’s World Championship team picked up seven medals, including two gold medals. “There are only a few teams in the country that have multiple Olympians on their staff, we are now one of them,” said McCoy. “What he brings with his international coaching experience and his international experience as an athlete really just pulls everything together and keeps us on that top tier as far as a coaching staff.” During his head coaching tenure at Penn, Eiter coached four All-Americans, highlighted by Lorenzo Thomas’ sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships last season at 184. Scott Giffin was Eiter’s first All-American as head coach of the Quakers. Giffin finished seventh at the 2010 NCAA Championships. In 2011, Zack Kemmerer wrestled to an eighth-place finish at 141 pounds, becoming Penn's first-ever All-American at that weight. The following season, Micah Burak finished seventh at 197, while in 2014 Thomas became Eiter's highest-placing All-American with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds, Penn's first-ever All-American at 184. Off the mat, Eiter had three wrestlers named National Wrestling Coaching Association (NWCA) All-Academic. Mark Rappo and Gabriel Burak both earned the honor in 2011, and Erich Smith earned a spot in 2012. As a team, Penn was honored by the NWCA as an All-Academic squad. As a head coach, Eiter instructed two Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) champions as well as coached seven All-Ivy selections including two wrestlers who were named Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Kyle Cowan (2011) and Thomas (2012). In addition, Eiter sent at least six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in four of his six seasons. In his nine seasons at Penn as head coach and an assistant, Eiter worked with 34 NCAA qualifiers, including 2007 national champion Matt Valenti, 42 EIWA place winners and seven EIWA champions. Prior to his time with the Quakers, Eiter served as an assistant at Northwestern for four seasons (2002-06) after working as a volunteer assistant with the Wildcats from 1997-2002. While in Evanston, he served as the lead recruiter, and in 2003 the Wildcats brought in the nation's seventh-best recruiting class. In 2005, he helped guide the Wildcats to a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, their best finish in 15 years. That season, Eiter coached one All-American and four wrestlers to the Round of 12 at the NCAA Championships. Freshman Jake Herbert finished third in the country and won Northwestern's first Midlands’ title in 36 years. From 1993-97, Eiter coached at Clarion (Pa.) University as an assistant. He served as recruiting and scheduling coordinator in addition to his role as conductor of the Golden Eagles Summer Wrestling Camp. Eiter is a 1991 graduate of Arizona State University.

The freestyle and Greco-Roman seasons are well underway and over the next three months many of the sport's top youth athletes will take center stage in tournaments around the country and the world. The highlight for many youth wrestlers is "Fargo," the multiday Olympic-style youth tournament hosted by USA Wrestling. Though the tournament isn't actually the "world's largest wrestling tournament" there are thousands of wrestlers in attendance and for those interested in scouting the next class of competitor, it's quite the scouting field day. Though it gets less attention, next week will also be the 2014 FILA Cadet World Wrestling Championships in Snina, Slovakia. Last year, Aaron Pico made a larger international name for himself by winning the tournament, but even among the 16-18 year old wrestlers in attendance Pico wasn't the all-star. That title belonged to Russian Abdulrashid Sadulaev who has this year remained undefeated en route to a unanimous No. 1 world ranking at the senior level. The Cadet Worlds will be streamed live from the fila-official.com with matches available on YouTube shortly after completion of the finals. Enjoy the next few weeks, but remember that as thoroughly as these wrestlers train and as important as their careers seem today, many are still kids. Coaches and parents need to realize that a kind word and pat on the butt goes much further in the life of a developing wrestler than does an earful of rage and angst over childhood mistakes. We have lots to watch, to discuss and dissect, but some discretion in how and when we critique the children. Keep calm and wrestle on. To your questions ... Q: Do you think anybody can stop Logan Stieber or Jason Tsirtsis from becoming four-time NCAA champions? Who? -- Gregg Y. Jason Tsirtsis (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Foley: I've written before that I believe Tsirtsis has a tough journey to becoming a four-time NCAA champion. That he won it as a freshman is impressive, and winning another title or two is very likely. But in a world of ever-improving young wrestlers and being stuffed in the middle of all the weights, Tsirtsis will need some luck to tag along with his hard work ethic. Stieber has a smoother road, only needing to win one more title to complete his five-year odyssey to four titles. That is likely to happen because Stieber has the experience in finals competition that his opponents likely won't. He's navigated through injuries and unexpected losses to still find his name on top of the bracket. That's the life of a proven winner, and I don't see anyone challenging him in 2014-2015. Q: In regards to the University Worlds, why did Anthony Ashnault only wrestle one match? I realize that he lost his first bout and his opponent did not reach the finals, so he was eliminated from the repechage. I'm new to following international wrestling and have no clue what that means. Is there anywhere online that can explain some of the rules like the FILA website or anything like that? -- Curt H. Foley: You're right. Repechage is a follow-the-winner style bracketing with only those guys losing to the eventual finalists making it to the wrestlebacks. Ashnault's opponent did not make it to the finals, which meant he lost the opportunity to wrestle again at University Worlds. The plan was to move to semifinalist repechage, but I'm not certain if/when that change will take effect. That does seem like a bummer, but it's the system that has been in place for several years. Though it doesn't allow much repetition for guys who lose early, the new theory is that you have one or two-week camps leading up to the event -- often in-country -- that allows you to get another 15-20 matches in with guys from other countries. The FILA Website has updated rules here. Q: I love @ncaawrestling working on limiting stalling but why not use the fairly B+W freestyle and Greco-Roman pushout for the NWCA All-Star Classic? -- @gaertnbw Foley: That's an excellent question. In my opinion, and maybe yours at well, it seems much too subjective. Giving the referees the decision as to whether or not a wrestler is into an "active" defense or not is much too complicated for fans to decipher and slows down action for the wrestlers themselves. The out of bounds should be OUT OF BOUNDS. We've learned over the years that unless you penalize with points wrestlers will use the edge to their continued advantage. Some wrestlers attempt low percentage shots near the edge in the hopes that if it fails they can escape the hold and get a restart. Defensive wrestlers will use the never-ending out of bounds to stay on a stalling front head lock. Regulation mats are between 32 and 40 feet. That's HUGE, and unless you're backing up continuously there is little reason that you should ever be pushed from the circle. That will be a point in the new system, but given time that subjectivity will allow for much more gamesmanship. The NCAA should implement the B+W pushout rule for out of bounds from neutral and move forward with changes from there rather than trying to predict the behavior and reaction of the wrestling community to such a rule, only to create something more obtuse and confusing. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME If you hate soccer dives ... Anti-gambling ad backfires Link: See you there opening day Q: I recently read an article where Cael Sanderson said he may redshirt Nico Megaludis, Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf, Bo Nickal, and Nick Nevills next year. If he does that, I don't see any way that they can win a fifth straight NCAA title. What do you think? -- Tom K. Foley: I think you'd be a fool to bet against Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions. From an NCAA point-scoring perspective, the redshirt class listed only includes two guaranteed starters in Megaludis and Retherford. Both those guys could use another year to get stronger, change tactics, and improve before making another shot at the NCAA title -- Megaludis more so than Retherford. Nolf, Nickal and Nevills are entering the class and by going into redshirt allow those in front of them to finish out careers while improving their own on-the-mat acumen. Coach Sanderson sees them as part of a massive reloading and that placing them in the starting lineup before they're physically mature enough to handle the stress could cost them individual NCAA titles and, subsequently NCAA team titles. My guess is that Penn State trusts that their returning starters and guys with experience in backup roles will mature throughout the season and be able to compete inside the top 10. Jordan Conaway (125), Jimmy Gulibon (133), Garett Hammond (165) and Matt McCutcheon (184) are your likely starters at four key weight classes, and in my estimation three of the four have a very good chance at finding the podium. How the Nittany Lions do without the bonus points is more concerning, but again, they could have a very balanced team and score throughout their lineup. Q: What exactly is the deal with Grand Canyon University? Do they begin Division I competition this season? What's your outlook for their program? -- Matt F. Foley: Any program making the jump to Division I can expect to have slow results. Grand Canyon will (I think) join in 2016 after their four-year transition from Division II to Division I is complete. This past year they ran through the NCWA title. Tyrell Fortune, who won the University World Championships on Wednesday, wrestled in the program. Given their propensity for winning titles and recruiting top athletes I think they look pretty solid to become a force within Division I wrestling for several years to come. They are also a for-profit college and when their transition is complete they will be the only one of their kind at the Division I level. SUPPORT OF THE WEEK Beat the Streets Providence is in a month-long competition for $10,000 from Kind Snacks. Over the next month we are competing against a variety of non-profits to get the most votes for our cause. Today is the first day and right now we are in third place. If we can get the wrestling community behind us this should be an easy win! If wrestling is going to grow we need to support each other and this is an easy way to do it. I think it could truly go a long way towards helping us grow wrestling in he Providence community and bringing opportunity to students who really need it. Link: Beat the Streets Providence

PECS, Hungary -- The U.S. sent out six women's freestyle wrestlers to compete on Day 3 of University World Championships in Pecs, Hungary, and all six women earned a world medal. Women's freestyle University World Team with the third-place team trophy at University Worlds (Photo/Melissa Simmons)The U.S. had three athletes compete in the gold-medal finals, but all three fell just short of the gold. Jamestown University standout, Amy Fearnside (Morgan Hill, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) won her first two bouts of the tournament to earn a spot in the finals against Iulia Leorda of Moldova at 53 kilos/116.5 pounds. Leorda won it over the American by technical fall 10-0. Top wrestler for King University, Amanda Hendey (San Gabriel, Calif./Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.) pinned opponents from Poland and Bulgaria to make her way to the gold-medal match. In the finals, she faced former Junior World champion Danielle Lappage of Canada. Hendey fell in a close 7-2 bout to Lappage to earn the silver medal at 63 kilos/138.75 pounds. WCWA national champion for Wayland Baptist, Tamyra Mensah, (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC/Wayland Baptist) scored a technical fall over Germany and a pin over Romania on the way to the finals. She drew 2012 World silver medalist Dorothy Yeats of Canada for the gold. Yeats earned a quick 10-0 technical fall, earning Mensah the silver medal at 69 kilos/152 pounds. Three U.S. athletes competed in bronze-medal bouts, with all three taking home the bronze. are Jacarra Winchester (San Leandro, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) at 58 kilos/128 pounds, Brieana Delgado (Fountain Inn. S.C./OKCU Gator RTC) at 60 kilos/132 pounds and Julia Salata (Canton, Mich./New York AC) at 75 kilos/165 pounds. Jacarra Winchester (San Leandro, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), a star at Missouri Valley College, went 2-1 on the day. She faced Tetyana Lavrenchuk of Ukraine in a bronze-medal bout at 58 kilos/128 pounds. Lavrenchuk was fifth in the 2013 Senior World Championships, but Winchester was up for the challenge as she defeated the Ukrainian 6-6 to win bronze. Oklahoma City University standout, Brieana Delgado (Fountain Inn. S.C./OKCU Gator RTC) battled Natsumi Hayami of Japan for a bronze. Delgado came on top in an exciting 8-6 bout and earned herself a bronze medal. WCWA national champion for King University, Julia Salata (Canton, Mich./New York AC) drew Noelia Lalin Canda of Spain in the bronze-medal round. Salata made quick work of the Spaniard, winning by a 12-1 technical fall to earn bronze. The U.S. came in third place in the team standings behind Champion Canada and runner-up Russia. Three U.S. Greco-Roman athletes have weighed in and received their draws for day four of the University World Championships. There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at: http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69 UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 10 Women's freestyle results 53 kilos/116.5 pounds Gold: Iulia Leorda (Moldova) Silver: Amy Fearnside (United States) Bronze: Arisa Tanaka (Japan) Bronze: Olga Shnaider (Ukraine) 5th: Brianne Barry (Canada) 5th: Sara Jezierzanska (Poland) 58 kilos/128 pounds Gold: Emese Barka (Hungary) Silver: Oksana Nagornykh (Russia) Bronze: Jacarra Winchester (United States) Bronze: Mikako Higuchi (Japan) 5th: Tetyana Lavrenchuk (Ukraine) 5th: Ecaterina Rusu (Moldova) 60 kilos/132 pounds Gold: Mariia Liulkova (Russia) Silver: Celeste Contante-Rodrigues (Canada) Bronze: Viktoriia Chpurko (Ukraine) Bronze: Brieana Delgado (United States) 5th: Natsumi Hayami (Japan) 6th – N. Sandagdorj (Mongolia) 63 kilos/138.75 pounds Gold: Danielle Lappage (Canada) Silver: Amanda Hendey (United States) Bronze: Agnieszka Krol (Poland) Bronze: Valeriia Lazinskaia (Russia) 5th: Dzanan Manolova (Bulgaria) 5th: Haruna Uehara (Japan) 69 kilos/152 pounds Gold: Dorothy Yeats (Canada) Silver: Tamyra Mensah (United States) Bronze: Adina-Elena Popescu (Romania) Bronze: Darima Sanzheeva (Russia) 5th: Lisa Nadine Hug (Germany) 5th: Chihiro Hashimoto (Japan) 75 kilos/165 pounds Gold: Erica Wiebe (Canada) Silver: Epp Mae (Estonia) Bronze: Julia Salata (United States) Bronze: Ganna Telkova (Ukraine) 5th: Noelia Lalin Canda (Spain) 5th: Viktoriya Frolova (Russia) U.S. women's freestyle performances 53 kilos/116.5 pounds. - Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 2nd WIN Sara Jezierzanska (Poland), 10-5 WIN Olga Shnaider (Ukraine), 4-2 LOSS Iulia Leorda (Moldova), 0-10 58 kilos/128 pounds. - Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 3rd WIN Elizabeth Milovitch-Sera (Canada), pin LOSS Emese Barka (Hungary), pin WIN Tetyana Lavrenchuk (Ukraine), 6-6 60 kilos/132 pounds.- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC), 3rd LOSS Mariia Liulkova (Russia), tech. fall, 2-12 WIN Natsumi Hayami (Japan), 8-6 63 kilos/138.75 pounds. - Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.), 2nd WIN Agnieszka Krol (Poland), pin WIN Dzanan Manolova (Bulgaria), pin LOSS Danielle Lappage (Canada), 2-7 69 kilos/152 pounds. - Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Titan Mercury WC/Wayland Baptist), 2nd WIN Lisa Nadine Hug (Germany), tech. fall 12-1 WIN A. Popescu (Romania), pin LOSS Dorothy Yeats (Canada), 0-10 75 kilos/165 pounds. - Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC), 3rd WIN Tamae Yoshii (Japan), 5-0 LOSS Epp Mae (Estonia), pin WIN Noelia Lalin Canda (Spain), 12-1 Women's freestyle team standings 1. Canada 2. Russia 3. United States 4. Japan 5. Ukraine 6. Poland 7. Hungary 8. Moldova 9. Romania 10. Mongolia U.S. Greco-Roman draws for Friday 59 kilos/130 pounds. – Sam Jones, Folsom, La. (USOEC) Vs. Akan Baimagambetov (Kazakhstan), 3rd at 2013 Junior World Championships 71 kilos/156.5 pounds. – Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) Vs. Stefan Fuchsreiter (Austria), 2012 Junior World Team Member 98 kilos/216 pounds. – Orry Elor, Marquette, Mich. (New York AC) Vs. Alin Alexuc-Ciurariu (Romania), 2nd in 2010 Junior World Championships; 2012 Olympian

ADRIAN, Mich. -- As Adrian College continues to see record enrollments, it also is adding more muscle to its athletic offerings. Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, for the first time since 1984, the college will offer wrestling-- this time for both men and women. Adrian last offered wrestling for men from 1959-1984. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) sponsored the sport from 1969-84. During those fifteen years Adrian College earned three MIAA Championships under head coach Paul MacDonald. The program, in its new era, will be run as a NCAA Division III athletic offering. The search for a head coach and recruitment of student-athletes will begin immediately. "Adrian College has a strong tradition in collegiate wrestling and now is the right time to reintroduce the sport on campus," said athletic director, Michael Duffy. "There are far reaching advantages in adding wrestling and the sport is making a big comeback at the NCAA Division III level. The local Lenawee County area has strong roots in high school wrestling and would provide student-athletes an avenue to stay close to home to continue their careers." When commenting on the new women's wrestling program Duffy was equally enthusiastic. "Women's wrestling is rapidly growing across the nation on the youth and high school levels, and there are still limited opportunities for competing at the college level. We believe this addition provides these student-athletes with the chance to continue their athletic pursuits while leveraging a well-rounded, liberal arts education." Three regional institutions also boast wrestling teams: Olivet College, Alma College and Trine University. In total, 90 NCAA Division III institutions sponsor wrestling as of the 2013-14 school year. Earlier this year, Wartburg College (Iowa) captured its fourth-straight team NCAA Division III national championship in front of a record attendance of 8,787 spectators for the Saturday night finals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Change can sometimes be challenging ... especially when it comes to wrestling, the oldest and greatest sport. There's a rich tradition to the sport, a strong sense of history, a concern about avoiding "change for the sake of change." Not to mention a powerful feeling of, "We've been doing it this way for decades, so why change it?" Then, there's the issue of stalling. For large numbers of wrestlers, coaches, officials and fans, stalling seems to be one of those seemingly insurmountable problems. A fact borne out by evidence from old NCAA rule books, and newspaper and magazine articles that stalling -- and what to do about it -- was an issue 30 years ago, 50 years ago, and 75 years ago. In late June, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved four new experimental rules designed to limit stalling tactics. Since the rules were announced, there's been plenty of discussion about the rules and their possible impact in online wrestling forums and social media. However, InterMat thought it made sense to find out what the NCAA was thinking when it wrote these new anti-stalling rules ... so we talked to Ron Beaschler, Secretary-Rules Editor for the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee. What are the new rules regarding stalling? Although there are four new anti-stalling rules, realize that the NCAA has taken a unique two-stage approach to the issue. Two of the rules will go into effect at the start of the 2014-15 season and be in effect for the entire season, while two other rules will be given a limited tryout only at the 2014 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic at the University of Pennsylvania November 1. Let's start with the all-season rules. Nahshon Garrett of Cornell gets called for stalling in the NCAA finals against Jesse Delgado of Illinois (Photo/Larry Slater)The first experimental rule for the entire upcoming season focuses on a wrestler who is in the offensive position and locks or holds his opponent's leg (or legs), and fails to take any attempt at offensive action, such as breaking down his opponent, executing an offensive move, or working back up towards the upper body to attempt to score points. If no such action is taken within five seconds, the offensive wrestler will be called for stalling. The second experimental rule applies when an offensive wrestler applies a side headlock on his opponent, and fails to break down the opponent or execute any other offensive move within five seconds. In this case, a stalling call will be placed on the offensive wrestler. For both situations presented in these new rules, the on-the-mat official will count out the five seconds by providing both a verbal count ("one ... two ...") and a visual count (using hand gestures to count out the seconds with his/her fingers). This provides the wrestlers, coaches, fans and other officials with both auditory and visual evidence that the referee is warning a wrestler, "If you don't take action before I finish my five-count, you will be hit with a stalling call." In addition to these first two rules that will be in use all season, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved two additional experimental rules that will be put in place only at this fall's NWCA All-Star Classic, the beginning-of-the-season event that traditionally features the two top wrestlers in each weight class. The first rule for the All Stars focuses on wrestlers who are in a neutral standing position and, to quote the NCAA press statement, "not actively engaged in an offensive attack, or a defensive counter to an offensive attack, while their feet are out of bounds." Under this new rule, the referee will call stalling. In explaining this rule, the NCAA statement said it is designed to encourage wrestlers to remain active in the center of the mat, and stay away from the out-of-bounds line. In addition, NCAA also made clear this new rule is "not intended to be a ‘push out' rule," such as those which have been implemented in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Again, quoting from the statement, "A wrestler not engaged in an offensive attack or a defensive counter to an offensive attack who is only attempting to push or pull the opponent will be called for stalling." The second experimental rule to be used only for this year's All-Star Classic is geared toward a wrestler who gains an offensive position and is awarded a takedown or a reversal. When the action comes to a natural stopping point -- for instance, when the wrestlers go out of bounds -- the controlling wrestler can chose the option of resuming the action in the neutral (standing) position (instead of the kneeling position), without an escape point being automatically awarded to the controlling wrestler's opponent, as is the case now. Now, an explanation from the NCAA Ron Beaschler, Secretary and Rules Editor for the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee, described his role with the Committee as being "the devil's advocate" -- "looking at the big picture, anticipating what might happen if a rule is implemented." Ron Beaschler"The current Committee is in tune with making wrestling more aggressive, more action-oriented," Beaschler added. "We keep the fan in mind, to make the sport more appealing, not just to long-time fans, but also to attract new fans." "Right now, we're in the middle of a two-year rule cycle for all NCAA sports, not just wrestling," Beaschler continued. (Take a look at the cover of the Wrestling rulebook, and it says, "2013-14 and 2014-15 Rules and Interpretations.") "The thought is to let rules ‘settle in' for a time, so everyone becomes accustomed to them." "The two-year cycle also allows us to do ‘experimental' rules, to encourage experimentation," said Beaschler, who, in addition to his work for the NCAA, is head wrestling coach at Ohio Northern University, an NCAA Division III school in western Ohio, between Dayton and Toledo. Ask Beaschler about the new "experimental" rules regarding stalling, and he immediately makes clear there are two distinct categories -- the two rules that will be in place throughout the 2014-15 season, from the start ... and the two rules that will be in place only for the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic. "(The Committee) saw problems with guys using the side headlock -- and hanging on below the waistline -- and essentially not doing anything," said Beaschler. "To make things absolutely clear, we took what we originally saw as one stalling problem, and made it into two, distinct rules." "The five-second count -- both visual and verbal -- is to serve as a warning to wrestlers, so they have time to take action, become more aggressive and active, rather than hit them instantly with a stall call." "We're pretty sure that we'll get the effect we're seeking with these two new rules," Beaschler added. "That's why we've put them into effect for the entire season." "That said, we invite feedback from coaches, officials, and fans." Two new experimental rules for the All-Stars The National Wrestling Coaches Association opened the door to using its All-Star Classic, an annual exhibition of the best college wrestlers that goes back to 1967, as a test bed for the NCAA. "This year, the NWCA informed the Rules Committee we could use their All-Star event for testing out some rules, especially rules that are a bit more ‘outside the box,'" as Beaschler put it. Beaschler first addressed the rule regarding wrestlers going out of bounds, and what led to this new rule. "The Rules Committee sees guys (wrestlers) who play the line, shoot only when they are on the edge of the wrestling area," said Beaschler. "Using the out-of-bounds area as a safety zone." "A couple years ago, we put in a kickout rule -- if a guy turns and kicks out of bounds, stalling is called. All with the idea of trying to move the action towards the center of the mat." During the interview with InterMat, Beaschler also reinforced the NCAA's statement within its late June press release, that this new rule is definitely NOT a push-out rule. He also said, "Current rules say that if a wrestler backs out of bounds, that's stalling." "The idea is to encourage aggressive action in the middle of the mat." "There was much discussion as to when to use this (out-of-bounds) rule," Beaschler continued. "We talked about trying it only at open tournaments in November, or at all matches in November. Then, we decided to try it at the All-Stars." Beaschler then addressed the second experimental rule making its debut at the All-Star Classic, which comes into play when the offensive wrestler scores a takedown or reversal, then the action stops when the wrestlers go out of bounds. Under current rules, the defensive wrestler is put in the down position, and can score a point when he escapes. With the new rules, the offensive wrestler can choose a neutral position -- both wrestlers on their feet -- so the defensive wrestler won't automatically get one point. "When you earn the top position from a takedown or reversal, and score two points, why should your opponent automatically get a point a bit later," Beaschler asked rhetorically. "The new rule could possibly change the mindset of the defensive wrestler, to encourage him to be more aggressive." "This rule has a bit more of an unknown outcome," Beaschler disclosed. "That's why we're putting it only in the All-Stars." "The All-Stars will be very important for seeing these new rules in effect." Why the All-Star Classic? When asked why the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic was selected to "test-drive" these last two anti-stalling rules, Beaschler said, "Matches don't count on wrestler records. There was a concern that trying out these rules at November tournaments might end up costing an athlete in the future, in seeding for the NCAAs. Avoiding a problem for the selection committee, where they see a wrestler beat an opponent in November under one set of rules, then lost in December under another (rule) to the same guy." "An overriding concern is avoiding unintended consequences." "A lot of eyes are on the All-Stars," Beaschler continued. "We will be encouraging fan reactions on Twitter and Facebook. We'll also do a survey of coaches, officials and athletes." Beaschler explained the steps the NCAA is taking to make sure the new All-Star-only rules are made clear to the participants ... and how the NCAA will be gathering and recording information on the rules beyond fan comments on social media. "Once the All-Star athletes are selected, they and their coaches will see the film I put together for the Rules Committee so they can see the thinking behind the new rules," said Beaschler, referring to his filmed presentation for the Committee that showed actual match situations where the new rules might alleviate problems with stalling. "Wrestlers are going to wrestle to the new rules, and coaches are going to coach to the new rules." Another reason for limiting these rules to the All-Star Classic: It makes it much easier for the NCAA Rules Committee to gather data. "Tim Shiels, an active official who serves a two-year term as a non-voting member of the Rules Committee, will be the on-the-mat official at the All-Stars," said Beaschler. "He will provide the Committee with his perspective on how things worked." "The Rules Committee is very data-driven. We want to see results." Purpose-driven We can't be afraid to make changes," Beaschler said. However, rule changes implemented by the NCAA Rules Committee have a greater purpose beyond change for the sake of change. There must be an ultimate purpose. "We want to see more aggressive wrestling," said Beaschler. "More guys taking shots. A more attacking style.A more aggressive defense. More defensive counters." Throughout our conversation, Beaschler repeatedly emphasized the importance of having rules that encourage action ... action that makes wrestling more appealing to current fans, and draws in more potential fans. "Fans are the lifeblood of the sport," he said, adding, "We're not going to bring in new fans with lots of 1-0 matches." He also realizes the challenge of dealing with the issue of stalling, saying, "I've looked at the old rule books from decades ago, going back to the 1940s, and you can see that stalling was a major concern back then, too." Insight beyond the stall call InterMat's interview with Ron Beaschler wasn't limited to a discussion of the four new NCAA rules regarding stalling. He provided some interesting insights into the functioning of the committee he serves. For starters, Beaschler made clear: "There's one rulebook, for all three NCAA divisions. We're not just dealing with rules for Division I." Beaschler also disclosed an organizational change within the NCAA. "Until last year, there was one committee to deal with the rules and the championships. Now there's a Rules Committee, and a separate Championships Committee, responsible for all aspects of the NCAA Wrestling Championships." "In the past, when we'd get together, the main focus of our three days of meetings seemed to be on the Championships," Beaschler disclosed. "That didn't leave as much time as we would like to have had on the rules." "This was a great move. The two committees work together, yet are better able to focus on each item of importance to them." Beaschler also said that stalling isn't the only subject of interest for the NCAA Rules Committee. "There are other things we've been looking at," said Beaschler. "Coaches coming out onto the mat during matches -- what can we do about that problem? And another issue -- why is tournament scoring different than dual-meet scoring?" "We'll have these things and others on the coaches' questionnaire, to get their input." Beaschler made clear that there's a process to changing rules. "When we consider making a change, we apply the rules to past events to see how a change might have affected outcomes." "Thanks to services like Trackwrestling.com, we have all this great data -- how many takedowns, escapes, reversals, and so on. We can make changes based on actual results, not hunches or prevailing opinions," Beashler continued. Beaschler also expressed his appreciation for having an opportunity to explain the thinking behind the latest rule changes ... and how the NCAA Rules Committee works. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of getting outside feedback. "We welcome the opinions of others -- the athletes, their coaches, the officials, and, of course, the fans. These opinions can help shape the sport and make it better for everyone."

PECS, Hungary -- Tyrell Fortune (Portland, Ore./Titan Mercury WC) won a gold medal at 125 kilos/275 pounds, one of four U.S. medalists on the second day of the University World Championships on Wednesday. Team USA at University WorldsFortune, a Div. II national champion for Grand Canyon, scored a 12-1 technical fall over Sakir Bozkurt of Turkey in the championship match. Bozkurt, who was fifth in the 2012 Yasar Dogu International in Turkey, was never in the match, as Fortune scored quickly and often for a first-period stoppage. Fortune rolled past his first two opponents, pinning Alexandr Romanov of Moldova and beating Richard Csercsics of Hungary, 10-2. He is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight. Fortune won a World medal on the University level for the second straight year, after taking a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games in Russia. Claiming silver medals after losses in the finals were BJ Futrell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) at 61 kilos/134 pounds, James Green (Willingboro, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) at 70 kilos/154 pounds and Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy WC) at 86 kilos/189 pounds Futrell, a past NCAA All-American for Illinois, lost a wild 12-11 bout against Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg of Mongolia in the gold-medal bout. Futrell won his first three matches handily, including a pin over Niurgin Skriabin of Russia in the semifinals. In his first two bouts, he beat Masakazu Kamoi of Japan, 8-1 and scored a 12-0 technical fall over Vadim Sacultan of Moldova. Green, a three-time NCAA All-American for Nebraska, was pinned by Evgheni Nedealco of Moldova in the finals. Nedealco was fifth at the 2008 Junior World Championships. Green won his two early matches, pinning Jere Kunnas of Finland and stopping Russian Shamil Magomedov, 6-4 in the semifinals. Perry, a two-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, lost a close 3-5 match to Piotr Ianulov of Moldova in the finals. Perry had a 3-1 lead in the bout, but Ianulov scored late in the second period for the win. Ianulov was fifth at the 2010 Senior World Championships, and now boasts two University World titles (2010, 2014). Perry was impressive on the way to the finals, beating Andrei Frant of Romania, 8-0, Namik Korkmaz of Turkey, 4-2, then pinning Sandor Tozser of Hungary in the semifinals. Perry is a past Junior World bronze medalist, and is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight. The USA won the team title, ahead of second-place Turkey and third-place Russia. There were 25 nations entered in the University World Championships. The U.S. team was coached by Dave Bennett, Mike Hagerty and Bryan Snyder. “Looking at how these athletes handled the training, the travel and adversity that some encountered in competition I feel the future for the USA is bright. This was a special group that are going to continue to leave their mark on the sport in the coming years leading up to the 2016 and 2020 Olympics,” said U.S. Coach Dave Bennett. The U.S. won seven medals in men's freestyle at the event this year out of the eight weight classes. Golds went to Fortune and Tyler Caldwell (74 kilos/163 pounds), silvers to Futrell, Green, Perry and Dustin Kilgore (97 kilos/213 pounds) and a bronze medal to Matt McDonough (57 kilos/125.5 pounds) Winning a bronze medal at 86 kilos/189 pounds for Israel was Ophir Bernstein, a Texas native who wrestles for Brown. Bernstein, who was born in Israel, was a FILA Junior World silver medalist last summer. Two U.S. women entered competition today. Placing fifth at 55 kilos/121 pounds is King University star Samantha Klingel (Kregesville, Pa./King Univ.), who lost by technical fall to Samantha Stewart of Canada in the bronze bout. Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) placed ninth at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds, losing her only match of the day. Five other U.S. women's wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for Thursday. There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at: http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69 UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 9 Men's freestyle results 61 kilos/134 pounds Gold: Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia) Silver: B.J. Futrell (USA) Bronze: Ismail Avci (Turkey) Bronze: Niurgun Skriabin (Russia) 5th: Stefan Ivanov (Bulgaria) 5th: Masakazu Kamoi (Japan) 70 kilos/154 pounds Gold: Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova) Silver: James Green (USA) Bronze: Shamil Magomedov (Russia) Bronze: Zsombor Gulyas (Hungary) 5th: Jere Kunnas (Finland) 5th: Kosuke Sunagawa (Japan) 86 kilos/189 pounds Gold: Piort Ianulov (Moldova) Silver: Chris Perry (USA) Bronze: Ophir Bernstein (Israel) Bronze: Namik Korkmaz (Turkey) 5th: Oleg Ktsoev (Russia) 5th: Sandor Tozser (Hungary) 125 kilos/275 pounds Gold: Tyrell Fortune (USA) Silver: Sakhir Bozkurt (Turkey) Bronze: Mariyan Todorov (Bulgaria) Bronze: Richard Csercsis (Hungary) 5th: M. Guseinov (Russia) 5th: Alexandr Romanov (Moldova) U.S. men's freestyle performances 61 kilos/134 pounds - BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), 2nd WIN Masakazu Kamoi (Japan), 8-1 WIN Vadim Sacultan (Moldova), tech. fall, 12-0 WIN Niurgin Skriabin (Russia), pin LOSS Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia), 11-12 70 kilos/154 pounds - James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC), 2nd WIN Jere Kunnas (Finland), pin WIN Shamil Magomedov (Russia), 6-4 LOSS Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova), pin 86 kilos/189 pounds - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC), 2nd WIN Andrei Frant (Romania), 8-0 WIN Namik Korkmaz (Turkey), 4-2 WIN Sandor Tozser (Hungary), pin LOSS Piotr Ianulov (Moldova), 3-5 125 kilos/275 pounds - Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC), 1st WIN Alexandr Romanov (Moldova), pin WIN Richard Csercsics (Hungary), 10-2 WIN Sakir Bozkurt (Turkey), tech. fall 12-1 Freestyle Team Standings 1. United States 2. Turkey 3. Russia 4. Moldova 5. Japan 6. Hungary 7. Mongolia 8. Ukraine 9. Bulgaria 10. Poland Women's freestyle results 48 kilos/105.5 pounds Gold – Jasmine Mian (Canada) Silver – Shiori Ito (Japan) Bronze – Anna Lukasiak (Poland) Bronze – Alina Moreva (Russia) 5th – Madalina Linguraru (Romania) 5th – T. Tsogtbaatar (Mongolia) 55 kilos/121 pounds Gold – Chiho Hamada (Japan) Silver – Irina Ologonova (Russia) Bronze – Samantha Stewart (Canada) Bronze – Tetyana Kit (Ukriane) 5th – Samantha Klingel (USA) 5th – Evelina Nikolova (Bulgaria) U.S. women's freestyle performances 48 kilos/105.5 pounds- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 9th LOSS Emilia Budeanu (Moldova), 2-9 55 kilos/121 pounds - Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.) WIN Esa Korosi (Hungary), inj. dft. LOSS Irina Ologonova (Russia), tech. fall, 1-12 LOSS Samantha Stewart (Canada), tech. fall 0-10 U.S. women's freestyle draws for Thursday 53 kilos/116.5 pounds - Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) Vs. Sara Jezierzanska (Poland), 5th in 2012 Junior World Championships 58 kilos/128 pounds - Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) Vs. Elizabeth Milovitch-Sera (Canada), 7th in 2013 World University Games 60 kilos/132 pounds:- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC) Vs. Mariia Liulkova (Russia), 7th in 2014 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix 63 kilos/138.75 pounds - Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.) Vs. Agnieszka Krol (Poland), 5th in 2014 European Juniors; 9th in 2012 Junior World Championships 69 kilos/152 pounds - Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Wayland Baptist) Vs. Lisa Nadine Hug (Germany), 5th in 2011 Grand Prix of Spain 75 kilos/165 pounds - Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC) Vs. Tamae Yoshii (Japan), 5th in 2012 University World Championships; 9th in 2013 World University Games

Mason Manville is on Team USA in both styles (Photo/David Peterson) Want to get your Olympic wrestling styles fix before Fargo sets in? Are you either nocturnal or an extremely early riser? Next week you can follow the FILA Cadet World Championships in Snina, Slovakia. For six days starting on Tuesday, July 15, the best wrestlers in the United States with 1997-1999 birthdays will be competing against the best from across the world in Greco-Roman, men's freestyle and women's freestyle. Preliminary competition on each day of the championships will start at 4 a.m. Eastern, which is 10 a.m. local, and conclude at 8 a.m. Eastern (2 p.m. local). The medal session on the opening day is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Eastern (7:30 local), while on other days it is a Noon Eastern (6 p.m. local) start. Greco-Roman will be contested on Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16; Women's Freestyle is scheduled for Thursday and Friday; with (men's) freestyle on the docket for Saturday and Sunday. Five of the ten weight classes in a given style will be contested each day; weigh-in will be the day prior to the competition, with standard international bracketing procedures in effect (consolation only for those that lose to a finalist, double bronze medals, etc). Below is a breakdown of the United States hopes in Greco-Roman and (men's) freestyle. Keep in mind that there is limited (to virtually no) knowledge about the nature of the opposition, so analysis is limited to being context-based; namely how the relative abilities and performance of our individuals can project on an international level. Greco-Roman The group competing on Tuesday is virtual novices when it comes to the international prism of competition. While Taylor LaMont will be in his second FILA Cadet World Championships, the other four are making their debut at competitions outside the United States. 50 kilos: Drew West (Highland Riverside, Iowa) West was sixth in Cadet Greco-Roman last summer in Fargo, while competing at the 106 pound weight class. The in-season state champion at 106 pounds in Iowa's Class 1A tournament qualified for Snina by winning the FILA Cadet National Championships in Akron in late May. 54 kilos: Jake Spiess (Delta, Ohio) Spiess failed to earn All-American honors in two previous Cadet Greco-Roman tournaments in Fargo, but his title in May at the FILA Cadet Nationals was his second All-American honor in that event, as he finished fourth in the same 54 kilogram weight class in 2013. While he did win this weight class in Akron, Spiess was not unblemished during the tournament. In addition, he was an in-season state champion at 106 pounds during his freshman year in 2013, before finishing third at 113 this past year. 58 kilos: Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) LaMont is now a two-time FILA Cadet Nationals champion in Greco-Roman, winning last year at 54 kilograms. This will be his second appearance at the World Championships, after he went 1-2 last year in Zrenjanin, Serbia. Last summer, LaMont was also seventh in Junior Greco-Roman at 120 pounds and a Cadet freestyle champion at the same weight class. He has won in-season state titles during both of his high school seasons, and is ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2016. 63 kilos: Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) Demas finished fourth last summer in Cadet Greco-Roman last summer in Fargo, while competing at the 138 pound weight class. He qualified for the World Championships, like all the others, by winning the FILA Cadet National Championships in Akron in late May. During the high school season he placed sixth at 138 pounds, and is currently No. 25 in the Class of 2017. 100 kilos: Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) Though Andersen failed to earn All-American honors in Cadet Greco-Roman last summer at 195 pounds, going 1-2 in the competition, he did finish seventh in freestyle later on that week. He has made a significant leap this past year, finishing undefeated during the high school season to win his first state title, while competing at 220 pounds. Andersen is currently ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2016. Similar to those competing on the tournament's opening day, the group competing on Wednesday is shallow when it comes to international experience, with Mason Manville possessing most of it. 42 kilos: Jason Holmes (Arizona) The incoming freshman has a solid history of productivity in USA Wrestling events, as he augments the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman title from late May with a Cadet National folkstyle title from early April of this year. Still, the world stage is a potential source of culture shock. 46 kilos: Dack Punke (Washington, Ill.) In order to earn the World Team spot, Punke upset Cade Olivas, who earned a bronze medal at 42 kilos in FILA Cadet Greco-Roman. One can either view this as a transformational breakthrough moment, and a sign of things to come in Slovakia next week; or as an out-of-line result that deprives a more viable medal contender from competing for the United States. During this past high school season, his freshman year, Punke placed third at 106 pounds. 69 kilos: Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) Manville is the clear star on the Greco-Roman squad, and one of the best in America born in the 1997 calendar year (ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2016). Greco-Roman is probably his most productive of the three styles, as he was both a FILA Cadet and FILA Junior Nationals champion this year, a Pan-American champion this year, has won Cadet National titles in Fargo each of the last two summers, and this was his third consecutive FILA Cadet All-American finish in Greco-Roman (second in 2013, fourth in 2014). In some context of this competition, Manville was runner-up last year in this weight class to Jon-Jay Chavez, who went on to earn a bronze medal at the FILA Cadet World Championships. 76 kilos: Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) If Manville is the star of the squad, Reenan plays the lead of second fiddle. He is certainly a quality wrestler, having to clear a formidable field to win the FILA Cadet Nationals this year. In addition, Reenan won a Cadet Greco-Roman title last year in Fargo at 152 pounds as part of his Triple Crown campaign, and placed third at 132 pounds in Cadet Greco-Roman back in 2012. From an in-season standpoint, he was runner-up to Manville at the National Prep championships this season at 152 pounds, and is ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2016. 85 kilos: Timothy Young (East Aurora, Ill.) Like fellow Land of Lincoln native Punke, Young is on the team by virtue of a major upset in the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman national final. His came in the form of a 13-4 technical fall victory over Samuel Colbray, who has won Cadet Greco-Roman titles each of the last two summers in Fargo. Young's peripheral resume is very shallow; for example, he did not even make the tournament from which state qualification occurs this past season at 170 pounds. From an overall standpoint, last year at the FILA Cadet World Championships, the United States had two bronze medalists. That was enough to place tied for 13th as a program in the point standings. A similar number of medalists would not surprise next week, with primary medal targets being Manville and Reenan, while the experience of LaMont could serve as an asset. Freestyle The group competing on Saturday includes a couple of very known commodities in competition outside of the United States, with two others who won Cadet National freestyle titles last year in Fargo. 42 kilos: Gavin Teasale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.) Though this will be Teasdale's debut on the international stage, he has a very strong pedigree domestically. He was dominant in both of his major freestyle titles won at the Cadet level, last summer in Fargo at 88 pounds and the FILA Cadet title in late May that earned him a spot on this world team. Teasdale is ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2018, and trains at the same Young Guns Wrestling Club in Western Pennsylvania that has produced two other members of the freestyle squad. 50 kilos: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) This will be a second appearance for him at the FILA Cadet World Championships in this weight class, as he went 2-2 in last year's late August competition in Zrenjanin, Serbia. Lee's two losses in that event came to the silver medalist in the quarterfinals and one of the bronze medalists in the consolation. The goal for the nation's No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2017 is clear, as he has asserted the belief that he can (and will) win the world title next week in Slovakia. While that may be bold, it isn't at all bold to call him a legitimate medal contender. 58 kilos: Carter Happel (Lisbon, Iowa) In the FILA Cadet Nationals title that qualified Happel onto this World Championships team, Happel did lose a match during the preliminary competition. However, he did qualify for the final, where he upset pre-tournament Nick Lee by a 12-7 decision; Lee has now finished second twice at FILA Cadet Nationals in this weight class, but has won gold at the Pan-American championships in this weight each of the last two years. That said, Happel does have a solid foundation of domestic success, including a Cadet National freestyle title at 132 pounds last year in Fargo, a pair of in-season high school state titles, along with being ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2016. 69 kilos: Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) Manville will be the lone American wrestler competing in both styles at next week's FILA Cadet World Championships. In freestyle, he has won gold at the Pan-American championships each of the last two years at this weight class, is a two-time Cadet National finalist in Fargo (winning last year at 145 pounds), and is a two-time FILA Cadet National All-American (winning the title this year). Further, he is ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2016, and is a two-time National Prep finalist, winning the title this past season at 152 pounds. 85 kilos: Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.) Clearly the least credentialed of the group competing on Saturday, Ritter was the beneficiary of an upset loss suffered by Lance Benick -- last year's representative at 100 kilos: in the other preliminary pool at the FILA Cadet Nationals in May. On his resume is a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up finish from last year, double Cadet All-American honors in Fargo last summer (champion in Greco-Roman), and a pair of placements at the National Prep championships (including a runner-up finish this past year at 182 pounds). Ritter is ranked as the No. 37 overall prospect in the Class of 2015. The group competing on the last day of competition at the FILA Cadet World Championships, which is one week from Sunday, features a pair of wrestlers with discernable international experience as well as arguably the nation's highest profile prep wrestling prospect. 46 kilos: Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) Olivas earned a bronze medal in last year's Greco-Roman competiton at 42 kilos, and hopes to replicate that level of success up a weight in the other style of competition. The nation's top-ranked Class of 2018 prospect did win the Pan-American Championships in this weight class in early May. His resume of accomplishments across styles to date is abundant. 54 kilos: Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) Last year he was runner-up at the FILA Cadet Nationals down one weight class to Spencer Lee, but went on to win the Pan-American Championships in that weight class. Fix added a second Pan-American FILA Cadet title two months ago in this weight class, and will be making his debut at the FILA Cadet World Championships next week. His domestic resume is abundant, featuring a Cadet Triple Crown last year, an in-season state title at 113 pounds during his freshman year of high school, and at present the No. 3 overall position in the Class of 2017. 63 kilos: Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, Pa.) Clearly the least credentialed member of the American freestyle team happens to have qualified out of the weight class that most thought was the weakest at the FILA Cadet Nationals in late May. During this past high school season, his freshman year, Verkleeren went 1-2 in the state tournament up at 145 pounds despite missing the first third of the season while coming back from injury. Six of his nine victories at the FILA Cadets came by pin or technical fall. He is currently ranked No. 15 in the Class of 2017. 76 kilos: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) Arguably the nation's most talked about prep wrestler is making a long-awaited debut at the FILA Cadet World Championships, as Bo Nickal served as a personal blockade the last two years (upending Hall during preliminary competition in 2012, while beating him in last year's final bout). Nickal did represent the United States very well in this weight class last year, where he placed fifth, as he lost in the bronze medal bout. In terms of Hall, this was his third All-American finish in three attempts at the FILA Cadet Nationals, and he has won Cadet National freestyle titles in Fargo each of the last two years, last year's being the capper on a Triple Crown. Further, he is a four-time high school state champion, winning the past year at 170 pounds; Hall is also ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2016. 100 kilos: Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) While this is a debut for Wood on the international stage, he does have clear credentials within domestic competition. Last year he was a double All-American at the Cadet Nationals, second in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle, losing only to Lance Benick in both styles. In addition, Wood has finished second at state twice in as many in-season high school attempts at 220 pound. At present, he is ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect in the Class of 2016. Last year's FILA Cadet World Championships saw only one American earn a medal in freestyle, the gold medal won by Aaron Pico. However, multiple other wrestlers won two-plus matches to finish in the top ten of their respective weight classes. That was enough to see the United States finish ninth in the standings. While predicting in specific is next to impossible, this group of wrestlers has the potential to perform at a similar level -- in terms of wins, contention, and overall standing. What that means in terms of medals won, check out the competition one week from Saturday and Sunday to find out.

PECS, Hungary -- U.S. freestyle wrestlers won three medals on the first day of competition at the World University Championships on Tuesday. Tyler CaldwellLeading the effort was a gold medal at 74 kg/163 lbs. from Tyler Caldwell (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids), who defeated Shamil-Imam Osmanov of Russia in the gold-medal match, 3-2. Caldwell, a four-time All-American from Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, won two matches to qualify for the finals, beating Robert Olle of Slovakia, 10-2 and Shawn Daye-Finley of Canada, 7-0. Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a silver medal at 97 kg/213 lbs., falling to two-time Junior World bronze medalist Fatih Yasarli of Turkey in the finals, 0-10. Kilgore, an NCAA champion for Kent State, won two matches by technical fall to advance to the gold-medal round, beating Mihaly Szabo of Hungary, 10-0 and Badavi Magomedov of Russia, 11-1. Matt McDonough (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) won a bronze-medal bout at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., scoring a 12-2 technical fall over 2014 European Junior bronze medalist Petro Bileichuk of Ukraine in the bronze-medal round. McDonough, who was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa, opened with a victory over Ziya Daylak of Turkey by technical fall, 16-6, then lost a wild 7-10 bout to Fumitaka Morishita of Japan in the semifinals. Rutgers wrestler Anthony Ashnault (South Plainsboro, N.J./Scarlet Knight WC) dropped his first match at 65 kg/143 lbs. and was eliminated from repechage when his opponent did not reach the finals. “Our guys wrestled tough and it is real apparent that ,with these new rules, our training methods and conditioning are going to make a difference. No one could match the aggression and pace when we really pressured them,” said U.S. coach Dave Bennett. Six U.S. wrestlers weighed in and received draws for Wednesday, including four men’s freestyle wrestlers and two women’s freestyle wrestlers. Draws are listed below. There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at: http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69 UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 8 Men’s freestyle results 57 kg/125.5 lbs. Gold – Fumitaka Morishita (Japan) Silver – Vladislav Petrov (Russia) Bronze – Matt McDonough (USA) Bronze – K. Byambadorj (Mongolia) 5th – Petro Bileichuk (Ukraine) 5th – Alexandru Chirtoaca (Moldova) 65 kg/143 lbs. Gold – Selahattin Kilicsallayan (Turkey) Silver – George Bucur (Romania) Bronze – B. Batchuluun (Mongolia) Bronze – Mihail Sava (Moldova) 5th – Kevin Iwasa-Madge (Canada) 5th – Ruslan Akhmedov (Russia) 74 kg/163 lbs. Gold – Tyler Caldwell (USA) Silver – Shamil-Imam Osmanov (Russia) Bronze – Musa Gurbuz (Turkey) Bronze – Andrii Nagornyi (Ukraine) 5th – Dzhakypbekov Ilgiz (Kyrgyzstan) 5th – Robert Olle (Slovakia) 97 kg/213 lbs. Gold – Fatih Yasarli (Turkey) Silver – Dustin Kilgore (USA) Bronze – Patryk Dublinowski (Poland) Bronze – Mihaly Szabo (Hungary) 5th – Denis Balaur (Moldova) 5th – Badavi Magomedov (Russia) U.S. men’s freestyle performances 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC), 3rd WIN Ziya Daylak (Turkey), tech. fall, 16-6 LOSS Fumitaka Morishita (Japan), 7-10 WIN Petro Bileichuk (Ukraine), tech. fall 12-2 65 kg/143 lbs. - Anthony Ashnault, South Plainsboro, N.J. (Scarlet Knight WC), 10th LOSS Mihail Sava (Moldova), 2-7 74 kg/163 lbs. - Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 1st WIN Robert Olle (Slovakia), 10-2 WIN Shawn Daye-Finley (Canada), 7-0 WIN Shamil-Imam Osmanov (Russia), 3-2 97 kg/213 lbs. - Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd WIN Mihaly Szabo (Hungary), tech. fall, 10-0 WIN Badavi Magomedov (Russia), tech. fall, 11-1 LOSS Fatih Yasarli (Turkey), tech. fall 0-10 U.S. men’s freeestyle draws for Wednesday 61 kg/134 lbs. - BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) Vs. Masakazu Kamoi (Japan), 7th in 2012 Asian Junior Championships 70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) Vs. Jere Kunnas (Finland), 9th in 2012 European Junior Championships 86 kg/189 lbs. - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC) Vs. Andrei Frant (Romania), 5th in 2013 European Senior Championships, 5th in 2012 World University Championships, 5th in 2010 Junior World Championships 125 kg/275 lbs. - Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC) Vs. Alexandr Romanov (Moldova), 8th in 2012 University Worlds, 8th in 2011 and 2012 European Senior Championships, 5th in 2009 Junior World Championships U.S. women’s freestyle draws for Wednesday 48 kg/105.5 lbs.- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) Vs. Emilia Budeanu (Moldova), 2013 Junior World champion, 2nd in 2013 Junior Europeans 55 kg/121 lbs. - Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.) Vs. Esa Korosi (Hungary), 2nd in 2013 Ion Corneanu (Romania)

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State University head wrestling coach Roger Kish has announced that former University of Iowa NCAA champion Derek St. John will join the Bison staff as an assistant coach. St. John, the 2013 NCAA champion at 157 pounds, became the 18th four-time All-American in Iowa history in 2014. He placed fourth at the NCAA Championships as a freshman, second as a sophomore, first as a junior and fifth as a senior, claiming his spot as one of the most decorated Hawkeye wrestlers in history. "We are thrilled to be able to add a guy of Derek's caliber and experience to our program at North Dakota State," said NDSU head coach Roger Kish. "His values, philosophy and vision are right in line with what we expect at NDSU." "He's proven himself as one of the nation's elite competitors, and his achievements at the Big Ten and NCAA levels speak for themselves." The Parnell, Iowa, native concluded his collegiate career with a record of 106-17. St. John was the 2012 Big Ten champion and a two-time Big Ten runner-up at 157 pounds. He posted a record of 31-2 in his national championship campaign of 2012-13, earning Iowa's Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler Award. "I'm excited to join the North Dakota State wrestling program and to be a part of Coach Kish's staff," said St. John. "I look forward to building on the tradition and the success that have already been established here, and I know we will work hard to take it to the next level." St. John was a redshirt on the Iowa team that won the NCAA team title in 2010. He graduated from Iowa in May 2014 with a degree in business studies.

The United States has a strong team in all three Olympic styles at the University World Championships, which will be held July 8-12 in Pecs, Hungary. The event starts with men's freestyle on July 8-9. The team features three past NCAA Div. I national champions, Matt McDonough of Iowa at 57 kilos/125.5 pounds, Chris Perry of Oklahoma State at 86 kilos/189 pounds and Dustin Kilgore of Kent State at 97 kilos/213 pounds Also on the team is a Div. II national champion, Tyrell Fortune of Grand Canyon at 125 kilos/275 pounds The team also features past NCAA All-Americans B.J. Futrell of Illinois at 61 kilos/134 pounds, James Green of Nebraska at 70 kilos/154 pounds and Tyler Caldwell of both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at 74 kilos/163 pounds Also on the team is Rutgers wrestler Anthony Ashnault at 65 kilos/143 pounds Kilgore is currently No. 2 on the Senior national team, and McDonough, Perry and Fortune are No. 3 on the Senior national team. Fortune won a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games, while Perry is a past Junior World bronze medalist. Next up is women's freestyle on July 9-10, which features numerous stars from the college ranks as well as the Senior level. King University placed three on the team, Samantha Klingel at 55 kilos/121 pounds, Amanda Hendey at 63 kilos/138.75 lbs and Julia Salata at 75 kilos/165 pounds Others from the college ranks include Amy Fearnside of Jamestown Univ. at 53 kilos/116.5 pounds, Jacarra Winchester of Missouri Valley College at 58 kilos/128 pounds, Brieana Delgado of Oklahoma City Univ. at 60 kilos/132 pounds and Tamyra Mensah of Wayland Baptist Univ. at 69 kilos/152 pounds The team is rounded out with U.S. Olympic Training Center resident Erin Golston at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds, who attends college in Colorado Springs. Salata is currently ranked No. 2 on the Senior national team, while Winchester is No. 3 and Golston and Hendey are No. 4. Golston won three Junior World medals in the past. Greco-Roman concludes the competition on July 11-12, a team which also features athletes with success on the Senior level. Four athletes come from the U.S. Olympic Education program at Northern Michigan: Sammy Jones at 59 kilos/130 pounds, Kendrick Sanders at 80 kilos/176 pounds, Orry Elor at 98 kilos/216 pounds and Toby Erickson at 130 kilos/286 pounds Patrick Smith at 71 kilos/156.5 pounds competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, and Kade Moss at 66 kilos/145.5 pounds competes for Penn State. Josef Rau at 85 kilos/185 pounds was a Div. III national champion for Elmhurst College. Also on the team is Geordan Speiller at 75 kilos/165 pounds Erickson, a past Junior World bronze medalist, is currently ranked No. 2 on the Senior World Team. Sanders was a U.S. Senior Open champion this year, while Smith and Erickson were second and Speiller was third. The official website for the University World Championships is: http://wrestling2014.pte.hu/ UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 8-12 U.S. men's freeestyle roster 57 kilos/125.5 pounds: Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) 61 kilos/134 pounds: BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) 65 kilos/143 pounds: Anthony Ashnault, South Plainsboro, N.J. (Scarlet Knight WC) 70 kilos/154 pounds: James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) 74 kilos/163 pounds: Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) 86 kilos/189 pounds: Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC) 97 kilos/213 pounds: Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 125 kilos/275 pounds: Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC) Coach: Doc Bennett, Boise, Idaho Coach: Mike Hagerty, Blue Springs, Mo. Coach: Bryan Snyder, Lincoln, Neb. U.S. women's freestyle roster 48 kilos/105.5 pounds- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 53 kilos/116.5 pounds: Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 55 kilos/121 pounds: Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.) 58 kilos/128 pounds: Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 60 kilos/132 pounds:- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC) 63 kilos/138.75 pounds: Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.) 69 kilos/152 pounds: Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Wayland Baptist) 75 kilos/165 pounds: Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC/King Univ.) Coach: Danny Struck, Jeffersonville, Ind. Coach: Melissa Simmons, Oklahoma City, Okla. Coach: Emma Randall, Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Greco-Roman roster 59 kilos/130 pounds: Sammy Jones, Folsom, La. (USOEC) 66 kilos/145.5 pounds: Kade Moss, South Jordan, Utah (Nittany Lion WC) 71 kilos/156.5 pounds: Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 75 kilos/165 pounds: Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets) 80 kilos/176 pounds: Kendrick Sanders, Homestead, Fla. (New York AC/USOEC) 85 kilos/187 pounds: Josef Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 98 kilos/216 pounds: Orry Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (New York AC/USOEC) 130 kilos/286 pounds: Toby Erickson, East Helena, Mont. (New York AC/USOEC) Coach: Tommy Owen, Arlington, Va. Coach: Rodney Smith, Chicopee, Mass. Coach: JD Robbins, Oviedo, Fla. Team Leader: Rusty Davidson, Grants, N.M. Official: Cody Hesser, Gonzales, La. Event Schedule Tuesday, July 8 Men's freestyle: 57 kilos, 65 kilos, 74 kilos, 97 kilos (McDonough, Ashnault, Caldwell, Kilgore) Wednesday, July 9 Men's freestyle: 61 kilos, 70 kilos, 86 kilos, 125 kilos (Futrell, Green, Perry, Fortune) Women's freestyle: 48 kilos, 55 kilos (Golston, Klingel) Thursday, July 10 Women's freestyle: 53 kilos, 58 kilos, 60 kilos, 63 kilos, 69 kilos, 75 kilos (Fearnside, Winchester, Delgado, Hendey, Mensah, Salata) Friday, July 11 Greco-Roman: 59 kilos, 71 kilos, 80 kilos, 98 kilos (Jones, Smith, Sanders, Elor) Saturday, July 12 Greco-Roman: 66 kilos, 75 kilos, 85 kilos, 130 kilos (Moss, Speiller, Rau, Erickson)