InterMat Staff

Less than four months before Madison Square Garden hosts its first NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the New York City arena will welcome a number of the nation's top college wrestling programs at its fourth-annual Grapple at the Garden dual-meet event, to be held Sunday, Nov. 29, MSG Sports announced via press release Thursday. For a number of college wrestling programs, Madison Square Garden's Grapple at the Garden 4 will be the opening event for the entire season that will ultimately culminate with the 2016 NCAA championships, to be held in the "world's most famous arena" next March 17-19 for the very first time in the 86-year history of the NCAAs. Cornell was 2-0 at the 2014 Grapple at the Garden, which included wins over Edinboro and UNI (Photo/Juan Garcia)A total of 22 colleges and universities will participate in the event which has become an early-season staple of the college wrestling calendar since the first Grapple at the Garden took place in Dec. 2012. This year's Grapple at the Garden will feature a total of 11 NCAA Division I programs, including five schools which placed among the top 20 in the team standings at the 2015 NCAA championships, including No. 5 Cornell University, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 12 Illinois, and No. 15 Northwestern. In addition, the event will also feature one Division II and seven Division III mat programs, along with three school-affiliated wrestling clubs. The full roster of participating NCAA programs includes Cornell, Drexel, Franklin & Marshall College, George Mason, Hofstra, Illinois, LIU Post, Maryland, Mount Saint Vincent, Muhlenberg, Nebraska, New York University, Northwestern, Oswego State, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Princeton, Rutgers, Stevens Institute and Wilkes University, as well as wrestling clubs from Penn State, Stony Brook University, and SUNY Farmingdale. Wrestling being an individual sport, the 2015 edition of Grapple at the Garden will feature some of the most accomplished athletes in college wrestling right now, including 2015 NCAA Champion Gabe Dean and the 2014 Grapple at the Garden Most Outstanding Wrestler Nahshon Garrett from Cornell along with 2015 NCAA and Big Ten Champion Isaiah Martinez from Illinois. Additionally, Anthony Ashnault from Rutgers achieved All-American status as a redshirt freshman, marking two consecutive years for the Scarlet Knights with an AA (Anthony Perrotti, 2014). In addition to announcing Grapple at the Garden 4 participants, Madison Square Garden also revealed match-ups for the dual-meet-format event. As in the past, there will be three separate sessions for college programs. The first session, which begins at 8 a.m., features Mt. St. Vincent vs. SUNY Farmingdale, and Stony Brook vs. PSU. Session two begins at 10:00 a.m. and will include Cornell vs. Nebraska, George Mason vs. Rutgers, Illinois vs. Maryland, Northwestern vs. Drexel, Hofstra vs. Princeton, Franklin & Marshall vs. Oswego State, LIU Post vs. Wilkes, and NYU vs. Stevens. Session three gets underway at noon, featuring Cornell vs. Rutgers, Princeton vs. Nebraska, Northwestern vs. Franklin & Marshall, Illinois vs. Drexel, Maryland vs. Hofstra, George Mason vs. Pitt - Johnstown, and Muhlenberg vs. Oswego State. Tickets, priced at $20.00, $35.00 and $55.00, are currently on sale and may be purchased online at www.thegarden.com, all Ticketmaster locations and the Madison Square Garden box office.

The Fight Network presents Takedown Wrestling Radio live from the iHeart Studios in Des Moines, Iowa. Powered by Kemin Industries, Takedown takes the pulse of America's sport. This week's cast of Takedown Radio includes Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Stephen Stonebraker, Jeff Murphy, Tim Harms and Brad Johnson. Join us this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT) live on the iHeart Radio App, KXNO.com or TakedownWrestle.com. For contests and conversation use 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966 Listen for the chance to win a pair of Nike Takedown Wrestling shoes and Defense Soap travel kit. 9 a.m. Dan Gable and Mike Doughty, Dan Gable Musuem Gala event coordinators 9:20 a.m. Tom Brands, Iowa head wrestling coach 9:40 a.m. Jim Heffernan, Illinois head wrestling coach 10 a.m. Brian Smith, Missouri head wrestling coach 10:20 a.m. Roddy Rieger, professional wrestler 10:40 a.m. Dylan Wanagiel, executive producer of the Grapple at the Garden. Enter our Takedown Sportswear Super Sunday Singlet giveaway for a chance to win a singlet every Sunday of the year by following us on Facebook and on Twitter. Enter our Wednesday Warrior Contest to win a headgear from DanmarWarrior.com by following us on Facebook and on Twitter. Special thanks to our friends at Adidas, Cadillac, Dollamur, All American Wrestling Supply, Defense Soap, 04 Water, Nike, Legends of Gold National Training Center, St. Louis Sports Commission, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Sunflower Wrestling, Fast Signs, McCarger Works, Fenemore Brothers Tree Service, Rockstar Satellite DirecTV, DanMarWarrior.com and Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Louie's Wine Dive, TheWrestlingSite.com, IAWrestle.com, Roller Productions, and Kaldenberg Landscaping.

George Thompsion, national wrestling champion for North Dakota State University, is among five athletes to be inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 9. George ThompsonThompson won the 134-pound title at the 1997 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships for NDSU, and was a four-time NCAA Div. II All-American (1995-1998). He also was crowned North Central Conference champ in 1997. Wrestling for legendary coach Bucky Maughan, Thompson compiled a 99-35 overall record for the Bison, including 34-9 in duals and 17 pins. Following graduation with honors from NDSU in 1998, Thompson went to the University of Northern Colorado and earned his master's degree in sport administration, and served as the top assistant for the UNC Bears for seven years, coaching several All-Americans while helping guide the program through their transition from Division II to Division I classification. Thompson was inducted into the South Dakota Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014. In addition to Thompson, other members of the Bison Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015 include men's track and field All-American Jason Breitzman, national award-winning women's basketball player Jayne Even Gust, softball All-America shortstop Nikki Gregg, and women's track and field high jump national champion Andrea Jeseritz Pearson. The 44th annual induction ceremony will bring the number of individuals enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 269. The induction will take place at the Holiday Inn in Fargo. Lunch will begin at 11 a.m. with the induction ceremony starting at 11:30 a.m. A limited number of tickets will be available from the NDSU athletic department for a cost of $25 per ticket. Please contact Helena Johnston at (701) 231-6172 or email Helena.Johnston@ndsu.edu. The group will also be recognized at halftime of NDSU's homecoming football game Saturday, Oct. 10, against Northern Iowa.

Bill Kerslake, three-time U.S. Olympic wrestler who launched his mat career at what is now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, died Sept. 29 in Ohio. He was 85. Bill Kerslake wrestling Hallow WilsonWrestling heavyweight for the U.S. freestyle team, Kerslake placed fifth in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, seventh in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and eighth in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. In addition, Kerslake won the gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City. In its Oct. 7 announcement of Kerslake's passing, USA Wrestling described Kerslake as "one of the nation's top wrestlers on the international level in the 1950s, winning numerous national titles and major events." Born in Euclid, Ohio in suburban Cleveland, William Roy Kerslake did not compete in wrestling until he attended Case Institute of Technology. As an undergraduate, Kerslake earned nine letters in wrestling, football and track and field. He set the Case and Ohio Conference shot put record in track, was an All-Big Four tackle (defensive and offensive) in football and was one of the premier wrestlers in the country, according to his Case Western Reserve Hall of Fame biography. For all those accomplishments, Kerslake was voted Case's outstanding athlete of 1951. Kerslake graduated in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in industrial chemistry and later went on to also earn a master's degree in chemical engineering from Case in 1955. "Bill was a wrestling alum, Case Institute 1951, and legend has it that the founding father of Case Western Reserve Wrestling, Claude Sharer, pulled Bill out of phys. ed. class to start his career as a Hall of Fame wrestler," according to Danny Song, head wrestling coach at Case Western. "He was a 15-time U.S. Open Champion, a 3-time Olympian at heavyweight while simultaneously serving in rocket propulsion development as a rocket scientist for NASA (then NACA)." Yes, Kerslake the wrestler was also Kerslake the rocket scientist. After college, Kerslake started his career at the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA, the forerunner of NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in suburban Cleveland, where he was instrumental in the development of rocket propulsion, including the first ion thruster which propelled U.S. astronauts to the moon, over a career lasting more than three decades. That career alone would be more than enough for most rocket scientists. Yet Kerslake managed to excel in his chosen profession while being a world-beater on the wrestling mat. "Unlike most of today's athletes who can train year-round thanks to sponsorships or their youth, Kerslake had to juggle a full-time job and his large role at home with preparing to wrestle the world's best," the 2008 article titled "Case's Three-Time Olympian and Rocket Scientist" reported. "Kerslake had to use all his vacation days and some unpaid leave time to train for and compete in the games. Although he would never admit it, that may have been what held him back from an Olympic medal." In addition to his on-the-mat success winning a total of 15 national titles -- eight in freestyle, seven in Greco-Roman -- Kerslake served as a high school referee in the Cleveland area for over a decade. Kerslake has been welcomed into a number of athletic and academic halls of fame, including the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. as a Distinguished Member in 1982, and the Case Western Reserve University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975. Kerslake is survived by four children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His wife of 61 years, Pat, preceded him in death. Services were held Thursday afternoon, Oct. 8 in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, the community Bill and Pat Kerslake called home for decades.

A pair of twin brothers, both Junior National freestyle All-Americans this summer, verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin on Wednesday evening. Zander Wick (San Marino, Calif.) is ranked No. 47 overall in the Class of 2016, and was a state runner-up during the past high school season; he also finished fifth in Junior freestyle this summer at 145 pounds. Evan Wick (San Marino, Calif.) is ranked No. 56 overall in the Class of 2016, and is a two-time state placer, finishing fifth and fourth the previous two seasons; he finished as a runner-up in Junior freestyle this summer at 152. Both wrestlers project as 149/157-pound wrestlers.

State champion Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.) made it a pair of Class of 2016 recruits for Iowa State from the state of Michigan on Wednesday night when he verbally committed to the Cyclones. The Junior National freestyle All-American is ranked No. 72 overall in the Class of 2016, and joins No. 59 Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) as part of this Iowa State recruiting class. Parker is also a three-time state placer, having won state this past year. In addition, he placed fourth at the Flo Nationals this past spring, and is also a three-time UWW Cadet National freestyle All-American. Parker projects to compete as a 125/133 in college.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello was one of the catalysts for the Buckeyes' championship run in 2015. West Virginia's Zeke Moisey was the Cinderella story of last year's championships. Nathan Tomasello and Zeke Moisey hug after their NCAA finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Tomasello defeated Moisey to win the 125-pound championship at the 2015 NCAA Division I Championships and the two will renew their series as they've both accepted invitations to compete at the 50th annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network on November 1 in Atlanta, Ga. The All-Star Classic is also sponsored by Raymond James and will be held at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion at 5 p.m. "What we saw last year with Nathan Tomasello and Zeke Moisey is how ready wrestlers are coming into college," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Even after a year redshirting at Ohio State, Tomasello stepped in and beat the undefeated top-seed to make the finals and Moisey, who was a true freshman last season, came into the tournament unseeded and reached the finals with a stunning pin in the semifinals." Tomasello, an Ohio native and graduate of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, defeated Moisey, a Pennsylvania native and graduate of Bethlehem Catholic, 9-5 in St. Louis. Tomasello finished the year 33-4, he came into the championships as the No. 4 seed after winning the Big Ten Championship. Moisey's 31-14 record was offset by his finals appearance. He upset four seeded wrestlers in last year's championships including second-seeded Nahshon Garrett of Cornell, seventh-seeded Eddie Klimara of Oklahoma State and sixth-seeded Thomas Gilman of Iowa. Tomasello defeated Moisey on three occasions last season, with each outcome getting closer each time. Ohio State's Logan Stieber was a participant in each of the last two All-Star Classics and Tomasello will make the Buckeyes' 20th appearance overall. Moisey becomes West Virginia's first participant in over a decade. The last Mountaineer to compete in the event came back in November of 2004 when eventual three-time NCAA champion Greg Jones defeated Iowa's Paul Bradley at 184 pounds. West Virginia coach Sammie Henson competed in the event back in 1994 in Pittsburgh. Wrestling for Clemson, Henson defeated rival Eric Akin of Iowa State 4-2 at 118 pounds. Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups 125: Nathan Tomasello, So. (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey, So. (West Virginia) 133: 141: Cody Brewer, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. Dean Heil, So. (Oklahoma State) 149: 157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 165: 174: Kyle Crutchmer, Jr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Zach Epperly, So. (Virginia Tech) 184: Nathaniel Brown, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Vic Avery, Sr. (Edinboro) 197: 285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech) WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga. TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15 PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider) EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org About ESPNU The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.

Matt Petsinger (Photo/NCAA)Matt Petsinger, 2001 NCAA Division II champ for Minnesota State University, Mankato, is one of four individual former athletes to be members of the Class of 2015 for the Minnesota State Athletics Hall of Fame, the school announced Monday. Petsinger was a four-time NCAA All-American -- one of only eight MSU wrestlers to have earned that distinction -- who capped off his collegiate career by winning the 157-pound title at the 2001 NCAA Div. II wrestling championships. The four-year letterwinner from Ellendale, Minn. was also crowned North Central Conference champion that year. Petsinger owns the school record for career pins with 84, and stands tied for fourth on the Minnesota State career wins list with a 120-26 record. He was named Minnesota State Senior Male Athlete of the Year for the 2000-01 school year. In addition to Petsinger, other new Hall of Fame honorees include men's cross country/track & field All-American Gordon Cookshaw (MSU 1973-77), women's hockey standout Shari (Vogt) Dickerman (MSU 2000-04), and women's volleyball icon Jennifer (Blendermann) Nelson (MSU 1999-2002), along with former faculty athletics representative Ron Hybertson (1991-2000) and former women's soccer coach Chris Miskec (1996-2007). In addition, the men's track & field team from 1975-76 will be welcomed into the Class of 2015. The Minnesota State Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015 will be inducted this Friday, Oct. 3 with the formal induction ceremony taking place at the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner held in MSU's CSU Ballroom. Registration at 6:00 p.m.; the program starts at 7:00 p.m. Those who wish to attend the dinner may register by calling (507) 389-3235, or 888-234-3796, or online at http://alumni.mnsu.edu/hof. The dinner price is $25.00 per person.

Imagine getting to dine on grilled steak and crab -- all you can eat, outdoors -- with all proceeds going to benefit the Colorado Mesa University wrestling program. Stop imagining -- and bring your appetite to the Tenth Annual Steak & Crab Fest 2015, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. next to Colorado Mesa's Stocker Stadium, alongside the pool, in Grand Junction, Colo. For $60 per person, participants may enjoy all the steak and crab they can handle, with drinks included. The Beer Garden is included with Steak & Crab Fest ticket purchase. For kids, hotdogs and soda will be available for $5. All proceeds benefit CMU Maverick wrestling. Last year's Steak & Crab Fest was the biggest in event history, with approximately 800 people attending, according to Colorado Mesa head coach Charles Pipher. Those interested in attending may purchase tickets online at tickets.CMUmavericks.com, or by contacting coach Pipher by email at cpipher@coloradomesa.com. Colorado Mesa competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and in NCAA Division II.

Steve Blackford, two-time Pac-10 titlewinner and Bob Buzzard, two-time Big 8 champion for Iowa State, are among the six honorees named to the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame, the ISHAA announced Monday . Others to be welcomed into the Hall during the IHSAA State Championships on Saturday, Feb. 20, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines include Dan Cummings, Dave Ewing, Vance Light, and Doug Trees. Steve BlackfordBlackford claimed back-to-back state titles (1995, 1996) at Dowling Catholic, and also a 1996 Freestyle Nationals finalist, placing third at the Junior Greco-Roman Nationals. He then headed west to Arizona State, where he was a three-time NCAA All-American in addition to winning Pac 10 titles twice. While a law student at Catholic University, he was killed in a car accident in Colorado in Sept. 2004. Buzzard was a two-time Iowa state champ at Waterloo East High School in 1958 and 1960. At Iowa State, Buzzard, in addition to twice winning conference crowns, was a two-time NCAA All-American for the Cyclones in the early 1960s, where he also was on the ISU 1963 NCAA runner-up team and 1965 team titlewinning squad. Buzzard was a 1969 World Champion in Greco-Roman, and earned a place on the 1972 US Olympic team. Later, Buzzard became a successful high school coach in Illinois and Oregon. Cummings just completed 38 years at Mediapolis, with 36 as head coach, crafting an overall dual-meet mark of 460-167-3, fourth-best all-time in Iowa. In just the past three seasons, his teams have a 79-12 record, finishing third, second and first in the traditional tournament. Cummings has coached 31 wrestlers with 100 or more wins and 10 who have surpassed 150 victories; 131 of his wrestlers have qualified for the state tournament, with 56 medal winners, seven runners-up and eight champions. Ewing earned NCAA All-American honors at Iowa State in 1985, then served as a grad assistant for the Cyclones for one season before joining the coaching staff at nearby Ankeny High School. In 26 seasons, Ewing led the Hawks to a 354-141 record before retiring in 2013, when he was named Coach of the Year in 3A. Ewing coached 105 state qualifiers of which four were champions and 32 were medal winners. Light was a four-time state qualifier for Lisbon High, winning back-to-back Iowa titles in 1986 and 1987. At Drake University, Light was a four year letterwinner and NCAA qualifier. His 139 wins at Drake was best in the school's history. As coach at Mount Vernon High, Light is the school's winningest head coach, with a 332-127 record. He has coached 81 state qualifiers with 31 medal winners including four champions. Trees was a four-time Iowa state finalist for Greene High, taking second in 1966 and 1967 before winning championships in 1968 and 1969, He had a 113-5 record as a prep. He was named twice to the high school All American squad. He went on to wrestle for North Iowa Area Community College where he was a national qualifier in 1970 with a 19-2 record before suffering a career-ending injury. Trees has volunteered hours and service to the North Butler wrestling program.

State champion Christian Araneo (Ward Melville, N.Y.) verbally committed to Princeton University early on Monday evening. He is ranked No. 86 overall in the Class of 2016, and joins No. 67 Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) as a grade-level ranked commit for the Tigers in this class. Araneo projects to compete at either 197 or 285 pounds, placed 7th in last year's Super 32 Challenge at 195 pounds, and was third in this spring's NHSCA Junior Nationals at 195.

MatBoss is wrestling's groundbreaking video + stats integration technology. The app was designed specifically for coaches to help save precious time and effort allowing you to focus on what you do best. MatBoss can be purchased by clicking Buy Now. For coaches who have additional questions about MatBoss or would like to request a demo, contact the MatBoss sales team.

DES MOINES, Iowa --The Dan Gable Museum Gala just added star power to an already historic line-up of wrestling greats, announcing that Terry Steiner, head coach at USA Wrestling for the women's national team and three-time women's freestyle wrestling World champion Adeline Gray, are scheduled to attend. The Dan Gable Museum Gala is the culmination of a yearlong capital campaign for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. It is also an opportunity to kick off the wrestling season. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is a not-for-profit organization based out of Waterloo, Iowa. Its mission is to preserve history, recognize excellence, and inspire generations. The Gala will be Sat., Oct. 24 at the Holiday Inn Airport in Des Moines, Iowa. Dan Gable, namesake of the museum, will be the featured speaker. Steiner, an NCAA champion under Gable in 1993, and Gray will appear on-stage with Gable during his presentation. Anyone interested in attending the Dan Gable Museum Gala on Sat., Oct. 24 should contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org. A native of Waterloo, Gable is arguably the greatest athlete and coach ever. In 1972 he won a gold medal at the Munich Olympics without surrendering a point after winning NCAA titles for Iowa State in 1968 and 1969. As the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa he led the Hawkeyes to 15 NCAA team titles in 21 years (1977-97), compiling a 355-21-5 dual meet record. “I love that Terry Steiner and his most famous pupil, Adeline Gray, will be in attendance at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum Gala on Oct. 24,” said Gable. “One of the main points of the evening is to enhance our total sport to all. This is pioneer work being done in Des Moines, Iowa. We are laying the groundwork for the future.” The appearance of Steiner and Gray comes weeks after the United States women's freestyle wrestling team earned a bronze medal team finish at the World Championships in Las Vegas. Gray earned her third World Championship in dominant fashion, outscoring her five opponents by a combined score of 49-4. The Gala will be a momentous event featuring representation from all 26 collegiate wrestling programs within the state of Iowa. Numerous Hall of Famers, Olympians, NCAA wrestling champions, and legendary coaches will also be in attendance. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is being transformed into a state-of-the-art museum with an expanded wrestling room and training center. Updated interactive displays throughout the museum are in the works, along with a new theater. The evening includes an update on the efforts to promote the 2016 Olympic Trials being held at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on April 10-12, 2016. Presenting sponsor for the Dan Gable Museum Gala is Casey's General Stores. Wild Rose Casino and Resort is a corporate sponsor for the event. Schedule of Events 6:30 PM: Registration, social hour, and silent auction open 7:30 PM: Program and dinner begin 8:30 PM: Live auction Holiday Inn – Airport 6111 Fleur Dr. Des Moines, IA 50321

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Rudis, a premier athletic apparel brand that is uniquely marketed to the national wrestling community, has partnered with The Clash to promote an exclusive event driven product line. The line, which will be unveiled at The Clash XIV, will feature a new logo and look to promote the single greatest high school dual meet event in the United States. Since 2003, The Clash has been the battlefield for some of the most storied dual meets that high school wrestling has seen in the past decade. Many of America's most storied programs have made the trip to Rochester, including but not limited to St. Paris Graham, St. Edward, Apple Valley, Clovis CA, Oak Park River Forest, Montini Catholic, STMA, Brandon FL, and many more. Th¬is year's event is no different, as many teams in the top 20 return to Rochester for another great event on January 1-2, 2016. Rudis co-founder and President Jesse Leng comments on the partnership; "As a clothing brand founded by wrestlers, it has always been our goal to align Rudis with the greatest athletes and events the sport of wrestling has to offer. Partnering with The Clash is a tremendous source of pride for our brand. There is no better illustration of adopting wrestling as a Way of Life than thirty-two of the best high school teams converging on one location to do battle in the dead of winter. This is what wrestling is all about." The Clash executive director Lance Hughes discusses the alignment with Rudis. "The first time I saw the Rudis logo it stood out everywhere in the gym and I knew I had to learn more about the brand. The Clash is committed to putting on a great wrestling event that moves our sport forward and part of moving our sport forward means selling apparel that represents and supports wrestling rather than selling products of brands that spend their marketing dollars on other sports." The product line, which features over 10 licensed clothing items and accessories, is co-branded with the upstart Rudis brand and the newly designed and distinguishable Clash logo. Rudis and The Clash designed the product line to streamline awareness around the event and offer a consistent look for one of our country's greatest high school sporting events. The product line will be exclusively available at the event and for sale on www.clashmn.com. About Rudis Formed in September of 2013, Rudis is a brand that develops and market merchandise tailored to satisfy the ¬t and tastes of the global amateur wrestling community. Rudis proudly partners with some of the greatest names in wrestling including The Sunkist Kids, Ohio State, and Dave Schultz. To contact RUDIS please email info@therudis.com or visit www.therudis.com About The Clash The Clash is the premier national high school wrestling tournament held annually in Rochester, Minnesota. 32 of the best high school wrestling programs from around the country will gather at Rochester Community & Technical College January 1-2, 2016 for this unique two day, dual-format wrestling tournament. 100% of The Clash proceeds are given to wrestlers and wrestling organizations. To contact The Clash please email Lance.Hughes@ClashMN.com or visit www.clashmn.com.

SAN MARINO, Calif. -- Craig Sesker, a national award-winning journalist, publicist and author, has been named public relations director for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. Sesker, 49, spent the past 10 years working for USA Wrestling in the role of Communications Manager. He served as the editor for USA Wrestler, the member magazine of USA Wrestling which is distributed to more than 150,000 people. Sesker wrote thousands of articles, features and press releases for various USA Wrestling platforms. He also promoted the sport through media relations, and also played a key public relations role in wrestling's successful 2013 fight to stay in the Olympic Games. Chief Executive Officer Andy Barth and Executive Director of Development Wayne Boyd, co-founders of Titan Mercury, officially brought Sesker onboard with their highly successful club this week: "We're very pleased to announce the addition of Craig Sesker as Public Relations Director for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. Craig is an outstanding writer who brings years and years of experience to this position. He's done an excellent job promoting the sport of wrestling and we're very excited to have him join our team. Please join us in welcoming Craig Sesker to the Titan Mercury family." Sesker has also authored award-winning wrestling books on Hall of Fame coach Bobby Douglas and the highly successful Omaha Skutt Catholic high school team. He co-authored the book, Saving Wrestling, with veteran author Jamie Moffatt. That book documented the events of the 2013 Olympic fight. Sesker worked as a sportswriter for the Omaha World-Herald from 2000-06, covering high school, college and international wrestling. He won a national APSE award and won first place in the state Associated Press contest during his tenure there. Sesker was sports editor at the Burlington Hawk Eye from 1993-99. He managed a staff with four full-time and five part-time employees. He was a sportswriter with The Hawk Eye from 1988-1993. He won three national APSE writing awards and more than a dozen state writing awards in Burlington. Sesker is a two-time National Wrestling Writer of the Year. He also received special awards from the National Wrestling Media Association for his Bobby Douglas and Saving Wrestling books, in addition to a national award for best publication with USA Wrestler magazine. Sesker is a graduate of Wartburg (Iowa) College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations. He was named Outstanding Senior in Communications Arts. He covered wrestling for the school newspaper and also worked in sports information at Wartburg. He was a standout in track and field for the Knights. He ran on seven school-record relays at Wartburg, including the Iowa Conference champion 4×400-meter relay. He was team captain as a senior. Sesker competed in wrestling from fourth grade through high school, where he was a two-time district qualifier and a four-year varsity starter for Tipton (Iowa) High School. He was a member of two state championship track teams at Tipton, running a leg on three state champion and one state runner-up relay team for the Tigers. Sesker has one daughter, Hayley. He resides in Colorado Springs, Colo.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- University of Maryland head wrestling coach Kerry McCoy announced the addition of Ganbayar Sanjaa and Frank Goodwin to his staff Tuesday. Sanjaa will join as a volunteer assistant while Goodwin, who finished his Maryland career in 2015, will serve as an administrative assistant. “We are very excited for Ganbayar and Frank to join our staff,” head coach Kerry McCoy said. “Both are very accomplished and they will both elevate the level of our program.” Sanjaa was a two-time All-American as a competitor at American University. The Mongolia native finished sixth at the NCAA Championships in 2012 after a season that saw him go 25-6 at 157 pounds. He placed second at the Midlands Championships, participated in the NWCA All-Star Classic and finished third at the EIWA Championships. In 2011, Sanjaa took fourth in the NCAA Championships after a 26-8 mark. He defeated four ranked opponents over the course of that season and took second at the Keystone Classic. Sanjaa also earned Academic All-American honors from the NWCA. Before transferring to American, Sanjaa competed for Colby Community College and won the 2009 NJCAA National Championship and was a finalist in 2010. He was a two-time NJCAA Academic All-American and earned the Sportsmanship Award at the NJCAA National Tournament. Sanjaa has also wrestled for the Mongolian national wrestling team. Goodwin wrestled for five seasons for the Terrapins and was a three-year starter. The Gambrills, Md., native earned over 50 wins in his career and qualified for the 2013 NCAA Championships after a fourth-place finish at the 2013 ACC Championships. Goodwin was also a two-time Maryland high school state champion. Maryland opens its season with the Red & Black Wrestle-Offs on Oct. 25 at noon.

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Otterbein University has hired Brent Rastetter as its new head coach for wrestling, announced Tuesday morning by Dawn Stewart, director of athletics. Brent RastetterRastetter, 43, was chosen after the search committee narrowed down the pool of initial applicants to five finalists. He comes to Otterbein from Lexington High School in Lexington, Ohio, where he spent the past 12 years as the varsity wrestling coach and the past five as Dean of Students/Athletic Director for Lexington Junior High. "Otterbein's decision to add varsity wrestling has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response," Stewart said. "I am proud of this addition and now, more importantly, to hire Brent as the coach. He is a competitor who has put Lexington on the map. I'm excited for him to now be the face of our program and to provide our student-athletes with the same commitment and dedication that he has given to Lexington for so many years." "The most appealing aspect of this position was the opportunity to build a program from the ground up," Rastetter added with excitement. "Everything started to seem like a perfect fit once I got to campus and was able to meet Dawn and the rest of the staff. I couldn't be any more humbled or proud to be a part of this." Rastetter enjoyed a very successful run at Lexington, compiling a dual-meet record of 208-34 while capturing eight-straight conference championships. In addition, the Minutemen won eight sectional titles, finished sectional runners-up four other times, and finished state runner-up as a team in 2009. His program achieved six top-10 individual finishes at the OHSAA state wrestling tournament over the past seven years. "I think my entire career has led to this point," said Rastetter, the 2010 Division II Ohio Coach of the Year. "I'm excited to have this challenge and to be able to evolve as a coach. It gives me a great chance to push myself and grow as an individual, which is exactly the same thing I want from my wrestlers. It's going to be fun." An eight-time Ohio Cardinal Conference Coach of the Year, Rastetter has produced 189 district qualifiers, 45 state qualifiers, 27 state placers and four state champions during his career. Eleven of his former Lexington wrestlers have gone on to compete at the college level, including five at Duke University. He is now eager to begin developing another winning formula at Otterbein. "I want a first-class program all the way," Rastetter said of his vision. "We are going to focus on being the true student-athlete; promoting a quality education and walking out with a degree. At the same time, our guys will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level on the wrestling mat." Rastetter holds 23 years of coaching experience in all, which also includes 18 in both football and track at the junior high and high-school levels. He spent 15 years as a teacher, grades 4-8, before taking over his recent Dean of Students/Athletic Director role. Prior to Lexington, he taught and coached at Crestview High School in Ashland, Ohio, where he got his first head coaching job at the age of 20. Rastetter received his bachelor's degree from Ashland University, in 1995, before obtaining a master's in technology education from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) in 2005. He and his wife, Michelle, have three children together; son, Collin, an 18-year old freshman at Ohio Wesleyan University, 15-year old son, Caden, and a four-year old daughter, Ella. "I especially need to thank my family for supporting me in this endeavor," Rastetter said. "It's going to be a big change for everyone, but they have allowed me to chase after this 100 percent. I'm so appreciative and just very excited to get going as a Cardinal." Otterbein had previously offered wrestling from 1961-1974 before the program was cut.

Loras College dedicated its Dr. Michael Early Wrestling Wall of Fame to honor the greatest Duhawk wrestlers during its Homecoming celebration this past weekend, the Iowa-based school announced Saturday . Loras College dedicated its Dr. Michael Early Wrestling Wall of Fame to honor the greatest Duhawk wrestlers during its Homecoming celebration this past weekendThe display, which will showcase six national champions and 55 NCAA Division III All-American wrestlers, will be located just outside the Loras wrestling room in Graber Sports Center. It is named for Dr. Michael Early, an instrumental figure in the history of Duhawk wrestling, as a coach and long-time supporter, over the past 35 years. Early became head wrestling coach at Loras in 1981. During five seasons at the helm, Early led the Duhawks to success competing in the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NAIA), with four of his wrestlers earning NAIA All-American honors. In addition to coaching wrestling, Early also served as assistant football coach, residence hall director and faculty member of the physical education department of the school located in Dubuque, Iowa. Early left Loras in 1986 to accept a coaching position at University of Wisconsin-Stout, but has maintained ties to the school in the three decades since. His son Dave wrestled at Loras from 2003-07. "It is with great pleasure that we are able to name the Loras College Wrestling 'Wall of Fame' in honor of Dr. Michael Early," said Duhawk head wrestling coach Randy Steward. "He has had the opportunity to coach here, watch his son compete in the program and has been a fantastic supporter of Loras Wrestling for many years. A big thank you goes out to Mike and his wife, Gay." A native of Davenport, Iowa, Early graduated from Assumption High School in 1976 and started his collegiate wrestling career at the University of Northern Iowa before transferring to St. Ambrose University located in his hometown. He continued to wrestle there and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education in 1981. Early earned his Master's Degree in Education Leadership at Loras in 1986. In 2003 he received his doctorate in Education from Northern Illinois University. Early is Superintendent of the Richland School District 88A in Crest Hill, Ill.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has hired Stillwater native Jack Carnefix as its new operations manager, responsible for overseeing all programming of the organization. Jack CarnefixA graduate of both Stillwater High School and Oklahoma State University, Carnefix has a bachelor's degree in journalism and extensive experience in media relations. He will work to create a comprehensive marketing and public relations strategy for the Hall of Fame as well as continuing to develop and enhance the educational exhibits and materials presented throughout the wrestling community. "We are excited to add Jack to our staff," said Lee Roy Smith, executive director of the Hall. "Jack brings an accomplished work history in sport communications and media and a blend of operating skills needed to advance the mission of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame at a strategic time in the organization's evolution." The Hall of Fame is currently closed to visitors as it prepares to undergo an entire interior renovation. It is scheduled to re-open in spring of 2016, just in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary at the annual Honors Weekend induction ceremonies. The staff of the Hall of Fame continues to raise the last of the funds needed to put the finishing touches on the renovation. Smith said that Carnefix and his communication skills will be vital to the capital campaign's completion. "I am delighted about this opportunity, and feel privileged to join such a respected organization, particularly during such an exciting period," Carnefix said. "I look forward to becoming part of a group that works so hard to preserve the heritage of wrestling and recognize achievements while also encouraging young people to learn and engage with the sport." He replaces Tiffany Clark who has left the Hall of Fame to pursue other opportunities. Most recently, Carnefix has been operating Communications for Your Business, a firm dedicated to providing marketing and public relations assistance to small businesses. He has also worked as the interim director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Perkins, Oklahoma. Before returning to Oklahoma, Carnefix spent three years as senior manager of public relations for Professional Bull Riders in Pueblo, Colorado, as well as 10 years as the senior vice president of communications for the ECHL in Princeton, New Jersey. "Jack clearly has experience providing major league service to minor league teams in baseball, hockey, tennis and indoor football," Smith said. "We can't wait to see what he can do with wrestling."

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- Brian Owen has been named an assistant coach for the SIUE wrestling team, announced Head Coach Jeremy Spates. Owen was a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier as a student-athlete at Boise State from 2008 to 2014. He was a four-time Pac 10/Pac 12 place-winner and captured a Pac 12 championship during the 2011-12 season at 133 pounds. After an outstanding high school career as a four-time state qualifier at University High School in Spokane, Washington, Owen capped his prep carerr by going undefeated as a senior and earning a state championship. Owen also was a two-time All-State honoree in academics (2007 and 2008). Later in 2008, he earned two medals at the Junior Pan American Games in Cuenca, Ecuador. He won a silver in the Greco competition and a bronze in the freestyle event. During the 2014-15 season, Owen was an assistant coach at Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington, where his team earned two individual state titles. He also was the club head coach at the Inland Northwest Training Center. Owen, who is the younger brother of SIUE assistant coach Tommy Owen, earned two bachelor's degrees in communications and environmental science. He is currently completing a master's in environmental science at Idaho.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Coming into the 2015 NCAA Division I championships, then two-time All-American Cody Brewer of Oklahoma wrestled like he had a chip on his shoulder. With just one loss and two All-American finishes on his resume, Brewer was tagged with the No. 13 seed. He subsequently blistered the field to win the NCAA championship at 133 pounds. Cody Brewer finishes a takedown on Minnesota's Chris Dardanes (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Brewer will have a new challenge as he'll wrestle up at 141 pounds and take on Oklahoma State's Dean Heil at the 50th annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network on November 1 in Atlanta, Ga. The All-Star Classic is also sponsored by Raymond James and will be held at Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion at 5 p.m. Brewer, a senior from Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri, blitzed through the field at the NCAA championships at 133 pounds last season. Four of his five wins were bonus victories, including a major decisions over No. 4 Johnni DiJulius of Ohio State, No. 12 George DiCamillo of Virginia and top-seeded Chris Dardanes of Minnesota. He defeated Iowa's Cory Clark 11-8 in the finals. Brewer finished last season 22-1 and comes into the match with a career record of 70-19. He'll try to become just the 11th wrestler to earn four All-American medals all at Oklahoma and the first since Sam Hazewinkel earned his fourth honor in Auburn Hills, Mich., in 2007. Brewer is expected to move down to 133 pounds later in the season. Heil, a sophomore who earned a fourth-place finish last season at 141 pounds after coming in as the No. 14 seed, is from wrestling powerhouse St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. He finished last season 27-10 and his tournament was highlighted by wins over No. 3 Lavion Mayes of Missouri, allowing him to reach the quarterfinals. Wins over Boise State's Geo Martinez, Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers and N.C. State's Kevin Jack followed until he fell in the third-place match to Virginia Tech's Devin Carter. "Cody Brewer wrestled like a man possessed last year at the NCAA championships," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "What's more amazing about this matchup is we're looking at two wrestlers with realistic chances of winning an NCAA championship or repeating as a champion and they were the No. 13 and No. 14 seeds at last year's tournament and now they're kicking off the season at the All-Star Classic." This will be the first meeting between the two wrestlers. Heil did compete at 133 pounds for the first part of his true freshman season in 2013-14. Oklahoma State, with a long tradition of competing in the event, has seen its wrestlers compete in the event a record 87 times coming into this season. Heil and teammate Alex Dieringer will make it 89. Brewer will make the 52nd Sooner appearance in the event. Andrew Howe was the last Sooner to win at the event in 2013, defeating Penn State's Matt Brown. Oklahoma wrestlers are 26-25 all-time in the event. Cowboy wrestlers are 43-38-6 all-time in the All-Star Classic, winning five of the last six matches they've wrestled. Virginia Tech is still looking for its first win in the event and will have three cracks at it as Nick Brascetta (157) and Ty Walz (285) are also competing. Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups 125: 133: 141: Cody Brewer, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. Dean Heil, So. (Oklahoma State) 149: 157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 165: 174: Kyle Crutchmer, Jr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Zach Epperly, So. (Virginia Tech) 184: Nathaniel Brown, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Vic Avery, Sr. (Edinboro) 197: 285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech) WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga. TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15 PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider) EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org About ESPNU The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.

Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah), a Junior National Greco-Roman champion this summer, made his college decision late on Sunday evening. The projected 197 pound wrestler verbally committed to the University of Missouri. Koelling is ranked No. 79 overall in the Class of 2016, also finishing sixth in Junior freestyle this summer after placing sixth at the Flo Nationals during the spring. Prior to the 2014-15 high school season, Koelling was a Preseason Nationals champion at 195 pounds. During that high school season, he won a state title. Koelling joins No. 43 Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) as a top 100 commit to Missouri in the 2016 recruiting class.

Former Oklahoma State NCAA finalist and Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier held onto his Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight title, while Ryan Bader, three-time Pac-10 champ at Arizona State, earned a unanimous decision in his light-heavyweight bout at UFC 192 at Toyota Center in Houston Saturday night. Cormier earned a split-decision win over Alexander Gustafsson in the five-round headline event. Two judges scored it 48-47 and 49-46 for the champ, while the third went with Gustafsson, 48-47. It was Cormier's first defense of his title which he won back in May by submitting Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in Las Vegas in May. Daniel Cormier (Photo/UFC)"The two men engaged in a remarkable war of wills across five grueling rounds," wrote Brian Knapp of Sherdog.com. "Cormier set the early pace, as he delivered a slam takedown -- Gustafsson was vertical at one point, his head pointed toward the mat -- in the first round. The Swede answered back, cutting Cormier near his right eye with a left hook in the second before flooring him with a knee strike and follow-up punches in the third. The champion took Gustafsson's best shots and did not blink. "Cormier found the inner strength and resolve to press through fatigue and considerable damage in the fourth and fifth rounds ... By the end of the bout, Gustafsson (16-4, 8-4 UFC) was suffering from severe swelling to both eyes and a nasty gash across the bridge of his nose, having failed in his second attempt to capture UFC gold." Cormier, who as a Cowboy lost to Cael Sanderson in the 197-pound finals at the 2001 NCAAs, is now 17-1 in his MMA career, and 6-1 in UFC, while Gustafsson fell to 16-4 overall, and 8-4 in UFC. In a co-main event also at 205 pounds, Bader beat former champ Evans, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27 for the former Sun Devil. According to Sherdog.com, "Evans looked like a fighter that had not competed in 686 days. In his first appearance since 2013, the Blackzilians cornerstone was routinely beaten to the punch by his younger, fresher adversary ... Damage accumulated over time, as 'Suga' grew more desperate and less effective." Bader now enjoys an overall record of 20-4, 13-4 in UFC ... while Evans, who wrestled at Michigan State, is now 19-4-1 in his MMA career, and 14-4-1 in UFC. A third, much-anticipated welterweight match between former collegiate mat rivals Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley had to be scrapped because of what UFC President Dana White referred to Friday as "weight-cutting issues" for Hendricks. The former Oklahoma State two-time NCAA champ was reportedly rushed to the emergency room after suffering a kidney stone and a blockage in his intestines Thursday night as a result of his efforts to cut weight, An opponent for Woodley could not be found on such short notice, so the former University of Missouri All-American wrestler did not fight at UFC 192. One day before the news of the cancellation of the Hendricks-Woodley 170-pound bout, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about how wrestling is a great training ground for success in MMA, pointing out in the opening paragraphs that five of the six athletes slated to compete in the top-of-the-card matches at UFC 192 had been amateur wrestlers.

Three-time state placer Carter Isley (Albia, Iowa), a state champion during last high school season, verbally committed to the University of Northern Iowa on Sunday evening. The projected 285 pound wrestler really emerged during this past off-season when he was a Junior National double All-American in Fargo. Isley was a runner-up at 285 in Greco-Roman and fifth in freestyle, after finishing runner-up in folkstyle at 220 pounds. He is also a star football player, having led Iowa's Class 2A in rushing yards as a junior in 2014.

The first of the major high school preseason tournaments was held on Sunday in upstate New York, when the Journeymen Fall Classic was held at Union College just outside of Albany. Most of the best wrestlers from the Empire State, along with some from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the New England region were the bulk of the field; while there was a smattering of wrestlers from other parts of the country. Within the top flight, there were fifteen weight brackets contested. Each - actually all but one - featured wrestlers getting three matches within one of two round-robin pools and then a crossover match against the wrestler in the same placing position of the other pool. When all was done by the late afternoon, two juniors from the Empire State shined above all others, Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton) and Vitali Arujau (Syosset). Diakomihalis dominated his way to the title at the 135-pound weight class with three major decisions in pool competition, and then a pin over top 100 senior Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) in the championship match. In pool competition for Diakomihalis, it was a 12-1 major decision over state champion John Arceri (Huntington, N.Y.), a 10-1 major decision over Junior Greco All-American Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio), and then a 14-4 major decision over top 100 senior Kellen Devlin (Amherst, N.Y.) Arujau came home with the 125-pound title as he upset Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 2-1 in the championship match; Suriano is ranked as the No. 2 overall wrestler in the Class of 2016. The three preliminary pool matches for Arujau were all major decision victories. Two other New York natives also won Journeymen Fall Classic titles, Kevin Parker (Shenendehowa) at 182 and Christian Araneo (Ward Melville) at 225. Those four titles won by Empire State natives was tied for the most with the four won by natives of New Jersey. Champions from the Garden State included Joe Heilmann (South Plainfield) at 106, Patrick Glory (Delbarton) at 113, Sebastian Rivera (Christian Brothers) at 120, and Anthony Porcaro (Sayreville) at 285. Highlighting the results among that group of champions was a 5-4 win for Rivera in his championship match over three-time state champion Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio), who is ranked No. 45 in the Class of 2016. Another of the day's stars was Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.), who is ranked No. 14 in the Class of 2016, and earned the title at the 152-pound weight class. Hidlay's championship match victory came by 3-1 decision over Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), ranked No. 15 overall in the senior class. Other wins for Hidlay came 1-0 over three-time state placer Nick Monico (Saegertown, Pa.), 4-3 over two-time state champion Foster Karmon (Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.) and 10-3 over top 50 junior Mekhi Lewis (Bound Brook, N.J.) The two other champions from the Keystone State were a pair of Bethlehem Catholic teammates in Luke Karam and Michael Labriola. The grade level ranked wrestlers took care of business in their respective weight classes. Karam, ranked No. 28 in the senior class, was champion at 130; while Labriola, ranked No. 20 in the junior class, was champion at 160. Rounding out the day's weight class champions were Charles Kane (Fairfield Warde, Ct.) at 140, Ryan Peters (Timberlane, N.H.) at 145, Anthony Falbo (Newtown, Ct.) at 170, and Blake Rypel (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) at 195. Link: Results