InterMat Staff

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Simon Fraser University's entry into the NCAA in 2011 made it the first school outside of the U.S. to be part of the organization. Campbellsville University's international recruitment has been unique in women's wrestling circles. Those two factions will combine to create a unique matchup 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. Simon Fraser, located in Burnaby, British Columbia, will send out California native Dominque "Dom" Parrish for one of the most anticipated women's bouts of the evening. Parrish will face Puerto Rico native Andribeth Rivera of Campbellsville at 123 pounds, the second Tiger wrestler announced to participate in the event. Rivera topped Parrish in a wild 10-10 criteria decision in the 2017 WCWA national championship finals at 123 pounds. Rivera was a three-time age-group medalist at the USA Wrestling Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota from 2004-2016. Parrish also had age-group success, placing twice in Fargo and winning the 2014 Junior women's freestyle championship. Rivera finished 14th at the 2017 UWW Junior World Championships this past August and has won bronze medals at both the junior and senior level at the Pan American Championships. Parrish went north of the border after finishing her high school career at Scotts Valley High School, just north of Santa Cruz. Parrish was third at the WCWA championships as a freshman and is a two-time All-American. She recently won the UWW U23 World Team Trials in Rochester, Minnesota and will represent the United States in Poland at the U23 World Championships in late February. On the men's side, a couple of low seeds who broke through with solid NCAA performances will get the nod at 184 pounds. NC State's Pete Renda, fresh off a redshirt season, will give the Wolfpack a wrestler in the event for the fourth consecutive year. Max Roshkopf won back-to-back appearances in 2016 and 2017, while Nick Gwiazdowski participated in 2015 in Philadelphia. A native or Topton, Pennsylvania, Renda went 26-8 as a junior after moving up from 174 pounds. Entering as the No. 13 seed, he finished third in 2016. In 2016-17, he redshirted, going 13-2 in open competition, but one of those wins was over 2016 NCAA Division I champion Myles Martin of Ohio State. Renda is a three-time NCAA qualifier. UNI's Drew Foster placed seventh at the NCAAs at 184 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Drew Foster started his career at Northern Iowa at 157 pounds, but a not-so-graduate shift in weight classes proved to benefit the Burlington, Iowa native. Placing seventh in a loaded weight class as the No. 12 seed at the 2017 NCAA Division I Championships, Foster went from 15-18 in 2015-16 to 26-6 in 2016-17. It was one of the most notable improvements in all of college wrestling. Foster's participation will mark the 15th appearance by a Northern Iowa wrestler in the event and will end a 13-year drought. The last UNI wrestler to compete was in 2004 when Sean Stender fell to eventual Dan Hodge Trophy winner Emmett Willson of Montana State-Northern in the event hosted at the University of Delaware. UNI is 3-10-1 all-time in the event. Renda will make NC State's 12th appearance. Overall, Wolfpack wrestlers are 5-6 overall. Renda and Foster have not met in in-season college competition, but the two schools have met one previous time in the event -- a 3-0 win by NC State's Tab Thacker over John Kriebs in 1984 at what was then the unlimited weight class. 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: 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: 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.

Can't make it to Rochester, Minnesota, this Saturday for the JJ Classic? You can catch all the action online. InterMat is not only providing live video streams of all the mats from the JJ Classic, but also recording every match and posting them live on the brackets via Trackcast. Catch some of the nation's top high school wrestlers in action this Saturday. The tournament begins at 10 a.m. CT. Visit the

Anthony Cassioppi after winning a Fargo title in freestyle (Photo/Jim Thrall) Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.), one of the nation's top heavyweights, registered for the JJ Classic on Monday night. 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 was a JJ Classic champion in 2015. Cassioppi is ranked as the nation's No. 27 overall senior by InterMat. He committed to the University of Iowa. The InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Saturday in Rochester, Minn. For more information on the JJ Classic, visit intermatwrestle.com/jjclassic.

Think you know Dan Gable? If you're involved in amateur wrestling as an athlete, coach, official or fan, you undoubtedly know the Gable basics. Incredible 181-1 record in high school (Waterloo West, Iowa) and college (Iowa State). Olympic gold medalist at the 1972 Munich Games. Built a dynasty as head coach at the University of Iowa, with 15 NCAA team titles. Goodwill ambassador for wrestling around the world. However, there's so much more to know about Dan Mack Gable, as readers will discover in the brand-new book, Dan Gable: A Wrestling Life 2, the follow-up to the best-selling A Wrestling Life: The Inspirational Stories of Dan Gable, both published by the University of Iowa Press. The 411 on A Wrestling Life books The front inside flap of the just-published A Wrestling Life 2 provides a perspective on the book ... and its subject: "When people think of the celebrated greatness that is Coach Dan Gable, they think of an almost mythic intensity toward wrestling. Gable breathes and bleeds the sport, and faithfully applies lessons learned from both on and off the mat. Expanding upon Gable's first collection of stories, A Wrestling Life 2 goes deeper into the Gable Principles and life events that have shaped the man, the wrestler and the coach." Two years ago, A Wrestling Life: The Inspirational Stories of Dan Gable, created a sensation not just in the wrestling community, but in the world of sports. That first edition was a unique memoir of the wrestler/coach's life, with each individual chapter addressing a significant element of the Gable story. A Wrestling Life, written by Dan Gable with Scott Schulte, spent two months on The New York Times sports bestseller list. As they say, you can't have too much of a good thing. Hence the follow-up book, Dan Gable: A Wrestling Life 2. This new edition, written by Dan Gable along with Kyle Klingman, incorporates a similar format that made the first book so popular: the great Gable sharing stories as if he were sitting right beside you. Klingman comes aboard Kyle Klingman and Dan GableYou might recognize the name Kyle Klingman. He's a wrestling writer and columnist for WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine) ... and director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum located in Gable's hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. How did A Wrestling Life 2 come about? "The University of Iowa Press decided to create a second edition after positive reaction to the first book and because people wanted more Dan Gable stories after the great response to the first set of stories," Klingman told InterMat. "While the first book was most about his family and his upbringing, readers wanted depth about Dan's athletic and coaching career. Hopefully this book accomplished that." "Scott Schulte, the first author, was unable to continue work on the second book so the University of Iowa Press needed someone to fill the gap," Klingman continued. "I happened to be at a book signing with Dan Gable in Osage, Iowa, and met Susan Hill Newton of the University of Iowa Press at the book signing. We began a dialogue and she approached me several weeks later about finishing the second book with Dan. She approached Dan about the idea and he was agreeable to bring me on board." "I am grateful to Susan for providing me this opportunity." New insights from Dan the Man Reading A Wrestling Life 2 is like reading a journal that was penned by Dan Gable himself. As with the initial A Wrestling Life book from two years ago, the follow-up book is also written in first-person, as if the legendary coach were speaking (or writing) directly to you, the reader. While it's safe to say that readers who enjoyed the original A Wrestling Life book will find more to love in A Wrestling Life 2, the new book covers unique ground. The first book provided a you-are-there perspective on Gable's athletic and coaching career, along with a presentation of the major milestones in his childhood and teenage years -- including the murder of his only sibling, Diane, in the Gable home while he and his parents were away on a fishing trip. The new book seems to place greater emphasis on Gable's career in wrestling -- first, as a wrestler, from as a youngster who excelled at multiple sports but found his calling on the mat, to phenomenal success at Waterloo West (wrestling for Bob Siddens), then at Iowa State (being mentored by yet another coaching giant, Harold Nichols), and on to further success in freestyle, culminating with a gold medal at the Munich Olympics 45 years ago ... then as head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa who took the Hawkeyes to new heights. Klingman has continued the "Gable voice" presentation in A Wrestling Life 2. This writer was curious as to how this came about so seamlessly. It turns out that the Gable-Klingman collaboration took a number of different forms. "My role in the book was a mix of many things," Klingman disclosed. "Dan wrote much of the book by hand. Some of the chapters were finished and I filled out the chapter with additional historical content and quotes from his athletes. Some of the chapters I wrote from scratch and Dan would read and make changes to ensure it was similar to his dialect. There were other times when we worked on a chapter together and I would type as Dan spoke." Dan Gable: A Wrestling Life 2 is so compelling, some fans will devour it in a single reading (akin to binge-watching a favorite TV series) ... yet it incorporates a concise-chapter format that allows readers to pick up the book, read a chapter or two, then return to the book for more tales from the Great Gable. (The chapter construction makes this book especially appealing to young readers who may usually have a short attention span.) Readers of all ages will recognize the wrestling and coaching greats that are the subjects of Dan Gable's storytelling and marvel at the unique insights shared by this giant in the sport. If you enjoyed the first Gable memoir A Wrestling Life, you'll want to read the follow-up Dan Gable: A Wrestling Life 2. If you haven't read either book, you owe it to yourself to spend some quality time with the compelling stories of Dan Gable contained within both A Wrestling Life (2015) and A Wrestling Life 2 (2017). Dan Gable: A Wrestling Life 2 -- and its predecessor, A Wrestling Life: The Stories of Dan Gable -- are both available for purchase from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Want to know more about Dan Gable? Check out these InterMat features on the 1970 NCAA finals match between Gable and Larry Owings ... Iowa Icons: Dan Gable documentary DVD ... and Nolan Zavoral's Season on the Mat book which chronicles Gable's last season as Iowa head coach.

Alex Lloyd was Outstanding Wrestler at the 2016 JJ ClassicTwo-time state champion Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) has registered for the JJ Classic at 145 pounds. Lloyd will be looking to win his fourth JJ Classic title. Last fall he was named Outstanding Wrestler at the JJ Classic. In April, Lloyd won his second straight Junior National folkstyle title. He placed fourth in the Junior freestyle competition in Fargo this past summer. Lloyd was a Junior double All-American in Fargo in 2016, and won a Cadet National Greco-Roman title in 2015. He is a four-time state placewinner, finishing fifth as a seventh-grader, third as an eighth-grader, before winning state titles as a sophomore and junior. Lloyd is ranked as the nation's No. 23 senior recruit by InterMat. He has committed to South Dakota State University. The InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Saturday in Rochester, Minn. For more information on the JJ Classic, visit intermatwrestle.com/jjclassic.

More than a decade after becoming the first All-American in program history, Jason McLean is returning to Muhlenberg as head wrestling coach. A 2001 graduate of Muhlenberg, McLean earned All-America honors by finishing eighth at 141 pounds at the NCAA Championships as a senior. He also won the Centennial Conference championship that year, finishing with a record of 34-11 -- the second-most wins in a season in program history. Jason McLeanMcLean also went 28-10 and was the CC runner-up at 126 in 1998. He ended his career with a 71-31 record. "This opportunity to step in at the helm at Muhlenberg means the world to me," said McLean upon his hiring. "I am beyond appreciative of Corey Goff [director of athletics] and the Muhlenberg faithful for giving me this opportunity and look forward to the journey ahead." "The plan is to lead with the same vigor, drive and persistence that helped make me Muhlenberg College's first All-American and to fill the wall with more. I never took my last year of eligibility and chance at giving Muhlenberg a two-time All-American then; I plan on making up for it now." Since 2003, McLean has served the New Brunswick (N.J.) School District in a variety of roles, including head wrestling coach, assistant football coach, assistant track & field coach and assistant athletic director. He also has coached football at The Pingry School (N.J.). In 2006, McLean re-established the defunct New Brunswick High School wrestling program after a 25-year absence. Starting from scratch and forced to practice in hallways and other area schools at the beginning of his tenure, McLean built a program whose roster numbered in the 40s. The program now fields a youth program and a competitive middle school team as well. He was also one of the co-founders of the New Jersey Urban Wrestling League. McLean was named Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division coach of the year in 2016 after leading the Zebras to a 21-8 record. New Brunswick qualified for team sectionals last year and have had a winning record five years running as well as qualifying a handful of wrestlers for the regional tournament.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga announced the field for the 2018 Southern Scuffle, presented by Compound Clothing today. The return of NCAA champion Penn State, along with a host of other top programs, continue the tradition of excellence at the Jan. 1-2 event. Representatives from nine teams who finished in the top 25 at last year's NCAA Tournament are making their way to Chattanooga for the New Year's event. The Nitnany Lions lead this group that includes Ohio State (2), Oklahoma State (3), Michigan (10), Lehigh (12), Virginia (15), N.C. State (17), Northern Iowa (18) and Stanford (24). The Buckeyes, Cowboys, Wolverines and Wolfpack are all sending partial teams to this year's Scuffle. Individually, there could be as many as seven individual NCAA Champions on the mat. Over 70 of the competitors qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament, while 21 were All-Americans. "This is going to be another great year for the Scuffle," stated UTC head coach Heath Eslinger. "Once again, we are really excited about the field and the quality of competition we are bringing to Chattanooga. "Our partnerships with Compound Clothing, the Chattanooga Sports Committee and FloWrestling have all helped make this the best in-season wrestling tournament in the country, and we are working to make sure we continue that with this year's event." Flowrestling will live stream every match of the tournament for the sixth year in a row. The Scuffle is also utilizing FloArena software for the second year. FloArena is the most complete and turnkey event management software in the market, allowing wrestling tournament and dual meet organizers to offer real-time scoring updates across multiple mats simultaneously. FloArena archives every match instantly and links those matches to the brackets. Tickets for the 2018 Southern Scuffle go on sale Nov. 1. However, you can get the best seats today by purchasing a season ticket for UTC wrestling. Those include the home duals against Virginia Tech, Ohio, SIUE, Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb in Maclellan Gym. Daily admission is $35 for reserved seats, $20 for general admission and $10 for youth general admission. All-session passes are $60 for reserved, $35 for general admission and $15 for youth. Tickets can be purchased online on GoMocs.com or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627). Group rates are also available by contacting Barry Kamen at (423) 425-5740. 2018 Southern Scuffle Participants Team Finish at the 2017 NCAA Tournament Penn State 1 Ohio State* 2 Oklahoma State* 3 Michigan* 10 Lehigh 12 Virginia 15 N.C. State* 17 Northern Iowa 18 Stanford 24 Appalachian State 26 Navy 31 Duke 32 Cleveland State 44 Lock Haven 44 Gardner-Webb 47 Northern Colorado 47 Cal State Bakersfield 53 Drexel 53 Utah Valley 53 George Mason 62 The Citadel 66 Chattanooga 69 Air Force Hofstra

Wrestling is returning to New Jersey's St. Joseph High School next fall after being eliminated nearly a quarter-century ago, MyCentralJersey.com reported Sunday. The school revealed its decision to reinstate the sport -- eliminated after the 1992-93 season -- at an open house event on Sunday. The program will return to the mats during the 2018-19 school year. Back in the early 1990s, St. Joseph axed the wrestling program because of low participation numbers, especially in the upper weight classes, according to the school's last head wrestling coach, Don Bryner, who has taught English at the school for 36 years. "At that point I wish we had football because I could always feed off of that," said Bryner, who noted that St. Joseph had since added football to its sports roster, making it easier to recruit multi-sport athletes to participate in wrestling. "We were a small team. I mean that literally and figuratively," Bryner explained. "We were heavier in the lighter weights. We did what we could do with what we had." Ron Mazzola, longtime chair of the GMC Wrestling Tournament seeding committee and Region V ranking chairman, said he recalls St. Joseph fielding competitive teams on the mats in the mid to late 1980s before the school's participation numbers in the sport began to decline. "I knew St. Joe's wrestling when they were really strong and I know that in the early 1990s they canceled the program," Mazzola said. Now that a successful football program is in place the time appears to be right for wrestling's return to St. Joseph. "We've been toying with the idea and it's kind of been coming down the road," St. Joseph athletics director Mike Murray said, noting students have expressed an interest in participating in the sport. "There's definitely a percentage of kids in the building who would certainly be willing to pick it up or are interested in picking it up. We want to make sure we are providing everything our kids want to be competing in." One individual who's eager to see the reinstatement of the wrestling program at St. Joseph is none other than Scott Goodale, head wrestling coach at nearby Rutgers University. "Any time you can bring wrestling into the curriculum at the high school level, it's a really big deal," Goodale said. "I'm assuming they (the Falcons) are bringing it back because there's interest. It's a great sport -- obviously I'm biased -- for so many reasons including the discipline and character that are built. Everybody, at some point in their lives, should partake in wrestling." Goodale speaks from experience, having coached both wrestling and football at Jackson Memorial High before moving into the college coaching ranks. "Football and wrestling go hand-in-hand," according to the Scarlet Knights head wrestling coach. "I'm speaking from experience. When I was at Jackson, that's the way it was. There's no coincidence we had really successful programs (in both sports) because of it." Wrestling's return to St. Joseph bucks a trend that has seen fewer individuals participate in the sport at the high school level over the past four years, both at the national and statewide levels. St. Joseph High School is a Roman Catholic, all-boys school located in Metuchen, N.J., between New York City and New Brunswick, N.J. Founded in 1961, St. Joseph has an enrollment of approximately 700 students.

Gary Quintana, former Fresno State wrestler who had coached wrestling in the area where he grew up for more than a decade, died from an apparent heart attack Thursday. He was 45. Prior to his passing, Quintana had been working out with his nephew and youth wrestlers at the Selma Youth Wrestling Club. "It's a big loss for the wrestling community," former longtime Fresno State coach Dennis DeLiddo -- Quintana's college coach -- told the Fresno Bee. "He probably didn't have an enemy in the world." "Nobody disliked Gary. He always had a smile on his face." The Fresno State Bulldog wrestling program -- which will return to the mats this fall for the first time in over a decade -- posted the following message on its Facebook page: "The Fresno State wrestling family lost a great man yesterday. Gary Quintana you will be missed. Thank your dedication to the Valley." Quintana made his mark on wrestling in the Fresno area over the course of two decades. As a wrestler at Selma High School, Quintana was a California state champ at 133 pounds as a senior and three-time state medalist. After graduating in 1991, Quintana continued with his mat career at Fresno State under DeLiddo, where he was a two-time NCAA championships qualifier and conference champion. Quintana then launched a coaching career in wrestling in California that lasted until his death. He coached at a trio of local high schools, first as an assistant coach at Clovis West and Bullard, then as head coach at Clovis North. Most recently he was the coach at Granite Ridge Middle School. Quintana was welcomed into the Selma (High School) Hall of Fame in 2013. "Wrestling has helped mold me into the person I am today," Quintana told his hometown paper, the Selma Enterprise, at the time of his induction into his alma mater's hall of fame. "The successes I've had are all due to the place where I'm from and the people I was around. I wouldn't take anything back for the world. I would do it all again."

Four former Chadron State College wrestlers have been arrested in connection with an alleged hazing incident last month involving their teammates. The Chadron, Neb. police announced Friday that the four -- 24-year-old Luke G. Zeiger; Cooper J. Cogdill, 22; William "Billy" Cogdill, 21; and Chance J. Helmick, 21 -- were arrested on warrants charging them with hazing, a Nebraska Class II misdemeanor, as well as third-degree assault, a Class I misdemeanor. Chadron police had been notified of an off-campus incident outside a local residence on Sept. 9. A brief video shows an unidentified male taking a drink, then taking a punch in the face by an individual identified by the Chadron student newspaper, The Eagle, as Helmick. After receiving the blow, the victim raised his arms in celebration while a crowd cheered. After an investigation that took four weeks, the Chadron police department submitted the results to a special prosecutor, Jamian J. Simmons, assigned to the case for review. On Friday, Simmons issued arrest warrants and the four men were taken into custody, the Scottsbluff (Neb.) Star-Herald reported Friday. The former CSC student/athletes were transported to the Dawes County jail, where bond was set at 10 percent of $10,000. Each posted bond by late Friday and was released. The four wrestlers had been dismissed from the CSC Eagles wrestling team about two weeks after the alleged incident. Two of the former CSC wrestlers -- Chance Helmick, and Cooper Cogdill -- won RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) titles at 174 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. By placing third at the conference championships, Helmick qualified to participate at the 2017 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. Helmick, a junior at Chadron State, had been a two-time Nebraska high school state champion wrestler for Beatrice High School. Cooper Cogdill, a junior from Chadron, had been a Nebraska state tournament finalist. Cooper's brother Willy, a sophomore who had wrestled at 184, transferred to CSC after one year at the University of Wyoming. Chadron State College is a four-year state school located in the western panhandle of Nebraska. Founded in 1911, Chadron State has an enrollment of 3,000 students. Its sports programs -- including the wrestling team -- compete in NCAA Division II. UPDATE 10/24/17 The four accused wrestlers appeared in court Friday, entering pleas of not guilty to charges of hazing and assault. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Dec. 12.

Elite Class of 2019 wrestler Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.) verbally committed to Cornell University on Saturday afternoon. The No. 7 overall ranked wrestler in that class was twice a state champion in Florida prior to his transfer to Blair Academy in 2016-17, when he finished third at the National Prep tournament. In addition, Ramirez was a Cadet National freestyle runner-up in the summer of 2016, and a UWW Cadet freestyle All-American this past June. He projects to compete collegiately as a 174/184.

Three-time state champion Brody Teske (Fort Dodge, Iowa), who has yet to lose a high school match in his career to date, verbally committed to Penn State on Friday morning. The No. 35 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 also finished third at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle this spring, and was a Cadet National freestyle runner-up in the summer of 2016. He ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 3 nationally at 120 pounds, and projects to compete collegiately as a 125/133.

This week saw the first day of official practice for most college wrestling programs. Off since March, the young collegiate wrestlers are finally allowed to enter full, official practices. The day is always exciting for fans, as the talk of potential individual and team national champions kicks in to hyper drive. That is good for the sport -- a conversation about what will come and who will make it occur. My favorite part of the first week is sitting back and remembering my journey. Where I started and how I finished seem like worlds apart, but if I inspect my journey it was full of good (and bad) decision making that led to certain outcomes. That review and the nostalgia for friendships and interactions on the mat is potent. I miss the daily workouts, but I probably miss the relationships most often. Collegiate wrestling builds special bonds and I'm grateful for each lifelong friend earned during my five years competing at Virginia. I hope that other wrestlers are having that same moment, while also taking a moment to be grateful for everything the sport can offer. Yes, there are things to fix in the sport and inevitably there will be controversy, but I like to choose this first day/week of official practice as a celebration of sorts. A time to remember our friends and everything there is to love about the sport. Note: I'm in Switzerland right now finishing up a week of meetings about event coverage and documentaries for the 2018 international season. Though there are some items to still be decided, I think the next 14 months should be the best yet for the sport of wrestling. As I'm traveling, the mailbag will be a bit shorter than normal. Hope you enjoy! To your questions … Jack Mueller celebrates after beating Joey Dance in the NCAA quarterfinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: Jack Mueller of Virginia was fun to watch last season as a true freshman at 125 pounds. How do you think he will handle the move up to 133 pounds? -- Mike C. Foley: Jack Mueller will go down as the first NCAA champion for U.Va. wrestling and I have some confidence he can pull it off more than once. He has to develop aspects of his game, but his mental toughness is obvious to anyone who watches him wrestle. He has it and won't be denied an NCAA championship. This year? I think he's better-than-average betting odds. Q: Who would you consider to be the face of USA Greco right now? -- Mike C. Foley: Kamal Bey. He's young, dynamic and out for points. He's also quickly becoming the face of where leaders within the sport want to see the sport head. He wrestles a pure style of Greco-Roman with a bit of personality and innovation. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Yui Susaki and Eri Tosaka in practice. Saori Yoshida in the back wiping sweat off the mats! Q: Organizationally and institutionally, what led to this 20-plus year U.S. resurgence? Rules, technique, coaching changes? Athlete recruitment/retention? -- @nhoughsnee Foley: Rich Bender and the increase in capital contributions from major donors. There is an organizational magic at work that is tough to deny. From creating a program that pays for winners, to monetizing events and increasing participation, USA Wrestling has done a phenomenal job of creating an environment where individuals can win Olympic and world medals. Daton Fix gets his hand raised after a victory at Beat the Streets in New York (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: You called Daton Fix over Nathan Tomasello at the U23 World Team Trials. I imagine Oklahoma State will redshirt Fix since they have a returning All-American in Nick Piccininni. I realize from a lineup standpoint it might make sense to redshirt Fix, but don't you think it's kind of pointless to sit a potential national champ and keep him in college wrestling for five or more years? -- Mike C. Also … Q: Would you redshirt Daton Fix? I think he should redshirt, bump Kaid Brock to 141 pounds next year. That would be a salty lineup for 2018-19. -- @jferg24 Foley: You don't sit a national champion. I may be proven wrong, but there are plenty of other years (2020) where Daton doesn't have to wrestle in the collegiate season. Let's see him attack the U23's and then the collegiate season. There is little reason to believe he has to take a back seat to someone that it seems he can objectively beat. You can't play for the 2018-2019 season when you have someone like Daton Fix. There is something to be said for building teams over a certain number of years, but Fix is starting to look generational and a guy like that -- when put in the spotlight -- can pull in some other big-name wrestlers to join him at Oklahoma State. Q: Of the four All-Star matchups announced so far, Darian Cruz (Lehigh) vs. Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State), Seth Gross (South Dakota State) vs. Stevan Micic (Michigan), Mark Hall (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) and Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. Jared Haught (Virginia Tech), which matchup intrigues you the most? -- Mike C. Foley: Mark Hall vs. Zahid Valencia will give us some particularly powerful insight into Hall's sophomore campaign. There doesn't seem to be any science behind the sophomore slump, but it does seem to be a real thing in college wrestling (Greg Jones). Will Hall avoid a second season letdown? Will Valencia keep showing the improvement that we've seen from him each of the last two offseasons? A very exciting matchup that I won't miss.

Cleveland's Brian Brakeman, producer of the annual "Brakeman Report" which covered Ohio amateur wrestling for more than four decades, has been named recipient of the 2017 Bob Dellinger Award for amateur wrestling writing, the award's sponsor, Amateur Wrestling News, announced in the magazine's Oct. 15, 2017 issue. Brian BrakemanHere's how the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, which recently inducted Brakeman, described this year's Dellinger Award winner and his contribution to wrestling in the state of Ohio. "Brian Brakeman's influence on Ohio high school wrestling is legendary. A statistical wizard with the papers to prove it, Brakeman has compiled a dazzlingly accurate state tournament forecast that for 45 years has been an invaluable guide for wrestlers, coaches and college recruiters. He calls it the "Brakeman Report." Others call it the wrestling "bible." It is the premier state wrestling forecast in the country. "Since 1972, Brakeman has ranked the top 25 or so wrestlers in each weight class in every division, highlighted by projected state champions and order of team finish. In all these years his accuracy rate is 70%. One recent year he picked 13 of 14 state champs in Division I ..." Amateur Wrestling News described Brakeman as "the face of high school wrestling in Ohio." Beginning in the early 1970s, Brakeman, along with Mike Massa, anchored WVIZ-TV telecasts of the sectional, district and state wrestling tournaments in Ohio. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) adopted many of his recommendations for enhancing the state tournament. He served as chairman of the seeding committee for the Ohio state dual-meet tournament. For all these accomplishments, Brakeman was welcomed into the Ohio Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1993, as well as the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year. Brakeman is uniquely qualified for making his contributions to wrestling in Ohio, as a passionate, knowledgeable fan ... and as a man with a strong background in mathematics and statistics. A native of Parma, Ohio in suburban Cleveland, Brakeman went to Parma Senior High School, then continued his education in the Cleveland area, earning a bachelor's degree at Case Tech, an M.B.A. at Western Reserve, and a Ph.D. in statistics. (The two schools later merged to become Case Western Reserve University.) Brakeman spent his entire professional career in planning and research for East Ohio Gas Company, as well as 14 years as a math teacher and tutor at North Coast Academy. The Dellinger Award, first established in 1960, is named for the late Bob Dellinger, long-time sports writer and editor for "The Daily Oklahoman" newspaper based in Oklahoma City. In addition, he collaborated with his wife Doris in writing two books on the history of the Oklahoma State wrestling program: "Ride 'Em Cowboys" and "The Cowboys Ride Again". Dellinger was also the first director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Editor's note: Among the past recipients of the Dellinger Award: Mike Finn, Jason Bryant, Andy Hamilton, Tom Elling, AWN writers Don Sayenga, Jim Kalin and Ron Good, author Jamie Moffatt, late historian and "The History of Collegiate Wrestling" book author Jay Hammond, and Mark Palmer, InterMat senior writer.

Three-time Pennsylvania state placer Francis Duggan, who will be wrestling at Iowa City (Iowa) West for his senior season, verbally committed to Iowa State on Thursday evening. The No. 70 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 placed third in freestyle at the Junior Nationals in Fargo for a second straight summer at 220 pounds. Duggan joins No. 64 Joel Shapiro (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa) and No. 75 Weston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.) as top 100 ranked commits in Iowa State's 2018 class. He projects collegiately most likely as a 285.

Seth Gross (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) MANHEIM, Pa. -- Flashy, dynamic, exciting and tenacious are four terms that can describe the athletes announced on Thursday to compete 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. On the men's side, South Dakota State's Seth Gross will face Michigan's Stevan Micic at 133 pounds, while Megan Black of McKendree will take on Shelby Hall of Campbellsville at 130 pounds on the women's side. Gross, a junior from Apple Valley, Minnesota, became South Dakota State's first NCAA Division I finalist with his runner-up finish a year ago at 133 pounds. All-American Micic, a native of Cedar Lake, Indiana, finished fourth at 133 pounds in 2017. The two didn't meet last season and haven't met previously as Gross dropped from 141 pounds to 133 last season and Micic moved up from 125 to 133 after he started his career at Northwestern. Micic finished 29-7 a year ago and Gross was an impressive 34-2. Gross will be South Dakota State's second wrestler to appear in the event all-time. Cody Pack competed at the 2015 All-Star Classic in Atlanta, losing to Lehigh's Mitch Minotti in overtime. Micic will make Michigan's 38th appearance in the All-Star Classic. Overall, Wolverine wrestlers are 15-19-3. At 130, McKendree's Megan Black, a native of Batavia, Iowa, will become the second McKendree wrestler to compete, joining teammate Brandy Lowe (170 pounds). A three-time WCWA All-American, Black has twice been a runner-up at the national championships. She finished seventh as a freshman competing for King University. Black was the first girl in Iowa high school state wrestling history to place at the state wrestling tournament when she finished eighth in 2012 at 106 pounds. She recently won the UWW U23 World Team Trials in Rochester, Minnesota. Hall, a native of Doylestown, Ohio, is also a three-time WCWA All-American, finishing eighth, third and fourth in her three trips to the tournament. A 2016 Olympic Trials participant, Hall is looking to exact a little revenge as Black eliminated Hall from championship contention at the 2017 WCWA nationals with a 31-second fall in the semifinals. Hall's presence for Campbellsville also represents the seventh different school thus far to be represented on the women's side at the All-Star Classic. Eight different schools are represented thus far on the men's side. 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 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: 149: 157: 165: 174: Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State) 184: 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: 130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville) 136: 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.

Logan Storley (Photo/Bellator) Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at University of Minnesota and emerging mixed martial arts fighter, has been added to the card at Bellator 186 to be held at Bryce Jordan Arena on the campus of Penn State on Friday, Nov. 3. Storley posted this message on Facebook Wednesday: "November 3rd I add another name to the list" The 25-year-old former Golden Gopher mat star -- who is now 6-0 in his pro MMA career -- will be facing Matt Secor, 31, who brings a 9-4 record (including a 2-2 mark in Bellator) and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu background to his bout with Storley. In his most recent fight, Secor submitted T.J. Sumler in the first round at Bellator 182 in August. In fact, Secor has secured eight of his nine victories via submission. Storley was a six-time South Dakota state wrestling champ at Webster High School, alma mater to fellow University of Minnesota All-American (and former MMA champ) Brock Lesnar. Storley headed east to Minnesota, where he compiled a 119-27 overall record and became only the tenth Golden Gopher to earn All-American honors four times. While in school, Storley had three amateur MMA bouts ... then turned pro after graduation. In all but one of his six victories, Storley scored a first-round TKO. The Storley-Secor three-round welterweight (170-pound) bout joins a card which features two other former college wrestling greats, Ed Ruth and Phil Davis, both from Penn State. Ruth, Penn State's only three-time NCAA champ, will go up against Chris Dempsey in a middleweight (185-pound) bout ... while 2009 NCAA titlewinner Phil Davis will face Leonardo Leite in a light-heavyweight (205-pound) fight. Dempsey was a NCAA All-American wrestler at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown; Leite's area of expertise is judo. Bellator 186's top-of-the-card bout will feature Ryan Bader defending his title against Linton Vassell. A second title fight will feature Ilima MacFarlane taking on Emily Ducote in a rematch for the vacant women's flyweight title. Here's the entire Bellator 186 card: Light Heavyweight World Title Main Event: Ryan Bader vs. Linton Vassell Women's Flyweight World Title Co-Main Event: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Emily Ducote Light Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Phil Davis vs. Leo Leite Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ed Ruth vs Chris Dempsey Lightweight Main Card Bout: Saad Awad vs. Zach Freeman Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Logan Storley vs. Matt Secor Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Putnam vs. Scott Clymer Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Ethan Goss vs. Andrew Salas Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Francis Healy vs. Frank Buenafuente Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Wilkins vs. Brett Martinez Tickets for Bellator 186 are on sale now at the Bryce Jordan Arena and website.

Pat Smith lifts RaVaughn Perkins in the finals of the Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Greco-Roman wrestler Pat Smith competed at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France, at 71 kilograms, going 1-1. Smith, who wrestled collegiately at the University of Minnesota, finished runner-up at the U.S. Open three straight years (2014-16) before winning his first U.S. Open title this year. He is also a two-time World Team Trials runner-up, Olympic Team Trials runner-up, three-time Pan American champion and University world silver medalist. InterMat recently caught up with the 26-year-old Smith. You had been knocking on the door for so many years. This year you broke through to make your first U.S. World team in Greco-Roman. Was it a sense of relief? Or what were the emotions when you earned a spot on the team? Smith: It was maybe a little bit of relief, but more validation. I set my goals really high. If you're going to put everything into something, you might as well try to be the best. Not only was I second at the U.S. Open and Trials for a few years, I also took second in the state tournament and was a backup at Minnesota for so long. I really struggled breaking through. It was a good confidence builder. Pat Smith fell to Nurgazy Asangulov of Kyrgyzstan at the World Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) At the World Championships, you opened with a 5-0 shutout win over a wrestler from the Czech Republic. In your second match against a wrestler from Kyrgyzstan, you took an early lead before giving up a headlock late in the first period and eventually lost 8-2. What were your takeaways from the World Championships? Smith: Overall, it was a great experience. It was good to get out there, get on the mat and get that first win. That was pretty big. That headlock in the second match really changed a lot of things. There were like four seconds left in the first period and I got a little out of position. That was pretty much the difference in the match. What I took away is that tiny mistakes make the difference at the highest level. It made me hungry for the next time. I have heard you say you now believe now that you can wrestle with anybody in the world. What has made you believe that? Smith: I'm starting to turn a corner. I'm starting to build the skills that I need to be able to execute in the right way to win at a high level in Greco-Roman. I don't feel like I'm guessing as much anymore. When I first started competing overseas it just kind of felt like they just knew so much more. Now I'm starting to feel the position. I know what they're looking for. I'm know what I'm looking for and where I need to be. It makes a big difference. Now I'm starting to get a good feel, but it has taken a couple years. It has taken a decent amount of exposure to international competition. It doesn't happen unless you get that feel. Pat Smith (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) At the highest level, it's little things that can make a difference since the top wrestlers are not separated by much. What specifically do you need to improve upon to take that next leap from World Championships participant to world medalist or world champion? Smith: I need to clean up a lot of those mistakes, little things like hip position even, leaving my hips out and letting guys step inside and get the big throws. I need to be shutting down the best in the world a little more. I also need to constantly build my skills and attacks. Putting multiple attacks together is going to be a big thing for me. Wrestling needs to be more fluid for me. I need to create more fluid action, and that's what I'm working on right now. What has life been like since the World Championships in Paris? Did you take some time off from wrestling? Smith: I had a lot of family that came out for the World Championships. I had quite a few friends come out as well, especially guys I don't see a whole lot. It was cool to see everybody in Paris. I had both my high school coaches there. My family and I went to Normandy after the tournament, which was a very surreal experience. We also went to Norway, and made quick trip to Sweden because I wanted to have my parents meet all the people that helped me out there when I was there last winter. It was cool because it was my mom's first time ever really leaving North America. My dad hadn't been to Europe in like 40 years. My brother was celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary. I took some time off the mat when I returned. Brandon Paulson wanted to make sure that I stayed off the mat, so I listened. I get scared that if I don't listen he's not going to tell me stuff anymore, and then I get really worried. I want his advice, so I have to listen. Many of the top American Greco-Roman wrestlers have focused on Greco-Roman immediately after high school. You chose the path of Division I wrestling at the University of Minnesota. I know you have said you don't have any regrets with your decision. What was your experience like at the University of Minnesota? Smith: It was a good growing up experience for me. I made some of the best friends I'll ever have on the wrestling team. That's a really cool thing about the University of Minnesota's wrestling program. There's this brotherhood that kind of stays with everybody, from the alumni all the way down to the guys competing on the team. There's a bond that has been created and it's largely in part because of the culture created by J Robinson. That's something you can't put a price tag on or trade for anything. I attended a major university and one of the best programs in the world. I trained with tough guys every single day, guys that were unbelievably motivated all the time and always challenging you to make you better. Those are guys I still talk with. It was a good coming of age too. I didn't accomplish my goals. I came in and wanted to be an NCAA champ. I wanted to win an NCAA team title. I wanted to be the guy. It didn't happen. I felt like I was doing everything right. I think it was a big thing for me to really learn that sometimes A plus B doesn't always equal C. In life you're not guaranteed outcomes. But you work as hard as you can, do everything to the best you possibly can to give yourself the opportunity to create the outcomes that you want. You have to be OK with the fact that maybe it's not going to happen. No matter what I can walk away knowing I did everything in my power to make it happen. It's not going to change who I am as a person. I had to learn some hard lessons. It's more about being the best you can possibly be, not so much about where you're standing on the podium if you even get a chance. I was a lifer. I took a regular redshirt. I took an Olympic redshirt. I was on the team for six years. I definitely did my time and was ready to move on. I felt like I did everything I could. Pat Smith talks with coaches Mike Houck and Brandon Paulson at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) You were successful in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman growing up. When did Greco-Roman become your preferred style? Smith: I think it kind of happened when [Greco-Roman world champ] Mike Houck started coaching at my high school. He helped out a little bit my sophomore year, and we started working on some Greco stuff. Apparently, it didn't click too well because I went 0-2 in Fargo in Greco that year. It took me until my junior year to place in Fargo. I kept working with him and picked up some intricacies of pummeling and other aspects of Greco. I started to really love the battle. I've always been more of a brawler. I have heavy hands. I'm going to be in your face. I like the contact. I like the fight, the brawl. I felt like there were some strengths that I had that translated well. My junior year in high school I started noticing that I really liked Greco. I continued to wrestle Greco, and competed in my first U.S. Open my freshman year of college. The biggest thing for me personally with Greco is I had just enough success in the right spots that it kept leading me toward that path. I saw continuous improvements. I was getting opportunities to wrestle at a higher level, and it was fun. I got to be a part of Team USA. I'm grateful the Minnesota Storm provided the opportunity for me to train and compete. Wrestling has taken you all over the world. What has been your favorite place to wrestle? Smith: It's been awesome. Wrestling takes you all over the world, but a lot of times it takes you to places most people will never go or think about going. My favorite place to wrestle is Iran hands down. It's like their NFL there. It's everything. They love it. When we went over there for the World Cup in 2014, they were crazy. It was held in this dungeon-like arena. No natural light. It was real dark. Those people chanted for like 48 straight hours. The bleachers were constantly shaking because these people were chanting and yelling and they had the drums going. They just love wrestling. Pat Smith and Andy Bisek attended the same high school, Chaska (Minn.) Andy Bisek is from the same high school as you, but five years older. What role has he played in your wrestling career? Smith: I always knew Bisek when I was coming up. His senior year I was a seventh-grader on the team, and that was the first year I was really taking wrestling seriously and trying to put myself at a higher level. I was doing extra workouts and looking at the sport in a new way. He was the best guy on the team and a team captain. He took third at state that year and had a great season. He has always been somebody I've looked up to. When he went out to Northern Michigan and came back that first year, I was like, 'Holy crap, man, what happened to you?' He gained 20 bounds and was jacked all of a sudden. He kind of opened the door for me to see a higher level of wrestling and see that it was possible for someone from my school to do that. He would come back when I was in high school and coach in Fargo, and come in the room every time he was back in town. He has always been super supportive and encouraging, which I always appreciated. It's been great to see him have the success he had in the last quad because he stuck with it for so long. He is a super talented and hard-working guy. He found a way to make it happen. It was awesome to be his training partner when he won his first world medal, and then his training partner again when he won his second world medal, and just be around him throughout that whole process. I have always just tried to pick his brain. He's an awesome resource and has always been there for me. You have talked about 2020 and wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics. How often does 2020 go through your head? Smith: It's on my mind pretty much every day when I wake up directly or indirectly. Everything that I'm doing, all the decisions I'm making, center around wrestling and accomplishing my goals in wrestling because that's my top priority right now. 2020 always crosses my mind, whether I'm going to get a lift in or some kind of conditioning workout. The small, purposeful goals all lead into it. You're currently competing in a non-Olympic weight class. It's in between the Olympic weight classes. Any idea if you will go up or down in 2020? Smith: We're working through that right now. I'm kind of in an interesting spot. 71 or 72 kilograms is kind of a perfect weight class for me. For the Olympic year, I'll have the option of going 67 kilograms or 77 kilograms. Now there are different weigh-in procedures. So we're working through it. I'm going to try to figure it out. It's not a decision I have to make immediately, but it's definitely something that's on my mind. This story also appears in the October 13 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Three-time state champion Justin Ruffin (Union Grove, Ga.) verbally committed to SIU-Edwardsville. The No. 42 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 finished fourth in both styles at the Junior Nationals this summer in Fargo. In addition, the projected 157 pound wrestler placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge last fall and was a Junior Greco All-American in the summer of 2016.

Chance Marsteller after winning a University Nationals title (Photo/Sam Janicki) Tuesday was opening day for college wrestling practice across the country. It's the time where every wrestler can aim high for a successful new season and put aside whatever may have happened in the past. That day has special significance for Chance Marsteller, as he participated in his first practice session of the 2017-18 season as an official member of the wrestling program at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania. The past year or so had been challenging for Marsteller, but the four-time undefeated Pennsylvania high school state wrestling champion appears to have more than risen to the challenge. Early in 2016, Marsteller transferred to Lock Haven University after being dismissed from Oklahoma State. In August 2016 he was arrested for an incident in Lock Haven where some hospital personnel and police officers had been injured. Early this year, Marsteller pled guilty to charges stemming from that incident. At the time he told the court he was now clean and sober, was doing volunteer coaching at Kennard-Dale Junior High School where he wrestled nearly a decade ago, and had re-enrolled at LHU. Now, with his participation in Lock Haven's first wrestling practice of the new season, Marsteller is not only back at the school, but also back on the mat ... as everyone on campus could plainly see Tuesday. The Bald Eagles wrestling program continued its tradition of launching its season outdoors in a positive, promotion-minded, attention-getting way with its "Midday Matness" practice session held outside on the campus. "Midday Matness is a nice way for the guys to break into the season," Lock Haven head wrestling coach Scott Moore told The Record newspaper. "It's a fun way to gain exposure not just for LHU wrestling, but for all of collegiate wrestling." In addition to participating in the LHU season-opening practice, Chance Marsteller's name is now listed on the Bald Eagle wrestling's official roster at 165 pounds. "He would be eligible to start the season," said Doug Spatafore, Lock Haven University's director of athletic communications and marketing. "As far as I know, he's our probable starter ... he's back on the team." "The coaching staff is very excited about the upcoming season and thrilled that it's finally underway," Moore continued. "We return a lot of guys who should provide great veteran leadership. I'm also looking forward to seeing how some of our talented newcomers and underclassmen adapt, and mix into the lineup. It's another strong schedule with some fun home matches and tournaments in store. It should be a good test, but our guys are putting in the work and will be ready for big things this season." Marsteller is eager to make his mark this season at 165 pounds for the Bald Eagles. "I'm excited and looking forward to it. I've been working hard and I feel good," said the Lock Haven junior. "I'm grateful for the opportunity and I want to do whatever I can to help the team this season."

Nathan Tomasello wrestling Iowa's Cory Clark in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Nathan Tomasello, 2015 NCAA champ and three-time Big Ten titlewinner for Ohio State, will be out approximately three months with what is being described as a "lower body injury." The fifth-year senior told ElevenWarriors.com on Tuesday that he will be out of the lineup "until the beginning of January" but "I'll be back and ready to go then." “Nathan Tomasello is one of the most determined young men I've ever met,” Tom Ryan, head coach, said in a statement issued by Ohio State athletics. “There is no doubt he will do everything he can to return to the mat as soon as possible.” Tomasello appears to have sustained the injury this past weekend at the U23 (Under-23) World Team Trials in Rochester, Minn., a qualifying event for the U23 World Championships later this year. Ohio State did not provide any specifics on the injury. ElevenWarriors.com reported that Tomasello was undergoing tests throughout the day Monday, and was not available during the Buckeyes' media day Tuesday, meeting with medical personnel during the event. Tomasello had been planning to drop from 133 pounds and return to 125 pounds for the 2017-18 season. The Buckeyes have four wrestlers listed on their roster in the 125-pound weight class, including freshmen Brady Koontz, Dylan Koontz and Brakan Mead, along with redshirt freshman Hunter Lucas. A native of Parma, Ohio in suburban Cleveland, Tomasello wrestled at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy before coming to Ohio State. He is a three-time Big Ten conference champion (2015-17) and three-time NCAA All-American, winning the national championship in 2015 at 125 pounds.

Henry Cejudo Henry Cejudo, 2008 Olympic champion wrestler and UFC contender, escaped the northern California wildfires with minor burns to his right foot -- but lost his gold medal and other Beijing Games treasures -- after fleeing from his burning Santa Rosa hotel early Tuesday morning. Cejudo, 30, had been in northern California wine country -- site of numerous wildfires that have killed at least 15 -- for a charity event featuring a number of star athletes Monday. Fire alarms went off in his hotel just after 2 a.m. Tuesday as other guests evacuated the hotel. However, Cejudo stayed in his room, telling Yahoo Sports, "I looked out the window and everything was OK. I was just thinking that someone had hit the alarm but it didn't seem like there was anything wrong. I just went back to sleep." A couple hours later, Cejudo awoke to find his room full of smoke. He went to the window, saw the surrounding area in flames, and decided to evacuate the hotel, climbing down from his second-floor room to the ground, using a branch of a tree that was on fire. The mixed martial arts star fled the hotel wearing only the slacks he had worn at the charity event the night before, without shoes or shirt ... or, sadly, his Olympic gold medal, Olympic ring and belt. (Cejudo managed to grab his phone on the way out.) In escaping the burning hotel, some flames landed on Cejudo's right bare foot, which he was able to extinguish, suffering some minor burns. At this point -- about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday -- much of Cejudo's hotel was already on fire. Much of the surrounding neighborhood was in flames. Cejudo was able to flag down a fire truck, which drove him ten miles to safety. "First of all, I know how fortunate I am and I'm really happy and lucky to be alive," the Olympic gold medalist told Yahoo Sports. "I feel like God watched over me and he's not done with me yet. It's crazy. It's like it was a movie except that this was real life and people were losing their homes and everything." Cejudo was a four-time high school state wrestling champion who decided to forego college to concentrate on freestyle wrestling at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. That decision paid off, as he won the gold medal at 55 kilograms/121 pounds at age 21 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming the youngest U.S. wrestler at the time to be crowned an Olympic champ. (Kyle Snyder was 20 when he earned gold at the 2016 Rio Games.) After an attempt at qualifying for the 2012 Olympics, Cejudo officially retired from wrestling to launch a mixed martial arts career. He had his first pro MMA fight in March 2013; in July 2014, Cejudo signed with Ultimate Fighting Championships where he now is ranked second at flyweight (125 pounds). Cejudo now 11-2 overall in his pro career.

Friday night from Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be another "one-off" all-star showcase, Night of Conflict. An 11-match schedule, 10 bouts featuring high school males and the other featuring a pair of females, will be wrestled starting at 7 p.m. CT. Below is a preview of the 11 matches to be contested. Luke Kemerer (Hempfield Area, Pa.) vs. Cade Devos (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa) The Pitt commit Kemerer is a two-time state medalist, including a third-place finish during his sophomore season before placing sixth at 138 this past season. He enters the 2017-18 season with excellent momentum after going undefeated at the AAU Scholastic (i.e. Disney) Duals this summer. Devos finished as a state runner-up this past scholastic season at 132 pounds, and the No. 48 overall Class of 2019 wrestler nationally added All-American finishes in both styles this summer at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo. Matthew Ramos (Lockport, Ill.) vs. Caleb Rathjen (Ankeny, Iowa) This match features a pair of Cadet National freestyle All-Americans at 106 pounds this summer, Ramos finished as runner-up while Rathjen placed seventh. It was a second straight Cadet freestyle runner-up finish for Ramos, who placed fifth at state competing at 106 as a high school sophomore last season, and is also a two-time Cadet National double All-American. Rathjen is ranked No. 19 nationally among Class of 2021 wrestlers, and also has a third place finish in Cadet folkstyle this spring on the resume. Malik Johnson (Christian Brothers College, Mo.) vs. Drew Bennett (Fort Dodge, Iowa) Three-time state champion Johnson, including this past high school season at 120 pounds, is currently ranked No. 43 overall in the Class of 2018. The Mizzou commit is also a two-time Cadet World team member in Greco-Roman. Fellow senior Bennett has placed third each of the last two years at the state tournament, including this past season at 113; he also placed third at 120 at this springs NHSCA Junior Nationals. Carly Valleroy (Mehlville, Mo.) vs. Felicity Taylor (South Winneshiek, Iowa) Valleroy is a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American, placing at the Cadet level in 2014 and at the Junior level in 2015 and 2016; while Taylor has twice placed fifth in Fargo freestyle, as a Cadet in 2015 and a Junior this summer. Jace Koelzer (Olathe South, Kansas) vs. Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa) After failing to win state this past season, taking third at 120 pounds, Koelzer had a very positive run of form in the off-season and summer period. The Northern Colorado commit was champion of the NHSCA Junior Nationals down at 113 pounds before earning double All-American honors at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, including fourth at 113 in freestyle. Two-time state champion Biscoglia was third in Junior folkstyle this spring, and ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 16 nationally at 113 pounds. Malcolm Robinson (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Michael Millage (New Hampton, Iowa) The Rutgers commit Robinson is a three-time placer at the National Prep Championships, finally winning the title this past season at 138 pounds. The No. 68 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 was third in Cadet freestyle back in 2016. Three-time state finalist Millage won a second state title this past season, this one coming at 126 pounds. The Northern Iowa commit would add a Junior National freestyle All-American finish this summer, finishing sixth at 138. Jeremiah Reno (Liberty, Mo.) vs. Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa) This match pairs together wrestlers that won state titles at 106 pounds during their freshman campaigns this past season, and were both Cadet National freestyle champions in 2016; Reno at 94 pounds, Schriever at 88. Reno has out-placed Schriever the last two years at the UWW Cadet freestyle tournament; Reno finishing second on both occasions, while Schriever finished DNP at 42 kilos and fourth at 46 kilos. In another common event, Reno was second in Cadet folkstyle at 106 this spring, while Schriever was a semifinal loser defaulting down to sixth. Reno is currently ranked No. 27 in the Class of 2020. Peyton Robb talks with his coaches in Fargo (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.) vs. Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.) This is clearly the program's best bout in terms of overall ability level of both competitors, as each is within the top 40 of the Class of 2018 rankings. No. 26 Robb is a three-time state finalist, winning state as a freshman and sophomore; this off-season he was runner-up at the UWW Cadet freestyle tournament before finishing third in freestyle and champion in Greco at the Junior Nationals in Fargo (152 pounds). No. 38 Merola is a two-time National Prep champion and finished fifth in Junior freestyle this summer (160). Cody Phippen (Platte County, Mo.) vs. Aden Reeves (Albia, Iowa) This is a rematch of a consolation semifinal from the Junior National freestyle tournament at 113 pounds, a match that Phippen prevailed one round after Reeves fell to a narrow defeat in the championship semifinals. Two-time state champion Phippen is also a commit to the Air Force, and added a Junior folkstyle title at 113 pounds this past spring. The junior Reeves won a first state title last high school season, ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 18 nationally at 113 pounds, and is now a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American (placing at the Cadet level in both 2015 and 2016). Anthony Cassioppi (Hononegah, Ill.) vs. Ronald Tucker (Lockport, Ill.) It's an all-Illinois showdown between 285 pound wrestlers, Cassioppi won a state title, while Tucker finished in fifth place. The University of Iowa commit Cassioppi is ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2018, and was a double champion at both the Pan-Am Juniors and Junior Nationals this summer. Tucker is ranked No. 47 overall in the Class of 2019. Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.) vs. Joel Shapiro (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa) This match pairs wrestlers who were both Junior freestyle All-Americans at 195 pounds this summer in Fargo, Whitman finished third splitting matches against Jake Woodley, while Shapiro was seventh including a head-on loss to Whitman in the consolation quarterfinal round. Each is also among the top Class of 2018 wrestlers nationally, three-time state champion Whitman is No. 22 while state champion and three-time state medalist Shapiro is ranked No. 64. Whitman is a verbal commit to North Carolina, with Shapiro committed to Iowa State.

Kollin Moore defeated Jared Haught for third place at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) MANHEIM, Pa. -- A pair of the most imposing wrestlers at 197 pounds will square off as the second weight classes were released for the 52nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic set for Princeton University's Jadwin Gym on Sunday, November 5. A pair of athletes looking for breakthrough seasons will be highlighted in the women's bout at 116 pounds. The NWCA All-Star Classic is hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network and sponsored by Princeton Brain and Spine and Northwestern Mutual Life. On the men's side, Ohio State's Kollin Moore burst on to the college wrestling scene in a big way last season, finishing third as a redshirt freshman for the Buckeyes. The Big Ten champion and Big Ten Freshman of the Year went 33-4. The summer was also good to Moore as he competed on his second U.S. Junior World Team. He came away from Tampere, Finland with a bronze medal at 96kg/211 pounds. Moore was an Ohio high school state champion as a senior, the first for Norwayne High School. Virginia Tech's Jared Haught, a Parkersburg, West Virginia, native will stand across the mat from Moore at 197. The two-time All-American is looking to exact a little revenge on his Buckeye opponent. It was Moore who defeated Haught by fall in the third-place match at the 2017 NCAA Division I wrestling championships in St. Louis. It was the only time the pair have met in college competition. Team-wise, Ohio State is 11-11 all-time in the match with the last victory coming in 2016 when Nathan Tomasello defeated West Virginia's Zeke Moisey 7-1. Virginia Tech is 2-6 with the only two wins also coming in 2016 by Zach Epperly and Ty Walz. On the women's side, Emmanuel College's Fayth Woodward is coming off an All-American finish at the 2017 WCWA Championships last season in Oklahoma City. The first wrestler from Emmanuel's fledgling program to compete in the event, Woodward is also recently competed in the USA Wrestling U23 World Team Trials in Rochester, Minnesota where she finished with a 2-2 record. Woodward transferred to Emmanuel after starting her career at Southwestern Oregon Community College, where she competed at the 2016 National Collegiate Wrestling Association's women's championships. Makayla Bourbon went 17-11 last season as a junior for the University of the Cumberlands and is looking for her first All-American finish at the WCWA championships. A native of Santa Maria, California, Bourbon prepped at Pioneer Valley High School. Bourbon won the NAIA Invitational championship in 2017 and will join teammate Jessika Rottier as two Patriot wrestlers set to compete at Jadwin. 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 INFO: www.goallstarclassic.com ANNOUNCED MATCHUPS Men 125: Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State) 133: 141: 149: 157: 165: 174: Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State) 184: 197: Kollin Moore, So. (Ohio State) vs. Jared Haught, Sr. (Virginia Tech) 285: Women 101: 109: 116: Fayth Woodward (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon (U. of the Cumberlands) 123: 130: 136: 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.

Lee Kemp with his new book "Winning Gold: Success Secrets of a World Champion" One of the greatest wrestlers in American history raised the bar for future generations -- and he is letting us know how he made it happen. Lee Kemp was the first American to win multiple freestyle World championships, garnering gold medals in 1978, 1979 and 1982 in the 163-pound weight class. He also made the 1980 Olympics, but was unable to compete due to a boycott by the United States. Kemp was also an NCAA champion for the University of Wisconsin in 1976, 1977 and 1978. In "Winning Gold: Success Secrets of a World Champion," Lee Kemp shares the profound insights he discovered on his path to the pinnacle of success. The book includes 75 short inspirational messages from Kemp about achieving your highest level of success. "Between the words of thoughts and faith and the unique stories, it is one of those lifelong books one needs," said 1972 Olympic gold medalist Dan Gable. Books can be ordered by visiting LeeKemp.com or on Amazon.