InterMat Staff

J'den Cox vs. David Taylor is one of the most anticipated matchups in Lincoln (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) You won't have to look far to find Olympic and world medalists when the nation's best freestyle wrestlers take the mat for the United States World Team Trials. Look no further than Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion Jordan Burroughs along with world bronze medalist James Green. Burroughs and Green are two of the local favorites for the Trials, set for June 9-10 on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln. Burroughs won two NCAA titles for the Huskers while Green was a four-time All-American for the Big Red. Both wrestlers continue to train at NU under the watchful eyes of coaches Mark Manning and Bryan Snyder. Olympic and world champion Kyle Snyder, and world champion Logan Stieber are among the other top stars who will compete in this prestigious event. The eight champions at the World Team Trials advance to August's World Championships in Paris, France. This event typically doesn't draw huge crowds, but it should. This is an elite field of high-caliber wrestlers with the stakes very high. The U.S. has a legitimate chance to make a run at its first world team title since 1995. This event is definitely worth the price of admission if you decide to check it out. Here is my weight-by-weight breakdown, along with my fearless predictions, for what fans can look forward to in Lincoln: 57 kilograms/125.5 pounds Tony Ramos has developed a knack for pulling out close matches. That is what the 2014 and 2015 World Team member did in winning the U.S. Open a few weeks ago. Ramos has a bye into the best-of-3 finals series since he won the Open, which gives him a considerable edge. But he still needs to beat the challenge tournament winner twice to earn a ticket to France. This weight class has a number of athletes with the potential to win it, including U.S. Open runner-up and past NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett. Ramos rallied to beat Garrett in the Open finals. NCAA champions Nico Megaludis and Nathan Tomasello also are capable of being the guy here. 2016 Olympian Daniel Dennis would be in the mix as well, if he chooses to compete. Veteran Tyler Graff is another athlete to watch in this class. Past Junior world medalist Thomas Gilman also has qualified for the Trials. Gilman has beaten Tomasello and Garrett during his career. Sesker's pick: Garrett Defending world champion Logan Stieber is the favorite at 61 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 61 kilograms/134 pounds Logan Stieber's biggest problem in recent years was trying to find a weight class that is the best fit for him on the international level. Stieber was very good at 65 kilograms, but was a bit undersized. The drop down to 61 kilograms suited him very well last year when he broke through and won his first world title. Stieber has been excelling at this level since high school, but he finally fulfilled some of the promise he generated by winning a Junior world silver medal and four NCAA titles for Ohio State. Stieber will be heavily favored to win here. He is very big and strong for this division, and he is an aggressive wrestler who typically lights up the scoreboard like a pinball machine. Stieber clinched a finals berth at the Trials by virtue of winning a world medal in 2016. The top challengers in this division are NCAA champions Kendric Maple and Cody Brewer along with Brandon Wright, Josh Kindig, Seth Gross and Joe Colon. The challenge tournament will be interesting to watch. Past NCAA champion Jayson Ness is another wrestler to keep an eye on at 61 kilos. Sesker's pick: Stieber Zain Retherford will look to make his first World Team on the senior level (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 65 kilograms/143 pounds Jordan Oliver is in prime position to make his first World team. The past Junior world medalist and two-time NCAA champion is long overdue to make a world-level team on the senior level. Oliver is as talented as any American wrestler. Oliver won the U.S. Open to land a finals berth at the Trials. He will meet the winner of what promises to be a rugged and hard-fought mini-tournament in this always deep division. 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro and past Cadet world champion Zain Retherford, NCAA champions for Penn State, are the leading contenders to knock off Oliver. Molinaro nearly won an Olympic medal last year in Rio before finishing fifth. Retherford still has a year of college left, but he's primed to make his first World Team on the Senior level. He has a huge upside. Past World Teamer Jimmy Kennedy is another tough athlete in this class. Sesker's pick: Retherford 70 kilograms/154 pounds James Green is the favorite here, and he won the U.S. Open to punch his ticket to the finals of the Trials. Even though he is wrestling at home, Green will have to earn his trip to Paris. NCAA champion Jason Nolf is among the top challengers here, along with past Division III standout Nazar Kulchytskyy. Chase Pami and Jason Chamberlain are veterans to keep an eye on. Green continues to grow and develop, and look for him to put on a show for the Cornhusker faithful. Green's former college rival Dylan Ness also has qualified in this class. The dangerous Ness pinned the top-seeded Green in the quarterfinals of the 2014 NCAA tournament. A Green-Ness matchup certainly would be entertaining for the fans to watch. Sesker's pick: Green 74 kilograms/163 pounds Jordan Burroughs is the favorite here, but he will definitely be tested again by Kyle Dake, a four-time NCAA champion and a very tough freestyler. Burroughs beat Dake 2-2 on criteria in the U.S. Open finals in a match where neither guy scored a takedown. Burroughs is already in the finals because he won the Open, but Dake isn't expected to have much trouble breezing through the challenge tournament earlier in the day. One obstacle for Dake could be two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist Isaiah Martinez, a talented young stud with a promising future ahead in freestyle. Burroughs is wrestling at home, and that may be the difference in what promises to be a great finals series against Dake. Can't wait to see what happens. Wish the U.S. could enter both guys in Paris. This is the seventh straight year Burroughs has clinched a spot in the best-of-3 finals at a U.S. Trials before the tournament begins. In the previous six years, he made four World teams and two Olympic teams. If they do meet again, my only hope is that Burroughs and Dake open up and wrestle a little more. They could put on a tremendous show if they do. I think this series will go the full three matches in Lincoln. Sesker's pick: Burroughs 86 kilograms/189 pounds J'den Cox was a surprise winner of the Olympic Trials last year. Then he went overseas to qualify the weight class for the Olympics before earning a bronze medal in Rio. If not for some confusion, Cox very well could have been in the gold-medal match at the Olympics. Cox hasn't competed since capping his college career with a third NCAA title for Missouri in March, but he's proven that he's a tough competitor who doesn't become rattled in big matches. Cox does have an advantage in Lincoln as he's already in the finals by virtue of his Olympic medal. Cox will have his hands full in a much-anticipated finals series against David Taylor, who has had an outstanding season. Taylor dominated at the World Cup, where he pinned Olympic gold medalist Hassan Yazdani of Iran in Iran. Cox is bigger and more physical than Taylor, but Taylor has filled out and grown more into this weight class in the last year. Taylor never stops wrestling, and if you can't keep up you may be in big trouble. Whoever wins here will definitely be a medal contender in Paris. As a fan of great wrestling, I would love to see Cox-Taylor go the full three matches. This one is very tough to call. Past Greco-Roman World Team member Joe Rau also qualified in this class. It will be interesting to see how Rau, who is big for this weight class, fares during the freestyle competition in Lincoln. Sesker's pick: Taylor Olympic champion Kyle Snyder will look to add another world title his resume in 2017 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 97 kilograms/213 pounds What more can you say about the remarkable Kyle Snyder? He's already the youngest Olympic and world champion in U.S. history, and he's only 21 years old. The two-time NCAA champion just keeps getting better and better. The biggest challenge facing USA Wrestling is to keep him on the mat and out of the UFC cage, at least for a few more years. Snyder also has a bye to the finals in Lincoln after striking Olympic gold last year. U.S. Open champion Kyven Gadson, who pinned Snyder in the 2015 NCAA finals, will be the favorite to win the mini-tourney at the Trials. Snyder and Gadson have not met in competition since that NCAA match. Gadson has showed promise in freestyle as well. Unfortunately, he's in a weight class with a guy who is on course to become one of the greatest American wrestlers of all-time. Veterans Dustin Kilgore and Micah Burak could contend in the challenge tourney. Sesker's pick: Snyder 125 kilograms/275.5 pounds With the retirement of two-time Olympian and two-time world medalist Tervel Dlagnev, the heavyweight class becomes fairly wide open. Two-time NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski has the inside track after winning the U.S. Open. He sits out until the finals of the Trials, keeping him fresh while the rest of the big boys slug it out in the challenge tournament. There are a handful of challengers hungry for an opportunity to battle Gwiazdowski. That list includes Zack Rey, the U.S. Open runner-up who represented the U.S. at the 2015 Worlds with Dlagnev out with an injury. Veterans Dom Bradley, Bobby Telford and Tony Nelson also will have a say in who earns a shot at Gwiazdowski in the finals. Sesker's pick: Gwiazdowski

A golf tournament and dinner honoring the late Master Sergeant Corey Hood, who had a member of the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team until his death two years ago, will take place this August, practically within sight of the high school where Hood wrestled and played football. The second annual Hoody Memorial Golf Tournament and Dinner -- incorporating Corey Hood's nickname -- will take place Saturday, August 5, 2017 at Beckett Ridge Country Club in West Chester, Ohio in north-suburban Cincinnati, only a couple miles from Lakota West High School where Hood was a student-athlete. Hood, who served in the U.S. Army for 14 years, was killed in a parachute accident during an air show in Chicago in August 2015. He had just turned 32. The all-day event will raise funds for college scholarships for graduating seniors at Lakota East and Lakota West high schools. The day begins at 11 a.m. with golf registration, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. At 12:45 p.m., there will be a special ceremony celebrating MSG Corey Hood, including a performance that is open to those not participating in the golf event. Immediately following the golf tournament at approximately 6 p.m., there will be a dinner and party at the Beckett Ridge Clubhouse. During dinner, winners of the golf event will be announced. There will also be a raffle, split-the-pot drawing, and silent auction. The day honoring MSG Corey Hood ends with a fireworks display put on by nationally-renowned Rozzi Family Fireworks, beginning at 9 p.m. There will also be a live band featuring dueling pianos to play audience requests. The dinner and post-dinner entertainment are kid-friendly events, so families are encouraged to participate. For more information -- and to register for the golf tournament and/or the dinner -- visit the Hoody Memorial website. "This event is unlike any other golf outing or fundraising dinner," said Nick Enger, long-time friend of Corey Hood and one of the organizers of the event. "For those of you lucky enough to know Corey, you know he loved a good party and loved surprises. Last year was a good warm up. This year will be off the charts." "Last year, we had bagpipers and flag bearers at the beginning of the golf tournament," said Enger. "Then skydivers carrying a large American flag came in, landing within 50 yards of the participants." "Members of the Golden Knights honored Corey by playing golf and coming to the dinner." Remembering Corey Hood Carrie Mills, Corey Hood's mother, is a native of the West Chester area about 25 miles north of downtown Cincinnati, who now lives in Virginia. She is a graduate of the original Lakota High School which was replaced about 20 years ago by two new schools, Lakota East and Lakota West, Corey's alma mater. Corey Hood"Corey signed up for the Army prior to graduation in 2001," Mills told InterMat. "His first day in the Army was June 14, his birthday." "He always wanted to be in the Army. I was all for him going. My dad, who was a Marine, encouraged Corey to go into the Army." "He wanted to be a spy, to go after bad guys." "Corey was a sports fanatic," Mills continued. "He was small. He had to prove he could do something." "He played some football at (Lakota) West. But wrestling is where he found himself. Wrestling is an individual sport. That worked for him. "Wrestling helped him work off stress from at home." Carrie Mills then shared how her husband at the time took out his frustrations on Corey. "I came from a broken home myself. I told my kids that school is a safe haven." "Corey looked forward to school to be a part of things." "Wrestling is why he went to school ... He loved Scott Fetzer (Lakota West wrestling coach)." "Wrestling helps you deal with challenges." "Corey knew how to surround himself with great people," according to his mom. "When the accident happened, 60 of his friends from Lakota came up to Chicago. There's a strong bond that exists to this day." One of those friends is Nick Enger, who still lives and works in the West Chester area. "We met in seventh grade. I was one of his best friends. Then again, Corey had lots of best friends. He was the connection between various groups." "He had an amazing ability to bring together individuals from different groups. He made people feel as if they were all friends." Nearly 60 of those friends found their way to Chicago two years ago when Corey Hood was involved in a deadly skydiving accident at the Chicago Air & Water Show in August 2015. Jumping for the Army Golden Knights, Hood was injured on Saturday morning, August 15 when he collided with a Navy Leap Frog parachute team member while performing a stunt known as a "bomb burst" at the annual two-day event. While the Navy skydiver was able to land on a Lake Michigan beach with a broken leg, Hood apparently clipped the top of a building on Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood of high-rise apartment buildings along the lake, then fell, according to eyewitness accounts. Hood died Sunday afternoon from his injuries at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Corey Hood crafted an impressive career in his fourteen years in the Army, serving as a team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant and Airborne Instructor. According to his mother, when Hood went through Airborne training then Jump School, it was somewhat ironic, as "Corey was afraid of heights but loved skydiving." Hood had been jumping since 2010, logging more than 200 free fall jumps and 75 military static line jumps. Before he became a parachutist, Hood served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had been awarded two Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge and the Combat Action Badge. Lakota West wrestling coach Scott Fetzer recalled a story that Hood told during a visit to his high school alma mater in 2006 about being trapped in a foxhole for two days during crossfire in Afghanistan. "Corey told our team what kept him going in that foxhole is if I can make it through wrestling practice, I can survive this," Fetzer told Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO-TV at the time of Hood's death. "Now I'll tell you this: after he told our kids that story, it was probably the greatest practice my team has ever had." "He took that mental toughness and he lived it." Fetzer went on to describe Hood as "a national hero" with "a lot of grit and a lot of determination." In a November 2014 profile of Hood for a Lakota West publication, coach Fetzer said, "Wrestling helps build mental and physical toughness and Corey has always displayed these characteristics. I'm so proud and honored to say, 'Corey Hood ... once a Lakota West Wrestling Hammer, always a Lakota West Wrestling Hammer!'" Honoring a hero with the Hoody Memorial After Corey Hood's death, a number of his friends wanted to honor his memory in a lasting way. That was the birth of the Hoody Memorial Golf Tournament and Dinner last summer. "We came up with the idea while we were out drinking one night," said Nick Enger. "We expected to raise maybe $3,000, and have 40-50 participants, tops." "We put out word in June. We quickly maxed out in terms of number of golf participants with 144 golfers, and 150 guests for the dinner." "We raised over $40,000 at that first event," Enger told InterMat. "We gave a $7,500 scholarship to Jenson Quinn [brother of Mason Quinn, one of the wrestlers featured in InterMat's feature on three athletes who have found their place in wrestling]." "We did all this in eight weeks." Here's how the organization's official website describes the scholarship: "The Hoody Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a Lakota student who possesses the same positive qualities that Hood exhibited throughout his life -- a strong will, a desire to succeed, and 'a little bit of grit.'" This year's event promises to be bigger and better. The golf event will be open to a greater number of participants than last year's; the dinner will offer more guests the opportunity to join in ... all with the idea of not only honoring an American hero and former wrestler, Corey Hood, but also to help students at his high school alma mater as well as the community he called home. To learn more about the 2017 Hoody Memorial Golf Tournament and Dinner, please visit the Hoody Memorial website. It has information about the event, along with the ability to register online to participate in the golf event, or dinner, or both. In addition, there's information on sponsorship opportunities and donating items for the fundraising auction. What's more, there's an application for next year's student scholarship.

A former Yorkville elementary school student has filed a lawsuit against one-time U.S. House Speaker and high school wrestling coach Dennis Hastert -- along with the Yorkville school district -- detailing allegations of a rape that occurred when the reported victim was in elementary school in the 1970s, according to multiple media reports Sunday. The alleged victim, named "Richard Doe" in the lawsuit that was filed Friday in Kendall County (Illinois) Circuit Court in Yorkville, states in his lawsuit that Hastert sexually assaulted him in a bathroom when the victim was in fourth grade, and that the county state's attorney at the time threatened him with criminal charges upon hearing the story years later. The lawsuit seeks $50,000 in damages from Hastert and Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 for charges including battery, negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress for an incident that allegedly happened when the boy stopped to use a school bathroom after riding his bike during the summer. Weeks after the alleged incident, Doe began crying when he recognized Hastert during gym class at Yorkville Grade School as the man who abused him, according to his lawsuit. The grade school is next to Yorkville High School, where Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at the time. The lawsuit goes on to allege that both Hastert and then, a decade later, Kendall County State's Attorney Dallas Ingemunson warned Doe not to say anything about the incident when Doe reportedly went to Ingemunson's office to report the crime in the mid-1980s. Reached Saturday by the DeKalb (Ill.) Daily Chronicle, Ingemunson told the newspaper that "all these things (the new accuser) is saying are untrue." He added: "I have no idea what he's talking about." Regarding the Hastert accusations, Ingemunson said, "I wish this stuff would all just go away." "I have no idea how this is going to blow up now, with all this crap," he added. "It's just all untrue nonsense." Hastert's attorney didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press on Sunday seeking comment. When asked about the lawsuit, District 115 spokeswoman Kristine Liptrot told the DeKalb newspaper she was "unaware of the new allegations that have been brought forward" and that she "cannot comment on pending litigation." "However, if law enforcement needs our assistance, we are always available to help in an investigation," Liptrot said. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. This is the first accusation involving someone who was not a high school athlete at the time. Hastert had been accused of sexual assaulting some of his wrestlers at Yorktown High School, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, in the 1960s and 1970s. He is currently serving a 15-month sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. for evading federal banking rules in an apparent scheme to pay hush money to an unidentified individual on the Yorkville wrestling team when he was head coach. Hastert is scheduled to be released August 16. In addition to prison time, Hastert was fined $250,000, must spend two years on supervised release after leaving prison, and must register as a sex offender. Hastert had a long, successful political career which culminated in serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives for longer than any Republican. Hastert was also long associated with the sport of wrestling. In addition to working as a high school wrestling coach from 1965 to 1981, Hastert was often seen at significant events such as the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and the Midlands post-Christmas tournament held at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. outside Chicago. Since the original allegations first surfaced, Hastert had been stripped of a number of honors. His name was taken off a major high school tournament in his hometown, and was removed from a building at Wheaton College, his alma mater in suburban Chicago where he wrestled in the mid-1960s. After sentencing, Hastert became the first inductee to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame to be removed in the 40-year history of the Stillwater, Okla. facility honoring amateur wrestlers. In 2000 Hastert had been welcomed into the Hall as an Outstanding American.

A Virginia State Police special agent fatally shot in Richmond Friday evening established and ran a wrestling club to help disadvantaged children. Michael T. WalterMichael T. Walter, 45, was shot by a passenger in a parked car just before 7:30 p.m. Friday. He died from his wounds in a Richmond hospital early Saturday morning. "Mike is well-known not only for his passion for criminal justice, but also for his commitment and passion to bettering the lives of local youth," Col. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, said during a news conference at the scene of the crime Saturday. "Mike founded and ran a non-profit organization, the Powhatan Youth Wrestling and Community Development Corporation, through the Blackhawk gym. For him and [his wife] Jamie, this wasn't about making a profit. It was about making a difference for disadvantaged youth by mentoring them and fostering their talents through physical fitness and sportsmanship." Officials with the group Walter founded released the following statement: "Blackhawk Wrestling is shocked and saddened by the tragic murder of our Founder and President, Virginia State Police Special Agent Michael T. Walter. Coach Mike founded our organization in 2008 and has passionately built our club to the organization we are today. His passion for wrestling and unique networking ability stretched throughout the Virginia wrestling community and beyond. Coach Mike ensured that our organization stayed focused on not only wrestling as a sport but our more important goal of developing our members into solid citizens. He demanded a high standard of character, integrity, and personally encouraged and modeled for the youth in the community and the Blackhawk wrestlers the importance of making the right choices in life. Coach Mike measured our successes not just by wins and losses in the wrestling room, but by how many children and young adults were helped regardless of their past or their socio-economic status. As an organization, we will continue Coach Mike's legacy and outreach to the community." Jessie Harris, a Powhatan resident who worked six years with Walter at Powhatan Youth Wrestling, said she was shocked to hear of his death because of the strength and goodness he projected. "He seemed like an invincible person," Harris told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "He always kind of inspired other people with strength because of his." "He was able to help any kind of kid who was coming from a bad situation, or even a kid who was in a great situation and just needed some sort of guidance or acceptance," Harris continued. "He really didn't turn a kid away. He was a protector. You really couldn't have found a better guy. He literally devoted his life to bettering communities and peoples' lives. The world is a sadder place without him in it." According to Harris, Walter took no money from the wrestling club he founded and operated. "All he took was just the success of the kids, and that was enough for him." Born in Philadelphia, Michael Walter was a graduate of Schalick High School in Elmer, N.J. who went on to serve in the Marines. He had worked as a hospital security officer and an officer with Virginia Division of Capitol Police for two years before joining Virginia State Police in 1998. Walter was with a Richmond police officer when the two approached a car parked along the curb on Friday evening. As the police officer talked to the driver, Walter was shot by the front seat passenger, who then fled the scene. The accused shooter was later apprehended in northern Virginia. Walter was the 63rd Virginia state trooper killed in the line of duty since 1928 and the 11th in the past 11 years. Walter is survived by his wife Jaime and three children. Funeral arrangements have yet to be made public.

Gavin Hoffman (Photo/Tom Elling) Two-time state champion Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.) verbally committed to Ohio State early on Saturday afternoon while competing at the NHSCA National Duals in Virginia Beach. The No. 17 overall wrestler in the 2018 class joins No. 13 Jaden Mattox (Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio) as a commit for the Buckeyes, both wrestlers also won Flo Nationals titles earlier this spring. Hoffman additionally has amassed a NHSCA Junior Nationals title, a Super 32 Challenge runner-up finish, and a Cadet National freestyle runner-up finish (that one at 220 pounds) within the last twelve months. The projected 197 pound wrestler in college ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 6 nationally at 195 pounds.

Ben Askren defeated Agilan Thani (Photo/ONE Championship) Ben Askren, two-time NCAA wrestling champ for University of Missouri, successfully defended his ONE Championship welterweight championship with a first-round submission Friday. Askren got previously unbeaten prospect Agilan Thani to tap out at 2:20 of Round 1 of the co-main event at ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes mixed martial arts event in Singapore. It was the third successful title defense for Askren since winning the ONE Championship title in 2014, and the first for the 2008 Olympian in 13 months. In its coverage, MMAJunkie.com reported, "Askren did what he does best in the championship contest. He charged toward Thani at the opening bell and immediately put the challenger on his back foot. Askren pursued the takedown until he planted Thani on his back less than a minute into the opening round, and from there, the outcome was inevitable." "Askren ... immediately closed the distance on his young opponent and secured a quick takedown into side control," reported MMAFighting.com. "Once on the ground, Askren effortlessly floated between positions, trapping the 21-year-old Thani in a crucifix and unloading a flurry of unanswered punches. Thani eventually escaped to his feet, only to be immediately taken back down and drowned under a tight arm-triangle from Askren, which coaxed a tapout at 2:20 of the opening round." After his successful welterweight title defense, Askren called out ONE middleweight champion Vitaly Bigdash, who previously accepted -- then rejected -- an in-the-cage meeting between the two ONE Championship titleholders. "We got this guy, Vitaly Bigdash. He agreed to fight me, then he decided it was a bad idea and he didn't want to do that anymore," Askren said. "Bigdash, he ran around like a chicken. So here's the deal: Bigdash, I need a dance partner on Aug 18."

Zack Shanaman NEW YORK -- Former All-Ivy performer Zack Shanaman has joined the Columbia Wrestling program as a volunteer assistant, announced by the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Zach Tanelli. "Zack is a great addition to the Columbia staff and we are excited to have him join us," said Tanelli. "Having excelled at both the Ivy and NCAA level, Zack brings experience that will easily translate and resonate within our team. He has been instrumental in developing student-athletes at all levels of wrestling, including All-Americans Jordan Blanton and Conrad Polz during his time at the University of Illinois. He will make an immediate impact across the board that will put us in a place to accomplish our team and individual goals." Shanaman returns to the East Coast, having spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Poway High School in California. Along with being involved with all the aspects of the wrestling program at Poway, Shanaman coached and trained youth wrestlers for the Poway Elite Youth Wrestling Club. From 2011-2013, Shanaman was a resident athlete and coach at the Illinois Regional Training Center in Champaign, Illinois. While working with senior level wrestlers and student-athletes at the University of Illinois, he also helped get them prepared for national and international competition. A 2009 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics, Shanaman was a standout 165-pounder for the Quakers. In 2008, he won a trio of matches at the NCAA Championships, qualifying after a second place finish at the EIWA Championships. Shanaman was a first team All-Ivy League selection at 165 pounds in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Shanaman got his start in coaching at LaSalle College High School in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, helping out as an assistant coach from 2005-06. At Penn, Shanaman was an Assistant Camp Director during the Penn Wrestling camps, spending time counseling, training, and planning activities for 500 campers during the summer.

Joe Russell (Photo/GoMason.com) Fairfax, Va. -- Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics Brad Edwards has announced that George Mason wrestling Coach Joe Russell has resigned to accept a coaching position with USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs. Assistant coach Mark Weader has been named interim head coach. "Joe has been a tremendous representative of George Mason and has been the face of Mason wrestling," said Edwards. "He has an incredible opportunity to represent his country as a wrestling coach for the National team. The Mason and wrestling community will miss both he and wife Sadie's passion for wrestling. I want to wish Joe, Sadie and son Taft well in their new chapter." "I am thankful for the opportunity to have served as the head wrestling coach at George Mason University," said Russell. "This experience has helped me grow as a person and I am proud of the progress we made during my tenure. Seeing the team win 41 dual meets and having eight wrestlers compete at the NCAA Championships was gratifying. Even more so, seeing the wrestlers graduate and seeing the great alums Mason Wrestling is helping produce makes me proud to be a Patriot. George Mason University will always hold a special spot in my heart." In his six years as head coach at Mason, Russell has guided the Patriots to a 41-82 dual record, making improvements on Mason's winless season six years ago. Russell also coached several wrestlers at the NCAA Championships. Most recently, Russell coached senior Sahid Kargbo and junior Ibrahim Bunduka at the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo. Overall, for the Patriots, Russell coached eight wrestlers at five NCAA Championships. Greg Flournoy earned two straight NCAA bids and finished his career with 95 total wins after going 1-2 at the 2016 NCAA Championships in New York. In 2012, he coached Mendbagana Tovuujav and Vincent Rodriquez to a bid into the NCAA National Tournament and Jake Kettler in 2013 and 2015. Russell is no stranger to the national and international wrestling circuit. In 1998, he served as the coach of Team USA in a world freestyle dual versus Germany. Also in 1998, he was selected as the coach for the USA Wrestling Tour de Monde team in Hungary. Russell coached Team USA in another world freestyle dual meet versus Cuba in 1999 and went on to coach the U.S. 17-and-under team at the Cadet World Championships in August 1999 in Denmark. For his efforts, Russell was voted the 1999 USA Wrestling Person of the Year for the University and FILA Junior Age Divisions. In the summer of 2000, Russell was selected to coach the U.S. Junior Team at the 2000 Pan American Championships in Peru. In 2001, he coached a team of USA All-Stars in the First Annual Utah Greco-Roman Challenge in Sandy, Utah. He also served on the coaching staff in both freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling for the USA team at the Junior Pan American Championships in 2002, 2004 and 2014. He coached Mason wrestler Sahid Kargbo in representing USA Wrestling at the 2012 Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Kargo made the FILA Junior World Team in 2013. In 2016, he coached the Patriots Matt Voss, who placed first overall at 130kg while two other Patriots placed in the top eight of their weight class at the 2016 UWW Greco Roman University Nationals in Akron, Ohio. With the win, he qualified to represent the United States at the 2016 University World Championships in Corum, Turkey. On the academic front, Russell's team earned the NCAA Public Recognition Award in 2017, the first in program history. The honor is based on the most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR), posting scores in the top 10 percent of their sport nationally. The Patriots were recognized as a Division I All-Academic Top 30 Team by the NWCA two straight years. Russell's wife Sadie has been heavily involved in the wrestling community for more than 20 years, working most recently with Beat the Streets D.C. since 2014 acting as executive director to help establish wrestling programs in Washington D.C. schools. Sadie has also assisted the Wrestlers in Business Network with the NWCA All-Star Classic since 2013 when George Mason hosted the annual event. Their son Taft, 6-years old, is an avid youth wrestler. Assistant coach Mark Weader, who recently completed his 13th overall season in collegiate coaching at Mason, will take over head coaching responsibilities as the interim. The Mason wrestling alum is familiar with that position, having led the Patriots as the head coach from 2005-2011, compiling a 39-56-2 record during that span. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Mason during the 1999-2000 season and returned as Russell's top assistant last season after a five-year stint working in business. During the 2007-08 season, Weader guided the Patriots to one of their finest seasons. Mason posted a 13-5 overall record and 5-3 mark in CAA duals, while improving four spots to a fourth-place finish at the CAA Championships. The 13 wins were the most the program had reached since the 1991-92 season when the Patriots won their first of five CAA team titles. The Danville, Pa native guided several wrestlers to conference and NCAA heights, with seven NCAA qualifiers in four of his six seasons as head coach. In his first season in 2005-06, redshirt freshman Tyler Tisdell finished as runner-up at 165 pounds at the CAA Championships and advanced to the NCAA Championships. Two wrestlers, Cayle Byers and Mendbagana Tovuujav made two trips to the NCAA Championship and finished nationally ranked. At the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Byers came within one win of earning All-America status. AS a student-athlete for the Patriots, Weader was a four-year starter and finished with an overall record of 75-40, ranking in the top-20 all-time in victories at Mason. He won the CAA Championship at 157 pounds and advanced to the NCAA Championship. He graduated from George Mason in 1999 with a B.S. degree in communication.

Brandon Paetzell (Photo/Sam Janicki) Brandon Paetzell, who just finished his freshman season at Rutgers, plans to transfer from the New Jersey school to Lehigh University, according to multiple media reports. "Nothing is official yet," Paetzell told

The wrestling room at Altus High School has been renamed in honor of Nick Williams, former Oklahoma State wrestler and head wrestling coach at the southwestern Oklahoma school for the past dozen years who is now battling ALS. A dedication ceremony for Nick Williams took place on TuesdayThe dedication ceremony took place Tuesday night at the school. Former Altus assistant wrestling coach Brandon Benson, along with the Altus School Board, presented Williams with the dedication. In addition, a video, featuring tributes from two dozen former and current wrestlers, friends and family, was shown. Other highlights of the event: Williams' stepson presented the coach with his three Oklahoma state championship medals ... and there were guest speakers from the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, and the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association. Williams was recently diagnosed with ALS -- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis -- also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and the subject of ice-bucket challenge fundraisers. According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS is a progressive nervous system (neurological) disease that destroys nerve cells and causes disability. It slowly robs the person of their muscle function, ability to walk, ability to talk, and eventually the ability to breathe. Since becoming head coach at Altus in 2004, Nick Williams has led the Bulldogs to nine consecutive district titles, and have placed among the top four team finishers at the state championships. Under Williams, Altus can claim 62 state tournament qualifiers, 21 state placers, and 15 state champs, including a trio of three-time titlewinners and two two-time champs. Williams was named All-State coach in 2010, and was twice selected as 5A Coach of the Year (2010, 2016). Prior to taking the helm at Altus, Williams served as coach at Mangum and Madill high schools. As a wrestler, Williams was a three-time Oklahoma state champ for Geary High School. He then wrestled at Oklahoma State in the early 1990s, mostly at heavyweight. Among the opponents Williams wrestled as a Cowboy: two-time NCAA heavyweight champ Kerry McCoy of Penn State; Nebraska's 2005 NCAA heavyweight titlist Tolly Thompson; and Minnesota NCAA All-American Billy Pierce. This week's wrestling room dedication isn't the only honor for Nick Williams. On Saturday, June 10, there will be a fundraising golf tournament for Williams -- who also is golf coach at Altus High -- at The Greens of Altus. There will be a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. using a four-person scramble format. There will be a $200 entry fee per team, with all proceeds going to coach Williams. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, contact Bryce Sellers at bsellers@redriverfcu.com.

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- King University Director of Athletics David Hicks announced the resignation of associate head men's wrestling coach Frank Morgan on Wednesday. "As a student, an athlete and a coach, any time spent at King rewards me with great personal and spiritual growth," Morgan said. "The time I have spent here has been essential to the person I am today. I am truly indebted to Jason Moorman for giving me this opportunity and will forever reflect on the things he has taught me. I am thankful for every single person who influenced me during this time, but most importantly for how genuinely everyone has wished me well as I attack my most sincere dreams." Morgan graduated from King in 2012 as one of the most decorated wrestlers in program history, qualifying for either the NAIA or NCAA National Championships in each of his four years, and finishing as both an NAIA national finalist and an NCAA Division II All-American. "Frank was very instrumental in our success the past three years," Head Coach Jason Moorman said. "He exemplified what kind of standard we set here at King. We wish him the best in his new venture, and he will be missed." Following his graduation with a degree in Mathematics and Physics in 2012, Frank returned to King in the fall of 2014 as Associate Head Coach of the men's wrestling program. During his three seasons with the program, Morgan contributed to King climbing back into relevance on the national level, climbing as high as 19th nationally in 2017 and seeing two wrestlers earn All-American honors. "Morgan has done a phenomenal job the past three years, and embodies every characteristic we want our student-athletes, graduates and staff to exhibit," Hicks stated. "His presence will be missed, but I am appreciative of his contributions to and leadership of our student athletes during his tenure."

Roger Reina (Photo/Thomas C. Weishaar) PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, Dr. M. Grace Calhoun, has announced that Roger Reina C'84 WEV'05 will return to his Hall of Fame roots as head coach of the Penn wrestling program. Reina originally led the Quakers from 1986-2005 and amassed a program-record 205 wins and a .649 winning percentage during his first tenure coaching at his alma mater, which began at the age of 24 as the youngest head coach in program history. He guided the Quakers to four EIWA championships and eight Ivy League titles during his initial run as head coach, and recruited and coached a pair of NCAA champions (Brett Matter, Matt Valenti) as well as an Olympic Gold Medalist (Brandon Slay). Reina led Penn to five NCAA Top 20 finishes in a six-year span including a Top 10 NCAA finish and two eighth-place finishes at the National Dual Meet Championships. "We are thrilled that Roger Reina, the winningest coach in Penn wrestling history and a Hall of Famer, is returning to coach our wrestling team at this critical time for the program," said Calhoun. "Roger has been an outstanding Penn Athletics administrator for the past two years, remaining very involved in promoting the sport as a member of the Penn Wrestling Grapplers Club Board and through his work with the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center. He brings a passion and intensity to our program that will undoubtedly inspire our student-athletes, elevate their experience, and return Penn wrestling to prominence." Reina has a lifelong relationship with Penn. His father, Ruben, was Chair of the Anthropology Department and curator at the Penn Museum from 1957-90, and multiple family members have earned Penn degrees. Roger first set foot on Penn's campus as a freshman in the fall of 1979 and began a lifelong commitment to Penn Wrestling. Throughout his career as a wrestler, coach, mentor, alumnus and administrator, Reina's focus has been on the betterment of his alma mater's wrestling program and the growth of the sport in his hometown of Philadelphia. "I am humbled and honored to once again have the opportunity to serve as head coach of one of the country's most prestigious wrestling programs," Reina said. "What started back in Weightman Gym in 1905 with the first collegiate wrestling tournament carries on today in The Palestra as our student-athletes represent Penn's tremendous legacy in this classic sport. The friendships and experiences our community enjoys through Penn Wrestling are deep, long-standing and priceless. Looking forward, we have a timely and very exciting opportunity to aim big, achieve new heights, and carry this legacy forward for new generations of outstanding Penn student wrestlers." In 2017, Reina was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Pennsylvania chapter for his dedicated service to the sport of wrestling across all levels. He also was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008 as a member of Class VI. Reina currently serves as the President and Chairman of the Board for the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC). Designated by USA Wrestling under the US Olympic Committee, the PRTC serves as an elite training opportunity for wrestlers at all age levels from cadet to Olympic levels. Of particular note, PRTC wrestler Richard Perry placed fifth at the 2016 Olympic Trials and was a finalist at the most recent U.S. Open. Along with Perry, PRTC athletes Chase Pami (third at US Open) and BJ Futrell will compete in the upcoming USA World Team Trials in Lincoln, Neb. June 10-11. The PRTC is led by Penn alumnus and Olympic Champion Brandon Slay W'98. Since the end of his first tenure with the Red and Blue in 2005, Reina has remained active in the wrestling community. In addition to his work to launch the PRTC and foster its partnership with Beat the Streets Philly, Reina served as chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2011 NCAA Championships which set record attendance numbers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. He also chaired the host committee for the 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic held at The Palestra, and was involved in bringing the 2017 Maccabiah Games Trials to The Palestra this past April. Since 2015, Reina has been a Penn Athletics administrator as Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs. In that role, he had oversight of all external-facing efforts of Penn Athletics including Athletic Communications, Marketing and New Media, Sponsorship, Business Development, and Ticketing. In addition, Reina served as Executive Director of The Penn Relays, the world's largest track and field event held each April at Penn's Franklin Field. The Roger Reina File • Penn's All-Time Winningest Coach (205) • Four-Time EIWA Team Champions (1996, 97, 98, 99) • Eight-Time Ivy League Champion (1994, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02) • Owns a Winning Record Against All Active Ivy League Head Coaches • Three-Time EIWA Coach of the Year (1996, 97, 99) • Coached Brandon Slay W'97 to 2000 Olympic Gold Medal • Coached Brett Matter W'00 to 2000 NCAA Championship • Recruited 2x NCAA Champion Matt Valenti, and coached him to NCAA All American status • Coached 17 NCAA All-Americans, including eight NCAA semi-finalists • Coached Five Ivy League Wrestlers of the Year • Coached Four Ivy League Rookies of the Year • Coached 30 EIWA Champions • USA Wrestling Silver Certified Coach • Coached national freestyle champions at every age group under USA Wrestling • Served as a Dave Schultz Wrestling Club coach through 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic cycles, coaching multiple Olympic Trials place winners and two finalists • Pennsylvania Amateur Wrestling Federation Contributor of the Year (1997), serving as PAWF Coach for Cadet and Junior Freestyle and Greco Roman teams • Past President of the National Wrestling Coaches Association • 2004 NWCA Meritorious Service Award recipient • EIWA Hall of Famer (2009) • National Wrestling Hall of Famer (Pennsylvania chapter, 2017) • Penn Athletics Hall of Famer (Class VI, 2008)

Owen Webster (Photo/Don Stoner, Augsburg College) Minnesota today announced that Owen Webster will join the team this fall as part of the program's current recruiting class. Webster competed for Division III Augsburg in Minneapolis this past season after a high school career at Shakopee (Minn.) High School. Last season at Augsburg, Webster took third in the country at 184 pounds as a true freshman at the NCAA Championships. He won his weight at the NCAA Division III Regional, the last in a long line of tournament wins for Webster during his rookie season with the Auggies. During the regular season, Webster won or reached the championship bout in several open tournaments. Owen WebsterA 2014 Minnesota state champ, Webster made a name for himself on the Olympic-style circuit as a high-schooler, winning USA Wrestling Nationals in 2014 wrestling Greco at 160 pounds and finishing as the freestyle runner-up at that same weight. At UWW Nationals in 2015, Webster flipped that order, finishing as the Greco runner-up but capturing the cadet national title at 85 kilograms. As a member of the United States' World Cadet team that year, Webster won a bronze medal. He also won USA Wrestling's 2016 junior national freestyle title at 182 pounds. Webster is the seventh member of the incoming recruiting class for the Gophers. He joins three signees from the November signing period (Jakob Bergeland, Alex Crowe and Brent Jones) and three more from the April singing period (Jake Allar, Bailee O'Reilly and Tyler Watterson). Check out our releases from November 10 and April 13 for more information about each of those trios. GopherSports.com is your home for all Gopher Wrestling news, including the latest addition to the roster. Be sure to follow Gopher Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates.

Abdulrashid Sadulaev gets his hand raised after a victory at the Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Kyle Snyder, 2016 Olympic gold medalist in men's freestyle at 97 kilograms/213 pounds, is eager to take on the Russian Tank. Media reports indicate that Abdulrashid Sadulaev, 86-kilogram/189-pound gold medalist at the Rio Olympics known by a number of nicknames including The Tank, is planning to move up to 97 kilos for the upcoming Russian Championships ... possibly setting the stage for a Snyder vs. Sadulaev meeting on the mat in the future, perhaps at the 2017 World Championships. Snyder seemed almost gleeful at the news that Sabulaev may be entering his weight class, judging by this message on his Twitter account: "It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and Sadulaev is coming up to 97kg." Snyder also expressed his eagerness to take on Sadulaev in traditional media. "My gut reaction is excited, happy," Snyder told NBCSports.com. "When I first saw it, I smiled because this is like an exciting wrestling match for the wrestling community, wrestling fans, and it's an exciting match for me. It motivates me to continue to grow and continue to improve in wrestling." Snyder has the utmost respect for his potential Russian rival, calling him the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world. The Ohio State heavyweight had the opportunity to see Sadulaev in action at the 2016 Olympics, seeing The Tank roll over his opponents in four matches by 28-1. (Snyder scored 28 points to his four opponents' 8 points at the Olympics.) "[Sadulaev] has got a very good stance," Snyder said. "It's very difficult to get to his legs and to break his positioning. He's a very good finisher once he gets your leg, and he's very good on top." Although just 21 years old, Sadulaev has built an impressive resume -- and reputation -- on the mat. The Dagestan native is undefeated in senior-level international competition since November 2013. In addition to winning Olympic gold in Rio, Sadulaev won back-to-back World freestyle titles in 2014 and 2015. However, Sadulaev has not wrestled since the Olympics, reportedly because of various injuries. Snyder, who is also 21 but six months older than Sadulaev, has made an impression in wrestling. Beyond his gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics, the product of Maryland has also tallied gold at the 2015 World championships and the Pan Am Games the same year. In addition, Snyder has won back-to-back heavyweight titles at the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for Ohio State. Will Snyder face Sadulaev at the Worlds? First, both men have to earn a spot on their respective World freestyle teams. Snyder will have his opportunity at the 2017 World Team Trials in June.

Helen Maroulis with the Olympic gold medal in Rio (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The gold medals presented to U.S. freestyle wrestlers Helen Maroulis and Kyle Snyder at the 2016 Rio Olympics are among those that are defective and damaged. Maroulis and Snyder are among more than 80 American medal-winners -- and at least 100 Olympic medalists worldwide -- who are in possession of medals that are flaking, developing black spots, and showing other signs of damage. The U.S. Olympic Committee learned about the problems in December and reached out to all the American sports federations in January to begin the process of returning damaged medals to have them replaced. Rio Games spokesman Mario Andrada told the Associated Press that officials have noted problems with the coating on 6 to 7 percent of the medals. "The most common issue is that they were dropped or mishandled, and the varnish has come off and they've rusted or gone black in the spot where they were damaged," Andrada said. Snyder noticed there were issues with his gold medal the day after he won it in men's freestyle competition at 96 kilograms/213 pounds. The Ohio State heavyweight and newly-minted gold medalist attended a party at the Team USA house in Rio de Janeiro, where he said multiple people handled the medal as they celebrated. Snyder said he later discovered a scratch on the back of it, though he added there has been no further damage. Snyder said he has until the end of the week to return his gold medal and has no idea when he'll receive his replacement. "It wasn't too big of a deal," Snyder told the AP. "But since they're giving me a new one, it's kind of cool."

Joe Heskett (Photo/Mark Aikman) Joe Heskett, NCAA champion wrestler at Iowa State and World Championships fifth-place finisher who went on to serve as head wrestling coach at Army West Point, will be leaving his administrative position at West Virginia University next month. Heskett told InterMat he would be stepping away from his job as Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance at WVU in Morgantown, a position he's held for three years, effective June 30. "This summer I will be leaving my senior level athletics administration post at West Virginia University," Heskett posted on his Facebook page this past week. "It's time to lead, network, collaborate, and change lives from a different angle. My time at WVU has been amazing, but life has prepared me for this transition. I will be both intentional and strategic in my next career move. It is time for me to be an unrestricted free agent..." Joe HeskettHeskett has been on a trajectory of success in sports for more than two decades. The Ohio native was a three-time state champion wrestler at Walsh-Jesuit High School who then headed west to Iowa State, where he was a three-time Big 8 champ, four-time NCAA All-American, and NCAA 165-pound titlewinner in 2002. Among Heskett's achievements in freestyle wrestling: Cadet World Championships bronze medalist, Pan Am Games silver medalist, and fifth-place finisher at the World Championships. After going into sudden cardiac arrest five days after the Worlds ' a medical emergency caused by a rare, at-the-time undetected condition which nearly took his life -- Heskett focused on coaching ... first, as an assistant coach and chief recruiter at Cal Poly, then Ohio State, then taking the helm of the wrestling program at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for four years before accepting the position at WVU in July 2014. "I've loved everything I've done, but I've always wanted to do more," Heskett said in an interview with InterMat. "As a coach, I loved having a positive impact on my wrestlers. When I became an associate AD, I wanted to influence more athletes." "I want to lead, to innovate. To be an agent of change. To do that ' to go outside the box ' I need to go out on my own, partnering with others." "For more than 20 years ago, I've been wired to look at things from a leadership lens." "With my background, I've decided the time is right to go out on my own now." Joe Heskett earned a spot on the 2007 U.S. World Team by defeating Casey Cunningham in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Looking at Joe Heskett's resume, this makes sense. He has his bachelor's in speech communications from Iowa State, a Master's in educational leadership from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and is completing work on his doctorate in Coaching and Teaching Education at West Virginia University, with an emphasis on student-athlete preparedness for life after sport. His professional coaching career also reflects a passion for acquiring leadership skills and sharing them with others, first as an assistant coach responsible for recruitment at one of nation's top wrestling programs, Ohio State ... then as head wrestling coach at West Point, which Heskett described as "the greatest leadership institution in the world." Back in 2009, Heskett created h Leadership, which allows him the opportunity to "follow his passion to teach, coach, consult, and develop others," according to the website. Heskett describes himself as h Leadership's Chief Visionary Officer, "dedicated to revolutionizing sport through leadership and life skills." The website goes on to state, "Joe will be the first to admit that h Leadership is not about him, it is about a team. It has been with great intent and through the combination of both faith and preparation, that a world class team of leadership professionals has been assembled to help you achieve your desired results." "I have a passion to do what I seek to do," Heskett told InterMat. "Connecting the dots of what I've already done, and go beyond that." Joe Heskett, pictured with Mike Duroe, competed in Real Pro Wrestling (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Heskett seeks to prepare young athletes ' and their parents, coaches and mentors -- to make wise decisions regarding their sports careers, with an eye to life once those careers have ended. "People focus so much about preparing for the mat, but we must have more intent for preparing beyond the mat," said Heskett. Heskett shared a story about observations he made on his own nearly two decades ago as a highly-recruited 17-year-old mat champ from a nationally-respected prep powerhouse. He had been offered a full-ride scholarship at a major college wrestling program ... but noted that "some guys from my school did not make it past their first year" at that university. "That got me to start thinking about the culture of some programs." Instead of accepting that scholarship, Heskett chose another school -- Iowa State -- for his academic and athletic college career. And, that realization about some of his former high school teammates got Joe Heskett on a journey of analyzing the culture in sports programs ... and what can be done about it. What is meant by the phrase "the culture of some programs"? In some situations, it's a win-at-all-costs culture that overlooks the needs of the individual student-athlete. Or, for some high school wrestlers and other sports stars, it can be a mismatch between the needs of the student and the goals of the program. Sometimes, the athlete may sign a letter of intent solely on the amount of the offer or the school's won-loss record, without considering other issues such as "will my wrestling style fit with that of the program and its coaching staff" or even if the school offers his/her intended major. "The real story is the purpose behind sport -- what people don't see, what people can't see," according to Heskett. "I am so passionate about the development of others and although collegiate athletics is magnificent in many ways, it is also a capitalist machine driven by business ideals. I am all for capitalism, but I am a firm believer that a growing gap ' a massive gap -- exists within the collegiate model that permeates all the way down to our youth." "I want to share with others, using proven leadership principles," said Heskett. "I want to lead, change lives, and make a difference." "I want to position myself to make a positive impact on the lives of others." "I'm giving myself time to put this together," the former Cyclone mat star continued. "I'm being very strategic in my thinking. I'm taking my time, using a thoughtful approach, doing due diligence, building a leadership team." "I believe there's a great team of people who can help me realize this vision." To learn more, visit the h Leadership website, which includes contact information to get in touch with Joe Heskett.

Three-time state champion Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa), who is undefeated for his high school career to date, verbally committed to the University of Nebraska per an interview with IAwrestle.com on Tuesday morning. The No. 28 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 has also twice placed fifth at the Super 32 Challenge and is a two-time double All-American in Fargo (2016 as a Junior, 2015 as a Cadet). Thomsen ended the 2016-17 season ranked No. 8 in the nation at 126 pounds, and projects collegiately as a 133/141 pound wrestler. He joins No. 15 Josiah Rider (Grand Junction, Colo.) as a verbal commit for the Conrhuskers in their 2018 recruiting class.

Michael J. Weaver has accomplished a lot in his young life -- including being a member of his high school wrestling team -- despite dealing with cerebral palsy. Now the senior at St. Charles Preparatory School in suburban Columbus can add another accomplishment to his already impressive resume: being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar for 2017. Weaver is one of just 161 high school seniors nationwide selected for this award this year, and one of a handful in the state of Ohio. Of the 3.5 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,100 candidates qualified for the 2017 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, or through nominations made by school officials or organizations. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects honorees based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Weaver is the dictionary definition of "involved student." In addition to being on the St. Charles wrestling team -- where he was named "most inspiring" by his teammates this year -- the Westerville native is also on the school's cross-country squad. Weaver is also a member of National Honor Society, the engineering team, student council, and student newspaper. He also earned a 36 -- the highest possible score -- on the ACT. If that weren't enough, he also plays golf and ultimate Frisbee for fun. Weaver does all this, despite dealing with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child's brain is under development, according to the official website for the disorder. Cerebral Palsy primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination. When asked by the Columbus Dispatch about the impact cerebral palsy has had on his academic and athletic success, Weaver said that hard work helped him overcome those challenges. "Not that I don't think other people work hard," Weaver said. "But I think I had to work much harder than other people to stay at the same level." Prior to entering high school, Weaver had participated in sports through local Special Olympics organizations. He wanted to continue in sports at St. Charles, but was concerned the prep school teams would be "too intense." However, Weaver said, "I'd made a lot of friends and it made me a lot more confident about sports." Weaver will be attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall. Weaver and the other 2017 honorees will be presented with the U.S. Presidential Scholar awards in Washington, D.C. in June.

Daton Fix, who recently won at Beat the Streets, is on Team Kong United's roster (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Yet again, many of the nation's most talented high school wrestlers will be choosing to spend their Memorial Day holiday weekend in Virginia Beach, Va. The NHSCA National Duals will feature close to 190 teams in the high school division with just under that number in combination between the middle school and elementary school divisions. Wrestling kicks off on Saturday with preliminary pool competition, which will continue on Sunday. The event concludes with the championship flight bracket on Monday, with the finals slated for 4 p.m. ET. Team Kong United is the defending champion in the event, as they knocked off perennial champion and title contender Young Guns Black to earn gold. It took an assemblage of talented stars from across the country to get the job done for Team Kong United, and they come back this year as favorites to repeat with a similarly deep squad from a similar cross-section of the country. Within the national dual meet tournament is the opportunity for a plethora of individuals to achieve many objectives over the weekend. Whether it is for high leverage matches against elite competition, the chance to enjoy a holiday weekend in Virginia Beach, an opportunity to hang out with friends, or just merely the opportunity to wrestle a bunch of matches -- it's all there in this event. Based on the end of season national high school weight class rankings published by InterMat, there are 59 nationally ranked wrestlers in the field. This listing is as of Monday evening from entered rosters per the NHSCA website. 106: Jacob Decatur (Team Shutt/CVCA, Ohio), Brandon Kaylor (Team Kong United/Bonney Lake, Wash.), Zach Shupp (Pinnacle Team Toe/Fairfield, Ohio) 113: Nico Aguilar and Zach Redding (Team Kong United-Gilroy, Calif/Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), Kyle Biscoglia (Young Guns Black/Waukee, Iowa), Brayden Curtis (Pinnacle Team Toe/Yorktown, Ind.), Dante Mininno (SEPA Blue/Gateway Regional, N.J.), Aden Reeves (Team Shutt/Albia, Iowa) 120: Adam Busiello (Team Kong United/Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.), Travis Ford-Melton (Illinois Outsiders/Marian Catholic, Ill.), Sam Hillegas (Quest-1/North Hills, Pa.), Tommy Hoskins (Pinnacle Team Toe/Legacy Christian, Ohio), Malik Johnson (Team Shutt/Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Antonio Mininno (SEPA Blue/Gateway Regional, N.J.), Chris Wright (Diesel/Central Dauphin, Pa.) 126: Julian Chlebove (Dark Knights/Northampton, Pa.), Jordan Decatur (Team Shutt/CVCA, Ohio), Daton Fix (Team Kong United/Sand Springs, Okla.), Cole Manley (Young Guns Black/Altoona, Pa.), Michael McGee (Illinois Outsiders/Plainfield East, Ill.), Joey Silva (South Florida Lightning-CFWA/Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 132: Ryan Anderson (Renegade Elite/Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), K.J. Fenstermacher (Dark Knights/Northampton, Pa.), Franco Valdes (South Florida Lightning-CFWA/Miami Southwest, Fla.) 138: Grant Aronoff (South Florida Lightning-CFWA/St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.), Breyden Bailey (Indiana High Rollers Black/Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.), Brian Courtney (Bison Legend Orange/Athens, Pa.), Zack Donathan (Pinnacle Team Toe/Mason, Ohio), Max Murin (Young Guns Black/Central Cambria, Pa.), Jake Silverstein (Team Kong United/Hauppauge, N.Y.) 145: Brevin Balmeceda (South Florida Lightning-CFWA/South Dade, Fla.), Dominick Demas (Team Kong United/Dublin Coffman, Ohio), Brayton Lee (Pinnacle Team Toe/Brownsburg, Ind.), Sammy Sasso (Dark Knights/Nazareth, Pa.), Jarod Verkleeren (Young Guns Black/Hempfield Area, Pa.) 152: Nelson Brands (Young Guns Black/Iowa City West, Iowa), Jake Brindley (South Florida Lightning-CFWA/Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Nicholas Palumbo (Team Northeast/Lenape Valley, N.J.) 160: Hayden Hastings and Brad Loughlin (Team Kong United -- Sheridan, Wyo./Yorktown, Ind.), Jaden Mattox (Pinnacle Team Toe/Grove City Central Crossing, Ohio), Emille Shannon (Illinois Outsiders/Christian Brothers College, Mo.) 170: Chris Foca (Rednose Wrestling/Bergen Catholic, N.J.), Trent Hidlay (Bison Legend Orange/Mifflin County, Pa.), Nick Kiussis (Ragin Raisings Green/Brunswick, Ohio), Anthony Mantanona (Team Kong United/Palm Desert, Calif.), Georgio Poullas (Team Shutt/Canfield, Ohio) 182: Joey Baughman (Battlezone Black/Wadsworth, Ohio), Jelani Embree (South Florida Lightning-CFWA/Warren Lincoln, Mich.), Jack Jessen (Illinois Outsiders/Willowbrook, Ill.), Cody Mulligan (Young Guns Black/Saegertown, Pa.), Casey Randles (Team Kong United/Cour d'Alene, Idaho), Travis Stefanik (Dark Knights/Nazareth, Pa.) 195: John Borst (Prestige Worldwide/Sherando, Va.), Gavin Hoffman (Bison Legend Orange/Montoursville, Pa.), Cole Nye (Diesel/Bishop McDevitt, Pa.), Anthony Walters (Young Guns Black/Bishop McCort, Pa.) 220: Cade Belshay (Team Kong United/Buchanan, Calif.), Chei Hill (South Florida Lightning-CFWA/South Dade, Fla.), Josiah Jones (Young Guns Black/Bishop McCort, Pa.), Brian Kennerly (Team Shutt/Upper Darby, Pa.), Mason Parris (Indiana High Rollers Black/Lawrenceburg, Ind.), Ryan Vasbinder (Michigan Revolution Gold/Grandville, Mich.) 285: Brian Andrews (Ragin Raisings Green/Grapevine, Texas), Niko Camacho (Renegade Elite/Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Anthony Cassioppi (Illinois Outsiders/Hononegah, Ill.), Sammy Evans (Team Kong United/Alcoa, Tenn.), Brendan Furman (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club Black/Canon-McMillan, Pa.) Based on the number of nationally ranked wrestlers for each team, there are six high-end contenders in the field. Team Kong United leads the way with 11 starting positions having a ranked wrestlers. Next in line is Young Guns Black with eight. South Florida Lightning/CFWA has seven, while Team Shutt and Pinnacle Team Toe have six each, with Illinois Outsiders having five. Other teams to watch include Dark Knights with four ranked wrestlers, but likely not to be forfeiting either one or two weights per dual meet, along with Bison Legend Orange and Indiana High Rollers Black; the pair of whom were top five squads last year in this event.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The New England Regional Training Center at Brown University has partnered with American Top Team to name former Olympian and two-time NCAA Champion Steve Mocco as Head Coach for the USA Wrestling-sanctioned Olympic training center. In this role, Mocco will develop and coach athletes training to compete in international styles to make World and Olympic teams. "As one of the most highly decorated and accomplished heavyweight wrestlers on the international scene, we are thrilled to have Steve join the New England Regional Training Center," said Todd Beckerman, assistant coach of the New England Regional Training Center and head wrestling coach of Brown University. "With a coach of his caliber at the helm, we are excited to grow the training center and help establish it as a premier training hub for elite wrestlers readying for international competition." Steve Mocco finishes a takedown at the 2012 Olympic Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)From Bergen County, N.J., Mocco was a four-time National Prep Champion in high school before becoming a two-time national champion and four-time finalist in the NCAA Wrestling Championship, competing first for Iowa and finishing his career at Oklahoma State. Internationally, Mocco was a five-time finalist at the U.S. Open from 2004-09 and earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in 2008 after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials. At the 2008 Olympics, he placed seventh in the 120kg/264.5 lb. weight class in Beijing, China. Following, he continued international competition, which included a championship win at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial in Russia, a U.S. Open title and wins at the Pan American Championships, the Cerra Pelado International tournament in Cuba and the Alexander Medved International Championships in Belarus. In addition, he also won a national title in Judo and competed in six pro mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions, winning five. "I am excited to join the staff at the New England Regional Training Center and am committed to helping develop the next generation of wrestlers in the Northeast," said Steve Mocco. "We will focus on attracting athletes to train at the center, developing their talent and winning international competitions in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo." The New England Regional Training Center was sanctioned by USA Wrestling as an official Olympic Regional Training Center in 2016 and will operate as a partnership between Brown, Beat the Streets Providence, American Top Team, and USA Wrestling. Current athletes include Donald McNeil, who recently placed eighth at 2017 US Open in freestyle.

George Kosturos, star of the new film "American Wrestler: The Wizard," will go "On the Mat" on Wednesday, May 24. "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. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

Isaiah Martinez gets his hand raised after a win at the Last Chance Qualifier (Photo/David Peterson, Minnesota/USA Wrestling) ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier concluded on Sunday afternoon at the RCTC Regional Sports Center with four athletes solidifying berths to the U.S. World Team Trials set for Lincoln, Neb., June 9-10. Joining the men's freestyle U.S. World Team Trials field after gold-medal performances in Rochester are Isaiah Martinez, Joe Rau, Hayden Zillmer and Blaize Cabell. A two-time NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist for Illinois, Martinez picked up three technical fall wins on the way to the 74-kilogram/163-pound gold. In the finals, Martinez made quick work of the Minnesota Storm's Nick Wanzek, 10-0. Two Greco-Roman staples training with the Minnesota Storm cast their names in the ring for a freestyle World Team Trials berth and came out victorious. Past Greco-Roman World Team member and 2016 Olympic Trials champion Rau secured two pins and two technical falls on his way to the 86-kilogram/189-pound title. Rau made use of a crafty front headlock to quickly dispatch of past NCAA All-American for Edinboro Vic Avery in the finals, 10-0. Zillmer, the U.S. World Team Trials runner-up at 98 kilograms/216 pounds in Greco-Roman, defeated Timmy McCall in the 97-kilogram/213-pound finals, 6-4, courtesy of a late four-point takedown. He tallied one technical fall and a pin on his way to the finals showdown. Read complete story on TheMat.com … 74 kilograms: 1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois RTC) tech. fall Nick Wanzek (Minnesota Storm), 10-0 3rd: Dan Vallimont (New York AC) dec. Brett Bye (Jackrabbit WC), 19-10 86 kilograms: 1st: Joe Rau (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Vic Avery (Titan Mercury WC), 10-0 3rd: Quinton Godley (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Robert Jordan (Jackrabbit WC), 10-8 97 kilograms: 1st: Hayden Zillmer (Minnesota Storm) dec. Timmy McCall (Titan Mercury WC), 6-4 3rd: Jacob Kasper (Blue Blood WC) forfeit Austin Schafer (Bronco WC) 125 kilograms: 1st: Blaize Cabell (Valley RTC) dec. Braden Atwood (Sunkist Kids), 7-5 3rd: Blake Wolters (Jackrabbit WC)

"American Wrestler: The Wizard" - a 2016 film about a California high school originally from Iran -- will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and via streaming this Tuesday, May 23. Here's how the Internet Movie Database described "American Wrestler: The Wizard" described the movie: "In 1980, a teenage boy escapes the unrest in Iran only to face more hostility in America, due to the hostage crisis. Determined to fit in, he joins the school's floundering wrestling team." The same website also featured this write-up from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment: "In this inspiring tale based on true events, 17-year-old Ali Jahani is a newcomer to a small California town, where he stands out as different in an unwelcoming community. Living with his embittered uncle, the boy faces a mountain of adversity everywhere he turns. Rejected by everyone but determined to fit in, he joins the school's floundering wrestling team. With a chance to change how others see him, Ali must step up and learn to be a hero." "American Wrestler: The Wizard," directed by Alex Ranarivelo, stars Jon Voight as the high school principal, William Fichtner as the wrestling coach, and George Kosturos as the high school wrestler who finds a new home on the mat far from his birthplace. The cast also includes Hall of Fame announcer Sandy Stevens as herself. The film, weighing in at 117 minutes, is rated PG-13 (for violence, some disturbing images, language and thematic material). "American Wrestler: The Wizard" is the second movie about high school wrestling to be released for home viewing this month. Last week, "Vision Quest," the classic 1985 movie featuring Matthew Modine as Louden Swain, a wrestler on a quest to defeat the undefeated state champ Brian Shute (Frank Jasper), was made available on Blu-ray on May 16.

Dylan Ness works to finish a takedown at the Last Chance Qualifier (Photo/David Peterson, Minnesota/USA Wrestling) ROCHESTER, Minn. -- The first day of the Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier is in the books and four men's freestyle athletes have booked their tickets to the U.S. World Team Trials set for Lincoln, Neb., June 9-10. Wrestlers taking top prize in Rochester on Saturday, thus booking their trips to Lincoln, include Thomas Gilman at 57 kilograms, Jayson Ness at 61 kilograms, Mario Mason at 65 kilograms and Dylan Ness at 70 kilograms. Gilman, a three-time NCAA All-American for Iowa and Junior World bronze medalist, won a relatively deep 57 kg field that featured four wrestlers who have earned NCAA All-American honors across the Division I and Division II levels. In the 57-kilogram championship match, Gilman found himself down 6-0 early to two-time NCAA Div. II champion Daniel Deshazer. Gilman rallied with seven-straight points to end the match and take the victory, 7-6. Read complete story on TheMat.com … 57 kilograms: 1st: Thomas Gilman (Hawkeye WC) dec. Daniel Deshazer (Minnesota Storm), 7-6 3rd: Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) tech. fall David Terao (Titan Mercury WC), 13-2 61 kilograms: 1st: Jayson Ness (Minnesota Storm) tech. fall Joey Lazor (Panther WC), 14-3 3rd: Darrius Little (Lehigh Valley WC) dec. Shelton Mack (Titan Mercury WC), 4-3 65 kilograms: 1st: Mario Mason (Lehigh Valley WC) dec. Jaydin Eierman (Missouri WF), 11-8 3rd: Anthony Abidin (Valley RTC) tech. fall Henry Pohlmeyer (Jackrabbit WC), 14-3 70 kilograms: 1st: Dylan Ness (Minnesota Storm) pinned Santiago Martinez (Lehigh Valley WC), 4:03 3rd: Elroy Perkin (Eau Claire) pinned Joshua Nolan (Legends of Gold), 1:24

Dalen Wasmund, left, coaching at Minnesota's state high school wrestling tournament (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Dalen Wasmund, head wrestling coach at nationally-ranked prep powerhouse Apple Valley High School, has announced his retirement from coaching. Wasmund, who took the helm of the suburban Twin Cities mat program just before the 2012-13 season, has guided the Eagles to five consecutive Minnesota Class 3A team titles, adding to the school's streak of a dozen state team championships. Wasmund came to Apple Valley in 1982 as an assistant wrestling coach. After taking a few years away from the Eagles wrestling program to coach at Eagan High School, Wasmund returned to Apple Valley as an assistant. He was promoted to head coach in 2012 when long-time coach Jim Jackson resigned. Wasmund leaves Apple Valley wrestling in a good place, with a roster of top sophomores and juniors, along with superstar senior heavyweight Gable Steveson. "I just think it would be an easy time for a coach to transition in and have some good kids ready to go," Wasmund told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. That said, Wasmund left the door open to offering assistance to the new coach. "I would certainly help and am certainly game to keep coaching and keep watching the sport that I love," Wasmund said. Prior to becoming a high school coach 35 years ago, Wasmund crafted an impressive on-the-mat career. He was a two-time Minnesota state wrestling champ for Worthington High School in the mid-1970s. At the University of Minnesota, Wasmund was a Big Ten titlewinner and NCAA All-American. Wasmund will continue as a mathematics teacher in the Apple Valley schools.