InterMat Staff

OSKALOOSA -- William Penn Athletics Director Nik Rule is excited to announce the addition of women's wrestling to the list of intercollegiate sports the University offers. The sport will begin competition in the 2020-2021 school year. It is the sixth sport to be added recently, joining men's and women's lacrosse, men's volleyball, and men's and women's shotgun sports. Men's and women's shotgun sports, which were announced last week, will also begin competition next year. The NAIA, which has the largest number of women's wrestling teams of any intercollegiate association, had 25 schools participate in the fast-growing sport a year ago. Menlo (Calif.) claimed the inaugural NAIA National Invitational title this past March. The sport will be eligible for Championship status in the NAIA after it spends two years as an invitational sport and if it grows to 40 institutions. "Women's wrestling is on the rise across the country with more and more high school girls competing each year," Rule said. "Its current status as an intercollegiate sport fits perfectly with William Penn as we continue to develop an athletic department that is ready for the future. I am excited for us to start the process to find our first head coach and work throughout the next year to develop the sport on our campus." A total of 48 women's wrestling squads exist throughout the country (all divisions). WPU will become the fifth school in the Heart of America Athletic Conference to add it as Baker, Central Methodist, Grand View, and Missouri Valley are already competing or will begin competing this year. A national search for a head coach will begin immediately.

Craig Sesker interviews Daniel Cormier at the 2007 World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater) Daniel Cormier fell to Stipe Miocic at UFC 252 on Saturday night in their trilogy fight. He announced his retirement from MMA following the fight. Read Craig Sesker's tribute to Cormier from August of 2019. Daniel Cormier is an athlete I've seen at his very best. And very worst. I witnessed first-hand the struggles he had during an up-and-down wrestling career during my time at USA Wrestling. I saw him running sprints in the middle of the night down a hotel hallway in Guangzhou, China, to make weight in 2006. I saw him shed nearly 30 pounds in less than two weeks at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing before the tough weight cut cost him a chance to compete. I also saw him battle back with a courageous effort to win a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. He was the lone U.S. freestyle medalist that year and he also qualified the weight class for the Olympics. I interviewed him after he won his first and only world medal and he was as articulate, well-spoken and engaging as ever. He's always been an excellent interview and that has translated to him becoming an outstanding broadcaster. I also watched Cormier's ascent to becoming one of the best mixed martial artists of all-time. He made history by holding two belts from the Ultimate Fighting Championships at the same time. He turned his life and his fortunes around when he embarked on his post-wrestling career in the sport of MMA. I'm not sure many people in 2008 could have envisioned Cormier going on to this type of career in mixed martial arts. Even though he dropped a hard-fought battle to Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight championship bout Saturday night, Cormier's career feats are still impressive. He has compiled a 22-2 record in his MMA career with his only losses coming to Miocic and Jon Jones. Miocic owns the longest title run in the UFC heavyweight class and Jones owns the longest title run in the UFC light heavyweight division. The only fighters to beat Cormier are two of the best, in any weight class, in UFC history. Cormier has had his share of critics and detractors, but you can't question how competitive this guy is. He has excelled in MMA with his wrestling skills, but he's also become a great striker and boxer. He came out strong Saturday night, winning the first three rounds and taking control of the fight. The 5-foot-10 Cormier lifted the much bigger, 6-foot-5 Miocic off the mat and planted him on his back. He also backed Miocic into the cage with a number of effective punches on his feet. Cormier's corner urged him to do more wrestling and less boxing during the bout. He continued to stay on his feet and box, and that may have led to his eventual downfall. You can't fault the effort he gave. Cormier never stopped battling and competing. He gave it his all before the powerful Miocic overwhelmed him to win by knockout in the fourth round. It was a hell of a fight between two top-shelf competitors. There was non-stop action, a rarity sometimes in a heavyweight bout, and it was an entertaining bout for the fans. Being able to excel at heavyweight despite being much shorter than many of his opponents is no easy feat. But Cormier has excelled against a number of guys who are much bigger than he is. Cormier is 40 years old and he's still fighting at an elite level. That is a credit to him and the career that he has had. It was interesting to see Jon Jones taking to Twitter to take a few shots at Cormier after his loss Saturday night. Jones is a tremendously talented fighter, but he also has a history of failed drug tests and brushes with the law. Say what you want about Cormier, but he never failed a drug test. And was never in trouble with the law. Cormier has stayed clean -- he doesn't cheat. Cormier can talk his share of trash and antagonize opponents like Jones to sell a fight, but the guy I know is one of the most down-to-earth and genuinely good guys I've ever worked with. He is someone I have great respect for as a person. I remember attending a UFC mega press conference in 2015 in Las Vegas just before the World Championships for wrestling were held in the same city. As I took my seat among the media, Daniel spotted me and he smiled and waved to me. It was impressive to me to see how a guy that is such a bad-ass in the cage can be such a nice guy. I did a one-on-one interview with Daniel following the press conference and posted a story on him on USA Wrestling's website later that afternoon. A few hours later, Daniel called me and thanked me for the article. He also asked me if I wanted tickets to the next night's UFC fight card that featured lightweight star Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. I already had tickets to the fight at MGM Grand Arena, but Daniel said he would leave me a handful of tickets to give to any of the wrestling people, friends or media I wanted to bring with me. When I arrived at the will call window, he had left me 10 tickets. It was a heck of a gesture by Daniel and we were able to fill all 10 seats for the fight. That's just the kind of person that Daniel Cormier is. He's a kind and giving man who truly cares about people. He's personable, engaging and charismatic. He's one of my favorite athletes that I've ever worked with. Daniel Cormier serves as the head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) He's also been a great ambassador for the sport of wrestling. He's always promoting the sport and he's giving back as a successful wrestling coach on the high school level. There was a touching moment late Saturday night when Cormier walked out of the octagon after his setback. His son was standing there, sad and with tears in his eyes. Daniel placed his hand on his son's head and told him "don't cry" before kissing him on the forehead. Cormier obviously was disappointed with his performance, but he also knew what happened in that fight wasn't the end of the world. He has a young family that he cherishes and adores. They are his priority. There was talk that Cormier would retire if he beat Miocic again, but now what will he do? Knowing the competitor Cormier is, we may see him fight again. He is 1-1 against Miocic and a third bout would certainly attract interest and be intriguing for UFC fans. In my eyes, Cormier has nothing left to prove in the octagon. His impressive resume and his accomplishments speak for itself. No matter what happens, Cormier should be remembered as one of the best mixed martial artists in the sport's history. Winning UFC title belts in two different divisions certainly is proof of that. He also should be remembered for being a great human being and a truly good person. He may have lost his UFC championship belt Saturday night, but Daniel Cormier is still a champion in my book. 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.

Stipe Miocic defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 (Photo/Getty Images) Former amateur wrestling stars went two-for-two at UFC 241 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Saturday night, with a pair of former Olympians coming out on the losing end. In the main event featuring two ex-wrestlers, Cleveland State mat alum Stipe Miocic earned the UFC heavyweight title with a fourth-round TKO of 2008 Olympian Daniel Cormier ... while two-time Olympian Yoel Romero lost on a decision to Paulo Costa, and three-time NCAA Division II All-American Derek Brunson came out on top in a unanimous decision over Ian Heinisch. Miocic reclaims UFC heavyweight title belt from Cormier Cleveland area native Stipe Miocic reclaimed the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight (265-pound) title with a technical knockout of Daniel Cormier -- an NCAA finalist for Oklahoma State -- at 4:09 of the fourth round of the bout slated for five rounds. Here's how CBS Sports opened its write-up of the top-of-the-card title bout: Stipe Miocic was looking for revenge against heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, and he got just that. "It was anything but easy in the main event of UFC 241, but thanks to one of the great adjustments in UFC championship fight history, Miocic brought the belt back home by stopping Cormier in the fourth round." "'DC was in control for a majority of the fight," according to Sherdog.com. "He executed a slam takedown in the first round, advanced to half guard and poured on the punishment with ground-and-pound. The 40-year-old Lafayette, Louisiana, native spent the second, third and parts of the fourth rounds flexing his hand speed with crippling jabs and powerful right hands. Midway through the fourth, Miocic tweaked his approach and focused on the champion's midsection with a series of left hooks, the last of which set up a right cross that began Cormier's downward spiral. Miocic pushed him to the fence and swarmed him with punches until referee Herb Dean intervened." After the bout, Miocic talked about his decision to start punching at Cormier's body. "I knew I was hurting him," Miocic said. "Just keep working, keep working. He was going to leave something open." Meanwhile, Cormier -- who is now head wrestling coach at Gilroy High School in California -- addressed his lack of wrestling during the bout, having scored just one takedown... and that was in the first round. "That [wrestling] was the strategy," Cormier said at Saturday's post-fight press conference. "That's probably the biggest letdown is how I let my coaches down. They were begging me to wrestle. "That's probably the most disappointing thing is that I didn't do what I was trained to do. I feel like I let my coaches down." The former Cowboy wrestler also mentioned the possibility of saying goodbye to his MMA career. "You don't make decisions based on emotions, but this is a tough pill to swallow," Cormier said. "At 40 years old, you know, with so many other opportunities, I need to speak to my wife, and we need to make an educated decision on what we're going to do. "Losing any type of fight for me is terrible, but getting stopped is just insane. That's twice I've been stopped. That's not good. I'm smart enough to understand that." With the win, Miocic regains the UFC big-man belt (which he had lost to Cormier at UFC 226 in July 2018), and improves to 19-3 overall, and 13-3 in UFC competition ... while Cormier drops to 22-3 in a career going back a decade. Costa earns win over Romero in 'absolutely wild brawl' "The middleweight (185-pound) showdown between Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa had a sense of 'blink and you'll miss it' ahead of UFC 241," is how CBS Sports opened its recap of this bout it described as "an absolutely wild brawl." "The knockout may not have come, but it wasn't for lack of trying on the part of either man." "In the end, Costa took a close (and controversial) decision in a fight that will enter into many Fight of the Year lists." "Both men were credited with knockdowns in a back-and-forth first round that seemed to tilt Costa's way," according to Sherdog.com which described the fight as a "crackling middleweight barnburner." "The undefeated Brazilian dropped Romero to all fours with a clean left hook and managed to weather a flying knee from the 2000 Olympic silver medalist. The middle stanza saw Costa attack the body with kicks and hooks from both hands, only to concede a takedown in the closing seconds. "Perhaps sensing the need for a finish, Romero found another gear in Round 3, where he continued to absorb body blows without so much as a deep breath and responded with a savage right uppercut, straight lefts, heavy combinations and an inside trip takedown. His efforts fell short." All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Costa, who is now 13-0 overall, and 5-0 in UFC ... while Romero drops to 13-4 in his MMA career, and 9-3 in UFC, having lost his last four bouts. Brunson survives 'early scare' to defeat Heinisch In a battle of top 10 middleweights, eighth-ranked Derek Brunson scored a unanimous decision over No. 10 ranked Ian Heinisch in the first match of the pay-per-view portion of the card at UFC 241. "The UFC veteran of 16 fights survived a scary opening moment of the fight to edge out a decision over Heinisch ..." according to CBS. "It took Heinisch (13-2) less than 10 seconds to land a smacking kick to the side of Brunson's head. More impressive than the kick may have been the balance Heinisch displayed in avoiding Brunson's follow-up takedown attempt." All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Brunson, who was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American wrestler for University of North Carolina-Pembroke. With the win, Brunson improves to 20-7 overall and 10-6 in UFC ... while Heinisch suffered his first loss in nearly two years, dropping to 13-2 in his career and 3-1 in UFC.

Ed Ruth scored a TKO victory at Bellator 224 (Photo/Bellator) Bellator MMA has announced that it has extended the contracts of a handful of its fighters, including former Penn State wrestling champs Ed Ruth and Phil Davis ... while failing to renew the contracts of a number of others, including a trio of former collegiate wrestlers. Davis and Ruth have each signed an "exclusive, multi-fight, multi-year extension," according to MMAjunkie.com. The 34-year-old Davis was a 2008 NCAA Division I champ, four-time NCAA All-American, and two-time Big Ten titlewinner - all at 197 pounds -- for Penn State. He launched his pro mixed martial arts career not long after graduating in 2008, fighting for UFC for nearly five years before signing with Bellator in 2015. Four fights later, Davis won the organization's light-heavyweight (205-pound) championship (though lost it to former Arizona State wrestling champ Ryan Bader in June 2017.) In his most recent bout - Bellator 220 in April - Davis scored a third-round TKO over Liam McGeary, improving his overall record to 20-5, and 7-2 in Bellator. Ruth, 28, launched his pro MMA career right off the bat with Bellator in November 2016 after crafting a brilliant mat career with the Nittany Lions which included three NCAA titles and four Big Ten individual championships. One of the eight participants in Bellator's recent welterweight (170-pound) grand prix, Ruth is now 7-1 in his pro career ... with the one loss in the grand prix quarterfinals against Neiman Gracie. Just last month, Ruth defeated UFC veteran Kiichi Kunimoto by second-round TKO at Bellator 224. In addition to the two former Nittany Lion mat stars Davis and Ruth, other Bellator fighters who have had their contracts extended according to a Bellator official include flyweight (125-pound) Kate Jackson (who is 11-3-1 overall, and 3-1 in Bellator bouts), middleweight (185-pound) Charlie Ward (7-3 overall, 4-0 in Bellator), and featherweight (145-pound) Pedro Carvalho (10-3 overall, 3-0 Bellator). A trio of former college wrestlers let go by Bellator Sadly, the news was not good for three former mat stars with Bellator contracts. Chris Honeycutt, Jarod Trice and Carrington Banks were among nine Bellator fighters let go by the organization this week, according to multiple media reports, including an MMAjunkie.com report Friday. A 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro University at 197 pounds, Honeycutt, 31, launched his pro MMA career in June 2013 ... and came on board with Bellator in September 2014. The former Fighting Scot wrestler fought primarily at 185, compiling an overall record of 11-3, and 7-3 in Bellator. Honeycutt's last Bellator bout was a split decision loss to Costello van Steenis at Bellator 210 last November. The 30-year-old Trice, a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler for Central Michigan University, signed with Bellator in May 2016 ... and crafted a perfect 4-0 record with the organization as a light-heavyweight. His most recent bout was a split-decision victory over Sean Powers at Bellator 205 in September. Banks had been an NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ at Iowa Central Community College who later went on to earn All-American honors at 157 pounds for NCAA Division III mat power Wartburg College of Iowa. The 30-year-old Banks started his pro MMA career seven years ago; during that time, he was featured on the MMA reality show The Ultimate Fighter. He was 8-2 overall, and 4-2 in Bellator, having suffered back-to-back losses within that promotion in 2018, but more recently scoring a second-round TKO in a fight within another organization in March 2019 as a lightweight (155 pounds).

Peyton Omania gets his hand raised at the Junior World Championships (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- The United States added a third medal in Greco-Roman on the final day of the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. Peyton Omania defeated China's Xin Huang 6-5 to win the bronze medal at 67 kilograms. He joins Cohlton Schultz (gold) and Alston Nutter (bronze) as medalists for the U.S. Greco-Roman team at this year's Junior World Championships. It marks the first time American has captured more than two medals in Greco-Roman at the Junior World Championships. Omania, who wrestles at Michigan State, hit a headlock just over a minute into his bronze-medal match to score four points and take a 4-0 lead, which he took to the break. In the second period, Omania hit another headlock, scoring two points this time, to go up 6-0. Huang, though, was able to get a reversal and four-point exposure to make the score 6-5 with just over two minutes remaining. Omania held off Huang the rest of the way and claimed the one-point victory. The 19-year-old California native finished the tournament with a 5-1 record. His only loss came in the semifinals to Georgia's Giorgi Shotadze, the eventual champion.

Kyle Dake (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ROUND ROCK, Texas -- On Saturday, Kyle Dake earned the right to wrestle for a second consecutive world title in September. The 28-year old Dake won in two straight matches over Alex Dieringer at Round Rock High School outside Austin, Texas, to claim a spot on the 2019 U.S. World Team at 79 kilograms. The best-of-three series was originally slated for June 8 at Final X: Rutgers. However, Dake requested a delay due to injury, which was granted. Dake picked up a 3-2 victory over Dieringer in the first match on Saturday, before closing out the series with a 4-2 win in the second match. In the first match, Dieringer scored the match's first point off the activity clock, and moments after the activity clock expired, Dake picked up a point off a step out to take a 1-1 criteria lead. Dake added another step out with three seconds left in the period to take a 2-1 lead into the break. In the second period, Dieringer was put on the activity clock with just under two minutes remaining, but was unable to score, giving Dake another point and a 3-1 lead. Trailing by two late, Dieringer fired off multiple shots in final 30 seconds before Dake was called for a caution one with eight seconds left, making the score 3-2. But the returning world champion would hold on to win. The second match took place after a 30-minute intermission. Dake came out quickly, getting to his single leg and forcing Dieringer out of bounds for a step out to go up 1-0 in the first 10 seconds. He added another step out with just over minutes remaining in the period. Dake took a 2-0 lead into the break. Just under 30 seconds into the second period, Dake got to his body lock on the edge of the mat and lifted Dieringer before getting thrown in a headlock, which he rolled through. The mat official initially awarded Dieringer four points and Dake two. But after the call was reviewed, it was determined that Dieringer stepped out of bounds prior to the exchange, giving Dake a 4-0 lead. Dieringer scored a point off a step out with just under 20 seconds left and added another point off a step out with two seconds left, but it wouldn't be enough and Dake punched his ticket to the World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Cohlton Schultz fell to Iran's Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchaliin in the finals (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- Cohlton Schultz didn't get what he wanted at the 2019 Junior World Championships in Tallin, Estonia, but completed his collection of medals from age-group world championships. The 18-year-old from Colorado was edged 2-1 by Iran's Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchaliin the Greco-Roman finals at 130 kilograms on Saturday. Schultz, who signed with Arizona State, scored the first point of the match in the first period off a passivity and took a 1-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Schultz was hit for passivity, giving the Iranian a point and the criteria lead. With 45 seconds left, Schultz was called again for passivity, which made the score 2-1 in favor of Yousofiahmadchaliin, which is how the match would end. He adds a silver to a collection that includes a gold at the 2017 Cadet World Championships and a bronze from the Junior World Championships in 2018. Alston Nutter claimed the bronze medal in Greco-Roman at 63 kilograms with a fall over Kamil Czarnecki of Poland. Nutter found himself in a 6-0 hole after giving up an exposure after Czarnecki attempted an arm throw. Czarnecki then used a trap-arm gut wrench to turn Nutter twice. A short time later, Nutter lifted Czarnecki and threw him to his back for the fall. Peyton Omania will wrestle for a bronze medal at 67 kilograms after posting a 4-1 record on Saturday. Omania opened with three consecutive technical superiorities before beating 2016 Cadet world silver medalist Mohammed Reza Mokhtari of Iran 7-3 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Omania was shut out 9-0 by Giorgi Shotadze of Georgia, a 2016 Cadet world champion and 2019 European Junior champion. The United States Greco-Roman team sits in fifth place in the standings. The Junior World Championships conclude on Sunday.

Mike Duroe was an honorary coach for USA at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A celebration of the life and legacy of late wrestling coach Mike Duroe will be held at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Gable Museum next month. The event will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Gable Museum, 303 Jefferson Street in Waterloo, Iowa. In announcing the event, the Gable Museum said, "Please join us in celebrating the life of this kind, extraordinary man whose legacy will live on through all those lives he touched, on and off the mat." The announcement also asked those who knew Duroe to share stories, memories, experiences and photos of a time or event with the coach – or how he had a positive impact on your life -- with the Gable Museum via email (dgmstaff@nwhof.org), regular mail or in person. Mike Duroe's life partner Lisa plans to incorporate these memories and mementos into keepsake books for his children. Those wishing to participate in the celebration of life may RSVP here. Duroe passed away in July 2018 after a nearly year-long battle with brain cancer at age 63. Duroe's coaching career spanned nearly four decades, and incorporated high school, collegiate, national, and world levels. He had served as an assistant to the U.S. Men's Freestyle coaching staff in six Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016) as well as head coach of Guam's freestyle wrestling team in 2008. Duroe was also a member of the U.S. coaching staff for the Pan American Games in 2003 and 2007, and was named Volunteer Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in 2006 and 2007. Most recently, Duroe had been head wrestling coach at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa for 13 seasons.

The state of Oklahoma -- arguably one of the nation's hotbeds for amateur wrestling at all levels -- is about to expand opportunities for girls in the oldest and greatest sport. For the first time in state history, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association -- the organization that governs high school sports in the Sooner State -- will award individual state championships for girl wrestlers. This event -- described as an exhibition state tournament -- will be held in conjunction with the annual boys' wrestling championships, Feb. 28-29, 2020, at State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City. "We feel like the girls sport is really taking off," Todd Goolsby, assistant director of the OSSAA who's responsible for wrestling, told the Tulsa World. "Oklahoma high school wrestling is considered to be a leader nationally, and with that being said, we need to be right there moving forward with a plan." Girls participating in this new exhibition state tournament will be eligible for individual state titles -- and medals -- for their on-the-mat achievements. However, there won't be team state titles for girls until more programs are launched, which according to The Oklahoman -- the Oklahoma City newspaper -- said "is happening rapidly." Oklahoma had approximately 90 girls involved in wrestling at the high school level this past school year. "The wrestling community, as a whole, is quite excited about this opportunity," Goolsby said. In an April 2019 memo, Goolsby wrote, "During the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, girls wrestling in Oklahoma is being piloted as we take the steps necessary for it to become a sanctioned sport." As InterMat reported in April, Broken Arrow became the first Oklahoma high school to start a girls' program, hiring Cassidy Jasperson, a former standout for the women's program at Oklahoma City University, as the program's head coach.

Macey Kilty shoots on Japan's Miwa Morikawa in the finals (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- For the second straight year, Macey Kilty is leaving the Junior World Championships with a silver medal. On Friday, the 18-year-old four-time world medalist from Wisconsin was edged in the finals at 65 kilograms by Japan's Miwa Morikawa, 3-2. Kilty scored first off the activity clock and led 1-0 at the break. In the second period, Morikawa came out quickly, shooting a double leg and converting it to a step out, which gave her the criteria lead. With two minutes left, Kilty took a shot and eventually the Japanese wrestler got behind and ended up scoring a point off a caution with just over a minute remaining. Morikawa then held on for the win. In addition to Kilty's two silver medals from the Junior World Championships, she has a gold (2018) and bronze (2016) from the Cadet World Championships. Alyvia Fiske, a U.S. Open champion, wrestled for a bronze medal at 72 kilograms. Fiske held a 3-1 lead against Ukraine's Anastasiya Alpyeyeva until giving up a two-point exposure in the final 10 seconds to lose 3-3 on criteria. Cameron Guerin was pinned in repechage at 57 kilograms by 2019 Asian Junior bronze medalist Youmei Wu of China. Cohlton Schultz won by fall over China's Lu Zhang in the semifinals (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) Schultz cruises to finals in Greco-Roman, Nutter to wrestle for bronze Cohlton Schultz, a 2017 Cadet world champion and 2018 Junior world bronze medalist, cruised to the finals in Greco-Roman at 130 kilograms. In the semifinals, Schultz earned a first-period fall over China's Lu Zhang. Just over a minute into the match, Zhang was called for passivity, and Schultz took advantage. He scored with a turn and nearly picked up the fall. He then readjusted and sunk in a half nelson to secure the fall. Schultz has been unchallenged thus far. In addition to his semifinal fall, he has two technical superiorities and a 5-0 shutout. He will face Aliakbar Yousofiahmadchali of Iran in the finals on Saturday. Yousofiahmadchali was a 2018 U23 World bronze medalist. Alston Nutter, a Northern Michigan University Olympic Training Site athlete, will compete for a bronze medal at 63 kilograms. After opening his tournament with wins over Zaur Nuriyev of Azerbaijan (fall) and Assaukhat Mukhamadiyev of Kazakhstan (5-2), Nutter lost 9-0 in the semifinals to 2015 Cadet world silver medalist Abu Amaev The other three American Greco-Roman wrestlers competing, Dylan Ragusin (55 kilograms), Jack Ervien (77 kilograms) and Cameron Caffey (87 kilograms), all lost their first matches by technical superiority. Caffey earned a spot in repechage after the wrestler who defeated him, Russia's Ilia Ermolenko, advanced to the finals. Five more Greco-Roman wrestlers begin their tournaments on Saturday: Mason Hartshorn (60 kilograms), Peyton Omania (67 kilograms), Tyler Eischens (72 kilograms), Zachary Braunagel (82 kilograms) and Nicholas Boykin (97 kilograms).

Jordan Oliver at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Two-time NCAA champion and multiple-time national team member Jordan Oliver will join the Tar Heel Wrestling Club as a resident athlete, the club announced on Friday. Oliver, a former standout at Oklahoma State, joins the THWC after training with the NYRTC. He has been competing on the national level since wrapping up his career in Stillwater in 2013. "I'm very excited to be here. This is going to be a chance for me to continue my training and be where I want to be," Oliver said. "Working with some great wrestling minds in Chapel Hill is exactly what I feel like I need to be ready to accomplish some big goals. It's time to get to work and get the job done in Carolina Blue." Oliver plans to train in Chapel Hill beginning immediately, working with Kenny Monday, Coleman Scott, Tony Ramos, and Bryce Hasseman ahead of the 2020 Olympic cycle.

The United States Junior freestyle team finished second this week at the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. While short of its goal to capture team gold, the team walked away with an array of hardware, including top finishes by David Carr and Mason Parris. The results confirm that the developmental program in America has succeeded in curating talent for freestyle success, with sustained year-to-year results on display at the World Championships. Victory has 1000 fathers and in this case USA Wrestling deserves praise for both supporting young athletes for international competitions and lifting up the RTC system which has connected post-graduate freestyle wrestlers with developing athletes. As the gold medals pile up it's important to note just how unique the American system as compared to other nations. Funding aside, the hallmark of the American wrestling srtyle is that there is no one style defining the nation's top performers. They do share good conditioning and strength, but from Jordan Burroughs to Kyle Snyder to J'den Cox to Alex Dieringer the variation in offensive attacks, defensive strategy, and general gamesmanship varies wildly among our nation's best. At the root of their success is what makes America successful in a variety of professional industries. There is a variety of backgrounds, experiences, skills, and motivations working together for a single goal. Strength through diversity. Diversity of race, religion, socioeconomic status, LGBTQ status, and a million other variables incumbent to a uniquely American lifestyle. That diversity and sharing of experiences has meant that as Team USA ascends the world ranks it's doing so with unpredictable assets in place. A nation may well be prepared for Jake Varner, but were they ready for Kyle Snyder? If a nation focused on Snyder's style, would they be ready for James Green? No one person gives a full insight into the other, which is in contrast to nations like Japan, Iran, and Russia which wrestle in a single predictable manner. They too have success, but ours has much more potential for growth. A wrestling tournament can be one of the most diverse places in American sports and much of that has to do with wide acceptance of individuals as they are in size or gender. We are the original melting pot of the sporting world and it's something we should continue to elevate and celebrate. We are a wildly diverse meritocracy. Everyone is aiming to achieve the same outcome no matter where, or how, they started their journey. Ours is a winning formula it's something we should continue to celebrate and never fail to protect. To your questions … Yianni Diakomihalis and Zain Retherford after their second match at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I can't be on your side given I'm Section V, but what's your take on the Yianni decision? -- Don C. Foley: According to a release by USA Wrestling, the arbitrator in the Yianni-Zain case has nullified the match due to irregularities in the timing of the final challenge and asked that the second match be re-wrestled. The date and time of the match are as-of-yet unknown, but will require the input of USA Wrestling and possibly the freestyle commission. My opinion on the matter hasn't changed. The ruling was awkward for many fans, but no rules were broken and the match followed a known pattern of challenges used at the international level. Furthermore, matches at international events are no longer re-wrestled for any reason and given that the national federation abides by the international federation's general guidelines there should have been heavy deference paid to that standard. Finally, this is Pandora's Box for litigation up-and-down the wrestling community. Yianni has proven himself to be a great wrestler and what is somewhat saddening is that his reputation is somewhat affected by this challenge. I have nothing but respect for him and his wrestling style and believe he is a surefire medalist at the World Championships. But are we OK with this? Are we OK with a non-wrestling arbitrator misinterpreting rules to defy the common functioning norms of international wrestling? Now to the details. When will this wrestle-off take place? The national federations are meant to have their entries in by Aug. 14 with exceptions given to Russia and the United States for some ongoing wrestle-offs. If Zain is hurt and is only able to wrestle right before the World Championships, is it OK to make him wrestle injured based on the timeline? Taking a step back, is Zain able to injunct the decision? When this happens, or is able to happen, it will be an incredibly difficult dustup to manage. What rights does Zain have in this process? Overall, this is a sad day for wrestling. The arbitrator is a smart man, Yianni is a good wrestler, but wrestling suffered under the suspicion of corruption for decades partly due to re-wrestled matches. United World Wrestling put a firm end to that process, but now it's sneaking back in and the only consequence is more corruption, more suspicion, and ultimately a less fair outcome for the majority of athletes. The reintroduction of the legal process into a competed match will lead to negative outcomes. Good luck to these wrestlers the rest of the way. This is not their fault. I guess we can only hope for the best outcome for them in their professional and personal lives. MULTIMEDIA FINALE Upset? Watch this woman get dropped on her back. Yowza.

FARGO, N.D. -- Former South Dakota State University 157-pounder Cody Pack has been named volunteer assistant wrestling coach at North Dakota State University. NDSU head coach Roger Kish made the announcement today. Pack, a native of Quincy, Calif., comes from Legends of Gold RTC in Beresford, S.D. He has been an assistant coach and residential life counselor for the IDA residential program. His responsibilities have ranged from teaching freestyle, Greco-Roman and folkstyle skills on the mat to developing diets and motivational techniques to helping young athletes gain balance between competition and daily life. Currently, Pack is training for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics in the Greco-Roman discipline. He has placed 4th and 5th at the U.S. World Trials and was a residential athlete at the Olympic Training Center in 2016-17. Pack rolled up 196 wins at Quincy (Calif.) High School, and was a three-time finalist and six-time All-American at the USA Wrestling tournament in Fargo. Pack, a 2016 graduate of SDSU, was a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Jackrabbits during his career and the program's climb up the national ladder. He posted a 116-36 career record for SDSU including 55-12 in duals. Pack was a two-time NCAA West Region/Western Wrestling Conference champion in 2014 and 2015, and a Big 12 Conference runner-up in 2016. He was selected to wrestle at the 50th Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic in October 2015. North Dakota State compiled a 10-6 record overall in 2018-19 including 5-4 in Big 12 Conference duals. NDSU placed eighth at the 2019 Big 12 Conference tournament. The Bison return NCAA qualifiers 133 Cam Sykora, 165 Andrew Fogarty and 174 Lorenzo De La Riva. Fogarty is a two-time Big 12 runner-up at 165 pounds.

FERRUM, Va. -- Acting Director of Athletics Gary Holden has announced the hiring of Logan Meister as assistant wrestling coach at Ferrum College. A former Panther wrestler, Meister returns to Ferrum after a year as graduate assistant wrestling coach at McDaniel College. At McDaniel, Meister was responsible for the Green Terror wrestling strength & conditioning program, helped lead practices, coached at competitions, conducted film reviews and was involved with every aspect of recruiting. Meister is certified in Red Cross CPR and First Aid, as well as through the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a certified personal trainer. He is currently working towards certifications through the National Strength & Conditioning Associating (NSCA) and the Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialists (CSCS). Meister is also a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Conditioning Specialist. Meister wrestled from 2014-17 for Ferrum, and is the most decorated wrestler in the short six-year history of the program. He qualified for the NCAA Div. III Wrestling as a freshman in 2014, then advanced again to the championships in 2016 and 2017. To date he is Ferrum's only three-time NCAA qualifier. Meister's 2016 season was a highlight reel as he won the prestigious Pete Willson-Wheaton Memorial Tournament in Illinois, became Ferrum's first-ever regional champ at the East Regional and placed sixth at the NCAA Tournament to become the College's first-ever All-American wrestler. Meister excelled off the mat at Ferrum as well, earning Dean's List honors all eight semesters, Academic All-Conference four times from the USA South Athletic Conference, Academic All-State from the Virginia Sports Information Directors in 2017 and he graduated with Cum Laude honors. He was named to the national Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-America team in 2017, then closed out his career when he earned the 2017 Ferrum College President's Cup. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to my alma mater and continuing to build the legacy we have created," said Meister. "Proud to be a Panther!" Meister spent the 2017-18 season as a volunteer assistant coach under Head Coach Nate Yetzer and Associate Head Coach Ryan Riggs before beginning his work at McDaniel.

DANVILLE, Va. -- Averett University Director of Athletics Meg Stevens announced Wednesday the hiring of former assistant Blake Roulo as the new men's wrestling head coach. Roulo, who joined the Averett wrestling team as an assistant coach in July 2017, becomes the second head coach in the program's history. "I would like to thank Meg Stevens and the Department of Athletics for the opportunity to be the next wrestling head coach at Averett University," Roulo said. "I am excited to build on the momentum of the last two years that coach Tommy Owen established. We will continue to strive for excellence in everything we do academically and athletically while producing young men that our community will be proud of." As an assistant, Roulo was instrumental in helping three Averett wrestlers to qualify for the Division III national championships for the first time in the program's two-year existence. Roulo also helped mentor one Virginia Duals Outstanding Wrestler and one Southeast Conference Wrestler of the Week. In addition, he coached several individual open tournament champions. "Coach Roulo did a great job as an assistant with the program the last two seasons," Stevens said. "He's a passionate coach who cares about our student-athletes on and off the mat. His knowledge of Averett will help him continue to develop our wrestling program and build off our past success." Roulo came to Averett from Southern Virginia University, where he was an assistant coach for one season and helped guide the Knights to five program records during the 2016-17 season. His coaching experience also includes time as a camp counselor and clinician with the Ken Chertow Wrestling Camps, as a Patriot Elite RTC student coach at George Mason and private sessions, camps and clinics since 2011. A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Roulo wrestled collegiately at Division I George Mason University, where he was a four-year starter and four-time all-conference selection. He finished second in the conference in 2012 and 2013, fifth in 2015 and fourth in 2016. Roulo was ranked as high as No. 12 in the NCAA rankings and qualified for the 2013 NCAA Tournament. In 2015, he finished fifth at the Greco Roman University Nationals in Akron, Ohio. Prior to his time at George Mason, Roulo was a four-time National High School Coaches Association national champion and was named the NHSCA Wrestler of the Year in 2011 while also becoming a four-time Olympic style Fargo All-American. Roulo earned his bachelor's degree in history from George Mason in 2016. He finished his master's degree in business administration from Averett in 2019. "When an opportunity such as this one presents itself, we are delighted to have developed talented professionals like Coach Roulo within our own Averett community," Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks said.

KENOSHA, Wis. -- Director of athletics Michelle Manning announced the hiring of Alberto Quiros as Carthage College's next men's, and first-ever women's wrestling coach Thursday morning. "I am thrilled to have Alberto join the Carthage family as our new men's and women's wrestling coach," said Manning. "His passion to mentor student-athletes in competition and in life, combined with his past coaching and CCIW experience, made him a great choice to lead the next chapter in our wrestling programs." Quiros joins the Carthage staff after spending two years at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill. as the head coach of the men's and women's wrestling teams. Hired just one year after each program was added at the college, he was given the task of building two teams from the ground up. Before joining MacMurray's staff, Quiors spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Augustana College, where he had been a volunteer coach for three years prior after graduating from the school in 2012. "I am excited about the future of Carthage wrestling and grateful to join the Carthage family," said Quiros. During his senior year at Augustana, Quiros was crowned the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) champion and outstanding wrestler of the year. He was a runner-up at the 2012 NCAA Great Lakes Regional, and qualified for the National Championship. He graduated from Augustana with a bachelor of arts in psychology and history.

On Thursday afternoon Professor Matthew Mitten, an arbitrator assigned by the American Arbitration Association, ruled that officials improperly allowed a challenge at the conclusion of the second bout of the Final X 65-kilogram match between Yianni Diakomihalis and Zain Retherford. As a consequence, Professor Mitten ruled that the result of the second match was nullified, and that USA Wrestling will schedule a completion of the 65 kilograms match at a time to be determined soon. Retherford will go into that match with a 1-0 lead in a best-of-three series.

TALLINN, Estonia -- Macey Kilty will wrestle for her second age-group world title. The 18-year-old from Wisconsin was dominant in her three matches on Thursday at the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. She advanced to the finals at 65 kilograms with a fall over Hanna Sadchanka of Belarus in the semifinals. Kilty led 1-0 after the opening period, and then shot a single leg early in the second period, scoring a takedown before driving Sadchanka over for the fall. Prior to the semifinals, Kilty had a pair of technical superiorities. Kilty secured her fourth world medal. At the Cadet level, Kilty won gold and bronze at the Cadet level and a silver at the Junior level. Alyvia Fiske reached the semifinals at 72 kilograms before losing by fall to 2017 and 2018 Cadet world champion Yuka Kagami of Japan. After a scoreless first two minutes, Fiske was placed on the activity clock, which is when Kagami locked up a cradle and picked up a fall. She will wrestle for a bronze medal on Friday. Three other American women opened their tournaments on Thursday but failed to advance past the first day. Gracie Figueroa (53 kilograms), Cameron Guerin (57 kilograms) and Alara Boyd (62 kilograms) all won their first match before losing their second. All three were all eliminated when the wrestlers who defeated them failed to reach the finals. Jayden Laurent dropped her bronze-medal match at 68 kilograms to Khanum Velieva of Russia, 9-1. She finished the tournament with a 2-2 record.

Gerry Abas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Episode 34 of The MatBoss Podcast is with four-time All-American and three-time NCAA Division I finalist Gerry Abas of Fresno State. Abas talks about his start in wrestling in the Bay Area and how his speed, quickness and flash on the wrestling mat had its foundations in breakdancing in the 1980s. Abas talks about his classic match and loss to Iowa's Lincoln McIlravy, coaching his younger brother Stephen at Fresno State, watching the school drop the program and his feelings about it at the time. Abas also talks about his son Jaden and what we can expect from him on the next level.

David Carr after winning a gold medal at the Junior Worlds (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- A day after falling just short of a gold medal at the Junior World Championships, the United States crowned a pair of world champions on Wednesday in Tallinn, Estonia. David Carr (74 kilograms) and Mason Parris (125 kilograms) came through to win gold medals on the final day of freestyle competition at the Junior World Championships. In addition, three other Americans claimed medals in freestyle on Wednesday. Lucas Davison (92) earned a silver medal, while Gabriel Tagg (61 kilograms) and Trent Hidlay (86 kilograms) took home bronze medals. Vito Arujau (57 kilograms) won a silver in freestyle on Tuesday. The United States finished in second place in the freestyle team standings, one point ahead of Iran. Russia captured the freestyle team title by 46 points. Carr, who will be heading into his redshirt freshman season at Iowa State, held on to beat Jintaro Motoyama of Japan 5-4 in the finals at 74 kilograms. Motoyama scored first with a step out before Carr picked up a takedown to grab a 2-1 lead, which he took into the break. Midway through the second period, Carr fired off a shot and secured a takedown to go up 4-1. The Japanese wrestler injured his leg trying to defend, which caused a break in the action. When action resumed, the two continued to battle without any scoring until the final five seconds. Motoyama scored a takedown on the edge of the mat with five seconds remaining, and then a couple seconds later added a step out, making the score 4-4, but giving Carr the lead on criteria. Japan challenged call, which was upheld, giving Carr the world title. It marks the fourth straight year in which the Unites States has won a gold medal at 74 kilograms in freestyle at the Junior World Championships. Mark Hall won gold in 2016 and 2017, while Mekhi Lewis claimed gold in 2018. Mason Parris after winning gold at the Junior Worlds (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Parris, an NCAA qualifier as a true freshman for Michigan, capped off a dominant tournament at 125 kilograms with a fall in the finals over Iran's Amir Zare, a 2018 Cadet world champion. The first 30 seconds of the match saw the two wrestlers trade step outs, with Zare scoring the second one to take the criteria lead. A short time later, Parris took a shot and dumped Zare to his back and held him there for the fall. Prior to finals, Parris had three technical superiorities and outscored his opponents by a combined score of 33-2. Davison, who wrestles for Northwestern, dropped a close match in the finals at 92 kilograms to Russia's Alan Bagaev, 5-4. Bagaev scored first off the activity clock. Davison took the lead on criteria late in the first period after scoring with a step out. He added to his lead in the second period after Bagaev was unable to score on the activity clock. However, moments after the activity clock expired, the Russian secured a takedown off a duckunder to go up 3-2 with one minute and twenty seconds left. Davison kept the pressure on and scored a step out with 50 seconds remaining to make the score 3-3. With 30 seconds remaining, Bagaev took a shot that resulted in a flurry, with the Russian getting two points and Davison getting one, which would close out the scoring. It is the second time in three years that Northwestern wrestler has finished with a silver medal at the Junior World Championships. Ryan Deakin earned a world silver medal in 2017. Tagg, who is entering his freshman year at North Carolina, earned the bronze medal at 61 kilograms with a 15-4 technical superiority over Goderdzi Dzebiashvili of Georgia. The Georgian jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two takedowns. But Tagg battled back to grab a 5-4 lead at the break on the strength of a step out and two takedowns of his own. In the second period, Tagg secured a takedown to go up 7-4 before locking up a leg lace and turning the Georgian three times. Tagg then closed out the technical superiority with a takedown. Hidlay, who will be entering his redshirt freshman season at NC State, was impressive in shutting out Ivars Samusonoks of Latvia 9-0 to win bronze at 86 kilograms. Hidlay scored a takedown in the first period and led 1-0 at the break. He pulled away in the second period, scoring three more takedowns and a step out to win by nine. Hidlay's only loss in the tournament came in the semifinals to Russia's Alik Sebzukhov, 4-3. Laurent to wrestle for bronze, 4 others eliminated It was a tough day for the American women as only one wrestler, Jayden Laurent, remains alive for a medal. Laurent reached the semifinals at 68 kilograms before losing 11-1 to Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan. She will wrestle for bronze on Thursday. Laurent opened with a 9-0 win over Gulsezim Bukhayeva of Kazakhstan before getting a fall in the quarterfinals over Thamires Martins Machado of Brazil. Korinahe Bullock, competing at 76 kilograms, started her tournament with a 10-0 technical superiority over Soeun Kim (Korea). She then lost her next match by fall in the quarterfinals against Qian Jiang of China in the quarterfinals. Bullock was eliminated when Jiang lost in the semifinals. Alleida Martinez (50 kilograms), Alex Hedrick (55 kilograms) and Michaela Beck (59 kilograms) all lost their first matches and did not earn a repechage match.

Alex Dieringer gets in on a shot against Kyle Dake at the U.S. Open in 2018 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) After a much publicized and somewhat controversial delay, returning world champion Kyle Dake and Hodge Trophy winner Alex Dieringer will finally meet to determine the final vacant spot on the 2019 U.S. World Team. While Dake has had a decisive advantage in their head-to-head meetings so far, some factors have shifted towards Dieringer recently. The following is a by-the-numbers preview of the bout, which takes place Saturday at Round Rock High School outside of Austin, Texas. The numbers include all matches tracked by USA Wrestling since each wrestler left the NCAA ranks. Head-to-head history Dake has won all four of their meetings so far. However, Dieringer has very clearly been closing the gap. Their first meeting was a 10-0 technical fall, but their last match was 5-5 and decided on criteria. In their last bout at the 2018 U.S. Open both wrestlers scored a clean takedown. Towards the end of the match, Dieringer got in deep on a shot and both wrestlers exposed. Dake's points came last so he took the bout on criteria. Since last match Following that match Dake went on to make the 2018 U.S. World Team and win his first gold medal. He has not competed since the 2018 World Championships, but he will come into this match against Dieringer having gone 10-0 with five technical falls and two falls in his last 10 bouts. Dieringer came up short in his bid for a rematch with Dake at Final X. He ran into fellow NCAA champion Zahid Valencia in the finals of the 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament and dropped a pair of matches. However, since those losses, he has gone 18-1 with his only loss coming against returning world bronze medalist Akhmed Gadzhimagomedov (Russia). Record since college Since leaving Cornell, Dake has posted a 62-14 record with seven of those losses coming against rival No. 2 (at 74 kilograms) Jordan Burroughs. Of those 62 wins, Dake has won 32 via technical fall and three by fall. Only two of his 14 losses have been via match termination with both coming against Burroughs. Dieringer's record since college currently stands at 57-12, which means that 30 percent of his losses on the circuit have come against Dake. He already has more falls (four) and technical falls (33) than his opponent on Saturday. Of his 12 losses, only two have been technical falls with one coming against Dake and the other coming against Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani (Iran). Match points* Over the same stretch, Dieringer has averaged 7.89 points for and only 1.94 points against. In his his wins, he is averaging 9.23 points for and 1.11 points against. His biggest issue in his losses has been his offense. He has allowed his opponents to score 5.58 points against him in losses, but he averages only 2.00 points per match in his losses. In order to be successful against Dake he will likely need to find a way to put up points. That might be tough since he has scored only six points total in four matches against the world champion. Despite being one of the best defensive wrestlers in the sport, Dake has actually allowed slightly more points per match than Dieringer. Through 76 matches on the freestyle circuit, he has allowed his opponents to average 2.48 points against him while scoring 7.23 points per match. In his victories, that rate balloons to 8.32 points per match. *These numbers exclude matches that ended via fall. Matches by year There are two key factors working in favor of Dieringer heading into the Saturday bout. First, Dieringer has been much more active recently. He has already wrestled 14 matches this year, while Dake has yet to step on the mat in competition. The other factor that could give Dieringer some confidence is that he seems to be continually improving. In 2019 so far, he has posted his best winning percentage since leaving Oklahoma State. Then again, Dake had perhaps his best season last year as well.

Mike Hatcher (center) spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Cal Poly (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Kyle Ruschell announced the addition of Mike Hatcher as head assistant coach today. Hatcher was previously a volunteer assistant with the Mocs from 2009-13, and spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Cal Poly. "Mike Hatcher brings a wealth of knowledge on and off the mat to our programs," stated Ruschell."His experience in terms of recruiting, fundraising, and outreach, not to mention his strong relationships within our own community, are invaluable assets during this exciting time for Chattanooga Wrestling!" Hatcher returns to Chattanooga after serving coaching stints at Grand Canyon University and Cal Poly.He has had a plethora of experience, training both collegiate and senior-level freestyle athletes.Hatcher was a member of four national championship teams (1991-96) at the University of Iowa, where he wrestled for the legendary Dan Gable. "I am extremely proud to accept the position of Head Assistant Wrestling Coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga," said Hatcher. "My previous experience in Chattanooga has provided me with the insight as to how special this city is and the amazing student-athletes the University attracts. "I look forward to assisting the members of our current and future rosters in achieving their goals and allowing the program to scale to new heights. Coach Ruschell has a strong vision and passion for the Chattanooga Wrestling program, which I am excited to be part of. I am very grateful for the opportunity he has given me, and the confidence he has in me to be an asset to the success of our program." During the last three seasons at Cal Poly, Hatcher served as an assistant coach under UTC alum Jon Sioredas.There, he helped five Mustang athletes earn bids to the NCAA Championships, including two-time national qualifier, Tom Lane, who narrowly missed attaining All-American status in Pittsburgh last season.He also assisted in landing a Top 25 recruiting class this past season according to the Open Mat. Hatcher previously coached at UTC from 2009 to 2013 under former head coach Heath Esslinger.During his time in Chattanooga, he helped guide the Mocs to three Southern Conference Tournament titles while producing 14 individual conference champions and 17 NCAA qualifiers.During his tenure, he also served as the Director of the Chattanooga Wrestling Club, which produced more than 30 state champions, 60 state placers and 10 All-Americans. On the freestyle circuit, Hatcher spent five years as Director of Olympic Regional Training Centers in Tennessee, Arizona, and California.He has been a very active member of USA Wrestling, having held positions on both the board of directors and as the state chairman. While competing at the University of Iowa, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education and Dean's List honors his senior year.Hatcher then went on to teach high school physical education and health for 10 years.He spent four years in Iowa at Durant High School and six years in Florida at Martin County High School, Krop High School, and Coral Glades High School.

Vito Arujau was edged 3-2 in the finals by Japan's Toshiya Abe (Photo/Gabor Martin, United World Wrestling) TALLINN, Estonia -- For the second time in his wrestling career, Vito Arujau will leave an age group world championship with a silver medal. Arujau, a silver medalist at the 2016 Cadet World Championships, was edged 3-2 in the gold-medal match of the Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Tallinn, Estonia. The Cornell All-American faced Japan's Toshiya Abe in the finals at 57 kilograms. Abe scored the only point of the first period off the activity clock. Arujau came back to take the criteria lead in the second period after scoring off the activity clock. With under 20 seconds left, Abe took a shot and finished for a takedown on the edge of the mat with 13 seconds remaining. Arujau was aggressive in the final 10 seconds as Abe retreated, which resulted in a caution and one point for Arujau before the clock ran out, giving the Japanese wrestler a one-point victory. Arujau became the first medalist for the United States at this year's World Championships. On Monday, he reached the finals by dominating returning world champion Akhmed Idrisov of Russia in the semifinals. Arujau placed fourth at the U.S. Open this year. David Carr advanced to the finals at 74 kilograms (Photo/ Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Carr, Davison, Parris advance to finals On Tuesday, three more Americans advanced to the finals in freestyle, while two others will wrestle for bronze medals. The United States started Tuesday by winning their first 12 matches and placing five wrestlers in the semifinals. David Carr, Lucas Davison and Mason Parris all won their semifinal matches, while Gabriel Tagg and Trent Hidlay lost in the semifinals and will wrestle for bronze. Carr, a 2016 Cadet world bronze medalist, needed just 43 seconds to earn a 10-0 technical superiority in his semifinal match at 74 kilograms against returning world champion Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev of Azerbaijan. Earlier in the day, Carr had wins over Russia's Devid Betanov and Iran's Mohammad Nokhodilarimi (16-7). He will meet 2018 U23 World bronze medalist Jintaro Motoyama of Japan in the finals. Davison faced Mongolia's Batmagnai Enkhtusvshin in the semifinals at 92 kilograms. He raced out to an early 8-0 lead after picking up a takedown, which he followed up with three straight gut wrenches. A short time later, the Mongolian picked up a takedown and then hit a gut wrench to make the score 8-4, before Davison stepped over and secured the fall in one minute and 14 seconds. Davison has dominated his competition thus far. In addition to his semifinal fall, he has wins of 10-0 and 7-1. He will battle 2017 Cadet world champion Alan Bagaev of Russia in the gold-medal match. Parris punched his ticket to the finals at 125 kilograms with a 13-2 technical superiority over Turkey's Pasa Ekrem Karabulut in the semifinals. He had technical superiorities in his first two matches and has outscored his opposition 33-2 in three matches. In the finals, Parris will face Amir Zare of Iran, a 2018 Cadet world champion and 2018 Youth Olympic Games silver medalist. Tagg dropped his semifinal match at 61 kilograms to Japan's Kaiki Yamaguchi, 12-2. It was competitive in the first period as Yamaguchi led 3-2 at the break. But the Japanese wrestler blew the match open in the second period and earned the technical superiority. Tagg reached the semifinals with a pair of technical superiorities before edging Iran's Mahdi Shirazi 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Hidlay lost a close semifinal match to Russia's Alik Sebzukhov, 4-3. The American led 1-0 after the opening period. Sebzukhov came back with a takedown in the second period, which was challenged by the U.S. The call stood and Sebzukhov went up 4-1. Hidlay would score a late takedown, but ultimately come up a point short. Hidlay had outscored his opponents 26-1 leading up to the semifinals. Alleida Martinez (50 kilograms), Alex Hedrick (55 kilograms), Michaela Beck (59 kilograms), Jayden Laurent (68 kilograms) and Korinahe Bullock (76 kilograms) open their tournaments on Wednesday in women's wrestling. Wednesday's medal matches in freestyle are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. local time/11 a.m. ET.

Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis celebrates after beating Alex Marinelli of Iowa in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Juan Garcia) BLACKSBURG -- Junior world champion and NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis will not compete for Virginia Tech in the upcoming 2019-20 season and will instead use an Olympic redshirt to train and qualify for the 2020 United States Olympic Team Trials on April 4-5, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. Lewis' gold medal performance at the 2018 Junior World Championships met one of USA Wrestling's four criteria for an Olympic redshirt. Lewis will retain his year of NCAA eligibility through the athletics activity waiver. The waiver allows student-athletes to train for senior level competition - in this case the Olympic Trials - and retain one year of eligibility from the NCAA. "After speaking with my coaches, mentors and family, I feel like I'm ready to jump into this Olympic year with both feet," Lewis said. "I didn't take this decision lightly. I understand that making the 2020 Olympic team and competing for Team USA in Tokyo will be difficult, but I know that deep down I can get the job done. Thank you to the Hokie Nation for your support. I'm looking forward to doing what I do for the Hokies in 2020-21!" "As the head wrestling coach at Virginia Tech and the director of the Southeast Regional Training Center, I have a strong obligation to put Mekhi in the best position possible to accomplish his goals," Virginia Tech wrestling head coach Robie said. "Mekhi is a special talent and he has the ability to become the best in the world. Taking this year to focus solely on freestyle wrestling, international competition and preparing for the Olympic Trials is ultimately the best thing for his development." Lewis, who will still be training in Blacksburg with the Southeast Regional Training Center, will next travel to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado for a 10-week training camp before his first scheduled competition at the Dmitry Korkin International in Yakutia, Russia on Oct. 10-13. His first Olympic Trials qualifying event will be the Bill Farrell Memorial Open in New York City from Nov. 15-16. "The Olympic games is the pinnacle in the sport of wrestling and as an athlete, you have limited opportunities at it," Robie continued. "Mekhi Lewis is ready, and I think he is among the best in the world. We are excited to support him in his quest to win Olympic gold." In 2018-19, Lewis pieced together one of the more memorable seasons in the history of Virginia Tech athletics. The Bound Brook, New Jersey native began the year by winning a gold medal at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia. He returned to the Hokies and turned in a 20-2 record during the regular season before claiming the ACC championship at 165 pounds. Lewis entered the 2019 NCAA Championships as the No. 8 seed and after advancing to the quarterfinals proceeded to knock the No. 1, No. 4 and No. 2 seeds in succession to win Tech's first individual NCAA title in wrestling. Lewis' 7-1 decision in the finals over two-time defending champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State helped him seal NWCA Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. The Hokies return four NCAA qualifiers from last year's squad, including two-time ACC champion and three-time All-American David McFadden and ACC Freshman of the Year Mitch Moore. Robie, the reigning ACC Coach of the Year, signed a consensus top five recruiting class that features four prospects who finished in the top 100 of FloWrestling's Class of 2019 Big Board.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Scott A. Koppenhafer -- a former Colorado high school wrestler who went on to compete at Adams State University -- was killed in combat this weekend, the Marine Forces Special Operations Command announced Sunday. He was 35. Koppenhafer, a critical skills operator with 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, suffered fatal wounds after becoming engaged in gunfire while supporting Iraqi Security Forces. The incident is still under investigation. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Scott A. KoppenhaferPrior to joining the Marine Corps, Koppenhafer crafted a successful wrestling career. At Mancos High School in southwest Colorado, Koppenhafer was a three-time Class AA state tournament placer, placing sixth at 125 pounds as a freshman, then second at 130 his sophomore year and at 135 as a junior, according to a November 2001 article from the Cortez Journal. Scott Koppenhafer continued his academic and athletic career at Adams State University, wrestling for the Grizzlies NCAA Division II mat program where he was a teammate of older brother Travis Koppenhafer, who recently had served as a volunteer wrestling coach for the Anamosa, Colo.-based school. Scott Koppenhafer wrestled at Adams State for three seasons; during that time he was able to earn his bachelor's degree with an eye to joining the Marines just that much faster, according to the school. After graduating from Adams State in 2005, Scott Koppenhafer signed on with the Marine Corps. He had spent the past 10 years as a MARSOC (United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command) critical skills operator. Before joining the Marines special operations, he was a machine gunner with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, and later as a scout sniper, completing deployments with both the 31st and 11th Marine Expeditionary Units. Over the years, Koppenhafer had earned numerous honors, including two Bronze Star medals with Combat Distinguishing Device, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat Distinguishing Device, one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, one Humanitarian Service Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons, four Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and six Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. Just last year, Koppenhafer had been named MARSOC Operator of the Year for 2018. Scott Koppenhafer is survived by his wife and two children. "Our most sincere thoughts are with the family and teammates of Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer during this difficult time," a Marines spokesperson said Sunday. "MARSOC is providing care and support to Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer's family; we urge respect for their privacy as they grieve this incredible loss." Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.