InterMat Staff

Jim McCloe, one of the winningest high school wrestling coaches in New York state history, died this week at age 69. Jim McCloeAccording to his obituary, the longtime Waverly High School head coach died Aug. 17 at his home in Williamsburg, Va. -- where Jim and his wife owned a bed-and-breakfast -- after a battle with an aggressive form of leukemia. McCloe retired from coaching after the 2006-07 season. Over 32 seasons, he guided Waverly to two small-school state titles, 14 Section 4 team championships and seven sectional runner-up finishes. He finished with 435 coaching victories, which at the time ranked first in Section 4 wrestling history and seventh in New York state history. Vestal's Tony Policare passed McCloe for the Section 4 wins record in 2014. McCloe had been a member of the USA Wrestling Hall of Fame, the National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Section 4 Hall of Fame, the Section 4 Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Waverly High School Hall of Fame. He coached 40 Section 4 individual champions at Waverly, along with seven New York state champions and six National High School All-Americans. Assistant coach Charlie Hughes was also a key part of Waverly's success and he took over as head coach when McCloe retired. As a student at Waverly, McCloe excelled in wrestling, football and track. He went on win a National Junior College Athletic Association wrestling title at SUNY Delhi before two highly-successful seasons at Division I East Carolina University. Policare, a Vestal graduate, was wrestling for the University at Buffalo when McCloe was competing for East Carolina. "We got out of school at the same time and coached during the same era," Policare said. "It just saddens me, but I'm also very proud that I had the opportunity to coach and be around Jim a lot. Everyone learned from him. He's just a great man and he'll be sorely missed. "You break a record of a coach of his standing, it's significant. But I never thought of it as beating Jim, it's just all respect because he was a contemporary and just a great guy." Along with coaching at Waverly, McCloe was also a physical education teacher and the school's athletic director for 16 years. Area businesses owned by him and his wife, Cindy, included Camp Olympia, McCloe's Storage and Apple Ridge Bed & Breakfast. McCloe and his wife raised three daughters: Kristi (Eric) Clayton of Williamsburg, Tori (Aaron) Freeman of Williamsburg and Brandi (Peter) Rogers of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. "I would just want his family to know how much love and respect we have for Jim," Policare said. "The Vestal wrestling community is saddened by his loss." A memorial service is being planned for late November in Waverly. Details will follow. The Jim McCloe Memorial Scholarship Fund has been created at Waverly High School in his honor. Donations can be sent to the Waverly Administration Office, 15 Frederick Street, Waverly, NY 14892. Jim is survived by his devoted wife of 48 years, Cindy. He is also survived by his adoring daughters and their families; Kristi (Eric) Clayton of Williamsburg, Tori (Aaron) Freeman of Williamsburg, and Brandi (Peter) Rogers of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was an amazing "Papa" to Reid and Walker Clayton, Grace Freeman and Isabella and Gabe Rogers. He is also survived by his loving family, including his parents James and Helen (Ennis) McCloe, brother Duane (Patty) McCloe, sister-in-law Cathy (Paul) Petrozzo of Danville, Virginia, brother-in-law Scott (Cara) Tyrrell of Horseheads, nephew Tom McCloe, niece Lisa (Tony) Jenner, nephew Cole Jenner, niece Hali Jenner, niece Melissa Harris of Binghamton, Josh (Michelle) Schwartz of Sidney, nephews Jacob and Mikey Schwartz, and niece Brooke Tyrrell of Richmond, Virginia. Jim was born to parents James and Helen McCloe of Waverly, New York on October 29, 1950. As a student at Waverly High School, Jim was an Eagle Scout and a stand-out athlete, earning multiple awards in football, wrestling and track. It was his love of wrestling that launched his outstanding collegiate career at SUNY Delhi, where he earned a National Junior College Championship in 1971. In the fall of 1971, Jim was recruited to wrestle at Division I East Carolina University. While at ECU, Jim won many titles including: two-time North Carolina Collegiate Champion; Southern Conference Champion; first and fourth at the prestigious Wilkes Tournament; two-time First Colonies Champion; the Pembroke Open Champion; the Maryland Federation tournament Champion; was selected to the NCAA East-West All Star Team; and was an NCAA qualifier. After graduating from ECU with his degree in Education, he became a graduate assistant and coach at West Chester University where he was awarded his master's degree. He concluded his academic career with an Administrative degree from SUNY Cortland in 1988. Jim returned to Waverly in 1975 with his wife, Cindy and raised their three daughters while developing an outstanding wrestling dynasty with his best friend, Charlie Hughes and the support of family and friends. Coach Jim McCloe retired from Waverly High School in 2007 after serving 33 years as Head Wrestling Coach of an incredibly successful wrestling program. For 16 of those years, he was also the Director of Athletics for the district. Prior to that, Jim taught Health and Physical Education and coached JV football. Over those 33 years, Jim's teams won fourteen Section IV Team Championships and he coached 40 Section IV Individual Champions, seven New York State Champions, 21 NYS place winners, and six National High School All-Americans. Overall, he coached his teams to 435 dual meet victories. In recognition of his efforts and accomplishments, Jim was named Section IV Coach of the Year seven times and New York Wrestling Coach of the Year twice. He was elected to the National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1985, the Waverly High School Hall of Fame in 1999, he was one of eight finalists for the honor of National High School Coaches Association coach of the Year in 2007, and inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008 and Section IV Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2016, he was inducted into the SUNY Delhi Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as an athlete. Of all his life accomplishments, Jim could be heard saying that one of his favorites was his time spent in retirement. He was the best Papa that any grandchild could ask for and was always cheering them on in their activities from near and far. He loved to be outdoors with his grandchildren, playing games and sharing his love of gardening. He enjoyed cheering on East Carolina University, Ohio State and Alabama sports with his family and especially enjoyed tailgating with his antique car at ECU football games. Jim and Cindy were able to vacation in some amazing locations and enjoyed world-wide travel. He always looked forward to returning to Waverly to the annual class of '69 reunions that his good friend, Jerry Arnold, hosted. Jim's smile and contagious laugh during the good times will be cherished forever. His strength and encouragement will continue to be felt during the toughest times. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Waverly Youth Recreation Department located at Village of Waverly, 32 Ithaca Street, Waverly, NY 14892. In addition, the Jim McCloe Memorial Scholarship Fund has been created through Waverly High School to honor Jim's life and legacy. To contribute to the scholarship fund, donations may be sent to the Waverly Administration Office, 15 Frederick Street, Waverly, NY 14892. A memorial service to be held in Waverly, New York to celebrate Jim's life is being planned for late November.

In 30 or 40 years, when the next generation is reviewing the history of the COVID-19 pandemic, a few moments of tremendous selfishness and stupidity are likely going to be studied. There is the Herman Cain tragedy -- a man who promoted not wearing a mask before attending a political rally where he contracted the virus and later died from its complications. There is the refusal to shut down airports, and Texas' decision to reopen too soon. On the flip side there will be the efforts of New Zealand and Germany who've done brilliantly to combat the disease. Though something we discuss often a lesser historical point will be the impact on sports and how the easy transmission of the disease prevented most mass gatherings, cancelled tournaments, and delayed seasons. Inside that chapter could be a discussion of this weekend's historically terrible idea: The Rocky Mountain Nationals in Kansas City where 2500 wrestlers from 40 states are expected to gather in the Hy-Vee Arena to compete in a three-day tournament. The tournament is proceeding in spite of warnings from local health officials, the Mayor of Kansas City, and a multitude of organizations who say they don't have protocols in place and are in a state with an active outbreak. The tournament is only being allowed to go forward because the organizers are using the health advisories initial broad language to justify allowing minors to be mask-free. The organizers understand that their tournament is a grift. They are knowingly placing minors in harm's way so that they can make a financial profit (they are not a 501c3) from the actions of those children. The wrestling teams and individuals headed to compete should share some burden of responsibility as well given more than 160,000 Americans have been killed by the virus in five months. But, hey, a trophy. The Kansas City health department warned organizers of the tournament that they will be in attendance and are prepared to the shut down the tournament should protocols not be followed. The warning, and the pressure from the government, are almost certain to cause a cancellation, which the organizers also understand. But the grift must go on and so they will offer discounted sign-up for next year's event or something similarly stupid and insulting to those families who traveled out to the event. I get that we want to see wrestling. I get that we want to be wrestling. And I even get that we want to make money off wrestling. But this is a pandemic and no matter what anyone on your Facebook feed says there is no long-term mental health consequence from not participating in one season of wrestling. If that were the case the injured athletes who miss seasons would all have ongoing mental health complications. Is it frustrating? Yes. Is it sad? Yes. Will it cause long-term damage? Unequivocally not. That arguments and those in the same stratosphere of self-serving strawman arguments are being made by fathers desperate to live through their child's achievements, coaches in need of validation, and an organizer willing to create a super-spreader event because they want to make money. To your questions … Roman Bravo-Young with his coaches Cael Sanderson and Cody Sanderson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: How awesome is RBY? Does he have a chance to become "The guy" at any weight? -- Fred G. Foley: I'm not sure RBY is done growing as a wrestler. If RBY is able to cut down and compete at 57 kilograms or add bulk and wrestle 65 kilograms at the international level he could make himself an option on the international scene. RBY's game isn't too dependent on doing a few things well it's mostly dependent on his creativity, athleticism, and willingness to outwork opponents on the mat. Recently I saw a post from him on Twitter that acknowledged how important it was to train with a variety of opponents and to make yourself uncomfortable in training. That's something almost every coach has said to their team, but it's been my experience that very few wrestlers like to be disadvantaged while training. Egos in our sport can be fragile so it was positive to see someone of RBY's trajectory making those type of statements. I'm interested to see where he competes in the coming months and years. There is probably a bit of time before he can beat Bajrang Punia or Vladimer Khinchegashvili, but with his concentration on improvement its certainly possible that he is in position to make a big leap in the near future. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Gevorgyan becomes first Armenian to win freestyle world gold Sweet slide-by Karelin Interview Q: Who is the world's most popular wrestler in each of the three styles? Mike C. Foley: See below. Women's wrestling: Helen Maroulis. The win over Saori and the dominance at the 2017 World Championships proved that she is the most technical wrestler in the world and has a personality that people want to know more about. With her looking to compete at the 2021 Olympic Games her popularity will only grow in the coming years. The other option is Vinesh Phogat. She's a massive star in India and has an appeal that is tough to describe, but impossible to deny. Greco-Roman: Artur Aleksanyan. When UWW posts a video of him walking down the street it'll be watched more than two million times. There are no other athletes that receive that level of immediate and overwhelming response when fans see an image. Freestyle: Abdulrashid Sadulaev. More than one million followers on Instagram and a huge presence in the minds of all wrestlers. With only one loss in his recent senior-level career he's the standard bearer in wrestling celebrity. Q: The NCAA Division I council recommended that fall sports move to the spring. What do you think this means, if anything, for NCAA wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: The guidance here is that wrestling won't start prior to January 1 and that is still dependent on the success of the football season, vaccine, or an increase in available testing. There is some thought that the season will still be dual meet only and truncated to still end in March. Qualifications will also need to be adjusted. For now, I'd guess we are at 50/50 to see the NCAA tournament, but it will mostly depend on the level of testing applied to the other sports and applying the lessons from these first sports. Q: Will the handshake be dead in wrestling? -- Mike C. Foley: For now, yes. However, once we have a vaccine it's likely to return.

GREELEY, Colo. -- Northern Colorado head wrestling Coach Troy Nickerson elevated Garett Kiley to the position of head assistant wrestling coach after his strong first two seasons working with Northern Colorado. He has made an impact in three key components of coaching: training, recruiting and academics. Over the past two years, Kiley's helped send eight wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, sign a top five ranked recruiting class and have five NWCA Scholar All-Americans. Garett Kiley"Coach Kiley has grown to become an integral part of our wrestling program and his abilities have proven to be superior," Nickerson said. "He is committed to being with us for the long haul and is very deserving of the title change. I look forward to him continuing to push me and the program to new heights." In his first season at UNC, Kiley coached up three Bears to the NCAA Championships in Rico Montoya, Chris Sandoval and Jacob Seely. He assisted in the recruiting efforts of a top five ranked recruiting class that included Andrew "Boo" Alirez and Mosha Schwartz who would go on a qualify for the NCAA's their freshman season. Two Bears earned NWCA Scholar All-America status in Montoya and Seeley. Montana was also the Big 12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American. Kiley helped raise the bar for the program in 2019-20 as UNC qualified five wrestlers to compete in the NCAA Championships before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled it. Three of the five wrestlers who qualified earned NWCA All-America honorable mention honors in Mosha Schwartz, Andrew Alirez and Dalton Robertson. He played a key role in the transformation of Robertson from wrestling at 174 lbs when Kiley arrived at UNC to qualifying at heavyweight two seasons later. That trio automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships and was a big part of the Bear best-ever finish at the Southern Scuffle. Three Bears earned NWCA Scholar All-America status in 2019-20 in Jacob Seely, Alan Clothier and Jace Koelzer.

Chandler Rogers after picking up a fall in his final match at Oklahoma State (Photo/Oklahoma State Athletics) LITTLE ROCK -- Little Rock wrestling has named Chandler Rogers as its newest addition to the staff, as announced by the program on Wednesday. Rogers, a former Oklahoma State wrestler, was also coached by current Little Rock head coach Neil Erisman in high school. "Chandler brings an exciting new dynamic to our staff and program," said Erisman. "His character, background and wrestling knowledge have instantly elevated us. We are already seeing dividends of having him here on staff and we are grateful for him and his wife, Tori, for believing in our mission and joining us here in Little Rock." Rogers joins the Trojans as an assistant coach after spending a year as Director of Operations for Air Force wrestling, where his duties included logistics, management, and social media support. Concurrently, Rogers spent his time in Colorado Springs pursuing his wrestling career as a 2020 Olympic Trials qualifier and fourth on the ladder in the nation. His post-collegiate wrestling career is fairly new yet highly impressive. In April of 2019, Rogers represented the United States men's freestyle team at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rogers was instrumental in the USA's momentous showing as the squad swept all 10 gold medals in freestyle for the first time in history. Since then, Rogers took third at the U.S. Open in Senior Greco and later recorded a second-place finish at the U23 Greco World Team Trials. Rogers graduated from Oklahoma State in 2019 with a degree in general education after a successful four years with the decorated Cowboy wrestling program. He was a four-year starter for Oklahoma State, three-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-American and Big 12 champion at 165 pounds. During his five years with the Cowboys, he compiled a record of 110-30, claiming top honors at several tournaments. The Stillwater, Oklahoma native had a successful prep career as well, finishing with a 169-6 record with Stillwater High School. Rogers's accomplishments included being a Fila Cadet World team member in 2012, four-time state champion, three-time Greco National Champion, Folkstyle National Champion and six-time All-American. "I'm excited to join the Little Rock staff and I'm really grateful that Neil could give me the opportunity to start my coaching career at the Division I level," said Rogers. "I feel like I'm going to be in good hands with experienced coaches like Coach Neil and Coach Javi. I'm looking forward to working with all the guys and seeing what we can do this year." Rogers will assist in all aspects of the Little Rock wrestling program as the Trojans head into their second season this year. For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City University has selected Nate Gomez as its men's wrestling head coach. Gomez became a part of a national championship wrestling team in college and a state finalist in high school. In 2019-20, five Stars earned all-American honors to equal their program-best number in the 2020 NAIA Championships. Oklahoma City (8-3) took eighth in the team standings and the eighth spot in the postseason national top 25. OCU secured its first conference championship in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference-Sooner Athletic Conference Championships behind six individual league champions. "I'm excited to have Nate Gomez joining our staff to lead the Oklahoma City University men's wrestling team," OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. "Nate has a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to succeed as a student, athlete and person in our program, and I have no doubt that he will contribute positively to the tradition of success that we enjoy in men's wrestling." Gomez was a member of Central Oklahoma's 13th national championship team in 2001-02 and its national runner-up team in 1999-2000. Gomez held a starting position on the team for four years. During his prep days, Gomez snared Oklahoma Coaches Association all-state honors and a state runner-up finish at Yukon, Okla. "I am excited to accept the position of head men's wrestling coach at Oklahoma City University," Gomez said. "This team is special with a great group of guys in the room. I am looking forward to getting to know these student-athletes better and do everything I can to help them succeed on and off the mat." Gomez has been developing young athletes as a coach at Oklahoma Wrestling Academy. He has served as a representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, speaking with many wrestlers across the state. He has been a wrestling official in Oklahoma. OCU produced an 11-5 record, two top-10 finishes, nine all-Americans and 16 national qualifiers the past two years under Sam Hazewinkel. "Sam Hazewinkel has done an amazing job and has put this program in a position to achieve great things," Gomez said. "I want to continue to build on the foundation that he has set and keep the momentum going in the right direction."

Travis Rutt is taking over the helm of the wrestling program at Rochester Community and Technical College, the Post-Bulletin reported this week. Travis RuttRutt will be replacing for head coach Randy Rager, who is stepping down after 15 seasons. The 29-year-old Rutt brings solid mat experience from two top-notch programs: As a 184-pounder at the University of Wisconsin ... then moving up to 197 for the University of Oklahoma. Since 2014, RCTC has won three non-scholarship national championships in 2014, 2017 and this past year. Now Rutt is ready to take the next step up in his career ... and the 43-year-old Rager thinks Rutt is more than ready, saying, "RCTC wrestling is good right now," Rager said. "But Travis is going to make it even better." "It's his demeanor and just the way he is with the guys," Rager said. "Recruiting wise, he's done a great job here. He is easy to get along with." Rutt is a high school graduate of Jackson County Central, though he began at New Prague. His high school wrestling career spanned six years, Rutt making it to state in all of them and winning Minnesota state titles twice. Rutt has been an assistant coach at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Augsburg College in Minneapolis, the University of Oklahoma (graduate assistant) and the University of Iowa, where he was the wrestling program's strength and conditioning coach before joining Rager's staff. Now, it is his turn to be a head coach. He's off to a nice start, with 16-18 new RCTC recruits set to join the 13-14 wrestlers returning to the program. It's a different feel than last year, when RCTC returned just a handful of wrestlers from the year before. Rutt would still love a replay of the previous season. Not only did the Yellowjackets finish as national champions, but Rutt had the time of his life. "That was the most fun I've ever had in coaching," Rutt said. "Watching the development of these guys through the year was so fun. Guys bought in. They realized the work they put in would pay off in the back end. We had a lot of fun, with a balanced lifestyle socially, academically and athletically. It all fed off the other." Rutt is primed for a successful second season at RCTC. Now, it is Rutt's turn to see what he can do. Rager, who will be acting as an assistant for him, is optimistic. "RCTC wrestling is good right now," Rager said. "But Travis is going to make it even better." "It's his demeanor and just the way he is with the guys," Rager said. "Recruiting wise, he's done a great job here. He is easy to get along with." "It's his demeanor and just the way he is with the guys," Rager said. "Recruiting wise, he's done a great job here. He is easy to get along with." Rutt's plan is to keep building on what Rager's already established at RCTC. He has a sense of what goes into coaching at the junior college level, having served as Rager's assistant the last two years. Rutt had college wrestling coaching experience prior to landing at RCTC two years ago, where he's employed as its Student Life Coordinator, helping organize campus events. Rutt has been an assistant coach at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Augsburg College in Minneapolis, the University of Oklahoma (graduate assistant) and the University of Iowa , where he was the wrestling program's strength and conditioning coach before joining Rager's staff. Now, it is his turn to be a head coach. He's off to a nice start, with 16-18 new RCTC recruits set to join the 13-14 wrestlers returning to the program. It's a different feel than last year, when RCTC returned just a handful of wrestlers from the year before. Still, he'd love a repeat of last season. Not only did the Yellowjackets finish as national champions, but Rutt had the time of his life. "That was the most fun I've ever had in coaching," Rutt said. "Watching the development of these guys through the year was so fun. Guys bought in. They realized the work they put in would pay off in the back end. We had a lot of fun, with a balanced lifestyle socially, academically and athletically. It all fed off the other." For all these reasons, Travis Rutt is primed for a successful second season at RCTC. Founded in 1915, Rochester Community and Technical College is located in southeastern Minnesota. It serves appropriately 8,000 students each year.

Adeline Gray with the American flag after winning her fifth world title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Adeline Gray had the dates circled on her calendar. August 2 and 3. That is when Gray was supposed to compete in women's freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The five-time world champion was set to cap her Hall of Fame career with an Olympic gold medal. But Gray's dreams, similar to those of athletes around the globe, were put on hold when the sports world was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Olympics were postponed to next year. "It's obviously disappointing the Olympics didn't happen this year," Gray said. "It's been a challenge to stay focused and find training opportunities." Adeline Gray works for the fall at the Pan American Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Gray last competed in March's Pan American Championships. The sports world was virtually shut down in March because of the widespread impact of the pandemic. The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where Gray trains, has been closed since then. Gray, 29, is one of the most decorated women's wrestlers in international history. She has won seven world medals on the Senior level in addition to capturing Junior and University world titles. She fell short of medaling at the 2016 Olympics before storming back to earn world titles in 2018 and 2019 for the United States. "I had gained a lot of momentum going into the Olympics," she said. "But it's a new territory with this pandemic and it being postponed. We've been off the mat and we haven't been able to compete." Gray's return may come at October's U.S. Senior Nationals in Coralville, Iowa. She has already clinched a berth into the finals of next year's Olympic Trials. She competes at 76 kilograms. "I'm thinking about competing," she said of the U.S. Senior Nationals. "It's been a while without any mat time and it's something I'm considering." Last September in Kazakhstan, Gray became the first American wrestler in any style to capture five world titles. She surpassed the American record of four titles she had shared with John Smith, Jordan Burroughs and Tricia Saunders "It meant a lot to be able to do that," she said. "It's always nice to be a part of history. I was able to put two good seasons together - it's awesome anytime you reach the top of the podium." Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Adeline Gray and Jacarra Winchester won world titles (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Gray was joined in the winner's circle at the 2019 World Championships by teammates Jacarra Winchester and Tamyra Mensah-Stock. "It was awesome to see Jacarra and Tamyra win world titles," Gray said. "It was great to see them so focused and determined. Watching them wrestle, it inspires me and motivates me." More performances like that are expected to follow with women's wrestling in the U.S. experiencing a significant jump in participation at all levels. Gray has inspired her share of young athletes with her strong run of success and by being one of the sport's best ambassadors. "It's really neat to see women's wrestling continue to grow," she said. "It's amazing to see how many opportunities are available now for girls. It's exciting to see." For now, Gray and U.S. Senior-level athletes continue to play the waiting game with the pandemic numbers still high. "There is a lot of uncertainty with not knowing our schedule - everything is still up in the air," she said. "We're ready to get back on the mat, but I'm just eager for the world to get back to normal. It will obviously be nice when we can get back out there and wrestle again. I don't want to rush - I want to make sure we're safe when we do come back. We need to understand the dynamics of everything." Wrestling fans can follow Gray on social media on Twitter and Instagram Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, Veronica Carlson and Bruce Baumgartner (Photo/Haley Scherr) USA Wrestling held its annual Board of Directors meeting on Saturday, August 15 as a virtual meeting. This was the first time USA Wrestling has ever held its Board meeting electronically. President Bruce Baumgartner presided over the meeting. Baumgartner, AAC Chairperson and Board member Veronica Carlson and USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender were at the USA Wrestling national headquarters overseeing the meeting, while the other members of the Board of Directors as well as guests attended virtually. Baumgartner was re-elected as president of USA Wrestling, as part of the elections held at the Board of Directors meeting. Baumgartner, as well as the other four officers elected, will serve two-year terms in their position. The new officers of USA Wrestling are: President - Bruce Baumgartner of Edinboro, Pa. First-Vice President - Mark Reiland of Iowa City, Iowa Second Vice President - Joan Fulp of El Granada, Calif. Secretary - Kerry McCoy of Palo Alto, Calif. Treasurer - Van Stokes of Clarksville, Tenn. Fulp becomes the first woman elected to serve as an officer for USA Wrestling. The other four officers were re-elected to the same positions which they held the previous two years. Baumgartner reported on his activities and travel over the last year as president as well as his perspective about how USA Wrestling is handling the COVID-19 pandemic challenges. He also reported that he will be re-energizing USA Wrestling's ad-hoc Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and noted the explosive growth of women's wrestling over the last year. "I believe USA Wrestling is the best National Governing Body in the Olympic movement. It has a good governance structure, active committees and a strong Executive Committee. I want to thank our Board, volunteers and staff for their hard work, especially during these trying times," said Baumgartner. The results of the other elections which were held as part of the Board of Directors meeting: At Large Members of the Board of Directors: Jordan Burroughs of Lincoln, Neb., Jim Considine of Carol Stream, Ill., Joan Fulp of El Granada, Calif., Mike Juby of Hutchinson, Kansas, Van Stokes of Clarksville, Tenn. and Greg Strobel of Bethlehem, Pa. Freestyle Sport Committee: Kerry McCoy of Palo Alto, Calif., Mark Reiland of Iowa City, Iowa and Bryan Snyder of Lincoln, Neb. Greco-Roman Sport Committee: Jay Antonelli of Annapolis, Md., Nate Engel of Corvallis, Ore. and Herb House of Castle Rock, Colo. Women's Sport Committee: Tela Bacher of Homer, Alaska, Nate Engel of Corvallis, Ore. and Iris Smith of Colorado Springs, Colo. Executive Committee (1 elected spot available): Mike Juby of Hutchinson, Kansas Governance Committee: Nate Engel of Corvallis, Ore., Craig LaMont of Mapleton, Utah and John Stefanowicz of Camp Lejeune, N.C. Long Range Planning Committee: Rob Cate of Las Vegas, Nev., Heather Lawrence of Athens, Ohio, Mark Reiland of Iowa City, Iowa, Patrick Smith of Lauderdale, Minn. and Van Stokes of Clarksville, Tenn. President Baumgartner appointed the chairperson for the three Olympic Sport Committees for four-year terms. They were Iris Smith of Colorado Springs, Colo. (Women's Sport Committee), Herb House of Castle Rock, Colo. (Greco-Roman Sport Committee) and Kerry McCoy of Palo Alto, Calif. (Freestyle Sport Committee). The Board of Directors approved the 2020-21 budget for USA Wrestling, which featured $16,241,428 in revenue and $16,055,128 in expenses, for revenue over expenses of $186,300. As presented by the Long Range Planning Committee, the Board approved the addition of diversity to the USA Wrestling Value Statement. The approved value, with its description is: DIVERSITY: Creating a culture that welcomes members of all races, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicities; embracing equity, inclusion and multicultural awareness that helps to effect lasting, meaningful change. The Board also approved two additions to its Long Range Plan, as proposed by the Long Range Planning Committee, which will be included in the Organizational Excellence section of the document. They are: a) Diversity and Inclusion Committee: Create a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to recommend processes and procedures to increase engagement of all USA Wrestling stakeholders, d) Engagement and Measurement: Ensure that USA Wrestling leaders on the national staff, national board and state affiliations are engaged and accountable for measuring diversity and inclusion goals. The Junior Olympic Committee (JOWC) presented its report to the Board of Directors, which was approved. Changes that will be implemented for grassroots programs starting in the year ahead include: • States may bring up to six wrestlers per weight class per style in the 16U and Junior divisions at the 2021 National Championships. In extraordinary cases, a JOWC subcommittee appointed by the JOWC chairperson shall determine if more than six wrestlers is allowed. (This does not affect girls divisions, as there are currently no roster limits) • The National Kids/Cadet Council will be renamed the Youth Development Council. Moving forward, this Council will develop recommendations for Kids divisions only (14U and below) • The National Junior Council will now develop recommendations for the Junior and 16U divisions. In the past, it only oversaw the Junior division. • The Developmental Coach of the Year Awards will now be selected by the National Coaches Council, taking over the responsibility from the National Junior Council. There will be two Developmental Coaches of the Year Awards, one for freestyle and another for Greco-Roman. USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender presented his report, providing information on what he called "a tale of two seasons," which included the record-setting year which USA Wrestling was having through early March, and then the situation faced by the sport and the organization after the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States. "Little did we know that wrestling would be stopped dead in its tracks," Bender said. "We survived the challenges of 2013 with the Olympic program. Maybe COVID-19 could become our biggest challenge. We will have to pivot to keep wrestling moving forward. We will survive this. We are ready to start wrestling again," said Bender. As part of Bender's Executive Director's report, a number of staff members presented updates to the Board of Directors. Associate Executive Director for Programs and Strategy Les Gutches provided a National Teams report. A staff presentation on Major Revenue Generation was made by Director of Sales and Marketing Ryan Johnson, State Services Director Tony Black, Chief of Donor and Alumni Relations Steve Fraser and National Events Director Pete Isais. A report on Safe Sport, as well as USOPC Compliance, was presented by Laura Peeters, USA Wrestling's Safe Sport consultant. Bender reported to the Board that Peeters had agreed to join USA Wrestling full-time in September as its new General Counsel.

Steve Bleise gets his hand raised after a win against Oklahoma State (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- CSU Bakersfield head coach Manny Rivera has announced the addition of two staff members for the 2020-21 campaign. Former Old Dominion Assistant Coach Steve Bleise will join the Roadrunners in a similar capacity, while former CSUB grappler Matt Williams will become the program's Director of Operations. Bleise helped the Monarchs to a 10-9 overall record, a 6-2 mark in Mid-American Conference duals and was named the National Collegiate Open coach of the year in 2019-20. He mentored Old Dominion's Michael McGee, who captured the program's first NCO Championship and was one of six Monarchs to earn NCO All-American honors. Bleise wrestled three seasons at Northern Illinois before spending his final two collegiate seasons with Minnesota. He reached the NCAA Championship meet four times during his undergraduate career. As a Gopher, Bleise served as a team captain and earned Academic All-Big Ten accolades. "It's always exciting to bring a hungry, young coach onto our staff," said Rivera. "We look forward to the immediate impact Steve will have on our wrestlers. He brings a contagious enthusiasm and ambition that will serve our program well." Williams won 96 career bouts in his `Runner career, ranking 15th all-time on CSUB's career wins list. His 31 career pins rank sixth in program history. Williams reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his final two seasons in Bakersfield and finished as the Pac-12 runner-up during his senior campaign. A graduate of Sultana High School in Hesperia, Calif., Williams placed seventh at the Freestyle US Open while competing in the 97-kilogram weight class in 2017. "I'm very excited to welcome back Matt Williams to our program," Rivera said. "You cannot go wrong adding someone with such high character to your staff. As an alum, he knows what it means to be a Roadrunner and he'll share that with our athletes every day." The `Runners finished third at the Pac-12 Championships in 2020, finishing off a season that saw them compile a 7-6 dual meet record. Russell Rohlfing and Josh Loomer captured Pac-12 Championships to advance to the NCAA Tournament, giving CSUB at least one national qualifier for the 47th-straight season.

Today, USA Wrestling has posted the amended Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2020 Olympic Games in the National Teams section on its website, TheMat.com. There is a separate Athlete Selection Procedures document for each of the Olympic disciplines: Women's Freestyle, Men's Freestyle and Greco-Roman. These documents have been approved by the appropriate Sport Committee within USA Wrestling, as well as by the USA Wrestling Executive Committee. It has also been approved by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. All athletes and coaches who wish to review the most current approved procedures are encouraged to read these newly posted documents. Click below for the direct link to the pdf for each discipline. Women's Freestyle Athlete Selection Procedures for 2020 Olympic Games Men's Freestyle Athlete Selection Procedures for 2020 Olympic Games Greco-Roman Athlete Selection Procedures for 2020 Olympic Games

EAST STROUDSBURG -- The East Stroudsburg University men's wrestling program and head coach Anibal Nieves have announced the postponement of the 53rd annual ESU Open scheduled for November inside Koehler Fieldhouse. ESU decided to postpone the 53rd annual ESU Open due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and for the safety and well-being of the participants, fans, officials, and staff. The event, rescheduled for November 2021, will be held inside Koehler Fieldhouse. For updates and information on East Stroudsburg University's campus schedule, policies, and guidelines related to COVID-19, click here. Editor's Note: The ESU Open is one of the longest running early-season tournaments which traditionally attracts wrestlers from a variety of colleges, including multiple divisions.

Bluefield State College announce the addition of a dozen new sports to its athletics department for the 2021-2022 school year, including wrestling. "We're hiring for these new sports now," said Interim Director of Athletics Derrick Price. "I'm prioritizing coaches with proven abilities to recruit. We will target good student athletes with the goal of being competitive immediately." It's expected that these sports will attract more than 250 new students to campus. They will join the nearly 150 student-athletes enrolled currently. Full and partial scholarships will be available. "Expanding our athletics program is integral to the goals we set shortly after coming to Bluefield State," Capehart said. "Our first priority remains attracting more students. As an HBCU, we have an obligation to recruiting more African American students. We have done that. "We changed the name of our Library to honor an African American alumnus who went on to a highly distinguished career in the State Department. "We are returning to a residential campus for the first time in 52 years with the start of construction on our Heritage Village residence halls. "Adding these sports will increase opportunities for more students and add a vibrancy that we've lacked for too long. It also strengthens our relationships in the community as we partner on the use of various facilities." Interim Director Price added, "Making this commitment to these young people also means making a commitment to doing all the things that go with a full-bore athletics program: new and improved facilities, upgraded training, residences and meals. It also means working with the Provost and Deans so that our athletes have a tremendous academic experience as well. "Bluefield State has a proud sports tradition, including two national football championships. I feel blessed to be here now and help write a new chapter to our story."

Stipe Miocic lands a shot against Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 In the world of combat sports, a heavyweight title fight is usually seen as the ultimate in fighting entertainment. Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic, the headlining bout for UFC 252, was most definitely no exception. Toss in the fact that these two gentlemen are arguably the two best heavyweights in MMA history and have taken turns beating the tar out of each other in their two previous fights, and on paper we have what is truly a legendary MMA contest. The actual fight that played out did not disappoint. While not as violent as the first two fights, there was an absolute ton of high-powered offense in this fight and there was no doubt as to the desire of each man to win the fight. UFC 252 was a terrific card, both on paper and in actuality, and there were several former wrestlers in action. Let's take a look at what we learned about each one. Stipe Miocic What we learned: The proud Ohio native is the best heavyweight MMA fighter of all time. You can swap the word "best" with any number of superlatives, perhaps preferring to go with toughest, most skilled, most formidable, or hardest to beat, but the reality is, Miocic sits atop the list of MMA's all-time great heavyweights. Lean and mean, athletic, ideally sized for the division, and armed with terrific wrestling and fundamentally basic but very effective boxing, the undisputed champ defeated Daniel Cormier by being a catch 22 for DC. How do you defeat a guy that has the length, height, and long range weapons (jab, straight right, front kick) to beat you up from afar, while also having miserable clinch skills, a cringe-inducing body attack, and tireless takedown defense in close quarters? The answer is, as Cormier has learned, you don't. Unless of course you land the one-hitter-quitter, and Miocic has too good a beard and too effective a defensive game to suffer that fate twice from the same guy. And this was the story of tonight's fight. Miocic was bigger and better in enough areas to secure the win against a very good version of DC. At this point in MMA's development, Stipe Miocic represents perhaps the ideal MMA archetype, great at nothing but very good at everything. This is likely a product of his background. A successful boxer at a high level but not the highest levels. And look at the highlights of his wrestling resume. Runner-up in Ohio's toughest high school state championship, seventh at NHSCA Senior Nationals, and national qualifier in Division I. The champ has now defended the UFC heavyweight title twice as many times as the previous most successful titlists, and he's defeated some of the sport's all-time greats to do it. All things considered, he is the greatest heavyweight ever. Daniel Cormier What we learned: Daniel Cormier is still very much a championship-level fighter and should take some time to ponder before definitively committing to retirement. The man has been blessed with incredible longevity, is one of the more well-compensated fighters in the UFC, and the package he came in with Saturday was formidable, but missing a few typical DC calling cards that could have won him the fight. Cormier entered the rubber match ready for battle. He was agile, he was hostile, and he came in with a physique that more closely resembled the bruiser that was winning national freestyle titles in the mid-2000's than the more chubby version we've seen in recent fights, especially at heavyweight. Those familiar with the two-time Olympian's recurring weight issues will know why this is an important detail. While Cormier fought extremely well, and he unleashed some new attacks, the wrestling prowess briefly shown at the beginning of the fight, was noticeably absent for the remainder of it. This was a strategic mistake. A DC committed to establishing his wrestling threat is incredibly tough to beat. Not only does it open up more striking opportunities, his takedowns are often powerful and damaging in their own right. He does not wrestle to score points, he wrestles to hurt opponents. Also of note was the signature DC right hand that he uses to whack opponents with in close quarters. This attack was employed heavily, and found its mark most of the time, however, without the accompanying single collar tie from the opposite hand, there just wasn't enough sting on it. These attacks are not always necessary to be deployed together, but Saturday they were. Daniel Cormier is now somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years spent as a world-class combat athlete of the highest caliber, and somehow, he isn't spent. At least not in the physical sense. His resume is beyond extensive. Two-time Olympian, world bronze medalist, Ivan Yarygin champ, Pan American Games champ, six-time U.S. freestyle national champ, NCAA Division I finalist, two-time NJCAA national champ, bronze medalist at Cadet Worlds, Strikeforce Grand Prix champ, UFC light heavyweight champ, and UFC heavyweight champ. I could go on, but you get the picture. Jim Miller What we learned: Veteran lightweight Miller is still dangerous, but came up just short, a theme that unfortunately may define his career when all is said and done. The former New Jersey high school state placewinner almost finished his foe with submission attacks a number of times Saturday, but was ultimately outgunned in size, strength, and relative youth. Regardless, the man who left behind a Division I wrestling career to pursue fighting will continue to win some and lose some should he continue to fight in the UFC. John Dodson What we learned: Former New Mexico high school state champ Dodson has let his inclination towards passivity and hesitation become too prevalent in his performances. The man who twice challenged for a UFC title in the 125-pound class, also one of the freakiest and most explosive athletes on the roster, should consider moving back down to 125 pounds. For whatever reason, despite having real KO power and being almost impossible to hold or take down, he continues to underperform and put in head-scratching performances. Herbert Burns What we learned: Though highly skilled and a very well-rounded fighter, Burns took a surprising loss from a more experienced fighter. Despite this fact, the Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt who also won a freestyle national title in Singapore while wrestling under U.S. Olympian Heath Sims, still has loads of potential. Look for the UFC newbie to rebound with authority. Kai Kamaka III What we learned: One of the more exciting aspects of UFC 252 was the debut of Hawaii's Kamaka. The 2013 Hawaii high school state champion wrestler who comes from a family with deep roots in both wrestling and MMA, Kamaka is looking like the next Hawaiian phenom after B.J. Penn and Max Holloway. Primarily a boxer and a wrestler with tight, tight, tight technique and a level of comfort rarely seen from a youngster, keep an eye out for this kid to climb high and fast.

Photo/Sam Janicki,SJanickiPhoto.com The Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences announced this week that they would not be playing football in the fall semester, or 2020. The decision would push any season to 2021, possibly abutting the NCAA basketball season. Like everything from birthday cakes to the postal service, this decision has been politicized. As a non-football fan I don't care much about the loss of games as it's not part of my weekend tradition. The athletes will suffer from not being able to play, the fans will miss their teams, but the biggest impact will be on the non-revenue sports whose budgets depend on the income from football. As with almost anything in the United States, football has also become big business. Profit drives the motivations for the decisions, which itself is bothersome. Then there is the issue of athletes pay, oversized administrative budgets, Title IX scapegoating, and the list goes on. The pandemic isn't so much causing these larger issues as it's stress testing the systems already in place, and as we've seen clearly they are largely unjust, over levered, and patently ridiculous in their vulnerabilities. Wrestling will be affected by the recent decisions. Several programs will be cut and the future of college sports will change forever. That change got me thinking about the next system and what could become of wrestling were we to move solely to a non-academic setting. What would it look like? What are the positives and negatives? Who stands to gain the most? First, I don't think we should eliminate sports from the academic experience as I think it enriches the lives of so many who would otherwise never have the opportunity to attend a four-year school. There are also those on campus who are inspired by their classmates who show great effort on the field. Sports are representative battles that allows for comradery and community in a way that science competitions can't mimic. But, we need to look to the future and what a club-based system in the United States would look like and how it would operate and under whose direction. The last question is the most straightforward. Rather than create an entirely new governing body to replace the NCAA rules and structure, USA Wrestling could form a subsidiary organization to govern a folkstyle wrestling league in the United States. The benefits would be tremendous in allowing a seasoned organization to lend its expertise to the development of a brand-new league. They can leverage relationships and have an active understanding of what each asset is worth, whether it's negotiating with a bid city for the National Championships, the value of marketing, TV/streaming rights, or even the cost to operate and run a tournament. With USA Wrestling controlling the length of season, eligibility, weight categories, rule changes, and everything else there would be tremendous opportunity for a more reactive governing body -- one that is more in tune with the needs of the athletes and invested in the outcomes. Committees and commissions of wrestlers and their trusted advisors would ensure that the best information and ideas are making their way to the mat. The number of club teams would be dramatically lower than the number of college programs, but there would be year-round competition, more money in the till for each of these programs via rights and advertising and far less overhead on monies to be raised for scholarships. Teams would continue to be regional, but the degree to which they recruit is up to them. If coaches in Western Pennsylvania wanted to make Top Guns into a national powerhouse and the post high school level they could keep their kids home since the incentive to wrestle at Iowa or Nebraska or NC State would lessen. Arguably, the grip on local pride would deepen and the regional aspect of the competitions would come alive. Without school as the main driver the athletes would feel free to pursue their wrestling careers as professionals and could profit from their image in a myriad way. They'd be paid by local car dealerships, Condom Depot, and whomever else feels like sponsoring their action. Individual athletes would also receive stipends from the club, win bonuses, and just about every other financial incentive imaginable. They could freely travel to train overseas. Or they could stay put. Their call. And when Top Gun wants to travel overseas together and take on the top Kazakhstan club? It would be achievable. The total number of competitions could also increase along with two competition seasons; freestyle/Greco-Roman and folkstyle. There could be a relegation system used by the clubs that would help generate sustained interest in each competition. Team scoring could even reflect the ongoing battles in the standings, i.e. knowing that your athletes needed to win by a certain number of technical points to secure a top four placement in their league and thus some financial incentive. We don't HAVE to live inside the NCAA's bubble. They will leave us behind the moment we aren't practical to their bottom line. They force us into archaic rules about eligibility and make athletes follow outdated protocols. What's in it for wrestling? Why not take a chance and break away? Why make the NCAA a priority when they don't care enough about the sport to protect it from elimination? Why give power to a mostly nameless and faceless institution when we can create our own? The pandemic has stressed an antiquated system that's tried to leave wrestling again and again. How we choose to react in this moment will determine the next 50 years of the sport in the United States. Let's look for ways to be independent from the cult of football and the overlord in Indianapolis. We should rely on our diverse and capable community and create a system that can grow and change with our needs, and that we will be proud of for generations to come. To your questions … Q: The moment(s) we've been anticipating around college football are starting to happen. Both the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their seasons with the intent of hopefully having a spring season. SEC and ACC are saying they're continuing forward and will make decisions as they get more information. Big 12 is saying they're going forward with the season. Clearly professional sports with all of their resources and the money tied up in it, haven't been able to find a good solution yet and that's with sports like baseball where the person-to-person contact is far lower than most other major sports. To me this has a duel effect on wrestling: first this reduces the likelihood of a season this winter or even spring and second is the beginning of a probable worst case lack of funding in athletic departments countrywide due to lost tuition, football revenue, 2020 March Madness, and likely lost or vastly depressed revenue from 2020/2021 basketball. With all that in mind, how does college athletics proceed as a whole? To me, wrestling should be looking to join forces strategically with other teams/sports to figure out ways to survive as offered sports for the long haul now versus being focused on a 2020/2021 season? We, wrestling, will not be the only potential chopping block sport when budgets tighten. As with many things, COVID-19 has wrenched open the cracks in college athletics. Big existential questions can and should be addressed: Do NCAA athletes finally get paid if indeed seasons proceed and they're essentially working in a hazardous environment? Is now the time that basketball and football rosters get pulled out of the evaluation of Title IX due to their disproportionate impact on those numbers? (The intent only being to then reduce the likelihood that schools chop smaller sports both women's and men's in the short term to retain the viability of their money-making sports.) Do athletes get a players' union so they have a voice and bargaining ability at the NCAA level versus being tied to their scholarships? -- Jon G. Foley: There are very concerning issues everywhere you look. The simple truth remains that without representation and payment you cannot force these kids to go out and compete in a sport where they don't have any say in the health decisions. A players' union could advocate for them, or the ability to strike, but without that the athletes are being held hostage by the whims of the administrators. I covered above how I think wrestling can adapt to the sea of changes, but it won't happen overnight. There will be a culling of programs and what they do to survive will largely determine how wrestling will operate in the United States in 5, 10, and 20 years. I don't think that Title IX should remove football from the equation, but I do think that schools should find creative low-cost solutions to fund sports with bigger head counts while also reducing the overall scholarship amount for the sport of football in general. Q: How do you see the Daniel Cormier-Stipe Miocic fight playing out? Do you think DC will rely more on his wrestling? Seems like that would be his best path to victory. -- Mike C. Foley: I'm pulling for Daniel Cormier, but with another wrestler standing across the cage I feel like even a loss for DC would be somewhat OK. The man is retiring! If history has taught us anything it's that this fight is kill or be killed with a knockout being served in the first and second bouts. They are evenly matched and have punching power that can equate to stunning turns in momentum. DC is getting a little long in the tooth and had a pretty significant weight cut, so if the fight lasts longer than the third round it's more likely that Miocic will find his way to victory. For DC to win he needs to pour pressure on Miocic in the first minute and see if he can get Miocic to create an early mistake. If not, he needs to find the cage and make Miocic fight in close. Uppercuts have a way of working well when your opponent's chin is above your head. As for the wrestling, he'll focus on the upper-body control he can force on Miocic and look for takedowns from the tie-up. Wouldn't expect him to attack from too far away and risk getting his head too far in front of his hips. Miocic is a lot of weight to carry and a legit wrestler himself. I'm excited for the fight. Q: The 2016 Olympics were four years ago. What was your favorite wrestling moment from Rio 2016? -- Mike C. Foley: Maybe just that it happened. There is a lot of disappointment in not being in Tokyo right now providing fans great content from the Games. There are certainly good reasons for not hosting the Games, but it's such a wonderful event that it's OK to mourn their disappearance this year. As for my favorite on-the-mat moment it was probably Helen upsetting Yoshida. The energy was incredible and the moment felt historic in a way I hadn't been a part of since Cael won his fourth NCAA title. Beating a legend like Yoshida to become the Olympic champion is just a one-of-a-kind moment. Kaori Icho after winning gold in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) My second favorite moment was watching Icho win her fourth and then immediately embrace a photo of her mother who had passed a few months prior. Icho doesn't show a lot of emotion on the mat and to know that she felt secure in recognizing her mother just off the mat was something I'll think about for a long time. A lot going on in one moment. I can definitively tell you that the Mongolians stripping down was my least favorite moment of the Games. Not that funny to me at the time, nor is it now. Just a sad moment for the sport. But hey, 2021 will be wrestling's best Olympic Games to date. I promise. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Helen Icho Q: What do you make of the WUG wrestling event on Aug. 30? -- Mike C. Foley: Any professional event that has controls in place to protect the athletes and officials, and is OK by local laws, seems to be achievable. Look at the NBA! I'm not sure where this is being held or how much COVID testing is in place, but I'm suspect that they will be over-testing the athletes. Also, this very well could be a great opportunity for the wrestler to make money. However, with Chael involved I'd recommend that anyone competing ask for half their money up front.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The NWCA Division I Leadership Group (LG) sent a letter on Wednesday to all Division I Coaches, Athletic Directors, Senior Women's Administrators and Conference Liaisons to recommend a shift to the 2020-21 season as a result of ongoing complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Link: NWCA Division I Leadership Group COVID-19 Letter The Division I wrestling membership had the opportunity to meet (virtually) twice during the NWCA Convention, and participate in a recent meeting with Anthony Holman, Managing Director of Championships and Alliances for the NCAA. In addition, the NWCA sent a survey to all Division I head coaches regarding a self-imposed delayed start to the 2020-21 season. With 92% of the responses in favor of postponing the beginning of the upcoming season, the Division I membership largely supports this model. With this statistical support, the NWCA DI Leadership Group would like to proceed with the following amendments to best prepare wrestling for a truncated season and ensure we have the very best opportunity to host the 2021 NCAA Division I Championships. Most importantly, these seasonal adjustments will best protect our student-athletes' welfare and preserve the longevity of our sport. 1. A sport-imposed delay to the 2020-21 competitive season, starting on, or around January 1, 2021. a. The start of official practice will remain in place, or at the decision of the respective state, institutional, or conference guidelines. 2. If institution(s) decide to compete prior to the self-imposed start date, those matches should not create a competitive advantage over all those who follow the self-imposed start date. It would be the goal to not have matches prior to the self-imposed start date count toward the 2021 NCAA Championships' qualifying criteria. (This would need to be supported by the NCAA DI Wrestling Committee as they address the new qualifying criteria for the 2021 NCAA Championships.) 3. The NWCA Leadership group will reassess the trends, data, and models related to COVID-19 on a bi-weekly basis so that if the environment were to improve and safety restrictions were reduced, the 2020-21 wrestling season could be restored to its traditional format. On behalf of the NWCA DI Leadership Group, we appreciate your support and cooperation. These are perhaps the most challenging times in the history of NCAA Wrestling, and our goal is to ensure wrestling thrives regardless of the challenges we face this season, and beyond. The NWCA DI Leadership Group is comprised of Chair Troy Nickerson (University of Northern Colorado), Todd Beckerman (Brown University), Jason Borrelli (Stanford University), Tony Ersland (Purdue University), Steve Garland (University of Virginia), Joel Greenlee (Ohio University), John Hangey (Rider University), Andy Lausier (Davidson University).

Nathan Tomasello (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) DURHAM, N.C. -- Head wrestling coach Glen Lanham announced the addition of decorated collegiate wrestler Nathan Tomasello to his coaching staff Thursday. "Nathan is already known as a great wrestler," Lanham said. "In addition, he brings his great character to our program. We are excited to welcome him into our program." Tomasello wrapped up his storied career at Ohio State a four-time All-American, a four-time Big Ten Champion, a four-time Academic All-American and the 2015 NCAA National Champion at 125 pounds. He became just the 15th wrestler in Big Ten history to cap their career with four individual conference crowns. The national stage became common ground for this Parma, Ohio, native as he also placed third at the NCAA tournament in 2016 (125 lbs.), 2017 (133 lbs.) and 2018 (125 lbs.). To close out his collegiate accolades, Tomasello was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient, a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2015 and 2016), a three-time NWCA All-Academic honoree (2015, 2016, and 2018), and a five-time OSU Scholar-Athlete (2014-18). Tomasello joins the Blue Devil staff after serving one season as an assistant coach at Upper Arlington High School. There, he coached over 30 high school wrestlers at numerous tournaments throughout the state of Ohio. Tomasello also spent time as a camp counselor for the Ohio State wrestling camps where he planned, organized, and facilitated wrestling activities for boys ages 10-17. In his redshirt senior season with the Buckeyes, Tomasello placed third at the NCAA Championships, downing four nationally-ranked opponents along the way. What was even more impressive was that he competed the entire season with a torn ACL suffered while wrestling in the U23 World Champion Team Trials the summer before. During his last four years at OSU, Tomasello compiled a 100-8 overall record with 31 major decisions, 19 technical falls, and 11 falls. In his redshirt season (2013-14), he registered four open tournament championships at 125 pounds and posted a 18-0 record, which included nine major decisions, two technical falls, and three falls. Prior to OSU, Tomasello was a two-time high school First Team All-American. He amassed a 178-5 high school record - 37-5 as a freshman, 42-0 as a sophomore, 47-0 as a junior and 52-0 as a senior. He graduated as Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy's school record holder for most career victories and most victories in a season. Tomasello graduated from Ohio State in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. He also received a Master of Science degree in Sports Management from the school in 2018 as well.

Oakland Tech coach Ashlee Sherman consoles his wrestler, Royal Lawrence, at the state tournament (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) When my mind is filled with doubt that things will not work out, I put my head down and charge ahead. I learned from many years on a wrestling mat, that is all you can do. There will always be someone better or someone who works harder. That is life. A person with a unique talent that whatever you do, he wins. He figures out a way to defend your single leg despite your best efforts to score. The wrestler's credo is that whatever happens, you get up and keep going. Like a wrestling match, life will hit funk rolls, and many times you won't be able to score. Other times, you are paralyzed by fear and indecision and struggle to understand the reason. During those times, it is a constant reminder to get up and keep going. I can't say and will never know if I would have learned this mentality of perseverance, and constant forward movement if I never stepped on a wrestling mat. It has been wrestling's greatest gift to me. A gift wrapped in blood, sweat, tears, and struggle. Inside the wrapping paper is mental fortitude -- the wrestler's credo. The credo is committed and obligated to bring honor to the sport by never quitting and refusing to stay down. It is a sacred trust that is agreed upon in every wrestling room. When all is lost, a voice in our head tells you, "It's OK. You can get up, keep working, keep giving your best, don't give in to the pain." Every person will fail more than they succeed. They will take beatings. Some will be pretty bad, leaving you with black eyes and bruising. It is the severe blows that test our resolve. It will test our willingness to fight. The other voice in your head says, "Stay down, find something easier, no one will even notice if you quit." It is comforting and offers reassurance. It is the voice that gives up an easy go-behind instead of fighting for a stalemate. It is the voice that every wrestler tries to silence to a whisper. Wrestling is a game about life -- attacks and counter-attacks. Working hard, learning, and growing, and failing. Two points life! You escape and look to score. Life is aggressive and hand-fighting hard. Your neck is getting tired. Life attacks with a hard double leg, two more points life! Life is riding tough. You struggle to stay on your base. The pressure is unrelenting. Knee slide, movement, and finally, you get hand control. You escape. One point to the wrestler. You are back in the match. You fake to one leg and attack the other. Two points to the wrestler! There is a lot of time to go. You keep telling yourself to keep moving and working. The match could be your work, a relationship, or a financial challenge. Life will keep the pressure on you. You will struggle to get to your base on the bottom. It will hang on your head with a collar tie and wear you down. But the wrestler keeps fighting. He applies his own pressure. It is in his mentality. It's his credo. John Klessinger has been a high school teacher and wrestling coach for the past 21 years. As a head coach, his teams have won close to 400 matches, and they have won multiple county, region, and tournament championships. Six times he has been named the Baltimore Sun and the Annapolis Capital Gazette Anne Arundel County Coach of the Year. As a competitor, John was twice a Pennsylvania All-State wrestler. He was a four-year starter at the Division I collegiate level and a Division I East Regional champion. John competed in the 1997 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. John wrote an ebook called "Strong Mind Strong Body" that can be found on Amazon.

VILLAS, N.J. -- The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association is a wrestling only association whose member schools are all affiliated with other conferences. As such, our member teams may be subject to restrictions imposed by their parent conferences and home states with respect to athletic practice and competition during the current Covid-19 pandemic. The Head Coaches are planning an EIWA-centric schedule designed to maximize the number of bouts for our wrestlers. There are currently eight weekends between the new year and the final weekend of the regular season. Dual meets will be the priority although a series of limited tournaments to offer competition may be explored. All activities are subject to the prime concern of ensuring the health and safety of our wrestlers, staffs, and campuses. We intend to proceed with the understanding that: - Practice during the fall semester is permitted - Recommended competition will begin no sooner than 1/1/2021 - Some potential opponents may not be able to compete at times - Current preliminary schedules are not going to be possible - Non-conference matches are permitted but will by necessity be minimal and might be limited to regional opponents - The EIWA Championship tournament will take place as scheduled, at Cornell University on the weekend of March 5-7 - All plans are subject to change The coaches have agreed to meet frequently for the foreseeable future to exchange information and adjust our approach as needed.

Ben Askren before his Beat the Streets match against Jordan Burroughs in 2019 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Ben Askren, past Olympian, Hodge Trophy winner and MMA fighter, resigned as head coach of the Wisconsin Regional Training Center. The announcement comes three months after his contract was extended. The Wisconsin RTC released the following statement: For those who have not heard, Ben Askren has resigned as the Head Coach of the Wisconsin Regional Training Center. Ben has been instrumental in the rejuvenation of our RTC program and will be greatly missed. We respect Ben's decision and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Visitation and funeral this week will be held a for slain 15-year-old suburban high school wrestler from suburban Chicago this week whose mat coach as well as a high school principal described at charismatic, quiet and hard-working. Elias Valdez Visitation for Elias Valdez, a rising sophomore at Glenbrook South High School in north-suburban Chicago will be from 3 to 5 p.m. this Thursday, with no more than 50 mourners at a time, at Ahlgrim Funeral Home, 201 N. Northwest Hwy. in Palatine. A funeral Mass will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Friday at the funeral home, and burial will take place at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery, 1185 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine., Ill. The North Regional Major Crimes Task Force was heading the investigation into what police say was the village's first murder since 2004. Valdez, who was stabbed to death Aug. 5, was remembered by Titans assistant wrestling coach Chris Albandia as unassuming yet charismatic. "He had almost like this magnetic personality where people wanted to talk to him; people kind of wanted to sidle up to him," said Albandia, a teacher who saw Valdez not just on the wrestling mat but also in Glenbrook South's structured study period. Albandia said the 2019-20 wrestling season was Valdez's first foray into extracurricular activities at Glenbrook South. "He really showed he had potential there -- he's a hard worker. He's got some ability," Albandia said. After training in the 126-pound division, Valdez went 0-2 in his first competition, Albandia recalled. The coach expected a "woe is me" attitude from the freshman, he said, but Valdez surprised him. Perhaps just as surprising ... Valdez made a favorable impression on Glenbrook South High School's principal. Valdez, who lived in unincorporated Glenview, was a rising sophomore at Glenbrook South High School, according to an email from the school's principal to the school community. The 15-year-old, who was a member of the school's wrestling team, was described by principal Dr. Lauren S. Fagel as "a kind, charismatic young man who exhibited great leadership qualities." "...We're glad we had the time we did have with Elias and know a void has been left," Dr. Fagel added. "...Elias deeply loved his mom and family. The many adults who worked with Elias appreciated his devotion to his family, his kindness to others, and his ability to quickly make friends and make others feel welcome. We will miss Elias and his endearing spirit, and we will always remember him as a true Titan."

Tom Erikson BATESVILLE, Ark. -- Tom Erikson has announced his formal resignation as the head men's wrestling coach at Lyon College after accepting a coaching position at Duke University in Durham, N.C. "I want to thank Coach Erikson for everything he has done for the program," said Director of Athletics Kevin Jenkins. "Tom is a relentless worker and helped elevate the men's wrestling program after taking control of the program during its second season of competition." Erikson took over the men's and women's wrestling programs in 2015-16, which was the second season of competition for both programs. In 2017, Kevin Corbett was hired to take over the women's wrestling program, while Erikson remained the head coach for the men's program. In 2016-17, Erikson coached the program's first ever NAIA All-American (Dustin Miller), along with one individual American Midwest Conference champion (Troy Mercer) In 2017-18, Erikson coached a pair of NAIA National Qualifiers in Jacob Hill and Dustin Miller. Erikson guided the Scots to a fifth-place finish in the AMC Championship during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. A search for a new head coach for men's wrestling will begin immediately. About Lyon College: Lyon College is located in Batesville, Arkansas, a historic town of 10,000 that serves as the commercial, medical, social, and governmental hub for an eight-county area and was named by USA Today as the best city to live in in Arkansas. Named one of the "top American colleges" by Forbes, the College currently enrolls almost 700 undergraduate students from 24 states and 15 countries.

Stipe Miocic as a high school wrestler at Eastlake North High School (left) and UFC champion (right) In the main event of UFC 252, Daniel Cormier will look to regain the UFC heavyweight title when he challenges champion Stipe Miocic in what will be the final bout of their trilogy. During the lead-up to this fight, the Olympian has alluded to using his wrestling more as he told ESPN, "I hope Stipe has his wrestling shoes because with the small cage -- single leg, single leg, single leg, single leg, wrestling. It is what it is. Sorry." In terms of pure wrestling credentials, Cormier has a pretty large advantage over Miocic. However, that does not necessarily guarantee success in the cage. Plus, even though Cormier has the better resume, Miocic always wrestled at a high level before leaving the sport in 2003. The following looks in an in-depth review of Miocic's wrestling career. High school Miocic was a three-sport athlete for Eastlake North High School, which sits about 20 minutes east of Cleveland. His best season came during his senior year. He made the finals of the 2000 OHSAA Division I tournament at 215 pounds before coming up short against Brent Miller of Wapakoneta to finish second. Miller would go on to become an NCAA qualifier for West Virginia. Following the regular season, Miocic entered the NHSCA Senior Nationals and finished seventh. He then moved to the collegiate level to wrestle for coach Jack Effner at Cleveland State. College Freshman season (2000-2001) In his first season for the Vikings, Miocic did not start as he found himself behind Dom Abato on the depth chart. He did compete in a variety of open tournaments including the Cleveland State Open in February. Miocic finished third in the tournament with his only defeat coming against two-time NAIA All-American Brian Scislo of Findlay. Miocic also competed at the annual Midlands tournament where he failed to place. In the same weight class was fellow future UFC contender Chael Sonnen Sophomore season (2001-2002) In his second season at Cleveland State, Miocic secured a spot in the starting lineup with a 5-3 victory over Bert Dobies in the 197-pound wrestle-off. The match was tied late, but Miocic scored a reversal to pull out the decision. After earning the starting spot, he was part of a formidable backend to the lineup for the Vikings. Heavyweight Russ Davie would go on to be a multiple-time NCAA qualifier. At 184 pounds, Gerald Harris would leave Cleveland State as a three-time NCAA qualifier and the winningest wrestler in program history. Harris would also launch an extensive MMA career. He currently holds a 26-8-1 record and has fought for a variety of promotions including Bellator and UFC. In 2018, he spoke with MMAFighting about his lasting relationship with Miocic. "He's exactly the type of person you think he is: Loyal, goofy, you never see him mad, a true friend," Harris said. "I'm sure if I called up Stipe and told him I was in town, he'd let me crash at his place." Miocic got off to a hot start in November, winning the title at the Oklahoma Gold Classic with a 12-3 win over Josh Ferguson and a 9-7 victory over Tom Grossman, both of Oklahoma. He followed that up by making the finals of the Cornell Invitational before falling to Chris Jones of Drexel in the finals via a 7-5 score. By the end of the month, the sophomore was ranked 16th in the nation at 197 pounds. Early in December, Cleveland State faced off against Edinboro in an EWL dual. Miocic dropped a decision (8-4) against No. 7 David Shunamon. In addition to Miocic and Harris, the match also featured future MMA competitors Josh Koscheck and Shawn Bunch. Miocic returned to the Midlands for the second time and had a bit more success. After losing in the first round against Nick Preston (Ohio State), he went on a bit of a run in the consolation bracket. He defeated Sean Barnes (Chicago) and July Vicens (Illinois) before eventually falling to Pat DeGain (Indiana). Following the New Year's Eve holiday, Cleveland State faced off against Big Ten foe Michigan. The match also brought a top-10 ranked opponent in No. 9 Kyle Smith. Miocic fought diligently but ultimately dropped a 7-5 decision. Three days later Miocic faced off against Zeb Miller of Kent State and brought home a 10-2 major decision. Cleveland State also took the dual 22-12 over the Golden Flashes. Miller would go on to become a prominent member of the wrestling community online (https://twitter.com/zzsmiller) and recently reflected on the match. "Stipe is a freak. When I got to his legs I couldn't take him down. When he hit single legs on me, he would disappear and be behind me. For being a massive guy he moved like a 125-pounder. I truly believe Stipe had the ability to play multiple professional sports and excel at most. Also, imagine him at 197 pounds with the frame he has now. He was able to keep all his agility and athleticism with his weight cut to 197." Miocic scored another victory over a ranked opponent when the Vikings faced off against Pittsburgh. He reportedly entered his match against No. 18 David Sandberg with the flu and still took a 3-2 decision. Despite picking up several EWL victories during the season, Miocic surprisingly went 0-2 at the conference tournament. On the front side, he dropped a 6-3 decision against Avery Zerkle (Lock Haven), who had pinned him earlier in the year. Miocic was then eliminated by Canaan Prater of Virginia Tech, who he had defeated one month prior. After coming up short, Miocic failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament and his season came to an end. Junior season (2002-2003) Despite missing out on the NCAA tournament, Miocic found himself ranked by multiple polls heading into his junior season. He easily locked down the starting spot at 197 pounds with an 18-6 decision over teammate Nathan Hunter in the wrestle-offs. Early in the year, he scored an upset over No. 15 David Shunamon of Edinboro. The match was tied 3-3 in the third period until Miocic scored a takedown and held on for the victory. Miocic's upset win was one of the vital elements of Cleveland State's 19-12 victory over No. 23 Edinboro. Fourteen days later, Miocic picked up another ranked victory and avenged a defeat from the previous season. He jumped on No. 8 Kyle Smith (Michigan) early with three first-period takedowns. Smith fought back into the match, but Miocic walked off the mat with an 8-5 decision. For the third straight season Miocic returned to the Midlands. After getting off to a quick start with a pigtail victory over Venroy July (North Carolina), the hardship of his draw quickly became evident. Miocic lost via fall to Emmett Wilson of Montana State Northern. The following season, Wilson would go on to become the only NAIA wrestler to win the Hodge Trophy. In mid-January, Miocic scored another ranked win when he knocked off No. 12 Jon Bush of Purdue. The back-and-forth match turned into a high-scoring affair, but Miocic came away with a 12-10 decision victory. Later in the month, he notched perhaps his biggest win of the year. Not only did Cleveland State dominate EWL rival Lock Haven to a 30-6 dual victory, but also Miocic upset No. 10 Morgan Horner. One month later, the future UFC champion took part in an extremely wild match that possibly portended his wide-open fighting style. On Feb. 23, Miocic defeated West Virginia's Adrian Thompson in a 41-point match. CSUVikings.com recapped the bout. "In one of the wildest matches of the night, Viking Stipe Miocic (Willowick, Ohio/Eastlake North) raced out to an early 12-4 lead in the first period at 197 before WVU's Adrian Thompson scored a takedown and had Miocic on his back nearly recording the fall. Thompson was working on the pin as time expired in the first. Miocic proved to be too much for Thompson the rest of the way, though, notching five takedowns in the second and third periods to register the 27-14 major decision." Miocic entered the EWL tournament in early March match as one of the favorites. However, things went off the rails in the semifinals when he was pinned by rival Horner, who he had previously defeated during the regular season. He fought back in the consolation bracket before ultimately dropping a decision against Eric Mausser of Clarion in the third-place match. With a fourth-place finish, Miocic missed out on an automatic qualifier spot for the NCAA tournament. Despite the EWL tournament finish, Miocic earned a berth for the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately he failed to register a victory. He dropped his first match against the No. 8 seed Anthony Reynolds of Sacred Heart. Miocic then fell to the consolation bracket where he was eliminated by Kevin Kessner of Wyoming. The match would effectively end his collegiate wrestling career. Baseball Miocic played baseball at Cleveland State in addition to his wrestling commitments. After his junior year, he chose to focus on baseball. He transferred to Coker College for a season before ending up at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville for his final year of college athletics. At Trevecca, he hit .344 with seven home runs, which helped the NAIA squad win their conference tournament. MMA debut Miocic made his professional MMA debut on Feb. 20, 2010, nearly seven years after his last collegiate wrestling match. He signed with the UFC in 2011 and won the heavyweight title from Fabricio Werdum in 2016. Miocic does his fair share of striking in the Octagon, but he has not strayed too far from his wrestling base. In the UFC, he has landed 2.20 takedowns per 15 minutes of fight time, which is the third highest rate among ranked heavyweights.

Ryan Crookham wrestling in the finals of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Lehigh has received a verbal commitment from the nation's No. 2 junior (Class of 2022), Ryan Crookham. He announced his commitment over the weekend on Twitter. Crookham is a two-time PIAA state champion with a career record of 100-3. He finished last season with a 51-1 record. He won tournament titles at the Beast of the East, Trojan Wars (Chambersburg) Tournament and Escape the Rock. Crookham was a runner-up at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman. Crookham is also a past Super 32 Challenge champion. He projects at 141/149 pounds in college.

William Jewell College is bringing back men's wrestling after a 27-year-absence -- and introducing a new women's mat program starting in 2021. Both mat programs will be headed up by Keenan Hagerty, who has been named the head men's and women's wrestling coach at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. outside Kansas City, the Courier-Tribune reported Thursday. Keenan Hagerty"Keenan comes highly recommended by people all over the college wrestling community," William Jewell Director of Athletics Tom Eisenhauer said. "His familiarity with GLVC wrestling will help position us for success in a very competitive league." Hagerty comes to the Cardinals from Maryville University where he has spent four years as the top assistant on the Saints staff. During that time, he has helped Maryville to 19 All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selections, 15 NCAA-II national qualifiers, seven All-Americans and one national champion. Additionally, the Saints excelled in the classroom with Hagerty on staff having won three straight National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic Team National Championships, including setting a new Division II wrestling GPA record with a 3.556 mark in 2020. Hagerty had graduated from Maryville in 2016. Prior to heading Marysville for college, Hagerty attended Blue Springs High School (as with William Jewel College, located in suburban Kansas City, Mo.) where he won a state championship under his father, Mike, a 2016 inductee into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "From early in the search process, I was impressed with Keenan's passion and enthusiasm for the sport," Eisenhauer added. "We're excited to be the only NCAA-II wrestling program in Kansas City and to have someone who is a product of Kansas City wrestling lead the program is a perfect fit." "I am excited to join William Jewell College and bring men's and women's wrestling to the campus," Hagerty said. "I look forward to moving back to the Kansas City area where wrestling is such a high priority. "There is a very bright future for William Jewell wrestling and I am eager to get started." William Jewel College had revealed plans to introduce a new women's wrestling program -- as well as resurrecting a men's program after a 27-year-absence -- back in early June 2020. Founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention, William Jewell College is a private, liberal-arts college located in Liberty, Missouri just east of Kansas City, Mo. William Jewell has approximately 730 students. William Jewell College's varsity programs -- including the new women's wrestling program and resurrected men's program -- compete in NCAA Division II as the Cardinals.

Wrestling means different things to different people. For young athletes it's a social experience with elements of competition and physical output. As wrestlers get older the sport becomes part of their identity a la "Mark from the wrestling team." For parents it's a way to show pride in their children, for coaches a chance to teach life lessons and maybe scratch a few competitive urges. Journalists in wrestling enjoy the stats, the storytelling, and being members of a community they don't want to leave behind. Motivations vary, but ultimately wrestling binds together generations of fans, professionals, and athletes in their shared experience inside the sport. Still, everyone in the wrestling community shares the same values in life. Like any sport or organization there is the full range of personalities in our sport -- those who want to help, those who want to take, and those who simply see it as another job. There are bad influences and there are good. Despite political or social differences, our community has tended to be in sync is regarding the health of the athletes. We spend a lot of money, time, and effort limiting the spread of skin diseases like ringworm, impetigo, and herpes. Athletes shower after practice, apply special soaps, and disinfect their rooms with sprays and lights. Parents, athletes, administrators and businesses all have the goal to keep our young athletes out of harm's way. So, it's confusing and angering that now -- with the deadliest, most transmissible disease in 100 years running rampant across the country -- members of our community would choose to eschew their responsibility to keep each other healthy and hold youth wrestling practices. We are living through a pandemic. More than 1,000 people have been dying per day for more than two weeks and there are more than 50,000 new cases every day. Almost 160,000 Americans have died of the disease since March. And the response to this widespread death and suffering is to … have kids wrestle? We can blame the federal government's absolutely abhorrent response as a driving cause for the lack of clarity on how to proceed, but too many coaches are taking that high-level confusion and using it as an excuse for practicing when they know damn well it endangers the lives of athletes. Professional athletes -- those who are paid to wrestle for a living -- at least have an argument to why they would want to continue wrestling. It feeds their family and they want to be prepared for the next tournament (whenever that is) and many are practicing in pods, getting frequent testing, and following stringent protocols. The professional jiu-jitsu community is similar with one well-known athlete recently returning to the mats but making note that he's doing so with the knowledge he can no longer see his parents and keeping a tight training circle. Maybe not ideal, but as an adult who can weigh the consequences of his actions he's doing his best to maintain a heathy environment. Children don't have that option to self-isolate or create a training pod. They live at home with Mom and Dad and their brothers and sisters. They see grandma and grandad. It's obnoxious that the coaches who are meant to help children make community-based decisions have chosen their pocketbooks over the health and safety of the children they are meant to lead. Stop practicing. Stop competing. Americans do not have this virus under control and risking the lives of the next generation of wrestlers for personal gain is the most selfish act we've seen in our community. We are all paying a financial price for the incompetence of our government and the ravages of this disease. But there is no reason to make our children carry that burden when it is ours to shoulder. To your questions … Q: Who are the most exciting, active pinners in freestyle wrestling? Pick the top men and women who are all about that #PinfallLife -- @NHoughSnee Foley: First, no nation goes for the kill more often than Mongolia. Men and women both are constantly looking to throw from their feet and control for a fall. Watching one of their matches can be incredibly frustrating because they will consistently risk multiple point leads in the hopes of hitting some outrageous foot sweep or lateral drop. But also, its just fun to watch. Freestyle has a few throwers, but I think David Taylor is the one most consistently looking to pin opponents. He has more control on top and transitions out of his defensive positions into cradles. Frank Chamizo is another guy who is always searching for a step over or to create chaos from a scramble position. Basically, in freestyle anyone who is willing to let gut wrench action progress far enough to search for a step over is considered a pinner. The Chinese men, while not altogether impressive, also spend a lot of time searching for cradles, pancakes, and front head roll throughs. Maria Stadnik works for the fall (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On the women's side it's Maria Stadnick. She has zero quit and because she's so strong a lot of her forward pressure isn't properly combatted, and she just steamrolls opponents to their backs. Qian Zhou of China and Feng Zhou of China also wrestle into opponents when they are on their haunches and catch a lot of opponents on their back. Their teammate Yanan Sun is probably the most aggressive big-move athlete in the world and has had success versus younger or less experienced in finding the fall, but less so against quality talent. Vinesh is another uber-athletic talent with eyes on the fall. Lots of step overs, foot sweeps, headlocks, and pancakes from India's wrestling start. She's arguably the most dangerous wrestler in the world. Q: Wonder if you saw this because some of the debates on Twitter. -- @pareyouwithme Foley: Frankie Quintana is an excellent example of a young and healthy individual who is being directly affected by COVID-19. That he is alive is remarkable and a blessing. He needs our support now more than ever so if you can please donate plasma! Again, it speaks to the point that we know what this disease can do and we know how to prevent its spread. There is no mystery in how to defeat this disease, but a lack of self-discipline and a rampant me-first culture among some in the community is making our sport vulnerable. This can't be said or written enough: Wrestling will not cease to exist if we stop practicing for a few months. Young wrestlers won't miss a scholarship opportunity. Coaches will make money again in the future. On the flip side if an infected wrestler comes to practice you are running then you have endangered the life of everyone on your team. If you are sick and you knowingly practice you are endangering everyone in that room. You are also endangering their parents and grandparents. I don't know where Frankie was infected, but I can assure you that he won't be the only wrestler affected by this terrible disease if we still have coaches who are holding practices. Please keep Frankie in your thoughts. Q: I see all this talk about the college wrestling season potentially starting in January. It doesn't seem realistic until there is a vaccine. Could you see college wrestlers opting out, like we are seeing with college football players and pro athletes? -- Mike C. Foley: Even if there is a vaccine I highly doubt that enough Americans will take it and create something like a herd immunity. Unfortunately our information systems in America have been rotted away by Facebook with the uncle of your buddy's post from PatriotEagleOne News Blog getting as much credence as reports from the NYT and the Washington Post. The anti-vaxxers are going to get us all killed because they saw a short video on YouTube and think Bill Gates and Dr. Fauci cooked up COVID in a lab somewhere so they could take over the world. These conspiracy theories would be hysterical if it wasn't so pathetic, self-interested, and deadly. If football makes it through then I think they will try to start a wrestling season, but I just don't think we can last long with the numbers of outbreaks we can expect in teams around the country. Even if we advocate for bubbles these are college kids we are talking about. I'm highly skeptical we are going to keep them out of high-density group environments. Ultimately, there is nothing we can do about the sport launching in January until the whole of America decides to drop the bullcrap and start wearing a mask, socially distance themselves, and implement a robust nationwide testing and tracing program Do you see that happening? I don't. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Just because these are awesome Q: What rule changes could be made to make Greco more fan-friendly? -- @RichardAMann Foley: When it's good, it's great. When it's bad, it's dreadful. Greco-Roman has moments where it's fan friendly -- sky-high five-point throws, over-the-head lifts, and brutal front headlocks. However, over the past five years the balance of matches can seem slow. The hand-fighting and positioning of the feet are high-level techniques that wrestling aficionados tend to enjoy, but to your question that's not entirely fan-friendly. An idea floated in 2013 was to have the Greco-Roman athletes wear compression tops with additional tack on the back to allow for better grip. That way you'd see the difference in freestyle and Greco-Roman, but also allow for better traction when attempting throws. Ultimately the idea didn't make it very far, but the inspiration was on point. There is far too much sweaty skin exposed to allow for great grips and throws, especially after the first minute. I'd be against any clinching, but I don't mind the recent action with referees doing a better job rewarding positive wrestling and dinging negative wrestling. Referee education and oversight will ultimately determine the success of Greco-Roman on the world stage. The best refs can get the athletes to engage and wrestle with intent. Q: How many Division I programs will we have this time in 2022? -- @ZingherPolisci Foley: So much of what will happen with Division I athletics is going to depend on the next four weeks and how the NCAA handles football. There are already COVID outbreaks on teams across the country and some schools have cancelled their seasons, but the health of wrestling will still depend on the Power 5 conferences and how they choose to handle these outbreaks. As of now, I think they are going to disregard the health of the athletes and just go forward as we've seen in baseball. The only caveat to that is some administrators with a backbone might find the courage to end the seasons of teams with sustained outbreaks. If the football season is truncated, or collapses under the weight of the outbreak, we are looking at something like 5-8 at-risk programs being dropped in the fall and winter. If basketball is canceled, then the number will balloon to 10-15. This really might end up being an apocalyptic event for all Division I athletics and the systems that have previously kept them afloat. What if I said I could introduce you to the mysterious Bajrang Bois? -- @Jagger712 Foley: I'd say send the invite. Bajrang.