InterMat Staff

Who are the college wrestling coaches who can claim the most team titles? Dan Gable led Iowa to 15 national championships The TakeDown Report (TDR) website is in the process of gathering, analyzing and sharing this data. Recently the website revealed the NCAA Division I wrestling coaches who have amassed the most team titles. "The coach with the most Division I Championship teams is no surprise to fans of the sport in Dan Gable of the University of Iowa as the leader with 15 championship teams in just a 20-year span from 1977 to 1997," according to TDR editor Martin Fleming in his article revealing the coaches and programs that have tallied the most team titles since the first NCAA wrestling championships in 1928. Which coach came in second? The legendary Ed Gallagher, who headed up the Oklahoma State wrestling program from the end of World War I to just before the start of World War II, guided the Cowboys to eleven team titles between 1928 and 1940. A total of 14 Division I wrestling coaches have led their programs to at least two team titles ... while 15 coaches can claim a single team championship. Of these coaches, five are still heading up D1 mat programs: Cael Sanderson (8 team titles), John Smith (5), Jim Zalesky (3), Tom Brands (3) and Tom Ryan (1). You'll find a more complete analysis of the 26 coaches who can claim at least one NCAA Division I team crown -- and their schools -- at the Takedown Report website. Want to know about the coaches and colleges outside NCAA Division I? Down the road, TDR promises to also provide similar analysis of NCAA Div. II and III championship coaches, as well as those who head up NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling programs that have won national titles. Questions? Comments? Contact TDR editor Martin Fleming directly at martinkfleming@gmail.com.

Greg Kerkvliet wrestling Jordan Wood at the U23 Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Greg Kerkvliet, the nation's No. 1 high school recruit in the Class of 2019, is expected to compete for a spot in Ohio State's lineup as a true freshman and not redshirt. "Anything can happen, but as of now the plan is to go," Kerkvliet recently told Steelwood Radio. He said he currently weighs around 235 pounds, but plans on getting up to 250 to 260 pounds. Kerkvliet will compete at the U23 World Championships on Oct. 29-30 in Budapest, Hungary. Earlier this year, Kerkvliet said that he planned to redshirt for the 2019-20 season, but that plan has changed. Ohio State also returns NCAA qualifier Chase Singletary at heavyweight. Kerkvliet was a four-time state champion in Minnesota. He reached the finals of the Cadet World Championships in freestyle twice, winning a gold medal in 2017 and a silver in 2018.

Daniel Cormier serves as head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School in California (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Daniel Cormier, former UFC heavyweight and light-heavyweight champ, confirmed this week that he plans to return to the Octagon one last time for a third bout with fellow former collegiate wrestler Stipe Miocic ... then retire from mixed martial arts. Cormier, who was a collegiate wrestling champion and 2008 U.S. Olympic men's freestyle team member prior to launching his pro MMA career, revealed his retirement plans on Ariel Helwani's MMA show on Monday. "I'm going to fight this guy again, and my intention is to fight him in the right way," Cormier said during that program. "Hopefully that's enough to get my hand raised. "But I'll go fight him again, win or lose, I'm not fighting again. This will be the only time I ever step foot in the Octagon again." Cormier told Helwani that he hopes his. third fight with Miocic will happen at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 in Las Vegas. The groundwork for Cormier-Miocic 3 started at UFC 226 in July 2018 when Cormier knocked Miocic out ... making the now 40-year-old Cormier the holder of two titles at once. A few months later, the Louisiana native then successfully defended his heavyweight and light-heavyweight titles vs. Derrick Lewis at UFC 230 last November. That win put Cormier in the record books -- and history books -- as the first fighter in UFC's 35-year history to win belts in two divisions and defend them both ... prior to giving up either. (Cormier was later forced to give up the light-heavyweight belt prior to UFC 232, where Jon Jones defeated Alexander Gustafsson for that title.) Cormier took the heavyweight title into his rematch with Miocic at UFC 241 ... but lost that match -- and belt -- in that bout last month. The Cleveland area native reclaimed the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight (265-pound) title with a technical knockout of Cormier at 4:09 of the fourth round of the bout slated for five rounds. Both Cormier and Miocic have brought amateur wrestling backgrounds into their pro MMA careers. Prior to launching his pro MMA career a decade ago, Cormier made his presence known on the wrestling mat, first as a three-time Louisiana high school state wrestling champion. After graduation, Cormier headed north to Colby Community College in Kansas where he was a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) national champ at 197 pounds, in 1998 and 1999. Cormier then transferred to Oklahoma State University, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I championships qualifier, making it to the 184-pound finals at the 2000 NCAAs, losing to Iowa State's Cael Sanderson (now head wrestling coach at Penn State). After graduation, Cormier wrestled freestyle. Among his honors: bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships, a two-time gold medalist at the Pan American Championships, and member of the U.S. men's freestyle team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Cormier remains connected to amateur wrestling, currently serving as coach at Gilroy High School in California. Stipe Miocic grew up in the wrestling hotbed of northeast Ohio, where he wrestled at Eastlake North High School, then for the NCAA Division I program at Cleveland State.

Adam Latella, a 2014 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been selected as an assistant wrestling coach for the 2019-20 season. He will also serve as a lecturer in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching. Adam LatellaLatella most recently served as the Olympic Training Site Head Weightlifting Coach at Northern Michigan University, overseeing all aspects of the team during the 2018-19 year. He led the men's and women's teams to second-place finishes at the University Nationals and coached two individual national champions, two individual silver medalists, three individual bronze medalists and 14 other top-10 placers. As a wrestler for the Warhawks, Latella competed in the 197-pound weight class for three seasons, beginning his sophomore year in 2009. He was a member of the 2010-11 team that tied for 29th place at the NCAA Division III Tournament. In 2012, the team clinched the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and finished eighth at the NCAA Division III Tournament. In 2009-10, Latella was voted as the team's Most Improved after he finished as the runner-up at the WIAC Championships and qualified for his first NCAA Championship. Latella was named as a team captain for the 2010-11 season. His team voted him as the Most Valuable Wrestler after winning his first WIAC title in 2011. At his second NCAA Division III Championship appearance, he placed fifth, earning All-American accolades. In 2011-12, Latella was again a team captain and won his second conference title. He was named as a Scholar-All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Following graduation, Latella served as a student assistant coach for the 2012-13 season and as an assistant coach in the 2013-15 seasons. He worked as an academic advising graduate assistant in the 2014-15 school year. Latella was a full-time academic advisor from 2015 until 2018. Besides competing and working with the wrestling program, Latella was also a member of the UW-Whitewater Olympic Weightlifting Club, where he was a three-time state champion. He was the club's assistant coach in 2013-15 before being named as the head coach for the 2015-18 seasons. He led the club to its first state championship in 2016 and two consecutive championships in 2017 and 2018. A native of Rockton, Ill., Latella graduated from UW-Whitewater with a bachelor's degree in human health and performance and recreation with a minor in coaching in 2014. He also completed his master's degree in Physical Education, Health and Coaching in 2015 at UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks begin their season with a home dual against UW-Oshkosh on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m.

It's as good a time as ever to be a fan of both amateur wrestling and MMA. Though high-level wrestlers have always been prominently featured in American, Brazilian, and Japanese MMA promotions, the vast majority of them were either Japanese and American wrestlers, or Russian sambo practitioners. Things have changed drastically, and now, in addition to the aforementioned trinity of traditional MMA markets, we not only have well-funded, well-run MMA shows and world-class MMA gyms in wrestling strongholds like the Caucasus Russian Republics, the Nordic Countries, and Poland, and Korea, but also a slew of other big shows and gyms in Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and Thailand. All the above have their arms (and their wallets) wide-open as a welcoming haven for a world-class wrestler looking to get into the fight business. The result has been an unprecedented influx of wrestling talent from all over the globe. Keep going to read about some extremely accomplished wrestlers currently climbing the MMA ranks. But before you do, take a look at Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Marthin Hamlet Nielsen Marthin Hamlet Nielsen Norwegian Greco-Roman star and light-heavyweight prospect Marthin Hamlet has many of the tools you want to see in an aspiring MMA champion. Size, incredible strength, great athleticism (especially for a guy his size), cardio, powerful takedowns, etc. The guy has got it all. Having sharpened those tools on the ultra-tough, Nordic/Scandinavian Greco scene, Hamlet was a dominant age-group wrestler who progressed on to the senior level while still having well over a year of junior eligibility left. In fact, in 2011, at only 19, he won both the junior and senior world team trials and competed at the World Championships in both divisions. A very solid Greco career netted many prestigious medals, not the least of which being bronzes from the European (2014) and Junior World (2012) Championships. And while he came up short in two attempts to make Norway's Olympic team, he was most certainly an Olympic-level talent. Navigating the fight business like a pro, Hamlet has promoted himself and his wrestling background vigorously, even putting himself on UFC president Dana White's radar. He's also joined Frontline MMA Academy, arguably Norway's best, most complete fight team, training alongside several UFC vets, longtime MMA-wrestling coach and former NCAA Division I standout wrestler Babak Nejadmaghaddam and many others. Fully committed to MMA, Hamlet debuted with authority, violently knocking out his opponent in seconds. Now, six fights deep and already a fantastic, well-rounded fighter, his record stands at 5-1, recently fighting tooth-and-nail in his first major title fight, and while he lost, such experience is often invaluable. Ali Isaev For years MMA fans awaited the inevitable arrival of true, world-class, Olympic-style wrestlers from the Caucasus region of Eurasia. The dominance these athletes continually exhibit on the mats and the possibility of them in an MMA cage inspires much excitement. Historically, fighters from this region were cut mostly from the sambo cloth. Great wrestlers no doubt, and fantastic fighters for sure, but not exactly the credentialed, Olympic types we hoped for. That changed in 2015 when wrestling monster Bilyal Makhov signed with the UFC. Makhov generated a ton of buzz and anticipation, but his interest in MMA ultimately turned out to be only that ... interest. Entirely absent from the MMA world for years now, Makhov has returned to the mats several times since reneging on his UFC contract, singing bonus in tow. While plenty disappointing, the Makhov escapade wasn't all for naught, and it inspired other Caucasus wrestlers to give MMA a try. Guys like Migran Arutyunyan and Ali Isaev, among others. Looking on the proverbial bright side, in terms of actual MMA potential, Russian-born Azerbaijan wrestler Isaev may have even more to offer than Makhov did. Thus far the 2008 Olympian, 2009 European champ with a slew of other international medals has been putting in quality work inside the cage. Teammates with fellow Caucasus fighters like UFC vet Rashid Magomedov and PRIDE vet Bazigit Atajev, also training in the US ahead of fights, Isaev is 6-0 and signed with the very solid Professional Fighter's League. Ideally sized for heavyweight, light on his feet, with powerful, diverse striking, and a penchant for spinning wheel kicks to accompany his wrestling, even Isaev's ground control is tip top. Something not usually seen from fighters who didn't compete in US folk style. Expect big things from Isaev. Ioannis Arzoumanidis Greek heavyweight Ioannis Arzoumanidis was uncharacteristically impressive among wrestlers from his home nation. Skilled across multiple styles, "Arzoo" started as a promising Greco wrestler, making a junior world team and even winning bronze at 2008 University Worlds. His success continued despite a shift over to freestyle and he medaled at both the 2009 & 2010 World Championships, beating fantastic wrestlers like Les Sigman, Disney Rodriguez, and the aforementioned Isaev, and establishing himself as a heavyweight force in the process. Despite being a medal threat most of his career, he left the sport in 2016 never having made an Olympic team. Perhaps most intriguing in terms of his MMA prospects are his two medals (1 gold) from the Grappling World Championships. Experience in a takedown-heavy, submission grappling rule-set will have great utility in MMA, maybe even enabling him to avoid the dreaded, out-of-nowhere submission loss that so many wrestlers fall prey to. Going from hobbyist to legit prospect the last two years, Arzoumanidis is indeed for real. And despite being more immovable object than irresistible force, he is no less formidable than his more fleet-of-foot piers, He will surely need to improve his striking (especially his defense) going forward, but his durability, surprisingly good gas tank, size, strength, and low-risk/high-reward grappling style have impressed, helping him win six of seven pro fights. Considering the UFC's perpetual, global expansion and the commodity that is legitimate heavyweight talent, don't be surprised to see Ioannis in the UFC eventually. Romero Cotton (Photo/Bellator) Romero Cotton A four-time Kansas high school state champ unbeaten beyond sophomore year, Romero Cotton's success was not limited to the state level. Placing third in Fargo on the Cadet Greco side in 2005, first in both styles at Fargo in 2006, and fourth at 2007 NHSCA Junior Nationals, Cotton was a definite blue-chip wrestling recruit heading into college. Unsurprisingly, his collegiate run began in Division I at the University of Nebraska. And while he showed great ability in the room and in the few matches he wrestled, a series of unfortunate events caused his early exit from Lincoln. Thankfully, Cotton resurfaced in 2012 at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, a top Division II program. Not about to let a second chance go to waste, Romero thrived, becoming a four-time finalist, three-time national champ for the Lopers. Cotton was moderately active wrestling in the Olympic styles after college, but circumstances dictated he pursue MMA over the Olympics. Now 3-0 and with tons of potential, Cotton was one of a handful of big-shot 0-0 wrestlers signed by Bellator MMA over the years. Training at arguably the best MMA gym in the entire world for wrestlers, in American Kickboxing Academy, Cotton possesses the skills and the fight IQ to climb high in 185-pound ranks. Big and insanely strong for the weight class, with clean boxing to compliment his wrestling, Cotton fights with a cool, calm, collected composure. Not unlike most wrestlers who enter MMA and acquire a taste for face-punching, Cotton likes to throw hands in the cage but has shown the smarts to let his unstoppable wrestling and athleticism take over when the situation calls for it. Shawn Bunch You're probably wondering why on earth a list of wrestlers-turned MMA fighters to watch, features a 36-year-old in a young man's division who debuted almost seven years ago. It's a justified question no doubt, but hear me out first. First and foremost, the wrestling. Six-time All-American in Fargo and NHSCA Nationals, two-time All-American (second and third) at Edinboro, and a superb freestyle run that got him ever-so-close to two Olympic spots. Not to mention gold medals at the Pan Am Championships in 2007, Medved International, and Henri Deglane Challenge in 2011. Committing to MMA well-before the 60-kilo wrestle-off for the 2012 Olympic spot, Bunch debuted in Bellator just a few short months after the Olympics. He produced somewhat pedestrian results initially, but hit a stride just in time for fight No. 6 against training partner, friend, and red-hot prospect, NCAA Champ Darrion Caldwell. Choked out midway through the first round, this easily could've been curtains for Bunch's MMA career. Furthermore, if the loss to Caldwell was a blow, then being cut by Bellator shortly after and losing his first fight on the regional scene should've been the death knell. But Bunch soldiered on. A heaping slice of humble pie and time spent selflessly sharpening his AKA teammate's wrestling actually made for a more focused, motivated Bunch. He's returned to the cage, gone 5-0 since, and earned a nice, multi-fight contract back in Bellator. Bunch makes this list because aside from his existing attributes, he is now older, wiser, bigger, stronger, and with more experience in the cage. Devoting much of his training these past 3 years to the sweet science, newfound power in his fists will augment his takedowns wonderfully. The man is also hungry, publicly calling out both Caldwell and former Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas. He fights next at Bellator 228 on Sept. 28.

OTTUMWA, Iowa -- Indian Hills Community College will become the latest Iowa college to add wrestling to its athletic offerings. IHCC Athletic Director Dr. Brett Monaghan announced that the school hopes to begin a men's and women's wrestling program in the 2020-21 academic year. The program will operate out of the Indian Hills Centerville campus. Monaghan explained that a nationwide search has already begun to find a head coach and whether the sport gets started next year "will be contingent on identifying the appropriate leader to come in this fall and begin recruiting and putting the pieces together to be able to begin in that time frame." Because wrestling is a staple in high schools in this part of the country and many of the schools in the Indian Hills region have been highly competitive at the state level, Monaghan said the college believes athletes from area high schools will give IHCC an opportunity to become competitive immediately. "I am certain this is the perfect sport to be the next addition to our athletic department," Monaghan said. "Women's wrestling has seen tremendous growth and I wanted to ensure we are at the forefront of NJCAA schools providing this opportunity to young women looking to compete at the collegiate level while also seeking to start their post-secondary academic careers at a community college." There are currently five schools in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference that have a men's wrestling program - Iowa Western, Iowa Lakes, NIACC, Iowa Central and Ellsworth. None of the ICCAC schools has women's wrestling yet. It is not a sanctioned sport by the NJCAA. Although it is not sanctioned at the high school level now in Iowa, Monaghan said 16 high school athletic associations across the nation have sanctioned girls' wrestling. Nationally, 53 men's teams compete in wresting in the NJCAA. There are 61 collegiate women's wrestling programs, in all levels, across the country. In Iowa, William Penn, Iowa Wesleyan and Grand View have all added women's wrestling in the past year. Monaghan points out there were more than 19,000 female wrestlers in high schools last year and around 300,000 males competing in the sport. Wrestling will join baseball as the Indian Hills sports based at the Centerville campus. Dean Noel Gorden said, "We are so excited to add wrestling to our campus. Here we are in the heart of wrestling country and we're proud to be the first community college in Iowa to offer women's wrestling. It's the fastest-growing women's sport in the nation. This is going to be a great addition to our campus community." Wrestling will be the 11th different athletic offering at Indian Hills and the 5th to have both men's and women's student-athletes. Anyone interested in learning more about, or participating in, the Indian Hills wrestling program can contact Monaghan at IHCC (641-683-5207).

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo head coach John Stutzman has announced that Evan Ramos has been hired as an assistant coach. Ramos comes to Buffalo after serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Bucknell last season. Ramos was a standout wrestler at Shippensburg University where he compiled an overall record of 98-17 and qualified for three NCAA Division II National Championships. Evan RamosRamos twice captured All-America accolades in the 197-pound weight class, placing fourth in 2018 and fifth in 2017. The Raiders' first two-time All-American in nearly 10 years, he was ranked as high as No. 1 in the country entering the 2018 NCAA Championships. Ramos went 64-5 in duals and a sparkling 44-1 in Division II duals. A three-time Super Region finalist, he earned titles in 2017 and 2018 at 197 pounds. He also captured four All-PSAC laurels after taking first in 2017 (197) and third in 2014 (184), 2016 (197) and 2018 (197). His 2017 title was Shippensburg's first since 2007 and eighth overall; he fell to the eventual champion in the semifinals the other three years. Ramos graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. "I am excited to bring Coach Ramos on board," Stutzman said. "In just a short time, he has made a huge impact on the program and our student-athletes. He has shown to be a tireless worker and I'm excited for what the future holds." Stutzman also announced that former UB wrester Muhamed McBryde will join the staff as a volunteer assistant. A two-time Academic All-MAC selection, McBryde had a career record of 44-46. He placed fourth at the 2017 MAC Championships, falling just short of being an NCAA qualifier. Over the summer, McBryde was the 79 kg men's freestyle champion at the U23 World Team Trials Tournament and will represent Team USA at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. "I am excited to bring back one of our own, Coach McBryde, as our volunteer assistant coach," Stutzman said. "Coach McBryde is one of the hardest workers and most disciplined student-athletes I have ever been around. With the UWW U23 World Championships coming up, I'm looking forward to watching him compete for gold." The 2019-20 season begins on November 2 at the Michigan State Open.

Mike Grey celebrates after Yianni Diakomihalis wins his second straight NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ITHACA, N.Y. -- In advance of the 2019-20 season, Mike Grey '11 has been elevated to the role of associate head coach. Grey has served the Cornell wrestling program in an assistant coaching role for the past eight years, spending two years as a volunteer assistant prior to being named a full-time assistant coach in 2013. "I'm excited," said Grey. "It's an honor, and I feel privileged to be named the associate head coach. It shows the confidence that Rob (Koll) has in me and it's a testament to how I've done as a coach over the past eight years." Grey has been instrumental in working with Cornell's lightweights during his tenure, molding the careers of four-time All-American and 2016 NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett, two-time national champion Yianni Diakomihalis and 2019 All-American Vitali Arujau, among others. With Grey on staff, Cornell has amassed a 100-20 dual meet record with a perfect 40-0 mark in Ivy League competition. Grey has assisted the program in reaching new heights, helping the Big Red to eight Ivy League titles, six EIWA titles and eight NCAA top 10 team finishes. Big Red athletes have won nine NCAA titles, 31 All-America honors, 29 EIWA titles and 39 first-team All-Ivy honors over that span. "I've been at Cornell with the wrestling program for 14 years, and it's like home to me," said Grey. "There are so many great people in the Cornell athletics family, at Cornell University and in the Ithaca community that make my family feel welcome." Prior to his time on the coaching staff, Grey helped lead the Big Red to consecutive second-place finishes at the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Championships as a student-athlete. A two-time All-American, Grey capped his collegiate career with a 117-30 record and four All-Ivy first team selections. Grey graduated from Cornell in 2011 with a B.A. in Development Sociology, and currently resides in Ithaca with his wife, Kaille, and son, Declan.

WINCHESTER, Va. -- Shenandoah University announced Monday that it has added men's wrestling as its 22nd intercollegiate athletic program. Shenandoah AD Bridget Lyons announces addition of wrestlingThe team, which will compete in the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center and practice in Shingleton Gymnasium, is scheduled for its first season of competition in the fall of 2020. It is expected that at capacity the team will have 30-35 members by the 2021-22 season. The addition was assisted in large part by a generous donation from Rob and Gene Frogale, the owners of Annandale Millwork & Allied Systems. Rob Frogale is currently the Vice Chair of the Shenandoah University Board of Trustees and Gene Frogale is a former collegiate wrestling champion. "We believe that wrestling is going to provide another reason for young men in the Shenandoah Valley to continue their education here at home," said President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. "The opening of the Wilkins Center gives us the ability to add the sport as we have an outstanding competition venue that has already proved popular with the wrestling community." Opened in January, 2018, the Wilkins Center has hosted one youth wrestling tournament and university officials intend to host additional meets in the near future. Prior to the university deciding to add wrestling as its 11th men's sport, athletics department officials visited both Ferrum College and Averett University on fact-finding missions. "We learned a great deal from our trips to Ferrum and Averett," Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Bridget Lyons said. "I would like to thank the administrations and coaching staffs at both schools for opening up their facilities and spending time with us to discuss how to most successfully add a program. "The knowledge we gained was invaluable in this process." Wrestling is the first sport added at Shenandoah since women's golf in 2015 and the first men's sport since indoor and outdoor track & field (both men and women) were elevated to varsity status in 2009. The last men-only sport added at SU was the football program in 2000. The university has conducted a national search for the head coach of the men's wrestling program and the process is nearly concluded. Upon successful completion of human resources paperwork, the university will announce the program's first head coach. Frequently Asked Questions: Why wrestling? The sport is very popular in the northern Shenandoah Valley and the university's proximity to high school wrestling hotbeds in Pennsylvania and Ohio make this a natural fit. The James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center provides an outstanding venue for dual meets and tournaments. What about women's wrestling? In June, 2019, the NCAA recommended women's wrestling as an emerging sport in all three divisions. As the NCAA moves toward a final determination regarding the status of women's wrestling as a championship sport, Shenandoah University will assess the student body's interest in, and the viability of, women's wrestling as a varsity sport. What are the Title IX implications? Shenandoah University is committed to ensuring our athletics programs meet the interests and abilities of our students. The university has 11 women's varsity sports, with three added in the past 10 years. In the coming months, the athletics department will undertake efforts to gauge and assess student interest in prospective sports at Shenandoah to ensure that the university is accommodating the interests and abilities of our student population. Who will the team compete against? ODAC members Ferrum and Washington & Lee, as well as Southern Virginia and Averett, provide opponents from within the commonwealth of Virginia. There are 16 additional schools within a four-hour radius of Winchester to provide ample competition opportunities. Will the university pursue a conference affiliation? At this time, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference does not sponsor a wrestling championship. Washington & Lee is an associate member of the Centennial Conference and Ferrum competes in the Southeast Wrestling Conference. Following the addition of a head coach, the university will take a closer look at this issue. How many coaching/staff positions will be added? In addition to the head coaching position, a full-time assistant will be added when the roster size grows sufficiently. It is also expected that additions in athletic training, strength and conditioning and athletic communications will also take place to further support the entire athletics program. What, if any, infrastructure improvements are needed? After the purchase of mats, the Wilkins Center and Shingleton Gymnasium will be competition- and practice-ready. A locker room in Shingleton is slated to be renovated in order to house the team on a day-to-day basis. Timeline of university-era sport sponsorship additions:* 1991: Women's Soccer 1993: Men's Lacrosse 1995: Women's Lacrosse 1997: Men's and Women's Cross Country 2000: Football 2003: Field Hockey 2009: Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field 2015: Women's Golf 2020: Men's Wrestling *Year indicates first competition date

The man who was found guilty of shooting and killing former New Jersey high school wrestling star Davontae Randall in 2018 has been sentenced to 24 years in prison, NJ.com reported Monday. Anthony Kille was convicted in early August of aggravated manslaughter and two gun charges relating to the killing Randall, a 2015 New Jersey state championships placer for Paulsboro High School. Anthony KilleOn the evening of Aug. 25, 2018, Kille shot and killed Davontae Randall at a party at Randall's mother's home in Paulsboro. Kille shot and killed the 21-year-old Randall in front of family and friends at a cookout at his mother's home on Aug. 25, 2018. Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him. Last summer's fatal shooting was the culmination of an earlier road-rage incident. A few days earlier, Kille and Randall had a verbal altercation when they nearly crashed into each other in a nearby community Just a few days before, Kille and Randall had words when they nearly crashed into each other on the road in nearby Swedesboro. Kille showed up at the party and fought with Randall before shooting him. At the time of the crime, Kille was serving home confinement after being charged with involvement in a 21-person drug ring. As a wrestler for the Paulsboro Red Raiders, Davontae Randall compiled a 110-52 career record … capped off by a sixth-place finish in the heavyweight bracket at the state championships as a senior. For those accomplishments, NJ.com named Randall the Colonial Conference Wrestler of the Year for 2015.

Memorial services for James Johnson, 2012 Olympic Greco-Roman coach and past World Team member, have been announced for this weekend, USA Wrestling announced Monday. James Johnson (Photo/Larry Slater)The man affectionately known as "JJ" passed away Sunday, Sept. 8. He was 61. Visitation for James Johnson will take place Friday, September 27 from 2 p.m.- 7 p.m. at the Don Brown Funeral Home, 497 2nd Street, Ayden, North Carolina. The funeral service is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. at D.H. Conley High School, 2006 Worthington Rd., Greenville, NC. It was at D.H. Conley where Johnson became the first wrestler in school history to win a state title at the 1976 North Carolina wrestling championships. After graduating from D.H. Conley, Johnson headed north to the University of Kentucky, where he was an NCAA championships qualifier for the now-defunct mat program which had been headed up by Fletcher Carr. However, Johnson truly made a name for himself in Greco-Roman, first as a wrestler, then, as a coach, in a career that spanned decades. For his accomplishments as wrestler and coach, Johnson was inducted into the North Carolina Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007, and welcomed into the University of Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. Want to learn more about James Johnson? Read Craig Sesker's tribute.

As most people involved with wrestling know, the third year of the Olympic cycle carries much more significance than the first two. With Olympic qualifying spots on the line, the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan was a hugely important event. The top six finishers in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes -- six in men's freestyle, six in Greco-Roman and six in women's wrestling -- landed their countries spots in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The stakes were high in Kazakhstan and the pressure to perform was magnified even more. United States wrestlers certainly had their moments at the World Championships, but also struggled in the Olympic weight classes. The U.S. won a combined five gold medals at the World Championships while qualifying four of 18 weight classes for the Olympic Games. Three of the five gold medals came in non-Olympic divisions. The Americans qualified for the Olympics in two weight classes in men's freestyle and two in women's wrestling. Adeline Gray won an American-record fifth world title in women's wrestling while teammates Jacarra Winchester and Tamyra Mensah captured their first world titles. J'den Cox and Kyle Dake earned their second straight world titles in men's freestyle. There are more Olympic qualifiers to come, including the ultra-important continental qualifiers. The U.S. will need a strong performance at the Pan American Olympic qualifier to make up for the missed opportunities at the World Championships. Here is the breakdown of American performances by style from Kazakhstan: Ryan Mango went 1-1 at the World Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Greco-Roman The struggles continue for the U.S. in the classic style of Greco-Roman wrestling. The 10-member American squad won a combined eight matches, fell short of winning a medal and failed to qualify any of the six Olympic weight classes for Tokyo. The U.S. compiled an 8-12 overall record in Greco. American wrestlers actually had the lead in eight of the bouts that they lost. The U.S. did manage a fifth-place finish by Max Nowry and a seventh-place finish by Ryan Mango. Both are first-time world team members competing in non-Olympic weight classes. Nowry and Mango are veterans who turned in solid performances in their first trip to the big stage. The American Greco-Roman program has won just four world-level medals since 2008 -- two silver medals and two bronze medals. And it was another disappointing showing in Kazakhstan. Grade: D Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Adeline Gray and Jacarra Winchester won world titles (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Women's wrestling The good news for the U.S. women's team is that it crowned a record three individual champions in Kazakhstan. The not-so-good news is that they only qualified for the Olympics in two of the six weight classes at the World Championships. But the U.S. certainly will have an opportunity at the Pan Am qualifier and, if needed, at the last-chance qualifier. The American squad was without Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Helen Maroulis at the World Championships. If Maroulis can return after being out with an injury, she could help the U.S. qualify one of those classes for Tokyo. Winchester could also move into one of the Olympic weight classes to help with qualification. The U.S. has a good blend of proven veterans and bright young stars as Gray, Winchester and Mensah showed in Kazakhstan. Overall, it was a solid performance when you factor in all 10 weight classes from the worlds. The U.S. placed third in the team standings. But obviously there is still work to be done. Grade: B+ The United States freestyle team finished third in the team standings (Photo, Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Freestyle The powerful American squad entered the tournament with high hopes and had its share of memorable moments. But overall, the U.S. fell considerably short of the loaded Russian squad in the team standings. Cox and Dake delivered in the non-Olympic weight classes while Olympic and world champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder earned bronze medals to qualify their weight classes for Tokyo. The United States men's freestyle squad qualified two of the six weight classes for the Olympics. The American men finished third in the team standings in Kazakhstan after winning the team title in 2017 and finishing second in 2018. The American team was without returning world champion David Taylor, who missed the event after suffering an injury. Taylor is on his way back now and he is expected to make a run at Olympic gold in 2020. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out now with Dake and Cox moving back into Olympic weight classes next year. Dake is expected to battle Burroughs for the U.S. spot at 74 kilograms with Cox possibly matching up against Snyder at 97 kilograms. And one final note on delivering clutch performances: Burroughs is now 8-0 in medal matches at the World Championships or Olympics. Cox is 4-0 in medal matches, Dake is 2-0 and Snyder is 4-1. They've come up big in the money round, that's for sure. Grade: B 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.

Mack Beggs, undefeated two-time Texas high school state wrestling champ who garnered national attention as a transgender athlete, is the subject of a new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary which premiered this past Sunday. The 26-minute documentary, tilted Mack Wrestles, aired on ESPN and ABC on Sunday afternoon. Prior to airing on TV this past weekend, Mack Wrestles -- directed by Taylor Hess and Erin Sanger -- was shown earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and at the SXSW (South By Southwest) film festival in Austin, Texas. Here's the description of Mack Wrestles from the 2019 SXSW film festival website: "The sport is brutal enough. There are the demands for strength and speed and stamina, the hours bathed in sweat, the knowledge that your opponent wants to wipe the mat with you. Those were the very reasons, though, that Mack Beggs loved wrestling -- it gave him a sense of purpose and a sense of self. Mack Wrestles takes the audience behind the scenes as this gifted athlete from Euless, Texas, struggles against the outside forces that stigmatize transgender athletes. Despite all the turmoil, this poignant film makes one thing perfectly clear: If life were a wrestling match, the referee would be raising Mack's arm at the end." "What drew me to Mack's story was the humanity of it," wrote Katie Barnes of ESPN. "He's just a kid from Texas who loves to wrestle. He's also transgender. After coming out to his family, he socially transitioned his freshman year of high school and began hormone replacement therapy the fall of his sophomore year. The policy in Texas determines sex for the purposes of sports by birth certificate. Since Mack was assigned female at birth, he had to compete in the girls' category. He has since changed his birth certificate." "Mack Wrestles co-director Taylor Hess was also captivated by Mack's human story. 'I played high school sports,' Hess says. 'I wasn't a state champion like Mack, but I relate to sports being a way that we express ourselves when we're young. It's a way we can find ourselves and bond with people our own age.'" Beggs is now a sophomore at Life University in Atlanta, where he is on the men's wrestling team. He was unable to compete as a freshman as he was recovering from top surgery in his transformation from female to male.

Scott Goodale coaching at the NCAA Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers University and reigning NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year Scott Goodale have come to terms on a contract extension that will keep the head wrestling coach matside at the RAC through the 2023-24 season. The winningest coach in school history with 173 career dual victories "On the Banks" since his appointment in 2007, Goodale led the Scarlet Knights to their first ever Top-10 finish at the national tournament this past season, which included the program's first individual national champions in Nick Suriano and Anthony Ashnault. "Scott has been relentless since his arrival 'On the Banks' in pursuing excellence for our wrestling program," said Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs. "Last year was a special year on our path to national prominence and this extension ensures that we will have Scott's leadership here long into the future." "It's a privilege to be the head wrestling coach at Rutgers and there's no place I'd rather be," Goodale said. "My family and I have dedicated the last twelve years of our lives to this University and community. We always believed that you could win at Rutgers and I've been blessed to have assistant coaches and staff who could see the vision before it was reality. Wrestling is a sport that teaches you so many lessons, it rewards effort and resilience. I'm lucky to have coached some of the toughest, hard nose kids who always accepted the challenge to wear the Block R. Their accomplishments give the next group of wrestlers a standard to live up to and we will never let the bar drop! "I'd like to thank Pat Hobbs and his staff for believing in this program and giving us all the resources we need to reach our goals. There is so much excitement surrounding not only our wrestling program, but our entire athletic department, and I look forward to coaching at the RAC in front of the best fans in the country for years to come." During Goodale's 12-year tenure, RU has produced two individual national champions, 10 All-Americans in the past six seasons, multiple All-Americans at the last four NCAA Championships, and since 2009, have earned two Top-10 finishes and eight Top-25 finishes in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll. Rutgers has also produced five individual conference champions (four Big Ten, one EIWA), 70 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 27 Big Ten Conference Championships placewinners and an impressive 173-68-1 dual record over the past 12 seasons. Home attendance for wrestling under Goodale is also amongst the nation's best. The Scarlet Knights finished fifth nationally in average attendance for the 2018-19 season with 5,038 fans per home dual. In total, a record 40,306 fans watched RU wrestle in Piscataway this past season. It was the fourth consecutive season the Scarlet Knights finished within the Top 5 in home attendance, as the team sold a program-record 3,022 season ticket packages for this year's campaign - the fourth-straight year it sold the most season tickets in its history. Thanks to Goodale's success, Rutgers Athletics continues to invest in the wrestling program. The new RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center opened earlier this month, which is the new home for the program. The state-of-the-art facility on the Livingston Campus features three regulation practice mats, a 30-person team locker room as well as offices for coaches and support staff. RU returns four national qualifiers this season, including Matthew Correnti, Joseph Grello, Peter Lipari, Jordan Pagano. The Scarlet Knights also feature an incoming 2019 freshman class ranked No. 4 in the country by FloWrestling. The group includes three 2019 NJSIAA state champions - Sammy Alvarez, JoJo Aragona, Robert Kanniard - as well as highly-regarded prospects Gerard Angelo, Devon Britton, Jackson Turley and Ryan Vulakh.

Katherine Shai at the Final X: Lincoln press conference (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) GREELEY, Colo. -- The Northern Colorado Wrestling Club is pleased to announce the addition of Katherine Shai as a resident athlete of the NCWC. Shai is a six-time USA National Team member and a 2019 World Team Trials Champion. She was second at both the US Open and Final X in 2019. Previously, she finished third at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials. She was a University World Champion, two-time WCWA National Champion, four-time WCWA All-American, and WCWA Wrestler of the Year while at Menlo College. "I am thrilled to be a part of the NCWC. The staff is incredible and they are dedicated to helping me achieve my goal of becoming an Olympic Champion. I am thankful for the support of the donors, staff and teammates for helping create this opportunity," said Shai. A big draw for Shai was the opportunity to work with NCAA champion and NCWC coach Troy Nickerson and the many great lightweight training partners in the NCWC. "Katherine and I were resident athletes at the US Olympic Training Center at the same time in 2011-2012. She has been a mainstay on USA Wrestling's National Team and we are really looking forward to helping her reach her goal of becoming a World and Olympic Champion. Women's wrestling continues to grow at an extraordinary rate every year. With CHSAA recently sanctioning women's wrestling at the high school level, I think it is important for our Olympic development program to showcase world-class women's wrestling and Katherine is a great role model for female wrestlers in the state of Colorado," said Nickerson. The mission of the NCWC organization is to advance, support and continue to raise the bar for wrestling at all levels in the Northern Colorado region. If you would like to help financially support Katherine and the NCWC with a tax-deductible donation, please visit http://www.northerncoloradowrestlingclub.com/membership.html.

Kyle Dake with the American flag after winning his second straight world title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- The United States closed out the 2019 World Championships on Sunday by crowning a repeat world champion for the second straight day. Kyle Dake claimed his second straight world title at 79 kilograms, a day after J'den Cox repeated as world champion at 92 kilograms. The 28-year-old American defeated Jabrayil Hasanov of Azerbaijan, 4-2, in the finals on Sunday in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. "Second world title is pretty awesome," said Dake. "It's different than last year. I'm here. I've been here. I know what to expect. I know the fans. I know the setup. I know everything. But it's still really awesome … really, really awesome." Dake outscored his opposition 27-6 in four matches at the World Championships. In the finals, Dake scored with a step out 30 seconds into the match to go up 1-0. He added another step out two minutes into the match to go up 2-0. In the second period, Dake fired off a single leg twenty seconds into the period and converted it to takedown on the edge of the mat, extending his lead to 4-0. With less than a minute left, Hasanov shot and got to Dake's leg, driving the American out of bounds for a step out. Hasanov continued to attack and was able to get a step out in the final 10 seconds, but Dake held on to win by two. With 79 kilograms not being a weight class contested in the Olympic Games, Dake is expected to make the move down to 74 kilograms in 2020. Kyle Snyder with the bronze medal (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Olympic champion Kyle Snyder, who fell in Saturday's semifinals, earned a bronze medal at 97 kilograms with a 5-0 shutout over Georgia's Elizbar Odikadze. Snyder controlled Odikadze from start-to finish. He picked up a step out 10 seconds into the match. Midway through the opening period, Snyder shot a double leg and picked up a takedown to extend his lead to 3-0. The score stayed that way until the closing seconds of the match when Snyder scored a takedown after a flurry. The 23-year-old Snyder said it wasn't hard to find motivation to come back and wrestle for bronze after failing to make the finals of the World Championships for the first time. "Every day, no matter what I'm doing, I'm supposed to do it with all my heart," said Snyder. "I'm working for the Lord, not for myself or any other man. So that was easy." Dake and Snyder's medals on the final day of competition in Nur-Sultan helped the United States finish third in the team standings. Russia ran away with the team title, scoring 190 points. Host Kazakhstan finished second with 103 points, followed by the United States with 94 points. Iran (93) and Georgia (85) rounded out the top five teams. Tyler Graff gets in on a single leg against India's Rahul Aware (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Tyler Graff won his repechage match over Mihai Esanu of Moldova, 13-2, to earn a spot in the bronze-medal match at 61 kilograms. He then fell to India's Rahul Aware, 11-4, to place fifth. University of Michigan wrestler Myles Amine, who became the first-ever Olympic qualifier in wrestling for San Marino, dropped his bronze-medal match at 86 kilograms to Russia's Artur Naifonov, 6-0.

J'den Cox with the American flag after winning the world title at 92 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- J'den Cox left no doubt that he is the best freestyle wrestler in the world at 92 kilograms. Cox repeated as world champion on Saturday with a 4-0 victory in the finals over Iran's Alireza Karimimachiani at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. He finished the tournament without surrendering a single point, outscoring his four opponents 26-0. "I think I made more sacrifices this year to achieve it again than I did last year," said the 24-year-old Cox. "I wanted to do it better. I came here and didn't get scored on. No disrespect to Karimi, but that whole match he didn't want to come and get it. He wanted to keep it close and wanted to play the game." Cox wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the finals, picking up a takedown off a knee pick 20 seconds into the match. The score stayed that way until the closing moments of the opening period when Cox got to Karimi's leg and finished for a takedown shortly before the period ended. A scoreless second period gave Cox the victory. He has now won a medal at the World Championships or Olympic Games every year since 2016, going a perfect 4-for-4 in medal matches. Jordan Burroughs gets his hand raised after winning bronze (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Jordan Burroughs won his seventh world medal at 74 kilograms to go along with his Olympic gold in 2012. The 31-year-old American dominated Japan's Mao Okui, 10-0, in the bronze-medal match. In the first minute of the match, Burroughs scored a takedown off a double leg and then used a gut wrench to go up 4-0. He built his lead to 6-0 after another takedown off a double leg. Burroughs put the match away early in the second period with a third takedown and exposure. Kyle Dake advanced to the finals at 79 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Dake reaches finals for second straight year, Snyder falls to Sharifov in semifinals It was an up-and-down first session for the United States on Saturday as Kyle Dake advanced to the finals, while Kyle Snyder was defeated in the semifinals. Dake, a returning world champion, cruised to the finals at 79 kilograms, outscoring his three opponents by a combined score of 23-4. In the semifinals, Dake defeated Rashid Kurbanov of Uzbekistan, 6-1. He went up 6-0 in the first period after a takedown and two gut wrenches. Kurbanov got on the scoreboard in the second period after Dake was hit with a caution. The two would continue to battle, but no more points were scored and Dake moved into the finals. Earlier in the day, Dake rolled to a 12-2 technical superiority in his first match over Oibek Nasirov of Kyrgyzstan before defeating Russia's Gadzhi Nabiev, 5-1. Kyle Snyder fell to Azerbaijan's Sharif Sharifov in the semifinals (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Azerbaijan's Sharif Sharifov, a 2012 Olympic champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, spoiled a potential third meeting between Snyder and Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Sharifov defeated Snyder in the semifinals, 5-2. Snyder scored the first point off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. Early in the second period, Sharifov fired off a shot and secured a takedown to go up 2-1. He extended his lead to 4-1 a short time after exposing Snyder. Snyder inched closer with a step out, making the score 4-2 with two minutes remaining. Sharifov responded with a step out of his own to go up by three and then held Snyder off the rest of the way. Snyder had a pair of technical superiorities prior to the semifinals. He started his day by beating India's Mausam Khatri, 10-0, before defeating Uzbekistan's Magomed Ibragimov, 13-3, in the quarterfinals. Tyler Graff reached the quarterfinals at 61 kilograms where he lost to Georgia's Beka Lomtadze, 3-1. Graff scored the only point in the first period off the activity clock and took a 1-0 lead to the break. With a minute and twenty seconds lefts, Lomtadze forced Graff out of bounds for the step. Graff, trailing on criteria, shot and got to Lomtadze's leg in the finals 20 seconds, but the Georgian exposed him for two points and claimed the victory. The 30-year-old American remains alive in the competition after Lomtadze held off India's Rahul Aware in the semifinals. He will compete in repechage against Mihai Esanu of Moldova for an opportunity to wrestle back for a bronze medal. Graff started his tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority over Korea's Jincheol Kim, which he followed up with a 7-0 victory over China's Minghu Liu. Pat Downey, competing at 86 kilograms, was defeated in the round of 16 by Germany's Ahmed Dudarov, 11-0. After a scoreless first minute, Dudarov hit a carry for four points to go up 4-0. Dudarov continued to build his lead, getting a step out and two more takedowns to go up 9-0 at the break. In the second period, Dudarov put the match away with a four-point, feet-to-back carry. Downey opened his tournament with back-to-back wins. He won his first match by technical superiority over Armenia's Hovhannes Mkhitaryan, 11-0, before edging Poland's Zbigniew Baranowski on criteria, 3-3. University of Michigan wrestler Myles Amine became the first Olympic qualifier in wrestling for San Marino. He reached the semifinals at 86 kilograms before losing to Olympic and world champion Hassan Yazdanicharati. He will wrestle for bronze on Sunday. He joins Wolverine teammate Stevan Micic as an Olympian.

Tamyra Mensah-Stock jumps for joy after winning the world title at 68 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- For the first time ever, the United States has three world champions in women's wrestling. On Friday, Tamyra Mensah-Stock capped her run to a gold medal at 68 kilograms by beating 2012 world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Jenny Fransson of Sweden, 8-2, in the finals of the World Championships at Barys Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. "I'm feeling I'm excited," said Mensah-Stock. "I'm overwhelmed. I'm overjoyed. It's an unbelievable feeling. I couldn't control my feelings when I got off the mat. It took about like 30 minutes, but I finally calmed down and I'm so excited." The 26-year-old Texas native joins U.S. teammates Jacarra Winchester (55 kilograms) and Adeline Gray (76 kilograms) as 2019 world champions. It's the second straight world medal for Mensah-Stock, who won a bronze last year in Budapest, Hungary. She outscored her five opponents at the World Championships by a combined score of 44-4. Tamyra Mensah-Stock is overcome with emotion after winning gold (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Mensah-Stock controlled Fransson from start to finish. She scored three first-period takedowns to go up 6-0. In the second period, Fransson scored with a headlock before Mensah-Stock came behind for a reversal. With just over a minute remaining, Fransson shucked Mensah Stock and came around behind, but was not awarded a takedown. Sweden challenged the call, which was upheld, giving Mensah-Stock a six-point lead. She then held on for the final minute to win 8-2. The United States women's wrestling team placed third at the World Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Mensah-Stock's gold medal helped the United States finish third in the team standings in women's wrestling. Japan won the team title and totaled 137 points. Russia finished second with 108 points, followed by the United States with 105 points. China (102) and Ukraine (92) rounded out the top five teams. Cox unscored upon en route to reaching finals, Burroughs falls to Sidakov in semifinals Returning world champion J'den Cox will wrestle for his second straight world title after advancing to the finals at 92 kilograms without surrendering a point in three matches. J'den Cox advanced to the finals at 92 kilograms with a 3-0 shutout over Georgia's Irakli Mtsituri (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Cox, a bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games, punched his ticket to the finals with a 3-0 victory over Georgia's Irakli Mtsituri in the semifinals. He scored a takedown a minute into his semifinal match, which was challenged by Georgia and upheld. It was all the points Cox needed as the Georgian never threatened him the rest of the match. Earlier in the day, Cox shut out Mohamad Fardj of Algeria (11-0) and Nurgali Nurgaipuly of Kazakhstan (8-0). Jordan Burroughs gets driven out of bounds by Russia's Zaurbek Sidakov in the closing moments (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Jordan Burroughs, a four-time world champion and 2012 Olympic champion, reached the semifinals at 74 kilograms before losing to returning world champion Zaurbek Sidakov of Russia, 4-3. It marks the second straight year Sidakov has defeated Burroughs at the World Championships. Burroughs struck first in the semifinals, shooting a double leg a minute into the match and driving the Russian out of bounds for a step out. Later in the period, a long flurry resulted in a stalemate and Burroughs took a 1-0 lead to the break. In the second period, Burroughs was placed on the activity clock and Sidakov scored a takedown to go up 2-1. With 45 seconds remaining, Burroughs countered a shot by Sidkaov and scored a takedown to grab a 3-2 lead. The score stayed that way until late in the match. With under 10 seconds left, Sidakov fired off an attack, driving Burroughs out of bounds for a step out, which was called with one second remaining in the match. The United States challenged the call, but it was upheld and Sidakov moved into the finals with a one-point victory over Burroughs. Burroughs was pushed in his opening matches, but as he often does, found ways to come from behind and win. In his first match, he faced Azamat Nurykau of Belarus and prevailed, 11-10. Burroughs found himself in a 6-2 hole early in the match after a two-and-two exchange, followed up by a four-point chest lock by the Belarusian. Burroughs turned it up after that, getting three step outs and a takedown in less than two minutes to go up 7-6 at the break. Nurykau retook the lead with a takedown a minute into the second period before using a gut wrench to go up 10-7. Burroughs inched closer with takedown off a double leg with 45 seconds remaining. Moments later, Burroughs was given a point off a caution, which made the score 10-10, with Nurykau still leading on criteria. In the final 15 seconds, the two wrestlers got into a flurry, with Burroughs initially being awarded two points for an exposure. The call was challenged by Belarus and changed to a step out, and Burroughs survived with a one-point win. Burroughs faced Hungary's Murad Kuramagomedov in his second match. The Hungarian led 4-0 at the break after a pair of takedowns. But Burroughs took the lead in the second period off one move, a double leg takedown for four points. The call was challenged by Hungary and upheld, giving Burroughs an additional point. Burroughs scored an additional point off a step out with 35 seconds left and held on for the 6-4 victory. Jordan Burroughs scores a takedown off a double leg in his quarterfinal match (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) In the quarterfinals, Burroughs dominated Khadzhimur Gadzhiyev of Azerbaijan, 8-1. He picked up two takedowns and a turn in the first period to go up 6-0 at the break. In the second period, Burroughs added a third takedown while only giving up one point off a step out. World medalists Green, Gwiazdowski eliminated Two-time world bronze medalist James Green went 1-1 at 70 kilograms and was eliminated from the tournament. In the round of 16, Green lost narrowly to 2017 world finalist Magomedmurad Gadzhiev of Poland, 4-3. Green scored the first point of the match off the activity clock and took a 1-0 lead into the break. Green extended his lead to 3-0 in the second period after scoring a takedown off a double leg. With just over a minute left in the match, Green was put on the activity clock and was unable to score, giving Gadzhiev his first point. With 15 seconds left, Gadzhiev shot a single leg and scored a takedown on the edge of the mat with seven seconds remaining. The United States challenged the call, but it was upheld and Gadzhiev claimed the one-point victory over Green. Gadzhiev failed to make the finals, losing in the semifinals to Russia's David Baev, which eliminated Green from the tournament. Green opened his tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority over Canada's Vincent De Marinis. He went up 6-0 in the first minute after a pair of takedowns and a gut wrench. Midway through the period, Green shot a double leg and converted it to a takedown before using a gut wrench to end the match. Nick Gwiazdowski, a two-time bronze medalist, had a disappointing tournament at 125 kilograms, losing his first match in the round of 16 to Iran's Yadollah Mohebi, 5-2. Gwiazdowski scored first, getting a step out a minute into the match. A short time later, Mohebi sunk in an underhook and drove Gwiazdowski out of bounds. The American was called for a caution, giving Mohebi a point and the lead on criteria. Early in the second period, Gwiazdowski shot a single leg and drove Mohebi out of bounds for a step out, which gave him a 2-1 lead. But the Iranian came back, countering a Gwiazdowski shot and getting a go-ahead takedown midway through the period. Trailing 3-2 late in the match, Gwiazdowski shot a low single leg, which Mohebi countered and scored two points off an exposure to go up three. He then held off Gwiazdowski for the final 10 seconds. Mohebi was edged in his quarterfinal match by Ukraine's Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi, which eliminated Gwiazdowski from the competition. Michigan wrestler Stevan Micic, who is representing Serbia, won his repechage match on Friday to reach the bronze-medal match at 57 kilograms. He then fell to Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev, 4-3, to place fifth. The final four freestyle weight classes will begin competition on Saturday. Tyler Graff (61 kilograms), Kyle Dake (79 kilograms), Pat Downey (86 kilograms) and Kyle Snyder (97 kilograms) will compete for the United States.

Jake Hager at weigh-ins for Bellator 221 (Photo/Bellator) Jake Hager, a former University of Oklahoma All-American wrestler and WWE star, has been booked for his third Bellator bout in his one-year-old pro MMA career. Hager -- who signed with the Bellator MMA promotion in November 2017 -- is set to fight Anthony Garrett in a heavyweight (265 pound) match at Bellator 231 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. on Friday, Oct. 25. The 37-year-old Hager seeks to improve his professional MMA record to 3-0. In his first two appearances under the Bellator banner -- the first taking place in Jan. 2019 -- the former Oklahoma Sooner mat star secured first-round submission victories. Hager's opponent at Bellator 231, Anthony Garrett, 29, has a 3-1 pro MMA mark in his career launched in June 2016. The Kansas native secured all his wins in the first round -- one by submission, and two by TKO -- in all the Shamrock FC promotion. In addition to the Hager-Garrett match, Bellator 231's top-of-the-card event will feature two other heavyweights: Frank Mir and Roy Nelson. Jake Hager may be best known to the general public as former WWE superstar Jack Swagger. However, Hager has brought impressive amateur wrestling credentials to his MMA career. Hager is a native of Perry, Okla., which has produced a number of all-time great amateur wrestlers (including the legendary Dan Hodge). Hager was a two-sport athlete at Perry High School, competing in football and wrestling. He was a two-time finalist at the Oklahoma state wrestling championships, winning the 215-pound title as a junior. Hager was recruited by Oklahoma for both football and wrestling, but quit football as a sophomore to concentrate on wrestling. He was a runner-up at the 2006 Big 12 conference championships, falling to Oklahoma State's Steve Mocco in the finals. Hager was a two-time NCAA championships qualifier, earning All-American honors as a senior, placing seventh in the 285-pound bracket at the 2006 NCAAs, defeating future heavyweight champ Dustin Fox of Northwestern along the way before losing to defending national champ Mocco. That year, Hager set a Sooner record for the most pins in one season, with 30.

Adeline Gray with the gold medal at the 2019 World Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Adeline Gray grew up like many female wrestlers from her era. Fighting for acceptance and respect. And trying to prove she belonged. She battled the usual stigmas of trying to excel while wrestling on a team full of boys in Denver, Colorado. Many of her first opponents were boys, but she embraced the challenge and enjoyed her share of success. And once she started wrestling against people of her own gender, Gray continued her quest to help women gain more notoriety and attention in a male-dominated sport. That quest continued halfway around the world when Gray made history on Thursday night in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. For the fifth time in her legendary career, Gray captured a gold medal at the World Championships when she won the 76-kilogram title in women's wrestling. She became the first American wrestler in any style to capture five world titles, surpassing the record of four titles she had shared with John Smith, Jordan Burroughs and Tricia Saunders. It's an incredible accomplishment that needs to be recognized and celebrated. Winning a world title in wrestling is extremely difficult in any style. Adeline Gray (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Yes, she's a female wrestler. But Adeline Gray deserves just as much respect as anyone who has worn a red, white and blue singlet. The quality of wrestling on the Senior level for women is top-notch now. Gray has made major contributions to the sport in so many ways. She was one of the leaders in the fight to keep wrestling in the Olympics in 2013. She was a great ambassador and spokesperson for the sport during that tumultuous time. She played an important role as women's wrestling became a key part of keeping the sport in the Olympics. Gray has continued to lead the charge as women's wrestling has experienced significance growth in the U.S., especially in recent years. She's impacted and inspired countless young girls who are now wrestling. She has helped legitimize the sport as the number of participants have skyrocketed in this country. Gray will be one of the first to tell you she can be stubborn at times, but that's part of what makes her so successful. Terry Steiner talks to Adeline Gray at the 2016 Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) She has her own unique way of approaching the sport and it works for her. And she has worked well with U.S. Coach Terry Steiner in finding a training plan that works best for her. The hard-charging, intense Iowa Hawkeye style of wrestling that Steiner prefers doesn't necessarily work for Gray, but they've come up with a program that works best for her. Gray also has evolved considerably as a wrestler. Earlier in her career, she was lethal with the arm bar that her father taught her. She then developed a leg lace that is virtually unstoppable when she locks it up. Once she takes you down, the match could be over in a matter of seconds with her ability to turn an opponent. Gray also has developed an effective offense to go with her rock-solid defense. She's a complete wrestler who can overpower opponents. She's a tough matchup in the heavyweight class. She's also mentally tough and doesn't become rattled, even if she falls behind. She proved that when she won her second world title in 2014. When the bright lights go on, Gray is as good as anyone on the planet. She has an uncanny ability to stay calm, composed and focused even when the stakes are highest. In the eight World Championships she has entered, she has won five gold medals, two bronze medals and finished fifth. It was the two toughest setbacks of her career that ultimately led to her high level of success. Ten years ago, Gray was an 18-year-old on the verge of winning her first world medal on the Senior level. She nearly recorded a fall during a dominant first period against a wrestler from Nigeria, but then lost the next two periods and finished fifth. Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray with their gold medals at the 2015 World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) It was a devastating and emotional loss, but Gray came back more determined than ever. She won three world titles in 2012, 2014 and 2015 while also winning world bronze medals in 2011 and 2013. She was ranked No. 1 and favored to win the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio before being upset in the quarterfinals and falling short of the medal podium. Gray didn't say anything about it at the time, but she had been wrestling with an injured shoulder that eventually required surgery. Being the great champion that she is, Gray didn't want to go out that way. She came back with a vengeance. She made the commitment for another four-year Olympic cycle during a time she was thinking about starting a family of her own. She missed the 2017 season after having surgery, but came back strong to win world titles in 2018 and 2019. It was awesome seeing her parents, George and Donna, standing and cheering in the stands in Kazakhstan after their daughter won gold Thursday. Adeline is part of a close-knit family and I know their support has played a huge role in her success. Now the 28-year-old Gray turns her focus to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. That's the main reason she came back for another Olympic cycle. To have another shot at adding one final golden achievement to her Hall of Fame career. It's the final piece of the puzzle. Gray knows what she needs to do. She's confident in her abilities and believes in what she's doing. And she's obviously still wrestling at a high level. She will be more driven, motivated and determined than ever after what happened in 2016. I know one thing for certain. I wouldn't bet against Adeline Gray when the wrestlers take the mat next year in Tokyo. She is one of the greatest champions in American wrestling history. And she will be on a mission to land a spot on the top step of the medal podium at the 2020 Olympic Games. It would be a fitting finish to a fabulous career. 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.

CLARION, Pa. -- Clarion head wrestling coach Keith Ferraro today announced his coaching staff for the upcoming 2019-20 season. The Golden Eagles welcome a pair of new coaches -- Nathan Kraisser and Malik McDonald -- to fill positions formerly held by Kyle Kiss and TJ Ruschell, respectively. In addition, Nick Deloia returns as a volunteer assistant for the Golden Eagles. "I'm extremely pleased to welcome Nathan and Malik to the staff," Ferraro said. "Both of them enjoyed great success as competitors and I'm confident that they will not only push the guys currently on the roster, but will assist us in bringing more high-level athletes to Clarion. In addition to those two, Nick has been a huge asset for our program working behind the scenes over the last several years, and I'm excited that he will continue to be here to help us moving forward." Nathan KraisserKraisser was a four-time NCAA qualifier and took eighth place at 125 pounds during the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, defeating SIU-Edwardsville's Freddie Rodriguez in a 4-1 decision to clinch his All-American status. He finished that senior season with a 30-10 overall record including an 11-4 mark in duals and a runner-up finish at the Southern Conference (SoCon) Championships. He was the 133-pound champion at the SoCon Championships as a junior in 2016, earning a spot at the NCAA Championships with a 34-9 overall record. That year he claimed the eighth spot in the top-10 NCAA leaders in the Fall category with 10 wins over Division I opponents. Kraisser transferred to Campbell after a short stint at North Carolina, where he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year in 2012-13 and tallied a 33-7 record at 125 pounds. Also an accomplished student, he was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic Individual list in 2017. A graduate of Centennial High School in Ellicott City, Md., Kraiser posted a 152-6 overall high school record, including a 42-0 mark as a junior. He was the fifth Maryland wrestler to win four state championships, and set a school record for career wins during his tenure there. Kraisser graduated from Campbell in 2017 with a degree in Sport Management. Malik McDonaldMcDonald was a two-time NCAA qualifier at North Carolina State, and helped the Wolfpack claim the 2019 ACC Tournament championship with his first career individual title. He defeated a pair of top-11 wrestlers en route to the 197-pound championship, including a 13-6 decision over Virginia's Jay Aiello, who ranked seventh in the nation. McDonald finished his senior season with a 19-11 overall record and a trip to NCAA's, reaching the second round after defeating West Virginia's Noah Adams by decision. He punched his ticket to the championships in 2017 thanks to a 20-9 regular season record and an at-large bid, including an 8-4 mark in duals and a three wins over nationally-ranked opponents. McDonald took third at the ACC Championships as a sophomore, and as junior in 2017-18 he split time as the Wolfpack's starter at heavyweight. He went 20-4 that year, including a 9-2 mark in duals and a 5-0 record at the National Collegiate Open. McDonald earned All-American honors at the U23 World Team Trials that year with a fourth-place finish at 97 kg. He was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll in 2017-18. A graduate of South View High School in Hope Mills, N.C., McDonald was the North Carolina 4A state champion at 182 pounds as a senior and was the third-place finisher as a junior the year before. He took second place at the 2013 NHSCA Junior national tournament. McDonald graduated from North Carolina State in 2019 with a degree in Social Work.

The referee who ordered a New Jersey high school wrestler to have his dreadlocks cut prior to being allowed to compete last December has been suspended for two years, according to multiple media reports. On Wednesday, a decision was reached between the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and New Jersey's Division on Civil Rights (DCR), stating that the referee -- Alan Maloney -- will be suspended from his mat officiating duties for two wrestling seasons. In addition, the decision requires that officials and staff involved in high school athletics across New Jersey must participate in implicit bias training. The DCR also issued new "Guidance on Race Discrimination Based on Hairstyle" rules to clarify that policies banning, limiting or restricting hairstyles closely associated with those of African-American descent -- including twists and dreadlocks -- may violate existing New Jersey law. "Student athletes should be able to compete with each other on a level playing field," New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement. "Racial discrimination in the enforcement of the rules of any sport is inconsistent with the spirit of fair play. The Division on Civil Rights' action today makes it less likely that any student athlete will have to endure discrimination that not only undermines fair competition but also violates our state laws." Andrew Johnson gets a haircut before competingThe incident which launched this investigation took place at dual meet between two New Jersey schools -- Buena Regional High School and Oakcrest High -- on Wednesday, Dec. 19. As InterMat reported on Dec. 26, Andrew Johnson, a 120-pound junior for the Buena Chiefs, was ready to face off against David Flippen of Oakcrest. When Johnson, an African-American, stepped onto the mat with his dreadlocks covered, the primary mat official, Alan Maloney, 62, reportedly told the wrestler he could either have his hair cut, or forfeit the match. An athletic trainer for Buena trimmed Johnson's dreadlocks matside with scissors until Maloney said the length of the wrestler's hair was in compliance with the rules. After Johnson had his dreadlocks cut, the match began. Johnson earned a sudden victory, 4-2. Buena went on to win the dual. The incident was captured on video by SJN News Today sports director Mike Frankel. The video went viral ... generating millions of views around the world, and debate well beyond the amateur wrestling community in New Jersey. The impromptu matside haircut incident has generated lasting changes. The National Federation of High Schools to amend the hair-length rule. Rule 4-2-1 now states that hair shall not extend below the top of an ordinary shirt collar in the back; and on the sides, the hair shall not extend below earlobe level; in the front, the hair shall not extend below the eyebrows. The term "natural state" was eliminated from the rule. As part of the Wednesday's announced agreement, the NJSIAA has agreed to provide in-person training to all of its local rules interpreters and to all wrestling officials in the state, emphasizing that Rule 4.2.1 is based solely on hair length, not hair style. Furthermore, NJSIAA will provide implicit bias training to all high school sports officials in New Jersey and will require NJSIAA member schools to provide such training to all athletic administrators, coaches and athletic trainers who work in high school sports by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Initial reactions to the suspension of referee Alan Maloney varied widely. "Two years is tough," Camden (N.J.) High wrestling coach Sandy Thame told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "My concern is that we are going too far in the other direction, with knee-jerk reactions to things." By contrast, Walter Hudson, founder of the Salem County-based National Awareness Alliance, said, "It needs to be a lifetime ban. A two-year suspension is like a slap on the wrist." Larry White, executive director of the NJSIAA, weighed in with his assessment, saying that he was confident that the changes announced Wednesday "will ensure that a situation like this does not happen in the future." Want to know more? Check out InterMat's coverage of the end-of-the-year incident, including an overview article "Impromptu haircut in New Jersey recap, reactions" and Caryn Ward's "Impromptu haircut not a good look for wrestling" opinion piece.

MEQUON, Wis. -- Concordia University Wisconsin Director of Athletics Dr. Rob Barnhill has announced the addition of Women's Wrestling, the University's 33rd sport within the athletic department. A nationwide search for a head coach begins immediately. The Falcons will begin competition in 2020-21. “I am very pleased to announce the addition of women's wrestling to our growing list of sport offerings,” Barnhill said. “Girls wrestling in high school is one of the fastest-growing sport activities in the United States and we want to be an option for young women that want a first-class Christian education and pursue their sport of choice. There are dozens of colleges and universities across the country that have made the decision to begin women's programs and we are excited to join them.” Collegiate women's wrestling is currently classified as a winter sport, with competition beginning in October and running through February. The Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) governs the sport and has overseen the national championships since 2008. A total of 63 collegiate institutions currently field a varsity women's wrestling team. The Committee on Women's Athletics has recommended Emerging Sport Status for Women's Wrestling to the NCAA. “Recently the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) has recommended that the membership at division 1, 2, and 3 vote to structure and add women's wrestling to their list of championship sports at the NCAA national convention,” Barnhill added. “We are hopeful that this legislation will pass and we want to be among the pioneers that are looking to grow the great sport of wrestling.” The expansion to 33 sports continues to make Concordia Wisconsin's athletic department one of the largest in the region. The Falcons have added seven other new sports in recent years: acrobatics & tumbling (2013-14), triathlon (2014-15), field hockey (2015-16), men's volleyball (2016-17), ACHA club men's hockey (2017-18) and men's and women's club shooting (2017-18). Until the NCAA structure has been approved and implemented Concordia Wisconsin will join and compete in the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association.

Adeline Gray with the American flag after claiming her fifth world title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- Adeline Gray made history on Thursday at the World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The 28-year-old American defeated Japan's Hiroe Suzuki in the gold-medal match at 76 kilograms, becoming the first American wrestler across all three styles to win five world titles. It's Gray's second straight gold medal at the World Championships after not competing in 2017. Suzuki scored the first point of the match off the activity clock. Gray came back late in the first period, getting a takedown off a double leg and then an exposure to go up 4-1 at the break. The score stayed that way until late in the match when Suzuki scored a point off a step out. But it would be too little, too late and Gray would take the 4-2 victory. Gray becomes the second world champion for the United States at the 2019 World Championships, joining Jacarra Winchester, who won gold in women's wrestling on Wednesday. Forrest Molinari, who lost in the semifinals on Wednesday, wrestled in the bronze-medal match at 65 kilograms, falling to China's Xiaoqian Wang, 10-0. Wang scored a takedown 30 seconds into the period before locking up a gut wrench and scoring with four turns to get the first-period technical superiority. It marks the second straight year in which Molinaro has finished fifth at the World Championships Tamyra Mensah-Stock gets her hand raised after winning in the semifinals (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Mensah-Stock reaches finals in dominant fashion Tamyra Mensah-Stock was dominant en route to reaching the finals at 68 kilograms, securing her second straight world medal. Mensah-Stock, a returning world bronze medalist, started her tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority over Michelle Montague of Great Britain. She then defeated Nigeria's Blessing Oborududu, 6-1, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with Olympic champion Sara Dosho of Japan. The 26-year-old American proved to be too much for Dosho. Mensah-Stock picked up two takedowns in the first period to take a 4-0 lead into the break. Dosho found her first point 40 seconds into the period after getting a step out. With just under a minute left, Mensah-Stock shot a double leg and scored a takedown before transitioning to a lace, scoring another two off a turn, to make the score 8-1. Mensah-Stock scored a fourth takedown with 15 seconds remaining in the match and advanced with 10-1 win over the reigning Olympic champion. Mensah-Stock punched her ticket to the finals with a 10-0 technical superiority over Germany's Anna Schell in the semifinals. She fired off a single leg and took the German to her back, nearly securing a fall before settling for a 4-0 lead. Mensah-Stock built her lead to 8-0 after a takedown and exposure. She then put the match away with a takedown off a double leg late in the first period. Her finals opponents will be Sweden's Jenny Fransson, a 2012 world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. Kayla Miracle works for a lace against Nabira Esenbaeva of Uzbekistan (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Kayla Miracle, a three-time age-group world medalist, went 2-1 at 62 kilograms on Thursday and was eliminated in the first session. She opened her day with dominant 11-0 technical superiority over Nabira Esenbaeva of Uzbekistan. Miracle advanced to the round of 16 by getting another technical superiority, beating Laís Nunes of Brazil, 15-4. In the round of 16, Miracle faced Jong Sim Rim of North Korea, and was edged on criteria, 6-6. Miracle looked strong early, getting her first point off the activity clock before getting an exposure to take a 3-0 lead. Late in the period, Rim took a shot and scored a takedown to make the score 3-2 in favor of Miracle at the break. Early in the second period, Miracle countered a shot and scooted behind Rim. She was initially awarded two points. However, the call was challenged and reversed. Rim was given two points for an exposure and Miracle a point for a reversal, making the score 4-4 and giving the North Korean wrestler the lead on criteria. Midway through the period, Rim took a shot and secured a takedown to go up 6-4. Miracle came back with a takedown of her own in the final minute, but still trailed on criteria. She was unable to score again and Rim moved on. Rim was defeated in the semifinals by Kyrgyzstan's Aisuluu Tynybekova, which ended Miracle's tournament. Daton Fix with coaches Derek Fix and Kevin Jackson (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Fix, Retherford eliminated in first session The American freestyle team got off to a tough start as both wrestlers competing on Thursday, Daton Fix (57 kilograms) and Zain Retherford (65 kilograms), were eliminated in the opening session. Fix opened with a 12-1 technical superiority over Vladimir Egorov of North Macedonia. He was dominant on his feet, scoring three takedowns in each of the two periods while only giving up a point off a step out. Next, Fix met 2017 world champion Yuki Takahashi of Japan and was defeated narrowly, 4-2. Takahashi scored the only point of the first period off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. Fix came out aggressively in the second half, getting a takedown in the first 10 seconds to grab a 2-1 lead. Later in the period, Fix went back on the shot clock and failed to score, giving Takahashi a point with a minute left. With under 20 seconds left, Takahashi forced Fix out of bounds for a step out, giving the Japanese wrestler the lead. The United States challenged the call, but it was upheld, and Takahashi held on for the win. Takahashi lost his next match to India's Kumar Ravi, eliminating Fix from the tournament. Zain Retherford dropped his first match to Alejandro Valdés Tobier of Cuba (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Retherford was edged in his first match by two-time world bronze medalist Alejandro Valdés Tobier of Cuba, 10-9. The Cuban raced out to a 6-0 lead after a takedown two gut wrenches. Retherford came back with a takedown late in the first period before adding another one early in the second period to cut the deficit to two. With just under a minute remaining, there was a 2-and-2 exchange, which still gave Valdés the two-point lead at 8-6. After another 2-and-2 exchange in the final 15 seconds, Retheford came behind for a reversal to get within a point in the final 10 seconds. But he was unable to get a turn and Valdés claimed the victory. Valdés Tobier picked up a win in his next match before losing to Bahrain's Haji Ali, ending Retherford's hopes of getting a pulled back into repechage. Stevan Micic gets his hand raised after picking up a victory over Chakir Ansari of Morocco (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Stevan Micic, competing for Serbia, remains alive in the competition at 57 kilograms. He picked up a pair of wins to reach the quarterfinals before losing to Turkey's Suleyman Atli, 5-4. Atli kept Micic in the tournament by defeating Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev in the semifinals. Another Michigan wrestler, Malik Amine, competing for San Marino, notched two victories at 65 kilograms before losing in the quarterfinals to Hungary's Iszmail Muszukajev. Amine was eliminated when the Hungarian wrestler failed to make the finals. David Habat, a former collegiate standout at Edinboro who trains with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club and competes for Slovenia, fell to India's Bajrang Punia, 3-0, in the round of 16 at 65 kilograms. He was eliminated when Bajrang lost in the semifinals to Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov. United States freestyle wrestlers James Green (70 kilograms), Jordan Burroughs (74 kilograms), J'den Cox (92 kilograms) and Nick Gwiazodwski (125 kilograms) will open their tournaments on Friday.

Branson Ashworth (Photo/Kyle Spradley) The Wyoming Wrestling Regional Training Center (WWRTC) bolstered its roster this week by adding former University of Wyoming wrestling standout Branson Ashworth. Ashworth will begin his journey in senior freestyle competition under the WWRTC banner this fall. In addition to competing, he will serve as a volunteer coach for the UW wrestling program. Ashworth will be the first full-time resident of the center since former WWRTC athlete Bryce Meredith competed from 2018-19. Meredith joined the New Jersey Regional Training Center in summer 2019. "I can't tell you how fortunate we are to have Branson with us," UW Coach and WWRTC Director Mark Branch says. "Having him in the room will be a blessing. With (former WWRTC athlete) Tanner Harms leaving to work on his doctorate of engineering, Branson's presence in our room will have an enormous impact on our middle and upper weights. I am also very excited to see what he can do on the senior circuit." "In my opinion, his style bodes very well with freestyle, and although his experience in freestyle is limited, I think we will see him be very competitive," continued Branch. In 2019, Ashworth finished his senior year for the Pokes with a 33-5 overall record with three falls, 11 technical falls and four major decisions. He was flawless in dual competition, going 20-0 to help UW to a 16-4 overall record. He beat 11 ranked opponents and qualified for his third NCAA Championships as the No. 10 seed at 165 pounds. "The opportunity to come back to Wyoming and compete and train in freestyle was too great to pass up," Ashworth says. "I loved wrestling here. I'll always be a Cowboy, so when I was offered a spot, I said yes immediately. I'm looking forward to learning and growing and going against some of the best in the world, and I hope to bring some medals back to Laramie." The Spanish Fork, Utah, native twice was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week and wrapped up his career with 121 wins to rank sixth on the program's all-time list. He also was named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team. The WWRTC is a non-profit organization designed to support world-class athletes and coaches in their quest to win World and Olympic medals at every level.