InterMat Staff

When a college or a high school launches a brand-new wrestling program, it's great news. When one public school district brings the oldest and greatest sport to at all seven of its high schools, that's something to celebrate. The only thing that could make that kind of news even bigger? When that school district is in South Carolina, not necessary on most wrestling fans' lists of the nation's "high school wrestling hotbeds." The great news worth celebrating is from South Carolina's Aiken County Public Schools, a 25,000-student district located in the southern part of the state, along the South Carolina-Georgia border. (In fact, the nearest big city to Aiken County is Augusta, Ga.) Aiken County was the fourth-largest in South Carolina not to have wrestling. Until now. The rollout of wrestling at Aiken County's seven public high schools is taking place over a two-year period. The wrestling programs at four high schools just completed their first season; the remaining three schools will have wrestling for the first time this fall. Sean AlfordThe effort has been driven by Aiken County Schools Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford, who made sure all seven programs had a brand-new wrestling mat as well as home and away singlets at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year. Alford believes in wrestling. He coached youth wrestling. Two of his sons wrestled in high school (in another district) and went on to post-secondary mat careers -- one at The Citadel, the other, A.J., currently wrestling at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. "They were lucky to gain the core principles that wrestling offers to its participants," Alford told InterMat. "Aiken County has a great tradition of producing athletes in various sports, some who have had success in pro sports," Alford continued. "When I came here, I was surprised, given the track record of sports success, that this district did not have wrestling in its high schools." Why a two-year plan to bring wrestling to Aiken County's seven high schools, rather than launching all the programs in a single season? "I wanted to make sure to get these programs off to a solid start," said Alford. "It was the most cost-efficient way to do this." "The first four to get wrestling were the largest schools in the district. They are located near each other. Their athletic programs compete in the same class." One of Aiken County's first four wrestling programs is at Midland Valley, a 1,500-student high school. Its head wrestling coach is Kevin Emily, a South Carolina native who grew up in one of the hottest of the wrestling hotbed states, Iowa ... in Waterloo, Iowa, to be exact, Dan Gable's hometown. In fact, Emily coached at Waterloo West High, Gable's prep alma mater. Coach Emily describes Midland Valley High students and the surrounding community as being "hard-working, blue collar." The school has been successful in sports, especially basketball and football; "a lot of kids around here go play football in the SEC (Southeast Conference) and on to the NFL," according to Emily. Given that hard-working background and passion for excellence in sports, Kevin Emily thought that wrestling would appeal to local athletes, their parents, and the community. "No other sport can teach you what wrestling does. None," Emily told the Aiken (S.C.) Standard. "This is the toughest sport in the world. The toughest athletes, the hardest working athletes at any school are the wrestlers. Hands down." "We started out this summer with four guys," Kevin Emily said to the Augusta Chronicle in mid-November 2016, just as the Midland Valley program was getting started. "The four seniors, as soon as I got here, they were waiting on me. They were calling me. The second day I got here, we practiced. Bit by bit, it started growing." The Midland Valley Mustangs first-year wrestling team quickly galloped to double-digit participation numbers. Another one of the first four Aiken County high schools to have wrestling last fall was North Augusta. Its mat program is headed up by Matt Franklin. "I think being a part of the first wrestling program in North Augusta is big to these kids," Franklin told the Augusta Chronicle. "Our motto is, 'The tradition starts today with you.' North Augusta is based on tradition. You want to set a good example, and I think that's what motivates them to show up every day." Midland Valley's Kevin Emily echoes that sentiment. Although he recently coached at Iowa's Waterloo West -- truly a legacy program with a long, rich history of on-the-mat success -- this was the first time he launched a new wrestling program from scratch. "Most of the kids here had never wrestled a match in their lives, but were completely gung-ho," Emily told InterMat. "The kids are like sponges. They absorbed all the info." "There's none of that 'That's not the way we did it before' attitude here." So ... how did that first season go for Emily and his first-time wrestlers? "My team Midland Valley HS cracked the top 4A 20 rankings with kids who had never wrestled a day in their lives," Coach Emily told InterMat. "We got ranked 17th" "I had one kid, a junior, end up being ranked sixth in the state, beat a ranked wrestler, beat an eventual state place winner earlier in the season and Raekwon (Jackson) came one match from placing at state. All of that with less than three months of wrestling experience. "I know my kids think I'm crazy but they know I care about them."

Kyle Snyder went 17-0 and won his second NCAA title at Ohio State (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Following a 12-month period that saw him win a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio along with Big Ten and NCAA wrestling crowns for the Buckeyes, Kyle Snyder now has to make more room in his trophy case. Today, he was announced as the recipient of the Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year, marking the second time in three years that a Buckeye wrestler has won the prestigious award. "I'm honored to win this incredible award, especially because of what its namesake, Jesse Owens, means to the Big Ten and specifically Ohio State," said Snyder. "To be in the company of the many exceptional student-athletes who have earned this award in the past is humbling. I could not have achieved any of my success without the constant help and encouragement of my family, coaches, teammates and friends. I love competing for Ohio State and representing my country." Last summer, Snyder etched him name amongst wrestling's all-time greats when he won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Games. In the process, he became the youngest United States wrestling champion (20 years old), first active Ohio State student-athlete to win Olympic gold in 66 years and first Buckeye wrestler to win an Olympic medal in 92 years. After the Olympics, Snyder returned to Ohio State and went 17-0 during the 2016-17 campaign for the Buckeyes, culminating in a Big Ten and NCAA title at heavyweight. Thanks to Snyder - and three other conference champions - Ohio State won its second Big Ten crown in the last three years. It was the national runner-up at the NCAA Championships with a program-record six All-Americans. Snyder's NCAA schedule was abbreviated this year, as he traveled overseas to compete in three major international events. In December, he was in Ukraine for the Club Cup Championships and then traveled to Russia for a week at the end of January and won a gold medal at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix, considered the toughest open tournament in the world. In February, just weeks before the Big Ten Championships, he represented Team USA at the Freestyle World Cup in Iran. Snyder is just the fifth Buckeye to win the Big Ten's Male Athlete of the Year award and joins elite company that includes Eddie George (football, 1996), Blaine Wilson (gymnastics, 1997), Evan Turner (basketball, 2010) and teammate Logan Stieber (2015). In the 35 years that it's been award by the conference, wrestlers have claimed the honor 10 times. In three seasons for the Scarlet and Gray, Snyder is 58-4 with 28 consecutive victories, two Big Ten titles, two NCAA championships and three All-America honors. This season, 13 of his 17 wins were via bonus points and he went 9-0 against ranked opponents. Both his Big Ten and NCAA finals victories came against second-ranked Connor Medbery of Wisconsin. During the regular season, he defeated the No. 3 and No. 4-ranked opponents by an aggregate score of 39-17 and won by matches via major decision. At the Big Ten Championships, he averaged 16.0 points/match and upped his output to 17.0 points/match in five wins at the NCAA Championships. As impressive as Snyder's on-mat accomplishments were, his successful was equaled in the classroom. An OSU Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Snyder - a sport industry major - also claimed CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-America honors. Earlier this month, he was named Ohio State's Male Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year. Most recently, Snyder earned a spot on the United States Senior World Team two weeks ago in Lincoln, Neb. and will compete in the World Championships for Team USA Aug. 21-26 in Paris, France. At the last World Championships, in 2015, he became the youngest American to win gold (19 years old) with his victory over Russia's Abdusalam Gadisov.

The big-man talent right now is as impressive as it's been any time in recent memory for scholastic wrestling. The top two wrestlers in the Class of 2018 are projected collegiate heavyweights, with a third wrestler inside the top ten qualifying as such; an additional top ten prospects projects to compete as a 184/197 (more likely 197) in college. Within the rising junior Class of 2019, its top wrestler is also a likely heavyweight in Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) The two-time state champion at 220 pounds qualified for his second straight Cadet World Team in Greco-Roman at 100 kilograms this spring, while also making the Junior World Team in Greco-Roman at 120 kilograms. Schultz is a two-time Fargo champion at the Cadet Nationals, winning a Greco-Roman title in 2015 and a freestyle title last year, both coming at 220 pounds. He has been ranked at the top of the Class of 2019 since the middle of last January, and ended the 2016-17 high school season as the No. 2 ranked 220-pound wrestler in the country. An additional upperweight is among those ranked inside the top ten of this rising junior class, as two-time state champion Daniel Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.) occupies the No. 5 position in the rankings. He will be competing for the United States in the Cadet World championships this summer at 100 kilograms in freestyle. Within the last calendar year, he also placed third at Cadet freestyle in Fargo and fourth at the Super 32 Challenge at 195 pounds while winning a Cadet folkstyle title this spring at 220 pounds. Jordan Decatur earned a spot on the Cadet World Team at 58 kilograms (Photo/Sam Janicki) The other two Class of 2019 wrestlers to join Kerkvliet with spots on the Cadet World Team in freestyle going to Athens, Greece are also ranked within the top ten of this class: No. 2 Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) and No. 10 Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.). Decatur moves up eight spots in the rankings after winning a very robust UWW Cadet National tournament at 58 kilograms, including outplacing now No. 3 Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.); Decatur is a two-time Cadet National freestyle champion in Fargo, also placing second and fourth the previous two years at the UWW Cadet National freestyle tournament in Akron. McHenry, last year a Cadet world champion at 42 kilograms, moves up three positions after qualifying for the team at 46 kilograms. The most notable upward mover in the rankings is Jason Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), who moves up 20 positions in the rankings to No. 22 after a third-place finish at 63 kilograms in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals; that performance included a pair of wins over No. 27 Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Others moving up by five or more positions include Carter Starocci (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.), up 12 positions to No. 20 after a fifth-place finish at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle and other excellent performance this spring; Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.) up five positions to No. 21; and Cole Urbas (State College, Pa.) up six positions to No. 35 Four wrestlers are new to the top 50 for the Class of 2019 from the previous edition of the rankings in April. Luke Luffman (Urbana, Ill.) enters at No. 43 after a third-place finish at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle and an undefeated Cadet Duals in freestyle; Cade Devos (Southeast Polk, Iowa) is now No. 47 after a placement finish at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle and an undefeated Cadet Duals in freestyle; Lucas Byrd (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) is No. 48 after some quality performances at the Junior Duals and earning a Cadet World team spot in Greco-Roman at 50 kilograms; while two-time state placer Noah Blake (Del Oro, Calif.) is ranked No. 50 Leading the way with seven wrestlers contained in the top 50 is the Buckeye State of Ohio, a group that is anchored by Decatur but also includes No. 6 Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty), who placed at the Super 32, Ironman, and UWW Cadet freestyle tournaments this year; No. 28 Dylan D'Emilio (Genoa), a three-time Fargo freestyle finalist; state champion No. 34 Jordan Crace (St. Paris Graham); two-time state placer No. 36 Sam Dover (St. Edward); No. 39 Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville), a Walsh Ironman champion; and Byrd. New Jersey is next with six ranked wrestlers, while California and Pennsylvania have five each within the top 50. Link: Top 50 Juniors (Platinum)

Gerald Brisco will be the one and only guest for the “On The Mat” broadcast this Wednesday, June 28. Brisco wrestled for Oklahoma State in the mid-1960s along with his brother Jack Brisco. The two later were a professional wrestling tag team. Gerald Brisco is now a talent scout for the WWE. "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 Wednesday at 5 p.m. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com.

Kyven Gadson reached the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) AMES, Iowa -- Kyven Gadson will remain a Cyclone. The 2017 U.S. Open Champion announced Monday that he would be joining Kevin Dresser's Cyclone Regional Training Center. Gadson is now the first official full time C-RTC athlete. "I grew up an Iowa State fan based off the legacy that my Uncle Charlie and my late father Willie Gadson helped create in the 1970s," Gadson said. "Family and legacy are huge to me. I want to thank coaches Kevin Dresser, Mike Zadick, Derek St. John and Brent Metcalf for inviting me to be a part of the new vision and continue the legacy." Gadson chose to stay at home after talking with Minnesota, Arizona State, Penn State, Northern Iowa and Northwestern. "Getting Kyven locked into the C-RTC was one of our first priorities," Dresser said. "You look at a guy who represents the University, this team, like Kyven does and is also a stud on the mat, it was a must have for us. His impeccable character is also noticeable." Along with training for his senior level competition, Gadson will be a vital tool in the Iowa State wrestling room. Dresser and his staff plan to use Gadson as an extension of their coaching staff. "Kyven is incredibly bright," Dresser added. "We're going to look to him to mentor our team and be a spokesperson among many things as he continues to train and develop." After claiming the 2015 197-pound NCAA title, Gadson decided to continue his wrestling career. After making the transition to freestyle, Gadson has become a force at 97 kg. He competed at the 2016 Olympic Trials, and claimed a University Nationals title that same summer, earning a spot on the University World Team. To begin 2017, he finished runner-up at the Dave Schultz Memorial International and third at the Granma y Cerro Pelado Cup. Gadson's crowning senior-level achievement thus far was winning the 2017 U.S. Open. Most recently, Gadson qualified for his firstUnited States National Team, earning runner-up honors at the World Team Trials. Signing Gadson is a step in the right direction, Dresser noted. Their staff will continue to evaluate other athletes this summer, and will look to make a couple more additions before school starts. "We're looking at a few guys, some former CWC athletes," Dresser said. "But we're not just going to go out and spend money, just to spend money. We want to make sure we are getting the right guys. This is a process."

As the Class of 2018 has ended their junior years of school within the last month, Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) remains the top-ranked wrestler in the now senior class. This is a position that he has held for the last two years, after his first UWW Cadet National freestyle title victory. The University of Minnesota verbal commit ended the 2016-17 season as the No. 1 ranked 285-pound wrestler in the country after winning a third straight state title. He is 131-0 in his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons; the last in-season loss coming in the state finals match of his eighth grade year, when competing at 195 pounds. Steveson is a two-time UWW Cadet National and world champion in freestyle at 100 kilograms, and was a UWW Junior National freestyle champion in freestyle at 120 kilograms this spring. While he is still age eligible to compete at the Cadet World Championships, he has outgrown the upper-most weight class (100 kilograms), and will be competing this summer at the Junior World Championships. The next five wrestlers in the Class of 2018 prospect rankings are all verbally committed to Penn State, the two-time defending national champions and winners of six national titles in the last seven seasons. No. 2 Seth Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) is also a three-time state champion and a 285-pound wrestler; No. 3 Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) was a Cadet world bronze medalist last year in freestyle at 76 kilograms, and seeks to improve upon the finish this summer; No. 4 Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.) and No. 5 Roman Bravo-Young (Sunnyside, Ariz.) are both projected light-weight wrestlers with Cadet World Championships experience; while No. 6 Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) is a two-time National Prep champion and three-time finalist. Jacori Teemer swept Sammy Sasso in the finals of the UWW Cadet Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki) Three other elite Class of 2018 wrestlers join Wittlake as participants on the Cadet World team in freestyle that will be competing later this summer in Athens, Greece: No. 10 Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, N.Y.) at 63 kilograms, No. 13 Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.) at 85 kilograms, and No. 19 Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) at 69 kilograms; Lewan also qualified to compete in Greco-Roman. All three wrestlers were upward movers from their April ranking: Teemer moved up from No. 27 after sweeping now No. 11 Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) in the best-of-three series; Hoffman moved up from No. 17 after sweeping now No. 29 Ryan Karoly (Malvern Prep, Pa.); and Lewan moved up from No. 26 after his sweep of now No. 24 Peyton Robb (Owatonna, Minn.). Peyton Robb had a strong showing at UWW Cadet Nationals, finishing second in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman (Photo/Sam Janicki) Robb was also a significant upward mover after finishing as runner-up in freestyle at the UWW Cadet Nationals at 69 kilograms, and third in Greco-Roman with a semifinal loss to Lewan in the tournament. He had a very notable quarterfinal win over now No. 25 Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield, N.Y.), also winning a title at the Northern Plains Junior regional tournament and going undefeated at Junior Duals, those coming at 160 pounds. Three others moved five-plus positions within the top 50: Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) went up 18 spots to No. 23, Malik Heinselman (Castle View, Colo.) is up five spots to No. 42, and Aaron Brooks (North Hagerstown, Md.) is up six spots to No. 43 Wrestlers attending high schools in 28 states are part of the initial top 100 for the Class of 2018. Leading the way with 13 wrestlers ranked in the top 100 is the state of Pennsylvania, while New Jersey has the second most with 11, and Ohio is third in line with 10. Other states with five or more ranked wrestlers include California with 8, Minnesota and Illinois with 7, Missouri with 6, while New York and Iowa have five each. Link: Top 100 Seniors (Platinum)

Logan Storley is taking the next step in his professional mixed martial arts career. Logan StorleyTwo years after his first MMA bout, Storley has signed with Bellator MMA, and will have his first fight with the promotion at Bellator 181: Pitbull vs. Campos 2 at Winstar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, Okla. on July 14. Here's what the four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at University of Minnesota posted at his Facebook page late Monday afternoon: "Taking the next step in my career. Signed with Bellator MMA today. Thank you to everyone for the support. Looking forward to July 14th." MMAfighting.com reported that the 24-year-old Storley will be facing Kemmyelle Haley in his Bellator debut at 170 pounds. Haley, 27, brings a 7-4 record in his pro career he launched in July 2012. According to Sherdog.com, Haley has not had a pro fight since May 2015. Storley, who made his pro MMA debut in August 2015, has compiled at perfect 5-0 record. The South Dakota native won all his matches by TKO, all but one of them in the first round.

Mike Moreno (Photo/Cyclones.com) GREELEY, Colo. -- Wrestling head coach, Troy Nickerson announced the hiring of assistant coach, Mike Moreno on Monday. Moreno comes to Northern Colorado from Iowa State, where he previously served as an interim assistant coach and graduate assistant for the Cyclones. Nickerson is quite familiar with Moreno as he coached him while on staff at Iowa State from 2012-14. "We are very excited to add Mike to our coaching staff. When the opportunity came around we had to jump on it," Nickerson said. "Mike has all of the qualities of being an excellent young coach and I am excited to reunite with him this season. Mike will add a wealth of wrestling knowledge to room and his experiences will help lead our student-athletes." As a student-athlete, Moreno compiled a career record of 91-37 while at Iowa State, including a dual mark of 40-19. In 2014, he became the 38th two time All-American in ISU Wrestling history. He was also a consistent member of the Academic All-Big 12 team. Moreno grabbed All-American honors his sophomore and junior seasons, placing sixth and fifth in the NCAA Championship at 165 pounds. In his final year on the mat, finished with a 3-2 record at the NCAA Championships (25-5 overall, 12-1 dual), advancing to the round of 12. All three wins came via falls, the most by any Cyclone wrestler in the Championship since 1999 at the time. He graduated from Iowa State in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology.

Frank Perrelli battles Nathan Tomasello at the World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh head wrestling coach Pat Santoro and Jeff Buxton, head coach of the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club, are pleased to announce the signing of Frank Perrelli, one of the East's top lightweight freestyle veterans to the club's post-graduate resident athlete staff. Perrelli, a member of the Cornell University Class of 2012, brings both character and a persistent battling mentality to Bethlehem. The native of Hackettstown, N.J., Perrelli was an unranked but talented Cornell recruit out of Delbarton School in 2006, a two-time team captain for them who placed third, first and fifth at New Jersey States (142-20), NHSCA fourth, fifth and third at the Beast of the East. A three-year back-up to Cornell's Troy Nickerson, Perrelli was 16-13 in his first season before finishing 95-28 over the next four years including two EIWA titles at 125 and an NCAA fourth-place medal as a senior. His NCAA championship round loss came in overtime of the semifinals to Nico Megaludis of Penn State; the other for third place came against Zach Sanders of Minnesota. Perrelli finished second at the 2013 U.S. Open to Obe Blanc, who placed ninth at the 2010 World Championships. Frank finished ahead of Megaludis, Sanders, NCAA third-place finisher Brandon Precin of Northwestern and Mark McKnight of Penn State. Perrelli added a fourth at the prestigious 2016 Mark Schultz International tournament, before losing a 9-8 semifinal decision the next January there against runner-up Nodin Safarov of Uzbekistan. At this June's 2017 U.S. World Team Trials at 125, Perrelli finished fourth by beating two NCAA champions, Megaludis and Lehigh's Darian Cruz, while losing late in bouts against former World Team member Tony Ramos and to Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello. The talented lightweight knows where to find out top workouts. During his time at Delbarton he trained at nearby Blair Academy. At Cornell he was sandwiched between two four-time All-Americans: Troy Nickerson and Nahshon Garrett. He competed at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club, spent two years at Oklahoma State and arrives in Bethlehem from the University of Virginia's Cavalier WC. The LVWC is pleased to land Frank Perrelli over the interest shown from regional training centers at Cornell, Rutgers and Charlottesville, Va. His presence will provide mutual benefits between him, NCAA champ Darian Cruz (125), All-American Scott Parker (133) and other lightweights. The club staff now consists of Perrelli, Darrius Little, Mario Mason, Santiago Martinez, Nestor Taffur, Robert Hamlin, Nate Brown and Zack Rey.

Brooks Martino (Photo/Hunter Martin) PHILADELPHIA -- The NCAA has awarded 58 postgraduate scholarships of $7,500 each to 29 male student-athletes and 29 female student-athletes who participated in winter sports, and the list includes University of Pennsylvania wrestler Brooks Martino. Martino joins other winter student-athletes from the following sports: men's and women's basketball; women's bowling; men's and women's fencing; men's and women's gymnastics; men's and women's ice hockey; men's and women's indoor track & field; men's and women's rifle; men's and women's skiing; and men's and women's swimming & diving. Martino is the 17th Penn athlete to receive an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and the third in the last two years after Shaul Gordon (men's fencing) and Jenna Hebert (women's rowing) last year. Martino also is just the third Penn wrestler honored with an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, after Shawn Heinrichs (1994) and Andrei Rodzianko (1999). The NCAA has been awarding Postgraduate Scholarships since 1964. This past season, Martino qualified for his second NCAA Championships after finishing second at the EIWA Championships at 165 pounds. He entered the conference meet as the No. 7 seed and defeated the No. 2 and 3 seeds to reach the championship bout. A two-time member of the Dean's List at Penn, Martino graduated Magna Cum Laude in May with a degree in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences. An Academic All-Ivy selection in 2017, Martino was twice named All-Academic by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and was a 2017 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area selection. In addition to the winter sport honorees, the NCAA also awards 116 postgraduate scholarships to student-athletes participating in fall and spring sports in which the NCAA conducts championships or participates in as an emerging sport, for a total of 174 postgraduate scholarships annually. To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.

When Mt. St. Joseph University sought out a new head wrestling coach, the Cincinnati-based school stuck close to home, naming someone with deep local roots that include the school itself. Elliott Spence will be taking the helm at MSJ, the school where he wrestled a decade ago. He replaces Brennan Ryan, who had been head coach of the NCAA Division III wrestling program for the past year, who is leaving Mt. St. Joe to concentrate on coaching his three children as well as his business interests. Elliott SpenceIn announcing his hiring, Spence posted on his Facebook page, "I am excited to build the program into one of the top wrestling programs in NCAA Div 3. As an alumni of the program and a lifelong resident of Cincinnati ... I know how good this program can be." Spence brings a strong background in wrestling and coaching to The Mount. The 2004 Cincinnati Elder High School graduate was a three-time Ohio state championships qualifier and state placer. For college, Spence stayed in Cincinnati, choosing Mt. St. Joseph University, where he was a three-time NCAA All-American, placing eighth at 157 pounds in 2006 and 2007, and second at 149 in 2008. In addition, Spence was a two-time NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) Academic All-American in 2007 and 2008. After graduating from MSJ, Spence launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Delaware Valley University, where he helped coach seven NCAA All-Americans at Delaware Valley and two top 10 team finishes. During his time at Delaware valley, he was named NCAA Midwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2010. Since 2012, Spence has served as head coach at West Cincinnati Wrestling Club at Elder Junior High. "I am excited to take over the Mount Saint Joseph wrestling program," Spence told InterMat. "I grew up one mile from Mount Saint Joseph University and can remember going to their camps as a youth wrestler, and never thought that one day I would have the opportunity to lead the program. "Mount Saint Joseph was once one of the best wrestling programs in the country and has a deep, supportive alumni base. One of the first things I plan to do, besides recruiting, is getting the alumni involved with the program. Mount Saint Joseph wrestling alumni are coaching at high schools all over Cincinnati. Most of them were a part of the program when the Mount was regularly send wrestlers to nationals and returning as All-Americans. Those days will return in the near future. "The greater Cincinnati area is rich in wrestling talent," Spence continued. "I have no doubt that Mount Saint Joseph will be back as one of the top NCAA Division 3 wrestling programs in the country if the talent from the greater Cincinnati area stays at home and competes at the Mount." Mount Saint Joseph University is a private, Catholic, four-year college located in western Cincinnati. Founded in 1920 as the College of Mount St. Joseph, the school now has an enrollment of approximately 2,300 students. The MSJ Lions wrestling program -- as well as the school's other intercollegiate sports -- all compete in NCAA Division III.

For some former wrestlers at Bellator 180 Saturday night in New York's Madison Square Garden, it was a night to remember ... while for other ex-matmen -- including a one-time prep wrestling phenom who lasted less than a half-minute in his pro MMA debut, and two former college mat champs who lost their titles -- it was a night to forget. Aaron Pico, a U.S. National and World champ while in high school who decided to forgo a college wrestling career for MMA, was choked out by Zach Freeman in less than a half-minute in his much-hyped first appearance at Bellator 180. As for the two collegians-turned-Bellator-champs who lost their crowns ... Phil Davis, NCAA champ for Penn State, failed to successfully defend his Bellator light-heavyweight title against Ryan Bader, an All-American from Arizona State ... while Michael Chandler, a two-time Big 12 wrestling finalist at University of Missouri, also left the "world's most famous arena" without his Bellator lightweight title. Bader wasn't the only former wrestler to have a night to remember at Bellator 180. In the main event, 40-year-old former University of Oregon All-American Chael Sonnen scored a unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva ... while in preliminary events, former high school wrestler Ryan Couture and former East Stroudsburg University wrestler Matt Rizzo both came out as winners. Aaron Pico was defeated by Zach Freeman in his MMA debut (Photo/Juan Garcia) Pico's stunning fail Aaron Pico's Bellator MMA debut had to be the most anticipated -- and hyped -- of the year, if not in recent memory ... with full expectations being that the 20-year-old former wrestling/boxing champ would make short work of opponent Zach Freeman in his first pro MMA match. However, it was Freeman who made it a quick ending in a scheduled three-round lightweight bout. "It took just 24 seconds for Freeman to drop Pico with an uppercut and then to lock on the D'Arce Choke," Forbes reported. (Yes, the business magazine covered the bout ... perhaps because it was held in New York.) In its live play-by-play coverage, Sherdog.com wrote, "Freeman locks up a short guillotine and goes to work on tightening his grip ... He works the high elbow, Urijah Faber style from half guard. He presses his squeeze and Pico shows no ability to pass his guard, trapped in the choke, and is forced to tap. Incredible. Perhaps 2017's biggest upset has just been authored by one Zach Freeman." After the upset, Freeman said, "I played his own game on him. He was going to be aggressive, which is my game. I wasn't going to give him any space. I was going stand there toe-to-toe and fight with the man. Here's the thing though, I told him, 'Aaron, now is my time. You're going to be a champion, dude. I'm 33 and on my way. I have a few fights in me.' It's a huge moment for me. It's my biggest victory. No one would take this fight, and I did. No one knew much about me." The veteran Freeman improves to 10-2-0 ... while Pico now has a 0-1 record in his young career. Light-heavy title goes from one ex-wrestler to another ... Ryan Bader and Phil Davis had battled before ... first, a decade ago as wrestlers (Davis won), then, in Jan. 2016 at UFC on Fox 14 in Stockholm (where Bader avenged that collegiate loss). In their third meeting, Bader not only defeated Davis, but took away the Penn State mat great's Bellator light-heavyweight crown, on a split decision, 49-46, 49-46, 47-48 in a five-round title bout. Multiple media reports could not help but mention the lack of action. Here's how Forbes described it: "The only thing worse than a boring fight is a boring fight with a questionable decision. Phil Davis and Ryan Bader circled each other for five rounds throwing the occasional jab and non-threatening power strike, but neither man landed much of anything of consequence." In his own assessment of the bout, Ryan Bader said, "My jab was working, and Phil did a great job of moving around; and he's hard to track down. Some people may see that as winning the fight, but you have to look at the punches landed and the takedowns." "It was a bunch of relief, because I never got a chance to fight for a belt in any organization," the former ASU Sun Devil wrestler said. "The fight didn't necessarily go the way I wanted it to go. I wanted to come in here and make a huge statement, but how many people beat Phil Davis? I beat him twice, this time for a belt." Bader now owns the Bellator light-heavyweight title belt, and a 24-5 overall record, while the former Nittany Lion is now 17-5 in his pro MMA career. ... while ex-Mizzou matman Chandler loses title to Primus In the other Bellator 180 bout that saw a title change hands, Michael Chandler lost his Bellator lightweight crown to Brent Primus. Primus scored a TKO (by doctor stoppage) over Chandler at 2:22 of the first round. "The challenger unloads a low-cut kick that stumbles Chandler, then two more leg kicks that knock the champion off balance," is how Sherdog.com opened its live play-by-play account of the lightweight title bout. Those kicks injured Chandler's ankle, causing the former Mizzou Tiger matman to hobble ... and encourage the challenger to focus his attack on Chandler's injury. The referee decided the champ was unable to continue in the middle of the opening round. After winning the title, Primus said, "It's a dream come true right now. I feel like I'm on top of the world. This is all of the sacrifices I've made, all the time away from my family, all the injuries combined makes this moment so special to me. I trained my butt off, and this is what it's all about in the end. Like I told Chandler months ago, I'm going to beat you and I'm going to give him a rematch after. I'm going to let my body recover and rest up, but then, I'm 100 percent up for a rematch." Primus now owns the Bellator lightweight crown, and a perfect 9-0 record, while Chandler drops to 16-5-0. Chael Sonnen won by unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva (Photo/Juan Garcia) Sonnen scores win over Silva In the main event, 40-year-old former University of Oregon All-American Chael Sonnen scored a unanimous decision over Wanderlei Silva. The judges scored the three-round bout 30-26, 30-27, 30-27 for the former Duck wrestler. Sonnen used his wrestling experience to gain an advantage over Silva, taking down his rival at least once in each round. However, by the third round, Madison Square Garden fans booed both fighters for what they perceived to be a lack of action. With the win -- his first in four years -- Sonnen is now 31-15-1 in his long pro MMA career; Silva drops to 35-14-1. Ex-wrestler winners in the prelims In a preliminary welterweight bout, Ryan Couture -- son of UFC Hall of Famer and Oklahoma State wrestling great Randy Couture -- earned a unanimous decision over Haim Gozali. Officials scored the three-round match 30-26, 30-27, and 30-27. Ryan Couture was a two-time high school champ in Washington State before following in his father's MMA career path, where the younger Couture is now 12-5-0 ... while Gozali is 7-5-0. Also in prelim action, Matt Rizzo submitted Sergio da Silva with an arm-triangle choke at 3:48 of the third round of their three-round bout. In high school, Rizzo was twice a placer at the New Jersey state championships ... then wrestled at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. Rizzo is now 10-2-0 in MMA, while de Silva drops to 6-9-0.

This week on Global Wrestling News: Freestyle World Team Trials recap and reaction Penn RTC Head Coach and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brandon Slay U.S. World Team member B.J. Futrell Kevin Jackson joins U.S. National freestyle staff University of Northern Iowa and Fresno State join the Big 12 Tony Ramos hints at retirement The show is hosted by Tony Hager and Scott Casber and is scheduled for online distribution each Friday on TheMat.com, TMWC1.com and TakedownWrestle.com Each episode will also be posted on Takedown Wrestling's YouTube Channel. In addition, Global Wrestling News is aired on these television networks. All air times are in central time zone. Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4 p.m. Long Lines Cable: Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. Suddenlink Cable: Check your local listings. Multiple air times. The production of Global Wrestling News/TMWC is handled by Takedown Media, which produces Takedown Wrestling TV and Takedown Wrestling Radio.

Kyle Snyder at a press conference before the Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) For wrestling fans who felt Ohio State heavyweight Kyle Snyder was snubbed when he wasn't listed among the Best Male College Athlete ESPY award nominees named earlier this week, here's some good news. The 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler has been nominated for an ESPY as Best Male U.S. Olympic Athlete, Ohio State announced today. Wrestling fans can vote for Snyder at the official ESPN website. The Olympic and collegiate mat champ is going up against some heavyweight competition for an ESPY. In addition to Snyder, other Best Male U.S. Olympic Athlete nominees include decathlete Ashton Eaton, and swimmers Ryan Murphy and Michael Phelps. Winners are determined exclusively by an online vote of sports fans. The winners will be announced during the 25th ESPYs awards show at 8 p.m. Eastern on July 12 on ABC. Earlier this week, Zain Retherford, two-time NCAA 149-pound wrestling champ for Penn State, was nominated for an ESPY for Best Male College Athlete. On social media, some wrestling fans expressed surprise -- and even disappointment -- that Snyder was not in the running for the collegiate ESPY. Snyder won the gold medal in men's freestyle at 97 kilograms/213 pounds at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro at age 20, becoming the youngest American wrestling Olympic champion in history. The Maryland native is only the second Ohio State wrestler to earn an Olympic medal; Harry Steel won gold in the 1924 Games in Paris. The ESPY nomination comes on the heels of Snyder being named Ohio State's Male Athlete of the Year earlier this month, putting him in contention for the 2017 Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year. Snyder was also a finalist for two major national awards: the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, given annually to the nation's top amateur athlete, and Dan Hodge Trophy, considered the Heisman of collegiate wrestling. If Snyder were to win the Best Male U.S. Olympic Athlete ESPY, he would join Rulon Gardner, who received an ESPY after winning the gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling by toppling three-time Olympic gold medalist Alexander Karelin of Russia at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In the 25-year history of the ESPY awards, a number of top wrestlers have been nominated for various awards. Among the mat stars who have actually received an ESPY (in addition to Gardner): Cael Sanderson (Best Male College Athlete, 2002), Kyle Maynard (Best Athlete with a Disability), and Anthony Robles (Best Male Athlete with a Disability, Jimmy V Award for Perseverance).

Tony Willaert, head wrestling coach at Minnesota's Saint John's University, has been selected to head up the wrestling program at Augustana College, the Rock Island, Ill. NCAA Division III school announced Thursday. Willaert replaces Eric Juergens who had been head coach of the Vikings for a decade. The two-time NCAA Division I champ for University of Iowa announced his departure from Augustana in May to spend more time with his family. Tony WillaertWillaert has a long history with Saint John's as coach and athlete. For the last three seasons, Willaert has led the Johnnies wrestling program. This past season, Willaert's wrestlers placed third at the NCAA West Regional, while four of his grapplers advance to the 2017 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, giving him a total of nine national qualifiers during his three seasons. With Willaert at the helm, Johnnies wrestlers also excelled in the classroom. Four of his student-athletes earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America honors this year and the Johnnies posted the fourth-best team grade point average in the nation. Prior to being named head coach at St. John's, Willaert was an assistant on the Johnnie staff for three years. During that time, he mentored three All-Americans and seven Scholar All-Americans and helped lead SJU to top-three regional finishes each year. A 2011 graduate of Saint John's, Willaert was a four-year letter winner. As a senior captain for the Johnnies, he was ranked as high as third in the nation at 197 pounds and qualified for the national meet, advancing to the round of 12. His performance helped SJU finish sixth in the nation. Augustana is looking forward to welcoming Willaert. "I am excited that Tony will be leading the Augustana wrestling program," said Augustana Director of Athletics Mike Zapolski. "We were fortunate to have a strong applicant pool for the position, and Tony has the vision and work ethic to continue the positive momentum established by Eric Juergens. Tony was an integral part of several solid teams at St. John's, and has an excellent track record of identifying and developing young men who want to excel in the classroom and on the wrestling mat." "I am honored to take over the Augustana wrestling program and look forward to picking up where Eric left off," said Willaert. "I am anxious and excited to get started and I look forward to working with this team. This year's team has great potential and the future is bright as well." Augustana is a private four-year college located in Rock Island, Ill. (one of the Quad Cities on either side of the Mississippi River). It has an enrollment of 2,500 students.

Zack Anglin, a high school wrestler from Wisconsin who was born without hands or feet, will be the subject of a feature on ESPN's E:60 show this Sunday, June 24. The 13-minute, 40-second story, titled "Underdog," will be the feature segment on this Sunday's telecast of E:60, ESPN's premier newsmagazine, to be shown at 9 a.m. Eastern on the flagship ESPN channel. Here's how ESPN describes the feature: "On February 23, 2017, Zack Anglin, a high school senior wrestler from Bayfield County in Wisconsin, headed to the state wrestling tournament looking to be the first state champion from his school in more than 30 years. It would be the last chance for Zack to become a champion, someone who has been the underdog his entire life after being born without hands or feet and given up for adoption by his birth parents. The story is narrated by 2011 National Champion from Arizona State University Anthony Robles, who like Zack, had a chance to become a champion in his last match as a senior, and has more in common with Zack than meets the eye." Immediately after "Underdog" airs towards the end of the telecast, Robles and E:60 host Jeremy Schaap will have an on-air chat in the studio about Zack Anglin and his story. Zack AnglinAnglin was the subject of a Feb. 2016 InterMat story when Bayfield/Washburn's Zack Anglin -- then a junior -- faced Stratford's Macey Kilty in the 106-pound Division 3 semifinals match at the 2016 Wisconsin Individual State Wrestling Championships ... an epic-length bout (weighing in at 8 minutes, 30 seconds) that was described as "an epic thriller," generating media coverage well beyond the borders of America's Dairyland. "Underdog" feature producer Dan Lindberg was drawn to Anglin's story for a number of reasons. "I love wrestling," Lindberg told InterMat. "I grew up in Milwaukee. Our family would spend summer vacation in northern Wisconsin, where Zack and his family live." "I like finding stories about athletes in parts of the country that don't normally get covered." "In 2016 I saw a very brief clip online of Zack wrestling, and immediately thought I had to tell Zack's story." Lindberg, the staff producer for E:60, reached out to Zack and his family ... and, after some thoughtful consideration, gave the project a green light. "Zack wanted to tell his story, to help break barriers," said Lindberg. "I'm glad he and his family agreed to do it." A considerable amount of time and effort went into making "Underdog." "I approached Zack's mother in early 2016," said Lindberg. "She said she'd think about it, then said, 'Why don't you come to the state tournament to see him in action.'" "We kept our distance (at states), got some photos." "We really started talking about it with Zack and his mom in October 2016. I said, 'Why don't I come out and meet with you?'" Lindberg continued. "I flew to Minneapolis-St. Paul, then to Duluth (Minn.), then drove two hours to their home in the Northwoods of Wisconsin." In addition to filming Zack Anglin in the practice room and in action during a meet -- as well as incorporating interviews -- "Underdog" incorporates existing footage of Zack, including video of him wrestling in eighth grade. "There's so much we couldn't include," Lindberg admitted to InterMat. "I wish we could've added an additional ten minutes." (At just shy of 14 minutes in length, "Underdog" is the feature of this weekend's E:60 episode, and, therefore, the show's longest segment.) As for the title ... "After filming was complete, we realized that Zack referred to himself as an underdog," said Lindberg. "He said, 'The underdog is viewed as the person who's going to lose, and has everything to prove." What does producer Dan Lindberg hope viewers take away from "Underdog"? "This is not a story about winning and losing. Our goal is to emphasize who Zack is, on and off the mat." "People often look at him and see what's missing," Lindberg continued. "He sees himself for what he has." "He's a good person first, a good wrestler second." Want to know more about "Underdog"? Watch a brief trailer ... and a one-minute segment. Want to meet other wrestlers who might be labeled "handicapped" by some, yet overcame physical challenges to become winners on the mat, and beyond? Check out this InterMat feature which profiles, among others, NCAA champs and Olympic medalists ... even a Dan Hodge Trophy winner. https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/8826

Today is Olympic Day, an international celebration of the Olympic Games, its traditions and the impact it has on the world. While the Olympic movement remains one of the most mocked international organizations there is more to the Games than the perceived slights, bribery scandals and politics that earns them scorn. Despite the negative news clips there is real charm and impact delivered by the Olympic Games. The Olympics is a platform for a world discussion that isn't purely political. Sport is an opportunity for nations and individuals of all size to showcase their value system without fear of suppression -- an equal voice is given to all. Wrestlers from Nigeria are brought up in an Olympic system that teaches them to have the same goals as wrestlers from Nebraska, Mongolia and Italy. That shared experience is unique. Employment and specialties vary by region, religions split, and politics cause upheaval, but everywhere in the world sport remains sport. Sprinting and swimming greatness will always be dictated by speed; wrestling significance measured by gold medals won through some unspecified combination of athleticism and grit. Yes, the Games are flawed, but the money they generate goes to support hundreds of thousands of athletes worldwide. That's all years. That's every year. That number balloons further when you add in that participating nations and government are motivated to excel at the Games and that equates to funding the training of their local athletes. Prize money may remain minimal, but a world in which sport and active play are the centerpiece of life is one far better than where they are suppressed. Olympic Day is a moment to reflect not on the International Olympic Committee, but on the millions of athletes around the world who today will go to practice in pursuit of their goal to become an Olympic gold medalist. Olympic fame might be a personal goal, but it's one that unites the world and it deserves to be celebrated. To your questions … Aaron Pico at the Bellator pre-event press conference (Photo/Juan Garcia) Q: Aaron Pico makes his MMA debut on Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. He's getting a lot of hype on ESPN.com and other national sports media outlets. Do you think he will live up to the hype in his MMA career? -- Mike C. Foley: If you look back at the past few years of MMA there has been a lot of hollow hype about up-and-coming fighters. Sage Northcutt and CM Punk aside, the promotions are there to promote their fighters and big cards, and that often comes at the expense of fact. Pico is different. If his only skill set was wrestling there may be some concern that this amount of hype is unwarranted. But the hype really comes from that impeccable wrestling pedigree and a high proficiency as a boxer. While he might have some weaknesses in jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, Pico is well suited to keep this fight standing. Being able to control the latitude of a fight is what made Georges St. Pierre and Daniel Cormier champions of the sport. When you have the final say in where the fight goes then, saving a lucky shot or equally matches opponent, you dictate the outcome, too. Aaron Pico could very well get knocked out, or choked unconscious. Fighting is crazy. But the hype is real and on Saturday my guess is that they hype will only grow. Q: This is a fun debate that my friends and I have had over the years. If someone suddenly wanted to learn about wrestling in America, and had no previous knowledge of anything, who are the five wrestlers, you would tell the person to study? The Mt. Rushmore plus one so-to-speak? -- Jared W. Foley: 1. John Smith. "Single" greatest wrestler in American history. 2. Dan Gable. Seems to have been the first wrestler to be granted a legendary status. His triumphs on the mats were always only a sliver of the whole story. Also, his ability to motivate and lead programs is noteworthy. 3. Bruce Baumgartner. The size of the wrestler matters. Baumgartner wrestled in four Olympic Games and medaled four times. For an American that's a feat that will likely never be matched. 4. Cael Sanderson. The first to go undefeated and win four NCAA titles was a massive accomplishment. To then also win an Olympic gold medal and become one of the greatest coaches ever is certainly Mt. Rushmore-worthy. 5. Jordan Burroughs. Has been an incredible ambassador for the sport of wrestling as it has made its way into the media age. Also, he's an incredible competitor whose talents changed the way entire nation's selected and prepared for competition. What do you make of Rei Higuchi losing in the Japan Nationals? Was he a one-hit wonder in Rio? Or do you see him contending for world and Olympic medals in the future? -- Mike C. Foley: As a fan of international wrestling I'm a little disappointed we don't get to see Rei in Paris. His single leg is one of the most beautiful attacks in the sport and his will to win leads to some exciting matches. I don't think Higuchi is a one-hit wonder. He is just evenly matched with Rinya Nakamura who were in constant contest in Japan's collegiate wrestling ranks. That familiarity left Higuichi no room for error and when the time came to perform it was Nakamura who made waves. While 61 kilograms will be one of the most contested weight classes in Paris, I think that we'll see Nakamura in the medal rounds. Q: With the death of a former MMA fighter in a boxing ring this past weekend, do you think a new light will be brought upon the upcoming Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather fight? Does an MMA fighter really belong in the ring with a boxer? In a boxing match? -- Jeremy T. The Marquess of Queensbury rules instituted the use of gloves in boxing matches. The choice was to ensure that boxers wouldn't break their hands hitting the hardened heads of their opponents, and thus not end fights prematurely. The result was longer fights, fewer knockouts and much, much more brain damage. McGregor is not a professional boxer, but he has fought in the amateur leagues and has considerable time in the cage. So did Tim Hague. While I don't think there is any concern that McGregor will die inside the ring, the question is certainly relevant: Who deserves to be licensed and who needs to be kept out of the ring? Most state athletic commissions essentially leave it up to the fighter, which means that accidents like Tim Hague are bound to occur. It would be a welcome change of pace if the athletic commissions would at least on occasion restrict access to the ring for the sport's older and more damaged fighters. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Underdog Joe Rogan on Conor vs. Floyd Link: Best Photo Essay of the Year Q: Any word on what drug Jordan Oliver tested positive for? I haven't seen it released in any of the reports. -- Mike C. Foley: Haven't seen anything listed. Would need to check the USADA list once it become public. Q: Is Franklin Gomez expected to compete at the World Championships? Is he still training with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes and yes! Q: Can you please tell me if Boise State wrestling has gained any traction in trying to get their program back? If they do cut it for good and with Fresno State going to the Big 12 it does not look good for the future of the Pac-12 Conference. This was a top wrestling school and it really makes me nervous for a lot of other programs who don't have the support and recent success of the Big Ten and ACC schools. What are some things the smaller programs can do to help themselves gain support and be more financially independent? I'm hoping for a miracle for the Boise State program. -- Mike S. Foley: Boise State is in miracle mode. Maybe the only way it can be saved is through a combination of fundraising for the program and political pressure from those concerned that the proposed baseball team is too much of a cost burden. However, you must look at the other side of what you wrote. Given the reasons you stated (support, programs headed to Big 12) wouldn't the AD have some legitimate and usable justifications for cutting the program? The bigger issue here is the popularity of the sport out west. With waning interest and a lack of population density the number of high school and college programs out west has been in freefall. That trend is sure to continue unless the fans out west can create significantly more interest and then fund that interest within their particular programs.

Dustin Kilgore finishes a shot against Blaize Cabell at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- Rider University Wrestling Head Coach John Hangey has announced that former NCAA Division I National Champion Dustin Kilgore has joined his staff as an assistant coach. Kilgore, a three-time All-American at Kent State and the 2011 National Champion at 197, comes to Rider following an impressive post-graduate wrestling career in which he earned the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International Championship at 97kg. While wrapping up his career on the mat, Kilgore served as a volunteer assistant coach at Air Force in 2016-17. "The addition of Dustin Kilgore to our coaching staff is an important step for the future of Rider Wrestling," said Hangey. "Dustin is a very accomplished athlete, having been on the World Team ladder at 97kg and winning an NCAA title in college at 197lbs. Having trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, he brings a wealth of knowledge and senior level experience to our program. We look for Dustin to make an immediate and lasting impact in the training of our student-athletes and in the recruitment of top-level prospective student-athletes." Kilgore, the silver medalist at the 2014 World University Championships, became just the sixth wrestler in Mid-American Conference history to earn four MAC individual championships. He's Kent State's all-time leader in victories (178) and pins (50), one of which came in the 2011 National Championship, when he pinned Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster. The National Championship was Kent State's first in program history and the first since 1973 in any sport. Kilgore was a teammate of fellow Rider assistant coach Nic Bedelyon at Kent State. In addition, Kilgore is a two-time Pan American Champion (2012, 2015), a two-time University World Team Trials Champion (2012, 2014), finished third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and was the 2016 Bill Farrell International Champion. Kilgore earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Kent State.

I spend many hours reading wrestling books. Historical books, how-to-wrestle books, biographies, books that are inspirational/spiritual ... but the largest segment of books I read are autobiographies and memoirs penned by wrestlers and coaches. Some are very straightforward birth-to-______ (fill in the blank with the wrestler/author's top accomplishment) tales ... while others tend to focus on a particular portion of that individual's life ("My time as coach at State U ..."). Then there are the memoirs that are very much from the heart. As you read, you feel as if it's just you and the writer as he shares elements of his life story over a cup of coffee ... or on a vacation road trip. It's all very relaxed and conversational. That describes Dr. Bill Welker's "The Sparrow's Spirit: A Champion Wrestler's Lifetime Reflections on Prayer and Perseverance" memoir, now available from Rosedog Books. Meet Dr. Welker (if you haven't already) Welker is a familiar figure in U.S. amateur wrestling. He has written two editions of his classic "The Wrestling Drill Book" and is a regular columnist for Wrestling USA magazine. Welker also produced an instructional DVD titled "Pancake Takedown Series." For his contributions to the sport, Welker has been welcomed into a number of wrestling Halls of Fame, including the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame, and National Wrestling Hall of Fame, West Virginia Chapter. Welker's willingness to share his knowledge and experience in wrestling comes from two key aspects of his life, first as an athlete ... then as an instructor. He wrestled in high school and college, winning a Pennsylvania state championship. Welker then had a long, 40-year career as a teacher, being named Teacher of the Year by the Wheeling (W.Va.) Area Chamber of Commerce, and inducted to West Virginia University's prestigious Jasper N. Deahl Honors Society for his contributions to education. A life in wrestling Bill Welker grew up in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, a small town in the heart of coal country. In describing his parents, Welker told InterMat, "Dad taught us about life, mom taught us about prayer." "I started wrestling when in 1955 as a third grader," Welker continued. "Back then, coaches did it for the joy of sports. They loved to teach kids." Bill Welker with Bobby Douglas"You have to realize times were different then. It was a great time to grow up ... a simpler, more forgiving time. We were taught to accept things, not to make excuses." "Wrestling taught me perseverance," Welker continued. "You have to be able to humble yourself in all your actions. Kids don't realize what you put out online will go everywhere and last forever." Welker had some family history to live up to. His cousin Harold Welker was crowned state champ at the very first Pennsylvania state tournament in 1938. Bill's older brother Floyd then earned a PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state crown in 1959. Keeping the Welker tradition of success at states, Bill Welker won his PIAA title in 1963. For young Bill Welker, life was a struggle on and off the mat. Like many youngsters, he got into mischief. He didn't always concentrate on his studies. An elementary school principal described young Bill as "a piece of work" to his mother. "I was the good, the bad and the stupid," is how Welker described his youth. How "Sparrow's Spirit" came together As mentioned earlier, Bill Welker has a long history as writer for the local Wheeling newspaper, as well as a long-time contributor to Wrestling USA magazine. That led to his first book, "The Wrestling Drill Book." "In May 2003, I got an email from Human Kinetics (wrestling book publisher)," said Welker. "God knew I wanted to write a book, which ended up being 'The Wrestling Drill Book.' First edition did well. In 2012, we updated it for a second edition. Together the two have sold over 30,000 copies." "I was truly blessed to have that opportunity. It taught me how to put a book together." That positive experience inspired Welker to write "The Sparrow's Spirit." "For years I've wanted to write another book, to share my story. It ended up being a two-year project." "The key word is perseverance," Welker said of the writing experience. "I have OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), which means, when I start a project, I make sure it'll get done." "I started to jot down memories from my life that I thought were interesting to me, and perhaps to others," Welker continued. "I'd brainstorm and jot down words that came to mind from my life that I thought might be the makings of a story worth sharing in the book. When I'd go out jogging, I'd remember incidents from my life that I had to share." "I wanted (the book) to be very anecdotal, very conversational, even chatty." Welker's newest book traces his life from youth into adulthood in a series of stories that are aptly described on the back cover as "trial-and-error experiences in which he usually took the wrong path." That said, Welker overcame those missteps thanks to the guidance and love of others. "I don't come across as a perfect person, but as someone who has persevered." Encouraging, uplifting ... without preachiness "The Sparrow's Spirit" is infused with an inspirational spirit that is uplifting and encouraging, without being preachy. Bill Welker with his son Rick Welker"I wanted to share a practical view on religion without overdoing it," according to Welker. "A common-sense view of life." "The key is forgiving. Not just forgiving others, but also forgiving yourself." "My message to today's athletes would be, 'You're going to make mistakes, but you need to learn from them, and then move on.'" "The Sparrow's Spirit" does a winning job of serving up one man's wisdom gained from experience, so that today's readers can learn from his own missteps and mistakes ... in a series of concise, compelling stories from Welker's life that make this 156-page book both humorous and uplifting. Don't believe me? Consider what Rob Koll, head wrestling coach at Cornell University, had to say. "'The Sparrow's Spirit' is an inspirational tale of triumph over self-destruction and adversity. Bill Welker vividly describes his lifelong battle to conquer the ultimate opponent - himself." "The Sparrow's Spirit: A Champion Wrestler's Lifetime Reflections on Prayer and Perseverance" is available for purchase on Amazon. For a signed copy of "The Sparrow's Spirit" or "Pancake Takedown Series" DVD for $15 each (including shipping and handling), send check or money order to: Dr. Bill Welker, 110 North Huron St., Wheeling, WV 26003. To purchase his "Wrestling Drill Book: 2d Edition" visit HumanKinetics.com.

Zain Retherford received the "Most Dominant Wrestler" award in Division I (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Penn State wrestling champ Zain Retherford has been nominated for ESPY's Best Male College Athlete, ESPN announced Wednesday. Wrestling fans can weigh in by casting a vote online at the official ESPN website: Retherford is up against some formidable competition. Also in the running for Best Male College Athlete honors: Wake Forest soccer's Ian Harkes, Kansas basketball's Frank Mason, Maryland lacrosse's Matt Rambo, and Clemson football's DeShaun Watson. Winners are determined exclusively by an online vote of sports fans. The winners will be announced during the 25th ESPYS awards show at 8 p.m. July 12 on ABC. In the history of the ESPYs, a number of top wrestlers have been nominated for Best Male College Athlete, including Penn State's David Taylor, Missouri's Ben Askren, Cornell's Kyle Dake, Ohio State's Logan Stieber, and, just last year, Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer. However, the only wrestling nominee to take home the Best Male College Athlete ESPY was current Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson, back in 2002, after concluding his wrestling career at Iowa State with four NCAA titles and a perfect 159-0 record. (Note: Anthony Robles, 2011 NCAA champ for Arizona State, did receive two ESPYs in 2011 ... but not Best Male College Athlete. The Sun Devil's ESPYs were the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Best Male Athlete with a Disability.) If anyone could break the long dry spell for a college wrestler earning the ESPY Best Male College Athlete, Retherford could be the one. The Benton, Pa. rising senior brings to the ESPY competition an impressive set of accomplishments on and off the mat. Retherford won the 149-pound title at the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, where he was voted the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, and also named NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler for the entire 2016-17 season. Retherford also won the Big Ten title at 149, along with Outstanding Wrestler honors. Less than two weeks ago, Retherford became a 2017 U.S. World Team Trials champion in freestyle. Retherford also demonstrated winning performance in the classroom by being named 2017 Academic All-Big Ten, 2017 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District (at-large), 2017 CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American (at-large), and NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) National All-Academic Team. In addition to these athletic and academic accomplishments, the Zain Train has also hauled in the hardware in 2017. Three months ago, Retherford was honored with the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's top collegiate wrestler ... and was named InterMat Wrestler of the Year. Just last week, Retherford was named Penn State's Male Student-Athlete of the Year, and is in the running for the Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year honors.

Check out this week's Takedown TV, featuring … Takedown Radio highlights from 57 kilograms/125 pounds Freestyle World Team member Thomas Gilman and five-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world Evander Holyfield Catching up with women's freestyle world team from Olympic Training Center Feature on John Smith and his son from Oklahoma State Athletic Department Exclusive one-on-one with World Team Trials Runner-Up Dom Bradley Watch online or on these cable networks/channels: Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable: Friday at 5 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4 p.m. KCWI 23: Saturday 4 p.m. KWEM Stillwater, Oklahoma: Tuesday 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Long Lines Cable: Daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. SECV8: Friday at 5 p.m. Suddenlink Cable: Check your local listings. Multiple air times. Time Warner Cable Sports: Saturday at 12 p.m. Western Reserve Cable: Tuesday at 11 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10 p.m.

Adam Cooling Just days before his 23rd birthday, Adam Cooling, Minnesota State senior wrestler, learned that he is a recipient of an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. The Mankato, Minn.-based school announced Tuesday that Cooling is one of just 174 student-athletes in the nation to earn this honor, and only the eighth Minnesota State student in the history of the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. The NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship is awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time, non-renewable scholarships of $7,500 are awarded three times a year, corresponding to each sports season (fall, winter and spring). Cooling is one of 29 male winter-sport athletes -- along with 29 women student-athletes -- who will receive the NCAA Post-Graduate scholarship, to be used in an accredited graduate program. Cooling plans on attending graduate school in the fall of 2018 in hopes of attaining a doctorate in Physical Therapy. A Medelia, Minn. native, Cooling has performed impressively in the classroom and on the mat during his time at Minnesota State. He was a two-time NCAA All-American, placing third at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in 2016 and 2017. Cooling completed his senior season with a 36-3 record; his career mark of 108-24 puts him fifth on the Minnesota State wrestling program's list for career wins. For all those reasons, Cooling was named Minnesota State Athletics' recipient of its Don Buchanan Award as the school's top senior male student-athlete for 2016-17. Cooling was a two-time CoSIDA All-American (first team in 2017, second team in 2016). In addition, Cooling was twice an All-NSIC First Team honoree, a three-time D2WCA All-Academic First Team member, and a three-time NSIC Winter All-Academic Team member. The 174-pound Maverick mat star was also a 2016-17 NSIC Myles Brand Award honoree, and a Maverick Achievement Award recipient as a senior scholar-athlete. Cooling completed his educational career at Minnesota State with a 3.88 grade point average, earning a degree in exercise science. "I am deeply honored and humbled to have been awarded the NCAA postgraduate scholarship," said Cooling. "The ability to combine athletics and academics during my four years at Minnesota State was a blessing and dream come true. The opportunity to be a member of this program and University has held me to the highest standard, allowing for my development in multiple aspects of life. Throughout my four years, I was surrounded by many people that greatly influenced my experience and allowed me to excel by providing constant support and guidance. For that, I am indebted and very grateful for those family and friends, coaches, professors, and members of the athletic department. The NCAA postgraduate scholarship makes it possible to continue my education in hopes of influencing the life of others as mine once was at Minnesota State." Minnesota State University-Mankato is a four-year public school located in the south-central part of the state. Founded in 1868, Minnesota State has an enrollment of approximately 15,000 students.

In August, the U.S. will send their freestyle world team to the UWW World Championships in Paris. This year's eight-man squad features two wrestlers who recently finished their collegiate careers this year, Thomas Gilman and J'den Cox, and two more who will be back on the mats for the next NCAA season, Kyle Snyder and Zain Retherford. While wrestlers coming directly off collegiate seasons seem to be doing better and better on the international level, it is not an entirely new phenomenon. The following looks back at all the world championship performances of wrestlers coming directly off collegiate seasons since 2007. Kyle Snyder gets his hand raised after winning the Olympic gold medal (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 2016 Olympics After defeating Kyle Dake in the Olympic Trials finale, J'den Cox headed to Brazil to represent the U.S. in the 86-kilogram division. He won his first two matches over Amarhajy Mahamedau (Belarus) and Alireza Mohammed Karimimachiani (Iran) before falling to eventual silver medalist Selim Yasar (Turkey). Cox bounced back with a victory over three-time world medalist Reineris Salas Perez. The Missouri wrestler then returned to school where he won his third NCAA title with an undefeated 28-0 season. At the 2016 Olympics, Kyle Snyder won his second world-level medal at 97 kilograms. He ran through Javier Cortina (Cuba), Albert Saritov (Romania), and Elizbar Odikadze (Georgia) to reach the finals. There Snyder defeated Azerbaijan's Khetag Goziumov in a close 2-1 match. This past season at Ohio State, Snyder went 17-0 and won his second NCAA heavyweight wrestling title. James Green won a bronze medal at the Worlds after finishing third at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 2015 World Championships Despite having never won an NCAA title, James Green became a world medalist in 2015. After finishing third the 2015 NCAA tournament, he then turned to freestyle and won a spot on the world team. On U.S. soil at the 2015 World Championships, Green defeated Johnthan Scott (Costa Rica), Robert Olle (Slovakia) and Arun Kumar (India) before falling to eventual silver medalist Hassan Yazdani of Iran. Green was then pulled into the repechage and defeated Miroslav Kirov (Bulgaria) for bronze. Before he was ever an NCAA champion, Kyle Snyder won his first world championship. Three months after falling to Kyven Gadson in the NCAA final, Snyder defeated Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials to earn a shot at the World Championships. He won his first four matches by a combined score of 27-5 before defeating Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia) in the finals to score his first world title. 2014 World Championships Tony Ramos finished his Iowa Hawkeye wrestling career by winning his first NCAA title. He originally planned to take a year off from wrestling, but he ended up entering the 2014 World Team Trials instead. In the Trials finale, he dominated Olympian Sam Hazewinkel in two-straight matches 4-0 and 5-1 to earn a spot on the team. In his first match at the 2014 World Championships, Ramos fell against Bekhbayar Erdenebatyn of Mongolia 7-4. Ed Ruth made the U.S. World Team in 2014 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) In 2014, Ed Ruth finished his collegiate wrestling career with his third NCAA title for Penn State. He then defeated Keith Gavin in the finals of the World Team Trials to go to the World Championships. Things started off great for Ruth with a 12-2 victory over Yusup Melehayev of Tajikistan, but then Ruth was eliminated by eventual bronze medalist Mohammad Hossein Mohammadian of Iran. Ruth stayed in wrestling until 2016. After failing to make the 2016 Olympic team, he transitioned to MMA. He is currently signed to Bellator and holds a 3-0 professional record. 2011 World Championships In 2011, Jordan Burroughs finished his collegiate wrestling career with an undefeated 36-0 season for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He became the school's first two-time NCAA champion and finished his collegiate run with a 128-20 record. Burroughs then won a spot on the U.S. team at 74 kilograms and began his historic run with a world championship. In the finals, he defeated Iran's four-time world medalist Sadegh Goudarzi. 2010 World Championships In 2010, Brent Metcalf wrapped up his second NCAA championship for the Iowa Hawkeyes with a 3-2 victory over Ohio State's Lance Palmer. Metcalf then entered the World Team Trials at 66 kilograms and defeated veteran Jared Frayer in the best-of-three finals. His run of success came to an end at the World Championships as he fell to Otar Tushishvili of Georgia in the first round in two periods (1-0, 2-2). 2009 World Championships After an injury plagued season in 2008, Dustin Schlatter took a redshirt year away from Minnesota to rehab his injuries. While on the redshirt year, he ended up winning a spot on the world team. In the best-of-three trials final, he scored a pair of 1-0, 1-0 victories over Travis Paulson to earn the spot. At the World Championships, Schlatter lost his only match to India's Ramash Kumar in three periods (1-0, 0-2, 1-1). He returned to Minnesota for year senior year, but once again, he was forced to deal with injuries and ended up defaulting out of the NCAA tournament. Jake Herbert finished his collegiate wrestling career at Northwestern with a 149-4 record, two NCAA titles and a Dan Hodge Trophy. He then won the chance to represent the U.S. in the 84-kilogram division at the 2009 World Championships. Herbert ended up reaching the finals before losing to Zaurbek Sokhiev (Uzbekistan) and taking home a silver medal. Along the way, he defeated world champions Abdusalam Gadisov (Russia) and Sharif Sharifov (Azerbaijan). Herbert continued to compete internationally and made several world teams, but he was never able to bring home another world-level medal. After winning his first title at the 2009 NCAA tournament, Jake Varner went on to win a spot on the 2009 World Team. At the World Championships, he won his first two matches over Daniel Ligeti (Hungary) and Takao Isokawa (Japan) before being eliminated by Iran's world silver medalist Saeid Abrahami. Varner returned to Iowa State and won his second NCAA title the following year. In 2011, he returned to the World Championships and won a bronze medal, and in 2012 he broke through and took home the Olympic gold medal.

Two-time state runner-up Anthony Madrigal (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) verbally committed to the University of Oklahoma on Tuesday evening. The projected 133/141 is ranked No. 24 overall in the Class of 2018, and ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 7 in the country at 126 pounds, a weight class in which he advanced to the state finals bout for a second straight season. Madrigal was also a Cadet National freestyle All-American in 2014 and 2015, including a runner-up finish in 2015. He has also twice finished third at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, at 106 pounds in December 2014 and at 126 in December 2016. Madrigal joins Tommy Hoskins (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio) as elite wrestlers to commit to the Sooners as part of their 2018 class.

The 2017 NCAA Division I finals drew 17,500 fans in St. Louis (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) What is the condition of NCAA wrestling these days? When it comes to the number of individuals and teams participating in all three divisions of NCAA wrestling, there's good news and there's bad news, with growing numbers of teams and individuals in some divisions ... with others have experienced an overall decline in participation levels over time. For the most part, NCAA Division II and III wrestling has seen growth in the number of wrestlers and teams since 2000 ... while there now fewer wrestling programs and wrestlers in NCAA Division I over the same time period, according to statistics from the NCAA. NCAA Division I-III individual participation ... by the numbers As of the 2015-16 season, there are a total of 7,075 wrestlers in all three NCAA Divisions -- I, II, and III. Overall, there are 835 more NCAA college wrestlers now than there were during the 2000-01 season. However, all that growth has been in NCAA Division II and III. In terms of individual participation, NCAA Division II has seen the greatest growth, with 769 more D2 wrestlers competing in the 2015-16 season than in 2000-01. At the beginning of this century, there were 1,177 Division II wrestlers; last season, that number had increased to 1,946. That translates to a 60 percent increase in number of D2 wrestlers since 2000. NCAA Division III has also seen overall growth in the number of individual wrestlers over the past 16 seasons. In 2000, there were 2,309 wrestlers competing at Division III programs; in 2016, there are now 2,628 ... an increase of 319, or roughly a 12 percent growth rate. By contrast, NCAA Division I has seen a decline in the number of individual participants since 2000. At the beginning of the century, there were 2,754 Division I wrestlers, according to the NCAA; now there are 2,501 ... or, 253 fewer D1 wrestlers. That's a nine percent drop in terms of the total number of NCAA Division I wrestlers since 2000. One of the most surprising statistics to come out of the NCAA: there are now more wrestlers in NCAA Division III than in Division I ... 127 to be exact, as of the 2015-16 season (2,628 in Division III; 2,501 in D1). As recently as the 2010-11 season, there were more D1 wrestlers than D3 wrestlers ... but in the past few years, that situation has been reversed, and Division III participation has grown to exceed that of Division I. One additional aspect of individual participation levels in NCAA wrestling worth noting: college wrestling is a diverse, inclusive sport. Of the 7,075 wrestlers in Division I, II and III wrestling in 2016, nearly a quarter -- or 1,800 -- identify themselves as being from minority groups, including 573 blacks, 504 Hispanics/Latinos, and 245 whose heritage is from two or more races. Team/program statistics for NCAA Division I-III wrestling Approximately 20 percent of the 1,119 colleges that are NCAA members have intercollegiate wrestling. In all three divisions of NCAA, there are approximately the same number of wrestling programs now (232) as there were back in 2000 (235). However, NCAA Division II is the only division to claim more wrestling programs today than they did 16 years ago. There are now 60 Division II wrestling programs, compared to 41 teams in D2 in 2000. According to NCAA statistics, 18.6 percent of Division II schools now have intercollegiate wrestling programs; in contrast, 13.9 percent of D2 members offered wrestling in 2000. Division I has suffered a loss of wrestling programs in recent years, dropping from 90 in 2000 down to 76 as of 2016. The percentage of D1 schools offering intercollegiate wrestling has also dropped, from 28 percent in 2000, down to 22 percent for last season. Surprisingly, Division III -- which has seen an increase in the number of individual wrestlers from 2000-2016 -- has seen a decrease in the number of wrestling programs, falling from 104 teams sixteen years ago, down to 96 last season. The percentage of D3 schools offering intercollegiate wrestling has also dropped, from 24.6 percent in 2000 down to 21.3 percent in 2016. What about squad size? The changing numbers of individual and team participation in all three NCAA divisions have had an impact on the number of wrestlers at individual member schools. In NCAA Division I, there are now an average of 32.9 wrestlers per squad, compared to 30.6 wrestlers per team in 2000-01. Divisions II and III have seen even greater increases in the average numbers of wrestlers at member schools. For Division II, the average squad size has increased from 28.7 wrestlers to 32.4 in the past 16 years ... while, for Division III, squad size has grown from 22.2 to 27.4. When looking at all three NCAA divisions, squad size has jumped from 26.6 in 2000 to 30.5 in 2016. Big-picture implications What do these participation numbers for all three divisions of NCAA wrestling say about the future of the sport at the college level? Based on this information alone, it would appear that the growth of NCAA wrestling may well center upon Division II and Division III programs. In the past year, much has been made of the announced return of Division I wrestling at Fresno State, a program that had been eliminated in 2008 because of overall budget cuts but will return to the mats this fall. However, one of the dominant news stories of 2017 is the elimination of the Division I wrestling program at Boise State, effective immediately. In a year-in-review feature back in January, InterMat reported that it had covered the news of the addition of 16 new (or resurrected) college wrestling rooms in 2016 (realizing that we may have missed an announcement or two). Of these, fully two-thirds of the new/revived programs were NOT at NCAA schools. A handful of these new programs will be at NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) schools ... while a similar number will be at NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) member schools, most of them being two-year community colleges. In other words, NCAA wrestling is not necessarily where most growth is taking place in terms of greater numbers of individual wrestlers and programs at the collegiate level. What happened in 2016 regarding new college wrestling programs is not a new phenomenon. It appears that in recent years, the majority of new mat programs are launched at public community colleges, or private four-year schools. In other words, not at four-year public universities which in the past had their athletics programs in NCAA Division I. Each college that has announced it was starting a new intercollegiate wrestling program has its own reasons for doing so. However, in the past five or ten years, there are a couple reasons that are often mentioned in the athletic department press releases unveiling a new mat program. One is to take advantage of high wrestling participation already in place in area high schools. Another: to help differentiate that particular college from other similar schools in the area by offering a sport not available at those other schools. (This has been the case in regions of the country which have fewer college wrestling programs, such as the South.) Both of these reasons for adding wrestling can be considered recruiting tools -- potential reasons to attract potential students to a particular college over others. For some would-be students, all other things being equal, they will choose to attend the college with the intercollegiate wrestling program.