InterMat Staff

Kyle Dake, who made history two weeks ago by becoming a four-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, capped off his brilliant career at Cornell University by being named InterMat Wrestler of the Year for 2013, the amateur wrestling website announced Thursday afternoon. Kyle Dake defeated David Taylor 5-4 in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)This award, presented each year since 2006 to the best college wrestler in all divisions, is based on the balloting of writers and executives at InterMatWrestle.com. Dake received a total of 82 votes, including eight first-place ballots, to earn the honor. In second place was Penn State's Ed Ruth, 2012 InterMat Wrestler of the Year, who garnered 70 votes, including one first-place vote. Also getting a first-place vote -- and a total of 42 votes -- was Ohio State's Logan Stieber, who placed third in the ballotting. The senior from Ithaca, N.Y. completed his Cornell career with a raft of accomplishments, including a perfect 37-0 season. He won his third EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) title with a 20-5 technical fall victory over No. 7 seed Josh Houldsworth of Columbia, and garnered the Outstanding Wrestler, Fletcher (for most team points in a career) and Sheridan (most pins in the championship bracket) awards at the conference championships. At the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, the top-seeded Dake was not scored upon in his first four matches on his way to the much-anticipated 165-pound title match with defending champ David Taylor of Penn State. Dake prevailed, 5-4, to become the third four-time NCAA D1 champ, and the first to do it at four different weights, and without taking a redshirt. 2013 InterMat Wrestler of the Year 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Kyle Dake, Cornell, 82 (8) 2. Ed Ruth, Penn St., 70 (1) 3. Logan Stieber, Ohio St., 42 (1) 4. Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma St., 21 5. Quentin Wright, Penn St., 19 6. David Taylor, Penn St., 7 7. Tony Ramos, Iowa, 5 8. Kendric Maple, Oklahoma, 4"No other wrestler this season, or perhaps in the history of college wrestling, was more earnest in accepting a challenge than Kyle Dake," said InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley. "By jumping a weight class to take on David Taylor, Dake proved that he not only loved to win, but enjoyed the challenge of competition. His fourth title is a tribute to the competitive spirit of wrestlers around the world." Past Winners: 2013: Kyle Dake, Cornell 2012: Ed Ruth, Penn State 2011: Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska 2010: Jayson Ness, Minnesota 2009: Jake Herbert, Northwestern 2008: Brent Metcalf, Iowa 2007: Ben Askren, Missouri 2006: Ben Askren, Missouri

VEVEY, SWITZERLAND -- FILA, the international federation for the sport of wrestling, has announced that World Wrestling Month will be held this May. The 177 countries that are members of the organization will feature activities which promote the sport of wrestling and its campaign to remain in the Olympic Games. In February, the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board voted to exclude wrestling from the 25 core sports on the program of the Olympic Games. "World Wrestling Month will feature a variety of activities for our athletes and national federations," said FILA’s Acting President Nenad Lalovic. He added, "The month will celebrate our storied past as well as our strong future. Many of the countries around the world will be announcing their celebrations and plans in the coming weeks. " "The Wrestling Federation of Russia and the European Committee of Associated Wrestling Styles totally support this effort by FILA to put a spotlight on the sport of Wrestling for the month of May," said Georgy Bryusov, First Vice-President of the Wrestling Federation of Russia. "We have an excellent chance to show our pride and passion for our sport and why we believe it belongs on the program of the Olympic Games. " "USA Wrestling looks forward to helping promote World Wrestling Month as part of our continued support for the Keep Olympic Wrestling effort," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. He added, "We have some very exciting plans for international competition in the United States in May to help celebrate this special month. USA Wrestling will also recognize World Wrestling Month at a variety of other wrestling events and activities at all levels during the month of May. Wrestling is truly a universal sport, and we take pride in doing our part to publicize the sport within our country." Events during the month will include international dual meets in cities around the world, sport demonstrations and youth events. Some of the competitions will involve proposed rule changes to the sport. Each National Federation will announce its own schedule of events in the coming weeks.

George Mason University will host the 48th annual All-Star Classic on November 2, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The Classic will be held in the 10,000 seat Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. "This premier event will provide something for everyone. We will have a full day of events leading up to the All-Star Meet. Amongst other things, we will hold a wrestling clinic at the Field House and a VIP reception at the Patriot Center," said George Mason University head coach Joe Russell. The event will feature many of the nation's top Division I wrestlers who will participate in a dual meet format. The participants will be selected in October 2013 and each wrestler will be announced as they commit. "Fans can expect to see high paced, action packed wrestling matches that many times have been the precursor to the year-end NCAA finals bouts," said Russell. The All-Star Classic will be the largest wrestling event in history to be held in northern Virginia. National Wrestling Coaches Association President Coach Rob Koll hopes that the magnitude of the event in combination with Washington D.C. having one of the strongest wrestling spectator bases in America will result in filling up most if not all of the 10,000 seat Patriot Center. "Sports fans, the media, and the wrestling public will have to recognize the importance of amateur wrestling in the northern Virginia region," said Russell. "This event will change the perspective of wrestling for the northern Virginia area." The NWCA selected George Mason University, a historically successful wrestling program, as the location for the event due to its partnership with the Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network. The solid corporate support that existed within the relationship made George Mason University a solid choice, said Moyer. George Mason University looks to use the spectator and media attention their school will receive to show to the public and their student body the success that their wrestling program embodies. "My hopes are that the student body will see the excitement that wrestling can bring to sports fans," said Russell. "They will recognize the wrestling community's commitment to the sport when so many out of town sports fans arrive on our campus. This will continue to bolster our reputation as a nationally prominent program in the sport of wrestling." The George Mason University wrestling program has a very rich tradition in wrestling. Over the past twenty five years, they have advanced 41 different wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships and have had two All Americans and one two-time All American. Tickets will be on sale later in September 2013. For additional information on next year's event visit the NWCA website at: http://www.nwcaonline.com/NWCAWebSite/Events/nwcaallstarclassic.aspx More information on the All-Star Classic will also be released as the event gets closer. About the NWCA Founded in 1928, the NWCA strives to promote and provide leadership for the advancement of amateur wrestling, primarily at the scholastic and collegiate levels. The association is headquartered in Manheim Pa. The three core competencies are coaching development, student-wrestler welfare, and promotion/advocacy. The NWCA has 10,000 members and educational programs that serve 230,000 students each year. About George Mason University (GMU) Was established in 1957 and obtained university status in 1972. George Mason University is located in Fairfax Virginia has 32,000 students. The GMU wrestling program has a rich tradition as evidenced by having advanced 41 different wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships, two wrestlers achieved All American status one time and one wrestler achieved All American status two times. The head coach is Joe Russell and he is in his 2nd year. About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) The WIBN-Washington DC Chapter consists of prominent business leaders in the Washington DC metropolitan region. The organization was originally formed in September 2012 under the name of the Greater Washington Wrestlers in Business Network and more recently merged with the Wrestlers in Business Network (headquartered in Cleveland OH) to form a national Wrestlers in Business Network. The purpose of this organization is to support amateur wrestling activities in major cities across America.

Starting this morning, and through the weekend, thousands of high school-aged wrestlers will be competing in national-level events across the country. The NHSCA grade-level national championships commence today and go through Sunday in Virginia Beach, Va. The freshman, sophomore, and junior championships conclude with finals matches on Saturday, while the seniors event starts on Friday and ends on Sunday. The tournament with the strongest fields is the FloNationals, an event that takes place on Friday and Saturday at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This event has no divisions and is open to wrestlers in any grade, and the field features wrestlers from across the country. Five of the fourteen weight classes have five (or more in the case of 106 pounds) nationally ranked wrestlers in their field. The third of the national championship events is in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Friday and Saturday. USA Wrestling hosts its Folkstyle Nationals, which serve as the first leg of the Cadet and Junior Triple Crown; the other two legs are Greco-Roman and freestyle, which are conducted in Fargo come July. Below is a list of 10 storylines that merit attention during the coming weekend. Information about weight classes is based on pre-registration, and final field compositions will not be known until weigh-in/check-in processes conclude. 10. Cade Olivas competes in the Cadet folkstyle 88-pound weight class Only a seventh grader, this California phenom is ranked No. 3 overall among junior high wrestlers. If there is a major national level event out there, and Olivas has competed in it, he's won it in dominant fashion. Olivas has won many Ohio TOC titles, a pair of Super 32 Middle School titles, and many Roller World of Wrestling Triple Crowns. It is his debut at the Cadet level, and many already have him in the stratosphere of an Aaron Pico for his grade level. For those who are in Cedar Falls, and yet to see him wrestle, check him out. 9. FloNationals at 106 pounds -- eight nationally ranked wrestlers Out of all the weight classes to be held this weekend, the opening weight of the FloNationals features the most nationally ranked wrestlers. Based on registration, eight appear in the InterMat national rankings: No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), No. 6 Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.), No. 7 Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.), No. 10 Adrian Camposano (Central, Calif.), No. 12 Gionn Peralta (Vacaville, Calif.), No. 13 Devin Brown (Saegertown, Pa.), No. 14 Ariel Dominguez (Osceola, Fla.), and No. 17 Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk, Iowa). In addition to these eight, two nationally elite junior high wrestlers are in the field at this weight class -- Spencer Lee (Saegertown, Pa.) and Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.). Lee is ranked No. 1 among junior high wrestlers, and was a runner-up at the high school Super 32 Challenge; while Diakomihalis is ranked No. 6 among junior high wrestlers, and was a state champion in New York at 99 pounds this year. To read the rest of this story, plus get access to all InterMat Platinum content, subscribe today. Already an InterMat Platinum subscriber? Read complete story.

Starting this morning, and through the weekend, thousands of high school-aged wrestlers will be competing in national-level events across the country. The NHSCA grade-level national championships commence today and go through Sunday in Virginia Beach, Va. The freshman, sophomore, and junior championships conclude with finals matches on Saturday, while the seniors event starts on Friday and ends on Sunday. The tournament with the strongest fields is the FloNationals, an event that takes place on Friday and Saturday at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This event has no divisions and is open to wrestlers in any grade, and the field features wrestlers from across the country. Five of the fourteen weight classes have five (or more in the case of 106 pounds) nationally ranked wrestlers in their field. The third of the national championship events is in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Friday and Saturday. USA Wrestling hosts its Folkstyle Nationals, which serve as the first leg of the Cadet and Junior Triple Crown; the other two legs are Greco-Roman and freestyle, which are conducted in Fargo come July. Below is a list of 10 storylines that merit attention during the coming weekend. Information about weight classes is based on pre-registration, and final field compositions will not be known until weigh-in/check-in processes conclude. 10. Cade Olivas competes in the Cadet folkstyle 88-pound weight class Only a seventh grader, this California phenom is ranked No. 3 overall among junior high wrestlers. If there is a major national level event out there, and Olivas has competed in it, he's won it in dominant fashion. Olivas has won many Ohio TOC titles, a pair of Super 32 Middle School titles, and many Roller World of Wrestling Triple Crowns. It is his debut at the Cadet level, and many already have him in the stratosphere of an Aaron Pico for his grade level. For those who are in Cedar Falls, and yet to see him wrestle, check him out. 9. FloNationals at 106 pounds -- eight nationally ranked wrestlers Out of all the weight classes to be held this weekend, the opening weight of the FloNationals features the most nationally ranked wrestlers. Based on registration, eight appear in the InterMat national rankings: No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), No. 6 Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.), No. 7 Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.), No. 10 Adrian Camposano (Central, Calif.), No. 12 Gionn Peralta (Vacaville, Calif.), No. 13 Devin Brown (Saegertown, Pa.), No. 14 Ariel Dominguez (Osceola, Fla.), and No. 17 Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk, Iowa). In addition to these eight, two nationally elite junior high wrestlers are in the field at this weight class -- Spencer Lee (Saegertown, Pa.) and Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.). Lee is ranked No. 1 among junior high wrestlers, and was a runner-up at the high school Super 32 Challenge; while Diakomihalis is ranked No. 6 among junior high wrestlers, and was a state champion in New York at 99 pounds this year. Fox Baldwin8. Fox Baldwin after repeat FloNationals title, this time at 145 pounds In 2012, coming off his freshman season, Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) won a FloNationals title in the 132-pound weight class. He would go on to represent the United States in the FILA Cadet Pan-American Championships during the summer, and win the Cadet National freestyle title at 145 pounds. During the fall he placed third at 138 pounds in the Super 32 Challenge, won a state title at 152 pounds, and is ranked No. 13 nationally in that weight class. Four nationally ranked wrestlers anchor the challenge pack of the 145-pound weight class at this year's FloNationals. Two-time National Prep champion Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.) is ranked No. 12 nationally, Super 32 Challenge champion Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) is ranked No. 15, state champion Christian Pagdilao (Santiago Corona, Calif.) is ranked No. 18, while Powerade champion Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa.) is No. 20 in the rankings. Others meriting attention include returning FloNationals third placer Kevin Cooper (Simon Kenton, Ky.) and Junior freestyle All-American David Almavia (Shenendehowa, N.Y.). 7. NHSCA Senior Nationals, 195 pounds This weight class features a potential final of top five ranked wrestlers in the nation, No. 2 Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 5 Garrett Krohn (Arvada, Colo.). Mattiace is a two-time National Prep champion, two-time Ironman champion, and committed to Penn; while Krohn is a three-time state champion, NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up, Junior National freestyle All-American, and bound for Stanford. Also in this weight class is another NHSCA Juniors runner-up in Zach Roseberry (Brentsville, Va.), at least four other notable state champions, and state runner-up Anthony Messner (Franklin, N.J.). 6. FloNationals, 160 pounds Five wrestlers ranked in the top 13 of the nation at their respective weight class are in the field here. That group is led by Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), who entered the Dapper Dan ranked No. 8 at 152 pounds, but pulled off the 8-2 upset over national No. 1 Jake Short. National Prep champion Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) is ranked No. 8 in this weight class, and was runner-up at the FloNationals and Cadet freestyle championships last calendar year. Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) was a four-time state placer, finally getting a state title this year up at 170 pounds, here he is ranked No. 9 nationally. Three-time state placer Jon Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.) is ranked No. 11 nationally and finished third at the Super 32 Challenge. Last among the ranked wrestlers is No. 13 Tyler Grimaldi (Half Hollow Hills West, N.Y.), a state champion this year after finishing sixth in Junior freestyle last summer. 5. Aaron Pico and friends, Junior folkstyle 132 pounds Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) is the nation's best overall freshman, ranked No. 1 at the 132-pound weight class nationally, and was twice a Cadet National double champion in Fargo. He is one of the most dominant figures in all of high school wrestling. This is his first competition at the USA Wrestling junior level. Though he is the clear favorite here, three additional nationally ranked wrestlers and some other highly credentialed figures will be on the prowl. Those nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 10 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), a defending Junior National folkstyle champion; four-time state champion Dalton Brady (Chandler, Ariz.), who is ranked No. 17 up at 138 pounds; and No. 20 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.), a two-time Cadet National freestyle champion. Other highly credentialed figures include two-time state placer Ali Naser (El Camino Real, Calif.), who won the NUWAY Vegas title this fall; four-time state placer Colby Knight (Urbandale, Iowa), a state champion in 2011; state champion Jacob Rubio (Canyon Randall, Tex.), a Cadet folkstyle runner-up last spring who finished fourth in both styles at Cadet Nationals in Fargo; fellow Cadet folkstyle runner-up Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), who is also a two-time state runner-up; and state champion Ryan Schuman (Tri-Valley, S.D.), a Cadet folkstyle champion last spring. Brent Fleetwood and Sean Russell (Photo/Rob Preston)4. NHSCA Junior Nationals, 113 pounds Two wrestlers in this weight class are among the top five in the nation, No. 3 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) and No. 5 Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.). Both wrestlers are three-time state champions and two-time Super 32 Challenge placers, in fact it was Russell who upended Fleetwood 4-3 in the semis of the Super 32 this October on the way to a runner-up finish. Fleetwood was champion of the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals this spring, and won the Beast of the East during this past season; while Russell was runner-up at the Kansas City Stampede during the course of the season. Multiple other state placers reside in this weight class, including Zachary Davis (Mishawka Penn, Ind.), whose finals loss was 9-7 to No. 1 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central). 3. Depth abound at NHSCA Senior Nationals, 132 pounds Five weight class ranked wrestlers anchor the field in the 132-pound weight class at the NHSCA Senior Nationals, which is the most of any weight in that competition and tied for second most for any of the tournament weight classes this weekend across the nation. Highest ranked here is NHSCA Junior National runner-up Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Va.), who is ranked No. 9 in the country, and was fifth at the Super 32 Challenge this fall. Another three in this group finished third through fifth in last year's NHSCA Junior Nationals 132-pound weight class: Jed Mellen (Payson, Utah), ranked No. 15 up at 138 pounds; Jason Estevez (Livingston, N.J.), ranked No. 15 in this weight class; and Lawrence Otero (Volcano Vista, N.M.), ranked No. 19 at 138 pounds, where he placed seventh in the Super 32 Challenge. The other nationally ranked wrestler is Michael Pongracz (Delaware Valley Regional, N.J.); the three-time state placer is No. 16 down at 126 pounds. Other notables in this weight class include Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, Calif.), eighth at the Super 32 this year and twice finishing third in the state tournament; defending Junior folkstyle champion Gunner Laffoon (Tuttle, Okla.), as well as state champions Nosomy Pozo (Miami Southwest, Fla.) and Matt Leshinger (Sayville, N.Y.). 2. Trifecta in the top ten at FloNationals 120 pounds Three of the nation's top ten wrestlers in the 120-pound weight class anchor the field at the FloNationals in this bracket. No. 3 Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) won his second state title and also placed at the Super 32 Challenge for a second time this fall (third, after winning the tournament in 2010); No. 4 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) won his first title as a sophomore, after winning the Super 32 Challenge in October; while No. 9 Mason Pengilly (Porterville, Calif.) won his first state title and seeks to improve upon a FloNationals runner-up finish last year. Two other wrestlers ranked No. 19 nationally are also in this weight: Jared Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.), a state champion who was fifth at the Super 32; and Domenic Forys (North Allegheny, Pa.) holds this postion at 113 pounds, where he became a two-time state placer. Other notables in this weight class include Pennsylvania state placers Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), Zach Valley (Northampton), and Justin Patrick (Ligonier Valley); along with state runner-up Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) 1. Will Coon face a challenge from a tough Junior folkstyle 285-pound field? The University of Michigan bound Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich.) is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 285 pounds and No. 2 overall in the Class of 2013. Last off-season, he was a USA Wrestling Junior Triple Crown winner. In order to win the first leg of this year's Triple Crown, he will have to navigate a field that features three other nationally ranked wrestlers and multiple other state champions. Those nationally ranked wrestlers are No. 6 Cole Johnson (DeSoto, Wis.), who was runner-up to Coon is last year's Junior folkstyle tournament; No. 10 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), twice a National Prep runner-up to No. 2 Brooks Black; and No. 18 Newton Smerchek (Luxemburg-Casco, Wis.), a two-time state champion. Other state champions include Dean Broghammer (West Delaware Manchester, Iowa), Bailey Sutko (Oak Park Staley, Mo.), and Jesse Nelson (Stoughton, Wis.). Also meriting attention is state placer Adarios Jones (Moline, Ill.), who was runner-up at the Preseason

Amanda Stanec, a Ph.D in physical education, explains how she used a health-focused approach to help reinstate wrestling at a trio of at-risk high schools in the St. Louis area. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in stating compelling arguments for why we need amateur wrestling in our school systems. Check out our Tumblr page at backpoints.tumblr.com. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching "back points" and pushing SUBSCRIBE. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Carl Adams

Jim Miller will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, April 3. "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 www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on www.theopenmat.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments about the show. Miller recently retired as the head wrestling coach at Wartburg College after 22 seasons. His teams won 21 consecutive Iowa Conference titles and 10 NCAA Division III championships. Miller was also a two-time NCAA Division II champion for the University of Northern Iowa as well as a two-time Division I All-American. The hour-long show will pay tribute to Miller’s time as a wrestler and as a coach.

John Smith and Jordan Oliver embrace at the 2013 NCAAs (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)John Smith, who led his Oklahoma State wrestlers to within four points of denying Penn State its third straight NCAA Division I team title, has been chosen InterMat Coach of the Year for 2013. It's the second time the Cowboys' head coach has won the award, selected in a vote of writers and executives from InterMatWrestle.com. Smith took the website's inaugural Coach of the Year honor in 2006. In balloting for the award, Smith earned a total of 61 points, including four first-place votes. In second place was last year's winner, Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson, who garnered 43 points, and three first-place votes. Taking third in the balloting was The Citadel's Rob Hjerling, with 35 points, and two votes for first place. Also receiving a first-place vote was Kevin Jackson of Iowa State, who placed fifth in the overall voting. Smith guided Oklahoma State to an impressive 20-1 overall record this season (the one loss being to Minnesota at the 2013 National Duals finals). The Cowboys concluded the season with the Big 12 team title, grabbing eight of ten individual championships. 2013 InterMat Coach of the Year 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. John Smith, Oklahoma St., 61 (4) 2. Cael Sanderson, Penn St., 43 (3) 3. Rob Hjerling, The Citadel, 35 (2) 4. J Robinson, Minnesota, 27 5. Kevin Jackson, Iowa St., 24 (1) 6. Brian Smith, Missouri, 22 7. Rob Koll, Cornell, 11 8. Jim Zalesky, Oregon St., 9 9. Doug Schwab, Northern Iowa, 8 10. Jim Heffernan, Illinois, 4 11. John Stutzman, Bloomsburg, 2 12. Tom Brands, Iowa, 1 12. Kevin Dresser, Virginia Tech, 1"At the beginning of the season John Smith was vocal in stating he did not see his starting lineup as a title contender. And yet, the Cowboys came shockingly close to winning a 35th NCAA title, finishing behind Penn State by only four points," said InterMat's Tom Franck. "John Smith's wrestlers were remarkably consistent throughout the season and yet still managed to peak when it counted the most. At the NCAAs he Cowboys not only demonstrated superb technique but stellar strategy and tactics which helped them win a high number of close matches in the later rounds. Without a doubt, a big part of their success up and down the lineup must be attributed to the legendary head coach of the program." Smith joins Cael Sanderson and Ohio State's Tom Ryan as second two-time InterMat Coach of the Year award winners. Other past honorees include Cornell's Rob Koll, and Mike Denney, former coach of the now-defunct University of Nebraska-Omaha mat program, and current coach of Maryville.

Alex Dieringer compiled a 35-3 record and placed third at 157 pounds (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)In a close vote, Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer has been selected 2013 InterMat Freshman of the Year. The award, presented each year to the top freshman college wrestler, is based on a vote of writers and executives at InterMatWrestle.com. Just two points separated Dieringer, 157-pound NCAA Division I All-American, from Cornell University 125-pounder Nahsohn Garrett, in the balloting. Both wrestlers, who placed third in their respective weight classes at nationals, each received five first-place votes ... but Dieringer received 80 total points to Garrett's 78. Dieringer, a two-time Wisconsin high school state champ, had a tremendous first year wrestling for the storied Oklahoma State Cowboy mat program. The Port Washington, Wis. native compiled a 35-3 record for the 2012-13 season, scoring 10 falls, two technical falls, and 13 major decisions. After winning the 2013 Big 12 conference crown at 157, Dieringer entered the 2013 NCAAs as the sixth seed ... but exceeded expectations by placing third at the nationals. 2013 InterMat Freshman of the Year 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma St., 80 (5) 2. Nahshon Garrett, Cornell, 78 (5) 3. Cody Brewer, Oklahoma, 42 4. Nathan Kraisser, North Carolina, 17 5. Taylor Massa, Michigan, 10 5. Connor Medbery, Wisconsin, 10 7. Jordan Conaway, Penn St., 6 7. Cody Walters, Ohio, 6 9. Chris Mecate, Old Dominion, 1"Alex Dieringer has won at every level throughout his wrestling career, so his success as a freshman at Oklahoma State shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone," said InterMat senior editor Andrew Hipps. "He has a lot of confidence in his abilities and believed that he could contend for an NCAA championship in his first season in the Cowboy lineup. He was an overtime loss away from reaching the NCAA finals. Dieringer is the type of wrestler who always seems to rise to the occasion in big events." As 2013 InterMat Freshman of the Year, Dieringer joins an impressive list of past honorees who have since gone on to earn NCAA titles, including 2010 winner Kyle Dake of Cornell, 2011 honoree David Taylor of Penn State, and last year's winner, Ohio State's Logan Stieber.

BOSTON -- Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Mike Lynch announced today that at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, Boston University will no longer sponsor wrestling at the varsity level. Consistent with University processes, the Department of Athletics, in conjunction with campus administrators and the Board of Trustees, thoroughly reviewed and evaluated Department priorities and determined that to bring the wrestling program to a championship-caliber level, an immense infusion of resources, including major facility enhancements and additional staffing, would be required. “This obviously been a very difficult decision to make,” said Lynch. “I understand the impact this will have on our staff and students. However, we have to strategically use our resources in the most efficient and effective manner, and the decision to move forward without wrestling, though difficult, is the right one for Boston University.” Senior Vice President Todd Klipp added that, “Like all University academic and administrative units, the Department of Athletics is constantly assessing its strategic priorities. That process can necessitate making difficult decisions like this one.” All student-athletes currently receiving wrestling scholarships will have those scholarships honored for the remainder of their undergraduate careers at BU. Should student-athletes seek to continue their wrestling careers at other institutions, they will be eligible immediately under NCAA guidelines and the University will provide assistance in the transfer process. The 2012-13 wrestling team includes 11 juniors among its 25-man roster. Therefore, the decision to sponsor wrestling for one more season will allow all members of the Class of 2014 to complete their collegiate careers and degrees at Boston University. “We want to be sensitive to the student-athletes impacted by this decision and allow them as much time as possible to consider their options,” said Lynch. Carl AdamsFor the past 32 seasons, Carl Adams has been at the helm of the Terrier program, guiding the team to 10 conference titles, most recently in 1994. Adams, a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State, is a member of four different wrestling Halls of Fame (Massachusetts, Iowa State, Glen Brand of Iowa, Midlands) and ranks fourth among active coaches in career wins at the Division I level with 324, including 301 at BU. “I’d like to thank Carl for his remarkable coaching career and for his exemplary service to our student-athletes,” said Lynch. “We are grateful and fortunate to have had a legend in the sport guide our program for over 30 years. His dedication to BU and the sport is truly admirable.”

NCAA Division I champions (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Logan Stieber Kendric Maple Jesse Delgado Derek St. John Kyle Dake Quentin Wright Chris Perry Tony Nelson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is proud to announce that the 2014 and 2015 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will be held in Topeka, Kan., and hosted by Visit Topeka Inc., Topeka Shawnee County Sports Council and the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). The 2014 national championships are scheduled for March 7 –8, and the 2015 event will be March 6 –7. The venue is the Kansas Expocentre in the capital city of Kansas. The Expocentre offers 210,000 square feet of event space. This venue has served as the site for numerous national sporting competitions, including the 1988 US Olympic Trials, the USA Wrestling Kansas State Folkstyle Championships and the USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals. Click here for facility map of the Expocentre. The Expocentre held its first event in 1987 with a sold-out concert featuring Kenny Rogers, T. Graham Brown and Ronnie Milsap. At times, there are six events hosted simultaneously in the facilities, and typically over 600 events are booked annually. Landon Arena is located inside the Expocentre and currently is home to the Topeka RoadRunners NAHL hockey team and the Kansas Koyotes APFL football team. Topeka will welcome the wrestling national championships for the first time in the 56-year history of the event. The city is listed with a population of nearly 123,000 and located approximately 60 miles from Kansas City, Mo. The state has hosted three previous NAIA Wrestling National Championships in the city of Hays in 1980, 1990 and 1992. “We are looking forward to having the NAIA Wrestling National Championships in Topeka for 2014 and 2015,” said Jim Carr, NAIA President and CEO. “The sport of wrestling has a strong presence in the state of Kansas. The city of Topeka has proven that they have hosted successful national events. The NAIA is excited to have this friendly community provide a wonderful experience for all NAIA student-athletes and teams.” The Kansas chapter of USA Wrestling, which is the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, ranks No. 1 in the nation in certified coaches and No. 4 in the nation in youth participation. Visit Topeka Inc., is a non-profit organization created to promote Topeka as a tourist destination and a great place to hold conventions, trade shows, tournaments and other sporting events. The city’s inception dates back to 1854 and is remembered for one significant piece of American history – the United States Supreme Court case between Brown v. Board of Education. The Topeka Shawnee County Sports Council is in existence to enhance the quality of life and the economy in the Topeka community by leading the effort to develop and promote youth, amateur and collegiate sporting events. “We are so very excited to work with the NAIA to welcome the NAIA Wrestling National Championships for 2014 and 2015 to Topeka,” said Jeffrey Alderman, Director of Sales at Visit Topeka Inc. “This outstanding competition will allow us to showcase our wonderful city to the many participants and thousands of spectators, and is a win-win for our community and the NAIA.” The Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) was founded in 1971 and is the governing body of 10 conference schools located in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Three schools have been members of the conference since its inception – Baker (Kan.), Graceland (Iowa) and Missouri Valley. Peru State (Neb.) became the newest school to join the storied conference as the Bobcats began full competition during the 2011-12 academic year. Baker, Benedictine (Kan.) and Missouri Valley sponsor the sport of wrestling in the HAAC. The national championships consist of 10 individual weight classes. Those competitions occur during four sessions with two each day. There are currently 41 NAIA Wrestling varsity programs for the 2013 season. For a complete list of wrestling schools, click here. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs and championships in proper balance with the overall educational experience. In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character-building aspects of sport. Through Champions of Character, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five core values: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.

NEWTON, Iowa -- Cornell senior Kyle Dake stepped off the NCAA's raised championship mat on Saturday night, March 23, and into the history books. He became only the third wrestler in history to win four NCAA titles, but the first to do it at four different weights. To cement his legacy on the sport, he moved up a weight class to 165 pounds to face the best collegiate wrestler in the country from 2012 and his friend David Taylor of Penn State. Kyle Dake received 41 of the 43 first-place votes (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)He defeated Taylor for the third time this year -- in the NCAA finals -- counting an unofficial All-Star meet at the beginning of the season. And now he has added college wrestling's most prestigious individual honor, the 2013 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, presented by ASICS. Dake received 41 of 43 first-place votes from the Hodge Voting Committee. The committee is made up of all former Hodge Trophy winners, national wrestling media, retired college coaches from different regions of the country and a representative from a number of national wrestling organizations. Penn State junior Ed Ruth, now a two-time NCAA champ after his dominant run through the 184-pound class, grabbed the other two first-place votes and finished as the Hodge runner-up in total points as well. When notified of winning the Hodge, Dake's response showed his elite-level mentality and why he is considered one of the sport's greatest of all time. "It's pretty awesome," he said. "It's always been in the back of my mind where I'm the most dominant out there. I wanted to be a three-time Hodge winner with Cael (Sanderson). But it didn't work out. It came across my mind when I lost that dual meet (a January 2011 loss to Binghamton's Donnie Vinson) that all the other top guys would have to lose for me to win the Hodge. "But the rest of everything turned out pretty good." Sanderson, the Penn State coach who has led the Nittany Lions to three straight team titles, is one of only two multiple-time Hodge winners in the 19-year history of the award. He won three Hodges from 2000-02. The other multiple-time winner was Ben Askren of Missouri, winning in 2006 and 2007. Dake's "pretty good" four-year career started without even a redshirt season. The former two-time state champ from Lansing High School just down the road from the Ivy League, Ithaca, N.Y. campus, started at the 141-pound class and jumped up one weight each year, winning titles each March. The likely finals bout and rematch with Taylor was so highly anticipated that the NCAA made an unprecedented finals programming decision. The order of the finals was adjusted so the 165-pound match was the final bout and the main event of the night. And it lived up to its billing with Dake winning by a point, 5-4, on riding time. Dake's dominant senior season included 18 pins in his 37-win campaign. He was unscored upon in his four NCAA tournament matches leading up to the finals. Dake wins the 2013 Hodge from the most loaded individual field in the award's 19-year history. Three of Dake's peers had such dominant seasons themselves that they would have easily won the award considered the Heisman Trophy of wrestling by numerous media outlets any other college wrestling season. Ruth put up 12 pins in his 33-win season and finished second in the voting in total number of placement points. There were only six matches this season in which the talented junior didn't score bonus points. Two of those were to last year's champ, Steve Bosak of Cornell. He also put up an impressive 12-4 major decision over 2011 NCAA runner-up Robert Hamlin of Lehigh in this year's NCAA finals. For the first time, fans were invited to vote for the Hodge Trophy on WIN Magazine's website. Over 2,500 fans voted as of Thursday, March 28. Fans went a different direction from the rest of the Hodge Voting Committee, selecting Ruth the overall Hodge winner over Dake. With the composite fan vote resulting in two of the official 43 ballots, the fan vote pushed Ruth ahead of Oklahoma State's Jordan Oliver as the Hodge Trophy runner-up, 89-88, in final placement points. Four points were awarded for a first-place vote, three for second, two for third and a point for a fourth-place vote on each of the official ballots. Oklahoma State's two-time NCAA champ in Oliver was the 2011 Hodge runner-up to reigning Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs with his title that year at 133. He finished third in the Hodge standings this year after moving up two weight classes to win the title at 149. The Cowboy finished a spotless 38-0 season with 17 pins, only one less than Dake. Ohio State sophomore Logan Stieber finished fourth in the final voting. He won his second straight NCAA title in as many tries, beating No. 2 Tony Ramos of Iowa twice in the last two weeks of the season. Amazingly, opponents in only five of 27 bouts all year -- Ramos accounting for two of them -- were able to keep from getting pinned or teched by Stieber. Stieber actually recorded the highest pinning percentage of the Hodge finalists at 52 percent, pinning 14 foes. Dake now moves onto his freestyle career on the Senior level, competing for a spot on Team USA. That road will have to go through Burroughs, himself a Hodge winner for the University of Nebraska in 2011 before going on to win the World Championships that fall. Dake said he's ready for the challenge of having to beat Burroughs and others to make the U.S. team. "I want to win the World Championships this year, and win the next couple Worlds and then the Olympics. I want to stamp my name as the best in the world. If you're not trying to be the best at what you do, then you're wasting your time and you need to go find something else to go be mediocre at," he said. Dake said if he was going to win a World or Olympic title, he'd have to beat the best guys in the world anyway. With the current scenario of having to defeat Burroughs, the Big Red senior could line up against the top man in the world at 74 kilograms in only three months at this June's World Team Trials in Stillwater, Oklahoma. When Cornell coach Rob Koll was asked about what separates Dake from other elite-level wrestlers, he was quick to talk about Dake's laid-back personality and ability to be unaffected by big-match pressure. "Kyle gets excited for matches when others get nervous. It's a negative emotion vs. a positive one. The negative one makes you tired, the positive one gets you ready," Koll said. Koll, a former NCAA champion himself, said he and Dake were joking around up until 15 minutes before the NCAA finals match. But once the 15-minute mark came, Koll said he had to "stay out of his way. He's like a race horse getting ready for the Kentucky Derby." The award, founded by wrestling historian Mike Chapman of Culture House Books, has seven criteria. They are, in order of importance: season record, number of pins, dominance, quality of competition, previous credentials, sportsmanship/citizenship and heart. "I created the Hodge Trophy to bring greater recognition to the top college wrestlers in the nation each year, and Kyle Dake is the epitome of what the award stands for," said Chapman. "I have attended 44 NCAA tournaments and he is one of the finest competitors I have ever seen. This was one of the toughest years to win the Hodge Trophy, as there were a number of great contenders. Kyle Dake is the best of the best!" Dake will be publicly presented the award at the Cornell wrestling banquet in Ithaca, N.Y., on May 5. For more information on the Dan Hodge Trophy, visit www.WIN-magazine.com.

Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling in the Brute studios. Takedown Wrestling is proudly presented by Kemin, Inspired Molecular Solutions! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. to noon ET. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Terry Cook, our own Jeff Murphy and Brad Johnson live from Des Moines, Iowa. This week's guests: 9:03 Jesse Delgado, Illinois wrestler 9:10 Logan Stieber, Ohio State wrestler 9:20 Kendric Maple, Oklahoma wrestler 9:30 Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State wrestler 9:40 Derek St. John, Iowa wrestler 9:50 Tyler Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:00 Kyle Dake, Cornell wrestler 10:10 Chris Perry, Oklahoma State wrestler 10:20 Ed Ruth, Penn State wrestler 10:30 Quentin Wright, Penn State wrestler 10:40 Tony Nelson, Minnesota wrestler 10:50 Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort 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. Why was this weekend a success? Simplicity. Uncomplicated storytelling delivers rating. No distractions, just the pursuit of history. The story of Kyle Dake was simple enough for any sports fan to understand and appreciate. You can almost hear the dialogue in the TV room somewhere in North Carolina: "Honey, This wrestling kid is going for four titles in four years?!" "Wow. Is he wrestling now?" "Yeah. Guy just said he's wrestling against his friend and the defending champion?" "I'm in the kitchen. What channel?" That is how many of our 860,000 viewers tuned into this year's finals. We had a clear and simple story to sell, which also happened to have dramatic elements. With a concentrated effort we could do something more. Maybe we won't gain a ton of attention for a matchup of the Dake/Taylor hype, but we can do other things to make the event watchable. We can't sit back with our lead. We need more points, more scoring. We can't stall, we can't ride parallel. We need to take this momentum spawned by the IOC and maintained by Dake to create new avenues for growth and interest. We need to make large-scale changes to our operational mentality. That means embracing a less-physical, more technical style. Amending rules for simplicity, and making other changes that will make us much more marketable to the masses. We are finally running ahead of our peer sports, now is not the time to take a breather. Lets dig down and find a way to extend our lead into 2014 and beyond. To your questions ... Q: Do you think Kyle Dake would have beaten Darrion Caldwell in the semis of 2011 had Caldwell not had to drop out? What a match that would have been. -- Nate T. Foley: I respect where you are coming from with this question. One of the guiding principles of compelling journalism is to find stories that contradict an ongoing, popular narrative. What better example do we have, but to doubt Kyle Dake and his four years of dominance? Unfortunately it's impossible to project a loss on Dake, and to do so would only be inviting hate mail postmarked from Ithaca. Yet I agree with you that Darrion Caldwell would've been the type of wrestler who could've challenged Dake. Caldwell had shown the ability to beat top opponents at NCAAs and was a point-scoring wrestler. To win, Dake would've had to limit that scoring from neutral, escape from bottom and secure the riding time advantage, which he could have done. Caldwell would have needed the big move, which is tough to secure against a wrestler as explosive and squirrelly as Dake. Q: I'm wondering what you think/know about what's going on right now with Ben Askren and the UFC. He's been calling out GSP all over Twitter, and I'm having trouble figuring out what the deal is other than that Askren thinks he can beat GSP. I'm a huge Askren fan (as I'm sure most wrestling fans are), and I would LOVE to see him take on some of the UFC guys, especially GSP. So what's keeping him out? Maybe I'm just lacking a greater understanding of how professional fighting works, but any insight you've got would be appreciated. -- Brandon J. Foley: The professional mixed martial arts scene can be confusing. The UFC is the largest and most profitable organization, followed by Bellator MMA, Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) and World Series of Fighting (WSOF). All of these organizations have television distribution deals and make their money by promoting the best fighters they can afford. The UFC has limited roster spots, and with the recent absorption of Strikeforce and the addition of a flyweight and women's bantamweight class there is less room, and thus more cuts. That contraction has led to guys like Jon Fitch, a former top ten welterweight, ending up in the WSOF. That purchase gives the organization heft, but confuses fans about the degree to which fighters can be independent and osmotic between organizations. Askren can't fight in UFC because he's all-the-way committed to Bellator MMA. He has good reason. Viacom, the multi-billion dollar company backing Bellator, also owns SPIKE and has made the commitment to position themselves as competitors to the UFC. So for Askren to ever face GSP, several unlikely things would have to occur. First, Bellator would have to cut Askren or let his contract expire. If his contract expired and Askren chose to shop himself around, Bellator would still be able to offer up a matching contract should the UFC make him an offer. If he still made it to the UFC (Eddie Alvarez is caught at this step) then the UFC could put him on the roster, at which point he would take a fight with a current top ten contender and be another fight away from ever facing GSP. The point is that there is almost no way the fight will ever take place. The Twitter battle between Askren and Dana White revolves around Askren's smothering style of fighting. He's better than opponents on the mat, so he keeps them there. Fans might not like that he's not exchanging blows, but my gut tells me that his wife and kid are probably stoked that Daddy isn't brain dead. Work with what you got, and Askren is a blanket on top. Can't win if you can't get out. Q: As we watched the NCAA tournament my cousin Lars made the statement that Dan Gable would not be able to beat Derek St. John of Iowa. This caused a heated discussion. Gable was the ultimate competitor and was a mental juggernaut. St. John is no slouch. Who would win the legends of the past or the current stars. How would the legends all-star team do against the NCAA champions of 2013 in an all-star dual? -- Eric G. Foley: Lars' statement is ridiculous! Of course Gable would be able to beat St. John. They're wrestlers and last I checked this Gable character was a pretty fierce competitor. The better question might be how many times out of ten would Gable beat St. John if we created a time machine that took collegiate Gable and pitted him against collegiate St. John. My answer would be 2 for 10. St. John is a bad style matchup for Gable and the speed and athleticism of today's wrestlers is light years from what we saw in the 1970's -- to mention nothing of the growth in techniques. As for a yesteryear Dream Team pitted against this year's NCAA champions, I see the same type of results. Assuming you grabbed them from their decade and brought them into modern times with no ability to train or learn new moves, I believe that the modern wrestlers would win 9/10 matches. If you gave that historical team a year or two to train then it would become an issue of intangibles and I'd have to see the split as somewhere closer to 5/5. Great wrestlers are made of different stuff. They might lack the moves and the speed, but given access to the same training for a few years and they'd be on par with today's best. If you don't believe me I ask you to invent the time machine, but let me know first if you do because I'd like to place a small bet on the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals and that kid Kyle Dake. "But I don't got that time, I only have 'till morning." MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME You can listen to Mark Perry describe the photo on this week's Back Point podcast. Just be sure to SUBSCRIBE on iTunes, too. Just enter the term "Back Points" and we'll pop up. Photo by Andy Hamilton. My absolute favorite photo from the weekend came via Mike McCormick, whose son is a big fan of Logan Stieber and Tony Ramos. Here's how McCormick described the scene ... "Patrick wanted both of their autographs and was having Logan sign something when Ramos came by. I grabbed Ramos and asked for his autograph. They both just kind of stopped there when they realized who else was standing there. I asked if they minded if I took a picture with both of them and they both immediately said yes. I was so impressed by that ... Two guys that just battled it out in front of the whole world were nice enough to have their picture taken with a kid that admires them. Wrestlers are the greatest! Made my son's night for sure." Q: How long is Scoot Goodale going to last? Rutgers scored 7.5 points this NCAA tournament landing the team in 35th place. Notably, Scott Winston, who was previously considered one of New Jersey's best, graduates without ever reaching the podium. Mario Mason could not finish his senior year while he placed fifth in the Big Tens as a freshmen. That bracket included Brent Metcalf, Lance Palmer, and others (Kyle Ruschell?). William Smith, a favorite to win the EIWA, needed a wildcard to get to the tournament. I think Goodale has been a good stepping stone for Rutgers. He has changed the program, but as Rutgers enters the Big Ten, I think a change is needed. So how long will the disappointment last? Who do you think would be a good fit to elevate the program among the premier teams? -- Mark K. Foley: I doubt anyone is more aware of Rutgers' frustration than Scott Goodale. He's a well-respected leader in the New Jersey wrestling community and much-admired by his school and his wrestlers. Winning takes time, and though the amount of time that has passed seems incongruous with what might be a timeline for deciding failure, my instinct tells me that he's being left alone because he does many of the CEO tasks very well, including but not limited to: fundraising, friend-raising, and developing 18-year-old's into good people. Goodale is the coach at Rutgers through the 2106 season. He'll have Anthony Ashnault on campus next year and wrestling in the Big Ten will hopefully help him earn more qualifiers. It could even improve the quality of his wrestlers to have stiffer competition. I really, honestly, one-hundred percent believe he has multiple All-Americans by 2015. Wrestling has plenty of good guys who lose and a few questionable guys who win, but I don't see a problem with a moderately successful guy like Goodale keeping his job for a few more years when he's surrounded by good coaches and wrestlers. The program isn't tanking, and I've seen first-hand (when he didn't think the media was watching) just how passionate Goodale is about his program. It got a little dusty in the arena that night, and I like seeing that type of commitment and passion from a leader of young men. #TeamGoodale Q: The most pressing question from the NCAAs: I noticed some pretty creative uniform designs. Which team had the best singlet design and which the worst? All-time best and all-time worst? -- Boston Grappler Foley: This answer is about to go in a WHOLLY different direction than you expected, but let's start by answering your original prompt. Fashion is life. From what I gather from Twitter, it was the Edinboro singlets that ended up being the best-reviewed of the Big Show. I can't argue that they were pretty sweet, but my personal favorites were those from my alma mater Columbia. Absolutely loved the faded Lion's head in the back and the faded color of the singlet. It helped that the singlet was most often seen when Mc-Stud Steve Santos was flexing for the ESPN cameras and blowing kisses to his admirers. Worst singlet probably goes to Oklahoma State's black outfits. Just didn't work for me this time. The Cowboy on the side was too complicated to be so small, and call me a traditionalist but I think they have one of the most iconic singlets in the sport of college wrestling. Why waste your time with black or gray? Then again, they did almost win the tournament, so what the hell do I know? But when you talk about singlets, we inevitably have to redirect into the IOC decision and the mention of possibly uniform changes by FILA at the international level. Nothing has been decided, but in order to appease the Western Europeans FILA is likely going to replace singlets with rash guards and fight shorts. Partly to improve grip for throws and partly to make it more accessible and comfortable for fans who dislike spandex to watch. Maybe that's the right thing to do? Aren't we all a little sick and tired of the singlet conversation? It's a losing issue. We lose fans, we lose viewers, we lose on more participants, and we lose out on potential income. If we change to shorts and a long sleeve rash guard there is a massive upside. But before you freak out and send me hate mail, take a look at what Dan Gable was wearing in his collegiate wrestling days: Cotton shorts overtop a singlet and full-length spandex leggings. I'm on a mission to convince you, so also consider the potential revenue from fans being able to wear the outfits of their favorite wrestlers. Kids, adults, and aspiring high school wrestlers could all wear the actual "jersey" of their favorite team or athlete as they worked out. That will grow revenue and interest in the sport whose rules would stay completely unchanged, the only difference would be more throws, more turns and fewer inquiries from random people on the street about the sexuality attached to our sport. Are we proud of what wrestling is about emotionally and psychologically, or what we wear? What do we have to lose? Uniforms in wrestling have changed with consistency for the past 100 years, and if you look at other traditional styles they continue to change today. Kushti, the traditional wrestling style in India, has now allowed for a sturdier speedo-like uniform to be worn overtop the thin cotton underwear that have been used for more than 5,000 years. That's 50 centuries worth of unchanged tradition that was allowed to develop in order to attract more youth to the sport. Wrestling has to find ways to become more marketable. Look no further than the recent changes to the NCAA finals to see just what kind of positive impact change can have on our sport. We can continue to grow and become more marketable if we foster positive discussions about change, rather than shooting down any idea that is outside our perceived norms. We've seen in from the IOC's decision just how corrosive a lack of change can become. If FILA has listened and made even some of the changes asked of them, we wouldn't have the fight to keep wrestling in the Olympics. Let's learn the lesson and start making proactive and intelligent decisions about the future of our sport, starting with a new and improved uniform for our athletes. This man, Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu, wears long sleeve rash guards and fight shorts. How do you think he does with the ladies? Still think we're too cool? I've rolled with this man and though he's an absolute puppy dog off the mat, he's a crazed lunatic on it. Sleeves are good enough for him and they're good enough for you. Q: Every year it's the same story, the NCAA wrestling finals come at the same time of NCAA basketball tournament. Why don't wrestling move the dates up a week or so? This way we get to watch the most anticipated finals in sports (in my eye). I love wrestling and I watch it when I can all the way from Jerusalem. -- Raed K. Foley: Thanks for being a passionate fan. Not to outdo your commitment, but a friend of mine watched the finals from his trans-Pacific flight. Said he ordered three beers and started wrestling the Fijian in the middle seat during Stieber-Ramos. Gotta love wrestling fans. The NCAA Wrestling Committee has talked about asking for a move of dates, but so far nothing has stuck. We'll need to aim our dates to miss all types of other events, but given the resistance to wearing more clothes while we wrestle, I imagine that the wrestling fans would lose their minds were we to make any major changes the competition dates. If a move is made it'll likely have to come from ESPN and other television networks who think they can increase their profitability. The NCAA loves money and if they're told that they can have more for just shifting championships a few weeks, they might be receptive. Q: Is Matt McDonough the first three-time NCAA finalist to fail to gain AA status his senior year? -- Jake M. Foley: Yes, and it's heartbreaking. Q: Can we ditch the video review rule now? What a drag that was. It slowed the matches down and seemed more like a tactic to break a wrestler's momentum than an attempt to be fair. -- Wrestling Fan Number One Foley: These numbers (below) only tell us which reviews were made. The major frustration was that coaches were approaching the head table and the referee after every close call to see whether or not they could challenge. That ate up valuable clock. Only twenty percent of calls were overturned, which also lets us know that even in the coaches eyes there were only 10 calls made in three days that were wrong. That's phenomenal. 640 matches and there were only TEN bad calls made. TEN in three days ... think on it. Here are the raw numbers from the NCAA: CHALLENGES: 51 challenges were made by coaches 38 calls were upheld 10 calls were reversed 2 were inconclusive 1 was video error 16 were made by referees TIME: 59 minutes and 5 seconds were spent on reviewing challenges, 1:09 was the average time spent per review. The longest review was 3:52. REFEREES: There were 21 referees on site. Two referees were challenged a total of five times, but neither had their decision overturned. Three referees had two decision overturned, while four had one overturned.

University of Illinois associate head wrestling coach Mark Perry tells an incredible story about Jesse Delgado, his plans for being a head coach, and much more. Check out our Tumblr page at backpoints.tumblr.com. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching "back points" and pushing SUBSCRIBE. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

The 2013 NCAA Division I wrestling tournament was wrestled with aggression and technical proficiency. There were fewer stall calls than 2012 and the weekend felt action-packed with high-quality matchups and marketable storylines. On their feet, this year's wrestlers were focused on head-inside singles. Hi-crotches were seen much less even five years ago, largely because the popular crackdown series has been well-defended by hip-scoots and cradle threats. That defense, along with the crotch lock, was also seen when bottom wrestlers gave up escape position in a scramble and opted instead to look for two. One problem area was finishing outside singles, especially on the edge of the mat. Many wrestlers were still opting to dive for the backside ankle instead of controlling the leg they attacked, placing it on a shelf and looking for a low-slung backside double. In a rush to score many offensive wrestlers reached for the opposite side hip too soon causing a whizzer and eventually stalemate. Mat wrestling was fantastic this past weekend. Tilts, like the one used by Jesse Delgado in his semifinal comeback against Nathan Kraisser, are once again becoming popular among lightweights. Nahshon Garrett and Jon Morrison also used tilts to settle matches late and build their leads. From bottom there was much more activity than in past years, with fear of being turned prompting more explosive standups. Quality of Officiating Grade: B+ It's un-American to speak well of referees, but considering their task and the oversight of the review process, the referees were on their game this past weekend. Certain bad calls and non-calls come to mind, but if the referees managed to call 600 of the 640 matches perfectly, that would be a 93 percent -- good enough for a B+. Review Process Grade: D+ As close to a total failure as a review process can get without being stopped mid-use. Fans didn't know the rules. Coaches didn't know the rules. Media didn't know the rules. Even the NCAA Rules Committee didn't know the rules. All this not-knowing led to a massive slog of confused faces when it came time to discuss which calls were and were not challengeable. There were countless examples of coaches charging the table or the referees asking, "Am I allowed to challenge this?" … "Is this challengeable?" … "Why?" … "Why not?" In a non-review situation each of these approaches would be penalized, but with the review process and the inefficiencies, it became common practice -- a rip in the rules that was exploited by coaches. The review process helped clarify one or two matches, but there were many more matches where the flow of the action was disrupted and the hard work and conditioning of one athlete was negated by the continuous table approaches of the opposing coaches. Breathers are hard to come by in wrestling and the review process gave another avenue for the tired to find a rest. The Tony Ramos/Logan Stieber situation was a great example of the other problem with the review process -- creating false and misleading controversies. For as long as I've been wrestling, back points aren't called until the moment after the takedown or reversal has been signaled. How then could Ramos have been given back points if he only managed to get control from the scramble one second before Stieber cleared from his back? In slow motion or with a photograph it looks like Stieber was manhandled, when in live motion it's obvious that the position wasn't. However, it was challenged because it would have been imprudent of the Hawkeye coaching staff to not take a chance on gathering two more points. They're not to blame, but that call in particular, if reversed, would have prompted a deeper look at how we use the review system. As is, the right call was upheld. The final dork-up of the review process was that the fans didn't have access to what was being reviewed. Informing your audience of why the action was being stopped is essential. When you go to hockey game they show you the instant replay of the goal in question. Same with football. Same with basketball. This weekend we sat around and did little more than guess about what they may or may not be judging. It's a nice backstop to have a review process in place, but it'll take a major overhaul, and educating coaches about the process to make it a viable addition to the 2014 tournament. ESPN Coverage Grade: A The Worldwide Leader covered all six sessions and the production value was top-notch. There was smoke, boom cameras, and announcers who could adequately describe the action. There is room for improvement both because not all the matches were being filmed, and not all were being announced. Still, this weekend saw a lot of free wrestling and the power and professionalism that comes from a company like ESPN. Wells Fargo Arena and Des Moines Grade: D- The student-athlete warm-up area was a real step-up from previous years. The arena had cordoned off several private mats for the wrestlers and provided televisions for them to see the mat. The wrestlers were well-managed and well-attended to. Not that you care, but media row was a jungle gym. The rows were too narrow to walk down so instead of getting up and heading to the bathroom with ease, every journalist was forced to skip, scoot, squeeze and squirrel their way past no fewer than 100 filled seats. It's only a problem for you because the journos stuck in the middle weren't able to make mad dashes to the tunnels to capture quotes because they were too busy choosing between "butt or crotch?" Wouldn't you have loved to hear what Kraisser thought after his quarterfinal loss? But ultimately Wells Fargo Arena failed as an arena because under no circumstances can you let the lights go out in your building. You simply can't. We had a Super Bowl to figure that out. Maybe it's the fault of the city more than the arena, but the responsibility still falls on the people operating the championship. The city itself was a great place for foodies. There were excellent restaurants serving big city cuisine and a diversity of options. However, it was the bar scene where the event began to unravel. Many fans were arrested this past weekend. Des Moines police seemed to target the wrestling crowd. Police officers were aggressive with bar patrons, handing out drunk in-public citations as soon as people exited bars, ostensibly in an attempt to add money to the police coffers, or boost numbers for internal review. Resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, interrupting an official police act were all the tip of nibbling and expensive charges levied against the crowd. These weren't arrests for fighting or vandalism, they were arrests made by police officers intentionally hostile to the public. Without question Des Moines was least hospitable of any city that has hosted an NCAA wrestling championship to date. The hotel situation was also dreary. The Quality Inn was like the Bates Motel and many fans were staying at the airport. The taxi situation was preposterous with 45-60 minute waits on cabs that consistently didn't show up. Shuttle busses were hit and miss. You couldn't send texts or make phone calls from the arena. The Internet was spotty. Iowa fans are some of the best in the country, making the treatment of the Des Moines police and the lack of infrastructure all the more disappointing. Overall Experience Grade: B-

"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 www.kcnzam.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. Jackson just completed his fourth season as the head wrestling coach at Iowa State. The Cyclones finished 11th at the NCAA tournament with three All-Americans. Jackson was a World champion in 1991 and 1995, and an Olympic champion in 1992. Dake recently finished his wrestling career at Cornell University by winning his fourth NCAA championship at his fourth different weight class. He is just the third wrestler in NCAA Division I history to win four NCAA titles. Dake was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2013 NCAA tournament.

ESPN delivered its most-viewed NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship in nearly a decade and second most-viewed on record (back to 1990) according to Nielsen. The network's Championship coverage on Saturday, March 23, averaged 860,000 viewers, ESPN's most-viewed telecast of the event, since garnering a record 878,000 viewers in 2004. The three-hour telecast showcasing a historic win by Cornell's Kyle Dake averaged 604,000 households, the largest for the event on ESPN, based on a 0.6 rating. Compared to 2012, the event marked a 55 percent increase in viewers (860,000 vs. 554,000), 47 percent in households (604,000 vs. 411,000) and a 50 percent ratings increase (0.6 vs.0.4) over last year. ESPN and ESPNU's combined Tournament coverage of more than 11 hours over two days reached 5,400,000 viewers. ESPN Broadcast Team for the 2013 NCAAs in Des Moines (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)ESPN3 and WatchESPN's audience for the event continued a pattern of strong yearly growth within the wrestling community. The NCAA Wrestling Championships on ESPN3 and through WatchESPN across computers, smartphones, tablets and Xbox generated 12.68 million live minutes viewed, up 13% compared to the previous year. Viewership through the WatchESPN app generated the largest growth, with total minutes viewed up 12.8 times greater than that in 2012. For the fifth straight year, ESPN3 carried exclusive live coverage of the First, Second and Quarterfinal Rounds via an exclusive four-screen, four-mat viewing experience unique to wrestling. ESPN and ESPNU's live coverage of the Semifinals, Medal Round and Final Match was available through WatchESPN. ESPN began airing NCAA wrestling championships in 1980, its first year as a network, and provided full coverage of the First Round, Second Round, Quarterfinal, Semifinal, Medal Round and Final matches from the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, March 21-23. ESPN networks' commitment to the championships extends through 2024 as the worldwide exclusive multi-media rights holder.

UFC 158 has been in the books for over a week, but Nick Diaz's camp haven't taken their loss quietly. They filed a complaint against champion Georges St. Pierre with more conspiracy theories than an Oliver Stone movie. Luckily Richard and John like conspiracy theories. Or at least making fun of them. Also, World Series of Fighting held its second event over the weekend. The hilarity of Andrei Arlovski wearing UFC gloves aside, can this promotion last, or is it another flash in the pan? Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

LEBANON, Ill. -- McKendree University announced the addition of women's wrestling as its 23rd sport Tuesday, and named Sam Schmitz the head coach of the first-year program. Sam SchmitzThe announcement comes on the heels of the McKendree men's wrestling program claiming two individual national championships and a team runner-up finish at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) national championship on March 16. “McKendree University is known throughout the country as having a highly competitive wrestling program,” said athletic director Chuck Brueggemann. “The introduction of a women's program was a natural next step for us. Women's wrestling is a rapidly growing sport and we want to be at the forefront of offering young women the opportunity to continue their passion of competition while getting a first-class education. We have every expectation that this team will be highly successful much like our men's team.” The program will compete as a member of the Women's College Wrestling Association (WCWA). The association, formed in 2008, is the current governing body for all collegiate women's wrestling programs at the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA levels. Schmitz joins the McKendree staff as the head coach of the first-year program after serving a dual role as head women's wrestling coach and head assistant men's wrestling coach at Lindenwood University-Belleville this past season. During his time with the Lady Lynx, Schmitz helped the women's program to an 11th-place finish at the WCWA National Championship and had eight national qualifiers, including one who earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish. “Coach Schmitz is highly regarded in the sport of wrestling and achieved a lot of success as a competitor,” said Brueggemann. “We were impressed by his enthusiasm and passion for the sport and we expect that to come through and help him make a big impression on the student-athletes he coaches.” “I'm very excited for this opportunity,” said Schmitz. “Women's wrestling is a growing sport and there are a lot of young women out there that are looking for opportunities to continue their wrestling careers. Our program at McKendree will allow them to get a great education and also compete at a very high level. I can't wait to get started.” Schmitz served as a graduate assistant coach for the men's wrestling program at his alma mater, Lindenwood University-St. Charles, during the 2010-11 season and helped the Lions to a runner-up finish at the NAIA National Championship. Prior to serving his role as a coach, Schmitz earned three NAIA All-America honors at Lindenwood, including a runner-up finish at 149 pounds as a junior. He was also an NJCAA All-America honoree as a freshman at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore. Schmitz earned his Bronze level coaching certification from USA Wrestling in April of 2012.

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. -- Baker University head wrestling coach Jimmy May announced his retirement from coaching on Monday after jump-starting the wrestling program five years ago. Jimmy MayMay became the first wrestling coach in the history of the University in 2008 and has put Baker on the map among NAIA wrestling institutions. May’s retirement from coaching will allow him to focus on a new role within the University, the Athletics Liaison in the Office of Admissions. His ability to recruit high-character student-athletes and his commitment to academic excellence make him a natural fit for the Office of Admissions. May will remain actively involved with the wrestling program during the transitional year by helping to recruit and mentor the new head coach and working with the 2013-14 wrestling team. “With as many student-athletes as we have on the Baldwin City campus, communication between the Athletics Department and the Office of Admissions becomes very important,” Kevin Kropf, Director of Enrollment Management, said. “We are very excited to have Jimmy May join our team as he is a proven recruiter with anoutstanding track record in college athletics.” May has propelled the Wildcats to remarkable heights during the program’s young history. He has coached eight NAIA All-Americans, 70 NAIA National Championship qualifiers, two NAIA National Championship finalists and a Kansas Cup Championship. “I cannot say enough about what Jimmy May has done for Baker University and our wrestling program,” Theresa Yetmar, Director of Athletics, said. “He constructed a vision five years ago and has built a rock-solid foundation for the future. Jimmy and I will work hand in hand to assure this is a smooth transition in order to protect and perpetuate the success of our program. His mentorship for our new head coach will only enhance our ability to sustain the level of excellence we have established in this program.” “I am so proud of the level of success, both academically and athletically, that we have achieved. When a program is started from the ground up there will always bechallenges to establish the team as a competitive force in the sport. To benationally recognized in NAIA wrestling so early in the life of Baker wrestling is remarkable, and I credit Jimmy’s impressive leadership to making this a reality.” Bakerended the 2012-2013 season ranked No. 15 in the NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll, and Brandon Gebhardt advanced to his second NAIA National Championship Final in the heavyweight division. May grew the program to 59 student-athletes in 2012-13 and hosted the NAIA Central Regional Championships in 2013 at the Collins Center, where the Wildcats finished fourth behind three Top 10 NAIA programs. “I think Jimmy’s vast knowledge of the inner workings of our university makes him a natural fit in Admissions. His leadership style combines a great work ethic and passion to help students succeed in life. He sees the broader picture and will be able to collaborate with our coaches to continue to recruit the best andbrightest student-athletes,” Yetmar said. “I would like to thank University President Dr. Pat Long and Director of Athletics Theresa Yetmar and the entire Baker family,” Coach May said. ”The Baker community has been incredibly nice to me in my five years here. I came in as a bit of an outsider and they brought me in as a member of their family. I’d also like to thank former Director of Athletics Dan Harris for hiring me and serving as a great leader as we began this program. “Thank you also to the Baldwin City wrestling community, they accepted me with open arms and really supported our program and were a big part of our success atBaker. Most importantly I’d like to thank all of the athletes who wrestled for me here at Baker. We had some athletes that were with us for all four years and they are the face of the program and are what Baker is all about. I was also blessed with some very talented assistant coaches specifically Levi Calhoun and George Roath and I can’t say enough positive things about them. “The experiences at Baker have been some of the best of my coaching career and of my life and I am looking forward to my new role in the Office of Admissions and the new challenge.” Yetmar will immediately begin the search for a new head coach who will officially assume duties for the program on July 1.

The college wrestling career of Cornell University's Kyle Dake is one for the books ... the history books. Kyle Dake moments before his NCAA finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)With his 5-4 win over long-time friend David Taylor of Penn State in the 165-pound finals at the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Dake joined the most exclusive club in college wrestling: the Four-Time Champs Club. Dake becomes only the third wrestler to win four Division I mat titles, joining Oklahoma State's Pat Smith from the early 1990s, and current Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson, who earned his four titles a bit more than a decade ago for Iowa State. However, within the Four-Timers Club, Dake is on his own in a couple notable ways. First, unlike Smith and Sanderson, he won his four championships without taking advantage of a redshirt season. And, the Big Red wrestler who grew up five miles from the Cornell campus in upstate New York won each of his four titles at a different weight class: 141 as a freshman, 149 in his sophomore year, 157 as a junior, and, this year, at 165. Now, it would have been understandable for Dake to stay at 157 as a senior ... but, not wanting to back down from a challenge, he stepped up to 165 ... and wrestling fans immediately salivated at the prospect of Dake taking on the 2012 champ at that weight, David Taylor. A brief history of Dake-Taylor Kyle Dake and David Taylor have been friends since grade schoolThe two -- who have been friends since grade school, competing in many of the same national wrestling events as kids -- faced each other on the mat twice during the 2012-13 season. The first time was at the 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic held at American University in Washington, D.C. The event sold out in advance for the first time since 2001; American head coach Teague Moore credits the announcement of a Dake-Taylor match. "Kyle Dake wrestling David Taylor really helped," Moore said in a November 2012 interview with InterMat. "At the end of the first week after tickets had gone on sale that Monday, we had sold 400 tickets, which was nothing to sneeze at. We thought we were on a good pace. Then, the following Monday, the Dake-Taylor matchup was announced; by that Thursday, tickets were sold out. In fact, we had to make sure to save seats for sponsors and organizers." Nearly 3,400 fans saw the battle between the two 2012 NCAA champs who were perfect the previous season that had Dake top Taylor, 2-1, TB2. Two months later, the two met again on the mat ... this time at the 2013 Southern Scuffle at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. In the 165-pound finals on January 2, Dake edged Taylor, 3-2, to win the tournament title. "The Match of the Century" This early-season activity between arguably the two best grapplers in college wrestling today really stirred the imaginations of mat fans, eagerly anticipating a finals match-up at the 2013 NCAAs. The fans were not disappointed. The bracket-builders complied, with Dake being seeded No. 1, and Taylor the second seed, setting up the possibility of the two meeting for the title. The NCAA and ESPN complied, by rearranging the order of the finals matches so that the 165 title bout would be the last match of the evening. The media complied, promoting the matchup, going so far as to label it "The Match of the Century." Even the fans complied. In InterMat's Big Show Pick 'Em Contest, 1,301 contestants picked Kyle Dake to win it all at 165 ... 887 voted for David Taylor to take the title ... and only 7 entrants named someone other than Dake or Taylor. Now, if only the other wrestlers in the 165-pound bracket would all comply. Things have a way of working out. Each man made it to the finals, each with a unique way of displaying his dominance. Taylor did it by pinning all four of his foes before the finals ... while Dake managed to win his four bouts without being scored upon. Now ... how would the wrestling gods write wrestling history? Would Dake join Smith and Sanderson in the Four-Time Champs Club? Would history repeat? As someone who writes about the history of college wrestling, various scenarios from the past sprang to mind once it appeared that Dake and Taylor would wrestle for the 165 title. For instance, would Taylor serve as a spoiler? As a kid, I remember all too well watching "ABC Wide World of Sports" tape-delay broadcast where Larry Owings of the University of Washington denied Iowa State's Dan Gable the 141-pound title at the 1970 NCAAs, ruining his perfect record that extended back through high school and college. Or would officiating play a role? Many of us remember the questionable calls in the Hendricks-Churella finals at the 2006 NCAAs at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City... but I immediately thought of the 1949 NCAAs, where a referee's refusal to call what most observers considered to be a last-second takedown denied Oklahoma State heavyweight Dick Hutton the opportunity to become the very first four-time NCAA champ at any weight. Kyle Dake took David Taylor down late in the first period (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Or might odds suddenly turn against the fair-haired Kyle Dake? I immediately thought of a quote of 50 years ago from then-Lehigh coach Gerry Leeman, made just before the 157-pound finals of the 1963 NCAAs at Kent State. One of his star wrestlers, Kirk Pendleton, a senior who had never lost a dual-meet match, found himself in the finals for the third time, having lost the previous two times. The Lehigh star was slated to face Oklahoma State's powerfully-built, much-feared Phil Kinyon, who had defeated Pendleton at the 1961 NCAA finals. Leeman told the Bethlehem Globe-Times, "Kinyon's going to lose ... Kirk can't get to the finals three times and lose. He's just too good." Coach Leeman was right. Pendleton upset Kinyon to close his collegiate career with an NCAA title. In the history of the NCAA wrestling championships, only fourteen wrestlers have been four-time finalists. (Note: Until about 40 years ago, freshmen were not allowed to wrestle varsity ... with a brief exception immediately after World War II. That's how Dick Hutton was able to compete in the four NCAAs from 1947-1950.) Of these four-time finalists who were NOT four-time champs, only two won three titles (the rest won one or two titles). Both wrestled for Iowa. At the 1992 NCAAs at Iowa State, Ed Banach lost the 177-pound finals to Oklahoma's Dave Schultz, 16-8. At the 1995 NCAAs inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Lincoln McIlravy lost to Illinois' Steve Marianetti, 13-10. Kyle Dake gets his hand raised after a 5-4 victory over Penn State's David Taylor (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)As we know now, "The Match of the Century" was not clouded by questionable officiating ... nor will Taylor be thought of as a Larry Owings for the new millennium ... nor did fate intervene to keep the Four-Time Champs Club a two-member organization. Luckily for fans, nor was the Dake-Taylor finals one of those super-strategic, chess-match matches where not much happens. It started off with a bang, with the Nittany Lion taking down Kyle Dake in the opening seconds, the first time anyone had scored on the Cornell wrestler since he had been in Des Moines. It continued to be an action-packed, fun-to-watch match ... unless you're David Taylor, his family, friends and fans. Comparing Dake to Smith and Sanderson I am not qualified to compare the quality of the wrestling performance of Kyle Dake, Cael Sanderson, and Pat Smith. I can't analyze technique or the level of competition each of these four-timers faced in his college careers. That said, I can provide some background on each of their collegiate careers. Pat SmithPat Smith holds the special honor of being the inaugural member of the Four-Time Champs Club. The brother of current Oklahoma State head coach John Smith, Pat Smith was born in September 1970 in suburban Oklahoma City. Pat wrestled at 158 pounds at Oklahoma State from 1990-1994. He compiled an overall record of 122-4-2 as a Cowboy, winning four Big 8 (predecessor to today's Big 12) conference crowns, in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994 ... the same years he won national titles. Smith was the top seed at all four NCAA championships where he wrestled. At the 1990 NCAAs, Smith defeated second-seeded Scott Schleicher of Navy, 11-7. The following year, the Cowboy beat the No. 2 seed Iowa's Tom Ryan (yes, now the Ohio State head coach), 7-6. At the 1992 NCAAs, Smith got a 3-1 victory over Arizona State's Ray Miller, seeded third in the bracket. After taking a redshirt for the 1992-1993 season, Smith returned to the 1994 NCAAs, where he concluded his college career by beating No. 2 seed Sean Bormet of Michigan, 5-3, to become the first four-time champ. Fast-forward fifteen years. Born in June 1979 in a wrestling family (father Steve was his high school coach; his brothers wrestled), Cael Norman Sanderson became a national presence even as a youth wrestler growing up in Utah. After graduating from Wasatch High School in 1997, Cael Sanderson entered Iowa State, where he took a redshirt for the 1997-1998 season. The following year, Sanderson won the first of his four Big 12 conference titles (1999-2002) ... his first national college crown ... and first of four NCAA Outstanding Wrestler awards. Cael SandersonAt the 1999 NCAAs held at Penn State, Sanderson won the 184-pound title by beating second-seeded Minnesota muscleman Brandon Eggum (now the Gophers' head assistant coach), 6-1. The following year, Cael easily handled second-seeded Vertus Jones of West Virginia, 19-6. At the 2001 NCAAs, Sanderson defeated No. 2 seed Daniel Cormier (future Olympian and mixed martial arts star), 8-4, to win his third title at 184. In his senior year, the Cyclone moved up to 197. At the 2002 NCAAs in Albany, N.Y, Sanderson won his last match by beating second-seeded Jon Trenge of Lehigh, 12-4. Sanderson concluded his college career with a perfect 159-0 record in varsity competition. (Yes, he lost one match at Iowa State, to the late Paul Jenn of Iowa, in his redshirt year.) Less than a decade after Sanderson graduated from Iowa State, Kyle Dake started making a name for himself as a collegiate wrestler. A third-generation matman (his grandfather and father coached; dad Doug was an NCAA All-American at Kent State at 177 pounds in 1985), Dake was a four-time team captain at Lansing High School in upstate New York, where he was a two-time state champ and a three-time NHSCA champ with a 224-14 record. When it was time to go to college, Dake stayed close to home, selecting Cornell University, just five miles from his home. Before he wrestled a single official match at Cornell, Dake was the subject of an October 2009 InterMat profile, which opens with this prophetic line: "Great things are expected of Kyle Dake, Cornell University freshman ... not just from wrestling fans and the media, but also from his coach, Rob Koll, who has referred to Dake as ‘the second coming of Troy (as in Nickerson, 2009 NCAA 125 champ for Cornell).'" Back then, Koll told InterMat, "I have been friends with Kyle's parents longer than Kyle has been alive so it would have been tough to lose him as a recruit. He is a great kid on and off the mats. Although he is young he is already a great leader and will help us to attract wrestlers with similar attitude and ambition. He has the athleticism and work ethic that is required to achieve immediate success at the national level." Since those interviews, Dake has more than lived up to those early high expectations, compiling a 132-4 overall record, three EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) titles, and now four NCAA individual championships. And Dake did it against four highly-ranked Big Ten mat studs. Kyle Dake won his first NCAA title over Montell Marion (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)As a freshman wrestling at 141 pounds, the top-seeded Dake defeated No. 6 seed Montel Marion, 7-3, to win his first title at the 2010 NCAAs in Omaha. The following year, Dake moved up to 149 ... and, despite being seeded fourth in the bracket, managed to dominate No. 2 seed Frank "the Tank" Molinaro of Penn State with over six minutes of riding time, 8-1, to win his second NCAA crown. Then, as a junior, Dake advanced to the 157-pound weight class, and, at the 2012 NCAAs, the top seed from Cornell got a 4-1 victory over second-seeded Derek St. John of Iowa to claim his third championship. Dake capped off his career by defeating Penn State's David Taylor to win the 165 crown, and his place in history. Just to reinforce the quality of Dake's finals rivals.. three of the four -- Molinaro, St. John, and Taylor -- all won individual NCAA titles. "Visibility" factor One significant difference among the three four-time NCAA champs is how much publicity -- or national visibility -- each generated as he earned his place in college wrestling history. When Pat Smith won his fourth title in 1994, the Internet was in its infancy. Wrestling fans outside the state of Oklahoma were pretty much dependent on national wrestling magazines to keep up with the sport. Outside of a few "wrestling hotbeds", the sport was rarely featured on TV. Back in 1994, the NCAA Division I championships were showed in a highly edited form on a tape-delayed basis on CBS. Only a couple minutes of Smith's match with Bormet was shown at the end of the broadcast, with Pat hugging his brother John, who had taken the helm at Oklahoma State. When Cael Sanderson claimed his fourth championship in 2002, the Internet was home to a handful of wrestling websites and discussion groups; college programs were just establishing an online presence. Back in 2002, ESPN was showing the NCAA finals on a tape-delay basis, usually overnight (as in "while most people are sleeping.") Sensing the gravity of Sanderson possibly making history, ESPN interrupted regular programming to show his title match with Jon Trenge live, then followed up with interviews with the newest four-time champ, his coach Bobby Douglas, and some of his family members ... then went back to whatever it was showing. A decade later, it was much easier for wrestling fans anywhere in the world to have followed Kyle Dake's quest for a fourth title. Various ESPN channels broadcast all six sessions of the 2013 NCAAs; numerous websites provided various options to follow the action live from desktop, laptop or mobile device. The Dake-Taylor match was shown live on flagship ESPN brand, not at 2 a.m. Kyle Dake shakes Penn State coach Cael Sanderson's hand (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)One notable difference in coverage: Cael Sanderson's quest was the subject of a publicity machine as large as any in U.S. amateur wrestling. The Des Moines Register printed a near-life-size foldout of Cael in his retro Cyclone warm-up robe; multiple websites kept fans up-to-date on his record ("he's 141-0 now"). After winning the title, Sanderson was featured on boxes of Wheaties cereal sold in Iowa, and was on cans of soup for the Iowa-based Hy-Vee grocery chain. One place fans could not find Cael was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The expectation of fans was that the Iowa State sensation would make the cover of the sports weekly; however, the death of a young girl in the stands at a professional hockey game in Columbus was featured instead. Sports Illustrated tried to assuage readers by making a mock cover ("Hail Cael!" was the headline) featured inside an issue a week or so later, but that was too little, too late for many fans. As of this writing, it's too early to predict whether Kyle Dake will be the cover guy of any national magazine beyond those that focus on wrestling ... or be on a Wheaties box ... or anywhere else in supermarkets in upstate New York. Prior to the NCAAs, Cornell University and media in that area seem to have played it cautious -- no splashy countdowns, for instance -- as if not to jinx Dake's chances. But his history-making achievements have certainly garnered plenty of coverage -- and respect -- within the media, and among amateur wrestling fans.

Today George Mason announced that it will become a member of the Atlantic 10 and will compete in 2013-14. Athletic Director Tom O'Connor on Conference affiliation for Mason wrestling: "Like Mason, the Atlantic 10 maintains a broad range of sports for its student-athletes with championships offered in 21 sports. Mason sponsors 22 sports, 20 of which will compete in the A-10. The only exceptions are wrestling, for which we will remain committed to finding a new league in which to compete, and men's volleyball which will continue its membership in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. My first priority after the announced move to the Atlantic 10 is the future conference affiliation for our wrestling program. We have been preparing and are currently engaged in preliminary discussions with several conferences that are interested in our program. We are committed to finding the right fit to give our student-athletes the best avenue to success in the NCAA. We have nothing but confidence that mason wrestling will end up in a great situation." Head Coach Joe Russell: "We are excited about the new chapter for George Mason Wrestling. We will miss being part of the CAA and the traditional rivals the CAA conference provided. Nevertheless, we are now in a unique position to choose a new home. Our administration, key stakeholders, alumni, coaches and team will work diligently to find a new conference that best fits our program today and one that will help us grow. We are appreciative and excited to continue building a program that will make the George Mason Nation proud."