InterMat Staff

Aaron Butler A Green Beret killed in Afghanistan Wednesday was a four-time state wrestling champ. Utah National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Aaron R. Butler was supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel when an explosive device detonated during combat operations in eastern Afghanistan, according to Pentagon officials. Butler, 27, was killed; eleven others were injured by the explosion as the soldiers were trying to clear a booby-trapped building. Butler, who wrestled at Monticello High School, won four consecutive Utah state wrestling titles (103 pounds in 2005; 112 in 2006; 125 in 2007; and 135 in 2008), joining others who achieved this milestone, including Cael Sanderson, four-time NCAA champ for Iowa State who is now head coach at Penn State. Butler still holds a number of records at Monticello, including 37 falls (2006 season), 152 career takedowns, and a 169-15 career record. Very impressive stats, to be sure ... but even more so, considering Butler's rocky start in wrestling. "His first match in high school he got pinned," his high school wrestling coach Kent Adair told the Fox affiliate in Salt Lake City. "And so, rather than be deterred at his goal, he worked hard and he fixed things he needed to fix and he was determined enough to do it." "He wasn't a sit-in-the-back-row kind of guy," coach Adair said to KSL.com. "That's probably why he got killed -- because he was the first one through the door. That was his nature: I'll handle it for you, I'll take care of it. He was a leader. He wasn't a follower." The Butler family issued the following statement about their son Aaron. "The Army values are: 'Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless-Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage'. Aaron Butler personified those values in everything he said and did. "In a life that was all too brief, our dear son and brother made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. While we are heartbroken to become a Gold Star family, we honor Aaron's service and sacrifice. Aaron was a strength to us, an inspiration to those around him, and a joy to have in our family." In the statement, the Butler family wrote that Aaron graduated from Monticello High School in 2008, then served an LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) mission in Ghana. In January 2016, Butler graduated with honors from the Army Green Beret Special Forces Qualifications Course. The Butler family said Aaron's body is being flown back to the United States as of this writing. Funeral plans are pending, but are tentatively planned for Saturday, Aug. 26.

Joey McKenna (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Joey McKenna is going halfway home to continue his college wrestling career. The New Jersey native is leaving Stanford University in California for Ohio State, the 2016 NCAA All-American announced on Twitter Friday. "After a long process and a lot of thought, I've decided that I'm going to be moving on from Stanford," wrote McKenna. "I want to thank Jamill (Kelly), Coach (Jason) Borelli, and Coach (Ray) Blake for all the support throughout the past few years and all they've done for me. I wish them and the Stanford program best of luck in the future." "With that being said, I've decided I will continue my academic and athletic career at Ohio State! I'm very excited for what the future holds. #GoBucks." McKenna's announcement ends a summer of speculation in the college wrestling community that had rumors of the two-time Pac 12 champ transferring to Lehigh and Penn State as well as Ohio State. McKenna is expected to wrestle for the Buckeyes at either 141 or 149. A native of Ridgewood, N.J., McKenna was a three-time national prep champ for nationally-recognized Blair Academy. Among his other national titles: Ironman champ ... two-time Beast of the East champ ... and three-time Greco-Roman titlewinner at Fargo. He earned a silver medal at the Junior World Championships in freestyle. At Stanford, McKenna became the first freshman in school history to earn All-American status, achieving it at the 2016 NCAAs. In addition, he won back-to-back Pac 12 titles, and racked up a 31-3 overall record. McKenna 's transfer announcement is the second such reveal in the past two days, following the day after Pat Downey announced he would be wrestling at University of Iowa after having severed ties with Iowa State.

Pat Downey placed fifth at the U.S. Open at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Pat Downey -- the Maryland native who wrestled at Iowa Central Community College, then at Iowa State before being dismissed by the Cyclones in February for violating team rules, including his use of social media -- has found a new college home at the University of Iowa, Trackwrestling.com reported Friday. Downey told Trackwrestling's Andy Hamilton late Thursday night that he's moving this weekend to Iowa City with plans of completing his college career with the Hawkeyes. In addition, Downey posted the news on his Facebook page overnight: Although Downey is in the process of relocating to the home of the University of Iowa, there are no immediate plans for him to step into the Hawkeye lineup this fall. According to Hamilton, the plan for Downey is to finish his Iowa State degree online this fall, before enrolling in grad school at Iowa in the spring and then joining the Hawkeyes as a walk-on, with the expectation of having him wrestle at 184 pounds. Downey is already anticipating his place at his new college home, saying that he and Iowa head coach Tom Brands "are on the same page" with what's expected of him as a Hawkeye. "We're here to win this national title," Downey said to Trackwrestling's Hamilton. "His (Tom Brands') stipulations as far as on the mat and the lifestyle requirements of me being a Hawkeye, those are clear. But tweeting doesn't affect my wrestling, if anybody's concerned about that." Downey described those stipulations as "typical things that are required for being an Iowa Hawkeye wrestler and a student representing the college and me being who I am anyway." That said, Downey realizes the significance of this opportunity to complete his collegiate mat career on a high note. "I approach it like my life depends on it," Downey told Trackwrestling. "It's all or nothing. I only have one more crack at accomplishing my goal. I felt like I could've got it done last year at '84 for the Cyclones, but I didn't get the chance to prove myself at the tournament, obviously. I'm just looking forward to having the opportunity to compete." Respected for his impressive wrestling credentials, Downey was a two-time Maryland high school state champion who won the 197-pound crown for Iowa Central at the 2015 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling championships before earning All-American honors by placing fifth at 197 at the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for the Cyclones. This past season, Downey dropped down to 184 pounds, but was hampered by a rib injury and saw limited time on the mat and in the ISU practice room. Downey became just about as well-known for his social media presence where he posted controversial messages that, among other things, called out potential opponents. After his dismissal from Iowa State in late February, Downey used Facebook and Twitter to express his upset with then-head coach Kevin Jackson and Iowa State administrators. While not able to wrestle at the 2017 Big 12 championships or the 2017 NCAAs in March, Downey made his presence known at the 2017 U.S. Open in April, where he defeated two-time NCAA champ Gabe Dean and All-Americans Pete Renda and Kyle Crutchmer, ultimately placing fifth at 86 kilograms/189 pounds.

The World Championships start on Monday morning, and like any wonderful annual celebration the championships can also invite some moments of self-reflection. A tournament of this size is not about one person (me or you), but it is a closing out of the international season and that should prompt a moment of pre-hangover consideration. The wrestling community rejoices in our service to the sport, but what does that mean in real terms? We are certainly working hard, but for what ends? For some the motivation and the desired outcomes seem clear. For Sally Roberts it's creating more opportunities for women to wrestle. For Jordan Burroughs it's winning an Olympic gold medal. For the rest of us? It can often be unclear. What is my motivation for the media work I do within the sport? To be sincere, I've felt a disconnect between the amount of work I put into these projects (200 days a year on the road, 115,000 air miles already in 2017) and how it eventually converts to what I want to see in the wrestling community. The growth of United World Wrestling's media operation can be measured by a variety of metrics and analytics, but am I then only caring about the numbers? Do numbers mean a better sport or a more informed fan base? On its face, today's media ecosystem is as much about the analytics as it is the content. A GIF of naked Mongolian wrestling coaches would certainly gather a lot of traction or potential "virility," but it doesn't do much to advance the sport, or grow it in the minds of young wrestlers. So then what is the purpose of that post? What motivations allow us to eschew these types of headline-grabbing moments in favor of more complex, but certainly more fulfilling content? Inform and inspire. That is my goal for the rest of 2017 and the 2018 season. The analytics will always matter, but unless the content aims to inform or inspire it won't have met the criteria to share. Value-driven content and educational tools can make a difference and I think that the World Championships are the right place to start a journey. Fewer of the quick, unfulfilling bits and more focus on the stories, people, and ideas that can improve our sport for future generations. To your questions … Q: What are reasonable expectations for the U.S. Greco-Roman team in Paris? -- Mike C. Foley: Though it's tough to measure in the year after the Olympics, I think that the United States' Greco-Roman team has improved in recent years and will also benefit from the recent rules changes. No, they can't yet compete for the team title, but it's a reasonable expectation for the team to bring home two medals. I'm hopeful for more, but the reality remains that the number of wrestlers in the United States and the youth-level commitment to the style has yet to catch up to what this team and coaching staff can achieve. Victoria Anthony after winning the U.S. Open title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I'm a fan of Victoria Anthony and hope she does well in Paris. I have heard so much about Yui Susaki of Japan, so I'm thinking a silver for Anthony might be best-case scenario. Thoughts? -- Mike C. Foley: First of all, she's the best-ever follow on Instagram. Charming, witty and joyful she is exactly what you want to see in an athlete dedicated to their craft. Anthony is incredible on the mat and has about a 75 percent chance to medal should she get in the groove early in the tournament. One issue that has dogged Anthony in the past is giving up position or points late in a match that you'd think she has hemmed up. Maybe that comes from a momentary lack of focus of self-belief, but if corrected she could beat anyone on the planet. Head-to-head she matches up well against Susaki, who is still young and doesn't have the strength of Anthony. That said, Susaki is a total killer and the heavy favorite to win the world title. I like Anthony's chances better than most of the field, but would have to give an edge to Susaki. Q: Is there a reason UWW can't release World draws ahead of time to promote story lines? -- Eric C. Foley: The main difficulty in creating matchups too far in advance of major tournaments is the shuffling of athletes often done by nations looking to wrestle. A national federation can change their athlete for any reason up to two weeks before the start of a competition. However, after that point they can replace their athletes for medical reasons up until the weigh-in. With more information available to NF's there has been a considerable decline in the number of last-second switches made by nations at these tournaments, but it does still happen. I think that the methodology has been to see who shows up and then draw the brackets once they've weighed-in because it means less chance for corruption of the bracket or having to reassign athletes anyway because of no-shows or roster changes. The two-day format will actually draw the names the night before the first weigh-in for exactly the reason you state. The athletes will need to check-in first, but from there we should have brackets the night before the first day weigh-ins and then be able to promote for almost three days. Missed weights will be treated as a scratch and brackets will not be redrawn. Q: Why did the Junior World Championships in Finland start with freestyle, while the World Championships in Paris conclude with freestyle? How is this determined? -- Mike C. Foley: The local organizer decided the flow of matches and suits it to where they think they can sell the highest number of tickets. I might be mistaken but I'm pretty sure that you aren't allowed to start with women. They have to be the middle portion, or the last portion. Though the recent Olympic and World champions from France are in Greco-Roman, there is a lot of attention being paid to the country's freestyle team, which might have prompted the French Federation to have them wrap up the event. Finland is crazy for Greco-Roman, hence the scheduling for Junior Worlds. Q: If Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev meet in the first round, will the Internet explode? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes! I would NOT be happy. I want this to be primetime for all the fans around the world to enjoy. However, if they wrestle first and we know the night before wouldn't that be advantageous to fans who want to be sure to see it live?! As bad as an early round matchup might seem it would at least guarantee the matchup goes down. Also, remember that the World Championships aren't only a live event on a limited broadcast. Fans can get the archive on Trackwrestling within moments of the match ending. A proper point-based ranking will take a year to build and utilize. It will also require athletes to be in a single weight class for the whole season, but the system -- along with the two-day weigh-in -- should help with promotion of tournaments, athletes and storylines. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Teaser for the 2017 Wrestling World Championships These highlight videos will be available every day right after the end of the first session! Q: Any thoughts on Bennett Omalu adding wrestling to the "Big 6" sports that kids shouldn't play for concussion related reasons? -- Brantley H. Foley: Omalu's groundbreaking research in the area has likely undoubtedly saved the brains of many youth football players in America. He's been an advocate for safe play and for nudging those with doubts into sports where head-to-head contact is limited. I don't know the way Omalu conducted his study, but likely any concussion numbers used were aggregated from previous studies. I've contended before that there is a bias in those numbers since wrestlers are always in close visual proximity to coaches, referees and doctors while other sports have helmets and distance to shield observation. As for wrestling, any observation of wrestling conducted by Omalu would almost certainly be limited to the United States. So "wrestling" isn't the conclusively "no-go" sport as much as the specific American folkstyle wrestling. This is an important distinction to create since freestyle and women's wrestling tends to allow much less head slapping of opponents and in general rewards technique over aggression and control. As a brief aside, remember that the differences in the styles is meaningful and packed with history. In an earlier mailbag I outlined in detail the growth of wrestling in America from a barnstorming Vermont-based sport more recognizable today as Catch-as-Catch-Can into a submission-free, but control and pain-based style. That history is seen today in such simple things as a collar and elbow tie which derives its name and techniques from the classical style that was brought to Vermont from Ireland, Collar and Elbow. American wrestling inherited brutality along with favorite tie-ups, and that brutality has been mythologized and promoted for more than a century as a means of winning in the sport. Think of the sport's most famous images and personas -- hell, even the nomenclature -- and you see a style of wrestling that has been much less about technique and more about legal pain and immobilization. With that, you can't expect that many parents presented with knowledge about concussions will be anxious to get their child into the wrestling. The smart parent may put their child into jiu-jitsu where the head-to-head contact is nil and their child learns movements and athleticism which would help them wrestle once they hit puberty. In Mongolia, Vietnam, India, South Sudan and the other nations I've visited there is youth wrestling, but their styles aren't demanding of the youth. They're fun, limited and purely for enjoyment of the kids. The adult styles also require very limited head-to-head contact, which is why they might be better suited as a youth sport in those countries. The new thinking around wrestling is all the same: less is more. We can teach the kids athleticism, grit and technique without the aggression and they will almost certainly come out just fine as wrestlers and people. The concussions don't need to be part of our sport if we eliminate the idea of brutality and point-scoring aggression. There is hope! The next generation of coaches like Andy Hrovat and Reece Humphrey are promoting a type of training in wrestling that is likely to limit these types of head-to-head instances. If I'm fortunate enough to have children and if they want to wrestle at a young age, I'd only allow them if the coaching style was play-based and building athleticism and discipline and NOT learning how to open up a single leg with a head snap. Q: Seems like there is traction on women's wrestling becoming an NCAA sport. If this happens, what kind of impact will this have on wrestling in America? -- Mike C. Foley: Women's wrestling will absolutely explode at the high school level. The numbers of female wrestlers in America are growing now, but with the promise of scholarships and a chance to win an NCAA Division I title as inspiration the women of America will attack these opportunities with the same gusto they did soccer, basketball and hockey. Look at what Olympic status did for women's wrestling worldwide. A total and complete success story, which is helping to prompt this push for emerging status. Love this first step and can't overstate my excitement at these girls and women being given the opportunity to enjoy our wonderful sport. One step further: What about a split NCAA Division I Championships finals? Half women, half men.

Can't make it to France for the 2017 World Championships? Don't worry. You can still catch the action from Paris next week from your home or workplace… thanks to viewing options that let you catch the action on TV or other device. NBC Sports will be providing more than 20 hours of coverage of the Words, which take place in Paris August 21-26. NBCSN will air 6.5 hours of tape-delayed coverage in the afternoons and evenings on the following dates: Wednesday, Aug. 23 (3:30-5 p.m. ET), Thursday, Aug. 24 (4-5 p.m. ET), Friday, Aug. 25 (7-9 p.m. ET), and Sunday, Aug. 27 (3-5 p.m. ET). In addition, the newly launched Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will televise live medal-round action each day from 1-3:30 p.m. ET. Click here for an Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA channel finder. In addition, Trackwrestling, a division of NBC Sports, in partnership with Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, will stream the entire tournament and provide broad coverage of the World Championships at www.trackwrestling.com/uww . Fans can watch every match live and on-demand for $9.99. "NBC Sports' unprecedented commitment to the sport of wrestling means the 2017 World Championships will reach more fans than any previous wrestling world championship," United World Wrestling President Nenad Lalovic said. "We look forward to supporting this partnership and providing viewers at home continued access to the world's best wrestlers and top events." Team USA wrestlers will be participating in all three disciplines will be on display at the 2017 World Championships. Greco-Roman wrestlers will take to the mats August 21-22, while women's freestyle will take place on August 23-24, followed by men's freestyle on August 25-26.

Nassau Community College has put out the welcome sign: women's wrestlers wanted. The two-year college on Long Island, New York announced this week the launch of a new varsity women's wrestling program. It already has a coaching staff in place. Now all it needs is women seeking to compete in the oldest and greatest sport on the collegiate level. Sam Thomas, NCC alum and former NCC wrestler, has been named the new head coach for the women's team, while Vougar Oroudjov, former two-time World Champion, European Champion and Olympian, will be working hand-in-hand with training and coaching the school's women wrestlers. "We have the budget, the schedule with big tournaments and the coaches," said Oroudjov. "Now, we're looking to recruit wrestlers to the team, which will be freestyle only. We're so excited - we want to give women in this area the same opportunities at the junior college level as the guys have." Both Thomas and Oroudjov will be working closely with Paul Schmidt, current men's wrestling coach. As a member of the NCC coaching staff for more than 30 years, Schmidt has taken the men's program to eight national titles, been named National NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Coach of the Year seven times, and been welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (in 2015). "I am very excited about bringing a women's wrestling program to NCC," Schmidt said. So is NCC Athletic Director Kerri Ann McTiernan. "We are committed to be in the forefront for women's athletics," said McTiernan. "Women's wresting is a growing sport and we are proud to have this team be part of our national award-winning wresting family." Opportunities for women to wrestle in college are growing tremendously right now. In fact, the NCAA is now looking at adding women's wrestling to its list of varsity sports programs. Established in 1959, Nassau Community College is a two-year, public college located in East Garden City, N.Y. NCC has approximately 20,000 students. For more information about the new women's wrestling program at Nassau Community College, visit Nassaulions.com or call 516-572-6641.

Scot Davis, the nation's winningest wrestling coach with more than 1,100 victories, will be taking the helm at Westwood High School, the Sioux City Journal reported Thursday. Scot DavisDavis, 66, who had coached high school and college wrestling in Minnesota and Montana, takes the Westwood job after coaching at Bishop Heelan in Sioux City, Iowa for one year. "I really appreciate the people at Heelan and made many friendships there," Davis said of his previous assignment at the Catholic school in Sioux City, where he helped Heelan establish a new school record for dual wins in a season in his lone campaign at 29-6. The old record was 26 victories set the prior season. However, Davis expressed some frustration, saying, "There was some disappointments with coaches I wanted to hire and people I wanted to get there and it wasn't (Heelan's) fault but it just didn't work out.” Davis welcomes the challenge awaiting him at Westwood High. "This is a great opportunity at this small town that has a program that is already successful. Talking with their coaching staff and athletic director there is nothing but positives there and they have 40 kids out in grades nine through 12." Westwood High is located in Sloan, Iowa, a town of less than 1,000 residents about a dozen miles south of Sioux City. Davis previously had a 25-year coaching tenure at the high school in Owatonna, Minnesota, before stops at Kalispell, Montana and Eden Prairie, Minnesota. "Some of the best times I have had have been as a small school in a little town," Davis said. "I have been a college coach, I have coached at a school of 3,000, but some of my best memories are at a small school."

Ed Ruth (Photo/Bellator) Penn State, the school that's home to the defending NCAA Division I wrestling team title winners, will be hosting a Bellator mixed martial arts event this fall, with fights featuring two former Nittany Lion mat champs. Bellator MMA told PennLive.com Wednesday that Bellator 186 will take place Friday, Nov. 3 at Bryce Jordan Center on the Penn State campus. Tickets will go on sale Sept. 1 and will be available at the Bryce Jordan ticket office as well as through Ticketmaster. The Penn State event will be also available for viewing live on Spike TV. Bellator 186 will include feature former Penn State wrestling champs Phil Davis and Ed Ruth. Their opponents have yet to be announced. In addition, Bellator 186's main event is scheduled to feature light heavyweight champ Ryan Bader -- himself a former Arizona State NCAA All-American -- defending his title against Linton Vassell. (Bader had defeated Phil Davis for that title at New York's Madison Square Garden in June.) The 32-year-old Davis was a four-time NCAA All-American for the Nittany Lions, winning the 197-pound title at the 2008 NCAAs. Later that year, Davis launched his professional MMA career, where he now sports an overall record of 17-4-1, with three knockouts, five submissions, and nine victories by decision. He competes in the light-heavyweight (205-pound) weight class. Since signing with Bellator MMA just two years ago, Ruth, 26, has compiled a perfect 3-0 pro record as a middleweight (185 pounds), with all wins by TKO. Prior to entering MMA, Ruth became the first three-time NCAA Division I champ in the long history of Penn State wrestling, winning the 174-pound championship in 2012, and back-to-back titles at 184 in 2013 and 2014. Bellator 168 at Penn State may well be the first time a big-time MMA promotion has hosted a major event at a university, featuring former wrestlers from that school. "When I look back at the history of MMA, I don't think it has ever been done before," Bellator President Scott Coker told PennLive.com. Having both Davis and Ruth fighting for Bellator helped prompt Penn State officials to reach out about bringing an event to Bryce Jordan, according to Coker. "We travel all over the world and book all these venues, and they knew we signed Phil Davis and Ed Ruth," Coker said. "So, they just said, 'We have this amazing venue, and you have these guys.'" MMA fans in Happy Valley are in for a first-class show, according to Bellator. "We only do eight of these shows per year, so our production is going to be big," Coker told PennLive. "The lighting is going to be big, the sound is going to be big, and we are going to have a great mixed martial arts event."

One day after being welcomed into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame -- and one year after severing ties with University of Central Oklahoma -- Edmond North High School announced that former UCO head wrestling coach David James will be joining the coaching staff at the Oklahoma City area school, The Oklahoman reported Tuesday. David JamesJames wrestled at Central Oklahoma and became the school's first four-time All-American. He then coached his alma mater for 34 years, where he led the Bronchos to 12 national championships, 48 individual national champs and 182 All-Americans until he was let go from the Oklahoma City school in April 2016. After a year away from coaching, James sought to get back to the sport. His friendship with Larry Tettleton, Edmond North's junior high coach, led James to his new position at the high school. "Who better of a person can you find than David James," Edmond North coach Andy Schneider said. It's been an incredible week for James. On Monday, the former Bronchos wrestler/coach was installed into the Hall of Fame honoring athletes who have a connection to the state of Oklahoma. Among the other Class of 2017 honorees: 1960 Olympic gold medalist wrestler Doug Blubaugh.

Two months after suffering serious injuries in a truck/train collision, former wrestler and UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes has made a recovery that is "nothing short of a miracle," a long-time friend told the Springfield (Ill.) Journal-Review this week. Matt Hughes with Tony ZuccaTony Zucca -- himself a former mixed martial arts fighter -- wrote about his friend's long recovery on his Instagram account, "I can't even describe the emotions I am feeling as I write this post. Less than two months ago I didn't know if my best friend was going to make it, and tonight we made a jail break for sushi (in disguise. Ha). Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions! His progress is nothing short of a miracle." "He is working so hard and fights through the frustration. He is, as he's always been, an inspiration. I can't wait to hit the mats with him again ...and he told me today that he has 'one more round' left in him! Ha. (He laughed … but definitely wasn't joking!). Thank you for all of your prayers! Please keep them up as he still has a long road ahead of him. I am witnessing the power of them firsthand! So thankful." The Instagram message was accompanied by a photo of Hughes presumably with Zucca. The post did not indicate where or when the photograph was taken. On June 16, Hughes was driving his pickup on a country road in central Illinois, not far from his hometown of Hillsboro, when the truck was struck by a train on the passenger side. The crossing had only a warning sign; it did not have flashing lights or gates. The critically-injured Hughes was airlifted to a trauma hospital in Springfield, the Illinois state capital. He reportedly suffered severe head injuries. However, in the weeks since the collision, there have been reports of steady progress in the 43-year-old Hughes' recovery. Hughes held the UFC's welterweight championship at various points between 2001 and 2006. He is recognized as one of the greatest 170-pound fighters of all time, according to ESPN. Hughes launched his pro mixed martial arts career in 1998, and had not fought since 2011. He compiled a 45-9 record in MMA, and was welcomed into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2010. Prior to entering MMA competition, Matt Hughes was an accomplished wrestler. He was a two-time Illinois Class A state champion at 145 pounds for Hillsboro High School in 1991 and 1992. Hughes then started his college career at Southwestern Illinois College. After the school eliminated its wrestling program, Hughes transferred to Lincoln College (Illinois), where he placed third at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) National Wrestling Championships. After graduating from Lincoln, Hughes continued wrestling at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, placing eighth in 1996 and fifth in 1997 at 158 pounds.

Bill Weick (corner) coaching Team USA Bill Weick, two-time NCAA champ for University of Northern Iowa who went on to have a long, illustrious high school and international events coaching career, passed away Tuesday night at his home. He was 85. William J. Weick grew up in Chicago, where he won an Illinois state title for Tilden Tech in 1949. He continued his wrestling career at what was then called Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI), where he won two NCAA titles. At the 1952 NCAAs, Weick won the 157-pound title by defeating Oklahoma State's Tom Titsworth, 6-0. Weick then stepped away from college to serve in the U.S. Army for two years, then picked up where he left off by winning his second national title at 157, this time, beating Big Ten champ Mike Rodriguez of Michigan, 6-4, in the finals at the 1955 NCAAs. It was during this time that Weick began a lifelong connection to international styles of wrestling. He was national runner-up three times and earned a spot on the very first U.S. World Greco-Roman team. In 1954, he defeated the World Greco-Roman champion from 1952. After placing seven times in the National Open Championships in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, Weick began his long affiliation with coaching. Weick started his legendary coaching career at Maquoketa High School in Iowa, before returning to his Chicagoland home, first at Tilden Tech, then at Mount Carmel and Brother Rice High Schools. Weick's Mount Carmel teams earned national recognition by winning the state dual meet title three years straight years, and finishing second twice. He had 21 individual state champions during his tenure; a number of his wrestlers achieved greatness, including 2004 U.S. Olympic team member Joe Williams, and two-time NCAA champion T.J. Williams. His overall coaching record: a phenomenal 749-112-2. For his efforts, he has been recognized as National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of High School Associations. Weick took his coaching expertise to a higher level, serving as a volunteer coaching staff for U.S. teams competing in international events. He was on the Olympic coaching staff for freestyle in 1972, 1980, 1984 and 1988 and worked with the Greco-Roman team in 1976. He was head coach of the 1975 Pan American Games team that won the team title, and also coached U.S. teams at the 1975 World Cup, as well as three Junior World Championships and the 1981 World University Games. "He was known for old-school toughness and love," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and himself a World silver medalist. "He would make you laugh and challenge you to do what was best for you to become a better wrestler. It was much more than you thought you could do. He helped wrestlers get their hands raised at all levels. He coached from youth to the Juniors to high school and up to the Olympic level. There was nobody else like Bill. He had a way to get inside wrestlers and make a difference for them." "Bill Weick was my personal coach at the Olympic Games and World Championships many times," said USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner, a two-time Olympic champion, four-time Olympic medalist and three-time World champion. "He was instrumental in developing the skills, work ethic and mental toughness that set the foundation for my success over the years. I first met Bill in 1981, when he was coach of the World University Team. It was one of the toughest camps I had ever gone to. It was my second international experience, and I won. I owe a lot of my success to many coaches, and Bill was one of them who made a difference and set the groundwork for my success." One of Weick's strengths was his ability to reach wrestlers of all ages and experience levels, whether a veteran international competitor, or a kid new to the sport. "He had an ability to communicate with a kid from this generation or an adult from the previous generation. He knew how to reach them," said Jan Murzyn, assistant coach at Brother Rice where Weick still worked up until his death. The wrestling room at Brother Rice was named in honor of Weick in May 2015. Among the special guests at that ceremony: former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who also wrestled in high school in the Chicago area during the same era as Weick. In fact, Rumsfeld had lent financial support to the construction of the wrestling room. Weick earned a number of honors over the years. He was welcomed as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007. In addition, Weick was honored by the Helms Hall of Fame, the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame, the University of Northern Iowa Hall of Fame, the Glen Brand Iowa Hall of Fame, the Mount Carmel Hall of Fame, and the Tilden Tech Hall of Fame. Visitation for Bill Weick will take place Sunday, Aug. 20 from 2-9 p.m. at the Curley Funeral Home, 6116 111th St. in Chicago. Funeral mass will be Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the Most Holy Redeemer Church, 9525 So Lawndale, Evergreen Park, Illinois.

WILKES-BARRE -- King's College Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Cheryl Ish has announced Adam Healey has been named the new head wrestling coach of the Monarchs, replacing long-time coach Ned McGinley who will officially retire June 30 after 48 years at the helm. Healey, who recently concluded his third season as McGinley's lead assistant coach at King's, will become just the second head coach in program history after McGinley started the program in 1968. A native of Wilkes-Barre, Healey competed during his scholastic career at nationally-renowned Wyoming Seminary Prep where he was a six-time Pennsylvania State Prep School Tournament place-winner. He placed seventh at 103 pounds in the seventh grade before improving to fifth at 103 as an eighth grader. As a freshman, he finished fourth at 112-pounds before placing second at 125-pounds as a sophomore. Healey then won back-to-back state prep titles as a junior and senior at 135 and 140-pounds respectively. He competed in the National Prep School Championships his final three years at Wyoming seminary, placing fourth as a sophomore at 125-pounds; seventh as a junior at 135; then concluded his scholastic career with a sixth-place finish at 140-pounds. He finished his Wyoming Seminary career with a 198-44 record. Upon graduating from Wyoming Seminary, Healey attended NCAA Division I Bucknell University where he was a three-year letter-winner, competing at 141 and 149-pounds. Healey compiled a 42-58 career record for the Bison, including a 10-22 mark as a senior in 2012-13. Healey graduated from Bucknell with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography. He then became an assistant coach at King's in the 2014-15 season while pursuing his Master's degree at Wilkes University. Healey earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Wilkes University in 2016. "There is no replacing Ned McGinley and what he has meant to our wrestling team and the King's Community," Ish stated. "However, as the program moves forward we have the highest level of confidence in Adam Healey. Adam over the course of the last three years has taken on increased responsibility with the day-to-day operations of the program and has built strong relationships with the wrestlers. Adam is soft spoken, but has a strong competitive spirit and will work tirelessly to provide our student-athletes with a great experience. As we transition into this new phase of King's Wrestling, I look forward to working with Adam as he makes his mark on the program." Healey will have large shoes to fill as McGinley coached over 900 dual meets at King's and amassed 455 wins in his career while producing 45 national tournament qualifiers and 18 all-Americans during his tenure with the Monarchs. He was the longest tenured college wrestling coach at any level prior to his official retirement June 30. Healey will have the luxury of familiarity of King's, the Middle Atlantic Conference, and the NCAA East Regional thanks to his time with McGinley and the college as a whole. "I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to become the second head coach in King's College wrestling history," Healey said. "I am especially thankful to Cheryl Ish and Ned McGinley for their trust and support. It is truly an honor to be named Coach McGinley's successor. Working alongside Ned for the past few years has been an invaluable experience. Ned has taught me so much, but more than anything he has given me perspective on what it means to be a coach. I know the team and I will miss having him in the room every day, but we are hoping he will not go too far. Moving forward, I am confident that our program will continue to progress and I am really looking forward to building on the athletic and academic success that we've had over the years." King's finished the season with a 10-15 dual meet record and is expected to return 17 of the team's 19 wrestlers. The Monarchs graduated Zach Smith, who was 18-6 at 174-pounds. King's also lost junior Howard Kilpatrick who was 25-8 at 165-pounds but will be unable to compete in 2017-18 due to field experience requirements in his Physician Assistant major. The Monarchs' top returnee will be senior heavyweight Ralph Bernardo, who was 18-2 before a season-ending injury late in the year. Dakota Quick finished his freshman year with a 20-11 mark at 125-pounds; while sophomore Eddie Merrill was 14-10 and placed fifth at 197-pounds at the NCAA East Regional Championships. "Adam is a young man with tremendous energy and a passion for our sport as well as possessing a high level of technical knowledge, McGinley noted. Having been with us for three years as an assistant coach has made him aware of both academic mission and accomplishments of the King's College wrestling program. He knows our wrestlers and has taken a larger role in recruiting student-athletes to King's. Adam has all the traits of becoming a fine college coach and I am confident our program is in good hands." Note: Healey and the Monarchs will kick off the 2017-18 season November 4 with the Ned McGinley Invitational Tournament. Dating back to the mid-1980's, the event was formerly called the Monarch Invitational Tournament and has been renamed in honor of the retired King's mentor. Click here for full King's 2017-18 Wrestling Schedule.

The 2017 UWW World Championships take place Aug. 21-26. As always, the event will feature the best wrestling that the world has to offer in all three international styles of wrestling. The following are 10 of the most intriguing potential matchups in this year's tournament. FS 61 kilograms: No. 1 Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia) vs. No. 6 Haji Aliyev (Azerbaijan) 61 kilograms will certainly be an interesting weight in Paris. Multiple contenders at 57 kilograms have moved up and created a logjam of potential champions. This includes Khinchegashvili, the reigning 57-kilogram Olympic champion, and Aliyev who finished with a bronze after falling to the Georgian in the quarterfinals. After moving up, Khinchegashvili has won both the European Championships and the Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial. Aliyev competed at 65 kilograms at the World Cup before dropping down to 61 kilograms and winning the Islamic Solidarity Games in May. FS 61 kilograms: No. 3 Logan Stieber (USA) vs. No. 2 Akhmed Chakaev (Russia) This bout would be a rematch of one of the most incredible bouts of last year's non-Olympic weight World Championships. In a quarterfinal match, Stieber trailed 11-10 with only eight seconds left in the match. He someone managed to finish a takedown to pull ahead 12-11. The Russian team challenged the takedown, but due to a video malfunction there was not any reviewable footage of the winning move. Stieber went on to win the gold medal, while Chakaev took a bronze. Unfortunately, this rematch will not be possible if Russia chooses to send Gadzhimurad Rashidov instead. Chakeav and Rashidov split a pair of matches already this year. FS 70 kilograms: No. 4 Ikhtiyor Navruzov (Uzbekistan) vs. No. 16 Mandakhnaran Ganzorig (Mongolia) Navruzov defeated Ganzorig for a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in one of the most memorable and, perhaps notorious, moments of the Games. Ganzorig led the match 7-6 in the final seconds and became extremely defensive as the clock wound down. The referee awarded a penalty point, and therefore the match, to Navruzov. The Mongolian coaches stormed the mat and stripped off their clothes in protest. With both wrestlers moving up to 70 kilograms, Ganzorig could get his shot at redemption in Paris. FS 70 kilograms: No. 9 Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran) vs. No. 9 James Green (USA) Hosseinkhani has built on his 2016 world bronze medal with an undefeated season this year. At the World Cup, he handed Green his only loss of the year. Since falling to Hosseinkhani, Green has stormed back with three-straight tournament victories in the International Ukrainian Tournament, the Pan American Championship and the Grand Prix of Spain. Both wrestlers are riding the wave of momentum and have a good chance of coming home from Paris with a medal. Bekzod Abdurakhmanov defeated Jordan Burroughs at the Olympics (Photo/Tech-Fall.com) FS 74 kilograms: No. 4 Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. No. 6 Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan) One of the biggest shocks at the 2016 Olympics was the fact that Burroughs failed to medal in a world-level competition for the first time on the senior level. The man who knocked him out of gold medal contention, Aniuar Geduev, is not expected to complete. If Burroughs wants revenge, he will have to settle for Abdurakhmanov who knocked him out of the repechage. Burroughs has beaten Abdurakhmanov on multiple occasions, but it might turn out to be a significant mental hurdle on the way to getting back on the top of the podium. FS 86 kilograms: No. 1 Hassan Yazdanicharati (Iran) vs. No. 4 Selim Yasar (Turkey) In a lot of ways, Yasar has been waiting for Abdulrashid Sadulaev to move up in weight. The Turkish wrestler took silver medals behind Sadulaev at both the 2015 World Championships and the 2016 Olympics. While 96 kilograms lost one Olympic champion, another one has entered the field. After breaking through with an unlikely gold at 74 kilograms last year, Yazdanicharati has moved up. He already handed Yasar a loss this season, and he has gone undefeated outside of a loss against David Taylor at the World Cup. WW 58 kilograms: No. 2 Helen Maroulis (USA) vs. No. 6 Valeria Koblova (Russia) When Maroulis announced she was moving up to 58 kilograms, many fans immediately began pondering a dream match against four-time Olympic gold medalist Kaori Icho. Unfortunately, the Japanese wrestler will not be in the field in Paris. Instead, Maroulis' main competition to pick up another gold medal will be Koblova. The Russian nearly defeated Icho in Rio, and this year she has won both the Russian Nationals and the Klippan Lady Open. GR 80 kilograms: No. 1 Roman Vlasov (Russia) vs. No. 10 Mark Madsen (Denmark) Vlasov and Madsen are both moving up after competing in the Olympics at 70 kilograms. In the finals of that tournament, Vlasov put a stop to Madsen's cinderella run through the tournament with a 5-1 victory. As a two-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion, Vlasov is the clear favorite in this bracket. However, Madsen has shown he can pull off upsets and is almost certainly gunning for another crack at Vlasov. This also might be the Danish's wrestlers last crack at gold. The four-time world silver medalist has a 2-0 MMA record and might be looking to cash in before it is too late. GR 71 kilograms: No. 6 Frank Staebler (Germany) vs. No. 1 Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) Chunayev enters the field as the number-one ranked wrestler in a wide-open bracket. This year, he won the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov Tournament and took bronze at the Islamic Solidarity Games. Staebler had entered the 2016 Olympics as one of the favorites in the 66-kilogram division as he was coming off a silver at the 2015 World Championships. However, "The Melee Machine of Musberg" failed to medal and finished seventh. He has returned to form this year with a victory at the Wladyslaw Pytlasinski Cup, so he might be poised to make a run at a medal in France. FS 97 kilograms: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (USA) vs. No. 2 Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia) Clearly the most anticipated potential match of the 2017 World Championships is between returning Olympic gold medalists Sadulaev and Snyder. Both wrestlers are only 21 years old, and both have already claimed multiple world-level championships. Sadulaev will move up after spending the majority of his career at 86 kilograms. In addition to this past Olympics, "The Russian Tank" also won the two previous World Championships at that weight, and he has gone undefeated since 2013. Snyder made his senior-level debut in 2015. He won the world title that year and followed it up with an Olympic championship this past year. The Ohio State wrestler also continues to compete on the collegiate level where he is a two-time NCAA champion. Both wrestlers are virtual locks to make the finals, if they do not run into each other in an earlier round. UWW has introduced seeding for this tournament, and Snyder will be the top seed. However, Sadulaev does not meet the criteria for a top-four seed since most of his accomplishments have come at a lower weight.

Michial Foy, two-time Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, has been named the new head wrestling coach at Leo High School in Chicago, the Beverly Review reported Tuesday. Foy will take the helm of the Lions wrestling program, replacing former head coach Mike Anderson, who will remain on staff as an assistant coach. Michial Foy and Mike AndersonThe 55-year-old Foy represented the United States in Greco-Roman competition at 96 kilograms/198 pounds at back-to-back Olympics, first at the 1988 Games in Seoul where he did not place… then, four years later, where he placed sixth as captain of the U.S. Greco-Roman team at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. In addition to the Olympics, Foy earned a gold medal in Pan-American Games competition, and was a silver medalist at the World championships, both in 1989. The Chicago area native also won five U.S. national championships, a bronze medal in the 1990 World Cup and a fifth-place finish at the 1994 World championships, all in Greco-Roman. Prior to launching his international mat career, Foy wrestled collegiately at the University of Minnesota. In addition to his experience as a wrestler, Foy brings coaching expertise to his new position at Leo. Foy served as an assistant coach at Minnesota; more recently he worked at Crete-Monee High School as a volunteer coach with his sons, James and Michial Jr., as they competed in the program. Foy discovered the sport in high school. He originally planned to play basketball but decided to check out the school's wrestling room where his brother competed. "Wrestling saved me," Foy told the Beverly Review. "I was able to travel all over the world and get my education, and it was all through wrestling. As a coach, I want to give that back to the community and the student-athletes at Leo. I want to help them develop like I did." The Leo wrestling program was revived three years ago after a lengthy absence. In its short time back, the Lions program saw heavyweight James Britten Jr. qualify for state in 2015. The following season, Leroy Henry reached the sectional finals in 2016. Leo High School is a four-year, all-male Catholic school located in southwestern Chicago. The school, which celebrated its 90th year last year, has approximately 200 students.

The Hawkeye is heading north to become a Panther. University of Iowa redshirt freshman Jack Wagner announced Tuesday he's transferring to the University of Northern Iowa. Wagner was a three-time Iowa high school state champion at Bettendorf High School. As a Hawkeye, Wagner wrestled at 133 pounds, competing in five open tournaments for a season record of 17-7. "It's going to be a great fit and a great culture to be in and I'm excited to be a Panther," Wagner told IAwrestle.com. "I'm thankful for my time at Iowa, but it came to not being the right fit or me not being the right fit for them," Wagner said to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. "It was time to explore new options." Wagner will likely wrestle at 133 pounds at UNI. The current Panther roster lists Tanner Rohweder, Jay Schwarm and Rudy Yates at 125 pounds, with Chase Lienhard and Josh Alber both listed at 133. However, Alber -- a two-time NCAA qualifier -- will be moving up to 141, according to UNI head coach Doug Schwab. "Alber is going to move up so you can slot a guy like Yates in at 133," Schwab said. "Obviously looking to slot a guy like Rudy in at 133 it's not like ‘What are you going to do? Who are you going to put there?' so it works out well." Wagner was giving a full release by the University of Iowa and will have four years of eligibility left.

The Bulldogs are back, in a big way. Fresno State wrestling takes its first step in returning to the mat for the first time in 11 years by revealing its schedule for the 2017-18 season on Monday. In addition to dual meets featuring Big 12 conference rivals like Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs will also take on two top Big Ten programs -- University of Illinois, and University of Minnesota -- plus other college programs from the U.S. and Canada in its new season. Wrestling fans hungry for Fresno State wrestling will get their first taste of action at the Bulldogs' intrasquad event on Nov. 4 at Save Mart Center. In addition, Fresno State will host six duals at home, beginning with Illinois and its two-time NCAA champ, Isaiah Martinez of nearby Lemoore, on Nov. 17. Other teams coming to Fresno to take on the Bulldogs this fall: Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 8 ... Simon Fraser on Jan. 2 ... Cal Poly on Jan. 4 ... Utah Valley on Jan. 19 ... and, on Feb. 18, Oklahoma State. In addition to home meets in Fresno, the Bulldogs will be hitting the road to take on top programs from all over the country. One of the more exciting road trip sites sure to generate some publicity: taking on the Air Force wrestling squad on the USS Midway aircraft career in San Diego on Nov. 21. Other away events include a tri-meet featuring two NCAA Division II powers: Nebraska-Kearney and San Francisco State in San Francisco on Nov. 11 ... as well as trips to the University of Minnesota on Dec. 10 ... University of Northern Colorado on Jan. 26, then onto University of Wyoming the next day... on Feb. 5, Oregon State ... and, wrapping up the dual-meet season, a trip to Iowa State on Feb. 9. Once the regular season is complete, Fresno State will participate in the 2018 Big 12 Conference Championships in Tulsa March 3-4, then hope to make a showing at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland on March 15-17. Tickets are available for purchase at www.gobulldogs.com. "We are only a few short months away from showcasing our Fresno State wrestling team as we launch our inaugural season with a challenging schedule for this young team,” said head coach Troy Steiner. “Our schedule will help prepare the student-athletes for our Big 12 Conference and NCAA Championships! We invite the whole Red Wave and beyond to join us and rock the Save Mart Center to make it an exciting place to compete."

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Head coach Kevin Ward of the Army West Point wrestling team has brought on Braden Atwood as a volunteer assistant for the upcoming 2017-18 campaign. Atwood spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant at the University of North Carolina where he assisted with on-campus recruiting, coaching practices and running summer wrestling camps. While at Chapel Hill, Atwood worked with four NCAA qualifiers. Alex Utley (184 lbs.) and Chip Ness (197 lbs.) qualified in 2016, while Daniel Chaid (197 lbs.) and Corey Gilliand-Daniel (Hwt.) earned bids to the national tournament in 2017. "Braden really is a great fit for what we want in this position," Ward said. "As a student-athlete competing in the Big Ten, Braden had tremendous success qualifying for the NCAA Championships all four years of his career. Since then, he has been working with some of the best coaches in the country, but the thing that most excites me about adding coach Atwood to our staff is his passion and commitment to becoming the best coach that he can. I know he will make a big impact on our upper weights, and we are excited for him to be able to work with our cadet-athletes." Atwood was a highly-decorated wrestler in his time at Purdue, placing at the Big Ten Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Championships all four years. A native of Delphi, Ind., he ranks tied for 19th in program history with 91 wins, as well as tied for fourth in career pins with 31. Atwood wrestled at 184 as a redshirt-freshman in the 2011-12 season before bulking up to 197 for his final three years. The three-time team captain posted his best season in 2013-14 with an overall record of 27-12 and an 11-3 mark in duals. During his time in West Lafayette, Ind., Atwood worked at the summer wrestling camps every year and was a camp counselor three times. He was also nominated to be on the Boiler Athletic Council for three years, as well as earning a nomination into the Emerging Leaders program for student-athlete two years in a row from 2010-12. "I'm excited to learn from and work with the coaches here," Atwood said. "We have a diverse group of coaches as far as wrestling background and style which will benefit us in connecting with our athletes. I'm excited and eager to help push this team to greatness." A native of Delphi, Ind., Atwood currently resides in Highland Falls, N.Y.

Former Husker and four-time NCAA Championships qualifier Tim Lambert has been hired by the Nebraska wrestling program as its volunteer assistant coach, Nebraska head coach Mark Manning announced Tuesday. “We're extremely excited to have Tim join our coaching staff as the volunteer assistant coach, and also for him to continue his wrestling career with our regional training center (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center),” Manning said. “Tim is a great example for our team with his work ethic and high character. He will be a tremendous addition to our staff and to the Nebraska wrestling program.” Lambert will work primarily with the lower weight classes on the team, and will assist with the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center and summer camps. Lambert will also continue to train as a freestyle wrestler. Lambert competed for the Huskers at 125 pounds from 2013-17, and compiled a 106-44 all-time record, including a 46-16 record in duals. He became the 27th wrestler to join Nebraska's 100-win club on Jan. 29, 2017, when he pinned Indiana's Elijah Oliver in 2:07. In 2016-17, he posted an overall record of 31-8, including 13-3 in duals. He had nine pins, six technical falls and five major decisions as a senior. He was the Big Ten runner-up at 125 pounds, while making the Round of 12 at the NCAA Tournament. In addition to qualifying for the NCAA Championships in each of his four seasons, Lambert also placed in the top six at the Big Ten Championships all four years. He finished fifth as a freshman and sixth as a sophomore, before posting a fourth place finish as a junior. “I trained and earned my degree at Nebraska in my five years under Coach Manning and his staff,” Lambert said. “On a daily basis, I saw and received the personal investment and process-focused coaching they implement with each of their wrestlers. I'm very grateful that I now get to have a hand in carrying out those same principles that helped shape me as a man and athlete to this very talented team. It's exciting to be on the staff now knowing I'll grow professionally as a coach, as well as an athlete on a world class team with world class coaches.” Lambert graduated from Nebraska in May of 2017 with a bachelor's degree in fisheries & wildlife.

T.J. Miller, current head wrestling coach at Loras College of Iowa and 2007 NCAA champion for Wartburg, and Gary Calcgano, current strength & conditioning coach for wrestling at Oklahoma State, are the featured guests for "On the Mat" on Wednesday, August 16. "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 this Thursday at 5 p.m. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

Newcomer Zain Retherford will look to claim a medal at 65 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) It's been more than two decades -- 22 years to be precise -- since the United States has captured a men's freestyle team title at the World Championships. Russia and Iran have dominated the freestyle circuit for many years now. The United States is expected to put a very strong, hungry and experienced team on the mat for the freestyle portion of the worlds on Aug. 25-26 in Paris, France. The year after an Olympic Games is usually a big transition year, but most of the American stars are back in 2017. That could bode well for first-year U.S. National coach Bill Zadick and his team at the Worlds. It's also interesting to point out that all six men's freestyle champions from the Rio Olympics are expected to compete in Paris. This field is very strong which is unusual in the first year of a new four-year Olympic squad. 57 kilograms: Thomas Gilman Gold: 10 percent Medal: 30 percent Thomas Gilman was a surprise winner of the World Team Trials, but it shouldn't have come as a total shock to those who follow the sport closely. Gilman is an excellent freestyle wrestler who made Cadet and Junior world teams for the U.S., and was a Junior world bronze medalist. Freestyle is his style. His goals have always revolved more around freestyle than folkstyle. He's a very confident wrestler who foreign athletes may not know much about. He's also a tough matchup who will be taller and have more leverage than most of his opponents. Gilman excels offensively and defensively, but he's most effective when he's in attack mode. Gilman also is in excellent shape, so the deeper he goes in the tournament the better he may become as fatigue become a bigger factor. European champion Giorgi Edisherashvili of Azerbaijan and veteran Hassan Rahimi of Iran are top contenders to win this division. The U.S. hasn't won a medal in the lightest weight class since Henry Cejudo earned gold at the 2008 Olympics. Gilman may be the guy to end the drought. Top wrestlers: Giorgi Edisherashvili (Azerbaijan), Suleyman Atli (Turkey). Hassan Rahimi (Iran) 61 kilograms: Logan Stieber Gold: 40 percent Medal: 65 percent Logan Stieber finally broke through to make his first world team last year and he took full advantage of his opportunity by winning a world title. Now Stieber is back again and looking to repeat his magical feat. Stieber is very strong and big for this weight class, and he wrestles a hard-charging style that is difficult to keep pace with. Stieber's top challenger in Paris likely will be 2016 Olympic champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia, who is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers on the planet. Veteran Behnam Ehsanpoor of Iran is another top contender in this class. Top wrestlers: Vladimir Khinchegashvili (Georgia), Akhmed Chakaev (Russia), Behnam Ehsanpoor (Iran) 65 kilograms: Zain Retherford Gold: 20 percent Medal: 40 percent It has been a while since Zain Retherford has competed on the world stage. But the 2012 Cadet world champion is not a wrestler anyone should take lightly in Paris. Retherford beat a very tough wrestler in 2016 Olympic fifth-place finisher Frank Molinaro to make his first world team on the Senior level. Retherford is another gifted young prospect with gold-medal goals. 2016 Olympic gold medalist Soslan Ramonov of Russia is ranked No. 1 here, but is not expected to compete. 2012 Olympian Alan Gogaev will likely compete for Russia in this weight class. Bulgaria's Boris Novachkov, who wrestled collegiately in the U.S., is another wrestler ready to make a splash in this event. The U.S. hasn't medaled internationally in this division since Bill Zadick won a world title in 2006. Top wrestlers: Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria), Magomedmurad Gadzhiev (Poland), Alan Gogaev (Russia) 70 kilograms: James Green Gold: 25 percent Medal: 55 percent American James Green has made his third straight world team and is eager to bounce back. Green won a bronze medal at his first worlds in 2015 before falling short of the podium in 2016. Like in 2015, Green will compete on the same day at worlds as Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion Jordan Burroughs. Burroughs won gold in 2015 when Green took a bronze. Italy's Frank Chamizo, who previously competed for Cuba, won a world title in 2015 at 65 kilograms and added an Olympic bronze last summer. Green did beat Chamizo in a battle of explosive athletes two years ago. Russia's Magomed Kurbanaliev won worlds last year at 70 kg. Top wrestlers: Frank Chamizo (Italy), Magomed Kurbanaliev (Russia), Ikhtiyor Navruzov (Uzbekistan) 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs Gold: 55 percent Medal: 75 percent Jordan Burroughs was heavily favored to win the 2016 Olympics, but lost to Aniuar Geduev of Russia and Bekzod Abdurakhmanov of Uzbekistan to fall short of the medal podium for the first time in his career internationally. Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, has come back strong this season and he's determined to win his fourth world title. He previously won worlds in the odd-numbered years of 2011, 2013 and 2015, so that could bode well for him in this tournament. Burroughs has to figure out a way to break through against defensive-minded opponents who have become more adept at shutting down his lethal double-leg attack. Burroughs has his share of detractors after Rio, but he's still a tremendous competitor who has had a strong season. He's determined to be the best again. Top wrestlers: Aniuar Geduev (Russia), Soner Demirtas (Turkey), Yabrail Hasanov (Azerbaijan), Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan) 86 kilograms: J'den Cox Gold: 25 percent Medal: 50 percent J'den Cox was one of the biggest surprises in Rio. He won a bronze medal and nearly made the finals. With Olympic and world champion Abdulrashid Sadualev of Russia bumping up a weight class, this division is now fairly wide open. Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani of Iran has moved up a weight class to 86 kg. He's a very talented young wrestler, but he also was pinned by American David Taylor this year at the World Cup. Cox outlasted Taylor to make the world team. The key for Cox may simply be his health. He injured his leg in the final bout with Taylor and missed much of training camp this summer. If he is healthy, Cox is very powerful for this weight class and presents a matchup nightmare for his opponents. He has the potential to win a gold medal. Top wrestlers: Hassan Yazdani (Iran), Dauren Kurugliev (Russia), Aleksander Gostiev (Azerbaijan), Selim Yasar (Turkey) 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder Gold: 65 percent Medal: 90 percent There is absolutely no question this is the match everyone wants to see: American Kyle Snyder vs. Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev. The two young stars have both won Olympic and world titles. And they may be the two best wrestlers, regardless of weight class, in this entire tournament. Both are powerful, skilled, aggressive and confident athletes who are entertaining to watch. Snyder may have the edge here with a little more size and with his high level of conditioning. Snyder simply doesn't get tired or break in a match. He's going to keep coming. Let's hope this match happens. Top wrestlers: Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia), Magomed Ibragimov (Uzbekistan), Arslanbek Alborov (Azerbaijan), Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia) 125 kilograms: Nick Gwiazdowski Gold: 5 percent Medal: 20 percent Nick Gwiazdowski made his first world team after two-time Olympian and two-time world medalist Tervel Dlagnev finished his brilliant career for the U.S. Like Dlagnev, Gwiazdowski is a very mobile big man with a strong array of leg attacks. Dlagnev won a medal in his first worlds in 2009 and Gwiazdowski is looking to follow suit. Olympic champion Taha Akghul of Turkey has been the king of this weight class for a number of years, and that may continue again in Paris. This division is filled with experience and numerous top veterans who continue to compete at a high level. Top wrestlers: Taha Akgul (Turkey), Geno Petriashvili (Georgia), Alen Zasiev (Ukraine), Daniel Ligeti (Hungary)

Schreiner University is adding men's and women's wrestling programs, WrestlingTexas.com reported Sunday. As of Monday, there is no mention of new wrestling programs at the official Schreiner athletics website. InterMat reached out to the school's sports information director but has not yet received confirmation. Troy Jewell, NB Elite club coach and Team Texas coach, will be the coach of these new programs at Schreiner, a private college located in central Texas. In a message to the wrestling community of Texas, Jewell said the plan is to have both the men's and women's teams competing in fall 2018. The women's program will compete in the WCWA (Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association), while the competition status for Schreiner's men's program has yet to be determined. Other Schreiner intercollegiate sports programs compete in NCAA Division III. "The main concern for us is being able to offer wrestling scholarships and giving our program the best chance to grow and succeed," coach Jewell told WrestlingTexas.com. "The possibilities are either starting out in the NCWA (National College Wrestling Association) conference or D2, which is most likely the future for our program." "This wrestling program is a big step for Texas wrestling," according to Jewell. "It is a huge opportunity for Texas wrestlers and a program that we hope everyone can take pride in and call our own. Hopefully we will see more college programs popping up in the near future within the state…" "The growth of the sport within the state is something many of us have worked hard for. To watch it grow at the college level right smack in the middle of the state is just awesome." Schreiner University is a private, four-year school located in the center of Texas, near San Antonio. Founded in 1923, Schreiner has approximately 1,300 students.

So you want to introduce a youngster to all that's great about the sport of wrestling. Sure, you could see if a local school would be willing to let you come into their wrestling room ... or you could spend hours searching the internet for an appropriate book, shell out some money for the book (along with shipping and handling), then wait for it to arrive in the mail. Or you can download a proven book that's already in use in thousands of homes ... instantly ... at absolutely NO cost to you. The book: "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book" now available for downloading for free. A proven book ... available for immediate download "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book" by William "Doc" Bauer is unique. It's not a traditional "how-to-wrestle" instructional ... nor is it an old-fashioned storybook designed for kids to read on their own. Rather, "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book" is aimed at young boys and girls ages 7-9 who might be interested in the sport ... but intended to be read to the child by a parent, grandparent or other caring adult. "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book" was first published in 2009. Copies found their way into homes across the nation ... and after a couple print runs, the entire stock of books had been sold. The original published book is nearly impossible to find; used copies are available online for $80 or more each. Rather than go back to the printer, author Doc Bauer thought it would make more sense to share his book in a more efficient way: as a free download. That way, parents can get a copy without waiting, at absolutely no cost. There's no shipping or other hidden charges. Simply download the book, read it onscreen (or print out a copy), and you're ready to introduce your youngsters to the oldest and greatest sport. A compelling, kid-friendly introduction to wrestling "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book" provides an introduction that any boy or girl can relate to immediately. It opens with two seven-year-old friends -- Christopher and Michael -- watching professional wrestling on TV. Christopher's older brother Kevin -- himself a high school wrestler -- tells the boys, "Those guys aren't wrestlers." It's an introduction anyone can immediately relate to. (You may have been one of those people, who, when you first heard about wrestling, immediately thought of WWE ... and may have been surprised not to see a raised, roped-off wrestling ring the first time you attended a high school or college wrestling event, or visited a wrestling room.) As Bauer told InterMat in a 2009 interview for the original printed book, "I thought it was important to start with pro wrestling, 'the dark side,' because that's what so many people think of when they hear the word 'wrestling.'" "The idea (behind the book) was to have the parent and child bond by reading, and, yes, by pushing the furniture aside and doing some hands-on demonstrations," according to Bauer. In fact, "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book" encourages an interactive experience between parent and child by encouraging the adult to go beyond merely reading the text, but also become an active part of the learning process by talking about what's in the book, practicing some of the moves, and even visiting a wrestling room and a high school dual meet, just like the boys in the book. It's all part of a step-by-step journey into the sport. For example, the book takes readers to a wrestling practice, where the boys (and readers) learn about the basic starting positions and scoring moves, what wrestlers wear to practice and at a match, even what a wrestling room smells like. The description of the dual meet provides an equally clear picture of what a new fan could expect in the gym in terms of action, scoring and crowd reaction ... along with positive lessons about what makes a good team member, and what the characteristics of a winning wrestler are. It's a story told in age-appropriate words ... and visuals. Colorful, compelling, kid-friendly illustrations help reinforce the book's story, so youngsters immediately understand what's going on. The author knows wrestling ... kids ... and education If anyone were qualified to write "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book", it would be William "Doc" Bauer. He's a former wrestler and coach who has been involved in education as a teacher and administrator for most of his life. Doc BauerBauer's introduction to wrestling didn't come from a book. "I went to North Allegheny High School, which, back in the 1950s, had a great wrestling program," according to Bauer, who admitted his prime goal was making the football team at the Pennsylvania school. He only took up wrestling upon the urging of a friend by entering an intramural wrestling tournament ... and winning it. Bauer continued his wrestling career at Slippery Rock State Teachers College, which was just launching its program when Bauer arrived on campus. "I went out for the team," says Bauer. "Being the lightest guy on the team, I was the first guy to wrestle for the team, first to get a win, and first to score a pin." After graduation, Bauer became a sixth-grade teacher in the North Hills district in the Pittsburgh area, where he was able to attend wrestling matches. Subsequent jobs -- including two years in the Marine Corps at El Toro, California -- took him away from wrestling ... but made it possible for him to earn his Master's degree and doctorate, and build a long-term career in college administration, culminating as president of the Community College of Beaver County in Pennsylvania. That educational background -- along with experience as a wrestler AND as a parent -- helped make Bauer uniquely qualified to write a unique book like "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book." Introduce your kids to wrestling with just one click ... To download your free copy of "Wrestling: A Boy's First Book", simply click here ... and in seconds you'll have a copy of your book to print out and/or share on the screen of your computer or other device.

There's an assumption that wrestling has always been as we know it today. Wrestlers have always worn singlets, wrestled on foam mats, and been a diverse group of men and women of various skin colors. One only need to look at old-school high school and college wrestling photos to realize there was once a time when none of the above statements were true. For instance, it's only been in the past 50-60 years that people of color started participating in the oldest and greatest sport in numbers. A new book -- "Pathfinder: The Journey of the African-American Wrestler" by Kevin Emily -- seeks to make today's athletes and fans of all colors appreciate the accomplishments and achievements of a number of African-American wrestlers and coaches who opened doors for subsequent generations of athletes. Kevin Emily (right) with Simon Roberts Meet Kevin Emily Although born in South Carolina, Kevin Emily grew up in one of the hottest of the nation's amateur wrestling hotbeds, Waterloo, Iowa ... hometown of the one and only Dan Gable, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. Emily wrestled in Waterloo, then at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, before launching his own teaching and coaching career. In fourteen years of coaching in Iowa, Tennessee and South Carolina, Emily's wrestling teams can claim 13 state place winners, five individual state champions, four (National High School Coaches Association) All-Americans, and one each USA Wrestling All-American and NHSCA National Champion. Currently, Emily is a special education teacher and head wrestling coach at Midland Valley High School in Graniteville, S.C., one of seven new high school wrestling programs launched in Aiken County in the past two years, and subject of a June 2017 feature article in InterMat. The first steps in writing "Pathfinder" When asked how the book "Pathfinder" came about, Kevin Emily responded, "I was sitting here watching TV, thinking I should do something for Black History Month." "There was the [National Wrestling] Hall of Fame exhibit with accompanying booklet that a paragraph about the guys they were honoring," Emily continued. "It didn't provide a lot of detail." "Nate Carr gave me the encouragement -- a green light -- to write something with more detail, as he already knew there was nothing like that available already." "This was a topic I've always wanted to know more about. I figured it was time to do something about it." Who are the Pathfinders? Before we go any further, it would be a good time to explain the inspiration for the book's title. "In my mind, 'Pathfinder' means 'found a path'," Kevin Emily told InterMat. "If we can see someone do something, that sets up a vision for others to follow. It opens the door for others to emulate. Take the idea of Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a four-minute mile back in the 1950s. It was groundbreaking; most thought it could not be done. Now thousands can do it today." "Right from the start, there were some guys I wanted to include," Emily continued. "Then I started doing additional research and added to my list of individuals I wanted to honor." "Every person in the book got to where they are, thanks to others." Simon Roberts"Pathfinders" devotes a chapter to each of the individuals who made history as African-Americans in the sport of wrestling, starting with Harold Henson (the first black to wrestle at the NCAAs, in 1949) and Simon Roberts (first African-American to win an NCAA title, in 1957) ... along with others, such as Lee Kemp, Carlton Haselrig, and Kevin Jackson ... plus some wrestlers, who despite achieving ground-breaking accomplishments in the sport, may not be as well-known to the wrestling community. Kevin Emily interviewed the individual Pathfinders (or a surviving family member or friend, in some cases) to get the stories straight from the person who lived it. "I wanted to glorify these guys because they look like me," said Emily. "We look to others for hope, for inspiration." "I remember seeing Nate Carr at the Goodwill Games, and I knew that I wanted to follow in his footsteps." "Every person in the book got to where they are, thanks to others," said Emily. "My purpose in writing the book was let others know who they are." Harold HensonEven though each athlete featured in "Pathfinder" has a unique story to tell, Emily pointed out some common aspects that unite most of the subjects of his book. "These guys overcame adversity and paved the way for others to follow in their footsteps," said Emily. "That said, so many of these guys are so reserved, so humble." Emily was humbled by the response he received from the individuals he contacted for his book. "Nobody said no. Everyone I contacted was willing to share his story." In fact, there are more stories to share. "Pathfinder" is actually the first volume in a two-book set. A Volume II -- featuring stories from another set of pioneering wrestlers -- will be published in fall 2017. "Pathfinder" shares the personal testimonies of some of the nation's all-time great amateur wrestlers who happen to be African-American. The subjects of the book provide readers with a factual account of their mat careers ... all written in a compelling way that transports readers back in time, providing a "you are there" perspective. While "Pathfinder" is written for all ages, it is especially appropriate for young readers who can find inspiration in the real-life stories that may help propel them to new heights in wrestling ... and in life beyond the mat. Volume 1 of "Pathfinder" is now available for purchase at Kevin Emily's website.

Urbana University is seeking a full-time head coach for its new wrestling program. The NCAA Division II school located in Urbana, Ohio has posted the position on its website. "Urbana is starting a wrestling program and is looking for a head coach to establish and recruit for this key new initiative," according to the job posting. "The head coach is responsible for all aspects of the program to include successfully managing, developing, and implementing all aspects of the Urbana University, Division II Wrestling Program. Key responsibilities include recruiting, budgeting, fundraising, alumni relations, community engagement, planning, evaluating, organizing, scheduling, promoting, training and conditioning, skill instruction, student-athlete and staff development, academic support, compliance, and game plan preparation and strategy." The posting goes on to state that a Bachelor's degree is required; a Master's degree is preferred. In addition, Urbana seeks candidates with prior collegiate experience as a student-athlete in the sport of wrestling. With the addition of wrestling, Urbana will have 22 intercollegiate sports programs. The Blue Knights sports programs had competed in NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) until 2011 when it completed a transition to NCAA Division II. Founded in 1850, Urbana University is located in Urbana, Ohio, about one hour west of Columbus and a similar distance northeast of Dayton, amidst a number of top Ohio high school wrestling programs including nationally-ranked St. Paris Graham. The school -- which became a branch of Columbus-based Franklin University earlier this year -- has approximately 1,800 students.

Ethan Reeve and Heath Eslinger Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling coach Ethan Reeve is returning to UTC to serve as the at the Mocs volunteer coach, head coach Heath Eslinger announced today. Reeve won five Southern Conference titles in his six years as head coach from 1985-1990. In addition, he posted a 57-38-2 (.598) record, leaving with the third most wins in school history. "Coach Reeve brings tradition, wisdom, and intensity to our program," stated Eslinger. "He has been a part of the UTC wrestling family and he is passionate about seeing this program succeed." Reeve spent the last 16 seasons at Wake Forest, guiding the Demon Deacons' Strength and Athletic Development program. Prior to that, he spent six years at Ohio University in Strength & Conditioning. Reeve is certified through USA Weightlifting, Russian Kettlebell Challenge and is a Master Strength Coach through the National Collegiate Strength Coaches Association. He was the strength coach for the women's US Rowing team that won four gold medals and one silver in the 1995 World Championships. Ethan was the first director of strength and conditioning at McCallie School in Chattanooga from 1990-1995 where he helped co-coach four state tournament and dual meet championship wrestling teams. He returned to Ohio in 1995 to become the first director of strength and conditioning, working closely with the football program. He also designed and oversaw the construction of the Carin Center, Ohio's athletic strength and conditioning facility. Reeve was a two-time NCAA All-American and four-time SEC champion wrestler at the University of Tennessee. He began his coaching career at his alma mater serving as assistant wrestling coach/strength coach for wrestling for two years, before working as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State, Ohio and Clemson. Reeve and his wife, Susan, have three children, Callie, Erin and Keaton.