InterMat Staff

MANKATO, Minn. --- Jim Makovsky, head coach of the Minnesota State wrestling program, has announced that Ty Eustice has been named assistant coach. Ty EusticeEustice, who has spent the last five years serving with the J Robinson Intensive Camps, initially as Camp Director prior to being promoted to Executive Director, has experience at every level of NCAA wrestling, competing at Division I and coaching at Division I, Division II and Division III. "I want to thank Jim and Kevin (Buisman) for their efforts during this process," said Eustice. "I believe Minnesota State can win at the highest level; we have a thriving university, first-rate facilities and great people in the department. Minnesota and the surrounding states have some of the best wrestling in the country and we are going to focus on bringing in young men that want to work at the process and reach for big goals." An assistant coach at South Dakota State in 2011-12, Eustice spent the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons as the head coach at Iowa Lakes. In his time at ILCC, Eustice led the Lakers to a 14-11 dual meet record and two top-10 national tournament places. ILCC qualified 17 wrestlers for nationals during his tenure, including a two-time national champion, six All-Americans and two Academic All-Americans. Prior to his time at Iowa Lakes, Eustice served as assistant wrestling coach at Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa). In his lone season, the Rams finished eighth at the NCAA Championships and had three All-Americans. Eustice spent two years at Minnesota State as a graduate assistant where he earned a Master of Arts degree in sports management while helping the Mavericks secure two top-five team finishes, two individual national champions, and 12 All-Americans. A native of Blue Earth, Minn., Eustice was a four-year letterwinner at the University of Iowa from 2001-06 where he compiled a 111-29 collegiate record. He was an All-American as a junior and senior, placing fifth and second at the NCAA Championships, respectively. Eustice received the team Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler his senior year and the team Mike McGivern Most Courageous Wrestler Award his redshirt freshman year. He was a two-time team captain, four-time NCAA Division I National Qualifier and a Cadet, Junior and FILA Junior National Freestyle All-American. Eustice graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in art. "I'm excited to welcome to Ty back to the Maverick Wrestling program," said Makovsky. "Ty is a complete coach. He is beyond a great technician. He coaches the individual from the inside out and that is important to me. He is a high energy guy who genuinely cares about developing our wrestlers in all phases of the student-athlete experience-success in the classroom, success on the mat and community involvement. When he was our graduate assistant from 2006 to 2008 we had two of the best years in MSU Wrestling history and he played a major role."

Whenever the Super 32 Challenge comes around, one knows that the high school wrestling regular season is right around corner. Over the last ten-plus years, this tournament has seen many of the nation's stars and future stars compete on its mats. Furthermore, every year one can count on this tournament producing a match/event -- or more -- that people will talk about for years to come. Year-to-year this field is absolutely loaded. The October 2016 edition of the tournament had over 100 wrestlers that would be nationally ranked by InterMat in their respective weight classes at the end of the 2016-17 season. In addition, over 300 participants in the even won a state-level tournament title (i.e. state tournament, New England regional, or National Preps). From a past participant standpoint, approximate one-half of the qualifiers for the 2017 NCAA Division I wrestling tournament competed in the high school division of the Super 32 at least once; the same applies in terms of All-Americans. Looking back at the Super 32 Challenge high school division from five years ago, the list of champions is illustrious. It includes three-time World/Olympic champion Kyle Snyder; two-time NCAA champions Dean Heil, Zain Retherford, and Isaiah Martinez; NCAA champion Mark Hall; along with another pair of wrestlers that would earn All-American distinction in Ryan Millhof and Joey Dance. The electric finals bouts of that year included Nick Suriano facing Spencer Lee at 106 and Heil facing Aaron Pico at 132. Joey Silva will be looking to capture his third straight Super 32 Challenge title (Photo/Juan Garcia) Anchors for this year's field include two-time defending champions Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) at 120 pounds and Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) at 132. The other returning champion in this year's field is Antonio Lorenzo (St. John Bosco, Calif.) at 113. To show the depth of talent in this year's field, over 200 wrestlers won a state-level tournament title at the end of the 2016-17 high school season. The field also features approximately 100 wrestlers that are ranked in their respective grade levels by InterMat, and over 50 that ended the 2016-17 season in the national weight class rankings. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center in Greensboro, N.C. Below is a weight-by-weight preview for this year's tournament, based on entries (and weight classes) as of Wednesday evening. 106: On paper, the pre-tournament favorite would appear to be two-time UWW Cadet National freestyle runner-up Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.). Last year's freshman campaign ended in a state title, and finishing as the No. 8 ranked 106-pound wrestler nationally; he is ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2020. Six other registered wrestlers are ranked in their respective grade levels: No. 2 Nic Bouzakis (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and No. 10 Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio) in Junior High; No. 8 Isaac Salas (St. John Bosco, Calif.), No. 12 Vincent Zerban (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), No. 14 Richard Figueroa (Selma, Calif.), and No. 19 Jet Strickenberger (Discovery Canyon, Calif.). At least five other wrestlers in this weight class won state titles last season, including Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa) and Sam Latona (Thompson, Ala.), who each have Cadet National freestyle titles on their resume. Also fitting the billing are Blake Jackson (Omaha Burke, Neb.) and Anthony Noto (HFL, N.Y.) Others to watch include state medalist Kurtis Phipps (Norwin, Pa.), Cadet National double finalist Andrew Chambal (Davison, Mich.), Junior National freestyle champion Will Guida (St. Paul's, Md.), and Cadet National freestyle champion Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa). 113: Two-time state placer Lorenzo won the belt last year down a weight class at 106 pounds, and will seek to defend in this weight class, where he is joined by four other returning placers from last year's 106-pound weight class: No. 14 overall sophomore Greg Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), Junior National double finalist Brandon Kaylor (Bonney Lake, Wash.), two-time state champion Ryan Chauvin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and state medalist Logan Agin (Lancaster, Ohio). Also in this weight class are five additional wrestlers that ended last season ranked nationally at 106: No. 25 overall sophomore Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Dylan Ryder (Half Hollow Hills West, N.Y.), state runner-up Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.), No. 36 overall sophomore Zach Redding (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), and two-time state medalist Dante Mininno (Gateway Regional, N.J.). Another four participants are ranked within their respective grade level: No. 4 overall Junior High wrestler Ryan Crookham (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); No. 40 overall sophomore Dylan Cedeno (Fair Lawn, N.J.), a NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion; No. 10 overall freshman Zeke Escalera (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a Cadet National freestyle champion; and No. 23 overall freshman Brock McMillen (Glendale, Pa.). Other notables include Junior Nationals double third place finisher Cody Phippen (Platte County, Mo.), state champion Kai Orine (Seckman, Mo.), Junior freestyle All-American Andrew Lucero (Pueblo East, Colo.), state champions Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.) and Jacob Lindsey (Providence Catholic, Ill.), Cadet National freestyle champion Noah Surtin (Edwardsville, Ill.), and Junior double All-American Jacob Cardani (Champaign Central, Ill.). 120: Two-time defending champion Busiello, ranked No. 13 overall among juniors nationally, is among a quartet of primary contenders at this weight class. Three others are all ranked inside the top 50 overall seniors nationally: No. 35 Brody Teske (Fort Dodge, Iowa), an undefeated three-time state champ; No. 45 Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), Junior National freestyle champion this summer; and No. 46 Tommy Hoskins (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio), a two-time Junior freestyle All-American. Joining Busiello and McKee in placing down a weight class at last year's Super 32 are Antonio Mininno (Gateway Regional, N.J.), a state champion ranked No. 82 overall among seniors; state medalist Logan Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.); along with FloNationals champion and two-time state champ Ben Kamali (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Six others in this weight class are ranked within their respective grade level: No. 26 overall junior Travis Ford-Melton; No. 17 overall sophomore Dominick Serrano (Windsor, Colo.), a Cadet freestyle runner-up; No. 38 overall sophomore Vincent Mannella (Woodward Academy, Ga.); No. 49 overall sophomore Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.); No. 15 overall freshman Alek Martin (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); and No. 17 overall freshman Reid Ballantyne (Stillwater, Minn.), a high school state champion this past season. Additional wrestlers to watch include three-time Fargo freestyle All-American Aden Reeves (Albia, Iowa); two-time Junior Greco champion Jaret Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.); state champions Cayden Rooks (Columbus East, Ind.), Kyle Gollhoffer (Woodland, Ga.), and Malyke Hines (Osceola, Fla.); two-time state placer Michael Kelly (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.); along with two-time state champion Brendon Fenton (Elyria, Ohio). 126: Even with the scratch of Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.), last year's champion own a weight class, this field is absolutely loaded. Nine wrestlers ended the 2016-17 season ranked nationally in their respective weight classes: No. 4 overall junior Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.), a two-time state champion; No. 4 overall sophomore Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); No. 54 overall senior Jarrett Trombley (Lake Fenton, Mich.), a three-time state champion; returning Super 32 placer Jakob Camacho (Danbury, Ct.), No. 60 overall in the senior class; No. 8 overall sophomore Sam Hillegas (North Hills, Pa.); No. 29 overall junior Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio), a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American; No. 34 overall junior Jordan Crace (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); No. 37 overall junior Cleveland Belton (Temescal Canyon, Calif.); and Chris Wright (Central Dauphin, Pa.), a NHSCA Junior Nationals champion. The field in addition features four other nationally ranked sophomores: No. 7 Joshua Saunders (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), a returning Super 32 placer; No. 26 Keegan O'Toole (Arrowhead, Wis.), a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American; No. 41 Peyton Hall (Oak Glen, W.Va.), a NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion; and No. 46 Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio). Other notables include Junior freestyle All-American Aaron Schulist (Mukwanago, Wis.), two-time state placer Joseph Heilmann (South Plainfield, N.J.), FloNationals placer Ryan Moore (Walton Verona, Ky.), National Prep placers Mosha Schwartz (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and Mark Salvatore (Malvern Prep, Pa.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Gabe Hixenbaugh (Thompson, Ala.), along with Cadet Greco-Roman champ Phillip Moomey (Kearney, Ala.). 132: Silva is a two-time defending tournament champion, winning titles the last two years at 120 and 126, both times beating March 2017's "giant killer" Austin DeSanto in the final. The No. 9 overall senior is favored for a third title, though it won't be easy with five others that ended the 2016-17 season ranked nationally: No. 3 overall junior Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.), returning Super 32 placers in No. 11 overall junior Andrew Alirez (Greeley Central, Colo.) and No. 18 overall junior Ryan Andreson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 1 overall freshman Carson Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 6 overall sophomore Jesse Vasquez (Santiago Corona, Calif.). It should be noted that prior to this year, only seven have won three Super 32 titles, with just three coming since the tournament moved to Greensboro. Five additional wrestlers in this weight are ranked in their respective grade level: No. 21 overall junior Connor McGonagle (Timbelane, N.H.), a returning Super 32 placer; No. 40 overall junior Colton Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.); No. 21 overall sophomore Aidan Medora (Brookfield Academy, Wis.), a Cadet freestyle runner-up; No. 24 overall sophomore Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.), and No. 33 overall sophomore Manzona Bryant (Culver Academies Ind.). Others in the weight include FloNationals placers Jackson Henson (Penn Foster, W.Va.) and Sam Stuhl (Ellsworth, Wis.); 2015 Super 32 placer Andrew Wert (Central Dauphin, Pa.); a pair Junior National freestyle All-Americans in Alex Cruz (Orting, Wash.) and Chase Zollmann (Poway, Calif.); 2015 Super 32 runner-up Jojo Aragona (Pope John, N.J.); along with state champions Matt Fields (Brunswick, Ohio) and Justin Vines (Wantagh, N.Y.). 138: Three-time Super 32 placer Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) was runner-up in this tournament last year down a weight class, and the No. 13 overall senior enters this year's event as the pre-tournament favorite. It's a rather robust weight class with six other ranked wrestlers in either the junior or senior classes. Among the juniors it's No. 12 Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.); No. 16 Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II, Pa.), a returning Super 32 placer in this weight class; and No. 27 Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), a Cadet National double finalist this summer. While among seniors you have No. 41 Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.), a returning Super 32 placer in this weight class; No. 55 Quinn Kinner (Kingsway Regional, N.J.), a three-time FloNationals placer; and No. 96 Jeremy Schoenherr (Stratford, Wis.), a Junior National freestyle runner-up. Additional notable wrestlers in this weight class include Junior freestyle All-Americans Michael Millage (New Hampton, Iowa) and Gabe Miller (Pequea Valley, Pa.); state champions Jacob Greenwood (Poudre, Colo.) and J.D. Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio); state runners-up Marshall Keller (Christiansburg, Va.), Gage Grunden (Wauseon, Ohio), and Kris Rumph (Portage, Ind.); state medalist Jarred Papcsy (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); along with Cadet freestyle All-American Luka Wick (San Marino, Calif.), ranked No. 22 overall among freshmen. Anthony Artalona (Photo/Jim Thrall) 145: Junior National freestyle champion Anthony Artalona (Tampa Prep, Fla.), ranked No. 20 overall in the senior class, is joined by five other top 100 seniors in this very deep weight class: No. 23 Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.), a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American; No. 51 Brock Mauller (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.); No. 69 Jake Silverstein (Hauppauge, N.Y.), a returning Super 32 placer; No. 80 Tyler Eischens (Anoka, Minn.), a Junior National double All-American this summer; and No. 94 Kendall Coleman (Mt. Camrel, Ill.). Three others in this weight are ranked nationally in their grade level: No. 4 overall freshman Alex Facundo (Davison, Mich.), a Cadet National freestyle champion; along with a pair of Walsh Ironman placers last season as freshmen, No. 12 Kai Bele (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and No. 43 Alfonso Martinez (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.). Others in this weight include FloNationals placers Kasper McIntosh (Portage, Ind.) and Quincy Monday (Carrboro, N.C.), Junior National Greco-Roman champion Mason Phillips (Stanwood, Wash.), two-time state runners-up Sandro Ramirez (Wauseon, Ohio) and Ben Pasiuk (Carrollton, Ohio), two-time state placer Tony Mendoza (Selma, Calif.), state placer Lawrence Saenz (Vacaville, Calif.), state champion Jacob Mariakis (Ridgeland, Ga.), and Cadet freestyle All-American Michael Kistler (Northampton, Pa.). 152: Wrestlers that placed second through fifth down a weight class at last year's Super 32 anchor this weight class. No. 11 overall senior Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.) lost 7-1 to eventual champion Jarod Verkleeren in the semifinal on the way to a third place finish; No. 15 overall senior Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.) was the tournament's runner-up losing 5-2 in the championship match; No. 42 overall senior Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.) placed fourth, also placing fourth in both styles at this summer's Junior Nationals in Fargo; while No. 6 overall junior Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) placed fifth. Seven additional wrestlers in this field enter the tournament ranked within their grade level. NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Brevin Balmeceda (South Dade, Fla.) is the No. 9 overall junior nationally, Junior freestyle All-American Joshua Kim (Santiago Corona, Calif.) is No. 79 among seniors, Matthew Grippi (Fox Lane, N.Y.) is No. 87 among seniors, FloNationals placer Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) is No. 32 among juniors, Cadet freestyle runner-up Aaron Gandara (Cibola, Ariz.) is No. 15 among sophomores, Grayden Penner (Liberty, Mo.) is the No. 29 overall sophomore, while Cole Rees (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) is No. 20 among freshmen. Additional wrestlers to watch include 2016 state placer Jake Marsh (Marysville, Ohio), three-time state champion Joshua Humphreys (Parkersburg South, W.Va.), two-time state placer Joey Sanchez (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), Journeymen Classic champ Cole Corrigan (Toms River South, N.J.), state placer Brian Meyer (Phillipsburg, N.J.), along with state champions Ryan Luth (Foran, Ct.), and Peter Enos (Francis Howell, Mo.). Among those not listed, at least four others were Cadet freestyle All-Americans this summer. 160: A trio of top 100 Class of 2018 wrestlers anchor this weight class, No. 39 Phil Conigliaro (Belmont Hill, Mass.), No. 63 Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and No. 77 Erich Byelick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.). National Prep champion Conigliaro was a Junior freestyle All-American in 2016, two-time state champion Byelick is a returning Super 32 Challenge placer, while state champion Thomas beat Byelick in the finals of the Grappler Fall Classic earlier this month. Another trio of wrestlers are ranked within the top 50 of the Class of 2019: No. 33 Mason Reiniche (Baylor School, Tenn.), No. 44 Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio), and No. 49 Robert Kanniard (Wall Township, N.J.); Reiniche was champion at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals, Kharchla a Junior freestyle All-American, and Kanniard a Cadet National freestyle champion. Another trio of contenders were state champions this past season: Kenny O'Neil (Prior Lake, Minn.), Danny Braunagel (Althoff Catholic, Ill.), and Edmond Ruth (Susquehanna Township, Pa.); Braunagel and Ruth both also were FloNationals placers. Other contenders include 2016 National Prep placer Noah Chan (Kinkaid School, Texas), NHSCA Junior Nationals placer Lucas Cordio (Neshoba Regional, Mass.), No. 18 overall sophomore Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.), along with state runners-up Drew Hoselton (Prairie Central, Ill.) and Diego Lemley (Chesterton, Ind.). 170: This is a very robust weight in terms of title contenders with six wrestlers that are nationally ranked for their respective grade level. Four of those wrestlers are returning Super 32 placers: Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.), Emille Shannon (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), and Emil Soehnlen (Massillon Perry, Ohio); No. 25 Hidlay, No. 37 Shannon, and No. 61 Soehnlen are all seniors, while Foca is No. 19 in the junior class. Three-time state placer Michael O'Malley (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.) is ranked No. 57 overall among seniors, while No. 5 overall sophomore Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) placed third at both the UWW Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals in freestyle. Zach Glazier won an InterMat Classic title this past weekend (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Another pair of challengers were state champions this past season, Junior National freestyle All-American Zach Braunagel (Althoff Catholic, Ill.) and Jared Lough (Colonial Forge, Va.). Additional wrestlers to watch include a quartet of state (level) tournament runners-up in FloNationals placer Grant Cuomo (Brewster, N.Y.), NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Robert Patrick (Ligonier Valley, Pa.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals runner-up Jackson Turley (St. Christopher's, Va.), and champion at this past weekend's InterMat Classic Zach Glazier (Albert Lea, Minn.). 182: Three top 100 overall seniors lead the proceedings at this weight class, No. 44 Anthony Montalvo (Buchanan, Calif.), No. 62 Cody Mulligan (Saegertown, Pa.), and No. 71 Jared Krattiger (Waterford, Wis.). Primary challengers include Junior National double All-Americans Victor Marcelli (Massillon Jackson, Ohio) and Christian Knop (Alexandria, Alba.), FloNationals placer Josh Stillings (Pennridge, Pa.), state medalists Nathan Tausch (Poway, Calif.) and Ashton Eyler (Claymont, Ohio), along with two-time FloNationals placer Dalton Group (Susquenita, Pa.). Others to watch include Cadet freestyle runner-up Jake Logan (New Rochelle, N.Y.), Cadet double All-Americans Darrien Roberts (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) and Grant Parrish (Forest Lake, Minn.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), along with state medalists Julian Gorring (Fort LeBoeuf, Pa.) and David Heath (Akron SVSM, Ohio). Gavin Hoffman after winning bronze at the Cadet World Championships (Photo/Richard Immel) 195: The clear headline wrestler in this weight class is No. 14 overall senior Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.), last year's runner-up in this weight class and a Cadet World bronze medalist this summer. Two other top 100 seniors also are in the field, No. 89 Jared Ball (Hilliard Darby, Ohio) and No. 93 Lucas Davison (Chesterton, Ind.); Ball placed at the FloNationals this spring, while Davison was a Junior National double All-American this summer. Others to watch in this weight class include state champions Tony Wuest (Smyrna, Del.) and Joey Miller (McQueen, Nev.), both also NHSCA Junior All-Americans in this weight class; National Prep runner-up Yarislau Slavikouski (Northfield Mt. Hermon, Mass.); state medalist Elijah Jones (Boyertown, Pa.); state champions Miles Nuessle (Liberty, Ariz.), Konner Doucet (Comanche, Okla.), Jacob Henderson (Armuchee, Ga.), and David Jones (King William, Va.); along with Cadet double All-American Wyatt Hendickson (Newton, Kansas). 220: No. 3 overall sophomore Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) has sandwiched a pair of Cadet National double championships around a missed 2016-17 due to injury last September. His run to sweeping titles in Fargo this summer showed a clear return to form after said injury, and he seeks to augment those titles with another one in this weekend's Super 32 Challenge. His primary challenger will be Josiah Jones (Bishop McCort, Pa.), the No. 52 overall senior nationally, a two-time state runner-up and two-time FloNationals placer. Also in this field are state runner-up and returning Super 32 placer Peter Acciardi (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) along with two-time state champion Ben Goldin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), the participants in this spring's NHSCA Junior Nationals final for this weight class; Junior freestyle All-American Antonio McCloud (Cincinnati Elder, Ohio); state runner-up Josh Heindselman (Piedmont, Okla.); National Prep placer Colin Lawler (Kinkaid School, Texas); state champions Daniel Conley (Chaminade, Mo.) and Tarik Sutkovic (Ironwood, Ariz.); along with state medalists Isaiah Perez (Pitman, Calif.) and Tyler Cook (Brookville, Pa.). Anthony Cassioppi after winning a Fargo title in freestyle (Photo/Jim Thrall) 285: Junior National double champion Anthony Cassioppi, an Iowa commit and the No. 27 overall senior nationally, is the clear favorite in this weight class. Among the challengers are three placers from last year's tournament in this weight class: FloNationals placer Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Michael Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.), and NHSCA Junior Nationals third place finisher Paul Robinson (Bremen, Ga.). Others of note include Junior National double All-American Max Darrah (Whitfield, Mo.), UWW Cadet freestyle champion Jordan Earnest (Wadsworth, Ohio), NHSCA Sophomore Nationals runner-up Jordan Pryor (Dunbar, Md.), No. 45 overall sophomore Andy Garcia (Pueblo East, Colo.), along with Cadet National double All-Americans Eli Pokorney (Chesterton, Ind.) and Louden Haga (Pakersburg South, W.Va).

ASU's Tanner Hall finished third at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- At 24 years old, Arizona State's Tanner Hall might be the oldest junior in college wrestling. Even with a junior season that could see him come away with lower car insurance rates, the returning All-American should have a dandy of a bout with Penn State All-American Nick Nevills at 285 pounds at the 52nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic set for Princeton University's Jadwin Gym on Sunday, Nov. 5. The NWCA All-Star Classic is hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network and sponsored by Princeton Brain and Spine and Northwestern Mutual Life. Another dandy should come with a much-anticipated rematch between Lindenwood-Belleville's Niauni Hill and Warner Pacific's Kiera Gabaldon at 155 pounds on the women's side. Hall finished third at the 2017 NCAA Division I Championships after entering as the seventh seed. A Boise, Idaho native, Hall graduated from high school in 2011, spent a year at the Olympic Training Center before a two-year LDS mission took him to Uganda. He surfaced at Arizona State for head coach Zeke Jones. Hall represented the U.S. on two Junior World teams, finishing ninth in 2012. Hall finished 2016-17 with a 35-6 record. Nevills, a top-ranked high school heavyweight coming out of Clovis High School in Clovis, California, finished fifth at 285 pounds as a sophomore. Nevills went 25-5 after an injury wiped out nearly all of his freshman season in State College. Entering the NCAA Division I Championships as the No. 5 seed, he wrestled back after a quarterfinal loss to Duke's Jacob Kasper to avenge that defeat in the tiebreaker in the fifth-place bout. Penn State and Arizona State had only previously matched up one time in the All-Star Classic, a 9-5 victory by Arizona State's Ray Miller at 167 in 1993. This year, the Hall-Nevills match will be the second between the two schools in the event. Mark Hall of Penn State will face Zahid Valencia of Arizona State at 174 pounds. With Nevills joining his teammate Mark Hall in the event, it will mark the 38th appearance by Nittany Lion wrestlers in the event. Penn State wrestlers are 17-16-3 all-time while Arizona State is 13-14-1 all-time. Niauni Hill has set the benchmark for success for Lindenwood-Belleville's fledgling women's program. Only the second wrestler to earn All-American honors at the WCWA National Championships, Hill has placed three times heading into her senior season. The Oakland, California native has finished seventh, third and second in her three trips to the championships. Hill will face Warner Pacific College's Kiera Gabaldon at 155 pounds. The two met last year in the semifinals of the WCWA championships with Hill earning an injury default victory just 45 seconds into the bout. Gabaldon was leading 1-0 at the time of her injury. Gabaldon, a junior, is a two-time All-American and has previous placements of fourth and third. As a sophomore, Gabaldon fell to eventual champion and fellow All-Star Classic participant Mallory Velte of Simon Fraser in the quarterfinals at 143 pounds. Already this season, Gabaldon has finished second at Oklahoma City's Blue Chip Open. Like Hill, Gabaldon is one of only two wrestlers to have previously placed at the WCWA championships for Warner Pacific, which announced the re-introduction of men's wrestling and launch of women's program in 2014. Hill was second at the recent UWW U23 World Team Trials and was the 2017 University Nationals champion at 69kg. She was also a 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials participant. NOTE: Eastern Oregon's Amber Pair has been selected to replace Campbellsville's Andribeth Rivera at 123 pounds. WHAT: 52nd NWCA All-Star Classic hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network WHEN: Sunday, November 5, 3 p.m. WHERE: Jadwin Gym, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. TICKETS: $20 (group discounts available) SOCIAL MEDIA: #ComeBackToJadwin #allstarclassic2017 #wrestleback WATCH: www.trackwrestling.com INFO: www.goallstarclassic.com ANNOUNCED MATCHUPS Men 125: Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State) 133: Seth Gross, Jr. (South Dakota State) vs. Stevan Micic, So. (Michigan) 141: Kevin Jack, Sr. (NC State) vs. Bryce Meredith, Sr. (Wyoming) 149: Max Thomsen, So. (Northern Iowa) vs. Matthew Kolodzik, So. (Princeton) 157: 165: 174: Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State) 184: Pete Renda, Sr. (NC State) vs. Drew Foster, Jr. (Northern Iowa) 197: Kollin Moore, So. (Ohio State) vs. Jared Haught, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 285: Tanner Hall, Jr. (Arizona State) vs. Nick Nevills, Jr. (Penn State) Women 101: 109: Maria Vidales (Emmanuel) vs. Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville) 116: Fayth Woodward (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon, Sr. (U. of the Cumberlands) 123: Dom Parrish, Jr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Amber Pair, So. (Eastern Oregon) 130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville) 136: Kayla Miracle, Sr. (Campbellsville) vs. Solin Piearcy, So. (Menlo) 143: Mallory Velte, Sr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Desiree Zavala, So. (Grays Harbor) 155: Niauni Hill, Sr. (Lindenwood-Belleville) vs. Kiera Gabaldon, Jr. (Warner Pacific) 170: Jessika Rottier, Jr. (U. of the Cumberlands) vs. Brandy Lowe, Sr. (McKendree) 191: Note: Women's college wrestling competes under international freestyle rules.

Evan Hansen is one of three top-ranked wrestlers for No. 1 Grand View NAIA Wrestling Rankings: Team | Individual KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Grand View (Iowa) extends its streak to 39-straight No. 1 rankings, as the Vikings top the preseason edition of the 2017-18 NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll. The next installment of the Coaches' Poll is slated for Nov. 15. Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000-01) Grand View, which boasts 11 ranked grapplers en route to 167 total points, holds the No. 1 ranking for the 44th time in program history, which is the most for any program dating back to the start of the 2000-01 season. The last time that the Vikings were not ranked No. 1 was on Oct. 17, 2012. Seven of Grand View's ranked wrestlers are listed among the top five in their respective weight class, including top ranked Josh Wenger (141 pounds), Grant Henderson (165 pounds) and Evan Hansen (197 pounds). Five of the 10 weight classes welcome new top-ranked individuals when comparing to last year's postseason poll - Dustin Miller of Lyon (Ark.) (125 pounds), Jake Sinkovics of Cumberlands (Ky.) (133 pounds), Jaedin Sklapsky of Campbellsville (Ky.) (149 pounds), Nicholas Meck of York (Neb.) (174 pounds) and Chuck Sharon of Campbellsville (184 pounds) Since 2001, only Grand View (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17), former members Notre Dame (Ohio) (2010-11) and Lindenwood (Mo.) (2006-07) have spent the entire season ranked No. 1. Poll Methodology The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the eight conferences. Two days prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top six individuals from each weight class in his conference into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a conference ballot are considered for the national ballot. The top 20 individuals in each weight class are based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first-place vote, 19 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking. The postseason poll is determined using the individual and team results from the national championship For the complete Top 20 calendar, click here. 2017-18 NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Preseason Top 20 Poll (October 25, 2017) Rank Previous Rank School Total Team Points 1 1 Grand View (Iowa) 167 2 12 Missouri Valley 125 3 14 Providence (Mont.) 113 4 13 Menlo (Calif.) 110 5 3 Campbellsville (Ky.) 100 6 6 Indiana Tech 93 7 10 Cumberlands (Ky.) 91 8 18 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 83 9 5 Southern Oregon 80 10 4 Williams Baptist (Ark.) 79 11 9 Life (Ga.) 68 12 RV Morningside (Iowa) 65 13 RV Baker (Kan.) 63 14 7 Midland (Neb.) 58 15 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 54 16 15 Concordia (Neb.) 46 17 8 Montana State-Northern 45 T18 19 Briar Cliff (Iowa) 42 T18 RV Hastings (Neb.) 42 20 RV Lyon (Ark.) 39 Others receiving votes: Missouri Baptist 35; Southeastern (Fla.) 35; Eastern Oregon 34; Bacone (Okla.) 32; Cumberland (Tenn.) 32; Oklahoma City 31; Marian (Ind.) 26; Northwestern (Iowa) 26; Reinhardt (Ga.) 26; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 25; Truett-McConnell (Ga.) 25; York (Neb.) 24; Doane (Neb.) 23; Jamestown (N.D.) 23; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 22; Graceland (Iowa) 19; Dickinson State (N.D.) 17; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 16; William Penn (Iowa) 13; Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 11; Benedictine (Kan.) 10; Brewton Parker (Ga.) 8; Waldorf (Iowa) 7; Kansas Wesleyan 6; Oklahoma Wesleyan 6; Lourdes (Ohio) 5; Bethany (Kan.) 3; Saint Mary (Kan.) 3; Central Christian (Kan.) 2 Top Ranked Individuals | Individual Rankings 125: Dustin Miller, Lyon (Ark.) 133: Jake Sinkovics, Cumberlands (Ky.) 141: Josh Wenger, Grand View (Iowa) 149: Jaedin Sklapsky, Campbellsville (Ky.) 157: Brandon Weber, Montana State-Northern 165: Grant Henderson, Grand View (Iowa) 174: Nicholas Meck, York (Neb.) 184: Chuck Sharon, Campbellsville (Ky.) 197: Evan Hansen, Grand View (Iowa) 285: Demetrius Thomas, Williams Baptist (Ark.)

Lars Jensen was affiliated with San Francisco State for four decades (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Lars Jensen, head wrestling coach at San Francisco State University for more than three decades, has filed a complaint against the school, alleging age discrimination, the San Francisco Examiner reported this week. This summer, InterMat reported Jensen's contract was not renewed after 34 years at the helm of the NCAA Division II Gator wrestling program. Last month, attorney Rob Jaret filed a discrimination complaint on Jensen's behalf with the U.S. Department of Fair Employment and Housing, alleging age and racial discrimination by the athletic department at San Francisco State. Jaret alleged that SFSU director of athletics Charles Guthrie had told Jensen that he didn't recruit enough black wrestlers. As for age, Jensen first came to the SFSU Gators program as a wrestler in 1977. The school recently announced the hiring of 27-year-old Jason Welch, an NCAA All-American at Northwestern, as head coach. When contacted by InterMat for comment, Jensen confirmed that his attorney had filed a complaint against his former employer on his behalf, but had been advised not to discuss any further. As for San Francisco State ... a spokesperson for the school issued a written statement, saying, "We deny discrimination played any role in the process. All coaches at San Francisco State serve one-year terms. As a part of an overall evaluation of the wrestling program, we opened the position for national search. The University chose the best possible candidate for the coaching position based on the qualifications of all applicants." The U.S. Department of Fair Employment and Housing is investigating Jensen's complaint. His attorney expects the department to complete its case on the matter and from there he's confident he'll be granted the right to sue. Jaret predicted a suit to be filed against the university in San Francisco Superior Court in early 2018. Background on Guthrie In addition to revealing the complaint filed on behalf of former SFSU head wrestling coach Lars Jensen, the San Francisco Examiner provided a portrait of Charles Guthrie, the AD who fired Jensen. The newspaper described Guthrie was "an agent of change at the university" since his arrival in July 2014. For example, the SFSU basketball program scored its best record in the modern era, earning a trip to the NCAA D2 championships. The women's track and field team claimed the school's female national championships. The Examiner also claimed that academic performance had improved in the three years Guthrie was AD. In addition, fundraising efforts had also been enhanced. Jensen isn't the only former coach who has issues with Guthrie. Mike Cummins, long-time baseball coach at San Francisco State, has filed a grievance, claiming that Guthrie destroyed more than 30 years of personal papers -- coaching records, as well as documents of sentimental value from his late father -- without permission or explanation. Guthrie is no longer connected to SFSU. Just this week, he accepted the athletic director's position at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, an NCAA Division I school.

Wrestling fans will want to make tracks to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum for its memorabilia sale, beginning this Thursday through Sunday, to coincide with USA Wrestling's Preseason Nationals held at the UNI Dome in nearby Cedar Falls on Oct. 28-29. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable MuseumThis sale -- featuring books, DVDs, posters, wrestling cards, and other wrestling collectibles -- is an unbeatable opportunity to score rare wrestling treasures for holiday gift-giving ... or for your own collection. "This is a great way to support the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum and to own unique wrestling memorabilia," said Kyle Klingman, director of the museum. The Hall of Fame will be open for the sale on the following dates and times: Thursday, Oct. 26: 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27; 9 a.m. -- 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28: 9 a.m. -- 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29: 10 a.m. -- 2 p.m. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum is located in downtown Waterloo, at 303 Jefferson Street, just minutes from the UNI-Dome. For more information, call (319) 233-0745 or email dgmstaff@nwhof.org.

Kristie Davis FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. -- Athletic Director Nate Moorman announces the hiring of Co-Head Women's Wrestling Coach, Kristie Davis. Coach Davis brings with her a plethora of knowledge and skill and will be a huge asset to the Women's Wrestling Program. Coach Davis has a very impressive resume, coaching Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and the Oklahoma Women's National Teams. Kristie also served a year as a volunteer coach at Oklahoma City University, and two years as the volunteer coach at Emmanuel. Along with her coaching experience, Kristie also bring some wrestling experience of her own - Nine World Medals, the most of any women's wrestler in U.S. history. Coach Nate Moorman had the following to say, "We are extremely fortunate to have Coach Kristie take the position as the Co-Head Coach here at Emmanuel. Her knowledge and skill can take her anywhere she wants, and she chooses to coach here alongside her husband Link. I'm excited to see our already successful women's wrestling program improve even more under Kristie's leadership." For more information on Emmanuel College Athletics, visit goeclions.com

Two-time state champion Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), who enters his senior season of high school wrestling with a career mark of 159-1, committed to the University of Michigan on Tuesday evening. The No. 8 overall recruit in the Class of 2018 has 106 consecutive wins, and a pair of state titles at 220 pounds, since an 11-10 loss in the state semifinals at 182 pounds his freshman season. Parris also was champion at this spring's Flo Nationals tournament in the 220 pound weight class, and on the football field is rated as a three-star inside linebacker, though that is a moot point now. That said, he was a top ten overall prospect in the state of Indiana on the football field. As a wrestler he projects to be a collegiate 285, and in this Michigan recruiting class is joined by No. 9 Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and No. 17 Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.).

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Princeton's Matthew Kolodzik will start a new weight class in an old gym as he's set to face Northern Iowa's Max Thomsen at 149 pounds at the 52nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic set for Princeton University's Jadwin Gym on Sunday, November 5. The NWCA All-Star Classic is hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network and sponsored by Princeton Brain and Spine and Northwestern Mutual Life. Kolodzik is coming off a solid 30-4 season but a somewhat disappointing Division I championship tournament. Entering as the No. 4 seed, the Ohio native who prepped at New Jersey's Blair Academy for three years, wound up seventh. With a new weight comes a new mission and the first person standing in the way of that mission is Thomsen. UNI's Max Thomsen reached the NCAA semifinals as a freshman (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) An All-American last year as a freshman, Thomsen reached the NCAA Division I semifinals at 149 pounds as the No. 7 seed before ultimately finishing fifth. The redshirt sophomore from La Porte City, Iowa ended the season with a 31-7 record. Both were All-Americans in Fargo at the Cadet & Junior Nationals with Kolodzik winning two freestyle national championships. Thomsen was a four-time Iowa high school state champion, while Kolodzik won an Ohio state championship as a freshman and three National Prep championships. Thomsen will join teammate Drew Foster (184 pounds) in the event, while Kolodzik will be just the fourth Princeton wrestler to be represented. The Tigers are 0-3 all-time in the event, while Panther wrestlers are 3-10-1. On the women's side, two wrestlers who know each other very well will square off at 109 pounds. Emmanuel College's Maria Vidales will face Campbellsville's Charlotte Fowler in a battle of returning sophomore All-Americans. The two met during their high school careers at the state tournament, with Vidales earning a 7-1 win during the pair's junior season and a 5-4 win in the 6A 110-pound UIL state finals in 2016. Both competed at the WCWA National Championships a year ago with Vidales finishing third and Fowler fifth. The two didn't meet in that tournament. Vidales, a Dallas, Texas native, was a state champion in Texas, one of the top states for girls high school wrestling. A four-time district champion in high school, Vidales has also jumped into the international freestyle circuit, recently finishing second at the UWW U23 World Team Trials earlier this month in Rochester, Minnesota. Fowler, a native of Katy, Texas, was a two-time placewinner in Fargo at the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior Nationals during her high school career. She also competed at the U23 Trials, falling to Vidales in the challenge tournament semifinals. Fowler finished third at 48kg. WHAT: 52nd NWCA All-Star Classic hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network WHEN: Sunday, November 5, 3 p.m. WHERE: Jadwin Gym, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. TICKETS: $20 (group discounts available) SOCIAL MEDIA: #ComeBackToJadwin #allstarclassic2017 #wrestleback WATCH: www.trackwrestling.com INFO: www.goallstarclassic.com ANNOUNCED MATCHUPS Men 125: Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State) 133: Seth Gross, Jr. (South Dakota State) vs. Stevan Micic, So. (Michigan) 141: Kevin Jack, Sr. (NC State) vs. Bryce Meredith, Sr. (Wyoming) 149: Max Thomsen, So. (Northern Iowa) vs. Matthew Kolodzik, So. (Princeton) 157: 165: 174: Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State) 184: Pete Renda, Sr. (NC State) vs. Drew Foster, Jr. (Northern Iowa) 197: Kollin Moore, So. (Ohio State) vs. Jared Haught, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 285: Women 101: 109: Maria Vidales, So. (Emmanuel) vs. Charlotte Fowler, So. (Campbellsville) 116: Fayth Woodward (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon, Sr. (U. of the Cumberlands) 123: Dom Parrish, Jr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Andribeth Rivera, So. (Campbellsville) 130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville) 136: Kayla Miracle, Sr. (Campbellsville) vs. Solin Piearcy, So. (Menlo) 143: Mallory Velte, Sr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Desiree Zavala, So. (Grays Harbor) 155: 170: Jessika Rottier, Jr. (U. of the Cumberlands) vs. Brandy Lowe, Sr. (McKendree) 191: Note: Women's college wrestling competes under international freestyle rules.

The pipeline between collegiate wrestling and MMA is not as direct as it is in other sports. Obviously, the two entities are in fact different sports, and there is nothing approaching a formal draft process. However, year in and year out some of the best fighters cut their teeth in the NCAA Division I ranks. The following looks back on some of the top five graduating classes as if there had been a draft. In order to be considered, the competitor must have gained All-American status at the Division I level. This of course leaves out several top fighters such as Frankie Edgar, T.J. Dillashaw and Urijah Faber, but there are always undrafted players who go on to greatness in other sports too. 1. 2007: Chris Weidman, Ben Askren, Johny Hendricks and Cole Konrad The 2007 class was able to get it done on the wrestling mats and keep that momentum going in MMA. Chris Weidman (Hofstra), Ben Askren (Missouri), Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) and Cole Konrad (Minnesota) combined for 14 All-American seasons and six NCAA titles. In 2013, Weidman challenged Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title. He came into the bout as a sizable underdog but managed to finish the fight in the second round. Weidman followed that up with three straight victories over former UFC champions. After losing three in a row, he recently got back on track with a third-round submission over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on Fox 25. Askren currently holds the One Championship welterweight title. He has announced that he will retire from MMA after his next title defense against former Dream and One lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. Askren was never given a chance in the UFC, but he was still a top ten fighter. He holds signature wins over former Bellator champion Andrey Koreshkov and current Bellator champion Douglas Lima. In 2014, Hendricks defeated Robbie Lawler to claim the UFC welterweight title. He had previously fought then-champion Georges St. Pierre for the belt. Hendricks dropped a dubious decision and St. Pierre subsequently retired from the sport. Since losing the title in a rematch with Lawler, Hendricks has won only two of his last six bouts. However, he still reached the pinnacle of the sport and defeated the likes of Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit. In only his seventh professional MMA bout, Konrad defeated Neil Grove to become the inaugural Bellator heavyweight champion. He retired and became a commodities broker following two more wins over Paul Buentello and Eric Prindle. Despite only having a less than three-year career, Konrad was able to win a major promotion title. Mark Munoz and Daniel Cormier as teammates at Oklahoma State 2. 2001: Daniel Cormier, Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen The 2001 class produced Daniel Cormier, Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen. In terms of college wrestling, Munoz was the most accomplished. During his time at Oklahoma State, he was a two-time All-American and won the 2001 NCAA title at 197 pounds. Cormier, a two-time junior college national champion, finished as the NCAA runner-up at 184 pounds his senior year. Sonnen reached All-American status in 1998 and never got back on the podium again, but he excelled in Greco Roman on the University level. Cormier ended up spending his senior season in the same weight class as the only four-time undefeated Division I champion, Cael Sanderson. After finishing second to Cael in college, Cormier spent the better part of the decade representing the U.S. freestyle team at 96 kilograms. In 2009, he made his MMA debut. Three years later, he won the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix after entering as an alternate. In 2015, Cormier defeated Anthony Johnson for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship. He defended the belt twice before losing to former champion Jon Jones at UFC 214. Cormier was awarded the title once against after Jones tested positive for a banned substance. After only three professional fights, Munoz signed with WEC, and he spent the rest of his career under the Zuffa banner. He was never able to win the middleweight title, but he scored signature wins over fellow wrestling veterans Aaron Simpson and C.B. Dollaway as well as Demian Maia. Munoz also holds the distinction of fighting in the first five-round non-title fight in UFC history. There is not enough space in this article to fully cover the contributions of Sonnen from a notoriety perspective. After an extensive MMA career, Sonnen fought Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title in 2010. After dominating the fight with his wrestling, he fell victim to a triangle choke. Since then, he has continued to compete with limited success. Darrion Caldwell and Bubba Jenkins wrestled in the 2008 NCAA semifinals at 149 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 3. 2011: Bubba Jenkins, Colby Covington, Darrion Caldwell and Justin Gaethje In time this draft class might turn out to be the best in MMA history. Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State), Colby Covington (Oregon State), Darrion Caldwell (NC State) and Justin Gaethje (Northern Colorado) left school in 2011 with a combined two NCAA titles and six All-American finishes. After winning an NCAA title in dramatic fashion during his senior season, Jenkins made his MMA debut in December 2011. He won his first three bouts before signing with Bellator the following year. He went 8-3 in the promotion but left the company following a second loss against Georgi Karakhanyan in 2016 over a contract dispute. Since leaving Bellator, Jenkins has split a pair of bouts under the ACB banner. The least accomplished wrestler in this class might turn out to be the first one to fight for UFC gold. Gaethje lorded over the World Series of Fighting lightweight division from 2014 to 2016 before signing with the UFC earlier this year. In his Octagon debut, he put on a "fight of the year" contender with Michael Johnson and finished the bout in the second round. In December, he will return to action against Eddie Alvarez. With a victory, the former Northern Colorado wrestler might earn a title shot. Covington flew all the way to Macau for his UFC debut. On that night, he ended up defeating Anying Wang in the first round. He holds a 7-1 record in the company. In his last fight, the former Oregon State wrestler scored a decision over veteran Dong Hyun Kim to inch closer towards the title picture. He is scheduled to fight Demian Maia on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 119. In his last fight, Caldwell scored the biggest win of his career. He defeated Eduardo Dantas to claim the Bellator bantamweight title. Since turning professional in 2012, the former NC State wrestler has won 11 of 12 fights. His only loss came via flukish submission against Joe Taimanglo last year. Less than six months after the defeat, Caldwell avenged it with a one-sided decision victory. 4. 2008: Chad Mendes and Phil Davis What the 2008 class lacks in depth, it makes up for with high-end talent. Chad Mendes (Cal Poly) was a two-time All-American and one-time runner up. The other member of this class, Phil Davis (Penn State), was a four-time All-American and finished up with a national title his senior season. After leaving the UFC in 2015, Davis won the Bellator light heavyweight title in his fourth fight for the promotion. To claim the belt, he took a dominant decision over former champion Liam McGeary. Unfortunately for Davis, he lost the title to fellow wrestler Ryan Bader in his first title defense. However, he has still earned high ranking in the light heavyweight division, and he holds victories over the likes of Muhammed Lawal, Glover Teixeira and Lyoto Machida. Davis will return to action against grappler Leo Leite. The bout will be part of Bellator 186, which takes place Nov. 3 at the Bryce Jordan Center the campus of Penn State. For a multiple-year period, Mendes was considered the second-best featherweight in the world behind only UFC champion Jose Aldo. From 2008 to 2015, the former Cal Poly wrestler went 17-2 and picked up wins over Cub Swanson, Ricardo Lamas and Clay Guida. In 2015, he earned a last-minute shot at Conor McGregor for the interim featherweight title. Mendes looked solid with his wrestling early and then faded. Following the loss, he only fought once and tested positive for a banned substance. 5. 2006: Shawn Bunch, Muzzaffar Abdurakhmanov, C.B. Dollaway, Eric Bradley, Jake Rosholt, Ryan Bader, Steve Mocco, Cain Velasquez and Paul Bradley Unlike the 2008 class, the 2006 edition makes the top five due its astonishing depth. The 2006 graduating class ended up producing nine MMA fighters. Of the nine fighters, two have gone on to be major promotion champions. In 2010, former Arizona State wrestler Cain Velasquez captured the UFC heavyweight title for the first time. His fellow Sun Devil, Ryan Bader recently won the Bellator light heavyweight title with a decision over Davis.

Late, legendary wrestler-coach Bill Nelson who passed away last month at age 90 will be the focus of the entire On the Mat broadcast this Wednesday, Oct. 25. Bill NelsonNelson was a three-time NCAA wrestling champion for Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) in 1947, 1949 and 1950, and was a member of the Panther wrestling squad that won the 1950 NCAA team title in its home gym. Nelson also was a 1948 U.S. Olympic team member who went on to coach at the high school and collegiate level. He died Sept. 23 in Arizona. Guests include: Bruce Nelson, Bill's youngest son John Bardis, Assistant Secretary for Administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a former wrestler at the University of Arizona when Nelson was head wrestling coach Bill Smith, 1952 Olympic gold medalist and a teammate of Nelson's at Northern Iowa "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. Email dgmstaff@nwhof.org with questions or comments.

Brent Harvey, tireless supporter of girls wrestling as a coach and event organizer -- as well as the coach who launched the wrestling program at Whitmore Lake High School just last fall -- was killed in a motorcycle accident Friday night in Michigan. He was 46. Brent HarveyHis wife Jennifer posted this message on Facebook Saturday: "It is with heavy heart that I need to inform everyone that last night I lost the love of my life, Brent Harvey. He was killed on his motorcycle on his way to the Whitmore Lake High School football game ... I am beyond heartbroken, not only for myself and our girls Brittany and Brook and his mother Linda but also for 1000s of kids, both boys and girls, whom he has impacted over the years with his passion for wrestling. The world sure has lost a good one tonight …" Harvey's LinkedIn page made clear his commitment to women's and girls' wrestling that spanned nearly two decades. In 1999, Harvey organized the first non-profit, all-girls wrestling program in the state of Michigan. In June 2011, he became involved in Michigan USA Wrestling. The following year, Harvey became USA Wrestling Central Women's Director, as a board member for the women's age-group committee. In 2013, Harvey was named USA Wrestling National Women's Age-Group Coach of the Year. In addition, Harvey established and continued to run the War of the Roses tournament series for girls, including this coming weekend's USA Girls Preseason Nationals -- the Folkstyle Nationals on Oct. 28, and the K-12 National Duals on Oct. 29 -- in New Palestine, Ind. In an in-depth June 2017 article about the state of women's wrestling in Michigan in the Detroit Metro News, Brent Harvey was featured prominently. "At least some of that success can be credited to Brent Harvey. Like (Cliff) Cushard and (Dominic) Adams, he's a former school wrestler who got his start in girls' wrestling watching his daughters compete," according to the Metro News. "These days he lives in Whitmore Lake, where he's head coach at the high school, helping to restart the school's wrestling program after a 33-year hiatus. He runs their youth club as well, where he's got a few girls on his team. In addition to that, he runs Michigan Women's Wrestling, a girls-only U.S.A. wrestling club that feeds up into the national Olympics program. It keeps him traveling all over promoting his War of the Roses competitions. If anybody around the country wants him to come in and run a girls-only tournament, he does his best to make it happen." Harvey first took up wrestling at age 8, according to Metro News, and continued through high school and college. He passed on that passion for the sport to his two daughters, "watching how wrestling electrified his daughters. What had been a fatherly interest now became a guiding passion." "Wrestling has lost a great friend, advocate, and ambassador far too soon," said Terry Steiner, USA Wrestling Women's National Coach. "Brent Harvey will be missed by many who crossed his path. Brent opened many doors for those fighting to be a part of this great sport. USA Wrestling Women's Athletes, Staff, and Program send our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Harvey family. Be proud to know that your father, husband and friend has led many to a better life because of his passion to help others. RIP Brent Harvey!" Brent Harvey with wife JenniferMike Houston, administrator for the popular Wrestling Insider Facebook group, wrote this about his long-time friend, Brent Harvey: "He started supporting women's wrestling many years ago when his daughters were young, and showed an interest in wrestling. Brent helped grow Michigan Girls Wrestling by managing the National Team and putting together trips for any girl wrestling to travel to the USAW Folkstyle Nationals, Body Bar, Fargo or any other distant event. Brent also helped grow girls wrestling across the nation through his War of the Roses wrestling tournaments." Ryan Lancaster, who was a board member of the Michigan chapter of USA Wrestling with Harvey, shared these insights on his long-time friend with InterMat. "Brent as many who knew and loved him, was the busiest man on the planet. I would complain about my own schedule (busy in its own right) to him and half way through would I realized my concerns were falling on deaf ears. If I worked on wrestling until 10 p.m., Brent would text me at 10:30 p.m. still working. His work ethic was something out of Greek mythology. The man could not and would not stop working." "And to me, this made him the quintessential American: a man who had passions, followed them, and rolled up his sleeves and worked tirelessly to build a world he wished to see," Lancaster continued. "He was a trailblazer, building America's greatest girls wrestling league and created opportunities fueled by Olympic dreams for countless women. A father, a mentor, and, above all, a friend." Friends, family and those in the wrestling community will have multiple opportunities to pay respects and honor the memory of Brent Allen Harvey. A visitation will take place Friday, Oct. 27 from 2-8 p.m. at Borek-Jennings Hamburg Chapel, 7425 E. M-36, P.O. Box 735, Hamburg, Mich. A second visitation opportunity is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 from 10-11 a.m. at Shalom Lutheran Church, 1740 East M-36, Pickney, Mich., with a community farewell service starting at 11 a.m. at the church. Condolences may be left at the funeral home's website, www.borekjennings.com or by phone 1-877-231-7900.

Kyle Snyder celebrates after beating Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Kyle Snyder is one of five finalists for the U.S. Male Olympic Athlete of the Year award, and with one week remaining in the open voting competition, the Buckeye heavyweight owns a substantial lead with 38 percent of the votes as of Oct. 23 at 9:30 a.m. ET. A pair of fellow American Olympians (Lowell Bailey, biathlon; Caleb Dressel, swimming) are next at 17 percent apiece. VOTE HERE In a bout that was dubbed "The Match of the Century," Snyder defeated Olympic and two-time world champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia, 6-5, to win the 97-kilogram gold medal and clinch Team USA's first men's freestyle world team title in 22 years at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships. This coming one year after capturing Olympic gold in Rio.

Kevin Roberts coaching at the Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kevin Roberts, an assistant wrestling coach at Oregon State for 11 years, is suing his former employer over accusations regarding his firing in August. Roberts filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Eugene, contending that Oregon State breached his contract in violation of his civil rights, The Oregonian -- the daily newspaper of Portland -- reported Sunday. Roberts, who was promoted to associate head wrestling coach in 2016 after having joined the coaching staff ten years earlier, contends he was falsely accused of allowing or participating in derogatory remarks made by members of the wrestling team towards one of their teammates, according to the suit. In spring 2016, one of the wrestlers complained to university administrators that he was offended by the statements allegedly made by Roberts, interpreted to be "derogatory towards his race and/or religion,'' the suit said. The university concluded that Roberts had either participated in the offensive banter among the students or neglected his supervisory role, and terminated his contract. Roberts claimed the university's investigation was "cursory and inadequate.'' In July -- one month before his dismissal -- he had signed an employment agreement to remain as assistant coach through June 30, 2018, earning an annual salary of $108,000. He was notified of firing on Aug. 8, effective Aug. 23. In his lawsuit, Roberts claimed he was not allowed to contest the firing, and had been allowed to work for Oregon State -- including actively recruiting potential wrestlers for the program -- right up to his dismissal. Roberts is seeking damages for economic loss, estimating $18,000 in lost wages with a $9,000 per month accrual. A native of Spokane, Wash., Roberts had wrestled for the now-defunct mat program at University of Oregon in the mid-1990s, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American and three-time Pac 10 conference championships finalist at 118 pounds. He was team captain as a senior, and had earned academic honors. Prior to joining the coaching staff at Oregon State in 2006, Roberts had served as an assistant wrestling coach at North Idaho College and University of Wyoming, then had been strength and conditioning coach at University of Minnesota.

The much-anticipated wrestling dual meet between Rutgers and Maryland -- along with a football game featuring the two eastern Big Ten schools -- scheduled for New York's Yankee Stadium on Nov. 4 has been relocated to the New Jersey school's campus. The decision to move the wrestling/football event to High Point Solutions Stadium at Piscataway, N.J. was announced Friday, when the Yankees still had a possibility of making it into the 2017 World Series. (On Saturday night the New York team lost to the Houston Astros in the seventh and deciding game of the American League Championship Series.) "We were looking forward to staging this historic event at Yankee Stadium," Rutgers Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs said in a statement at the school's official sports website. "With two weeks until the date, it was important for us to finalize details that help ensure our fans and our student-athletes have a one-of-a-kind experience. "As a result of the Yankees' amazing postseason run, there were operational concerns that called for us to make a decision at this time. It was agreed that moving the game to High Point Solutions Stadium was the best option under the circumstances." Hobbs went on to say that Rutgers values its continuing partnership with the N.Y. Yankees. Rutgers also gets a full refund of its $750,000 stadium rental fee and is not obligated to move a future game to the Bronx, NJ Advance Media reported Friday. A start time for the Rutgers-Maryland wrestling/football event has yet to be announced. The "Battle in the Bronx" had been anticipated to generate positive media attention for both the wrestling and football sports programs at the two participating schools. In recent years, a number of college wrestling programs have staged dual meets in unusual settings such as at the school's football stadium, all with an eye to generating larger-than-average attendance and greater media coverage. One of the most successful events of this type took place two years ago at the University of Iowa, when the Hawkeyes hosted a dual meet with Oklahoma State prior to their football game at Kinnick Stadium.

A high school head wrestling coach who had been promoted to the position one month ago after having served as an assistant for 2.5 years, is now out of a job after being arrested for public intoxication earlier this month. The contract for Andy Hackenmueller, who was hired as head coach at Minnesota's Albert Lea High School in September, was rescinded this week after his arrest at a casino on Oct. 8. "As the result of a recent investigation, Albert Lea Area (Schools) has withdrawn its offer to Andy Hackenmueller to be Albert Lea High School's head wrestling coach," said Superintendent Mike Funk Wednesday afternoon in an email. "Mr. Hackenmueller will not be associated with the program in any manner." Hackenmueller was arrested after a Worth County deputy was dispatched Oct. 8 to Diamond Jo Casino for three intoxicated people who were kicked out from the casino and were going to drive. Surveillance video reportedly showed Hackenmueller drinking out of a can in the parking lot. The deputy described the coach as having "bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and an odor of an alcoholic beverage." Hackenmueller reportedly had a .152 blood-alcohol level -- more than twice the legal limit -- and was arrested for public consumption. The Albert Lea Tribune reported Thursday that the district had offered the head coaching job to math teacher and baseball coach Paul Durbahn. "We expect that coach Durbahn will uphold the high standards we have come to expect in our historically successful ALHS wrestling program," Funk said. Hackenmueller had been named head wrestling coach to replace Larry Goodnature, who announced his retirement during the offseason after 25 years at the helm of the Albert Lea High School Tigers. Thirty months ago, Goodnature had hired Hackenmueller -- who had been a head coach at Rush City for two seasons -- as an assistant coach, with the idea that Hackenmueller would eventually take the reins of the Albert Lea mat program. Prior to coming to Albert Lea, Hackenmueller had served as an assistant coach at La Crosse (Wis.) Central High School, then was head coach at Rush City in Minnesota for two years. As a wrestler, Hackenmueller competed at the successful St. Michael-Albertville High School - where he was a three-time qualifier for the Minnesota state championships for the Class AA team title-winning program -- then at North Dakota State University where he continued his wrestling career. As an individual wrestler, Hackenmueller qualified for the individual state wrestling tournament three times (2004-2006) before wrestling collegiately at North Dakota State University. As a wrestler, Hackenmueller understands the performance part -- but he's learned a lot about what it takes to be a great coach away from the mat from Goodnature. Hackenmueller was slated to take over an Albert Lea wrestling program with a long, strong tradition. In the 25 seasons Goodnature was head coach, the ALHS Tigers 519-161 in dual-meet competition, but had not won a state title since 1981. Albert Lea High School is an 8-12 grade school located in the city of Albert Lea in south-central Minnesota, about 90 miles south of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The school has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students.

Sammy Sasso (Photo/Juan Garcia) Two-time FloNationals champion Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.), who was undefeated during the 2016-17 scholastic season verbally committed to Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. In addition to a state championship season in which he won titles at the Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East, Sasso also won the preseason Super 32 Challenge and post-season Flo Nationals. It was a season in which he ended up as the No. 2 wrestler nationally at 138 pounds. Sasso is currently ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2018 after earning a UWW Cadet National freestyle runner-up finish and Junior National freestyle All-American status this summer in Fargo. It was a second straight year as a UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up to an eventual world medalist, and the freestyle All-American honor in Fargo was his fifth overall in Fargo and third in freestyle (Cadet title in 2015). Sasso projects collegiately as a 157 pound wrestler, and is the fifth top 40 commit for the Buckeyes in their recruiting class this year joining No. 14 Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.), No. 18 Jaden Mattox (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio), No. 36 Rocky Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and No. 40 Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.)

Ryan Ripplinger claimed his title by defeating returning InterMat Classic champion Reid Ballantyne in the finals (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Ryan Ripplinger, a two-time state champion, came to Rochester with unfinished business. Last year he failed to reach the finals of the finals of the InterMat Classic in Rochester, losing in the semifinals by a point and placing third. Two months later, he dropped two matches at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament to place fifth. This year at the InterMat Classic he left no doubt, cruising to the title at 126 pounds on Saturday. After picking up two technical falls and a fall to reach the quarterfinals, Ripplinger shut out two-time undefeated state champion Hunter Burnett (Pipestone, Minn.) 6-0 in the semifinals. He carried the momentum to his finals match, pinning Reid Ballantyne (Stillwater, Minn.), a returning InterMat Classic champion and undefeated state champion. Ripplinger was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Headlining the tournament was Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.), the nation's No. 23 senior, and now a four-time InterMat Classic champion. Yet again he won the 145-pound weight class, and this time it was five dominant victories; three pins, a 19-9 major decision, and then a pin at the 3:23 mark against two-time state finalist Drew Steidler (Bismarck St. Mary's, N.D.). Lloyd becomes the second wrestler ever to win four or more InterMat Classic title, joining Mark Hall, who won five. At 170 pounds, state runner-up Zach Glazier (Albert Lea, Minn.) stunned Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.) 3-1 in overtime in the championship match. Robb, ranked No. 26 overall in the Class of 2018, is expected to compete at 160 pounds this season and moved up to face Glazier. Glazier, a Fargo freestyle All-American, also defeated returning state runner-up Jeremiah Colon (Lake Crystal, Minn.) 10-1 in the semifinals. One of the event's premier matches came at 132 pounds where three-time state champion Sam Stuhl (Ellsworth, Wis.) upended Fargo (Cadet) freestyle runner-up Aidan Medora (Brookfield Academy, Wis.) 10-6. Stuhl reached the final with three pins from three matches, including a win by fall in 1:06 during the semifinal round against two-time state placer Dylan Droegemueller (Anoka, Minn.). Medora reached the final with a pin, 16-0 technical fall, and an 11-6 decision over two-time state champion Charlie Pickell (Mankato West, Minn.) in a battle of Cadet freestyle All-Americans. Paxton Creese was one of two champions for Shakopee (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Two pairs of teammates were champions at this year's InterMat Classic. Shakopee's Paxton Creese at 106 pounds joined Lloyd in winning his weight class. His finals victory came 4-2 in overtime over Ryan Henningson (Winona, Minn.). The other pair to win titles came from Arrowhead, Wis. Dominic Dentino beat Max Crowe (Shakopee, Minn.) 1-0 in the 120-pound final, a match in which both wrestlers were state medalists; while state medalist Joshua Otto won the 152-pound final by 9-3 decision over Gage Zieske (Osakis, Minn.). A pair of state champions were dominant winners of the last two weight classes, Cole Fibranz (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.) and the nation's No. 27 overall senior Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.). Fibranz pinned all three opponents he faced at 220 pounds, while Cassioppi had a pair of pins in a combined 65 seconds for his title at 285 in a three-person round-robin. Logan Vaughan claimed the title at 100 pounds (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Rounding out the weight class champions were Logan Vaughan (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) at 100 pounds, Joey Thompson (Maple Grove, Minn.) at 113, Tate Torgerson (Cambridge-Isanti, Minn.) at 138, Tanner Wiese (Forest Lake, Minn.) at 160, Michael Nelson (Dover-Eyota, Minn.) at 182, and Beau Yineman (Neenah, Wis.) at 195. Finals Results: 100: Logan Vaughan (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) maj. dec. Brendan Howes (Anoka, Minn.), 12-1 106: Paxton Creese (Shakopee, Minn.) dec. Ryan Henningson (Winona, Minn.), 4-2 SV 113: Joey Thompson (Maple Grove, Minn.) dec. Derrick Cardinal (Forest Lake, Minn.), 13-6 120: Dominic Dentino (Arrowhead, Wis.) dec. Maxwell Crowe (Shakopee, Minn.), 1-0 126: Ryan Ripplinger (Bismarck, N.D.) pinned Reid Ballantyne (Stillwater, Minn.), 3:30 132: Sam Stuhl (Ellsworth, Wis.) dec. Aidan Medora (Brookfield Academy, Wis.), 10-6 138: Tate Torgerson (Cambridge-Isanti, Minn.) dec. Sebas Swiggum (Apple Valley, Minn.), 5-1 145: Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) pinned Devin Steidler (Bismarck, N.D.), 3:23 152: Josh Otto (Arrowhead, Wis.) dec. Gage Zieske (Osakis, Minn.), 9-3 160: Tanner Wiese (Forest Lake, Minn.) maj. dec. Ben Schmalz (Mound-Westonka, Minn.), 13-3 170: Zach Glazier (Albert Lea, Minn.) dec. Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.), 3-1 SV 182: Michael Nelson (Dover Eyota, Minn.) dec. Andrew Johnson (Tartan, Minn.), 7-0 195: Beau Yineman (Neenah, Wis.) by injury default over DJ Smith (Shakopee, Minn.) 220: Cole Fibranz (Sartell, Minn.) pinned Jacob Somlai (Brookfield, Wis.), 3:43 285: Anthony Cassioppi (Honenegah, Ill.) pinned Ezayah Oropeza (Rosemount, Minn.), 0:48

Two-time state champion Emille Shannon (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) verbally committed to West Virginia on Saturday night. The No. 37 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 also placed third at state as a freshman, and was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge last fall, along with being a Cadet freestyle All-American in 2015. Shannon ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 7 nationally at 160 pounds, and projects collegiately as a 174/184.

Beat the Streets Los Angeles will host their annual benefit next weekend in Los Angeles, and to promote their cause BTS-LA has brought out the women's wrestling team from Japan to face off against a talented Team USA that includes Victoria Anthony, Alli Ragan and three-time world champion Adeline Gray. As most wrestling fans recognize, Beat the Streets has been the single most successful wrestling charity in the history of the United States. They have helped thousands of young boys and girls pursue wrestling, and not only as means of escaping circumstances, but as a way to cultivate self-confidence and encourage them to pursue their academic and athletic goals. The 2017 event in Los Angeles is also important as it is yet another signal into the power of women's wrestling to attract fans and create buzz. There is increasing name identification among wrestling fans worldwide, which means that this event has significance based on their achievements. For a program that started stateside in 1994 the recent growth has been nothing short of inspiring. The BTS-LA all-star meet is a powerful moment in the sport's history. I encourage you to watch on Facebook, Livestream and Twitter, but also consider donating to BTS-LA in the ramp up to their gala. These are incredible women helping to represent one of the best wrestling charities on the planet. If you can find $10 or more, please consider donating to this year's gala. You can find the link here. Wrestling is the world's oldest and toughest sport. Help our community recognize and celebrate its power to promote positive lifestyle choices and upward social mobility. To your questions … Q: Iowa State got a commitment from top recruit David Carr on Wednesday. Do they have a shot at the NCAA title by 2022? -- Harold T. Foley: Kevin Dresser needed seven years to get Virginia Tech onto the team podium. He had little national name ID, was rebuilding a program which saw many of its top stars transfer and operating in a conference that not many high school wrestlers considered a top contender. Today, he leads a program which has won a team title and is based in a state which considers wrestling a top-tier sport. Dresser has hired three of the best coaches in the nation, has a building base of support among alumni, and is adored by fans and the media. On top of this he is natural leader and an extraordinary coach. Can they win it in all in 2022? Yes. Will they? I couldn't bet against the current powerhouses, but make no mistake that Dresser's hiring will signal a significant change to the power structure within NCAA wrestling. Win or lose in 2022, Iowa State being a college wrestling powerhouse again is in the works. Rob Koll with assistant Mike Grey coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I saw InterMat's Division I rankings came out this week. I noticed Cornell is not ranked in the top 25 in the tournament rankings. Crazy to think about considering Cornell was a national championship contender a few years ago. I know they have some very talented wrestlers like true freshman Yianni Diakomihalis (ranked 12th at 141). Cornell has finished in the top 12 every year at the NCAAs since 2002. Where do you see the Big Red finishing in March? -- Mike C. Foley: The fact that Cornell won't have a top 25 team to start the season, or may not make top 12 as they have for 15 straight seasons, is certainly surprising but it also offers the opportunity to sit back and admire what they have accomplished. Before Cornell's success in the early 2000's there wasn't much to indicate that an Ivy League school could compete at the national level year-in, year-out. They did. There wasn't a lot of recent history indicating that an Ivy League school could produce a single national champion, much less multiple-time national champions and All-Americans. Cornell made both these ideas commonplace. Rob Koll, who has been at Cornell for almost 30 years, coached Kyle Dake to four NCAA titles while simultaneously finding the energy to endow each of the coaching positions on his staff. Oh, and he was the first to have a stand-alone wrestling facility on campus! Koll and Cornell have innovated and succeeded for decades. I suspect that despite a slow start to the season, we will be seeing Cornell well within the national top 25 by the end of the season. Q: In your opinion, who will be the next four-time NCAA champion? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Mark Hall is the top pick for wrestler most likely to win four NCAA titles next. He's won his first NCAA title and is heading into the most difficult season as a favorite to repeat. While his opponents are certainly on the mat, Hall's Junior world championship is the type of offseason credential that indicates his considerable offseason improvement. It's tough to discount Zahid Valencia or Bo Jordan, but I like Hall's chances of making it through the difficult year. By comparison, I think that Vincenzo Joseph will have a much tougher time converting in his second year on campus with a revenge-focused Imar in the wings. Q: Will we see another matchup between Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev anytime soon? -- Don D. Foley: As of now Sadualev is scheduled to compete at the 2018 Ivan Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. From his Twitter comments it would also seem that Snyder will be in attendance. What will actually happen on the mats is anyone's guess, but Snyderlaev II is something that may actually occur. Let us just hope that we can get the stream out of Siberia! MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Old USA Wrestler magazines up for the taking! Q: What percentage chance do you give each of the top-ranked wrestlers to win the NCAA title in March? -- Mike C. Foley: See percentages below. 125: Nathan Tomasello (30 percent). With Darian Cruz and Nick Suriano lingering it's a three-man race for the title. If Daton Fix decides to wrestle that percentage could drop. 133: Seth Gross (70 percent): Tough, capable and in a relatively open weight, Gross should find Bono's first NCAA champion at South Dakota State. 141: Dean Heil (85 percent): No reason to think he can't better the competition he's been topping for two seasons. 149: Zain Retherford (99 percent): Barring injury he's your NCAA champion. 157: Jason Nolf (99 percent): Repeat. 165: Vincenzo Joseph (40 percent): Imar is still here and after a disappointing finals performance I'm guessing the Illini star will be coming with new attacks and renewed sense of urgency in 2018. Also, Logan Massa is out there biding his time and could make this a tight three-man race. 174: Mark Hall (60 percent): Zahid Valencia. Bo Jordan. Tough road and it's still a bit better than a 50/50 chance he repeats. 184: Bo Nickal (65 percent): 2016 NCAA champion Myles Martin will look to regain his crown and that is a big hurdle. 197: Kollin Moore (80 percent): Jared Haught and Willie Miklus will have a certain amount of pushback, but Moore has the best training partner on the planet. 285: Kyle Snyder (100 percent): Only a nuclear winter could prevent a third title for Snyder. Q: Is it is better to redshirt your freshman year or wrestle right away? -- Gregg Y. Foley: There are all types of 18-year-old wrestlers entering their first year on a college campus. Some are primed for the big time, with wide eyes and bad-ass intentions. Others are overwhelmed by the classes, the independence and the rigor of the mat and professorial demands. No matter where a first-year wrestler finds himself the solution for a productive career may be different. The stud may need to sit and the scared, young one may need to start. The options and reasoning are as varied as anything. The one wrestler who definitely needs to redshirt is the one with subpar technical skills. The one who can't quite wrestle at that level, but nonetheless finds themselves in a room filled with stellar collegiate talents. I was absolutely one of these kids and while my redshirt journey isn't straightforward I know that the first year on the mats lead to a lot of development on and off the mat. Give those less talented the opportunity to grow and those that have the talent the option to face their college career as the coach, parents and student see fit. Q: All the national championship talk has centered around Penn State and Ohio State. Does Michigan have a real shot to win the title? The Wolverines have tons of talent! -- Mike C. Foley: No. I don't see a path to the NCAA title for the Wolverines, but I think that with six-plus All-Americans they have every chance to be third place, or potentially a spoiler for the runner-up spot. The biggest issue the Wolverines face in accumulating enough points is sure-fire finalists and bonus points. While their AA total could rival that of Ohio State and Penn State, there doesn't seem to be a guy on the roster who will be a certain finalist, or a certain bonus-point machine. However, if third place seems like a downgrade, it's not. Penn State and Ohio State are loaded. Oklahoma State and Iowa have competitive teams with national finalists on the roster. Michigan is in the conversation and that seems like the type of progress programs can use to recruit that next batch of top-level talent.

Bryce Meredith and Kevin Jack split matches at last year's NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- As freshmen at North Carolina State University, Kevin Jack and Bryce Meredith were teammates. A year later and a Meredith transfer to Wyoming, the two were foes at the NCAA Championships. Meredith won the first bout and ever since, it's been a fierce battle. The pair will meet once again at the 52nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic set for Princeton University's Jadwin Gym on Sunday, November 5. The NWCA All-Star Classic is hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network and sponsored by Princeton Brain and Spine and Northwestern Mutual Life. Joining Jack and Meredith in the event will be Campbellsville's Kayla Miracle and Menlo's Solin Piearcy as those two women will meet at 136 pounds. Meredith and Jack reacquainted themselves with one another in 2017 in the postseason as again Meredith prevented the higher-ranked Jack from reaching the NCAA semifinals. Jack rebounded to score a fall over Meredith in the third-place bout, but Meredith still leads the all-time series 2-1, at least in matches contested outside of the wrestling room. Jack, a two-time All-American and Danbury, Connecticut native went 35-2 last season and returned to the podium after missing out in 2016, part of that due to Meredith. Each of the last two seasons, Meredith, a Cheyenne, Wyoming native, has been a low seed entering the championships and twice he's finished on the podium. Meredith became the first 14 seed to make the finals in 2016, while Jack finished fifth as an unseeded true freshman in 2015. Meredith makes Wyoming's eighth appearance in the All-Star Classic with Cowboy wrestlers 2-5 overall. The last win came from Joe LeBlanc in 2012 when he defeated Central Michigan's Ben Bennett. Jack joins teammate Pete Renda (184) in the event marking the first time in school history two Wolfpack wrestlers have competed in the same year. Pack wrestlers are 5-6 all-time. Campbellsville's Miracle, the third Tiger wrestler slated to compete in the event, is looking to join an exclusive club of wrestlers who have claimed four WCWA national championships. The Indiana native has owned the 136-pound weight class the last three seasons and will look to join Victoria Anthony (Simon Fraser), Helen Maroulis (Missouri Baptist/Simon Fraser) and Emily Webster (Oklahoma City) as four-time WCWA champions. Miracle is also fresh off a championship at the U23 World Team Trials in Rochester, Minnesota earlier this month. She'll compete at the U23 World Championships in Poland later in November. Piearcy's participation will mark Menlo's first appearance in the event on either the men's or women's side. The San Jose, California native comes into her sophomore year as a returning All-American, finishing fifth at 136 pounds. The pair met during the semifinals of the WCWA championships last year, with Miracle earning a 10-0 technical superiority victory. WHAT: 52nd NWCA All-Star Classic hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network WHEN: Sunday, November 5, 3 p.m. WHERE: Jadwin Gym, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. TICKETS: $20 (group discounts available) SOCIAL MEDIA: #ComeBackToJadwin #allstarclassic2017 #wrestleback WATCH: www.trackwrestling.com INFO: www.goallstarclassic.com ANNOUNCED MATCHUPS Men 125: Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State) 133: Seth Gross, Jr. (South Dakota State) vs. Stevan Micic, So. (Michigan) 141: Kevin Jack, Sr. (NC State) vs. Bryce Meredith, Sr. (Wyoming) 149: 157: 165: 174: Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State) 184: Pete Renda, Sr. (NC State) vs. Drew Foster, Jr. (Northern Iowa) 197: Kollin Moore, So. (Ohio State) vs. Jared Haught, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 285: Women 101: 109: 116: Fayth Woodward (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon, Sr. (U. of the Cumberlands) 123: Dom Parrish, Jr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Andribeth Rivera, So. (Campbellsville) 130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville) 136: Kayla Miracle, Sr. (Campbellsville) vs. Solin Piearcy, So. (Menlo) 143: Mallory Velte, Sr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Desiree Zavala, So. (Grays Harbor) 155: 170: Jessika Rottier, Jr. (U. of the Cumberlands) vs. Brandy Lowe, Sr. (McKendree) 191: Note: Women's college wrestling competes under international freestyle rules.

Put a challenge in front of a wrestling program and its fans, and odds are, they'll meet it. Rutgers wrestling has sold 2,000 season tickets for the 2017-18 season, resulting in a $100,000 donation to the program from a supporter to honor Sam Cali, Scarlet Knights wrestler who was killed in a one-car accident in New Jersey in June 2016, the Big Ten school announced Wednesday. An anonymous donor had pledged the amount if Rutgers University met a goal of 2,000 season tickets sold this year. Now that the goal has been achieved, the donor will provide $100,000 to the New Jersey-based wrestling program towards the naming of an assistant coach's office at the new RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center in Cali's honor. "Achieving this goal means the world to us and the Cali family," said head coach Scott Goodale. "We love Sam and keep him in our thoughts. We want him and his family to know that he is still a part of this program every day. "Reaching 2,000 season tickets sold shows just how much this state cares about the sport of wrestling and our program," Goodale continued. "I want to thank our administration, donors and the fans for their continued support. We're excited to wrestle in front of our fans for what we are hoping is a historic season right here in New Jersey." To put this achievement in perspective ... last season, Rutgers wrestling had sold 1,200 season tickets, NJAdvanceMedia.com reported Wednesday. This is the third straight season where the Scarlet Knights had sold at least 1,000 season tickets in a year. Season ticketholders can expect an action-packed 2017-18 season. The Scarlet Knights will welcome Big Ten rivals - and perennial top programs -- Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State and defending team title winners Penn State to the Rutgers Athletic Center. In addition, fans will see Nick Suriano in action, as the four-time New Jersey high school state champion returned to his home state from Penn State this fall to wrestle for Rutgers.

Now that college wrestling practice sessions are underway, Takedown TV is covering the collegiate mat scene in a big way. This week's episode, now available for viewing, features ... Tom Ryan and the Ohio State Buckeyes media day ... plus a one-on-one feature with three-time All-American and 2015 NCAA champ Nathan Tomasello Missouri Tigers training with U.S. Marine Corps Arizona State hosts outdoor practice One-on-one with Princeton head wrestling coach Chris Ayers who is hosting the 2017 All-Star Classic One-on-one with two-time All-American Seth Gross Watch online or on these cable networks/channels: Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable: Friday at 5 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4 p.m. KCWI 23: Saturday 4 p.m. KWEM Stillwater, Oklahoma: Tuesday 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Long Lines Cable: daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. SECV8: Friday at 5 p.m. Suddenlink Cable: Check your local listings. Multiple air times. Time Warner Cable Sports: Saturday at 12 p.m. Western Reserve Cable: Tuesday at 11 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10 p.m.

The 2017 InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Saturday at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. The preseason high school wrestling event will be streamed live on Trackcast. Action begins at 10 a.m. CT. Registration is open until Friday at 5 p.m. CT. The JJ Classic Clinic will be held on Saturday morning prior to the start of the event, with Mark Hall and Brady Berge serving as counselors. Below are five storylines to watch at this year's JJ Classic. Alex Lloyd celebrates after beating Peyton Robb to win his second state title (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Lloyd goes for No. 4 Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.), the nation's No. 23 overall senior, will be looking to capture his fourth straight JJ Classic title. He is competing at 145 pounds. Only one other wrestler, Mark Hall, has won four or more JJ Classic titles. (Hall won five.) Lloyd was named the Outstanding Wrestler at last year's event, picking up two technical falls and two pins to reach the finals. In the finals, Lloyd cruised to a 12-4 major decision over a state champion. He is a two-time state champion and two-time Junior National folkstyle champion. Lloyd has committed to South Dakota State. Israel Navarro, a state runner-up to Patrick McKee, will attempt to win his third JJ Classic title (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Navarro attempts three-peat Israel Navarro (Willmar, Minn.) will attempt to become the fifth wrestler to win three or more JJ Classic titles, joining Hall, Lloyd, Justin Portillo and Bobby Steveson. Last year, Navarro survived three one-point matches en route to claiming the JJ Classic title at 120 pounds. His finals victory came over Colby Njos 4-3 in tiebreaker. Navarro was a state runner-up last season, losing in the state finals at 120 pounds to nationally ranked Patrick McKee. He is competing in this year's JJ Classic at 132 pounds, one of the tournament's toughest weight classes (see below). Sam Stuhl defeated Brent Jones to claim a title at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament (Photo/David Peterson) 132 pounds loaded with talent The 132-pound weight class is one to keep an eye on this weekend as it is loaded with talent. In addition to the two-time JJ Classic champion Navarro, the weight class includes multiple-time state champions Sam Stuhl (Ellsworth, Wis.) and Charlie Pickell (Mankato West, Minn.), as well as Fargo freestyle finalist Aidan Medora (Brookfield Academy, Wis.). Stuhl is a three-time state champion. Last season he won titles at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament and Bi-State Classic, and was a runner-up at the JJ Classic. Stuhl, like Lloyd, committed to South Dakota State. Pickell will be looking to win his first JJ Classic title after finishing third in the event in 2015 and runner-up a year ago. The two-time defending state champion is up three weight classes from last season. He has won state titles at 106 pounds and 113 pounds. Medora, one of the nation's top sophomore wrestlers, reached the finals of the Cadet freestyle competition in Fargo this past summer before losing to Carson Manville, a 2015 JJ Classic runner-up and the nation's No. 1 freshman wrestler. He was a state runner-up as a freshman, finishing the season with a record of 38-4. Medora was also a runner-up at last year's JJ Classic. He defeated Pickel by fall earlier this year in freestyle at the Northern Plains Regional, which was held in the same venue as the JJ Classic. Another wrestler who could challenge in this weight class is Dylan Droegemueller (Anoka, Minn.), a fourth-place finisher in the Junior National folkstyle competition earlier this year. Others to watch in this weight class include state third-place finishers Tanner Kroells (Delano, Minn.), Mike Smith (Amery, Wis.) and Colby Mennis (Madison, S.D.), as well as state placerwinner Cade Lundeen (Thief River Falls, Minn.). Reid Ballantyne won a state title as an eighth-grader, finishing the season undefeated (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Ballantyne looks to go 2-for-2 Last year, Reid Ballantyne (Stillwater, Minn.) became the second eighth-grader ever to win a JJ Classic title, joining Mark Hall, who accomplished the feat in 2011. Ballantyne is one of the young, rising stars in the sport. He was an undefeated state champion last season and is ranked among the top 20 freshmen in the nation by InterMat. Ballantyne has moved up three weight classes from last season and is now competing at 126 pounds, a weight class that includes multiple-time state champions Ryan Ripplinger (Bismark, N.D.), Hunter Burnett (Pipestone Area, Minn.) and Brody Armstrong (Minot, N.D.). Ripplinger was third at last year's JJ Classic, losing to Navarro in the semifinals. Burnett is a two-time state champion who has yet to suffer a loss as a high school wrestler in Minnesota. Armstrong has won state titles at 120 pounds and 126 pounds. Anthony Cassioppi won Junior National titles in all three styles (Photo/Jim Thrall) Cassioppi returns Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.), one of the nation's top high school heavyweights, is returning to the JJ Classic. The future Iowa Hawkeye last competed in the event two years ago, winning a title by defeating Andrew Piehl, who now wrestles for Navy. Cassioppi won Junior National titles this year in all three styles of wrestling, folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman, becoming just the eighth wrestler ever to win a Junior National Triple Crown and the first since 2014. Prior to Fargo, Cassioppi became a Pan American Junior champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in Lima, Peru, going a combined 7-0, which included four falls and three technical falls. He was awarded the "Golden Boot" as the Outstanding Wrestler in Greco-Roman. Cassioppi claimed a state title as a junior, finishing the season with a perfect 50-0 record. He is ranked as the nation's No. 27 overall senior by InterMat. For more information on the JJ Classic, visit intermatwrestle.com/jjclassic.

David Carr won a Junior freestyle title in Fargo (Photo/Jim Thrall) Four-time state champion David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) verbally committed to Iowa State on Wednesday afternoon. He announced his decision on Flowrestling.com. His father Nate was a three-time NCAA champion for the Cyclones, and his brother Nate Jr. was a two-year starter at Iowa State. The No. 7 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 won a state title in Kentucky as an eighth-grader before winning state titles in Ohio each of the last three seasons, the first at Dayton Christian with the two most recently coming as a Perry Panther. Carr ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 3 nationally at 152 pounds, and was a Junior National freestyle champion this past summer in that weight class. Additionally, in the summer of 2016 he was a Cadet World bronze medalist in freestyle at 69 kilograms. He chose Iowa State over Ohio State and Oklahoma State.