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  1. InterMat Staff
    Ryan Anderson at the 2018 Walsh Ironman (Photo/SJanickiPhoto.com) Binghamton got a big transfer announcement today as Ryan Anderson of DIII's Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey gave Kyle Borshoff's team a verbal commitment. Anderson was named the Freshman of the Year by D3Wrestle.com in 2020 after he went 30-3 and won a championship at the Mideast Regional while competing at 149 lbs. The 2020 DIII National Tournament was wiped out by Covid, so Anderson was unable to finish his promising freshman campaign. His initial season with Centenary saw him rack up 15 falls, which was the fourth-highest mark in school history. Anderson did not lose to a DIII opponent and did not suffer a loss after a setback at the East Stroudsburg Open in early November. Anderson spent time as a senior at Bethlehem Catholic (PA) ranked number one in the nation after winning the 2018 Walsh Ironman. The opponent that Anderson defeated in the finals was Jaden Abas, who went on to AA at the 2021 NCAA Championships. He also claimed a pair of Pennsylvania AAA state championships and finished his senior year ranked 11th overall among the Class of 2019. Other accolades for Anderson include two finals appearances at the Beast of the East (2nd - 2016, 1st - 2018), three podium finishes at the Super 32 (5th - 2018, 1st - 2017, 7th - 2016), along with two other top-eight showings at the Ironman (3rd - 2017, 2nd - 2016). Out of high school, Anderson was initially slated to head to Iowa State, but switched to Centenary, which is located in his hometown, late in the game. Anderson likely slots in at 141 lbs for the Bearcats. That could be a place of need as the team has not qualified that weight for NCAA's over the last two years.
  2. InterMat Staff
    Mark Branch giving instructions to Stephen Buchanan at the 2021 NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Since Mark Branch was hired by the University of Wyoming in July of 2008, the program has been one that has developed its share of unheralded recruits. A total of seven wrestlers have combined to earn All-American honors 14 times (including Montorie Bridges NWCA mention in 2020). Only one of these All-Americans was ranked in the top-50 nationally, coming out of high school. That was Tyler Cox, who was ranked #33 in the Class of 2009, the first full class under Branch's direction. 2009 was also the only time in Branch's tenure where the school inked multiple top-50 recruits. Since that time, the Cowboy program has only signed eight top-100 recruits. This isn't meant to be a knock on the Cowboys recruiting efforts in the past; it's more to demonstrate how well Branch and his staff have done at evaluating and developing talent. Maybe it's the rankers who are overlooking the student-athletes that typically head to Laramie. At the beginning of June, recruiting restrictions were lifted for all DI programs. For over a year, coaches were not allowed to host official recruiting visits on campus and could not travel to events to scout potential recruiting targets. Only two weeks into this new recruiting cycle, Wyoming has already put together a Class of 2022 that surpasses any, from a rankings standpoint, of the Branch-era. On Tuesday, June 8th, Wyoming got their Class of 2022 class started in a big way. A pair of high school teammates from Tennessee's Baylor School, #65 David Harper and #80 Garrison Dendy, both committed to Branch's team. In and of itself, getting both Harper and Dendy, marked the first time since 2009 that Wyoming had a pair of top-100 recruits (Patrick Martinez was the other). Then on Friday evening, another shoe dropped. #35 Jore Volk had committed to Wyoming, as well. Volk is the highest-ranked high schooler to commit to Wyoming since #32 Zach Beard in 2013. All three are currently ranked in the top-eight of their respective high school weights by MatScouts. Volk checks in at fifth at 126 lbs, while Harper is seventh at 195, and Dendy is eighth at 145. What's also remarkable about this group is that they hail from states outside of Wyoming's normal recruiting reach. It's been almost 20 years since the Cowboys had a national qualifier from Minnesota (Brad Steele - 285 lbs/2003), while Tennessee to Wyoming is not a typical route for many high schoolers. Both could prove fruitful, as Minnesota consistently churns out quality collegiate wrestlers and Tennessee has been improving on the high school level lately. Volk is the most decorated of the bunch, as he was a double 16U champion in Fargo during the summer of 2019. In the preseason, he finished fourth at the Super 32, competing at 113 lbs. Earlier this year, Volk became the first wrestler in Lakeville North history to capture two state titles. Dendy also found the podium at the Super 32 in 2020, taking sixth at the 145 lb weight class. Harper is a two-time 16U freestyle All-American in Fargo (4th, 7th). Volk projects at either 125 or 133 for the Cowboys. Dendy should fit in at 149 and Harper at 197. Cowboy fans should be salivating over the prospect of the future for Wyoming wrestling. A coach and a program that has thrived off of getting strong results from lesser-known recruits will soon have some thoroughbreds to work with. Of the seven wrestlers to earn All-American honors under Branch's watch, four (Joe LeBlanc, Shane Onufer, Alfonso Hernandez, and Stephen Buchanan), were ranked outside the top-100 heading into Laramie. Cox was ranked #33 in 2009 and Bridges was #93 in 2016. Two-time national finalist Bryce Meredith was ranked #92 in the Class of 2014, though he initially signed with NC State and attended school there for a year. Looking at the 2021 Wyoming team, three of their four Big 12 finalists were not mentioned on a Big Board before starting their collegiate careers. Cole Moody was #97 in the Class of 2018, but Buchanan, Tate Samuelson and Brian Andrews snuck under the radar. Two other recent, notable Cowboys that were missed in recruiting rankings were Archie Colgan and Branson Ashworth. Both grew into wrestlers that were seeded in the top-ten at the national tournament as seniors. What's even more intriguing about the Class of 2022 is that good recruits tend to attach other good recruits. With three top-100 seniors already in the fold, in mid-June, expect to see more high-quality wrestlers give Wyoming attention. Don't be surprised if they nab one or two. MatScouts recent article regarding “School Lists” from many of the top uncommitted seniors proves that point. When published, ten wrestlers had Wyoming on their “short list.” That number was only exceeded by recruiting juggernaut NC State, with 11. Even excluding the three that recently committed to Wyoming, that leaves seven others as having a strong interest in the Wyoming program. We must mention that the official signing period for wrestlers in the Class of 2022 is not until November, so these recruits are not locked in to Wyoming just yet. Below is a listing of all of the Big Board'er's signed by Wyoming during the Mark Branch era. Class information from 2013-21 is courtesy of Willie Saylor at MatScouts. The 2010-12 rankings are via Earl Smith's old D1CollegeWrestling.net website, while the Class of 2009 is from InterMat. No data was used from the Class of 2008, considering Branch was hired in July and the bulk of that class was likely locked in before his arrival. 2021 (Out of Top 300) #85 Quayin Short (Simley, MN) #156 Aidan Noonan (Cascade, IA) 2020 (Out of Top 300) #205 Guillermo Escobedo (Bishop Amat, CA) #214 Gage Hockett (Cushing, OK) 2019 (Out of Top 100) #90 Jake Svihel (Totino-Grace, MN) 2018 (Out of Top 100) #97 Cole Moody (Bingham, UT) 2017 (Out of Top 100) None 2016 (Out of Top 100) #93 Montorie Bridges (Altus, OK) 2015 (Out of Top 100) None 2014 (Out of Top 100) None 2013 (Out of Top 100) #32 Zach Beard (Tuttle, OK) 2012 (Out of Top 150) #44 Ben Stroh (Chinook, MT) #108 Drew Templeman (Orting, WA) #140 Jake Elliott (Oakmont, CA) 2011 (Out of Top 150) None 2010 (Out of Top 150) #119 Zach Zehner (Tomahawk, WI) #145 Shane Woods (Tuttle, OK) 2009 (Out of Top 100) #33 Tyler Cox (Gillette, WY) #48 Patrick Martinez (Temecula, CA)
  3. InterMat Staff
    I'll never forget my first trip to NCAAs to watch my husband, Richard Perry, and five of his teammates from Bloomsburg University compete. On the plane ride to Oklahoma, I was surrounded by wrestlers from another D1 program and their team managers. We began to talk and the team managers told me how excited they were for this vacation; they shared how each of the athletes and staff members were given a few hundred dollars for the week for meals and anything else they needed, how each athlete received their own hotel room. My mind was blown. Watching my husband wrestle for a small D1 program while in college, I was certainly proud, and at the same time, frustrated. As a fan, we hear about these well-funded and well-known wrestling programs with incredible alumni support rallying to get their athletes top of the line equipment, wrestling rooms, trainers, dietitians, sports therapists and whatever else their money can buy. Call it jealousy, or just wanting the best for your own guys, but when it comes to accessibility, the mat certainly isn't level. Most wrestlers talented and fortunate enough to wrestle for a D1 program, especially within the smaller programs, would never bring this to anyone's attention; those athletes know how hard they've worked to get to where they are, and they won't for a second make an excuse as they work towards their goal of becoming an NCAA champion. Actually, I'm pretty certain collegiate wrestlers are incapable of making excuses; they just grind, taking what support and tools they have and making the most of them. But what if it was a level playing field? What if all college athletes, no matter the degree of alumni or financial support we're able to access a diet plan that actually catered to a wrestler's needs, or an agility and strength training program proven to get you the results you want? It would be a game-changer. The unleveled playing field isn't just at the collegiate level - "this disadvantage, or lack of resources starts at the youth level and is seen in every hotbed wrestling state and room across the country. Some chalk it up to a lack of passion or drive - "there is this idea that if your child really was "great," they would earn these benefits, or as a parent, you would somehow afford them the rights to these services. Parents have gone as far as picking up extra shifts, or even a second job just to afford the personal trainers, the dietician, the mindset coaches. Dedication for sure, but think about the added pressure that places on our young athletes. As a parent, I know if I can afford my child the best, that is what they will receive - "unfortunately, the best is just not always feasible. Take into account a pandemic which gripped our economy and put more families between a rock and a hard place financially. Oh, and let's not forget about families new to the sport who may not even know how effective a mindset coach could be, the extra personal training sessions your athlete will benefit from, or the effect having a dietitian will have on your athlete's performance. So how do we produce/shape/mold these young athletes to be the best versions of themselves on and off the mat without putting our kidneys up for sale? It seems an affordable solution is now in our grasps and will soon prove to be a game-changer. Even wrestling at an elite D1 program such as Penn State, creator of the ATAC (Advanced Training Athletic Club) app, Bryan Heller, was well aware of these disadvantages and sought to do something about it, "The mission was inspired by the inequality in resources athletes have available based on socioeconomic stature. Athletes in affluent areas can afford specialty training (private lessons, strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, speed and agility coaches, etc.), while athletes in lower socioeconomic areas do not have the means to have those same resources available to them. Therefore the mission is generally, to provide all athletes with these same resources. Where I grew up and where I predominately spent my time as a coach is an area where kids can afford specialty training. I have seen countless athletes make significant athletic gains under fantastic specialty coaches (strength and conditioning coaches, private wrestling instruction, nutritionists, etc.). Those coaches do a great job, and their time is valuable, which means their services cost a lot of money. There are a lot of athletes who just don't have the finances available to afford those services." Take someone with raw strength and talent, grit engrained in their very fiber and a love for the sport of wrestling like no other - "I've witnessed first hand what this looks like, but I also know they need direction; they need guidance when it comes to diet and specific training. Although there are many athletes who find very high levels of success from all demographics, those with specialty trainers, coaches and specific diet plans have a substantial and clear advantage. These advantages come down to money - "which athletes can afford these services; and accessibility- "even if these services are financially feasible, are they in close enough proximity that obtaining them won't burden an already busy athlete or family? "The annual fee for ATAC is less than what most strength and conditioning coaches charge per month, less than the upfront cost of hiring a nutritionist. It is less than the cost of a few private lessons, and less than having a mindset mentor," During the creation of the ATAC app, Heller didn't just take into consideration cost and accessibility for the average athlete, but he is in the process of working with Beat the Street's, a non-profit wrestling and mentoring organization targeting at-risk youth all over the country, "One of the goals of ATAC is to partner with Beat the Streets and/or similar organizations geared towards providing opportunities for disadvantaged youth. This is a way for us to get ATAC to those athletes who don't have the means to afford our services. The work that Beat The Streets and other similar organizations do for their athletes goes way beyond sport, and ATAC wants to be a part of those athlete's growth towards long-term success." Wrestling since the age of 4, traveling all over the country to compete, not only does Bryan understand the disadvantages most wrestlers face, but he also sees the necessity for accountability to keep athletes engaged and motivated, thus providing a scoring system within the app, "we wrapped the whole app in an engaging game to get athletes to challenge themselves and compete against other athletes." As a D1 collegiate wrestler with a pretty impressive resume, and club coach for the past 14 years, Heller produced multiple state placers in one of the toughest state tournaments in the sport of wrestling (New Jersey, sorry PA). It's no secret Heller knows exactly what it takes to achieve success on the mat, "The initial concept came about as I reflected on my competitive career, what I had done that helped me grow as an athlete, and what the best coaches in the country were doing to help their athletes grow. I wanted to build a comprehensive tool for athletes looking to reach their highest potential," Heller explained how different ATAC is from various other training apps we've seen, "ATAC specifically addresses athlete's deficiencies. Our activities have been named to primarily help where an athlete might be struggling. For instance, our mentality activities are titled "Calm Nerves," "Get Motivated," "Build Confidence," and "Get Focused." Some other aspects of the app include full stretching routines, agility workouts, sleep timers and recommendations, hydration assistance, reflection guidance and activities, as well as various interval workouts to improve different physiological aspects of an athlete's endurance system." With an app catering specifically to wrestlers, including such in-depth looks at the various proponents for fierce competitors, it seems like a no-brainer this all-in-one tool may be of some use to help alleviate the financial burden specialty training may accrue. Even so, Bryan takes it one step further, offering not only the advice, but the actual workouts, diet plans and mantras from various senior-level athletes such as the greatest wrestler of all time (not up for debate), 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist and 7x World Medalist, Jordan Burroughs; 3x World Team Member and the most entertaining and athletic breakdancer I've ever seen, Reece Humphrey; one of the quickest and incredibly talented wrestlers, Olympian and 5x Pan Am Champion, Sarah Hildebrandt; well known Penn State 2x NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph; National Team Member, 3x NCAA qualifier, 2x State Champion and Overcomer, Richard Perry. The list doesn't end there; Bryan is a certified nutritionist himself and sought the advice from well-respected strength and conditioning coaches, many high school, middle school and youth level athletes, coaches and parents. At this point, I know what you're thinking; this article is essentially a marketing promotion. The truth is, it's not meant to be; When I sat down with Bryan Heller, and he began to explain exactly what this app was going to do and for whom it was designed to help, I felt as though that un-leveled playing field I mentioned before, was beginning to look a little more even. When he mentioned Beat the Streets and making these programs accessible for all youth, I knew this could be a complete game-changer. No longer will financial restraints or accessibility stop an athlete from achieving the best version of themselves. Sure, we have Instagram and YouTube with loads of informative videos from various wrestlers; there are plenty of affordable options to gain insight and learn technique with incredible companies such as Fanatic Wrestling and their training series, or free options such as the virtual FCA Truth & Technique Sessions offered on the FCA website this summer. But, this app will aim to keep athletes engaged, to help shape them to be healthier physically, emotionally and mentally. ATAC will help athletes cope with setbacks and injuries, overcome the fear of failure, push themselves on the mat and in the weight room, hold themselves accountable. Wrestlers are built differently, there is no doubt about that. With the help of the ATAC app, its accessibility and affordability, wrestlers from all socioeconomic backgrounds will have one less hurdle to overcome.
  4. InterMat Staff
    Alan Vera at the 2021 Olympic Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Poland Open Day 6 Results - Greco Roman 60 kg Gold Medal: Michal Tracz (Poland) Silver Medal: Ekrem Ozturk (Turkey) Bronze Medal: Mukhammadkodir Yusupov (Uzbekistan) 63 kg Gold Medal: Islomjon Bakhramov (Uzbekistan) Silver Medal: Ayata Suzuki (Japan) Bronze Medal: Christopher Kraemer (Germany); Krisztian Kecskemeti (Hungary) 72 kg Gold Medal: Gevorg Sahakyan (Poland) Silver Medal: Mirzobek Rakhmatov (Uzbekistan) Bronze Medal: Cengiz Arslan (Turkey); Krisztian Vancza (Hungary) 87 kg Gold Medal: Semen Novikov (Ukraine) Silver Medal: Istvan Takacs (Hungary) Bronze Medal: Rustam Assakalov (Uzbekistan); Metehan Basar (Turkey) Alan Vera (USA) over Dogan Goktas (Turkey) 3-3 Assakalov over Vera Fall 97 kg Gold Medal: Mohammadadi Saravi (Iran) Silver Medal: Mehdi Balihamzehdeh (Iran) Bronze Medal: Arvi Savolainen (Finland); Islam Abbasov (Azerbaijan)
  5. InterMat Staff
    Luke Karam (Photo/Lehigh Athletic Department) Transfers as of 6/13/2021 - received by DI schools. (New school listed first) Wrestlers added since our last edition have been bolded. Appalachian State - Diavantae Reddick (Campbell) 165 Appalachian State - Jacob Sartorio (Fresno City College) 285 Arizona State - Kyle Parco (Fresno State) 141/149 Binghamton - Ryan Anderson (Centenary) 141/149 Binghamton - Nick Lombard (Michigan) 149 Buffalo - Trent Svingala (Columbia) 141 Cal Poly - Evan Wick (Cal Poly) 165 Campbell - Anthony Molton (Fresno State) 125 Chattanooga - Brayden Palmer (Clarion) 141 Clarion - Will Feldkamp (Northern Illinois) 184/197 Clarion - Brent Moore (Virginia Tech) 149 Clarion - Cameron Pine (Campbell) 165 CSU Bakersfield - Jacob Hansen (Moorpark JC) 165 CSU Bakersfield - Mateo Morales (Fresno State) 197 Edinboro - Jack Kilner (Fresno City College) 197 George Mason - Laurence Kosoy (Columbia) 165 Hofstra - Michael Leandrou (American) 157 Illinois - Luke Ramussen (North Dakota State) 197 Illinois - Joe Roberts (NC State) 157 Indiana - Kasper McIntosh (Minnesota) 157 Iowa - Drew Bennett (Northern Iowa) 141 Iowa - Brennan Swafford (Graceland) 174 Iowa State - Austin Kraisser (Campbell) 165/174 Iowa State - Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) 285 Kent State - Michael Ferree (Campbell) 174 Kent State - Louis Newell (Pittsburgh) 133 Lehigh - Gaige Garcia (Michigan) 197 Lock Haven - Ben Barton (Campbell) 157 Lock Haven - Jake Beeson (Pratt CC) 149/157 Lock Haven - Michael Spangler (Pratt CC) 125 Lock Haven - Colby Whitehill (Pittsburgh) 285 Maryland - John Martin Best (Air Force Prep) 165 Maryland - Zach Schrader (Cal Baptist) 285 Michigan - Patrick Brucki (Princeton) 197 Minnesota - Jared Krattiger (Wisconsin) 174 Northern Colorado - Baylor Fernandes (Minnesota) 165 Ohio - Tommy Hoskins (Oklahoma) 125 Ohio State - Will Betancourt (Lock Haven) 133 Oklahoma - Keegan Moore (Oklahoma State) 184 Oklahoma - Joey Prata (Virginia Tech) 125 Oklahoma - Gabe Vidlak (Oregon State) 125 Oregon State - Cory Crooks (Arizona State) 149 Oregon State - Cameron Enriquez (Clackamas CC) 125 Oregon State - Tanner Harvey (American) 184 Oregon State - Gary Traub (Ohio State) 285 Penn State - Max Dean (Cornell) 184/197 Pittsburgh - Gage Curry (American) 125 Pittsburgh - Elijah Cleary (Ohio State) 157 Rutgers - Greg Bulsak (Clarion) 197 Rutgers - Nick Raimo (Arizona State) 133 South Dakota State - Tate Battani (Iowa State) 184 South Dakota State - AJ Nevills (Fresno State) 285 Utah Valley - Haiden Drury (Fresno State) 133/141 Virginia - Jarod Verkleeren (Penn State) 149 Virginia Tech - Nathan Traxler (Stanford) 285 West Virginia - Luke Karam (Lehigh) 149 Wisconsin - Austin Gomez (Iowa State) 141 Wisconsin - Andrew McNally (Kent State) 174
  6. InterMat Staff
    2018 World Champion Ningning Rong (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) As of today, we under 50 days from the start of wrestling at the Olympic Games. Over the next 50 days, we'll bring you one profile per day of a decorated international contender. Make sure you get to know the wrestlers that Team USA will compete against in Tokyo. 6/12/21 - Bajrang Punia (India) 6/11/21 - Frank Staebler (Germany) 6/10/21 - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) The giant cloud that overshadows most of the international women's circuit, particularly in Asia, is Japan. Despite the dominance of the Japanese women, China is routinely in the mix as one of the second or third best teams in the world. One of the best performers on the Chinese team is their 57 kg star, Ningning Rong. By the time the first whistle blows, Rong will still be 23 years old and she already has appeared in a pair of world finals, winning once. Rong has been successful at one of the deepest weights in the world, 57 kg. She'll be among the many women vying for medals at the weight. Get to know more about one of the brightest stars from Asia, not competing for Japan, Ningning Rong. Key Wins: Myong-Suk Jong (2019 Asian Championship; Finals), Tserenchimed Sukhee (2019 Asian Championship; Semifinals), Odunayo Adekuoroye (2019 Nikola Petrov; Semifinals), Irina Kurachkina (2019 World Championship; Round of 16, 2019 Lady Klippan; Final), Grace Bullen (2019 Nikola Petrov; Final, 2018 World Championship; Semifinals, 2018 Poland Open; Finals), Yumeka Tanabe (2018 Poland Open; Semifinals), Irina Ologonova (2018 Poland Open; Quarterfinals), Olga Khoroshavtseva (2018 China Open; Finals), Xingru Pei (2018 China Open; Semifinals), Zalina Sidakova (2018 World Cup), Battsetseg Altantsetseg (2018 World Cup), Shoovdor Baatarjav (2018 Asian Championship; Semis), Alli Ragan (2018 Ivan Yarygin; Finals), Bilyana Dudova (2018 World Championship; Finals, 2018 Ivan Yarygin; Semifinals), Veronika Chumikova (2018 Ivan Yarygin; Quarterfinals), Momoka Kadoya (2017 World Cup), Sumiya Erdenechimeg (2017 World Cup), Olena Kremzer (2018 U23 World Championship; Semifinals, 2017 World Cup); Pooja Dhanda (2019 Asian Championship; Semifinals, 2018 World Championships; Quarterfinals, 2017 World Championship; Round of 16), Irina Khariv Chykhradze (2017 Poland Open, 2017 World Championship; Repechage) Key Losses: Yuzuka Inagki (2019 World Cup), Risako Kawai (2019 World Championship; Final), Grace Bullen (2018 U23 World Championship; Finals), Olga Khoroshavtseva (2018 Medved Semifinals), Aisuluu Tynybekova (2017 World Championship; Bronze Match), Marwa Armi (2017 World Championship; Quarterfinals), Helen Maroulis (2017 Poland Open) The Early Years (2015-17) Ningning Rong quietly debuted on the international scene in 2015 as a 17-year-old competing at the Asian Junior Championships. Entered at the 59 kg weight class, Rong was beaten by India's Sarita Mor, 6-2 in her second bout of the event. As a result of the bracketing, Rong was awarded the bronze medal. A year later, at 18, Rong arrived at the Senior level. The Asian Championships represented her only major competition of the year. Rong was a victim of a poor draw and met up with Japan's entry, Momoka Kadoya, in her first bout. Her tournament ended abruptly with a 10-0 tech. Kadoya was upset in the semifinals by a Mongolian, which dashed any repechage hopes for Rong. 2017 is when Rong really demonstrated her potential and began her rise up the international ranks. Rong was able to grab bronze at the Poland Open. Her only setback at that event came to 2016 Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis. Along the way, she picked up a win over 2014 World bronze medalist Irina Khariv Chykhradze of Ukraine. That set the stage for Rong's first world championship event, the 2017 Senior World Championships. Rong advanced to the quarterfinals before getting shocked by Marwa Amri. A year earlier, Amri had become the first African woman to win an Olympic medal in wrestling. She would advance to the world finals, which pulled Rong into repechage. In the wrestlebacks, she earned a second win that year over Khariv Chykhradze, which set up a bout with then-two-time Asian Champion Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan. The veteran, Tynybekova, was able to outlast her younger counterpart in a 6-5 win for the bronze medal. Before the end of the year, Rong was selected to compete for Team China in the World Cup dual meet series. Rong went undefeated at the World Cup and demonstrated just how far she had improved within the previous year. Though her team fell to Japan in the championship dual, Rong avenged a loss from 2016, by downing Kadoya. The Breakout (2018) If Rong showed she was capable of competing for world-level medals in 2017, 2018 was when she announced herself as a favorite at the weight for the foreseeable future. Rong was extremely active in 2018, entering eight tournaments and taking gold in six of those events. Rong's year started at the Ivan Yarygin and she had to run through a gauntlet to capture the title. She scored wins over World University Champion Veronika Chumikova (Russia) and Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria), just to get to the championship bout. For the gold medal, Rong controlled two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan (USA). Just over a month later, Rong secured her first Asian Championship. Her most notable win from that tournament came over returning World bronze medalist Shoovdor Baatarjav of Mongolia. Both the Yarygin and Asians titles came at 59 kg. She dropped down to 57 kg following this tournament and has primarily competed at the weight since. For the second consecutive year, Rong emerged unscathed from the World Cup dual tournament. She notched a pair of solid wins at the event over Bulgaria's 2012 World silver medalist, Zalina Sidakova, and Battsetseg Altantsetseg of Mongolia. Altantsetseg had already amassed a U23 World silver medal and a Junior World title at that point. Next up was the China Open, which saw Rong clash with one of her elite countrywomen, Xingru Pei. Pei was the opponent who defeated Ragan for a world title in 2016 at 60 kg. She also was the Asian Champion at 57 kg in 2018 (Rong won at 59). In the finals, Rong defeated Olga Khoroshavtseva of Russia. Khoroshavtseva has been lights out in 2021, winning the European title, along with Poland and the Last Chance Qualifier. Speaking of Poland, the 2018 event had a stacked field. Among others, Rong defeated Yumeka Tanabe, a two-time Cadet World Champion for Japan, and Grace Bullen in the finals. Just a week later, Rong was in action again at the Medved. There she suffered her first loss of 2018 to Khoroshavtseva in the semifinals. She would rebound to grab the bronze. Just a month after the Medved was the 2018 World Championships from Budapest, Hungary. The favorite at 57 kg was American, Maroulis. In her first match, Helen was injured and upset by Alyona Kolesnik (Azerbaijan). Next up for Kolesnik was Rong. Another upset was not in the cards, as Rong teched her Azeri opponent. Rong's first real test came in the quarterfinals against a past world medalist, Pooja Dhanda of India. The two have frequently clashed and Rong continued her dominance over the Indian. The semifinals included a win over Bullen, setting the stage for a gold medal match against Bilyana Dudova of Bulgaria. The two met earlier in the year at the Yarygin and Rong was victorious. Rong continued the trend by finishing on the right side of a 3-3 bout decided on criteria, making her a world champion. Even though Rong won a world title, she was still young enough to compete at U23's and she entered that event just a few weeks after her exploits in Budapest. This tournament came at 59 kg. Also moving up for U23's was Bullen. She was defeated by Dhanda for a bronze medal at Seniors. Bullen and Rong would be advance to the 59 kg gold medal match and the Norwegian star would flip the result and took the gold with a 5-2 win. The Post-Breakout Years (2019-Present) Even with a world title and a handful of other wins in 2018, Rong didn't slow down much in 2019, as far as her schedule goes. Rong started the 2019 campaign off with a title at the Klippan Lady Open in Sweden, followed by another at the Nikola Petrov. That tournament featured wins over Bullen and 2015 World bronze medalist Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria. In April, Rong stayed in China for the Asian Championships and garnered her second career gold at the tournament. That event allowed Rong to add another pair of high-quality wins to her hit list. In the semi's, she edged former world champion Tserenchimed Sukhee (Mongolia) and three-time world bronze medalist Myong-Suk Jong (North Korea) in the gold medal match. The Asian Championships were the last event for Rong before the 2019 World Championships. Her win at the continental championships locked up a top-seed in Nur-Sultan for the Chinese superstar. Though she was the number one seed, Rong had far from a cakewalk to the finals. In the Round of 16, she won a hard-fought 4-1 match against European gold medalist Irina Kurachkina (Belarus). That did represent the most challenging bout for Rong before the finals. Standing in the way of Rong's second consecutive world title was Japan's Risako Kawai. Kawai came into Kazakhstan having won world championships in 2018 and 2019, with the most recent gold coming at 59 kg. Down at 57 kilos, in preparation for the Olympic run, Kawai stormed out to a big lead on Rong. Ningning battled back and made it a match before falling 9-6. Less than a month after the World Championships, Rong entered the UWW Test Event in Japan, but did not compete. She ended 2019 by wrestling at the World Cup. Rong was used sparingly, but did suffer a loss to another Japanese foe, Yuzuka Inagki. Inagki was a 2019 U23 World Champion and has won world golds at the Junior and Cadet age groups. She was Japan's representative at Senior World's in 2019, but did not medal at 59 kg. The Tokyo Olympics will have been more than a year and a half since Rong's last major competition, so one could question whether or not she'll be rusty. If anywhere near her top-form, she should be on the shortlist of true gold medal threats at 57 kg.
  7. InterMat Staff
    Alex Sancho (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Poland Open Day 5 Results - Greco-Roman 67 kg Gold Medal: Murat Firat (Turkey) Silver Medal: Mohamed El Sayed (Egypt) Bronze Medals: Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan); Bohdan Kovernyuk (Ukraine) Kovernyuk over Alex Sancho (USA) 5-2 77 kg Gold Medal: Abuiazid Mantsigov (Russia) Silver Medal: Tamas Levai (Hungary) Bronze Medals: Roman Vlasov Russia); Yasaf Zeinalov (Ukraine) 82 kg Gold Medal: Jalgasbay Berdimuratov (Uzbekistan) Silver Medal: Yaroslav Filchakov (Ukraine) Bronze Medals: Alex Bjurberg Kessidis (Sweden); Rafig Huseynov (Azerbaijan) 130 kg Gold Medal: Amin Mirzazadeh (Iran) Silver Medal: Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchali (Iran) Bronze Medals: Muminjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan); Eduard Popp (Germany)
  8. InterMat Staff
    Bajrang Punia (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) As of today, we are 50 days from the start of wrestling at the Olympic Games. Over the next 50 days, we'll bring you one profile per day of a decorated international contender. Make sure you get to know the wrestlers that Team USA will compete against in Tokyo. 6/11/21 - Frank Staebler (Germany) 6/10/21 - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) The leader of the past Indian resurgence over the 2016-2020 quad, Bajrang Punia has amassed a large following based on his hard-nosed, high paced wrestling style that has garnered him back-to-back world medals in 2018 and 2019 and the status as one of 65 KG's premier contenders for a medal in Tokyo. Before going into Bajrang's career, let's take a look at some of his credentials and best wins. Bajrang Punia (IND)- 2013 60 KG world bronze medalist, 2018 65 KG world runner-up, 2019 Ali Aliev champion, 2019 65 KG world bronze medalist, 2x 65 KG Asian championships gold medalist (2017 & 2019), 2018 65 KG Asian Games champion. Key Wins: #3 (70) Kurban Shiraev (2019 Ali Aliyev), #6 Haji Aliyev (2019 PWL4), #17 Jordan Oliver (2019 Dan Kolov finals, 2020 Matteo Pellicone finals), #3 (61) Beka Lomtadze (2015 61 KG world championships), Alejandro Valdes Tobier (2018 world's semis, 2018 Indian PWL season 4, 2019 DRL), Younes Emami (2017 U-23 world's, 2018 Asian championships bronze medal match, 2018 Tbilisi GP, 2018 Yasar Dogu), #20 Zain Retherford (2020 Matteo Pellicone). Key Losses: #5 Takuto Otoguro (2018 65 KG world finals, 2020 65 KG Asian championships finals, 2021 65 KG Asian championships finals), Daulet Niyazbekov (2019 65 KG world semifinals), Yianni Diakomihalis (2019 Beat the Streets), #20 Zain Retherford (2020 NLWC #4), #15 Naachyn Kuular (2017 65 KG U-23 world finals), #4 (61) Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (2016 61 KG world championships), Vasyl Shuptar (2015 61 KG world bronze medal match), Nomin Batbold (2015 61 KG world championships), Vladimir Dubov (2013 60 KG world championships), #16 (70) Zurab Iakobishvili (2017 65 KG world championships), Mustafa Kaya (2017 65 KG world championships repechage). The Beginning (2010-2013) Bajrang's short age group career saw him garner impressive accolades, the likes of back-to-back 55 KG Cadet Asian championship titles in 2010 & 2011, a 2011 54 KG Cadet world gold medal and a 5th place finish at the 2012 Junior World championships. Bajrang would make his official Senior level debut at 18 years old at the 60 KG 2013 Dave Schultz Memorial Invitational making the finals off wins over U.S. domestic standouts Reece Humphrey (USA) and Andrew Hochstrasser (USA) before taking silver to Virginia Tech All-American Devin Carter (USA). Now 19 years old going into the 60 KG world championships with medal finishes at the Dave Schultz Memorial Invitational and the Asian championships, Bajrang was able to come back from an opening-round tech fall loss to eventual runner-up Vladimir Dubov (BUL) to beat Nyam Ochir Enkhsaikhan (MGL) for his first senior world medal. Bajrang on the Rocks (2014-2017) 2014 was a mixed bag for Bajrang where he struggled against International competition and ultimately, India sent Rahul Mann (IND) to the world championships instead of Bajrang. Even with that being the case, Bajrang still had some strong performances from 2014. Bajrang had a 2-3 record at the World Cup, beating Recep Topal (TUR) and Jimmy Kennedy (USA) but falling to Masoud Esmaeilpour (IRI), Volodya Frangulyan (ARM), and Nyam Ochir Enkhsaikhan (MGL). The week after the World Cup, Bajrang competed in an exhibition match at the NCAA tournament against BJ Futrell and was beaten by pin. The remainder of Bajrang's 2014 would string together a run of four straight runner-up finishes at the City of Sassari tournament, Commonwealth championships, Asian championships and Asian Games, losing to the likes of Yogeshwar Dutt, David Tremblay, and Masoud Esmaeilpour. 2015 was Bajrang's breakout year of the 2012-2016 quad, starting off with a title at the Dave Schultz Memorial Invitational over 2014 Yarygin silver medalist Vladimir Flegontov (RUS). Bajrang would have an uncharacteristically limited schedule and his only competition after the Dave Schultz Memorial Invitational would be the World Championships in Las Vegas. Looking to cash in big, Bajrang's chance at a world title would be dashed immediately in his opening round match against eventual silver medalist Nomin Batbold (MGL), who thrashed Punia 10-0. With Batbold making the finals, Bajrang was pulled into repechage where he'd face explosive American Reece Humphrey (USA) in his first match back. Bajrang stymied the potent offense of Humphrey and was able to use his trademark foot stomp single to take Humphrey down and closed out the bout after a series of turns from a bent leg turk was converted into a pin. Bajrang's next match against European Games runner-up #3 (61), Beka Lomtadze (GEO), would push him to the brink. Down 6-3 at the end of the first, Bajrang rattled off 10 straight points in the second period and got another pin to qualify himself for the bronze medal match opposite Vasyl Shuptar (UKR). Shuptar would punish Bajrang's pressure-heavy style early and prevent him from using his dominant top game to hold on to a 6-6 win. Starting off 2016, Bajrang failed to place at the Asian championships for the first time in his career, losing to Kum Su Jon of North Korea in the Round of 16. Bajrang's next competition at the World Cup would yield mixed results with losses against elite competition the likes of Tony Ramos (USA) and Masoud Esmaeilpour (IRI) and wins over lesser-known guys in Mehmet Soyler (TUR) and Mirjalal Hasanzade (AZE). Bajrang's next two competitions would be up at 65 KG, where he would win the Pune Mayor's Cup and Commonwealth Championships, beating the likes of Andri Svyrd (UKR), Batmagnai Batchuulun (MGL) and 2014 world rep Rahul Mann (IND). Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ), a 2011 world bronze medalist and two-time Asian champion fresh off a Ziolkowski title, was Bajrang's opening round opponent at the World Championships. Unfazed by the impressive credentials of the Kazakh, Bajrang put together a masterful performance overcoming an early takedown to put on a 12-3 clinic. A 6-4 win over Temurjon Usmonohunov (UZB) put Bajrang into the quarterfinals against #4 (61) Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov (AZE). Gvarzatilov, a 2013 Junior world champion for Azerbaijan, who was coming off an incredibly dominant showing at the Baku GGP, where he dominated Cuban dynamo Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez 9-0 in the finals. The explosive counters of Gvarzatilov would prove to be too much for Bajrang, as a big headlock put him up early, followed up by an exposure off a Bajrang shot and a lefty high crotch and gut wrench sealed the 10-0 win for Gvarzatilov and ended Bajrang's world championship run. Making the full time move up to 65 KG to start off 2017, Bajrang's year would start off with an abysmal 1-3 showing at the World Cup, with his sole win being against 2015 Cadet world bronze medalist Iveriko Julakidze (GEO) to go with losses to Meysam Nasiri (IRI), Batmagnai Batchuulun (MGL), and Sefa Aksoy (TUR). Bajrang had an impressive recovery with a runner-up finish at the Dan Kolov to Boris Novachkov (BUL), where he beat Magomed Muslimov (AZE) and Viktor Rassadin (RUS). Bajrang's Asian Championships performance would catapult him into the upper echelon of 65, taking out returning champion Meysam Nasiri (IRI) 7-5 in the quarterfinals and defeating Gwang Kuk Kim (PRK) and Seung-Chul Lee (KOR) in the semis and finals for gold. Bajrang's fourth world championships appearance began with a 6-2 win over Alexander Semisorow of Germany, before he faced returning Olympian Zurab Iakobishvili of Georgia. Iakobishvili was coming off an impressive Ziolkowski title up at 70 KG over Russian Nationals champion #3 (74) Magomedkhabib Kadimagomedov (BLR). Iakobishvili would prove to be too much for the game Bajrang and beat the Indian stalwart 6-2. With Iakobishvili making the finals, Bajrang was pulled into repechage against 2016 European runner-up Mustafa Kaya (TUR), who would counter Bajrang to an 8-3 win. Still only 23, with four world championships appearances under his belt, Bajrang would compete in the inaugural U-23 world championships where he'd make the finals opposite Russian Nationals bronze medalist #15 Naachyn Kuular (RUS) after impressive wins over world medalists Younes Emami (IRI) and #6 (70) Heydar Yavuz (TUR). Kuular put on an absolute offensive clinic on Bajrang, countering Bajrang's pressure from shallow underhooks with huge back-to-back throws on his way to a massive 17-6 win for inaugural U-23 world gold. Bajrang the Contender (2018-) 2018 would be the start of Bajrang's reputation as an ironman who would compete anytime, anywhere. Bajrang competed at 7 different competitions, beginning with the Indian Pro Wrestling League, where he fell to 2016 Olympic champion Soslan Ramonov (RUS) and won a match over Harphool Harphool (IND). The returning Asian champion, Bajrang was in a loaded field with two-time champion Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ), Daichi Takatani (JPN), and Younes Emami (IRI). It would be Takatani who would hand Bajrang a 7-5 loss in the quarterfinal. In a rematch from the U-23 world championships, Bajrang would come out ahead of Younes Emami (IRI) 10-4 in a barn burner to win bronze. Bajrang won the Commonwealth Games over Daniel Charig of Wales, but his next three titles at the Tbilisi GP, Yasar Dogu, and Asian Games would truly cement him as the #1 guy going into world's at 65 KG. Bajrang avenged past losses to Daichi Takatani and Mustafa Kaya and notched impressive victories over Younes Emami, Murshid Mutalimov, Gor Ogannesyan, Mehran Nasiri, and Sirojiddin Khasanov. At the world championships, Bajrang was able to make his first world's semifinals match opposite returning world bronze medalist Alejandro Valdes Tobier, a punishing Cuban powerhouse who was the favorite to win the year prior in Paris. Punia, showing nerves of steel, was able to take a razor-thin 4-3 win to make the finals. A 19-year-old phenom who had stormed his way through the opposite bracket outscoring his competition 51-19. Takuto Otoguro (JPN) was a man possessed in Budapest. Otoguro went up to an early 5-0 lead on Bajrang after a huge double leg on the edge and Bajrang and Otoguro would trade takedowns for the rest of the first, ending the period with Otoguro up 7-6. The second period would see Otoguro pull away from Bajrang, timing his forward pressure to get in on leg attacks and ultimately win world gold at 19 years old with a 17-6 victory. 2019 saw Bajrang push his competition even further, competing 8 times; German Club League, the Indian Pro League, the Dan Kolov, the Asian Championships, the Tbilisi Grand Prix, the Ali Aliev, the Grapple at the Garden, and the World Championships. Bajrang started off his year strong with impressive performances in club league wrestling, defeating the likes of three-time world champion #6 Haji Aliyev (AZE), 2018 Yarygin bronze medalist Andrey Kviatkovski (UKR), and two-time world medalist Alejandro Valdes Tobier (CUB). Bajrang would begin his rivalry with U.S. stalwart #17 Jordan Oliver (USA) with a victory in the finals of the Dan Kolov. Sayatbek Okassov (KAZ) pushed Bajrang early in the finals of the Asian championships, but Bajrang pulled ahead 12-7 to win his third continental title. Bajrang would use a training camp in Dagestan to get the opportunity to compete at the prestigious Ali Aliyev, where he beat three Russian Nationals medalists in #3 (70) Kurban Shiraev (RUS), #5 (70), Viktor Rassadin (RUS) and Islam Dudaev (RUS). An opportune match against two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell, fresh off an incredible performance at the U.S. Open, taking out Frank Molinaro (USA), #20 Zain Retherford (USA) and #17 Jordan Oliver (USA). Diakomihalis would show no signs of being star-struck by Bajrang coming out on top of a wild 10-8 match against the top-ranked Bajrang. In his final competition before the world championships, Bajrang would win his second Tbilisi Grand Prix title over 2016 60 KG Junior world champion Peyman Biabani (IRI). The 2019 world championships in Nursultan, Kazakhstan were set up perfectly for Bajrang: Takuto Otoguro struggling with injuries and losing to Rei Higuchi in a three-match series in Japan and Bajrang having beaten Haji Aliyev, Alejandro Valdes Tobier, and Tulga Tumur Ochir and 2x 61 KG world runner-up Gadzhimurad Rashidov being somewhat untested at the weight. Bajrang was the most consistent man and the #1 ranked wrestler going into the world championships with a finals spot nearly guaranteed. Bajrang held up his end of the deal through the semis, where he would face three-time Asian champion Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ). Tied 2-2 at the end of the first, Bajrang lead in the second when a failed chest wrap on the edge was scored 4 for Niyazbekov in an egregious case of home cooking officiating, Niyazbekov completely shut down and Bajrang went on the offensive coming back to tie the score 9-9, but Niyazbekov won on criteria. Wrestling for bronze against Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL), Bajrang controlled the score comfortably when he was absolutely launched by Tumur Ochir and had to hold on to win 7-6 and qualify India for the Olympics at 65 KG. Even with the truncated 2020 season due to COVID-19, Bajrang was still able to compete three times. Bajrang won the Matteo Pellicone with victories over #17 Jordan Oliver (USA), #20 Zain Retherford (USA), #18 Joey McKenna (USA) and Vasyl Shuptar (UKR). Bajrang injury defaulted in the finals of the Asian championships to #5 Takuto Otoguro (JPN) and would compete at the end of the year in December, losing 6-0 to #20 Zain Retherford. Bajrang's 2021 so far has seen him win his second Matteo Pellicone title over Tulga Tumur Ochir (MGL) and lose an emphatic 10-2 Asian championships finals match to #5 Takuto Otoguro (JPN). While Bajrang did have a very impressive 2016-2020 that saw continual improvement and points where he was a consensus top-five guy who can challenge for world gold from 2018-2019, I don't think it holds up in Tokyo without a good draw. The 65 KG field is absolutely stacked with style nightmares for Bajrang in #1 Gadzhimurad Rashidov (RUS), #2 Vazgen Tevanyan (ARM), #4 Ismail Musukaev (HUN), #5 Takuto Otoguro (JPN) and while he could beat #6 Haji Aliyev (AZE), #7 Ernazar Akhmataliev (KGZ) and Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ) Bajrang would have to wrestle perfect matches in succession which unless he gets an absolute softball of a bracket, I just don't see happening.
  9. InterMat Staff
    Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat's collegiate coverage. Each of our conference correspondent's will release videos talking about some of the current events in their respective conference. Our MAC correspondent Courtney Woods joins us to talk about the feedback from her article on Jesse Dellavecchia, some recent transfer news in the conference and a MAC wrestler who made the finals of the U23 WTT's.
  10. InterMat Staff
    Amy Fearnside at the Olympic Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Poland Open Day 4 Results - Women's Freestyle 53 kg Gold Medal - Vinesh Phogat (India) Silver Medal - Khrystyna Bereza (Ukraine) Bronze Medal - Katarzyna Krawczyk (Poland); Amy Fearnside (USA) Ronna Heaton over Samantha Stewart (Canada) 4-3 Fearnside over Annika Wendle (Germany) 6-2 Krawczyk over Heaton 6-6 Phogat over Fearnside Fall Fearnside over Ekaterina Poleshchuck (Russia) 2-1 57 kg Gold Medal - Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria) Silver Medal - Iryna Kurachkina (Belarus) Bronze Medal - Jowita Wrzesien (Poland); Tetyana Kit (Ukraine) Helen Maroulis over Tianna Kennett (Canada) Fall Adekuoroye over Maroulis 13-0 Kit over Maroulis 8-2 59 kg Gold Medal: Anhelina Lysak (Poland) Silver Medal: Yuliia Lisovska (Ukraine) Bronze Medal: Diana Kayumova (Kazakhstan) 68 kg Gold Medal: Koumba Larroque (France) Silver Medal: Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria) Bronze Medal: Meerim Zhumanazarova (Kyrgyzstan); Forrest Molinari (USA) Molinari over Battsetseg Soronzonbold (Mongolia) 2-2 Oborududu over Molinari 8-2 Molinari over Khanum Velieva (Russia) Fall 72 kg Gold Medal: Alla Belinska (Ukraine) Silver Medal: Buse Tosun (Turkey) Bronze Medal: Zhamila Bakbergenova (Kazakhstan)
  11. InterMat Staff
    In last week's column, a coach asked: "Wrestling in pa is not growing. Lots of small towns are combining. What is one way we can help stop that decline?" You can read my full response here, but part of the answer was that small town kids congregating to mega-power teams was a big factor. Just a few days later, our Seth Duckworth reported that Kael Voinovich, my #6 overall Freshmen, would move to Stillwater, Oklahoma. Upon learning the news, the Athletic Director of Mustang, Oklahoma - a rival wrestling power, responded on Twitter with his disdain. It was since deleted but the gist included questioning the legality of NCAA and Oklahoma's high school athletic rules. Kael is the younger brother of standout Victor Voinovich of Ohio who will wrestle for Oklahoma State next year. And to be clear there's been a pattern lasting two decades whereby the sibling of an OSU commit also moves into the state while in high school: The Rosholts, Chandler Rogers, Jordan Dieringer, and The Ferraris. Call it what you want: 'tricky' or 'unique', 'creative' or 'unfair,' the attraction is the desire to be around family, a top notch high school program coached by former Wyoming Assistant Ethan Kyle, and of course the legacy of the 34-time team champ Oklahoma State Cowboys. It's a system, it's above board, and it's the product of a century of success. The bottom line is: you can not like it all you want, but to stop it you have to legislate it. Knock yourself out. There's no way any sane adults are going to ban a kid from participating for the rest of his career for transferring as an underclassmen. So you're really advocating for a one year suspension. As far as NCAA violations, that's a crock. As if the NCAA has any jurisdiction to tell a family where they can live. But hey, you do you, chief. You may not like it - heck, I'm not sure if I 'like' it - but there's nothing you can do about it but put your head down and work harder. This is wrestling. To your questions What happened to Cox in Poland? - @NMCBootsy That's a great question, and succinct. I'm glad to answer it because there's been nothing sort of vitriol on social media and message boards. The answer is simply: J'den lost a 2-1 match. Stop freaking out. J'den has been untouchable at 92kg winning the last two world titles in dominant fashion. He moved up to 97 for the Olympic Trials and dropped his first match back down at 92 against a guy that's frankly not in his galaxy. You do the math. To be sure, it was a bad look for J'den who had to eat some humble pie after proclaiming he was going to go scorched earth from now on. But that doesn't mean the outlandish criticism is warranted nor that anything is 'wrong' with J'den. He lost a match. Shit happens. If you want to be (sensibly) critical, listen to what I've been saying for a couple years now - our guys often go out there to simply win and not separate from the competition. Jordan Oliver was better at the Last Chance Qualifier, but took too little risk. J'den was better in Poland but took too little risk. There's no earthly reason JO and J'den go scoreless in a first period. But some of you are going way too far. Shut up. Be better. This is an email I received from the father of one of my top freshmen in the country - Willie, I wanted to say thanks for traveling around and posting video of the Cadet World Team Camp. While my son is not on the team, Coach Pack let him come up. I have not seen my son practice in awhile and it was fun to see video of him working out. Have you ever thought about doing consulting to families with no wrestling background? Many of us have children who are good wrestlers, but do not know enough about the college coaches and the recruiting process. You know more about the personalities of these coaches than most others and are not affiliated with any program. There are some of us who would hire you to give advice on what programs to direct our kids to and what programs our kids may not be a good fit. I know you are super busy and there may not be enough money in it to be worthwhile, but paying for time and advice is something I think many of us would be willing to do. Thanks again, I enjoy watching/reading your work. - Father of Ranked High Schooler I hear this all the time. I heard it 10 years ago. And I heard it a ton after I left Flo. College coaches tell me this all the time. But I love what I do now and I'm making a decent living. I wouldn't want to focus on one aspect and I surely wouldn't want to play matchmaker as a means to an end; if my heart wasn't into it. I talk to parents and college coaches every day. They reach out, I try to help and offer guidance. It's one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do in that it creates lasting friendships and there's no money involved to spoil it. Hit me up. It's my honor to help. But also I'd advise you to beware of 'services'. I haven't dug a whole lot into them - especially for wrestling - so I don't know enough about them. Perhaps it's irrational, but I don't know if I trust their objectives or insight. On Mainstream Coverage of Olympic Sports Last week Ro Ro Ro Your Boat was upset that they missed the majority of the actual competition from the US Championships in Gymnastics. And rightfully so. In 2016, after Helen's win in Rio, I was incensed that the NBC 1) didn't show it on primetime, 2) instead doing a story on swimmers publicly urinating at a convenience store and 3) not even cleaning up their own mess by showing a clip of it on cable. I was my typical best/worst self on Twitter blasting NBC, and the NBC's Olympic programming chief even fired back saying 'well, it was live online'. The reality is that 1) NBC has the rights and 2) they serve up what is (unfortunately) the appetite of the masses - which is not sports itself but the human interest side of things even if that is often times a lame regurgitation of something we've all heard before, or worse, some freak show episode more befitting of a tabloid cover. The Olympic format leaves a lot to be desired. NBC's coverage leaves a lot to be desired. And the consumption preferences of most people aren't the same as the die hard fans'. Pasta Of The Week - Carbonara - For Chris Chionuma
  12. InterMat Staff
    Frank Staebler at the 2015 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) As of today, we are just over 50 days from the start of wrestling at the Olympic Games. Over the next 50 days, we'll bring you one profile per day of a decorated international contender. Make sure you get to know the wrestlers that Team USA will compete against in Tokyo. 6/10/21 - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) By the time the Olympics roll around in August, German legend Frank Staebler will be 32. His legacy as one of the all-time great Greco-Roman wrestlers has already been defined; however, he is still seeking one of the most prestigious honors in sport, an Olympic medal. Particularly a gold medal. Early Career Staebler started wrestling at four years old. Legend has it that his mother went to enroll him in a gymnastic class, but that was full, so she turned to wrestling. Just 12 years later, Staebler appeared in his first international event as a Cadet competing at 50 kg and taking seventh place at the European Championships. A year later, Frank was back at the European Championships and won his first medal, taking bronze at 58 kg. That was Staebler's final year of Cadet eligibility and he struggled to make an impact after moving up to the Junior division. Though three years passed between Staebler appearing at a European Championship event as a Cadet and a Junior, he was able to come away with a bronze medal. Just a month and a half later, at his first World Championship event, Staebler won Junior bronze. His 66 kg weight class was won by Saeid Mourad Abdvali (Iran), who would win a Senior world title just two years later and also took bronze at the 2016 Olympics. 2010 marked the next step. Staebler was ready to embark on competing at the Senior level. Like the transition from Cadet to Junior levels, Staebler needed a few years to mature and compete with the best in the world. This year, Staebler dipped his toes in the Senior level waters and took his lumps, getting 12th at the European Championships before a 19th place showing at the German Grand Prix. In 2011, signs of what made come in the near future became evident. Staebler grabbed his first medal at a major Senior-level event when he was third at Cuba's Granma Cup. After taking seventh in Poland, Staebler wrestled for a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships. He was sent to repechage after dropping a 1-0, 1-0 bout to his old friend Abdvali. From the bronze medal, Staebler was shut down 1-0, 2-0 by Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea). True Contender Status It was in 2012 that Staebler really established himself as a force on the Senior level. From this point on, he generally would wrestle for a medal at almost every event he entered for the next decade. The fifth-place finish at the 2011 World Championships secured Staebler and Germany a place in the London Olympics at 66 kg. He began the 2012 season with his first Senior title, which came at Thor Masters. A couple weeks after taking silver in Cuba, Staebler captured his first European Championship. His most memorable moment from European's came in the semifinals, where he used a flying squirrel in the final seconds of the second bout to defeat Aleksandar Maksimov (Serbia). Tune-up's for the Olympics included an eighth-place finish in Poland and a title at the German Grand Prix. In his first bout at the Olympics, Staebler was stunned by Tamas Lorincz (Hungary), 4-1, 2-0. Since Lorincz went on to claim the silver medal, Staebler was pulled into repechage. Staebler's first opponent was American Justin Lester, who he soundly defeated, 5-0, 5-0. In the bronze medal match, he was edged by Manuchar Tskhadaia (Georgia), 1-0, 2-1. Getting so close to tasting Olympic success had to be a motivator for the 23-year-old Staebler, as he built upon his 2012 season in 2013. The 2013 season also marked the end of the dreaded “ball draw” era and matches were conducted closer to today's standards. He came out of the gate with titles at the German Grand Prix and the Ian Corneanu Memorial. In Poland, he ran into Lorincz in the finals and came up short again. At the 2013 World Championships, he picked up a pair of wins before running into Islambek Albiev (Russia) in the quarterfinals. Albiev eventually made the finals, getting Staebler a chance at bronze. During his first repechage bout, Staebler took out 2011 World bronze medalist Pedro Mulens Herrera (Cuba), an opponent that previously defeated him at the Granma Cup in 2012. For the bronze medal, Staebler downed Hasan Aliyev (Azerbaijan). Earlier in the tournament, Aliyev had beaten Lorincz, 5-2. This meant Staebler had arrived as he was officially a world medalist on the Senior level. By the lofty standards that Staebler was beginning to establish for himself, 2014 was fine, but not outstanding. He earned bronze medals at both the European Championships and in Poland. In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, at the 2014 World Championships, Staebler ran into another great Iranian wrestler in Omid Nourouzi and was narrowly beaten, 4-3. A pair of repechage wins set up a battle for the bronze with longtime rival, Lorincz. Once again, it was the Hungarian who came out on top, 5-0. Legendary Stature In early 2015 we had a hint of what was to come in the future as Staebler competed up at 71 kg for the European Games. He would claim the bronze. Back at his customary 66 kg weight class, Staebler was on a high note heading into World's as he won in Poland for the first time. Staebler stormed through his first three opponents in Las Vegas without surrendering a single point. In the semis, Frank upset the defending world champion Davor Stefanek (Serbia), 5-1. The task was no easier in the finals, but Staebler was up for the challenge by knocking off 2013 World Champ, Han-su Ryu (Korea), also by a 5-1 score. Finally, Staebler was a world champion. The win marked the first time in 21 years that a German had won a world title. Next up was an Olympic year in 2016, with the Rio games looming. Like 2015, Staebler started the year up at 71 kg. He competed at that weight in the European Championships and was shocked in the qualification round by Dominik Etlinger (Croatia), 5-5 in his only match of the event. After his second win in Poland, Staebler started the descent to 66 kg by winning his third German Grand Prix title. At the 2016 Olympics, Staebler found himself against Stefenek in the quarterfinals. The Serbian got a measure of revenge for his loss at the 2015 World Championships as he downed Staebler, 6-2. Stefenek would go on to win Olympic gold. That relegated Staebler to repechage where he was edged by Tomohiro Inoue (Japan), 2-2 on criteria. He would have to settle for seventh place. The 2016 Olympics marked the final time Staebler would compete at 66 kg. He would move up to 71 in 2017. Staebler's competition schedule was extremely limited in 2017, but that was a good thing as he was victorious again in Poland, just a month and a half before worlds. Paris would be the site for Staebler's second world title. One of his most notable wins came in the Round of 32 as Staebler got by 2015 World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), 2-1. Before the 2018 campaign kicked off, UWW announced the addition of two additional weights for non-Olympic events. That forced Staebler to choose between 67 kg and 72 kg, of which he selected the latter. Staebler's path to a third world title was filled with familiar faces. After getting by Abuyazid Mantisgov (Russia) 3-3 in the Round of 16, Staebler met up with Demeu Zhadrayev (Kazakhstan). It was Zhadrayev that Staebler downed in the finals for his 2017 world title. Next was Chunayev in the semis. This time, Staebler left no doubt as he teched his Azeri foe, 9-1. For the gold medal, Staebler beat Balint Korpasi (Hungary), a world champion from the non-Olympic tournament in 2016. That win pushed Staebler into uncharted territory as he became the only wrestler to win world titles at three different weights. Perhaps with an eye towards the 2020 Olympics, Staebler dropped back down to 67 kgs in 2019. 72 will not be contested in Olympic competition. It was at that weight where Staebler won his fourth career German Grand Prix as a primer for the 2019 World Championships. In Nur-Sultan, Staebler ran into a buzzsaw, in the form of Ismael Borrero Molina (Cuba) and was teched in the Round of 16. Staebler would eventually earn a bronze medal, but his path through repechage was no cakewalk. He had to get by Ryu just to wrestle for bronze. In his medal match, Staebler survived a scare from two-time U23 World Champion Mohamed Ibrahim El-Sayed (Egypt), 6-5. Before the pandemic struck, Staebler competed at the 2020 European Championships and won the 72 kg weight class. One of his most notable wins for that tournament was a tech over young star Ulvi Ganizadeh (Azerbaijan). In 2021, Staebler's only competition, to date, came at the European Championships. There he fell 6-6 to Selcuk Can (Turkey) in his lone bout. Can did not make the finals which knocked Staebler out of the tournament. Can has put together a strong 2021 season thus far with a title at the Henri DeGlane and silver at the Matteo Pellicone. With three world titles to his name (all at different weights), along with a pair of European championships, the 31-year-old Staebler is already considered a legend. A medal in Tokyo can only add to his incredible resume.
  13. InterMat Staff
    Jesse Dellavecchia after the 2021 NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Today, Army West Point announced that they have hired 2021 NCAA runner-up Jesse Dellavecchia as their volunteer assistant. Dellavecchia comes to West Point after putting together an excellent career at Rider University that saw him go 67-10 in a Broncs singlet with a pair of MAC titles to his name. After winning his second MAC championship, in 2021, Dellavecchia was undefeated and given the fourth seed at the NCAA Championships. In the semifinals, Dellavecchia pulled off one of the stunners of the entire weekend when he pinned undefeated, top-seeded Ryan Deakin (Northwestern). That win made him Rider's first-ever NCAA finalist. Dellavecchia would later fall to David Carr (Iowa State) 4-0 in the championship bout. Jesse was also the fourth seed in 2020 for the NCAA Tournament. After finishing as a runner-up at the Southern Scuffle (to Hidlay Hidlay - NC State), Dellavecchia reeled off 13 straight wins, a span that includes the MAC Tournament. Dellavecchia was a three-time NCAA qualifier for Rider. Although Dellavecchia's best days came at Rider, he started his collegiate career wrestling for Binghamton and went 15-9 as a true freshman. Two weeks ago, our own Courtney Woods released a feature on Jesse in which he was up front about mental health challenges and how he learned to cope with during his time at Rider. The Army West Point job will bring Dellavecchia back to his home state of New York. He is a Long Island native and a graduate of East Islip High School in Great River.
  14. InterMat Staff
    Erin Golston at Captain's Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Poland Open Day 3 Results - Women's Freestyle 50 kg Gold Medal: Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan) Silver Medal: Oksana Livach (Ukraine) Bronze Medal: Mariia Tiumerekova (Russia); Valentina Islamova Brik (Kazakhstan) Erin Golston over Weronika Sikora (Poland) Fall Stadnik over Golston 10-0 Golston over Emilia Vuc (Romania) 10-5 Tiumerekova over Golston 9-7 55 kg Gold Medal: Olga Khoroshavtseva (Russia) Silver Medal: Sumiya Erdenechimeg (Mongolia) Bronze Medal: Iryna Khariv Chykhradze (Ukraine) 62 kg Gold Medal: Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan) Silver Medal: Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada) Bronze Medal: Liubov Ovcharova (Russia); Ilona Prokopevniuk (Ukraine) Godinez Gonzalez over Page 9-0 Prokopevniuk over Page 16-4 65 kg Gold Medal: Henna Johansson (Sweden) Silver Medal: Anastasiia Lavrenchuk (Ukraine) Bronze Medal: Aleksandra Wolcznyska (Poland); Taybe Yusein (Bulgaria) 76 kg Gold Medal: Aline Rotter Focken (Germany) Silver Medal: Epp Mae (Estonia) Bronze Medal: Natalia Vorobeva (Russia); Erica Wiebe (Canada) Rotter Focken over Dymond Guilford 5-0 Guilford over Aline da Silva Ferreira (Brazil) 12-1 Wiebe over Guilford 7-4
  15. InterMat Staff
    More information about "15 Years Later: How the 2006 Offseason Changed College Wrestling (Part Two: Iowa and Virginia Tech)"
    After the 2006 offseason, the landscape of college wrestling would never be the same again. That statement sounds like hyperbole, but it's true. During the spring and summer of 2006, 15 head coaching positions at the DI level were opened and were filled. At the time, that accounted for almost 20% of the DI schools in the nation. And they weren't just any vacancies; they were at some of the most prestigious wrestling schools in the country. In fact, the head coaches that have accounted for EVERY NCAA team title since 2008 changed jobs during that offseason. Some programs regained their status as national powers. Others started their ascend towards new heights, while some faded towards obscurity. After 15 years, it's time for the most comprehensive look at the biggest game of musical chairs that college wrestling has ever seen. Each of the schools below hired a new head coach in 2006. Air Force, Binghamton, Chattanooga, Clarion, Eastern Michigan, Hofstra, Iowa, Iowa State, Ohio State, Oregon State, Princeton, UNC-Greensboro, Utah Valley, Virginia, Virginia Tech Since this is such a lengthy list, one article will not suffice. The tale of the coaching carousel in 2006 is one of nuance and a tricky game of dominoes. One opening led to another or multiple openings in some cases. Part One saw us investigate the first domino that fell: Ohio State Part Two will feature the most controversial aspect of the offseason: Iowa and Virginia Tech. Plus, Oregon State, too. Part Three will look at the other traditional power involved: Iowa State. Part Four will highlight the two coaches everyone overlooked: Pat Popolizio/Binghamton and Chris Ayres/Princeton. Part Five will look at "The Other Six Schools." Every so often, on Twitter, someone posts the following: "Name an event that you wish would have taken place after Twitter was invented." There are many interesting potential answers from a wrestling standpoint, but it's hard to top the Iowa/Virginia Tech saga of 2006. While Twitter was not around, this debacle took place at the height of the message board era. TheMat.com message boards were overtaken by threads detailing Tom Brands/Iowa-led conspiracies or bashing Virginia Tech's athletic administration on a minute-by-minute basis. While it must have been terrible to be an administrator of those boards, it sure was an interesting time to be a fan. Before we get into the meat and potatoes of the dispute between Iowa and Virginia Tech, let's set the stage. For the better part of 80 years, Virginia Tech was a relatively anonymous program nationally. The school only produced three All-Americans between 1959 and 2005. Between 1955 and 1998, the team won nine SoCon or CAA team titles, so there was a modicum of team success. Once the Hokies moved to the EWL, in 1998-99, they never finished higher than third in the league. After six seasons in the EWL, Virginia Tech joined the ACC for all sports in 2004-05 (previously, they were in the Big East). That move to the ACC coincided with the most noteworthy event, to date, in its wrestling program's history as they hired Tom Brands as the team's 11th head coach. In April of 2004, Keith Mourlam stepped down from his post as head coach of the Virginia Tech wrestling program after eight years on the job. Mourlam's last team finished eighth in the EWL and produced only two NCAA qualifiers that season. It's not as if there wasn't talent in Blacksburg. In 2002, Sean Gray finished rewriting the school's record book by racking up his 133rd win (still tops among Hokies) and became the program's first two-time All-American. That same year, 184 lber Scott Justus was seeded first at the NCAA Championships (though he did not place). Also, the program had David Hoffman, who was fresh off two NCAA appearances in two years. Overall, the squad lacked the discipline that would be found in Brands. The Virginia Tech administration went all-in to land one of the hottest coaching prospects in Brands, an Olympic gold medalist in 1996. To do so, the school needed to increase funding for the program, along with coaching salaries. In turn, Brands responded by signing the top recruiting class in the nation in 2005. Though the school had little pedigree historically, the seniors from the Class of 2005, didn't care because they wanted to wrestle for Tom Brands. The #2 overall recruit, Brent Metcalf, was the headliner of the class. Metcalf was a six-time Junior National Champion in Fargo and hadn't suffered an official high school loss during his career in Michigan. Brands was also able to pluck a pair of four-time Iowa state champions, Dan LeClere and Jay Borschel, from his home state. At the time, only 16 Iowa high schoolers had managed to win four titles. Also from Iowa was NHSCA Senior National runner-up, Joey Slaton, a two-time state champ. Not only did Brands have success on the recruiting trail in 2005, but he also had some on the mat, as well. His Hokies finished second in the ACC and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament. As with many coaching changes, the transition from Mourlam to Brands was not smooth for many existing members of the Hokie team, so there was plenty of attrition. Despite this, the Hokies put up a 16-4 dual record and went unbeaten in the ACC. 2005-06 Virginia Tech media guide After landing the highly lauded Class of 2005, Brands decided to redshirt the entire bunch. This decision would end up making the rest of this situation very murky. While the second season under Brands featured an ugly dual record (1-16), two Hokie wrestlers earned All-American honors (David Hoffman - 8th/141, Mike Faust - 5th/285). It was only the second time in school history that two wrestlers cracked the top-eight in the same year (Gray and Chris Martin in 2000). There's a saying in sports that you never want to be the coach that replaces the legend. It's much better to be the guy that replaces the coach, who replaced the legend. Jim Zalesky served on the Iowa coaching staff under iconic head coach Dan Gable for seven seasons. Gable had become synonymous with wrestling excellence during his tenure at Iowa, including 15 NCAA titles and 21 Big Ten crowns between 1976 and 1997. When Gable needed to leave the team in the 1996-97 team due to health concerns, Zalesky was tabbed to lead the Hawkeyes. After that record-setting NCAA Tournament, Gable stepped down and Zalesky was named head coach permanently. Though Gable was no longer at the helm, Zalesky's Hawkeyes continued to roll and captured national titles in each of the subsequent three seasons. But in 2001, rival Minnesota broke through and won their first national championship. A year later, they repeated. Then came a four-year run of titles for Oklahoma State. During this time, Iowa had slipped a bit. For most programs, this wouldn't be cause for concern. But with a program that tasted national titles on a regular basis, under Gable, an eighth-place finish in 2003, coupled with a seventh-place showing in 2005, was reason to sound the alarms. As the 2000s progressed, the issue wasn't necessarily that Iowa was usurped by Minnesota and Oklahoma State. They had lost the 2005 Big Ten title to Illinois, too. Also that year, the Hawkeyes went 9-4 in dual action and fell to Northwestern for the first time since 1968. During the 2003-04 season, NCAA champion Steve Mocco took an Olympic redshirt, but never returned. Instead, he transferred to hated rival, Oklahoma State. So, if that wasn't enough, one of their favorite sons, Brands, was signing the state's top high schoolers and bringing them to….Virginia Tech! That's enough to get the locals restless. Even so, Zalesky was still leading the program in 2005-06. The 2005-06 season featured a plethora of injuries for Zalesky's team. He describes the years as, "One of those things where a guy misses a month here, another misses a month there. With all of those injuries, it's hard to have your team peak at the right time." Iowa had an uncharacteristic 9-4 dual record but managed to rally for a fourth-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships. Senior Ty Eustice made the NCAA finals, while Alex Tsirtsis, Joe Johnston, Mark Perry, and Eric Luedke made the podium. Both Johnston and Lueke had outwrestled their seeds. While Iowa fans weren't exactly thrilled about the season, it looked like the strong finish was enough to keep Zalesky safe for the final year of his contract. That was until the events of March 21st, 2006, the day that Russ Hellickson resigned at Ohio State. "I didn't see that coming at all. You usually don't think about how a coaching change will affect you. You don't see it that much, you see it in football, but I never really saw it in wrestling or anticipated it," said Zalesky. Just over a week later, on March 29th, Zalesky was fired. Zalesky understood the coaching business, in particular coaching at Iowa, but still was perturbed about the way it was handled. "Hey, we're gonna make a change" was all that was said to him by then-athletic director Bob Bowlsby. "It makes you lose respect for them" when that's all the feedback you receive, Zalesky says. "If you want something to change, just say, "Here's what you've gotta do."" However, the message was delivered, Zalesky was out of Iowa and one of the most coveted head coaching positions in the country was available. In Christiansburg, Virginia, less than ten miles away from Virginia Tech's campus, sat Kevin Dresser, an NCAA champion for Iowa in 1986. Dresser had achieved fame in Virginia for leading Grundy High School to eight state titles in eight years before moving to Christiansburg High School. Dresser built Christiansburg from an obscure team in Virginia to a powerhouse that had been ranked in the top-five nationally. Given his Iowa roots and proximity to Virginia Tech's campus, he was following the situation closely. "I think I saw the writing on the wall. I'm sure Iowa, in the back of their mind, was locked in on Tom Brands. I know Ohio State contacted Tom. Tom and I were much closer then. We had some conversations about Iowa reaching out to him. And Ohio State reached out to him. But, he kind of just got there (to Virginia Tech). I think it kind of took him by surprise. I don't want to speak for him, but the job came open pretty quickly. He wasn't even in Blacksburg for two years," Dresser said. The overtures by Ohio State forced the Iowa administration to move quickly. Likely, the decision-makers at Iowa did not want to see one of their favorite alums leading a resurgence at conference rival Ohio State, while Zalesky entered the final year on his deal. Indeed, on April 5th, Brands was announced as Iowa's next head coach. While some in the Virginia Tech athletic department had been shocked about his quick departure, most understood the appeal of Iowa within the wrestling community. But what really rankled the Hokie decision-makers was the decision of the four-prized recruits to follow Brands to Iowa (along with Georgia's TH Leet). In a 2020 documentary by FloWrestling, Brent Metcalf stated the rationale from the redshirt freshmen, "It was assumed. We came here for you, so if you're leaving, we are too," towards Brands. Nowadays, with the transfer portal, issues like the 2006 disagreement between Iowa and Virginia Tech couldn't happen. Coaches are required to add the names of student-athletes seeking to transfer within two business days. After which, other schools are free to contact the potential transfer. In 2006, the rules were much stricter in favor of the coaches/schools. Athletes seeking to transfer needed a release signed by the school, in order to compete immediately. Without a release, they would be required to sit out a year. Coaches may not sign off on a transfer that wanted to stay in the same state, appeared on their upcoming schedule, or was ranked above a certain threshold nationally. Basically, it was at the discretion of the coach/athletic department. Most didn't want their ex-athlete to come back and defeat them. Intra-conference transfers were extremely difficult too. So at the center of this issue was a statement from then-athletic director Jim Weaver to the recruits from 2005, that they could transfer at any time, to anywhere in the country. The families of the transferring wrestlers claimed that Weaver made this statement during the recruiting process and some may not have gone to Tech without the reassurance. Now, with Brands gone, the stipulations to transfer were you can go anywhere in the country, but not Iowa. Why did Weaver take such a harsh line regarding the transfers? Dresser tells us that Weaver "feared there was an issue of tampering with the athletes." Many others discussed transferring too, not just the five that went to Iowa, according to Dresser. With such heavy, recent investments into a wrestling program with little history and amidst a heated dispute regarding five athletes who never competed in a Maroon and Orange singlet, Weaver and his staff felt there was only one thing that could be done. Drop the program! The release was printed out and on the fax machine, ready to get sent out. Years later, longtime Virginia Tech Sports Information Director Bryan Johnston relayed that bit of information to Dresser, as he was the one who wrote the memo. Dresser had the ear of the Virginia Tech athletic department because of a preexisting relationship with Associate Athletic Director Dave Chambers. Chambers was a letterman for the Hawkeye football team, while Dresser was competing for Iowa. Dresser was brought in as a "consultant of sorts" and noted that "everyone was bummed out because Tom Brands left and he made a lot happen in a year and a half." Ever the optimist, Dresser's message to the administration was, "you guys got the ball rolling. People know Virginia Tech wrestling because Brands was here. Don't give up the ship. I didn't realize at the time that the release (to drop the program) had been written, but I knew they were scrambling." Between Chambers and Dresser, who did they turn to as the Hokies leading candidate to assume the head coaching job? Another former Hawkeyes, the recently-fired Zalesky. "I had already gone out to Oregon State and Dresser called me and said "they might drop the program at Virginia Tech," recalls Zalesky. "I said I was interested, just so they wouldn't drop the program on emotion and I talked to (Chambers). I told him, "you've got a good guy right in your backyard. He's probably the best fit for that job that you could hire," referring to Dresser. With that being said, a visit was scheduled for Zalesky to meet with the brass at Virginia Tech. On the morning of that interview (April 14th), news broke that Zalesky had accepted the head coaching position at Oregon State University. The OSU vacancy came about after legendary head coach Joe Wells stepped down after 14 years at the helm in Corvallis. Wells already had a strong relationship with Zalesky and actually called him the day after he was let go in Iowa City. "I probably wouldn't even taken the call (if it were anyone else), but I've known Joe from way back." That's how the ball got rolling at Oregon State. So with Zalesky out of the picture, Chambers summoned Dresser to campus again. Instead of consulting him about a potential hire, Dresser was offered the job, "without an application, or talking salary or benefits or anything." On that day, Dresser reassured the AD's, telling them that, "This place can be a powerhouse. It's one of the most beautiful campuses in the US, has a great climate compared to most wrestling schools and is close to some powerhouse states. Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. I also knew what kind of talent was coming from Christiansburg. And really, you only need 4-5 really good kids to make a dent." After mulling over the offer for a day, Dresser accepted, and on April 17th, it was official. Now even though Dresser had calmed down the Virginia Tech administration and there were no threats of dropping the program, there was still the pesky matter of the transfers to deal with. In one of his first couple of days on the job, Dresser was instructed by Weaver, "We're going to handle it the way I want to handle it. I don't want you to talk about it or comment on it at all. I said, "Yes, sir." As my first directive as a new wrestling coach, when your boss tells you that, you don't mess with it." Weaver would not budge, even as the five transfers and their parents filed a suit against the school. They claimed that Weaver breached a commitment given to the wrestlers, which would have allowed them to transfer anywhere without losing any eligibility. If the group had not redshirted the 2005-06 season, they could have used a redshirt for the 2006-07 season in Iowa and retained three more years of eligibility. The Virginia court ruled in favor of the school and the transfers could not compete immediately for Iowa. The Aftermath Iowa Terry (left) and Tom (right) Brands at the 2010 NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Brands did not walk into a rebuilding situation in Iowa as the Hawkeyes had three returning All-Americans (Tsirtsis, Perry, Luedke), along with a recruiting class that was strong in its own right in 2005. That group included (Dan Dennis, Ryan Morningstar, Phil Keddy, and Dan Erekson). All four would go on to become multiple-time AA's. Brands' first Hawkeye team took eighth place, but included a memorable finish as Mark Perry downed longtime rival Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) to prevent the Cowboy from winning a third national title. Once the Virginia Tech transfers were eligible, Iowa went on a run that included three consecutive national titles. The star of the group, Metcalf, went on to claim a pair of national championships and the 2008 Hodge Trophy. Borschel finished as a two-time All-American and won a title of his own in 2010 and went undefeated. Slaton and LeClere ended up wrestling in the postseason once apiece for the Hawkeyes. Slaton made the 2008 national finals, but was pinned by senior Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State). LeClere was fifth in the Big Ten and the eighth seed at the 2008 tournament, but did not place. Since the group departed in 2010, Iowa went on a titleless drought that ended in 2021; however, all signs pointed to the 2020 team winning, as well, had the tournament been conducted. The poster child for the most recent title-winning team has been Spencer Lee, a two-time Hodge Trophy recipient. Lee has been one of the most exciting and dominant wrestlers in the sport. During his tenure in Iowa, Brands has amassed a 236-23-1 record and has won 113 of 123 conference duals. After the 2007 season, the Hawkeyes have only failed to capture an NCAA team trophy (top 4) on one occasion. The team also finished as runner's-up in 2015. In conference action, Brands Hawkeyes have claimed five Big Ten crowns and finished second three times. Eight Iowa wrestlers have combined to collect 13 NCAA titles wrestling under Brands (Perry x2, Metcalf x2, Borschel, Matt McDonough x2, Derek St. John, Tony Ramos, Cory Clark, Lee x3). Note: Tom Brands declined a request to comment for this feature. Virginia Tech Kevin Dresser (center) at the 2010 NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) For the wrestlers that stayed with Dresser during the 2006-07 season, the deal regarding transfers was, "If you stay for a year, you'll get released scot-free," says Dresser. Two wrestlers, Jon Bonilla-Bowman and Sheridan Moran competed for the Hokies in 2006-07 then were allowed to leave. Bonilla-Bowman was one of only two national qualifiers for Dresser during his initial season. The transition from Mourlam to Brands to Dresser, combined with a limited window to recruit in 2006, left the team in shambles, initially. That first team had, "great kids, but not much in the cupboard," said Dresser. The Hokies finished 81st out of 81 teams in 2007. They "stepped it up" in 2008 and finished 78th out of 78 teams that qualified. Despite the rough beginning, Dresser and his staff hit the recruiting trail and set the foundation for one of the better turnarounds in recent DI wrestling. Two years after finishing 78th in the country, the Hokies saw Dresser put his first wrestler on the NCAA podium in Chris Diaz. In 2013, Virginia Tech cracked the top ten at the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history. They wouldn't finish below tenth for each of the next six years. A year later, one of Dresser's pupils at Christiansburg, Devin Carter, became the program's first NCAA finalist. He was also their first three-time All-American. Dresser's greatest triumph came in 2016 at the NCAA Championships in New York City. The Hokies had six All-Americans, racked up 82 team points, and earned their first NCAA team trophy by finishing fourth. Iowa was directly behind them in fifth place. The animosity between the schools is still palpable, at least on the wrestling front. Also in 2016, the National Duals format was supposed to pit schools from different conferences against each other, with the best teams hopefully clashing. Most expected a Virginia Tech/Iowa matchup; however, NC State/Iowa was selected. Dresser used this opportunity to challenge Tom and Terry Brands' manhood and issue an open challenge to the Hawkeyes. He insinuated that the Brands brothers used their influence with the NWCA to block a potential Virginia Tech/Iowa matchup. There was no actual evidence of this and NC State reportedly finished higher than the Hokies in the NWCA/USA Today coaches poll. To date, the schools have not met in dual competition since. Late in the 2016-17 season, Dresser accepted the head coaching position at Iowa State, only intensifying the rivalry with Brands. To the surprise of most of the wrestling community, one of his first hires was Brent Metcalf. Also on staff were former Hawkeyes Mike Zadick and Derek St. John. Dresser's final tally at Virginia Tech includes a 160-51 record with a pair of ACC titles (the 2016-17 squad also won after Dresser left). 13 wrestlers combined to get on the NCAA podium 20 times under Dresser, which was a marked improvement for a team that only saw six wrestlers place in the top-eight before his arrival. After Dresser accepted the ISU job, top assistant Tony Robie was elevated to complete the 2017 campaign. Shortly after the NCAA Tournament, it was announced that Robie had the head coaching job on a full-time basis. Under Robie's leadership, the Hokies saw Mekhi Lewis win the first national title in program history, as just a freshman, in 2019. Note: Jim Weaver passed away in 2015 and Dave Chambers passed in 2019. Oregon State Jim Zalesky (center) at Oregon State (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) "I had a pretty good senior group when I first got out there. After that, we had to build it back up," said Zalesky in reference to his first team at Oregon State. The 2006-07 team sent seven wrestlers to Auburn Hills for the NCAA Championships, five of which were seniors. 285 lber Ty Watterson was seeded fifth at the 2007 tournament and advanced to meet eventual champion Cole Konrad (Minnesota) in the semis. Watterson's 2-1 loss to Konrad was his closest match that year. The Beaver senior bounced back and finished fourth. Senior 174lber, Jeremy Larson, was OSU's only other seeded wrestler (11th) at that tournament. He was eliminated in the Round of 12. In conference action, titles from Larson and Watterson, along with finals appearances by Eric Stevenson (125), Bobby Pfennings (133), and Derek Kipperberg (149), helped Oregon State to a Pac-10 title in Zalesky's first year. It took two more years for Zalesky to produce another All-American, but Heinrich Barnes did so by taking eighth at 149 lbs in 2008. Barnes would compete in the Olympic Games later that year while representing his native, South Africa. During that time, Zalesky and his staff signed two of the best prospects in the Pacific Northwest, Michael Mangrum and RJ Pena. InterMat had Mangrum ranked as the fifth overall recruit in the Class of 2008 (ahead of Tyler Graff, Jordan Oliver, Andrew Howe, Quentin Wright and more). Pena was ninth in the Class of 2009 (ahead of Tony Ramos and Derek St. John, among others). The pair helped lay the groundwork for a Beaver program that won five consecutive Pac-12 crowns between 2012-16. The 2012 team featured three All-Americans (Mangrum - 5th/141, Scott Sakaguchi - 7th/149, Clayton Jack - 4th/285), which was good enough for tenth in the nation. A year later, three AA's (Sakaguchi 5th/149, Pena 5/157, Taylor Meeks 4/197) propelled the squad to an eighth-place finish. Though the 2015 team finished 30th at the NCAA Championships, they went 12-1 in dual competition and saw half their starting lineup finish as conference champions (Ronnie Bresser/125, Jack Hathaway/133, Alex Elder/157, Joe Latham/174, Cody Crawford/197). That squad was on the cusp of a strong NCAA finish as Elder, Latham, and Taylor Meeks all fell in the NCAA Round of 12. Bresser was also seeded 10th at the tournament. After the 2016 season, the team's fortunes took a slide downhill. The Beavers had three consecutive sub-.500 seasons and finished above third in a small Pac-12 conference only once. Those groups did feature individual standouts as Bresser made the NCAA podium twice (2018 and 2019), while heavyweight Amar Dhesi was a three-time All-American. Dhesi had the distinction (or misfortune) of finishing third at the 2018 NCAA bracket that featured world medalists Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) and Adam Coon (Michigan) in the championship bout. Following the 2019-20 season, Zalesky was relieved of his coaching duties by the Oregon State administration. He was able to win Pac-12 titles in half of his 14 seasons and compiled a 147-75-3 record while in Corvallis. The Beavers are currently led by Chris Pendleton, a two-time NCAA champion from Oklahoma State, who had most recently served as an assistant under Zeke Jones at Arizona State. Oregon State went 4-5 during the 2020-21 season and saw a pair of wrestlers (Devan Turner - 133 and Grant Willits -141) grab Pac-12 titles. All six national qualifiers are expected to return next season. Earlier this spring, Zalesky was named head coach at NAIA's University of Jamestown.
  16. InterMat Staff
    Geno Petriashvili after winning a world title in 2019 (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) As of today, we are just over 50 days from the start of wrestling at the Olympic Games. Over the next 50 days, we'll bring you one profile per day of a decorated international contender. Make sure you get to know the wrestlers that Team USA will compete against in Tokyo. In the beginning, with boundless ambition and desire, many will make the claim that they will one day reach the lofty status of legend. To live on beyond the end of their physical bodies and become something more. To be one of the best to ever do it, to be a legend. Each generation has those names that continue to live on, modern-day warriors whose battles are forever immortalized. At only 27 years old, three-time 125 KG world champion Geno Petriashvili of Georgia looks to build upon his heavyweight legacy with an Olympic title in Tokyo. This article will look at the career of Petriashvili as he grew from age group talent to heavyweight elite and to a legend. Cadets & Junior's (2010-2014) Born April 1st, 1994, Geno Petriashvili was immediately a contender in age group competition for Georgia and they used him as a dual-threat. After a fourth-place finish in the 100 KG weight class at the Youth Olympic Games in 2010, Petriashvili would return to competition in the summer of 2011 at the age of 17, taking bronze at the 120 KG Junior European championships and winning gold at the 100 KG Cadet European championships. Petriashvili's 2011 campaign would end with a runner-up finish at the 100 KG Cadet World Championships after being pinned by American Adam Coon in the finals. Now at 18, 2012 would see Petriashvili begin splitting time between Junior and Senior level competition with his best finishes being bronze at Junior World's and a 5th place finish at the Dmitri Korkin tournament. At only 19 years old, Petriashvili would announce himself as a serious threat at the Junior and Senior levels in 2013. Geno first made major noise with a breakout bronze medal performance at the Senior European championships with wins over 2012 Junior world champion Magomedgadzhi Nurasulov (RUS) and 2012 Olympian Nick Matuhin (GER). Geno would double up gold at the Junior level, winning the Junior European Championships and Junior World Championships leading into the Senior World Championships. Geno's senior world debut started off electric, with two tech falls to make the semis where he'd face off against five-time World/Olympic champion Khadzhimurat Gatsalov of Russia. Petriashvili would bring a frenetic pace to the match, but the counters of the veteran Gatsalov would lead him to a pin win over the young Georgian talent. Rebounding from his loss to Gatsalov in the semifinals, Petriashvili tech falled Zhiwei Deng of China for bronze. Petriashvili had an up and down 2014 with dominant showings; Going 3-1 at the Senior World Cup and winning the Junior European title and tech falling his way through the Junior World Championships bracket for his second gold. But Petriashvili's results from the Junior world championships were overturned after a positive drug test for preductal and Petriashvili was banned for 6 months. But there was more to Geno's positive test, a defining past trauma. At 11 years old, Geno was kidnapped and held for ransom in South Ossetia for three months straight in a basement with little food or water. South Ossetia is a geographically and ethnically Georgian territory that Russia invaded and now claims as its own. The conflict between transplanted Russians and the native Georgians of South Ossetia was one of the leading stories of the kidnapping case, as the men who kidnapped Geno were Russians and they demanded a considerable ransom from Geno's family who had owned a chain of gas stations. When Petriashvili was freed from his kidnappers, he was prescribed preductal to deal with the chest angina caused by the severe weight loss he had endured. The Contender Years (2015-2017) Now a full-fledged Senior at 21 years old, Geno's first competition back would be at the Olympia tournament, where he took gold in freestyle and 8th in Greco. Petriashvili's first major test in over a year would take place at the European Games in Minsk, Belarus. Stopped in the semifinals by 2011 world champion Aleksei Shemarov (BLR), Geno defeated 2010 World bronze medalist Levan Berianidze (ARM). A Ziolkowski gold gave Petriashvili momentum going into world's, but Geno suffered a shocking tech fall loss in the semis against 2011 world bronze medalist Jamaladdin Magomedov (AZE) and would take bronze over Chuluunbat Jargalsaikhan (MGL). Rebounding from the disappointment of the World Championships, Petriashvili won gold at the Baku Golden Grand Prix by forfeit over Jamaladdin Magomedov (AZE). Entering 2016 as the consensus #2 at the weight behind reigning two-time world champion Taha Akgul (TUR), Petriashvili would have a spectacular run to start the year by winning the Medved and upsetting Akgul on his way to Senior European gold and then double up on European titles by winning the U-23 European Championships crown and an undefeated run at the World Cup. Making the quarterfinal in Rio off a win over 2013 world runner-up Alan Zasieiev (UKR), Petriashvili would face returning Olympic bronze medalist Khomeil Ghasemi (IRI). The powerful Iranian would stymie the high-paced offense of Petriashvili and win 4-4 on criteria relegate Petriashvili to the consolation bracket. Facing two-time world bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev (USA), Petriashvili would quickly dispose of the talented American by 10-0 tech fall. Petriashvili would compete twice to end 2016, taking gold with Team Georgia at the European Nations Cup and winning his second Baku Golden Grand Prix title over Alan Zasieiev (UKR). Now at the start of a new quad, Geno began 2017 winning the Grand Prix of Paris, putting together his second undefeated World Cup run and winning his second U-23 European championships title. At the same time, reigning three-time World/Olympic champion Taha Akgul of Turkey was breaking into a league of his own at heavyweight. Petriashvili, the returning European champion, was the only man to have beaten the Turkish giant since the 2013 World Championships. Akgul took this personally and he made sure to repay the favor to Petriashvili, thrashing Geno in a dominant 14-4 quarterfinal win. Geno rebounded for bronze with a win over 2x Olympian Daniel Ligeti (HUN), but it was clear now that Akgul had completely jumped levels since their 2016 meeting. Geno would now have to wait until Paris to get his chance to slay the Turkish giant at the world championships. The Champion (2017-) Geno and Taha were on a collision course to meet in the finals. Geno kept his end of the deal up with three straight tech falls to make the finals. Akgul had one regular decision and two tech falls. Geno was looking for his first World/Olympic title, while Taha was hungry for his fourth. The undisputed #1 vs. #2 match did not disappoint. Taha rushed out to an early lead and looked to be in the driver's seat throughout the first period, but Geno fired back to take the 4-4 lead to end the first. After scrambles and flurries that would make lightweights tired, Akgul led the match 8-8 and, with short time left, looked guaranteed for title number four. But there was time left. 10 seconds left and Geno exposes a late Akgul shot to win 10-8. Finally the champion, no longer the contender, Geno had done it. Geno's victory lap to close out 2017 saw him double up on world titles with gold at U-23 World's and win gold with team Easy Pipe at the World Club Cup. An old warhorse that had come out of the shadows in the form of 2012 Olympian Oleksandr Khotsianivski (UKR) was the man to hand Petriashvili his first loss of 2018 in the finals of the International Ukrainian Tournament. Khotsianivski was a man possessed in Kiev, bulldozing elite competition the likes of Giorgi Meshvildishvili (GEO) and Yadollah Mohebbi (IRI) on the way to his finals match against Petriashvili. Geno struck gold at the Dan Kolov over 2014 Russian National champion Muradin Kushkov (RUS) ahead of the European championships. A dominant run through to the finals saw Petriashvili match up again with Akgul, who would beat the reigning world champion 2-1 for his 5th European title. A title at the Tbilisi GP would serve as Petriashvili's final warmup for world's and when the brackets came out, Petriashvili would have Akgul in the semis. But the finals rematch was not to be as Taha Akgul was upset in the quarterfinals by Parviz Hadi (IRI), who Petriashvili beat 13-6. Petriashvili's second world title was a 6-0 layup against Zhiwei Deng (CHN). A title at the prestigious Alans tournament in Vladikavkaz, Russia, capped off another successful year for the repeat champion Petriashvili. 2019 saw Petriashvili register another runner-up finish to Taha Akgul at the European Championships, this time in the form of a 7-0 loss to the now seven-time European Championships/Games gold medalist. A third straight title at the Tbilisi Grand Prix of Petriashvili would propel the returning two-time world champion to Nursultan, where he'd look to win his third consecutive World gold and qualify for his second Olympics. Petriashvili teched his way through the semis, where he would finally get the chance to avenge his 2018 loss to Oleksandr Khotsianivski (UKR). Petriashvili held off the Ukrainian powerhouse for a 6-2 win and his third world finals appearance and eighth meeting against three-time World/Olympic champion Taha Akgul (TUR). Another instant classic match went down between Geno and it would be the Georgian who would repeat his world triumph over Akgul from 2017 to take home his third straight world title with a 6-6 win. Closing out the year competing in the Iranian Pro League, Petriashvili would drop a 15-11 loss to Junior world runner-up Amir Zare (IRI). Petriashvili would compete only once in the abbreviated 2020 COVID season, winning the European championships in February over Robert Baran (POL). Petriashvili would make his return to competition this year, winning the Henri Deglane challenge over Robert Baran (POL) and following it up with a bronze medal finish at the European championships, where he fell 6-1 in his opening round match against Taha Akgul (TUR). Geno Petriashvili is in a very special position going into the Tokyo Olympics. The reigning three-time world champion will have to contend against the reigning 3x World/Olympic champion Taha Akgul who looks better than ever and beat Petriashvili earlier this year at Euros. Will Petriashvili be clutch again and defeat Akgul for the third time at the big show, or will Akgul on the big stage in Tokyo? Add in the looming threats of young talents Gable Steveson (USA) and Sergey Kozyrev (RUS) and Petriashvili will have to run the gauntlet if he wants to win his fourth straight World/Olympic title.
  17. InterMat Staff
    Yianni Diakomihalis at the Olympic Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Poland Open Day Two Results 61 kg: Gold Medal: Gulomjon Abdullaev (Uzbekistan) Silver Medal: Kumar Ravi (India) Bronze Medal: Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan) Adlan Askarov (Kazakhstan) over Nathan Tomasello 14-0 Abdullaev over Tomasello 12-1 Ravi over Tomasello 9-5 65 kg: Gold Medal: Yianni Diakomihalis (USA) Silver Medal: Eduard Grigorev (Poland) Bronze Medal: Joey McKenna (USA) Diakomihalis over Grigorev 9-3 McKenna over Andrii Syvryd (Ukraine) 8-0 Iszmail Muszukajev (Hungary) over Diakomihalis 7-6 Vasyl Shuptar (Ukraine) over McKenna 6-4 Diakomihalis over Krzysztof Bienkowski (Poland) InjDef Diakomihalis over McKenna 15-4 Diakomihalis over Grigorev 7-4 74 kg: Gold Medal: Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran) Silver Medal: Frank Chamizo (Italy) Bronze Medal: Daniyar Kaisanov (Kazakhstan), Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev (Azerbaijan) Kaisanov over Jason Nolf 4-2 92 kg Gold Medal: Zbigniew Baranwoski (Poland) Silver Medal: Illia Archaia (Ukraine) Bronze Medal: Nate Jackson (USA), Krzysztof Sadowik (Poland) J'den Cox over Ilja Matuhin (Germany) 4-2 Nate Jackson over Ajiniyaz Saparniyazov (Uzbekistan) 10-0 Archaia over Cox 2-1 Baranwoski over Jackson 8-7 Jackson over Rustam Shodiev (Uzbekistan) 12-0 Sadowik over Cox InjDef 125 kg Gold Medal: Amir Zare (Iran) Silver Medal: Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) Bronze Medal: Yusup Batirmurzaev (Kazakhstan), Oleksandr Koldovskyi (Ukraine) Gwiazdowski over Batirmurzaev 9-2 Gwiazdowski over Youssif Hemida 10-0 Zare over Gwiazdowski Cautions
  18. InterMat Staff
    Kyle Crutchmer at the 2015 NCAA Tournament (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) After starting his MMA career with six mostly dominant victories, Kyle Crutchmer hit a bit of a snag in his last outing. At Bellator 249, he dropped a decision against Kemran Lachinov in what was mainly a striking contest. When asked about the fight now, Crutchmer seems to at least somewhat regret not mixing in his noted wrestling skill. “I'm a wrestler, and I had never really boxed or anything. I stood three rounds with a very tough dude,” he said. “It wasn't really my game plan, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed learning, I got out of my comfort zone, and I think it just made me better. But if I am able now to put that and the wrestling together, I will be able to make things happen.” After finishing his collegiate wrestling career at Oklahoma State in 2017 as a two-time All-American, Crutchmer has moved into MMA. He is currently 6-1 as a professional, and he returns to action this Friday night on the preliminary card of Bellator 260. While Crutchmer has transitioned away from competitive wrestling, he has not strayed far from his roots. He is one of the most recent former Oklahoma State wrestlers to try their hand in MMA. When Crutchmer made his professional debut in 2018, he joined the likes of several former Cowboys who went on to stardom in MMA, including world champions Randy Couture, Johny Hendricks, and Daniel Cormier. It is a heritage that clearly matters to Crutchmer, and he is intent on continuing the tradition. “We just produced so many great champions,” he explained. “When you wrestle there, you understand how to train with all the coaches there, and I think it is an honor to continue this legacy. There have been guys that have succeeded and there have been guys that have failed at it, but I respect everyone that's wrestled there and has competed after to try to make something of themselves. It is going to be fun to be able to try to continue that.” Crutchmer trains at American Kickboxing Academy, which helped Cormier transition from accomplished wrestler to MMA champion. Also joining Crutchmer at AKA are former Cowboy teammates Nick Piccininni and Jacobe Smith, who are set to make their MMA debuts soon. “We all competed on the same college team at some point,” he said. “We've been through it in the college wrestling world, and now we're doing this together. It is a lot of fun. When I first got out here, I had friends, but not really close friends, that I've known forever. They're progressing. They're going to be very good. They're athletic. They're big for their weight, and they train really hard. I look at them, and I see guys like me that are just trying to obtain something that a lot of people don't really have the opportunity to and they're taking full advantage of it.” While Crutchmer admits that learning the striking game is a big transition, a wrestling background has set him up for success in MMA. “I think you find a lot of guys, and they're just successful. They just find ways to become successful,” he explained. “[AKA] is a gym where you have guys that have already won titles, so you get to see that and copy their blueprint. You don't really change much.” College wrestlers are much more active than fighters. During his four years in the Oklahoma State lineup, Crutchmer averaged a little over 26 matches a season. While that pace has slowed in MMA, he did have five fights in his first year and a half in the sport. “I was fighting at first as much as I was, because I live in the Bay area, which is one of the most expensive places to live and I needed some money,” Crutchmer details matter of factly. “I think that is why I have been so motivated. When you don't have much, you will tend to do things that you need to do to get money. I mean, I like fighting and now I'm trying to be as active as possible, because I think cage time is really the only thing that is going to get me to where I need to be. You look at some of these guys, some guys have 15 or 20 fights, so I am just trying to get as many as I can in order to get a chance at a world title.” Crutchmer returns to action this Friday at Bellator 260. His opponent will be undefeated prospect Levan Chokheli. While he is undefeated, Chokheli will be making his Bellator debut. If anything, the former Oklahoma State wrestler seems as confident as ever. “He's undefeated; he's 9-0,” he said. “He has to fight me next, though. I'm much better than I was in my last fight. I'm in the best shape that I have ever been in. I think he's going to have to deal with some shit in this fight.”
  19. InterMat Staff
    North Carolina's Associate Head Coach Tony Ramos (Photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Tony Ramos made his mark on college wrestling as an intense and hardworking 133 lber for the Iowa Hawkeyes with three top-three (3,2,1) finishes at the NCAA championship. Ramos has also made a name for himself on the coaching circuit. He has been at the University of North Carolina since 2016, starting as a Volunteer Assistant while still actively competing and has worked his way through the ranks to be a highly sought-after Associate Head Coach. Ramos is now making his mark on the wrestling community with a different title: Advocate. Tony has been an ally behind the scenes for many years, but last year he took major steps in being an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ athletes in wrestling. "It really kicked off last year during the COVID shutdown when I had more downtime that I could use for good. It has been something that I've been discussing with my small group for a few years now, but really became a bigger scale last year when I was able to present at the NWCA coaches convention". Ramos paired with Jenna Burkert, 57kg Women's National Team member and SERTC athlete, to put on a presentation called "Wrestling with Pride: Being an Advocate for LGBTQ+". This was presented at the NWCA National Convention as well as multiple state coaching conventions. Ramos has also worked with Wrestle Like a Girl and Athlete Ally to put on panel discussions. Athlete Ally was founded by Hudson Taylor, 3x All-American and 2x ACC Champion at Maryland and former coach at Columbia. As a coach, Ramos said that his team has been very open to discussions on the topic and have been active allies within the UNC community. Ramos was very impressed by the reaction when he hosted a panel discussion on campus. "This one was very cool because it was not just for athletes but school and department-wide. The outreach I received afterward for being an ally was awesome!" When asked about the importance of taking on the role of an ally as a coach, Ramos said, "I hope it opens doors and creates opportunities for all in our sport. That everyone can feel welcome in the environment we are creating in Chapel Hill". Ramos feels that as a community, wrestling is showing growth. As awareness increased around activism and advocacy, USA Wrestling implemented a new committee last year called the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to focus on advocacy for everyone in the sport. "We are doing a better job of having discussions. Forever wrestling has such a masculine sport and there were topics you didn't associate with it. I feel there have been huge strides in the past year and we are finally having the discussions we need to have". Though there has been improvement, there is still room for growth. For Ramos, this starts with individuals speaking up. "We need to keep creating a safe and comfortable environment for all. The more high-level athletes and coaches talk and support, the more the rest who are quiet allies will feel comfortable being vocal". If you are interested in more information on becoming an ally, Wrestle Like A Girl and Athlete Ally are both phenomenal wrestling-centered sources.
  20. InterMat Staff
    Two-time Indiana state champ Zeke Seltzer (Photo/RImmelpics.com) One of the top available juniors in the nation, Zeke Seltzer (Cathedral, IN) made his college decision public late Tuesday evening. Seltzer, the #10 overall wrestler in the Class of 2022, according to InterMat's commitment page.
  21. InterMat Staff
    Poland Open champion Alec Pantaleo (Photo/SJanickiPhoto.com) Poland Open Day One Results Men's Freestyle 57 kg Gold Medal: Stevan Micic (Serbia) Silver Medal: Beka Bujiashvili (Georgia) Bronze Medal: Makhmudjon Shavkatov (Uzbekistan) Micic over Bujiashvili 8-3 Micic over Shavkatov 10-0 70 kg Gold Medal: Alec Pantaleo (USA) Silver Medal: James Green (USA) Bronze Medal: Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan) Pantaleo over Oleksii Boruta (Ukraine) 10-0 Green over Pantaleo 8-0 Green over Boruta 2-1 Pantaleo over Aliyev 6-6 Green over Zurabi Iakobishvili (Georgia) 4-0 Pantaleo over Green 5-3 79 kg Gold Medal: Akhsarbek Gulaev (Slovakia) Silver Medal: Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan) Bronze Medal: Mateusz Kampik (Poland); Vasyl Mykhailov (Ukraine) 86 kg Gold Medal: Zahid Valencia (USA) Silver Medal: Sandro Aminashvili (Georgia) Bronze Medal: Cezary Sadowski (Poland); Myles Amine (San Martino) Valencia over Sebastian Jerzierzanski (Poland) 6-5 Valencia over Deepak Punia (India) InjDef Amine over Stefan Reichmuth (Switzerland) 2-1 Valencia over Amine 7-1 Amine over Jerzierzanski 6-1 Valencia over Aminashvili 10-0 97 kg Gold Medal: Mohammadhossein Mohammadian (Iran) Silver Medal: Ali Shabanibengar (Iran) 1-1 Bronze Medal: Alisher Yergali (Kazakhstan); Alireza Karimimachiani (Iran) Mohammadian over Moore 11-0 Moore over Serik Bakytkhanov (Kazakhstan) 8-2 Karimimachiani over Moore 2-2
  22. InterMat Staff
    2020 Big 12 champion Cam Sykora (Photo/CamKramerPhoto.smugmug.com) FARGO, N.D. Four-time NCAA qualifier Cam Sykora will join the North Dakota State University wrestling staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2021-22 season, head coach Roger Kish announced Tuesday, June 8. Sykora, originally from Wheaton, Minn., qualified for the NCAA tournament at 133 pounds from 2017 to 2020. He was a three-time Big 12 Conference placewinner and North Dakota State's first Big 12 champion in 2020. Sykora compiled an 87-34 record in four seasons with the Bison including 33 wins by technical fall, 14 major decisions and eight pins. He was 17-4 in his senior year, ranked No. 9 in the final NCAA RPI, and was a National Wrestling Coaches Association All-America second team selection. A five-time Minnesota state champion, Sykora went 37-0 and 33-0 in his final two seasons at Wheaton High School. He graduated from NDSU in May 2020 with a bachelor's degree in university studies.
  23. InterMat Staff
    Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat's collegiate coverage. Each of our conference correspondent's will release videos talking about some of the current events in their respective conference. Our Big Ten correspondent Cody Goodwin checks in to talk about some of the big commitments within the last week. Two top sophomores committed to B1G schools, along with Austin Gomez transferring to Wisconsin. We discuss some of the conference's standouts from the U23 World Team Trials and close by discussing an upcoming dual meet between Purdue and Iowa State.
  24. InterMat Staff
    Army West Point head coach Kevin Ward (Photo/WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Raise your hand if you are subscribed to some website or company and you get automated emails. What percentage of those do you even read? Do you just delete them without reading? Is this really the best way to reach out to customers? To me, it seems old school. Many wrestling coaches still do this to their loyal fanbase. An email blast to hundreds or thousands of fans with very little, if any, communication back and forth. There has to be a better way to keep wrestling alumni and fans involved. What's the next "thing?" Coach Ward and his crew at Army West Point are as forward-thinking as they come. Their alumni-run podcast entitled "BHAW Radio" is the perfect idea. Before we get to the podcast, what does "BHAW" mean? BHAW is Army's team motto. If you've been inside their wrestling room recently, you'll see it written out on the walls: "Brotherhood Heart Attitude Warrior." Are there any four words that better describe the Army West Point wrestling team? Probably not. This motto was created a few years ago, after talking with academy sports psychologists. It has been the program's motto ever since, even after Coach Ward took over the program. This is a rare thing to do because, most of the time, a new coach is hired, and they introduce or create their own team motto with the team. Coach Ward bought into "BHAW" immediately. The podcast sprung up during the beginning of the COVID outbreak in March of 2020. Hosts Brian Rowan (class of 2009) and Jordan Thome (class of 2013) met with Coach Ward and introduced him to the idea. He was on board from the start. He loved that it was something new and exciting that not many programs are doing. The best part about the podcast is that Brian and Jordan have no affiliation with the school currently. They volunteer their time to do this - showing how much they support the program and really believe in what they are doing. Listening to just one episode, you can really hear their passion. After talking to Brian, he mentioned that Coach Pat Popolizio's podcast at NC State was an inspiration behind this idea. Almost all wrestling fans know how Coach Pop is on the leading edge of introducing new ideas to the sport in many different avenues. I really think more teams will start to do this in a similar fashion. During the season, Coach Ward is a typical guest on BHAW Radio and likes to discuss past results and upcoming duals. There is just something about seeing and hearing the head coach talk about these things, compared to an email blast. It really helps showcase his personality and the excitement he has towards his program when you can see and hear it for yourself. When I talked to Coach Ward about BHAW radio, he emphasized how the podcast gives fans "a more in-depth look into our program and goes on behind the scenes." Plus, it is refreshing to hear what alumni have to say about the current state of the program. Much of the time, they are pretty honest about feelings - both positive and negative. It plays very well into what Coach Ward wanted out of the podcast - "an effort to build more community around our program." BHAW radio is more than a podcast, however. It's a way to connect alumni from various generations. During the off-season, since there is not a ton of wrestling to talk about, BHAW will have guests appear on their podcasts. Many times, these guests talk about their stories about a wide range of topics. These guests get to discuss their time at Army West Point, success stories after graduation, why they decided to attend West Point, among several other things. Sometimes, there is very minimal wrestling discussed. You can only imagine the numerous potentially incredible guests this special school has to offer. It is a great way for alumni to hear how the program has changed over the decades. The listeners can really get fascinating stories in 45 to 60-minute chunks at a time. Personally, I believe this is the perfect length for a podcast. One episode I highly recommend checking out is the 9/11 special (episode #15 on their YouTube channel). Brian and Jordan brought a few of the team captains from the 2005 class. This was the first class to complete their entire four-year career at the academy after the tragic 9/11 attack in 2001. Listening to this one makes you bleed red, white, and blue. Another great episode is the story of Bob Steenlage. If interested, this is episode #16 on the YouTube channel. Bob was a Vietnam veteran who wrestled at West Point. He also was the first 4x Iowa State Champ and a very good wrestler in the 1960s. His story is simply incredible. I've always had the belief that it takes a special athlete to wrestle at the Division 1 level. Athletes who attend the military academies are (as the kids say these days) "built different." In all seriousness, the classwork, plus practices, plus extra activities they need to do, takes someone very serious about what they want in life. This makes it harder to recruit, as the number of prospects is somewhat limited. They work hard at everything, plus they're a pain in the butt to wrestle! I always hated wrestling guys from these schools. I knew I was in for a battle every time, no matter who it was. BHAW is only 45 episodes deep right now. It's still building momentum but seems to be gaining some steam. Coach Ward confirmed to me that the response has been "incredible" and that they "will definitely keep it going." Why would you not? It's a phenomenal idea that the sport needs. Co-host Brian stated the ultimate end goal of the podcast is to eventually build it into a networking tool to include former, current, and future Army West Point wrestlers. Imagine one central location where alumni can look to hire a candidate they trust with a common interest in Army wrestling. Another positive that could come from this is that it could be a great recruiting tool. Prospective student-athletes, and their parents, can watch episodes and see the success stories of former wrestlers. This is a priceless addition to help attract recruits to West Point. It's entirely possible that I'm out of the loop, but I do not know of many programs that produce a podcast like this. If there are podcasts like this out there, I cannot imagine there are many. I honestly believe this could be the future when it comes to connecting alumni of various generations. I see this as an easy way to help build up excitement for any program, and keep alumni involved with the team as much as possible. Every fan base has alumni willing to put in the work to help create this content. Why is every program not doing this; especially since podcasts are "so hot right now" (yes, that's a Zoolander reference). I would love to see every program start a podcast like this. As I mentioned before, you should check out a few of these episodes. They are entertaining, smart, and doing good things for the sport of wrestling. I'm hoping the podcast craze catches on to all wrestling programs! BHAW Radio YouTube Channel
  25. InterMat Staff
    Nick Suriano after winning his NCAA Title in 2019 (Photo/WrestlersAreWarriors.com) In the most recent edition of Willie's Friday Mailbag, a reader asked Willie to name the “Biggest transfer that has happened.” From an all-time standpoint, Willie mentioned Steve Mocco and Cary Kolat, who both are certainly in the discussion. Looking at more recent competitors, Willie deemed Jaydin Eierman to be the most impactful, judging by his influence on the 2021 NCAA team race. We've decided to take a deeper look at some of the most successful recent transfers. Though there were many quality candidates, we shaved the list down to the top-20. To qualify, a wrestler has had to compete for his new team sometime between 2017-21 (the last five years). With some much action in the transfer portal, expect this list to change if we attempt it again in another year or two. Just this offseason, All-Americans Patrick Brucki, Max Dean, and Kyle Parco have changed schools. Additionally, Evan Wick is in the transfer portal. Stanford wrestlers Jaden Abas, Shane Griffith, and Real Woods were in the portal and their respective statuses' are uncertain. But before getting too far ahead of ourselves, look at the top-20 wrestlers that transferred from 2017-21. 20) Grant Leeth (Missouri - Duke) Pre-Transfer: 14-4 in 2014-15 at Duke Post-Transfer: 47-11 from 2015-20 at Missouri Heralded as one of the biggest signees for Duke in the last decade, Grant Leeth put together a promising redshirt campaign for the Blue Devils before coming back home to Missouri. Leeth missed two full seasons with injuries and most assumed his collegiate career was over. 2017-18 saw Leeth make a stunning comeback and he went 26-5 and finished the year sixth in the nation. Grant started off strong in 2018-19, but suffered another season-ending injury at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He would end in his career the following season by finishing third at the MAC Championships and earning a #17 seed at the ill-fated 2020 NCAA Tournament. 19) Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State - Ohio State) Pre-Transfer: 0-0 in 2019-20 for Ohio State Post-Transfer: 10-4 in 2021 for Penn State It's safe to say that if we make this list again in a few years, Greg Kerkvliet could be significantly higher. The Nittany Lion big man has four years of eligibility remaining, so there's plenty of time to pad his stats. Kerkvliet signed with Ohio State out of high school, but did not finish the first semester before transferring to rival Penn State. Despite suffering through injuries in 2021, Kerkvliet managed to finish seventh in the nation. In St Louis, his national tournament was highlighted by a major decision win over Tate Orndorff (Ohio State) in the seventh-place bout and a major over Lehigh All-American Jordan Wood. 18) Zeke Moisey (Nebraska - West Virginia) Pre-Transfer: 84-37 from 2014-18 for West Virginia Post-Transfer: 13-12 in 2018-19 for Nebraska The run of Huskers starts here with Zeke Moisey. Moisey is better remembered for electrifying the NCAA crowd during the 2015 tournament in St. Louis. As an unseeded freshman, Moisey downed second-seeded Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) before pinning Thomas Gilman (Iowa) in the semis. A year later, Moisey earned a bid to nationals but couldn't compete due to injuries. After a redshirt season, Moisey went 26-11 and made the podium for a second time, despite coming in as the 13th seed. As had been the case for most of his career, Moisey's time at Nebraska was marred by injuries. He was only 13-12 and went two and out at NCAA's. 17) Jason Tsirtsis (Arizona State - Northwestern) Pre-Transfer: 85-14 from 2013-16 for Northwestern Post-Transfer: 21-8 in 2017-18 for Arizona State One of only two NCAA Champions that has transferred and competed within the last five years is Jason Tsirtsis. The top recruit in the Class of 2012 redshirted immediately for Northwestern, then won a national title as a freshman. Just to make the finals, Tsirtsis knocked off a returning champion (Kendric Maple - Oklahoma) and a future champion (Drake Houdashelt - Missouri). Two years later, after tragedy struck his family, Tsirtsis needed a change of scenery and moved on to Arizona State. While Tsirtsis took some lumps during the regular season and was seeded lower than ever (10th) at nationals, he was able to perform at the right time and was seventh at nationals. He finished with three conference titles (2 Big Ten and 1 Pac-12) and three All-American honors. 16) Willie Miklus (Missouri - Iowa State) Pre-Transfer: 80-23 from 2014-18 for Missouri Post-Transfer: 27-6 in 2018-19 for Iowa State Especially as a younger wrestler, Willie Miklus shined when the lights were the brightest and stakes at their highest. Miklus finished seventh in the country as a freshman, despite entering the tournament without a seed. Just to get on the podium in 2015, Miklus took out the fifth, tenth, and 15th seeds. A year later, he was seeded 14th and made the NCAA semifinals. After earning All-American honors for the third time, Miklus decided he needed to return to Iowa to be near his ailing father. Miklus closed out his career by wrestling up to his pre-tournament seeding and finishing sixth, which cemented his status as a four-time NCAA All-American. 15) Eric Montoya (Nebraska - Campbell) Pre-Transfer: 33-17 in 2012-13 for Campbell Post-Transfer: 77-32 from 2014-17 for Nebraska Eric Montoya got the nod right out of the gate from Campbell and qualified for nationals after receiving an at-large berth. Montoya then went to Nebraska and sat out for a year before earning the starting role at 133 lbs in 2014-15. Despite coming into the 2015 national tournament unseeded, Montoya ended the year a match shy of earning All-American honors. He would get on the podium in each of the next two years, finishing fifth as a junior and sixth as a senior. In both years, he was fifth in the Big Ten and the seventh seed at nationals. In dual action, during his senior season, Montoya scored a win over eventual NCAA champion, Cory Clark. 14) Isaiah White (Nebraska - Notre Dame) Pre-Transfer: 28-2 in 2016-17 for Notre Dame Post-Transfer: 70-21 from 2017-20 for Nebraska The only wrestler on this list to transfer from a non-DI program is Isaiah White. As a freshman, White captured a national title for DII Notre Dame. Throughout his career with Nebraska, White was a model of consistency amongst a loaded weight class. As a junior, White was seeded seventh in the nation after finishing fifth in the Big Ten. He would outwrestle his pre-tournament ranking and take fifth at nationals. That year he handed the eventual national championship, Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech), the final loss of his title-winning campaign. White was named an NWCA All-American in 2020 after finishing third in the Big Ten and receiving the fifth seed at nationals. 13) Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley - Boise State) Pre-Transfer: 21-16 in 2016-17 for Boise State Post-Transfer: 75-16 from 2017-21 for Utah Valley It seems like a lifetime ago that Boise State actually had wrestling, but Demetrius Romero was a member of that last Bronco team. He is also the only wrestler on this list that had to transfer due to his school dropping wrestling. Boise State's loss was Utah Valley's gain as Romero has thrived while in Orem. 2018-19 was Romero's breakout year, where he went 28-5 and became the first Wolverine wrestler to win a Big 12 title. He eventually came up a match shy of earning All-American honors. After an injury derailed his 2019-20 season, Romero started the 2021 campaign on fire. He entered the NCAA Championships unbeaten after claiming his second Big 12 crown. Romero was go on to make the national semifinals before settling for sixth place. 12) Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech - Edinboro) Pre-Transfer: 58-23 in 2016-18 for Edinboro Post-Transfer: 32-12 in 2018-21 for Virginia Tech Perhaps no one on this list came into his own during their senior season like Korbin Myers did in 2021 (we know, he has another one in 2021-22, too). Myers was a three-time national qualifier headed into 2021, but had never been seeded higher than 14th and won more than two matches at the Big Dance. This year Myers ran through the ACC in the regular season, before unseating two-time conference champion Micky Phillipi in the finals. That win, along with Myers' entire body of work, gave him the number three seed at nationals. At nationals, Myers earned a place in the semifinals, before coming back to place fourth. 11) Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers - Northwestern) Pre-Transfer: 74-12 from 2017-2020 for Northwestern Post-Transfer: 12-3 in 2021 for Rutgers It seems hard to believe that Sebastian Rivera was the tenth seed in 2018 as a freshman for Northwestern at his first NCAA Tournament. He ended up sixth, with two of his losses at the tournament coming to past NCAA Champions. Rivera established himself as an NCAA title favorite after a pair of wins over returning champion Spencer Lee. The second came in the Big Ten finals, which provided him with the top-seed at the NCAA Championships. A year later and a weight class higher, Rivera would win his second Big Ten title and was named the one seed again at nationals. That Big Ten win came in front of a raucous Rutgers crowd that would soon become his home fans. Rivera moved up to 141 lbs in 2021 for Rutgers and claimed a spot on the NCAA podium for the third time in his career. 10) Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven - Oklahoma State) Pre-Transfer: 6-5 in 2015-16 for Oklahoma State Post-Transfer: 72-7 from 2017-19 for Lock Haven One of the top overall recruits in the high school Class of 2014 and a Pennsylvania legend, Chance Marsteller, went to Oklahoma State for a redshirt year and then saw action in five duals during the 2015-16 season for the Cowboys. Marsteller then transferred back to his home state to compete for Lock Haven. Under the tutelage of Scott Moore, Marsteller stayed focused and earned All-American honors in both years competing for Lock Haven. He was fourth in 2018 and third in 2019 when the NCAA tournament was held in Pennsylvania. Also, as a senior, Marsteller won his first conference title and was a finalist at the Southern Scuffle. He also became Lock Haven's first two-time All-American since Mike Maney did so in 2002 and 2003. 9) Austin DeSanto (Iowa - Drexel) Pre-Transfer: 30-7 in 2017-18 for Drexel Post-Transfer: 52-12 from 2018-21 for Iowa Before he became teammates with Spencer Lee at Iowa, Austin DeSanto made himself a household name as a high school senior by handing Lee the only loss of his career in the state finals their senior season. DeSanto went on to have an interesting run at Drexel, downing All-Americans Montorie Bridges and Stevan Micic at the Cliff Keen and making the Round of 12 as a true freshman. That was a feat achieved by only four other Drexel wrestlers since 2008. DeSanto left after that season for Iowa, where his career took off immediately. He has been seeded in the top-seven at nationals every year since the move to Iowa City. At his two NCAA Tournaments for the Hawkeyes, he finished third and fifth. In 2018-19, DeSanto grabbed a win over the eventual NCAA Champion, Nick Suriano (Rutgers). 8) Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider - Binghamton) Pre-Transfer: 15-9 in 2015-16 for Binghamton Post-Transfer: 67-10 from 2018-21 for Rider Last week our MAC correspondent Courtney Woods released an excellent story detailing Jesse Dellavecchia's struggles at Binghamton and his subsequent transfer to Rider. Based on his pre-collegiate credentials, Dellavecchia would be the most surprising member of this group. Dellavecchia had an amazing final two years with the Broncs going 41-3 in 2020 and 2021. Both years he was seeded fourth at the NCAA Championships. He stunned the crowd in St. Louis and watching around the nation as he pinned top-ranked, undefeated, Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) to advance to the 2021 finals. 7) Seth Gross (Wisconsin - South Dakota State - Iowa) Pre-Transfer: 90-17 in 2015-19 for South Dakota State, Redshirted at Iowa Post-Transfer: 27-2 in 2019-20 for Wisconsin Seth Gross started his career at Iowa, but never officially competed for the Hawkeyes. He came into his own at South Dakota State, making the NCAA finals as a sophomore in 2017. Gross then went on to become the Jackrabbits first DI national champion a year later in 2017-18. That season, the only loss on Gross' resume came up a weight against Bryce Meredith (Wyoming). Following his title run, SDSU head coach Chris Bono left for Wisconsin. Gross initially tried to finish his career in 2018-19 in Brookings, but was injured in his only bout of the year. The following season he reunited with Bono in Madison. There Gross went 27-2 and finished as the Big Ten runner-up to Sebastian Rivera. He was in line to compete as the second seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships. 6) Pat Lugo (Iowa - Edinboro) Pre-Transfer: 63-18 in 2015-17 for Edinboro Post-Transfer: 44-11 in 2018-20 for Iowa Speaking of student-athletes who were negatively impacted by the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, Pat Lugo sits atop of the list. Lugo was typically in the mix during his time at Edinboro, but really jumped levels while competing for the Hawkeyes. In his first year wrestling for Tom Brands' squad, Lugo posted a respectable eighth-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Lugo really shined as a senior and assumed the top spot in the country after winning the Midlands. In the Big Ten finals, he avenged his only setback of the year to Sammy Sasso (Ohio State). That gave Lugo the top seed at the 2020 tournament, which also ensured he would earn NWCA All-American honors. 5) Joey McKenna (Ohio State - Stanford) Pre-Transfer: 60-6 in 2015-17 for Stanford Post-Transfer: 45-5 in 2017-19 for Ohio State Joey McKenna turned in a record-breaking freshman season for Stanford, going 28-3 with all three losses coming to eventual NCAA finalists that year. McKenna became the first Cardinal freshman to earn All-American honors after placing third. He missed out on the podium as a sophomore, which led to his transfer to Ohio State. McKenna continued rolling for the Buckeyes and finished his career as a four-time conference champion. He was never seeded lower than fourth at the NCAA Championships and only lost a pair of matches to Big Ten opponents while at Ohio State. As a senior, McKenna made the NCAA finals and took defending champion, Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell), to sudden victory before falling. Yianni was responsible for two of his three losses as a senior. 4) Stevan Micic (Michigan - Northwestern) Pre-Transfer: Redshirted at Northwestern in 2014-15 Post-Transfer: 74-11 in 2016-19 for Michigan Amazingly enough, Stevan Micic still has collegiate eligibility remaining if he chooses to exercise an additional year in 2021-22. Micic never officially competed for Northwestern, but has taken a pair of Olympic redshirts and a regular one, as well, plus a COVID-year. Micic has been a title contender throughout his career with the Wolverines. He has never finished lower than fourth at the NCAA Championships and has been seeded second during each of his most recent two appearances. His first time earning the second seed was on the heels of his Big Ten title in the 2017-18 campaign. Micic's most recent dual meet (2/17/19) saw him take out Nick Suriano (Rutgers), the eventual NCAA champion, later that year. 3) Bryce Meredith (Wyoming - NC State) Pre-Transfer: 15-6 in 2014-15 at NC State Post-Transfer: 93-15 for Wyoming in 2015-18 As a true freshman, Bryce Meredith got thrown in the mix for NC State and responded with a solid, but not spectacular season. He was unable to qualify for nationals; however, after going 1-2 at the ACC Championships. Just a year later, back in his home state, Meredith made the NCAA finals after starting the tournament as the 14th seed. He earned wins over three, three-time NCAA All-Americans, Micah Jordan (Ohio State), Joey McKenna (Stanford), and former teammate, Kevin Jack (NC State). Though not a darkhorse like his sophomore season, Meredith's junior year saw him take fourth after getting seeded tenth. As a senior, Bryce was seeded first at nationals after collecting his first Big 12 championship. He would go on to lose a tight 7-4 match to freshman Yianni Diakomihalis in his second national final. Both of Meredith's 2017-18 losses came at the hands of Yianni. 2) Jaydin Eierman (Iowa - Missouri) Pre-Transfer: 91-14 for Missouri in 2016-19 Post-Transfer: 12-1 for Iowa in 2021 Because of the quirks that go along with an extra year of eligibility for COVID-related reasons, Jaydin Eierman has the opportunity to become the first wrestler on this list to All-American five teams. The more pressing issue for Eierman is to win a national title. He came ever-so-close this season before falling to Nick Lee (Penn State) in sudden victory during his first national final. Two weeks prior, Eierman was on the other end of a close decision against Lee. The win gave him his fourth conference title (three in the MAC and 1 in the B1G). Eierman was also an integral addition for Iowa on the team front. His presence helped propel the Hawkeyes to their first team title since 2010. In his previous four trips to the national tournament, Eierman has never finished lower than fifth. He is currently the only wrestler to defeat Diakomihalis current collegiate competition. 1) Nick Suriano (Rutgers - Penn State) Pre-Transfer: 16-3 for Penn State in 2016-17 Post-Transfer: 54-4 for Rutgers in 2017-19 After winning 16 of his first 17 collegiate bouts, it looked like Nick Suriano may be the replacement at 125 lbs for NCAA champion Nico Megaludis, who had graduated the previous year. Unfortunately, Suriano was injured in his final regular-season dual and was unable to compete in the postseason. That set off a change of events that led to him transferring back home to Rutgers. Suriano made history on a couple of fronts for the Scarlet Knights, becoming their first national finalist in 2018 and then champion a year later. In a Rutgers singlet, Suriano has also claimed titles at the CKLV Invitational, the Midlands, and the Big Ten Championships. Suriano also has a year of eligibility remaining though it's unclear if he'll use it, at this time.
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