InterMat Staff

Pete Renda PHILADELPHIA -- University of Pennsylvania head wrestling coach Roger Reina has announced the hiring of Pete Renda as an assistant coach. Renda, who recently completed an All-American career at North Carolina State University, will return to his home state following graduation in May and join the Penn staff shortly after that. "We are thrilled and delighted to have Pete join the Penn wrestling staff, and return to his home state of Pennsylvania," said Reina, who recently completed his first season back at the Penn helm after guiding the program to unprecedented success from 1986-2005. "Pete not only excelled nationally in high school, college and in freestyle, but also served as an inspiring leader at North Carolina State. Pete will add valuable momentum to our movement with Penn Wrestling." "I'm very excited to be joining the Penn wrestling program right now," said Renda, who grew up less than two hours from Penn's Philadelphia campus in Topton, Pa. "It is a program with such great history and alumni support, I think Penn has the opportunity to quickly regain national prominence at the highest levels. There is no better place to succeed on the mat and in life." A three-time captain for the Wolfpack, Renda last month helped N.C. State earn its best team finish ever at the NCAA Championships. The Pack finished fourth with 80 points, with Renda earning a pair of wins en route to a 23-3 record for the year. Renda was a four-time NCAA qualifier, twice at 174 and twice at 184, and earned All-America honors in 2016 with a third-place finish at 184. Earlier this past season, Renda won the 184 title at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships; he also was an All-ACC honoree in 2016. Prior to attending N.C. State, Renda wrestled for Brandywine Heights High School and had a 162-22 career record there, including a 42-0 mark as a senior when he was the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) 2A state champion at 170 pounds. Also the 2013 FloNationals champion at 170 pounds, in 2012 Renda was a PIAA state finalist at 152 pounds. Renda earned a B.S. degree in finance from N.C. State in the spring of 2017 and is currently pursuing a Masters in Economics.

Kaori Icho with the Japan flag after winning her fourth Olympic title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Four-time Olympic gold medalist wrestler Kaori Icho was the subject of harassment by a director of the Japan Wrestling Federation, the Olympic organization governing the sport in Japan admitted Friday. Kazuhito Sakae, development director for the federation, was forced to resign the same day the Japan Wrestling Federation confirmed the accusations, some dating back to January of this year, which Sakae and the organization had denied until now. Earlier Friday, an independent panel of lawyers, set up by the federation in early March, recognized four cases of harassment against Icho by Sakae, including one concerning a remark Sakae made to Icho when she joined a training session of wrestlers representing Japan. According to the report by the third-party panel, Sakae told Icho, "How dare you wrestle in front of me?" The report also said the omission of Icho from the Japan team for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, without a sufficient explanation constituted harassment. Sakae's harassment of Icho began nearly a decade ago, when she moved her training base to Tokyo from Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, against Sakae's wishes, after winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008. Sakae ordered Icho's coach Chikara Tanabe to stop working with her when she went to Russia for the 2010 World Championships. When he refused, Sakae told Tanabe to quit if he could not follow orders, the complaint said. The development director also allegedly harassed Icho by preventing her from using a Metropolitan Police Department training facility shortly before the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she became the first female athlete to win four consecutive Olympic titles in an individual event. Japan Wrestling Federation president Tomiaki Fukuda offered an apology at a press conference held Friday after the organization's emergency meeting. Japan's sports minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference Friday, "If the harassment complaints are true, I believe the federation will swiftly take appropriate measures." He said he had not read the panel's report. Kaori Icho is one of the most decorated freestyle wrestlers in history, having won four consecutive gold medals in women's freestyle competition at four Olympics -- 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio de Janeiro. In fact, the 33-year-old is the first female in any sport to have won four individual gold medals at four consecutive Olympics. In addition, Icho has tallied ten World championships, and won one gold medal at the Asian Games. Icho had an undefeated streak stretching from 2003 to early 2016, when she lost to Mongolia's Orkhon Purevdorzh at the Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin tournament.

Spencer Lee (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Spencer Lee, a three-time age group world champion who just completed a stellar first year at University of Iowa as 125-pound NCAA champ, has been named 2018 InterMat Freshman of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced Friday. This award, presented each year since 2006 to best college freshman wrestler in all divisions for his/her college wrestling performance during the 2017-18 season, is based exclusively on the balloting of writers and executives at InterMat prior to the announcement of other national wrestling awards. Each staff member is asked to select five freshman wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Spencer Lee was listed at the top of seven ballots out of 10 submitted by InterMat staffers, for a total of 84 votes. The other freshman who received first-place votes was Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell University, with three first-place votes for a total of 76 to place second in the overall balloting. Lee, a three-time Pennsylvania high school state champ (who suffered just one loss in his prep career in his very last match at the 2017 PIAA finals), stunned many in the wrestling world by choosing Iowa. He took advantage of the redshirt, competing unattached at tournaments in the first couple months with the Hawkeyes ... until Iowa head coach Tom Brands decided to "burn" Lee's redshirt for a Jan. 5 dual versus Michigan State. Once free of the redshirt, Lee then posted perfect 8-0 record in dual competition, and 6-0 vs. Big Ten rivals ... leading the team in overall winning percentage (.917, with a 22-2 record), fastest fall (40 seconds) and technical falls (8). After placing third at the 2018 Big Ten Championships in the 125-pound bracket, Lee really rocked that weight class at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, scoring team bonus points in four out of his five matches, defeating another former prep phenom, Nick Suriano of Rutgers, in the finals, 5-1. 2018 InterMat Freshman of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Spencer Lee, Iowa 84 (7) 2. Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell 76 (3) 3. Hayden Hidlay, North Carolina State 44 4. Evan Wick, Wisconsin 16 5. Nick Lee, Penn State 14 6. Tariq Wilson, North Carolina State 13 7. Alex Marinelli, Iowa 3 InterMat Freshman of the Year Past Winners: 2017: Mark Hall, Penn State 2016: Jason Nolf, Penn State 2015: Isaiah Martinez, Illinois 2014: Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern 2013: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State 2012: Logan Stieber, Ohio State 2011: David Taylor, Penn State 2010: Kyle Dake, Cornell 2009: Andrew Howe, Wisconsin 2008: Mike Grey, Cornell 2007: Jake Varner, Iowa State 2006: Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota

Mason Smith defeated Minnesota's Tommy Thorn in the first round of the NCAAs (Photo/Chris Mora, Tech-Fall.com) Former All-American wrestler Justin Oliver and NCAA qualifier Mason Smith have been granted release from the Central Michigan wrestling program, the school's online student newspaper -- Central Michigan Life -- reported Thursday evening. Oliver, a junior who wrestled at 149 pounds, had qualified for three straight NCAA Division I wrestling championships, earning All-American honors by placing seventh in the 149 bracket at the 2016 NCAAs. Prior to coming to Central Michigan, Oliver was a two-time Michigan state champ for Davison High. Smith, a sophomore wrestling at 141 pounds, was a two-time NCAA qualifier. He finished this past season with a team-best 31-5 record. Earlier this week, Smith had been announced as a All-Academic MAC (Mid-American Conference) honoree. As a Clio High School wrestler, Smith was twice crowned a Michigan state champion.

The Freestyle World Cup takes place Saturday-Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City The mats are down. The lights are up. After months of preparation by the local organizing committee, USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling, the Freestyle World Cup will start Saturday at 10 a.m. CT at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The 2017 world champion United States kicks off its tournament against India, followed in the afternoon by Japan and on Sunday with Georgia. Should the USA win all three group matches (or go 2-1 and win the tiebreaker) they would win Group A and likely face Azerbaijan in the gold-medal match on Sunday. The World Cup is one of my favorite events to cover. The team aspect provides competitive clarity for viewers who may otherwise not know much about the sport of wrestling. If cruising through the channels on Sunday night a sports fan happens to see "USA 3, Azerbaijan 2" there is a decent chance they'll give the event a few minutes. Outside of the media opportunity, the format is also easier to follow in-person and gives ample time for discussion of matchups, like Thomas Gilman's matchup with Yuki Takahashi -- a repeat of the 2017 world championship finals. We'll see more of this in 2018 with two-day tournaments, but it's nice to have a week of hype with which to drive interest. On a personal note, I'm really enjoying Iowa City and Coralville. The people are friendly and helpful in a way I no longer experience as a denizen of NYC. The traffic is more manageable, facilities are top-notch, and there are even two wine bars on the same block as my hotel, serving at prices that in NYC would be considered a fire sale. In addition to drinking underpriced zinfandels I've spent the majority of my time in Carver-Hawkeye and Iowa's legendary wrestling room. Big, without being needlessly huge and with a weight room, locker room and stands that adds to a cozy-but-useful feel. Nothing is wasted and it's not cramped. Brands and company have been great hosts to all the visitors, including me -- even taking time to tease me for prior rants. Overall, a wrestling experience that I'm sure to remember fondly. Looking forward to the action on Saturday. You can watch on Trackwrestling.com or check your local listing for time on the Olympic Channel and NBCSN. To your questions … Q: Were you surprised that Indiana didn't do a national search after Duane Goldman retired? Thoughts on Angel Escobedo taking over the program? -- Mike C. Foley: No. I think Escobedo's on-the-mat resume and his reputation in the coaching community were on par with a lot of big-time assistant coaches. Plus, Escobedo knows the system very well and was likely the benefactor of good relationships with the right alumni. How will he do? That is to be determined. Not all hires have to be flashy. Sometimes the right choice is the guy who is already in the corner. Q: If Rocky Balboa, Clubber Lang, Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago were all wrestlers, what NCAA teams would they wrestle for? -- Eric H. Foley: Rocky Balboa, Drexel: Philly underdog. Clubber Lang, Penn State: Entertainment first. Apollo Creed, Cal Poly: Apollo was a California, beachy kind of guy. Ivan Drago, Iowa State (because of the red colors) or more likely American, because they accept transfers. Purdue would be third because Ivan Lopuchanski wrestled there and given the tensions I'd think a young Russian wrestler would attend Purdue for aeronautics education. Q: Did you catch the NCAA quarterfinal bout between Michael Macchiavello and Shakur Rasheed? The referee put Rasheed on injury time at the start of the match because of his hair. (Why the ref didn't mention this before the match started, since they were waiting on the mat for three or four minutes for a TV break is beyond me.) Anyway, after Rasheed gets his hair covering on, Macchiavello gets to choose the restart position to begin the match. Instead of choosing down, to get the 1-0 lead, Macchiavello chose neutral. I was really impressed by his sportsmanship, it must have been a real test to be offered an advantage in a match that ensures you an AA finish. It's a credit to Macchiavello (and Coach Pop) that they cared more about competition than about the result. -- Irv O. Foley: I didn't see this match, but a lot of readers wrote in to address both the officiating and the response. I'm disappointed that the referee chose to start the match with an injury time, but Pop and Macchiavello's actions give me renewed hope in mankind. OK, dramatic. But I am pretty thrilled we still have coaches and athletes in our sport who make good ethical decisions even in something as hotly contested as the NCAA quarterfinals. Really great sportsmanship. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Team USA training Azerbaijan training Cuba training Q: How would you rank this year's NCAA champions in terms of their likelihood to win a spot at the World Team Trials in freestyle? Obviously, Kyle Snyder is No. 1 and Zain Retherford is No. 2. Below them, I think Spencer Lee, Yianni Diakomihalis and Jason Nolf each have a realistic chance to win it, but aren't the favorites. Vincenzo Joseph and Zahid Valencia could place high, but will have a hard time unseating Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake or David Taylor. Your thoughts? -- Irv O. Foley: 1. Kyle Snyder (97 kilograms) 2. Zain Retherford (65 kilograms) 3. Spencer Lee (57 kilograms) 4. Bo Nickal (79 kilograms) 5. Seth Gross (61 kilograms) 6. Vincenzo Joseph (74 kilograms) 7. Zahid Valencia (86 kilograms) 8. Michael Macchiavello (97 kilograms) 9. Jason Nolf (knee) 10. Yianni Diakomihalis (knee) Q: What do you make of Kyle Snyder signing with RUDIS? Obviously, RUDIS does not make shoes yet. Do you think the company will enter the shoe market? If not, could Snyder still sign a shoe endorsement deal with another company? -- Mike C. Foley: Unless the terms are reported, I think that any insight into dollar amounts would be speculation. However, I think that RUDIS is making an effort to center their brand around Snyder and his needs, which you could conclude meant that he was given much more favorable terms than what was given as return for each article sold. As for shoes, I've heard they've been in development. Not sure where they are in the process, but if he launches a shoe I'm certain that he'll be getting some extra incentives, and cash. It's less likely that a company would be willing to take him for shoes-only, but maybe with a guy like Snyder it would be worth the risk. Q: Do you expect it to come down to USA vs. Azerbaijan for the title at the World Cup? How do you see it playing out? -- Mike C. Foley: Man, this is going to be a close match! Odds are this is the starting lineup. I've put the favored wrestlers in bold. 57: Thomas Gilman vs. Giorgi Edisherashvili (Tossup) 61: Kendric Maple vs. Akhmednabi Gvarzatilov 65: Logan Stieber vs. Haji Aliev 70: James Green vs. Joshgun Azimov 74: Jordan Burroughs vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov 79: Kyle Dake vs. Jabrayil Hasanov (Very tight. Hasanov is huge and rarely gets bullied around) 86: David Taylor vs. Aleksandr Gostiyev (Cox Beat Gostiyev at 2016 World Cup) 92: J'den Cox vs. Aslanbek Alborov 97: Kyle Snyder vs. Nurmagomed Gadzhiyev 125: Nick Gwiazdowski vs. Jamaladdin Magomedov

Reading, Pa. -- Alvernia University Athletic Director Bill Stiles announced Wednesday the addition of Wrestling as the university's 28th varsity sport. The national search for a head coach will begin immediately, and the Golden Wolves start competing in the winter of 2019. "We are in the heart of a wrestling hotbed with over 36,000 boys participating in high school wrestling within our primary recruiting market, encompassing almost 1500 high school programs - including all 15 schools in Berks County," said Stiles. "The ability for us to continue strategic growth and provide additional opportunities to talented student-athletes in our region remains paramount, and wrestling provides a wonderful opportunity for us to do that." Alvernia will be the sixth member of the Middle Atlantic Conference to sponsor varsity wrestling. Messiah College earned the 2018 MAC Championship followed by Delaware Valley, Wilkes, Lycoming, and King's. Alvernia will practice and compete in the Physical Education Center, home to Alvernia's volleyball and basketball teams. Located in Reading, Pennsylvania, Alvernia is a four-year, private university with an enrollment of approximately 2,900 students. The new wrestling program -- and all existing intercollegiate sports -- will compete in NCAA Division III.

Angel Escobedo (Photo/Richard (Immel) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass announced today that Duane Goldman, the all-time winningest coach in Indiana Wrestling history, has decided to retire after 26 years at the helm of the IU program. Glass has appointed former Indiana University student-athlete and Griffith, Ind., native Angel Escobedo, also a four-time All-American and 2008 NCAA champion, as Goldman's replacement. "We appreciate the significant contributions that Duane has made in building Indiana Wrestling and developing outstanding wrestlers who have excelled at a national level and have represented the program and the university well," Glass said. "He has left a great and lasting mark on our wrestling program." During his 26 years in Bloomington, Goldman coached three NCAA champions (Escobedo - 2008, Joe Dubuque - 2005 and 2006), five NCAA finalists, 30 All-Americans, 113 NCAA qualifiers, and had 13 teams place in the top-25 at the NCAA Championships. His students also excelled academically, evidenced by the program's 21 Academic All-Americans and 140 Academic All-Big Ten selections during his tenure. A former NCAA champion in his own right while at the University of Iowa, Goldman is a member of the National Wrestling and University of Iowa Halls of Fame. "As Indiana University proceeds into what I believe will be its athletic Golden Age, with unbelievable new facilities and support being provided, I have decided that it is the perfect time for me to retire from coaching and allow a new era of IU greats to emerge," Goldman said. "Myself, along with many dedicated assistants and tremendous wrestlers, worked amazingly hard to bring distinction to Indiana Wrestling and I am proud of the battles we fought, the perseverance we demonstrated and the successes we had. More than anything, I am pleased to have maintained my integrity and thankful to have long been a part of the greatest sport on Earth." Goldman's replacement is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in IU history. While best known for his successes on the mat, Escobedo also has four years of collegiate coaching experience. While training full-time as a professional wrestler, he spent three years on Iowa State's coaching staff from 2015-17, where he helped develop a handful of the Cyclones' lightweight wrestlers into national contenders. Among his most notable wrestlers was two-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier Earl Hall. "This was a dream of mine when I set out as a coach, to come back here and run this program," said Escobedo. "It's a huge opportunity and I'm really grateful for it. I'm excited to build this program off of what Duane established and continue to raise the bar." After his three-year stint in Ames, Iowa, Escobedo returned to Bloomington last April to serve as the Hoosiers' associate head coach under Goldman. He now takes the reins from his former coach, becoming just the eighth head coach in the program's 97-year history. "One of the outstanding wrestlers that Duane brought to IU was Angel, and we are very excited about the future of Indiana Wrestling under his leadership," Glass said. "As a wrestler, he excelled at the high school, collegiate and international levels. As a coach, he has mentored All-Americans and NCAA qualifiers. With a new state-of-the-art $17 million facility set to open, Angel is the right person to lead the program into this new, exciting era." In addition to his 2008 NCAA title at 125 pounds, Escobedo was also a three-time Big Ten champion (2008, 2009, 2010) for the Hoosiers. He's the program's only four-time All-American, and his 137 career wins (second) and 42 pins (third) rank among the best in IU history. After wrapping up his IU career in 2010, Escobedo competed internationally and was a member of Team USA. Among his top performances was a fifth-place finish at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and a second-place finish at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

Brock Lesnar Brock Lesnar, 2000 NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestling champ for the University of Minnesota, will be back competing in mixed martial arts, UFC president Dana White said Wednesday. "Yeah, Brock Lesnar's coming back," White said. "I don't know when but yes he is." The 40-year-old Lesnar has not fought in the Octagon since he tested positive in both in-competition and out-of-competition drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 fight with Mark Hunt in July 2016. Lesnar won the match by unanimous decision before it was changed to a no-contest following the positive tests. Lesnar received a one-year suspension and fined $250,000 by the Nevada state Athletic Commission. He decided to announce his retirement in Feb. 2017 and then signed with the WWE. Multiple media reports indicate that Lesnar's contract with WWE is coming to a close, with some stating the contract ends immediately after his upcoming appearance at WrestleMania 34 this Sunday. As Sports Illustrated pointed out, Lesnar would be required to re-enter the drug testing pool for at least six months before he can set foot in the UFC Octagon again. Brock Edward Lesnar has had a diverse career in sports and sports entertainment. He wrestled and played football at Webster High School in South Dakota (alma mater to emerging MMA star Logan Storley), then continued his on-the-mat career at Bismarck State College in North Dakota, where he won a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight title in 1998. Lesnar was discovered at the Bison Open by J Robinson, then head wrestling coach at University of Minnesota, which propelled the Gopher big man into the consciousness of the national wrestling community ... and not just for his muscular physique (which caused Dan Gable to say during an Iowa Public TV broadcast, "(Lesnar) turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong."). In his two years at Minnesota, Lesnar was a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champ, and a two-time NCAA All-American, as a runner-up at the 1999 NCAA championships (losing to Stephen Neal in the finals) then national champ in 2000. After hanging up his headgear in 2000 with a 106-5 overall collegiate career, Lesnar briefly explored a football career ... then launched his first foray into the pro wrestling career, eventually becoming a WWE champ ... only to leave the ring for the Octagon, where he won a UFC title with a 5-3 overall record.

NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. -- The National Wrestling Media Association has announced its annual award winners for the 2017-18 season. The NWMA is the national professional organization for journalists who cover the sport of amateur wrestling. This includes reporters, editors, publishers, webmasters, photographers, broadcasters, athletic communications professionals and other media professionals who share an interest and involvement in the sport. The organization was founded in 1989. Awards will be presented to those in attendance at the 2018 Men's Freestyle World Cup April 7 in Iowa City. “Between the membership and the officers, we were presented with a solid group of nominees and we're pleased to recognize these individuals not just for a job well done, but for a job well done in covering a sport that's near and dear to everyone within the organization,” said NWMA President Jason Bryant. “Each year, making selections is becoming tougher and tougher due to the talented field of nominees. What's also made this more enjoyable is we've been able to find more avenues to recognize people who have done a tremendous job in their pocket of the wrestling world,” said Bryant. Broadcaster of the Year - John Peterson, KVSC 88.1 FM, St. Cloud, Minnesota For the past six years, the radio and internet voice of St. Cloud State Husky wrestling has been John Peterson. A Minnesota native, the Bemidji State graduate has provided the soundtrack for three of St. Cloud State's NCAA Division II Championships as well as regular-season duals both on KVSC 88.1 FM and the station's online streaming outlet. Peterson has also been the voice for NCAA.com Division II Championship broadcasts. He's also been a broadcast voice for the Minnesota State High School League wrestling championships for Prep45 and The Clash for Flowrestling in 2015. The last three seasons, Peterson has been a matside voice for the NCAA Division I wrestling championships. This is the second time a representative of St. Cloud State has won an NWMA award. Journalist of the Year - Alex Steen, The Open Mat An avid wrestling fan and former college wrestler, Alex Steen joined The Open Mat's staff as its primary content manager and lone full-time employee in May of 2016. While he was a frequent contributor to the websites prior, Steen's coverage has provided wrestling fans a dynamic and different look at the world of wrestling. A staple at major wrestling events across all styles the past two seasons, Steen's work includes weekly statistical breakdowns, historical features that seek to solve riddles of wrestling's past and of course, rankings. An Oklahoma native who wrestled for nationally recognized Union High School in Tulsa, Steen wrestled at the University of Jamestown (then Jamestown College) before spending six years as a Lieutenant and the Captain in the United States Air Force working in Cyberspace Operations. It's the second time The Open Mat has won an award for Journalist of the Year. Photographer of the Year - Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com A large part of the sport's wrestling photographers are freelancers, but the work done to capture the passion, emotion and heartbreak of wrestling. Sam Janicki's work has captured all of those things. A native of Colorado, but now based in Ann Arbor, the Michigan alum has been a constant presence at events throughout the state, including the University of Michigan and NCWA National Championships. You'll also see his work at USA Wrestling regional and state events and multiple other sports at the University of Michigan. With the largest collection of NWMA members being photographers, Janicki's work has stood out for years, and the NWMA is pleased to finally honor his work with this award. Website of the Year - Five Point Move, FivePointMove.com Founded in 2016, Five Point Move was conceived as a mechanism for American wrestling fans to grow more familiar with the classical style and better connect with those who aid in promoting the sport at all levels, be them competitors, coaches, or legendary names from the past. Greco-Roman has traditionally struggled to garner the same headlines as the other styles of wrestling in the United States, making consistent education and intimate athlete perspectives a primary goal of 5PM's in effort to create exposure during an era when it is needed most. Operated by New Jersey native and former Greco-Roman athlete Tim Hands, 5PM has weekly coaching blogs and updates with U.S. National Team Coach Matt Lindland, a podcast with World champion Dennis Hall and features, tournament recaps and weekly updates from international events. Publication of the Year - Mat Talk Fan Guides, Mat Talk Online First launched in 2015, Mat Talk Online and founder Jason Bryant has published digital preview guides for the NCAA Division I and Division III championships and an almanac for the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior Nationals. The Division I guide has been a vital addition to ESPN's production of the NCAA Division I Championships. Bryant, the President of the NWMA since 2011, leans on his experience as a newspaper copy editor and page designer to break the Division I guide down with match-by-match summaries for each wrestler as well as notable stats and historical information. In 2018, working with Division III journalist Jon Gremmels, Mat Talk Online launched a smaller Division III Preview Guide. Division I SID of the Year - Leah Howard, University of Michigan Leah Howard recently completed her 17th season working with the Michigan wrestling program after starting as a college junior -- and wrestling novice -- during the 2001-02 season. She also works with the Wolverines' field hockey and softball programs. A native of Orono, Minnesota, Howard is a two-time graduate of the University of Michigan, earning undergraduate degrees in economics and communications in 2003 before adding a master's in sport management in 2009. Howard has been one of the most reliable members of the athletic communications profession according to virtually every member of the wrestling media. Her work has evolved with the changing landscape of college sports media and it's been innovative within the sport. This is the second time Howard has won an NWMA award. She previously won the Publicist of the Year in 2007-08, which was then a combined award. Small College SID of the Year - Howie Thompson, Upper Iowa University Howard “Howie” Thompson is in his 16th year at Upper Iowa University and 12th as the Director of Sports Communication. Beginning in the summer of 2006, Thompson was named as the Director of Sports Communication at UIU. He has served as the Sports Information Director for five NCAA events; the NCAA Women's Golf North Regional in 2007, the NCAA Wrestling National Championships in 2008, the NCAA Wrestling Super Regional 3 in 2013 and the NCAA Volleyball National Championships in 2014 and the most recent NCAA Wrestling National Championship in Cedar Rapids this past March. In 2017, Thompson became the media contact for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association for Rankings, Awards and the Jim Koch Hall of Fame. Thompson's work in 2017 was especially notable due to the work noted above with handling the awards, rankings and championships. Professional and reliable on every level, Thompson's work was highly beneficial to everyone in and around Division II wrestling. New Media Specialists of the Year - United World Wrestling Media Team Affectionately known as “The Brits” to international wrestling media, the quartet of Josh Halvatzis, Helena Curtis, Max Rose-Fyne and Jack Adams have been producing stellar on-site content for United World Wrestling for the past year. From Great Britain, the group was brought into the United World Wrestling fold by UWW's Editorial and Media Manager Tim Foley. Since, they have provided video highlight packages, feature vignettes, shareable social media clips and provided UWW much-needed video content beyond live streams. Relaxed but professional, their presence at events have amped up the promotion of the sport worldwide. “The Brits” are also the first international winners of an NWMA award. Jay Hammond Memorial Service Award - John Sachs Past NWMA officer and respected photographer John Sachs is the recipient of this year's Jay Hammond Memorial Service Award. Named after past NWMA President, the late Jay Hammond and presented for outstanding work in the effort to educate and enhance the sport of wrestling through media, Sachs has been a friend, coach, client and mentor for numerous people and factions in wrestling. A photographer for Lifetouch Studios in his day-to-day life, Sachs' love for wrestling has been shared by his family as well, as photographers, mat and pairing officials and competitors. A constant at USA Wrestling and NCAA wrestling events, John has shot multiple Olympic Games. Based in wine country of Northern California, Sachs images have graced the covers of every major wrestling magazine and website. Sachs' work includes the youth levels and the California Community College system as well, but it's his work with up-and-coming photographers and his willingness to show them the ropes has made Sachs a guy everyone needs to know.

The 2017 Freestyle World Team Trials took place at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.(Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) AUSTIN, Texas -- Today, USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, announced that tickets are now available to the general public for Final X in Lincoln as part of the exciting new Final X Series. Final X in Lincoln will be held at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, starting at 6 p.m. CST on Saturday, June 9. The event will determine the 2018 U.S. Senior World Teams in men's and women's freestyle wrestling, featuring the nation's best Olympic-caliber athletes in these disciplines. To order tickets, go to the tickets tab on the official Final X website at: www.FinalX.tv Ticket prices are available in four pricing levels: · VIP seating for $75.00 · Reserved seating (online option for early buyers) for $50.00 · General Admission seating (first come, first serve) for $30.00 · Age 2 and under are free There will be 10% off for group tickets of 10 or more in a single order (for general admission only). Final X in Lincoln is the first event in the three-city Final X series. Final X in State College, Pa., is the second event, set for Rec Hall on June 16. Final X at Lehigh is the third event in the series, set for Stabler Arena on June 23. For Final X in Lincoln, the top two men's and women's freestyle wrestlers in each of seven weight classes will compete in a best-of-three series, with winners earning spots on the U.S. Senior World Team to compete at the 2018 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 20-28, 2018. The weight classes assigned to the Final X in Lincoln are: ● Men's freestyle weight classes (57 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 97 kg) ● Women's freestyle weight classes (55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg) Athletes must qualify for Final X based upon the approved Trials selection procedures in each style, and 2017 Senior World medalists may advance directly to Final X under certain conditions. Based upon these procedures, if wrestlers enter the specified weight class, six athletes could advance directly to the Final X event in Lincoln at the specified weights. Included are 2017 World champions Jordan Burroughs (74 kg men) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg men), 2017 World silver medalists Thomas Gilman (57 kg), James Green (70 kg men) and Alli Ragan (59 kg women), and 2017 World bronze medalist Becka Leathers (55 kg). The qualifying events for Final X are the 2018 U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 26-28, and the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament for men's and women's freestyle, set for Rochester, Minn., May 18-20. FloWrestling will provide exclusive live and on-demand coverage of all three Final X events on FloWrestling.com, as well as across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku and Apple TV 4. "Final X is an incredible event for wrestling fans, athletes, and the sport itself, " FloSports SVP, Global Rights Acquisition & Strategy Adam Fenn said. "The top American wrestlers will be at their best to compete for a spot on the World Team, and FloWrestling will be beside every mat, capturing the live matches and giving fans the behind-the-scenes footage they can't get anywhere else." "The Bob Devaney Center is a wonderful arena for wrestling," USA Wrestling National Events Director Pete Isais said. "Our 2017 World Team Trials event there was a great success. There is a very strong card of world-class competitors expected in Lincoln including a number of local heroes. This will be a first-class event production that will add to the drama and excitement of the wrestling action. Get your tickets now to guarantee the best seating locations. Final X in Lincoln will be an outstanding event that fans will not want to miss." For more information, visit FinalX.tv, FloWrestling.com or TheMat.com. About FloSports FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, partners with event rights holders and governing bodies to unlock a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for. Through live streaming of premier events, original video programming, and weekly studio shows, FloSports is growing the sports, the events, the athletes and the fans. Current verticals under the FloSports header are Basketball, MMA, Football, Wrestling, Track, Gymnastics and more. 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. USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling has more than 232,000 members, including athletes, coaches, officials, parents, fans and others who are actively involved in the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

Cael Sanderson lifts Bo Nickal after the NCAA finals match at 184 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson has been named 2018 InterMat Coach of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced Thursday. It is the fifth InterMat Coach of the Year honor for Sanderson in the 13-year history of the annual award. The 2004 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler who was a four-time NCAA champ for Iowa State has won four InterMat coaching awards while at the helm of the Nittany Lions (2012, 2016, 2017 and now 2018) … along with Coach of the Year honors for Sanderson when he headed up the Iowa State program in 2007. The other two college coaches who have been named Coach of the Year by InterMat more than once are Oklahoma State's John Smith (twice, in 2006 and 2013) and Ohio State's Tom Ryan (three times, in 2008, 2009 and 2015). Presented each year since 2006 to the best collegiate wrestling coach in all divisions, the award is based exclusively on the balloting of writers and executives at InterMat prior to the announcement of other college wrestling awards. Each staff member is asked to select five coaches and rank them from first to fifth based on their performance for the season just completed. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Sanderson received four of the ten first-place ballots for a total of 64 votes to propel him into first place in the voting. In second place was Pat Popolizio of North Carolina State, who earned two first-place votes for a total of 45 points. Close behind Popolizio with 42 points was Michigan's Joe McFarland; the long-time Wolverine coach who recently announced his retirement got two first-place votes. Chris Bono, who took South Dakota State to historic new heights during the 2017-18 season (including the team's first individual NCAA champ in Seth Gross at 133 pounds), got one first-place vote for a total of 24 points to put in him in fifth place in the overall balloting … while Lock Haven's Scott Moore also received one first-place vote for a total of 12 points, placing him eighth in the overall point tally. During the 2017-2018 season, Cael Norman Sanderson continued to build on what some are referring to as the Penn State dynasty, guiding the team to a perfect 13-0 dual-meet record. The Nittany Lions claimed their seventh team title in eight seasons at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Five of his wrestlers found themselves in the finals … with four leaving Cleveland with individual titles: 2018 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Zain Retherford at 149 pounds; Jason Nolf at 157; Vincenzo Joseph at 165; and Bo Nickal winning the 184-pound championship. 2018 InterMat Coach of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th-Place Votes: 9-7-5-3-1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Cael Sanderson, Penn State 64 (4) 2. Pat Popolizio, North Carolina State 45 (2) 3. Joe McFarland, Michigan 42 (2) 4. Tom Ryan, Ohio State 25 5. Chris Bono, South Dakota State 24 (1) 6. Tom Brands, Iowa 18 7. Steve Costanzo, St. Cloud State 13 8. Scott Moore, Lock Haven 12 (1) 9. Mark Branch, Wyoming, 3 9. Eric Keller, Wartburg, 3 10. Pat Santoro, Lehigh 1 InterMat Coach of the Year Past Winners: 2017: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2016: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2015: Tom Ryan, Ohio State 2014: Tim Flynn, Edinboro and J Robinson, Minnesota 2013: John Smith, Oklahoma State 2012: Cael Sanderson, Penn State 2011: Mike Denney, Nebraska-Omaha 2010: Rob Koll, Cornell 2009: Tom Ryan, Ohio State 2008: Tom Ryan, Ohio State 2007: Cael Sanderson, Iowa State 2006: John Smith, Oklahoma State

Vinod Kumar Omprakash will compete at the Freestyle World Cup at 74 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Pawan Kumar, shown at a previous Freestyle World Cup, is one of the veteran stars on India's team at the 2018 World Cup. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors. The wrestling federation of India has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at The Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top eight men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. The team is led by 2013 World silver medalist Amit Kumar at 57 kg, who was also a 2012 Olympian. Kumar has been on two India Senior World Teams. Competing at 61 kg is 2016 Olympian Sandeep Tomar, who was also a 2014 World Military champion. Tomar boast Commonwealth Championships gold medals from 2013 and 2016. Two other past Senior World Team members on the India roster are Arun Kumar at 70 kg and Pawan Kumar at 86 kg, both who have competed in two Senior World Championships. Pawan Kumar has won a pair of Commonwealth Championships gold medals in 2011 and 2013. The entry at 65 kg, Sharvan, had a successful 2017 season, winning gold medals at both the Asian Championships and also the Commonwealth Championships. 2016 Cadet World champion Deepak Punia will compete at 92 kg. Punia was fifth at the 2017 Junior World Championships and also competed in the 2017 U23 World Championships. Vinod Kumar Omprakash, the 74 kg World Cup team member, won a silver medal at the 2017 U23 World Championships for India. Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include standard all-session tickets ($75/$50), single-day tickets ($40/$25), and a "The Eastern Iowa Airport Family Four Pack" ($100). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website hawkeyesports.com. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event. India Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Amit Kumar 61 kg/134 lbs. - Sandeep Tomar 65 kg/143 lbs. - Sharvan 70 kg/154 lbs. - Arun Kumar 74 kg/163 lbs. - Vinod Kumar Omprakash 79 kg/174 lbs. - Sachin Giri 86 kg/189 lbs. - Pawan Kumar 92 kg/ 203 lbs. - Deepak Punia 97 kg/213 lbs. - Viky 125 kg/275 lbs. - Pushpender Singh India World Cup bios 57 kg/126 lbs. - Amit Kumar Second at 2013 World Championships… 2012 Olympian… Two-time India World Team member… 2013 Asian champion…Fourth at 2015 President Cup (Kazakhstan)… Tenth at 2014 Asian Games… Second at 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial… 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament champion… Third at 2012 Asian Championships… 2012 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion… 2011 Junior Asian champion… Born December 15, 1993… Age: 24 61 kg/134 lbs. - Sandeep Tomar 2016 Olympian… Seventh at 2017 World Championships…2014 World Military champion… Fifth at 2018 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third at 2017 Asian Indoor Games…Tenth at 2017 Asian Championships… Tenth at 2017 Dan Kolov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2016 Golden Grand Prix…2013 and 2016 Commonwealth champion… Second at 2015 Grand Prix of Spain… Third at 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament… 2016 Asian champion… Third at 2015 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Third at 2013 and 2014 Dave Schultz Memorial International… 2012 Copa Brasil champion (Brazil)… Born February 4, 1991… Age: 27 65 kg/143 lbs. - Sharvan Fifth at 2018 Asian Championships… 2017 Commonwealth champion… 2017 Asian champion… Fifth at 2017 Dan Kolov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Seventh at 2016 Junior World Championships… Ninth at 2014 Cadet World Championships… Born September 7, 1991.. Age: 26 70 kg/154 lbs. - Arun Kumar Second in 2017 Commonwealth Championships… Third in 2013 and 2016 Commonwealth Championships… Two-time Senior World Team member… Fourth in 2015 President's Cup (Kazakhstan)… 2011 Junior Asian champion… Ninth in 2009 Asian Junior Championships… Born July 6, 1991.. Age: 26 74 kg/163 lbs. - Vinod Kumar Omprakash Second at 2017 U23 World Championships… Third at 2018 Aisan Championships… Eighth at 2017 Asian Championships… Fifth at 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Fifth at 2016 Dmitri Korkin Tournament (Russia)… Born January 1, 1994… Age: 24 79 kg/174 lbs. - Sachin Giri Eighth in 2015 Cadet World Championships… Third in 2015 Asian Cadet Championships… Born July 9, 1998… Age: 19 86 kg/189 lbs. - Pawan Kumar Two-time India World Team member… Ninth at 2014 Asian Games… Third at 2014 Commonwealth Games… Ninth at 2014 Asian Championships… 2011 and 2013 Commonwealth champion… Seventh at 2013 Junior Asian Championships… Third at 2012 Hari Ram Grand Prix (India)… Tenth at 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Eighth at 2012 Asian Championships… Third at 2011 Junior Asian Championships… Born October 16, 1993… Age: 24 92 kg/ 203 lbs. - Deepak Punia Fifth at 2017 Junior World Championships… 2017 U23 World Team member… Second at 2017 Junior Asian Championships… Fifth at 2016 Pune Mayor's Cup (India)… 2016 Cadet World champion… Second in 2016 Cadet Asian Championships… 2016 Asian Junior champion… Born: May 19, 1999… Age: 18 97 kg/213 lbs. - Viky Eighth at 2017 U23 World Championships… Third at 2016 Cadet World Championships… Third at 2016 Asian Championships… Born August 3, 1999… Age: 18 125 kg/275 lbs. - Pushpender Singh Third at 2017 Asian Championships… 2017 U23 World Team member…. Born November 11, 1998.. Age: 19

This weekend, the U.S. will host the 2018 Freestyle World Cup. Due to a variety of factors, Iran and Russia will not compete in the event. The U.S. has not won the dual-meet tournament since 2003, but the squad is a heavy favorite this year. The event will likely have a big impact going forward as the field will feature multiple world medals and future contenders. The following is a look at the five biggest questions heading into the event. What do the new UWW rankings really mean? For 2018, UWW debuted a new ranking system. Wrestlers are given points based on their finish in a selected number of ranking events. So far the reviews have been mixed and some of the top competitors have spoken out against the system. The World Cup will feature multiple ranked wrestlers. However, since the event is not a ranking event, even knocking off the number-one wrestler in the world will not help you move up the rankings. If multiple ranked wrestlers fall this weekend, the dissatisfaction with the ranking system might rise and lead to future changes. Japan's Yuki Takahashi defeated Thomas Gilman to win a world gold medal (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Will the World Cup determine the favorite at 57 kilograms? World silver medalist Thomas Gilman will get a chance to avenge the loss he suffered in the finals of the 2017 World Championships. In the second session of the opening day, gold medalist Yuki Takahashi will be there waiting. The field also features 2017 bronze medalist Erdenbatyn Bekhbayar (Mongolia) and 2017 U23 world champion Reineri Andreeu Ortega (Cuba). 57 kilograms is clearly the deepest weight at the World Cup, and the wrestler with the best record could end up becoming the favorite to win the upcoming 2018 World Championships. Cuba's Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez placed fifth at the Rio Olympics (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Is this a changing of the guard for Cuba? Despite being a country roughly the size of Ohio, Cuba has regularly been an impact player in the wrestling world. While Cuban teams have lacked depth in the past, they always seem to have some stalwarts that keep the team in contention. Now, some of those stars are starting to get up there in age. World medalists Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (61 kilograms) and Livan Lopez Azcuy (74 kilograms) are 34 and 36 years old respectively. Many other members of the Cuba World Cup lineup are also on the older side of 30. While some of these names might move on, there is plenty of talent coming down the pipeline including the previously mentioned U23 world champion at 57 kilograms. Do the new weight classes make the U.S. the 2018 World Championships favorite? For years there was a log jam behind Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilograms. He routinely defeated some of the country's best wrestlers in the trials. Then former 74-kilogram stars Kyle Dake and David Taylor moved up to 86 kilograms, but then a similar log jam developed behind J'Den Cox. Even with this lineup issue, the U.S. was able to break through and win the 2017 World Championship as a team. Now, thanks to the addition of weight classes, the U.S. can field a World Cup lineup that features Burroughs (74 kilograms), Kyle Dake (79 kilograms), David Taylor (86 kilograms) and J'den Cox (92 kilograms) at the same time. If that lineup is able to make it through the trials process, it would be hard to imagine that the team would not be the favorite in 2018. This weekend's World Cup should provide a very nice preview, even without a pair of top teams competing. Japan's Yuhi Fujinami reached the semifinals of Worlds before losing to James Green (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Can Yuhi Fujinami push Jordan Burroughs? Last year at the World Championships, Fujinami made an unlikely run to the semifinals at 70 kilograms. Along the way, he knocked off two-time Asian champion and world medalist Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran). Fujinami dropped a two-point match against James Green (USA) in the semifinals, but he wrestled back in the repechage and took bronze. It was an impressive senior level debut for the two-time junior world medalist. Obviously, he will be a heavy underdog against the five-time world champion. However, his style and naive confidence could make this an exciting second session match.

Zain Retherford defeated Lock Haven's Ronnie Perry to win the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Penn State's Zain Retherford has been named 2018 InterMat Wrestler of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced Wednesday. Retherford, the 2018 NCAA Division I champ at 149 pounds, is the first InterMat Wrestler of the Year to have earned the honor three times in the 13-year history of the award, and only the second collegiate mat star to have been named Wrestler of the Year by InterMat more than once, joining Missouri's two-time NCAA champ turned mixed martial arts titlewinner Ben Askren who was a two-time InterMat award-winner. Presented each year since 2006 to the best collegiate wrestler in all divisions, the award is based exclusively on the balloting of wrestlers and executives at InterMat prior to the announcement of other college wrestling awards. Each staff member is asked to select five wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter's ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Retherford received four of the nine first-place ballots for a total of 61 votes. Penn State teammate Bo Nickal, 184-pound champ at the 2018 NCAAs, found himself at the top of three InterMat staffers' ballots, for a total of 55 votes, while Ohio State heavyweight Kyle Snyder earned two first-place votes, for a total of 45 votes. Retherford concluded his collegiate career as a four-time NCAA All-American, and three-time NCAA champ, only the second wrestler to achieve a trio of titles in the more than a century of Penn State wrestling (the other being Ed Ruth, who did it in 2012-2014). The native of Benton, Pa. was 31-0 as a senior, building on a winning streak that concluded at 94 matches, for an overall collegiate record of 126-3. In the coming days, InterMat will announce its selections for Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year. 2018 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Voting Results 1st-5th Place Votes: 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 Total Votes/(First-Place Votes) 1. Zain Retherford, Penn State 61 (4) 2. Bo Nickal, Penn State 55 (3) 3. Kyle Snyder, Ohio State 41 (2) 4. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State 40 5. Jason Nolf, Penn State 23 6. Seth Gross, South Dakota State 14 7. Spencer Lee, Iowa 7 8. Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State 3 9. Kyle Conel, Kent State 1 9. Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell 1 InterMat Wrestler of the Year Past Winners: 2017: Zain Retherford, Penn State 2016: Zain Retherford, Penn State 2015: Logan Stieber, Ohio State 2014: David Taylor, Penn State 2013: Kyle Dake, Cornell 2012: Ed Ruth, Penn State 2011: Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska 2010: Jayson Ness, Minnesota 2009: Jake Herbert, Northwestern 2008: Brent Metcalf, Iowa 2007: Ben Askren, Missouri 2006: Ben Askren, Missouri

Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.), a two-time Cadet world freestyle champion and one of the nation's best overall wrestlers in the Class of 2019, verbally committed to the University of Michigan on Tuesday evening. About seven months ago, McHenry won a Cadet World freestyle title at 46 kilos one year after winning the title at 42 kilos. During the scholastic year, he was champion at the Beast of the East in the 113 pound weight class, but was upset in the National Prep final by the same wrestler he beat to win the Beast of the East. McHenry ended the 2017-18 season ranked No. 2 nationally at 113 pounds. He was also ranked as the No. 2 overall Class of 2019 prospect when those were most recently updated in mid-to-late January. McHenry projects to compete collegiately as a 125 pound wrestler. This piggy-backs a rather strong 2018 recruiting year for the Maize and Blue, who have early signings from three wrestlers currently among the top twenty in their class.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- United World Wrestling has notified USA Wrestling with an approved revised schedule for the 2018 Freestyle World Cup, hosted by the University of Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on April 7-8. With Iran and Russia not in the field, and with Mongolia and India added to the event, there are changes in both the pool competition and the order of the bouts. The two-day tournament is broken down into three pool-play sessions, in addition to a medal round. Every team will compete during each session. The new schedule has the United States in Pool A against the nations of Japan, Georgia, and India. Pool B consists of teams from Azerbaijan, Cuba, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The times of the U.S. duals have not changed from the previous schedule, but the order of the opponents has changed. The USA will face India first, followed by Japan on Saturday, then will battle on Sunday morning against Georgia to complete its pool competition. The revised event schedule is as follows: Saturday, April 7 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Session I 10:00 a.m - USA vs. India on Mat A, Mongolia vs. Kazakhstan on Mat B 11:15 a.m. - Georgia vs. Japan on Mat A, Azerbaijan vs. Cuba on Mat B 2 p.m. - Opening Ceremonies 2:30 p.m. -7:00 p.m. Session II 2:30 p.m. - USA vs. Japan on Mat A 4:30 p.m. - Mongolia vs. Cuba on Mat B 5:45 p.m. - Georgia vs. India on Mat A, Azerbaijan vs. Kazakhstan on Mat B Sunday, April 8 10 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Session III 10:00 a.m. - USA vs. Georgia on Mat A, Mongolia vs. Azerbaijan on Mat B 11:15 a.m. - Japan vs. India on Mat A, Cuba vs. Kazakhstan on Mat B 12:30 p.m. - 5th Place Match at Mat A, 7th Place Match on Mat B 2:15 p.m. - Bronze Medal Match on Mat A 4 p.m. - Gold Medal Match on Mat A Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include standard all-session tickets ($75/$50), single-day tickets ($40/$25), and a "The Eastern Iowa Airport Family Four Pack" ($100). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website hawkeyesports.com. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event.

Austin DeSanto at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Austin DeSanto, NCAA qualifier who was one win shy of earning All-American honors as a freshman at 133 pounds, has been granted a release by Drexel University, according to multiple media reports this week. Drexel head coach Matt Azevedo confirmed the news to PennLive.com. DeSanto is seeking "a tougher room" according to Jon Rugg, his coach at Exeter Township High School in eastern Pennsylvania who is now fielding queries on his former wrestler's behalf from Arizona State, Iowa, Nebraska, Penn State and Virginia Tech, among other schools. More than one media outlet in New Jersey -- including NJ.com -- speculates that DeSanto may find a home at Rutgers, where he might move up to 141 pounds. "It's everybody," Rugg told PennLive.com, referring to the number of colleges reportedly seeking DeSanto. "Just a ton of schools are interested in having him. I don't really know what his plan is weight-wise or how that fits or what coaches are going to fit his style. I'm not one-hundred percent sure. His mom has been texting my assistant and updating us about who he's talking to." "I guess Austin is looking for a tougher room essentially, somewhere to be challenged on a daily basis," Rugg said. "I was never in Drexel's room, so I have no idea what that specifically means." According to PennLive.com, "DeSanto works at a rugged pace in the wrestling room and has been known to run through multiple partners each practice." DeSanto's high school coach confirmed that notion. "He's brutal," Rugg said. DeSanto was a three-time PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state championship medalist, winning Exeter's first state title in 2017 when he defeated Spencer Lee, handing the prep phenom his first loss of his high school career in the 126-pound finals, which some have labeled as the greatest upset in PIAA championships history. Lee just completed his first season at University of Iowa by winning the 125-pound title at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. That upset vaulted DeSanto into the national spotlight. Sadly, a more recent incident may have tarnished that reputation well beyond the Keystone State. DeSanto considers his move to a new college at a time when his actions during one match at the NCAAs made him the subject of much discussion -- and derision -- on online wrestling forums and in social media. Towards the end of a quarterfinal bout with Michigan's Steven Micic -- a match DeSanto was losing -- it looked like the Drexel freshman had applied a dangerous arm bar on his opponent before an official stepped in to break the hold. Micic -- who eventually placed second at 133 -- questioned if DeSanto knew how to "handle an ass beating." DeSanto's high school coach offered his own opinion. "He didn't do himself any favors there with his actions," Rugg said. "That's pretty easy to see." In fact, coach Rugg told PennLive.com that 'personal growth' may be just as important a factor in DeSanto's eventual success as signing on with a program well-stocked with teammates ready to provide him with more intense practice sessions in the wrestling room. "Austin is a great wrestler, and I think if coaches spent time developing a relationship with him, creating a connection mentally and socially with him, I think they'd have a lot more success with him," Rugg said. "It took us a full year to build a relationship with him where we were able to work with him essentially. I wonder what college coach is willing to put that kind of time and commitment in to build relationship. "I just want him to land in spot where I know he can develop and be successful, and not just in wrestling. If he can be a successful person, he can be a successful wrestler. I think they go hand in hand."

Mongolia's Bekhbayar Erdenebat is a two-time world medalist (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The wrestling federation of Mongolia has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championship featuring eight of the top men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. Leading the Mongolia team is two-time World bronze medalist Bekhbayar Erdenebat at 57 kg, who won his bronze medals at the 2015 and 2017 World Championships. Erdenbat was a 2016 Olympian and also a 2012 Junior World champion. 2014 World bronze medalist Mankakhnaran Ganzorig will compete at 74 kg. He has won other World-level medalist including a bronze at the 2015 World Military Games and a bronze at the 2013 University World Games. The team also features two-time Olympian Uitumen Orgodol at 86 kg, who boasts a 2014 World Military gold medal and has been a silver medalist at the Asian Senior Championships on two occasions. Another international veteran on the team is heavyweight Zolboo Natsagsuren, who was fifth at the 2017 World Championships and has won four Asian Championships medals. He was also third at the respected Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia in both 2017 and 2018. American fans will remember Ganbayar Sanjaa, the entry at 70 kg. Sanjaa was a two-time NCAA Div. I All-American for American University, and also competed at Colby CC, where he was an NJCAA national champion and two-time national finalist. He was third in the 2005 Asian Junior Championships. Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include standard all-session tickets ($75/$50), single-day tickets ($40/$25), and a "The Eastern Iowa Airport Family Four Pack" ($100). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website hawkeyesports.com. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event. Mongolia Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Bekhbayar Erdenebat 61 kg/134 lbs. - Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg 65 kg/143 lbs. - Batnagnai Batcguluun 70 kg/154 lbs. - Ganbayar Sanjaa 74 kg/163 lbs. - Mandakhnaran Ganzorig 79 kg/174 lbs. - Gantulga Iderkhuu 86 kg/189 lbs. - Uitumen Orgodol 92 kg/ 203 lbs. - Turtogtokh Luvsandorj 97 kg/213 lbs. - Batzul Ulziisaikhan 125 kg/275 lbs. - Zolboo Natsagsuren Mongolia World Cup bios 57 kg/126 lbs. - Bekhbayar Erdenebat 2016 Olympian… Third at 2015 and 2017 World Championships… Four-time Mongolian World Team member… 2012 Junior World champion… 2018 President Cup of Buryatia Republic champion (Russia)... 2018 Takhti Cup champion (Iran)… 2015, 2016 and 2017 Mongolia Open champion… 2017 Dan Kolov Tournament champion (Bulgaria)… 2016 Grand Prix of Spain champion…Second at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Second at 2015 President Cup of Kazakhstan… 2015 Asian champion… Third at 2015 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… Third at 2015 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)…Third at 2014 International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (Kazakhstan)…2014 Grand Prix of Germany champion… Third at 2012 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Seventh at 2012 Asian Championships… Fourth at 2011 New York Athletic Club International… 2011 Dmitri Korkin Tournament champion (Russia)… Fifth at 2011 Junior World Championships… Second at 2009 Cadet Asian Championships… Born August 13, 1992… Age: 25 61 kg/134 lbs. - Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg Two-time Mongolian World Team member… Third at 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… 2016 and 2017 Mongolia Open champion… Fifth at 2013 and 2017 President Cup of Buryatia Republic… Third at 2016 Asian Championships… Second at 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Ninth at 2016 Dan Kolov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Ninth at 2015 Junior World Championships… Third at 2015 Mongolia Open… Fifth at 2015 Asian Games… 2014 World University champion… Ninth at 2014 Mongolia Open… Eighth at 2012 Junior Asian Championships… Fifth at 2011 Junior Asian Championships… Ninth at 2010 Junior Asian Championships… Second at 2009 Cadet Asian Championships… Born January 22, 1992.. Age: 26 65 kg/143 lbs. - Batnagnai Batcguluun Third at 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Third at 2014 and 2016 Asian Championships… Third at 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Fifth at 2015 World Military Games… Third at 2014 World Military Championships… Seventh at 2014 Asian Games… Third at 2014 World University Games… Fifth at President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Tenth at 2012 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Born July 23, 1989… Age: 28 70 kg/154 lbs. - Ganbayar Sanjaa Fourth in 2018 Bill Farrell International… Fourth at 2010 Sunkist Kids International Open… Fifth in 2009 Sunkist Kids International… Competed for American University in the USA… Sixth in 2012 NCAA Championships… Fourth in 2011 NCAA Championships… Also competed at Colby CC in the USA, where he was a 2009 NJCAA national champion and 2010 runner-up… Four-time Mongolian Junior and Cadet National champion… Third in 2005 Asian Junior Championships… Born June 24, 1987… Age: 30 74 kg/163 lbs. - Mandakhnaran Ganzorig 2016 Olympian… Third at 2014 World Championships… Six-time Mongolian World Team member… Second at 2018 President Cup of Buryatia Republic… Second at. 2013 and 2018 Asian Championships… Fifth at 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Third at 2017 Ali Aliev Tournament (Russia)… Third at 2013 and 2017 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… 2016 Grand Prix of Spain champion… 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Mongolian Open champion… Third at 2016 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Ninth at 2015 Golden Grand Prix… Third at 2015 World Military Games… Second at 2015 President Cup of Kazakhstan… Third at 2015 Asian Championships… Fifth at 2015 Alexander Medved Prizes (Belarus)… 2014 World Military champion… 2014 International D. A. Kunaev Tournament champion (Kazakhstan)… Third at 2014 Yasar Dogu champion (Turkey)… 2014 Golden Grand Prix champion… Third at 2013 University World Games… Third at 2013 Grand Prix of Germany… Fifth at 2012 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Ninth at 2012 International Ukrainian Tournament… Fourth at 2011 New York Athletic Club International… Third at 2011 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… 2010 Asian Games champion… Second at 2009 Asian Championships… Ninth at 2006 Greco-Roman World University Championships… Born May 11, 1986… Age: 31 79 kg/174 lbs. - Gantulga Iderkhuu Fifth at 2016 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Second at 2016 Mongolia Open… Third at 2015 Asian Championships… Third at 2014 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Seventh at 2011 Junior Asian Championships… Born March 31, 1992… Age: 26 86 kg/189 lbs. - Uitumen Orgodol Two-time Olympian…. Four-time Mongolian World Team member…Third at 2013, 2015 and 2018 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Second at 2016 and 2018 Asian Championships…Third at 2017 International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (Kazakhstan)… Third at 2017 Dmitri Korkin Tournament (Russia)… Second at 2013, 2015 and 2017 Mongolia Open…Second at 2015 and 2017 President Cup of Buryatia Republic…Third at 2016 Grand Prix of Spain…2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament champion…Ninth at 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2016 Dan Kolov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Third at 2015 World Military Games… Second at 2015 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… 2014 World Military champion…Second at 2015 President Cup of Kazakhstan… Third at 2014 Asian Championships… Ninth at 2014 Mongolia Open… Seventh at 2014 Golden Grand Prix… Seventh at International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (Kazakhstan)… Seventh at 2013 Asian Championships…Third at 2012 Mongolia Open …Born March 29, 1989… Age: 29 92 kg/ 203 lbs. - Turtogtokh Luvsandorj Fifth at 2018 Asian Championships… Third at 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Third at 2017 Mongolia Open…Third at 2017 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Fifth at 2016 International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (Kazakhstan)… Second at 2016 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… 2016 Mongolia Open champion… Eighth at 2016 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Third at 2016 Grand Prix of Paris (France)… Tenth at 2015 International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (Kazakhstan)… Born July 31, 1990… Age: 27 97 kg/213 lbs. - Batzul Ulziisaikhan Second at 2018 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Third at 2018 Takhti Cup (Iran)… Fifth at 2017 Asian Championships… Second at 2017 Mongolia Open… Fifth at 2015 and 2016 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… Born August 1, 1994… Age: 23 125 kg/275 lbs. - Zolboo Natsagsuren Fifth at the 2017 World Championships… Two-time Mongolian World Team member… Third at 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 President Cup of Buryatia Republic… Third at 2011, 2017 and 2018 Asian Championships… Third at 2017 and 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… Second at 2017 International D. A. Kunaev Tournament (Kazakhstan)… Third at 2017 Mongolia Open… Fifth at 2017 President Cup of Buryatia Republic (Russia)… 2016 Prune Mayor's Cup champion (India)… Second at 2016 Mongolia Open… Fifth at 2016 Asian Championships… Third at 2014 Dmitri Korkin Tournament (Russia)… Second at 2014 Miners' Fame Tournament… Second at 2014 Asian Championships…Second at 2013 Dan Kolov Tournament (Bulgaria)… Eighth at 2013 Yasar Dogu (Turkey)… Fifth at 2012 Dmitri Korkin Tournament (Russia)…Fifth at 2012 Hari Ram Gran Prix (India)… Born December 14, 1990… Age: 27

Wrestling apparel brand RUDIS continues to invest in the sport of its birth and has announced the signing of Kyle Snyder, the first and only wrestler to win the NCAA, World, and Olympic championships as a collegiate athlete. On the heels of his third consecutive national title and the conclusion of a momentous collegiate career, Kyle Snyder continues to make history as a trailblazing athlete. Upending the status quo is normal for the international phenom, and his emergent partnership with RUDIS proves just that. Kyle announced his anxiously anticipated decision by penning a letter to the sport, titled "Dear Wrestling" and publishing it on social media. The final paragraph reads: "There is nothing I can do to completely return all that you have given me. I know that you deserve greatness. I know that you deserve more. Every choice I make is a reflection of you, and this decision is no different. Your stories deserve to be told by someone who knows you, understands you, believes in you, and comes from you. Because of this, RUDIS is the only place for us to continue our journey." The letter can be found in full on Kyle's Twitter profile, @Snyder_man45 (and below). Serving the amateur wrestling community, RUDIS has honored some of the greatest names in the history of the sport, including Dave Schultz, Kenny Monday, Brandon Slay, Cary Kolat, Lincoln McIlravy, Russ Hellickson, and more. The company's website (therudis.com) states: "Born from wrestling and built for wrestling. RUDIS was created with a single vision in mind: be the most accurate and authentic expression of the sport through apparel. The core values of wrestling govern our every action and drive us to continually innovate, serve, and connect with those who love this sport." RUDIS Co-founder and President Jesse Leng describes the groundbreaking partnership, saying: "What makes this truly electrifying are the reasons behind Kyle's decision. His belief in our vision and purpose make this moment very meaningful and it speaks to his love for the sport. Kyle brings intensity and passion to everything he does and his impact is going to be massive. Our goals and paths are aligned in that we aim to dominate the sport from head to toe. There's no better person I can think of to do this with than Kyle Snyder. I know the way in which he lives his life will not only impact RUDIS, but the entire sport of wrestling for years to come. This is a moment when we are called to challenge ourselves to become something greater." Those who work hard can become champions; those who are true to themselves can become legends. Together, Kyle Snyder and RUDIS will tell the story of a living legend -- one who stands on the shoulders of giants and serves as a model for those that follow him. The pair seek to elevate the sport of wrestling and embolden its community. Read more about Kyle's decision on the RUDIS website (therudis.com). To receive important updates, follow RUDIS @the_rudis and Kyle @snyderman45 on social media. For inquires, please contact info@therudis.com.

Alex Dieringer earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Team USA had six individual champions in men's freestyle as the Bill Farrell Memorial International wrapped up at the historic New York Athletic Club on Saturday night. In one of the most anticipated finals, National Team member and three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer of the Titan Mercury WC defeated Zelimkhan Khadjiev of France by fall in 3:32. Dieringer led 14-2 when he secured the fall. Khadjiev was fifth in the 2015 World Championships. Based upon his strong effort, Dieringer was named Outstanding Wrestler in the freestyle tournament. "I got taken down right away. But I know how to stay poised and stay in my attacks, stay in my tie-ups, keep moving forward, and don't' give him any spaces where he can get those double legs. I knew if I kept moving forward and keeping to my ties, I was going to be all right," said Dieringer. Dieringer has moved up to 79 kg, after competing the last few years at 74 kg. Read complete story on TheMat.com ... Results 57 kg 1st - Samat Nadyrbek Uulu (Pittsburgh/Kyrgyzstan) tech. fall Tim Lambert (Sunkist Kids), 11-0 3rd - Zane Richards (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Austin Miller (Buffalo Valley RTC), 9-0 61 kg 1st - Jon Morrison (NYAC/MWC) dec. Tyler Graff (Titan Mercury WC), 6-5 3rd - Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids) tech. fall Alan Waters (Titan Mercury WC), 11-1 4:04 65 kg 1st - Evan Henderson (TMWC) pin Ilman Mukhtarov (France), 0:26 3rd - John Simmons (NYAC/MWC) dec. Earl Hall (Titan Mercury WC), 10-6 70 kg 1st - Sayatpek Okasov (Kazakhstan) dec. Kyle Ruschell (NYAC/bwc), 6-3 3rd - Meirzhan Ashirov (Kazakhstan) dec. Sanjaa Ganbayar (Mongolia), 6-5 74 kg 1st - Thomas Gantt (Titan Mercury) tech. fall Dan Vallimont (NYAC/PWC).11-0, 3:47 3rd - Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) tech. fall Nestor Taffur (Colombia), 10-0 2:41 79 kg 1st - Alex Dieringer (TMWC) pin Zelimkhan Khadjiev (France), 3:32 3rd -Michael Evans (Buies Creek RTC) dec. Josh Asper (Navy-Marine Corps RTC), 8-5 86 kg 1st - Joe Rau (Minnesota Storm) 2nd - Saken Aitzhanov (Kazkhstan) 3rd - Nick Reenan (Wolfpack Wrestling Club) 4th - Evan Hansen (VWC) 5th - Pool Greifo (Peru) RR 1 Rau tech. fall Hansen, 10-0, Aitzhanov dec. Reenan, 13-6 RR 2 - Rau dec. Pool Greifo (Peru), 5-4, Aitzhanov dec. Hansen, 4-0 RR 3 - Aitzhanov dec. Greifo, 6-0; Reenan tech. fall Hansen, 12-1 RR 4 - Reenan forfeit Greifo, Rau tech. fall Aitzhanov, 12-1 RR5 - Hansen forfeit Greifo, Rau tech. fall Reenan, 10-0 92 kg 1st - Iliskhan Chilayev (Kazakhstan) tech. fall Kenneth Courts (TMWC), 16-6, 4:48 3rd - Elhan Assadov (Kazakhstan) dec. Nikko Reyes (Valley RTC), 5-2 97 kg 1st - Ty Walz (TMWC) dec. Deron Winn (TMWC) , 4-2 3rd - Austin Schaefer (NYAC/FLWC) dec. Blaize Cabell (Valley RTC), 6-2 125 kg 1st - Inkar Yermukambet (Kazakhstan) dec. Oleg Boltin (Kazakstan), 4-2 3rd - Mamed Ibragimov (Kazakhstan) dec. Zachery Roseberry (Navy-Marine Corps RTC), 7-4

Russia's Gadzhimurad Rashidov battling Iran's Hassan Rahimi at the World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) USA Wrestling and the organizing committee for the Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City have received confirmation from contacts in U.S. Congress that the issues affecting the Russian wrestling team's participation in the Freestyle World Cup will not be resolved. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championship, and will be held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at the University of Iowa, April 7-8. An inquiry by Iowa Senator Charles E. Grassley was answered by the Consular Section of the Embassy of the United States of America in Moscow, Russia. In this response, it was reported to Senator Grassley that: "Due to the staffing reduction forced on the U.S. Mission in Russia by the Russian Federation, there is very limited appointment availability for visa interviews at this time. In the current situation, the Embassy is not able to provide expedited appointments for sporting events." The lateness of the visa request by the Russian Wrestling Federation was a factor in the inability of the U.S. Embassy to grant expedited appointments for the team, according to the response. In anticipation that the Russian team may not be able to attend, USA Wrestling has invited two major freestyle wrestling powers, Mongolia and India, to participate in the event. The visa process for both national teams has begun. "It is extremely unfortunate that Russia will not be able to compete at the Freestyle World Cup this year. With the reality of this situation, USA Wrestling is pleased that the wrestling federations of Mongolia and India have responded to support the World Cup and are making plans to be here for the event. We will have an outstanding competition showcasing international wrestling in Iowa City next weekend, and we are excited to host those nations that will be attending," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. USA Wrestling will provide complete updates on the composition of the new delegations, the changes to the competition schedule and other important information as it becomes available.

Reineris Salas Perez (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The wrestling federation of Cuba has provided its lineup for the 2018 Men's Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 7-8. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships featuring eight of the top men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. Cuba brings a veteran team with numerous past Olympic, World and Pan American medalists. 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Livan Lopez Azcuy will compete at 74 kg. He boasts three other World medals, including World silver medalist in 2011 and 2013 and a World bronze medal in 2014. Three other World Championships medalists add firepower to the lineup. 2013 and 2014 World silver medalist Reineris Salas Perez, who was also fifth at the 2016 Olympics, will compete at 97 kg/213 lbs. Salas was a 2015 Pan American Games champion. 2014 and 2017 World bronze medalist Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez will compete at 61 kg. Bonne was fifth in the 2016 Olympic Games and also competed in the 2012 Olympic Games. 2016 Olympian Alejandro Valdes Tobier, who won a 2017 World bronze medal, will compete at 65 kg. Valdes Tobier has won three Pan American Championships. Two other veteran stars for Cuba will also compete. Two-time Pan American champion Franklin Maren Castillo is entered at 70 kg, while 2015 Pan American champion Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta is on the team at 86 kg. Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include standard all-session tickets ($75/$50), single-day tickets ($40/$25), and a "The Eastern Iowa Airport Family Four Pack" ($100). Tickets are now available on the University of Iowa Athletics website hawkeyesports.com. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information on the event. Cuban Freestyle World Cup Team Roster 57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Reineri Andreeu Ortega 61 kg/134 lbs. - Yowlys Bonne Rodriquez 65 kg/143 lbs. - Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier 70 kg/154 lbs. - Franklin Maren Castillo 74 kg/163 lbs. - Livan Lopez Azcuy 79 kg/174 lbs. - Yoan Zulueta Morales 86 kg/189 lbs. - Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta 97 kg/213 lbs. - Reineris Salas Perez 125 kg/275 lbs. - Yudenny Alapajon Estevez Cuba World Cup bios 57 kg/126 lbs. - Reineri Andreeu Ortega 2017 U23 World champion… Third in 2017 Pan American Championship… Ninth in 2018 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… 61 kg/134 lbs. - Yowlys Bonne Rodriquez Third in 2014 and 2017 World Championships… Fifth in 2016 Olympic Games… 2002, 2012, 2014 2017 and 2018 Cerro Pelado International Freestyle champion (Cuba)… 2012 Olympian… Third in 2016 Pan American Championships… Second in 2016 Golden Grand Prix of Spain… 2016 Canada Cup champion… Third in 2013 and 2016 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… Fourth in 2015 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… 2002 Junior Pan American champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman… 2005 Pan American Champion… Born November 11, 1983… Age: 34 65 kg/143 lbs. - Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier 2016 Olympian… Third in 2017 World Championships… 2013 and 2018 Granma Cup champion (Cuba)… 2010, 2013, 2014 Pan American champion… Seventh in 2010 and 2011 World championships… 2016 and 2017 Canada Cup champion… Second in 2016 Golden Grand Prix… 2016 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)…Second in 2016 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… First place in Olympic Qualification Tournament… Second in 2016 Pan American Championships… Fifth in the 2015 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… Second in the 2015 Central American and Caribbean Games… Born November 18, 1988… Age: 29 70 kg/154 lbs. - Franklin Maren Castillo 2013 and 2017 Pan American champion… Second in 2015 Pan American Games… 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Cerro Pelado International champion (Cuba)… Seventh in 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)… 2017 Canada Cup champion… Third in 2015 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… Third in 2012 and 2013 Cerro Pelado International… Born March 9, 1987… Age: 31 74 kg/163 lbs. - Livan Lopez Azcuy 2011 and 2013 World silver medalist… Third in 2012 Olympics… Third in 2014 World Championship… Second in 2018 Cerro Pelado International… Second in 2014 Pan American Championships… Seventh in 2017 World Championships… 2012, 2016 and 2017 Cerro Pelado International champion… Ninth in 2016 Golden Grand Prix… Tenth in 2016 Olympic Games… 2016 Grand Prix of Spain champion… 2016 Canada Cup champion…First place in 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament… 2011 and 2016 Pan American champion…Seventh in 2015 World Championship… Third in 2015 Pan American Games… Seventh in 2015 World Cup… Third in 2015 Cerro Pelado International… 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games champion… Born January, 24, 1982… Age: 36 79 kg/174 lbs. - Yoan Zulueta Morales Fifth at the 2018 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… 86 kg/189 lbs. - Yurieski Torreblanca Queralta 2015 Pan American Champion… 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Cerro Pelado International champion (Cuba)… Fifth at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix (Russia)…Eighth at the 2017 World Championship… 2017 Canada Cup champion…Fifth at the 2015 Cerro Pelado International… Third at the 2014 Cerro Pelado … Third at the 2013 Pan American Championship… 97 kg/213 lbs. - Reineris Salas Perez Second in 2013 and 2014 World Championships… Fifth in 2016 Olympic Games… 2006 and 2007 Junior World bronze medalist…Fifth in the 2018 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)… 2016 and 2017 Cerro Pelado International champion…Second in 2016 Golden Grand Prix… 2016 Grand Prix of Spain champion… 2016 Canada Cup champion… 2016 Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial champion (Poland)…First place at the 2016 Olympic Qualification Tournament… Second in 2014 Pan American Games… 2015 Pan American Games champion… 2015 Cerro Pelado International champion…2014 Central American and Caribbean Games champion… 2014 Cerro Pelado International freestyle champion… 2011 Granma Cup Greco-Roman champion… 2006 Pan American champion… Born March, 17 1987… Age: 31 125 kg/275 lbs. - Yudenny Alapajon Estevez Second in 2016 and 2017 Pan American Championships… 2016 and 2017 Cerro Pelado International champion… Third in 2018 Cerro Pelado International… Eighth in 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix...

Isaiah Martinez (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Graduating redshirt senior wrestler Isaiah Martinez announced on Friday morning that he will continue his wrestling career as a member of the Illinois Regional Training Facility. The two-time NCAA champion, and four-time Big Ten champion, finished his Illinois career with a 116-3 record to set a new program record. "I am extremely pleased to announce that I will be continuing my international level career with the IRTC at the University of Illinois," said Martinez. "This is the place that I have called home for the past five years and I am grateful to be given the opportunity to continue working on my dreams here in Champaign. Our goals have always been the same, it's to win world and Olympic gold medals. More importantly, it's to maximize our athletic potential and become the best wrestler possible. I believe that my coaches and staff have my best interest as a person and as an athlete. It gives me tremendous joy to be able to pursue my dreams and to better the University of Illinois. Wrestling program for a while longer. Thank you to all who made this possible." The mission of the Illinois Regional Training Center is to "support the World and Olympic dreams of its members," per the IRTC website. "This is a central location where the best wrestlers in the area can come and train with one another under a staff that has a wealth of Freestyle and Greco-Roman knowledge on the world stage. The mission of the IRTC is to not only help the best athletes, but also the wrestlers looking to jump levels by having access to some of the best training partners and coaches in the country." "Understandably, Isaiah was getting a lot of interest in terms of where he would be training as a post-graduate," said Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan. "The fact that he chose to stay at Illinois and be a part of our program speaks volumes of his character and loyalty. He is the most successful wrestler in his history of our program and we were all looking forward to him building his legacy as he starts his international career. He has been and will continue to be a huge asset to our program." Isaiah Martinez will continue his wrestling career next weekend as part of the 2018 Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City next weekend. Martinez is one of two wrestlers on the Team USA roster at 74 kilograms (163 pounds). For complete coverage of Fighting Illini wrestling, go to FIGHTINILLINI.com and follow @IlliniWrestling on Twitter and Instagram.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Single-day tickets are now available for purchase to the 2018 UWW World Cup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on April 7-8. Day passes are $40 for adults and $25 for youth 18-years-old and younger. Visit hawkeyesports.com/DayPass or contact the UI Athletics Ticket Office at 800-IA-HAWKS to purchase a single-day ticket. "The Eastern Iowa Family Four Pack" is also available for $100. All-session single tickets are $75 for adults and $50 for youth. All UWW World Cup tickets include admission to "Gable's Garden," an outdoor entertainment festival that includes non-alcoholic beverages, beer, wine, and food from local vendors. "Gable's Garden" is open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. outside the North Entrance of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, near the Dan Gable statue. The University of Iowa is also now selling parking passes for the UWW World Cup. Parking passes are $40 for all sessions (three sessions) or $20 per day (two days). Parking is available at hawkeyesports.com/WorldCupTickets and at the UI Athletics Ticket Office. WORLD CUP FORMAT The two-day tournament is broken down into three pool-play sessions, in addition to a medal round. Every team will compete during each session. The event schedule is as follows: Saturday, April 7 10 a.m. - Session I 2 p.m. - Opening Ceremonies 2:30 p.m. - Session II (autograph session to follow United States' dual at 2:30 p.m.) Sunday, April 8 10 a.m. - Session III 12:30 p.m. - 7th Place Match, 5th Place Match 2:15 p.m. - Bronze Medal Match 4 p.m. - Gold Medal Match

George Kovach PHILADELPHIA -- Drexel Athletics Hall of Famer and former wrestling standout George Kovach passed away Monday at the age of 53. Kovach was a three-time NCAA qualifier and three-time East Coast Conference champion at heavyweight in 1983, 1985 and 1986. He was named the ECC Most Outstanding Wrestler for the 1986 season. Kovach helped lead the Dragons to their first and only ECC title in 1985. Under the guidance of legendary Drexel coach Jack Childs, the Dragons posted a 15-1 record that year, which still stands as the best mark in school history. He finished his career with 79 victories and 26 pins, tied for the third most in school history. "George was one of the Drexel Wrestling all-time greats," head coach Matt Azevedo said. "He has always been an amazing supporter of the program. George embodied the passion it takes to be a champion on the mat as well as off with his lifelong dedication to helping grow the sport of wrestling. He will be dearly missed." In addition to his induction into the Drexel Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004, Kovach is in the process of being inducted into the West Chester East High School Sports Hall of Fame. Because of his love for the sport, he was a wrestling referee for 15 years and mentor to many up-and-coming wrestlers in his community. Kovach is survived by his wife, Beth (nee McGrath); his parents, George and Jean (nee D'Angelo); brothers, John and Colleen (nee Rysak) and Stephen and Deborah (nee Spiritosantos); in-laws, Regina McGrath, Vince McGrath and Ann, Greg McGrath and Eileen, Pat Rambo and Liz, Mary McGrath and Mark; nieces, Anna, Lilly, Ashley, Caitlin, Ginny and Grace; nephews, Daniel, Travis, Greg Jr., Luke and Vince III; and numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews. An evening visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday at the James J. Terry Funeral Home in Coatesville. A morning visitation will be held the following day from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at St. Peter Church in Coatesville, followed by the service at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations can be made in Kovach's memory to the Travis Manion Foundation, PO Box 1485, Doylestown, Pa., 18901.