InterMat Staff

Kollin Moore gets his hand raised after winning a Big Ten title (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Kollin Moore is one of five male finalists for Ohio State's prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor. The Big Ten Conference's most exclusive award was the first of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The Big Ten Medal of Honor was first awarded in 1915 to one student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." Big Ten schools currently feature almost 9,500 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis. In the 100-plus years of the Medal of Honor, almost 1,400 student-athletes have earned this distinction. Moore, a native of Burbank, Ohio, finished as the Dan Hodge Trophy runner-up in his final season after sitting atop the 197-pound national rankings from start to finish. He garnered a 27-0 season record and was the NCAA Championships top seed. Moore ranks eighth in Ohio State history with a .909 career winning percentage (110-11). He is a three-time Big Ten champion and reached the NCAA finals in 2019. In the classroom, Moore earned a bachelor's degree in business operations management and is closing in on completion of a kinesiology master's degree during his five years as a Buckeye. He picked up Academic All-Big Ten and Ohio State Scholar-Athlete honors as well.

Liam Cronin celebrates after a victory (Photo/Indiana Athletics) LINCOLN -- The Nebraska wrestling team added a highly-touted transfer on May 16 when Head Coach Mark Manning announced that Liam Cronin will join the Huskers as a graduate transfer for the 2020-21 season. Cronin, a 125-pounder, comes to Nebraska after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Indiana. Cronin has 41 collegiate victories to his credit, including 17 during the 2019-20 campaign on his way to a fifth-place finish at the 2020 Big Ten Championships. Cronin's performance earned him an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships, but he never had the chance to take the mat as the championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cronin went 9-3 overall against dual competition as a junior, with a 6-3 mark in Big Ten dual matches, including ranked victories over then-No. 5 Devin Schroder (Purdue) and then-No. 15 Nico Aguilar (Rutgers). The Orange, Calif., native compiled a 17-13 overall record as a sophomore in 2018-19 with two pins, four technical falls and two major decisions. This came after a redshirt season in 2017-18 which saw Cronin win seven of his final eight bouts and earn a first-place finish at the Purple Raider Open at the University of Mount Union (Ohio). As a true freshman, Cronin made five appearances in the starting dual meet lineup in addition to seeing action at several open tournaments. Cronin has also enjoyed considerable success outside of collegiate competition. He was a U23 World Team Trials champion in 2019 (Greco-Roman), placed third at the 2018 U23 Nationals (Greco-Roman) and finished runner-up at the United World Wrestling Junior Nationals in 2017 (Freestyle). Prior to enrolling at Indiana, Cronin wrestled four seasons under head coach Alan Clinton at Servite High School, where he set Servite records for single-season takedowns, career takedowns, bonus point wins, and winning percentage. Cronin helped his team win four CIF team state championships during his prep years. He became the first high school state finalist from Servite (a feat he accomplished in both 2015 and 2016) and was named the 2015 Wrestler of the Year by the Orange County Register. Cronin is a seven-time Junior Fargo All-American, split between Freestyle and Greco-Roman, won gold at the FILA Junior Greco World Cup and was named to the National High School Coaches Association All-America team in 2016.

Kevin Randleman, Ohio State wrestling great who went on to be one of the greats as a professional mixed martial arts fighter, was announced for induction into the Pioneer Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame Saturday night. The announcement was made during UFC Fight Night 176 to honor Randleman into the Pioneer Wing which honors the original innovators of MMA. Kevin Randleman"Kevin Randleman was one of the first real athletes in the early days of UFC," UFC President Dana White said Saturday. "He was a two-time NCAA Division I National Champion and All-American wrestler at The Ohio State University. He was the fifth heavyweight champion in UFC history and one of the first athletes to successfully compete at both heavyweight and light heavyweight. He was a pioneer of the sport and it's an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2020." The 2020 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place later this year and will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS. Sadly, Randleman will not be able to participate at the event, as he passed away suddenly in February 2014 at age 44 due to complications from pneumonia. Randleman is survived by his wife and four children. Born in August 1971 in Sandusky, Ohio on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo, Kevin Christopher Randleman was a strong, versatile athlete with a chiseled physique coupled with speed and flexibility that served him well in athletics. He was a two-sport athlete at Sandusky High School who was a four-year starter on the Blue Streak football team, and went 122-11 as a wrestler for Sandusky, culminating in an Ohio Division I state championship as a senior in 1989. Randleman then headed south to Ohio State, where he was a three-time Big Ten champ at 177 pounds and a three-time NCAA finalist, winning back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993, becoming the first two-time national wrestling champ in the long history of Buckeye wrestling. Randleman was welcomed into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. Randleman launched his MMA career in October 1996, just as UFC was becoming the dominant force in pro mixed martial arts. Between March 1999 and Jan. 2002, the wrestler-turned-MMA star nicknamed "the Monster" went 4-3 in the UFC. Randleman captured the heavyweight title by beating Pete Williams in a unanimous decision at UFC 23 then defending it with another unanimous decision victory against Pedro Rizzo at UFC 26. Randleman then dropped the title in a TKO loss to Randy Couture at UFC 28. Kevin Randleman was enshrined in the Ohio State Hall of Fame in 2004. Want to know more about what Kevin Randleman's teammates and head coach Tom Ryan thought of their UFC star? Check out this InterMat tribute immediately after his death.

Every NCAA wrestling championship is historic for its own reasons. The 1957 NCAAs held in Pittsburgh ranks as one of the all-time greats because of the significance of the stars who took to the mat in the finals. Dan Hodge concluded his Sooner career with a 45-0 record, and a pin (his 36th.) Iowa's Simon Roberts became the first African-American to win an NCAA mat title (at 147 pounds). Pitt's 123-pounder Ed Peery won his third title, joining his teammate/older brother Hugh and their dad/coach Rex as the only father-son-son trio to each have been a three-time NCAA champ. Tony StremicThe '57 NCAAs were also notable for featuring Tony Stremic of the U.S. Naval Academy, the No. 3 seed in the 191-pound bracket, taking on top-seeded Ron Schirf at the University of Pittsburgh in the title bout. It was a rematch of their 1957 EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) finals match of a couple weeks earlier which Schirf won, 5-3. At the Nationals, Schirf earned another victory over Stremic, this time by a split referees' decision in overtime (as ties beyond regulation were handled 60-plus years ago). Anthony William Stremic, a hero of the wrestling mat and football field in high school in Pennsylvania and at Annapolis in the 1950s, passed away in November 2019 at age 84. (Only recently was InterMat alerted to Stremic's passing a half-year ago.) Tony Stremic was born in Mt. Carmel, Pa. in April 1935, and was raised in Glenside, Pa. He attended Cheltenham High School in Elkins Park, Pa. and then Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pa. where he excelled in academics, and accomplished greatness on the gridiron and wrestling mat. (Among his accomplishments prior to entering the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954: All-Philadelphia in 1952 in football; District and Regional wrestling champion in 1951, 1952, and winner of two National Wrestling Championships in prep competition in 1953 and 1954.) Beyond wrestling, one of Stremic's greatest sports accomplishments was being named outstanding lineman at the 1957 Cotton Bowl, the New Year's Day football classic where Navy defeated Rice University. For this game performance, Stremic was also showcased in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" weekly personality feature, which described him as "block-built Navy wrestler and All-East football guard who starred in last Cotton Bowl game, was selected as winner of U.S. Naval Academy AA sword as best athlete among graduating midshipmen." After graduating from Annapolis in 1958, Stremic served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1958-1979 as an infantry officer and Research and Development officer and served in Vietnam with the 1st Marine Division. He also was selected to numerous All-Marine and All-Service football teams during the late 1950's and early 1960's. Mr. Stemic also attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1966. Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, Stremic was a program manager and professional services consultant in Weapons Systems Acquisition and Information Systems for several firms in the Northern Virginia area until full retirement in 2002. Stremic earned numerous military honors, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Gallantry Cross. Tony Stremic is survived by his wife (the former Nancy Ughes of Norristown, Pa.; brother, Peter of Bensalem, Pa.; daughter, Lynn Johnson (Chris Payne) of Gainesville, Va.; son David Stremic (Maria) of Round Hill, Va; son Mark Stremic (deceased) of Haymarket, VA; and two granddaughters, Kelly and Meghan Johnson. Graveside services with military honors were held for Anthony Stremic on Friday, November 29, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. at Quantico National Cemetery in Triangle, Va. The family had suggested that gifts be made in Mr. Stremic's name to the American Heart Association, Friends of Homeless Animals in Aldie, Va., or Wounded Warrior Project. Special thanks to James Arthur, a knowledgeable wrestling fan and Navy man who alerted this writer to Anthony Stermic's passing and provided much of the info in this tribute.

This past Saturday the UFC hosted its first event since the start of COVID-19 pandemic and came away with relatively high marks for its execution of the event and the priority placed on safety. Unlike their original schematics for Fight Island, the UFC's plans seemed to properly incentivize athletes to compete while also limiting the exposure risk to the staff. A fighter did test positive, and though his treatment was somewhat suspect the containment procedures in place for the event largely helped. On a personal note, I had a wonderful time watching the fights. Seeing Justin Gaethje rise to the occasion to put a drumming on Tony Ferguson and Henry Cejudo knock out professional excuse-maker Dominic Cruz were awesome wrestler-based storylines I appreciated. There was beer, wine, and cocktails as well as friendly wagering and screaming at the television. Overall, a much-needed escape from the stress of the COVID-19 world. As I watched I thought about the path wrestling will need to take in order to find this same level of acceptance in the AC (after-COVID) world. As part of my work I think a lot about the topic of the safe return to sports. Some found my early predictions on the shutting down of the NCAA tournament as alarmist, but then, as now, I'm having trouble finding a strong way forward given the current state of affairs in the United States. We have incredibly far to travel as a society before the myriad stakeholders in youth and collegiate athletics meet their risk tolerance. I'm not a public health expert, but to think that the UFC investment into Saturday's event could be expanded exponentially to accommodate thousands of college football players on hundreds of teams, nationwide, over the course of a five-month season just isn't feasible. The UFC needed the buy-in of 100 fighters, staff, and one state commission. The NCAA will need the buy-in of 100% of member schools, state governments, athletic departments, and the governing body itself. If by some miracle that happens the restrictions and raw number of tests would be well beyond what is affordable for most programs. Polls show only a small portion of the United States are demanding the country reopen, no matter the loss of life. Losing the elderly, or those with pre-existing conditions is more acceptable to them than the economic downtown. (It also assumes young people are immune, which of course isn't true.) The motivation for may comes from a frustration that not enough people have died in their community to warrant a nationwide shutdown, which is akin to thinking world hunger has ended because you just ate a sandwich. Really these carnival barkers are playing an active role in avoiding the very obvious, very deadly, and very taboo topic that America has failed. As a nation we are allowing people to die due to a massive void in effective leadership and planning. And because there is no plan (or hopes for one) that loud minority has landed on, "Give Me Liberty and Give Me Death." It needn't be this way -- for every problem there is a solution. The only real difficulty is believing we don't have, or can't find answers to the problems we face. As wrestlers we know how to navigate out of a tough spot. We've fought off our backs in matches and in the protection of our favorite programs. In 2013 we clawed our way back on to the Olympic program. But all those times we fought off certain defeat was because we didn't give up and we organized, or adapted, and showed humility in adapting to necessary changes. I know this pandemic has made us miss sports, but with people dying across the nation the sports cannot be our first concern, and we cannot accept that because a few people up top have walked away from the table that we all should follow. Just as there are sensible solutions and ways that localities can react in more or less stringent ways based on their levels of exposure (Wyoming and NYC shouldn't have the same plan), there is a way for wrestling to adapt in this space. There may even be opportunity for growth, for us to pick up on ideas that have long been laying around (criteria!). But in the short term we will be hamstrung by the fact that sports are a nationwide undertaking and there is yet to be a workable solution. Also … my parents are grandparents. I'm sure a lot of people who read this article are either grandparents themselves or still enjoy being around grandparents. They should never be sacrificed because someone else wants to eat a hot dog at Wrigley or fetch a beer at the Meadowlands. Yes, they are old(er), but they deserve the same type of respect, humanity and care that was given to the 20-or-so healthy cage fighters who competed last weekend. We owe at least owe it to them to not give up. To your questions … Q: As an avid wrestling traveler, what were the best tournaments you have been to as a spectator, journalist and competitor? Thinking of venues, logistics, amenities, crowds, and competition, broadly writ. Stay safe and keep the flame of wrestling enthusiasm burning hot until competition resumes! -- Nate S. The 2016 NCAA Division I Championships took place at Madison Square Garden in NYC (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Foley: The best event I have ever attended as a fan was the 2016 NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden. I live one stop away from the Garden (via the 2/3 express) which meant that my hotel and transportation costs were nearly zero. I wasn't working the event (for once!) and was able to drink adult cocktails while watching the action with my former teammates. I gambled on the outcomes, ate expensive luke-warm hot dogs and enjoyed the event at face value. Also, I think the event itself was one of the best I'd have attended as a journalist, had I been working. I've only attended a few events as a journalist, but when you add in those events where I worked in a media capacity it's a competitive list. The first event that comes to mind is the 2017 World Championships in Paris. The hotel was connected to the arena, the food was world class, the nightlife was one-of-a-kind and the structure of the event was without fault. There were strict rules in place (maybe too strict in some cases) about where you could travel as a member of the press, but in a weird way it was less stressful for most because the rules kept everyone's roles very simple. Also, the storybook ending of Kyle Snyder beating Abdulrashid Sadualev to win the team title was absolutely brilliant for fans of the sport. Also, Eric Olanowski arrived at the Charles de Gaulle Airport for the return flight home and realized that he'd forgotten to bring his luggage from the hotel, which gave me the perfect amount of schadenfreude satisfaction to cap off the weekend. I also think of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio because I was able to see firsthand just how perfect an operation can run with more resources. They had insanely tight rules but it forced a lot of creativity that otherwise may not have been unlocked by me and our media team. The 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan were also really well done, though I wasn't able to travel out of the arena as much as I liked since we were so busy with work. Oddly, the 2014 Cadet World Championships in Snina, Slovakia, was also one of my favorite events. They served sausages and cold beer in the parking lot before the finals, which made the evening session all the more pleasant. It's been a second since I've competed at a wrestling tournament, but I have fond memories of the 2004 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. Also, I think the space given to the athletes at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest was some of the best I've seen. Q: The California state schools announced they will keep their campuses closed for the fall semester. The California Community College wrestling season takes place in the fall (starts in August). Do you think that season will happen? -- Mike C. Foley: No. The NCAA stated clearly that unless students are in school there will be no college sports season this fall. The community college teams are not going to risk that exposure especially when the state will have guidelines that will make it impossible to hold a competition. Q: It seems pretty obvious the world will never be the same after this pandemic. What do you think the biggest change to wrestling will be when the sport does eventually return? -- Mike C. Foley: Post-vaccine? I think wrestlers will have to prove they have taken the vaccine or vaccines. It will be like a yellow card you would carry when traveling to certain nations to prove you have any number of vital vaccinations. I also think there might be requests for athletes to shower before practice and competitions. Also medical checks will include temperature checks as well as other biometrics. The temperature checks could be problematic, because when you sweat to cut weight it spikes your temperature. Assuming that does get implemented you'd see a massive drop off in weight cutting. Off the mat we will continue to see a reduction in the numbers of college programs as schools go online and close their campuses. There will be a decoupling of the non-revenue sports from the educational model, starting in college but moving its way into the high schools as the level of risk to the institutions increases. Gloomy outlook, but until there is more information on the vaccines and cures we owe it to ourselves to be prepared for what's coming. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Top 5 Active American Wrestlers Jazz and Wrestling Q: Mike Novogratz tweeted out that he would love to see a mini tournament with Kyle Dake, Zaurbek Sidakov, Jordan Burroughs and Frank Chamizo. Do you think a one-off PPV wrestling event like this could happen during these times if they took UFC-like measures where all the athletes were tested beforehand and held in front of no fans? -- Mike C. Foley: Absolutely could but would be tough to envision any two competitors who might meet in the coming Olympic year choosing to go through the process of self-isolation and limited training only to maybe lose the match and a possible mental edge on their opponent. I think that this is a great idea, but I think that logistics and how much training these athletes receive would be a huge factor in any decision to compete. I'm not aware of any, but does anyone in the comments know if any senior-level athletes in America are still training? My best guess is you could get Bajrang, Chamizo and a few top Americans to train at some location, go through testing and then have a small event with a PPV crowd. But again, it's essentially a large donation to those athletes since I'm assuming the testing, housing, and other protocols would eat away at any other gains seen in selling the event. Anthony Echemendia wrestling Joshua Saunders at Who's Number One (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Q: Anthony Echemendia is very good in freestyle. Have you seen much of him? What are realistic expectations for him in college? -- Mike C. Foley: I've only seen him compete a few times and that was only online. I'm not sure how he will translate to the college mats, but I'm guessing with that speed and determination he's a three-time All-American and NCAA champion.

Magomed Aliomarov (Photo/United World Wrestling) Magomed Aliomarov, a leader in the development of women's wrestling in Russia, died Wednesday, after a brief battle with COVID-19. He was 67. Born in the small village of Tlyarosh in Dagestan, Aliomarov launched his lifelong involvement in the sport of wrestling as a child. After concluding his active competitive career. Aliomarov worked as a club coach in Dagestan from 1978-1992 before taking an administrative role as vice-president of the Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation from 2008 to 2017. That nation saw great success during Aliomarov's tenure including a 2009 World Championship team title in women's wrestling. In 2011 Aliomarov became the head coach of Azerbaijan Women's Wrestling team, where he remained until 2015. In February 2019, the Russian Wrestling Federation hired Aliomarov to lead its women's program. The move created instant results with Russia earning the team title at the 2020 European Championships in Rome and runner-up honors at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan. The successes made Aliomarov and the Russian Wrestling Federation hopeful for the future of the women's program. Individuals within the international wrestling community weighed in with their thoughts on the contributions Aliomarov made to women's wrestling in Russia and beyond. "I have no words. He was such an energetic person who had so many plans. Our women's team followed him, and that lead to very good results," said Mikhail Mamiashvili, President of Russian Wrestling Federation. "Our deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of Magomed Aliomarovich and the entire wrestling community." Inna Trazhukova, who won a world title for the Russian team at Nur-Sultan last fall, said, "It's difficult to believe. His death is a great loss for our team. He believed in me before the 2019 World Championships and I got the best result in my whole sports career." "We had the great plans for Olympic Games and I'm very sad that they wouldn't come true." United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic also sent his condolences to the Russian Wrestling Federation and the families and friends of Aliomarov, saying, "We are very saddened by the news. The death of Aliomarov is a big loss for the sport and our community."

USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, has formed four committees to deal with specific issues facing the organization and the sport caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These committees include numerous experienced professionals in a variety of industries who have chosen to volunteer their time and expertise to assist USA Wrestling and the sport of wrestling as it navigates through these extraordinary times. "USA Wrestling is tremendously grateful and blessed that these talented leaders are willing to step up for wrestling at this time. All have a passion for the sport and a commitment to help guide our organization in its decision-making process. With this assistance, our sport will have the best possible direction to help us get through the current situation and emerge successfully, with a clear vision for the future," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. Each committee is currently led by a USA Wrestling Staff Liaison, who is responsible for organizing regular meetings and providing the information and support necessary to allow the committee to do its important work. The first committee created by USA Wrestling was its COVID-19 Advisory Committee, which is advising USA Wrestling on all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with special focus on the medical, scientific and government aspect of the situation. Experts on the committee include Dr. Tom Price, past U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; renowned mathematician and business leader Dr. Neil Chriss, past Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services John Bardis and Hall of Fame wrestling physician Dr. Bernard Feldman. USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner and Wrestle Like A Girl CEO Sally Roberts are also serving. World bronze medalist Mallory Velte is the athlete on this committee. This committee has been meeting and advising USA Wrestling since early March, with Executive Director Rich Bender as the staff liaison. Another active committee has been the Return to Practice and Competition Committee, which includes medical experts as well as wrestling event leaders. Dr. B.J. Anderson, team physician for Augsburg wrestling, as well as athletic trainers Tim Koberna of Hope University and Corey James of USA Wrestling, are lending the medical and scientific advice, along with successful wrestling event directors Randall Balch and Rob Cate. Tom Kuisle, a respected wrestling referee and also an event director, also serves with this committee. The athlete on the committee is 2018 World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt. The staff liaison is Events Director Pete Isais. The two other committees have begun their service to the sport and will begin formal meetings within the next week. Due to the potential challenges to college wrestling due to the pandemic, the Collegiate Wrestling COVID-19 Sustainability Planning Committee has been developed, a mix of college athletic administrators and coaches, plus USA Wrestling and sport industry leaders. Athletic Director Billy Walker of American University, Senior Associate Athletics Director Karen Langston of CSU-Bakersfield and Executive Director for Compliance Jason Leonard of the University of Oklahoma are top college administrators, along with North Carolina State head wrestling coach Pat Popolizio. USA Wrestling is represented by President Bruce Baumgartner (who is retired from Edinboro University where he was athletic director), Executive Director Rich Bender and National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick. Sports industry leaders include NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer, USOPC Director of Collegiate Partnerships Sarah Wilhelmi and UWW Senior Manager of Media Operations Tim Foley. Wrestling legend, past Iowa head coach and Olympic champion Dan Gable serves on the committee. Olympic and World champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder are the athletes who are serving. The staff liaison is High Performance Manager Cody Bickley. The Public Relations and Messaging Committee brings together numerous respected public relations professionals from a variety of industries, along with medical and athlete representation. The communications experts include Roger Frizzell, the Chief Communications Officer for Carnival Organization & PLC; retired USOPC Director of Media Services Bob Condron, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Operations Director Jack Carnefix; Professor of Strategic Communications Joe Favorito of Columbia University; Associate Director of Athletic Communications Chris Brewer of the University of Iowa; UWW Senior Manager of Media Relations Tim Foley; and National Wrestling Hall of Fame Operations Director Jack Carnefix. The medical expert is Dr. Michael Baria, Assistant Professor of The Ohio State University Sports Medicine Institute. Athletes include 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman and 2008 University World champion Katherine Shai. USA Wrestling staff leaders Communications Manager Taylor Miller, Director of Sales and Marketing Ryan Johnson and Communications Coordinator Mike Willis are on the committee. Director of Communications Gary Abbott is the staff liaison. Each of these committees will invite other participants when appropriate. Additional committees could be formed as needs are identified within USA Wrestling during the pandemic. These are separate committees from the USA Wrestling standing committees and councils, as well as the ad-hoc committees, which handle other specific USA Wrestling business. USA WRESTLING SPECIAL COMMITTEES As of May 13, 2020 COVID-19 ADVISORY COMMITTEE Bruce Baumgartner, USA Wrestling President, 2x Olympic champion, 3x World champion, John Bardis, past U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, longtime USA Wrestling leader who has had a successful career in the medical industry. Dr. Neil Chriss, renowned mathematician, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Hutchin Hill Capital, Executive Committee member for Math for America Dr. Bernard Feldman, UWW Medical Commission member and Hall of Fame wrestling physician Dr. Tom Price, a physician who is a past U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and past member of the U.S. Congress Sally Roberts, Founder and CEO, Wrestle Like A Girl, 2x World bronze medalist Mallory Velte, Athlete, 2018 World bronze medalist, member of USA Wrestling Board of Directors Staff Liaison - Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director Regular participants USA Wrestling staff directors COLLEGIATE WRESTLING COVID-19 SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE Bruce Baumgartner, USA Wrestling President, 2x Olympic champion, 3x World champion, Jordan Burroughs, Athlete, Olympic champion and 4x World champion, wrestled for Nebraska Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director Tim Foley, United World Wrestling Senior Manager of Media Operations, wrestled for Virginia Dan Gable, Hall of Fame Ambassador, Retired head coach at Univ. of Iowa, Olympic and World champion Karen Langston, Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs & Capital Projects, CSU Bakersfield Jason Leonard, Executive Director of Compliance, Univ of Oklahoma Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director Pat Popolizio, Head Coach for North Carolina State and NWCA President Kyle Snyder, Athlete, Olympic champion and 2x World champion, wrestled for Ohio State Billy Walker, Athletic Director at American Univ.; past Commissioner of Western Wrestling Conference Sarah Wilhelmi, USOPC Director of Collegiate Partnerships, past NCAA employee Bill Zadick, USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach, World champion, wrestled for Iowa Staff Liaison - Cody Bickley, USA Wrestling High Performance Manager PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MESSAGING COMMITTEE Dr. Michael Baria, Assistant professor of The Ohio State University Sports Medicine Institute, USA Wrestling volunteer physician, and college wrestler for Harvard Chris Brewer, Associate Director of Athletic Communications, University of Iowa; Press Chief of 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Jack Carnefix, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Operations Director, former Senior Manager of Public Relations for Professional Bull Riders, former Senior Vice President of Communications for ECHL Ellis Coleman, Athlete, 2012 Greco-Roman Olympian, active service in the U.S. Army Bob Condron, retired USOPC Director of Media Services and United World Wrestling Press Officer; co-Press Chief of 2015 World Wrestling Championships, IOC Press Commission for 10 years Joe Favorito - Respected communications executive with over 30 years of experience in variety of areas; author, professor of strategic communications at Columbia University, Roger Frizzell, Chief Communications Officer for Carnival Organization & PLC, previous communications executive for Pacific Gas & Electric and American Airlines, four-time All-American wrestler for Oklahoma Tim Foley, United World Wrestling Senior Manager of Media Operations Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling Communications Manager Ryan Johnson, USA Wrestling Director of Sales and Marketing Katherine Shai, Athlete, University World champion, Founder of Lucha Fit Mike Willis, USA Wrestling Communications Coordinator Staff Liaison - Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling Director of Communications and Special Projects RETURN TO PRACTICE AND COMPETITION COMMITTEE Dr. B.J. Anderson, Team Physician for Augsburg wrestling, past member of NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee Randall Balch, Event Director of USA Wrestling Women's Nationals, past state chairperson Texas USA Wrestling Rob Cate, Chairman of USA Wrestling Folkstyle Committee, Event Director of Open Wrestling Championships Sarah Hildebrandt, Athlete, 2018 World silver medalist, USOPTC resident athlete Tim Koberna, Athletic Trainer at Hope University Tom Kuisle, USWOA Board member at large, Event Director of numerous USA Wrestling competitions Corey James, USA Wrestling National Teams Athletic Trainer, previously Assistant Athletic Trainer at Duke University, internships with San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers, graduate assistant at Stanford Staff Liaison - Pete Isais, USA Wrestling Director of National Events Regular participants USA Wrestling Events and National Teams staff

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced the state winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA). The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. The award recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. Winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. "This is the 25th year that we have presented our Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award and we're excited to recognize another group of young men, who have excelled not only on the wrestling mat, but also in the classroom and in their communities," said Hall of Fame Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "I want to thank our selection committee for the thorough work they have done in determining this year's winners. We look forward to following these young men as they chart new goals for themselves on the mat and in their lives." DSHSEA regional winners will be announced on May 21 and the national winner will be announced on May 28. The state winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA) were announced on Tuesday. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. The TSHSEA regional winners will be announced on May 19 and the national winner will be announced on May 26. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. National winners of the DSHSEA award have combined to win 19 NCAA Division I individual titles led by four-time champion Logan Stieber (2010), three-time winner Zain Retherford (2013) and two-time winners Steven Mocco (2001), David Taylor (2009) and Teyon Ware (2002). The 2016 winner of the DSHSEA Mark Hall won an NCAA title as a freshman in 2017 while 2015 winner Zahid Valencia won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. 2020 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending Alabama - Dylan Pearson, Auburn High School, Auburn Alaska - Hayden Lieb, Bethel Regional High School, Bethel, University of Wyoming Arizona - Jesse Ybarra, Sunnyside High School, Tucson, University of Iowa Arkansas - Landon Valdez, Searcy High School, McRae California - Jesse Vasquez, Excelsior Charter High School, Corona, Arizona State University Colorado - Isaiah Salazar, Windsor High School, Greeley, University Of Minnesota Connecticut - Ryan Jack, Danbury High School, Danbury, North Carolina State University Delaware - Jackson Dean, Caesar Rodney High School, Hartly, University of Pennsylvania Florida - Bretli Reyna, South Dade Senior High School, Homestead, University of Iowa Georgia - Andrew Eller, Evans High School, Evans, Lander University Hawaii - Kysen Terukina, Kamehameha Schools - Kapalama, Ewa Beach Idaho - Sawyer Hobbs, South Fremont High School, Saint Anthony, Utah Valley University Illinois - David Ferrante, Huntley High School, Huntley, Northwestern University Indiana - Silas Allred, Shenandoah High School, Anderson, University of Nebraska Iowa - Cael Happel, Lisbon High School, Lisbon, University of Northern Iowa Kansas - Cade Lautt, Saint James Academy, Olathe, University of North Carolina Kentucky - Thomas Deck, Madison Central High School, Richmond, United States Military Academy Louisiana - Alexander Yokubaitis, St. Louis Catholic High School, Lake Charles, Oklahoma State University Maine - Sam Martel, Noble High School, Lebanon Maryland - Dominic Solis, McDonogh School, Odenton, University of Maryland Massachusetts - Hunter Adrian, Melrose High School, Melrose, Brown University Michigan - Austin Boone, Lowell Senior High School, Ada, Penn State University Minnesota - Patrick Kennedy, Kasson-Mantorville High School, West Concord, University of Iowa Missouri - Rocky Elam, Staley High School, Kansas City, University of Missouri Montana - Leif Schroeder, Bozeman High School, Bozeman, University of Iowa Nebraska - Maxx Mayfield, Lincoln East High School, Lincoln, Northwestern University Nevada - Tommy McCormick, Churchill County High School, Fallon, University of Idaho (football) New Hampshire - Beau Dillon, Salem High School, Derry, Edinboro University New Jersey - Anthony Clark, Delbarton School, East Hanover, Princeton University New Mexico - Andrew Trujillo, Robertson High School, Las Vegas, New Mexico Highlands University New York - Greg Diakomihalis, Hilton High School, Rochester, Cornell University North Carolina - Kobe Early, Cary High School, Cary, Appalachian State University North Dakota - Garrett Jangula, Napoleon Public School, Napoleon Ohio - Mick Burnett, Elyria High School, Elyria, University of Pittsburgh Oklahoma - Konner Doucet, Comanche High School, Comanche, Oklahoma State University Oregon - Santos Cantu III, Crescent Valley High School, Salem, Indiana University Pennsylvania - Ed Scott, DuBois Area High School, DuBois, North Carolina State Rhode Island - Mason Clarke, Coventry High School, Coventry, Columbia University South Carolina - Walker Stephenson, Hillcrest High School, Simpsonville, United States Military Academy South Dakota - Nash Hutmacher, Chamberlain High School, Oacoma, Nebraska (football) Tennessee - Noah Horst, Baylor School, Gallatin, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Texas - Parker Decker, Keller High School, Keller, Duke University Utah - Stockton O'Brien, Wasatch High School, Kamas, Utah Valley University Vermont - Sam Wilkins, Mount Anthony Union High School, Bennington, Castleton University Virginia - Samuel Fisher, Fauquier High School, Jeffersonton, Virginia Tech University Washington - Haiden Drury, Toppenish High School, Toppenish, Fresno State University West Virginia - Braxton Amos, Parkersburg South High School, Mineral Wells, University of Wisconsin Wisconsin - Keegan O'Toole, Arrowhead High School, Hartland, University of Missouri Wyoming - Jace Palmer, Kelly Walsh High School, Casper All-Time National Winners of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award 2019 - Cohlton Schultz, Ponderosa High School, Parker, Colorado (Greco-Roman Cadet World Champion) 2018 - David Carr, Perry High School, Massillon, Ohio (Junior World Champion) 2017 - Daton Fix, Charles Page High School, Sand Springs, Oklahoma (Junior World Champion) 2016 - Mark Hall II, Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley, Minnesota (NCAA Champion and 2X Junior World Champion) 2015 - Zahid Valencia, St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower, California (2X NCAA Champion and Junior World Silver Medalist) 2014 - Chance Marsteller, Kennard-Dale High School, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania 2013 - Zain Retherford, Benton Area High School, Benton, Pennsylvania (3X NCAA Champion) 2012 - Taylor Massa, St. Johns High School, St. Johns, Michigan 2011 - Morgan McIntosh, Calvary Chapel High School, Santa Ana, California 2010 - Logan Stieber, Monroeville High School, Monroeville, Ohio (World Champion and 4X NCAA Champion) 2009 - David Taylor, Graham High School, St. Paris, Ohio (World Champion and 2X NCAA Champion) 2008 - Jason Chamberlain, Springville High School, Springville, Utah 2007 - Zachary Sanders, Wabasha-Kellogg High School, Wabasha, Minnesota 2006 - David Craig, Brandon High School, Brandon, Florida 2005 - Troy Nickerson, Chenango Forks High School, Chenango Forks, New York (NCAA Champion) 2004 - Coleman Scott, Waynesburg High School, Waynesburg, Pennsylvania (NCAA Champion and Olympic bronze medalist) 2003 - C.P. Schlatter, St. Paul Graham High School, Urbana, Ohio 2002 - Teyon Ware, Edmond North High School, Edmond, Oklahoma (2X NCAA Champion) 2001 - Steven Mocco, Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey (2X NCAA Champion and Olympian) 2000 - Ben Connell, Lugoff-Elgin High School, Lugoff, South Carolina 1999 - Zach Roberson, Blue Valley North West High School, Overland Park, Kansas (NCAA Champion) 1998 - Garrett Lowney, Freedom High School, Appleton, Wisconsin (2X Olympian) and Justin Ruiz, Taylorsville High School, Salt Lake City, Utah (Olympian) 1997 - Jeff Knupp, Walsh Jesuit High School, Akron, Ohio 1996 - David Kjeldgaard, Lewis Central High School, Council Bluffs, Iowa National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Iran's Hassan Yazdanicharati after winning the world title in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The 2020 Olympics have been postponed and are certainly in danger of being canceled altogether. However, there were two qualifying events, the 2019 World Championships and the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier, before everything shut down. The following looks at the top performers from each event in terms of point differential, match points scored minus match points given up, across all three styles. Many of the top performers were able to qualify, but those with the best point differential performances may end up being favorites in the qualifying events that are still to come. Freestyle at 2019 World Championships Iran's Hassan Yazdanicharati, the 2019 champion at 86 kilograms, dominated the field at the World Championships. On his way to the title he put up a +3.68-point differential, which was more than twice as much as any other competitor in the tournament. The wrestler with the second-best differential was Geno Petriashvili (Georgia), who won the heavyweight bracket and finished with a +1.30 differential. Among wrestlers who were unable to qualify the weight for their country, Shaohua Yuan (China) had the best differential. He finished with a +1.08 differential despite falling against Haji Mohamad Ali (Bahrain) in a shootout match that ended via fall. Freestyle at 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier Alejandro Valdes (Cuba) won his first two matches by a combined 20-0 score in a little bit over a minute before taking a forfeit victory in the finals. That comes out to a +16.00-point differential, which was far away the highest of the event. American Nick Gwiazdowski who qualified the heavyweight division had the second highest differential at +7.41. Zain Retherford had the highest differential amongst non-qualifiers. He finished with a +4.72 differential despite being upset via fall in the semifinals against Agustin Destribats (Argentina). Retherford was the only non-qualifier with a differential above 1.00. Greco-Roman at 2019 World Championships Not only did Musa Evloev (Russia) take first place in the 97-kilogram division, he also finished with the highest point differential in the Greco field. He outpaced the field and his teammates with a +2.10 differential. Fellow Russians Sergey Emelin (+1.96) and Roman Vlasov (+1.72) rounded out the top three despite the fact that Vlasov did not place or qualify through the 77-kilogram bracket. Greco-Roman at 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier Yasmani Acosta (Chile), who qualified the 130-kilogram weight, narrowly edged out G'Angelo Hancock (USA), who qualified the 97-kilogram weight, for the highest point differential in the Greco tournament. Acosta finished with a +2.04 differential, while Hancock ended up with a +2.03 differential. Moises Perez (Venezuela) earned a bronze medal after falling against Eduard Soghomonyan (Brazil) in the semifinals and falling to qualify. Thanks to two VSU wins, he earned the highest point differential among non-qualifiers with a +1.22 differential. Women's wrestling at 2019 World Championships Pak Yong-mi (North Korea) somewhat surprisingly ran through the field in the 53division. Not only did she win five-straight matches to claim the gold medal, but she also put up a +2.59-point differential. Nigeria's Odunayo Adekuoroye was the only other wrestler to finish with a point differential above +2.00 as she earned a +2.16 differential on the way to a bronze medal in the 57-kilogram division. Among non-qualifiers, Nathaly Griman (Venezuela) finished with the best point differential at +1.39. She won her first match via a 10-0 score but dropped her second on criteria 6-6 against Mariana Cherdivara (Moldova) and failed to make the repechage. Women's wrestling at 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier The champion in the 68-kilogram division Danielle Lappage (Canada) finished with the best point differential. She won both her matches via 10-0 scores and finished with a +9.52 differential. American Sarah Hildebrandt, who qualified the 50-kilogram weight, had the second-highest differential at +4.72.

Jim Goodale, the father of Rutgers University wrestling coach Scott Goodale and Jackson Memorial girls basketball coach Rachel Goodale, died Monday morning having battled leukemia then went into cardiac arrest. He was 77 years old. Scott Goodale with father Jim GoodaleCoaching appeared to run in the veins of members of the Goodale family, starting with Jim Goodale, who had been a Little League and Pop Warner baseball coach as well as a wrestling coach. When he wasn't coaching youth baseball, Jim Goodale was umpiring baseball. Jim Goodale also became involved in wrestling, first at the recreation level and later as the Goetz Middle School head wrestling coach. Scott Goodale told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday morning about his father's passing, saying, "He's been sick for a while and I knew the end was coming. Friends have been reaching out telling stories and those have been great, but it's also been hard. "My dad was a good dude. He was an awesome dad." Funeral arrangements have yet to be made public.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced the state winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time world champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. The award recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service. For the third consecutive year, the Hall of Fame is recognizing a record number of state winners with 46, up from 35 winners in 2019 and 32 winners in 2018. Winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. "It brings us great joy to recognize these outstanding female wrestlers, who have excelled not only on the wrestling mat, but also in the classroom and in their communities. I want to thank our selection committee for the thorough work they have done in determining this year's winners," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the Hall of Fame. "The growth of girls wrestling is exciting and we're recognizing a record number of state winners this year. We look forward to following these young women as they chart new goals for themselves on the mat and in their lives." TSHSEA regional winners will be announced on May 19 and the national winner will be announced on May 26. State winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award will be announced on Thursday with the regional winners announced on May 21 and the national winner on May 28. Women's wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports and there are more than 27,000 female high school wrestlers competing across the nation. From 1998-2015 there were six states with a sanctioned girls state wrestling championship: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Since 2015, 16 additional states have created an official girls wrestling state championships, or have started the path leading to official sanction: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah. Georgia, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri and New Jersey held their first official state championship in 2018-19 while Arkansas, Kansas, Maryland and New Mexico held an official state championship for 2019-20. Colorado voted for a two-year pilot program for 2018-19 with an official state championship for 2020-21. Arizona voted girls wrestling as an emerging sport for 2018-19 and will host an official state championship in 2020-21. Connecticut held a girls wrestling invitational tournament in 2019-20. Sixteen states have held unofficial girls state championships, organized and run by coaches, state wrestling associations or officials associations. The 16 states with unofficial girls state championships are: Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. There are 81 intercollegiate women's wrestling teams. The NCAA has approved "Emerging Sport Status" for women's wrestling at the Division II and Division III levels, and women's wrestling supporters are hopeful that it will approve it for Division I this summer. The NAIA also recognizes women's wrestling as an emerging sport. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for its high school excellence awards from state chapters and coaches. The nominations are reviewed by a committee, which selects state and regional winners. The committee then determines the national winners from the regional winners. 2020 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award State Winners State - Name, High School, Hometown, College Attending Alabama - Shelby Fugate, Russell County High School, Fort Mitchell, Central Methodist University Alaska - Rayana Vigil, Homer High School, Fritz Creek, Southern Oregon University Arizona - Stefana Jelacic, Chandler High School, Fountain Hills, Lourdes University Arkansas - Riley Holman, Pulaski Academy College Preparatory School, Little Rock California - Francesca LoPresti, Albany High School, Richmond Colorado - Tristan Kelly, Springs Studio for Academic Excellence, Erie, Colorado Mesa Connecticut - Lilly Schwartz, Northwestern Regional School District No. 7, Salisbury Florida - Jessica Corredor, Dr. Phillips High School, Orlando, Missouri Baptist University Georgia - Tiyhana Askew, Collins Hill High School, Lawrenceville, Emmanuel College Hawaii - Nanea Estrella, Lahainaluna High School, Makawao, Menlo College Idaho - Payton Lanningham, Columbia High School, Nampa Illinois - Louisa Schwab, Joliet West High School, Plainfield, Menlo College Indiana - Larresha Bryant-Coleman, New Haven Jr./Sr. High School, Ft. Wayne Iowa - Tateum Park, Davenport North High School, Davenport Kansas - Elisa Robinson, Junction City High School, Junction City Kentucky - Savanna Bacon, Union County High School, Sturgis, University of the Cumberlands Louisiana - Anya Broussard, University View Academy, Baton Rouge, Wayne State University Maryland - Maggie Palmore, Northwest High School, Germantown Massachusetts - Marisol Nugent, Phillips Academy Andover, Boxford, Lehigh University Michigan - Rayana Sahagun, Sparta High School, Rockford, University of Jamestown Minnesota - Kya Rybacheck, Hibbing High School, Mountain Iron, Augsburg University Missouri - Autumn Flanigan, Troy Buchanan High School, Troy, Augsburg University Montana - Brooke Cicierski, Billings West High School, Billings, University of Providence Nebraska - Jerzie Menke, Bridgeport High School, Bridgeport Nevada - Tehani Soares, Shadow Ridge High School, Las Vegas, Indiana Tech New Hampshire - Shandria Waters, Keene High School, Surry, East Stroudsburg University New Jersey - Jewel Gonzalez, Phillipsburg High School, Phillipsburg, Gannon University New Mexico - Selvi Gallegos, Sandia High School, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City University New York - Mia Macaluso, Minisink Valley High School, Otisville, East Stroudsburg University North Carolina - Brooklyn Hermel, Havelock High School, Havelock, Oklahoma City University North Dakota - Sierra Ramberg, West Fargo High School, Fargo Ohio - Leilah Castro, New Lexington High School, New Lexington, Campbellsville University Oklahoma - Janene Perry, Stilwell High School, Welling Oregon - Olivia Robinson, Glencoe High School, Hillsboro, Eastern Oregon University Pennsylvania - Caitlyn Walker, Wyoming Seminary Prep School, Hatboro, Columbia University Rhode Island - Amber Aguilar, Central Falls High School, Central Falls South Carolina - Elisha Thaxton, West-Oak High School, Westminster South Dakota - Alisha Van Scoy, Stevens High School, Rapid City, University of Saint Mary Tennessee - Emma Walker, Rossview High School, Clarksville, Campbellsville University Texas - Camille Fournier, Weatherford High School, Weatherford, Texas Wesleyan University Utah - Kathleen Janis, Layton High School, Layton, King University Virginia - Elizabeth Dosado, Caroline High School, Ruther Glen, University of the Cumberlands Washington - Molly Williams, Redmond High School, Redmond West Virginia - Samantha Miller, Parkersburg South High School, Parkersburg, Presbyterian College Wisconsin - Marta Jasperson, Hudson Senior High School, Hudson Wyoming - Charmayne DeLong, Moorcroft High School, Weston, Indiana Tech University All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2019 - Emily Shilson, Mounds View High School, North Oaks, Minnesota 2018 - Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma, California 2017 - Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Henry Cejudo uses a front headlock against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 (Photo/Jasen Vinlove, USA Today Sports) Henry Cejudo doesn't need to say it, but he often does. He calls himself the best combat sport athlete of all-time. And it's hard to argue with him. His results and performances certainly back that up. No other Olympic gold medalist has won a title in the Ultimate Fighting Championships except Cejudo. And he has won UFC world titles in both the 125-pound and 135-pound divisions. Cejudo added another glowing achievement to his already impressive resume Saturday night when he scored a second-round stoppage over past champion Dominick Cruz to retain his UFC bantamweight title. And then in a surprising post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Cejudo announced he was retiring. Cejudo now owns wins over three outstanding UFC champions -- Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw and Cruz. He has a 16-2 record and has won his last six fights. Anybody who says Cejudo hasn't fought anybody good has no idea what they're talking about. Henry is a tremendous fighter. The guy looks to be at his peak as an MMA athlete at age 33. He's slick, strong and explosive. He's a dynamic athlete who is lightning-quick in attacking or countering an opponent. He can box and kick, and of course his wrestling ability is unmatched. Henry is superb technically in numerous facets of mixed martial arts. He's a supremely confident guy who is strong mentally and highly intelligent. He believes in his training and knows how to execute a game plan. And he has a strong work ethic he developed in wrestling. There was talk after Henry's retirement announcement Saturday night that he was frustrated he wasn't being paid more by the UFC. One of the reasons Henry retired from wrestling after the 2008 Olympics was the money. Or lack thereof. Wrestlers were being paid then, but barely enough to live on and nowhere near what they make now. Cejudo's bonuses for winning in Beijing were around $65,000. Four years later, Jordan Burroughs earned a $250,000 bonus for striking Olympic gold. It's not all about the money, but a fighter of Cejudo's caliber needs to be rewarded with a big payday. If Henry still wants to fight, the UFC needs to step up and pay him. He's definitely earned it. Maybe he comes back and moves up to 145 pounds and tries to win a UFC world title in a third different division. Cejudo is fighting at an extremely high level and it looks like he could excel in mixed martial arts for many years to come. But it's his life and his decision. And people should respect that. I'm not a huge fan of some of Henry's antics outside the ring. He definitely likes to stir the pot on social media and in interviews to create animosity with other people he is fighting. But numerous UFC athletes do that in one way or another. He takes on a certain persona and I think his behavior has turned off a number of fans, but I think they still want to watch him fight. The Henry Cejudo I worked closely with during my days at USA Wrestling, and have known since 2006, is a friendly, personable and genuinely good dude. He's someone I consider a friend and have a good relationship with. The guy you see on social media is different from the person I know. But I guess that's how the fight game is played. My advice to Henry would be to let his performances do the talking. That's what he did when he wrestled and he's still hugely popular with fans of that sport. If he does stay retired, he should be saluted as one of the best fighters in the sport before he takes his rightful place in the UFC Hall of Fame. Henry Cejudo is one of the best combat athletes of all-time. There is no disputing that. When he steps into the UFC Octagon, he's a gifted fighter who is something special to watch. And he hasn't forgotten where he has come from. He remains a huge supporter of wrestling and is still a great ambassador for the sport. Shortly after he said he was retiring from the UFC on Saturday, talk began on social media that maybe Henry would make a run at the Olympics in freestyle wrestling next year. Wouldn't that be something to see? He's obviously in peak physical condition and it's not unfathomable to think he could make a run at an Olympic spot. I certainly wouldn't count him out. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Last week ended with good news for a number of Ohio State student-athletes -- many of them former Buckeye wrestlers -- who had been victims of ongoing sexual abuse and assault at the hands of past university staff doctor Richard Strauss, who was employed by the Columbus-based school from 1978-1998, then took his own life in 2005. Richard StraussOn Friday, Ohio State announced details of a $40.9 million settlement reached with 162 survivors in 12 lawsuits related to sexual abuse by Dr. Strauss. Although the crimes occurred more than 30-40 years ago, initial public reporting of these incidents first took place in April 2018 when some victims shared their stories with major media outlets across the nation. On the heels of those initial victim reports, the university announced publicly an independent investigation of Strauss' abuse. After a year-long investigation by the independent law firm Perkins Coie, the university released a 180-page report in May 2019 that detailed acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students. The report concluded that university personnel at the time failed to adequately respond to or prevent Strauss' abuse. This past March, Ohio State revealed that it had reached initial monetary settlements with those victims who had been originally participants in a series of a dozen separate lawsuits which had been brought together, according to a statement issued by the Ohio State press office A special overseer independent of the university is expected to help allocate varying payments to the men based on their experiences and the harm done, aided by a three-person panel of experts evaluating claims. Amounts received by survivors will vary by individual as awarded by the special master. As part of the agreement, Ohio State will provide up to $500,000 to fund the costs of administering the fund; no taxpayer, tuition or restricted donor funds will be utilized, according to Friday's statement. What's more, under the agreement, all of the participating plaintiffs will dismiss their claims against the university. Ohio State also invited other victims of Dr. Strauss who had filed suit against the school to consider joining this latest settlement. Seeking a sense of closure with victims, Michael V. Drake, Ohio State president, said in a statement, "The university of decades ago failed these individuals -- our students, alumni and members of the Buckeye community. Nothing can undo the wrongs of the past, but we must do what we can today to work toward restorative justice." Rick Schulte, lead negotiator for the plaintiffs' firms, stated, "Working with Ohio State, we established an independent confidential process to evaluate each claim individually. The process will account for wide variations in abuse and provide a pathway for survivor healing. One hundred percent of 162 survivors in this settlement decided against further litigation and agreed to participate. The participation rate speaks to the quality of this settlement." Even after publicly revealing this settlement, Ohio State continues to encourage victims of Dr. Strauss' abuse to contact the university to learn more about settlement and treatment options. The school reiterated that it has covered the costs of professionally-certified counseling services and treatment. To connect with these services, or if individuals are at all uncertain about how to proceed and have questions, please contact Praesidium at 888-961-9273 or visit https://website.praesidiuminc.com/wp/osu/.

"Give me liberty ... and give me collegiate wrestling!" Patrick Henry Community College -- the school named for the Revolutionary War patriot who uttered a phrase like that more than 200 years ago -- has announced that it will be adding a men's intercollegiate wrestling program. The Virginia-based, two-year public college has also hired two coaches for the program, slated to begin this fall. Patrick Henry CC has named Justin Smith, the former head wrestling coach at Franklin County High School, has accepted the position as Head Coach of the program. Tim Nininger, the former head wrestling coach at Cave Spring High School, will be Smith's assistant. In the inaugural season, the coaches plan to build the program through local talent. Both Smith and Nininger have extensive wrestling backgrounds. Before coaching at Franklin County High School, Smith was a NCAA Division I wrestler at Liberty University. Prior to wrestling in college, Smith had a four-year letter-winning career at Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, Virginia. During his junior year in high school, Smith was a district champion and a state Judo champion at 130 pounds. During his senior year, he earned both honors again despite wrestling up at 145 pounds. Tim Nininger also experienced success as a competitor and a coach. He won the state title wrestling for Christiansburg High School in Roanoke. After high school, Nininger went to Clemson University where he earned All-American honors wrestling for the Tigers. After college, he became the Head Coach for Cave Spring High School where his team earned multiple state champions and All Americans. "Together Tim and I have over 20 years of coaching experience and over 40 total years of experience with the sport of wrestling," says Smith. "We have a proven track record of building strong wrestling programs and we are excited to be given the opportunity to do the same at Patrick Henry." The Patrick Henry Community College wrestling program plans to take to the mat in fall 2020, subject to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic situation at the time. Founded in 1962, Patrick Henry CC is located in southwestern Virginia. It has a total student enrollment of approximately 2,900. The new men's wrestling program will compete in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association).

Luke Broadwater Luke Broadwater '02, an Ithaca College wrestling alumnus, was surprised when he found out that the story he broke for the Baltimore Sun had earned the newspaper a Pulitzer Prize. His reporting led to a series of stories written last year in the Baltimore Sun exposing Baltimore's mayor, Catherine Pugh, as receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in deals for her "Healthy Holly" books, including a deal with the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), where she served as a board member. Pugh sponsored dozens of bills affecting hospitals in Maryland, including several that would have benefited UMMS. Broadwater was a member of Ithaca's varsity wrestling program during the late-90's and early-2000's. The Bombers finished in the Top-15 in the team standings at the NCAA Championships during his time with the program, which included a sixth-place finish during his final year in 2001-02. Ithaca also captured an ECWC Title during that final year. "To see everything that happened and everything that transpired based on these stories, and then to be recognized by the Pulitzer committee as doing some of the best journalism in the country, was very rewarding." Announced on May 4, the staff of the Baltimore Sun was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for "illuminating, impactful reporting on a lucrative, undisclosed financial relationship between the city's mayor and the public hospital system she helped to oversee." Broadwater first broke the story in March of 2019. He said he got a tip from someone who was having a hard time getting records about contracts from the hospital system, so he started investigating. "When I contacted the medical system they refused to give me any of their records and it felt like something was off and it tickled my 'Spidey sense,'" said Broadwater. "Then I saw the mayor was sitting on the board and she was making hundreds of thousands of dollars off of children's books, and I thought there's no way these books are as big as Harry Potter." The story quickly unraveled as Pugh was found to have additional deals with companies purchasing her self-published books. "Every time we thought we found someone she had a deal with, we'd find another one," said Broadwater. "I was surprised at the quickness of the impact. You didn't have to sit around to see your story make a difference, it immediately started making a difference." Less than two months after the story first broke, Pugh resigned as mayor of Baltimore. She later pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax evasion and conspiracy. Additionally, state legislation was passed barring no-bid contracts for board members and mandating an audit of contracting practices. Broadwater said this experience has been meaningful because it has shown the impact that state- and local-level journalism can have. "I like that in this job you can really make a difference," said Broadwater. Broadwater started at IC in the exploratory program, and then chose to major in writing with a concentration in journalistic essay (now feature writing). He also was on the wrestling team. "I loved Ithaca, it's a really cool place, and it's such an interesting town and campus," said Broadwater. "We were exposed to so many great professors in subjects ranging from fiction to persuasive argument," said Broadwater. He said he thinks the class he's used the most is grammar. "It's helped me so much every day, especially in my line of work. Just having that mastery of English grammar in a sophisticated way has been super useful." Former teammate Marc Israel '05, Assistant Provost, as well as head wrestling coach Marty Nichols '90 both had fond memories of from Broadwater's days with the program. "He was an awesome teammate and great supporter of the program," Israel recalled. "He was always ready and willing to help fulfill any role necessary to contribute to the team's success." "Luke was a spot-starter for us throughout his time at IC," Nichols said. "He was a great young man to coach. He was always looking for recruits for us and was someone we could count on whenever anything was needed. He has always followed and supported the Bomber program since the time he graduated." Broadwater said the most inspiring moment for him was when the college brought author and activist Barbara Ehrenreich to campus as a Distinguished Visiting Writer and she spoke about her exposé "Nickel and Dimed." "I thought, 'That's the type of writing and reporting I want to do.' Nearly two decades later, I'm proud to bring the Pulitzer Prize back to Ithaca College."

Ben Askren before his Beat the Streets match against Jordan Burroughs in 2019 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Wisconsin Regional Training Center is proud to announce that they are extending the contract of Ben Askren as the Regional Training Center Coach. Askren joined the RTC staff in 2018. Sean Smalley, Executive Director of the WRTC said, "It's a no brainer. Ben brings a wealth of knowledge, not only on the mat, but also on the fundraising effort for the Wisconsin RTC. He has been very instrumental in helping us grow the RTC throughout Wisconsin. Askren's wrestling and coaching credentials show his knowledge and ability to develop wrestlers of all ages. "The RTC is so instrumental for those who have aspirations of reaching their goals. It's my goal to see individuals from Wisconsin improve and reach their goal of winning National Titles, World Titles and Olympic Gold" said Askren. ​Over the past two years, the Wisconsin Regional Training Center has seen participation numbers grow. Chris Bono said, "With Ben at the helm, we've seen our numbers at practices go from 5 to over 50. We've also seen our senior level athletes make successful strides this past year as they work towards qualifying for the Olympic team." ​During Askren's short tenure as the head coach of the WRTC, we've seen three (two males, one female) wrestlers qualify for the Olympic Trials. "This is just the beginning and I'm extremely excited to see what Ben can do in the future and can't wait to see all the Gold medals we can bring back to Wisconsin" said Smalley.

Pat Galbincea, wrestling writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper who earned numerous honors over his 45-year career, died Friday afternoon at his home in Rocky River, Ohio just outside Cleveland from a stroke. He was 72. Pat GalbinceaGalbincea started covering wrestling for the Plain Dealer (as well as non-sports assignments) in 1969, retiring from the northeast Ohio paper in 2013 (though he came out of retirement to write a tribute for iconic Maple Heights high school wrestling coach Mike Milkovich in 2018). Over the course of his career, Galbincea received a number of honors, In 2017, he was inducted into the Ohio chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Honor for his work in covering the sport of wrestling. He was to be inducted into the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame back in March, but the ceremony was postponed because of the current coronavirus pandemic. In addition, Galbincea won the respect -- and two national writing honors -- from his fellow wrestling journalists. He received the Bob Dellinger award, presented by Amateur Wrestling News magazine to its choice of amateur wrestling writer of the year, as well as the Writer of the Year Award from the National Media Wrestling Association. "His name is synonymous with the golden era of Cleveland wrestling," said Bob Preusse, the high school editor of Amateur Wrestling News, a national publication. "He was really something. He got his referee's license, but not to referee. He did it to help him better understand the sport, to be a better reporter. That's who he was." Fred Feeney -- a retired wrestling referee in Ohio -- weighed with sentiments that tie into Preusse's comments. "He was an easy guy to talk to and he always respected the job we referees had to do," Feeney told InterMat. "He and I sat one time after a St. Ed's dual and he always was in awe of how a ref could make those tough calls that he later would write about, but he never blamed a ref. For doing his job." Galbincea came into wrestling writing in a somewhat surprising, almost accidental-yet-in-a-meant-to-be way, according to an interview he did with Pruesse for Amateur Wrestling News a decade ago. He was a student-athlete at Cleveland John Marshall High School ... not as a wrestler, but as a basketball player. One season, he had an appendicitis attack and could not play. Galbincea approached the teacher who was the advisor to the school paper, seeking to cover the basketball team. The teacher said the job was taken. But the paper needed a wrestling writer. When Galbincea pled ignorance about that sport, the teacher encouraged him to talk to the school's legendary wrestling coach, Gene Gibbons. The two formed a lasting bond ... and Galbincea launched a nearly half-century career of honors and respect that extended well beyond northeast Ohio. "He was an icon," said Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs. "He set such a high standard for others to follow. Losing Pat Galbincea is a big loss to my sport and to life in general. He made such a difference to people." Greg Urbas, long-time wrestling coach at nationally ranked prep powerhouse St. Edward High in suburban Lakewood, echoed those statements, describing Galbincea as being highly regarded as a reporter and as a person. "He loved doing stories about kids who overcame adversity," Urbas said. "He loved the sport, knew the sport, enjoyed the sport and promoted the sport all over Northeast Ohio. He worked really hard. He would call at any time to get a story." Pat Galbincea's wife of more than thirty years, Barbara -- who had worked as an editor at the Plain Dealer with her husband -- shared a story with the newspaper the couple called home for decades that illustrates her late husband's impact on those involved in wrestling, and those who loved the sport. "We would be out somewhere, and people would walk up to us and say, 'Hi, Mr. Galbincea.' And nine times out of 10, Pat would know who they were, that they were state champs or talk about the moves they were known for. He really loved it." "He was really honest and kind," Barbara Galbincea told the Plain Dealer. "I got an email from someone yesterday who said, 'Pat was a quality man.' That summed him up. He really enjoyed the chance to feature these young men in the sport that they loved. In addition to Barbara, Pat Galbincea also leaves behind their daughter, Kristin Watkins, who lives north of Columbus. Funeral services for Galbincea will be private; however, the family intends to have a memorial service open to the public at a later date. Two giants in wrestling journalism depart in one week Last week was an especially tough one for the amateur wrestling community, with the deaths of two legendary, highly respected and much-honored journalists who covered the sport with knowledge, skill and passion. And they got to do it in places traditionally referred to as "wrestling hotbeds" where the quality of the coaching and competition are at their best ... and the fan base truly appreciates that level of reporting. As reported above, Pat Galbincea passed away Friday, May 8, after an incredible career writing for the major daily newspaper in northeast Ohio, a part of the nation where wrestling -- especially at the high school level -- is an obsession. Earlier that week -- Monday, May 4 -- yet another iconic wrestling writer, Dan McCool. died at age 60. He was a major figure at high school and college wrestling events in his native Iowa, a state that immediately comes to mind for wrestling fans across the nation for truly iconic names in the sport going back decades, all the way back to Frank Gotch and Farmer Burns of the early 1900s, and including other legends such as Dan Gable, Bill Koll, Terry McCann, Harold Nichols and championship programs at Cornell College, Iowa State Teachers College (University of Northern Iowa), Iowa State and University of Iowa, to name just a few. InterMat featured a detailed, heartfelt tribute to Dan McCool, penned by Craig Sesker, another highly-respected wrestling writer who with deep Iowa roots. Here's the opening to Sesker's tribute: "He was one of a kind. "And the sport of wrestling was lucky to have him. "In 30-plus years of covering wrestling, I've never met a journalist more passionate about his craft than Dan McCool. "It was a sad day in the wrestling world on Monday afternoon when the news broke that McCool had passed away. He was 60 years old. "Dan made his mark during the many years he covered wrestling for the Des Moines Register. In a state that loves wrestling, he was the perfect fit." A number of other sportswriters within the state of Iowa also paid tribute to McCool in the days after his passing. For starters, the Fort Dodge Messenger provided something of a more traditional obituary to honor McCool's memory and share his life story with the wrestling community. Born in Clarion, Iowa in August 1959, Dan McCool's prolific sports journalism career was focused on the upper Midwest. He launched his journalism career as a reporter/photographer in North Dakota, then moved on to Knoxville, Iowa, and eventually to the Cedar Falls Record. Following that, he was able to truly make a name for himself during his 30 years as a reporter for the Des Moines Register, where he covered wrestling at the high school, college and international level. He also reported on baseball, football and boxing, among other sports. McCool also wrote books that explored the rich history of the oldest and greatest sport in the state of Iowa. Those books were the focus of Justin Rust's column in the Sioux City Journal. "It was back in November when I came into the office and had a package at my desk. With the way the package felt and the size of it, I knew it had to be one thing - a book. "I was right. When I opened the package I pulled A History of Wrestling in Iowa: Growing Gold. I didn't need to even look at who the author was, I knew it immediately. It had to be written by Dan McCool. "A glance at the bottom left corner proved what I already knew, McCool had written another book about wrestling in Iowa, ranging from the high school level to the collegiate. "My face lit up. McCool was the premier Iowa wrestling historian. As K.J. Pilcher, the wrestling reporter for the Cedar Rapids Gazette, put it on Twitter, McCool forgot more about wrestling in the state of Iowa than any of us will ever know. I was excited to sit down and read the book and hopefully give McCool a call up to talk about the book at some point. "However, I took too much time getting to that task this winter. It wasn't until this past month that I was able to get a couple of chapters in, meaning I missed my time to talk to McCool about the book. "On Monday, McCool died at the age of 60 due to heart complications. On Monday, Iowa lost one of the greatest wrestling historians in the state's history." McCool was survived by his wife Diane; four brothers ... a number of books ... and an incredible reputation within the wrestling world. A memorial service was held late last week in Dan McCool's honor. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa or to the family for a scholarship fund to be established in his honor.

Former wrestlers Justin Gaethje, Henry Cejudo and Carla Esparza were victorious at UFC 249 For better or worse, with the COVID-19 pandemic still very much in play, the Ultimate Fighting Championship resumed its business of putting on fights, with UFC 249 taking place this past Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. And while we will leave the debate as to whether or not this was a good thing for another time, the UFC did offer up a fantastic card that featured its fair share of high-level amateur wrestlers. So what did UFC 249 tell us about these former stars of the mat? Justin Gaethje What we learned: One of the most entertaining fighters ever, Gaethje is still improving. He has always had an absolute ton of offensive firepower, durability, and a certain blood-and-guts style that fans love, but now the interim lightweight champion has added tact, strategy, and efficiency to his repertoire. That should scare his contemporaries. Oh and by the way, his boxing is looking cleaner than ever. Still, the former two-time Arizona high school state champions (four-time finalist), 2004 Fargo Greco-Roman All-American, NCAA Division I All-American wrestler refuses to actually wrestle, but with that kind of diverse striking attack and his wrestling always in his back pocket, "The Highlight" is going to be tough to beat. Tony Ferguson What we learned: The man they call "El Cucuy" is hard as nails. Perhaps too tough for his own good. He absorbed a whole lot of punishment in this fight, and while his toughness, grit, resolve, and durability were staggering, a fighter can't take too many beatings like this without their career suffering significantly. Ferguson was a Michigan high school state champ wrestler who spent two years at Central Michigan University and then two years on the club team at Grand Valley State where he won the NCWA national title in 2006 at 165 pounds. It is universally accepted that wrestling at a high level instills an uncanny level of toughness in an athlete. This certainly seems to be the case with Ferguson. He showed up on Saturday night, and he did his thing early on, but aside from the fact that he was facing a revamped, revitalized, peaking Justin Gaethje, it is possible there were other factors working against him. Maybe, training non-stop since November 2019 for an elusive mega-fight against champ Khabib Nurmagomedov has burned him out some. Most likely Ferguson will continue on as one of the best 155-pounders in the world, but time will tell if this fight took something out of him for good. Henry Cejudo What we learned: Henry Cejudo has no business retiring from MMA at this time. The self-proclaimed (and likely correct) greatest combat athlete of all time, Cejudo is presently firing on all cylinders and looking phenomenal. We also learned that 135 pounds is probably the ideal weight class for the two-division champ. His speed carries over spectacularly and his explosiveness is on another level. Having grown up in the USA Wrestling system that has produced so many of the world's greatest athletes, Cejudo is on another level than most of his UFC piers. With his strength, power, conditioning, clean technique, pacing, peaking, making weight/rehydrating, Cejudo performs exactly like a guy who was molded in such an established athletic system like the one in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center. The 2008 Olympic champion with a wrestling resume too extensive to list, Cejudo can box, wrestle, scramble, kick like a mule. He's also in great shape and likely still improving. Cejudo defeated a very much on his game Dominic Cruz, something only two other men have done, and he made it look relatively easy. We can hope that Cejudo's retirement is just a ploy to get a better contract from the UFC, and I think that is likely, but history has shown he is a guy who loses interest. We will see which ends up being the case. Carla Esparza What we learned: The first-ever UFC women's strawweight champion, Esparza is not done. The wrestling powerhouse who competed successfully under legendary wrestler Lee Allen at Menlo College in California, Esparza has had a bit of an up-and-down UFC career thus far. When Esparza won the Ultimate Fighter reality show and subsequently destroyed future champ Rose Namajunas to win the title, big things were expected from the California native. Unfortunately, her next fight saw her lose in spectacular fashion to women's MMA legend Joanna Jędrzejczyk, and since then she has struggled to climb back to the top. Fortunately, Esparza still has some tricks up her sleeve. The former champ just defeated her third straight opponent at UFC 249 in the always dangerous, highly ranked Michelle Waterson. It was a tough, close fight that saw Esparza push through and finish strong. Another win should have her closing in on a title eliminator and maybe, just maybe, another shot at gold.

UFC 249 was definitely one for the history books. Saturday night's first major mixed martial arts event in months -- and the first pro sports event in this era of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic -- could also claim a couple other firsts. For starters, there were no fans in the stands at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonsville, Florida … and one contestant was forced to withdraw after being diagnosed with the virus. Not to mention that the event had been rescheduled and relocated more than once in the past month or so to find a possible site which could host a major sports event in an era of social distancing, new safety regulations and other issues brought about by the virus. On a brighter note, three UFC fighters who were once amateur wrestlers came out on top at UFC 249: In the main event -- a five-round battle of former collegiate mat stars at 155 pounds -- Justin Gaethje def. Tony Ferguson via fifth-round TKO (punches) Henry Cejudo (c) def. Dominick Cruz via second-round TKO (punches) Carla Esparza def. Michelle Waterson via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28) Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje A bout billed as one involving "two of the most exciting fighters in UFC history" -- both with amateur wrestling credentials -- did not disappoint, with Gaethje -- a two-time Arizona state high school champ and an NCAA All-American at University of Northern Colorado -- coming out the winner with a TKO finish at 3 minutes, 39 seconds of the final round in the fifth-main event of UFC 249 over Ferguson, who was a Michigan high school state champ, then stepped up to wrestle at Central Michigan University, then won a 2006 National Collegiate Wrestling Association title for Grand Valley State in 2006. With the win, Gaethje left Jacksonville with the UFC interim lightweight belt. "UFC was hoping to be an entertaining respite for those starved for live sports during the global coronavirus pandemic. Consider that a mission accomplished, courtesy of Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson," according to ESPN.com. The battle was action-packed; both fighters hit a combined 279 significant strikes, the most ever for a UFC fight where there were no strikes on the ground or in a clinch were attempted. Another indicator of the intensity of the action: Gaethje and Ferguson each won $50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses, while Gaethje won another $50,000 bonus for Performance of the Night. Then, in the fifth and final round, Gaethje landed a hard left hand in the fifth that wobbled Ferguson, and referee Herb Dean stepped in to wave it off. "I told my coaches, 'You're not gonna like it, but I'm ready to die tonight,'" Gaethje said in the cage afterward with Joe Rogan. "That's the mentality you have to come in there with." UFC President Dana White said he thought it was the right call to stop the fight. "I actually thought the fight should have been stopped sooner," White said. "Tony took a lot of damage tonight. Not only did he take a lot of damage, it was from a guy who hits like a f---ing truck, a guy who punches very hard and usually knocks people unconscious when he hits them with those shots." With the call, Gaethje scored the interim lightweight title, and now owns a 22-2 overall record -- and 5-2 in the UFC, while Ferguson ends a 12-bout win streak going back eight years, with an overall record of 25-4, and is now 15-2 in UFC competition. According to UFC's White, the next lightweight title match to make is Gaethje vs. Nurmagomedov. Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz Henry Cejudo, a Cinderella story in freestyle wrestling for winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics ... then adding to that golden reputation with his performance in his last mixed martial arts bout, as he has now announced his plans to retire from pro MMA. Henry CejudoIn an exchange in the second round of the Cejudo vs. Cruz fight, the two fighters collide heads. "Immediately, Cejudo is sliced open," according to MMAJunkie.com. "The doctor examines, but the cut appears to be small and on the hairline. There is a lot of blood. The doctor gives her OK and the action resumes. Moments later, Cejudo drops Cruz with a hard counter knee. Cejudo pounces and lands a series of hard follow up shots. Cruz is face down, trying to get up, but he's getting whacked. Referee Keith Peterson dives in. That's it. Cruz protests the stoppage, but there were a lot of unanswered shots. Regardless, that's the fight. Cejudo retains." The final result: Cejudo scores a win over Dominick Cruz via TKO (strikes) at 4:58 in Round 2 of their UFC 249 bout to retain his UFC bantamweight (135-pound) title. Then, immediately after the match, Cejudo announced his plans to retire. Cejudo concluded his pro MMA career with an overall record of 16-2 in MMA, and a 10-2 mark in UFC). Dominick Cruz left the Octagon in Jacksonville with an overall MMA record of 22-3, and 5-2 in UFC events. Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson In a 115.5-pound strawweight match-up, Carla Esparza -- who wrestled at Redondo Union High School in California, then continued at Menlo College in the Golden State -- came out the winner in a three-round preliminary bout at UFC 249, defeating Michelle Waterson 27-30, 29-28 and 30-27 on the judges' scorecards, thus earning a split-decision. Here's how MMAJunkie.com reported on the bout: "In the first round, both fighters were tentative to engage. The shots weren't thrown often, but both still had their respective moments on the feet. In the last 30 seconds of the round, Esparza was able to secure takedown and control Waterson from top position. "The second round was much closer than the first. The fight never hit the ground and there was little action on the feet. "In the third and final round, Waterson kept control of the outside of the octagon and was able to avoid takedowns from Esparza. Waterson also landed several leg and body kicks. Esparza had a few nice right hands, and picked up the pace in the final minute, rushing and landing several flurry of punches on Waterson. "Esparza is now on a three-fight winning streak. Her last defeat came in late 2018. She now has a record of 16-6. This is the second straight loss for Waterson, who now is 17-8.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The Hofstra University Department of Athletics and its wrestling program mourns the passing of Joel Kislin '73. Kislin, an All-American as a senior, passed away May 7 after a battle with cancer. He was 68. Joel KislinA two-time Middle Atlantic Conference champion and NCAA qualifier at Hofstra after a stellar two-year career at Luzerne Community College that saw him win a Junior College National Championship in 1971, Kislin would place third in the heavyweight class at the 1973 NCAA Championships to take home All-America accolades. He was Hofstra's second All-American in program history. "Joel was a loyal Hofstra wrestling alumni, fan and friend. He took great pride in being one of our first All-Americans as well as all his accolades in our singlet. He loved checking in, was always positive, and looked to help anyway he could. He would bring his family to events, and clearly extended his family love to our program, that he was a big part of," said head coach Dennis Papadatos. "Myself, as well with the Hofstra wrestling program, send our deepest condolences to his entire family, and mourn with them as Joel was one of our own as well. His memory will be eternal and his legacy will always be cemented in our hearts. Rest in peace, my friend." Kislin compiled a 118-8 record over his collegiate career, and participated in the NCAA East/West Wrestling Classic and wrestled on the USA select team that took on the Russian team in 1973. He would later go on to wrestle for Team USA in freestyle and Greco Roman at the 1973 Maccabiah Games in Israel and was a gold medalist in both. In 1974, he was part of the USA team that took on the Polish National Greco Roman team. A longtime special education teacher, Kislin would also have a 35-year career as a wrestling coach at several Pennsylvania high schools. He was the Pennsylvania District 2 Coach of the Year and its Sportsmanship Award recipient in 1994. He also served as a wrestling official for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association from 1974 to 1984. Kislin, a 1985 inductee into the National Junior College Wrestling Hall of Fame, is survived by his wife, Lynnette, and daughters, Aimee and Rachel. In honor of Joel, the Kislin family kindly requests donations to the Hofstra wrestling program. Donations can be made on the Hofstra Wrestling Giving Page.

Ryan Millhof after a win at the 2019 Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The saying is ... you can never go home again. That said, it appears that NCAA All-American wrestler Ryan Millhof has found his way home to become a head wrestling coach ... at his high school alma, Collins Hill High School, just outside Atlanta. Millhof, set to turn 25 this August, is the youngest head wrestling coach ever in Gwinnett County ... and the first coach to have earned NCAA Division I All-American mat honors, at his first college home, at Oklahoma University when he placed seventh in the 125-pound bracket at the 2016 NCAAs. Millhof later transferred to Arizona State, where he qualified for the 2018 NCAAs, and was finalist at the 2018 Pac-12 conference championships. Before heading west for college, Millhof made a name for himself in wrestling at prep powerhouse Collins Hill High. He was a four-time Georgia state championships finalist, winning three state titles, and compiling an overall record of 119-4. When asked about his new head coaching job, Millhof told Gwinnett Prep Sports, "I'm excited. I know it's going to be an enormous challenge. Obviously with my age, that's what everyone will look at first. But I've been wrestling for 18, 19 years now. I feel like I have a good grasp on wrestling. I'm just here to do my best." "I know it's a lot of responsibility and I think it's got a lot of potential," Millhof said. "I think I'll be able to relate to the guys well and with the struggles you go through being a high school kid because, frankly, I was a high school kid not long ago." Millhoff takes the helm of a Collins Hill wrestling program with a successful legacy over the years ... having tallied 12 Georgia state titles, the last taking place in 2012. However, the young head coach is optimistic that his credentials will help guide his new team to a return to past glories. "I think if I just have the same mentality I've had my whole life it will transition well into coaching," Millhof said. "Just working hard, living the right lifestyle and holding yourself to the highest expectations. I'm going to hold myself to high expectations and hold everybody else to high expectations. This community, this school has got the potential to do that. That's the exciting part."

Based upon its principle of following current advice and direction from local health and government authorities, and with a focus on developing best practices for the return to wrestling, USA Wrestling has extended its suspension of sanctioned events through May 24. The postponement of national and regional events will remain through July 1 at this time. At this time, based upon the input of USA Wrestling's COVID-19 Advisory Committee, and through careful review of the national, state and local restrictions concerning the novel coronavirus, USA Wrestling has not identified any situation that would allow competitions to resume yet. As the situation concerning the pandemic remains fluid and ever-evolving, USA Wrestling will continue to monitor this closely and pledges to regularly update the wrestling community on changes to its policies. Based upon the direction of the COVID-19 Advisory Committee, USA Wrestling does not believe there will be one national proclamation that it will be safe to return to practice and competition for wrestling. The organization understands that both the return to practice, as well as the return to competition, will begin at the local level, based upon the situation in that community. The expected progression of wrestling activity will most probably begin locally, based upon health and government regulations, then move on to state, regional and national activity. The development and mass production of a vaccine could speed up this timeline but even the most optimistic estimates don't expect a vaccine for many months. Now is a time that the entire worldwide sports community is focused on developing Return to Practice and Return to Competition protocols. All across the globe, experts in the fields of medicine and public health are working with sports leaders to make recommendations and create guidelines for the resumption of sports activity. It must be recognized that every sport is different from other sports, and that no "one-size-fits-all recommendation" will be adequate for every situation. USA Wrestling believes that specific guidelines should be developed for wrestling, based upon its unique technical situation and its specific health and safety protocols. Wrestling is well positioned to transition its internal procedures to create the safest environment possible for its participants. Wrestling has already dealt with challenges from infectious disease, due to skin conditions and other such conditions, and has paid as much or more attention to this than any other sport. Wrestling is a leader in this space, with mandatory medical checks before competition already in place at all levels, and a structure which can accommodate new procedures as developed by health and medical experts. The wrestling community is already comfortable with routine medical screening, and understands the importance of compliance with such recommendations. In addition, wrestling has already implemented thorough protocol for cleanliness, which includes providing regularly disinfected competition and training locations and personal hygiene procedures. With that said, USA Wrestling is close to developing guidelines for the Return to Practice and Return to Competition within its organization. USA Wrestling's Return to Practice and Competition Subcommittee, led by USA Wrestling's Director of National Events Pete Isais and featuring medical, public health and event operations leaders, is deep into its work. Its efforts will be reviewed and finalized by its COVID-19 Advisory Committee. This will be made available to the U.S. wrestling community as it makes its decisions on the resumption of activity. USA Wrestling looks forward to the time when the world has moved past this current pandemic and our sport can return to full operation. In the meantime, everyone in the wrestling community is encouraged to remain engaged with the sport, train at home as possible and follow the regulations of their local government and health authorities.

Landon Williams (Photo/Wartburg College Athletics) WAVERLY, Iowa -- 2014 Wartburg College graduate Landon Williams has been named the head assistant coach of the Wartburg Wrestling program, head coach Eric Keller announced May 8, 2020. Williams is promoted to the full-time assistant position following a pair of separate assistant coaching stints at Wartburg during the 2014-15 and 2019-20 seasons, in which the Knights captured National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Dual Championships. "Landon, one of our wrestling greats, has proven himself to be an outstanding young coach," Keller said. "He is extremely passionate about helping student-athletes develop and grow as men, exceeding in both the classroom and on the mat. He loves Wartburg and believes in our mission, having firsthand experience what a life changing place Wartburg is. I am fired up to begin this new era with Landon and help him live out his dream of coaching at the collegiate level." A native of Eldridge, Iowa, Williams was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Division III National Champion at Wartburg, compiling a career record of 135-15 while currently ranking among the top 10 leaders at Wartburg in career wins, tech. falls, and pins. He was a two-year team captain and a member of four consecutive national championship squads from 2011-14, becoming the first DIII program to do so. During his tenure, the Knights also earned four-straight Iowa Conference Championships and NWCA National Dual titles. "It's truly an honor to be accepting the position as assistant wrestling coach at Wartburg College," Williams commented. "Coaching with and learning from Coach Keller at my alma mater is a dream come true. The Waverly community and Wartburg has given me so much and has shaped me into the wrestler, coach, and person that I am today. I'm extremely excited to be representing the Wartburg wrestling program and Wartburg College." Williams began his coaching career as an assistant at Wartburg the season after his senior year in Orange & Black and started coaching high school wrestling in 2015 at Holy Cross School in New Orleans, La. He spent four years at Holy Cross and served as director of wrestling for one year. His teams had two third-place finishes, one runner-up finish, and the school's first Division 1 State Championship in 30 years; 11 Holy Cross wrestlers became state champions during his tenure. Williams also co-founded the Bayou Elite Wrestling Club, leading 50 wrestlers to USA state championships, along with 100+ state top-three place-winners and 50+ national All-Americans. In addition, he was heavily involved in overseeing the operations of The Burg Training Center in Waverly that provides training for youth, middle school, and high school wrestlers. As a high school wrestler at Davenport Assumption, Williams capped off his senior season with a 47-0 record, finishing first in the state at 160 pounds. He was also a two-time USA Folkstyle All-American for the Young Guns Wrestling Club out of Illinois.

Bruce Baumgartner will call May 8, 2020, his final day at Edinboro. Bruce BaumgartnerBaumgartner served in the athletic department for over 30 years before assuming the role of Assistant Vice President for University Advancement two years ago. A four-time Olympic medalist in wrestling who served as the captain and flag-bearer for the United States team in the 1996 Olympics, Baumgartner came to Edinboro as assistant wrestling coach in 1984 and later served seven years as head coach. He has been inducted into numerous Hall of Fame's and was the recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award in 1995. He transitioned to the position of interim athletic director in 1997, and was appointed to the role permanently in 1998. Over the next 20 years, he combined with Todd to form a potent one-two punch in the department. During his tenure, notable accomplishments included the establishment of a number of endowed scholarships to support student-athletes and a student-athlete graduation rate of 80 percent. He also oversaw several capital projects, including renovations to Sox Harrison Stadium and the McComb Fieldhoues weight room. In addition, Baumgartner spearheaded Edinboro's successful Make-a-Wish fundraising initiative, earning Edinboro one of the top five spots among NCAA Division II institutions for a number of years. He took a major role in assisting with the growth of Edinboro's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

MANHEIM, Pa -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced today that their annual national convention will switch to a virtual event in response to concerns over social distancing and travel. Sessions will run, as usual, just online starting Wednesday, July 29, and closing Friday, July 31. Title sponsors for the NWCA National Virtual Convention include Cliff Keen, Defense Soap, and Resilite. "The past couple of months has been full of unprecedented shifts in our society and we understand that it would have been difficult for our annual convention to take place as usual," said Mike Moyer NWCA Executive Director. "It is our hope that shifting to a virtual platform and keeping the same format and schedule we could continue to serve our members and provide them with three tremendous days of high caliber coaching development and much-needed interaction." The NWCA team is hard at work finalizing the full slate of presenters and creating scheduling tracks for college coaches, scholastic coaches, officials, and retired coaches. Not only will the sessions take place online, but the exhibitor trade show will also be available virtually and attendees will be able to schedule small group or one on one sessions with the convention sponsors as well as exhibitors. VIRTUAL CONVENTION INFO: Registration: https://actionpage.causeview.com/actionpage/62910201941101558 Dates: July 29-31 Cost: $150 Schedule: Coming Soon Social: #NWCAconv ABOUT THE NWCA The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, Student-Athlete Welfare, and the Promotion of Wrestling.