InterMat Staff

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue wrestling assistant coach Tom Erikson announced his resignation today after 15 years with the Boilermakers. "I want to express the utmost gratitude to Purdue and the wrestling family for the chance to be a part of such a fine program for the last 15 years,” said Erikson. “It has been an amazing experience to coach in the Big Ten Conference and work with so many outstanding young men. I will be forever thankful for my time at Purdue and have great pride in the things we accomplished while I was here." Erikson joined the Boilermakers in 1998, coming on as a volunteer assistant coach under Jessie Reyes, and officially joined the staff as an assistant coach in 2000. Widely recognized as one of the top U.S. heavyweight wrestlers of all-time, Erikson lended his expertise to standouts Jake Vercelli, Tony Vaughn, Israel Blevins and Nathan Moore in addition to countless other Boilermakers. "I want to thank Tom and his family for everything they have done for Boilermaker wrestling and the Purdue athletics department," Purdue head wrestling coach Scott Hinkel said. "He has been a great coach and friend, and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors." Hinkel and Purdue athletics will begin a national search for Erikson's replacement.

Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives Trilogies in the fight game can provide intriguing story lines as two top-level fighters look to settle their differences and firmly establish who has the most skill. But then there are cases instances such as Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez being forced into a third match with Josh Thomson out of necessity rather than fan interest. Richard and John break down the fight and whether the MMA community has any interest in the bout. After the boys also preview Bellator's April 6 card, they are joined by top Virginia welterweight prospect Bryan Lane. A student at Fairfax Jiu Jitsu, Lane won the Operation Octagon amateur title before picking up a submission win in his professional debut. He discusses all of that, training at Roufusport alongside the likes of Anthony Pettis and Erik Koch, and his April 14 feature bout at Shogun Fights in Baltimore.

Moza Fay and Kelly Ward will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, April 4. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Fay was a two-time All-American at Northern Iowa. He will compete in the 163 pound freestyle division at the Olympic Trials in Iowa City. Ward will enter the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on April 14. He was an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1979 at 158 pounds.

Limited edition InterMat Fab 50 T-shirts available. The T-shirt features the 2012 InterMat Fab 50 logo on the front, and the Top 50 high school wrestling teams on the back. Get your InterMat Fab 50 T-shirt today! $15.00 (Shipping not included) White Short Sleeve T-Shirt 50% Cotton/50% Polyester Available Sizes: Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult X-Large, Adult XX-Large

After months of speculation, InterMat has confirmed that 2004 Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson will not be competing in this month's U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa. According to Penn State’s media relations department, Sanderson, a 2011 World team member, is expected to make an official announcement sometime in the coming weeks. Cael Sanderson finished fifth at the 2011 World Championships at 84 kilos after a seven-year layoff (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Sanderson, who went 159-0 as a collegiate competitor, surprised many wrestling fans when he ended a seven-year hiatus from competition to earn the starting spot at 84 kilos at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials. He went on to place fifth at the World Championships in Turkey, but has not competed since. This year as head wrestling coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, Sanderson coached six All-Americans, including three NCAA champions. Penn State won the NCAA team title for the second-straight season with a score of 143 points, besting the second-place Minnesota Golden Gophers by 25.5 points.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The Hawkeye Wrestling Club will host a freestyle wrestling clinic on Saturday from 10-11 a.m. inside the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Dan Gable, Tom Brands, Terry Brands and Luke Eustice will host the FREE clinic. The wrestling workshop is intended to explain the rules and techniques of freestyle wrestling. Carver-Hawkeye Arena will host the U.S. Olympic Team Trails on April 21-22. Participants in men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling will compete for the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics. The clinic is FREE and open to the public, but participants must have a ticket to gain admission. Fans interested in attending should RSVP to Kendra at the Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau by calling (319) 337-6592.

Blair Academy finished No. 1 in the Fab 50 (Photo/Rob Preston) After two years looking up at the pole position of the national high school rankings, InterMat has placed Blair Academy, N.J., in the No. 1 ranking of the final Fab 50 for the 2011-12 season. Head coach Jeff Buxton shepherded his squad through a verytough early season tournament schedule with titles at the Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, and POWERade Christmas Wrestling Tournament. Then, later in the season, the Bucs won a tight dual meet against No. 2 St. Edward, Ohio and earned a comfortable victory against No. 8 St. Paris Graham, Ohio. 2012 Final Fab 50 Team Rankings 1. Blair Academy, NJ 2. St. Edward, OH 3. Apple Valley, MN 4. St. Johns, MI 5. Clovis, CA 6. Brandon, FL 7. Canon-McMillan, PA 8. St. Paris Graham, OH 9. Wyoming Seminary, PA 10. Bettendorf, IA 11. Simley, MN 12. Bethlehem Catholic, PA 13. Southeast Polk, IA 14. Christiansburg, VA 15. Detroit Catholic Central, MI 16. Bakersfield, CA 17. Central Dauphin, PA 18. Cincinnati Moeller, OH 19. Broken Arrow, OK 20. Tulsa Union, OK 21. Poway, CA 22. Massillon Perry, OH 23. Allen, TX 24. Lowell, MI 25. Perry Meridian, IN 26. Montini Catholic, IL 27. Iowa City West, IA 28. Tuttle, OK 29. South Plainfield, NJ 30. Erie McDowell, PA 31. Oak Park River Forest, IL 32. Scott West, MN 33. Wisconsin Rapids, WI 34. Collins Hill, GA 35. Colonial Forge, VA 36. Carl Sandburg, IL 37. Blue Springs, MO 38. Easton, PA 39. Glenbard North, IL 40. Camden County, GA 41. McDonogh, Maryland 42. St. Michael-Albertville, MN 43. Luxemburg-Casco, WI 44. Jefferson, GA 45. Shenendehowa, NY 46. Marist, IL 47. Christian Brothers, TN 48. Grand Island, NE 49. Roseburg, OR 50. Kearney, MOThe season then wrapped up with a 354.5 point showing at the National Prep Championships anchored by nine individual champions -- Jordan Kutler (106), No. 8 Joey McKenna (120), No. 3 Mark Grey (132), No. 4 Todd Preston (138), No. 18 Russ Parsons (152), Patrick Coover (160), Michael Mocco (182), No. 14 Frank Mattiace (195), and No. 1 Brooks Black (285). In addition, Chaz Tucker (113) and No. 9 Dylan Milonas (145) finished as runners-up, No. 17 Max Hvolbek (126) took home third place, while David Farr (220) earned fifth. After what has to be the most brutal dual meet schedule in the history of national high school wrestling, St. Edward, Ohio more than earned the number two position in the rankings. The Eagles scored victories over five of the next six teams in the rankings -- No. 3 Apple Valley, Minn., No. 4 St. Johns, Mich., No. 5 Clovis, Calif., No. 6 Brandon, Fla., and No. 8 St. Paris Graham, Ohio. In addition, there were four other victories over nationally ranked opposition -- No. 14 Christiansburg, Va., No. 15 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich., No. 18 Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio, and No. 44 Jefferson, Ga. In that lone loss to Blair Academy, the Eagles had a chance to steal the dual meet if No. 8 Edgar Bright would have upset No. 3 Grey in the last match. However, Bright came up barely short, losing 2-1 in the tiebreaker -- even though many a St. Edward fan will wonder if Bright's called takedown at the end of the first period should have stood instead of being waved off. The Bucs won that dual meet 27-22, and the Eagles were out-pointed by Blair Academy 252.5 to 240.5 at the Walsh Ironman. Additional top ten squads include No. 7 Canon McMillan, Pa., No. 9 Wyoming Seminary, Pa., and No. 10 Bettendorf, Iowa. Schools from 21 different states are represented in the season-ending Fab 50. Pennsylvania has the most schools in the rankings with six, Illinois is next with five (all in the back half), while Ohio and Minnesota each have four schools in the rankings, with three schools from Michigan, California, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Georgia also populating the rankings. Get your limited edition InterMat Fab 50 T-shirt! Limited edition InterMat Fab 50 T-shirts available. The T-shirt features the 2012 InterMat Fab 50 logo on the front, and the Top 50 high school wrestling teams on the back. Get your InterMat Fab 50 T-shirt today! $15.00 (Shipping not included) White Short Sleeve T-Shirt 50% Cotton/50% Polyester Available Sizes: Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult X-Large, Adult XX-Large

Boiling Springs, N.C. -- Gardner-Webb wrestling head coach Dick Wince, who has been a part of Gardner-Webb Wrestling for 22 years, 20 years overall as the head coach of the GWU wrestling program, has officially announced his retirement. “Our wrestling program has been positively impacted by Coach Wince during his outstanding career," said Vice President for Athletics Chuck Burch. "His leadership and influence has been instrumental in the lives of dozens of young men who have gone on to success after college. He is a pillar of our wrestling program's history, and will be missed. We wish him well in his retirement." Wince, who has overseen the program from its days as a small NAIA competitor all the way to its current status as a competitive mid-major program at the NCAA Division I level and its first year in the Southern Conference, has steadily built a winning tradition in Boiling Springs, N.C. “I came here in 1990 with every intention of staying five years and moving on…instead, I fell in love with the people in this institution, and with college coaching. I learned many years ago that the joy of coaching was not in wins and losses, but in relationships. There are so many more important things than winning wrestling matches. I’ve been blessed far beyond what I deserve in so many ways that it’s difficult to know where to start,” commented Coach Wince.” Under his tutelage, the GWU program has seen at least one wrestler make it to the NCAA National Division I Championships in eight of the last nine seasons, including having four grapplers qualify for the national tournament both in 2011 and 2006, both school records. In fact, Wince’s first NCAA Division I national qualifier was his son Erik in 2002-03. During GWU’s 12-year Division I history, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have had a total of 16 national qualifiers, while grapplers Dustin Porter, Josh Pniewski and Daniel Elliott all earned top-20 national rankings during their time as Runnin’ Bulldogs. In GWU’s NAIA and NCAA Division II history, Wince had four wrestlers earn All-America honors, the first being James Short in 1997, while Kenny Wince, another of Coach Wince’s sons, was GWU’s first of eight Academic All-Americans in 1999. “It has been amazing seeing young men go through the most profound maturation of their lives and being a part of it. It has been amazing to be able to use our great sport as a vehicle for introducing people to the Gospel. It has been amazing to hear from alumni that even decades later they believe that being a part of Gardner-Webb wrestling has helped them to become great husbands, fathers…etc. and that they are grateful for having been here,” stated Coach Wince. On more than one occasion, Coach Wince’s squad has been honored for their work in the classroom, being honored numerous times by the National Wrestling Coaches Association as one of the top-30 NCAA Division I programs in team grade point average throughout various seasons under his tenure. “I’ve been blessed to become friends with some of the greatest names in our sport. I’ve been especially been blessed to have alumni who are now dear and longtime friends and hunting buddies,” continued Wince.

Champions were crowned on Sunday at the FloNationals in Philadelphia and the NHSCA Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach. FloNationals Finals Results: 106: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Scott Parker (Pennridge, Pa.), 5-3 113: J.R. Wert (Christiansburg, Va.) dec. Mason Pengilly (Porterville, Calif.), 5-1 120: Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) dec. No. 12 Godwin Nyama (Brashear, Pa.), 7-6 126: Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, Calif.), 4-3 132: Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) dec. Joseph Galasso (Father Judge, Pa.), 7-0 138: No. 2 (at 132) Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.) dec. No. 8 Matt Cimato (LaSalle, Pa.), 5-4 UTB 145: T.J. Fox (Field, Ohio) dec. Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.), 6-1 152: No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.) dec. No. 10 Josh Llopez (La Plata, Md.), 10-8 160: No. 2 Joey Davis (Santa Fe, Calif.) dec. Tyler Askey (Northgate, Ga.), 6-3 170: Jacob Taylor (Bald Eagle Area, Pa.) dec. Connor Moran (Solanco, Pa.), 4-1 TB 182: No. 5 Nikko Reyes (Clovis West, Calif.) dec. No. 15 Kevin Beazley (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), 8-4 195: Dylan Devine (DeMatha, Md.) inj. def. over No. 5 Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.) 220: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) dec. No. 8 (at 285) Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), 10-4 285: No. 11 Dink Purnell (A.I. DuPont, Del.) dec. No. 9 Nick Tavanello (Wadsworth, Ohio), 5-3 Despite an extremely loaded California delegation, eight of their 14 state champions (and 3 other runner-up finishers), it was Pennsylvania that led the way in medalists with 23. Only one state champion from the Keystone State (Nyama) and four second place finishers were in the event. California was right behind with 22 of its wrestlers earning top eight medals. Other states in terms of medalists: 13 -- New Jersey; 8 -- New York; 5 -- Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio; 4 -- Michigan, Minnesota; 3 -- Massachusetts; 2 -- Delaware, Georgia, Nevada; 1 -- Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin Link: FloNationals Brackets/Results NHSCA Senior Nationals Finals Results: 106: Phazon Roddy (Parkland, N.C.) dec. Alvaro Gallego (Pueblo, Ariz.), 10-3 113: Vito Pasone (Meyers, Pa.) dec. Braun Marquez (Canyon Randall, Texas), 9-3 120: Josh Rodriguez (Righetti, Calif.) dec. Sean McCabe (Connetquot, N.Y.), 7-4 126: No. 8 Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Md.) maj. dec. No. 11 Hunter Weber (Marshall, Wis.), 8-0 132: No. 3 Mark Grey (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Cole Mendenhall (Great Falls, Mont.), 7-2 138: Natrelle Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.) maj. dec. Cole Moseley (Father Ryan, Tenn.), 11-1 145: No. 16 Alenick Richardson (St. Peter’s Prep, N.J.) dec. Dylan Cottrell (Roane County, W.V.), 3-2 UTB 152: No. 12 (at 160) Dylan Palacio (Long Beach, N.Y.) dec. No. 17 Austin Trott (Camden County, Ga.), 6-2 160: No. 4 Clark Glass (Brandon, Fla.) dec. Taylor Lewandowski (Foley, Minn.), 9-4 170: Matt Reed (Wichita Heights, Kan.) dec. No. 3 (at 182) Jordan Thomas (Greenville, Mich.), 3-1 182: Anthony Lock (Pioneer, N.Y.) dec. Nolan Boyd (Deer Creek, Okla.), 5-4 TB 195: No. 2 Tim Dudley (Irmo, S.C.) pinned No. 18 (at 220) J.T. Goodwin (Bear Creek, Calif.), 3:30 220: Richard Black (Chavez, Calif.) maj. dec. David Luke Wilson (Central Phoenix, Ala.), 10-2 285: Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) dec. No. 5 Austin Goergen (Caledonia/Houston, Minn.), 10-6 California wrestlers showed their willingness to "put it on the line," as about half of the senior state finalists not at the FloNationals went here instead (6 of 14). Five of those wrestlers were among 15 in all to earn top eight placements at the event, which represented the most medalists of any state. Following behind California in terms of All-Americans were New York with 10, New Jersey with 9, and Michigan with 7. Other states were as follows: 6 -- Florida, Kansas; 5 -- Minnesota, Tennessee, Wisconsin; 3 -- Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas; 2 -- Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia; 1 -- Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia Link: NHSCA Senior Nationals Brackets/Results

Saturday's wrestling has come to a conclusion at the NHSCA Senior Nationals in Virginia Beach. The top eight wrestlers in each weight, i.e. the All-Americans, have been determined -- and the championship matches are set. Wrestling will resume tomorrow with consolation quarterfinals, semifinals, matches for third through eighth prior to the championship round. Updated brackets: http://gimp.escapesports.on-rev.com/LiveResults/OPEN/2012%20NHSCA%20Seniors_SR.pdf Championship matches: 106: Phazon Roddy (North Carolina) vs. Alvaro Gallego (Arizona) 113: Vito Pasone (Pennsylvania) vs. Braun Marquez (Texas) 120: Josh Rodriguez (California) vs. Sean McCabe (New York) 126: No. 8 Nathan Kraisser (Maryland) vs. No. 11 Hunter Weber (Wisconsin) 132: No. 3 Mark Grey (New Jersey) vs. Cole Mendenhall (Montana) 138: Cole Moseley (Tennessee) vs. Natrelle Demison (California) 145: No. 16 Alenick Richardson (New Jersey) vs. Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia) 152: No. 17 Austin Trott (Georiga) vs. No. 12 (at 160) Dylan Palacio (New York) 160: No. 4 Clark Glass (Florida) vs. Taylor Lewandowski (Minnesota) 170: Matt Reed (Kansas) vs. No. 3 (at 182) Jordan Thomas (Michigan) 182: Anthony Lock (New York) vs. Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma) 195: No. 2 Tim Dudley (South Carolina) vs. No. 18 (at 220) J.T. Goodwin (California) 220: David Luke Wilson (Alabama) vs. Richard Black (California) 285: No. 5 Austin Goergen (Minnesota) vs. Doug Vollaro (Florida)

Junior Folkstyle 100: Semifinals: Alex Costello (Wisconsin) vs. Austin Rust (North Dakota), Tirso Lara (California) vs. Jabari Moody (Illinois) Consolation: Noah Ajram (Iowa) vs. Brayden Guidry (Louisiana), Gannon Volk (Minnesota) vs. Dean Roberts (Michigan) 106: Semifinals: Nkosi Moody (Illinois) vs. Aaron Dick (Minnesota), Skyler Petry (Minnesota) vs. Doyle Trout (Nebraska) Consolation: Mitchell Capella (Louisiana) vs. J.J. McClelland (Wisconsin), Tyler Scott (Oregon) vs. Zach Fowler (Iowa) 113: Semifinals: Jared Oftedahl (Minnesota) vs. Ronnie Bresser (Oregon), Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) vs. Alijah Jeffrey (Iowa) Consolation: Max Malave (Illinois) vs. Chase Lynn (Iowa), Grant Boggs (Montana) vs. Mitch Rogaliner (Michigan) 120: Semifinals: Drake Swarm (Iowa) vs. Gunner Laffoon (Oklahoma), Trae Blackwell (Kentucky) vs. Eli Hale (Oklahoma) Consolation: Ryan Strope (Missouri) vs. Artem Timchenko (Ohio), Tanner Johnshoy (Minnesota) vs. Morgan Engbrecht (South Dakota) 126: Semifinals: Colton Adams (Nebraska) vs. Nate Rodriguez (Missouri), Dustin Wienmann (Minnesota) vs. Brock Ervin (Kentucky) Consolation: Seth Nehls (Nebraska) vs. Jordan Amine (Michigan), Madison Martin (Georgia) vs. Chris Walters (Iowa) 132: Semifinals: Nick Crume (Indiana) vs. Austin Hood (Kansas), Logan Ryan (Iowa) vs. Kamaal Abdush-Shakur (Georgia) Consolation: Roarke Langer (Wisconsin) vs. Levi Moss (Indiana), James Krischke (Missouri) vs. Gabriel Grahek (Wisconsin) 138: Semifinals: Michael Sepke (Illinois) vs. J.J. Whaley (Illinois), Peter Stewart (Iowa) vs. Darick Lapaglia (Missouri) Consolation: Mitch Friedman (Wisconsin) vs. Walker Marshall (Iowa), Trent Lyons (Illinois) vs. James Mosher (Illinois) 145: Semifinals: Clayton Ream (Missouri) vs. Adam Cooling (Minnesota), Eleazar DeLuca (Oregon) vs. Austin Eads (Missouri) Consolation: Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) vs. Jacob Anderson (Minnesota), Logan Thomsen (Iowa) vs. Nate Harms (Iowa) 152: Semifinals: Archie Colgan (Colorado) vs. Nick Vandermeer (Michigan), Oliver Pierce (Texas) vs. Alex Hernandez (Iowa) Consolation: J.C. Vercande (Iowa) vs. Nick Babcock (Colorado), Brandt Gavin (Wisconsin) vs. Jake Marlin (Iowa) 160: Semifinals: Curt Maas (Minnesota) vs. Aaron Calderon (Michigan), Tait Simpson (Iowa) vs. Matthew Gray (Wisconsin) Consolation: Jackson Fox (Wisconsin) vs. Diorian Coleman (Arizona), Keilan Torres (Oklahoma) vs. Tim Miklus (Iowa) 170: Semifinals: Alex Meyer (Iowa) vs. Kyle Kerres (Illinois), Levi Eck (Kansas) vs. Nick Fuller (Iowa) Consolation: Cooper Moore (Minnesota) vs. Zach Beard (Oklahoma), Kegan Gennrich (Wisconsin) vs. Jacob Morrissey (Wisconsin) 182: Semifinals: Greg Wilson (Texas) vs. Quinn Faust (Wisconsin), Garrett Smith (Iowa) vs. Travis Lang (Missouri) Consolation: Cody Lindsay (Missouri) vs. Gerard Roman (Louisiana), Marcus Harrington (Iowa) vs. Robby Chubb (Wisconsin) 195: Semifinals: Derek Geddings (Nebraska) vs. Parker Hines (Wisconsin), Steve Congenie (Illinois) vs. Jacob Davis (Illinois) Consolation: Joey Dedick (Wisconsin) vs. Brandon Larson (North Dakota) vs. Mitch Eull (Minnesota) vs. Blake Blair (Illinois) 220: Semifinals: Willie Miklus (Iowa) vs. Austin Edison (Wisconsin), Marcus Malecek (Wisconsin) vs. Brian Moran (Michigan) Consolation: Ben Andrew (Arizona) vs. Nick Mabry (Texas), Brandon Rivera (Illinois) vs. Sage Hecox (Illinois) 285: Semifinals: Adam Coon (Michigan) vs. Riley Delzer (Wisconsin), Cole Johnson (Wisconsin) vs. Nathan Jackson (Oklahoma) Consolation: Jeremy Brazil (Illinois) vs. Donte Winfield (Indiana), Collin Jensen (South Dakota) vs. Nathan Butler (Kansas) Cadet Folkstyle 88: Semifinals: Andrew Smith (Minnesota) vs. Dalton Roberts (Michigan), Drews Hildebrandt (Indiana) vs. Louie Hayes (Illinois) Consolation: Michael Pfotenhauer (Illinois) vs. Robert Fairchild (Louisiana), Casey Phillips (Wisconsin) vs. Victor Gliva (Minnesota) 94: Semifinals: Paul Fitterer (Minnesota) vs. Jack Mueller (Texas), Hunter Marko (Minnesota) vs. Danny Vega (Arizona) Consolation: Brenden Baker (Iowa) vs. Kyle Burton (Wyoming), Jaxon Sommers (Minnesota) vs. Riley Lull (Wisconsin) 100: Semifinals: Beau Guffey (Oklahoma) vs. Roberto Campos (Illinois), Jarrett Reisenbechler (Missouri) vs. Mitchell McKee (Minnesota) Consolation: Henry Pohlmeyer (Iowa) vs. Devante Gray (Illinois), Garrett Pepple (Indiana) vs. Miguel Silva (Illinois) 106: Semifinals: Jacob Schwarm (Iowa) vs. Cole Martin (Wisconsin), Christopher Debien (Tennessee) vs. Ke-Shawn Hayes (Missouri) Consolation: Tanner Rohweder (Iowa) vs. Kaid Brock (Oklahoma), Cameron Kelly (Ohio) vs. Branden Leyba (New Mexico) 113: Semifinals: Matthew Kolodzik (Ohio) vs. Kris Williams (Illinois), Carter Happel (Iowa) vs. Jens Lantz (Wisconsin) Consolation: Garrett Rowe (Oklahoma) vs. Austin Stevison (Tennessee), Tommy Cash (Indiana) vs. Logan Griffin (Michigan) 120: Semifinals: Max Thomsen (Iowa) vs. Zech Bresser (Oregon), Ryan Schuman (South Dakota) vs. Lawton Benna (Missouri) Consolation: Ben Harvey (Indiana) vs. Josh Bird (Wisconsin), Brady Ruden (Iowa) vs. Josh Fuqua (Indiana) 126: Semifinals: Isaiah White (Illinois) vs. Cole Erickson (Iowa), Quinton Berres (Minnesota) vs. Fredy Stroker (Iowa) Consolation: Dewey Krueger (Wisconsin) vs. Darius Wright (Wisconsin), Zach Adams (Nebraska) vs. Jacob Rubio (Texas) 132: Semifinals: Seth Gross (Minnesota) vs. Aaron Pico (California), Justin Acuff (Oregon) vs. Mark Voss (Minnesota) Consolation: Connor Flynn (Missouri) vs. Kasey Caelwerts (Wisconsin), Luis Bejarano (Colorado) vs. Bryce Paul (Iowa) 138: Semifinals: Nick Reenan (Texas) vs. Zehlin Storr (Michigan), Brendon Kelley (Indiana) vs. Alec Wyatt (Colorado) Consolation: Mason Brownlee (Minnesota) vs. Joseph Hayek (Nebraska), Carver James (Illinois) vs. Drew Foster (Iowa) 145: Semifinals: Dayton Racer (Minnesota) vs. Jonathan Viruet (Massachusetts), Chase Straw (Iowa) vs. Lucas Westrich (Minnesota) Consolation: Braxton Potrykus (Wisconsin) vs. Ben Donnelly (Minnesota), Josh Selly (Minnesota) vs. Mason Reinhardt (Wisconsin) 152: Semifinals: Bo Nickal (Texas) vs. Jake Anderson (Minnesota), Travis Hettinga (Wisconsin) vs. Dustin Williams (Kansas) Consolation: Jay Sornson (Nebraska) vs. Paden Moore (Minnesota), Mark Hall (Minnesota) vs. Ronny Ponick (Wisconsin) 160: Semifinals: Luke Norland (Minnesota) vs. Javaughn Perkins (Nebraska), J.P. Newton (Ohio) vs. Ethan Soderstrom (Wisconsin) Consolation: Dustin Gray (Missouri) vs. T.J. O’Hara (Minnesota), Dale Hillerman (Iowa) vs. Robert Steveson (Indiana) 170: Semifinals: Zachary Doty (North Dakota) vs. Michael Pixley (Missouri), Zachary Benkovich (Illinois) vs. Chance Cooper (Missouri) Consolation: Billy Duffert (Wisconsin) vs. Tyler Berdahl (Minnesota), Gable Frandsen (Wisconsin) vs. Jake Briggs (Minnesota) 182: Semifinals: Ethan Andersen (Iowa) vs. Nick Osowski (Wisconsin), Cash Wilcke (Iowa) vs. Cameron Thornberry (Illinois) Consolation: Nick Hoff (Minnesota) vs. Jacob Anderson (Nebraska) vs. Isaac Florell (Minnesota) vs. Elijah Preisser (Iowa) 195: Semifinals: Ryley Howell (Iowa) vs. Connor Tolley (Indiana), Ben Elliott (Indiana) vs. Lance Benick (Minnesota) Consolation: James Russell (Michigan) vs. Tim Grote (Illinois), Landon Pelham (Michigan) vs. Jake Godinez (Illinois) 220: Semifinals: Kaleb Staack (Iowa) vs. Noah Fleckenstein (Illinois), Thomas Baker (Ohio) vs. Kyler Childers (Oklahoma) Consolation: Mark Dunsing (Illinois) vs. Jack Ziemer (Minnesota), Austin Roberts (Wisconsin) vs. Jackson Ryan (Minnesota) 285: Semifinals: Gavan Jolley-Little (Indiana) vs. Jacob Marnin (Iowa), Shawn Streck (Indiana) vs. Conor Karwath (Louisiana) Consolation: Zach Wood (Michigan) vs. Wyatt Schultz (North Dakota), Adam Blue (Minnesota) with a bye

106: Kohl Tolbert (Utah) vs. Phazon Roddy (North Carolina), Javan Jordan (South Carolina) vs. Krishna Sewkumar (New York); Robert Patterson (Maryland) vs. Eric Orellana (New York), Jarvis Abron (Georgia) vs. Aaren Pestano (California) Troy Lakin (California) vs. Jake Britt (North Carolina), Ray Rodriguez (Colorado) vs. Jimmy Gill (New York); Kyle Robison (Utah) vs. Alvaro Gallego (Arizona), Devin Ng (California) vs. Gabriel Montano (New Mexico) 113: Darshawn Sharp (Georgia) vs. Mark Raghunandan (New York), Conor Kirkegard (Connecticut) vs. Vito Pasone (Pennsylvania); Patrick Skinner (New York) vs. Colton Howell (Florida), Zach Bridson (New Hampshire) vs. Cortez Starkes (South Carolina). John Maurice (Ohio) vs. Javier Vieyra (Kansas), Gunnar Woodburn (Oklahoma) vs. Michael Mui (Massachusetts); Braun Marquez (Texas) vs. Ethan Nobles (South Carolina), Luke Bell (Michigan) vs. George Torres (California) 120: Josh Rodriguez (California) vs. Stephen Ireland (Michigan), Eric Montoya (New Mexico) vs. Isaac Novacek (Minnesota); Drew Ferguson (Georgia) vs. Jordan Wigger (South Carolina), Hermilio Esquivel (California) vs. Orel Allen (New York) Esteban Gomez-Rivera (Florida) vs. Kaleb Lemaire (Delaware), Taylor Hall (California) vs. Adrian Avelar (Nevada); Sean McCabe (New York) vs. Tony Farace (Maryland), Dwayne Robertson (Arizona) vs. Tyler Willers (Iowa) 126: Nathan Kraisser (Maryland) vs. Mitch Hrynak (Michigan), Clay Cathey (Montana) vs. Andre Nie (North Carolina); Danny Farrell (Missouri) vs. Martin Ramirez (California), Connor Peacock (Massachusetts) vs. Zach Watson (Tennessee) Evan McKirdy (California) vs. Max Hvolbek (New Jersey), David Pearce (Illinois) vs. Justin Scherkenbach (Wisconsin); Brenden Turner (Utah) vs. Marshawn Sharp (Georgia), Hunter Weber (Wisconsin) vs. Anthony Castellano (Kentucky) 132: Theron Blake (Michigan) vs. Dane Harlowe (Virginia), Tyler Pasvogel (Minnesota) vs. Matthew Kraus (Missouri); Jacob Goddeau (New York) vs. Alex Ward (Tennessee), Ross Benzel (Virginia) vs. Mark Grey (New Jersey) Campbell Lewis (Tennessee) vs. Brandon Charbonneau (Kansas), Jacob Lunsford (Alaska) vs. Cole Mendenhall (Montana); Jake Balestreri (New Jersey) vs. Brian Crutchmer (Oklahoma), Austin Woods (Tennessee) vs. Alejandro Sancho (Florida) 138: Kyle Graumenz (Illinois) vs. Jarod Donar (Wisconsin), Micah Cruz (California) vs. Brad Lindsay (Arizona); Cole Moseley (Tennessee) vs. Konnor Kriss (Kansas), Ian Martin (North Carolina) vs. Todd Preston (New Jersey) James Dekrone (New York) vs. James Smith (Massachusetts), John Boyle (New Jersey) vs. Connor Bass (Illinois); Zac Loveless (Utah) vs. Brandon Walsh (Connecticut), Natrelle Demison (California) vs. Sahid Kargbo (Virginia) 145: Alenick Richardson (New Jersey) vs. Blake Letney (Iowa), Zach Kechter (Virginia) vs. Adam Hendrickson (California); Alex Bontz (Kansas) vs. Alex Rice (Maryland), Alec Mooradian (Michigan) vs. Dustin Roemer (North Carolina) Brooks Martino (Virginia) vs. Yoanse Mejia (Florida), Jess Martinez (New Mexico) vs. Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia); Tyler Majoy (Ohio) vs. Jared Reis (North Dakota), Ken Theobold (New Jersey) vs. Sterling Hawkins (Oklahoma) 152: Sal Mastriani (New Jersey) vs. Evan Wallace (New York), Ben Sullivan (Minnesota) vs. John Keck (New York); Samson Inmode (Arizona) vs. Justin Spyres (Virginia), Kyle Ash (Oklahoma) vs. Dylan Palacio (New York) Brandon Hoffman (Colorado) vs. Austin Trott (Georgia), Javier Rodriguez (Florida) vs. Stephen Maier (New York); Jake Elliott (California) vs. Colton Duhr (Kansas), Ben Haas (New York) vs. Leo Cordero (Georgia) 160: Jordan Wohlfert (Michigan) vs. Tyler Kimple (Kansas), Marcos Peralta (Colorado) vs. Curtis Bright (Nevada); Frank Affronti (New York) vs. Clark Glass (Florida), Mark Darr (Virginia) vs. Patrick Davis (Delaware) Sam Son (Kansas) vs. Chris Nevinger (New York), Taylor Lewandowski (Minnesota) vs. Jonathan Kenney (Florida); Tristan Hamner (New York) vs. Keith Lemongello (New Jersey), Nate Woodard (Florida) vs. Cody Allala (Virginia) 170: Michael Tiffin (Oklahoma) vs. Matt Reed (Kansas), Cody Pych (Illinois) vs. Colin Gironda (New York); John Shrader (Tennessee) vs. Silas Nacita (California), Dusty Jentz (Wisconsin) vs. Connor Boyce (Washington) Gregg Johnsen (South Carolina) vs. Jordan Thomas (Michigan), Chris Loew (New York) vs. Morgan Fitzgerald (Missouri); Dakota Tysinger (North Carolina) vs. Brett Pfarr (Minnesota), Brandon O’Neill (Ohio) vs. Sean Mappes (Illinois) 182: Jonathan Inman (Missouri) vs. Reece Wright-Conklin (Kansas), Brody Goens (California) vs. Jesse Doyle (North Carolina); Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma) vs. Bryan Loughlin (New Jersey), Anthony Lock (New York) vs. Gray Jones (Georgia) Paul Yoo (California) vs. James Suvak (Ohio), John Luxmore (New York) vs. Jack Dechow (Illinois); Michael Mocco (New Jersey) vs. Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma), Taylor McGiffen (Illinois) vs. Clay Dent (Alabama) 195: Kevin Marvel (Maryland) vs. Brian Macchione (Colorado), Devin Smith (Virginia) vs. Tim Dudley (South Carolina); Garrett Linton (Ohio) vs. Jamison Jangula (North Dakota), Shawn Scott (Michigan) vs. Colt Castlebury (Kansas) Cody Davis (Tennessee) vs. Joe Jessen (Virginia), J.T. Goodwin (California) vs. Uriah Stillinger (South Carolina); Eric McMullen (New Jersey) vs. Cameron King (North Carolina), Stephen Ellis (Alaska) vs. Dwight Howes (Colorado) 220: David Wilson (Alabama) vs. Dortanyia McIntyre (Louisiana), Colton Bigelow (New Jersey) vs. Chase Warren (North Carolina); Rodney Winfrey (Florida) vs. David Hicks (West Virignia), Nick Grossi (Pennsylvania) vs. Caleb Christenson (Colorado) Luke Bean (Kansas) vs. Tyler Radford (North Carolina), Brian Smith (Michigan) vs. Richard Black (California); Tyler Smith (California) vs. Sylas Wells (Utah), Darius Lewis (Missouri) vs. Eric Tucker (Connecticut) 285: Steven Dwight (New Hampshire) vs. Mike Kosoy (Florida), Mimmo Lytle (Ohio) vs. Daquante Timbers (Virginia); Evan McGee (Oklahoma) vs. Logan Rimmer (Michigan), Austin Goergen (Minnesota) vs. Lucas Ryan (Virginia) Dawson Peck (Pennsylvania) vs. David Ratliff (South Carolina), Austin Lobsinger (California) vs. Tully Byrne (Missouri); Doug Vollaro (Florida) vs. Seth Gonzalez (Illinois), John Jude (Wisconsin) vs. Jeffrey Tautolo (Michigan)

Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives This week Richard and John are joined by two special guests -- UFC welterweight Pascal Krauss and featherweight prospect Cody Bollinger. To celebrate the occasion, John tried his hand at Photoshop and found out that it is harder than it looks. Bollinger (12-2) splits his training time between the Greg Jackson/Winkeljohn gym and Millenia MMA. One of the better prospects on the west coast, Bollinger recently picked up a win over The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 alum Cameron Dollar, and on May 12 he'll face his biggest test yet against longtime contender and UFC veteran Din Thomas. As for Krauss, the German talent is undefeated and looking to put together a strong showing in 2012 after injuries kept him out of the cage last year. Krauss will fight John Hathaway at UFC on FOX 3 on May 5. To get ready, he's moved to the states and joined the highly touted Roufusport fight team, alongside the likes of Anthony Pettis, Eric Koch, and Bellator champ Ben Askren. He talks about that match up, his new training team, the sport's popularity in his native Germany, and more. Rounding out the show is a discussion of the two latest MMA controversies: Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal's release from the Zuffa-controlled Strikeforce promotion and the leaking of results from the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil by a television company with a history of MMA criticism and opposition.

NHSCA Junior Nationals 106: Semifinals: Tommy Aloi (Virginia) dec. Lance Hill (West Virginia) 4-2, Dakota Leach (Kansas) major dec. Josh Brown (North Carolina) 12-1 Consolation: Greyson Millis (North Carolina) vs. Cody Carbaugh (North Carolina), Sean Nguyen (Florida) vs. Kyle Kelly (New York) 113: Semifinals: J.J. Johnson (South Carolina) dec. Zac Gentzler (Kansas) 7-2, Joshua Patrick (Pennsylvania) dec. Alex Uhre (Florida) 7-0 Consolation: Zach D'Amico (Oklahoma) vs. Aaron Assad (Ohio), Jeremy Schwartz (Pennsylvania) vs. Matt Welliver (Pennsylvania) 120: Semifinals: Chris Araoz (New York) dec. Deshun Brown (New Mexico) 8-3, Phillip Anderson (Georgia) pin Andrew Atkinson (Virginia) 1:03 Consolation: Sergio Miranda (Arizona) vs. Tyler Tate (Nevada), T.J. Fabian (New York) vs. Dustin Reed (Kansas) 126: Semifinals: Zain Retherford (Pennsylvania) pin Casey Paglia (Virginia) 1:54, Dennis Gustafson (Virginia) dec. Kyle Springer (Iowa) 11-4 Consolation: Brent Waterman (Maine) vs. Blake Bosch (North Dakota), Geovanni Medina (Connecticut) vs. Kyle Krasavage (Pennsylvania) 132: Semifinals: Colt Cotten (Pennsylvania) dec. Noah Searls (West Virginia) 5-4, Tyson Dippery (Pennsylvania) dec. Lawrence Otero (New Mexico) 10-4 Consolation: Jason Estevez (New Jersey) vs. Jace Lopez (Colorado), Jed Mellen (Utah) vs. Anthony McHugh (Indiana) 138: Semifinals: Josh Arthur (West Virginia) dec. Kevin Kinney (Missouri) 3-2, Grant Lamont (Utah) dec. Reed Van Anrooy (Oregon) 3-1 Consolation: Steele Escobedo (California) vs. Calvin Ochs (Kansas), Charlie Banaszak (Maryland) vs. Dan McDevitt (New York) 145: Semifinals: B.J. Clagon (New Jersey) dec. Nick Gravina (New Jersey) 8-7, Austin Matthews (Pennsylvania) dec. Eric Hoffman (Maryland) 4-2 Consolation: Luke Wilson (California) vs. Mark Marchetti (Tennessee), Stephen Myers (Kentucky) vs. Markus Scheidel (Ohio) 152: Semifinals: Kyle Perrault (California) pin Ty Schoffstall (Pennsylvania) 5:54, Travis Berridge (Florida) dec. Coleman Hammond (California) 3-1 Consolation: Beau Donahue (Virginia) vs. Christopher Koo (North Carolina), Sean Murphy (Virginia) vs. Ryan Niven (Massachusetts) 160: Semifinals: Nick Kee (North Carolina) dec. Jordan Rothers (Minnesota) 4-0, Tyler Askey (Georgia) dec. Tyler Grimaldi (New York) 8-4 Consolation: Parker Maytrott (New Jersey) vs. Tim Hester (Alabama), Brett Stein (Virginia) vs. Nick Karis (Washington) 170: Semifinals: Troy Seymour (New York) dec. Chris Moore (Ohio) 5-2, Ethan Ramos (New Jersey) dec. Immanuel Barber (California) 7-6 Consolation: Robert Mannier (-) vs. Jaeden Bernstein (New Jersey), Garrett Lineberger (Maryland) vs. Brooks Climmons (Georgia) 182: Semifinals: Domenic Abounader (Ohio) over Matt McClimmens (Missouri) by injury default, Garrett Krohn (Colorado) dec. Jared Haught (West Virginia) 10-7 Consolation: David Williams (New Jersey) vs. Tyler Greene (Pennsylvania), Matthew Moore (New Jersey) vs. Rory Bonner (New Jersey) 195: Semifinals: Nathan Rotert (South Dakota) dec. Garrett Conner (Ohio) 6-4, Zach Roseberry (Virginia) major dec. Kacee Hutchinson (North Carolina) 10-2 Consolation: Aaron Tschantz (Ohio) vs. Leonardo Trindade (Massachusetts), Trevor Stevens (Georgia) vs. Jesse Stephanos (Florida) 220: Semifinals: Spencer Empey (Nevada) dec. Eldon Valery (Virignia) 4-0, J’Den Cox (Missouri) major dec. Nicholas Lupi (New York) 16-6 Consolation: Luke Fetla (North Carolina) vs. Vernon Rowe (Ohio), Nathan Meagher (South Carolina) vs. Christopher Samboy (Connecticut) 285: Semifinals: Brandon Johnson (Washington) dec. Joe Bexley (Georgia) 2-1 (ot), Travis Gusan (Ohio) over ElShaddai Vanhoesen (New York) by injury default Consolation: Jerrad Nieland (Minnesota) vs. Brandon Fayle (New York), Jonah Aurielo (Rhode Island) vs. Cornell Gilmore (Florida) NHSCA Sophomore Nationals 106: Semifinals: Justin Patrick (Pennsylvania) dec. Drew Turner (North Carolina) 4-3, Brent Fleetwood (Delaware) dec. Kevin Jack (Connecticut) 2-0 Consolation: Mitch Finesilver (Colorado) vs. Joey Cisneros (California), Zachary Davis (Indiana) vs. Joey Klump (Pennsylvania) 113: Semifinals: Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) dec. Zach Valley (Pennsylvania) 5-0, Ryan Millhof (Georgia) major dec. Thaddeus Nelson (Oregon) 11-2 Consolation: Dusty Hone (Utah) vs. Matt Findlay (Utah), Josh Alber (Illinois) vs. Kyle Carney (Delaware) 120: Semifinals: Sean Fausz (Kentucky) dec. Colby Ems (Pennsylvania) 8-6, P.T. Garcia (Colorado) pin William Olivas (Arizona) 3:56 Consolation: Joshua Crager (Washington) vs. Seth Brayfield (Missouri), Brock Wingbermuehler (Missouri) vs. Nicholas DeRosa (Massachusetts) 126: Semifinals: Tyler Marinelli (Georgia) dec. Brandon Womack (Alabama) 7-4, Clay Walker (South Carolina) dec. Bobby Smith (Ohio) 6-0 Consolation: Ricky Coster (California) vs. Matthew Pente (Maryland), Travis Roper (Pennsylvania) vs. Rodney Clevenger (Missouri) 132: Semifinals: P.J. Klee (New Jersey) major dec. 9-0 Hayden Ryals (Alabama), Josh Reyes (Oregon) major dec. 12-2 Jordan Stevens (Montana) Consolation: Payton Shuford (North Carolina) vs. Jalen Palmer (Pennsylvania), Walker Dempsey (New Jersey) vs. Willie Davis (Delaware) 138: Semifinals: Grant Leeth (Missouri) dec. Ryan Harris (Ohio) 3-0, Alfred Bannister (Maryland) pin Bryce Martin (California) 1:41 Consolation: Nick Gavazzi (Pennsylvania) vs. Raamiah Bethea (New Jersey), Mason Bentzel (Pennsylvania) vs. Blake Miller (Ohio) 145: Semifinals: Corey Rasheed (New York) dec. Josh Ortman (Pennsylvania) 9-2, Larry Bomstad (Minnesota) dec. Aaron Hartman (Florida) 8-4 Consolation: Ian Shannon (Pennsylvania) vs. Kimball Bastian (Utah), Jordan Fleede (Minnesota) vs. Nicholas Fiegner (California) 152: Semifinals: Bryan Salinas (California) dec. Kyle Bova (Pennsylvania) 6-5, Seth Williams (Ohio) dec. Judah Bruce (Virignia) 5-0 Consolation: Shawn Brown (Florida) vs. Edmond Hogan (Illinois), Derek Holcomb (New York) vs. Michael Pistone (New York) 160: Semifinals: Jonathan Scheifler (New Jersey) dec. Nathan Marek (Oklahoma) 7-4, Burke Paddock (New York) major dec. Tyler Silverthorn (New York) 11-2 Consolation: Franky Nassivera (New York) vs. Daniel Smith (New York), Jake Pooton (Maryland) vs. Tyler Maloy (Ohio) 170: Semifinals: Travis Linton (Ohio) dec. Maverick Whitcomb (Minnesota) 2-0, Joe Balboni (New Jersey) major dec. Cory Daniel (Maryland) 11-3 Consolation: Trey Ronayne (Arizona) vs. Joe Chmelski (New Hampshire), Luke Farinaro (New Jersey) vs. Luther Washington (Ohio) 182: Semifinals: Jose Ortiz (Pennsylvania) dec. Nezar Haddad (Pennsylvania) 3-1, Matthew Lybarger (Ohio) dec. Sam Davis (Virginia) 3-2 Consolation: Joey Tabachino (Georgia) vs. Gabe Dzuro (Ohio), Chip Ness (Georgia) vs. Anatavian Leary (Virginia) 195: Semifinals: Cory Damiana (New Jersey) pin Logan Kirby (Maryland) 1:13, Nathan Rose (Minnesota) pin Reggie Williams (New York) 2:28 Consolation: Anthony Mancini (Delaware) vs. Jeremy Sweany (California), Cody Delk (West Virginia) vs. Ian Callahan (North Carolina) 220: Semifinals: Trent Allen (North Carolina) dec. Seth McClendon (Pennsylvania) 6-3, Nigale Cabell (West Virginia) over Rhett Hoy (North Carolina) by injury default Consolation: Robert Frederico (New Jersey) vs. Adam Kuchta (Ohio), Alexander Cappaccioni (New Jersey) vs. Bailey Sutko (Missouri) 285: Semifinals: Patrick Garren (Ohio) dec. James O’Hagan (New York) 7-3, Jesse Webb (Virginia) pin Brady Pallante (Florida) 0:46 Consolation: Austin Buttry (Pennsylvania) vs. Cody Vandelinde (Virginia), Sam Breese (Pennsylvania) vs. Logan Turner (Virginia) NHSCA Freshman Nationals 106: Semifinals: Connor Prince (Florida) tech. fall Adam Blees (North Dakota), L.J. Bentley (Ohio) dec. Ryan Friedman (Maryland) 2-1 Consolation: Chase Gallik (Pennsylvania) vs. Kyle Quinn (New York), J.D. Gregory (Virginia) vs. Cody Matthews (Maryland) 113: Semifinals: Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma) maj. dec. Jared Prince (Florida) 16-6, Weston Basler (Missouri) dec. Jordan Allen (West Virginia) 8-2 Consolation: Luke Weiland (Missouri) vs. Richard Montoya (New Mexico), Cole Van Anrooy (Oregon) vs. Anthony Orefice (New York) 120: Semifinals: Austin Riggs (Virginia) dec. Jake Adcock (Georgia) 3-2, Cole Walter (Pennsylvania) pinned John Shirkey (Kentucky) 5:02 Consolation: Austin Jamison (North Carolina) vs. Trapper Hays (West Virginia), Anthony Juckes (New Mexico) vs. Chandler Minnard (Ohio) 126: Semifinals: Neal Richards (Virginia) tech. fall Lorenzo De La Riva (California), Tristan Rifenburg (New York) dec. Michael Monica (New Jersey) 2-1 Consolation: Adam Martz (Maryland) vs. Jacob Trujillo (Colorado), Alex Murray (New Jersey) vs. Frank Carrozza (Pennsylvania) 132: Semifinals: Kade Kowalski (Ohio) dec. Miguel Barreras (New Mexico) 9-5, Mason Koshiyama (California) pinned Weston Dobler (North Dakota) 5:20 Consolation: Sean Glasgow (New Jersey) vs. Jakob Restrepo (New York), Nathan Rowell-McInturf (California) vs. Dillion Chase (Iowa) 138: Semifinals: Jacob Armstrong (Utah) pinned Thomas Dutton (New York) 0:45, Colston DiBalsi (Missouri) dec. Blake Monty (Arizona) 4-0 Consolation: Tom Murphy (New Jersey) vs. Cody Hughes (Maine), Dominic Vitale (Pennsylvania) vs. Jordon Kloiber (Pennsylvania) 145: Semifinals: Dakota Greene (Florida) pinned Malik Long (South Carolina) 3:06, Ben Schram (Ohio) dec. Ricky Padilla (California) 3-2 Consolation: Shane Ice (Virginia) vs. Bryce Fochtman (Pennsylvania), Cody Cordes (Pennsylvania) vs. Jordan Fischer (Wyoming) 152: Semifinals: Dylan Wisman (Virginia) pinned Taylor Cahill (Pennsylvania) 3:15, David-Brian Whisler (Ohio) dec. Johnny Garcia (Connecticut) 4-1 Consolation: Rowdy Harman (North Carolina) vs. Clayton Ray (Ohio), Idris White (Pennsylvania) vs. Nathan Schwab (New York) 160: Semifinals: Jake Young (Pennsylvania) pin Michael Curtis (Maine) 5:27, Chad Solomon (Tennessee) dec. Christopher Favoroso (Florida) 3-1 Consolation: Nick Wentland (New York) vs. Taquan Long (South Carolina), Logan Womelsdorf (Pennsylvania) vs. Jordan Gray (Pennsylvania) 170: Semifinals: Erich Schneider (Delaware) dec. Trent Reddish (Georgia) 4-2, Conor Ross (Florida) dec. Tyler Love (Virginia) 5-2 Consolation: Eli Matthews (Kentucky) vs. Jared Aziz (Colorado), Anthony Carter (Virginia) vs. Andrew Colborn (North Carolina) 182: Semifinals: Matthew Wagner (Pennsylvania) dec. Thomas Alcaro (Pennsylvania) 3-2, Tevis Bartlett (Wyoming) major dec. David Showunmi (New Jersey) 15-6 Consolation: Dillon Card (Minnesota) vs. Sal DeSantis (Rhode Island), Garrett Duvall (New York) vs. Jeff Velez (New Jersey) 195: Semifinals: Kenneth Brinson (Georgia) tech. fall over Travis Doyle (North Carolina), Parker Knapp (Ohio) dec. Robert Enmon (Florida) 1-0 Consolation: Tiawahn Cosby (New Jersey) vs. Cody Marshall (New York), John Mimes (New Jersey) vs. Andrew Gaither (North Carolina) 220: Semifinals: John Kramer (Tennessee) dec. Jack Luciano (Vermont) 1-0, Austin Myers (Kentucky) pin Wyatt Dawson (West Virignia) 1:01 Consolation: Brady Beier (Minnesota) vs. Cal Haines (Pennsylvania), Alexander Millen (Rhode Island) vs. Kyle Muehring (Missouri) 285: Semifinals: Gage Cervenka (South Carolina) pin Dane Mills (West Virginia) 4:26, Jeremy Candelario (Pennsylvania) pin Nicholas Wimmer (North Carolina) 2:57 Consolation: Austin Motsinger (North Carolina) vs. Nick Roberts (Pennsylvania), Andrew Snyder (Virginia) vs. Tejuan Henderson (Tennessee)

David Taylor was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAAs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Penn State sophomore David Taylor is one of the most talked-about wrestlers in college wrestling, and for good reason. The 2012 Hodge Trophy winner was dominant in his second season, finishing 32-0 with 15 pins and nine technical falls. After receiving a wild card bid to the Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Taylor has his sights on Olympic gold. How's it been going since NCAAs? Taylor: I took off the last week off and was back on the mat this week and ready to go. It's been nice to get everything back on track and let my body heal up a little bit. What was the student reaction on campus? Taylor: It's been growing. I've been walking around campus a couple of times and people would stop me and say 'congrats' or whatever. Everybody reads the daily newspapers and stuff so I think a lot of people were aware of what happened. We keep gaining more and more fans, so I think it's probably a bigger deal than it was in the past. David Taylor gets his hand raised after winning the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)You engaged with the Penn State fans way more this year than you did last year. Was that intentional? Taylor: I enjoy what I'm doing and I'm a pretty emotional wrestler, I think there's no reason not to express how we feel when we step onto the mat. Our fans are the greatest in the country and they're really supportive and it makes a difference in some matches. You were literally making eye contact with fans and nodding your head in recognition. That's a new one for you this season. Taylor: How ever many people are there and people are yelling and screaming, and suddenly some guy stands up and screams your name, it's motivating. It's awesome. I've been around wrestling for a long time and it doesn't happen very often, but I think people really like the way we wrestle and are really supportive. You're getting ready and you hear your name, there's no reason not to smile at them and recognize that moment. It helps. Penn State had three dominant NCAA champions. Was there a significant competition for recognition? Taylor: Frank, Ed, Quentin and I battled all season during matches to see who get more bonus points and pins. I think it helped during the season for us to be really dominant and we were going out trying to outdo each other. Competitiveness among the team definitely helped us. Did you compete to win the Hodge Award? Taylor: It's a special thing to battle with your teammates for those kind of awards, but if I could split it three ways I'd split it with those guys. David Taylor celebrates after getting a pin in the semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Everybody sensed bonus points would be huge coming into the NCAA tournament. Was it something you guys talked about in the room? Taylor: We knew bonus points were huge coming into the tournament. Four teams ended with more than 100 points. Bonus points make a difference and we'd been doing it all season, and coming into nationals you want to do that same things. Get a guy in his back and that's huge. Seemed to make the difference. Taylor: Absolutely. Me, Ed, Q and Frank's bonus points were equal to another All-American or two. I didn't realize that it could be so huge. Did Cael talk about scoring bonus points? Taylor: Not really. We had signs in the room with little things all season, stuff that said 'bonus points,' 'extra effort,' and that motivates us, but it's nothing anyone had to say. If there are 20 seconds left and you're up by seven points, guys were getting takedowns to get the major. That doesn't happen in the NCAA tournament because everyone is worrying about advancing, but guys like Frank and Q were cutting guys to get those majors. I think it says a lot about our team. Talk a little about the country's most popular backup, Matt Brown. Taylor: Such a good guy. Matt came in this year after his mission and was literally in better shape than everyone in the preseason. We were like, 'Holy smokes, this guy is going to be an animal.' He came in and kept getting better. Ruth wrestled with him all the time and loved it. David Taylor has a 70-1 carer record in two seasons (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Is he going to find the lineup next season? Taylor: Right now the plan is for me to stay at 165 and Ruth and Q are going up. Then Brown goes 174. So if you stay at 165 and Cornell's Kyle Dake moves up a weight class ... People are already talking about this like it's the "Match of the Century." Taylor: When you've got two guys that are pretty good at different weight classes people start talking. The only way to find out is if it actually happens. I'm staying at 165, so we'll see what happens. You guys are pretty close, right? Taylor: We grew up wresting each other and had similar growth patterns, so we wrestled each other at Fargo. I went to his house in New York and wrestled with him, and he would stay at our house in Ohio. Grew up pretty good friends. So ... Match of the Century? Taylor: I think it would be great for the fans, and great for them to talk about. Who knows what would happen, but it would definitely be good for wrestling and talked about for a really long time. You two might not be alone at the weight class with Andrew Howe and Tyler Caldwell rumored to be coming back at 165 pounds. Taylor: I'm all for it. I'm all for competition. It'll make it more fun.

Mo Lawal (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal was cut by Zuffa on Tuesday after a day of professional and personal setbacks. Lawal's bad day started when he went in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission to answer for his positive test for the anabolic steroid, drostanolone. King Mo lost his appeal and took his disappointment and anger with him to the Twittersphere where he made inflammatory and slanderous comments about NSAC commission chair Pat Lundvall, calling her a "racist bitch." Much has been written about King Mo's bad day, but none of it places the blame on the main perpetrator of wrongdoing: "King Mo" Lawal himself. If you take a look at where the controversy has ended up -- race and Twitter -- you have to address Lawal's assertion that comments made by Lundvall were racist and that King Mo was within reason to attack her through social media. To believe King Mo and the current discussion, you have to swallow a lot of half-truths and take a few leaps of faith. Lundvall, a partner in a Las Vegas law firm and chair of the NSAC that overheard Lawal's appeal, was incredibly tough on the former Oklahoma State wrestler during his meeting on Tuesday. She questioned him on when he took what supplements and why he so poorly documented them in his pre-fight questionnaires. After a long back-and-forth with Lawal (audio), Lundvall asked him why he failed to mention he was taking any medications (including Aleve), much less the supplement in question. Lawal immediately began to weave excuses to which Lundvall, like an exasperated parent condescending a misleading child, said "You signed this (application) that you filled out, did you not?" ... "And you understand English? And you read English?" King Mo was suspended for nine months and docked a total of $39,000 in winnings for the positive test. His Twitter response was immediate. "I honestly feel like Lundvall was a racist bitch asking me if I can read or speak English. Go on somewhere with that bullshit." Lundvall's comments were far from racist, and the only bullshit in the exchange was calling a woman a "bitch" for aggressively questioning an obvious runaround. Lawal's comment was a combination of name-calling and a desire for a discussion of racial issues instead of his own failures. But this type of excuse-making and distraction creation is "Mo being Mo" -- scanning the available landscape for others to blame for his shortcomings and failures, when he's the only person responsible for his actions. He knows he has no rational play, no substantial claim at racism. He's out of excuses, but where a floundering, desperate fighter would normally capitulate and recognize their errors, King Mo (because of his effervescence, intelligence and willingness to give a good interview) has received positive coverage by members of the media. Specifically leading the charge to make his dismissal more about inconsistencies in firing Zuffa fighters, and the need for a "Twitter Code of Conduct." Shortly after being dismissed (mere hours) Lawal was on the phone with the staff of MMAfighting.com (Ariel Helwani and Ben Fowlkes) pleading his case to friendly ears. The duo then took to the airwaves to mostly substantiate Lawal's claims of racism and inconsistency regarding the policing of Twitter. Later, King Mo popped up on No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman claiming again that he was the victim of racism, and specifying that where he grew up in Tennessee the words Lundvall said were considered racist. Racial tensions have been exploited by professional athletes in the past to displace blame for personal actions. Whether the athlete is black or Hispanic or Polynesian the attempt to make an issue with one's conduct into a discussion about the racial beliefs of those making the decision is textbook misdirection. Asking someone if they can read is condescending and rude, but it's also a trope repeated millions of times a day by irritated rule makers (looking at you, Mom) who are frustrated by a never-ending stream of excuses. Lundvall's choice of colloquialisms weren't based in race, they were just focused on the inability of others to pay attention to the instructions as they were listed. Lawal is playing the race card for personal gain, and the media that supports Mo's assertions are calling shotgun on a fantastical joy ride. I don't know Lundvall, but it's categorically unfair to accuse her of being a racist, or assume that her comments were inspired by the fact that King Mo is black. For that accusation alone Lawal should have been fired. Never mind that he was suspended for using steroids, something that has gotten other fighters canned in the past. But that wasn't all he wrote, Lawal also called Lundvall a "bitch." He of course had an explanation for this as well, explaining that if you look on his Twitter feed he's called more men "bitches" than women. Who cares who else Lawal calls a "bitch?" He's a 31-year-old man who insulted and demeaned a very successful woman who did nothing but call him on his bullshit. If you want to talk about prejudices, the more common one in this exchange would be calling a powerful woman a "bitch" for being assertive. What about the Twitter Code of Conduct that the MMA media intelligentsia is so desperate to see? It's not a bad idea, but it also wouldn't have impacted any portion of Zuffa's decision to dismiss Lawal. The Twitter Code of Conduct might have been helpful in the case of Miguel Torres and Forrest Griffin, who tweeted broad indirect jokes about rape without a singular audience as their intended victim. These guys were knuckleheads, but they were also immediately remorseful for having offended women, and the victims of rape. Not only did both delete the offending tweets and apologize online and in-person, they also made attempts to perform good. (Griffin made a donation to a rape crisis center.) They showed remorse. Lawal did nothing but delete the tweet, but his offense wasn't having crappy comedic taste, it was attacking an individual -- one who happend to be his boss' boss (kind of). Zuffa can't allow their fighters to personally insult members of the NSAC. That's just bad business. But in terms of Twitter Code of Conduct, in no way would that policy include an exemption for calling the Chair of the Nevada State Athletic Commission a "racist bitch." As of now, Lawal is standing by his assessment that Lundvall is a “racist bitch.” He has shown no repentance, no comprehension that what he tweeted and what he's said is wrong. There's not an employer in the world that should keep someone that insubordinate and indignant on their payroll. Lawal is a good guy. He's entertaining. He's a decent fighter and a profitable draw. However, he's been handed a nine-month suspension and has attacked members of the commission. His behavior is more costly to the organization that hired him (and I'm including the use of steroids in his conduct) than it is worth to keep him around. Lawal needs to learn his lessons and needs to apologize. He needs to stop making excuses and own up to his mistakes. Lawal's a wrestler by training, and would be well-served to remember two lessons from his days on the mat: One: Never speak to a referee. Two: When you lose, you only have yourself to blame.

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio. Join Scott Casber and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. to noon ET. Special guest host: former PA wrestler, Now Marine Corp. Sgt. Wayne Edmiston This week's guests: 9:03 Jeff Bowyer, Brute 9:15 Takedown Wrestling Headline News with Brad Johnson 9:20 Jim Giunta, NCWA 9:40 Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling 9:50 Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03 Rashad Evans, UFC fighter 10:20 Gil Martinez 10:40 Mike Ester, Indiana Tech coach 10:50 Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort Fans, Athletes, Coaches Join in the conversation live by calling 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Listen on radio, computer, Blackberry, or iPhone with the iHeart Radio App.

Lee Kemp and Kelly Ward will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, March 28. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Kemp was a three-time NCAA champion for Wisconsin (1976, 1977, and 1978) and a three-time World champion (1978, 1979, and 1982). Kemp’s current company -- Forza -- sells nutritional supplements. It is an official partner of USA Wrestling. Ward will enter the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on April 14. He was an NCAA champion in 1979 and a three-time NCAA championship finalist at Iowa State. Kemp and Ward faced each other in the NCAA finals at 158 pounds in 1977 and 1978.

Across the country, the end-of-season individual state tournaments are completed over a stretch of five weekends. However, this coming week, all three major post-season national tournaments will be conducted. The National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) sponsors its annual grade-level nationals events in Virginia Beach, as the freshman, sophomore, and junior competitions commence today, with those finals being conducted Friday evening. The senior event will start on Friday, and continue through its finals on Sunday. At present, 1745 underclassmen are registered to compete with at least 675 seniors slated to join the fray. On the other hand, Flowrestling is sponsoring an all-class event for the third consecutive year. This year, the FloNationals moved to the campus of Drexel University in Philadelphia. This event will be held on Saturday and Sunday, and sold out at its capacity of 800 wrestlers. Finally, USA Wrestling is hosting its Folkstyle National Championships this weekend at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa for all of its age groups -- including the high school comparable Cadet and Junior levels. The joint Cadet/Junior event is on the verge of selling out at a capacity of 1300 wrestlers, with an estimated 620 Cadets and 680 Juniors expected to compete. With close to 4,500 high school aged wrestlers taking to the mats in these high-level tournaments this week, it is somewhat surprising to see the limited number of nationally ranked wrestlers in this list. Out of the 280 wrestlers that appear in the high school weight class rankings (14 weight classes, 20 wrestlers per weight), just a little less than one-third of this pool is currently in one of the events. Below is a breakdown of nationally ranked wrestlers by event ... At NHSCA Senior Nationals 120: No. 9 Nick Herrmann (Amarillo Tascola, Texas), No. 20 Hermilio Esquivel (Orland, Calif.) 126: No. 8 Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), No. 11 Hunter Weber (Marshall, Wis.), and No. 17 Max Hvolbek (Blair Academy, N.J.) 132: No. 3 Mark Grey (Blair Academy, N.J.) 138: No. 5 Todd Preston (Blair Academy, N.J.) 145: No. 16 Alenick Richardson (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), No. 19 (at 170) Jared Reis (Napoleon, N.D.) 152: No. 12 (at 160) Dylan Palacio (Long Beach, N.Y.), No. 13 Jake Elliott (Oakmont, Calif.), No. 16 Sal Mastriani (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), No. 17 Austin Trott (Camden County, Ga.), No. 19 Raamiah Bethea (Trenton Central, N.J.), and No. 20 Aaron Walker (Judson, Texas) 160: No. 4 Clark Glass (Brandon, Fla.), No. 7 (at 170) Geordan Speiller (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.), No. 7 Cody Allala (Hopewell, Va.), and No. 20 Chris Nevinger (Letchworth, N.Y.) 170: No. 3 (at 182) Jordan Thomas (Greenville, Mich.), No. 14 Silas Nacita (Bakersfield, Calif.) 182: No. 2 (at 170) Kyle Crutchmer (Tulsa Union, Okla.), No. 10 Jake Dechow (Richmond Burton, Ill.), and No. 11 Taylor McGiffen (Alton, Ill.) 195: No. 2 Tim Dudley (Irmo, S.C.), No. 13 Dwight Howes (Arvada, Co.), No. 18 (at 220) J.T. Goodwin (Bear Creek, Calif.), and No. 19 Shawn Scott (Holly, Mich.) 285: No. 4 Mimmo Lytle (Swanton, Ohio), No. 5 Austin Goergen (Caledonia, Minn.), and No. 20 (at 220) Austin Lobsinger (West Valley, Calif.) At NHSCA Junior Nationals 113: No. 10 Zac Gentzler (Andover Central, Kan.) 132: No. 16 (at 126) Chris Wilkes (Whitfield, Mo.) 138: No. 14 B.J. Clagon (Toms River South, N.J.) 145: No. 10 (at 138) Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.) 152: No. 15 Coleman Hammond (Bakersfield, Calif.) 182: No. 8 Domenic Abounader (St. Edward, Ohio) 220: No. 6 J'Den Cox (Hickman, Mo.), No. 15 Spencer Empey (Reed, Nev.) At the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals 106: No. 10 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) 138: No. 18 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.) At FloNationals 106: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 113: No. 13 Kyle Gliva (Simley, Minn.), No. 14 Jonas Gayton (Clovis, Calif.), and No. 20 (at 106) Domenic Forys (North Allegheny, Pa.) 120: No. 6 (at 113) Jason Nolf (Kittaning, Pa.), No. 12 Godwin Nyama (Brashear, Pa.) 126: No. 15 Jeffrey Ott (Belmont Hill, Mass.) 132: No. 12 Niko Villarreal (Gilroy, Calif.) 138: No. 2 (at 132) Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.), No. 3 (at 145) Jake Short (Simley, Minn.), No. 8 Matt Cimato (LaSalle, Pa.), No. 12 Tony DeAngelo (Southern Alamance, N.C.), No. 15 (at 145) Willie Fox (Gilroy, Calif.), and No. 17 Shayne Tucker (Bella Vista, Calif.) 145: No. 14 Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.) 152: No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.), No. 10 Josh Llopez (La Plata, Md.), No. 11 Nick Wanzek (Simley, Minn.), and No. 12 Nick Becker (Hartford, Wis.) 160: No. 2 Joey Davis (Santa Fe, Calif.), No. 5 (at 170) Micah Barnes (Simley, Minn.), and No. 9 Victor Pereira (Newark Memorial, Calif.) 170: No. 10 Zach Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) 182: No. 5 Nikko Reyes (Clovis West, Calif.), No. 15 Kevin Beazley (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and No. 18 Ryan Wolfe (Caravel Academy, Del.) 195: No. 5 Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.) 220: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), No. 8 (at 285) Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), No. 15 Spencer Empey (Reed, Nev.) 285: No. 9 Nick Tavanello (Wadsworth, Ohio), No. 11 Dink Purnell (Sussex Tech, Del.) At USA Wrestling Cadet Folkstyle Nationals 113: No. 8 (at 106) Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley School, Ohio), No. 15 Jens Lantz (Ellsworth, Wis.) 152: No. 2 (at 145) Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) At USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals 113: No. 5 Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), No. 9 (at 106) Doug Miner (Spirit Lake Park, Iowa) 120: No. 17 (at 113) Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem, Ill.) 126: No. 11 Hunter Weber (Marshall, Wis.) 145: No. 7 (at 132) Brandon Sorensen (Denver-Tripoli, Iowa), No. 20 Eleazar DeLuca (Phoenix, Ore.), No. 20 (at 138) Jack Bass (Allen, Texas) 152: No. 7 Oliver Pierce (Allen, Texas) 160: No. 8 (at 152) Keilan Torres (Altus, Okla.), No. 15 (at 170) Kyle Begin (Anoka, Minn.) 170: No. 8 Alex Meyer (Southeast Polk, Iowa), No. 11 Cooper Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.), No. 12 Zach Beard (Tuttle, Okla.) 220: No. 2 Willie Miklus (Southeast Polk, Iowa) 285: No. 2 Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich.), No. 19 (at 220) Nathan Butler (Leavenworth, Kan.) Glad you're back After missing all of his senior season, it's nice to see Steve Congenie (Villa Park, Ill.) back on the mats. The Cornell bound wrestler will be competing in the 195 pound weight class at the USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals. Congenie is ranked 34th overall in the Class of 2012, and was a combined 82-1 in winning state titles the previous two years after finishing in fourth with a 42-5 record as a freshman. In terms of the weight class field, it is not too strong a weight class -- with primary challenges likely coming from a pair of two-time state champions in Alex Bambic (Desert Vista, Ariz.) and Derek Geddings (South Sioux City, Neb.), along with state runner-up Blake Blair (Edwardsville, Ill.). Given his competing at 195 here, what would fans in the Land of Lincoln have paid to see a Dvorak tournament bracket now two-time state champions No. 4 Brad Johnson (Lockport) and No. 5 Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central) along with Congenie in it! How do these tournaments matter? A couple of questions that people might ask with so many of the nationally ranked wrestlers "missing in action" this weekend would be: (1) Why does this matter? (2) How are the results evaluated? As for why this matters, the level of competition present in all of these events is still pretty high. Just because wrestlers aren't ranked doesn't mean they're not good. Only 280 total wrestlers in America can appear in the national weight class rankings. There are many non-ranked wrestlers who are state champions, high state placers, have placed in other major tournaments, etc. In addition, the difference between the select few ranked wrestlers and those just outside the rankings is not that profound. In addition, any time wrestlers step on the mat and test themselves against opposition, it is valued time to develop and become a better wrestler. Moreover, in these events, there are many scrutinous eyes observing these tournaments and their results. Yes, eyeballs even more important than my own! Those would be the eyes of college coaches. They are looking at the prospects already committed to attend their school, prospects they may want to bring in during the late period this year, and/or underclassmen to seek out in upcoming months and years. At all these events, there will be a cadre of college coaches across all levels (DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, etc.) present. In terms of how I evaluate these events, it is done in many ways and on many levels. The most pressing concern to some might be the upcoming final weight class rankings. These events obviously can serve as a last impression -- either for the good or the not so good. Whether it's a highly rated wrestler "putting it on the line" and then "taking care of business", or wrestlers on either side of the fringes of the rankings validating their standing, or somebody outside the rankings coming up with some huge wins ... it all matters, and it's all evaluated. Along with the national weight class rankings, there are the graduating class rankings that are done "pound-for-pound." Especially for the underclass wrestlers, the events this week serve as a key way to identify and determine who may belong in the rankings and/or at what level. The medalists in these events can also get their names added onto the "directories" of national rankers and college coaches. Outcomes and performances in these events -- for underclassmen -- can also serve as a tone setter for evaluation headed into next year. More importantly, from a wrestling standpoint, results here can serve as a catalyst of future performance -- whether it's headed off to college, or into the off-season of a continuing high school career. Final thoughts Best of luck to all those competing in a tournament this week(end). Here's to tournaments of great enjoyment and success for everybody, as over 4,500 wrestlers have chosen to test themselves against formidable competition. Keep your computers tuned into the front page of InterMat throughout the week and weekend for further information about all of the events.

125: Matt McDonough (Iowa) 133: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) 141: Kellen Russell (Michigan) 149: Frank Molinaro (Penn State) 157: Kyle Dake (Cornell) 165: David Taylor (Penn State) 184: Steve Bosak (Cornell) 197: Cam Simaz (Cornell) 285: Tony Nelson (Minnesota)

Brian Realbuto defeated Cody Copeland at 152 (Photo/Tami Knopsnyder) PITTSBURGH -- After victories from the Keystone State squad in two of the last three Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic main events, Team USA made it seem like 2001-2008 all over again with a 34-9 victory over the Pennsylvania squad in front of a close to capacity crowd at Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Though many of the matches were individually close, Team USA capitalized on the momentum storm early and often. The USA team started the evening with four consecutive decisions. No. 5 Zane Richards (Carbondale, Ill.) used a second period takedown to outlast Mac McGuire (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) 3-1 in the opening match at 132 pounds. Then, it was yet another fifth ranked wrestler -- and also Junior National freestyle champion -- in Brian Realbuto (Somers, N.Y.) taking to the mats and earning a decision at 152 pounds. Realbuto used two takedowns in the opening period, a second period reversal, and lots of riding to earn a 6-1 victory over Cody Copeland (Greenville, Pa.). With a 6-0 lead and not much momentum for the home side, the next two matches served to sap even further momentum, since they were both defeats and the matches were relatively dull. At 170 pounds, No. 2 Kyle Crutchmer (Tulsa Union, Ok.) outlasted No. 13 Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) 2-1 in the tieberakers, while Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) -- ranked No. 13 among all class of 2012 prospects -- upended Averee Robinson (Susquehanna Township, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 285 pounds, 5-1 in overtime. As Team USA sensed things going totally their way, No. 1 Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.) took to the mat in the evening's fifth match at 182 pounds against No. 13 Wes Phipps (Grove City, Pa.). Finally, some flurries of action ensued. After one period, it was two takedowns and a two-point near fall giving Rogers a 6-1 lead. Phipps did cut the deficit down to 8-4 after two periods with an escape to start the period, and a late reversal. However, it was lights out early in the third period when Rogers countered a Phipps shot, hipped over and scored the fall on a beast of a counter at the 4:34 mark. "For the most part, I had good counter offense," observed Rogers about his match. "I didn't get to my offense as much as I wanted, but capitalized on some opportunities, and used my hips extremely well to score the fall." That performance earned Rogers Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the USA squad. "It's a great feeling to wrestle along with the top guys in the nation," Rogers added. "It's an honor to be here, it was a fun trip, and I'm very excited to have wrestled as well as I did." Facing an 18-0 deficit, the Pennsylvania squad had to turn to a pair of wrestlers who have football in their futures in hopes of stemming the momentum of Team USA. Taking to the mat at 195 pounds was No. 7 Perry Hills (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), who will be attending the University of Maryland on a football scholarship, and will compete for the starting quarterback job this fall. After two periods, Hills led 3-2 over No. 5 Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.). Harrah had an early match takedown. Then Hills scored a reversal late in the first period, and an escape in the second. The Drexel-bound Harrah responded with an escape early in the third, and then scored the match winning takedown with about five seconds remaining after the two wrestlers engaged in an excellent scramble. The 5-3 victory for Harrah stretched out the Team USA lead to 21-0. Three-time state champion John Rizzo defeated Stanford-bound Josh Marchok (Photo/Tami Knopsnyder)Next up for Team USA was another Illinois native, No. 4 Josh Marchok (Schaumburg), facing No. 3 John Rizzo (Richland, Pa.). Rizzo, a three-time state champion, will be playing Division I football in college, while two-time state champion Marchok will be wrestling at Stanford. Rizzo used a first period takedown to score a 3-2 victory and get the Pennsylvania team off the schneid. "I didn't open up as much as I wanted to, but still came out with the win, which is great," said Rizzo. "I wanted to go out there and try to turn things around (after the 0-for-6 start from the Pennsylvania squad)." Rizzo, who wants to be a running back in college, will "greyshirt" and delay his college enrollment until January 2013. In the interim, he will participate in the Pennsylvania East-West All-Star Game during the first week of May. Interestingly, Rizzo will be joined by Hills as a teammate on the West squad in the event to be held in Gateway, Pa. Four-time undefeated state champion Jon Meeks emerged victorious over Steve Spearman in ultimate tiebreaker (Photo/Tami Knopsnyder)It was back to regularly scheduled programming for Team USA with the next match, a tightly contested win, as No. 2 John Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt, Iowa) upended No. 6 Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, Pa.) 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker at 138 pounds. Neither wrestler was able to score an offensive point, as they traded escapes during regulation and in the :30-:30 portion of the tiebreaker. Having escaped in the second period, Meeks had choice in the ultimate tiebreaker. Choosing the down position, Meeks was able to score the escape, and as a result the four-time undefeated state champion emerged victorious over two-time state champion Spearman. Yet another four-time state champion took to the mats for Team USA in the next match, as No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.) dominated Zach Beitz (Juniata, Pa.) by 13-4 major decision at 145 pounds. Tsirtsis, ranked No. 2 overall in the Class of 2012, scored a pair of takedowns during each period, and joined older brother Alex as a winner in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. Alex earned a 6-4 victory in 2004. "I wanted to push the pace, and score points, as I do in every match," said the Northwestern-bound Tsirtsis. "Though I got a little tired mid-match, things worked out and I was able to push through it." Even though Pennsylvania had already mathematically lost the dual meet, trailing 28-3 with four matches remaining, No. 5 Brian Brill (Central Mountain) came through with an exemplary performance in the 160 pound match against No. 3 (at 170) Zach Brunson (Churchill, Ore.). Facing a four-time state champion with just two career losses, Brill stormed out to a 6-1 lead after two periods with a first period takedown, and a reversal and takedown in the second period. Brunson, a Junior National freestyle champion this past summer, scored to takedowns in the third; but it was too little, too late -- as Brill scored the 7-5 victory. Each of the last three matches of the dual meet featured a number one wrestler taking to the mats. First, at 113 pounds, it was Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Ind.) facing off against No. 9 Billy Rappo (Council Rock South, Pa.). Brooks emerged with an 8-5 victory over Rappo, scoring his first two takedowns on impressive duck-under attacks. Billy was the fourth Rappo to wrestle in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, and the family dropped to 1-3 in the event, with only Mike securing a 10-5 victory in 2006. George DiCamillo defeated Nick Roberts, 10-5, in a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 at 120 (Photo/Tami Knopsnyder)Next, at 120 pounds, it was George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius) wrestling No. 2 Nick Roberts (North Star, Pa.). The wrestlers traded takedowns and escapes in the first period, as the period ended tied at 3-3. However, DiCamillo separated somewhat in the second period with a choice escape and late takedown to take the 6-3 lead. "After the second (period) takedown, I could just feel it," said DiCamillo. "I knew the match was there to be had." Roberts scored an escape early in the third period to cut the deficit to 6-4. However, DiCamillo sandwiched takedowns around another Roberts escape to earn an impressive 10-5 victory. "(Roberts) is a tough competitor, but I seized the opportunity," said DiCamillo. The evening's last match was also the clear highlight for the Pennsylvania squad. Wrestling in front of a hometown crowd, Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area, Pa.) turned it up about ten notches in the last ninety seconds of the match to secure a 10-3 victory over No. 5 Cory Clark (Southeast Polk, Iowa) in a battle of four-time state champions. Penn State-bound Jimmy Gulibon defeated Iowa-bound Cory Clark in the final match (Photo/Tami Knopsnyder)After scoring the opening takedown, Gulibon gave up a late reversal to Clark in the first period, as the match was tied 2-2 after one. The wrestlers traded escapes at the start of the second and third period. Then, the steamroll occurred when Gulibon scored a takedown, then trapped Clark on his back in a scramble type situation for three, and scored a tilt for two more right at the end of the match. "The end of the match felt great," said Gulibon. "I finally got back to normal -- less tentative, more comfortable, and more confident." That result earned Gulibon the Most Outstanding Wrestler award for the Pennsylvania squad. "I've been coming to the Dapper Dan since I was nine years old," said Gulibon, "and it's incredible to win the way I did. It was so much fun." Bound for Penn State, Gulibon will join fellow Pittsburgh area native Nico Megaludis -- who just finished second at the national tournament as a true freshman -- on the Nittany Lions roster as a lower weight. "I watched Nico last weekend on television, and it was incredible," said Gulibon. "I can't wait to wrestle with him again (as they trained together for just over three straight years prior to Megaludis moving on to State College)." Results: 132: No. 5 Zane Richards (Carbondale, Ill.) dec. Mac McGuire (Upper St. Clair), 3-1 152: No. 5 Brian Realbuto (Somers, N.Y.) dec. Cody Copeland (Greenville), 6-1 170: No. 2 Kyle Crutchmer (Tulsa Union, Okla.) dec. No. 13 Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic), 2-1, TB 285: Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) dec. No. 15 Averee Robinson (Susquehanna Twp.), 5-1 OT 182: No. 1 Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.) pinneed No. 13 Wes Phipps (Grove City), 4:34 195: No. 5 Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.) dec. No. 7 Perry Hills (Pittsburgh Central Catholic), 5-3 220: No. 3 John Rizzo (Richland) dec. No. 4 Josh Marchok (Schaumburg, Ill.), 3-2 138: No. 2 John Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt, Iowa) dec. No. 6 Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell) 3-2 UTB 145: No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.) maj. dec. Zach Beitz (Juniata), 13-4 160: No. 5 Brian Brill (Central Mountain) dec. No. 3 (at 170) Zach Brunson (Churchill, Ore.), 7-5 113: No. 1 Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Ind.) dec. No. 9 Billy Rappo (Council Rock South), 8-5 120: No. 1 George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio) dec. No. 2 Nick Roberts (North Star), 10-5 126: No. 1 Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area) dec. No. 5 Cory Clark (Southeast Polk, Iowa), 10-3 Maryland All-Stars defeat WPIAL All-Stars After two straight years of very close undercard matches involving the WPIAL squad, last year's match was a blood-letting to say the least. In fact, it was the first shutout in the history of the event, as a very strong WPIAL squad scored a 42-0 blanking over a team of all-stars from Michigan. Coming into the match, and looking at things from the outside, one would have expected this to be close. The WPIAL team was not as strong "on paper" as last year; and while Maryland is not as highly reputed a wrestling state as is Michigan, their squad was truly a reflective organization of the best seniors the state had to offer. Not only was the margin of the dual not that close, the visiting Maryland squad came in extremely prepared and focused, then came up with wins in ten of the thirteen matches - many of which were tightly contested. If the opening match was to be any indication, the above opinion would have been insanity. No. 12 (at 120) Godwin Nyama (Brashear, Pa.) took it to Tony Farace (Owings Mills, Md.). This year's Pennsylvania state champ scored nine takedowns in securing the 18-7 major decision over a three-time state champion in the five minute match (two periods of 2-1/2 minutes, each starting in the neutral position). That performance earned Nyama, who just started wrestling as a sophomore in high school, Most Oustanding Wrestler honors. "Three years ago I couldn't even hit a switch or finish a double leg," said Nyama. "Through lots of hard work and drilling things over-and-over, I've been able to reach this level of success. The difference this year was learning how to take wins, instead of sneaking them out." However, the Maryland squad responded back with three consecutive wins. First at 120 pounds, Eric Friemdan (St. Paul's) scored a 4-2 overtime victory over Colton Shorts (Canon McMillan) to cut the dual meet deficit to 4-3. Then, at 126 pounds, No. 8 Nathan Kraisser (Centennial) gave the Maryland squad the lead for good with a 9-0 major decision over Derek Evanovich (Peters Township). That result earned the four-time state champion, and returning Junior National double All-American, Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the Maryland squad. "To be able to perform the way I did feels great, and makes me proud to represent Maryland," said Kraisser. "We've been doing it together since junior league (Kraisser and about five others trained with Cary Kolat all the way from youth through high school), and we came in here well prepared and ready to win." Tyler Goodwin (Arundel, Md.) then separated a match that he led 4-3 after the first period with a five-point move in winning 9-4 over Josh Kwasny (Charleroi) at 132 pounds. Tanner Wiltrout (Connellsville) was able to cut into the Maryland lead with a 9-5 victory over Collin Harrell (Broadneck) at 138. Two-time state champion Alex Rice (Chesapeke, Md.) then came up with a critical victory to keep his squad with the lead, as he upended the very talented Ty Lydic (Greater Latrobe) 5-3 in the tiebreaker at 145 pounds. The wrestlers traded takedowns in regulation, with Rice securing a reversal in the tiebreaker to give Maryland a 13-7 lead. In the next match, the Maryland-bound Tyler Manion (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) responded with an upset for the WPIAL, avenging a 1-0 loss from the quarterfinals of the POWERade with a 5-3 victory over Peter Galli (St. Paul's), a four-time National Prep placer. Manion scored a four-point move early in the second period, but then had to hang on at the end as Galli came on strong in the back portion of the period with a takedown and then an almost takedown as time was up. "I was more tentative last time," said Manion. "This time, I was able to open it up a bit and wrestle my style. However, at the end, I was just trying to hold on because (for some reason) I struggled in the last minute." Trying to hold on to a 13-10 dual meet lead, the Maryland squad sent out Brad Mutchnik (St. Paul's) at 160 pounds, who placed sixth at National Preps this past year. His opponent was state champion Francis Mizia (Bentworth, Pa.). Scoring a first period takedown, Mutchnik hung on for the 2-1 victory. "I've heard of this event since I was a little kid, though I never thought I'd get to participate," said Mutchnik, who will wrestle collegiately at American University. "It's kind of surreal to think that I'd come in here, face a Pennsylvania state champion, and score the win. That win started a string of six consecutive wins to close out the dual meet for the Maryland squad, which ended up winning 34-10. The next two matches were 5-4 decisions. At 170 pounds, Tyler Rill (Mt. St. Joseph) upended Jake Wisener (Ringgold); while it was the Princeton-bound Judd Ziegler and his 4.7 GPA scoring the victory over Jarred Lux (North Allegheny) at 182. Two-time National Prep placer Dylan Devine (DeMatha) scored 6-2 victory over two-time state placer Jordan Kitta (Southmoreland) at 195 pounds. 2011 National Prep placer Kevin Marvel (McDonogh), who placed at the Ironman and Beast this year, scored a fall in 2:24 over Greg Krumer (Fort Cherry) at 220 pounds. Finally, it was state champion Jason Johnson (River Hill) winning 1-0 in the tiebreaker against Corey Garry (Fort Cherry) when Cherry was called for locking hands in the top position. Results: 113: No. 12 Godwin Nyama (Brashear) maj. dec. Tony Farace (Oakland Mills, Md.), 18-7 120: Eric Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.) dec. Colt Shorts (Canon-McMillan), 4-2 OT 126: No. 8 Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Md.) maj. dec. Derrick Evanovich (Peters Twp.), 9-0 132: Tyler Goodwin (Arundel, Md.) dec. Joshua Kwasny (Charleroi), 9-4 138: Tanner Wiltrout (Connellsville) dec. Collin Harrell (Broadneck, Md.), 9-5 145: Alex Rice (Chesapeake, Md.) dec. Ty Lydic (Latrobe), 5-3 OT 152: Tyler Manion (Central Catholic) dec. Peter Galli (St. Paul's, Md.), 5-3 160: Brad Mutchnik (St. Paul's, Md.) dec. Francis Mizia (Bentworth), 2-1 170: Tyler Rill (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.) dec. Jake Wisener (Ringgold), 5-4 182: Judd Ziegler (Middle Town, Md.) dec. Jarred Lux (North Allegheny), 5-4 195: Dylan Devine (Dematha, Md.) dec. Jordan Kitta (Southmoreland), 6-2 220: Kevin Marvel (McDonogh, Md.) pinned Greg Kumer (Fort Cherry), 2:24 285: Jason Johnson (River Hill, Md.) dec. Corey Garry (Fort Cherry), 1-0 OT

The job of head wrestling coach is not just about teaching technique or raising money or building a dynasty. The job is the pursuit of all those things simultaneously, a multi-front battle to win now while also expanding the alumni and fan bases -- make no mention of protecting a program's precarious position within the athletic department. The job is all-consuming and overwhelming, head coaches are asked to be a kind of warrior CEO, mastering at the moves that win matches and values that will ensure their program is prosperous well into the future. The stress of a head coaching position means that after a few years some guys want out, or are asked to leave. There's no hiding from wins and losses or the perceived momentum of a program and this week two different, but individually attractive jobs opened up. Both are in the ACC. The first was N.C. State, who said goodbye to their head coach Carter Jordan, who'd overseen the program for eight seasons. His dual meet record was unimpressive, but Jordan coached an All-American in 2012 (Darius Little) and had recruited and coached NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell. The N.C. State program is fully-funded, has a new wrestling facility and the momentum of the aforementioned competitors. Losing Ohio stud Chris Phillips to retirement (and now Ohio State) hurts their future, but with Raleigh as one of the nation's nicest college towns, it shouldn't be hard to recruit new talent to the program. The day after the N.C. State announcement came the news that longtime Duke head wrestling coach Clar Anderson was stepping aside. Anderson, a two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma State, has been the Blue Devil's head coach for 14 years, coaching national finalist Konrad Dudziak in 2010. Many wrestling fans believe that the Duke program sits near the bottom in terms of institutional support. That's tough to verify, but they do have limited scholarship opportunities a small budget and tough admission standards. However, as one of the nation's top five academic institutions with increased financial aid packages and a motivated and proactive alumni base, the Duke program could excel under the right leadership. Also, Durham is an attractive spot for recruiting a coach with a family. The following names are not really in order. They are based off of conversations and assumptions. Of course I can't mention all the possibly candidates as these jobs will receive dozens of applications, however, these are a few of the most compelling and attractive candidates. The list does not include the current staff members who very well may get the bump in responsibility, including Glen Lanham of Duke and Lee Pritts or Steve Anceravage of NC State. Again, this is just a cobbling together of pieces of information on who will and won't apply, hunches on who is primed for a change and some opinion on what type of coaching background and track record is best suited for the challenges of each job. N.C. State Wolfpack 1. JohnMark Bentley (Head coach, Appalachian State) In-state recruiting is a huge issue for state schools like N.C. State, and JohnMark Bentley has shown that he can recruit and coach-up the local talent, first as an assistant with Appalachian State for five years and now as the program's head coach. In his third year as head coach Bentley lead App. State to a 21st place finish in 2012 (the best since 1972) and coached two All-Americans (the first since 1941). Bentley, a three-time ACC champion from UNC-Chapel Hill, has shown that he has the ability to coach a winning program in North Carolina, and for N.C. State he might just be the perfect man to combine local and national talent and make the Wolfpack a part of the national discussion. Mark Perry has been successful everywhere he has been (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)2. Mark Perry (Associate head coach, Illinois) Perry is one of the more divisive coaching figures in college wrestling, but he's also a proven winner. Love him or hate him he's been part of two programmatic rebirths, first at Cal Poly and now in Illinois. Even detractors say that his obsession with the sport and passion for seeing his guys win is admirable. He'll be a head coach soon enough, and no matter where he lands as a head coach he'll be firing off NCAA champions and All-Americans. But will he leave the Big Ten remains to be seen. 3. Brad Dillon (Assistant coach, Lehigh) Pat Santoro's right-hand man since his days as the head coach of Maryland, Brad Dillon has slowly shown the wrestling community he's a better-than-average leader and recruiter. The Santoro coaching style has proven effective and Dillon has spent the majority of his college wrestling and college coaching career learning that style. He could bring immediate energy to the Wolfpack program and in short order make them competitive in the ACC and the nation. 4. Sammie Henson (Head coach, Sunkist Kids) The former Clemson wrestler has been a part of almost a dozen NCAA Division I wrestling programs as an assistant coach, and everywhere he's been the team has improved immediately and dramatically. He wasn't hired at Oklahoma which likely stung, but moving forward he has to be considered a top candidate for any head coaching position. Henson will have to fight the stigma that he has programmatic ADD, but should he convince the Wolfpack athletics department to give him a chance there are sure to be NCAA champions in the school's future. Josh Moore is a hard worker and big draw in Pennsylvania (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)5. Josh Moore (Associate head coach, Kent State) Arguably the assistant coach with the most distinguishable record for helping to turn around a program, Josh Moore is well overdue for a head coaching position. Since his arrival at Kent State during the 2004-2005 season the Golden Flash have crowned their first All-American since 1983, recorded their best national finish ever, and had their first-ever NCAA champion (Dustin Kilgore, 2011). Oh, and they raised enough money to revamp their facilities. Moore's a hard worker and still a big name in Pennsylvania, which is wonderful for recruiting. Others names to consider: Casey Cunningham (Assistant coach, Penn State), Tony Robie (Associate head coach, Virginia Tech), Bryan Snyder (Assistant coach, Nebraska), Alex Clemsen (Assistant coach, Virginia) Duke Blue Devils 1. Jeremy Spates (Assistant coach, Cornell) When you see the name Spates, you probably still think Oklahoma, but the son of Jack has become a marketable and successful coach in his own right. You could argue that the young coach's biggest accomplishment to date was being hired at Cornell as an assistant, a job that dozens of other coaches would like to have. However to excel in the Ivy League coaches need to be a polished product and posses mat skills. Spates does, and as the weight class coach to Kyle Dake for two seasons, he's been a steward to one of the most impressive wrestling careers in NCAA history. Despite the on-the-mat successes, it'll be the fundraising and friend-raising he learned in Ithaca that'll make him most valuable to a program much in need of both. 2. Pat Owen (Assistant coach, Harvard) The Harvard assistant has been a quiet leader for Crimson for five seasons, and in that time has coached several All-Americans, including two in 2012 and NCAA Champion J.P. O'Connor. The Michigan grad has been a part of a winning tradition, and like Spates, has operated inside the Ivy admission and financial aid process -- an enormous advantage when compared to many other candidates. 3. Josh Moore (Associate head coach, Kent State) Read above. 4. Todd Beckerman (Assistant coach, Maryland) After two seasons coaching at the Naval Academy and another seven in College Park, Todd Beckerman has established himself as one of the most respected coaches in the nation. He's been a winner at every level, including his college career at Nebraska, but what sets Beckerman apart is his familiarity with the Mid-Atlantic region and the competition in the ACC. Should Beckerman apply he'll have to show that he can lead the Duke program to sustained health by raising donations and winning matches. 5. Jordan Leen (Assistant coach, Virginia) A one-time assistant of the Blue Devil program, the former NCAA champion spent the past season in Charlottesville as an assistant coach under Steve Garland. He's a graduate of Cornell and has seen the issues inside the Duke program first hand. Leen is young and from a coaching family (much like Jason Borelli of Stanford), and should the native Tennessean and former ESPN broadcaster get an interview he'll also show his compelling communication skills. Other names to consider: Roman Fleszar (Assistant coach, Columbia), John Clark (Assistant coach, Brown), Brad Dillon (Assistant coach, Lehigh), Alex Clemsen (Assistant coach, Virginia), Troy Letters (Assistant coach, Clarion)

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State wrestling assistant head coach Yero Washington is leaving his position after three seasons with the Cyclones to assume the executive director position for a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, Calif. "My time at Iowa State has been an amazing experience," Washington said. "I'd like to thank the athletic administration, our fans and friends of Iowa State athletics, and especially head coach Kevin Jackson, for giving me the opportunity to become a part of the Cyclone family. I wish our student-athletes all the best, as they pursue their academic and athletic goals. I have no doubt that the future is bright for the Iowa State wrestling program." During his three seasons under Jackson at Iowa State, Washington helped guide Cyclone wrestlers to All-American status. He was a part of the Cyclones' third-place national team finish in 2010 at the NCAA Championships. Washington is a native of Berkeley, Calif. He returns to his home state to assume the executive director position for Beat the Streets - Los Angeles, Inc, (BTS-LA), a newly formed non-profit organization focused on promoting and developing wrestling programs at primary schools in Los Angeles. BTS-LA is modeled after the very successful Beat the Streets programs operating in the eastern half of the United States, including the original Beat the Streets -- New York City and Beat the Streets - Philadelphia. Washington begins his position in May. "This is a tremendous opportunity for me to make a difference in the lives of youth members of the Los Angeles, specifically in underserved communities," Washington said. As a product of inner city Oakland, the lessons I've learned through the sport of wrestling have helped me to overcome many obstacles in my life. Wrestling literally prepared me for life's many challenges and has motivated me to achieve many of my personal and career goals. I aim to have that same type of influence on the lives of young people in Los Angeles." Prior to his career at Iowa State, the Fresno State alum coached at Columbia for seven years, working as head assistant wrestling coach from 2004-07. "Yero Washington has been the most loyal, hard working and selfless coach I have ever known," Jackson said. "I want to thank Yero for his three years of service to Iowa State. I wish him nothing but the best in his new role as executive director of BTS-LA. He will be greatly missed." Jackson has begun an immediate search for a replacement.

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Saturday we're pleased to present our Annual Takedown Wrestling NCAA champions Show. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. to noon ET. Special in-studio guest hosts: Mike McClintock, Royce Alger, Jon Reader Our very special guests include 2012 NCAA champions: Hour 1: Iowa wrestler Matt McDonough Ohio State wrestler Logan Stieber Michigan wrestler Kellen Russell Penn State wrestler Frank Molinaro Cornell wrestler Kyle Dake Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update Hour 2: Penn State wrestler David Taylor Penn State wrestler Ed Ruth Cornell wrestler Steve Bosak Cornell wrestler Cam Simaz Minnesota wrestler Tony Nelson Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort Fans, Athletes, Coaches Join in the conversation LIVE 866-333-5966 515-204-5966 Join us live 9 to 11 a.m. CT for Takedown Wrestling. How to listen: Iowa: 1460 KXNO Michigan: 1570 AM KXNO.com Takedownradio.com Blackberrys, iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White announced on Wednesday the resignation of Duke wrestling head coach Clar Anderson. Anderson has served as the wrestling head coach since the 1997-98 season. "It has been a privilege working for Duke University and especially with outstanding student athletes," Anderson said. "A highlight of my career is when our team garnered the highest GPA in the country for wrestling teams and coaching Konrad Dudziak in the NCAA finals. But equally important to me was the deep relationships I forged with all of my athletes. I will miss coaching, but look forward to the next stage of my life and spending more time with my family." In his 15 seasons with Duke, Anderson compiled a career record of 101-125-2. He helped guide 14 Blue Devils to the NCAA Championships and mentored two-time All-American heavyweight Konrad Dudziak. He was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2004 after guiding Duke to a third-place finish at the ACC Championships with four All-ACC selections and four NCAA qualifiers. In 2008, Anderson amassed a career-high win total with a 12-9 overall record. Under Anderson's guidance, the team has ranked among the nation's top programs in grade point average, including the highest in 2007 and 2008. Ten Duke wrestlers earned NWCA All-Academic honors under his watch. In 2012, Duke posted a 3-10-0 overall record and 0-5 mark in ACC competition. The Blue Devils finished sixth at the ACC Championships. Freshman Tanner Hough represented Duke at the NCAA Championships this season. Assistant coach Glen Lanham will remain on staff as the interim head coach until Anderson's successor is hired. A search for a head coach will begin immediately.