InterMat Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four members of the second-ranked Ohio State wrestling team -- Nathan Tomasello, Josh Demas, Bo Jordan and Kyle Snyder – claimed titles at the 2014-15 season-opening Michigan State Open on Sunday in East Lansing, Mich. For a full recap of all the Buckeyes’ individual performances, click here. Tomasello was dominant on his way to the 125-pound title, going 4-0 with a technical fall and three major decisions. In the finals, he defeated Stevan Micic of Northwestern, 11-2. Tomassello started things off in the first round with a 16-0 win over Robert Elliott of West Virginia, and followed that up with major decision wins of 18-5 in the quarterfinals and 19-6 in the semifinals. Demas won four closes matches on his way to the 157-pound championship and capped it off with a 2-1 win over Brian Murphy of Michigan in the finals. Demas was able to pick up the deciding point with an escape early in the third period. Jordan was the next Buckeye to claim a title, topping Michigan’s Taylor Massa 4-1 in the finals. Jordan was impressive leading up to the final, getting pins in the first two rounds, a technical fall in the quarterfinals and a major decision in the semifinals. Martin was forced to forfeit the 174-pound final, but Snyder, making his Buckeye debut, got Ohio State’s fourth title of the night with an 11-4 win over Phillip Wellington of Ohio. Snyder pulled away in the third period thanks to a pair of takedowns and an escape. Snyder cruised to the finals, winning by major decision in the second round (21-7) and decision in the quarterfinals and finals. Other highlights for the Buckeyes included true freshman Micah Jordan, who won the 157-pound title in the freshman/sophomore bracket. Jordan went 5-0 on the day, including three major decisions. In the finals, he defeated Drew Daniels of Navy, 6-1, on the strength of an escape and two takedowns in the final two periods. Also in the freshman/sophomore brackets, true freshman Ryan Harris was fourth at 174 pounds. He was 3-2 on the day and pinned Iam Silette of Findlay in his first collegiate match. True freshman Cody Burcher also won fourth matches to finished sixth at 157 pounds. Ohio State returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 13 when it hosts Kent State in its dual-meet opener at St. John Arena.

Hempstead, NY – Hofstra won four of the final five matches, including a huge tech fall victory by sophomore Jamel Hudson, to rally from 10 points down and post a 17-16 victory over the Lock Haven Bald Eagles in the Pride’s season opener and the debut of new coach Dennis Papadatos. Papadatos, a two-time Hofstra graduate who earned degrees in 2000 and 2002 before taking assistant spots at Northern Illinois, Binghamton and North Carolina, saw sophomore Jahlani Callender open the match with a 5-3 victory over Elias Biddle at 157 for a 3-0 lead. But the Bald Eagles won the next four matches, including a 10-0 major decision by senior Fred Garcia at 184, to build a 13-3 lead. Junior Phil Sprenkle blanked Hofstra freshman Michael Oxley, 5-0 at 197 to give the Bald Eagles the 10-point advantage. Pride sophomore Michael Hughes started the comeback for Hofstra at 285, posting a 3-0 win over sophomore Brad Emerick. Freshman Travis Passaro notched a 3-1 come-from-behind win over sophomore Kaleb LeMaire at 125 to bring the Pride closer at 13-9, But Hofstra sophomore Maverick Passaro dropped a controversial 2-1 decision to junior Cody Wheeler at 133 to boost the Bald Eagles’ lead to 16-9. Pride sophomore Jamel Hudson, who moved up to 141 pounds this year after posting a 16-4 mark at 133 last year, came up big, running junior Bobby Rehm into the mat for a 21-6 tech fall in 6:36. That win closed the deficit to 16-14 and set up the match final at 149 between Hofstra graduate-student Cody Ruggirello and Lock Haven junior Dan Neff. Ruggirello tallied a first period take down and an escape to open the second. Neff took Ruggirello down in the second but the Pride wrestler wiggled out for a 4-2 lead after two periods. The third period was a defensive battle for both grapplers as Ruggirello held off Neff for the victory. Hofstra returns to action on Thursday, November 6 at Lehigh. Match time is 7 p.m. Results: 157: Jahlani Callender (H) dec. Elias Biddle (LH), 5-3 165: Aaron McKinney (LH) dec. Nick Terdick, (H), 4-1 174: Tyler Wood (LH) dec. Frank Affronti (H), 4-2 184: Fred Garcia (LH) maj. dec. Jermaine John (H), 10-0 197: Phil Sprenkle (LH) dec. Michael Oxley (H), 5-0 285: Michael Hughes (H) dec. Brad Emerick (LH), 3-0 125: Travis Passaro (H) dec. Kaleb LeMaire (LH), 3-1 133: Cody Wheeler (LH) dec. Maverick Passaro (H), 2-1 141: Jamel Hudson (H) tech fall Bobby Rehm (LH), 21-6 (6:36) 149: Cody Ruggirello (H) dec. Dan Neff (LH), 4-2

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The No. 11 Virginia wrestling team posted a trio of team victories Sunday in its season-opening quad meet at Memorial Gymnasium. The Cavaliers started with a 33-9 victory over Anderson (S.C.) before winning all 10 bouts in a 51-0 triumph over VMI. UVa concluded the day with a 34-6 win over George Mason. “It was another really good first weekend for us,” Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. “The thing we talked about as a team before the matches was that all the work they have been doing for months now, today is their reward. We wanted them to go and take their reward. Go and make the most of it. That’s what I saw today. I saw guys maxing out, flying all over the mat and scoring points in bunches. We talked about moving from good to great this year, and great teams score points in bunches. We did that today.” Twenty-one Virginia wrestlers competed Sunday. Eight Cavaliers scored a pair of wins apiece, including TJ Miller (R-Fr., Medford, N.J.), who recorded two pins at 149 pounds in his first two Virginia dual matches. After competing in the NWCA All-Star Classic Saturday night, second-ranked Nick Sulzer (R-Sr., Cleveland, Ohio) had a quick turnaround but scored a pair of major decisions at 165. In his first action in over a year after sitting out the 2013-14 season with an injury, 10th-ranked George DiCamillo (R-So., Highland Heights, Ohio) returned with a vengeance, recording two dominating wins by a tech fall and major decision at 133. Heavyweight Derek Papagianopoulos (R-Sr., Burlington, Mass.) also returned to the UVa lineup nearly a year to the day after a serious injury and posted the Cavaliers’ most exciting win of the day, as he pinned VMI’s Juan Adams with two seconds remaining in sudden-victory time. UVa opened by taking seven of 10 matches against Anderson, with a pair of Cavaliers making their UVa dual debuts and recording wins – Alex Uhre (R-Fr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) with a tech fall at 125 and Zach Watson (R-So., Chattanooga, Tenn.) with a fall at 141. Virginia rolled out a completely different lineup for the second match against VMI, with the Cavaliers sweeping the 10 matches and recording bonus points in nine in the 51-0 win. UVa recorded its sixth-most points ever in a dual and broke the 50-point mark for the eighth time in program history. The Cavaliers won eight of 10 matches in the final dual of the day against George Mason, scoring bonus points in six. Several Virginia wrestlers will compete next Sunday (Nov. 9) in Blacksburg in the Hokie Open. The Cavaliers return to dual competition Saturday, Nov. 15, at Mem Gym against No. 22 North Dakota State and Gardner-Webb. UVa then will play host to No. 2 Ohio State on Monday, Nov. 24, at John Paul Jones Arena. Virginia 33, Anderson 9 125: Alex Uhre (UVa) tech fall Dylan Crossland (AU), 19-1; UVa 5-0 133: Joseph Martinez (UVa) dec. Zak Hale (AU), 9-5; UVa 8-0 141: Zach Watson (UVa) pinned Conor Caffrey (AU), 5:33; UVa 14-0 149: Dan Telhada (AU) dec. Chris Yankowich (UVa), 9-2; UVa 14-3 157: Sean Turner (AU) dec. Dustin Roemer (UVa), 12-7; UVa 14-6 165: Zane Newton (AU) dec. MJ Roberson (UVa), 6-1; UVa 14-9 174: Greg Bacci (UVa) dec. Trevontay Rhodes (AU), 4-2; UVa 17-9 184: James Suvak (UVa) major dec. Stephen Washington (AU) 10-2; UVa 21-9 197: Pat Gillen (UVa) pinned Will Diamond (AU), 0:59; UVa 27-9 285: Collin Campbell (UVa) pinned Wyatt McCrackin (AU), 1:16; UVa 33-9 Virginia 51, VMI 0 125: Will Mason (UVa) tech fall Dalton Henderson (VMI), 16-0 (5:15); UVa 5-0 133: No. 10 George DiCamillo (UVa) tech fall Hunter Starner (VMI), 23-7 (6:49); UVa 10-0 141: No. 14 Joe Spisak (UVa) pinned Emmitt Kelly (VMI), 2:56; UVa 16-0 149: TJ Miller (UVa) pinned Jake Krall (VMI), 2:06; UVa 22-0 157: Andrew Atkinson (UVa) dec. BJ Crozier (VMI), 8-4; UVa 25-0 165: No. 2 Nick Sulzer (UVa) major dec. Shabaka Johns (VMI), 18-5; UVa 29-0 174: No. 12 Blaise Butler (UVa) pinned Mark Darr (VMI), 2:45; UVa 35-0 184: Billy Coggins (UVa) tech fall Jake Koch (VMI), 15-0 (2:17); UVa 40-0 197: No. 14 Zach Nye (UVa) tech fall Jake Tomlinson (VMI), 17-1 (3:08); UVa 45-0 285: Derek Papagianopoulos (UVa) pinned Juan Adams (VMI), 7:58; UVa 51-0 Virginia 34, George Mason 6 125: Will Mason (UVa) pinned Ibrahim Bunduka (GMU), 3:43; UVa 6-0 133: No. 10 George DiCamillo (UVa) major dec. Vince Rodriguez (VMI), 11-2 UVa 10-0 141: No. 14 Joe Spisak (UVa) dec. Sahid Kargbo (GMU), 10-4; UVa 13-0 149: TJ Miller (UVa) pinned Luke Ludke (GMU), 1:33; UVa 19-0 157: Greg Flournoy (GMU) dec. Andrew Atkinson (UVa), 5-3 SV; UVa 19-3 165: No. 2 Nick Sulzer (UVa) major dec. Patrick Davis (GMU), 15-3; UVa 23-3 174: No. 12 Blaise Butler (UVa) major dec. Ryan Forrest (GMU), 15-3; UVa 27-3 184: Billy Coggins (UVa) major dec. Derek Dwyer (GMU), 18-5; UVa 31-3 197: No. 14 Zach Nye (UVa) dec. Matt Meadows (GMU), 11-4; UVa 34-3 285: Jake Kettler (GMU) dec. Ethan Hayes (UVa), 3-2 TB1; UVa 34-6 George Mason 35, Anderson 6 125: Ibrahim Bunduka (GMU) major dec. Dylan Crossland (AU), 14-4; GMU 4-0 133: Vince Rodriguez (GMU) dec. Zak Hale (AU), 4-3; GMU 7-0 141: Zach Isehour (GMU) dec. Conor Caffrey (AU), 6-2; GMU 10-0 149: Dan Telhada (AU) dec. Konbeh Karoma (GMU), 5-2; GMU 10-3 157: Greg Flournoy (GMU) major dec. Sean Turner (AU), 11-3; GMU 14-3 165: Patrick Davis (GMU) pinned. Zane Newton (AU), 1:16; GMU 20-3 174: Trevontay Rhodes (AU) dec. Alex Thomas (GMU), 6-2; GMU 20-6 184: Derek Dwyer (GMU) dec. Stephen Washington (AU), 8-1; GMU 23-6 197: Matt Meadows (GMU) pinned Will Diamond (AU), 3:52; GMU 29-6 285: Jake Kettler (GMU) pinned Wyatt McCrackin (AU), 1:02; GMU 35-6 George Mason 25, VMI 6 125: Ibrahim Bunduka (GMU) dec. Dalton Henderson (VMI), 6-4; GMU 3-0 133: Vince Rodriguez (GMU) dec. Hunter Starner (VMI), 10-5; GMU 6-0 141: Sahid Kargbo (GMU) dec. Emmitt Kelly (VMI), 5-2; GMU 9-0 149: Ryan Hunsberger (GMU) dec. Jake Krall (VMI), 5-0; GMU 12-0 157: Greg Flournoy (GMU) dec. BJ Crozier (VMI), 2-0; GMU 15-0 165: Shabaka Johns (VMI) dec. Patrick Davis (GMU), 4-0; GMU 15-3 174: Ryan Forrest (GMU) dec. Mark Darr (VMI), 13-12; GMU 18-3 184: Jake Koch (VMI) dec. Derek Dwyer (GMU) 1-0; GMU 18-6 197: Matt Meadows (GMU) major dec. Jake Tomlinson (VMI), 11-2; GMU 22-6 285: Jake Kettler (GMU) dec. Juan Adams (VMI), 7-3; GMU 25-6 VMI 28, Anderson 12 125: Dalton Henderson (VMI) pinned Dylan Crossland (AU), 3:50; VMI 6-0 133: Zak Hale (AU) dec. Hunter Starner (VMI), 7-0; VMI 6-3 141: Emmitt Kelly (VMI) dec. Conor Caffrey (AU), 6-3; VMI 9-3 149: Dan Telhada (AU) pinned Jake Krall (VMI), 2:21; tied 9-9 157: BJ Crozier (VMI) pinned Sean Turner (AU), 2:40; VMI 15-9 165: Shabaka Johns (VMI) dec. Zane Newton (AU), 3-2; VMI 18-9 174: Trevontay Rhodes (AU) dec. Mark Darr (VMI), 9-5; VMI 18-12 184: Jake Koch (VMI) dec. Stephen Washington (AU), 7-0; VMI 21-12 197: Jake Tomlinson (VMI) major dec. Will Diamond (AU), 10-2; VMI 25-12 285: Yousef Malik (VMI) dec. Wyatt McCrackin (AU), 7-2; VMI 28-12

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The finals are set at the Super 32 Challenge. Sam Krivus seeks a third Super 32 Challenge title. Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis, Luke Pletcher and Michael Kemerer are after their second Super 32 Challenge titles. Finals matchups: 106: Thomas Cox (Deer Park, N.Y.) vs. Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 113: Noah Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio) vs. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) 120: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) vs. Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) 126: Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.) 132: Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) vs. Mike D’Angelo (Commack, N.Y.) 138: Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) vs. Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.) 145: Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) vs. Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa) 152: Dayton Racer (Bettendorf, Iowa) vs. Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.) 160: Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) vs. Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 170: Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.) vs. Brett Donner (Wall Township, N.J.) 182: Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. Kollin Moore (Norwayne, Ohio) 195: Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.) vs. Kevin Mulligan (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 220: Patrick Grayson (Colonial Forge, Va.) vs. Yousef Hemida (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) 285: Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. Ian Butterbrodt (St. John’s Prep, Mass.)

Live Blog Terrapin Duals

MANHEIM, Pa. -- For Nebraska's James Green, it was a short trip over the river. For Northwestern's Mike McMullan, just a 90 minute drive south. The two regional natives were voted the Outstanding Wrestlers at the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps and the Wrestlers in Business Network hosted by Penn and WIBN-Philadelphia on Saturday night in Philadelphia at the historic Palestra in front of 5,284 fans. McMullan won a rubber match against N.C. State's returning NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski 8-4 at 285 pounds, while Green topped Kent State's Ian Miller 6-4 at 157 pounds. McMullan's win over Gwiazdowski was one of two matches that featured No. 2-ranked wrestlers knocking off defending NCAA champions. At 197 pounds, Minnesota's Scott Schiller picked off top-ranked J'den Cox 5-3 in sudden victory at 197. The difference-maker in McMullan's win was a late second-period throw that gave McMullan two for the takedown and two nearfall points to break open a tight match. "I got to my offense and felt crisp for it being the first time out," said McMullan. "I know that I can be more diligent on my attacks and that will get me to where I want to be in March." It was McMullan's first win in three tries in the All-Star Classic. He lost to Dom Bradley of Missouri in 2012 and Tony Nelson of Minnesota in 2013. Green's bout with high-octane Miller wasn't expected to be similar to the 13-1 major decision Green laid on Miller in last year's third-place match at the NCAA Division I Championships. Miller struck first, scoring a takedown midway through the first period. The restart came back neutral after the two went out of bounds, giving Miller the option to put Green neutral in one of two experimental rules put in place for just the event. Tied at 4-4 heading into the third, Green rode out Miller, picking up a riding time point and a stalling point for the final margin. The experimental rule again changed things up at 197 pounds as Schiller benefitted from the rule, which eventually forced overtime. Schiller would finish a takedown halfway through sudden victory to knock off Cox in the first-ever meeting between the two. "I had a great summer of training," said Schiller. "I credit a lot my success to my great partners I got at Minnesota. I know there's not a room like it in the country for the partners I got and I credit my shape and being ready to wrestle, being focused -- those guys keep me that way every single day in the wrestling room or else I'd get my butt kicked. One of the biggest draws was the expected matchup at 141 pounds between three-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber of Ohio State and Mitchell Port of Edinboro. The match never occurred as Stieber was scratched from the event after weigh-ins. Edinboro's A.J. Schopp avenged last year's loss at the All-Star Classic to Lehigh's Mason Beckman with a 4-2 win at 133 pounds. Schopp scored a takedown with 15 seconds to go to take a 3-2 lead. He added the final point on riding time after riding Beckman out for the entire second period. Returning NCAA champion Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State's debut at his new weight class went well as he topped two-time All-American Nick Sulzer of Virginia 4-2 at 165 pounds. Another returning champion, Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern, controlled Oklahoma State's Josh Kindig 4-1 at 149 pounds in a rematch of last year's Division I championship final. Robert Kokesh of Nebraska fell behind early to Southern Oregon's Brock Gutches at 174 pounds, but then Kokesh turned up the pressure and eventually pulled out an 8-2 win at 174 pounds. It was the first time since 2004 an NAIA athlete has competed in the main event. Top-ranked Gabe Dean of Cornell won a rematch of the 184-pound third place match from 2014 with a 5-2 win over Jack Dechow of Old Dominion. Missouri's Alan Waters, a late replacement for Cornell's Nahshon Garrett, earned a takedown out of a scramble to top Virginia Tech's Joey Dance 4-2 in a battle of NCAA fourth-place finishers. Highlighting the showcase matches was Helen Maroulis' win in women's freestyle over Canada's Jillian Gallays in a battle of world medalists. Maroulis went up 4-0 and nearly pinned Gallays early. She finished with three more takedowns to finish up with the technical fall at the end of the first period. Other winners in the showcase bouts were Drexel's Kevin Devoy at 133, Princeton's Jordan Laster at 141, Virginia Tech's Devin Carter at 149 and Penn's Lorenzo Thomas at 184. The 2015 NWCA All-Star Classic, which will be the 50th, will take place in Atlanta, Georgia. Main event matches: 165: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. Nick Sulzer (Virginia, 4-2 174: Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) dec. Brock Gutches (Southern Oregon), 8-2 184: Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. Jack Dechow (Old Dominion), 5-2 197: Scott Schiller (Minnesota) dec. J'den Cox (Missouri), 5-3 SV 285: Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Nick Gwiazdowski (N.C. State), 8-4 125: Alan Waters (Missouri) dec. Joey Dance (Virginia Tech), 4-3 149: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State), 4-1 157: James Green (Nebraska) dec. Ian Miller (Kent State) 6-4 133: A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh) 4-2. 141: No Match Showcase matches: 133: Kevin Devoy (Drexel) dec. Alex Gomez (Ithaca) 9-4 141: Jordan Laster (Princeton) dec. Ryan Diehl (Liberty) 10-7 149: Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) dec. C.J. Cobb (Penn) 17-11 184: Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) tech. fall Clint Morrison (Rider) 16-1 Women's freestyle 58 kilos: Helen Maroulis (USA) TF Jillian Gallays (Canada) 10-0, 2:59

Main event matchups: 125: No. 3 Alan Waters (Missouri) vs. No. 5 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 1 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) vs. No. 2 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) 149: No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 2 James Green (Nebraska) vs. No. 3 Ian Miller (Kent State) 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) 174: No. 2 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) vs. Brock Gutches (Southern Oregon) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 2 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. No. 2 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (N.C. State) vs. No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) Live Blog NWCA All-Star Classic

In honor of Halloween here are five scary situations to consider: 1. The pushout is found effective at the NWCA event, but we watch all season as an avalanche of new snore ride holds take effect and edge-playing once again defines neutral. 2. Title IX's push into high schools leaves the wrestling community fighting lawmakers in DC instead of promoting sport within female ranks. 3. Penn State wins fifth straight NCAA title. Though dominance can be good for business, a new face atop the national stage would help promote the sport. 4. The loss of another Division I program in 2014-2015 due to a lack of self-promotion or self-awareness. 5. Being stung on the back of the neck by a Tomcat while on vacation. Q: What's the deal with Wartburg not being ranked and only having two individuals ranked? -- Mitch B. Wartburg has won four straight NCAA titlesFoley: Wartburg has won the last four NCAA Division III titles and seven of the last ten. This success and the release of the Division III rankings meant that their apparent drop-off was the single most oft-asked question for this week's mailbag. Though a massive slide in the rankings seems to indicate something awful, the answer seems to be simply that second-year head coach Eric Keller is in the midst of a rebuilding scenario not too dissimilar from what Jim Zalesky and Tom Brands had to endure on their returns to Iowa. The Wartburg transition seems come with a more sudden drop-off, but let Coach Keller develop his wrestlers and team over the next few years in order to gauge the overall direction of his program. He is also missing out on four NCAA finalists that he lost to graduation. Three were NCAA champions. Good luck to Coach Keller. It's never easy to replace a longstanding, successful coach. Q: Thoughts on the NCAA changing the team scoring at the NCAA tourney and teams getting points for National Duals to start the tourney. -- @JakeHerbert84 Foley: There has to be some credit given to the competition committee in engineering a two-tournament solution for increasing fan involvement in the sport of wrestling. The truth about college wrestling is not enough of the dual meets scheduled have an impact on the outcome of the season -- therefore lacking incentive for fans to attend, or media to care. The NCAA is trying to change that by forcing the dual meets to matter. There are several issues arising from these attempts, but they are right to be pushing for some type of new format that will allow growth. The current model seems to hurt teams with 4-5 high-caliber wrestlers but have large holes in the rest of their lineup. In the current system these teams can place as high as third or fourth, but with points carried in from dual meets, that seems less possible. The devil's advocate would argue that these new dual meet rules would then prompt these schools to focus on a more balanced lineup, but the situation of these schools is often more a condition of institutional support than it is lack of effort by the coaching staff. Making dual meets matter is vital to the growth of wrestling. Right now we have one marketable weekend of wrestling, but that could be expanded (along with a fan base) should a dual meet matter work. For now, I like that we are delaying the release of the system, but I do think that tinkering with this, or something similar, will be a net positive for the sport of wrestling. ... Along with the one-semester season. Q: Thoughts on double knee pads? -- @IndianaMat Foley: Unless you're shooting from both sides the double knee pads are only working to make you look like a volleyball player, or the old guy at the gym playing racquetball. It may also make you look like an old guy at the gym playing volleyball. I write this as a man who once wore two knee pads with pride, but who was forced through peer pressure and the hassle of maintenance to move to one. Eventually that knee pad was eliminated due to hassle. Now I forge on like most, absent the knee pad and at least one bursa sac. Q: Has a team that has never won before (Ohio State) ever had so many potential breaks go their way before? Iowa, Penn State, Minnesota and Big Ten tourney all at home, and the seniors those three teams lost should make tOSU the favorite. -- @wrestlingnomad Foley: I think "breaks" implies a lot of luck, and though some was probably involved, Tom Ryan and his staff also positioned themselves to be in the 2015 title race through very competent on-the-mat coaching and top-level recruiting. Also, know that the redshirt game also plays a role in when certain athletes are eligible. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Coach Ryan had this season circled for years as his first real chance to win an NCAA title and prepped his lineup and redshirts according to that possibility. Now, the scheduling was a bit of luck. We know that teams perform better at home and with so many of their top opponents faced in Ohio the team will be in position to earn wins and therefore better seeds at the B1G Tournament. The logic would then progress that better seeds at the conference tournament would result in better seeds and better performances at NCAAs -- not an unlikely outcome, but also riddled with possibilities. As for Logan Stieber, I think that Ohio State will benefit greatly from the distraction of his fourth title hunt. The pressure to win the NCAA crown won't be shared equally by members of the Ohio State wrestling team. Stieber and his star power will dominate the news and I think provide extra room to youngsters like Kyle Snyder to improve throughout the season without a strong outside focus. Still, there is no question this is the Buckeyes' year to make it happen, and from the outside everything has lined up. Now the issue becomes execution. Q: How many undefeated NCAA champs will we have this year? -- @koatig? Foley: Two. Logan Stieber and Gabe Dean. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Always some of the best preseason viewing ... especially with the Gophers ranked No. 1. Link: The Last Maverick Good riddance, Trev Alberts. Marysville's wrestling program is No. 1 in the nation and you're still a no-talent wannabe begging to get into the Summit League. Link: Traditional wrestling in India Link: Lebron? Sure, why not ... LEBRON! Q: Similar to no info on redshirting, expected participants in freestyle events (example: Bill Farrell) can never be found until 1/2 days before the event. -- @Eagle_Fan? The inscriptions (a fancy word for entries) are not usually known until a day or two before an event because wrestlers and their coaches don't often apply until a week or two before the first whistle. One reason for the delay is that off-season tournaments like the Bill Farrell Invitational come as wrestlers are progressing through their basic training and making decisions on which tournaments to attend before the season gets truckin' in early February. For more important international events, like the continental and world championships, there are guidelines that require entry lists, and must be provided by countries within a certain timeframe. Of course that's not always the case, but the process has been improved over the past year to ensure there are more countries active in the sending of inscriptions. (You can also expect it to continue to improve over the next several months as new guidelines are instituted.) While it does seem like a minor point to some, the release of the inscriptions are key to the promotion of the event. Like you, I hope we see more names and earlier. Q: Now that the NCAA Division I rankings are released, who are your "sleepers" at each weight class and the overall team race? -- David E. Foley: That's the topic for an annual (and upcoming) Platinum article! COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK By Nick M. I just wanted to alert the masses that Maranatha Baptist University is in dire straits. Here is a Division III program that was coached by Andy Peterson, son of Ben Peterson. It appears that Andy has left Maranatha for whatever reason, and they are contemplating dropping the program. They need wrestlers! Here is a school in Watertown, Wisconsin that needs our help. By Doreen R. I saw the best of what the world could offer in wrestling during those years. Wrestlers knew the rules and the consequences for their actions. While the rules remained stable, wrestlers improved their skill to win matches on skill. Dan Gable, Russ Hellickson, John and Ben Peterson were successful within that set of rules. Enter money into wrestling and the sport tumbled quickly. The answer is not to continue to change the rules ... set them back to the 1970-80s and require wrestlers to increase skill to be able to compete at the national and world level. There has always been a rule in high school, college and international wrestling that you cannot leave the mat -- fleeing the mat. If you apply that rule consistently, it's amazing how wrestlers will quickly adapt and stay within the circle. To watch our great sport be demeaned and supported by MMA brutal fighting is a sad thing. Do you want your child to try wrestling when it is associated, supported and glorified by MMA? Thank god my two boys wrestled when wrestling had role models such as Dan Gable, Russ Hellickson, John and Ben Peterson, whom we call our friends.

OREM, Utah -- Fans got their first look at the 2014-15 Utah Valley University wrestling team on Wednesday night at the annual Intrasquad Dual and the exhibition contest ended in a 24-24 tie after senior Adam Fager and junior Jade Rauser delivered down the stretch for their respective squads. With the dual all tied up at 21-all with just two matches remaining, two-time NCAA Qualifier Rauser put the green team up by three with an 8-4 victory. Rauser, who has bumped up to 133 pounds for the Wolverines this season, scored a late takedown and an additional riding time point to secure the bout over sophomore Jarod Maynes. The Intrasquad then came down to a battle of heavyweights in the final contest of the evening between another two-time NCAA Qualifier in the senior Fager and sophomore Dustin Dennison. Both wrestlers, who had previously each won an earlier bout by fall, entered the second period scoreless. Fager was the first to get on the scoreboard with a second-period escape. Fager then conceded an escape point to Dennison at the start of the third period to tie the match at 1-1. Fager, who is currently ranked 12th nationally by InterMat, then picked up a late takedown to seal the match by a score of 3-2 to end the dual in a 24-all tie. Fager was one of three wrestlers to record a pair of victories on the evening as he, junior 125-pounder Chasen Tolbert and freshman 165-pounder Dalton Harmon each won two bouts apiece. Fager picked up his earlier victory in the opening match of the evening as he managed to record a first-period fall over redshirt freshman Jordan Karst. The pin put the black team up 6-0, but Tolbert immediately countered back for the green squad in the next match with a 7-0 decision over freshman Josh Temple at 125 pounds. Harmon then gave Team Green a 9-6 lead after pinning Jesse Christensen in the next match in the third period. The freshman from Juab High School (Nephi, Utah) held a 12-5 advantage prior to pinning Christensen midway through the final period. Harmon later recorded his second victory of the evening over fellow freshman Raider Lofthouse by a score of 7-2. The win pulled his green squad within six points, at 15-21, with just three matches to go. Tolbert then erased the deficit for the green team by pinning freshman Tyler Scott the very next match in just 37 seconds to tie the team score at 21-all. Earlier in the evening in a challenge match for the 184-pound starting spot on the roster, redshirt junior Ross Taylor of Team Black managed to take care of business against sophomore Abel Gomez by a score of 6-3. Taylor scored a third-period takedown and a riding time point to secure the victory. Junior 157-pounder Logan Addis followed up the contest with another win for Team Black as he scored an 8-3 decision over freshman Michael Suwyn. The victory gave the black team a 12-9 advantage on the scoreboard. The lead was short lived however, as the green team struck back in the next bout with a 6-0 victory from freshman Matthew Ontiveros at 141 pounds. Ontiveros earned the decision victory over Maynes to tie the team score once again at 12-all. With the dual still tied at 12-12, freshman DJ Argyle put the black team back on top with a 5-3 decision over fellow 149-pounder Cole Hamai. In a pair of non-team scored contests, Dennison managed to record a fall over the fellow heavyweight Karst while Scott followed it up with a 5-1 victory over fellow 125-pounder Temple. The Wolverines will officially begin their 2014-15 campaign in Clarion, Pennsylvania, at the Clarion Open on Sunday. Following Sunday's tournament, UVU will head to Grand Junction, Colorado, for the Colorado Mesa Open on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The Wrestling Monarchs began the night with a preliminary round of wrestle-offs in the ODU wrestling room. Sophomore Brandon Jeske took the first match at 125 lbs. by a 7-1 decision over Josh Markham. Jacob Kingett earned a fall over Dylan Hunziker at the 2:21 mark in the first 141 lbs. match and freshman Tanner Stephens earned a close 5-4 decision over Nathan Coburn in the other 141 weight class matchup. Jared Swan had no problems with Spadoni, winning an 11-2 major decision at 165 pounds. With more than two hundred people in attendance, Kevin Johnson began the 7:00 o’clock wrestle-offs with an 8-1 decision over Zach Wilson at 149 pounds. Johnson then went on to compete against Lenny Richardson in the second 149 pound matchup of the night, and dropped a very close overtime decision to the two-time NCAA qualifier. At 174 pounds and the only freshman match up of the night, Joey Balboni beat Alexandria, Va. native Kaleab Fetahi by a 5-3 decision. In match three, sophomore Michael Hayes accumulated over 3 minutes of riding time, as he defeated freshman Emilio Saavedra via a 6-3 decision in the 133 weight class. Freshman TC Warner had an impressive showing in the 157-pound matchup, taking down Austin Eads via a 6-0 decision, with the sixth point coming from riding time. Jacob Kingett recorded his second win and second fall of the day, this time over Tanner Stephens at the 3:41 mark. Tristan Warner, a three-time NCAA qualifier, got the better of Jared Swan in the 165-pound matchup, earning an impressive first-period 16-0 tech fall over the freshman. In the only heavyweight battle, Jacob Henderson came out on top via a 5-3 decision over Matt Tourdot. In the last match of the night, Austin Coburn took down Balboni, the winner of match two, via a very close 8-6 decision. Wednesday’s Intrasquad served as a precursor to the Monarchs’ season opener next weekend in Binghamton, N.Y., where ODU will head to the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open to officially start the season. The Bearcat Open will begin at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9. ODU will then head south Sunday, Nov. 16, for the NC State Open. Practice Room Wrestle-Off Results 125 lbs: Brandon Jeske dec. over Josh Markham – 7-1 141 lbs: Jacob Kingett fall over Dylan Hunziker (2:21) 141 lbs: Tanner Stephens dec. over Nathan Coburn – 5-4 165 lbs: Jared Swan major dec. over Spadoni – 11-2 Jim Jarrett Gym Wrestle-Offs Kevin Johnson dec. over Zach Wilson – 8-1 Joey Balboni dec. over Kaleab Fetahi – 5-3 Michael Hayes dec. over Emilio Saavedra – 6-3 TC Warner dec. over Michael Hayes – 6-0 Jacob Kingett fall over Tanner Stephens (3:41) Tristan Warner major dec. over Jared Swan – 16-0 (first period) Jacob Henderson dec. over Matt Tourdot – 5-3 Lenny Richardson overtime dec. over Kevin Johnson – 3-2 Austin Coburn dec. over Joey Balboni – 8-6 Season tickets are still available for purchase. Please go to YNOTtix.com and purchase your 2014-15 ODU Wrestling season ticket voucher book for only $25! Each voucher book contains 12 undated ticket vouchers good for any home wrestling match during the upcoming season.

MADISON, Wis. -- More than 825 fans got a sneak peek into the 2014-15 wrestling season on Wednesday night at the Intrasquad Scrimmage. There were twelve matches on the night, the first starting at 7 p.m. There were three matches for the 174 lbs. class. In the first, Frank Cousins took down Alex Yde in a 7-4 decision. Ben Cox faced Jake Stilling, where he won with a takedown with 13 seconds left in overtime. The winner of the two matches, Cousins and Cox, wrestled in the last match of evening with Cousins claiming victory in a 5-2 decision. Two true freshman duos, Luke Rowh against Jacob Pedersen (141/149 lbs.) and Jared Scharenbrock against Cullen Pedersen (157 lbs.), hit the mat next. Rowh walked away with a 7-4 decision and Scharenbrock won with a 4-1 record. “The thing you look for as a head coach is to look for things to work on in the room,” Wisconsin wrestling head coach Barry Davis said. “Are guys creating angles, level changing the shots and are they pulling the trigger when they need to be? We look for things like letting guys go all the way to the end of the periods.” To break the night up, All-American Isaac Jordan and sophomore Seth Liegel, wrestled in an exhibition match. No. 4 ranked Jordan and Liegel showed fans different techniques and practice moves before matches continued. Veterans Andrew Crone, Jesse Thielke, Jarod Donar, Ricky Robertson, No. 13 Timmy McCall and No. 6 Connor Medbery were all victorious. Andrew Crone defeated TJ Ruschell in a 10-6 decision at 149 lbs. Jesse Thielke, who is ranked at No. 15 in the Intermat preseason poll, won by decision over freshman Jens Lantz. At 157 lbs., Jard Donar edged Santonio Cathery with a 4-0 decision, followed by Ricky Robertson who won by an 8-3 decision over Nic Veling at 184 lbs. Medbery routed fellow junior Brock Horwath in an 8-3 decision. Fifth-year senior McCall posted a 4-0 decision over Eric Peissig. “It’s hard to wrestle your teammates because you wrestle them every day in practice and you kind of know what they are going to do,” Davis added. “You look for whether you are being aggressive, wrestling to the edge of the mat and hustling.” Wisconsin opens the regular season on Nov. 8 at the Stevens Point Open and hosts Maryland in its home opener on Nov. 14.

Once the premier launch event of the NCAA wrestling season, the NWCA All-Star Classic had lost luster in recent years. But with one of the most competitive lineups ever, including seven top-ranked wrestlers and six No. 2s, the 2014 All-Star Classic is sure to be a must-watch event. This year's edition takes place on Saturday at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The undercard matches are slated to begin at 6:25 p.m. ET, with the main event starting at 7:30 p.m. Note: Thanks to Britt Malinsky for the extra research for this preview. Be sure to follow this year's NWCA All-Star Classic on InterMat's live blog. 125: No. 3 Alan Waters (Missouri) vs. No. 5 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) Muir Line: Waters -2.5 Alan "Dirty" Waters comes to the NWCA All-Star Classic as the late fill-in for Nahshon Garrett to face Joey Dance. The two have never met, but both found their way to All-American status, with Dance placing fourth last season and Waters fourth the season before at the same weight class. Virginia Tech's Joey Dance became a true freshman All-American (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Dance, who many expected to have a productive collegiate career, outperformed even the loftiest expectations at the 2014 NCAAs. But it wasn't luck. A productive offensive wrestler, Dance's forward-leaning style and more-than-adequate defense gave opponents fits. With the new pushout rule being implemented, Dance's style should be seen as a positive. Waters is coming off redshirt season and though he's missing ace-in-the-hole coach Sammie Henson, expect an even more mat-mature Waters to appear. However, returning from a year off can sometimes take adjustment. Still, Waters is tough from top and will be hunting for turns and falls. Dance has proven himself worthy from bottom -- escaping dangerous opponents as freshman without ceding over too many sets of extra back points. Will Waters have a difficult Division I re-introduction with Dance, or will his top game prevail? Look for Dance to escape without bonus points and find one takedown and a pushout for the win. Foley Prediction: Dance, 4-3 133: No. 1 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) vs. No. 2 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) Muir Line: Schopp -1.5 Edinboro's A.J. Schopp finished fourth at the NCAAs in 2014 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)A rematch of last season when Beckman was ranked much lower, the 2014 iteration features the top two wrestlers in the country. Beckman won the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic match, 5-1, but Schopp found revenge in a Midlands wrestleback semifinal match, defeating the Lehigh wrestler, 5-0. At the 2013 NCAAs it was Beckman who lost to eventual champion Tony Ramos (Iowa) in the quarterfinals, but would go on to secure sixth place. Schopp would go on to also lose to Ramos in the semifinals, and place fourth. This year's matchup will give a good indication into how the new anti-stall ride calls will be played out in 2014. The entire event will be an indication, but here it's Schopp who will need to secure riding time to win the match, while also not looking passive on top. Beckman isn't always pushing the pace, and much of their first meeting was wrestled from their knees -- a pose that could get them dinged in 2014. I see the match tight, but think that the new incentives to attack will benefit Beckman on the edge of the mat. Prediction: Beckman, 6-3 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Muir Line: Stieber -3.5 Logan Stieber is a three-time NCAA champion and unless something significant has changed in the offseason, he shouldn't see much of a challenge from Mitchell Port, who placed third at 141 pounds in 2014 and was a runner-up in 2013. Stieber is too powerful, too tactical and too aggressive for Port to challenge him. Prediction: Stieber, 11-3 149: No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Josh Kindig (OSU) Muir Line: Tsirtsis -1.5 This is a rematch of the 2014 NCAA finals which Tsirtsis won by 3-1 decision in sudden victory. Both wrestlers had moments of aggression, and that should balance at this year's All-Star Classic. If history is any lesson, then we can expect an even more offensive performance from Kindig, who under the coaching of John Smith, will ripen into a more offensive wrestler this year. Similar to Kindig, the word is that Tsirtsis has also improved and though facing a hurdle as a sophomore with a national title, he should be able to find a few more takedowns in the rematch. In a somewhat surprising turn of events, I'd expect much more scoring than the NCAA finals with Tsirtsis finding an extra takedown to secure the win in regulation. Prediction: Tsirtsis, 10-8 157: No. 2 James Green (Nebraska) vs. No. 3 Ian Miller (Kent State) Muir Line: Green -4 Green beat up Ian Miller 13-1 to take home third place from the 2014 NCAA Championships. Miller, who had an impressive offseason and is coached by fellow pin-master Josh Moore at Kent State, is tricky to counter when transitioning from neutral to the mat. That could pose a problem for Green who got caught in last year's semifinals against Dylan Ness in a messy scramble. Lesson learned it should be an easy win for Green who has national title aspirations. Too good from the outside and with the knowledge of what can happen when he allows his hips to get too high, look for Green to dominate from low doubles and, when necessary, bring single legs out and elevated. Prediction: Green, 10-5 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) vs. No. 2 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) Muir Line: Pick 'em Perhaps no wrestler has been given more tools for success than Nick Sulzer of Virginia. Already happy with his one-on-one time with NCAA champion and assistant coach Jordan Leen, Sulzer this season will also be working with NCAA champion and past U.S. World Team member Keith Gavin. Resources aside, it's Dieringer who had climbed the mountain, last year winning the 157-pound title and moving up in 2014 to face a field where last year's top three wrestlers vacated. Plenty big enough to compete up, don't expect Dierenger to be bullied around. The match should be a great barometer of how both are dealing with their changes. Expect a wild, offense-filled match with attacks leaning to the favor of Sulzer. Also, look for Sulzer to give Dieringer some issues in escaping from bottom. For Sulzer quick finishes and maintaining good defense in scramble positions could mean the difference in the W or the L. Prediction: Sulzer, 4-1 174: No. 2 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) vs. Brock Gutches (Southern Oregon) Muir Line: Kokesh -3 Three-time NAIA champion and late fill-in Brock Gutches will have his hands full this weekend handling one of Nebraska's most intense wrestlers in Robert "Bob" Kokesh. That pair met last year in the finals of the Reno Tournament of Champions, with Kokesh taking a 3-1 decision. I haven't seen much of Brock Gutches over the past few years, but from what I've seen he keeps great positioning and for what it's worth has found a way to win a lot of matches. Kokesh will once again be too much for Gutches. Prediction: Kokesh, 4-2 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 2 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) Muir Line: Dean -2.5 Gabe Dean has the only win between these wrestlers, earning a a 5-4 decision at last year's NCAA Division I Championships third-place match. This summer Dean made the trip to the Junior World Championships where he steamrolled his first few opponents, before a single mental error got him pinned in the quarterfinals by a less-than-stellar opponent. Dechow was the Cinderella of the 2014 NCAA Championships, but in placing fourth showed that his talent was underestimated rather than it being a simple fluke performance. He's an aggressive and creative wrestler who rarely puts himself in heaps of danger. However, in facing Dean he'll need to be conscience of the Cornell wrestler's ability to rack up points. Dean will be well rested and should earn a fairly clinical decision. Prediction: Dean, 7-3 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. No. 2 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) Muir Line: Cox -1 Defending NCAA champion J'den Cox comes into the season as the top-ranked wrestler in the nation. The Mizzou youngster was brilliant at last year's tournament, wrestling an aggressive style that lent excitement back into a hit-and-miss 197 class. Minnesota's Scott Schiller is a two-time All-American (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Schiller, in the mold of former uppperweight greats from Minnesota, stands in stark contrast to Cox, with less motion but buckets full of strength. A two-time All-American, Schiller possesses the firepower on his feet to control the mat and earn some pushouts against Cox (an area for which Minnesota might excel en masse), which could force the Mizzou youngster into forcing more ill-advised shots. Any flailing attempts are sure to be met by a very tight front headlock compliments of the Gopher wrestler's strength and conditioning program. Their matchup will be a perfect opportunity for fans to gauge the rest of the season and who might be left standing in the way of the third wrestler not on the ballot but always lurking: Kyle Snyder. Prediction: Schiller, 5-3 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (N.C. State) vs. No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) Muir Line: Pick 'em Defending NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski and three-time NCAA All-American Mike McMullan have helped re-energize and make competitive a weight class that only a few years ago was dominated by cumbersome big men. Now, with several athletic and attack-first big men, heavies have once again become a highlight of the season. These two have met before. The first of their encounters came in 2012 with McMullan winning a 5-3 decision in the consolation quarterfinal at the NCAA Championships. Gwiazdowski earned revenge last year with a 5-3 decision in sudden victory at a dual meet in North Carolina. The wrestlers are perfectly matched and given that there is little size or talent advantage the match becomes as much a tossup as any we'll see in the event. Prediction: McMullan, 4-3

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- Air Force wrestling has added two new members to its coaching staff, announced today by head coach Sam Barber. Chris Heilman and Moza Fay join the Air Force wrestling coaching staff for the 2014-15 season. Heilman comes to the academy from Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he was the 2014 NCAA Div. III Midwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. As head assistant coach the past two seasons at UW-Whitewater, Heilman helped guide the Warhawks to a second-place finish in 2014 and third-place finish in 2013 at the Div. III National Championships. Heilman was also a three-time All-American at Cornell College (Iowa). "Coach Heilman will make an immediate impact on Air Force Wrestling," Barber said. "His passion, work ethic and commitment to excellence are infectious. He will lead our recruiting efforts, coordinate our home events, oversee our social media and assist with daily training of our cadets. Air Force wrestling is extremely fortunate to have another coach of high character, integrity and honor leading our future officers." "It is an honor to be serving as an assistant wrestling coach at the United States Air Force Academy," Heilman said. "The academics and athletics at the Academy are world class, and I am excited to work with head coach Sam Barber and assistant coach Bart Horton. They have done a great job with the program as their integrity and demand for excellence is evident. I am ready for the challenge of helping our future Air Force officers be the best, and wrestlers they can be." Fay was a two-time All-American and two-time Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Year at Northern Iowa University. Fay is the 2014 Armed Forces Champion and recently placed second at the 2014 U.S. Open. He is currently an enlisted Army officer and is training in the Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) towards his goal of making the U.S. National Team and for competing at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. "Coach Moza Fay's addition to Air Force wrestling provides a great example of excellence in all that we do!," Barber said. "To have a coach who is currently training and competing at the highest level, and whom is also enlisted and leading from the front in the Army WCAP, provides our cadets with an ideal role model. Coach Fay understands what it takes to be a podium-prepared athlete and a great leader. He leads by example and holds our cadets accountable to the same championship habits." "Joining the Air Force wrestling staff is a great opportunity for me," Fay said. "I am taking full advantage of the opportunity to develop my skills while teaching and learning from the cadets. The whole situation is a win-win for myself and the team. When I get to develop college wrestlers I not only help them by making them better at what they do, but I also benefit by learning and refining my techniques on my path towards Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games. I am excited to see what the future will bring with the young talent and hard-working individuals that they have in the room."

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. Matt Smith and Tim Brown look at the top senior wrestlers in New Hampshire. The 2013-2014 wrestling season in New Hampshire ended much like the previous 15 seasons, with Timberlane Regional High School of Plaistow on top of the podium. That's correct, the Owls of Timberlane have won their 15th straight New Hampshire State Championship, a New Hampshire record 21 state titles, and a New England record 10 regional championships. The Lancers of Londonderry capped off their best season in years with a runner-up finish in the state meet, led by undefeated New England champion Jean Luc Lemieux. Jean Luc is now a three-time state champion, twice with Pinkerton Academy, and most recently with Londonderry High School. Perennially strong concord finished out the top three. Here is a look at how the top competitors stack up against the rest of the state. Jean-Luc Lemieux1. Jean-Luc Lemieux (Londonderry) Projected High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 College Choices: Navy and Stanford Analysis: Lemiuex capped an undefeated junior campaign (50-0) with a dominating run to his New England championship. Lemieux is a terror on the mat. He went on to finish fourth at NHSCA Junior Nationals, and will be looking to repeat this season and become a two-time New England champion, as well as a four-time state champ. He has a career record of 124-9. Lemieux carries a 3.3 GPA. 2. Derek Bohle (Timberlane) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Bohle, who attends Timberlane, was the New Hampshire feel-good story of the year. A two-year backup for the Owls, Bohle burst onto the scene with a monster season that saw him only lose to nemesis Lemiuex in the postseason. A runner-up in the New England Championships, Bohle's unorthodox mat wrestling will look to have him vying for the New England title. He maintains a 3.86 GPA. 3. Richard Bilodeau (Londonderry) Projected High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: Another standout for the Lancers of Londonderry, Bilodeau had a tremendous end to his junior season. A strong run in the postseason saw Bilodeau tear through the consolation bracket and storm back for fourth place at New Englands. He won 44 matches as a junior. A judo master, Bilodeau and Lemieux will be looking to dethrone the Owls at the end of the year. 4. Nick Widmann (John Stark) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 College Choices: WPI and Wesleyan Analysis: Widmann, one of the small school standouts in New Hampshire, had another bracket to hold at the end of the season. A two-time Division 3 champ from John Stark High School, Widmann placed fifth at the New England Championships. He finished his junior season with a 52-8 record to bring his career record to 120-26. A stellar student as well, he is ranked No. 1 overall in his class and carries a GPA of 4.6. 5. Brandon Levesque (Bishop Guertin) Projected High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 College Choices: Roger Williams, Sacred Heart, Western New England and Lutheran Analysis: Levesque, a former All State champ, finished second at this year's state meet, and placed sixth in the New England Regional in 2013. A standout as a running back for the Cardinals of Bishop Guertin, Levesque will look to become a two-time state champion to propel him forward into his college career. He has a career mark of 114-28. Cam Bennett6. Cam Bennett (Nashua North) Projected High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 College Choices: Wesleyan, Daniel Webster and Plymouth State Analysis: Bennett will be a four-year varsity starter for the Titans of Nashua North and is looking to improve upon his runner-up finish from the last two seasons. A lanky 126-pounder from last season, his college weight class projects at 133 pounds. Bennett is also a three-time state placer as well. He has a career record of 120-26. 7. Jake Nault (Goffstown) Projected High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: Nault is a three-time New Hampshire Division 2 state champion from Goffstown High School, and will look to become one of only a few four-time champs this season. He has a tenacious wrestling attack and does not stop until the final whistle. Nault is also a tremendous student with a 3.57 GPA. He brings a 95-28 career record into his senior year. 8. Dan Scalzo (Timberlane) Projected High School Weight Class: 152 Projected College Weight Class: 149 Analysis: A three-year starter for the Owls, Scalzo gathered Division 1 Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament award by defeating his undefeated nemesis from Manchester Central. A three-time state placer, Scalzo can scramble from any position and is a pinner from top. He will help lead the Timberlane squad. He has a career record of 107-32. 9. Richie Mills (Winnisquam) Projected High School Weight Class: 182 Projected College Weight Class: 184 College Choices: Sacred Heart, Scranton, College of New Jersey, Rhode Island College, Buffalo and York Analysis: Another small school standout, Mills of Winnisquam repeated as the NH Division 3 Champ this past season. A 3 year starter for the Bears, Mills can pin from any position. One of the All-Time winningest wrestlers from Winnisquam (115-22 career record), he boasts a 3.5 GPA as well. Brian Lonergan10. Brian Lonergan (Timberlane) Projected High School Weight Class: 182 Projected College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: Lonergan, a returning starter for the Owls came on with a strong junior campaign that saw him finish runner-up in the state meet and compile a 41-12 record. A standout guard for the football team, Lonergan will look to challenge for the top spot at the end of the season and lead the Owls to another state title.

Over recent years, the Super 32 Challenge has served as a key measuring stick for the high-end high school wrestler. In the 2014 NCAA Division I tournament, seven of the finalists participated in this event during their high school career. That includes five of the ten NCAA champions: three-time champion Ed Ruth (Penn State), two-time champion and two-time Hodge Trophy recipient David Taylor (Penn State), Tony Ramos (Iowa), Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), and Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State). Furthermore, of the 330 qualifiers, over one-quarter were past Super 32 Challenge participants; while 23 of the 80 All-Americans had participated in this tournament during their scholastic career. This coming year's event should be no exception. The talent level among the approximately 1,500 wrestlers registered to compete is extraordinarily high. More than one-third of the nation's top 100 Class of 2015 wrestlers, according to InterMat, are in the field; while approximately half of the top 50 in the Class of 2016 and Class of 2017, and a similar amount of the top 25 in the Class of 2018 are slated to be in the event as well. Four of the five underclassman wrestlers that ended the 2013-14 season ranked number one in their weight class populate this field: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.), Nick Piccininni (Ward Mellville, N.Y.), and Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.). Two wrestlers ranked first regardless of weight class in their respective graduating class are in this field -- freshman Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.), along with sophomore Spencer Lee. Sam KrivusThe 2014 Super 32 Challenge field also features 40 wrestlers that placed in the 2013 edition of this event, including five defending champions: Yianni Diakomihalis, Spencer Lee, Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), and Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.); Krivus is after a third consecutive title in this event. Also in this field are two other wrestlers with a past Super 32 high school division title: 2011 champion Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) and 2012 champion Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) Wrestling will start at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. At the end of Saturday's competition, 16 wrestlers (8 quarterfinalists, 8 in consolation) will remain in each weight class. Competition then resumes on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. to determine a champion and the other seven placers in each weight class. Held in conjunction with the high school division on Sunday will be a middle school tournament, as well as the debut year for two divisions of elementary school competition. The following is an overview of the highlight wrestlers in each weight class based on entrants as of the evening of October 27. 106: Youth tends to be served in the opening weight class, and this year should be no exception with four of the nation's top 25 Class of 2018 prospects in this field -- No. 1 Cade Olivas, No. 3 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson Morgan, Pa.), No. 17 Anthony Madrigal (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), and No. 24 Roderick Mosley, Jr. (Heritage Hall, Okla.). Both Olivas and Teasdale are among the seven FILA Cadet freestyle world team members from this summer in this field, while Madrigal is one of six 2014 Fargo freestyle All-Americans in the field. Others include Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio), Matt Parker (Pennridge, Pa.), Ryan Chauvin (Pine Creek, Colo.), and Elijah Varona (South Dade, Fla.) from the Cadet level; while Jonathan Tropea (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) finished third in Juniors. Additional wrestlers to watch include state champions Dane Heberlein (Alexander, N.Y.) and Joseph Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), as well as state runners-up Justin Portillo (Claridon-Goldfield, Iowa) and Jonathan Gomez (Locust Valley, N.Y.) Predicted finals match: Olivas over Teasdale, in a rematch of the Who's Number One match from two weekends ago. 113: Returning champion Spencer Lee, who also was a FILA Cadet World freestyle champion this summer, is the headline wrestler in this field. He is joined by five other graduating class ranked wrestlers: Devin Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.), ranked No. 96 in the Class of 2015; Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) and Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall, Okla.), ranked No. 22 and 39 in the Class of 2017; Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2018; and Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.), ranked No. 3 among Junior High wrestlers. Among the other wrestlers to watch are state champion Noah Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio), Junior Triple Crown winner Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.), returning Super 32 Challenge place-winners Kennedy Monday (Arlington Martin, Tex.) and Brandon Cray (Hamilton East, N.J.), Cadet National freestyle champion Paul Konrath (Mt. Vernon, Ind.), FILA Cadet Greco-Roman world team member Drew West (Highland, Iowa), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Sebastian Rivera (Christian Brothers Academy, N.J.), along with Junior National freestyle All-Americans in Garrett Pepple (East Noble, Ind.) and Drew Hildebrandt (Mishawaka Penn, Ind.) Predicted finals match: Lee over Brown, in a battle of Franklin Regional teammates. That said, the second finalist spot is anyone's guess; while Lee is the prohibitive favorite. 120: Two wrestlers ranked No. 4 overall in their respective grade level are among the field, junior Nick Suriano and sophomore Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.); Suriano is a two-time state champion and two-time Super 32 finalist, while Fix was a FILA Cadet freestyle world team member this summer. Ten other wrestlers in this weight class are ranked in their respective grade level -- returning Super 32 placers Christian Moody (Collinsville, Okla.) and Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) are ranked No. 80 and 86 in the senior class; returning Super 32 placer Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.) and Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) are No. 16 and 28 in the junior class; Yianni Diakomihalis, FloNationals runner-up Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), Cadet freestyle runner-up Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), Cadet Greco-Roman champion Coltan Williams (Trinity Christian Academy, Tex.), and Cadet double All-American Bryce West (Highland, Iowa) hold positions No. 5, 11, 19, 30, and 42 in the sophomore class; while Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.) is No. 25 in the freshman class. Three additional wrestlers in this weight class placed in the Super 32 last year, all doing so at 106 pounds: Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.), Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio), and Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.). Another trio of wrestlers have been Junior National freestyle All-Americans: Doyle Trout (Centennial, Neb.), Michael Cullen (Cary Grove, Ill.), and Benny Gomez (Holt, Mich.). Other wrestlers to note in this field include Flo Nationals runner-up Rudy Yates (Carl Sandburg, Ill.), NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Steven Simpson (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.), and two-time FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.) Predicted finals match: Suriano over Fix in a rematch of their marathon meeting at Who's Number One two weekends ago. The pair of wrestlers also met over Memorial Day weekend in the FILA Cadet National freestyle final, though Fix won that meeting. 126: A pair of wrestlers with major "sticker value" credentials lead this weight class -- Luke Pletcher and Nick Piccininni. Pletcher is ranked No. 3 overall in the junior class, and won the Super 32 Challenge last year at 120 pounds; while Piccininni is ranked No. 9 in the senior class, and ended the 2013-14 season No. 1 nationally at 120 pounds after earning a Flo Nationals title. Three other top 100 seniors are present in this weight class: two-time Super 32 Challenge placer Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio), two-time Junior freestyle All-American Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.), and two-time state champion Markus Simmons (Broken Arrow, Okla.). Also in this weight class are two additional top 50 juniors: Cadet National freestyle runner-up Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.) and Junior double All-American Ryan Deakin (Legacy, Colo.). Four other grade-level ranked wrestlers reside in this field: Francisco Valdes (Miami Southwest, Fla.), No. 31 in the sophomore class; while Bill Janzer (Delsea Regional, N.J.), Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) and Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) are positioned No. 13, 14, and 19 in the freshman class. Two additional wrestlers in this weight class were also Junior freestyle All-Americans this summer, Peter Lipari (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) and Jonathan Gabriel (Bedford, Pa.). Additional wrestlers to watch in this field include returning Super 32 Challenge placer Evan Cheek (Milan Edison, Ohio), three-time state placer Eli Seipel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), three-time National Prep placer Ryan Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.), FILA Cadet Greco-Roman world team member Jake Spiess (Delta, Ohio), along with a trio of two-time New Jersey state placers in Mike Russo (Jackson Liberty), Patrick D'Arcy (Holy Spirit), and Ryan Pomrinca (North Hunterdon, N.J.) Predicted finals match: Piccininni over Pletcher in a rematch of their Flo Nationals championship match meeting from early April. 132: Eleven wrestlers in this weight class are ranked among the overall best in their respective grade level, including four top 100 seniors: two-time state champion Jared Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.), three-time state finalist Cameron Kelly (Bellbrook, Ohio), 2013 Junior freestyle All-American Brandon James (Perry Meridian, Ind.), and NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Mike D'Angelo (Commack, N.Y.); Prince, Jeffries, and James have placed in the Super 32 before. Within the junior class rankings, returning Super 32 runner-up George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) is ranked No. 13, while Junior National freestyle champion Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) is No. 19. Two-time FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei) is ranked No. 2 in the sophomore class, and is joined by three others in the rankings: returning Super 32 placer Eric Hong (Georgetown Prep, Md.), Cadet double All-American Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio), and Flo Nationals placer Todd Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.). Finally, Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.) is ranked No. 20 in the freshman class. Other wrestlers to watch include Flo Nationals runner-up Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.); two-time state champions Jarred Ganger (Covington, Ohio), Marty Margolis (La Plata, Md.), Hunter Washburn (Alburnett, Iowa), and Alius DeLaRosa (Post Falls, Idaho); along with Cadet Greco-Roman champion Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) Predicted finals match: Prince, who placed in 2012, bounces back from last year's DNP; while Phillippi finishes runner-up for a second straight year in this tournament. 138: Sam Krivus, ranked No. 26 overall in the senior class, seeks to become only the sixth wrestler to ever win three Super 32 Challenge titles -- but just the second to win those three titles since the event has moved to Greensboro in 2005. Fourteen other wrestlers in this field are ranked in their respective grade levels, including four fellow seniors: No. 31 Nate Limmex (Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.), No. 38 Jaydin Clayton (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.), No. 50 Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), and No. 95 Craig de la Cruz (Summit, N.J.). Two juniors are nationally ranked -- Flo Nationals champion Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) and two-time state runner-up Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.). There are five nationally ranked sophomores: state champion Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.), FILA Cadet freestyle world team member Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, Pa.), FILA Cadet Greco-Roman world team member Domenick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio), Cadet double All-American Devin Bahr (West Salem, Wis.), and Cadet Greco All-American Hunter Bolen (Christiansburg, Va.). Rounding out the grade ranked wrestlers is a trio of freshmen: No. 7 Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.), No. 10 Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.), and No. 15 David Carr (Dayton Christian, Ohio). Also in this field are Cadet Nationals double champion Will Karsten (Platte County, Mo.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Will Clark (Cary, N.C.), state champions Nate Hagan (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio) and Richard Screptock (Oregon Clay, Ohio), three-time state placer Josh Wenger (Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa), two-time state placer Connor Burkert (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Mark McCormick (Camden Catholic, N.J.). Predicted finals match: Krivus gets his third straight title at the Super 32, upending Limmex in the final. However, this is an extremely deep weight class, with the number of plausible finalists creeping towards double digits. 145: Three-time Super 32 finalist Michael Kemerer is one of three top 100 seniors in this field, joined by NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa) and NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Patricio Lugo (South Dade, Fla.). Joining Kemerer and Thomsen in this weight class as returning Super 32 placers are Kyle Lawson (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), who is ranked No. 6 in the sophomore class, and Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point, N.Y.). This is a relatively shallow weight class, with the lone other grade-level ranked wrestler being No. 27 overall junior, Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) Others to note in this weight class include state runner-up Ryan Burkert (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), two-time state placer Zac Carson (Uniontown Lake, Ohio), two-time Flo Nationals placer Kent Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.), two-time state champions Jake Adcock (Pope, Ga.) and Christian Villani (Bellevue, Wash.), along with two-time state finalists Logan Lacure (Dayton Christian, Ohio), Griffin Parriott (New Prague, Minn.), and Brock Cooper (Bremen, Ga.). Predicted finals match: Like Joey Dance did in 2012, coincidentally beating Kemerer in that final, look for the future Hawkeye Kemerer to bookend his high school career with Super 32 titles; his projected opponent in the final will be a potential in-state college rival Thomsen, who has committed to Northern Iowa. 152: Returning Super 32 runner-up Zach Kelly, who placed third in Junior freestyle in 2013, leads the field in what is a rather deep -- if not overly top-heavy -- weight class. He is joined by four top 100 seniors and seven top 50 juniors. Nationally ranked seniors include returning Super 32 placer Tommy Forte (Mishawaka, Ind.), Junior freestyle All-Americans Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.) and Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), along with NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Neal Richards (Matoaca, Va.). Ranked juniors include No. 25 Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.), No. 31 Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.), No. 32 Justin Thomas (Santiago Corona, Calif.), No. 34 Jake Wentzel (South Park, Pa.), No. 38 Chris Mauriello (Haupppauge, N.Y.), No. 42 Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.), and No. 44 Austin Kraisser (Centennial, Md). The other grade-level ranked wrestler in this field is sophomore A.J. Pedro (Phillips Exeter, N.H.), who placed third at National Preps. Other wrestlers to note in this field include NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Sean Glasgow (Bound Brook, N.J.); returning Super 32 placer Isaiah Crosby (South Dade, Fla.); Flo Nationals placer Adam Martz (Mountain Ridge, Md.); 2013 state champion Dewey Krueger (Oconto Falls, Wis.); along with a pair of NHSCA Junior All-Americans in Gavin Murray (Cranford, N.J.) and Anthony Bell (Fairport, N.Y.) Predicted finals match: Kelly wins the belt in his second Super 32 finals appearance, knocking off Forte in the Sunday mid-afternoon showdown. 160: Two-time Super 32 placer Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) is one of seven top 100 seniors populating the field in this weight class. Those other ranked Class of 2015 prospects include Flo Nationals runner-up Josh Ugalde (Bound Brook, N.J.), Junior National double All-American Brett Bye (Vermillion, S.D.), Super 32 placer Dayton Racer (Bettendorf, Iowa), three-time state placer Paden Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio), and three-time state placer Cole Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa.). There is also a pair of top 50 ranked juniors and a ranked sophomore in this weight class: the juniors include Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2016, and FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.); while Flo Nationals placer Louie Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) is No. 29 in the Class of 2017. Additional wrestlers to note in this field include three-time New England placer Cody Hughes (Marshwood, Maine); two-time state champion Carver James (Dakota, Ill.); Cadet Greco-Roman champion Owen Webster (Shakopee, Minn.); Junior Greco All-American Joey Gunther (Libertyville, Ill.); two-time state finalist Corbin Allen (Hanover, Va.); NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.); along with Flo Nationals placers D.J. Hollingshead (Altoona, Pa.) and Tony Palumbo (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) Predicted finals match: In a battle of top ten wrestlers in their respective grades, look for Baldwin to upend Marinelli. 170: Two top 100 seniors, and potential in-state college rivals, are featured in this weight class: Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.), a Northern Iowa commit, finished runner-up at the Super 32 and Flo Nationals during 2013-14; while two-time state champion Colston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.) is an Iowa State commit. Other notable wrestlers in this field include returning Super 32 placer Zach Hertling (Ocean Township, N.J.); NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Juan Garcia (Danbury, Ct.); Flo Nationals placer Brett Donner (Wall, N.J.); NHSCA Junior Nationals placers Sean Kennedy (Riverdale, Tenn.) and Fritz Hoehn (North Andover, Mass.); along with state champions Trevor Allard (Mexico, N.Y.) and Caleb Little (Jefferson, Ga.) Predicted finals match: Look for Lujan to improve upon last year's runner-up finish, and win what is arguably the tournament's weakest weight class outside of heavyweight. It's open season for runner-up honors, though DiBlasi might be a fractional favorite for that position. 182: Two top 100 seniors anchor the proceedings in this weight class, No. 5 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) and No. 41 Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.); Valencia is a three-time Walsh Ironman champion, while Wisman won titles at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and Flo Nationals this spring. Three other wrestlers in this weight class are among the top 50 juniors nationally: Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.), an All-American in both Junior freestyle and FILA Cadet freestyle; state runner-up Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio), also a FILA Cadet freestyle All-American; and state runner-up Blake Rypel (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.), also a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion. Others to watch in this weight class include 2013 state champion Evan Hansen (Exira, Iowa); two-time state runners-up Kollin Moore (Norwayne, Ohio) and Chance Cooper (Timberland, Mo.); Flo Nationals placers Dakota Geer (Franklin, Pa.) and Willie Bivens (Eastern Guilford, N.C.); state runner-up Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio); along with NHSCA Junior Nationals All-Americans in Corey Hazel (Penns Valley, Pa.), Dontae McGee (Farragut Academy, Fla.), and Chris Morgan (West Orange, N.J.) Predicted finals match: Even up six weight classes from where he competed during the 2013-14 high school season, Valencia will be the man in this weight class, key word being "man". Fellow top 100 senior Wisman is the projected runner-up. 195: Two wrestlers in this weight carry a grade-level ranking into the tournament, FILA Cadet freestyle champion Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.) is No. 35 in the senior class, while returning Super 32 placer Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.) is No. 50 in the junior class. Additional wrestlers to note in this field include Junior freestyle All-American Kevin Mulligan (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Jeff Velez (David Brearley, N.J.), returning Flo Nationals placers Jacob Cooper (Springport, Mich.) and Drew Kasper (Lexington, Ohio), two-time state placers Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown, Pa.) and Jacob Worthington (Milan Edison, Ohio), along with state third place finishers Gabriel Rangel (Davenport Assumption, Iowa) and Steve Allen (Broken Arrow, Okla.) Predicted finals match: Ritter over Phipps. 220: A pair of nationally ranked juniors and FILA Cadet world team participants is among the lead figures in this weight class. No. 5 Jordan Wood was a world silver medalist in freestyle, while No. 33 Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) as the world team participant in Greco-Roman. The other pair of lead figures placed at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in this weight class during the spring: Austin Myers (Campbell County, Ky.) was runner-up, and is ranked No. 20 in the senior class, while Patrick Grayson (Colonial Forge, Va.) placed third. Others to watch include returning Super 32 placer Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman, N.Y.), Flo Nationals runner-up and Junior freestyle All-American Yousef Hemida (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), National Prep placer Michael Smith (McDonogh, Md.), two-time state qualifier Christian Colucci (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), Flo Nationals placer Reynold Maines (West Branch, Pa.), state champions John Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.) and Jacob Plaster (Northside, Va.), along with Cadet freestyle runner-up Luke Ready (Brighton, Mich.) Predicted finals match: Given the general nature of this weight class during preseason tournaments, there resides an extreme amount of depth in this weight class. That said, it's a pretty clear two-man final between Wood and Myers, with Wood the pick to repeat as champion in what would be one of the more intriguing finals matchups. 285: Two returning Super 32 placers are among those featured in this field, two-time state placer Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and two-time New England finalist Ian Butterbrodt (St. John's Prep, Mass.). Additional wrestlers to watch in this weight include Junior National double All-American Michael Rogers (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); a trio were NHSCA Junior Nationals All-Americans in Adam Olsen (High Point Central, N.C.), Zack Mauldin (Lexington, N.C.), and Bucky Dennis (Port Charlotte, Fla.); state placer Alan Beattie (Burrell, Pa.); as well as state runner-up Dane Drimmer (Chaparral, Colo.) Predicted finals match: Rogers moves up a pair of weight classes from the 2013-14 season to win the title over Dunn, who placed fourth last year here in this weight class.

Related: NCAA Division II Individual Rankings | NCAA Division II Team Rankings Maryville coach Mike DenneyEDMOND, Okla. -- Maryville (Mo.) earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Division II wrestling poll Monday as the Saints earned the favorite’s tag for the 2015 national championship, according to the pre-season rankings released by the Division II Wrestling Coaches Association. Maryville, a fourth-year program that will serve as host institution for the 2015 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in St. Louis next March, received five first-place votes and finished with 151 points in balloting of head coaches from around the country. The Saints return five All-Americans from last year’s third-place team in addition to an All-American from the season before and all six wrestlers are in the pre-season individual rankings. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) is second in the poll with 142 points, while Nebraska-Kearney earned two first-place votes and came in third with 134 points. Defending national champion Notre Dame (Ohio) received the remaining first-place vote and is fourth with 122 points, one ahead of St. Cloud State (Minn.). Rounding out the top 10 is McKendree (Ill.), Mercyhurst (Pa.), Western State (Colo.), Central Oklahoma and Lindenwood (Mo.). UNK is the only team with more than one top-ranked individual as133-pounder Daniel DeShazer and 197-pounder Romero Cotton topped their respective weights.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- After rolling through pool play yesterday, the top-ranked King University women's wrestling team didn't let up on Saturday as they repeated as champions of the Cliff Keen Duals. The Tornado started the day with a 28-15 victory over No. 10 University of the Cumberlands before topping No. 6 Simon Fraser University 33-10 in the semifinals. King then faced No. 2 Oklahoma City University in the finals for the second consecutive tournament, topping the Stars 27-20. Forrest Molinari and Amanda Hendey got the Tornado off to a great start against No. 10 Cumberlands as Molinari took a 10-0 technical fall victory over Angelica Hernandez at 136 pounds and Hendey earned a win by fall in 0:38 over Kristin Yamasaki at 143 pounds. Julia Salata extended the King lead with a 10-0 technical fall victory at 170 pounds before Cumberlands earned back-to-back victories. However, Ashley Iliff (109) and Haley Augello (116) teamed up for consecutive wins. Iliff earned a win by fall in 2:52 over Angelo Enos before Augello topped Alex Campbell 10-0 on a technical fall. Jessi Kee capped the 28-15 victory with a win by fall in 1:29 over Ashley Talaro-Potter at 130 pounds. Hendey continued the roll as she started the match against sixth-ranked Simon Fraser with a win by fall in 3:36 over Francesca Giorgio at 143 pounds. Salata again took a 10-0 technical fall win at 170 pounds, this time defeating Monika Podgorski, before the Clan took the second victory of the dual. Following that win, the Tornado rolled off six straight victories to take the match 33-10. Marina Doi earned a 3-0 win at 101 pounds while Breonnah Neal took an 8-2 decision at 109 pounds. Augello, Sarah Hildebrandt and Kee all took 10-0 technical fall wins to move King into the championship bout. Salata got King off to a good start, defeating Sherese Thomas on a fall in 1:21 at 170 to put the Tornado ahead of No. 2 Oklahoma City, but the Stars bounced back with three straight wins to take a 13-7 lead in the match. However, Augello brought momentum back to the Tornado side of the mat as she took a 10-0 technical fall win over Shelby Morris at 116 pounds. Hildebrandt followed with a 10-0 technical fall win at 123 pounds over Rachel Archer to put King ahead 15-13. At 130 pounds, Kee followed with a 10-0 technical fall win before Molinari topped Rachel Young 12-1 on a technical fall at 136 pounds to give the Tornado a commanding lead. Hendey capped King's scoring with a 12-2 technical fall victory at 155 pounds over Hailey Garcia. The Stars took the final bout on a fall to make the final score 27-20 in favor of the Tornado. King will be in action again on November 8 when they travel to the NYAC Open in New York City.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State wrestling team kicked off the 2014-15 season on Saturday as it hosted its annual Maroon & Gold Intrasquad at the Riches Wrestling Complex. The Sun Devils opened the day with 21 preliminary matches, followed by eight more matches during the afternoon session. “It was a good opportunity for me to see everyone wrestle for the first time in a competitive environment, with a singlet, at weight, and under stress,” head coach Zeke Jones said. “That’s really when you find out what kind of wrestler you have. I think right now we are on track. I’ve seen improvements since the first day we got here, and I like what we see so far.” Returning NCAA qualifier Blake Stauffer picked up an 8-4 decision win over redshirt senior Kevin Radford in ASU’s only match between 184-pounders, and junior Ray Waters returned at 174-pounds with 12-1 major decision win over Matt Schneider. Sophomore transfer Dalton Brady made his debut with ASU at 133 pounds, winning a tech fall over senior Tyree Owens, 19-4, before scoring a 15-5 major decision over junior Cord Coronado that afternoon. Fellow sophomore transfer Judson Preskitt also picked up a bonus point victory, defeating freshman Mikel Perales, 14-2, at 125 pounds. Preskitt also held off a comeback try from freshman Hayden Lee, edging him out, 7-6. Five Sun Devils pinned their teammates, starting with sophomore transfer Christian Pagdalio’s fall over sophomore Ryan Nantuna in 1:17 in one of the eight matches that occurred between 149-poundsers. Junior Matt Kraus, who started every bout at 141 pounds a season ago, pinned sophomore Josh Beam in 2:00 in his first bout at 149 pounds. ASU’s fourth sophomore transfer, Oliver Pierce, pinned teammate Pablo Moreno in 2:08 in one of the 157-pound contests, while Lee picked up a win in his first match of the day when he pinned Perales in 1:39. Sophomore Wes Moore picked up the final pin of the day, taking down freshman Sullivan Cauley in 1:09 in one of the 197-pound matches. At 141, sophomore Mech Spraggins opened the day with a 13-4 major decision over freshman Koby Reyes, and then defeated Jesse Calderon in a 5-1 decision in the afternoon session. Redshirt junior Josh DaSilveira won both his matches on the afternoon, defeating Cauley in a 4-1 decision before edging Moore in overtime, 3-2. ASU’s last match of the day came at 157-pounds, with Pierce edging out redshirt senior Joel Smith with a late takedown, 3-1. “We saw a lot of strength from our experienced guys on the team, and then we saw a lot of the newcomers emerging into their roles,” Jones said. “We had a very nice blend, and those younger guys, the newcomers, the transfers, are really showing that they want to take a spot in the lineup and be the top Sun Devil. It’s very promising to see going into our first season together.” The Sun Devils will open the 2014-15 season on Sunday, Nov. 2 at the Daktronics Open in Brookings, S.D. ASU’s first home match is on Friday, No. 21 against Utah Valley at 7 p.m. MT at Wells Fargo Arena. Results: 149: Ryan Nantuna dec. Matthew Hogue, 8-7 157: Pablo Moreno dec. Matt Holm, 3-1 165: Matt Schneider dec. Anthony Anderson, 6-4 SV 125: Judson Preskitt maj. dec. Mikel Perales, 14-2 133: Cord Coronado dec. Tyree Owens, 6-1 141: Koby Reyes dec. Jesse Calderon, 4-3 197: Josh DaSilveira dec. Sullivan Cauley, 4-1 149: Christian Pagdalio pinned Ryan Nantuna, 1:17 149: Hans Rasmusson dec. Michael Oramas, 7-5 149: Matt Kraus pinned Josh Beam, 2:00 149: Preston McCalmon dec. Nicolas Gaspari, 8-1 157: Oliver Pierce pinned Pablo Moreno, 2:08 157: Joel Smith tech. fall Kaylon Sencio, 19-4 165: Jacen Petersen dec. Matt Schneider, 6-1 125: Hayden Lee pinned Mikel Perales, 1:38 133: Dalton Brady tech. fall Tyree Owens, 19-4 141: Mech Spraggins maj. dec. Koby Reyes, 13-4 197: Wes Moore pinned Sullivan Cauley, 1:09 149: Christian Pagdalio dec. Hans Rasmusson, 11-4 149: Matt Kraus dec. Preston McCalmon, 3-2 165: Jacen Petersen dec. Anthony Anderson, 9-6 125: Judson Preskitt dec. Hayden Lee, 7-6 133: Dalton Brady maj. dec. Cord Coronado, 15-5 141: Mech Spraggins dec. Jesse Calderon, 5-1 174: Ray Waters maj. dec. Matt Schneider, 12-1 184: Blake Stauffer dec. Kevin Radford, 8-4 197: Josh DaSilveira dec. Wes Moore, 3-2 OT 149: Christian Pagdalio dec. Matt Kraus, 4-2 157: Oliver Pierce dec. Joel Smith, 3-1

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Connor Kim and Colton Schilling recorded first-period falls to highlight the Cal Poly wrestling team’s Green vs. Gold Intrasquad Meet on Friday night in the Mott Athletics Center. Kim, a walk-on redshirt freshman, pinned true freshman Jason DelaCruz in 2 minutes, 36 seconds, to win the 133-pound weight class while Schilling, also a redshirt freshman, needed just 19 seconds to pin true freshman James Claitor at 141 pounds. Nick Fiegener posted a 17-2 technical fall against Johnny Beltran in a 184-pound matchup of true freshmen, recording eight near-fall points and 5:22 in riding time. A pair of 12-4 major decisions were recorded by freshman Yoshito Funakoshi at 125 pounds and sophomore Travis Berridge at 165 pounds. Funakoshi notched five takedowns for his victory while Berridge earned a trio of takedowns and a three-point first-period near fall en route to his triumph. Senior Dominic Kastl, a Pac-12 champion at 165 pounds in 2012, earned an 11-2 major decision against redshirt freshman Joe Applegate at 174 pounds, compiling four takedowns and a reversal. Sophomore Colt Shorts raced to a 9-2 lead in the first period on his way to a 9-4 triumph over true freshman Joe Granger at 157 pounds. Wins by Funakoshi, Schilling, Shorts and Berridge powered the Gold team to a 17-15 victory over the Green squad. Cal Poly officially opens the 2014-15 season Nov. 2 at the Clarion Open. The Mustangs host Cal Baptist and San Francisco State for non-conference dual meets Nov. 8, starting at 2 p.m. Gold 17, Green 15: 125: Yoshito Funakoshi (Gold) maj. dec. Isaac Blackburn (Green) 12-4 133: Connor Kim (Green) pinned Jason DelaCruz (Gold) 2:36 141: Colton Schilling (Gold) pinned James Claitor (Green) 0:19 157: Colt Shorts (Gold) dec. Joe Granger (Green) 9-4 165: Travis Berridge (Gold) maj. dec. Clay Teixeira (Green) 12-4 174: Dominic Kastl (Green) maj. dec. Joe Applegate (Green) 11-2 184: Nick Fiegener (Green) tech. fall Johnny Beltran (Gold) 17-2, 7:00

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Sometimes injuries in the preseason happen. A second wrestler has been swapped out due to injury, but the main event still contains 20 collegiate All-Americans. Due to an injury to Cornell All-American Nahshon Garrett at 125 pounds, Missouri’s Alan Waters has been selected to compete at the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps and the Wrestlers in Business Network hosted by Penn and WIBN-Philadelphia on November 1 at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Waters, a Kansas City, Missouri native, redshirted last season and was a 2013 All-American, taking fourth place at 125 pounds. Waters comes into his senior season with a career record of 101-13. He went 33-2 in 2012-13. The third-ranked Waters will face fourth-ranked Joey Dance of Virginia Tech. The two have never met in collegiate competition. The addition of Waters will give Missouri coach Brian Smith two wrestlers in the event. “We’re extremely pleased Brian Smith and Alan Waters have quickly accepted the invitation to wrestle at the NWCA All-Star Classic,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “It shows their willingness to showcase the sport of wrestling, even on short notice.” To purchase tickets to the event, click here for the Penn Athletic Ticket Office. The event will be streamed live by the NWCA’s live streaming partner Flowrestling. Fox College Sports will air the event on television via tape-delay no less than 10 times during the season, starting two weeks after the event has completed. These broadcasts are paid for by Rothschild, a leading global financial advisory based in New York City with offices in Washington, Los Angeles and Houston. Hibiclens and Resilite will again support the event as associate sponsors. The Rothman Institute and the United Association (UA) Group will also make 1,500 tickets available for local students (K-12) throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. These tickets will be distributed to regional schools by representatives of the United States Marine Corps. Follow on Social Media! For more information on the All-Star Classic, visit www.theallstarclassic.com and follow the NWCA on Facebook and Twitter. Fans can join the discussion with the #NWCAClassic hashtag. Fans should keep an eye on the discussion as there will be contests and interactive discussions about the event via Twitter and Facebook!

For the first time since the Save Olympic Wrestling movement the wrestling world has reached something resembling a consensus. What to thank for this collective head nodding? A 32-minute off-season high school wrestling match. Without being drug into the details of who was playing defense and who was attacking, wrestlers Daton Fix and Nick Suriano engaged in a 32-minute 1-1 overtime match last weekend. The match mercifully ended when Suriano found a takedown off a scramble, ending what was by most accounts a very long 30-plus minutes of not-that-much actual wrestling. So what was the wrestling community's big consensus? Elimination of overtime? Capped overtime? No. The establishment of an out-of-bounds that makes sense, pushes action and awards aggression. Better known by the colloquialism "pushout." When the pushout rule was first introduced in the Olympic styles many wrestling fans feared that the sport would become a shoving match. The more simplified anti-pushout arguments called it sumo.* The old rules were ridiculous so the pushout sometimes was the deciding factor in matches. However, with the new international rules in place the pushout rule has helped contain action, quicken the pace of matches and has created exciting spats of offense. In analyzing the 32-minute match many of wrestling's better minds turned to Twitter to dissect the fallout. In general most agreed that the current problem with collegiate wrestling (scholastic, folkstyle, etc.) is the lack of an absolute out of bounds enforced by penalty. Though not stated in 140 characters, one of the main gripes seems to be that the edge of the mat becomes an enormous void of action -- a retreat where wrestlers can force a restart to bad positions, or hang out to avoid the encroachments of more physical opponents. Where the edge of the mats starts, and what is the punishment for fleeing are both items that become highly subjective, and often misappropriated. NCAA wrestling is lagging behind freestyle in terms of excitement. Way behind. The main reason is the collegiate styles inability to establish a perimeter and incentivize wrestlers to perform offensive maneuvers. I am a fan of scrambling and I love the creativity of the triple overtime snore-ride (no, not really), but adding an edge that is on fire will prompt action, and for a sport that wants to bully its way onto television and make a larger social impact, more scoring and shorter matches will be a necessity. And now, almost everyone agrees. *I was in Tokyo last month and watched a lot of sumo. The sport of sumo is simple, incredible, athletic, attractive and a multi-billion dollar sport in Japan. So maybe being more like sumo is a good thing. Also, those wrestlers are some of the best technical wrestlers I've ever seen. No, I'm not kidding.) To your questions ... Q: I have been super impressed with Yoel Romero in his UFC fights. He's a freak! I think with a little more seasoning he can beat Chris Weidman and become the UFC middleweight champion. Am I crazy? -- Mike C. Yoel Romero is undefeated (5-0) in the UFCFoley: Yes, you are nutty. Yoel Romero, while unique in his talents as a freestyle wrestler, has reached the top of his potential in MMA. His win over teary-eyed whiner Tim Kennedy showed that while Romero can strike and wrestle, he has a tough time with cardio. Against a guy like Weidman who is an technical striker and NCAA All-American but also has a gas tank, Romero would be picked apart. Weidman also has the advantage of strategy, being coached by John Danaher, who engineered both of the Hofstra's wrestler's victories over Anderson Silva. Romero is excellent -- he's a beast, really -- but he's no match for the more technical, and more "heroic" Weidman. Q: Is Nico Megaludis redshirting this season? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes! Jordan Conaway is entering Penn State's lineup. I'd expect a low All-American finish from him. He'll be well-coached and tuned up on a consistent basis Q: I'm sure you caught Flo's WNO last weekend. Obviously, there was some great wrestling. Mark Hall is a force to be reckoned with. I don't think anyone saw that coming besides Mark. It seemed to me that Flo has really stepped up their game as far as production goes. Also, do you think that the choice to use the fight shorts and compression gear (or not shirt at all) will start some more conversation about changing the uniforms at any level, which level would be first to make the change? -- Sean M. Foley: Agreed that Flo's production value was top-notch. Interesting to note as well that most, if not all, of the online attention has gone to the high school matches. Without something greater on the line (Olympic development) wrestling fans didn't seem too interested in the Premier League match. The rules might also have been a factor. The uniform change is coming. First to the recreational wrestling leagues (if such things even exists anymore) and then to middle school and high school wrestling teams. There is a ton of potential in changing the uniforms and even after one event public opinion seems to be shifting. Shirts off? Eh. Not a big fan. Too much sweat, too much blubber, and for the little kids it's WAY too much skin. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Exemplary sumo match Interview with retired sumo wrestler Asashoryu, who is the current president of the Mongolian Wrestling Federation. #WillPower Link: The race to nowhere in youth sports Link: Kyle Dake via USA Wrestling discussing another reason Americans struggle on the international stage ... "It's tough trying to split time between coaching and wrestling," he said. "I want to do everything great, but you can't split time and be great at both. I have to focus completely on wrestling right now if I'm going to reach my goals. Rob Koll and the other coaches understand that and they agreed it was the best thing for the program. I am still in the room and still around the team. I am still helping out where I can." Q: Grayshirt. Good or bad? -- @ShogunOfSonoma? Foley: I know of two grayshirts: Post high school fifth years and Ivy league redshirts. For high school fifth years it depends on the talent level and preparedness for college. For an Ivy league wrestler the grayshirt is more often a positive, if also tricky, solution to help them adjust to collegiate life and Division I wrestling. From my experience, Ivy wrestlers are faced with more academic challenges than many of their competitors. Also with tough academic loads and a collegiate life that can more often resemble Hogwarts than Spring Break, a semester away can allow them time to focus on school or an internship. I've seen that time create a positive difference in on-the-mat and off-the-mat success. But as always it's an individual-by-individual based decision. Q: Which semester would you prefer to see NCAA wrestling season? Fall: NO WAY ... Spring: Possible. I'm a huge fan of both football and wrestling. I love my tailgating Saturdays in Happy Valley. I don't think I could "afford" to do back-to-back days. (Hotels are two-night minimum at outrageous prices.) I like the idea of moving it to spring -- first and foremost -- get away from the hoops season! Second, I tend to lose focus of high school wrestling in PA as there is too much going on at any one moment. Plus traveling to the Big Tens/NCAAs would be much simpler without the worry of inclement weather! -- Adrian S. Foley: Spring is the only option. Though wrestlers would still be practicing over Christmas, the change of the season to a mid-January or early February start would allow for a better student-athlete experience and provide more opportunity to the NCAA in selling major events. Right now the season drags on and much of the wrestling matters little to the final outcome. When something doesn't impact the final result it fails to be appealing, and the majority of the NCAA season is meaningless to the number of All-Americans and national champions produced by a school. Time to shorten the season, provide fans better opportunities to engage with the product and make each event matter towards something at the end of the season. COMMENT OF THE WEEK By John G. I watched the White-McFadden match that was streamed on Flowrestling, and I was interested in hearing your views on the match. I'm not referring to McFadden's rather obvious stalling. I'm talking about the whole approach taken by Flo in the event. Wrestling shirtless. Calling the mats the snake pit. Letting the boys wrestle until someone won in overtime. I kept thinking about how I would feel if that had been my son wrestling out there. And, I don't think I would have approved of it. I understand that we need to promote wrestling and present it in new ways that invoke MMA. I'm OK with no singlets. But these are high school students. Or I think they are. And the comments posted on Flo about McFadden were rough. I mean, I'm trying not to be too sensitive here. I know we need to put on our big boy pants, but these are kids.

Related: NAIA Individual Rankings | NAIA Team Rankings KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Three-time defending national champion Grand View (Iowa) garners the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Preseason Top 20 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday. The Vikings received 154.5 points en route to their 17th-consecutive top billing. Grand View's Christian Mays celebrates after his victory at the national tournament (Photo/Doug Wells)Grand View boasts a poll-best 11 ranked wrestlers, including three top-ranked individuals -- Ryak Finch (125 pounds), Brandon Wright (141 pounds) and Christian Mays (184 pounds). Finch and Wright both enter the 2014-15 season looking to defend their 2014 national titles. Mays earned All-America status with a fifth-place finish at the 2014 NAIA Wrestling National Championships. Perennial powerhouse Southern Oregon checks in at No. 2 with 101.5 points. The Raiders boast nine ranked individuals, highlighted by three-time defending national champion Brock Gutches at 174 pounds. Gutches, who was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at last year’s national championships, will represent the NAIA at the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic’s main event on Nov. 1. He will take on two-time NCAA Division I All-American Robert Kokesh of Nebraska. The appearance by Gutches is a first for NAIA wrestling in 10 years. No. 3 Great Falls (Mont.) with 86 points, No. 4 Missouri Valley with 71.5 points and No. 5 Montana State-Northern with 69 points. Of the trio, Missouri Valley showcases two top-ranked individuals – Jake Ekster (149 pounds) and Gabi Musallam (285 pounds) – while Montana-State Northern has one – Ethan Hinebauch (165 pounds). Great Falls is the only team in the top five to not have a No. 1 individual. Bryce Shoemaker (133 pounds) of Baker (Kan.), Joe Cozart (157 pounds) of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Stephen Loosbrook (197 pounds) of Benedictine (Kan.) are the only No. 1 individuals not associated with a top-five program. Shoemaker and Cozart both won their first national title last season, while Loosbrook finished runner-up to Jesse Hellinger of Dickinson State (N.D.). With seven returning All-Americans, the 157-pound weight class is the most decorated of the ten levels. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the four Qualifying Groups. For the complete look at the 2014-15 NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll calendar, click here. The first regular-season poll will be announced No. 19. Notes (all information dates back to 2000-01 season): Grand View’s (Iowa) No. 1 ranking is its 22nd all-time, which ranks second of all programs since 2000-01 … The Vikings have held the top spot in 17-straight polls … Former member Lindenwood (Mo.) boasts the most all-time No. 1 rankings with 39, while Notre Dame is third with 14 … Nine programs have appeared in the Top 20 for at least 20-consecutive polls, led by No. 6 Campbellsville’s (Ky.) and No. 3 Great Falls’ (Mont.) current run of 72-straight polls, dating back to 2005-06 … No. 4 Montana State-Northern is the only other school with at least 50-straight appearances (63) … Grand View (2013-14), Notre Dame (2010-11) and Lindenwood (2006-07) are the only programs to spend an entire season ranked No. 1.

UFC 179 is here. If you look at Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes separately, a rematch sounds like a fun idea. Unfortunately, Aldo has a pretty big huge advantage on paper. He did in their first bout and nothing has really changed since then for the featherweight champion and pound for pound star. What has changed is Phil Davis's status in the light heavyweight division, and his co-main event match with Glover Teixeira suddenly seems a lot more daunting than it would've two years ago. No reason to tease the rest of the card here (it's pretty bad) so enjoy the show. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Austin Gomez was a Cadet National double champion in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Now in its seventh year, the Cliff Keen USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals serve as an excellent showcase for high school aged wrestlers -- and also those below high school age -- prior to the start of the regular scholastic season. As of October 22, about 1500 wrestlers from a plethora of states are slated to compete in two different high school divisions this coming Saturday. Sunday will feature the high school girls division as well as the below high school divisions (1st/2nd, 3rd/4th, 5th/6th, and 7th/8th grades). 2014 marks the second year for the presence of two different divisions for high school competitors. Wrestlers in 9th and 10th grade will be in one division, while those in 11th and 12th grade will be in another. One underrated aspect of this format structure is the ability for freshmen and sophomores to emerge as stars among their peer group in a high school setting -- instead of having to wait until the spring/summer in many cases for such a chance. Below represents a weight-by-weight outlook across the competition. 9th/10th Division 100: Three Cadet National double All-Americans from Fargo this past summer are among the key competitors in this weight class. That group is led by Peter Ogunsanya (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), who finished third in both styles at 94 pounds after a runner-up finish in both styles at 92 pounds in the FILA Cadet Nationals. The other two doublers are Billy Simpson (Cushing, Okla.) and Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.). Additional wrestlers to watch in this weight class are Cadet folkstyle champion Cody Phippen (Basheor-Linwood, Kan.), Cadet freestyle champion Malik Heinselman (Colorado), Cadet folkstyle runner-up Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa), and Cadet freestyle fourth place finisher Rhett Golowenski (Tuttle, Okla.) 106: Leading the way in this weight class is Cadet freestyle All-American Anthony Madrigal (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), who is ranked No. 17 overall among incoming freshmen. Other wrestlers to watch in this weight class include Iowa state placer Adam Brown (Southeast Polk), FILA Cadet double All-American Holden Heller (Illinois), Cadet folkstyle third place finisher Michael Millage (Iowa), and Cadet Greco-Roman All-American Nathan Lendt (Southeast Polk, Iowa). 113: Three of the nation’s elite sophomores lead the way in this weight class. Austin Gomez (Glenbard North, Ill.) is No. 15 overall in the grade level, and was a Cadet double national champion at 113 pounds this summer; Jason Renteria (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) was a state runner-up this past scholastic season, and is ranked No. 22 overall in the Class of 2017; while Ian Timmins (Wooster, Nev.) is No. 46 in the sophomore class, and was a Cadet National double finalist at 106 pounds this summer, including a title in Greco-Roman. Other wrestlers to watch include FILA Cadet Greco-Roman world team member Dack Punke (Washington, Ill.), Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Dom Lajoie (Gaylord, Mich.), and state fourth place finisher Tristan Lara (Fort Dodge, Iowa). 120: Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.) is a defending Preseason Nationals champion in the freshman/sophomore division. In addition, he is ranked No. 19 overall in the sophomore class, was a Cadet National double All-American, and a FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up during this past offseason. Other wrestlers to watch in this weight class include Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Corbin Nirschl (Basheor-Linwood, Kan.); formidable freshman Jon Trowbridge (Basheor-Linwood, Kan.), a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American this spring; along with state placers Derek Holschlag (Union, Iowa) and Jason Crary (Munster, Ind.) 126: A pair of grade-ranked wrestlers lead the way in this weight class, Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) and Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.). The sophomore Hagan is No. 44 overall in the Class of 2017 after a state runner-up finish this past high school season, and a Cadet folkstyle runner-up finish this spring; while incoming freshman Lloyd is No. 12 in his grade level after a double All-American finish this summer at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo, and a third place finish in Minnesota Class AAA during eighth grade. Other wrestlers to watch include state champion Eli King (Father Ryan, Tenn.); impact freshman Jacob Greenwood (Colorado), a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman All-American; along with state champion Tanner Litterell (Tuttle, Okla.) 132: Two sophomores stand out ahead of the rest of the field in this weight class, Francisco Valdes (Miami Southwest, Fla.) and Jimmy McAuliffe (Mt. Carmel, Ill.). Valdes is ranked No. 31 overall in the Class of 2017, and is already a two-time state champion along with finishing second at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals this spring; while McAuliffe placed fifth in Illinois Class 3A as a freshman. 138: The clear favorite in this weight class is Devin Bahr (West Salem, Wis.), the No. 27 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017. The state champion this past scholastic season was a Cadet National double All-American this summer. Another wrestler to watch in this weight class is freshman John Manning, a native of Utah. 145: In what is a wide open weight class, here are a few names to keep an eye on. Incoming freshman Braeden Redlin (Allen, Texas) was third in Cadet Greco-Roman this summer, fellow incoming freshman Kenny O’Neil (Prior Lake, Minn.) was a state qualifier in high school during his eighth grade year, as well as talented sophomore Tervell Timmons (Lockport, Ill.) 160: Another wide open weight class comes at 160 pounds. A couple of wrestlers here have strong sibling “lineage” -- Nate Jimenez (Marmion Academy, Ill.) and Isaac Bartel (Mason City, Iowa). 170: The clear favorite in this weight class is freshman Jack Jessen (Illinois), who is ranked No. 6 overall in the Class of 2017, and placed third in both styles this summer at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo. 182-285: As is the case many times with underclassmen in the upperweights, the key names have yet to emerge this early in the year. That is the case here with the 152-pound weight class, as well as the back four (182 to 285) weight classes. 11th/12th Division 106: Three wrestlers stand out as the head of the class in this field: Iowa natives Justin Portillo (Claridon-Goldfield) and Tristan Birt (Dubuque Wahlert), along with Illinois native Louie Hayes. Portillo was a state runner-up this past season, while Birt won a state title; Hayes was third in both styles at 100 pounds in the Junior Nationals this summer. Another notable wrestler in this weight class is Cadet National Greco-Roman champion Trey Keeley (Washington, Ill.) 113: Four state champions lead the way in this weight class: Brady Wilsie (Byron, Ill.), Howard Smith (Allen, Texas), Jack Wagner (Bettendorf, Iowa), and Joshua Portillo (Claridon-Goldfield, Iowa); also note that Smith placed fifth in junior freestyle this summer. Two additional wrestlers to watch are state runner-up Connor Cleveland (New Hampton, Iowa) and state third place finisher Noah McQuigg (Tuttle, Okla.) 120: This is an extremely balanced weight class, with multiple competitors that could emerge with the title. Even though Montorie Bridges (Altus, Okla.) has yet to win a state title, he has placed third and second at state during his two high school seasons, and placed fourth in Junior freestyle this summer. The other wrestler to earn All-American honors in Fargo this past summer was Travis Piotrowski (Prairie Ridge, Ill.), now a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American, who also placed third at state in 2013. Other wrestlers to note in this weight class are two-time Iowa state finalists Henry Pohlmeyer (Johnston) and Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf), two-time state champion Chandler Fohey (Hannibal, Mo.), state champion Cody Minnick (Coal City, Ill.), FILA Cadet freestyle All-American and 2013 state champion Dalton Duffield (Westmoore, Okla.), along with three-time state placer Tanner Rohweder (Iowa City West, Iowa). 126: Three nationally ranked juniors are among the lead contenders in this weight class: No. 20 Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah), No. 37 Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.), and No. 46 Ryan Deakin (Legacy, Colo.). LaMont is a two-time state champion, who is now a two-time All-American in both Junior Greco-Roman and Cadet freestyle; winning Junior Greco this summer and Cadet freestyle last summer. Duncan won state during the past scholastic season, and was a Cadet freestyle champion this summer. Deakin also won state this past scholastic season, and he was a Junior double All-American in Fargo. Two notable seniors in this weight class are multi-time state champion Cameron Sykora (Border West, Minn.) and two-time state third place finisher Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk, Iowa). Other notable juniors in this weight class are two-time state champion Michael Prieto (Garden City, Kan.) and state placer Gabe Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.), a FILA Cadet double All-American this past spring. 132: A pair of grade-level ranked wrestlers lead the way in this weight class, Sean Cannon (Green Valley, Nev.) and Corey Shie (LaSalle, Ohio). Cannon, ranked No. 69 overall in the Class of 2015, is a two-time state champion and won the Junior folkstyle tournament this past spring; while Shie is ranked No. 23 overall in the Class of 2017, and was a double All-American at both the Cadet Nationals and FILA Cadet tournaments. Other wrestlers to watch include two-time state champions Austin Anderly (LeSeur-Henderson, Minn.) and Nick Noel (Pulaski Academy, Ark.), three-time state placer Grant Sutton (Richmond-Burton, Ill.), state runner-up Paul Glynn (Bettendorf, Iowa), along with state placers Reiley Brown (Whitehall, Mich.) and Dylan Thurston (Wheaton North, Ill.) 138: A pair of top 100 Class of 2015 prospects leads the way in this weight class, No. 38 Jaydin Clayton (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.) and No. 99 Vincent Turk (Montini Catholic, Ill.). Four additional multi-time state champions are among the primary challengers: Alex Rich (Crescent Valley, Ore.), Hunter Washburn (Alburnett, Iowa), Isaac Deloa (Millard South, Neb.), and Louie Sanders (Lake Crystal, Minn.). Two other state champions are also among the contenders, Beau Guffey (Tuttle, Okla.) and Chase Piperato (Jefferson, Ga.). Other wrestlers to watch include two-time state placers Alexander Butler (Boylan Catholic, Ill.) and Dan Kelly (Cedar Falls, Iowa); state third place finishers Bobby Alexander (Conant, Ill.) and Keegan Shaw (Southeast Polk); along with Colin Clingenpeel (Council Bluffs Jefferson, Iowa), a Cadet freestyle All-American who won Preseason Nationals last year in the freshman/sophomore division. 145: Leading the way in this weight class three-time state champion Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa), who ranks No. 40 overall in the Class of 2015. Five other state champions -- Dakota Wall (Centennial, Idaho), Dylanger Potter (Arlington Martin, Texas), Jeren Glosser (Eddyville/Blakesburg-Fremont, Iowa), J.J. Wolfe (Dakota, Ill.), and Rudy Guillen (Buford, Ga.) -- are among the challengers to Thomsen. Additional contenders include Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Logan Gruszka (Schaumburg, Ill.), state runner-up Aaron Meyer (Southeast Polk, Iowa), state placer Jake Tucker (Mt. Carmel, Ill.), along with two-time state placers Alec Wyatt (Arvada West, Colo.) and Tristan Finch (Davenport Assumption, Iowa). 152: Junior freestyle All-American Luke Fortuna (Montini Catholic, Ill.), a state runner-up this past season, leads the way in this weight class. Challengers include two-time state champion Jake Adcock (Pope, Ga.), 2013 state champion and three-time state placer Jacob Woodard (Bettendorf, Iowa), state champions Jose Taylor (Arlington Martin, Texas) and Payton Tawater (Arvada West, Colo.), state runners-up Carlson Brolsma (Osseo, Minn.) and Kasey Caelwerts (Pulaski, Wis.), along with state placer Dayton Garrett (Tuttle, Okla.) 160: A pair of top 100 seniors from Iowa leads the way in this weight class, No. 45 Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock) and No. 68 Dayton Racer (Bettendorf); state champion -- and three-time state placer -- Steiert finished fourth in Junior freestyle this past summer, while 2013 state champion Racer placed fourth at Flo Nationals this past spring. Other wrestlers to watch include two-time state champion Cameron Loving (Altus, Okla.), Junior National Greco All-American Joey Gunther (Libertyville, Ill.), two-time state placer Canten Marriott (Park Hill, Mo.), state placer Matt Rowland (Willowbrook, Ill.), state champion Adam Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), and Cadet double All-American Jeremiah Moody (Cambridge, Wis.) 170: Three top 100 seniors lead the way in this weight class -- No. 27 Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic, Ill.), No. 59 Brett Bye (Vermillion, S.D.), and No. 85 Colston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.). Two-time state champion Montalvo won this event last fall down at 160 pounds, and was a Flo Nationals champion this past spring; Bye was a Junior double All-American in Fargo; while DiBlasi is also a two-time state champion. Other wrestlers to watch include Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.), a Cadet double All-American who is ranked No. 24 overall in the Class of 2017; Cadet folkstyle champion Oscar Ramos (Kenosha Bradford, Wis.); 2013 state placer Dillon Chase (Clinton, Iowa); Garrett Miller (Allen, Texas), a state placer and Junior Greco-Roman All-American; along with state champion Jacob Holschag (Union, Iowa). 182: Four wrestlers stand out as primary contenders in this weight class: state champion Austin Cook (Lindsburg Smoky Valley, Kan.), two-time state runner-up Chance Cooper (Timberland, Mo.), 2013 state champion Evan Hansen (Exira, Iowa), and state champion Raekwon Reggler (Somerset Academy, Fla.) 195: Four wrestlers stand out as primary contenders in this weight class: state placers Dru Worker (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) and Gabriel Rangel (Davenport Assumption, Iowa), state champion Hunter Brown (Centennial, Nev.), and Cadet National double runner-up Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah). 220: Three wrestlers that were Preseason Nationals runners-up last year headline the field in this weight class. Senior Dustin Mason (Tuttle, Okla.) finished second at 285 pounds in the junior/senior division, and is a two-time state champion. Gannon Gremmel (Hempstead Dubuque, Iowa) is ranked No. 47 overall in the junior class, and was second at 220 pounds in the freshman/sophomore division last year; the two-time state placer also won titles in Cadet folkstyle and freestyle during the most recent off-season. Rounding out the trio is Nick Graziano (Oak Forest, Ill.), a state qualifier who took second at 195 pounds in the freshman/sophomore division last fall. 285: The clear favorite in this weight class is state champion Dan Stibral (Bon Homme Scotland), a state champion who placed fifth in Junior freestyle this summer.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- In conjunction with the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Wrestlers in Business Network, USA Wrestling will host a special Google+ Hangout On Air on Friday, October 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern featuring five athletes who will compete in the 49th edition of the NWCA All-Star Classic. The 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic is presented by the United States Marine Corps and the Wrestlers in Business Network and is hosted by Penn and WIBN-Philadelphia. The event will take place on November 1 at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. The Hangout will be streamed live and archived via USA Wrestling's YouTube channel and on TheMat.com, the official website of USA Wrestling. NCAA Division I champions Logan Stieber of Ohio State, Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State and Nick Gwiazdowski of N.C. State headline the call. Stieber is wrestling in the event for the second straight year and aims for his fourth NCAA championship, while Dieringer and Gwiazdowski, both juniors, look for their second straight title. It'll be the first time the two compete in the event. A pair of Pennsylvania natives will also join the Hangout as NCAA finalist Josh Kindig of Oklahoma State and Lehigh All-American Mason Beckman will participate. Beckman will be competing in his second straight All-Star Classic. Richard Immel, Coordinator of Broadcasting, Social Media and Grassroots Marketing for USA Wrestling will facilitate the Hangout and will also be joined by Jason Bryant, representing the NWCA. This will be the first Google Hangout of the season for USA Wrestling. Fans and media can RSVP for the live event by clicking this link: https://plus.google.com/b/113615705500360692997/events/c9qekd3l03viohasas844l12lc4 "This Google Hangout is just another way wrestling has been embracing the new technologies people use every day," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "We're appreciative and gracious for USA Wrestling to host this live streaming event and it's not only a way to drum up support for the All-Star Classic, but a chance to hear from the athletes themselves in a roundtable discussion." Fans can also ask questions via Twitter by using the #NWCAClassic hashtag. To purchase tickets to the event, visit the Penn Athletic Ticket Office website. The event will be streamed live by the NWCA's live streaming partner Flowrestling. Fox College Sports will air the event on television via tape-delay no less than 10 times during the season, starting two weeks after the event has completed. These broadcasts are paid for by Rothschild, a leading global financial advisory based in New York City with offices in Washington, Los Angeles and Houston. Hibiclens and Resilite will again support the event as associate sponsors. The Rothman Institute and the United Association (UA) Group will also make 1,500 tickets available for local students (K-12) throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. These tickets will be distributed to regional schools by representatives of the United States Marine Corps.