InterMat Staff

59 kilos: Gold: Hamid Soryan (Iran) Silver: Mingiyan Semenov (Russia) Bronze: Stig Andre Berge (Norway) Bronze: Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan) 66 kilos: Gold: Davor Stefanek (Serbia) Silver: Omid Noroozi (Iran) Bronze: Tamas Lorincz (Hungary) Bronze: Edgaras Venckaitis (Lithuania) 71 kilos: Gold: Chingiz Labazanov (Russia) Silver: Yunus Oezel (Turkey) Bronze: Afshim Byabangard (Iran) Bronze: Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) 75 kilos: Gold: Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia) Silver: Neven Zugaj (Croatia) Bronze: Andy Bisek (USA) Bronze: Elvin Mursaliyev (Azerbaijan) 80 kilos: Gold: Peter Bacsi (Hungary) Silver: Evgeni Saleev (Russia) Bronze: Selcub Cebi (Turkey) Bronze: Jim Pettersson (Sweden) 85 kilos: Gold: Melonin Noumonvi (France) Silver: Saman Tahmasebi (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine) Bronze: Viktor Lorincz (Hungary) 98 kilos: Gold: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) Silver: Oliver Hassler (Germany) Bronze: Ghasem Rezaei (Iran) Bronze: Cenk Ildem (Turkey) 130 kilos: Gold: Mijain Lopez (Cuba) Silver: Riza Kayaalp (Turkey) Bronze: Heiki Nabi (Estonia) Bronze: Beylal Makhov (Russia)

Elena Pirozhkova won silver (Photo/Larry Slater)TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- Elena Pirozkhova captured a silver medal and Andy Bisek earned a bronze medal for the U.S. at the World Championships on Friday night at the Gymnastics Palace. Pirozhkova turned in a strong performance on the day to finish with a silver medal. She dropped a 4-2 decision to Ukraine's Yulia Tkach in the gold-medal match in women's freestyle wrestling at 63 kilos. Bisek, who delivered a stunning second-round upset victory over Olympic and World champion Roman Vlasov of Russia, rolled past Japan's Hiroyuki Shimzu by an 8-0 technical fall in the Greco-Roman bronze bout at 75 kilos. Bisek's win gave the U.S. its first World medal in Greco since 2009. Read full story ... Team USA Results (Friday) Andy Bisek (75 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Petros Maoulidis (Greece), 5-0 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Ramon Vlasov (Russia), 6-6 Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to Neven Zugaj (Croatia), 1-0 Repechage: Won by dec. over Veli-Karri Suominen (Finland), 6-5 Bronze-medal match: Won by tech. fall over Hiroyuki Shimizu (Japan), 8-0 Jordan Holm (85 kilos) Round of 64: Lost by dec. to Rustam Assakalov (Uzbekistan), 5-0 Day 5 (Friday): Women's freestyle Elena Pirozhkova (63 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Anastasia Grigorjeva (Latvia), 5-4 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), 6-4 Quarterfinals: Won by dec. over Danielle Lappage (Canada), 2-1 Semifinals: Won by dec. over Monika Michalik (Poland), 3-0 Gold-medal match: Lost by dec. to Yulia Tkach (Ukraine), 4-2 Medalists (Day 5) 75 kilos: Gold: Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia) Silver: Neven Zugaj (Croatia) Bronze: Andy Bisek (USA) Bronze: Elvin Mursaliyev (Azerbaijan) 85 kilos: Gold: Melonin Noumonvi (France) Silver: Saman Tahmasebi (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Zhan Beleniuk (Ukraine) Bronze: Viktor Lorincz (Hungary) 63 kilos: Gold: Yulia Tkach (Ukraine) Silver: Elena Pirozhkova (USA) Bronze: Valeria Lazinskaya (Russia) Bronze: Anastasia Grigorjeva (Latvia)

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army wrestling head coach Kevin Ward announced the addition of Bryan Pearsall to the Black Knights’ staff on Thursday. Pearsall, who was a part of three national championship teams as a wrestler at Penn State, spent the last year working with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and will be Army’s volunteer assistant coach. “Bryan brings championship level experience to our program, which I think is important,” explained Ward. “Being a member of three NCAA Championship teams is a unique experience that not many people have, and I know he can use those experiences to better our program. He is excited to be at West Point and is eager to make a positive impact on this program and the lives of our athletes.” Working directly with Rutgers varsity wrestlers during the 2013-14 season, Pearsall coached at the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club, which is the regional training center at Rutgers University. The Rutgers wrestling team went 11-5 in dual matches and finished third at the EIWA Championships last season. Rutgers also had four NCAA qualifiers and its first All-American since 2002. “I am very excited to be joining the Army wrestling staff,” said Pearsall. “I want to thank Coach Ward and everyone at the West Point Wrestling Club. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be associated with a team with such prestigious tradition as Army.” Pearsall was a four-year starter on Penn State’s wrestling team. During his time in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions won three-straight NCAA National Championships and Big Ten conference titles. A two-time place winner at the Big Ten Championships, Pearsall finished seventh as a junior and took fifth during his senior campaign. The Lititz, Pa., product placed at the 2013 Southern Scuffle and qualified for the 2013 NCAA Championships as a senior. “I couldn't imagine a more beautiful place to come to work every day,” continued Pearsall. “I can't wait to get to West Point and get to work.” Pearsall graduated from Penn State in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and human services. He will reside in Highland Falls, N.Y.

Jarrod Garnett BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro has announced the addition of Jarrod Garnett to the Mountain Hawks' coaching staff. A three-time ACC Champion and 2013 All-American for Virginia Tech, Garnett will serve as Lehigh's volunteer assistant while also training with the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club. He will work primarily with Lehigh's lightweights, including returning All-Americans Darian Cruz and Mason Beckman. "Lehigh is a place that has a rich tradition and history in wrestling," Garnett said. "I competed there as an athlete in Grace Hall, and coached there just this past year. It's a great environment and a great atmosphere. The coaching staff has done and will continue to do a lot of great things with the program." Garnett spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach at Bucknell where he coached NCAA qualifier Paul Petrov at 125 pounds. "We're excited to bring Jarrod in to help develop our lightweights," Santoro said. "Having someone of his stature on our staff will continue to help our program. He will also have an opportunity to compete, which is something he still wants to do." A career 125-pounder at Virginia Tech, Garnett posted three 30-win seasons, and amassed a 126-29 career record, with the 126 wins tying for third most in program history. The 2009 ACC Freshman of the Year, Garnett won ACC titles in 2010, 2011 and 2013 and was the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2013 ACC Tournament. In his senior season, Garnett earned All-America honors with a sixth place finish at 125, rallying from a first round upset loss to win five straight matches. A four-time NCAA qualifier, Garnett posted 63 dual meet victories, 61 career bonus wins, and 24 wins by fall during his time in Blacksburg. He reached the finals at the prestigious Midlands Championships in each of the last three seasons, winning a title as a senior in December 2012 and finishing second in 2011 and 2013. Last year, Garnett competed as a post-graduate. "One of the things that sold me was not just the vision for the program and the direction that its heading in, but also the opportunity to continue competing in the near future with the LVAC." Garnett's freestyle credentials include being a two-time University Nationals All-American, highlighted by a second place finish in 2012. He has also competed at the US Open and the University World Team Trials. A Newark, Del., native, Garnett earned a bachelor's degree in apparel, housing and resource management, with a focus on consumer studies, from Virginia Tech. He was twice a Dean's List member. Garnett replaces Drew Headlee, who accepted a coaching position at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, in August.

When Kaori Icho won her ninth World championship Thursday night in Tashkent absent were the backflips, tears and group hugs of previous champions. The Japanese champion fulfilled her requirement to wave the Japanese flag, but otherwise bowed off the mat, shook hands with the referees and walked off the stage. Icho's unaffected reaction to winning a World title might be attributed to her three Olympic gold medals and eight previous World championships. All told, the Japanese great has won a total of 12 World titles, leaving her second all-time in female wrestling behind teammate Saori Yoshida who has 15 World titles on her resume. Those numbers make Icho and Yoshida inarguably the two greatest female wrestlers to ever walk the planet. Despite the heady assertions and a 172-match winning streak, Icho is not interested in penning history or acquiring titles. She doesn't want another gold medal for her bedroom or sponsorship money for her bank account. What Icho wants and why she still wrestles can't be counted or written down. It has to be seen. Kaori Icho headed into the 2008 Olympic Games a woman under pressure. She was the defending 2004 champion and hadn't lost a match since 2003. The media burden in Japan was growing and she felt a growing dissatisfaction with the sport and all its offerings. Icho's solution was to discuss retirement. Warm and thoughtful, Icho knew that female wrestling was still in its infancy and she could step off the mat as a two-time Olympic champion at the age of 24. Icho was young enough to conquer something new, maybe a sport, maybe a job. Her older sister, Chiharu, an eventual two-time Olympic silver medalist, would also be competing in the Beijing Games and had already announced her retirement -- a declaration that gave Icho the opening she needed to slough off the stress and unwanted attention of her wrestling career, should she choose to follow her sister. In addition to her sister, Icho was sharing her Olympic journey with teammate and friend Saori Yoshida, who'd also won an Olympic gold in 2004 and was mentored by her father and national team coach, Eikatsu Yoshida. "I know that the gold medals mean a lot to Saori," says Icho. "This is what motivates her and what motivates many wrestlers. I was like this, too, but it wasn't right for me. Something wasn't working." Kaori Icho dominated Russia's Valeria Koblova in the gold-medal match (Photo/Martin Gabor)Icho floated the idea of retirement and, in a country cued into the plans of their most dominant Olympians, the rumors reached the press. "I never made the decision to retire, but I did need a change. I very much needed a change." Icho had been training at the same club near Nagoya for much of her life. When she finally took a moment to look up from the mats at age 24 she wanted change. "I had the same training partners and the same coach," explains Icho. " Nothing was wrong with them, I just couldn't get stronger without something new. If I was going to stay in wrestling I needed to find a new path." Of course, Icho would win in Beijing. And, after her title was announced, she threw her arms in the air and beamed a smile. But that wasn't from an appreciation of her achievement as much as an alleviation of the stress. Icho sat out the 2008 World Championships -- the model for other world meets for women run concurrently in Olympic years until 2016. Yoshida wrestled, and as she always seems to do, she won. Icho chose not to retire, but she did decide to leave Japan. She hadn't left wrestling, but she'd left Japan and moved to Canada. "I wanted to experience life overseas and see how foreigners trained," says Icho. "The biggest difference that I saw was how well the athletes and coaches communicated." In Japan the athlete-coach relationship is simple: coaches give instructions and wrestlers listen. In Canada, the coaches and the athletes had relationships; they enjoyed each other's company on a personal level. Kaori Icho on the awards stand (Photo/Martin Gabor)"I envied their relationships," says Icho. Icho traveled home to Japan, on occasion, but spent the majority of the next eight months training in Canada. She learned English, sat out the 2009 World Championships and, in the time away from battling in competition, rediscovered what she loved about the sport -- and it wasn't winning gold medals. In addition to envying the close coach-athlete connection she saw in Canada, Icho saw that training methods varied from country to country. Sheltered and cared for in Nagoya, she'd never seen training that didn't include running (which she dislikes) and was able to use more power lifts in her strength training (which she likes). When Icho returned to Japan she chose to spend much of her time at the national training center for male wrestlers and looked for college programs and coaches she liked. She spent weeks absorbing new techniques, and also new attitudes -- how one school trained varied from another, and from that she cobbled together a loose emotional and physical sketch of what it would take for her to get back on the mats for competition. Icho became more focused on the techniques and chess match of wrestling than on the aggression so often used as a skill. She discovered that passion could always be defeated by pressure or circumstance, but technical acumen was unbeatable, and its acquisition is, in and of itself, fulfilling. Kaori Icho with teammates (Photo/Sachiko Hotaka)That Icho is uniquely talented cannot be questioned. Her speed and athleticism are evident to even the most casual wrestling observer, but that she's more spry, more active and more technical runs counterintuitive to the sport's natural maturation. Thirty-something wrestlers slow down; they are more often injured and often eschew finer movements in favor of fewer movements. Icho, who turns 30 in June, says that her ongoing improvements are a result of training with men who focus her on better techniques and tougher training regiments. With harder work in tougher scenarios, Icho believes her body will more often retain new techniques. "Men are more profound in their detail and the moves are more complicated and that makes learning them a serious process." Icho refuses to put an expiration date on her career. If she were as poetic in her career path as she is on the mat she might decide to wrestle until the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Should she win every championship from now until then, she'd end her career with 18 world titles including five Olympic gold medals. But the titles have never mattered, and she won't start creating storylines for herself. Kaori Icho raises her gold medal (Photo/Martin Gabor)"I'm not sure when the end will come for me, but I will be wrestling all my life," says Icho. "I am a wrestler, but I will know when my time as competitor must give way to my time as a coach." For now, Icho wrestles one match at a time. Always wondering if she can achieve perfection in her lifetime, knowing that her own expectations become loftier with each technique mastered. "My goal, my only goal, is to get to closer to the image in my head of what wrestling can be," says Icho. "Competition is important and it will enrich your life." "I'm only now seeing that improvement is what gives me satisfaction and puts a smile on my face."

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- The second time was even sweeter for Adeline Gray. Adeline Gray on the awards stand (Photo/Larry Slater)The 23-year-old Gray capped a memorable performance with a 2-1 win over Brazil's Aline da Silva to capture a gold medal at the World Championships on Thursday night at the Gymnastics Palace. Gray turned in a superb tournament by scoring five wins in a tough road to the title in women's freestyle at 75 kilos. Gray won her second World title after also striking World gold in 2012. "I don't know if women get the same credit for winning the 2012 World championship," Gray said. "It's the same year as the Olympics and some countries don't come. In my heart, I consider it a World championship. I definitely earned the World championship this year. I'm the best girl in the World and that's an amazing feeling." Gray scored what proved to be the winning points against da Silva by shooting in on a single-leg attack and finishing for a takedown midway through the first period. Gray was put on the shot clock for passivity late in the match even though da Silva was wrestling defensively the entire time. The Brazil wrestler was awarded a point after Gray failed to score in 30 seconds, but Gray held her off in the final 20 seconds to prevail 2-1. Adeline Gray carries the flag (Photo/Larry Slater)Gray had beaten da Silva, ranked 10th in the World, 7-0 in the New York AC tournament in November. "She's always dangerous," Gray said. "I tried to play it a little more safe this time. But a win's a win. I got that gold medal and that's what matters." Gray, who also won World bronze medals in 2011 and 2013, becomes just the fourth American woman to win at least four medals at the World Championships. She joins Kristie Marano, Trish Saunders and Shannon Williams in that exclusive group. Marano won nine World medals while Saunders and Williams won four each. Gray joins Saunders and Marano as the only Americans to win two World titles in women's freestyle. Saunders won four World titles and Marano two. American Alli Ragan finished fifth after falling to Anastassia Huchok of Belarus in the bronze-medal bout at 58 kilos. Ragan trailed 4-1 before gaining a shot-clock point and then scoring two points late in the match. The match ended in a 4-4 deadlock, but Huchok won the match by virtue of scoring with a pair of two-point moves. The U.S. is now in third place in the team standings with 32 points. Japan leads with 55 points and Russia is second with 40. Mongolia is fourth with 22 points with one weight class left to be contested on Friday. The U.S. will send World champion Elena Pirozhkova to the mat on Friday at 63 kilos. Gray opened by pulling out an improbable 11-10 win over Zhou Qian of China in the first round. Gray trailed 9-2 late in the match before scoring a takedown and a succession of leg laces to tie the match 9-9. Zhou came back with a pushout to lead 10-9 before Gray countered a shot and exposed Zhou's back to the mat with six seconds left for two points to earn a dramatic win. "I just had to keep fighting," Gray said. "I gave everything I had and put it all into that match. My experience paid off. I was behind 9-2, but I was still just a few laces away. I knew I still had time to come back." Gray trailed 6-5 early in the second period before breaking and pinning 2013 World fifth-place finisher Yasemin Adar of Turkey in the second round. Gray took Adar down and drove her weary opponent to her back with a fall at the 4:42 mark. Gray, ranked fourth in the World, held off World No. 2 Hiroe Suzuki of Japan 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Suzuki beat Gray twice this season. Gray capped her amazing four-win first session with a 5-1 semifinal victory over World University silver medalist Epp Mae of Estonia in the women's freestyle semifinals. Ragan rallied from a 4-0 deficit to storm past Aisylyy Tynbekova of Kyrgyzstan 7-6 in the first round. Ragan then fell by technical fall to three-time Olympian champion and eight-time World champion Kaori Icho of Japan in the quarterfinals Ragan advanced to the bronze-medal bout with a 10-0 technical fall over Uzbekistan's Asem Seydametova in the repechage round. American Whitney Conder opened with a strong 6-0 win over France's Tatiana Debien at 53 kilos. Conder came back to rally for a dramatic win over 2013 World silver medalist Sumiya Erdenechimeg of Mongolia in the second round. Trailing 4-2 late in the bout, Conder scored a takedown to tie it 4-4. She won the match on criteria by virtue of scoring last. Conder then lost by fall to World champion Sofia Mattson of Sweden in the quarterfinals. Conder was eliminated after falling 8-2 to North Korea's Myong-Suk Jong in the repechage round. "It was definitely a challenging day," Conder said. "I fought as hard as I could. It's definitely not what I wanted, but I gave it everything I had." Champions also crowned on Thursday included Japan superstars Saori Yoshida at 53 kilos. and Kaori Icho at 58 kilos. Both have moved down to lower weight classes after United World Wrestling, formerly FILA, changed the weight classes this year. Yoshida, 31, won her record 12th World title. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Icho, 30, won her ninth World title. She is also a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Team USA Results (Thursday) Whitney Conder (53 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Tatiana Debien (France), 6-0 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Sumiya Erdenechimeg (Mongolia), 4-4 Quarterfinals: Lost by pin to Sofia Mattson (Sweden), 1:40 Repechage: Lost by dec. to Myong-Suk Jong (North Korea), 8-2 Alli Ragan (58 kilos) Round of 16: Won by dec. over Aisylyy Tynbekova (Kyrgyzstan), 7-6 Quarterfinals: Lost by tech. fall to Kaori Icho (Japan), 10-0 Repechage: Won by tech. fall over Asem Seydametova (Uzbekistan), 10-0 Bronze-medal match: Lost by dec. to Anastassia Huchok (Belarus), 4-4 Adeline Gray (75 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Zhou Qian (China), 11-10 Round of 16: Won by pin over Yasemin Adar (Turkey), 4:43 Quarterfinals: Won by dec. over Hiroe Suzuki (Japan), 2-1 Semifinals: Won by dec. over Epp Mae (Estonia), 5-1 Gold-medal match: Won by dec. over Aline da Silva (Brazil), 2-1 Medalists (Thursday) 53 kilos: Gold: Saori Yoshida (Japan) Silver: Sofia Mattsson (Sweden) Bronze: Myong-Suk Jong (North Korea) Bronze: Jillian Gallays (Canada) 58 kilos: Gold: Kaori Icho (Japan) Silver: Valeria Koblova (Russia) Bronze: Elif Jale Yesilirmak (Turkey) Bronze: Anastassia Huchok (Belarus) 75 kilos: Gold: Adeline Gray (USA) Silver: Aline da Silva (Brazil) Bronze: Zhou Qian (China) Bronze: Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)

UFC, World Series of Fighting, Bellator ... you have plenty of options for MMA viewing this weekend. And if you put all of the best fights together, they might even add up to one semi decent card. The fact that this weekend's UFC showing is anchored by a main event between Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Silva (ugh) doesn't stop Richard and John from analyzing all of the fights. And continuing to be thankful that they didn't buy Fight Pass. Let the countdown to UFC 178 begin. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

48 kilos: Gold: Eri Tosaka (Japan) Silver: Iwona Matkowska (Poland) Bronze: Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea) 53 kilos: Gold: Saori Yoshida (Japan) Silver: Sofia Mattsson (Sweden) Bronze: Myong-Suk Jong (North Korea) Bronze: Jillian Gallays (Canada) 55 kilos: Gold: Chiho Hamada (Japan) Silver: Irina Ologonova (Russia) Bronze: Helen Maroulis (USA) Bronze: Iryna Khariv (Ukraine) 58 kilos: Gold: Kaori Icho (Japan) Silver: Valeria Koblova (Russia) Bronze: Elif Jale Yesilirmak (Turkey) Bronze: Anastassia Huchok (Belarus) 60 kilos: Gold: Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia) Silver: Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Natalia Golts (Russia) Bronze: Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria) 63 kilos: Gold: Yulia Tkach (Ukraine) Silver: Elena Pirozhkova (USA) Bronze: Valeria Lazinskaya (Russia) Bronze: Anastasia Grigorjeva (Latvia) 69 kilos: Gold: Aline Focken (Germany) Silver: Sara Dosho (Japan) Bronze: Laura Skujina (Latvia) Bronze: Natalia Vorobeva (Russia) 75 kilos: Gold: Adeline Gray (USA) Silver: Aline da Silva (Brazil) Bronze: Zhou Qian (China) Bronze: Burmaa Ochirbat (Mongolia)

57 kilos: Gold: Kyong-Il Yang (North Korea) Silver: Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia) Bronze: Hassan Rahimi (Iran) Bronze: Vladislav Andreev (Belarus) 61 kilos: Gold: Haji Aliev (Azerbaijan) Silver: Masoud Esmailpoorjouybari (Iran) Bronze: Nyam-Ochir Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia) Bronze: Yowlys Rodriguez (Cuba) 65 kilos: Gold: Soslan Ramonov (Russia) Silver: Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi (Iran) Bronze: Mihail Sava (Moldova) Bronze: Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (Mongolia) 70 kilos: Gold: Khetik Tsabolov (Russia) Silver: Yakup Gor (Turkey) Bronze: Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan) Bronze: Ali Shabanov (Belarus) 74 kilos: Gold: Denis Tsargush (Russia) Silver: Sohsuke Takatani (Japan) Bronze: Jordan Burroughs (USA) Bronze: Livan Lopez (Cuba) 86 kilos: Gold: Abdul Rashid Sadulaev (Russia) Silver: Reineris Salas (Cuba) Bronze: Selim Yasar (Turkey) Bronze: Askari Mohammadian (Iran) 97 kilos: Gold: Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia) Silver: Khetag Gazyumov (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Valeri Andriitsev (Ukraine) Bronze: Samil Erogran (Turkey) 125 kilos: Gold: Taha Akgul (Turkey) Silver: Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) Bronze: Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia Bronze: Tervel Dlagnev (USA)

Helen Maroulis captured bronze (Photo/Larry Slater)TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- Helen Maroulis displayed the type of resiliency and determination that has established her as one of the best wrestlers on the planet. Maroulis shook off a tough semifinal setback and came back to capture a bronze medal at the World Championships on Wednesday night at the Gymnastics Palace. Maroulis charged out aggressively in rolling to a 10-0 technical fall over Poland's Katarzyna Krawczyk in the bronze-medal match in women's freestyle wrestling at 55 kilos. "I've been working on my mental game," Maroulis said. "I was really disappointed I lost in the semifinals, but I tried to come back strong in the bronze-medal match. It was important to win that medal and I went after it." Maroulis won her second career World medal. She captured a World silver medal in 2012. Read full story ... Team USA Results (Wednesday) Alyssa Lampe (48 kilos) Round of 32: Won by pin over Narangel Erdenesukh (Mongolia), 5:50 Round of 16: Won by pin over Hyun-Young Oh (Korea), 3:48 Quarterfinals: Lost by tech. fall to Eri Tosaka (Japan), 14-4 Repechage: Won by pin over Silvia Felice (Italy), 1:15 Bronze-medal match: Lost by dec. to Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea), 4-4 Helen Maroulis (55 kilos) Round of 16: Won by pin over Elverine Jimenez (Nicaragua), 2:12 Quarterfinals: Won by pin over Battsetseg Altantsetseg (Mongolia), 2:21 Semifinals: Lost by dec. to Chiho Hamada (Japan), 6-2 Bronze-medal match: Won by tech. fall over Katarzyna Krawczyk, 10-0 Jenna Burkert (60 kilos) Round of 16: Lost by tech. fall to Katsuki Sakagami (Japan), 10-0 Randi Miller (69 kilos) Round of 32: Lost by pin to Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus (Poland), 2:27 Medalists (Wednesday) 48 kilos: Gold: Eri Tosaka (Japan) Silver: Iwona Matkowska (Poland) Bronze: Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea) 55 kilos: Gold: Chiho Hamada (Japan) Silver: Irina Ologonova (Russia) Bronze: Helen Maroulis (USA) Bronze: Iryna Khariv (Ukraine) 60 kilos: Gold: Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia) Silver: Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Natalia Golts (Russia) Bronze: Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria) 69 kilos: Gold: Aline Focken (Germany) Silver: Sara Dosho (Japan) Bronze: Laura Skujina (Latvia) Bronze: Natalia Vorobeva (Russia)

Jordan Burroughs claimed bronze (Photo/Larry Slater)TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- Nobody is going to ever question the grit, moxie and heart that American star Jordan Burroughs displays whenever he steps on a wrestling mat. Competing with a heavily wrapped left knee, Burroughs capped a courageous performance by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships on Tuesday night at the Gymnastics Palace. Burroughs suffered a left knee injury in his first match of the day, but still managed to win four of five matches. The final win was a first-period pin over Ukraine's Rustam Dudaev in the bronze-medal freestyle bout at 74 kg/163 lbs. Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion, is now a remarkable 92-2 in his international career. Burroughs gave up the opening takedown against Dudaev before storming back with a strong attack to take a 7-2 lead. His final takedown put Dudaev on his back and Burroughs recorded a fall at the 2:48 mark of the first period. Read full story ... Team USA Results (Tuesday) Jimmy Kennedy (61 kilos) Round of 32: Won by tech. fall over Hamka (INA), 10-0 Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Andrei Perpelita (Moldova), 6-4 Brent Metcalf (65 kilos) Round of 32: Won by tech. fall over Park Seoungun (Korea), 11-0 Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Mustafa Kaya (Turkey), 7-4 Jordan Burroughs (74 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Augusto Midana (Guinea Bisau), 4-3 Round of 16: Won by tech. fall over Lee Yun-seok (Korea), 13-2 Quarterfinals: Won by dec. Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), 5-0 Semifinals: Lost by dec. to Denis Tsargush (Russia), 9-2 Bronze-medal match: Won by pin over Rustam Dudaiev (Ukraine) Jake Varner (97 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over William Harth (Germany), 7-0 Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Valerii Andriitsev (Ukraine), 5-3 Medalists (Tuesday) 61 kilos: Gold: Haji Aliev (Azerbaijan) Silver: Masoud Esmailpoorjouybari (Iran) Bronze: Nyam-Ochir Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia) Bronze: Yowlys Rodriguez (Cuba) 65 kilos: Gold: Soslan Ramonov (Russia) Silver: Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi (Iran) Bronze: Mihail Sava (Moldova) Bronze: Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (Mongolia) 74 kilos: Gold: Denis Tsargush (Russia) Silver: Sohsuke Takatani (Japan) Bronze: Jordan Burroughs (USA) Bronze: Livan Lopez (Cuba) 97 kilos: Gold: Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia) Silver: Khetag Gazyumov (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Valeri Andriitsev (Ukraine) Bronze: Samil Erogran (Turkey)

Tervel Dlagnev (Photo/Larry Slater)TASHKENT, Uzbekistan -- American Tervel Dlagnev was tired of taking fifth. Fifth at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships, and fifth in the 2012 Olympics, Dlagnev came through to capture a bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships on Monday night at the Gymnastics Palace. Dlagnev scored a first-period takedown en route to edging 2011 World champion Alexei Shemarov of Belarus 2-1 in the freestyle wrestling bronze bout at 125 kilos. Dlagnev won his second World bronze medal after placing third at the 2009 Worlds. "I knew I had to get out quickly, get my points and stay in the fight," Dlagnev said. "I was real fired up to have another shot at a medal. I obviously wanted to win a gold medal and that’s what I trained for, but I’m so pumped to win a bronze medal." Read full story ... Team USA Results (Monday) Tony Ramos (57 kilos) Round of 64: Lost by dec. to Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia), 7-4 Nick Marable (70 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Akzurek Tantarov (Kazakhstan), 2-1 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Grigor Grigoryan (Armenia), 4-2 Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to Ali Shabanau (Belarus), 5-2 Ed Ruth (86 kilos) Round of 64: Won by tech. fall over Yusup Melejaev (Turkmenistan), 12-2 Round of 32: Lost by dec. to Mohammadhossein Mohammadian (Iran), 7-4 Tervel Dlagnev (125 kilos) Round of 32: Won by tech. fall over Aleksandr Romanov (Moldova), 11-1 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Soslan Gagloev (Slovakia), 5-0 Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to Taha Akgul (Turkey), 4-2 Repechage: Won by dec. over Aslan Dzebisov (Azerbaijan), 3-1 Bronze-medal match: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) dec. Alexei Shemarov (Belarus), 2-1 Medalists (Monday) 57 kilos: Gold: Kyong-Il Yang (North Korea) Silver: Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia) Bronze: Hassan Rahimi (Iran) Bronze: Vladislav Andreev (Belarus) 70 kilos: Gold: Khetik Tsabolov (Russia) Silver: Yakup Gor (Turkey) Bronze: Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan) Bronze: Ali Shabanov (Belarus) 86 kilos: Gold: Abdul Rashid Sadulaev (Russia) Silver: Reineris Salas (Cuba) Bronze: Selim Yasar (Turkey) Bronze: Askari Mohammadian (Iran) 125 kilos: Gold: Taha Akgul (Turkey) Silver: Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) Bronze: Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia Bronze: Tervel Dlagnev (USA)

Day 7 (Sunday): Greco-Roman Spenser Mango (59 kilos): Round of 32: Won by dec. over Fatih Ucuncu (Turkey), 2-2 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Peter Modos (Hungary), 4-0 Quarterfinals: Won by tech. fall over Kazuma Kuramoto (Japan), 10-0 Semifinals: Lost by dec. to Mingiyan Semenov (Russia), 9-1 Bronze-medal match: Lost by dec. to Stig Andre Berge (Norway), 1-0 Justin Lester (71 kilos): Round of 32: Won by dec. over Mindia Tursumia (Georgia), 5-0 Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), 9-7 Caylor Williams (98 kilos): Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Marthin Nielsen, 3-0 Day 6 (Saturday): Greco-Roman Bryce Saddoris (66 kilos): Round of 64: Won by pin over Loiqi Amirkhanzode (Tajikistan), 1:26 Round of 32: Lost by dec. to Revaz Lashkhi (Georgia), 1-0 Joe Rau (80 kilos): Round of 32: Lost by pin to Jonas Bossert (Switzerland), 4:11 Robby Smith (130 kilos): Round of 16: Won by dec. over Jon Won Hwang (Korea), 8-2 Quarterfinals: Lost by tech. fall to Lyubomir Dimitrov (Bulgaria), 9-0 Day 5 (Friday): Greco-Roman Andy Bisek (75 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Petros Maoulidis (Greece), 5-0 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Ramon Vlasov (Russia), 6-6 Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to Neven Zugaj (Croatia), 1-0 Repechage: Won by dec. over Veli-Karri Suominen (Finland), 6-5 Bronze-medal match: Won by tech. fall over Hiroyuki Shimizu (Japan), 8-0 Jordan Holm (85 kilos) Round of 64: Lost by dec. to Rustam Assakalov (Uzbekistan), 5-0 Day 5 (Friday): Women's freestyle Elena Pirozhkova (63 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Anastasia Grigorjeva (Latvia), 5-4 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia), 6-4 Quarterfinals: Won by dec. over Danielle Lappage (Canada), 2-1 Semifinals: Won by dec. over Monika Michalik (Poland), 3-0 Gold-medal match: Lost by dec. to Yulia Tkach (Ukraine), 4-2 Day 4 (Thursday): Women's freestyle Whitney Conder (53 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Tatiana Debien (France), 6-0 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Sumiya Erdenechimeg (Mongolia), 4-4 Quarterfinals: Lost by pin to Sofia Mattson (Sweden), 1:40 Repechage: Lost by dec. to Myong-Suk Jong (North Korea), 8-2 Alli Ragan (58 kilos) Round of 16: Won by dec. over Aisylyy Tynbekova (Kyrgyzstan), 7-6 Quarterfinals: Lost by tech. fall to Kaori Icho (Japan), 10-0 Repechage: Won by tech. fall over Asem Seydametova (Uzbekistan), 10-0 Bronze-medal match: Lost by dec. to Anastassia Huchok (Belarus), 4-4 Adeline Gray (75 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Zhou Qian (China), 11-10 Round of 16: Won by pin over Yasemin Adar (Turkey), 4:43 Quarterfinals: Won by dec. over Hiroe Suzuki (Japan), 2-1 Semifinals: Won by dec. over Epp Mae (Estonia), 5-1 Gold-medal match: Won by dec. over Aline da Silva (Brazil), 2-1 Day 3 (Wednesday): Women's freestyle Alyssa Lampe (48 kilos) Round of 32: Won by pin over Narangel Erdenesukh (Mongolia), 5:50 Round of 16: Won by pin over Hyun-Young Oh (Korea), 3:48 Quarterfinals: Lost by tech. fall to Eri Tosaka (Japan), 14-4 Repechage: Won by pin over Silvia Felice (Italy), 1:15 Bronze-medal match: Lost by dec. to Hyon Gyong Kim (North Korea), 4-4 Helen Maroulis (55 kilos) Round of 16: Won by pin over Elverine Jimenez (Nicaragua), 2:12 Quarterfinals: Won by pin over Battsetseg Altantsetseg (Mongolia), 2:21 Semifinals: Lost by dec. to Chiho Hamada (Japan), 6-2 Bronze-medal match: Won by tech. fall over Katarzyna Krawczyk, 10-0 Jenna Burkert (60 kilos) Round of 16: Lost by tech. fall to Katsuki Sakagami (Japan), 10-0 Randi Miller (69 kilos) Round of 32: Lost by pin to Agnieszka Wieszczek-Kordus (Poland), 2:27 Day 2 (Tuesday): Men's freestyle Jimmy Kennedy (61 kilos) Round of 32: Won by tech. fall over Hamka (INA), 10-0 Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Andrei Perpelita (Moldova), 6-4 Brent Metcalf (65 kilos) Round of 32: Won by tech. fall over Park Seoungun (Korea), 11-0 Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Mustafa Kaya (Turkey), 7-4 Jordan Burroughs (74 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Augusto Midana (Guinea Bisau), 4-3 Round of 16: Won by tech. fall over Lee Yun-seok (Korea), 13-2 Quarterfinals: Won by dec. Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan), 5-0 Semifinals: Lost by dec. to Denis Tsargush (Russia), 9-2 Bronze-medal match: Won by pin over Rustam Dudaiev (Ukraine) Jake Varner (97 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over William Harth (Germany), 7-0 Round of 16: Lost by dec. to Valerii Andriitsev (Ukraine), 5-3 Day 1 (Monday): Men's freestyle Tony Ramos (57 kilos) Round of 64: Lost by dec. to Bekhbayar Erdenebat (Mongolia), 7-4 Nick Marable (70 kilos) Round of 32: Won by dec. over Akzurek Tantarov (Kazakhstan), 2-1 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Grigor Grigoryan (Armenia), 4-2 Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to Ali Shabanau (Belarus), 5-2 Ed Ruth (86 kilos) Round of 64: Won by tech. fall over Yusup Melejaev (Turkmenistan), 12-2 Round of 32: Lost by dec. to Mohammadhossein Mohammadian (Iran), 7-4 Tervel Dlagnev (125 kilos) Round of 32: Won by tech. fall over Aleksandr Romanov (Moldova), 11-1 Round of 16: Won by dec. over Soslan Gagloev (Slovakia), 5-0 Quarterfinals: Lost by dec. to Taha Akgul (Turkey), 4-2 Repechage: Won by dec. over Aslan Dzebisov (Azerbaijan), 3-1 Bronze-medal match: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) dec. Alexei Shemarov (Belarus), 2-1

Mat A Mat B Mat C

The World Championships start Monday. Read up, tune in and take part in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. What an incredible sport ... Q: Henry Cejudo missed weight at UFC 177. I just can't ... -- Kevin F. Foley: I'm no fan, and much of the world has seen his behavior turn from good-natured, hard-working Olympic champion to shampoo salesman. Though I like giving him a solid ribbing, sometimes you have to step back and listen when someone close to Henry cuts him deep ... From an interview with Terry Brands: "I don't see the Henry Cejudo who was balls in, who would give his life to whatever he committed himself to. But I'm not his coach and it's not my job to tell him this stuff." Q: I was looking at Okie State roster and did not see Eddie Klimara. Any idea what's going on there? -- Raed K. Foley: The word is Klimara is back at Oklahoma State, but a possible redshirt is being discussed. However, if he does redshirt that might put Oklahoma State in a bind at 125. Q: What did you think of Ben Askren's win at OneFC? He should be in the UFC. -- Jake D. Foley: Brutal. I'm actually kinda thinking I wouldn't want him to punch me in the face. Before his punches looked like white-gloved slaps from a spurned lover, but now they look back-filled with rage. The new more violent Ben, is probably more marketable, but a part of me loved watching him smother other humans. Something about that seemed so mentally defeating. Askren is a dominant welterweight, and were MMA an international sport rather than a spectacle we'd have our answer of just how good he can be in the cage. I think he's top three, but until he gets a superfight against someone in the UFC, or a new contract we'll be left to guess if he could beat the likes of Johnny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler. What Askren does better than any other fighter is something without his fists or his legs ... he tells the truth. There aren't many people who are wise and forthwith, but Askren is both. In a sport full of scumbags and crooks, hearing his spin-free take on the state of MMA, doping and Dana White is refreshing. Check out this interview for the details of just how honest he can be when given a microphone. Team Askren. Q: In your response to the private school questions (and the fact that you are in Chicago), how can you not reference the program that Mike Powell has built at Oak Park? They have top-tier coaching and a travel schedule that allows for increased competitiveness. And Oak Park High School is one of the most diverse in the country. -- DMZ Foley: Correction: I moved to Hong Kong in April ... The OPRF program is one of the best in the country, and also one of the most diverse. In terms of wrestling knowledge my biggest gap comes at the high school level. As I've gone to cover more international events, I tend to miss out on more of the prep action. What makes Powell an exceptional coach isn't just his ability to coach kids to win at the high school level. There are coaches around the country who can get results from their wrestlers, but to also create a combination of attitude and skill level that allows his athletes to succeed in college and in international competition. Team Mike Powell. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME World Championships trailer Link: World Championships broadcast schedule Link: Journalist predictions for World Championships Q: I know questions about Pat Downey have come up on your mailbag. Just wanted to let you know (assuming you haven't heard) Pat Downey is at Iowa Central Community College. Looks like one hell of a workout partner for my little brother. -- Justin H. Foley: I did not know, and I very much appreciate you sharing that information. You read it here first! Q: Who from the States is coming away with a medal next week at the World Championships? -- Eric H. Jake Varner, who did not compete in 2013, will be looking for his third World-level medal on Tuesday after winning a World bronze medal in 2011 and Olympic gold medal in 2012 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Foley: Prognostication is certain to incite pushback, but I think four men's freestyle wrestlers will capture medals: Jordan Burroughs, Brent Metcalf, Jimmy Kennedy and Jake Varner. Three women's freestyle wrestlers will medal: Helen Maroulis, Elena Pirozhkova and Adeline Gray. The Greco-Roman team has an outside chance at winning one medal from Justin Lester or Robby Smith. I wrote an InterMat Platinum article on the odds for all these wrestlers, which you're welcome to read here, but know that everything -- as always -- has to do with the draw. It's conceivable that Tony Ramos can catch Viktor Lebedev in the first round and be drug into the repechage where he wins one match and heads into a bronze-medal match. It's equally as likely that Jordan Burroughs gets put into the same side of the bracket as Denis Tsargush and Jabrayil Hasanov. When it comes to the World Championships anything is possible, which is why we love this week of wrestling! I've always considered America's top asset to be its optimism for outperforming the odds. Our medalists over the past ten years are a mixture of stone cold champions (Burroughs and Cael) and over-performing underdogs (Varner and Cejudo). That half of our Olympic gold medalists since 2004 were long shots to win a match is unique. Few countries have similar track records. Anything is possible. Nick Marable could make the finals, Varner could lose first match. For me those limitless possibilities is what makes the week so much fun.

Obviously UFC 177 didn't go as planned. And even if it had, it still would've been a weak pay per view. But as professionals, Richard and John prefer to look ahead rather than piling on and critiquing last week's debacle. Except for calling it a debacle right there. On this week's show the guys break down Friday's Bellator and UFC shows going down in Connecticut. Each card is headlined by a rematch, with Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Gegard Mousasi and Pat Curran vs. Patricio Pitbull Freire. One fighter has a better chance of replicating their previous victory. (Spoiler alert: it's Curran). For all of that and picks for both main cards, click the link. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Scholastic wrestling is an ever-evolving beast. The in-season campaign has always started in November with the official beginning of preparatory practice, and ended with the state tournament in either late February or early March. Around just one generation ago, an offseason would consist of some local spring tournaments, maybe some open mats in the spring and summer, then maybe an out-of-town camp and/or national type tournament in the summer. However, for better or worse, that ship has obviously left for sea -- and how. There are the national folkstyle tournaments in late March/early April, and then the summer brings about big national tournaments in both folkstyle and the Olympic styles. Even with the rising prevalence of Fargo, Junior/Cadet Duals, Disney Duals, and Junior Olympics -- the late summer and fall period was still mostly a "cool off period" for most wrestlers. While a limited group would be year-round wrestling specialists, there seemed to be more wrestlers that involved themselves with a fall sport (football, soccer, cross-country, or whatever). However, in the last ten years there has been a significant shrinkage of that "cool off period" and a significant increase in "wrestling specialists". To be fair, this is not just a wrestling-related trend, as the trend within all of youth/scholastic sports is toward single sport specialization -- with successful participation in two sports somewhat of a minor miracle, and three-sport athletes turning into the dodo bird. While the local -- creeping into regional -- prior to the preseason tournament was not a foreign language about ten years ago, certainly the "critical mass" of regional creeping into national events would fit as such. The rise and growth of the Super 32 Challenge from a local creeping into a regional event held at Morehead High School in North Carolina to a regional/national event now in its 10th year at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center would change the narrative. This event has maintained a late October date throughout its history. Many of these regional/national events occupy a spot on the wrestling calendar at present. They vary in terms of the extent to which it is a regional event as opposed to a national event. The talent quality within each of these fields will vary as well. Furthermore, the preseason calendar has crept into the earlier fall period. The following is an inventory of such events. Sunday, September 21: Iron Horse Invitational (South Plainfield, New Jersey) The event is about a decade old, and employs a round-robin format. Wrestlers are invited and/or accepted into the event based on the combination of past production and future potential. Weight classes are relatively arbitrary, with wrestlers grouped together more on ability and/or matchup interest in mind. Competition entails round-robins of four-to-five wrestlers (last year there were just over 25 groups contested). The field is primarily made up of New Jersey wrestlers, with other wrestlers mostly coming from New York, Pennsylvania, or other parts of the east coast. Wrestle in My Shoes is the non-profit sponsoring partner for the event. Sunday, October 5: Journeymen Classic (Niskayuna, New York) This event pretty much replicates the Iron Horse Invitational in terms of format and structure. In its fourth year, the tournament will again reach its just over 200 person capacity, and include wrestlers from between 25-to-30 states. The core of the field will come from New York State, along with the surrounding Northeast and Mid-Atlantic locales (additional top wrestlers are expected to attend from outside the core area). Per the tournament flyer, the event is targeting about 15 round-robin competitions to entail elite level competitors across the board; while the other half to two-thirds of the field will vary in terms of competition. Sunday, October 12: Conflict at Carver (Iowa City, Iowa) Last year the Hawkeye Wrestling Club decided to enter the preseason tournament business, with this event, as they would open up the opportunity to wrestle on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena floor to all. The initial edition of the event was a relatively local one, with the core of the field coming from Iowa, and the rest filling in from surrounding states. While one would expect the event to grow in its second year, and the second year tends to be better than the first year, the first year returns for this event showed a relatively small and weak field -- given the context of these events. Saturday, October 18: Who's Number One, presented by Flowrestling (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) Last year Flowrestling presented the inaugural edition of this invitational event with the intent of being an all-grade Dapper Dan of sorts in the preseason. In addition, they also had a matchup of two post-collegiate athletes to create further attention (in 2013 it was Bubba Jenkins vs. Jordan Oliver). The event is back this year on the campus of Lehigh University, and will employ a similar format -- star matchups across the weight spectrum of highly ranked high school wrestlers with a featured bout. Saturday, October 18: Grappler Fall Classic (Grand Rapids, Michigan) In its fifth year, this event has youth and junior high divisions in addition to the high school competition. College rules are in effect for this event as well. The field is primarily wrestlers from Michigan, with competitors from surrounding states filling out the field, along with isolated wrestlers from other parts of the country. Saturday, October 18: Blue Chip Fall Brawl (Kansas City, Missouri) This event is among the older tournaments of the regional type. Now held at Staley High School in suburban Kansas City, the tournament features wrestlers from Missouri, Kansas, and other neighboring states. The featured match of last year's tournament was one in the final at 182 pound between Bo Nickal and Michael Pixley, both wrestlers having won Junior National freestyle titles in the summer of 2013. Saturday, October 25 (and Sunday, October 26): Preseason Nationals (Cedar Falls, Iowa) In the mold of the Super 32 Challenge, this is a national event, though the core of the field is from the middle third of the country; as opposed to the Super 32, whose core participants are from the eastern third of the country. High school boys' competition will be on Saturday; while the middle school and elementary school boys along with the high school girls event will be held on Sunday. Both the grade-school and high school events sold out last year, and capacity for each event has increased slightly to 1,500 this year (high school girls capacity at 200). Friday, October 31 through Sunday, November 2: Southwest Kickoff Classic (Las Vegas, Nevada) Similar to the Preseason Nationals and Super 32 Challenge, this is a relatively national event, though the core of the field is from the western third of the country. The event features a high school elite and high school varsity division, along with multiple age divisions for junior high and elementary wrestlers. Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2: Super 32 Challenge presented by Flips Wrestling (Greensboro, North Carolina) The Super 32 Challenge is held in Greensboro, N.C.The elite event, with the deepest and most diverse field, of the preseason tournament circuit is this one in its 16th year overall, and 10th in the Greensboro Coliseum Special Event Center. Last year's field featured close to 90 wrestlers that earned weight class rankings at the end of the 2013-14 season; while just over 20 percent of the 1,250 tournament participants won a state, New England regional, or National Prep title. In addition the high school tournament, there is also a middle school tournament, which will feature many of the nation's top junior high prospects; an elementary school tournament with two divisions has also been added for the first time this year (both the middle school and elementary school events sold out in about 48 hours). Flips Wrestling was added as the event's title sponsor this year. Sunday, November 9: InterMat JJ Classic (Rochester, Minnesota) This event is among the newer preseason tournaments in its fifth year. The event is held at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minnesota, and is open to wrestlers in grades 7 through 12. The tournament is held in memory of Justin "JJ" Kukowski, and proceeds of the event go toward the fight against cancer. The field primarily features wrestlers from the Midwest, along with a smattering of competitors from across the country. Registration for this year's event opens on September 15.

With the high school wrestling season's start nearing, InterMat is taking readers across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From mid-August until mid-November, InterMat is introducing readers to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. In this installment, Steve Elwood looks at the top senior wrestlers in Minnesota. There's no argument nationally about the talent of Minnesota wrestling. Every year there are superstars coming from the land of 10,000 lakes and this year is no exception. This top 10 list overall is not quite on par with previous Minnesota lists, which mirrors the scene from a national perspective. It's led by two of the top recruits in the nation and has several that are under the radar. Are there potential national NCAA All-Americans here? I think there's a few. All told, there are 20 state titles won so far by these 10 wrestlers. I would be quite surprised if that number is not sitting at 30 by the first weekend of March. Bobby Steveson (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)1. Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley) Projected High School Weight Class: 182/195 Projected College Weight Class: 184/197 Analysis: No rational fan would have had Steveson at the top of the list a year ago. But this late-blooming senior has shot up the rankings with high-caliber wins over Sam Colbray, Johnny Sebastian and Lance Benick in the last 12 months. There may not be a tougher wrestler to score on and his style wears out most opponents by the third period. Steveson won a Junior National freestyle title in Fargo, Pan American titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman, and a Junior National folkstyle title. He is a two-time state champion with a 120-3 record during his prep career in Minnesota. Lance Benick (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)2. Lance Benick (Totino-Grace) Projected High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Analysis: A year ago Benick was the No. 1 overall wrestler in the Class of 2015. He slips a little here as a result of a few unexpected losses to Sam Colbray and Bobby Steveson. But it would be a mistake to overlook this high profile talent. Benick is a multiple-time national champion in Fargo as well as a FILA Cadet National champion and a member of the FILA Cadet World Team. Benick is a three-time state champion who has gone 125-4 over the past three seasons. He has committed to Zeke Jones at Arizona State. Cameron Sykora (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)3. Cameron Sykora (Border West) Projected High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Analysis: Sykora has a rare opportunity to be in the elusive five-time state championship club by year's end. If accomplished, he will be one of only five wrestlers in Minnesota to pull this off. Sykora is deserving of a national ranking and I am predicting a banner senior season. He has taken gold at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals in Virginia Beach, as well as the Grappler Fall Classic in Michigan. He has compiled a record of 177-13. Sykora committed to North Dakota State. Maolu Woiwor (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)4. Maolu Woiwor (Apple Valley) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: It's hard to imagine a potential four-time state champion from Apple Valley not getting much national attention, but that's the case with Woiwor. He is my pick for the most underrated wrestler in Minnesota. Woiwer is the defending Rumble on the Red champion, as well as a multiple-time Minnesota Christmas Tournament placewinner. His older brother Daniel is looking to start at Iowa State this season. He has a career record of 144-16. Woiwor has not yet committed to a college. Andrew Fogarty (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine)5. Andrew Fogarty (Scott West) Projected High School Weight Class: 160/170 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Analysis: Fogarty surprised the wrestling world when it surely looked like he pinned one of the nation's top recruits, Ryan Blees, last season in the finals at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament. It wasn't meant to be and he took a close loss. He is no longer overlooked as this multiple-sport athlete proved as he walked through the field for his second Rumble on the Red championship. He then went on to win the state championship after a 48-1 season. Louie Sanders (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)6. Louie Sanders (LCWM) Projected High School Weight Class: 138/145 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Analysis: Sanders, a first cousin to four-time All-American Zach Sanders, enters his senior season with a shot at becoming the first three-time state champion in his school's history. Sanders is another underrated, but very explosive wrestler. His accolades include being a multiple-time freestyle state champion, as well as runner-up at the InterMat JJ Classic. He has amassed 135 career wins. Sanders gave a verbal commitment to North Dakota State. Alex Hart (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)7. Alex Hart (Prior Lake) Projected High School Weight Class: 220/285 Projected College Weight Class: N/A (Football) Analysis: Hart was involved in three epic matches with Apple Valley's Paul Cheney last season, and the Prior Lake wrestler came out on top to win a state title. The two wrestlers also hooked up at the Minnesota Christmas tournament where Hart won that meeting as well. This highly sought after football recruit will be moving between 220 pounds and heavyweight this season. Hart plans on playing football in college, but has not yet committed to a college. Paden Moore (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)8. Paden Moore (JCC) Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157/165 Analysis: Moore has been in the shadow of his two talented brothers throughout his career. His brother Cooper wrestles at Northern Iowa, while his younger brother Keegan is a teammate at JCC. But it would be a mistake to dismiss this hardworking wrestler. Moore is a multiple-time state champion in both summer styles and is a Northern Plains champion. He has an impressive 96 pins and 181 wins entering his senior season. He is undefeated at The Clash. Moore is undecided on his college plans. Austin Anderly (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)9. Austin Anderly (Le Sueur-Henderson) Projected High School Weight Class: 126 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: This talented two-time state champion competes for the same high school as the well-known Pfarr family. (Brett Pfarr will be the 184-pound starter for the University of Minnesota.) Anderly has a way of showing up for big matches and is very explosive offensively. Anderly is a former Northern Plains champion as well as a multiple-time state freestyle champion. He remains uncommitted for college. Quinten Berres (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)10. Quinten Berres (Kimball Area) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Analysis: Berres has a chance to become the first three-time state champion from his high school. He is a four-time state placewinner. His state placements have been 6-3-1-1. His most impressive moment may have been his sophomore run when he wrestled the state tournament with only one healthy arm. Berres also excels on the baseball field, but plans on wrestling in college. He has not yet announced his college plans.

This week Josh Shaw, a standout collegiate football player for USC, was caught in a lie. The 22-year-old senior claimed he injured his ankles in the midst of rescuing his drowning nephew. A few days later Shaw admitted that there was no rescue and that he's injured himself in a separate incident. Just what type of incident has yet to be determined. Not knowing what occurred hasn't slowed the investigation into Shaw's behavior. Newsweek, once a venerable national magazine, had respected journalist John Walters report an exclusive about how the young, unpaid college athlete went about casting his web of deceit. Walters, a middle-aged man with absolutely zero known lies in his past, describes Shaw's dishonesty as "pathological" and uses a true-crime, minute-by-delicious-minute structure to take readers inside Shaw's actions:It was now Monday afternoon. Students and others might soon be noticing one of the Trojans' star players traversing USC's sun-dappled campus in a motorized cart. The next practice was scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. With the Trojans just four days away from their season-opener and Sarkisian's debut as head coach against Fresno State at home on Saturday, reporters would definitely notice Shaw's absence. How else was USC supposed to explain Shaw's bizarre injury when the only version it knew of was Shaw's? There was no mention of Shaw in any criminal activity; no incident reports from the campus police.Sensational reporting! What could the university with a multi-million dollar endowment and 100-plus athletic staff do to ward off reporters? They were left no choice ... Maybe now it is best to note that USC had zero obligation to report the details of Shaw's injury. There are strict HIPAA laws in place to ensure that medical matters aren't shared with the media. Shaw's story, however, proved irresistible, and rather than just divert comments and allow speculation USC chose to run the story on the front page of their sight. Enter "inveterate" USC sports information director Tim Tessalone. The only reason that Shaw's story would go public is because Tessalone made a decision to run the story on Monday at 3:30 p.m. By his own admission Tessalone states in Walter's piece that, "We knew it was a feel-good story, but it was also going to be a news story." Again: USC was under no obligation to release a story on Shaw's injury. The SID and AD Pat Haden chose to run the story because it could result in great PR. According to honest John Walters, the school "interrogated" Shaw for several hours in what amount to a vetting of his story for publication. Shaw's deception, which until this point had been kept a university matter, was now blasted into the Twitterverse sparking a flood of doubters and eventually a myriad stories about Shaw's character and his supposed crimes of propaganda -- none more self-righteous and grandstanding than Walters'. The real bad guys of this story are the USC administration and the reporter who clumsily laid out their CYA media campaign. The men, all of whom are paid for their work, pointed fingers at a scared 22-year-old kid with sprained ankles and called him a liar. They called him "pathological." Honest John Walters and inveterate Tim Tessalone violated the ethical underpinnings of journalism and education in general. They lost sight of who deserves their care and protection and who deserves their scorn. Tessalone failed Shaw for publishing his story, and Walters failed in reporting on Shaw's lies rather than USC's breach of ethics. But nobody will take Walters and SID Tessalone to task. They're incubated by their relative irrelevance and emboldened by their distance from the action. Walters might move on to dissect a new pathological manipulation of another underprivileged, scared kid who lied to get out of trouble, and then he'll beat his chest once more, raise his chin to the world and know for certain that he is above the fray, that he and Tessalone are the honest gentleman, the best of the best, the infallible, the just, the purveyors of indisputable truth. That Shaw and his ilk are the scorn-worthy, the breakables, the ones who deserve the full might of a national magazine to expose their character flaws for the deserving masses. Or maybe Walters and the media who covered this episode with brazen disregard for who holds power, are just scandalmongers picking off the weakest in the crowd, fearful of the big story and who it might alienate. Maybe they've lost sight of the media's role in comforting the weak and powerless, to stick up for the little guy and the hard truths, rather than conduct exclusive stories with the powerful in hopes of covering their asses and moving copy. To your questions ... Q: What were the biggest contributing factors to reinstating Fresno State's wrestling program and what can we take away from their feat? -- @RobbyBobbi Foley: Dennis Deliddo. That man has not given up his fight to reinstate the Fresno State wrestling program. A fantastic coach who has an impressive lineage of athletes and coaches, Deliddo has been laser-focused on doing whatever he can to get wrestling back in the Valley. After more than eight years his hard work has paid off. There are many, many others who have played an influential role, but from my understanding Deliddo's connections and leadership have always been at the forefront of the reinstatement campaign. What a great moment for wrestling. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about the first time a Bulldog wrestler steps on the mat. Redemption is a powerful story and reading that President Castro was committed to the sport's reinstatement was an assurance that administrations can and do recognize the power and profitability of passion. Q: I do have a question about high school wrestling. In general it seems to me that the more successful programs in the country come from pretty affluent communities. For a high school to be continually dominant must they be private with a great coach or if they are public must they come from an affluent area as well? I look at my home state of California and the top teams consistently come from really resourced areas ... Gilroy, Vacaville and Bakersfield being the exceptions. Nationally the high school programs tend to be very affluent and as result can limit opportunities for kids of color who may not be able to afford the same opportunity as say an East on, a Blair, or St. Paris Graham. So is money a key factor in the success of dominant programs? -- Marcus R. Foley: Access to resources is a huge factor in the future success of athletes. More money often means better coaching and a travel schedule that allows for increased competitiveness. However, that's a soft line since the majority of successful wrestlers in America come low to middle/low income households. Blair and St. Ed's are private schools with enrollments not limited by geography. They are magnet schools for wrestling talent and have a coaching infrastructure and booster program that supports the development of their athletes from a young age. The other restriction for minority athletes from disadvantaged upbringings is early attention to their talent and proper relationship building by coaches to find the extra resources necessary to move them along to the next level. Ed Ruth was once a Susquehanna-only wrestler, but was able to create a relationship with Blair that landed him in State College, and on the U.S. World Team. The part-time coaching structure of the public school system is not the most efficient means for developing young wrestlers. That system is even more complicated in areas of restricted resources and who battle larger issues that develop is socio-economic disadvantaged communities. Wrestling can grow in these communities. It will take time, but we can already see that the Beat The Streets model is creating some college athletes. There hasn't been an Ed Ruth yet, but given time, exposure and expertise the NYC and affiliated programs around the country will create someone of his caliber and talent. Q: Having been a Division I coach and recruiter yourself, how much emphasis is put on getting to know a wrestler on a personal level before committing scholarship money to that student-athlete? There are many accomplished wrestlers coming into college, but not all of them pan out and achieve at a high level. Some even fizzle out and quit wrestling within a year or two. Can coaches pick up on how motivated a kid is during the recruiting process? -- Mike C. Foley: The character of a young student-athlete is very important, though often it's difficult to suss out the truth before they arrive on campus. I was fortunate to help Brendan Buckley recruit a lot of quality kids to his program at Columbia. Some were excellent wrestlers, but all were smart and engaging. Not all of them made it through four years of college wrestling, but often that had to do a with a variety of difficult-to-predict factors. College kids are trying out different personalities all the time. If done well, very few 22-year-old college graduates are the same person they were at 18. They are wiser, and have made hundreds of decisions, and often difficult decisions. Good coaches try to find kids with whom they can communicate with on a personal level. Things will go wrong. There will be disappointments and lies told, but in the end if there is communication and trust a coach can help their athlete grow on and off the mat, the latter part of which is more important. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME FILA Wrestling World Championships trailer Newest Foxcatcher trailer Q: Why does Illinois dominate in high school freestyle, but can't touch Pennsylvania in All-Americans at NCAAs? They just like summer? -- @alliseeis_ Foley: Maybe they just like freestyle. Pennsylvania youth wrestlers have dozens of Division I programs in state, which means more are making starting lineups and earning opportunities to become All-American wrestlers. Illinois has four Division programs, SIU-Edwardsville, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Illinois. (Northwestern has a very limited roster.) Pennsylvania also attracts plenty of recruiting attention because of past results and population density. The majority of Division I wrestling programs are on the East Coast and therefore more coaches see the athletes and recruit them to their schools. The competitiveness within the state allows for mid-range kids with huge potential to find their way onto a program. Illinois has a spectacular set of youth programs and their top, top guys tend to be close to on par with many in Pennsylvania. When summertime tournaments come along the margin that appears later in their development hasn't yet taken shape, giving the Illinois kids opportunities to excel. Q: When is women's college folkstyle going to happen? -- @koatig Foley: Never. American folkstyle has very little history with women. There were no barnstorming leagues, or mega-attraction matches in the 1940's. When female wrestling was promoted by the NWCA it was done so as freestyle precisely because there was no established traditional form of the sport in America. Q: In the past few years we have seen some foreign wrestlers make an impact in Division I. Ganbayar Sanjaa was a two-time All-American at American University. Ugi was an All-American for the Citadel, as was Turtogtokh. Any foreign wrestlers we need to keep an eye on in Division I? -- Mike C. Foley: You should always keep an eye out for more Mongolians making an appearance in Charleston. Once the pipeline is opened and process known it's easier for coach and athlete to meet the enrollment standards and compete for the university. No confirmation on if they have more coming, but it's always a possibility. Prior to The Citadel was Steve Lampe's Colby Community College program that would find foreign athletes and bring them to the states. Though if my notes are correct, much of that was also by chance. There are plenty of foreign wrestlers looking for new opportunities. The problem has always been getting them at an early enough age where they can still train in their home country but also work on English and pass the TOEFFL entry exams. If today's Division I college coaches are able to entice foreign athletes into following a program that prepares them for college, then we might see an influx. However, it's much more likely that we will see older athletes come to JUCO before making brief appearances at the NCAA level, a la Ganbayar.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson announced two additions to his coaching staff this afternoon in Trent Paulson and Angel Escobedo. Both Paulson and Escobedo bring impressive resumes to the Cyclone staff. “I’m really excited to have these two outstanding young men on our staff,” Jackson said. “They have great experience at the NCAA and world-class level, both being NCAA champions and world team members. Together they bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our program and are going to continue to push our program to be the very best.” Paulson comes to Iowa State boasting a highly-decorated resume, having established himself as an elite competitor at both the collegiate and professional levels. Paulson spent his collegiate career wrestling for the Cyclones and compiled a career record of 116 wins, 20 losses en route to becoming a three-time All-American and two-time Big 12 Champion, also claiming the 157-pound NCAA title in 2007. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native is also one of 11 wrestlers in program history to become a three-time All-American, capture a national title and tally over 115 career victories. As a professional athlete, Paulson was a four-time member of the USA National Team, also competing as a member of the 2009 World Team. Paulson was the 2009 US Open champion and picked up numerous titles in international competition throughout his career. Paulson is ready start work with this one-of-a-kind staff. “I’m excited to transfer into this role with the college athletes,” Paulson said. “I think between Kevin, Travis, Angel and myself, all being world team members, we can’t be matched as a staff. We’ve got youth and the experience of Coach Jackson. We’re going to attack this with a high intensity and I’m very excited.” Escobedo comes to Iowa State as a volunteer assistant and will continue his training as a senior level athlete for the Cyclone Wrestling Club. As a collegian, Escobedo garnered All-America honors four times, taking the national title in 2008 at 125 pounds. The former Indiana Hoosier was also a three-time Big Ten champion from 2008-10. He ended his collegiate career with 137 victories. Escobedo is eager to join the program and add to its history. “I’m very excited to come to Iowa State,” Escobedo said. “There is a lot of tradition and a lot of winning in this program. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on that and work with the guys on the team, while also continuing my training towards becoming a world champion.” On the professional circuit, Escobedo picked up a fifth-place finish at the 2013 World Championships as a member of the United State National Team, notching the second-highest finish among the American grapplers. In his three years on the professional tour, the Griffith, Indiana, native has picked up several top-five finishes, including two national team honors. Adding Paulson and Escobedo to the Iowa State staff makes the Cyclones one of, if not the only program in the NCAA with four former senior-level world team members. The duo adds to the already highly decorated staff at Iowa State that now holds an Olympic gold medalist, two World gold medals, eight world team members, 17 national team spots, five US Open titles, two NCAA titles and 14 NCAA All-America accolades. All the pieces are in place to keep the program moving forward and train athletes that excel in academics and all levels of wrestling.

Join Scott Casber, Tim Harms, Paul Bird, Corey Lathrup and Brad Johnson this Saturday from 9 a.m.to 11 a.m., 10 a.m. to noon ET on KXNO.com, TakedownRadio.com and iHeart Radio. Win our Super Sunday Singlet giveaway! Win a singlet every Sunday of the year by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/TakedownWrestling and on Twitter at @Takedownradio This week's guests include Jim Heffernan, Mark Schwab, John Licata, Jim Zalesky, Dan Wirnsberger, Tony Ersland and guest host Paul Bird 9 a.m. Jim Heffernan 9:15 a.m. Mark Schwab 9:35 a.m. John Licata 10 a.m. Jim Zalesky 10:15 a.m. Dan Wirnsberger 10:35 a.m. Tony Ersland 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.)

Being an All-American has tremendous importance on the lives of most collegiate wrestlers. For many NCAA Division I wrestlers it's an achievement that can help define their athletic careers and open up future opportunities in athletics. To stand on the podium even once means to fulfill a lifelong goal. Failing to take home an All-American placard can (unfortunately) lead to a lifetime of second-guessing work ethic, weight class decisions and a myriad of near-misses. Given the disparity of outcomes, wrestlers put a tremendous amount of psychological stress on themselves in order to find the podium in March. This season there are 10 seniors who have been closer than most to reaching All-American honors and will have only one more season to fulfill their dream. Max Thomusseit (Pitt) One of the best upperweights in the NCAA for the past several seasons, Max Thomusseit has been one win short of All-American honors the past two seasons. The three-time conference finalist finally made it over the division hump in 2013 to win a title. The round of 12 is not a curse for Thomusseit as much as it is luck. He has drawn tough characters each year, but in 2015 will look to complete his season with another conference championship, a first All-American honor and maybe more. Nebraska's Jake Sueflohn is a three-time NCAA qualifier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) An accomplished mat wrestler with a grind-first attitude, Jake Sueflohn is a three-time NCAA qualifier who has yet to step on the scales for the third day of the NCAA tournament. The Cornhusker has been ranked in the top 10 for most of career and his expectations have been accelerated by the success of teammate James Green and the addition of Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs to the coaching staff. Though he only went 2-2 in 2014, one of those losses was to eventual NCAA runner-up Josh Kindig of Oklahoma State by two points. He was also 2-2 in 2013 with losses to Jordan Oliver and Dylan Ness. Now surrounded by greatness the five NCAA wins in his previous three years should be a great launching point for Sueflohn's success in 2014-2015. Taylor Walsh (Indiana) A three-time NCAA qualifier who set all-time school record with 25 pins last season, Taylor Walsh has the horsepower and firepower to make a run at the NCAA tournament. However, as of yet his talent and growth have not translated into an All-American plaque. Walsh has been lackluster in March, going 1-2 in 2014, 1-2 in 2013 and 1-2 in 2012. It goes without saying that he will need to improve his performance in order to turn his regular season success into postseason hardware. Nick Moore (Iowa) Nick Moore entered the 2014 NCAA Wrestling tournament as the No. 5 seed after finishing runner-up at the Midlands and Big Tens. A four-time Iowa state champion, Moore underperformed in Oklahoma City in 2014 going 2-2, losing to Josh Veltre (Bloomsburg) and Dylan Palacio (Cornell). One of his wins came against a tough Corey Mock. In 2013 he was 1-2, which also included a loss to Veltre. Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan) A two-time MAC champion, Mike Ottinger carried the No. 10 seed into the 2014 NCAAs, but failed to earn the coveted All-American honor. A three-time NCAA qualifier, Ottinger has had his chances to excel. The former Pennsylvania state champion carried an impressive 27-7 record into the NCAA tournament and went 2-2, a marked improvement over his first two seasons where he failed to win a match. Still, with a 73-32 career record and a 15-2 MAC record in 2014, it's likely he will earn another seed and shot at the All-American plaque that has been evading him. Josh Demas (Ohio State) Listed as a senior for Ton Ryan, Josh Demas is a two-time NCAA qualifier who has always displayed massive potential. The potential has meant big wins during the year, but when the end of the season rolls around Demas has been unable to follow teammates like the Stieber bros. and Nick Heflin to the podium. Corey Mock (Chattanooga) The son of UNC-Chapel Hill head wrestling coach and 1982 NCAA champion C.D. Mock, Corey is coming off an impressive 31-5 season. The No. 6 seed at NCAAs in 2014 Corey was unable to translate his strong regular season into an All-American plaque, losing to Southern Conference opponent and All-American Turtogtokh Luvsandorj for the chance to become an All-American. Nick Soto (Chattanooga) Mock's teammate Nick Soto is a three-time NCAA qualifier and was the No. 10 seed at 2014 NCAAs where he went 2-2 in 2014. The rising senior has an 84-25 career record was 1-4 in two previous trips to the NCAAs. Though he hasn't made the podium, he has shown the ability to beat top-level competition through out the season, which is something he will need to achieve in order to take home hardware. Among his big wins are All-Americans Ryan Mango, David Thorn, B.J. Futrell and Jarrod Garnett. However, he does have head-scratching losses and has failed to continue a single trajectory and build consistency. Braden Atwood (Purdue) Though his most important career win was a comeback win against Tim Foley at the 2011 Midlands, Braden Atwood is a three-time NCAA qualifier (2012, 2013, 2014). He's done decent at the NCAAs, earning a 3-6 overall record, including 2-2 in 2014. Atwood knows how to win and stylistically falls into a category of an upperweight that has traditionally found success with high mobility and stamina. He's also a three-time Big Ten placewinner. Andrew Alton was pinned by Eric Grajales last season in a wild, back-and-forth match (Photo/GoBlue.com)Andrew Alton (Penn State) Expectations have been high for Andrew Alton ever since he stepped foot in Happy Valley. As a true freshman, Alton dazzled in a deep weight class (141) in the Big Ten. He won 30 matches that season, picking up some big wins along the way, but ultimately fell in the round of 12 at the NCAAs. After a redshirt season in 2011-12, Andrew came back to go 27-6 as a redshirt sophomore, but a disappointing NCAA tournament (1-2) kept him off the podium. Last year he had shoulder surgery, and though he tried to come back mid-season, Alton was not able to regain his form, and ultimately was replaced by fifth-year senior James English, who became an All-American. As a senior Andrew Alton will look to join his brother Dylan as an All-American for the Nittany Lions. Others: Tommy Gantt (North Carolina State) Joe Spisak (Virginia) Kory Mines (Edinboro) Josh Dziewa (Iowa) Jimmy Lawson (Penn State)

Wayne Baughman will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, August 27. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on theopenmat.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments. Baughman was a 16-time national champion who made eight World teams and three Olympic teams. He was also the head wrestling coach of the 1976 freestyle Olympic team.