InterMat Staff

Logan Storley kicks E.J. Brooks (Photo/Bellator) Five former college wrestlers entered the cage at Bellator 233 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. Friday night ... and four exited with wins. The winning former mat stars included Tyrell Fortune, Logan Storley, Romero Cotton, and Kyle Crutchmer ... while Muhammed Lawal was knocked out in the opening round of what had been advertised as his "retirement match." King Mo 'retired' by KO in Round 1 "There was no fairy tale ending for Muhammed Lawal as he was KO'd in just 82 seconds by Andrew Kapel in what was being billed as his retirement fight," is how MMAfighting.com opened its coverage of the 195-pound catchweight co-main event at Bellator 233. "'King Mo' had actually retired earlier this year following three straight losses, but announced that he was coming back for one more fight in the hopes of going out on a high note. It wasn't to be." Lawal, one of two former Oklahoma State wrestlers fighting at Bellator 233, had his bout covered by the assistant sports editor of the Daily O'Collegian, the student newspaper at King Mo's college alma mater. "Instead of seeing his hand raised one last time, Lawal had to watch his opponent, Andrew Kapel, get the satisfaction of a knockout," wrote Sam Lane of the O'Colly. "Lawal is known as a knockout expert, but had his career ended the way it was made." Lawal completes his eleven-year pro MMA career with an overall record of 21-10, 1 NC) ... while Kapel improves to 15-6. Good fortune continues to smile on Tyrell Fortune Tyrell Fortune, a two-time national junior college wrestling champ at Oregon's Clackamas Community College then NCAA Division II titlewinner at Arizona's now-defunct Grand Canyon University mat program, maintained his perfect MMA record with a second-round knockout of Azunna Anyanwu in a heavyweight (265 pounds) opening bout for the main card. "After an uneventful opening frame, Fortune cracked his opponent with a straight right to the face," according to Sherdotg.com. "Anyanwu stumbled backward and from there, Fortune unloaded punches to the head, followed his foe to the ground and finished him with a barrage of fists. The end came officially at 1:56 of the Round 2." Fortune is now 8-0 in his five-year pro MMA career ... while Anyanwu falls to 15-6. Storley signs new contract, remains perfect thanks to TKO Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American for University of Minnesota who first signed with Bellator two-and-years ago, recently signed a new contract with the organization ... and "celebrated" with a first-round win over E.J. Brooks in a 175-pound contract weight preliminary bout at Bellator 233. The bout ended in a somewhat unusual way. After Round One ended and both fighters were in their respective corners, Brooks said he had suffered an arm injury and was unable to continue. The match was scored as a TKO by injury for the former Golden Gopher matman at 5 minutes of the first round. (In its live scoring, Fightful.com scored the first round as going to Storley before the bout was called.) The 27-year-old Storley remains perfect with an 11-0 record in a pro career going back to August 2015 ... while Brooks is now 13-6. Romero Cotton gets first-round TKO to maintain win streak Almost exactly three years after signing a contract with Bellator, Romero Cotton - a two-time NCAA Division II champ for University of Nebraska-Kearney - celebrated that contractual milestone with a victory at Bellator 233 Friday night. Cotton earned a first-round win over Jason Perrotta in a middleweight (185-pound) preliminary bout. Here's how Fightful.com described the brief match: "The round begins with Perrotta attacking Cotton with some leg kicks, Cotton responds by landing some leg kicks of his own. Cotton scores a takedown on Perrotta and he gets the open guard, Perrotta scrambles to his feet as Cotton swings away at him. Cotton grabs Perrotta and gets him up against the cage wall, Cotton attacks Perrotta with some strikes. Perrotta verbally taps out after suffering a knee injury and the fight is called off." The match was officially scored as a TKO at 2:16 of Round 1. Here's what Cotton posted on his Facebook page: "Wasn't how we wanted but the streak continues thank you to all my sponsors and family who supported us in this effort." In his pro career dating back to July 2017, Cotton is now 5-0 ... while Perrotta drops to 3-4. Crutchmer scores unanimous decision in Bellator debut Kyle Crutchmer, a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State, made a successful debut in the Bellator organization Friday night with a unanimous decision over Robert Gidron - his third named opponent for that match -- in what was supposed to be a welterweight prelim. "Crutchmer, a Tulsa native, dominated his match from the beginning," according to the Daily O'Collegian student paper at Oklahoma State. "He showed off his wrestling background from the start taking down his opponent multiple times to maintain control of the fight, despite Gidron missing the fight's 170-pound weight-limit." "'My wrestling kind of speaks for itself,' Crutchmer said. 'I'd be dumb to not at least attempt it in the first. (Gidron) was big. People don't realize he missed weight by five pounds.'" Crutchmer is now 5-0 (and 1-0 in Bellator) in a pro MMA career that started in June 2018. Gidron drops to 2-3.

ANN ARBOR -- Clay Lautt's first-period pin and A.C. Headlee's win over No. 10 Will Lewan helped lead No. 17 North Carolina to a 19-17 win over No. 19 Michigan Friday night at Cliff Keen Arena. After Michigan scored bonus points at 125 pounds, Jaime Hernandez stormed out of the gate to collect a 20-7 major decision over Austin Assad. Zach Sherman followed up Hernandez's standout performance with a 9-3 with over Ben Freeman, giving the Tar Heels their first lead of the night, 7-4 in the team score. Michigan picked up a win at 149 pounds, but A.C. Headlee's upset win over Lewan proved to be one of the major turning points of the night. Leading 3-2 late, Headlee used strong defense and late-match effort to fight Lewan's pressing offense, ultimately scoring a takedown late for a 5-2 decision. No. 16 Kennedy Monday's decision extended UNC's lead to 13-7 before Clay Lautt locked up the performance of the night with a pin over Reece Hughes. At a new weight down at 174, Lautt was able to secure a cradle of Hughes and win via fall in 2:19. That bumped Carolina's lead to 19-7, enough to fight off the Wolverines' late run. Michigan took the final three bouts of the night, including No. 5 Mason Parris' 4-0 decision over No. 20 Andrew Gunning, but Lautt's bonus points proved vital, helping the Tar Heels to a 19-17 win. The Tar Heels will hit the west coast next weekend when the team travels to Stanford. The dual is set for Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m. PST. Results: 125: Jack Medley (MICH) maj. dec. No. 19 Joey Melendez (UNC), 10-2 – Michigan leads, 4-0 133: Jaime Hernandez (UNC) maj. dec. Austin Assad (MICH), 20-7 – Tied, 4-4 141: Zach Sherman (UNC) dec. Ben Freeman (MICH), 9-3 – UNC leads, 7-4 149: Nick Freeman (MICH) dec. Gino Esposito (UNC), 9-3 – Tied, 7-7 157: A.C. Headlee (UNC) dec. No. 10 Will Lewan (MICH), 5-2 – UNC leads, 10-7 165: No. 16 Kennedy Monday (UNC) dec. Layne Van Anrooy (MICH), 10-3 – UNC leads, 13-7 174: Clay Lautt (UNC) fall Reece Hughes (MICH), 2:19 – UNC leads, 19-7 184: No. 17 Jelani Embree (MICH) maj. dec. Chasen Blair (UNC), 13-4 – UNC leads, 19-11 197: Jackson Striggow (MICH) dec. Brandon Whitman (UNC), 8-2 – UNC leads, 19-14 285: No. 5 Mason Parris (MICH) dec. No. 20 Andrew Gunning (UNC), 4-0 – UNC wins, 19-17

SAEGERTOWN, Pa. -- In a showdown against Edinboro in Saegertown High School, the Wisconsin Badgers take home the 28-15 victory over the Fighting Scots, improving their record to 5-0 on the season. After taking a 1-0 loss at 125, the Badgers answered quickly. At 133, Seth Gross pinned Tye Varndell in the first period getting the Badgers back on top. Gross recorded his second pin of the season in two minutes. The fun was just getting started when 141-pounder Tristan Moran took the mat for Wisconsin. He pulled Carmine Ciotti down to the mat and recorded his first fall of the season in 4 minutes, 58 seconds, just before the second period ended. At 165, Evan Wick joined in on pin party in Saegertown. He took down Derek Ciavorro of Edinboro down right at the start of the match and showed no mercy. At 2:30, Ciavarro was pinned by Wick, who got his first fall of the season. Cole Martin at 149 brought home a major decision. In a close match heading into the third, Martin turned on the jets and went to work on Tyler Vath. When the final buzzer rang, Martin, the redshirt senior, took the 16-3 major decision. From the mat "Our guys did a great job tonight in a very tough environment. I am excited for the rest of the season. I liked the way the team went out and got a bunch of bonus points for us. In the matches we did lose, we showed a lot of fight." - Head coach, Chris Bono "It felt great! Getting the pin is what I try to do every match. A lot more pins are coming this season and we will cap it off with a national title." - Redshirt senior, Tristan Moran "It sucked to see Mikey lose a close one like that but the atmosphere was incredible. It had me super fired up to go out there and do my thing. I'm getting back into my groove and plan on getting better each time I step out there." - Redshirt senior, Seth Gross Results: 125 – Lucas Rodriguez (EU) over Michael Cullen (UW) by dec. 1-0 133 – No. 1 Seth Gross (UW) over Tye Varndell (EU) by fall 2:00 141 – No. 11 Tristan Moran (UW) vs Carmine Ciotti (EU) by fall 4:58 149 – No. 13 Cole Martin (UW) over Tyler Vath (EU) by maj. dec. 16-3 157 – Peter Pappas (EU) over Garrett Model (UW) by dec. 8-5 165 – No. 3 Evan Wick (UW) over Derek Ciavarro (EU) by fall 2:30 174 – No. 23 Jacob Oliver (EU) over Jared Krattiger (UW) vs by dec. 8-4 184 – Tyler Dow (UW) over Cody Mulligan (EU) by dec. 5-2 197 – Dylan Reynolds (EU) won by forfeit 285 – No. 7 Trent Hillger (UW) vs. Jon Spaulding (EU) by dec. 4-0 Other notes Tyler Dow wrestled against Saegertown native Cody Mulligan and gave him his first loss in his home gym. Gross, Moran, Wick and Hillger all remain undefeated at 5-0 Up next The Badgers will have off next weekend but will take the mat again in Orem, Utah when they face Utah Valley on Saturday, Nov. 23rd at 2 p.m. The meet will be broadcast live on FloWrestling.

Keith Gavin (right) with Jordan Leen at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Third-year head wrestling coach Keith Gavin from Pittsburgh joins The MatBoss Podcast for Episode 40. On this edition, host Chad Dennis talks about Gavin's prospectus for the 2019-20 season with his Panthers wrestling team and how the squad is looking to push through after a successful dual season a year ago, but a disappointing NCAA championships. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

Dominick Moyer (Photo/Northern Illinois Athletics) DEKALB, Ill. -- Northern Illinois University wrestling head coach Ryan Ludwig announced the promotion of Dominick Moyer to associate head coach. "Coach Moyer works tirelessly for the betterment of this program and the men within," Ludwig said. "This is well deserved recognition for his dedication and efforts." A staple on the NIU wrestling coaching staff since 2008, Moyer enters his 12th season at NIU. During his tenure with the Huskies, Moyer has contributed to NIU's success on and off the mat. In addition to assisting in NIU's recruiting efforts, he serves as the team's liaison with Student-Athlete Academic Support Services "I want to thank Coach Ludwig for this opportunity and his belief in me to help lead the NIU Wrestling program," Moyer said. "It's a great honor and I'm very grateful and excited for what the future holds." A 2007 graduate of Nebraska and three-time NCAA qualifier, Moyer helped extend NIU's run of NCAA qualifiers to 48 consecutive years and last year four Huskies earned Academic All Mid-American Conference honors for the second consecutive year. The Huskies return to the mat Friday, Nov. 15 when they play host to Bucknell before welcoming Harper College and Rider University to DeKalb for the Huskie Duals on Sunday, Nov. 17. Both events will take place in the Convocation Center.

Matthew Schmitt (Photo/WVU Athletics) MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- Redshirt junior Matthew Schmitt of the West Virginia University wrestling team announced his decision to sit out of the 2019-20 season to train for the 2020 United States Olympic Team Trials on April 4-5, 2020. Schmitt's decision comes after he earned the right to an Olympic redshirt following a sixth-place finish at 60 kg in Greco Roman at the 2019 US Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, from April 25-26. "It's an incredible opportunity to be able to train for the Olympics," Schmitt said. "There are so many things that have to happen in order for me to make it to the Olympic Trials, but I am thankful for West Virginia University - they have allowed me to chase my dreams. It's a true testament to the coaching staff and their dedication to get this program to the next level." An Olympic redshirt is designed to allow qualified student-athletes to train for the Olympic games, without losing a year of eligibility. Furthermore, an Olympic redshirt does not count against an existing redshirt season, giving the student-athlete a sixth-year of NCAA competition. "When we are recruiting kids, we are trying to sell them on fulfilling their dreams, and every wrestler has a dream of being an Olympic champion," second-year coach Tim Flynn said. "We want kids to come here with aspirations of being the best, so we are going to do whatever we can to help Matt get there. We want nothing more than for Matt to become a member of Team USA and go on to be an Olympic champion." Schmitt finished the 2018-19 season with an 18-8 record and appeared in his second NCAA Tournament at 133 pounds. The Platte City, Missouri, native has a career record of 42-22 in two seasons in Morgantown. Schmitt will have two years of eligibility remaining following the redshirt. West Virginia will compete in its second open tournament of the season, on Saturday, Nov. 9, as the team travels to Boone, North Carolina, for the 2019 Mountaineer Invitational. The tournament is hosted by Appalachian State and is slated to begin at 9 a.m. ET.

Jaydin Eierman announced this week that he will be entering the transfer portal, signaling his intention to transfer immediately from the University of Missouri. He then announced he will become an Iowa Hawkeye. The Eierman transfer comes on the heels of news that Greg Kerkvliet has decommitted from Ohio State and will also be looking for a new home for his college wrestling career. The decisions caused the typical pearl clutching of Wrestling Twitter, but at its heart actually indicates a healthy student-focused approach to the health of the student-athlete. There are plenty of wrestlers who believe that loyalty and observation of long-standing norms are the only way forward. But as a former competitor and coach I know that the stress of competition at the Division I level can cause plenty of emotional damage to a young person. That's not to indicate what is happening in these circumstances, but the mental health and well-being of the student-athletes must be paramount and to guarantee that means guaranteeing their unencumbered freedom in movement and school choice. Times have changes even since I left school in 2003. The wrestlers today are focused on the next stage of their careers while still in their collegiate singlets. This means that they are being drawn in by the RTC coaching staff and training situation as much as they are the food options in the dining hall and extracurricular activities popular with the coeds in the spring (read: drinking). That Eierman wants to put himself in a training situation that allows for Olympic success is to be admired. No matter his choice of school, it was a brave decision to risk a late career change in NCAA wrestling in the trust that it will positively impact the opportunity to become an Olympic-caliber athlete. Good luck to Eierman, Kerkvliet and any other wrestler out there who needs to make a change in their career. (But also … Iowa is loading up!) To your questions … Missouri head wrestling coach Brian Smith (Photos/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Q: Obviously, there have been a lot of changes at Missouri. Some coaches left in the offseason. J'den Cox left to train at the OTC. Now Jaydin Eierman is transferring. Do you expect Missouri to take a step back in the coming years? Or will Brian Smith keep the program as a perennial top-10 program? -- Mike C. Foley: Losing Eierman means losing points at the NCAA tournament, which absolutely means taking a step back in the near-term. In the long-term Smith's Tigers will rebound, largely because he's a hard-working, proven leader with the ability to develop talent. Coach Smith's system (whatever that looks like) has worked for him and I don't think that a series of changes in the near-term will force him to reorganize that system, or stop being able to properly teach techniques, motivate, or oversee fundraising. While it's never too early to be aware of these types of movements (especially when they are tightly grouped), I think Smith and his staff deserve the benefit of a few years to see if things turn sour, or the program stabilizes and continues marching forward. Q: What do schools like Missouri (smaller budget and basically no RTC) need to do to keep me their best wrestlers and their top recruits? There are vultures out there, man. -- @aelsayedjj Foley: If the top tier of schools attracting RTC talent and big recruits is Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State then that would make Mizzou the second tier. If you put Iowa and Penn State as Tier 1, the rest Tier 2, then they are Tier 3. That ranking doesn't matter too much except to illustrate that there is a significant distance to climb just to hope you could be on par with the established big shots. I'd say retreat. For now you make a tactical retreat and invest in the wrestlers and their development. Attract good COACHES and let the RTC worries go to someone else. You will lose an Eierman here or there, but you will likely win more at the NCAA level than you would chasing white whales on the recruiting trail and for your RTC. You also save the time suck of trying to raise $300K a year to keep your RTC functional. Improving as a coach will win more championships than snagging a few transfers. Q: What is the difference between an Olympic redshirt and a grayshirt? What is stopping someone not eligible for an Olympic redshirt from grayshirting and essentially doing the same thing? In both cases you are not enrolled at the school but still train there. Could someone just not enroll but train at the school's RTC before/after their freshman year and not lose eligibility since it's based on year/credits at school? -- @Wrestle_lift Foley: A grayshirt is taken BEFORE you start attending your chosen university and prevents your NCAA clock from starting on its five-year countdown. The Olympic redshirt can only be taken once you are in school and stops your clock for the season. I'm not sure that scenario you mentioned can be achieved. The wrestler who waits out before joining only has that one year. They can certainly take a redshirt their freshman year, but their clock would have started. I guess if a wrestler grayshirted last year and was eligible/approved for an Olympic redshirt in 2020 they could delay their clock for two straight seasons. Thankfully I don't think that has happened (yet). Q: What did you think of the officiating in Brady Berge's match where he was injured and why didn't the official stop the match? In the video I saw, he was clearly not defending himself, looked like a rag doll flopping around while his opponent was turning him, and then was clearly unconscious at the time of the fall. It's not like it all happened instantaneously either. There were two turns, and then Berge basically fell out of the turn onto his back. I am very curious why nothing was done to stop the match in the interest of safety. -- Rich W. Foley: First, I hope that Brady Berge is feeling better and that he was able to recover after what looked to be getting knocked unconscious. The Indian wrestler didn't have a clue anything was wrong and didn't look to have intentionally hurt Berge. He just wrestled until he was told to stop. Looked like Berge hit his forehead going in, or maybe the Indian wrestler tapped him on the temple with his knee when looking to circle around. The referee is one of the best in the world (1S) and while I can't speak for her I'm sure that she feels terrible for not seeing that the wrestler was in danger. Maybe it was because of where she was positioned, but regardless the referees do care for the athletes and I'm sure she would have stopped the match should she have recognized he was injured. Interestingly, the mat chair and judge also didn't have a clear look at Berge's face due to him being at a 45-degree angle. They often stop those progression when there is an injured wrestler unbeknownst to the referee. Oddly even the challenge brick came in a bit late (though that could be for several reasons), which is sometimes how these things get caught. Overall, I'd chalk it up to a set of bad circumstances that unfortunately left Berge in a dangerous position for far too long. The other note to make -- more for future reference -- is that if a wrestler loses consciousness because of impact to the head they are done for the tournament. If a wrestler is choked unconscious, then they are allowed to continue wrestling. Justification being that the latter is due to blood, not brain swelling. Again, I hope he has recovered. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Yazdani The Greatest Follow Snyderlaev Behind the Scenes at the World Championships! Q: Mason Parris was dominant at the Junior World Championships this past summer. He had a strong start to his season, winning convincingly over Demetrius Thomas of Pitt and Matt Stencel of Central Michigan at the Michigan State Open. He was dominated by Anthony Cassar last season and also lost to Trent Hillger. But this year he seems to be much improved. Do you see Parris as a legit threat to contend for a heavyweight title this season? -- Mike C. Foley: Parris is fully capable of winning the national title in 2020. Coaching, wrestling partners and access to the bet competitions will mean he'll be ready in March. That's not to knock Cassar who is the favorite, but Parris has improved over the past year and I would expect he continues that steep curve throughout the season. Demetrius Thomas is the man. Love watching that guy wrestle. Q: Will Virginia knock off Arizona State this weekend? Care to give a prediction? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't know, but I had a few cocktails last week and through some combination of nostalgia and scotch found my way onto the U.Va. gear store and stocked up on goodies. Win or lose they are a solid squad with a nice future ahead. #WarMueller J Jaggers coaching at the Michigan State Open (Photos/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Q: It seems like J Jaggers is a Buckeye through and through. He's played a big part in the program's success. Do you know if he has aspirations of becoming a head coach? If so, do you think he will ever get a shot to lead a Division I program? -- Mike C. Foley: Why not?! He's coaches national champions, is well-liked, dresses the part, and has studied under one of the best in the business. I do think he'll get a chance, but to be clear I wouldn't be surprised if he's not able to find that opportunity for a few years. The market is tight and competition is fierce. Going off to develop a program can often mean less money, time away from your family, and limited returns for the first several years. Coaching is a tough game.

The fifth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team scored a pair of season-opening victories over ranked Division II foes as part of the Nebraska Duals on Thursday night. The event featured the Huskers, 24th-ranked Chadron State, Hastings College and fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney. The Big Red first grappled with Chadron State. The 1,477 fans in attendance at the Devaney Center had barely taken their seats before redshirt freshman Alex Thomsen (125) pinned Tate Stoddard in their 58-second match. The Huskers then scored decisions in their next five bouts. Zak Hensley (133), Christian Miller (141) and Caleb Licking (149) all secured victories before Johnny Blankenship (157) triumphed over fifth-ranked Chase Clasen 7-4. Following a closely-contested bout at 165 between Tate Allison and junior Dalton Peters, returning All-American Mikey Labriola (174) needed only 13 seconds to pin Gavin Eason. A sixth-place finisher at the 2019 NCAA Championships, the third-ranked Labriola began his sophomore campaign in style. Colton Wolfe (184) needed an extra period but came away with a 4-2 victory by taking down Terry Winstead in overtime. NU then closed out their first dual victory of the night with consecutive technical falls. Eric Shultz (197) stormed his way to 26-10 win over 10th-ranked Wade French before Christian Lance (HWT) overwhelmed Mason Watt 25-9 to give the Huskers a 37-3 win. Following a brief intermission, the Huskers squared off against the Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK) in a matchup of squads ranked in the top five of their respective divisions by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. No. 5 Nebraska got off to another fast start when Thomsen (125) followed up his pin with a 17-6 major decision over John Portillo. Hensley (133) didn't surrender a point to Scott Fulsos, winning 6-0. Perhaps the most exciting match of the night followed. Returning All-American and sixth-ranked Chad Red Jr. (141) battled second-ranked Wesley Dawkins. Not 30 seconds into the match, Dawkins had Red on his back, with the latter doing everything in his power to avoid a pin. Red was able to navigate his way out of trouble, yielding near fall points in the process. From that point forward, Red scored two takedowns and four near fall points on his way to a 10-7 triumph. Peyton Robb (157) won his match against Jacob Wasser by injury default before fifth-ranked Isaiah White (165) made his season debut. The returning All-American faced Matt Malcom, the top-ranked Division II wrestler in his weight class, and earned a hard-fought 6-4 decision. Following White's match (at the conclusion of which UNK was deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct), the Huskers got pins from Labriola (174), fourth-ranked Taylor Venz (184) and David Jensen (HWT) in addition to Eric Shultz's second technical fall victory of the night. When all was said and done, the Huskers walked away with a resounding 47 - -1 win. Nebraska has a quick turnaround, as the team travels to Troy, N.Y. for the Journeymen/Defense Soap Wrestling Collegiate Classic on Sunday. Competition is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Central time and will take place at Hudson Valley Community College. Full Nebraska Duals match results can be seen below. #5 Nebraska 37, #24 Chadron State 3 125: Alex Thomsen (NEB) pinned Tate Stoddard (CHA) (0:58) (NEB 6, CHA 0) 133: Zack Hensley (NEB) dec. Brandon Kile (CHA) 9-4 (NEB 9, CHA 0) 141: Christian Miller (NEB) dec. Joseph Ritzen (CHA) 12-7 (NEB 12, CHA 0) 149: Caleb Licking (NEB) dec. Caleb Haskell (CHA) 7-1 (NEB 0, CHA 15) 157: Johnny Blakenship (NEB) dec. #5 Chase Clasen (CHA) 7-4 (NEB 18, CHA 0) 165: Tate Allison (CHA) dec. Dalton Peters (NEB) 3-1 (NEB 18, CHA 3) 174: #3 Mikey Labriola (NEB) pinned Gavin Eason (CHA) (0:13) (NEB 24, CHA 3) 184: Colton Wolfe (NEB) sv-1 Terry Winstead (CHA), 4-2 (NEB 27, CHA 3) 197: Eric Schultz (NEB) tech fall #10 Wade French (CHA) 26-10 (NEB 32, CHA 3) HWT: Christian Lance (NEB) tech fall Mason Watt (CHA) 25-9 (NEB 37, CHA 3) #4 UNK 54, Hastings 0 125: Josh Portillo (UNK) dec. Max Stevens (HAS) 15-11 (UNK 3, HAS 0) 133: Scott Fulsos (UNK) pinned Edrich Nortje (HAS) (5:32) (UNK 9, HAS 0) 141: #2 Wesley Dawkins (UNK) pinned Zac Charity (HAS) (2:08) (UNK 15, HAS 0) 149: Teontae Wilson (UNK) dec. Austin Mitchell (HAS) 9-7 (UNK 21, HAS 0) 157: Jacob Wasser (UNK) pinned Taygen Smith (HAS) (2:27) (UNK 24, HAS 0) 165: #1 Matt Malcolm (UNK) pinned Anthony Espinoza (HAS) (1:38) (UNK 30, HAS 0) 174: Terrell Garraway (UNK) pinned Shaun Van Der Torre (HAS) (3:18) (UNK 36, HAS 0) 184: Talon Seitz (UNK) pinned Jayden Miller (HAS) (2:01) (UNK 42, HAS 0) 197: Jace Lacaille (UNK) pinned Nolan Wandersee (HAS) (1:16) (UNK 48, HAS 0) HWT: Lee Herrington (UNK) pinned Marco Valdiva (HAS) (0:57) (UNK 54, HAS 0) #5 Nebraska 47, #4 UNK -1 125: Alex Thomsen (NEB) major dec. Josh Portillo (UNK) 17-6 (NEB 4, UNK 0) 133: Zach Hensley (NEB) dec. Scott Fulsos (UNK) 6-0 (NEB 7, UNK 0) 141: #6 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) dec. #2 Wesley Dawkins (UNK) 10-7 (NEB10, UNK 0) 149: Collin Purinton (NEB) tech. fall Teontae Wilson (UNK) 18-5 (NEB 15, UNK 0) 157: Peyton Robb (NEB) inj. def. Jacob Wasser (UNK) (1:58) (NEB 21, UNK 0) 165: #5 Isaiah White (NEB) dec. #1 Matt Malcom (UNK) 6-4 (NEB 24, UNK -1)* 174: #3 Mikey Labriola (NEB) pinned Talon Seitz (UNK) (2:09) (NEB 30, UNK -1) 184: #4 Taylor Venz (NEB) pinned Terrell Garraway (UNK) (3:24) (NEB 36, UNK -1) 197: Eric Shultz (NEB) tech. fall Jace Laicille (UNK) 27-11 (NEB 41, UNK -1) HWT: David Jensen (NEB) pinned Lee Herrington (UNK) (2:57) (NEB 47, UNK -1) *UNK deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct #24 Chadron State 45, Hastings 3 125: Tate Stoddard (CHA) pinned Max Stevens (HAS) (3:37) (CHA 6, HAS 0) 133: Brandon Kile (CHA) pinned Edrich Nortje (HAS) (5:57) (CHA 11, HAS 0) 141: Zac Charity (HAS) dec. Joseph Ritzen (CHA) 6-3 (CHA 11, HAS 3) 149: Caleb Haskell (CHA) major dec. Austin Mitchell (HAS) 9-0 (CHA 15, HAS 3) 157: #5 Chase Clasen (CHA) dec. Taygen Smith (HAS) 8-2 (CHA 18, HAS 3) 165: Tate Allison (CHA) pinned Anthony Espinoza (HAS) (3:48) (CHA 24, HAS 3) 174: Gavin Eason (CHA) maj. dec. Shaun Van Der Torre (HAS) 14-2 (CHA 28, HAS 3) 184: Terry Winstead (CHA) pinned Joseph Felix (HAS) (0:27) (CHA 34, HAS 3) 197: #10 Wade French (CHA) tech. fall Nolan Wandersee (HAS) 15-0 (CHA 39, HAS 3) HWT: Mason Watt (CHA) pinned Marco Valdiva (1:21) (CHA 45, HAS 3)

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The fifth-ranked Badger wrestling team competed in "Mayhem on the Mainstage" at Buffalo on Thursday night and came away with a dominant win to remain undefeated on the season. Wisconsin (4-0) won the battle against the Bulls 34-3. In the 157-pound bout, Garrett Model put the team on his back and stole a technical fall from Buffalo's (0-1) Hunter Shaut. Model, a Stoughton native, scored 19 points in his match and snagged his second win of the season. No. 1 Seth Gross took on No. 13 Derek Spann in the 133-pound match with Gross coming away with a 6-3 decision. In just four matches with Wisconsin, Gross has taken down two ranked opponents with ease. At 165 pounds, No. 3 Evan Wick also faced a ranked opponent in No. 21 Troy Keller. Wick played defense and didn't give up a single point to the Buffalo wrestler. The redshirt junior took a major decision with a final 8-0 score. Three ranked Badgers -- No. 11 Tristan Moran, No. 13 Cole Martin and No. 7 Trent Hillger -- recorded major decisions over their opponents. At 141-pounds, Moran won his match again John Arceri, 10-2. In the 149-pound bout, Cole Martin defeated Kyle Todrank by a score of 10-2. In the final match of the night at heavyweight, Hillger put away Nolan Terrance outscoring the Buffalo Bull, 14-3. From the mat "I like what I saw tonight! There were some major improvements from last week. We have a quick turnaround competing in a tough environment tomorrow. We have to make sure we are ready!" - Head Coach Chris Bono "I felt good tonight and to my offense early and stayed on the offense. Everything just fell into place tonight." - Redshirt sophomore Garrett Model Wisconsin 34, Buffalo 3 125 - Michael Cullen (UW) over Kevin Meloni (UB) by dec. 5-2 133 - No. 1 Seth Gross (UW) over No. 13 Derek Spann (UB) by dec. 6-3 141 - No. 11 Tristan Moran (UW) over John Arceri (UB) by maj. dec. 10-2 149 - No. 13 Cole Martin (UW) over Kyle Todrank (UB) by maj dec. 10-2 157 - Garrett Model (UW) over Hunter Shaut (UB) by. tech. fall 19-1 165 - No. 3 Evan Wick (UW) over No. 21 Troy Keller (UB) by maj. dec. 8-0 174 - Jared Krattiger (UW) over Jake Lanning (UB) by dec. 6-3 184 – Tyler Dow (UW) over Pete Acciardi (UB) by dec. 2-0 197 – Sam Schuyler (UB) over Taylor Watkins (UW) by dec. 5-1 285 – No. 7 Trent Hillger (UW) over Nolan Terrance (UB) by maj. dec. 14-3 Up Next The Badgers have a quick turnaround and compete again Friday night at Saegertown High School in Saegertown, Pennsylvania, against Edinboro. The dual begins at 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on FloWrestling.

Jaydin Eierman at the U23 World Championships (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Jaydin Eierman will be an Iowa Hawkeye. After entering the transfer portal on Wednesday, Eierman announced Thursday on Instagram that he will be wrestling for the University of Iowa for his senior season after spending the past four years at Missouri. Eierman is taking an Olympic redshirt this season. "I'm committing to the University of Iowa because of its tradition and love for the sport," Eierman wrote on Instagram. "I wanted a place that could take my career further after college and I feel that this is the best opportunity for me. I believe that the coaching staff at Iowa can take me to the next level. I'm on the same mission, same me, same color, a better feel. Get ready Hawkeye nation!!" Eierman placed third at the NCAAs this past season at 141 pounds. He was fourth in 2018 and fifth in 2017. He recently competed at the U23 World Championships at 65 kilograms, where he went 1-1.

Ohio State's Luke Pletcher and Stanford's Real Woods are expected to meet on Sunday (Photos/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The first weekend of the NCAA season delivered some notable upsets and meaningful results. This week has more marquee matches and will almost certainly change the headlines through the college wrestling world. The following is a preview of some of the top projected matches this weekend. 125: No. 2 Jack Mueller (Virginia) vs. No. 20 Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. ET: Journeymen Northeast Duals (FloWrestling) Mueller started off his road back to the national title match with a first-period fall over Maryland backup Jarod Kosman last weekend. He went 21-1 last season with his only defeat coming against No. 1 Spencer Lee in the NCAA finals. Mueller holds a one-sided victory over Courtney, so he should be the favorite going into this match. However, a neutral-site match against a ranked opponent can always turn into a speed bump. After a redshirt year, Courtney started several matches for the Sun Devils last season. He finished the year 14-11, but looks to improve on that as the primary option this season. During his high school days, Courtney won three Arizona State titles and won Fargo. He has had some moments in his still nascent career, but this would be a big win for him. In their only career meeting Mueller scored a 16-1 technical fall over Courtney. His ability to score from the top position proved to be key in that match. On the feet, Courtney might be able to get to his offense and make some noise, but he really needs to find a way to stay off the bottom. Prediction: Mueller (Virginia) major decision over Courtney (Arizona State) 133: Joey Silva (Michigan) vs. Jamie Hernandez (North Carolina) When/Where: Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. ET: North Carolina at Michigan (BTN+) Neither one of these wrestlers is currently ranked, but that could change in the near future. Silva joined Michigan as a top recruit after a storied prep career in Florida. He won five state titles and also won four different NHSCA national titles. Last year he redshirted for the Wolverines and went 7-1 with his only loss coming against Hernandez's teammate Zach Sherman. Hernandez was part of the Tar Heels' strong 2017 recruiting class. He took some lumps during his redshirt season and only finished 7-5. However, last year he put together a solid 10-4 record as a reserve. Hernandez kicked off his season last weekend at the Southeast Open where he went 3-1 and finished third. Silva has been the more impressive wrestler on the collegiate scene so far. However, this will be one of his toughest tests to date. He enters the match as the favorite, but Hernandez should be a nice early challenge. Prediction: Silva (Michigan) decision over Hernandez (North Carolina) 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) vs. No. 14 Real Woods (Stanford) When/Where: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. ET: Stanford at Ohio State (BTN+) Pletcher moved into the No. 1 spot at 141 pounds after knocking off No. 2 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) in overtime at the Michigan State Open. He finished the day by winning all five of his matched with two falls and two major decisions. Pletcher went 27-7 last year at 133 and finished fourth. It is still early in the season, but he looks like he could be one of the favorites at this weight. Woods was a top-30 recruit before joining Stanford last season. He redshirted and put together a 22-1 record. Woods' only loss came against No. 3 Nick Lee (Penn State) via decision at the Southern Scuffle. Also last season, he won the Princeton Open and scored victories over Corey Shie (Army) and Nate Limmez (Purdue). Woods got started this season with a strong showing at the Battle at the Citadel. He won the tournament with wins over No. 15 Sa'Derian Perry (Old Dominion) and Sal Profaci (American). The time appears to be now for Woods. He is a former blue chip recruit, who has shined in limited opportunities. However, he will certainly be up against it here. Pletcher enters this match after a huge win. Also, one of his strengths as a wrestler is his ability to control the pace and win close matches. Expect that experience to pay dividends here. Prediction: Pletcher (Ohio State) decision over Woods (Stanford) 149: No. 10 Matthew Findlay (Utah Valley) vs. No. 13 Griffin Parriott/Nate Limmex (Purdue) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. ET: Journeymen Northeast Duals (FloWrestling) Findlay narrowly missed out on becoming an All-American at 141 pounds last season. He qualified for the NCAA tournament even after pulling out of the Big 12 tournament with an injury. He made it all the way to the blood round with wins over Corey Shie (Army), Sa'Derian Perry (Old Dominion) and Mike Carr (Illinois). However, Findlay could not get it done and finished his run in the round of 12. This match will be his season debut. Both Parriott and Limmex wrestled last weekend at the Michigan State Open. Parriott won his first match before medically forfeiting out. Limmex went 3-2 with one of those losses coming against No. 8 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State). Both Parriott and Limmex have experience, and it remains to be seen who will get the start against Utah Valley. Whoever goes for Purdue, this should be an interesting match. Parriott is currently ranked, and he will likely hold down this spot unless the injury is severe. Findlay holds a 10-3 victory over Limmex, but it should be a tougher match against Parriott. Prediction: Findlay (Utah Valley) decision over Parriott (Purdue) 157: Justin McCoy (Virginia) vs. No. 17 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. ET: Journeymen Northeast Duals (FloWrestling) McCoy redshirted last season at Virginia after a high school career that saw him place at Fargo and score a Pennsylvania state title. During his redshirt campaign, he went 25-3 and won three open tournaments. McCoy got off to a strong start to this season last weekend with a quick fall over a Division III opponent and a decision victory over Jahi Jones (Maryland). Teemer was a top-10 recruit when he signed with the Sun Devils prior to last season. Like McCoy, he redshirted his first season in college. He entered only two tournaments during the season, but he made the most of that time. He knocked off Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), Brayton Lee (Minnesota) and Khristian Olivas (Fresno State) at the Midlands and then won the National Collegiate Open to close out the year. At the NCO, Temmer scored a 7-5 victory over McCoy. Back in their high school days, Teemer was seen as the better prospect, but their only meeting so far was tight. Look for Teemer to go for some big moves early to widen the gap. However, this could turn out to be close once again. Prediction: Teemer (Arizona State) decision over McCoy (Virginia) 165: No. 8 Shane Griffith (Stanford) vs. No. 14 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) When/Where: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. ET: Stanford at Ohio State (BTN+) Griffith had a very strong redshirt season after coming to Stanford as a blue chip recruit. He went 24-2 and oddly enough only lost to the NCAA runner-up No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) and the NAIA runner-up Ryan Niven (Grand View). Last weekend he kicked off his season with a tournament title at the Battle at The Citadel. In his first season as a starter Smith made the NCAA tournament and fell in the round of 16. He is expected to play a bigger role for the Buckeyes this season. Things got off to an interesting start at the Michigan State Open. He lost his first match to Reece Hughes (Michigan), who came into the tournament with a 12-11 career record in college. However, Smith then turned things around and wrestled back for third. This could serve as a coming out party for Griffith. He has a chance to make some noise at this weight in his first season as a starter. However, he will have to get past Smith. The Ohio State wrestler is looking to make strides this year, but so far the results have been mixed. Prediction: Griffith (Stanford) major decision over Smith (Ohio State) 174: No. 9 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) vs. No. 10 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. ET: Journeymen Northeast Duals (FloWrestling) After two-straight seasons of losing in the round of 12, Lydy is looking to become an All-American for the first time in his senior season. There has been a bit of an exodus at this weight this season, so he certainly has a realistic shot. Last weekend at the Michigan State Open, Lydy won two matches via major decision before defaulting out of the tournament. Both Valencia brothers moved up this season, and the new weight class could finally help Anthony get over the hump. He came to Arizona State as a big time recruit, but he has yet to become an All-American. Last season Valencia used a medical redshirt and only competed at the Midlands tournament. A victory here could signal a turnaround season. It is impossible to know how much the weight cut hurt Valencia in his first two seasons as a starter, but the rumors persisted that it was an issue. This will be his first big test at 174 pounds and his first action of the season. Even though it is only one match, it could say a lot about his prospects for the year. Prediction: Valencia (Arizona State) decision over Lydy (Purdue) 184: No. 10 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) vs. Jack Jessen (Northwestern) When/Where: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. ET: Mat on the Mound (ACCNX) After qualifying for the NCAA tournament as a true freshman in 2018, Bolen used his redshirt season last year. During open competitions, he went 12-1 and picked up wins over Chip Ness (North Carolina), No. 11 Louie DePrez (Binghamton) and Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State). His only defeat came against No. 3 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State). Bolen kicked off this season with a high scoring 10-9 decision over No. 19 Dylan Wisman (Missouri) last weekend. Jessen stayed in state and signed with Northwestern after spending his prep career in Illinois. He finished high school with a 149-7 record and was an eight-time Fargo placer. He redshirted last season and went 12-7 against a tough schedule. He finished the season with a first-place performance at The Last Chance Open. Jessen struggled when facing ranked opposition during his redshirt year. He will get a chance to change that early in the season against Bolen. The Virginia Tech wrestler picked up some impressive wins during his redshirt year a season ago, and it looks like he could have an impact on the 184-pound landscape. Prediction: Bolen (Virginia Tech) decision over Jessen (Northwestern) 197: No. 3 Kyle Conel (Penn State) vs. No. 13 Joshua Roetman (Navy) When/Where: Sunday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. ET: Navy at Penn State (BTN+) Conel has wrestled only two matches since his unlikely run to a third-place finish at the 2018 NCAA tournament. He returned to Kent State for what was supposed to be his redshirt season. However, he bowed out with a shoulder injury after only two bouts. After receiving another year and transferring to Penn State, he is expected to make his Nittany Lion debut here. Prior to last season, Roetman had a career record of 16-13. However, he put it together last year and finished 26-12 while qualifying for the NCAA tournament. He failed to place, but he did knock off Sawyer Root (Citadel) in the bracket. Root had majored Roetman earlier in the season, so he is clearly making strides and learning on the job. On one hand, Conel might be a bit rusty after wrestling only two matches over the last 17 months. On the other hand, he has clearly improved his training situation and may benefit from being in the Penn State room. Either way, he should be the favorite over Roetman, but it will be a good gauge to see where the former Kent State wrestler is that the moment. Prediction: Conel (Penn State) major decision over Roetman (Navy) 285: No. 7 Jere Heino (Campbell) vs. No. 8 Demetrius Thomas (Pittsburgh) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. ET: Campbell at Pittsburgh (ACCNX) Heino has twice made the NCAA tournament. He took a redshirt season last year and only competed at the Midlands where he placed sixth. In that tournament, he defeated Ian Butterbrodt (Brown) and No. 11 Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa). Heino recently represented Finland at the 2019 World Championships. Thomas transferred to Pittsburgh from NAIA Williams Baptist prior to last season. In his first year at the Division I level, he went 27-6 and qualified for the NCAA tournament. He went only 1-2 at the tournament with a victory over No. 16 Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State). Thomas started this year off with a 4-1 performance at the Michigan State Open, which saw his only loss coming against No. 5 Mason Parris (Michigan). This might turn out to be one of the closer matches on the weekend. Heino has shown an ability score from the neutral position, which could go a long way in a heavyweight match. Of course, Thomas could instead slow the match down and make it a low scoring affair. Prediction: Heino (Campbell) decision over Thomas (Pittsburgh)

Pat Pecora picked up his 600th career dual meet victory (Photo/Ali Single) Two-time defending national champion Chris Eddins and 2019 national champion Tyler Warner each won by fall to help the top-ranked Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers close out the Rutgers Quad Meet with a lopsided 33-6 over Division I Long-Island Post, Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, NJ. The victory gave Head Coach Pat Pecora his 600th career win and lifted the Mountain Cats to 3-1 on the year. Coach Pecora, already the "winningest" Division II coach of all time, is now 16 victories shy of tying former Oregon State coach Dale Thomas' all-time wins mark among coaches in all divisions. Pitt-Johnstown started fast and ran out to a 19-0 lead after four bouts. Matt Siszka won an 8-2 decision at 125 lbs. and No. 1-ranked Tyler Warner pinned Michael Blando at 2:32 of the first period to give the Mountain Cats a 9-0 lead. Freshman Jacob Ealy then won a 13-3 major decision over Anthony Dushaj at 141 lbs., and Eddins pinned Chris Gomes just over a minute into the opening period to increase the lead to 19-0. After got a 9-4 decision win by Dominick Demarco over Nate Smith Smith at 157 lbs., Pitt-Johnstown answered with an 11-0 major decision by second-ranked Devin Austin at 165 lbs. LIU-Post was able to cut it to 23-6 with James Langan's win at 174 lbs., but No. 3-ranked connor Craig won by major decision at 184 lbs., and Alex Delp dealt Dan Shafran a 6-2 loss at 197 lbs. The Mountain Cats then got a 4-1 win by Tyler Oliver at 285 lbs. to wrap-up the 33-6 victory. Results: 125 lbs. Matt Siszka (UPJ) Decision James Ryan (LIU) 8-2 3-0 UPJ 133 lbs. #1 Tyler Warner (UPJ) Fall Michael Blando (LIU) 2:32 9-0 UPJ 141 lbs. Jacob Ealy (UPJ) Major Decision Anthony Dushaj (LIU) 13-3 13-0 UPJ 149 lbs. #1 Chris Eddins (UPJ) Fall Chris Gomez (LIU) 1:09 19-0 UPJ 157 lbs. Dominick Demarco (LIU) Decision Nate Smith (UPJ) 9-4 19-3 UPJ 165 lbs. #2 Devin Austin (UPJ) Major Decision Mike Parish (LIU) 11-0 23-3 UPJ 174 lbs. James Langan (LIU) Decision Dalton Group (UPJ) 8-4 23-6 UPJ 184 lbs. #3 Connor Craig (UPJ) Major Decision Dan McClure (LIU) 13-2 27-6 UPJ 197 lbs. Alex Delp (UPJ) Decision Dan Shafran (LIU) 6-2 30-6 UPJ 285 lbs. Tyler Oliver (UPJ) Decision Timothy Nagosky (LIU) 4-1 33-6 UPJ

Jaydin Eierman after winning bronze at the Pan American Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Jaydin Eierman appears to have wrestled his last match as a Missouri Tiger. Eierman, who is taking an Olympic redshirt season, has entered the transfer portal. He has one season of NCAA eligibility remaining. The three-time All-American at 141 pounds recently competed at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where he went 1-1. "It was time for me to go," Eierman told Trackwrestling.com. "Missouri has been great to me my whole life. I was really loyal to them but it was the best fit for me to go and to wrestle at another college. I had to find a good program for that." Eierman, a native of Columbia, Missouri, has not announced which school he will transfer to for his senior season, but said it's a school he's always wanted to attend. In addition to his three All-America honors at Missouri, Eierman won three Mid-American Conference titles at 141 pounds. He compiled a record of 89-14. In freestyle, he was a U.S. Open runner-up in 2018 and placed fifth at the U.S. Open this year. In August, Eierman won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

Blair Academy wrestling coach Brian Antonelli talks to Shayne Van Ness (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) During the previous four college football seasons, Alabama and Clemson have met in the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide and Tigers have split those meetings, with each squad winning the national title in the season they won that matchup. In scholastic wrestling, Blair Academy (N.J.) and Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) kind of occupy a similar position in the catbird seat of the sport. While in previous seasons, those two teams have not been the clear occupants of first and second in the ranking, this season it would seem that the two teams have separated from the pack; whereas in college football, there seem to be more direct challengers for the top couple of positions in the rankings. Blair Academy will start the season ranked No. 1 nationally for the ninth straight year, and is seeking an eighth national title (fifth consecutive) in that stretch. The Buccaneers are led by ten nationally ranked wrestlers; otherwise known as the combined number of ranked wrestlers that teams ranked third, fourth, and fifth possess. It includes a pair ranked first: Mark-Anthony McGowan (106) and Shayne van Ness (132); another pair ranked second: Trevor (126) and Travis (152) Mastrogiovanni; plus two more ranked fourth: Dominic Mata (170) and Peyton Craft (195). Wyoming Seminary starts the season ranked second, with nine ranked wrestlers of their own. That group is led by national No. 1 Beau Bartlett (138) as well as three other wrestlers inside the top four: No. 4 Nic Bouzakis (126), No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (145), and No. 3 Jacob Kaminski (285). The rival squads will compete against one another in the Walsh Ironman during early December, a dual meet in January, and the National Prep Championships in February. Ranked third through fifth nationally are Buchanan (Calif.), St. Edward (Ohio), and Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.). The Bears have won four straight California state championships, and are anchored by four nationally ranked wrestlers: Jack Gioffre (113), Joseph Martin (160), along with a pair inside the top ten in Carlos Negrete (120) and Maximo Renteria (126). The Eagles have earned five straight titles in Ohios big-school division, eight of nine, and 21 of 23. While featuring just a pair of ranked wrestlers in Bryce Hepner (152) and Padraic Gallagher (160), they return four other state medalists, two additional wrestlers that have won state tournament matches, along with three excellent sophomores that were victims of lineup congestion last year. The fifth-ranked Shamrocks have won three consecutive state titles (dual team) and six of the last eight in Michigan's big-school division. This years team is anchored by four nationally ranked wrestlers, three of whom are in the top ten: Dylan (106) and Derek (160) Gilcher, Josh Edmond (138), and Steven Kolcheff (285). St. Edward will be in the Walsh Ironman along with Blair Academy and Wyoming Seminary, plus are slated to dual one (if not both) of them in late January; they also will be at the Doc Buchanan Invitational along with Buchanan and four other top ten ranked teams; and wrestle Detroit Catholic Central in a dual meet. Rounding out the top ten are Bergen Catholic (N.J.), Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), Montini Catholic (Ill.), Tuttle (Okla.), and Gilroy (Calif.). Lake Highland Prep, Montini Catholic, and Gilroy join Blair Academy, Wyoming Seminary, and St. Edward in the Walsh Ironman field; Bergen Catholic and Lake Highland Prep join Blair Academy in the Beast of the East; Bergen Catholic, Lake Highland Prep, Montini Catholic, and Gilroy join Buchanan and St. Edward in the Doc Buchanan Invitational; Lake Highland Prep and Montini Catholic will dual meet Buchanan and Gilroy in the Garlic City Duals the Tuesday before the Doc Buchanan Invitational; Montini Catholic will travel to Detroit Catholic Central to face the Shamrocks and St. Edward; while Bergen Catholic, Lake Highland Prep, Montini Catholic, and Tuttle will all be at the Beast the Streets Duals in mid-January. Lake Highland Prep is led by four nationally ranked wrestlers, most notably No. 7 Justin Rivera (145). Bergen Catholic, Tuttle, and Gilroy each have three ranked wrestlers. Bergen Catholic is anchored by national No. 1 Robert Howard (126), Tuttle is led by No. 1 Dustin Plott (182) and No. 3 Luke Surber (170); while Gilroys anchor is No. 3 Chase Saldate (152). Montini Catholic has a pair of ranked wrestlers ranked in the top ten, Michigan commits Dylan Ragusin (126) and Fidel Mayora (152). In terms of season-ending competitions, Blair Academy and Wyoming Seminary are joined by National Prep rivals Malvern Prep (No. 26) and Mt. St. Joseph (No. 28) in the Fab 50 national team rankings. Blair Academy is also joined by three other schools from New Jersey: Bergen Catholic, Delbarton (No. 16), and St. Joseph Montvale (No. 30). Wyoming Seminary and Malvern Prep are joined by three PIAA schools in the rankings: No. 23 Southern Columbia in Class AA, No. 42 Nazareth and No. 50 Bethlehem Catholic are Class AAA (big-school). Single-class California features the most ranked schools with seven in total. No. 13 Poway, No. 18 St. John Bosco, No. 27 Selma, No. 32 Clovis, and No. 36 Clovis North join Buchanan and Gilroy in the Fab 50 national team rankings. Five teams from Ohio join St. Edward in the rankings to make it six total, including four of the Eagles rivals in the big-school division: Cincinnati LaSalle (No. 11), Elyria (No. 15), Brecksville (No. 22), and Wadsworth (No. 31); also ranked is No. 38 St. Paris Graham. Five teams from the state of Michigan are ranked to start the season. Detroit Catholic Central, Davison (No. 14), and Brighton (No. 17) are all in Division I; No. 33 Lowell is in Division II; while 46 Dundee is in Division III. Five states feature three schools in the national rankings: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oklahoma. In the cases of Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri the trio of teams are big-school divisional rivals; while in both Minnesota and Oklahoma, two of the three are big-school rivals. Single teams from Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland (though National Prep), Oregon, Nebraska, Texas, and Wisconsin are ranked.

Two-time state champion Richard Figueroa begins the season ranked No. 1 at 113 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) With the major preseason tournaments all but done, and official scholastic season practices either having started already or about to start, it is now time for the presentation of the preseason national high school weight class rankings. The top 20 wrestlers in each weight class are recognized, with the most elite wrestler named as the No. 1 wrestler in the country. To start the 2019-20 season, here are the top ranked wrestlers in each weight class. 106 pounds: Mark-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) McGowan won a high school state title in Florida last year as an eighth-grader while competing for Citrus Park Christian. Subsequently, he would win a UWW Cadet freestyle national title at 45 kilograms (99 pounds) during the spring and then won a gold medal at the Cadet World Championships in that weight class during the summer. 113 pounds: Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) Figueroa is now a two-time California state champion, in as many high school seasons, finishing undefeated last season including titles at the Walsh Ironman and Doc Buchanan tournaments. During the spring, he was a UWW Cadet freestyle national champion at 51 kilograms (110 pounds). 120 pounds: Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) The Cornell verbal commit is already a four-time state champion, having amassed a record of 194-2 during those seasons. Diakomihalis is working on a streak of 150-plus consecutive wins, having not lost since his eighth-grade year. His senior season will suffer a delayed start due to a knee injury that is likely to keep him out until some point in December. 126 pounds: Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) The Penn State verbal commit has advanced to the state championship match in all three years of his high school career, having cleared some rather deep weight classes in order to accomplish the feat; Howard's lone state title came during his sophomore season. However, he is a three-time Cadet World Team member at 55 kilograms (121 pounds). 132 pounds: Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy, N.J.) The Class of 2021 wrestler burst on to the scene last year when he won loaded weight brackets at the Super 32 Challenge, Walsh Ironman, and Beast of the East after being closed out of the lineup as a freshman. Van Ness was upended by Beau Bartlett in the National Prep final, but this fall won a pair of matches at the Who's Number One event against elite competition to earn this position. 138 pounds: Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) The Penn State verbal commit is a three-time National Prep champion, and has either won or been in title contention at about everything under the sun during his high school career. Bartlett is a two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up, earning that position in the fall of 2017 and 2018. 145 pounds: Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) Voinovich was a Junior National freestyle finalist this summer, and was one of the few current high school wrestlers to place at the UWW Junior Nationals last spring (he finished fifth at 65 kilograms/143 pounds). He is a two-time state medalist, winning state gold as a freshman in 2018. 152 pounds: Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco, Calif.) The Arizona State verbal commit has been a known commodity for a long time, but found a major breakthrough in winning a state title at 152 pounds last February. A key result in that tournament was a 3-2 semifinal victory over Jace Luchau, the projected champion, who happened to win a Junior National freestyle title this past summer. 160 pounds: Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.) The Missouri verbal commit is a three-time state champion with a career record of 113-5, and is on a 53-match win streak going back to the semifinals of the Cheesehead in January 2018. O'Toole was a Super 32 Challenge champion in 2018, and is a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American, including winning a Junior National freestyle title in 2018. Despite finishing just third this summer at 152 pounds, O'Toole upended 160-pound Junior National freestyle champion Padraic Gallagher in last month's Who's Number One event. 170 pounds: Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.) Facundo is a two-time state champion in as many high school seasons. He is also a two-time UWW Cadet Nationals champion in freestyle at 70 kilograms (154 pounds), and was a Cadet world bronze medalist in 2018; Facundo also won the Super 32 Challenge in the fall of 2018. 182 pounds: Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.) The Oklahoma State verbal commit is a three-time state finalist, and has amassed a record of 88-1 during his last two state title winning campaigns. Plott has been runner-up each of the last two years in the Junior National freestyle tournament, and also earned top three placement finishes at the UWW Junior Nationals in both 2018 and 2019. He also is a two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist, winning gold in 2018 after taking second in 2017. 195 pounds: Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.) The Missouri verbal commit has a record of 112-4 over the last two seasons, including a 52-1 state title-winning campaign as a junior. Elam is a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American, winning a Cadet National title in the summer of 2018 before finishing fourth this year at the Junior level; he also was a Junior National folkstyle champion this past spring and just won the Preseason Nationals last month. 220 pounds: A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas) The nation's top overall wrestler in the senior class is a verbal commit to Oklahoma State. Ferrari was a state champion as a freshman and sophomore at Allen before leaving for New Jersey last season; he was champion at the Beast of the East and for a second consecutive time at the Walsh Ironman during his junior year. The 2018 Cadet world medalist returns to Allen for his senior year. 285 pounds: Nash Hutmacher (Canton, S.D.) Hutmacher has verbally committed to play football at the University of Nebraska, a sport in which he is rated as either a three-or-four-star prospect at defensive tackle. On the wrestling mat, he is a three-time state champion amassing a 123-0 record the last three seasons; his last in-season loss came in the consolation semifinal at the state tournament of his eighth-grade year. This past offseason, he was a Junior National champion in folkstyle, while finishing third in both freestyle and Greco-Roman; during 2018, he was runner-up in folkstyle and freestyle with a third place in Greco-Roman. Nationally ranked wrestlers by state (of high school attendance): Pennsylvania 41 New Jersey 29 California 27 Ohio 21 Missouri 17 Illinois 15 Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma 11 Michigan 10 Georgia 9 Iowa, New York, Texas 8 Colorado 7 Indiana, Maryland 6 Wisconsin 5 Nebraska, West Virginia 4 Virginia 3 Connecticut, Kansas, Oregon, South Dakoata, Washington 2 Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee 1 Note: 35 states in all have a ranked wrestler

BETHLEHEM, Pa -- The Hall of Fame Committee of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), college wrestling's oldest conference, is proud to announce that four new members have been elected for membership into the EIWA Hall of Fame. Members of the Class of 2020 include Cory Cooperman of Lehigh University, Josh Glenn of American University, Ed Hamer of Lehigh University and Jack Light of Penn State University. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, immediately preceding the finals of the annual EIWA championships. Chairman Jamie Moffatt comments on the new inductees: "The EIWA Hall of Fame Committee has selected four outstanding wrestlers as the latest inductees into the EIWA Hall of Fame. The individuals' athletic careers extend across several generations - from the 1930s to the 1950s to the 2000s. Cooperman, Glenn and Light were three-time EIWA champions; Glenn and Hamer won individual NCAA championships as undergraduates. Both Cooperman and Hamer continued their involvement with the sport of wrestling as coaches after earning their college degrees. We are honored to include these gentlemen in our Hall of Fame." Cory Cooperman, Lehigh, Class of 2006 Cory Cooperman's successful track record in wrestling goes well beyond his three EIWA championship titles and his three All-American honors. Cory Cooperman (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)A native of Springfield, NJ, Cooperman attended Blair Academy where he became just the third wrestler in history to win four National Prep championships. As a senior, he was ranked No. 1 in the country in his weight class as he also won two Beast of the East titles and three Ironman championships. After spending a red-shirt year at the University of Minnesota, Cooperman transferred to Lehigh University. During his first season (2002-03) of wrestling for Coach Greg Strobel he went 15-2 meets and won his first EIWA championship. As a sophomore, Cooperman finished as the runner-up at the EIWA championships and in seventh place at 141 pounds at the NCAAs. During both his junior and senior year, Cooperman won the 141-pound title at the EIWA Tournament and the third place trophy at the NCAAs. He graduated from Lehigh in 2006 with a degree in Psychology and an overall college career wrestling record of 99-12. After graduation, Cooperman turned to coaching wrestling as his career choice. He spent three years as an Assistant Coach at Cornell University, the EIWA championship team all three seasons. He also spent time on the coaching staff at Rutgers University and the University of Illinois prior to assuming the head post at the New York Regional Training Center, where he took the team to the US Open title. Recently, Cooperman has coached two wrestlers to World Titles - Kurt McHenry, a two-time Cadet World Champion - and Kyle Dake to his first Senior World Championship. In 2019 Cooperman opened his own wrestling club in Mahwah, NJ. He resides in Ridge Park, NJ with his wife LeAnne and their two young sons, Caden and Cameron. Josh Glenn, American, Class of 2008 Josh Glenn began his storied wrestling career in his hometown of Johnson City, NY. As a high school wrestler, Glenn was a 2003 New York State Champion, a three-time Section Four Champion, a NHSCA All-American, a USA Wrestling All-American, and helped earn his team two New York State Team Championships in 1999 and 2003. From 2004 - 2008, he competed for American University under the tutelage of Coach Mark Cody. During his freshman year, he placed second at the EIWA tournament and was recognized as the EIWA Freshman of the Year. The following year, Glenn won his first EIWA title and took home a 4th place trophy from the NCAA tournament. Glenn won his second EIWA championship with a decisive victory in the 197-pound class. At the NCAAs he battled his way into the finals where he scored a 6-4 decision in overtime, earning his place as American University's first and only NCAA Division 1 National Wrestling Champion. Glenn earned his third EIWA Championship and third consecutive All-American honors during his senior year. In addition to his EIWA and National Championship heroics, Glenn is the recipient of multiple awards to include EIWA Wrestler of the Year, EIWA Fletcher Award Recipient, American University Athlete of the Year, NWCA All-Academic Team member, and the Jonathan Kaloust Award Recipient. Glenn graduated from American University with bachelor's degrees in Pre-law and International Studies. He is currently an Officer in the United States Navy and resides in Virginia with his wife, Jessica, and four children. Ed Hamer, Lehigh, Class of 1959 Ed Hamer became a two-time EIWA champion and an NCAA wrestling champion for Lehigh University in the late 1950s. No one would have guessed it when he entered Lehigh in the fall of 1955. At Philipsburg (PA) high school, Hamer wrestled JV for two years before making the varsity squad as a senior. He recalls, "I had a mediocre record my senior year and did not excel in the post-season tournaments." After a PG year at Manlius (NY) Military Prep School -- which did not have a wrestling team - Hamer's grappling career took off under the guidance of famed Lehigh coach, Gerald Leeman. In his first season of varsity competition as a sophomore, Hamer went 7-3 in dual meets. He won all his EIWA tournament bouts, defeating Cornell's Dick Vincent 7-0 in the finals to become the EIWA 157-pound champion. He only wrestled the first semester of his junior year, winning all four of his matches. Hamer excelled during his senior season at 177 pounds. After losing his season opening bout, he reeled off 18 straight victories to win both the 1959 EIWA and NCAA wrestling championships. At the NCAA tournament in Iowa, Hamer knocked off two defending champions, Duane Murty (5-2) and Tom Alberts (4-0) en route to the victory stand. Hamer finished his career with a record of 38-5. After graduating from Lehigh with a BS in Business, Hamer served his alma mater as an assistant wrestling coach, varsity cross country coach, and head golf coach. He went on to coordinate Junior Olympic Wrestling tournaments and coach youth wrestling. In 1989 Hamer was inducted into the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame and in 1990 he became a member of the Clearfield County Regional Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame. From 1965-71 Hamer was the owner of Hamer Building Supplies, prior to becoming a sales representative for the Pennsylvania House of Furniture and Harden Furniture. Hamer and his wife Judy are the parents of five children: Christopher, Michael, Wendi, Timothy and Jill. They now reside in Lakewood Ranch, FL. Jack Light, Penn State, Class of 1937 Jack Light never lost a dual meet bout during his three years of wrestling for Penn State University, nor did he ever lose an EIWA tournament bout. Light grew up in the shadows of the Penn State campus, graduating from State College high school in 1932. The school did not have a wrestling program, yet he tried out for the PSU wrestling team anyway. Under coach Charlie Speidel, Light made tremendous strides as a wrestler. As a sophomore during the 1934-35 season Light won every dual match but one, which ended in a tie. He dominated all of his opponents in the 135-pound weight class at the EIWA tournament. At the NCAAs Light suffered the only defeat of his career, losing by fall in the opening round. In his junior year Light captained the Nittany Lion squad and won every bout that he wrestled. He breezed through the EIWA tournament, winning all three of his matches at 135 pounds by Technical Advantage. Light led Penn State to their first EIWA team title in 11 years. Light moved up to the 145-pound weight class for his senior year where he repeated his heroics of the prior year. At the EIWA tournament Light was never threatened, pinning one opponent and defeating the other two by Technical Advantage. He became Penn State's first three-time EIWA Champion finishing with a college career record of 25-1-1. Upon graduation from Penn State, Light attended Jefferson Medical School and became a beloved physician in his hometown of State College for his entire professional career. He could be seen at most Penn State home wrestling matches and even at their practices from time to time. Twice in his career Dr. Light was honored as State College's 'Renaissance Man of the Year'. He was the father of two sons and a daughter. Dr. Light passed away in 2000.

Dean Corner, a two-time Big 8 Conference champion and 1957 NCAA All-American for legendary Iowa State head wrestling coach Harold Nichols, passed away in Springfield, Missouri, late Monday night. He was 83. Dean CornerA native of Omaha, Neb., Corner qualified to the NCAA Championships for the Cyclones in 1956, 1957, and 1958. Corner placed third at 137 pounds to become an All-American for the Cyclones in 1957. Nichols recruited Corner out of Omaha Tech High School, after he won three Nebraska state wrestling championships in 1952 (95 pounds), 1953 (112 pounds), and 1954 (127 pounds). After graduating from Iowa State, and earning a Master's in Education from Indiana State, Corner was asked by legendary Wisconsin wrestling coach George Martin to come to the state and grow wrestling. Corner settled in Cedarburg, Wis., and began to build a wrestling powerhouse in 1966. Throughout the 1970's, Cedarburg was one of the top wrestling programs in Wisconsin, compiling a remarkable 61-4 dual mark during this time. Cedarburg wrestlers were regular participants in the WIAA state tournament. In 1975, Paul Sigler won the WIAA State title at 145 pounds for Cedarburg, the first athlete in any sport to win a state title in the 100-year history of the high school. Dean Corner (center) in Iowa State wrestling room in 1955Corner has provided the Dean Corner Wrestling Scholarship at Cedarburg High School each year since 1979 for a graduating senior who pursues post-high school education and has participated in wrestling at Cedarburg. Corner retired from coaching in 1979, and teaching at Cedarburg High School in 1993. For all his accolades as a wrestler and coach, Corner has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame. He is a member of the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Wrestling Coach Association Hall of Fame, and the Cedarburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

T.J. Miller is beginning his fourth season as the head wrestling coach at Loras College (Photo/Loras College Athletics) Augsburg and Wartburg. Wartburg and Augsburg. For the past quarter-century, one of the Burgs has been the king of NCAA Division III wrestling. But is this the year another team finally breaks through? The Loras College Duhawks certainly hope that is the case. Loras starts this season ranked No. 1 nationally in Division III. Wabash is ranked second in the preseason poll followed by Wartburg and Augsburg. "We return five All-Americans, so we bring back some experienced and proven guys," Loras coach T.J. Miller said. "We've never been ranked No. 1 before in wrestling at Loras, so it's huge for our program. It's pretty cool to have that type of recognition, but we still have to wrestle and take care of business." Since Ithaca won the Division III national championship in 1994, the Burgs have won every title while dominating at the small-college level. Over the last 25 years, Wartburg has captured 14 national titles and Augsburg 11. The Auggies have won 13 championships since 1991 and earned the most recent DIII crown in 2019. Wartburg struggled to a sixth-place finish at the 2019 NCAA tournament, but the Knights are expected to be back in the mix this season. Loras returns a strong group of wrestlers from the team that finished second in the country last season. The Duhawks have six wrestlers ranked in the nation's top seven in their respective weight classes. Clint Lembeck starts the season ranked No. 2 at 141 pounds (Photo/Loras College Athletics) Loras is led by Clint Lembeck (141 pounds) and Brandon Murray (157), who are each ranked second in the country. Guy Patron Jr. is No. 3 at 197 with Eddie Smith fourth at 165, Jacob Krakow sixth at 174 and Brice Everson seventh at 133. The second-place national tournament finish by Loras last season was the best in program history. Lembeck placed third at the 2019 NCAAs in Roanoke, Va., with Murray and Smith each finishing fourth, Patron sixth and Krakow eighth. "We're really excited to compete," Miller said. "We have a lot of firepower coming back from last year and we're chomping at the bit for this season to start. We're looking forward to it." Patron is one of the leaders on a veteran Duhawk squad. He finished as NCAA runner-up in 2018 after placing third as a freshman in 2017. "Guy Patron is trying to become the first four-time All-American in school history," Miller said. "I knew him from when I coached down in New Orleans -- he was at a rival high school. When I came up here to Loras, he was a top priority for me in recruiting. Guy had some other offers and we were lucky to have him come up here. It's been great to have him in our program. He's pretty fired up about this season. He can beat anybody. When he's on, he's on. He's really evolved with his wrestling." Miller is beginning his fourth season as the head wrestling coach at Loras. He was an NCAA Division III champion for Wartburg College and was a member of three national championship teams with the Knights. Miller wrestled collegiately for his father, Jim, who led the Knights to 10 DIII national titles. Jim Miller is now retired from coaching and running the Dan Gable Wrestling Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. "Obviously, I grew up around the sport and saw what my dad did as a coach. I have lived it since I was a kid," T.J. Miller said. "I wrestled for my dad in college and then I coached with him for two years at Wartburg. I saw how he coached and what his approach was. I saw first-hand how hard he worked and how dedicated he was. Seeing that and living it, I learned how you do it." It's not all about wrestling for the Millers. T.J. has three daughters and many of their conversations now revolve around their families. But T.J. also knows his father is always there to provide coaching advice. "It's huge to have my dad as a resource," T.J. Miller said. "If there's something I need, he's very good at helping me with anything I ask him about. He's one of the best college coaches ever at any level. I know he still helps a lot of other coaches and teams as well. He obviously knows what it takes to be successful." T.J. Miller is fully aware it will take a special effort to end the long streak of national tournament dominance by Wartburg and Augsburg this season. The Duhawks will compete at the 2020 NCAA Division III Championships in nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 13-14. A month before that, Loras wrestles its final dual meet of the season at perennial power Wartburg. "It's like the old saying -- we have to be the best to beat the best," Miller said. "We focus day-to-day on ourselves. We don't talk to our team about Wartburg or Augsburg. We work on how Loras College can get better. It's going to take 10 guys fighting their butts off for us to reach our goals. You know Wartburg and Augsburg will have strong teams -- they always do. You have to be good at every weight class to beat those teams." 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.

Tony Ramos talks to Austin O'Connor before the semifinals of the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina wrestling coach Coleman Scott announced Tuesday the promotion of Tony Ramos to associate head coach and the addition of volunteer assistant Jordan Oliver to the 2019-20 wrestling staff. Ramos, a 2014 NCAA champion and two-time USA world team member has been with the program since 2016 and spent 2018 as the team's assistant coach. Oliver is a four-time All-American at Oklahoma State, where he won a pair of NCAA championships for the Cowboys in 2011 and 2013. "I'm excited to have Tony continue to play a big role in our program," Scott said on Ramos' promotion. "We have a lot of exciting things going on in Chapel Hill and he makes us better with his work with our team both on and off the mat. Tar Heel wrestling as a whole is ready to keep making waves, and Tony is a major contributor of that progress." After the 2019 U.S. World Team Trials, Ramos officially retired from wrestling after a decorated career. His accomplishments include a pair of world team spots and three U.S. Open titles (2014, 2016, 2017). "This is an exciting opportunity to continue to build something great here in Chapel Hill," Ramos said. "We have a talented group of guys and an incredible support staff. North Carolina wrestling is starting to become a national name, and that's been our plan for a few years now. I'm ready to be at Carolina for a long time and start putting more national champions up on the wall." Jordan Oliver gets in on a shot against Yianni Diakomihalis in the U.S. Open semifinals (Photo/Sandy Slater) Oliver, who joined the Tar Heel Wrestling Club in August, will take over the team's volunteer assistant duties. In addition to his decorated career at Oklahoma State, he has been on the United States National Team four times. "Jordan is exactly the type of wrestling mind we want to have here in our room," Scott said. "He is going to make our guys and our staff better with everything he does. He always works to the maximum and we're going to have a lot of our guys improving because of what Jordan brings to the table."

Big Ten Super Saturday wrestling events will be held at Madison Square Garden Big Ten Super Saturday just became more super. The annual sports event which has showcased intercollegiate sports from Big Ten Conference schools in a doubleheader event since 2016 will, for the first time, now feature the wrestling programs from University of Michigan, Rutgers, and Penn State, the Big Ten announced Monday. If that's not super enough, Big Ten Super Saturday -- College Hoops & Wrestling in 2020 and 2021 to be held at New York City's legendary Madison Square Garden, "the world's most famous arena." Wrestling will be featured as part of the next two Big Ten Super Saturday events, in 2020 ... and 2021. On Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, it will be Michigan vs. Rutgers in wrestling and in men's basketball. The Wolverine wrestlers will take on the Scarlet Knights at 1 p.m. Eastern. Fans who can't make it to Madison Square Garden can take in the action on BTN. (The basketball game will start at 4:30 p.m. Eastern, and also air on BTN.) Tickets for the 2020 Big Ten Super Saturday are now available to the general public, and may be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling (866) 858-0008 or at www.msg.com. To learn about luxury suites and premium hospitality, call 212-465-6771 or e-mail msgsuites@msg.com. One year later -- Jan. 30, 2021 -- Rutgers wrestling will face off against Penn State, 2019 NCAA Division I team titlewinners at Madison Square Garden ... while it will be Rutgers vs. Michigan State in men's basketball. Times will be announced at a later date.

Minnesota Hall of Fame coach Don Dravis of Staples (Minn.) passed away on Nov. 3. He was 82 years old. Dravis' Staples teams won seven state championships and were runners-up four times. He received National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year honors in 1980 and 1981. Dravis was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Minnesota Chapter in 2003 and the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Dave Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1981. Don Dravis Obituary: Donald Jerome Dravis passed away November 3, 2019, peacefully surrounded by family. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on November 8, 2019, at 11:00 AM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Staples, MN. A visitation will be one hour prior. An additional visitation will be Thursday, November 7, 2019, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church from 4-8:00 PM, with a prayer service at 7:45 PM. Don Dravis (left) with friend Ted Lelwica (Photo/The Guillotine)Don was born Nov. 2, 1937, in Minneapolis to William and Pearl (Gunderson) Dravis. Don graduated from Blue Earth High School in 1955. He married Mary Sedivy in Glencoe in 1960. Don attended college in Mankato where he wrestled, earning the title of All American Wrestler at Mankato State. He finished his degree at St. Cloud State. He worked as an Industrial Arts teacher for 32 years in Staples until his retirement. Don coached wrestling and achieved 7 state titles. He was a Staples volunteer firefighter for 22 years, and a member of the Staples Lions Club. He was a Lions member for 43 years and earned the Helen Keller Award, as well as the Melvin Jones Fellow Award. He was a past president of the MN Coaches Association. Don enjoyed hunting, fishing, wrestling, and attending his grandchildren's sporting events. Don's numerous achievements included the Duane R Lund Award for Lifetime Achievement Wrestling Career of 401 Match Wins, 7 state team championship titles, 14 individual state championships, 1976 MN Coach of The Year, 1987 MN Wrestling Coach of The Year, 1980 USA Wrestling Coach of The Year, 1980 Sports Illustrated recognition, 1981 National Wrestling Coach of The Year, 1996 USA State Man of The Year, 2001 MSHSL Distinguished Service Award, 2003 MSHSL Hall of Fame Award, 2003 MN Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame, 1993 Firefighter of the Year, and 2018 Staples-Motley Athletic Hall of Fame. Don is survived by his loving wife Mary of 59 years; daughter Paula (Mark) Redemske and their children Alyssa, Brian, and Cal; son Greg (Traci) Dravis and their children Derek and Casey; son Blaine (Dana) Dravis and their children Jake, Matt and Sarah; son Jeff (Tara) Dravis and their children Justin, Cody, Taylor, Kate; daughter Mary Jo (Jim) Otteson and their children Garrett and Trevor; and his brother Brian. Don is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Roger.

The 2019 Senior World Championships came and went last month, and at this point all of the medalists and major players have been written about and discussed at length. As I recently binge-watched and read over the many matches and results of the year's most prestigious tournament, I observed a whole lot of really fantastic wrestlers who likely won't get any press at all due to their placings. We are talking about extremely high-level athletes. Look at it this way, over 700 men registered to enter this year's world tournament, and only 80 went home from Nur-Sultan with medals. I have always admired those wrestlers who remain committed to the sport despite their placings, and as a huge MMA fan I can tell you that these wrestlers often find success in other endeavors. In fact, medal-less world-team wrestlers have been making moves in MMA for most of the sport's history. Here, we will look into 10 under-the-radar world team members in wrestling who found their way to MMA significance. Maximo Blanco (Photo/Getty Images) Maximo Blanco Though best known for his MMA career that began with him as a highly touted, super-aggressive, ultra-violent prospect in Japan, and ended with an underwhelming nine-fight UFC stint, Venezuela's Maximo Blanco was at first a pretty fantastic wrestler. Recruited by Japanese wrestling Coach Hideaki Akutsu to wrestle for a boarding high school in Sendai, Japan, the move to the land of the rising sun was a fruitful one for Blanco. His high school results netted him a wrestling scholarship to Nihon University, and there he won Collegiate Freestyle Nationals and earned the Outstanding Wrestler award. After college he remained in Japan, training with Japan's national team and interestingly, the judo-centric Yoshida Dojo. He competed for Venezuela as he pursued the Beijing Olympics. Along the way he won bronze at the 2007 Pan American Championships and made world championships appearances in 2006 and 2007. He even managed to score a point on Russian legend Buvaisar Saitiev in 2006! Daniel Malvino From 2008 to 2015, all-time great MMA featherweight Jose Aldo reigned over his division with an iron fist. Knocking off fantastic wrestler after fantastic wrestler, Aldo's unique brand of "anti-wrestling" became the topic of many a discussion. Prime Aldo was nearly impossible to take down, a juggernaut in the clinch, and you could forget about controlling or advancing position on him should you actually get him to the mat. The man largely responsible for Aldo's uncanny ability to defeat strong wrestlers was Brazilian wrestler and coachv Daniel Malvino. Brazil may not be typically associated with wrestling prestige, but guys like Malvino have been working hard to change that. As a competitor, Malvino, aka Pirata, spent years at the top of Brazil's 74-kilogram class, and he gave it a real go internationally. Traveling to wrestle in Argentina, Poland, Spain, and then Istanbul, Turkey for the 2011 World Championships, he was a wrestler through and through, undeterred by less-than-stellar placings. And although he lost his lone MMA fight, his impact in both sports is indisputable. Since failing to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, Malvino has shifted focus to coaching Brazil's national teams, coaching fighters like Aldo, and furthering wrestling in Brazil. He was also instrumental in attracting Kazakh, Uzbek, and Armenian wrestlers to move to Brazil. Talgat Ilyasov (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) Talgat Ilyasov When recent UFC 185-pound champ Robert Whittaker caught fire in 2014 and began racking up impressive wins, he was aided greatly by some very slick defensive wrestling and in-fighting tactics. When he kept using these skills to win, even against very good wrestlers, people took notice. How could an Aussie with no wrestling background hang with Yoel Romero in wrestling situations? Well, over the past 20 or so years, wrestlers from Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Ukraine, Romania (world medalist Sahit Prizreni specifically), and Uzbekistan had relocated to the land down under. Interestingly, most of them also got involved in MMA. Turned out that Whittaker had been training with such wrestlers since 2014, and he even won a 97-kilogram national freestyle title in 2017. Most significant among this influx of strong wrestlers, in terms of this discussion, is Uzbekistan expat Talgat Ilyasov. A rising star in Uzbekistan with four age-group world teams and a cadet world bronze to his credit, Ilyasov came to Australia in 2001, made his first senior world team in 2003, and finished sixth after going 2-1. In 2004, after earning a spot in Athens, a spinal injury spoiled his plans, and seemingly, his career. In the following years, Talgat coached top wrestlers, fighters, and submission grapplers, he won the 75-kilogram expert class of a grappling event in Abu Dhabi, and in 2014, won a pro MMA fight by first round submission. Convinced his spine could withstand the rigors of competing, he returned to the mat. Talgat made another world team in 2015 before winning the Canada Cup, Olympic Trials, and the Africa/Oceania Qualifier a year later. Finally an Olympian, his first match in Rio ended disastrously when he dislocated his elbow mid-match. The 38-year old continues to train and coach wrestlers, grapplers, and fighters. His influence has certainly raised Aussie wrestling within MMA. Maybe in the coming years we could even see an Aussie wrestler on the podium at the World Championships and/or Olympic Games. Darrell Gholar One of the most underappreciated fighters and coaches in MMA history, Gholar sowed seeds of wrestling ability that flourished over multiple generations of Brazil's top fighters. After a successful wrestling career that included four years at the University of Minnesota (he was a two-time national qualifier) and a successful senior level Greco-Roman run, the three-time Greco-Roman nationals champ and 1986 world team member got into MMA in the late 90's after coaching at Drake University and his alma mater, Minnesota. Gholar started fighting in 1998 and over three years and 11 fights, fought some of the toughest guys out there. And while it would certainly be appropriate to refer to Darrell Gholar the fighter as an MMA/wrestling pioneer, it was as a coach that he truly found his niche. In 2001, after winning a Brazilian Vale Tudo tournament, Gholar was propositioned by Murillo Bustamante of the legendary MMA gym, Brazilian Top Team. Already one of the world's best gyms for fighting and BJJ, "BTT" fighters saw the value in upping their wrestling. Gholar accepted, and completely invigorated the abilities of several legendary Brazilians who came to be known for their unstoppable takedowns and clinch work. Gholar's influence on the contemporary grappling meta in Brazil was readily apparent in the phenomenal wrestling of guys like Vitor Belfort, Ricardo Arona, Paulo Filho, The Nogueira Brothers, Rousimar Palhares, and others. Martin Lazarov The hardest of hard-core MMA fans may recall him giving debuting legend Fedor Emelienenko a tough fight back in 2000, but Martin Lazarov had already made a name for himself on the international freestyle circuit by the time he entered what was then known as "NHB" fighting. As one of Bulgaria's top 97-kilogram wrestlers from the turn of the millennium, Lazarov achieved a respectable resume in a very competitive part of the world. A resume anchored by a silver medal at the 1997 Junior European Championships, and a fifth-place finish at the super-stacked 1999 version of the very same event. After making it to the 1999 Senior World Championships, he was an Olympic hopeful for the 2000 Sydney Games, though he failed to qualify. Lazarov was last seen in 2001 getting tech falled by Stephen Neal on the mat and losing his second and final MMA fight to Russian pioneer Mikhail Ilyukhin in the ring. Sadly, he passed away after a 2010 car accident in Bulgaria. R.I.P. Yoshihiro Nakao It's a bit of a shame that Japanese heavyweight Yoshihiro Nakao will forever be known for a single whacky moment despite being a fully capable fighter and a very strong wrestler. Type in the name Yoshihiro Nakao in any search engine and without fail, you will undoubtedly learn that he was once KO'd during the pre-fight face off of a fight in front of 53,000 live fans. That's right, at Japanese Mega-promotion, K-1's 2005 New Year's Eve show, Nakao met his opponent Heath Herring in the center of the cage for pre-fight instructions, proceeded to kiss Herring on the lips, and was promptly knocked into a twilight state by the American. Antics aside, the 96/97-kilogram Japanese wrestler enjoyed a very respectable MMA career and defeated some very good fighters with his size, strength, wrestling, and (fighting) discipline. Before that, Nakao had designs on representing Japan at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, plans fueled by some stellar results domestically. On multiple occasions Nakao won Japanese Nationals and the annual Japanese Invitational, which often functions as part of their world and/or continental championships team selection process. He may have fallen short of his Olympic aspirations but made it to the World Championships in 2002 and wrestled at both the World and Asian Championships in 2003. Random afterthought, anyone have any idea how Nakao came to be wearing a Lehigh wrestling sweatshirt in the training footage for his Don Frye rematch? The Sergei Beloglazov connection perhaps? Mu Bae Choi Another in a long line of big, durable, gritty, talented Asian heavyweight wrestlers-turned fighters from the late 90's/early 2000's Japanese MMA scene, South Korea's Mu Bae Choi succeeded in both MMA and Greco-Roman wrestling. Extremely strong, tough as nails, with a ton of heart, and a seemingly uncrackable chin, Choi joined Kazuyuki Fujita, the aforementioned Nakao, and a bunch of others as Japanese MMA's loveable, indestructible, fighting heroes. And despite losing to both Fujita and Nakao, he was as good a fighter as either of them. He defeated fellow wrestlers in Dave Herman (NCAA Division I), Soa Palelei (a national level in Australia), and Yusuke Imamura (wrestled internationally for Japan) and even once signed to fight the legendary Fedor Emelienenko, though the fight fell through. Choi built most of his formidable fighting skill while wrestling on the world stage, and was on the cusp of breaking through to become a legitimate world medal threat at least once in his career. He earned bronze at the 1991 Asian Championships and made it to the World Championships in 1994 and 1995. Sidney Guzman Peruvian wrestler Sidney Guzman is one of the biggest "what-ifs" in terms of unrealized combative potential. Being from one of the poorer areas of a generally poor country, Guzman is a study in doing the best you can with what you've got. Leading up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, The LA Times did a piece about Sidney and other Olympic hopefuls from such places. Undeterred and committed to becoming an Olympian, Guzman trained under terrible conditions in extremely sub-par facilities, and somehow managed to sustain an Olympic caliber regimen on a diet consisting mostly of bread and tea, with the occasional piece of chicken if lucky. This was the norm until he began receiving weekly stipends of pasta, facilitated by the IOC, which he usually sold or traded to help his family. Uphill battles aside, the Greco-Roman specialist made it to three senior world championships (four if you consider he wrestled both styles in 2001) and the Olympic Games in 2004. And though he didn't win any world/Olympic medals, he did manage a bronze and a silver at the 1999 and 2004 Pan American Championships respectively, also defeating future world and Olympic champ Davor Stefanek at the Athens Games. In 2013, at 37 years old and almost 10 years removed from high-level competition, we still got to see the massive potential and immense physical abilities of Sidney. The less restrictive rule set of MMA seemed to really jive with his style, and his combination of extremely fast, powerful wrestling attacks, aggression, nasty ground and pound, and definite mean streak produced a 3-1 mark and was formidable to say the least. He also competed in submission grappling to compliment his wrestling and signed with the only big(ish) MMA show in Peru. Interesting side note, Guzman was booked to fight American wrestler Rollie Peterkin in 2014, but the bout fell through. Sidney last fought in mid-2015 and has been entirely absent from the MMA scene since. Melchor Manibusan Guamanian martial arts legend Melchor Manibusan is one of these unshakeable guys who has worked most of his life competing in and furthering the sport of wrestling despite not achieving the best results on the world stage. He spent many years as the top wrestler on the small, western Pacific Island, regardless of weight or style, and has been an important figure in the Oceania scene since the late 90's. Melchor made five senior world teams, two in Greco (his preferred style) and three in freestyle. Despite usually finishing in the lower end of the final placings, he was a tough, scrappy, aggressive, powerful wrestler with a ton of heart. His considerable contributions to the combat sports world are not limited to wrestling either, as he has made Guam an important part of the MMA/BJJ/Wrestling triangle between Hawaii, Australia, and Japan. As a coach, competitor, and gym owner (he owns highly regarded Spike22 Gym), Melchor's successes outside of wrestling include winning bronze at the 1999 ADCC Submission Grappling World Championships relying almost entirely on his wrestling, while also being a key part of superstars BJ Penn and Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto's, training camps. He also went 2-4 against tough competition as a fighter. Melchor is still in Guam, still pushing the sport of wrestling, and helps organize most Oceania Championships and Oceania/African Olympic qualifiers. Brandon Escobar One thing that you have to give to Long Island's Brandon Escobar: The guy is a doer. Details and circumstances be damned, when he sets his mind toward doing something, he does it. He figures out a way. Wrestling out of the same small group of towns on the eastern third of Long Island that produced world-class wrestlers like Jesse Jantzen, Corey Jantzen and Kerry McCoy, Brandon managed a respectable three All-County and two All-State (third and fourth in 2007 and 2008 respectively) honors in the very tough wrestling state of New York. An uninspired foray into collegiate wrestling yielded little, but his passion for wrestling peaked after the 2009 UWW Junior Nationals where he became a double finalist (first in freestyle, second in Greco-Roman). This was a tournament packed full of eventual Division I All-Americans, national champs, world teamers, and even world champs. A subsequent run in with Henry Cejudo inspired Brandon further. He wanted to be an Olympian, but didn't have the pedigree to reasonably expect to take USA's No. 1 55-kilogram spot. And so it began, Escobar's quest to represent his parent's home nation of Honduras at the London Olympics. By way of earning a silver medal at the Olympic Qualifier held in Florida, the north shore L.I. resident made his Olympic team. He also made a world team in 2013 and has wrestled internationally ever since, taking 2015 off to start MMA. Despite working as head wrestling coach for the UFC Gym in Sunnyvale California, the world-level wrestler has struggled to find quality trainers. Never one to be deterred by circumstance, Escobar jumped head-first into the wild-west, amateur MMA scene, going 6-6 as he learned on the job, fighting nine times in 2015 alone. Escobar continues to position himself in the thick of the wrestling, MMA, and grappling circuits as coach and competitor, and has not ruled out another Olympic shot in 2020 or another fight in the cage.

Daton Fix wrestling at the 2019 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) This is a special time for the sport of wrestling. The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan are right around the corner. And there are going to be some tremendous battles for the six men's freestyle spots on the United States Olympic team. Along with the number of proven veterans in the U.S., there are a number of college stars looking to earn trips to Japan next year. A large number of top American wrestlers are taking Olympic redshirts during the 2019-20 school year to focus full-time on their freestyle aspirations at the international level. Two NCAA All-Americans -- Michigan's Stevan Micic and Myles Amine -- have already qualified for the Olympic Games. Micic qualified for Serbia and Amine for San Marino after both wrestlers finished in the top six in their respective weight classes at the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan. Micic placed fifth at 57 kilograms and Amine was fifth at 86 kilograms. Feel free to agree or disagree, but here are my rankings for the Olympic redshirts most likely to make the 2020 U.S. team. Daton Fix, Oklahoma State What can you say about Fix? The guy has made U.S. world teams at every level, including 2019 when he landed a spot on the Senior world team in freestyle wrestling. Fix still has three years of college eligibility left, but his focus now is 100 percent on making the 2020 Olympic team. Fix fell short at the 2019 Senior World Championships, but he's not that far away. Fix continues to elevate his game and evolve as a wrestler. He will have his share of challengers at 57 kilograms, including 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman, but he will definitely be in the mix to earn a trip to Tokyo. Yianni Diakomihalis before wrestling India's Bajrang Punia at Beat the Streets (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell Yianni is another guy we expected to see on this stage. He won a pair of Cadet world titles before winning NCAA titles his first two years at Cornell. Now he takes an Olympic redshirt to try and make the U.S. squad at 65 kilograms. He nearly made the 2019 World Team before falling to Zain Retherford in the Final X championship series. Yianni is tremendously gifted in freestyle -- the style suits him perfectly with his athleticism and ability to score points in bunches. He's a guy who is not only capable of making the Olympic team -- he is good enough to challenge for a medal in Tokyo. Nick Suriano, Rutgers Suriano had a memorable 2019, storming to his first NCAA title for the Scarlet Knights after bumping up a weight class to 133. He beat Fix in the finals. Shortly after NCAAs, Suriano earned a big win in freestyle when he defeated returning world bronze medalist Joe Colon at the Beat the Streets event in New York City. Suriano will definitely contend to make the U.S. team at 57 kilograms. He's big for the weight class and he is capable of beating anybody he faces. Suriano and Fix could meet again this season, possibly with an Olympic berth on the line. Jaydin Eierman wrestling Frank Molinaro at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Jaydin Eierman, Missouri Eierman is an excellent young wrestler who nearly beat Yianni in the 2019 NCAA semifinals before falling by a point. Eierman is an accomplished freestyler who was No. 3 on the U.S. Senior National ladder at 65 kilograms in 2018. He just competed at the U23 World Championships, where he went 1-1 and placed eighth. He is a tough matchup for anyone that he faces. Eierman is a dynamic wrestler who can put points on the board. Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech Lewis was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2019 NCAA Championships as a freshman after an incredible run through the strong 165-pound bracket. He knocked off No. 1 seed Alex Marinelli of Iowa before upsetting two-time defending champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State in the finals. Lewis hasn't wrestled much internationally, but he did win the 2018 Junior world title in freestyle. He is expected to jump into the loaded 74 kilograms bracket at the Senior level that is led by Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs. Lewis is a gifted young wrestler with a huge upside. It will be interesting to see how he fares as he gains more freestyle experience in 2020. Vito Arujau placed fourth at the NCAAs before winning a silver at the Junior World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Vito Arujau, Cornell Arujau is another top young wrestler for Cornell who has excelled internationally at the age-group levels. He won a silver medal for the United States at the 2019 Junior World Championships at 57 kilograms. He placed fourth as a freshman in the loaded 125-pound bracket at the 2019 NCAAs. He was the No. 8 seed. Arujau won a Cadet world silver medal for the U.S. in 2016. He was also fourth at the 2019 U.S. Senior Open in freestyle. Max Dean, Cornell Dean is coming off a runner-up finish at the 2019 NCAA tournament where he knocked off No. 1 seed Myles Martin of Ohio State en route to the finals. He has continued to progress in his career and recently wrestled for the U.S. at the U23 World Championships in Budapest. Logan Massa, Michigan Massa is a three-time national qualifier for the Wolverines, finishing third nationally in 2017. He has an 85-19 record in college. He also has excelled in freestyle, winning a UWW Junior Nationals title during his career. He is one of four Michigan wrestlers taking an Olympic redshirt along with Micic, Amine and Kanen Storr. 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.

Kevin Lee knocked out Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244 (Photo/sport.bt.com) Gregor Gillespie, 2007 NCAA champ and four-time All-American for Edinboro University, suffered the first loss of his nearly six-year pro MMA career with a first-round head-kick knockout at the hands -- or, actually, foot -- of fellow former college wrestler Kevin Lee at UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday night. Here's how CBS Sports opened its report on the Gillespie-Lee lightweight (155-pound) bout: "Gregor Gillespie entered the Octagon to face Kevin Lee at UFC 244 as an undefeated prospect with a decorated background in amateur wrestling. Lee was a step up in competition for Gillespie, and the fight turned out to be a step too far for the New York native fighting in front of a hometown crowd at Madison Square Garden." MMAfighting.com set the stage for its account of the bout thusly: "Kevin Lee re-introduced himself to the lightweight division in a big way on Saturday night. "'The Motown Phenom' earned a potential knockout of the year after demolishing previously undefeated prospect Gregor Gillespie with a picture-perfect head kick at 2:47 into the opening round at UFC 244." "In a fight between two top grapplers, Lee and Gillespie seemed content to trade jabs on the feet through the first minute of the opening round," MMAfighting.com continued. "Lee had the reach advantage but he ate several stiff jabs from Gillespie that opened a cut on his fight during the one of the early exchanges. "Gillespie did try for one half-hearted takedown but he didn't utilize his wrestling outside of that lone attempt. Lee made him pay for that decision by constantly head hunting with power punches that eventually set up the fight-ending sequence. "After landing several overhand rights, Lee found a home for that punch one more time, which turned Gillespie around and set him up for the head kick that followed. "Lee's foot connected flush as Gillespie's jaw swung around before he dropped violently to the canvas as the referee rushed into stop the fight." The 32-year-old Gillespie is now 13-1 in a career going back to January 2014. Prior to the loss, the former Fighting Scot wrestler was 6-0 in the UFC with his five most recent fights ending via KO or submission. Lee, 27, improves to 18-5 overall in a seven-and-a-half year pro career launched after wrestling at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, overcoming losses in his last two most recent bouts prior to UFC 244. After the victory, Lee said, "I needed to make [a statement] tonight. My back was against the wall. I'm coming out here facing the most decorated wrestler in the division and I wanted to put on a show."

Gable Steveson gets his hand raised after placing third at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Gable Steveson, University of Minnesota sophomore heavyweight, remains under suspension after being arrested last June, and has not practiced with the team nor participated in their first dual meet of the season. Steveson, who is currently ranked No. 2 at heavyweight by InterMat (behind Penn State's Anthony Cassar, 2019 NCAA heavyweight champ), did not wrestle for the Golden Gophers in the season-opening dual with Cal State Bakersfield at Maturi Pavilion on the Minnesota campus Friday night. The Gophers won the dual, 28-9; Minnesota senior Chase O'Connor, who wrestled at 285, lost to the Roadrunners' redshirt junior Jarrod Snyder, 4-1, OT. Steveson, who was a freshman last season, along with teammate Dylan Martinez, now a junior, remain on the roster but were suspended under the University of Minnesota's student-athlete code of conduct after their arrests on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct, the Star-Tribune reported Thursday. The paper went on to report that Hennepin County's investigation remains active, despite having passed the county attorney's self-imposed 90-day deadline back in September. It is unclear whether Steveson and Martinez will face charges. "Nothing new to report," Hennepin County spokesman Chuck Laszewski wrote in an e-mail to the Star-Tribune Wednesday. As InterMat reported June 18, 2019, Steveson and Martinez had been arrested for allegedly sexually penetrating a victim with an object on Saturday, June 15, according to the Minneapolis police. The reported victim received treatment at the hospital. The St. Paul Police Department released a transcript of the 911 call that came to them Saturday. A male caller told police that his female friend "seems to be sexually assaulted and is not OK. She left with a couple guys and she is absolutely bawling her eyes out and doesn't know what happened ..." During the 2018-19 season, Gable Steveson compiled a 35-2 overall record for Minnesota as a freshman, and was 17-0 in dual-meet competition. He placed second at the 2019 Big Ten conference championships, then, two weeks later, earned All-American honors by placing third in the 285-pound bracket at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh. For his first-year accomplishments, Gable Steveson was named the team's Most Outstanding Wrestler and Freshman of the Year, and earned Golden Goldy's Rookie of the Year honors. Prior to enrolling at Minnesota, Steveson was a four-time Minnesota high school state wrestling champion for Apple Valley High School.