InterMat Staff

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- The Purdue wrestling team finished off the first semester in solid fashion, taking eight-of-10 road matches in a 35-9 dual victory at Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Thursday. The Boilermakers posted bonus points in five of their eight wins, including three falls, and freshman Thomas Penola knocked off a ranked opponent at heavyweight as Purdue improved to 7-1 on the season. The Boilermakers raced out to a 12-0 lead behind falls from junior Devin Schroder and freshman Travis Ford-Melton at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively. Schroder quickly built an 8-0 lead at 125 with a takedown and six quick nearfall points before sticking his opponent in a tilt. Ford-Melton wasted zero time in the ensuing match, quickly launching his foe to his back and getting the fall in 12 seconds, marking Purdue's fastest since a 13 second fall at the 2019 Loras Open. Sophomore Parker Filius stretched the lead to 15-0 with a 7-1 decision before a wild match at 149 where junior Griffin Parriott came from behind to earn a 12-10 victory in a tie-breaker overtime. Trailing 4-0 out of the gate after a throw from SIUE's Tyshawn Williams, Parriott started chipping away with a reversal in the first, and then a 5-2 scoring advantage in the second period to make it 7-7. Williams got an escape in the third, and Parriott evened the count at the end of regulation with a riding-time point, heading to the extra sessions at 8-8. Neither wrestler scored in the sudden-victory frame, but that's when things got crazy. Williams took bottom to start the 30-second rideouts, and reversed Parriott 14 seconds into the period. The official inadvertently blew his whistle, stopping the action after the reversal and negating potential back points for the Cougars; a call which was confirmed after the SIUE staff challenged the ruling. After the restart, Williams was then called for his third caution of the match, awarding a point to Parriott, and then the Boilermaker junior escaped before the end of the period to tie the match at 10-10. Parriott took bottom in the second 30-second rideout, and was immediately released by Williams to give the Boilers an 11-10 edge. The lead grew to 12-10 as Williams went down with a severe cramp, and Parriott again chose bottom and got another escape point. In the dust of the zany contest was an 18-0 Boilermaker lead and Parriott improved to 11-2 on the season. Freshman Kendall Coleman put together a dominant performance at 157 pounds, rolling out a 14-2 major decision over SIUE's Justin Ruffin. Ruffin was coming off a huge, upset win over No. 4 Larry Early of Old Dominion on Wednesday, but Coleman left little doubt early, building a 2-1 lead in the first and exploding for a 10-2 lead after the second, taking Ruffin to his back for a six-point move. Coleman finished things up with another takedown in the third, notching his third major decision of the season. SIUE got on the board at 165 as a third-period locked-hands call was the difference in a 2-1 win for Chase Diehl over Elijah Davis, but Purdue senior Dylan Lydy quickly regained the momentum. The fourth-ranked Boilermaker senior scored five takedowns in a 12-4 major decision, his sixth of the season, remaining undefeated at 15-0 on the year. The Cougars picked up six points at 184 pounds as Purdue junior Max Lyon was forced to injury default after the first period, but Boilermaker senior Christian Brunner got those six right back, sticking his opponent 1:57 into the first period for his sixth fall of the season and 15th of his career. Penola put the exclamation point on the night, using a second-period reversal and two takedowns in the final frame to secure a 7-3 decision over No. 17 Colton McKiernan. After a scoreless first period, Penola worked off bottom for a reversal and 2-1 lead heading to the third. He kept the heat on McKiernan down the stretch, surrendering an escape to tie things at 2-2, but working for two takedowns in the final two minutes and finishing the match on top in his first ranked win at heavyweight. The Boilermakers will take a short break for the holidays, but return to action Dec. 29 and 30 at the Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Results: 125: No. 6 Devin Schroder (PUR) def. Gage Datlovsky (SIUE), Fall 1:45 133: Travis Ford-Melton (PUR) def. Jake Blaha (SIUE), Fall 0:12 141: Parker Filius (PUR) def. Saul Ervin (SIUE), D 7-1 149: No. 9 Griffin Parriott (PUR) def. Tyshawn Williams (SIUE), TB1 12-10 157: No. 9 Kendall Coleman (PUR) def. Justin Ruffin (SIUE), MD 14-2 165: Chase Diehl (SIUE) def. Elijah Davis (PUR), D 2-1 174: No. 4 Dylan Lydy (PUR) def. Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE), MD 12-4 184: Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) def. Max Lyon (PUR), Injury Default (3:00) 197: No. 8 Christian Brunner (PUR) def. Jake McKiernan (SIUE), Fall 1:57 285: Thomas Penola (PUR) def. #17 Colton McKiernan (SIUE), D 7-3

In its final match of 2019, 12th-ranked Princeton defeated 25th-ranked Rider tonight at 7 in Dillon Gym, 32-9. The win follows Princeton's two-point win a year ago that was the program's first over Rider since the 1981-82 season that ended an 18-match Broncs streak in the series. Now, the Tigers have their first back-to-back wins over the Broncs since the 1980-81 and '81-'82 seasons, and it came by Princeton's largest margin of victory ever over the Broncs, surpassing an 11-point win in the 1979-80 season. More to come Results: 157: #7 Quincy Monday (Princeton) wins by decision over #6 Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider), 13-7 165: Grant Cuomo (Princeton) wins by fall over Joe Casey (Rider), 3:51 174: Kevin Parker (Princeton) wins by decision over Dean Sherry (Rider), 9-8 184: George Walton (Rider) wins by fall over #18 Travis Stefanik (Princeton), 5:45 197: #3 Patrick Brucki (Princeton) wins by decision over #17 Ethan Laird (Rider), 11-6 HWT: Aidan Conner (Princeton) wins by decision over Ryan Cloud (Rider), 6-3 125: #3 Patrick Glory (Princeton) wins by fall over Jonathan Tropea (Rider), 1:35 133: Anthony Cefolo (Rider) wins by decision over Ty Agaisse (Princeton), 3-2 141: Marshall Keller (Princeton) wins by technical fall over Chris Wright (Rider), 16-0 5:33 149: #14 Mike D'Angelo (Princeton) wins by decision over Gino Fluri (Rider), 8-1

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren) recorded his 100th career win, Brock Port (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) picked up a pin and the Bald Eagles benefitted from bonus points as the Lock Haven University wrestling team cruised past arch-rival Bloomsburg University (0-3, 0-2 MAC East), 26-12, tonight in LHU's first ever Mid-American Conference (MAC) Eastern Division dual. The Bald Eagles won six of 10 bouts and extended their dual win streak to five matches, thanks to two tech falls, a pin and a major. With the win Lock Haven improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in MAC East action. Along with Fehlman (133) and Port (149), Lock Haven got wins from 18th ranked Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) at 141 pounds and 18th ranked Alex Klucker (Summerdale, Pa./East Pennsboro) at 157 pounds. Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) and Parker McClellan (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) added wins for Lock Haven. Fehlman's 100th win came in style as he majored Josh Mason 13-3 at 133. He became the 22nd member of LHU's 100-win club and the first since Shoop hit 100 wins last season. Shoop's victory tonight moved him to career win No. 114, the ninth most in school history. Fehlman has now won 11 straight bouts and hasn't dropped a match since the second round at the Navy Classic on November 23. Shoop (141) and Siegrist (174) both recorded tech falls tonight as four of LHU's six wins came in the form of bonus-point victories. McClellan (197) and Klucker (157) won by decision. Tonight's dual started at 197 pounds and McClellan quickly put Lock Haven up 3-0 after a hard-fought 2-0 decision over Kyle Murphy. Bloomsburg was quick to respond and back-to-back Huskie-wins at 285 and 125 put Bloom up 6-3. Fehlman's historic win and major at 133 put Lock Haven back on top, and marked the first of four straight Bald Eagle wins. Shoop, ranked No. 18 at 141, picked up his first tech fall of the season and it came in dominating fashion. After a quick takedown he rolled to a 16-0 first-period tech that took just 2:48. Port thrilled the crowd at 149, pinning Gavin Hale at the 2:25 mark. Klucker, ranked No. 18 at 157, grinded out a hard-fought victory and pushed the Lock Haven lead to 21-6. Bloomsburg got one back at 165, but Siegrist sealed the win with a dominating tech fall at 174. The Bald Eagles led 26-9. In the night's final bout, No. 15 Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) and No. 13 Trevor Allard locked up a thrilling top-15 battle. The two were tied 0-0 after one. An Allard escape in the second helped the Huskie cling to a 1-0 lead after two, but the third period provided some fireworks. After Hazel started the third down and scored on an escape, a crazy takedown-reverse-takedown sequence put Hazel up 5-3. A late Hazel takedown extended his lead to 7-5, but Allard tied the match at the buzzer on a takedown. In sudden victory, nobody scored and Hazel escaped to go up 8-7 in tiebreak one. It looked as if the Bald Eagle had it won, but Allard was awarded a point at buzzer again, this time on a locked hands call on Hazel. In sudden victory two, Allard recorded a late takedown and won 10-8. Despite the loss in the final bout, the Bald Eagles secured the important win in front of the home fans. Tonight marked a historic night in Mat-Town U.S.A. Prior to the start of the dual with Bloomsburg, Dallis Dillon, a Howard, Pennsylvania native and Bald Eagle High School graduate, represented the newly formed women's wrestling program. The women's freestyle exhibition match marked the first competition for the women's program, which was announced last May. Less than 70 miles separate LHU and Bloomsburg's campuses, and the two central Pennsylvania wrestling powers met tonight for the 76th time, but for the first time in Mid-American Eastern Division action. Both schools were part of the historic expansion last spring that saw the MAC add the former members of the Eastern Wrestling League. LHU has now won six straight vs. Bloomsburg. Lock Haven will take on another familiar face on Saturday (Dec. 21) as the Bald Eagles make the trek west on I-80 to square off with Clarion University at 7 p.m. Results: 197: Parker McClellan (LHU) dec. Kyle Murphy (BLOOM) 2-0 / LHU 3-0 285: Jarrett Walters (BLOOM) dec. Trey Hartsock (LHU) 8-1 / TIED 3-3 125: Christian Gannone (BLOOM) dec. Matt Maloney (LHU) 7-4 / BLOOM 6-3 133: DJ Fehlman (LHU) major dec. Josh Mason (BLOOM) 13-3 / LHU 7-6 141: #18 Kyle Shoop (LHU) tech fall Marlon Argeuta-Diaz (BLOOM) 16-0 (2:48) / LHU 12-6 149: Brock Port (LHU) pinned Gavin Hale (BLOOM) 2:25 / LHU 18-6 157: #18 Alex Klucker (LHU) dec. Alex Carida (BLOOM) 5-2 / LHU 21-6 165: Nate Newberry (BLOOM) dec. Austin Bell (LHU) 4-1 / LHU 21-9 174: Jared Siegrist (LHU) tech fall Anthony Vetrano (BLOOM) 20-4 (7:00) / LHU 26-9 184: #15 Trevor Allard (BLOOM) dec. #13 Corey Hazel (LHU) 10-8 SV2 / FINAL, LHU 26-12

OSKALOOSA -- William Penn Athletics Director Nik Rule is proud to announce the hiring of Tucker Black as the University's first-ever head women's wrestling coach. Black, a May 2019 graduate of Upper Iowa University with a degree in Agricultural Business, was a two-year starter and team captain for the Peacocks. A strong scholar-athlete, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was twice named an Academic All-American. "We are really excited to have Coach Black as our first women's wrestling coach," Rule said. "Through the interview process he showed an authenticity that was very refreshing and something we believe student-athletes looking to compete in the sport will be attracted to. His energy and commitment to the sport is contagious, while he also has a big picture perspective on the most valuable components of the student-athlete experience. He is going to be a great addition to our team." Prior to his time at UIU, Black was an All-American at North Iowa Area CC, placing seventh at the 2017 NJCAA national championships. He was a regional champion and named the team's outstanding student-athlete. Black, who started his collegiate career at the University of Northern Iowa, excelled at the prep level. A 2014 state champion at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS, he also placed fifth as a junior and qualified for the state tournament as a sophomore. "I am grateful for the opportunity William Penn University has given me," Black said. "Growing up around the women's side of the sport, I have seen the opportunities it has given my sisters and I am excited to help provide those same opportunities to other young women who are looking to become champions in this sport. I am ready to start building a first-class program with a championship mindset!" William Penn, which is the third school in Iowa to sponsor women's wrestling, will begin competing in the 2020-2021 school year. Black will immediately begin recruiting for the inaugural class.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown has disciplined two Allentown Central Catholic wrestling coaches for allowing a boy to wrestle a girl at a dual meet earlier this month, in violation of the diocese's stated policy against mixed-gender wrestling during the regular season. The diocese did not reveal the names of the two coaches, nor the nature of the discipline, according to the Allentown Morning Call. The newspaper identified the two Central Catholic mat coaches as head coach John Bolich, and assistant coach Dennis Udicious. At a Dec. 11 dual meet between Central Catholic and Allen high schools, Bolich -- in his second season as the Vikings' head coach -- sent freshman Josh Lynds to face freshman Rachelly Montas at 132 pounds. Lynds pinned Montas in 3 minutes, 27 seconds. The Morning Call went on to report that the match in question was Lynds' only one to date. It was Montas' first varsity match to that point. She since has wrestled two other times. Previously, Diocese spokesman Matt Kerr had confirmed the policy against boys wrestling girls is different during the individual postseason, when the schools and wrestlers have no control over who their opponents are. In that scenario, it is at the discretion of the competitor and his parents. Kerr went on to say that it is not a judgment on the right and wrong of the matter; rather, it is a decision on who makes the call based on the individual nature of postseason wrestling. Last season, there were two similar incidents involving male wrestlers from Bethlehem Catholic High School who had faced girls on the mat.

Just seven months after announcing it would be launching new men's and women's intercollegiate wrestling programs, Iowa Wesleyan University has received a $250,000 gift for a new wrestling training facility. The gift from Mark and Sandy Willis will be used to renovate an existing building to create a state-of-the-art wrestling training center, including a wrestling room, locker rooms, a weight room, and "other wrestling-specific amenities" along with space for offices and a film room for the wrestling program and other athletic staff, according to the school's official announcement made this week. To honor the donors, the newly renovated structure will be named the Willis Wrestling Facility. Mark Willis is a 1970 graduate of Iowa Wesleyan, and a 2017 inductee into the IW Tiger Athletics Hall of Fame. The building itself was a gift to Iowa Wesleyan made by the Randy and Karly Beavers Family in 2007. Mark and Sandy Willis made the quarter-million-dollar gift as a challenge to other alumni and wrestling fans to help grow a solid foundation for the program's future. Renovation is expected to begin in late spring following the completion of a successful fundraising effort for the new wrestling program. The facility should be completed by the fall of 2020. The new Iowa Wesleyan wrestling programs are slated to start competing in the 2020-21 school year in NCAA Division III. In fact, IW will have the first D3 women's program in the state of Iowa. "The impact of this gift from Mark and Sandy is significant for our community, from our athletics program to our enrollment management efforts," said Iowa Wesleyan President Chris Plunkett. "This facility will also have an immediate and positive impact on our recruiting efforts for future Tigers." "Thanks to the incredible support from Mark and Sandy Willis, men's and women's Tiger wrestling student-athletes will now enjoy the benefits of a new training facility," said Derek Zander, director of athletics. "The facility will house all of the day-to-day operations of our teams, coaches, and staff. It will greatly enhance the experience of our student-athletes and will assure potential recruits of our university's commitment to excellence to this new program." Iowa Wesleyan announced the addition of both men's and women's varsity wrestling programs back in May. In August, the school revealed that it had hired Robert Watson-Powell as head coach for the two new mat programs. Iowa Wesleyan University is a private, four-year liberal arts college in Mount Pleasant, Iowa about an hour south of Iowa City. Founded in 1842, IWU is not only Iowa's first co-educational institution of higher learning, but also the oldest of its type west of the Mississippi River. The school currently has an enrollment of approximately 600 students.

Tate Picklo is one of three nationally ranked wrestlers at 182 at the KC Stampede (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) With over 40 teams from eight states, the Kansas City Stampede is one of the premier wrestling competitions in the Midwest. Three Fab 50 teams are in the field: No. 9 Tuttle (Okla.), No. 29 Liberty (Mo.), and No. 39 Mustang (Okla.); it should however be noted that Tuttle will be without state champion Garrett Steidley (120) plus their two best wrestlers, Oklahoma State signees Luke Surber (170) and Dustin Plott (182) for this weekend's competition. Additional teams to watch include Baylor School (Tenn.), Collinsville (Okla.), Goddard (Kansas), Park Hill (Mo.), Staley (Mo.), and Whitfield (Mo.). Thirteen nationally ranked wrestlers from nine weight classes are featured in this tournament field. This includes three nationally ranked wrestlers at 182 pounds: No. 4 Greyden Penner (Liberty, Mo.), No. 5 Colton Hawks (Holt, Mo.), and No. 8 Tate Picklo (Mustang, Okla.). A pair of ranked wrestlers are projected to compete at 120 and 132 respectively: No. 4 Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) and No. 9 Troy Spratley (Collinsville, Okla.) at 120, with No. 12 Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.) and No. 20 Carter Young (Stillwater, Okla.) at 132. Additional notable contenders in the weight classes with multiple nationally ranked wrestlers: 120:Austin Wadlow (Farmington, Mo.), Jason Henschel (Goddard, Kansas), Eli Ashcroft (Kearney, Mo.), Tucker Owens (Mustang, Okla.), and Grant Treaster (Newton, Kansas) 132: Noah Horst (Baylor School, Tenn.), Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.), Matthew Bahl (Monett, Mo.), Ryan Smith (Perry, Okla.), and Preston Martin (Paola, Kansas) 182: Connor Duffy (Baylor School, Tenn.), Trevor Dopps (Goddard, Kansas), and Branson Britten (Canyon Randall, Texas) Below is a weight-by-weight listing of wrestlers to watch for the remaining weight class, nationally ranked wrestlers listed first and then by alphabetical order based on school. 106: No. 16 Cameron Steed (Collinsville, Okla.); Zain Fugitt (Nixa, Mo.), Cael Keck (Park Hill, Mo.), Christian Forbes (Sand Springs, Okla.), and Cael Hughes (Stillwater, Okla.) 113: Jackson Bond (Baylor School, Tenn.), Easton Hilton (Liberty, Mo.), and Evan Binder (Whitfield, Mo.) 126: No. 9 Jordan Williams (Collinsville, Okla.); Silas Pineda (Garden City, Kansas), Karter Brink (Monett, Mo.), Keegan Slyter (Olathe North, Kansas), Eli Rocha (Platte County, Mo.), Kyler Brewer (Staley, Mo.), and Logan Ferrero (Whitfield, Mo.) 138: No. 20 Trey Crawford (Park Hill, Mo.); Garrison Dendy (Baylor School, Tenn.), Rocky Stephens (Collinsville, Okla.), Joseph Semerad (Monett, Mo.), and Ryder Ramsey (Tuttle, Okla.) 145: No. 16 John Wiley (Mustang, Okla.); Garrett Bowers (Christian Brothers, Tenn.), Cason Lindsey (Derby, Kansas), Jacob Holt (Garden City, Kansas), Kayden Auch (Neosho, Mo.), Kal Miller (Park Hill, Mo.), and Bryce Dauphin (Tuttle, Okla.) 152: Gabe Johnson (Choctaw, Okla.), Jace Fisher (Goddard, Kansas), Dylan Avery (Perry, Okla.), David Brooks (Staley, Mo.), and Brady DeArmond (Tuttle, Okla.) 160: Drake Smith (Liberty, Mo.) and Aidan Johnson (Staley, Mo.) 170: Nolan Craine (Goddard, Kansas), Cody Aebersold (Kearney, Mo.), and Brodie Scott (Mill Valley, Kansas) 195: No. 1 Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.); David Harper (Baylor School, Tenn.), Drayke Perry (Neosho, Mo.), and Harley Andrews (Tuttle, Okla.) 220: No. 19 Ashton Sharp (Park Hill, Mo.); Al Wooton (Christian Brothers, Tenn.), Ethan Kremer (Mill Valley, Kansas), Judson Rowland (Mustang, Okla.), Zane Persinger (Neosho, Mo.), and Keith Miley (Whitfield, Mo.) 285: Marquonn Journey (Choctaw, Okla.) and Rofugio Chairez (Gar

The weekend before Christmas will be upon us … boy 2019 has flown by! This marks the start of the New Jersey (NJSIAA) high school wrestling season; while for other states, this week will mark the last competitions before their Christmas/New Year's "shutdown." Below is the schedule of competitions for nationally ranked teams during the week of Dec. 18-24. No. 1 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. Hosts the Flo X-Calibur Classic on Friday and Saturday at Wilkes College No. 2 Blair Academy, N.J. Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 3 Buchanan, Calif. Hosts the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 4 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. Competes in the Oakland County Championships on Friday and Saturday at Lake Orion (Mich.) No. 5 St. Edward, Ohio Hosts St. Ignatius (Ohio) for dual meet on Thursday, Travels to Erie Cathedral Prep (Pa.) for the Rambler Duals on Saturday (though that might actually be "Varsity B") No. 6 Bergen Catholic, N.J. Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 7 Montini Catholic, Ill. Competes in the Dvorak Memorial Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Machesney Park (Ill.) Harlem No. 8 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 9 Tuttle, Okla. Competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 10 Malvern Prep, Pa. Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 11 Poway, Calif. Competes in the Las Vegas (Nev.) Holiday Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 12 Allen, Texas Competes in the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan, Calif. No. 13 Davison, Mich. Travels to No. 17 Brighton tonight for multiple dual meets No. 14 Brecksville, Ohio Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 15 Elyria, Ohio Travels to Euclid (Ohio) for dual meets against Solon (Ohio) and Brunswick (Ohio) on Thursday, Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 16 Delbarton, N.J. Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 17 Brighton Hosts No. 13 Davison (Mich.) as part of multiple dual meets tonight, Hosts the Manning Vieau Duals on Saturday No. 18 St. John Bosco, Calif. Competes in the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan, Calif. No. 19 Gilroy, Calif. Competes in the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan, Calif. No. 20 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio Competes in the Dvorak Memorial Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Machesney Park (Ill.) Harlem No. 21 Southeast Polk, Iowa Travels to No. 44 Fort Dodge (Iowa) for a dual meet on Thursday, Hosts the Red Owens Holiday Classic on Saturday No. 22 Shakopee, Minn. Competes in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College No. 23 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel Competes in the Dvorak Memorial Tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Machesney Park (Ill.) Harlem No. 24 Southern Columbia, Pa. Hosts Warrior Run (Pa.) for a dual meet on Thursday No. 25 Crescent Valley, Ore. Hosts Corvallis (Ore.) for a dual meet on Thursday, Competes in the Northwest Duals on Friday and Saturday at Albany, Ore. No. 26 Stillwater, Minn. Competes in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College No. 27 Broken Arrow, Okla. Hosts Bentonville (Ark.) for a dual meet on Thursday No. 28 Simley, Minn. Competes in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College No. 29 Liberty, Mo. Competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 31 Mount St. Joseph's, Md. Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 32 Millard South, Neb. Competes in the Flatwater Fracas on Friday and Saturday at Grand Island, Neb. No. 33 St Joseph Montvale, N.J. Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 34 Clovis, Calif. Competes in the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan, Calif. No. 35 Notre Dame (Green Pond), Pa. Hosts Palisades (Pa.) for a dual meet tonight, Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 36 Brownsburg, Ind. Competes in the Carnahan Memorial Invitational on Saturday at Crown Point, Ind. No. 37 Lowell, Mich. Competes in the Kent County Championships at Forest Hills (Mich.) Central on Saturday No. 38 Lisbon, Iowa Competes in quad meet at Ed-Co (Iowa) on Thursday, Competes in the Battle of Waterloo (Iowa) on Friday and Saturday at Young Arena No. 39 Mustang, Okla. Competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday No. 40 Pomona, Colo. Travels to Lakewood (Colo.) for a dual meet on Thursday, Competes in the Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Greeley, Colo. No. 41 Nazareth, Pa. Hosts East Stroudsburg (Pa.) South for a dual meet tonight, Hosts Allentown (Pa.) for a dual meet on Thursday, Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 42 Stoughton, Wis. Travels to Fort Atkinson (Wis.) for a dual meet on Thursday, Competes in the Badger State Invitational on Saturday at Alliant Energy Center (Madison, Wis.) No. 43 Waynesburg, Pa. Hosts Moon (Pa.) for a dual meet tonight, Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 44 Fort Dodge, Iowa. Hosts No. 21 Southeast Polk (Iowa) for a dual meet on Thursday, Hosts the Don Miller Invitational on Saturday No. 45 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. Hosts Pleasant Valley (Pa.) for a dual meet tonight, Travels to Pocono Mountain East (Pa.) for a dual meet on Thursday, Competes in the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Delaware (Newark, Del.) No. 46 Clovis North, Calif. split squad between the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday at Buchanan (Calif.) and the Kevin Harvick Duals on Saturday at Bakersfield (Calif.) No. 47 DeKalb, Ill. Travels to Waubonsie Valley (Ill.) for a dual meet on Thursday, Competes in the Dvorak Memorial Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Machesney Park (Ill.) Harlem No. 48 Christian Brothers College, Mo. Travels to Washington (Ill.) for a multi-time dual on Saturday No. 49 Dundee, Mich. Hosts Woodhaven (Mich.), Belleville (Mich.), and Oregon (Ohio) Clay for a quad meet tonight No. 50 Wadsworth, Ohio Competes in the North Canton (Ohio) Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday Off this week: No. 30 Selma (Calif.)

Anthony Cassar before his finals match at the 2019 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Friday and Saturday the path to the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in wrestling will get a little bit clearer. The 2019 Senior Nationals will serve as an Olympic Team Trials Qualifier this year. The top five finishers in each weight class will qualify for the 2020 Olympic Team Trials in State College, Pa. Several college wrestlers, both active competitors and redshirts, will be in Fort Worth, Texas, looking to qualify. If they come up short, they will likely only have two more opportunities to make the Trials: win an NCAA title or finish in the top-two at the final qualifier in March. The following looks at 10 collegiate wrestlers who have the best shot of coming out of this weekend with a spot in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Active Spencer Lee, 57 kilograms Iowa's Lee is taking a hybrid approach to his junior season. The two-time NCAA champion competed in the Hawkeye's first three duals of the season before sitting out their last match against No. 12 Princeton. Lee has finished with bonus points in all three matches and outscored his opponents 49-7. Lee has been out of the freestyle world since entering the college ranks, but he is a former Cadet world champion and a two-time Junior world champion. He will likely receive tough tests from former collegiate rivals Nathan Tomasello and Nick Suriano as he tries to make his way through the bracket. Nick Lee 65 kilograms The Nittany Lion wrestler is currently the second-ranked 141-pound wrestler in the country and is a heavy favorite to make the NCAA finals this year. So far this season he has gone 8-0 with three falls and three technical falls. This weight class features multiple high-level wrestlers who are redshirting as well as perennial contenders such as Jordan Oliver and Frank Molinaro. It might be a struggle, but Lee may be able to pull off some upsets with his pace and snag a qualifying spot. Zahid Valencia 86 kilograms The two-time NCAA champion at 174 pounds has moved up this season to 184 pounds, and he has continued to have success. Valencia has already built a gaudy 13-0 record, which includes five falls. In his most recent competition at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, he scored a pair of major decision victories over No. 2 Trent Hidlay (North Carolina State) and No. 6 Lou DePrez (Binghamton). He has a pretty clear path to a qualification bout, but there is also a good chance his series against Alex Dieringer could continue. He had his number during the 2018 cycle, but this past year Dieringer was able to take it to him at the World Team Trials. 86 kilograms will be a stacked weight at the Trials, and we could certainly see Dieringer and Valencia again in April. Kollin Moore 97 kilograms The three-time All-American appears to be the current favorite to take home the NCAA title at 197 pounds this year. Outside of a sudden victory win over Jake Woodley (Oklahoma), Moore has been basically dominant all year long. The 2016 Junior world champion has taken some time off from freestyle, but there were times in the past when many pundits thought it was his better style. The 97-kilogram weight class is not particularly deep, so Moore should be poised to go on quite a run this weekend. Anthony Cassar 125 kilograms Cassar has been in and out of Penn State's lineup so far this year. The returning NCAA champion was also expected to compete at the recent Bill Farrell Memorial in freestyle but that never really developed. His emergence last season and his pair of victories over Gable Steveson could portend a successful freestyle career. If he is at his best, he should qualify. However, there will be some interesting tests in Fort Worth including some past and current teammates: Nick Nevills and Greg Kerkvliet. Other contenders: Dom Demas at 65 kilograms, Vincenzo Joseph at 74 kilograms, Anthony Valencia at 74 kilograms, Aaron Brooks at 86 kilograms and Tanner Hall at 125 kilograms Redshirts Yianni Diakomihalis 65 kilograms It was not long after winning his second NCAA title when Diakomihalis announced that he was taking an Olympic redshirt to prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games. The Cornell wrestler is probably one of the most accomplished international wrestlers with college eligibility in terms of wins. He has already defeated the likes of Bajrang Punia (India) and Sayatbek Okassov (Kazakhstan). As previously stated, the 65-kilogram field will be strong here and at the Trials. Diakomihalis got past Oliver last year, but it will likely be a close match if they end up meeting once again. Nick Suriano 57 kilograms After transferring from Penn State, Suriano became the first wrestler to win an NCAA title for Rutgers. He decided to take an Olympic redshirt this year, and he had a strong performance at the Bill Farrell. Despite the performance he came up short against fellow NCAA champion Seth Gross and will still need to qualify. The 57-kilogram bracket will not be easy to navigate, and many fans will likely want to see Suriano meet Lee in a rematch of the 2018 NCAA final at 125 pounds. Jaydin Eierman 65 kilograms Eierman announced his Olympic redshirt shortly after becoming a three-time All-American for the Missouri Tigers. When he returns to college next year, he will be wearing an iconic black singlet as he transferred to Iowa. Not only has Eierman been successful on the collegiate mats, but he has also been active on the freestyle scene as well. He finished second at the 2018 U.S. Open and represented the U.S. at the U23 World Championships. Mekhi Lewis 74 kilograms Lewis went on an incredible run at the NCAA tournament last year. He knocked off No. 3 Evan Wick (Wisconsin), No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) and No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) on his way to the title in his true freshman season. The Junior world champion is currently taking an Olympic redshirt and sitting out the season at Virginia Tech. At the Bill Farrell he dropped a freestyle rematch against Joseph in the quarterfinals but managed to wrestle his way back for a fourth-place finish. Greg Kerkvliet 125 kilograms Kerkvliet has not wrestled a college wrestling match, but there always seems to be a lot of news around him. After committing to Minnesota in high school as a top recruit, he switched his commitment to Oklahoma State before eventually signing with Ohio State. Kerkvliet then announced his intentions to transfer and eventually ended up at Penn State. He was a two-time world medalist at the Cadet level and recently represented the U.S. at the U23 World Championships and ended up finishing fifth. Other contenders: Vito Arujau at 57 kilograms and Logan Massa at 86 kilograms

DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University wrestling team used a fast start and strong finish to earn a 23-13 victory over Mid-American Conference rival Kent State in Victor E. Court Wednesday night. "We got a good start from Bryce West," said NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig. "He had a slow start getting his takedown, but then was able to create a scramble and found his way into a fall. Fantastic start from him. In dual meets, bonus points matter. "Anthony Gibson, for his debut at 141, had good energy. He really got to his attacks well. He put a zero on the board for the other guy and created a major decision." The Huskies' (5-3, 2-1) win over the Golden Flashes was their second straight over Kent State and first at home since Jan. 18, 2004. With the match tied, 13-13, with three more bouts left, Brit Wilson put the Huskies up, 17-13, when he scored a 10-2 maj. dec. win over Shane Mast at 184. Gage Braun sealed the victory for NIU when he posted a hard-fought 5-4 win over Colin McCracken at 197. NIU took a 20-13 into the final bout at 285, where Max Ihry turned in NIU's second shutout of the night with a 2-0 win over Spencer Berthold. "Brit Wilson was able to step up as a leader and put us in a situation for a bonus-point victory and really got us back in the game," Ludwig said. "Gage Braun, I don't think he wrestled well, but he wrestled tough. That's what we ask for, that you can control." NIU opened up a 10-3 lead through the first three matches. Bryce West started the match off with a first period pin over Tomas Gutierrez at 125, the first bout of the day. After a 3-1 setback in overtime, Anthony Gibson put the Huskies back in the win column, earning an 8-0 maj. dec. over Corey Simpson. The two schools traded decisions in the next two matches, with Kent State scoring a win at 149 and Mason Kauffman posting 7-3 win at 157. Kent State went on a bit of a run, winning the next two bouts, one by maj. dec., to tie the match up at 13-13. The Huskies return to the mat Sunday, Dec. 29 when NIU wrestlers compete in the prestigious Midlands Championships. The event will take place at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. Results: 125: Bryce West (NIU) fall Tomas Gutierrez (KSU), 2:48 133: Tim Rooney (KSU) dec. Caleb Brooks (NIU), SV-1 3-1 141: Anthony Gibson (NIU) maj. dec. Cory Simpson (KSU), 8-0 149: Kody Komara (KSU) dec. McCoy Kent (NIU), SV-1 3-1 157: Mason Kauffman (NIU) dec. Brady Chrisman (KSU), 7-3 165: Kade Byland (KSU) dec. Izzak Olejnik (NIU), 10-6 174: Andrew McNally (KSU) maj. dec. Caden McWhirter (NIU), 13-2 184: Brit Wilson (NIU) maj. dec. Shane Mast (KSU), 10-2 197: Gage Braun (NIU) dec. Colin McCracken (KSU), 5-4 285: Max Ihry (NIU) dec. Spencer Berthhold (KSU), 2-0

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Four App State wrestlers picked up their first career dual wins, and the Mountaineers earned their first team win of the season with a 36-6 road victory against Little Rock on Wednesday night. App State (1-2) followed season-opening losses to two ranked ACC opponents with a dominant effort against the Trojans, a Division I newcomer. One of the Mountaineers' college newcomers, true freshman Julian Gorring, won by fall just 1 minute, 55 seconds into his match against Matthew Muller at 184 pounds. Redshirt freshman Will Formato opened the dual with a 12-2 major decision against Will Edgar at 165 pounds, first-year starter Paul Carson clamed an 8-4 decision against Dylan Johnson at 197 pounds and another first-year starter, Bradley Irwin, won an 8-0 major decision against Conner Ward at 141 pounds. That result pushed App State's lead to 33-0 against Little Rock (1-1). Thomas Flitz followed Formato's dual-opening win with a second straight major decision, as he won 15-5 against Cash Jones, and heavyweight Cary Miller's win by forfeit gave the Mountaineers a 23-0 lead heading into the halfway point intermission. After wrestling resumed, true freshman Sean Carter trailed 5-1 late in the second period of his 10-7 decision against Jayden Carson at 125 pounds. Tied in the final 30 seconds, Carter took the lead with an escape and quickly followed that up with a takedown. Codi Russell trailed 8-5 entering the third period against Paul Bianchi, who had reached the NCAA Championships earlier in his career as a North Dakota State freshman, but Russell erased the deficit with a dominant period and won a 12-8 decision. Little Rock posted a pin at 149 pounds, and App State's Matt Zovistoski wrapped up the dual with a 4-3 decision against Jose Champagne at 157 pounds. A late takedown from Champagne briefly tied the match, but Zovistoski responded with an escape to pull out the victory. App State's 2019-20 wrestling season is presented by Hungry Howies. The Mountaineers return to action at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Jan. 1-2. Results: 165: Will Formato (APP) def. Will Edgar (LR), 12-2 maj. dec. 174: Thomas Flitz (APP) def. Cash Jones (LR), 15-5 maj. dec. 184: Julian Gorring (APP) def. Matthew Muller (LR), fall, 1:55 197: Paul Carson (APP) def. Dylan Johnson (LR), 8-4 dec. HWT: Cary Miller (APP) wins by forfeit 125: Sean Carter (APP) def. Jayden Carson (LR), 10-7 dec. 133: Codi Russell (APP) def. Paul Bianchi (LR), 12-8 dec. 141: Bradley Irwin (APP) def. Conner Ward (LR), 8-0 maj. dec. 149: Tyler Brennan (LR) def. Jonathan Millner (APP), fall, 1:47 157: Matt Zovistoski (APP) def. Jose Champagne (LR), 4-3 dec.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- The Old Dominion (1-1, 1-0 MAC) wrestling team won eight of 10 bouts in its dual against Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe SIUE (1-3, 0-1 MAC) to earn a commanding 33-9 victory on Wednesday night. "We had a good performance tonight," head coach Steve Martin said after the match. "We have a team that can make some special memories. We have five teams in our conference that have had top-25 performances, so we not only look forward to our non-conference schedule, but the MAC schedule as well." One of the more commanding victories came in the 125-pound match, where No. 10 Killian Cardinale earned a whopping 10 takedowns in his bout over Gage Datlovsky. Cardinale earned the technical fall win with a score of 24-9, one of two technical fall victories of the evening for ODU. The event started at 141 pounds, as No. 13 Sa'Derian Perry earned the first Monarch victory of the evening with an 8-3 win by decision over Saul Ervin. Senior Kenan Carter followed up Perry's victory with the only pin on the night for the Monarchs in the 149-pound match. Carter was able to pin SIUE's Max Kristoff early in the second round after three minutes and 27 seconds, giving the Monarchs an early 9-0 advantage after just two bouts. At 165, No. 20 Shane Jones earned the other technical fall victory for the Monarchs, beating Chase Deihl, 16-1. This victory started a streak of four consecutive bouts won by Monarch wrestlers. Kellen Ekern at 174 pounds earned a win by decision over Kevin Gschwendter, 8-5, followed by another win by decision for Antonio Agee over Ryan Yarnell, 8-6 at 184 pounds. Senior Tim Young capped off the streak with a major decision victory over Aric Bohn at 197 pounds, 12-3. Steven Simpson wrapped up the evening with an 11-0 win by major decision over Jake Blaha, giving the Monarchs a total of 33 points over SIUE's nine. The only two bouts the Cougars' managed to earn victories in were the two bouts that featured ranked wrestlers going against each other. At 157 pounds, No. 23 Justin Ruffin earned a 3-1 win by decision over No. 4 Larry Early in the first tie-breaker round. In the heavyweight bout, No. 17 Colton McKiernan of SIUE managed to pin No. 29 Will Hilliard in the first round for the Cougars' second win of the dual. In total, the Monarchs held a dominating advantage on takedowns, 27-4. ODU earned three wins by decision, two technical falls and two wins by major decision to go along with Carter's win by fall. "We look forward to the dual meet season as we are done with the tournament portion of our schedule," Martin added. "We are looking forward to wrestling three top-20 teams in Missouri, Minnesota and Wyoming in two weeks." Up Next The Monarchs will be heading to the Sunshine State to compete in the South Beach Duals in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ODU is scheduled to take on South Dakota State, No. 14 Wyoming, No. 15 Minnesota and No. 20 and reigning MAC Champion Missouri in the two-day event, which starts on December 29. Results: *141 - #13 Sa`Derian Perry (ODU) dec. over Saul Ervin (SIUE) 8-3 149 - Kenan Carter (ODU) fall over Max Kristoff (SIUE) (3:27) 157 - #23 Justin Ruffin (SIUE) dec. over #4 Larry Early (ODU) 3-1 (TB-1) 165 - #20 Shane Jones (ODU) TF over Chase Deihl (SIUE) 16-1 (7:00) 174 - Kellen Ekern (ODU) dec. over Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) 8-5 184 - Antonio Agee (ODU) dec. over Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) 8-6 197 - Timothy Young (ODU) MD over Aric Bohn (SIUE) 12-3 285 - #17 Colton McKiernan (SIUE) fall over #29 William Hilliard (ODU) (2:48) 125 - #10 Kilian Cardinale (ODU) TF over Gage Datlovsky (SIUE) 24-9 (7:00) 133 - Steven Simpson (ODU) MD over Jake Blaha (SIUE) 11-0

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb picked up a pin from Tayler Parks and a major decision by RJ Mosley to go on to earn a 22-18 win over Franklin & Marshall Wednesday afternoon in the first home dual match of the season. Gardner-Webb (1-3) totaled six wins on the day, including five straight over the Diplomats (3-1), en route to earning its first dual win of the season. Action began at 125 pounds, where the riding time point gave Will Edmiston a narrow 6-5 decision over Jose Diaz to give the 'Dogs an early 3-0 advantage. A forfeit at 133 pounds gave Franklin & Marshall the lead, and the Diplomats added two straight decisions at 141 and 149 pounds to build a 12-3 lead. The momentum shifted back in favor of Gardner-Webb, beginning at 157 pounds as Taylor Parks earned a fall over Noah Chan, pinning his shoulders to the mat in 3:00. RJ Mosley followed by picking up an 11-3 major decision over Emmett LiCastri at 165 pounds to put GWU back on top by a 13-12 margin. The momentum continued as Samuel Mora defeated John Crawford, 12-7, at 174 pounds, Christian Salter defeated James Stillerman, 3-2, at 184 pounds, and Roderick Davis defeated Ethan Seeley, 10-4, at 197 pounds to seal the overall dual win. Action concluded at 285 pounds, where Gabriel Pickett fell to Steven Mercandante in 2:23. The Runnin' Bulldogs return to action on Wednesday, January 1, taking part in the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn. Results: 125 – Will Edmiston (GWU) def. Jose Diaz (F&M), Dec 6-5 133 – Mike Simonetti (F&M) wins via forfeit 141 – Wil Gil (F&M) def. Brandon Bright (GWU), Dec 9-2 149 – Cristiaan Dailey (F&M) def. Anthony Schiess (GWU), Dec. 4-1 157 – Taylor Parks (GWU) def. Noah Chan (F&M), Fall 3:00 165 – RJ Mosley (GWU) def. Emmett LiCastri (F&M), MD 11-3 174 – Samuel Mora (GWU) def. John Crawford (F&M), Dec 12-7 184 – Christian Salter (GWU) def. James Stillerman (F&M), Dec 3-2 197 – Roderick Davis (GWU) def. Ethan Seeley (F&M), Dec. 10-4 285 – Steven Mercandante (F&M) def. Gabriel Pickett (GWU), Fall 2:23

Spencer Lee gets ready to wrestle in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The 2020 Olympic Games will be here before you know it. The upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, Japan are only seven months away. And with just six freestyle roster spots available per country in each of the three styles of international wrestling, there promises to be some epic battles for the coveted 18 roster spots on the U.S. Olympic squad. The Olympic quest continues with the U.S. Nationals scheduled for this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. This event serves as the main qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The top five finishers in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes qualify for April's Olympic Trials at Penn State University. There are 64 wrestlers already qualified for the Olympic Trials, including 24 in freestyle, 20 in women's wrestling and 30 in Greco-Roman. Here are some of the top storylines to watch in what shapes up to be an action-packed weekend of wrestling in Fort Worth, Texas: Spencer Lee's return to freestyle The two-time NCAA champion for Iowa hasn't wrestled a freestyle match in more than three years. But nobody should look past Spencer Lee, who owns a combined three world titles at the Junior and Cadet levels. Lee has proven he is an excellent folkstyle wrestler at the collegiate level, but freestyle is where he is most proficient. Even though he chose not to take an Olympic redshirt this season, Lee is still expected to make a splash in Texas when he competes at 57 kilograms. Among the other entries in this loaded weight class are NCAA champions Cory Clark, Nathan Tomasello and Darian Cruz, Junior world medalist Vitali Arujau and past World Team Trials champion Nahshon Garrett. Yianni D set to take mat Like Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis is a two-time NCAA champion whose best style is freestyle. Yianni is a two-time Cadet world freestyle champion who nearly made the Senior World Team in 2019 before falling to Zain Retherford at 65 kilograms. Yianni is a talented wrestler who looks like someone who could be a dominant force internationally on the Senior level. Yianni will compete in a stacked weight class in Texas that includes 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro along with past Junior world medalists Jordan Oliver and Joey McKenna. Teshya Alo defeated Jenna Burkert at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Return of Teshya Alo Hawaii's Teshya Alo was one of the country's top female prospects entering this four-year Olympic cycle. She dominated at the age group levels and won a Cadet world title in 2016. Now she's back to compete in women's wrestling at 62 kilograms. Alo has experience wrestling at the Senior level where she won the U.S. Open in 2015. It will be interesting to see how she fares in Fort Worth. Graff wrestling Greco Among the surprise entries in Greco-Roman is Tyler Graff, who made the 2019 U.S. World Team in freestyle at 61 kilograms. Graff is coming off a superb season where he made his first Senior-level world team. If he stuck with freestyle, he would have to drop down to 57 kilograms or move up to 65. He is entered at 60 kilograms for the U.S. Nationals in Greco. Kamal Bey throws Pat Smith at Final X: Rutgers (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bey, Dieringer among top stars Top young stars Kamal Bey and Alex Dieringer have already qualified for the Olympics, but both wrestlers are registered for this weekend's event. Bey is a talented Greco-Roman athlete who has won a Junior World Team and made a Senior World Team in 2018. Bey competes at 77 kilograms. Dieringer is a three-time NCAA champion who won a Junior world silver medal in freestyle. Dieringer has moved up to 86 kilograms after finishing second to Kyle Dake in the Final X this past season at 79 kilograms. If Bey and Dieringer place in the top five at their weight in Texas, one fewer qualifier advances to State College. Comeback for Lampe Two-time world bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe is registered at 50 kilograms in women's wrestling. Lampe returned to competition this past summer and is a tough, hard-nosed wrestler who has proven herself in a number of big tournaments. She will look to regain her winning form after stepping away from competition for much of this Olympic cycle. Will Zahid, Mekhi be in the mix? Two-time NCAA champion Zahid Valencia and NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis are two wrestlers who could make a big impact in freestyle at the U.S. Nationals. Valencia is a Junior world silver medalist who has wrestled well on the Senior level the past two years. He will compete at 86 kilograms. Lewis won a Junior world title last year despite not having much freestyle experience. He will be at 74 kilograms. These are two young studs who have the potential to be standouts on the international level. Joe Warren is back Joe Warren is among the Greco-Roman entries at 67 kilograms. Warren is the last American wrestler to win a world title in Greco-Roman wrestling in 2006. He went on to become a Bellator world champion in mixed martial arts. Now 43 years old, Warren returned to wrestling competition last month at the Bill Farrell event in New York City. It will be interesting to see if Warren can earn a top-five finish in Texas and qualify for the Olympic Trials. 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.

Yianni Diakomihalis is pre-seeded No. 1 at 65 kilograms (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) USA Wrestling released the pre-seeds for this weekend's Senior Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas. A seeding meeting will be held Friday night to determine the final seeds. The top five finishers in each weight class will earns spot at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials, which will be held April 4-5 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. 57 kilograms: 1. Spencer Lee (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Nathan Tomasello (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Zane Richards (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Nahshon Garrett (Sunkist Kids) 5. Darian Cruz (New York AC) 6. Vito Arujau (Titan Mercury WC) 7. Josh Rodriguez (Nittany Lion WC) 8. Zach Sanders (Gopher WC) 9. Sean Russell (Gopher WC) 10. Frank Perrelli (Titan Mercury WC) 11. Cory Clark (Titan Mercury WC) 12. Alan Waters (Titan Mercury WC) 65 kilograms: 1. Yianni Diakomihalis (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Jordan Oliver (Sunkist Kids) 3. Frank Molinaro (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Evan Henderson (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Jaydin Eierman (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Joey McKenna (Titan Mercury WC) 7. Bryce Meredith (New York AC) 8. Ben Whitford (Titan Mercury WC) 9. Dom Demas (Titan Mercury WC) 10. Dean Heil (Titan Mercury WC) 11. Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC) 12. Jayson Ness (Gopher WC) 13. Colton McCrystal (Sunkist Kids) 14. Sean Fausz (Titan Mercury WC) 74 kilograms: 1. Nazar Kulchytskyy (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Mekhi Lewis (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Tommy Gantt (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Dan Vallimont (New York AC) 5. Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Alec Pantaleo (Titan Mercury WC) 7. Muhamed McBryde (Buffalo WC) 8. Tyler Berger (Sunkist Kids) 9. Anthony Valencia (Sunkist Kids) 10. Evan Wick (Titan Mercury WC) 11. Dylan Ness (Gopher WC) 86 kilograms: 1. Alex Dieringer (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids) 3. Sammy Brooks (New York AC) 4. Nick Heflin (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Myles Martin (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Aaron Brooks (Nittany Lion) 7. Nate Jackson (New York AC) 8. Brett Pfarr (Gopher WC) 97 kilograms: 1. Kyven Gadson (Sunkist Kids) 2. Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC) 3. Ty Walz (Titan Mercury WC) 4. Kollin Moore (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Derek White (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Kevin Beazley (New York AC) 7. Timmy McCall (Titan Mercury WC) 8. Scottie Boykin (Titan Mercury WC) 125 kilograms: 1. Tony Nelson (Minnesota Storm) 2. Dom Bradley (Sunkist Kids) 3. Anthony Cassar (Nittany Lion WC) 4. Greg Kerkvliet (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Nick Nevills (Nittany Lion WC) 6. Mike Kosoy (Sunkist Kids) 7. Youssif Hemida (New York AC) 8. Tanner Hall (Sunkist Kids) 9. Zach Elam (Team Central WC)

St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio -- a suburb of Cleveland -- has suspended a part-time coach in its wrestling program which is ranked No. 4 in the nation by InterMat. An email sent to parents from St. Ed's principal reports possible "inappropriate sexual conduct" towards a student on the part of a member of the wrestling coaching staff. The alleged behavior was brought to the school's attention last Thursday morning. According to the statement from principal K.C. McKenna, upon learning of the allegation, "we immediately contacted the Lakewood Police Department and suspended the coach indefinitely, pending the outcome of the investigation. He was instructed to have no contact with anyone involved with the school. We are cooperating fully with the authorities during their investigation, which is ongoing." McKenna's statement also encouraged students who may have been a victim to immediately contact Lakewood police. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that no charges have been filed in Lakewood Municipal nor Cuyahoga County courts. St. Edward High School is a boys-only Roman Catholic school located in Lakewood, a suburb immediately west of downtown Cleveland. Founded in 1949, St. Ed has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. St. Ed's wrestling is highly respected within the state of Ohio and across the nation. Since 1959, the school's mat program has earned 33 state team titles, most recently earlier this year.

Trophies from the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Over the 109 years since the formation of the NCAA, the organization has remained steadfast in its commitment to amateurism -- even when collegiate athletics became a billion-dollar industry -- a feat that caused the regulatory body to be likened to a cartel. In late September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Pay to Play Act into law, potentially altering the landscape of intercollegiate athletics. Newsom's bill permits athletes attending college in the Golden State to hire agents and pursue outside endorsements. For the first time, student-athletes will have the opportunity to promote products and companies, and financially benefit from their athletic status. For instance, if Ford wanted to sign a deal with former USC running back Reggie Bush paying him $20,000 per season to drive to every home game at the Coliseum in a new Ford F-150, the passing of Senate Bill 206 allows for an arrangement like this to be legitimate starting in 2023. "Colleges and universities reap billions from these student-athletes' sacrifices and success but block them from earning a single dollar. That's a bankrupt model -- one that puts institutions ahead of the students they are supposed to serve," Newsom said. Newsom's statement is based on the fact that numerous different NCAA stakeholders, including the media, individual schools, athletic conferences, coaches, apparel manufacturers and distributors and other commercial entities all make millions, if not billions of dollars from the efforts of these students on the field, hardwood or mat. Yet, the athletes receive zero of the revenues they help generate due to the current amateurism restrictions. Since Newsom's action, other states have started the process toward comparable legislation of their own, though nothing has passed yet. This legislation overrides current NCAA policies forbidding competitors from receiving compensation falling outside their traditional scholarship. Before Newsom's ruling, student-athletes could not accept endorsement deals or payments for the use of their images or persona. In 2023, when the Fair Pay to Play Act officially takes effect in California, they can. As an organization, the NCAA accumulated over $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time during the 2017 fiscal year, according to USA Today. It did so again in 2018, turning a profit of roughly $27 million. Such figures, of which the athletes receive zero, are the driving force behind these litigations and ultimately Newsom's Senate Bill 206. Many have spoken to the impact this development will have on revenue-generating sports such as football and men's basketball, but few have discussed the ramifications on Olympic sports like wrestling. For collegiate wrestling, this could be a huge development and advancement for the sport. Unlike football or basketball, wrestling is a sport where the scholarships awarded to student-athletes are traditionally partial scholarships. In fact, on a given team there are 9.9 scholarships at the DI level, 9 per team for DII programs, 8 for NAIA programs and up to 16 scholarships for NJCAA programs. If those numbers seem low to you, that's because they are. Football, NCAA's most scholarship-heavy sport at the DI level offers 85 scholarships per team. In most cases, these offerings are what are referred to as "full-rides," though they do fall short in some areas. Additionally, when you consider that there are ten weight classes within collegiate wrestling and that a team usually carries upwards of 30 wrestlers on their roster at any given time, these 9.9 scholarships are exceptionally sparse. Newsom's law, though it won't right the many wrongs wrestling has faced over the years -- including the dozens of program cuts over the last few decades, in an effort to maintain Title IX compliance, but it is a small step in the right direction. This legislation will help compensate the dozen or so college wrestlers on any given active roster who currently receive zero scholarship dollars, despite putting in over 40 hours per week lifting, training, watching film and representing their school on the mat. While the combat sport doesn't garner the same media attention and fanfare that "The Big Four" North American sports do, college wrestlers, particularly those in Big Ten country, other markets like Stillwater, Oklahoma, Ames, Iowa, Columbia Missouri, Ithaca, New York and a handful of others are household names. At schools like Iowa, Minnesota Northwestern, Cornell, and Arizona State, an argument can be made that Spencer Lee, Gable Steveson, Sebastian Rivera, Yanni Diakomihalis and Zahid Valencia are the most successful athletes on their respective campuses, even if they are not the most well-known. That said, these athletes deserve to be compensated for what they individually bring to their university. Senate Bill 206 allows for this. Another beneficial aspect of this legislation, albeit a seldom discussed one, is its ability to ease the financial burden that comes with trying to qualify for the Olympics for wrestlers. Wrestling is very much an international sport. As such, many Olympic qualifying tournaments and invitationals take place overseas. Allowing wrestlers to accept outside endorsements and sponsorships will help cover the often-pricey expense that is international travel. Prior to the induction of Senate Bill 206, this was the sole responsibility of the athlete and accepting any outside funding would compromise NCAA eligibility. A final benefit worthy of discussion is the unique opportunity it provides wrestling-specific apparel and merchandising brands like Cliff Keen, Rudis and Asics, which also has a large presence in the wrestling world. Now, these merchandisers will have access to the best young athletes that the sports have to offer during their peak years of competition. Prior NCAA regulations meant NCAA wrestlers were off limits to brands like these until they began their international careers post-college. For those worried that Newsom's legislation would provide an unfair recruiting advantage to schools like Stanford, Arizona State and others located in California, that is a valid point. However, the NCAA is actively working to eliminate this concern by passing further legislation that would amount to a "universal Bill 206" if you will. On Oct. 29, 2019, nearly a month to the day after Gov. Newsom signed Senate Bill 206, the NCAA Board of Governors expressed via press release, their desire to start the process of enhancing the name, image and likeness opportunities for athletes across all three NCAA divisions. "We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes," said Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of The Ohio State University. "Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education. This modernization for the future is a natural extension of the numerous steps NCAA members have taken in recent years to improve support for student-athletes, including full cost of attendance and guaranteed scholarships." The board asked each division to create any new rules beginning immediately, but no later than January 2021 -- virtually ensuring that, by the time the California Fair Pay to Play Act takes effect, all NCAA member institutions will be on equal footing as far as name, image and likeness rights are concerned for student-athletes. Currently, a broad plan exists, but what does it truly mean given legitimate, tangible and quantifiable changes may not be seen until as late as 2023? Few know what the true impact of these decisions will be, but it does allow student-athletes, and more importantly wrestlers like Lee, Steveson, Rivera, Diakomihalis and Valencia and others to set their own market as student-athletes and help make up for some of the obvious scholarship shortfalls under the current NCAA structure.

Mike Eierman coaching J'den Cox at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PROVIDENCE, R.I. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Harvard University and Brown University today unveiled the formation of The New England Regional Training Center (newenglandRTC.com), a state of the art program designed to advance the sport of wrestling in all ages in New England and throughout the country. Mike Eierman has been hired as the Head Coach of NERTC to lead the initiative. Building on the successful regional training center model created by USA Wrestling, NERTC will provide elite athletes from around the world with an unparalleled opportunity to create future career paths by tapping into the most powerful network of alumni and supporters in the wrestling world. The networks of both schools typically consist of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, doctors, lawyers, financial industry leaders and other professionals who are highly successful in their chosen careers. "Combining the goals and ideals of both Harvard University's and Brown University's wrestling programs is monumental. Not only will we provide resident-athletes with an unprecedented path to be great on and off the mat, our partnership will impact the entire New England Region through wrestling," noted Harvard University Head Coach Jay Weiss. "Mike Eierman is an elite coach and leader and knows the landscape; a true difference-maker. With Mike on board, we will be able to attract many wrestlers to come train here in New England, and we will be able to help these elite athletes prepare for life off the mat." Eierman brings a wealth of experience at the highest level of coaching, having coached Olympic Medalists, World Champions, NCAA Champions and NCAA All-Americans. His technique has been proven successful for athletes ranging from youth to senior-level. Before beginning his coaching career, Mike was a resident athlete of the U.S. Olympic Training Center from 2000-2003, placing in the U.S. Open and winning numerous medals in International freestyle tournaments in Russia, Ukraine, and Italy. In college, he was an NCAA All-American for the University of Nebraska. Eierman was the personal coach for J'den Cox at the 2016 Olympic Games, where Cox won an Olympic bronze medal in men's freestyle. Eierman helped coach Cox as a youth, and up through the Olympic level. Another athlete he coached, Jaydin Eierman, is a three-time NCAA All-American and U23 World Team member. Mike Eierman became well known for his youth club, Eierman Elite, which developed numerous champions. Eierman has college coaching experience with Westminster College, Neosho CC and the University of Missouri. "I am thrilled for this tremendous opportunity to coach the New England Regional Training Center, in partnership with Brown and Harvard Universities," said Eierman. "It's my honor and privilege to work with both the coaches and athletes of these prestigious institutions to help wrestlers expand their knowledge and skills on and off the mat, to become not only World and Olympic wrestling champions, but global leaders in their desired professions." Resident athletes live and train in Providence and Boston. These two metropolitan areas are great locations for anyone who wants access to an array of living opportunities, job markets, sports teams, urban and outdoor lifestyles, local beaches and restaurants. "We are really excited for this next chapter in New England Wrestling. Our RTC model will help resident athletes achieve their Olympics aspirations and network with two of the most powerful alumni groups in the world as our athletes find their career path after wrestling. This model will combine the best of both worlds - training opportunities and a career track toward success. stated Brown University Head Coach Todd Beckerman. For more information on the organization and the criteria for wrestlers to participate, please visit the New England Regional Training Center website newenglandrtc.com. In addition, the New England RTC is actively hiring Olympic-level Resident Athletes to train in Providence and Boston. If interested, please send your resume Newenglandrtc.com.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio has announced the hiring of Ian Assael as the Wolfpack's Director of Operations. Assael is a former college and club coach with experience dating back to 1995. Ian Assael with Trent Hidlay and Hayden Hilday"Ian brings unique experience that will help elevate our program on all levels with his vast amount years in our sport," said Popolizio. "I've gotten to know him as both a club coach and a high school coach while we were recruiting many of his athletes over the years, many that have since gone on to become Division 1 wrestlers. "Ian will be a great addition to our program." Assael spent the last three years as the head coach of Darkhorse Wrestling in Charlotte. Prior to that stint, he was the owner of Bison Legend Wrestling from 2012-17. On the collegiate level, Assael spent one season (2012-13) as an assistant coach at Bucknell. He graduated from Charlotte in 1990, then spent 10 years as a teacher and a head coach at the high school level. Assael will be replacing Melissa Simmons who joined Wolfpack Wrestling prior to the 2014-15 season, and served as the Director of Operations for five and a half seasons. A past former national champion during her collegiate days, Simmons recently earned her grad degree from NC State and is pursuing a job opportunity outside of collegiate wrestling. "We want to thank Melissa for all of her hard work and dedication to our program," said Popolizio. "Without her skill set, NC State Wrestling would not be where it is today. I am very thankful to have had her as part of our team, and she will be greatly missed by everybody that is involved with our team."

Adrian College will host the First Annual Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) in Adrian, Mich. on March 6-7, 2020. All NCAA varsity women's wrestling programs at the DI, DII, and DIII levels are eligible and welcome to enter. This is a historic event, as it is the first national-level tournament for college women's wrestling programs from NCAA-affiliated universities only. Organized by the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Coalition, the NCWWC is an important step in the process of receiving NCAA Emerging Sport Status for women's wrestling. In June 2019, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics recommended that all three NCAA divisions add women's freestyle wrestling as an emerging sport. These NCAA divisions are considering the women's wrestling bid this year, and official Emerging Sport Status could be achieved as early as August 2020. The Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships is not an official NCAA Championship yet, but will be held annually until the sport receives Emerging Sport Status, then qualifies as an official NCAA Championships with 40 NCAA institutions. College programs which have been invited to the NCWCC at Adrian College include: Adrian College (MI), Augsburg University (MN), Colorado Mesa University (CO), East Stroudsburg University (PA), Emmanuel College (GA), Ferrum College (VA), Fontebonne University (MO), Gannon University (PA), King University (TN), Lakeland University (WI), Limestone College (SC), Lindenwood University - St. Charles (MO), Lock Haven University (PA), MacMurray College (IL), McKendree University (IL), North Central College (IL), Pacific University (OR), Presbyterian Colllege (SC), Schreiner University(TX), Simon Fraser University (BC, Canada), Tiffin University (OH), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (WI), Westminster College (MO) The Women's Collegiate Wrestling Coalition was created to bring the sport of Women's Wrestling through NCAA emerging sport status to become a fully-sanctioned NCAA championship sport. As stated in the WCWC vision, the organization is dedicated in the guidance, leadership and governance for the sport of women's wrestling at the collegiate level based on fair and safe competition, while adding competitive varsity opportunities for female student-athletes. For more information, visit its website at https://thewcwc.com/ "We are excited to be able to host the inaugural women's wrestling championship. It's an honor to add this one to the long list of regional and national tournaments we have hosted. It's always special when you help something new come into being and we intend to put on a great event. We hope everyone comes to watch the high level competition and join us in this excitement," said Michael Duffy, Athletic Director at Adrian College and NCWCC Tournament Director. "This event is significant because it's opening a door to the NCAA that will expand the breadth and depth of women's collegiate wrestling opportunities," said Sally Roberts, Founder and Executive Director of Wrestle Like A Girl. "It will also serve to support more athletic and academic scholarships; it will create and support more future leaders that will strengthen our national fabric and add significant value to the conversation of equality and opportunity for all." "This NCWWC tournament is a very exciting step for women's wrestling. With the upcoming Emerging Sport Status vote happening in January, this event is a precursor to what will hopefully become the NCAA Championships for women's wrestling in the near future. The level of competition will be fantastic. It will be a great opportunity for our NCAA-school programs to showcase their athletes and the sport of women's wrestling as a whole," said Julia Salata, Executive Director of the WCWC and a Wrestle Like A Girl employee. "This competition is a huge step forward, as we continue to grow college women's wrestling. USA Wrestling is excited to support the Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships. This will be a historic first step for NCAA institutions which sponsor women's freestyle wrestling. It will be a great showcase of our talented women student-athletes. We thank Adrian College for its leadership in hosting the tournament, and appreciate the hard work from our coalition members in creating this opportunity," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. Additional details on the tournament, including session times, ticket prices, event broadcast, sponsors, media accreditation and more will be announced shortly. Mark your calendar for March 6-7, and join us at Adrian College in Adrian, Mich. for the First Annual Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships.

Fresno City College won its fourth straight California CC state title (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) In many ways, this was the wildest state meet to my memory on an individual basis. But the team race, was one of familiarity. When all the smoke cleared, Fresno City College won a record fourth consecutive state championship, and it's 17th in the 62-year history of the California Community College State Championship. Fresno was there from the start in 1959, tying San Bernardino College for the title. The Rams dominated the competition, from the first whistle to the last match. With 10 of their 12 qualifiers making it to the semifinals and seven getting into the finals, there was no doubt who the top dog in California was again this year. Fresno City finished with 11 medalists, 9 All-Americans including 4 Champions when all the dust settled. The final team score of 186 points was just one shy of their own record set at the 2018 State Championships. The Cerritos College Falcons, ranked No. 2 most of the season, conceded nothing, and were clearly the second-best team this season. Qualifying 11 athletes to the state meet, Cerritos made every one of them count. All 11 medaled, including five All-Americans and two champions. The biggest team fight was for third place. Sacramento City College came into the tournament ranked fifth and ended day one in third place. Day 2 saw them hanging onto the spot, but others scratching and clawing their way toward the final trophy place. After the medal round and going into the finals, the Panthers held a one-point lead over third-ranked Bakersfield for the spot. It came down to the finals at 174 pounds where Sacramento's No. 2 ranked Chase Miles met Bakersfield's No. 3 ranked Jonathan Hunter. The winner would clinch third place for the team. Hunter, in dominating fashion took the lead, then pinned Miles in the second period to help lead the Renegades to third place, the same as their rankings. SCC finished in fourth place. Individual races were quite a mix this year. Your ranking coming in played no role in the outcome of a match. Lower ranked and unranked wrestlers came to the tournament determined to make you wrestle to the end of each match. In total, four No. 1 ranked wrestlers lost in the first two rounds. Five No. 2 ranked wrestlers suffered the same fate. Below is a breakdown by weight. 125: This saw the meeting of the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked wrestlers in the state reach the finals. Number 1 ranked Mario Moreno of Fresno City had won three tournaments this season while No. 2 Jonathan Prata of Cerritos had won two tournaments. In the recent State Dual Championships, Moreno edged Prata by a score of 5-2. This was a low scoring final with lots of action. In the end, Prata pulled off the upset with a 3-2 victory, the third point coming from riding time. Fresno City's Ramiro Castillo took fifth in this weight to give Fresno two medalists. His first loss came to teammate Moreno in the semifinal. 133: This weight was the wildest of all. When it came down to it all, two wrestlers, one unranked at the weight and the other was an honorable mention at 141 before the postseason, met in the finals. Kahlil Tucker of Rio Hondo came in unranked while Houston Scibek of Modesto came in an HM at 141 while also competing in matches at 125 and 133 on the year. In a wild match going back and forth, Tucker held on for a 7-6 victory. Scibek had been second in two tournaments this year and finished fourth in the North Region, while Tucker's only tournament placing was second in the south region. Again, riding time played the factor as Tucker scored a third period reversal and ride out for the win. Stefano McKinney of Cerritos finished third and was another HM at 141 before the post season began. He had lost in the quarters to yet another HM wrestler, Sacramento City's Cole Kachmar who ended up finishing in sixth place. McKinney's teammate, Andres Gonzalez finished in seventh and was defeated by McKinney in the conso-quarters. 141: Another crazy weight as far as seeds go saw seventh ranked Christian Espinoza of Rio Hondo meet eighth ranked Isaiah Mora of Cerritos. Before the postseason, neither wrestler had been in the finals of a tournament. This was a great tournament to get it done in. Mora was 1st in the South region while Espinoza was third in the same region. Mora knocked off No. 2 ranked Anthony Chavez of Fresno in the semi. This may not seem a surprise as he defeated Chavez in the State Dual meet as well. Espinoza knocked off No. 1 ranked Raul Ortiz of Sacramento City in the quarters. It was Ortiz's first loss to a CCC wrestler this season. Mora and Espinoza put on an offensive show, going back and forth for 3 rounds with Mora finally getting ahead by three and holding onto a 10-7 win and the championship. 149: This weight saw two Fresno City wrestlers make the finals as was expected. Daniel Ruiz and Chris Gaxiola have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively since the first tournament of the season. They have finished in the finals of five tournaments throughout the season. They only wrestled that final once when Ruiz edged Gaxiola by a 4-3 score. Add to it that Ruiz is the defending champion at the weight makes it an even more interesting matchup. This final had the components of two talented wrestlers who practice with each other on a daily basis, and as could be expected a low scoring event as they countered each other over and over. Ruiz did score a takedown in the match and held on to a 3-2 victory and his second State Championship. 157: This was a battle of the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked wrestlers in the finals. In an unusual twist, the No. 2 ranked Josh McMillan of Fresno City, who finished third in the North Region, met No. 1 ranked Larry Rodriguez of Cerritos in the quarters. Rodriguez had defeated McMillan by a 11-5 score in the State Dual meet. This match belonged to McMillan as he defeated Rodriguez 4-1 and avenge the earlier loss. No. 3 ranked William Schwertscharf of Modesto finished fourth in the North Region, losing to McMillan. He took down the North Region No. 1, Hunter LaRue of Sacramento City with a last second takedown to reach the final. After all that drama, McMillan systematically built on his lead after gaining the first takedown in round one, and scored the last takedown in the third round to win by an 8-3 score. East Los Angeles wrestlers Emmanuel Zepeda and Doroteo Lopez finished fifth and seventh respectively to get two medalists at this weight. 165: This weight saw another battle of No. 1 vs No. 2. Defending champion and No. 1 ranked Augustine Garcia of Fresno City met No. 2 ranked Jacob Hansen of Moorpark. These two never met this season and everyone was anticipating a great match up. It took a bit of time, but Hansen scored first blood with a TD in the first period. Hansen controlled the match throughout getting another takedown and riding time to defeat Garcia by a score of 7-2. This is another weight where two wrestlers from one team medaled. This time it was Sacramento City. Manny Curry finished in sixth place while Alex Thornburg placed in eighth for the Panthers. 174: This weight saw No. 2 Chase Miles of Sacramento City meet No. 3 Jonathan Hunter of Bakersfield. The winner of this match would help their team take home the third place team trophy. Hunter jumped out to the lead, then hooked up a nearside cradle and a fall to win the Championship at the weight and get Bakersfield the third-place team trophy. Once again, two wrestlers from one team got on the podium. This time it was Mt. San Antonio College. Kevin Hope finished in fourth place while Kevin Ayala took home sixth place. 184: In this match-up, No. 1 Stephen Martin of Skyline met No. 4 Jordan Annis of Bakersfield. Annis had a rough region finishing in fourth place. He knocked off No. 2 Russell Rucklos of Lassen in the quarters and the South Region champ, Joey Conroy of Palomar to reach the finals. Martin won by scores of 6-0 and 6-1 in reaching the finals. Martin's solid offense and even better defense did the trick in shutting out Annis by a score of 7-0. He gave up only one point in three matches on the way to his championship. 197: The battle of No. 1 Jack Kilner of Fresno City and No. 3 Hamza Al Saudi of Cerritos was a defensive battle. They met a few weeks ago with Kilner winning by a 9-0 score at the State Dual championships. No one could score in the first period and Kilner scored an escape in the second period to make it 1-0 going into the third period. Al Saudi chose neutral in the third period in hopes of scoring a TD and stealing a win. With about 10 seconds left, he got in on a shot and was awarded a TD. With a ride out, it appeared he had pulled off the upset. Fresno City coaches appealed the call and it was overturned. Ten seconds of bad time was put on the clock, but on one could score in the time allotted and Kilner survived with a 1-0 victory and the Championship. 285: In the final match of the night, Fresno City's No. 1 ranked Armando Barcenas met unranked but South Region champ, Enrique Galica of Palomar. Barcenas was holding on to a one-point lead late in the match when Galica took a shot and just missed scoring. As time was running down, Galica took another shot but this time was countered by Barcenas for a takedown and a Championship win by a score of 5-2. Sierra College had two medalists in this weight getting a fourth-place finish from Victor Yakshin and a seventh-place finish from Alex Mosquada. Coach of the Year: Paul Keysaw, Fresno City College Assistant Coach of the Year: George Moreno, Fresno City College Outstanding Wrestler of the Year: Jacob Hansen (Moorpark) Final Team Standings 1. Fresno City College 186 2. Cerritos College 137 3. Bakersfield College 77 4. Sacramento City College 72 5. Sierra College 70.5 6. Mt San Antonio College 65 7. Modesto Jr. College 59 8. Lassen Community College 53 9. Rio Hondo College 48 10. East Los Angeles College 41 11. Santa Rosa Jr. College 34 12. West Hills College 33.5 13. Palomar College 30.5 14. Moorpark College 29.5 15. Cuesta College 23.5 16. Skyline College 19 17. San Joaquin Delta College 17 18. Chabot College 11.5 19. Victor Valley College 10 20. Santa Ana College 8.5 21. Shasta College 0

Eastern Gateway Community College will add another sport beginning next fall with wrestling set to become their third varsity program, joining baseball, which began in the fall of 2017 and women's volleyball, also set to begin this fall under the direction of head coach Joe Conroy. Former YSU and Ohio University grappling standout Dom Mancini, long considered one of the area's outstanding wrestlers and scholastic head coaches during his 20-year run at Boardman High School, has been tabbed as the program's first head coach. "As our athletic program continues to grow, we are very excited about the addition of men's varsity wrestling next fall," EGCC director of athletics John Zizzo said. "Dom Mancini will lead our wrestling program as head coach, bringing a wealth of wrestling knowledge and experience to EGCC Athletics. "During his time as head coach at Boardman High School and his involvement with area youth wrestling programs, we felt that he was a perfect fit for starting up and coaching our program, now and into the future."

Pete PettryA GoFundMe page has been established for Pete Pettry, a former wrestler at Liberty University and University of Central Oklahoma. Pettry was seriously injured in a head-on car crash in Richmond, Virginia last week and remains hospitalized. According to Patricia Griffin who created the fundraiser for Pettry, he is expected to be transferred soon to another hospital for weeks of physical therapy. Pettry wrestled at Liberty University in Virginia during the 1993-94 season, then continued his academic and mat career at Central Oklahoma from 2003-06. He was a member of the Bronchos wrestling team which won the NCAA Division II team championship in 2003.

Drew Munch pinned his way to the finals before beating a ranked wrestler to win the title (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The nation's top in-season high school wrestling tournament was contested this weekend at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio -- the 26th edition of the Walsh Ironman. Fifteen nationally ranked teams were among the field that contested the event on Friday and Saturday, while approximately 65 ranked wrestlers were in the competition. In such an elite event, there are a lot of observations to made, some of them are contained here. A new national No. 1 team The top two teams in the Fab 50 national high school team rankings in the field, they finished first and second in the standings. Leading the standings was No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), while No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) finished second. The margin in the standings was 45.5 points, 234.5 to 189. The absence of defending tournament champions Trevor Mastrogiovanni (126) and Shayne Van Ness (132) probably cost Blair Academy a net of 50-55 points; while the absence of Kyle Costello (195) and Jacob Kaminski (285) for Wyoming Seminary was about a 30-point net loss for the Blue Knights. In terms of wrestling-related reasons for why the Blue Knights won the tournament, one can point to thee significant "above slot" performances. Unranked Drew Munch (132) pinned his way to the championship match and then beat a ranked wrestler in the finals bout; Lachlan McNeil (145) knocked off the national No. 1 in his championship match; and unranked freshman Gabe Arnold (160) beat a pair of ranked wrestlers on the way to a third-place finish. Wyoming Seminary went 4-0 in semifinal matches on the way to three championships, while the other nine wrestlers they entered advanced to at minimum the consolation round of 12 with six of those wrestlers earning podium finishes. On the other hand, Blair Academy went 3-3 in the semifinals on the way to two championships but only placing seven wrestlers in total. Dalton Harkins gets his hand raised after winning a title at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 152 pounds of crazy The 152-pound weight class bracket featured seven nationally ranked wrestlers entering the tournament: No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 5 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), No. 6 Brayden Roberts (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), No. 8 B.J. Bailey (Thornton Fractional North, Ill.), No. 11 Connor Kievman (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 13 Bryce Hepner (St. Edward, Ohio), and No. 18 Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.). However, when the tournament was done, the champion was the unranked Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.), a wrestler that was not really even a consideration for the top 20 entering the tournament coming off a fourth-place finish last year in the 138-pound weight class at National Preps (he was third the two years previous). Harkins used a second period escape and a third period ride-out in which Bailey was hit with two stall calls to win 2-0 in the round of 16; he beat Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) 4-1 in the tiebreaker in the quarters; then it was a takedown and turn in the second period to key a 9-2 victory over Hall in the semifinal. The championship match against Mastrogiovanni that went to overtime was interesting to say the least. Harkins did not score a takedown in regulation, while Mastrogiovanni had two. Harkins scored his points on an escape in each period, an unnecessary roughness penalty in the second period, and a second stalling call in the third period. The action leading to the pin in overtime was off a chin whip. The front-side loss for the fourth and fifth place finishers in this weight class came to wrestlers that lost in the consolation round of 12: Castillo lost 2-1 in the tiebreaker to Derek Fields (Brunswick, Ohio), while Enrique Munguia (Elyria, Ohio) lost 10-7 to Hepner; while the seventh and eighth place finishers split matches during the course of the tournament, Handlovic won 4-3 in the round of 16 while Caleb Dowling (St. Joseph's Catholic, Pa.) 3-0 for seventh. In summary, the order of placement went NR, No. 2, No. 5, No. 18, NR, No. 6, NR, and NR; No. 11 and No. 13 lost one match short of placement, while No. 8 fell two matches before placement. Team revelation: Malvern Prep, Pa. Entering the tournament ranked No. 27 in the country, people knew the Friars were a pretty talented team. However, top five standings type noise was not expected: (1) five teams ranked inside the national top eight were in the field (2) no wrestler entered the weekend nationally ranked (3) no wrestler was seeded above fifth (4) only four wrestlers were seeded in placement positions. What happened was three finalists and six placers. 14-seed Harkins and six-seed Deery emerged as champions; while Feldman, the Friars' highest seed at fifth, finished as runner-up. Also placing were Jack Wehmeyer in sixth, while Thomas Link and Dayton Delviscio finished eighth. Of those six wrestlers, two are seniors, one is a junior, two are sophomores, and one is a freshman. Malvern Prep amassed 126.5 points on the way to a third-place finish, 78.5 of which were scored by non-seniors; a total that would have placed just behind 10th place Waynesburg, Pa. Eleven of their fourteen starters are underclassmen, including nine freshmen or sophomores; and there is strong talent coming from behind for head coach Nathan Lautar through their youth/club infrastructure. Best championship path of the tournament: Frankie Tal-Shahar Though Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) for upending the national No. 1 at 145 pounds in the championship bout, the most impressive championship path in my opinion was had by Tal-Shahar. A runner-up in this event last year at 132 pounds, he entered this tournament off a DNP at the preseason Super 32 Challenge, though his consolation loss was in the tiebreaker to a Cadet World Team participant. In the round of 16, a late takedown was the difference in a 3-2 victory over talented sophomore Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio); while takedowns in the first and third period propelled the national No. 10 to a 5-2 win over No. 5 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio); a third period takedown was the difference in a 3-1 win over No. 16 Nick Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); before his 3-1 overtime victory over national No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.). Low margins Saturday The second day of the tournament saw a hefty number of close bouts. By round of competition, here was the accounting for bouts that were either decided by two points or less in regulation or had to go beyond regulation time to have a winner emerge. Consolation round of 12 11/14 weight classes had at least one bout that was "close" (21/56 bouts) Six bouts went beyond regulation All four "blood round" bouts at 113, and three of four at 152 were "close" Semifinal 11/14 weight classes had at least one "close bout" (15/28 bouts) Seven bouts went beyond regulation Both semis at 113, 138, 145, and 182 were "close" Consolation quarterfinals 9/14 weight classes had at least one "close bout" (13/28 bouts) Five bouts went beyond regulation Both matches at 138 through 160 were "close" Consolation semifinals 9/14 weight classes had at least one "close bout" (12/27 contested) Four bouts went beyond regulation Both matches at 132, 138, and 195 were "close" Championship finals 9/14 were "close" Four went beyond regulation

RENO, Nev. -- It was a banner day for the Wyoming wrestling team Sunday at the Reno Tournament of Champions as the Cowboys took first place as a team with 155.5 points and crowned three individual champions on the day. Montorie Bridges at 133 pounds, Dewey Krueger at 157 and Tate Samuelson at 184 were the three champions for the Pokes. Krueger was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament, becoming the third consecutive Cowboy to receive the honor at Reno. It also marks UW's fifth-straight season with a top-four team finish at the Tournament of Champions. "I was about to leave, honestly, I didn't know what was going on" said Krueger afterwards. "They called my name over, and I was like 'dang.' I had a good tournament and had fun. This was probably the most fun I had wrestling, I enjoy wrestling and it feels good to have it pay off a little bit." UW also got three second-place finishes at the event as Jaron Jensen (149), Cole Moody (165) and Hayden Hastings (174) all came up just short in the finals. Casey Randles took third at 165 pounds while Stephen Buchanan was fourth at 197 and Chase Zollmann took fifth at 141 pounds to round-out the podium finishes for the Cowboys. Bridges opened up his tournament with back-to-back falls as he defeated Blaysen Terukina of Menlo late in his opening match of the day and then pinned Colorado Mes'as Dylan Keeney with a minute left in the first period. In the quarters, Bridges escaped with a 1-0 win over Warner Pacific's Austin Wallace-Lister before winning 4-2 in the semifinals over Oregon State's Devan Turner. In the championship match, Bridges controlled Campbell's Noah Gonser, 4-1 to take home the title. "Reno is a good tournament and a good tournament for our team," said Bridges. "We won as a team, so that was a big part to finish our semester out strong. It was good for us to put ourselves into position to be better, wrestle better and get better." Krueger opened his day with back-to-back bonus-point victories as well as he began with a 15-1 major decision over Cal Poly's Max Anderson. In the next round, Kruger tech-falled Highline's John Sowers, 20-2. In the quarterfinals, Krueger defeated Matthew Olguin of Fresno State, 4-2 before surviving a 4-3 contest against Grand View's Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer. In the finals, Krueger defeated Oregon State's Hunter Willits, 3-1 in thrilling fashion, getting a Sudden Victory takedown to take the title. At 184, Samuelson opened his tournament with a first period fall of Western Wyoming's Jace Anderson. Samuelson then blanked Campbell's Calib Hopkins, 3-0 before advancing past Grand View's Kenderick Jones, 3-2. In the semis, Samuelson defeated Anthony Orozco of Menlo, 6-1 before taking out Oregon State's Colt Doyle in the finals, 3-1 to earn Wyoming's third individual title. Samuelson's win over Doyle came in the final seconds of Sudden Victory, much like Krueger's win early in the night. "I came out a little timid, but still got the first place finish. I've still got some room to improve but still happy about tonight." Said Samuelson. Jaron Jensen, who competed for the first time as a ranked wrestler Sunday, had a solid day as he recorded a pair of tech fall wins, defeating Campbell's Zachary Barnes, 15-0 and Warner Pacific's Zach Sias, 16-1. Jensen also got a pin at 3:42 in his second round match over Umpqua's Titus Mejia. After picking up back-to-back decisions, 6-4 and 10-4, Jensen was defeated in the finals by Stanford's Jaden Abas, 10-6. At 165 pounds, Moody began the T.O.C. with three consecutive bonus-point victories as he pinned Utah Valley's Corbin Smith early in the second period. In the round of 16, Moody got a 14-2 major decision over Cal Poly's Dylan Miracle and then dispatched of Northern Colorado's Austin Matthews in the quarterfinals in just 2:21. In the semifinals, Moody earned an 8-2 decision over Fresno State's Ricky Padilla before coming up short in the championship bout, 10-5 against Campbell's Quentin Perez. Hastings rolled along to five wins at 174 as he opened the day with a 9-0 major over UNC's Xavier Vasquez. Hastings then pinned Menlo's Jordan Bernal in just 1:33 before winning 6-1 over CSU Bakersfield's Albert Urias, 6-1. In the quarters, Hastings pinned Cal Baptist's Jacob Cooper in just 54 seconds before getting a 9-4 win in the semis over Abner Romero. Hastings had to bow-out before the finals match due to an injury as Baker's Lucas Lovvorn took the 174-pound title. The Pokes will now be off for two weeks before returning to action Dec. 29 for the South Beach Duals down in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Cowboys will face Cornell and Old Dominion Sunday at the event and will face Michigan State and North Carolina State Monday, Dec. 30.