InterMat Staff

Jordan Burroughs won his third straight World or Olympic title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)BUDAPEST, Hungary -- The legend of Jordan Burroughs continues to grow. Not only did the unflappable Burroughs continue his incredible run by winning a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships. He did it on a left ankle that he broke less than a month ago. Burroughs kept his composure in earning a gritty 4-0 win over Iran’s Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei in the men's freestyle finals at 74 kilos/163 pounds on Wednesday night at the Papp Laszlo Sports Arena. Burroughs captured his third straight gold medal after striking gold at the 2011 Worlds and the 2012 Olympics. Burroughs turned in an amazing performance considering he broke his ankle less than a month ago during a practice at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He broke his ankle Aug. 22, had surgery the next day and said he didn’t resume live wrestling until arriving in Budapest less than a week ago. "The doctor put five screws in my left ankle," Burroughs said. "I’m like Iron Man now. I was running sprints at the OTC and tried to jump off the wall to stop my momentum and snapped it. The doctor made it extra stable for me to be able to compete. He said he could do the type of surgery that would guarantee I would be able to compete. I was on crutches and I couldn’t walk for a couple weeks. I rode the bike and lifted and stayed in great shape when I couldn’t wrestle. I have only wrestled live once in the last four weeks and that was here. "It's definetly the biggest win of my career. It's special, real special." Burroughs scored on pushouts in the first and second periods to build a 2-0 lead against his defensive-minded finals opponent from Iran. He then spun behind for a huge takedown with 40 seconds left for the final margin. He outscored his five opponents by a combined 34-3 total on Wednesday. "My ankle felt good," he said. "I don’t have the full range of motion. I was about 75-80 percent. I tried to compete hard and give my all. I believed I could do this. It’s a testament to my willpower. I knew I could compete at a high level." Burroughs beat the Iranian for the second time this year after defeating him in the 2013 World Cup in Tehran, Iran. Burroughs is now a perfect 65-0 on the Senior level since starting his international career in 2011. He beat another Iranian, Sadegh Goudarzi, in the 2011 World and 2012 Olympic finals. Burroughs becomes the first U.S. men’s freestyle wrestler to win back-to-back World titles since John Smith in 1990 and 1991. Burroughs becomes only the second U.S. men’s freestyle wrestler to win three straight World or Olympic titles. John Smith won six straight World or Olympic titles from 1987-92. The U.S. finished fifth in the men’s freestyle standings with 25 points. Iran edged Russia 46-44 for the team title. Alyssa Lampe captured a World bronze medal with a quick 46-second pin over Melanie LeSaffre of France in women’s freestyle at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Lampe earns her second straight World bronze after taking third at the 2012 Worlds at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. "I knew I had to come back strong to win a medal," Lampe said. "I just had to keep focused and stay on my offense." Victoria Anthony dropped an 8-0 decision to Sim Hyang So of North Korea in her bronze-medal match in women’s freestyle at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Anthony, a two-time Junior World champion, fell just short of a medal in her first trip to the Senior World Championships. Day 4 of the seven-day event is set for Thursday in Budapest. World champion Elena Pirozhkova, World silver medalist Helen Maroulis and World University silver medalist Alli Ragan are set to take the mat for the U.S.

Tervel Dlagnev (Photo/Larry Slater)BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Tervel Dlagnev's quest for a second World medal came up short. Dlagnev placed fifth at the World Wrestling Championships in freestyle wrestling at 120 kilos/264.5 pounds on Tuesday night at Papp Laszlo Sports Arena. Dlagnev was unable to generate any offense in a 3-0 loss to Taha Akgul of Turkey in the bronze-medal bout. Akgul, ranked No. 1 in the World, scored a first-period passivity point and a second-period takedown to prevail. "I just got to get better," Dlagnev said. "It's hard to put my finger on it. I felt like I was wrestling well, but I didn't have a lot in the tank in the semis and I don't know if it carried over." Dlagnev wrestled for a bronze medal at a World or Olympic competition for the fourth time in the past five years. He won a World bronze medal in 2009 before placing fifth in the 2011 Worlds and 2012 Olympics. Dlagnev won his first three matches Tuesday before falling to Ukraine's Alen Zaseev 6-2 in the semifinals. Zaseev led 1-0 before shooting in for a takedown early in the second period and gaining additional exposure points to take control. Dlagnev opened with a quick 9-0 technical fall over Antonie Jaoude of Brazil in the first round. He followed with an 8-0 technical fall over Nobuyoshi Arakida of Japan in the second round. Dlagnev turned in a huge quarterfinal win when he knocked off Iran's Komeil Ghasemi by a 7-0 technical fall. Ghasemi had beaten Dlagnev three straight times in the last 13 months, including the bronze-match at the 2012 Olympics. Reece Humphrey came out strong, but fell short in his quest to win a medal at 60 kilos/132 pounds. He finished eighth. Humphrey dropped a wild 9-8 decision to Iran's Masoud Esmailpourjouybari in the quarterfinals. Humphrey led 5-0 late in the first period before the Iranian stormed back. Down 8-7, Esmailpourjouybari shot in on a leg attack and finished for a takedown with four seconds left in the match to prevail. The Iranian won a gold medal at the 2013 World Cup. He was seventh in the 2012 Olympics. Humphrey was eliminated when the Iranian lost to Russia's Bekhan Goigereev in the semifinals. Esmailpourjouybari needed to reach the finals to pull Humphrey back into medal contention in the repechage. Humphrey opened by locking up Ukraine's Mykola Aivazian of Ukraine and throwing him to record a first-period fall in 1 minute, 37 seconds. Humphrey trailed 3-0 after being thrown to his back, but quickly regrouped to gain the dramatic fall. Humphrey followed with a 7-0 win over Erhan Bakir of Turkey. Bakir is a two-time Cadet World champion. Humphrey also reached the quarterfinal round of the World Championships in 2011. "When I got the draw, I knew it wasn't a great draw," Humphrey said. "To be the champion you've got to beat everybody. The Iranian had beaten me before and I knew it was a huge match for me. I was ready and I came out strong. We got into a crazy match. I was in position, but he kept pushing and it just didn't happen for me today." Keith Gavin went 1-1 in his first World Championships at 84 kilos/185 pounds. Gavin opened with a 9-2 win over Michael Tsotselashvili of Israel before falling to Georgia's Dato Marsagishvili 8-0 in the second round. Gavin was eliminated when Marsagishvili lost in the third round and fell short of the finals. Marsagishvili, ranked No. 1 in the World, is a past Olympic and World bronze medalist. "Obviously, it didn't go the way I wanted it to," Gavin said. "I tried to step over his gut wrench, but it didn't happen and that was the beginning of the end." Puerto Rico's Franklin Gomez, a member of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, won his first two matches before falling to Russia's Bekhan Goigereev 13-5 in the quarterfinals at 60 kilos/132 pounds. Gomez fell one match short of the bronze-medal match. He came back to win a match in the repechage before falling 6-4 to Armenia's Artur Arakelyan. Gomez, a 2009 NCAA champion for Michigan State, was second in the 2011 Worlds. Champions crowned on Tuesday were Russia's Bekhan Goigereev at 60 kilos/132 pounds, Ukraine's Ibragim Aldatov at 84 kilos/185 pounds. and Russia's Khadshimourad Gatsalov at 120 kilos/264.5 pounds. Gatsalov won his fifth World title and first at 120 after bumping up from 96 kilos/211.5 pounds. He also owns an Olympic gold medal. The U.S. is still looking for its first freestyle medal at the 2013 Worlds with just one weight class remaining in that style. Day 3 of the seven-day event is set for Wednesday in Budapest. Olympic and World champion Jordan Burroughs will take the mat in freestyle for Team USA along with World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe and Junior World champion Victoria Anthony.

55 kilos: Gold: Hassan Rahimi (Iran) Silver: Amit Kumar (India) Bronze: Sezer Akgul (Turkey) Bronze: Nariman Israpilov (Russia) 5th: Angel Escobedo (USA) 5th: Rassul Kaliyev (Kazakhstan) 60 kilos: Gold: Bekhan Goigereev (Russia) Silver: Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria) Bronze: Barjang Barjang (India) Bronze: Masoud Esmailpourjouybari (Iran) 5th: Nyam-Ochir Enkhsaikhan (Mongolia) 5th: Artur Arakelyan (Armenia) 66 kilos: Gold: David Safaryan (Armenia) Silver: Livan Lopez (Cuba) Bronze: Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia) Bronze: Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (Mongolia) 5th: Levan Kelekhsashvili (Georgia) 5th: Jim Hyok Kang (North Korea) 74 kilos: Gold: Jordan Burroughs (USA) Silver: Ezzatollah Akbarizarinkolaei (Iran) Bronze: Ali Shabanov (Belarus) Bronze: Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan) 5th: Narasingh Yadav (India) 5th: Jakob Markarashvili (Georgia) 84 kilos: Gold: Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine) Silver: Reineris Salas (Cuba) Bronze: Istvan Vereb (Hungary) Bronze: Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) 5th: Murad Gaidarov (Belarus) 5th: Taimuras Naskidaeva (Spain) 96 kilos: Gold: Reza Yazdani (Iran) Silver: Khetag Gazyumov (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Anzor Boltakaev (Russia) Bronze: Pavlo Oliynik (Ukraine) 5th: Alexey Krupnyakov (Kyrgyzstan) 5th: Dato Kerashvili (Georgia) 120 kilos: Gold: Khadshimourad Gatsalov (Russia) Silver: Alen Zaseev (Ukraine) Bronze: Taha Akgul (Turkey) Bronze: Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) 5th: Tervel Dlagnev (USA) 5th: Zhiwei Deng (China)

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Angel Escobedo gave a determined effort, but came up just short of winning a medal at the World Wrestling Championships. Angel Escobedo (Photo/Larry Slater)Turkey's Sezer Akgul shot in on a leg attack and finished for a second-period takedown en route to edging Escobedo 2-1 in their bronze-medal freestyle match on Monday night at Papp Laszlo Sports Arena. Escobedo led 1-0 after scoring a first-period passivity point against Akgul, a 2009 World silver medalist. But Akgul came back with a two-point takedown with 1 minute, 30 seconds left in the second period to prevail at 55 kilos/121 pounds. Escobedo tried valiantly to get to Akgul's legs in the closing minute, but was unable to score against the Turk’s strong defense. Escobedo, a past NCAA champion, placed fifth in his first World Championships. Read complete story ...

The 2013 World Wrestling Championships concluded on Sunday in Budapest, Hungary. Check out the results, photos, and stories from the seven-day event. Links: Live Video Stream | Schedule | Matches List | Predictions Results: Men's Freestyle | Women's Freestyle | Greco-Roman Placewinners: Men's Freestyle | Women's Freestyle | Greco-Roman USA Wrestling Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 Blogs/Journals: Tony Rotundo | Craig Sesker Photos: Tony Rotundo | Larry Slater | Robbert Wijtman

Monday, Sept. 16 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 55 kilos, 66 kilos, 96 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 55 kilos, 66 kilos, 96 kilos Tuesday, Sept. 17 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 120 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 120 kilos Wednesday, Sept. 18 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 74 kilos, FW 48 kilos, 51 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 74 kilos, FW 48 kilos, 51 kilos Thursday, Sept. 19 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FW 55 kilos, 59 kilos, 63 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FW 55 kilos, 59 kilos, 63 kilos Friday, Sept. 20 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FW 67 kilos, 72 kilos, GR 55 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FW 67 kilos, 72 kilos, GR 55 kilos Saturday, Sept. 21 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: GR 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 96 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: GR 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 96 kilos Sunday, Sept. 22 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: GR 66 kilos, 74 kilos, 120 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: GR 66 kilos, 74 kilos, 120 kilos

Links: Coverage Section | Matches List Results: Men's Freestyle | Women's Freestyle | Greco-Roman Mat A Mat B Mat C Mat D

Belleville, Ill. -- Lindenwood University-Belleville has announced the hiring of Kyle Jahn as head coach of the men's and women's wrestling programs. Jahn comes from Sacred Heart University, where he was a volunteer assistant with the wrestling program since 2011. Prior to his time at Sacred Heart, Jahn was an assistant coach at Appalachian State University from 2009-11. His main responsibilities at Appalachian State included overseeing recruitment and practice organization. Jahn is very excited to get his first head coaching position at Lindenwood-Belleville. "I am very excited to take over the Men and Women's wrestling program at Lindenwood-Belleville," stated Jahn. "This is a great opportunity for me to take over these two programs and further grow them into good men and women, on and off the mat." Jahn graduated from McKendree University in 2009 with a Bachelor's in Business Administration. While at McKendree Jahn was a NAIA National Champion in 2008 in the 141 pound weight class. Jahn ranked in the top six nationally in 2007 and was a three time NAIA finalist. Jahn joined the coaching staff at McKendree after he graduated. On a national level Jahn took seventh at the 2009 US Open Freestyle competition. In 2013 Jahn finished top five at the Dave Schultz Memorial Freestyle and top ten in the US Open Freestyle in the 60-kilo weight class. "I am living my dream getting to be a head wrestling coach at the college level and looking forward to this amazing opportunity that has been given to me."

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. Wrestling just stole back its spot in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, and the sporting future of little wrestlers from N'Djamena is once again brightened by the glow of the Olympic rings. But as the million-dollar consultants melt back into a life free from spandex-clad warriors and trolling masses, it's wrestling's new leadership who will dictate the sport's Olympic future. That leadership class will consist of everyone from FILA president Nenad Lalovic to the captain of the Polk High junior varsity team, and all of it will need to be focused on creating a new wrestling. New ideas and fresh leadership in the post-Olympic fight can take any form. It might be the high school wrestling coach who wants a more modest competition outfit, or you could be the youth coach who challenges the idea that 10-year-old kids should ever cut an ounce of weight. It might even be the team captain who demands the end of the initiation of younger athletes. Key to that change is the acceptance of women. As one IOC voter told me after the vote in Buenos Aires, "Without changing to 6-6-6 wrestling would never have had a chance." You might not like to hear it, but the International Olympic Committee made it plainly obvious that without improved gender equity, and soon gender equality, wrestling has no chance of returning to the core sports. That might cause traditional fans some consternation, to think that women need half the spots in the Olympic Games. Oh well, we wanted back in the Olympics and this is the cost of admission. Women are the future of our sport, and not just in "taking" spots from men. You only have to look at Ronda Rousey, her impact on the UFC's PPV sales, and those vicious arm bars to realize that women are tough and women sell. Embrace newness and support women's wrestling. To your questions ... Q: Can you talk about the effect the new IOC president will have on international wrestling, if any? What is the process for wrestling to be considered a core sport in the Olympics again? How important is it for wrestling to be a core sport in the Olympics? ESPN expanded coverage of the NCAA Championships since the news of wrestling in the Olympics (related or not), do you see other networks making wrestling a priority? How does wrestling carry this momentum from the vote and grow even more? Kind of loaded ... Sorry!! -- Jake K. Foley: There is nothing more endearing than a question sent from the jittery, drunken fingers of a former wrestler. Why apologize? Your inebriation in a world with Olympic wrestling is forgivable, especially with such exceptional grammar and sentence structure. I normally write this sober and can rarely find equal clarity. You threw out a few questions so I'll go point-by-point. Thomas Bach was elected as the new IOC president two days after wrestling was put back into the Olympic Games in 2020 and 2024. Bach has always been a very popular IOC member and was among the first presidential candidates to support the sport after its fateful removal by the IOC Executive Board. To clarify, his decision to support wrestling was about as controversial as the idea of supporting clean water in third-world countries. The IOC president has immense powers to legislate how the games are operated, to include which sports receive which medals. As of now Bach's platform is "Unity through Diversity," which is to say that he wants more countries included and more sports. Like many other members of the IOC he's looking reduce the number of disciplines in some sports (swimming and track and field) in order to welcome new sports like squash). It's a good deal for wrestling, since there is some belief that the only way he would add squash into the Games would be by sliding wrestling into the core and leaving squash as a provisional. Overall, he supports the idea that wrestling shouldn't be eliminated from the Games, and after the backlash that came from that move in 2013, it'll never again happen. However, the window for PR-savvy moves like adding wrestling to the core, is closing by the day. ESPN added their coverage because they planned to do so in 2012, but never got around to doing so, and adding the day after the decision was -- you guessed it -- PR-savvy. Wrestling should be in the core, but for now, and likely the next four years it could be argued that the purgatory of being left out might help drive positive changes in the sport's presentation, rules and governance. The sport's momentum will be decided by the fans (as noted in the introduction) and by FILA president Nenad Lalovic. Should he decide to use his political capital to make necessary changes, there could be significant alterations made to several areas of the sport. Should he relax or get caught up fighting off the persistent attacks of former president Martinetti and those already displaced by his reform-based leadership, then the spring to the core will be slowed. The core is the goal, but more important is that FILA and all the membership start to believe in the idea that there can be a new sport of wrestling that is much better than the old. How could it be much worse? Q: With the NFL season kicking off and everyone feeling their fantasy team is el número UNO, it got me thinking ... what about a fantasy wrestling league? We are looking for more innovative and creative ways to increase the following of our great sport, especially after this morning's crucial decision, and we need to think of the spectators. I am telling you this because I am sitting here watching intently the Packers-49ers game (of which I am a fan of neither squad) purely because Vernon Davis is on my team vs. my Green Bay defense. I'm in a tough spot. Why not start an NCAA fantasy wrestling league? Fantasy leagues are based on individual statistics and performance aren't they? It would seem our sport would be perfect. -- Justin L. Foley: I think you might also have been intoxicated. Verdad, mi amigo? Fantasy wrestling exists! Be calm. As far as I know there is no current formula for a yearlong fantasy wrestling site, only those that are set up for the NCAA Championships. This should have been accomplished a LONG time ago, but there is a major problem. The NCAA would eat a hind-quarter of a horse before they let some site run a fantasy league with their participation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't think of an established a fantasy league for NCAA football? That written I know there is at least one guy out there with the keys to kiskstarting this idea and I'd love to see it up and running by November. Just don't be shocked if it's not there in December. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Boston University wrestling ... FILA wrestling's presentation to the IOC (Daniel Igali at 13:00) ... Q: I am thrilled PSU and Iowa will meet in non-conference action; PSU has to run the gauntlet of Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State and Oklahoma State in dual action. It is a fitting challenge for the senior class that put the Lions on top. However, I am confused on one point: what is going on with National Duals this year? PSU verbally committed to participate after sitting out last year -- though they did add the caveat that they may bow out if the format didn't fit. We know what Cael thinks about the format. But isn't the Oklahoma State dual the same weekend as National Duals? Both the Lions and Cowboys are sitting out this year?!?! -- Brad B. Foley: Iowa, Penn State and Oklahoma State are all sitting out the National Duals this year. There are a variety of motivations for not scheduling the National Duals, but as you said that Nittany Lions are already wrestling a pretty tough schedule. Also, I'd guess that some of these coaches don't want to prop up the National Duals format in 2013-2014 if they are fighting to ensure it won't be part of the NCAA National Championship in 2016. And you're correct that the Penn State seniors deserve to go out on this type of tough schedule. The fans should appreciate how much Brands and Cael put into making this happen. #TwitterWars Q: What is the deal with 2015 NCAA site? They announcing the next several years as well? -- Frank C. Foley: Got some solid confirmation on the facts of the case. The bids are due Sept. 16 with three finalists announced on Oct. 30 (three finalists per site, per year). The final award will be announced on Dec. 11. The variation of finalists and bid years doesn't mean that wrestling won't have an official semi-permanent location, only that there will be a variety of bid options available to the committee on NCAA Championships. I've also heard that the NCAA has never received more bids than they have in this cycle. Some of that has to do with the profitability of the sport, and some with the recent press about the Olympic decision. Either way, it's great news for the sport. Q: How does our celebration/commitment to folkstyle impede further success at world competition levels? If Brent Metcalf wrestled only in freestyle growing up, how much better would he be? Or does the grueling grind of folkstyle fuel the success that we in the U.S. do achieve internationally? -- Mr. Juice Foley: I don't know. What I do know is that traditional wrestling shouldn't be sacrificed in preference of the international styles. Americans understand the rules of American wrestling and as we've seen with ESPN's recent commitment to the sport, they are willing to watch more and more on national television. Metcalf and others grew up wanting to be NCAA champions probably more than they wanted to be Olympic champions. The rules and style difference necessary to compete in each are so similar that they are effective cousins. The Women's College Wrestling Association chose to make freestyle their rule set because there was no established women's-only style in America. That was smart. However, in countries like Senegal where women's folkstyle is a huge draw, they'd never consider adopting freestyle rules in the hopes of winning a few more medals. Traditional wrestling is a the physical representation of a societies connection to it's values and history. The Olympics, while an important personal achievement, isn't worth the elimination of any traditional style. I'll be giving a talk about this very topic next week at the FILA Scientific Congress. There are several ways in which traditional wrestling can help grow the Olympic styles without infringing on their important role within society, and I think FILA is uniquely positioned to enhance traditional styles around the world while also benefiting in terms of creating new national governing bodies and inking endorsement deals. COMMENT OF THE WEEK By Brad H. On the subject of female wrestling, it is clear to me that the IOC was not impressed with raising the female medal count by fifty percent. They want more. You have often written in this column about a college starting a women's wrestling program and gaining a great deal of publicity for it. Sorry sir, but you think too small. Who would they wrestle? Men? NAIA teams? Clubs? Get real. If you really want to instill female grappling into the hearts of Americans you must go bigger. In my opinion there is only one clear path to achieve this goal quickly. Three words sir: Big Ten Conference! Think about it. Which is the strongest wrestling conference in the USA? Who has the most money? Who has a television channel fully at their own disposal to promote such a unique idea? Who is growing and adding new members? Who covers a large demographic of the country, including many wrestling hot spots? Who has excellent academic schools? Picture a high school girl in her own living room trying to convince her parents that she should be allowed to wrestle. What is her sales pitch? I can go to this one university which has female wrestling and wrestle ... ??? Or, I can get a FULL scholarship to one of the best academic universities in the country and wrestle on television!!! I think you would need the Big Ten to get eight schools signed up. Create league matches and of course a conference tournament. This would probably have to suffice until some other schools would catch on and an NCAA tournament would be created at which point it would be a 'real' sport for all to recognize. This is no small task of course but think of the amount of publicity THAT would create. Fully-funded female wrestling programs in the heart of the USA. I don't know who the president of the Big Ten is but if I knew his wife, I would be in her ear.

Olympic wrestling has a future again. Even though the sport now only had provisional status, I think we can stay confident that wrestling will find itself on the Olympic program for years to come. FILA succeeded in saving the sport, and, perhaps, in preserving its own existence. There's two ways to look at this. In the first option we remain muted in our praise, after all, FILA merely cleaned up a mess that they made. Statues aren't erected for people who simply rectified their own disappointing histories. The second option is to praise FILA effusively. After all, they effectively caused the IOC to reverse themselves, which I would guess, is not an easy task. When the new core sport program was promulgated in February, the majority of commenters took it for granted that wrestling was gone, and probably for good. FILA did not let this deter them. They got their crap together (most of it), and they actually did something truly impressive. I recommend the second option. This occasion provides ample occasion to celebrate, to be glad, to slaughter the fattened calf for FILA, the governing body which was lost for so long, has finally returned to us. FILA may not be perfect. They never will be. But unlike before, they are now, at least, present. Nenad Lalovic and Daniel Igali (Photo/T.R. Foley)Their presence was most keenly felt in the form of Nenad Lalovic, new FILA president, and unlikely face of the organization. I believe that just justice demands we award Lalovic the lion's share of credit for wrestling's victory, because had wrestling lost, we would have liberally heaped the blame upon his shoulders. I can't help but like Lalovich. The world of international sports governance seems full of the aloof, aristocratic, and arrogant, and while Lalovich has what it takes to walk with kings, he definitely has no lost the common touch. Also, on Sunday, he did something rarely seen be the president of any governing body: he showed humility and admitted to wrong doing on the part of his organization. Other people in positions of authority should take note of this: The word "sorry" can go a long way. FILA is better off with Lalovich at its helm, but it is still a government, and thus will inevitably make mistakes in the future, therefore the first objective in this new era of wrestling should be the creation of safeguards to limit the scope of FILA's future missteps. These safeguards can come in three forms. First, the diffusion of power. FILA needs to delegate authority to various bodies within the organization. It appears they may be taking the first steps towards this with the creation of a referees committee. Second, they need greater transparency. I'll admit that since the IOC board decision, the workings of FILA are more visible and accessible than ever before, but they really need to put themselves in a fishbowl. Finally, Lalovic needs to know when to step down. At some point he needs to show he is a president, and not a king, and relinquish his post after an appropriate amount of time passes. I have no doubt that FILA will make decisions in the future which I will strongly disagree with, but at least the organization has shown a some sort of democratic leanings by responding to some of the complaints of those they govern, and at least, in Lalovic, wrestling appears to have a leader who places the sport before himself. The greatness of Daniel Igali I feel bad for baseball/softball and squash, they've been playing the Olympic game for campaigning, schmoozing, spending money; unfortunately, their hopes were doomed in February when Jacques Rogge and his executive board proposed an Olympics without wrestling. In the end wrestling had too many advantages, and it smashed its competition, winning in the first vote, and essentially doubling the number of supporters of both its competitors. Indulging in nothing but speculation, I would guess that Sunday's presentations to the IOC were more or less for show, and that an insignificant number of votes were up for grabs. Judging from the questions, many IOC members were pretty unhappy that wrestling found itself in its position, and that wrestling had the vote in the bag before stepping on stage. However, if I were in the IOC, and if I were waiting to hear Sunday's presentations before deciding which sport to support, then Daniel Igali would have provided the argument which won me over. On Sunday, Lalovich may have been wrestling's leader, but Igali was its star. Igali's story makes the most eloquent and elegant case for Olympic wrestling possible. Daniel rose from obscurity and the most crushing poverty imaginable to Olympic glory, and without wrestling, it never would have been possible. Neither of the other sports could claim this. (The very best baseball players who rise from poverty out of Latin American end up playing professionally.) Igali embodies wrestling's highest hope, and thousands more young Igali's are scattered about the globe right now waiting for a ray of this same hope. Had the Olympics spurned wrestling's bid, this ray would never shine on those who needed it. FILA made a wise choice in using Igali as a spokesman before the IOC, stories like his make wrestling indispensable. I hope that if, years from now, wrestling ever finds itself threatened again, it can then employ hundreds of more stories like Igali's in its defense. The more people wrestling saves, the safer wrestling is.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY -- Defending champions Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) and Mehdi TAGHAVI KERMANI (IRI) lead an elite group of medalists into Papp Laszlo Budapest Sports Arena as men's freestyle kicks off the Wrestling World Championships on Sept. 16 in the sport's pinnacle event of the year, eight short days after Wrestling was welcomed back into the Olympic Program. The IOC voted to add the sport to the 2020 and 2024 Games on Sept. 8 in Buenos, Aires, after an Executive Board decision on February 12, had recommended dropping the sport from the Games after 2016. TAGHAVI KERMANI, World champion in 2009 and 2011, will lead off the weeklong tourney on the first day of the championships battling a host of challengers at 66 kilos. Jordan Burroughs (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)BURROUGHS, the only London 2012 gold medalist in men's freestyle, will close out the men's freestyle competition at 74 kilos on Sept. 18, when the women's freestyle events also get underway. Meanwhile, another Olympic Games gold medalist Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS), who won at 96 kilos in 2004, will be trying on a new weight category -- 120 kilos, which is scheduled for the second day of matches. In addition to his gold medal from Athens, GATSALOV is also a four-time World champion at 96 kilos. Other World champions, in addition to TAGHAVI KERMANI and BURROUGHS, in Budapest are: YANG Kyong Il (PRK, 55 kilos), Sushil KUMAR (IND, 66 kilos) and Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE, 96 kilos). The 84 kilos weight category, to be contested Sept. 17, boasts three former World champions among its entries: Zaurbek SOKHIEV (UZB) in 2009, Ibragim ALDATOV (UKR) in 2007 and Nicolai PASLAR (BUL), who won his World title in 2001 at 69 kilos. In addition to the returning Olympic and World medalists, a number of promising new faces -- like junior World finalists Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO, FS 120 kilos), Yu MIYAHARA (JPN, FW 51 kilos) and Daniel GASTL (AUT, GR 96 kilos) -- will also be appearing in the senior World Championships for the first time. The championships will feature the three Olympic styles of wrestling: men's freestyle (Sept. 16-18), women's freestyle (Sept. 18-20) and Greco-Roman (Sept. 20-22). Brief sketches of the individual categories in men's freestyle: 55 kilos: European champion Giorgi EDISHERASHVILI (GEO) tops the most recent edition of the FILA World Rankings, but Vladislav ANDREEV (BLR) won the Ziolkowski tourney in August and Nariman ISRAPILOV (RUS) won the World University Games in July. ISRAPILOV is getting his first chance at the senior World Championships, even though he was junior World champion in 2008 and European champion in 2009. YANG Kyong Il (PRK) won the World title in 2009 and is the only medalist (bronze) from the London 2012 Olympic Games competing at 55 kilos in Budapest. 60 kilos: Universiade champion Bekhan GOYGEREEV (RUS) and 2011 World silver medalist Franklin GOMEZ MATOS (PUR) arrived late to the scene but have surged in the rankings. GOYGEREEV won the Russian nationals in June and the Universiade, while GOMEZ MATOS prevailed in Spain and Poland. Current rankings leader Vladimir KHINCHEGASHVILI (GEO) was the silver medalist at 55 kilos in London, won Yasar Dogu in February and defeated GOMEZ MATOS in May to win the Golden Grand Prix event in Sassari, Italy. NOTE: GOYGEREEV became a YouTube sensation in July with his unbelievable backflip counter attack to a single-leg takedown attempt by Behnam EHSANPOOR (IRI) at the Universiade. 66 kilos: Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS), last year's Junior World champion, defeated David SAFARYAN (ARM) in the final of the World University Games to take the top spot in the rankings from the European champion. Brent METCALF (USA) owns a semifinal win over KURBANALIEV at the Ivan Yarygin tourney in January, 2-1 (0-1, 5-0, 7-0) under the old rules, while defending World champion Mehdi TAGHAVI KERMANI (IRI), with only limited mat time this summer, has a World Cup win over METCALF. 74 kilos: Jordan BURROUGHS (USA) took the World championship title from two-time defending champ Denis TSARGUSH (RUS) in 2011 and brings a streak of 60 wins in a row, including the Olympic gold medal, to Budapest. TSARGUSH, who also lost to BURROUGHS in London, rebounded at the University Games in July with a gold medal, but is ranked second on Russia's entry list for the World Championships behind newly crowned national champion Kakhaber KHUBEZHTY (RUS). 84 kilos: Dato MARSAGISHVILI (GEO), a World and Olympic bronze medalist, took the European championship title in Tbilisi in March and has topped the rankings all summer as many would-be challengers took time away from competition -- apparently to focus on training. Murad GAIDAROV, a bronze medal winner in Beijing, won the German Grand Prix; Georghita STEFAN (ROU) held on for the Universiade crown; and newly minted middleweight Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) won the Ziolkowski Memorial in Poland on his second try at 84 kilos. 96 kilos: Abdusalam GADISOV (RUS) looked convincing in winning the Universaide crown in July with a technical fall triumph over European champion Pavlo OLEYNIK (UKR). But, GADISOV is listed No.2 behind national champion Anzor BOLTUKAEV (RUS) as Russia's entry in the World Championships. London 2012 bronze medalist Khetag GAZUMOV (AZE) defeated Olympic gold medalist at 84 kilos Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE) on his way to the Spanish Grand Prix title and Beijing silver medalist Taimura TIGIEV (KAZ) tagged OLYEYNIK with a technical fall in Poland in the final their tune-up for Budapest. 120 kilos: Taha A KILOSUL (TUR) has turned away all comers in 2013, racking up four tournament titles and top individual honors at the World Cup. Alan ZASEEV (UKR), meanwhile, finished second to A KILOSUL at the European championships and has collected three silver medals this season. In a surprise move, Russia has entered four-time World champion at 96 kilos Khadshimourad GATSALOV (RUS) at 120 kilos. Meanwhile, Kurban KURBANOV (UZB), fifth in London at 96 kilos, appears comfortable at 120 kilos with a pair of podium finishes this year and three-time Olympic champion Artur TAIMAZOV (UZB) as his coach. Schedule for the Wrestling World Championships Monday, Sept. 16 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 55 kilos, 66 kilos, 96 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 55 kilos, 66 kilos, 96 kilos Tuesday, Sept. 17 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 120 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 120 kilos Wednesday, Sept. 18 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FS 74 kilos, FW 48 kilos, 51 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FS 74 kilos, FW 48 kilos, 51 kilos Thursday, Sept. 19 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FW 55 kilos, 59 kilos, 63 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FW 55 kilos, 59 kilos, 63 kilos Friday, Sept. 20 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: FW 67 kilos, 72 kilos, GR 55 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: FW 67 kilos, 72 kilos, GR 55 kilos Saturday, Sept. 21, Saturday 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: GR 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 96 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: GR 60 kilos, 84 kilos, 96 kilos Sunday, Sept. 22 7 a.m. ET - 12 p.m. ET: Elimination rounds and repechage: GR 66 kilos, 74 kilos, 120 kilos 1 p.m. ET - 3 p.m. ET: Finals and awards ceremonies: GR 66 kilos, 74 kilos, 120 kilos

Bruce Burnett

Jon Jones won't make his highly anticipated title defense against Alexander Gustaffson until about a week and a half from now. But until then, Bellator and World Series of Fighting are serving up some tournament style MMA action, odd mismatches, and a few intriguing match ups. Featherweight standouts Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and Diego Nunes will anchor Friday's Bellator card, while WSOF features a faded Andrei Arlovski against heavy handed Mike Kyle. One fight will produce a contender, the other a brutal knockout. We'll let you guess which one is which. On top of breaking down the fights, Richard and John both butcher the English language they've supposedly mastered for a living. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Thanks to the generosity of former Knox wrestlers, a former nationally ranked NCAA Division III grappler will lead the Prairie Fire wrestling program. Joe NortonJoe Norton takes the reins as the new full-time head wrestling coach on September 16. He replaces Tony Islas, who stepped down in July after 12 seasons as a part-time coach with the Prairie Fire to take a position as a high school administrator. Norton comes to Knox from his alma mater, North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where he served as a graduate assistant wrestling coach from 2010 to 2012. His responsibilities included recruiting and retaining quality student-athletes, as well as helping to plan and run team practices and workouts. Norton was a four-year varsity letter winner as a member of the North Central wrestling team between 2006 and 2010. He had 94 career victories on the mat and was a four-time NCAA regional place winner. He was a two-time conference runner-up, three-time tournament champion, seven-time tournament finalist, captain of a team ranked as high as #4 in NCAA Division III, earned a #9 national ranking as an individual, and was the recipient of the "Hammer Award" in recognition of outstanding commitment and work ethic. "I had a great opportunity to spend seven years in a program that knows what it takes to be successful," Norton said of his time at North Central. Norton attended Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Illinois, where he was a 2006 All-State selection and an AAU first-team All-American. He concluded his high school career with 102 wins and was the captain of three squads that won state championships. "Joe comes from two great programs in Montini Catholic High School and North Central College," said Knox College athletic director Chad Eisele '93. "He has been taught and worked for some great mentors and I am confident that Joe is ready to take on the challenge of running his own program." Norton said he's excited to lead a program that has such tremendous support. "The fact that Knox is willing to commit to wrestling says a lot about where the program can be. I'm thankful to Chad Eisele and President Teresa Amott for their faith in me to take the wrestling program to the next level." Norton is the seventh full-time coach hired by the College in the past two years.

Manheim, Pa. -- In a week filled with great news for the sport of wrestling, Huntingdon College (Ala.) has announced that it will be adding a new varsity program for the 2014-15 season at the NCAA Division III level. The addition represents the 100th new varsity intercollegiate wrestling program added across the nation since 2001 and the first NCAA wrestling program in Alabama in over 30 years. "On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors and our President Rob Koll, I am thrilled that the Huntingdon College Administration recognizes the educational value that wrestling will bring to their campus," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. The announcement for the new program was made at a press conference featuring Huntingdon College administrators, sponsors, friends of wrestling, and legendary University of Iowa Wrestling coach and Olympic Champion Dan Gable. The news was made possible by a group of benefactors that collectively provided over $40,000 to help launch the program. Among these individuals are Bob Feldmeier Sr. (CEO of Feldmeier Equipment and former Princeton Wrestler), Greg Hatcher (prominent Arkansas businessman), and Stephen Chazen (President of UNUS Foundation). In addition to these individuals, the U.S. Wrestling Foundation continued its support of college wrestling with a $10,000 donation to alleviate the start-up costs of the program. "We are thrilled to support Huntingdon College as they take the step of adding wrestling to their intercollegiate athletic program," stated Jeff Waters, Board President of the U.S. Wrestling Foundation. "This support demonstrates the partnership between the Foundation, USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association as we come together to promote and grow the sport." John Purnell, president of Brute, celebrated the addition of another program to the college ranks with the NWCA by donating a set of competition uniforms for 15 wrestlers through its R.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Rewarding Educational Athletic Choices Helping Each Sport) program. The Huntingdon College administration also announced that Tom Storey would be the first head coach of the new program. Storey, a former wrestler at the Naval Academy, was an EIWA Champion and wrestled in two NCAA Championships. "I am honored to be selected as the head wrestling coach at Huntingdon College," said Storey. "I am looking forward to building a dynasty in D3 wrestling!" For more information on programs added since 1999, visit the "New and Re-Instated" section of the NWCA website. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About Brute Wrestling Brute is a company that manufactures high quality wrestling equipment. In their pursuit to grow wrestling, Brute has supported the sport extensively through its R.E.A.C.H.E.S. (Rewarding Educational Athletic Choices Helping Each Sport) program. R.E.A.C.H.E.S. is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization founded in 2007 in an effort to promote, protect and preserve amateur wrestling in its truest form. R.E.A.C.H.E.S. provides athletic opportunities to athletes of all ages and abilities. Since R.E.A.C.H.E.S. inception in 2007, Brute has given back to wrestling in excess of $200,000.00. About U.S. Wrestling Foundation The United States Wrestling Foundation (the Foundation) is dedicated to the growth of amateur wrestling in the United States. The Foundation works closely with wrestling organizations that are essential to the growth of the sport of wrestling at all levels.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy wrestling head coach Bruce Burnett, who wrapped up his 13th year at the Academy last spring by leading the Mids to a second-place finish at the EIWA Championship while being named the EIWA Coach of the Year, has announced he will retire effective Oct. 1. Brian Antonelli, who is in his eighth season at the Naval Academy, will serve as the interim head coach for the 2013-14 season. Bruce Burnett"The values of honor, courage, determination and commitment quickly come to mind when I reflect on Coach Burnett," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "Bruce has been our staff's benchmark for Academy values throughout his distinguished and nationally respected tenure at Navy. Those who wrestled for him will attest to his brilliance as a coach, but even more significant has been his educational influence on their personal and professional development. So many are proud and grateful for the role he has played in their lives. We will miss Coach Burnett and his lovely wife Karen very much." "For 13 years I have had the privilege of challenging hundreds of young men on the mat as they prepare for careers of service and leadership," said Burnett. "When I came to the Academy in October of 2000, I envisioned this position as a five to seven-year commitment. However, after experiencing the focus of purposeful work and the quality of young men entering the wrestling room, I knew my professional work life would conclude at the Naval Academy. "At every level, I have experienced on-going support and I commend Chet Gladchuk for his leadership, as well as the Academy leadership, for the direction and important role of athletics within the Academy setting. Within the wrestling program, we have over 23 Navy SEALs and many more Marines and Naval Officers who have been or are on active duty. I do believe that Navy wrestling was a significant contributor in the preparation and readiness for the leadership role they have today. "I have been blessed with a strong and dedicated coaching staff, supportive and involved alumni and wonderful families who have entrusted us with their young men. Undoubtedly, it will be the day to day contact with those athletes and relationships forged that I will miss the most. I am excited for the future of Navy wrestling and I know we have the support of the athletic department and the personnel in place to keep the program moving forward. I have the utmost respect for Brian Antonelli, who not only is a graduate of the Naval Academy, but has served alongside me in coaching these young men. Without a doubt, the program is in great hands moving forward with Brian leading the way." One of the most revered coaches this sport has seen, it's no surprise that Burnett has been able to uphold the Navy wrestling tradition that John Schultz began in 1909 and has been carried through by the likes of the legendary Ray Swartz and Ed Peery. Simply put, Bruce Burnett is a winner. At every level of the sport, Burnett has seen success. During his 13-year stay at the Academy, he led the Midshipmen to a 113-57 record (.665) that featured six-straight seasons of 10 or more wins from 2002-07. The Midshipmen have flourished under his guidance, finishing among the top five at the EIWA Championship in seven of the last nine years, winning eight individual EIWA crowns and placing among the top 25 at the NCAA Championship in three of the last seven seasons. He guided Navy to an 18th-place finish at the 2007 and ‘08 NCAA Championships, its highest NCAA finish since placing 13th more than two decades ago (1990). Along the way, he helped mold 10 EIWA Champions, 50 NCAA qualifiers and 10 wrestlers who garnered All-America recognition under his tutelage including two-time All-American and Navy's all-time winningest wrestler Bryce Saddoris (‘11). Saddoris also became the first wrestler in school history to win 30 or more matches in each of his four seasons and finished his career with a staggering 147 wins. Bruce Burnett was Navy's head wrestling coach for 13 seasons (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"Coach Burnett was the reason why I came to the Academy," said Saddoris, a 1st Lt. in the Marine Corps who is stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, Fla. "The integrity and honesty with which he leads his life and coaches sets him apart from everyone else. "When I was at NAPS, he sat all of us down and asked us what our personal goals were. I told him I wanted to be an All-American and be a national champion. He told me that if I trusted in him, he would get me there. There was not a time I went out on the mat unprepared. He knew when to pump the brakes and when to step on the gas. He is the reason why I succeeded at Navy and even now wrestling for the Marine Corps. I owe everything to him. "I consider Coach Burnett a father figure, a father away from home. He cared as much about our lives off the mat as he did on the mat. He truly cared about me as a man. To this day, we talk a couple of times a month. I call him for advice about wrestling, but also in my day to day life. You just cannot get any better than Coach Burnett." He also helped Joe Baker, Matt Stolpinski and Ed Prendergast earn All-America status in 2008, marking the first time since 1967 that Navy put three wrestlers atop the All-America stage in a single season. Last winter, six of Navy's 10 wrestlers garnered top-five finishes to guide the Mids to a second-place finish at the EIWA Championship. It was the program's strongest finish since 2007 and Burnett was rewarded by being named the EIWA Coach of the Year. All six of those wrestlers earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championship, including 2013 graduate Dan Miller who was crowned the EIWA Champion at 285 pounds. Miller is Navy's first EIWA individual champion since 2009 (Joe Baker, Bryce Saddoris) and the first Navy heavyweight to win a title since Ed Prendergast won back-to-back crowns in 2007 and ‘08. Additionally, the Mids produced a 6-1 dual meet record that featured a win over nationally-ranked programs Maryland (22-18) and Rutgers (19-15), while Navy also captured its 13th consecutive win over rival Army (22-10). Burnett is one of the most well-known coaches on the national scene, having spent the bulk of his coaching career at the highest level. Burnett helped prepare the United States' elite athletes for world and Olympic competition as the national freestyle coach beginning in 1992. His resume is nothing short of impressive. His teams won five medals at the 1996 Olympic Games (three gold, one silver and one bronze), five at the 2000 Olympic Games (one gold, two silver and two bronze) and eight medals at the 1999 Pan American Games (six gold, one silver and one bronze). Additionally, his teams captured World Team Titles in 1993 and 1995, the World Cup of Wrestling in 1993, ‘94, ‘95, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99 and ‘00 and the Pan American Championship in 1993, ‘94, ‘95 and ‘96. During that time, Burnett coached Kurt Angle, Tom Brands, Kendal Cross, Kevin Jackson, Brandon Slay and John Smith to Olympic gold medals, while cornering Terry Brands, Tom Brands, Angle, Jackson and Smith to World Championships. "Coach Burnett is a contagious guy," said John Smith, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and all-time winningest coach in Oklahoma State history. "You always wanted to be around him, and he's very motivating. He inspired me throughout my wrestling career. When I started coaching, I learned so much from him. Even today, I use several of his ideas and techniques. He's a great man, a great coach and a great friend." "Bruce Burnett was a coach that came along at the right time for me," said Iowa head coach Tom Brands, an Olympic gold medalist and three-time national champion. "His relationships were built on drive and compassion, and he laid things out simply. He was fiercely loyal in the corner and out of it. I remember one time at the World Cup when FILA tried to have a closed door meeting with only Terry and I and he stepped in and basically said, ‘not on my watch'. You came to expect that kind of back-up from him. When Dave Schultz was shot and killed, we were in Krasnoyarsk, Russia getting ready for competition. He broke the news to us. Dave and Bruce were very tight. Bruce made it all right. He's one of those guys that doesn't get enough credit." "Bruce Burnett was a meticulous coach and a great friend," said Iowa associate head coach Terry Brands, an Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World champion. "He is someone who cared to understand individuals. He would come beside the athlete to determine what was best. He's a top notch man and a top notch coach." He was named the Freestyle Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996 and was named the United States Olympic Committee Elite Coach of the Year in 1996. As Navy's head coach, Burnett remained active in the national and international coaching scene, serving as the head coach of the United States World Cup Team at the 2002 Freestyle World Cup of Wrestling Championship, the U.S. World University Games Head Coach in 2005, the FISU University World Championship Coach in 2010, the Pan American Games Coach in 2011 and the FILA Junior World Championship Coach in 2012. An opportunity for friends of Navy wrestling to express their appreciation to Coach Burnett and Karen will be on Friday, Feb. 21, prior to the 57th edition of the Army-Navy wrestling match in the Bo Coppedge Room in Alumni Hall. Details to follow in the near future.

BLOOMSBURG -- Bloomsburg University Director of Athletics Michael McFarland has announced the hiring of Marcus Gordon as assistant wrestling coach at the school. Gordon comes to Bloomsburg after spending six seasons as the assistant coach at Ashland (OH) University where he was also a standout wrestling for the Eagles. At Ashland Gordon was involved in every aspect of the AU program playing a prominent role in recruiting, assisting in camps and special projects along with coaching responsibilities during matches and practices. He helped coach 26 NCAA D-II national qualifiers; nine NCAA D-II All-Americans and 21 NWCA All-Academic student-athletes. He was helped the Eagles to a 15-2-1 dual meet record in 2010-11, the school's best record in 30 years. As a wrestler Gordon was a three-year letterman for the Eagles. He was a two-time qualifier for the national meet and a two-time Academic All-America (Wrestling Coaches of America). He won a championship at the 2008 Midwest Classic and that same season was a regional champion. During the 2007-08 season Gordon was ranked as high as third in the country. Gordon also served as a team captain. Gordon began his collegiate career at Eastern Michigan where he was a two-year starter on the mat at EMU. "It is exciting to complete the wrestling coaching staff with the addition of assistant coach Marcus Gordon, who joins us from Ashland," said McFarland. "A true competitor, Marcus provides the perfect complement to head coach Jason Mester's style and blends the necessary components to take our program to the next level. Now with Coach Mester, Coach Gordon, and Paul Lyon joining as a volunteer assistant coach, the Huskies can get to work on defending their EWL dual meet title." As a high schooler Gordon was a wrestling standout at Mapleton High School. During his prep career he was a four-time OHSAA state placer and a two-time state champion. He was also named the most valuable wrestler at the state championship meet. He holds Mapleton's record for career takedowns (886). Gordon earned a degree in special education at Ashland. He and his wife, Jessica, will live in the Bloomsburg area.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- With the All Star Classic less than two months away, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network (GWWBN) has announced three days of events featuring programming for attendees of all ages at George Mason University. The wrestling centric weekend will begin on Friday, Nov. 1 with the Middle School All Star match. The match will be at 7:00pm in the George Mason University Field House and admission will be $5 for fans. Building on the Middle School match, there will be an All Star practice that will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 10:00am in the George Mason University Field House. These middle school participants will be trained and treated just like the All Star Classic collegiate participants. "Fans can look forward to some very competitive matches," said GWWBN Board Member and Middle School Classic Coordinator Kurt McHenry. "In many cases, the matches are highly anticipated ‘showdowns' between highly rated competitors from opposite sides of the country. It should be a lot of fun and a great experience for all." Following the Middle School All Star Practice on Saturday, NUWAY will present the All Star Clinic. Registration for the event will take place between 11:00am-12:00pm, with the event lasting until from 12:00pm to 5:00pm in the George Mason University Field House. The All Star Clinic is expected to draw 500 attendees, including NCAA champions, past All-Star Classic participants, coaches with wrestlers competing in the All Star Classic, Olympians and Beat the Street kids. "The part that is so exciting is each clinician will only have time to teach their favorite technique," said GWWBN Board Member and 2x NCAA Champion Wade Schalles. "That means there will be passion in everything the wrestlers hear and everything they see for 5 straight hours. That means a high retention rate for things learned, a definite factor in championship performances." While all Beat the Street kids will attend the event for free, remaining attendees will be required to purchase either a $30 clinic-only ticket or $40 clinic and All Star Classic combination pass. The final event on Saturday, November 2 will be the GWWBN's Pre-Meet Social. The event will be held at the George Mason University Patriot Center from 5:00-6:30pm. The event will serve as a mixer for coaches, sponsors and professionals to unite the business and wrestling communities as one. "The goal of the Social is to allow wrestling fans from all over the country, a chance to re-connect, make new friends, and potentially meet new business contacts," said GWWBN Board Member and Social Coordinator Keith Burgess. "Wrestlers and fans at any level will have an opportunity to mix & mingle with CEO's from Fortune 500 companies to the legends of our beloved sport." To attend the social, individuals will be required to pay a $100 fee or can purchase a pass to the social and a VIP ticket to the All Star Classic for $150. The final day of the weekend will feature the anticipated All Star Classic at 7:15pm on the George Mason University campus. Prior to the main event, at 6:45pm, undercard matches will be hosted showcasing two USAW Olympic-style matches and two college feature matches. The match-ups for the undercard feature bouts include a George Mason University wrestler squaring off against a West Chester University wrestler and an American University Wrestler against a Ursiinus College wrestler. For more information about the event visit the NWCA All-Star Classic page. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network GWWBN is a non-profit networking group that has been organized with the objective of mobilizing the wrestling community for business, social, and personal purposes. Their goal is to have our members to network and prosper together while we positing ourselves as an advocate for wrestling at all levels with in the Greater Washington Region. Contact: For NWCA Coyte Cooper - ccooper@nwca.cc

ESPN's long-standing commitment to expanding coverage of wrestling continues with plans for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship in Oklahoma City March 20- 22. For the first time, live coverage of every mat during the tournament will be available on an ESPN network. For the last five years, ESPN3 has carried an exclusive four-screen, four-mat viewing experience unique to wrestling. The expansion will create an unprecedented eight-mat viewing experience on ESPN3 for the early rounds and six-mat coverage for the Semifinals, with full match coverage continuing on ESPN3, ESPNU or ESPN and WatchESPN for the Semifinal, Medal and Championship rounds. ESPN began airing NCAA wrestling championships in 1980, its first year as a network, and has provided live coverage of every round since 2011. "There is an increasing appetite for the NCAA Wrestling Championship from the sport's avid fan base, especially on our digital platforms," said Brent Colborne, ESPN director of programming and acquisitions. “We continue to look for new ways to serve wrestling fans and live coverage of every mat on ESPN3 will provide an unprecedented amount of comprehensive coverage for the event." The championship continues to see success across ESPN with a 55 percent increase year-to-year growth in viewers for the 2013 final match and 12.6 million live minutes viewed on ESPN3 and WatchESPN, up 13 percent. ESPN networks commitment to the championship extends through 2024.

FILA and USA Wrestling held a joint press conference directly after the International Olympic Committee voted to keep wrestling in the Olympics as an additional sport for 2020 and 2024. Featured in this press conference are FILA President Nenad Lalovic, USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, CPOW Chair Bill Scherr, FILA Bureau member Jim Scherr, Actor/CPOW member Billy Baldwin, and USA Wrestling President Jim Ravannack.

STILLWATER -- Coaches and members of the Oklahoma State wrestling team watched intently from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., as the International Olympic Committee announced that wrestling would be included in the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics as a provisional sport. "I think the message that was sent down today from the IOC was since wrestling has been in the ancient games, as well as the modern games, we shouldn't be trailing; we are expected to be leading," coach John Smith said. "Winning the majority vote back in May to forward us to today's decision and winning the majority of the vote today was huge for us, and gives us a second opportunity to do it well." In February, the IOC executive board recommended that wrestling be dropped from the Olympic Games after the 2016 Olympics. Only three months later, the sport was given hope as it was named to the short-list of sports to be included in the 2020 Summer Games. On the short-list for inclusion alongside wrestling was a combined baseball/softball bid and squash. Each made its case for inclusion Sunday to the members of the IOC in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and it was voted it on shortly after. Wrestling received 49 of 95 votes, giving it the majority on the first ballot and a quick victory for the wrestling community. "That was harder than a wrestling match for me," 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott said. "It's been a long process, and I was nervous all morning. We had a good presentation and a very good panel, and I'm glad we didn't take it lightly. There were a lot kids watching with us today and this was for them." Cowboy wrestling sophomore Alex Dieringer knew this decision would have long-lasting implications and was excited for the result. "It's my future," Dieringer said. "I'm really excited knowing that I'm going to be able to continue following my Olympic dreams." The 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan.