InterMat Staff

Sebastian Rivera after defeating Seth Gross of Wisconsin (Photo/Juan Garcia) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Two-time All-American, two-time Big Ten champion and New Jersey native Sebastian Rivera has enrolled at Rutgers University as a graduate transfer student. Rivera, who previously competed at Northwestern from 2016-20, is immediately eligible to participate in 2020-21 for Rutgers wrestling and will have one season of eligibility remaining. "We're excited to welcome Sebastian back home to Jersey and cannot wait to get him in our wrestling room with the rest of the guys," said head coach Scott Goodale. "Sebastian is an instant threat to win both a Big Ten and national title and it is awesome he will have an opportunity to do so in his home state with a Rutgers singlet on." Regarded as one of the top lightweights in the country, Rivera is a two-time All-American who produced 73 varsity victories during his time with the Wildcats. As a senior this past season, Rivera battled injury to finish with a 12-2 record, which included a win over Penn State's Roman Bravo-Young in the 133-pound Big Ten Championship bout at the RAC this past March. Rivera was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships, as voted on by the coaches of all competing teams. Rivera also defeated two-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee of Iowa to claim the 125-pound conference title in 2019. Rivera placed third at the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh, his highest-career finish at the national tournament after he placed sixth in 2018 at 125 pounds. Rivera earned the No. 1 overall seed in his weight class at this year's NCAA Championships in Minneapolis before the season was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A former New Jersey high school standout, Rivera was a two-time state placewinner and captured a NJSIAA state title in 2016 while wrestling at Christian Brothers Academy. Rivera went 31-1 en route to his state title as a senior, as he also claimed regional and district titles along with a gold medal at Super 32. Rivera finished his high school career as a three-time district and two-time region champion and became CBA's first individual state title winner since 1968. A native of Toms River, New Jersey, Rivera is the son of Melissa and Steve Rivera. Steve Rivera was a Division III national champion at The College of New Jersey and was inducted into the NWCA Division III Hall of Fame in 2018. Rivera joins a program that wrapped up another successful dual season, as its 10-7 record in 2019-20 marked the 14th consecutive winning campaign for the Scarlet Knights and the 13th since Goodale took over the program in 2007. RU also finished ranked in the NWCA Coaches Poll for the ninth time under Goodale's leadership. Home attendance for wrestling at the RAC remained one of the highest in the country, as Rutgers was fourth nationally with 4,292 fans per home event.

Kevin Emily is a man of many talents ... all related to amateur wrestling. He's been an incredibly successful high school coach in Iowa and in South Carolina ... and as an author of respected historical books about the world's oldest and greatest sport. Now Kevin Emily will be putting that experience and knowledge from those phases of his career as an assistant wrestling coach, announced Thursday as the newest member of the staff at the NCAA Division II wrestling program at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C. Kevin EmilyBorn in Georgetown, S.C., Emily grew up and wrestled during the 1970s and 80s in a true hotbed of wrestling: Waterloo, Iowa. Emily wrestled at Waterloo Central High School He then went on to wrestle collegiately at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In the past decade-and-a-half, Kevin Emily had served as head wrestling coach as well as special education teacher, most recently at Midland Valley High School in South Carolina. While coaching in Tennessee, South Carolina and Iowa, Emily's wrestling programs have generated 13 state placers, five state champions, four NHSCA All-Americans, one USA Wrestling champion, one All-American and one NHSCA National Champion. In addition to these accomplishments as wrestler and coach, Kevin Emily has also generated accolades as an author of compelling historical books, sharing the true stories of all-time great wrestlers and coaches, including "Pathfinder" and "Pathfinder: Vol. II" and, most recently, he completed "The Giant Killer," a biography on Carlton Haselrig, wrestler at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown who won three NCAA Division II heavyweight titles, then three Division I championships (back when Div. II and III champs could compete for titles at the Division I championships) ... then went on to a career with the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers. Right now, Kevin Emily is finishing work on "King of the Mat" which will tell the stories of a number of legendary high school wrestling coaches. Located in Greenwood, South Carolina between Greenville, SC and Augusta, Ga., Lander University is a four-year, public university founded in with just over 3,300 students. Lander's men's NCAA Division II men's intercollegiate wrestling program -- the Bearcats -- has completed its first season of competition. "We are fired up to add Kevin Emily to our staff as an assistant coach here at Lander!" according to Lander head wrestling coach R.C. LaHaye. "Kevin has been an ultra successful HS coach both in South Carolina and in Iowa. Kevin has coached numerous state placers, state champions , and All Americans. We can't wait to have him join us this fall in Greenwood !"

John Klessinger Disclaimer: I am not an expert coach and I struggle at times getting my teams to perform at the level I expect from them. But I have been more successful the past ten or eleven years than the first ten or eleven because I've recognized that I needed to keep learning more and get better. There is so much we can take from coaches like Cael Sanderson, Tom Ryan, and Cary Kolat and many others. If you are a coach, watch and learn from those guys. If you are a wrestler, watch and learn from Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis, or Daton Fix. We can absorb so much by merely observing them. Listen to interviews of coaches and wrestlers. What are they saying that you can use to up your game? Peoples' words reflect their thoughts. Everything we do starts with our thinking. Being successful begins first in our minds with an idea, followed by an action. Modeling the behaviors and thinking of the best is a quick way to improve performance. Related: Part 1 | "Strong Mind Strong Body" ebook 12. Be consistent in your communication and behavior Consistency in your actions, what you say, and your day to day interactions with your team builds trust. From trust, your team will respond more effectively. Loose cannon outbursts and erratic behavior puts people on edge and can be counterproductive when working with your team. However, I believe there are moments when we should deviate from our regular routines. A good "rant" every so often can light a fire in your kids. 13. Be loving, kind, and grateful I know there is a belief that our society is getting "soft." Being kind and caring to your kids may perpetuate the development of lack of toughness if we mistake love and kindness as taking it easy on them. I look at being loving and kind as holding your team accountable. People that genuinely love us want us to be successful. They go the extra mile to help us. They are also the ones who let us know when we aren't giving our best effort. Gratitude is an extension of love. It is recognizing and appreciating that we become better through challenges and hard work. 14. Be hard on them when they win and love them harder when they lose I stole this from a book years ago. Ironically, a book by a basketball coach. I think most people do the opposite -- be tougher on them when they lose. However, when you are winning, your attitude is in the right place, and you are more motivated. When you lose, a flood of negative emotions can surface -- doubt, fear, insecurity, and questioning of commitment. No one likes to lose. The natural defense mechanism is to downplay a loss and say, "It is not a big deal." But losing hurts. After a team or individual loss, it is always good to step back and evaluate your team's mindset. It may be a good time for a light practice, a team meeting, or a general morale boost. The statement does not reflect my belief about poor effort. A poor effort is not the same as giving your best and losing. 15. The more I've learned, the more success we've had There is so much to learn about wrestling and coaching. As I said in the opening paragraph, we can learn from watching the greats. When I was a younger coach, I was hard-headed and thought I knew a lot about wrestling. I admit I had a very good youth league, high school, and college coaches. I learned a lot from them, but when I opened my eyes to other methods and practices, my knowledge expanded, and we began to win more. I continue to learn from great coaches and leaders in wrestling and outside of wrestling about leadership, culture, technique, communication, and more. 16. Parents will support you if you challenge their children to be better Better said, the majority will be on your side if they know you are looking out for their child's best interests. Dealing with parents can be a juggling act at times. Parents want fairness and open communication. Being a parent myself has allowed me to understand and be empathetic towards sometimes irrational behavior. A parent loves their child and wants to see them succeed. I have learned if you "practice what you preach" and are clear in your expectations for each wrestler more often than not, they will not only cooperate with you; they will be helpful, kind, and generous. 17. Recognize the foot soldiers in your program Everyone wants to be recognized and given a "pat on the back." It is human nature to want to be accepted and acknowledged for our efforts. I do, as well. I have learned it is important to highlight and give attention to all the members of your program, whether varsity or JV. Your better kids will get the validation from their performance. But it is the ones that grind through the season each day without attention from the media, their peers, or even family that may need it the most. 18. Awareness (some guilt) is more effective than fear As I have already stated, rapport is more effective than yelling, and day-to-day consistency in your behavior is more effective than flying all over the map with your emotions. I have learned (from an opposing coach) that instead of scolding or yelling at your team for poor performance or attitude, questioning their effort is more productive. By this, ask, "Did you do your best?" "Did you do all you could?" "If you gave your best effort, you should be able to sleep well at night." This type of communication hits people more directly. 19. Kids will rise to the level of expectation you set for them I guess this is common sense, and I believe any good coach follows a similar philosophy. However, I think it needs stating. If you expect a strong work ethic day in practice or good citizenship amongst your team, it needs to be said, set in stone, and have accountability. Most will rise to the level you set for them. 20. Be human and vulnerable at times If you make a mistake, tell your kids. Hold yourself accountable as well. If you could have done something better, own up to it. Admitting that you "dropped the ball" shows honesty and transparency. It goes a long way in building trust and rapport with your team when they know you will accept responsibility for things you could have done better. 21. Be a teacher first, coach second Teach them wrestling. Teach them about life. Wrestling is great because it is a school for life. Be a teacher of the sport, not just a wrestling coach. 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.

Girls high school wrestling continues to grow at a rapid clip this summer. Days after Illinois had announced it would be hosting a separate state tournament for high school girls in that state beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, that state's immediate neighbor to-the-north, Wisconsin, has expanded wrestling opportunities for girls with a similar decision. The WIAA Board of Control -- the organization that governs competitive sports events within Wisconsin, voted by a unanimous 10-0 decision Wednesday to have a separate state wrestling tournament for girl wrestlers in 2020-21. The approved proposal will have girls wrestle on mixed teams during the regular season, but go into their own tournament once they get to the postseason. "This does allow more girls to become interested and more schools to become involved," WIAA deputy director Wade Labecki told WSAW-TV in Wausau, Wis. "We have a bylaw that says that we have to have so many schools, 5% to recognize a sport, 10% percent to have a championship, so we want to make sure we have those numbers in two years to make sure we have that tournament." The vote ends years of lobbying by Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association and marks the first addition of a girls sports since 2001 when girls hockey was added. The WIAA plans to let girls wrestle boys during the regular season. The plan is to eventually split the two into their own seasons completely down the line. Currently, girls wrestle on boys teams and that would be the same in 2021-22. Once the regular season is completed, girls wrestlers will break off into their own postseason, with the final destination being the state tournament. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that the decision came after an hour-long discussion during the three-hour meeting and an amendment to the original proposal. Initially the proposal was for the addition of girls wrestling as a WIAA sanctioned sport for next season. The Journal-Sentinel went to report that there are key details to be ironed out, including how many weight classes will be set up. That said, there will be girls state champions crowned in 2022. Wisconsin becomes the fourth state in June to approve of new, state-sanctioned competitive wrestling opportunities for girls this month. Other than in addition to Wisconsin and Illinois, other states which have made this move to expand wrestling opportunities for girls in June include Florida and South Dakota.

Jordan Oliver gets in on a shot against Joey McKenna at Senior Nationals (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Peak, when used as an intransitive verb, means to reach a maximum as of capacity, value or activity. In athletics, the word is often used as part of the phrase "peaking at the right time." The theory is that you need to be at your very best when it matters the most. Competition on the international level is so intense that any variation in an athlete's form or condition could have a great impact on the result. One could make a credible case that Jordan Oliver was nearing his peak before the global pandemic forced a halt to virtually all athletic competition. Last November he won four matches at the Bill Farrell tournament to qualify for the Olympic Team Trials. Despite already winning a spot, he returned the following month and ran through the Senior Nationals. He outscored his five opponents by a combined 50-0 score. Oliver then traveled to Rome where he took silver in the Matteo Pellicone, only dropping a close match against multiple-time world medalist Bajrang Punia. The quest to return to peak form begins on Sunday in the main event of Rumble on the Rooftop. Oliver will take on three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf in an open-weight match. When you ask him about returning to peak form after being halting during perhaps one of the best runs of his freestyle career, he answers without any hesitation. "One thing I always say to people, and I learned it from Coach [John] Smith, and I've held it with me this whole time, peaking is a mind state," he explains. "It is a state of mind. It is when you feel your best. Maybe it is because you are cooling off in your training or competition is getting close. You're feeling that excitement, and then all the sudden, you want to turn it into peaking. Yes, you feel great. You're doing the right things, but I think if you are consistently doing the right things and executing and making every right decision on an everyday basis, I think you can be constantly improving. What we saw before is that I put myself in a position down here at UNC with Coleman Scott, Tony Ramos and obviously my coach Kenny Monday, I put myself in a position to go make this team and not just make the team but to go win the Olympic gold." Winning the Trials will not be enough for Oliver to make the Olympic Games. The U.S. as a country still needs to qualify the 65-kilogram weight class. One of Oliver's rivals, Zain Retherford, came up short in the Pan American Qualifier back in March. The U.S. will likely send the winner of the Trials to the final World Qualifier tentatively scheduled for next April. "It is always tough," Oliver says about watching Retherford attempt to qualify the weight. "At the end of the day, you have to sit back and look at it from an outside perspective. I did not get the job done for me to go and qualify the weight. Zain earned the right as he beat me, Yianni and all the guys to earn that spot to go qualify the weight. It is wrestling. People get caught. Things happen with this sport. Any given day anything can happen. With that being said, I think Zain was more than prepared to qualify it and he was qualified to qualify it. He just got caught in a position that did not turn out the best. It is hard sitting back, because you always want to put the responsibility in your hands. It goes to the old saying, if you want something done, do it yourself. In that aspect, I should have made the team last year if I wanted the chance to qualify the weight so in a sense, it is a little bit my fault as well." The process of qualifying the weight class following the Trials adds an element of difficulty that most other members of the team will not have to face. However, Oliver will be able to rely on the experience of one of his coaches. In 2012, 60 kilograms was not qualified and the schedule of the Trials resulted in an odd process that involved Coleman Scott wrestling at the Trials and Shawn Bunch qualifying the weight at a qualifier tournament. Scott eventually defeated Reece Humphrey and Bunch to earn the right to travel to London and eventually bring home a bronze medal. That journey could act as a guide to Oliver. "We took an approach of going back and looking when Coleman was successful on his bronze-medal run," Oliver says. "If you look at the scenarios, they are very similar to what I am going through right now. His weight wasn't qualified, and he had a very tough weight class. He had to go qualify the weight at the last chance qualifier, and Coleman had a crazy wrestle-off situation. Then he went and got the bronze. Looking at the scenario, I think we just keep getting better. I think the more time shows what we are doing is working. So for us, it is really let's improve and let's go compete to see where we need to improve. Competition, as everyone knows, is different from the training room. When you get out there, there is nothing like it. You gotta make weight, you are coming off the mat, you have fans around you, you have refs, you have a bunch of chaos going on all around with the noise and the crowd." Even if 65 kilograms remains unqualified for the Olympics, it is quickly becoming one of the most competitive weight classes domestically. Retherford won the spot of the 2019 World Team, but Yianni Diakomihalis has also stood out at this weight. If Oliver wants to make the team, he will likely have to get past one, if not both, of these competitors. Despite this, he sees someone else as his biggest rival. "I think it is me versus me to be honest," he says succinctly. "Don't get me wrong, Zain, Yianni, McKenna, even going down the list, Meredith, Henderson, all those guys are great. I believe all those guys are incredible talents. They are all very good at what they do. I think for me to be successful I have to be the best version of Jordan Oliver and not worry about what my competition is doing or who is across the line. I have to wrestle my style better than anybody else wrestles their style, and I believe that is going to get the job done for me. I don't like to read into what these guys are doing as much as what I am doing and what I do best. Biggest competition for me domestically, obviously you've got Zain and you've got Yianni. Those guys bring two different games to the mat. Yianni is very, very different, he scrambles, creates scrambles. Zain is very much pressure and hands in your face. Those two are obviously the front runners, but 65 is a loaded weight class so you can't ever count anybody out, but there is too much time to work on myself in training to not be focused on what I need to do better and where I need to improve, so like I said, it is me versus me." Before he turns his focus entirely to the Olympic Team Trials, Oliver will face off against Nolf this weekend. Due to the weight difference it certainly qualifies as a dream match, but it is actually going to happen. On top of that, the differences in styles will likely result in an exciting and intriguing bout. "You might not ever get a chance to see Jason Nolf and Jordan Oliver get to wrestle in a tournament just because of the weight classes." Oliver says. " I am a 65-kilogram wrestler and Nolf was wrestling 79 kilograms last year. I think we came to a gentleman's agreement that it is for the fans, but it is for us too. We are competitors, and we want to put ourselves against the best guys to test ourselves and also have fun doing what we love. Me and Nolf agreed that we are around the same weight, so we don't need to weigh in. People want to see the match, we both love to compete against another high-level competitor, and we are both very very offensive. It should be a very fun and entertaining match with attacks and scoring. It interested me, because again I never got to wrestle Jason Nolf but I have always watched him and he is awesome. He is a very creative and crafty wrestler and I have always had respect for him. He was one of my favorites to watch when he was in college. It will be fun to mix it up with him and dance with him all around the mat."

Albion College President-Elect Mathew Johnson has announced the Albion College Athletic Department will bring back men's wrestling after a more than 40-year absence as well as add women's wrestling and esports. All three are expected to begin competition for the 2021-2022 academic year. "Albion College is always striving to provide a great educational experience, and athletics is part of that experience," said Dr. Johnson, who was a high school and college athlete. "With men's and women's wrestling as well as the rapidly growing esports, Albion will provide more opportunities for all those students who wish to participate." The additions will bring to 24 the number of varsity sports sponsored by Albion -- 12 for men and 12 for women. Albion last added a varsity sport in 2017 when the Western-style discipline was added in equestrian. In 2014, Albion added men's and women's indoor track and field. "We are fortunate to have a rich athletic tradition that serves as a foundation in this next chapter as we bring back men's wrestling and welcome women's wrestling and esports," said Erik Braun, Albion's assistant athletic director. Mike Moyer, president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, was also thrilled with Albion's return to collegiate wrestling "It's a real big deal," he said. "And it's an even bigger deal to do something bold like this during COVID-19. At the end of the day, we've seen this trend before COVID as many schools are experiencing declines in enrollment. What better way to turn it around than to offer activities that are important to students." Men's wrestling, which was disbanded at Albion in the late 1970s, will compete in the NCAA Division III Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association along with Adrian, Alma, Olivet and Trine.

Jordan Oliver and Jason Nolf face off Sunday in Chicago (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Wrestling is back. After a long hiatus, the sport returns with a series of freestyle matches at an event dubbed The Rumble on the Rooftop. The event, which will stream live as a pay-per-view via Fite.tv, will take place in Chicago on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. Jordan Oliver vs. Jason Nolf The U.S. still needs to qualify 65 kilograms for the Olympics. If that eventually happens, Oliver should be one of the favorites to secure the spot. The lockdown could not have come at a worse time for Oliver, as he was putting together some of his best performances of his freestyle career. His run started at the 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial International last November. On the day, he defeated Nick Dardances, Bryce Meredith, Joey McKenna and Frank Molinaro by a combined 34 to 9 score. Oliver was perhaps even more dominant at the 2019 Senior Nationals. He won all five of his matches without surrendering a single point. In the finals, he rolled up McKenna in less than three minutes. Oliver then traveled to Rome for the Matteo Pellicone tournament, which was dubbed a ranking series event by UWW. He outscored his first three opponents by a combined 21-0 score to set up a finals match with three-time world medalist Bajrang Punia. Against Bajrang, Oliver got out to an early lead with a quick takedown. However, his opponent was able to score with a head pinch late and escaped with a 4-3 victory. Nolf made the finals of the Bill Farrell tournament at 74 kilograms before falling against former collegiate rival Isaiah Martinez. In the semifinals, he scored a 6-0 victory over former teammate Vincenzo Joseph. Nolf was clearly dealing with injuries, and he did not compete at the 2019 Senior Nationals. He did return to the mat at the Pan American Championships at 79 kilograms and easily won the three-person bracket. The former Hodge winner still has work to do in order to qualify for the Olympic Team Trials. This should be an interesting style match. Nolf's ability to scramble and work from odd positions is basically uncanny. However, before the shutdowns Oliver was doing a great job of getting to his single and finishing. If Nolf has recovered from his injuries, he certainly has a chance in this match. However, Oliver has the experience and has looked to be on a mission recently. Prediction: Oliver over Nolf Luke Pletcher vs. Pat Lugo Before the cancellations hit, Pletcher was set to be the No. 1 seed at 141 pounds at the NCAA tournament. In the Big Ten final, he avenged his only loss of the season against Nick Lee (Penn State), and in the process became the favorite for a national title at the weight. Unfortunately, the tournament never happened, and he finished his career as a three-time All-American. Like Pletcher, Lugo also overcame the only loss of his senior season in the finals of the Big Ten tournament. Going into the tournament, he dropped only one match against Pletcher's teammate Sammy Sasso. Lugo reversed that decision and would have entered the NCAA tournament as the top seed at 149 pounds. The first few minutes will probably say a lot about the outcome of this match. If Lugo is able to get his hands on Pletcher and control him with underhooks, he should be able to control the pace and space. However, if Pletcher is able to maintain distance and create motion, he will likely overwhelm Lugo with his volume leg attack style. Prediction: Pletcher over Lugo Pat Downey vs. Joe Rau After an injury to David Taylor, Downey took the spot on the U.S. World Team at the 2019 World Championships. He won his first two matches in the tournament but ultimately fell against Ahmed Ruslanovic Dudarov of Germany. This year he entered both the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix as well as the Matteo Pellicone. He failed to place at the Yarygin, but at the Pellicone, he secured a bronze medal finish after falling against Alex Dieringer. Downey has also recently engaged in a somewhat odd rivalry with world-class submission grapplers. He faced off against 2019 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist Nick Rodriguez in a modified rules match at Who's Number One and won easily. He then had an unusual two-match series against multiple-time world champion submission grappler Gordon Ryan. Downey lost a no-time limit submission match, but he won the rematch under freestyle rules in less than a minute. Rau is a multiple-time member of the U.S. Greco-Roman World team, but he will take this in freestyle. He has been known to compete in both freestyle and even semi-recently wrestled in the Midlands Championships. Rau entered the 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International in both Greco and freestyle. He finished with a bronze in Greco and fell in the bronze-medal match on the freestyle side. Earlier this year, he won both the Pan American Championships and the Pan American Qualification Tournament to qualify the weight for the Olympics. Downey has been able to defeat a bobsledder and multiple submission grapplers, will his cross-style dominance continue against a Greco guy? It probably will. You could make the case that Downey does a lot of his work from the clinch with throws and that plays into Rau's style. However. Downey should still be able to get to his attacks and score consistently. Prediction: Downey over Rau Dylan Palacio vs. Dylan Ness Palacio was a four-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time All-American for Cornell. His best finish came during his junior year in 2016 when he finished fourth and picked up victories over Joe Smith and Cody Pack. Palacio competes internationally for Uruguay, and in his last international tournament, he entered the 2018 South American Games and failed to place. Ness was a four-time All-American and two-time finalist for Minnesota. After college he transitioned to freestyle and had some solid results out of the gate. He won the 2017 U.S. Senior Last Chance World Team Trials qualifier and picked up a bronze medal at the Dave Schultz Memorial. He competed in the 2019 Bill Farrell and the 2019 Senior Nationals going a combined 3-3 with his best victory coming over Dan Vallimont. Since college Ness has been the much more consistent competitor, and he should have the size advantage in this match. Palacio will be game, but Ness will be the one taking the elevator down from the roof with the victory. Prediction: Ness over Palacio Zane Richards vs. Zach Sanders Richards finished his career at Illinois in 2017. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier and a two-time All-American. He had a very active 2019 on the freestyle circuit that saw him compete in a variety of tournaments including representing the U.S. at the World Cup. Last November, he made the semifinals at the Bill Farrell before dropping an 8-6 match against Nathan Tomasello. Richards then went 3-2 at the 2019 Senior Nationals with wins over Austin Miller, Jacob Moran and Eddie Kilmara. Sanders finished third at the 2012 NCAA tournament to become an All-American for the fourth time. Since wrestling at Minnesota, he has been a member of the coaching staff for the Gophers and competing on the freestyle circuit. In 2018 he won a gold medal at the Cerro Pelado International and he also represented the U.S. at the 2019 World Cup. He recently wrestled his way to a fifth-place finish at the 2019 Senior Nationals with signature victories over Alan Waters and Frank Perrelli. This might turn out to be one of the closer matches of the event. Richards has had the better results recently, but Sanders is a veteran. Look for Richards to try to push the pace early in the match, and if he is successful it should go a long way towards securing the victory. Prediction: Richards over Sanders Brett Pfarr vs. Zach Braunagel During his senior year at Minnesota, Pfarr was probably the second best wrestler in the county at 197 pounds. Unfortunately, that was also the weight class that contained multiple-time world medalist J'den Cox. Pfarr ended up dropping an 8-2 decision in the NCAA finals, but he finished 31-3 on the year. Since then he has transitioned into freestyle and picked up a pair of bronze medals at the 2019 and 2020 Cerro Pelado tournaments. He recently finished fourth at the 2019 Senior Nationals with both of his losses coming against Alex Dieringer. Along the way, he picked up wins over Drew Foster, Max Dean and Aaron Brooks. Braunagel just finished his redshirt freshman season at Illinois. He finished 21-10, qualified for the NCAA tournament that never happened and was named an honorable mention All-American by the NWCA. Last summer he was a member of the U.S. Greco-Roman Junior World team, but he failed to place in the tournament. Pfarr has had surprisingly solid results since making the transition to full-time freestyle. We have seen wrestlers who are still competing collegiately perform well against freestylers, but Pfarr has already proven he can turn back those sort of challengers. Prediction: Pfarr over Braunagel Nazar Kulchytskyy vs. Danny Braunagel Kulchytskyy had a strong showing at the Bill Farrell. He finished third with his only loss coming against Isaiah Martinez in the quarterfinals. At the Senior Nationals tournament, he made his way to the fifth-place match before falling against Anthony Valencia. However, in the tournament field, he also defeated Alec Pantaleo, Joey Lavallee and Chad Walsh. Braunagel went 23-9 during his redshirt freshman season for Illinois. He qualified for the NCAA tournament and received honorable mention All-American honors following the season. Braunagel scored key wins over Peyton Mocco, Kennedy Monday and Zach Hartman. Last summer he came very close to securing a spot on the Junior World team. He finished second at both the Open and the World Team Trials. In those events, he defeated the likes of Philip Conigliaro, Julian Ramirez and Travis Wittlake. Kulchytskyy does not really get the respect he deserves, because 74 kilograms is a very stacked weight domestically. He is getting up there a bit in age, but he should have than enough to control this match and take the victory. Prediction: Kulchytskyy over Braunagel Nick Dardanes vs. Mitch McKee Dardanes has wrestled sparingly over the last few seasons. In 2018 he finished fourth at both the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials. Last April he relocated to the Illini RTC after spending time at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Dardanes wrestled collegiatelly at Minnesota where he was a four-time national qualifier and an All-American. McKee recently finished his collegiate career at Minnesota. He was a two-time All-American and finished with a 92-43 career record. Despite the folkstyle success, McKee's best style might actually be freestyle. He has won multiple national tournaments and World Team Trials. In 2017, McKee won a silver medal at the Junior World Championships. It will be interesting to see if McKee makes a jump now that he is focusing on freestyle. His skill and style always seemed to match up with the Olympic version of the sport. Dardanes will represent a tough senior level challenge, but McKee has the more dynamic scoring ability in this match. He should be able to look impressive here. Prediction: McKee over Dardanes

Cody Cleveland, an All-American at Chattanooga and an assistant coach at The Citadel joins host Chad Dennis on Episode 57 of The MatBoss Podcast. Cleveland talks about his experiences coming from coaching at the high school level and moving into the college ranks, first at the Naval Academy and then at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. Cleveland touches on the coaching opening at The Citadel after Rob Hjerling's contract was not renewed and the beginnings of his coaching journey and what he learned from his coaches as an athlete that he's been able to instill in his athletes as a coach. Cleveland also explains how The Citadel fits into the nation's armed forces. The MatBoss Podcast is also sponsored by Barbarian Apparel. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

Pat Lugo before wrestling in the finals of the Midlands Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Pat Lugo's college wrestling career came to an end during practice. The Iowa coaches broke the news to the team that the 2020 NCAA wrestling tournament would not take place due to the pandemic. Months later Lugo still says it is hard to describe his feelings regarding the cancellation. Like all the seniors who had their collegiate careers come to an end in anti-climatic fashion, the only thing Lugo can do is move on. For him that starts with a freestyle match against fellow senior Luke Pletcher at the upcoming Rumble on the Rooftop event on June 28. It will be his first time back in competition since what turned out to be his final collegiate match. It came in the 149-pound final of the Big Ten tournament. Lugo faced off against the only man to defeat him during his senior season, Sammy Sasso of Ohio State. In their first meeting back in January, neither wrestler scored a takedown, and Sasso walked away with an overtime victory. The rematch almost didn't materialize as Sasso struggled in an early round match against Yahya Thomas of Northwestern. However, Sasso prevailed and set up the bout Lugo was craving. In order to reverse the result, he needed a new mindset. "I thought, if I can make it a fight, I can win," Lugo says. "I've always been fighting." Unlike their first meeting, Lugo scored a first period takedown to set the tone. Sasso is known for his leg defense sourcery, so the Hawkeye went with an upper body attack. After securing double underhooks, he was able to transition to a body lock and put the first two points on the board. "Double unders is a place I have always felt comfortable. I wrestled a lot of Greco coming up," Lugo explains. "A lot of coaches may not want guys wrestling Greco, because it might mess up their folkstyle but wrestling is wrestling." With the victory, Lugo locked in the No. 1 seed for the 2020 NCAAs. He held wins over the second, third, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th seeds. However, it was not meant to be. His Big Ten championship was a culmination of his college journey that started over 600 miles away from Iowa City. Lugo spent two years at Edinboro before transferring to Iowa and transforming his career. "It is kind of like they are wizards. They tap you, and you turn into gold," Lugo says about the Iowa training situation. "That is how it is, but you have to do your part. You have to put your time in. You have to believe that you are going to be the best. You have to believe that everything they tell you is the truth. I was kind of shying away from it in the beginning, but eventually I was like, 'man, what am i doing? I am missing out. This is going to be history, and I am missing out.' I had to do my part. Once I started doing my part, that is when everything started falling into place." With everything in place, it makes sense that Lugo decided to stick around Iowa City and continue his wrestling career for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. "I have all the things I value here, why would I leave it?" he says. "It would be stupid of me to leave. I've got a lot of people that I care about here. Why would I leave? It would be like leaving a family or something for strangers." As a member of the HWC, Lugo only needed a competition to get back on track. Even during this hectic time, the opportunity to compete was welcome news. "Tom Brands came up to me and asked me if I wanted to do it," Lugo says. "I was like, I am ready. I had a couple of events in my life. I had a bachelor party, a couple of my friends were getting married, I had a couple camps here and there, but I cleared my schedule. I am not doing any of that stuff. I am going to wrestle. I am sorry guys. I am not going to miss this opportunity. I didn't wrestle at nationals, and I haven't wrestled in a long time." Pat Lugo walks out for his Big Ten championship match (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) That opportunity will come on Sunday against Luke Pletcher. Like Lugo, Pletcher was also one of the favorites to win a national title in his final season on the collegiate mats. He was teammates with Sasso last season, but Ligo sees clear differences in the challenges presented. "Pletcher is a little shorter, a little stronger," he explains. "They are both strong in their own ways. I haven't really been thinking about the match too much, like how he wrestles or what he might do or this and that, because that is not the way I like to think of things. I like to think of it as when the day comes. I am just focusing on myself right now, just focusing on myself, getting better in my positions, getting stronger, getting more in shape, trimming the fat. I am building right now, and when the time comes, I will look at him, he will look at me and we will wrestle. That's it." Sports and nostalgia are naturally intertwined. Competitors and fans look back on events and results with sentimental longing or wistful affection. In the words of William Faulkner, "the past is never dead. It's not even past." Perhaps this is what makes moving on difficult for athletes who miss out on the opportunity to build positive memories. For wrestlers in the class of 2020 competition may be the best remedy, and Lugo gets that chance at Rumble on the Rooftop.

Junior college national champ Curtis Blaydes picked up a win, while ACC champ Max Rohskopf lost his UFC debut The UFC was back at it again this past weekend. Plenty of wrestling talent was featured on this most recent event, consisting of a nice mix of seasoned veterans, a few peaking thoroughbreds, a veteran finally getting his big shot, and even a supposed future champion. For the most part, these former wrestlers put in some quality work on Saturday night, with each combatant showing a plethora of skills and athletic attributes sharpened by countless hours spent in wrestling room. Wrestlers went 3-1 in fights against non-wrestlers, with two other bouts being wrestler vs. wrestler. Here's what we learned about each one. Curtis Blaydes What we learned: The big man from Chicago, now riding a four-fight win streak, made the wise choice regarding his approach on Saturday night. Blaydes talked a big game in the weeks leading up to this fight, boldly predicting a dominant "ragdolling" of a very dangerous opponent. What wound up happening was not quite that, but in my eyes was equally impressive. Not so much dominant as it was a calculated, workmanlike, performance from a fighter that knows he's close to a title shot, Blaydes did what he had to do to get the W and keep the momentum going. Blaydes has proven his ability to finish fights in dramatic, violent fashion, but this time had to rely heavily on wrestling, and the superb mental and physical conditioning of a wrestler. Blaydes scored a UFC heavyweight division record 14 takedowns on his Russian foe. He encountered plenty of resistance, weathered a rally or two, and still came out victorious. An Illinois high school state champ who wrestled Division I for a season before transferring to Harper College and winning a junior college national title, Blaydes came to the UFC with a good degree of hype, and thus far has enjoyed a steady climb toward the top. Winning gut-check decisions with much on the line, despite pressure from fans and promoters to put entertainment first, is a hurdle every ascending fighter must clear, Blaydes can now continue his climb. Max Rohskopf What we learned: There are many factors to consider when predicting success in the cage, and MMA is a volatile sport to say the least. Prior to Saturday night, when the name Max Roshskopf came up in MMA circles, it was often paired with terms like prodigy, natural, the future, and the like. The All-State Ohio high school wrestler and ACC conference champ for the NC State Wolfpack has all the physical tools and useful connections a young fighter can hope for. With fantastic coaches from all of MMA's core disciplines enthusiastically vouching for him, when a UFC slot opened up at the last minute, the former Division I standout wrestler got the call. In the early goings of his first UFC fight, under the bright lights of the Octagon, Rohskopf performed as advertised. Confident and bold, we saw the young upstart flashing legit offensive goods, with all requisite skills (especially his insane scrambling ability) apparently sound. Ideally sized for the 155-pound division with both a firm grasp of fundamentals and a penchant for dumping convention on its head (pun intended), things unfolded nicely at the start of his UFC debut. Unfortunately, Rohskopf quit between the second and third round. In the process, his momentum and goodwill took a considerable hit. What went wrong? It would seem that a mix of poor game planning, overconfidence, lactic acid, adrenaline, and a game opponent all played a part. Who knows how the emotional young fighter will rebound from this loss? Hopefully this young talent doesn't harp too much and gets another shot under better circumstances. Justin Jaynes What we learned: Experience means a whole lot in the fight game, and Justin Jaynes' time spent on the regional MMA scene has served him well. The All-State Michigan high school wrestler who spent four years on a Division III wrestling team at Olivet College has been putting in his time, paying his dues, and now seems primed to make an impact in the UFC. In a similar position to Rohskopf, a former wrestler in a short notice fight looking for a quick finish. The difference was experience. Going all out for the kill is a risky proposition in fighting, in that if you don't finish the fight, you're left with an empty tank. Jaynes' additional years of experience and familiarity with the dreaded adrenaline dump, allowed him to execute his punching blitz flawlessly. With obviously powerful hands, experience, solid wrestling, and sound grappling, look for Jaynes to rack up some wins in the lightweight division. Josh Emmett What we learned: Four years into his UFC tenure, after some nasty injuries and a few hard to swallow losses, Josh Emmett is now hitting his stride. Emmett looked great on Saturday night. He fought a super-tough, super-durable, rising talent and he won an absolute dogfight. A wrestling product of the Golden State, the California Junior College state placewinner (fifth) and two-time national qualifier for Menlo College came into MMA via Team Alpha Male, like so many wrestlers before and after him. And while his wrestling resume isn't among the most impressive you will find in the NorCal MMA Mecca, he has always had an ace up his sleeve in his numbing punching power. Emmett's hands are among the most dangerous in the 145-pound division. Along with those hands of stone, Emmett is an extremely powerful individual who has grit and toughness to spare. Now, with experience, skill, and momentum finally converging on the same trajectory, we will see just how far his no-frills, rugged style of wrestle-boxing will take him. Jim Miller What we learned: After many years at or near the top of the UFC lightweight division, if healthy, the Garden State's Jim Miller is still a very dangerous fighter. Always highly active and a model of consistency, the UFC's winningest 155-pounder in history has been plagued by Lyme disease the last five or so years. This has resulted in losses that could have been wins, and an inability to train hard. With this nasty disease and father time always on the offensive, not to mention the young savage he was fighting, the All-State New Jersey high school wrestler who spent a year in the room with the Virginia Tech Hokies, was once more able to fend off the wolves and continue his winning ways. Bravo Mr. Miller. Bobby Green What we learned: The eccentric 12-year MMA veteran is still immensely talented and a ton of fun to watch. Californian Bobby Green has always been a bit unconventional in his approach to fighting. Known to train only when he had a fight lined up, the two-time All-State California high school wrestler fights like a matador. Lightning-fast and flexible, with insane reflexes, he is downright graceful in his execution. Having been slowed down by tough breaks in his personal life and a rather whimsical attitude toward training and fighting, at 33 years old Green showed that if he has the interest, he still has the tools to make a run towards the top end of the division. Clay Guida What we learned: At age 38, with 17 years in the fight game (14 of them inside the UFC), apparently Illinois native Clay Guida is aging in slow motion. Guida and the aforementioned Green stepped into the Octagon on Saturday night and got right after it! Guida was his usual self; nonstop movement, unrelenting wrestling offense, lots of scrambles, enough striking to keep foes honest, and a bottomless gas tank. Once on a national championship winning JUCO team at Harper College before a very brief Division I stint at the University of Northern Colorado, the lifelong wrestler still relies on wrestling and the hard-nosed wrestler style, more than anything. Great showing for Guida despite the close decision loss. Frank Camacho What we learned: The combat athletes from the Pacific Islands are tough as nails with rock-solid resolve. Hailing from both Guam and the Northern Marian Islands, MMA veteran Camacho is no exception. Much like one of his coaches Melchor Manibusan, a five-time senior world team member from Guam, Camacho wrestled at the senior level in addition to fighting MMA, winning 84-kilo gold at the 2006 Micronesian Games in freestyle. Despite being knocked out by the debuting Justin Jaynes on Saturday night, Camacho continues to entertain with his aggressive, well-rounded skills, and by never shying away from a fire fight. Keep doing your thing, Frank.

Illinois -- the Land of Lincoln -- will be the 26th state in the nation to sanction a separate girls state wrestling tournament. Last week, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced it would be hosting a separate state tournament for high school girls in the state, beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. Prior to this just-approved state championship, Illinois girls who wanted to wrestle for a state title had to compete against boys at the state championships at the University of Illinois' State Farm Center (the iconic concrete-dome facility built on the edge of the U of I campus in 1963). This just-announced IHSA state wrestling championship officially sanctioned for girls -- slated to take the mats for the first time in 2021-2022 -- is expected to eventually replace the separate, non-sanctioned girls state tournament that was first conducted by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) starting in 2017. "It's about time, I did not think Illinois would lag so behind," Coal City wrestling coach Mark Masters said. "I was really surprised I know our Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association really pushed for the IHSA to get this done ASAP." Girls wrestling has grown tremendously throughout the nation over the past decade or so, and Illinois is no exception. "It's definitely exciting for the opportunity to have something at the end of the season that's sanctioned just like the other sports in the IHSA," Central wrestling coach Travis Williams told the Daily Journal. "I'd say within the last ten years there's been a huge change and shift in the acceptance of girls wrestling. I think its filtered down from the Olympic and International level to the college level and now we are starting to see it as another option for girls and it's not the stigma that it might have been 10 years ago." In terms of girls participation levels in wrestling, the growth is tremendous throughout the entire nation ... and within Illinois. According to the IHSA meeting minutes from last Monday's meeting, the number of girl's participation in wrestling in Illinois has nearly doubled in the past year, going from 424 two years ago to 837 in 2019-2020. That kind of growth is typical throughout the entire nation. In fact, as recently as the beginning of 2018, only a half-dozen states had separate, sanctioned wrestling programs throughout the entire nation. Now, with this latest announcement, states which have officially sanctioned girls wrestling include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Six months ago, University of Iowa first started discussing construction of a new wrestling facility for the famed Hawkeye wrestling program adjacent to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Much progress has been since the initial plans were first presented in late January to build a 37,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This past week, Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands said, "We're moving forward, still working to raise money and we've taken a big step forward with the hiring of an architect. People are working hard to make this happen." The project is expected to carry a price tag of around $20 million and will be funded entirely through private donations. According to Brands, at this point, Iowa has raised "just north of $10 million'' to help pay for the project. "We're having some great conversations with people right now as well, so we're encouraged,'' Brands said. Iowa received approval for the project from the state Board of Regents on Feb. 5 to plan a state-of-the-art training facility that will be built south of Carver-Hawkeye Arena and connected to the arena's competition floor by a tunnel. In addition to expanded training space, the facility will feature a "hall of champions'' that will showcase the history of the Hawkeye program, including its 23 NCAA team champions, 36 Big Ten team titles, 84 NCAA individual titles and its 345 All-American wrestlers. The space is being designed to allow Iowa to continue to host top senior level and international wrestling events such as the United States Olympic Trials and the United World Wrestling Cup. "We want to have the best facility in the world in Iowa City,'' Brands said. "If we wanted, we could have spent $7 million, $8 million on something for Hawkeye wrestling out west (near Iowa's soccer, tennis and field hockey facilities) and be in it right now, but with the tradition of this program, Carver-Hawkeye is where we need to be.'' Brands said the facility will be designed mainly with practicality in mind, set up to facilitate the development and growth of the wrestlers who train there. He also hopes to create an environment that will appeal to today's generation of competitors and believes the facility can become a recruiting tool for a program which finished the 2019-20 season ranked first in the nation. "We're after functionality, good workspace for people to train in,'' Brands said. "We're out to put the best facility in the world in Iowa City.''

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has announced its plan for the 2020-21 athletic season, making some changes in how it conducts various sports programs. One of the sports most affected is wrestling, which is having its season pushed back later into the 2021 year. For example, here is the specific changes made by the NJCAA: The 2020-21 NJCAA Wrestling season has been altered to protect the best interest for student-athlete health and safety. NJCAA Wrestling programs will be permitted to hold fall practice starting Oct. 1, 2020, and concluding Oct. 31, 2020. Regular season practice will be permitted to begin starting Jan. 1, 2021. Competition will be permitted to begin starting January 20, 2021. The 2021 NJCAA Wrestling Championship will be held April 23-24 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

WASHINGTON -- American University wrestler Elijah Murphy (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern HS) is one of seven winners of the 2020 Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, presented for just the second year ever. The Sports Humanitarian Awards, normally separate from the ESPY Awards, were combined as part of one virtual celebration on the night of June 21. It was Murphy's work with The Grassroot Project in D.C. that led to his sports humanitarian honor, won alongside Howard University student-athlete Niah Woods. The pair have been helping to ensure that middle school students in the D.C. area have access to physical activity. The highly competitive nomination process for the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award selects and rewards young people for their leadership and commitment to improve their communities through sport. The selected nominees must: Demonstrate how they are using the power of sport as a catalyst for change within their local school or community. Be passionate and committed to empowering the community in which he/she/they live. Deliver social impact showcasing how his/her/their community has been positively impacted. Embody confidence and enthusiasm as a leader and have strong moral character. Personify exemplary leadership qualities on and off the field/court. Murphy, who just earned his bachelor's degree from AU in psychology while also starting work towards his master's degree, will return in 2020-21 as a redshirt senior wrestler while completing that advanced degree in just one extra year. He's also applying for PhD programs to start in the Fall of 2021, with those deadlines coming in December. Elijah MurphyAccording to a recent article by The Grassroot Project, Murphy has "has been a crucial member to The Grassroot Project's health education programming, and in the wake of movements advocating for racial equity, Elijah has been facilitating crucial conversations. On Instagram, he has been sharing his thoughts on systemic racism and reflecting on his experiences as a Black man and student-athlete alongside wrestler Jahi Jones from the University of Maryland." The article goes on to discuss how Murphy is using his psychology degree to "enhance TGP's mental health promotion programs to think about the mental health effects of systemic racism. He was involved in the mental health pilot and is now taking a closer look at the lens in which TGP educates youth about mental health." Along with the other award winners, Murphy will receive either a one-time $10,000 college scholarship or direct a grant to an eligible nonprofit aligned with their work. He'll participate in experiential learning and development programs over the next year to receive mentoring, leadership coaching, engage with senior leaders in the sport industry and attend sport-for-development workshops. Murphy will hopefully have a chance to meet and learn from tennis legend and social activist, Billie Jean King, and he'll join the award's alumni program -- a powerful network of young leaders using the power of sports to create social good in their communities.

Chris Pendleton coaching at the Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) More often than not, the salary terms for a newly hired college wrestling coach -- including basic annual salary -- often seems to be a closely held secret. Take Chris Pendleton. At the end of the 2020 season, Pendleton was hired as head coach of the Oregon State wrestling program, replacing long-time head coach Jim Zalesky. Now, thanks to a public records request by The Oregonian -- the community newspaper for Portland, Oregon, and the rest of the state -- the college wrestling community around the world now knows the basics of Coach Pendleton's contract, including basic annual salary. Pendleton's contract runs five years -- through 2025 -- for an annual salary of $165,000, for a total value of $825,000. By comparison, Zalesky's annual salary his last year at Oregon State was $155,000. In addition, Pendleton annual salary through 2025 allows for increases at the discretion of athletic director Scott Barnes. What's more, Pendleton also received a $13,750 signing bonus. Pendleton will be in line for some performance bonuses as well. For example, the new head coach receives a $5,000 bonus if five or more wrestlers advance to the NCAA championships. There is a $5,000 bonus if OSU places among the top 20 in the team standings at the NCAAs, an additional $5,000 if the Beavers crack the top 10, and $7,500 for winning the national title. Winning Pac-12 and national coach of the year honors is worth a $3,000 bonus each. There are separate $3,000 academic bonuses for meeting team APR and grade point milestones. In recent weeks, Pendleton has assembled his OSU Beaver wrestling coaching staff. In mid-May, Oregon State announced that Isaiah Martinez and Nate Engel had joined the Oregon State coaching staff. In early June, Mike Kosoy, a former North Carolina State wrestler earlier in this decade, had been named to the new-look Oregon State wrestling program as a volunteer assistant coach.

Gable Steveson gets his hand raised after a victory against Nebraska (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) In terms of overall success in his wrestling career, University of Minnesota heavyweight Gable Steveson is truly a larger-than-life individual. As he has reached the halfway point of his career as the Golden Gopher big man, Steveson -- two-time Big Ten champ, 2019 NCAA heavyweight All-American = shared his views on some significant topics -- including a possible pro wrestling career -- with the Minnesota Daily this past week. Unexpected summer: A year ago, wrestlers -- and fans of the oldest and greatest sport -- would be eagerly anticipating the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo ... with many anticipating that Minnesota's big man Steveson taking to the mat for the Team USA freestyle team. However, thanks to a one-year delay for the 2020 Olympics caused by the coronavirus pandemic pushing the Opening Ceremonies back to summer 2021 ... which leads to ... Weight-y matters: Despite Steveson's change of plans earlier this year (cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Division I Championships, postponement of the 2020 Olympics to this time next year), the big man has maintained his workout schedule. Here's how Paul Hodowanic of the Minnesota Daily described the situation: "After spending most of his heavyweight career around 245 pounds, Steveson has jumped up to 265 this offseason. It's the heaviest Steveson has been in his life." "Steveson attributes the weight gain to increased lifting and better dieting," in the words of Hodowanic. "Gophers' head coach Brandon Eggum has seen Steveson's emphasis on both those areas grow since Steveson arrived at the University." As of now, Steveson plans to continue his current weightlifting routine and see where that takes him, according to Hodowanic. Steveson sets sights on the WWE: While Steveson still has has two more years of eligibility at Minnesota, he's already identified what he wants to do once it's over: become a WWE wrestler. "That's my main goal, and that's my end goal. As years go on it becomes more realistic, and I can set it happening right when I'm done with college," Steveson told the Minnesota Daily. "It's just a matter of me performing and making sure I get to that point." Steveson grew up watching professional wrestling as a huge fan of Brock Lesnar, who started his pro career not long after concluding his collegiate career with a heavyweight title for Minnesota at the 2000 NCAAA Championships. Coach Eggum thinks Steveson has the right mindset for the role, and his accomplishments at Minnesota should only help his chances. "He loves being a showman, which is a big part of the WWE," Eggum said. "Anytime the WWE has something to build off of, like credential-wise, any of those things that are real like Gable has been able to do ... they can really run with." Long before Brock Lesnar, University of Minnesota wrestling has a long, successful tradition of turning out NCAA heavyweight mat champs, some who go on to become pro wrestling champions. Going back to the 1940s, Minnesota could claim Leonard "Butch" Levy and Verne Gagne who found some fame and fortune in the squared circle. In more recent years -- in the same era as Brock Lesnar, there was Shelton Benjamin was an impressive figure the pro wrestling ring. Stay tuned ... Want to know more about Gable Steveson's potential future career ... and where it fits in the history of Minnesota wrestling? Steveson and Brock Lesnar work out together in Minnesota wrestling room in Jan. 2019 Minnesota's legacy for turning out heavyweight mat champs

Chris Feder, an active leader and contributor to wrestling for over a half-century across the nation and around the world, passed away Monday in San Rafael, California. He was 73. Chris FederFeder's life was in touch with significant wrestlers and coaches throughout the U.S. and around the world over the course of a long and well-lived life. “He did a whole lot for a lot of people, asking for nothing in return,” said Mike Kosoy, who recently became assistant wrestling coach at Oregon State who was coached by Feder at the Maccabiah Games. “He should be recognized not only for what he did for the sport, but for what he did for the people around him. He brought a different energy to the room whenever he entered, something I may never see again. He was an extraordinary person.” Feder was one of the best wrestlers to ever come through LIU-Post back when it was known as the C.W. Post campus on Long Island, New York, having twice earned NCAA All-American honors on the mat. Chris Fader placed second at the 1969 NCAA Championships, and went undefeated in dual-meet competition for the Pioneers. Feder won three Metropolitan Wrestling Conference championships, and continued his wrestling career after college by winning two silver medals at the Maccabiah Games (1969, '89). As an international wrestler, Fader won silver in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in 1969 at the 8th Maccabiah. He returned 20 years later for the 13th Games again, winning individual double silver medals along with team silver in Greco-Roman and team gold in freestyle. Chris coached the highly successful team at the 20th Maccabiah in 2017 and was serving as the Wrestling Chair for the 21st Games scheduled for July 2022. Although Fader's wrestling career seemed dually focused in the New York area in college and on the international stage, another focus point of his involvement in wrestling was California. He coached the wrestling program at Terra Linda (Calif.) High School from 1976-1990. Feder's accompliments earned him a place of honor of at the California Wrestling Fall of Fame, as well as a their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Feder coached Terra Linda (Calif.) High School's wrestling program from 1976-1990. What's more, Chris Fader served as a vice-president for the 24-Hour Fitness company's Team Sports Program. Information on funeral arrangements are currently not available. However, Maccabi USA will be establishing a memorial fund to honor his memory and support the many ongoing wrestling initiatives that are his legacy. Contributions can be made here. Please indicate Chris Feder as recognition name. “His loss will be felt by the countless lives he touched. May his memory be a blessing!,” said Dan Kurtz, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives of Maccabi USA

Nick LeClere is about to take the next step in his wrestling career. The Iowa state champ for his hometown North Linn High School who went to wrestle first for University of Iowa, then at Coe College in Cedar Rapids -- where he became an NCAA Division III national runner-up - has been named new head wrestling coach at John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported Friday. "The interview committee sat down and looked at Nick's experience and his vision for the program through the transition from three to five years ago and that he wants it to look like ..." Cedar Rapids Kennedy Activities Director Aaron Stecker told Cedar Rapids Gazette's K.J. Pilcher. "We've seen what he's built in our Junior Cougar wrestling program and it all just fit." LeClere had served as coach of the Junior Cougar wrestling program for the past seven years. He also worked with former Kennedy head wrestling coach Dennis Hynek, who resigned after last season. . It's now up to the Cedar Rapids Community School District School Board to make it official. LeClere hopes to find himself at the helm of the Kennedy varsity wrestling program. The varsity Cougars were 17th at last season's Class 3A Iowa state traditional tournament and reached the regional dual finals, falling to North Scott and posting a 10-2 record. Kennedy hopes to tally a third straight Mississippi Valley Conference divisional titles. LeClare likes the prospects for the 2020-21 Cougars. As he told Pilcher, "We have five returning state qualifiers from last year and two additional state qualifiers from the previous year. We've got a pretty good group, really." Built in 1967, John F. Kennedy High School is one of the public high schools in Cedar Rapids, the second-largest city in the state of Iowa. Kennedy has a total student enrollment of approximately 1,800.

Kyle Dake and Frank Chamizo (Photos/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A pair of multiple-time world champions will go head-to-head on July 25. Kyle Dake, a two-time world champion, will face two-time world champion Frank Chamizo in the featured match of an international wrestling event put on by FloWrestling.com. The event will take place in Austin, Texas, at Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark. Chamizo, who has competed at 74 kilograms the past two years, will move up to 79 kilograms to face Dake. Other matchups announced for the event include world champion David Taylor vs. World Team member Pat Downey and NCAA champion Anthony Ashnault vs. multiple-time All-American Luke Pletcher. The event will be streamed on FloWrestling.com.

Aurora University announced the hiring of Justin Pearch as the head coach of the Aurora University men's and women's wrestling programs. He was selected to build both programs with the men's program returning to AU following an over three decade hiatus and the women's program being new as it is among the NCAA's emerging sports. The AU men's and women's wrestling teams will take to the mat and begin competition in the 2021-2022 season, becoming AU's 23rd and 24th collegiate sports. "For the first time we completed a job search remotely and even with this alteration, the best candidate for the position was easily recognized. Justin Pearch is the ideal wrestling coach to start the women's and men's programs," said Director of Athletics Jim Hamad. "His recruiting connections and proven success in developing and instructing wrestlers is going to be beneficial in building the foundation. We expect these programs to meet the standard of excellence that has been established in the department and Justin will build AU Wrestling into a nationally recognized brand." Pearch came to AU after four seasons as the head wrestling coach at Aurora Christian High School. In his time at Aurora Christian, the program produced an Illinois State Championship and two more two three finishes in a program that began in 2016. Additionally, he has served as the Illinois National Dual Meet Head Coach since 2015 and as the Illinois Cadet and Junior National Team Coach since 2013. "I would like to take this moment to thank the entire search committee, especially Dr. Sherrick, Dr. de Lacey and Athletic Director Jim Hamad for their time, consideration and belief in me," said Pearch. "It has been an amazing process, during a time of so much uncertainty, witnessing their commitment to grow men's and women's wrestling. I am honored to take on the roll as Head Coach of wrestling at AU and look forward to uniting with campus leadership in restarting the men's wrestling program and igniting a woman's program." No stranger to the local club wrestling scene, Pearch has been a coach at Izzy Style School of Wrestling for the past eight years, training wrestlers of all levels in various disciplines of wrestling (Folkstyle, Greco-Roman, Freestyle, Grappling, etc). Pearch wrestled collegiately at the University of Oregon where he finished second at the 2007 Pac-10 championships at 141 and earned a place in the NCAA Division I national tournament. He spent two years at North Idaho College where he earned All-American honors in both seasons. He is a 2007 graduate of the University of Oregon with a bachelor's degree in sociology. Aurora University is a member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), Northern Collegiate Hockey Association and Central Intercollegiate Bowling Conference. The NACC began its first season of competition in the fall of 2006 and consists of 12 colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Member schools include: Alverno College, Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University Wisconsin, Dominican University, Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Marian University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Rockford University and Wisconsin Lutheran College with St. Norbert College joining for the 2021-2022 year. AU sponsors 24 sports; 19 of the 21 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference sponsored sports as well as men's and women's hockey, men's and women's wreslting and women's bowling. Men's teams in the NACC include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. Women's NACC squads are fielded in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and volleyball.

The Ellsworth Panthers are excited to welcome Tyson Springer as the new head wrestling coach and Dale Howard Family Activity Center Director. Springer comes to ECC from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, where he served as the head wrestling coach for three seasons. Tyson Springer (Photo/Cam Kramer, CamKramerPhoto.com)"This was a very different process as it was all done virtually over Zoom, but it was an easy decision to come to Ellsworth. I was sold on the ECC tradition." The tradition of Panther success may be strong, but Springer recognizes the challenges of this unprecedented time. "It's really the challenge of the unknown. I'm going to be recruiting athletes to a place I've never been, but Ellworth's history speaks for itself." Springer says he's going to hit the ground running by making phone calls and sending out emails as soon as he is able. "There are many high school athletes who haven't made their decision yet because of the pandemic. I'm going to tap into my current relationships with high school coaches across the country and ask our returning wrestlers to do the same with their former teammates back home." Springer is no stranger to the junior college circuit. As a graduate of North Idaho Junior College, Springer helped the team win a national title in 2003. After, he attended Dickenson State University in North Dakota where he was a two-time National finalist and won the NAIA National Championship at 165lbs. In addition to a history of success as an athlete, Springer has a winning track record as a coach. Tyson has helped coach 8 All-Americans, 1 NJCAA National Champion, and lead a recruiting class the finished 6th in the NAIA in 2015 while at Doane University. "I'm very excited about the tradition of success at Ellsworth. I am looking forward to recruiting high level athletes and chasing trophies with them," Springer says. The best way for interested athletes to contact Coach Springer is by email at Tyson.Springer@iavalley.edu

After nearly a two decades, The Citadel decided early this past week not to renew the contract of longtime wrestling coach Rob Hjerling, Rob Hjerling"We would like to thank coach Rob Hjerling for his hard work and dedication to The Citadel wrestling program and our college," athletic director Mike Capaccio said. "After joining The Citadel staff for the 1999-00 season, Rob led his cadet-athletes to recognition for numerous athletic and academic achievements. We appreciate all of his contributions to our program and wish him and his family the best." The Citadel will begin a search for a new wrestling coach, a school official said. Hjerling led the Bulldogs to two of their three Southern Conference titles in school history, taking both the SoCon championship and SoCon dual championship in 2014. He was named SoCon coach of the year twice, in 2004 and 2014. He also coached all four of The Citadel's All-Americans: Dan Thompson in 2006, Odie Delaney and Ugi Khishignyam in 2013 and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj in 2014. Under Hierling's direction, the Bulldogs won a pair of SoCon titles and he was named the conference's Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2014. All four of the school's All-Americans (Dan Thompson in 2006; Odie Delaney and Ugi Khishignyam in 2013; and Turtogtokh Luvsandorj in 2014) wrestled for Hjerling. By contrast, The Citadel mat program had struggled some in recent years, having gone 2-10 and 3-6 in dual meets over the last two seasons. For all these reasons, the Citadel had decided not to renew the contract of longtime wrestling coach Rob Hjerling. "We would like to thank coach Rob Hjerling for his hard work and dedication to The Citadel wrestling program and our college," athletic director Mike Capaccio said. "After joining The Citadel staff for the 1999-00 season, Rob led his cadet-athletes to recognition for numerous athletic and academic achievements. We appreciate all of his contributions to our program and wish him and his family the best." The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly or known simply as The Citadel, is a public college in Charleston, S. C. Established in 1842, it is one of six United States senior military colleges. It has 18 academic departments divided into five schools offering 23 majors and 38 minors. The Citadel has an enrollment of approximately 2,800.

FOREST CITY, Iowa -- Warrior men's wrestling coach Ryan Dickinson is answering the call of duty from his country, and Waldorf assistant professor Maurie Tomke is lending his long-time friend a hand. Dickinson, who recently completed his first season as head coach for the Warriors, found out he is being deployed to the Norn of Africa with the Iowa National Guard and leaves today for training for his mission which will last until late spring or early summer of 2021. While Dickinson serves his country, Tomke, the chair of the Sports Management department at Waldorf, has agreed to step in as interim head coach in Dickinson's absence. "I knew it would happen eventually," said Dickinson, who has been in the guard for 12 years. "I deferred a deployment during my college athletic career (at Northern State). "With everything just getting started it's hard to step away, it's never going to be easy, but I've been mentally prepared to step away and do my duty and protect my country," Waldorf's coach added. Fortunately for Dickinson and the Warriors, Tomke was ready to help out, too The two crossed paths as assistant coaches together during the 2008-09 season at East High School in Sioux City, Iowa, starting a friendship that has lasted more than a decade. Tomke even served on the search committee that interview Dickinson for the Warrior head coaching position back in 2019. "We were close enough that when the time came he called and said he was being shipped out and he asked 'how can you help?'" Tomke said. Waldorf Director of Athletics Chad Gassman also reached out to Tomke with the same question, and Tomke accepted the challenge to serve as interim head coach while Dickinson served his country. Tomke said he will cut back his teaching load and cut back on the number of students he advises to help make time for his additional duties as head men's wrestling coach. While admitting it will be a lot to juggle, he's use to a heavy work-load as Tomke put in 80 to 90 hour a week at times during his six seasons as an assistant wrestling coach at Ellsworth Community College, from 2010 to 2016. Prior to his time at Ellsworth, Tomke started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Bridgewater State in Massachusetts after spending time as a coach at Bishop Heelan High School, and East High School and East Middle School, in Sioux City. "It's always been a dream of mine being a head coach," Tomke said, adding "it'll only be for a year and why not help out." Something Dickinson admits his friend has been doing all along. "He gives me little tips and pointers, or tells me about recruits he's found or knows about," Waldorf's head coach said. "Having someone step in who I've known for the past decade, it helps a bunch, it alleviates some of the stress I have." Dickinson adds that he will stay in contact with Tomke and the Warrior wrestling program while deployed, when time permits while he serves his country.

The NCAA announced this week that women's wrestling would be granted status as an Emerging Sport in Division I for 2020-2021. As most wrestling fans are now aware the push to include women at the Division I level has been going, in earnest, for roughly five years. Once only relegated to the WCWA the sport has quickly become the administrative-favored add at several enrollment-based schools, especially at the Division II and Division III levels. Even smaller Division I schools for whom enrollment is a concern have added programs, including Lock Haven. The growth is dependent on state sanctioning to ensure that more women have the chance to compete when they are girls. This week South Dakota sanctioned girl's wrestling, becoming the 25th state nationwide to do so. That's an extraordinary number and one that helps support that growing number of collegiate programs and provide USA Wrestling with a much larger crop of potential Olympic and world champions on the women's side. The best news nugget in the decision was that the program will all be freestyle, rather than folkstyle. It's a huge boon not only to the pool of American athletes, but also will become a destination for international athletes looking for an education. As always, there is some concern with the rapid growth in the time of COVID-19. The budgets of most programs are being cut due to the economic concerns of limited, or canceled, college football seasons. That would've made the effort to add and retain new Division I programs on the women's side ever-more difficult, but the target of 40 programs to earn championship status is only one away. That's right, with Emerging Sports status officially starting August 1, it's not impossible that women's wrestling could immediately qualify for an NCAA Division I championships. There are other angles to COVID-19 that might prove helpful. Right now there are athletic departments looking to save money, but also remain NCAA viable with 8-plus programs. If they already have a men's program and want to trade up for a low-cost Title IX compliant sport, women's wrestling is now available. Congratulations to all the youth, high school and college coaches who've been toiling for years to get this status approved. An obvious acknowledgement of Sally Roberts, too, who has been the tip of the spear with Wrestle Like a Girl and has orchestrated much of the success we saw last week. Let's keep it up. There is no time to rest. To your questions … Q: What do you think about The Citadel firing Rob Hjerling? Who takes that job? -- Wayne P. Foley: There were some solid years at The Citadel in the early 2010's, but they've since faded from prominence. These things are cyclical and also driven by momentum. I'm certain that Coach Hjerling will do well in his next pursuit and has fond memories of his time as the head wrestling coach at The Citadel. The next hire will be very interesting. The school presents a number of challenges given that it's a military institution in the south without a strong history if winning championships. Maybe Lee Roper would be a good fit, given his familiarity with wrestlers from the Mid-Atlantic and south. He has a strong history of success on the mat, as a club coach, and at Northern Iowa that could see him get the nod for the job. You also have Jordan Leen from Tennessee, who is currently at Pittsburgh but also coached at Virginia. Q: What do you make of the Rumble on the Rooftop event on June 28? -- Mike C. Foley: Same question as always: Why? There is no tangible benefit to a competition of that size for the athletes or the fans. The jiu-jitsu world has been doing some competitions, too, so maybe I'm in the minority, but I see absolutely zero reason to start now. What is the plan if there is an infection? What if a competitor spreads it to someone, who then unknowingly infects someone with a health condition? What if someone dies? The "don't be a pansy" crowd can yell all they want about a return to normal life and masks being for the weak, but I'll remind you that more than 115,000 Americans have died since March and 1000 die EACH DAY. I love wrestling and have spent my life circling the globe to write stories and produce videos for our audience. Like many of you, I feel the deepest of connections. But there is nothing more important to me than the health of my family and community and I can't find a way to justify these types of events that seem to have little oversight and even less at stake. The time will come for a return to mats, but right now -- without contact tracing, testing, and other precautions there is not enough evidence that this will be a safe event. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Powerful story King Vlad Max Rohskopf (Photo/NC State Athletics) Q: Former NC State wrestler Max Rohskopf is making his UFC debut this weekend. What kind of future do you think he has in MMA? -- Mike C. Foley: Rohskopf has shown a lot of promise in his first several fights. Like a number of wrestlers, he seems to have heeded the warning about the necessity of standup game, but unlike other wrestlers he also seems to have focused a lot on his jiu-jitsu. The ability to avoid submissions, while also hunting for your own makes any fighter -- especially a Division I wrestler -- extremely dangerous on the mats.

Now fully half the states in the nation now have officially sanctioned girls wrestling, thanks to South Dakota. Last week, the Board of Directors of the SDHSAA (South Dakota High School Activities Association voted to approve a girls' wrestling division within the state for the 2020-21 school year. SDHSAA Executive Director Dr. Daniel Swartos was pleased with the board decision, which had been discussed by staff and the SDHSAA Wrestling Advisory Committee for two years, stating "I am very proud of our member schools for embracing this concept, and I am excited to provide this opportunity to student-athletes in South Dakota." Effective in 2020-21, the Girls Wrestling division within the state of South Dakota will begin with one classification and four weight classes, divided up evenly based upon certification weights of the competitors. The top 8 participants in each weight class, determined by TrackWrestling criteria, will qualify for the State Wrestling Tournament, with the Girls Division occurring alongside the boys division at the same event. Expansion of weight classes for the future will be determined by participation numbers. Wrestling may be referred to as "the oldest and greatest sport"… but it can also be in the running as "fastest-growing sport too." According to SDHSAA Assistant Executive Director Dr. John Krogstrand, "In every other state that has implemented Girls Wrestling, they've seen tremendous growth in participation numbers over the first several years. We anticipate the same in South Dakota and will adjust weight classes according to growth as we move into future years." The Girls Division had been building momentum in recent years, with around 40 girls competing this past season and athletic directors favoring the proposal by a 91-10 vote at their annual meeting. A full agenda and list of items from the June 11, 2020 Board of Directors meeting can be found of the SDHSAA website, www.sdhsaa.com. "We are just excited for it and really looking forward to seeing it happen," South Dakota High School Activities Association Assistant Executive Director John Krogstrand said. "I think a lot of our coaches and certainly the girls themselves are very excited for the opportunity as well." Girls' wrestling has been enjoying tremendous growth in recent years throughout the U.S. As recently as 2018, only a half-dozen states throughout the nation had sanctioned girls wrestling programs. (Those first six states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington State.) Now South Dakota finds itself in the part of the upper Midwest where girls wrestling has taken root quickly.