InterMat Staff

B.J. Futrell gets his hand raised after winning the Dave Schultz Memorial International at 65 kilograms (Photo/Larry Slater) B.J. Futrell has called it a career. On Friday, Futrell announced his retirement from competitive wrestling in a letter to the sport of wrestling posted on Twitter. The former University of Illinois standout qualified for the World Team Trials at 65 kilograms this weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina, but was unable to compete due to injury. Futrell tore his ACL at the U.S. Open, which will require his eighth surgery in nine years. He concluded his letter by writing, "Ultimately I am incredibly thankful for this journey because of all the people I met, the opportunities I had, and the personal growth I experienced. Most of all, I'm thankful for my wife, family, friends, fans, and sponsors that have supported me along the way. To all of you, I say thank you! It's the end, but really it's just a new beginning." Futrell trained at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center and represented the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. He previously trained with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. Futrell placed as high as third at both the World Team Trials and U.S. Open. He was a silver medalist at the University World Championships in 2014. Prior to his international wrestling career, Futrell was a two-time All-American for the Illini.

57 kilograms: Vito Arujau tech. fall Matthew Ramos, 12-0 3:35 Wyatt Henson dec. Justin Cardani, 16-7 Michael Colaiocco dec. Kyle Biscoglia, 10-3 Eric Barnett dec. Rayvon Foley, 10-9 61 kilograms: Roman Bravo-Young tech. fall Timothy Decatur-Luker, 12-1 1:31 Teague Travis tech. fall Jarrett Trombley, 14-4 3:51 Jaime Hernandez dec. Jordan Decatur, 12-6 Frankie Tal-Shahar tech. fall Jevon Parrish, 10-0 3:38 65 kilograms: Andrew Alirez bye Keegan O'Toole tech. fall Edward Scott, 10-0 4:10 P.J. Ogunsanya bye Lucas Revano dec. Joshua Saunders, 8-6 70 kilograms: Brayton Lee tech. fall Justin McCoy, 13-3 6:00 Jacori Teemer tech. fall Jaden Van Maanen, 10-0 3:30 Brock Mauller dec. Jared Franek, 5-4 Peyton Robb bye 74 kilograms: Danny Braunagel bye D.J. Shannon dec. Jarrett Jacques, 4-2 Philip Conigliaro dec. Travis Wittlake, 6-5 Shane Griffith tech. fall Aaron Bancroft, 11-0 2:21 79 kilograms: Dustin Plott bye Jake Allar dec. Michael O'Malley, 6-4 Jake Hendricks dec. Tyler Dow, 9-8 Parker Keckeisen tech. fall Jackson Turley, 13-1 4:55 86 kilograms: Zachary Braunagel tech. fall Beau Yineman, 15-5 5:47 Victor Marcelli tech. fall Peter Acciardi, 10-0 4:29 Jack Jessen tech. fall Gavin Hoffman, 11-1 2:53 Christopher Foca dec. Cameron Caffey, 8-8 92 kilograms: Jake Woodley bye Dakota Howard dec. Joel Shapiro, 6-3 Kordell Norfleet bye Brandon Whitman bye 97 kilograms: Tanner Sloan bye Jake Boyd dec. Tyler Bagoly, 11-5 Kyle Lightner dec. Owen Trephan, 7-4 Aric Bohn bye 125 kilograms: Trent Hillger bye Zachary Knighton-Ward dec. Austin Emerson, 6-2 Mason Parris bye John Borst bye

55 kilograms: Dalton Duffield tech. fall Sean Sesnan, 8-0 0:39 Britain Longmire pinned Jemone Carter, 6-5 4:46 Ibrahim Bunduka dec. Joe Deangelo, 8-5 Brady Koontz tech. fall Jabari Moody, 8-0 1:47 60 kilograms: Ildar Hafizov bye Taylor Lamont tech. fall Liam Cronin, 12-0 1:14 Randon Miranda pinned Bruce Hrynciw, 9-0 0:40 Dalton Roberts bye 63 kilograms: Sam Jones pinned Delon Kanari, 8-0 0:38 Lillashawn Coleman pinned Alston Nutter, 4-4 1:05 Xavier Johnson pinned Dylan Gregerson, 6-2 5:09 Travis Rice tech. fall Jon Massey, 9-0 2:02 67 kilograms: Hayden Tuma pinned Nolan Baker, 11-2 5:08 Jarod Verkleeren dec. Morgan Flaharty, 4-3 Austin Morrow tech. fall Jessy Williams, 8-0 1:23 Jamel Johnson dec. Benjamin Peak, 2-0 72 kilograms: Alex Mossing pinned Ravaughn Perkins, 5-2 2:01 Nick Tarpley dec. Lenny Merkin, 6-3 Alejandro Sancho tech. fall Colin Schubert, 9-0 4:07 Michael Hooker dec. Eleazar Deluca, 4-2 77 kilograms: Pat Smith tech. fall Eddie Smith, 8-0 0:47 Peyton Walsh dec. Jesse Porter, 7-5 Corey Hope dec. Brandon Mueller, 2-1 Mason Manville tech. fall Burke Paddock, 9-0 2:48 82 kilograms: Andrew Berreyesa dec. Spencer Woods, 3-0 Cheney Haight dec. Terrence Zaleski, 6-2 John Stefanowicz dec. Chandler Rogers, 11-8 Geordon Speiller pinned Vladyslav Dombrovskiy, 9-0 5:07 87 kilograms: Ben Provisor tech. fall Jaime Miranda, 8-0 0:44 Vaughn Monreal-Berner pinned James Souza, 2-2 1:25 Kevin Radford pinned George Sikes, 8-0 5:31 Barrett Stanghill dec. Barret Hughes, 7-2 97 kilograms: Lucas Sheridan pinned Keaton Fanning, 4-0 0:52 Khymba Johnson dec. Roy Nash, 8-4 Eric Twohey tech. fall Pete Gounaridis, 8-0 4:52 Daniel Miller dec. Nicholas Boykin, 10-4 130 kilograms: Jacob Mitchell bye Haydn Maley pinned Wes Catheart, 10-2 1:19 Cohlton Schultz tech. fall Ike Okoli, 8-0 1:07 Toby Erickson pinned Thomas Helton, 2:41

The World Team Trials Challenge Tournament is set to start on Friday and run through Sunday. The event will choose which athletes will go on to face the top wrestlers in each weight class at Final X. Any selection process is apt to be imperfect. For an ever-democratic process like USA Wrestling has implemented there are a number of tournaments to enter, plus the real possibility that the less internationally potent wrestler may happen to wiggle on to a spot. However, there is also no question that every wrestler is given a fair opportunity to make their world and Olympic dreams come true. That is decidedly not the case in many, many countries. The Russian system is actually much better than it used to be, forcing most athletes to compete for their position. Notable exceptions like Abdulrashid Sadulaev are allowed to sit out given they've never lost in-country or at the continental championships and carry a number of promotional and leaderships responsibilities. Still, for the most part wrestlers must make their way through a fair (albeit winding) yearlong route to make the World Team. Iran once had the cleanest selection process, with a single tournament determining the team. However, that was the follow-up to a system that was pure corruption with coaches taking all liberties to select the athlete they think would compete best internationally. With Rasoul Khadem no longer manning the federation, that system may soon be back in place. Japan has two tournaments. If the winner isn't the same in both tournaments they proceed to a one-match wrestle-off. It's about as fair a process as you can have, though there are some complications to the system when top competitors are injured. In those circumstances, rules are sometimes manipulated to ensure that those athletes have a fair shot (not too dissimilar to the USA's old rules on injured competitors). The rest of the world is a hodgepodge, but for the most part they aren't forced to compete at the national level if they've won international accolades. Why bother? There are other weights to fill and if you have someone capable of returning glory then don't take the risk that a lifelong teammate can take them out. To your questions … Jason Nolf gets in on a shot against James Green in the U.S. Open semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Thoughts on Jason Nolf's move up to 74 kilograms? Do you view him as a serious contender to make the 2020 team? -- Mike C. Foley: Word around the campfire is that Nolf had always wanted to be up at 74 kilograms, but that the decision was made to go 70 kilograms for the U.S. Open. After his loss, Nolf was further committed. Do I think he is a contender? Of course. Any three-time NCAA champion has to be considered a threat to win matches at the national level, even in freestyle. The biggest hinderance Nolf faces in the 2019 season is that he's significantly less experienced in freestyle than many of his top opponents, including but not limited to Jordan Burroughs. At the U.S. Open there were a few instances where Nolf drove an opponent out of bounds for one point rather than look for the takedown on the edge. The risk on the edge is always reduced and from what I saw he could have attacked more in those positions. While he also showed incredible resilience and toughness in coming back against Alec Pantaleo, the mistakes that got him there need to get cleaned up, including defense that can threaten opponents from shooting all while not ceding too much ground; front headlocks and reshots gets the job done for most top-level guys. One thing I think Nolf has more of than anyone else at 74 kilograms is a feel for scoring from entangled positions. On multiple occasions he's turned near stalemate calls into positive points. If he can limit his defensive errors and increase his aggressiveness on the edge I think he'll be someone who could show up at Final X. Q: Which foreign wrestler has the most entertaining Wikipedia page? I nominate Khetag Gazyumov. "...truly equivalent to gold." Related, unrelated: If you want to see how deep Russia is in freestyle, particularly Dagestani and Ossetian Russians representing Russia or other nations, check out Kyle Snyder's international senior results. Snyder, one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the world, has suffered almost all of his defeats to Russians representing Russia or Azerbaijan. And most of these aren't even to the same guy. It takes nothing away from Snyder, but shows how deep they run over there. However, if he loses to any more people with ties to Russia, we're going to have to start calling him Hillary Clinton. -- Nate S. Foley: I see you're trying to rile up the comment board. The point on Snyder is well-taken, though I wonder if there are other international wrestlers at that weight who really compare. With some of the lighter weights, and even heavyweight there is a variety of regional talent. With 97 kilograms it's pretty much three guys and as you noted they are Russian. The number of Russians competing outside of Russia is one of the reasons that it's now notably tougher to win a world title than it was in the 1960's, 70's and 80's. The other reason being that the former Soviet Republics like Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan are now able to compete within their own national federations. Related, unrelated: There is a good chance that we will see Khadzhimurat Gatsalov gear up for the 2019 World Championships … and not for Russia. Helen Maroulis' gold-medal victory over Saori Yoshida of Japan. Bajrang never stops wrestling Q: I'm planning on making my first trip to the World Championships either in 2019 or 2021. What does Nur-Sultan offer, other than the amazing wrestling sure to go down, to entice me to make it this year? -- Yellow Medal Foley: Nur-Sultan, formerly Astana, is a relatively modern city. The nation was facing a lot of corruption in the mid-90's so the president decided to build a brand-new capital city in the middle of the nation. That means the infrastructure is fantastic, the hotels are modern, and even the power lines are buried. That, and great horse meat should be enough! While the 2021 World Championships in Oslo will be fun, I don't think the event will appeal to you as much as the Nur-Sultan version, if only because the 2021 World Championships are nowhere near as consequential. The top six finishers in Nur-Sultan all qualify their nation for the Olympic Games, whereas there are plenty of athletes who take off the entire 2021 season. Also, I don't know your circumstances, but chances are pretty good that you could accidently find yourself in Oslo in the future, whereas you need a lot of motivation to visit Nur-Sultan outside of a wrestling competition. Q: What's the deal with Helen Maroulis? Is she wrestling this year? Is she retired? -- Brian N. Foley: No, she is not retired. Helen put out a tweet last week saying that she is getting better and that she would be back on the mats. Will that be at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament? I think so, but there won't be final confirmation until the morning of weigh-ins. For what it's worth, I have no expectations for Helen. She deserves to pursue whatever makes her tick, and if that's wrestling, then all-the-better. Helen is a warrior, and even as her life has been complicated by injuries and setbacks, I think it's important to remember that she's a Queen Slayer and will forever be known as arguably the most dominant wrestler for any three-year stretch (2015-2017). Q: I noticed the Final X at Rutgers is scheduled to begin at noon. Any idea how long the event will go? Thinking about attending. -- Mike C. Foley: Me too! I don't get to too many USA Wrestling events, but with Final X so close to home I'd like to check out the action. One of the best (maybe THE best) freestyle wrestling nation in the world, and the team selection is only an hour away. I'd be a fool to skip it. My guess is that the majority of the freestyle finals will be on the 7 p.m. ET card. By the way, the Flo site mentions a BrewFest from 4-6 p.m. Interesting.

How do you honor a legendary high school wrestling coach who's already been welcomed into eight Halls of Fame? Armand "Ace" CacciatoreYou dedicate the wrestling room in his honor. Niagara Wheatfield High School in upstate New York will name its wrestling room after Armand "Ace" Cacciatore, successful coach who launched the Falcon mat program nearly six decades ago. The dedication ceremony -- which is open to alumni, friends and former NW wrestlers and coaches -- will take place at the Niagara Wheatfield Senior High School, 2292 Saunders Settlement Road in Sanborn, N.Y. on Wednesday, June 26 at 6 p.m. Cacciatore started the wrestling program at Niagara Wheatfield in 1961. With him at the helm, NW won more NFL (Niagara Frontier League) league titles, Sectional class titles, Sectional team titles and individual Sectional titles than any other wrestling teams in Section Six. Among the highlights of Cacciatore's coaching career at NW, by the numbers: a 330-30 overall record ... class sectional champs 23 times ... 17 NFL titles ... and three New York State championships. Cacciatore managed to send more than 35 wrestlers to the New York State finals. 1961 Niagara Wheatfield wrestling team For these impressive accomplishments, coach Cacciatore has been welcomed into the Section Six Hall of Fame, Western New York Wrestling Coaches HOF, Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling HOF, Greater Buffalo Sports HOF, NYSPHSAA Wrestling HOF, Niagara Falls HOF and NW athletic HOF and Wall of Fame. Guests are asked to arrive by 5:45 p.m. on June 26 and gather at the entrance to the gymnasium. A reception will be held immediately following the dedication.

It is the second year of USA Wrestling's experiment with Final X, which means that the 2019 World Team will not actually be decided at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Instead, the winners will earn spots at the Final X event where they will face off against a returning world medalist or U.S. Open champion for a spot on the World Team. Despite the format, the stakes remain very high and there are several key storylines for fans and pundits. The following are five key questions heading into the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Who will emerge to challenge the injured David Taylor? After falling against J'den Cox in the finals of the 2017 World Team Trials, David Taylor had won 37 matches in a row. During the streak, he won via fall 12 times and technical fall 17 times. However, that streak officially came to an end via medical forfeit against NCAA champion Drew Foster at Beat the Streets' recent "Grapple at the Garden" event. Taylor appeared to injure his knee early in the contest. He tried to give it a go for a few seconds before bowing out of the match. Since the injury he has posted workout videos on social media, but there have not been any announcements about his status for Final X. As a returning world gold medalist he is sitting in Final X waiting for an opponent. Pat Downey emerged as the top contender at the U.S. Open. In the semifinals he scored a come-from-behind victory over NCAA third-place finisher Myles Martin. Then, in the deciding match, he used an outstanding counter throw to defeat Nick Heflin. Those wrestlers, along with the Open top seed Sammy Brooks, will all be looking for another shot against Downey in the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Can Chandler Rogers go straight from folkstyle to Final X in Greco? The former Oklahoma State Cowboy did not have the end to his collegiate career that he was probably looking for. He lost a wrestle-off against teammate Joe Smith and missed out on a chance to score another All-American finish. However, following the season, he quickly transitioned into the international styles with a gold medal performance at the Pan American Championships in freestyle. Rogers then turned some heads when he entered the U.S. Open at 82 kilograms in Greco. Things did not get off to the best start as he dropped a 3-2 match against Jacob Fisher. However, he bounced back on the backside with five victories to place third. Veteran Kendrick Sanders will be waiting in Final X, and this will be a deep field at the trials. If Rogers is able to pull it off and then win at Final X, the U.S. Greco World Team will have a member right off the Division I mats for the second straight year after Adam Coon made the team last season. Jordan Oliver talks with his coaches during his semifinal match at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Who becomes the next to scramble with Yianni Diakomihalis? It is tough to pinpoint exactly when this run for Diakomihalis started, but it might be an understatement to call it impressive. He returned from injury during the college season, and it took him a bit to get back to being himself. Once he did, the Cornell wrestler ran through the NCAA tournament on the way to his second title. From there, he came out of a crowded field to win the U.S. Open at 65 kilograms. Along the way, he knocked off Frank Molinaro, Jordan Oliver and Zain Retherford in consecutive bouts. To put a cherry on top of it all, Diakomihalis then knocked off India's Bajrang Punia at Beat the Streets recently after he ascended to the top of the UWW world rankings. 65 kilograms remains one of the deepest fields domestically. Diakomihalis' last two NCAA finals opponents, Bryce Meredith and Joey McKenna, failed to even qualify for this weight at the World Team Trials. However, Molinaro, Oliver and Retherford will be back and looking for a rematch at Final X. Diakomihalis' challenger at Final X will be determined via the winner of the best-of-three finals at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. Tiare Ikei won a U.S. Open title last month (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Less than two weeks after her 18th birthday, can Tiare Ikei reach Final X? Last year Tiare Ikei burst onto the international scene with a bronze medal performance at the Cadet World Championships. She turned 18 on May 8, and she probably celebrated by getting in a workout since she is currently sitting in the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. She earned that spot with a strong run at the U.S. Open. She defeated former national team members Katherine Shai and Cody Pfau. However, Ikei's toughest test will likely come from fellow Cadet World medalist Gracie Figueroa. At the U.S. Open, Figueroa lost in the semifinals against Shai. However, she got back on track with a victory at the recent Junior National World Team Trials. In the finals, she defeated Ikei in two out of the three matches. In the deciding match, Figueroa scored a late fall to take the spot on the Junior World Team. Is it possible to simultaneously wrestle and fight MMA at a high level? Less than a week after Ben Askren returned to his wrestling roots for a match against Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs, former World team member Chris Gonzalez made his Bellator debut on the undercard of Bellator 211. The Greco wrestler easily took the decision on the judges' cards to improve to 2-0 as a professional. Despite starting an MMA career, Gonzalez still intends to compete in Greco. He entered the U.S. Open and struggled to an 0-2 finish. As a member of the 2016 Non-Olympic World Team, he qualified for the World Team Trials and according to reports, he has entered. Many have tried to compete in wrestling in MMA at the same time and ultimately decided it is better to focus on only one. Former freestyle national team member Deron Winn recently made that decision. However, a strong finish here might keep both goals in mind for Gonzalez.

The World Team Trials Challenge Tournament is set for May 17-19 at the Reynolds Coliseum on North Carolina State's campus in Raleigh, N.C. This weekend will determine the remaining 30 spots for Final X across all three styles. Final X is the last step in the Senior World Team Trials process. The Senior Greco-Roman Trials will begin Friday with the best-of-three finals taking place Saturday afternoon. The men's and women's freestyle tournaments will start Saturday with completion scheduled for Sunday. Running alongside the Senior Greco Trials will be the Junior Men's Freestyle Trials. The winners of the Junior Trials will go on to represent the United States at the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, in August. Tickets are on sale NOW! It is best to buy them online so as to avoid any long lines and the potential for missing any of the exciting action. Buy them HERE! Tickets are the same price online as at the door: General Admission: $60 - Three Day Pass (Good for all sessions) Team GA (buy 10 or more): $40 each - Three Day Pass (Good for all sessions) General Admission: $35 - One day pass Team GA (Buy 10 or more): $25 each - One day pass

Teague Moore coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) American University head wrestling coach Teague Moore grew up wrestling in rugged and talent-rich Western Pennsylvania. An NCAA champion and three-time All-American, Moore joins Chad Dennis for Episode 27 of The MatBoss Podcast. Among the topics discussed on this episode are Moore's background, why Pennsylvania's been primed to produce so many Division I wrestlers, the balancing act as a coach with RTC's, making sure your program is valuable to the university, recruiting in the age of social media and some unique proposals involving dual meets and scheduling. 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 Play Music | RSS

Kansas Wesleyan has decided to discontinue the sport of men's wrestling, effective immediately. Launched in 2015, the wrestling program has been well below a full squad in each of its three competitive seasons. The 2018-19 team had seven wrestlers but only four competed in the KCAC Championship where the team finished sixth of six teams. The sport has 10 weight classes, and teams can bring 12 wrestlers to post-season events. Kansas Wesleyan's wrestling program did have bright spots with four wrestlers earning berths to the NAIA Championship over the three years, including Taylor Moeder, who finished fourth in the nation and earned All-America honors in 2018. Lexington Plummer qualified for nationals this past year, going 1-2 at the event as a heavyweight. Tanner O'Donnell, who was a 2018 national qualifier, was the 2017 KCAC Most Outstanding Wrestler while Moeder earned the KCAC honor in 2018. The university will honor the scholarships for any of the students that remain at the university and will assist with any wrestler that wishes to transfer. Per NAIA rules, the students would be immediately eligible at another institution. As such, Kansas Wesleyan gives any institution permission to contact members of the wrestling team. Head coach Jason Schweer joined the program in July and was the third coach in the program's short history. The university is working to assist Schweer and assistant coach Derek Arnold, who is also a graduate student, in the transition.

The last remaining uncommitted top-100 senior recruit announced his commitment on Monday. Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II, Pa.), the nation's No. 29 senior recruit, committed to Rutgers University. Vulakh originally committed to George Mason before decommitting earlier this year. Vulakh won a Division II state title in Pennsylvania this past season. He finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation at 152 pounds by InterMat. He won tournament titles this season at the Beast of the East, Powerade and Escape the Rock.

National champion Menlo captured the inaugural NAIA Women's Scholar All-American team title MANHEIM, Pa -- On Monday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced that Menlo College captured the inaugural NAIA Women's Scholar All-American team title with a 3.4 GPA, edging out Eastern Oregon University's 3.34 team GPA. Link: SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS Link: INDIVIDUAL SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICANS This national championship caps a historic season for the Menlo College women's squad that saw the Oaks win a pair of titles at the WCWA National Championships and the Inaugural NAIA Women's National Invitational. Menlo also led the Individual Scholar All-American awards with ten wrestlers earning spots on the team. Of their ten award winners, half were NAIA finalists and four captured national titles. Team runners-up, Eastern Oregon followed with seven individual honorees while three other schools had two apiece (Central Christian College of Kansas, University of Providence, and Waldorf University). The NAIA has been a leader in the growth of women's wrestling on the collegiate level for many years and they took another step when they implemented the National Invitational this season which was hosted by the University of Jamestown. "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."

Competitors line up for introductions the Beat the Streets event in New York City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) NEW YORK, May 13, 2019 -- The excitement of a night of world-class wrestling at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, in which a sold-out, record-breaking crowd of 5,000 was treated to 13 electrifying matches, spilled over into the post-event Beat the Streets Benefit Celebration at The Wilson on Monday. And while the victories by Olympic champions Jordan Burroughs (2012, gold), Kyle Snyder (2016, gold) and J'den Cox (2016, bronze) and local favorites like Nick Suriano (Rutgers University) and James Green (Willingboro, N.J.) stole the show on the mat during "Grapple at the Garden," it was the Beat the Streets youth wrestlers who were the real winners, as $1.3 million was raised for this worthy not-for-profit in support of programs which empower young people in New York City through the great sport of wrestling. "It's hard to put into words what the support of everyone involved in this great night means to these kids and our mission," said Brendan Buckley, Beat the Streets Executive Director. "The wrestling community responds year after year to this important cause, and not only did they get to enjoy an amazing night of unbelievably high-level wrestling at a historic venue like the Hulu Theater at MSG, but they also went away with the knowledge that they make everything we do at Beat the Streets a reality. We couldn't me more pleased and can't wait to grow this even bigger next year." The award winners announced at the Benefit Celebration include: Junior League Female Wrestler of the Year: Sujeydy Matos, Inwood Academy for Leadership Junior League Male Wrestler of the Year: Sulayman Bah, MS 129 Become Your Own Dream Foundation Scholarship: Adrian Rosario Beato, Mott Haven Campus -- This financial scholarship is given annually to a New York City student-athlete who has overcome obstacles, worked through hardship, and plans to continue wrestling in college. Female Student Athlete of the Year: Lyn Kajihara, The Bronx High School of Science -- This career achievement award is given to a female athlete who exhibits the greatest combination of academic and extracurricular success. Male Student Athlete of the Year: David Berkovich, Poly Prep Country Day School -- This career achievement award is given to a male athlete who exhibits the greatest combination of academic and extracurricular success. Grit Award: Michael Babbcort, George Wingate Educational Campus -- This career achievement award is given to the New York City wrestler who has embraced the grind and shown improvement through their tireless effort and dedication to the sport. Lady Liberty: Shola Cascen, Harry S. Truman High School - This career achievement award is given to the New York City female wrestler who has stood as the beacon of opportunity and promise, representing all that is strong and proud of New York City women's wrestling. Atlas Award: Terry Adams, Monsignor Farrell High School - This career achievement award is given to a male athlete who has picked up New York City wrestling and taken it to new heights. Junior League Coach of the Year: Jonathan Khoury, Eagle Academy for Young Men Girls High School Coach of the Year: Ted Cook, Harry S. Truman High School Boys High School Coach of the Year: Michael Stern, Queens Metropolitan High School Assistant Coach of the Year: Barry Hart, George Wingate Educational Complex Volunteer of the Year: Jake O'Hara, Columbia University ('14) Beat the Streets Benefit competitions, which began in 2010, have since become a major showcase of the best of international wrestling. This unique annual event has helped Beat the Streets raise millions of dollars to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City. The first Beat the Streets Benefit was held on the U.S.S. Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. Since then, the benefit has taken place at other notable New York City spots like Grand Central Station and Times Square. Team USA has faced off against teams from around the world including Japan, Cuba, Russia and Iran. Last year, the competition was hosted at the new Pier 17 in the Seaport District and included the highly anticipated Burroughs vs. Frank Chamizo match. New York City's Madison Square Garden is one of the most famous sporting and entertainment venues in the world. The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is an impressive venue with the capacity to seat over 5,000. The theater has hosted notable wrestling events including the 1998 Goodwill Games wrestling competition and the 2017 Grapple at the Garden college wrestling event. About Beat the Streets The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTS works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to bring the life changing sport of wrestling to over 3,000 New York City student-athletes to help them achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTS and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life lessons of grit, personal responsibility and teamwork, physical fitness and nutrition, and life-long learning. The goal of fostering strong, well-rounded student-athletes is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, life skills workshops, and summer camps. More information can be found at www.btsny.org. About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. It has over 230,000 members across the nation, boys and girls, men and women of all ages, representing all levels of the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. More information can be found at TheMat.com.

Chad Walsh DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Davidson head coach Andy Lausier announced the addition of Chad Walsh as the second full-time assistant to the wrestling staff, announced Friday. Walsh, a 2017 graduate of Rider University, was a two-time All-American for the Broncs, earning qualification to the NCAA Championship all four seasons. The Cherry Hill, N.J., native is one of the most decorated grapplers in Rider history, earning a pair of EWL Wrestler of the Year honors and the Rider Male Athlete of the Year. Walsh was a three-time EWL Champion. "We are so excited about the addition of a second full-time assistant coach to our staff, and even more excited to have Chad Walsh fill those shoes,' said Lausier. "Chad's wrestling resume is so impressive and I always enjoyed watching his fearless and aggressive style of wrestling. Most importantly I believe he is a perfect fit for our team, our culture and our vision." He earned his bachelor of arts degree in sociology and a masters in athletic leadership in 2018 while garnering Academic All-America recognition for four years. Following his stellar career on the mat, Walsh joined the Broncs coaching staff last season as an assistant. In under a year on the coaching side of things, Walsh helped guide three wrestlers to NCAA Tournament berths at 165, 174 and 197 pounds. The Broncs also placed second at the EWL Tournament during his lone season on staff.

Michael Chandler, two-time Big 12 finalist as a University of Missouri wrestler, lost his lightweight title … while two other former college wrestlers -- Jake Hager and Tywan Claxton -- came out winners at Bellator 221: Chandler vs. Pitbull at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. outside Chicago Saturday night. Chandler loses crown on controversial KO In the main event, Bellator MMA featherweight champ Patricio "Pitbull" Freire now has two titles with the organization, having taken what had been Michael Chandler's lightweight (155-pound) crown with punches 61 seconds into Round 1 in Bellator 221's main event. "The 31-year-old Brazilian countered a Chandler jab with a perfectly placed right hook behind the ear that sent the onetime NCAA All-American wrestler to the canvas," reported Sherdog.com. "Freire pounced and let more punches fly, forcing his rival to turtle in a kneeling position. Chandler absorbed several more blows to the side of the head and did not adequately respond in Rob Madrigal's eyes, as the referee swooped in for the rescue. The vanquished champion's protest was immediate but fell on deaf ears." Here's how MMAfighting.com covered the final seconds of the title bout: "As Pitbull followed him down, Chandler turtled but did not move while Pitbull landed a few punches and the referee intervened. Chandler immediately stood up and did not look to be out, protesting the stoppage afterwards." With the loss, Chandler is now 19-5 in a nearly decade-long pro MMA career… while Pitbull is 29-4 in a fight career going back 15 years. Hager gets second win in young MMA career Jake Hager, NCAA All-American heavyweight at the University of Oklahoma who later became WWE champ Jack Swagger before making his Bellator debut this past January, submitted T.J. Jones with an arm-triangle choke at 2:36 of the first round of their heavyweight (265-pound) bout. "Hager struck for a takedown, softened his counterpart with ground-and-pound and went to work from side control, threatening first with a kimura and then with a keylock," according to Sherdog.com. "The 37-year-old Oklahoman stayed on top, transitioned beautifully to the arm-triangle and prompted the tap." Some in the crowd didn't like the former Sooner's end-of-bout behavior. Here's what MMAjunkie.com had to say: "Jake Hager didn't seem to make any new fans with the Chicago-area audience Saturday night … he held on to the choke a few seconds longer than most fans seemed to find acceptable -- and probably longer than referee Mike Beltran found acceptable, too." "I meant no disrespect, but you're going to have to make me stop," Hager said in the post-match interview, perhaps channeling his previous heel role as WWE champ Jack Swagger. "I thought the referee was him. You all can boo me all you want, but you're not in here right now. … I knew once I got on top, he's not getting up." With the win, Hager -- who grew up two blocks from legendary amateur and pro wrestling champ Dan Hodge in Perry, Okla. -- is now 2-0 in his MMA career, while T.J. Jones' pro record is now 1-2. Tywan Claxton picked up a victory to improve his pro MMA record to 5-0 (Photo/Bellator) Claxton remains perfect in MMA Tywan Claxton -- an NCAA Division II All-American wrestler at King University in Tennessee who became a two-time NCAA Div. I championships qualifier for Ohio University -- continued his flawless 18-month career in MMA with a TKO at 2:09 of Round Three of their featherweight (145-pound) bout. "In the main card opener, Tywan Claxton had his way with James Bennett en route to a third-round stoppage win," according to MMAfighting.com. "The NCAA D-II All-American dominated Bennett with his wrestling, taking the former Marine down at will and working him over on the ground, even taking his time to shout out 50 Cent (who was sitting cage side) while punishing Bennett with strikes. In the end, Bennett held tough for as long as he could but by the third round, the referee was forced to intervene." The 26-year-old Claxton is now 5-0 in the pro MMA career he launched in November 2017, while Bennett drops to 4-2.

After years of planning and construction, Ohio State is about to roll out the wrestling mat -- and the welcome mat -- as the Buckeyes will host Stanford at their brand-new home, Covelli Center, on Saturday, November 10. Ohio State wrestling revealed the date and opponent for that inaugural wrestling event at Covelli Center on its official Twitter account this weekend. https://twitter.com/wrestlingbucks The new facility -- which will also be the new home for Ohio State gymnastics and volleyball programs as well as wrestling -- will be located on Fred Taylor Drive, just north of Schottenstein Center arena and the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. All three sports had been using St. John Arena, the 12,000-seat arena built in 1956 across Lane Avenue from the iconic Ohio Stadium, home to Ohio State football. Covelli Center will provide Ohio State wrestling with a more intimate, fan-friendly competitive venue ... and a state-of-the-art workout facility. The arena portion will seat 3,700 fans, with retractable bleachers to add even more seating to bring the audience closer to the action on the mat. The facility will feature a video board stretching nearly the length of the floor. There will be concessions and restrooms located on the concourse surrounding the arena space. Covelli Center also includes the Jennings Wrestling Facility, which occupies two levels. The main level features a practice area with five full-size wrestling mats, along with workout equipment ... while the upper level includes coaches' offices, meeting room, and alumni lounge. Construction on Covelli Center is expected to be completed at the end of next week, according to the Fox affiliate in Columbus. The first sports event slated for Covelli Center will be a women's volleyball tournament beginning August 30.

Tyrel Todd coaching for Purdue against Michigan (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Mizzou Wrestling head coach Brian Smith has hired Purdue's Tyrel Todd as the program's new associate head coach, subject to the completion of a successful background check per University policy, announced today by Mizzou Athletics. Todd comes to Mizzou following a very successful five-year stint at Purdue, serving as the Boilermaker's lead assistant coach since 2016. He will fill the position on Coach Smith's staff that was vacated by the departure of Alex Clemsen, who took the head coaching job at Maryland last month. "When looking for new members of your coaching staff, it's always important to find and identify people who fit your culture and embody what your program is all about. For me, Tyrel is a perfect fit for Tiger Style and brings the type of work ethic that I know will translate well to the type of wrestlers that we have in the room every day. He is a decorated wrestler and left an unbelievable mark on Purdue's program during his five years there. I am excited to welcome him and his wife Loni, and their two daughters, to Columbia and can't wait to see the impact he will have on Tiger Style." "This is a very exciting opportunity for me to work with Coach Smith and his outstanding staff," Todd said. "I have known Coach Smith since my recruitment by Missouri in high school. I believe in a strong team community that is committed to excellence. I am fired up to put on the stripes, go Tigers." Todd began his stint at Purdue during the 2014-15 season and helped elevate the program thanks to a tireless work ethic on the recruiting trail. He helped put together three consecutive top-25 recruiting classes, starting in 2016 when he was elevated to the program's lead assistant role. He secured nine top-100 recruits over his first four seasons at Purdue, and the program reaped the benefits of that in 2017-18. That year, the Boilermakers turned in their best Big Ten Championships performance in six years at the Big Ten Championships with 59.5 points to finish ninth in the team standings. The 59.5 points were the most at Big Tens for Purdue in nearly a decade. He coached six placewinners at the meet, the most since seven Boilermakers landed on the podium in 2012. In four seasons with Todd on staff, Purdue had 27 NCAA Championship qualifiers and 24 Big Ten Championships placewinners. Prior to his stint at Purdue, Todd served as an assistant coach at Cal Poly (2010-11) and Arizona State (2013-14). While on staff at Cal Poly, Todd coached four NCAA qualifiers (141, 157, 165, 197), including a runner-up finish from Borislav Novachkov at 141. The following season Ryan DesRoches earned All-America honors at 174. In July 2013, Todd was named an assistant coach at Arizona State where he worked hands on daily with the upper-weights, including Blake Staffer, who earned All-America honors at 184 pounds with a third-place finish at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Todd's work at ASU focused on recruiting, coordinating practices, developing training schedules and organizing team travel. Todd is an extremely decorated collegiate wrestler, earning All-America honors three times at Michigan, culminating with 2009 Big Ten Championship during his senior season at Michigan. That year, he went 25-3 overall and earned fourth place at the NCAA Championships. He finished his collegiate career with a 121-30 overall record, ranking 16th in UM history in career wins. He excelled in the classroom as well at Michigan, a trait that was important to Coach Smith during the search process. He was an All-Big Ten Academic selection and Athletic Academic Achievement Award winner in 2006, received the Snip Nalan Scholarship for Wrestling in 2008-09 and was named the team's Distinguished Scholar in 2009. Todd also found success wrestling freestyle at 84 kg. He took fifth at the 2007 ASICS U.S. National Championships, eighth in 2008 and was seventh in 2011. In 2008, Todd placed fourth at the Olympic Trials, narrowly missing a bid for the Olympic Games in Beijing. Todd is a native of Bozeman, Montana, and hails from a six-generation dairy farming operation. He received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Michigan in 2009, majoring in history and minoring in psychology. He and his wife, Loni, have two daughters, Jacy Clair and Reyn Lindsay. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the program on its social media channels (Mizzou Wrestling on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook).

The fighter schedule to face Deron Winn in the former wrestler's UFC debut has withdrawn because of an injury. On Thursday, Markus Perez revealed on his Instagram account that an injury has forced him to withdraw from his middleweight (185-pound) match with Winn at UFC Fight Night 153 on Saturday, June 22 in Greenville, South Carolina at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Here's an English translation: "Good night only to leave warning. I injured myself while training. Tomorrow will be surgery… Obviously my June fight has been canceled. I apologize to all that were waiting for this fight!!! Thank you." The message does not explain the extent of the injury, but is accompanied by an x-ray image of what appears to be a broken bone. Perez will have surgery Friday. The MMA website Fightful reports, "UFC officials are seeking a replacement opponent to fight Winn, who is expected to remain on the card at this time." Here's how Winn responded to the news on Twitter: "I hope it's nothing serious and I hope we can share the cage in the future. I'll still be ready. I'm confident @ufc will find me a good replacement. I'll be ready to rock!" The 28-year-old Perez, a Brazil native, has a 11-2 pro MMA record. Prior to making his Octagon debut in November 2017, Perez was 9-0, having held the Legacy Fighting Alliance middleweight title. Winn, 29, is now 5-0 in his professional MMA career which he launched in March 2017. His first four fights ended in the first round. Winn's most recent victory was over veteran Tom Lawlor at Golden Boy MMA in Los Angeles in November 2018. Winn signed with UFC just days before Christmas in 2018. Prior to entering MMA competition, Winn was a three-time Missouri high school state wrestling champ, and twice a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) titlewinner for St. Louis Community College, Meramec.

Beau Bartlett competing at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), the nation's No. 6 junior (Class of 2020), announced his verbal commitment to Penn State on Thursday via Instagram. Bartlett is a three-time National Prep champion and recently placed eighth at the U.S. Open in freestyle. He projects as a 133/141-pounder in college.

Monday's Beat the Streets event was held at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Beat the Streets New York held its annual benefit match and gala Monday night at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, showcasing top-level freestyle matches to more than 5,500 fans in house and tens of thousands more online. The event's main focus was the matchup between Olympic and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs and 2008 Olympian and current UFC fighter Ben Askren. That match drew a lot of outside media, with the runup and recaps of their match being showcased on every conceivable MMA platform, plus Forbes, The Ringer, ESPN, and NBC, among many others. As many predicted, the penultimate bout between two-time Cadet world champion and two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell and current world No. 1 Bajrang Punia proved to be the most exciting. The match went back and forth with each wrestler finding at least one takedown, one turn and one reversal. The final score was 10-8 with a raucous chorus of New York fans celebrating their hometown hero Yianni coming away as the champion. There were plenty of other storylines too: the injury to David Taylor, five-point moves by J'den Cox and Kyle Snyder, Jack Mueller dismantling Nick Piccininni, and Nick Suriano over Joe Colon. But what may have driven the fans to their most was the high school matchup between Jo Jo Aragona and Adam Busiello, hailing from New Jersey and New York, respectively. It's easy to get caught up in the topline intro stuff, and for guys like me who don't watch a lot of high school wrestling it can also be difficult to track wrestlers before college. But one thing was certain, on Monday night a hefty majority of the fans at Hulu knew exactly who they were there to support, and it was evident to anyone between the two fan bases that their passion was at the atomic level. As Chuck Mindenhall recapped in his article for The Ringer: NEW YORK -- With over 600 local wrestlers gathered at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Monday night for the annual Beat the Streets benefit, you can very well picture the scene. It was a theater full of stone features with improbable stumps for necks. There was a healthy amount of people spitting tobacco juice into plastic soda bottles. Fathers and sons (and even a few daughters) gave themselves away through a connection of cruciferous ears, signaling years of grinding ear cartilage into mats. It was a literal ground zero for the singlet. Things got a little rowdy. And really, the crowd wasn't necessarily there to see Ben Askren compete against Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs in the main event. Most of them were there to see Nick Suriano, a kid from Rutgers, and Yianni Diakomihalis from Cornell, Kyle Snyder, Patrick Brucki -- the meat of today's wrestling classes smashing into each other for a cause. The UFC? Just a fun zone in some other dimension. This was all about the essence of the mat -- the core of the enterprise. When Pope John XXIII's JoJo Aragona and Adam Busiello toppled over the apron and into the first round of spectators before, it was as loud as it would ever get last night. Turns out that bloodthirst isn't an MMA patent so much as a national pastime. The success of the event and the crowd's reaction is a powerful reminder of how much of wrestling is born of regional rivalry. Ask most Americans and there is little discernible difference between a high school wrestler (or kid, coach, teacher, person) from New Jersey and one from New York. It would be like asking someone from the East Coast to tell the difference between denizens of Oklahoma and Nebraska. But to those who live in the area and who have felt each loss, celebrated each victory over the past 20, 30, or 40 years -- those little indiscernible differences to others, are rifts for those who live it. This week's Beat the Streets event was arguably the best to date. From energy, to competition, to booze being for sale, almost nothing in recent memory can compare. And in the future it'll serve as a guidepost for any organization looking to host a winning wrestling event. To your questions … Q: Rank the seven wrestlers who have byes to the finals of the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament from most likely to win (and advance to Final X) to least likely to win: -- Mike C. Foley: 1. Cody Brewer (61 kilograms) 2. Bo Nickal (92 kilograms) 3. Adam Coon (125 kilograms) 4. Pat Downey (86 kilograms) 5. Alex Dieringer (79 kilograms) 6. Isaiah Martinez (74 kilograms) 7. Kyven Gadson (97 kilograms) That in no way means that I think that they will do both. I rated these based on the number of scenarios I could imagine in which they ended up representing the United States in Nur-Sultan. After defending world bronze medalist Joe Colon fell to Nick Suriano Monday night at Beat the Streets, you'd think any top-level guy has a decent shot at winning the title and the whoever advanced to the finals against Colon will have some underdog momentum. I believe in J'den Cox, but Bo Nickal is a top competitor and his style could present issues for Cox, especially early and late in the match. I don't see many situations in which Coon could knock off Gwiz, outside of an over-under that Gwiz just completely mismanages. Pat Downey only because DT might still be injured come time for the Final X. Q: What is the biggest challenge international wrestling faces with the re-evaluation by the IOC to stay in the Olympics in the coming years? -- @CJOlanasty33 Foley: The first point to recognize is that wrestling as a whole is not facing a threat to its Olympic survival in 2020. The IOC has refigured the way they look at core and non-core sports and has even allowed the organizing committees for the Games to choose additional events they'd like to host (i.e. surfing in Tokyo). For its part, wrestling has been a good partner to the IOC in fulfilling developmental duties, providing feedback, and growing the internal accountability for the organization when asked by the IOC. There are also an increased number of women in governance and there was an effort to make the 2018 Youth Olympic Games gender balanced, which wrestling accomplished. The issues facing the sport are similar to those facing many of the other sports and the games as a whole. The Olympic Games are expensive and the number of athletes will likely continue to be pruned. With more sports gaining access to the games, some disciplines will have to trim numbers. Wrestling seems to be at its minimum with six weight classes, but we do have the added difficulty of Greco-Roman have no women's discipline for balance. For me, that's the most vulnerable aspect of wrestling. While Greco-Roman taking off for women is an option, it's highly unlikely to take place. More likely, something like beach wrestling could be the balance, but that too comes with a number of unanswered questions about facilities, qualifications, and management. As of now nothing major seems to be changing before the 2032 Games, which is (thankfully) 14 years in the future. Dato Marsagishvili competing in beach wrestling (Photo/Max Rose-Fyne, United World Wrestling) Q: Why don't you enter (beach wrestling this weekend in Rio)? -- @CPyles8 Foley: I don't enter because Olympic bronze medalist Dato Marsagishvili has a habit for posterizing all the 90-kilogram chumps who dare face his smiley-faced wrath.

Brian Smith celebrates during Missouri's meet against Oklahoma State (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Brian Smith, head wrestling coach at the University of Missouri, has been named recipient of the 2019 Don Faurot Sportsperson of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, Mo. The annual award -- named in honor of the school's late, legendary former football head coach and director of athletics, Don Faurot -- was established in 1991 to honor an outstanding candidate who contributes to the local sports community as an athlete, coach, administrator or official. Smith, who took the helm of the Mizzou wrestling program in 1988, guided the Tigers to another successful season in 2018-19, including a 16-1 regular-season record, the team's eighth straight conference title, and fifth straight top-10 finish at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, with four wrestlers earning All-American honors at the 2019 NCAAs in Pittsburgh. Coach Smith will be presented with the award at a banquet on Tuesday, June 18, at the Broadway Hotel in Columbia. Brian Smith is the second individual affiliated with the Mizzou mat program to receive this honor in as many years. In 2017, J'den Cox, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling and three-time NCAA and MAC (Mid-American Conference) champion for the Tigers, received this award. The Don Faurot Sportsperson of the Year Award is presented by the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, a service organization established in 1922 with a mission to raise money and awareness for causes which "enrich and protect the lives and well-being of young people, especially those growing up in high-risk circumstances" according to their official website.

Carlos Jacquez after winning the NCAA Division II national title at 125 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- On Thursday afternoon the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced that Lindenwood University's 125 pound national champion Carlos Jacquez was named the NWCA Division II National Wrestler of the Year. Jacquez, a redshirt junior from Aurora, Illinois, was named one of six NWCA Division II Super Regional Wrestlers of the Year last week. These six winners were finalists for the national award and Jacquez emerged as the clear winner of the 2019 National Wrestler of the Year award. Jacquez' undefeated 30-0 season was highlighted by winning the Super Regional IV and National Titles. This followed his Sophomore campaign which ended with All-American honors while capturing 6th place. Carlos will enter his senior campaign looking to capture back to back National Titles and secure his third All-American honor. "We are proud to honor outstanding performances and Carlos demonstrated a level of excellence all season that makes him more than worthy of this high honor." said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. Super Regional Wrestlers of the Year Super Region I: Chris Eddins 149 (Pitt-Johnstown) Super Region II: Isiah Royal 141 (Newberry) Super Region III: Tyler Warner 133 (Wheeling Jesuit) Super Region IV: Carlos Jacquez 125 (Lindenwood) Super Region V: Vince Dietz 197 (St. Cloud St.) Super Region VI: Matt Malcolm 157 (Nebraska-Kearney)

Jordan Burroughs at Beat the Streets in New York City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The day after 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs scored an 11-0 technical fall over UFC star and 2008 Olympic wrestler Ben Askren at the Beat the Streets fundraiser at New York's Madison Square Garden Monday night, UFC President Dana White said he would be "very interested" in possibly helping Burroughs fulfill a wish to have one fight in the Octagon. "Yeah, listen, I'm always interested in, you know, these guys that are considered the best athletes in the world in whatever it is they do wanting to come to the UFC," White said on "The Jim Rome Show" on Tuesday. "Yeah, obviously I'd be very interested." Back in April, Burroughs disclosed his "one fight" wish in an interview with ESPN. "I would love to. I just want to fight one time, that's it. I want one fight," said Burroughs three weeks ago. "For me, it's not about the status, it's not about the glory, it's not about the money. I just want to throw my hands and see what I'm made of. "I think that wrestlers, and fighters have that same fighting spirit. There's just a spirit about you. It's such a beautiful art form in which you can implement strategy in order to subdue another individual. I kinda feel like that's where wrestling and UFC -- we collaborate in that way." "So I thought about it. I considered it. I don't know if I'm really going to do it. But I've considered doing one fight and then getting out with my hands clean," Burroughs continued. Burroughs also said that he has spoken to Daniel Cormier -- a member of the 2008 Olympic U.S. men's freestyle team who is now UFC heavyweight champ -- at length about entering the Octagon at least once. "I can't make any promises. I'm saying I've considered it. It depends on what the offer is like and who my opponent was ... but I don't know. It's definitely intriguing," he said. "I'm so comfortable in my identity as a wrestler, that if I never fought, it would never bother me one bit. But I'm also such a competitor that I've considered it for a long period of time. "What about just one? What could I do? If I let my hands fly, could I put someone out? So we'll see," he said. "I think my mental toughness, athleticism, and my physical prowess, I'd be successful if I decided to fight, no matter what." A considerable number of amateur wrestlers have found success in mixed martial arts. Recently, Northwestern University All-American wrestler Sebastian Rivera conducted an analysis of various fighting styles conducted an analysis of various fighting styles used by UFC and MMA champs… and discovered that the largest number of UFC titleholders brought a wrestling background into the Octagon. Jordan Ernest Burroughs, 30, is one of the great wrestlers of the era. Born in July 1988 in New Jersey, Burroughs concluded his high school mat career in 2006 as a state champ ... and as a Senior Nationals titlewinner. He accepted a scholarship to wrestle at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he earned three Big 12 conference crowns, NCAA All-American honors three times, and two NCAA championships. As a senior, Burroughs was awarded the Hodge Trophy as the best college wrestler of 2011. Burroughs has made his presence known in international wrestling. He won the gold medal in men's freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics at 74 kilograms/163 pounds, along with four World championships. The man who is known by his social media moniker "AllISeeIsGold" has also earned six World Cup titles, as well as gold medals at two Pan American Games.

Mike Dessino BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team has announced that former standout Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) will join the staff as volunteer assistant. Dessino wrestled for Bloomsburg from 2009-14, and volunteered with the team during the 2016-17 season. A three-time NCAA Division I national qualifier with the Huskies, Dessino posted a career record of 105-43 at Bloomsburg, and ranks second in program history in career pins with 45. Dessino was a three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion, and the 2011 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Champion at 174 lbs. Dessino, originally from Middlesex, New Jersey, currently resides in Bloomsburg.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa -- Iowa Wesleyan University Athletic Director Derek Zander is pleased to announce that men's and women's wrestling will be added to the slate of athletic programs offered at Iowa Wesleyan University during the 2020-21 academic year. The search for a head coach will begin immediately. Within the Tiger Athletics strategic plan, "Committing to Excellence," a significant focus is the growth and expansion of the athletic department. The athletic department has expanded from 10 NCAA Division III intercollegiate programs to 14 over the past two years - with men's and women's wrestling being the 5th and 6th programs added in three years. IW will be the first NCAA Division III University in the State of Iowa to sponsor women's wrestling. "This is a historic development for IW intercollegiate athletics department during a significant time in the life of the University," said IW President Steve Titus. "IW is relentless in its pursuit to create the best and most dynamic student experience possible. The addition of women's and men's wrestling provides exceptional opportunities for students and responds to a growing demand. IW is committed to leading the movement to provide female student-athletes the opportunity to compete in wrestling at the collegiate level." "We are excited to announce the addition of men's and women's wrestling at Iowa Wesleyan," said Athletic Director Derek Zander. "Men's wrestling is very popular in our region, and it could not be a better time to add women's wrestling as it is one of the fastest growing high school programs across the country. In the winter of 2019, the State of Iowa hosted its first women's high school state championship. The addition of these programs is a continuation of IW's commitment to providing diverse co-curricular opportunities for our students and our dedication to the student experience at Iowa Wesleyan." "This is an important time for Tiger Athletics. We are thrilled about offering two programs that the State of Iowa and Midwest region are passionate about," stated Zander. "We look forward to filling Ruble Arena with fans and supporters with a new and exciting experience." Tiger Athletics: Iowa Wesleyan University strives to provide its student-athletes the opportunity to be successful in life and sports. Engaged in the SLIAC and UMAC Conferences, Tiger athletics is a proud member of NCAA Division III.

Hunter Ritter gets in on a shot against Michael Macchiavello in the finals of the U23 Trials (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) The University of Minnesota wrestling program and head coach Brandon Eggum are happy to announce the addition of Hunter Ritter, an upperweight from Perryville, Maryland, who began his career at Wisconsin. "We're excited to have Hunter join our Gophers family," Eggum said. "We're looking forward to working with him and helping him reach his individual goals. We know Hunter's abilities as an athlete and leader and hope he'll help in our pursuit of our own team goals as we work to improve on our top-eight finish at NCAAs." Ritter arrives in the Twin Cities as a two-time national qualifier with one year of remaining eligibility. During his two seasons as the Badgers' starter Ritter twice placed at the Big Ten Championships including a third place finish in 2017. Ritter was coached by current Gophers assistant coach Trevor Brandvold during their time in Madison. In his last two seasons as a starter, Ritter amassed 46 victories. As a high school prospect, Ritter, a three-time state champion, was ranked No. 3 at his weight-class by InterMat and was the Super 32 Challenge champion. He was also a U23 Trials freestyle finalist in June 2018.