InterMat Staff

LAS VEGAS -- It was a bizarre scene on Tuesday night at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. After the conclusion of the second bronze-medal match in Greco-Roman at 130 kilos, the losing wrestler was waving to the crowd as the fans gave him a standing ovation and chanted his name. The winning wrestler struggled to get up from the mat and was completely exhausted, looking defeated. Robby Smith battles for position against Bilyal Makhov (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)American Greco-Roman heavyweight Robby Smith lost on the scoreboard, 10-8, to Russian Bilyal Makhov for the bronze medal, but earned the admiration of fans watching. "I'm proud to be an American," Smith said following the match as he fought back the tears. "Very proud. Felt loved. That's probably the biggest thing that hurts. I wanted to win for the USA. Plain and simple." U.S. Greco-Roman coach Matt Lindland, a 2000 Olympic silver medalist, has wrestled and coached all over the world for three decades and has never seen anything like it. "I have not seen the guy that got the bronze crawl off the mat while the guy that got the fifth got the standing ovation," said Lindland. Mokhov, a three-time World champion in freestyle and now a two-time World bronze medalist in Greco-Roman, appeared to be on his way to an easy technical fall over Smith. In the first period Mokhov scored a takeown, four-point throw and pushout to jump out to a 7-0, one point shy of a technical fall. In the closing seconds of the opening period it appeared that Mokhov might finish the match with a pushout until Smith launched the giant Russian on the edge of the mat. Even though the move was only worth two points, it changed the momentum of the match. Robby Smith acknowledges the crowd after losing in the bronze-medal match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Smith inched closer with a takedown in the second period before Makhov earned a reversal and an additional point for a failed challenge by the U.S. coaches. With the score 9-4 in favor of Makhov, Smith remained offensive, pushing the action and eventually locking up a throw and tossing Makhov for four points to make the score 9-8 with 1:20 remaining. Smith, down a point, continued to press forward. With 40 seconds on the clock Makhov scored a pushout point to make it 10-8. Smith remained the aggressor the rest of the match but was unable to score as time ran out. "I was the one still standing on my feet at the end," said Smith. "I was better conditioned. It was a great match." Smith said he fed off the crowd. "This crowd today was awesome," said Smith. "They had me rolling, man. They had me rolling." It marks the second time Smith has been fifth in the world, but the first time he has wrestled in the bronze-medal match. In 2013, Smith placed seventh at the World Championships, but moved up to fifth place after the champion Amir Aziz Ali Akbari of Iran tested positive for anabolic steroids. Seven of eight U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers competed on Monday and Tuesday. The U.S. compiled a 7-8 record on Tuesday with no medalists. Andy Bisek, who won a bronze medal at 74 kilos on Monday, remains the only medalist for Team USA in 2015. Jordan Holm (85 kilos) will compete on Wednesday and is the final U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler to compete in Las Vegas. Matt Lindland (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Lindland believes the future is bright for the U.S. Greco-Roman program. "We're just getting started," said Lindland, who became the U.S. Greco-Roman coach in June of 2014. "We've got a lot of work to do. We've got a lot of building to do. But we're putting one foot in front of the other … getting some momentum going." Medalists were crowned in four Greco-Roman weight classes on Tuesday night: 59 kilos, 71 kilos, 80 kilos and 130 kilos. The biggest upset of this year's event so far came in the gold-medal match at 130 kilos, where Riza Kayaalp of Turkey edged Mijain Lopez of Cuba, 1-0. Lopez, a two-time Olympic champion and five-time World champion, had not lost a match since 2011 when Kayaalp beat him in the gold-medal match at the World Championships in Istanbul. Medalists at 130 kilos (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Kayaalp's lone point -- which proved to be the difference -- came from a second passivity call against Lopez in the second period. "I prepared to wrestle non-stop for six minutes and push the pace throughout that time," said Kayaalp. The other gold medalists crowned on Tuesday were Ismael Borrero of Cuba (59 kilos), Rasul Chunayev of Azerbaijan (71 kilos) and Selcuk Cebi of Turkey (80 kilos). It was Cebi's third World title, and the first for both Borrero and Chunayev. In addition to Jordan Holm, Alyssa Lampe, Whitney Conder and Elena Pirozhkova will compete for Team USA on Wednesday at the World Championships. Day 2 (Tuesday) Medalists 59 kilos: Gold: Ismael Borrero (Cuba) Silver: Rovshan Bayramov (Azerbaijan) Bronze: Won Chol Yun (North Korea) Bronze: Almat Kebispayev (Kazakhstan) 71 kilos: Gold: Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) Silver: Armen Vardanyan (Ukraine) Bronze: Adam Kurak (Russia) Bronze: Zakarias Tallroth (Sweden) 80 kilos: Gold: Selcuk Cebi (Turkey) Silver: Viktor Sasunkouski (Belarus) Bronze: Yousef Ghaderian (Iran) Bronze: Lasha Gobadze (Georgia) 130 kilos: Gold: Riza Kayaalp (Turkey) Silver: Mijain Lopez (Cuba) Bronze: Oleksandr Chernetskyy (Ukraine) Bronze: Bilyal Makhov (Russia)

Fallout from the U..S denying a visa to the president of the Russian Wrestling Federation continued as the 2015 United World Wrestling Championships continued into their second day in Las Vegas Tuesday. Mikhail MamiashviliRussia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed his upset over Mikhail Mamiashvili being refused a visa to enter the United States for the Championships ... while Mamiashvili said the decision may result in the U.S. never hosting another international wrestling event. "I believe that United World Wrestling is going to ban the United States from hosting any event of this level in future," Mamiashvili, told the Russian TASS news agency on Monday. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted the following at its website Tuesday (and included in an article in The Moscow Times): "We were forced to take note that Washington's line of trying to cause problems for our country in the international arena has now even affecting the sporting sphere." "We have serious concerns about the refusal to let the Olympic champion and the president of the Wrestling Federation of Russia Mikhail Mamiashvili into the United States." (In addition to those duties, Mamiashvili is also vice-president of United World Wrestling and the head of the organization's judging committee. As a wrestler, Mamiashvili won a gold medal in Greco-Roman at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and a total of five medals -- three gold, two silver -- at World Championships from 1983-1990. He was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.) "We would like the American powers that be to remember that sport is separate from politics. We would like to wish our wrestlers the best of luck in the championships and there will be no repeat of the unfair practices that have unfortunately been carried out by the U.S. administration on the wrestling mat." If all this weren't enough, event organizers played the wrong anthem when Russia's Roman Vlasov won his second world championship gold medal in Greco-Roman competition at 75 kilos/165 pounds. As the website Russia Beyond The Headlines reported Tuesday, "When Vlasov rose on the podium, 'The Patriotic Song' by Mikhail Glinka, which was the Russian national anthem from 1990 to 2000, was played. But now the music of the Soviet national anthem composed by Alexander Alexandrov is being used once again ..." "I do not know what anthem was played, and at first did not even pay any attention to it. But after a while, I realized that this was not our anthem," said Vlasov. "When this foreign anthem ended and some fuss started, I said that I would not come down from the pedestal until the Russian anthem is played! It is for that moment on the pedestal that we toil all year, and they play some other anthem at the award ceremony for some reason." Event organizers later made a formal apology to the Russian squad for the national anthem mix-up.

Derek White, sophomore wrestler at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was arrested Saturday for driving while intoxicated, then fleeing from school police before turning himself in hours later, the Daily Nebraskan student paper reported Tuesday. Derek WhiteOn Saturday at approximately 2:15 p.m., a University of Nebraska-Lincoln police officer pulled White, 20, over for failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. The officer noted the smell of alcohol on White and in his car, and ordered a preliminary breath test. During that test, White fled on foot from the officer, and refused to stop despite being ordered to do so. The officer lost sight of White. Campus police then had White's vehicle towed. Hours later, White turned himself into campus police, and was arrested. Last season, White wrestled at 197 pounds for the Huskers, compiling a 14-5 record as a freshman, and placing in three of five tournaments he entered. He also earned a place on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll for spring 2015. Prior to coming to Nebraska, White wrestled at Edmond North High School where he was a three-time Oklahoma state finalist, winning back-to-back titles at 195 in 2013 and 2014. Beyond his native Oklahoma, White won the Walsh Ironman, finished third at the 2013 Junior National Freestyle Championships in Fargo, N.D., and earned runner-up honors at the 2013 Super 32 Challenge. He had been ranked fifth nationally among recruits at 195 pounds by InterMat.

LAS VEGAS -- Two years ago Robby Smith placed fifth at the World Championships. Tonight he will have a chance to improve upon that finish when he wrestles for the bronze medal at 130 kilos in Greco-Roman. Robby Smith (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Smith, who is ranked No. 18 in the world, won his first three matches to advance to the semifinals where he faced Greco-Roman wrestling great Mijain Lopez of Cuba, a two-time Olympic champion and five-time World champion. Lopez showed why he's one of the world's best, hammering Smith 8-0, with all of his points coming off gut wrenches. "I made a decision to try to stand up and he wrapped his arms around me, and my hips were up," said Smith. "Once he gets going it's hard to stop. But other than, come back tonight and get a bronze medal. That's what it's all about now." Smith's opponent in the bronze-medal match is three-time World freestyle champion Bilyal Makhov of Russia. By reaching a medal match, Smith qualified the United States for the Olympic Games at 130 kilos. "My first job was to qualify the weight class for the Olympics," said Smith. "I did that. Now just get my medal, and me and the Cowboy can hang out later, have those things around our neck." Smith overcame a slow start to beat Muminjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in his first match. Smith was thrown for points and trailed 4-0 after the opening period. Smith inched closer at 4-2 in the second period before hitting three consecutive front headlock rolls to go up 8-4. He added a pushout point to make it 9-4. Then in the closing 15 seconds Abdullaev attempted a desperation throw, and Smith countered and picked up the fall with 10 seconds remaining in the match. Smith advanced to the quarterfinals with a controlled 6-2 victory over Germany's Eduard Popp. Smith scored an early takedown to go up 2-0. An attempted throw by Smith resulted in Popp getting a takedown and tying the match at 2-2. After a passivity warning against Popp, Smith tried a front headlock roll and Popp was called for a defensive leg foul, which resulted in Smith getting two points at the end of the first period to take a 4-2 lead. Smith built on his lead with a takedown just over a minute into the second period to make the score 6-2, which is how the match would finish. In the quarterfinals, Smith edged Murat Ramonov of Kazakhstan 1-1, in a match that saw no offensive points scored. Both points scored in the match came in the second period from passivity calls, with Smith's point coming last, giving him the criteria victory. The three other U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers competing on Tuesday, Spenser Mango (59 kilos), Justin Lester (71 kilos) and Patrick Martinez (80 kilos) all qualified for repechage matches, but Smith was the lone U.S. wrestler to earn a spot in a medal match. "We've got a great group of guys that could show the world … do big things," said Smith. Mango, competing at 59 kilos, went 1-2 on the day. Spenser Mango (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)He started his day with a 4-2 loss to Cuba's Ismael Borrero 4-2. All four of Borrero's points came in the first period from a takedown and turn, which put him up 4-0. Mango came out aggressively in the second period and pushed the action, which resulted in Borrero being called twice for passivity, giving Mango his only two points of the match. Mango was pulled back into repechage when the Cuban reached the gold-medal match. Mango, who wrestled his first match just after 10 a.m. PT, had to watch and wait for over five hours to see whether he would compete in repechage. "It's tough sitting around on the edge of the seat in the back watching the guy who beat me compete all day, just sitting there waiting and then getting back brought in," said Mango. "But it's a situation that we've trained. We have a match in the morning, and then you come back in the evening and wrestle, so it's something we prepared for." Mango came out on top in his first repechage match over Germany's Deniz Menekse 4-4 on criteria. In the first period Mango scored with a two-point turn before Menekse picked up a point off a reversal. In the second period Menekse picked up a takedown -- and earned another point off an unsuccessful challenge -- to go up 4-2. However, Mango would respond with a takedown of his own to make the score 4-4, and earned the criteria victory by scoring last. Mango was knocked out of the tournament in his next match when he was blanked 8-0 against Soslan Daurov of Belarus in his second repechage match. "I kind of got caught flat-footed out there in my last match," said Mango. "Again, with the Cuban I gave up some big points early. Having to come back every match isn't the way to go out there. You want to be competitive from the first whistle to the last whistle." Justin Lester (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Lester had a strong start to his tournament, winning his first two matches, but ultimately fell just short of earning a spot in a medal match at 71 kilos. "I just wanted to have fun," said Lester. "I put a lot of pressure on my back in other World championships to make sure I get on that medal stand. Today I just came out and just wanted to have fun wrestling. I have usually done my best when I just go out and wrestle and try to put points on the board." Lester, who will turn 32 years old later this month, was dominant in his first match, earning a technical fall over Hungary's Balint Korpasi, who entered the event ranked No. 3 in the world. Lester used a headlock in the first period to jump out to a 4-0 lead. In the second period he executed another four-point throw to seal the victory. Next Lester faced returning World silver medalist Yanus Ozel of Turkey, and overcame a 4-0 deficit to win 8-6. Ozel hit a four-point throw in the first period, and Lester responded with a four-point throw of his own in the second period to knot the score at 4-4. Lester then took the lead with a pushout and added a takedown, which the Turkey coaches challenged. The call was upheld, giving Lester an additional point to make it 8-4. Ozel would inch closer on the strength of pushout and passivity point, but Lester held on for the victory. In the quarterfinals Lester was paired with Azerbaijan's Rasul Chunayev, who is ranked No. 1 in the world. Chumanyez proved to be too much for Lester. After a scoreless first period, Chunayez broke the match open, using five-point throw, followed up by a couple two-point moves to earn a 9-0 technical fall. In the repechage, Lester faced Russia's Adam Kurak and lost a wild 10-9 match. All 19 points were scored in the first period. Lester hit two four-point moves, while Kurak had one. Lester competes at a non-Olympic weight class, so if he wants to compete for an Olympic spot next year he will have to either move down to 66 kilos or up to 74 kilos. "It's going to suck either way," Lester said of the decision. "You have Andy Bisek, who is a two-time medalist now. Then you have 66, which has been like my nemesis my whole life, cutting weight. Either or it's going to be a real bad situation, but we're going to sit down and talk with the coaches and figure out what's going to be best." Martinez, making his World Championships debut, fell in his first match to Belarus' Viktar Sasunouski, who is ranked No. 5 in the world. Sasunouski hit a headlock in the first minute of the match and nearly pinned Martinez, but the American wrestler fought hard to get off his back and eventually earned a one-point reversal. Martinez added a pushout with seven seconds remaining in the match, but it wasn't enough. Martinez was pulled back into repechage when Sasunouski came through to reach the finals. Martinez earned a 5-0 shutout in his first repechage match over Lithuania's Julius Matuzevicius. He used a four-point throw in the second period to help propel him to victory. "The victory felt good," said Martinez. "I've wrestled that guy in practice before ... a couple months back and he was kind of kicking my butt. I'm improving, so that's good." He was then knocked out of the tournament after losing 4-0 to Askhat Dilmukhamedov of Kazakhstan. "I wanted to leave with a medal," said Martinez. "I was pretty set on leaving with a medal. Not accomplishing that goal is just going to drive me more for next year and years to come." Tonight's medal matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. PT.

Three college wrestling programs at schools in the southeast -- Brewton-Parker College, St. Andrews University, and Southeastern University -- are now affiliated members of the Mid-South Conference this fall, the conference announced Friday. The mat programs at these three NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) schools will join existing Mid-South members Campbellsville University, Cumberland University, University of the Cumberlands, Life University, Lindsey Wilson College, St. Catharine College and Truett-McConnell to become a ten-school wrestling conference effective in the upcoming 2015-16 season. The newly expanded Mid-South wrestling conference will be divided into two equal geographic units. The East Division will include all three of the new members -- Brewton-Parker of Mt. Vernon, Ga., St. Andrews of Laurinburg, N.C., and Southeastern of Lakeland, Fla. -- along with two Georgia-based schools, Life University and Truett-McConnell. The West Division will be made up of Campbellsville (Ky.), Cumberland University (Tenn.), University of the Cumberlands (Ky.), Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), and St. Catharine College (Ky.). According to the Southeastern wrestling website, each program will have at one dual meet with the other teams within its division, along with at least two duals with schools in the other division. In addition to wrestling, the conference is also welcoming a number of new swimming programs. "The Mid-South Conference is very excited to expand the conference's footprint with like-minded institutions," said conference commission Eric Ward. "These additions strengthen our conference while providing the student-athletes and coaches with a platform to compete for conference championships. "We look forward to working with their coaches and administrators in these respective sports, and expect their teams to be very competitive."

Bryce Hasseman was named the newest assistant wrestling coach at North Carolina, head coach Coleman Scott announced Tuesday. Hasseman, who comes to Chapel Hill after two seasons at the The University at Buffalo, completes Scott's full-time coaching staff. "It is great for us here at UNC to get someone like Bryce who has had the experience on the mat as well as in coaching," Scott said. "He brings a different mindset in the room and in the office which will benefit the program tremendously. Neil and I have known him for same time and we already work very well together." Prior to his time at Buffalo, Hasseman coached at Oklahoma State under legendary head coach John Smith. Under Smith, Hasseman helped guide three OSU wrestlers to All-America finishes - Clayton Foster, who took second at 197 pounds in 2011; Chris Perry, who took third at 174 in 2012; and Cayle Byers, who took third at 197 in 2012. A former U.S. National Team member and world team alternate, Hasseman trained for the Olympics at the University of Iowa and the Olympic Training Center under coach Terry Brands. During his time in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes won an NCAA team title. Hasseman owns international wins as prestigious events such as the Don Kolov International, the Dave Schultz Memorial, the Guelph Open, the Hargobind International and the Canada Cup. Hasseman started his college career at Northern Illinois before transferring to Bloomsburg. While at Bloomsburg, Hasseman won an EWL conference title and was an NCAA qualifier at 174 pounds. During the 2004-05 season, Hasseman led Bloomsburg with an 38-6 record. A native of Franklin, Indiana, Hasseman is married to former USA Volleyball national team player Angie McGinnis. The two met while training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in 2008 and have two sons, Levi and Isaiah.

LAS VEGAS -- Andy Bisek has become the face of Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. Nicknamed "The Cowboy," Bisek has garnered the admiration of wrestling fans across the world in large part because of his thick mustache and exciting style. A photo of Bisek executing a throw is used in an advertisement for the World Championships that is plastered all over in Las Vegas. Last year he became the first American Greco-Roman wrestler to earn a medal at the World Championships since 2009. Andy Bisek celebrates after winning bronze (Photo/Larry Slater)On Monday night, the 29-year-old Bisek added to his World medal collection by claiming another bronze medal at 75 kilos with a 2-0 victory over 2011 World champion Saeid Morad Abdvali of Iran. After a scoreless first period, Bisek scored the only points of the match in the second period off a leg foul when Abdvali was defending in par terre. "I'm still striving to be the best and I'm not there yet," said Bisek, a native of Chaska, Minnesota. Bisek opened his tournament on Monday with relatively close victories -- by two points and three points -- before suffering a loss to eventual silver medalist Mark Madsen of Denmark in the quarterfinals. "I started the day slower," said Bisek. "I got a little down on myself maybe. Then I lost in the quarters to a tough guy. I was really able to fire myself up and get it taken care of." It was the second consecutive year that Bisek defeated a World champion at the World Championships. Last year Bisek stunned Russia's Roman Vlasov, a World and Olympic champion, in the second round. On Monday night, Vlasov defeated Madsen 6-0 in the gold-medal match. "Anybody can be a World champion on any day," said Bisek. "It's just like getting it done on that day, being the guy, whoever you have to beat, that's when it's awesome. That's when it matters." Bisek now turns his attention to 2016 and becoming an Olympic gold medalist in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "I got one more big stage to do … the Olympics, and I've got to be able to put it together for that," said Bisek, who attended Northern Michigan and wrestled in the USOEC Greco-Roman program. "I believe I'm fully capbable. I'm going to train like hell to make it, to win." Team USA finished Day 1 with a combined record of 7-4. Four more U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers will compete on Tuesday: Spenser Mango (59 kilos), Justin Lester (71 kilos), Patrick Martinez (80 kilos) and Robby Smith (130 kilos). In addition to Vlasov (75 kilos), Germany's Frank Staebler (66 kilos) and Armenia's Artur Aleksanyan won World titles on Monday night. Staebler defeated Han-Soo Ryu of Korea 4-1 in the gold-medal match and becomes Germany's first World champion in Greco-Roman since 1994. The 23-year-old Aleksanyan won his second straight World title with a 3-0 victory over Ghasem Rezaei of Iran. Aleksanyan's last loss came in 2013 when he fell in the gold-medal match at the World Championships to Nikita Melnikov of Russia. Day 1 (Monday) Medalists 66 kilos: Gold: Frank Staebler (Germany) Silver: Hansu Ryu (Korea) Bronze: Davor Stefanek (Serbia) Bronze: Artem Surkov (Russia) 75 kilos: Gold: Roman Vlasov (Russia) Silver: Mark Madsen (Denmark) Bronze: Andy Bisek (USA) Bronze: Doszhan Kartikov (Kazakhstan) 98 kilos: Gold: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia) Silver: Ghasem Rezaei (Iran) Bronze: Islam Magomedov (Russia) Bronze: Dimitriy Timchenko (Ukraine)

Russian Wrestling Federation president Mikhail Mamiashvili was denied a U.S. visa just before the start of the World Championships in Las Vegas, according to multiple media reports Monday. Mamiashvili, vice president of United World Wrestling (UWW) who was described by the Radio Free Liberty/Radio Europe website as “a personal friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin”, revealed the situation at Russian federation website late Sunday, Sept. 6, one day before the start of the 2015 World Championships. "The U.S. denied me a visa, they didn't explain their decision," said Mamiashvili, according to the Moscow Times. "I will not fly to Las Vegas, the team is already there. I'm positive the decision has nothing to do with sport." The first vice president of the federation, Georgy Bryusov, claimed the decision to deny a visa to Mamiashvili was politically motivated. "I'm sure the U.S. wrestling federation did everything they could to resolve the visa issue,” Bryusov said in a statement issued by the Russian federation. “But I have to acknowledge that politics has once again prevailed over sport and over common sense."

LAS VEGAS -- Team USA started strong at the 2015 World Wrestling Championships on Monday in Las Vegas, winning its first five matches. However, when the dust settled in the opening session, Andy Bisek was the lone U.S. wrestler to earn a spot in the medal matches on Monday. Andy Bisek (Photo/Larry Slater)Bisek will wrestle for a bronze medal at the World Championships for the second straight year. Last year the Minnesota native claimed a bronze medal, becoming the first American Greco-Roman wrestler to earn a World medal since 2009. "I think we're making progress," said U.S. Greco-Roman coach Matt Lindland. We're moving forward, and we've got Andy in for a medal again." By earning a spot in a medal match, Bisek qualified the United States for the 2016 Olympic Games at 75 kilos in Greco-Roman. He will now wrestle Saeid Abdevali of Iran in the bronze-medal match. "To come through the bracket and make it there is a good affirmation of what I'm doing, but I see myself at the top every day," said Bisek. Bisek opened his tournament on Monday with a 5-2 win over Luis Eduardo Avendano Rojas of Venezuela. He trailed 2-0 after the opening period, but came back strong in the second period, scoring with multiple gut wrenches. Bisek topped India's Singh Gurpreet 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals against multiple-time World medalist Mark Madsen of Denmark. Madsen came out strong against Bisek, scoring with a four-point throw. The call was challenged by the United States coaches and upheld, resulting in another point for Madsen. In the second period Madsen again was able to execute a four-point throw to put the match away and earn a 9-0 technical fall. Madsen would go on to win his semifinal match, which kept Bisek alive in repechage. Bisek then edged 2007 World champion Yavor Yanakiev of Bulgaria 1-0. Bryce Saddors (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Bryce Saddoris picked up two wins to reach the quarterfinals before falling to Germany's Frank Staebler 5-0. When Staebler reached the finals, Saddoris, like Bisek, was placed in repechage for a chance at earning a spot in the bronze-medal match. However, Saddoris' medal hopes were dashed when he fell to Tarek Aziz Benaissa of Algeria 5-4. Saddoris led the match 4-0 before suffering a head injury, and eventually surrendering the lead and dropping the match. Saddoris was sent to the hospital following his match for a CT scan. "Obviously, he wasn't the same wrestler after the head injury as he was going into that," said Lindland. "He put four points on the board. He was just getting things rolling. That guy came over with a big headbutt and then continued to do that. We've got to have the officials that are willing to make the right calls." Caylor Williams, competing in his third World championships, won his opening match at 98 kilos before falling in the round of 16. Williams' victory came by pin over Davi Jose Albino of Brazil. It was Williams' first win ever at a World championships. Williams trailed Albino 5-2 after the opening period, but used a throw to pin Albino. "It's just like anything else in life, you don't quit," Williams said of his comeback victory over Albino. Whatever is going on, if you're getting beat up, held down, whatever … you don't care what the score is. You fight from whistle to whistle. It's just like life. Everything in life is like that." In the round of 16 Williams faced 2011 World champion Elis Guri of Bulgaria, and suffered a heartbreaking 4-4 loss on criteria. Williams appeared to be on his way to victory. He led 1-0 after the opening period, and eventually took a 4-2 lead in the second period. However, late in the match Guri scored two points on a controversial call, which would give him the victory on criteria. Still, despite the close loss, Williams remained positive after his exit from the competition. "I'm just happy to be out here wrestling," said Williams. "I'm fairly positive that when you go grow you grow with big jumps, go from winning just one match at Worlds to winning the whole dang thing, and that's what I plan on doing." Monday's medal matches are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Women may be competing in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2024 Olympics, Nenad Lalović, President of United World Wrestling (UWW), told InsideTheGames.com in an exclusive interview Sunday. The goal is gender equality -- to provide equal opportunities for men and women wrestlers in Olympic and other international events. As of now, men are eligible to wrestle in freestyle and Greco-Roman competition, while women are limited to freestyle. Of 18 wrestling medal events at the 2012 London Olympics, only four were for women. For the 2016 Olympics in Rio, women wrestlers will be competing in a total of six medal events out of 18. By adding women's Greco to the Olympic programme, medal-earning opportunities could be equal for male and female wrestlers. However, because of the long-range planning involved, don't expect to see women's Greco at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, according to Lalovic. The earliest would be for the 2024 Games, which have yet to be assigned a location. (Los Angeles is among the cities in the running for the Summer Olympics nine years from now.) "We have started already to develop Greco-Roman for women," Lalovic told David Owen of InsideTheGames.com. "It started in the United States recently." "We are now looking at what can be done. We have probably to modify a little bit the rules for women. To avoid some positions." "I hope that we will find a solution, it takes time." In taking the helm of the international wrestling organization formerly known as FILA after the sport was eliminated as an Olympic core sport in February 2013, Lalovic has sought to bring fresh thinking and new ideas to make the sport more appealing to fans. In May 2013, Lalovic told a Swedish newspaper , "We propose that wrestlers in Greco-Roman style should be shirtless. We think it will be more interesting and better for the spectators." In January of this year, United World Wrestling announced new mat colors to make the sport more telegenic ... and said they were exploring new uniform options. At that time, Lalovic said, "We are taking the steps to ensure that wrestling is attractive to viewers ... The traditional singlet is not something that is worn around the gym. We want apparel that our wrestlers and fans will feel proud to wear and we are going to make that happen." This summer, Lalovic became the first top official from the international wrestling federation to become an IOC member. When asked why Lalovic was tapped for the position, Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), said, "He is a real leader. He has done a lot in his sport to evolve very fast an old conservative environment to one open to innovation, rule changes and the future." "I don't see my position in the IOC in order to protect wrestling." said Lalovic. "It's not the idea. If I had this idea I would certainly not be invited to the IOC. You need a much wider view in order to serve the Olympic Movement in the way that the Olympic Movement needs it."

Jillian Tsirtsis, sister of Northwestern wrestling champ Jason Tsirtsis and former Iowa All-American Alex Tsirtsis, was killed in a car accident on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive Thursday evening. She was 33. Jillian Tsirtsis pictured with brothers Jason, Michael and AlexJillian A. Tsirtsis of Crown Point, Ind., was a passenger in a vehicle which flipped while traveling north on the limited-access highway along Lake Michigan towards its terminus at Sheridan Road at 7:25 p.m. The Chicago Tribune reported Sunday that said the 2000 Chevrolet Colorado pickup was traveling north at a high rate of speed -- estimated by witnesses to be 80-100 mph in a 40 mph zone -- when it hit a barrier wall and flipped over onto a nearby bike path. The pickup came to rest at a "distance well over 200 feet" from the initial impact, according to a police report. Tsirtsis was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The man driving the vehicle, identified by the Tribune as Christopher Peacock, 33, of Indiana, has been charged with reckless homicide. On Sunday a judge set bail at $350,000. He is still hospitalized with neck and back injuries. The driver's father, Clarence Peacock, told DNAinfo.com that the couple was headed to Ravinia, an outdoor concert facility in Highland Park, to see Lenny Kravitz. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to a Chicago police spokesperson. After the accident, northbound lanes on Lake Shore Drive were closed for several hours. By 11 p.m., lanes were reopened, but police remained on the scene with high-powered lights investigating the crash. Two of Jillian Tsirtsis' younger brothers have Big Ten collegiate mat backgrounds. The youngest, Jason Tsirtsis, just completed his sophomore season at Northwestern. As a Wildcat wrestler, the Crown Point, Ind. native has won back-to-back Big Ten titles at 149 pounds, and is a two-time NCAA All-American, winning the 149 championship at the 2014 NCAAs as a freshman, and placing third in the same weight class at the 2015 NCAAs. He was named InterMat Freshman of the Year for 2014. Brother Alex Tsirtsis wrestled at the University of Iowa from 2004-2009, earning NCAA All-American honors at 141 pounds at the 2006 NCAAs. Jillian Tsirtsis is survived by her parents, Marino and Dawn Tsirtsis; brothers Michael, Alexander and Jason Tsirtsis; grandfathers, George Tsirtsis and Timothy Etter; and niece Mila Tsirtsis. Visitation will be held on Tuesday Sept. 8, 2015 at Kish Funeral Home 10000 Calumet Ave. Munster, Ind. from 2:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m., with a Trisagion service at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday Sept. 9, 2015 at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church 7021 Hohman Ave. Hammond, Ind. with the. Father David Bissias, officiating. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Hammond. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to 826CHI, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

Oklahoma State, arguably the nation's most successful college wrestling program in terms of team and individual titles, is celebrating its 100th season by posting the first of what is expected to be a decade-by-decade look back at the Cowboy wrestling program at its official website Friday. On April 2, 1915, wrestlers first took to the mat at the school that was then called Oklahoma A&M (Agricultural & Mechanical) College. Coached by A.M. Colville (shown in the above photo with that first wrestling team, wearing a bow tie), the five wrestlers had just one dual meet, losing to University of Texas. The following season saw a similar result -- a 0-1 record -- but with a new head wrestling coach, Edward Clark Gallagher, a multi-sport star at Oklahoma State early in the 20th century who returned to his alma mater after serving as a coach and athletic director at Baker College in Kansas for a couple years. Gallagher helped turn things around for the Tigers (the official name for all Oklahoma State teams back then; they didn't become the Cowboys until a decade or so later). In 1917, the wrestlers at the Stillwater college won two dual meets and tied the third. During the 1910s decade, Gallagher led Oklahoma State wrestling to an overall record of 2-2-1. (As with most college sports across the nation, the Oklahoma State mat program was shut down during World War I, as most men on campus went off to fight in Europe or help with the war effort at home.) The 1910s for Oklahoma State wrestling was a preview of future greatness. In his coaching career that spanned roughly from just before World War I to just before America's involvement in World War II, Gallagher compiled an overall record of 138-5-4, for a .952 winning percentage, the highest for any coach at a major college wrestling program. His Cowboys claimed ten outright NCAA team titles, and tied for first on an eleventh. Thirty-seven wrestlers earned individual NCAA titles, while 68 earned NCAA All-American honors. From 1916 through 1940, Gallagher and his teams could claim nineteen undefeated seasons. Long before interstate highways and jet air travel, Gallagher took his Oklahoma State wrestlers throughout the U.S. to take on the nation's top programs of the 1920s and 30s. Armed with an engineering degree from Oklahoma State, Gallagher worked with a human skeleton to create hundreds of wrestling holds, then shared that knowledge in two illustrated instructional books. Despite not having wrestled in high school or college, Gallagher became one of the all-time great college mat coaches, so named (along with Iowa's Dan Gable and Iowa State's Harold Nichols) in a 2005 online fan poll to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the NCAA Wrestling Championships. When he died in August 1940 of pneumonia just shy of his 53rd birthday, Edward Clark Gallagher was eulogized as "The Father of Intercollegiate Wrestling" and "The Knute Rockne of the Mats." His funeral in the then-new Gallagher Hall drew thousands of fans and former wrestlers. (That structure, substantially expanded and upgraded in 2000 and now called Gallagher-Iba Arena, celebrated its 75th birthday in 2014.) Wrestling fans can only hope that the article "A Century of Cowboy Wrestling: 1910s" is just the first of a series of entertaining and enlightening features on the long, successful legacy that is Oklahoma State wrestling. Sadly, a number of college wrestling programs have seen their 100th anniversaries pass by without so much as a mention, let alone any sort of commemoration. To learn more about Ed Gallagher and the Oklahoma State wrestling program from 1916-1940, check out this InterMat Rewind historical feature on the legendary Cowboy coach.

Without question a top ten international program the United States women's national team has the opportunity to score two gold medals at this year's World Championships. In addition, if the brackets draw out correctly the home squad might line up another few wrestlers for opportunities at bronze-medal finishes. Women's wrestling has improved dramatically over the past few years and many of those gains (against Japan) have come in Asia with Mongolia and China finding recent success. Team China seems most poised for a talent leap with a full squad showing to Las Vegas, including a pair of former World champions. With the 2016 Olympics on the national radar it figures to be a golden year for China. Also challenging the USA women will be a much-improved Russian team. Though they lack the success of their male counterparts, recent wins at the European Games and a runner-up finish at the Women's World Cup show that the European nation is poised to make a leap. How the American women fare against a much-improved international community will depend on technique, preparation and at least a smidgen of luck. 48 kilos: Alyssa Lampe Gold: 5 percent Medal: 30 percent Ranked No. 13 in the world, Alyssa Lampe is one of America's most consistent international performers. However, as she did last year, Lampe will face a withering field of former champions: Eri Tosaka (Japan) and Yanan Sun (China), as well an absolutely terrifying Mariya Stadnyk of Azerbaijan who just dominated opponents to win the European Games Lampe is a two-time World bronze medalist, which means she can win on the biggest stage, but the concentration of talent on the top means she will need a great draw and the perfect matchups to make it to the repechage and wrestle for bronze. Top wrestlers: Eri Tosaka (Japan), Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan), Yanan Sun (China), 53 kilos: Whitney Conder Gold: 0 percent Medal: 10 percent Don't blame Whitney Condor. She's a tough competitor and as a 2007 Junior World champion she has the pedigree and proven success to make an impact. But 53 kilos is a stacked weight with best-ever Saori Yoshida sitting on top followed by 2009 World champion Sofia Mattsson and several-time World medalist Zhong Xuechun (China). Condor will need home support and just the right combination of draw and opponents to get herself into a position to medal. Top wrestlers: Saori Yoshida (Japan), Sofia Mattsson (Sweden), Zhong Xuechun (China) 55 kilos: Helen Maroulis Gold: 70 percent Medal: 95 percent Helen Maroulis gets her hand raised after winning in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The top-ranked wrestler in the world, Helen Maroulis is possibly America's best chance at a gold medal in women's wrestling. Poised, well-positioned during attacks and a monster on the mat, Maroulis is the top contender. The biggest threat will come from Anri Kimura (Japan) who destroyed opponents at the Asian Championships in Doha and will come well-prepared as part of a Japanese lineup with team gold on the brain. Also threatening Maroulis at the non-Olympic weight is Irina Olganova who took top billing at Yarygin and was runner-up last year at the World Championships. Top wrestlers: Anri Kimura (Japan) Natalya Sinishin (Azerbaijan), Irina Ologonova (Russia) 58 kilos: Alli Ragan Gold: 0 percent Medal: 30 percent A star on the rise for the Stars and Stripes, Alli Ragan may not have accumulated a ton of accolades, but will have a surprisingly good chance to medal at 58 kilos. Though Kaori Icho stands between Ragan and gold, it's believable that she could challenge much of the Icho-weakened field. Marianna Sastin, who won the World Championships in 2013, will also look to make the finals and is a tough matchup for the much shorter Ragan Ragan will need to keep an eye out for European Games bronze medalist Grace Bullen (Norway) who could surprise fans with her division best power and athleticism. The biggest question mark will be who China decides to enter at the weight. If Ragan pressures her opponents and can show great conditioning she's got a real chance at bronze, and maybe silver. Top wrestlers: Kaori Icho (Japan), Grace Bullen (Norway), Petra Olli (Finland), Marianna Sastin (Hungary) 60 kilos: Leigh Janes-Provisor Gold: 0 percent Medal: 20 percent Though a non-Olympic weight class, 60 kilos has attracted some of the most dynamic wrestlers in the world, including USA grappler Leigh Janes-Provisor. A veteran of the national team, Janes-Provisor may need her experience to battle back against a bunch of talented international youngsters. Prime among that talent is Sukhee Tserenchimed of Mongolia who steamrolled her way to a world championship last year in Tashkent. However, it'll be Oksana Herhel (UKR), who beat Sukhee and Russia's Svetlana Lipatova at the Women's World Cup, who might be the favorite at the weight. Look for Janes-Provisor to wrestle well and win a few matches against top 20 wrestlers, but struggle more agains the top five. Still, the right position in the bracket Top wrestlers: Svetlana Lipatova (Russia), Oksana Herhel (Ukraine), Sukhee Tserenchimed (Mongolia) 63 kilos: Erin Clogdo Gold: 0 percent Medal: 10 percent Erin Clogdo steps into a weight class that has seen plenty of shuffling at the top of the rankings. Still, that shuffle has more to do with an active season than a true lack of consistency. Clogdo will need a lot to overcome Risako Kawai (Japan) and former top-ranked competitors and World champions like Valeria Lazinskaya (Russia) and Yulia Tkatch (UKR) respectively. Top wrestlers: Risako Kawai (Japan), Yaleria Lazinskaya (Russia), Yulia Tkach (Ukraine), Maria Mamashuk (Belarus), Anastasija Grigorjeva (Latvia), Xiluo Zhuoma (China), Soronzonbold Battsetseg (Mongolia) 69 kilos: Elena Pirozhkova Gold: 10 percent Medal: 25 percent Pirozhkova is wrestling up a weight class after a silver-medal performance at 63 kilos in Tashkent. She's had a checkered year at 69 kilos taking several defeats at the Grand Prix of Spain, Mongolian Open and the World Cup. Further complicating her path to a medal Pirizhkova is facing arguably the deepest and most unpredictable weight class in the tournament. In addition to 2012 Olympic champion Natalia Vorobieva, Pirizhkova could face China's glamour girl Zhou Feng who is on a tear since winning the 2014 Asian Games and 2015 Asian Championships. Pirozhkova would also need to best defending world title holder Aline Focken of Germany, a tough and strong competitor. Top wrestlers: Natalia Yorobieva (Russia), Zhou Feng (chn), Alina Makhinya (Ukraine), Ochirbat Nasanburmaa (Mongolia), Aline Focken (Germany) 75 kilos: Adeline Gray Gold: 70 percent Medal: 90 percent Riding high after an undefeated 18 months of competition, Adeline Gray seems poised for World and Olympic gold. She's a solid bet, but standing in her way is Team China and Zhang Fengliu, the 2013 World champion and throw-happy pinning specialist, represents this year. The most consistent of China's 75-kilo stable of wrestlers, Zhang easily dismisses Asian bronze medalist Zhou Qian, the wrestler who had almost earned the technical fall over Gray in last year's opening bout. If indeed Zhou shows up to wrestle, her four-point double leg remains a lot to defend. Gray has a good a chance as any top-ranked wrestler, but she'll need to limit her mistakes and fight off a slew of strong and talented women from Europe and Asia. Top wrestlers: Ekaterina Bukina (Russia), Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus), Justina Distacio (Canada), Hiroe Suzuki (Japan), Zhang Fengliu (China)

Israel Saavedra, a Calfiornia state champion in 2013 and 2014, verbally committed to Old Dominion early on Saturday afternoon. Despite placing third in the state tournament as a junior, Saavedra enters his senior season as the No. 21 ranked overall wrestler in the Class of 2016. Right after his junior high school season, Saavedra won the 132 pound weight class at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in Virginia Beach. He projects as a 133/141 at Old Dominion, where he will join older brother Emilio on the Monarchs roster.

Dean Sensenbaugh, who created the intercollegiate wrestling program at California's Modesto Junior College and served as its head coach for nearly thirty years, died last week at his home in Brookings, Ore., the Modesto Bee newspaper reported Wednesday. He had suffered a stroke on Aug. 21, his 91st birthday. Dean SensenbaughThe Bee labeled Sensenbaugh "arguably California's all-time leading community college wrestling coach." Sensenbaugh established the MJC program after being approached by students in 1956, and remained at the helm until 1985. In 29 seasons, his teams compiled an overall record of 374-78-2, for a winning percentage of .824, the best in the state of California. Perhaps just as amazing: Sensenbaugh never wrestled, an aspect of his career that he shared with some all-time great college wrestling coaches such as Ed Gallagher, Oklahoma State coach roughly from World War I to World II ... but a much more rare feat in the past 50 years. This is not to say that Dean Kenneth Sensenbaugh was not an athlete. Born in Empire, Calif. in August 1924, Sensenbaugh played football, baseball and basketball at Modesto High School. At Modesto Junior College, he excelled as an all-state quarterback in 1943 and 1944, leading the 5-1 Pirates to the 1943 state title. In addition, Sensenbaugh was the point guard for the basketball team that won the MJC Tournament. Sensenbaugh interrupted his educational and sports career to serve in the Army in 1945 and 1946, then enrolled at San Jose State, where he was a reserve quarterback in 1949 and 1950. After earning his bachelor's degree at SJSU, Sensenbaugh entered Stanford University, where he acquired his Master's, then launched his long coaching career, first at Modesto High, where he coached football, basketball and track. He then moved on to MJC in 1956, where he was asked by a group of young wrestlers to start its team. With that move, MJC became only the third Northern California community college to offer wrestling 60 years ago. During Sensenbaugh's tenure at Modesto Junior College, the Pirate mat squad won six regional titles and placed second in the state in 1959-60. Six of his teams went undefeated and, during one run in the early 1970s, won 97 out of 100 dual matches. A dozen of his MJC wrestlers earned California state community college titles. Despite never having wrestled, Sensenbaugh earned a place in a number of halls of fame, including the Modesto Junior College Hall, the California Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the California chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "He was extremely supportive of the wrestlers and took care of them in so many ways," said Lee Ehrler, a Modesto Junior College state champion under Sensenbaugh who later served as Pirates coach from 1986 to 2004 and from 2008 to 2010. "He made sure you had every opportunity to succeed."

WICHITA -- Newman University student-athlete Reece Wright-Conklin, wrestler for the NU wrestling program, passed away Thursday morning. Reece Wright-ConklinEarly Thursday, Sept. 3, Newman University senior Reece Wright-Conklin died in a motorcycle accident. The 21-year-old member of the Newman Wrestling Team was on his way to a part-time job at PetSmart when the accident occurred. "It's a difficult day for our Newman community. It's hard to understand God's will in events like this. I'm so sorry, especially for Reece's family and for our tight-knit athletic community that has lost a good friend," Newman President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D., said. The university has made counselors available for students and faculty. In a meeting this morning with wrestling coaches, teammates and athletics staff, Director of Athletics and Vice President for Student Affairs Vic Trilli encouraged those in attendance to talk with one another and seek help. "We are here to help in any we can and we do whatever we need to do to help you," Trilli said. A prayer service will be held this afternoon at 4 p.m. in St. John's Chapel, inside Sacred Heart Hall on the Newman campus, for all students, teammates, faculty and staff. Wright-Conklin will also be honored prior to the start of tonight's season opening game for the Newman Women's Soccer Team. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Wilkins Field on campus. Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.

The Fight Network presents Takedown Wrestling Radio LIVE from the iHeart Studios in Des Moines, Iowa. Powered by Kemin Industries, Takedown takes the pulse of America's sport. This week's cast of Takedown Radio includes Scott Casber, Tony Hager, Stephen Stonebraker, Jeff Murphy, Tim Harms and Brad Johnson. Join us this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CT) live on theiHeart Radio App, KXNO.com or TakedownWrestle.com. For contests and conversation use 866-333-5966 or 515-284-5966. Every listener has a chance to win a pair of Nike Wrestling shoes and a Defense Soap travel kit. 9:00 a.m. Brian Smith, head wrestling coach at Missouri 9:15 a.m. Jack Wagner, two-time Iowa state champion 9:35 a.m. Eric Olanowski, Big Ten & ESPN analyst 10:00 a.m. Alex Marinelli, three-time Ohio state champion 10:20 a.m. Carter Happel, three-time Iowa state champion 10:35 a.m. Louie Hayes, Fargo double champion Enter our Takedown Sportswear Super Sunday Singlet giveaway for a chance to win a singlet every Sunday of the year by following us on Facebook and on Twitter. Special thanks to our friends at Adidas, Cadillac, Dollamur, All American Wrestling Supply, Defense Soap, 04 Water, Nike, Legends of Gold National Training Center, St. Louis Sports Commission, Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Sunflower Wrestling, Fast Signs, McCarger Works, Fenemore Brothers Tree Service, Rockstar Satellite DirecTV, DanMarWarrior.com and Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Louie's Wine Dive, TheWrestlingSite.com, IAWrestle.com, Roller Productions, and Kaldenberg Landscaping.

POMPTON LAKES, N.J. -- FlipsWrestling LLC ("Flips") today announced that Compound Clothing LLC ("Compound") has purchased a strategic interest in Flips that, effectively, combines the two (2) well-known "wrestling companies" as one. The new company will continue to operate as "FlipsWrestling" in the retail market, and "Compound" / "CMP Team Wear" in the team wear market. Flips also announced the extension and resigning of its multi-year sponsorship agreement of David "the Magic Man" Taylor, who will now be a primary spokesperson for the new, combined company. "Exciting day for me, as a business owner, wrestler, and fan of the greatest sport in the world," said Compound's Cliff Fretwell. "We have informally worked together, on and off, for the last two (2) years, and I think Don Beshada and I always knew that this day would come. Both of us share an incredible passion for not just the sport of wrestling, but for investing in and trying to help grow the sport," continued Fretwell. "Candidly, I think this acquisition does a lot for all of that. We have some really cool things planned for the 2015-2016 season, on both the retail and team wear side of the business, and I'm excited to be a part of growing what we think is going to be the first true 'Wrestling Lifestyle' company." Beshada commented: "To say I'm excited is an understatement! Cliff, Stephanie (Fretwell, Cliff's partner in Compound) and I started discussing this possibility in the late spring, and we were quickly able to come to terms on a deal. Honestly, it was an easy decision for me -- Compound's designs are second to none; its ingenuity is second to none; and, its production capability, especially on the sublimation side, is second to none. In a word, a perfect fit for the social media platforms and partnerships that Flips has built over the last couple of years. On top of that, Compound, like Flips, is a wrestling company, first and foremost. So, this deal is a no brainer from my standpoint. And, with our combined resources, I have no doubt that our wrestling lifestyle brands will be a staple in this community for a long, long time." Said Taylor: "I am so proud that Cliff, Stephanie and Don asked me to be one of the faces of this new company, and to take an increased role in creating and developing product for the wrestling community," said Taylor. "I like being affiliated with true wrestling people, and these guys are just that -- people who work hard and, outside of the office, exercise, train and compete hard. In a word, they live the lifestyle that wrestlers live and, beyond that, are all stand-up people who truly care about the sport of wrestling and its athletes -- from the youngest kid in the room to the biggest of superstars. Together, I know that we're going to create things that I will be proud to represent, and that will truly become a part of a wrestling lifestyle company that does not currently exist anywhere in the sport." More to come in the following weeks, including special content from the Flips/Compound Beach Games, featuring Taylor, Tony Ramos, Kyle Dake, Jake Herbert, and others. Stayed tuned to FlipsWrestling.com, cmpteamwear.com, and the Flips and Compound social media outlets for more information about the Beach Games and other things going on with this new company. Wrestling: It's More Than A Sport; It's a Lifestyle. About FlipsWrestling FlipsWrestling is a lifestyle brand company that markets and distributes innovative headphones/ speakers and limited apparel to wrestlers - the toughest competitors on the planet! FlipsWrestling headphones are the official audio headphone of USA Wrestling. Learn more about FlipsWrestling, its support of THE community, and the FlipsWrestling athletes at www.flipswrestling.com. FlipsWrestling is on Twitter and Instagram at @flipswrestling. #BeHeard. About Compound Clothing Compound Clothing is a leading supplier of team wear and wrestling-related apparel to the best sport in the world! It is widely know as the #1 designer of wrestling related apparel, and its CEO, Cliff Fretwell, runs one of the largest and most successful private wrestling clubs in the country. Learn more about Compound, its unique designs and team wear offerings at www.cmpteamwear.com, www.cmpclothing.com. Compound is on Twitter @cmpclothing and on Instagram @cmpteamwear. #EmpiresNotKingdoms.

The World Championships are only THREE days away. Whether you've watched every match this season, tuned in on occasion, or are a total newbie the nation-based rivalry of this worldwide competition should be enough to keep you up late each night watching the finals. Though ESPN3 is carrying the coverage you can watch every match live and in high-definition at the United World Wrestling event page. That page will also automatically archive all the videos from the day and connect them to the results. So if you have a job that doesn't allow you to watch the day session (1 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET) you can come home, click on the matches you missed and catch up on your favorite athletes. The event page will have live stream and match-by-match results with video, but also include photographs, highlight films, wrap-ups and other pieces of information. It's really a one-stop shop for everything you need in order to consumer the World Championships. It's also being presented to fans free of cost. So go out there and make your picks, share them with your friends and talk about the best tournament of the year online using #VegasWorlds2015. To your questions … Q: What are the top 10 non-American storylines going into Worlds? -- @RobbyHitch Foley: See below. 1. Abdulrashid Sadulaev going for his second straight World title, extending his winning streak and in general being a dominant human being. 2. Will the Japanese women be able to win another World title? Or will the Chinese/Mongolian/Russians be able to make a dent in their domination. 3. Russian heavyweight Bilyal Makhov competing in both Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling. 4. NCAA transplants competing for Puerto Rico, Slovakia, and Ireland. 5. Mijian Lopez of Cuba making headlines as a massive human being looking to throw other human beings around. 6. Russian men's freestyle team. Are they able to do better than their five gold medals from last year? Will Aniuar Geduev be able to best Jordan Burroughs? 7. India. They've been up and down the past three years and are in the first years of moving past the Sushil Kumar era. Are they able to keep up the medal count? 8. Azerbaijan's Olympic champs competing at new weights with Sharif Sharifov and Togrul Asgarov looking to make an impact. 9. What will the social media traffic be like for the championships. Would be interested to see if there is trending. 10. Georgia. They are on the move again. Excellent Juniors performance might indicate a similar outcome at seniors. Remember they won both styles in 2003. Q: I noticed you talked about/were emailed how Jordan Burroughs is blocking good wrestlers at his weight class in the U.S. Made me think that Bruce Baumgartner might not be given enough credit for what he did. Burroughs has been blocking people for what, three or four years? Bruce did it for four Olympic cycles. That is insane to think that no heavyweight in the U.S. could win Olympic gold unless they waited twenty years. -- Tim J. Bruce BaumgartnerFoley: Bruce Baumgartner absolutely shut the door on the USA heavyweight weight class for almost twenty years. There has never been a more dominant wrestler in the USA system, but there is a difference in the domination of Baumgartner and Burroughs (outside of aggregate time on top). As you noted, Bruce was a heavyweight and because of that there weren't many wrestlers competing for that position. Burroughs' domination has coincided with weight class changes at the international level and the decrease of one Olympic spot. That pressure, in addition to being at the most popular weight range among American competitors, has made the consequences of his domination more visible. Also, and this is important, the fact that TWO of the most popular and marketed wrestlers in the sport happened to land at the same weight class has driven a lot of attention. Add in social media and you have a recipe for people showing something like frustration about Burroughs closing the door on the weight. Baumgartner was certainly tested by his peers, but I think that nobody would argue he had the same level of talent concentration and attention. So in the end it's half-perception and half-reality. Q: What do you make of Jordan Burroughs picking high school wrestler Mark Hall as his training partner for the World Championships? Is this a ploy to help recruit Hall to Nebraska? -- Mike C. Foley: Mark Hall has a kinda-sorta stance and style that resembles Aniuar Geduev, which could be helping Burroughs prepare. He's another body for James Green, too. Finally I think he tests Burroughs' speed, which is something the champ would like to keep sharp. Burroughs doesn't strike me as the type of guy to use his Olympic qualifying year to help him land a recruit. Doesn't compute. Q: Are the Sudanese Olympic wrestlers just hype? Do you anything about these guys? Could they really be legit 2020 freestyle competitors? -- B. Foley: Not sure about hype, but this is the growth of the sport on the continent and we should really be thankful that the Japanese are trying as hard as they have to make this happen. Real success won't be if one of the Sudanese wrestlers qualifies for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, just that they will still be wrestling in 2020 and how far along the youth programs have developed. The style of wrestling seen here is similar to many styles across Africa, including the Nuba and other ethnicities that use the exact same style in South Sudan. The takedown-only rules are simple, but that doesn't mean the sport is easy or that the competitors lack technique. I'm sure that we will see a lot of growth from Africa in the coming years, whether it's in an Olympic style, or possibly a takedown-only style like beach wrestling. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME World Championship Preview Link: Sudanese wrestling piece via CNN Q: Kristie (Marano) Davis' daughter Kayla won a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships. Kristie is obviously a legend in women's wrestling with nine World medals, with two of those being gold. Is it reasonable to think Kayla could be on the U.S. Olympic women's freestyle team as early as 2020? -- Mike C. Foley: Absolutely. She looked great at the Cadet World Championships and is being coached by someone who has been at that level before. While lineage isn't always a predictor of success, it can be helpful to have golden bloodlines. Kayla is still young. Lets see how she develops and grows. Her weight class will be as much a factor for her ability to wrestle in Tokyo as her technique. Q: What you think about a 30-second tiebreaker shot clock OT? Wrestler on shot clock determined by criteria? -- @RobbyHitch Foley: Among the overtime rules, that's not a terrible idea. Still, that's really just adding 30 seconds for the more aggressive wrestler to play defense. I think the end of the matches would end up being similar to that slow nothingness that tends to preempt overtime at the NCAA level. Q: How much talking between top high school recruits happens to determine who's going where and how much does that play into their decision? -- @NathanJohn_319 Foley: "Talking" is really just reputation and (of course) high school recruits talk about the college recruitment process, including what they've heard from their friends at certain schools and their own visits to campus. The rumor mill is powerful and the wrestling rumor mill is one of the healthiest in sports. Parents, coaches, athletes and alumnus all converge to create a reputation for a college coach and the perceptions of the recruited athlete. Q: Will Vegas have betting odds for the World Championships? If so, where? -- @ShogunOfSonoma Foley: CORRECTION: Yes, they should be posted online around noon on Saturday. Good luck to anyone who chooses to gamble. I'm sitting this one out! Q: Say there was a wrestler who has never won any major tournaments. In fact, hasn't even competed since the state tournament in 2013. Is there any way within the next year that said wrestler could wrestle his way into a spot at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials? -- Jesus R. Foley: The U.S. Open will be held in December with top placewinners earning the right to compete at the Olympic Team Trials in April. The Open is the main point of entry for any wrestlers looking to make a run at the Olympic team. Wrestlers can also qualify by being the top American placewinner at the Bill Farrell and Dave Schultz, the winner of the NCAA tournament, winner of the Pan American Championships, or the person who qualifies the weight class. If I were you I'd start training for the Open! Q: Will Mike Zadick cut his beard now that he's a Division I assistant coach at Virginia Tech? -- Mike C. Foley: He better not!

Kyle Lawson (Photo/Rob Preston)Two-time state champion Kyle Lawson (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin on Thursday evening. The Class of 2017 prospect won those state titles at St. Paris Graham prior to moving to Olentangy Liberty for his junior season. He projects to be a 165-pound wrestler in college. Lawson placed sixth in the Super 32 Challenge at 138 pounds in the fall of 2013. He is a two-time placer at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, placing sixth at 138 as a freshman and seventh at 152 in his sophomore season.

Two former college wrestlers with impressive mat credentials -- Darrion Caldwell, and Shawn Bunch -- will face each other in a preliminary event at Bellator 143 later this month, according to multiple media reports, and the Bellator website. Ex-wrestlers Darrion Caldwell and Shawn Bunch will battle at Bellator 143 (Photos/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Bellator announced the addition of the Caldwell vs. Bunch bantamweight bout to its Sept. 25 card to be held at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, along with a preliminary heavyweight match between Chase Gormley and Dan Charles. Bellator 143's top-of-the-card event will feature another bantamweight match-up with Joe Warren, a former University of Michigan All-American, taking on L.C. Davis. Caldwell is arguably one of the most accomplished wrestlers to come from North Carolina State. The native of Rahway, N.J. completed his collegiate career with a 109-13 overall record, for a winning percentage of .893, second in school history to Sylvester Terkay, 1993 NCAA heavyweight champ who later entered professional wrestling and MMA. While wrestling for the Wolfpack, Caldwell was a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champ and a two-time NCAA All-American. He won the 149-pound title at the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, upsetting top-seeded defending champ Brent Metcalf of the University of Iowa, 11-6. Bunch wrestled at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, where he compiled an impressive overall record of 132-24. He was a four-time Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) champ, a four-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships qualifier, and two-time NCAA All-American, placing second at the 2005 NCAAs, and third in 2006. In June 2012, Bunch just missed out on making the U.S. men's freestyle team to compete at the 2012 London Olympics at 60 kilos/132 pounds. Both Caldwell and Bunch are coming off wins from the same MMA event, Bellator 137, in mid-May. The former NCSU Wolfpack wrestler now known as "The Wolf" earned a unanimous decision over Rafael Silva ... while "Bunch the Great" scored a decisive victory on points vs. Rolando Perez. The two former collegians made their pro MMA debuts in fall 2012. The 27-year-old Caldwell sports a perfect 7-0 record since his first match in Sept. 2012 at Legacy Fighting Championships 14. Bunch, 32, who launched his career at Bellator 82 in Nov. 2012, is now 4-1 overall. He joins a number of former Edinboro wrestlers who have entered MMA, including Josh Koscheck and Chris Honeycutt.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Tim Fader, a four-time WIAC Coach of the Year, will take the helm as head coach of the University Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team, announced by athletic director Dan Schumacher today. Tim Fader led UW-Whitewater to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division III Championships in 2014Fader was most recently the assistant wresting coach at Wheaton College, but he is no stranger to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Fader spent 10 years as the head coach at UW-Whitewater from 2004-14 and was the head coach for six years at UW-La Crosse (1998-2004). "We are excited to add Coach Fader to our staff," said Schumacher. "He has established himself as one of the top coaches in the country and we are fortunate to bring someone like him to campus. I look forward to working with Coach Fader to build a championship wrestling program." In his time in the WIAC, Fader was named WIAC Coach of the Year four times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2014) and National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Coach of the Year twice (2001, 2012). "Tim Fader represents the gold standard of excellence in coaching," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "He has demonstrated a history of an education-based philosophy and his number one priority is helping his student-athletes reach their potential on and off the mat." The 2014 Division III Coach of the Year has coached 42 All-Americans and 49 Scholastic All-Americans. Fader led the UW-La Crosse to six Top 10 finishes including a National Dual Meet Championship in 2000. With UW-Whitewater, he tallied four top 12 finishes including a third place finish in 2013 and runner-up in 2014. "Fader is very thorough and leaves no stone unturned," said former assistant coach and 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist Ben Peterson. "He wants a winning team and will build young men; from recruiting to fundraising to training, he will make UW-Eau Claire wrestling known. I don't know anyone that works harder than Tim Fader." Fader wrestled collegiately at Augustana College (Ill.), where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Finance-Business Administration. He earned his master's degree in Sports Administration from UW-La Crosse in 1997. At Augustana, Fader was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American and was twice named Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). "I am really impressed with UW-Eau Claire," said Fader. "The supportive community, beautiful campus and just the energy you feel from this inviting, vibrant area is amazing. I've spoken with alums and past and present coaches and they all loved their experience which makes me excited to be a Blugold. "I want to thank Dan Schumacher and Chancellor James Schmidt for this opportunity. Dan has a sincere excitement for this department and university and I'm excited to be a part of his vision." Fader will begin his coaching duties September 15 as he will be working with USA Wrestling at the Wrestling World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada beginning September 5.

LAS VEGAS -- As part of a growing initiative to provide wrestling fans around the world unlimited access to the sport, United World Wrestling will deliver a high-definition live stream of every match from the 2015 Wrestling World Championships in Las Vegas. In addition to carrying all four mats live, United World Wrestling's event page will automatically update results and provide same-day archiving of matches. The instant-archiving system is user-friendly and allows fans to catch up on the day's action with just a few clicks of the mouse. "After our wrestlers, we know that the fans are the most important part of our organization," said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic. "Millions of people around the world want to watch wrestling and we are going to provide them access from our website." In addition to live stream, archived videos and up-to-minute results, the world championship event page will also include team scores, highlight films, interviews, photography, news wraps and feature stories. To access the event page and the live stream please visit http://uww.io/Xe7WU. Be sure to follow all the action from the 2015 Wrestling World Championships using #VegasWorlds2015 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Coker College head wrestling coach Cy Wainwright will be inducted into the Newberry College Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 19, the Newberry College Letterman's Club announced Wednesday. He is one of six former Newberry student-athletes that will be inducted into the athletic hall of fame. "This is truly an honor and a blessing," said Wainwright. "I just want to thank everyone that has helped me get to this point. I could not have done it without all the great support and encouragement I received from so many great people at Newberry." Wainwright is the only undefeated national champion in Newberry history, and his dominant run in his three years in a scarlet and gray singlet will be tough to approach. The Green Cove Spring, Fla., native went an impressive 36-0 in the 2008-09 season with 14 pins, winning the heavyweight national championship. The three-time national qualifier also earned All-American honors in 2008 with a third place finish. At the time of his graduation in 2009, Wainwright was the school's all-time wins leader with 128 victories, all-time falls leader with 33 and all-time major decisions leader with 17. Following his graduation from Newberry, Wainwright entered the collegiate coaching ranks. He earned his master's degree at St. Cloud State and was named the first head coach at Benedictine (Kan.). Wainwright became Coker's first head coach in 2013, where he has led the Cobras to a 24-12 dual meet record in the program's first two years. The Cobras have also had two NCAA Division II National Qualifiers, two NCAA Division All-Academic Team selections and received a Top 5 Super Regional ranking under his leadership. For his efforts both on and off the mat, Wainwright was named Coker's Coach of the Year for 2014-15.

The 2015 Greco-Roman national team will be the first of the Americans to take the mats in Las Vegas. With a smattering of veterans and new talent the team lacks the consistency that was seen in the 2007 squad the won the World Championships. Still, the team does have some stars that could use the home mat advantage as their catapult into the international spotlight, and with any luck also find themselves on the medal stand. The World Championships are the first opportunity for nations to qualify their wrestlers for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Wrestlers who place in the top six will qualify their weight class and country for the Games. That's a big deal, so when evaluating the performance of Team USA remember that a trip to the medal round means that the Stars and Stripes will appear in the Olympics. Here is a look at how likely Team USA is to place at the 2015 Wrestling World Championships. 59 kilos: Spenser Mango Gold: 5 percent Medal: 15 percent The most athletic weight class in the tournament, 59 kilos in Greco-Roman is, on most occasions, a highlight-worthy weight class. While Mango has been a one-man reel in the United States he's struggled to find similar success at the international stage, failing to place for eight straight years at the World Championships and Olympic Games. Still, Mango has had a productive 2015 competing in several international tournaments including a runner-up finish at the Grand Prix tournament in Szombathely. He's ranked No. 13 in the world, but to place he'd need to either find revenge against past opponents, or outmaneuver some of the world's best. Top wrestlers: Hamid Soryan (Iran), Stepan Maryanyan (Russia), Shinobu Ota (Japan), Ivo Angelov (Bulgaria), Won Choi Yun (North Korea), Elman Mukhtarov (Azerbaijan) and Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan) 66 kilos: Bryce Saddoris Gold: 5 percent Medal: 5 percent Stepping into his second World team, Bryce Saddoris is hoping to keep up his recent improvements on the mat and find a World medal. While that is unlikely, there is reason to be optimistic about Saddoris' chance to qualify his weight class for the Olympic Games. The Naval Academy graduate will need to make the medal finals, which his hard-nosed, position-first style could help him achieve. While Saddoris is a few seasons away from making a run at the gold medal, his runner-up performance at the World Military Championships and again at the Pan American Games signal that he's continuing to improve. Top wrestlers: Davor Stefanek (Serbia), Adam Kurak (Russia), Hasan Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Ryu Han-Soo (Korea), Tamas Lorincz (Hungary) 71 kilos: Justin Lester Gold: 10 percent Medal: 40 percent One of America's most-decorated Greco-Roman competitors, the 2015 World Championships will be Lester's seventh appearance at the World's in addition to an appearance at the 2012 Olympic Games. There is plenty for Lester to be proud of in his career. He placed back-to-back years at the World Championships, earning bronze in 2006 and 2007, but he's yet to make it to the finals. In his last Olympic cycle, he's sure to leave it all on the mat. Lester had a good showing in 2014 against eventual World bronze medalist Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), dropping a 9-7 match, Chunayev has since catapulted to No.1 in the world and should Lester be able to duck the Azeri's headlocks in 2015 his chances of victory are vastly improved. Lester has experience at the World Championships and buoyed by the home crowd anything is possible, though it's still a long way from 2007 bronze to 2015 gold. Top wrestlers: Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan), Afshin Byabangard (Iran), Balint Korpasi (Hungary), Yunus Ozel (Turkey) 75 kilos: Andy Bisek Gold: 5 percent Medal: 30 percent Andy Bisek with the American flag after winning a bronze at the 2014 Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)America's sole returning medalist, Andy Bisek took bronze last year in Tashkent, but will have a much tougher time repeating that performance in 2015. The international talent that was camped out at 70 kilos and 80 kilos has met at 75 kilos, creating a mega-weight with some of the most talented wrestlers in the style competing for an Olympic berth. Part of that flight is Peter Bacsi (Hungary), who won gold late year at 80 kilos, but has looked to move down to 75 kilos to help his country earn an Olympic qualifying spot for Rio. Bisek has has some success this season, earning a Pan-American gold, but faltered in Szombathely, losing first round and failing to place. He's tough on his feet and is constantly pushing the pace, and he's very strong in par terre. But without some major help in the bracket Bisek could have trouble finding the medal stand in 2015. Top wrestlers: Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea, Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia), Roman Vlasov (Russia), Elvin Mursaliyev (Azerbaijan), Viktor Nemes (Serbia), Chingiz Labazanov (Russia) 80 kilos Patrick Martinez Gold: 5 percent Medal: 5 percent Martinez has been on the move this season competing in several international events. His best finish is the a runner-up at the Bill Farrell Invitational and a fifth-place finish at the Grand Prix of Spain. Young and hungry, Martinez may develop into a top competitor in years to come, but facing a field that includes World champions and placewinners, Martinez will have a tough time making it to the medal matches in Las Vegas. Top wrestlers: Evgeni Saleev (Russia), Rafik Huseynov (Azerbaijan), Daniel Aleksandrov (Bulgaria), Viktor Sasunovski (Belarus), Selcuk Cebi (Turkey) 85 kilos: Jordan Holm Gold: 10 percent Medal: 60 percent Ranked No. 13 in the world at a weight class without a dominant figure, Jordan Holm is America's best chance at a medal in 2015. He's agile, strong and confident at a weight that last year went to a wrestler with fewer than ten total offensive points. Holm has had a stellar season at the international level, winning the Dave Schultz and the Hungarian Grand Prix in Szombathely -- a very big feather in his cap. To get to the medal round Holm will need to limit the mistakes that cost him a run in 2014. But with a successful season in the books, he does seem ready to show the world he's prepared to be a contender in Rio. Top wrestlers: Zhan Belenyuk (Ukraine), David Chakvetadze (Russia), Zhan Belenyuk (Ukraine), Habibollah Akhlaghi (Iran), Melonin Noumonvi (France), Viktor Lorincz (Hungary) 98 kilos: Caylor Williams Gold: 5 percent Medal: 5 percent Much like Patrick Martinez, Caylor Williams is a young and talented wrestler who is still a few years from being developed enough to compete for a medal at the international level. Williams earned a silver medal at the Dave Schultz, but has otherwise not placed at the international level. Williams is competing against a strong unit of wrestlers at 98 kilos, many of whom have only wrestled Greco-Roman. Williams will need to play catch-up and thought it's not outside the realm of possibility that he scares up a win in Las Vegas, it remains unlikely that he can sting enough together to get himself into the medal rounds. Top wrestlers: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia), Islam Magomedov (Russia), Ghasem Rezaei (Iran), Cenk Ildem (Turkey) 130 kilos: Robby Smith Gold: 10 percent Medal: 50 percent With a wonderful front head lock and a frame built to sustain a beating, Robby Smith is positioning himself for a successful run at the 2015 World Championships. Smith has competed three times in 2015 with a gold-medal performance at the Pan American Championships and a bronze at the Pan American Games highlighting his year on the mat. While the weight class is loaded with legends like Mijian Lopez and Riza Kayaalp, Smith might have room to maneuver himself into the medal rounds and scare up a bronze. Top wrestlers: Riza Kayaalp (Turkey), Mijain Lopez Nunez (Cuba), Johan Magnus Euren (Sweden), Attila Guzel (Turkey), Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania)