InterMat Staff

T.R. Foley welcomes Brian Muir to discuss the upcoming Agon 1 wrestling event and set lines for the four premier matchups. The event, which is headlined by two-time NCAA champions Ben Askren (Missouri) and Quentin Wright (Penn State), features eight post-collegiate athletes in a folkstyle-freestyle hybrid consisting of 3 three-minute periods and will be streamed online. Check out our Tumblr page at backpoints.tumblr.com. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching "back points" and pushing SUBSCRIBE. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. You may have read on the Internet that a Catholic high school in Philadelphia is forbidding female wrestler Amanda Leve from joining the school's new team. Among the reasons noted by a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was that her involvement with the team would "distort the gender roles play a role in the mature Christian identity," and the "full-contact sports are for boys-only." Though there are plenty of jokes to be made and outrage to be dished, the Archdiocese and the administration of Archbishop Ryan High School, where Levine would like to wrestle, is well within his right to exclude the young female grappler from the team. The athlete, who according to reports and videos, has bested several of her male counterparts while participating in jiu-jitsu, has no right in a private institution to demand services offered in a public school. Like other exclusively male-only clubs, the Catholic church and this particular school president is within his bounds to keep this willing and talented girl sidelined. However in doing so the school draws comparisons to other institutions that segregate based on gender, and/or the relative and perceived toughness of the fairer sex. Of the 177 member nations of FILA, the international governing body, only one restricts women from wrestling: The Islamic Republic of Iran. Though I have no personal qualms with the Iranian men and women that I have met around the world, I am disappointed that they don't allow their women to participate. From what I've seen the women are fervent followers of the sport and would excel quickly. Iran is run by sharia, the ancient Islamic law that governs the actions of the state and gives the Ayatollah his power. In their interpretation of the law, women are forbidden to participate in contact sports. This, even as many Muslim nations whose governments are informed (though not governed) by sharia, allow women to wrestle with equal support -- notably Tunisia and Egypt. Like Iran, Archbishop Ryan also doesn't allow women to wrestle even as their intellectual and spiritual contemporaries welcome women to the sport. Their decision is disappointing, frustrating and maddening, but in a world where mindless rancor has become commonplace, it's not worth the pounding our fists into the mud. The mistake of Archbishop Ryan and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia speaks volumes for how out-of-touch a group can become when not opening itself up to the wonder and beauty of equality. Leve seems like a tough girl and I'm certain that she won't allow the misplaced ideology of one institution keep her from pursuing her goals. It's too bad that her school won't let her do that while wearing their colors, but I don't think they deserve that honor. If you want to voice your displeasure with the decision to not let Amanda Leve wrestle feel free to write a letter to school president Michael McArdle at president@archbishopryan.com. To your questions ... Q: Where is Kevin Steinhaus this year? Not ranked? -- Tom F. Foley: Word is that he's recovering from knee surgery and possibly taking a redshirt year. Q: Lately Nebraska has been signing some great recruits. Do you think they are on their way up to contest with some Big Ten teams? How do you think James Green will do? What do you feel their lineup will be with Green, Jake Sueflohn, Austin Wilson, Robert Kokesh, Destin McCauley and Pat Downey? -- Anthony C. James Green is a two-time All-American at Nebraska (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: James Green is an exceptional wrestler, and if focused he'll be capable of a top-four finish at the NCAA tournament in 2014. However, if there is a knock on "Mean" James Green it's that he has lacked consistency most typically seen in the national finalist level talent. Though he's a two-time All-American with a win over Derek St. John, Green has some head-scratchers given his talent and the quality of his room. The most obvious example of his big tourney head-scratcher was the 6-5 loss to Kyle Bradley (Missouri) in the first round of the 2013 NCAAs. Green is only a junior and placing twice at the NCAA tournament means he has the skillset to see the top of the podium in 2014 or 2015. To get there he'll have to even out his season and make significant improvements on the mat (to deal with DSJ and Dylan Ness). My guess is that he places third this season and sets himself up for a title run as a senior. Overall, the Nebraska lineup is pretty impressive and with solid performances at the NCAA tournament they should place near the top five in the country. As you said, with the addition of a great recruiting class, this team could be making a run at the Big Ten title in a few years, though Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota are all tough teams to knock from the podium. Q: Who do you think will win at each weight for the Tour ACW event? It is interesting that there will be no clock and guys have to score points to win. It could really change the dynamic. Also, I think the name is pretty cool. I always wondered how wrestling could rebrand and show pro wrestling without being confused with pro rasslin. Career Wrestler seems like a good solution. -- J. Martin Foley: I love the turnout for this event, but I think I'm more into the positive vibes surrounding the organization of the event. As with any sport, wrestling is filled with crooks, heels and sycophants. Teague Moore is the antidote to that muddy concoction of ulterior motives, and you're seeing a good number of talented and good-natured wrestlers looking to participate in Tour ACW. Bravo to him and his team. This Tour ACWis a test event and it'll take some time to grow the participation and monetize it for long-term stability. The organization will benefit from good production, and as stated above, great leadership. I hope we see a great turnout! My picks: 135: Jarrod Garnett 155: Frank Molinaro 170: Nick Marable 205: Cam Simaz 265: Dom Bradley Q: What is your opinion on riding time in college? Does riding time promote stalling from the top man or does it force the bottom man to work for an escape? I tend to think it forces both the top man and bottom man to work to secure a point. -- Uriel C. Foley: I agree with you, and don't often hear too much about changing the rules to something with less mat wrestling. What's cool is that a riding time point encourages action on the mat, which as we know can create scrambles and momentum shifting reversals and turns. American folkstyle wrestling is highly competitive because it takes a multitude of talents to be successful. But what's also nice is that it allows for wrestlers with hyper-focused talents to excel. Jesse Jantzen was an NCAA champion and stud on his feet, but without mat wrestling the sport becomes less interesting to his style. The same can be said for J.P. O'Connor and dozens of other mat wrestlers who lived to score, but often benefitted from that extra ride time point. I also think that riding-time points create drama that fans of the sport understand and enjoy. Like the shot clock in basketball, following that number as it rises towards a minute late in a close match is thrilling. On a side note, anyone who doesn't like criteria at the international level should take a look at the ride-time point in college. Isn't riding time used as criteria when declaring a winner at the end of the match? MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Yojiro Uetake Obata Good luck to Coach Heskett and the guys at Army. Cool video. (Embed) Q: Ed Ruth could finish his career with three undefeated, national championship seasons. Has anyone else (other than Cael) done that? -- Glenn W. Foley: Dating back to the 30s you have Oklahoma State guys like Rex Peery, Earl McCready, David Arndt, Jack VanBebber and Conrad Caldwell. But there are also a couple of wrestlers from more modern eras with three-time undefeated streaks. Bill Koll Sr. (Northern Iowa), Keith Young (Northern Iowa), Dan Hodge (Oklahoma), and Gray Simons (Lock Haven). Lee Kemp (Wisconsin) deserves special recognition since he was the last guy outside of Cael to accomplish the feat. However, the most impressive might've been Yojiro Uetake Obata of Oklahoma State. "Yojo" was a three-time undefeated NCAA champion and two-time Olympic champion for Japan ('64 and '68). He was also a two-time Most Valuable Wrestler at the NCAA Championships, and won that first Olympic title while still wrestling for Oklahoma State. There are several people in Stillwater, some of who carry the last name Smith, who believe Yojo is the most underrated wrestler in NCAA wrestling history, and that he could also have been the most dominant wrestler to ever compete at Oklahoma State. He was 58-0 and was never really pushed on the mat. No dramatic comebacks, no tight matches. All stud, all the time. Q: If you throw-in the two Bedlam events with the round robin between Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Penn State, which do you believe is the most compelling "Mega Dual" of the season? -- Brad B. Foley: Minnesota is returning eight All-Americans and Penn State is the three-time defending NCAA team champion. Hard to argue against that matchup until you consider that Cael and Brands got together over Twitter to set up a dual meet in Carver-Hawkeye, giving their match a dash of spectacle. According to our rankings Penn State and Iowa are in a virtual dead-heat for the team title and with the back-and-forth of the past couple of years it should be an exciting event. Q: Who do you think had the most effective "signature move" or "signature move series?" For example, Jon Smith's low single series, Jordan Burrough's blast double, James Fleming's "Snapper" (side headlock from top), Cael Sanderson's cross ankle pick, Ben Askren's cradle series (or funky shot defense), Steve Mocco's foot sweep, Anthony Roble's tilt series. This list isn't meant to be exhaustive, just to spur ideas about who you think had the best signature move/move series (moves they became famous/notorious for), not necessarily who was the most successful wrestler. -- Nathan H. Foley: Each of the wrestlers you mentioned had a highly effective signature move, but none stick out more to me than John Smith's low single. The best guys in the world trained day-in and day-out to stop it, but when the lights dimmed nobody in the world could stop Smith. Though a lot is made of Burroughs' double leg, he scores an incredible number of takedowns from short offense -- finding angles and attacking when his opponents drop their head to the mat. If he were truly dependent on his double he'd have been in a lot of trouble against Akbari of Iran in this year's World Championships. Russia's Bekkhan Goygereev won a World title at 60 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Cael's ankle pick was pretty silly in its effectiveness and in the collegiate ranks I think it is the most unstoppable takedown we've ever seen. However, it was less effective internationally, and since Cael's body of work is much smaller, it's difficult to put him in front of Smith and the low single. For a new go-to move I would check out Bekkhan Goygereev's pass-by and add that to you list of moves and guys to consider. He maimed opponents at the World Championships with a simple-looking, but mostly unstoppable pass-by. Guys knew it was coming, but nobody could stop it. Kinda reminded me of Jesse Whitmer's front head, or Zach Roberson's head snap. Q: Could you explain how the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association rankings work and how they do their regular season/ national tournament? For example I see on the rankings four women from King are ranked in the top seven at 116 pounds. How does that work having more than one athlete from a school ranked at the same weight? Also the team rankings have schools from Division II, NAIA and Junior College. -- Jeff J. Foley: From Gary Abbot of USA Wrestling. The man is an absolute wizard of wrestling knowledge.Currently, WCWA teams can enter more than one athlete at the WCWA Nationals, similar to the NAIA tournament for men. Coach Archie Randall (OCU) can give you more updates on how the rankings work as well as the national tournament, but the rankings are based upon achievement in college events, as well as USA Wrestling competitions. As you know, they compete in freestyle in women's college wrestling. There are some teams which have a number of quality competitors at the same weight class. In regards to the WCWA, there have been 10 years of college women's national tournament in the United States. The first four years, the teams which had women's varsity teams organized this tournament as the completion of their college seasons. In the 2007-2008 season, the colleges came together to form the WCWA, and institute a set of bylaws, recruiting and eligibility rules, rankings and other official activities for women's college wrestling, along with the WCWA Nationals. This is now entering its seventh year. Since women's wrestling is not yet recognized as either an emerging sport or a full sport by either the NCAA, the NAIA or the NJCAA, teams from any of those groups are encouraged and invited to join the WCWA. As women's wrestling grows and hopefully achieves official status at these levels, this organization may not need to exist. Here is a story on the history of the women's college nationals prior to its 10th anniversary. COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK By Jim '69 If you think you knew little about weight cutting and strength building in the 90s, you were absolute geniuses about it compared to the 60s, when no one lifted weights because it would make you "muscle bound." Most guys cut so much weight and were so dehydrated that they looked like refugees from a concentration camp. In addition, the college matches were 3 three- minute periods. Everyone "saved it" for when it was needed and a lot of competition suffered because of it. By Tim R. I'm a teacher and coach these are reasons to not wrestle and the rebuttals, listed in the order I hear them from a new recruit. I would love some additions or better arguments. Also would love for someone to make a video aimed at recruiting middle school-aged kids. 1. Singlet complaint Compare it to football pants that pros wear that are spandex and above the knee, difference is it's a tight tank top, but girls get to see your face. You don't look goofy if you've got the body for it. Think about MMA, track suits, cross-country shorts, or swimming. It's not like you're going to the mall -- you're competing. While you may feel uncomfortable at first, not a good enough reason. Also, fight shorts are coming. 2."Being on top of a guy" Have you ever been to or watched a whole wrestling match? Have you ever been in a fight that went to the ground? Even if it was a brother or cousin? I just don't understand that excuse. Guess it's a thought that never crossed my mind when I was wrestling. Wrestling is pretty much the manliest thing you can possibly do. It's how primitive man's arguments were settled and probably how early wars were fought. It's one-on-one who's the best with no other objects or equipment. 3. Have to lift/train for football/other sport I'll train you for 2 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, for 4 months, for free. This will be some of the most intense training you've ever done. Have you seen those crossfit games? This will be like the same thing, except 2 hours worth. Guarantee you'll be in the best shape of your life. We won't make you lose a pound, but you probably will just by burning fat. Also how much money do your parents spend on that training program? There is no better feeling then winning and knowing it was all you. You control the outcome, not another teammate or person to worry about. Just you.

PHILADELPHIA -- As head coach Rob Eiter enters his sixth season as head coach at the University of Pennsylvania, he sets out on his first season with a team completely comprised of wrestlers he recruited as head coach. His chosen group of grapplers began its 2013-14 season officially on Tuesday with the first official team practice of the season. "We have always talked about potential, and I kind of don't want to talk about that anymore," Eiter said. "It's time do it, and I think the guys feel it. This is probably the most cohesive team we've had in quite some time, and the most focused as far as understanding what it's going to take and having the confidence to do it and make the sacrifices necessary to get those wins we know we can." Quakers, both veteran and newcomer, echoed Eiter's thoughts. "We haven't really had a team like this since I've been here. We have depth, we have talent, it's looking like a great season." senior Harrison Cook said. "I think we're looking really tough," freshman Caleb Richardson said. "This whole preseason, everybody's been working hard and I think we're going to have a solid lineup, top to bottom." The Red and Blue return 21 wrestlers from 2012-13, including five EIWA placewinners and three NCAA qualifiers from last season. C.J. Cobb, EIWA runner-up at 141 pounds who went 2-2 at NCAAs leads the group of returning NCAA qualifiers, joined by 184-pounder Canaan Bethea and heavyweight Steven Graziano. Steve Robertson, a NCAA qualifier at 149 in 2012, also returns after missing most of 2012-13. The Quakers have added eight wrestlers to their room for 2013-14, with a combined seven state or national prep championships among them. Penn opens its 2013-14 season on Nov. 22 at Maryland.

AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State wrestling team will be holding the annual Cardinal vs. Gold intrasquad meet on Friday, Oct. 25 at the Lied Recreation Center on Iowa State's campus. The meet will be held on the first floor in the middle of the track. Wrestling will begin at 6 p.m. CDT. Admission will be free, and the meet will provide Cyclone wrestling fans a great opportunity to see the team in action before the season starts.

Jeff Swenson and Bob Keenan will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, Oct. 16. "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 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on theopenmat.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments. Swenson is currently the director of athletics at Augsburg College. He was formerly the head wrestling coach for the Auggies, leading his team to 10 NCAA Division III wrestling championships. Keenan is a wrestling coach and vice principal at Milburn High School in N.J. He was recently featured on “Cousins Undercover” on HGTV. Keenan was surprised with a homemaker over, which included a new wrestling room and a call to Dan Gable.

Guests: Pat Popolizio Joe Russell Curley Culp Kevin Dresser Bill Welker Hour 1 Hour 2

UFC 166 is right around the corner. After breaking down the entire undercard last week, Richard and John handicap the pay-per-view portion of the event. If they're right, there probably aren't any upsets on the horizon and Cain Velasquez will keep the heavyweight title in his third fight with Junior dos Santos. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

With the high school wrestling season's start nearing, InterMat is taking readers across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From mid-August until mid-November, InterMat is introducing readers to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. In this installment, Steve Elwood looks at the top senior wrestlers in Minnesota. Minnesota's top ten this year is rather top-heavy. I think there is a pretty solid argument to interchange any of the top four. But from my view, I like to put emphasis on national results and I think a multiple-time state champion in AAA means a little more than A. 1. Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville) Projected High School Weight Class: 126/132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Tommy Thorn (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: Thorn is the only possible wrestler that can win a fourth state title. Minnesota had one last year as well, Jake Short. Tommy is the last of the trio of Thorns to wrestle for STMA. His two older brothers Mike and David had seven state titles between them. David is the current starter for the Minnesota Gophers at 133, and a returning All-American. Tommy is a two-time Fargo freestyle champion and a Cadet National champion in folkstyle. He has also been a FILA Cadet National freestyle champion twice. When I ask what weight wrestlers plan on for the season, I have often heard this: "It depends on where Thorn goes." His record is 150-6. One more state title and the Thorns will have the record for one set of brothers with 11. Thorn has committed to Minnesota. 2. Seth Gross (Apple Valley) Projected High School Weight Class: 132/138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Seth Gross (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: It's hard to not pick Seth Gross No. 1 as he sits alone and on top at 132 nationally. He owns one less state title than Thorn, losing to him in the finals when they were both freshmen. That was my tipping point. Otherwise these two lightweights are likely to face off many times in their college careers. Gross has a crazy record in Fargo, winning three stop signs and one runner-up. He has an uncanny ability to win on the big stage against insurmountable odds. This past summer he had an exciting win over Kyle Gliva in the freestyle finals at 132 pounds. He enters his last season with a record of 150-13. He has committed to Iowa. 3. Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville) Projected High School Weight Class: 285 Projected College Weight Class: 285 Sam Stoll (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: "Slamming Sammy" Stoll is my pick as the top heavyweight in the nation. It's too bad he won't have a chance to face Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) anytime this season. Stoll turned everyone's head by winning a bronze at the Junior Worlds in Greco-Roman. Stoll also cruised through an undefeated season (49-0) anchoring the Komet team and winning its very first team title in wrestling. Of those 49 wins, 37 were pins (21 came in the first minute) and only one match went six minutes (9-1 major decision). Stoll also is a two-time Cadet National champion in Fargo. Like Gross, Stoll has committed to Iowa. 4. Nathan Rose (Sibley East) Projected High School Weight Class: 195/220 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Nathan Rose (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: Nathan Rose shot up on the radar nationally after an upset win at the JJ Classic over Lance Benick in October of 2012. He followed that performance by rolling through the regular season for the second straight year without a loss. Rose comes from a non-traditional wrestling high school and already owns the school record for wins (176) and pins (98). Rose enters his senior campaign as a six-year starter and will be the overwhelming favorite to win his third state title in class A. Nathan has had national success as well, winning two NHSCA Nationals titles. He has committed to Minnesota. 5. Larry Bomstad (ACGC) Projected High School Weight Class: 152/160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Larry Bomstad (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: Larry "The Bomber" Bomstad might be the sleeper among this top ten. He finished last season as a state champion with a perfect 48-0 season, and only had one loss during his sophomore season. Larry has had four trips to the podium during the state tournament, finishing first, second, third, and fifth. He will be a heavy favorite to win it again. Bomstad has been an All-American at the NHSCA Nationals three times. His overall record is 182-16. He has committed to St. Cloud State. 6. Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Mark Voss (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: STMA's second entrant is the team leader and close friend of Tommy Thorn. Voss has a record of 111-27. His most impressive wins nationally include Logan Massa and Zahid Valencia. He has many All-American finishes including Junior folkstyle, and twice in Cadet folkstyle. He was also a runner-up at the JJ Classic in 2012. Voss pulled off one of the giant wins of the state tournament by defeating Seth Gross and allowing STMA to share the team title with Apple Valley. 7. Skyler Petry (WEM) Projected High School Weight Class: 120 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Skyler Petry (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: Skyler Petry has spent most of his career getting his arm raised. He has a nice record of 153-17, yet lacks an elusive state or national title as a high school wrestler. He has finishes of second, third, and fifth in Minnesota's state tournament. He has plenty of runner-up finishes nationally. They include second-place finishes at Fargo in Junior Greco-Roman, Preseason Nationals, FILA Cadet Greco-Roman, and Cadet Nationals in folkstyle. He was also a JJ Classic runner-up in 2012. Petry should be a favorite to get that elusive top spot this season. 8. T.J. Ohara (Tartan) Projected High School Weight Class: 170/182 Projected College Weight Class: 174/184 T.J. Ohara (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: T.J. Ohara shocked the Minnesota wrestling world two seasons ago when he upset Mason Manville (Apple Valley) in the state semifinals and went on to take the state title as a sophomore. He followed this with a runner up finish as a junior. His overall record is an impressive 160-22. This season he could be a rare six-time state qualifier. Ohara has been a Cadet freestyle All-American twice. He was also a runner-up at the 2012 JJ Classic. He is a star at one of Minnesota's lesser-known wrestling schools. 9. Gannon Volk (Apple Valley) Projected High School Weight Class: 120 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Gannon Volk (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: Gannon Volk has spent most of his wrestling career trying to get bigger to make the lineup for perennial power Apple Valley. It helps explain his record of 74-14. Last season he had an impressive run coming up short in the state championship finals to Tommy Thorn. Volk is one of the very few Cadet National Triple Crown winners, claiming titles in all three styles in 2011. Gannon is expected to be one of the leaders as Valley should contend for a Clash championship. 10. Luke Rowh (Hastings) Projected High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Luke Rowh (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Analysis: Luke Rowh has been to the state tournament three times and has managed to make the podium every year. He has finished third, fifth, and fifth. His record during those three seasons is 114-30. Rowh has had some nice success during the offseason. He was a FILA Cadet freestyle All-American. He also can boast an All-American finish in the Cadet Greco-Roman competition. Luke looks to lead Hastings back to the state tournament as a team and will be a favorite to win an individual state title.

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Businessman and wrestling supporter Mike Novogratz will serve as the keynote speaker at the 2013 All-Star Classic Pre-Event Social prior to the beginning of the wrestling action. Novogratz, who is also the primary sponsor of the NWCA Leadership Academy, was selected to serve as the keynote speaker due to both his close connections to the wrestling and business community, and his endeavors in uniting the two fields. From the business perspective, Novogratz comes from a background in the financial field. Currently Novogratz is on the board of directors for Fortress Investment Group and is a Co-Chief Investment Officer for the Fortress Macro Fund and Drawbridge Global Macro Fund. Through his professional success, Novogratz previously earned a position on the Forbes annual list of world billionaires. Additionally Novogratz serves in various executive positions for numerous organizations including The Friends of the Hudson River Park, Acumen Fund, NYU Langone Medical Center, Princeton Varsity Club and the Jazz Foundation of America. With regards to wrestling, Novogratz participated in collegiate wrestling when he attended Princeton University. While competing, Novogratz twice qualified for the NCAA Championship. While Novogratz's successes in each individual field are remarkable, his business-wrestling joint ventures made him the optimal candidate for the keynote speaker position. In 2006 Novogratz served as the Chairman of the Board for Beat the Streets New York, a non-profit organization located in New York City that's goal is to help youth in underserved communities reach their full athletic and human potential through learning and participating in the sport of amateur wrestling. In addition to this involvement, Novogratz works as a booster and spokesperson for USA Wrestling. Novogratz furthers serves as an Honorary Chairman of the USA Wrestling Foundation. For all of his contributions to and achievements in the sport, Novogratz was named the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's 2007 Outstanding American and the USA Wrestling's 2010 Man of the Year. The Pre-Event Social, sponsored by the Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) and the Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network (GWWBN), will take place Saturday, November 2 at the George Mason University Patriot Center from 5:00-6:30pm, prior to the wrestling action beginning at 7:15 pm. The event will serve as a mixer for coaches, sponsors and professionals to unite the business and wrestling communities as one. To attend the social, individuals will be required to pay a $100 fee or can purchase a pass to the social and a VIP ticket to the All Star Classic for $150. To get tickets to the social, visit the WIBN site: http://www.wrestlersinbusiness.org/dc. For more information about the event visit the NWCA All-Star Classic page. About the NWCA Founded in 1928, the NWCA strives to promote and provide leadership for the advancement of amateur wrestling, primarily at the scholastic and collegiate levels. The association is headquartered in Manheim Pa. The three core competencies are coaching development, student-wrestler welfare, and promotion/advocacy. The NWCA has 10,000 members and educational programs that serve 230,000 students each year. About George Mason University (GMU) Was established in 1957 and obtained university status in 1972. George Mason University is located in Fairfax Virginia has 32,000 students. The GMU wrestling program has a rich tradition as evidenced by having advanced 41 different wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships, two wrestlers achieved All American status one time and one wrestler achieved All American status two times. The head coach is Joe Russell and he is in his 2nd year. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The WIBN-Washington DC Chapter consists of prominent business leaders in the Washington DC metropolitan region. The organization was originally formed in September 2012 under the name of the Greater Washington Wrestlers in Business Network and more recently merged with the Wrestlers in Business Network (headquartered in Cleveland OH) to form a national Wrestlers in Business Network. The purpose of this organization is to support amateur wrestling activities in major cities across America.

USA Wrestling has announced that 2013 Junior World champion Kyle Snyder of Woodbine, Maryland will compete in a special freestyle exhibition match against Canada's Yiannis Narlidis at 96 kilos/211.5 lbs. prior to the start of the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic on Saturday, November 2. The NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by the U.S. Marine Corps, is an annual tradition featuring challenge matches between top college wrestlers, and will be hosted at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Exhibition matches will begin at 6:45 p.m., with the college bouts to follow at 7:00 p.m. Snyder is currently a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete, and is returning home to the region where he developed into the nation's top high school star. Snyder is currently a senior in high school and is attending school in Colorado Springs, Colo. He will not participate in the high school folkstyle season this year, focusing entirely on freestyle wrestling. Snyder has committed to attend Ohio State University. Snyder was named the ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year after his junior season at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Maryland, where he is a three-time National Prep School champion. He won both the FILA Junior National Championships and FILA Junior World Team Trials this spring in freestyle. In 2012, he was the Greco-Roman champion and freestyle bronze-medalist at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Nationals. In 2011, he was the freestyle champion and Greco-Roman champion at the ASICS/Vaughan Cadet Nationals. "I am very excited. It is an awesome event. I went to it last year, and really enjoyed seeing Kyle Dake wrestle David Taylor and the other matches. I was hoping to wrestle in the event in college. I will get to wrestle there a year earlier and in my hometown. Pretty much my whole family with be there to watch me wrestle," said Snyder. Snyder is looking forward to getting back on the mat, after his amazing achievement this summer, when he won the FILA Junior World Championships (for athletes 17-20 years old) at the age of 17 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He has been training daily at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. "Everything has been great. I took a 15 day break after the Junior World Championships. I have been training hard ever since. Coaches Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick have been running practice, and I have been getting better. I am wrestling guys like Dustin Kilgore and Garrett Ryan, getting better in the positions I need to work on and finetuning areas that I have had past success," said Snyder. Narlidis competed at the 2013 Junior World Championships in freestyle for Canada in the same weight class as Snyder, placing 14th in the standings. Narlidis was third in the 2013 Senior Canada Cup and was the Ontario Junior champion. He has won Greco-Roman National titles in Canada on the Junior and Juvenile levels. Narlidis is currently ranked No. 7 in Senior freestyle in Canada by 49North.com. "I couldn't ask for a better matchup for myself than Kyle Snyder. He's the guy that won the World title this year at my weight class. I want this exhibition match to prove to myself it could have been anybody's day in Sofia, Bulgaria," Narlidis said. Narlidis is looking forward to wrestling alongside the All-Star Classic, where he has a chance to display his skills in front of a large audience. "Wrestling at the All-Star Classic will be huge, and something I won't forget. You don't get these opportunities everyday, so I'm glad I could jump on it. Hopefully we put on an exciting match, to show the fans what freestyle wrestling is all about as well as help raise awareness for Olympic Wrestling," said Narlidis. Snyder has not previously wrestled Narlidis in any competition. USA Wrestling will be announcing another international wrestling match which will also be held alongside the NWCA All-Star Classic in the upcoming days. Hosting the event are George Mason University and the Wrestlers in Business Network – Washington DC Chapter. Tickets can be ordered online through Ticketmaster at the following URL: http://www.ticketmaster.com/2013-nwca-all-star-classic-fairfax-virginia-11-02-2013/event/15004B1CAE85423C?artistid=1911545&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=27 In addition, USA Wrestling will be working with the Wrestlers in Business Network and Beat the Streets USA to present the WIBM Middle School All-Star Dual Meet on Friday, November 1 at George Mason University. For more information on the NWCA All-Star Classic, visit the NWCA website at: http://www.nwcaonline.com KYLE SNYDER, Woodbine, Maryland Born: November 20, 1995 • 2013 FILA Junior World Champion in freestyle • 2013 U.S. FILA Junior World Team Trials champion • 2013 U.S. FILA Junior Nationals champion • 2013 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year • Three-time Prep School National champion for Good Council High School in Maryland • 2012 U.S. Junior National Greco-Roman champion and freestyle bronze-medalist • 2011 U.S. Cadet National champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman • U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete YIANNIS NARLIDIS, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Born: February 1, 1993 • 14th in 2013 Junior World Championships • Third in 2013 Senior Canada Cup • 2013 Ontario Junior champion • 2012 Canadian Junior Greco-Roman champion • 2011 Canadian Juvenile Greco-Roman champion • Ranked No. 7 in Canada on Senior level in freestyle by 49North.com • Competes for Team Impact 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. About the NWCA Founded in 1928, the NWCA strives to promote and provide leadership for the advancement of amateur wrestling, primarily at the scholastic and collegiate levels. The association is headquartered in Manheim Pa. The three core competencies are coaching development, student-wrestler welfare, and promotion/advocacy. The NWCA has 10,000 members and educational programs that serve 230,000 students each year. About George Mason University (GMU) Was established in 1957 and obtained university status in 1972. George Mason University is located in Fairfax Virginia has 32,000 students. The GMU wrestling program has a rich tradition as evidenced by having advanced 41 different wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships, two wrestlers achieved All American status one time and one wrestler achieved All American status two times. The head coach is Joe Russell and he is in his 2nd year. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The WIBN-Washington DC Chapter consists of prominent business leaders in the Washington DC metropolitan region. The organization was originally formed in September 2012 under the name of the Greater Washington Wrestlers in Business Network and more recently merged with the Wrestlers in Business Network (headquartered in Cleveland OH) to form a national Wrestlers in Business Network. The purpose of this organization is to support amateur wrestling activities in major cities across America.

The 2013 Super 32 Challenge takes place Oct. 26-27, 2013, in Greensboro, N.C. The final 2012-13 InterMat rankings featured 96 wrestlers that competed in the 2012 Super 32 Challenge. This includes six wrestlers that ended the season ranked first in the nation -- Super 32 Challenge champions Nick Suriano, Joey Dance, Zain Retherford, Mark Hall, and Kyle Snyder; along with Aaron Pico, who finished as runner-up in the tournament. Also of interest is that Snyder was named the InterMat Wrestler of the Year, while Retherford was selected as the national winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. In addition, over 200 participants from the 2012 Super 32 won a state title, New England Regional title, or National Prep championship at season's end. Below is a weight-by-weight preview of this year's event. Weight class entries are subject to change. 106: Four sophomores who ended their freshman seasons ranked nationally at this weight class lead the way in this year's opening weight of the Super 32 Challenge. Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.) was a state champion, and won last year's Preseason Nationals in this weight class; Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Tex.) won a National Prep title, and also was a Cadet freestyle national champion this summer; Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.) was fourth at state, and third at the FloNationals; while Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio) was a state champion, and champion at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. Top tier freshmen are also among the contenders in this weight class, led by Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), who was a Super 32 Challenge middle school division champion before winning a New York high school state title at 99 pounds. Diakomihalis is ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2017, and is joined by another pair of ranked incoming freshmen in No. 24 Paxton Rosen (Edmond North, Okla.) and No. 25 Austin DeSanto (Exeter, Pa.) Notable veteran wrestlers in this weight class include state champion Devon Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.), who was also champion at the FILA Cadet freestyle nationals in May; state runner-up Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), who was third in freestyle at the Junior Nationals this summer; state champion Toribio Navarro (Bradley Central, Tenn.); along with Junior folkstyle champion Christopher Lacayo (Santiago Corona, Calif.) Ten additional All-Americans from Fargo this summer are featured in this weight class, including Cadet National Greco-Roman champion Joey Prata (St. Christopher's, Va.) and Cadet National freestyle champion Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) 113: Seven of the eight placers in last year's Super 32 Challenge at 106 pounds return to the tournament in this weight class, led by the two finalists, Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) and Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.). Suriano went on to be an undefeated state champion during his freshman year of high school, and is No. 5 overall nationally in the Class of 2016; while Lee is the top incoming freshman nationally, was runner-up at the FloNationals, and was champion in freestyle at the FILA Cadet Nationals. Last year's final was a 4-3 classic won by Suriano on a takedown right before the end of the match. Among other returning placers, Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio) went onto win a state title, take third in Cadet freestyle, and is ranked nationally in the Class of 2015; Brandon Olsen (Indian River, Va.) finished second at state in the 113-pound weight class; Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) won the Walsh Ironman, but was only third at his state tournament; Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.) went onto win a state title, was fourth in Cadet Greco-Roman, and is ranked nationally in the Class of 2016; while Hayden Lee (Marysville, Ohio) went on to place at state for a second consecutive year. This very deep weight class also features another nationally ranked wrestler from the Class of 2016 and two more from the Class of 2017 respectively. Two-time state champion Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.) is ranked No. 16 nationally among all sophomores, won a NHSCA Freshman Nationals title, and was a FILA Cadet National Greco-Roman champion; returning Super 32 Challenge middle school champion Eric Hong (Georgetown Prep, Md.) is ranked No. 7 overall among freshmen, and has a fourth place finish at the FloNationals along with a double All-American finish at the Cadet Nationals to his credit before starting high school; while Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) is ranked No. 11 in the Class of 2017. Seven other wrestlers in this weight class were All-Americans in Fargo this past summer, including Junior Greco-Roman champion Brandon Staley (Winter Springs, Fla.) and Junior double All-American Isaac Jimenez (Coronado, Tex.). Also meriting attention in this weight class are state champion Christian Moody (Collinsville, Okla.); three-time state placer Christian Clary (Dayton Christian, Ohio); and Ethan McCoy (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), who was a National Prep runner-up and placed at the Flo Nationals. 120: Among the favorites in this weight class are three of the nation's most elite seniors, all of whom finished the 2012-13 season ranked in the top five at 113 pounds. Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.) ended the season number one at the weight class, and is No. 25 overall among seniors nationally. He is a two-time state champion, and a FILA Cadet Nationals champion this past May. Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.) was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge last year, champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, and is a three-time state champion; he is No. 43 overall in the Class of 2014. Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) is a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, finished second to Russell at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, and has finished fifth twice in Junior freestyle; he is ranked No. 51 overall in the senior class. Six other wrestlers in this talent heavy weight class placed at the FloNationals this past April. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) was champion of the 106-pound weight class, has also placed third twice in the Super 32 Challenge, and is ranked No. 6 overall in the sophomore class. Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville, N.Y.) was runner-up at 113 pounds, is a two-time state champion, and stands No. 30 overall in the Class of 2015. Jake Gromacki (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.) is now a two-time FloNationals placer, a three-time state placer, and placed in the Super 32 last year. Two-time state finalist Markus Simmons (Broken Arrow, Okla.) was fifth at 113 pounds. State champion George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) finished sixth at 113, and is ranked No. 26 overall in the sophomore class. State champion Kyle Akins (Sycamore, Ill.) was seventh at 113 pounds, and followed that up with a third place finish in freestyle at the Junior Nationals. Finally, Tyrone Klump (Nazareth, Pa.) placed third at state and fifth in the FloNationals, both at 106 pounds. Eleven additional wrestlers were All-Americans this past summer in Fargo. Among that group are Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Skyler Petry (Watertown, Minn.), Cadet double finalist Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), and Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Chris Debien (Cleveland, Tenn.) Other notable wrestlers in the tournament include state champion and three-time state placer Luis Gonzalez (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), returning Super 32 Challenge placer A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.), and NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Radley Gillis (Archbishop McCarthy, Fla.) 126: If one thinks the 120-pound weight class was crazy deep with talent, just check out this one that features six top 100 overall seniors. That group is led by No. 23 Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) and No. 27 Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.). Thorn is a three-time state champion, who in 2012 was both a champion in freestyle at both Junior Nationals and the FILA Cadet Nationals; while Millhof is a two-time state champion, who won both the Super 32 Challenge and NHSCA Junior Nationals during the 2012-13 season. Other top 100 seniors include No. 66 Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.), a three-time state champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer; No. 67 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), a two-time state runner-up and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer; No. 68 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.), a three-time state champion who was runner-up at the Super 32 last year; and No. 88 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), a two-time state placer who placed fifth at the Super 32 in 2010. Further augmenting that group is four top 50 juniors and a pair of top 50 sophomores. Leading the junior group is No. 23 Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), a two-time state champion and 2012 Preseason Nationals champion; returning Super 32 placer Jared Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.) is No. 29 in the Class of 2015, and was third at the FloNationals; three-time state champion Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.) is No. 43 among juniors, and was runner-up at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals; while No. 49 Brandon James (Perry Meridian, Ind.) is a returning Super 32 placer, and was a Junior National freestyle All-American this summer at 126 pounds. Ranked No. 21 overall in the sophomore class, Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) finished as runner-up in both styles at the Cadet Nationals this past summer; while No. 31 Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.) was runner-up at National Preps, and champion at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. 2011 Super 32 placer James Flint (Brandon, Fla.), a four-time state finalist, is among four other wrestlers in this field to have earned an All-American finish in Fargo this past summer. Other returning Super 32 Challenge placers include New England regional champion Kevin Jack (Danbury, Conn.) and two-time state placer Christian Innarrella (Delbarton, N.J.). Additional state champions meriting attention in this field are NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Anthony Tutolo (Lake Catholic, Ohio), Junior National folkstyle champion Trae Blackwell (Union County, Ky.), Deondre Wilson (Warren Central, Ind.), Eli Seipel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.) 132: Like the previous weight class, six top 100 seniors are present in the field. This group is led by No. 34 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), a three-time state champion and two-time Preseason Nationals champion; No. 45 Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.) is also a three-time state champion, and this summer placed third in Junior freestyle; No. 55 Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.) is a four-time state champion and was a NHSCA Junior Nationals champion this spring; No. 58 Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen, N.J.) won state this past year, is a three-time state placer, a returning Super 32 placer, and was third in both the NHSCA Junior Nationals and Junior Greco-Roman; No. 62 Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills, N.J.) won state in 2012, is a three-time state placer, and was third in the FloNationals; while No. 93 Bryce Meredith (Cheyenne Central, Wyo.) is a three-time state champion and two-time Junior National freestyle All-American. This field also gets a significant boost from the presence of three top 20 overall juniors, led by two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.). Ranked No. 6 in his grade, Kemerer was champion in this tournament at 106 pounds in 2011, is a two-time state runner-up, and was an All-American in Junior freestyle this summer. Another high end junior is No. 10 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), who was champion in 2012-13 at the Super 32 Challenge, Pennsylvania Class AAA tournament, and the FloNationals; while No. 19 Keegan Moore (Putnam City, Okla.) was a state champion this past year. A further talent injection is provided by three nationally ranked sophomores: No. 32 Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) placed third at state, No. 33 Chris Mauriello (Hauppauge, N.Y.) was a NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion, while No. 37 Griffin Parriott (New Prague, Minn.) is a two-time state placer and a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American. In addition, incoming freshman Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.) is ranked No. 23 overall in that grade. Six additional wrestlers in this field have earned All-American honors in Fargo during the course of their high school careers. Notable among this group are Tate Robinson (The Baylor School, Tenn.), three-time state champion Will Steltzen (Collinsville, Okla.), and Cadet freestyle runner-up Jonathan Ross (Northern York, Pa.). Four others in the field were placers at the FloNationals this past year: three-time state placer Cody Burcher (Claymont, Ohio), two-time state placer Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.), three-time state champion Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.), and state placer Kent Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.) Also meriting attention in this weight class are two-time state placer Chase Zemenak (Nazareth, Pa.), New England regional champion Christian Monserrat (Methuen, Mass.), and returning Super 32 Challenge placer Colby Ems (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) 138: A quartet of top 100 seniors anchor the field in this weight class, which led by No. 15 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.), a two-time state champion who placed third at the Super 32 last year and second at the FloNationals. Others in this group include No. 70 Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian, Ind.), a two-time state finalist and state champ this past year; No. 86 Brock Zacherl (Brookville, Pa.), a two-time state placer who was third at the FloNationals this spring; and No. 99 Tanner Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.), a three-time state placer and state champ this past year. Seven additional wrestlers in this field were All-Americans in Fargo this past summer, a group led by three-time state finalist Jonce Blayclock (Berryhill, Okla.), who was sixth in Junior freestyle at 138 pounds. Others include two-time state champion Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.), who also finished third at the FloNationals; Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Blake Clevenger (Kearney, Mo.); along with Cadet Greco-Roman runners-up in Logan Kass (Benilde St. Margaret's, Minn.) and Patricio Lugo (South Dade, Fla.) Two other wrestlers – in addition to Nolf, Zacherl, and Oliver – placed at the FloNationals this past April: state placer Jesse Rodgers (North Allegheny, Pa.), who was sixth at 132 pounds; and state runner-up Zac Carson (Uniontown Lake, Ohio), eighth at that same weight class. Other notables in this tournament field include returning Super 32 placer Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.), a two-time state placer and ranked No. 26 in the Class of 2015; two-time state champion Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa), ranked No. 45 in the Class of 2015; NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Clay Walker (Eastside, S.C.); state placer Justin Thomas (Santiago Corona, Calif.), who is ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2016; Super 32 middle school champion Kyle Lawson (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2017; along with Cadet folkstyle champion Carver James (Dakota, Ill.) 145: This is yet another very deep weight class with five top 100 seniors and four top 50 juniors, including the pair of wrestlers who met in last year's final for this weight class: Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) and Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.), Leeth winning the match by injury default. Ranked No. 12 overall in the senior class, Chishko is after a rare fifth Super 32 Challenge placement finish (previously 8-5-3-2), and is a three-time state placer after winning state last season. Leeth is No. 40 in the Class of 2014, a three-time state finalist (two-time champion), and finished fifth in both the FloNationals and Junior National freestyle championships this past off-season. Lead among the other ranked seniors is No. 18 Joseph Galasso (Father Judge, Pa.), a three-time state placer who won state this past year, and was eighth in last year's Super 32 Challenge after finishing second in the 2012 FloNationals. Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.) is ranked No. 20 in the senior class as a three-time National Prep placer, champion this past year, and also won Outstanding Wrestler honors at last December's Beast of the East; while two-time state runner-up Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.) is No. 69 overall in the Class of 2014. In the anchor position among juniors is Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), who was fourth at the Super 32 Challenge last year and is No. 3 overall in the Class of 2015. Massa also was runner-up at the FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle, third in freestyle at the FILA Junior Nationals, and a state champion during 2013. Next among the juniors is No. 11 Tommy Forte (Mishawaka, Ind.), a state champion and Junior National folkstyle runner-up. Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) is ranked No. 18, a two-time state placer, and a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American; while two-time state placer Paden Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.) is No. 34 overall among juniors. Four other wrestlers in this field earned an All-American finish in Fargo this past summer, head among them is Phil Downing (Broomfield, Colo.), a three-time state champion who has placed sixth in Junior Greco-Roman each of the last two years. Others in this field meriting attention are returning Super 32 placer Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.), who has also placed three times at National Preps; former National Prep placer Nick Bennett (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.); state runner-up Frankie Garcia (Norwich, N.Y.); two-time state runner-up Aaron Hartman (Palm Harbor University, Fla.); and state placer Michael Longo (Santiago Corona, Calif.) 152: A trio of top 100 seniors and a pair of top 50 juniors head the field in this weight class. Leading that group is three-time state champion Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio), who was runner-up at the Walsh Ironman this past December and is ranked No. 22 in the Class of 2014. Two-time National Prep champion Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.) was runner-up at the FloNationals, and is No. 32 in the Class of 2014; while third among the Class of 2014 trio is No. 80 Zach Kelly (The Kiski School, Pa.), a two-time National Prep placer, who was sixth at the Super 32 last year and third in Junior freestyle this summer. Notable among the juniors is three-time state champion Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.), who is ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2015, placed third in last year's Super 32 and was a FloNationals champion in 2012 among three placing finishes in that tournament. The other nationally ranked junior is No. 50 Zach Hertling (Ocean Township, N.J.), a two-time state placer who also won a title at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Six other wrestlers in this field have earned All-American honors in Fargo during the course of their career. Among that group is three-time state runner-up Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.), state champion Colstin DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.), and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Corbin Allen (Hanover, Va.). Three others join Hertling and Allen in winning NHSCA grade-level nationals titles this past April: Cody Hughes (Marshwood, Maine), a two-time New England regional placer who won at the sophomore level; along with Daniel Bullard (Archer, Ga.) and Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.), who both won freshman titles. Additional notables in the field include state champion Louis Hernandez (Mepham, N.Y.), two-time former state champion Hunter Sutton (Churchill, Md.), New England regional champion Christian LaBrie (Exeter, R.I.), and 2012 state champion Austin Eades (Jenks, Okla.) 160: Two of the nation's best seniors who did not win a state title during the 2012-13 season stand out at the head of this field. Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) is ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2014, and did win state as a sophomore before falling to Chance Marsteller in his state finals bout last year. Peppelman is a three-time state placer (5-1-2), and a two-time Super 32 placer. Jonathan Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.) is ranked No. 28 in the senior class, and a three-time state placer (8-3-2). During the 2012-13 season, he also finished third at the Super 32 Challenge and was a FloNationals champion. Three wrestlers in this field earned All-American honors in Fargo during the past summer. Among them are Christian Stackhouse (Riverside, N.J.), who was third in Junior freestyle; and Logan Breitenbach (Archbishop Spalding, Md.), who is also a two-time National Prep placer. Additional wrestlers to watch in this weight class are state champion and two-time state finalist Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.), state runner-up and FloNationals placer Jordan Atienza (Franklin, Mich.), National Prep placer Dom Scalise (The Kiski School, Pa.), New England champion Andrew LaBrie (Exeter, R.I.), Preseason Nationals champion and two-time state finalist (state champ this past year) Dayton Racer (Apple Valley, Minn.), two-time state finalist and state champ this past year Michael Hamilton (Bartlesville, Okla.), state placer and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio), and three-time state placer Austin Reese (Mechanicsburg, Ohio). 170: The nation's top-ranked senior Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) anchors the field in this weight class. Marsteller is undefeated for his high school career, a three-time state champion, and seeks a second Super 32 Challenge title having won this tournament at 160 pounds in 2011. His weight class does feature three other top 100 ranked Class of 2014 prospects in No. 75 Andrew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), No. 92 Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 96 Ryan Harris (Beachwood, Ohio). Garcia is a three-time state finalist, two-time state champion, and was seventh in Junior freestyle this past summer. White is a two-time National Prep placer, and has finished third the last two summers in Junior Greco-Roman. Harris is a three-time state placer, finishing as undefeated state champ this past year, and was seventh in last year's Super 32 at 152 pounds. Four wrestlers in this tournament placed in this past April's NHSCA Junior Nationals. Lead among them is state champion Adis Radoncic (Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy, N.Y.), who was fifth at 170 pounds. Others included two-time state champion Jake Henson (Pope, Ga.), state champion Nick Weldon (Clay-Chalkville, Ala.), and Derek Holcomb (Newark Valley, N.Y.) Other notable wrestlers in this field include Travis Linton (Rootstown, Ohio), a state champion who was fifth at the FloNationals; two-time state finalist T.J. O'Hara (Tartan, Minn.), who won state in 2012 and was third at the Preseason Nationals; three-time state placer Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio); two-time New England regional runner-up Brad Drover (North Andover, Mass.); state runner-up Steven Schneider (MacArthur, N.Y.); two-time National Prep placer Bryce Pappas (St. Mary's, Md.); two-time state champion and FILA Cadet double All-American Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.); and state champion Jacob Cooper (Springport, Mich.) 182: Two top 100 seniors headline the field in this weight class, No. 46 Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) and No. 71 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe, Pa.). Dixon is a three-time state placer, who won state this past year, and was sixth in Junior freestyle at 170 pounds; while Zavatsky is a two-time state placer, and was third in the FloNationals at 170 this spring. Four Pennsylvania state placers are among the other more notable wrestlers in this field: Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs), Tom Sleigh (DuBois), Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown), and Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic). Sponseller is a two-time placer, having finished third and second the last year years; Sleigh placed third this past year, and also took sixth at the FloNationals in April; Reynolds was fourth at state, and a match away from placing at the Super 32 last year; while Loiseau was fifth at state. Others to watch include National Prep champion Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who also placed fourth and second in New York the two years prior; Cadet Greco-Roman champion Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.), who also was champion at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and third at National Preps; Cadet freestyle runner-up Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio), who placed fifth at state as a freshman and is ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2016; two-time state placer Armani Robinson (Greeneview, Ohio), who also was an All-American at the FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle; NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Malik McDonald South View, N.C.); state runner-up Jared Langley (Newton, Kans.); and state placer Nick Costa (Brick Memorial, N.J.) 195: Four of the nation's elite seniors anchor the field in this weight class: No. 57 Nathan Rose (Sibley East, Minn.), No. 72 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.), No. 78 Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.), and No. 81 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.). Rose is a two-time state champ, who won the Preseason Nationals title last year, and was champion at both the NHSCA freshman and sophomore nationals; Ness is a three-time state champ, who was fourth at the Super 32 last year, and runner-up at the FloNationals in April; White was a state champion this past year, and finished third in Junior freestyle this summer; while Dixon finished as a state runner-up, and was second in Junior freestyle this summer. Two excellent sophomores, both of whom were champions at this past April's NHSCA Freshman Nationals, are also among the field in this weight class: No. 22 Matthew Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.) and No. 36 Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.). Correnti placed eighth at state, and took third in Cadet freestyle this summer; while Phipps qualified for state and took sixth in Cadet freestyle. Another pair of wrestlers in this field placed eighth at the FloNationals: Teddy Warren (Dundee, Mich.), who was also a state champion in 2012-13; and Bailey Faust (Lexington, Ohio), who qualified for state in 2012-13 and also earned double All-American honors at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo. Additional notable wrestlers in this field include state placers Ralph Normandia (Franklin, N.J.) and Nic Weber (Kings Park, N.Y.), NHSCA Junior Nationals All-American Michael Oxley (Christian Brothers Academy, N.J.), state champions Alec Shunnarah (Hoover, Ala.) and Anthony Mancini (Salesanium, Del.), along with Cadet National double All-American Randy Scott (Mooresville, Ind.) 220: Two of the wrestlers with an All-American finish in Fargo on the resume stand at the head of the field in this weight class. The first of the pair is Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), a two-time state finalist, state champion this past year, who also was a Junior freestyle All-American in 2012 and is ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2014. During his freshman season, Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge, second at the state tournament and FloNationals, and was a Cadet Nationals double All-American; he is ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2016. Another pair of wrestlers joins Wood as returning place-winners in the Super 32 Challenge. Christian Jenco (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) placed third in this weight class last year, while NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Trent Allen (South Brunswick, N.C.) placed sixth. Other wrestlers to watch in this field include returning state placer Jake Temple (Avella, Pa.), two-time state finalist and NHSCA Junior Nationals third place finisher Matthew Moore (Apalachee, Ga.), New England regional runner-up Ian Butterbrodt (St. Johns, Mass.); Rafael Rokosz (Southampton, N.Y.), a Junior Greco-Roman All-American; two-time state placer Jerry Thornberry (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio); along with a pair of state runners-up in Ben Cruz (Osceola, Fla.), John Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.), and Oliver McKenzie (Waynesboro, Va.) 285: Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) has been in the finals the last two years in the 220-pound weight class, winning as a sophomore before falling to future college teammate Kyle Snyder in last year's final at the Super 32. However, the three-time state champion and No. 9 overall Class of 2014 prospect, moves up a weight class for this year's tournament. He'll enter as the favorite, but a group of five notable seniors will be among the challenge pack. Leading that group is two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Jake Scanlan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who has placed fourth the last two years at the Iowa state tournament. Haines is also joined in this weight class by the defending weight class champion at the Super 32 in Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.), a New England regional champion who earned double All-American honors at the Junior Nationals this summer after placing fifth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in April. State champion Patrick Garren (Bishop Ready, Ohio) placed fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals after finishing fifth at the Super 32 Challenge last year. Logan Turner (Cave Spring, Va.) missed the 2012-13 season, but placed third at state in 2012 and was sixth in the Super 32 last year; while Austin Underwood (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) was a state runner-up and seventh in the Super 32 down one weight class last season. Others to watch include state champion Patton Gossett (White Knoll, S.C.), FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion Gavin Jolley-Little (Jeffersonville, Ind.), NHSCA Junior Nationals All-American Dakota Bell (North Wilkes, N.C.), and FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up Nick Nader (Gahanna Lincoln, Ohio).

Related: Results EAST HANOVER, N.J. -- Two weeks before the Super 32 Challenge, Sunday's Iron Horse Invitational provided an excellent chance for many of the top wrestlers in New Jersey -- and some from the surrounding areas -- to tune up against high-level competition. The format of the event featured 28 different four or five-person groups of wrestlers competing in round-robin pools against one another. Jesse WebbThere were no weight classes, as the groups were pre-arranged to maximize the competition, and group wrestlers of similar ability together. After the day of competition in Hanover Park, N.J., the field could say they got in a very good day of work. Among the day's shining stars was a pair of wrestlers who won Super 32 Challenge titles in the high school division last year, Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) and Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.). Suriano went an undefeated 3-0 with an opening round 9-1 win over state champion Kyle Quinn (Wantagh, N.Y.), a 5-0 win over freshman Nick Santos (St. Peter's Prep), and a 5-3 win over another state champion in Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.). Suriano, who was an undefeated state champion during his freshman year, is ranked No. 5 overall in the Class of 2016; while Diakomihalis is the No. 4 ranked overall Class of 2017 wrestler. Webb, a New England regional champion bound for Ohio University next fall, won all four of his matches on Sunday. His day opened with a 7-1 win over state qualifier Adrian Oceguera (Union City, N.J.), and then followed with a 3-2 win over state placer Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.). After a forfeit win against state placer Jose Palomino (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), Webb's day closed with a 3-1 overtime win over state qualifier Andrew Pacheco (Warren Hills, N.J.) Joining Suriano as grade-level ranked wrestlers to win titles at the Iron Horse Invitational were Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.), Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville, N.Y.), Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills, N.J.), David McFadden (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), and Christian Dietrich (Greene, N.Y.) Curry, ranked No. 38 in the Class of 2016, went 4-0 on Sunday. The sophomore, who was fourth at state and third in the FloNationals, picked up a 6-0 win over state runner-up Matteo DeVincenzo (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) in his opening match. Curry then had a bye and a 7-3 win before beating state placer Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) 3-0 and earning a 7-0 win over nationally ranked eighth grader Andrew Merola (New Jersey) 7-0. Arujau, ranked No. 11 in the Class of 2017 and a high school state runner-up last year in eighth grade, went 3-0 with a 5-3 overtime win against state qualifier Owen McClave (Toms River South, N.J.), a 4-0 win over state placer Jesse Dellavacchia (East Islip, N.Y.), and a 4-1 win over state placer Dean Ceravela (Caldwell, N.J.) Two-time state champion Piccinnini, a FloNationals runner-up, is ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2015. He went 4-0 on Sunday, starting with a 3-0 win over state placer Bryan Damon (Jefferson, N.J.). He followed that with a 15-0 technical fall victory over state qualifier William Kui (DePaul Catholic, N.J.). The domination continued with an 8-1 win over state placer A.J. Vindici (Randolph, N.J.), and concluded with a 3-0 win over 2012 state champion Anthony Cefolo (Hanover Park, N.J.) Two-time state runner-up Moisey, a 2012 FloNationals champion, is ranked No. 67 overall in the Class of 2014. He went 4-0 on Sunday, starting with a 49 second pin over state qualifier Sam Cali (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.). Moisey's next match was an 8-3 victory over FloNationals placer Travis Passaro (Eastport South Manor, N.Y.), and was followed up by a 6-3 win over a New Jersey opponent. His final match was a 2-1 victory over Jared Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.), a 2012 Super 32 placer, who is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2015. Three-time state placer Magaldo is ranked No. 62 in the Class of 2014, and was a 2012 state champion. He went 4-0 on Sunday, and the day started with a pair of easy wins, a third period pin over Max Nauta (Warren Hills, N.J.) and a 12-2 major decision Sam Morina (Paulsboro, N.J.). Competition would toughen up, as Magaldo upended two-time state placer Chase Zemenak (Nazareth, Pa.) 6-2 in the day's third round. Then, after a fourth round bye, Magaldo's last match was a very tightly contested 3-2 victory over two-time state placer Connor Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.) Two-time state placer, and 2012 state runner-up, McFadden is ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2015. He went 4-0 on Sunday afternoon; however, it was against four wrestlers who did not place in a state tournament last season. Only Collin Boylan (Hunterdon Central, N.J.) even qualified for state. It was Boylan who gave McFadden his toughest match of the day, losing 2-0; however, Boylan lost two other matches to finish fourth of the five wrestlers in the round-robin. Finally among the grade-level ranked wrestlers is Dietrich, runner-up at 170 pounds as a freshman and fourth at the FloNationals. Ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2016, Dietrich went 4-0 on Sunday. The day started with an 8-5 win over state qualifier Nick DePalma (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), and continued with a 3-1 win over New England regional third place finisher Johnny Garcia (Danbury, Ct.). Next was his toughest match of the day, an 8-6 overtime victory over state placer Nicholas Costa (Brick Memorial, N.J.), and the day concluded with a 5-1 victory over state placer Daniel Smith (South Jefferson, N.Y.) Other past state placers to go undefeated in the Iron Horse Invitational were Steven Simpson (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.), Pete Lipari (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), Jason Gaccione (High Point, N.J.), Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point, N.Y.), and Steven Schneider (MacArthur, N.Y.)

Related: Results Mark Hall defeated two nationally ranked wrestlers en route to winning the title (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com) BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -- It was yet another wrestling tournament for Mark Hall: an opportunity for him to showcase his elite level of talent for an interested audience. That is what the nation's No. 2 sophomore did on Saturday in Battle Creek, Mich., at the Grappler Fall Classic. Entered in the show case weight class of the tournament, Hall came out of it with the championship, but not without a couple of tests. In the semifinal round, Hall upended the nation's No. 4 sophomore Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham), 5-3, and in the final he defeated Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) -- the nation's No. 4 junior -- by 6-3 decision. Both Marinelli and Baldwin moved up a weight class from where they'll be during the season for the opportunity to compete against Hall. On the way to the final, Baldwin beat Top 100 senior Jordan Cooks (Davison, Mich.) 9-3 in the semifinal round. Logan Massa dominated his way to a title at the Grappler Fall Classic on Saturday (Photo/MichiganGrappler.com)Two other top ten wrestlers in their grade level were champions on Saturday in the Grappler Fall Classic. At 152 pounds, Logan Massa (St. John's, Mich.) -- the nation's No. 3 junior -- dominated his way to the title with three pins, a technical fall, and an injury default. One of those three pins came in the first period of the championship match against Indiana state fourth place finisher Brendon Kelly (Evansville Central). At 160 pounds, the nation's No. 8 freshman Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.) dominated his way to the title with a technical fall and then three major decisions. In fact Embree did not give up a single point during his matches on Saturday. Massa was one of three wrestlers from St. Johns to win titles. Also sitting at the top of their brackets were Zac Hall, the nation's No. 17 senior, at 140 pounds and junior Tyler Wildmo at 182 pounds. Hall had four decisive wins on the way to the title, including an 11-4 decision in the final over the tournament's giant killer Tevin Machart (Utica Ford, Mich.). In the quarterfinal, Machart upset two-time state champion Justin Oliver (Davsion, Mich.), 12-6, who placed third at the FloNationals and was a Junior Greco-Roman All-American; then, in the semis, he upset three-time state champion Colton Adams (Scottbluff, Neb.) 8-3, who is the nation's No. 34 senior. Wildmo, who was third at state last year, had three key outcomes on the way to his title. In the quarterfinal, Wildmo advanced by injury default over returning state champion Teddy Warren (Dundee, Mich.), also a FloNationals placer; he then earned a 10-2 major decision over state placer and Cadet freestyle runner-up Jackson Harris (Urbana, Ohio); and the championship match was a 7-2 decision over state champion Jacob Cooper (Springport, Mich.) Two other high school programs saw multiple wrestlers win weight class titles on Saturday at the Grappler Fall Classic: Leslie, Mich. and Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. The Storr brothers -- Kanen at 112 and Zehlin at 135 -- were those from Leslie; while Nick Bennett at 145 and James Russell at 215 won titles from Detroit Catholic Central. Most interesting matchup among those four finals was Zehlin Storr upending Austin Eicher 6-1 in a battle of two-time state finalists who both won titles this past March. Most impressive among the performances Saturday was that had by Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.). Lee, a two-time state finalist and Cadet freestyle All-American this past summer, won the 130 pound weight class with five pins from five matches. That included a pin in the finals over Junior freestyle All-American Stephen Polakowski (Libertyville, Ill.) Rounding out the weight class champions at the Grappler Fall Classic were Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) at 98 pounds, Lucas Hall (Lowell, Mich.) at 105, Josh Heil (Brunswick, Ohio) at 119, Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.) at 125, and Brian Darios (East Lansing, Mich.) at 285. Championship Match Results: 98: Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) dec. Austin Franco (Lakeshore, Mich.), 6-1 105: Lucas Hall (Lowell, Mich.) pinned Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.), 3:23 112: Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) dec. Caleb Smith (Lake Gibson, Mich.), 7-2 119: Josh Heil (Brunswick, Ohio) dec. Dresden Simon (Dansville, Mich.), 4-1 125: Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.) dec. Matt Santos (Swan Valley, Mich.), 13-6 130: Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.) pinned Stephen Polakowski (Libertyville, Ill.), 1:24 135: Zehlin Storr (Leslie, Mich.) dec. Austin Eicher (Hartland, Mich.), 6-1 140: Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich.) dec. Tevin Machart (Utica Ford, Mich.), 11-4 145: Nicholas Bennett (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) major dec. Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 9-1 152: Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) pin Brendon Kelley (Evansville Central, Ind.), 1:49 160: Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.) major dec. Tyler Grimsley (Anchor Bay, Mich.), 12-0 171: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.), 6-3 189: Tyler Wildmo (St. Johns, Mich.) dec. Jacob Cooper (Springport, Mich.), 7-2 215: James Russell (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) pinned Kendal Betteridge (Caro, Mich.), 1:05 285: Brian Darios (East Lansing, Mich.) dec. Aaron Mauldin (Wayne Memorial, Mich.), 6-0

Hempstead, NY -- Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach Rob Anspach announced today that current Hofstra graduate student and former Drexel standout Joe Booth has been granted an extension of the five-year eligibility rule by the NCAA and will compete for the Pride this season. A Bayville, New York native and a graduate of Long Island Lutheran High School, Booth earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Drexel and is pursuing an MBA at Hofstra. The three-time NCAA Championship qualifier attended Drexel from 2008 through 2013 and competed for the Dragons from 2009 through 2012 with red-shirt seasons in 2008-09 and 2012-13. “We are excited to have Joe complete his athletic eligibility while continuing his education at Hofstra University,” Anspach said. “As a graduate student and a three-time NCAA qualifier, he will provide us with talent, experience and leadership both on the mat and in the classroom. He is a great addition to our program as we enter the EIWA.” After red-shirting as a true freshman, Booth was named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestling Co-Rookie of the Year in 2010 after recording a 22-9 record, including six major decision victories and two technical falls, and placing second in the CAA Championships at 157-pounds. He posted a 1-2 mark in the NCAA Championships in Omaha. Booth was also named the CAA Rookie of the Week four times in 2009-10. As a red-shirt sophomore in 2010-11, Booth led the Dragons with a 25-11 mark including a 6-0 record in CAA dual matches. He posted a 2-2 mark and placed fourth at 165-pounds in the CAA Championships to earn his second NCAA Championship bid. Booth recorded a 2-2 slate with two major decisions at the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. He also placed fourth at the prestigious Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational during the regular season. Booth last competed for Drexel in 2011-12 when he once again led the Dragons with a 24-6 record including an 11-0 mark in duals and a 6-0 docket in the CAA. He tallied six major decisions that season and placed third, with a 3-1 record, at 165-pounds in the CAA Championships, earning him a third consecutive NCAA Championship berth. Booth was a four-time New York State champion at Long Island Lutheran High School. He posted a 47-0 mark as a senior. He was also a national prep champion and also earned Prep All-American honors in his final three seasons. The Pride will begin the 2013-14 season, their first as a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) on Sunday, November 3 when they host the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers at the Mack Sports Complex. Match time for Hofstra’s first EIWA contest is 1 p.m. For Hofstra Wrestling ticket information please call the Hofstra Athletics Box Office at (516) HOF-TIXX.

In the wake of Mitch Hull’s departure from the USA Wrestling national staff after 20 years of service, USA Wrestling has made changes to the National Team Department's structure. “It’s never pleasant losing someone like Mitch. Although he will be missed, we're using this as an opportunity to better align the National Team Department’s activities with the structure and staff in place to support them. The department has changed over the past 20 years - the competition is tougher and we’re doing more than ever in an effort to develop the best athletes in the world,” said Les Gutches, Associate Executive Director for Programs and Strategy. Gutches will continue involvement in the State Services department, but with an increasing amount of his time directed towards National Teams administration. This move is consistent with USA Wrestling’s efforts to integrate the grassroots and elite programs. Gutches will provide general oversight of the National Teams program, work with coaches to develop strategic and high-performance plans, and ensure U.S. athletes have the necessary resources to reach their potential at all levels of international competition. “As I look at the program, it is evident there are two critical activities: performance and operations. We must have a strong High Performance Plan to identify and develop talent. But we also need the means to execute training camps, competitions, developmental programs, and maintain coordination with key partners such as the Olympic Training Center, Northern Michigan University Greco Roman program, and the many Regional Training Centers across the country,” said Gutches. In order to provide support in the areas of performance and operations, USA Wrestling will split these areas of responsibility between two National Teams managers. Cody Bickley, who has headed the National Coaches Education Program for the last four years, will provide support as the National Teams High Performance Manager and Jaimie McNab will serve as the program's Operations Manager. “This is a truly unique circumstance where we are able to integrate existing skill sets into a newly-defined and improved structure. Both Cody and Jamie are perfectly suited to the roles they’re taking. Jaimie has been working with the National Teams program for over ten years. She's moving into a supervisory role where her knowledge of USA Wrestling will be an asset to the program. Cody has experience as a college athletic director and wrestling coach. He knows how to manage multiple programs with complex budgets and his attention to detail is second to none,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling’s Executive Director. Prior to Bickley joining USA Wrestling’s staff, he served as the Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations for Fort Hays State University. He was an athletic department administrator there for nine years, and also served as a wrestling coach for Fort Hays State for 11 years. "I am extremely excited about transitioning into the National Teams department. We are very fortunate to have a great staff and I look forward to working with them as we set our sights on this next quad and beyond. Being a part of this great organization and sport is an honor that I will not take that lightly. The bar is set high for USA Wrestling and we will do the work that is necessary to reach even higher,” said Bickley. Since joining the USA Wrestling staff, McNab has received a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from the respected program at the University of Northern Colorado. “I am excited about the opportunity and the restructuring. I look forward to working with Les and Cody. I believe everything will be more streamlined and efficient in helping our athletes. We are doing so much more than we have ever done before. We need to get our athletes out on the international scene, so they can grow and develop into the next Olympic and World medalists,” said McNab. While both Bickley and McNab will report to Gutches, they will in turn supervise National Teams Coordinators and interns who work with the coaches and individual teams on a daily basis. “I'm excited about the new structure and I can’t wait to hit the ground running. Les and I have worked in the State Services department since we arrived at USA Wrestling four years ago. This is a major advantage because it will help us ensure the grassroots and National Teams programs are coordinated as the organization grows,” said Bickley. Bickley’s departure from the State Services Department means that USA Wrestling is looking to hire a new Manager of National Coaches Education. “Cody will be missed in his coaches education role, but we're excited about the prospect of using this opportunity to bring another quality individual onto the staff,” said Tony Black, Director of State Services for USA Wrestling. “The position is currently open and we are taking applications, as we understand the importance this position plays in the development of coaches and athletes nationwide.”

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern volunteer assistant coach and former NCAA champion Jay Borschel will return to the mat to compete in the Tour Association of Career Wrestlers (Tour ACW). Borschel will compete in the 170 lbs. weight class. The Tour ACW competition takes place on Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Hyatt Regency. Borschel completed his first season at Northwestern in 2012-13, working with NU upper weights, where he helped Mike McMullan to the NCAA finals at 285 pounds. Borschel also worked extensively with 2013 NCAA qualifiers Lee Munster (174) and Alex Polizzi (197). Borschel helped the Wildcats finish in the top 20 at NCAA's with two All-America honors. A collegiate standout at Iowa, Borschel racked up an overall record of 98-10 at 174 lbs, was a two-time All-American and Iowa's Male Athlete of the Year in 2010. Borschel had a highly successful career at Iowa, which culminated with a national title during his senior year at the 2010 NCAA Championships.

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. The NCAA wrestling season opened up today with student-athletes attending their first official team practices. From Corvallis to Chattanooga, Ithaca to Tempe, the relaxation period of preseason has been dismissed and replaced with a series of peaks and valleys. We have all season to account for the emotional toll of the collegiate wrestling season, so let's take a moment and review the numbers many wrestlers will live in the 2013-2014 season. With an Oct. 10 start date and the NCAA tournament concluding on March 22, this year's wrestling season will last 164 days. That equates to 3936 hours of competition, or 236,160 minutes of injury maintenance, or even 14,169,600 seconds of dietary discipline. Rounded down, it's 23 weeks of not partying, or five months and 13 days of social sacrifice. My experience seems dated, but as a young, shaved-head, emaciated and cantankerous rapscallion at the University of Virginia, to me the length of the season always equated to making and then holding weight for 20 straight weeks. That wasn't an easy, or healthy chore. Assuming that my average incoming weight was something like 185 pounds (nachos are delicious) and that I wrestled 157 pounds, I'd on average, have to trim a total of 28 pounds to reach competition weight. To maintain that weight loss I'd lose all but five percent of my weight (164 pounds) and hold that from Nov. 2 - March 20. Essentially it became a 21-pound cut to start the season and a 4.4 percent bounce for every competition. It was miserable, and in retrospect, unnecessary. Are things different now? Somewhat. The focus has moved from insane weight cutting to nutrition and endurance strength. We're smarter about strength, functional fitness and nutrition now than we were in 1999. Also, the holdover influencers from the era of extreme weight loss have moved out of wrestling and are being replaced by coaches and leaders who understand that weight loss of 20 or more pounds is rarely an intelligent decision. More can still be done to trim down on the weight cut, but the direction is encouraging. Our guys look healthy in their singlets and there is far less stalling in NCAA wrestling -- a consequence of fewer emaciated wrestlers conserving their energy for big scrambles. I'm paraphrasing, but I recently heard Bill Zadick discussing weight cutting with a very talented high school wrestler. "Every moment you're in the wrestling room cutting weight is a moment you could've been working on technique and getting better," said Zadick. "Wrestling isn't fun if you're sucked out trying to lose weight. There is no enjoyment in cutting weight. You're too young for wrestling to feel like it's a job you hate. Enjoy wrestling. Wrestling is fun." I agree with Bill. To your questions ... Q: If you want to spice up the classic I have the match for you: Ben Askren vs. Jordan Burroughs in folkstyle. You know Askren would be up for it. He thinks he can beat anyone in folkstyle and loves the crowd. Would Burroughs? -- Dave A. Foley: Isn't Ben Askren a bit over-extended at the moment? He has the "Freakshow" or "Agon 1" match against Quentin Wright in Vegas and he's waiting to sign the new contract for his MMA talents. Burroughs would be quite the late write-in. However, I would hypothetically be interested in seeing these two guys hit the mats. Also, I have no idea who would win. Could Burroughs adapt back to the grind of folkstyle after three years focused on freestyle? Or would Askren be better at adapting his funky American jiu-jitsu and MMA-based tactics? Intriguing, but overall I don't think that Burroughs or Askren has much incentive to endure a seven-minute match against an opponent who could beat them and thereby ruin their reputations. Burroughs' value comes as much from his undefeated streak as it does his three World titles. Askren's value comes from being the best wrestler in MMA. Why add doubt to either assertion? Your question reminded me that there is a lot of premier post-collegiate wrestling coming up in the next month: Agon1, Tour ACW and Who's Number One. The real question about these matches aren't if they will create a buzz, or be entertaining, but if they'll be sustainable in a post-#SaveOlympicWrestling atmosphere. Right now we are in the hangover phase of some massive international attention, but that focus won't survive into 2014 and beyond. Will the wrestling community be large enough to support these matches through 2016? Q: What do you think about the ticket exchange? The further professionalization and profiteering of the NCAA wrestling tournament? -- Tom B. Foley: For those of you who haven't read the new rules for purchasing NCAA fan tickets, here is part of the press release ...PrimeSport, the official ticket and hospitality provider of the NCAA, today announced official ticket and hospitality packages and the official NCAA Ticket Exchange program are now available at the sold out 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championships. For the first time ever, college wrestling fans will be able to buy official ticket packages or buy and sell tickets with other fans quickly and easily in a safe, secure and NCAA approved marketplace. Set in Oklahoma City, OK at the world-class Chesapeake Energy Arena, the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Wrestling Championships will take place on March 20–22, 2014. For more information, read the press release. The New York Yankees created their own ticket exchange this year, which helped them preserve ticket prices and kept the market for their tickets secure from fraud. I think that it will be a brilliant way for those interested in buying after-market tickets in a stress-free environment. There is now a guarantee that your tickets are valid, you're paying a competitive price. Count me in. Q: Where is Ugi in the rankings? He is on the roster for The Citadel. Shouldn't he be ranked in the top 3-4 at 141? -- Nate M. The Citadel's Ugi placed fourth at the 2013 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: Right now Ugi is ineligible to compete in another year of NCAA competition. The Citadel has sought to get him back at least one more year of competition, but the've so far been unsuccessful. I don't know all the details behind the Citadel's efforts, but I do know that given a shred of decency and fairness the NCAA would have initially granted him a much longer term of eligibility, and when asked to revisit their decision would've given the Mongolian All-American another year of eligibility, if not two. This is yet another case of the NCAA being selectively harsh about their eligibility requirements and their absolutely ridiculous posturing about "amateurism." We'll see what the coaches are able to secure for their program's best wrestler. Q: Jay Hammond has EVERY wrestling stat in history in his database going back to WW2? -- Mike R. Foley: Yes he does. Q: A lot of young children watch WWE and think that is wrestling, and think they want to try wrestling but when they come out for folkstyle or other styles of wrestling they are discouraged because it is not what they saw on TV. What is your opinion on how to get them engaged in the -sport so they want to continue? -- Gregg Y. Foley: The recent attention paid to non-WWE wrestling has helped clear up that misunderstanding. I don't know that too many kids are under the impression that professional wrestling is actual wrestling, but were that the case, the Internet is an excellent resource at showing what the amateur side of the sport can look like at a high level. Like this ... MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Tony Ramos: The Iowa Way Lehigh Wrestling Season Promo Video Link: Twitter help? Link: How to be a good wrestler Q: You've probably got this question before, but what do you consider the toughest high school tournaments in the country? -- Henry C. Foley: There is a really good chance that I answered it differently the last time I was asked. Part of the problem is how to define "toughest" and "toughest to win." To me, California's state tournament is the "toughest to win" based on the number of participating wrestlers and tournaments you have to win. However, the top-to-bottom toughest tournament in the country is the AAA in Pennsylvania, where more NCAA All-Americans have wrestled than in any other tournament. Next would be New Jersey, California and then AA in Pennsylvania. Again, that is top-to-bottom strength, not toughest to win. And there are innumerable opinions and justifications for each of those states, but I still think it's tough to look past the absolutely amazing talent that comes out of Hershey every year. Q: InterMat and other sources recently released NCAA rankings for the upcoming season. Another source I saw listed wrestlers who were not ranked because of injury or a redshirt year (for example Kevin Steinhaus and Destin McCauley). Notably missing from the rankings is Hunter Stieber. Is he taking a redshirt year? -- Mark K. Foley: Yes, Hunter Stieber is taking a redshirt, and Steinhaus has a serious knee injury. McCauley should be competing for the starting spot, but with his redshirt status unclear and Sueflohn as the returning starter, there was a decision at InterMat to evaluate Sueflohn for the rankings until they were able to suss it out in the room. The big difference between InterMat and other media outlets is our side ranks true freshmen. (I have NOTHING to do with rankings.) InterMat chooses to rank true freshmen wrestlers based on the knowledge of the wrestler's talent and past high school and Olympic-style results. Many other sportswriters rank freshmen, which makes sense, because you can't rank a team without considering all their starters. The NCAA college basketball rankings are a great example. The NCAA voters won't exclude Kentucky when this year's NCAA basketball preseason rankings are released just because they have a team full of freshmen. In fact, they will likely do just the opposite. The freshmen-laded Kentucky squad could be ranked No. 1 in the country. When you take a look at individual performances, they do the same, awarding Harrison Barnes a preseason All-American honor in 2010 before he ever played a minute of college ball. Though I' m not on the rankings committee at InterMat, I'm very proud when I look at the shift in rankings from the start of the season until the end. There will always be movement, since wrestlers tend to develop throughout the year, but year-in and year-out, InterMat's rankings committee does a pretty swell job of giving fans an accurate lay of the college wrestling landscape -- freshmen or not. COMMENT OF THE WEEK Projected NWCA All-Star Classic lineup ... 125: Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) vs. Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) 133: A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) vs. Mason Beckman (Lehigh) 141: Tony Ramos (Iowa) vs. Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) 149: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) 157: Derek St. John (Iowa) vs. Nestor Taffur (Boston) 165: David Taylor (Penn State) vs. Michael Moreno (Iowa State) 174: Matt Brown (Penn State) vs. Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) 184: Ed Ruth (Penn State) vs. Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) 197: Taylor Meeks (Oregon State) vs. Scott Schiller (Minnesota) 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) vs. Mike McMullan (Northwestern)

New York, N.Y. -- Chris Mazzatta has been named interim head wrestling coach at Hunter College for the 2013-2014 season, announced by Director of Athletics, Intramurals and Recreation Terry Wansart. "We are excited to have Coach Mazzatta lead the wrestling program into the 2013-14 season. He has been an asset since joining the Hawk Family as an assistant. I am confident with his wrestling expertise, administrative skills and passion for the sport, Coach Mazzatta will keep us pushing the wrestling program to new levels," says Wansart. Mazzatta takes the reigns of the wrestling team from former Head Coach Mike Simmon, who is still part of the coaching staff as a consultant. Mazzatta joined Hunter College as the head assistant wrestling coach in the 2010-11 season. He quickly became a vital part of the program's recent success and turnaround. He has been especially helpful in the development of back-to-back NCAA National Qualifiers, Eduardo Delgado and Musa De'Reese. Mazzatta, no stranger to the wrestling world, had a successful five-year competitive career at the NCAA Division I level at Campbell University. As a four-year starter and two-year team captain, he was instrumental in the progress of a young team that captured a dual conference championship and two top-10 finishes in the national GPA rankings. With multiple seasons of double-digit wins, Chris placed in the competitive Pembroke Open and Sunshine Open tournaments, while also competing in the nationally recognized Southern Scuffle and Navy Classic tournaments. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Chris also garnered conference all-academic honors each of his four seasons. He capped off his collegiate career with a top-three finish at the East Region national qualifier tournament. A native of Pennsylvania, Chris accumulated over 100 career victories while breaking the all-time school wins record and becoming the school's first four-time PIAA district medalist. He was also a two-time high school folkstyle All-American wrestler. Chris earned his Bachelor's of Business Administration and Master's of Business Administration from Campbell University, located in Buies Creek, North Carolina. He is a Certified Financial Planner at U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management.

King University, a Div. II program in Tennessee, opens as the No. 1 team in the WCWA Women's College Preseason poll. Last season, King placed third in the WCWA Nationals. The team, coached by Jason Moorman, returns most of its starters from last season, including three individual athletes with No. 1 preseason rankings. The team features eight athletes who are ranked in the top three of their weight classes in the preseason rankings. Taking second in the WCWA preseason poll is Oklahoma City University, an NAIA college which placed second at the WCWA women's college nationals. OCU, coached by Archie Randall, boasts two athletes with individual preseason No. 1 rankings. Coming in third in the preseason poll is defending WCWA national champion Simon Fraser, a Div. II school from Burnaby Mountain, Canada. Mike Jones’ team features four individual No. 1 wrestlers in the preseason selections. Rounding out the top 10 are No. 4 Lindenwood, a tie for No. 5 with Jamestown and Missouri Valley, No. 7 Wayland Baptist, No. 8 Missouri Baptist, No. 9 Univ. of the Cumberlands and No. 10 Midland. There are 18 teams ranked in the preseason poll, reflecting the growth of women’s college wrestling this year. Five returning WCWA individual champions open the season with No. 1 rankings: junior Emily Webster of Oklahoma City (101), senior Victoria Anthony of Simon Fraser (109), senior Alli Ragan of King (136), senior Justina Distasio of Simon Fraser (170) and senior Jenna McLatchy of Simon Fraser (191). Anthony and Ragan were members of the 2013 U.S. Senior World Team, which placed a strong third at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The other five athletes with No. 1 rankings are junior Nikkie Brar of Simon Fraser (116), junior Sarah Hildebrandt of King (123), senior Randi Beltz of Missouri Valley (130), senior Stephanie Geltmacher of Oklahoma City (143) and junior Julia Salata of King (155). The 2014 WCWA Women’s College Nationals are scheduled for Missouri Baptist University, January 24-25 in St. Louis, Mo. View team rankings View individual rankings

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Lehigh wrestling team officially kicked off its preparations for the 2013-14 season as Thursday marked the first official day of practice. The Mountain Hawks took to the mats in their new training home, the Caruso Wrestling Complex for their first official workout. Lehigh has a full month before its dual season begins at home versus Bucknell on November 9, but just two weeks before the annual Brown and White Wrestle-offs October 24 inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. "The first day is always exciting," said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. "It's wrestling season. That's what we do. We love to wrestle. Our team loves to be in this room. We're very excited about competition next month. It's not too far away. Wrestle-offs are just two weeks away." Santoro begins his sixth season with another relatively young squad. Lehigh will look to replace a minimum of four wrestlers who competed at last year's EIWA Championships, including All-American and NCAA Finalist Robert Hamlin, EIWA Champion Shane Welsh and Alex Abreu, who all graduated in May. Just five of the 30 men on Lehigh's roster hold junior or senior eligibility. "It's a young team, but I like the way they wrestle," Santoro said. "They're exciting to watch. They're just trying to score points. When you have a young team you like to see guys who wrestle hard. That's what we're looking for." The Mountain Hawks do return all three of their 2013 EIWA Champions in senior Joey Napoli, junior Nathaniel Brown and sophomore Randy Cruz. In addition, sophomore Mason Beckman, who was selected to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic earlier this week, returns to the lineup at 133 after an impressive 2012-13 season in which he deferred his eligibility. The public wrestle-offs are just two weeks away, and while those results may not lead to final decisions, Santoro knows that wrestling has become a year-round sport and that the wrestlers will take it upon themselves to be ready to go. "It's a tight timetable, but at the end of the day these guys have been pushing themselves all year," Santoro said. "It's one of those things you just have to do. The wrestlers knew the schedule. They're prepared for that. We'll see in two weeks how everybody handles everything." For the next two weeks the goal is simple: just keep getting better. "Today is day one," Santoro said. "We're excited. We have a lot of potential. Every day we have to get better and grow and learn." Following the Brown and White Wrestle-offs on October 24, Lehigh's first full-squad competition will be the Knight Point Clarion Open on Sunday, November 3. The Mountain Hawks will open the dual season on Saturday November 9 against the Bucknell Bison at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The Bucknell match begins a stretch of four straight home duals to open the season, a stretch that includes matches with Bloomsburg, Penn State and Pittsburgh. Season and single-match tickets for Lehigh Wrestling are on sale and can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by logging on to LehighTickets.com.

FAIRFAX, Va. -- George Mason wrestling’s Sahid Kargbo has been selected to wrestle in one of the preliminary bouts of the NWCA All-Star Classic on Saturday, November 2. Kargbo, a sophomore from nearby Alexandira, Va., will wrestle senior Luke Bilyeu of West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Bilyeu is a three-time NCWA Mideast-Conference champion and a two-time NCWA All-American. He currently holds a collegiate record of 75-15. In Kargbo’s freshman season at Mason he had a 19-14 overall record and an 11-6 dual record on the season, leading the team with four major decision wins. Kargbo also represented the United States at the 2013 Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria this past August. Mason wrestling will also be hosting the 48th annual NWCA All-Star Classic, a two-day event that will feature many of the nation’s top Division 1 wrestling talent facing off in a dual meet format. The main event will take place at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, November 2 in the Patriot Center with the preliminary matchups starting at 6:45 p.m. An All-Star clinic will take place earlier in the day on Saturday at the George Mason University Field House from noon to 5 p.m. Additionally a middle school All-Star match will be held in the Field House on Friday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Mid-American Champion Missouri wrestling team has announced a couple of changes to the coaching staff, as confirmed Wednesday by Head Coach Brian Smith. Included in the changes is the promotion of former Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Marable to Volunteer Assistant, with 2013 All-American Mike Larson taking over as Assistant Strength Coach. Marable was hired on as the Assistant Strength Coach prior to the 2010-11 campaign. After serving three years in that position, he will now fill the void left by former Volunteer Assistant and 2009 heavyweight national champion, Mark Ellis. “Nick (Marable) enjoyed his position as strength coach, but he came to me and asked to be more involved in the coaching aspect,” said Smith. “Over the years, he’s really developed into a good young coach, and with (Mark) Ellis taking a position with Chattanooga, we wanted to give him an opportunity to grow even more as a coach.” A two-time All-American, Marable wrestled to a third place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, the highest finish amongst Tigers. As a senior, the Tiger grappler posted a 35-5 record, which included a 13-1 dual mark, and became the 17th Missouri wrestler in program history to join the elite 100-win club. Winner of three consecutive Big 12 titles, Marable finished his career with 116 wins, the eighth-most in Missouri history, and was awarded Missouri's Hap WhitneyCoaches Award honor in 2007 as well as Most Improved Wrestler accolades in 2008. On the heels of Marable’s promotion, Smith also announced the addition of former Tiger Mike Larson to the staff.Larson, last year’s 184-pound starter for the Tigers, will take over as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. “When Mark left, I asked (Mike) if he would be interested in coming back,” said Smith. “He was already talking to other coaches around the country who were interested in bringing him on board, but I knew that ultimately he wanted to be here. He’s a Tiger, and he’s been through the program, so now he’s back to where he belongs.” A four-time NCAA qualifier, Larsonfinally gained All-American status with an eighth-place finish last year at the NCAAs in Des Moines. He finished his career with a 101-50 career record after transferring to the Tigers from Cal-State Bakersfield. “Mike was one of the hardest workers we have ever had in the program. He has worked for everything that he has everearned, and that work ethic is what I want in our weight room. We have had a lot of recognition for our training and conditioning from other coaches nationally, and that all starts with the intensity coming from our trainers and coaches. He brings that energy and intensity to the weight room that I think is important.” Stay connected with Mizzou Wrestling by following us on Facebook and Twitter, and on MUTigers.com.

ATLANTA -- PrimeSport, the official ticket and hospitality provider of the NCAA, announced official ticket and hospitality packages and the official NCAA Ticket Exchange program are now available at the sold out 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships. For the first time, college wrestling fans will be able to buy official ticket packages or buy and sell tickets with other fans quickly and easily in a safe, secure and NCAA approved marketplace. The 2014 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships will take place on March 20-22, 2014 in Oklahoma City. “Our partnership with PrimeSport over the years has provided college sports fans with a safe, dependable and fully authorized method for securing official tickets, VIP hospitality and travel packages for several NCAA championships,” said Josh Logan, director of ticketing at the NCAA. “We are thrilled that we can now also provide The NCAA Experience and NCAA Ticket Exchange for the first time at the NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships through our partnership with PrimeSport.” Through the official NCAA DI Men’s Wrestling Championships Ticket Exchange program, PrimeSport creates a secure and approved marketplace for fans to buy and sell tickets in a convenient, safe and guaranteed environment. Ticket holders who are unable to attend a session, or find their team eliminated prior to the finals, have a place to safely sell their tickets. Buyers can be assured that the tickets are authentic and guaranteed, even if a session is sold out. The NCAA Experience program, also managed by PrimeSport, offers official ticket packages that include event tickets and access to pre-session hospitality with light hors d’oeurves, cash bar and appearances by NCAA legendary players or coaches. “We are excited about expanding our relationship with the NCAA and offering The NCAA Experience and NCAA Ticket Exchange programs at another great event like the NCAA DI Men’s Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City,” said Sam Soni, president and CEO of PrimeSport. “Through our relationship with the NCAA, fans can enjoy the event worry free knowing they have secure tickets and are buying directly from the only NCAA-sanctioned ticket and hospitality provider.” For more information about the official NCAA Ticket Exchange and The NCAA Experience packages for the 2014 NCAA DI Men’s Wrestling Championships, visit NCAA.com/VIP.

After a three-year hiatus, the University of Iowa will again be represented at the annual NWCA All-Star Classic as reigning 157-pound Division I champion Derek St. John has accepted an invitation to compete on November 2 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. St. John will face Boston University senior Nestor Taffur as the final weight was released for the 10-match main event. St. John will be Iowa’s 74th all-time participant in the event, while Taffur is only the second Terrier wrestler to compete in the main event. The last time Boston U. coach Carl Adams had a wrestler compete came back in the 1995 season, when Earl Walker wrestled Seton Hall’s Joe Burke at 158 pounds. Adams will also serve as one of the honorary coaches for the event. St. John’s inclusion brings the total number of past NCAA champions to seven as Logan Stieber (Ohio State), Kendric Maple (Oklahoma), Andrew Howe (Oklahoma), David Taylor (Penn State), Ed Ruth (Penn State) and Tony Nelson (Minnesota) have all accepted invitation to the showcase event. St. John becomes the first Hawkeye to compete since Dan Dennis defeated Maryland’s Steve Bell 9-8 at 133 pounds at the 2009 All-Star Classic held in Fullerton, Calif. Taffur, a New Jersey native, was 36-9 last season at 157 pounds and went 2-2 at the NCAA Division I Championships. He was the Colonial Athletic Association champion at 157 pounds and earned eight falls on the year. He was ranked by Amateur Wrestling News periodically last season. He comes into the event with a 77-40 career record. He wrestled at 149 pounds as a freshman and sophomore before redshirting during the 2011-12 season. Last spring, Taffur finished fifth at the ASICS University Freestyle Nationals in Akron, Ohio at 74 kilos. While Taffur hasn’t yet earned NCAA All-American status, his inclusion in the All-Star Classic is important for Boston University’s visibility as the program struggles to stay alive. Last spring, the BU administration announced the 2013-14 season would be the last for Terrier wrestling. St. John has been one of the most consistent wrestlers in the Iowa lineup the past three seasons. Already a three-time All-American, the Iowa native defeated Northwestern’s Jason Welch 3-2 in the finals of the 2013 NCAA Division I championships at 157 pounds. St. John went 31-2 and comes in with a career record of 76-11. As a sophomore, St. John reached his first NCAA final, falling to eventual four-time Division I champion Kyle Dake in the finals. St. John was also the Big Ten champion as a junior As a redshirt freshman, St. John finished second at the Big Ten championships and fourth at the NCAA Division I championships. The completed main event draw features 18 All-Americans with a combined 10 NCAA Division I titles and 32 medals. Three two-time NCAA champions (Logan Stieber, Ohio State; Ed Ruth, Penn State; Tony Nelson, Minnesota) and 15 total finals appearances. Confirmed Matchups: 125: Nahshon Garrett, So. (Cornell) vs. Jarrod Patterson, Sr. (Oklahoma) 133: A.J. Schopp, Jr. (Edinboro) vs. Mason Beckman, So. (Lehigh) 141: Tony Ramos, Sr. (Iowa) vs. Devin Carter, Jr. (Virginia Tech) 149: Logan Stieber, Jr. (Ohio State) vs. Kendric Maple, Sr. (Oklahoma) 157: Derek St. John, Sr. (Iowa) vs. Nestor Taffur, Sr. (Boston U.) 165: Michael Moreno, Jr. (Iowa State) vs. David Taylor, Sr. (Penn State) 174: Andrew Howe, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. Matt Brown, Jr. (Penn State) 184: Jimmy Sheptock, Sr. (Maryland) vs. Ed Ruth, Sr. (Penn State) 197: Taylor Meeks, Jr. (Oregon State) vs. Scott Schiller, Jr. (Minnesota) 285: Mike McMullan, Jr. (Northwestern) vs. Tony Nelson, Sr. (Minnesota) The All-Star Classic, presented by the Marine Corps, will take place on Nov. 2 at 7:15 p.m. on the campus of George Mason University. To purchase tickets to the event, visit the Ticketmaster website. For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit the NWCA website and follow the NWCA on Facebook and Twitter. About the NWCA Founded in 1928, the NWCA strives to promote and provide leadership for the advancement of amateur wrestling, primarily at the scholastic and collegiate levels. The association is headquartered in Manheim Pa. The three core competencies are coaching development, student-wrestler welfare, and promotion/advocacy. The NWCA has 10,000 members and educational programs that serve 230,000 students each year. About George Mason University (GMU) George Mason University was established in 1957 and obtained university status in 1972. Located in Fairfax Va., GMU has 32,000 students. The GMU wrestling program has a rich tradition as evidenced by having advanced 41 different wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships, two wrestlers achieved All American status one time and one wrestler achieved All American status two times. The head coach is Joe Russell and he is in his 2nd year. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The WIBN-Washington DC Chapter consists of prominent business leaders in the Washington DC metropolitan region. The organization was originally formed in September 2012 under the name of the Greater Washington Wrestlers in Business Network and more recently merged with the Wrestlers in Business Network (headquartered in Cleveland OH) to form a national Wrestlers in Business Network. The purpose of this organization is to support amateur wrestling activities in major cities across America.

Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields? Could be boring. Very boring. With that in mind, let's skip straight ahead to UFC 166. Richard and John dissect the entire undercard, fight by fight, including some groundbreaking analysis of Hector Lombard vs. Nate Marquardt (sarcasm). Tune in next week for a preview of the main card, led by a heavyweight title trilogy between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.