InterMat Staff

ADRIAN, Mich. -- As Adrian College continues to see record enrollments, it also is adding more muscle to its athletic offerings. Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, for the first time since 1984, the college will offer wrestling-- this time for both men and women. Adrian last offered wrestling for men from 1959-1984. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) sponsored the sport from 1969-84. During those fifteen years Adrian College earned three MIAA Championships under head coach Paul MacDonald. The program, in its new era, will be run as a NCAA Division III athletic offering. The search for a head coach and recruitment of student-athletes will begin immediately. "Adrian College has a strong tradition in collegiate wrestling and now is the right time to reintroduce the sport on campus," said athletic director, Michael Duffy. "There are far reaching advantages in adding wrestling and the sport is making a big comeback at the NCAA Division III level. The local Lenawee County area has strong roots in high school wrestling and would provide student-athletes an avenue to stay close to home to continue their careers." When commenting on the new women's wrestling program Duffy was equally enthusiastic. "Women's wrestling is rapidly growing across the nation on the youth and high school levels, and there are still limited opportunities for competing at the college level. We believe this addition provides these student-athletes with the chance to continue their athletic pursuits while leveraging a well-rounded, liberal arts education." Three regional institutions also boast wrestling teams: Olivet College, Alma College and Trine University. In total, 90 NCAA Division III institutions sponsor wrestling as of the 2013-14 school year. Earlier this year, Wartburg College (Iowa) captured its fourth-straight team NCAA Division III national championship in front of a record attendance of 8,787 spectators for the Saturday night finals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Change can sometimes be challenging ... especially when it comes to wrestling, the oldest and greatest sport. There's a rich tradition to the sport, a strong sense of history, a concern about avoiding "change for the sake of change." Not to mention a powerful feeling of, "We've been doing it this way for decades, so why change it?" Then, there's the issue of stalling. For large numbers of wrestlers, coaches, officials and fans, stalling seems to be one of those seemingly insurmountable problems. A fact borne out by evidence from old NCAA rule books, and newspaper and magazine articles that stalling -- and what to do about it -- was an issue 30 years ago, 50 years ago, and 75 years ago. In late June, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved four new experimental rules designed to limit stalling tactics. Since the rules were announced, there's been plenty of discussion about the rules and their possible impact in online wrestling forums and social media. However, InterMat thought it made sense to find out what the NCAA was thinking when it wrote these new anti-stalling rules ... so we talked to Ron Beaschler, Secretary-Rules Editor for the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee. What are the new rules regarding stalling? Although there are four new anti-stalling rules, realize that the NCAA has taken a unique two-stage approach to the issue. Two of the rules will go into effect at the start of the 2014-15 season and be in effect for the entire season, while two other rules will be given a limited tryout only at the 2014 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic at the University of Pennsylvania November 1. Let's start with the all-season rules. Nahshon Garrett of Cornell gets called for stalling in the NCAA finals against Jesse Delgado of Illinois (Photo/Larry Slater)The first experimental rule for the entire upcoming season focuses on a wrestler who is in the offensive position and locks or holds his opponent's leg (or legs), and fails to take any attempt at offensive action, such as breaking down his opponent, executing an offensive move, or working back up towards the upper body to attempt to score points. If no such action is taken within five seconds, the offensive wrestler will be called for stalling. The second experimental rule applies when an offensive wrestler applies a side headlock on his opponent, and fails to break down the opponent or execute any other offensive move within five seconds. In this case, a stalling call will be placed on the offensive wrestler. For both situations presented in these new rules, the on-the-mat official will count out the five seconds by providing both a verbal count ("one ... two ...") and a visual count (using hand gestures to count out the seconds with his/her fingers). This provides the wrestlers, coaches, fans and other officials with both auditory and visual evidence that the referee is warning a wrestler, "If you don't take action before I finish my five-count, you will be hit with a stalling call." In addition to these first two rules that will be in use all season, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved two additional experimental rules that will be put in place only at this fall's NWCA All-Star Classic, the beginning-of-the-season event that traditionally features the two top wrestlers in each weight class. The first rule for the All Stars focuses on wrestlers who are in a neutral standing position and, to quote the NCAA press statement, "not actively engaged in an offensive attack, or a defensive counter to an offensive attack, while their feet are out of bounds." Under this new rule, the referee will call stalling. In explaining this rule, the NCAA statement said it is designed to encourage wrestlers to remain active in the center of the mat, and stay away from the out-of-bounds line. In addition, NCAA also made clear this new rule is "not intended to be a ‘push out' rule," such as those which have been implemented in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Again, quoting from the statement, "A wrestler not engaged in an offensive attack or a defensive counter to an offensive attack who is only attempting to push or pull the opponent will be called for stalling." The second experimental rule to be used only for this year's All-Star Classic is geared toward a wrestler who gains an offensive position and is awarded a takedown or a reversal. When the action comes to a natural stopping point -- for instance, when the wrestlers go out of bounds -- the controlling wrestler can chose the option of resuming the action in the neutral (standing) position (instead of the kneeling position), without an escape point being automatically awarded to the controlling wrestler's opponent, as is the case now. Now, an explanation from the NCAA Ron Beaschler, Secretary and Rules Editor for the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee, described his role with the Committee as being "the devil's advocate" -- "looking at the big picture, anticipating what might happen if a rule is implemented." Ron Beaschler"The current Committee is in tune with making wrestling more aggressive, more action-oriented," Beaschler added. "We keep the fan in mind, to make the sport more appealing, not just to long-time fans, but also to attract new fans." "Right now, we're in the middle of a two-year rule cycle for all NCAA sports, not just wrestling," Beaschler continued. (Take a look at the cover of the Wrestling rulebook, and it says, "2013-14 and 2014-15 Rules and Interpretations.") "The thought is to let rules ‘settle in' for a time, so everyone becomes accustomed to them." "The two-year cycle also allows us to do ‘experimental' rules, to encourage experimentation," said Beaschler, who, in addition to his work for the NCAA, is head wrestling coach at Ohio Northern University, an NCAA Division III school in western Ohio, between Dayton and Toledo. Ask Beaschler about the new "experimental" rules regarding stalling, and he immediately makes clear there are two distinct categories -- the two rules that will be in place throughout the 2014-15 season, from the start ... and the two rules that will be in place only for the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic. "(The Committee) saw problems with guys using the side headlock -- and hanging on below the waistline -- and essentially not doing anything," said Beaschler. "To make things absolutely clear, we took what we originally saw as one stalling problem, and made it into two, distinct rules." "The five-second count -- both visual and verbal -- is to serve as a warning to wrestlers, so they have time to take action, become more aggressive and active, rather than hit them instantly with a stall call." "We're pretty sure that we'll get the effect we're seeking with these two new rules," Beaschler added. "That's why we've put them into effect for the entire season." "That said, we invite feedback from coaches, officials, and fans." Two new experimental rules for the All-Stars The National Wrestling Coaches Association opened the door to using its All-Star Classic, an annual exhibition of the best college wrestlers that goes back to 1967, as a test bed for the NCAA. "This year, the NWCA informed the Rules Committee we could use their All-Star event for testing out some rules, especially rules that are a bit more ‘outside the box,'" as Beaschler put it. Beaschler first addressed the rule regarding wrestlers going out of bounds, and what led to this new rule. "The Rules Committee sees guys (wrestlers) who play the line, shoot only when they are on the edge of the wrestling area," said Beaschler. "Using the out-of-bounds area as a safety zone." "A couple years ago, we put in a kickout rule -- if a guy turns and kicks out of bounds, stalling is called. All with the idea of trying to move the action towards the center of the mat." During the interview with InterMat, Beaschler also reinforced the NCAA's statement within its late June press release, that this new rule is definitely NOT a push-out rule. He also said, "Current rules say that if a wrestler backs out of bounds, that's stalling." "The idea is to encourage aggressive action in the middle of the mat." "There was much discussion as to when to use this (out-of-bounds) rule," Beaschler continued. "We talked about trying it only at open tournaments in November, or at all matches in November. Then, we decided to try it at the All-Stars." Beaschler then addressed the second experimental rule making its debut at the All-Star Classic, which comes into play when the offensive wrestler scores a takedown or reversal, then the action stops when the wrestlers go out of bounds. Under current rules, the defensive wrestler is put in the down position, and can score a point when he escapes. With the new rules, the offensive wrestler can choose a neutral position -- both wrestlers on their feet -- so the defensive wrestler won't automatically get one point. "When you earn the top position from a takedown or reversal, and score two points, why should your opponent automatically get a point a bit later," Beaschler asked rhetorically. "The new rule could possibly change the mindset of the defensive wrestler, to encourage him to be more aggressive." "This rule has a bit more of an unknown outcome," Beaschler disclosed. "That's why we're putting it only in the All-Stars." "The All-Stars will be very important for seeing these new rules in effect." Why the All-Star Classic? When asked why the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic was selected to "test-drive" these last two anti-stalling rules, Beaschler said, "Matches don't count on wrestler records. There was a concern that trying out these rules at November tournaments might end up costing an athlete in the future, in seeding for the NCAAs. Avoiding a problem for the selection committee, where they see a wrestler beat an opponent in November under one set of rules, then lost in December under another (rule) to the same guy." "An overriding concern is avoiding unintended consequences." "A lot of eyes are on the All-Stars," Beaschler continued. "We will be encouraging fan reactions on Twitter and Facebook. We'll also do a survey of coaches, officials and athletes." Beaschler explained the steps the NCAA is taking to make sure the new All-Star-only rules are made clear to the participants ... and how the NCAA will be gathering and recording information on the rules beyond fan comments on social media. "Once the All-Star athletes are selected, they and their coaches will see the film I put together for the Rules Committee so they can see the thinking behind the new rules," said Beaschler, referring to his filmed presentation for the Committee that showed actual match situations where the new rules might alleviate problems with stalling. "Wrestlers are going to wrestle to the new rules, and coaches are going to coach to the new rules." Another reason for limiting these rules to the All-Star Classic: It makes it much easier for the NCAA Rules Committee to gather data. "Tim Shiels, an active official who serves a two-year term as a non-voting member of the Rules Committee, will be the on-the-mat official at the All-Stars," said Beaschler. "He will provide the Committee with his perspective on how things worked." "The Rules Committee is very data-driven. We want to see results." Purpose-driven We can't be afraid to make changes," Beaschler said. However, rule changes implemented by the NCAA Rules Committee have a greater purpose beyond change for the sake of change. There must be an ultimate purpose. "We want to see more aggressive wrestling," said Beaschler. "More guys taking shots. A more attacking style.A more aggressive defense. More defensive counters." Throughout our conversation, Beaschler repeatedly emphasized the importance of having rules that encourage action ... action that makes wrestling more appealing to current fans, and draws in more potential fans. "Fans are the lifeblood of the sport," he said, adding, "We're not going to bring in new fans with lots of 1-0 matches." He also realizes the challenge of dealing with the issue of stalling, saying, "I've looked at the old rule books from decades ago, going back to the 1940s, and you can see that stalling was a major concern back then, too." Insight beyond the stall call InterMat's interview with Ron Beaschler wasn't limited to a discussion of the four new NCAA rules regarding stalling. He provided some interesting insights into the functioning of the committee he serves. For starters, Beaschler made clear: "There's one rulebook, for all three NCAA divisions. We're not just dealing with rules for Division I." Beaschler also disclosed an organizational change within the NCAA. "Until last year, there was one committee to deal with the rules and the championships. Now there's a Rules Committee, and a separate Championships Committee, responsible for all aspects of the NCAA Wrestling Championships." "In the past, when we'd get together, the main focus of our three days of meetings seemed to be on the Championships," Beaschler disclosed. "That didn't leave as much time as we would like to have had on the rules." "This was a great move. The two committees work together, yet are better able to focus on each item of importance to them." Beaschler also said that stalling isn't the only subject of interest for the NCAA Rules Committee. "There are other things we've been looking at," said Beaschler. "Coaches coming out onto the mat during matches -- what can we do about that problem? And another issue -- why is tournament scoring different than dual-meet scoring?" "We'll have these things and others on the coaches' questionnaire, to get their input." Beaschler made clear that there's a process to changing rules. "When we consider making a change, we apply the rules to past events to see how a change might have affected outcomes." "Thanks to services like Trackwrestling.com, we have all this great data -- how many takedowns, escapes, reversals, and so on. We can make changes based on actual results, not hunches or prevailing opinions," Beashler continued. Beaschler also expressed his appreciation for having an opportunity to explain the thinking behind the latest rule changes ... and how the NCAA Rules Committee works. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of getting outside feedback. "We welcome the opinions of others -- the athletes, their coaches, the officials, and, of course, the fans. These opinions can help shape the sport and make it better for everyone."

PECS, Hungary -- Tyrell Fortune (Portland, Ore./Titan Mercury WC) won a gold medal at 125 kilos/275 pounds, one of four U.S. medalists on the second day of the University World Championships on Wednesday. Team USA at University WorldsFortune, a Div. II national champion for Grand Canyon, scored a 12-1 technical fall over Sakir Bozkurt of Turkey in the championship match. Bozkurt, who was fifth in the 2012 Yasar Dogu International in Turkey, was never in the match, as Fortune scored quickly and often for a first-period stoppage. Fortune rolled past his first two opponents, pinning Alexandr Romanov of Moldova and beating Richard Csercsics of Hungary, 10-2. He is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight. Fortune won a World medal on the University level for the second straight year, after taking a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games in Russia. Claiming silver medals after losses in the finals were BJ Futrell (Ann Arbor, Mich./Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) at 61 kilos/134 pounds, James Green (Willingboro, N.J./Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) at 70 kilos/154 pounds and Chris Perry (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy WC) at 86 kilos/189 pounds Futrell, a past NCAA All-American for Illinois, lost a wild 12-11 bout against Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg of Mongolia in the gold-medal bout. Futrell won his first three matches handily, including a pin over Niurgin Skriabin of Russia in the semifinals. In his first two bouts, he beat Masakazu Kamoi of Japan, 8-1 and scored a 12-0 technical fall over Vadim Sacultan of Moldova. Green, a three-time NCAA All-American for Nebraska, was pinned by Evgheni Nedealco of Moldova in the finals. Nedealco was fifth at the 2008 Junior World Championships. Green won his two early matches, pinning Jere Kunnas of Finland and stopping Russian Shamil Magomedov, 6-4 in the semifinals. Perry, a two-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, lost a close 3-5 match to Piotr Ianulov of Moldova in the finals. Perry had a 3-1 lead in the bout, but Ianulov scored late in the second period for the win. Ianulov was fifth at the 2010 Senior World Championships, and now boasts two University World titles (2010, 2014). Perry was impressive on the way to the finals, beating Andrei Frant of Romania, 8-0, Namik Korkmaz of Turkey, 4-2, then pinning Sandor Tozser of Hungary in the semifinals. Perry is a past Junior World bronze medalist, and is ranked No. 3 on the U.S. Senior national team at his weight. The USA won the team title, ahead of second-place Turkey and third-place Russia. There were 25 nations entered in the University World Championships. The U.S. team was coached by Dave Bennett, Mike Hagerty and Bryan Snyder. “Looking at how these athletes handled the training, the travel and adversity that some encountered in competition I feel the future for the USA is bright. This was a special group that are going to continue to leave their mark on the sport in the coming years leading up to the 2016 and 2020 Olympics,” said U.S. Coach Dave Bennett. The U.S. won seven medals in men's freestyle at the event this year out of the eight weight classes. Golds went to Fortune and Tyler Caldwell (74 kilos/163 pounds), silvers to Futrell, Green, Perry and Dustin Kilgore (97 kilos/213 pounds) and a bronze medal to Matt McDonough (57 kilos/125.5 pounds) Winning a bronze medal at 86 kilos/189 pounds for Israel was Ophir Bernstein, a Texas native who wrestles for Brown. Bernstein, who was born in Israel, was a FILA Junior World silver medalist last summer. Two U.S. women entered competition today. Placing fifth at 55 kilos/121 pounds is King University star Samantha Klingel (Kregesville, Pa./King Univ.), who lost by technical fall to Samantha Stewart of Canada in the bronze bout. Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) placed ninth at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds, losing her only match of the day. Five other U.S. women's wrestlers have weighed in and received their draws for Thursday. There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at: http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69 UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 9 Men's freestyle results 61 kilos/134 pounds Gold: Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia) Silver: B.J. Futrell (USA) Bronze: Ismail Avci (Turkey) Bronze: Niurgun Skriabin (Russia) 5th: Stefan Ivanov (Bulgaria) 5th: Masakazu Kamoi (Japan) 70 kilos/154 pounds Gold: Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova) Silver: James Green (USA) Bronze: Shamil Magomedov (Russia) Bronze: Zsombor Gulyas (Hungary) 5th: Jere Kunnas (Finland) 5th: Kosuke Sunagawa (Japan) 86 kilos/189 pounds Gold: Piort Ianulov (Moldova) Silver: Chris Perry (USA) Bronze: Ophir Bernstein (Israel) Bronze: Namik Korkmaz (Turkey) 5th: Oleg Ktsoev (Russia) 5th: Sandor Tozser (Hungary) 125 kilos/275 pounds Gold: Tyrell Fortune (USA) Silver: Sakhir Bozkurt (Turkey) Bronze: Mariyan Todorov (Bulgaria) Bronze: Richard Csercsis (Hungary) 5th: M. Guseinov (Russia) 5th: Alexandr Romanov (Moldova) U.S. men's freestyle performances 61 kilos/134 pounds - BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC), 2nd WIN Masakazu Kamoi (Japan), 8-1 WIN Vadim Sacultan (Moldova), tech. fall, 12-0 WIN Niurgin Skriabin (Russia), pin LOSS Tuvsingtulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia), 11-12 70 kilos/154 pounds - James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC), 2nd WIN Jere Kunnas (Finland), pin WIN Shamil Magomedov (Russia), 6-4 LOSS Evgheni Nedealco (Moldova), pin 86 kilos/189 pounds - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC), 2nd WIN Andrei Frant (Romania), 8-0 WIN Namik Korkmaz (Turkey), 4-2 WIN Sandor Tozser (Hungary), pin LOSS Piotr Ianulov (Moldova), 3-5 125 kilos/275 pounds - Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC), 1st WIN Alexandr Romanov (Moldova), pin WIN Richard Csercsics (Hungary), 10-2 WIN Sakir Bozkurt (Turkey), tech. fall 12-1 Freestyle Team Standings 1. United States 2. Turkey 3. Russia 4. Moldova 5. Japan 6. Hungary 7. Mongolia 8. Ukraine 9. Bulgaria 10. Poland Women's freestyle results 48 kilos/105.5 pounds Gold – Jasmine Mian (Canada) Silver – Shiori Ito (Japan) Bronze – Anna Lukasiak (Poland) Bronze – Alina Moreva (Russia) 5th – Madalina Linguraru (Romania) 5th – T. Tsogtbaatar (Mongolia) 55 kilos/121 pounds Gold – Chiho Hamada (Japan) Silver – Irina Ologonova (Russia) Bronze – Samantha Stewart (Canada) Bronze – Tetyana Kit (Ukriane) 5th – Samantha Klingel (USA) 5th – Evelina Nikolova (Bulgaria) U.S. women's freestyle performances 48 kilos/105.5 pounds- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 9th LOSS Emilia Budeanu (Moldova), 2-9 55 kilos/121 pounds - Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.) WIN Esa Korosi (Hungary), inj. dft. LOSS Irina Ologonova (Russia), tech. fall, 1-12 LOSS Samantha Stewart (Canada), tech. fall 0-10 U.S. women's freestyle draws for Thursday 53 kilos/116.5 pounds - Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) Vs. Sara Jezierzanska (Poland), 5th in 2012 Junior World Championships 58 kilos/128 pounds - Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) Vs. Elizabeth Milovitch-Sera (Canada), 7th in 2013 World University Games 60 kilos/132 pounds:- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC) Vs. Mariia Liulkova (Russia), 7th in 2014 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix 63 kilos/138.75 pounds - Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.) Vs. Agnieszka Krol (Poland), 5th in 2014 European Juniors; 9th in 2012 Junior World Championships 69 kilos/152 pounds - Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Wayland Baptist) Vs. Lisa Nadine Hug (Germany), 5th in 2011 Grand Prix of Spain 75 kilos/165 pounds - Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC) Vs. Tamae Yoshii (Japan), 5th in 2012 University World Championships; 9th in 2013 World University Games

Mason Manville is on Team USA in both styles (Photo/David Peterson) Want to get your Olympic wrestling styles fix before Fargo sets in? Are you either nocturnal or an extremely early riser? Next week you can follow the FILA Cadet World Championships in Snina, Slovakia. For six days starting on Tuesday, July 15, the best wrestlers in the United States with 1997-1999 birthdays will be competing against the best from across the world in Greco-Roman, men's freestyle and women's freestyle. Preliminary competition on each day of the championships will start at 4 a.m. Eastern, which is 10 a.m. local, and conclude at 8 a.m. Eastern (2 p.m. local). The medal session on the opening day is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Eastern (7:30 local), while on other days it is a Noon Eastern (6 p.m. local) start. Greco-Roman will be contested on Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16; Women's Freestyle is scheduled for Thursday and Friday; with (men's) freestyle on the docket for Saturday and Sunday. Five of the ten weight classes in a given style will be contested each day; weigh-in will be the day prior to the competition, with standard international bracketing procedures in effect (consolation only for those that lose to a finalist, double bronze medals, etc). Below is a breakdown of the United States hopes in Greco-Roman and (men's) freestyle. Keep in mind that there is limited (to virtually no) knowledge about the nature of the opposition, so analysis is limited to being context-based; namely how the relative abilities and performance of our individuals can project on an international level. Greco-Roman The group competing on Tuesday is virtual novices when it comes to the international prism of competition. While Taylor LaMont will be in his second FILA Cadet World Championships, the other four are making their debut at competitions outside the United States. 50 kilos: Drew West (Highland Riverside, Iowa) West was sixth in Cadet Greco-Roman last summer in Fargo, while competing at the 106 pound weight class. The in-season state champion at 106 pounds in Iowa's Class 1A tournament qualified for Snina by winning the FILA Cadet National Championships in Akron in late May. 54 kilos: Jake Spiess (Delta, Ohio) Spiess failed to earn All-American honors in two previous Cadet Greco-Roman tournaments in Fargo, but his title in May at the FILA Cadet Nationals was his second All-American honor in that event, as he finished fourth in the same 54 kilogram weight class in 2013. While he did win this weight class in Akron, Spiess was not unblemished during the tournament. In addition, he was an in-season state champion at 106 pounds during his freshman year in 2013, before finishing third at 113 this past year. 58 kilos: Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) LaMont is now a two-time FILA Cadet Nationals champion in Greco-Roman, winning last year at 54 kilograms. This will be his second appearance at the World Championships, after he went 1-2 last year in Zrenjanin, Serbia. Last summer, LaMont was also seventh in Junior Greco-Roman at 120 pounds and a Cadet freestyle champion at the same weight class. He has won in-season state titles during both of his high school seasons, and is ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2016. 63 kilos: Dominick Demas (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) Demas finished fourth last summer in Cadet Greco-Roman last summer in Fargo, while competing at the 138 pound weight class. He qualified for the World Championships, like all the others, by winning the FILA Cadet National Championships in Akron in late May. During the high school season he placed sixth at 138 pounds, and is currently No. 25 in the Class of 2017. 100 kilos: Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) Though Andersen failed to earn All-American honors in Cadet Greco-Roman last summer at 195 pounds, going 1-2 in the competition, he did finish seventh in freestyle later on that week. He has made a significant leap this past year, finishing undefeated during the high school season to win his first state title, while competing at 220 pounds. Andersen is currently ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2016. Similar to those competing on the tournament's opening day, the group competing on Wednesday is shallow when it comes to international experience, with Mason Manville possessing most of it. 42 kilos: Jason Holmes (Arizona) The incoming freshman has a solid history of productivity in USA Wrestling events, as he augments the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman title from late May with a Cadet National folkstyle title from early April of this year. Still, the world stage is a potential source of culture shock. 46 kilos: Dack Punke (Washington, Ill.) In order to earn the World Team spot, Punke upset Cade Olivas, who earned a bronze medal at 42 kilos in FILA Cadet Greco-Roman. One can either view this as a transformational breakthrough moment, and a sign of things to come in Slovakia next week; or as an out-of-line result that deprives a more viable medal contender from competing for the United States. During this past high school season, his freshman year, Punke placed third at 106 pounds. 69 kilos: Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) Manville is the clear star on the Greco-Roman squad, and one of the best in America born in the 1997 calendar year (ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2016). Greco-Roman is probably his most productive of the three styles, as he was both a FILA Cadet and FILA Junior Nationals champion this year, a Pan-American champion this year, has won Cadet National titles in Fargo each of the last two summers, and this was his third consecutive FILA Cadet All-American finish in Greco-Roman (second in 2013, fourth in 2014). In some context of this competition, Manville was runner-up last year in this weight class to Jon-Jay Chavez, who went on to earn a bronze medal at the FILA Cadet World Championships. 76 kilos: Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) If Manville is the star of the squad, Reenan plays the lead of second fiddle. He is certainly a quality wrestler, having to clear a formidable field to win the FILA Cadet Nationals this year. In addition, Reenan won a Cadet Greco-Roman title last year in Fargo at 152 pounds as part of his Triple Crown campaign, and placed third at 132 pounds in Cadet Greco-Roman back in 2012. From an in-season standpoint, he was runner-up to Manville at the National Prep championships this season at 152 pounds, and is ranked No. 9 overall in the Class of 2016. 85 kilos: Timothy Young (East Aurora, Ill.) Like fellow Land of Lincoln native Punke, Young is on the team by virtue of a major upset in the FILA Cadet Greco-Roman national final. His came in the form of a 13-4 technical fall victory over Samuel Colbray, who has won Cadet Greco-Roman titles each of the last two summers in Fargo. Young's peripheral resume is very shallow; for example, he did not even make the tournament from which state qualification occurs this past season at 170 pounds. From an overall standpoint, last year at the FILA Cadet World Championships, the United States had two bronze medalists. That was enough to place tied for 13th as a program in the point standings. A similar number of medalists would not surprise next week, with primary medal targets being Manville and Reenan, while the experience of LaMont could serve as an asset. Freestyle The group competing on Saturday includes a couple of very known commodities in competition outside of the United States, with two others who won Cadet National freestyle titles last year in Fargo. 42 kilos: Gavin Teasale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.) Though this will be Teasdale's debut on the international stage, he has a very strong pedigree domestically. He was dominant in both of his major freestyle titles won at the Cadet level, last summer in Fargo at 88 pounds and the FILA Cadet title in late May that earned him a spot on this world team. Teasdale is ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2018, and trains at the same Young Guns Wrestling Club in Western Pennsylvania that has produced two other members of the freestyle squad. 50 kilos: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) This will be a second appearance for him at the FILA Cadet World Championships in this weight class, as he went 2-2 in last year's late August competition in Zrenjanin, Serbia. Lee's two losses in that event came to the silver medalist in the quarterfinals and one of the bronze medalists in the consolation. The goal for the nation's No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2017 is clear, as he has asserted the belief that he can (and will) win the world title next week in Slovakia. While that may be bold, it isn't at all bold to call him a legitimate medal contender. 58 kilos: Carter Happel (Lisbon, Iowa) In the FILA Cadet Nationals title that qualified Happel onto this World Championships team, Happel did lose a match during the preliminary competition. However, he did qualify for the final, where he upset pre-tournament Nick Lee by a 12-7 decision; Lee has now finished second twice at FILA Cadet Nationals in this weight class, but has won gold at the Pan-American championships in this weight each of the last two years. That said, Happel does have a solid foundation of domestic success, including a Cadet National freestyle title at 132 pounds last year in Fargo, a pair of in-season high school state titles, along with being ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2016. 69 kilos: Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) Manville will be the lone American wrestler competing in both styles at next week's FILA Cadet World Championships. In freestyle, he has won gold at the Pan-American championships each of the last two years at this weight class, is a two-time Cadet National finalist in Fargo (winning last year at 145 pounds), and is a two-time FILA Cadet National All-American (winning the title this year). Further, he is ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2016, and is a two-time National Prep finalist, winning the title this past season at 152 pounds. 85 kilos: Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.) Clearly the least credentialed of the group competing on Saturday, Ritter was the beneficiary of an upset loss suffered by Lance Benick -- last year's representative at 100 kilos: in the other preliminary pool at the FILA Cadet Nationals in May. On his resume is a FILA Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up finish from last year, double Cadet All-American honors in Fargo last summer (champion in Greco-Roman), and a pair of placements at the National Prep championships (including a runner-up finish this past year at 182 pounds). Ritter is ranked as the No. 37 overall prospect in the Class of 2015. The group competing on the last day of competition at the FILA Cadet World Championships, which is one week from Sunday, features a pair of wrestlers with discernable international experience as well as arguably the nation's highest profile prep wrestling prospect. 46 kilos: Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) Olivas earned a bronze medal in last year's Greco-Roman competiton at 42 kilos, and hopes to replicate that level of success up a weight in the other style of competition. The nation's top-ranked Class of 2018 prospect did win the Pan-American Championships in this weight class in early May. His resume of accomplishments across styles to date is abundant. 54 kilos: Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) Last year he was runner-up at the FILA Cadet Nationals down one weight class to Spencer Lee, but went on to win the Pan-American Championships in that weight class. Fix added a second Pan-American FILA Cadet title two months ago in this weight class, and will be making his debut at the FILA Cadet World Championships next week. His domestic resume is abundant, featuring a Cadet Triple Crown last year, an in-season state title at 113 pounds during his freshman year of high school, and at present the No. 3 overall position in the Class of 2017. 63 kilos: Jared Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, Pa.) Clearly the least credentialed member of the American freestyle team happens to have qualified out of the weight class that most thought was the weakest at the FILA Cadet Nationals in late May. During this past high school season, his freshman year, Verkleeren went 1-2 in the state tournament up at 145 pounds despite missing the first third of the season while coming back from injury. Six of his nine victories at the FILA Cadets came by pin or technical fall. He is currently ranked No. 15 in the Class of 2017. 76 kilos: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) Arguably the nation's most talked about prep wrestler is making a long-awaited debut at the FILA Cadet World Championships, as Bo Nickal served as a personal blockade the last two years (upending Hall during preliminary competition in 2012, while beating him in last year's final bout). Nickal did represent the United States very well in this weight class last year, where he placed fifth, as he lost in the bronze medal bout. In terms of Hall, this was his third All-American finish in three attempts at the FILA Cadet Nationals, and he has won Cadet National freestyle titles in Fargo each of the last two years, last year's being the capper on a Triple Crown. Further, he is a four-time high school state champion, winning the past year at 170 pounds; Hall is also ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2016. 100 kilos: Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) While this is a debut for Wood on the international stage, he does have clear credentials within domestic competition. Last year he was a double All-American at the Cadet Nationals, second in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle, losing only to Lance Benick in both styles. In addition, Wood has finished second at state twice in as many in-season high school attempts at 220 pound. At present, he is ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect in the Class of 2016. Last year's FILA Cadet World Championships saw only one American earn a medal in freestyle, the gold medal won by Aaron Pico. However, multiple other wrestlers won two-plus matches to finish in the top ten of their respective weight classes. That was enough to see the United States finish ninth in the standings. While predicting in specific is next to impossible, this group of wrestlers has the potential to perform at a similar level -- in terms of wins, contention, and overall standing. What that means in terms of medals won, check out the competition one week from Saturday and Sunday to find out.

PECS, Hungary -- U.S. freestyle wrestlers won three medals on the first day of competition at the World University Championships on Tuesday. Tyler CaldwellLeading the effort was a gold medal at 74 kg/163 lbs. from Tyler Caldwell (Stillwater, Okla./Sunkist Kids), who defeated Shamil-Imam Osmanov of Russia in the gold-medal match, 3-2. Caldwell, a four-time All-American from Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, won two matches to qualify for the finals, beating Robert Olle of Slovakia, 10-2 and Shawn Daye-Finley of Canada, 7-0. Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won a silver medal at 97 kg/213 lbs., falling to two-time Junior World bronze medalist Fatih Yasarli of Turkey in the finals, 0-10. Kilgore, an NCAA champion for Kent State, won two matches by technical fall to advance to the gold-medal round, beating Mihaly Szabo of Hungary, 10-0 and Badavi Magomedov of Russia, 11-1. Matt McDonough (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) won a bronze-medal bout at 57 kg/125.5 lbs., scoring a 12-2 technical fall over 2014 European Junior bronze medalist Petro Bileichuk of Ukraine in the bronze-medal round. McDonough, who was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa, opened with a victory over Ziya Daylak of Turkey by technical fall, 16-6, then lost a wild 7-10 bout to Fumitaka Morishita of Japan in the semifinals. Rutgers wrestler Anthony Ashnault (South Plainsboro, N.J./Scarlet Knight WC) dropped his first match at 65 kg/143 lbs. and was eliminated from repechage when his opponent did not reach the finals. “Our guys wrestled tough and it is real apparent that ,with these new rules, our training methods and conditioning are going to make a difference. No one could match the aggression and pace when we really pressured them,” said U.S. coach Dave Bennett. Six U.S. wrestlers weighed in and received draws for Wednesday, including four men’s freestyle wrestlers and two women’s freestyle wrestlers. Draws are listed below. There is an official website and LIVE WEBCAST for the event at: http://birkozoszov.hu/index.php?menu=69 UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 8 Men’s freestyle results 57 kg/125.5 lbs. Gold – Fumitaka Morishita (Japan) Silver – Vladislav Petrov (Russia) Bronze – Matt McDonough (USA) Bronze – K. Byambadorj (Mongolia) 5th – Petro Bileichuk (Ukraine) 5th – Alexandru Chirtoaca (Moldova) 65 kg/143 lbs. Gold – Selahattin Kilicsallayan (Turkey) Silver – George Bucur (Romania) Bronze – B. Batchuluun (Mongolia) Bronze – Mihail Sava (Moldova) 5th – Kevin Iwasa-Madge (Canada) 5th – Ruslan Akhmedov (Russia) 74 kg/163 lbs. Gold – Tyler Caldwell (USA) Silver – Shamil-Imam Osmanov (Russia) Bronze – Musa Gurbuz (Turkey) Bronze – Andrii Nagornyi (Ukraine) 5th – Dzhakypbekov Ilgiz (Kyrgyzstan) 5th – Robert Olle (Slovakia) 97 kg/213 lbs. Gold – Fatih Yasarli (Turkey) Silver – Dustin Kilgore (USA) Bronze – Patryk Dublinowski (Poland) Bronze – Mihaly Szabo (Hungary) 5th – Denis Balaur (Moldova) 5th – Badavi Magomedov (Russia) U.S. men’s freestyle performances 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC), 3rd WIN Ziya Daylak (Turkey), tech. fall, 16-6 LOSS Fumitaka Morishita (Japan), 7-10 WIN Petro Bileichuk (Ukraine), tech. fall 12-2 65 kg/143 lbs. - Anthony Ashnault, South Plainsboro, N.J. (Scarlet Knight WC), 10th LOSS Mihail Sava (Moldova), 2-7 74 kg/163 lbs. - Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids), 1st WIN Robert Olle (Slovakia), 10-2 WIN Shawn Daye-Finley (Canada), 7-0 WIN Shamil-Imam Osmanov (Russia), 3-2 97 kg/213 lbs. - Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd WIN Mihaly Szabo (Hungary), tech. fall, 10-0 WIN Badavi Magomedov (Russia), tech. fall, 11-1 LOSS Fatih Yasarli (Turkey), tech. fall 0-10 U.S. men’s freeestyle draws for Wednesday 61 kg/134 lbs. - BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) Vs. Masakazu Kamoi (Japan), 7th in 2012 Asian Junior Championships 70 kg/154 lbs. - James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) Vs. Jere Kunnas (Finland), 9th in 2012 European Junior Championships 86 kg/189 lbs. - Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC) Vs. Andrei Frant (Romania), 5th in 2013 European Senior Championships, 5th in 2012 World University Championships, 5th in 2010 Junior World Championships 125 kg/275 lbs. - Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC) Vs. Alexandr Romanov (Moldova), 8th in 2012 University Worlds, 8th in 2011 and 2012 European Senior Championships, 5th in 2009 Junior World Championships U.S. women’s freestyle draws for Wednesday 48 kg/105.5 lbs.- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) Vs. Emilia Budeanu (Moldova), 2013 Junior World champion, 2nd in 2013 Junior Europeans 55 kg/121 lbs. - Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.) Vs. Esa Korosi (Hungary), 2nd in 2013 Ion Corneanu (Romania)

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State University head wrestling coach Roger Kish has announced that former University of Iowa NCAA champion Derek St. John will join the Bison staff as an assistant coach. St. John, the 2013 NCAA champion at 157 pounds, became the 18th four-time All-American in Iowa history in 2014. He placed fourth at the NCAA Championships as a freshman, second as a sophomore, first as a junior and fifth as a senior, claiming his spot as one of the most decorated Hawkeye wrestlers in history. "We are thrilled to be able to add a guy of Derek's caliber and experience to our program at North Dakota State," said NDSU head coach Roger Kish. "His values, philosophy and vision are right in line with what we expect at NDSU." "He's proven himself as one of the nation's elite competitors, and his achievements at the Big Ten and NCAA levels speak for themselves." The Parnell, Iowa, native concluded his collegiate career with a record of 106-17. St. John was the 2012 Big Ten champion and a two-time Big Ten runner-up at 157 pounds. He posted a record of 31-2 in his national championship campaign of 2012-13, earning Iowa's Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler Award. "I'm excited to join the North Dakota State wrestling program and to be a part of Coach Kish's staff," said St. John. "I look forward to building on the tradition and the success that have already been established here, and I know we will work hard to take it to the next level." St. John was a redshirt on the Iowa team that won the NCAA team title in 2010. He graduated from Iowa in May 2014 with a degree in business studies.

The United States has a strong team in all three Olympic styles at the University World Championships, which will be held July 8-12 in Pecs, Hungary. The event starts with men's freestyle on July 8-9. The team features three past NCAA Div. I national champions, Matt McDonough of Iowa at 57 kilos/125.5 pounds, Chris Perry of Oklahoma State at 86 kilos/189 pounds and Dustin Kilgore of Kent State at 97 kilos/213 pounds Also on the team is a Div. II national champion, Tyrell Fortune of Grand Canyon at 125 kilos/275 pounds The team also features past NCAA All-Americans B.J. Futrell of Illinois at 61 kilos/134 pounds, James Green of Nebraska at 70 kilos/154 pounds and Tyler Caldwell of both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at 74 kilos/163 pounds Also on the team is Rutgers wrestler Anthony Ashnault at 65 kilos/143 pounds Kilgore is currently No. 2 on the Senior national team, and McDonough, Perry and Fortune are No. 3 on the Senior national team. Fortune won a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games, while Perry is a past Junior World bronze medalist. Next up is women's freestyle on July 9-10, which features numerous stars from the college ranks as well as the Senior level. King University placed three on the team, Samantha Klingel at 55 kilos/121 pounds, Amanda Hendey at 63 kilos/138.75 lbs and Julia Salata at 75 kilos/165 pounds Others from the college ranks include Amy Fearnside of Jamestown Univ. at 53 kilos/116.5 pounds, Jacarra Winchester of Missouri Valley College at 58 kilos/128 pounds, Brieana Delgado of Oklahoma City Univ. at 60 kilos/132 pounds and Tamyra Mensah of Wayland Baptist Univ. at 69 kilos/152 pounds The team is rounded out with U.S. Olympic Training Center resident Erin Golston at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds, who attends college in Colorado Springs. Salata is currently ranked No. 2 on the Senior national team, while Winchester is No. 3 and Golston and Hendey are No. 4. Golston won three Junior World medals in the past. Greco-Roman concludes the competition on July 11-12, a team which also features athletes with success on the Senior level. Four athletes come from the U.S. Olympic Education program at Northern Michigan: Sammy Jones at 59 kilos/130 pounds, Kendrick Sanders at 80 kilos/176 pounds, Orry Elor at 98 kilos/216 pounds and Toby Erickson at 130 kilos/286 pounds Patrick Smith at 71 kilos/156.5 pounds competes for the Univ. of Minnesota, and Kade Moss at 66 kilos/145.5 pounds competes for Penn State. Josef Rau at 85 kilos/185 pounds was a Div. III national champion for Elmhurst College. Also on the team is Geordan Speiller at 75 kilos/165 pounds Erickson, a past Junior World bronze medalist, is currently ranked No. 2 on the Senior World Team. Sanders was a U.S. Senior Open champion this year, while Smith and Erickson were second and Speiller was third. The official website for the University World Championships is: http://wrestling2014.pte.hu/ UNIVERSITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Pecs, Hungary, July 8-12 U.S. men's freeestyle roster 57 kilos/125.5 pounds: Matt McDonough, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC) 61 kilos/134 pounds: BJ Futrell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC/Cliff Keen WC) 65 kilos/143 pounds: Anthony Ashnault, South Plainsboro, N.J. (Scarlet Knight WC) 70 kilos/154 pounds: James Green, Willingboro, N.J. (Titan Mercury WC/Nebraska RTC) 74 kilos/163 pounds: Tyler Caldwell, Stillwater, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) 86 kilos/189 pounds: Chris Perry, Stillwater, Okla. (Cowboy WC) 97 kilos/213 pounds: Dustin Kilgore, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 125 kilos/275 pounds: Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Titan Mercury WC) Coach: Doc Bennett, Boise, Idaho Coach: Mike Hagerty, Blue Springs, Mo. Coach: Bryan Snyder, Lincoln, Neb. U.S. women's freestyle roster 48 kilos/105.5 pounds- Erin Golston, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 53 kilos/116.5 pounds: Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 55 kilos/121 pounds: Samantha Klingel, Kregesville, Pa. (King Univ.) 58 kilos/128 pounds: Jacarra Winchester, San Leandro, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 60 kilos/132 pounds:- Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn. S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC) 63 kilos/138.75 pounds: Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/King Univ.) 69 kilos/152 pounds: Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Wayland Baptist) 75 kilos/165 pounds: Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC/King Univ.) Coach: Danny Struck, Jeffersonville, Ind. Coach: Melissa Simmons, Oklahoma City, Okla. Coach: Emma Randall, Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Greco-Roman roster 59 kilos/130 pounds: Sammy Jones, Folsom, La. (USOEC) 66 kilos/145.5 pounds: Kade Moss, South Jordan, Utah (Nittany Lion WC) 71 kilos/156.5 pounds: Patrick Smith, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 75 kilos/165 pounds: Geordan Speiller, Oviedo, Fla. (Florida Jets) 80 kilos/176 pounds: Kendrick Sanders, Homestead, Fla. (New York AC/USOEC) 85 kilos/187 pounds: Josef Rau, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 98 kilos/216 pounds: Orry Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (New York AC/USOEC) 130 kilos/286 pounds: Toby Erickson, East Helena, Mont. (New York AC/USOEC) Coach: Tommy Owen, Arlington, Va. Coach: Rodney Smith, Chicopee, Mass. Coach: JD Robbins, Oviedo, Fla. Team Leader: Rusty Davidson, Grants, N.M. Official: Cody Hesser, Gonzales, La. Event Schedule Tuesday, July 8 Men's freestyle: 57 kilos, 65 kilos, 74 kilos, 97 kilos (McDonough, Ashnault, Caldwell, Kilgore) Wednesday, July 9 Men's freestyle: 61 kilos, 70 kilos, 86 kilos, 125 kilos (Futrell, Green, Perry, Fortune) Women's freestyle: 48 kilos, 55 kilos (Golston, Klingel) Thursday, July 10 Women's freestyle: 53 kilos, 58 kilos, 60 kilos, 63 kilos, 69 kilos, 75 kilos (Fearnside, Winchester, Delgado, Hendey, Mensah, Salata) Friday, July 11 Greco-Roman: 59 kilos, 71 kilos, 80 kilos, 98 kilos (Jones, Smith, Sanders, Elor) Saturday, July 12 Greco-Roman: 66 kilos, 75 kilos, 85 kilos, 130 kilos (Moss, Speiller, Rau, Erickson)

MADRID, Spain -- The USA captured the team title in women’s freestyle, led by four individual medalists, at the Grand Prix of Spain on Saturday. Elena Pirozhkova won gold at the Grand Prix of SpainWinning a gold medal at 63 kilos/138.75 pounds was 2012 World champion and three-time World medalist Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC). Taking silver medals were two-time Junior World medalist Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds and 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 58 kilos/128 pounds Winning a bronze medal at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds was two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). Read full story ...

Condolences to the family and friends of Virginia Tech wrestler Darren Hankins who died in an accidental drowning earlier this week. To read more about Darren, his career and his character please head over to the Virginia Tech website. Happy Fourth of July, wrestling fans. It's been a slow week in the wrestling world. The hirings and firings that dotted the landscape have subsided and the international guys are poolside with margaritas and the cauliflower kiddos are soaking up some much need rays (Except Ohio State. Are there year-round UV's in Columbus?). But since I'm on the hook to provide you something, I've opted for a Red, White and Blue Mailbag. Let's talk about 'Merica. As I've mentioned before I spend a great deal of time covering international wrestling events. This year has been wild and in the hopes of improving the coverage of these events, I've spent around 220 days on the road. Being outside the states and on the road allows me to form very strong opinions about airline reward programs, the necessity of quality luggage, and where to book hotel rooms online. Those are all functional, but inevitably the travel also gives me perspective on the relative quirkiness of not just other nations, but our own union. I love the Stars and Stripes. We have a cool flag and a difficult national anthem. Russia has church bells in their ode to nationalism, but we have lyrics that are as poetic when read as they when sang. We gave the world David Foster Wallace, Ernest Hemingway and Maya Angelou and then without much changing pumped out Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Charlie Sheen. I like that we're diverse, complicated and love to complain. If we didn't maybe I'd be out of a job? America is complex and depending on your intent we can be a nation of heroes landing on the moon, or warmongers storming the sands of sovereign nations. That's an argument for another time. Today is America's day and on her birthday we should celebrate the good, while acknowledging the bad. Like any birthday today is the day for introspection and though I'll let you do the heavy intellectual lifting as to what nationalism should mean, I'll go ahead and keep the mailbag on one, singular, flag-waiving theme: America. To your questions ... Q: Which of the guys on the current USA team roster would throw the best BBQ? Why? -- Brian M. Foley: Brent Metcalf. Recently unleashed on Twitter and in the media, it's become obvious to many more people just how immensely likable Brent Mecalf is as a person. Like the Brands brothers, Metcalf doesn't talk much, so when he starts on a topic you hang on his every word. He's sharp, witty and (I think) emotionally attuned to those around him. That makes him an excellent July 4 host. Tony Ramos and Ed Ruth would be fun, but their too young to know the type of old man stuff that Metcalf understands. Great guests, but crappy hosts. For example, let's say you walk into Mecalf's home. You're being greeted by him and his wife -- kind and traditional, but in no way stuffy. Big Brent would point you to the bathroom and where he stores the beer, while simultaneously not boring you with the architectural details of his house. Head outside and his pool is clean and he asks if you want to ride his four-wheeler across the property (Metcalf is a guy that has "property" or "land" – he's not a McMansion'er). After you oblige, he shows you how it starts and sends you out to explore. Dinner is something he recently killed, potato salad and hot dogs. Oh, and pickles. Everyone loves pickles. Metcalf is also the type of man who buys the type of illegal fireworks that are illegal for a reason. He drives 300 miles to some stand off a county road and knows each by brand name and tactical ability. He definitely gives kids sparklers, but then also slips them M-80's and watermelons. No question, Metcalf is my Fourth of July kind of guy. Q: With the new rules, sans ball draws, it seems like we will send our best guys to Rio in 2016. Nobody will be able to win the first period and then stall their way to a ball draw victory. This seems like a good thing for the United States team, but it also is probably a good thing for the overall strength of other teams as well. Is there any international sentiment out there on how this strengthens rosters for Worlds? Any difference between countries? -- Tom B. Foley: The new rules absolutely favor the best-conditioned athletes. Americans tend to be well conditioned and often go whistle-to-whistle, which means the potential for scoring late points on pushouts, warnings and takedowns. Other countries are in shape as well. The North Koreans will wrestle until they pass out from exhaustion and the Japanese women seem to never breathe hard. The new rules benefit those that work hard more than those who are crafty and looking for single points or the luck of the ball draw. New rules mean more wrestling and that tends to favor those who commit themselves to their goals, so I'd probably agree that the new rules have strengthened rosters around the world. Overall, I think the Americans could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new rules. We'll need to see way more international wrestling before we know for sure, but my prediction is that we will win more matches and medals in Tashkent than we did in Budapest. Q: Is it anti-American to throw your boy's gambling skills under the bus in one mailbag and not redeem him in another? -- B. Muir Foley: Anti-American? No need to get a tone, Brian. You are a terrible Rochambeau player and that makes you susceptible to losing dinner bets. You also took some bad sides during the season. Winners win. That written ... Just when I thought you couldn't be any dumber ... you went and totally redeemed yourself. I risked hundreds on the NCAA wrestling tournament and made a paltry $14, while you raked in enough money to pay for a new king-size bed (sleeps two). You are a solid gambler who understands when there is an edge and often exploits his closest friend's weaknesses for personal gain. That's the mark of a true gambler -- the guy who takes from those closest to him without remorse or loss of sleep. You recently also showed that you are among the luckiest of humans, cashing in on a modest bet that paid out a few thousand to one. Those are long odds and your Snapchats of laying in a pile of money made me a happy man. I'm always on your team and it pleases me to see you almost break even on your lifetime of gambling. MULTIMEDIA FULL-TIME Second Trailer for Foxcatcher America, f%ck yeah! (NSFW) What makes Americans odd to others? Pickles. Your hidden love for pickles. Q: Most American president? -- Mike L. Theodore Rex "T.R." RooseveltFoley: The man from whom I draw all my nicknaming and sartorial advice: Theodore Rex "T.R." Roosevelt Too many people talk about Reagan, Lincoln, Kennedy and the most recent Roosevelt. Fine, they were sweet but here is a list of things about Roosevelt that you might not have known. His mother and his first wife died on the same day, Valentine's Day 1884 The SAME day. The immense grief and sadness of losing the women who gave you life and the one for whom you intended to spend the rest of your life both being taken from you on the same day. Roosevelt was only 35 years old. Roosevelt went skinny-dipping in the Potomac River as president And you thought that Barack Obama was sweet for taking a dip in the ocean? Won the Nobel Peace Prize In 1906 Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation in the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War. He was the first president to win the award. In fact he was the first to do a lot of things. Teddy Bear is named after him In response to this cartoon ... Medal of Honor Posthumously given in 2001 for his charge up San Juan Hill with the Rough Riders during the Battle of San Juan Hill. Roosevelt was the first sitting president to leave the country They call him Mr. International. He traveled to visit the Panama Canal construction project in 1906. The perk of being president in the modern age is that you have Air Force One. Until Roosevelt though no other president made it out of the country. That's partly due to technological restraints, but still, tip a hat to T.R. for what was certainly not an easy sell to his cabinet, or advisers. Man of many talents Before taking over the presidency for the assassinated William McKinley, and after his defeat as a Bull-Moose candidate T.R. Roosevelt held many jobs, including: cattle rancher, deputy sheriff, historian, naturalist, explorer, author of 35 books, police commissioner, assistant Secretary of the Navy, governor of New York, war hero, and lawyer. U.S. Forest Service, Grand Canyon, 42 million acres on public land All T.R. He climbed Matterhorn The Swiss mountain of 15k feet and he did it on his honeymoon. He volunteered to lead an infantry unit in World War I "At the outbreak of World War I, the 58-year-old ex-president was eager to return to the front lines. Roosevelt vehemently lobbied President Woodrow Wilson to send him to France at the head of a 200,000-man expeditionary force. Around the country, supporters of the hero of San Juan Hill staged rallies of support, but Roosevelt would not get called to fight in the war that eventually claimed his son Quentin, who was killed in action when his plane was shot down over France in 1918." -- History.com First in Flight On Oct. 11, 1910, Roosevelt took a four-minute flight in a plane built by the Wright brothers, making him the first president to fly in an airplane. He survived a gunshot wound to the chest Right before delivering what would become the most-famous 90-minute campaign speech in history, Roosevelt, who had hopes of being elected to his second term (third in office) was shot by a local saloon-keeper in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bullet passed through a steel case for his glasses and a folded 50-page speech before hitting him in the chest. He kept talking, delivering the famous line: "Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot," Roosevelt said, "but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose." He survived malaria and tropical fever The latter during his South American Expedition which discovered the headwaters of the River of Doubt. This is not a debate, this is fact: Teddy was the most-American president there ever was, or likely will be.

An amateur wrestling match is over in minutes ... but it takes months, if not years, to make a mat movie. That was an opening line for an article I wrote more than two-and-a-half years ago for my first of many stories about the movie Foxcatcher for the online news service Examiner.com. Since January 2012, I've written dozens of stories for Examiner.com about the much-anticipated film about brothers Mark and Dave Schultz, Olympic gold medal-winning wrestlers, and their involvement at the Foxcatcher Olympic wrestling training facility owned by multi-millionaire John du Pont, who murdered Mark's older brother Dave in January 1996. Looking back, that first story 30 months ago is unintentionally amusing for a couple reasons. For starters, it reported that Channing Tatum would be playing Dave Schultz, which was the Hollywood buzz at the time. (It was later revealed that Tatum was cast as Mark Schultz, with Mark Ruffalo portraying Dave, and Steve Carell would play du Pont.) Also in that first January 2012 Examiner.com article on Foxcatcher: an update on the production of comedian Kevin James' movie in which he played a former Penn State heavyweight turned school teacher turned mixed martial arts competitor. That movie, Here Comes the Boom! has come and gone from movie theaters; DVD copies may be now found in the bargain bin at your favorite store. Meanwhile, Foxcatcher won't be released to theaters until Nov. 14. With the considerable ongoing interest in Foxcatcher within the amateur wrestling community, InterMat figured now would be a good time to take a new look at what we know about the movie. My dual role as wrestling writer In addition to my work as a senior writer for InterMat, I also write about college wrestling for Examiner.com. The types of articles I generate for the two websites are distinct. For nearly a decade, my work for InterMat has consisted primarily of long-form pieces -- profiles of current college wrestlers, historical articles about past wrestlers or events (such as the 1960 Rome Olympics, and the murder of Dave Schultz), and interviews with novelists and journalists who have written books of interest to the amateur wrestling community. By contrast, the writing I've done for Examiner.com is mostly concise (350-500 word) news stories concerning developments within college wrestling -- new college programs, programs that have been axed, coach hirings and firings, and concise analysis of "big picture" developments affecting the sport, such as rule changes or new media coverage options to help fans keep up with the sport. Having written a five-part series for InterMat in January 2006 on Dave Schultz's murder to coincide with the tenth anniversary of that horrific crime, I was eager to track the developments concerning the Foxcatcher film. Especially realizing that most news stories about the movie were from entertainment media publications and websites such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter -- or mass-market magazines like People or US -- sources not necessarily on the reading list of most wrestling fans. I figured I couldn't be the only amateur wrestling fan to be eager to learn more about Foxcatcher. So I started to write about the movie for Examiner.com, sharing news from Hollywood media reports while incorporating wrestling-specific information lacking in those original sources. My initial hunch has appeared to have been right; a number of these Foxcatcher stories rank among my ten most-read stories as College Wrestling Examiner. The story behind Foxcatcher There seems to be a notion among many in the amateur wrestling community that the Foxcatcher movie is essentially The Dave Schultz Story. However, after months of reading numerous Hollywood media reports on the movie which appear to have been based on press statements and other information supplied by the filmmakers as reference, I have learned that the Foxcatcher screenplay is based on Mark Schultz's autobiography about the Foxcatcher Olympic wrestling training facility owned by multi-millionaire John du Pont, who murdered Mark's older brother Dave in January 1996. This perspective has been corroborated by Mark Schultz in posts at his Facebook page. Here are a couple examples of how Hollywood has been presenting the movie. In describing Foxcatcher, The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "The film -- which recounts the true story of an Olympic wrestling champion Mark Schultz whose brother Dave Schultz, a fellow Olympian, was murdered by a paranoid schizophrenic millionaire John du Pont." The American Film Institute -- which had been slated to show the world premiere of the movie in November 2013 before the film's delay -- described Foxcatcher as "a psychological drama" which "tells the story of Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz, who sees a way out from the shadow of his more celebrated wrestling brother Dave ..." The film is directed by Bennett Miller, who has been responsible for two award-winning feature films -- Capote, the 2005 film on the life of author Truman Capote, and Moneyball, the 2011 baseball drama. Miller, 47, earned an Academy Award nomination for best director for Capote. After winning the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival in May (where the film made its debut), Bennett revealed that the movie had been in the works for eight years, struggling to find financing. Miller specifically cited Megan Ellison and her Annapurna Films as being key financial backer for Foxcatcher. The screenplay was written by Academy Award nominee Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye. Futterman, a high school friend of Miller's, earned an Oscar nomination for his work on Capote; Frey was a writer on the HBO series Band of Brothers. In addition to a much-honored director and scriptwriting team, Foxcatcher has a quality cast. Besides Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo as the Brothers Schultz, Steve Carell -- best known for comedic roles in movies and TV series, most notably the American version of The Office -- delivers a possible career-changing performance as John du Pont. Also in the Foxcatcher cast: Sienna Miller as Nancy Schultz, Dave's wife; Vanessa Redgrave as John du Pont's mother, and Anthony Michael Hall. Athletic backgrounds of Tatum, Ruffalo A natural concern from many in the wrestling community who have seen their sport portrayed in unrealistic ways in movies and TV shows: Do Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo look like wrestlers? Tatum has starred in a wide variety of roles, from romantic leads to action heroes to a male stripper in Magic Mike to comedic roles such as 22 Jump Street now in theaters. The 34-year-old actor was a multi-sport athlete in high school in Alabama, and participated in martial arts as a kid ... but did not wrestle. In the 2009 movie Fighting, Tatum, 34, played a former high school wrestler turned New York City bare-knuckle brawler. Tyrone Lewis and Channing TatumDespite not having a mat background, Tatum earned the respect of at least a couple individuals who worked with him on Foxcatcher ... and know their way around a wrestling mat. Tyrone Lewis, former Oklahoma State All-American who is now an assistant coach at University of Maryland, played a Canadian opponent of Mark Schultz in Foxcatcher. The Cowboy mat alum had nothing but praise for his movie "rival," telling College Wrestling Examiner, "It was an honor and a privilege to work with an individual like Channing Tatum. Not only is he a gifted actor and phenomenal athlete, he was also a class act and complete professional. He helped me at any moment necessary and was open-minded to learning from anyone he was working with." Fred Feeney, an actual mat official (and president of Mid-State Wrestling Officials Association) who played a referee of a match featuring Channing Tatum, said about the actor portraying Mark Schultz in a January 2013 InterMat story: "At one point, about one in the morning, after a long day of shooting, Channing and I were standing up on the mat platform, alone. I told him, 'You look like you've wrestled all your life' and he said, 'Thanks, man' and gave me a man hug." Ruffalo, whose film resume includes everything from playing the Incredible Hulk to roles in independent films such as Begin Again now in theaters, wrestled at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, Va. In two separate interviews with USA Today and NBC Sports' OlympicTalk.com this May the 44-year-old former matman told about his preparations to play iconic wrestler Dave Schultz. "I came to know guys like Gene Mills, who's a hero of mine, quite a great deal during the film," Ruffalo told the OlympicTalk website. "And all of these great American wrestlers and Olympic champions were coming in to support us. So I met guys like Bruce Baumgartner, John Guira, and Jesse Jantzen, who was my coach for the role. And I just became friends with all of them during the six months we were working on the film." "I started training with these guys; it's a tight knit group of people," Ruffalo told USA Today. "Honor and respect come from your accomplishments in the wrestling world and Dave Schultz is one of their beloved wrestlers so there's a lot of caution and pride around him. You had to prove yourself. So that became my first hurdle. Once I did that that, the community really opened up to me." Ruffalo continued, "It's probably one of the most close-knit, stand-up group of individuals from all walks of life that I've ever come in contact with. They all have a sense of decency and righteousness and are incredibly disciplined and all leaders in their own fields and they love the sport." All four wrestlers Ruffalo mentioned in the two articles brought considerable freestyle and collegiate mat credentials to help the actor portray Dave Schultz. Mills was a four-time NCAA All-American and two-time NCAA champ for the now-defunct wrestling program at Syracuse University. Guira was a three-time NCAA All-American (1983-85) for the University of Wisconsin at 142 pounds. Baumgartner, arguably the most decorated US Olympic wrestler in history, was a four-time Olympic medalist (two gold, one silver, and one bronze) who was a three-time NCAA finalist and 1982 heavyweight champ at Indiana State. Jantzen, New York's first four-time high school state wrestling champ, won the 149-pound title -- and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 2004 NCAAs for Harvard University. More wrestlers -- and a real-life referee, too It's only right that a movie about two legendary wrestler-brothers would feature a number of actual wrestlers in supporting roles. In fact, open casting notices for actual wrestlers were posted on online wrestling forums. The first hint that Foxcatcher was employing real-life mat stars as opponents to the Mark and Dave Schultz characters -- or as wrestlers at the Foxcatcher Farm training facility -- came from interviewing Fred Feeney, an actual college wrestling official, for a January 2013 InterMat feature. The idea for the story sprang from Feeney's Facebook page, where he had shared some of his experiences working on the film, where he played an Olympic referee. During the interview, Feeney revealed that it took 12 hours of filming to capture a single Olympic wrestling match from the 1988 Seoul Games featuring Mark Schultz vs. Turkish wrestler Necmi Gencalp. Feeney disclosed that the Turk was portrayed by Muzaffar Abdurakhanov, former American University wrestler who's now an assistant coach at Harvard. In subsequent months, a number of wrestlers let it be known on Facebook and Twitter that they too had roles in Foxcatcher. Jake Herbert, 2012 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestler and two-time NCAA champion for Northwestern, got the ball rolling with this message on his Facebook page: "My first big screen appearance Dec. 20 -- what a Christmas gift. Excited to see it all come together." (That late December 2013 date was the original scheduled release for Foxcatcher; it was later delayed until November 2014. More on that later.) Mike SheetsWhen College Wrestling Examiner contacted Herbert to see who he played in the movie, the former Wildcat mat champ replied, "Mike Sheets, two-time NCAA champion and a veterinarian now. Needed someone to match the part lol." (Sheets, an Oklahoma State wrestler, went up against cross-state rival Dave Schultz of the University of Oklahoma a number of times during the 1982 season, losing to Schultz in the 167-pound finals at the 1982 NCAAs. Sheets went on to win two NCAA titles. And, to this writer, Herbert DOES bear a resemblance to Sheets during his wrestling career.) A couple days after Herbert's post, former Ohio State heavyweight J.D. Bergman mentioned on his Facebook page that he too had a role in Foxcatcher. Asked about who he portrayed in the film, Bergman, who this writer had interviewed for InterMat about his role as a 2012 Olympic alternate, responded, "Just an Olympic wrestler -- no one specific." Bergman then revealed that a number of other wrestlers had been cast in the much-anticipated movie, including fellow Ohio State NCAA finalists Reece Humphrey and Mike Pucillo, along with Keith Gavin and Zack Rey, NCAA champions for Pittsburgh and Lehigh, respectively. Gavin's Facebook page confirmed his participation in Foxcatcher, all the more appropriate, given that a number of scenes were filmed at Pitt's Peterson Events Center. "Check this out!! My nephew Keith Gavin is in this movie," wrote his proud aunt, Heidi Lavin Gowarty, on the wrestler's Facebook. "He is wrestling Channing (Tatum). Keith in the movie is a Bulgarian wrestler! Some guys have all the luck. Keith, you know I'll see it!!!" Yoshi Nakamura and Mark RuffaloAnother mat champ appearing in Foxcatcher is David Zabriskie, 2010 NCAA heavyweight titlewinner for Iowa State. When asked about his role in the movie, the former Cyclone wrestler turned Lehigh assistant coach responded, "I don't play a real person in the movie. Just a Foxcatcher wrestler named Dan Bane." In addition to the wrestlers listed here -- along with Gene Mills and Tyrone Lewis, mentioned earlier -- others who are cast in Foxcatcher include Ethan Bosch (as a referee), former Olympian Ken Chertow, Yoshi Nakamura (portraying a Japanese opponent to Dave Schultz), and James Yonushosis (who plays wrestler Rico Chiapparelli). Despite much of the movie being set at Foxcatcher Farms in Newtown Square, just outside Philadelphia, the bulk of Foxcatcher was actually filmed at the opposite end of Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh area. One reason: the original mansion at the Foxcatcher estate where John du Pont lived had been bulldozed, and the 800-acre grounds were in the process of being developed into an upscale residential community of sizable freestanding homes and townhouses. A mansion in Sewickley Heights outside Pittsburgh substituted for the du Pont home; along with the Peterson Events Center, other school facilities in southwestern Pennsylvania were also used as sports venues for the movie. Most of the filming took place in late 2012 and early 2013. On track for Christmastime release ... then derailed Throughout late summer and early fall of 2013, all signs pointed to Foxcatcher being released to theaters sometime during calendar year 2013. That would have complied with rules from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- the organization that doles out the Oscars -- that, for a film to be eligible for the gold statuettes, it must have played in theaters in New York City and Los Angeles before Dec. 31. Considering that the director, screenwriters and their films had earned Oscar nominations -- with late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Capote in the movie of the same name, being awarded the Best Actor Oscar -- expectations within Hollywood were that Foxcatcher was going to be a contender at the Academy Awards broadcast in March 2014. It all seemed on track. Last September, it was announced that Foxcatcher would have its world premiere at the prestigious AFI Fest, a fundraising event for the American Film Institute in Hollywood in early November. A brief preview of the film was posted online. Then a release date was announced: December 20, 2013 for theaters in NYC and L.A., debuting the same weekend as two other much-anticipated movies, Nicole Kidman's Grace of Monaco, and The Monuments Men starring George Clooney and Matt Damon. Then, days before the AFI Fest, the studio announced that Foxcatcher would not be shown at the festival ... nor would it open in theaters the weekend before Christmas. The preview was no longer available online. Reports at the time indicated that a rough-cut version of the movie weighed in at more than three-and-a-half hours -- a length usually reserved for epics such as Gone with the Wind and War and Peace. In a late November article about films that had been anticipated for release in time for the 2013 holidays, the Wall Street Journal wrote, "Delaying Foxcatcher was 'a real practical decision,' driven by (director Bennett) Miller's need for more time to finish the film, says Michael Barker, co-president of distributor Sony Pictures Classics. 'We thought it was better if they took their time to finish the movie rather than rush to make a date.'" With that delay, Foxcatcher was no longer in contention for any 2014 Oscars. The studio did not provide any new release date, other than to say the movie would premiere "sometime in 2014." (Of the three major motion pictures originally slated to open December 20, only The Monuments Men was in theaters that weekend.) Making a splash at Cannes ... For the first couple months of 2014, Foxcatcher seemed to have vanished from the radar. Hollywood entertainment publications and websites had no news about the movie. Then, in April, it was announced that Foxcatcher would make its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May, arguably THE major international film festival. As Cannes drew closer, it was revealed that the movie had been edited down to 2 hours, 15 minutes ... and was in the running for a number of awards, including the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) for Best Picture. When Foxcatcher was shown at Cannes, the reaction was overwhelmingly strong. The film garnered a standing ovation from theatergoers ... and film critics in attendance heaped praise on the movie, the director, the screenplay and its actors, especially Channing Tatum and Steve Carell for their "against-type" performances. More than one critic said Foxcatcher had to be an early contender for the 2015 Oscar sweepstakes. While the movie did not earn the Palme d'Or, its director, Bennett Miller, was presented with the festival's Best Director award. Now opening in November ... with high hopes The good news about Foxcatcher continued. About the same time as Cannes, the studio announced that Foxcatcher would debut in U.S. theaters on November 14, 2014 -- nearly a year after its original release date. Just last month, the MPAA -- the Motion Picture Association of America -- revealed that "Foxcatcher" would be rated "R" (Restricted), for one scene of violence. At this writing, filmgoers and wrestling fanatics will have to wait nearly four-and-a-half months to see the much-anticipated Foxcatcher. For those of us who were aware of the initial casting announcements two-and-a-half years ago -- or the original release date more than six months ago -- we'll have to continue to wait patiently. In the meantime, wrestling fans can hope for the best. After all, there are many encouraging signs that Foxcatcher will be a film that provides a realistic portrayal of wrestling and two of the sport's most iconic and popular figures. First, consider the credentials of the director Bennett Miller (2014 Cannes "Best Director" award, Oscar "Best Director" nominee for Capote) and one of its screenwriters, Dan Futterman (also nominated for an Oscar for Capote). What's more, four actors in Miller's two feature films have earned Oscar nominations: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener for Capote, and Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill for Moneyball, with Hoffman winning Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote. The hiring of actual wrestlers -- some as consultants and trainers, others as opponents for the Schultz brothers, or Foxcatcher teammates -- can also be considered a good sign. In addition, having Fred Feeney on board -- not only playing an Olympic freestyle referee, but also serving as a consultant -- to make sure all aspects of the portrayal of Olympic wrestling and officiating were true to life ... right down to making sure all the wrestlers had the then-mandated hankies in their singlets. It's also good to know from Feeney that filmmakers took 12 hours to film that one match from the 1988 Olympics, using videotape of the actual match as reference. That would indicate an attention to detail that's been sadly lacking in some movie depictions of wrestling. As Feeney told InterMat in January 2013, "An assistant director told me, 'a hallmark of Bennett Miller is that he'll get it right.'" We can't wait to see for ourselves. Can't get enough Foxcatcher? There are two related products due to be released about the same time as the Hollywood film. Mark Schultz's autobiography -- titled Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John du Pont's Madness, and the Quest for Olympic Gold -- will be published in November, and is already available for advance purchase. And Nancy Schultz has been working on a documentary about her late husband Dave which was the subject of an InterMat article late last year, slated for a release to coincide with the theatrical movie.

Dayton Racer finished undefeated at the Disney Duals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) One of the somewhat major events on the yearly wrestling calendar, which has really not been on the media radar in past years is the AAU Scholastic Duals (aka Disney Duals) held at the Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex outside of Orlando, Florida. This event came to its conclusion yesterday with the medal tournament and matches for the District All-Star Division. Winning the event for a second straight year was a team from the Young Guns Wrestling Club, which is directed by two-time NCAA Division I All-American (3rd/2nd) Jody Strittmatter out of western Pennsylvania. This year's championship final, in which Young Guns Black upended Iowa Black 37-21, was the only time an opponent won more than four weight classes during the last two years at the Disney Duals. In the six preliminary pool dual meets, Young Guns Black went 71-8 in contested bouts (i.e. excluding forfeits), and were 25-13 during the three bracket rounds (quarterfinals, semifinal, and final). The squad was anchored by six undefeated wrestlers: Devin Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.) at 106 pounds, George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) at 120, A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) at 126, Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.) at 145, Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.) at 152/160, and David-Brian Whisler (Warren Howland, Ohio) at 170. Maruca was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler for his performance. Let's take a look at an individual wrestler from each competing weight class, who had a stellar tournament. Note that event rules had the weight classes as "scratch-plus-five" with a day before weigh-in. 106: Devin Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa./Young Guns Black) The two-time state champion, who is ranked No. 95 overall in the Class of 2015, went 9-0 for the tournament. Only three of his matches went the full six minutes, as he had five technical falls and one fall, along with an additional major decision victory. Notable wins included those over Dan Moran (Northampton, Pa./MAWA Blue) 4-1 in a state finals rematch; Jack Wagner (Bettendorf, Iowa/Iowa Black), a state champion in his own right, 19-8; and state third place finisher Brian Courtney (Athens, Pa./Keystone Elite Orange). 113: Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y./New York Kong) The nation's No. 11 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2017, and a state champion this past year, went 10-0 for the tournament. Six of his ten matches were bonus point victories, two wins by major decision and another four coming by fall. Four of those wins came over two-time state place-winners: 15-6 major decision over Hunter Bray (Dayton Christian, Ohio/Team Prodigy); 8-6 in overtime over Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf, Iowa/Iowa Black), a state champion this past year; 5-0 over Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa./Brawlers Elite), also a Super 32 Challenge runner-up; and 5-0 over Seth Beard (Napoleon, Ohio/Ohio Grapplers. An additional win came over state champion Jake Riegel (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa./MAWA Blue) by fall at 3:51. 120: L.J. Bentley (St. Edward, Ohio/The Wrestling Factory) The NHSCA Junior Nationals runners-up went 9-0 for the tournament. He had five matches that ended before the full six minutes, four technical falls and one second period fall. Notable wins came by 4-0 decision over two-time state champion Francisco Valdes (Miami Southwest, Fla./South Florida Lightning), who is ranked No. 31 in the Class of 2017; and a 4-3 decision over two-time state placer Shakur Laney (Groveport Madison, Ohio/Ohio Mafia). 126: A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Young Guns Black) The nation's No. 28 senior, a two-time state place-winner, and third place finisher at this year's FloNationals went 9-0 for the tournament. Five of his matches did not go the distance, four wins by fall and one victory by 15-0 shutout technical fall. Notable wins for Headlee included a 3-1 decision over Korbin Myers (Boiling Springs, Pa./Brawlers Elite), the nation's No. 84 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2015; a 2-1 tiebreaker victory over two-time state placer Ryan Pomrinca (North Hunterdon, N.J./MAWA Blue); and a fall in 39 seconds against state champion Kaz Onoo (Mason City, Iowa/Iowa Black). 132: Jake Koethe (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa/UNI/Iowa Black) The four-time state placer and 2013 state champion went 11-0 with seven pins and a technical fall during the tournament. Notable wins included a 7-3 decision over 2013 state placer Jesse Rodgers (North Allegheny, Pa./Rider/Young Guns Black), a 5-2 decision over state champion Nate Hagan (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio/Ohio Grapplers), and a 7-1 decision over state third place finisher Bradley Wade (Islip, N.Y./New York Kong). 138: Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind./Penn X-Treme Gold) The nation's No. 33 ranked Class of 2016 wrestler went 11-0 in contested matches with eight bonus point victories (four pins, two technical falls, and two major decisions). Notable wins included a 5-0 decision over NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Luke Weiland (Seckman, Mo./Wrestling Prep A); an 8-3 decision over three-time state champion Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa/Iowa Black), who is ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2015; and a 1-0 decision over state champion Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Ohio Grapplers), who is ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2017. 145: Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa./Young Guns Black) The nation's No. 55 ranked Class of 2015 wrestler, and three-time state place-winner, was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. That honor was very deserving, as he went 9-0 with all wins coming by bonus points, and just one match going the distance (four pins, four technical falls, and one major decision). The lone major decision came against three-time state placer Cole Erickson (Mediapolis, Iowa/Iowa Black), by a score of 11-2; notable technical falls included those against state placer Dakota Nixon (Muncy, Pa./Brawlers Elite) and state champion Logan Lacure (Greeneview, Ohio/Team Prodigy); while one of the pins came against state champion and NHSCA Senior All-American Willie Davis (Woodbridge, Del./Drexel/MAWA Blue). 152: Dayton Racer (Wrestling Prep A) The nation's No. 67 ranked Class of 2015 wrestler, and a placer at this year's Super 32 Challenge and FloNationals, went 9-0 in contested matches during the tournament. Six of those matches were bonus point victories -- four pins, one technical fall, and one fall. Notable wins include a third period pin over National Prep placer Christian Almony (John Carroll, Md./Maryland Monster Squad Black); an 8-2 win over Patricio Lugo (South Dade, Fla./South Florida Lightning), the nation's No. 74 ranked Class of 2015 wrestler; a 16-5 major decision over 2013 state champion Tristan Sommer (Tallahassee Lincoln, Fla.); and a 5-2 decision over four-time state placer Preston Bowshier (Kenton Ridge, Ohio/Wheeling Jesuit/Ohio Mafia). 160: Austin Reese (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Ohio University/Team Prodigy) The future Bobcat, who was third at the Super 32 Challenge and a state champion this past high school season, went 10-0 in contested matches during the tournament. Seven of those were bonus point victories, four pins, two technical falls, and one major decision. Reese beat a pair of top 100 wrestlers from the Class of 2015 during the eve nt: a 1-0 decision over No. 85 Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio/Ohio Mafia) and a 2-0 decision over No. 18 Josh Shields (Franklin Regional, Pa./Young Guns Black); an additional notable win came by second period fall over state third and FloNationals placer Brett Donner (Wall, N.J./New York Kong). 170: David-Brian Whisler (Warren Howland, Ohio/Young Guns Black) The two-time state place-winner went 8-0 during contested matches for the tournament, which included three pins and a major decision. Most notable wins were those over state placer Garrett Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa./Brawlers Elite) by 11-4 decision along with a 7-4 decision over four-time state placer and 2013 state champion Adam Drain (Mediapolis, Iowa/Northern Iowa/Iowa Black). 182: Kellan Stout (Mt. Lebanon, Pa./MAWA Blue) The nation's No. 89 ranked Class of 2015 wrestler went 9-0 in contested matches, including six wins over high quality opposition. Those include a pair of major decisions, 10-2 over two-time state runner-up Armani Robinson (Greeneview, Ohio/Ohio Grapplers) and 9-1 over Super 32 and FloNationals placer Derek Hillman (Woodhaven, Mich./Ohio Mafia). Decision victories came over two-time state third Alec Schenk (Perry, Ohio/Duke/Ohio Titans) by 7-1 score; 5-2 over state champion Malik McDonald (South View, N.C./N.C. State/Team Dynamic White), a NHSCA Senior All-American; 1-0 over Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa./Young Guns Black), who is ranked No. 49 in the Class of 2016; and 7-1 over state placer David Hamil (Deer Park, N.Y./New York Kong). 195: Bailey Faust (Lexington, Ohio/Ohio Mafia) The FloNationals runner-up and 2013 Cadet Nationals double All-American went undefeated in nine contested matches, including seven bonus point victories (three pins, four major decisions). Notable wins came by 3-0 decision over state champion Steven Holloway (Mediapolis, Iowa/Iowa Black), 9-4 decision over NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Matt Rudy (Cane Bay, S.C./Team Palmetto), and a second period pin over state placer Luke Nohns (Normal West, Ill./Illinois Outsiders). 220: Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa./MAWA Blue) The two-time state placer and 2013 Super 32 Challenge placer went 8-0 in contested matches, including three wins by fall. Among the victories were four of note: a 4-1 victory over state runner-up and Super 32 Challenge placer Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman, N.Y./New York Kong), a 7-4 victory over state champion Jay Nino (Genoa, Ohio/Ohio Grapplers), an 11-6 decision over state placer Jacob Robb (Kittanning, Pa./Young Guns Black), and a 5-3 decision over FloNationals third place finisher Seth Brennock (Loveland, Ohio/American/Ohio Mafia). 285: Billy Miller (Perry, Ohio/Edinboro/Ohio Grapplers) The two-time state champion and future Fighting Scots wrestler won all nine of his contested matches during the tournament, including four by fall. Notable wins included those over state placer Chris McDermand (Libertyville, Ill./American/Illinois Outsiders) by 3-1 decision, a 3-1 overtime decision over two-time state placer Tracey Green (Methacton, Pa./MAWA Blue), a 6-2 decision over state champion Tyler Yonkovic (Maquoketa Valley, Iowa/Iowa Black), and a 3-1 overtime decision over state champion Andrew Stevens (Camden, N.J./Maine - football/New York Kong). Final Placement Results -- District All-Star Division 1st: Young Guns Black (Pa.) over Iowa Black, 37-21 3rd: New York Kong over MAWA Blue (Pa.), 30-27 5th: Ohio Grapplers over Ohio Mafia by forfeit 7th: Ohio Raptors over Team Prodigy (Ohio), 42-18 Top 12: Brawlers Elite (Pa.), Illinois Outsiders, Michigan Blue, and Ohio Titans 13th: Wrestling Prep "A" (Mo.) over South Florida Lightning, 36-21 15th: Penn X-Treme Gold (Ind.) over Ozark Team STL Bolt (Mo.), 34-27

GREELEY -- Joe LeBlanc will join Northern Colorado Wrestling Head Coach Troy Nickerson's regime in a new era as he was announced as assistant coach on Monday. LeBlanc, originally from Meeker, Colo., joins UNC after spending one season as the top assistant coach at Brown University and one season as assistant coach at Indiana University. Prior to his coaching career, LeBlanc was a four-time All-American with the Wyoming wrestling team. "We are very excited to add Joe LeBlanc to our coaching staff," Nickerson said. "Joe is a Colorado product that has succeed on all levels. He is well connected and well respected in the community. Joe will help with our recruiting and community outreach along with being a great mentor to our upper weights." LeBlanc left Wyoming as the winningest wrestler in program history with 147 wins, including 18 victories in the NCAA Championships that landed him in the nation's top-six four years in a row. He finished with a 34-3 career record and earned the top seed in the 184 lbs. class in the 2012 NCAA Championships after falling just once in the regular season. During his stint with Brown, the Bears won three regular season matches while coaching junior 184-pounder Ophir Bernstein to an eighth place finish at the NCAA Championships and an All-American status. LeBlanc also helped five student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships while with Indiana. The Hoosiers won nine matches during the regular season. LeBlanc and his wife, Amanda, have three children. A three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-American, LeBlanc graduated from Wyoming with a degree in kinesiology and health promotion in 2012.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State wrestling coach Pat Popolizio has announced the addition of Obe Blanc to the Wolfpack’s coaching staff. Blanc, a 2013 U.S. World Team Trials champion and U.S. Open champion, will serve as the Pack’s volunteer assistant for the 2014-15 season. “Obe brings a lot of experience both on the National and International levels,” said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. “His world-class wrestling will have a major impact on the development of our student-athletes on and off the mat. “Our goal is to produce NCAA Champions and All-Americans, as well as Olympic level athletes here at NC State. Obe’s background will help this coaching staff develop athletes to reach the pinnacle of our sport.” Blanc has been a member of Team USA since he finished his college career in 2009. Most recently, he was both the U.S. World Team Trials and U.S. Open champion in 2013. He is currently ranked No. 1 at 55 KG for Team USA. Blanc wrestled collegiately at both Lock Haven and Oklahoma State. In 2007 at Lock Haven, he earned All-America honors after finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships. He finished his college career at Oklahoma State, falling one win shy of earning All-America status at the 2009 NCAA Championships. For his collegiate career, Blanc compiled a 118-41 record with 25 pins.

Kyle Dake

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The 2014 Freestyle Junior National Duals concluded with a bang Saturday night, as the hometown heroes from Oklahoma capped off an electrifying tournament with a 38-29 win over Minnesota in the championship finals. Chandler Rogers (Photo/Austin Bernard)Montori Bridges got Oklahoma off to a fast start earning a quick first period fall over Minnesota's Brent Jones at 113 pounds. The resilient Minnesota squad would respond with three straight wins over three of Oklahoma’s heavy-hitters. During this span Skyler Petry won 14-6 over past USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner Daton Fix, Mitch McKee defeated two-time Fargo finalist Kaid Brock 15-10 and Tommy Thorn topped Gary Wayne Harding 10-0. The two teams would trade the next two bouts as Tristan Moran won by technical fall at 138 pounds for Oklahoma and Brady Berge also won via technical fall at 145 pounds for Minnesota. Read full story ...

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- In the championship finals of the 2014 Greco- Roman Junior Duals Michigan Blue put on a show, taking out the hometown favorite Oklahoma 36-29 en route to a national championship. Ryan Prescott set the tone for Michigan to open the dual, securing a fall in 3:41 over Oklahoma's Kyler Childers to give Michigan a 5-0 lead. Dominic Lajoie would extend Michigan’s lead to 9-1, winning the 100 lbs. bout 13-2 over Oklahoma’s Mason Naifeh. Oklahoma star Kaden Gfeller cut the lead to 9-5, earning a 10-0 technical fall over Dalton Roberts at 106 lbs. After 106 pounds the Michigan train would roll. The four-point deficit would be the closest Oklahoma would come in the team score the remainder of the dual. Read full story ...

Another week and two more Division I coaching positions have been vacated. Joe Heskett, an NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Iowa State, spent four seasons as Army's head wrestling coach, and served as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State and Cal Poly (Photo/Mark Aikman)Joe Heskett, who has led the the Army wrestling program for the past four seasons, is leaving coaching to pursue an administrative position at West Virginia University. Rob Anspach, head wrestling coach at Hofstra since the departure of Tom Shiflett, also resigned this past week -- a move to a sales position outside the sport. The departures of Heskett and Anspach mark the 11th and 12th coaching vacancies of the 2014 offseason, by far the most in recent memory. So ... what's going on? Heskett's reasons for leaving Army are a combination of personal and professional opportunities. Leaving to take an administrative position at a growing athletics program like West Virginia is a natural fit for Heskett who is well-respected for his high character, work ethic and natural leadership. Coaching creates unique challenges, but for Heskett those challenges were no longer complicated enough to keep him motivated. Anspach is Hofstra wrestling and to see him go means the loss of continuity for a program that faces tough administrative challenges. His move -- reportedly to a sales position -- means that Hofstra alumni and administration will need to create new relationships. For Anspach it's a chance to make more money and spend more time with family. Add in that two weeks ago Penn head wrestling coach Rob Eiter resigned to pursue other professional opportunities outside of wrestling and that Derek DelPorto did the same at Eastern Michigan and a disturbing trend seems to emerge. College coaching doesn't meet the mid-life work/life balance that many professionals seek. What's interesting about these changes, as opposed to Shawn Charles' departure from Arizona State, is that they are voluntary. They show a waning desire of professional men in the later 30's, 40's and 50's to work the 70-90 hour weeks to try and create top 25 programs for athletic directors paying $60k-$100k for the effort. The talent it takes to balance the administrative and technical side of coaching is almost unmatched in the professional world. College coaches have administrators, alumni, parents and wrestlers all pulling on their time. Add to that a desire to be a good father, brother and husband and it's easy to see that after three or four decades the low pay and long hours aren't fulfilling. The danger for college wrestling is that the replacement hires will be frustrated by the amount of work, or otherwise incapable of recreating the diversity of successes it takes to manage a team internally. Wrestling needs more stability and that means that this latest trend -- the loss of mid-career coaches -- needs to subside. To your questions ... Q: What do you think of the new anti-stalling rules? -- Jeff P. Foley: YES! A million times YES! You think these guys are reading our mailbag?! No more #snoreride for the fans to suffer through and no more 3 second criteria wins for an NCAA title. I'm happy. The quasi pushout rule will be pretty interesting to see implemented. What constitutes defense on your feet? Couldn't a downblock be seen as active defense? Also it sounds like they won't allow a simple drive forward, but that isn't easy to gauge either. Overall, I'm the happiest I've been in years with the committee's idea for change. Q: Uniform uniforms are a seriously dumb idea, and it seems that only international wrestling uses that convention, with the boring alternated red and blue singlets. You note how exciting and popular World Cup FIFA soccer/football is... well, heck, note that their (non)uniforms proudly exclaim their nationality and culture, in exciting diversity of color and even design. Successful sports know how to package the product. Is there a reason that FILA has (apparently) mandated this 'uniformity'? And no one complains? Bucks the system? American kids proudly wear their school colors in scholastic and collegiate wrestling matches. Internationally, I guess that we're lucky that the red-blue was chosen for singlet options, but still. -- Jim F. Foley: There has been talk of changing the uniform combinations, but there are a few obstacles to manage before making a full change. First is to understand how most other uniform systems work, which is based on white and color jerseys. For FILA to implement that system would require every nation to come up with tasteful white singlets. That's not as easy as it sounds, and given the general dislike of singlets at large there is little reason to ask for a reinvestment by every governing body unless you're certain it will go well. The second major change would be to scoring displays. I know this is an easy fix for a professional league contained in one country, but when dealing with a worldwide outfit change that means the youth tournaments from Kazakhstan to Pago Pago will need to implement a band system and scoring display in line with each other. Not impossible, just not easy. The change will likely come. The need for a better product is at the front of the wrestling community's mind. To get there just might take more time, effort and cash. Q: What happened to Henry Cejudo? At one time he seemed to be unbelievably talented. Now he seems to spend his time not making weight for low-level MMA fights and tweeting bullshit inspirational messages. He could be preparing for his third Olympic gold medal. Instead he's content with giving speeches about his glory day back in 2008. -- Scott M. Foley: I've talked about Henry Cejudo in previous articles and would tell you that not much has changed since 2009. Cejudo did something amazing, and despite the efforts of promoters and agents, coaches and friends, he hasn't quite figured out his next journey in life. His gold medal, the incredible day of wrestling he had in Beijing, will stand forever, but for the moment that gold medal has become more of a noose than a buoy. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Vote for the Magic Man as the Best Male College Athlete Link: Title IX via Time Link: Important to celebrate Kangaroo Jui-jitsu Q: Looking at all the important occurrences to the wrestling community in the last year, how important has been the success of Flips Wrestling (headphones)? I haven't seen their QuickBooks, but it seems they're doing well while marketing a non-essential equipment product to the wrestling community. While we obsess about rules and equipment the fact someone is making money marketing to us is an extremely good thing. More money means bigger and better events and opportunities for grapplers, right? -- Tom B. Foley: Flips is a company that seems to be putting cash into the hands of top athletes while also providing a niche product. Though they spent heavily on advertising, I'd guess that they are generating some income after their first year, and that couldn't be better for the sport of wrestling. There are lots of brands out there, but Flips has created an online personality that is positive and energetic. Yes, they advertise on InterMat, but all things being equal they are the type of company wrestling needs and I'm sure most fans can agree. Q: Do you think if Aaron Pico continued to wrestle in high school and college he could have been a four-time time high school state champion and four-time NCAA champion? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Maybe a four-time NCAA champion, but not undefeated. The NCAA Division I wrestling tournament is too tough for any lightweight to make it through four times without a blemish. He's a talented future world-beater, but I don't see how he could escape the collegiate grind unscathed.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Wednesday approved four experimental rules in wrestling, including two that will be exclusively used at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic Nov. 1 at the University of Pennsylvania. The first experimental rule that will be implemented for the 2014-15 season focuses on a wrestler who is in an offensive position and locks or holds an opponent’s leg or legs and does not breakdown the opponent, execute an offensive move or work back up to the upper body for five seconds. That offensive wrestler will be called for stalling. The referee’s count on the call will be both verbal and visual. The other experimental rule regarding stalling will take place when an offensive wrestler applies a side headlock to the defensive wrestler and does not breakdown the opponent and/or execute an offensive move in five seconds. In that instance, the offensive wrestler will be called for stalling. Again, the referee’s count will be both verbal and visual. Both of the approved experimental rules are designed to promote offensive wrestling by limiting stalling tactics or a way to position oneself in a stalemate situation. National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic The panel also approved two experimental rules that will be implemented only at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic on Nov. 1. The first rule focuses on wrestlers who are in a neutral standing position and not actively engaged in an offensive attack, or a defensive counter to an offensive attack, while their feet are out of bounds. In that situation, the referee will call stalling. This rule is designed to keep the wrestling action in the center of the mat and away from the out-of-bounds line. The rule is not intended to be a “push out” rule. A wrestler not engaged in an offensive attack or a defensive counter to an offensive attack who is only attempting to push or pull the opponent out of bounds will be called for stalling. The second experimental rule to be used at the NWCA All-Star Classic focuses on wrestlers who gain the offensive position by being awarded a takedown or reversal. In those cases those competitors may, after a wrestling stoppage, choose to resume wrestling in a neutral position without an escape point being awarded to his/her opponent. Currently, a wrestler choosing a neutral position would give up a point to an opponent.

Kyle Dake (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) SINKING SPRING, Pa. -- Brute Wrestling announced that it has signed four-time NCAA wrestling champion Kyle Dake to an exclusive footwear endorsement contract. As part of the agreement, Brute will be introducing a new top-line wrestling shoe carrying Kyle Dake’s name. “We are excited to add the premier name in amateur wrestling to our team. Having a person of Kyle’s character and quality choose to join the Brute team is awesome for our company,” said John Purnell, President of Brute Wrestling, “Every school or club wrestler knows the drive, values and accomplishments of Kyle Dake. He has shown that he can win in all that he does and at the same time continue to give back to the sport. We are proud that those traits of Kyle’s are shared by Brute.” “Kyle’s signature shoe will be available in the spring of 2015,” continued Purnell, “Kyle is going to be involved every step of the way in the development of his shoe - from concept through to final product. The Kyle Dake signature shoe will be one that amateur wrestlers at all levels will be proud to wear.” “I’m anxious to get my relationship with Brute Wrestling started,” said Dake, “We share the same goals of growing the sport and showcasing what’s great about amateur wrestling to kids, teens, parents and coaches nationwide. The fact that my name is going on a top-line wrestling shoe is awesome. We are going to make it a shoe that champions will wear.” Dake continued, “As the main sponsor and creator of the Brute Nationals, and founder and a key supporter of R.E.A.C.H.E.S., an organization to promote the integrity of amateur athletics, my relationship with Brute will allow me to continue to give back to the sport that I love and that has given me so much.” As part of the agreement, Dake will make personal appearances on behalf of Brute. This may include conducting high school wrestling clinics, leading sessions at important wrestling gatherings or appearances with Brute dealers. Check the Brute website for Kyle’s upcoming personal appearances. About Kyle Dake Throughout his amateur wrestling career, Kyle Dake was a champion. While at Cornell, Kyle became the first wrestler in NCAA history to win four titles at four different weight classes. He was the first wrestler to win four championships without the benefit of a redshirt year. Recognizing his achievement, Kyle was named the 2013 Sports Illustrated Male College Athlete of the Year. A native of Lansing, N.Y., Kyle was a two-time state high school champion and was a 2008 Team USA Junior World Team Member. Off the mat, at Cornell, Kyle was a four time Academic All-American, a member of the Senior Honor Society, and coordinator of the Cornell Wrestling helps initiative. About Brute Brute Wrestling is the largest domestic wrestling gear manufacturer in the USA and through its extensive nationwide network of dealers, the leader in outfitting high school, college and club wrestlers throughout the country. Through its dealers, Brute Wrestling offers clubs and teams the ability to completely customize their wrestling gear with virtually any combination of colors and design. To find the nearest Brute dealer, visit www.brutewrestling.com/store-locator and follow us on Twitter @BruteWrestling.

Though Greco-Roman is arguably the more popular worldwide style of Olympic wrestling, in the United States it's a distance third in popularity to folkstyle and freestyle. That lack of attention has meant a dearth of big-time talent or consistent performances on the world stage. The 2014 team, while young and filled with promise, is not on par with the talent level of the top ten nations worldwide. The Americans did win their final match of the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup when they defeated a depleted Armenian side. However, the more telling statistic is that the Americans haven't earned a medal in over four years. The last American World medalist in Greco-Roman was Dremiel Byers, who earned a silver medal in 2009 at 125 kilos. India, a country that only started their Greco-Roman program last decade, has a more recent medalist with Sandeep Tulsi Yadav (66 kilos) taking a bronze at least year's World Championships. Still, there is hope for the American side. In 2007 the United States won the team title at the World Championships with a silver-medal performance by Brad Vering and bronze-medal finishes by Justin Lester and Byers. The Americans can always surprise the world, but heading into the 2014 World Championships the odds are long and history is stacked against the Stars and Stripes. 59 kilos: Spenser Mango Gold: 5 percent Medal: 10 percent Spenser Mango won his sixth U.S. Open title this year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)One of the most tenured wrestlers for the Americans heading into Tashkent, Mango is a high-level competitor with quick takedowns and big throws. Despite his skill the domination many expected after his 2006 World University Games gold has seemed to fade. He's won medals in the states and placed in the top ten overseas, but has yet to earn a definitive career win. Standing in his way is an Asian contingent that is as good a grouping as any region can muster for a weight class. In addition to defending World champion Won Choi Yun (North Korea), the weight class also returns runner-up Choi Gyu-Jin (Korea) and the man who beat them both at this year's Asian Championships, Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan). As if that weren't enough firepower, the weight class also includes 2012 Olympic Champion Hamid Soryan (Iran) and a handful of Europeans looking to win their first World title, including No. 1-ranked Aleksandar Kostadinov (Bulgaria) The odds are stacked heavily against Mango both to make the finals and medal. Top wrestlers: Hamid Soryan (Iran), Shinobu Ota (Japan), Aleksandar Kostadinov (Bulgaria), Won Choi Yun (North Korea), Choi Gyu-Jin (Korea) and Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan) 66 kilos: RaVaughn Perkins Gold: 5 percent Medal: 5 percent The new wunderkind of USA Greco-Roman wrestling, Perkins has matched an aggressive, risk-taking style with an emerging maturity that allows him to also grind out wins. Known best for his wins over Ellis Coleman, Perkins could benefit from a streaky World Championships. Like most competitors, if Perkins finds the right hole in the bracket he can make a run before falling to a sure-fire finalist. The wrestleback rounds might be his best friends, as he showed at the World Cup with gutsy wins over Gevorg Sahakyan (Armenia) and Basar Enes (Turkey) -- both by fall. However streaky and capable of finding a fall, if Perkins is to place he will be facing a mighty uphill battle against a stacked field of competitors at 66 kilos. Leading the group is world No.1 Adam Kurak (Russia), who has been unbeatable in 2014 and is a heavy favorite to win the World title. Also in the weight class is defending World champion Ryu Han-Soo (Korea), Olympic champion Omid noroozi (Iran) and Georgian strongman Rezav Lashkhi. Top wrestlers: Adam Kurak (Russia), Hasan Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Ryu Han-Soo (Korea), Revaz Lashkhi (Georgia), Davor Stefanek (Serbia), Omid Noroozi (Iran) 75 kilos: Andy Bisek Gold: 5 percent Medal: 35 percent Tough-nosed and position-crazed, Bisek is one of Team USA's emotional and performance leaders. He's one of the only guys on the roster to earn international titles, taking home the Happaranda Cup and Pan American Championships in 2012. Bisek's World Cup wasn't impressive, but it also wasn't hugely disappointing. He earned a nice 6-0 win over Turkey's Furkan Bayrak and a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Karapet Chalyan (Armenia), while also dropping a close match to world No. 11 Laszlo Szabo (Hungary), 4-3. Bisek can place, but he will need the right matchups and scouting to make it past at least one former World or Olympic champion. The top wrestlers at the weight class include the World or Olympic champion from each of the past four years (Kim, Vlasov, Abdavali) and a field that can be difficult to bully and even tougher to take down. Top wrestlers: Kim Hyeon-Woo (Korea), Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia), Roman Vlasov (Russia), Mark Madsen (Denmark), Saeid Mourad Abdvali (Iran) 85 kilos: Jordan Holm Gold: 5 percent Medal: 50 percent Jordan Holm will be competing in his second straight Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Holm has shown considerable gains since a frustrating 2013 campaign. The former Northern Iowa wrestler had an impressive World Cup, picking up three separate wins. The Minnesota native earned a 5-0 win over Hrach Hovhannisyan (Armenia) in the ninth-place match while also racking up a technical fall against Alkhazur Ozdiyev (Kazakhstan), 8-0 and a DQ win over Methan Basar (Turkey) who spent the majority of the match backing up. Holm is America's best chance to medal at the 2014 World Championships. Consistent, strong ad courageous on the mat, Holm is assisted on his quest for a World medal by enjoying one of the weakest weight classes. The top wrestler is Ukraines Zhan Belenyuk who used an incredible array of throws to the win the European Championships, and the two guys he bested. Defending World champion Taelb Nematpour is out due to a drug suspension and the remaining top guys are talented but old. Holm is a 50/50 shot to make the podium and that's about as good as it will get for the Americans in 2014. Top wrestlers: Zhan Belenyuk (Ukraine), Rami Hietaniemi (Finland), Damian Janikowski (Poland), Alexej Mishin (Russia) 98 kilos: Caylor Williams Gold: 5 percent Medal: 5 percent Not much is known about what Caylor Williams can do on the world stage. A recent addition to the U.S. squad he hasn't won much overseas, though he's been dominant at home. His three years competing at the senior level have been relatively light -- though a lack of exposure may provide him some advantage over a very static field of competitors. No matter his background, Williams will face stiff competition from the world's upperweights. Leading this year's run will be defending World champion Nikita Melnikov (Russia) and current world No. 1 Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia), who has been on a mission in 2014. Also in the run will be Hungary's Balasz Kiss who owns a win over Melnikov in 2014. Top wrestlers: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia), Cenk Ildem (Turkey), Balasz Kiss (Hungary), Nikita Melnikov (Russia) 130 kilos: Robby Smith Gold: 10 percent Medal: 60 percent Robby Smith is currently ranked No. 20 in the world (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The most entertaining performer for Team USA, Smith has an almost unstoppable front headlock and a flare for the dramatic that draws in fans and intimidating competitors. The only ranked wrestler for the United States at No. 20, Smith picked up a few wins at the World Cup, besting Vachik Yeghiazaryan (Armenia) by fall and Yessenkeidi Zhalgasbayev (Kazakhstan) by technical fall, 8-0. He also earned a mild upset over world No. 16 Vitalii Ilnitskii (Russia), 5-3. Though the wins are nice, Smith's biggest success might have been dropping one-point matches to world No. 4 Attila Guzel (Turkey) and No. 12 Balint Lam (Hungary). Those showed that he can keep it close with anyone, a talent that can help him in Tashkent. Smith has the ability to place. He would have a tough time with world No. 1 Riza Kayaalp, but matches up well with the aforementioned Tukish wrestler and the Swedish monster, world No. 3 Johan Magnus Euren. Top wrestlers: Riza Kayaalp (Turkey), Mijain Lopez Nunez (Cuba), Johan Magnus Euren (Sweden), Attila Guzel (Turkey), Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania)

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Eastern Michigan University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Heather Lyke announced Wednesday, June 25, that seven-year EMU associate head wrestling coach David Bolyard will take over the helm of the EMU wrestling program effective immediately. The search began following the resignation of eight-year head coach Derek DelPorto in late May. David Bolyard"It is exciting to be able to announce David Bolyard as our next head wrestling coach," said Lyke. "What stood out for our committee and me about David is not only his competitive passion for Eastern Michigan wrestling, but his focus on positively impacting our student-athletes through the sport of wrestling. David is well prepared to lead our team and continue to augment the success of the program." "I would like to thank Heather Lyke, Senior Associate Athletics Director Chris Hoppe and the entire search committee for their commitment through this process," Bolyard added. "Over the past seven years I have become extremely invested in the success of our student-athletes and this program. Being named the head wrestling coach at Eastern Michigan University is truly an honor and I am excited about the opportunity to help lead this program to the next level." Bolyard brings nine years of NCAA Division I coaching experience to his new position. Prior to earning the head job at EMU, he spent seven years as the associate head coach with the Eagles. During those seven seasons, he coached 16 NCAA National Qualifiers and 33 All-Mid-American Conference placers. In addition, six-of-seven teams that he coached earned spots in the top-30 of the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) All-Academic Team Award. Prior to coming to Ypsilanti, Bolyard spent two years at his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach. At CMU, he saw two top-30 team finishes at the NCAA Division I Championships. In addition, he coached multiple individuals to stellar careers. The Chippewas were MAC Champions in both seasons that Bolyard coached and had 10 individual MAC Champions. On top of the success in conference action, Bolyard helped coach five All-Americans and 15 national qualifiers. Before beginning his coaching career, Bolyard was a wrestling student-athlete at Central Michigan. As a Chippewa, Bolyard joined the CMU 100 Win Club and earned a spot in CMU laurels by recording the 10th most wins in Central Michigan history. Bolyard also set a then-record of 21 straight wins during his senior campaign. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier, while earning All-American status in 2004. The two-time NWCA Academic All-American won an individual MAC Championship in 2005, while also being named CMU's Chick Sherwood Most Outstanding Wrestler. Bolyard graduated from CMU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship before continuing his education and earning a master's degree from Central in athletic administration in 2008.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University wrestling coach Sammie Henson has announced the hiring of Nicholas Marable and the retention of Danny Felix as assistant coaches. “Nick has gained valuable experience while at the University of Missouri as a wrestler and a coach. Over the past few years, his work on and off the mat has helped him develop into one of best young assistant coaches in the country,” says Henson. “With his knowledge, passion and experience, Nick will bring a lot of energy into the room and has a different perspective and relationship with the athletes because he is still competing on the international stage. “It is my pleasure to have coach Felix as a part of my staff. With his knowledge of WVU wrestling and the surrounding areas, it will only solidify our recruitment of the best student-athletes in the nation. Our relationship as wrestlers and now as coaches will bring about a true family atmosphere in our room and within the Mountaineer wrestling family.” Marable comes to Morgantown after spending the 2013-14 season as the volunteer assistant coach at Missouri, lending a hand in the Tigers’ 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City and helping two Missouri Tigers earn All-America honors, including true freshman J’den Cox claiming the National Championship at 197 pounds. Prior to his time as volunteer assistant, Marable spent three years as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tigers’ grapplers. “I am excited to join West Virginia and Coach Henson’s staff,” says Marable. “I have been working with Sammie for the past couple of years and have had the privilege to not only coach with him, but to be coached by him. I am ready to build a legacy at WVU and win some titles.” Marable is currently the top-ranked men’s freestyle wrestler at 70 kilograms (154 pounds) in the United States. He was named TheMat.com’s Wrestler of the Week in February after claiming Gold at the Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul, Turkey. Marable defeated the 2012 Olympic champion and two-time world champion Jordan Burroughs on his way to the title. The victory snapped Burrough’s 69-match win streak and was his first loss in his career at the senior level. Marable also won Gold at the Grand Prix in Paris, France, and Gold at the New York Athletic Club International this year. He finished third at the 2013 U.S. Open. “Nick is on the cutting edge of wrestling, as he is ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 5 internationally in freestyle at 70 kilograms,” Henson says. “He is one of the best in the country and the world. Along with great technique, Nick has great character and loyalty. Those are what we are looking for in a staff and it will spill over into the team.” Marable currently wrestles with the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club and will continue to do so while in Morgantown. A two-time All-American at 165 pounds for Missouri, Marable was a three-time NCAA qualifier and wrestled to a third-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. As a senior, he posted a 35-5 record, which included a 13-1 dual mark, and became the 17th Missouri wrestler in program history to join the elite 100-win club. Winner of three consecutive Big 12 titles, Marable finished his career with 116 wins, the eighth-most in Missouri history, and was awarded Missouri's Hap Whitney Coaches Award honor in 2007, as well as Most Improved Wrestler accolades in 2008. “Coach Marable has been under my system for two years, and not only has he gained personal success during this time, but he also can convey the system to student-athletes to get the most out of them on and off the mat,” Henson says. The Collierville, Tenn., native graduated from Missouri in the spring of 2010 with a degree in psychology. Felix will remain on the coaching staff under coach Henson. Felix has been with WVU since 2005 and has been a full-time assistant for the past five seasons. Responsible for the lower weight divisions, wrestlers under Felix’s guidance have made 20 trips to the NCAA Championships, including three in 2014. “I'm very grateful and blessed to continue my coaching career at West Virginia University. My family and I could not be more excited to stay connected with the Morgantown community and stay a part of Mountaineer Nation,” says Felix. “I'm truly excited to have coach Sammie Henson lead this program. We have a history and a friendship that started as long-time training partners. It is great how life comes full circle and that we are together again. As I look ahead, I see a bright future for this program. Sammie’s ability to win and motivate will take this team to a new level. With a relentless drive to succeed, we will put a team on the mat that our fans will be excited to watch.” In 2009, Felix was a member of the U.S. World Team. He was one of seven freestyle wrestlers to earn a spot on the team, and Felix competed in Herning, Denmark, at the 2009 World Wrestling Championships. In early 2008 in the professional ranks, Felix garnered the Bronze medal at the 2008 U.S. Open. A year prior, he wrestled in the 121-pound class at the New York Athletic Club Holiday International Wrestling Championships and finished with a Silver medal. That same year, he was crowned the 2007 Sunkist International Champion. Before coming to Morgantown, Felix was the club wrestling coach at the University of Virginia from 2003-05. He jumped into the coaching ranks in 1998 at the University of Oklahoma, where he served as a club coach for two years. In 1995, Felix earned All-America status at Arizona State in the 118-pound weight class. To add to his stellar college career, he also was a three-time Pac-10 champion. He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree from Arizona State in 1998.

The Junior National Duals kick off today in Oklahoma City with the Greco-Roman competition, which will happen over the next two days, and the freestyle competition that follows on Friday and Saturday. Illinois is the perennial power in this event, having won both tournaments in five of the last seven years (2007, 2008, and 2011-2013). The Land of Lincoln has won Greco-Roman titles in six of the last seven years (2007-2009, 2011-2013) and freestyle titles in seven of the last eight (2006-2008, 2010-2013). To put it simply, the Illinois USA Wrestling organization has been stellar over (at least) the last decade. There are many factors to which one can attribute the success of their program, but four simple ones stand out: (1) there is a strong talent pool within the state (2) there is excellent coaching for both Greco-Roman and freestyle (3) there is strong buy-in across the board as to the importance of the Olympic styles (4) there is a high priority level placed on success. Isaiah White (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)When looking at what it will take to beat an Illinois team at the Junior Duals, one knows that it is a tall task. Just how tall? Let's look back at the Ohio roster which won the Junior Duals in freestyle back in the summer of 2009. That team was anchored by two-time Hodge Trophy winner David Taylor and a very likely soon-to-be four-time NCAA champion in Logan Stieber. Seven other members of that lineup have gone on to earn at least one All-American finish at the Division I NCAA tournament: Hunter Stieber, Cam Tessari, Zach Neibert, Pierce Harger, David Habat, Nick Heflin, and Jeremy Johnson. Other notable members of that squad include Max Thomusseit, who has made the round of 12 at the NCAA tournament the last two years; Ryan Taylor, who was a NCAA qualifier this past year; and Felipe Martinez, who at the time was in a form reflecting a top national wrestler in the Class of 2012. While that group was stellar to the extreme, it does illustrate the general landscape of the Junior National Freestyle Duals: the top teams have high quality wrestlers at most/virtually all the weight classes. Illinois Let's look at the Illinois projected lineup/roster for this weekend's freestyle competition. Note: weight classes are somewhat speculative, as the Illinois roster does not list weight classes at present. 100: Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg) -- Cadet National freestyle 3rd/88 in 2013, FILA Cadet freestyle 3rd/101 in 2014 106: Kirk Johansen (Glenbard North) -- Illinois 3A state placer; Junior National freestyle 2nd/100 in 2013, Cadet National freestyle 6th/88 in 2012, FILA Junior freestyle 1st/110 in 2014, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/92.5 in 2013 113: Carlos Fuentez (Glenbard East) -- Illinois 3A state placer; Junior National freestyle 8th/106 in 2013, Junior National freestyle 2nd/100 in 2012 120: Kyle Akins (Sycamore/Univ. of Buffalo) or Michael Cullen (Cary Grove) -- each is a three-time state placer, and each placed 3rd in Junior National freestyle in 2013; Akins won 2A state in 2013, ended 2013-14 No. 20 at 120, while Cullen was 5th/113 in Cadet National freestyle in 2012 126: Stephen Polakowski (Libertyville/Minnesota) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 16 at 120, Illinois 3A state runner-up, and was Junior National freestyle 8th/120 in 2013 132: Jon Marmolejo (Glenbard North/Purdue) -- three-time Illinois 3A state placer, runner-up this past year at 126, and is a three-time Fargo All-American in Greco-Roman 138: Alexander Butler (Boylan Catholic) -- two-time Illinois 2A state placer, runner-up this past year at 132, and Cadet National freestyle 3rd/132 in 2013 145: Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest) -- Illinois 3A state champion, Cadet National freestyle champ/138 in 2013, ended 2013-14 ranked No. 12 at 138, and is ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2016 152: Larry Early (Oak Park River Forest) -- Illinois 3A state champion, three-time state placer, Cadet National freestyle 3rd/145 in 2013, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/138 in 2013, and is ranked No. 42 overall in the Class of 2015 160: Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel/Northwestern) or Garrett Sutton (Richmond-Burton/Michigan) -- Brill ended 2013-14 No. 1 nationally at 152 pounds, was the No. 3 overall recruit in the Class of 2014, and is a 2012 Junior National freestyle champion; while Sutton ended the season No. 11 overall at 160 and was No. 100 overall in the Class of 2014 170: Kamal Bey (Oak Park River Forest) -- Illinois 3A state champion, ended 2013-14 ranked No. 17 at 160, is No. 37 overall in the Class of 2016, and Cadet National freestyle 2nd/160 in 2013. 182: Colin Carr (Washington/Minnesota) -- Illinois 2A state champion 195: Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy) -- Illinois 3A state placer, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/187 in 2014, and is ranked No. 23 overall in the Class of 2016 220: Andrew Marsden (Crystal Lake Central) -- Illinois 2A state champion, Cadet National freestyle 5th/182 in 2013, FILA Cadet freestyle 2nd/220 in 2014, ranked No. 72 overall in the Class of 2015 285: Adarios Jones (Moline/Northern Iowa) -- Illinois 3A state champion, ended 2013-14 ranked No. 9 at 285, and two-time Fargo All-American in Greco-Roman From the way I look at that lineup overall, the easiest path to upending Illinois would be to have a dominant group of lower-weights. While each of the Land of Lincoln wrestlers in this area is credentialed, they are not "untouchable." However, the middle of the lineup is very strong; and the upper-weights are pretty solid, where it will take very elite opposition to knock them off. The question now becomes if there is another squad out there constructed to capitalize on Illinois (relative) vulnerabilities, while being able to contend with (and/or buffer) the superlative back half of the Land of Lincoln lineup. Let's look at four of the more notable contenders, and how they lineup against the defending champions from Illinois. Michigan While Dominic LaJoie (Gaylord) and Dalton Roberts (Fowlerville) were a state champ and state runner-up respectively in high school this past year, and Roberts was fourth in Junior freestyle last summer, each falls short in matchups with their Illinois peer in the opening two weight classes. Going through from 113-to-160 (and possibly 170 depending on how the lineup gets stretched), this lineup matches up very well weight class by weight class. 113: Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central) or Ian Parker (St. Johns) -- Freeman ended 2013-14 ranked No. 7 at 106, is No. 19 overall in the Class of 2017; while Parker is a two-time FILA Cadet freestyle All-American and earned Cadet freestyle All-American honors last summer. 120: Kanen Storr (Leslie) -- two-time state finalist, 2013 state champion 126: Lincoln Olson (Davison) -- No. 62 overall in Class of 2015 132: Cole Weaver (Hudson/Indiana) -- ended 2013-14 No. 13 at 138, No. 88 in Class of 2014 138: Zehlin Storr (Leslie/Michigan) or Justin Oliver (Davison/Central Michigan) -- Storr was No. 14 at 138, No. 97 in Class of 2014; Oliver No. 15 at 138, No. 99 in Class of 2014 145: Zac Hall (St. Johns/Michigan) -- ended 2013-14 No. 2 at 138, No. 15 in Class of 2014 152: Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central) or Alec Pantaleo (Canton/Michigan) -- Amine is No. 54 in the Class of 2015, while Pantaleo is a two-time state finalist and 2012 state champion 160: Logan Massa (St. Johns) -- ended 2013-14 No. 5 at 152, and is No. 2 overall in the Class of 2015 Given the personnel at 170, along with a pair of top 100 Class of 2014 wrestlers at 138, the temptation is great to flex Massa up to 170 more often than not. Within the back four/five weight classes, the Michigan team has a pretty solid wrestler in each weight class. There may be some struggles against the elite of competition, though that will be matchup-dependent and not the rule. 170: Tristin Zienkiewicz (Farwell) -- state champion 182: Tyler Wildmo (St. Johns) -- two-time state placer 195: Jake McKiernan (Richmond/SIU Edwardsville) -- state champion 220: Landon Pelham (Tecumseh) -- two-time state placer, Cadet National freestyle runner-up in 2012, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/220 in 2014 285: Ryan Prescott (Whitmore Prescott) -- two-time state champion Minnesota In many ways this team is a mirror of the Illinois team with some question marks in the lower half of the lineup and a very strong back half. The opening two weights feature Victor Gliva (Farmington) and Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen), a state runner-up and Cadet folkstyle runner-up at 100 pounds, who would be characterized as underdogs against their peer from Illinois. Now let's look at the next five weights, which would be viewed by most as an opportunity against Illinois: 113: Brent Jones (Shakopee) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 16 at 106 pounds 120: Skyler Petry (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Minneosta) -- four-time state placer, 2014 state champion, Junior GR runner-up in 2013 126: Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 19 at 120, is No. 44 overall in the Class of 2016 132: Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville/Minnesota) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 3 at 126, No. 21 in Class of 2014 138: James Berg (New Prague) -- state runner-up Now to the back half of the Gopher State lineup, which represent an interesting match-for-match battle with Illinois. One possible flex over the course of the tournament is to see a bump from one of the 145-pound wrestlers to replace the 152 starter. 145: Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville/North Dakota State) and/or Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville) -- Voss was a four-time state placer, 2014 state champion, and FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/127 in 2013; while Berge ended 2013-14 ranked No. 15 at 145, and is No. 2 overall in the Class of 2017 152: Carlson Brolsma (Osseo) -- state runner-up 160: Paden Moore (Jackson County Central) -- two-time state placer 170: Mark Hall (Apple Valley) -- ended 2013-14 No. 3 at 170, and is No. 1 overall in the Class of 2016 182: Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central) -- ended 2013-14 No. 14 at 170, and is No. 10 overall in the Class of 2016 195: Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley) -- ended 2013-14 No. 8 at 182, and is No. 16 overall in the Class of 2015 220: Paul Cheney (Apple Valley/Minnesota State-Moorhead) -- two-time state finalist, 2013 state champion 285: Luis Pinto (Prior Lake) -- state champion New Jersey The squad from the Garden State seems to have the first part of the formula to beating Illinois down pat, an elite lower half of the lineup (beyond the opening weight class, this team is loaded through 138). 100: Daniel Percelay (Morris Knolls) 106: Brandon Paetzell (Phillipsburg) -- ended 2013-14 No. 14 at 106 113: Ty Agaisse (Delbarton) -- ended 2013-14 No. 3 at 106, and is No. 31 overall in the Class of 2016 120: Michael Russo (St. Peter's Prep/Brown) -- two-time state placer, runner-up this past year 126: Chaz Tucker (Blair Academy) -- ended 2013-14 No. 18 at 120, and is No. 53 overall in the Class of 2015 132: Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen/Rutgers) -- ended 2013-14 No. 6 at 132, No. 47 in Class of 2014 138: Joey McKenna (Blair Academy/Stanford) -- ended 2013-14 No. 1 at 138, No. 8 in Class of 2014 The back half of the lineup is clearly not as strong as the front, and will be asked to hang on to hopefully solid leads in the key dual meets. The middle portion will have to come through strong, as beyond 182 there is no guaranteed win against the elite/contending teams. A couple of stars are here, with the rest of the group being solid, but the threshold of the competition is such that solid isn't necessarily enough. 145: Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy) -- two-time National Prep placer, 2012 champion, and FILA Cadet freestyle champion at 101 in 2012 152: Mason Manville (Blair Academy) -- ended 2013-14 No. 7 at 152 pounds, and is No. 2 overall in the Class of 2016 160: Christian Stackhouse (Riveside/North Dakota State) -- state placer, Junior National freestyle 3rd/160 in 2013 170: Josef Johnson (Delbarton/Harvard) -- two-time state placer, Cadet National freestyle 5th/152 in 2012 182: Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) -- ended 2013-14 No. 6 at 170, and is No. 4 overall in the Class of 2015 195: Jeff Velez (David Brearley) -- two-time state qualifier, NHSCA Junior National champion 220: Christian Colucci (St. Peter's Prep) -- two-time state qualifier 285: Will Cooley (Blair Academy/Davidson) Oklahoma The hosts just may be the favorites, even over the three-time defending champions. The Sooner State had a very strong senior class this year, which makes up a significant chunk of the lineup. In addition, it also was a very good year for underclassmen in Oklahoma. Like every contending squad, there are a few relative holes. However, different than the other contending squads, there are elite level wrestlers in every part of the lineup (lower, middle, upper). Here is the projected lineup. 100: Mason Naifeh (Tulsa Union) -- state qualifier 106: Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 13 at 106 pounds, and is No. 39 overall in the Class of 2017 113: Andrew Nieman (Stillwater) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 9 at 106 120: Daton Fix (Sand Springs) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 3 at 113, and is No. 3 overall in Class of 2017 126: Kaid Brock (Stillwater) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 15 at 132, and is No. 31 overall in Class of 2015 132: Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville/Oklahoma State) or Keegan Moore (Putnam City) -- Harding ended 2013-14 No. 7 at 138, and No. 60 in Class of 2015; Moore ended 2013-14 No. 18 at 132, and is No. 35 in Class of 2015 138: Wyatt Sheets (Stillwell) or Tristan Moran (Stillwater) -- Sheets is a two-time state champion, Cadet National freestyle 7th/132 in 2013, and FILA Cadet freestyle 3rd/138 in 2014; Moran is a three-time state finalist, two-time state champion 145: Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill/Oklahoma State) -- two-time state champion, Junior National freestyle 6th/138 in 2013, Cadet National freestyle 2nd/125 in 2011 152: Joe Smith (Stillwater) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 5 at 145, and is No. 8 overall in Class of 2015 160: Jacobe Smith (Muskogee/Oklahoma State) -- state champion, three-time state placer 170: Chandler Rogers (Stillwater/Oklahoma State) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 5 at 170, and No. 20 in Class of 2014 182: Lance Dixon (Edmond North/Oklahoma) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 11 at 220 195: Joel Dixon (Edmond North/Oklahoma) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 9 at 182, and No. 76 in Class of 2014 220: Andrew Dixon (Edmond North/Oklahoma) and/or Kyler Childers (Sand Springs) -- Dixon ended 2013-14 ranked No. 12 at 285; Childers is a two-time state placer, state runner-up this past year, and a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American (runner-up in 2012) 285: Korey Walker (Midwest City) -- state runner-up From a strategic standpoint, there may be some times where both weighed-in 132's wrestle at the expense of a 138. Same with one of the 220's bumping up to 285. In all, there will be over 50 wrestlers that either finished high school ranked in the top 100 of the Class of 2014, or are currently ranked in the Classes of 2015 to 2017. It should be a weekend chock full of elite-level competition, and with a dramatic battle for the team championship.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army assistant coach Paul Young has been named acting head coach for the Army wrestling program, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Boo Corrigan announced today. Young, who recently completed his third season at Army, will oversee the program while a national search for a head coach is conducted. Joe Heskett has decided to leave Army West Point to pursue an administrative opportunity at West Virginia University. "We want to thank coach Heskett for the past four years with us," said Corrigan. "With every change, comes a great opportunity to reinvigorate our program and find a new leader. We are deeply committed to our cadets and will find a great head coach."

OTTAWA, Kan. -- Ottawa University officially announced in the fall that it was starting both men's and women's wrestling and will begin intercollegiate competition in the 2014-15 academic year. The women's team will become the first and only four-year program in the state of Kansas. Both programs have recruited some outstanding wrestlers for the inaugural season. Starting up a new wrestling program is exciting and now the new programs have received a boost with a $5,000 start-up grant from the U.S. Wrestling Foundation which recognizes the value of adding men's and women's wrestling in a state with relatively few collegiate wrestling options. “The United States Wrestling Foundation, in partnership with the National Wrestling Coaches Association and USA Wrestling, is exceedingly pleased to provide financial support to Ottawa University as they initiate men’s and women’s wrestling,” said Jeff Waters, Board President of the Foundation. “Wrestling has a long and deep tradition in Kansas and we believe more college wrestling opportunities should be available to our men and women athletes.” “There has never been a more important time for the wrestling community to be working together,” said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “Over 110 new collegiate wrestling programs have been established/re-established since 2001 and now that we have this partnership with the US Wrestling Foundation and USA Wrestling, we are in a great position to establish many more college teams over the next decade.” The grant will be instrumental in off-setting the cost of much-needed equipment and supplies including competition mats for the start-up of the two wrestling programs. "I am very excited about this grant, which will help continue the great work Ottawa University has already begun to establish this new wrestling program," said OU head men's and women's wrestling coach Kevin Andres. "Ottawa has been strongly committed to creating excellent facilities for the team, and this grant will be a great asset in that endeavor." Head Coach Kevin Andres and graduate assistant coach Brandy Green continue to actively recruit wrestlers for Ottawa University's historic fall season and are well on their way to having 30-40 wrestlers on campus next year. Additional funds and support are being sought for the start-up of the programs and Ottawa University continues to work closely with several organizations the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association. Coach Andres can be reached at kevin.andres@ottawa.edu or 785-248-2646.