InterMat Staff

Belleville, Ill. -- Lindenwood University-Belleville has announced the hiring of Kyle Jahn as head coach of the men's and women's wrestling programs. Jahn comes from Sacred Heart University, where he was a volunteer assistant with the wrestling program since 2011. Prior to his time at Sacred Heart, Jahn was an assistant coach at Appalachian State University from 2009-11. His main responsibilities at Appalachian State included overseeing recruitment and practice organization. Jahn is very excited to get his first head coaching position at Lindenwood-Belleville. "I am very excited to take over the Men and Women's wrestling program at Lindenwood-Belleville," stated Jahn. "This is a great opportunity for me to take over these two programs and further grow them into good men and women, on and off the mat." Jahn graduated from McKendree University in 2009 with a Bachelor's in Business Administration. While at McKendree Jahn was a NAIA National Champion in 2008 in the 141 pound weight class. Jahn ranked in the top six nationally in 2007 and was a three time NAIA finalist. Jahn joined the coaching staff at McKendree after he graduated. On a national level Jahn took seventh at the 2009 US Open Freestyle competition. In 2013 Jahn finished top five at the Dave Schultz Memorial Freestyle and top ten in the US Open Freestyle in the 60-kilo weight class. "I am living my dream getting to be a head wrestling coach at the college level and looking forward to this amazing opportunity that has been given to me."

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. Wrestling just stole back its spot in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, and the sporting future of little wrestlers from N'Djamena is once again brightened by the glow of the Olympic rings. But as the million-dollar consultants melt back into a life free from spandex-clad warriors and trolling masses, it's wrestling's new leadership who will dictate the sport's Olympic future. That leadership class will consist of everyone from FILA president Nenad Lalovic to the captain of the Polk High junior varsity team, and all of it will need to be focused on creating a new wrestling. New ideas and fresh leadership in the post-Olympic fight can take any form. It might be the high school wrestling coach who wants a more modest competition outfit, or you could be the youth coach who challenges the idea that 10-year-old kids should ever cut an ounce of weight. It might even be the team captain who demands the end of the initiation of younger athletes. Key to that change is the acceptance of women. As one IOC voter told me after the vote in Buenos Aires, "Without changing to 6-6-6 wrestling would never have had a chance." You might not like to hear it, but the International Olympic Committee made it plainly obvious that without improved gender equity, and soon gender equality, wrestling has no chance of returning to the core sports. That might cause traditional fans some consternation, to think that women need half the spots in the Olympic Games. Oh well, we wanted back in the Olympics and this is the cost of admission. Women are the future of our sport, and not just in "taking" spots from men. You only have to look at Ronda Rousey, her impact on the UFC's PPV sales, and those vicious arm bars to realize that women are tough and women sell. Embrace newness and support women's wrestling. To your questions ... Q: Can you talk about the effect the new IOC president will have on international wrestling, if any? What is the process for wrestling to be considered a core sport in the Olympics again? How important is it for wrestling to be a core sport in the Olympics? ESPN expanded coverage of the NCAA Championships since the news of wrestling in the Olympics (related or not), do you see other networks making wrestling a priority? How does wrestling carry this momentum from the vote and grow even more? Kind of loaded ... Sorry!! -- Jake K. Foley: There is nothing more endearing than a question sent from the jittery, drunken fingers of a former wrestler. Why apologize? Your inebriation in a world with Olympic wrestling is forgivable, especially with such exceptional grammar and sentence structure. I normally write this sober and can rarely find equal clarity. You threw out a few questions so I'll go point-by-point. Thomas Bach was elected as the new IOC president two days after wrestling was put back into the Olympic Games in 2020 and 2024. Bach has always been a very popular IOC member and was among the first presidential candidates to support the sport after its fateful removal by the IOC Executive Board. To clarify, his decision to support wrestling was about as controversial as the idea of supporting clean water in third-world countries. The IOC president has immense powers to legislate how the games are operated, to include which sports receive which medals. As of now Bach's platform is "Unity through Diversity," which is to say that he wants more countries included and more sports. Like many other members of the IOC he's looking reduce the number of disciplines in some sports (swimming and track and field) in order to welcome new sports like squash). It's a good deal for wrestling, since there is some belief that the only way he would add squash into the Games would be by sliding wrestling into the core and leaving squash as a provisional. Overall, he supports the idea that wrestling shouldn't be eliminated from the Games, and after the backlash that came from that move in 2013, it'll never again happen. However, the window for PR-savvy moves like adding wrestling to the core, is closing by the day. ESPN added their coverage because they planned to do so in 2012, but never got around to doing so, and adding the day after the decision was -- you guessed it -- PR-savvy. Wrestling should be in the core, but for now, and likely the next four years it could be argued that the purgatory of being left out might help drive positive changes in the sport's presentation, rules and governance. The sport's momentum will be decided by the fans (as noted in the introduction) and by FILA president Nenad Lalovic. Should he decide to use his political capital to make necessary changes, there could be significant alterations made to several areas of the sport. Should he relax or get caught up fighting off the persistent attacks of former president Martinetti and those already displaced by his reform-based leadership, then the spring to the core will be slowed. The core is the goal, but more important is that FILA and all the membership start to believe in the idea that there can be a new sport of wrestling that is much better than the old. How could it be much worse? Q: With the NFL season kicking off and everyone feeling their fantasy team is el número UNO, it got me thinking ... what about a fantasy wrestling league? We are looking for more innovative and creative ways to increase the following of our great sport, especially after this morning's crucial decision, and we need to think of the spectators. I am telling you this because I am sitting here watching intently the Packers-49ers game (of which I am a fan of neither squad) purely because Vernon Davis is on my team vs. my Green Bay defense. I'm in a tough spot. Why not start an NCAA fantasy wrestling league? Fantasy leagues are based on individual statistics and performance aren't they? It would seem our sport would be perfect. -- Justin L. Foley: I think you might also have been intoxicated. Verdad, mi amigo? Fantasy wrestling exists! Be calm. As far as I know there is no current formula for a yearlong fantasy wrestling site, only those that are set up for the NCAA Championships. This should have been accomplished a LONG time ago, but there is a major problem. The NCAA would eat a hind-quarter of a horse before they let some site run a fantasy league with their participation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't think of an established a fantasy league for NCAA football? That written I know there is at least one guy out there with the keys to kiskstarting this idea and I'd love to see it up and running by November. Just don't be shocked if it's not there in December. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Boston University wrestling ... FILA wrestling's presentation to the IOC (Daniel Igali at 13:00) ... Q: I am thrilled PSU and Iowa will meet in non-conference action; PSU has to run the gauntlet of Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State and Oklahoma State in dual action. It is a fitting challenge for the senior class that put the Lions on top. However, I am confused on one point: what is going on with National Duals this year? PSU verbally committed to participate after sitting out last year -- though they did add the caveat that they may bow out if the format didn't fit. We know what Cael thinks about the format. But isn't the Oklahoma State dual the same weekend as National Duals? Both the Lions and Cowboys are sitting out this year?!?! -- Brad B. Foley: Iowa, Penn State and Oklahoma State are all sitting out the National Duals this year. There are a variety of motivations for not scheduling the National Duals, but as you said that Nittany Lions are already wrestling a pretty tough schedule. Also, I'd guess that some of these coaches don't want to prop up the National Duals format in 2013-2014 if they are fighting to ensure it won't be part of the NCAA National Championship in 2016. And you're correct that the Penn State seniors deserve to go out on this type of tough schedule. The fans should appreciate how much Brands and Cael put into making this happen. #TwitterWars Q: What is the deal with 2015 NCAA site? They announcing the next several years as well? -- Frank C. Foley: Got some solid confirmation on the facts of the case. The bids are due Sept. 16 with three finalists announced on Oct. 30 (three finalists per site, per year). The final award will be announced on Dec. 11. The variation of finalists and bid years doesn't mean that wrestling won't have an official semi-permanent location, only that there will be a variety of bid options available to the committee on NCAA Championships. I've also heard that the NCAA has never received more bids than they have in this cycle. Some of that has to do with the profitability of the sport, and some with the recent press about the Olympic decision. Either way, it's great news for the sport. Q: How does our celebration/commitment to folkstyle impede further success at world competition levels? If Brent Metcalf wrestled only in freestyle growing up, how much better would he be? Or does the grueling grind of folkstyle fuel the success that we in the U.S. do achieve internationally? -- Mr. Juice Foley: I don't know. What I do know is that traditional wrestling shouldn't be sacrificed in preference of the international styles. Americans understand the rules of American wrestling and as we've seen with ESPN's recent commitment to the sport, they are willing to watch more and more on national television. Metcalf and others grew up wanting to be NCAA champions probably more than they wanted to be Olympic champions. The rules and style difference necessary to compete in each are so similar that they are effective cousins. The Women's College Wrestling Association chose to make freestyle their rule set because there was no established women's-only style in America. That was smart. However, in countries like Senegal where women's folkstyle is a huge draw, they'd never consider adopting freestyle rules in the hopes of winning a few more medals. Traditional wrestling is a the physical representation of a societies connection to it's values and history. The Olympics, while an important personal achievement, isn't worth the elimination of any traditional style. I'll be giving a talk about this very topic next week at the FILA Scientific Congress. There are several ways in which traditional wrestling can help grow the Olympic styles without infringing on their important role within society, and I think FILA is uniquely positioned to enhance traditional styles around the world while also benefiting in terms of creating new national governing bodies and inking endorsement deals. COMMENT OF THE WEEK By Brad H. On the subject of female wrestling, it is clear to me that the IOC was not impressed with raising the female medal count by fifty percent. They want more. You have often written in this column about a college starting a women's wrestling program and gaining a great deal of publicity for it. Sorry sir, but you think too small. Who would they wrestle? Men? NAIA teams? Clubs? Get real. If you really want to instill female grappling into the hearts of Americans you must go bigger. In my opinion there is only one clear path to achieve this goal quickly. Three words sir: Big Ten Conference! Think about it. Which is the strongest wrestling conference in the USA? Who has the most money? Who has a television channel fully at their own disposal to promote such a unique idea? Who is growing and adding new members? Who covers a large demographic of the country, including many wrestling hot spots? Who has excellent academic schools? Picture a high school girl in her own living room trying to convince her parents that she should be allowed to wrestle. What is her sales pitch? I can go to this one university which has female wrestling and wrestle ... ??? Or, I can get a FULL scholarship to one of the best academic universities in the country and wrestle on television!!! I think you would need the Big Ten to get eight schools signed up. Create league matches and of course a conference tournament. This would probably have to suffice until some other schools would catch on and an NCAA tournament would be created at which point it would be a 'real' sport for all to recognize. This is no small task of course but think of the amount of publicity THAT would create. Fully-funded female wrestling programs in the heart of the USA. I don't know who the president of the Big Ten is but if I knew his wife, I would be in her ear.

Olympic wrestling has a future again. Even though the sport now only had provisional status, I think we can stay confident that wrestling will find itself on the Olympic program for years to come. FILA succeeded in saving the sport, and, perhaps, in preserving its own existence. There's two ways to look at this. In the first option we remain muted in our praise, after all, FILA merely cleaned up a mess that they made. Statues aren't erected for people who simply rectified their own disappointing histories. The second option is to praise FILA effusively. After all, they effectively caused the IOC to reverse themselves, which I would guess, is not an easy task. When the new core sport program was promulgated in February, the majority of commenters took it for granted that wrestling was gone, and probably for good. FILA did not let this deter them. They got their crap together (most of it), and they actually did something truly impressive. I recommend the second option. This occasion provides ample occasion to celebrate, to be glad, to slaughter the fattened calf for FILA, the governing body which was lost for so long, has finally returned to us. FILA may not be perfect. They never will be. But unlike before, they are now, at least, present. Nenad Lalovic and Daniel Igali (Photo/T.R. Foley)Their presence was most keenly felt in the form of Nenad Lalovic, new FILA president, and unlikely face of the organization. I believe that just justice demands we award Lalovic the lion's share of credit for wrestling's victory, because had wrestling lost, we would have liberally heaped the blame upon his shoulders. I can't help but like Lalovich. The world of international sports governance seems full of the aloof, aristocratic, and arrogant, and while Lalovich has what it takes to walk with kings, he definitely has no lost the common touch. Also, on Sunday, he did something rarely seen be the president of any governing body: he showed humility and admitted to wrong doing on the part of his organization. Other people in positions of authority should take note of this: The word "sorry" can go a long way. FILA is better off with Lalovich at its helm, but it is still a government, and thus will inevitably make mistakes in the future, therefore the first objective in this new era of wrestling should be the creation of safeguards to limit the scope of FILA's future missteps. These safeguards can come in three forms. First, the diffusion of power. FILA needs to delegate authority to various bodies within the organization. It appears they may be taking the first steps towards this with the creation of a referees committee. Second, they need greater transparency. I'll admit that since the IOC board decision, the workings of FILA are more visible and accessible than ever before, but they really need to put themselves in a fishbowl. Finally, Lalovic needs to know when to step down. At some point he needs to show he is a president, and not a king, and relinquish his post after an appropriate amount of time passes. I have no doubt that FILA will make decisions in the future which I will strongly disagree with, but at least the organization has shown a some sort of democratic leanings by responding to some of the complaints of those they govern, and at least, in Lalovic, wrestling appears to have a leader who places the sport before himself. The greatness of Daniel Igali I feel bad for baseball/softball and squash, they've been playing the Olympic game for campaigning, schmoozing, spending money; unfortunately, their hopes were doomed in February when Jacques Rogge and his executive board proposed an Olympics without wrestling. In the end wrestling had too many advantages, and it smashed its competition, winning in the first vote, and essentially doubling the number of supporters of both its competitors. Indulging in nothing but speculation, I would guess that Sunday's presentations to the IOC were more or less for show, and that an insignificant number of votes were up for grabs. Judging from the questions, many IOC members were pretty unhappy that wrestling found itself in its position, and that wrestling had the vote in the bag before stepping on stage. However, if I were in the IOC, and if I were waiting to hear Sunday's presentations before deciding which sport to support, then Daniel Igali would have provided the argument which won me over. On Sunday, Lalovich may have been wrestling's leader, but Igali was its star. Igali's story makes the most eloquent and elegant case for Olympic wrestling possible. Daniel rose from obscurity and the most crushing poverty imaginable to Olympic glory, and without wrestling, it never would have been possible. Neither of the other sports could claim this. (The very best baseball players who rise from poverty out of Latin American end up playing professionally.) Igali embodies wrestling's highest hope, and thousands more young Igali's are scattered about the globe right now waiting for a ray of this same hope. Had the Olympics spurned wrestling's bid, this ray would never shine on those who needed it. FILA made a wise choice in using Igali as a spokesman before the IOC, stories like his make wrestling indispensable. I hope that if, years from now, wrestling ever finds itself threatened again, it can then employ hundreds of more stories like Igali's in its defense. The more people wrestling saves, the safer wrestling is.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY -- Defending champions Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Mehdi TAGHAVI KERMANI (IRI) lead an elite group of medalists into Papp Laszlo Budapest Sports Arena as men's freestyle kicks off the Wrestling World Championships on Sept. 16 in the sport's pinnacle event of the year, eight short days after Wrestling was welcomed back into the Olympic Program. The IOC voted to add the sport to the 2020 and 2024 Games on Sept. 8 in Buenos, Aires, after an Executive Board decision on February 12, had recommended dropping the sport from the Games after 2016. TAGHAVI KERMANI, World champion in 2009 and 2011, will lead off the weeklong tourney on the first day of the championships battling a host of challengers at 66 kilos. Jordan Burroughs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)BURROUGHS, the only London 2012 gold medalist in men's freestyle, will close out the men's freestyle competition at 74 kilos on Sept. 18, when the women's freestyle events also get underway. Meanwhile, another Olympic Games gold medalist Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS), who won at 96 kilos in 2004, will be trying on a new weight category -- 120 kilos, which is scheduled for the second day of matches. In addition to his gold medal from Athens, GATSALOV is also a four-time World champion at 96 kilos. Other World champions, in addition to TAGHAVI KERMANI and BURROUGHS, in Budapest are: YANG Kyong Il (PRK, 55 kilos), Sushil KUMAR (IND, 66 kilos) and Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE, 96 kilos). The 84 kilos weight category, to be contested Sept. 17, boasts three former World champions among its entries: Zaurbek SOKHIEV (UZB) in 2009, Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) in 2007 and Nicolai PASLAR (BUL), who won his World title in 2001 at 69 kilos. In addition to the returning Olympic and World medalists, a number of promising new faces -- like junior World finalists Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO, FS 120 kilos), Yu MIYAHARA (JPN, FW 51 kilos) and Daniel GASTL (AUT, GR 96 kilos) -- will also be appearing in the senior World Championships for the first time. The championships will feature the three Olympic styles of wrestling: men's freestyle (Sept. 16-18), women's freestyle (Sept. 18-20) and Greco-Roman (Sept. 20-22). Brief sketches of the individual categories in men's freestyle: 55 kilos: European champion Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (GEO) tops the most recent edition of the FILA World Rankings, but Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) won the Ziolkowski tourney in August and Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) won the World University Games in July. ISRAPILOV is getting his first chance at the senior World Championships, even though he was junior World champion in 2008 and European champion in 2009. YANG Kyong Il (PRK) won the World title in 2009 and is the only medalist (bronze) from the London 2012 Olympic Games competing at 55 kilos in Budapest. 60 kilos: Universiade champion Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) and 2011 World silver medalist Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) arrived late to the scene but have surged in the rankings. GOYGEREEV won the Russian nationals in June and the Universiade, while GOMEZ MATOS prevailed in Spain and Poland. Current rankings leader Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) was the silver medalist at 55 kilos in London, won Yasar Dogu in February and defeated GOMEZ MATOS in May to win the Golden Grand Prix event in Sassari, Italy. NOTE: GOYGEREEV became a YouTube sensation in July with his unbelievable backflip counter attack to a single-leg takedown attempt by Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) at the Universiade. 66 kilos: Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS), last year's Junior World champion, defeated David SAFARYAN (ARM) in the final of the World University Games to take the top spot in the rankings from the European champion. Brent METCALF (USA) owns a semifinal win over KURBANALIEV at the Ivan Yarygin tourney in January, 2-1 (0-1, 5-0, 7-0) under the old rules, while defending World champion Mehdi TAGHAVI KERMANI (IRI), with only limited mat time this summer, has a World Cup win over METCALF. 74 kilos: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) took the World championship title from two-time defending champ Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) in 2011 and brings a streak of 60 wins in a row, including the Olympic gold medal, to Budapest. TSARGUSH, who also lost to BURROUGHS in London, rebounded at the University Games in July with a gold medal, but is ranked second on Russia's entry list for the World Championships behind newly crowned national champion Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS). 84 kilos: Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), a World and Olympic bronze medalist, took the European championship title in Tbilisi in March and has topped the rankings all summer as many would-be challengers took time away from competition -- apparently to focus on training. Murad GAIDAROV, a bronze medal winner in Beijing, won the German Grand Prix; Georghita STEFAN (ROU) held on for the Universiade crown; and newly minted middleweight Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) won the Ziolkowski Memorial in Poland on his second try at 84 kilos. 96 kilos: Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) looked convincing in winning the Universaide crown in July with a technical fall triumph over European champion Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR). But, GADISOV is listed No.2 behind national champion Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS) as Russia's entry in the World Championships. London 2012 bronze medalist Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) defeated Olympic gold medalist at 84 kilos Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) on his way to the Spanish Grand Prix title and Beijing silver medalist Taimura TIGIEV (KAZ) tagged OLYEYNIK with a technical fall in Poland in the final their tune-up for Budapest. 120 kilos: Taha A KILOSUL (TUR) has turned away all comers in 2013, racking up four tournament titles and top individual honors at the World Cup. Alan ZASEEV (UKR), meanwhile, finished second to A KILOSUL at the European championships and has collected three silver medals this season. In a surprise move, Russia has entered four-time World champion at 96 kilos Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) at 120 kilos. Meanwhile, Kurban KURBANOV (UZB), fifth in London at 96 kilos, appears comfortable at 120 kilos with a pair of podium finishes this year and three-time Olympic champion Artur TAIMAZOV (UZB) as his coach. Schedule for the Wrestling World Championships Monday, Sept. 16 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 55 kilos, 66 kilos, 96 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 55 kilos, 66 kilos, 96 kilos Tuesday, Sept. 17 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 120 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 120 kilos Wednesday, Sept. 18 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 74 kilos, FW 48 kilos, 51 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 74 kilos, FW 48 kilos, 51 kilos Thursday, Sept. 19 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FW 55 kilos, 59 kilos, 63 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FW 55 kilos, 59 kilos, 63 kilos Friday, Sept. 20 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FW 67 kilos, 72 kilos, GR 55 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FW 67 kilos, 72 kilos, GR 55 kilos Saturday, Sept. 21, Saturday 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: GR 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 96 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: GR 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 96 kilos Sunday, Sept. 22 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: GR 66 kilos, 74 kilos, 120 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: GR 66 kilos, 74 kilos, 120 kilos

Bruce Burnett

Jon Jones won't make his highly anticipated title defense against Alexander Gustaffson until about a week and a half from now. But until then, Bellator and World Series of Fighting are serving up some tournament style MMA action, odd mismatches, and a few intriguing match ups. Featherweight standouts Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and Diego Nunes will anchor Friday's Bellator card, while WSOF features a faded Andrei Arlovski against heavy handed Mike Kyle. One fight will produce a contender, the other a brutal knockout. We'll let you guess which one is which. On top of breaking down the fights, Richard and John both butcher the English language they've supposedly mastered for a living. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Thanks to the generosity of former Knox wrestlers, a former nationally ranked NCAA Division III grappler will lead the Prairie Fire wrestling program. Joe NortonJoe Norton takes the reins as the new full-time head wrestling coach on September 16. He replaces Tony Islas, who stepped down in July after 12 seasons as a part-time coach with the Prairie Fire to take a position as a high school administrator. Norton comes to Knox from his alma mater, North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where he served as a graduate assistant wrestling coach from 2010 to 2012. His responsibilities included recruiting and retaining quality student-athletes, as well as helping to plan and run team practices and workouts. Norton was a four-year varsity letter winner as a member of the North Central wrestling team between 2006 and 2010. He had 94 career victories on the mat and was a four-time NCAA regional place winner. He was a two-time conference runner-up, three-time tournament champion, seven-time tournament finalist, captain of a team ranked as high as #4 in NCAA Division III, earned a #9 national ranking as an individual, and was the recipient of the "Hammer Award" in recognition of outstanding commitment and work ethic. "I had a great opportunity to spend seven years in a program that knows what it takes to be successful," Norton said of his time at North Central. Norton attended Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Illinois, where he was a 2006 All-State selection and an AAU first-team All-American. He concluded his high school career with 102 wins and was the captain of three squads that won state championships. "Joe comes from two great programs in Montini Catholic High School and North Central College," said Knox College athletic director Chad Eisele '93. "He has been taught and worked for some great mentors and I am confident that Joe is ready to take on the challenge of running his own program." Norton said he's excited to lead a program that has such tremendous support. "The fact that Knox is willing to commit to wrestling says a lot about where the program can be. I'm thankful to Chad Eisele and President Teresa Amott for their faith in me to take the wrestling program to the next level." Norton is the seventh full-time coach hired by the College in the past two years.

Manheim, Pa. -- In a week filled with great news for the sport of wrestling, Huntingdon College (Ala.) has announced that it will be adding a new varsity program for the 2014-15 season at the NCAA Division III level. The addition represents the 100th new varsity intercollegiate wrestling program added across the nation since 2001 and the first NCAA wrestling program in Alabama in over 30 years. "On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors and our President Rob Koll, I am thrilled that the Huntingdon College Administration recognizes the educational value that wrestling will bring to their campus," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. The announcement for the new program was made at a press conference featuring Huntingdon College administrators, sponsors, friends of wrestling, and legendary University of Iowa Wrestling coach and Olympic Champion Dan Gable. The news was made possible by a group of benefactors that collectively provided over $40,000 to help launch the program. Among these individuals are Bob Feldmeier Sr. (CEO of Feldmeier Equipment and former Princeton Wrestler), Greg Hatcher (prominent Arkansas businessman), and Stephen Chazen (President of UNUS Foundation). In addition to these individuals, the U.S. Wrestling Foundation continued its support of college wrestling with a $10,000 donation to alleviate the start-up costs of the program. "We are thrilled to support Huntingdon College as they take the step of adding wrestling to their intercollegiate athletic program," stated Jeff Waters, Board President of the U.S. Wrestling Foundation. "This support demonstrates the partnership between the Foundation, USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association as we come together to promote and grow the sport." John Purnell, president of Brute, celebrated the addition of another program to the college ranks with the NWCA by donating a set of competition uniforms for 15 wrestlers through its R.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Rewarding Educational Athletic Choices Helping Each Sport) program. The Huntingdon College administration also announced that Tom Storey would be the first head coach of the new program. Storey, a former wrestler at the Naval Academy, was an EIWA Champion and wrestled in two NCAA Championships. "I am honored to be selected as the head wrestling coach at Huntingdon College," said Storey. "I am looking forward to building a dynasty in D3 wrestling!" For more information on programs added since 1999, visit the "New and Re-Instated" section of the NWCA website. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About Brute Wrestling Brute is a company that manufactures high quality wrestling equipment. In their pursuit to grow wrestling, Brute has supported the sport extensively through its R.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Rewarding Educational Athletic Choices Helping Each Sport) program. R.E.A.C.H.E.S. is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization founded in 2007 in an effort to promote, protect and preserve amateur wrestling in its truest form. R.E.A.C.H.E.S. provides athletic opportunities to athletes of all ages and abilities. Since R.E.A.C.H.E.S. inception in 2007, Brute has given back to wrestling in excess of $200,000.00. About U.S. Wrestling Foundation The United States Wrestling Foundation (the Foundation) is dedicated to the growth of amateur wrestling in the United States. The Foundation works closely with wrestling organizations that are essential to the growth of the sport of wrestling at all levels.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy wrestling head coach Bruce Burnett, who wrapped up his 13th year at the Academy last spring by leading the Mids to a second-place finish at the EIWA Championship while being named the EIWA Coach of the Year, has announced he will retire effective Oct. 1. Brian Antonelli, who is in his eighth season at the Naval Academy, will serve as the interim head coach for the 2013-14 season. Bruce Burnett"The values of honor, courage, determination and commitment quickly come to mind when I reflect on Coach Burnett," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "Bruce has been our staff's benchmark for Academy values throughout his distinguished and nationally respected tenure at Navy. Those who wrestled for him will attest to his brilliance as a coach, but even more significant has been his educational influence on their personal and professional development. So many are proud and grateful for the role he has played in their lives. We will miss Coach Burnett and his lovely wife Karen very much." "For 13 years I have had the privilege of challenging hundreds of young men on the mat as they prepare for careers of service and leadership," said Burnett. "When I came to the Academy in October of 2000, I envisioned this position as a five to seven-year commitment. However, after experiencing the focus of purposeful work and the quality of young men entering the wrestling room, I knew my professional work life would conclude at the Naval Academy. "At every level, I have experienced on-going support and I commend Chet Gladchuk for his leadership, as well as the Academy leadership, for the direction and important role of athletics within the Academy setting. Within the wrestling program, we have over 23 Navy SEALs and many more Marines and Naval Officers who have been or are on active duty. I do believe that Navy wrestling was a significant contributor in the preparation and readiness for the leadership role they have today. "I have been blessed with a strong and dedicated coaching staff, supportive and involved alumni and wonderful families who have entrusted us with their young men. Undoubtedly, it will be the day to day contact with those athletes and relationships forged that I will miss the most. I am excited for the future of Navy wrestling and I know we have the support of the athletic department and the personnel in place to keep the program moving forward. I have the utmost respect for Brian Antonelli, who not only is a graduate of the Naval Academy, but has served alongside me in coaching these young men. Without a doubt, the program is in great hands moving forward with Brian leading the way." One of the most revered coaches this sport has seen, it's no surprise that Burnett has been able to uphold the Navy wrestling tradition that John Schultz began in 1909 and has been carried through by the likes of the legendary Ray Swartz and Ed Peery. Simply put, Bruce Burnett is a winner. At every level of the sport, Burnett has seen success. During his 13-year stay at the Academy, he led the Midshipmen to a 113-57 record (.665) that featured six-straight seasons of 10 or more wins from 2002-07. The Midshipmen have flourished under his guidance, finishing among the top five at the EIWA Championship in seven of the last nine years, winning eight individual EIWA crowns and placing among the top 25 at the NCAA Championship in three of the last seven seasons. He guided Navy to an 18th-place finish at the 2007 and ‘08 NCAA Championships, its highest NCAA finish since placing 13th more than two decades ago (1990). Along the way, he helped mold 10 EIWA Champions, 50 NCAA qualifiers and 10 wrestlers who garnered All-America recognition under his tutelage including two-time All-American and Navy's all-time winningest wrestler Bryce Saddoris (‘11). Saddoris also became the first wrestler in school history to win 30 or more matches in each of his four seasons and finished his career with a staggering 147 wins. Bruce Burnett was Navy's head wrestling coach for 13 seasons (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"Coach Burnett was the reason why I came to the Academy," said Saddoris, a 1st Lt. in the Marine Corps who is stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, Fla. "The integrity and honesty with which he leads his life and coaches sets him apart from everyone else. "When I was at NAPS, he sat all of us down and asked us what our personal goals were. I told him I wanted to be an All-American and be a national champion. He told me that if I trusted in him, he would get me there. There was not a time I went out on the mat unprepared. He knew when to pump the brakes and when to step on the gas. He is the reason why I succeeded at Navy and even now wrestling for the Marine Corps. I owe everything to him. "I consider Coach Burnett a father figure, a father away from home. He cared as much about our lives off the mat as he did on the mat. He truly cared about me as a man. To this day, we talk a couple of times a month. I call him for advice about wrestling, but also in my day to day life. You just cannot get any better than Coach Burnett." He also helped Joe Baker, Matt Stolpinski and Ed Prendergast earn All-America status in 2008, marking the first time since 1967 that Navy put three wrestlers atop the All-America stage in a single season. Last winter, six of Navy's 10 wrestlers garnered top-five finishes to guide the Mids to a second-place finish at the EIWA Championship. It was the program's strongest finish since 2007 and Burnett was rewarded by being named the EIWA Coach of the Year. All six of those wrestlers earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championship, including 2013 graduate Dan Miller who was crowned the EIWA Champion at 285 pounds. Miller is Navy's first EIWA individual champion since 2009 (Joe Baker, Bryce Saddoris) and the first Navy heavyweight to win a title since Ed Prendergast won back-to-back crowns in 2007 and ‘08. Additionally, the Mids produced a 6-1 dual meet record that featured a win over nationally-ranked programs Maryland (22-18) and Rutgers (19-15), while Navy also captured its 13th consecutive win over rival Army (22-10). Burnett is one of the most well-known coaches on the national scene, having spent the bulk of his coaching career at the highest level. Burnett helped prepare the United States' elite athletes for world and Olympic competition as the national freestyle coach beginning in 1992. His resume is nothing short of impressive. His teams won five medals at the 1996 Olympic Games (three gold, one silver and one bronze), five at the 2000 Olympic Games (one gold, two silver and two bronze) and eight medals at the 1999 Pan American Games (six gold, one silver and one bronze). Additionally, his teams captured World Team Titles in 1993 and 1995, the World Cup of Wrestling in 1993, ‘94, ‘95, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99 and ‘00 and the Pan American Championship in 1993, ‘94, ‘95 and ‘96. During that time, Burnett coached Kurt Angle, Tom Brands, Kendal Cross, Kevin Jackson, Brandon Slay and John Smith to Olympic gold medals, while cornering Terry Brands, Tom Brands, Angle, Jackson and Smith to World Championships. "Coach Burnett is a contagious guy," said John Smith, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and all-time winningest coach in Oklahoma State history. "You always wanted to be around him, and he's very motivating. He inspired me throughout my wrestling career. When I started coaching, I learned so much from him. Even today, I use several of his ideas and techniques. He's a great man, a great coach and a great friend." "Bruce Burnett was a coach that came along at the right time for me," said Iowa head coach Tom Brands, an Olympic gold medalist and three-time national champion. "His relationships were built on drive and compassion, and he laid things out simply. He was fiercely loyal in the corner and out of it. I remember one time at the World Cup when FILA tried to have a closed door meeting with only Terry and I and he stepped in and basically said, ‘not on my watch'. You came to expect that kind of back-up from him. When Dave Schultz was shot and killed, we were in Krasnoyarsk, Russia getting ready for competition. He broke the news to us. Dave and Bruce were very tight. Bruce made it all right. He's one of those guys that doesn't get enough credit." "Bruce Burnett was a meticulous coach and a great friend," said Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands, an Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World champion. "He is someone who cared to understand individuals. He would come beside the athlete to determine what was best. He's a top notch man and a top notch coach." He was named the Freestyle Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996 and was named the United States Olympic Committee Elite Coach of the Year in 1996. As Navy's head coach, Burnett remained active in the national and international coaching scene, serving as the head coach of the United States World Cup Team at the 2002 Freestyle World Cup of Wrestling Championship, the U.S. World University Games Head Coach in 2005, the FISU University World Championship Coach in 2010, the Pan American Games Coach in 2011 and the FILA Junior World Championship Coach in 2012. An opportunity for friends of Navy wrestling to express their appreciation to Coach Burnett and Karen will be on Friday, Feb. 21, prior to the 57th edition of the Army-Navy wrestling match in the Bo Coppedge Room in Alumni Hall. Details to follow in the near future.

BLOOMSBURG -- Bloomsburg University Director of Athletics Michael McFarland has announced the hiring of Marcus Gordon as assistant wrestling coach at the school. Gordon comes to Bloomsburg after spending six seasons as the assistant coach at Ashland (OH) University where he was also a standout wrestling for the Eagles. At Ashland Gordon was involved in every aspect of the AU program playing a prominent role in recruiting, assisting in camps and special projects along with coaching responsibilities during matches and practices. He helped coach 26 NCAA D-II national qualifiers; nine NCAA D-II All-Americans and 21 NWCA All-Academic student-athletes. He was helped the Eagles to a 15-2-1 dual meet record in 2010-11, the school's best record in 30 years. As a wrestler Gordon was a three-year letterman for the Eagles. He was a two-time qualifier for the national meet and a two-time Academic All-America (Wrestling Coaches of America). He won a championship at the 2008 Midwest Classic and that same season was a regional champion. During the 2007-08 season Gordon was ranked as high as third in the country. Gordon also served as a team captain. Gordon began his collegiate career at Eastern Michigan where he was a two-year starter on the mat at EMU. "It is exciting to complete the wrestling coaching staff with the addition of assistant coach Marcus Gordon, who joins us from Ashland," said McFarland. "A true competitor, Marcus provides the perfect complement to head coach Jason Mester's style and blends the necessary components to take our program to the next level. Now with Coach Mester, Coach Gordon, and Paul Lyon joining as a volunteer assistant coach, the Huskies can get to work on defending their EWL dual meet title." As a high schooler Gordon was a wrestling standout at Mapleton High School. During his prep career he was a four-time OHSAA state placer and a two-time state champion. He was also named the most valuable wrestler at the state championship meet. He holds Mapleton's record for career takedowns (886). Gordon earned a degree in special education at Ashland. He and his wife, Jessica, will live in the Bloomsburg area.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- With the All Star Classic less than two months away, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network (GWWBN) has announced three days of events featuring programming for attendees of all ages at George Mason University. The wrestling centric weekend will begin on Friday, Nov. 1 with the Middle School All Star match. The match will be at 7:00pm in the George Mason University Field House and admission will be $5 for fans. Building on the Middle School match, there will be an All Star practice that will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 10:00am in the George Mason University Field House. These middle school participants will be trained and treated just like the All Star Classic collegiate participants. "Fans can look forward to some very competitive matches," said GWWBN Board Member and Middle School Classic Coordinator Kurt McHenry. "In many cases, the matches are highly anticipated ‘showdowns' between highly rated competitors from opposite sides of the country. It should be a lot of fun and a great experience for all." Following the Middle School All Star Practice on Saturday, NUWAY will present the All Star Clinic. Registration for the event will take place between 11:00am-12:00pm, with the event lasting until from 12:00pm to 5:00pm in the George Mason University Field House. The All Star Clinic is expected to draw 500 attendees, including NCAA champions, past All-Star Classic participants, coaches with wrestlers competing in the All Star Classic, Olympians and Beat the Street kids. "The part that is so exciting is each clinician will only have time to teach their favorite technique," said GWWBN Board Member and 2x NCAA Champion Wade Schalles. "That means there will be passion in everything the wrestlers hear and everything they see for 5 straight hours. That means a high retention rate for things learned, a definite factor in championship performances." While all Beat the Street kids will attend the event for free, remaining attendees will be required to purchase either a $30 clinic-only ticket or $40 clinic and All Star Classic combination pass. The final event on Saturday, November 2 will be the GWWBN's Pre-Meet Social. The event will be held at the George Mason University Patriot Center from 5:00-6:30pm. The event will serve as a mixer for coaches, sponsors and professionals to unite the business and wrestling communities as one. "The goal of the Social is to allow wrestling fans from all over the country, a chance to re-connect, make new friends, and potentially meet new business contacts," said GWWBN Board Member and Social Coordinator Keith Burgess. "Wrestlers and fans at any level will have an opportunity to mix & mingle with CEO's from Fortune 500 companies to the legends of our beloved sport." To attend the social, individuals will be required to pay a $100 fee or can purchase a pass to the social and a VIP ticket to the All Star Classic for $150. The final day of the weekend will feature the anticipated All Star Classic at 7:15pm on the George Mason University campus. Prior to the main event, at 6:45pm, undercard matches will be hosted showcasing two USAW Olympic-style matches and two college feature matches. The match-ups for the undercard feature bouts include a George Mason University wrestler squaring off against a West Chester University wrestler and an American University Wrestler against a Ursiinus College wrestler. For more information about the event visit the NWCA All-Star Classic page. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network GWWBN is a non-profit networking group that has been organized with the objective of mobilizing the wrestling community for business, social, and personal purposes. Their goal is to have our members to network and prosper together while we positing ourselves as an advocate for wrestling at all levels with in the Greater Washington Region. Contact: For NWCA Coyte Cooper - ccooper@nwca.cc

ESPN's long-standing commitment to expanding coverage of wrestling continues with plans for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship in Oklahoma City March 20- 22. For the first time, live coverage of every mat during the tournament will be available on an ESPN network. For the last five years, ESPN3 has carried an exclusive four-screen, four-mat viewing experience unique to wrestling. The expansion will create an unprecedented eight-mat viewing experience on ESPN3 for the early rounds and six-mat coverage for the Semifinals, with full match coverage continuing on ESPN3, ESPNU or ESPN and WatchESPN for the Semifinal, Medal and Championship rounds. ESPN began airing NCAA wrestling championships in 1980, its first year as a network, and has provided live coverage of every round since 2011. "There is an increasing appetite for the NCAA Wrestling Championship from the sport's avid fan base, especially on our digital platforms," said Brent Colborne, ESPN director of programming and acquisitions. “We continue to look for new ways to serve wrestling fans and live coverage of every mat on ESPN3 will provide an unprecedented amount of comprehensive coverage for the event." The championship continues to see success across ESPN with a 55 percent increase year-to-year growth in viewers for the 2013 final match and 12.6 million live minutes viewed on ESPN3 and WatchESPN, up 13 percent. ESPN networks commitment to the championship extends through 2024.

FILA and USA Wrestling held a joint press conference directly after the International Olympic Committee voted to keep wrestling in the Olympics as an additional sport for 2020 and 2024. Featured in this press conference are FILA President Nenad Lalovic, USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, CPOW Chair Bill Scherr, FILA Bureau member Jim Scherr, Actor/CPOW member Billy Baldwin, and USA Wrestling President Jim Ravannack.

STILLWATER -- Coaches and members of the Oklahoma State wrestling team watched intently from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., as the International Olympic Committee announced that wrestling would be included in the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics as a provisional sport. "I think the message that was sent down today from the IOC was since wrestling has been in the ancient games, as well as the modern games, we shouldn't be trailing; we are expected to be leading," coach John Smith said. "Winning the majority vote back in May to forward us to today's decision and winning the majority of the vote today was huge for us, and gives us a second opportunity to do it well." In February, the IOC executive board recommended that wrestling be dropped from the Olympic Games after the 2016 Olympics. Only three months later, the sport was given hope as it was named to the short-list of sports to be included in the 2020 Summer Games. On the short-list for inclusion alongside wrestling was a combined baseball/softball bid and squash. Each made its case for inclusion Sunday to the members of the IOC in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and it was voted it on shortly after. Wrestling received 49 of 95 votes, giving it the majority on the first ballot and a quick victory for the wrestling community. "That was harder than a wrestling match for me," 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott said. "It's been a long process, and I was nervous all morning. We had a good presentation and a very good panel, and I'm glad we didn't take it lightly. There were a lot kids watching with us today and this was for them." Cowboy wrestling sophomore Alex Dieringer knew this decision would have long-lasting implications and was excited for the result. "It's my future," Dieringer said. "I'm really excited knowing that I'm going to be able to continue following my Olympic dreams." The 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

Wrestling is back, and it might have a new hero. After 208 days in bureaucratic purgatory and an international outcry thought to be unmatched in modern Olympic history, the 125th IOC Session reinstituted the sport on Sunday. The IOC Session, which also considered strong bids by squash and baseball/softball, voted once, and in accordance with procedure granted wrestling a provisional status in the 2020 and 2024 Games by a single vote. Daniel Igali (Photo/T.R. Foley)Though FILA president Nenad Lalovic led the campaign and presentation from start to finish, it was Daniel Igali, a gold medalist for Canada at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, who won over the IOC and the wrestling community. Igali, who is now head of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation, told of his journey from one of 20 siblings growing up in Nigeria to becoming an Olympic Champion. He threaded the experience together through the prism of motivation, which for him was simply having the chance to fly on an airplane. The Internet swooned, as wrestling's social media base responded with calls for his immediate ascension through the FILA ranks. From T-shirt drives to a large-scale overhaul of the sport's rules and governance, the community support for the reinstatement of the wrestling in the Olympic Games played a key role in the sport's six-month campaign. From #SaveOlympicWrestling to #TakeAStance, the wrestling community was heralded for their unity by the media and FILA President Nenad Lalovic. "We came together like never before," said the 55-year-old Serbian businessman. "Our athletes are taught to compete and we did just that." Lalovic, who was elected to the presidency after former president Raphael Martinetti resigned in February, has garnered much of the credit for unifying the community and leading wide-scale changes to the sport's rules and governance. Though Igali's personal story addressed the universal accessibility of the sport, at the center of the IOC's concern was gender equality. Wrestling had recently instituted a realignment of their Olympic weights from a distribution of seven for men's freestyle, seven for men's Greco-Roman, and four for women's freestyle to six for each discipline. Still, the IOC balked during the question answer after the sport's presentation with Angela Ruggiero of the United States asking about a parallel program for women. "She was smart to ask the question," said presenter and 2008 Olympic gold medalist Carol Huynh of Canada. "I knew it was coming and I thought we've handled it well." The perception that wrestling was "old" in the face of newer sports baseball/softball and squash dogged the Ancient Greek sport for much of the day. Claims that athletes weren't in control of their outcomes and of widespread corruption were also addressed. Lalovic, who held a brief press conference after the event unveiled the 'Wrestling World Plan" a shiny pamphlet describing the general steps wrestling will take to keep improving. "Our new goal is to become a permanent member of the IOC. They are our only partner and we will do what every federation must and keep improving."

FILA's president Nenad Lalovic discusses Wrestling World Plan (Photo/T.R. Foley) Buenos Aires, Argentina -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced it voted the sport of wrestling to remain in the Olympic program as a provisional sport at the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. On the first vote, wrestling received 49 votes out of the 95 voters, receiving the majority of votes and winning on the first ballot. USA Wrestling and its Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling (CPOW) join our international wrestling federation FILA in expressing extreme gratitude and satisfaction following the IOC's announcement. On Feb. 12, 2013, the IOC Executive Board recommended that wrestling not be included with the 25 Core Sports initiative, which is set to begin after the 2016 Olympic Games. The IOC allowed wrestling to join with other sports in the hopes of becoming a provisional sport of the 2020 and 2024 Olympic programs. On May 29, the IOC Executive Board selected wrestling for the short list of three sports for consideration by the IOC General Assembly today. "This is a great day for wrestling and for USA Wrestling. As a sport and an organization, we came together like never before to support the sport we love. I want to thank all who helped our cause, especially those from USA Wrestling state organizations and our grassroots community. You all have stepped up, with fundraising efforts, online activities, attendance at our big events and so many other important things. As a family, we showed our pride in wrestling, and have helped tell the story of our sport to the IOC and to the world," said USA Wrestling President James Ravannack. "Now the work really starts for wrestling. We need to capitalize on the opportunity which we have received and continue to move the sport forward. Momentum is on our side. We must continue to be passionate and aggressive in promoting and improving wrestling in the United States and around the world. We also want to thank everybody from the U.S. wrestling community who has stepped up to support the Keep Olympic Wrestling movement," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. Nenad Lalovic presents (Photo/T.R. Foley)"We are thrilled with the IOC decision today. Wrestling has been a significant part of the ancient and modern Olympics and we are pleased to be on the program for 2020 and 2024. The IOC has been fair and encouraging to us and we believe that there will be opportunities for us to again be one of the core sports and permanently on the program in the future. The Olympics has much to offer wrestling and wrestling adds greatly to the Olympic program. It is important to the millions of young wrestlers around the world -- boys and girls -- that we work to provide an opportunity for them to dream Olympic dreams, just as many of us did. And so we will continue the fight to become a core sport of the Olympic Games," said Bill Scherr, Chairman of the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling. "It's a great day for wrestling and a great day for the Olympics," said Mike Novogratz, spokesman for the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling. Although wrestling has retained its position in the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, the work of the USA Wrestling community is not finished. The mission of CPOW has been "to ensure that wrestling remains as a core sport of the Olympic Games." This mission has not yet been achieved. The Keep Olympic Wrestling effort, led by CPOW in the United States, helped bring many positive changes and improvements to the sport. There has been great support and momentum for wrestling in its effort to remain on the Olympic program. The work to improve wrestling and expand its participation and impact here in the United States and around the world will continue, leading up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and beyond. ABOUT USA WRESTLING USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation FILA. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. ABOUT CPOW The Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling (CPOW) was developed by USA Wrestling, whose mission is to insure that wrestling remains as a core sport of the Olympic Games. CPOW features many highly-respected leaders within the American wrestling, chaired by Bill Scherr of Glenview, Ill., a World champion and Olympic medalist in freestyle wrestling and a leader in the Olympic family.

Related: Schedule AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State wrestling team announced its schedule for the 2013-14 season today. The Cyclones, who finished 11-5 (3-3 Big 12) last season will open their 2013-14 campaign with a double-header against NAIA opponent Grand View and CAA member Drexel on Nov. 7 at Hilton Coliseum. The dual with the Vikings marks the first meeting between the two schools and just the fifth dual all-time against an NAIA opponent for the Cyclones. Drexel will also be making its first appearance ever in Ames. Last season, Iowa State traveled to Philadelphia and beat the Dragons 31-12, scoring bonus points in six of the eight matches. Drexel is coached by former Cyclone Matt Azevedo. The nonconference schedule is highlighted by the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series dual with Iowa, slated for 2 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Hilton Coliseum. The mat will once again be elevated on a platform and be located in the center of the arena. The raised platform provides optimal viewing of this elite wrestling event. Season ticket holders will have their seats adjusted one section to the east to reflect the shifted wrestling mat and platform. All seating in Hilton Coliseum will be reserved. To view a seating diagram for the Iowa dual click here. Wrestling season ticket holders have the first opportunity to purchase single-meet tickets for this event. To purchase, either indicate the number of tickets on the renewal you will receive in your mailbox or follow the steps online. To guarantee your seats, be sure to purchase your Iowa State vs. Iowa wrestling tickets by Oct. 28. Single-meet tickets will be available to the public beginning Oct. 30. On Dec. 6, the Cyclones will head to Las Vegas, Nev. for the two-day Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, marking the school’s first appearance at the event. For more information on the tournament and other participating schools, click here. On Jan. 1, Iowa State will head to Chattagnooga, Tenn. for the coveted Southern Scuffle, which has become one of the premiere holiday tournaments in collegiate wrestling. For more information on the coveted tournament, click here. The Cyclones will be back in the NWCA National Duals this season on Feb. 16-17 in Columbus, Ohio. The appearance marks Iowa State’s first since hosting a national duals regional in 2012. The schedule for the 2014 NWCA National Duals will be announced at a later date. Iowa State will close out the regular season at home against perennial wrestling power Minnesota on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. Iowa State leads the all-time series with the Gophers 44-16-2. The 2013-14 season closes with the Big 12 Championships in Norman, Okla. on March 8 and the NCAA Championships on March 20-22 in Oklahoma City at Chesapeake Energy Arena, home to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

Buenos Aires, Argentina -- Since February, FILA President Nenad Lalovic, along with all members of the FILA Bureau, have embarked on a revolutionary journey to transform the sport of wrestling. The changes, spelled out in detail below, have yielded a new sport of wrestling that is more interesting, equitable and progressive than the version the world knew just six months ago. FILA's changes since February include: New weight classes for women: FILA redistributed its weight classes to provide more opportunities for female wrestlers. Women gained two weight classes in Freestyle, while Greco Roman and Men's Freestyle each lost a weight class. This new structure will be used for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. More active roles for Women and Athletes: FILA will have 3 seats for women and active athletes on the Bureau at all times. These Bureau participants will be elected by their peers. Female Vice President -- FILA will have at least one female Vice President on the Bureau at all times. 17 amended commissions: FILA proposed amending 15 Commissions during its Extraordinary Congress in May. It recently announced it will amend 17 Commissions, due to overwhelming interest from athletes and wrestling supporters that want to assist FILA. Major rule changes: FILA introduced major rule changes to make the sport more interesting to the spectator, while ensuring the most active wrestler wins the match. These changes include: Moving from 3, 2-minute periods to 2, 3-minute periods Cumulative scoring for the match New scoring of spectacular throws awarding 3 or 5 points Enacting a new passivity rule (If a referee determines a wrestler is being passive, they receive a warning. If there's a second offense, the match will be stopped temporarily and the offending wrestler must score a point within 30 seconds or their opponent receives a point.) Developed World Wrestling Plan: FILA has developed a new strategic plan for the entire wrestling world. The first stage of this plan will be implemented at the World Championships later this month. This phase will: optimize FILA's internal process, improve event presentation, develop the FILA brand and implement a new strategic communications plan. Established Scientific Commission: FILA and the International Network of Wrestling Researchers established a Scientific Commission within FILA that will provide scientific expertise in presenting solutions to the modern issues the sport faces. Monthly rankings: FILA introduced monthly rankings to the sport for the first time. Each discipline -- Greco Roman, Men's Freestyle and Women's Freestyle -- are announced a week apart from each other. Save Olympic Wrestling Meet in Ancient Olympia: In July, FILA and the global wrestling community returned to the birthplace of Olympic wrestling - Ancient Olympia, Greece - for the first wrestling match in Olympia since 393 AD. Of particular note, two 11 year old Greek girls wrestled in the Ancient Palaestra, marking the first time females had wrestled in Olympia, ever. World Wrestling Month in May: FILA created, launched and managed World Wrestling Month. Wrestling events were staged around the World to highlight the significance the sport holds on the global stage. Two matches during the month highlighted wrestling's ability to unite nations, regardless of politics. Iran, Russia and the USA sent some of their top men's talent to New York City to participate in an amazing event in Grand Central Terminal, while the women's teams from Canada, Ukraine and the USA went to Niagra Falls for the Battle of the Falls. Launched a redesigned website: In June, FILA launched a redesigned website. This new site is easier to navigate, incorporates vivid imagery and allows for the integration of live streaming video content and real time results. Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and #TakeAStance: FILA has been very aggressive on social media since February. The FILA Official Facebook page has grown by nearly 100,000 friends, totaling over 103,000 now and the FILA Official Twitter account has grown by nearly 40,000, from 4,000 followers to over 44,000 now. Additionally, President Nenad Lalovic took part in the social media revolution, by participating in a Twitter chat and Google+ Hangout with Olympic wrestling fans from around the World. Lastly, FILA created their own social media campaign, asking wrestlers to get in a classic wrestling stance and share user-generated photos across Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #TakeAStance. Live streaming video: FILA provided live streaming video from the Junior and Cadet World Championships for the first time in history. This video was available through the FILA Facebook page and the FILA website. Improvements for the television broadcast: FILA representatives met with the Olympic Broadcasting Service, as well as other television broadcast experts, to explore changes to the presentation of their sport that could make it more attractive to viewers. Potential new technology includes point of view cameras closer to the action and the collection and integration of biometrics data into the broadcast. Improved media access and information: FILA provided event previews and daily recaps of the Junior and Cadet World Championships to the media for the first time in the history of each event. About FILA FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, is the global governing body of the sport of wrestling. It works to promote the sport and facilitate the activities of its 177 national federations from around the world. It is based in Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland. For additional details or for questions about the Save Olympic Wrestling campaign and FILA, please contact FILA at 41.21 312 84 26 or Bob Condron, Press Officer, condron@fila-wrestling.com

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Two of the nation's premier wrestling teams will indeed meet this season as Penn State and Iowa have announced the scheduling of a non-conference dual. After a twitter conversation between head coaches Cael Sanderson and Tom Brands yesterday, Penn State will visit Iowa on Saturday, Dec. 21, for an 9:00 p.m. (Eastern) dual in Carver Hawkeye Arena. With the squads not scheduled to meet in the Big Ten's rotating eight dual regular season slate, the two teams will get together in Carver Hawkeye for a non-conference dual in December. The Big Ten Network will air the dual meet live. Penn State and Iowa, which have met every year since 1982, have combined to win the last six NCAA titles (Penn State in '13, '12 and '11; Iowa in '10, '09 and '08). The Nittany Lions enter the 2013-14 season as three-time defending NCAA and Big Ten champions while Iowa has won 23 team titles during its program's history. Penn State now has eight non-conference duals. The Lions host Lock Haven, Pittsburgh (in the Bryce Jordan Center), Oklahoma State and Clarion and will visit Rider, Lehigh, Boston and Iowa. Penn State's eight conference duals include Ohio State, Purdue, Northwestern and Illinois at home as well as Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan and Minnesota on the road. The Nittany Lion schedule now features the other top three teams from last year's NCAA Championships (Oklahoma State, Minnesota and now Iowa). The addition of the Iowa dual will alter the Nittany Lions' participation at the Binghamton Open. Penn State's attached contingent to BU would be limited to six in order to add another scheduled event. Any other Nittany Lions going to Binghamton would have to attend unattached. Once again, the full season of Rec Hall duals is sold out on a season-ticket basis but single dual standing room only tickets will be available. This year's season ticket package features eight duals (including the Pitt dual in the BJC). Information on season ticket renewals will be arriving to season ticket holders very soon. The sales of SRO tickets for the Rec Hall duals as well as the general public sale for the BJC dual will begin in October with an announcement on details and instructions being made at that time. For information on Penn State wrestling tickets (including being placed on a waiting list for season tickets) call 1-800-NITTANY or visit the Penn State ticket office in the BJC during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWRES and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The newly revised full 2013-14 Penn State Wrestling Schedule is as follows: NOVEMBER Sat. 16 -- at Rider, 6 p.m. Sun. 17 -- at Lehigh, 3 p.m. Sun. 24 -- LOCK HAVEN, 2 p.m. DECEMBER Fri. 6 -- at Boston 7 p.m. Sun. 8 -- PITTSBURGH (in BJC), 2 p.m. Sun. 15 -- OHIO STATE*, 2 p.m. Sat. 21 -- at Iowa, 9:00 p.m. JANUARY W/Th. 1-2 -- Southern Scuffle, Chattanooga, Tenn., All Day Sun. 12 -- PURDUE*, 2 p.m. Fri. 17 -- at Indiana*, 7 p.m. Sun. 19 -- NORTHWESTERN*, 2 p.m. Fri. 24 -- ILLINOIS*, 7 p.m. Fri. 31 -- at Michigan State*, 7 p.m. FEBRUARY Sun. 2 -- at Michigan*, 2 p.m. Sun. 9 -- at Minnesota*, 2 p.m. Sun. 16 -- OKLAHOMA STATE, 2 p.m. Sun. 23 -- CLARION, 2 p.m. MARCH Sa./Su. 8-9 -- Big Ten Championships, Madison, Wis., Times TBA Sat. 8 -- Session 1 -- Opening Round Session 2 -- Semifinals Sun. 9 -- Session 3 -- Consolation, 7th place bouts Session 4 -- Championship Finals, 3rd and 5th Th./Sa. 20-22 2013 NCAA Championships, Oklahoma City, Okla., Times TBA Thur. 20 -- Session 1 -- 1st Round Thur. 20 -- Session 2 -- 2nd Round/Consolations Fri. 21 -- Session 3 -- Quarterfinals/Consolations Fri. 21 -- Session 4 -- Semifinals/All-America Round Sat. 22 -- Session 5 -- Medal Rounds Sat. 22 -- Session 6 -- Championship Finals * Big Ten Dual All dates and times subject to change - All times EASTERN

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. With the Olympic decision only two days away it's important to realize that we are all worried about our post-decision emotions. Should the vote come back with a negative result I can guarantee that one of the 14 dozen Japanese film crews on location in Buenos Aires will capture footage of me heaving a park bench through a department store window. If not a violent outburst then a newspaper reporter will interview me while I lay face down in a plate of charcuterie, splashes of whiskey and Malbec speckling my dress shirt. Or maybe I'll just start swimming? Hop into the ocean and Diane Nyad my way to the Falkland Islands and claim it for the sport of wrestling. Likely it will be a positive result in which case I suspect I'll cry like it were the end of "The Notebook." I've been practicing sobbing and laughing into my arms to prevent having my emotions exploited on the front-page of your local paper, a gob of nasal drain streaking across my cheek. Photographers love photographs of grown men weeping. Whatever your emotion, embrace the moment. You guys, we the wrestling community, deserve a moment to mourn or celebrate in any fashion we choose. The #SaveOlympicWrestling movement has already been a monumental success, with new rules, and a revived interest in all things dealing with the sport. No matter what the 104 voting members of the IOC decide, we are a better sport for acknowledging a large portion of our shortcomings and taking steps to improve. Some booze, some tears? Meh. Let it out. If you want some more details about the weekend and are tuning in around 11:45 a.m. ET I'll be posting everything to Twitter. To your questions ... Q: Mid-summer slowdown question: Who would you choose to be in a folkstyle all-star dual of the best U.S. wrestlers over 34 (I'm trying to exclude anyone even close to competition age) at the current NCAA weight classes? Let's presume good health across the board just to level the playing field. I'd pay big money to see guys like Terry Brands, Donny Pritzlaff, Eric Guerrero and Cary Kolat go at it. Who ya got? -- Bryan R. Foley: My starting ten of guys over the age of 34 who I think could still roll? Hmm. I have a preference for the ACC guys (nostalgia) and guys who were nasty on top. I also would like to choose the GOAT and a football player. I'm beating a very dead horse, but wouldn't each of these guys come out for a takedown-only event? What's to lose? Each would have plenty of accomplishments to fall back on, and how hurt can you get in one takedown? (The answer is "seriously" but let's imagine it's not.) They could wear cool outfits and dance on their way into the arena. Anyone who wouldn't pay a Buffalo nickel to see some of the old-timers square-up and go for broke is a fool. And I pity the fool. Prediction?! PAIN! 125: Sammie Henson 133: Mike Mena 141: T.J. Jaworsky 149: Bill Zadick 157: Lincoln McIlravy 165: Donny Pritzlaff 174: Sean Bormet 184: Mitch Clark 197: Cael Sanderson 285: Stephen Neal Q: Do high school wrestling programs need a coach that is also a teacher at that school to revive the program, or have you seen it accomplished in other ways? -- Jim S. Foley: High school programs 40 years ago needed a coach who was in the school in order to recruit talented competitors, but today the professionalization of amateur sports has changed that dynamic. The most important predictor of a program's future success is the establishment of a club program that can serve the local community of wrestlers outside the two hours of practice time five days a week, four months a year. A solid club program gets the kids involved in a professionalized and predictable schedule. Being at the school is not a bad idea, but doing it in sacrifice of another career you might enjoy more as a professional outside the wrestling room would be counter-productive. In my experience the coaches who were content with their position in life were most able to connect with their wrestlers, and in the end happy wrestlers helps to promote a healthy lifestyle and generational continuity for the sport we love. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Sirius XM Fight Club Radio discussion about Olympic discussion ... Jay Mohr, Tom Arnold team up for "Wrestling Nice" video ... Images from Foxcatcher ... The first showcasing of Foxcatcher will be Friday Nov. 8 at the AFI FEST in Hollywood. Q: Do you think Aaron Pico should be getting more attention than Kyle Snyder right now? Everyone is talking about Pico and even voting his performance the best on TheMat.com's poll. I agree that dominating the Cadet World Championships coming out of your freshman year of high school is pretty amazing, but I think what Snyder did was far more impressive. People seem to forget that Snyder is just heading into his senior year. When was the last time someone his age won the Junior World Championships? And he dominated just about the same way Pico did. The difference to me though is the ages involved between the two tournaments. Snyder beat dudes that, in their countries, are probably considered men. This is a tournament that Logan Stieber couldn't get gold in. That's one of our best college wrestlers, and Snyder did it as a high school student in a big weight class. I think both Pico and Snyder are easily the two brightest prospects in wrestling today, but we need to chill the hype on all these high school freshmen. -- Nicholas B. Foley: As you noted, much of Pico's appeal stems from his position as a high school freshman. That being the case, he'll be 17 years old soon and that put him at 18 months younger than Kyle Snyder, who is forging his senior year to wrestle at the Olympic Training Center. Hype is hype. Pico is a world-beater stud, as is Kyle Snyder. To compare the two isn't very productive. However, I do think that Snyder, who projects to be 21 years old for the 2016 Games, is much more likely to make the U.S. World Team at whatever weight class is created once FILA pares the seven down to six. Pico is in an odd position. The weight class shift could go any of the three directions: unchanged, terrible, or perfect. With Snyder you know that there is going to be a linebacker weight, and it's logical to assume that with even marginal growth projections he'll be stomping American competition come Olympic Team Trials. With Pico he's much more likely to lose the game of weight class Frogger, and be smashed by bureaucracy. Skill-wise, Snyder is more fluid, while Pico has better defense and hands dipped in concrete. Q: We keep hearing that Ben Askren may leave Bellator and go to the UFC. Do you think he will be successful in the UFC as he was in Bellator like other wrestlers such as T.J. Dillashaw and Gray Maynard? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Yes. As you do one thing you do all things, and it's ludicrous to bet against a guy of Ben Askren's talent this late in the game. Every indication is that he is the greatest control-based wrestler in history ... yes, the history of mankind. Nobody has been more capable at preventing his opponent mount a logical defense, and nobody has been more smothering than Ben Askren. Whether it's a knuckleball, two-minute drill or taking someone down and holding them against their will, never bet against someone who originates and dominates a style. TWITTER OF THE WEEK! @caelsanderson and @tombrandsHAWK You thought Twitter was for teeny boppers and stalkers? Well you're right, but it's also for Olympic champions and NCAA champion coaches to talk about setting up the greatest dual meet of the season. Update: Penn State, Iowa set to battle in non-conference dual.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, has released its inaugural All-Time NFL Honor Roll, featuring pro football stars who wrestled. This announcement is made in recognition of the start of the new NFL season and days prior to the International Olympic Committee's vote in Buenos Aires, Argentina, about wrestling's future as a sport on the Olympic program. There is a long tradition of great football players who also competed in wrestling during some part of their athletic careers. Some had impressive wrestling credentials, others were involved in wrestling in high school and in their youth, but all bring a wrestling background to the football achievements. There are 12 Pro Football Hall of Fame athletes who are confirmed to have a wrestling background. Headlining the team is recent Hall of Fame member Curley Culp, who was a 1967 NCAA wrestling champion for Arizona State and a two-time state wrestling champion for Yuma High School in Arizona. Culp made his impact in the NFL as a defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs. Henry Jordan, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns, wrestled for the University of Virginia, where he was an NCAA runner-up in wrestling in 1957. He also wrestled for Warwick High School in Virginia. Hall of Famer inductee Leo Nomellini, who starred as a defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers, was a Big Ten wrestling champion for the University of Minnesota and attended Chicago Crane Technical High School. Offensive guard John Hannah, who starred with the New England Patriots on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, wrestled at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn, where he won a National Prep wrestling title in 1967. Hall of Fame offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf competed in wrestling at the University of Michigan and at Glenwood High School in Ohio. Dierdorf starred in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals, and has gone on to a great career as a television football announcer. Dierdorf was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American in 1997. Hall of Fame running back Jim Thorpe, who played for a number of different professional teams, was considered the top all-around athlete of his era and perhaps of all time. Wrestling was one of the sports which Thorpe participated in his youth. Thorpe attended Carlisle Indian Industrial Tech in Pennsylvania. A number of Pro Football Hall of Famers did not wrestle in college but were involved in the sport in their youth. Mike Webster, a Hall of Fame center who starred for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was third in the Wisconsin state wrestling meet for Rhinelander High School. Larry Csonka, a Hall of Fame running back for the Miami Dolphins, competed in wrestling in his youth, where he attended Stow High School in Ohio. Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott of the San Francisco 49ers was a wrestler for Eisenhower High School in California. Hall of Fame offensive guard Randall McDaniel of the Minnesota Vikings was a wrestler who attended Agua Fria High School in Arizona. Bruce Smith, the Hall of Fame defensive end for the Buffalo Bills, was a wrestler who went to Booker T. Washington High School in Virginia. Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden of the Baltimore Ravens was on the wrestling team at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. Recognized for their wrestling backgrounds are numerous All Pro players, as well as other prominent athletes who have made an impact in the NFL, including a number of Heisman Trophy winners in college. Among those on the Honor Roll are recently retired NFL star linebacker Ray Lewis, who was a state high school wrestling champion at Kathleen High School in Florida, and current wide receiving star Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons, a two-time South Carolina state champion for James Island High School. Among those honored who were great wrestlers and NFL stars were Stephen Neal, an offensive guard for the New England Patriots and three-time Super Bowl champion, was also a World champion in freestyle wrestling and a two-time NCAA wrestling champion for Cal-State Bakersfield, as well as Carlton Haselrig, an All Pro offensive guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a three-time NCAA Div. I and three-time NCAA Div. II national wrestling champion for Pitt-Johnstown. Also on the list is Bob Pickens, an offensive guard for the Chicago Bears, who wrestled on the 1964 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Team. NCAA wrestling champions who played in the NFL included running back Jim Nance of the New England Patriots, who won national titles for Syracuse in 1963 and 1965, and running back Art Baker of the Buffalo Bills, an NCAA champion for Syracuse in 1959. Two-time NCAA wrestling All-Americans who played in the NFL were Bob Golic, a defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns, Charlie Getty, an offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and Steve Sefter, a defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles. Golic won his two All-American honors for Notre Dame, while Getty and Sefter were both two-time All-Americans for Penn State. Some of the All-Time NFL Honor Roll selections were NCAA Wrestling All-Americans. John Ward, an offensive tackle for three NFL teams, competed for Oklahoma State. Antonio Garay wrestled at Boston College, and plays defensive tackle in the NFL. Lorenzo Neal wrestled for Fresno State, and has been an All-Pro fullback playing for seven different NFL teams. Ron Essink played offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks and wrestled for Grand Valley State. Ralph Cindrich played linebacker in the NFL and went on to become a successful sports agent. Cindrich was an All-American wrestler for Pitt, and was a two-time Pennsylvania state high school runner-up. Heisman Trophy winners who made the All-Time NFL Honor Roll are Archie Griffin, a running back for Ohio State in college and for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL, and running back Charles White, who won his Heisman for USC and played for the Cleveland Browns. Mike Golic, who wrestled at Notre Dame and played defensive line in the NFL, is a popular broadcaster who appears on the Mike and Mike Show each day. Tony Siragusa, who played defensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, was a New Jersey state high school wrestling champion, and is now a featured broadcaster for NFL football games. The list is full of many prominent football names like Bo Jackson, Ricky Williams, twins Ronde and Tiki Barber, Tedy Bruschi, Marvin Lewis and many, many others. This is the first step of a research project by USA Wrestling to document the history of wrestlers who went on to greatness in American football. Those with more information on NFL players who wrestled should contact Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling at gabbott@usawrestling.org Inaugural USA Wrestling All-Time NFL Honor Roll of pro football stars who wrestled Pro Football Hall of Famers (alphabetically) Curley Culp, DT, Kansas City Chiefs, Pro Football Hall of Fame, NCAA wrestling champion Larry Csonka, RB, Miami Dolphins, Pro Football Hall of Fame Dan Dierdorf, OT, St. Louis Cardinals, Pro Football Hall of Fame John Hannah, OG New England Patriots, Pro Football Hall of Fame Henry Jordan, DT, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Pro Football Hall of Fame Ronnie Lott, DB, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Football Hall of Fame Randall McDaniel, OG, Minnesota Vikings, Pro Football Hall of Fame Leo Nomellini, DT, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Football Hall of Fame Jonathan Ogden, OT, Baltimore Ravens, Pro Football Hall of Fame Bruce Smith, DE, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Pro Football Hall of Fame Jim Thorpe, RB, New York Giants, Canton, Cleveland, Oorang, Rock Island, Chicago, Pro Football Hall of Fame Mike Webster, C, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Pro athletes (alphabetically) Ronde Barber, S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pro Bowl player Tiki Barber, RB, New York Giants, Pro Bowl player, broadcaster Harris Barton, OT, San Francisco 49ers, Pro Bowl player Brad Benson, OG, New York Giants, Pro Bowl player Jeff Bostic, C, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl player Bob Bruenig, LB, Dallas Cowboys, Pro Bowl player Tedy Bruschi, LB, New England Patriots, Pro Bowl player, broadcaster Chris Cooley, TE, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl player Donnie Edwards, LB, San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Pro Bowl player Jim Everett, QB, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, Pro Bowl player Bill Fralic, OG, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Pro Bowl player Doug France, OT, Los Angeles Rams, Pro Bowl player Darrien Gordon, DB, Special Teams, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Pro Bowl Player Jay Hilgenberg, C, Chicago Bears, Pro Bowl player Carlton Haselrig, OG, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pro Bowl player, 3x NCAA wrestling champion La'Roi Glover, DE, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Pro Bowl player Bob Golic, DT, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Raiders, Pro Bowl player Chad Hennings, DT, Dallas Cowboys, 9 seasons, Pro Bowl player, College Football Hall of Fame Tim Krumrie, DT, Cincinnati Bengals, Pro Bowl Player Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore Ravens, Pro Bowl player Matt Millen, LB, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl player Jim Nance, RB, New England Patriots - AFL All-Star Lorenzo Neal, RB, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Bucs, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, Pro Bowl player, NCAA Wrestling All-American Mike Pyle, C, Chicago Bears – Pro Bowl player Mike Reid, DT, Cincinnati Bengals, Pro Bowl player, professional musician Jeff Saturday, C, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Pro Bowl player Mark Schlereth, OG, Washington Redskins, Pro Bowl player Fred Smerlas, DT, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Pro Bowl player Kyle Turley, OT, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Pro Bowl player Adam Vinitieri, K, New England Patriots, Baltimore Colts, Pro Bowl player Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons, current player, Pro Bowl player Ricky Williams, RB, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Pro Bowl player Steve Wisniewski, OG, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, Pro Bowl player Other prominent stars Art Baker, RB, Buffalo Bills, NCAA wrestling champion Ralph Cindrich, LB, Houston Oilers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, pro football agent Antonio Garay, DT, San Diego Chargers, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, NCAA Wrestling All-American Ron Essink, OT, Seattle Seahawks, NCAA Wrestling All-American Charlie Getty, OT, Kansas City Chiefs – 2x NCAA Wrestling All-American Bob Golic, DT, Cleveland Browns –2x NCAA wrestling All-American Mike Golic, DL, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Oilers, Miami Dolphins, 7 years in NFL, broadcaster Archie Griffin, RB, Cincinnati Bengals, 7 year career, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Green, DE, Atlanta Falcons, broadcaster Kelly Gregg, DT, Baltimore Ravens, Philadephia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, 12 years in NFL, USA Wrestling Cadet National champion Bo Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Raiders, MLB Chicago White Sox and KC Royals, most famous all-around athlete of his generation John Jurkovich, DT, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, 9 year career, broadcaster Marvin Lewis, Coach, Cincinnati Bengals, 10 years as head coach Jim Nance, RB, New England Patriots – 2x NCAA Wrestling champion Stephen Neal, OG, New England Patriots, World freestyle Wrestling champion, 2x NCAA Wrestling champion Jim Plunkett, QB, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl MVP Bob Pickens, OT, Chicago Bears, Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler Steve Sefter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles, 2x NCAA Wrestling All-American Tony Siragusa, DT, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, 12 year career, broadcaster Dave Szott, OL, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, New York Jets, 4th in USA Wrestling Junior Nationals John Ward, OT, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Bucs, NCAA Wrestling All-American Scott Wells, C, St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, 3x USA Wrestling Cadet National champion Charles White, RB, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, nine year career, Heisman Trophy Coy Wire, S, Buffalo Bills

The IOC wrestling vote looms huge on the horizon, and I've been talking about the international wrestling scene for months now, and frankly, I'm a little sick of it. There's too much stuff I find difficult to understand in international wrestling, and too much I'd like to learn, but am unable to discover. Fortunately a simpler, easier to understand type of wrestling is just around the corner. College wrestlers have started their pre-season workouts, and will continue going hard, working themselves to the bone, through March. In a look forward to the coming college wrestling season, and because people seem to love lists, I've compiled a list of teams that may surprise at the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. We all know that Penn State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Iowa and Oklahoma will field teams lousy with talent. I wanted to shine the light on some programs which will receive a little less attention. This list comes with a few caveats: First, I am the sole arbiter of what constitutes "surprising." In most sports this would be what is known as a list of "mid-major powers" but in a sport where Edinboro and Cornell regularly occupy a spot in the county's top ten, there is no such thing as mid-majors. Instead, this is a list of teams which have a shot at multiple All-Americans this year but whom I don't believe are on many radars. I probably should have included Hofstra, but I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with their team. This list only considers tournament team strength. If I've snubbed a wrestler, or a team, I apologize in advance. 10. Eastern Michigan Yes, Eastern Michigan. Derek Delporto is still a very good coach. EMU returns three redshirt seniors who have had a win at the NCAA tournament, Nick Whitenburg at 197, Phillip Joseph at 174 and Jared Germaine at 125. (Germaine's NCAA win came in 2012.) Their roster also features Michigan transfer Brandon Zeerip, who looks to make one more big run in his college career. A surprisingly strong recruiting class may also yield a surprise. 9. American Mark Cody is gone, but Teague Moore returns a team that could do big things at NCAAs if everything comes together. At 197, Dan Mitchell is back after a redshirt and looks to qualify for his fourth NCAA tournament. He has the talent to beat anyone. Additionally, American features Blake Herrin, the "Alabama Slammer," who won a match at last year's national tournament. David Terao, a wrestler who flirted with a top 20 ranking all year, returns at 125. 8. Old Dominion A rash of transfers might be cause for alarm, but ODU and head coach Steve Martin are coming into this season with some national-caliber firepower. Chris Mecate returns from a stellar freshman campaign with the capability to place high at nationals. Other than Mecate, ODU doesn't return much in the way of NCAA points, but their team features an NCAA qualifier-level wrestler at almost every weight, along with some high profile true freshmen. Add to the mix notable junior college transfers, the Geoghegan brothers, and you have a room deep with talent and with intense competition at many weights. Look for big years out of Jerome Robinson, a big time talent at 125, and Kevin Beazley at 197, who just got home from competing in Greco at Junior Worlds. (Note: ODU has a tough incumbent 197-pounder in Jacob Henderson, Beazley is not guaranteed the spot.) 7. Bloomsburg I spent a good bit of time writing about Bloomsburg last year, but I still put them in the "surprise" category. Coach John Stutzman may be gone, but Jason Meester takes over a program with a ton of remaining talent. Seniors Justin Grant at 285, Richard Perry at 197, John Veltre at 165, and Nick Wilcox at 133 are all capable at making big runs in March. Ugi returns for The Citadel (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)6. The Citadel We could be living in a world where The Citadel has two All-Americans two years in row. NCAA semifinalist Ugi is back at 141, and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj returns from redshirt at either 174 or 184. Luvsandorj, also from Mongolia, by way of Newark N.J., has been ranked extremely high at points in his career and was two matches from placing at the 2012 NCAA tournament. Matt Frisch, an NCAA qualifier at 157, also returns. 5. North Carolina State During the last year Binghamton transfer Nick Gwiazdowski has proven that he is a serious threat to win a national championship at heavyweight, his presence alone vaults the Wolfpack up in these rankings. N.C. State will also enjoy the services of JUCO stud Ryan Fox at 174, as well as NCAA qualifiers Joe DeAngelo at 125, Sam Speno at 133 and Nijel Jones at 165. Combine this with a nice recruiting class and you have the recipe for a big turnaround in Raleigh. Steven Monk reached the round of 12 (Photo/The Guillotine)4. North Dakota State Roger Kish and the Bison are for real. This year's team loses All-American Trent Sprenkle but returns a team loaded with talent. Look for 165-pounder Steven Monk to contend for high All-American honors, and Tyler Lehman to burst onto the college scene as a ready-made star at 197 after some very impressive work on the freestyle circuit. Heavyweight Evan Knutson also returns to Fargo after going 1-2 at NCAAs last year, as well as some tough kids coming off redshirt. 3. Ohio University I don't remember the last time we've seen this much talent coming out of Athens, Ohio. The Bobcats return two past All-Americans in Jeremy Johnson at 285 and Cody Walters at 174, and the upper part of their lineup is loaded with talent. 157-pounder Spartak Chino returns after a 1-2 finish at NCAAs last year, while Phil Wellington comes back for his sophomore season after posting a 2-2 record at NCAAs. KeVon Powell returns at 125 after qualifying for nationals, and the Bobcats also will enjoy major contributions from two former Virginia Tech wrestlers, Ty Mitch and Harrison Hightower. 2. North Carolina Don't look now, but if the planets align we might see the Tarheels crack the top ten at NCAAs next year. I'm serious. The much maligned tenure of head coach C.D. Mock has assembled a team with serious talent. Evan Henderson returns after a sixth-place finish at NCAAs, along with round of 12 finishers Nathan Kraisser at 125 and John Staudenmeyer at 165. In addition, UNC returns two more wrestlers with a win a last year's NCAA tournament: Joey Ward at 133 and Alex Utley at 184. Throw in some talent coming off redshirt, and tough recruits, and you have a recipe for a huge 2014 in Chapel Hill. 1. Northern Iowa Last year was just an appetizer. This year Doug Schwab leads the Panthers back to national prominence. The Panthers return 184-pound Ryan Loder and a wealth of additional talent. Both Levi Wolfensperger and Joe Lazor are back after finishing in the round of 12 at last year's NCAAs. 174-pounder Cody Caldwell is back and could make noise on the national level, and Dylan Peters at 125 could do big things if they fit him into the lineup. The biggest news for the Panthers, however, is the reinstatement of Joe Colon, who could place very high at the national tournament, most likely at 133 pounds.

Billy Baldwin