InterMat Staff

Tanner Asper, a two-time qualifier for the Kansas state wrestling tournament, was killed in a single-vehicle accident one week ago. He was 16. Asper, a rising junior at Chaparral High School, was a passenger in a pickup truck that rolled over late Sunday night, July 9 about 15 miles southeast of Anthony, Kan., one hour south of Wichita, near the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Asper was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene. No charges were filed against the driver, who was not injured. Harper County undersheriff Tom Burns described the crash as "just a tragic accident." Asper wrestled at 145 pounds for Chaparral. He compiled a 34-12 record this past season. In addition, Asper played football and baseball. "Dedicated, hard- working and driven are all words that describe how passionate Tanner was about anything he did,” according to the obituary for Tanner Andrew Asper Angle in the Anthony Republican-News. "He was involved in wrestling, football, and baseball. His dream was to go to OSU [Oklahoma State] for D1 wrestling and become a national champion. He was proud to be a state qualifier for Kids Club 6 years in a row. While in high school he earned a trip to state both his freshman and sophomore year. He was loved by all of his coaches and teammates and always jumped, screamed and yelled for his teammates to do their best. No other wrestler could run the spladel and banana split like Tanner could. Most wrestlers knew that it was coming. Tanner was working very hard this summer to get his weight up to 165 pounds and was ready to pound someone on the field this week at camp." "He left an impact because he was so good to so many kids," head football coach Justin Burke told Wichita's KAKE-TV. "He was just a good kid to pick people up around him." Funeral services have already been held. Memorials may be given in Tanner's memory to the Tanner Asper Memorial Fund and mailed to Prairie Rose Funeral Homes, 602 E. Main, Anthony, KS 67003.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced that it is accepting nominations for the Class of 2018, which will be inducted during the annual Honors Weekend on June 1-2, 2018 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Nominations are being accepted for Distinguished Member, Meritorious Official, Order of Merit, Outstanding American and Medal of Courage. Distinguished Member and Meritorious Official nominations are due Sept. 1 while Order of Merit, Outstanding American and Medal of Courage are due Sept. 15. Nomination forms are available by clicking here. Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport. Nominees who are 60 years and older are screened by the Veterans Committee. The Distinguished Member Screening Committee will pare the list to at least 12 nominees for the final ballot. Comprised of past honorees and individuals knowledgeable about the sport, the Distinguished Member Selection Committee and the Veterans Committee rank nominees in order of preference. Ballots are submitted to the Hall of Fame and sent to the Honorary Chair to be verified by a certified accounting firm. The confirmed selection of inductees is then returned to the Hall of Fame. The Outstanding American award recognizes individuals who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers after concluding their wrestling career. Past recipients have included individuals who have excelled in science, technology, business, industry, government, military, and arts and humanities. The Hall of Fame Executive Committee prioritizes and submits a list of nominees in rank order to the Hall of Fame Executive Director, who contacts nominees in order until one confirms acceptance of award. The Medal of Courage recipient is a wrestler or former wrestler who has overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges, providing inspiration to others. Nominations are screened by the Hall of Fame Executive Committee and placed on a ballot that is voted on by the Board of Governors. The Order of Merit is presented to an individual that has made a significant contribution to the sport of wrestling, other than success as an athlete or coach. Nominations are submitted by Distinguished Members and placed on a ballot. Distinguished Members voting ballots are submitted to the Hall of Fame for tabulation. The Meritorious Official award recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge or pairing official. Nominations are screened, placed on a ballot and voted on by the Meritorious Official Selection Committee, which is a combination of honorees and individuals knowledgeable about the sport. Ballots are returned to the Hall of Fame for tabulation. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation and now features interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. It also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Lucas Malmberg (Photo/Messiah College Sports Information) DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The University of Dubuque Athletic Director Dan Runkle has announced the appointment Lucas Malmberg as assistant wrestling coach. Malmberg joins the Spartans after finishing his collegiate wrestling career at the top. He capped off his senior year with his second consecutive national wrestling title for Messiah College. He won the 125 lbs. weight class (2016, 2017) and was a four-time NCAA Division III Finalist and three-time NWCA Scholar All-American for the Falcons. He is one two wrestlers in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) history to ever to qualify for four national finals. "I am extremely excited and honored with the opportunity to not only be part of the UD family, but to have a chance to impact the wrestling program," commented Malmberg. "I plan on bringing high levels of intensity, focus, and commitment as we prepare for the season ahead. Ultimately my aim is to help each student-athlete pursue excellence and character in all areas of their life." Head Coach Jon McGovern said, "Lucas is known as much for his character and faith as his NCAA championship titles. Lucas will be actively involved the holistic development of our student-athletes and help our individuals and team compete for Iowa Conference and NCAA titles. Lucas treats the sport of wrestling with great respect and is an amazing student of the sport. He will be a fantastic coach because of the positivity he brings to the mat and his dedication to helping our program reach its full potential." The Marathon, N.Y., native finished the 2016-17 season with a 44-3 record and a career record of 174-13. He is the all-time wins leader in wrestling at Messiah. During college he travelled the world on mission trips to South Korea, Prarguay (South America), and Uganda (Africa). He is a 2017 graduate of Messiah College, earning a degree in cross-cultural Christian ministries and has been a youth leader at New Hope Brethren in Christ Church since November 2014.

California's Jaden Abas is the No. 11 overall junior, but failed to place in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The Junior National freestyle tournament traditionally has an absolutely loaded field. Eight wrestlers in each weight class earn All-America honors. Here is a list of eight wrestlers for each weight class that failed to earn All-America honors, but entered the event highly credentialed and/or had very impressive performances in the tournament despite missing out on a top-eight finish. There is a litany of nationally ranked wrestlers in both the grade level and their 2016-17 end of season weight class. In addition, lots of state champions come to Fargo and fall short of becoming All-Americans. 100 and 106: The weight classes featured less than 32 wrestlers. 113: Eric Barnett (Hortonville, Wis.) -- No. 7 at 106 (EOY) Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa) -- No. 16 at 113 (EOY) Matthew Cardello (CVCA, Ohio) -- Super 32 placer Cory Gamet (Parma Western, Mich.) -- did not make weight 2nd day; two-time state champ, 2016 Cadet freestyle champ Clayton Singh (Kearney, Mo.) -- three-time state champ, returning Junior freestyle All-American Destin Summers (Snake River, Idaho) -- two-time state champ, Junior folk runner-up Riley Weir (Sand Springs, Okla.) -- state champ, two-time Fargo freestyle All-American (2016 Juniors) Doug Zapf (Downington West, Pa.) -- state champ 120: Mike Madara (Blair Academy, N.J./Pennsylvania) -- two-time National Prep placer, returning Junior freestyle All-American Joe Heilmann (South Plainfield, N.J.) -- two-time state placer, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American, 2017 UWW Cadet freestyle placer Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio) -- No. 39 Class of 2019, No. 15 at 113 (EOY) Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) -- No. 28 Class of 2019, No. 11 at 113 (EOY) Antonio Mininno (Gateway Woodbury, N.J.) -- No. 56 Class of 2018, No. 3 at 113 (EOY) Dominic LaJoie (Gaylord, Mich.) -- three-time state champ, two-time returning Junior freestyle All-American Connor Brown (Oak Grove, Mo.) -- No. 70 Class of 2017, No. 6 at 120 (EOY) Kyle Burwick (Hettinger, N.D.) -- three-time state champ, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American 126: Jake Gliva (Simley, Minn.) -- No. 84 Class of 2018 Jack Huffman (Millard West, Neb.) -- 2016 state champion Brady Kyner (Southeast Warren, Iowa) -- two-time state runner-up Jevon Parrish (Olathe North, Kansas) -- state champ Robbie Precin (Andrew, Ill.) -- No. 18 at 120 (EOY) Jet Taylor (Sallisaw, Okla.) -- multi-time state champ, returning Junior freestyle All-American Trae Vasquez (Flathead, Mont.) -- two-time former state champion Bryce West (Solon, Iowa) -- No. 81 Class of 2017, No. 9 at 120 (EOY) 132: Colin Gerardi (Powhatan, Va.) -- three-time state champ Kyle Gorant (The Hill School, Pa.) -- two-time National Prep placer Riley Gurr (Frenchtown, Mont.) -- two-time state champ Jackson Henson (University, W.Va./OTC) -- No. 72 Class of 2018 Legend Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.) -- two-time state champ Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.) -- 2015 state champ Billy Simpson (Cushing, Okla.) -- state placer, two-time Cadet freestyle All-American (2015 runner-up) Dalton Young (Lakeside, Wash.) -- four-time state champ 138: Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.) -- No. 11 Class of 2019, No. 9 at 126 (EOY) Sammy Eckhart (Fruitland, Idaho) -- four-time state champ Jacob Greenwood (Poudre, Colo.) -- three-time state champ Holden Heller (Deerfield, Ill.) -- two-time state medalist, 2015 Cadet freestyle All-American Nate Keim (Collinsville, Okla.) -- two-time state champ Brandon Ramos (Lockport, Ill.) -- three-time state qualifier Drew Scharenbock (Sun Prairie, Wis.) -- state champ Conner Ward (Shawnee-Mill Valley, Kansas) -- three-time state runner-up 145: Zach Barnes (Southeast Polk, Iowa) -- state champ, Junior folkstyle champ, returning Junior freestyle All-American Jake Benner (Ocean Township, N.J.) -- state champ Kendall Coleman (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) -- two-time state placer Brik Filippo (Tutle, Okla.) -- No. 78 Class of 2017, No. 10 at 145 (EOY) Logan Jensen (Herriman, Utah) -- state champ, 2015 Cadet freestyle All-American Brock Mauller (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.) -- No. 49 Class of 2018, No. 16 at 145 (EOY) Kasper McIntosh (Portage, Ind.) -- No. 98 Class of 2018 Denton Spencer (Camden County, Ga.) -- No. 85 Class of 2017, No. 145 at 145 (EOY) 152: Michael Abeyta (McMinville, Ore.) -- two-time state runner-up Zach Axmear (North English, Iowa) -- state champ Alex Crowe (Shakopee, Minn.) -- state champ Baylor Fernandes (Lockport, Ill.) -- state placer, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American Mason Kauffman (Stratford, Wis.) -- two-time state champ Ryan Leisure (Clear Lake, Iowa) -- No. 94 Class of 2017, No. 15 at 145 (EOY) Brian Meyer (Phillipsburg, N.J.) -- state placer, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American McCoy Tekautz (Mound Westonka, Minn.) -- state placer 160: Noah Blake (Del Oro, Calif.) -- No. 50 Class of 2019 Austin Brenner (St. Cloud Tech, Minn.) -- three-time state placer Alex Cramer (Grayslake Central, Ill.) -- two-time state qualifier Jaryn Curry (Choctaw, Okla.) -- No. 92 Class of 2018 James Noel (Pulaski Academy, Ark.) -- three-time state champ, 2015 Cadet freestyle All-American Kenny O'Neil (Prior Lake, Minn.) -- state champ Edmond Ruth (Susquehanna Township, Pa.) -- state champ Austin Yant (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa) -- four-time state placer, Junior folkstyle champ 170: Hayden Hastings (Sheridan, Wyo.) -- did not make weight 2nd day; No. 16 at 170 (EOY) Jackson Hemauer (Deforest, Wis.) -- No. 16 at 182 (EOY) Billy Higgins (Skutt Catholic, Neb.) -- No. 85 Class of 2018 Braeden Redlin (Allen, Texas) -- No. 75 Class of 2018 Tate Samuelson (Castle View, Colo.) -- state champ Ben Sarasin (Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Iowa) -- two-time state placer, 2015 Cadet freestyle All-American Jesse Shearer (West Fargo, N.D.) -- four-time state champ Brit Wilson (Mexico, Mo.) -- No. 14 at 170 (EOY) 182: Tyler Barnes (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) -- No. 86 Class of 2018 Hunter DeJong (Sibley-Ocheyedan, Iowa) -- state placer, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American, 2017 UWW Cadet freestyle placer Alex Kauffman (Vinita, Okla.) -- two-time state champ Anthony Montalvo (Buchanan, Calif.) -- No. 40 Class of 2018, No. 17 at 182 (EOY) Trey Rogers (Hastings, Minn.) -- state runner-up Anthony Sherry (Glenwood, Iowa) -- state runner-up, two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Mac Southard (Lewis Central, Iowa) -- state runner-up Caden Steffen (Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Minn.) -- state champ 195: Kendall Elfstrum (Monroe-Woodbury, N.Y.) -- state champ Anthony Gaona (St. Thomas Aquinas, Kansas) -- state placer Samuel Grove (Morehead, Minn./North Dakota) -- state champ, returning Junior freestyle All-American Bear Hughes (Coweta, Okla.) -- two-time state champ Logan Schumacher (Martensdale-St. Mary's, Iowa) -- three-time state placer, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American Riley Vanik (Kaneland, Ill.) -- two-time state placer Sergio Villalobos (Downers Grove South, Ill.) -- state placer, 2016 Cadet freestyle runner-up Colton Wolfe (Columbus, Neb.) -- No. 79 Class of 2017, No. 19 at 195 (EOY) 220: Daniel Conley (Chaminade, Mo.) -- state champ Cole Fibranz (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.) -- state champ, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American Chris Kober (Haverford Prep, Pa.) -- National Prep placer, NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Mason Lancaster (Putnam City, Okla.) -- state placer Darrell Mason (Chicago Dunbar, Ill.) -- state placer Saylor Schmit (Foley, Minn.) -- two-time state runner-up Chase Trussell (Morgan, Utah) -- two-time state champ, 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American Caleb Willis (Bonner Springs, Kansas) -- state champ 285: Brian Barnes (McMinville, Ore.) -- three-time state champ, 2013 Cadet freestyle All-American Aaron Costello (Western Dubuque, Iowa) -- No. 75 Class of 2017, No. 7 at 285 (EOY) Jordan Earnest (Wadsworth, Ohio) -- state placer, 2017 UWW Cadet freestyle champion Keaton Kluever (Kaukauna, Wis.) -- state champ Jake Levengood (Vacaville, Calif.) -- two-time state placer John McConkey (Atlantic, Iowa) -- state runner-up Montana Phillips (McArthur, Okla.) -- state champ, 2016 Cadet freestyle champ Spencer Trenary (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa) -- No. 49 Class of 2019

David Carr (Photo/Jim Thrall)FARGO, N.D. -- Last month David Carr lost in the semifinals of UWW Junior Nationals. That loss, according to Carr, humbled him and prepared him to compete in Fargo. On Tuesday, Carr capped off a dominant run through the Junior National freestyle competition in Fargo with a 13-3 technical fall in the finals at 160 pounds over Wisconsin's Tyler Dow. Carr was named Outstanding Wrestler of the competition after finishing the tournament with five technical falls in six matches. The lone match in which he didn't record a technical fall was an 8-6 win in the semifinals over Indiana's Joe Lee Carr, the son of 1988 Olympic bronze medalist Nate Carr, is the nation's No. 7 overall senior recruit. He is the highest ranked wrestler in the Class of 2018 who remains uncommitted to a college. Florida's Anthony Artalona was the lone repeat champion in the Junior freestyle competition. He came from behind to defeat four-time undefeated state champion Kaden Gfeller of Oklahoma 6-4 in the finals at 145 pounds. Gfeller jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Artalona turned it up and scored six points in the opening period, which was enough to take the victory. Illinois ran away with the Junior freestyle team title, scoring 82 points and crowning three champions. Winning titles for Illinois were Will Lewan (152), Jacob Warner (195) and Anthony Cassioppi (285). Lewan, a member of this year's Cadet World Team in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, topped North Dakota's Jared Franek 6-2 in the finals at 152 pounds. Franek led 2-1 with under a minute remaining in the match, but Franek used a step out to take the lead on criteria and added a late takedown and turn to seal the victory. Warner, a Cadet world bronze medalist last year, was unchallenged throughout the tournament, recording six technical falls in six matches. In the finals he blanked Miles Lee of Pennsylvania 11-0. Warner was the nation's No. 7 senior recruit in the Class of 2017 and will be a freshman at the University of Iowa. Cassioppi, who recently committed to Iowa, defeated local favorite Brandon Metz of North Dakota 4-1 in the finals at 285 pounds. Metz held a criteria lead with a minute left before Cassioppi picked up a takedown on the edge of the mat. Metz would get a late point off a step out, but Cassioppi held on for the narrow victory. Patrick McKee with his coach Brandon Paulson (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Patrick McKee of Minnesota grabbed his first Junior freestyle title with a second-period fall over Joey Melendez of Illinois. McKee raced out to a 4-0 lead, but Melendez battled back to make the score 4-4 after the opening period. McKee came out strong in the second period, scoring off an exposure and then securing the fall. Maryland's Aaron Brooks turned in an impressive performance in the finals as he claimed a 13-3 technical fall victory over Trent Hidlay of Pennsylvania. Two graduated seniors headed to the University of Michigan won titles: Drew Mattin of Ohio (126) and Ben Freeman of Michigan (138). Drew Mattin and Ben Freeman with Michigan assistant coaches Sean Bormet and Josh ChurellaMattin topped Indiana's Paul Konrath 8-1 to capture the title at 126 pounds. Mattin, a three-time Ohio state champion, led 1-0 at the break after a step out, and then pulled away in the second period. Freeman shut out Wisconsin's Jeremy Schoenherr 10-0 in the finals at 138 poounds. Freeman, the nation's No. 37 senior recruit in the Class of 2017, had five technical falls in six matches in Fargo. Will Guida of New Jersey kicked off the finals in grand fashion with a first-period fall over Jackson Cockrell (Oklahoma) at 100 pounds. Guida trailed 1-0 two minutes into the match before getting a takedown and stepping over to pick up the fall. Sam Latona became Alabama's first-ever Junior National champion with a 12-2 technical fall over Christopher Trelli of Connecticut. Nevada's Ty Smith overcame a 6-0 deficit, scoring 17 unanswered points, to defeat Washington's Brandon Kaylor 17-6. Smith becomes only the second Nevada wrestler ever to win a Junior National freestyle title, and the first since 1988. Atilano Escobar of Arizona was dominant in picking up a 10-0 first-period technical fall over Alexander Cruz of Washington at 132 pounds. Max Lyon of Iowa earned the title at 182 pounds with a 10-3 win over Jack Jesson of Illinois. Lyon, who is headed to Purdue, won a Junior National folkstyle title in the spring. Missouri's Zach Elam, a two-time state champion, captured the title at 220 pounds with a 14-4 technical fall victory in the finals over Haydn Maley of Oregon. Results: 100: Wil Guida (New Jersey) pinned Jackson Cockrell (Oklahoma), 2:13 106: Samuel Latona (Alabama) tech. fall Christopher Trelli (Connecticut), 12-2 113: Ty Smith (Nevada) tech. fall Brandon Kaylor (Washington), 17-6 120: Patrick McKee (Minnesota) pinned Joey Melendez (Illinois), 3:59 126: Drew Mattin (Ohio) dec. Paul Konrath (Indiana), 8-1 132: Atilano Escobar (Arizona) tech. fall Alexander Cruz (Washington), 10-0 138: Ben Freeman (Michigan) tech. fall Jeremy Schoenherr (Wisconsin), 10-0 145: Anthony Artalona (Florida) dec. Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma), 6-4 152: Will Lewan (Illinois) dec. Jared Franek (North Dakota), 6-2 160: David Carr (Ohio) tech. fall Tyler Dow (Wisconsin), 13-3 170: Aaron Brooks (Maryland) tech. fall Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania), 13-3 182: Max Lyon (Iowa) dec. Jack Jessen (Illinois), 10-3 195: Jacob Warner (Illinois) tech. fall Miles Lee (Pennsylvania), 11-0 220: Zach Elam (Missouri) tech. fall Haydn Maley (Oregon), 14-4 285: Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois) dec. Brandon Metz (North Dakota), 4-1

Dan Gable watches the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Photo/Mark Lundy) Dan Gable and Jim Ross will be guests on the "On The Mat" broadcast this Wednesday, July 19. Gable hardly needs an introduction. Legendary high school and collegiate wrestler at Iowa State who went on to win a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics… then, as coach at University of Iowa, built a wrestling dynasty. His name graces the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in his hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Ross is a familiar figure for fans of pro wrestling. The iconic play-by-play commentator is slated to appear as a special guest at this weekend's George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame induction festivities on July 20-22. "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. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com.

The death of Logan Luft has been a bodyslam for the wrestling community far beyond his hometown of Charles City, Iowa. If it hadn't been for an ATV accident July 4, the 15-year-old wrestler would be competing at Fargo this week. Instead, Luft's memory is being honored throughout the nation. Wrestling fans can honor Luft's memory in a number of tangible ways. Help a young wrestler attend wrestling camp Like Logan Luft, Jim Brown is a native Iowan passionate about wrestling. Brown, a direct marketing professional and major amateur wrestling booster, created Wrestling for Life to help bring the sport to youngsters in various ways, including providing young athletes with wrestling shoes, and tickets to major college wrestling events. Brown's Wrestling for Life organization has launched the Logan Luft Wrestling Camp Scholarship for this year. Students who just finished 7th or 8th grade are eligible for this scholarship -- valued at $200 -- which goes towards the cost of a wrestling camp of the recipient's choosing. The scholarship will be awarded based on academics (50 percent), wrestling accomplishments (30 percent) and community involvement (20 percent). Applications are available now until July 31. Camp must be held prior to the start of the 2017/2018 school year. To request an application, email Brown at jbrown@wrestlingforlife.org. Go along for a bike ride across Iowa and help the Luft family Tony Hager, a former wrestler in Ogden, Iowa who now participates in wrestling media -- including Takedown Radio and IAwrestle.com -- came up with a way to burn thousands of calories ... and generate funds to help Logan Luft's family with expenses. Hager plans to participate in RAGBRAI -- Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, the world's largest non-competitive bike-touring event, organized by The Des Moines Register -- where bike riders travel across the state of Iowa from west to east later this month. "My goal is to raise $10 per mile that I will be riding on RAGBRAI July 26-29," Hager wrote on his RallyMe.com page titled RAGBRAI Ride for Logan Luft. "My overall ride will hit 190 miles." "The sport of wrestling is a family," Hager continued. "Now it's time for me to help a fellow family member. A wrestling family member and his family. The costs of funeral services continue to rise and as a father of two I could never imagine having to go through this pain with the burden of the costs. If the money doesn't go to funeral services I can promise you it will go towards something Logan wanted it to." To contribute to Hager's RAGBRAI Ride for Logan Luft, click here. Be an organ donor Logan LuftWhen Logan Luft received his learner's permit for a driver's license a few weeks ago, he made a point of indicating he wanted to be an organ donor. Luft gave life to five people, including a 7-year-old girl who received his heart. Others will be helped with tissue donations. Beyond that handful of organ recipients, Logan Luft's selfless act will ultimately benefit countless others. Since his passing, more than 8,000 people in Iowa have signed up to become an organ donor. "The help that he has given to five other successful transplants is phenomenal," Heath Grimm, head wrestling coach at Upper Iowa University and Luft family friend, told KAAL-TV. "Look at the number of people who, after watching Logan, show leadership and being an organ donor are now organ donors themselves," said Erik Hoefer, Logan's cross-country coach. Each state has different requirements for designating yourself as an organ donor. Check with your state's licensing department or local governmental website to see how you can join in this effort.

88: 1st: Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec. Chance Lamer (Oregon), 14-10 3rd: Dylan Lesueur (Alabama) tech. fall Tommy Curran (Illinois), 10-0 5th: Stevo Poulin (New York) tech. fall Brandon O'Brien (Iowa), 10-0 7th: Cody Thompson (Colorado) tech. fall Richard Treanor (North Carolina), 13-2 94: 1st: Jett Strickenberger (Colorado) dec. Carter Young (Oklahoma), 10-4 3rd: Sheldon Seymour (Pennsylvania) dec. Kyle Rowan (Ohio), 6-6 5th: Cooper Flynn (Tennessee) tech. fall Jordan Titus (New York), 13-3 7th: Kase Mauger (Idaho) pinned Dyson Kunz (Nebraska), 1:19 100: 1st: Dylan Ragusin (Illinois) dec. Andrew Chambal (Michigan), 6-5 3rd: Richard Figueroa (California) dec. Yusief Lillie (Washington), 8-2 5th: Dominic Chavez (Texas) tech. fall Paxton Creese (Minnesota), 10-0 7th: Dustin Norris (Ohio) tech. fall Brayden Lowery (Indiana), 12-2 106: 1st: Zeke Escalera (Kentucky) tech. fall Matthew Ramos (Illinois), 11-0 3rd: Aizayah Yacapin (Washington) tech. fall Ryan Miller (Pennsylvania), 10-0 5th: Vincent Zerban (Illinois) dec. Cullan Schriever (Iowa), 11-6 7th: Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) dec. Jakason Burks (Nebraska), 13-9 113: 1st: Noah Surtin (Illinois) tech. fall Nick Masters (Georgia), 12-2 3rd: Anthony Clark (New Jersey) dec. Maxx Mayfield (Nebraska), 5-1 5th: Dylan Shawver (Ohio) tech. fall Joshua Ogunsanya (Illinois), 12-2 7th: Joel Vandervere (Illinois) dec. Trey Crawford (Missouri), 14-9 120: 1st: Ryan Sokol (Minnesota) tech. fall Dominick Serrano (Colorado), 14-4 3rd: Phillip Moomey Kearney (Nebraska) pinned Caleb Tanner Collinsville (Oklahoma), 3:00 5th: Trevor Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) tech. fall Michael Burnett (Ohio), 12-2 7th: Marckis Branford (Pennsylvania) dec. Jacob Lindsey (Illinois), 13-11 126: 1st: Joshua Saunders (Missouri) dec. Ryan Franco (California), 8-0 3rd: Travis Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) pinned Keegan O'Toole (Wisconsin), 2:08 5th: Gabriel Hixenbaugh (Alabama) pinned Gus Sutton (Ohio), 5:38 7th: Ryan Ripplinger (North Dakota) pinned Charlie Pickell (Minnesota), 4:45 132: 1st: Carson Manville (Minnesota) pinned Aidan Medora (Wisconsin), 3:17 3rd: Victor Voinovich (Ohio) dec. Alexander Mosconi (Indiana), 8-2 5th: Frankie Tal-shahar (Florida) tech. fall Trevor Chumbley (Illinois), 12-2 7th: Carter Tuttle (Pennsylvania) dec. Joshua Edmond (Michigan), 6-6 138: 1st: Fidel Mayora (Illinois) dec. Kevon Davenport (Michigan), 3-0 3rd: Lance Runyon (Iowa) pinned Michael Kistler (Pennsylvania), 0:43 5th: Cade Devos (Iowa) dec. Padraic Gallagher (Ohio), 10-3 7th: Dominic Damon (Washington) dec. Luka Wick (California), 9-9 145: 1st: Alex Facundo (Michigan) dec. Michael Weber (Montana), 6-5 3rd: Jace Luchau (California) by medical forfeit over Drew Eller (Georgia) 5th: Christian Hudson (Idaho) tech. fall Luca Frinzi (Pennsylvania), 10-0 7th: Trent Munoz (California) pinned Nathan Paulson (California), 1:52 152: 1st: Carter Starocci (Pennsylvania) dec. Aaron Gandara (Arizona), 7-2 3rd: Nevan Snodgrass (Ohio) tech. fall Joshua Otto (Wisconsin), 14-4 5th: Christopher Donathan (Ohio) tech. fall Skyler Noftsger (Iowa), 18-6 7th: Aurelius Dunbar (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Brett McIntosh (Ohio), 10-0 160: 1st: Robert Kanniard (New Jersey) tech. fall David Key (Georgia), 17-6 3rd: David Ferrante (Illinois) dec. Riley Habisch (Minnesota), 3-2 5th: Zach Glazier (Minnesota) dec. Clayton Fielden (Indiana), 11-7 7th: Jacob Nolan (New York) pinned James Cagnina (Illinois), 2:09 170: 1st: Albert Ferrari (Texas) dec. Abe Assad (Illinois), 11-3 3rd: Patrick Kennedy (Minnesota) by medical forfeit over Gerrit Nijenhuis (Pennsylvania) 5th: Talon Borror (Oklahoma) dec. Rocky Elam (Missouri), 3-2 7th: Ryan Ringler (Michigan) dec. Kyle Haas (Kansas), 16-8 182: 1st: Devin Winston (Missouri) dec. Jacob Logan (New York), 5-1 3rd: Darrien Roberts (Pennsylvania) dec. Jonathon Fagen (Idaho), 8-5 5th: Connor Bourne (Nevada) tech. fall Grant Parrish (Minnesota), 13-3 7th: Jeremiah Hollen (Arizona) pinned Gavin Carter (Kansas), 0:59 195: 1st: Ashton Sharp (Missouri) dec. Matthew Cover (Ohio), 6-4 3rd: Wyatt Hendrickson (Kansas) tech. fall Santos Cantu (Oregon), 11-0 5th: Peter Christensen (Illinois) tech. fall Konner Doucet (Oklahoma), 12-2 7th: Cody Fisher (Iowa) dec. Avery Jaramillo (Oregon), 12-6 220: 1st: Braxton Amos (West Virginia) dec. Luke Luffman (Illinois), 10-2 3rd: Jacob Kaminski (Illinois) pinned Victor Jaquez (California), 2:24 5th: Jacob Bullock (Illinois) dec. Hunter Catka (Pennsylvania), 10-9 7th: Lewis Fernandes (New Jersey) tech. fall Tarik Sutkovic (Arizona), 11-1 285: 1st: Nash Hutmacher (South Dakota) tech. fall Louden Haga (Ohio), 19-8 3rd: Eli Pokorney (Indiana) tech. fall Chase Dockter (North Dakota), 10-0 5th: Logan Zschernitz (Wisconsin) dec. Nicholas Pierce (Minnesota), 14-13 7th: Colby Whitehill (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Carlos Sanchez (Texas), 11-0

Will Lewan of Illinois defeated Peyton Robb of Minnesota to reach the finals at 152 pounds (Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Arguably the biggest four days of the scholastic wrestling year come to a conclusion Tuesday afternoon with the Junior National freestyle championship finals and consolation matches, which start at 2 p.m. CT. Below are the matchups, as well as an overview of the championship finals. 100: Jackson Cockrell (Oklahoma) vs. Will Guida (New Jersey) Cockrell qualified for state as a freshman at 106 pounds after earning eighth in Cadet Greco-Roman last year at 88 pounds. On the tournament, he beat a pair of Junior folkstyle placers in Daniel Rehfeldt (Michigan) and Anthony King (Illinois) before knocking off Junior folkstyle national champion Daniel Kimball (Iowa) 3-2 in the semifinal. Guida has three technical fall victories from three matches in his tournament, only giving up points in his round of 16 win over Junior folkstyle runner-up Devin Harmison (Iowa); during the high school season he was competed at 113 for St. Paul's in Maryland due to the presence of Kurt McHenry at 106. 3rd: Jacob Rundell (Illinois) vs. Jacob Moran (Indiana) 5th: Timothy Levine (California) vs. Daniel Kimball (Iowa) 7th: Preston Blotter (Utah) vs. Christian Goin (Illinois) 106: Christopher Trelli (Connecticut) vs. Sam Latona (Alabama) Trelli placed fourth at the New England regional tournament this past season, and earned wins over three tournament placers during the course of this event; those victories were 17-6 over two-time Cadet folkstyle champion Steele Dias, 8-8 on criteria over state champion and UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Justin Cardani, and then it was a 7-5 win over returning runner-up Brendon Garcia in the semifinal. Latona finished as runner-up last year in Cadet freestyle and was a champion at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals this spring. In the course of this tournament, it has been four technical fall victories from four bouts. 3rd: Anthony Talamonti (Illinois) vs. Brendon Garcia (Colorado) 5th: Steele Dias (Nevada) vs. Reese Fry (Michigan) 7th: Justin Cardani (Illinois) vs. Blake Fredrickson (California) 113: Brandon Kaylor (Washington) vs. Ty Smith (Nevada) This match features a pair of rising seniors, who have three state titles in their high school careers to date. Kaylor is a returning Junior freestyle All-American, and earned technical fall victories in his first four matches, including a 14-3 victory in the round of 16 over Ben Kamali that avenged a loss in the Flo Nationals final this spring. The semifinal victory was 15-12 over two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Aden Reeves. Smith is also a returning Junior freestyle All-American, fifth at 106 pounds losing to Kaylor by fall in 57 seconds in the consolation semifinal last year. He has four technical falls from five matches, including a 13-2 semifinal victory over NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Jace Koelzer, a Cadet freestyle runner-up last year. 3rd: Jace Koelzer (Kansas) vs. Cody Phippen (Missouri) 5th: Andrew Lucero (Colorado) vs. Aden Reeves (Iowa) 7th: Nicholas Onea (Pennsylvania) vs. Ben Kamali (Michigan) 120: Joey Melendez (Illinois) vs. Patrick McKee (Minnesota) This match features a pair of top 100 Class of 2018 wrestlers that are two-time state champions. Ranked No. 67 overall among rising seniors, Melendez has ran through a strong gauntlet of opposition to reach the final. His last four wins are a 13-2 technical fall over UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Kyle Gollhoffer (Georiga), 11-2 over two-time returning Junior freestyle All-American Dominic LaJoie (Michigan), an 11-1 technical fall over returning All-American Michael Colaiocco, and then a 6-4 semifinal win over two-time Cadet freestyle runner-up Ridge Lovett. McKee is now a four-time Fargo freestyle All-American, having finished third the prior two years (once as a Cadet, last year as a Junior). He has also had three very narrow escapes during this tournament: 14-13 in the opening round; 16-14 in the quarterfinal against Tommy Hoskins, who is ranked No. 46 among rising seniors; and then 19-17 over two-time Fargo freestyle runner-up Rayvon Foley in the semifinal. 3rd: Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey) vs. Patrick Glory (New Jersey) 5th: Rayvon Foley (Michigan) vs. Ridge Lovett (Idaho) 7th: Rhett Golowenski (Oklahoma) vs. Tommy Hoskins (Ohio) 126: Paul Konrath (Indiana) vs. Drew Mattin (Ohio) It's a pair of graduated seniors who will be enrolling at Big Ten schools in this finals bout. No. 86 overall in the Class of 2017, Konrath will be attending Wisconsin, while Mattin is a Michigan enrollee. Two-time Junior folkstyle champion Konrath is in the Junior freestyle final for a second straight year in this weight class, having finished second last year. Three-time state champion Mattin is now a three-time Junior freestyle All-American, and was runner-up at 113 pounds two years ago. Mattin had four technical falls from four bouts prior to a 12-11 semifinal barn-burner with Alex Thomsen, a wrestler whom he split matches against at the UWW Junior Nationals in April. 3rd: Jakob Camacho (Connecticut) vs. Jared Van Vleet (Illinois) 5th: Alex Thomsen (Iowa) vs. Aaron Schulist (Wisconsin) 7th: Austin Macias (Illinois) vs. Jack Karstetter (Oklahoma) 132: Atilano Escobar (Arizona) vs. Alexander Cruz (Washington) This is the total "Cinderella" final of the Junior freestyle program, as a litany of upsets in what wasn't the deepest of weights to start out with has played itself out. The rising senior Escobar was a state champion in 2016 and runner-up in Cadet Greco-Roman that same year, while this spring was fifth at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle. His run this tournament includes four technical falls and then pins in the last two matches, including one in the quarterfinal against pre-tournament favorite Andrew Alirez (Colorado). Three-time state champion Cruz is a returning Cadet freestyle All-Ameican had four technical falls from four bouts prior to an 8-7 semifinal victory over Tyler Deen, who had upset the other top pre-tournament contender, Jackson Henson (West Virginia) in the round of 16. 3rd: Tyler Deen (California) vs. Brent Jones (Minnesota) 5th: Gabe Miller (Pennsylvania) vs. Chase Zollmann (California) 7th: Andrew Alirez (Colorado) vs. Zach Price (Iowa) 138: Ben Freeman (Michigan) vs. Jeremy Schoenherr (Wisconsin) This is Freeman's first Junior freestyle All-American finish, though he was a Cadet freestyle runner-up in 2014. Ranked No. 37 overall among graduated seniors, he joins Mattin as a Michigan enrollee. He had four pins from four matches prior to a pin in the semifinal against state champion Jaden Enriquez (California), who ended the season ranked nationally like defeated quarterfinal opponent Jake Bergeland (Minnesota). Three-time state champion Schoenherr placed seventh in Junior freestyle last year, and had three technical falls from his first four matches before an 8-5 quarterfinal win over top 100 Class of 2018 wrestler Jack Davis; the semifinal was a fourth technical fall victory, that against two-time state champion Michael Millage. 3rd: Jake Bergeland (Minnesota) vs. Parker Filius (Montana) 5th: Michael Millage (Iowa) vs. Jaden Enriquez (California) 7th: Jason Kraisser (Maryland) vs. Jack Davis (Pennsylvania) 145: Anthony Artalona (Florida) vs. Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma) Ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2018, defending Junior National freestyle champion Artalona is back in the final having technical falls in his first five matches prior to a 10-10 criteria victory in the semifinal over Sammy Sasso; Sasso is ranked No. 11 among rising seniors and beat Artalona at last month's Junior Duals. 2015 Junior freestyle third place finisher Gfeller will enroll at Oklahoma State, finishing high school as a four-time state champion and as the No. 20 overall Class of 2017 wrestler. It was four shutout technical fall victories prior to an 8-5 win over No. 16 rising senior Brayton Lee in the quarterfinal and a 15-5 technical fall over No. 23 rising senior Alex Lloyd in the semifinal. 3rd: Alex Lloyd (Minnesota) vs. Brayton Lee (Indiana) 5th: Justin McCoy (Pennsylvania) vs. Sammy Sasso (Pennsylvania) 7th: Logan Meek (Oregon) vs. Brock Hardy (Utah) 152: Will Lewan (Illinois) vs. Jared Franek (North Dakota) This is a rematch from the semifinal round at last month's UWW Cadet freestyle tournament, a bout that Lewan won 5-0 on the way to the championship. In the semifinal round, Lewan beat Peyton Robb 7-4, which replicated the sweep in the best-of-three championship series at last month's UWW Cadet freestyle tournament. Prior to that, the nation's No. 19 overall Class of 2018 wrestler had won a pair of bouts by eight points and the other pair by technical fall. Franek was a Cadet National freestyle champion last year, and is ranked No. 76 in the rising senior class. His 7-3 semifinal victory over Markus Hartman was a replica of last year's Cadet freestyle final, while Franek beat fellow top 100 rising senior Tyler Eischens by shutout technical fall in the quarterfinal. 3rd: Justin Ruffin (Georgia) vs. Peyton Robb (Minnesota) 5th: Markus Hartman (Illinois) vs. Joshua Kim (California) 7th: Isaac Wilcox (Utah) vs. Tyler Eischens (Minnesota) 160: Tyler Dow (Wisconsin) vs. David Carr (Ohio) Dow, twice a Cadet Nationals and UWW Cadet freestyle All-American, advanced to the semifinal round with three technical falls and two pins. In that semifinal, it was the No. 82 overall Class of 2018 wrestler who doled out the upset of the tournament in upending this weight class's returning champion Jake Allar by a 12-11 decision. On the other side of the bracket, Cadet World silver medalist Carr also was dominant on his way to the semifinal with four technical falls, the last two over a Junior folkstyle champion and a top 100 rising senior. Ranked No. 7 in the 2018 class, Carr upending No. 15 Joe Lee 8-6 in the semifinal to avenge a loss from April's UWW Junior Nationals semifinal round; Carr had swept Lee in last year's UWW Cadet National freestyle finals series. 3rd: Joe Lee (Indiana) vs. Carson Kharchla (Ohio) 5th: Andrew Merola (New Jersey) vs. Jake Allar (Minnesota) 7th: Jalin Harper (Kansas) vs. Jaron Chavez (Idaho) 170: Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania) vs. Aaron Brooks (Maryland) This is one of the tournament's showcase finals as a pair of top 50 seniors collide. No. 22 Hidlay is a returning Junior freestyle All-American has run circles through this tournament winning all six of his bouts by shutout technical fall, including a quarterfinal defeat of fellow returning Junior freestyle All-American Josh Ramirez. No. 43 Brooks was a Cadet National double champion last year and runner-up last month's UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle. Things have not been easy for him, as there have been a one-point and two-point decision victory among his five bouts. 3rd: Max Wohlabaugh (Florida) vs. Zach Braunagel (Illinois) 5th: Andrew Berreyesa (Nevada) vs. Jeremiah Kent (Missouri) 7th: Josh Ramirez (Louisiana) vs. Leo Tarantino (New Jersey) 182: Jack Jessen (Illinois) vs. Max Lyon (Iowa) This is a rematch of the Junior National folkstyle final from April, a match won 7-5 by Purdue enrollee Lyon, who was the No. 54 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017. Now a two-time Junior freestyle All-American, Jessen is seeking a Fargo stop sign before he wins a high school state title (2nd/3rd/2nd so far); he is ranked No. 31 overall in the Class of 2018. Jessen has yet to give up a point in this tournament, winning all five of his bouts by shutout technical fall. 3rd: Lucas Davison (Indiana) vs. Cameron Caffey (Illinois) 5th: Myles Wilson (Colorado) vs. Christian Knop (Alabama) 7th: Austin Harris (Oregon) vs. Victor Marcelli (Ohio) 195: Jacob Warner (Illinois) vs. Miles Lee (Pennsylvania) Iowa signee Warner was a Cadet World bronze medalist last summer, and the No. 7 overall Class of 2017 wrestler has done nothing but dominate in this event. It's been five technical falls from five bouts, the last two against wrestlers that ended their senior seasons nationally ranked in weight classes; Nebraska enrollee Colton Wolfe (Nebraska) and Oklahoma enrollee Jake Woodley. Lee placed sixth in this weight last year in Fargo, reaching this year's final on the strength of four technical falls before a 6-2 upset over fellow repeat Junior freestyle All-American Matthew Waddell; Waddell is an Oklahoma enrollee. 3rd: Jake Woodley (Pennsylvania) vs. Brandon Whitman (Michigan) 5th: Cody Howard (Ohio) vs. Matthew Waddell (Georgia) 7th: Collin McCoy (Texas) vs. Joel Shapiro (Iowa) 220: Zach Elam (Missouri) vs. Haydn Maley (Oregon) Two-time state champion Elam is ranked No. 69 in the Class of 2018, and was a runner-up in Junior folkstyle. In the semifinal, it was an 8-5 victory over No. 66 rising senior Francis Duggan (Iowa). His prior four matches were three shutout technical fall victories along with a pin; the beaten opponents in the round of 16 and quarterfinals were returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans in Chase Trusell (Utah) and Tyler Curd. Stanford enrollee Maley was a four-time state champion and won the Junior Greco-Roman tournament last year. His run to the final features four pins and a technical fall. 3rd: Francis Duggan (Iowa) vs. Antonio McCloud (Ohio) 5th: Tyrell Gordon (Iowa) vs. Jace Punke (Illinois) 7th: Tyler Curd (Missouri) vs. Max Darrah (Missouri) 285: Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois) vs. Brandon Metz (North Dakota) Iowa commit Cassioppi is ranked No. 32 overall in the Class of 2018, and was a Junior folkstyle champion this spring. In addition, he was runner-up in this weight class last year and placed fifth at the UWW Junior Nationals at 120 kilos, including a win over Metz during that tournament. Metz placed third in this weight class last year, while winning the Junior Greco-Roman title; the North Dakota State enrollee finished as the No. 32 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017. Metz has three shutout technical falls and two narrow decisions, while Cassioppi has a pin and four technical falls from five matches. 3rd: Sammy Evans (Tennessee) vs. Zach Muller (Illinois) 5th: Jon Spaulding (Ohio) vs. Austin Emerson (Michigan) 7th: Paul Robinson (Georgia) vs. Brandon Reed (Kentucky)

Eric Guerrero coaching in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A long-time Cowboy has accepted a new job in Sooner-land. Former Oklahoma State wrestler and long-time assistant coach is headed south to Norman to become head coach at the Oklahoma Regional Training Center, University of Oklahoma head coach Lou Rosselli revealed on Twitter Monday. "Sooner fans, join me in welcoming Eric Guerrero, as Head Coach of the Oklahoma R.T.C! Great day for the State of Oklahoma! @CoachESGuerrero" Rosselli tweeted. A California native, the 40-year-old Guerrero spent half of his life in Stillwater, first as a three-time NCAA champ for the Cowboys, then in training for the 2004 Athens Olympics. He first joined Oklahoma State head coach John Smith's staff in 2000 as a strength and conditioning coach, then as an assistant coach in 2004, and, in 2012, was promoted to associate head coach. In addition to his extensive collegiate coaching experience, Guerrero is no stranger to freestyle coaching. He served as head coach for the USA at the 2009 FILA Junior Freestyle World Championships in Ankara, Turkey and led that squad to its most successful showing in 11 years. Eric Guerrero was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2014.

Chris Honeycutt (Photo/Bellator) Chris Honeycutt, NCAA All-American wrestler for Edinboro University, has been added to Bellator 182 in August. The 2012 NCAA finalist for the Fighting Scots will face Kevin "King" Casey in a preliminary middleweight (185-pound) bout at Bellator 182 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. on August 25. The 36-year-old Casey brings a 9-5-2 record in a professional mixed martial arts career going back to Sept. 2007. Honeycutt, 28, has a 9-1 mark since launching his career in Jan. 2013. The Honeycutt-Casey match joins a card featuring a featherweight main event with A.J. McKee taking on Blair Tugman.

John Clark Sacred Heart University announced the hiring of John Clark to serve as the Pioneers head wrestling coach. Bobby Valentine, Executive Director of Athletics, made the announcement Monday. "I am excited to welcome John to the SHU community and I look forward to watching him continue the upward trajectory of our wrestling program," said Valentine. "John has coached at the highest levels, is a proven recruiter and I am confident that he will excel as a Pioneer." Clark is the owner of John Clark All-American Wrestling Academy in Providence, R.I., where he has led his program to 10 state individual championships, in its second year of existence. The program won the Rhode Island State Championship as a team and finished third at the New England Championships, with five finalists. I'm very honored and excited to be chosen as the next head wrestling coach at Sacred Heart University," said Clark. "I would like to thank Bobby Valentine, Mike Gaustelle, Brad Hurlbut, the student-athletes on the team and the rest of the search committee for entrusting the program to my guidance. I have a vision of where I want to take the team and I look forward to helping the student-athletes achieve their goals in classroom and on the mats." Clark broke into the coaching ranks at Stanford University in 2005 as the second assistant with the Cardinal. He spent the following season at Lehigh University, before joining the Brown University wrestling program as head assistant coach in July 2007. He coached David Foxen to an EIWA Championship, the first wrestler since 1963 to win a conference title as an unseeded wrestler. Clark also served as the Bears recruiting coordinator. A 2004 graduate of The Ohio State University, Clark had a noteworthy collegiate wrestling career of his own. He ranks fourth in Buckeye history with 134 wins, was a four-time NCAA qualifier, a two-time All-America selection and was a two-time Big Ten wrestling finalist. Clark is actively involved in the community, in and out of wrestling, serving on the Rhode Island Special Olympics Game Management Committee since 2007. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Rhode Island Wrestling Association, as well as serving as Vice-Chairman of the Boston Chapter of the Wrestlers in Business Network. CLARK AT A GLANCE Owner, John Clark All-American Wrestling Academy, August 2015-present Head Assistant Coach, Brown University, June 2007 - September 2013 Volunteer Coach, Lehigh University, August 2006 - June 2007 Second Assistant Coach, Stanford University, August 2005 - July 2006 Two-Time NCAA Division I All-America Honoree Two-Time Big Ten Wrestling Finalist Four-Time NCAA Qualifier Fourth all-time in wins in Ohio State history (134) Third all-time in takedowns in Ohio State history (486)

Carson Manville (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) FARGO, N.D. -- Carson Manville of Minnesota grew up watching his older brother Mason wrestle in Fargo and win multiple titles on the big stage. On Monday, it was Carson's time to shine on the big stage in Fargo. The 15-year-old captured his first Fargo title in his first attempt at 132 pounds, and did so in dominant fashion. Manville, the nation's No. 1 incoming freshman wrestler, used a hip toss in the finals to secure a first-period fall over Wisconsin's Aidan Medora. Prior to the finals, Manville recorded six consecutive technical falls and outscored those opponents 66-3. Manville was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event and was one of two champions for Minnesota in the Cadet freestyle competition. He was joined by teammate Ryan Sokol, who picked up a 14-4 technical fall over Colorado's Dominick Serrano in the finals at 120 pounds. Sokol, a two-time Minnesota state high school placewinner entering his freshman year, raced out to an 8-1 lead just a minute into his finals match. Serrano inched closer with a takedown and step out to cut the deficit to 8-4. But Sokol came back with a four-point throw, which he followed up with a gut wrench to end the match. Illinois -- on the strength of three champions and six finalists -- cruised to the team title in the Cadet freestyle competition, scoring 84 points, outdistancing runner-up Ohio by 33 points. Pennsylvania (49), Minnesota (41) and Iowa (31) rounded out the top five teams. Winning Cadet freestyle titles for Illinois were Dylan Ragusin (100), Noah Surtin (113) and Fidel Mayora (138). Ragusin, a state high school runner-up in Illinois as a freshman, won his second Fargo stop sign, but first in freestyle. Last summer he was a Greco-Roman champion and placed third in freestyle. Ragusin edged Michigan's Andrew Chambal 6-5 in the finals at 100 pounds. Surtin was dominant in the finals, earning a 12-2 technical fall over Nick Masters of Georgia. He will now look to become a USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner after claiming Cadet folkstyle and freestyle titles. Mayora, a state third-place finisher in Illinois as a freshman, won his title by shutting out Michigan's Kevon Davenport 3-0 in the finals at 138 pounds. The lone takedown of the match came late in the first period when Mayora was put on the shot clock. He added an additional point in the second period off the shot clock. Zeke Escalera, an undefeated state champion as a freshman, made history by becoming Kentucky's first-ever Fargo champion. He won by technical fall, 11-0, over Matthew Ramos of Illinois in the finals at 106 pounds. On Sunday, Escalera knocked off returning Cadet freestyle champion Cullan Schriever of Iowa in the semifinals. West Virginia's Braxton Amos repeated as a Cadet National freestyle champion with 10-2 victory over Luke Luffman in the finals at 220 pounds. Amos, the nation's No. 4 sophomore, will now look to win the Greco-Roman competition and become a Cadet double champion in Fargo for the second straight year. Missouri, like Illinois, crowned three champions. Winning titles for Missouri were Joshua Saunders (126), Devin Winston (182) and Ashton Sharp (195). Saunders, a state champion as a freshman, capped off a dominant run to the title by shutting out California's Ryan Franco in the finals at 126 pounds. Saunders surrendered just one point in seven matches. Winston and Sharp, teammates at Park Hill (Mo.) High School, won back-to-back titles at 182 pounds and 195 pounds respectively. Winston notched a 5-1 win over New York's Jacob Logan. Sharp had to come from behind in his finals match against Ohio's Matthew Cover. Trailing 4-0 in the second period, Cover scored a four-point move to take the lead on criteria. He added another takedown a short time later and held on for the victory. Iowa's Drake Ayala kicked off the Cadet freestyle finals with a 14-10 victory over Chance Lamer of Oregon, avenging a loss from the Cadet National folkstyle competition in the spring. Jett Strickenberger gave Colorado a champion by defeating Oklahoma's Carter Young 10-4 in the finals at 94 pounds. At 145 pounds, it was a battle of Cadet National folkstyle champions as Alex Facundo of Michigan edged Michael Weber of Montana 6-5. Pennsylvania's Carter Starocci took the title at 152 pounds, beating Cadet National folkstyle champion Aaron Gandara of Arizona 7-2 in the finals at 152 pounds. Robert Kanniard of New Jersey used a whip over to finish a 17-6 technical fall over David Key of Georgia in the finals at 160 pounds. Kanniard, a state fourth-place finisher in New Jersey as a sophomore, concluded the tournament with five technical falls in six matches. Albert Ferrari of Texas, the nation's No. 3 sophomore, won the title at 170 pounds by handling Abe Assad of Illinois 11-3 in the finals. Nash Hutmacher of South Dakota closed out the Cadet freestyle finals with a 19-8 technical fall over Ohio's Louden Haga at 285 pounds. Finals Results: 88: Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec. Chance Lamer (Oregon), 14-10 94: Jett Strickenberger (Colorado) dec. Carter Young (Oklahoma), 10-4 100: Dylan Ragusin (Illinois) dec. Andrew Chambal (Michigan), 6-5 106: Zeke Escalera (Kentucky) tech. fall Matthew Ramos (Illinois), 11-0 113: Noah Surtin (Illinois) tech. fall Nick Masters (Georgia), 12-2 120: Ryan Sokol (Minnesota) tech. fall Dominick Serrano (Colorado), 14-4 126: Joshua Saunders (Missouri) dec. Ryan Franco (California), 8-0 132: Carson Manville (Minnesota) pinned Aidan Medora (Wisconsin), 3:17 138: Fidel Mayora (Illinois) dec. Kevon Davenport (Michigan), 3-0 145: Alex Facundo (Michigan) dec. Michael Weber (Montana), 6-5 152: Carter Starocci (Pennsylvania) dec. Aaron Gandara (Arizona), 7-2 160: Robert Kanniard (New Jersey) tech. fall David Key (Georgia), 17-6 170: Albert Ferrari (Texas) dec. Abe Assad (Illinois), 11-3 182: Devin Winston (Missouri) dec. Jacob Logan (New York), 5-1 195: Ashton Sharp (Missouri) dec. Matthew Cover (Ohio), 6-4 220: Braxton Amos (West Virginia) dec. Luke Luffman (Illinois), 10-2 285: Nash Hutmacher (South Dakota) tech. fall Louden Haga (Ohio), 19-8

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Ouachita Baptist University Athletic Director David Sharp announced the hiring of Kevin Crutchmer as the new head coach of the Ouachita Tigers' wrestling program. Coach Crutchmer has served as the head coach at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 2008 and has served as a committee member for USA Wrestling since 2014. Kevin Crutchmer"I am extremely excited that Coach Kevin Crutchmer is joining our staff to lead our wrestling program," Sharp said. "He has had tremendous success as a high school coach in Oklahoma where wrestling is very competitive. His enthusiasm, intensity, and experience are qualities he brings with him as he begins to direct our program." Sharp added, "His connections with USA Wrestling in Oklahoma and across the nation will be assets to him and our program as he builds toward the future. I look forward to working with Coach Crutchmer." During his tenure at Class 6A Union, Coach Crutchmer compiled a dual record of 107-24. His teams produced 13 state champions, 35 state placers, 15 nationally ranked wrestlers and three Tulsa World Wrestlers of the Year. Under coach Crutchmer's guidance, Union High School won the Oklahoma 6A Traditional Tournament State Championship in 2008 and finished as runner-ups from 2009-2011. His team also won the Oklahoma Dual state championship in 2011. "I am excited about the opportunity to lead a university program that has a great student-athlete tradition," coach Crutchmer said. "I am ready to give all I have to represent the University, Dr. Sells and David Sharp and all of the supporters of Ouachita Baptist University." Coach Crutchmer has served as the state chairman of USA Wrestling in Oklahoma since 2013 and has acted as a committee member and executive council member for USA Wrestling since 2014. He graduated from Northeastern State University in 1997 with a bachelor of science in Criminal Justice/Administration and served for eight years as a patrolman in Grove, Okla. He and his wife, Tina, are celebrating 20 years of marriage. They have four children, Kyle (24), Brian (24), Kayla (19) and Justin (12).

Ryan Franco advanced to the finals at 126 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) FARGO, N.D. -- Championship finals as well as consolation medal matches were determined early on Sunday evening at the Fargodome in North Dakota for the Cadet National freestyle tournament. These matches will be wrestled on Monday afternoon starting at 1:30 p.m. CT. 88: Chance Lamer (Oregon) vs. Drake Ayala (Iowa) Ranked No. 3 overall among Junior High wrestlers, Lamer is after the second leg of a Cadet Triple Crown having won the folkstyle title in this weight class during the spring. He also was runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals last month, a tournament in which he beat Ayala 17-6 along the way. Ayala was fifth in that tournament, while also placing third in Cadet folkstyle, losing 12-3 to Lamer in the semifinal round. 3rd: Tommy Curran (Illinois) vs. Dylan Leseur (Alaska) 5th: Stevo Poulin (New York) vs. Brendan O'Brien (Iowa) 7th: Richard Treanor (North Carolina) vs. Cody Thompson (Colorado) 94: Jett Strickenberger (Colorado) vs. Carter Young (Oklahoma) Strickenberger is ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2020, having placed third at 42 kilos in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals. He advanced to the finals with an 8-6 semifinal win over fellow ranked incoming freshman Cooper Flynn (Tennessee). Young has four technical falls from four matches in this tournament 3rd: Kyle Rowan (Ohio) vs. Sheldon Seymour (Pennsylvania) 5th: Cooper Flynn (Tennessee) vs. Jordan Titus (New York) 7th: Kade Mauger (Idaho) vs. Dyson Kunz (Nebraska) 100: Andrew Chambal (Michigan) vs. Dylan Ragusin (Illinois) This is a battle of wrestlers who placed third last year in Cadet freestyle, Chambal at 88 pounds, Ragusin at 94. Chambal also finished as runner-up in Greco-Roman and placed third at state as a freshman. Ragusin is ranked No. 45 overall in the Class of 2020, having finished third at 46 kilos in last month's UWW Cadet freestyle competition, after having earned the world team spot in Greco-Roman; he also was a state runner-up in high school this year. 3rd: Yusief Lillie (Washington) vs. Richard Figueroa (California) 5th: Paxton Creese (Minnesota) vs. Dominic Chavez, Jr. (Texas) 7th: Dustin Norris (Ohio) vs. Brayden Lowery (Indiana) 106: Zeke Escalera (Kentucky) vs. Matthew Ramos (Illinois) Ranked No. 21 overall in the Class of 2021, Escalera was a high school state champion this past season. His run to the final includes an 18-13 win over the No. 11 ranked rising freshman and then a 9-7 semifinal win over returning Cadet freestyle champion Cullan Schriever (Iowa). Ramos placed fifth at state in Illinois' big-school division this past season, and last spring/summer earned All-American honors in freestyle at both the UWW Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals. 3rd: Aizayah Yacapin (Washington) vs. Ryan Miller (Pennsylvania) 5th: Vincent Zerban (Illinois) vs. Cullan Schriever (Iowa) 7th: Jakason Burks (Nebraska) vs. Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) 113: Nick Masters (Georgia) vs. Noah Surtin (Illinois) As projected heading into the tournament, this weight produced the least heralded final of the "core" Cadet freestyle weight classes. Masters, state champion as a freshman, had notable wins over UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Hunter Lewis (Wisconsin) and returning Cadet freestyle All-American Anthony Clark (New Jersey) during his tournament. State medalist Surtin is seeking the second leg of his Cadet Triple Crown, having won the folkstyle title, and also placed sixth at 50 kilos in freestyle at last month's UWW Cadet freestyle tournament. 3rd: Anthony Clark (New Jersey) vs. Maxx Mayfield (Nebraska) 5th: Dylan Shawver (Ohio) vs. Josh Ogunsanya (Illinois) 7th: Trey Crawford (Missouri) vs. Joel Vandervere (Illinois) 120: Ryan Sokol (Minnesota) vs. Dominick Serrano (Colorado) Two-time state placer Sokol is ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2021. In his five contested matches this tournament, he has two victories by technical fall and three by pin; that includes a 20-7 win over Trevor Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey), third at UWW Cadet freestyle in the semifinal. Ranked No. 17 overall in the Class of 2020, Serrano has three technical falls and one pin among his five match victories in the tournament; he was a state champion this past high school season. 3rd: Caleb Tanner (Oklahoma) vs. Phillip Moomey (Nebraska) 5th: Mick Burnett (Ohio) vs. Trevor Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) 7th: Marckis Brandford (Pennsylvania) vs. Jacob Lindsey (Illinois) 126: Joshua Saunders (Missouri) vs. Ryan Franco (California) Ranked No. 7 in the Class of 2020, Saunders placed fourth at the UWW Cadet freestyle nationals last month in the 58 kilo weight class; the high school state champion has six technical fall victories in six matches, and has given up all of one point so far in the tournament. Cadet folkstyle runner-up Franco is ranked No. 8 nationally among the incoming freshman Class of 2021. 3rd: Travis Mastrogiovanni (New Jersey) vs. Keegan O'Toole (Wisconsin) 5th: Gus Sutton (Ohio) vs. Gabe Hixenbaugh (Alabama) 7th: Charlie Pickell (Minnesota) vs. Ryan Ripplinger (North Dakota) 132: Carson Manville (Minnesota) vs. Aidan Medora (Wisconsin) Manville is ranked No. 1 overall in the Class of 2021, and was a high school state champion this past season. He has six technical fall victories from six matches, giving up only three points, all of those during his semifinal win over state placer Alex Mosconi (Indiana). Though not ranked in the Class of 2020, the high school state runner-up Medora has been excellent in this tournament with wins over three of the All-American finishers; 10-6 over state medalist Chumbley, 3-0 over nationally ranked incoming freshman Voinovich, and then 12-1 in the semis over nationally ranked Class of 2020 Tal-Shahar. 3rd: Victor Voinovich (Ohio) vs. Alex Mosconi (Indiana) 5th: Frankie Tal-Shahar (Florida) vs. Trevor Chumbley (Illinois) 7th: Josh Edmond (Michigan) vs. Carter Tuttle (Pennsylvania) 138: Kevon Davenport (Michigan) vs. Fidel Mayora (Illinois) This match features a pair of UWW Cadet freestyle All-Americans at 63 kilos, though they did not compete head-on during the tournament; Davenport was fourth and Mayora seventh. Davenport is a two-time state champion and ranked No. 27 overall in the Class of 2019, having also placed fifth in Cadet freestyle last year; while Mayora placed third at state and is ranked No. 13 in the Class of 2020, having also earned All-American honors in Cadet Greco-Roman last year. 3rd: Lance Runyon (Iowa) vs. Michael Kistler (Pennsylvania) 5th: Cade Devos (Iowa) vs. Padraic Gallagher (Ohio) 7th: Luka Wick (California) vs. Dominic Damon (Washington) 145: Alex Facundo (Michigan) vs. Michael Weber (Montana) This matchup features a pair of Cadet folkstyle champions, Facundo winning at 138 and Weber in this weight class. Ranked No. 5 in the Class of 2021, Facundo had four shutout technical fall victories prior to an 8-4 win over Jace Luchau (California), Cadet folkstyle runner-up up a weight class. Ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2019, Weber has four technical falls and a pin among his six match victories this tournament. 3rd: Drew Eller (Georgia) vs. Jace Luchau (California) 5th: Christian Hudson (Idaho) vs. Luca Frinzi (Pennsylvania) 7th: Nathan Paulson (California) vs. Trent Munoz (California) 152: Aaron Gandara (Arizona) vs. Carter Starocci (Pennsylvania) Gandara is in the hunt for the second leg to a Cadet Triple Crown, having won the folkstyle title in early April. Ranked No. 16 overall in the Class of 2020, he flipped a 12-10 loss from Cadet Duals to Nevan Snodgrass with a 7-6 semifinal victory. Ranked No. 20 in the Class of 2019, UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Starocci had four shutout technical fall victories in his first four bouts prior to an 8-2 semifinal victory; Starocci is also a two-time state placer, including his runner-up finish this past March. 3rd: Joshua Otto (Wisconsin) vs. Nevan Snodgrass (Ohio) 5th: Chris Donathan (Ohio) vs. Skyler Noftsger (Iowa) 7th: Brett McIntosh (Ohio) vs. Aurelius Dunbar (Pennsylvania) 160:David Key (Georgia) vs. Robert Kanniard (New Jersey) This is a battle of rising juniors, with Key winning a state title this past high school season and Kanniard placing fourth in a weight where the top three all ended the season weight-class ranked. Key advanced to the finals with four technical falls and a 9-8 win over No. 19 overall Class of 2020 wrestler David Ferrante, while Kanniard has four technical falls among five match victories. 3rd: David Ferrante (Illinois) vs. Riley Habisch (Minnesota) 5th: Zach Glazier (Minnesota) vs. Clayton Fielden (Indiana) 7th: James Cagnina (Illinois) vs. Jacob Nolan (New York) 170: A.J. Ferrari (Texas) vs. Abe Assad (Illinois) Ferrari is ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2020, and has arguably faced one of the toughest paths to the finals of any wrestler in this tournament. Wins include those over two-time state runner-up Troy Fisher (Kansas) and state champion Sam Fisher (Virginia) prior to a 5-4 quarterfinal victory over No. 5 overall Class of 2020 wrestler Patrick Kennedy (Minnesota) in arguably the match of the tournament; he then beat Gerrit Nijenhuis (Pennsylvania) 8-3 in the semifinal, who is ranked No. 11 overall in the Class of 2020. Returning Cadet freestyle All-American Assad is onto the final with most notable wins coming against state champions Julian Broderson (Iowa) and Talen Borrer (Oklahoma). 3rd: Patrick Kennedy (Minnesota) vs. Gerrit Nijenhuis (Pennsylvania) 5th: Talen Borrer (Oklahoma) vs. Rocky Elam (Missouri) 7th: Ryan Ringler (Michigan) vs. Kyle Haas (Kansas) 182: Devin Winston (Missouri) vs. Jake Logan (New York) Ranked No. 42 overall in the Class of 2019, Winston has advanced to the final with five technical fall victories from five bouts in the tournament; he also was a state champion and UWW Cadet freestyle All-American earlier this year. State medalist Logan is a returning Cadet All-American in both styles, and has yet to give up a point in the whole tournament. 3rd: Darrien Roberts (Pennsylvania) vs. Jonathan Fagen (Idaho) 5th: Grant Parrish (Minnesota) vs. Connor Bourne (Nevada) 7th: Jeremiah Hollen (Arizona) vs. Gavin Carter (Kansas) 195: Matthew Cover (Ohio) vs. Ashton Sharp (Missouri) Cover had three shutout technical falls to reach the quarterfinal, where he won 12-11, and then it was a 4-2 semifinal victory over returning Cadet freestyle All-American Santos Cantu (Oregon). Ranked No. 50 overall in the Class of 2020, Sharp placed third at state and is on the Cadet World Team in Greco-Roman at 85 kilos; he was also champion in Cadet folkstyle during the spring. 3rd: Santos Cantu (Oregon) vs. Wyatt Hendrickson (Kansas) 5th: Konner Doucet (Oklahoma) vs. Peter Christensen (Illinois) 7th: Avery Jaramillo (Oregon) vs. Cody Fisher (Iowa) 220: Braxton Amos (West Virginia) vs. Luke Luffman (Illinois) Returning Cadet National double champion Amos is ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2020. He has ransacked his way through the tournament with five technical falls from five matches, only giving up two points in a solitary match. He faces state champion Luffman, who is ranked No. 43 in the Class of 2019 after a third place finish at the UWW Cadet Nationals in the 96 kilo weight class. It should be noted that Amos missed the entire 2016-17 high school season due to injury sustained in the early fall. 3rd: Jacob Kaminski (Illinois) vs. Victor Jacquez, Jr. (California) 5th: Hunter Catka (Pennsylvania) vs. Jacob Bullock (Illinois) 7th: Lewis Fernandes (New Jersey) vs. Tarik Sutkovic (Arizona) 285: Nash Hutmacher (South Dakota) vs. Louden Haga (Ohio) State champion as a freshman this past season, Hutmacher has four shutout technical fall victories in four matches this tournament, including one in the semifinals over returning Cadet freestyle All-American Eli Pokorney (Indiana). Haga is a two-time state runner-up in West Virginia. 3rd: Chase Dockter (North Dakota) vs. Eli Pokorney (Indiana) 5th: Luke Zschernitz (Wisconsin) vs. Nicholas Pierce (Minnesota) 7th: Colby Whitehill (Pennsylvania) vs. Carlos Sanchez (Texas)

Curran Jacobs, former Michigan State wrestler and current mixed martial arts fighter, took first place in the 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament in Humboldt, Iowa Saturday. Curran Jacobs (far right) with Team JacobsIn second place was Travis Wiuff, who once wrestled for Minnesota State-Mankato. Anthony Pacheck placed third. A forerunner of modern folkstyle and freestyle wrestling, catch wrestling is the product of old-style catch-as-catch-can wrestling. Matches can last up to 20 minutes. Catch wrestlers may use joint lock submission holds; however, unlike MMA, contestants are not allowed to punch, kick or choke opponents. For the second year in a row, the event was held at Humboldt High School in the hometown of Frank Gotch, early 1900s world champion wrestler who used submission holds in most of his matches. This year, the Gotch World Catch Wrestling Championships featured a dozen athletes, all competing in an open-weight tournament. There was a wide variance in the actual weights of the wrestlers. As Jacobs pointed out on Facebook, "Today, I weighed in at 194 lbs. exactly. Travis Wiuff was 253 lbs. (Nicholas) Caggia was 311 pounds. And (Wil) Bunn was 298." In an interview with InterMat, Jacobs, 28, disclosed that he pinned Wil Bunn, defeated Pacheck by a double wrist-lock, and beat Wiuff twice in two separate matches, using, appropriately enough, the Frank Gotch toe hold both times. "This was a brutal tournament," an exhausted Jacobs told the Catch Wrestling Alliance blog after winning the event.

Don Benning, pioneer wrestling coach and former member of the U.S. Olympic wrestling committee, died Thursday night. He was 81. Don BenningIn athletics and academics, Benning was a man of many firsts. First black faculty member at the University of Omaha, now University of Nebraska-Omaha. First black head coach in a predominantly white university (Omaha) in the United States and the first to lead a team to a national championship, according to his hometown newspaper, the Omaha World-Herald. First black member of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Committee, in 1969. Don Benning grew up in Omaha. At North High School, Benning was a three-sport athlete; in addition to wrestling, he competed in football and baseball. He continued in those same three sports at what is now UNO, joining the newly reinstated wrestling program there as a senior, where he was undefeated. (Benning had turned down an invitation to wrestle as a walk-on at Iowa State because his family could not afford to send him there.) In the early 1960s, Benning launched his professional career at UNO, as first African-American to join the faculty at UNO, and its first black coach in any sport, taking the reins of the wrestling program in 1963. In eight seasons as Nebraska-Omaha head wrestling coach, Benning led the teams to an 87-24-4 dual-meet record... with a dominating 55-3-2 record in his last four seasons at the helm, according to Leo Adam Biga, author of "Out to Win: The Roots of Greatness" about Omaha black sports legends. In 1970, Benning took the team to the national title at the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Wrestling Championships after UNO had placed second in the team standings at the 1968 and 1969 NAIA Nationals. Benning told Biga, "Because of the uniqueness of the situation and the circumstances, I knew if I failed I was not going to be judged by being Don Benning, it was going to be because I was African-American." "You have to understand in the early 1960s, when I was first in these positions, there wasn't a push nationally for diversity or participation in society," Benning said to Biga for his book. "The push for change came in 1964 with the Civil Rights Act, when organizations were forced to look at things differently. As conservative a community as Omaha was and still is it made my hiring more unusual. I was on the fast track … "On the academic side or the athletic side, the bottom line was I had to get the job done. I was walking in water that hadn't been walked in before. I could not afford not to be successful. Being black and young, there was tremendous pressure … not to mention the fact I needed to win." After concluding his teaching and coaching career at Omaha, Benning then became an administrator for the Omaha Public Schools, guiding the district through the desegregation process in a career that spanned 26 years. Benning earned a number of honors throughout his career, including the NAIA Award of Merit and the Sports Illustrated Award of Merit. He was also named NAIA Coach of the Year. Benning is a member of the UNO Wrestling Hall of Fame, the NSWCA (Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association) Coaching Hall of Fame, and the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame. Funeral services are pending.

Two-time Super 32 Challenge champion Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) verbally committed to the University of Michigan on Saturday afternoon. This year's Walsh Jesuit Ironman runner-up is also a four-time state champion, as junior high wrestlers can compete in high school competition in Florida's small-school division. Silva was also champion at the NHSCA freshman, sophomore, and junior nationals. He is Michigan's first ranked Class of 2018 verbal commitment, and projects to compete collegiately as a 141-pound wrestler.

Joe Warren (Photo/Bellator) Former amateur wrestlers went three-for-three at Bellator 181 as Joe Warren, Logan Storley and Romero Cotton all came out victors at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. Friday night. Warren, a Greco-Roman mat star and long-time MMA veteran, earned a unanimous decision over Steve Garcia ... while Storley, a four-time NCAA All-American at University of Minnesota, made short work of Kemmyelle Haley with a first-round TKO, and Cotton, three-time NCAA Division II champ at University of Nebraska -- Kearney, got a split decision over Aaron Rodriguez. The 40-year-old Warren -- a former bantamweight and featherweight champ -- opened the main card action in a 135-pound vs. Steve Garcia. Warren used his extensive wrestling experience in the early rounds over the younger Garcia to score a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in the three-round bout. Warren, a Pan-Am and World Greco champ, is now 14-6 in his nine-year pro career, while Garcia falls to 7-2. Storley, who has been competing in pro MMA events in his native South Dakota for the past two years, took a step up with his first Bellator bout, taking on Haley, who hadn't had a pro bout in five years. Storley's impressive amateur wrestling background served him well as the former Gopher took down Haley with a single leg ... then pounded his opponent with elbows, getting a TKO at 1:44 in the first round of the 170-pound bout scheduled for three rounds. Storley's Bellator debut lifts the 24-year-old's pro MMA record to 6-0, with Haley dropping to 7-5. Cotton made his pro MMA debut at the Bellator 181, getting a split decision over Aaron Rodriguez, who was also appearing in his first pro MMA bout. While Sherdog.com staff scored all three rounds for the 170-pound bout for the former Nebraska-Kearney, actual Bellator judges scored it 30-27, 27-30, 29-28 for Cotton. The 26-year-old Cotton, who signed with Bellator in November 2016, is now 1-0 while Rodriguez is 0-1. In preliminary card action at welterweight, E.J. Brooks – a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ at Lincoln College in Illinois who went on to wrestle at University of Missouri – won a unanimous decision over Guilherme Vasconcelos, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.

Matt McDonough, Troy Nickerson, Jacob Warner and Andy Hamilton are among the guests to be featured on the Takedown Radio broadcast this Saturday, July 15. Join Tony Hager, Brad Johnson and Travis Lloyd for the two-hour broadcast from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central available on KXNO 1460 AM radio and online at www.KXNO.iHeart.com or TakedownWrestle.com. Here's this Saturday's guest list: 9 a.m. Jacob Warner, Cadet World medalist and Iowa Hawkeye commit 9:20 a.m. Matt McDonough, two-time NCAA champion 9:40 a.m. Pat Glory, No. 1 ranked wrestler at 120 pounds from New Jersey 10 a.m. Troy Nickerson, Northern Colorado head coach 10:15 a.m. Zac Dominquez, Nebraska USA wrestling coach 10:35 a.m. Andy Hamilton, Community Manager for Trackwrestling 10:50 a.m. Clayton McBryde, McBryde Mats

Wrestlers who violate NCAA weight certification protocols, use prohibited weight-loss practices or commit a severe weigh-in or medical examination violation will face stiffer penalties in the 2017-18 season. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a penalty change that requires a wrestler to miss eight consecutive competitions for a first offense in those areas and to sit out a year for a second offense. Wrestlers found to be in violation also would be required to recertify their weight at some point during the suspension period. Examples of violations covered under this rule include urine manipulation during weight assessments; use of rubber suits, saunas, diuretics or intravenous rehydration; and skin check forgery or deception. Additionally, the team's coach and the director of athletics will receive private reprimands for the first offense. If a second offense occurs, additional institutional penalties will be determined by the rules committee. The weight management rules were established to protect the health and safety of the participants in the sport. Wrestlers can lose up to 1.5 percent of their body weight per week. The rules are in place to ensure student-athletes maintain a slow descent toward their competition weight classification. Weight allowance The panel also approved a rule pertinent to weight allowance: When back-to-back dual meet competitions occur, all competitors will receive a 1-pound weight allowance on the second day of competition. Facial hair Wrestlers will be allowed to have facial hair of up to a half-inch in length -- as long as the skin of the wrestler is visible so that a proper medical examination can be performed. If the medical professional rules the beard is too long or thick and a medical examination cannot be performed, the wrestler will be required to immediately trim the facial hair to within the guidelines. A wrestler with facial hair exceeding a half-inch that successfully clears medical exams can compete using a nonabrasive facial covering or a face mask. Previously, wrestlers were not allowed to compete with facial hair unless they filed for a waiver. Third-party video review The panel approved an optional rule to allow a third-party registered official to be hired to conduct video reviews on coaches' challenges in dual meets and tournaments. Other rules changes: When in the neutral position, the referee will verbally announce a danger signal to wrestlers who expose their shoulders to the mat at any angle less than 90 degrees. The verbal announcement will be followed by an audible three-count. If the referee reaches the third count and the wrestler is still in the danger zone, the opposing wrestler is awarded a takedown. Wrestlers will be limited to a maximum of six matches per day. The Feb. 15 deadline for a wrestler to reach his lowest allowable weight class was eliminated. The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee believes, since all student-athletes must adhere to the 1.5 percent weight-loss guidelines, there is no sound rationale for maintaining the arbitrary Feb. 15 deadline. Wrestlers will be allowed to certify at their weight classifications until the first date of competition. Even though the certification timeline is being extended, the 1.5 percent weight-loss descent requirement would remain unchanged. Coaches will indicate the intent to use a video review by throwing a red or green foam brick into the competition circle.

Chris Bentley, head wrestling coach at Pennsylvania's Trinity High School, died Thursday. He was 46. Chris Bentley (Photo/Sean Simmers, PennLive)According to the school's athletic director, Gary Bricker, Bentley was at work at Clarks America when he collapsed and could not be resuscitated. Bricker told PennLive.com cause of death appears to have been a heart attack. "He was a wonderful individual and outstanding leader to our program, and he was a great role model to our kids," Bricker told The Sentinel. "Coach Bentley was a much loved and respected husband, father, friend, and coach to everyone who knew him," Trinity principal John Cominsky said in an email to the school community. "He was a man of deep faith." Bentley is survived by his wife Lara, and two sons, Devin and Caleb, both who wrestled for their father at Trinity. Bentley played football and wrestled in high school and college. He was named head coach of the Trinity Shamrocks just weeks before the start of their inaugural season in 2010-11. Although that first season was a bit of struggle for the team -- having compiled a 0-3 record -- there were high points for Trinity throughout Bentley's coaching career. That first season, Adam Geiger won the program' first District 3 Class AA individual championship. One year later, Ryan Diehl claimed the Shamrock's first individual Pennsylvania state title. Bentley's influence spread beyond Trinity. "He was a great coach and I think that's how a lot of people will remember him, as a coach, but I think it's also equally important to remember that he was a father and a husband and I ultimately feel for those people that were left behind," said Dave Heckard, Cumberland Valley wrestling coach. "I feel for us and the wrestling community, who are a close group and a tight knit bunch." "Coach Chris was much more than a wrestling coach," according to Cole Forrester, Shippensburg rising senior and wrestler. "He was a mentor and hero to me and many other wrestlers who got to wrestle under him. For my freshman year at Trinity, he took me under his wing and treated me like a son. Coach was truly invested in all of his athletes and the sport. I can't thank him enough for all he has done for me and for help shaping me into the man I am today." Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

The NCAA this week passed two significant new rules: Challenge brick replaces the challenge flag Scrambles are now scrutinized for control The first part is obvious. The challenge flag was hokey and after the 2014 Junior World Championships the challenge blocks dressed as Angry Birds were too popular to be suppressed. As for the new scrambling rules? This is common sense! In the world of traditional wrestling, martial arts, and combat sports this makes total sense. You do not "expose your belly to the Gods." Wrestling is about control, not about who can lie on their back and game some odd system. Maybe it was United World Wrestling's direction, maybe it was the fans, but finally the NCAA Rules Committee has moved the sport forward. To your questions … Q: What is going on with Oklahoma State recruiting? Usually by now they have a couple of highly regarded recruits committed. -- @Jferg24 Foley: Only two weeks have passed since coaches can contact recruits, but I see your point. Most schools have their top recruits lined up for July 1 and you'd expect a few Oklahoma State commits in this first blitz. While odd, I don't think it's a symptom of any larger problem, but more of waiting for the right athlete. John Smith isn't rushed for much, and certainly not holding himself accountable to the whims of a 17-year-old wrestler. Jesse Jantzen looks for near fall points against Hofstra's James Strouse (Photo/TheMatSlap.com) Q: Who is the most underappreciated American wrestler of this generation? -- Mike C. Foley: I'm not sure which generation we are in, or where to draw the line, but over the past 20 years I think it's probably Jesse Jantzen. Jantzen was a four-time New York state champion who could've gone anywhere to wrestle in college, but chose Harvard, where he also wrestled. Remember that in the early 2000s, guys were still lining up three and four deep across the Big Ten thinking that was their best way to win an NCAA championship. Jantzen was one of the first that viewed wrestling as the opportunity for more than on-the-mat and trusted himself to win regardless of the location. Technically speaking, his half ride series is still in use today. Though variations always existed his techniques have filtered down to today's athletes and have made the sport more exciting to watch. Q: There are a lot of rumors of Nick Suriano potentially leaving Penn State. Do these rumors have any legs? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't think he'd leave, but he definitely wants to go 133 pounds, so maybe that is causing some friction. Q: I saw some American wrestling fans bitching on social media about UWW's seeding process for the World Championships. It seems like an improvement from what we had before. What has the feedback been around the world? -- Mike C. Foley: First, there is some distance between how American wrestling fans define/view seeding and how the rest of the world defines/views seeding. Here in the states seeding is by committee. There are pre-seeds and the meetings are controlled by some sort of leadership, but overall an objective analysis is performed, some coloring-in occurs as needed and voila there are seeds. At the international level seeding is an objective, point-based system. That's for judo, taekwando, tennis, table tennis -- sports seeds are an objective system of numbers based on outcomes from a system whose rules are defined before the season. There is no cajoling, and I doubt that anyone would ask for that to ever be the case. Wrestling is adopting a seeding process and that takes time. The sport needed to have the system ready for the 2017 season because it was the first year of the 2020 cycle and we needed to inform the IOC of our intention to make the improvement. However, because it was the first year of the seeding system and wasn't adopted until the week after the Olympic Games, there was a limited amount that the Technical Commission could pass. For example, this year's seeds are comprised of points coming out of only three tournaments: 2016 Olympic Games, 2016 World Championships and the 2017 Continental Championships. As you know, many wrestlers have changed weight classes for the 2020 cycle and left the weight class where they earned points at the Olympic Games. That's their prerogative, but the rules clearly stated that points don't travel with a wrestler to a new weight class. Why? Because they don't want wrestlers earning points up a weight class and then moving into a new weight at the World Championships. The sport needs stars and it needs them to compete at an identifiable weight class. To make the season feel more like a season will be something like 7 point-scoring tournaments in 2018, allowing for larger separations in points and criteria for tied wrestlers. This year, with only two inputs, there was resistance to digging down to find wrestlers to place in the top four of a weight class. Argument being the ninth-place Olympic finisher who didn't compete at the continental championships shouldn't be rewarded with a seed by default. The system is young and the IT department and sport department are taking notes on how best to adapt moving forward. The Technical Commission will also evaluate the success of the system and give recommendations on improvements. Yes, there are some that will never be happy, but this is solid progress for the sport and an important first step to getting worldwide buy-in for wrestling's first-ever seeded Olympic Games in 2020. Q: If Paris gets the Olympics in 2024, would the wrestling venue be the same one used for this year's World Championships? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes and no. Yes, it will be at AccorHotels Arena, but it will be in Arena 2, which holds roughly 8,000 compared with 16,000 for Arena 1. Q: What benefits do wrestlers get from signing with clubs like Sunkist Kids or Titan Mercury Wrestling Club? The club members train in different cities across the country, often with wrestlers and coaches from other clubs. For example, Helen Maroulis is with Sunkist Kids when her coach is TMWC and so is her training partner Elena Pirozhkova. Jordan Burroughs and James Green are in separate clubs as well, yet both train in Lincoln. Is the club relatively meaningless? -- Aaron P. Foley: While they are not teams in the traditional sporting sense, clubs are vital to American wrestling. The clubs are financed by wealthy individuals who provide top wrestlers the money necessary for training, travel and other incidentals. In return the athlete wears the club gear and promotes their brand in competitions around the world. Q: When wrestling was readmitted to the Olympics, it wasn't permanent. It was only for Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2020). What is the status of wrestling at the Olympics beyond that? Will we have to fight to stay in the games again? Wrestling is not on the list of core sports last I checked. -- Aaron P. Foley: Wrestling will always be part of the Olympic Games. There might be changes, but sport removal is not something the sport will face. However, there is always work to be done and the sport is looking to make sure it's fan friendly and captures the new and younger audience so desired by the IOC. Q: A few years back, I was an assistant wrestling coach at my old high school. One day, a kid approached me and asked me if he should try out for wrestling. He said he was asking because he was gay. I told him, "Sure." A few days later, the head coach pulled me aside and asked me if I had told that kid to try out. I said, "Yeah." And he told me not to encourage kids like that to try out. And he didn't let the kid join the team. So, my question is this: how difficult is it for a gay kid to get on a wrestling team in high school or college? Is it really a big deal? Would a division I coach turn down a talented prospect just because he's gay? Do you have any feel for how that might work out? -- John G. Foley: How difficult? Unimaginable. Kids are mean, but high school kids can be evil when it comes to treating those who think and act differently. I think Mike Pucillo's journey helped curb some of the stereotypes in our community, and I've been thrilled to see the support he's received from our community. We can never do enough to welcome young people to our sport, no matter their religion, gender, race or sexual orientation. Wrestling is an egalitarian sport and should keep its doors open to all who want to test their mettle. Tell the head coach that the wrestling community has plenty of gay wrestlers. Not all of them are out, but there are MANY more than Mike Pucillo, and that's a wonderful thing. Q: Do the presenters and/or camps receive royalties from Flowrestling for technique videos? -- Robert G. Foley: Was once a flat fee. Not sure if they still compensate Q: Big 12 wrestling certainly improved with the addition of Northern Iowa and Fresno State to their conference tournament, but with the Oklahoma's head coaching carousel, Iowa State recovering slowly, and South Dakota State showing some promise, in your opinion, who will be the first to dethrone Oklahoma State for the conference title? How long till that happens? -- Sean M. Foley: I have to think Northern Iowa is in the best position. Doug Schwab has been an incredible leader for the program and the moment that Oklahoma State slips up in recruiting, or underperforms at the conference tournament, you can be certain that Coach Schwab's team will be there to capitalize.

In previous years, it was "best for last" as the Junior National freestyle tournament was held at the end of the Fargo week. However, this year the two main attractions of the week-long event are at the beginning of the week with Cadet freestyle kicking off tomorrow and Junior freestyle starting on Sunday. The Junior freestyle finals will be held Tuesday afternoon from Fargo, North Dakota. Yet again it is a star-studded field, especially for the rising seniors, with 45 of the top 100 class of 2018 wrestlers registered to compete. Information about participation in terms of being expected to compete and at what weight class is blended together from what has been published on Flo Arena and what USA Wrestling released in articles on TheMat.com. Below is a weight-by-weight analysis of the tournament. 100: State medalist Daniel Kimball (Iowa) is after the second leg of the Junior Triple Crown, having won the folkstyle title at this weight class in early April. The lone returning Junior freestyle All-American in this weight class is Brenden Chaowanapibool (Washington). Other notable contenders include returning Cadet double All-Americans Andrew Chambal (Michigan) and Sam Latona (Alabama), state runner-up Cruz Aguilar (Oklahoma), Junior folkstyle runner-up Devin Harmison (Iowa), and 2016 state medalist Jacob Moran (Indiana). 106: Brendon Garcia (Colorado), a two-time state champion, was a double finalist at the Junior Nationals last year in Fargo winning the Greco-Roman title. However, the favorite in this weight class is state champion Justin Cardani (Illinois), a semifinalist at the UWW Cadet freestyle tournament last month competing at 50 kilos. Others to note include 2016 state medalist David Stepanian (Michigan), state runner-up Jarod Kadel (Iowa), and state champion Steele Dias (Nevada). 113: Returning Junior freestyle All-American Cody Phippen (Missouri) will be after the second leg of his Triple Crown, having won the folkstyle title in early April. A pair of Junior freestyle All-American finishers who outplaced him last year at 106 pounds are in this field: Brandon Kaylor (Washington), a Super 32 Challenge and FloNationals placer, and three-time state champion Ty Smith (Nevada). Another pair of returning Junior freestyle All-Americans are Cevion Severado (Missouri) and state champion Riley Weir (Oklahoma). The lone grade ranked wrestler in this weight is arguably its favorite, Aden Reeves (Iowa), a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American ranked No. 41 in the Class of 2019. Additional contenders include a trio of Super 32 Challenge placers in Ben Kamali (Michigan), Logan Agin (Ohio), and Matthew Cardello (Ohio); Kamali was a Cadet freestyle All-American last year. Some more direct threats to Reeves include returning Cadet freestyle champion Corey Gamet (Michigan), returning Cadet freestyle runner-up Jace Koelzer (Kansas), and two-time state champion Kyle Biscoglia (Iowa). Others in the field meriting attention include Junior folkstyle runner-up Blake Mateu (Louisiana); returning Cadet freestyle All-Americans Angelo Rini (Ohio), Dylan Ryder (New York), and Eric Barnett (Wisconsin); state champions Kai Orine (Missouri) and Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania); two-time state medalist Dante Mininno (New Jersey), and state medalist Anthony Molton (Illinois). 120: Starting to finally get into the meat of the tournament, though the 113 weight class served as a nice appetizer. This field includes nine grade-level ranked wrestlers, four of whom are returning Junior freestyle All-Americans. Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio), ranked No. 28 in the Class of 2019, is a three-time Fargo finalist (2015 Cadet freestyle champion) and a 2015 Cadet World Team member. Also a rising junior is No. 30 Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey), a National Prep champion. Rising seniors Tommy Hoskins (Ohio) and Patrick McKee (Minnesota) are ranked No. 46 and No. 53 respectively; Hoskins was eighth in this Junior freestyle weight last year, while McKee was third down at 113. Three other ranked rising seniors are in this field, No. 20 Patrick Glory and No. 56 Antonio Mininno, both from New Jersey, though each is much more a folkstyle wrestler; as well as No. 67 Joey Melendez (Illinois). Glory was a Super 32 Challenge champion in the fall, and is a three-time state finalist (2017 state champ); Mininno placed fourth at the Super 32 and was a state champ in 2016-17; while Melendez is a two-time state champion coming off an excellent Junior Duals where one of his wins came over D'Emilio. The other two grade ranked wrestlers are four-time state champion Connor Brown (Missouri), ranked No. 70 among graduated seniors, and Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion Gabriel Tagg (Ohio), ranked No. 39 in the Class of 2019. Four additional wrestlers in this weight class were Junior freestyle All-Americans last year, including two-time Fargo freestyle runner-up Rayvon Foley (Michigan). He's joined by a trio of placers from last year's 113 pound weight class in Dominic LaJoie (Michigan), Mike Madara (Pennsylvania), and Clayton Singh (Missouri). Yet more contenders include UWW Cadet freestyle All-Americans Joseph Heilmann (New Jersey) and Kyle Gollhoffer (Georgia), two-time Cadet freestyle runner-up Ridge Lovett (Idaho), and two-time Junior Greco-Roman champion Dack Punke (Illinois). 126: Six grade level ranked wrestlers head the field in this weight, led by defending Junior freestyle champion Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania), who ranks fourth among the rising senior class. Two contenders in this weight seek the second leg to a Triple Crown, as they won folkstyle titles in April, Paul Konrath (Indiana) and Jake Gliva (Minnesota). Konrath ranks No. 86 among graduated seniors and was a Junior freestyle runner-up in this weight last year, while two-time state champ Gliva ranks No. 84 among rising seniors. Two additional members of this six-person group were Junior freestyle All-Americans last year, Alex Thomsen and Bryce West from Iowa, Thomsen is ranked No. 30 in the Class of 2018 while West is ranked No. 81 in the Class of 2017. Also ranked in his grade is Super 32 and UWW Cadet freestyle placer Jakob Camacho (Connecticut), sitting at No. 77 in the Class of 2018. There are two others in the field that were Junior freestyle All-Americans last year, both at 120, in Michigan enrollee Drew Mattin (Ohio) and Oklahoma State enrollee Jet Taylor (Oklahoma). Others to watch include two-time state champions Brock Henderson (Iowa), Jack Skudlarczyk (Texas), Corbin Nirschl (Kansas), and Chase Bittle (Illinois); state champions McGwire Midkiff (Iowa), also a UWW Junior freestyle All-American, and Ryan Moore (Kentucky); returning Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Austin Macias (Illinois); two-time state placer Robbie Precin (Illinois); and NHSCA Senior Nationals runner-up Tyler Kreith (Missouri). 132: Even with three grade-level ranked wrestlers present, this weight class is soft relative to the weight classes immediately above and below it. Leading the way is UWW Junior freestyle placer Andrew Alirez (Colorado), ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2019 and also a Super 32 Challenge runner-up. The other pair of ranked wrestlers are rising seniors No. 72 Jackson Henson (West Virginia) and No. 99 Andrew Wert (Pennsylvania); Henson was eighth at 60 kilos in April's UWW Junior freestyle tournament. Another direct contender is four-time state champion Brent Jones (Minnesota), a returning Junior freestyle All-American. Others to watch include four-time state champion Dalton Young (Washington); four-time state placers in 2014 state champ Drew West (Iowa) and 2015 state champ Rylee Molitor (Minnesota); three-time state placers Chase Zollman (California) and Gauge Perrien (Iowa); state placers Tyler Deen (California), Josh Breeding (Ohio), and Caleb Morris (Pennsylvania); along with Coltan Williams (Texas) and state champion Trevor Mansfield (South Carolina). 138: It's back to regularly scheduled programming for Junior freestyle with seven grade level ranked wrestlers in a highly robust weight class led by a pair of graduated seniors, and four-time state champions, in No. 20 Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma) and No. 37 Ben Freeman (Michigan); Oklahoma State enrollee Gfeller placed third in Junior freestyle in 2015, while Michigan enrollee Freeman was a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American. There are two other top 100 graduated seniors in this weight class, No. 57 Parker Filius (Montana) and No. 85 Denton Spencer (Georgia); Filius was the Junior folkstyle champion in this weight class in April and is a returning All-American in this weight class. The three other grade ranked wrestlers are a pair of rising juniors in No. 11 Jaden Abas (California) and No. 22 Jason Kraisser (Maryland), along with Jack Davis (Pennsylvania), who is No. 55 in the Class of 2018; Abas was a Cadet freestyle runner-up last year, while Davis was a Cadet double All-American in 2015. Another pair of notable credentialed wrestlers in this weight class are Junior folkstyle runner-up Jake Bergeland (Minnesota) and returning Junior freestyle All-American Jeremy Schoenherr (Wisconsin). Additional contenders from this field include state champion Jaden Enriquez (California), two-time state champions Nate Keim (Oklahoma) and Michael Millage (Iowa), three-time state champion Jacob Greenwood (Colorado), and four-time state champion Dakota Galt (South Dakota). Sammy Sasso (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 145: A mass of talent has assembled in this weight with eight grade ranked wrestlers, including seven among the rising senior Class of 2018. Leading that group would be No. 11 Sammy Sasso (Pennsylvania), a two-time Cadet freestyle finalist (2015 champion), two-time UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up, two-time FloNationals champion, also in 2016-17 picking up a Super 32 and state title. Next from the rising seniors is No. 16 Brayton Lee (Indiana), a two-time state champion and two-time Super 32 placer. Ranked No. 23 in the Class of 2018 is Junior folkstyle champion Alex Lloyd (Minnesota), seventh in this Junior freestyle weight class last year. Three-time state champion Brock Hardy (Utah) is ranked No. 33 among rising seniors, and beat Sasso for a Cadet freestyle title last year to avenge defeat from the 2015 final. Ranked No. 49 is Brock Mauller (Missouri), a three-time state champion who beat Hardy on the way to a Junior folkstyle runner-up finish this spring. No. 81 Justin McCoy (Pennsylvania) and No. 98 Kasper McIntosh (Indiana) were both UWW Cadet freestyle All-Americans, with each having three state placements but McCoy earning the state gold this March. The lone ranked graduated senior in this weight is No. 78 Brik Filippo (Oklahoma), a four-time state finalist and two-time champion. Also notable among college bound members of this weight is Zach Barnes (Iowa), a returning All-American in this weight and having won his Junior folkstyle title this summer by beating Mauller in the final. Additional contenders include two-time state placer Anthony Ulaszek (Colorado), who was undefeated at the Junior Duals; state runners-up Bernard Truax (California), Kiernan Shanahan (New York), and Kendall Coleman (Illinois); 2016 state champion Garrett Model (Wisconsin); state champions Jacob Mariakis (Georgia) and Jake Benner (New Jersey); along with two-time state champions Mason Phillips (Washington) and Roderick Mosley (Oklahoma). 152: Another eight grade ranked wrestlers reside in this weight class, with six of them coming from the rising senior group. It is headlined by returning Junior freestyle champion Anthony Artalona (Florida) and UWW Cadet Nationals double champion Will Lewan (Illinois), who are ranked No. 27 and No. 18 respectively in the Class of 2018. Additional ranked rising seniors are No. 24 Peyton Robb (Minnesota), No. 45 Justin Ruffin (Georgia), No. 76 Jared Franek (North Dakota), and No. 93 Joshua Kim (California). Two-time state champion Robb lost to Lloyd in the state final this year, lost to Lewan in the UWW Cadet freestyle final, but won gold medals in both styles at the Cadet Pan-Am tournament last week; Super 32 placer Ruffin was undefeated at the Junior Duals last month; Franek was a Cadet freestyle champion last summer; while two-time state placer Kim was third in Junior folkstyle up a weight class. The other grade level ranked wrestlers are Cameron Amine (Michigan) and Ryan Leisure (Iowa). Amine is No. 32 in the Class of 2019 and was a Cadet double All-American last year, while Iowa State enrollee Leisure is ranked No. 94 in his grade and was a three-time state champion. Others to watch include state champion Zach Axmear (Iowa); state medalist Brian Meyer (New Jersey), a returning Cadet freestyle All-American; and state champion Ashton Habeil (Florida). 160: An absurd nine grade ranked wrestlers are slated to compete in this absolutely filthily talented weight class, one that is led by a pair of rising senior stars in No. 7 David Carr (Ohio) and No. 15 Joe Lee (Indiana); Carr beat Lee to earn the Cadet World Team spot last year at 69 kilos, where he would go onto earn world silver, but Lee beat Carr at the UWW Junior Nationals in the semifinal round this spring. It may be lost in the midst of a potential Carr vs. Lee showdown, but last year's champion in this weight class is back, and his name is Jake Allar (Minnesota); the Golden Gopher signee finished as the No. 35 overall ranked wrestler in the Class of 2017. Also caught in the robust Class of 2018 noise will be that three-time state placer Austin Yant (Iowa) seeks the second leg of a Junior Triple Crown after earning the folkstyle title in April. The other ranked Class of 2018 wrestlers are No. 38 Andrew Merola (New Jersey), a two-time National Prep champion; No. 75 Braeden Redlin (Texas), a three-time state champion; No. 80 Markus Hartman (Illinois), a two-time state placer and returning Cadet freestyle runner-up; No. 82 Tyler Dow (Wisconsin), a two-time Cadet National and UWW Cadet National double All-American; and No. 92 Jaryn Curry (Oklahoma), a two-time state champion and 2015 Cadet freestyle runner-up. Two-time state placer Noah Blake (California) is ranked No. 50 in the Class of 2019. Other notable rising juniors include UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Carson Kharchla (Ohio), returning Cadet freestyle All-American Baylor Fernandes (Illinois), state champion Edmond Ruth (Pennsylvania), and Alex Cramer (Illinois). Additional contenders include three-time state champion Jaron Chavez (Idaho), along with state champions Kenny O'Neil (Minnesota) and Danny Braunagel (Illinois). 170: Four of the top 100 rising seniors headline the field in this weight class, one that is led by returning Cadet world bronze medalist Travis Wittlake (Oregon). Wittlake is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2018 and was a Cadet Triple Crown winner last year after winning folkstyle and Greco-Roman titles in 2015. Two-time Super 32 placer Trent Hidlay (Pennsylvania) is ranked No. 22 among rising seniors and a returning Junior freestyle All-American. Ranked No. 85 is Billy Higgins (Nebraska), who was undefeated at the Junior Duals; while returning All-American in this weight class Josh Ramirez (Louisiana) is ranked No. 100, and was also the Junior folkstyle runner-up in this weight. Two graduated seniors were Junior freestyle All-Americans last year, Max Wohlabaugh (Florida) was runner-up at 160 to Allar, while Jackson Hemauer (Wisconsin) was third in this weight class. Three other notable Class of 2017 wrestlers are Andrew Berreyesa (Nevada), Brit Wilson (Missouri), and Hayden Hastings (Wyoming). Additional contenders include UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Jeremiah Kent (Missouri); returning Cadet double All-American Josh Stillings (Pennsylvania); state champion and Cadet freestyle All-American Zach Braunagel (Illinois); state champions Daniel Butler (Kansas), David Crawford (Ohio), and Tate Samuelson (Colorado); two-time state placers Ben Sarasin (Iowa) and Colt Yinger (Ohio); along with multi-time placer Leo Tarantino (New Jersey). 182: A group of six nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, including a pair of graduated seniors in No. 54 Max Lyon (Iowa) and No. 76 Matthew Waddell (Georgia). The Purdue enrollee Lyon won Junior folkstyle in this weight back in April, while Oklahoma enrollee Waddell is a returning All-American in this weight class. The other four are rising seniors: No. 31 Jack Jessen (Illinois), No. 40 Anthony Montalvo (California), No. 43 Aaron Brooks (Maryland), and No. 86 Tyler Barnes (New York). Jessen was runner-up to Lyon in Junior folkstyle, is a two-time state runner-up, and a returning Junior freestyle All-American; Montalvo won state this past year and is a two-time finalist; Brooks was runner-up to Wittlake at UWW Cadet freestyle this spring, and was a Cadet National double champion last summer; while state champion Barnes was runner-up to Wittlake in both styles last summer in Fargo. Additional notable rising seniors include three-time state placer Anthony Sherry (Iowa); state runner-up Lucas Davison (Indiana), a Cadet freestyle runner-up last year; two-time state placer Victor Marcelli (Ohio), the only wrestler to beat Wittlake in Fargo; two-time state runner-up Easton Rendleman (Oklahoma); state medalist Hunter DeJong (Iowa), a returning Cadet double All-American; and state champion Caden Steffen (Minnesota). Other notable graduated wrestlers include state champions Myles Wilson (Colorado), Cameron Caffey (Illinois), and Jake Lanning (Illinois); as well as state runner-up Mac Southard (Iowa). 195: Five more grade ranked wrestlers make the field in this weight class, headlined by Iowa enrollee Jacob Warner (Illinois), ranked No. 7 overall in the Class of 2017. Warner ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 1 in this high school weight class after earning bronze at Cadet Worlds last summer. Two other ranked from the graduated senior group are No. 24 Jake Woodley (Pennsylvania) and No. 79 Colton Wolfe (Nebraska); Woodley, an Oklahoma enrollee is a returning Junior freestyle All-American, while Wolfe is headed for Nebraska. It's a pair of ranked wrestlers from the rising senior group, No. 21 Brandon Whitman (Michigan) and No. 51 Joel Shapiro (Iowa); Whitman was double fifth at Junior Nationals last summer and fifth at the Super 32 Challenge, with Shapiro an undefeated state champ in high school while also going undefeated at both the Disney Duals and Junior Duals last month. Other contenders include returning Junior freestyle All-American Samuel Grove (North Dakota), two-time state champion Bear Hughes (Oklahoma), state champion Kendall Elfstrum (New York), state runners-up Cody Howard (Ohio) and Logan Schumacher (Iowa), along with state medalist Sergio Villalobos (Illinois). 220: A pair of top 70 rising seniors anchor this weight class in No. 66 Francis Duggan (Iowa) and No. 69 Zach Elam (Missouir); Duggan placed third in this Junior freestyle weight last year, while Elam was runner-up in Junior folkstyle this April. The third grade ranked wrestler in this weight class is No. 44 overall rising junior Tyler Curd (Missouri), a state champion and returning Cadet freestyle third place finisher. Other contenders include Chris Kober (Pennsylvania), UWW Cadet freestyle runner-up Jace Punke (Illinois), returning Junior Greco-Roman champ Haydn Maley (Oregon), along with two-time state champions in Sam Peterson (Washington), Max Darrah (Missouri), and Chase Trussell (Utah). 285: The four wrestlers that ended the 2016-17 high school season ranked nationally in this weight class are the headline figures in this field, led by Junior folkstyle champion Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois). The Iowa commit is ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2018, the returning runner-up in this weight class, was undefeated last month at the Junior Duals, and beat Metz on the way to a semifinal appearance at the UWW Junior Nationals in April. North Dakota State enrollee Brandon Metz (North Dakota) finished his career ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2017 and was third in Junior freestyle last summer; Iowa enrollee Aaron Costello (Iowa) was runner-up to Cassioppi in Junior folkstyle, and finished as the No. 75 overall wrestler in the Class of 2017; while Chattanooga enrollee Sammy Evans (Tennessee) was a four-time state champ and runner-up at the NHSCA Senior Nationals this spring. A fourth grade ranked wrestler in this weight is two-time state placer Spencer Trenary (Iowa), No. 49 in the Class of 2019 and a Cadet Greco-Roman champion last year. Other contenders include returning Junior freestyle All-American Zach Muller (Illinois); FloNationals placer Brandon Reed (Kentucky); three-time state champion Brian Barnes (Oregon); two-time state placers Jon Spaulding (Ohio) and Jake Levengood (California); last year's Cadet freestyle champion Montana Phillips (Oklahoma); Super 32 placers Sammy deSeriere (Colorado), Keaton Kluever (Wisconsin), and Paul Robinson (Georgia); UWW Cadet freestyle champion Jordan Earnest (Wadsworth); along with state runners-up Austin Emerson (Michigan) and John McConkey (Iowa).

Joe Colon (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno State wrestling head coach Troy Steiner announced the addition of volunteer assistant coach Joe Colon to the Bulldog coaching staff on Thursday. A 2014 graduate of Northern Iowa, Colon arrives in Fresno State after spending a year at NAIA Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. "I am exited to have Joe Colon join our staff as a volunteer assistant coach," said Steiner. "Joe was a fierce competitor in college and brings an exciting style to this team. He is still competing in freestyle at the senior level which will help provide leadership in this aspect as well. I am always looking for guys on this staff that want to be apart of building a program and are hungry for the challenge that lies ahead. I see this is Joe and look forward to working with him in this venture," added Steiner. Getting the opportunity to coach his younger brother, Jacob, in his senior season at Grand View, Colon helped Jacob win his second consecutive national championship at 133 pounds. Grand View won its sixth-straight NAIA title and set a new scoring record of 234.5 points as the Vikings became the first NAIA wrestling program to win six-consecutive national titles and only the fourth at any level (NAIA, NJCAA, NCAA) to accomplish the feat. The Vikings had five national championships as they dominated the field as the second place team, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), finished with 74.5 points. "I am excited to part of a brand new program that is coming back and am looking forward to helping make this program elite," said Colon. Familiar with coach Steiner along with assistant coaches Israel Silva and Jason Chamberlain, Colon is excited to join the new coaching staff and work with the Bulldog student-athletes, ""It is going to fun and exciting and it will be a great learning experience for me. I'm going to try to learn as much as I can and help out the team as much as I can. I want to strive to be the best and help all these student-athletes reach their goals," said Colon. On the mat, Colon brings outstanding credentials to the Bulldog wrestling room. The Clear Lake, Iowa native was a two-time state champion in high school at Clear Lake High School capturing titles as a sophomore in 2007 and a senior in 2009 while finishing third as a junior in 2008. After high school, Colon moved on to Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge where he won the 2010 NJCAA national championship at 125 pounds and was named the NJCAA Tournament Outstanding Wrestler as the Tritons won the national championship. After his time in the junior college ranks, Colon made his way to Cedar Falls where he compiled a 62-6 overall mark in his two seasons competing for the Panthers and head coach Doug Schwab. He went 27-4 as a redshirt sophomore in 2011-12 advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships falling one match shy of becoming an All-American. After sitting out the 2013 season, Colon came back as a senior in 2013-14 and went 35-2 overall as he finished his career first in Panther program history in career winning percentage (.911) and his senior season winning percentage of .946 ranked third-best for a single-season in UNI history. He finished his career a perfect 24-0 in duals and gave up bonus in only one of his 68 career matches. Moving on to compete post collegiately with the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Colon won the Bill Farrell International championship, finished fourth at the World Team Trials and fifth at the U.S. Open in 2014. The following year, Colon punched his ticket on to Team USA finishing second at the U.S. World Team Trials, third at the Cerro Pelado International meet and fourth at the U.S. Open. Continuing to strive to reach that elite international level again, Colon plans to continue to train during his time with the Bulldogs and hopes to have a positive influence on the current Fresno State student-athletes and show the proper ways to train at an elite level. "Not being that far removed from college myself, I hope I can build a relationship with the athletes and can guide them and show them what I did as a student-athlete that made me successful and I can help them believe in the process," added Colon. Colon File 2016-17 - Coach, Grand View University (Iowa) 2014-15 - Athlete, USA Wrestling 2011-14 - Student-Athlete, Northern Iowa 2009-10 - Student-Athlete, Iowa Central Community College