InterMat Staff

Spencer Lee gets his hand raised after winning in the semifinals of Senior Nationals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club appears to have started the trend of regional training centers hosting their own events. The Hawkeye Wrestling Club will host their own event with the HWC Showdown Open on Sunday. The event, which will air live on Trackwrestling, features some of the top Iowa wrestlers such as Spencer Lee, Michael Kemerer, Alex Marinelli and Jaydin Eierman taking on domestic and international challengers. Spencer Lee vs. Zach Sanders Lee was hoping to win another NCAA title in 2020 and then earn a spot on the Olympic team. While he did not get a chance at the NCAA tournament, he did put together an undefeated 18-0 record on the college mats. Lee also took a hiatus in mid-December to enter to 2019 Senior Nationals where he bested Darian Cruz, Vito Arujau and Nathan Tomasello and took home first place. Before ever setting foot on campus at Iowa, Lee had already won three world championships, two at the junior level and one at the cadet level. Sanders has been out of the collegiate ranks since 2012. That year, he finished his career at Minnesota as the seventh four-time All-American in Golden Gopher history. Later in that same year he brought home a silver medal at the 2012 World University Championships. Sanders would continue to compete on the international circuit for years and brought home gold medals from the 2015 Pan American Championships and the 2018 Cerro Pelado International. He returned to action earlier this year at Rumble on the Rooftop and took part in a wild match against Zane Richards. Both wrestlers hit big moves in the match, but Richards eventually took it 13-11. Lee is a phenomenon, and he might actually be better in freestyle. Sanders struggled to keep Richards off the board in his last fight, and that could mean trouble in this match. If Lee is able to get on top, it could be over very quickly. Prediction: Lee VSU over Sanders Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Hildebrandt won a silver medal at the 2018 World Championships at 53 kilograms, and she appears ready to move down in weight and attempt to bring home an Olympic medal. Hildebrandt qualified the weight through the Pan American Olympic Qualifier. She was also down at the weight for the recent 2020 Senior Nationals, where she won all four of her matches without surrendering a single point. In the finals, Hildebrandt took an 8-0 victory over Amy Fearnside. Golston is a three-time junior world medalist with her last one coming as a silver in 2013. She moved up to the senior level later in the same year and has been there ever since. In 2019 Golston picked up a trio silver medals after placing second at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Tournament, Pan American Championships and the Bill Farrell Memorial International. This could easily be a preview of the Olympic Team Trials. Hildebrandt seems to have conquered the weight cut down to 50 kilograms, and she has had outstanding results at the new weight. Look for her to set the tone early, and control the match with her ability to score from distance. Prediction: Hildebrandt VPO over Golston Austin DeSanto vs. Bryce Meredith After spending his freshman season at Drexel and finishing in the round of 12, DeSanto transferred to Iowa prior to the 2019 season. As a sophomore he went 23-6 and finished fifth at the NCAA tournament. He returned last season and quickly established himself as a contender for the NCAA title. In his third match, DeSanto upset former NCAA champion Seth Gross in a 6-2 match. As the season continued, DeSanto dropped a pair of rematches against Gross and a two-match series against Penn State's Roman Bravo-Young. Meredith finished his collegiate career in 2018. During his senior season, he went 33-2 and made the NCAA finals. Meredith dropped the championship match against Yianni Diakomihilas, who handed him his only two losses on the year. He finished his time at Wyoming as a three-time All-American and two-time finalist. Meredith finished sixth at the 2019 Senior Nationals with wins over Josh Saunders, Dean Heil and Ethan Lizak. A few weeks ago, he returned to action on the second Nittany Lion Wrestling Club show and scored a 8-6 victory over Beau Bartlett. In a lot of ways, this match would be considered the people's main event. It might not be the last match on the card, but both wrestlers are known for being in exciting and high-paced matches. DeSanto comes forward and persistently works for leg attacks. That might get him into trouble here since Meredith does some of his best work in scrambles. On top of that, DeSanto does not regularly compete in freestyle. Meredith has been full-time in freestyle since 2018, and that should give him an edge. Prediction: Meredith VPO1 over DeSanto Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili After three years and three All-American seasons at Missouri, Eierman transferred to Iowa before last season. He sat out for an Olympic redshirt season, and he is expected to join the Hawkeye lineup this upcoming year. While Eierman has placed as high as third at the NCAA tournament and picked up key victories over Dom Demas, Yianni Diakomihalis and Nick Lee, he also has accomplishments in the freestyle world. Eierman represented the U.S. at the 2019 U23 World Championships and holds a victory over world silver medalist Beka Lomtadze. Khinchegashvili will certainly be a big challenge for Eierman. He is a two-time Olympic medalist after picking up a silver in 2012 and a gold in 2016. In addition to that, Khinchegashvili also holds three world medals. He failed to place at the 2019 World Championships, but he bounced back with a third-place finish at the Alrosa Cup. Back in September, Khinchegashvili faced off against Diakomihalis in the main event of Beat the Streets. The bout feature several extensive scrambles, but the Georgian won it 4-4 on criteria. Eierman's style has helped him surprise some top international wrestlers, but Khinchegashvili has faced off with several Americans at this point. It is unlikely anything will surprise him in this match. It could easily turn into a wild match with a lot of scrambles, but in the end, that plays into the style of Khinchegashvili. He should be able to hold on for a close victory. Prediction: Khinchegashvili VPO1 over Eierman Pat Lugo vs. Matthew Kolodzik Lugo missed out on his final NCAA tournament due to the cancellation, but he was certainly in a good position to make a run at the 149-pound title. He entered the Big Ten tournament with an 18-1 record. His lone defeat came against Ohio State's Sammy Sasso in a dual meet. After defeating Collin Purinton and Brayton Lee, Lugo earned a rematch against Sasso. This time, he had the superior game plan and strategy and took a 2-1 decision. The former Hawkeye wrestler returned to action against Luke Pletcher at the Rumble on the Rooftop event. Lugo was surprisingly dominant and took home a 5-0 decision. After starting his collegiate career with three straight All-American seasons, the plan was for Kolodzik to use an Olympic redshirt for the 2020 season. However, after the end of the first semester he returned to the line up for one more run at a championship. Kolodzik went 10-0 prior to the EIWA tournament. He entered the bracket and, despite an overtime match against Jared Price, he took home the championship. Kolodzik recently finished sixth at the 2020 Senior Nationals with wins over Sean Fausz, Mitch McKee and Kanen Storr. Lugo and Kolodzik have an interesting history. They met three times in folkstyle starting during the 2018 season. In their first match, Lugo scored a second-period fall. However, the following season, Kolodzik won both of their meetings via the exact same 7-4 score. They also met under freestyle rules at the 2018 U23 Nationals. In that match, Lugo was dominant and won via matching termination with a 14-4 score. While Lugo has had success against Kolodzik the recent matches have been trending the other way. Kolodzik gets into trouble against Lugo who they get into upper body or scramble positions. He seems to have found ways to avoid those positions and to finish his leg attacks clean. If he can duplicate that strategy here, he should be able to pull out the victory. Prediction: Kolodzik VPO1 over Lugo Precious Bell vs. Jordan Nelson Bell is one of the top domestic wrestlers at 76 kilograms. Unfortunately for her, she is behind five-time world champion Adeline Gray. Despite this, Bell had a very strong 2019 season. During the year, she won the U.S. Open, finished second at Final X behind Gray and represented the U.S. at the U23 World Championships. She also closed the year with a victory at the 2019 Senior Nationals. Nelson is currently a senior at Life University. This past collegiate season she placed fifth at the NAIA as well as third at the WCWA Nationals. Her lone loss at the WCWA Nationals came in the semifinals against eventual champion Mariah Harris. She bounced back in the consolation bracket with victory over Alyssa Schrull and Jade Piper to finish third. This will be a big step up in competition for Nelson. Bell has the experience edge, and she has defeated the better competition. She will likely have a physical edge over Nelson as well. Despite this, Nelson is often very competitive against tough opposition, and she might even fight hard enough to make sure this match is closer than expected. Prediction: Bell VSU1 over Nelson Alex Marinelli vs. James Green In his last match of the 2020 season, Marinelli avenged his only defeat of the season. He had previously lost to rival Vincenzo Joseph during the year, and the rematch came in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament. As you might expect considering their history, it was a close match, but in the end, Marinelli took the 3-2 victory. The win pushed his season record to 20-1, and during the year he also defeated the likes of Travis Wittlake, Isaiah White, David McFadden and Evan Wick. Green was a four-time All-American at Nebraska before adding a pair of world medals on the freestyle level. In 2015, he broke through for the first time with a bronze medal in the 70-kilogram division. Green returned to the podium in 2017 with a silver medal in Paris. In 2019, he returned to the World Championships after winning both the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament and Final X. Last December he made the finals of the Alans tournament before coming up short against two-time world medalist Khetik Tsabolov. Weight might be an interesting factor in this match. Even though Green has moved up to 74 kilograms for the Olympic cycle, his best results have come down at 70 kilograms. Marinelli regularly competes at 165 pounds. Marinelli relies on his ability to own the control ties and physically impose on his opponents. That might be tough against Green. The world medalist always seems to do a good job clearly ties and getting to his leg attacks. If he can create enough distance, he should be able to get to legs and finish against Marinelli. Prediction: Green VPO1 over Marinelli Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt This past year Kemerer returned from an injury layoff and moved up two weight classes. He staked his claim as one of the best wrestlers in the country at 174 pounds. In late January, Kemerer scored an upset victory over Mark Hall to move into the number-one spot at the weight. The two rematched in the Big Ten tournament finale with Hall taking the bout. Kememer and Hall appeared destined for a rematch before the NCAA tournament was cancelled. After receiving honors from NWCA, Kemerer became a three-time All-American. Gantt was an All-American at NC State who exhausted his eligibility in 2015. On the freestyle circuit, he had a very strong 2019. He began the year by winning the Henri Deglane Challenge. Gantt then picked up silver medals at both the Cerro Pelado-Granma and U.S. Open. He finished the year with a bronze medal performance at the 2019 Senior Nationals. Gantt returned to action earlier this year on the debut Wrestling Underground show and dropped a four-point match against David McFadden. Kemerer likes to attack legs early and often in his matches. That offense should go a long way in this match. Gantt has solid defense, but it is hard to see if hold up under a continually onslaught from the Iowa wrestler. Kemerer has been absent from the freestyle scene for some time, but he did win the 2016 Junior Nationals, so it is a world that is certainly not foreign. Prediction: Kemerer VSU1 over Gantt Tony Cassioppi vs. Nick Gwiazdowski After a strong redshirt season, Cassioppi joined the starting lineup last season. He finished the year with a 20-3 record with his only losses coming against Gable Steveson and Mason Parris. During the year, he picked up victories over Trent Hillger, Seth Nevills and Gannon Gremmel. Like many prospects coming out of Illinois, Cassioppi actually had more impressive results on the freestyle side during his high school career. In 2018 he dominated his way to a Fargo title. The following year after his redshirt year, he finished third at the U23 Nationals with a key victory over former Maryland All-American Youssif Hemida in the third-place match. Since the retirement of Tervel Dlganev, Gwiazdowski has held down the heavyweight spot on the domestic freestyle ladder. Not only has he dominated domestically, but he has also brought home a pair of world bronze medals. His first came in 2017 with the other following shortly after in 2018. Gwiazdowski returned to the World Championships in 2019 after beating out Gable Steveson for the spot, but he failed to medal. So far this year, he qualified the weight for the Olympics through the Pan American Qualification Tournament and scoring a match-termination victory over Kyven Gadson in the main event of the debut Wrestling Underground show. There are going to be a lot of young challengers coming through the ranks for Gwiazdowski over the next few years. One of those challengers might be Cassioppi. However, for the time being, the story will likely remain the same. Cassioppi is a dynamic athlete for the heavyweight ranks, who uses that skill to outwork larger heavyweights. That advantage will not really be available against Gwiazdowski. Prediction: Gwiazdowski VSU1 over Cassioppi

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. If you haven't already done so, be sure to vote or drop off your ballot so that your voice can be heard. We are fortunate to have the right to vote for our leaders and this is no time to pass up your responsibility to participate in our democracy. Want to know where or how to vote in your town come Tuesday. Use this website and make a plan. Also, you might want to bring a good book and a lawn chair as this is expected to be the largest voter turnout in American history. To your questions … Q: What are your predictions for the HWC Showdown Open main card? -- Mike C. Foley: Predictions below. Spencer Lee df. Zach Sanders, 11-0 Sarah Hildebrandt df. Erin Golston, 8-2 Austin DeSanto df. Bryce Meredith, 13-11 Vladimer Khinchegashvili df. Jaydin Eierman, 9-3 Pat Lugo df. Matthew Kolodzik, 4-2 Jordan Nelson df. Precious Bell, 3-1 James Green df. Alex Marinelli, 4-3 Michael Kemerer df. Tommy Gantt, 8-0 Nick Gwiazdowski df. Tony Cassioppi, 6-2 Q: Khabib announced his retirement after beating Justin Gaethje. Do you view Khabib as the GOAT? -- Mike C. Foley: I do. After 29 fights he'd never been cut, taken down, or otherwise damaged. He fought at the very highest levels, overcame a number of personal issues, and maintained a level of fighting we've never seen before. Compare his accomplishments to the two names most commonly associated with GOAT in MMA. GSP took losses and a lot of damage throughout his career, including in fights where he won but probably should have been declared the loser. The counterpoint is that GSP was the first true MMA fighter with a long-standing record of accomplishment based on unique training, innovative game plans, and success in his non-specialty areas (e.g. wrestling). Jon Jones has a loss from throwing a bad elbow, but that doesn't really impact the way his career is viewed. Jones took an absolute beating by Alexander Gustafsson and then again with Dominick Reyes (who also probably won the fight). The counterpoint supporting Jones as GOAT is the way he elevated the sport and uses distance and creative striking to create finishing opportunities. However, he's also a proven drug cheat and has been arrested for a variety of reasons over the course of his career, both altering the consistency of his in-cage appearances and making him a somewhat unreliable title holder. Khabib hasn't been cut. Look at the photos of GSP and Jones after fights. They are a mess. To not take damage, while also simultaneously inflicting enough on your opponent to end the fight is the point of MMA and NOBODY has ever done that better than Khabib. Q: In the Oct. 2 mailbag you predicted Gabe Dean to place fifth in the Flo 8-Man Challenge. Dean has won Senior Nationals since then. Have you changed your prediction after seeing Dean win Senior Nationals? -- Mike C. Pitt coach Keith Gavin (right) coaching with Jordan Leen at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Foley: Updated predictions … Keith Gavin df. Shakur Rasheed Gabe Dean df. Taylor Lujan Sammy Brooks df. Nate Jackson Myles Martin df. Drew Foster Keith Gavin df. Gabe Dean Myles Martin df. Sammy Brooks Myles Martin df. Keith Gavin I'm just now grasping that a Division I head wrestling coach, whose team was recently ranked in the top ten, is competing in a legit wrestling competition. Coaches are strapped for time so for Gavin to feel like he can go out there and compete means he has an incredible work ethic and Tim Ferriss-like time management skills. I'm 39 and speeding towards 40. If I abandon Keith and his dream then I can't believe in my dream to run a marathon next year, or cycle 200 miles. I suggest that all former wrestlers and out-of-shape dads with pandemic bods unite in support of our new light of inspiration, Keith Gavin. Q: When will a final determination be made on the 2020 World Championships? What's the process? With COVID cases surging around the world, it seems more and more unlikely. -- Mike C. Foley: The final decision will be made on Nov. 5 or Nov. 6 following the final registration deadline and a meeting of the United World Wrestling executive board. The decision will focus on the number of entries, the nations who choose to enter, and any additional information being presented by health officials prior to the meeting. I can't tell you how that meeting will play out, but I would agree with your assessment that nations around the world have already started shutdowns with more to come in the next few days and weeks. The conclusions should be out by next Friday. Q: The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced that wrestlers must wear masks to practice or compete. I read there was some uproar about this. Do you see it as an issue? -- Mike C. Foley: I'm not sure that a mask will be the most effective at that distance, but I also don't think it will hurt any of the athletes. There will need to be specific guidance on the types of mask and how much air is allowed to pass through, but in the meantime, I think it's nice that they have a solution for wrestling as part of their overall plan. We shouldn't take for granted that we've already seen the worst of this disease. There are STILL more than 900 people dying per day with a huge increase expected in the next two weeks as the rise in cases precedes death tolls. There is a lot of soul searching we all need to do about what risks we can and cannot manage and I would warn that there is a very strong likelihood that if cases continue to spike through the winter we will see a total abandonment of close contact sports like wrestling in the United States. I know that's a tough image to conjure up, but this is a worldwide pandemic and we need to show strength and resilience like generations before have done through war and famine. This is something we know how to beat. We just need to do the right things and follow the advice of medical professionals.

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin wrestling continues to set new standards of success on and off the mat. The Badgers are excited to announce a unique and groundbreaking opportunity to provide wrestling student-athletes with teaching from brand marketing expert and renowned author Jeremy Darlow. Wisconsin will be the first wrestling program in the nation to partner with Darlow. Darlow, who personally selected the Badgers to take his course, "The DARLOW Rules: How to Build an Athlete Brand", will work with UW wrestling student-athletes to educate them on how to develop and grow their personal brand to lay a foundation for post-graduate success in professional careers and beyond. Darlow previously worked with Wisconsin volleyball earlier this fall with great success. "The University of Wisconsin continues to demonstrate dedication to the success of its student athletes outside of sports," Darlow said. "This newly formed partnership with Badger wrestling proves that. I look forward to teaching these young men, and future leaders, how to build plans that set them on a path to landing their dream jobs and building their dream lives." "The Athletes Are Brands Too" author has worked with athletes, including Aaron Rodgers, Kris Bryant, and Lionel Messi; and celebrities such as Kanye West and Snoop Dogg. He helps college athletic programs, coaches, and athletes build and elevate their brands to elite levels. "We are so excited to partner with Jeremy Darlow," said head coach Chris Bono. "We are the only NCAA Division I wrestling team to have a partner like Jeremy to help our student-athletes with branding." "I am a big believer in our student-athletes building their own individual brand that will help them after their UW career is over. This is an exciting time and we cannot wait to begin working with Jeremy." Darlow's course will provide athletes with the fundamentals of brand development and communication. Throughout the course, athletes will learn marketing skills that will culminate in the development of unique personal brand marketing plans. About Jeremy Darlow Jeremy Darlow is a leading brand consultant, former director of marketing for Adidas football, volleyball, and baseball, adjunct marketing professor, and author of the book "Brands Win Championships," a branding guidebook for college sports programs. During and since his role at Adidas, he has worked with some of the most heralded athletes, celebrities, and NCAA programs in and around sports, including Aaron Rodgers, Von Miller, Adrian Peterson, Dak Prescott, Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, Lionel Messi, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Snoop Dogg, Kanye West, Notre Dame, Michigan, UCLA, Miami, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Texas A&M. His first book has been read and studied by professors at major college sports programs across the United States, including Georgetown University, Gonzaga University, the University of Alabama, the University of Louisville, Oregon State University, and New York University.

The 2020 Powerade will take place at the Monroeville Convention Center To help comply with the health and safety guidelines set by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and to assist in social distancing we are happy to announce a change in venues for the 2020 Powerade Wrestling Tournament. The tournament will be moved to the spacious Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. The tournament will now be held on Monday & Tuesday, Dec. 28-29, 2020. The Powerade Junior Tournament's (Girls, Boys JV, 15U, 12U & 10U) will be held on Sunday, December 27, 2020 at the same location. The Governor's new gathering limits issued on Oct. 6 has presented us with no choice but to move the 2020 Powerade Wrestling Tournament from Canon-McMillan High School, the longtime home of the tournament. For more information please visit our new website at Powerade Wrestling.

Gabe Dean defeated Taylor Lujan in the quarterfinals of Senior Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) On Saturday FloWrestling will host the 8-Man Challenge. It will be an eight-competitor tournament at 195 pounds featuring multiple former collegiate stars who have made the transition to freestyle. The winner will receive $20K, with prize money given to the other placewinners. The following is a preview of the first-round matches from the tournament and projects the matches in the following rounds. First Round Shakur Rasheed vs. Keith Gavin Gavin will come out of retirement to enter this tournament. The current head coach at Pittsburgh was also quite the competitor for the Panthers. He won the 2008 NCAA title at 174 pounds and was a two-time All-American. His 120 wins are currently the eighth most in program history. After leaving college, Gavin continued to wrestle on the international circuit. He finished second at both the 2010 and 2014 U.S. World Team Trials and represented the U.S. at the 2013 World Championships. Rasheed recently finished his eligibility at Penn State. He made the All-American podium with a seventh-place finish in 2018. Rasheed then qualified in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. This past year, he went 8-6 in an injury shortened season and picked up victories over Jordan Pagano and Jacob Warner. Rasheed recently wrestled on the debut Wrestling Underground show. He faced off against fellow tournament competitor Sammy Brooks and dropped an 8-6 match. It will be interesting to see what Gavin looks like after being out of action and focusing on coaching. It is entirely possible that he will be rusty or fade after a strong start. If that is the case, Rasheed should make for an interesting return. Rasheed may have some physical advantages in the match, but he has had his own issues with fading. In the end, look for the veteran's skill and gamesmanship to help him pull out a victory. Prediction: Gavin VPO1 over Rasheed Taylor Lujan vs. Gabe Dean After three straight qualifying seasons, Lujan entered his senior year in 2020 looking to finally become an All-American. He went 28-2 and won the Big 12 title at 184 pounds. Along the way, Lujan picked up signature victories over the likes of Taylor Venz, Hunter Bolen and Johnny Sebastian. Even though there was not an NCAA tournament, the NWCA awarded Lujan with first team All-American honors for the 2020 season. Lujan recently entered the 2020 Senior Nationals where he went 5-2 with wins over Devin Skatzka and Max Dean. Dean was a two-time champion and a four-time All-American for Cornell. He finished his eligibility in 2017 with a 153-7 career record. During his senior year, Dean had an undefeated season going until he was defeated in the NCAA final against Bo Nickal. Dean then finished seventh at the 2017 U.S. Open and took a hiatus from competition. He returned at the recent Senior Nationals and surprisingly won the event. Along the way, he actually scored wins over two of the competitors in this field. One of the wins from Senior Nationals came over Lujan. Despite the extensive layoff, Dean had very little trouble. He scored four takedowns in a gut wrench and terminated the match late in the second period. Lujan might be able to keep in close since a lot of Dean's offense came off of failed leg attacks from the former Northern Iowa star. However, Dean will also be comfortable winning a close match. Prediction: Dean VPO1 over Lujan Nate Jackson vs. Sammy Brooks Jackson was a two-time All-American at Indiana. He finished his career in 2017 with an eighth-place finish at 184 pounds. His overall collegiate record stands at 107-27. Since leaving school, Jackson has been a regular on the freestyle circuit where he has picked up several medals, including a silver at the 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International and a gold at the 2019 Medved tournament. He recently had a very strong performance at the Senior Nationals. Jackson made the finals after defeating Tyler Wilson, Parker Keckeisen, Rocky Elam and Drew Foster. Brooks was a two-time All-American for Iowa. In his senior year, he finished fourth at the NCAA tournament and picked up wins over the likes of Myles Martin, Emery Parker and Dakota Geer. Brooks' fulltime freestyle career got off to a strong start as he won the 2017 U23 World Team Trials. Since then he has gone on to win both the 2018 Poland Open and the 2019 Henri Deglane Challenge. Last year Brooks finished second in the 86-kilogram division at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Jackson and Brooks have quite the history, but the vast majority of it favors one of them. They met three times in folkstyle during the 2017 season with Jackson winning the first bout 3-1. Brooks then won a pair of wide decisions as he bested the former Indiana wrestler 10-5 and 13-6. The series then moved to freestyle where Brooks continued his dominance. In all three of their freestyle matches, Brooks has forced match termination, although two of the bouts have been extremely high scoring. In a bout at the 2019 U.S. Open, Brooks won 21-10. They wrestled again at that year's Senior nationals. Brooks won again 20-10. Even though Jackson was able to score early and often in these matches, Brooks always seems to come out of top with a mix of competitiveness and gamesmanship. Look for this match to be another high scoring match with Brooks pulling out yet another victory. Prediction: Brooks VPO1 over Jackson Myles Martin vs. Drew Foster Martin won an NCAA title as a freshman, and he finished his career as a four-time All-American. He was a prohibitive favorite to win another title as a senior in 2019. He entered the NCAA tournament with an undefeated 20-0 record, but he suffered an upset against Max Dean and ended up finishing third. Martin had a strong 2019 on the freestyle mats as he picked up silver medals at both the Bill Farrell Memorial International and Senior Nationals. Martin returned to action earlier this year on the undercard of the Kyle Dake vs. Frank Chamizo event and dropped a match against David Taylor. Foster was a somewhat surprising NCAA champion in 2019. Despite previously finishing as an All-American, he entered his final NCAA tournament at 184 pounds as one of the many contenders lining up behind Martin. However, after Martin's upset, Foster defeated Dean in the finals to become champion. After the college season, the former Northern Iowa wrestler moved to freestyle. He recently had his best finish to date as he made the third-place match at the 2020 Senior Nationals before coming up short against Trent Hidlay. At the event, Foster scored signature victories over David McFadden, Andrew Morgan, Taylor Venz and Hunter Bolen. Martin and Foster faced off at the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, and it was not really much of a match. The former Ohio State representative dominated from start to finish and took home the 10-0 victory early in the second period. Foster will likely keep it closer this time after a strong performance at Senior Nationals, but Martin remains the favorite. Prediction: Martin VPO over Foster Semifinals Keith Gavin vs. Gabe Dean One could easily make the case that Gavin has both the more dynamic offense as well as the sharper freestyle acumen. However, after focusing on coaching for so long, it is hard to imagine Dean's defensive style not carrying him to a victory here. This one will likely be close, but winning close matches looks to be a strength for Dean. Prediction: Dean VPO1 over Gavin Sammy Brooks vs. Myles Martin Martin probably has the better results over the course of his career, but the head-to-head matches against Brooks have not gone his way. They met three times during the 2017 NCAA season. Brooks won all three bouts by a combined 23-7 score. The rivalry continued in freestyle as they met in the best-of-three finals of the 2017 U23 World Team Trials. Brooks swept both matches, winning the first 13-8 and the second 9-5. It has been a long time since they wrestled, but it is hard to not look at the match history and pick someone other than Brooks. Prediction: Brooks VPO1 over Martin Finals Gabe Dean vs. Sammy Brooks Dean and Brooks also have a history that reaches back to their college days and beyond. They met twice during the 2015 season with Dean taking victories in both matches. The first came at the National Duals, and Dean scored a 6-2 decision. Their rematch was at the NCAA tournament. Brooks closed the gap a bit, but Dean still took the 3-2 victory. Neither match was particularly offensive, but that once again will favor Dean. If this prediction holds, he will have returned from hiatus with back-to-back tournament victories. Prediction: Dean VPO1 over Brooks

A day after Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker Illinois Department of Public Health put Illinois high school wrestling on hold, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced that the wrestling season will be moved to the summer season. The IHSA Board of Directors held a board meeting Wednesday and announced plans for winter sports in Illinois. The wrestling season will be held from April 19 to June 26, 2021. Basketball and other winter athletics will be held during the winter months. Illinois has reported 389,095 total COVID-19 cases with 9,619 deaths. New cases of spiked by over 6,000 on Wednesday.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Ken Kraft, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1997 and a longtime leader with USA Wrestling, passed away on Tuesday. Kraft received the Hall of Fame's Order of Merit award in 1995 and received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. Ken Kraft"We are saddened to hear of the loss of one of wrestling's great ambassadors, Ken Kraft, who was honored twice by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his transcendent work on behalf of wrestling," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "On behalf of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Board of Governors and staff, we extend our most sincere sympathies to his widow, Marjo, his family and friends. "Ken shared his gifts with wrestlers of all ages and advanced our sport as a coach, administrator, broadcaster, and event promoter," he added. "His advocacy helped grow public awareness of the values and benefits of wrestling, not only in the greater Chicago area, but throughout our nation and across the globe." Kraft built Northwestern University wrestling into a viable national program and kept the Wildcats among the elite throughout his 22 years at the helm. He became head coach at Northwestern in 1957, at the age of 22, after a Wildcat wrestling career that included a Big Ten title and his school's Medal of Honor. He remained active as an administrator at Northwestern for many years. In 1960, he coached his brother Art to the NCAA championship, a feat unmatched for 34 years. Art Kraft went on to become one of the nation's outstanding junior college coaches. Ken produced another national champion in Mark Massery and coached 11 conference champs and 14 All-Americans. One of his greatest contributions to wrestling was the founding of the Midlands Championships in 1963. Exasperated with the long drive to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to compete in the only Christmas wrestling tournament, Kraft and a few close associates established the Midlands. The king of the open tournaments, the Midlands brings the very best amateur wrestlers to Illinois each year between Christmas and New Year's. Over more than five decades, it has attracted almost every noteworthy American wrestler and is now the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. Kraft served on the organizing committee of United States Wrestling Federation, which became USA Wrestling. He served on its board of directors from 1965 to 1980, including two terms as president. In 1976, he presided over the dedication of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and was USA Wrestling Man of the Year. Kraft also helped found the Mayor Daley Youth Foundation wrestling program, now the Wildcat Wrestling Club. In 1970, he directed the NCAA Championships at Northwestern. He was USA team leader to the 1971 World Championships. Kraft was the color commentator for wrestling at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and spent many years as a wrestling commentator for ABC's Wide World of Sports, ESPN, Sports Channel and Fox Sports. He was instrumental in forming the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and served as a member of its board for several years. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Max Murin takes down Mitch McKee in a dual meet Feb. 15 in Iowa City (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling program announced Tuesday that 13 Hawkeyes have been added to an undercard and will compete Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. Among the 13 student-athletes added to the event are All-Americans Abe Assad, Max Murin, Jacob Warner and Kaleb Young. Wrestling fans will also get their first look at Hawkeye freshmen Patrick Kennedy, Bretli Reyna and Jesse Ybarra. The undercard begins at 4 p.m. (CT). The main event, featuring two-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee and All-America teammates Austin DeSanto, Jaydin Eierman, Alex Marinelli, Michael Kemerer and Tony Cassioppi, begins at 6 p.m. A total of 19 Hawkeyes are competing in a freestyle wrestling dual format. Tickets to the HWC Showdown are on sale for $30 at XtreamArena.com and at the door. Doors open to Xtream Arena at 3 p.m. The HWC Showdown Open is streamed live at Trackwrestling.com. *HWC SHOWDOWN OPEN UNDERCARD (4 p.m.) Jesse Ybarra vs. Nodir Safarov Justin Stickley vs. Carter Happel Bretli Reyna vs. Cobe Siebrecht Max Murin vs. Mitch McKee Kaleb Young vs. Jeremiah Moody Patrick Kennedy vs. Myles Wilson Nelson Brands vs. Abe Assad Jacob Warner vs. Zach Glazier *HWC SHOWDOWN OPEN MAIN EVENT (6 p.m.) Spencer Lee vs. Zach Sanders Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Erin Golston Austin DeSanto vs. Bryce Meredith Jaydin Eierman vs. Vladimer Khinchegashvili Pat Lugo vs. Matthew Kolodzik Alex Marinelli vs. James Green Precious Bell vs. Jordan Nelson Michael Kemerer vs. Tommy Gantt Tony Cassioppi vs. Nick Gwiazdowski

Richard Mann (@richardamann) and Clay Sauertieg (@ByCSauertieg) are back to break down the finals of the Super 32 Challenge. The finals featured some of the top high school wrestlers in the country who will soon be contending for national titles on the collegiate level. 0:00 - Open 1:06 - 106: Vincent Kilkeary (PA) dec over Braeden Davis (MI) 5-2 3:28 - 113: Caden Horwath (MI) dec over PJ Duke (NY) 4-3 6:15 - 120: Cooper Flynn (TN) dec over Mason Gibson (PA) 6-1 10:07 - 126: Drake Ayala (IA) dec over Troy Spratley (NY) 3-2 14:07 - 132: Nic Bouzakis (PA) major dec over Chance Lamer (OR) 13-4 17:53 - 138: Caden McCrary (GA) dec over Levi Haines (PA) 8-2 20:26 - 145: Alek Martin (OH) dec over Rocco Welsh (PA) 6-4 23:45 - 152: Caleb Henson (GA) dec over Anthony Perrari (OK) 4-3 27:24 - 160: Dean Hamiti (IL) fall over Matthew Singleton (GA) (Performance of the Night) 21:33 - 170: Manuel Rojas (MI) dec over James Rowley (OR) 3-2 33:41 - 182: Brian Soldano (NJ) fall over Bennett Berge (MN) 36:53 - 195: Christian Carroll (IN) dec over Gavin Nelson (MN) 3-1 38:52 - 220: Bennett Tabor (MN) dec over Noah Pettigrew (GA) 3-0 41:14 - 285: Hayden Copass (IL) dec over Chase Horne (GA) 3-1 45:00 - Plugs and closing

St. Ambrose University Director of Athletics Mike Holmes announced today that Bo Bettinson has been hired as the University's head wrestling coach. He will begin his duties Nov. 1. St. Ambrose recently announced the decision to add wrestling as a varsity sport beginning in 2021-2022. Bo BettinsonBettinson has served as an assistant wrestling coach at Montana State University Northern since 2017. In his time with the Lights, the program has registered 18 NAIA national qualifiers, 10 All-Americans and six national finalists, including one national champion (Nick Kunz at 125 pounds in 2020). Montana State Northern finished fourth at the 2018 NAIA Championships, 10th in 2019 and 12th in 2020. "I want to thank Mike Holmes and the search committee for giving me this opportunity," Bettinson said. "Starting a program is a unique challenge, and I am excited to get to work to build a program that the St. Ambrose community can be proud of. Go Bees!" His teams have also found success in the classroom, ranking in the top three among all NAIA schools on the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American Team list in each of the last three seasons. Bettinson has ties to Iowa, having wrestled and coached for Waldorf University in Forest City. At 125 pounds for Waldorf, he was a four-year team captain and four-time NAIA national qualifier. He finished second at the Northern Plains Last Chance World Team Trials in 2013. Bettinson won 105 matches in his career with the Warriors. He got his coaching start as a graduate assistant coach at Waldorf from 2015-17. He also volunteered with the Waldorf women's wrestling team from 2011-15. Bettinson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Foundations of Education from Waldorf in 2015. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership and Sports Management in 2017.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje get ready to fight at UFC 254 (Photo/Getty Images) In terms of MMA action featuring former wrestlers, the past few weeks has not had much to offer us wrestling fans. Thankfully actual wrestling has started to heat up a bit and get moving. But this past weekend the UFC was back doing its Fight Island thing and there was a good bit of wrestling talent represented on the card. In fact, I can't remember the last time an MMA card featured such a varied offering of wrestlers from a plethora of wrestling backgrounds. Starting with the main event, let's take a look at the takeaways from each fight at UFC 254 that featured a former high-level wrestler. Khabib Nurmagomedov Despite being utterly dominant for the majority of his career (especially in recent years), leading up to this fight, many fans and pundits have lamented the possibility of Dagestan's Nurmagomedov finally taking an L. There are several reasons for this, all relatively valid, but ultimately proven to be misguided. How would Nurmagomedov maintain his hunger now that he's secured fame, fortune, and a legacy? How would he do against a real deal, bona fide, wrestling stud like Gaethje? How would he handle the tragic loss of his lifelong trainer and father? Well, we learned this weekend that Khabib Nurmagomedov is just a different kind of fighter. Allow me to elaborate. Nurmagomedov is a man bred from birth for hand-to-hand combat. Born and raised in the combat sports hot zone of Dagestan in Southern Russia, he had early access to the highest level of instruction and training partners. Highly trained in freestyle wrestling, judo, sambo, and submission grappling, interestingly, Khabib doesn't have the competitive wrestling credentials you'd expect from such a wrestling powerhouse. He wrestled in local leagues and federations only up until the cadet level. However, Khabib is a wrestler. Relatively limited competitive exploits aside, growing up deeply plugged in to the wrestling clubs of the region and having friends who pursued the sport vigorously, Khabib has spent countless hours sharing a mat with a who's who of wrestling royalty. Sazhid Sazhidov (two-time world champ, Olympic bronze), Abdusalam Gadisov (world champ, world silver, Olympian), Magomedrasul Gazimagomedov (two-time world champ), and Gadzhimurad Nurmagomedov (Olympian) are just a few of the Russian greats that helped build the wrestling skill of Nurmagomedov as coaches and training partners. Once singularly focused on MMA, Khabib moved around a bit as he rounded out his skills. He stopped at Combat Dobro, a top freestyle club in Ukraine. He spent time at Fairfield, New Jersey's K-Dojo Warrior Tribe, an MMA gym packed with Caucasus wrestling talent, including multiple-time world champion wrestler Bilyal Makhov when he began his anticlimactic foray in MMA. Next stop was American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, home to Daniel Cormier and the army of wrestlers he draws to the west coast MMA mecca. The result of this vast wrestling education is a fighter on a level all his own. On Saturday night, Khabib didn't simply go out there and outwrestle Justin Gaethje. He outsmarted, out-hustled, out-pressured, and out-fought the interim 155-pound champ. Employing unrelenting forward pressure and nonstop offense, Khabib struck when Gaethje expected a wrestler, wrestled when expected to strike, and went for unexpected submissions where he'd normally unleash ground-and-pound and top control. It was a masterful performance from the best fighter on the planet. He retired in the cage after the fight, sitting pretty as an undefeated champion. I'd certainly love some more fights from Khabib, but the man has earned his rest. Justin Gaethje The former multiple-time Colorado high school state champ, Fargo All-American (Greco), and NCAA Division I All-American has largely been seen as the most perilous matchup for Khabib Nurmagomedov as of late. His extensive wrestling experience, heavy hands, nasty low kicks, and newfound tactical acumen led many to believe he was just too dangerous at this particular point in his career. Unfortunately, he came up short but he should hold his head high. Gaethje is a fighter currently at his best. He is skilled, he is strong, he is experienced, and he is unbreakable in every way. It just so happens that he fights in a division that is/was ruled by a generational force in Khabib Nurmagomedov. This past weekend Gaethje seemed to be off his best a bit. The normally unshakable, totally unfazed disposition of Gaethje seemed to be there, but once the fight began we saw what looked like nerves and an adrenaline dump. He was a bit more fatigued than he should have been in Round 1 of a title fight. That's not to say he looked bad or out of his league, not at all. Gaethje threw heat with his newly refined boxing prowess, he shucked off at least one Nurmagomedov tie-up and takedown attempt, and he was throwing his signature low leg kicks. In addition to all this, Gaethje prepped heavily for this fight with 2006 NCAA Division I champ Ben Cherrington, leading us to believe he might finally unleash his wrestling. Despite this, apparently it just wasn't his time yet. Gaethje fights best while moving forward. In his earlier career he would simply allow opponents to unload all of the offense they had as he'd let them break themselves while trying to break him. He's maintained the grit that made him so good as he picked up experience and polish, coming into this title fight as dangerous as any lightweight in memory. As stated earlier, Gaethje should be undeterred by this loss. He's going to be seriously tough to beat for most, and Khabib's apparent retirement makes things even more interesting. Maybe we see Gaethje fight for the vacant title next against newly signed UFC star and fellow Division I wrestler Michael Chandler? We shall see. Robert Whittaker In terms of wrestling skill and wrestling credentials, former UFC 185-pound champ Whittaker is another interesting case. The man affectionately known as Bobby Knuckles was not a wrestler in his youth and was not known as a wrestler upon entering the UFC. Whittaker was mostly successful in his MMA career as he entered the UFC, however, he was soundly defeated by three men, all notable wrestlers. Whitaker eventually moved up a division to 185 pounds and began a pretty remarkable run towards the title. During his hot streak, Whittaker found himself holding his own in wrestling situations against some seriously skilled wrestlers, chief among them was Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero. What most hadn't realized, was that in 2015 Whittaker began immersing himself in freestyle wrestling. Australian wrestling is certainly not amongst the world's best, but the land down under has a firmly established national federation and has become the adopted home of many a world-class wrestler hailing from everywhere from Uzbekistan to India to Iran. Whittaker eventually won Aussie Nationals at 97 kilos. Twice. He qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games but had to focus on MMA. Anyway, Whittaker relinquished his belt about a year ago, but has slowly and steadily began fighting his way back. This past weekend, against a very dangerous opponent, Whittaker showed all of the same tools he used to capture the strap in the first place, along with his trademark toughness, and more offensive wrestling than usual. Normally one to use his wrestling to win clinch battles and to stop takedowns in open space, on Saturday we some nice double legs and more aggression in wrestling situations. Along with his fantastic punch combos, sneaky high kicks, and veteran savvy, wrestling offense might be just the thing that takes Whittaker back to the title. Phil Hawes 2009 NJCAA national champion Phil Hawes has been on the MMA radar for quite a few years now. Identified as a top prospect in 2015, injuries, contract disputes, difficulty finding opponents, and untimely setbacks prevented Hawes from breaking through and making good on his massive potential. That has all changed now. The freak athlete who wrestled collegiately at Iowa Central Community College, Iowa State University, and Wartburg College has finally arrived. Hawes seized his place at the table on Saturday by violently knocking out his opponent in 18 seconds flat. Hawes has always had the physical tools and athleticism to hang with anyone, both in wrestling and in MMA, but he lacked the confidence and technical prowess to win at the highest levels. Having spent the last few years working on his mental game, Hawes is now on another level. Look for Hawes to remain active and attract a ton of attention with his super-entertaining brand of fighting. Casey Kenney Now six fights and five wins into his UFC run, lighter-weight wrestling dynamo Casey Kenney is officially noticed. Kenney has impressed thoroughly thus far in his MMA career, and his personality, high-speed, high-output fighting style is garnering him a lot of fans. The Indiana high school state runner-up who left a promising NCAA DII stint early, might just be championship material. He can do it all inside the cage, and now, after winning a very high pressure, competitive firefight this past weekend, Kenney will continue his climb. After winning his fight, and a $50,000 performance bonus on Saturday, Kenney hinted at rematching Merab Dvalishvili next. The Georgian powerhouse defeated Kenney soundly in their fight, especially in the wrestling exchanges. Kenney, a lifelong wrestler and former fixture on the Indian high school scene in all three styles (including judo), might be particularly inclined to want to run that one back. Alexander Yakovlev The MMA career of the Russian wrestler Alexander Yakovlev can be best described as enjoyable. Yakovlev, a very talented fighter, possesses a fully three-dimensional skill set and is a very skilled wrestler to boot. Having attained the rank of Russian National Master of Sport in freestyle wrestling, and seeing how his brother, Rasul Tikhaev has wrestled internationally for both Russia and Belarus, Yakovlev's takedowns and grappling in particular have been formidable weapons for sure. Unfortunately for Yakovlev, he was tapped out in the first round this past weekend and now sports a 3-6 UFC record. Might be back to the reginal scene for this likeable Russian soon.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- There's been a lot of chaos and uncertainty in 2020, and that is putting it mildly. The past two days in Myrtle Beach, S.C. for the 21st edition of the Super 32 Challenge were reflective of that theme. However, upon the conclusion of wrestling in the high school boys division, 14 wrestlers emerged as weight class champions, and they all were befitting the reputation that the tournament has earned over the years. Wisconsin commit D.J. Hamiti won the title at 160 poundsFirst and foremost, a pair of University of Wisconsin verbal commits for the Class of 2021 from Illinois reigned supreme in their respective weight classes. Ranked No. 24 overall in the Class of 2021, D.J. Hamiti (Joliet Catholic, Ill.) had a dominant weekend in terms of results in winning the 160-pound weight class with all seven of his wins coming via bonus point results. It was a pin and three technical falls on Saturday before a 23-14 major decision over returning state runner-up Aaron Ayzerov (Paramus, N.J.) pushed him to the semifinal round. Despite giving up the first takedown in both the semifinal and final, Hamiti would secure wins by fall in both those matches to earn the belt. The semifinal pin came at the 3:24 mark over No. 53 overall senior Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio), while in the final it was in 2:36 over top ten junior Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy, Ga.). Hayden Copass (Westview, Ill.) made a very strong case to be the No. 1 wrestler in the country at 285 pounds for the upcoming season, as he earned victories over what would arguably be the two most direct challengers to that position. In the semifinal, it was a 3-1 overtime victory over top-10 recruit Kyonte Hamilton (Georgetown Prep, Md.). Then in the final, Copass used a takedown with forty seconds left in regulation to secure the 3-1 victory over Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.) in a battle of wrestlers who were both runners-up at the Super 32 Challenge last year. Another pair of stars affirmed their status this weekend, as Woodland (Ga.) teammates Caden McCrary and Caleb Henson won Super 32 titles in the 138 and 152-pound weight classes. Ranked 50th overall in the Class of 2021, returning Super 32 placer McCrary went seven matches without giving up a single takedown. This included four matches against highly credentialed wrestlers to close out the tournament: 11-4 over three-time state finalist Maxwell Petersen (Byron, Minn.), 3-2 over two-time state runner-up Jayden Scott (Rush Henrietta, N.Y.), 5-2 over No. 49 overall senior Ramon Ramos (Casteel, Ariz.) in the semifinal, and then an 8-2 decision over two-time state runner-up Levi Haines (Biglerville, Pa.) in the final. 2018 Super 32 placer Henson entered the tournament ranked No. 11 overall in the junior class. On Saturday, he would earn three major decision victories and a technical fall to advance to a Sunday morning quarterfinal bout against the No. 35 overall junior in the country Mitchell Mesenbrink (Arrowhead, Wis.). Upon the fourth takedown of the match, Henson secured the pin at the 3:37 mark. The lone takedown allowed by Henson all weekend came in a 4-3 semifinal victory over two-time state placer Jonathan Ley (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.), and then it was a 4-3 (ultimate) tiebreaker victory over No. 7 overall junior Anthony Ferrari (Stillwater, Okla.) in the championship match. Henson scored a first-period takedown, which was countered by a Ferrari reversal; the wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods, before being unable to score in the neutral sudden victory period, and then Henson chose down and secured the escape to win the title. A pair of underclassmen from Michigan took gold at 113 pounds and 170 pounds. Ranked No. 26 overall in the sophomore class, Caden Horwath (Davison, Mich.) dominated his way to the semifinal round with two pins, a technical fall, and then a major decision. This set up a semifinal showdown with returning Super 32 runner-up Cory Land (Moody, Ala.). Land would score a first-period takedown, which Horwath countered with an escape in the first period, and then an escape and takedown in the second period; riding out Land for the duration of the third period was the difference in a 4-3 victory. The championship match was another 4-3 win, this one coming against the nation's top overall junior high wrestler, P.J. Duke (Minisink Valley, N.Y.). Horwath scored a first-period takedown for the key score of the bout, and got the championship-winning point via an escape with 26 seconds left in regulation. Manuel Rojas entered the tournament ranked No. 41 overall in the Class of 2022 with a golden opportunity, as the 170-pound weight class was one of the least heralded of the tournament field. A technical fall and two pins pushed him to the last front side match of Saturday, where he would need a takedown in overtime to beat two-time state finalist Darion Johnson (Chiawana, Wash.), 5-3. A 7-3 decision against eventual tournament medalist Sammy Starr (Kiski Area, Pa.) pushed Rojas into a semifinal showdown against No. 41 overall senior Carson Manville (State College, Pa.). That match was 3-3 after one, and 4-4 midway through the third period before Rojas scored the match-deciding takedown in a 7-5 victory. A third-period takedown in the final against fellow junior James Rowley (Crescent Valley, Ore.), a two-time state champion, gave Rojas a 3-2 championship match victory and the Super 32 belt. Though the pre-tournament narrative spent a lot of time talking about younger wrestlers ruling the day, seven of the 14 weight class champions were seniors, while none were freshmen. The lone freshman finalist was returning high school division champion Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa.), the top overall wrestler in the Class of 2024. Gibson advanced to the final via a 6-6 tiebreaker rideout against state champion Joshua Koderhandt (Belleville West, Ill.) in a semifinal match at 120 pounds. However, No. 21 overall senior Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) had clear control throughout a 6-1 championship bout victory over Gibson, scoring a takedown in the first period and a turn in the second period. The two earlier matches for Flynn on Sunday were less comfortable, with both being narrow victories over a pair of wrestlers from the Keystone State. Flynn outlasted No. 30 overall sophomore Tyler Kasak (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) 2-1 in the tiebreaker during the quarterfinal round when Kasak was called for a third caution in the top position; while it was a 4-2 semifinal victory over No. 49 overall sophomore Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.), when Flynn scored a reversal then a takedown in the third period after the first two periods went scoreless. Four of the five matches for Flynn on Saturday were decided by bonus point margins, with the exception being a 4-2 round of 32 victory over top 10 overall freshman Chris Coates (Liberty, Mo.). Rounding out the senior champions were Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa), Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.) whose titles came at 126, 145, and 220 pounds respectively. Ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2021, Iowa verbal commit Ayala reached the final despite giving up the first takedown in matches from the round of 16 on. He was able to rally back for a 6-3 win over state runner-up Vincent Robinson (Homewood Flossmoor, Ill.), a 12-6 quarterfinal win over two-time state placer Jack Gioffre (Buchanan, Calif.), and then outlast Zeke Seltzer (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) 10-9 in the semifinal; Seltzer is ranked No. 16 overall in the junior class. Ayala then made a first-period takedown stand up in a 3-2 championship match victory over No. 13 overall junior Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.). This was a third consecutive Super 32 placement for Spratley, while 2018 runner-up Ayala was able to earn the belt this go around. Martin had an absolute beast mode of a tournament last year in finishing third at 138 pounds, and this year the No. 63 overall senior moved the two steps up the podium necessary to become champion. The South Dakota State verbal commit had to come back from a 5-2 early third period deficit during the quarterfinal round with a pair of takedowns to tie the bout at 6-6 before winning 8-6 in overtime against No. 49 overall junior Michael Kilic (Woodward Academy, Ga.). The championship match was a 6-4 win over No. 12 overall sophomore Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg, Pa.); Martin used first and second-period takedowns to outlast a third-period takedown from Welsh. Ranked No. 59 overall in the Class of 2021, the future Golden Gopher Tabor had a pair of falls and a 5-1 decision to reach the semifinal round against fellow top-100 senior Xavier Doolin (North Kansas City, Mo.). Tabor would get the turn and fall early in the second period of a scoreless semifinal bout. Then in the final, Tabor made a first-period takedown stand up in a 3-0 decision against a top 30 overall junior in Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.). Clearly the tournament's most impressive performance came from its only repeat champion, No. 1 overall Class of 2022 wrestler Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who steamrolled his way to the title at 132 pounds. Three pins and a technical fall pushed him through Saturday. Sunday morning's quarterfinal result was a first period pin over two-time state champion Jacob Mann (Ladue Horton Watkins, Mo.). Bouzakis scored takedowns in all three periods of decisive semifinal and final victories over a pair of highly credentialed Class of 2021 wrestlers: 10-4 over No. 51 overall Vince Cornella (Monarch, Co.) in the semifinal, then a 13-4 major decision over No. 40 overall Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.) in the final. Fellow junior Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.) had an impressive run of his own to win the 182-pound weight class. Three pins and a major decision pushed the No. 24 overall Class of 2022 wrestler, and Rutgers verbal commit, into a semifinal against fellow returning Super 32 placer Joey Milano (Spring Ford, Pa.). Soldano had a 10-4 lead early in the third period, and survived 12-10 despite absorbing three takedowns from Milano in that last period. The championship match was an absolute barn burner against fellow junior Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), who entered as the No. 15 overall wrestler in that class. The first period ended with Berge holding a 6-5 lead, then Soldano would tie the match at 6-6 with a third-period escape. Relatively promptly after the tying escape, Soldano would secure a go ahead takedown, and then just over a minute later, he got the fall at the 5:48 mark for the title. Rounding out the weight class champions were a pair of sophomores, state champion Vincent Kilkearly (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) at 106 pounds and Christian Carroll (Mishawaka Penn, Ind.) at 195 pounds. Kilkeary advanced to the final with a 3-1 semifinal win over state runner-up Zain Fugitt (Nixa, Mo.) based on a takedown with 35 seconds left in the match. He then used takedowns in the first and third period to beat fellow sophomore Braeden Davis (Dundee, Mich.) in the championship match. Carroll missed almost all of his freshman high school season after sustaining an injury in December. After seven months off the mat, Carroll returned to training in July. Earlier this month, he won the Grappler Fall Classic at 215 pounds in this same Myrtle Beach venue; the key result being a semifinal victory over Pettigrew. In this tournament, he had two pins to reach the last match of Saturday, where Carroll earned a 9-3 victory over two-time state champion Isaiah Anderson (Chiawana, Wash.). The Sunday morning quarterfinal was a 5-2 victory over state champion Martin Cosgrove (Camden Catholic, N.J.) on the strength of first and third-period takedowns. It was then an 8-2 semifinal victory over two-time New England regional placer Conor Maslanek (Pelham, N.H.). This set up a final showdown against Gavin Nelson (Simley, Minn.), who entered as the No. 6 overall sophomore in the country; Nelson had upset pre-tournament favorite Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) 5-4 in the semifinal via a takedown with three seconds left in the bout. In the championship bout, Carroll picked up a takedown in the second period to propel himself to a 3-1 victory. If anyone had doubts about Carroll entering this tournament, they are officially gone now, and that is putting it mildly. Finals results: 106: Vincent Kilkeary (Pennsylvania) dec. Braeden Davis (Michigan), 5-2 113: Caden Horwath (Michigan) dec. P.J. Duke (New York), 4-3 120: Cooper Flynn (Tennessee) dec. Mason Gibson (Pennsylvania), 6-1 126: Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec. Troy Spratley (New York), 3-2 132: Nic Bouzakis (Pennsylvania) maj. dec. Chance Lamer (Oregon), 13-4 138: Caden McCrary (Georgia) dec. Levi Haines (Pennsylvania), 8-2 145: Alek Martin (Ohio) dec. Rocco Welsh (Pennsylania), 6-4 152: Caleb Henson (Georgia) dec. Anthony Ferrari (Oklahoma), 4-3 UTB 160: D.J. Hamiti (Illinois) pinned Matthew Singleton (Georgia), 2:36 170: Manuel Rojas (Michigan) dec. James Rowley (Oregon), 3-2 182: Brian Soldano (New Jersey) pinned Bennett Berge (Minnesota), 5:48 195: Christian Carroll (Indiana) dec. Gavin Nelson (Minnesota), 3-1 220: Bennett Tabor (Minnesota) dec. Noah Pettigrew (Georgia), 3-0 285: Hayden Copass (Illinois) dec. Chase Horne (Georgia), 3-1

Charlotte, NC -- The NJCAA Board of Regents met Thursday to discuss NJCAA student-athlete eligibility for the 2020-21 academic year. Following the Board of Regents' vote, all 2020-21 NJCAA sport seasons (fall, winter, spring) will not count towards student-athlete eligibility. The eligibility relief is provided to all NJCAA student-athletes regardless of sport season participation in the 2020-21 academic year. "The Board of Regents feels this decision is best for the success and well-being of our student-athletes and member colleges at this time," stated Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President & CEO. "There is no right answer to this challenge and situation, but as an association, we are going to support the eligibility of all our student-athletes to help them succeed in their academic and athletic careers." Returning student-athletes will be considered "non-counters" for letter of intent and NJCAA eligibility purposes. The NJCAA Eligibility Committee will continue to review and evaluate the impact of the blanket waiver on eligibility requirements. "The uncertainty surrounding the pandemic has put collegiate sports in a very challenging situation," stated Troy Tucker, NJCAA Eligibility Committee Chair. "Today's decision by the Board of Regents to grant a blanket year of participation waiver provides our institutions and student-athletes with the ability to choose to participate this academic year without the fear of using a year of eligibility for a potentially shortened or interrupted season." Current eligibility and academic requirements will still apply in order for student-athletes to compete in 2020-21 regular and postseason competition. The eligibility committee will continue to review the participation requirements for the 2021-22 academic year and reassess for adoption and approval by the NJCAA Board of Regents.

USA Wrestling announced late Tuesday night that they would not be attending the 2020 Senior World Championships scheduled for mid-December in Belgrade, Serbia. The decision came after several days of internal discussions, athlete feedback, and the influence of medical experts. At the center of the decision to not attend was USA Wrestling's belief that the risk of taking athletes and staff to Serbia (one of the only open-border nations left during the pandemic) far outweighed the gains. At the top of the list of concerns was that an athlete or staff member would get ill and have no way to receive proper medical attention and/or leave the country -- given their inability to board while positive with COVID. The concern that a number of individuals might be stuck in-country also weighed into their decision. I don't (or maybe can't given my role with United World Wrestling) have a strong opinion on the decision of the United States. As I wrote about last week there are strong arguments against attending and some interesting counter points as to why they could attend. More interesting to me is not "why" they should attend, but that there was an inherent hypocrisy perceived in that the USA, which has one of the worst COVID outbreaks in the world, is hosting national tournaments sans testing, but won't attend one where there is testing. That's not really a position that anyone can directly defend. It's true. The only logic is that the medical attention inside the country is better, as is the guarantee that athletes could return home rather than remain in some type of quarantine. Also, without testing at the USA Wrestling events there can't be a large number of cases attached to them running it. Still, USA Wrestling does send out questionnaires about symptoms and anyone who may have tested positive, which is a step in the right direction. The wrestlers directly affected by the decision seem to be supportive overall. Some outside of the top three are disappointed that they can't challenge for these spots, and some national team members would like to attend, but taken together the athletes seem relieved to not have to worry about the risks. These are crazy times. American leadership has failed and left citizens and organizations to fend for themselves, which is creating alternate realities, conspiracies, and ill-informed grievances. USA Wrestling had to make the best decision they could and they feel confident that it was to miss out on this championships. The one hyper-annoying counter argument being made online is that the wrestlers should have the opportunity to go by themselves to these events. First, that's not possible since there would still need to be a trials process and you can't have a trials process for a tournament you're not attending. Also, the act of asking to go anyway is petulant. USA Wrestling pays for training, travel, food, and financial incentives. Because they make a decision in the best interest of everyone some feel like they should have individual exclusions to allow them to solely attend because … personal responsibility? Give it a rest. You are welcome to be individually responsible with your own money and your own organization -- you can't force someone to support an ill-advised solo wrestling mission because you're willing to risk catching a disease that is causing the fourth largest mass death event in American history (1918 Flu, Civil War, WWII). The inanity of it all… Things will get better. We will wrestle again. And if there is a world championships without the United States then so it goes. Americans are resilient and our wrestlers will find a way to train and prepare -- likely at a UWW event in 2021. To your questions … Q: Jordan Burroughs and David Taylor traded comments on Twitter and alluded to a potential meeting later this year. Thoughts on that potential matchup? -- Mike C. Foley: I could use the entertainment but have no interest in picking a winner until there are some contracts signed and the Twitter jousting begins in earnest. The first round of online combat went to Jordan by tech fall … Q: Any idea how much money the wrestlers are making at these pro events put on by Flo, NLWC and others? -- Mike C. Foley: Depends on the athlete but it ranges from a low-end average of $2,500 to a top price of $50,000 for top level talent (sometimes even more). As a safe bet, you can assume most are making just about $5,000 a bout, which is better than many UFC fighters receive on their initial contracts, which can be as low as $3K to show and $3K to win. That size purse won't make anyone rich, but it's a solid return on the training hours and keeps the American wrestlers sharp for competition. There are a lot of Americans out of work so it's nice to see that these platforms, and the community at large, is able to support our top athletes who are here to pursue their dreams and give us some entertainment along the way.

The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club returned with its second event on Rokfin on Tuesday. Richard Mann (@richardamann) and Clay Sauertieg (@ByCSauertieg) are back on the Matside to break it all down. In the main event, Bubba Jenkins returned to wrestling against Jason Nolf. The rest of the card featured some of the best from Penn State and the club team taking on challengers. 0:00 - Open/Clay's Penn State fandom 1:23 - Terrell Barraclough VPO1 over Kyle Shoop (15-9) 3:48 - Jarod Verkleeren VSU1 over Brock Zacherl (15-4) 6:51 - Brett Pfarr VSU over Jaime Espinal (10-0) 9:47 - Bekzod Abdurakhmanov VSU1 Nestor Taffur (12-2) 12:17 - Jane Valencia VPO1 over Vayle-Rae Baker (13-2) 14:18 - Carter Starocci VFA over Devin Skatzka (7-0) 17:52 - Michael Beard VPO1 over Greg Bulsak (10-9) 21:02 - Greg Kerkvliet VSU over Demetrius Thomas (10-0) 23:54 - Alejandra Romero Bonilla VPO1 over Alexis Porter (3-0) 26:16 - Bryce Meredith VPO1 over Beau Bartlett (8-6) 29:57 - Roman Bravo-Young VSU over Shelton Mack (11-0) 33:12 - Jason Nolf VSU over Bubba Jenkins (10-0) 34:41 - Are MMA vs. wrestling matches gimmicks? 49:06 - Overall impressions 42:29 - Closing and plugs

Kansas' top senior Kyle Haas wrestled Nick Feldman at Who's Number One (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The Kansas Class of 2020 will be remembered for much more than the chaos that this year has brought us. Eleven wrestlers from that class signed with Division I programs, equaling the state's record 11 signees from 2018. This class of seniors have plowed through the strangest offseason in memory and are ready to carve their way into Kansas wrestling history. It is my pleasure to introduce to you, the Class of 2021. 1. Kyle Haas (Maize) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 285 Anticipated College Weight Class: 197/285 Analysis: Haas heads this class in the rarified air of a No. 1 national ranking by many publications. He is a four-time national champion (two folkstyle, one freestyle and one Greco-Roman). He earned his way onto the U.S. cadet world team in both styles and carries a career 119-3 record into his senior season. A multiple-sport athlete and younger brother of NCAA All-American Tyler Caldwell, it has been no surprise that Haas has exceeded already high expectations. He has one more trail to blaze this year before heading to the mecca of college wrestling at Oklahoma State University. Words from the corner: "Kyle has been an absolute pleasure to coach. He has encouraged teammates and has been a real leader for us. Wrestlers with his talent do not come around often and I'm looking forward to his encore season." -- Head wrestling coach Mike Schauer 2. Jared Simma (St. Thomas Aquinas) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 182 Anticipated College Weight Class: 184 Analysis: With a 137-13 career record, Simma has spent three years piling up national hardware. He is a two-time Fargo All-American, a two-time NHSCA All-American and is ranked in the top 10 nationally. He has anchored many of Kansas' state dual teams and after receiving several offers, Simma will wrestle for the Panthers of Northern Iowa. I will not soon forget him as one of those wrestlers who, when asked to compete for the state traveling teams, has always responded, "I am in." Coach Schwab and the Panther faithful are going to love this kid. Words from the corner: "Jared is a super talented young man that works harder than any high school kid I have ever coached at Aquinas or anywhere else. He knows what he wants, and he's determined to get it. He is a great team leader. He makes himself, his partners, and those who will follow better every day. Jared has dominated his opponents since day one as a freshman. He has the ability to accomplish great things at the D1 level. I will be one of his biggest fans and nothing will surprise me." - Head wrestling coach Eric Akin 3. Ethan Kremer (Mill Valley) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 285 Anticipated College Weight Class: 285 Analysis: Ethan Kremer has been on a two-year rampage. On his way to two state titles and a podium finish at Fargo, he has racked up a 71-9 record and 97 total high school wins. Kremer led his high school to its first state championship. Not surprisingly, he has the interest of several football coaches and has the luxury of choosing sports! Words from the corner: "Ethan is a multi-sport athlete who is a tremendous leader on and off the mat. His dedication, work ethic and attention to detail has produced great results at the state and national level." -- Head wrestling coach Travis Keal 4. Cayleb Atkins (Goddard) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 160 Anticipated College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: Atkins has been a huge contributor to a Goddard program that has won six straight state titles. With 119 career high school wins and a podium All-America finish at Fargo in 2019, Atkins went 45-3 his junior year, losing a close 4-2 match to Simma in the finals. This kid is a pure technician that any college coach is going to love! Words from the corner: "Cayleb is a determined leader in our room. He works tirelessly to become the best wrestler he can become. He will be successful in life/wrestling due to his work ethic and propensity to never be satisfied." -- Head wrestling coach Brett Means 5. Trig Tennant (Arkansas City) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 152 Anticipated College Weight Class: 149/157 Analysis: With a 101-29 career record, Tennant is a three-time state medalist and a 2020 state champion. Through my years organizing dual teams, I can't think of a more hard-nosed wrestler than Trig Tennant. His attitude and love for the sport has lifted every team he has been on. To all college coaches…. If you want a warrior with top-shelf character, this kid is it! Words from the corner: "Trig loves the sport of wrestling and has a thirst for learning as much as he can! He also loves to compete and turns many things into competition. This combination makes coaching Trig a dream. During workouts and practices, he is one of the hardest-working wrestlers in the room. He also asks about certain situations and holds and how to improve on them. His tenacity and untiring will on the wrestling mat creates fits for his opponents. Trig is able to turn this on and off, because outside of wrestling he is a great student and is a well-mannered young man." -- Head wrestling coach Greg Buckbee 6. Bishop Murray (Washburn Rural) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 120 Anticipated College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: Murray is one defensive pin call away from having three straight state titles. On his way to a career 109-13 record, he has literally dominated his competition. I will not soon forget his rare mentality of taking on all comers. This attitude fits in perfect with a traditionally tough program and quality wrestling family. Look out for a spectacular 2021! Words from the corner: "Bishop Murray is an absolute gamer. The concept of 'pressure' is completely foreign to him. When the lights come on, there is nobody better in the business!" -- Head wrestling coach Damon Parker 7. Devon Weber (Pratt) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 126 Anticipated College Weight Class: 125 Analysis: On his way to three state titles, Weber is 79-1 over the last two years and 110-17 overall. He is a veteran of many national dual teams and has that rare character that rallies his teammates. No surprise that he is the quarterback on his football team. This kid is the perfect fit for any college program. Words from the corner: "Devon is primed to go for his third title in as many years. His hard work and travelling for competition have provided Devon the opportunity to become Pratt's third three-time state champion in the history of the program. On the cusp of history, we are excited for him to bring his lifelong goals to fruition. Weber has the proper focus, attitude, and drive to get it done and he looks forward to leading a talented team to a top-three finish." -- Head wrestling coach Tate Thompson 8. Cason Lindsey (Derby) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 152/160 Anticipated College Weight Class: 149/157 Analysis: With a 107-21 career record, Lindsey is a three-time state medalist and 2020 state champion. When he took home double All-American honors as a schoolboy, and with the last name Lindsey, the Kansas faithful knew he would etch his place in Kanas wresting history books. With one more high school chapter to write, I can't wait to see it! Words from the corner: "Cason comes from another great bloodline in the Derby wrestling tradition with his father Craig's 1986 state title along with his brother Cade in 2016. Cason has been a great leader for the Panthers, both on the mat and in the classroom. I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to sit in his corner for one more year as he helps lead his young teammates." -- Head wrestling coach Billy Ross 9. Johnny Akin (St. Thomas Aquinas) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 145 Anticipated College Weight Class: 141/149 Analysis: With 120 career wins, Akin enters his senior season as a three-time state medalist, including a 2020 state championship. The son of four-time NCAA All-American Eric Akin, most knew that Akin was going to be special. I can't tell you how many of his matches have included wild scrambles with nail biting finishes. Like his father, his conditioning and tenacity gives him an unlimited upside! Words from the corner: "Johnny is a gamer. He gets better as the tournament goes on and rises to the level of the competition as the rounds get tougher. He is a leader by example when it comes to discipline and work ethic. The kid has a lot of crazy exciting matches! It has been an honor to coach him and I'll miss having him on the team. I look forward to watching him continue to climb the wrestling mountain at the collegiate level." -- Head wrestling coach Eric Akin 10. Anthony Ferguson (KC Piper) Anticipated High School Weight Class: 160 Anticipated College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: His freshman year, Ferguson went 28-17 and didn't place at state. Everyone said, 'Wow he's a great athlete.' When he gets more mat time, watch out. Well, he got more than mat time! Anthony ran straight through competition last year, finishing 40-1 with a 4A state championship. Love this kid's future! Words from the corner: "He is a highly aggressive wrestler on his feet who works hard as both a leader in the room and on the mat. His UTB victory to earn the first-ever boys state title for Piper showed his determination and our commitment to out-condition our opponents. He never runs out of gas and always pushes the action on the mat." -- Head wrestling coach Todd Harris Honorable Mention: Trent Clements (Chanute) Brayden Dillow (Chanute) Kenny Fehrman (Wellington) Jace Fisher (Goddard) Damian Illialo (Manhattan) Jacob Mclain (Lansing)

USA Wrestling Director of Communications Gary Abbott moderated a panel consisting of USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner, USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, Chairperson of the Athlete Advisory Committee and Executive Board Member Veronica Carlson and USA Wrestling COVID-19 Advisory Committee member Bernard J. Feldman, M.D as they fielded questions from the media regarding USA Wrestling's decision to not partake in the 2020 World Championships.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- On Wednesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced the cancellation of the upcoming 2021 Multi-Division National Dual Championships presented by ARMS Software, Defense Soap, and the United States Marine Corps. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prompted the event's cancellation to occur at the Kentucky Expo Center (Louisville, KY) on January 8-9. “On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors, we have to, unfortunately, announce the suspension of the 2021 Multi-Division National Dual Championships,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. “We based this decision for our 90-team event on several factors, including our student-wrestlers' health and safety and the ongoing uncertainty of the upcoming wrestling season (travel restrictions, COVID-19 protocol, competition start dates, etc.). We look forward to next year's event and wish everyone a safe and successful 2020-21 season.” The 2022 NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Championships hosted by NUWAY will occur January 7-8, 2022, at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, KY.

The featured match between NCAA champion Bubba Jenkins and three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf capped another excellent night of wrestling. And finished off another successful event for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. The NLWC hosted its second high-level Senior freestyle wrestling event in as many months on Tuesday night. The event was streamed live on Rokfin. The 12-match card included numerous athletes who have excelled at the international, collegiate and high school levels. The event provided fans an opportunity to watch some top-level competitors take the mat. Penn State's stable of talented young wrestlers were impressive as the next wave of Nittany Lions prepare to make an impact collegiately. David Taylor deserves mention for the outstanding job he did providing color commentary on the live broadcast. He offered great perspectives and analysis. Here is my breakdown from the evening's matches: 155 pounds: Terrell Barraclough vs. Kyle Shoop This was a good, hard-fought kickoff match to the evening with Barraclough, a four-time Utah state champion, battling Shoop, a 2019 NWCA All-American. Barraclough came out firing to record two takedowns in the first minute en route to an 8-3 lead at the break. Shoop battled back with a leg attack and finish to draw within 10-7 in the final 90 seconds. Barraclough came back with a counter and TD to lead 12-7. He finished strong to prevail 15-9. 155 pounds: Jarod Verkleeren vs. Brock Zacherl Verkleen, a decorated age-group star for Team USA, faced off against Zacherl, who had a solid college career. Verkleeren took a 1-0 lead after Zacherl was put on the shot clock. Zacherl powered in for a blast double-leg takedown and scored two exposure points in the exhcange to lead 4-1 after one period. Down 4-1, Verkleeren charged back aggressively. He scored on a succession of leg laces to eventually end the match by a 15-4 score on technical superiority. 196 pounds: Jaime Espinal vs. Brett Pfarr This was another bout that fans were eager to watch with Espinal, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist, squaring off against Pfarr, who excelled as an All-American for Minnesota. Pfarr scored a quick takedown and two-point turn to jump out to a 4-0 advantage. Pfarr kept the pressure on, adding a takedown and pushout to lead 7-0 at the break. Espinal wasn't able to generate any offense and Pfarr earned a dominating 10-0 victory. 77 kilograms: Bekzod Abdurakhmanov vs. Nestor Taffur This was another intriguing matchup with Bekzod, a two-time world medalist taking on a tough opponent in Taffur. Bekzod powered in for a double-leg takedown early in the bout before building his lead to 6-2. He kept the pressure on, winning a scramble to lead 10-2 after the opening period. Bekzod finished a leg attack early in the second period to end the match while winning 12-2. He will be in the mix to medal at the Olympics next year. 60 kilograms: Jane Valencia vs. Vayle-Rae Baker Valencia, an Olympian for Mexico, took on a top young prospect in Baker. Valencia shot in for a pair of early takedowns to take a 4-0 lead. She followed with another leg attack and a quick finish to go up 6-0. Valencia struck on a slick re-attack early in the second period to lead 9-2. She hit another double and nearly scored a fall before winning 13-2. Valencia is a proven veteran who delivered with a strong showing. 182 pounds: Carter Starocci vs. Devin Skatzka This was a compelling matchup between a top incoming collegian in Starocci and a 2019 collegiate All-American in Skatzka. Starocci was impressive early, shooting in for a takedown and following a pushout. Starocci followed with an explosive double-leg attack to lead 5-0. He continued to fire off shots and added another double for a 7-0 advantage. Starocci took Skatzka to his back to record the pin with one second left in the first period. Starocci is someone fans are going to enjoy watching. 205 pounds: Michael Beard vs. Greg Bulsak This was a matchup between guys who are familiar with one another. They had split matches the past two years in college. Beard struck first, spinning behind for a takedown and adding a leg lace to lead 4-0. Bulsak battled back before Beard scored late in the period to lead 8-2 at the break. Bulsak kept battling, closing to within 10-9 in the final seconds before falling just short. There was good action in a bout between evenly matched athletes. Heavyweight: Greg Kerkvliet vs. Demetrius Thomas Kerkvliet dominated at the age-group levels internationally and now everyone wants to see how the promising prospect fares collegiately. Kerkvliet is an athletic and explosive heavyweight, and he showed that early on Tuesday. He shot in on a textbook low-level attack before putting six points on the board in the blink of an eye. He followed with a double-leg shot, lifting Thomas and driving him to the mat with an emphatic four-point move. He won 10-0 in a match that ended in under a minute. Kerkvliet is a tremendous young prospect who will make an immediate impact for Penn State. 68 kilograms: Alejandra Romero Bonilla vs. Alexis Porter This women's freestyle bout promised to be an interesting clash between two wrestlers with excellent credentials. Romero led 1-0 after one period between evenly matched opponents. She shot in on a strong double before finishing for a takedown to lead 3-0 early in the second period. Romero was strong defensively and prevailed 3-0 with a solid performance. 67 kilograms: Beau Bartlett vs. Bryce Meredith Barlett is another top young prospect who faced a proven wrestler at the collegiate level in Meredith. An early flurry saw Meredith come out on top to take a 2-0 lead. Bartlett charged back with a takedown and turn to go up 4-2. Meredith responded with back-to-back takedowns to lead 6-4 at the break. Bartlett came back to tie it 6-6 after a long scramble with two minutes left. Meredith battled back, finishing for a takedown to lead 8-6 with just over a minute left. Bartlett shot in late on a single, but Meredith kicked free to earn the two-point win. That was an entertaining match to watch with plenty of action and some superb scrambles. 140 pounds: Roman Bravo-Young vs. Shelton Mack Bravo-Young is somebody who typically puts on a show and he had that opportunity against another excellent competitor in Mack. RBY finished on a quick shot to lead 2-0 a minute into the bout. Bravo-Young continues to improve and his superb quickness was on full display. He spun behind Mack to lead 4-0 midway through the first period. RBY added a pushout and takedown to lead 7-0 at the break. Bravo-Young hit a front headlock turn to end the match early in the second period as he prevailed 11-0. He is wrestling at a very high level. 167 pounds: Bubba Jenkins vs. Jason Nolf Jenkins won an NCAA title, but it was nine years ago. He returned to Penn State, where he competed for most of his college career, to take on a very tough opponent in a three-time NCAA champion in Nolf. Nolf scored an early takedown to lead 2-0. Nolf followed with a pair of takedowns and a leg lace to lead 8-0. Nolf added another takedown to prevail 10-0. Fans were hoping for a better match, but Jenkins has been competing in mixed martial arts and hasn't wrestled competitively in a number of years. Nolf is in the prime of his career as a wrestler and is expected to contend for the U.S. Olympic Team next year. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games, written 10 books and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, will not send a team to compete at the 2020 Senior World Wrestling Championships, set for Belgrade, Serbia, Dec. 12-20. USA Wrestling's Executive Committee, which acts on behalf of the Board of Directors between Board meetings, in an October 20 meeting, unanimously approved a proposal not to participate in the Senior World Championships due to health and safety issues caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. "The health and safety of U.S. athletes, coaches and staff is always the No. 1 concern for USA Wrestling. After reviewing updated medical, scientific and government data, and providing an opportunity for athlete and stakeholder input, the Executive Committee concluded that it would not be in the best interest of all involved to organize a delegation to travel to and participate in the Senior World Championships in Serbia," said Bruce Baumgartner, USA Wrestling President. On Monday, October 12, United World Wrestling (UWW), the international federation for wrestling, announced that its Executive Committee voted to approve existing plans to host the event. In the same announcement, UWW cancelled the 2020 Junior World Championships, which had been set for early December in Belgrade. The Senior World Championships is the only World Championships event left on the 2020 UWW calendar, after having cancelled all other World events at the age-group levels. In a letter to all national wrestling federations including USA Wrestling, UWW explained that international federations would be able to enter athletes in the World Championships only through November 5. According to the UWW letter, on the 6th of November, the UWW Executive Committee "would meet to check the registrations and discuss the current situation of the pandemic around the World. During this meeting, it will be decided to keep the event or cancel it." USA Wrestling held a series of meetings with stakeholders and subject experts to fully discuss the issue of sending a U.S. team to the Senior Worlds and allow for input. Included were two meetings of the Executive Committee, as well as a USA Wrestling's Athlete Advisory Committee meeting. In addition, a survey was sent to 117 Senior athletes, including current National Team athletes and athletes who placed in the top eight at the 2020 Senior Nationals. The athlete survey collected data on whether athletes would attend or not attend the Senior Worlds under a variety of different possible conditions. In addition, two of USA Wrestling's special subcommittees, its COVID-19 Advisory Committee and its COVID-19 Public Relations and Messaging Committee, met to discuss various aspects of the issue. The COVID-19 Advisory Committee includes medical, scientific and governmental experts who have met regularly during the pandemic. The COVID-19 Public Relations and Messaging Committee includes communications professionals which advise USA Wrestling on its public communications activities. Athlete representation is included on both committees. "My heart breaks for our athletes, as nobody is more affected by this decision than they are. In the same breath, abstaining from the 2020 World Championships is the right decision. I am proud that the athlete voice was solicited and considered through every step of this process. In choosing to make this decision now, verses delaying it, the athletes have time to recover and refocus on what is most important -- the 2021 Olympic Games," said Veronica Carlson, Executive Committee member and chairperson of the USA Wrestling Athlete Advisory Committee. Among the issues discussed during the process are the current status and future trends of COVID-19 at the global level, the challenges faced by international travel and government restrictions, the access to quality health care services for the delegation, as well as input from athletes and other stakeholders. Currently, the U.S. State Department's Travel Advisory for Serbia is at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) out of four levels, with a notation to "reconsider travel to Serbia due to COVID-19." The Executive Committee expressed that a domestic competition could responsibly be held where USA Wrestling can closely control conditions, such as the recent Senior Nationals in Iowa. However, this is not the case with the complicated factors involved in a major World Championships. Factors which USA Wrestling can not control include the challenges with international travel, potential quarantine situations, the uncertainty of health care and medical support overseas, event operations and others. These were among the reasons that the Executive Committee made its decision. "Based upon the current medical and scientific information concerning the status of COVID-19 worldwide, including the current surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths at the international level, it would be ill-advised to place the U.S. delegation at risk by attending this competition. The challenges associated with international travel, as well as concerns about the availability and access to top-caliber health care and services, are also major factors in the decision-making process. The idea of bringing delegations from all parts of the world together at this time, each with a different situation concerning the virus, is of great concern and could put our U.S. delegation in harm's way," said Bernard J. Feldman, M.D., member of the USA Wrestling COVID-19 Advisory Committee and a long-time physician with USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling. USA Wrestling recognizes that a number of Senior athletes have expressed an interest in attending the Senior World Championships, and indicated that they are willing to personally assume the risks associated with travel and participation in the event. The Executive Committee carefully considered that sentiment, but decided that it was not in the best interest of USA Wrestling or any member of a World Championships delegation to put anyone's health and safety at risk under current conditions. U.S. athletes will not be able to participate independently. No athlete can participate in a UWW international wrestling competition without the involvement and approval of its national wrestling federation, which is USA Wrestling for the United States. USA Wrestling conducted its review in accordance with its responsibilities as a National Governing Body, as detailed in the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, in respect to section 220525 (b)(4) concerning: (E) proper medical supervision will be provided for athletes who will participate in the competition; (F) proper safety precautions have been taken to protect the personal welfare of the athletes and spectators at the competition. USA Wrestling made a similar decision in 2002, when it decided not to attend the Senior World Freestyle Championships in Tehran, Iran. USA Wrestling received specific and credible information from an official source that the safety of the U.S. delegation could not be guaranteed if a USA Wrestling delegation attended the World Championships in Tehran.

Mason Gibson gets his hand raised after winning the Super 32 Challenge (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Here in the year 2020, the fact that Defense Soap Super 32 Challenge is even happening has to be considered in and of itself a victory. The event has moved from its traditional location in Greensboro, N.C. to Myrtle Beach, S.C. due to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the governor's office in the state of North Carolina. While a lot has changed in 2020, some things about the Super 32 Challenge remain constant. First and foremost, the field is extremely deep. Out of the top-100 overall Class of 2021 wrestlers, 39 are registered as part of the Super 32 field as of this weekend; 29 of the top 50 in the Class of 2022 are entered; 28 of the top 50 in the Class of 2023 are slated to participate; as are 15 of the top 25 in the incoming freshman group, the Class of 2024. There are also six of the top 15 rated junior high wrestlers (Class of 2025 and beyond) slated to compete in the high school division. Also mostly unchanged is the structure of the two-day event. The high school boys' tournament will start Saturday with preliminary rounds that knock the field down to the quarterfinals of the championship bracket, with eight additional wrestlers remaining in consolation wrestling at the end of the day. It should be noted that the tournament is scheduled to be run in split session on Saturday, which is a COVID-related change. The traditional Sunday format for high school boys is expected to remain unchanged. Wrestling on both days is scheduled for an 8 a.m. ET start with coverage available through FloWrestling, and brackets on FloArena. Below are seven themes and/or storylines to keep a look for during the competition this weekend. P.J. Duke is the nation's No. 1 junior high wrestler (Photo/Josh Conklin) 1. Top of the Class Three of the five wrestlers ranked No. 1 for their respective grade level are registered to compete in the tournament. Top overall junior high wrestler P.J. Duke (Minisink Valley, N.Y.) is registered in the 113-pound weight class; top overall freshman Mason Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa.) is entered at 120; while top overall junior Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) is in the field at 132. Duke was champion of the 95-pound weight class in the junior high division last year as a seventh grader, before going on to win a New York State high school varsity title at 99 pounds during the scholastic season. Gibson joined Ryan Crookham in 2017 as the only wrestlers to win high school division titles as eighth graders, when he was champion at 106 pounds last October. Bouzakis earned Super 32 gold at 126 pounds last year as a sophomore, having finished third at 120 as a freshman and fifth at 106 in eighth grade. Nic Bouzakis celebrates after winning in the finals of the Super 32 Challenge (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 2. Duo of returning champions Gibson and Bouzakis are the only wrestlers in the high school Super 32 field to have won a previous title in the high school division. Eight other wrestlers still in high school have previously won high school Super 32 titles but are not entered in this year's field. They include 2019 champions Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.), Joel Vandervere (Warren Township, Ill.), and Cael Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.); 2018 champions Stevo Poulin (Shenendehowa, N.Y.), Richrd Figueroa (Selma, Calif.), Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy, N.J.), and Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.); along with 2017 champion Ryan Crookham (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.). Gibson moves up two weight classes from last year at this tournament, as he is entered in the 120-pound bracket. Eleven other wrestlers ranked in their respective grade level are expected in the field. Said group is led by a pair of top 50 seniors in National Prep champion Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) and two-time state champion Gary Steen (Reynolds, Pa.), along with No. 33 overall junior Nicolar Rivera (Stoughton, Wis.). Seven top-50 sophomores also feature in the field: Sergio Lemley (Chesterton, Ind.), Tyler Vazquez (Delbarton, N.J.), Beau Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.), Tyler Kasak (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Santino Robinson (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Carter McCallister (Rock Bridge, Mo.), and Mac Church (Waynesburg, Pa.). Joining Gibson as a nationally ranked freshman in this field is No. 6 overall in the Class of 2024 Chris Coates (Liberty, Mo.). Other notable contenders in the 120-pound weight class include multi-time state and Ironman placer Jacob Moon (Perrysburg, Ohio), 2018 Super 32 placer Diego Sotelo (Marmion Catholic, Ill.), state champion Joshua Koderhandt (Belleville West, Ill.), multi-time state champion Yusief Lillie (Post Falls, Idaho), and former Cadet World team member Cole Skinner (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio). Bouzakis moves up one weight class from last year's title win, and leading the group of challengers is a pair of returning Super 32 runners-up in Maximo Renteria (Buchanan, Calif.) and Nico Nardone (Delbarton, N.J.); they are ranked No. 5 and No. 34 overall in the Class of 2021. Three other top-100 seniors are also expected to join the bracket: Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.), Vince Cornella (Monarch, Colo.), and Derrick Cardinal (Forest Lake, Minn.). Seven additional grade-ranked wrestlers are expected to compete at 132. Casey Swiderski (Dundee, Mich.) from the Class of 2022; Ethan Mojena (Tampa Prep, Fla.), Colin Dupill (Liberty, Va.), and Weston Dalton (Pueblo East, Colo.) from the Class of 2023; along with Pierson Manville (State College, Pa.), Joseph Sealey (High Point, N.C.), and Miguel Estrada, Jr. (Frontier, Calif.) from the Class of 2024. Other notable entrants in the field include multi-time state champions Aidan Noonan (Cascade, Iowa), Jacob Mann (Ladue Horton Watkins, Mo.), and Blaine Brenner (Stanley-Boyd, Wis.); along with Richard Fedalen (McDonogh, Md.) and multi-time state placer Casey Wiles (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio). No. 4 junior high wrestler Landon Robideau was a state finalist as a seventh-grader (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) 3. Youth movement As already noted, in two of the previous three years an eighth grader has won a weight class title in the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge. Will it happen for a third time in four years this weekend? The three highest-ranked junior high wrestlers in the field are both entered at 113 pounds: P.J. Duke (Minisink Valley, N.Y.), No. 4 overall Landon Robideau (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), and No. 8 Vince Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); Robideau placed second in a very tough Class AAA state bracket at 106 pounds this past winter. Four additional grade-level ranked wrestlers populate this weight class, led by returning Super 32 runner-up Cory Land (Moody, Ala.), who is No. 34 overall in the Class of 2022. Caden Horwath (Davison, Mich.) and Kael Lauridsen (Bennington, Neb.) are ranked in the top 50 from the Class of 2023; while Kollin Rath (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) is ranked No. 15 overall among junior high wrestlers. Spencer Moore (Walton-Verona, Ky.) and Charlie Farmer (Moline, Ill.) join Land as returning placers from last year's tournament, as they placed sixth and fifth respectively in the 106-pound weight class that Land finished as runner-up. Other contenders include state champions Jore Volk (Lakeville North, Minn.), Alex Cottey (Perry Meridian, Ind.), and Joseph Fernau (Montini Catholic, Ill.); 2019 state champion Peyton Fenton (Elyria, Ohio); and two-time state placer Reid Nelson (Simley, Minn.). 4. Fabulous freshmen The top six overall Class of 2024 wrestlers are entered in this field, with Gibson already mentioned a returning champion competing at 120 pounds. Ranked No. 2 overall in this class is Pierson Manville, who has been mentioned in the discussion at 126; while No. 3 overall is Zach Ryder (Minisink Valley, N.Y.), who is at 145, which is three weight classes above where he won a high school state title last year in New York State at 126 pounds. The best opportunity for the highest placement, outside of Gibson, in this group is for Aden Valencia (Ann Sobrato, Calif.). Ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2024, he is entered in the 106-pound weight class. Last year, four freshmen and an eighth grader were among the eight podium positions at the opening weight; while in 2018 it was six sophomores, a freshman, and an eighth grader; and in 2017 the placement group had five sophomores, two freshmen, and an eighth grader. In terms of the grade rankings, two other top-25 freshmen join Valencia in the 106-pound field, No. 13 Dillon Campbell (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio) and No. 19 Anthony Knox (Bergen Catholic, N.J.); while No. 14 overall junior high wrestler Nathan Desmond (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) is also expected to compete. Other highly notable contenders include state champions Vincent Kilkeary (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), Braeden Davis (Dundee, Mich.), Ethan Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and Nolan Wertanen (St. Joseph, Mich.); state medalists Nathan Jesuroga (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Drew Heethius (Detroit Catholic, Mich.), and Zan Fugitt (Nixa, Mo.); along with past Fargo All-Americans such as Grigor Cholakyan (St. John Bosco, Calif.) and Alan Koehler (Prior Lake, Minn.). Rounding out the top six freshmen in this field are No. 5 overall Angelo Ferrari (Stillwater, Okla.) at 138 and No. 6 Chris Coates (Liberty, Mo.) at 120. 5. Who's Number One redemption Four wrestlers in the field lost their matches at the Who's Number One showcase put on by FloWrestling in Austin, Texas at the beginning of this month. Each seeks redemption this weekend in Myrtle Beach. Four-time state finalist and two-time state champion Jordan Titus (Center Moriches, N.Y.) placed fourth last year at the Super 32 in the 120-pound weight class, and is registered to compete at 126. He is ranked No. 14 overall in the Class of 2021, and is looking at a potential championship match with No. 12 overall senior Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa) should each be successful in navigating a congested weight class. Primary challengers include two-time Super 32 placer Jordan Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.), who is ranked No. 13 overall in the Class of 2022; state champion Zeke Seltzer (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.), ranked No. 16 in the Class of 2022; and 2019 state champion Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio), No. 65 in the Class of 2021. Five additional grade-ranked wrestlers populate the field: No. 48 overall junior Chase DeBlaere (Simley, Minn.); top-50 sophomores in returning Super 32 placers Maxximus Martinez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) and Dylan Gilcher (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) along with Vincent Robinson (Homewood-Flossmoor, Ill.); and No. 12 overall freshman August Hibler (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). Others to note at 126 include Kyren Butler (Copley, Ohio), who was one match from placing at the Super 32 last year; two-time state placers Jack Gioffre (Buchanan, Calif.), Joseph Cangro (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) and Dylan Chappell (Seneca Valley, Pa.); along with state champions Braden Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) and Danny Nini (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.). Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy, N.J.) was champion last season at the Ironman and National Prep championships, and is registered to compete in the 182-pound weight class, which has extraordinary depth for being an upper-weight at this tournament. Ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2022, he is joined by Bennett Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) Brian Soldano (High Point, N.J.) as a top 25 junior; each was a state champion and Super 32 placer last year. In addition, there is a staggering six top-100 seniors in the field: No. 39 Rocco Contino (Buchanan, Calif.), No. 42 Jake Evans (Elyria, Ohio), No. 48 Jaxon Smith (Woodland, Ga.), No. 64 Tylynn Lukens (Manatee, Fla.), No. 84 Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.), and No. 98 Jared Simma (St. Thomas Aquinas, Kansas). Evans, Smith, and Short placed in this tournament last year, so did fellow Class of 2021 wrestlers Joey Milano (Spring-Ford, Pa.). Among other notables in this field are grade-level ranked wrestlers in sophomore Hayden Walters (Crescent Valley, Ore.) along with freshmen Sawyer Bartelt (South Dade, Fla.) and Carter Neves (St. Paris Graham, Ohio). Additional seniors to watch include state champions Mason Diel (Arrowhead, Wis.), Roman Rogotzke (Stillwater, Minn.), and Eli Sheeren (Klein, Texas); along with state medalists Hudson Hightower (St. Edward, Ohio) and Cole Hivnor (Lake Catholic, Ohio). Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) is ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2022, and was undefeated in his sophomore season prior to the state tournament being cancelled due to COVID. Shumate was champion at the Walsh Ironman, North Canton, and Brecksville tournaments during the season. However, he failed to place at the same 195-pound weight class he is entered at this weekend in last year's Super 32 after being a double champ in Fargo. Four additional grade-ranked wrestlers join Shumate in the 195 field, including returning Super 32 placer Evan Bates (Chesterton, Ind.), who is ranked No. 100 overall in the Class of 2021 after winning a state championship this past winter. Also grade ranked are No. 6 overall sophomore Gavin Nelson (Simley, Minn.), who lost to Berge in the state final last season; No. 50 overall junior Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers College, Mo.); and No. 60 overall senior Franklin Cruz (Pomona, Colo.). Additional contenders include state champions Martin Cosgrove (Camden Catholic, N.J.), Isaiah Anderson (Chiawana, Wash.), and Dorian Walters (Lathrop, Mo.); state medalists Jon List (Wadsworth, Ohio) and Aidan Warren (Perry Meridian, Ind.); two-time New England placer Conor Maslanek (Pelham, N.H.); and sophomore Christian Carroll (Penn, Ind.), who has had a superlative fall after failing to place at state last season. Kyonte Hamilton fell to Chase Horne at Who's Number One (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 6. Heavy packs a punch The fourth participant to lose at Who's Number One earlier in the month is Kyonte Hamilton (Georgetown Prep, Md.), and he is registered to compete at 285 pounds. Hamilton was champion at the Beast of the East and National Preps as a junior, and ended the 2019-20 season as the highest ranked underclassman at 220 pounds, and is ranked No. 7 overall in the Class of 2021. Knocking off Hamilton in Austin, Texas, by a 10-6 decision was Chase Horne (West Laurens, Ga.). Horne is a two-time placer at the Super 32, including finishing second to Braxton Amos last year as a sophomore, and is ranked No. 14 overall in the Class of 2022. The third of the stars in this Super 32 weight class is another returning Super 32 runner-up in Hayden Copass (Georgetown Ridgefarm, Ill.), who ended last season as the top underclassman at 285 pounds, and is No. 35 overall in the Class of 2021. Positioned behind these three are a quartet of credible challengers, who could make cases for higher ranking at 285 with excellent performances this weekend. Apollo Gothard (Lemont, Ill.) was a state champion last season, and is a three-time state placer; Keith Miley (Whitfield, Mo.) has twice finished as state runner-up, and is a returning Super 32 placer; Ryan Boersma (Providence Catholic, Ill.) placed at state last year as a sophomore; while Jalen Stephens (Meyersdale, Pa.) is a two-time state placer. 7. Quickly through the rest of the field Showing the depth of this tournament is that a 138-pound field featuring five top-100 seniors gets buried this deep in the preview article. They include returning Super 32 placers in Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) and Caden McCrary (Woodland, Ga.), Ramon Ramos (Casteel, Ariz.), Teague Travis (Stillwater, Okla.), and Ben Alanis (Valiant Prep, Ariz.). Six additional grade-ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class: Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.), who has placed third in this event twice, and Jake Niffenegger (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) from the Class of 2022; returning Super 32 placer Nasir Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.), Nicco Ruiz (St. John Bosco, Calif.), and Joey Blaze (Perrysburg, Ohio) in the Class of 2023; and Angelo Ferrari (Stillwater, Okla.) among the freshmen. The 145-pound weight class features four top-100 seniors and three top-50 juniors. Those from the Class of 2021 include Alex Ramirez (Rowland, Calif.), returning Super 32 placer Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), Nathaniel Pulliam (Rolla, Mo.), and Henry Porter (Gilroy, Calif.); while from the Class of 2022 it is Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio), Garrison Dendy (Baylor School, Tenn.), and Michael Kilic (Woodward Academy, Ga.). The 152-pound weight class features 14 grade-ranked wrestlers. Four from the Class of 2021: Paniro Johnson (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), Robert Weston (Lassiter, Ga.), Vincent Zerban (Civic Memorial, Ill.), and Connor Gaynor (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.); five from the Class of 2022: Anthony Ferrari (Stillwater, Okla.), Caleb Henson (Woodland, Ga.), Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.), Mitchell Mesenbrink (Arrowhead, Wis.), and Nicholas Vafiadis (New Kent, Va.); ranked in the Class of 2023 it is Joshua Barr (Davison, Mich.), Braden Scoles (Kewaskum, Wis.), Brayden Thompson (Liberty, Ill.), and Grant Mackay (Laurel, Pa.); while Bas Diaz (Somerset Academy, Fla.) is ranked No. 9 among junior high wrestlers. Ferrari, Henson, and Cardenas are all ranked inside the top 12 for the junior class nationally. Nine grade ranked wrestlers are present at 160 pounds. Leading the way are four top 50-ish seniors in D.J. Hamiti (Joliet Catholic, Ill.), Derek Fields (Brunswick, Ohio), Carson Manville (State College, Pa.), and Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio). The trio of nationally ranked juniors are Matthew Singleton (Woodward Academy, Ga.), Erik Gibson (Forest Hills, Pa.), and Hunter Lyden (Stillwater, Minn.); while Tate Naaktgeboren (Linn-Mar, Iowa) and Michael Dellagata (St. Joseph Regional, N.J.) are top 50 in the Class of 2023. The 170-pound weight class, based on present composition, could arguably be the tournament's weakest with just three grade-ranked wrestlers led by a pair from the Class of 2022 in returning Super 32 placer Joseph Martin (Buchanan, Calif.) and Manuel Rojas (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Other juniors to watch in this weight class are state champions Clayton Whiting (Oconto Falls, Wis.), James Rowley (Cresent Valley, Ore.), and Mickey Griffith (Des Moines Lincoln, Iowa); Whiting and Rowley are two-time state champions. Ryder Rogotzke (Stillwater, Minn.) is No. 43 overall in the Class of 2023. There should be opportunity for some lesser known wrestlers to make a name for themselves in this weight class. The 220-pound weight class rounds out the field, and along with 170 is probably the field's least robust. Just three grade-level ranked wrestlers in the field. A group led by No. 28 overall junior Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy, N.J.), who is looking for a bounce back event after some recent drops in production. Two top-100 seniors look to earn the belt in this weight class, No. 59 Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.) and No. 88 Xavier Doolin (North Kansas City, Mo.); Tabor was a state champion last year, and placed fourth in the Super 32 at 195, while Doolin was a state runner-up during his junior season and has had a surge of form during this off-season. Additional contenders include state champions Cole Gripka (Marysville, Mo.) and Gage Cook (Granger, Wash.), along with IHPO champion Logan Shepherd (Massillon Perry), who upset Bates to earn that title.

Jim Jackson (far right) retired as head wrestling coach at Shakopee High School in Minnesota After five seasons leading the Sabers, Jim Jackson has chosen to retire from the head wrestling coaching position for Shakopee High School. Jackson's long career is well-known in Minnesota wrestling with numerous conference and state wrestling championships on his resume. (He guided Apple Valley High School to 14 state championships.) In Shakopee, he led the Sabers to four conference championships, three section championships, one runner-up state finish and two state championships. In September (2020), Jackson started a new career in the private sector and since then has been splitting time between coaching and his new job. "Trying to juggle both is not fair to our student athletes or our entire program, nor is it fair to the company I work for," said Jackson. "With this change in my life, I feel like it is the right time to focus on my next chapter." Taking over the wrestling program in an interim position for this season is assistant coach Marcus LeVesseur. LeVesseur has also been with the Sabers for five years and has been an integral supporter and mentor of the team. His dedication will allow him to seamlessly lead the present program. "We are thankful for the time, talent and energy Jackson gave to our wrestling program," said Matt Hanson, Shakopee Athletic Director. "We are confident that LeVesseur will step into this position and do a great job." "I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many tremendous athletes, coaches, administrators, parents, managers, custodians, teachers, numerous alumni and fans," said Jackson. "Thank you for your support over the years. It's been an incredible ride!"

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame will hold its first-ever Day of Giving on October 28. The 24-hour "Day of Giving: Help Your Hall" fundraising event invites supporters around the world to work together to ensure that the Hall of Fame can fulfill its mission to preserve the history of wrestling, recognize excellence, and inspire future generations. Donations will be accepted at http://bit.ly/NWHOFDayofGiving. Donations can be made by telephone from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (405) 377-5243. "Day of Giving: Help Your Hall" Frequently Asked Questions Day of Giving: Help Your Hall begins at midnight Central Time on October 28 and concludes at 11:59 p.m. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hall of Fame has experienced a $200,000 shortfall in its operating budget after being forced to close its museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa, and postpone Honors Weekend, Dan Gable Museum events and 24 State Chapter induction ceremonies. Despite making significant cuts to its operating budget, the financial predicament remains substantial and the Day of Giving: Help Your Hall event comes at a critical time. "We are in the midst of perhaps the greatest challenge of our time and hope that our supporters are able to help us get off the mat by making donations and helping us spread the word about our Day of Giving: Help Your Hall," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director. "We are confident that our wrestling family will step up and help us continue to perform the vital work necessary to showcase our sport's benefits and values to those inside and outside the wrestling community." Day of Giving: Help Your Hall is a digital and social-media driven campaign and more information will be shared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Please consider following the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum: NWHOF and NWHOFDGM on Facebook, NWHOF and wrestlingmuseum on Twitter and nationalwrestlinghof and dangablewrestlingmuseum on Instagram. The Hall of Fame is also encouraging its honorees and its supporters to share and advocate for "Day of Giving: Help Your Hall" on their social media platforms. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Jason Nolf and Bubba Jenkins will face off Tuesday at NLWC on Rokfin 2 Despite Senior Nationals taking place, the wrestling world is still not back to normal due to the international pandemic. RTCs and streaming services have continued to try to fill the void for the wrestling fanatics. For the second time this season, the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club will host an event on Rokfin. The event features some of the best current and former Penn State wrestlers, including Jason Nolf and Roman Bravo-Young. The following is a match-by-match preview of the event. Jason Nolf vs. Bubba Jenkins The history of Jenkins and Penn State is a long tale with many twists and turns. He joined the Nittany Lions program in 2006. Prior to his sophomore season he won the Junior World Championships at 66 kilograms. That success in freestyle set the table for his 2007-2008 collegiate season where he scored signature victories over both Jordan Burroughs and Lance Palmer. At the NCAA tournament, he went on quite the run and made the finals before falling against Brent Metcalf. Jenkins finished his junior season with an undefeated 22-0 record but an injury suffered at the Big Ten tournament scuttled his postseason. While the hiring of Cael Sanderson turned Penn State into a wrestling dynasty, it was not a good fit for Jenkins. During his redshirt year, he left the State College and ultimately ended up at the recently resurrected Arizona State program. In his only season with the Sun Devils, Jenkins made the NCAA final at 157 pounds and exacted some revenge against his former team as he upset David Taylor via second-period fall. Following college, Jenkins transitioned to MMA pretty much immediately as he made his professional debut in December 2011. In 2013, he signed with Bellator and went 8-3 before leaving the promotion in 2016. Jenkins has gone 3-1 since leaving the promotion and currently holds the Brave CF featherweight title. Nolf spent his entire collegiate career at Penn State. He was a four-time NCAA finalist and a three-time champion. After finishing school in 2019, Nolf transitioned fully to freestyle. That same year he took a bronze medal at the U.S. Open and silver medals at both the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament and the Bill Farrell. Like many competitors, he has done his best to stay busy in the pandemic world. This past June, he won a 4-1 match over Jordan Oliver in the main event of Rumble on the Rooftop and defeated David McFadden in his last match at the inaugural NLWC event. While the storylines here are rather intriguing, the match will likely be less contentious. Former wrestlers who have converted to MMA have tried to return to the sport of their roots, but the results have not been there. For example, Ben Askren challenged Jordan Burroughs at the 2019 Beat the Streets event and fell via an 11-0 score. Recently, Darrion Caldwell faced off against Luke Pletcher at a FloWrestling event. While Caldwell kept it close early, Pletcher finished the bout in control. Jenkins has shown magic in the past, but Nolf will be a big favorite in this match. Prediction: Nolf VSU over Jenkins Jarod Verkleeren vs. Brock Zacherl Verkleeren will step in here as a replacement for teammate Nick Lee. The rising junior held down the 149-pound starting spot for Penn State last year and finished with a 17-8 record. In the last two months of the season, he appeared to be rounding into form. He defeated Cole Martin and Kizhan Clarke and also went to overtime with Brayton Lee and Sammy Sasso. At the Big Ten tournament, he went 2-2 and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Zacherl was a four-time NCAA qualifier for Clarion. As a junior, he made the round of 12 and nearly became an All-American. He returned for his senior season and went 22-4 and qualified for yet another NCAA tournament. During the season, he picked up wins over Collin Purinton, Russell Rohlfing and Colston DiBlasi. Following the season, the NCWA awarded him with second team All-America honors. Verkleeren will take a freestyle match here, but his best Olympic style might actually be Greco. He normally succeeds when he is able to slow down a match and work his control ties. Zacherl is the more active offensive wrestler, and that should go a long way in this match, if he can break through the defense. Prediction: Zacherl VPO1 over Verkleeren Roman Bravo-Young vs. Shelton Mack Bravo-Young started right away for Penn State when he joined the team in 2019. As a true freshman, he picked up wins over the likes of Luke Pletcher, Chas Tucker and Micky Phillippi and then finished the year with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA tournament. This past season, he took another step forward and finished the year with a 20-2 record. His only losses came against former NCAA champion Seth Gross and Sebastian Rivera in the Big Ten tournament final. Bravo-Young returned to action this past July on the undercard of the Kyle Dake vs. Frank Chamizo show and picked up a dominant 8-1 victory over former NCAA finalist Jack Mueller. Mack actually coached Mueller during his time as an assistant at Virginia. The senior level athlete was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Pittsburgh between 2012-2014. Mack then transitioned into college and the freestyle circuit. Perhaps his best year in freestyle came into 2019. He won the Last Chance Qualifier for the World Team Trials with wins over Micky Phillippi and Daniel DeShazer before finishing fourth at the World Team Trials Challenge tournament. Mack recently finished eighth at the 2020 Senior Nationals where he picked up wins over Gabriel Gray, Justin Portillo, Codi Russell and Skyler Petry. Mack is a veteran who does a good job holding position. He may be able to challenge Bravo-Young here, but look for the Penn State representative to make a difference with his quick leg attacks. He was able to avoid the freestyle savvy of Mueller earlier this year, and that should once again pay dividends here. Prediction: Bravo-Young VPO1 over Mack Aaron Brooks vs. Brett Pfarr This bout will be a rematch of a meeting that took place last December at the 2019 Senior Nationals. The two met in the consolation semifinals, and Pfarr took a 5-5 criteria win over Brooks. In the match, the first period ended with a 1-0 score after Pfarr received a shot clock point. He extended that lead early in the second after winning an extensive scramble. Brooks finally got on the board after a one-point reversal off a leg lace attempt. He then scored a takedown on a low shot counter to a shot from Pfarr, and he followed that up with a lace to take a 5-3 lead. Brooks then went for another leg attack but exposed himself in the scramble. They returned to their feet with 17 seconds to go, but neither wrestler was able to break the 5-5 tie, and Pfarr took the match. As a true freshman last year, Brooks did not join the starting lineup until December. By the time March rolled around, he cemented himself as one of the best wrestlers at 184 pounds and perhaps a contender for the national title. His only loss came against Taylor Venz of Nebraska. Not only did he avenge that defeat in the Big Ten tournament, but also defeated Owen Webster and Cameron Caffey to win the entire bracket. Not only did Pfarr defeat Brooks at the 2019 Senior Nationals, but he also had a very strong tournament overall. The former Minnesota All-American also defeated Nick Heflin, Max Dean and Drew Foster on his way to a fourth-place finish. Unfortunately, 2020 has not been as kind to Pfarr. He started the year with a loss against Zac Braunagel at the Rumble on the Rooftop event. He then went 3-2 at the 2020 Senior Nationals and failed to place, though he did score impressive wins over Devin Skatzka and Hunter Bolen. In their first meeting, Brooks appeared to be the aggressor, but he had trouble finishing and gave up points in scrambles. Pfarr is long and very hard to get to. However, if Brooks is able to clean up the finishes of his leg attacks, he should be able to take this one. Prediction: Brooks VPO1 over Brett Pfarr Greg Kerkvliet vs. Demetrius Thomas Kerkvliet seems to have finally found his collegiate home at Penn State. He returned to action for the first time since the 2019 Senior Nationals on the first NLWC event. Kerkvliet faced off against All-American Youssif Hemida and dominated on the way to a 10-0 superiority finish. Back at the 2019 Senior Nationals, he wrestled his way to a third-place finish with his only loss coming against veteran Tony Nelson. A month prior to that event, Kerkvliet represented the U.S. at the U23 World Championships where he made a bronze medal match before coming up short. Thomas transferred to Pittsburgh after winning an NAIA title at Williams Baptist. In his first season in the ACC he qualified for the NCAA tournament but failed to reach the All-American podium. This past season, he went 21-3 and won the ACC tournament. Following the season, the NWCA awarded him with first-team All-America honors. Thomas' experience in freestyle seems limited as his last event was the 2017 University Nationals where he went 2-2. Kerkvliet's experience as some of the top heavyweights is still somewhat limited. However, he has passed every test so far. Look for him to have yet another dominant showing in this match. Prediction: Kerkvliet VSU1 over Thomas Carter Starocci vs. Devin Skatzka During his redshirt freshman season at Penn State, Starocci competed in four open tournaments and won them all. The highlight of his season came when he took first place at the Southern Scuffle. Competing at 174 pounds, he picked up victories over Spencer Carey, Neal Richards and Gregg Harvey on the way to the tournament title. In freestyle, Starocci took to the mat for both the 2018 UWW Cadet Nationals and Fargo. He placed fourth at Cadet Nationals with a big win over Patrick Kennedy along the way. At Fargo, Starocci also finished fourth after falling against Parker Keckeisen in the third-place match. After spending his first three years in college at Indiana, Skatzka transferred to Minnesota for his final two years of eligibility. For his junior season, he got over the hump and finished eighth to become an All-American for the first time. This past season, he was certainly in the hunt. He went 28-10 and picked up victories over Michael Labriola, Kaleb Romero and Anthony Valencia. Skatzka's efforts were enough to earn first-team All-America status from the NWCA. Starocci's performance at the Southern Scuffle showed that he has clearly made strides since arriving on campus for Penn State. Even though this will be a freestyle match, it will likely indicate how much progress has continued since last winter. Starocci clearly has a bright future, but Skatzka is a veteran. This might be too much too soon. Prediction: Skatzka VPO1 over Starocci Beau Bartlett vs. Bryce Meredith Bartlett was a top-10 recruit throughout the process and originally verbally committed to Penn State as the sixth-ranked wrestler in the class of 2020. He entered the 2019 U.S. Open in the senior division and ended up finishing eighth. In the tournament, he scored victories over Ben Whitford, Shelton Mack and Austin Assad. Meredith was a three-time All-American and a two-time NCAA finalist for Wyoming. He finished his senior year in 2018 with a 33-2 record with his only losses coming against Yianni Diakomihalis, including a defeat in the NCAA finals. In his last freestyle action, Meredith entered the 2019 Senior Nationals last December. He finished sixth and picked up wins over Josh Saunders, Dean Heil and Ethan Lizak. Bartlett is playing with house money in this match. Sure, he is a top recruit, but he is also facing a multiple-time NCAA finalist who has been competing on the senior level for some time. Look for Meredith's ability to scramble and score off his opponent's offense to carry him to a victory in this match. Prediction: Meredith VPO1 over Bartlett Bekzod Abdurakhmonov vs. Nestor Taffur Abdurakhmonov wrestled collegiately at Clarion and represents Uzbekistan on the international circuit. He is a two-time world bronze medalist after winning bronze at both the 2014 and 2018 World championships. Abdurakhmonov is also a four-time Asian Games/Championships gold medalist. He recently wrestled on the debut NLWC show and dropped a decision against Logan Massa. Much like Abdurakhmonov, Taffur wrestled collegiately for Boston and now represents Colombia on the international scene. He was a two-time NCAA qualifier and an EIWA champion. During his senior season, he compiled a 37-4 record. On the international circuit, his best finish was probably a silver medal at the 2017 Pan American Championships. Taffur recently entered the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier and finished fifth. Taffur is at his best in wide open matches with a lot of scoring. Unfortunately for him, Abdurakhmonov is able to control the pace and space of his matches. This might not be a shootout of a match, but look for Abdurakhmonov to control from start to finish. Prediction: Abdurakhmonov VPO1 over Taffur Jane Valencia vs. Vayle-Rae Baker Valencia will be heading to the Olympics after winning the Pan American Olympic Qualification tournament this past March. She will be the first woman from Mexico to qualify for the Olympic Games in wrestling. To win the tournament, she needed to score an upset over 2019 world champion Linda Morais of Canada. Valencia competed against Julia Salata on the first NLWC event. She fell behind early before staging an epic comeback and securing the victory. Baker recently finished her first year at Augsburg. She went 18-6 and placed second at the WCWA tournament. She is a two-time member of the U.S. Cadet World Team and a three-time Fargo champion. Also, in 2018 she placed third at the U23 Women's Nationals. Valencia has been making clear improvements while training at the NLWC. In her last match against Salata, she showed that she can come back and score a victory even when dealing with major adversity. Baker is a young competitor with a bright future ahead of her, but this one will be a tough challenge. Prediction: Valencia VPO1 over Baker Alejandra Romero vs. Alexis Porter Romero has been representing Mexico at the senior level since 2014. In 2018, she won both the Pan American Championships and the Central American Caribbean Championships at 57 kilograms. So far this year, she wrestled at the Granma y Cerro Pelado, Pan American Championships and the Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament but failed to medal at any of the events. Porter had a strong year in 2019. She started things with a third-place finish at the WCWA national tournament for McKendree University. Porter then finished third at both the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Porter excels when she is able to control ties and force her type of match on her opponents. Romero may have the advantage in terms of international experience, but that can only take you so far. Look for Porter to get her hands on Romero and move her around the met. That should allow her to set up her attacks and take the match. Prediction: Porter VPO1 over Romero Terrell Barraclough vs. Kyle Shoop Barraclough redshirted his first season at Penn State. As a high schooler, he won four Utah state championships and finished his senior season with a 39-2 record and was named Utah's Dave Schultz Award winner. As a redshirt, he wrestled in four open tournaments and built an 18-4 record. He closed his year with an appearance at the National Collegiate Open. Barraclough lost his first match, but he wrestled all the way back to the third-place match before finishing fourth. Shoop was a four-time NCAA qualifier and an All-American for Lock Haven. As a junior, he finished seventh at the NCAA tournament with victories over Chad Red, Kaid Brock, Josh Alber and Matt Findlay. This past year, he went 22-7 and scored signature victories over Shakur Laney, Cody Trybus and Alex Madrigal. On one hand, Shoop is the much more accomplished collegiate wrestler, but on the other hand, his style is very scramble oriented and may not translate perfectly into freestyle. He remains the favorite in this match, but Barraclough may be able to pull the upset with a solid game plan. Prediction: Shoop VPO1 over Barraclough

Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com Fresno State's wrestling program is being eliminated for the second time in 14 years. The school announced Friday that the Fresno State wrestling program, which was dropped in 2006 in a cost-cutting move and returned to competition in 2017, will be eliminated at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, along with the women's lacrosse and men's tennis programs. "Today's decision is difficult for everyone and yet it is a necessary step to ensure the financial viability of our athletics department," said President Joseph I. Castro. "We appreciate those who have supported these Bulldogs programs over the years, including coaches, current and former student-athletes, and their families." The Fresno State athletics department has struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to save more than $2.5 million with the elimination of the three athletic programs. Fresno State's athletics revenue is down by $6.6 million. "This is an incredibly difficult day for our entire Bulldog Family and one of the most challenging days of my career. Our mission is to holistically serve all of our student-athletes and prepare them for transformative success in competition and, more importantly, in the classroom and in life. So it is with great sadness and heavy hearts that this difficult decision was made," said Director of Athletics Terry Tumey. The Bulldogs wrestling program, under the guidance of head coach Troy Steiner, concluded this past season with a dual meet record of 9-11, after finishing 9-8 the previous season. Five Bulldogs qualified for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fresno State had the ninth highest attendance in Division I wrestling this past season, with an average attendance of 2,596. In 2019, Josh Hokit became Fresno State's first All-American since 2003 when he finished fifth at 197 pounds at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.