InterMat Staff

Jordan BurroughsVANADZOR, Armenia -- 2012 Olympic champion and 2011 World champion Jordan Burroughs continued his dominant wrestling with a gold-medal victory at 74 kilos/163 pounds on the final day of the Stepan Sargsyan International on Sunday. Burroughs won four matches on the way to the title, defeating 2012 European Junior champion Akamaz Sanakoev of Russia in the finals, 7-6. Read complete story ...

Eric Guerrero

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Victoria Anthony was shorter, smaller and seeded lower than all four girls she wrestled. But that didn't stop the hard-charging Anthony from winning a championship at the Women's World Team Wrestle-Offs on Saturday afternoon at Palmer High School. Read complete story ...

VANADZOR, Armenia -- The U.S. won four freestyle medals, including two gold medals, at the competitive Stepan Sargsyan International on Saturday. Claiming individual gold medals were 2013 U.S. World Team member Brent Metcalf (Iowa City, Iowa/New York AC/Titan Mercury WC) at 66 kilos/145.5 pounds and Clayton Foster (Laramie, Wyo./GRIT Athletics/Cowboy WC) at 84 kilos/185 pounds. Read complete story ...

EVANSTON, Ill. -- USA Wrestling announced that Northwestern University has been added to the list of certified Regional Training Centers. The Chicago Regional Training Center will provide athletes with the utmost in training and learning opportunities in support of the Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling and USA Wrestling. The designation as an official Regional Training Center carries with it many responsibilities to develop athletes. The Chicago Regional Training Center provides a world class coaching staff along with an outstanding training facility to maximize the production of current and future Olympians. “The Chicago RTC is instrumental in developing our athletes into world and Olympic Champions,” said Northwestern head wrestling coach Drew Pariano. “We also want to focus on the process, and that begins at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. The Chicago RTC will open up opportunities for wrestlers to train at an elite level. Our involvement with USA Wrestling is very important to our program and we thank them for their support”. Recently, Northwestern has produced a World Silver Medalist and 2012 Olympian Jake Herbert. In addition, two-time Olympian and Canadian National Champion, Matt Gentry has found a home with the Chicago Regional Training Center. On the Junior level, Lee Munster won the World Team Trials in 2011 at 84 kg and competed at the World Championships in Bucharest, Romania. In just two weeks, Northwestern freshman Jason Tsirtsis will compete for a World freestyle title at 66 kg at the 2013 FILA Junior World Championships, August 18 in Sofia, Bulgaria. In addition, 2007 NCAA Runner-Up Aaron Anspach and 2006 NCAA All-American Alex Tsirtsis will also be members of the Chicago RTC. USA Wrestling Regional Training Centers are open to any and all members of USA Wrestling.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger named Mark Ellis assistant coach today. Ellis is a two-time All-American and the 2009 NCAA Champion as a heavyweight at Missouri. “We have made some changes in our staff that we are very excited about,” stated Eslinger. “Mark Ellis will join us this year and I really think he is going to be a great addition. He brings a lot of dimensions to the table that we need right now.” Ellis claimed the National Championship in 2009 to become the second wrestler at Missouri to win a title. He entered the tournament as the weight class's No. 2 seed and earned five wins over ranked wrestlers at the tournament, closing things out with a 3-2 win over No. 5 Konrad Dudziak (Duke) in tiebreakers. Ellis became a two-time All-American the following year when he finished sixth. “It is a good atmosphere here, from the top down,” stated Ellis. “The kids enjoy being here and I want to see if we can get someone to win a national championship here.” Ellis finished his National Championship campaign with a 31-3 record, the fifth-best winning percentage (.912) in a single season in program history. He closed out his Tiger career with a 90-39 record and was the program's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2009. He and captured the Ed Lampitt Award in 2010 and currently ranks sixth all-time in career falls, pinning 30 opponents in his career. Associate head coach Rocco Mansueto has stepped aside to pursue other interests, but will still oversee the UTC Wrestling Camps. Mansueto was a part of Esligner’s staff for the past four years. Ellis competed in mixed-martial arts following his graduation from Missouri in 2010, and was a volunteer assistant coach for the Tigers last season. “I feel like the foundation is good, but it is time to put some finishing touches on things,” added Eslinger. “I think he is a guy who can come in and help our student-athletes do that. It is time to have some All-Americans here and it is time to have a national champion here and he can help us get there.”

Arkadelphia -- Ouachita Baptist Men's Wrestling Head Coach Kevin Ward is excited to announce the hiring of Chris Chionuma as the program's first assistant coach. Chris ChionumaSaid Coach Ward, "I am so excited he is joining our staff and know he will have a great impact on our program. He is a person of strong character first and foremost, and he has a very impressive and accomplished wrestling career." Coach Chionuma will bring championship level experience to a talented Tiger squad. He began his wrestling career at Lindenwood University where he was a NAIA National Champion in 2011. In 2013, he was a starter for the Big XII Champion Oklahoma State Cowboys. That team finished 2nd in the NCAA tournament. The unique experiences of having wrestled at the highest level at both a small program and a Division I powerhouse will be a great coaching tool for Coach Chionuma according to Coach Ward. "He knows what it's like to get a team ready to compete for a national title." When Coach Chionuma talks about goals for the OBU squad this year, championship caliber effort is a priority. "I expect all of our athletes to give 100%. The finish will represent how much effort we will put in. I see us placing as high as top 5 this year with a national champion in our lineup." Coach Chionuma went on to add, "My goals are to bring out the best in each wrestler on and off the mat, sharpen technique and build a hard working mentality to the foundation to our program." When asked what drew him to Ouachita Baptist, Coach Chionuma said, "I chose Ouachita because they had just begun their program and are setting the bar high for Arkansas wrestling. Being able to coach with fellow former OSU Cowboy Kevin Ward will give me the experience I need to be the best coach for our athletes as well." Ouachita Baptist Wrestling hits the mat in November. Coach Chris Chionuma's accomplishments: 3X NAIA All-American 2010 NAIA Runner-up 2011 NAIA National Champion 2013 Big XII Champ 2013 Starter for an Oklahoma State team that finished 2nd at the NCAA Championships

Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling in the Brute studios. Takedown Wrestling is proudly presented by Kemin, Inspired Molecular Solutions! This Saturday on Takedown Wrestling Radio from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. to noon ET. Join Scott Casber, Kurt Backes and Brad Johnson live from Des Moines, Iowa. This week's guests: 9:03 Donnie Pritzlaff, Michigan assistant head wrestling coach 9:15 Eric Guerrero, Oklahoma State assistant head wrestling coach 9:35 Dylan Wanagiel, Madison Square Garden Director, Sports Events 9:50 Tyler Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:00 Doug Schwab, Northern Iowa head wrestling coach 10:20 Dennis Papadatos, North Carolina assistant wrestling coach 10:35 Joe Russell, George Mason head wrestling coach 10:50 Peggie Johnson, Wildrose Casino and Resort, Clinton, Iowa Fans, athletes, coaches: This is your sport. Join in the conversation live. Ask questions. Call 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app. (Click on KXNO under Sportsradio.)

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. The 125th Congress of the IOC is 36 days from deciding the future of Olympic wrestling. My urge to pontificate about the excellency of wrestling has irritated a number of non-wrestling Facebook friends and no doubt led to some repetition in the mailbag and across social media. And yet I regret nothing. Our cause is just, and we will stay the course! Despite some recent positive indicators, wrestling has never faced a more certain threat to its long-term solvency than its possible removal from the 2020 Games. American, Russian and Iranian wrestlers will lose an opportunity for competition, but for many other countries around the world with less fortunate financial circumstance the cost is much larger. In India, Mongolia and Southeast Asia where wrestling helps ethnic minorities and women achieve equality, a world without wrestling means stunted social growth and prolonged suffering. We might be selfish in our assistance of the cause, but know that the consequences are further reaching than our borders. There are 36 days left in the campaign to #SaveOlympicWrestling and nothing we've done is enough. Money, lobbying and the carrying out of various campaigns were all white noise leading up to this final push over the final five weeks. Wrestlers are the most persistent, dedicated, loyal and stubborn athletes on the planet and we need to see this project through to its final conclusion in Buenos Aires. It's our task. Your assignment this week is to join the most recent social media campaign #TakeAStance. The idea is simple: Show your desire to #TakeAStance for wrestling by posing in your stance in a cool, or fun location. No singlets necessary. Just you in a welding costume hanging from the side of shipping container should be adequate. Be sure to leave the hashtag #TakeAStance and include @FILA_Official on Facebook and Twitter when possible. The IOC is checking our progress, and I can tell you that wrestling has almost caught up to squash. Almost. #TakeAStance is a new campaign, but the very best way for the worldwide wrestling community to show support for their sport heading into Buenos Aires. Don't be complacent. Wrestle at the edge of the mat! You are wrestling and wrestling needs you. #TakeAStance To your questions … Q: Four coaching vacancies and four jobs filled this offseason: Brown University -- Todd Beckerman Lock Haven University -- Scott Moore SIUE -- Jeremy Spates Buffalo -- John Stutzman I think the most important hire for the sport is at Brown. Non-traditional wrestling region, potentially susceptible program but with much upside potential. They will never win championships but could produce NCAA qualifiers and All-Americans like a Harvard. Collegiate wrestling should not lose programs at schools like Brown when there is a proven formula for success. Using # of All-Americans as the measure of success and leaving your rooting interest aside, which school produces the most All-Americans in 2018? -- Scott S. Foley: The drama-seeking storyteller in my head would love to see SIUE making a run at the national title in 2018, Scott Moore coaching a set of twins in the national finals, and Coach Beckerman racing across the mat to hug the program's first NCAA champion. But those are unlikely outcomes. John StutzmanThe most likely result of this year's coaching changes will be Coach Stutzman coaching at least two All-Americans in 2018 with the potential for a few more. Not because he's a better mat coach or was the best hire, but because he has head coaching experience and has progressed past the growth pains the other three will inevitably encounter over the next four seasons. He has shown the ability to lead a program and were this Vegas the odds would show that to be a major edge over his competitors. Stutzman has the experience to make a quick turnaround possible, and with only four years to create a winning program I see him slightly ahead of Moore, Beckerman and Spates. Also, I agree with you and the hiring of Beckerman at Brown. The end always comes with a whisper and I think that if the Brown alumni had lost their bid to keep the program, college wrestling would've seen a quick series of eliminations that could've dropped our Division I programs to new lows. Thankfully the hard work of the alumni helped to protect the team and the future of all wrestling. Q: Just curious if you have any comment on the Penn State, Thomas Haines recruiting issue? Penn State committed to Thomas Haines then backed out when they found out they could recruit a higher ranked wrestler. I'm disappointed with Penn State. I thought the wrestling brethren would stand by their word. Is this something that regularly occurs in the recruiting process? -- Henry C. Foley: I don't have any comment on the details of that particular case, largely because it seems that much of the information about the event has been played out in the media, or is otherwise conjecture. Penn State, as with any school, has the right to revoke a verbal offer, just like a student has the right to change his/her mind. Haines is being reasonable in expressing his disappointment, and Penn State's response seems well-handled. Since I coached at Columbia University I only have experience in the unique environment of Ivy League recruiting where there are no scholarships, serious academic restrictions for incoming students, and several competitors in the same region of the country selling virtually the same product. Like the scholarships schools the process remains intense throughout the summer and fall. In my years as a coach it was common for Ivy League programs to have potential wrestlers play schools off of each other once each has committed them a spot on the roster. Part of the play is in asking for matching grant packages, which often varies between schools by as much as $10k. The incoming wrestler convinces you that they'll attend your school just to get a financial read, but in the end just sends it to another institution, or vice-versa. What Penn State did -- the simple act of revoking a verbal offer -- is commonplace in sports like basketball and football, where relationships and not institutions dictate where a student will attend. In wrestling it is MUCH less common, largely because very few wrestlers earn a full scholarships, fewer still are offered before July 1 of their junior season, and only a fraction ever change their mind or have some incident change the predicted outcome. What happened at Penn State was rare, but significant in the sense that it signals a larger interest in the sport of college wrestling and the happenings of Happy Valley. Wrestling is becoming more popular and receiving more media attention, which means that like other sports we will have our indiscretions, or stories of possible scandal, highlighted on occasion. The leading stories in the NFL (racist slur) and MLB (drug use) aren't our future, but as we become a more fan-friendly sport we'll need to become more accustomed to negative press, and difficult stories with multiple sides. Q: A lot of high school wrestlers come out of high school as four or five time state champs. Why in your opinion is it hard to duplicate that success in college? -- Gregg Y. Foley: The most obvious difference is the size of the talent pool, number of years your opponents have wrestled better competition, and the size/strength of opponents as many as four years older. Less concrete would be competition anxiety and angst about finally losing. Though Kyle Snyder moved to Colorado Springs to train his senior season, there are dozens of returning state champs who are happy enough winning in their home state. When they get to college, they lose a few times and don't enjoy the aftertaste. Mom's cooking is always better than the slop at the dining hall. Another reason that young wrestlers don't win every championship is their predictable deficiency in mat wrestling. There are only a few freshmen who've come into college wrestling capable of both escaping at will, and earning ride time in a majority of their matches. Jesse Jantzen was a phenom from top, but even he had some trouble from bottom as a freshman. He improved quickly, won an national title and is still regarded as a top specialist, but that early lag had mostly to do with a lack of wrestling partners capable of giving him a Division I feel. Winning in high school is never a guarantee of collegiate success, even if you've won multiple state championships. Q: If Aaron Pico wanted my lunch money could I stop him? -- @BrantleyHooks Foley: You could try, but being face-planted by a 16-year-old isn't going to do much for your self-confidence. Better to give him the lunch money, lace the food with a sleeping aid, and then take a photo of you finishing a double as he's curled up during nap time. Did you see what happened to the kid who jumped out 8-0 against him in Fargo? Better still, have you seen what Pico can do with his hands? Good luck. I'd recommend a heavy breakfast. Q: Why are wrestlers like Michael Chandler, Jake Ellenberger, Ben Askren and others so successful in MMA? Is the transition from wrestling to MMA easy or hard in your opinion? Would you ever consider MMA? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Top Division I wrestlers compete several times a week for four months a year. That constant cycle of "train-compete-train-compete, rinse, repeat" has grown their mental and physical conditioning, as much as it sharpens their technical skills. Double legs and throws help control matches and put wrestlers in advantageous scoring positions, but it's the mindset of the American collegiate wrestler, and the training of a scholastic season, that makes the most significant difference when compared to other disciplines. Then again, maybe it is the technique. For me, wrestling has always been an adequate catharsis for frustrations that I can't seem to uncork in any other healthy way. MMA wasn't as accessible when I graduated from college in 2004 -- only a few guys were in the game and from the outside it looked pretty brutal. Also, like many collegiate wrestlers I was just exhausted from competition after college. I'd reached my goals, felt fulfilled and wondered what it felt like to drink during Christmas and New Years. (I found out that it was an overrated amateur hour.) Taking on another physical task, especially one so painful, wasn't appealing so I chose to invest time and money in myself by carrying various jobs, traveling abroad and eventually going back to school. Looking back I don't regret the choice to stand outside the cage and write about the personalities and the actions inside. On occasion I put on the gloves and go full sparring sessions, but it's all pretty tame. Who knows, I might have made a decent fighter. I certainly could've slam-dunked Sam Sheridan's face into the canvas, but I also might have been clipped in the jaw by a shinbone. I didn't try, so I'll never know, but I also won't have tens of thousands in medical bills, and for that I'm thankful. Q: Where does Penn States latest addition rank them in all-time best recruiting classes? -- @Bobbylit20 Foley: My gut reaction was BEST EVER, but I know that couldn't be totally right, so I lobbed this softball to Josh Lowe who clarifies and substantiates high school rankings with the best of 'em. Enjoy the breakdown! All are based on the END OF SENIOR YEAR RANKINGS!! Michigan was 2, 4, 11, 27, and 98 with c/o 2013 Iowa was 8, 10, 14, 15, and 49 c/o 2012 Cornell was 5, 9, 18, 25, and 64 c/o 2012 Ohio State was 7, 14, 16, 27, and 33 c/o 2011 Central Mich was 11, 17, 41, 43, and 55 c/o 2011 Iowa was 5, 12, 16, 18, 27, and 77 c/o 2010 Iowa was 10, 15, 17, and 56 c/o 2009 This covers the five years I've been doing them. Given that the rankings are subject to evolution, if things "hold," Penn State would be the first to have three in the top ten. To proclaim one class as all-time great would be a rash thing to do. There is one or a couple super class, or a couple, every year. Some pan out, others don't, and even within that the combination of who pans out, who doesn't and the such is never according to "chalk." COMMENT OF THE WEEK By Muir Aaron Pico is the future of MMA.

The college wrestling season is a few months away, but like the NCAA football fans who started in the spring on their campaign to better understand the landscape of their sport, we're prepping you all summer long. The list of top ten wrestlers coming off redshirt does not include freshmen who came in and were put immediately into redshirt. Though all of them have a valid freshness date, this list is only concerned with those that have already completed a full NCAA wrestling season. Let the debating begin. It's a long, hot summer, but wrestling season is on just the other side of autumn so it's always best to be prepared. Andrew Howe fell to Kyle Dake at the 2013 U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) About Howe: After an epic offseason that saw him come within a takedown of a rematch with Jordan Burroughs for a spot on the 2103 World Team, Andrew Howe is back for a full collegiate season. Between redshirts, greyshirts and injuries, the sixth-year senior and 2011 NCAA champion has the most decorated career of anyone coming back this season. Despite making 74 kilos for the World Team Trials, Howe is likely headed to 174 pounds. where he will be facing off against defending NCAA champion Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) and NCAA runner-up Matt Brown (Penn State). Oklahoma assistant wrestling coach Jared Frayer on Howe: "Same as earlier, he expects to win and dominate throughout the entire season. By the time the season starts he will be as healthy as he has been in three years, and that is scary. Andrew is another that leads by example, but will voice himself to a teammate behind the scenes. We are all excited to finally see him in the Crimson and Cream." Austin Marsden earned a spot on the Junior World Team (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Austin Mardsen (Oklahoma State) About Marsden: The Oklahoma State heavyweight will look to fill the hole left by uber-talented Russian Alan "Z" Gelogaev, who placed fourth in the NCAAs. Mardsen, who qualified for the 2012 NCAA tournament after being pulled from redshirt late in the season, finished his inaugural campaign with an impressive 27-5 record and a runner-up finish in the Big 12. Head coach John Smith and Cowboy nation will be expecting Mardsen to accomplish more in 2014, and could open the season ranked in the top five nationally. Oklahoma State head wrestling coach John Smith on Marsden: "I think he's ready to help his team. I think he has a chance to do some things this year, and I'm really excited to watch him develop and grow more as a part of this team." Nick Gwiazdowski (N.C. State) About Gwiazdowski: A 2012 transfer from Binghamton to N.C. State, Gwiazdowski was a freshman All-American for the Bearcats before settling into a productive redshirt season in Raleigh. A definite All-American candidate in 2013, Gwiazdowski used the 2012-2013 redshirt year to compete in several national tournaments in both freestyle and folkstyle. He had two wins over two-time NCAA champion Tony Nelson (Minnesota) at the World Team Trials, including a 9-0 technical fall victory in the opening round. He posted a 20-1 record during the collegiate season where he won three tournaments. N.C. State head wrestling coach Pat Popolizio on Gwiazdowski: "Nick has made big strides this season as a redshirt. He has improved both technically and mentally. He has gained a lot of confidence by placing third in this year's World Team Trials. One of Nick's goals this past season was to add some size and muscle mass, with the help of our strength coach, Brian Tatum, he was able to accomplish this. Nick will go into this season with high expectations. His goal is to win an NCAA title." Jarrod Patterson is a three-time NCAA qualifier at 125 (Photo/Austin Bernard)Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) About Patterson: The lightweight among Oklahoma head coach Mark Cody's trio of stud redshirts, Patterson will be looking for his second All-American plaque. The three-time NCAA qualifier will once again compete at 125 pounds, where he's won 10 matches at the NCAA tournament. Patterson will have significant help in the lineup, and should he maintain his top ten ranking throughout the season will be in position to add to his collection of hardware come March. Frayer on Patterson: "Our expectations and his are the same, and that is to win an NCAA title. He has had all the best guys on the ropes, and this year off has allowed him to figure out how to finish the big matches. Jarrod has been a constant with the two staffs changing, and leads by silent example, a small town Oklahoma guy who works his tail off. What excites us is that he got what he wanted from this redshirt year, he matured mentally and got his love for the game back. Patterson will surprise come March. Travis Rutt (Oklahoma) About Rutt: Rutt, a transfer from the University of Wisconsin along with Andrew Howe, is among the best wrestlers in the nation to take a late-career redshirt. The All-American has his eyes on an NCAA title. There to assist him in his goal is head coach Mark Cody who has plenty of experience leading big guys to the NCAA finals, including NCAA champion Josh Glenn of American. Should Rutt find a spot in the finals alongside Howe and possibly Patterson, then he'll certify that Oklahoma made the correct decision in redshirting the team's three stars in 2013. Frayer on Rutt: "Definitely shows the big men how it's done. During his redshirt year he got his folkstyle legs back under him after an Olympic redshirt in Greco. Travis has also gotten bigger, which will allow him to focus on his wrestling, and not so much cutting weight. We expect Travis to be in the title hunt come March." Daniel Mitchell (American) About Mitchell: A three-time NCAA qualifier coming into a fifth-year senior season can be a powerful tool. Mitchell, who wrestled much of his career under Mark Cody, is a preseason All-American candidate at 197 pounds, and just the type of wrestler that head wrestling coach Teague Moore will want to be in the lead of his young, dynamic squad. American University head wrestling coach Teague Moore on Mitchell: "Danny spent a lot of time on technique development during his redshirt season and is very prepared for 2013-14. Danny will contend for the NCAA title in March. I was most impressed with his maturity to analyze his own wrestling and see areas that were in need of improvement." Morgan McIntosh went 18-10 as a true freshman in 2011-12 and qualified for the NCAAs (Photo/Bill Ennis)Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) About McIntosh: The California native was among head coach Cael Sanderson's most prized recruits heading into the 2011-2012 season. Though many thought he might redshirt out of high school, McIntosh, who wrestles 197 pounds, instead chose to compete and earned a spot in the NCAA Championships where he finished 1-2. Surrounded by a wealth of talent, McIntosh has the training to dramatically improve his finish over two seasons prior. Though he'll be expecting an All-American campaign, he'll have to battle a few wrestlers on this list alone. Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson on McIntosh: "Morgan had a great redshirt year. He's bigger, stronger and better technically. He is ready to challenge for the national championship." Mason Beckman (Lehigh) About Beckman: A redshirt sophomore when he takes the mat this season, the Pennsylvania kid is one of head coach Pat Santoro's most competent wrestlers heading into the 2013-2014 season. Beckman, who wrestled 125 before moving to 133 in his freshman season, went 1-2 at the NCAA tournament with an overall record of (27-11). Like most redshirts he's sure to see massive improvement after a year of battling in the room. Lehigh University head wrestling coach Pat Santoro on Beckman: "Mason and the coaching staff have high expectations for this coming season. He has done everything right during his redshirt. He has become more aggressive and has filled into a nice size 133-pounder. He can score a lot of points and should be a lot of fun to watch this year." Stephen Dutton (Michigan) About Dutton: The New York native and two-time NCAA qualifier for Lehigh sat out the 2013 season after transferring to the Michigan program in July of 2012. Now ready-to-compete for the Blue, Dutton is looking to capture his first All-American trophy and help head coach McFarland reestablish his program as one of the best in the Big Ten. Michigan assistant wrestling coach Sean Bormet on Dutton: "Coming off his redshirt year, Steve knows he has two great years ahead of him. He is a competitor, has excellent leg attacks, and is very tough on top. Steve is excited to compete and embrace the challenges ahead and we are excited to have the opportunity to coach him at Michigan." Devin Carter was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Dave Schultz Memorial (Photo/Larry Slater)Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) About Carter: An absolute monster at any weight he wrestles, the former 133-pound wrestler should be heading up to compete at 141 pounds in 2014. Carter took off the 2013 season where he won the Dave Shultz Memorial and was also named Outstanding Wrestler. Not surprisingly, Carter's goal for 2014 is to be the type of wrestler capable of winning both an NCAA championship and the Hodge Trophy. The Virginia native is a two-time NCAA qualifier and 2012 NCAA All-American at 133 pounds, and should he win back-to-back NCAA titles for the Hokies, he'd be the first to do so from Blacksburg. Virginia Tech head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser on Carter: "Felt that he was in between 133 and 141. Because of that we wanted him to be a full size 141-pound guy. Excited to get him back in the lineup for his wrestling (one) and his leadership ability (two). He's got one thing on his mind, being the national champion at 141 pounds. We think he can be in the hunt this year for a title."

Helen Maroulis and Billy Baldwin will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, July 31. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments about the show. A podcast of the show is available on theopenmat.com. Maroulis won this year's World Team Trials at 121 pounds. She was a silver medalist at 2012 World Championships as well as a fifth place finisher at the 2011 World Championships. Maroulis recently won a silver medal in a special international tournament in Olympia, Greece. Baldwin, who starred in "Backdraft" and "Sliver," wrestled in high school and for two seasons at Binghamton University in New York. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American and is one of the leaders in the effort to save wrestling at the Olympic Games.

Boalsburg, Pa . -- Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy is proud to announce the launching of a new wrestling program this coming wrestling season in 2013. Saint Joseph's will add wrestling as another PIAA athletic opportunity as a Class AA wrestling program in 2013. The Saint Joseph's wrestling program will be run by two former NCAA Division I wrestlers with over 32 years of experience coaching wrestling. Head Coach Pat Flynn is originally from Annapolis, MD where he was a State Champion in High School and then went on to compete for 3 years as a starter for the University of Maryland. At Maryland, Pat was an NCAA Honorable Mention All-American and an ACC Champ in 1995. In 1996 Pat earned a B.S. in Kinesiology at the University of Maryland and went on to coach at the Naval Academy, F&M, and James Madison. After moving to State College in 2001 he turned his focus to High School Coaching at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and as an Assistant Coach at Bellefonte High School. During his time at Bellefonte High School Pat helped to coach numerous PIAA State Placers and 1 PIAA State Champion and was named the 2007 PIAA High School Assistant Coach of the Year. He currently lives in State College with his wife Jennifer and their two children and enjoys working as a Mortgage Loan Officer for Snare and Associates. Assistant Coach Chad Dubin is originally from Orlando, Fla. Chad was a walk-on at Penn State University where he went on to become a two year NCAA qualifier and a member of the 1991 NCAA National Dual Team Champions. Chad graduated with a Business Logistics degree in 1991 and was also a 1991 2nd Team Academic All American. After a successful business career on Wall Street, Chad moved back to State College in 1995 when he became involved in coaching High School Wrestling. Over the last 18 years, holding various positions at State College Area High School (2009-2013 Head Coach) and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, Chad coached 6 PIAA State Champions and 25 PIAA State Place Winners. He was also an Assistant Coach for 4 years for the PA Junior National Freestyle Team. Chad is currently an owner of Mammoth Restoration & Construction and lives in Bellefonte with his wife Heather and two children. "We enthusiastically welcome Pat Flynn and Chad Dubin to the Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy community and consider ourselves very fortunate to have such experienced and capable coaches on board to establish and lead our new wrestling program," said Chris Chirieleison, Principal of Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy. "Having spent time with Pat and Chad to discuss their coaching philosophy and objectives, I am confident that they will be excellent mentors to our scholar athletes and a great credit to S.J.C.A.'s wrestling program and community." The new wrestling program will complement the other PIAA athletic opportunities at Saint Joseph's for the 2013/ 2014 school year which are: Football, Volleyball, Golf, Cross Country, Boy's and Girl's Basketball and Track and Field. For further information on the educational and athletic opportunities at Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy please contact Chris Chirieleison or Jean Kozak at (814) 808-6118 or email us at admin@stjoeacad.org. Fl

What competitive options does a wrestler have once his college career is over? If he wants to stay active in wrestling (and isn't quite ready to become a coach), he can pursue the Olympic dream and compete in freestyle or Greco-Roman. He could enter mixed martial arts (MMA) competition ... or become a pro wrestler. Now there's a new way to continue to compete in wrestling ... and make some money doing it. Tour ACW, the Association of Career Wrestlers, is a brand-new venture, launched by Teague Moore -- 1998 NCAA 118-pound champ for Oklahoma State, now American University head coach -- and business partner Kyle N. Smith. The idea behind Tour ACW is to provide wrestlers who aren't old enough for the veterans' circuit new opportunities to continue their competitive careers in the sport they love. The first-ever Tour ACW event will take place this fall in Pittsburgh. Intro to Tour ACW When asked to provide a quick overview description of Tour ACW, Moore responded, "We're attempting to start a new style of wrestling, with new rules that bring together elements of folkstyle and freestyle. The idea is to create a more fan-friendly, action-packed event." "Unlike college wrestling, there won't be a match time limit, and there won't be a set number of periods. There are two ways for a wrestler to win: by pinning his opponent, or by being the first to score ten points." ("First2Ten" is a phrase that appears more than once at the Tour ACW website.) Some fans who are all-too-familiar with low-scoring college wrestling bouts that have all the strategy and physicality of a chess match may be wondering how it might even be possible for a wrestler to score ten points. It's a concern that Teague Moore understands fully. "When you start a match with two very good wrestlers, it would normally take a while to get to ten points," said Moore. "So we've opened up opportunities for scoring, incorporating effective scoring techniques from freestyle and folkstyle." "When the wrestlers are on their feet, it's a combination of freestyle and folkstyle," Moore continued. "Once the wrestling action is on the mat, it's more like folkstyle." Here's how the Tour ACW website breaks down the point values for scoring. As with college wrestling, a takedown or a reversal is each worth two points ... while an escape is worth one point. However, Tour ACW provides new ways for wrestlers to tally more points ... including a one-point push out (pushing your opponent out of the wrestling area). Taking your opponent from his feet to back exposure nets you three points ... while a nearfall can add two or three points to your score, depending on how long you put your opponent in danger of getting pinned. Those high-value back points should be easier to come by under Tour ACW rules, according to Moore. "If an opponent's shoulder blades are facing the mat, that will count towards back points," said the American University coach. Who can compete? For the inaugural event this fall, Tour ACW has five weight classes for men -- 135, 155, 170, 205, and 265 pounds. Sixteen wrestlers will compete in each weight class. ("We hope to grow to offer more opportunities in the future," said Moore.) Teague Moore coaching at the 2013 NCAAs in Des Moines (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Tour ACW is open to athletes 18 years old and up. "We're looking for young men in their mid 20s to early 30s who would be able to compete," Moore told InterMat. "There aren't that many opportunities for guys who want to compete." Rarer still are opportunities for wrestlers to make money on the mat. With Tour ACW, winners in each weight class will earn $2,500 each. "Ideally, we're looking for guys who have completed their college wrestling careers," Moore continued. "Current college wrestlers can compete, but it could affect a wrestler's eligibility. Athletes must understand the possible ramifications." Beyond recent college graduates, Tour ACW offers potentially profitable opportunities for other athletes to compete on the mat. "A lot of guys fighting in amateur MMA see the importance of having strong wrestling skills to succeed, and may enter Tour ACW to improve their wrestling," said Moore. "We think there are other guys who wrestled in high school but for whatever reason did not compete in college, who would be great candidates for this," Moore continued. "We can imagine that there are guys who had their wrestling careers cut short after high school for whatever reason -- couldn't afford to go to college, family obligations -- who would make great human interest stories for Tour ACW." Does Tour ACW have a familiar ring? For long-time fans of amateur wrestling, Tour ACW may sound like previous ventures designed to provide former college wrestlers the opportunity to compete for glory and prize money. The one that may be most familiar is Real Pro Wrestling, a 2005 attempt at what could be called "paid amateur wrestling" in that contestants competed for money. Despite the name, Real Pro Wrestling bore little resemblance to recent-vintage professional wrestling; there was no ring, no "heels" (villains) or "faces" (good guys), no costumes, no soap-opera storylines, and no predetermined outcomes. Rather, Real Pro Wrestling was more a souped-up version of what takes place in high school gyms and college arenas, complete with a round mat, and wrestlers with legitimate amateur wrestling backgrounds. (Most Real Pro Wrestling contestants were former top college wrestlers -- NCAA champs or All-Americans -- along with guys with impressive freestyle or Greco credentials.) Teague Moore finished runner-up in the Real Pro Wrestling event in 2005, losing in the finals to Sammie Henson (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)That said, Real Pro Wrestling incorporated some showbiz elements to attract cable TV viewers who might not consider themselves to be amateur wrestling fans. The rules were a hybrid of various amateur wrestling styles with an eye to enhancing action, including a push-out rule that has since been incorporated into international wrestling ... as well as Tour ACW. The round mat was surrounded by a dry moat, upping the stakes for the push-out rule. Filmed inside a large Hollywood studio, the wrestlers entered the circular arena (which bore some resemblance to the Roman Colisseum) with attention-getting music and light show ... and, perhaps most controversial at the time, all but the heavyweights competed in trunks, without shirts. (The guys in the 265-pound weight class wore singlets.) Despite generating considerable buzz in the amateur wrestling community -- and decent ratings -- Real Pro Wrestling disappeared after one season. Teague Moore understands how some fans might think of Real Pro Wrestling when they learn about his Tour ACW. After all, he made it to the finals of that one and only 2005 season of Real Pro Wrestling ... and has fond memories of the experience. "When I left that event, I thought it was really cool," Moore told InterMat. "However, it appears (Real Pro Wrestling's) business model didn't work for them." "There were a lot of strong aspects of the Real Pro Wrestling product. We liked the way they combined various wrestling styles, and the way they introduced the push-out rule as a way to score." "That said, we decided to start smaller," Moore continued. "We thought, let's start with five weight classes for men, then we can grow into more opportunities in the future." "We decided to start with a single event," said Moore, who hopes to have three more Tour ACW events in 2014. First stop for Tour ACW: Pittsburgh The first Tour ACW event will be held Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency hotel near the Pittsburgh International Airport. Athlete registration opens August 1, with 16 wrestlers competing in each of the five weight classes. (The idea behind early registration, according to Teague Moore: so that Tour ACW can generate advance publicity for the contestants, thus creating more media coverage and fan interest ahead of the event.) "We're focused on creating a great athlete experience," said Moore. "If we can create a really great event, we can generate excitement among participants as well as wrestling fans." Wrestling fans who want to be a part of the inaugural Tour ACW event may want to act quickly, as there will be only 300 seats available in the Hyatt ballroom. Tickets may be purchased directly at the Tour ACW website as part of a Social Membership, which includes a ticket to the Pittsburgh event -- and first rights to purchase tickets for future events -- along with additional perks such as a collared shirt with an embroidered Tour ACW logo, admission to weigh-ins and social events, and discounts on hotel accommodations. The idea: New competitive and promotional opportunities In creating Tour ACW, Teague Moore has considered all aspects of broadening the appeal of wrestling to make the event more attractive to competitors ... and to fans. With that in mind, one element that is already in place for Tour ACW athletes: They won't have to wear a singlet to compete. "I think the traditional wrestling singlet turns away a lot of potential competitors," said Moore. "It also turns off a lot of kids." "Tour ACW competitors can wear fight shorts, and even get sponsorships to be displayed on their gear," Moore continued. "I think it could attract new athletes to high school and college to wear fight shorts, and, ultimately, help how wrestling is marketed." "Our hope is that Tour ACW will help wrestling grow in the next ten years and beyond. We need to make wrestlers and wrestling more marketable." The International Olympic Committee's decision in February to remove wrestling as a core sport as of the 2020 Olympics got Moore -- who, in addition to wrestling in high school and college, competed in freestyle -- to thinking about his sport's future. "For the first time in my life, I see individuals like me asking what we can do to ensure wrestling's future," said Moore. "We're asking, ‘What can we do to promote the sport?'" "That said, if we're not analyzing our sport to see about eliminating any weaknesses, how can we expect to reach potential fans?" "I think events like Tour ACW can contribute to that effort." "Originally, I was concerned about the possible reaction," Moore said of his new venture. "But I'm getting a lot of positive response. I think one reason is that we are opening up new opportunities for athletes to continue wrestling." To learn more about Tour ACW -- and how you can participate either as an athlete, or as a fan -- visit the organization's official website: www.touracw.com .

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. In the aftermath of IOC Executive Committee's recommendation to remove wrestling from the Olympics, many wrestling fans were left with resentment towards FILA, the international governing body of wrestling. President Rafeal Martinetti had disappointed millions of wrestling fans in the month's leading up to the February vote when he ignored the continued pleas of the IOC to make substantive and progressive change. That stubbornness cost wrestling its position in the Olympics, jeopardized the future of a sport, and left wrestling fans to tremble with rage. For the first few months of the #SaveOlympicWrestling campaign, FILA was the target of the wrestling communities collective discontent. They'd fired Martinetti, hired PR whizzes, implemented rule changes, established a relationship with the IOC and hosted several unique press events and still they were left to be critiqued for inadequacies instead of supported through their period of upheaval. Common sense dictates that a fractured international wrestling community is less powerful than one that is unified. FILA will be wrestling's voice on Sept. 8 in Buenos Aires and they can ONLY way they can be successful is if we can show our strength as a community. After we win in Buenos Aires those who are within the community will have more insight and opportunity to effect change. Consider this an invitation to support. If you have Twitter then you NEED to follow @FILA Official, however, we also need you to do some actual work to help pump up the size of FILA's Facebook Community. Here's what you do: 1. Head over to FILA Official on Facebook and push "Like" 2. In the upper right hand corner is "Invite Your Friends to Like This Page" 3. Push "Invite" until the box disappears, and then push "See All" 4. Open up the list to other communities As of today these are the numbers of LIKES for comparable sports, subsidiary national bodies and other professional leagues. UFC: 10,760,494 OneFC: 454,085 Judo: 265,819 Squash: 46,550 Baseball/Softball: 32,525 FILA: 15,761 As you can see, we are losing ... badly. Not to fret, we've shown success in the past with last-minute social media campaigns. Before the first vote, where social media was also considered, FILA's Twitter numbers were driven from 3.5k to 15k in 24 hours. Facebook LIKES might not be a needle-mover for every member of the IOC, but it is a documented and distributed metric they are allowed consider. To improve wrestling's chances we need to empower FILA in the simplest way possible -- by simply ‘liking' them. Why should we knowingly lose a battle that we know we can win? Do your part and start clickin.' To your questions ... Q: Watched the Inside Russia on Flo and was shocked to see empty stands It looked like Vegas at the U.S. Open. Why can't Russia fill seats? -- Tim R. Foley: First of all ... wow. The Flo team has plenty to be proud of with these productions. They are creating a whole new industry and our sport is all-the-better as a result of their efforts. Bravo, guys. Noticed this as well. Good eye. Maybe it was location? Krasnoyarsk ain't exactly a well-traveled summer location for many Ruskies. One of the proposals to improve the marketability of international wrestling is to create a Grand Prix circuit with a focus on enormous cash prizes hosted in the hometowns of individual All-Stars. For example, the 2014 74-kilo Grand Prix would have a cash prize of $1 million and be held in Newark, N.J. Wrestlers from around the world would come to the event to compete for the money, and fans would fill the arena to see LOCAL hero Jordan Burroughs take home a big ol' check. That many people and that type of prize money would attract sponsors who would be the ones responsible for the payment. In an effort to polish up the delivery of our product wrestling could make the finals into a separate event, with plenty of buildup for the match. It might seem like a lot of effort, but if we don't try to make our sport something with appeal and a magnet for media attention, then it'll continue to be ignored. Q: Having mostly followed high school and college wrestling over the years I am curious how the rest of the world conducts their competitions. Do they have dual meets and tournaments like the NCAA? And once wrestlers are at the senior level, how do they compete? I'm asking this because it seems to me with all the clubs in the U.S., why don't we have dual meets between them? Sunkist Kids vs. Nittany Lion Wrestling Club for example? -- Ken S. Foley: Freestyle wrestlers in foreign countries have various training methods. The Mongolians recently asked their government for the funding to establish wrestling teams by Aimag (states) that they would then wrestle-off against each other. In Senegal the wrestlers travel overseas. In China they have several live-style intrasquads and tend to make it to several regional tournaments a year. Americans are traveling often, but as you said maybe not often enough. It can be financially difficult to travel all the time, and you might have the right idea about starting a dual meet tournament. My only concern is that some teams might not be able to fill out rosters, and that the backups of some program would want to compete. In that case we might be able to create a second team (as in the case of Sunkist and NYAC). Like a Grand Prix, everything would be left to the marketing of the event, but more importantly I think a dual meet tournament might be the best way to get our guys in the competition mood, for cheap and on home soil. I got money on Sunkist Kids. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Wrestling goes back to Ancient Greece ... What the hell ... Q: My question is regarding Kyle Dake and the ESPY Awards. I'm crushed that he did not win best male college athlete. Sure, the ESPYs are a popularity contest, and Johnny Football had an amazing year, but do you believe he should have earned that award this year? On another note, one flaw I find with the ESPYs is that highly televised college sports (e.g. basketball, football) seem to have better shots of winning awards than other sports (e.g. wrestling, baseball, tennis) due to the fact the voters stem from fans who have an easier time following their "team". If an unbiased committee was chosen to pick the winners, do you think Dake would have won? I'm only asking because Dake's win could have been a huge boost for wrestling, and we need any kind of attention/support we can get to help our cause for the 2020 Olympics. -- Chris G. Kyle Dake with Megan Palladino at the ESPYsFoley: Don't worry, the ESPYs are one of the year's least-watched award shows. Athletes aren't like celebrities in theater, movies and music, who need some sort of way to rank themselves against each other. Sports does the trick by entering everyone into direct competition and awarding trophies at the end of the season. Isn't it kind of redundant to bring them back and hand them a second or third award for the same honor. ESPN realized the same issue with the ESPYs and early on sought out to diversify their presentations by creating cross-sport competition, like Best Male College Athlete. If the ESPYs were voted on by sportswriters -- a famously curmudgeon hateful bunch -- Kyle Dake would have earned the equivalent of a technical fall in votes over Johnny Manziel. As it is, the voting was left up to 12-year-olds and intoxicated sorority girls in fur jackets. Winning the ESPY would have been a nice grab for wrestling's ongoing publicity campaign, but ultimately that will be decided by much larger factors. And in a strange way, the fact that Manziel won created such a backlash that it worked just the same, maybe even better than if Dake had won. Q: Got any predictions for this week's Bellator card? -- Donny C. Foley: I think this is the opening of the season. It's best to take Askren and Chandler in the title fights, and Anthony Leone in the four-man tournament. If you want help on the weekend's UFC fights, I'd put big money on Jake Ellenberger (+190) to beat Rory MacDonald. Wrestling is the greatest equalizer, so long as you have a gas tank. COMMENT OF THE WEEK -- Tim J. Update on Nevada Walker ... That really is his name. He had more natural talent than any wrestler I've ever seen. Could have easily, and I'm being serious, easily been a multiple-time national champion. He had a hard home life and just didn't have the support system to focus on college. Commodore Perry graduates about 50 kids in a class and during Nevada's time, I'd of taken the '97 team against anyone. He graduated in '98 and that had the most talented group of wrestlers in school history. There is another kid in his class that was even better but like Nevada and rest of that class didn't care as much as they should. Their pre-match meal consisted of snacks and a Marlboro Red or smoking a bowl. Sadly, wrestling is dead at the school. Hard to believe that in 15 years it could go from a top 10 team in country to five or six kids on the team. Just really sad and I don't know how to get the area to get kids out.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Former Virginia All-American Derek Valenti has joined the coaching staff of the UVa wrestling team as the volunteer assistant coach. Virginia head coach Steve Garland made the announcement Thursday (July 25). Derek Valenti“I am excited to be able to spend another year here at Virginia and am thankful that Coach Garland and the other coaches have welcomed me back,” Valenti said. “Coach Garland has been a great mentor for me through my five years as a student-athlete and I look forward to learning more from him in the office and as a coach. I am also looking forward to developing our wrestlers into successful athletes as well as students.” Valenti joins a trio of fellow former All-Americans, Garland and assistant coaches Alex Clemsen and Jordan Leen, on the Cavaliers’ coaching staff. “Derek joining our staff is a dream come true for me,” Garland said. “Every coach loves the idea of one of his own coming back to further work with the program he helped build. Derek was part of one of our most successful recruiting classes here and went on to have an outstanding career. He not only was an All-American here, but more importantly was a great student and leader in this athletics department. Derek knows our system and is the prototypical guy you want in and around your program.” Valenti wrestled at Virginia from 2008-13 and became the 13th All-American in program history in 2011 when he took eighth place at 149 pounds at the NCAA Championships. Valenti was a three-time NCAA qualifier (141 pounds in 2010, 149 in 2011 and 2013). He accumulated 95 career wins, which ranks 10th in UVa history. The Newton, N.J., native posted a career record of 95-45 and ranks fifth in the Cavalier career annals with 52 dual-match wins. His 140 career bouts ranks ninth in program history. He finished his career with 16 falls, six technical falls and 12 major decisions. Valenti was the ACC runner-up at 149 pounds in 2011 and 2013. Valenti earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from UVa in 2012 and a master’s degree in environmental science this past spring.

It can be argued that the Cadet and Junior National Championships that happened last week in Fargo, N.D., represents the most rigorous test for high school aged wrestlers in the United States. Given that the event has an extremely high-level field, it draws the attention of many a Division I college coach, as well as fans and analysts. Below is an All-American squad (four from the Junior pool, and four from the Cadet pool) of wrestlers who increased their visibility and position in the minds and hearts of coaches and fans. Juniors 1. Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), freestyle champion at 152 pounds Ryan Blees (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Coming into Fargo ranked No. 45 in the Class of 2014, given the composition of his pool, Blees had to be considered "on the bubble" for an All-American finish in Fargo. His tournament started in relatively tame fashion, a pair of shutout technical fall victories over opposition from Utah and Wisconsin. Things would start to get testy -- at least on paper -- when he drew Reed Van Anrooy (Oregon) in the third round. The Oregon State bound Van Anrooy was a four-time state finalist, two-time state champion, third at the NHSCA Senior and Junior Nationals, and ended the 2012-13 season weight class ranked at 152 pounds. Blees would earn a 14-5 decision victory in that match to set up a fourth round bout against Logan Brietenbach (Maryland), a two-time National Prep placer that had finished third in Junior folkstyle and fourth in Junior Greco-Roman. Blees had positive history against him, winning 11-4 in that Junior folkstyle tournament, and that positive pattern continued with a shutout technical fall. His next match was a fifth round fall over Andrew Fogarty (Minnesota), who placed third at state during his first two years of high school. Now came a sixth round match against Brian Murphy (Illinois), who already was a two-time Junior freestyle All-American and ended high school ranked No. 27 in the Class of 2013. The result of that match was a 15-4 technical fall victory for Blees to put him in terrific position for All-American honors, which would be confirmed in the next round. In that seventh round, Blees was paired against Jack Clark (New Jersey), ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2014 and a two-time National Prep champion. With the 8-3 victory, Blees now advanced to the round-robin. In those matches, Blees would earn a 17-7 technical fall victory over Anthony Valencia (California), a Cadet freestyle champion last year and ranked No. 13 in the Class of 2015; and his last pool match came in the form of a 9-6 decision over Brandon Sorenson (Iowa), a returning Junior freestyle All-American who had finished his prep career as a four-time state champion and ranked No. 62 in the Class of 2013. The championship final for Blees came against Jake Short (Minnesota), now a three-time Junior freestyle All-American who had finished second in this tournament in 2011. In addition, Short ended his prep as a four-time state champion and ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2013. Blees would win the title in a back-and-forth match with a 12-9 victory, cementing a superlative 10-0 week in Fargo with at least five very high quality wins. 2. Michael Pixley (Missouri), freestyle champion at 182 pounds Michael Pixley (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Last year, Pixley was a Cadet National freestyle champion at 182 pounds. This year, he made the transition to the Junior level, entering the tournament as the No. 38 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2014. Based on the composition of his pool, which was the deeper of the two, a low All-American finish would have been the expectation. Pixley drew an opening match against Jake Turk (Illinois), an opponent one would have expected to be a tough test, given his 4-2 Junior freestyle performance last year and in-season state title. However, that was not to be the case, as the match ended in a 10-0 technical fall; it was the first of five shutout technical falls among his eight technical falls from eight match run to the championship. Pixley’s next match was another shutout technical fall against an opponent from Texas; while the third match would be another shutout technical fall, this time over New England regional champion Elliot Antler (Connecticut) These first three matches put him at 3-0, setting up a match against pre-tournament favorite Domenic Abounader (Ohio). The University of Michigan bound Abounader was a three-time state champion, who ended the 2012-13 season ranked No. 1 at 182 pounds and the No. 11 overall recruit in the Class of 2013. However, Pixley was the one making the statement, in the form of a 12-2 technical fall victory. His fifth round match would come against returning Junior freestyle All-American Andrew Dixon (Oklahoma), who entered with the No. 30 ranking in the Class of 2014. However, like the previous four matches, Pixley dominated to the tune of an 11-1 technical fall. After a sixth-round by confirmed an All-American finish for Pixley, the seventh round match came against Jesse Stephanos (Florida). It ended in a 10-0 technical fall for Pixley, which would advance him to the round-robin portion of pool competition with that result also carrying forward. In what was the de facto pool final, Pixley now drew three-time state champion Preston Lehmann (North Dakota), who finished his prep career ranked No. 46 in the Class of 2013. By now the pattern should be familiar, it was a 15-4 technical fall for Pixley. In the Saturday morning championship match, Pixley amassed his eighth and final technical fall of the tournament in an 11-0 victory over Riley Lefever (Indiana). 3. Blayne Briceno (California), Greco-Roman champion and freestyle runner-up at 145 pounds Having already graduated from high school a two-time state placer in California, finishes of 8th at 132 pounds in 2012 and 6th at 152 in 2013, Briceno happened to not have made his college choice as of yet headed into "Fargo week". Based upon information received, options he is/was considering include Iowa State, North Dakota State, Cal State-Bakersfield, and Cal Poly. Even being as late in the process as things stand, this double finals finish may be change the dynamic significantly, in terms of the money being offered to him and/or the schools in play. During his run to the Greco-Roman title, Briceno wrestled in nine matches, winning eight of them by technical fall. Notable wins for Briceno came against Mitch Bengtson (Minnesota) and Grant Leeth (Missouri); the two matches that also happened to be remotely competitive looking at the scores, as the other seven had Briceno scoring shutout technical falls. Bengtson ended his prep career as a five-time state finalist (four-time champion), ranked No. 34 in the Class of 2013, and became a third-time Junior Greco-Roman All-American after this tournament; while Leeth enters his senior year of high school as a three-time state finalist (two-time champion), and was ranked No. 35 in the Class of 2014 entering Fargo. In the Junior freestyle competition, Briceno capitalized on the weaker of the two pools at 145 pounds to win nine matches (eight wins, plus an injury default during the round-robin portion) in advancing to the championship final. Notable wins came in the form of a 16-10 decision over state champion Nosomy Pozo (Florida), a fall against state champion Jared Scharenbock (Wisconsin), and a 9-8 decision over two-time state placer Luke Zilverberg (Minnesota). Briceno’s barrage through Fargo would end in the championship match, when Anthony Collica (Ohio) scored a first-period fall to win a second straight Junior freestyle title. 4. Dylan Wisman (Virginia), Greco-Roman and freestyle fourth place finisher at 182 pounds Before last week’s Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., mention the name Dylan Wisman to wrestling fans across the country and you’d get a collective, "Who the heck is he?" After the happenings in Fargo, one might get a better response in return. In two high school seasons to date, Wisman placed second at 138 and 160 pounds in Virginia’s Class AA state tournament. His freshman season featured eight losses, while his sophomore year state finals loss was 7-3 to a relatively unheralded Christopher Tyree from Staunton River. Wisman’s major 2012-13 competitions included a DNP at the Beast of the East after losing in the quarterfinal round; along with a DNP finish at the FloNationals, two matches away from placement. The Greco-Roman tournament started well enough for Wisman, a fall and two shutout technical falls against rather unheralded opposition from New Jersey, Georgia, and Maryland. This set up a fourth round bout against Illinois state champion Jake Turk, which Wisman won by 2-0 decision. The fifth round match came against Wisconsin state champion Aaron Rothwell, a Pitt bound wrestler who won the Preseason Nationals this past November. Wisman won that match by 9-1 technical fall; and would move to 6-0 for the tournament with a 9-2 technical fall victory over California state runner-up Nick Fiegener, who was runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman last year. His last pool match, which acted as the de facto pool final, was a 5-4 loss to National Prep placer Daniel Hawkins (Maryland), who was now a two-time Junior Greco-Roman All-American. Wisman’s tournament would conclude with a 3-1 loss to Ohio state champion Nick Corba in the third place bout. In the freestyle tournament, things did not start as well for Wisman, as Indiana state runner-up Riley Lefever would win their opening match by 12-2 technical fall. A second round technical fall against an opponent from Arkansas set up a third round rematch from the Greco-Roman third place match, this time Wisman would beat the Ohio state champion Corba 10-3 to remain in the competition. A pair of first-period falls against opposition from Minnesota and Colorado would lead to a sixth round first-period fall over eventual All-American, and Missouri state champion, John Filipek. All-American status would be clinched in the next round with a 19-8 technical fall over Illinois state runner-up Colin Carr. The opening round loss against Lefever carried forward into the round-robin, where he would close out pool competition with a 12-2 technical fall over Iowa state champion Dylan Blackford. His tournament did conclude with a first-period loss by fall against Preston Lehmann of North Dakota, so Wisman finished double fourth. Cadets 1. Jacob Marnin (Iowa), double champion at 285 pounds Jacob Marnin (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Though Marnin did enter the Fargo week as a known commodity, he has yet to start in the varsity lineup during the state series in either of his two high school seasons. Admittedly, the circumstances are somewhat understandable given the superlative lineups present at Southeast Polk, Iowa over the last two years. In 2012 super-stud Willie Miklus won a state title at 220, with Bryce Fisher placing third at 285; while in 2013 it was Bryce Fisher winning state at 220, with now two-time Junior feestyle All-American Jake Scanlan placing fourth at 285. Already on the resume for Marnin was a pair of finals appearances in Cadet freestyle, winning that title this past year to set up his Triple Crown, and a Cadet double All-American finish (fourth in Greco-Roman and fifth in freestyle). Over the two tournaments in Fargo, Marnin would wrestle thirteen matches -- six in Greco-Roman and seven in freestyle -- with just one going the distance, a 13-6 second round decision in freestyle; the other matches included eight falls and four technical falls. 2. Taylor LaMont (Utah), Junior Greco-Roman seventh place and Cadet freestyle champion at 120 pounds Taylor LaMont (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)This one here does not fit the description of a major discovery, or extreme leap of performance level, but instead is a validation of the Cadet and Junior Duals performances from June. It also may suggest that his present position at No. 25 in the Class of 2016 is slightly low. In Lamont’s off-season before Fargo, he was a Cadet folkstyle champion at 113 pounds, FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion at 119, and had undefeated performances in both styles at both the Cadet and Junior Duals in the 120 weight class. During Fargo, LaMont competed in the Junior Greco-Roman competition, despite being a first-year Cadet, to avoid having to wrestle on Sunday for religious reasons. After an opening round bye, LaMont would amass wins in the next five rounds to position himself for an All-American finish -- three by technical fall and two by fall. Losses by decision in his last two matches of pool competition would relegate LaMont to the seventh place match. Those losses came against multi-time state champion Casey Cobb (Idaho), who is now a two-time All-American in Junior Greco-Roman; and No. 99 Class of 2014 prospect James Flint, a three-time state champion and 2012 FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion. He would close out the tournament with a pin in the seventh place bout against an opponent from Colorado. Without a day of recovery, LaMont jumped into Cadet freestyle after making scratch weight. None of his first seven matches would go the distance, four technical falls followed by two first-period pins, then followed by his second shutout technical fall of the tournament. Notable in that string were wins over very talented rising freshman Quinn Devaney of Maryland; two-time Tennessee state champion Chris Debien, who was runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman; Ohio state champion Jake Spiess; and Indiana state champion, now Cadet double All-American, Chad Red who was ranked No. 20 in the Class of 2016. That string of matches advanced him to the round-robin, where he would win two decisions on criteria to advance to the championship match. Those wins came against two-time Idaho state champion Drake Foster, who is now a two-time Cadet double All-American, and Ohio state placer Alex Mackall. The championship final victory was by 11-7 score over Gabe Townsell, who had won the Cadet Greco-Roman title in this weight class. 3. Carter Happel (Iowa), Cadet freestyle champion at 132 pounds Though Happel went 43-1 in winning state as a freshman this past season, he entered Fargo a relative unknown at the national level. The state title came at 120 pounds in Iowa’s smallest classification, he was not ranked among the top 50 Class of 2016 prospects, and his previous Cadet freestyle appearance was a 2-2 finish at 120 pounds last summer. However, those who did not know Happel before would come to know him. In the first seven rounds, where Happel went 7-0 to clinch an All-American finish, only his third round 15-9 decision over an opponent from Wisconsin went the distance. His other match results were four technical falls and two pins. The eighth was a 12-6 decision over two-time Wisconsin state finalist Robert Lee, which advanced him to a pool final; Happel would win that match 25-17 over Justin Demicco from Ohio. The championship bout, his tenth of the week, would be a fifth technical fall; this time it was 10-0 over Jonathan Ross (Pennsylvania). 4. Beau Breske (Wisconsin), Cadet double champion at 170 pounds Given that most already know of Breske as an elite age group talent, some may poo-poo what he did during Fargo by saying, "Oh he was the favorite, so he did what he should have." However, to go seventeen matches over two tournaments and give up just a single point is absurdly good, regardless of context. Some background on Breske is that he is ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2016, won a state title in Wisconsin at 152 pounds during the 2012-13 season, was runner-up to Mark Hall in Cadet folkstyle at 160 pounds, and placed fourth in the 167.5 pound weight class during the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman tournament in May. Eight matches in Greco-Roman for Breske, eight wins by shutout technical fall, including those over the second, third, and fifth place finishers. The most notable opponent victory came in the championship final against Keegan Moore (Minnesota), who had won the Cadet folkstyle title at 170 pounds and is ranked No. 22 in the Class of 2016. Nine freestyle matches for Breske resulted in eight technical falls (seven by shutout) and one pin. The pin came against the fifth place wrestler, while the lot of technical falls included those over wrestlers finishing second, third, and eighth.

UFC on FOX goes down this weekend headlined by flyweight champion Demetrius Johnson defending his belt against ... John Moraga? No offense to Mr. Moraga, but this is what happens when the champion of your fledgling division has already beaten the top two contenders. Assuming he wins (spoiler alert: he will), Johnson can expect rematches with Joe Benavidez and perhaps John Dodson in pretty short order. Richard and John break down the main card, which may turn into a bit of a ratings flop for the FOX main channel. And speaking of flyweights, will someone sign Darrell Montague???? Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

This past Saturday was the conclusion of the eight day extravaganza hosted by the FARGODOME known as the 2013 ASICS/Vaughan Cadet and Junior National Championships. With this preeminent showcase of high school aged wrestling wrapped up, it is now time to reflect upon some of the accomplishments and milestones in the event. 1. Illinois continues dominance in spring/summer wrestling Gabe Townsell (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Not that this is at all unexpected given the double titles won by the Land of Lincoln team at the Cadet and Junior Duals last month, but the magnitude of dominance from the Illinois program is outright staggering. Across the four tournaments in "Fargo Week," their squad amassed 70 All-American honors (16 Cadet Greco-Roman, 17 Junior Greco-Roman, 21 Cadet freestyle, and 16 Junior freestyle). The next most All-American honors for a state program were the 30 accomplished by Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Arguably the flagship high school program in that state at the moment is Oak Park River Forest. Wrestlers that were on the Huskies' roster in 2012-13 amassed twelve All-American honors on the week: double honors for Gabe Townsell, Larry Early, Kamal Bey, and Adam Lemke-Bell at the Cadet level, and Davonte Mahomes at the Cadet level; along with a Cadet freestyle title for Isaiah White, and a Junior Greco All-American finish for Zach Pickering. That number would put them 20th overall as a state. Another measure of dominance is the nine championships across the tournaments accomplished by Team Illinois. Second place in this category was jointly shared among Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, and Texas with four apiece. Championships for Illinois were earned in Cadet Greco-Roman by Louie Hayes, Austin Gomez, Gabe Townsell, and Larry Early; Davonte Mahomes won a Junior Greco-Roman title; Cadet freestyle titles were earned by Isaiah White and Tyler Johnson; while Kirk Johansen and Jered Cortez won Junior freestyle titles. The accomplishments accrued by this program are impressive, and credit should be given to the Illinois USA Wrestling leadership, coaches, parents, and wrestlers. It is also a level of commitment and performance to which every other state program should aspire to reach. 2. Double the pleasure Many wrestlers participate in each of the Fargo competitions (this year 807 in Cadet Greco-Roman, 1007 in Cadet freestyle, 800 in Junior Greco-Roman, and 1062 in Junior freestyle). Fewer than that, obviously, compete in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Then, obviously there are a select few who are able to All-American in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Many reasons stand out for why. The first obvious reason is that the tournaments are very tough and the margins very low. Another reason is that competing in both styles is a grind, and potentially can impact performance. Here is the chronological grind: make weight a couple hours before the start of the first day of Greco-Roman, wrestle the first day of Greco-Roman, wrestle day two of Greco-Roman, then comes a rest day which probably is used for recovery and weight management, weigh-in before the first day of freestyle, wrestle the first day of freestyle, make weight before day two of freestyle (with two pound allowance), compete day two of freestyle, and then compete day three of freestyle. Even fewer are those wrestlers that make the finals in both styles of the competition. The following wrestlers won titles in both Greco-Roman and freestyle this past week: *Daton Fix (Oklahoma) -- Greco-Roman champ at Cadet 106, freestyle champ at Cadet 113 ***Zahid Valencia (California) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Cadet 126 Mason Manville (New Jersey) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Cadet 145 *Nick Reenan (Texas) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Cadet 152 *Mark Hall (Colorado) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Cadet 160 Beau Breske (Wisconsin) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Cadet 170 ***Lance Benick (Minnesota) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Cadet 220 *Jacob Marnin (Iowa) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Cadet 285 Roy Nash (Utah) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle champ at Junior 220 **Adam Coon (Michigan) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle at Junior 285 *Cadet Triple Crown winner (Greco-Roman, freestyle, and folkstyle) **Junior Triple Crown winner ***also won the Junior folkstyle national title The following wrestlers also made the finals in both styles during the past week: Austin Gomez (Illinois) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle runner-up at Cadet 94 Danny Vega (Arizona) -- Greco-Roman runner-up, freestyle champ at Cadet 100 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle runner-up at Cadet 113 Gabe Townsell (Illinois) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle runner-up at Cadet 120 Hayden Hidlay (Pennsylvania) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle runner-up at Cadet 126 Justan Rivera (Georgia) -- Greco-Roman runner-up, freestyle champ at Cadet 182 Samuel Colbray (Oregon) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle runner-up at Cadet 195 Kirk Johansen (Illinois) -- Greco-Roman runner-up, freestyle champ at Junior 100 Joey Cisneros (California) -- Greco-Roman and freestyle runner-up at Junior 106 Joey McKenna (New Jersey) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle runner-up at Junior 138 Blayne Briceno (California) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle runner-up at Junior 145 Davonte Mahomes (Illinois) -- Greco-Roman champ, freestyle runner-up at Junior 160 (also won the Junior folkstyle title in April) 3. Winning titles despite losing an earlier match One of the unique features about freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, at least in USA Wrestling at the Cadet and Junior levels is the vertical pairing system. Instead of the traditional "line bracketing" employed during the scholastic season, wrestlers compete in what can be best described as a double elimination pool structure. As a result, it is possible -- given certain peripheral circumstances -- to advance to the championship match despite losing a match during the course of the competition. As was the cased in 2012, eight wrestlers lost matches during the course of a tournament but went on to win weight class titles. Same as was the case last year, five of the eight happened during the Greco-Roman competitions. Winning Cadet Greco-Roman titles despite losing an earlier match were Gabe Townsell (Illinois) at 120 pounds, Zahid Valencia (California) at 126, and Hunter Ritter (Maryland) at 182; Josh Terao (Hawaii) and Jordan Shearer (North Dakota) earned titles in Junior Greco-Roman at 120 and 126; Daton Fix (Oklahoma) won a Cadet freestyle title at 113; while Seth Gross (Minnesota) and Markus Scheidel (Ohio) won Junior freestyle titles at 132 and 160 respectively. In addition, exactly the same as last year, fourteen runner-up finishers advanced to the final despite losing a match during their preliminary pool. However, the split out was seven each between Greco-Roman and freestyle (whereas last year, it was 10-4 in favor of Greco-Roman). Cadet Greco-Roman runners-up to lose a match prior to the final were Ramon Miranda (California), Adam Flatt (Georgia) and Randy Scott (Indiana) at 94, 113, and 195 pounds respectively; Jake Velarde (Washington) at 138, Xavier Montalvo (Illinois) at 160, Jared Johnson (Kansas) at 170, and Dan Hawkins (Maryland) at 182 did so in Junior Greco-Roman; losing prior to the final in Cadet freestyle were Matthew Schmitt (Missouri), Mitch McKee (Minnesota), Gabe Townsell (Illinois), and Trace Carello (Illinois) at 100, 113, 120, and 152 pounds; while Brian Ross (Illinois) at 113, P.T. Garcia (Colorado) at 126, and Kyle Gliva (Minnesota) at 132 did so in Junior freestyle. Therefore, there were two championship finals matches that placed a pair of wrestlers which had lost a match prior to the final. Those came at Cadet freestyle 113, where Fix upended McKee, and at Junior freestyle 132 with Gross defeating Gliva. 4. Measuring the depth in Fargo It has been stated by many that the Cadet and Junior Nationals are the pinnacle competition for high school aged wrestling. Given that premise, here is a sampling of the more notable wrestlers -- combination of performance in the tournament, as well as reputation and credentials prior to the event -- that failed to earn All-American honors in the Cadet and Junior freestyle Nationals. As is customary, four from each of the pools are listed (reflecting the amount earning All-American honors). Junior freestyle 100 and 106: Pools had 13 and 11 kids respectively, so picking the notables not to earn All-American honors would be kind of futile. 113: Pool A: Anthony Cefolo (New Jersey), Skyler Petry (Minnesota), Anthony Bosco (Illinois), and Christian Moody (Oklahoma) Pool B: Josh Jensen (Utah), Tyler Casamenti (New Jersey), Michael Beck (Maryland), and John Twomey (New York) 120: Pool A: Tommy Thorn (Minnesota), James Flint (Florida), Austin Assad (Ohio), and Alijah Jeffrey (Iowa) Pool B: Jens Lantz (Wisconsin), A.C. Headlee (Pennsylvania), Thayer Atkins (Texas), and Jordan Allen (West Virginia) 126: Pool A: Jaydin Clayton (Missouri), Trevor Zdebski (Michigan), Weston Basler (Missouri), and William Koll (New York) Pool B: Michael Cook (Idaho), Maleek Williams (Florida), Anthony Tutolo (Ohio), and Mason Pengilly (California) 132: Pool A: Gabe Grahek (Wisconsin), Keegan Moore (Oklahoma), Cole Weaver (Michigan), and Anthony Giraldo (New Jersey) Pool B: Matt Findlay (Utah), Wade Hodges (Ohio), Hayden Tuma (Idaho), and Colton Adams (Nebraska) 138: Pool A: John Kenyon (Idaho), Jake Velarde (Washington), Andrew Crone (Wisconsin), and Colby Knight (Iowa) Pool B: Logan Ryan (Iowa), Sam Crane (Missouri), Chris Garcia (Illinois), and Max Thomsen (Iowa) 145: Pool A: Cullen Cummings (Illinois), Brock Zacherl (Pennsylvania), Kevin Cooper (Kentucky), and Tommy Forte (Indiana) Pool B: Jared Scharenbock (Wisconsin), Walker Dempsey (New Jersey), Patrick Duggan (Pennsylvania), and Phil Downing (Colorado) 152: Pool A: Jack Clark (New Jersey), Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma), Taylor Misuna (Virginia), and Mitch Berenz (Wisconsin) Pool B: Jack Bass (Virginia), Keilan Torres (Oklahoma), Jon-Jay Chavez (Idaho), and Garrett Sutton (Illinois) 160: Pool A: Xavier Montalvo (Illinois), Tyrel White (Pennsylvania), Burke Paddock (New York), and Ryan Preisch (Pennsylvania) Pool B: Tim Miklus (Iowa), Trey Seymour (New York), Spencer Derifield (Iowa), and Levi Berry (Oklahoma) 170: Pool A: Chandler Rogers (Washington), Nick Wanzek (Minnesota), Adis Radoncic (New York), and Gage Stallworth (Oklahoma) Pool B: Andrew Psomas (New York), T.J. O'Hara (Minnesota), Charley Popp (Illinois), and Jordan Rothers (Minnesota) 182: Pool A: Armani Robinson (Ohio), Troy Murtha (Maryland), Andrew Dixon (Oklahoma), and Jake Turk (Illinois) Pool B: Aaron Rothwell (Wisconsin), Nick Corba (Ohio), Jake Stilling (Wisconsin), and Spencer Wilson (Kansas) 195: Pool A: Nezar Haddad (Pennsylvania), B.J. Hurst (South Carolina), Logan Kirby (Maryland), and Kyle Pope (California) Pool B: Eugene Martin (South Dakota), Jeramy Sweany (California), Nick Osowski (Wisconsin), and Reggie Williams (New York) 220: Pool A: Kaleb Staack (Iowa), Cory Daniel (Maryland), Matt Voss (Washington), and Connor Tolley (Indiana) Pool B: Graham Grant (California), Andrew Cavanna (Connecticut), Richard Briggs (Minnesota), and Matthew Olauson (Maryland) 285: Pool A: Alex Ashley (Georgia), Jerrad Nieland (Minnesota), Donovan Lozada (Massachusetts), and Bailey Sutko (Missouri) Pool B: Matthew Abbott (New York), Gary Miltenberger (California), Adarios Jones (Illinois), and Cordell Soileau (Virginia) Cadet freestyle 88 and 94: With 18 and 17 wrestlers in each pool, the exercise is relatively futile as only three and four wrestlers failed to earn All-American status but finished with .500 or better records. 100: Pool A: Sidney Oliver (Missouri), Daniel Planta (Maryland), Drew Hildenbrandt (Indiana), and Joey Prata (Virginia) Pool B: Michael Doetsch (Maryland), Tanner Ward (Oklahoma), Jaxon Cole (Utah), and Logan Grass (West Virginia) 106: Pool A: Drew West (Iowa), Jacob Greenwood (Colorado), Ty Agaisse (New Jersey), and Joe Lobeck (Pennsylvania) Pool B: Brian Friery (Pennsylvania), Vincent Vespa (New York), Tanner Cox (Utah), and Lane Peters (Ohio) 113: Pool A: Denzel Tovar (New Jersey), Trayton Libolt (Oregon), Beau Guffey (Oklahoma), Collin Glorioso (Pennsylvania) Pool B: L.J. Bentley (Ohio), Austin O'Connor (Illinois), Kanen Storr (Michigan), and Cameron Sykora (Minnesota) 120: Pool A: Jake Spiess (Ohio), Nick Casella (New York), Chad Red (Indiana), and Evan Wick (California) Pool B: Paul Glynn (Iowa), Isaiah Palomino (California), Nick Noel (Arkansas), and Brock Wilson (Pennsylvania) 126: Pool A: Zander Wick (California), Wyatt Alvis (Texas), Garrett Hancock (Ohio), and Cole Martin (Wisconsin) Pool B: Parker Filius (Montana), Zachary Ritchie (Alaska), Stephen Persaud (New Jersey), and Marty Margolis (Maryland) 132: Pool A: Lucas Ortiz (Pennsylvania), Johnny Blankenship (Missouri), Jacob Swift (Arizona), and Sam Morina (New Jersey) Pool B: Hudson Heidorf (Kentucky), Keegan Shaw (Iowa), Logan Kass (Minnesota), and Leonard Merkin (New York) 138: Pool A: Brady O'Keefe (Nevada), Kaleb Young (Pennsylvania), Logan Lacure (Ohio), and Conner Myers (Michigan) Pool B: Wyatt Wyckoff (California), Trey Meyer (Washington), Dominick Demas (Ohio), and Jeren Glosser (Iowa) 145: Pool A: Davis Ison (Georgia), Felix Belga (Pennsylvania), Chandler Michael (Oregon), and Kyle Kaminski (Ohio) Pool B: Bryce Steiert (Iowa), Payton Tawater (Colorado), Gino Titone (New York), and Canten Marriott (Missouri) 152: Pool A: Eric Barone (Illinois), Charlie Perella (Maryland), Andrew McNally (Ohio), and Randy Meneweather (Illinois) Pool B: Ben Darmstadt (Ohio), Joey Gunther (Illinois), Ben Stewart (Indiana), and Taylor Lujan (Georgia) 160: Pool A: Jelani Embree (Michigan), Andrew Doak (Pennsylvania), Luke Enzel (Montana), and Joseph Grello (New Jersey) Pool B: Zac Graver (Pennsylvania), Andrew Gombas (New Jersey), Sal Arzani (Iowa), and Dalton Hahn (Wisconsin) 170: Pool A: Keegan Moore (Minnesota), Brandon Haas (Iowa), Jacob Woolson (New York), and Mitchell Owens (Washington) Pool B: Wyatt Koelling (Utah), Jared Bird (Idaho), Michael Bothwell (Minnesota), and Seth Avis (California) 170: Pool A: Andrew Fenton (Ohio), Mansur Abdul-Malik (Maryland), Dylan Beeler (Washington), Brady Durieux (Ohio) Pool B: Kevin Mulligan (New Jersey), George Gavalas (Georgia), Johnley Cadet (Florida), and Mark Hussey (New York) 195, 220, and 285: each had 16 or less participants, minimizing the impact of a non-AA all-star analysis The look ahead ... Later on this week, InterMat will publish its annual "Stock Up" article off of the Cadet and Junior National Championships. The article will identify four Cadets and four Juniors, whose performances in Fargo have elevated their positioning/perception in the eyes of fans, rankers, and coaches. Coming next week, July 29 to Aug. 1 in Detroit, Mich., is the AAU Junior Olympics. The format for that competition will be freestyle dual meets. In mid-August will be the FILA Junior World Champions in Sofia, Bulgaria (August 13-18), with the FILA Cadet World Championships the following week in Zrenjanin, Serbia (August 20-25). The FILA World Championships in all three styles will be Sept. 16-22 in Budapest, Hungary. Starting in mid-to-late October, we'll be right back at it with the major preseason high school tournaments in preparation for the 2013-14 high school wrestling season. The Super 32 Challenge will be on Oct. 26 and 27 in Greensboro, N.C., with the InterMat JJ Classic two Sundays later on Nov. 10 in Rochester, Minn. Updated grade level rankings for the Classes of 2014 through 2018 will be published in early-to-mid August. Finally, as always, keep following InterMat for the latest in wrestling news, analysis, features and commentary throughout the year!

FARGO, N.D. -- Outright domination was the theme of the Saturday morning finals matches that ended the 2013 ASICS/Vaughan Cadet and Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. The last five weight class finals resulted in victories by shutout technical fall. It included the last championship match, where Adam Coon (Michigan) scored a 10-0 victory over Nathan Butler (Kansas) to secure a second straight Junior Triple Crown -- titles in folkstyle, Greco-Roman, and freestyle. The University of Michigan-bound Coon, ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2013, became the first wrestler to accomplish that feat. On the stream of dominance, titles from Kirk Johansen and Jered Cortez at 100 and 126 pounds capped off a superlative week for the Illinois squads. With 16 All-American finishers, the Land of Lincoln team won the points title by twenty-plus points, giving them a sweep of the four team titles. Johansen improved upon a Junior Greco-Roman runner-up finish with a 14-4 tech. fall over fellow Illinois native Francis Edelen, while Cortez scored a 4-0 victory over P.T. Garcia (Colorado) to secure his title. More dominance came in the form of three Junior National freestyle champions from the state of Ohio, all of whom will be matriculating at college within the next six weeks. Despite giving up his first points of the tournament, Nathan Tomasello scored a tenth consecutive technical fall victory to win a third straight Junior National freestyle title. He scored a 14-4 victory over Kaid Brock (Oklahoma) in winning the 120-pound title. Anthony Collica earned a second consecutive Junior National freestyle title at 145 pounds, capping off a 10-0 week in which all matches were won by pin or technical fall, with a pin at the 2:21 mark over Greco-Roman champion Blayne Briceno (Calfiornia). The third Ohio champion was Markus Scheidel at 160 pounds, who rallied back to beat Davonte Mahomes (Illinois) 7-6 in the final. Scheidel won his title despite losing earlier in the tournament to a wrestler not earning All-American honors, and in so doing prevented Mahomes from winning a Junior Triple Crown of his own. Joining Scheidel in winning a weight class title despite an earlier loss to a wrestler that did not earn All-American honors was Seth Gross (Minnesota), who beat Kyle Gliva (Minnesota) 8-5 in the 132 pound final. It was a third consecutive freestyle title in Fargo for Gross, who won Cadet titles the prior two years. Like Gross, Gliva also made it to the final despite losing to a wrestler not earning All-American honors; Scheidel and Garcia also did the same. Also winning a third consecutive freestyle title in Fargo was Aaron Pico (California), the nation's top wrestler in the Class of 2016, who won all ten of his matches at 138 pounds by tech. fall. This included a 10-0 victory over Joey McKenna (New Jersey), who had won the Greco-Roman title earlier in the week. With Pico's extreme dominance during the tournament, he was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament. Additional wrestlers to win consecutive freestyle titles in Fargo were Hunter Marko (Wisconsin) at 106 pounds, Bo Nickal (Texas) at 170, Michael Pixley (Missouri) at 182, and Roy Nash (Utah) at 220 as all won titles at the Cadet level last year. Marko scored a 6-4 victory over Joey Cisneros (California) in the finals' second closest match, which relegated Cisneros to a double runner-up finish; Nickal scored a 10-0 tech. fall over Tyler Askey (Georgia); Pixley upended Riley Lefever (Indiana) by 11-0 tech. fall, which was his eight tech. fall in as many matches for the tournament; and Nash made it double titles this week with an 11-0 tech. fall over Angus Cowell (Connecticut), as all nine of his matches were ended by pin or tech. fall. Rounding out the Junior freestyle champions in Fargo were Elijah Oliver (Tennessee) at 113 pounds, Ryan Blees (North Dakota) at 152, and Mitch Sliga (Indiana) at 195. Finals Results: 100: Kirk Johansen (Illinois) tech. fall Francis Edelen (Illinois), 14-4 106: Hunter Marko (Wisconsin) dec. Joey Cisneros (California), 6-4 113: Elijah Oliver (Tennessee) tech. fall Brian Rossi (Illinois), 12-2 120: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio) tech. fall Kaid Brock (Oklahoma), 14-4 126: Jered Cortez (Illinois) dec. P.T. Garcia (Colorado), 4-0 132: Seth Gross (Minnesota) dec. Kyle Gliva (Minnesota), 8-5 138: Aaron Pico (California) tech. fall Joey McKenna (New Jersey), 10-0 145: Anthony Collica (Ohio) pinned Blayne Briceno (California), 2:21 152: Ryan Blees (North Dakota) dec. Jake Short (Minnesota), 12-9 160: Markus Scheidel (Ohio) dec. Davonte Mahomes (Illinois), 7-6 170: Bo Nickal (Texas) tech. fall Tyler Askey (Georgia), 10-0 182: Michael Pixley (Missouri) tech. fall Riley Lefever (Indiana), 11-0 195: Mitch Sliga (Indiana) tech. fall Joel Dixon (Oklahoma), 10-0 220: Roy Nash (Utah) tech. fall Angus Cowell (Connecticut), 11-0 285: Adam Coon (Michigan) tech. fall Nathan Butler (Kansas), 10-0

Cadet freestyle champions (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) FARGO, N.D. -- Three wrestlers repeated as Cadet National freestyle champions and four wrestlers became Triple Crown winners as the Cadet competition came to a close on Friday in Fargo, N.D. California's Zahid Valencia (126), Colorado's Mark Hall (160), and Minnesota's Lance Benick (220) became repeat winners in the Cadet National freestyle competition. Oklahoma's Daton Fix (113), Texas' Nick Reenan (152), Iowa's Jacob Marnin (285), and Hall capped off their Cadet Triple Crowns. Benick was a champion in all three styles, but his folkstyle national title this spring came at the Junior level. Valencia was dominant in the finals at 126 pounds, winning by technical fall, 12-1, over Pennsylvania's Hayden Hidlay in a rematch of the Cadet National Greco-Roman finals match, also won by Valencia. The two-time California state champion registered five takedowns and a turn en route to earning the technical fall. Hall, a sophomore-to-be who is training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, rolled to a 10-0 technical fall victory in the finals at 160 pounds over Kamal Bey of Illinois. Hall started the match with three takedowns to go up 6-0, and then ended the match with two turns. Lance Benick (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Benick, the nation's top-ranked wrestler in the Class of 2015, was untested throughout the week in Fargo at 220 pounds, winning every match in both styles by technical fall or pin without surrendering a single point. His finals victory in freestyle came over Maryland's Michael Smith, 12-0. Fix, who won a Cadet National Greco-Roman title earlier in the week at 106 pounds, moved up a weight class to 113 pounds for the freestyle competition and took out fellow Cadet National Greco-Roman champion Mitchell McKee of Minnesota in the finals, 12-9, in a back-and-forth battle. McKee led 9-8 in the second period, but Fix came back to win in the final 45 seconds, picking up the go-ahead takedown, and then adding a two-point crotch lift with 10 seconds left to win by three. Reenan capped off his Cadet Triple Crown with a 4-0 victory in the finals over Trace Carello of Illinois, scoring his points off a first-period crotch lift and second-period hip tip. Reenan was an undefeated Texas state champion this past season as a freshman. He is now attending Wyoming Seminary (Pa.). Marnin earned a first-period fall in the finals at 285 pounds to claim his Cadet Triple Crown. New Jersey's Mason Manville (145) and Wisconsin's Beau Breske (170) became Cadet double champions this week in Fargo. Manville crushed Maryland's Austin Kraisser 10-0 in the finals at 145 pounds. He built a 4-0 lead off two takedowns, and then used a trapped-arm gut wrench to roll to the technical fall victory. Manville, the nation's No. 3 overall wrestler in the Class of 2016, has wrestled in four Fargo competitions over the past two years, and reached the finals in all four competitions, winning three titles. Breske earned a technical fall shutout victory, 10-0, over Arizona's Bridger Barker in the finals at 170 pounds and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Cadet freestyle competition. The 14-year-old Breske surrounded only one point in 17 matches this week in Fargo. Illinois won the team title in Cadet National freestyle competition, outdistancing runner-up Pennsylvania by nearly 40 points. The Land of Lincoln had two individual champions: Isaiah White (138) and Tyler Johnson (195). White notched an 8-5 victory over Idaho's Chase Lemons in the finals at 138 pounds. White scored the first four points of his finals match all off pushouts and eventually built an 8-2 lead. Lemons scored a late three-point move, but it was too little too late. White became the fourth Fargo titlist this week for Oak Park-River Forest High School. Johnson, who attends Lockport Township High School, pinned Cadet National Greco-Roman champion Samuel Colbray of Oregon in just over a minute in their finals match at 195 pounds. Texas' Jack Mueller rolled to a title at 106 pounds, earning a 10-0 technical fall in the finals over Oklahoma's Andrew Nieman. Mueller, who is ranked 30th overall in the Class of 2016, did not surrender a single point throughout the competition. Pennsylvania's Gavin Teasdale, who trains at the nationally renowned Young Guns Wrestling Club, showcased his offense in the finals at 88 pounds, picking up six takedowns as he rolled to a 14-4 technical fall victory over Connecticut's Zac Murillo. Oklahoma's Kaden Gfeller blanked Cadet Natioanl Greco-Roman champion Austin Gomez of Illinois, 10-0, in the finals at 94 pounds, avenging a loss from the FILA Cadet Nationals. Arizona's Danny Vega captured the title at 100 pounds by pinning Missouri's Matthew Schmitt in the first period. Schmitt jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after a takedown and trapped-arm gut wrench. But Vega quickly turned the tables and registered the pin. Utah's Taylor LaMont used five pushouts, two takedowns, and turn to win 11-7 over Illinois' Gabe Townsell in the finals at 120 pounds. Iowa's Carter Happel cruised to a 10-0 technical fall victory over Pennsylvania's Jonathan Ross in the finals at 132 pounds. At 182 pounds, Georgia's Justan Rivera was on the verge of getting tech falled in the finals against Ohio's Jack Harris when he fell behind 8-0. But Rivera stormed back to take the lead and eventually pin Harris. Finals Results: 88: Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Zac Murillo (Connecticut), 14-4 94: Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma) tech. fall Austin Gomez (Illinois), 10-0 100: Danny Vega (Arizona) pinned Matthew Schmitt (Missouri), 1:38 106: Jack Mueller (Texas) tech. fall Andrew Nieman (Oklahoma), 10-0 113: Daton Fix (Oklahoma) dec. Mitchell McKee (Minnesota), 12-9 120: Taylor LaMont (Utah) dec. Gabe Townsell (Illinois), 11-7 126: Zahid Valencia (California) tech. fall Hayden Hidlay (Pennsylvania), 12-1 132: Carter Happel (Iowa) tech. fall Jonathan Ross (Pennsylvania), 10-0 138: Isaiah White (Illinois) dec. Chase Lemons (Idaho), 8-5 145: Mason Manville (New Jersey) tech. fall Austin Kraisser (Maryland), 10-0 152: Nick Reenan (Texas) dec. Trace Carello (Illinois), 4-0 160: Mark Hall (Colorado) tech. fall Kamal Bey (Illinois), 10-0 170: Beau Breske (Wisconsin) tech. fall Bridger Barker (Arizona), 10-0 182: Justan Rivera (Georgia) pinned Jack Harris (Ohio), 2:39 195: Tyler Johnson (Illinois) pinned Samuel Colbray (Oregon), 1:08 220: Lance Benick (Minnesota) tech. fall Michael Smith (Maryland), 12-0 285: Jacob Marnin (Iowa) pinned Tate Ondorff (Washington), 3:23

Two days of rigorous wrestling in the FARGODOME have yielded eight All-Americans in each of the fifteen weight classes at the Junior National Freestyle Championships. Medal matches will be wrestled Saturday at 10 a.m. CT. Finals Matchups 100: Kirk Johansen (Illinois) vs. Francis Edelen (Illinois) Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Johansen is 5-0 on the tournament, with all wins coming by pin or technical fall. Likewise, fellow Land of Lincoln native Edelen is 5-0 with all wins coming by pin or technical fall. 106: Joey Cisneros (California) vs. Hunter Marko (Wisconsin) Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Cisneros is 5-0 on the tournament. Marko was a Cadet Triple Crown winner last year at 94 pounds, and is 6-0 for the tournament, yet to give up a point with all wins coming by pin or technical fall. 113: Brian Rossi (Illinois) vs. Elijah Oliver (Tennessee) Rossi has finished third at state during the last two regular seasons, and was a Cadet freestyle 7th place finisher last year at 106 pounds. During this tournament, he has an 8-1 record. Oliver comes into the final with an 8-0 record, six of the wins coming by pin or shutout technical fall. 120: Kaid Brock (Oklahoma) vs. Nathan Tomasello (Ohio) Twice a top three finisher in Cadet freestyle, Brock has made his Junior freestyle debut in spectacular fashion. He has a 9-0 record, with seven wins coming by technical fall (and one by forfeit). Tomasello seeks a third consecutive Junior freestyle title, and has torched the opposition to date: a 9-0 record, with all victories coming by shutout technical fall. Brock is ranked No. 25 in the Class of 2015, while Tomasello was No. 15 in the Class of 2013. 126: Jered Cortez (Illinois) vs. P.T. Garcia (Colorado) Cortez, a 2011 Junior freestyle All-American, enters the final with a 9-0 record; eight of those wins coming by shutout technical fall. He is also ranked No. 7 overall in the Class of 2014. Garcia enters the final with an 8-1 record, including two wins by pin and four by technical fall. 132: Seth Gross (Minnesota) vs. Kyle Gliva (Minnesota) Both wrestlers in this championship match with a loss, and that loss came to a wrestler who failed to earn All-American honors; Gross lost 11-9 to Cole Weaver (Michigan), while Gliva lost 10-3 to Hayden Tuma (Idaho). Ranked No. 55 in the Class of 2014, Gross has won Cadet freestyle titles the last two years, and has a 7-1 record in the tournament; including six wins by pin or technical fall. Gliva was a Cadet freestyle All-American in 2011, and has an 8-1 record for the tournament with five wins by technical fall. 138: Joey McKenna (New Jersey) vs. Aaron Pico (California) McKenna seeks a sweep of the titles this week in Fargo, and has a 10-0 record during the freestyle tournament, seven of those wins coming by technical fall. He beat the other three All-Americans from his pool during the tournament, and is ranked No. 10 overall in the Class of 2014. Pico, ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2016, won double titles at the Cadet level the previous two years. This spring he won a double title at FILA Juniors a freestyle title at FILA Cadets. During this tournament, he is 9-0 with all victories coming by technical fall. 145: Anthony Collica (Ohio) vs. Blayne Briceno (California) Both wrestlers in this match have graduated high school, with Collica finishing his career as the No. 20 ranked recruit in the Class of 2013. Collica has secured his third consecutive All-American finish in Junior freestyle, and seeks a repeat title. During this tournament, he is 9-0 with all victories coming by pin or technical fall. Briceno is 9-0 in this tournament, with six wins coming by pin or technical fall, and he seeks a sweep of the Fargo titles in this weight class. 152: Ryan Blees (North Dakota) vs. Jake Short (Minnesota) This is the second straight year in which Blees has made a final at the Junior level, last year he was runner-up in Greco-Roman at 145 pounds. During this tournament, he has a 9-0 record, with six of the wins coming by technical fall. He has wins over the three other All-Americans from the pool and an additional victory over a higher ranked Class of 2014 prospect. Short has secured a third straight top three finish in Junior freestyle, and a second finals appearance, with his 9-0 performance the last two days. Short finished as the No. 30 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2013, while Blees is No. 45 in the Class of 2014. 160: Markus Scheidel (Ohio) vs. Davonte Mahomes (Illinois) Scheidel, a 2011 Cadet freestyle All-American, has gone 8-1 in the tournament so far: with six of those wins coming by shutout technical fall. Mahomes is after a Junior Triple Crown having won the folkstyle title in April and Greco-Roman title on Tuesday, and has an 8-0 record. That mark includes victories over the other three All-American finishers, and seven victories by technical fall. Scheidel ended his career ranked No. 60 in the Class of 2013, while Mahomes is No. 51 in the Class of 2014. 170: Tyler Askey (Georgia) vs. Bo Nickal (Texas) Askey, a two-time Cadet double All-American, has won all eight matches wrestled so far in the tournament; he finished his career ranked No. 56 in the Class of 2013. Nickal, ranked No. 8 in the Class of 2014, has a 9-0 record on the tournament so far with all but one win by pin or shutout technical fall. He was a Cadet Triple Crown winner last year, and FILA Cadet freestyle champion two months ago. 182: Michael Pixley (Missouri) vs. Riley Lefever (Indiana) Pixley, last year a Cadet freestyle champion, has been on fire in this tournament with seven wins by technical fall. That includes victories over the other three All-Americans in his pool for the No. 38 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2014. This is the first time that graduated senior Lefever has ever earned a Fargo All-American honor. He did so by going 6-0 with all wins by pin or technical fall, including those over the other three All-Americans. 195: Joel Dixon (Oklahoma) vs. Mitch Sliga (Indiana) Dixon is 7-0 on the tournament, only three of the wins by pin or shutout technical fall. Sliga was a two-time Cadet double champion, and has been an absolutely dominant 7-0 with all wins coming by pin or shutout technical fall. Earlier in the tournament, Sliga beat Dixon’s high school teammate and fellow top 100 Class of 2014 wrestler Derek White by 12-1 technical fall. Joel Dixon is ranked No. 82 in the Class of 2014, while Sliga was ranked No. 31 in the Class of 2013. 220: Angus Cowell (Connecticut) vs. Roy Nash (Utah) Cowell is 7-0 on the tournament, five of those wins coming by pin or shutout technical fall. Nash seeks a sweep of the Fargo titles this week after doubling as a Cadet in Fargo last year, and has an 8-0 record with all wins coming by pin or technical fall. Nash is currently ranked No. 79 in the Class of 2014 285: Adam Coon (Michigan) vs. Nathan Butler (Kansas) Coon seeks a second consecutive Junior Triple Crown, and the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2013 has been absolutely dominant here with six wins from six matches coming by pin or technical fall. Butler is an undefeated 5-0, was fifth in the Greco-Roman earlier this week, and finished his career ranked No. 64 in the Class of 2013. Other Medal Matchups 100: 3rd: Dalton Roberts (Michigan) vs. Cameron Hunsaker (Utah) 5th: Alric Furseth (Wisconsin) vs. Zac McCauley (Ohio) 7th: Clayton Stillwagon (Montana) vs. Sodan Ka (Minnesota) 106: 3rd: Sean Nickell (California) vs. Luke Karam (Pennsylvania) 5th: Kade Evans (Utah) vs. Tanner Rohweder (Iowa) 7th: Carlos Fuentez, Jr. (Illinois) vs. Nick Lukanich (Illinois) 113: 3rd: Matt Gamble (California) vs. Michael Cullen (Illinois) 5th: Brent Fleetwood (Delaware) vs. Isaac Jimenez (Texas) 7th: Armando Torres (Ohio) vs. Camden Bertucci (Michigan) 120: 3rd: Tommy Pawleski (Illinois) vs. Kyle Akins (Illinois) 5th: Ronnie Bresser (Oregon) vs. Eli Hale (Oklahoma) 7th: Josh Terao (Hawaii) vs. Steve Polakowski (Illinois) 126: 3rd: Leighton Gaul (Iowa) vs. Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) 5th: Jordan Shearer (North Dakota) vs. Chaz Tucker (New Jersey) 7th: Brandon James (Indiana) vs. Sean Fausz (Kentucky) 132: 3rd: Fredy Stroker (Iowa) vs. Gary Wayne Harding (Oklahoma) 5th: Jacob Rubio (Texas) vs. Zac Hall (Michigan) 7th: George Fisher (Illinois) vs. Michael Kemerer (Pennsylvania) 138: 3rd: Ronnie Gentile (New Jersey) vs. Joseph Smith (Oklahoma) 5th: Jonce Blaylock (Oklahoma) vs. Ali Naser (California) 7th: Vincente Joseph (Pennsylvania) vs. Tyler Smith (Pennsylvania) 145: 3rd: Daniel Lewis (Missouri) vs. Nosomy Pozo (Florida) 5th: Grant Leeth (Missouri) vs. Kenny Martin (Nebraska) 7th: Mitch Bengtson (Minnesota) vs. Parker Bohannan (Oklahoma) 152: 3rd: Anthony Valencia (California) vs. Zach Kelly (Pennsylvania) 5th: Brandon Sorenson (Iowa) vs. Vinny Corsaro (Indiana) 7th: Brian Murphy (Illinois) vs. Darick Lapaglia (Missouri) 160: 3rd: Logan Marcicki (Michigan) vs. Christian Stackhouse (New Jersey) 5th: Kimball Bastian (Utah) vs. Chris Weiler (Pennsylvania) 7th: Seth Leigel (Wisconsin) vs. Seth Monty (Arizona) 170: 3rd: Jacob Morrissey (Wisconsin) vs. Kyle Bateman (Oregon) 5th: Lance Dixon (Oklahoma) vs. Zach Beard (Oklahoma) 7th: Bryce Martin (California) vs. Andrew Garcia (Michigan) 182: 3rd: Preston Lehmann (North Dakota) vs. Dylan Wisman (Virginia) 5th: Jesse Stephanos (Florida) vs. Dylan Blackford (Iowa) 7th: Domenic Abounader (Ohio) vs. John Filipek (Missouri) 195: 3rd: Payne Hayden (Michigan) vs. Derek White (Oklahoma) 5th: Jared Haught (West Virginia) vs. Marcus Harrington (Iowa) 7th: Josh Murphy (Ohio) vs. Chance McClure (Georgia) 220: 3rd: Kacee Hutchinson (North Carolina) vs. Fletcher Miller (Indiana) 5th: Derek Maisonet (Illinois) vs. Edgar Ruano (Illinois) 7th: Lance Evans (Iowa) vs. Parker Knapp (Ohio) 285: 3rd: Wesley Bernard (Indiana) vs. Newton Smerchek (Wisconsin) 5th: Jake Scanlan (Iowa) vs. Jesse Webb (Alabama) 7th: Michael Hobbs (Illinois) vs. Jacob Semple (Missouri)

FARGO, N.D. -- Seventeen Cadet National freestyle champions were crowned on Friday afternoon at the FARGODOME in Fargo, N.D. InterMat will be providing a Fargo Day 7 recap following tonight's Junior freestyle session. Finals Results: 88: Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Zac Murillo (Connecticut), 14-4 94: Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma) tech. fall Austin Gomez (Illinois), 10-0 100: Danny Vega (Arizona) pinned Matthew Schmitt (Missouri), 1:38 106: Jack Mueller (Texas) tech. fall Andrew Nieman (Oklahoma), 10-0 113: Daton Fix (Oklahoma) dec. Mitchell McKee (Minnesota), 12-9 120: Taylor LaMont (Utah) dec. Gabe Townsell (Illinois), 11-7 126: Zahid Valencia (California) tech. fall Hayden Hidlay (Pennsylvania), 12-1 132: Carter Happel (Iowa) tech. fall Jonathan Ross (Pennsylvania), 10-0 138: Isaiah White (Illinois) dec. Chase Lemons (Idaho), 8-5 145: Mason Manville (New Jersey) tech. fall Austin Kraisser (Maryland), 10-0 152: Nick Reenan (Texas) dec. Trace Carello (Illinois), 4-0 160: Mark Hall (Colorado) tech. fall Kamal Bey (Illinois), 10-0 170: Beau Breske (Wisconsin) tech. fall Bridger Barker (Arizona), 10-0 182: Justan Rivera (Georgia) pinned Jack Harris (Ohio), 2:39 195: Tyler Johnson (Illinois) pinned Samuel Colbray (Oregon), 1:08 220: Lance Benick (Minnesota) tech. fall Michael Smith (Maryland), 12-0 285: Jacob Marnin (Iowa) pinned Tate Ondorff (Washington), 3:23

EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. -- After nine seasons as one of the nation's premier assistant coaches, Jeremy Spates has been named the new head coach for the SIUE wrestling program. Jeremy SpatesSpates comes to SIUE with an impressive track record of performance as both a coach and a student-athlete. He spent the last four seasons as an assistant at Cornell University, helping Head Coach Rob Koll and the Big Red to a fifth-place finish at the 2013 NCAA Championships. He also spent five seasons as an assistant coach under his father, Jack Spates, at the University of Oklahoma. "Jeremy has demonstrated throughout the past nine years as a coach and the four years as a student-athlete that he knows what it takes to be successful at a very high level," said SIUE Senior Associate Director of Athletics Jason Coomer. "We are very excited to have Jeremy join the SIUE family and are looking forward to many great years of SIUE wrestling to come." Spates, who becomes the sixth head coach in SIUE wrestling's storied history, said he was excited to become a member of a program that continues to improve. "It's pretty special to have a program moving up into the Division I ranks," Spates said. "We're going to be able to do some special things." Spates was a 2004 NCAA All-American as a student-athlete at the University of Missouri. He was a three-time team captain under Head Coach Brian Smith. Spates competed at the 2004 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star meet in Cedar Falls, Iowa, winning his 149-pound match. He was the 10th wrestler in Missouri history to record more than 100 victories. His coaching career has included six top five team finishes in nine years as an assistant, including two runner-up finishes for Cornell in 2010 and 2011. The Cornell recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2011. Spates has helped oversee seven individual NCAA Division I champions and 28 NCAA Division I All-Americans. He was a major influence on the development of four-time national champion Kyle Dake, of Cornell, who became the nation's first wrestler in 2013 to win NCAA titles in four different weight classes. Dake was named Sports Illustrated Male College Athlete of the Year. Spates said he will be looking for student-athletes who embody strength in academics, athletics and social/personal/family areas. "We want kids who want to excel in all three of those areas. I think if you are doing great things in those areas, it's really going to rub off in other things. We're going to look for three-prong athletes who are total athletes," Spates said. Spates has been involved at the ground level of collegiate wrestling whether it has been recruiting, running camps, developing individual training sessions, or fundraising. "I've been in situations where we have had to bring programs back around. That's what I'm hoping to do at SIUE – bring us to that next Division I level," Spates said. While his initial goals will be developing Southern Conference (SoCon) champions and national qualifiers, Spates said his long-term goals are a bit loftier for the program. "In the very near future, we expect to be winning conference championships and having All-Americans and national champions," Spates said. "The SoCon is an up-and-coming conference as well. We fit into that theme. You have a lot of programs with young coaches who are in there trying to bring their programs to the next level. I think as each team rises individually the conference as a whole is going to rise as well." What Others Are Saying About Head Coach Jeremy Spates: Rob Koll, Head Coach, Cornell University "It's great to have someone who looks at it that no job is too big or too small. He's the kind of guy who rolls up his sleeves and gets in. He was in there every day working with Kyle (Dake) technically, physically, and emotionally. He's been around success his entire life. He has had a very broad scope of programs, and because of that he has an extremely large skill set." Kyle Dake, 2013 Sports Illustrated Male College Athlete of the Year, Cornell University "Coach has been one of the most important people to me for the last four years. He's been a great mentor not just in wrestling but as a person as well. I'm really proud of him. He's put in a lot of time and deserves something great. The head coaching job is the next logical step. I'm really excited for him and hope he does some pretty amazing things." Mike Moyer, Executive Director, National Wrestling Coaches Association "Jeremy is one of the bright young stars in the coaching ranks. He was a very accomplished wrestler and mentored under one of the best coaches we have in Rob Koll. He also spent some time with Brian Smith at Missouri who is another one of our top coaches. Between his dad, the coaches he has wrestled for, and the coaches he has coached under, they are among the best we have in the nation. He has a very, very bright future. It's a terrific hire for SIUE." Brian Smith, Head Coach, University of Missouri "He was a three-year captain for me and an amazing leader during my first recruiting class at Missouri. It was like having an extra coach in the program. He came up with the phrase 'Tiger Style' that is the philosophy of our program. He's an unbelievable young man who has a great career ahead of him."

FARGO, N.D. -- The Cadet National freestyle finals matchups are set. The finals are scheduled for 2 p.m. CT at the FARGODOME in Fargo, N.D. Finals Matchups: 88: Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Zac Murillo (Connecticut), 14-4 94: Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma) tech. fall Austin Gomez (Illinois), 10-0 100: Danny Vega (Arizona) pinned Matthew Schmitt (Missouri), 1:38 106: Jack Mueller (Texas) tech. fall Andrew Nieman (Oklahoma), 10-0 113: Daton Fix (Oklahoma) dec. Mitchell McKee (Minnesota), 12-9 120: Taylor LaMont (Utah) dec. Gabe Townsell (Illinois), 11-7 126: Zahid Valencia (California) tech. fall Hayden Hidlay (Pennsylvania), 12-1 132: Carter Happel (Iowa) tech. fall Jonathan Ross (Pennsylvania), 10-0 138: Isaiah White (Illinois) dec. Chase Lemons (Idaho), 8-5 145: Mason Manville (New Jersey) tech. fall Austin Kraisser (Maryland), 10-0 152: Nick Reenan (Texas) dec. Trace Carello (Illinois), 4-0 160: Mark Hall (Colorado) tech. fall Kamal Bey (Illinois), 10-0 170: Beau Breske (Wisconsin) tech. fall Bridger Barker (Arizona), 10-0 182: Justan Rivera (Georgia) pinned Jack Harris (Ohio), 2:39 195: Tyler Johnson (Illinois) pinned Samuel Colbray (Oregon), 1:08 220: Lance Benick (Minnesota) tech. fall Michael Smith (Maryland), 12-0 285: Jacob Marnin (Iowa) vs. Tate Ondorff (Washington)

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. The 2103 ASICS/Vaughan Junior & Cadet National Championships in Fargo has been touted as the "world's largest wrestling tournament." Though not exactly accurate, it is a mega-event and by far the largest wrestling tournament in the United States. As results of this always successful tournament trickle in, it's a good time to ask ourselves what wrestling can do to improve participation. Singlets are on their way out, which will add back a large percentage of wrestlers, and make that single piece of shiny spandex a relic belonging mostly to the 20th century. As leaders across the sport have recognized the need to meet the sartorial needs of modernity and are prepared to make a change towards less-crotchy, more socially-welcoming clothes, they are also noticing another issue: The growth and prevalence of kill-or-be-killed, break him-or-lose attitude of coaches and wrestlers at all levels of American wrestling. The sport of wrestling means a variety of things to wrestling cultures around the world. In Turkey, wrestling is a about pain tolerance and showing respect for an opponent. In Japan, there is a historical connection to honor and fulfilling personal quests. In Russia, it's a part of the tissue fibers. In Mongolia it's an attachment to immortality and societal rank. In Senegal, it's a method of providing entertainment to the masses and wealth to the individual. In America the ethos of the sport has effectively been focused on working harder than opponents in order to secure victory. We "train like a madman" and carry with us a Rocky-like approach to everything we do in a wrestling season -- from cutting weight to abstaining from sex. We are determined to sacrifice, and use that emotional angst as our engine for self-betterment and on-the-mat success. Though once one of the premier forms of training (seriously, watch Vision Quest) we have become a nation of wrestlers and coaches that now scream, stomp, slap, and huff our way through a season. That aggression-first mentality is as responsible for killing the sport as much as the singlet and antiquated ideas about gender equality. Wrestling loses more young athletes to silly acts of aggression by parents, coaches and wrestlers than it ever does singlets. The false hope, and easy fallback of asking 10-year-olds to "break" opponents leads to horrible rates of retention, and when compared to the respect and technique based world of kid's jui-jitsu, or other forms of popular (and profitable) martial arts seems fully barbaric. Times haven't just changed. The entire way we raise children has shifted in the last 20 years from stern leadership and corporal punishment, to the use of more words, reasoning and insight. Bad behavior is discussed AND punished, not just given the task of picking a switch. Knowing that, ask yourself what new wrestler is going to listen to their coach as he barks at him or her about aggression and dedication when they have the option to hop online and solicit gobs and gobs of positive affirmations from cyber friends? I'm not advocating that we simply coddle young wrestlers. The sport is inherently difficult and a key to winning is persevering through adversity. Kids want to wrestle because they enjoy physical activity, staying healthy and creating and meeting goals. Now is the time to recognize that our sport needs more participants in more areas, men and women, from the stereotyped brawny farm boys to the brainy city dwellers. We need to flood the mat with limbs, not limit ourselves through shortsighted determination-focused rules and leadership. Coaches, like the ones we have in Fargo will need to start opting for more technique, strategy and interpersonal communication. We need less raspy-voices and grandiose posturing, and more enjoyment, both of which are major tenants of the Penn State and Cornell wrestling programs. The sport of wrestling is in a battle for its very existence because we've often met problems by either ignoring their existence, or trying to hammer them away through perseverance. The political world and the nature of youth don't respond to such aggressive behavior. The new world responds to nuance, progressive thought, technical action, good deeds and, like it or not, positive affirmation. Wrestling is the purest form of human sport, but to keep it relevant we need to make changes not just to rules, but also to our outlook on the nature of the sport. The last few months have given us a chance to imagine a new world of wrestling. Why not make it one with a larger population of healthy and happy athletes. To your questions ... Q: I've always wondered who exactly competes at the World University Games. I've noticed in the past that American wrestlers have competed at the University trials more than a year after graduating from college. (I think Molinaro was at the Trials this year??). And then this year Tsargush competed at 74 kilos and teched David Taylor. So what are the restrictions/qualifications for being in the World University tournament? I was always under the impression that university athletics isn't nearly as prevalent abroad and that talented young wrestlers in Eastern Europe just went straight to training full time. Maybe you've learned some things in your travels that could shed some light on what University Worlds is all about. -- Brandon J. Foley: Many foreign teams use the tournament to help build their "almost" guys into champions. Part of what makes the tournament so good is that often times we see older, more accomplished wrestlers enter from other countries, which offers the young ones a chance to compete against the best. Our squad was made up of students who were right now in college taking a full academic schedule. That is not always the case. Q: I'm curious what the age limit is for participating in the World University Games? Why is Denis Tsargush still eligible to wrestle at age 25? -- Jerry M. Foley: Wrestlers at the University Games need only to be enrolled in ONE class. Many of the foreign wrestlers we admire are getting PhD in wrestling. (That's not a joke, I'm totally serious.) More frequently wrestlers are enrolled in a few courses as they progress through their home nation's academic program. Inside the Rings offered the advice to change the name to the Student Games to help avoid the conflict. As for Russia, they offered up their starting squad in hopes of putting on a strong performance at home. It worked. Q: Give us your preseason top five teams for 2013-14 with a projected lineup for each. I will go with ... 1. Penn State 2. Minnesota 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Ohio State -- Tom K. Foley: 1. Penn State 2. Oklahoma State 3. Iowa 4. Ohio State 5. Minnesota Too early to tell which of these teams will make it through the grind of the season, but the smart money is still on Penn State and the final year of Murder's Row. I also wouldn't be shocked if Ohio State showed up at the NCAA tournament and placed second. Multimedia Halftime Q: As I'm sure you are aware there are several videos of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic's all-time great matches. The Dapper Dan, of course, being the premier all-star high school wrestling dual meet between Team USA and Team Pennsylvania. I came across one match that is of legend among regular attendees of The Classic: Nevada Walker (Commodore Perry High School, Pa.) win in OT 19-17 vs. Luke Becker (Cambridge High School, Minn.). Where on earth might one find a video of this seemingly amazing match? Becker went on to win a Division I title, but Walker disappeared into obscurity. By accounts I've heard from those who attended, Becker was absolutely dominating Walker early, before Walker decided to put on a takedown clinic, put it into OT, and win it with yet another take down. I've checked everywhere. Have you ever heard of this match and if so any knowledge on how to find a video of it? -- Ryan P. Nevada WalkerFoley: His name is Nevada Walker? Are you serious? That sounds like the name of a fictional bank robber from Gettysburg on the run from the Pinkertons. Heaven's bless ... The Dapper Dan is always a winner for the fans. I asked around and nobody had a solid idea on where you could find one right now. I'd love to watch any and all that include Cary Kolat ... Readers: Any hints? Locations? Q: Lower weights count on slickness. Upper weights are bruisers. That's the simple reason for the difference in success in MMA. -- CornellBass Foley: I don't agree. The lower weights are faster and might have to poses comparable speed, but it's always relative. What does slickness mean anyways? Are we talking striking or grappling? There is a definite difference in numbers of strikes thrown and the amount of force exerted. Lightweights throw more punches with less damage, while heavyweights tend to throw fewer punches with much more power, and calamitous results. The key to that difference is that the force of a heavyweight punch is far greater in proportion to his size than the lightweights. What is proportional is the amount of force it takes to get knocked unconscious when hit in the head, which of course favors the big men. I'd expect, based on slickness in grappling, that wrestlers would be MUCH better suited than others in MMA. Though he ultimately suffered a KO loss to Jose Aldo, NCAA runner-up Chad Mendes had won the first round against the champion by utilizing his wrestling, against the quicker and slicker striker. Also consider that the UFC carries far fewer lightweights than they do upperweights, in part because they can't deliver the type of "exciting" knockouts fans tend to enjoy. Lightweights aren't big sellers, so with fewer bodies it's been difficult to get the sense that there are a lot of wrestlers. However, if you look at the impact Team Alpha Male has had on the sport, I'd argue that wrestling might be most prominent among the smaller guys. COMMENT OF THE WEEK! By Patrick B. I personally do not qualify as a Paralympics or PTSD candidate, but I do have a neurological condition called Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS). My lower leg muscles twitch continuously 24/7/365 which leads to fatigue, pain, stiffness, and cramping. My hands and feet suffer from paraesthesia -- constant numbness, pain, cramping, pins and needles, and stiffness (basically they feel dead). I have random symptoms throughout my body. In any event, I started to coach youth wrestling a few years back. (I had been out of the sport for 30 years -- I am a few months from being 50.) One of my fellow coaches is Zach Flake (2003 Senior Nationals finalist, four-time All-American, three-time finalist at JUCO and NAIA Campbellsville). Since there is no cure for what I have and it seems to be getting worse and more debilitating over time I made an agreement with Zach. Zach wants to start his own wrestling camp (hopefully up and running next summer) and in return he will get me back in wrestling shape. (I saw a story of a kid with Autism doing MMA.) The experiment has been going on for nearly six months (averaged about 1 session per week -- we are up to 2 right now). I did not think I would make it this long, but wrestling is helping me cope with many of my symptoms. I find I am in no worse pain after an hour session with Zach than if I just camped in front in the TV, but in better shape and more flexible (less stiff). My point is that I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on diagnosis (MRI, EMG, specialists, etc.) and experimenting with medications. Wrestling and Zach have helped me more than the dozens of doctors and meds I have taken. Hence, wrestling is therapeutic and there should be more opportunities for people as you suggest in your mailbag answer. My wife and friends thought I was nuts, but they are now seeing the results. I am much more flexible. I have been complimenting my wrestling activities with rock climbing, biking, hiking, insanity workouts, and weightlifting. BFS makes you stiffer and hence slower to react. It messes with your balance and makes you fatigue and cramp much faster. BFS causes me to have shooting pains up and down my arms and legs when I am in a precarious position. None of this is good for wrestling. But I am holding my own with some high school kids and while I am nowhere ready to compete -- I hope to try an old timers tournament next year. If anything, this experience has not only helped me, it will make me a better coach.