InterMat Staff

Alvernia University in Reading, Pa. will add a trio of varsity sports -- women's wrestling, men's ice hockey, and Esports -- beginning in the 2021-22 school year, Alvernia University Director of Athletics Bill Stiles announced Monday, for a three new varsity sports that will bring the school's total to 30 extra-curricular activities for male and female students. Alvernia will add Esports beginning in the 2021-22 school year, then add Women's Wrestling and Men's Ice Hockey in the 2022-23 school year. Esports will be varsity sport number 28 for the Golden Wolves and following the addition of Women's Wrestling and Men's Ice Hockey, Alvernia will be at 30 sports. "As always, we are looking to meet the needs of our students and community while also providing additional opportunities to prospective student-athletes," said Stiles. "Like many of our sports, particularly the ones we've added in the past 5-6 years, these offerings will allow us to recruit and retain new students while expanding our geographic recruiting footprint." Esports will join the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). Men's Ice Hockey will be an NCAA Division III team and join Alvernia's Women's Ice Hockey program in the MAC and has applied to also join the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). Women's Wrestling will also be NCAA Division III. Alvernia joins Delaware Valley as the only two schools in the MAC to sponsor Women's Wrestling. "The addition of Esports provides Alvernia with an opportunity to offer an experience that students really enjoy and will add to our overall experience at AU," said Alvernia University President John R. Loyack. "Our vision for the program is for Alvernia to become the Esports Hub of Berks County with a dedicated, state of the art esports suite as part of Reading CollegeTowne." "Building upon the successes and momentum of our men's wrestling and women's ice hockey programs, which started last year, the next logical step was to provide additional opportunities for women and men, respectively," said Stiles. "And, the recent addition of women's wrestling to the list of NCAA Emerging Sports for Women allows Alvernia to be at the forefront of a sport that is growing exponentially for girls in high schools and clubs." There are currently 10 universities within a three hour radius of Alvernia that sponsor Women's Wrestling and more to come with the NCAA recently adding it to its list of emerging sports. Alvernia will compete in dual matches and invitationals against those 10 schools in its first season and also look to compete in the Cliff Keen National Collegiate Championship that enters its second season in 2020-21. The search for head coaches for all three sports will take place this fall. Alvernia University - formerly Alvernia College -- is a four-year, private, Roman Catholic school located in east-central Pennsylvania. Originally founded in 1958, Alvernia started welcoming male and female students in 2008. Student-athletes compete in NCAA Division III.

Carlton Haselrig The family of Carlton Haselrig, six-time NCAA wrestling champ and 2016 National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee -- as well as Pittsburgh Steeler football legend who collapsed and died in his home at age 54 on July 22 - is having his brain donated to Boston University for brain injury research, Haselrig's hometown newspaper, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, reported Wednesday. According to the Haselrig family, Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center is among the leading brain injury research institutions, with the largest tissue repository in the world. The Boston University center specializes in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – “a common term used to describe the brain of an individual who repeatedly faced head traumas, specifically those, like Carlton, who played aggressively vigorous sports a majority of their life," the family statement said. “Life starts with family. Carlton was big on family, he respected everyone, inspired his loved ones, and ensured to always support those he encountered. As his family, we have promised to do our part and uphold the values Carlton has built, starting by executing his desire to donate his brain for CTE research." Donations from the families of athletes who played sports that may have caused serious traumatic injuries such as these described here can help Boston University research these injuries and provide help to prevent future such injuries in the future. Haselrig previously participated in CTE research at Boston University. His family believes his earlier involvement in the program potentially will lead to even more significant findings. Bruce Haselrig, Carlton's uncle and a well-known PIAA and NCAA wrestling official, said the Boston University research was important to Carlton Haselrig.

USA Wrestling has named its popular Preseason Nationals tournament after the late Brian Keck, who helped create the event and served as its event director for more than a decade. The 2020 USA Wrestling Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals will return to Hyvee Hall inside the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, October 30 - November 1. Keck worked with USA Wrestling to found the Preseason Nationals in 2008, a major early season national folkstyle wrestling event for athletes of all ages. The first event was held in Des Moines, then spent nine years in Cedar Falls, Iowa, before returning to Des Moines in 2018. During its 12 years with Keck's involvement, the competition grew in size and prestige. Keck tragically passed away at the age 48 during a trip to Mexico in November, 2019. "Brian Keck provided the vision and passion to establish USA Wrestling's Preseason Nationals as a premier competition for talented and motivated wrestlers from across the nation. It is appropriate that as this tournament continues to grow and improve, his contribution to the sport is recognized on an annual basis," said Pete Isais, USA Wrestling Director of National Events. A native of Parma, Ohio, he was an Ohio state champion for Padua Franciscan High School. Keck won a Junior College national title for Cuyuhoga CC and went on to Bloomsburg, where he was a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Huskies. Keck competed for a decade as a Senior-level athlete in both Greco-Roman and freestyle, spending many years as a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Keck was just one of two athletes to qualify for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, and he wrestled in three Olympic Trials events. Brian Keck competing in Real Pro Wrestling (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) He served as an assistant coach for Cleveland State, and the wrestling coach for Xtreme Couture, an MMA gym owned by wrestling and MMA legend Randy Couture. He was also with Alliance MMA, where he trained MMA fighters. One of Keck's biggest contributions to wrestling was as an event organizer. In addition to the Preseason Nationals, Keck also directed a number of other wrestling competitions. The final schedule for the 2020 USA Wrestling Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals is being completed at this time. A website will soon be posted with complete information on the tournament. It will be conducted using USA Wrestling's Return to Events Guidelines and following the regulations of the state and local health authorities in Iowa. Wrestlers, parents, coaches and clubs are asked to Save the Date of October 30 - November 1 and make plans to attend this year's USA Wrestling Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals. Registration will open on August 20, coinciding with the launch of the new 2020-21 USA Wrestling membership year. The event will be broadcast live on Trackwrestling.

Andre Gonzales after winning a California state championships at 106 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Ohio State secured the verbal commitment of a nationally elite lightweight wrestler in the Class of 2021 on Tuesday evening. Ranked No. 60 overall, Andre Gonzales (Poway, Calif.) is the second top-100 commit for the Buckeyes among rising seniors. Competing at 106 pounds as a junior, Gonzales won a state title and ended the year ranked No. 1 nationally in the weight class. In the summer of 2019, he was a Fargo champion (Junior) in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. He projects as a 125-pound wrestler in college.

Nick Suriano gets is hand raised after winning in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nick Suriano has re-enrolled at Rutgers. After taking an Olympic redshirt season in 2019-20, the 2019 NCAA champion is now listed in the school's online directory. The news was first reported by Rutgers Sports Insider, NJ Advance Media's subscription text messaging service. A native of Paramus, N.J., Suriano was a four-time New Jersey state wrestling champion at Bergen Catholic, with a perfect 159-0 prep record. He started his collegiate career at Penn State, compiling a 16-3 record as a freshman during the 2016-17 season, but injuries kept him from competing at the Big Ten and NCAA championships. Suriano then transferred to Rutgers, where he was a two-time NCAA national finalist, winning the 133-pound title at the 2019 NCAAs in Pittsburgh, just two weeks after claiming a Big Ten conference crown. Suriano has one season of college wrestling eligibility remaining.

Six days have passed since Saturday night's FloWrestling event featuring headliners Kyle Dake and Frank Chamizo. While a week can be a long time for most event postmortems, I think that the distance has provided some clarity to what went right, and what didn't in wrestling's biggest event of the summer. The obvious failure was the feed going dead by the start of the first match. That stuff happens to FloWrestling, Trackwrestling, United World Wrestling and other internet broadcasters. Sometimes when too many people are online, or there isn't enough oomph (layman terminology) to get the signal out to viewers. Both are preventable, but failures are common. The delayed start ate away at the event's energy. Heading into the event there was significant stumbling about women's matches, Pat Downey, and last-minute changes, but with 24 hours to go much of the wrestling world had resigned itself to enjoying a much-needed night of sports entertainment. The commentary was knowledgeable and entertaining, and the creative packages were well done. There was FAR too much time between the cards. While I agree that some hype helps, it's better done in the days leading up to the event than in the first minutes. Some footage had leaked out, but a 24/7 or Embedded type program would have helped fans gain new perspective into the lives of the athletes. It's a huge task and with everything else happening in the world it would have been a big ask. The packages felt like a Fight Night from UFC 2013 with a swinging lightbulb bringing the wrestlers faces into and out of focus. Meh. It's much better than nothing, but it only really reminded me of the UFC and there is plenty of room for wrestling to have its own look for big events. And again, watching them three to four times before each match got to be a repetitive and annoying. I was probably not alone in having other screens on and just keeping one eye on the promotion. (Side note: This seems better suited to an actual PPV card where people are buying it as a one-off.) A faster card would have made for a better card, though I don't think the matches needed to roll back-to-back-to-back. A 12-minute delay with one airing of the promotional reel and then listening to the hype from the commentators (like all sporting events) would have been an improvement for the fan experience. Keep us interested but stay focused on the content we want to consume. The wrestling was OK. The referee allowed far too much time for Dake to work at the edge of the mat. He earned the turn, but the wrestlers should have been back to their feet a few moments before the turn was attempted. The scrambles were complex and compelling with both grapplers showcasing some of their defensive skill, but the overall number of exchanges left me wanting more. If an organizer is paying $75-100K for a main event I'd hope that the athletes feel compelled to pull the trigger a little more often. Getting shooters is important because this event is part spectacle and part sport, whereas a world championship event is run for a sporting outcome. Something to consider. What's next? Tough to say what matchups may come through in the next few weeks. Much will depend on FloWrestling and what they are willing to pay and the preparation and timeline of the biggest athletes. The matches will be limited to foreign wrestlers from only one country or else it becomes a United World Wrestling level event, which currently aren't allowed to occur. Though that doesn't matter much since America isn't open to foreign business quite like it was six months ago. Overall, I enjoyed the evening if it was delayed and suffered from too many pauses. We all wanted something sporting and entertaining and I think that's what we received. Good job by FloWrestling to get it together and to follow the strict COVID protocols. To your questions … David Taylor takes down Myles Martin at FloWrestling's event this past Saturday (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: David Taylor called out Abdulrashid Sadulaev. If they faced off at a catchweight, how do you see that match going? -- Mike C. Foley: I really don't have any idea who would win, but that's also due in part to not knowing if a catchweight would be possible. While Sadulaev did only weigh in the mid 90's for much of the 2017 season, he was trimming some kilos in 2019 and he's even larger in the COVID-era of less working out and more dining. Would "The Tank" have to cut down to 92 kilograms for a match with someone who can eat up to 92 kilograms? Meh. Seems like a lot to consider for Sadulaev who both doesn't need the money and doesn't care about the attention. OK, but what if he did decide to workout, cut a bunch of weight, and fly to Texas … When attacking, David Taylor is arguably the best freestyle wrestler in the world. When defending he's creative and opportunistic, but he does give up points when opponents make it past his hands and elbows and connect to good shots. Sadulaev is beefy, but he's also outrageously athletic -- would a scoot to the corner and ankle grab work against him? I'm doubtful. This sets up an interesting dynamic of giving the aggressor the upper hand. Pacing would determine the winner. If Taylor opened up and found solid attacks with clean finishes I think he can snatch a few early takedowns from Sadualev. He'd then need to stay on the offense because as the match would progress Sadulaev would tire Taylor and open up more attacks. If Sadualev attacks, especially late, I think Taylor is not in a good position to defend. While Taylor is the better wrestler from neutral there is the issue of par terre. If Sadulaev ends up on top of Taylor there is a rib-cracking gut wrench coming that is very difficult to stop. Maybe we will be fortunate enough to see the matchup, but probably not. What is nice to know is that we have the wrestling IQ among fans to start fantasizing about this type of international matchup. I don't think we had that group knowledge as recently as five years ago, much less ten or twenty. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Sadulaev responds: Eat and train and maybe I'll see you in the fall Q: If the Senior Nationals event goes off as planned in October, what type of field do you expect? -- Mike C. Foley: Big if … There should be a number of top-tier athletes competing at the Olympic weights because the tournament would be a good opportunity to warm up before the Olympic Trials in April. I wouldn't expect Kyle Snyder, Jordan Burroughs, David Taylor, J'den Cox, Nick Gwiazdowski or Thomas Gilman but I think it's plausible we'll see athletes a little further down the ladder. Again, I'm guessing the tournament is a BIG 'if' in that it relies heavily on the outcome of United World Wrestling's upcoming bureau meetings this August. Should it be decided that something is to change with the 2020 World Championships it would almost certainly mean the elimination of the trials. However, if not, it's important that the athletes start the process by having national tournaments to train and prepare for. Q: I saw the NCAA announced that student-athletes may wear social justice patches and statements on their uniforms. Do you think we will see any on wrestling singlets? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes. The NCAA allowing freedom of expression is comical. They've allowed sponsors to buy the field of play and the bodies of the athletes, through no direct compensation to those same athletes. That's farcical, but it's happening. That they then say it's "allowable" to make a statement for equal treatment is antithetical to the very idea of self-determination and dominion over one's self. Pay the athletes. End this sham.

Khalil Taha, Lebanese bronze medalist in Greco Roman wrestling at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, died July 27, 2020, from kidney disease. Khalil Taha Taha was married to Whede Walker-Taha who preceded him in death. They had four children and raised them in Allen Park, Michigan. He had been a resident of Venice, Florida since 1981. Born in Beirut, Taha was 14 years old when he started to wrestle. At 19, he was the first Olympian for the country of Lebanon to take a medal, winning the bronze medal for Greco Roman wrestling at the 1952 Olympics. Lebanon sent nine athletes to the 1952 Summer Ganes to participate in four sports: wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and shooting. The Lebanese flag flew twice during those games, first when Taha won the bronze medal in the Greco Roman welterweight division. And, then later that same day for the silver medal won by his dear friend, Zakaria Chihab for the Greco Roman bantamweight division. One of the nine athletes included Khalil's older brother, Safi Taha. Safi represented Lebanon, as well in the 1948 Summer Olympics where he finished joint-sixth in the Featherweight division. Two brothers from such a small country in the same Olympics, most certainly was remarkable at the time. Khalil represented Lebanon and the Arab world taking first place seven consecutive times at the Greco Roman Wrestling Lebanese National Championships from 1949 to 1955 all in the 160.5-pound weight class. In 1951, he was runner-up at the Mediterranean Nationals in Alexandria, Egypt. Then in 1953, Taha returned to Alexandria to compete in the Arab World Games, where he won first place bringing back another win for Lebanon. His further accomplishments included earning a gold medal win for Lebanon at the 1954 World Games in Budapest, Hungary, again in the welterweight division. Khalil moved to the United States in 1955 joining his brother, Safi Taha in Dearborn, Michigan. He was proud to represent the United States and kept his Greco Roman career going in 1957, placing first at the AAU Nationals in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. That was his second consecutive AAU Nationals gold medal after winning his first in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Taha joined the Ford Motor Wrestling Center that later became the Michigan Wrestling Club. He remained a part of that organization from 1958 to 1982 not only as a wrestler, but also as a coach. Taha was quite the popular coach. Because of his immense talent, American Greco-Roman coach Joe Scalzo asked him to be his top assistant in the pre-Olympic training camp for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Fast forward to 1962, and Khalil would be asked to be an assistant coach on the U.S. World Greco-Roman Team by coach Dean Rockwell. Two years later, he became coach of the Olympic Greco-Roman Team. Khalil would again coach in 1979 the Senior World Greco-Roman team in San Diego, California. In 1987, he turned to younger wrestlers after Jerry Wagner, who had wrestled under Khalil, asked him to coach the cadet age division of the U.S. Greco-Roman Wrestling Team. Taha and Wagner became the first American coaches to win a world championship with a U.S. Greco-Roman Team. The event took place in Collingwood Ontario, Canada. In 2005, Taha was recognized for his contributions to the sport of wrestling and was inducted into the AAU Hall of Fame. And, in 2016 he was given the Lifetime Devotion to Wrestling Award at the Michigan Chapter National Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony. Khalil was a fireman in Beirut, who followed his dream and became a renowned wrestling icon throughout the world. He was honored to represent Lebanon his birth country and honored to give back to the United States of America. He never forgot his beginnings, no matter how successful his achievements and always striving to be better. Keeping the Olympic motto close to his heart. CITIUS - ALTIUS -FORTIUS. Faster, Stronger, Higher. Throughout his career, he won a total of 45 medals.

Ryan LeBlanc (Photo/Applachian State Athletics) CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Ryan LeBlanc has been named the new head wrestling coach at The Citadel, it was announced by director of athletics Mike Capaccio on Thursday. "I would like to thank Mike Capaccio, Geoff Von Dollen and the rest of the search committee for entrusting me with the opportunity to serve as the next head wrestling coach at The Citadel," said LeBlanc. "It is an honor and privilege to join an institution with such a rich tradition of developing cadet-athletes on and off the wrestling mat. I will always be grateful to JohnMark Bentley for preparing me for this opportunity, and I look forward to connecting with the Bulldog fans, alumni and the South Carolina wrestling community to continue to build on this tradition. My wife, Morgan, and I could not be more excited to join The Citadel family." "We are very excited to have Ryan join our Citadel family as our next head wrestling coach," said Capaccio. "Ryan has competed at the highest level, both athletically and academically. He will bring a new energy to the wrestling program and he is very familiar with The Citadel and its mission. We had a strong candidate pool and I want to thank the search committee for doing an outstanding job. In the end, Ryan separated himself from the group and we look forward to his arrival and future success at The Citadel." LeBlanc comes to the Lowcountry after spending the previous four years as the assistant wrestling coach at Appalachian State. He was promoted to co-head wrestling assistant for the final two years. In his four seasons at App State, the Mountaineers finished in the top two in the Southern Conference each year, including three regular season championships. LeBlanc helped to mentor 13 individual conference finalists, seven conference champions and 10 NCAA qualifiers. The 2019-20 season saw the Mountaineers go 9-3 overall and establish a new school record with six NCAA qualifiers. App State ranked 14th nationally in win percentage, while leading the country with four dual-meet shutouts. The Mountaineers were also just one of three Division I schools with four conference champions, and one of six teams that had all 10 starters finish the season with a winning record. Off the mat, LeBlanc led fundraising efforts that helped to renovate the wrestling practice facility and team locker room, as well as increase the scholarship endowment. LeBlanc joined the Mountaineers after spending two years working for the State University of New York at Cortland. He started as a graduate assistant before transitioning to a dual position in coaching and alumni engagement. LeBlanc helped guide the team to a seventh- and 13th-place finish in the NCAA Championships, totaling seven national qualifiers, four NWCA Scholar All-Americans, four NCAA All-Americans and two separate individual national champions. He also helped create the periodization plan for wrestling, strength and cardiovascular training throughout his seasons. Prior to SUNY-Cortland, LeBlanc amassed a career wrestling record of 103-51 at Indiana University. During his collegiate career, he was a three-time NCAA qualifier (with a finish in the round of 12 as a senior), a three-time academic all-American, a two-year captain and a Big Ten Academic all-Conference team member for four straight seasons. LeBlanc was also selected as the Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, one of the most prestigious conference awards in college athletics. First awarded in 1915, the Medal of Honor is given to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who attains "the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." He graduated from Indiana in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science before receiving his master's in sports management from SUNY-Cortland in 2016. For more information on The Citadel wrestling team, please visit CitadelSports.com or follow @CitadelWrestle on Twitter and Instagram, and @CitadelWrestling on Facebook. "I'm extremely happy for Ryan. He is extremely deserving of this opportunity. I believe he is well prepared and The Citadel is getting a good man. I consider Ryan a close friend, and I am thankful for all his contributions to App State wrestling." -- JohnMark Bentley, Appalachian State Head Wrestling Coach

New York state high school wrestling teams will have a leaner look for the next two seasons. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association's central committee on Wednesday approved a two-year trial run of the reduction of NYSPHSAA scholastic weight classes from 15 to 13. The 15-weight-class structure has been in use since 2012. The just-approved 13-weight-class plan, passed on a 28-13 vote, had already been given a thumbs up by the state's wrestling committee, would be implemented for the 2020-21 school year, and would be similar to one approved earlier this summer by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), reducing the number of weight classes for men from 14 down to 13.) The new NYS plan, by the numbers With the just-approved NYSPHSAA weight-class structure, "the committee lopped off the previous lowest weight class -- 99 pounds -- and reshaped a few others," the Syracuse Post-Standard reported Wednesday. "Previously, the classifications were 99, 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, 285. "The new ones are 102, 110, 118,126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215, 285." The previous weight-class structure had been in place for over a decade. The just-approved 13-weight-class structure will now be in effect for two seasons: 2020-21, and 2021-22. What's the thinking behind the new plan? In a nutshell, with the previous weight-class structure, some smaller schools found it challenging to be able to field an entire team of at least one wrestler per weight class… especially at the lower weights. Those squads were forced to start meets already down six points per forfeited weight class. The issue was sparked by the difficulty some smaller schools were having fielding full teams, especially at the lower weights. Those squads were forced to start meets already down six points per forfeited weight class. Here's a specific example cited in a number of newspaper articles this week as the new weight-class plan as been discussed throughout New York State. Phoenix coach Gene Mills said his team had regularly forfeited at least two weight classes per dual meet last season, putting his team in a 12-point deficit right from the start. "If there 10 weight classes, almost every single one of those schools could fill a roster," Mills said. "Now, you have to find 15 kids who have a work ethic, pride. It (stinks) for the big schools that really have those numbers, but for a lot of the other schools it's tough (to field a complete lineup)."

Sam Hazewinkel (Photo/Oklahoma City University) OKLAHOMA CITY -- After guiding Oklahoma City University to its first conference men's wrestling championship, Sam Hazewinkel has left his position as head coach to pursue other coaching opportunities. In two years under Hazewinkel, the Stars went 11-5 in duals with two top-10 national finishes, nine all-Americans, 16 NAIA Championships qualifiers, eight Sooner Athletic Conference individual champions and 20 all-conference wrestlers. A national search will be conducted to find the next OCU head coach. In 2019-20, Oklahoma City matched its program high with five all-Americans in the 2020 NAIA Championships. The Stars finished eighth in the team standings with the No. 8 slot in the postseason national ratings. Hazewinkel, a 2012 Olympian, shared SAC coach of the year honors as OCU (8-3 in duals) took its first conference championship after winning the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference-SAC Championships on Feb. 21-22 in Bartlesville, Okla.

Mark your calendars: The much-anticipated mixed-martial arts bout between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and (former college wrestler) Justin Gaethje is now set. UFC president Dana White told CNN on Tuesday that the fight will take place Saturday, Oct. 24. The site is yet to be announced. "That fight's going to happen," White said during an appearance on CNN. "Khabib vs. Gaethje, Oct. 24." A native of Dagestan, the 31-year-old Nurmagomedow brings a 28-0 12-0 UFC record to his match with Gaethje. He previous match was Sept. 7, when he submitted Dustin Poirier in the third round. Gaethje, also 31, fights out of Colorado and sports a 22-2 , 5-2 UFC record. He earned the interim belt and title shot vs. Nurmagomedow with a fifth-round TKO of Tony Ferguson on May 9. Nurmagomedow has faced challenges in recent months which have been complicating factors in scheduling this upcoming match vs. Gaethje, as Dana White pointed out in his announcement this week of the just-announced late-October lightweight title bout. For starters, the sports world -- including MMA -- has pretty much been on shutdown for the past few months because of the coronavirus pandemic. When the UFC did return, Nurmagomedov, a Muslim, was still observing Ramadan, which meant fasting and little MMA training. Ramadan ended May 23. That same month, Nurmagomedov's father, Abdulmanap, was hospitalized in Moscow after heart surgery for a preexisting condition further complicated by COVID-19. He died July 3. "It's been very rough on him," White said of Nurmagomedov. "Everybody is close to their parents and everything, but his father was a hero to him. He loved his father. They had a very close relationship, and it was very hard on him." Gaethje's amateur wrestling background Justin Gaethje first took up wrestling at the age of 4 ... and participated in wrestling in at Safford High School where he was a four-time Arizona state finalist and twice a state champ, compiling an impressive 191-1 overall record). After high school, Gaethje enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado, a NCAA Division I program. As a freshman, he built a 18-9 overall record. As a sophomore, he qualified for the 2009 NCAA 157-pound championship, with a record of 0-2. As a junior, Gaethje went 5-2 at the 2010 NCAA Division I 157-pound championship to earn seventh place and All-American status. Just this summer -- years after concluding his collegiate mat career -- Gaethje was announced as an inductee into the University of Northern Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame for his achievements in wrestling.

B.J. Futrell PHILADELPHIA -- Beat the Streets Philadelphia (BTSP) is proud to announce the hiring of B.J. Futrell as the new Mentoring Director. Futrell will work closely with BTSP executive staff, and critical partners: Penn Wrestling, Drexel Wrestling, and the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center to deliver mentoring to BTSP Student-athletes. Futrell was a resident athlete at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center from 2016-2019. During this time, he served as a coach and mentor at BTSP, working extensively with student-athletes. Futrell returns to Philadelphia after serving as an Assistant Coach at the US Naval Academy during the 2019-2020 season. Under his leadership, Navy qualified five wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament and crowned two EIWA champions. Additionally, Navy had three wrestlers become NWCA Scholar All-Americans. Collegiately, Futrell was a two-time All-American for the University of Illinois, placing sixth at the 2012 NCAA Tournament and eighth in 2011. He was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and twice achieved NWCA Scholar All-American status. Futrell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology in 2012 and a Master of Education degree in educational policy studies in 2013. On the Senior Level, Futrell was a member of the 2017 US National Team and a 2014 University Worlds silver medalist. Throughout his career, Futrell placed at over 20 different Senior-level events and won titles at the Dave Schultz Memorial International, the Bill Farrell International and the Ion Corneanu & Ladislau Simon Memorial in Bucharest, Romania. He was also a member of the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club team that brought home a title from the 2016 Club World Championships in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Futrell will begin his new position in September and is eager to make an impact within the program. "It is always worth more to invest in people than to invest in things. BTSP is a pipeline of grace, mercy, love, and truth into the students and families of this community. I believe in the mission, and I will use my skills and experience to raise consciousness and lead to effective action and social change. I want to live a life dedicated to service. I couldn't be more excited to serve the communities of Philadelphia as the Mentoring Director at BTSP," said B.J. Futrell. As part of an organizational restructuring Ben Reiter, who has been serving as the Mentoring Director since August of 2017, will transition to a newly created Senior Director of Advancement & Strategic Partnerships position. Ben expanded the impact of Mentoring through collective impact, innovative curriculum, and personal passion for the mission. "B.J.is a dynamic individual with a first-hand understanding of the vitally important work of mentoring BTSP student-athletes. Having served as a Mentor, Coach, and Partner in the past will allow B.J. to have an immediate impact on the organization as we build on past success and position for a rapidly evolving future," said Executive Director James Mangan. At BTSP, we strive to positively alter life's trajectory of the youth we serve by living the core values of Grit, Compassion, Service, and Team.

Garrett Hoffman wrestling PSU's Anthony Cassar (Photo/Marc Hagemeier) BLOOMINGTON, Ind.-- IU head coach Angel Escobedo has announced the addition of graduate transfer Garrett Hoffman. Hoffman, a native of Cogan Station, Pa., comes to Indiana after four years at Bucknell. At Bucknell he majored in Managing for Sustainability with a minor in Philosophy. Hoffman graduated Cum Laude with a 3.56 GPA. Hoffman started off his collegiate career strong, as he qualified for the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds. "We're excited to add Garrett Hoffman to our program," IU head coach Angel Escobedo said. "An NCAA qualifier as a true freshman, Garrett brings experience and leadership to the program. Garrett will wrestle 197lb this season and is ready to put in the work needed to end his career as an All-American." He earned the Bucknell Freshman of the Year Award after posting a record of 18-16 in his first collegiate season. Prior to Bucknell, Hoffman tallied a 167-19 record at Montoursville Area High School. He was a three-time state medalist, including a finalist as a senior in 2016. At Indiana Hoffman will be attending the Kelley School of Business in an executive degree program for business management. "I saw how passionate the coaches were about the program and their vision for the future of IU wrestling," Hoffman said. "It showed me that they truly cared about their athletes as more than just athletes and have a great defined plan for success. They are building something special at IU and that's something I want to be a part of and hopefully help pave the way for their future success."

Vladyslav Dombrovskiy attempts to throw Kamal Bey at the Dave Schultz Memorial (Photo/Larry Slater) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USADA announced today that Vladyslav Dombrovskiy, of Colorado Springs, Colo. an athlete in the sport of wrestling, has accepted a four-year suspension for a violation involving his possession and use or attempted use of prohibited substances and his refusal to provide a urine sample. Dombrovskiy, 30, refused to provide a sample as requested by a USADA doping control officer during an out-of-competition test on March 12, 2020. Evading sample collection or refusing or failing to submit to sample collection without compelling justification is an anti-doping rule violation under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the United World Wrestling Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. During an investigation, USADA also obtained specific and credible evidence that Dombrovskiy possessed letrozole in 2019, purchased a product containing GW1516 from an online store in January 2020, and used tamoxifen in February 2020, which he received from a friend. Letrozole and tamoxifen are Specified Substances and GW1516 is a Non-Specified Substance in the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators. These substances are prohibited at all times under the above-referenced rules. Dombrovskiy's four-year period of ineligibility began on March 10, 2020, the date he admitted using prohibited substances. In addition, Dombrovskiy has been disqualified from competitive results obtained on and subsequent to July 1, 2019, the approximate date on which he first possessed a prohibited substance, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes. In an effort to aid athletes, as well as support team members such as parents and coaches, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements (www.Supplement411.org) as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs. In addition, USADA manages a drug reference hotline, Global Drug Reference Online (www.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as an easy-reference wallet card with examples of prohibited and permitted substances, a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, an athlete handbook, and periodic alerts and advisories. Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean@usada.org, by phone at 1-877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253) or by mail. USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.

Haley Augello speaks at a press conference prior to the Rio Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Haley Augello has wrestled her last competitive match. The 2016 Olympian announced her retirement from wrestling over the weekend on social media. Augello, an Illinois native, earned a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team in women's wrestling at the age of 21. She finished ninth at the Rio Games at 48 kilograms. In 2017, Augello moved up to 53 kilograms and earned a spot on the U.S. world team, finishing eighth at the World Championships. She fell just short of making the world team in both 2018 and 2019. Augello also won a Cadet world title in 2011 and three college national titles in the WCWA while attending King University. "There's not really one answer to why (I'm retiring)," the 25-year-old Augello told USA Wrestling's Mike Willis in a Moments off the Mat interview. "It's just that I don't want to train or compete anymore." Augello also reflected on her wrestling career, ups and downs, relationships, how she wants to be remembered and much more. Watch USA Wrestling's full interview with Augello below.

The body of Aleksandr Ivanitsky, 97 kilogram/213-pound 1964 Tokyo Olympic wrestling champ for the Soviet Union in the 1960s, was discovered out in the woods after having been out missing for a couple days near Moscow this past weekend. Aleksandr Ivanitskyvanitsky, who also won four other gold medals in freestyle world wrestling, was reported dead by the official Russian TASS news agency on Sunday, July 26. He was 82. Born in Donetsk, Oblast in 1937, Ivanitsky won gold in men's freestyle for the Soviet Union at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic, as well a gold medal for his home country at the World Championships in 1962, 1963, 1965 and 1966. Ivanitsky studied at the Russian State University of Physical Education in 1966 and earned formal journalism qualifications at the capital's Academy of Social Sciences in 1979, having been appointed chief editor of the main sports programs of the Gosteleradio broadcasting empire, according to Inside the Games. Ivanitsky also counted among his friends with fellow Tokyo 1964 Olympic wrestling champion Alexander Medved, who went on to win two more Olympic gold medals and is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. "With great regret I learned about what happened, he was a strong, powerful, healthy person who seriously observed the regime, looked after himself," Medved told Inside The Games. "I'm just surprised. "How could this happen." "Until recently, we hoped for a miracle -- but unfortunately a real tragedy has happened," Mikhail Mamiashvili, the president of the Russian Wrestling Federation, told TASS. "This is an immeasurable loss for his family, wife, son and granddaughters. Ivanitsky belonged to the heroic people who were children of war, with a heightened sense of pride and an understanding that they represent a great victorious nation. "There was a red thread running through his entire life. This feeling of colossal responsibility, understanding the country they represent, shapes people like him. "This is one of the foundations of our domestic sport - particularly wrestling. This is our great heritage and a blessed memory."

Artist rendition of Xtream Arena set up for wrestling competition USA Wrestling has finalized the schedule and posted an official event website for the Senior Nationals, which will be hosted at the new Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse in Coralville, Iowa, October 9-11. The schedule features three days of competition, which will showcase the nation's top international-style wrestlers, competing in the three Olympic disciplines: men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman. Extensive information on the Senior Nationals has been posted on an official event website at https://usawrestlingevents.com/event/2000215702. The schedule for the Senior Nationals will include the six Olympic weight classes in each discipline. There will be a one-match finals, as is traditional at the Senior Nationals. Athletes will be able to register starting August 20. However, if United World Wrestling confirms that the proposed 2020 Senior World Championships meets the conditions to be held and USA Wrestling decides to attend, the event format could change. The Sport Committee in each of the disciplines will meet to consider using this event as a 2020 World Team Trials, which could change the number of weight classes and the competition format. In an effort to answer a variety of questions about the Senior Nationals for athletes, coaches, team leaders and fans, USA Wrestling has developed a Q&A document, which can be accessed at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/July/27/Question-and-answer-about-Senior-Nationals. Fans will be able to order tickets starting at 12:00 noon on Monday, August 3 by visiting www.xtreamarena.com. Ticket prices for the Senior Nationals will be: • All Session Adult $45 • All Session Youth $25 • Single Day Adult $35 • Single Day Youth $15 • All Session Coaches $20 (must have current USAW Leader Membership) The event will be broadcast by FloWrestling. SENIOR NATIONALS At Coralville, Iowa, October 9-11 Sessions and schedule subject to change Event Schedule Monday, October 5 5:00 p.m. - Online Athlete Registration Deadline - If you miss this deadline, you can still sign up for Late Online Registration up until the day before competition. See below. 5:00 PM (Central Time) Tuesday, October 6 TBA - Virtual Seeding Meeting - Zoom Thursday, October 8 7:00 p.m. - Late Online Registration & Weight Verification Deadline (must be done the night before) Greco-Roman (60 KG, 67 KG, 77 KG, 87 KG, 97 KG, 130 KG) Women's Freestyle (50 KG, 53 KG, 57 KG) Friday, October 9 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. - Doors Open for Workout - Athletes and Coaches Only. All athletes and coaches must have face covering on before entering arena. 7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m.- Medical and Weigh-in - SCRATCH. All athletes and coaches must have face covering on before entering arena. Greco-Roman (60 KG, 67 KG, 77 KG, 87 KG, 97 KG, 130 KG) Women's Freestyle (50 KG, 53 KG, 57 KG) 8:30 a.m. - Doors Open *All Spectators must have face covering on before entering arena. 10:00 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. - (6 mats) - Session I: Preliminaries, Quarterfinals and Consolations Greco-Roman (60 KG, 67 KG, 77 KG, 87 KG, 97 KG, 130 KG) Women's Freestyle (50 KG, 53 KG, 57 KG) 4:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.- (6 mats) - Session II: Semifinals and Consolations Greco-Roman (60 KG, 67 KG, 77 KG, 87 KG, 97 KG, 130 KG) Women's Freestyle (50 KG, 53 KG, 57 KG) 7:00 p.m. - Late Online Registration & Weight Verification Deadline (must be done the night before) Women's Freestyle (62 KG, 68 KG, 76 KG) Men's Freestyle (57 KG, 65 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG , 97 KG, 125 KG) Saturday, October 10 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. - Doors Open for Workout - Athletes and Coaches Only. All athletes and coaches must have face covering on before entering arena. 7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m.- Medical and Weigh-in - SCRATCH. All athletes and coaches must have face covering on before entering arena. Women's Freestyle (62 KG, 68 KG, 76 KG) Men's Freestyle (57 KG, 65 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG , 97 KG, 125 KG) 7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m.- Medical and Weigh-in - SCRATCH. All athletes and coaches must have face covering on before entering arena. Greco-Roman (60 KG, 67 KG, 77 KG, 87 KG, 97 KG, 130 KG) Women's Freestyle (50 KG, 53 KG, 57 KG) 8:30 a.m. - Doors Open. All Spectators must have face covering on before entering arena. 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - (2 mats): Session III: Consolation Semifinals, 3rd Place, 5th Place and 7th Place Greco-Roman (60 KG, 67 KG, 77 KG, 87 KG, 97 KG, 130 KG) Women's Freestyle (50 KG, 53 KG, 57 KG) 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - (4 mats) - Session III: Preliminaries Women's Freestyle (62 KG, 68 KG, 76 KG) Men's Freestyle (57 KG, 65 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG , 97 KG, 125 KG) 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - (6 mats): Session IV: Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Consolations Women's Freestyle (62 KG, 68 KG, 76 KG) Men's Freestyle (57 KG, 65 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG , 97 KG, 125 KG) 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - (1 mat): Session V: Championship Finals Greco-Roman (60 KG, 67 KG, 77 KG, 87 KG, 97 KG, 130 KG) Women's Freestyle (50 KG, 53 KG, 57 KG) Sunday, October 11 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. - Doors Open for Workout - Athletes and Coaches Only. All athletes and coaches must have face covering on before entering arena. 7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m.- Medical and Weigh-in - SCRATCH. All athletes and coaches must have face covering on before entering arena. Women's Freestyle (62 KG, 68 KG, 76 KG) Men's Freestyle (57 KG, 65 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG , 97 KG, 125 KG) 8:30 a.m. - Doors Open. All Spectators must have face covering on before entering arena. 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. - (4 mats): Session VI: Consolation, Consolation Semifinals, 3rd Place, 5th Place and 7th Place Women's Freestyle (62 KG, 68 KG, 76 KG) Men's Freestyle (57 KG, 65 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG , 97 KG, 125 KG) 3:00 p.m - 4:30 p.m.- (1 mat): Session VII: Championship Finals Women's Freestyle (62 KG, 68 KG, 76 KG) Men's Freestyle (57 KG, 65 KG, 74 KG, 86 KG , 97 KG, 125 KG) Sessions and schedule subject to change

Fred Davis, three-time NCAA All-American wrestler and 1955 NCAA champ for legendary Oklahoma State coach Art Griffith who then went on to coach at Brigham Young University in Utah, then, later at in high school in Tulsa, passed away last Friday at age 86. Fred DavisDavis wrestled for the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the mid-1950s during a great era in the program. At the 1955 NCAAs at Cornell University, Davis won the 157-pound title by defeating Larry TenPas of the University of Illinois in the finals. Davis' three-time All-American performance at the NCAAs three straight years helped propel Davis and his team to No. 1 standings in the championships. (Other individual champs you may recognize from the 1955 NCAAs championships: Terry McCann of Iowa, Ed Peery of Pitt, Myron Roderick of Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma's Dan Hodge). Less than a decade after graduating from Oklahoma State, Fred Davis launched his collegiate coaching career at Brigham Young University in Utah. He started there in 1964 and led the wrestling program for 20 years. Davis helped crown 15 conference titles for the Cougars and for his efforts was name NCAA Coach of the Year in 1973. In 2003, Fred Davis was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American. Just four years later -- in 2007 -- Davis was honored by Oklahoma State with their Gallagher Award winner, presented each year to "an OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions." "There has been some fine people win the Gallagher Award," Davis said at the time he was presented with the award named for the legendary wrestling coach Ed Gallagher who is credited with building the Cowboys into the all-time great mat program at Oklahoma State. "There have been some great wrestlers from the past and I am certainly honored to receive that distinction." https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/3943/Rev-Rewind-Ed-Gallagher Davis finished out his career in Tulsa, coaching at Bishop Kelley High School until his retirement in 1999. Funeral services for Fred Davis will be private.

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- United World Wrestling, the international governing body for the sport of wrestling, has teamed up with global supplier Nike Wrestling for the "We Will Wrestle Again" campaign. The effort is focused on providing financial relief to wrestling organizations impacted by the global pandemic. 'We Will Wrestle Again' aims to maximize the reach of UWW and Nike to raise money via tee shirt sales and direct the relief to National Federations, host-cities, and other grassroots activities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The T-shirts are available for sale on the United World Wrestling online store: uwwstore.com. "We are pleased to join with Nike Wrestling for this important mission," said United World Wrestling president Nenad LALOVIC. "We are facing unprecedented times and the strength of our future will depend on our ability to come together in support of our community members around the world -- from athletes to national federations. We must remember that we will wrestle again." Money generated from the campaign will also go into a scholarship fund, managed by the Development Department, which will provide financial aid to athletes with dreams of competing at the international level. "Nike Wrestling understands the obstacles that the wrestling community faces in response to the global pandemic," said APS/Nike Wrestling president Eddie Brown. 'We Will Wrestle Again' came from the notion that we want to support those most effected and create a positive campaign that will help during these trying times." Nike Wrestling has been a global sponsor of UWW since 2017 and at the direction of the federation's development department has supplied equipment to several disadvantaged wrestling communities around the globe. To purchase T-shirts, or donate to the campaign, please visit uwwstore.com.

Kyle Dake takes a shot on Frank Chamizo (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) AUSTIN, Texas -- This was an event wrestling fans were looking forward to. And with good reason. FloWrestling's freestyle wrestling card on Saturday night in Austin, Texas, delivered with top-notch competitors and high-level matches. Anytime you have superstars like David Taylor, Kyle Dake and Frank Chamizo wrestling, you don't want to miss it. Kudos to Flo for making this night of wrestling happen after sports were shut down for several months during the pandemic. There were technical difficulties, and the stream was down for more than half an hour after the first bout, but the wrestling was entertaining once we got rolling again. Here is my breakdown from the five matches: Vito Arujau (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 140 pounds: Vito Arujau vs. Sammy Alvarez Vito came out strong with some good forward pressure, scoring an early step out. He followed with a slick leg attack into a single that resulted in a second step out. The wrestlers were involved in a wild scramble late in the first period with Alvarez countering beautifully to gain four points. Alvarez led 5-3 at the break. Great action in the opening period. It's awesome to be watching live wrestling again. Vito fired in on a pair of strong leg attacks and added a pair of turns to lead 11-5 early in the second period. Vito finished with strong before prevailing 16-5. He is an accomplished young freestyle wrestler with a huge upside. He's going to be a force on the Senior level. Roman Bravo-Young defeated Jack Mueller (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 137: Jack Mueller vs. Roman Bravo-Young RBY charged out aggressively after the long break, driving in on a quick leg attack to convert for a takedown. Bravo-Young followed with another takedown and turn to lead 6-0. He looks explosive and sharp despite being away from competition for several months. RBY stayed on the attack, striking for another takedown to build an 8-0 advantage in the second period. Bravo-Young has been impressive and is moving extremely well. He wins 8-1. Luke Pletcher notched a 9-2 victory over Darrion Caldwell (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 149: Darrion Caldwell vs. Luke Pletcher This was an interesting matchup with the 32-year-old Caldwell returning to wrestle for the first time in many years after competing in MMA. Caldwell scored first on a step out, but Pletcher came back to counter a shot and secure a takedown. Caldwell came back to score another step out early in the second period to draw within 3-2. The 23-year-old Pletcher kept the pressure on, coming back to spin behind Caldwell and lead 5-2. Caldwell tried to jump over Pletcher in the closing seconds before dropping a 9-2 decision. The powerful Pletcher wrestled aggressively, pushed the pace and controlled the center of the mat. David Taylor gets in a shot against Myles Martin (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 200: David Taylor vs. Myles Martin This looked like another intriguing bout with the Magic Man, a 2018 world champion, returning to the mat this year. He faced a quality opponent in Martin, who took the bout on short notice. Taylor came out firing, hitting a pair of early single-leg shots for a step out and takedown. Taylor kept the pressure on with an array of leg attacks to build a 9-0 edge. Taylor overpowered Martin with one last shot to win by an 11-0 first-period technical fall. Taylor looks fantastic. He's big, strong and fast. He turned in a dominant performance. Kyle Dake being interviewed after beating Frank Chamizo (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 174: Kyle Dake vs. Frank Chamizo The battle of two-time world champions was scoreless for most of the first period before Chamizo scored a point after Dake was put on the shot clock. Dake shot in late in the opening period to force a step out and tied the bout 1-1. Chamizo scored in a scramble to lead 3-1 before Dake came back with a reversal and gut wrench to grab a 4-3 edge. Chamizo nearly scored on a shot late in the match, but Dake countered effectively to hold him off. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games, written 10 books and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

St. Cloud State University mourns the loss of former wrestling coach Steve Grimit, who passed away on Wednesday, July 22. Steve Grimit"On behalf of St. Cloud State University and Huskies Athletics, we offer our sincere condolences to the Grimit family.," St. Cloud State Director of Athletic Heather Weems said. "Steve's personality on the field was bigger than life and he made a significant impact on hundreds of student-athletes. He loved coaching and helping young men develop as people and players. He will be remembered by many for his passion and big voice on the sidelines." As SCSU's wrestling coach, Grimit led the Huskies from 1993 to 2006. He coached 14 All-America wrestlers during his tenure at SCSU and also coached SCSU NCAA Division II champion Gene Hanemann in 1995, who was the Huskies' first NCAA DII individual champion. Grimit served as the Huskies' defensive line football coach for 27 years and was also SCSU's head wrestling coach for 12 seasons. He coached numerous All-Conference and All-America players, helped the SCSU football win two conference championships, earn four NCAA playoff bids and positively impact the lives of SCSU student-athletes during his tenure with the Huskies. "I have lost a great friend and am having a difficult time thinking about what things will be like for me and all those who came in contact with Steve," said Scott Underwood, who worked at SCSU with Grimit since 2001 and went on to serve as the Huskies' head football coach from 2008 to 2019. "His passion, drive and caring for his players was unmatched. For as demanding and tough as Steve could be in pushing players to reach their best, he was also the first one to provide you the biggest hug in victory or defeat. His teachings and legacy will live on in the countless stories we share with a tear, a smile and a laugh. My heart goes out to Kim, Jimmy, Nicole & John as we all grieve with them." Prior to landing at St. Cloud State, Grimit coached at Western Illinois University and Valparaiso University. He wrestled and played football in college, qualified for the NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships and was a co-captain of his Western Illinois football team in 1985. Grimit graduated from Western Illinois University in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and was a graduate of Blair High School in Blair, Neb. A longtime resident of St. Cloud, Steve is survived by his wife Kim and their two children, Nicole and James. A visitation for Coach Grimit will be held on Thursday, July 30 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Miller-Carlin Funeral Home at 3013 Roosevelt Road in St. Cloud, Minn. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 31 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church (2555 Clearwater Road in St. Cloud, Minn.).

The start of the Nevada high school wrestling season has been moved from November to January due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association announced Thursday. The official start of wrestling practice was originally scheduled for Nov. 14 and is now set for Jan. 2. Competitions can begin Jan. 15. The season will consist of six weeks of competition and no state tournament. Fall sports in Nevada will begin in March. Bart Thompson, the executive director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, wrote: "The decision to delay the start of the athletic calendar was based, among many factors, on some the following: "That the master planner be student-centered and serve as the most optimal model for potential success in returning to play based on current COVID-19 circumstances; "That the health, safety and welfare of student-athletes, coaches, athletic department leaders, contest officials and event staff be first and foremost; "That the sport seasons be preserved by keeping traditional sports in their same groups; "That the calendar be aligned as such (winter first, followed by fall and then concluded with spring) to give the best opportunity for each sport to be conducted as effectively and efficiently as possible while considering a variety of potential outside factors; "That each season's start and end dates be created so as to overlap as minimally as possible, preserving the philosophy that student-athletes should have the opportunity to participate in multiple sports seasons."

The FloWrestling main event will be happening this Saturday. The show is the second to feature senior-level athletes since the shutdown of most athletic events in March. The event, which has been well-documented to not include women, has a variety of star power from around the country and includes the ultra-sellable Frank Chamizo as the headlining act. If FloWrestling is hoping to sell subscriptions, there is no question this event will draw in eyeballs. However, with those eyeballs will come at an additional risk to the sport of wrestling. With big names and media coverage will come the scrutiny of health officials, political leaders, and the wrestling community. Deaths from COVID are well above 1000-a-day nationwide and Texas is in the midst of its worst-ever outbreak. Should COVID protocols not be followed there is potential for serious backlash among stakeholders and those influential in national sports. The rooftop event held in Chicago a few weeks ago did not follow strict protocols and the local press and wrestling media covered those shortcomings. This event is much larger -- it's being hosted by the largest wrestling broadcaster in the nation, advertised heavily, and will have more organic interest in the outcomes due to there being three world champions on the card. Should mistakes like those in Chicago be made in Austin there is risk of serious blowback for the sport of wrestling. I don't subscribe to the logic that wrestling is more dangerous than basketball or football in terms of transmission. In fact, the argument can be made that dual meets and controlled settings have less risk of transmission than team sports with lots of intermingling of athletes. The public won't see that comparison -- they will only see two individuals standing face-to-face, breathing on each other, and ask themselves if that exact moment is a highly transmissible situation. We have to understand that this event will do nothing to make the situation better for the perception of wrestling. The best we can hope for is that nothing goes horribly wrong. Wear a mask … Q: Who wins this weekend? -- Will D. Foley: Predictions below. Kyle Dake vs. Frank Chamizo Stylistically this is an incredible matchup of two ultra-defensive wrestlers with unique scrambling ability and sense of their positioning on the mats. The only issue I see is that neither is likely to attack early or often, and when they do it will be the ultimate shutdown mode to follow. For the fans, the most entertaining match might start with a Dake attack countered for four points by Chamizo. We know that Chamizo will shut down the action after that many points and that Dake becomes far less tactical when he is trailing in a match. With the score 4-0 I'd think another pushout or two, and maybe a takedown would move the score to 4-3 heading into the break. Chamizo reverses a sure-thing pushout and scores to go up 5-3. Dake does something miraculous with about 30 seconds left on the clock to tie it up, but trail on criteria. We then get 25 seconds of fans yelling for a penalty point as Chamizo flees and we end up with a last-second attempt from Dake to push Chamizo out of bounds that ends up deciding the match. That's best case for fans. The worst case might be something more like watching paint dry and neither is willing to attack, and we get offsetting shot clocks to decide the match. I'll take Dake. Myles Martin vs. David Taylor David Taylor is among the best overall wrestlers in the world. He's creative, punishing, attack-minded, and strong-willed. He has great coaching and doesn't seem content to rest on his 2018 world championship. Taylor's recent knee surgery has healed and his last return to the mats was to capture the Olympic qualification spot for the United States at 86 kilograms. Martin is taking the match on short notice and while he has the skills to become one of the best in the world, he won't be challenging Taylor too much on scrambles, not in leg defense. My main concern is that both men stay healthy for their runs at the Olympic Games and that Martin can make it a competitive match for Taylor who will need every opportunity to tune-up for Tokyo 2021 where a super-charged Yazdani is waiting for his opportunity to seek revenge. Jack Mueller scores with a chest wrap against Nick Piccininni at Beat the Streets in 2019 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Jack Mueller vs. Roman Bravo-Young Fun matchup. I'm biased, but I think far too many people underestimate Jack Mueller in general, but especially in freestyle. Mueller has an awesome style for international success, endless gas tank, and coaching under Kendall Cross. He's competitive with Spencer Lee and has been on a U23 world team. Give the man his props. Roman Bravo-Young is a lot for any wrestler to handle, but where he's best in scrambles is where Mueller has always found opportunities to score. RBY's attacks will need to be clean and his finishes immediate if he's to avoid a situation where Mueller wears down the pace and ties up RBY before actualizing points. Mueller by a field goal. Vito Arujau vs. Sammy Alvarez There is a compelling case to be made for Arujau to end up on the Olympic team. I don't think he will, but he's top level 57-kilogram talent for the United States and will be on a senior team before the end of his career. (I still think it'll be Spencer Lee in 2021.) The matchup with Sammy Alvarez is a nice tune-up for the recently announced Senior Nationals in October, but I don't think there will be much of a competitive back-and-forth. Mostly, I am interested to see Arjuau's gains in freestyle and if he has something special to offer at the world level. Darrion Caldwell vs. Luke Pletcher I'd really, really hope that Pletcher has zero issues with Caldwell. When is the last time Caldwell wrestled a full match? 2012? He's had an incredible MMA career, but the tactical side of the sport, conditioning, and the mentality of wrestling are very different than they were when Caldwell last wrestled. That is to say nothing of the rule set and game planning that accompanies a perfect knowledge of the current sport and interpretations. Hope to see the best of Pletcher and for Caldwell to keep it competitive enough for a flash of his former brilliance to come through for fans Q: I don't think many wrestling fans are as opposed to women's wrestling as you think but rather are frustrated that the ladies would ask for more money than DT and then accuse Flo of sexism when Flo declines. It seems like a fairly dishonest charge against Flo because there's a reasonable argument to be made that DT will draw more eyeballs for the event. This is obviously hard to measure but one metric we can use is DT has ~85K followers where Jacarra Winchester only has 2.5K. I understand your point about wrestling not operating in the free market but isn't there still a threshold where the girls are asking for too much money? Am I missing something here? -- Steven L. Foley: Fair. I think you make a valid point that the wrestling community isn't all-in against women. I also agree that David Taylor should be paid more than Jacarra based on his ability to draw eyeballs and his success on the NCAA and international level. Equal pay is the goal, but FloWrestling (or any private company) can't be compelled retroactively to adhere to a standard that is outside of their contractual responsibilities as partners. The larger goal for this event, and probably for many other independent events (non-USA Wrestling) is to have there be some representation. With the ability to compete on the undercard a number of interested men's freestyle fans might find entertainment in the women's side. It's how you promote young boxers and how the UFC limped into female-led fight cards. Complicated topic all around, but from my perspective we can all work hard on increasing representation and shifting the spotlight when there is an opportunity to expand the reach of women's wrestling at home and abroad. And this isn't really necessary to write, but women's wrestling is WILDLY entertaining. For anyone who says they aren't as good as the boys I don't see them making the same arguments for not watching high school wrestling, or college wrestling, or age group level wrestling. And lastly Jacarra has 11K Instagram followers! Q: Aaron Pico makes his MMA return on Friday. His career has not gone as planned so far, but he's still young. Do you still think he could be a champion in Bellator or UFC? -- Mike C. Foley: Of course. Pico was young when he was introduced to the MMA community and his successes and failures are more like early season wrestling tournaments than they are performances at the state championships. Getting KO'ed or choked is part of a longer learning process that can't be stifled due to setbacks. Pico seems to understand this and has been powering through the early bumps. Fighting is crazy, but Pico is building a skill set and mental outlook that will benefit him in the long term. He has the talent and the discipline to succeed at anything he does so his career will largely be dependent on how he manages his health, the skills he chooses to improve, and the impact his management has on who he chooses to fight. Anyone who knows Pico understands that he doesn't spend much time away from the mats, and if he does it's to be with his family or his horses. Pico will be a Bellator champion. After a few defenses I can see him make the transition to the UFC after a handful of title defenses. How he does there is anyone's guess, but you should never underestimate Pico.

Staff Sgt. Ladonies P. Strong, convicted of negligent homicide when driving a high-wheel truck which overturned in a June 2019 Army training exercise which killed a West Point wrestler and injured more than a dozen other cadets, has been sentenced to three years of confinement, the New York Times reported this week. InterMat had written about the incident a year ago immediately after it had happened because it had involved an Army wrestler who, prior to entering West Point, had wrestled in high school in New Jersey. Staff Sgt. Strong was behind the wheel of a truck that overturned in June 2019 on the way to a training exercise about eight miles from West Point's main campus in upstate New York. One cadet, Christopher J. Morgan who was on the Black Knight wrestling team, died at the scene of the accident. Two trainers and 19 others were injured. Sergeant Strong, who was also convicted of prevention of authorized seizure of property, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, reckless operation of a vehicle and two counts of dereliction of duty, according to a statement from the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, in Georgia. Christopher Morgan, 22, who had been expected to graduate in 2020, was a member of the academy's wrestling team and had a standout wrestling career at his high school in West Orange, N.J., his hometown. "We are devastated by the news of Chris' passing. He was a talented, hardworking, and determined athlete who loved his sport," Army West Point Wrestling Coach Kevin Ward said in a statement released by the academy Friday. "Chris had an infectious personality with a smile big enough to fill any room, and a heart big enough to love everyone around him. He made everyone around him better and he will be greatly missed," Ward added. According to his bio at the official Army wrestling website, Christopher Jordan Lynn Morgan wrestled at 184 pounds, compiling a 28-22 overall record, with 13 of those wins resulting in bonus points. One of his opponents as a West Point wrestler: Gabe Dean, two-time NCAA Division I champ for Cornell University.

Senior Nationals will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa (Photo/City of Coralville) USA Wrestling has announced that it will host its Senior Nationals, featuring the nation's top international-style wrestlers, at the new Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse in Coralville, Iowa, October 9-11. The event will highlight competition in the three Olympic disciplines: men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman. The Iowa City/Coralville region is considered one of the world's hotbeds for wrestling, and has hosted numerous major USA Wrestling competitions in the past. Think Iowa City, the convention and visitors bureau for the Iowa City/Coralville region, is serving as the local organizing committee. "USA Wrestling is very excited to again partner with Think Iowa City on another one of our country's significant wrestling competitions. With their long history of staging some of our sport's best wrestling events, we are confident that the Senior Nationals will be another one of those awesome experiences for our sport. Obviously, we will work closely with the local organizing committee, the local public health officials and others to insure athlete safety is paramount. We are hopeful that this will be a milestone for our sport as we battle back from this worldwide pandemic," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. This will be the first major Senior-level event which will be hosted by USA Wrestling since the postponement or cancellation of much of its 2020 national event schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be conducted following the requirements of the state and local health authorities, as well as using the safety provisions of the USA Wrestling Return to Events Guidelines. The local organizing committee is in regular communication with its partners at Johnson County public health and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. USA Wrestling and the local organizers will monitor data and local trends closely leading up to the event. This will be the fourth time the USA Wrestling's Senior Nationals has been held in the area, as Iowa City hosted the 1975, 1977 and 1978 U.S. Greco-Roman Senior Nationals. Other major Senior-level USA Wrestling events held in Iowa City were the record-setting 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, as well as the 1983 Freestyle World Team Trials. Along with United World Wrestling, USA Wrestling also helped bring the 2018 Freestyle World Cup to Iowa City, which was considered one of the most successful World Cups ever. Iowa City is the home of the University of Iowa's wrestling program, which annually has the highest attendance of any Div. I wrestling team. The NCAA Div. I Championships were hosted in Iowa City five times (1959, 1986, 1991, 1995, 2001). The region also hosted the largest-attended college wrestling event ever, when the Grapple on the Gridiron match between Iowa and Oklahoma State drew 42,287 fans in Kinnick Stadium on November 14, 2015. Wrestling is also very popular on the youth and high school levels all across Iowa. "We are excited to once again welcome back our friends at USA Wrestling. Our community has been recognized many times over as Wrestling City USA and we aim to keep it that way by helping USA Wrestling deliver another memorable event," said Josh Schamberger, President, Think Iowa City. "Senior Nationals will be one of the very first major events we are looking forward to hosting in Xtream Arena.," said Coralville Mayor John Lundell. "Our athletes and coaches will know this location well as it is within 100 yards of the hotel they have used during the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Team Trials and 2018 UWW Freestyle World Cup. I look forward to welcoming them all to Coralville this October." Coralville's new Xtream Arena will be officially opened in September, with seating capacity of 5,100. There will be as many as six mats used during the tournament, with the championship finals on one mat. Fans will be able to order tickets starting at 12:00 noon on August 3 by visiting www.xtreamarena.com. Ticket prices for the Senior Nationals will be: • All Session Adult $45 • All Session Youth $25 • Single Day Adult $35 • Single Day Youth $15 • All Session Coaches $20 (must have current USAW Leader Membership) The complete competition schedule is currently being finalized, and will be announced next week. An events website for the Senior Nationals will also be posted when the schedule is published. The event will be broadcast by FloWrestling.