InterMat Staff

George Heebner, long-time Pennsylvania high school wrestling coach and official who was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame a decade ago, passed away Sunday, June 2 ... just three days after his wife Brenda. Heebner launched his long-time relationship with wrestling at Shamokin Jr. High School in eastern Pennsylvania, continuing his on-the-mat career at Shamokin High. Heebner then went on to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. where he earned his bachelor's degree in education, and wrestled for two seasons in the late 1950s. He then earned a Master's at Temple University. Heebner spent 42 years at Octorara Area High School, where he taught chemistry and physics. He began coaching at Octorara in 1963, running up a record in the Southern Chester County League (SCCL) of 140-69-3 before retiring from coaching in 1988. In a quarter-century of coaching wrestling at Octorara, Heebner was named the SCCL Coach of the Year seven times, and saw eleven of his wrestlers reach the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state tournament. To put Heebner's coaching accomplishments in perspective, in his first fifteen years at Octorara, Heebner's wrestlers launched their wrestling careers as high school freshmen, as there was no junior-high feeder program. After retiring from coaching, Heebner remained with the sport as an official, serving in that capacity for three decades, mostly at the high school level. In 2008, George Heebner became a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Hall of Fame. "Surprised is not the word for how I felt when I got the first letter telling me of the honor," Heebner told the Southern Chester County Weeklies at the time of his induction in 2008. "I actually wondered if it was a joke. Then I got the second letter, and had to call Mike Clair, the president of the PA Chapter, to confirm that it was true." "All of the other things -- officiating, the positions I've held in the league and in District 1, have all been very satisfying," Heebner said a decade ago. "It's satisfying to know that I've made a difference in District 1 wresting, and for Class AA wrestling. But coaching was the most fun. "It was a lot of fun developing goals for Octorara wrestling, then watching them come to fruition. It's a lot of fun and very gratifying to watch as the kids begin to get what you are teaching, buy into it, and then achieve what they are capable of achieving." George and Brenda Heebner will be honored at a memorial service on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Highland Presbyterian Church, 500 E. Roseville Rd. in Lancaster, Pa. Friends may greet the family from 10 a.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice & Community Care, 685 Good Drive, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17601 or to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601. Condolences may be shared online at DeBordSnyder.com.

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has announced that Colorado Mesa University captured the inaugural NCAA Women's Scholar All-American Team title with a 3.32 GPA, besting Adrian College's 3.12 team GPA. Link: Scholar All-American Teams Link: Individual Scholar All-Americans Colorado Mesa University which announced the addition of its women's wrestling team just over a year ago recently completed its first season of competition in which they finished 21st at the WCWA Championships and garnered the school's first individual All-American, Sierra Brown Ton who finished in 8th Place. In the individual category, Gannon University led the way boasting four honorees while Team Champions Colorado Mesa and Team Runners Up Adrian College each had four individuals named Scholar All-American and Tiffin University had two. These awards come on the heels of the NCAA's announcement that the Committee for Women's Athletics (CWA) has recommended that women's wrestling be added to the NCAA Emerging Sports List for each NCAA Division (D1, D2, & D3). "We are proud to honor this year's Scholar All-Americans and their success in the classroom," Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director." A special thanks to the coaching and support staffs as well as the leadership at each of these institutions for their tireless efforts in helping to better the lives of their student-athletes."

Shakur Rasheed wrestling at the Southern Scuffle (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Happy Valley wrestling fans are now doubly happy. Shakur Rasheed, who wrestled at 184 pounds last season, announced Tuesday that he will be back wrestling at Penn State next season ... just days after 2019 NCAA heavyweight champ Anthony Cassar revealed he would be returning to the Nittany Lion lineup. Rasheed shared his good news about having been granted one more year of eligibility at Penn State on his Instagram Tuesday evening, specifically addressing fans of his college program ... as well as those in the place where he grew up in New York State. Rasheed was a member of Penn State's top-ranked 2014 recruiting class, along with Bo Nickal, Jason Nolf, Nick Nevills and Anthony Cassar. However, Rasheed and Cassar both have had to battle injuries throughout their collegiate careers. For that reason, both sought and received medical redshirts from the NCAA. In Rasheed's case, the NCAA extension is most likely to make up for his 2016-17 season when he wrestled only six matches due to injuries. Since that injury-plagued season, Rasheed tallied two successful seasons, racking up a 44-7 record -- along with 20 pins -- for 2017-18 and 2018-19 combined. Among the other highlights for Rasheed for the 2017-18 season: crowned champ at 197 pounds at the 2018 Southern Scuffle (and being named Outstanding Wrestler at the New Year's event), placing second at the Big Ten conference championships, and earning All-American honors by placing seventh at 197 at the 2018 NCAA championships in Cleveland. This past season, Rasheed was 20-2. He repeated as Southern Scuffle champion on Jan. 2, 2019, this time winning the title at 184 pounds. Rasheed placed second at 184 at the 2019 Big Tens. He was seeded second for the 2019 NCAAs, but went 1-2 before making his untimely exit. Before coming to Happy Valley in 2014, Rasheed wrestled at Longwood High School in Coram, Long Island, winning New York state titles as a junior and senior.

Eric Juergens, mat champ for the University of Iowa two decades ago, is among the seven former Hawkeye athletes named to the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019. A native of Maquoketa, Iowa, Juergens won back-to-back NCAA Division I titles for Iowa wrestling in 2000 and 2001 at 133 pounds, having earned NCAA All-American honors four consecutive years (1998-2001). He also was a two-time Big Ten conference champ in 2000 and 2001, and earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors in 2001. What's more, Juergens was twice named Iowa Male Athlete of the Year. Eric Juergens (Photo/Iowa Athletics)Juergens has already been welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum Glen Brand Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in Cresco, Iowa for wrestlers with a connection to the state of Iowa in 2006. In addition to Eric Juergens, other members of the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019 include Jeremy Allen, Deb Brickey, Marc Long, Diane Pohl, Leroy Smith, and Tangela Smith. All Hawkeye athletes who have earned at least one varsity letter award at Iowa are eligible for the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. Athletes must have completed their eligibility 10 years, and coaches/administrators five years prior to their induction. Juergens and others in the 31st Hall of Fame class will be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 during an evening ceremony inside the Grand Coral Ballroom at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Convention Center at 6:30 p.m. Central. A hors d'oeuvres and cocktail reception precedes the induction ceremony at 5:30 p.m. This induction event takes place the evening prior to the University of Iowa football team's season opener against Miami University of Ohio. For more information, contact the Iowa Varsity Club office at (319) 335-9438.

Reece Humphrey celebrates with Pat Downey at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Episode 30 of The MatBoss Podcast with Chad Dennis is with New Jersey Regional Training Center coach and past U.S. World Teamer Reece Humphrey. The Ohio State alum talks about the dynamic of an RTC that's based around two Division I schools -- Princeton and Rutgers -- as well as the recruitment of athletes to the RTC. Humphrey will also dive into his philosophy on coaching, his foray into beach wrestling and his thoughts on the Final X controversy surrounding the finish of the Yianni Diakomihalis-Zain Retherford series. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

Darrion Caldwell (Photo/Bellator) Past NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell will look to avenge his most recent loss in MMA on Friday night at Bellator 222 when he faces Kyoji Horiguchi at Madison Square Garden. Horiguchi won by submission (guillotine choke) over Caldwell on Dec. 31 in Japan. Despite the loss, Caldwell is currently -125 betting favorite in Friday's rematch. While Caldwell is focused on his upcoming fight against Horiguchi, a potential match down the road could be against UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo. Cejudo defeated Marlon Moraes on Saturday night to earn the UFC bantamweight title, to go along with his flyweight title. Caldwell and Cejudo were teammates for Team USA in high school at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, which is now known as the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. For the event, Cejudo competed at 125 pounds, while Caldwell competed at 152 pounds. Caldwell spoke to Luke Thomas of MMAFighting.com Monday on The MMA Hour about Cejudo. "He was just so small," Caldwell told Thomas. "I just never looked at him as a threat. I still don't look at him as a threat." While Caldwell and Cejudo are currently in different MMA organizations, the two could eventually fight if the UFC and Bellator set up cross-promotion fights. "Henry is not a threat," Cejudo reiterated to Thomas. "I would like that fight just because I know it would go my way. The UFC guys get more pub, everything."

Tonight from 6 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET, BTN will air four consecutive episodes of Wrestling in 60. The block of wrestling programming will feature 24 of the premier matches from the 2018-19 Big Ten Wrestling season. Wrestling in 60 Night can be streamed on your tablet or mobile device via BTN2Go or the Fox Sports App. Episode 1: 6 p.m. ET 1. 157 pounds No. 2 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 2. 149 pounds No. 4 Justin Oliver (NC State) vs. No. 3 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) 3. 184 pounds Brandon Krone (Minnesota) vs. No. 16 Nick Gravina (Rutgers) 4. 285 pounds Conan Jennings (Northwestern) vs. No. 14 David Jensen (Nebraska) 5. 125 pounds No. 1 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) vs. No. 15 Zeke Moisey (Nebraska) 6. 174 pounds Daniel Bullard (NC State) vs. Te'Shan Campbell (Ohio State) Episode 2: 7 p.m. ET 1. 149 pounds No. 5 Kevin Gfeller (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 2. 184 pounds No. 2 Emery Parker (Illinois) vs. No. 20 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) 3. 133 pounds No. 10 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) vs. No. 8 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) 4. 133 pounds Anthony Tutulo (Michigan State) vs. No. 5 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) 5. 133 pounds No. 6 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) vs. Nick Suriano (Rutgers) 6. 157 pounds No. 6 Kaleb Young (Iowa) vs. No. 9 Steve Bleise (Minnesota) Episode 3: 8 p.m. ET 1. 133 pounds No. 3 Nick Suriano (Rutgers) vs. No. 8 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) 2. 157 pounds No. 2 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) vs. No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) 3. 157 pounds Jake Danishek (Indiana) vs. No. 6 Griffin Parriott (Purdue) 4. 149 pounds No. 2 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) vs. No. 16 Pat Lugo (Iowa) 5. 197 pounds No. 12 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) vs. No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 6. 141 pounds No. 7 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) vs. No. 4 Mike Carr (Illinois) Episode 4: 9 p.m. ET 1. 184 pounds No. 2 Emery Parker (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 2. 285 pounds No. 7 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs. No. 17 Chase Singletary (Ohio State) 3. 133 pounds No. 1 Stevan Micic (Michigan) vs. No. 6 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) 4. 141 pounds No. 19 Max Murin (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Mike Carr (Illinois) 5. 125 pounds No. 12 Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) vs. No. 15 Zeke Moisey (Nebraska) 6. 141 pounds No. 5 Kanen Storr (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Joey McKenna (Ohio State)

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- Former West Virginia University and University of Nebraska standout Zeke Moisey has been named assistant wrestling coach at Fairmont State University, as announced by head wrestling coach Chris Freije on Monday afternoon. Zeke MoiseyThe former collegiate standout finished national runner-up in 2014, earned All-America honors twice, and was a four-time national qualifier at the NCAA Division I level. "I'm more than excited to welcome Zeke to Fairmont State University and the Falcon wrestling family," said Freije. "His credentials say enough about his wrestling background, but he's had a lot of success throughout his high school and college career in this area and familiar waters are always nice "Zeke is a tireless worker with a hard-nosed approach, and a mentality that to me embodies the culture of North Central West Virginia, and of course, his home state of Pennsylvania. When you combine that passion for wrestling with his values, level of experience, intensity, and technical knowledge of the sport you get a rare mix of attributes that few individuals possess," Freije added. Moisey comes to Fairmont State after wrapping up his collegiate wrestling career at the University of Nebraska during the 2018-19 season. As a senior, the 125-pound standout qualified for both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, recording four victories over top-20 ranked opponents. Prior to transferring to Nebraska for his final season, Moisey was a four-year member of the wrestling program at West Virginia University, earning All-America honors twice and finishing national runner-up in the 125-pound weight class during his freshman season. "I am honored for the opportunity to become part of the new wrestling program at Fairmont State University," said Moisey. "I am extremely excited to move back to West Virginia and begin my journey on the coaching side of the sport I love alongside Coach Freije. "After having the privilege to compete in both the Big Ten and Big 12 during my collegiate career, I look forward to using my technical knowledge to teach the incoming athletes, along with navigating them through the challenges of being a student athlete," Moisey added. During his three seasons competing for the Mountaineers, Moisey put together a career record of 84-37 and qualified for the NCAA Championships during each season he was in the lineup. Moisey earned All-America honors as a freshman in 2015 as national runner-up, and also a junior in 2018 after finishing eighth in the country in his weight class. The standout received a medical redshirt in 2017 after suffering an injury during the 2016 NCAA Championships. A native of Northampton, Pa., Moisey was a prep standout at Bethlehem Catholic High School in Pennsylvania, finishing top five in the state during each of his four seasons. He won a Class AA state title at 126 pounds during the 2014 PIAA Wrestling Championships.

KENOSHA, WIS. -- Carthage College will broaden its sports offerings in 2020-21 with the revival of men's wrestling, and the addition of women's wrestling and women's bowling. These additions will expand the Carthage athletics department to 27 varsity programs. "I'm thrilled that Carthage is expanding our sport offerings, as it continues our history of offering emerging sports that meet our prospective student's needs. Adding men's and women's wrestling, along with women's bowling, and increasing our focus on club and recreational sports will enrich our campus community," says Michelle Manning, director of athletics at Carthage College. Men's wrestling will return to the Carthage lineup after a 26-year hiatus. The Red Men wrestling program, which began in 1961-62, will begin its new season with a 204-242-8 all-time record in dual meets. Carthage College Athletic Hall of Fame member Ron Zalokar '95 was the head coach for all 33 seasons of the Red Men wrestling program. As of the 2018-19 academic year, 108 NCAA Division III institutions across six regions sponsor men's wrestling. Carthage College will contribute to the national expansion of women's wrestling and women's bowling. Women's wrestling was recently recommended as an emerging sport by the NCAA committee on women's athletics. If approved, women's wrestling will be added to the NCAA emerging sports lineup on August 1, 2020, a huge step toward evolving into an NCAA Championship-Level sport in the future. The 2018-19 academic year saw 23 NCAA institutions sponsor women's wrestling. Eighty-four NCAA campuses participate in women's bowling, and Carthage will add its name to that list. Women's bowling competes as one division known as the National Collegiate Bowling. A national search for head coaches will begin in the coming weeks. Carthage will also hire a club sport coordinator to provide structure for club sport athletes and to grow programs to meet our campus recreational needs. This position will focus efforts on men's water polo, men's and women's ice hockey, and men's bowling.

The body of a former wrestler whose career spanned middle and high school as well as at Campbell University was recovered from a lake in Raleigh Friday afternoon. Ryan Wayne Hall, 22, had been missing since Thursday evening. The cause of death is unknown. However, police said that foul play is not suspected. Ryan HallHall had been listed on the wrestling roster at Buies Creek-based Campbell for the 2014-15 season as a redshirt freshman at 157 pounds. Prior to that, Hall had wrestled in middle school and high school, qualifying for the North Carolina state wrestling championships twice for Pasquotank County High School in Elizabeth City in his junior and senior years. In his recruiting profile for North Carolina Sports Association, Hall wrote, "I've been wrestling since 7th grade. I was not always the best wrestler back then but I was determined to succeed… I plan on attending a four-year college and studying business because I want to own my own sporting goods store someday." Hall had a high school career record of 101-29. "He was my best friend," Malik Hurdle told the Raleigh News & Observer Friday. "He was someone I could depend on no matter what. He was a light shining so bright he touched everybody he came into contact with. I really can't believe he's gone." His high school wrestling program posted this message on Twitter: "It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the loss of former Pasquotank Co. Wrestler Ryan Hall. Ryan was great athlete, fierce competitor, and great friend. You will be missed.... #NENCSports" The sheriff's department of Pasquotank County shared this on its Facebook page: Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office: "We are saddened by the loss of Ryan Wayne Hall (22). Ryan wrestled through middle and high school, competing in the state 2A Wrestling Championship as a Senior at Pasquotank County High School. He was loved by many, including our own School Resource Officers assigned to the school. "We are extending our deepest condolences to the family, friends, faculty, and students of Pasquotank County High School. Ryan will be missed greatly." Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

J'den Cox defeated Bo Nickal in two straight matches at Final X: Rutgers (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Two of the biggest wrestling events of the year are being held this month with back-to-back Final X events. It was good to see all three styles competing in this year's Final X, with Greco-Roman being included along with men's and women's freestyle. The first Final X event featured an excellent atmosphere and top-notch wrestling while being held on Saturday at Rutgers University. The second Final X event will be held this weekend in Lincoln with Olympic and world champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder headlining a star-studded lineup. The Final X winners advance to this fall's World Championships in Kazakhstan. The U.S. is expected to contend for world team titles in men's and women's freestyle again this year. Here are my top takeaways from the Final X at Rutgers. J'den Cox: All he does is win It seems like every year that someone new is being picked to knock off J'den Cox. But the world champion and Olympic medalist continues to beat them all. Cox made his fourth straight world or Olympic team by downing Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal in men's freestyle at 92 kilograms. Let's give Cox his due. He's a hell of a wrestler who continues to compete at a very high level. He knows how to perform when the stakes are highest. Nickal is very talented, but is a little undersized for this weight class. Nickal wrestled at the non-Olympic weight of 92 kg this year with reigning world champion and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club teammate David Taylor at 86 kg. Cox looks poised to win another world title this year. It will be interesting to see which weight classes Cox and Nickal compete in during the Olympic year in 2020. Zain Train overcomes Yianni One of the most anticipated battles lived up to the hype when Zain Retherford avenged a U.S. Open setback by defeating Yianni Diakomihalis to make the world freestyle team at 65 kilograms. The battle between Cadet world and NCAA champions was a treat for fans in New Jersey to watch even with a controversial and disputed finish. It's too bad the U.S. can't send both guys to the World Championships. They are both really good wrestlers. We can look forward to more matchups between these two young stars in the very near-future. Burkert receives another shot Veteran Jenna Burkert continues to excel and persevere, and she's back on the women's world team. Burkert swept 2017 world bronze medalist Becka Leathers to earn a trip to Kazakhstan at 57 kilograms. Burkert is another wrestler with the experience and talent to excel at the top level. Da Flying Squirrel 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman has battled his share of injuries in recent years, but the past Junior world medalist looked like the Flying Squirrel of old in turning in a dominating performance in making the Greco-Roman world team. Coleman is a talented and gifted wrestler who has a chance to win a medal at the Senior World Championships. He can still put on a show when he competes. No Dake, no Taylor It's unfortunate that Kyle Dake and David Taylor will miss out on the Final X events because of injuries. And unfortunate for the fans who will miss seeing two world champions compete. The good news is that Dake received an extension and will be battling Alex Dieringer for the 79-kilogram spot at a later date. Those matches are going to be interesting and entertaining. Dake is very good, but Dieringer battled him close last year and has had a heck of a season. I can't wait to see those two studs battle on the mat. Taylor is done for this season, but no doubt will be back and ready to make a run at Olympic gold in 2020. Will this be Whitney's year? Whitney Conder continues to make world teams in women's freestyle wrestling and she did it again with a strong performance against veteran Victoria Anthony at 50 kg. Now will Conder, a past Junior world champion, finally break through at the Senior World Championships? She certainly has the ability and the experience to do it. Pat Smith knocks off Bey Veteran Pat Smith fell by an 11-2 technical fall in his first match against explosive and talented Kamal Bey. But Smith fought back to win the next matches to knock off Bey, who was seventh at the 2018 World Championships. Smith made his second world team on the Senior level. He showed why it's so tough to make a U.S. team. You have to beat the same person twice and that's no easy feat. Gwiz back on big stage Two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski had his hands full against age-group world champion Gable Steveson. But the Gwiz prevailed in the men's freestyle heavyweight battle to make his third straight world team. Gwiz is an athletic and mobile wrestler who definitely has a shot to contend for a gold medal this year. Steveson continues to progress and his future looks extremely bright on the Senior level. He just finished his freshman season of college and he's already showing he's going to be a force on the Olympic level. Kudos to Mad Max You can't help but root for a guy like Max Nowry, a dedicated wrestler who has persevered and worked for many years for a day like this to arrive. It finally did when Nowry made his first Senior world team in Greco-Roman. He's a classic case of showing what hard work can truly accomplish. Rave reviews It was good to see the first Final X event being held at Rutgers in a place where a sport like wrestling is truly appreciated. A number of athletes said they enjoyed competing there and were appreciative of the atmosphere and fan support provided during the event. These Final X events feature some high-level wrestling. Be sure to check out the Final X event this weekend in Lincoln. You won't be disappointed. 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.

Henry Cejudo celebrates his victory with two belts (Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC/Getty Images) Most people would call it adversity. But not Henry Cejudo. Looking overwhelmed and overmatched early in his UFC title fight against Marlon Moraes on Saturday night in Chicago, Cejudo did what he's done his entire life. He kept fighting. Cejudo's been an underdog since the day he was born as the son of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. He's a guy who grew up so poor he didn't often know where his next meal was coming from. Or if there would even be a meal. Falling behind against Moraes would've finished most fighters, but not the resilient and determined Cejudo. Cejudo made an incredible recovery, setting a fast pace and eventually wearing Moraes out with a relentless attack before the fight was stopped in the third round. Cejudo won the UFC bantamweight world title at 135 pounds to go with the UFC title he also owns in the flyweight class at 125 pounds. When he won his second UFC title Saturday night, it once again made me reflect back on Cejudo's wrestling career. As many of you know, Cejudo made a decision to step away from wrestling after winning the 2008 Olympic gold medal in men's freestyle at 55 kilograms. He was just 21 years old. Wrestlers weren't receiving the huge bonuses and paydays for winning the Olympics back then and that definitely factored into his decision to step away. He also has experienced tough weight cuts at the 2007 Pan American Games and 2008 Olympic Games to make 121 pounds. Cejudo eventually came back to wrestling at the 2012 Olympic Trials, but came up just short after losing an entertaining bout to world fifth-place finisher Nick Simmons. Cejudo hadn't trained and competed much at the time, but he still showed he had the same talent and ability he put on display in 2008. Who knows what would've happened if he would have remained committed for one more Olympic cycle? He certainly would've contended for Olympic gold in 2012. No question about that. But if Cejudo wins another Olympic gold medal in wrestling, maybe he never pursues a career in mixed martial arts. Who knows? The good news is that we still have an opportunity to watch him compete. And at a high level. Cejudo is 32 years old, but he looks as strong and explosive as ever. He's a dynamic athlete who still has lightning-quick speed. He has the total package for a mixed martial artist. He has excellent striking skills to go with his superior wrestling ability. One of the reasons he may look so good at age 32 is he didn't train and compete at a top level that much from age 21-25 during the 2009-12 Olympic cycle. That may have saved some wear and tear on his body. He's also very strong mentally. He knew he was in great shape and he was well aware he could use his high level of conditioning to his advantage Saturday night. He disclosed that he had suffered a serious ankle injury just before the bout, but he fought through it to prevail Saturday. One underrated part of Cejudo's repertoire is his toughness. He is as gritty and hard-nosed of a competitor as I've ever seen. And he has a tremendous work ethic. He also has that same confidence he's always had. He believes in his abilities and he trusts his coaches and his training. He's an intelligent person who knows exactly what he's doing. Cejudo has come up with a few interesting, and even offbeat, ways to market and promote himself outside the ring, but he is one of the most genuine, kind and considerate guys you will ever meet. He is a happy person who loves to smile and joke around. He is a charismatic guy who fans should rally around and support. He's a unique and tremendous talent. And his fights are exciting and highly entertaining. Why not embrace that? Shortly after his latest win, UFC president Dana White draped Cejudo's championship belts over each of his shoulders and he proclaimed himself "the greatest combat athlete of all-time." He didn't need to say it. Cejudo owns an Olympic gold medal in wrestling and two UFC world championship belts. That speaks for itself. Who else has a resume in combat sports that even comes close to that? Late Saturday night, Cejudo even talked about bumping up to 145 pounds to try and win a UFC title in a third different weight class. It may seem a little ambitious, but remember who we're talking about. The guy who excels in the underdog role. And who absolutely loves proving people wrong. When Cejudo was in high school, he wasn't dreaming about winning an Olympic gold medal. He was planning on doing it. Henry Cejudo is someone nobody should ever count out. His performance Saturday night once again was proof of that. 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.

Call Henry Cejudo "champ-champ." Henry CejudoThe 2008 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning freestyle wrestler now holds two UFC titles at the same time, adding the bantamweight (135-pound) championship to his existing flyweight (125-pound) title with a third-round TKO of Marlon Moraes at the main event at UFC 238 at United Center in Chicago Saturday night. Cejudo now is the fourth fighter in the quarter-century history of UFC to hold two titles at once, joining Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes. Or, to ask the 32-year-old Cejudo, it's "champ-champ-champ." "I am Triple-C," Cejudo said after winning his second MMA title at UFC 238. "Olympic champion, flyweight champion and now bantamweight champion. I am the greatest combat athlete of all time." Cejudo's post-fight statement about the outcome would not have been what was expected, based on how things were going early in the match. Here's how USA Today opened its coverage of the Cejudo-Moraes bantamweight title bout: "Just when it looked like Marlon Moraes may have found Henry Cejudo's Kryptonite, Cejudo turned the tide and made UFC history." "Through the first round, Cejudo looked overmatched against Moraes," according to the Colorado Springs Gazette, hometown newspaper for the Colorado community where Cejudo went to high school and worked out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. "The Brazilian packed more power in his punches and kept attacking Cejudo with sweeping leg kicks low toward a sprained ankle that limited his pre-fight training." "Midway through the second round, Cejudo changed strategies and was no longer content to keep a distance and withstand the kicks," the Gazette continued. "He braved the power and took the fight to Moraes, and from there Cejudo took command." In the third period, Cejudo unleashed a barrage of punches and elbows on a prone Moraes right in his opponent's corner. The Olympic gold medalist ultimately scored his TKO at 4:51 of the third round of the scheduled five-round bout for the bantamweight belt which had been vacated by T.J. Dillashaw who is now under a drug-related suspension. Cejudo's win might be historic for yet another reason: it may have saved the flyweight weight class. "Winning the vacant bantamweight crown seemingly cleared the way for Henry Cejudo to exit the flyweight division and pursue a title reign in a new division," according to Sherdog.com. "Instead, Cejudo's victory over Marlon Moraes in the UFC 238 headliner may have saved an entire weight class." As Sherdog.com asserted, "The demise of the flyweight division has been rumored for months, and the promotion has fueled that speculation by gradually trimming its roster of 125-pound talent." After Cejudo's win, UFC president Dana White asserted that the flyweight weight class isn't going anywhere. "Obviously him [Cejudo] winning had a lot to do with the division," White said in Saturday's post-fight press conference. "Did I say it's going away? Did I say it's leaving? I haven't even talked about that division in months. Yes, it is confirmed [it's staying]." White went on to compliment Cejudo's performance. "I'm blown away," White said. "This guy has heard it all, from ‘Oh, you didn't really beat Demetrious,' ‘It was a fluke when you knocked out T.J.' -- you can't deny the guy anymore. He's awesome. "We'll sit down with him and figure out what he's talking about [for his next opponent] and what we'll do." With the win, Cejudo -- who was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member almost exactly one year ago -- not only owns two UFC titles, but is now 15-2 in a pro MMA career launched in March 2013. The 31-year-old Moraes drops to 21-6-1 in his 12 years in MMA.

Nick Gwiazdowski (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Three returning world medalists earned spots on the 2019 U.S. World Team on Saturday at Final X: Rutgers. World champion J'den Cox (92 kilograms), along with world bronze medalists Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kilograms) and Tamyra Mensah-Stock (68 kilograms), were among the seven champions crowned in the final session of Final X: Rutgers. The 24-year-old Cox won in two straight matches over 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal at 92 kilograms. Cox claimed a 4-2 victory in the first match. In the second match, Cox blanked Nickal 5-0 to earn his fourth straight spot on a World or Olympic Team. "He's a great wrestler," Cox said of Nickal. "He presented a lot of challenges. I think that he's going to be really tough in the future." Gwiazdowski, a two-time returning world bronze medalist, defeated three-time age-group world champion Gable Steveson in two straight matches at 125 kilograms. Gwiazdowski won both matches on criteria. He took the first match 4-4, scoring a takedown in the final period. He claimed the second match 3-3 on the strength of a late reversal. "I've been through this," said Gwiazdowski. "It's a different challenge. But they challenge me in different ways to be a master of this sport. There are things I haven't faced before. I was prepared for them. I focus on those things. I was confident in what I was doing." Mensah-Stock won in two straight matches over WCWA national champion Alexandria Glaude at 68 kilograms. Mensah-Stock, the only American wrestler ever to win three Yarygin Grand Prix gold medals, secured a fall in the first match after building a 6-0 lead. She closed out the victory with a 10-0 technical fall. At 50 kilograms in the women's wrestling competition, Whitney Conder made her fourth World Team by beating Victoria Anthony in two straight matches. Conder, a six-time U.S. Open champion, took the first match 7-4 before earning a first-period fall in the second match to close out the victory. "I'm not just trying to wrestle one person ... It's the world," said Conder. "So I have to improve every position as much as I can." Forrest Molinari came back to defeat Maya Nelson (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) World fifth-place finisher Forrest Molinari came from behind to defeat 2017 Junior world champion Maya Nelson at 65 kilograms to earn a spot back on the World Team. Nelson claimed a 5-3 victory in the first match before Molinaro came back to win by technical fall in the second match and 4-1 in the third and deciding match. Zain Retherford defeated Yianni Diakomihalis in two straight matches (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 2017 World Team member Zain Retherford punched his ticket to the World Championships by beating U.S. Open champion Yianni Diakomihalis at 65 kilograms in two straight matches, avenging a U.S. Open finals loss. Retherford rolled to a 10-4 victory in the first match before closing out the victory with a 6-6 victory on criteria. "Yianni is a great opponent," said Retherford. "Shooting on his legs is dangerous, but I know I've got to take that risk or else I'm not going to beat him. So that is kind of my thought … just to keep going." Pat Smith bounced back to defeat 2017 Junior world champion Kamal Bey at 77 kilograms. Bey rolled to an 11-2 technical fall in the first match. But Smith came back to win the final two matches by scores of 3-2 and 6-3. It's the second time in three years Smith has made a World Team. Bey defeated Smith at the U.S. Open in April. "I'm focused on giving everything I have, being the best possible version I can of me," said Smith. "That's the No. 1 goal. The results follow that. The biggest thing is wrestle well." Freestyle results 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford over Yianni Diakomihalis, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Retherford dec. Diakomihalis, 10-4 Match 2: Retherford dec. Diakomihalis, 6-6 92 kilograms: J'den Cox over Bo Nickal, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Cox dec. Nickal, 4-2 Match 2: Cox dec. Nickal, 5-0 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski over Gable Steveson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gwiazdowski dec. Steveson, 4-4 Match 2: Gwiazdowski dec. Steveson, 3-3 Women's wrestling results 50 kilograms: Whitney Conder over Victoria Anthony, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Conder dec. Anthony, 7-4 Match 2: Conder pin Anthony, 1:57 65 kilograms: Forrest Molinari over Maya Nelson, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Nelson dec. Molinari, 5-3 Match 2: Molinari tech. fall Nelson, 12-2 Match 3: Molinari dec. Nelson, 4-1 68 kilograms: Tamyra Mensah-Stock over Alexandria Glaude, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Mensah-Stock pin Glaude, 4:50 Match 2: Mensah-Stock tech. fall Glaude, 10-0 Greco-Roman results 77 kilograms: Pat Smith over Kamal Bey, 2 matches 1 Match 1: Bey tech. fall Smith. 11-2 Match 2: Smith dec. Bey, 2-1 Match 3: Smith dec. Bey, 6-3

Ellis Coleman lifts Jamel Johnson (Photo/Juan Garcia) PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Six wrestlers secured spots on the 2019 U.S. World Team with victories in Saturday's first session at Final X: Rutgers. All six wrestlers needed just two matches to claim their best-of-three victories. The opening session saw four Greco-Roman weight classes contested and two women's wrestling weight classes contested. Greco-Roman winners included Max Nowry (55 kilograms), Ellis Coleman (67 kilograms), John Stefanowicz (82 kilograms) and Joe Rau (87 kilograms). The two winners in the women's wrestling competition were Jenna Burkert (57 kilograms) and Victoria Francis (72 kilograms). Nowry and Coleman are both Greco-Roman wrestlers for the U.S. Army WCAP program. Max Nowry made the World Team for the first time in his career (Photo/Juan Garcia) Nowry, now a five-time U.S. National Team member, broke through to make his first World Team at 55 kilograms. He topped 20-year-old Brady Koontz in two straight matches. The 29-year-old Nowry blanked Koontz 3-0 in the first match. Koontz came out fast in the second match, racing out to a 5-2 lead. But Nowry battled back to take a 6-5 lead before using a five-point throw to break the match wide open. He would take the second match 11-5. "This is my tenth year, my tenth try to make the team and it finally happened," said Nowry. "Last year I got caught up in the moment. This time I just tried to go out there and do what I do every day." Coleman, a 2012 Olympian and five-time U.S. Open champion, will compete at the World Championships for the fourth time in his career after two dominant victories over Jamel Johnson at 67 kilograms. Coleman scored a 9-1 technical fall in the first match before earning a 6-0 shutout in the second match. He will be looking for his first Senior world medal after winning two world medals at the Junior level. Coleman scored with six gut wrenches, which he developed from a young age training under Bryan Medlin in Illinois. "I just wanted to get on top," said Coleman. "I told myself I would push the pace on my feet and just need one opportunity on top. If I get on top one time, I'm going to win the match. I got on top one time and finished the match." Rau came through to make his second World Team by defeating two-time Olympian Ben Provisor in two straight matches at 87 kilograms. The 28-year-old Chicago native came from behind in the first match, scoring a step out with four seconds remaining, to defeat Provisor 2-1. In the second match, Rau came out strong, scoring first off a passivity and then used two gut wrenches to grab a 5-0 lead at the break. He held on to win 5-1. Rau had previously trained with the Minnesota Storm but recently moved back home to train at the Chicago RTC. He works closely with 2016 Olympian Robby Smith. "Robby works his butt off with me," said Rau. "He has done so much for me this year. I have a personal coach now. There's no one else at the RTC that's doing Greco. All the focus is on me. We've just been working out the kinks." John Stefanowicz after beating Jamel Johnson at Final X (Photo/Juan Garcia) Stefanowicz, who competes for the U.S. Marines, made the World Team for the first time in his career, beating U.S. Open champion Kendrick Sanders in two straight matches -- 8-5 and 3-2 -- at 82 kilograms. Stefanowicz placed fifth at the U.S. Open before coming back to win the World Team Trials Challenge Touranment and defeat Sanders at Final X. Jenna Burkert celebrates after beating Becka Leathers (Photo/Juan Garcia) Burkert made her third World Team by defeating 2017 world medalist Becka Leathers in two straight matches at 57 kilograms. Burkert, who moved down a weight class this season, took the first match 4-2. She controlled the second match from start to finish, scoring a step out and takedown in the first period before adding a second-period takedown to win 5-0. "I knew if I kept going forward, I knew she wasn't going beat me," said Burkert. "I knew I had it in me. I beat myself up. If I lose, I feel genuinely it's not because the person is better than me. I think I beat myself up. After I lost at the Open, I punished myself." Victoria Francis gets interviewed after beating Alyvia Fiske at Final X (Photo/Juan Garcia) Francis earned her spot on the World Team at 72 kilograms by defeating Alyvia Fiske in two straight matches, avenging a loss from the U.S. Open finals. Francis had to come from behind in both matches on Saturday. In the first match, Fiske scored the opening takedown and led at the break. Francis used a big second period -- which included a four-point move -- to take the match 7-2. In the second match, Fiske once again controlled the early part of the match, scoring a takedown in the first period to lead 2-0 at the break. Francis, though, made it happen again in the second period. This time she threw Fiske to her back and secured the fall. Francis was U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up in 2016 and World Team Trials champion in 2017. The second session of Final X: Rutgers is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET. Greco-Roman results 55 kilograms: Max Nowry over Brady Koontz, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Nowry dec. Koontz, 3-0 Match 2: Nowry dec. Koontz, 11-5 67 kilograms: Ellis Coleman over Jamel Johnson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Coleman tech. fall Johnson, 9-1 Match 2: Coleman dec. Johnson, 6-0 82 kilograms: John Stefanowicz over Kendrick Sanders, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Stefanowicz dec. Sanders, 8-5 Match 2: Stefanowicz dec. Sanders, 3-2 87 kilograms: Joe Rau over Ben Provisor, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Rau dec. Provisor, 2-1 Match 2: Rau dec. Provisor, 5-1 Women's wrestling results 57 kilograms: Jenna Burkert over Becka Leathers, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Burkert dec. Leathers, 4-2 Match 2: Burkert dec. Leathers, 5-0 72 kilograms: Victoria Francis over Alyvia Fisk , 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Francis dec. Fiske, 7-2 Match 2: Francis pinned Fiske, 3:30

Ed Ruth, three-time NCAA champ for Penn State who is making a name for himself in mixed martial arts, will have his next pro MMA bout at Bellator 224 next month. The 28-year-old Ruth will be facing veteran Kiichi Kunimoto of Japan in a welterweight (175-pound) match at WinStar Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. on Friday, July 12. "July 12th I'm back in the cage swinging leather, time to let my work speak for itself. #Ezway #Deadicted #bellator223" Ruth posted on his Twitter account Sunday afternoon. The former Penn State mat great brings a 6-1 record in a career launched in November 2016. Ruth's first and only loss was in his most recent fight, having been submitted by Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Neiman Gracie in the quarterfinals of the welterweight grand prix last December at Bellator 213. Kunimoto, 38, has been fighting professionally for 13 years, having crafted a 20-7-2 mark. The Osaka native who once competed in UFC will now make his debut with the Bellator organization after scoring back-to-back victories in Japanese promotion Rizin FF.

Nikola Dinev, a heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler from Bulgaria who won two world and five European titles for a dozen years beginning in the mid-1970s, died Saturday, June 1, according to the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation. He was 65. Born in Nova Zagora, Bulgaria in October 1953, Nikola Dinev Nikolov was an imposing figure, standing 6 feet tall and tipping the scales at 130 kilograms (287 pounds). Dinev's on-the-mat accomplishments were no less impressive. He won two gold medals and three silver medals at the World Championships from 1975-1986. In addition, Dinev was a six-time European Championships medalist, winning five gold and one silver. Dinev also represented Bulgaria in Greco-Roman at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where he placed fifth in super-heavyweight competition. In its announcement, the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation said the location and date of services had yet to be determined.

Anthony Cassar gets interviewed by ESPN at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Penn State wrestling program -- and its fans -- got some doubly big news Friday afternoon. Current NCAA heavyweight champ Anthony Cassar will be returning to the Nittany Lions this fall to continue his collegiate wrestling career ... and train for the 2020 Olympic Team Trials, which is expected to be held at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Arena. "After much thought and prayer, I've decided that I will be returning for another year of college wrestling as I prepare for the 2020 Olympic Trials," Cassar posted on Instagram Friday. "Let's run it back!" That message from Cassar was a good-news follow-up to reports from last week that the New Jersey native had been granted two more seasons of collegiate eligibility ... but, at that time, did not commit to returning to Penn State. "I knew there was a chance I could get zero, one or two years back and I was prepared to roll with it either way," Cassar told NJ.com at the time. "The school has been working on it for a couple years, so it was great to get two years back." In that NJ.com interview last week, Cassar continued, "It's not 100 percent right now, but I'm leaning towards wrestling for Penn State next year. Nothing is out of the equation for me, but I'm not looking too far ahead. Not having those four years of starting, it would be nice to have another couple matches in front of the Rec Hall crowd. It's really just an honor to compete there. I'll do what's best for me." Penn State fans at Rec Hall -- the school's iconic wrestling home -- and throughout the U.S. will no doubt welcome the return of Cassar. As a first-year starter in 2018-19, Cassar tallied a 30-1 record over the course of the season, culminating by winning the 285-pound crown at both the 2019 Big Ten conference championships and at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh.

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala -- The men's freestyle team help complete a team title sweep at the 2019 Junior Pan American Championships, winning eight gold medals on Friday night in Guatemala City. An outstanding day for Team USA, the squad went 32-2 on the day and earned the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler award in Roman Bravo-Young, who went 4-0 on the day, winning all matches by tech fall without surrendering a single point the whole day. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is proud to announce the 2019 winners of the Scholastic Coach of the Year awards for the State, Region, and National levels. Jason ChristensonThis year's National Coach of the Year is Jason Christenson from Southeast Polk High School (IA) and the National Assistant Coach of the Year is Keith Laeha from Kamehameha Big Island (HI). Both Christenson and Laeha were selected from the eight section winners. The section winners were voted on by each of the NWCA State Reps after they had nominated a Coach of the Year from their respective states. Christenson (National, Section 4, and Iowa Coach of the Year) just completed his 28th season of coaching and his 18th at Southeast Polk High School. Christenson's 2018-19 squad finished as Dual Team State Champions and State Runners Up at the Individual State Tournament with 11 qualifiers, 6 placers, and an outstanding 3 individual state champions. This now gives Coach Christenson 8 State Titles (4 Dual and 4 Individual) and 5 Runner-up finishes. He has received numerous Coach of the Year honors from such organizations as: USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Iowa Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association, and the Iowa Wrestling Federation. Laeha (National, Section 7, and Hawaii Asst. Coach of the Year) just completed his 40th season of coaching and his 16h at Kamehameha Big Island. During his career, he has served as both an assistant and as a head coach while also finding time to volunteer club teams on the big island. He has long been an avid fan and advocate for the sport of wrestling. “Our National Coach of the Year winners, Coach Jason Christenson, and Coach Keith Laeha, each demonstrate the ability to inspire their athletes to persevere and thrive in the sport of wrestling. These recipients' outstanding contributions to our sport are too numerous to list, but I know that the most important impact that they will make is through the relationships forged in the wrestling room with each of their athletes who will carry that legacy forward. We are proud to honor coaches from across the nation each year through the Boy's Coach of the Year Awards Program which recognizes Head and Assistant Coaches at the State, Section, and National Level. It is through quality coaching that we will be able to continue to save and grow our sport.” Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. SECTION – SCHOLASTIC BOYS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Ron Serrano Massapequa High School NY Section 2 Mike Faus New Kent High School VA Section 3 Randy Steward Sonoraville High School GA Section 4 Jason Christenson Southeast Polk High School IA Section 5 Norm Manstedt High Plains Community Schools NE Section 6 Kevin Reed Midlothian High School TX Section 7 Robert Hesia Kamehameha Kapalama HI Section 8 Nate Laslovich Bozeman High School MT SECTION – SCHOLASTIC BOYS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Reggie Jones Jr. Wantagh High School NY Section 2 Greg Sill Franklin Regional PA Section 3 Andy Medders Camden County High School GA Section 3 Michael R. Lachney Sr. Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School LA Section 5 Jason Kelber Valentine High School NE Section 6 Brandon Adamson Lamar High School CO Section 7 Keith Laeha Kamehameha Big Island HI Section 8 Trenton Culp Glennallen High School AK STATE – SCHOLASTIC BOYS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Ricky Shook Danbury High School CT Section 1 Darby McLaughlin Springfield Central High School MA Section 1 Eric Jensen Mt Ararat High School ME Section 1 Brock Hoffman Bow High School NH Section 1 Michael Markey West Essex High School NJ Section 1 Ron Serrano Massapequa High School NY Section 1 Darren O'Meara Spaulding High School VT Section 2 Aaron Harris Smyrna High School DE Section 2 Mike Thomas Moore Traditional High School KY Section 2 Ryan Mackin Owings Mills High School MD Section 2 Michael Ritter Wauseon High School OH Section 2 Mike Hahesy Erie Cathedral Preparatory School PA Section 2 Mike Faus New Kent High School VA Section 2 John Bonecutter Point Pleasant High School WV Section 3 Blake Dutton McAdory High School AL Section 3 William Pafford Wakulla High School FL Section 3 Randy Steward Sonoraville High School GA Section 3 Kent Masson Teurlings Catholic High School LA Section 3 Billy Baker St. Stephens High School NC Section 3 Leon Boulware Indian Land High School SC Section 3 John Kramer Wilson Central High School TN Section 4 Jason Christenson Southeast Polk High School IA Section 4 Ron Ryan Mt Olive High School IL Section 4 Tony Currie Adams Central High School IN Section 4 Steve Vlcek Manchester High School MI Section 5 Mike Garcia Hutchinson High School KS Section 5 Daryl Bradley Monett High School MO Section 5 Troy Jesperson Grenora Public School ND Section 5 Norm Manstedt High Plains Community Schools NE Section 5 Jeremy Ask Canton High School SD Section 6 Derrick Aynes Berryville High School AR Section 6 Pat Laughlin Pueblo East High School CO Section 6 Monte Maxwell Aztec High School NM Section 6 Erik Ford Piedmont High School OK Section 6 Kevin Reed Midlothian High School TX Section 7 Victor Gonzalez Walden Grove High School AZ Section 7 Joe Terribillini Rancho Bernardo High School CA Section 7 Robert Hesia Kamehameha Kapalama HI Section 7 Wade Phreson Spring Creek High School NV Section 7 Brock Moore Pleasant Grove High School UT Section 8 Brian Whittern Unalaska High School AK Section 8 Patrick Owens Kuna High School ID Section 8 Nate Laslovich Bozeman High School MT Section 8 JD Alley Culver High School OR Section 8 Travis Hughes Mt. Spokane High School WA Section 8 Travis Peak Kelly Walsh High School WY STATE – SCHOLASTIC BOYS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Keith Lynch Danbury High School CT Section 1 Dwayne Miller Taconic High School MA Section 1 Jim Worthington Wells High School ME Section 1 Mark Williams Londonderry High School NH Section 1 James Becker Nottingham High School NJ Section 1 Reggie Jones Jr. Wantagh High School NY Section 1 Brian Roderick St. Johnsbury Academy VT Section 2 Jason Hewes Delcastle Vo-Tech DE Section 2 Jarvis Elam Union County KY Section 2 Ed Obendorfer Damascus MD Section 2 Jon Hampshire Woodridge OH Section 2 Greg Sill Franklin Regional PA Section 2 Zach Olson Powhatan High School VA Section 2 Ryan Asbury John Marshall WV Section 3 Nick Tucker Oxford High School AL Section 3 James Vernon Wakulla High School FL Section 3 Andy Medders Camden County High School GA Section 3 Michael R. Lachney Sr. Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School LA Section 3 Teague Little Lumberton High School NC Section 3 Ryan Shaw Indian Land High School SC Section 3 Patrick Simpson Montgomery Bell Academy TN Section 4 Jeff Evans Southeast Polk High School IA Section 4 Paul Faris Montini Catholic High School IL Section 4 Joe Somerville Jeffersonville High School IN Section 4 Alfred Biland, Sr. Anchor Bay High School MI Section 5 Tim Johnson Burlington High School KS Section 5 Ben Hohensee Monett High School

Add Arkansas to the list of states which has said "yes" to separate wrestling competition for girls. The Arkansas Activities Association voted unanimously this week to officially sanction girls' high school wrestling. The decision was announced by Arkansas Wrestling Association President and Arkansas Wrestling Academy founder Greg Hatcher on Wednesday. According to Hatcher, the girl's state wrestling tournament will be held the Thursday before the annual boy's state wrestling tournament in February at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock starting in 2020. With this week's announcement, Arkansas becomes the third state to have sanctioned girls' wrestling in 2019, joining Colorado, Kansas and Maryland which announced similar news earlier this year. Now there will be a total of seventeen states which have sanctioned a separate state championship for female wrestlers.

C.J. Morgan The cadet who was killed in a West Point training accident early Thursday morning was a member of the Army's wrestling squad. Cadet Christopher J. Morgan, 22, died from injuries in a vehicle rollover while on the way to a field training exercise near the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, which is located approximately 50 miles north of New York City. Nineteen other cadets and two soldiers were injured in the incident involving the rollover of the M1085 Medium Tactical Vehicle, a long-wheelbase cargo truck. Most of the injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Morgan, originally from West Orange, N.J., was a Class of 2020 cadet studying law. He was described as "a recruited member of the Army Wrestling Team" by the Army Times. "We are devastated by the news of Chris' passing. He was a talented, hardworking, and determined athlete who loved his sport," Army West Point Wrestling Coach Kevin Ward said in a statement released by the academy Friday. "Chris had an infectious personality with a smile big enough to fill any room, and a heart big enough to love everyone around him. He made everyone around him better and he will be greatly missed," Ward added. According to his bio at the official Army wrestling website, Christopher Jordan Lynn Morgan wrestled at 184 pounds, compiling a 28-22 overall record, with 13 of those wins resulting in bonus points. One of his opponents as a West Point wrestler: Gabe Dean, two-time NCAA Division I champ for Cornell University. Prior to taking to the mat for the Black Knights, Morgan wrestled at West Orange High School, where he placed fifth in the New Jersey state wrestling tournament in the 182-pound class as a senior in 2015. He had a 30-1 record that season with 20 pins. He was also the co-captain of the West Orange football team, according to the school district. Morgan is from a family with several generations of West Point graduates, his father Christopher Morgan Sr. told WABC-TV in New York on Friday. He was the oldest of four siblings and his younger brother Colin Morgan will attend the U.S. Military Academy in the fall. On West Point's Facebook page, Gene Mari Wallis-Morgan, who identified herself as his aunt, said her nephew "had such a beautiful soul and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him." "As a family we have followed Chris' journey to West Point and are very proud of who he was and his choice to serve his country," she wrote. "Our hearts are broken but, we know that Our Heavenly Father has a grander plan and our CJ is with Him and his grandmothers. Rest In Peace Sweet CJ, we love you." The school's student body, the Corps of Cadets, will hold a vigil Friday night for Morgan, according to West Point. Next week, a memorial ceremony for the community and a private funeral service will be held at the Academy.

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics this week recommended that women's wrestling be granted the organization's emerging sport status. The status would allow member institutions to add women's wrestling as a Division I sport and enjoy whatever benefits come with adding and running any other Division I sport. The sport will have 10 years to reach 40 schools, at which point if women's wrestling is in that number of schools and has a valid number of participants, will be granted status as a fully functioning Division I sport. If not, it'll be dropped. From the NCAA: In the past 21 years, some have become championship sports (beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey, water polo and bowling), while others have been added to or removed from the list. Bylaws require that emerging sports must gain championship status (minimum 40 varsity NCAA programs for individual and team sports; with the exception of Division III requiring only 28 varsity programs for team sports) within 10 years or show steady progress toward that goal to remain on the list. Institutions are allowed to use emerging sports to help meet the membership minimum sports-sponsorship requirements and, in Divisions I and II, minimum financial aid requirements. But wrestling has one heck of a head start. There are currently 23 women's wrestling programs at the NCAA level and another 13 that are looking to be added in the coming two seasons. If that weren't enough there has been buzz about a handful more announcing in the coming months. Women's wrestling will meet the requirement, but it'll be on all of us to support these programs when times turn tougher. Just like the men's side there are plenty of factors -- a down economy, campus scandal, or crazy athletic director -- that could put these gains at risk. We need to stay as vigilant in the future as we are today. Congrats again to all those involved. Can't wait to see who adds programs over the next few years! To your questions … Q: Any idea what NCAA women's wrestling might look like in five years? -- Mike C. Foley: Tough to predict, but I'd hope for 60-plus programs, conference championships and for an established end-of-year national championship. The last part may be difficult, but there is always a chance that the momentum is strong enough to get the NCAA committees to act. Where I'm most interested to see the growth is in which schools will add, and why. For example, would a women's offset entice a school like Texas to add both a men's and women's program? Could the women actually draw out the schools who couldn't lift the creation of another sport due to Title IX? I think year five is when we might start seeing schools like Oregon, Clemson, Texas and Syracuse enter or reenter the sport. Pat Downey after winning the U.S. Open title (Photo/Larry Slater) Q: Has Pat Downey ever even missed weight? Why is this the narrative? -- @theRealBBenson Foley: Because USA Wrestling is requiring him make weight so everybody is kidding that it will be a barnburner. On his Twitter he said he's never missed weight. Also, I think he's pretty light in general. Q: Will there be a non-Olympic weight World Championships in 2020 like there was in 2016? I checked the UWW schedule and press release and couldn't find any info. -- Jared W. Foley: Nothing has been decided, but the belief is that there will be a World Championships later in the year. The incentive and opportunity for some nations to earn world titles would seem too tempting for UWW to turn its back. Still, nothing is confirmed likely because the hosting requirements might make it a tough sell for member nations. When new info pops up, or a local organizer pops up to take on the bid, I'll be sure to keep you informed. Multimedia Halftime Link: Lucha en espanol Link: Junior Europeans is a big deal! Q: Will women's wrestling ever add Greco-Roman wrestling? Do women want to compete in Greco-Roman? Was the reason it wasn't added because of numbers? With the growth of the sport, would that ever be considered? -- Matt K. Foley: Greco-Roman for women has always seemed like the logical offset for men's Greco-Roman. However, there are some serious concerns that women won't be able to generate enough power to throw other women in a fashion that would be entertaining to them, or the audience. There is some truth in this and it's due to the way weight is typically distributed on men and women. With women having more weight in their hips, the power necessary to throw them is increased. For men, the weight and muscle up top is better suited. Canada has hosted a few Greco-Roman tournaments for women and they seem to have gone OK, but they certainly didn't inspire several other countries to join in. It's much more likely that a sport like beach wrestling would be used to offset any mandatory gender requirements set out by the IOC. It's much more accessible to more nations and would be way, way more entertaining to fans around the world. Q: With the retirement of Mo Lawal (Congrats on an excellent career!), I am reminded that Steve Mocco left Lehigh University's coaching ranks several years ago for Florida and an MMA career (appropriate for someone with BOTH wrestling and Judo backgrounds). I've never seen him compete … and haven't heard anything since! What's he doing recently? -- The Doc Foley: From what I can tell Mocco took his last fight in 2015 and is now focused on his kids wrestling clubs and coaching wrestling to fighters at American Top Team. There really isn't much reason to think he'd get back in the cage. Talents like his are pretty well paid in the MMA world without having to take on much brain damage. And yes, a big congrats to Mo! Q: Do you have any recommendations for wrestling-related books? I've read "A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable," "Foxcatcher," Henry Cejudo's "American Victory," and "The Cage" by Rollie Peterkin. Looking for something new to read. If you don't have any wrestling-related book recommendations, do you have any book recommendations in general? -- John G. Foley: I've recommended it before, but the first several chapters of "The Magnificent Scufflers" is worth the purchase. It covers a lot of what happened in the early days of the sport in America. The best book I've read this year was "Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland." You really can't put it down. That and I read "All The Light We Cannot See" last year and still think about it. Q: Which "underdog" in freestyle has the best chance to win at Final X this weekend, Zain Retherford, Bo Nickal or Gable Steveson? -- Mike C. Foley: Zain Retherford.

Stevan Micic (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) University of Michigan wrestler Stevan Micic has been named as a recipient of the 2019 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. Emma McLean of Michigan's gymnastics program is also receiving the prestigious honor from the conference. "McLean and Micic were chosen from Michigan's 29 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipients to represent the Block 'M' as individuals who distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior," according to Michigan's announcement issued Wednesday. A three-time NCAA All-American at 133 pounds, Micic placed third at the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh. The Cedar Lake, Indiana native posted a 19-1 record -- including a 13-0 mark in dual meets -- and earned bonus points in 12 of his 19 wins ... all while overcoming multiple injuries over the course of his senior season. A three-time academic All-Big Ten selection, Micic earned a bachelor's degree in sociology this spring. He will pursue a master's degree in sport management while completing his final collegiate season next year. Micic joins previous U-M wrestlers Pat Owen (2004) and Adam Coon (2016) as recipients of the Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award.

Chance Marsteller wrestling Wisconsin's Evan Wick in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Two-time NCAA All-American wrestler Chance Marsteller has been named recipient of Lock Haven University's Bald Eagle Award as the school's male senior student-athlete for 2019, the Pennsylvania-based university announced this week. In addition, Bekah Slattery was named Lock Haven's Charlotte E. Smith Award winner as the school's top female senior student-athlete for the just-completed school year. Winners of both awards are determined by Lock Haven sports coaches. In describing Marsteller's Bald Eagle Award, the school's announcement said, "This award goes to a senior male student-athlete who has demonstrated overall excellence in athletics, academics and service and whose efforts during his time at The Haven have made us all proud to have him represent not only his individual team, but also the overall athletics program." Chance Marsteller concluded his Lock Haven wrestling career on a high note, with a number of significant accomplishments. He was crowned the 165-pound champ at the 2019 EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) championships, and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Marsteller was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, placing third at the 2019 NCAAs, and fourth in 2018 ... and led Lock Haven to back-to-back top-20 finishes in the team standings at the NCAAs those years. Marsteller, a 2019 Southern Scuffle finalist, finished his senior year with a 28-3 overall record ... and 72 wins in two seasons for the Bald Eagles. In addition to those on-the-mat accomplishments, Marsteller was a two-time PSAC Top 10 Selection athlete, an award which honors academic success. The 2019 LHU Bald Eagle Award is just one of a trio of honors Chance Marsteller earned this school year from organizations beyond his university. Marsteller also was named 2018-19 Eastern Wrestling League Athlete of the Year, and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Division I Wrestler of the Year for 2019.