InterMat Staff

"Every picture tells a story, don't it?" -- Rod Stewart Alex Lloyd gets his hand raised after winning the state championship as a sophomore at 145 pounds this past February (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Sorry Rod. It only tells part of it. Many times in life I find myself thinking I know what's going on only to say later, "Who knew?" Once I asked a young gentleman if the woman next to him was his mother only to find out later it was his wife. Oops! There is always something deeper going on than what we see. There is a young man wrestling for Shakopee (Minn.) High School where the picture doesn't tell the story. If you know much about the high school wrestling scene in Minnesota, you know Alex Lloyd is a one of the stars. I have him listed as one of the top 10 overall wrestlers in Minnesota in a previous column. He belongs. He's the reigning Cadet National (Fargo) Greco-Roman champion. Of the three styles, it's his weakest. The kid is talented. That part is not debatable. What's not told is ten years ago Alex couldn't speak a word of English. It's not that he was having trouble with it. He had never heard a word of it. Alex was spending that part of his life in a Russian orphanage. I first heard about this a few seasons ago while Alex was in eighth grade. I was talking to former Gopher and NCAA champion Jared Lawrence at his PINnacle Wrestling Club. I asked him who the future stars are in Minnesota. He told me about Brent Jones, Aaron Cashman, Patrick Kennedy and Alex Lloyd. He said, "Now there's a story for you." He pointed to Lloyd, who was in a little war with Mitch McKee on the far mat. A few months later, Alex Lloyd and Mitch McKee would meet in the semifinals of the state tournament. McKee won that matchup and Lloyd would take home the bronze medal. Later that summer I watched Alex go on a nice tear and become an All-American in Fargo. Alex Lloyd defeated Iowa State signee Kanen Storr to win a title at the InterMat JJ Classic (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)I had the pleasure of meeting his father Bill Lloyd at the InterMat JJ Classic a month later. I asked him a little about the Russian background and out comes this short and wild story. He got choked up and couldn't finish. This week Bill and his wife Karen, along with Alex told the long version. Bill and Karen Lloyd had produced a son Jackson 17 years ago. The pregnancy was especially difficult for Karen, and their newborn boy came into the world much earlier than most kids. He arrived ten weeks ahead of schedule and spent a long period of time at the hospital in an incubator. When little Jackson was 4, he started begging his parents for a brother, and he didn't stop asking. The parents knew they wouldn't be able to go through another grueling pregnancy, and through their church, they heard of "Reaching Arms International." Another family was looking to adopt, and the Lloyds thought this would be the right strategy. As you might suspect, the parents were put through a rigorous background check that included fingerprinting, criminal background checks and mandatory parenting classes. In the end, they were determined as a fit and loving couple. They would be eligible for one child. This led them to a young African boy named Ronny. They started receiving pictures and naturally became overly excited about this little fella. This adoption fell through as fast as it started. Though heartbroken, they kept on. They stayed with the same agency and were soon told they were eligible for a child from Russia … except it came with a strong caveat. They would have to take two boys. These two kids would turn out to be brothers Alex (6) and Jacob (3). These two little guys were being raised along with roughly 100 other young kids in an orphanage based in a village in Bryansk. Kids end up in these rough conditions usually as a result of forcible removal from their home. Alex has a clear memory of two men showing up, and for reasons he couldn't comprehend, would leave with them. He hasn't seen his mom since. She was a single mother with a drinking problem. Bill and Karen took their first trip to Moscow followed by a six-hour train ride to meet their new little boys. They were told to bring an envelope with $100 bills. In spite of not being able to communicate with words, they bonded quickly. They tossed a football in the yard and fell in love fast. This trip to and from Russia lasted six days. Next came the agonizing and painful long wait. Eight months later Bill and Karen would take that return trip and this time weren't leaving without those boys. Alex (Denis Alexandrovic) was there, but Jacob (Yury) was nowhere to be found. He was in a sanitor (Russian name for hospital) for malnourishment and Tuberculosis. Karen couldn't stay for this unexpected news as this delay was playing out. She would have to take a flight back alone to care for their son and could only hope things would turn out well. Bill rented an apartment and spent his days picking up Alex on a bicycle and visiting his younger brother. Once Jacob was healthy, the trip to the United States began. It started with the long train ride to Moscow. These two little guys had never heard of or seen an airplane. At the airport, they were introduced to automatic doors and escalators. There wasn't an interpreter, and Bill had his hands full with these two little guys. They were bouncing all over the place like the man in the yellow hat looking after Curious George. Except there were two! When they arrived in the U.S. there was a large group at the airport ready to greet these two new little Minnesotans. At first it was really hard. Alex and Jacob were used to fighting for and hoarding food like squirrels. Once Karen saw Alex eating an orange like an apple with the peeling still on. He wasn't aware an orange needed peeling before eating. They also had never celebrated a birthday and had no idea what it meant. Their first Christmas was like going to Disneyworld for the first time. Everyone communicated with hand signals and the boys only knew Russian. Alex Lloyd celebrates after winning a Cadet National Greco-Roman title in Fargo (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Alex entered first grade a year older than his classmates and, fortunately, there was a small group of Russians in Shakopee the Lloyds could rely on as liaisons and interpreters. But that language issue would soon come to an end. At first the boys were not allowed to speak Russian at the dinner table. Then, and from then on, they started to learn English. If you ask Alex to talk Russian today, he won't be able to. It's completely gone from his memory. Nine years ago it was all he knew. Today he speaks English as well as any 16-year-old teenager without any sign of an accent. While attending a wedding, The Lloyds noticed Alex dancing like crazy. He was doing cartwheels and flips, and it became evident this little guy was an athlete. They enrolled him in gymnastics. This helped burn off some of that boundless energy and shortly after that he found youth wrestling. Bill had a background in the sport and was happy to see both boys take right to it. It helped that Alex has a personality that attracts other kids. He soon made lifelong friends with wrestling families in Shakopee like the Crowes, Jones,' Websters and the list keeps growing. Mark Neu was coaching the young guys back then and was immediately smitten by Alex. He was a freak athlete and had that spunky and mischievous personality some little boys have. Neu remembers Alex with an amazing amount of energy and a never-ending gas tank. If there was a problem, it was just keeping him focused. The language barrier did not cause problems in the wrestling room. He was able to quickly pick-up the sport through example, and he found his passion. Alex was a natural and Neu has never had a wrestler like him in all his 27 years coaching. Lloyd has no fear, and it was proven as a seventh-grader when he faced No. 1-ranked sophomore Austin Anderly and won 7-6. He would finish fifth in the state that year. Alex Lloyd was a Northern Plains double champion this past spring (Photo/David Peterson)The following season was the third-place finish behind good friend Mitch McKee. Just to prove the kid is not perfect, we all found out he missed weight at the state tournament as a freshman and couldn't compete. He talks about this with deep shame and regret. He was connected to a young girl at the time and didn't discipline himself like he normally would. It's his cross to bear, and I'm sure he'll be able to tell this story without guilt someday. This past season, as a sophomore, he won a state championship, finishing the season with a 42-1 record. Alex Lloyd has plenty of goals. Like a lot of Minnesota wrestlers, he dreams of being a national champion and maybe wrestling for the University of Minnesota or another prestigious collegiate program. But for now, he's a nice and very friendly young man from Russia, who happens to be one of our future stars. This story was originally published in The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

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Scot Davis, described as "the winningest prep wrestling coach in the nation with more than 1,000 dual victories" mostly in high schools in Minnesota, is heading south to Iowa to try his magic at Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, the Sioux City Journal reported Sunday. Scot DavisDavis replaces Pete Di Pol, who was named head coach at the newly resurrected wrestling program at MacMurray College in central Illinois after turning around the once-struggling Heelan program with a record 24 dual-meet wins last season. Davis, 65, who is entering his 39th year as a high school coach and 45th as a wrestling coach, has been the head coach at Eden Prairie (Minn.) since 2012. Prior to that -- after a season as coach Kalispell, Montana -- he headed up the successful mat program at Owatonna (Minn.) for a quarter-century. Originally, Davis had been approached by Heelan administrators to see if he could help find a coach available for the open coaching position. However, as he learned more about the Crusaders mat program, the more interested he became in the opening himself. In addition to bringing extensive experience and a tradition of success to Heelan, Davis also offers an impressive roster of honors, including as a 2013 inductee into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, as a 2009 Master of Wrestling Award winner, numerous coach-of-the-year honors, and several others honors. Upon learning he would be the new wrestling coach at Bishop Heelan, Scot Davis said, "I always liked a challenge and I guess wrestling is the one sport that hasn't lived up to the other sports. The commitment that Heelan has made with a new wrestling room, which will be one of the biggest ones in the state ... they are willing to make that commitment to do that." "We are extremely excited to continue to build the wrestling program and all activities at Bishop Heelan," Heelan principal Chris Bork said. "It is exciting to bring in the winningest coach in the United States. Pete did a great job and we are excited to bring Scot in and have him build on that success. We are expecting great things from Scot and his program." Bishop Heelan is a Catholic high school serving grades 9-12 located in Sioux City in western Iowa.

Alma, Mich. -- Alma College Athletic Director Steven Rackley announced today (Monday, June 20, 2016) that Jeremiah Tobias has been named the head coach of the Scots' wrestling program. Tobias, who has served as the associate head coach since May 2011, replaces Todd Hibbs, who resigned after five years at the helm of the program. Tobias becomes the seventh head coach in the history of the program, which resumed competition in 2011 after being dormant for 27 years. "Jeremiah has been an important part of the success that the wrestling program has had over the last five seasons and I have full confidence that he will continue to improve upon the foundation that he has helped to build," Rackley said. "With our new training facility and the success we've had the past few seasons, I look forward to supporting him as he continues to build Alma College into a contender for a national title." Over the last five seasons, Alma College has become a consistent presence among the top-20 teams in NCAA Division III and peaked at sixth place in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and d3wrestle.com polls during the 2015-16 season. Tobias also helped mentor three All-American wrestlers last year, marking the first time in the history of the program that the Scots had more than one student-athlete earn All-America status at the NCAA III Championships. "It is an honor to be the next head wrestling coach for Alma College," Tobias said. "I want to thank Coach Hibbs for preparing me for this position and Steven Rackley for giving me this opportunity. I am excited to work with the wrestlers within the program, those in the community and all future Scots. I look forward to building upon the success of the program both academically and athletically." As a wrestler, Tobias was a four-time Michigan High School Athletic Association champion, the seventh in state history, and finished his collegiate career at the University of Michigan as the Wolverines' leader in both career and single-season pins. Tobias is a 2000 graduate of Manchester High School, where he won four state championships and never lost a match after his freshman year. He earned the Dave Schultz Excellence Award for the state of Michigan in 2000, a national award taking into account excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship and community service. Tobias continued his success on the mat at the University of Michigan, where he was a three-year letterwinner and set both the single-season (17) and career (57) pin records. During his time as a Wolverine, he was the champion of various college tournaments, including the Michigan State Open, Eastern Michigan Open and Cleveland State Open. Following college, Tobias collected experience as a coach in several settings. He served as a NCAA Division I assistant coach at the University of Wyoming and as a a full-time NCAA Division II coach at Belmont Abbey College. He also has extensive experience as a private coach and clinic instructor across the eastern United States, including two years as club coach for the Port City Wrestling Club in Wilmington, N.C. Tobias holds a bachelor's degree in sports management and his currently pursing his master's degree in coaching and sports administration. He is married to Katie Tobias and the two of them have a two-year-old son, Jude.

Chad Smith, long associated with Lindenwood University as a wrestler and coach, announced that he is leaving his job as head wrestling coach of the Lions, effective immediately. Chad SmithThe statement issued by the school located just outside St. Louis said Smith was leaving "to pursue other opportunities." Jimmy Rollins, assistant coach for the past five seasons, has been named interim head coach. Lindenwood announced it is mounting a national search for Smith's replacement. Smith had been part of the Lindenwood Lions mat program as an athlete and coach for most of the millennium (except for one season when he accepted a high school coaching job in Virginia). A native of the St. Louis area, Smith was a two-time Missouri high school state champ at Oakville High who came to Lindenwood after wrestling at St. Louis Community College-Meramec. Smith earned All-American honors on the 2002 Lindenwood team which won the program's first NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) National Championship. The following season, Smith not only won an individual NAIA national championship, but was also named a NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and was Lindenwood's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2003. Smith stayed with the program as a graduate assistant coach, and helped the team win another national title in 2005. After coaching high school wrestling for one season in 2006-07, he returned to Lindenwood as a full-time assistant coach in 2007. He won two more national titles as a member of the coaching staff in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, Smith was named the head coach of the program and the program continued its success. In its final season at the NAIA level, the Lions finished second at nationals, nine wrestlers earned All-American honors, and one captured an individual title. During the 2011-12 season, Smith helped transition the program from the NAIA to the NCAA Division II level. This past season, Smith coached one of the top wrestlers in program history in Terrell Wilbourn. Wilbourn finished the year with a perfect 25-0 record, and he won Lindenwood's first individual NCAA national championship in the sport of wrestling. "I would like to thank the administration and staff at Lindenwood for allowing me the opportunity to do what I love and the resources to be successful," said Smith. "The memories I have gained as an athlete and coach at Lindenwood are something I will cherish and thank everyone involved in making those possible." "We are sad to see Chad leaving the Lindenwood athletics family," said athletics director John Creer. "Chad has been a valuable part of the wrestling program as a student-athlete and a coach, and has been a part in some of the biggest victories in the school's athletics history. He is leaving the program in very good shape, and we expect his successor to continue that winning tradition." Located in St. Charles, Missouri just west of St. Louis, Lindenwood University is a four-year, private university. Founded in 1827, Lindenwood now has a total enrollment of approximately 12,000 students. The Lions wrestling program now competes in NCAA Division II.

Joe Fagiano capped off an incredible year on the mat by winning the 2016 NCAA Division II heavyweight title, and a number of honors, including NCAA D2 West Region Wrestler of the Year, and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Year. Now he has been named Male Athlete of the Year at California Baptist University. Pretty impressive for a guy known affectionately in the Lancers wrestling program as "Uncle Joe" who just turned 27. Joe Fagiano (Photo/Tim Tushla)A Chicago native, Fagiano came to CBU in Riverside, Calif. by way of Indiana University, then Hofstra University, then back to Indiana. Here's how Allan Steele of the Press-Enterprise, the local newspaper, described Fagiano's mat career before coming to California Baptist last year: "Fagiano won an Illinois high school state title 10 years ago [St. Patrick's High School, Chicago], but his collegiate experience had been rocky at best. He wrestled at Indiana University for a year and was an NCAA tournament qualifier. He transferred to Hofstra, and again qualified for the Division I championships, but said the situation wasn't ideal. After a year at Hofstra, Fagiano transferred back to Indiana, but did not compete for two years, sitting out a year due to transfer rules and then not starting the following season. He graduated from IU in 2012 and figured his collegiate career was finished. "But during a visit last summer with friend and former teammate Andrew Nicola, the two joked about Fagiano having eligibility left," the Press-Enterprise continued. "Nicola, now an assistant coach at CBU, decided to check and found Fagiano was eligible for one season at the Division II level." Fagiano saw an opportunity to not only earn a graduate degree, but also take care of some unfinished business on the mat, and end his collegiate wrestling career on a high note. What a high note it was. This past season, Fagiano finished 29-6, and claimed the 2016 NCAA D2 title at 285 by defeating Malcolm Allen of Minnesota State-Mankato in a come-from-behind 6-3 victory in the championship match to not only become Cal Baptist's first national champ ... but also propel the CBU Lancers to a sixth-place finish in the team standings, the program's highest team placement ever at Nationals. If that weren't enough, Fagiano received all the other honors mentioned above ... along with being named the Press-Enterprise Area Male College Athlete of the Year. "He's one of best technicians on the team," Coach Lennie Zalesky told the Press-Enterprise in a recent interview, adding he had no concerns about Fagiano being rusty after not competing for a couple of years. "I thought he was primed for this year, actually," Zalesky said. "I liked the circumstance; I liked his mentality coming in." CBU assistant coach Andrew Nicola had predicted great things for his long-time friend when Fagiola arrived on campus, as he disclosed in a July 2015 interview with California-based wrestling writer Pablo DiMaria: "I have known Joe for many years; as a friend and now as his coach. I truly believe Fagiano can and will win the NCAA title next season. He has very high expectations for himself. He's already working out with World Team guys in preparation for next season so he can put his stamp on collegiate wrestling." Fagiano winning an NCAA championship at age 26 is rare ... which makes it all the more special. While most college wrestlers complete their on-the-mat careers in their early twenties, it's not unprecedented for some to be a bit older. InterMat profiled two past wrestlers who returned to the mat when they learned they had additional eligibility: Justin Decker, 33 at the time the former University of Iowa wrestler returned to the mat a season at Upper Iowa University where he had been a coach, and Rick Chipman, a 44-year-old who wrestled at University of Southern Maine. What's more, in the decade or so after World War II, a number of wrestlers completed their college athletic careers well into their twenties, even pushing 30. Some wrestler careers were interrupted by WW2; two veterans who became NCAA champs -- Iowa's Joe Scarpello, and Oklahoma State's Dick Hutton -- were well into their late 20s when they stepped off the mat for the last time. Dan Hodge was a 25-year-old married man with an infant son when he won his third title for the Oklahoma Sooners in 1957. Even into the early 1960s, there was three-time NCAA finalist and 1961 champ Phil Kinyon who some called "the ancient Marine" because he was in his late 20s when wrestling at Oklahoma State after he had wrestled a number of years for the Navy after high school.

Colby CovingtonFormer college wrestlers Colby Covington and Joe Soto shared a few things in common at UFC Fight Night 89. Both former Iowa Central Community College wrestlers (and teammates) won their bouts at the UFC event at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Saturday night, both using rear-naked choke submissions in the third round of their respective matches. Covington, who, after wrestling at Iowa Central went on to find success at Oregon State, submitted Jonathan Meunier with a rear-naked choke at 56 seconds of the third round of their three-round middleweight (170 pound) bout, while Soto, a fellow ICCC mat alum, applied the rear-naked choke on Chris Beal at 3:39 of the third stanza of their bantamweight (135 pound) fight. Both BloodyElbow.com and Sherdog.com mixed martial arts websites had Covington winning the first two rounds of his bout. For the final round, Bloody Elbow wrote in its real-time reporting, "Covington drops Meunier early with a spinning back fist, then returns to the back ride as Meunier's recovering. This time Covington gets both hooks in and the rear-naked choke follows shortly after. Meunier taps." Covington, 2007 NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ at Iowa Central who went on to earn NCAA Division I All-American honors at Oregon State, is now 9-1 overall in MMA, while Meunier falls to 7-1. As for Soto vs. Beal ... in its live, play-by-play coverage, Sherdog.com had Beal winning the first round, citing the Canadian's "fast hands and speedy strikes." The MMA website has Beal as the dominant force through the first minute of the second round, until "the Real Deal" started to tire, having to fight off two submission attempts in that round. In the final round, Soto remains the aggressor; in the last half of round three, Soto shoots on Beal at the fence, dragging him to the ground. Soto mounts him immediately, applies a rear naked choke, and forces Beal to tap out. With the win, Soto, a two-time NJCAA placer (placing third at the 2006 NJCAA championships, runner-up the following year), breaks a three-bout losing streak and is now 16-5 in his professional MMA career, while Beal drops to 10-3.

YORK, Pa. -- Host Pennsylvania led most of the finals dual meet, but a strong finish by defending champion Illinois led to a tight 40-34 victory at the Cadet National Duals in freestyle on Saturday. Pennsylvania took a 34-22 lead after a 13-0 technical fall win by Keystone state star Mike Lewis over Donnell Washington at 132 pounds with just two bouts to go, but it did not prove to be enough. Back-to-back technical falls by Illinois from Will Lewan at 138 pounds and Baylor Fernandes at 145 pounds gave them the final eight points for the victory. Lewan scored a quick takedown and four ankle laces for a first-period 10-0 win over Carnell Andrews, giving Illinois a 36-34 lead going into the final match. Fernandes opened the final match with a four point move, then methodically added a takedown, a turn and another takedown for his 10-0 technical fall over Alec Sampson, and the Illinois team rushed onto to mat to celebrate the comeback team victory. Read complete story … CADET NATIONAL DUALS At York, Pa. FREESTYLE RESULTS Championship Dual - Illinois 40, Pennsylvania Blue 34 152 Edmond Ruth (Pennsylvania Blue) over Danny Braunagel (Illinois) TF 10-0 160 Josh Stillings (Pennsylvania Blue) over Peter Ferraro (Illinois) Dec 10-6 170 Zach Braunagel (Illinois) over Jake Hendricks (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 8-6 182 Benjamin Root (Pennsylvania Blue) over Jacob Kaminski (Illinois) TF 13-2 195 Sergio Villalobos (Illinois) over Julian Gorring (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 9-6 220 Gavin Hoffman (Pennsylvania Blue) over Jace Punke (Illinois) TF 10-0 285 Ronald Tucker (Illinois) over Cody Williams (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 15-2 88 Chris Kim (Pennsylvania Blue) over Brody Norman (Illinois) TF 14-3 94 Christian Goin (Illinois) over Lincoln Heck (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 12-2 100 Joshua Ogunsanya (Illinois) over Dillon Murphy (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 10-0 106 Justin Cardani (Illinois) over Ed Scott (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 12-6 113 J J Wilson (Pennsylvania Blue) over Jacob Lindsey (Illinois) Fall 1:40 120 Eddie Bolivar (Illinois) over Connor Keivman (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 12-2 126 Tyler Delaware (Illinois) over Josh Jones (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 10-0 132 Mike Lewis (Pennsylvania Blue) over Donnell Washington (Illinois) TF 13-0 138 Will Lewan (Illinois) over Carnell Andrews (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 10-0 145 Baylor Fernandes (Illinois) over Alec Sampson (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 10-0 Third Place - New Jersey Red 44, Minnesota Storm 30 152 Anthony Jackson (Minnesota Storm) over Michael O`Malley (New Jersey Red) Dec 9-2 160 Chris Foca (New Jersey Red) over Cody Dravis (Minnesota Storm) Fall 5:30 170 Billy Janzer (New Jersey Red) over Caden Steffen (Minnesota Storm) Dec 7-3 182 Robert Striggow (Minnesota Storm) over Dimitri Serrano (New Jersey Red) TF 10-0 195 Tyler Buesgens (Minnesota Storm) over Kyle Lightner (New Jersey Red) TF 16-6 220 Zach Delvecchio (New Jersey Red) over Bryce Benhart (Minnesota Storm) TF 10-0 285 Manny Alvarez (Minnesota Storm) over Ahmed Homsi (New Jersey Red) TF 10-0 88 Paxton Creese (Minnesota Storm) over Brett Ungar (New Jersey Red) Dec 8-6 3 94 Joey Thompson (Minnesota Storm) over Wil Guida (New Jersey Red) Dec 13-81 100 Anthony Clark (New Jersey Red) over Andrew Sanders (Minnesota Storm) TF 11-1 106 Mark Montgomery (New Jersey Red) over Jake Svihel (Minnesota Storm) Fall 4:23 113 Joe Heilman (New Jersey Red) over Israel Navarro (Minnesota Storm) Dec 14-13 120 Carmen Ferrante (New Jersey Red) over Cael Carlson (Minnesota Storm) TF 10-0 126 Nick Raimo (New Jersey Red) over Gage Zieske (Minnesota Storm) TF 11-0 132 Pat Glory (New Jersey Red) over Brock Luthens (Minnesota Storm) TF 12-2 138 Jacob Tvinnereim (Minnesota Storm) over Charlie Cunningham (New Jersey Red) TF 13-0 145 Rick Cabanillas (New Jersey Red) over Devin Roberts (Minnesota Storm) TF 12-2 Fifth Place - Iowa Gold 60, Michigan Red 15 152 Shawn Brown (Iowa Gold) over Brian Case (Michigan Red) Fall 0:32 160 Tad Griffith (Iowa Gold) over River Shettler (Michigan Red) TF 12-2 170 Ryan Ringler (Michigan Red) over Nick Milder (Iowa Gold) TF 10-0 182 Logan Schumacher (Iowa Gold) over Easton Turner (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 195 Hunter DeJong (Iowa Gold) over Tyler Moore (Michigan Red) TF 12-2 220 Guy Snow (Iowa Gold) over Trent Sexton (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 285 Spencer Trenary (Iowa Gold) over Austin Emerson (Michigan Red) Dec 6-2 88 Cullan Schriever (Iowa Gold) over Blake Noonan (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 94 Adam Allard (Iowa Gold) over Andrew Chambal (Michigan Red) Fall 2:13 100 Eric Faught (Iowa Gold) over Reese Fry (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 106 Cael Happel (Iowa Gold) over Chayse LaJoie (Michigan Red) Fall 0:54 113 Legend Lamer (Iowa Gold) over Corey Gamet (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 120 Brody Teske (Iowa Gold) over Kaleob Whitford (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 126 Kevon Davenport (Michigan Red) over Gabriel Ruepke (Iowa Gold) Fall 1:33 132 Garret Thompson (Iowa Gold) over Tanner Bryan (Michigan Red) Fall 1:07 138 Cameron Amine (Michigan Red) over Harlan Steffensmeier (Iowa Gold) TF 10-0 145 Zane Mulder (Iowa Gold) over Layne Malczewski (Michigan Red) Fall 1:09 Seventh Place - Washington over California, no match Bronze/Copper Pool Results (Places 9-16) 1st Place - Ohio Red 2nd Place - Oklahoma 3rd Place - Missouri Red 4th Place - Virginia 5th Place - Colorado 6th Place - Kansas Blue 7th Place - Florida 8th Place - Texas 1st Place Match - Ohio Red defeated Oklahoma 44-35. 3rd Place Match - Missouri Red defeated Virginia 42-31. 5th Place Match - Colorado defeated Kansas Blue 40-37. 7th Place Match - Florida defeated Texas 42-38. Red/Blue Pool Results 1st Place - Georgia Red 2nd Place - Iowa Black 3rd Place - Indiana 4th Place - Utah 5th Place - Pennsylvania Red 6th Place - New Jersey Blue 7th Place - Maryland 8th Place - Tennessee 1st Place Match - Georgia Red defeated Iowa Black 43-33. 3rd Place Match - Indiana defeated Utah 40-39. 5th Place Match - Pennsylvania Red defeated New Jersey Blue 39-33. 7th Place Match - Maryland defeated Tennessee 41-33. Green/Yellow Pool Results 1st Place - New York 2nd Place - Ohio Blue 3rd Place - Missouri Blue 4th Place - North Carolina 5th Place - Michigan Blue 6th Place - Kansas Red 7th Place - Georgia Blue 1st Place Match - New York defeated Ohio Blue 33-28. 3rd Place Match - Missouri Blue defeated North Carolina 34-33. 5th Place Match - Michigan Blue defeated Kansas Red 49-21. 7th Place Match - Georgia Blue no match A Pool Results 1st Place - Michigan Red 2nd Place - Washington 3rd Place - Virginia 4th Place - Florida 5th Place - Iowa Black 6th Place - Utah 7th Place - Georgia Blue 8th Place - Kansas Red 1st Place Match - Michigan Red defeated Washington 40-34. 3rd Place Match - Virginia defeated Florida 44-33. 5th Place Match - Iowa Black defeated Utah 41-36. 7th Place Match - Georgia Blue defeated Kansas Red 30-29. B Pool Results 1st Place - New Jersey Red 2nd Place - Pennsylvania Blue 3rd Place - Ohio Red 4th Place - Colorado 5th Place - Maryland 6th Place - Indiana 7th Place - North Carolina 8th Place - Missouri Blue 1st Place Match - New Jersey Red defeated Pennsylvania Blue 44-32. 3rd Place Match - Ohio Red defeated Colorado 47-27. 5th Place Match - Maryland defeated Indiana 42-32. 7th Place Match - North Carolina defeated Missouri Blue 37-26. C Pool Results 1st Place - Illinois 2nd Place - California 3rd Place - Kansas Blue 4th Place - Texas 5th Place - Georgia Red 6th Place - Tennesee 7th Place - New York 8th Place - Michigan Blue 1st Place Match - Illinois defeated Kansas Blue 57-17 2nd Place Wrestleback - California defeated Kansas Blue 44-34. 3rd Place Match - California defeated Texas 42-32. 5th Place Match - Georgia Red defeated Tennesee 56-20. 7th Place Match - New York defeated Michigan Blue 40-23. D Pool Results 1st Place - Minnesota Storm 2nd Place - Iowa Gold 3rd Place - Oklahoma 4th Place - Missouri Red 5th Place - Pennsylvania Red 6th Place - New Jersey Blue 7th Place - Ohio Blue 1st Place Match - Minnesota Storm defeated Iowa Gold 43-30. 3rd Place Match - Oklahoma defeated Missouri Red 52-27. 5th Place Match - Pennsylvania Red defeated New Jersey Blue 44-29. 7th Place Match - Ohio Blue - no match

Cornell head wrestling coach Rob Koll recruited and coached Nahshon Garrett to four All-American honors and a 2016 NCAA title at 133 pounds. Rob Koll coaching Nahshon Garrett in the NCAA finals in New York City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)In May, Garrett announced that he would be leaving Cornell after graduating to train at Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona, for the Sunkist Kids. Koll didn't see the move as the best decision for Garrett. "I don't think it was a particularly good decision to leave a place where you've been incredibly successful and you've got people who are going to hold you to a very high standard," Koll told Takedown Radio on Saturday. "I think he'll do well despite being in a different environment, not because of it." Koll believes wrestlers benefit the most from staying in the same training system throughout their careers. He cited the Russians, Kyle Dake and the Smiths as examples of wrestlers who were successful training in the same system throughout their careers. "I actually think it's a big mistake for people to try to jump from ship to ship," said Koll. "It's funny, you see these golfers … They're always looking for a reason why they're failing. They're changing their swing coach, or they're changing this or changing that. At the end of the day, sometimes when you don't reach your goals it's not because of the coaching. It's because it just wasn't in the cards. "Some of these parents I see, they take their kids to every coach and every person across the country and they move from school to school to school, and some will say, 'Well, they're successful.' They would have been successful if they would have stayed where they were. I do think it can be very confusing to have 25 different messages being given to an athlete."

Two former collegiate wrestling champs -- Chris Honeycutt, two-time EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) titlewinner for Edinboro University, and John Salter, NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) champ for Lindenwald University -- both won their bouts at Bellator 156 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. Friday night. Honeycutt scored a unanimous decision over Mikkel Parlo in a three-round middleweight match, while Salter submitted former Cal State Bakersfield wrestler Brandon Halsey in the first round of their bout. Chris Honeycutt gets his hand raised after picking up a unanimous decision over Mikkel Parlo at Bellator 156 (Photo/Bellator)Judges awarded Honeycutt the victory, scoring the bout 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27. "Parlo started out landing the better combinations on Honeycutt, as well as stuffing all of his takedowns in the opening round," reported BloodyElbow.com. "Honeycutt, who seldom kicked and almost exclusively boxed, started finding his rhythm and scoring with his own punches and backing Parlo up in a closely contested 2nd stanza. The American backed up the Dane with his jab in the 3rd, and Parlo was clearly fading. His punches had no steam on them and Honeycutt was tagging Parlo with several solid punches. Parlo froze Honeycutt with a superman punch and then shot for a takedown in the final minute, only for Honeycutt to stuff it and turn it into a late takedown of his own." "The Cutt" -- who was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American -- and runner-up at 197 pounds at the 2012 NCAAs for Edinboro, is now 7-1 overall, with one match ending in no-contest. Mikkel Parlo of Denmark fell to 13-3 overall. In another middleweight (185-pound) bout at Bellator 156, Ultimate Fighting Championship and Strikeforce veteran John Salter submitted former Bellator middleweight champion Brandon Halsey with a triangle choke at 4:03 of the first round. "Salter cut the HB Ultimate standout below the right eyebrow with a head kick inside the first 30 seconds, permanently altering the direction of the fight," reported Sherdog.com. "Blood poured from the wound and desperation overtook Halsey, who was forced to accelerate his plans. Salter later staggered him with another high kick, surrendered a single-leg takedown and calmly cinched the triangle from the bottom." Salter is now 12-3 in his professional MMA career after tallying his fourth consecutive victory, while Halsey suffered his second straight loss, taking him to 9-2.

J Robinson Intensive Camps -- one of the longest-running, most respected summer wrestling camp organizations in the nation -- which were originally scheduled to take place at the University of Minnesota campus have been relocated to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, KMSP/Fox 9 reported Friday. Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson, who has been on administrative leave since June 1, was told by new Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle "you are not to be on campus." Wrestlers listen to instruction at J Robinson Intensive CampThe school is investigating allegations that some Minnesota wrestlers may have been using and/or selling Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety drug. Here's how J Robinson Camps announced the move on its Facebook page Friday: "J Robinson Camps will be moving all 2016 Minnesota camps to the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. This includes the 28-Day Intensive Camp, 5-Day Technique Camp, 5-Day Competition Camp, and 10-Day Combo Camp. The new location will not impact anything with respect to the camp daily schedule, training regimen, and our staunch commitment to excellence. All attendees flying to camp will still be picked up at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport." The University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus is located about 40 miles east of the University of Minnesota. According to a fact sheet at the official website for J Robinson Camps, over 40,000 wrestlers have participated in the camps since they were first established in 1978. In addition to camps held on the Minnesota campus, other J Rob camps are slated to continue to be conducted this year at locations in California, Georgia, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington State.

A memorial service for former wrestler and coach Rudi Sabo will be held late Friday afternoon, the Great Falls Tribune reported Thursday. Rudi SaboThe memorial for Sabo, who died at age 90 on April 12 in Billings, Mont., is scheduled for Friday from 3-6 p.m. Mountain at the Columbus Center in Great Falls. Rudolph "Rudi" Jon Sabo was born in August 1925 in Sand Coulee, Mont. He graduated from Great Falls High School in 1943, then joined the Navy, where he served for nearly three years before being honorably discharged as a Seaman 2nd Class with the American Area Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. During his time in the Navy, Sabo began his college career. He attended the University of Dubuque and St. Ambrose University in Iowa. He also attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY and Carleton College in Minnesota. As a WWII veteran, he participated in the Big Sky Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in April 2014. Sabo returned to Montana in 1946 to complete his degree at Montana State University, where he was a member of the wrestling team as an undergraduate. He obtained his bachelor's degree from MSU in 1952 and a Master of Education in 1955. In 1953, Sabo began his teaching career at Fairfield High School, where he launched a wrestling program even though there were no other schools to compete against. Sabo also taught at Billings Senior High School for one year and took the wrestling team there to the state championship in 1955. In 1956, he returned to his high school alma mater, Great Falls High School, where he served as a teacher for 37 years and as wrestling coach for more than a dozen seasons. During his tenure as Bison coach, Sabo guided his wrestlers to three state team titles, seven second-place finishes, four Divisional Championships and a dual-meet record of 146-42. He coached 26 wrestlers to individual state championships. In 1970, Sabo was honored with the Montana Coaches Association Wrestling Coach of the Year award. He retired from Great Falls High School in 1994.

Former Penn State wrestler Brad Pataky has been named head wrestling coach at Philipsburg-Osceola High School in Pennsylvania. Brad PatakyPataky replaces Tim McCamley, who had been at the helm of the P-O Mounties mat program for the past nine years. A native of Clearfield, Pa., Pataky brings wide-ranging experience to Philipsburg-Osceola, having wrestled at a trio of legendary programs in the Keystone State -- Clearfield High, Penn State, and as a resident athlete at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club -- as well as served as assistant coach at both Lock Haven University and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. At Clearfield High, Pataky was a three-time PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) state championships finalist, winning the 112-pound title in 2004. He then went on to wrestle at Penn State under both Troy Sunderland and current Nittany Lion coach Cael Sanderson, where he was a two-time Big Ten conference championships placer and three-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier. Pataky's on-the-mat career extends far beyond the Keystone State to incorporate freestyle success. Among his national and international accomplishments: University Place Winner and Champion (2008), Canada Cup place winner and two-time runner-up, a Guelph Open place winner and champion (2008), and two-time Northwest F/S Regional Champion and U.S. Open place winner, NYAC place winner (2007) and University World Team member (2008). He placed seventh at the 2008 University World Games and was an Olympic Team Trials Qualifier in 2008. Pataky launched his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Lock Haven in Pennsylvania for two seasons. Most recently, he was on the coaching staff as an assistant for the Army wrestling program at West Point. Philipsburg-Osceola Superintendent Gregg Paladina cited Pataky's wide-ranging experience in his hiring decision. "I know that we've always had an excellent wrestling program, but having someone with the caliber of Brad Pataky will only enhance our program," said Paladina. "He brings Penn State wrestling experience. He coached at the collegiate level and is involved with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Our wrestlers will benefit tremendously by having someone with those attributes." "Obviously, wrestling is wrestling any way you look at it," Pataky said. "Coaching is basically teaching. If you take it the same way you do teaching a classroom, you're trying to mold students and trying to mold athletes and eventually student-athletes. Teaching and coaching go hand in hand."

Alma, Mich. -- Todd Hibbs, who has served as the head coach of the Alma College wrestling program since 2011, has resigned to pursue other opportunities, it was announced today (Friday, June 17, 2016) by Athletic Director Steven Rackley. Todd Hibbs"Todd has taken our wrestling program to national prominence and has set it on a course so that we can consistently compete at a high level," Rackley said. "I am very thankful for all that Todd has done for Alma College through the wrestling program and I wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of their lives." "I am extremely thankful for all that Coach Hibbs has done for Alma College and for our student-athletes," Alma College President Jeff Abernathy said. "He has built the wrestling program into one of the best in Division III, while insisting on excellence on and off the mats. Proud as I am of the team's accomplishments in competition, I am prouder still of their great success as students." Under Hibbs' guidance, the Scots grew into a consistent top-20 team in NCAA Division III, peaking at sixth in the nation in the National Wrestling Coaches Association and d3wrestle.com polls this past season. With Hibbs at the helm, the Scots compiled a cumulative record of 51-29 in dual meet competition while also finishing among the top 12 teams in three national events - twice at the NWCA National Duals and at the 2016 NCAA Division III Championships in March. At the 2016 NCAA meet, Alma had three All-Americans, marking the first time in the history of the program the Scots had more than one at the national championships. "Five years ago the state of Michigan desperately needed another option for college wrestling, and Alma College stepped up to the plate," Hibbs said. "I'm so grateful for (Alma College trustee and alumnus) Greg Hatcher's vision of bringing wrestling back to Alma, and for President Abernathy's support of that vision. And I cannot thank (Associate Head Coach) Jeremiah Tobias and (Assistant Coach) Fletcher Roberts enough for their tireless work in building this program. Our families are linked forever as Scots." According to Hibbs, the breakthrough moment for the program came in January 2013 when the Scots posted a 16-15 win over ninth-ranked Olivet College at Art Smith Arena. After falling to the Comets by a 49-0 margin the previous year, Alma came back in its second season to upset the top-10 program and continue a home winning streak that has lasted four years. In addition to the success on the mat, Alma has become one of the elite programs academically, as the Scots were recognized three times by the NWCA with a team grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. Over the past five seasons, 21 Scots have been named Scholar All-Americans by the NWCA, including eight in the 2014-15 season, the most across all NCAA divisions. Hibbs also worked with the Alma College Advancement Office to raise nearly $4 million for a new addition to the Hogan Center, which will open later this summer. The project includes a wrestling room, a new weight room, new coaching offices, a coaching locker room, a team locker room, and a new studio for the Scots' cheerleading and STUNT team. Hibbs served as a member of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee while he was coaching the Scots and is currently a student in the Ph.D. program for Higher Education Leadership at Central Michigan University with a research focus on first-generation college students. According to the NCAA, wrestling has a higher percentage (37 percent) of first-generation students than any other NCAA-sponsored sport.

The USA men's freestyle wrestling team took fourth last week at the Freestyle World Cup in Los Angeles. The team had a few backups in the lineup, namely the absence of Tervel Dlagnev at 125 kilos and Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilos. The team tied a powerful Iranian squad with four wins a piece, but lost on classification points, and did the same against Georgia's complete lineup in the bronze-medal final. While there are several takeaways from the event, perhaps the most intriguing was what happened off the mats between Jordan Burroughs and the Iranian Wrestling Federation. Burroughs had missed the World Cup due to the birth of his second child, a daughter that he and his wife named Ora. The Iranian Wrestling Federation, though disappointed they couldn't give young stud Hassan Yazdani Charati a spin, sent Burroughs a gift to welcome the birth of his daughter. That's not some next level type of psyche out or intimidation, that gesture is at the soul of what it means to be a wrestler, or any martial artist. Honor and respect among combatants. The federation's actions were simple, but thoughtful in a way you almost never hear of in modern international sports. Family is at the center of life for both Iranians and Jordan Burroughs and it was refreshing to see that mutual interest and respect come to fruition. On a similar note I found the latest musings of jiu-jitsu professor John Danaher equally enlightening. In a social media post the longtime Renzo Gracie NYC-based instructor discusses what it means to be a martial artist. Seeing as how he's an accomplished writer and brilliant human I won't do him the disservice of paraphrasing. To your questions … Q: How successful will Joey Davis be in MMA, in your opinion? Why did he sign with Bellator over UFC? Lastly, why did he not wrestle internationally? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Bellator is offering some of the best financial conditions to young fighters. In addition to developmental money, they are also able to carry more sponsors with them into the cage, which seems to help many of the sport's up-and-coming fighters. If the UFC is sold this week then that might change. New owners might see the possibility of higher paychecks for young fighters, or a change in the way contracts are written. Until then Bellator will likely draw a lot of the young new talent to their promotion with the promise of money now and the hope of a bright and competitive future. Q: What does the future hold for Jake Varner? Is he done competing? Will he move to heavyweight? -- Mike C. Jake Varner gets his hand raised after a victory at the Freestyle World Cup (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Foley: I think that for now he'll be moving to heavyweight and training with the national team through the 2016 Olympics. There were plenty of rumors swirling around that Varner could replace an injured Tervel Dlagnev at the Olympics. For that to be the case I think Dlagnev would have to become more injured than he is currently and Varner would need enough time to file a motion with USA Wrestling for the right to wrestle for the starting spot against Zack Rey. I don't think that is a realistic possibility, especially considering that it would severely impact training schedules. The other case might be is Dlagnev got to the event and Coach Burnett deemed him unhealthy to compete. There is at least a chance there could be a last-minute replacement, but I'd be shocked if it were anyone but Rey. As for Varner post-2016 … I think that he's hanging them up and moving into another role within the sport. He had an incredible career, but at 30 years old there isn't much wrestling left. Q: Can you explain to me the reasoning why wrestler Joel Bauman lost his eligibility from the NCAA for selling a song using his name while it seems that the wrestlers who don't seem to be facing the same loss of eligibility for a drug offense? Why was J Robinson rightfully allowed to handle the drug matter internally until it became public, whereas the Bauman situation was not given the same institutional courtesy? From my point of view it seems like inconsistency by the NCAA and the University of Minnesota but more so the NCAA. -- Marcus R. Foley: I'm pretty sure this comes down to exposure and optics. Bauman was in the media eye for his works, whereas the discipline associated with a very private -- possibly criminal -- act didn't draw attention. Also, the rules that apply to these situations are vastly different. Bauman took money which is the NCAA's Rule 1.1. The suspension was therefore easy to make at an institutional level. For the Xanax athletes the discipline for their action was probably within a much looser definition. There was much more to consider and, ultimately, to prove. Again, for Bauman it was an open and shut case. Because Bauman performed under his own name and identified himself as a Minnesota wrestler, the NCAA ruled him ineligible for the remainder of the season. J. T. Bruett, Minnesota's compliance director, said Bauman violated an NCAA bylaw prohibiting student-athletes from using their name, image or status as an athlete to promote the sale of a commercial product. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Things got awkward in the Octagon a few weeks ago … How the hell did I only now see this? Q: Biggest takeaways from the Freestyle World Cup? -- Mike C. Foley: Dan Dennis has the opportunity to improve and I hope he spends some time with the national team coaches to help him with strategy and match pacing. Tony Ramos is a 61-kilo wrestler with the ability to place at this year's World Championships in Budapest. Frank Molinaro is an absolute machine and a better than 30 percent chance to medal at the Olympic Games. Alex Dieringer is about as good a backup as you can find in the world. He'll get plenty of wrestling in the next four years and is my pick for 2021 and beyond! J'den Cox was exposed a little, but I think that he will adapt and find solutions to some of his weaker areas. The loss was probably a humbling reminder that it's a big world of wrestling and it will never be conquered, much less with something like beginner's luck on his side. Kyle Snyder, Olympic champion. Zack Rey is a really solid heavyweight with a bright future after the 2016 Games. Q: Do you think Logan Storley has what it takes to make it to the UFC and be as successful as other wrestlers like TJ Dillashaw, Frankie Edgar, and Henry Cejudo? -- Gregg Y. Foley: My doppelganger! Sure, like I've written before he's a hammer and has a unique set of skills and intensity that should get him higher profile fights in the immediate future. Q: I get the feeling Coach Lindland isn't making a push to recruit NCAA wrestlers to go Greco after college. It seems as if much more of his focus towards recruiting is to get kids to go Greco full time after/before their high school career ends. This seems odd considering the path he and Brad Vering took to world/Olympic medals. Any idea if recruiting college guys is on his agenda? -- Matt C. Foley: I get the same impression. If he has a plan to pluck high school kids then I can't say that I disagree with his logic. Currently Northern Michigan is the only place for Greco-Roman minded athletes to go train outside of Colorado Springs. If Lindland can get in their ears now then he has the ability to develop their talents without having to correct habits from four more years of folkstyle. Whether or not that is the best option for each athlete is to be determined, but in principle I endorse his recruitment methodology. Q: Could you explain a little about Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, its structure and Reece Humphrey's role? -- @Robbybobbi Foley: The structure will be Reece as their travel coach in charge of all organizational matter. I think he'll also be developing a training program for the team members to use while also creating and coaching at a youth development center in Los Angeles. That center will be built in the next year or so. I think that Reece is a special character within our sport who connects to the younger generation with ease and confidence. He's also accomplished and bright. There is a really good chance that this decision will further help improve the state of the United States freestyle and women's wrestling programs.

YORK, Pa. -- The Minnesota Storm won its first seven matches and never looked back, defeating Pennsylvania Blue, 37-35, in the Greco-Roman finals at the Cadet National Duals. Minnesota has now won the team title in three straight National Duals events, after sweeping both Greco-Roman and freestyle at the Schoolboy National Duals in Indiana last week. The first five matches of the championship dual meet were all decision victories for Minnesota, as Tyler Buesgens (195), Colton Hellman (220), Bryce Benhart (285), Paxton Creese (88) and Joey Thompson (94) all defeated their Pennsylvania opponents by points. The team score after these five bouts was 15-5 in favor of Minnesota. Read complete story … CADET NATIONAL DUALS At York, Pa. GRECO-ROMAN RESULTS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS - Minnesota Storm 37, Pennsylvania Blue 35 195 Tyler Buesgens (Minnesota Storm) over Jack Wimmer (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 11-5 220 Colton Hellman (Minnesota Storm) over Mike Slivinski (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 5-2 285 Bryce Benhart (Minnesota Storm) over Cody Williams (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 9-6 88 Paxton Creese (Minnesota Storm) over Chris Kim (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 7-4 94 Joey Thompson (Minnesota Storm) over Lincoln Heck (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 11-4 100 Andrew Sanders (Minnesota Storm) over Dillon Murphy (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 10-0 106 Mitchel Petersen (Minnesota Storm) over Ed Scott (Pennsylvania Blue) TF 17-6 113 J J Wilson (Pennsylvania Blue) over Colby Njos (Minnesota Storm) Dec 4-2 120 Cael Carlson (Minnesota Storm) over Connor Keivman (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 8-2 126 Mike Kistler (Pennsylvania Blue) over Sebas Swiggum (Minnesota Storm) Dec 4-0 132 Beau Bartlett (Pennsylvania Blue) over Brock Luthens (Minnesota Storm) TF 14-1 138 Tyler Eischens (Minnesota Storm) over Carnell Andrews (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 10-8 145 Cade King (Minnesota Storm) over Alec Sampson (Pennsylvania Blue) Dec 5-2 152 Edmond Ruth (Pennsylvania Blue) over Anthony Jackson (Minnesota Storm) TF 14-4 160 Jake Hendricks (Pennsylvania Blue) over Grant Parrish (Minnesota Storm) TF 17-6 170 Benjamin Root (Pennsylvania Blue) over Caden Steffen (Minnesota Storm) TF 12-1 182 Julian Gorring (Pennsylvania Blue) over Jacob Bennett (Minnesota Storm) TF 10-0 THIRD PLACE - Illinois 60, Michigan Red 17 195 Sergio Villalobos (Illinois) over Tyler Moore (Michigan Red) Fall 1:05 220 Jace Punke (Illinois) over Trent Sexton (Michigan Red) TF 11-0 285 Ronald Tucker (Illinois) over Austin Emerson (Michigan Red) Dec 5-1 88 Blake Noonan (Michigan Red) over Brody Norman (Illinois) Dec 3-1 94 Christian Goin (Illinois) over Andrew Chambal (Michigan Red) Fall 2:41 100 Joshua Ogunsanya (Illinois) over Reese Fry (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 106 Noah Surtin (Illinois) over Chayse LaJoie (Michigan Red) TF 19-8 113 Cory Gamet (Michigan Red) over James Pierandozzi (Illinois) Dec 12-5 120 Tyler Delaware (Illinois) over Kaleob Whitford (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 126 Eduardo Bolivar (Illinois) over Zachery Donahue (Michigan Red) TF 20-10 132 Nick Freeman (Michigan Red) over Donnell Washington (Illinois) TF 13-1 138 Will Lewan (Illinois) over Fernan Garza (Michigan Red) TF 10-0 145 Dalton Jensen (Illinois) over Jacob McKnight (Michigan Red) Fall 1:39 152 Matthew Ortiz (Illinois) over Brian Case (Michigan Red) Dec 3-1 160 Drew Hoselton (Illinois) over River Shettler (Michigan Red) TF 17-7 170 Zach Braunagel (Illinois) over Rory Cox (Michigan Red) TF 14-4 182 Jacob Kaminski (Illinois) over Ryan Ringler (Michigan Red) TF 23-10 FIFTH PLACE - Oklahoma 42, Washington 33 195 Kione Gill (Washington) over Justin Johnson (Oklahoma) TF 14-4 220 Jesse Quilimaco (Oklahoma) over Xavier Williams (Washington) Dec 7-0 285 Montana Phillips (Oklahoma) over John Keiser (Washington) Fall 2:36 88 Griffin Klockeman (Washington) over Bryce Cockrell (Oklahoma) TF 11-0 94 Brenden Chaowanapibool (Washington) over Jackson Cockrell (Oklahoma) TF 12-0 100 Chase Tebbets (Washington) over Jackson Oplotnik (Oklahoma) TF 10-0 106 Max Wheeler (Washington) over Cameron Picklo (Oklahoma) Dec 6-4 113 Branden Elrod (Oklahoma) over Isaac Lopez (Washington) Fall 1:05 120 Alexander Cruz (Washington) over Zach Williams (Oklahoma) Fall 1:27 126 Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma) over Trevor Morrison (Washington) Fall 1:03 132 Dominic Damon (Washington) over Gage Hight (Oklahoma) TF 14-1 138 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma) over Tanner Lees (Washington) Dec 13-7 145 Jonathon McGowan (Oklahoma) over Nathan Moore (Washington) TF 20-10 152 Colt Denney (Oklahoma) over John Knight (Washington) Dec 12-4 160 Hunter Jump (Oklahoma) over Jack Ervien (Washington) Dec 14-12 170 Ke`Von Curry (Oklahoma) over Malachi Lawrence (Washington) Dec 10-8 182 Drake Barbee (Oklahoma) over Jackson McKinney (Washington) Fall 0:17 SEVENTH PLACE - New Jersey Red 39, Missouri Red 37 195 Kyle Lightner (New Jersey Red) over Charlie Cadell (Missouri Red) Fall 1:17 220 Tyler Curd (Missouri Red) over Zach Delvecchio (New Jersey Red) TF 21-8 285 Preston Wiss (Missouri Red) over Ahmed Homsi (New Jersey Red) Fall 1:24 88 Brett Ungar (New Jersey Red) over Austin Coons (Missouri Red) Dec 7-1 94 Wil Guida (New Jersey Red) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 100 Anthony Clark (New Jersey Red) over Trey Crawford (Missouri Red) TF 12-1 106 Mark Montgomery (New Jersey Red) over Jake Stathopoulos (Missouri Red) Dec 9-6 113 Joe Heilman (New Jersey Red) over Caleb Benshoof (Missouri Red) Dec 4-0 120 Carmen Ferrante (New Jersey Red) over Cam Fusco (Missouri Red) TF 10-0 126 Josh Steele (Missouri Red) over Nick Cabanillas (New Jersey Red) Fall 3:44 132 Andrew Gamble (Missouri Red) over Pat Glory (New Jersey Red) Dec 8-5 138 Michael Cassidy (Missouri Red) over Charlie Cunningham (New Jersey Red) TF 13-0 145 Alex Rivera (Missouri Red) over Travis Tavoso (New Jersey Red) TF 10-0 152 Michael O`Malley (New Jersey Red) over Carter Goslee (Missouri Red) Fall 0:50 160 Chris Foca (New Jersey Red) over Barrett Beaird (Missouri Red) TF 12-0 170 Devin Winston (Missouri Red) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 182 Ashton Sharp (Missouri Red) over Dimitri Serano (New Jersey Red) TF 14-4 Bronze/Copper Pool Results (Places 9-16) 1st Place - Iowa Gold 2nd Place - Florida 3rd Place - California 4th Place - Colorado 5th Place - Kansas Blue 6th Place - Ohio Red 7th Place - Georgia Red 8th Place - Maryland 1st Place Match - Iowa Gold defeated Florida 49-24. 3rd Place Match - California defeated Colorado 46-32. 5th Place Match - Kansas Blue defeated Ohio Red 0-0. 7th Place Match - Georgia Red defeated Maryland 41-36. Red/Blue Pool Results 1st Place - Virginia 2nd Place - Utah 3rd Place - Pennsylvania Red 4th Place - Tennessee 5th Place - Indiana 6th Place - Kansas Red 7th Place - North Carolina 8th Place - Michigan Blue 1st Place Match - Virginia defeated Utah 42-36. 3rd Place Match - Pennsylvania Red defeated Tennessee 36-36. 5th Place Match - Indiana defeated Kansas Red 44-21. 7th Place Match - North Carolina defeated Michigan Blue 44-20. Green/Yellow Pool Results 1st Place - Texas 2nd Place - New Jersey Blue 3rd Place - Ohio Blue 4th Place - Georgia Blue Texas defeated New Jersey Blue 54-22. Ohio Blue defeated Georgia Blue 38-27. Texas defeated Georgia Blue 74-4. New Jersey Blue defeated Ohio Blue 39-21. Texas defeated Ohio Blue 66-15. New Jersey Blue defeated Georgia Blue 37-15. A Pool Results 1st Place - Washington 2nd Place - New Jersey Red 3rd Place - Kansas Blue 4th Place - Georgia Red 5th Place - Utah 6th Place - Indiana 7th Place - Texas 8th Place - Ohio Blue 1st Place Match - Washington defeated Kansas Blue 55-24. 2nd Place Wrestleback - New Jersey Red defeated Kansas Blue 44-33. 3rd Place Match - New Jersey Red defeated Georgia Red 48-28. 5th Place Match - Utah defeated Indiana 42-38. 7th Place Match - Texas defeated Ohio Blue 59-19. B Pool Results 1st Place - Pennsylvania Blue 2nd Place - Michigan Red 3rd Place - Colorado 4th Place - Maryland 5th Place - Virginia 6th Place - Tennessee 1st Place Match - Pennsylvania Blue defeated Michigan Red 51-24. 3rd Place Match - Colorado defeated Maryland 57-23. 5th Place Match - Virginia defeated Tennesee 51-30. C Pool Results 1st Place - Illinois 2nd Place - Missouri Red 3rd Place - Iowa Gold 4th Place - California 5th Place - Pennsylvania Red 6th Place - Kansas Red 7th Place - New Jersey Blue 8th Place - Georgia Blue 1st Place Match - Illinois defeated Missouri Red 67-10. 3rd Place Match - Iowa Gold defeated California 48-30. 5th Place Match - Pennsylvania Red defeated Kansas Red 50-25. 7th Place Match - New Jersey Blue defeated Georgia Blue 53-10. D Pool Results 1st Place - Minnesota Storm 2nd Place - Oklahoma 3rd Place - Florida 4th Place - Ohio Red 5th Place - North Carolina 6th Place - Michigan Blue 1st Place Match - Minnesota Storm defeated Oklahoma 39-33. 3rd Place Match - Florida defeated Ohio Red 41-37. 5th Place Match - North Carolina defeated Michigan Blue 44-25.

Isaiah Martinez, 2016 Big Ten and NCAA wrestling champion at 157 pounds, has been selected as recipient of the 2015-16 Dike Eddleman Award as the Fighting Illini's Male Athlete of the Year, the University of Illinois announced Thursday. Isaiah Martinez after winning his second NCAA title at 157 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Martinez -- along with volleyball All-American Jocelynn Birks, named best female athlete at Illinois -- will be in the running for the 2016 Big Ten Athlete of the Year awards to be determined later this month. Martinez repeated his success as a freshman by winning his second consecutive NCAA and Big Ten mat titles as a sophomore in 2016. An added honor: the Lemoore, California native was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2016 Big Ten Championships. Martinez compiled an overall record of 32-1 this year, going 10-1 against ranked opponents, and leading the nation in wins by technical fall, with 14. Martinez will next represent team USA at the University World Championships in Turkey in October, competing in freestyle at 74 kilograms/163 pounds. The University of Illinois Athlete of the Year award was first presented in 1940. The yearly award was discontinued in 1973, but resurrected in 1983 to recognize both a Male and Female Athlete of the Year. In 1993, the awards were named in honor of the 11-time UI letterman and former Olympian Dwight "Dike" Eddleman. Martinez is the fifth Illini wrestler to receive the Dike Eddleman Award. He joins past honorees Jesse Delgado (2014), Matt Lackey (2003), Adam Tirapelle (2001), and Eric Siebert (1998).

Jeff Silveira, who has been an assistant wrestling coach at Cal State University-Bakersfield the past two seasons, has been named the Roadrunners' interim head coach, the Bakersfield Californian newspaper reported Thursday. Jeff SilveiraThe Californian also reports that CSUB is continuing its national search for a new head wrestling coach to replace Mike Mendoza, who resigned his Roadrunner position in May to take the helm at Boise State University in Idaho. The official CSUB wrestling website does not have an official announcement regarding Silveira's promotion, other than to include his new title and revised opening paragraph mentioning his new position as part of his coach's biography. Silveira has more than two decades of coaching experience at both the collegiate and high school levels. He joined the CSU Bakersfield staff as an assistant, having previously served in the same capacity at San Francisco State from 2009-14. During his stint with the Gators, Silveira coached one Division II national champion, seven Division II All-Americans, 20 Division II National Championship Tournament qualifiers, and helped San Francisco State finish in the top 10 of the 2013 Division II National Tournament. From 2005-07, Silveira was an assistant wrestling coach at West Valley College before moving to Skyline College for the 2007-08 season. At the community college level, Silveira coached 27 individual state qualifiers, nine individual state placewinners, four individual CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association) All-Americans, and one individual state champion. Silveira coached at Saint Teresa High School from 1995-2003 and at The Kings Academy High School from 2004-05. At the prep level, Silveira coached 11 individual league champions, 16 individual section placers, 13 individual state qualifiers, four individual state placewinners, and two individual high school All-Americans. Prior to accepting the head coaching job at Boise State, Mendoza headed up the CSUB program in June 2010 after the retirement of T.J. Kerr. Mendoza, who wrestled for Kerr and served as an assistant coach prior to his promotion, posted a 37-37 dual record as the Roadrunners head coach, mentoring four Pac-12 champions, 14 NCAA National qualifiers and one NCAA All-American (Bryce Hammond, 2014).

Emails uncovered by the St. Paul Pioneer-Press and other media in the Twin Cities indicate J Robinson, long-time head wrestling coach at the University of Minnesota, had informed his superiors about his concerns about possible drug use and sales on the part of some of his athletes. J Robinson (Photo/David Peterson)The emails -- supplied by Robinson's agent, attorney James C.W. Bock -- indicate that high-ranking athletics department officials were aware that Robinson wanted his wrestlers tested for drugs but make no mention of anything further the coach might have shared with interim athletics director Beth Goetz and senior associate AD Mark Ryan. (Goetz has since relocated to University of Connecticut; new athletic director Mark Coyle, who took the helm May 31; on his second day in office, put Robinson on paid administrative leave.) In an email time-stamped March 10, Ryan sent Robinson the school's Drug & Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion Testing form, which he needed to fill out before any action was taken. On March 25, Goetz emailed Robinson the department's drug testing policy, adding, "We can chat more about the testing results we have and other information when you are back in town." (Robinson was out of the country at the time.) In a statement released May 31, the University of Minnesota said it was launching its own investigation into the wrestling program after initially holding back to allow a continuing University of Minnesota Police Department probe. The Pioneer-Press quoted a Minnesota official that both investigations are ongoing. Robinson will remain on administrative leave while the investigations continue, said new AD Coyle when he had announced the suspension June 1. The situation became public last month when multiple media sources in Minneapolis-St. Paul reported that some Golden Gopher wrestlers may have been using or selling Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety drug. J Robinson, 69, became head wrestling coach at Minnesota in 1986, making him the second-longest serving in Golden Gopher mat history (behind Wally Johnson, who was at the helm for 34 seasons immediately before J Rob). In his 30 seasons as head coach, Robinson has guided the Gophers to three NCAA team titles (2001, 2002, and 2007), and an overall record of 440-145-4, for a .747 winning percentage, the highest of any wrestling coach at the school.

New rules allowing medical personnel an unlimited and unimpeded amount of time to conduct a concussion evaluation of wrestlers during a match have been approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, the NCAA announced Wednesday. The new rules go into effect for the 2016-17 season. In addition, the new rules grant medical professionals the authority to remove participants from the wrestling area to perform a concussion evaluation. Panel members have asked that these medical evaluations be tracked in order to determine how often this rule is applied and the time it takes to perform an adequate evaluation. During the evaluation, the match will be suspended until medical personnel announce their decision. The referee, the coaches of both wrestlers, and the non-injured wrestler are required to remain on the mat during the evaluation. A concussion evaluation timeout will not count as an injury timeout or recovery timeout. The coach of the wrestler being evaluated may not offer any coaching. In a separate rules change, injured wrestlers will not be permitted to be coached during all other non-bleeding injury timeouts. In the case of a severe or traumatic situation, medical personnel may request that the wrestler's coach assist in calming the injured wrestler. However, coaches are required to remove themselves from the situation during any assessment period related to the injury or concussion evaluation. Both rules changes were initially issued as interpretations during the 2015-16 wrestling season by the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee, based on recommendations made at the NCAA Sport Science Institute Wrestling Summit in July 2015. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the rule changes in a conference call Wednesday. "Both of these new rules proposals are about providing medical personnel dedicated and uninterrupted time with the injured athlete so they can make a more accurate health and safety decision in an already limited timeframe," Chuck Barbee, NCAA Wrestling Secretary-Rules Editor, told InterMat in April. "These rules recommendations are a good indicator of the committee's commitment to continuing to explore and advance new rules that positively impact the student-athlete's health and safety," said Barbee, former head wrestling coach at West Point.

For wrestling fans of any age, when looking at the career of any wrestler, it's easy to get caught up in the stats -- won/loss records, pinning percentage, number of titles, number of All-American honors. These stats help paint a quick picture of the accomplishments of a wrestler of any era. But this paint-by-numbers approach can cause the wrestling community to lose sight of the human aspects of a wrestler, whether he's still competing ... or stepped off the mat for the last time decades ago. This is very much a challenge when writing about a wrestler of the past. After all, stats may be about all we have for a mat great who competed in the 1970s or '50s or '30s. Most of us have no personal recollections of seeing that wrestler in action. Photos are often hard to come by. Video or films can be even more difficult to find. Yet I feel it's critically important to share the stories of these past greats that go beyond the stats ... to reinforce that these individuals were indeed real, and very human. Especially when I learn of individuals currently involved in wrestling who are clueless about the legends who paved their way. In the past week or so, I've been thinking about the issue of getting beyond stats when describing any wrestler, past or present. I've been in a historical frame-of-mind because of the reopening earlier this month of the renovated the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma and their 40th Honors Weekend which welcomed the Class of 2016 honorees. It's so easy to think of the honorees as just names and statistics ... until you read their stories, see vintage photos and films of them in the glory days, and see them at the induction ceremony, as they look today. During Honors Weekend, award-winning wrestling journalist Jason Bryant wrote something that helped put that in perspective for me. "People like Bill Harlow [2016 Distinguished Member inductee who was 1966 NCAA champ for Oklahoma State] are now on hallowed ground. They need to be in the stories we tell our young wrestlers and fans of the sport," Bryant wrote on Facebook. "I knew very little about him and I'm a wrestling junkie. Every year, I come away from this weekend with a much greater understanding and respect for the sport I love so much because as I get older, I am starting to see what the sport itself did for those who came well before me." Sadly, the life stories of past mat greats don't always culminate with an induction into the Hall of Fame. In some cases, they end tragically ... and, all too often, are pretty much unnoticed in death. Like the Cowboy ... and the Milkman. The Cowboy, Dick Beattie Dick Beattie was a two-time NCAA and Big Eight (now Big 12) wrestling champ for the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 1958 and 1959 at 157 pounds, compiling a 36-4-2 overall record, with five falls. Beattie also earned a place on the 1956 US Olympic freestyle team. Dick BeattyA year or so ago I stumbled upon a brief news story about a two-vehicle collision in the state of Oklahoma, identifying the victim as "Richard Beattie," age 82. The news story said nothing about him having been a wrestler, but his age and location of the wreck made me think it could have been the former Cowboy. I contacted the Hall of Fame, who had his home phone number. They made repeated calls, but received no answer. The Hall had contact info for one of his children, who confirmed that, yes, the man whose Honda CRV was T-boned by a pickup truck that ran a stop sign was indeed their dad, the former wrestler who was once cheered by thousands at Gallagher Hall ... and just missed wrestling at the Melbourne Olympics 60 years ago because of an emergency appendectomy. "Richard Beattie" accident victim was once Dick Beattie, feared wrestler who tangled with some of the top middleweights of the late 1950s, including NCAA champs Bob Hoke of Michigan State, Gary Kurdelmeier of Iowa, and Art Kraft of Northwestern. Now, think of a more recent example of a wrestler who won two national and conference titles AND qualified for the Olympics ... and try to imagine that their death might go unreported in the wrestling media these days. It certainly could happen, but, right now, hard to conceive. The Milkman, Rodger Snook The Milkman was the nickname of Rodger Snook, member of the storied "Dream Team of 1947" at Cornell College of Iowa, the smallest school in history to win an NCAA team title. (This was long before today's NCAA Division I, II and III structure; tiny colleges like Cornell of Iowa -- with an enrollment of approximately 700 at the time -- went up against big schools such as Lehigh and University of Illinois.) Rodger SnookRodger Snook was a three-time New Jersey state champ at Newton High School before he served his country in World War II. So how did the Milkman end up wrestling at a small Methodist college in picturesque Mount Vernon, Iowa? Prior to the war, Snook wrestled at the 1941 AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) championships ... where he left a favorable impression on Cornell College head wrestling coach Paul Scott. Fast forward a few years. Immediately upon returning home, Snook wrestled at a tournament back east where he was, by his own admission, "a bit rusty." In the audience was coach Scott, who remembered Snook as he was before World War II. When the two reunited, Scott urged Snook to apply to his school in Iowa. As Scott is quoted in Arno Niemand's book "Dream Team of 1947", Snook's application beat the coach back home. Rodger Snook was a key component in the success of the Cornell Purple wrestling team in its heyday. At the 1947 NCAAs -- the year his team took the title -- Snook made it to the 145-pound finals, only to lose to Bill Koll of Iowa State Teachers College (now Northern Iowa), who was named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament, and is considered by a number of wrestling historians to be one of the all-time greats of college wrestling. Cornell College did not compete at the 1948 NCAAs ... but, two years later, Snook placed fourth in the 155-pound bracket at the 1949 NCAAs, to earn his second All-American honors. As a senior, Snook again placed fourth -- this time at 145 -- at the 1950 NCAAs, making him a three-time All-American. When he hung up his purple tights and white trunks at the end of his time as a Cornell College starter, Rodger Snook had compiled a 38-11 record, with 18 falls. Paul Scott had assembled a great team consisting of fresh-out-of-high-school kids who wrestled with incredible poise ... along with older World War II vets like Rodger Snook, including some twenty-somethings who, unlike Snook, had not wrestled before the war. Some of these Cornell wrestlers -- kids and veterans -- went to win individual NCAA titles. Yet coach Scott considered Roger Snook to be his greatest recruiting achievement. Snook graduated from Cornell College in 1950. Although a Jersey boy through and through, he had come to love the school and the area. He was able to secure a job as a recruiter for his college alma mater ... and even found a girl. They became engaged to be married. Then, tragedy. A car driven by a priest, allegedly drunk, crossed the centerline on U.S. 6 near Iowa City, striking Snook's car head-on. The former wrestler was seriously injured, left paralyzed. He was forced to return to his parents' home for care. After a number of months, Snook decided he did not want to be a burden to his folks or his fiancé any longer ... so he took his life on March 17, 1956. Fast-forward a half century. I was sitting in the Cole Library, a Post-Modern structure on the rolling, heavily-treed Cornell College campus, doing research on the school's 1947 "Dream Team" wrestling program for an InterMat Rewind feature. I had just listened to an audio recording of the visiting Purple shutting out Lehigh in their home gym, and was now thumbing through old copies of the Royal Purple student yearbooks, The Cornellian newspaper, and other memorabilia of that era. I came across a news story that Rodger Snook had died in his parents' home in New Jersey ... including a response from a obviously heartbroken Paul Scott. It was so hard to reconcile this tragic news with the photos of a square-shouldered physical specimen with an intense expression etched onto his face in just about every photo ... the guy who wrestled for one of the top programs in the U.S. immediately after World War II ... and seemed to have an incredible life ahead of him. It was like a punch in the gut to learn of the Milkman's death ... and its circumstances. (At the time of my research trip in 2007, most of the principal members of the 1947 Dream Team were still alive, having created successful careers in a number of realms, from teaching to the oil industry, over the course of their long lives.) The point of all this is ... we fans get so wrapped up in results, in won-loss records, in pinning percentages, and other on-the-mat statistics. Or, nowadays, we focus on what kind of success wrestlers have had after hanging up their headgear, celebrating the guys who find success in MMA or WWE or the NFL ... or become titans of Wall Street ... or as politicians. We get caught up in the stuff of resumes, forgetting that these mat greats are indeed human ... and, at times, all too human. It's important for institutions such as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame -- and individual wrestling historians chronicling the past, and wrestling journalists reporting on today's athletes -- to strive to do more than tell a by-the-numbers story for past mat greats, but to do our best to share the all-too-human side of these old-school athletes whenever possible. We owe it to guys like Dick Beattie and Rodger Snook, the Milkman.

Kansas may become the seventh state which sponsors girls high school wrestling, if a proposal made this week to the organization which oversees prep sports in the Sunflower State is approved. Doug Kretzer, head wrestling coach at McPherson High School, put forth a proposal for adding girls wrestling as an approved KSHSAA (Kansas State High School Athletic Association) sport for KSHSAA member schools. "As with any sport, KSHSAA member schools would have the option to allow girls wrestling at their school," said Kretzer. The McPherson coach made a strong case for the KSHSAA to add girls wrestling to its list of sanctioned sports, citing growth in participation among girls at various levels -- from youth, high school, and college, and even international women's freestyle competition. Among specific examples mentioned by Kretzer: USA Wrestling card membership and state tournament participation has grown each year after year for the past 5 years ... and new women's college programs being established within the state of Kansas. What's more, 111 girls participated in existing high school wrestling programs within the state last season. Presently, at least six other states already have separate competition for young women in high school, including separate state championships. Those states include Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Texas, and Washington State. "Other states that have added girls wrestling as a sanctioned high school sport have seen tremendous increase in participation once girls have the opportunity to compete against girls," said Kretzer. In Kretzer's proposal, the women's wrestling season in Kansas would run parallel to the regular KSHSAA wrestling season. All current wrestling season rules and regulations would apply, except for a unique set of eleven weight classes -- 95, 102, 110, 119, 128, 138, 148, 165, 185, and 215 pounds -- which have been adopted from the weights successfully used in Texas high school girls wrestling. Girls would not be allowed to compete in the boys weight classes unless a specific tournament does not include girls weight classes. As for the state tournament, there would be a single state tournament incorporating all classes, from 1A through 6A, with no qualifier needed. This allows for KSHSAA and its member schools to monitor/increase participation, according to Kretzer. Kretzer also addressed potential financial concerns of Kansas high schools. "By running boys and girls wrestling seasons at the same time -- similar to track and field in the state of Kansas -- the financial impact to schools that choose to participate would be minimal," said Kretzer. "Most schools would not need to increase their coaching staff or travel budgets, as many programs already have girls competing on their teams, this will just give them a platform to compete against like opponents. Increase in costs for hosting events with an added female division will also be minimal, and should require little effort to accommodate. There may be additional costs to KSHSAA when hosting post-season events, but those can even be scheduled to be competed at the same sites already used for wrestling post-season." In his proposal, Kretzer says that 24 Kansas high schools would need to start girls wrestling programs for the KSHSAA to consider sanctioning the sport. He said three -- McPherson, Clearwater, and Derby -- have already expressed interest. He encouraged coaches and athletic directors at interested schools to contact the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.

Zain Retherford, 2016 NCAA wrestling champ for the Nittany Lions, has been named Penn State Male Student-Athlete of the Year, the school announced Tuesday. Zain Retherford rides Michigan's Alec Pantaleo in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Retherford, along with the school's choice for Female of the Year, soccer standout Raquel Rodriguez, will be on the ballot for Big Ten Male and Female Athletes of the Year with honorees from the other 13 conference institutions, including Ohio State's Male Athlete of the Year Kyle Snyder , 2016 NCAA heavyweight champ and U.S. men's freestyle team member for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Retherford won the 149-pound title at both the 2016 Big Ten conference championships and 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, helping propel Penn State to its fifth NCAA and Big Ten team titles in six years. The Benton, Pa. native completed his sophomore season with a flawless 33-0 overall record, including 15 falls, eight technical falls, and seven major decisions. In addition, Retherford placed third at the 2016 United States Olympic Team Trials, earning a spot on the 2016 U.S. Freestyle World Team. For his on-the-mat performance, Retherford has earned a number of honors this year beyond his selection as Penn State Male Athlete of the Year. Retherford was named 2016 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and 2016 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler of the Year. In addition, the Nittany Lion mat champ was selected as 2016 InterMat Wrestler of the Year. Retherford was equally impressive in the classroom. A First Team Academic All-Big Ten selection, Retherford was also a NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) First Team National All-Academic selection. He earned CoSIDA First Team Academic All-Region At-Large honors and closed out his academic accolades for the year by earning CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America At-Large honors. Retherford has a 3.72 grade-point average and is finance major. Retherford's selection as Penn State's Male Student-Athlete of the Year marks the fifth straight year that a wrestler has earned the honor, joining David Taylor in 2012 and 2014, Ed Ruth in 2013, and Matt Brown 2015.

The Cadet National Duals started today in York, Pa. The Greco-Roman competition will be conducted today and tomorrow, with freestyle to be wrestled on Friday and Saturday. The opening day of each tournament is four double-elimination brackets (with true second) to determine the tiered pools in which each team will compete on Day 2. The top two teams in each bracket will compete in the Gold/Silver pool, and compete for the tournament championship. Teams placing third and fourth will compete in the Bronze/Copper pool, and so forth. Within each pool, teams will wrestle three dual meets and then a crossover dual meet for placement. In order for a team to win the national title, they need to finish top two in their first day bracket. Then, they need to be on top of the standings after a three-match round-robin (generally speaking that entails going 3-0), and then win a crossover match against the top team in the other pool. Cadet eligible wrestlers have 2000 and 2001 birthdates. This means that the eligible pool of wrestlers is virtually all Class of 2019 prospects, along with some prospects from the Class of 2018 and the Class of 2020. Illinois has swept the Greco-Roman and freestyle titles the previous three years and four of the previous five (2011, 2013-2015). In all, the Land of Lincoln seeks a sixth straight Greco-Roman title and a fourth straight freestyle title. Based on the information posted to Track Wrestling as of Tuesday night, Washington is the top seed in the Greco-Roman competition. The other top seeds in Day 1 preliminary brackets are Pennsylvania Blue (their first team), Illinois, and Minnesota; in last year's final, it was Illinois over Washington. The top seeded Washington team features wrestlers that finished top three in the scholastic state tournament this past year as starters in eight of the seventeen weight classes. This includes state champions Alexander Cruz (120) and Adrian St. Germain (152); state runners-up include returning Cadet double All-Americans in Chase Tebbets (100) and Blake Haney (113). Christopher Foca (Bergen Catholic, Pa.) was a Beast of the East champion this past season (Photo/Rob Preston)A very talented New Jersey Red team is their most direct threat in Wednesday's preliminary bracket. Their roster features five state medalists from the past scholastic season: Carmen Ferrante (120), Patrick Glory (132), Gerard Angelo (138), Michael O'Malley (152), and Zach Delvecchio (220). Other notable roster talent includes impact incoming freshman Anthony Clark (100) and Beast of the East champion Christopher Foca (160). Pennsylvania is the second seed, anchoring bracket B. Three state medalists feature on the team: Beau Bayless (106), Edmund Ruth (152), and Josh Stillings (160). Returning Cadet Greco All-American J.J. Wilson (113) and the nation's top rising freshman in Beau Bartlett (126) are also present. Others to watch include incoming freshman Connor Kievman (120) and state qualifier Carnell Andrews (132). Within the preliminary bracket, Michigan Red is the most direct threat to Pennsylvania. A trio of state champions anchor this lineup, Corey Gamet (113), Kevin Davenport (126), and Cameron Amine (138). Also on the roster are four others that placed in the top four at state in the high school season: Nick Freeman (132), Layne Malczewski (145), Brian Case (152), and Ryan Ringler (170). Another one to note is Cadet folkstyle champion Andrew Chambal (94). Defending champions Illinois feature a rather solid roster with four wrestlers that placed top three at their high school state tournament: state champion Tyler Delaware (120), state runner-up Donnell Washington (132) and Will Lewan (138), along with state third place finishers Dalton Jensen (145). Also present are state medalists Zach Braunagel (170) and Jace Punke (220). Three others to watch are returning Cadet Greco All-American Christian Goin (94) as well as Cadet folkstyle champions Sergio Villalobos (195) and Roland Tucker (285). A rather loaded Iowa team is also present in Pool C with Illinois, presuming the brackets on Track Wrestling are correct. State champion Brody Teske (120) is the anchor wrestler, along with state runner-up Eric Faught (100), while three others placed third at state - Gable Fox (113), Zane Mulder (145), and Logan Schumacher (182). Also present are Cadet folkstyle champion Cullan Schreiver (88) and nationally ranked Class of 2019 wrestler Cade Devos (120). Five other wrestlers also earned state medals this year in the high school season: Gabe Ruepke (126), Harlan Steffensmeier (138), Lucas Roland (145), Tad Griffith (160), and Spencer Trenary (285). Minnesota, which won both titles at the Schoolboy level last week near Indianapolis, is the top seed in Pool D (i.e. preliminary bracket). The Gopher State team features eight wrestlers that finished in the top three at the state tournament this past season, anchored by state champion Anthony Jackson (152); runners-up include Jake Svihel (106), Cael Carlson (120), Tyler Eischens (138), and Caden Steffen (170); while Israel Navarro (113), Sebas Swiggum (126), and Brock Luthens (132) finished third. Two other state medalists reside in the upper-weights, Robert Striggow (182) and Tyler Buesgens (195). Oklahoma had the same amount of seeding points as did the Minnesota squad, but have the second seed in Pool D. They have seven state medalists in the lineup, anchored by state champion Zane Coleman (152); the trio of state runners-up include Braden Elrod (113), Colton Denney (145), and Hunter Jump (152); rounding it out are Reece Witcroft (120), Caleb Wise (160), and Montana Phillips (285). Also on the roster is nationally ranked incoming freshman Dustin Plott (138). The freestyle competition will start on Friday with similar type of rosters for each team, though some other wrestlers are likely to be in play for a few of the teams.

The Bellarmine Knights are coming to the rescue of the St. Catharine University wrestling program. Earlier this month, InterMat reported that St. Catharine -- a tiny college located in central Kentucky -- had announced it was closing its doors at the end of summer. Another area school had announced it was absorbing three men's sports programs ... but not wrestling. Now those St. Catharine wrestlers have a new home, as Bellarmine University will be "essentially absorbing the former Saint Catharine College team," to quote the announcement made by the Louisville-based school Tuesday afternoon. "Upon the announcement of the imminent closing of Saint Catharine College, Bellarmine University's administration and trustees began exploring programs that could be transitioned from Saint Catharine to Bellarmine to the mutual benefit of both," said Bellarmine Interim President Doris Tegart. "The wrestling team fills that bill and is a natural fit for our athletics program." Bellarmine's decision to absorb the St. Catharine mat program is good news for the staff and wrestlers at the soon-to-be-closed school. The Patriots' head wrestling coach Spencer Adams and assistant coach Gary Canter will remain coaches at Bellarmine, and all former SCC team members wishing to transfer will be retained as well. In addition, Bellarmine will honor the commitment to all of the St. Catharine signees for the 2016-17 season, provided they meet Bellarmine admission standards, according to the Bellarmine announcement. Wrestling will become Bellarmine's 22d intercollegiate sport -- and the tenth men's sport. The new Knights wrestling program will compete in NCAA Division II. The St. Catharine's program had wrestled in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) with 41 team members. "Although wrestling wasn't originally in our short-range plans, St. Catharine's closing certainly made starting a new program a viable and logical option," said Bellarmine Director of Athletics Scott Wiegandt. "Taking over an existing program allows us to hit the ground running while allowing Coach Adams to build on the inroads he made since founding the program at St. Catharine two years ago." "On behalf of myself, my coaching staff, our SCC student athletes, and their families I want to sincerely thank the board of trustees, president Tegart, Scott Wiegandt, and the entire Bellarmine University family for all that they have done to save our program," said wrestling coach Adams. "I am ecstatic to start this new journey and bring the great sport of wrestling to Bellarmine University. I look forward to working with Scott Wiegandt and the rest of the Bellarmine University family in efforts to build an outstanding program that is nationally recognized both on and off the mat. This is also a great day for the sport of wrestling in the state of Kentucky as Bellarmine University makes history in adding the only NCAA II wrestling program in the state. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to start yet another wrestling program and to provide my student athletes with a bright future here at Bellarmine University." With Bellarmine and Drury University both launching wrestling programs in the 2016-17 season, the Great Lakes Valley Conference now has seven member institutions sponsoring the sport, which exceeds the NCAA's criteria for a conference to sponsor a championship. Other league members competing in wrestling include: Indianapolis, Maryville, McKendree, Truman State, and Wisconsin-Parkside. An official announcement from the league office regarding sport sponsorship is expected this month. https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/15092 Founded in 1950, Bellarmine (pronounced BEL-ur-men) University is a private, Catholic, four-year school located just outside downtown Louisville. Bellarmine has an enrollment of approximately 3,600 students.