InterMat Staff

GREELEY -- Northern Colorado Athletics announced the resignation of head wrestling coach Ben Cherrington on Tuesday, who will pursue other interests outside of coaching. "We want to thank Ben for his leadership of the program and building a foundation for future success over his five years as head coach," Director of Athletics Darren Dunn said. "We appreciate his dedication to Collegiate Wrestling and wish him luck in his future endeavors." "I would like to thank all the people that have supported me during my tenure at UNC. I made a lot of friends and was fortunate enough to coach some great young men along the way," Cherrington said. "My time at UNC has been a good time. It has not been without its challenges, but I feel like we have made some great strides in setting a foundation that the wrestling program can build on. "Stepping away has been one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make, but for many reasons I feel like it is the right time to allow someone else to lead this program. I am confident that Darren and Ayo will make a great decision in choosing a new head coach and that UNC Wrestling will continue to achieve new heights." Cherrington had at least one wrestler advance to the NCAA Championships in each of his first three seasons as the Bears head coach, including coaching Justin Gaethje to Division I All-American status. The All-American student-athlete was the first ever in the 40-year history of the program. Cherrington finished with a career record of 16-52 in duals action after initially taking over as interim head coach during the 2009-10 season and being named the full-time head coach after the season. A national search for Cherrington's successor will begin immediately. No further comments will be made until the hiring process is complete.

The weight class realignment that was approved and implemented by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for high school wrestling effective with the 2011-12 season is still being felt and discussed by some, even as the third season with the changes present has ended. Given that premise, let's take a look at some data from the 2010-11 and the 2013-14 seasons. For purposes of this article, data from lineups for sectional wrestling tournaments in Ohio, which is the first layer of the state series in that state, will be used. The nature and number of wrestling weight classes has changed over the course of time. Up through 1970 there were 12 weight classes for high school competition. Starting with the 1970-71 season, a 13th weight class (a lower-weight) was added. The next major shift came in time for the 1987-88 season, which in essence did three things: (1) the lowest weight was eliminated (2) a lighter middle-weight class was added in its place (3) the middle-to-upper weight classes were realigned. Starting with the 1994-95 season, a 14th weight class was added. The 215-pound weight class came into place between the 189 and heavyweight/275 weight classes. Certain states (i.e. Pennsylvania) did not adopt this right away, but the vast majority of states implemented 215 right away. The recent radical change occurred for the start of the 2011-12 season, where a lower-to-middle weight was subtracted for the addition of an upper-weight class. The forgotten component to the discussion is that when the changes were made in the Spring of 2011, there were other proposals considered that would reduce the total number of weight classes from 14 to 12. Generally speaking proposals to reduce participation opportunities are a non-starter for some-to-many within the wrestling community. However, two questions should be examined before summarily ruling out reduced weight classes: (1) are the 14 spots in a team's lineup actually being filled (2) would a reduction in lineup spots increase the relative competitiveness of some teams, especially those from smaller enrollment schools. For the 2011 sectional tournaments in Ohio, there were 595 schools that entered wrestling squads. Of those squads, only 123 had a full lineup (20.7%); while 515 (86.6%) had what the OHSAA defines as a team, eight or more wrestlers in the lineup. In addition, the average number of participants in a lineup was 10.87, while the median was 12. As expected, the numbers varied depending on the size of school. For purposes of the state wrestling series, schools are split into three classifications based on their male enrollment. The small-school division (Division III) features schools with about 70 or less males per grade; the medium-school group (Division II) features schools with approximately between 70 and 125 males per grade; while the big-school division (Division I) features schools with about 125 or more males per grade, with 400 or so being the high end. Now let's look at the data from this season, which was the third with the "new" weight classes in effect. The presented data shows there are slightly less full lineups, slightly less schools with eight or more wrestlers in the lineup, and the average/median for wrestlers in a lineup has slightly dropped as well. Based on the data above, the vast majority of teams were struggling to fill lineups even before the "new" weight classes were implemented. That concern is slightly more common due to the change in weight classes. Therefore, it is my belief that a reduction in weight classes for varsity wrestling lineups is justified. Most teams are just not able to fill a lineup, which means opportunities are not being significantly reduced, and having one less spot would help many squads -- in particular those from smaller enrollment schools -- be more competitive in tournaments and dual meets. The item of greater contention is how to distribute the weight classes evenly and fairly to address the size of the population of 15-18 year-old males in this country, as well as in the context of what current realities are in terms of wrestling program participation. The first of those questions is outside the scope of this article, and should be determined using CDC data. From what I have been told, the failure of the NFHS to properly use CDC data during the Spring 2011 rules change process is a major reason the existing situation stands as present. This article can, and will, address the second of those realities. It will address the second of those realities by looking at varsity wrestling squad lineups at the sectional tournament, which is the first layer of the state tournament series. The data presented in the previous section related to the ability or inability for teams to fill a lineup is but one part. It shows -- in my opinion -- that the weight class change, which went into effect during 2011-12, is decreasing participation opportunities, and does not properly reflect the reality of wrestling programs' rosters. The 2011 sectional tournament data shows that participation in the five weight classes between 125 and 145 was all between 0.3 and 0.9 standard deviations above the mean participation for a given weight class. On the other hand, in 2014 sectional tournament data, participation for two of the four weight classes between 126 and 145 (138 and 145) is more than one standard deviation above the mean. For both years, participation in the 152-pound weight class is more than one standard deviation above the mean, with participation in 2014 creeping more than 1.4 standard deviations above the mean. In both 2011 and 2014 sectional tournament data, participation in the 285-pound weight class was more than one standard deviation below the mean (2011: 1.3 below, 2014: 1.19 below). 2011 sectional tournaments had weight classes at 171, 189, and 215; while in 2014, there were four weight classes capturing a similar range: 170, 182, 195, and 220. For 2011, those weight classes had the following z-scores (i.e. number of standard deviations above or below the mean): 0.89, 0.21, and -0.22; while for 2014, those four weights had the following z-scores: 0.20, -0.38, -0.64, and -0.47. The other area of study that always raises debate is participation patterns in the lowest weight classes. In 2011, the lowest weight classes were 103, 112, and 119; while in 2014, it was 106, 113, and 120. The z-scores for those weights in 2011 were: -2.34, -1.33, and -0.22; while in 2014, they were -1.82, -0.90, and -0.47. If the goal of weight class design is to create as normal of a distribution of participation as possible -- while acknowledging the reality that participation is always going to have somewhat of a "bell curve" -- we should try to avoid outcomes where participation is either disproportionately high or disproportionately low. Recommendation Based on analysis of the data, my recommendation is to decrease the number of weight classes from 14 to 13. The other part of that recommendation is to keep the current configuration from 106 to 160, while changing the upper-weight configuration to where it was previously (171, 189, 215, and 285). It is my opinion that said lineup would most accurately reflect the realities of the population and the wrestling landscape, while increasing full lineups and overall competitiveness of teams. An additional benefit of dropping to 13 weight classes is that with an odd number of weight classes, virtually all ties would be decided very early in the criteria "ladder" (i.e. at the greatest number of match victories).

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Bruce Burnett of Dover, Idaho has been hired to return to USA Wrestling as its National Freestyle Coach, and lead the men's freestyle program through the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Burnett served as the National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling for two Olympic cycles, from 1993-2000, which are considered among the most successful for the United States in history. During his eight years leading the program, the United States won the World Team titles in men's freestyle in both 1993 in Toronto, Canada and 1995 in Atlanta, Ga., the only two times in history. In addition, the United States won the medal count in men's freestyle at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga. Bruce Burnett was on Team USA's staff for the World Cup in LA (Photo/Ken Coburn)Burnett was an employee for USA Wrestling for 12 years, also serving as the National Developmental Coach for USA Wrestling during the 1989-92, handling the coaching and development of U.S. age group wrestlers. Burnett will assume this coaching position after the resignation of National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones, who served in the position for 5.5 years, and accepted the head coaching position at Arizona State University on April 9. "We are incredibly fortunate to have one of the greatest coaches in Team USA history again lead our program. Coach Burnett is considered by many as one of the top strategists ever in international wrestling. His proven ability to connect with elite-level wrestlers bodes well for Team USA heading into Rio. Our high expectations for this team just got higher," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "You never lose a passion to work with elite athletes. It comes down to whether you are willing to get in the trenches and do the work, so the athletes have the best chance to fulfill their dreams. It is absolutely, 100% not about me. There are a ton of great coaches who are doing the day-to-day work with our athletes. We have to give them support, fill in the gaps when they are in their college season. That is the job. We want to win medals on the World and Olympic levels and we have the athletes to do that," said Burnett. "I was fortunate to have Bruce as a coach and I'm excited to work beside him to help our athletes win medals in Rio. We are all confident the team will respond well to Bruce's systematic and meticulous approach to preparing for world-level competition. As an administrator, I look forward to capturing every bit of Bruce's coaching wisdom so that we may make it a part of USA Wrestling's National Teams program for years to come," said USA Wrestling Associate Executive Director of Programs and Strategy Les Gutches. "I am 100% supportive of the move to bring Bruce Burnett in to finish the Olympic quadrennium. I am very excited to work with Bruce. He's familiar with the system. He brings a great attitude and approach. He will be able to help all of our wrestlers to continue their path to achieve the podium at the World Championships and the Olympics. I'm thoroughly impressed with his history and reputation, and have enjoyed working with him in a limited capacity so far," said U.S. Freestyle Team Leader Andy Barth. "I have been able to spend some time with him the last few years, and I think he's great for the program. He has a no-nonsense, old-school approach, which is good. I grew to have a great relationship with Coach Zeke Jones over the last few years. I know there will be a transition with coaching styles and relationships moving forward. If anybody can establish a relationship with me and help me to continue to improve, it's him. I am excited. I know there were many candidates. This one is comfortable and comforting. He's been there before. He has worked with some of the best wrestlers in history. Nothing is new to him. He will help us maintain our efforts to reach our goals in Rio," said 2012 Olympic champion and two-time World Champion Jordan Burroughs. During his previous tenure as National Freestyle Coach, Burnett coached many of the greatest wrestlers in American wrestling history. He coached Olympic champions Kendall Cross, Tom Brands and Kurt Angle at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and Olympic champion Brandon Slay at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Team USA won five medals at the 1996 Olympics (three gold, one silver, one bronze) and four medals at the 2000 Olympics (one gold, one silver, two bronze). Nine U.S. athletes won 11 World titles during Burnett's previous tenure as National Freestyle Coach included Bruce Baumgartner (1993, 1995), Terry Brands (1993, 1995), Tom Brands (1993), Melvin Douglas (1993), Kurt Angle (1995), Kevin Jackson (1995), Les Gutches (1997), Sammie Henson (1998) and Stephen Neal (1999). At the six World Championships in which Burnett was National Freestyle Coach, the USA won 22 World medals, including 11 gold, four silver and seven bronze. At the World Championships, the USA placed in the top nine at the World Championships as a team every year, placing first (1993, 1995), second (1999), third (1998), sixth (1997) and ninth (1994). During his tenure, the USA also won the team title at the 1999 Pan American Games with eight medalists. Team USA added seven World Cup team titles (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000) during his leadership, and Pan American Championships titles in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. A total of 17 athletes who competed on the freestyle national team under Burnett's leadership have been elected into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame: Dave Schultz, Bruce Baumgartner, Kevin Jackson, Kendall Cross, Kurt Angle, Kenny Monday, Brandon Slay, Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Zeke Jones, Melvin Douglas, Les Gutches, Lincoln McIlravy, Stephen Neal, Pat Smith, Kerry McCoy and Eric Guerrero. "It was a hard decision for me. My wife was willing to make the commitment along with me. Zeke Jones did a great job and has plans set. USA Wrestling is on solid footing. We are in the middle of the Olympic quadrennium. There is a lot of work to get caught up on. I will learn and work with National Coaches Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick, the personal and club coaches and the staff at USA Wrestling. It will be a team effort," said Burnett. He became the head coach at the U.S. Naval Academy after leaving USA Wrestling in the fall of 2000, serving 13 years leading the Navy staff until his retirement in September, 2013. Burnett led the Midshipmen to a 113-57 record (.665) that featured six-straight seasons of 10 or more wins from 2002-07. The Midshipmen have flourished under his guidance, finishing among the top five at the EIWA Championship in seven of the last nine years. Navy placed among the top 25 at the NCAA Championship in three of the last seven seasons. He guided Navy to an 18th-place finish at the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Championships, its highest NCAA finish since placing 13th more than two decades ago (1990). Along the way, he helped mold 10 EIWA Champions, 50 NCAA qualifiers and 10 wrestlers who earned NCAA Div. I All-American honors. While at Navy, Burnett remained involved in USA Wrestling as a volunteer coach, both on the Senior and the age-group levels. He coached the 2011 Pan American Games team which won the team title with six medalists, including champions Jordan Burroughs, Jake Herbert, Jake Varner and Tervel Dlagnev. He was a coach for the 2014 U.S. Freestyle World Cup Team, which placed third in the standings in Los Angeles, Calif. He also coached the 2005 World University World Games team in Turkey, which had a tremendous performance with three champions, Nate Gallick, Jesse Jantsen and Tommy Rowlands. Burnett was also coach for the 2012 Junior World Team which competed in Pattaya, Thailand. Prior to joining USA Wrestling, Burnett was the assistant coach for the storied program at Oklahoma State from 1987-1990. While there, the Cowboys won two NCAA team titles, two NWCA National Dual titles and three Big Eight Conference titles. Burnett had a fantastic career as a high school coach for Meridian High in Idaho from 1974-1987. He coached the team to four state titles, four state runner-up finishes, six district titles and nine conference titles. His record at Meridian was 154-13-2 for a .923 winning percentage. Burnett also served as a state chairperson and a Junior chairperson for Idaho USA Wrestling. He received an Associate Arts degree from Bakersfield College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Idaho State University, where he was a star on the wrestling team. He is a member of the Idaho State University Hall of Fame "When an athlete can fulfill his Olympic dreams, there is no better feeling. It is not that we did it for them. We provided the conduit for them to do it for themselves and their country. You ask, do they trust the work you are doing to help them get better? If I can bridge that gap and get that trust, they will improve even faster. My job is to help those guys reach that dream. I am confident we will win those medals. God bless the Red, White and Blue," said Burnett.

Team USA battles the World All-Stars on Wednesday in Times Square as part of an annual Beat the Streets event. Wednesday's event will start with youth wrestling matches at 4 p.m. ET, followed by Team USA vs. the World All-Stars at 5:30 p.m. ET. Below is a preview and predictions for the nine men's freestyle matches. 57 kilos: Georgi Vangelov (Bulgaria) vs. Nahshon Garrett (USA) The 20-year-old Vangelov has been successful at the junior level, earning a Junior World silver medal in 2011 and placing fifth at the Junior Worlds in 2013. At last year's Junior Worlds he edged Iowa wrestler Thomas Gilman, 4-3, in the quarterfinals at 55 kilos. Zach Sanders crushed Vangelov 9-0 at the Dave Schultz Memorial earlier this year. Garrett, a two-time All-American at Cornell, has been successful in national age group events in freestyle, placing at the Junior Nationals (Fargo) and FILA Junior Nationals. He is quick and explosive with his leg attacks, but lacks experience against international competition. Bottom line: Vangelov has to be considered a slight favorite based on experience and international results. Both wrestlers are 20 years old. Prediction: Vangelov dec. Garrett 61 kilos: Aleksandr Bogomoev (Russia) vs. Jimmy Kennedy (USA) Aleksandr Bogomoev (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Bogomoev has been a top Russian wrestler for several years, winning 11 medals on the international circuit over the past three seasons, but has been unable to break through and make Russia's World team because of the depth in the weight class. He has battled the likes of the late Besik Kudukhov, a four-time World champion, and former world No. 1 Opan Sat for the spot. Bogomoev won both the New York AC International and Dave Schultz Memorial events in the U.S. this season, and notched wins over U.S. wrestlers Jimmy Kennedy, Nick Simmons, B.J. Futrell, and Matt McDonough. Bogomoev dominated World and Olympic medalist Vasyl Fedoryshyn of Ukraine at the World Cup in March. Kennedy, a U.S. Open champion, has continued to climb the freestyle ranks while training with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club in Ann Arbor, Mich. He won a gold medal at the Yasar Dogu in February, and has placed in four international events this season. He is currently ranked 14th in the world at 61 kilos. Bottom line: These two wrestlers are familiar with each other having wrestled multiple times since 2011. Bogomoev has won each meeting, with the most recent win coming by technical fall in a November dual meet held in Ithaca, N.Y. Prediction: Bogomoev dec. Kennedy 65 kilos: Haislan Garcia (Canada) vs. Logan Stieber (USA) Haislan Garcia (Photo/Larry Slater)The 31-year-old Cuban-born Garcia has been on the scene for several years, and represented Canada at the Olympic Games in both 2008 and 2012. He has not earned a World-level medal, but has been fifth and eighth at the Worlds, and seventh at the Olympics. He fell to U.S. wrestler Jordan Oliver at the United 4 Wrestling event in Los Angeles a year ago. Stieber, a three-time NCAA champion at Ohio State (with one season remaining), is coming off a third-place finish at the U.S. Open. He was a Junior World silver medalist in 2011 and has won multiple national age group events in freestyle. Stieber has been victorious in the last two Beat the Streets events in New York City. Last year he knocked off Russian wrestler Opan Sat, who was ranked No. 1 in the world at the time. Bottom line: On paper this looks to be a very competitive match. Garcia is the more experienced wrestler. However, Stieber seems to shine in these events. Prediction: Stieber dec. Garcia 65 kilos: Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria) vs. Jordan Oliver (USA) Boris Novachkov (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The Bulgarian Novachkov is well-known to U.S. wrestling fans having lived in the U.S. since he was young. He won two California state titles and earned All-American honors three times at Cal Poly. In February Novachkov made headlines by defeating 2012 Olympic champion Togrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan at the European Championships en route to earning a bronze medal. He won a silver medal at the Dan Kolov International. Novachkov has been training at the University of Illinois and is currently ranked No. 4 in the world. Oliver, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Oklahoma State, was third at the U.S. World Team Trials last year, with his lone loss coming to Brent Metcalf. Last month he reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open, where he lost to Kellen Russell, 4-2, before defaulting to sixth place. Oliver was a Junior World bronze medalist in 2009. A year ago Oliver went 2-0 at the United 4 Wrestling event, with wins over two wrestlers competing on Wednesday in the BTS event, Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia and Haislan Garcia of Canada. Bottom line: While Oliver was the more successful collegiate wrestler, Novachkov has the better freestyle resume on the senior level at this point. While their previous matches in folkstyle are nothing more than ancient history now, the two wrestlers did meet three times during the 2009-10 collegiate wrestling season, with Oliver winning two of those three meetings, including a 5-4 tiebreaker victory in the NCAA quarterfinals. Prediction: Novachkov dec. Oliver 65 kilos: Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia) vs. Brent Metcalf (USA) Russia's Magomed Kurbanaliev won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Russia's Kurbanaliev is currently ranked No. 1 in the world at 65 kilos. He won gold medals at both the Ivan Yariguin and European Championships this year. Last year Kurbanaliev claimed a bronze medal at the World Championships, and also won a gold medal at the World University Games. He was a Junior World champion in 2012. Metcalf, known in the U.S. for his aggressive, attacking style, seems to be wrestling his best right now, and admitted so after winning his first U.S. Open title last month. Metcalf, a two-time U.S. World Team member, was impressive at this year's World Cup, where he went 5-0 with three technical falls. Bottom line: Metcalf defeated Kurbanaliev in January of 2013 in the semifinals of the Ivan Yariguin. However, Kurbanaliev has fared much better in international wrestling events over the past year. Prediction: Kurbanaliev dec. Metcalf 74 kilos: Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan) vs. David Taylor (USA) Hasanov, who is currently ranked eighth in the world at 74 kilos, has been both productive and consistent at world-level events over the past five years. He was a World bronze medalist in both 2010 and 2011, and a fifth-place finisher at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. All those results came at 66 kilos. Last year Hasanov moved up to 74 kilos and placed seventh at the World Championships. This season he has won medals at the Intercontintal Cup, Golden Grand Prix, Dan Kolov, and European Championships. Taylor, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist at Penn State, opened a lot of eyes with his performance at this year's U.S. Open. The 23-year-old cruised to the finals, and was on the verge of beating world No. 1 Jordan Burroughs before surrendering his lead late in the match. Taylor was a World University Games bronze medalist last summer, and did notch a win over a much smaller Kurbanaliev at the Rumble on the Rails event last May. Bottom line: Hasanov clearly has the better international wrestling resume. Taylor, though, has been focusing mostly on folkstyle wrestling for the past five years. His performance against Burroughs last month at the U.S. Open may be a sign that he's ready to compete with the world's best. Prediction: Taylor dec. Hasanov 74 kilos: Atsamaz Sanakoev (Russia) vs. Jordan Burroughs (USA) Sanakoev has performed well this season, earning a silver medal at the Stepan Sargsyan International and a bronze medal at the Ivan Yariguin. Last year he won the Dave Schultz Memorial, beating U.S. wrestler Colt Sponseller in the finals. Burroughs, an Olympic champion and two-time World champion, comes into the match with an international record of 81-1. His lone loss came to U.S. wrestler Nick Marable (now competing at 70 kilos) at the Yasar Dogu International in February. Since then Burroughs has reeled off 12 consecutive victories. He cruised to his third World Cup gold medal in March, and followed that up by winning his third U.S. Open title last month. Bottom line: Burroughs is one of the world's best-for-pound freestyle wrestlers. Sanakoev is not currently ranked in the top 20 in the world. These two wrestlers met in the finals of the Stepan Sargsyan International in August, with Burroughs winning that match narrowly, 7-6. Prediction: Burroughs dec. Sanakoev 86 kilos: Taymuraz Friev (Spain) vs. Ed Ruth (USA) Taymuraz Friev placed fifth at the 2013 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Friev reached the semifinals of the 2013 World Championships, where he fell to Reineris Salas Perez of Cuba, and then lost the bronze-medal match to Ehsan Lashgari of Iran. In February he won a gold medal at the Golden Grand Prix of Paris, where he defeated Keith Gavin of the U.S. in the finals, 5-3. Friev is currently ranked 18th in the world. Ruth, a three-time NCAA champion at Penn State, has just begun his transition from folkstyle wrestling to freestyle wrestling. He placed third at the U.S. Open, with his lone loss coming to Clayton Foster. Last summer Ruth competed at the World University Games, where he lost his first match to Iran's Mohammed Mohammadian by technical fall and was eliminated from the competition. Bottom line: Friev is not an elite wrestler, evidenced by his No. 18 world ranking, but has shown he can be competitive with the world's best. Ruth is a tremendous athlete, but still very much a newcomer in international wrestling. Prediction: Friev dec. Ruth 97 kilos: Khadzhimurat Gatsalov (Russia) vs. Kyle Snyder (USA) Khadzhimurat Gatsalov won a World title in 2013 at 120 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The Russian Gatsalov is truly a legend in freestyle wrestling. His wrestling resume speaks for itself. Gatsalov is a five-time World champion and Olympic champion. He did not medal in the 2011 Worlds and failed to make Russian's Olympic team in 2012, but came back strong in 2013 to win a World title at 120 kilos. His five previous World-level gold medals came at 96 kilos. Snyder, an 18-year-old who spent the past year training freestyle at the Olympic Training Center, captured a Junior World title last summer at 96 kilos. In November he earned a bronze medal at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France. Last month Snyder rolled through FILA Junior National competition in Las Vegas, winning each of his five matches by technical fall. Bottom line: This looks like a mismatch on paper. All-time great versus high school senior. The 31-year-old Gatsalov comes into the match as a heavy favorite. Snyder is one of the world's best in his age group, but whether he can be competitive against one of the world's best on the senior level remains to be seen. Prediction: Gatsalov tech. fall Snyder Predicted Dual Meet Score: World All-Stars 6, Team USA 3

STAMFORD, Conn. -- 2012 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs highlights a field of top wrestlers in one of the world's most iconic settings on Wednesday night, when USA Wrestling and NBCSN combine to present the Beat The Streets Team USA vs. The World international wrestling dual meet from Times Square in New York City at 10:30 p.m. ET. The event will air following Game 4 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers in their Stanley Cup Playoff series. The event features 11 top American international wrestling stars against a team of all-stars from around the world, set outside in the heart of New York City. Team USA's accolades include a total of 14 NCAA titles, four Hodge Trophy awards, 12 U.S. Open titles, six World Team berths, six Junior World medals plus an Olympic gold medal, an Olympic bronze medal, two Senior World titles and a Junior World gold medal. Three past Dan Hodge Trophy winners, given each year to the nation's best college wrestler, will compete for Team USA. David Taylor won two Dan Hodge Trophies competing for Penn State. Other Hodge award winners include Burroughs, who wrestled for Nebraska, and Brent Metcalf, who wrestled for Iowa. 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller will compete in a women's freestyle match, as will 2012 World silver medalist Helen Maroulis. Calling the action will be play-by-play announcer Jason Knapp, with color commentary from Olympic champion Rulon Gardner, and sideline interviews by Chris Mannix. This is the third straight year that NBCSN has aired a major wrestling event affiliated with the Beat the Streets Gala in New York City, following "The Grapple in the Big Apple" from Times Square in 2012, and "The Rumble on the Rails," which featured a historic USA vs. Iran dual meet from Vanderbilt Hall in historic Grand Central Terminal in 2013. NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA NBC Sports Live Extra -- NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets -- will stream Wednesday night's Beat The Streets Team USA vs. The World event via "TV Everywhere," the media industry's effort to make quality content available to authenticated customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play. Events airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via "TV Everywhere," which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs. ABOUT USA WRESTLING USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation FILA. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

NEW YORK -- Helen Maroulis of Rockville, Md., will take on Marcia Andrades of Venezuela at 55 kilos/121 pounds. It is the first match on the women's slate announced as part of the Team USA vs. World All-Stars international wrestling competition in Times Square on May 7. The remaining pairings will be revealed in the coming days for the event, held in support of the Beat the Streets youth wrestling program. Maroulis won a silver medal at the 2012 World Championships, and has placed four times at the Senior World Championships, finishing fifth in 2011, seventh in 2013 and eighth in 2008. She won a gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games, and added a title at the 2013 World Cup. She is a five-time U.S. Open champion. She was also very successful on the age-group World level, winning a Junior World silver medal in 2011, and Junior World bronze medals in 2008 and 2010. On the college level, Maroulis boasts four WCWA women's college titles, winning three for Simon Fraser University, where she currently attends, and another for Missouri Baptist University. Andrades is a veteran star for Venezuela, competing in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She has won four Pan American Championships gold medals, and has a total of 12 Pan American medals during her career. Her best international finish was her eighth place in the 2003 World Championships. Andrades won bronze medals at the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games. Helen Maroulis met Marcia Andrades at the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic in Washington DC (Photo/Mark Lundy)The athletes have met in past competitions. Most recently, Maroulis beat Andrades by an 8-0 technical fall in an exhibition bout at the NWCA All-Star Classic in Washington D.C. in November. 2013. They also wrestled in the 2012 Pan American Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. in February 2012, with Maroulis winning, 1-0, 3-0. At the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, it was another Maroulis win, 4-0, 1-0. Nine other matchups have been previously announced for the men's freestyle matches on the card. Still to be announced is the other women's bout, and the Beat the Streets children matchups. The purpose of this event is to elevate the profile of wrestling and to raise funds to support the operation of over 140 youth development wrestling programs in New York City, serving nearly 3,000 student-athletes. The World All-Stars roster will feature Olympic, World and Continental medalists from around the world. Additionally, exhibitions involving the young Beat the Streets athletes prior to the international competition will be announced as they are set. The Beat the Streets children will take to the mat at 4 p.m., followed by Team USA vs. the World at 5:30 (match order TBD). The evening concludes with the Beat the Streets Award Gala at 7:30 p.m. at Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway). The USA vs. the World dual requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala. More details are available at btsny.org/gala. Fans can join the conversation about the event on Twitter by utilizing #BTSGalaTSQ. Biographies 55 kilos/121 pounds - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC) 2012 World silver medalist ... Second in 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials ... Fifth in 2011 World Championships ... Seventh in 2013 World Championships ... Eighth in 2008 World Championships ... 2011 Pan American Games champion ... Five-time U.S. Open champion (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and 2014) ... Second in 2011 Junior World Championships ... Third in 2008 and 2010 Junior World Championships .... 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 WCWA Women's College national champion (4x) ... 2012 Pan American Championships champion ... 2013 and 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion ... 2013 World Cup champion ... 2014 Cerro Pelado International champion (Cuba) .... Second in 2008 and 2010 U.S. Open ... Second in 2010 World Team Trials ... Third in 2009 World Team Trials ... 2010 New York AC International champion ... Four-time FILA Junior Nationals champion (2008-2011) ... 2007 and 2008 Junior Nationals champion ... Third in 2009 Pan American Championships ... High Schools: Colonel Zadock Magruder, Md., Marquette, Mich .... College: Simon Fraser, Missouri Baptist ... Born: Sept. 19, 1991 ... Age: 22 55 kilos/121 pounds - Marcia Andrades, Venezuela 2008 and 2012 Olympian ... 2012 Pan American Olympic Qualifying Tournament champion ... Four-time Pan American Championships champion (2001, 2005, 2006, 2009) ... Eighth in 2003 World Championships ... Seven-time Venezuelan Senio World Team member ... 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games bronze medalist ... Second in 2007 Pan American Championships ... 12-time Pan American medalist ... Fifth in 2012 Poland Open ... Fifth in 2011 Pan American Games ... Third in 2011 Ion Corneanu Memorial (Romania) ... Fifth in 2011 Grand Prix of Spain ... Fourth in 2005 World Cup ... 2008 Olympic Qualification Tournament champion ... Born: September 20, 1982 ... Age: 31 Announced Pairings for Beat the Streets Team USA vs. World All-Stars 57 kilos/125.5 pounds -- Nahshon Garrett (USA) vs. George Vangelov (Bulgaria) 61 kilos/134 pounds -- Jimmy Kennedy (USA) vs. Aleksandr Bogomoev (Russia) 65 kilos/143 pounds -- Logan Stieber (USA) vs. Haislan Garcia (Canada) 65 kilos/143 pounds -- Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria) 65 kilos/143 pounds -- Brent Metcalf (USA) vs. Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia) 74 kilos/163 pounds -- David Taylor (USA) vs. Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan) 74 kilos/163 pounds -- Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Atsamaz Sanakoev (Russia) 86 kilos/189 pounds -- Ed Ruth (USA) vs. Taymuraz Friev (Spain) 97 kilos/213 pounds -- Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. Khadjimurat Gatsalov (Russia) 55 kilos/121 pounds -- Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Marcia Andrades (Venezuela) Women's pairing to come 69 kilos/152 pounds -- Randi Miller (USA) vs. opponent TBA

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- UNI’s wrestling coach Doug Schwab signed a new seven-year contract, taking him through the 2020-21 season. “I’m excited for the future of Panther Wrestling, and I’m appreciative of the support from our administration, alumni and fans,” Schwab said. “Along with my staff, I look forward to continuing to build on the foundation we’ve established at UNI.” Under the new contract, Schwab will earn $115,000 a year with a $100,000 buyout clause should he leave for another job. “Doug has done a tremendous job with our wrestling program and is very much deserving of the new contract,” said Athletics Director Troy Dannen. “We look forward to our wrestling program’s further achievements under his leadership.” Schwab crowned his first two All-Americans at UNI in the 2012-13 season with David Bonin and Ryan Loder, who got fourth and seventh respectively at the NCAA national tournament. The team placed 15th, the highest finish from a Panther team since 2005. He crowned his third, fourth and fifth All-Americans when Joe Colon grabbed third place and Dylan Peters and Joey Lazor took sixth. It was the most All-Americans at UNI since 2002. Peters became the first freshman to earn the honor since 1996. Despite earning more points than the previous season, UNI took 15th for the second consecutive year. Seven Panthers earned automatic bids to the 2014 NCAA tournament, the most since 2007-08 when nine qualified. Five wrestlers earned a top-15 seed: No. 5 Peters (125 pounds), No. 1 Colon (133 pounds), No. 11 Lazor (141 pounds), No. 10 Cooper Moore (165 pounds), No. 15 Ryan Loder (184 pounds). UNI was the only Division I wrestling team to finish the dual season undefeated (13-0). UNI hadn’t been undefeated since 1950, when the team went 11-0. The program saw its biggest jump in attendance in at least 14 seasons, posting the ninth highest numbers in the nation. Four home duals in the West Gym were sell-outs (2,060). Peters' 13 falls against Division I opponents was the fifth most in the nation. Colon had 10 tech falls, which was the same number as the nation's Division I leader. The team implemented its first Mid-American Conference schedule and took second to Missouri at the championships, reaching as high as fifth in the national rankings.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Entering its inaugural season in the Big Ten Conference, the Rutgers wrestling program made a big addition to its coaching staff Friday, hiring longtime Big Ten coach and former grappler Donny Pritzlaff to its staff as associate head coach. "I believe that this is one of the best coaches in the country and a hire that can change the landscape of this wrestling program," said head coach Scott Goodale. "Donny has years of Big Ten experience as an athlete, coach and recruiter. He is regarded as one of the best recruiters in the country and will certainly make an impact immediately as we enter the Big Ten." A decorated collegiate and freestyle wrestler, Pritzlaff owns more than 10 years of collegiate coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level. The Lyndhurst, New Jersey, native spent the last three seasons at the University of Michigan (2011-13) as an assistant wrestling coach after spending five years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the associate head wrestling coach. "I feel like I can make a big difference here and I'm excited to get to work and start developing relationships with guys on the team and the whole athletic department," Pritzlaff said. "I think I felt drawn to Rutgers being in the Big Ten. I wrestled in the Big Ten and coached in the Big Ten Conference for many years." "I've always felt pride in the state of New Jersey. I tried to get out here and recruit as much as I could when I was away. I feel really close to the kids that come out of the state and this area. It's going to be a great situation for everyone" Pritzlaff mentored four Wolverine All-Americans in his time in Ann Arbor, Michigan, working closely with Kellen Russell, who captured his second NCAA title and fourth Big Ten title to finish a stellar collegiate career in 2012. Russell became just the 11th four-time Big Ten Champion in league history. Two Wolverine grapplers reached the national podium in 2014, as Pritzlaff and the staff helped lead Michigan to a 17th-place finish at NCAAs in Oklahoma City. An experienced recruiter, Pritzlaff has done nothing short of drawing top talent, securing a top-10 recruiting class in 2012 ranked No. 5 by The Open Mat, No. 7 by InterMat and No. 8 by W.I.N. Magazine. Prior to arriving at Michigan, Pritzlaff served five seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin (2007-11), including his last two as associate head coach. He helped lead the Badgers to top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships in each of the last three seasons, including a fourth-place finish in 2010. Pritzlaff was instrumental in developing the Badger middleweight wrestlers, battle-testing notable performers under his tutelage such as NCAA champion and three-time All-American Andrew Howe, NCAA finalist Craig Henning and All-Americans Tyler Turner, Zach Tanelli and Kyle Ruschell. Pritzlaff previously served as an assistant coach at Hofstra University (2004-06) and as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin (2002-03). While at Hofstra, Pritzlaff worked with three-time All-American Jon Masa and two-time All-Americans Mike Patrovich and Chris Skretkowicz, helping guide the Pride to three-straight Colonial Athletic Association titles and an 11th-place NCAA finish in 2006. As a collegiate wrestler at Wisconsin (1998-2001), Pritzlaff compiled one of the most impressive careers in the program's history. Pritzlaff was a two-time NCAA 165-pound champion (2000, 2001) and four-time NCAA All-American, placing fifth as a junior at 165 pounds in 1999 and sixth as a freshman at 150 pounds in 1998. Pritzlaff's success has continued on the international scene, as the experienced grappler completed a successful eight-year career in the 74 kg/163-pound freestyle division. He captured the bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships and earned medals at the Pan American Championships (silver, 2006), New York Athletic Club Holiday International Open (gold, 2001; silver, 2005; bronze, 2002, '03, '04), Henri Deglane Challenge (bronze, 2002), Dave Schultz Memorial International (gold, 2002, '05) and Sunkist Kids International Open (gold, 2002; silver, 2004). While in college, Pritzlaff captured the 1998 Junior World championship at 70 kg. A native of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, Pritzlaff graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sociology. He and his wife, Robin, have two daughters, Adalena and Onaliese. RU enters its inaugural season in the Big Ten with 13 grapplers returning that earned dual starts in 2013-14, including a handful of highly anticipated redshirts and transfers expected to make key impacts next season. The team's full 2014-15 Big Ten Conference slate was released in April and is listed below. Ticket information for the 2014-15 Rutgers wrestling season is not yet available and is expected to be released at a later date as the season draws nearer. To be placed on the waiting list for wrestling season tickets please call 1-866-445-GORU (4678) or email the ticket office at tickets@scarletknights.com.

NEW YORK -- The nine men's freestyle match-ups have been finalized for the Team USA vs. The World All-Stars international wrestling competition in support of "Beat the Streets," set for May 7 at New York's Times Square. Earlier this week, two pairings were announced: two-time Hodge Trophy winner David Taylor of State College, Pa., vs. two-time World medalist Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan at 74 kilos/163 pounds; and two-time NCAA champion Jordan Oliver of Stillwater, Okla. vs. European Championships runner-up Boris Novachkov of Bulgaria at 65 kilos/143 pounds The other seven men's pairings have now been completed. Two of the pairings will feature past Olympic and World gold medalists. At 74 kilos/163 pounds, 2012 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs of Lincoln, Neb. will battle talented young Russian Atsamaz Sanakoev of Russia. Burroughs is a three-time World Cup champion, a three-time U.S. Open champion and a 2011 Pan American Games champion with an amazing 81-1 career record on the Senior level. Sanakoev was third in the 2012 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and a 2013 Dave Schultz Memorial champion. Burroughs edged Sanakoev 7-6 in the finals of the 2013 Stepan Sargsyan International in Armenia. At 97 kilos/213 pounds, 2004 Olympic champion and five-time World champion Khadjimurat Gatsalov of Russia will square off with 2013 Junior World champion Kyle Snyder of Woodbine, Md. Gatsalov has also been a 2010 World silver medalist, a 2007 Military World champion and a 2001 Junior World champion. Gatsalov, 30, is one of the greats of his era. Snyder, 18 and still in high school, is one of the top young stars in world today. At 65 kilos/143 pounds, three-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Monroeville, Ohio will take on Haislan Garcia of Canada. In his three seasons for Ohio State, Stieber has been NCAA champion each year. He was a Junior World silver medalist in 2011. Stieber placed third in the 2014 and 2009 U.S. Open. Garcia placed fifth at the 2010 World Championships and eighth in the 2013 World Championships. A two-time Olympian, he was seventh at the 2012 Olympic Games. Another big battle at 65 kilos/143 pounds will feature two-time World Team member Brent Metcalf of Iowa City, Iowa against 2013 World bronze medalist Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia. Metcalf was a two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner at Iowa. He won the 2011 Olympic Test event in England and was second in the 2013 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. Kurbanaliev also boasts a 2013 World University Games title, a 2014 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix title and a 2012 Junior World gold medal. In 2013, Metcalf defeated Kurbanaliev in the semifinals of the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. Three-time NCAA champion Ed Ruth of Harrisburg, Pa., will take on Taymuraz Friev of Spain at 86 kilos/189 pounds Ruth was the first three-time NCAA champion in Penn State history. He placed third at the U.S. Open in both 2013 and 2014 and was a member of the 2013 U.S. University World Games team. Friev placed a strong fifth at the 2013 World Championships. He won gold medals at the 2014 Grand Prix of Paris in France, and the 2013 Grand Prix of Spain. A competitive bout is expected at 61 kilos/134 pounds, where 2014 U.S. Open champion Jimmy Kennedy of Ann Arbor, Mich. battles talented Alexander Bogomoev of Russia. Kennedy was second in the 2013 World Team Trials, and has won medals in nine international events the last three seasons, including gold medals in events held in Turkey, Russia, Canada and the United States. Bogomoev has been equally successful, with 11 medals on the international circuit over the last three seasons, including nine gold medals. He was also second in the 2011 and 2013 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. Bogomoev has beaten Kennedy in their last two meetings, in a dual meet in Ithaca, N.Y. in 2013 and at the Ramzan Kadyrov Cup in Russia in 2012. In a battle of rising 20-year-old talents, Nahshon Garrett of Chico, Calif., will take on Georgi Vangelov of Bulgaria at 57 kilos/125.5 pounds Garrett was a 2013 NCAA runner-up for Cornell as a sophomore and placed third as a freshman. He was a three-time Junior Nationals All-American. Vangelov was second in the 2011 Junior World Championships and fifth in the 2013 Junior World Championships. He was also a 2012 Junior World Beach Wrestling champion. The opponents for the two U.S. women freestyle wrestlers on the card, Helen Maroulis of Rockville, Md. at 55 kilos/121 pounds and Randi Miller of Colorado Springs, Colo. at 69 kilos/152 pounds are yet to be announced. In addition, exhibitions involving the young Beat the Streets athletes prior to the international competition will be announced as they are set. The purpose of this event is to elevate the profile of wrestling and to raise funds to support the operation of over 140 youth development wrestling programs in New York City, serving nearly 3,000 student-athletes. The USA vs. the World dual requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala. More details are available at btsny.org/gala. Fans can join the conversation about the event on Twitter by utilizing #BTSGalaTSQ. The world-class competition has twice before been held in Times Square. Last year the event moved to historic Grand Central Terminal, where it was also a huge success. Dubbed “The Rumble on the Rails,” it featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran and was an important part of the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, which resulted in wrestling retaining its status on the Olympic Games program. This will be the fifth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Gala activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. In 2011, the United States defeated World champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kilos/132 pounds position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men's freestyle. All of these events have been great showcases for international wrestling and have received major media coverage. Media seeking credentials for the Beat the Streets event can make their request online at http://bit.ly/R73r8n Announced Pairings for Beat the Streets Team USA vs. World All-Stars 57 kilos/125.5 pounds – Nahshon Garrett (USA) vs. George Vangelov (Bulgaria) 61 kilos/134 pounds – Jimmy Kennedy (USA) vs. Aleksandr Bogomoev (Russia) 65 kilos/143 pounds – Logan Stieber (USA) vs. Haislan Garcia (Canada) 65 kilos/143 pounds – Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria) 65 kilos/143 pounds – Brent Metcalf (USA) vs. Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia) 74 kilos/163 pounds – David Taylor (USA) vs. Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan) 74 kilos/163 pounds – Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Atsamaz Sanakoev (Russia) 86 kilos/189 pounds – Ed Ruth (USA) vs. Taymuraz Friev (Spain) 97 kilos/213 pounds – Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. Khadjimurat Gatsalov (Russia) Women's pairings to come 55 kilos/121 pounds – Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. opponent TBA 69 kilos/152 pounds – Randi Miller (USA) vs. opponent TBA About Beat The Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City's student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and mentoring. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation FILA. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

The kid was toast. I had an arm bar with a wrist and in keeping my weight low it was only a matter of a few more bumps of my hip until I drove him from his side to his back. Bumping was the safe technique, but I knew that I could also choose to step over his head with my left leg and cradle his head with a figure four. Lift the head and his back would flatten. Legal and flashy, but also risky. One slip and it's potentially dangerous. Coach Brooks sat on the sidelines nodding his head in approval. I was doing as he'd told me in practice, that was right until the second I sent my leg over my opponent's head. Coach Brooks jumped from his chair and screamed across the empty gymnasium, "Dammit, FOOOLEEY! I told you NOOO!" He had, in fact, told me on several occasions to not do that move. Do NOT step over the head, he'd tell me, just bump. He'd told me that morning, he'd told me the week before. He'd probably told me the first day I brought it into the wrestling room. "Don't do it, Guppy. Just don't do it." I did it, and as he predicted my foot dropped past my knee and I was penalized for a dangerous or illegal move. I was a 95-pound 14-year-old wrestler about to win my third JV wrestling match in my first-ever season on the mat. I was impetuous, bull-headed, arrogant and technically awful. Coach Brooks sought to change what he could and preserve what was necessary. That was his job, and he was my first wrestling coach. I had him in mind when I returned three days ago from a five-week trip to cover the African, European and Asian Championships. The trip included a 72-hour sojourn spent wrestling in a northern Vietnamese village and a few days in Hong Kong with friends. It was a tiring trip, but one in which I was pursuing my life's work, my passion. My mother had told me last month that Coach Brooks was suffering from advanced, inoperable and likely untreatable liver cancer. I registered notes of pain when she told me and in thinking of his illness and possible death had decided to write him a note. When I landed in Chicago I reminded myself to get it done this week. Except it never happened. Instead of sending a note, I acquired distractions and selfishly moaned about jet lag. My father called me Thursday morning to let me know that Gerald Brooks had passed away in his sleep. His brief battle with cancer was over. My note was left composed only in my head. He was 64. Like many high school wrestling coaches, Coach Brooks wasn't remarkable on the mat and didn't come to our team with a list of previous accomplishments. He taught auto repair, had wrestled some in high school but was talented at motivating hormonal, know-it-all teenagers to behave like young men. To all he was adored and to his wrestlers he was beloved and respected. Coach Brooks was a character. He dressed in snug pot-belly polos and carried to practice a whistle and a clipboard that weren't often used but always at the ready -- for something. He was perfectly bald from the crown of his head to his temples, where he left wrapping his head a semicircle of wispy hair. His short neck and big smile gave the appearance that his shoulders were hunched forward in a laugh. He had kind eyes. Coach Brooks wasn't always a buttercup. There were moments that our behavior (like doing in a match precisely what he'd just said not to do) was met with a ruddy-faced gritting of teeth and country-bred string of unique insults. Coach Brooks made memorable lines -- mostly nicknames like "Guppy" -- but he called my best friend "Hemorrhoid" in homage to his ability to be a pain in the ass. I can't remember all the anecdotes and quips, but I do remember the way he made me feel. I came to him naive, self-important and physically timid, but after a season on the mat I left with what I thought were notable gains and a blushing of earned respect that helped me know the difference between being cocky and confident. Coach Brooks and I hadn't spoken in several years. There was a cookout 15 years ago, a parking lot conversation eight years ago, and a handful of passed messages through the high school's long-serving head coach. He followed my college career with pride and sent congrats through my mother. Though we didn't pen pal -- he was a quiet type -- he was never gone from my memory and I trust that I remained in his. I think wrestlers are unique in that way. We can uncouple from a coach without losing separation. We can absorb distance without dividing our emotions. Tim Foley (bottom) and Jeff Pradhan (top) pose with head wrestling coach Mike Smoot (left) and assistant coach Gerald Brooks (right) after the AAA Virginia State Wrestling tournament in February 1998Coach Brooks taught me the first lesson of wrestling: to listen. He also taught me the second: to be tough. I'd had doubts about myself -- and still do -- but Coach Brooks kept the wrestling fun and the lessons simple. He trusted in my growth and invested his time in my development, and now twenty years later the sport he introduced me to has become my life's work and passion. I'm thankful to have so many positive influences in my life -- people who believed in my ability -- but I'm especially thankful to Coach Brooks for being the first to give me his confidence. I know enough to know that he was proud of my accomplishments. I just wish I'd have found a moment before he passed to tell him what I'm telling you. I wish I'd just written a short note. Thank you for everything, Coach. Signed, Guppy To your questions ... Q: I'm surprised no one mentioned the dominating performance from Brent Metcalf at the U.S. Open. Metcalf supporters seem to be very emotionally connected and almost irrational in their support (and I am much more of a casual fan), but Metcalf seems to have distanced himself from the pack. He wasn't really threatened the entire tournament. Add to that performance the World Cup in Los Angeles where Metcalf defeated the best from the rest of the world and he may be the best wrestler his size in the world. And ... he's baaack. Jake Varner looked as good as ever. He seemed to be more dominant physically and technically by a long shot-cruising to victory and may be as good as anyone in the world right now. These two guys have to be the favorites to represent the U.S. and maybe win gold in Rio. This may be sacrilegious to the wrestling crowd, but what are the chances that these two will get aced out by current high school students Kyle Snyder and Aaron Pico? These two seem to be light years ahead of other high school wrestlers in the international scene. Personally, I think Pico would be very competitive with Metcalf right now. What are your thoughts? -- Dave A. Foley: I'm all about being present and I couldn't be happier with Brent Metcalf's progress in freestyle, or the reemergence of Jake Varner. As for the latter, it's been easy to say that he took the gold and ran away, but what is obvious is that with some motivation and training he really is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Will he win the 2014 World Championships? Yikes. I don't think he makes it past Reza Yazdani of Iran, but I think he can at least compete. Brent Metcalf went undefeated at the World Cup in LA (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Metcalf inspires the fan base because he's consistent with his emotions towards his own performance. All wrestlers care about winning and losing, but for Metcalf that caring is never hidden. His seeming self-hatred and disappointment at underperforming makes him difficult to criticize, and his masculine modesty in accepting his own brilliant performances connects with the wrestling community. That said, in the coming years Metcalf will have to battle with Aaron Pico on a very real level. That will make them both better and help guarantee that whoever emerges from the scrum is a World champion. Pico is good enough now and getting better. But until he gets stronger -- maybe in 2016 -- it will be Metcalf's weight class to give away. Varner has one last Olympic sprint in his blood. If he makes it past Kyle Snyder in 2015 I think he will do it again in 2016. Q: What do you think of women's wrestling? -- Gregg Y. Foley: I absolutely love women's wrestling. Couldn't be a bigger fan. It's easy for fans to say that they aren't as good as the men, and then compare the NBA to WNBA, but women's wrestling is almost a different sport than men's wrestling. The techniques are different because the bodies and range of reactions are so drastically different. They tend to wrestle closer to the mat, which means fewer throws, but they also tend to wrestle more than the men. That is to say that they don't take breaks or pause in the action. When women step on the mat they scrap. My guess is that by 2016 the women will have grabbed even more attention away from the Y chromosomes and be featured in many of those sepia-toned pre-Olympic pieces on NBC where you're sure to cry, but you're never sure why. Q: High school has a 220-pound weight class and international has 97 kilos (approximately 214 pounds). Do you think the NCAA should add a 220ish weight class? Would an odd number of weight classes make dual meets more interesting? -- Nick M. Foley: Wow. Yes, I think that another weight class would make dual meets a lot more interesting. But before we go down this rabbit hole it's important to know that this will never happen, both because the NCAA isn't adding a weight class and that at that weight there isn't (I think) enough interest. Q: What's up with the instant replay in NCAA wrestling? Is there a time limit with regards to how long the officials can view the video? I don't know the rules around it, but my observations make me assume that the official who made the call will review the replay and decide if a reversal of his call will be made. This seems to be a problematic situation, as I have a sneaky suspicion that officials may not want to be challenged over their judgment in making a call or no-call. Part of me wonders how beneficial a coach's challenge can be with regards to changing the score. What are your thoughts on the state of instant replay in NCAA wrestling? How beneficial would it be if NCAA wrestling were to adopt a three-judge system like FILA? -- Jacob R. Foley: Excellent question. Instant replay at the NCAAs was a drag in 2013, but my biggest issue wasn't in the constant challenges, but in the presentation of the challenges. What FILA does well is shows the fans exactly what is being reviewed. There is a large screen so everyone can follow along. Not only does it feel more transparent, but I think it's kind of an additional check on coaches who get too challenge-happy. Nobody wants to get boo'ed by the fans for making a dumb challenge. Three judges is smart, but I think only necessary with the international crowd because of each country's certainty that referees from opposing political ideologies are trying to screw them. The conference and school allegiances aren't typically strong enough, or well-known enough, to cause coaches much concern. Q: Why are the U.S. World Team Trials in Madison? Traveling to and from there sucks. They cancel flights all the time and the media market is small. Why wouldn't they have them in a major city? This small Midwest crap needs to stop. Stillwater, Iowa City, and Madison are nice Middle America, but they do nothing to gain exposure for wrestling. -- Tim J. Foley: Small markets are able to control overhead and still attract and audience on par with larger markets. Most people will watch the Trials on the Internet or television. It's an important weekend, but not so huge that fans will travel thousands of miles to attend the event. In fact, despite the controls for overhead I'm certain that the Trials will struggle to make money, and will most likely lose a couple of tens of thousands of dollars. Wrestling needs to stay greedy, but it's also important to control the temptation to complain too much about the locations of these events. The building process takes time and when USA Wrestling finds the model that works best they'll stick with it (see: Las Vegas). Q: As an ex-wrestler and current BJJ student, I was wondering why you thought the end of match handshake in wrestling at the collegiate level is so perfunctory and forced? It almost seems as though wrestlers go out of their way to be as "ungracious" as possible with the handshake. I understand it's very competitive, but no more so than in BJJ and after matches in BJJ there is typically true acknowledgement of your opponent. I know it's a tiny thing, but it always just seems so ridiculous and unsportsmanlike. -- Jeff H. Kyle Dake shakes Cael Sanderson's hand after winning his fourth NCAA title at the 2013 NCAAs in Des Moines (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: To be fair, the handshakes do vary in sincerity, but overall the attitude is one that lacks respect for opponents. One of the biggest mistakes being made in the world of American wrestling is a continued focus on being the toughest SOB on the mat. That works at times, but often it results in too much boasting and grandstanding and not enough recognition of the sport for which we're competing. In my experience a majority of other wrestling cultures have ingrained attitudes about sportsmanship, with most favoring respect. There are outliers, but when I think of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Turkish and Russian wrestlers I can recall excellent moments of forgiveness. Like you've seen in BJJ there are even moments of hugs, temple presses, and I kid you not, cheek kissing. We could learn to be a little more respectful on the mats and that includes the handshake.

NEW YORK -- Jordan Oliver of Stillwater, Okla., will take on Boris Novachkov of Bulgaria at 65 kilos/143 pounds in the second matchup announced as part of the Team USA vs. World All-Stars international wrestling competition in Times Square on May 7. The remaining pairings will be revealed in the coming days for the event, held in support of the Beat the Streets youth wrestling program. Oliver was second in the 2013 World Team Trials and 2013 U.S. Open. He also placed sixth in the 2014 U.S. Open. Oliver claimed a bronze medal at the 2009 Junior World Championships. He was a two-time NCAA champion and also an NCAA runner-up for Oklahoma State. A native of Easton, Pa., Oliver has won age-group national titles on the FILA Junior and Junior levels. Novachkov is also a product of the American wrestling system. Born in Bulgaria, Novachkov went to high school in California, where he won two state titles and three U.S. Junior National titles. He went to Cal Poly for college, where he was an NCAA runner-up and three-time All-American. Since competing for Bulgaria on the Senior level, Novachkov was second in the 2014 European Championships and second in the Dan Kolov International in Bulgaria, along with other international placements. They do not have a previous history on the Senior level. College is a different situation. They met three times during the 2009-2010 season when both were at 133 pounds. Oliver won in the finals of the Reno Tournament of Champions, 4-2. In a dual meet, Novachkov won by a 6-0 score. At the 2010 NCAA Championships in Omaha, they met in the quarterfinals at 133 pounds, with Oliver winning a 5-4 overtime match on a tiebreaker. One other matchup has been previously announced: David Taylor of State College, Pa., vs. Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan at 74 kilos/163 pounds Other Team USA wrestlers awaiting their opponents are Nahshon Garrett (57 kilos/125.5 pounds), Jimmy Kennedy (61 kilos/134 pounds), Brent Metcalf (65 kilos/143 pounds), Logan Stieber (65 kilos/143 pounds), Jordan Burroughs (74 kilos/163 pounds), Ed Ruth (86 kilos/189 pounds) and Kyle Snyder (97 kilos/213 pounds) on the men's side; and Helen Maroulis (55 kilos/121 pounds) and Randi Miller (69 kilos/152 pounds) in the women's lineup. The purpose of this event is to elevate the profile of wrestling and to raise funds to support the operation of over 140 youth development wrestling programs in New York City, serving nearly 3,000 student-athletes. The World All-Stars roster will feature Olympic, World and Continental medalists from around the world. Additionally, exhibitions involving the young Beat the Streets athletes prior to the international competition will be announced as they are set. The Beat the Streets children will take to the mat at 4 p.m., followed by Team USA vs. the World at 5:30 (match order TBD). The evening concludes with the Beat the Streets Award Gala at 7:30 p.m. at Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway). The USA vs. the World dual requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala. More details are available at btsny.org/gala. Fans can join the conversation about the event on Twitter by utilizing #BTSGalaTSQ. Biographies 65 kilos/143 pounds -- Jordan Oliver, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) Second in 2013 World Team Trials… Second in 2013 U.S. Open… Sixth in 2014 U.S. Open… Wildcard selection for Olympic Trials… Third in 2009 Junior World Championships… Third in 2010 FILA Junior World Team Trials… 2009 FILA Junior World Team Trials champion… 2009 University Nationals champion… 2009 FILA Junior Nationals champion… 2007 Junior Nationals champion… 2011 and 2013 NCAA champion for Oklahoma State… 2012 NCAA runner-up… Three-time Pennsylvania high school champion… College: Oklahoma State… High School: Easton, Pa…. Born: May 8, 1990… Age: 23 65 kilos/143 pounds -- Boris Novachkov, Bulgaria Second in 2014 European Championships… Second in 2014 Dan Kolov International (Bulgaria)… Fifth in 2014 Yasar Dogu International (Turkey)… Fourth in 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International (USA)… Third in 2013 New York AC International (USA)… Third in 2013 Dave Schultz Memorial International (USA)… 2009 U.S. FILA Junior Nationals champion… 2007 U.S. Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman and second in freestyle… Third in 2006 U.S. Junior Nationals in both Greco-Roman and freestyle…2005 U.S. Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman and freestyle… 2011 NCAA runner-up for Cal Poly… Third in 2012 NCAA Championships… Seventh in 2010 NCAA Championships… 2006 and 2007 California state high school champion for Fremont High School… Born: November 29, 1989… Age: 24 Announced Pairings for Beat the Streets Team USA vs. World All-Stars 74 kilos/163 pounds -- David Taylor (USA) vs. Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan) 65 kilos/143 pounds -- Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria)

Here is a look at the 10 best women's freestyle wrestlers in the world based on achievements and current season production. Kaori Icho (Japan) Kaori Icho (Photo/T.R. Foley)Much of the attention around women's freestyle wrestling has been directed at the dominance of the Japanese side. Kaori Icho is one-half of that dominant force, winning three Olympic gold medals and eight World titles. Unlike her compatriot Saori Yoshida, Icho took some time off to train in Canada, learned English and pursued other interests. Those travels cost her a few World titles, but ultimately gave her the opportunity to work on new techniques. Icho's technique is simply the best among female wrestlers. She reads opponents better than most of her male counterparts and finds creative, if not abusive, finishes. This year in the finals of the Ivan Yariguin she seemed unphased in dismantling a stronger Tserenchimed Sukhee of Mongolia, the No. 3 wrestler in the world, using her straight double leg attacks and snatch singles. Want something else to impress you? Icho's winning streak dwarfs that of Jordan Burroughs, with the Japanese wrestler having won an incredible 165 straight matches. That's one record you can be certain will never be broken. Saori Yoshida (Japan) Saori Yoshida (Photo/T.R. Foley)The other half of the Japanese wonder team, Saori Yoshida has won three Olympic gold medals and 11 World championships, making her the most successful World title holder in the history of wrestling. Her 14 straight titles is a feat unlikely to ever be broken More raw than Icho, Yoshida has taken a few losses on her path to greatness. She's less creative and more straight forward, but when the pressure is on there is arguably no one better at closing out a match. She's got a nice front headlock and a powerful straight single. Natalia Vorobieva (Russia) The young and dominant Russian stunned Stanka Zlateva in the 2012 Olympic finals to put herself in position to become the face of women's wrestling in Europe. The outgoing and charismatic Natalia Vorobieva is the reigning queen of social media with Instagram and Facebook updates seen by tens of thousands of fans around the world. Though popular online, her real talents are on the mat where an attack-first attitude has translated into a 2014 European championship and a runner-up performance at the 2013 World Championships. Her fireman's carry is one of the best single moves in all of wrestling and was the key to her fall over Zlateva. Vorobieva is wrestling better than almost anyone in the world, and if she can stay as focused on the mats as she has online she'll end up winning several more World and Olympic titles. Sofia Mattsson (Sweden) Sofia Mattsson (Photo/Tony Rotundo)Nicknamed the "Glamour Girl of Wrestling," Sofia Mattsson is one of the most technically efficient wrestlers in the world. A 2009 World champion and three-time European champion, Mattsson is consistently finding her way into the finals of tournaments. Now separated from Yoshida and competing in the non-Olympic weight, it's likely that Mattsson will find her way to several more World titles. Will she bump back down and take on Yoshida for 2016? Yes. Will she win? Too early to tell. Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan) Pound-for-pound one of the strongest female wrestlers in the world, Yuliya Ratkevich is having a dominant season. The 2013 World bronze medalist won the Klippan Lady Open in dominant fashion and looks to be the heavy favorite to win the non-Olympic weight class in Tashkent. Eri Tosaka (Japan) A 2013 World champion, the young Eri Tosaka looks to become the next star for Japanese wrestling. To do that she will need to keep up her early season results, most impressive of which is a 5-3 victory over 53-kilo World champion Sun Yanan of China, who made her debut at the lower weight class during this year's World Cup in Japan. Tosaka has the tools to be great, but with Sun on her tail, she will be challenged more consistently than her Japanese teammates. Adeline Gray (United States) Adeline Gray is staking claim to the new weight class by defeating 2013 World champion Zhang Fengliu of China and 2013 World bronze medalist Ochirbatyn Burmaa of Mongolia at the World Cup. The 2012 World champion at 67 kilos is showing speed and strength at her new weight class and if she can stay healthy her rematch with Zhang is likely to be one of the best matches from this year's World Championships. Sun Yanan (China) One of the most aggressive wrestlers in the world, Sun Yanan is not afraid to lift opponents off the mat to finish shots. Well-coached, well-trained and highly technical, her upcoming battles with Eri Tosaka of Japan at the World Championships and Asian Games will be decided by her ability to get on top and look for her ridiculous trap-arm series. Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia) Anastasija Grigorjeva won the Klippan Lady Open and has been solid all season, earning the top FILA ranking and holding on by winning her third European championship. She will be tested by No. 2 Soronzonbold Battsetseg of Mongolia at the Worlds, but if she stays consistent will be the favorite to win her first World title. Soronzonbold Battsetseg (Mongolia) The 2010 World champion Soronzonbold Battsetseg helped usher in the recent success of the Mongolian women's freestyle wrestling team. Impossibly tough, Battsetseg's biggest problem has been matching the speed of her opponents at 63 kilos. Though she came up, her dominance at 59 kilos came from being so much stronger than her opponents. Some of that is gone, but in its place is a determination to succeed that matches or exceeds anyone in wrestling. Battsetseg, like many of her Mongolian teammates, is also known to launch throws early and late in matches, making her an exciting competitor to keep an eye on at the World Championships.

NEW YORK -- David Taylor of State College, Pa., will take on Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan at 74 kilos/163 pounds in the first matchup announced as part of the Team USA vs. World All-Stars international wrestling competition in Times Square on May 7. The remaining pairings will be revealed in the coming days for the event, held in support of the Beat the Streets youth wrestling program. Taylor has been second at the U.S. Open the last two years at this weight class, and was third in the 2013 World Team Trials. He won a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games, and was eighth in the 2007 Junior World Championships while still in high school. Taylor was a two-time NCAA champion, two-time NCAA runner-up and two-time winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation’s top college wrestler during his amazing career at Penn State. Hasanov is a two-time World bronze medalist (2010 and 2011) and placed fifth in the 2012 Olympic Games. He was a 2011 European champion and won a silver medal at the 2013 World University Games. Hasanov won two Junior World medals, a silver in 2008 and a bronze in 2007. For much of his career, Hasanov competed at 66 kilos/145.5 pounds, but moved up in weight within the last two seasons. Both athletes won medals at the 2013 World University Games in Russia, with Hasanov taking silver and Taylor taking bronze, but they did not wrestle each other in that tournament. This will be their first meeting on the mat. Other Team USA wrestlers awaiting their opponents are Nahshon Garrett (57 kilos/125.5 pounds), Jimmy Kennedy (61 kilos/134 pounds), Jordan Oliver (65 kilos/143 pounds), Brent Metcalf (65 kilos/143 pounds), Logan Stieber (65 kilos/143 pounds), Jordan Burroughs (74 kilos/163 pounds), Ed Ruth (86 kilos/189 pounds) and Kyle Snyder (97 kilos/213 pounds) on the men's side; and Helen Maroulis (55 kilos/121 pounds) and Randi Miller (69 kilos/152 pounds) in the women's lineup. The purpose of this event is to elevate the profile of wrestling and to raise funds to support the operation of over 140 youth development wrestling programs in New York City, serving nearly 3,000 student-athletes. The World All-Stars roster will feature Olympic, World and Continental medalists from around the world. Additionally, exhibitions involving the young Beat the Streets athletes prior to the international competition will be announced as they are set. The Beat the Streets children will take to the mat at 4 p.m., followed by Team USA vs. the World at 5:30 (match order TBD). The evening concludes with the Beat the Streets Award Gala at 7:30 p.m. at Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway). The USA vs. the World dual requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala. More details are available at btsny.org/gala. Fans can join the conversation about the event on Twitter by utilizing #BTSGalaTSQ. Biographies 74 kilos/163 pounds – David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) Second in 2013 and 2014 U.S. Open… Third in 2013 World University Games… Third in 2013 U.S. World Team Trials… 2010 and 2013 University Nationals champion…Wildcard selection for 2012 Olympic Trials… Second in 2008 and 2010 FILA Junior World Team Trials… Third in 2010 FILA Junior Nationals… Eighth in 2007 FILA Junior World Championships… 2007 Junior Nationals champion in both styles… 2006 Cadet Nationals champion in both styles… 2005 Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle and second in Greco-Roman… 2005 FILA Cadet Nationals champion in both styles… 2012 and 2014 NCAA Champion for Penn State… 2012 and 2014 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as nation’s top college wrestler… Second in 2011 and 2013 NCAA Championships… Four-time Ohio state high school champion… College: Penn State… High School: St. Paris, Ohio (St. Paris Graham)… Born: December 5, 1990… Age: 23 74 kilos/163 pounds – Yabrail Hasanov, Azerbaijan Third in 2010 and 2011 World Championships… Fifth in 2012 Olympics… Seventh in 2009 World Championships… Eighth in 2013 World Championships… Second in 2013 World University Games… Second in 2014 European Championships… Second in 2013 World Cup… 2011 European champion… Third in 2014 Dan Kolov International (Bulgaria)… Third in 2013 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals (Azerbaijan)…Second in 2013 Intercontinental Cup (Russia)… Third in 2012 Yasar Dogu International (Turkey)… Third in 2011 Olympic Test Event (England)… 2011 FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals champion (Azerbaijan)… Second in 2009 European Championships… Second in 2008 Junior World Championships… Third in 2007 Junior World Championships… Third in 2006 European Junior Championships… Third in 2005 European Cadet Championships… Born: February 24, 1990… Age: 24 Announced Pairings for Beat the Streets Team USA vs. World All-Stars 74 kilos/163 pounds – David Taylor (USA) vs. Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan)

Talent matters in terms of college wrestling success. In looking at the starting lineups for the four top teams in NCAA Division I wrestling this past season -- Penn State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, and Iowa -- 33 of 40 starters were top 100 recruits at the end of their senior year of high school. Seven of the 10 starters for Penn State (which qualified their whole lineup) were top 10 recruits at the end of their senior year. The Nittany Lions have had recruiting classes ranked sixth, second, fifth, 15th, and seventh for the 2009-2013 seasons. Eight of the nine NCAA qualifiers (and 10 starters) for Minnesota were recruited as part of the 2009 and 2010 recruiting classes, which were ranked second and fourth respectively. In addition, nine of 10 starters this past season for the Golden Gophers were top 100 recruits; five of them in fact appeared in the top 50. 2014 Recruiting Class Rankings 1. Penn State 2. Oklahoma State 3. Cornell 4. Ohio State 5. Northwestern 6. Nebraska 7. Iowa 8. Illinois 9. Stanford 10. Michigan 11. Oklahoma 12. Minnesota 13. Iowa State 14. Virginia 15. North Carolina 16. Virginia Tech 17. Indiana 18. Bucknell 19. Lehigh 20. Maryland 21. Old Dominion 22. Utah Valley 23. Wisconsin 24. Central Michigan 25. North Carolina StateEight of the 10 starters for Oklahoma State (which qualified their whole lineup) come from the 2009, 2011, and 2012 classes that ranked first, seventh, and fifth respectively; with single starters coming from a 2010 class ranked 21st and the 2013 class ranked 15th. Furthermore, eight of those wrestlers were ranked among the top 50 of their graduating class as high school seniors, with one other starter ranked No. 100 overall. Nine of 10 starters for Iowa (which qualified their whole lineup) come from the 2009, 2010, and 2012 classes that ranked fifth, first, and first overall. In addition, eight of the 10 starters were ranked within the top 20 of their graduating class as high school seniors. Below is this year's breakdown of how Division I programs performed in procuring future talent in their recruiting Classes of 2014. 1. Penn State Top 100 recruits: No. 4 Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), No. 5 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), No. 7 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.), and No. 56 Shakur Rasheed (Longwood, N.Y.) Other ranked recruits: Anthony Cassar (Montgomery, N.J.) and Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.) Commentary: Cael Sanderson has built an empire in Happy Valley, as the Nittany Lions have won four consecutive NCAA championships. Talent procurement has played a major role in this development, and this group of recruits will continue that stream of talent rolling into the Penn State wrestling program. Nevills, Nickal, and Nolf qualify as obvious superstars, while Rasheed is another potential star. Three-time state runner-up Dinmore and undefeated state champion Cassar will help bolster the quality of depth on the Nittany Lions' roster. Read analysis for all 25 teams Not an InterMat Platinum subscriber? Subscribe now!

Talent matters in terms of college wrestling success. In looking at the starting lineups for the four top teams in NCAA Division I wrestling this past season -- Penn State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, and Iowa -- 33 of 40 starters were top 100 recruits at the end of their senior year of high school. Seven of the 10 starters for Penn State (which qualified their whole lineup) were top 10 recruits at the end of their senior year. The Nittany Lions have had recruiting classes ranked sixth, second, fifth, 15th, and seventh for the 2009-2013 seasons. Eight of the nine NCAA qualifiers (and 10 starters) for Minnesota were recruited as part of the 2009 and 2010 recruiting classes, which were ranked second and fourth respectively. In addition, nine of 10 starters this past season for the Golden Gophers were top 100 recruits; five of them in fact appeared in the top 50. 2014 Recruiting Class Rankings 1. Penn State 2. Oklahoma State 3. Cornell 4. Ohio State 5. Northwestern 6. Nebraska 7. Iowa 8. Illinois 9. Stanford 10. Michigan 11. Oklahoma 12. Minnesota 13. Iowa State 14. Virginia 15. North Carolina 16. Virginia Tech 17. Indiana 18. Bucknell 19. Lehigh 20. Maryland 21. Old Dominion 22. Utah Valley 23. Wisconsin 24. Central Michigan 25. North Carolina StateEight of the 10 starters for Oklahoma State (which qualified their whole lineup) come from the 2009, 2011, and 2012 classes that ranked first, seventh, and fifth respectively; with single starters coming from a 2010 class ranked 21st and the 2013 class ranked 15th. Furthermore, eight of those wrestlers were ranked among the top 50 of their graduating class as high school seniors, with one other starter ranked No. 100 overall. Nine of 10 starters for Iowa (which qualified their whole lineup) come from the 2009, 2010, and 2012 classes that ranked fifth, first, and first overall. In addition, eight of the 10 starters were ranked within the top 20 of their graduating class as high school seniors. Below is this year's breakdown of how Division I programs performed in procuring future talent in their recruiting Classes of 2014. 1. Penn State Top 100 recruits: No. 4 Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), No. 5 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), No. 7 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.), and No. 56 Shakur Rasheed (Longwood, N.Y.) Other ranked recruits: Anthony Cassar (Montgomery, N.J.) and Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.) Commentary: Cael Sanderson has built an empire in Happy Valley, as the Nittany Lions have won four consecutive NCAA championships. Talent procurement has played a major role in this development, and this group of recruits will continue that stream of talent rolling into the Penn State wrestling program. Nevills, Nickal, and Nolf qualify as obvious superstars, while Rasheed is another potential star. Three-time state runner-up Dinmore and undefeated state champion Cassar will help bolster the quality of depth on the Nittany Lions' roster. Read analysis for all 25 teams Not an InterMat Platinum subscriber? Subscribe now! 2. Oklahoma State Top 100 recruits: No. 2 Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.), No. 18 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), No. 20 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.), No. 60 Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.), and No. 63 Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills, N.J.) Other ranked recruits: Tanner Allen (Blackwell, Okla.), Dusty Hone (Cedar City, Utah), and Preston Weigel (Hays, Kan.) Additional notable recruit: State champion Jacobe Smith (Muskogee, Okla.) Commentary: Lots of talent and lots of winning to be found in John Smith's recruiting class. The eight weight class ranked recruits is the most of any program this year. There are five four-time state champions in this group, which in all has accumulated 25 total state titles and 29 state finals appearances. 3. Cornell Top 100 recruits: No. 22 Dillon Artigliere (Roxbury, N.J.), No. 31 Joseph Galasso (Father Judge, Pa.), No. 32 Jon-Jay Chavez (Centennial, Idaho), No. 36 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 78 Andrew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and No. 81 Jeramy Sweany (Vacaville, Calif.) Other ranked recruit: Brandon Womack (Scottsboro, Ala.) Additional notable recruits: National Prep champion Jake Anderson (Malvern Prep, Pa.) and three-time state champion William Koll (Lansing, N.Y.) Commentary: Though there is not necessarily an obvious superstar in this class, the six top 100 recruits for the Big Red are the most for any program this year. It is a very talented group that pretty much covers the whole weight class spectrum and should bolster an already strong roster. 4. Ohio State Top 100 recruits: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md./USOTC), No. 6 Micah Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and No. 9 Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) Additional notable recruits: Super 32 Challenge placers Ryan Harris (Beachwood, Ohio) and Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio) Commentary: Three obvious superstars have been added to the Buckeyes' stable. In fact, Kyle Snyder is likely an immediate All-American candidate, possibly an important component in a national championship trophy brought back to Columbus. Snyder was undefeated during his three-year high school career, was a FILA Junior World champion this past summer, and spent the 2013-14 season competing and training against men at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. An additional item to watch in this class is how those outside the "big three" develop and progress, as they have potential to provide viable roster depth, which has been an issue in recent years for Ohio State. 5. Northwestern Top 100 recruits: No. 3 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.), No. 12 Johnny Sebastian (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), and No. 19 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.) Other ranked recruit: Regis Durbin (Lake Forest, Ill.) Commentary: It seems that strong recruiting classes for the Wildcats are an every other year thing (2012 included Jason Tsirtsis, 2010 included Mike McMullan, 2008 included Jason Welch). This year being an even year means that Northwestern has done very well in recruiting. Their class includes three top 20 recruits, each of whom ended the season ranked No. 1 in their high school weight class. The fourth ranked recruit, undefeated state champion Durbin, comes in as a potential late bloomer. 6. Nebraska Top 100 recruits: No. 29 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.), No. 30 Hayden Tuma (Centennial, Idaho), No. 59 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), No. 70 Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.), and No. 80 Nick Bennett (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Additional notable recruit: Three-time state champion Dustin Williams (Gardner-Edgerton, Kan.) Commentary: After placing fourth at the NCAA tournament in 2009, it has been five straight finishes outside the top 10 at the NCAAs, including 11th place in the standings this year. However, it has not been for a lack of success in recruiting. This will be the fourth time in five years that Nebraska has had the No. 6 recruiting class, and (at least) the sixth consecutive year that the Cornhuskers have had a top six recruiting class (third in 2011, fourth in 2009). The group of wrestlers this year mostly addresses the lower-middle weight area, with White as an upper-weight talent. 7. Iowa Top 100 recruits: No. 10 Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), No. 58 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.), and No. 62 Logan Ryan (Bettendorf, Iowa) Other ranked recruits: Mitch Bowman (North Scott, Iowa), Tagen Lambotte (Rossville, Kan.), and Burke Paddock (Warsaw, N.Y.) Commentary: For the second straight year, the Hawkeyes' recruiting class falls outside of the top five and may be lacking that obvious superstar, with Stoll being the closest to fitting the bill. However, there is talent as well as depth present with three top 100 recruits and another three that are weight class ranked. Stoll is an excellent heavyweight, while the other five listed recruits address needs and depth in the middle chunk of the lineup. 8. Illinois Top 100 recruits: No. 13 Michael Pixley (Blue Springs, Mo.), No. 39 Jered Cortez (Glenbard North, Ill.), and No. 43 Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.) Other ranked recruit: Andre Lee (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) Commentary: This is the third straight year that the Fighting Illini has brought in three top 100 recruits to the Champaign-Urbana campus. The four ranked wrestlers split into two segments, two projected lower-weights (Cortez and Ervin) and two as upper-weights (Pixley and Lee). Head coach Jim Heffernan and associate head coach Mark Perry continue to do a solid job in recruiting. 9. Stanford Top 100 recruits: No. 8 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 69 Isaiah Locsin (Gilroy, Calif.), No. 87 Mason Pengilly (Porterville, Calif.), and No. 92 Paul Fox (Gilroy, Calif.) Other ranked recruit: Brian Rossi (Lockport, Ill.) Additional notable recruit: FloNationals placer Boomer Fleming (Ridgeview, Ore.) Commentary: Though the Cardinal finished without an All-American for a second straight year, head coach Jason Borrelli continues to bring in high-level talent to The Farm. This is his fifth recruiting haul in six years that is among the top 20 nationally, and the ninth position in the rankings is the high water mark to date. However, the Cardinal have yet to register a top-10 finish at the NCAA tournament (11th in 2011 and 16th in 2012 the recent high points). This group that addresses the lower half of the lineup has the potential to help change that script going forward. 10. Michigan Top 100 recruits: No. 15 Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich.), No. 41 Davonte Mahomes (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), No. 97 Zehlin Storr (Leslie, Mich.), and No. 100 Garrett Sutton (Richmond Burton, Ill.) Other ranked recruit: Malik Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Additional notable recruit: 2013 FloNationals placer Alec Pantaleo (Canton, Mich.) Commentary: The last few years have somewhat reflected an "identity crisis" for the Wolverines, as they have been unsure if it's been all-in for the present or build for the future. However, going forward, it looks like the confusion is done. This marks a third straight solid recruiting class for the Maize and Blue, and the roster is now well-positioned for a return to a top-10 position at the national tournament; something they did in eight consecutive years from 2001-2008. 11. Oklahoma Top 100 recruits: No. 38 Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.) and No. 76 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) Other ranked recruits: Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), Gage Stallworth (Cushing, Okla.), and Cale Wilson (Sallisaw, Okla.) Additional notable recruits: NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Nathan Marek (Southmoore, Okla.) and Junior National double All-American Jacob Rubio (Canyon Randall, Texas) Commentary: This excellent recruiting class for Mark Cody reflects an ability to capitalize on what was an excellent year for in-state talent in the Sooner State. Five of the six weight class ranked wrestlers in this class are in-state wrestlers, and six of the eight identified in the profile are native Oklahomans. Of this group, Millhof and Rubio are lower-weights, while the other six address needs within the upper half of the lineup. 12. Minnesota Top 100 recruits: No. 21 Tommy Thorn (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), No. 57 Nathan Rose, and No. 73 Ethan Lizak (Parkland, Pa.) Other ranked recruit: Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.) Additional notable recruit: 2013 state champion Will Balow (Lake City, Minn.) Commentary: Interestingly, this is a fourth straight recruiting class for the Golden Gophers that ranks outside the top 10. However, at present, they have a solid projected starting lineup with pretty good complimentary pieces. J Robinson and staff have done an excellent job in building and developing performance out of the recruits they bring in, but the nature of the starting lineup and overall depth in years beyond 2014-15 is still something that merits attention. 13. Iowa State Top 100 recruits: No. 42 Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowaga, N.Y.), No. 50 Nathan Boston (Woodford County, Ky.), and No. 93 Marcus Harrington (Waterloo West, Iowa) Other ranked recruit: Logan Breitenbach (Archbishop Spalding, Md.) Additional notable recruit: Preseason Nationals champion Dante' Rodriguez (Kearney, Neb.) Commentary: Like Northwestern before, the Cyclones in the post-Cael Sanderson era have been very odd/even in terms of recruiting success. Even years, of which this is one, have yielded a class residing around the top 10; while the odd years have been relatively barren. Even though the last two seasons have yielded outside the top-10 finishes at NCAAs, earning three All-Americans in each season has helped to stabilize things for Kevin Jackson as head coach. Bringing in another three top 100 recruits will help further build the positive momentum in Ames for the Cyclones. 14. Virginia Top 100 recruits: No. 16 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) and No. 61 Will Schany (Blair, Neb.) Other ranked recruits: Chance McClure (Commerce, Ga.) and Austin Underwood (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) Commentary: The 2013 recruiting class, which was ranked 16th overall, addressed needs for the Cavaliers in the front two-thirds of the lineup; while this one provides contributors for the back half of the lineup. The two top 100 recruits project to start at 165 and 184 in the near-term, after a likely redshirt year for each; while the other two ranked recruits have potential to be contributors at the always tough to find 197 and 285-pound weight classes. 15. North Carolina Top 100 recruits: No. 26 Jack Clark (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.) and No. 65 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.) Other ranked recruits: Cory Daniel (River Hill, Md.) and Matthew Moore (Apalachee, Ga.) Commentary: This marks three top 15 ranked classes in four years for the Tar Heels, and hopefully for head coach C.D. Mock it provides them the tools necessary to contend in a conference whose rigor is increasing on a year-to-year basis. 16. Virginia Tech Top 100 recruits: No. 11 Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) and No. 48 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) Additional notable recruit: 2013 state champion Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.) Commentary: In nine seasons as head coach at Virginia Tech, head coach Kevin Dresser has turned a program that was rumored to be on the chopping block before his hire to one that is now working with consecutive ACC titles and consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA tournament. A key ingredient in that success has been the ability to procure high-level talent. This year's haul includes a dent into talent-rich Western Pennsylvania, where the Hokies picked up a pair of top 100 recruits. Chishko won two state titles, placing third the other two years at state, and was a four-time Super 32 Challenge placer; while Zavatsky won the Super 32 Challenge this past year, was an undefeated state champion this past year, and a three-time state placer. 17. Indiana Top 100 recruits: No. 17 Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio) and No. 88 Cole Weaver (Hudson, Mich.) Other ranked recruits: Bryce Martin (Bakersfield, Calif.) and Fletcher Miller (Kokomo, Ind.) Additional notable recruit: Junior National freestyle All-American Logan Marcicki (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Commentary: Here we are again with a sixth consecutive top 25 recruiting class for head coach Duane Goldman and the Hoosiers, yet the tangible measures of improved performance within the Big Ten and NCAA tournament prism are missing. The question continues to be, why the chasm? Danishek and Weaver are top 100 recruits and project as middle-weights, while the other three noted wrestlers fit in the back third of the lineup. 18. Bucknell Top 100 recruits: No. 28 Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.), No. 79 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional, Pa.), and No. 84 Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.) Other ranked recruit: Tom Sleigh (DuBois, Pa.) Additional notable recruit: Junior National Greco-Roman runner-up Andrew Millsap (Junction City, Kan.) Commentary: This marks the first appearance in the top 25 of the recruiting rankings for the Bison since InterMat started with the grade level rankings in 2009. It's also a class with a local flair, as they tapped talent-rich Pennsylvania for all four of the ranked wrestlers in the class. Smith, Valley, and Sleigh have proven success in the nation's toughest state tournament, Pennsylvania Class AAA, along with some national event success. The anchor of the class -- Junior National freestyle All-American and Super 32 Challenge runner-up Kelly -- will actually be enrolling on campus in 2015, as he completes a post-graduate year before appearing in Lewisburg. 19. Lehigh Top 100 recruits: No. 14 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 66 Scott Parker (Pennridge, Pa.) Additional notable recruits: State champion Ian Brown (Hanover, Pa.), 2012 National Prep champion Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, N.J.), and two-time FloNationals placer Ryan Preisch (Milton, Pa.) Commentary: Like EIWA and Patriot League compatriots Bucknell, Lehigh has capitalized on its talent-rich locale to produce a solid recruiting class. Three of the five listed are native Pennsylvanians, while the other two come from nearby Blair Academy in New Jersey. Parker and Brown are lighter-weight wrestlers; while Milonas, Preisch, and Coover address the middle-weight area of the Mountain Hawks lineup. 20. Maryland Top 100 recruits: No. 33 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.) and No. 40 Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.) Additional notable recruit: Four-time National Prep placer Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.) Commentary: Moving into the Big Ten for the 2014-15 season marks a step up in class for head coach Kerry McCoy and his Terrapins squad. Adding two top 40 recruits in this class, and seeing them develop into effective collegiate wrestlers will be key for the program's competitive ability going forward. Bannister was a three-time National Prep finalist, winning titles the last two years, while Llopez was twice a runner-up at National Preps after winning Maryland state titles as a freshman and sophomore; with both wrestlers also having success in major national competitions. 21. Old Dominion Top 100 recruits: No. 25 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) and No 72 Emilio Saavedra (Modesto, Calif.) Other ranked wrestler: Joey Balboni (David Brearley, N.J.) Additional notable recruit: Three-time Super 32 Challenge placer Trent Allen (Old Dominion) Commentary: Redshirt freshman Jack Dechow earned All-American honors for the Monarchs this year, which cut their run without an All-American at two, after they had produced one in four straight years (2008-2011). When combined with bringing back five of six qualifiers from the 2014 NCAA tournament, as well as picking up state champions from the two toughest state tournaments in the country -- Warner in Pennsylvania AAA and Saavedra in single-class California -- there is positive momentum for the program headed into 2014-15. 22. Utah Valley Top 100 recruits: No. 23 Roy Nash (Taylorsville, Utah) and No. 27 Kimball Bastian (Maple Mountain, Utah) Commentary: Though this is a small recruiting class in terms of quantity, the two notable figures within it have the ability to make a demonstrated positive impact. Nash is a star upper-weight, sweeping Greco-Roman and freestyle titles the last two summers in Fargo (2012 as a Cadet, 2013 as a Junior); while Bastian has been similarly excellent in the same levels of competition (double Cadet finalist in 2012, double Junior fifth in 2013). 23. Wisconsin Top 100 recruits: No. 46 Ryan Christensen (Woodinville, Wash.) and No. 82 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.) Other ranked wrestler: Jens Lantz (Ellsworth, Wis.) Additional notable recruits: Two-time state champions Jared Scharenbock (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Tyler Schmidt (Merrill, Wis.) Commentary: Barry Davis has brought in a solid class to Madison this year led by a pair of top 100 recruits from out-of-state. It is augmented by four in-state wrestlers who won state titles this past year; the four-timer Lantz, two-timers Scharenbock and Schmidt, as well as middle-weight Jacob Englebert (Southern Door). This class covers a cross-section of weight classes and reflects the best of both worlds, high-level out-of-state talent complimented by in-state wrestlers with potential to contribute. 24. Central Michigan Top 100 recruits: No. 67 Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian, Ind.) and No. 99 Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.) Other ranked wrestlers: Brent Fleetwood (Smryna, Del.) and Miguel Silva (Plainfield South, Ill.) Additional notable recruits: State champion Jordan Atienza (Livonia Franklin, Mich.) Commentary: Three years ago Central Michigan made a big bold statement with the nation's No. 2 recruiting class. However, the results for that group have been -- to put it mildly -- mixed. Combined with a plethora of other factors, the Chippewas' iron clad grip of supremacy in the MAC is no longer. This group has the potential to help lead Central Michigan back towards the elite of the MAC, as there is proven talent as well as wrestlers with the potential to develop into lineup contributors. The listed wrestlers reflect two light-weights (Fleetwood and Silva are both projected 125s), while the other three fit into the middle-weights. 25. North Carolina State Top 100 recruit: No. 83 Michael Boykin (Coatesville, Pa.) Other ranked wrestler: Kevin Jack (Danbury, Conn.) Additional notable recruits: NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Sean Fausz (Campbell County, Ky.), Super 32 Challenge placer Troy Gregor (Hickory Ridge, N.C.), Super 32 Challenge runner-up Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Junior National freestyle All-American Derick Maisonet (Plano, Ill.), and two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Bryce Meredith (Cheyenne Central, Wyo.) Commentary: Two years into the Popolizio era in Raleigh, and there is significant positive momentum, something that had quite frankly been mostly absent prior to his hire at N.C. State. Last year it was a recruiting haul that ranked No. 10 nationally, while the 2013-14 brought about a national championship for redshirt sophomore Nick Gwiazdowski at heavyweight. Though this group is ranked lower than last year's group, it's a voluminous one with many accomplished wrestlers. Most notable are undefeated state champion Boykin, two-time Super 32 Challenge placer Jack, and two-time National Prep champion Hall. Honorable Mention Buffalo Kent State Northern Iowa Princeton Rutgers

Team USA wrestlers Nahshon Garrett (57 kilos), Jimmy Kennedy (61 kilos), Jordan Oliver (65 kilos), Brent Metcalf (65 kilos), Logan Stieber (65 kilos), David Taylor (74 kilos), Ed Ruth (86 kilos), Kyle Snyder (97 kilos) and Randi Miller (women's: 69 kilos) were added today to the roster of American stars who will take on top international standouts in the Team USA vs. The World All-Stars international wrestling competition in support of “Beat the Streets,” set for May 7 at New York's Times Square. The nine star wrestlers join Olympic and two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs (74 kilos) and World silver medalist Helen Maroulis (55 kilos), who were announced by Beat the Streets and USA Wrestling as the first two U.S. competitors last week. The purpose of this event is to elevate the profile of wrestling and to raise funds to support the operation of over 140 youth development wrestling programs in New York City, serving nearly 3,000 student-athletes. The U.S. lineup features many of the most popular and successful athletes competing today. In total, the entire U.S. team accounts for 14 NCAA titles, four Hodge Trophy awards, 12 U.S. Open titles, six World Team berths, six Junior World medals plus an Olympic gold medal, an Olympic bronze medal, two Senior World titles and a Junior World gold medal. Randi Miller was a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, joining Olympic champion Burroughs as an Olympic medalist on the team. The team will feature five athletes who won the recent 2014 U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Burroughs, Maroulis, Kennedy, Metcalf and Miller. Multiple U.S. Open champions on the team include Maroulis (five times), Burroughs (three times) and Miller (two times). Past NCAA champions on the squad include three-time champions Ruth of Penn State and Stieber of Ohio State plus two-time champions Taylor of Penn State, Oliver of Oklahoma State, Metcalf of Iowa and Burroughs of Nebraska. Taylor won the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's best college wrestler two times, while Metcalf and Burroughs were also past Hodge Trophy winners. The team will feature two talented young athletes who are making their mark. Nahshon Garrett, who is a two-time All-American and 2014 NCAA finalist from Cornell, is 20 years old. High School senior Kyle Snyder, a 2013 Junior World champion, is just 18 years old. The World All-Stars roster is still being finalized, and will feature Olympic, World and Continental medalists from around the world. Additionally, exhibitions involving the young Beat the Streets athletes prior to the international competition will be announced as they are set. The Beat the Streets children will take to the mat at 4 p.m., followed by Team USA vs. the World at 5:30 (match order TBD). The evening concludes with the Beat the Streets Award Gala at 7:30 p.m. at Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway). The USA vs. the World dual requires a ticket for reserved seating in Times Square, but is an outdoor event. Pedestrians and non-ticket holders are encouraged to watch. Admission tickets may be bought in advance at www.btsny.org or 212.245.6570. A ticket is required for the Gala. More details are available at btsny.org/gala. Fans can join the conversation about the event on Twitter by utilizing #BTSGalaTSQ. The world-class competition has twice before been held in Times Square. Last year the event moved to historic Grand Central Terminal, where it was also a huge success. Dubbed "The Rumble on the Rails," it featured dual meets between Team USA, Russia and Iran and was an important part of the international Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, which resulted in wrestling retaining its status on the Olympic Games program. This will be the fifth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Gala activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. In 2011, the United States defeated World champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60-kilo position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men's freestyle. All of these events have been great showcases for international wrestling and have received

Joe Gibbons will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, April 30. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. This week's show will air from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. due to a Chicago Cubs game. A podcast of the show is available on theopenmat.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments. Gibbons was a four-time Iowa high school state wrestling champion for Waterloo Columbus and Ames High School. He was also a four-time All-American and an NCAA champion for Iowa State. The Gibbons family will receive the Family Legacy Award at the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on June 7 in Waterloo.

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Former national champion and Olympic team member Cary Kolat has been named head wrestling coach at Campbell University. Kolat joins the Fighting Camel staff after serving since 2010 as associate head coach at the University of North Carolina. Cary Kolat (Photo/GoCamels.com)"This is a milestone announcement for the Campbell wrestling program," said Director of Athletics Bob Roller. "Nationally and internationally, Cary Kolat is synonymous with wrestling for the past three decades, and I am confident he will build a program for CU that will be known throughout NCAA Division I. We welcome Cary, Erin and their family to Campbell." During Kolat's tenure at Chapel Hill, he was involved in all phases of the UNC program and helped improve the team's national ranking from 57 to 22. In addition, he was head coach at the Olympic regional training center in Chapel Hill where he trained Olympic level athletes. Kolat has also served on wrestling staffs at Lehigh, Wisconsin, West Virginia and his alma mater, Lock Haven. "I'm extremely excited that Bob Roller and Campbell University have given me the opportunity to lead this program," said Kolat, a native of southwestern Pennsylvania. "But the success of this program is not going to happen overnight. It will be determined by our guys doing the small things right over and over every day, consistently wanting to improve and taking the program to the next level." A two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, Kolat was a four-time All-American who went on to compete in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. A three-time World Cup gold medalist, he also won World silver and bronze medals. His career also includes three U.S. Open championship medals and a pair of Pan-Am Games first-place finishes. Kolat was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1991-2002. In the summer of 2011, Kolat returned to competitive wrestling, was a finalist at the U.S. Open and competed in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. "Success at the Division I level starts with the university administration," said Kolat. "Throughout my visit here, Bob Roller and the administration convinced me that they are committed to having a successful wrestling program and that's why I accepted this opportunity." He inherits a team that finished as runner-up in the Southern Conference in 2012 and finished third in 2013. Campbell wrestlers have advanced to the NCAA Championship in each of the last three seasons. Joe Boardwine resigned as head coach earlier this month in order to pursue other professional opportunities. "I'm committed to making sure we get the right student-athletes at Campbell," said Kolat. "We will bring in young men who can handle the academics and get their degree, and secondly, that can compete. If we get the right combination of athletes, hopefully, in a couple of years, wrestling alums at Campbell will be proud of their program and where it is headed." While at Jefferson-Morgan High in Green County, Pa., Kolat won four-straight state titles and compiled a perfect 137-0 record. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the state meet each year, an honor no one else had won even twice. Following his prep career, Kolat was featured in the April 6, 1992 edition of Sports Illustrated. Kolat began his collegiate career at Penn State, where he advanced to the NCAA final as a freshman. After his sophomore year, he was named All-American for the second-straight season as well as Big Ten Conference wrestler of the year. In two seasons at Penn State, Kolat compiled a 61-6 record, including a 39-1 mark as a sophomore. He transferred to Lock Haven, where he won his first NCAA Division I national championship in 1996 with a 25-1 record. He finished 25-0 as senior when he won the 142-pound national title. He completed his college wrestling career with a 111-7 overall record and 53 pins. Kolat earned his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Lock Haven in 2003. He and his wife, Erin, are parents of two daughters – Zoe (12) and Gracie (9) and a son Ryder (6).

Every season accomplished wrestlers take redshirt seasons for a variety of different reasons. This past season there were 11 wrestlers (non-freshmen) that came off redshirt seasons to earn All-American honors at the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City. Four of those wrestlers reached the NCAA finals: Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State), Andrew Howe (Oklahoma), and Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State). Here is a look at 10 wrestlers (non-freshmen) coming off redshirt that will be in the hunt for All-American honors and NCAA titles in 2015. Hunter Stieber finished third at the NCAAs in 2013 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) Hunter Stieber is without question the most accomplished collegiate wrestler coming off redshirt. His career has been overshadowed a bit by older brother Logan, a three-time NCAA champion, but the younger Stieber has put together an impressive college wrestling resume. Unlike Logan, Hunter wrestled in the NCAAs as a true freshman and earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish. As a sophomore, Hunter entered the 2013 NCAAs in Des Moines with an undefeated record and earned the No. 1 seed. He was defeated in the semifinals by Mitchell Port of Edinboro, but came back strong to finish third. With Logan at 141 pounds, Hunter has moved up to 149 pounds. He finished his redshirt season with a perfect 18-0 record. Hunter Stieber will begin the 2014-15 season as one of the favorites to win the NCAA title at 149 pounds. Alan Waters (Missouri) Alan Waters has been one of Missouri's top wrestlers since he arrived in Columbia in 2010. In 2013, Waters put together a tremendous season and came into the NCAAs with an undefeated record, which earned him the top seed at 125 pounds. He wound up finishing fourth, losing to Penn State's Nico Megaludis in the semifinals and Cornell's Nahshon Garrett for third place. It was his first All-American finish after disappointing NCAA tournament performances the previous two seasons. As a true freshman, Waters was seeded 10th at the 2011 NCAAs and finished 1-2. As a sophomore, Waters came into the NCAAs seeded third and was eliminated from the tournament in the round of 12. This past season he competed at 133 pounds while redshirting and finished sixth at the Midlands, with all three of his losses coming to All-Americans. Taylor Massa reached the round of 12 as a true freshman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Taylor Massa (Michigan) Taylor Massa has been a known commodity around the country ever since he won his first Cadet National Triple Crown in 2008. After an undefeated high school wrestling career at St. Johns (Mich.), Massa was called on to start immediately for the Wolverines in 2012-13. He put together a productive true freshman season, finishing fifth at the Big Tens and qualifying for the NCAAs at 165 pounds. At the NCAAs he fell one win shy of earning All-American honors, losing in the round of 12 to Iowa State's Michael Moreno. Massa posted a 17-1 record this past season as a redshirt, with his lone loss coming to Iowa's Nick Moore, 4-3, at the Midlands. He recently placed fifth at the U.S. Open at 74 kilos. Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) With Devin Carter coming off redshirt this past season, Virginia Tech coach Kevin Dresser had three All-Americans between two weight classes -- 141 pounds and 149 pounds -- with Carter, Zach Neibert, and Nick Brascetta. The only wrestler of the three with an available redshirt season was Brascetta. After an eighth-place finish at the 2013 NCAAs at 149 pounds, Brascetta moved up a weight class to 157 pounds for his redshirt season. He finished fifth at the Midlands, with his most notable win coming over Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan, who earned All-American honors in March. Brascetta spent time at the Olympic Training Center in January. George DiCamillo (Virginia) George DiCamillo, a two-time Ohio state champion, was the nation's No. 20 overall recruit in 2012 and stepped in Virginia's lineup immediately as a true freshman at 133 pounds in 2012-13. He achieved arguably the best freshman season in Virginia history. He became the program's first freshman ACC champion since 1995. DiCamillo set Virginia's freshman single-season wins record with 33. He also became the first Virginia freshman to earn a seed (No. 11) at the NCAAs. DiCamillo was upset in the first round of the NCAAs, but bounced back to win three straight matches before losing in the round of 12 to Oklahoma State's Jon Morrison. He did not compete this past season as a redshirt. Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) Nathaniel Brown has qualified for the NCAAs in each of his first two seasons in Lehigh's lineup. However, as a true freshman Brown was unable to compete at the NCAAs due to injury. He won an EIWA title as a sophomore at 174 pounds, and earned a No. 9 seed at the NCAAs. He finished 1-2 in Des Moines and failed to place. Brown is coming of a successful redshirt season at 184 pounds. He finished third at the Midlands, with his only loss in the tournament coming to Maryland's Jimmy Sheptock in sudden victory. Josh Demas fell in the NCAA quarterfinals to Derek St. John (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Josh Demas (Ohio State) Josh Demas has had a roller-coaster career at Ohio State, battling inconsistent performances and injuries, but has been productive, qualifying for the NCAAs twice at 157 pounds in as many seasons in the lineup. Demas has beaten several quality wrestlers throughout his time in Columbus, including Derek St. John, R.J. Pena, Dylan Alton, Danny Zilverberg, and Brian Realbuto. In 2013, Demas had a strong postseason. He finished fourth at the Big Tens, and two weeks later reached the NCAA quarterfinals. Demas is expected to be a key contributor for the Buckeyes in 2014-15. Geoffrey Alexander (Maryland) Geoffrey Alexander is a two-time NCAA qualifier at 133 pounds with two seasons remaining at Maryland. Alexander went 2-2 at the 2013 NCAAs in Des Moines, with his final loss coming to another wrestler on this list, George DiCamillo. Alexander is coming off an impressive redshirt season in which he built a record of 25-2, won four tournament titles, and notched wins over four NCAA qualifiers. Randy Cruz (Lehigh) In 2013, Randy Cruz found a spot in Lehigh's lineup at 133 pounds midway through his true freshman season. He went on to become Lehigh's first true freshman EIWA champion since 1980. Cruz went 1-2 at the NCAAs, but finished his true freshman season with 33 wins. This past season while redshirting he wrestled all but one tournament at 141 pounds, and finished the season with a record of 18-8. His lone tournament at 133 pounds was the Midlands, where he failed to place as the No. 12 seed. John MeeksJohn Meeks (Iowa State) John Meeks is the only wrestler on this list without NCAA tournament experience. After becoming one of the most accomplished prep wrestlers ever in wrestling-rich Iowa, Meeks was expected to make an immediate impact as a true freshman for Iowa State at 133 pounds. But Meeks struggled with consistency in his first season in the Cyclone lineup, and eventually finished the season with a .500 record. He spent his redshirt season acclimating himself to 141 pounds.

Guests: Donny Pritzlaff, Robert Kokesh, Jim Heffernan, Jack Roller, Todd Hibbs Hour 1: Hour 2:

With the Washington Wizards making their once a decade playoff appearance, it's quite a surprise that Richard took the time to do this week's podcast. But with UFC 172 on the horizon and last weekend's heavyweight contender battle, there was plenty to talk about. Expect a big night for the wrestlers in the main and co-main events, with Jon Jones defending his belt against Glover Teixeira and Phil Davis taking on Anthony Johnson. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Wrestlers love to comment on the state of our sport. This mailbag, message boards and our insane interconnectivity on social media are all proof that when it comes to having an opinion we are well-equipped. Having an opinion can by default mean that you believe the anti of something. The mind searches to correct a failure in a system and in doing so our brains fixate and analyze it until it's corrected, or we are frustrated enough to move past. The current fixation among American wrestling fans is the battle over criteria and overtime. The sport itself -- the actual product -- is healthier than ever. Fans are enjoying the action and the wrestlers appreciate being asked to actually wrestle. Petty gamesmanship and referee interferences are gone, being replaced instead by the action of the wrestlers. But among the American wrestling crowd it's not enough. Despite the scoring, the excitement, the success -- American fans want overtime, nay, they NEED overtime. I've stated the merits of criteria on several occasions, but none sticks out more than asking the wrestlers to compete for six full minutes. Don't hold back, don't cruise, don't play the clock. Wrestle. We know that overtime corrupts the motivation to act in regulation by pulling the wrestlers into a risk evaluation of when to act. We've seen that the confusion occurring in criteria matches is mostly due to a lack of information between event organizers, media and fans. Which is easier to fix? I claim the latter. To your questions ... Q: I was looking at the scores at the U.S. Open and noticed that there were a lot of technical falls, a lot of 10-0 technical falls. (I did not watch any of the matches.) While one would think that more points means more exciting matches, a bunch of 10-0 matches does not seem like very competitive or exciting matches. What is the reason for so many lopsided matches? Is there a big disparity among the competitors? I noticed a lot of names of wrestlers who were successful in their collegiate careers. Does the format favor wrestlers of one style over another or if you get down early do you have to start taking risks which opens you up to counter moves. Is this a problem? -- Kenn B. Foley: No. The seven-point tech was a little quick, but at 10 points the wrestlers have ample opportunity to overcome their deficit and put points on the board. A match that ends in a technical fall has usually run its course for awesomeness and competitiveness. More isn't always better. There isn't always a huge gap in skills, though that can sometimes account for the action. I've seen a lot of freestyle over the past year and when it comes to senior level wrestlers a good portion of the technical falls occur once a wrestler has decided that they've lost the match and gives up some successive roll or gut wrench. Rare is the five-takedown technical fall. I think the technical fall gives fans a feel of domination that they can appreciate, like a knockout blow, or maybe the increasingly infrequent fall. Q: I'm a fan of the few states that have one-division individual state tournaments. I understand the school size factor, but would you be a fan of states using classifications for dual states but having one division for individuals? -- J. Wyatt Foley: That is the type of solution that needs to be forwarded to administrators around the country. As you may know, Virginia recently split their state into a preposterous six state tournaments! It was an accommodation to the sport of football, but it ended up costing the state a level of seriousness in competition that it will need in order to attract top-level division one coaches. The dual meet states will attract crowds while the individual tournament gives wrestlers a chance to compete against everyone in their region. What does it mean to be a state champions if there are five others walking about? Q: Is there a way to find out what programs are fully funded with 9.9 scholarships? I was shocked to hear that Edinboro isn't, which makes fifth place even more impressive. -- Tim J. Foley: Plenty of coaches are open to discussing their scholarship details, but a surprising portion are cagey about what they're given. Often the discrepancy is in how, or technically "where," the coaches can use their scholarship allotment. Edinboro might have a certain amount of money for scholarships, that when subdivided by out-of-state tuition might not amount 9.9, but when cast in state might be the full 9.9. That's just an example, and likely not true figures, but there are several other colleges working with similar distributions -- they can't snag 9.9 out-of-state scholarships, though they can field a team with 9.9 scholarships. I'd have picked up the phone to ask each one, but I'm not sure I'd make it very far! Side note: How awesome is Tim Flynn and the job he's done at Edinboro? MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Match of the Year? U.S. Open Highlights (Wow!) Best Article of the Year? Chinese Somersault Kiss Q: I was wondering if you can talk a bit about the struggles of Jordan Rogers (Oklahoma State) in college as a freshman? There are many freshmen finished way ahead of him even though he was the No. 4 recruit in the country 2013. Will he recover? I see a lot of Dallas Bailey. -- Ryan K. Foley: College wrestlers are also college students. There are plenty of factors that go into the success and failure of different athletes, and no coach can predict them all. If Jordan wants to win and is dedicated to the sport then he will find the support he needs in Stillwater to become and All-American and NCAA champion. I think Jordan can be both of those things. Q: Maybe it's just me, but I've noticed an increase in the number of freshman not only making the NCAA finals, but winning the NCAAs. Andrew Long, Matt McDonough, Kyle Dake, David Taylor, Logan Stieber, Jason Tsirtsis, J'den Cox, Dylan Ness, to name a few, I'm sure there are more. Granted, I'm young, and I've only been religiously following collegiate wrestling for sevenish years, but where does this correlation derive from? -- Ethan S. In 2010, freshmen Andrew Long and Matt McDonough battled in the NCAA finals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Foley: My take is that the athletes you see now are sport-specific training from a young age and increased exposure to high-level technique during development. Essentially they don't learn bad techniques and have the ability, with money and coaching, to access the best competition. The trend will stabilize over the next few years. We'll always see more upperclassmen on the medal stands, but I think it's possible that we'll continue to get 12-15 freshmen All-Americans every year, with at least one in the NCAA finals. Funny to say this, but by the time they make it to their freshman year many of these guys will have been training for that tournament their whole life. Q: I'm sure you're aware of the use of advanced statistics in sports. (MIT hosted the Sloan conference a few weeks ago.) Is there a place for advanced stats in wrestling? I'm thinking about this whole stalling issue and wondering if we can go deeper into the story of a stalling wrestler with things like shots per period, match time moving forward vs. backwards, points per shot attempt etc. It seems to me like numbers could help us tell a more complete story about college wrestling. -- Brandon J. Foley: I don't think so. We can clip videos and count the tendencies of individual wrestlers, and maybe teams, but there is so much fluidity and creativity on the mat that grouping techniques together can often be misleading. For example, time spent going back for one wrestler might be the last 45 seconds of a match they are winning, while for another it might be a baiting technique. There is room overall, but we aren't going to discover a new Moneyball in a sport that often depends as much on emotion as it does technique. COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK By Marcus R. Am I being too critical when I think amateur wrestling fans come off as petty? I mean some fans complain about exposure and marketability of the sport but won't put money behind watching the actual sport? This is in response to many of the comments in regards to Flowrestling charging to watch wrestling. Now it's one thing to complain about a service that's not well done and to be honest sometimes their service isn't the best quality I imagine because they haven't generated enough revenue to upgrade to a high definition cameras but wrestling fans will complain when a university doesn't see the value in a wrestling program, because we haven't put our money behind going to actually watch the program! We complain about the sports exposure to the mainstream and yet won't put money behind one of the premier international events in the country via the Internet and or watching the event. Which is really a great value if you can't make it out because you can see A LOT of matches for 20 bucks! If you think about when you're there live sometimes you miss great matched because so much wrestling is going on at once. I also think you were spot on in your critique of Flo's shot at ESPN. I mean again I thought the ESPN team did an excellent job and when I watched the finals with all the expert commentary by Dan Gable, Kyle Dake, Jordan Burroughs, you and all those other guys I thought BRILLIANT! Well-done emotion doesn't equal excellence in my opinion. That's not to say Flo doesn't do a good job a capturing the emotion of the sport but I in my personal opinion I've found that some of the best emotional broadcasts happen at the last-second "miracles" than throughout the whole match, that's what makes it brilliant! In the Burroughs-Taylor match the Flo guys were well warranted of their excitement. By Cary A. We are looking for ways to make the sport better for the audience. Here is a change to our sport that I think is necessary and make it more appealing to the viewer. Now this might rattle some old school folks' feathers (much like the death of the singlet), but the whistle use has to be reduced to a minimum. I'm not talking about match stoppages as they are necessary, I mean the actual whistle. The sound is annoying (especially during tournaments), distracting to adjacent matches, and gives no explanation to the new viewer as to why action is stopped. Hearing the referees (UFC or events like the NCAA finals) gives the viewer the feeling that they are sitting mat/octagon/ring side. Breakdown of whistle use and possible alternatives: Start on the feet: A simple "WRESTLE" would suffice and, if said with enough chutzpah, would instill excitement (much like "get it on" in the UFC). Out of bounds on the feet: Instead use "BREAK" or "OUT." Out of bounds on the Mat: Instead use "BREAK" or "OUT" coupled with a tap of both wrestlers. Start on the mat: The only time when the use of the whistle that may be necessary, though I still think "WRESTLE" would work. Stalemate: Just step in tap both wrestlers and say "STALEMATE." Miscellaneous stops (injury time/clock issues/challenges): Referees should just step in and stop the action. End of period: "TIME" coupled with a tap of the wrestlers in scrambles and on the mat. End of match including technical falls: Could use "TIME" or to be real awesome "SUPERIOR VICTORY." Fall: The whistle is only to add drama. A simple slap of the mat would work, but to add drama the slap could be coupled with something sweet like "KABOOM" "BAM" "GAME OVER" "TERMINATED." Much like umpires after a strikeout in baseball wrestling referees can develop their own signature pin call. Referees in the UFC operate without whistles. They step in and make their presence known and wear gloves in case they have to make contact. It is time for college referees glove up and get more vocally involved in the match and step in when they need to (i.e. end of periods or stalemates). Don't get me wrong, there are many referees that do an excellent job of this, but I think the whistle can be replaced and spare the wrestling world of whistle echoes in gyms across the U.S. Arguments against: Wrestlers can't hear as well. Anyone who ever wrestled knows that if they can hear their opponent breathing, I am sure they will hear if a ref leans in and barks out an instruction. Mind you I have never wrestled in an NCAA final or Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but I imagine if they can hear Tom Brands telling at them to build their lead I'm sure they can hear a referee right next to them. Language barrier: I would image 99.9% of wrestlers speak English in the U.S. So for that .1% they can watch the hand motions (make them universal) and they will eventually learn the terminology. Also, I hate the term "stalling." It makes it seem like you're doing an action. Passivity is embarrassing and is the antithesis of what we all want to watch, aggression. We should change stalling to passivity in folkstyle.

BadgerStateWrestling.com's Shane Sparks interviews 2014 Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey of the JJ Keller Racing Team. As a wrestler, Seavey was an Alaska state champion, Fargo Greco-Roman champion and Junior World Team member in Greco-Roman. Listen to interview on BadgerStateWrestling.com.

Let's examine six questions following this past weekend's U.S. Open in Las Vegas. Will Jordan Burroughs make the 2014 U.S. World Team? Answer: Yes. Though he was threatened like never before, it was obvious in Burroughs' post-match interview that he knew his technical shortcomings. On the mat it was obvious that the indescribable "it" factor that has made him a champion for three years is still very much intact. What Burroughs does need to control is the early pace of the match. Against a more seasoned wrestler on the international scene -- or one willing to wrestle from an underhook and knee -- Burroughs' three-point disadvantage might be difficult to overcome. Taylor exposed a creativity gap in Burroughs' finishes, but in addition to staying away from Taylor's right leg, it's likely that Burroughs's coaches Snyder and Manning will work to find new finishes from underneath lanky opponents. His offense will always be potent, but without better finishes, and maybe a third attack the wins and losses will continue to rely on grit and late match aggression -- something that might bother his fans and force his wife into premature labor. Can Ed "The Truth" Ruth become the man at 86 kilos? Answer: In time. Right now Keith Gavin sits atop the heap at 86 kilos in the United States, beating Clayton Foster in the finals of the U.S. Open. Foster, who beat Ruth earlier in the tournament, has a lot of potential to place at the World Championships. The former Oklahoma State wrestler has beaten an Olympic bronze medalist in Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) and World champion Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine), but still struggles with Gavin. Ed Ruth fell to Clayton Foster in the U.S. Open semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The other complication for Ruth is the possible addition of 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert. Though he's taken a couple years off from competition and recently had surgery, a new-look Herbert might find success in the U.S. ranks and again internationally. No doubt that Eds Ruth has the talent to surpass all these wrestlers, and with the coaching of Cael it's likely he's challenging of the spot come the World Team Trials. But Ruth might be better primed for a run at 2015 and the Rio Games in 2016. He needs to see more international competition and dedicate himself to long training camps. Ruth was the most successful collegiate wrestler among the group at 86 kilos, but it's yet to be proven that he can translate that into freestyle success. Are the new rules better or worse for the sport? Answer: Better. Way better. The old rules aren't even a close second. They rank behind Rochambeau in terms of generating fair outcomes. That's not to say the new rules aren't facing new issues. The one-point takedown attempt feels incorrect. There aren't many international referees calling the move, but at the U.S. Open there was more insistence on making the call. More often the action that might create a one-point appreciation ends in a pushout or in a full takedown. Still, it feels funny to be awarded a point just for trying. The other rules have all been a big hit. Simplified takedown for four or two has meant that sport is much easier to watch. The passivity calls are (for now) balanced and creating plenty of scoring. There will continue to be adjustments because wrestlers are always trying to game the system, but in freestyle and Greco-Roman the focus on points and the penalization of stalling has created a level of scoring never before seen in the sport. Overtime or Criteria? Answer: Criteria. No matter what system you implement there must be criteria to decide matches and with differences in skill levels narrowing there are way too many chances that an unlimited overtime would result in a lot of standing around and a very large sumo wrestling match. Criteria works, and in my opinion has helped save the sport from collapse. The action on the mats is better than ever before because the wrestlers know, absolutely, that they must figure out the winner in six minutes. Almost every iteration of overtime includes the caveat that it too might end in criteria. Why even take the risk? The scoring is out of control with points. We are seeing scoreboard shots with insane match scores both in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Though you can't point to a single motivating factor, we do know that in comparing it to the NCAA the freestyle rules seem to endear less stalling and less playing for overtime. The criteria argument is psychological. The default human nature is to reduce risk. That's a given. So if the score is 2-2 at the 4:15 mark of a match, there is little, if any, incentive to take a risk and give up a takedown or extra points. Play for OT and you can find a quick takedown and walk off the mat. That's human nature and that won't change. But with a match that always has a winner and a loser you incentivize action to occur at all times. Wrestlers have to take a risk because if they don't they lose. Similarly, if they block, they get called for stalling. The examples of wrestlers not knowing the rules for criteria is just confirmation bias that proves nothing about the rules. Absent a few minor adjustments, the rules have not changed. Have the Americans been wrestling freestyle much in the winter? No. That plays more of a factor in not knowing, than does a rule feeling obscure. Familiarity breeds understanding and though I feel bad for a kid who cruised to a loss, we've seen it happen plenty of times in NCAA wrestling (riding time, double overtime, etc.), yet the backlash seems muted. The onus is on the athlete and the coach to know the rules of the sport they are playing. If they don't it's bad form to blame the rules and referee. Who will be the new head freestyle coach for the United States? Answer: There are still a lot of names to be processed. My thoughts mirror that of most that are familiar with the team. Coach Zeke Jones really did a lot of incredible things to secure the organizational structure of the team. There was accountability and a sense of wanting to travel and compete. That needs to be retained. What Jones also did well was dissect film and understand each wrestler's upcoming opponents. He also shared the spotlight with personal coaches, something that isn't always an easy thing to do. Bruce Burnett is filling in for the time being and I think that if he decided to return full-time he'd be an excellent fit for the program. He's a real leader with insane amounts of international experience. He won't be new to the mix and is certain -- absolutely certain -- to produce results. It might be the perfect capstone to his legendary coaching career. Sammie Henson has spent the past two seasons at Missouri (Photo/Milena Wick, Tech-Fall.com)Sammie Henson needs a head coaching job. I think it's ridiculous that a coach with as much proven talent as Henson hasn't yet landed a job. He's a great international hire as he is a great hire for a collegiate program. Then there is Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick, guys that have been inside the program for a few years. All have the ability to lead, but it'll just take the right timing and a decision by USA Wrestling to keep it in house. Who will be the new head Greco-Roman coach for the United States? Answer: TBD Terry Brands coaching Tony Ramos in the NCAA finals (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The popular rumor is still Terry Brands, though given his lack of experience coaching Greco-Roman it's likely to take on the form of a foreign coaching staff where the head coach isn't a technical lead. For that it's possible that USA Wrestling seeks out a coach who can discuss the technical aspect of what's happening on the mats. Hypothetically if Brands took the position, it's not as though he's never wrestled Greco-Roman or never seen an over-under. Winners win and wrestlers with Brands' pedigree as a coach are sure to do big things when given the chance. On a personal note, I think he's the right mixture of intelligence, toughness and name ID to reignite the Greco-Roman program in the states and maybe even seduce a few big name freestylers to make the transition.

Kyle Dake finished runner-up at the 2013 U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) ITHACA, N.Y. -- U.S. National Wrestling Team member Kyle Dake will miss the upcoming World Team Trials in Madison, Wisconsin, due to the lingering effects of an injury he suffered in March. He was initially injured while practicing with the Cornell University wrestling team as he prepared the team for March's NCAA wrestling championships. Dake, who appeared on the ESPN broadcast of the NCAA event, suffered a torn Lisfranc Ligament in his left foot. He had surgery to repair those injuries on April 14th, in Ithaca, New York. The surgery involved, essentially, a ligament replacement to ensure that the arch of Dake's foot remained supported and in proper place, post-surgery. He also had two plates and a screw inserted in his foot to prevent the foot from dislocating and losing support in the arch of his foot. Dake said: "Obviously, I'm extremely disappointed. After last year and all the training that I have done, I felt as good and confident as ever that I could make this year's world team and compete for a world championship; but it was just not meant to be. The good news is that the surgery went very well; I am told that I will make a full recovery; and I will be back stronger than ever. I thank everyone for their support." Dake's agent Nick Garone of X-Cel Worldwide added: "He's crushed. When you train as hard as Kyle and for that long, all you want to do is compete, so it's been tough on him. However, Kyle is extremely smart and he knows and understands that taking care of this now will only help him achieve his goals later. He's not going to disappear -- I can assure you of that. And, he will make his presence felt when he returns."