InterMat Staff

There isn't a lot going on right now. Podcasts, video chats, zoom meetings and a real strong desire to run as fast as you can into an Applebee's is about the extent of most people's days. For the last ten weeks I've done my part to quarantine and follow the CDC guidelines for social distancing and the rest. Still, I sit in bed and talk with my wife about our favorite meals and the excitement we'll feel when we order that first cocktail or favorite bottle of wine to celebrate the end of this pandemic and return to something like normal. There is a future to look towards and I see it in food. I spend a lot of time thinking about what to do to with the next several months of time before those moments become a reality. There is no chance that we will continue to stay in strict quarantine for more than another month, but how we act when we go back will influence the lives of our neighbors and loved ones. It's a real social responsibility. The fight against COVID-19 isn't over and any premature celebrations will prove to be deadly for our communities and families. Moving forward we have to balance the approach to reopening, and that includes sports. I want there to be football. I want there to be soccer, and track, and wrestling. But as much as I can envision a scenario where I can enjoy a glass of wine in a half-filled restaurant, I can't yet figure out how these athletic competitions return in the next few months. So for now it's patience and more patience. We aren't done fighting the virus, but when we beat this thing (and we will) I think we will all look back fondly at our discipline and patience. We will become old men and women who patiently explain to our grandchildren that we buy so much toilet paper and hand sanitizer because … You get the point. This too shall end, and we will all be back to normal in due time. To your questions … Wrestlers train during camp at Augsburg University in Minneapolis in the summer of 2019 (Photo/David Peterson) Q: Many colleges host wrestling camps, which will be canceled this summer. While I am sure it varies considerably by school, how much revenue can these wrestling camps generate? And how do you think if will affect the programs? -- Mike C. Foley: All college wrestling camps will, or should, be canceled. There is simply no way to safely conduct a large gathering of athletes this summer, much less those on campuses where sensitivity to liability is high. If there are some still proceeding as planned, I'd love to hear what protocols they established since they would be groundbreaking in sport. Coaches earn a lot of money from camps so this is sure to make a massive impact on their personal financials. The programs won't feel significant long-term pain since this is a single-year incident and the revenue rarely goes back into the program in any large, meaningful way, but the assistant coaches tend to rely heavily on that income and its unclear what will happen if they aren't able to supplement. Q: How do you see the wrestlers Justin Gaethje and Henry Cejudo doing this weekend in UFC? -- Mike C. Foley: First, I'm happy to see there be a card. I know that it's imperfect and there are some downstream consequences and impacts that weren't added in to the actuaries numbers (e.g. training partners over the past few weeks), but overall the plan laid out by the UFC is achievable and relatively safe. This isn't going to be risk-free, but I don't think it'll spark an outbreak or kill grandma. Why? Because there is a lot of money at risk for to put on this event. The payoff for successful promotion and a successful event are huge for the company, but they are also taking precautions to ensure there aren't any additional tie-ups that pop up 14 days after the event, like a positive test. The single event, man-to-man sports, will be the first to come back alongside larger scale sports where there is zero personal contact (golf, tennis). That will be good for our psyche, but there won't be crowds and I am a little concerned about the indication we are all clear well before we are ready to move forward as a nation. As for the fights themselves, I think Cejudo makes a mockery of Dominick Cruz. The timing for Cruz is gone and his wrestling, while adequate in the past, won't do well when tied up with Cejudo. The biggest risk to Cejudo are the leg kicks and the fact he might not be in top form due to the virus and interruptions in his training schedule. Uh, good luck to Gaethje, but I don't have good feeling. Tony Ferguson is just too … I don't know? Too, Tony? Good preview here. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Top 5: Active American wrestlers UFC 249 Countdown: Ferguson vs. Gaethje UFC 249 Countdown: Cejudo vs. Cruz Q: Thoughts on sumo wrestling going forward during the pandemic? Any other forms of wrestling going on across the world? -- Mike C. Foley: Sumo is the only form of wrestling I've seen. The traditional styles all seem to have wound down and the summer tournaments in places like Mongolia aren't going to have their outcomes determined for several more weeks. In fact, with Mongolia I'm sure there will be some wrestling, though I'm not sure about the national naadam which is held the same three days each year. The Japanese are likely to keep sumo going as long as there is no negative press surrounding their events such as a transmission of coronavirus or complaints by competitors of unsafe conditions. That said, those more attune to the situation seem to be unsure which way the JSA will fall in determining if there will be a summer basho: The Japan Sumo Association operates under the country's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, so the league is likely to stay the course absent a government mandate. "Though I haven't heard it said outright, I am sure the JSA is following the government's lead on this one and waiting to hear what will be done nationally before it makes a move," the proprietor of the sumo gear seller Sumo Soul wrote in an email. "The common wisdom is that though it is waffling to do so, that the government will extend, if not strengthen the restrictions put in place and the JSA will very likely follow suit and cancel the honbasho [tournament]." For now sumo is navigating the waters well. The one critical advantage they have is the limited number of interactions per day. The athletes meet each other so briefly on the ring and since they aren't wrestling with additional people that same day there can be controls put in place to limit further transmissions. Ultimately, this is just about the perfect sport to consider going forward in that it has money to spend on the problem, thousands of years of tradition, a compliant population, brief interpersonal contact, and the momentum to keep going. Q: Cael Sanderson's only college loss (as a redshirt) came against Iowa's Paul Jenn. Have you seen the match? Has anyone? Or has the footage been destroyed for nobody to see?! You would think it would have shown up on YouTube by now if someone had it! -- Mike C. Foley: This is one for the comment section! I highly doubt there were cameras rolling at the time and if there were, I'm not sure that Cael would have been where the camera team trained their lens. At the time he wasn't Cael, but a redshirt from Iowa State who was having a decent year in smaller tournaments. Big name, but probably not getting major exposure like he would in today's climate. As you may know Paul Jenn died a few years after school. Tough loss as his story would certainly be one that we'd all likely enjoy.

What are the greatest streaks in the history of collegiate wrestling? There certainly are plenty of compelling storylines that immediately come to mind when you ask that question. Not surprisingly, the greatest streaks in college wrestling have coincided with some of the best stories in the sport's history. Here is my list, in no particular order, of some of the most impressive streaks there have been at the collegiate level: Cowboy Up A list about college wrestling greatness wouldn't be complete without Oklahoma State, the winningest program in NCAA history. The Cowboys set the NCAA record of 76 consecutive dual meet wins from 1937-51, a mark that still stands. The Cowboys also are tied for second on the list -- OSU won 69 straight duals from 1921-32 and again from 1996-99. Iowa also won 69 straight duals before tying Oklahoma State in a 2011 meet. Iowa captured a record nine straight consecutive national championships under Dan Gable (Photo/George Tiedemann, Getty Images) Golden era in Iowa City It's crazy to think that the Iowa Hawkeyes won a record 25 straight Big Ten tournament titles. But that's exactly what Iowa did from 1974-98. Iowa's streak of Big Ten titles came during a time when the Hawkeyes captured a record nine consecutive national championships from 1978-86. Division III dominance The last time a team other than Wartburg or Augsburg won the NCAA Division III team title was when Ithaca won in 1994. It's been one of the Burgs ever since. Wartburg College has captured a record 14 DIII national tournament championships with Augsburg right behind at 13. Grand View's great run Coach Nick Mitchell has built a dynasty at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa. Mitchell's team has dominated the NAIA ranks for the past decade, capturing nine consecutive national titles. Grand View also has a current streak of 88 consecutive dual meet victories. Cornell's Ivy League streak Cornell's run of Ivy League dominance finally came to an end when its 92-match winning streak was snapped against Princeton in 2020. The Tigers ended the Big Red's impressive run with a 19-13 win on Feb. 8 in Princeton, N.J. Cornell's streak of 92 straight league dual wins dated back to the 2001-02 season. Lee Kemp had 96 straight wins at Wisconsin Badger tough Wisconsin standout Lee Kemp was one of the best American wrestlers of all-time. And his numbers back it up. Kemp's streak of 96 straight wins for the Badgers was No. 2 on the list after he won his third NCAA title in 1978. The legend of LeVesseur Marcus LeVesseur captured four NCAA Division III titles for Augsburg College while winning all 155 career matches. He also was a member of two national championship teams. He won 296 straight bouts after winning his final 141 matches in high school. Heavy hitter Haselrig Pitt-Johnstown's Carlton Haselrig won 122 straight matches while battling foes in all college divisions. He finished third at the NCAA Division II Championships as a freshman before going on to one of the most prolific careers in college history. He won a combined six NCAA titles, capturing three DII crowns and three DI titles from 1987-89. Davis achieves perfection Notre Dame College's Joey Davis captured four NCAA DII titles while compiling a perfect 133-0 record in college. He became the first DII wrestler to finish a four-year career unbeaten and just the third collegian overall to accomplish the impressive feat. Wartburg's amazing feat Wartburg College established an amazing streak of 220 consecutive conference dual meet wins. The 26-year streak finally ended when the top-ranked Knights fell to No. 3 Loras 19-17 this past February. Wartburg saw its streak of 27 consecutive conference wrestling titles end. Gable nearly ran the table Dan Gable never lost a match in high school. And he had never lost a match in college until he stepped on the mat for the final bout of his career at Iowa State. Gable had compiled a remarkable combined record of 181-0 in high school and college, including an NCAA record 117 straight wins at ISU. That's when Gable suffered a stunning 13-11 upset loss to Washington's Larry Owings in the 1970 NCAA finals. Gable set the NCAA record for consecutive pins with 25. Cael Sanderson gets his hand raised after winning his fourth NCAA title and finishing undefeated Sanderson: Simply the best Cael Sanderson went an incredible 159-0 in four seasons as an Iowa State Cyclone from 1998-2002. No NCAA Division I wrestler has completed a four-year collegiate career unbeaten before or since Sanderson achieved history. Sanderson also has led the way for a pair of impressive runs as the head coach at Penn State. His Nittany Lion teams won four straight NCAA titles from 2011-14 and again from 2016-19. 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.

Lake Highland Prep wrestling coach Mike Palazzo (left) coaching at the Doc Buchanan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Confirmed by multiple media reports, including Brant Parsons at the Orlando Sentinel, Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) has made the decision to no longer compete as an FHSAA member school in the sport of wrestling. The Highlanders have finished ranked inside the top 12 of the InterMat Fab 50 in each of the last five seasons, including No. 4 in 2016-17 and then No. 7, No. 6, and No. 6 each of the last three years. This past season, head coach Mike Palazzo's squad competed in four events outside of Florida and the contiguous states of Georgia and Alabama; Walsh Jesuit Ironman in Ohio, Beast of the East in Delaware, Doc Buchanan in California, and Beat the Streets Duals in Illinois. The FHSAA issued a clarification to its bylaws in March, which state that schools can only compete one time outside of Florida and/or its contiguous states to remain eligible for the state tournament playoff series; in wrestling the dual team playoffs take place in January, while the individual state series starts in February and ends in March. As opposed to competing in the FHSAA state tournaments, coach Palazzo's squad will compete in the National Prep Championships; those take place at Lehigh University in late February, with qualifying tournaments taking place for member schools the week or two before. Lake Highland Prep is not alone in Florida for taking this track of being a FHSAA member school, while competing independently in certain sports. The Orlando Sentinel article cites the example of Montverde Academy, which is a boarding school in Florida that competes as a member school in certain sports but independently in other sports. At present, the FHSAA has taken a relatively "kind" approach to Lake Highland Prep's decision to go independent in wrestling. The Highlanders can remain a member school of the FHSAA in the other sports they sponsor, while still being able to compete in local events during the FHSAA regular season should they so choose. Unanswered bylaw questions in Florida relate to if Lake Highland Prep still needs to adhere to the weight management standards of the FHSAA, those related to in-season and out-of-season practices, along with scholarship and eligibility bylaws. Bylaw questions for competitions outside the state of Florida will center around the ability for schools to compete against a non-member in that given sport (i.e. in California), as well as the ability in Florida for junior high wrestlers to compete on the varsity level which is not the case in many other states.

WILLMAR and HUTCHINSON, Minn. -- Ridgewater College Warrior wrestlers will have a new head coach for the 2020-21 season. Meet Joey Brown from Washington state. Brown comes to Ridgewater College highly recommended after serving the previous five seasons as the head wrestling coach at Snohomish High School in Snohomish, WA, where following this last season, he was named District 1 Coach of the Year. Joey BrownBrown grew up in Washington and Oregon where he wrestled, played football, baseball, and threw for the track team through high school. After high school, he attended Southern Oregon University and Mayville State University, ND, where he played football and walked on to the wrestling team. During his time at Snohomish, he and his staff turned around a program that was forfeiting multiple weight positions during dual matches into a championship-caliber team. When he took over the program, Brown had 26 wrestlers and he grew it to over 60 this past season. He has produced 17 state placers, two-state finalists, and one state champion during that five-year period. In addition to his wrestlers' individual successes, Brown's team won the league title for the first time in more than a decade and also maintained a combined team grade point average of 3.2 or higher. During the past five seasons, the team had 32 wrestlers earn distinguished academic awards from the Washington State Coaches' Association. The Snohomish High School activity director described Coach Brown as a person who truly loves wrestling and as a quality individual. He said it will be very tough for the school to replace him. "We are very excited to have such a qualified and knowledgeable individual interested in leading our program," said Heidi Olson, Ridgewater College dean of students. "Coach Brown demonstrates the type of energy and commitment that we believe will do great things for our student athletes and our wrestling program." "My family and I are very grateful for this opportunity to use wrestling as a tool to have a positive impact on our athletes, our school, and our community," Brown said. "I'm excited to bring a new energy and direction to Ridgewater Wrestling." Brown and his wife, Britta, have two children with another on the way in September. They are relocating to Spicer later this month. Brown replaces Jair Toedter, who was head coach for the last four seasons.

Sergei Beloglazov coaching Logan Massa (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club and head coach Sergei Beloglazov have agreed to a contract extension in conjunction with the postponement of the Tokyo Games and the start of a new Olympic cycle, the club announced on Wednesday (May 6). Over the last two years, since his arrival in Ann Arbor, Beloglazov and the CKWC coaching staff have overseen a considerable amount of freestyle success both domestically and abroad. Stevan Micic (57 kilograms) and Myles Amine (86 kilograms) qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after placing fifth at the 2019 World Championships last September. Both are currently ranked top four in the world through two of three UWW Ranking Series events. Mason Parris captured the junior world title at 125 kilograms last summer -- just a year after competing in his first major domestic freestyle tournament -- while Alec Pantaleo (70 kilograms) similarly represented the U.S. at the 2019 U23 World Championships. Adam Coon (125 kilograms) claimed a U.S. Open freestyle title last summer and is a two-time Greco-Roman world team member, capturing world silver in 2018. Logan Massa (74 kilograms) also claimed a senior national title in December to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. "My goal has been to do my best to share with them the knowledge I have and give them the best opportunity to have success," said Beloglazov. "We want to win world and Olympic medals here at Michigan, and we are creating an environment that makes them better and fuels their desire. It takes some time to build, but the results are starting to show. I'm very happy." "As expected, Sergei has proven to be an incredible asset to our program," said Michigan head coach Sean Bormet. "He consistently delivers world-class expertise, energy and great enthusiasm on the mat, which generates an important confidence and bond with our wrestlers. Our alumni are excited, and our donor base continues to grow; those are certainly key elements to overall success. We're excited to continue to work hard with Sergei and create something really unique and special at Michigan." Considered among the greatest freestyle wrestlers in the history of the sport, Beloglazov ruled the freestyle bantamweight for nearly a decade, capturing two Olympic gold medals (1980, '88) and five world titles (1981, '83-87) at 57 kilograms/125 pounds -- he also won world gold at featherweight (62 kilograms/136 pounds) in 1982 -- after claiming silver at the 1979 World Championships. He won five World Cup titles (1979, '80, '81, '83, '86) and was a five-time European champion. Beloglazov was inducted into the UWW International Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. A master wrestling technician, Beloglazov has coached internationally since his retirement from competition and, among numerous positions around the world, previously served as a national team coach for Japan, Russia, the United States and Kazakhstan over the last 25 years.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Lukasz Zagowalko, a wrestling trainer with international experience, has been named as an assistant women's wrestling coach at New Jersey City University, head coach Elena Pirozhkova has announced. Zagowalko is the third member of the first-ever women's wrestling staff in NJCU history, which launches as a varsity program in Fall, 2020. Lukasz ZagowalkoA native of Poland where he lived for most of his life, he held three wrestling head coaching positions in the European nation. Most recently, Zagowalko was head coach of The West Pomeranian State Wrestling Association from 2015-18. Previously, he coached the Sports Club "Orzel" Szczecin from 2006-10 and the Student Sports Club "Orliki" Szczecin from 2004-09. Zagowalko was an assistant coach for Sports Club "Technik" Swidwin from 2013-18. Additionally, he served as an assistant for West Pomeranian State Wrestling (2005-08) and the Academy of Physical Education Academic Sports Club Gorzów Wielkopolski (2002-03). From 2003-05, Zagowalko coached Polish Olympian Monika Michalik. The most titled Polish competitor in history, she later won four European championships, two medals at the world championships and a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Games. Zagowalko directly prepared her for the 2005 European Championship in Varna, Bulgaria, where Michalik won the gold medal. "Lukasz was the missing piece I needed to complete the coaching staff," said Pirozhkova. "His previous coaching and education in Poland is a rare find in the USA so I'm excited I got him before he got scooped up by another college. His background will help NJCU establish a high-level program in year one. His passion for the team is contagious and I can't wait to see him in action." Jan Godlewski, coach of the Polish women's national team, said: "In my opinion, Mr. Lukasz Zagowalko has a broad theoretical knowledge and practical skills to work independently with athletes presenting a high sports level. I give him my highest recommendation, without reservation." Zagowalko graduated from The Poznan University of Physical Education Branch of Institute of Physical Education in Gorzow Wielkopolski in 2003 and earned a Master's Degree in Physical Education in 2003 with a specialization as an instructor in wrestling. In 2007, he added Trainer II certification in wrestling from The Poznan University of Physical Education. He later earned an Executive MBA Master's Degree from West Pomeranian Business School in Szczecin in 2010. As an undergraduate, he wrestled for four years for coach Piotr Godlewski. In 2012, he completed the Program in American Language Studies from Rutgers. Zagowalko, who will turn 40 in May, 2020, resides in Cranford, N.J.

Chris Weiler takes a shot on Cornell's Ben Darmstandt at the 2018 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) MADISON, Wis. -- Chris Weiler, the redshirt senior from Lehigh University, is headed west to finish out his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin, head coach Chris Bono announced on Tuesday. Weiler is expected to compete at 184 pounds in the 2020-21 season for the Badgers. In 2020, Weiler finished second at 184 pounds at the EIWA championship and earned honorable mention All-America honors. The Biglerville, Pennsylvania native also qualified for the 2018 NCAA Championships, finishing just one win shy of All-America honors. He has a career record of 54-28, aiding the Mountain Hawks to three EIWA championships. "We are excited to get Chris campus," Bono said. "He is a graduate transfer who values education and wrestling. He has a wealth of experience and will be a great addition to our program."

Daryl Thomas BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Campbell head wrestling coach Scotti Sentes has announced the addition of former Old Dominion lead assistant Daryl Thomas to the Camels' coaching staff. Thomas served as assistant head coach for the last two seasons at ODU, originally joining the Monarchs' staff in 2017. He joins associate head coach Wynn Michalak, announced in April, on Sentes' staff. "As the assistant head coach at Old Dominion, Daryl was likely to be the next in line to lead the Monarchs," said Sentes. "He has all of the attributes you would expect to find in a head coach. He is well recognized and respected in the wrestling community, he has a great track record, he is someone people want to follow, and he comes highly recommended for the position. We are lucky to have someone of Daryl's caliber joining the staff and I am excited for all that he brings." In 2019-20, Thomas helped guide four ODU wrestlers towards NCAA qualification, as Killian Cardinale, Sa'Derian Perry, Larry Early and Antonio Agee all earned spots in the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Due to the CoronaVirus outbreak, the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships were canceled. Thomas helped lead the Monarchs to a 10-9 dual record in the regular season and a 6-2 record against MAC opponents. In 2018-19, Thomas helped send Michael McGee (125), Perry (141) and Early (157) to the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa. Early garnered All-American status and an eighth place finish. During the regular season, Thomas helped lead ODU to a 9-7 dual record, which included a win over a top-25 team in Northwestern. ODU took fourth at the 2019 MAC Championship and one MAC Champion in McGee. During his first season at ODU Thomas primarily worked with the lower weights. He helped 125-pound Michael McGee earned a MAC Championship as a true freshman, also leading four Monarchs to the NCAA Championship in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to ODU, Thomas spent one year as the head coach at Lincoln College. Under his direction, the Lynx wrestling team achieved a fourth place finish in the NJCAA National Tournament. Thomas was named NJCAA Midwest District Coach of the Year after guiding his team to the NJCAA National Tournament. Thomas coached five wrestling All-Americans in DJ Millett (125, 8th), Christian Kanzler (141, 4th), Alex Gonzalez (157, 4th), Tyree Overton (174, 3rd) and Logan Hagerbaumer (184, 4th). Prior to taking the head coaching position at Lincoln College, Thomas was an assistant at Northern Illinois University for two years. Thomas was instrumental in coaching five NCAA National Tournament qualifiers in the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Prior to that, Thomas was an assistant at Edwardsville High School, where he helped the Tigers advance four wrestlers to the Illinois state tournament. In addition, EHS also won the team title at the Granite City Regional and finished the regular season with a perfect 28-0 record and a Southwestern Conference title. At Illinois, Thomas finished with a 53-47 record with six pins. The Edwardsville, Illinois native was a two-time placewinner at the Big Ten Championships - placing sixth in 2012 and 2013 - and also advanced to the NCAA Championships as a senior. Thomas was ranked as high as seventh by WIN Magazine as a senior, while finishing third at the 2012 ASICS USA Wrestling University Nationals to earn Freestyle All-American honors. Thomas earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in Communications in the spring of 2013.

Dan McCool 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. He was a prolific writer who covered high school, college and international wrestling. He was just as passionate about a small-school prep dual meet on a Tuesday night as he was about a high-stakes Iowa-Iowa State college dual on a Sunday afternoon. Dan wasn't always the friendliest person to be around, especially for a sportswriter from a competing newspaper. He was often gruff and grumpy while sitting on press row with his giant bag of candy sitting next to him. But one thing I learned from being around McCool was how to build rapport with the people you cover. He was the master at developing strong relationships with coaches and athletes in the sport of wrestling. He built that level of trust with hundreds of people and that served him well while covering all levels of wrestling. He had great respect and admiration for the people he covered. He cared very deeply about sharing their stories with the thousands of people who read them. During the decade I worked in communications for USA Wrestling, I had an opportunity to work with him while helping set up interviews for him with a few athletes. I was able to sit down and chat with Dan on a few occasions. The guy was an encyclopedia of wrestling. His biggest thrills weren't being able to say he went to the Olympic Games or the NCAA Championships, it was developing the personal relationships with people involved in the sport. He took great pride in writing a feature story on a high school athlete from a small Iowa school that an entire town would be talking about. When Dan McCool walked into a high school gymnasium during a cold, snowy Iowa winter, he would immediately be recognized by a coach, athlete or fan. He was well-known not just in Des Moines, Ames and Iowa City, but all over the state in places like Lisbon, Gilbertville, Morning Sun, Underwood, Sheldon, Osage, Creston, Emmetsburg, Mediapolis, Eagle Grove and all points in between. While many sportswriters start out covering high schools and move on to covering college and pro sports, Dan loved following the high schools. The Iowa state tournament was his favorite event. McCool was a fixture while covering the Iowa state tournament and then in later years while selling his popular state tournament book at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. He went on to author more books about wrestling and he continued to be a fixture at numerous wrestling events. McCool also was well-known by wrestlers, coaches and fans all over the country, who spent the past two decades reading much of his work online. He was a national wrestling writer of the year who also was honored for his work at the Iowa state tournament. The last time I saw Dan was at the Wartburg-Augsburg dual meet in early February in Waverly, Iowa. The battle featured the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in NCAA Division III and was contested before an enthusiastic sellout crowd at Levick Arena. It was a hard-fought dual between two legendary small-college powerhouses. I remember McCool walking into the gym about an hour before the dual that night at Wartburg. He had a smile on his face as he greeted his good buddy Wyatt Schultz of The Predicament. He gave Wartburg announcer and booster Joe Breitbach a hard time and even threw out a playful jab to the match official. He knew everybody. And everybody knew him. In his post-Register days, McCool moved even closer to the mat while taking photographs at wrestling events. And his shots were top-notch. He also made a big impact covering college wrestling. He documented much of Dan Gable's remarkable run as Iowa's head coach and he was in Albany, New York, in 2002 when Iowa State's Cael Sanderson completed his unbeaten career by winning his fourth NCAA title. If there was a big wrestling event going on over the past three-plus decades, it was a safe bet that McCool was there. His coverage was compelling, informative and comprehensive. Wrestling was certainly his life's passion and he developed a huge following as one of the most respected people in the sport. That high level of respect was evident with the outpouring of support for McCool on social media Monday night. He will be missed. The sport of wrestling was lucky to have Dan McCool. He made tremendous contributions to the sport in so many ways. There will be a void next wrestling season when Dan isn't taking photos matside or selling books on the concourse at the state tournament. It won't be the same without him. 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.

Justin Gaethje (Photo/Northern Colorado Athletics) Before Justin Gaethje ever set foot into the Octagon, he had an extensive wrestling career. The highlight came in 2010 when he became Northern Colorado's first Division I All-American in wrestling since 1970. Gaethje is expected to face off against Tony Ferguson for the interim UFC lightweight title Saturday night. Let's take a long look at the wrestling career of the now-MMA contender. Safford High School Gaethje was a two-time Arizona state champion and a four-time finalist wrestling for Safford High School. Safford was a wrestling powerhouse at the time and won six-straight team state championships from 2005 to 2010. In the 2004 final, Gaethje, then a freshman, was winning 5-0 over Clint Lemiuex of Queen Creek. He allowed a reversal in the second period and gave up a surprising fall to finish second. In the 2005 final, he entered the state tournament with an undefeated 56-0 record. He once again came up short, this time against Aaron Hancock of Camp Verde. Years later he would sum up the performance to MMAFighting by saying, "He kicked my ass, and it was on TV." Over his next two seasons, Gaethje would put together a 98-2 record and bring home a pair of state championships. He pinned his way through the bracket in his senior year and brought home Outstanding Wrestler honors. Northern Colorado University Freshman Season (2007-2008) Gaethje was introduced to the Division I grind early as he faced off against All-American C.P. Schlatter in the first month of his freshman season on Nov. 24, 2007. On Dec. 2, 2007, Gaethje competed in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He went 2-2 and failed to place in the 157-pound bracket. At the same weight, fellow UFC competitor Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) was the No. 1 seed and ended up finishing second behind Michael Poeta (Illinois). Bellator champion Michael Chandler (Missouri) took sixth place. Gaethje finished his freshman season with an 18-9 record that included two falls and a major decision. In the offseason, he began his amateur MMA career. On Aug. 2, 2008, he made his debut with a 27-second knockout over Ben DeAnda. Sophomore Season (2008-2009) On Nov. 24, 2008, Gaethje defeated future world medalist Bekzod Abdurakhmonov in the semifinals of the Old Chicago Northern Colorado Open via 5-1 decision. On Jan. 4, 2009, the Northern Colorado representative faced off against future multiple-time world champion Jordan Burroughs and dropped a 19-8 major decision. Gaethje finished the regular season with a 12-4 record and entered the postseason riding a 10-match winning streak. On Match 7, 2009, he defeated Vincent Salminen (North Dakota State) and Tyson Reiner (Northern Iowa) to win the NCAA West Regional and qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time. Gaethje made his debut in the NCAA tournament on March 19, 2009. He dropped his first match against current Little Rock head wrestling coach Neil Erisman (Oklahoma State) and went 0-2 to fall out of the tournament. Following the season, he earned first-team all NCAA West Regional. He returned to the amateur MMA cage once again in the summer. Gaethje fought three times prior to his junior season and scored a TKO and a pair of submissions. Junior Season (2009-2010) On Nov. 22, 2009, Gaethje dropped a four-overtime match against multiple-time All-American and Mongolian national team member Ganbayar Sanjaa then of Colby Community College. Gaethje went 2-2 at the Northeast Collegiate Duals on Nov. 28, 2009, including a 12-6 decision over Justin Lister (Binghamton). On Dec. 5, 2009, he came up against Burroughs once again. This time they met at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Gaethje closed the gap but eventually dropped a 7-3 decision. Gaethje came back with seven straight wins on the back side of the tournament before eventually falling to Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) in the third-place match to finish fourth. Along the way, he bested multiple-time all-american Chase Pami (Cal Poly). On Dec. 15, 2009, Gaethje was awarded Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week honors after a week that saw him defeat Clay Tucker (Ohio) and Joe Grygelko (Minnesota) in close matches. On Jan. 9, 2010, Northern Colorado competed against Oregon State in a dual meet. In addition to Gaethje, the match also featured former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington and former WWE developmental wrestler Clayton Jack who performed as Cal Bishop. Also on Jan. 9, Gaethje picked up his 50th career win over Adrian Gonzalez (Menlo). Against North Dakota State on Jan. 17, Gaethje scored the fastest fall of his career up to this point. He stuck Vince Salminen in only 1:11. Gaethje needed an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament after finishing fourth at the NCAA West Regional on March 10, 2010. On the first day of the NCAA tournament on Jan. 3, 2010, Gaethje knocked off both Bryce Saddoris (Navy) and Matt Moley (Bloomsburg) in overtime. Justin Gaethje fell to J.P. O'Connor at the 2010 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Gaethje returned for the second day of the tournament. He dropped a decision to the No. 1 seed and eventual champion J.P. O'Connor (Harvard). Once he fell to the wrestlebacks, he defeated Shane Vernon (Oklahoma) in the blood round to become an All-American. In the process, Northern Colorado's first Division I All-American in wrestling since 1970. During his summer amateur MMA break, Gaethje went 2-0 including a split-decision over Scott Cleve. Cleve was a 2006 NCAA Division II All-American for Adams State and eventually fought five times for Bellator. Senior Season (2010-2011) The original plan was for Gaethje to redshirt his senior season, but he came out of redshirt and dropped down to 149 pounds for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 12, 2010. He won three matches to reach the semifinals, including a 32-second pin over Anthony Varnell (Great Falls). Gaethje then dropped a 3-1 decision against Jason Chamberlin (Boise State) and finished third. Gaethje struggled with the cut down to 149 for most of his senior season. He would tell the Greeley Tribune, "I wasn't doing that at the beginning of the season. I was cutting 12 to 13 pounds before every match. I wasn't able to cut it. Maybe it was because it was early in the season. I don't know why. But now it is really just kicking my butt." Despite that he built a 25-7 record. He entered the NCAA West Regional on March 6, 2011, as the third seed. Unfortunately, there were only two qualifier spots up for grabs at the weight. Things got off to a rough start as Gaethje dropped a decision against Josh Kreimier (Air Force) in his first match. He then wrestled all the way back for third, which earned him a shot in the true second match. There Gaethje defeated Brett Robbins (Northern Iowa), who had previously bested him during the season, to qualify for his third NCAA tournament. On March 17, 2011, Gaethje took to the mats at the NCAA tournament. He dropped his opening match against Ganbayar Sanjaa (American), but he made it to the second day with a win over Don Vinson (Binghamton). On the second day of the tournament, Gaethje's collegiate career came to an end. He put up a strong fight against Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State), but ultimately dropped the decision. The following is how UNCBears.com described Gaethje's final match. "Gaethje was aggressive in the first period, recording two takedowns with one Sakaguchi escape for the 4-1 lead, but fortunes were reversed as Sakaguchi got an escape for the only scoring in the second period and he had two takedowns in the third period, while Gaethje got one point each on an escape and penalty point for a 6-6 tie. Sakaguchi recorded a takedown early in the sudden victory period for the 8-6 win to end Gaethje's career." Less than a month after the NCAA tournament, Gaethje had his final amateur MMA fight on April 16, 2011 and defeated Aaron Carter. He would make his professional MMA debut in August of the same year.

Joe Rau at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Illinois Regional Training Center is happy to announce that it is adding world team member Joe Rau to its roster. Rau, originally from Chicago, Illinois, was the Olympic Trials champion and 2016 and was the world team member in 2019. He is fresh off a Pan-Am Championship and a Pan Am Qualifier where he qualified his weight class for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. "With a little over a year till Tokyo, I know that the IRTC is going to be the perfect place for me to make my Olympic dreams come true," said Rau. "Coach Medlin is an awesome coach and I always seem to win when he's in my corner, whether it be freestyle or Greco. Also, I'll have several great training partners. A lot of these training partners I consider great friends and I have known them since I started Greco or even before that. "For me, the weight is now qualified and I am in the finals of Trials," continued Rau. "I know what I gotta do right now and it won't be easy. However, I have a ton of confidence that Medlin will get me there. I will have a personalized lifting program and mat practices and I'm going to get overseas as much as possible to get the most competitive looks. We are making a plan and we are going to work that plan. It's time to make another jump. I want an Olympic medal, a gold one. And for me, this is the place to do it. Right in my backyard." Medlin is looking forward to working Rau as he chases his dream of becoming an Olympic champion. "It's a great fit and we are beyond excited to have Joe join the IRTC," said Medlin. "He is a great person and his passion for the sport of wrestling is contagious and it elevates everyone around him. We look forward to helping him realize his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal in 2021."

Jacori Teemer celebrates after getting a win against Penn State (Photo/Arizona State Athletics) SAN FRANCISCO -- Pac-12 Networks is set to air a pair of wrestling matches from the 2019-20 season, including the Pac-12 Championships, this Sunday on Pac-12 Network. First up at 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT is the then-No. 5 Arizona State bout from November 22, when it handed then-No. 1 Penn State its first loss in a dual since 2015. Brandon Courtney (125) put the Sun Devils up early with an 18-7 major decision, and Kordell Norfleet (197) helped seal the victory with a 10-4 decision en route to the upset. At 2 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. MT, fans can relive the 2020 Pac-12 Championships in which Arizona State earned its third Pac-12 title in four years. The then-No. 6 Sun Devils scored 141.5 points behind five individual titles by Courtney (125), Jacori Teemer (157), Anthony Valencia (174), Norfleet (197) and Tanner Hall (HWT). Then-No. 24 Stanford placed second and had two individual Pac-12 Champions, Real Woods (141) and Shane Griffith (165). Pac-12 wrestling encore schedule: Sunday, May 3 Then-No. 1 Penn State at then-No. 5 Arizona State - November 22 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network and the Pac-12 Now app 2020 Pac-12 Championships - March 8 2 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. MT on Pac-12 Network and the Pac-12 Now app PAC-12 NOW APP All broadcasts are also available in HD via the Pac-12 Now app (for iOS, Android and Apple TV). For more information and to see a list of the multiple options to access Pac-12 Networks anywhere across the United States, please visit GetPac12Networks.com. GET PAC-12 NETWORKS All Pac-12 Networks coverage can be seen on Pac-12 Network, the Pac-12 Now app (for iOS, Android and Apple TV) or the appropriate regional channel. Pac-12 Networks subscribers have access to all seven HD channels via the Pac-12 Now app. More information on the multiple options to access and receive Pac-12 Networks anywhere in the United States is available at GetPac12Networks.com. Coverage of the 2019-20 season for all Pac-12 sports can also be followed all year long across the Pac-12 and Pac-12 Networks' digital and social media channels on Pac-12.com, Twitter (@Pac12Network and @Pac12), Facebook (facebook.com/Pac12Conference), Instagram (@Pac12Conference), Snapchat (@pac12conference) and Pac-12 Networks' YouTube channel.

Like many of you, this quarantine is making me anticipate a return to something like normal. I'm tired of cooking all my own meals. I'm tired of doing Instagram workouts. And I'm oh-so-tired of balancing parenting an oversized 20-month-old with a full workday, while cohabitating with my mom and dad. And yet here I am, and here you are, and we are making it work. It's never perfect, but when I'm really frustrated, I think of my friends in New York City who are cramped into impossibly small apartments, having just lost their income, and still finding a way to cheer on front line workers. I'm not always optimistic about humanity but keeping these people in mind has given me some hope for what comes the day after this all ends. And that optimism grows even more when I consider the worldwide response to this pandemic. In almost every nation there are teams of scientists, virologists, biologists striving to find a vaccine, a cure, and a treatment. That collective brainpower and the immeasurable willpower of our frontline workers -- all focused on solving a single problem is incredible in its scope. The wrestling community has felt these feelings of unity in the past. In 2013 we fought together to save our sport's place in the Olympics. Not only did we get back on the Olympic program, we widened our community, made significant improvements, and influenced a massive growth in worldwide participation. That effort wasn't the result of a silver bullet. It was hard work and a sense of common purpose. The world is not free of COVID-19 and it's not entirely clear the effect this virus will have on our sport in the short or long term. It's frightening, but at the moment it's largely outside our direct control. So, when you get down about the lack of competition, or training, or the fact your 20-month-old banged on the keys of your computer and called up some unknown setting in Photoshop -- just remember that we as a people and a sport have an excellent track record of success and we are on our way to another victory. To your questions … Q: Tim, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on Flo's recent film, Bad Cut. Do you think the timing of its release could negatively influence the shot callers of universities with at-risk programs? Would it be a stretch to presume the film (a) reaches this audience and (b) has a significant impact? -- Ethan S. Foley: I haven't watched the film but have heard positive feedback in terms of its quality, storytelling, and cinematography. I will give it a shot this weekend. Though I missed the primary content I did see some of the kids telling their stories of tremendous weight loss, many of whom seemed to take some pride, or joy, in their accomplishment. That's maybe disheartening en masse, but it makes sense when we stop to acknowledge that those moments also create moments of incredible comradery. Overcoming a daunting weight cut does show tremendous discipline and dedication to yourself and your teammates. On the other hand, I think that those stories are just another side effect. In my opinion, we have to air our dirty laundry at times to help inform each other of the pitfalls and the other options that remain available to athletes and coaches. More information is almost always going to influence a better set of outcomes, and I think that exposing these stories to the masses will create positive change. Olympic champ Vladimer Khinchegashvili is still looking to qualify for the Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What's the likelihood the United States qualifies 65 kilograms in freestyle for the Olympics? Who are some notable wrestlers the U.S. rep will have to beat? -- Mike C. Foley: The unqualified 65-kilogram freestyle wrestlers are arguably the single best in any weight category. There is world champion Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili (Georgia) and a ton of talent with Selahattin Kilicsallayan (Turkey), Amirmohammad Yazdanicherati (Iran) and Erik Arushanian (Ukraine). Not all those guys will qualify at their respective continental championships, which means that they could appear at the Last Chance Qualifier. Worst case, Aliyev or King Vlad don't qualify out of Europe and are sent to Last Chance where they land on the same side of the bracket with the American representative. It's a little early to set the expectation that the USA will or won't qualify given we don't know who is competing for the USA, nor who will show up at the Last Chance. I will say that the loss at Pan Am Qualification put the qualification at-risk in a way that we all recognize. But everything happens for a reason and I think that the team we field in Tokyo will be positioned to win the most golds in over 20 years. Q: The NWCA announced the All-Americans. Do you think national champions (team and individual) should have been named also? -- Mike C. Foley: No. That is an outcome that should not be measured off the mat. The norms are just too in place to award the titles on paper. They used to do this with football (that feels like forever ago), but it was often derided as unfair. There was enough going on in the world that felt negative and combative, and awarding those titles may have only made things feel a little crappier than need be. I did like the All-America honors as that matched the other norms in the sporting world and could be accepted as an outcome of the season's performance. Q: When do you think wrestling will resume in the United States? -- Mike C. Foley: Certainly I can't answer that question with any clarity, but I might be able to provide some context for how decisions are sometimes made. For this problem -- a global pandemic featuring a virus passed through close contact -- wrestling is ill fit to lead the march back to sports. More likely, we will be the sport featured as a capstone to a worldwide effort to defeat this awful virus and return to normalcy. Other sports will filter on and off our screens for months or years before we see wrestling. But it will be when we, the world, first watch a wrestling match and not think of transmission, that we will know we've won the battle against the disease. That will be the role of wrestling -- to welcome us back to something like normal. It's not scripture, but to me it can feel that way now as it did in 2013. The opening of "Magnificent Scufflers" perfectly encapsulates the notion that you can't kill off wrestling. It might suffer, it may be ignored, but it always, always, always rises again. Almost certainly wrestling is the oldest sport of mankind … It came to town with the Olympiads of Ancient Greece and went back to the country after the decline of Rome -- there to remain, at least in greatest part, for nearly two thousand years. Preponderantly in and because of the country the sport has lived on in the general manner of pasture bluets, or field daisies, or other more or less global and substantially invincible wildflowers. Time and time again pasture bluets can be and have been burned away by the heavy hoofs or close-grazing herds. Yet with mystic stubbornness and effectiveness the pasture bluets somehow rise and bloom again. Wrestling is like that. It thrives, meets apparent destruction or widespread abandonment only to rise again, taking resurrection from a good and folkish earth. This has come to pass in many nations and it keeps happening in our own. Q: Any show recommendations during the quarantine? -- Mike C. Foley: The coloring is AWFUL, but I'm trying to get back into Ozark, which I hear has a great third season. We just finished the final episode of "Homeland" and found that to always be a great show, though I don't know how it would feel to binge. Some friends are going back and watching the Sopranos start to finish. I'm thinking of starting Downton Abbey. Season 2 of Killing Eve is out (I think) and you can start Waco, which is an eye-opening adventure through that terrible event and what led up to it. I'm also watching a lot of TikTok videos. I would recommend, "Dadasaurus" …

MANHEIM, Pa -- On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the full slate of 2019-2020 Scholar All-American Team and Individual honorees for NCAA Division I with awards going to 175 individuals representing 63 institutions. Links: Top 30 Scholar All-American Teams | Individual Scholar All-Americans "On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, we are ecstatic to honor the amazing academic achievement demonstrated by this year's Scholar All-American teams and individuals," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "NCAA Division I institutions continue to demonstrate their commitment to academics." In the team race, Drexel University finished atop the field with a 3.5895 GPA followed by American University (3.5497) and Harvard University (3.4962). For the individual awards, the University of Iowa led the list of honorees with eight All-Americans while Illinois, NC State, and Ohio St. each had six individuals reach All-American status.

Earlier this week, the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee announced nearly a dozen new rules with an impact on high school wrestling -- eliminating restrictions on hair length, and clarification of weigh-in requirements to eliminate potential issues with having male and female wrestlers stepping onto the scales in the same locker room, to name two of some of the most-discussed -- but some in the wrestling community are focusing on what was NOT in the new NFHS rules for 2020-21. No changes to the long-standing 14-weight class structure. In recent years, however, a number of high school wrestling coaches have expressed concern that 14 weight classes cause problems of their own. For starters, that many weight classes can make it more difficult for many smaller schools to have a minimum of one wrestler for each weight class ... or risk costly forfeits. From another perspective, an even number of weight classes can more readily result in a team-score tie that requires some sort of tiebreaker that would be avoided if there's an odd number of wrestlers on each team in a dual meet. It's an issue that folks in at least one "wrestling hotbed" state have been grappling with for a number of years ... and now even more willing to share some ideas to eliminate perceived problems with an even-number of individual weight classes. However, the organization that governs school wrestling programs in Pennsylvania -- the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) -- is now proposing changes to upper weight classes for the upcoming season. Among those changes: reducing the number of weight classes down to 13. The PIAA wrestling steering committee crafted a proposal Wednesday to reduce the number of weight classes from 14 to 13 while leaving all of the weights from 106-160 pounds intact, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The Pittsburgh paper went on to report, "In the new set of weight classes outlined in the proposal, the 170-pound weight class would be bumped up to 172 pounds, the 182-pound weight class would be increased to 189 pounds and the 220-pound weight class would be lowered to 215 pounds, while the 195-pound weight class would be scrapped altogether." From the other end of Pennsylvania, LehighValleyLive.com explained the committee's following rationales: "minimal changes to the current 14-class structure (nothing changes at 160 and below); ties easier to break in dual meets; and for facing out-of-state competition, whether it be in Pennsylvania under this proposal or out of the state under the current NFHS classes (170, 182, 195, 220, 285), only three weight classes would have to adjust weight descent plans." This proposed new weight-class structure of 13 classes wasn't cooked up in the days after this week's announced wrestling rules from the NFHS, but, in fact were a year in the making, according to Canon-McMillan athletic director Frank Vulcano, who also serves as the chairman of the WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) wrestling committee and represented the WPIAL at Wednesday's annual committee meeting. "It all started last year at our committee meeting when we proposed going to 12 [weight classes] and hoping the [National Federation of State High Schools] would do something this year," Vulcano told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "The federation came out with their new rules changes for next year yesterday, and there was no movement in the weight-class changes." This proposed restructuring of Pennsylvania high school wrestling classes will be considered by the PIAA board of directors for final approval on May 20.

Ursinus College Athletics is devastated by the recent loss of former standout student-athlete Daniel Manganaro. Earlier this month Manganaro '15, a star on the Bears' wrestling team, was reported to have been one of two men paddling in a canoe on Seneca Lake in New York when the canoe overturned. Despite intense recovery efforts, he was never found. "Dan was one of a kind," said longtime Ursinus assistant coach Pat Curry '01. "Whenever he walked into a room, he became the center of attention. There was just something about his presence, his attitude, his smile, and that hair. People were always just naturally drawn to him. Mango enjoyed every day of his life and you could see it just by looking at him." Daniel ManganaroManganaro was a standout on the mat for the Bears. He reached the 184-pound Centennial Conference title bout all four years of his career, claiming gold as a sophomore in 2013, and was a three-time place-winner at the NCAA East Regional championship. During Manganaro's time with the program, Ursinus lost only two conference duals and captured back-to-back CC crowns in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Manganaro received the Chris Clifford Award, given to the senior wrestler who accumulated the most career points at the CC tournament. That year, he was runner-up at regionals to earn his first career bid to the NCAA championships, where he upset the No. 5 national seed in the opening round. "I'll never forget when Dan qualified for nationals," Curry said. "He was so close the year before, losing in the 3rd place match by a point in overtime. The next day he was out there training on his own and I asked him what he was doing and his simple response was 'I am never letting that happen to me again.' His senior year, he didn't - he took second at the qualifier and made it to nationals." For teammate Chris Donaldson, the trip to nationals was the culmination of a pact between the two of them and Richie Jasinski, the team's three seniors. It was also a richly deserved reward for someone who had magnified the joy when Donaldson had earned a place at nationals two years prior. "I got back to campus around dinner time," Donaldson recalls. "As soon as I got back to our dorm room Mango had decorated the room congratulating me. He also immediately picked me up and carried me to Wismer and ran me around the whole dining hall while people cheered and congratulated me. He was just that type of person - he loved seeing his friends reach their goals and celebrating with them. "Fast forward to senior year, all three seniors had the goal from freshman year of going to nationals together. This was our last year to make it happen. I was so proud and happy when Dan qualified for nationals, especially since it was going to be in our own back yard at the Hershey Arena. I was able to return the favor and celebrate with him. I remember picking him up right after his match and carrying him up the stairs. We had finally reached our goal of all being able to experience Division III nationals." An exercise and sport science major, Manganaro also excelled in the classroom, garnering Scholar All-America recognition from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). He recently graduated from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and was set to begin his career as a surgeon at a Philadelphia hospital. "He was one of the brightest I've ever worked with," said Dr. Richard Terry, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at LECOM. "A wonderful human being who would have made a wonderful physician." Classmates, teammates, and coaches remember Dan as someone who always put others first, for his cheerful smile and his heart of gold. "The word 'athlete' is derived from the Greek word "athlein" which means 'competes for a prize,'" said Chelsy (Paulose) Heydt '15, a former wrestling manager and friend of Manganaro. "Dan is the ultimate athlete. He conquered every situation like it was the championships. For Dan, there was no practice round, no semifinals. Everything he did was as if he was going for that trophy. He gave it his all no matter if he was on the mat for practice or for a tournament. He would take tests or do labs as if it was his final thesis. He had fun and celebrated like the world would end tomorrow. He loved and protected his family and friends like he would win a medal for it. Dan gave his all in every aspect of his life." Perhaps most of all, Manganaro was renowned for his hair, a curly mop that often drew the ire of the late, great Bill Racich. "He would always drive Coach Racich nuts about the length of his hair," Curry said. "The rule back then was that your hair could not be past your eyebrows in the front and below your neck in the back. I'll never forget Mango said to Coach one day, 'If I don't win, I will let you cut my hair' with this huge smile on his face. Dan of course won that match and gave a little smile over at Coach Racich as he was getting his hand raised." Colleen Fida, Ursinus' Assistant Director of Annual Giving and a fellow 2015 graduate, said Manganaro was an unforgettable person who lived for others. "From his kind heart that always put others before himself, to his cheerful smile and ability to light up every room he entered … he's a soul that's impossible to forget. He had a heart of gold, constantly thinking of his family and friends and looking for ways to make them smile, laugh, or help them in some way. I personally have Dan to thank for teaching me how to study more efficiently and ultimately helping me to pass a few tests that I thought I was doomed for. Mind you, the many times he spent helping me, he was putting off studying for his anatomy tests coming up the following day and yep, you guessed it, that genius still aced them all!" Manganaro's infectious spirit even left an indelible mark on the Bears' rivals. "He was a fierce competitor and impossible not to love," Stevens coach Mike Clayton said. "Even when he was beating up on a Duck." One thing is certain: The man they called Mango will never be forgotten. "Dan Manganaro was an exceptional person who always pushed you to be a better version of yourself," Donaldson said. "He had a unique personality and ability about him that if you met him once you never forgot him. He will be missed but never forgotten." "The world has lost a wonderful person, but Heaven has gained one great soul," Fida said. "Rest In Peace, Mango... we will miss you so much."

One of the top high school wrestling coaches in Oklahoma is about to take the helm as principal at his school. Matt SurberMatt Surber, head wrestling coach at Tuttle High School, has been named principal at the school just outside Oklahoma City. In the words of The Oklahoman -- the daily newspaper of Oklahoma City -- in its news story on Thursday, "Surber took over the wrestling program in 2006, and the Tigers dominated their competition during his tenure." With Surber at the helm, Tuttle claimed its 12th consecutive state tournament title this year, setting a record. The Class 4A Tigers concluded the 2019-20 season with a record nine wrestlers who won individual state championship titles, and recorded the most team points (247) in state tournament history. If that weren't enough, Tuttle also won its 11th straight dual state title. If the name Surber sounds familiar -- and you're not from Oklahoma -- you may already recognize the last name as belong to Luke Surber, son of the Tuttle High mat coach, who, as one of the nation's top stars, won the 2020 Class 4A title at 182 pounds. Luke will be wrestling for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Matt Surber said his decision to quit coaching was difficult, but he is proud of the impact he had on the wrestling program. "We've had kids go to a lot of places," he said. "I'm most proud of that. The opportunity that wrestling has provided our kids to further their education and, of course, all of the relationships and influences I've had over the years." Surber's appointment must be approved by the school board prior to July 1.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a huge impact on our lives. Disrupting long-standing ways of doing things. Like conducting wrestling practice in these times of shuttered schools, "shelter-in-place" orders, mandatory "home schooling" and "social distancing." Even in these challenging times, there are ways you can use advanced technology and distance learning to help your wrestlers master the vital skills to become even more successful in the oldest and greatest sport. To help coaches and wrestlers come out on top in these trying times, InterMat thought now is the time to share proven wrestling techniques by using available distance-learning technology from multiple sources. As we see it, there are at least two options to conduct wrestling lessons and training sessions using distance-learning technologies. Share your proven wrestling instruction using the latest-and-greatest tech tools. (We'll introduce you to a trio of experienced coaches around the country who are making technology work for them to instruct and inform wrestlers even when wrestling rooms are shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.) Tap into the considerable educational resources of USA Wrestling. Coaches like you share what works for them Fellow coaches are using their proven techniques -- along with today's technology -- to conduct wrestling practice remotely ... ensuring the safety you and your wrestlers deserve in these times of social distancing. In just the past week, I came across wrestling coaches in opposite corners of the country -- one in the Pacific Northwest, one in the Southeast, along with a yet another in the Northeast -- who are overcoming obstacles to instruction in the era of coronavirus. Let's take a look at each facility. Sweet Home, Oregon: Despite the cancellation of local sporting events and stay-at-home orders, a wrestling coach in Sweet Home, Ore. wrestling coach is making sure his athletes are still training." "We can't get to a mat right now so we needed to come up with something that people can do from their living rooms or outside," Steve Thorpe told KTVL-TV. "Without being able to come together with a big practice, this is kind of what we came up with." Since the first Facebook live practice on March 26, Thorpe said his online training sessions have had over 6,000 views. "We've had such a big following that I have people reaching out wanting to be a part of running the sessions and I get a lot of pictures sent to me from the kids and parents working out and doing it with the kids." See for yourself. Get in on the Sweet Home High School wrestling's practice sessions by visiting the Oregon Wrestling Association's Facebook page . (They host several practices throughout the week.) North Alabama Elite Wrestling Club coach Jason Guyton uses Zoom to watch his wrestlers at home Sweet Home, Alabama: Two thousand miles to the southeast of Oregon, a wrestling club coach in Athens, Ala. isn't letting COVID-19 stop him from training his wrestlers. Instead, Jason Guyton is now instructing his mat stars from a distance ... using Zoom, a technology tool usually used by businesses to bring together individuals virtually from multiple locations, providing services such as video conferencing, online meetings, chat and mobile collaboration. "We're not sitting around being idle," said Guyton, who has been involved in wrestling for thirty years, and now coaches at North Alabama Elite Wrestling Club. "I have a parent who advised me about the Zoom app," Guyton said in an interview with WZDX-TV. "There's a feature called 'gallery' which lets me watch all my wrestlers at home (during practice) and they can see me and see each other too." New York-New England border: Grant Paswall owns GPS Wrestling, a traditional wrestling training facility located in Armonk, N.Y., just north of New York City on the New York/Connecticut border, that works with wrestlers "from ages 3 years and up," to quote Paswall, who wrestled at Blair Academy, then at University of Illinois, and Cal State Bakersfield prior to launching his own business. When asked how GPS Wrestling made the move to distance learning, Paswall replied, "We made the call first to close down the facility for a couple weeks and put a "pause" on things (prior to shelter-in-place rules were put in place). We decided to do our part to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus before the government had made the decision to shut down gyms and other sports facilities." "For our last in-person classes, we put together a schedule for them to work out at home, and talked about film review. Then later, I put out four videos on Instagram, skills you can work on by yourself. I also asked wrestlers to put together their own their own videos to make connections, getting them to think about how to use technology to continue learning and working out." "I've created a curriculum for online learning -- eight basic fundamentals -- the stuff that's basic to successful wrestlers," Pasweal continued. "I wanted to share what has worked for me at my facility, and can work for wrestlers and coaches beyond my area." Paswall has even gone so far as to encourage coaches and wrestlers across the country to submit their own videos online, so others can benefit from new training perspectives. To see what Grant Paswall is doing online, visit the GPS Wrestling Facebook page and website. Put the power of USA Wrestling to work for your wrestlers The considerable resources of USA Wrestling are available to you and your wrestlers -- anytime, anywhere. Mike Clayton, manager of USA Wrestling's National Coaches Education Program (NCEP) and owner of Session6Wrestling.com, shared with InterMat some ideas for taking on one of the toughest opponents any coach or wrestler has to take on: the COVID-19 pandemic. "To help our members focus training on other key areas, USA Wrestling has launched TheMat.tv, a portal with thousands of free wrestling videos, including instruction videos, competition video and interview videos," according to Clayton. "USA Wrestling is also producing daily 'Moments off the Mat' video interviews, which are streamed on TheMat.tv each weekday at 3 p.m." "We've also launched a new USA Wrestling app to best communicate info to our members: Step 1: Download the free app at "Team USA Mobile Coach App" Step 2: Click the three dashes in the upper right to open the options menu and click "add account" (enter your USA Wrestling ID) Add "USA Wrestling" "As coaches, parents, and athletes, we can make gains through education," Clayton told InterMat. "As a benefit to all current Wrestling Leader members, USA Wrestling has made the online Copper (ages 12 and under) and Bronze (13 and over) Certification courses available for free. A $50 membership now provides $130 in free educational courses for a limited time. Having both Copper and Bronze qualifies members to start Silver tasks. These tasks include coaching clinics at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center and several other tasks that help coaches reflect and refine their coaching philosophies." Dan Gable University Legends Series. USA Wrestling's Mike Clayton also recommended these videos for wrestlers who are now unable to train in their usual facilities ... providing over three hours of video tips from amateur wrestling legend Dan Gable. It's easy to tap into this knowledge from just about anywhere: Step 1: Access the Legends Series at www.USAWmembership.com Step 2: Click "Extras then "Dan Gable University Legends Series pricing: Non-members with guest log-in: $34.95 USA Wrestling members: $24.95 Note: Become a USA Wrestling member ... and save over 20% NWCA launches Scholastic Wrestling Webinar Series presented by the US Marine Corps: The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the launch of its new coaching development initiative -- the Scholastic Wrestling Webinar Series presented by the United States Marine Corps --timed just right for today's reality. "Coaches are currently operating in uncharted waters as they deal with school closings and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic," according to Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "It is our hope that these free webinars will help connect coaches and give them an opportunity for continuous coaching development." The free webinar series is available for all coaches interested in learning from the team of NWCA Scholastic Leadership Academy facilitators. Membership is not required for participation. Each one-hour webinar will be offered on Wednesday and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Following the session, the archived video will be available in the NWCA Member's Only Portal for on-demand viewing. Here's the schedule for upcoming webinars: How a Better Culture Can Improve your Team's Experience and Performance Presenter: Dave Crowell, Nazareth High School (Pa.) Wednesday, April 29 Sunday, May 3 REGISTER Building Champions: Creating a Culture of Commitment and Mental Toughness This Year Presenter: Pete Jacobson, Edgemont High School (N.Y.) Wednesday, May 6 Sunday, May 10 REGISTER Long-Term Athletic Development: Age-Appropriate Training/Competition Guidelines Presenter: Dr. Dennis Johnson, HEM-VIEW Consultants LLC Wednesday, May 13 Sunday, May 17 REGISTER Details for additional webinar topics will be released as they get scheduled going forward. Scheduling updates will be available via the NWCA Events Page. Sports psychology tools to enhance wrestling performance in this time of quarantine The feature article you're reading is intended to provide practical ideas to help wrestlers develop skills at a time when access to the wrestling room is limited. Now ... here's a development tool that coaches and wrestlers like you may never considered, and, if fact, may not even know about. InterMat interviewed Dr. Rob Elliott Owens to learn about his techniques to help athletes (and others) maximize performance and give them a performance edge. Dr. Owens, an adjunct professor in sport and performance psychology at the University of Western States, is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) which describes itself as "the leading organization for sport psychology consultants and professionals who work with athletes, coaches, non-sport performers (dancers, musicians), business professionals, and tactical occupations (military, firefighters, police) to enhance their performance from a psychological standpoint." The core psychological/mental skills needed for optimal performance for grappling sports like wrestling include the ability to build confidence, set realistic and measurable goals, manage emotions and anxiety effectively, use positive self-talk and mental imagery to prepare for competition, and maintain high levels of intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is about competing for the fun or sake of competition versus competing just to win medals or trophies. What's more, Dr. Owens has a background in online teaching, faculty/professional development, wellness coaching, program evaluation, credentialing and accreditation ... the kind of skills coaches and wrestlers will truly appreciate in their search for skills that are relevant. In order to enhance an athlete's mental skills, Dr. Owens recommends the following resources for wrestling coaches and athletes: Finding Mastery and Z Wrestling Midset podcasts. Dr. Jim Afremow's Mental Skills Training App for Athletes, and the second edition of noted wrestling historian Mike Chapman's book Wrestling Tough. Mental Skills Training Made Easy. Develop pro level mental skills by following the mental training routines used by the world's top athletes .... Ready for you to download via the Appstore and Googleplay (access download apps by clicking on the link within in the subhead in this section. For athletes looking for a more personal approach to develop their mental edge, Dr. Owens recommends that wrestlers of all levels consider working with a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC). AASP maintains a directory where wrestlers can search for mental skills consultants based on geographic location, sport, and specialization. For additional information, please contact Dr. Owens at reowens@uncg.edu Got specific questions for Dr. Owens? Contact him via email him: reowens@uncg.edu. Get a great wrestling workout at lunchtime -- online! If you're locked out of your wrestling room nowadays, you can still get in a great workout, thanks to Lewis Baker's Facebook group Wrestling Lunch Break -- Live Wrestling Practice (with Rotating Coaches). Every day at 12:30-1:30 p.m. ET, the Facebook group lets you get in on a practice session run by some of the nation's best club, private and/or high-level coaches There's absolutely no charge for these unbeatable lessons and coaching. (Feel free to offer payment to the coach's own PayPay/Vemmo account or the charity of the week.) What are the lessons like? Most coaches will record a brief introduction to themselves and their lesson plans, along with any equipment that might make it easier for you to complete your workout. So tell your friends, tell your teammates, but most importantly check in and check out some of the best the wrestling world has to offer ... for free!

"The NCAA takes biggest step yet toward allowing college athletes to be compensated for name, image and likeness." That's the headline on a MSN.com news story Wednesday reporting that the NCAA Board of Governors -- the association's highest governing body -- expressed support for recommended rule changes that would allow college athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness. After meeting earlier this week, the NCAA Board of Governors agreed that student-athletes should be allowed to receive compensation for third-party endorsements "both related and separate from athletics." Additionally, athletes would be permitted to receive payment for other opportunities "such as social media, businesses they have started and personal appearances" all based on a framework established by the NCAA last October. "While student-athletes would be permitted to identify themselves by sport and school, the use of conference and school logos, trademarks or other involvement would not be allowed," according to the NCAA Board of Governors statement issued Wednesday. "The board emphasized that at no point should a university or college pay student-athletes for name, image and likeness activities." In fact, the board is requiring limitations around any future name, image and likeness activities. These would include no name, image and likeness activities that would be considered pay for play; no school or conference involvement; no use of name, image and likeness for recruiting by schools or boosters; and the regulation of agents and advisors. "Throughout our efforts to enhance support for college athletes, the NCAA has relied upon considerable feedback from and the engagement of our members, including numerous student-athletes, from all three divisions [Div. I, II and III]," said Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of Ohio State. "Allowing promotions and third-party endorsements is uncharted territory."

Spencer Lee wrestling in the Big Ten Championships quarterfinals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa junior Spencer Lee was named co-winner of the AAU James E. Sullivan Award on Wednesday, presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. The winner is determined by public vote, media vote, and committee vote. Lee shared the award with Oregon women's basketball player Sabrina Ionescu. It is the third time in the 90-year history of the Sullivan Award that co-winners were selected. "I am incredibly humbled," Lee said. "It was an honor to be nominated and reach the finals, so to be selected among this incredible group of individuals is pretty special. It is great to be the fifth wrestler to win the award, and it is really special to be able to represent the University of Iowa. I am happy to share this award with Sabrina. All of the finalists are deserving. I am very surprised and very thankful." Lee is the fourth wrestler to be recognized. He joins Bruce Baumgartner, Rulon Gardner, John Smith, and Kyle Snyder as past amateur wrestling award winners. He and Ionescu were selected among 10 finalists, including Evita Griskenas (USA rhythmic gymnastics), Grant Holloway (Florida track & field), Markus Howard (Marquette basketball), Trevor Lawrence (Clemson football), Dana Rettke (Wisconsin volleyball), Kyla Ross (UCLA gymnastics), Megan Taylor (Maryland lacrosse), and Abby Weitzeil (Cal swimming & diving). The Sullivan Awards are held annually at the New York Athletic Club. This is the first year they were held virtually. All 10 of this year's finalists will be invited to visit the NYAC in 2021. Lee and Ionescu are both invited to celebrate their awards with the AAU at Walt Disney World. Representatives from the AAU created the AAU James E. Sullivan Award with the intent to recognize amateur contributions and achievements from non-professional athletes across the country. The AAU Sullivan Award is presented to the athlete who has demonstrated the most athletic success, as well as leadership, character and sportsmanship in the past year. World renowned golfer Robert "Bobby" Jones received the inaugural award in 1930 and swimmer Anne Curtis became the first female to accept the award in 1944. Other notable athletes to win the award include famed Olympians Carl Lewis (1981), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986), Michael Phelps (2003) and Shawn Johnson (2008), former UCLA basketball star Bill Walton (1973) and University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (1997).

Last week, a decision made by the governor of Florida that deemed professional wrestling to be "an essential activity" generated headlines -- and some derision -- well beyond the Sunshine State. This week, the Florida High School Athletic Association took an historic first step in opening new opportunities for real wrestling, voting unanimously to endorse the sanctioning of the sport for girls. If approved by the FHSAA Board of Directors this summer, Florida will join 23 other states in sanctioning girls' wrestling, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday. A number of coaches made their case for making girls' high school wrestling an official sport in Florida in a virtual public meeting using Zoom video technology to avoid large in-person assemblies in this era of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. "As soon as a state association legitimizes a sport, more girls flock to the sport," Orlando Freedom High School girls' wrestling coach Lynzie Doll told the FHSAA's Athletic Directors Advisory Committee. During the most recent school year, there were 708 girls listed on Florida high school wrestling rosters. "That's 708 girls that are brave enough to wrestle on a boys wrestling team," said Mike Crowder, Tallahassee Lincoln coach. "When you change this to an all-girls sport, the numbers are gonna be outrageous." "It's usually easier the second time after getting the unanimous approval the first time but we did a good job presenting it," Crowder told the Orlando Sentinel. What's more, once high school girls' wrestling is officially sanctioned in Florida, girls will have their own competition at the state wrestling championships.

Heath Gray MANHEIM, Pa -- On Wednesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the winners of both the Division II Wrestler of the Year and Rookie Wrestler of the Year awards. "We are proud to honor two very deserving athletes on their outstanding achievements during the 2020 season. They were each selected from a group of highly decorated athletes and should be proud of the manner in which they represented their institutions," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. NWCA DIVISION II WRESTLER OF THE YEAR The NWCA is proud to announce the NWCA Division II Wrestler of the Year is Heath Gray from the University of Central Oklahoma. Gray, a junior from Chandler, Oklahoma, who competes at 184 pounds, completed his season with a 29-1 record and was named one of six NWCA Division II Super Regional Wrestlers of the Year. Gray's impressive 2020 season was highlighted by winning the Super Regional Title and securing the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Division II Championships. This followed his sophomore campaign in which he secured All-American honors with a third-place finish at the Division II National Championships. Heath will enter his senior campaign looking to achieve his third All-America honor. SUPER REGION WRESTLER OF THE YEAR WINNERS Super Region 1 - Andrew Dunn, Kutztown University Super Region 2 - Isiah Royal, Newberry College Super Region 3 - Hunter Bray, Notre Dame College Super Region 4 - Heath Gray, University of Central Oklahoma Super Region 5 - Nick Baumler, Upper Iowa University Super Region 6 - Robert Gambrell, Colorado School of Mines NWCA DIVISION II ROOKIE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR This year's NWCA Division II Rookie Wrestler of the year is Joseph Bianchini of St. Cloud State University. The Elk Grove Village, IL native, finished his redshirt freshman campaign with a 20-1 record and was named one of six NWCA Division II Super Regional Rookie Wrestlers of the Year. The 2020 season saw Bianchini, 141-pound wrestler, win the Super Regional Title, earn All-NSIC First Team honors, and capture NWCA All-American honors. SUPER REGION ROOKIE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR WINNERS Super Region 1 - Jacob Ealey, University of Pitt-Johnstown Super Region 2 - Josh Blatt, Belmont Abbey College Super Region 3 - Jared Campbell, Notre Dame College Super Region 4 - Dalton Abney, University of Central Oklahoma Super Region 5 - Joseph Bianchini, St. Cloud State University Super Region 6 - Patrick Allis, Western Colorado University 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.

J'den Cox (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The date is March 18, 2017. J'den Cox has just defeated Minnesota's Brett Pfarr, 8-2, to win his third national championship in front of 18,000 fans at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. In his home state, he has just finished one of, if not the most magnificent collegiate career in Mizzou history, becoming the first three-time National Champion in Mizzou Athletics history. Three national titles. Four All-America honors. Four conference championships. 136 victories. The resume is lengthy. But when asked about his journey to get to where he is, Cox simplifies it. "I'm just a boy from Columbia, Missouri, named J'den Cox and I just love to wrestle," said the homegrown talent after finishing off his spectacular collegiate career. It's a mindset he still carries to this day. "Obviously there's more that stems on to it, but that right there carries it," said Cox. "I'm just a boy from CoMo who likes to scrap it out. That will never change. It will always be that for me and I am proud of that. I'll carry that for a long time." But for Cox, life has always been about more than wrestling. On top of his training and sponsorship fulfillments, Cox has become an advocate for the mental health and hearing-impaired communities. His weekly instructional videos on sign language have become a hit within his following. The relationships and interactions he has made throughout his journey have meant the world to him. "My goal has always been to not be recognized as a wrestler, but as a person," said Cox. "My growth can't just come on a mat, it has to come throughout my life. I think the person, the man I've become to be and still am growing to be, it's something that I take seriously and I hold to a very high standard. I think people see that and respect that. With time, as I grew, it really started to show. And I think people were really able to take in who I was and I think that added to how awesome it was and what I accomplished. But I definitely think fans cheer for the person more than the wrestler." In the summer of 2016, just weeks after winning his second national title, Cox exploded onto the international wrestling scene, cumulating in a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics. His remarkable summer began with a run through his weight class (86 kg) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where he was seeded 10th and beat the likes of Dan Hodge Trophy winners Jake Herbert and Kyle Dake to earn his first spot on the U.S National Team. With his weight class not yet qualified for the Olympics, Cox's next step to Olympic glory included a trip to Mongolia for a Qualifying Tournament. One issue, Cox didn't have a passport. So he hopped on a quick flight to Denver, and drove to Colorado Springs so the US Olympic committee could assist in the sped-up process. The Columbia-grown superstar was ready for international travel. Once in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Cox needed to finish in the top-three of his weight class to qualify the red white and blue for Rio. In dominating fashion, he finished first, outscoring the opposition, 36-3, in five matches. He was ready for Rio. On that fateful day in August, Cox came so close to wrestling gold, falling in the semifinals in controversial fashion. But he rebounded in fashion, just like he always has, to earn the bronze medal at 86 kg following a win over Cuba's Reineris Salas Perez. He became just the seventh Mizzou athlete – and the first since 2008 – to win a medal at the Olympics. Fast forward four years to 2020. Add on another World bronze medal and two World Championships to Cox's resume. This was supposed to be Cox's year. He was ready to win gold at the Olympics. Until life changed. For Cox and for the entire world, as the Olympics and every other sporting event around the globe was postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "That's where we are right now, people's health and people's well-being have to come first," said Cox. "So we are making the adjustments as we go along, I think it's hard because there is a lot of bad news as far as how we train and how we want to go along things as athletes, but we have to roll with the punches and do our best and make the adjustments as we need to." "My goal has always been to not be recognized as a wrestler, but as a person. My growth can't just come on a mat, it has to come throughout my life. I think the person, the man I've become to be and still am growing to be, it's something that I take seriously and I hold to a very high standard. I think people see that and respect that. With time, as I grew, it really started to show. And I think people were really able to take in who I was and I think that added to how awesome it was and what I accomplished. But I definitely think fans cheer for the person more than the wrestler." Don't worry, though. Cox is confident this will not slow him down. "Whenever I get the chance again, I'll be ready to take it back out there," said the Olympic hopeful. Cox's goals have always been ambitious, but that's not what he hopes to be remembered for. "My career is going to happen however it sees fit," said Cox. "Whether I make teams or don't. Whether I win medals or don't. But I believe the things that I have done, the interactions that I have had, the person I am and how I carry myself is what makes Missouri proud. And that is what I would like people to recognize, because at the end of the day, there are going to be plenty more Olympians after me. There will be plenty more World Medalists and Olympic Medalists, and all that, but there will forever be one J'den Cox. My goal to make Missouri proud is to carry myself with dignity, honor and respect, and treat others with love and care and passion and go from there living day-by-day."

Hungry to watch some college wrestling in the off-season? Feeling housebound because of the COVID-19 quarantine? University of Tennessee-Chattanooga wrestling has just what you're looking for: old-school wrestling films available for your viewing pleasure ... this Thursday, April 29 at 8 p.m. Eastern at Facebook.com/ChattanoogaMocs. If that weren't fun on its own, how about this: You can help UTC Moc wrestling identify some of the unidentified wrestlers on the film. Here's the story: "Earlier this year, we digitized a number of old 8MM and 16MM film cannisters from our archives. Most of the cans were old football games, but there was a handful that were unmarked and a mystery to us. "When we the digital copies were returned, we were surprised to see a few of the cans were old wrestling footage. There are some we can figure out, but most we don't know who is wrestling or when the match occurred." (The UTC MocsVision crew encourages wrestling fans to "speak up" during the show if you know who is competing.) "We thought we could use them somewhere down the road, but had no idea that fans would soon be starving for Mocs action due to the COVID-19 pandemic." All that restored film has added up to enough footage for four of these UTC Old-School Wrestling Watch Party sessions. According to UTC wrestling, this first edition includes footage from the 1977 NCAA Division II National Championship, and "we also think there are some matches from the 1979 Midlands Tournament. All totaled, about 35 minutes of action." Now you can't say, "There's nothing to watch tonight ..."

The point cannot be mentioned enough, but in an individualized team sport such as wrestling, talent matters. While there are clearly factors such as attrition, development, and culture that play integral roles in the success of teams and individuals at the college level -- there is a strong tie between ability level and success. When looking at the All-American finishes from the last four NCAAs (top eight seeds were used this year due to the tournament being canceled), here is a look at the ratio of All-Americans based on the prospect rankings: Top-10 recruits: (2017) 19/80 (2018) 23/80 (2019) 25/80 (2020) 18/80 Top-20 recruits: (2017) 33/80 (2018) 32/80 (2019) 35/80 (2020) 34/80 Top-30 recruits: (2107) 40/80 (2018) 38/80 (2019) 45/80 (2020) 45/80 Top-100 recruits: (2017) 60/80 (2018) 63/80 (2019) 67/80 (2020) 68/80 The rosters of the two dominant teams in the 2019-20 season, Iowa and Penn State, personify the "talent matters" premise. Recruiting class rankings for Iowa's 10 NCAA qualifiers: 125: Spencer Lee -- No. 1 Class of 2017 133: Austin DeSanto -- No. 14 Class of 2017 (was transfer from Drexel) 141: Max Murin -- No. 30 Class of 2017 149: Patricio Lugo -- No. 75 Class of 2015 (was transfer from Edinboro) 157: Kaleb Young -- No. 26 Class of 2016 165: Alex Marinelli -- No. 3 Class of 2016 174: Michael Kemerer -- No. 11 Class of 2015 184: Abe Assad -- No. 26 Class of 2019 197: Jacob Warner -- No. 7 Class of 2017 285: Anthony Cassioppi -- No. 18 Class of 2018 Recruiting class rankings for Penn State's seven NCAA qualifiers: 133: Roman Bravo-Young -- No. 15 Class of 2018 141: Nick Lee -- No. 5 Class of 2017 149: Jarod Verkleeren -- No. 16 Class of 2017 165: Vincenzo Joseph -- No. 7 Class of 2015 174: Mark Hall -- No. 1 Class of 2016 184: Aaron Brooks -- No. 14 Class of 2018 197: Shakur Rasheed -- No. 56 Class of 2014 Below are the top-25 recruiting classes for 2020. Dustin Plott is one of six InterMat top-100 recruits in Oklahoma State's recruiting class (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) 1. Oklahoma State Top-100 recruits: No. 2 A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas), No. 3 Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.), No. 16 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 36 Jakason Burks (Omaha Burke, Neb.), No. 55 Luke Surber (Tuttle, Okla.), No. 58 Konner Doucet (Comache, Okla.) Weight class ranked: Daniel Jezik (Coal City, Ill.) Additional notable: Elise Brown Ton (Allen, Texas) Commentary: The years in which Oklahoma State has finished outside the top seven at the NCAAs can be counted on one hand, the most recent of those were in 2009 (16th) and 2018 (13th). The InterMat tournament rankings had the Cowboys slotted to finish eighth. This recruiting class is designed to ensure the Cowboys return to finishing within the top four at the NCAAs sooner rather than later. Ferrari, Plott and Mastrogiovanni all had super-elite talent and production during their scholastic careers; Burks, Surber, and Doucet also have strong in-season resumes with national productivity of their own. 2. Missouri Top-100 recruits: No. 5 Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.), No. 13 Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.), No. 19 Josh Edmond (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Weight class ranked: Steven Kolcheff (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Additional notable: Trey Crawford (Holt, Mo.), Colton Hawks (Holt, Mo.) Impact transfer: Matthew Schmitt (West Viginia) Commentary: The canceled 2020 NCAAs might have marked an end to the Tigers' run of five consecutive top-10 NCAA finishes. The three top-end wrestlers that Brian Smith and staff brought into Columbia are designed to ensure that "Tiger Style" returns to its position as a top-10 program sooner rather than later; O'Toole and Elam ended the season ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes, while Edmond was ranked No. 2. Two-time NCAA qualifier Schmitt has two remaining years of eligibility, and immediately upgrades the lineup at 133/141. 3. Penn State Top-100 recruits: No. 6 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 14 Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 28 Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.), No. 80 Matthew Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind./NLWC) Additional notable: Aurelius Dunbar (Mercersburg Academy, Pa.) Commentary: This type of recruiting class is one of the obvious reasons why Penn State has been the national power for the last ten years, and is well-positioned to extend that into the next decade. Bartlett and Howard were both the No. 1 overall recruit at various points in time during the Class of 2020 evaluation cycle. Unless Howard is an immediate solution at 125 pounds in terms of size, both him and Bartlett should get the luxury of a redshirt year to develop behind clear national title contenders. Boone was a relatively late commitment, though he comes from a perennially strong high school program, one that produced Gabe and Max Dean; while Matthew Lee is the youngest brother of Nick (and Joe) Lee, and has already been acclimating in Happy Valley for one year. 4. Cornell Top-100 recruits: No. 10 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo./USOTC), No. 17 Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), No. 44 Ethan Hatcher (Brecksville, Ohio), No. 81 Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) Weight class ranked: Gage McClenahan (Bald Eagle Area, Pa.) Additional notable: Chayse LaJoie (Gaylord, Mich.), Najee Lockett (Shaker Hts, Ohio) Commentary: The Big Red were sitting on a stretch of 12 straight top-10 finishes at the NCAAs before this year's cancellation. Though ranked to finish outside that position in the team standings, it was due to three returning All-American wrestlers with eligibility remaining choosing to take Olympic redshirts. Strong recruiting will be the backbone of next year's roster (No. 12 in 2016, No,. 2 in 2017, and No. 3 in 2019). In terms of this class, Saunders and Diakomihalis are the most obvious stars; Saunders has competed in multiple age-group freestyle world championships, while Greg Diakomihalis has not lost a scholastic match since eighth grade and is the younger brother of a two-time NCAA champion. 5. North Carolina Top-100 recruits: No. 8 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 24 Julian Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio/USOTC), No. 40 Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 49 Gavin Kane (Cambridge, Ga.), No. 57 Clay Lautt (St. Thomas Aquinas, Kansas) Additional notable: Curtis Ruff (Seminole, Fla.) Commentary: This is a third top-10 recruiting class in four years (No. 10 in 2017, No. 9 in 2018). This past season, the Tar Heels were a top-10 dual meet team in a highly competitive ACC. The talent in this class provides further foundation to stabilize as a top-10 (+/-) dual meet program and emerge into that in tournament strength. McNeil had arguably the greatest leap of any Class of 2020 wrestler in the last calendar year, and should only continue to grow with Austin O'Connor as a drill partner. The other four top-100 recruits provide this class very broad coverage throughout the lineup with legitimate talent. 6. Iowa Top-100 recruits: No. 4 Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.), No. 25 Jesse Ybarra (Sunnyside, Ariz.), No. 45 Bretli Reyna (South Dade, Fla.), No. 53 Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa), No. 92 Gabe Christenson (Southeast Polk, Iowa) Commentary: Iowa currently has a roster that is as loaded as any in the country, probably the most loaded headed into the 2020-21 season. The Hawkeyes add to that in this class with the superlative Kennedy, who fits in as a candidate at 174 pounds after a redshirt year behind Kemerer; Ybarra and Schriever adding to an already strong Hawkeye stable; while Reyna comes from the same high school as Pat Lugo, and Christenson is a talented in-state upper-weight. 7. Nebraska Top-100 recruits: No. 15 Dominick Serrano (Windsor, Colo.), No. 43 Silas Allred (Shenandoah, Ind.), No. 61 Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.), No. 82 Nathan Haas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) Impact transfer: Liam Cronin (Indiana University) Commentary: A program whose hallmark has been consistent production and success epitomized that in 2019-20. The Cornhuskers were ranked No. 4 in both the dual meet and tournament rankings at the end of the season, while finishing second in the standings at the Big Ten Tournament and winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Cronin provides a potential one-year solution at 125 pounds, while Reno could be the long-term answer after a redshirt year in which he should add strength to his excellent ability level. Serrano is a high-end potential replacement to Chad Red at 141 pounds after a redshirt, while Haas and Allred are excellent upper-weight options. 8. North Carolina State Top-100 recruits: No. 39 Ed Scott (DuBois, Pa.), No. 46 Isaac Trumble (Millard South, Neb.), No. 47 Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.), No. 94 A.J. Kovacs (Iona Prep, N.Y.) Weight class ranked: Anthony Noto (Honeoye Falls/Lima, N.Y.), Dylan Reinert (Gettysburg, Pa.) Additional notable: Joe Roberts (Montini Catholic, Ill.) Commentary: The talent development and procurement train continued with the results of the 2019-20 season in which the Wolfpack went undefeated in dual meet competition, and were champions of the ACC Championships. It further continues with the haul that Pat Popolizio and staff have brought in with this class. Two of the four top-100 recruits come from areas where NC State has mined success in the past -- Jack is the younger brother of multiple-time All-American Kevin Jack, while Kovacs is also a Connecticut resident though he attended high school in Long Island. The anchors of this class are middle-weight talent Scott and projected heavyweight Trumble, whose improvement in the last calendar year is second to none (some similarities to Gwiazdowski in that you're talking about a rangy athlete who will be competing at heavyweight after being lighter for much of his high school career). 9. Virginia Tech Top-100 recruits: No. 27 Hunter Catka (Sun Valley, Pa.), No. 31 Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.), No. 56 Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.), No. 93 Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin, Pa.) Additional notable: Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.), Nathan Warden (Christiansburg, Va.) Commentary: Tony Robie and his Hokies staff continues to recruit at a level that will enable Virginia Tech to contend for top-10 type finishes at the NCAAs, and to compete for titles in the ever-improving ACC environment. Catka has the potential to be a high-end heavyweight, Ventresca and Hillegas should help in the lighter weights, while Ulrey is a talented middle-weight. Fisher and Warden are solid in-state talents that should bolster the overall competitiveness of the Virginia Tech practice room. 10. Northern Iowa Top-100 recruits: No. 23 Cael Happel (Lisbon, Iowa), No. 35 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio) Weight class ranked: Ethan Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) Additional notable: Adam Allard (West Sioux, Iowa), Julian Farber (Veterans, Ga.) Impact transfer: Brody Teske (Penn State) Commentary: For Doug Schwab and staff, this is a fifth recruiting class in six years that is ranked within the top 25, a run that started with the No. 4 Class of 2015. That is important for the Panthers if they are to compete directly with Iowa State and Oklahoma State for supremacy within the Big 12. Now the challenge is to build upon the accomplishments of Taylor Lujan, Bryce Steiert, Max Thomsen, Jacob Holschlag, and Jay Schwarm from that 2015 group. This class is one with clear potential, as Happel and Snodgrass both placed third in robust Junior freestyle weight classes last summer; while Teske returns home with three years of eligibility, even though things did not work out for the four-time high school state champ as a 133 pounds at Penn State. Basile and Farber continue Northern Iowa's connection with the Southeastern United States. 11. Lehigh Top-100 recruits: No. 26 Thayne Lawrence (Frazier, Pa.), No. 37 Manzona Bryant (Hudson WRA, Ohio), No. 67 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Weight class ranked: Sheldon Seymour (Athens, Pa.) Additional notable: Chris Barnabae (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.), J.T. Davis (Smyrna, Del.), Connor Herceg (Nazareth, Pa.) Commentary: Lehigh was ranked inside the top 10 in both the tournament strength and dual team rankings from InterMat at season's end. Bringing in a recruiting class such as this with capable high-end talent will enable the trend to continue for the Mountain Hawks. Seymour and Munch are projected to help out the lower-weights, while Bryant and Lawrence fit as middle-weights. 12. Michigan Top-100 recruits: No. 20 Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia, Pa.), No. 30 Dylan Ragusin (Montini Catholic, Ill.) Weight class ranked: Fidel Mayora (Montini Catholic, Ill.), Joseph Walker (Mishawaka, Ind.) Additional notable: Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.), Brendin Yatooma (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Commentary: Last year's Wolverines recruiting class was ranked No. 11 overall with two basically top-20 recruits and not too much depth behind it, though it ended up being that Cole Mattin had a positive true freshman season despite missing out on NCAA tournament qualification. Yet again two excellent talents anchor; Ragusin as a clear lower-weight (125/133) and Garcia as a clear upper-weight (197/285), though Garcia is likely going to be shared with the football program in Ann Arbor. Garcia has multiple state records in the Keystone State as a running back, though he projects more to fullback in college. In terms of the complimentary pieces, Mayora joins classmate Ragusin and fellow Montini alum Lewan on the roster; Bullock and Walker possess upside in the middle-to-upper weights; while Yatooma was a football/wrestling athlete at national power Detroit Catholic Central. 13. Rutgers Top-100 recruits: No. 21 John Poznanaski (Colonia, N.J.), No. 63 Connor O'Neil (DePaul Catholic, N.J.), No. 68 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio) Additional notable: Andrew Clark (Collingswood, N.J.) Impact transfer: Boone McDermott (Iowa Central) Commentary: Though the on-mat momentum of the pair of national champions from 2019 did not continue in the 2020 season, the Scarlet Knights' fan base is emerging to be among the most passionate and strong within the sport; that manifested itself in a most excellently attended Big Ten Championships hosted by Rutgers in early March. Enthusiasm and passion have demonstrated itself as Scott Goodale and staff bring in yet another strong class, which is anchored by in-state wrestlers Poznanski and O'Neil. JUCO national champion McDermott has the potential to be an impact heavyweight for the next three years, Shawver should help in the lighter-weights, while Clark is a third New Jersey state champion in this class. 14. West Virginia Top-100 recruits: No. 29 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), No. 60 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), No. 76 Carter Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.), No. 86 Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield, Ohio) Additional notable: Joey Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.), Colton Drousias (Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill.) Commentary: This is Tim Flynn's second recruiting class of his own as head wrestling coach at West Virginia after leaving Edinboro to take the job in April of 2018. This is by far the best Mountaineers class since the 2015 group that was ranked No. 3 overall; however, that one was marred by attrition and underachievement, part of why there was a coaching transition in Morgantown. This class happens to be very heavy on middle-weight types, with four that competed at either 152 pounds or 160 pounds as high school seniors, and all within a three-hour drive from West Virginia University. Getting high-end in-state wrestlers such as Hall and Roberts to combine with Noah Adams is a crucial statement for the program. 15. Michigan State Top-100 recruits: No. 7 Chase Saldate (Gilroy, Calif.), No. 73 Tristan Lujan (Selma, Calif.) Weight class ranked: Caleb Fish (Eaton Rapids, Mich.) Additional notable: Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.), Skyler Crespo (Mendon, Mich.), Eddie Homrock (Brighton, Mich.) Commentary: The building blocks for Roger Chandler as head wrestling coach at Michigan State have been rather slow, but they are present. The 2016 recruiting class was ranked No. 25, the next two classes were not ranked, with last year's as honorable mention. From the 2019-20 season, a dual meet victory over Wisconsin and finishing 10th at the conference tournament were the probable highlights. Getting two-time state champion Lujan and national No. 1 Saldate from California can only help build on that momentum. MSU also brings in three in-state wrestlers that have won multiple state titles, which ultimately will help build that lineup depth and roster quality needed to compete in the Big Ten. 16. Wisconsin Top-100 recruit: No. 1 Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) Weight class ranked: Graham Calhoun (Plymouth, Ind.) Additional notable: Aidan Medora (Brookfield Academy, Wis.), Joseph Zargo (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) Impact transfer: Chris Weiler (Lehigh) Commentary: The 2019 class that was basically Chris Bono's first class as head coach was ranked No. 4 overall. While this class is ranked lower, getting the services of No. 1 overall recruit Braxton Amos is a clear tone setter that things are continuing to be on the up in Madison; Amos projects to be a high-end NCAA heavyweight. Weiler comes in from Lehigh after qualifying for the NCAAs as the No. 13 seed, and will be the starter in his senior season at 184 pounds for the Badgers. 17. Ohio State Weight class ranked: Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio) Delayed enrollee: Anthony Echemandia (Sunnyside, Ariz./USOTC) Impact transfer: Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley) Commentary: The previous two classes for the Buckeyes were absolutely loaded with projected talent; in fact the 2019 group was ranked No. 1 overall (it should be noted that Kerkvliet has since left Columbus, and is on the Penn State roster). This class is different in structure, though Echemandia comes in with super blue-chip potential; he defected from Cuba and won a Junior National freestyle champion in 2018 after winning a state title for Sunnyside in Arizona, but will not matriculate to college until this fall. Orndorff is the most notable of a couple incoming transfers for Ohio State, as he was seeded No. 8 at 285 pounds for the NCAAs this year and has two years of eligibility remaining. 18. Princeton Top-100 recruits: No. 32 Luke Stout (Mt. Lebanon, Pa.), No. 62 Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.) Weight class ranked: Nick Masters (Woodward Academy, Ga.) Additional notable: Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), Jonathon Miers (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Commentary: Four of the last five recruiting classes for head coach Chris Ayres have been extremely positive for a Princeton program that ended the Cornell monopoly on the Ivy League title this past season. It's a pair of top-100 recruits as anchors this season; in 2018 there were four top-100 recruits including Patrick Glory and Quincy Monday; 2017 featured a pair of top-30 recruits in Travis Stefanik and Patrick Brucki; while three top-100 wrestlers committed in 2016. Clark comes from the same high school program as Patrick Glory, while Stout is the younger brother of multi-time NCAA qualifier Kellan Stout from Pitt. 19. Minnesota Top-100 recruits: No. 18 Anthony Nagao (Esperanza, Calif.), No. 54 Isaiah Salazar (Windsor, Colo.), No. 84 Andrew Sparks (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) Commentary: As things stand, the Golden Gophers are squarely in the mid-tier of Big Ten wrestling, with a clear gap between them and the Iowa/Penn State/Ohio State tier; which if one looked at where collegiate wrestling was 15 years ago would come as a shock (you had the Iowa/Oklahoma State/Minnesota trio at the top of the whole sport). Getting back very close to the top is going to be hard in an increasingly competitive landscape, though it's possible if they hit on the vast majority of recruits they bring in and can get that development piece right. The three key wrestlers in this class, all out of state, each have potential to be legitimate at the college level; which would serve Minnesota very well. 20. Purdue Top-100 recruits: No. 12 Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), No. 38 Jacob Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) Additional notable: Dorian Keys (Brownsburg, Ind.), Trey Kruse (Stillwater, Minn.) Commentary: The Boilermakers have seen incremental progress over the six seasons that Tony Ersland has served as head wrestling coach. After finishes of 40th or lower in the first three years at the NCAAs, Purdue finished inside the top 30 in 2018 and 2019 with a tournament strength ranking at the end of 2019-20 right around 20th. The fifth-place finish at this year's Big Ten tournament was a high-water mark for Purdue in that event for a relatively long time. Getting a pair of top-40 wrestlers to commit to Lafayette, especially one from Western Pennsylvania, is a clear feather in the cap for Ersland and staff. 21. Campbell Top-100 recruits: No. 59 Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), No. 89 Chris Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) Weight class ranked: Chad Nix (Jensen Beach, Fla.) Additional notable: B.J. Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.), Chase Warden (Dripping Springs, Texas) Commentary: Cary Kolat built something very positive in his time as head coach at Campbell, as the Camels have won SoCon titles in three of the last four years; while their six NCAA qualifiers this past season tied a school record. Though Kolat moves on to Navy, lead assistant Scotti Sentes was promoted to head coach; while Darryl Thomas will bring his recruiting wizardry from the disbanded Old Dominion program to help Sentes and the Camels. This class is anchored by three wrestlers from Sentes' home state of Florida, including the Rivera twins from national power Lake Highland Prep; while Nix has excellent potential as a 197/285. Warden has potential in the middle-weights, as does Bailey who came along with Thomas when Old Dominion's program sadly went belly-up. 22. Navy Top-100 recruits: No. 22 Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) Weight class ranked: Grady Griess (Northwest, Neb.) Additional notable: Gavin Bell (Beavercreek, Ohio), Matthew Rogers (Wantagh, N.Y.), A.J. Tamburrino (Hatboro Horsham, Pa.) Commentary: Navy underwent a head coaching transition after the just completed season, as former Campbell head coach Cary Kolat takes the helm in Annapolis. In six seasons under Joel Sharratt, the Midshipmen only had one All-American, and only finished inside the top 25 at the NCAAs one time. This was the second top-25 recruiting class produced by Sharratt, his first class in 2015 was ranked 21st, which means that Kolat will come in with some young building blocks. Anchoring this class -- no pun intended -- is two-time Pennsylvania state champion Cerniglia. Griess could also be an asset as a heavyweight, while Super 32 placer Bell moved up three weight classes for his senior season and was undefeated at 182 pounds before his scholastic state tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus. 23. Arizona State Top-100 recruit: No. 9 Jesse Vasquez (Excelsior Charter, Calif.) Impact transfer: Michael McGee (Old Dominion) Commentary: The last chunk of years, the Sun Devils have operated on a every other year basis in terms of big class, not so big class. The 2015 (anchored by Zahid Valencia and Anthony Valencia) was ranked No. 1 overall, 2017 was a top-10 class, while last year's haul was ranked No. 2 overall. Headlining the group this year is four-time California state champion Vasquez, who should be a high-end middle-weight. McGee qualified for the NCAAs as a true freshman (1-2) and sophomore (3-2/round of 12) before redshirting this past year at Old Dominion; he has two years of eligibility remaining after transferring when the Monarchs' program was discontinued. 24. Iowa State Top-100 recruit: No. 52 Kysen Terukina (Kamehameha-Kapalama, Hawaii), No. 70 Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), No. 78 Cameron Robinson (Council Rock South, Pa.) Weight class ranked: Cody Fisher (Woodward-Granger, Iowa) Commentary: On-the-mat performance in Year 3 under Kevin Dresser was similar to that of Year 2, which was clear improvement from Year 1. The Cyclones have yet to make that aspirational leap into the top 10/upper echelon, which is an increasingly high standard, but stabilization and competence have been achieved. Bringing in three top-100 recruits is very positive from the standpoint of building the roster, but the lack of a true high-end talent shifts the ranking downward. Terukina and Redding fit in as lower-weights, Robinson is a middle-weight, while Fisher is likely a 197/285. 25. Edinboro Top-100 recruit: No. 97 Gabe Willochell (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) Weight class ranked: Ryan Burgos (Hilton, N.Y.), Jacob Lagoa (Ashtabula Lakeside, Ohio), Max Millin (Massillon Perry) Additional notable: Ethan Ducca (Ashtabula St. John, Ohio) Commentary: Much has been said about the state and vitality of Edinboro wrestling since Tim Flynn left as head coach after the 2017-18 season. A transition at the head wrestling coach position and exit via transfer of multiple NCAA qualifiers have created some struggles for the Fighting Scots program. Matt Hill took over as head coach at his alma mater, and just finished his second season. Said season saw incremental improvement, the dual meet record went from 2-9 to 10-10 and the NCAA qualifiers went up from one to two. Getting commitments from a group of talented wrestlers within the footprint of Edinboro University is key to the stability and success of the program. Willochell and Burgos fit in the lower-weights, Lagoa and Ducca are middle-to-upper weights, while Millin is a heavyweight after being a multi-sport athlete in high school. Honorable mention (alphabetical): Columbia, Lock Haven, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Pitt