InterMat Staff

Matt Hill (Photo/Sam Janicki) EDINBORO, Pa. -- Edinboro University Interim Director of Athletics Dr. Katherine Robbins today announced the hiring of former Fighting Scot Matt Hill as Edinboro's 12th head coach of the wrestling program, and fourth on the Division I level. "Edinboro has a great tradition of wrestling coaches, including Fred Caro, Mike DeAnna, Bruce Baumgartner, and Tim Flynn," commented Robbins. "Our goal was to bring in the best coach we could to continue the success we have enjoyed as a small Division I program competing against the very best at that level. Matt Hill left no doubt with our search committee that he possesses the ability to keep the Fighting Scots a name to be reckoned with." Hill is no stranger to the Edinboro wrestling program. He competed for former head coach Tim Flynn from 2002-07, then entered the coaching profession. He served as a graduate assistant coach at Kent State from 2007-09. Following his two seasons as a graduate assistant, Hill remained involved in wrestling over the next year, working with Seneca Valley High School. Hill returned to Kent State as an assistant coach in 2010, and served in that capacity until 2015, when he was appointed associate head coach to head coach Jim Andrassy. During Hill's tenure at KSU as a graduate assistant and full-time assistant, the Golden Flashes went 116-78 in dual meets while enjoying several of the best seasons in program history. The 2015-16 KSU squad finished at 15-3 and was 16th at the NCAA national Championships, while the Golden Flashes were 14-5 in 2011-12 and 14-6 in 2010-11. "I recognize that the next head coach at Edinboro arrives with enormous shoes to fill," related Hill, "but fully believe I am up to the task. They say no great leader has accomplished anything without a plan and I am no different. I have developed a blueprint and vision of what I believe it takes to be a successful program and to ensure that Edinboro Wrestling gets to the next level. "I respect Coach Flynn and what he has done at the University for the last two decades and look to continue to build off the foundation he laid. Whether it be on the mat, in the classroom, at our camps, recruiting, fundraising, or promoting the program, we will strive for continuous improvement and excellence in all we do. "Lastly, I want to thank the Kent State University Athletic Department and head coach Jim Andrassy for giving me the opportunity to pursue my ultimate goal of being a head coach one day. " During Hill's 11 seasons at Kent State, the Golden Flashes enjoyed five top 25 finishes at the NCAA Division I National Championships. He was part of a program that produced 12 All-Americans, including national champion Dustin Kilgore. Hill worked closely with Kilgore when he won the title at 197 lbs. in 2011. Kent State has had 50 national qualifiers while competing in the Mid-American Conference. In addition, Hill assisted in the development of three University National Champions and four Junior FILA National Freestyle All-Americans. "Matt takes the approach that it's all about hard work," noted Andrassy. "His philosophy is to get guys to work harder than ever before to improve." Kent State has also ranked among the top wrestling programs in the classrooms during Hill's tenure. In 2018, KSU was second in the NWCA All-Academic Team rankings, after finishing fourth in 2017, fifth in 2016, and 12th in 2015. "I have dedicated my entire life to the sport of wrestling; from the youth program, to high school, to college, to coaching," Hill stressed. "Throughout all those years I have gathered the necessary experience and knowledge to become a head wrestling coach at the Division I level. I cannot think of any other job that I would want in the entire country than that of the head wrestling coach at my alma mater." Hill was a three-time national qualifier at Edinboro. He remains among the leading wrestlers all-time at Edinboro with a 105-42 career record, including a 32-7 record as a senior. In 2006-07 as a senior, he went 17-1 in dual meets while competing at 157 lbs. Hill was seeded 12th at nationals and posted a 2-2 record. Hill finished with a 30-5 record as a sophomore in his first year in the starting lineup in 2004-05, and followed that up with a 25-10 ledger in 2005-06. He finished second all three years at the PSAC Championships, and came in third at the EWL Championships as a sophomore and fourth as a junior and senior. Hill is married to the former Stephanie Novak. The couple has two sons, Lincoln (3) and Knox (1).

USA Wrestling has changed up the Trials process this year with the introduction of Final X. This weekend wrestlers will compete in the World Team Trials, but the event will not determine the team. Winners of this weekend's event will take on returning world medalists and U.S. Open champions in Final X events in June. Despite the lack of some high-profile names, the World Team Trials field still features several interesting potential matches. The following is a look at some of the best matches that fans might see at the trials. 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer vs. Zahid Valencia Dieringer has been closing the gap on Kyle Dake. At the 2017 Paris Invitational, the former Cornell wrestler won via definitive 10-0 technical fall. In their rematch at the 2017 U.S. Open, Dake edged Dieringer in a much closer 3-0 match. They met once again in the finals of the 2018 U.S. Open. Once again Dake pulled out the victory, but it was only a 5-5 victory on criteria. Dieringer is expected to win the World Team Trials and face off against Dake in the Final X best-of-three series. However, he will have a unique challenger at the trials. Valencia recently finished his sophomore season at Arizona State. He went undefeated and claimed his first NCAA title with a victory over Junior world champion Mark Hall in the finals. Last summer, Valencia represented the U.S. Junior World Championships and picked up a silver medal. While both are accomplished wrestlers at the collegiate level, the stylistic matchup might be the reason why this bout is so interesting. Valencia is an extremely high-volume shooter. He is almost constantly going for leg attacks. That seems like a solid strategy against Dieringer. The former Oklahoma State wrestler does an amazing job at holding position and rarely gives up a lot of points. The diametrically opposed styles could result in one of the better matches at the World Team Trials. Daton Fix and Tony Ramos embrace after their U.S. Open match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 57 kilograms: Tony Ramos vs. Daton Fix Many expected the bout between Ramos and Fix to happen at the U.S. Open, and it did. They faced off in the finals, where Ramos picked up a 2-2 victory on criteria. Thanks to that victory, he will be sitting in the best-of-three finals of the World Team Trials. Thomas Gilman, on the back of his silver medal at last year's World Championships, will be sitting at Final X. In the match, Fix was certainly the aggressor. However, Ramos was stout defensively as per usual. After going on the shot clock for the second time, Ramos got in deep on a single. In the ensuing scramble, Fix gave up an exposure. That two-point score trumped Fix's shot-clock point and pushout point. It is possible that with adjustments, Fix will be able to solve some of Ramos' defensive riddles and score. However, the Tar Heel Wrestling Club representative remains one of the toughest lightweights to score on from neutral. 65 kilograms: Logan Stieber vs. Jaydin Eierman In perhaps the upset of the tournament, Eierman took out Stieber in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. In the match, Eierman, who will be a junior at Missouri next year, seemed to be on the defensive after the first period. In the opening frame, Stieber was in deep on multiple leg attacks and scored four points off a takedown and an exposure. However, Eierman stormed back with three takedowns in the second period to take the match 6-5. Eierman went on to lose against Joey McKenna in the finals and therefore missed out on a spot in Final X. While he would have liked that positioning, that defeat sets up this potential rematch for this weekend. In theory, Stieber could have a few changes to his leg attack finishes and take this match. On the other hand, Eierman showed that his stingy defense gives the former four-time champion a lot of problems. Jason Chamberlain topped Frank Molinaro in the U.S. Open semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 70 kilograms: Frank Molinaro vs. Jason Chamberlain Chamberlain made quite the run at the U.S. Open. In the semifinals, he took out Molinaro, the country's 2016 Olympian at 65 kilograms. Then in the finals, Chamberlain defeated NCAA champion Hayden Hidlay. Earlier this year, the former Boise State wrestler made it to the finals of the Cerro Pelado International before falling to Franklin Maren Castillo of host Cuba. Prior to the Open, Molinaro appeared to be the No. 1 challenger to James Green's supremacy in the U.S. at 70 kilograms. Earlier this year, he finished with a bronze medal in a tough field at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. In the tournament, he made it all the way to the semifinals before falling against 2016 world champion Magomed Kurbanaliev. Chamberlain may have burst onto the scene at the Open, but he also proved that he belongs. Molinaro has shown the ability to show up when it matters most. He will need to do that again here in order to earn the match against Green at Final X. 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez vs. Nazar Kulchytskyy Martinez recently finished his career at Illinois with two national titles and only three career losses. Almost immediately after the season, he announced he would continue wrestling for the Illinois RTC. Many top contenders have cleared out of 74 kilograms in order to avoid the roadblock that is Jordan Burroughs. However, Martinez remains at the weight class. At the U.S. Open, Martinez outscored his opponents 49-0 on the way to the championship. If he wins the World Team Trials, he will certainly face a challenge in Burroughs, but he might have a chance. Kulchytskyy did not compete at the Open since he had already qualified for the tournament. Earlier this month, he did represent the country at the Pan American Championships. He outscored his first two opponents 21-0 before falling against Cuba's Livan Lopez Azcuy in the finals. Kulchytskyy has never really been able to break through, but he has remained one of the tougher domestic wrestlers. He should be able to provide a stern test for Martinez on the way to a match with Burroughs.

Beat the Streets wrapped up late Thursday night with a thrilling match between defending 70-kilogram world champion Frank Chamizo and defending 74-kilogram world champion Jordan Burroughs. Burroughs won 6-5, but not before Chamizo rattled off a quick four points in the first period. That offensive explosion put Burroughs on the back-foot heading into the second. And still, as champions are apt to do, he persevered, finding solid offense and a later double leg to seal up the 6-5 victory. The match was intense, but in contrast to Kyle Snyder, the Burroughs victory felt rote. Snyder's 9-8 win over Renieras Salas was gutsy, but if you are a fan of the Ohio State big man there was some cause for concern. Salas was able to score a takedown, a turn and a massive four-point throw. Snyder answered with a takedown, six pushouts and a penalty point. A win is a win, but we learned that Salas -- not just Sadualev -- will be a challenge to Snyder's hopes for another world title. Overall the event was another spectacular event, this time on the East River overlooking downtown Manhattan. Sold-out and filled with energy, the event was another example of how star power can create positive outcomes not just for fans, but for young aspiring wrestlers. Congrats to Brendan Buckley and his team on a rock star caliber event. To your questions … Zain Retherford defeated David Habat at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Like many, I was disappointed not to see Zain Retherford enter the World Team Trials (or the U.S. Open). I can understand Spencer Lee, Mark Hall, Bo Nickal, etc. taking some time off after NCAAs, and certainly folks like Yianni Diakomihalis and Jason Nolf who ended the season nursing injuries. But what is Retherford taking a break for? This is his future in wrestling. Are there rumors as to why he didn't enter? Also, what do you think about his future in freestyle? Personally, I don't see him having anywhere near the success in freestyle that he had in NCAAs. His last world medal was a Cadet world gold in 2012. His strength is on the mat, the top to be specific, and his turns aren't the 10-second rolls that are common in freestyle. They are slip in the leg, torture and turn, taking 30 or seconds or more. This doesn't work in freestyle. On his feet he faced many opponents in NCAAs who scored takedowns on him. He did make the World Team last year but didn't medal. I see him being a guy who could make Team USA but will struggle to earn world medals. He also could lose to guys like Logan Stieber at 65 kilograms or James Green at 70 kilograms and sit on the sidelines. Your thoughts? -- Bob D. Foley: I agree it's exciting to see our best wrestlers compete, but for Zain there was little payoff. He may have won an entry into the Final X, but after a tough NCAA season I think reducing his match count became a factor. Also, with his NCAA title he earned his entry into the World Team Trials. Still, his not entering the World Team Trials as well seems to be driven by a desire to focus on the 2019 qualifiers and season. There is little way of telling what motivated that choice, but it seems to be well received in Happy Valley. As for his success? I one-hundred percent think Retherford will be a world and Olympic medalist. I agree with your analysis that his top game takes time to mature, but that's adjustable. Talent-wise, Retherford has the tools. He just needs to apply them in new ways. He will need a year (or two) to accommodate for those new match strategies and to learn more about his opponents. In my heart I'm a Stieber guy, but I still think that Retherford could make the team in 2019 or the Olympic squad in 2020. As for him not medaling in Paris, it was more a lack of match strategy and a crazy tough draw. Q: When and why did Frank Chamizo switch citizenship from Cuba to Italy? Robert G. Foley: Chamizo began the switch to Italy after missing weight at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Mexico. He'd met an Italian female wrestler a few years earlier and struck up a relationship. After missing weight he was suspended from the team, which meant he had no real source of extra income. Love and the prospect of wrestling on his own terms brought Chamizo to Italy. He married his girlfriend, but they've since divorced. Q: Spencer Lee is not competing at the World Team Trials. Tom Brands said, "This is the right move for Spencer Lee." Do you agree? What do you think went into the decision? Does it have anything to do with Thomas Gilman? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't think that Spencer Lee would back down from anyone, including Thomas Gilman. I agree with Tom Brands that not wrestling might be beneficial. As the thinking may go with Zain Retherford, the 2018 Worlds might be a huge event, but if I'm Lee and choosing years to compete it's not nearly as vital as 2019, which is a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics. Trust Brands. Trust Lee. Q: Who do you think will be the surprise of the World Team Trials this weekend? -- Mike C. Foley: 65 kilograms. Whatever happens there will feel like a surprise! Zahid Valencia is coming off an undefeated season at Arizona State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What kind of chance does Zahid Valencia have to beat Alex Dieringer and win the World Team Trials this weekend? -- Mike C. Foley: Meh. I tend to think Alex Dieringer is one of the top five 79-kilogram wrestlers in the world. When he travels overseas he tends to win. Losing to Dake is a tough draw, but I think he's shown himself to be somewhat dominant against national competition. Valencia is a beast! But I'm not sure his style is transitioning as well right now from collegiate to freestyle. Too many back exposures in his game, which opens him up to errant points. Q: Do you think Daton Fix avenges his U.S. Open loss and beats Tony Ramos to win the World Team Trials? Or are you picking Ramos? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes, but I also think it's unwise to underestimate Tony Ramos, which people do with some consistency. Regardless of this year I think Fix and Lee are the future of the 57-kilogram weight class in the USA ... and the world!

NEW YORK -- It rained all week, until this afternoon, and the weather was perfect for the Beat the Streets Benefit at Pier 17 in the Seaport District of Lower Manhattan tonight. The United States showed up with an impressive effort, claiming nine of the 11 international matches in front of the amazing New York skyline. The event was held at Pier 17 in NYC (Photo/Beat the Streets)In the Main Event "Super Match," Olympic champion and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs of the USA powered back from trailing 4-0 with a strong second period to defeat two-time Frank Chamizo of Italy, 8-5. In the other Super Match, American star Jordan Oliver won a 3-3 criteria victory over 2012 Olympic champion Toghrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan. Other U.S. winners were Tamyra Stock (Women's 68 kilograms), James Green (Men's 70 kilograms), Kyle Dake (Men's 79 kilograms), J'den Cox (Men's 92 kilograms), Kyle Snyder (Men's 97 kilograms), Nick Gwiazdowski (Men's 125 kilograms) and Helen Maroulis (Women's 57 kilograms). Results: High School SuperMatch at 57 kilograms: Patrick Glory tech. fall Gavin Teasdale, 16-3 Women's 59 kilograms: Adeniyi Aminat (Nigeria) pin Megan Black (USA), 1:50 Women's 68 kilograms: Tamyra Stock (USA) vs. Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria), 2-1 Men's 57 kilograms: Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba) dec. Josh Rodriguez (USA), 5-2 Men's 70 kilograms: James Green (USA) dec. Franklin Meren Castillo (Cuba), 2-1 Men's 79 kilograms: Kyle Dake (USA) tech. fall Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba), 13-1 Men's 92 kilograms: J'den Cox (USA) dec. Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta (Cuba), 2-1 Men's 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder (USA) dec. Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba), 9-8 Men's 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) dec. Yudenny Alapajon Estevez (Cuba), 9-1 Women's 57 kilograms: Helen Maroulis (USA) dec. Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria), 4-1 Super Match Men's 70 kilograms: Jordan Oliver (USA) dec. Togrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan), 3-3 Super Match Men's 74 Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Frank Chamizo (Italy), 8-5

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Head coach Kyle Borshoff has officially announced the addition of Fred Garcia to the Binghamton wrestling coaching staff. Garcia will join the Bearcats as assistant coach for the 2018-19 season. Fred Garcia"I am excited to add Fred to our staff," Borshoff said. "Everyone that knows him, or has worked with him, speaks highly of him as a coach, a competitor and a person. He compliments our staff well and will be an integral part of helping our wrestlers develop, especially at the upper weights. He brings a unique perspective to the program through his own experiences and successes in the sport of wrestling. I look forward to seeing Fred have an immediate impact on the growth of the Bearcat wrestling program." Garcia comes from three years of prior experience coaching at Cleveland State. After serving as a graduate assistant his first two seasons with the Vikings, he remained on staff in 2017-18 as an assistant coach. Undergoing a youth movement in his last two seasons, he helped a particularly young Vikings team come into their own on the mats. With Garcia's assistance, the Vikings had an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Championships in Nick Corba, who went on to claim two bonus-point victories on the national stage; a feat that hasn't been accomplished at Cleveland state since 1995. In his first season at CSU, Garcia helped a pair of wrestlers to NCAA Championship berths. Both Riley Shaw and Sam Wheeler reached the round of 16 at NCAA's as each hit the 30-win mark for the year. Shaw won the Eastern Wrestling League title in his classification while the Vikings went 4-2 in EWL dual action. Garcia, a graduate of fellow Eastern Wrestling League member Lock Haven, completed a stellar wrestling career that included over 100 career wins and three trips to the NCAA Division I National Championships. A Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Champion and three-time EWL runner-up, Garcia is also a counselor and clinician for the Rob Wallers All-American Wrestling Camp, working camps throughout several wrestling hotbeds in the U.S. over the past six years. Garcia is a native of Donora, PA, where he was an all-conference athlete in both wrestling and baseball at Ringgold High School.

Marietta, Ga. -- The Life University Athletics Department will begin construction immediately for a brand new wrestling facility for both the men's and women's wrestling programs. The facility will be ready for the 2018-19 season. "Coach Acosta and Coach Sword are building championship programs that emphasize a culture of education and excellence," said Director of Athletics Jayme Pendergast. "Our men's and women's wrestling programs have been built from the ground up to become national championship contenders and our student-athletes and coaches work tirelessly to improve themselves. This facility will allow these teams to train with greater efficiency and will give these student-athletes more opportunities to be on the mat." Head men's wrestling coach Omi Acosta stated, "I am extremely pleased that Life University has bought into the vision of our wrestling programs, and we are excited about this opportunity. I would like to thank our Athletic Director, Jayme Pendergast, for believing in me. It is going to be incredible to have our own facility to train in. Nothing compares to having your own wrestling room, and we are looking forward to building a tradition of hard work into the mats of our new home." Head women's wrestling coach Ashley Sword stated,"We are beyond excited to have a dedicated facility to train in. For wrestlers, the mat is a place to find solace, and walking into your own room is like coming home after a long day. Being able to train in a dedicated space not only gives a team a sense of ownership of their own program, but also reinforces into the student athletes that the university is behind them and values their hard work and dedication. The addition of a dedicated wrestling facility here at Life University will impact not only our current athletes, but will continue to attract top talent in the future. Additionally, this will give us a home base to develop a youth program and instill the values that we as a university and program hold in such high regard." Anyone interested in donating to this facility project can contact Director of Athletics Jayme Pendergast at jayme.pendergast@life.edu or 770-426-2858.

Mason Beckman was a multiple-time All-American for Lehigh (Photo/Lehigh Athletics) FAIRFAX, Va. -- George Mason Wrestling Head Coach Frank Beasley has announced the addition of three new members to his coaching staff for the 2018-19 season. Camden Eppert joins the Patriots' after three years on the wrestling staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining the Badgers, Eppert spent one year as an assistant wrestling coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Wabash College. An Anderson, IN native, Eppert coached 26 NCAA Qualifiers and four All-Americans at Wisconsin. At Wabash, he helped lead the Little Giants to a third-place finish at DIII Nationals, including coaching two NCAA Champions and four All-Americans. Eppert, a 2014 graduate of Purdue University, was a two-time NCAA qualifier and four-time Big Ten Championships place-winner in his four years as a Boilermaker. The 125-pounder was also a three-time Academic All-Academic and four-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient. Eppert then went on to attain his Master's degree in Kinesiology while coaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A two-time team captain, Eppert earned the Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award and the Team Player Award in 2014. Eppert was named the Outstanding Freshman in 2011 and was inducted into Mortar Board in 2012. "Cam is and outstanding young coach who has shown great leadership with his commitment and dedication to the student-athletes he mentored," Beasley said. "He brings a variety of experiences from wrestling and coaching in the Big Ten, as well as experience coaching at a smaller DIII school. Everywhere he has coached he has made significant improvements during his tenure and I am excited for the same to happen at George Mason." Mason Beckman joins Coach Beasley's squad after coaching two years at the Quest School of Wrestling in Pennsylvania. Coaching high school and junior high teams, Beckman worked alongside Jim Akerly, former collegiate coach at American, West Virginia, Edinboro, Rider and Virginia, in developing short and long-term training. The program produced six Pennsylvania high school state champions and seven seniors who will be wrestling competitively next season at the NCAA DI level. On the mat, Beckman competed at Lehigh University and was a four-time NCAA Qualifier and earned NCAA All-American honors twice. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Business and a Master's degree in Engineering at Lehigh, in addition to being named an Academic All-American three times. He completed his collegiate career with 104 wins, ranking 12th all-time for the Mountain Hawks. "Mason brings a lot of energy and passion to the Patriot program," said Beasley. "He is an outstanding technician who has been mentored as both a wrestler and coach by some of the best coaches in the business. As a student-athlete, he helped rebuild a winning tradition at Lehigh University through his leadership and multiple-time All-American honors. He will make an immediate impact on the success of our program." Beau Donahue recently finished a four-year wrestling career at N.C. State. He was recruited and coached by Mason Head Coach Frank Beasley. A Centreville, VA. native, Donahue ranked in the top 20 each of his final three seasons and was a NCAA Qualifier while wrestling for the Wolfpack. He placed at the ACC Championships twice. In addition, was recognized as a Caterpillar Scholar Athlete all four years in pursuit of earning his Bachelor's degree in business administration. Donahue was crowned Virginia State Champion three times at nearby Westfield High School and was a three-time Washington Post All-Met selection. "I was fortunate to be able to recruit and subsequently coach Beau for four years," Beasley said. "Having been one of the best wrestlers this area has produced, I am excited that he will return to his northern Virginia roots to begin his coaching career. He will be able to hit the ground running as he knows the details of my system and will be able to model that for the team." "Cam, Mason, and Beau are all very motivated to make a huge impact at George Mason University, Beasley added. "All three epitomized what it meant to be a total student-athlete as they all bring advanced degrees to George Mason and were all successful in their competitive careers. They bring different experiences and skill sets, but all share the same vision to #BeUncommon. All three have a similar mentality and exceptional work ethic. They are committed to developing this program into one of the best in the country."

An Eastern Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame wrestler and his wife -- also an alum -- are suing the Ypsilanti-based school's president, athletic director and Board of Regents, claiming their alma mater violated Michigan's Open Meetings Act when it announced in March that it was eliminating four intercollegiate sports, including wrestling. The lawsuit filed by attorneys for Douglas and Mary Willer seek to have all four sports reinstated. Doug WillerDouglas Willer said the university violated the Open Meetings Act by restricting the public comment portion of a Board of Regents meeting to just 30 minutes. "When they wouldn't allow people to speak on the issue, I felt compelled to then file a lawsuit," Willer told Michigan Public Radio. In response to the Willers' lawsuit, Geoff Larcom, executive director of media relations for the University, says EMU is planning a "vigorous defense." "The facts in this situation are clear. No violation of the Open Meetings Act occurred at our Board of Regents meeting because the decision to reduce varsity sports is an administrative decision and does not require approval of the Board of Regents," Larcom said to MPR. "As such, the decision was not presented to the Regents for their approval." As InterMat reported on March 20, EMU's president announced at a press conference that men's wrestling, men's swimming and diving, women's tennis and softball will be cut at a press conference. The university says these cuts will add about $2.4 million to its annual budget. However, in their lawsuit, the Willers claim Eastern Michigan is "greatly exaggerating" the savings of cutting the four programs. The Detroit News reported that the programs' annual expenses totaled $1,206,219, citing the most recent budget figures available for the 2016 fiscal year. EMU athletic director Scott Wetherbee disputes those numbers, saying those figures didn't include scholarship money. What's more, the Willers' lawsuit claims Wetherbee had a clause in his contract that he would be penalized $135,000 should any sports have to be cut during his tenure, but that he was relieved of that stipulation in December 2017. Eastern Michigan did not respond to the Detroit News' questions concerning Wetherbee's contract. The Willers have deep roots with Eastern Michigan. Douglas Willer earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the university. As a former EMU Eagle wrestler, Willer was a two-time NCAA All-American in the 1970s and was Eastern Michigan's first-ever Mid-American Conference champion. His 73 career victories were a program record at the time of his graduation. Douglas Willer was welcomed into the Eastern Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. Mary Willer also holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Eastern Michigan.

Tommy Dantzler Like father, like son. When Tommy Dantzler signed a contract to become a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident-athlete in Greco-Roman wrestling this week, a bit of history was made. Not to mention a family connection. Tommy, who is about to graduate from high school, is following in his father T.C. Dantzler's footsteps as a resident-athlete at the Colorado Springs-based USOTC. The Dantzler duo is believed to be the first father-son team to have both participated as USOTC Greco resident-athletes since the program was established in 1993, according to KKTV. After making the commitment to train at the USOTC Greco program, Tommy Dantzler announced his decision on Twitter: "For the past few months in my mind I had it set that I was going to play football in college and make it when in reality I've ALWAYS loved GRECO more so it's been a gift that God had given me since birth. I have been wrestling my whole life and it just would not have felt right leaving that foundation that I had just started to build for myself. So with that being said, I am beyond blessed to announce that after (high school) graduation I will be training at the Olympic Training Center with the Greco-Roman residency program in my hometown of Colorado Springs, and will attend the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs…" Tommy Dantzler is following in some pretty big footsteps. His father T.C. Dantzler managed to make the most of his experience as a former USOTC resident-athlete, wrestling for the Team USA Greco squad at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as five World championships. After completing his long and successful Greco career, the elder Dantzler settled in Colorado Springs, where he established a business, raised his family and developed a local wrestling club. Then again, Tommy Dantzler may well be on his way to emulating his dad's success. He recently placed sixth in the national tournament for wrestlers ages 17-20, the UWW (United World Wrestling) Junior National Championships in Greco-Roman held in Las Vegas. It's easy to understand why the father approves of his son's decision. "To be back here, where I came to train in 1995 for just two weeks, and I have been ever since, it is great to have my son commit to the program and try to win a gold medal for the best country in the world," T.C. Dantzler told KKTV. "This is the best training facility in the world to train in Greco-Roman wrestling."

Tim Hartung, two-time national wrestling champ for University of Minnesota, has been named head coach of the Stillwater High School in Minnesota. Tim Hartung (Photo/The Guillotine)Hartung, who had been assistant coach at the school located east of Minneapolis-St. Paul, replaces Rich Keller as head coach, according to The Guillotine, which covers wrestling in the state of Minnesota. Hartung made a name for himself on the wrestling mat for Minnesota. Under long-time head coach J Robinson, the Durand, Wis. native was a two-time NCAA champ (190 pounds in 1998, 197 in 1999), the first Golden Gopher to earn back-to-back national titles since Verne Gagne 50 years earlier. Hartung was also a three-time Big Ten champion. While at Minnesota, Hartung was teammates with current Minnesota head coach Brandon Eggum, and Brock Lesnar, larger-than-life former UFC and WWE champ. Hartung was named Minnesota's male recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1999. In 2010, the former Gopher was welcomed into the "M" Club Hall of Fame. Hartung launched his coaching career at Minnesota, serving as an assistant coach for a half-decade. In subsequent years he has coached at middle and high schools in metropolitan Twin Cities.

Clarissa Chun coaching at a Beat the Streets Los Angeles event (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Clarissa Chun, two-time U.S. Olympic wrestler and 2008 world champion, was one of four athletes to be welcomed into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on Tuesday. Chun, born in Honolulu in August 1981, started her sports career in judo where she was a five-time junior national champ ... but then took up wrestling as a junior at Honolulu's Roosevelt High School. She won a Hawaii state title in 1998, the first-year women's wrestling was an officially sanctioned sport in the state. Chun continued in freestyle wrestling on the world stage at 48 kilograms/106 pounds, twice earning a place on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team, first at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (where she placed fifth) then the 2012 London Olympics, where she earned a bronze medal, becoming the first Hawaiian wrestler to medal at any Olympics. In addition, Chun was a five-time world qualifier, earning a gold medal at the 2008 World Championships. In addition to Chun, other inductees for this year's class include 2004 U.S. Olympic volleyball gold medalist Clay Stanley, professional golfer Dean Wilson, and Major League Baseball star Shane Victorina. The four Class of 2018 honorees were welcomed into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame at a dinner and awards presentation at the Honolulu Country Club. The Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1978 to provide "a permanent recognition of what (honorees) have accomplished in their athletic careers."

Logan Stieber after a victory over India at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The online sportsbook BetDSI.com posted betting odds on this weekend's World Team Trials in Rochester, Minn. Let's examine the best bets based on the betting odds. Note: Some of the betting odds have changed since they opened on Tuesday. Easy money Logan Stieber -230 at 65 kilograms Stieber was a massive favorite to win the U.S. Open, but was upset by Jaydin Eierman in the quarterfinals. While Eierman appears to be a rising star with a lot of potential in freestyle, Stieber remains the class of the field. He's still relatively cheap at -230 considering his resume and success in recent years. He was a world champion in 2016 and notched a win over three-time world champion Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan at the Freestyle World Cup this year. If Stieber does reach the best-of-three finals, it seems very unlikely that anyone could beat him twice. Adam Coon -215 at 125 kilograms Coon was a bit of a question mark heading into the U.S. Open because he was competing in both freestyle and Greco-Roman and had been focusing on folkstyle wrestling for the past six months as a collegiate competitor at Michigan. In Las Vegas, Coon was phenomenal, navigating his way to the finals in both styles. A day after falling to Olympian Robby Smith in the Greco-Roman finals, Coon topped 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner to win the freestyle title. Now he gets to sit out until Sunday's best-of-three. The odds were stacked against Coon at the U.S. Open and he still came out on top in freestyle. A rested Coon at -215 has value. Isaiah Martinez (-250) at 74 kilograms With multiple-time world champion Jordan Burroughs not competing at the U.S. Open, Martinez was unchallenged at 74 kilograms, outscoring his opposition 49-0. He won by 10-0 technical fall over Dan Vallimont in the finals. By winning in Las Vegas, Imar gets to sit out until Sunday's best-of-three finals. However, missing from the U.S. Open was Dave Schultz Memorial champion Nazar Kulchytskyy. He's expected to compete this weekend in Rochester and will be the favorite to reach the finals against Martinez. Kulchytskyy is a savvy veteran, but Martinez is too explosive and will likely be too much for the former Division II champion. I don't love laying heavy juice (-250), but I think it's worth it in this case. Value plays Frank Molinaro +150 at 70 kilograms Molinaro, a fifth-place finisher at the Olympic Games in Rio, entered the U.S. Open as the favorite at 70 kilograms. He was upset by Jason Chamberlain in the semifinals. Prior to that meeting, Molinaro had Chamberlain's number in recent years. Molinaro is still the top wrestler in this field and has value at plus money. He claimed a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January. Dom Bradley +450 at 125 kilograms Bradley was the top seed at the U.S. Open and finished third. While Coon remains the favorite this weekend at 125 kilograms, there is certainly value on Bradley at +450. If you're betting Coon, it's probably not a bad idea to also put a little money on Bradley as a hedge. Of course, there is no guarantee he gets to Coon. He still has to go through a field that includes Varner and three-time age group world champion Gable Steveson. Worth a shot Field +400 at 61 kilograms The 61-kilogram weight class was wide open at the U.S. Open, and it is once again wide open at this weekend's World Team Trials. Joe Colon came out on top in Las Vegas, beating Nahshon Garrett in a wild, high scoring affair (20-13) in the finals. Colon advanced to Final X by winning the U.S. Open, which means he will not be competing this weekend. Garrett is the favorite this weekend at -170, but he's far from a lock to win the title. Also listed with odds are NCAA champions Nico Megaludis (+285) and Seth Gross (+500). The Field bet might have the most value at this weight class at +400. It includes Tyler Graff, Brandon Wright and Jon Morrison. It's probably worth a shot. Deron Winn +900 at 92 kilograms Two-time world-level bronze medalist J'den Cox earned a spot in Final X by winning the U.S. Open. With Cox not competing this weekend, it's anyone's guess who comes out on top at 92 kilograms. Nick Heflin, a Dave Schultz Memorial champion, suffered an injury this year that prevented him from competing at the U.S. Open. He's listed as the favorite at -160, but it remains to be seen if he's healthy enough to come out on top. Hayden Zillmer finished runner-up to Cox at the U.S. Open, but doesn't have much value at +125. If you're looking for value at 92 kilograms, consider a wager on Deron Winn at +900. He's as talented as anyone in the weight class and has more experience than anyone. Working against him is that he's primarily been focusing on his MMA career. Just last weekend Winn won by knockout at Bellator 199. With no strong favorite at 92 kilograms, Winn has value at +900.

EDMOND -- The University of Central Oklahoma head wrestling coach Todd Steidley Tuesday announced the hiring of Eli Hale as his new assistant coach. Eli Hale"We are thrilled to have Eli join our staff at UCO," Steidley said. "His work ethic and knowledge is as good as it gets. He approaches everything he does with an idea that he can learn how to be the best at it and then he does everything possible to become the best. That's a great quality that he brings to UCO and I'm really sure he is going to help us in a big way." "I'm really excited to get to work," Hale said. "UCO is a great place and the wrestling program is undoubtedly one of the best in the country. It was an honor to wrestle here last season and I'm really looking forward to working with the team and trying to help the Bronchos win another national championship." Hale began his new role Monday, May 14 following his senior season at Central. Hale in March became Central Oklahoma's 44th individual national champion, capping off a perfect 24-0 season with the Bronchos.

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, the Complex opened the doors to a new multi-purpose arena that further expanded the 220-acre sports venue that is widely regarded as the leading facility for youth sports in America. This year, AAU Wrestlers get their first taste of the new The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the AAU Scholastic Duals on June 23-28. Designed specifically for cheer and dance events, the 8,000-seat arena will hold 32 mats for this year's event and, for the first time in the event's 21-year history in Orlando, an all-girls division will compete on June 24-26. "We are looking forward to introducing this fantastic new space to all our wrestlers this summer," said Bob Johnson, AAU Wrestling National Chairman. "ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is one of the most unique sporting venues in the country. There is no better place to host the AAU Scholastic Duals than in a facility that puts our athletes, coaches and parents in the same competition arenas as the pros." ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is one of the most unique sporting venues in the country," Dr. Goudy said. "The new arena is a fantastic new space and we are looking forward experiencing it together this weekend with our athletes, coaches and parents." Earlier this year, AAU President/CEO Dr. Roger J. Goudy joined ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex executives to help mark the occasion with a special dedication ceremony featuring a giant ribbon-cutting, plus a cheerleading routing with Minnie Mouse in her new cheerleader uniform amid a blast of streamers. The AAU joined the Atlanta Braves as the anchor tenants of the ESPN Complex back in 1998. Since then, the AAU has attracted more than 50,000 athletes to Disney property for national championship events in at least six sports annually. Visit www.aauwrestling.net to register for AAU Scholastic Duals by May 28 and follow AAU Wrestling on social media for news and results from all of this summer's national championship events.

Alex Dieringer is listed at -400 to win the World Team Trials at 79 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BetDSI, an online sportsbook, has posted betting odds on the World Team Trials. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Rochester, Minn. To register and bet online, visit BetDSI.com. Use promo code Wrestle100 for a $100 free play. How betting works: If betting on a wrestler listed with a minus (-) sign, you must risk that number amount to profit $100 (and get your stake back). For example, risking $200 on Tony Ramos (-200) would profit $100 or risking $100 would profit $50. If betting on a wrestler listed with a plus (+) sign, for every $100 you risk, you profit that amount. For example, risking $100 on Zahid Valencia (+300) would profit $300 or risking $50 would profit $150. If betting "Field" in a weight class, you get all the wrestlers not listed with odds. Note: Betting odds are subject to change. 55 kilograms: Tony Ramos -200 Daton Fix +160 Zach Sanders +700 Field +1200 61 kilograms: Nahshon Garrett -170 Nico Megaludis +275 Field +450 Seth Gross +500 65 kilograms: Logan Stieber -210 Jaydin Eierman +175 Evan Henderson +650 Field +1200 70 kilograms: Jason Chamberlain -190 Frank Molinaro +150 Hayden Hidlay +600 Field +900 74 kilograms: Isaiah Martinez -235 Nazar Kulchytskyy +190 Tommy Gantt + 600 Field +1400 79 kilograms: Alex Dieringer -400 Zahid Valencia +300 Field +750 86 kilograms: Richard Perry -280 Joe Rau +240 Nick Reenan +750 Field +1000 92 kilograms: Nick Heflin -160 Hayden Zillmer +125 Deron Winn +900 Field +1000 97 kilograms: Austin Schafer -170 Kyven Gadson +140 Ty Walz +500 Field +1000 125 kilograms: Adam Coon -200 Jake Varner +275 Dom Bradley +450 Gable Steveson +500 Field +2000

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell head wrestling coach Dan Wirnsberger announced Tuesday that Eric Morrill has joined his staff as an assistant coach. Eric MorrillMorrill, who spent the past three seasons in the same position at Ohio University, replaces long-time assistant coach Jim Gibson, who left in late March for a head coaching position at the Virginia Military Institute. "We're extremely thrilled to have Eric join our staff," Wirnsberger said. "He will play a vital role in helping us take the necessary steps to compete at the top of the EIWA. He brings a wealth of experience to our organization and will be able to hit the ground running. We're expecting him to have a big influence on the development of our lightweight wrestlers." At Ohio University, Morill helped mentor one All-American and 11 NCAA qualifiers. In 2015-16, his first season with the program, a record seven Bobcats qualified for the NCAA Championships, with Cody Walters earning All-American accolades for the second year in a row. Ohio University finished third at the 2016 MAC Championships and fifth at the 2018 edition. The Bobcats went an impressive 13-3 during the 2015-16 campaign and, over the course of Morrill's time in Athens, had one wrestler win a MAC title and three finish as MAC runner-up. The program also brought in its highest ranked recruiting class, with three recruits slotted in the top 100 nationally. Before joining the Bobcat staff, Morill spent four seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at ACC powerhouse Virginia Tech. During his time in Blacksburg, the Hokies won the 2013 and 2014 ACC Championships and placed a then program-best eighth at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Morill worked directly with nine All-Americans and the first NCAA finalist in school history. Morrill was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Edinboro University, where he graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Health Studies. Morrill, who wrestled at 125 pounds his first three seasons before bumping up to the 133-pound weight class as a senior, posted a 90-45 record. As a junior, he compiled a 31-9 ledger and was ranked as high as fourth in the country. As a senior, he went 24-10, won an Eastern Wrestling League title and qualified for the NCAA Championships at his new weight class. He also placed second at the EWL Championships as a sophomore and fourth as a true freshman. Morrill received his master's degree in 2017 from Ohio University in Recreation & Sport Sciences with a concentration in Coaching Education and his Health Counselor Certification in 2013 from the Institute of Integrated Nutrition.

Jordan Burroughs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Beat the Streets is back for yet another star-studded event. This year's card features four Olympic champions and a host of accomplished international wrestlers. The headliner is a match between returning world champions Jordan Burroughs and Frank Chamizo. The following is a match-by-match breakdown of the event. 57 kilograms: Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. Odunayo Adekuoroye (Nigeria) Maroulis last competed in the Indian Pro League. She led her team, the Haryana Hammers, to the finals of the dual-meet tournament, but they ultimately lost to the NCR Punjab Royals. Along the way, Maroulis went 3-2 with a pair of losses against mostly unheralded Pooja Dhanda. Word is that the world and Olympic champ was dealing with some injuries during the run. Whether that is the case or not, she will need to be at her best here. Adekuroya also received an invite to compete in the Indian Pro League after picking up a silver medal at 55 kilograms last year. In India, she went 2-2 and never ran into Maroulis who sat out their team matchup with an injury. Since then, Adekuroya has been dominant with first-place finishes at the African Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Maroulis should have a size and strength advantage in this match. She should have an overall edge when it comes to physicality. This match should be a good gauge to see where she is at as well approach Final X and the 2018 World Championships. 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan (USA) vs. Adeniyi Aminat (Nigeria) Ragan followed up on her 2017 world silver medal with a strong start to this year. She picked up another second-place finish at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in January. Ragan then went 2-2 at the women's World Cup with a win over two-time University world medalist Samantha Stewart (Canada). Aminat failed to medal at the last World Championships, but she has bounced back in a big way. She won the African Championships in February and then won the Commonwealth Games last month. In the finals, she knocked off world bronze medalist Michelle Fazzari (Canada) in a match that ended early due to injury. Aminat is great in the ties and can move her opponent around the mat. Ragan is a veteran, who has shown she can compete with the best in the World. This should be a close match, and the winner will likely be a favorite to medal later this year. 68 kilograms: Tamyra Stock (USA) vs. Blessing Oborududu (Nigeria) Stock failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics after placing third in back-to-back qualifiers. Since then, she has won a pair of titles at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and knocked off some high-level wrestlers. Also this year, she took home a bronze medal at the Klippan Lady Open and picked up a win over Cadet world silver medalist Miwa Morikawa (Japan). Oborududu narrowly missed out of a medal at the 2017 World Championships and finished fifth. Since then, she took silver at the 2017 Commonwealth Championships, gold at the 2018 African Championships and gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She went somewhat viral for her celebration after defeating Danielle Lappage (Canada) in the finals of the Commonwealth Games. Oborududu flopped to her back and log rolled to her corner to celebrate with her coaches. People around USA Wrestling have a lot of faith in Stock. She has already won multiple prestigious tournaments, and she seems to get better every time out. However, Oborududu seems to have the ability to shut down her opponent's offense, and she certainly has the momentum right now. 57 kilograms: Josh Rodriguez (USA) vs. Reineri Andreu Ortega (Cuba) Rodriguez was a three-time national qualifier at North Dakota State, and he currently trains with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. He recently competed at the U.S. Open where he knocked off Zane Richards but failed to place after falling to Frank Perrelli in the consolation bracket. By not placing at the Open, he failed to qualify for this weekend's World Team Trials. Ortega burst onto the scene last fall with a gold medal at the U23 World Championships. However, he seemed to come back down to earth this year. Ortega got pinned by Joey Dance and failed to medal at the Cerro Pelado. The Cuban also struggled his way through the World Cup and finished with a 1-3 record. With that being said, he got back on track at the Pan American Championships. He defeated world silver medalist Thomas Gilman in the semifinals and went on to win gold. Cuba has always been strong in the lighter divisions, and Ortega seems to be next in that line. Rodriguez will likely struggle in this match, but the home crowd at Beat the Streets can be a difference maker. 70 kilograms: James Green (USA) vs. Franklin Maren Castillo (Cuba) Green might end up being the gold medal favorite at this year's World Championships. He finished second last year, and the man who beat him has already moved up in weight. So far this year, he has gone 3-1 at the World Cup and dominated his way to a gold medal at the Pan American Championships. Castillo has been competing on the senior level since 2009. During that stretch, he has only represented Cuba at one World Championships, 2015, and he failed to place. This year, he has won gold medals at the Cerro Pelado International and the Central American Caribbean Championships. In the finals of the Cerro Pelado, Castillo knocked off Jason Chamberlain, who recently won the U.S. Open at 70 kilograms. Green is a pretty clear favorite in this match. He has way too much offense for Castillo. The Cuban's only chance to win is to slow the match down and hope for a tight score. Unfortunately for him, Green will be able to get past his defense and score more than enough to take the match. 79 kilograms: Kyle Dake (USA) vs. Livan Lopez Azcuy (Cuba) Dake seems to have found a home at his new weight class. He began the year with a second-place finish at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. However, he really made his mark at the World Cup. He won all four of his matches and outscored his opponents 36-3. After years stuck behind Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilograms, many think this will be Dake's year to make noise at the World Championships. Lopez is another Cuban wrestler who has been around for years. He is a four-time world-level medalist with his highest finish coming when he took second at the 2013 World Championships. Earlier this month, he defeated Nazar Kulchytskyy in the finals of the Pan American Championships. Dake has looked great in limited action so far this year. This match should be a good gauge of his status. If he is able to continue his run of dominance against a wrestler like Lopez, he should be one of the favorites to bring home a world medal this year. 92 kilograms: J'den Cox (USA) vs. Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta (Cuba) After winning bronze at both the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2017 World Championships, Cox has moved up to 92 kilograms for this year. He began the year with a second-place finish at the International Ukrainian Tournament where he lost in the finals to four-time world-level medalist Sharif Sharifov. Cox then had a tough run at the World Cup, and he ended up going 1-2. The former Missouri wrestler then got back on track by winning the U.S. Open. However, he was too sick to compete at the Pan American Championships and was replaced by Greco-Roman wrestler Ben Provisor at the last minute. Torreblanca has already given Cox's chief domestic rival, David Taylor, a pair of tough matches. Unfortunately for him, he has dropped both. He fell to Taylor at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix and finished fifth. Torreblanca lost another close match to the former Penn State wrestler in the finals of the Pan American Championships. This match could be the closest match of the night. Neither wrestler gives up anything easy, and both can struggle to score at times. However, Cox is actually more offensive than he appears. Since winning a bronze medal at last year's World Championships, he has outscored his opponents 67 to 18. 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. Reineris Salas Perez (Cuba) Snyder bounced back from a loss to Adam Coon during the college wrestling season and won his third NCAA title. Since finishing his college eligibility he wrestled at the World Cup, where he absolutely unstoppable. He won all four of his matches and outscored his opponents 44-3. At this point, the only match on the horizon that seems competitive would be a rematch of last year's World Championships match against Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Salas is a three-time medalist at the World Championships, and he has been competing on the senior level since 2006. He recently defeated Kyven Gadson in the finals of the Pan American Championships for his seventh Pan Games/Championships medal. Snyder should take this match. Salas is a veteran who can give anyone a tough match, but Snyder is simply on another level at this point. 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) vs. Yudenny Alapajon Estevez (Cuba) Gwiazdowski entered this year coming off a bronze medal at the World Championships. This year, he picked up another bronze at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, went 2-1 at the World Cup and finished first at the Pan American Championships. He appears situated to represent the U.S. at heavyweight for at least the next few World Championships. Alpajon is a two-time winner of the Cerro Pelado International. He took a bronze at the tournament this year after falling against Cyclone Wrestling Club product Ben Durbin in the semifinals. Alpajon recently finished second at the Pan American Championships for the third time in his career. At the Pan American Championships, Gwiazdowski defeated Alpajon via a dominating 9-0 score. With the home crowd behind him, the former NC State will likely be able to pick up a tech and stop the match early. 57 kilograms: Patrick Glory (USA) vs. Gavin Teasdale (USA) Michael Novogratz hinted that a high school dream match would be added to the Beat the Streets field, and it ended up being the rubber match between Glory and Teasdale. The rivalry kicked off at Who's Number One this year. At the event, Glory, who will wrestle for Princeton in the fall, upset Teasdale and walked away with a 3-0 win. The two rematched at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic after the season and the future Nittany Lion Wrestler walked away with the win after scoring a takedown with ten seconds left. Teasdale recently finished fourth at the UWW Junior Open, and his freestyle experience should help him here. Glory has had his best success against Teasdale by scrambling and rolling for legs. Under freestyle rules, that could mean big points for Teasdale. 65 kilograms: Jordan Oliver (USA) vs. Togrul Asgarov (Azerbaijan) At the 2017 U.S. Open, Oliver had one of his best tournaments on the senior level. He knocked off multiple-time NCAA champion Zain Retherford in the semifinals and then bested 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro in the finals. However, following the event, Oliver tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended. His suspension forced him to miss all qualifiers for the 2018 World Team Trials. Despite some campaigning, it looks like Oliver will miss out on the tournament. Asgarov is a two-time Olympic medalist. He won a gold at the 2012 Games at 60 kilograms, and he won a silver at the 2016 Games at 65 kilograms. Like Oliver, he tested positive for a banned substance in 2017, and this will be his first event since returning from suspension. He last competed in the 2017 Indian Pro League. From a skill and accomplishment perspective, Asgarov should be the favorite in this match. He has vast edge in terms of international experience. However, he competes on a very light schedule and rarely wrestles. In theory that could work in Oliver's favor, but both are coming off lengthy layoffs for this match. 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Frank Chamizo (Italy) Since a disappointing performance at the 2016 Olympic Games, Burroughs has bounced back by going undefeated through four events and winning a world championship. In addition to his 2017 world championship, he has gone undefeated at a pair of World Cup events and picked up a title at the 2017 Grand Prix of Spain. Burroughs has had an amazing career for the U.S., and he is looking to add a sixth world-level title to his resume this year. Chamizo is a four-time world-level medalist and two-time world champion. However, all of those medals have come at lower weight divisions. This year, he moved up the 74 kilograms for the first time. He won his first two tournaments at the new weight, the International Ukrainian Tournament and the Dan Kolov - Nikola Petrov Tournament. Earlier this month, he took home a bronze medal at the 2018 European Championships. In the quarterfinals, he picked a signature win, as he pinned 2017 World silver medalist Khetik Tsabolov (Russia). However, in the semifinals, he fell against Soner Demirtas (Turkey). These two have been advocating for this match ever since Seth Gross and Bryce Meredith made a battle of number-one ranked wrestlers on Twitter. Both were world champions at back-to-back weight classes last year. Stylistically, this is one of the most interesting matches of the year. Burroughs is known for his aggression in the neutral position and dynamic double-leg takedown. On the other hand, Chamizo uses his athleticism to score with a variety of exotic counters. If Burroughs can get to legs and finish clean, he should be able to dominate. However, that is not always the easiest task against Chamizo.

Alleida Martinez (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Monday announced that Alleida Martinez of Selma, California, is the 2018 national winner of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). Martinez will be presented with her award during the 42nd Annual Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum on June 1-2 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For information on Honors Weekend, visit https://nwhof.ticketleap.com/ or telephone (405) 377-5243. "I feel incredibly honored to have been selected for this award because there is so much talent in women's wrestling today," said Martinez. "I also feel happy and excited to be able to represent women's wrestling at this level and inspire the younger generations." Martinez is a four-time California High School state champion and four-year team captain for Selma High School. The daughter of Esbeide Belmontes and Noe Martinez, she helped Selma win two state team titles. On Saturday, Martinez, who is a member of the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, won the 50 kg title at the Women's Nationals to make the U.S. women's freestyle Junior World Team that will compete in September in Trnava, Slovakia. It is the third World Team for Martinez, who won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2016 and was a silver medalist in 2015. She was a U23 runner-up in 2018 and a Fargo junior champion and a junior national folkstyle runner-up in 2017. In 2015 and 2016, Martinez won back-to-back junior national and cadet national folkstyle championships as well as the Fargo and Body Bar titles. The TSHSEA recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service. First presented in 2014, the TSHSEA is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women's wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. "Because women's wrestling is growing so fast, there are more qualified and deserving candidates, which makes it more difficult for our committee to choose the winner of our Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award," said Executive Director Lee Roy Smith. "We are happy to announce Alleida Martinez as our national winner. She is a great example of a young woman who has excelled on the wrestling mat while also being a good student, a good citizen and a positive role model. We look forward to following Alleida's success in college and beyond." Regional winners are selected from state winners, and the national winner will be chosen from the regional winners. Missouri recently voted to make girls wrestling an official high school sport, becoming the third state this season, along with Georgia and Oregon, to add high school girls wrestling. There are now nine states that will host state-sanctioned girls wrestling championships: Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Martinez also ran cross country and was a state qualifier and team captain for two years. She has performed over 50 hours of community service with the Selma High School ROTC program while also volunteering at the Highland Games, Jackson Elementary Carnival and the Selma Sikh Parade. She has volunteered to place flags on veteran graves as well as serving as part of flag honor guard at other events. She has a 3.52 GPA and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Menlo College. The state winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations for the High School Excellence awards, and a committee, with input from Hall of Fame state chapters, selects state and regional winners. National winners are then chosen from the regional winners. All-Time National Winners of Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award 2018 - Alleida Martinez, Selma High School, Selma, California 2017 - Cierra Foster, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho 2016 - Katie Brock, Sequatchie County High School, Whitwell, Tennessee 2015 - Marizza Birrueta, Grandview High School, Grandview, Washington 2014 - Marina Doi, Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, California America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

The InterMat Classic will be held at Edina (Minn.) High School in 2018 InterMat's preseason high school wrestling tournament will have a new home this fall. The InterMat Classic is moving from Rochester, Minn., to Edina, Minn. The event has been held at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester since its inception in 2010. The 2018 InterMat Classic will take place on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at Edina High School. Edina is a southwest suburb of Minneapolis. Registration opens on Sept. 1. More information on the InterMat Classic will be released in the coming months on the event website.

Three former amateur wrestlers left the cage victorious before the end of the first round of their bouts at Bellator 199 mixed martial arts event at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Saturday night. The evening opened with Deron Winn scoring a TKO at 2:32 of the first round ... and ended with Arizona State mat alum Ryan Bader knocking out former Oklahoma State All-American Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal in the first 15 seconds of their top-of-the-card fight, while Aaron Pico, the high school mat phenom who took a pass on a collegiate career to enter MMA, also won with a TKO at a bit more than a minute in his match. The fight of a fourth former wrestler -- Purdue grad Jon Fitch -- went the distance, with the one-time Boilermaker winning a decision at the end of three rounds. Two mat veterans left SAP Center on the losing end. In addition to Lawal, Carrington Banks suffered his first loss of his pro MMA career, having been submitted in the third round. King Mo: Gone in 15 seconds "Ryan Bader wasted zero time Saturday at Bellator 199." Ryan Bader (Photo/Bellator)That's how Sherdog.com opened its write-up of the main event in San Jose this weekend. "The reigning Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion punched his ticket to the second round of the ongoing Grand Prix by knocking out Muhammed Lawal in 15 seconds," Sherdog.com continued. "A left hook in the first real exchange dropped 'King Mo,' and Bader followed his dazed foe to the ground, where he continued to deliver punishment until referee Mike Beltran stepped in to stop the proceedings." "It was Bader's instant thriller against 'King Mo' that shut down the night in emphatic fashion, with Lawal (21-7 career record) failing to deliver even a single shot despite his reputation for fighting anytime, anywhere and any weight," according to CBSsports.com. Bader's quick disposal of Lawal ranks as the seventh-shortest fight in Bellator history. The three-time Pac 10 champ as a Sun Devil wrestler -- with an MMA career record of 24-5 -- is now set to take on Matt Matrione in the Grand Prix semifinals after his third straight win since joining Bellator MMA. Aaron Pico did it in a minute (or so) Aaron Pico -- the now-21-year-old former high school wrestling phenom (a national champ in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman) who chose a pro MMA career instead of college -- notched yet another first-round win at Bellator 199, getting a TKO at one minute, ten seconds vs. MMA veteran Lee Morrison in their 145-pound bout. "Aaron Pico continued to justify the hype around him, as the man who is arguably MMA's most exciting prospect under age 25 stopped his second straight foe with a body shot," CBSsports.com reported. "Pico threw a left hook to the body that had Lee Morrison tumbling backwards, head over heels. After the rising featherweight star from American Kickboxing Academy chased Morrison to the mat with additional punches, referee Blake Grice jumped to Morrison's rescue at 1:10 of the first round. Pico, after an upset loss in his mixed martial arts debut, has now reeled off three straight wins via first-round stoppage." "Freakishly aggressive and quick with his fists" (to quote Sherdog.com), Pico improved to 3-1, while Morrison drops to 19-9. Deron Winn notches another first-round win In the very first fight of the evening at Bellator 199, Deron Winn got things started off right for former wrestlers ... with his fourth straight, first-round knockout in his pro MMA career. Winn, a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ for St. Louis Community College, Meramec who was making his heavyweight debut in Bellator, got a TKO at approximately two-and-a-half minutes into the first round. The 28-year-old Winn prevailed over Ahmed White, who was making his first pro MMA bout. Winn is now 4-0 in his professional MMA career, while White is now 0-1. 40-year-old Jon Fitch goes the distance Jon Fitch -- who was introduced to MMA by his Purdue wrestling coach (and MMA veteran) Tom "The Big Cat" Erikson -- went the distance to earn a unanimous decision over Paul Daley in a three-round welterweight (170 pound) bout. "The fight put Fitch's grinding mentality on display, with the 40-year-old pinning Daley to the cage in all three rounds and pounding away with hits from the top position," according to CBSsports.com. Fitch earned his fifth straight victory and first win at Bellator to build an overall MMA career record of 31-7. Banks also comes out on losing end Mo Lawal wasn't the only former collegiate wrestler to have a tough night at Bellator 199 Saturday. Carrington Banks, 29, an NJCAA mat champ for Iowa Central, suffered the first loss of his pro MMA career at the hands of Adam Piccolotti, who submitted Banks using a near-naked choke just before the end of the bout -- 4:41, to be exact, of Round 3. With the loss, the 155-pound Banks falls to 7-1, while Piccolotti improves to 10-2.

A Utah high school has struck gold with its new head wrestling coach. Rulon Gardner, U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler at the 2000 Sydney Games, has been hired as head coach of the mat program at Herriman High School in Utah. Gardner replaces a paraprofessional instructor/coach who wanted to concentrate his efforts in the classroom. Rulon GardnerIn talking about hiring Gardner, Brad Tingey, director of athletics at Herriman, told KSL-TV Friday. "We feel like it's a good fit for us," "We think he'll be able to elevate our program and get us to higher places." One hope is that Gardner can generate greater interest in wrestling at Herriman. In the past, Herriman has had a roster of 40-50 wrestlers, but had 36 athletes last year. Tingey considers the school's wrestling team to be among the top 10 in Utah, and, with the right coaching, could rank even higher. "We think our wrestling program is in a really good position now, and we think Rulon can be the catalyst … to elevate it into one of the elite wrestling programs in the state," Tingey said. Gardner, 46, is a two-time Olympic medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling. At the 2000 Sydney Games, the Wyoming native scored one of the biggest upsets in Olympic wrestling history by upsetting three-time Olympic gold medalist Alexander Karelin of Russia. Four years later, Gardner earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In addition to his impressive Olympic hardware, Gardner also owns the distinction of receiving the 2000 AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Sullivan Award for the outstanding amateur athlete in the nation. Only four U.S. wrestlers have received this honor, including Kyle Snyder, Ohio State's gold-medal-winning heavyweight, earlier this year. Herriman High School is a four-year public high school in Herriman, Utah. The school, which serves three communities, has a total enrollment of 2,900 students.

EAST STROUDSBURG -- Anibal Nieves, who earned All-America accolades at East Stroudsburg University in 1989 and later competed internationally for Puerto Rico in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, has been announced as head coach of the Warriors' wrestling program. Anibal NievesNieves, a Division I national qualifier at 134 pounds in 1988 and 1989 who placed sixth nationally during his senior season, brings over 15 years of head coaching experience to ESU. Most recently, he has served as head women's and assistant men's coach at Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, Mass. for the past six seasons. "I'm very excited to welcome Anibal Nieves to our Warrior athletics program," said Dr. Gary R. Gray, Director of Athletics. "He brings a rich past of international and Olympic experience, as well as developing young wrestlers at a number of levels, including NCAA Division II. I am confident that he will provide the leadership and direction required to reestablish ESU wrestling at the PSAC and DII levels." Prior to his position at Springfield Tech, Nieves was the head men's coach at Division III Western New England for five years. He previously led American International's Division II men's program from 1994-2003 and was honored as the DII East Regional Coach of the Year in 2000. Nieves has coached nine All-Americans at the Division II level. His student-athletes' academic success has stood out as well, with Nieves leading a total of 20 NCAA Scholar All-Americans at his previous programs. At Springfield Tech, he led nine NCWA Women's All-Americans, including four national champions, and he was named NWCA Women's Coach of the Year in 2017. Nieves had a 62-13-5 record in two seasons at ESU, notching one fall, 11 technical falls and 15 major decisions, and had a 22-3-5 mark in duals. Following his career at ESU, he competed for Puerto Rico in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic games, earning a 10th place finish at 62 kilograms at the 1992 Barcelona Games. A nine-time national champion in Puerto Rico, he also took home silver medals at the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games. "It is an honor to be named wrestling coach at ESU, " said Nieves. "I would like to thank our awesome team of administrators, including President Welsh and Dr. Gray, the search committee and ESU coaches and staff who participated in the search process for selecting me to lead our wrestling student-athletes." "I look forward to building on the Warriors' winning tradition. ESU alumni, family, wrestlers and friends will do this together!" Nieves remains active internationally, serving as the wrestling coach for Haiti at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He additionally worked as a trainer for two-time U.S. Olympian Elena Pirozhkova, who was the women's World Champion at 63 kilograms in 2012. One of 22 All-Americans in ESU history, Nieves will look to bring renewed success to a wrestling program which has had 12 athletes combine for 16 NCAA qualifying spots since reclassifying to DII prior to the 2009-10 season, but just two in the last three years. Nieves will begin his position at ESU on Tuesday, May 29. He is available via e-mail at nieveswrestling@gmail.com.

Spencer Lee claimed the NCAA title at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa national champion Spencer Lee announced Saturday that he is not competing at the Senior Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota, on May 18-20. Lee won the 2018 NCAA championship as a true freshman at 125 pounds. He joined the Iowa lineup in January and compiled a 22-2 overall record, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Lee is a three-time age-level world champion. He expects to return to international competition in July, when USA Wrestling fields teams at tournaments in Germany, Spain, and Turkey. "I have the best coaches in the world and collectively we decided that this was the best decision for me," Lee said. "They had a plan last year when there were decisions to be made regarding my redshirt, and they have a plan for me now. I believe in the plan and look forward to competing this summer in European tournaments while preparing myself for the upcoming college season." "This is the right move for Spencer Lee," said UI head coach Tom Brands. "He is not slowing down; he is moving forward down a different path. Since arriving on campus, we have made decisions that are in the best interest of him and his future, and that continues today. I can't wait to see him return to competition in July."

Welcome back, Nate Moore. Moore is returning to Iowa City West High School -- the place where he won two Iowa state titles as a wrestler, then served as an assistant coach -- to take the helm of the mat program. Moore will be following in the footsteps of Mark Reiland, his coach at West, who announced his departure two months ago. Nate Moore"It's exciting. The green and gold blood has never really left me." Moore told IAwrestle, "It's exciting to go back and I know I have some big, big shoes to fill with Reiland I think he had over 400 wins in 19 years. He was doing some serious winning, but I'm excited for what the future holds." Reiland built a powerhouse program at Iowa City West. During his time as head coach of the Trojans from 1999-2018, Reiland led the team to seven total state titles -- five dual and two traditional -- and mentored 16 wrestlers who became individual Iowa state champions. Just this past year, West High finished seventh in the team standings, with two wrestlers -- Nelson Brands, and Francis Duggan -- leaving Des Moines with state crowns. Nate Moore owns impressive statistics of his own. As a wrestler at Iowa City West from 2004-08, Moore posted a 175-3 career record, a winning percentage (.9831) that still ranks second all-time in the 50-year history of the school. He was a four-time state finalist and a two-time champ, and helped West to back-to-back traditional team state titles in 2006 and 2007. After graduation, Moore continued his academic and athletic career in Iowa City, at the University of Iowa, wrestling for Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands. Moore was a two-time letterwinner, posting a 20-8 overall record from 2009-11. Nate Moore went into business for himself, but never strayed too far from wrestling. He joined Mark Reiland's staff at Iowa City West as an assistant beginning in the 2015-16 season, and helped coach youth wrestlers in and around the Iowa City area. When Mark Reiland announced his intention to move on from the head coaching position at West, school administrators were thrilled about the prospect of having an alum of Nate Moore's caliber take the helm. "We were excited about Coach Moore throughout the interview process, just with his background and experience as a competitor," Craig Huegel, West's athletic director, told the Des Moines Register. "His knowledge of the sport and his passion for developing kids was very imminent." "He's an alum, and we feel like he has a great connection to what West High wrestling has been, and the way we'd like to continue to go."

STILLWATER -- Former Oklahoma State wrestler Randy Couture will be honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as the organization's Outstanding American for 2018. Randy Couture"Randy Couture's selection as Outstanding American by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is the first time an Oklahoma State wrestler has received that honor," head coach John Smith said. "I'm very proud of Randy and it's been fun watching him excel at everything he's done. He's a great wrestler, but you can see through his accomplishments in many different fields why he was chosen to receive this recognition." The Hall of Outstanding Americans demonstrates wrestling's pride in those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities. New classes are inducted annually. "Randy Couture epitomizes our Outstanding American award, which recognizes those who used wrestling to launch notable careers after concluding their wrestling careers," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "Randy served in the military and then was an All-American at Oklahoma State. He competed internationally in Greco-Roman and then was one of the original mixed martial arts champions. He then stepped onto another stage, literally, as an actor and continues to evolve as an entrepreneur." A Lynnwood, Wash., product, Couture wrestled at Oklahoma State from 1989 to 1992 and racked up a 113-42 overall record. He was a three-time All-American, including a pair of second-place finishes, and helped the Cowboys to the team title in 1990. Couture was a National Wrestling Coaches Association First-Team Academic All-American in 1991 and 1992, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in foreign language and literature. Couture was a four-time World Team member in Greco-Roman and placed ninth in 1997. He was a six-time UFC world champion and was the only competitor to hold titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. Couture became the fourth fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2006, and was inducted into the Oklahoma State College of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2016. Couture has his own chain of gyms, Xtreme Couture MMA, and a clothing line, Xtreme Couture MMA Clothing. He also founded and runs the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, which raises awareness and financially supports wounded veterans. Couture teamed with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer to create Merging Vets and Players (MVP), which is a program designed to address challenges that many combat veterans and professional athletes face when transitioning their service/professional life towards a new mission in their civilian life. He and Glazer also created MMAthletics, which trains professional athletes from various sports in the ways of mixed martial arts and how that training can be applied to their respective sports. The Class of 2018 will be inducted at the 42nd Annual Honors Weekend on June 1-2, 2018 in Stillwater. Tickets can be purchased here.