InterMat Staff

Doane College Athletic Director Jill McCartney announced today the hiring of Matt Hansen as head wrestling coach for the Tigers. Hansen joins the Tigers from Simpson College where he was an assistant coach. Coach Hansen has 10 years of collegiate experience, serving as an assistant at Luther College, Hastings College and Simpson. In preparation for a head coaching position, Hansen has developed a strong recruiting background, organizational skills and athlete development skills. He is also a certified strength and conditioning coach. "We're pleased to have Matt as our new wrestling coach," McCartney said. "He brings a great breadth of experience from his wrestling background to his educational and strength and conditioning expertise. Through the interview process, we were impressed by his enthusiasm for coaching and his genuine interest in developing young men." McCartney added, "Matt has carefully prepared himself to be a head coach and I think we are a good fit for Matt. Our wrestling team is young but has developed quickly, and I am confident that Matt will continue the upward trajectory of our program on all levels: in competition, in the classroom, and in the community." A national qualifier on the University of Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team, Hansen was a member of two Loper teams that finished in the Top 15 at national championships. He was a four-year letter winner and named to the Blue-Gold Academic Honor Roll in two separate years. "I am very excited to be named the Head Wrestling Coach at Doane College," Hansen commented. "It's great to be a part of the Doane College family. I feel that this is the right fit for me, and I will have the resources here at Doane to build a program that is competitive at the national level." As he transitions into the head coaching position for Doane, Hansen said building relationships with the athletes will be an early focus. He credits former coach Tyson Springer with leaving the program in a great situation, especially from a recruiting stand point. Hansen replaces Springer after he left in early July to take an assistant coaching position in Idaho in order to be closer to family. Springer was the first Tigers head coach since restarting the program in the 2013-14 academic year.

Mark your calendars, as the National Wrestling Coaches Association has revealed some basic facts for its 2015 NWCA All-Star Classic, the kickoff event for the 2015-16 college wrestling season. The NWCA posted a visual on its Twitter account which indicated that the 50th NWCA All-Star Classic will be held Sunday, November 1, in Atlanta at McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Tech campus. The event is slated to begin at 5 p.m. ET. Sponsored by the NWCA, the All-Star Classic is intended to showcase the top college mat talent by usually featuring matches with the top two wrestlers in each weight class. Actual participants will be named in the weeks leading up to the event. A much-anticipated annual event since 1967, the NWCA All-Star Classic has undergone some changes over the years. Originally, the All-Stars incorporated an East vs. West team dual-meet format, placing individual wrestlers on teams based on their school's geography. In the past, the event had been a capstone for the regular college wrestling season, held a week or two after the NCAA championships. However, in the past decade, the All-Star Classic has taken place around November 1, timed to start the regular collegiate calendar. In the past couple years, the All-Star Classic has also served as an opportunity to try out new rules proposed by the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee, in a one-time, highly-controlled and monitored situation that allows wrestlers, coaches, officials and fans to see a proposed rule change in action before it is considered for overall implementation. This past April, the committee proposed using the 2015 All-Star Classic to test-drive the idea of awarding three points for a takedown, presumably in an attempt to open up scoring. (Two points for a takedown has been the standard for decades; however, for about four years in the early 1960s, the NCAA had rule where the first takedown in a match was worth two points ... with subsequent takedowns scored by that wrestler being worth only one point each. The rule was said to be a reaction to Oklahoma State's "take 'em down and let 'em up" wrestling style of racking up takedowns quickly followed by cutting an opponent loose, which, at the time, some other teams found frustrating.)

The demands of a head wrestling coach, especially at the Division I level, can be both daunting and draining. Just ask Rob Eiter, who spent six seasons as the head wrestling coach at the University of Pennsylvania before leaving the position. "It got to the point where I wasn't enjoying the position," said Eiter, a five-time U.S. Open champion in freestyle. "Coaching is tough. You can't leave it at the office when you go home. I brought a lot of anxiety home with me. I just felt a change was needed." Eiter resigned as head wrestling coach at Penn after the 2013-14 season. "It wasn't a situation where I needed to get away from the sport," said Eiter. "I've been doing this for a long time. It's all I know how to do." As Eiter put it, "I sat on the beach and kind of got reenergized a little bit." Less than two months after resigning as head coach at Penn, Eiter accepted an assistant coaching position on Kerry McCoy's staff at the University of Maryland. Eiter says now as an assistant wrestling coach he has a lot more hands-on responsibilities with the wrestlers, a part of coaching he missed as a head coach. "I've worked out more in the past year than I did in the six years I was head coach," said Eiter. Read complete story on MatBoss ...

Two late, great wrestlers with roots in the state of Oregon are now battling each other in Day 1 of the Round of 16 in the Oregon's Greatest Athlete online poll posted Monday, Aug. 3. Rick SandersIn today's balloting sponsored by The Oregonian newspaper, No. 3 seed Rick Sanders faces off against second-seeded Robin Reed. Wrestling fans can cast their vote by clicking here. Sanders earned NCAA University (larger-school), NCAA College (smaller-school) and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) titles as a wrestler at Portland State in the 1960s ... along with two Olympic bronze medals in 1968 and 1972. Weeks after winning his second Olympic medal at the '72 Munich Games, Sanders was killed in a car accident in Yugoslavia. Reed is considered by many wrestling historians to be the best U.S. wrestler of the early 20th century. He wrestled at Oregon State, then later coached there. Reed also claimed gold at the 1924 Olympics, pinning his way through the competition. Reed died in 1978 at age 78. Reed and Sanders are the last two wrestlers still in contention of the five mat stars who were originally featured in the Round of 64 bracket. Brock Gutches, who won his fourth NAIA title for Southern Oregon University in March, lost his first-round matchup … while his uncle Les Gutches, two-time NCAA champ for Oregon State in the 1990s, fell in the Round of 32, as did Jess Lewis, twice an NCAA heavyweight titlist and 1968 Olympian for the Oregon State Beavers.

After a decade in college as a wrestler and coach, Jared Evans is returning to high school, becoming head wrestling coach at Menomonie High School in Wisconsin for the 2015-16 season. Jared EvansMost recently, Evans served as interim head coach at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since Jan. 2015, at the time the third coach to take the helm of the Blugolds mat program in about 18 months. Before that, the Blue Earth, Minn. native spent five years on the coaching staff at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, earning the honor of being named NCAA Division III Assistant Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2010, when the Auggies won the national championship. A key member of the Augsburg teams that won national titles in 2004-05 and 2006-07, Evans was a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler for the Auggies, compiling a 139-37 record as a 149 pounder. Evans also earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America honors in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. He was named co-Honor Athlete in 2007, the highest honor Augsburg gives its senior student-athletes for accomplishment, leadership and character on the playing field and in the classroom. Now Evans will be working on the high school level as instructor and coach in Menomonie, located between his two college "homes" of Eau Claire and Minneapolis. Even though he will be in familiar territory in terms of geography, Evans admitted in an interview with Chippewa.com that the career shift has its challenges… but expects it to be ultimately rewarding. "It was one of the hardest decisions that I've ever made," Evans said. "I thought I wanted to be a college wrestling coach for the rest of my life." "There's a different sense of community at the high school level and with the coach-athlete relationship," Evans said. "At the college level, a lot of these guys are in their first couple years away from home and there's a lot of free reign there. I look forward to working with parents on a closer level, and working with these guys on a closer level." Evans is already on his way, serving as a paraeducator in the district as he works towards getting his teaching license, and helping with the strength and conditioning program at the high school. "I'm super pumped about it," Evans said. "Working with them in the weight room before the season to establish those relationships right from the get-go. It's so important to be able to do that early on. Get to know each other just so we can build that rapport and that trust and that comradery just so that we can hit the ground running as soon as the season starts."

NEW YORK -- With the wrestling season on the horizon, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Carl Fronhofer has completed his staff for the 2015-16 season. Roman Fleszar will be back for his seventh year of working with the Lions as the David and Michael Barry Assistant Coach of Wrestling. Fleszar will be joined by Steve Santos, who was recently promoted to a full time assistant coach after the departure of Adam Hall, who was hired by NC State in April. The volunteer assistant role will be filled by Joe Nord, who's hiring was announced today by Fronhofer. Nord comes to Morningside Heights after spending two years helping out the wrestling program at his alma matre, Minnesota. In his role with the Gophers, Nord helped with the day-to-day operations of the program while also coaching, training and competing himself. Nord helped the program to two top-10 finishes, including a runner-up team finish at the 2014 NCAA Championships. Over the past two years, Nord competed in many international tournaments, including the Dave Schultz Memorial, the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup and the Men's US Open in freestyle. Prior to returning to the Twin Cities, he spent the previous two years as an assistant coach at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, where he also obtained his Master's degree in Business Administration. Nord wrestled for the Gophers from 2006-11, competing at both 197 and heavyweight. He was a four-time letterwinner and the recipient of the Verne Gagne Scholarship/Leadership Award as a senior. A native of Waconia, Minnesota, Nord won state championships in 2005 and 2006. He also earned high school All-American honors in both folkstyle and freestyle. Nord graduated from the University of Minnesota in the spring of 2011 with a degree in Business Marketing Education and Applied Economics.

KUALA LUMPUR -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted Monday to add United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic as the newest member of the IOC. He becomes the first IOC member from the sport of wrestling. Nenad Lalovic (Photo/T.R. Foley)A businessman from Belgrade, the 56-year-old Lalovic has overseen several dramatic and popular changes to one of the Olympic Games' oldest sports. Lalovic was named the president of United World Wrestling in the February 2013 and has since led a rebranding initiative, modernized internal governance, improved competition rules and created a robust media operation. "I am honored to have been nominated and elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee," said Lalovic. "The IOC is a unique and prestigious institution that embodies the values of excellence, friendship and respect through sport." Lalovic was nominated as an International Federation president and joins Senegal Olympic Committee President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye as the only members elected at the 128th IOC Session. "I am privileged to represent the sport of wrestling in the Olympic Movement and look forward to contributing to the future success of the IOC and of President Bach's vision of Agenda 2020."

Stevan Micic defeated Daton Fix to make the Junior World Team (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)One of the nation's top wrestlers from the Class of 2014 is on the move but staying in the same conference. Stevan Micic, who redshirted last season at Northwestern, will be transferring to Michigan. The 125-pound Micic compiled a 19-3 record in 2014-15. He earned a spot on the Junior World Team in freestyle this year at 55 kilos. By transferring within the Big Ten Conference, Micic will lose a season of eligibility. Michigan's 2015 recruiting class was ranked No. 10 by InterMat, and was headlined by the nation's No. 2 senior Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.). The Wolverines are coming off an 11th finish at the NCAAs, and had five All-Americans, with four of those wrestlers returning in 2015-16.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State head wrestling coach Tom Ryan has signed a five-year contract extension, TJ Shelton, associate athletics director for sports administration, announced today. "Our wrestling program has enjoyed unprecedented success under Coach Ryan's leadership and he has established himself as one of the nation's best coaches," said Shelton. "Tom has led us to a place among the nation's elite during his nine years as our head coach. He and his staff have demonstrated the importance of the overall development of our student-athletes - providing outstanding community service, building a championship program and placing an emphasis on success in the classroom. We are delighted that Coach Ryan will continue to build character, integrity and accountability with our student-athletes for years to come." Ohio State coach Tom Ryan coaching at the 2015 NCAAs in St. Louis (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"I'm grateful to Gene Smith and the department for thinking enough of me to sign me to another five-year contract," said Ryan. "This is a special place and I am fortunate to be in a position to impact lives, inspire others and pursue excellence. I'm looking forward to graduating another crop of recruits and continuing to bring pride to this university through the sport of wrestling." Ryan, who recently concluded his ninth season in Columbus, has led the Buckeyes to unprecedented heights, culminating last season with the programs first-ever national championship. The 2015 Big Ten, NWCA and InterMat Coach of the Year, Ryan also guided the team to its first conference title in 64 years. Ryan is the first coach ever to be a three-time InterMat Coach of the Year selection (2008, 2009, 2015). In all, Ryan has coached four different student-athletes to eight national championships, including just the fourth four-time champ in the history of the sport, Logan Stieber. Fourteen wrestlers have reached the NCAA finals and at the conference level, nine Buckeyes have been crowed Big Ten champions. After arriving from Hofstra prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Ryan quickly molded Ohio State into a national power, highlighted by NCAA runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009. Overall, the Buckeyes have finished in the top 10 of the NCAA championship team standings in eight of the last nine seasons. Ryan has a 113-42 dual match record at Ohio State, including a 47-26 mark against Big Ten competition. In the classroom, Ryan's student-athletes are thriving as well. Eight Buckeyes have been recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association with NWCA All-Academic Team accolades - J.D. Bergman, J Jaggers, C.J. Magrum (two-time), Corey Morrison (two-time), Mike Pucillo, Colt Sponseller, Nathan Tomasello and Bo Jordan. Additionally, since Ryan's arrival there have been 48 Academic All-Big Ten honorees and 96 Ohio State Scholar-Athletes.

Patrick Cummins, two-time NCAA All-American heavyweight at Penn State, scored a third-round TKO over Rafael Cavalcante in a preliminary-round bout at UFC 190 in Rio di Janeiro, Brazil Saturday night. "Patrick Cummins put away onetime Strikeforce champion Rafael Cavalcante with third-round elbows in a grueling undercard pairing at 205 pounds," is how mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com opened its account of the fight. "Cavalcante succumbed to a combination of blows and fatigue 45 seconds into round three." Patrick CumminsThe former big man for the storied Nittany Lion wrestling program scored eight takedowns, with the last one leading to a swarm of elbows for a TKO win at 45 seconds in the third and final round. The trio scoring the match for Sherdog.com's live play-by-play all had Cummins winning the first two rounds. "The horror show that was Patrick Cummins' face in the second round belied the reality of the fight," wrote Matt Erickson of MMAJunkie.com, describing the battered and bruised face of the former college matman. "Then in the third, he gave Rafael Cavalcante's face a little horror show of its own." After the match, Cummins said, "I got caught a couple of times. The first round, I got caught with some good and clean punches and that kind of dictated the pace of the fight. I decided, 'OK, I'm going to wrestle him and use my ground game,' and that went well." With the win, the 34-year-old Cummins is now 8-2 in his MMA career, and 4-2 in UFC competition. His only two losses were to Ovince Saint Preux in April at UFC on Fox (knocked out towards the end of Round 1) ... and to former Oklahoma State NCAA finalist and Olympian Daniel Cormier via a first-round TKO. Cavalcante drops to 12-6 overall, and 1-3 in UFC. Before launching his MMA career in 2010, Cummins made a name for himself in the 285-pound weight class ... despite being a walk-on at Penn State. He became a two-time NCAA All-American, placing third at the 2003 NCAAs, then making it to the heavyweight finals of the 2004 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, where he lost to 2002 champ Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State in the finals, 6-2. A year later, a bearded Cummins won the heavyweight (265-pound) title at Real Pro Wrestling, a 2005 cable TV series featuring former college wrestlers competing under rules that were a unique hybrid of various amateur wrestling styles for prize money.

Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.), state champion this past season at 182 pounds, verbally committed to Stanford University on Sunday afternoon. The projected 184/197 pound wrestler is currently ranked No. 21 in the Class of 2016. Traxler finished fifth in Junior freestyle at 182 pounds just over one week ago, which was his second All-American finish in freestyle in as many years. He is the first commit for the Cardinal in this recruiting class.

Pete Di Pol, legendary New Jersey prep wrestling coach who most recently headed up the mat program at Baker University in Kansas, is about to take the helm at Bishop Heelen High School in Sioux City, Iowa, the Sioux City Journal reported Saturday. Pete Di PolDi Pol had been head wrestling coach at Baker for two seasons, replacing Jimmy May, the coach who launched the program at the Baldwin City, Kan. school six years ago. Under Di Pol, Baker crowned its first individual national champion in program history when Bryce Shoemaker won the 133-pound title at the 2014 NAIA national wrestling championships. Immediately before coming to Baker in 2013, Di Pol had been head coach at Gloucester Community College in New Jersey since 2011. Prior to coaching at Gloucester, Di Pol made a name for himself as a high school wrestling coach in New Jersey, heading up nationally-recognized programs at Camden Catholic High and Haddonfield High, among others. Di Pol's teams won three state titles. He was also a standout wrestler at Paulsboro High School in New Jersey in the 1990s. Di Pol is returning to his high school wrestling roots ... and is up for the challenge of transforming the Bishop Heelan program that has struggled in recent years, failing to send a wrestler to last season's Iowa state championships. "The wrestling culture is you don't take any easy roads or paths," Di Pol told the Journal. "I am always looking to challenge and push myself. People don't know me here so I kind of have to prove myself there. I am looking to push myself and my wrestlers to be the best we can all be." "I am really impressed with the work ethic of the kids and the commitment," Di Pol added. "When I was still the coach at Baker (University) and knew I was probably going to take this job I had 20 to 25 kids from Heelan come down to Kansas for the camp." In addition to being head wrestling coach, Di Pol will also serve as a guidance counselor at Bishop Heelan, a Catholic high school serving grades 9-12 located in Sioux City in western Iowa.

Gelen Robinson, Purdue University heavyweight wrestler who is also on the school's football and track teams, will miss the first two to four games of the 2015 season because of two alcohol-related offenses since coming to the school, football coach Darrell Hazell said at Friday's Big Ten media day. Gelen Robinson (Photo/Matthew Thomas)"It will be a minimum of two and a maximum of four and that will be determined here in the next couple of weeks based on what he does into camp," Hazell said Friday, one week after publicly stating there would be a penalty for the Boilermaker sophomore who was projected to start as rush end this season, the Purdue Exponent reported Friday. Hazell went on to say Robinson was "very remorseful and he realized he made a mistake. He's ready to pay the penalty and move on." That said, Robinson will be eligible to participate in workouts with the Purdue football team when practice starts Aug. 7. Robinson was arrested in June for operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent or more and illegal possession of an alcoholic beverage. In June 2014, Robinson, son of legendary Purdue basketball star Glen Robinson, was cited for minor alcohol consumption by Purdue University Police. Last August, the 20-year-old Robinson entered a diversion agreement which allows a defendant to have the charges dismissed if he or she abides by formal terms and conditions over a set period of time. According to the terms of that agreement, Robinson made a commitment to, among other things, not to "consume alcohol or alcoholic beverages" and not to "enter any bar, tavern or liquor store" for the duration of the agreement, which lasts until Aug. 3, 2015. Violating the terms of this diversion agreement means Robinson could now be subject to prosecution on the original misdemeanor charge ... and could result in a greater penalty regarding his eligibility to participate in sports at the Big Ten school located in West Lafayette, Ind. A product of Schererville, Ind., Robinson was a four-year letterwinner in wrestling, football and track at Lake Central High School in northwest Indiana. He was a two-time Indiana state wrestling champ at 220 pounds. This past season, the 6'1" Robinson compiled a 3-4 overall record for the Purdue wrestling squad as a freshman, and was 1-3 in Big Ten dual meets, according to his official Boilermaker wrestling bio. One of his wins was by pin, scoring a 56-second fall against a Wabash College wrestler at the Greyhound Open. After wrestling season, Robinson joined the Purdue track team, where he throws the shot put, weight throw and discus.

Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 8 in the Class of 2016, verbally committed to Ohio State on Saturday evening. The rising senior is a two-time Super 32 champion and a two-time state champion, as well as a three-time state finalist. Pletcher projects most likely as a 141 in college, and is the initial verbal commit for Ohio State in the 2016 recruiting class.

The University of Jamestown announces Dan Lovell will join the University as head men's wrestling coach. Most recently, Lovell was the head wrestling coach and Health/PE instructor at Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, Minn. However, he is no stranger to Jamestown. From 2012-13 Lovell was an assistant men's wrestling coach and admissions counselor at UJ before moving onto ICC. "We are excited to have Dan rejoin the Jimmie family," said University of Jamestown Athletic Director Sean Johnson. "Dan has enjoyed success at nearly every level of wrestling both as a coach and competitor. His previous experience at UJ combined with his accomplishments elsewhere make him the right person to lead Jimmie wrestling into the future." Lovell brings a wealth of coaching experience as he takes the helm of the program at UJ. As the head coach at Antioch High School in Antioch, Calif., from 2001-2006, Lovell led his team to a North Coast Section Class 3A Dual Championship, Bay Valley Athletic Championship, North Coast Section Tournament Championship, and was named the Contra Costa Prep Athlete Coach of the Year. He began coaching in 1997 as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a position he held until 1999. He served as co-head coach at Great Oak High School (CA) in the 2006-2007 season before moving onto the head coaching position at Marshalltown High School in Marshalltown, Iowa until 2012. Coach Lovell also has extensive coaching experience at the club level serving as Nebraska Omaha Espoir Junior World Team Trials Coach from 1997-99, Head Coach of the California National Team from 2003-05, Head Coach of the California Australian Tour in 2005, California USA Wrestling Coach from 2005-06, Iowa USA Wrestling Coach from 2009-11, Jamestown Taz Wrestling Club Coach in 2013, and was as the Screaming Yetis Wrestling Club Director and Minnesota Storm Wrestling Coach (Greco-Roman/Freestyle) from 2013-15. Professionally, Lovell is a member of the National Coaches Education Program for USA Wrestling, the National High School Coaches Association, the National Wrestling Coaches Association, International Sports Specialist, Inc., and holds a USA Wrestling Copper and Bronze Coaches Certification. "I am very pleased to return to the University of Jamestown as the men's head wrestling coach," commented Lovell. "I'm very excited about the potential and the commitment of the current athletes and hope to create a winning attitude in every aspect of their college experience." The University of Jamestown was established in 1883 and is ranked as a top tier regional school in US News and World Report and a top Midwestern school in The Princeton Review. The school features development of the whole person through its distinctive Journey to Success experience.

Seth Gross (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Seth Gross, a three-time Fargo freestyle champion, will be continuing his college wrestling career at South Dakota State, he announced Friday on Twitter. Gross, along with fellow freshmen Ross Lembeck and Logan Ryan, were dismissed from the Iowa wrestling team in May after the three were charged with third-degree burglary stemming from incidents in March. Gross won three Minnesota state titles at national wrestling power Apple Valley High School in Minnesota. He claimed back-to-back Cadet freestyle titles in 2011 and 2012 before earning a Junior freestyle title in 2013. Gross posted a 12-4 record as a redshirt at Iowa competing at 141 pounds.

Last weekend James Green saved the wrestling community a week's worth of drama when he handily defeated Nick Marable in a best-of-three wrestle-off at the FARGODOME. James Green celebrates after a victory over Nick Marable (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)The Green-Marable drama is common knowledge by now, but what shocked many outsiders was that an outside body -- in this case an arbitrator -- ruled against USA Wrestling, a national federation. Though the circumstances surrounding the incident and the validity of the appeal have been brought into question there was no supporting evidence brought forward in the public domain with which to doubt Marable. That being the case if nothing was presented at the arbitration (How does one prove something like a concussion "doesn't" happen?) then the arbitrator made about the only decision they could. Though it's highly unlikely it's not totally impossible that Marable did fall and hurt himself before weigh-ins. Because he was dehydrated? Maybe, but what if he slipped in a puddle of someone else's sweat form their plastics? I tore an MCL that way in college. Unlikely but not impossible. USA Wrestling was within their right to deny Marable his wrestle-off and Marable was within his right to appeal. The process is meant to protect an athlete from the personal agendas of those with political roles in national federations. As such it skews towards second chances and that's a good thing. Green won the wrestle-off in large part because he is wrestling better at this moment. He beat a VERY talented Frank Chamizo and has a better than 50 percent chance of placing at the World Championships. Support Green and choose to trust (or if you must, forgive) Marable. These are this nation's finest athletes and as always they deserve our love and support no matter their circumstance. To your questions ... Q: What are your thoughts on Iowa potentially having an outdoor dual meet at Kinnick Stadium in November? It's going to be freezing! -- Mike C. Foley: I don't know all that much about these things, but the weather forecast for Iowa in mid-November has to be chilly. There is a press conference scheduled for next week so I have to assume they'll make their plans known then. Wrestling outdoors is probably not all that crazy. The wrestlers can wear large jackets and I assume they'll have something to cover the mats to make sure they don't become frigid and stiff. Who will they wrestle? Unclear, but it seems unlikely to be Penn State or Ohio State since both are off the schedule. I'd like to see it be Minnesota and since the best weekend to do it might be the Minnesota football game there is a possibility of a big splash. Kudos to Tom Brands and whatever team comes into Iowa for this spectacle as it will be a great promotion for the sport of wrestling. Q: What do you think of Logan Storley and Ed Ruth entering MMA? With only three amateur fights in high school, do you think Storley is turning pro too early? Why or why not? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Support their endeavors. Wrestling is tough and if you are on the outside looking in at a weight class like 74 kilos you don't have many other options in terms of how to use your body to earn money. Ruth I'd still prefer to see compete through 2016 since I think he could regret having never made it through a cycle. MMA is not a bad first career choice. You're young and you like to work hard, why not throw hands and use God's blessing to make some cash and maybe travel a bit more. Young guys, like most, will eventually end up in an office chair for the majority of their working life. Why not give your body a spin or two before your expiration date. That said, I wouldn't think that you want to be in the fight game for more than 10 years. After a while you need to protect your noggin and think about a sustainable future. Q: I read an article from the Des Moines Register a little while ago about how Tony Ramos and Matt McDonough rarely train with each other. Is this odd that these two studs don't reap the benefits of training together? I understand they have Thomas Gilman, Cory Clark, Daniel Dennis, and others to train with and they both have the same goals, but it just seems odd to me. -- Justin H. Foley: That makes total sense to me, though I wonder if it's totally true. There is always something to these stories that seems likely, but not enough of the story is being told. I see both these guys training hard to win, but maybe that's driven some separation between the two. Ramos' success could be motivating McD and to make friends might jeopardize that reserve. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME This kid gets what sports are all about Q: Is wrestling a lifetime sport? Can it be? -- Mike C. Foley: For most, wrestling can only be a lifetime sport as a spectator. Crashing into the ground and having your head pounded on by a 19-year-old is not something men in their 50's should be doing with any consistency, or likely at all. We are passionate group and like most I'm sure that you and I will continue to follow the action on the mat until our blue hairs tumble onto the ground. Q: Why are schools limited to 9.9 scholarships? It's kind of crazy that top 10 teams only have 4-5 guys on full rides. -- @alliseeis_ Foley: The 9.9 rule is a limitation by the NCAA that ensures gender equality and is in line with the number of starting wrestlers on each Division I, II, and III squad in competition. The rule has been in place for decades and has worked fine since most schools can cobble together financial aid packages from wealthy endowments and are allowed to cutup and divide those scholarships in any amount they choose. Also in the current system (Death to the NCAA) most graduating seniors don't merit a full ride. Some do, but the majority should have to earn their way up from 60 percent to a full ride based on performance, though with some guarantees it doesn't go down. Q: Cael recently talked about David Taylor, and gave this quote in an article on Pennlive.com: "He (Taylor) has to decide what he's doing. I'm not so sure we won't be seeing him move up a weight because he is a big kid. He doesn't have trouble but he's big enough and it might be better for him in the long run.'' Do you think we could see Taylor at 86 kilos as early as 2016? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes. I think that statement teases what is coming. Taylor goes to 86 kilos and tries to take on Jake Herbert for the World Team spot. I think that for Team USA to field him up a weight would be a coup and it's rational for him to go somewhere he fits, but also somewhere he can represent his country and maybe medal at the Olympic Games. Q: Will wrestling be a part of your honeymoon? Does your fiancé know how to score a match yet? -- @WrestlGreatness Foley: Not yet, but I have her watching full dual matches and am standing overtop screaming in disbelief when she mistakenly marks the scoring maneuvers out of order. As for the honeymoon, I am trying for a wrestling trip to Mongolia but so far the response has been tepid. She's been very understanding of my insane travel schedule so I think I'll reciprocate and be understanding of her need to sit on a beach or explore some new country. Happy wife, happy life. Oklahoma State signee Joe Smith dominated in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Q: Joe Smith, John Smith's son, dominated in Fargo and was named OW of the Junior freestyle competition. What are reasonable expectations for Joe Smith at Oklahoma State? -- Mike C. Foley: I'd predict a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American. Given the recent performances of true freshmen, however, I don't think a third title is out of the realm of possibility. His dad is John Smith. Maybe we can get Muir to make some lines?

Hunter Marko (Amery, Wis.), a three-time state champion, verbally committed to the University of Minnesota on Wednesday afternoon, which was one day after he de-committed from Wisconsin. Ranked No. 42 in the Class of 2016, Marko is also a three-time Junior National freestyle All-American, which includes a championship in 2013 and a fifth place finish last week. Marko joins good friend Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), who is ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2016, as a verbal commit to the Gophers. He projects as a 141/149 in college.

WESTERVILLE, OHIO -- Otterbein University has officially added men's wrestling as an intercollegiate varsity sport, announced Thursday morning by Dawn Stewart, director of athletics. "After careful thought and consideration, I am pleased to announce the re-introduction of wrestling as our 21st varsity sport program," Stewart said. "We are thrilled to provide this athletic experience to a new group of student-athletes. More than 11,000 high-school students participate in wrestling within the state of Ohio and, to those student-athletes who choose Otterbein, the Athletics program will continue to provide a supportive academic environment and highly-competitive experience." Otterbein, competing within NCAA Division III and as part of the 10-member Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), is expected to hire a coach this coming fall and then begin varsity competition during the 2016-17 academic year. Wrestling competes as a winter sport. The Cardinals become the seventh member of the OAC to offer wrestling, joining Mount Union, Baldwin Wallace, Ohio Northern, Heidelberg, John Carroll and Muskingum. Otterbein had previously offered the sport from 1961-69 before the program was cut. "We are very excited to reestablish the wrestling program," said Bob Gatti, vice president for student affairs. "There has been a lot of enthusiasm from our students. This addition will enhance our athletic program and the recruitment of additional students will support our strategic enrollment plan." There were 11,309 wrestlers, across 585 high schools, in the state of Ohio during the 2014-15 year of competition. Over 54,000 fans supported the OHSAA State Wrestling Individual Tournament in Columbus, the third-highest attendance for any sport behind only basketball and football. "Many factors were considered when adding this program," Stewart said. "Prospective and current Otterbein students were surveyed about their sport interest and the results continually showed strong support for wrestling. In addition, the OAC provides an immediate competitive avenue for this program and we are looking forward to furthering the conference's tradition of excellence within this sport."

Two all-time great Oklahoma State wrestlers -- Pat Smith, and Yojiro Uetake Obata -- are among the Class of 2015 to be welcomed into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame Monday, Aug. 3. Pat Smith, a member of the storied Smith wrestling family of NCAA All-Americans, made history of his own when he became the first wrestler to win four NCAA Division 1 individual national championships. The Oklahoma State Cowboy earned NCAA titles in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994, compiling a 121-5-2 record, including a school record for consecutive matches without a loss (98). After graduating, Smith served as an assistant wrestling coach at his college alma mater for 11 years. In 2007, Smith moved to Little Rock to open the Arkansas Wrestling Academy to help start wrestling in the state. Since then, wrestling has been approved as an official high school sport in Arkansas, and a number of colleges have launched wrestling programs in that state. Yojiro Uetake ObataYojiro Uetake Obata is often considered to be THE college wrestler of the 1960s, earning a place on the NCAA 75th anniversary list of fifteen all-time greatest wrestlers in 2005, and on a 2013 list of nine top collegiate matmen compiled by wrestling historians for Amateur Wrestling News magazine. Uetake came to Oklahoma State from Gumma, Japan, where he crafted a perfect 58-0 record, winning three Big Eight Conference titles, and three NCAA championships in 1964-66 (along with being named that tournament's Outstanding Wrestler as a junior and senior). The Cowboy affectionately known to wrestling fans as "Yo-jo" won two gold medals for his native Japan at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics. In addition to Smith and Uetake Obata, others being inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame include Kurt Burris (football), Jack "Jumping Jack" McCracken (basketball), Ralph Terry (baseball), and Steve Zabel (football). Burris and McCracken will be inducted posthumously. Ceremonies will take place at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Founded in 1986, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame honors athletes of all sports at every level with ties to the state of Oklahoma. It is not affiliated with any specific university. Currently, 152 Oklahoma sports figures, and two "teams of legend" have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, including a number of former college wrestlers.

Ray Nunamaker, Penn State wrestler who became a legendary mat coach at Nazareth High School in the wrestling hotbed of Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, died Tuesday in his home after being diagnosed with a brain tumor last year. He was 74. Ray Nunamaker"Ray Nunamaker 'revolutionized' the sport of wrestling in the Lehigh Valley, building a state and national powerhouse at Nazareth High School while always teaching, and learning, something new," is how The Morning Call newspaper described the former Nittany Lion grappler. "Nunamaker transformed Nazareth wrestling into a nationally recognized program. In 34 years as head coach, Nunamaker never had a losing season. He retired in 1997 with a career record of 468-95-7 and coached nine wrestlers to state championships, including son Ryan." Ryan Nunamaker, who is now head wrestling coach at nearby Parkland High School, said, "It certainly makes you feel extremely proud and blessed to have someone in your life that has positively impacted so many people. Over the last 10 months, we've really learned a lot about that. He impacted a lot of people through wrestling, but in 39 years as a teacher, he also impacted lot of students as well, and they've shared their stories and feelings with us." Ray Nunamaker wrestled at Penn State from 1959-63. "Although I was never a 'starter', I was always made to feel an important part of the team," Nunamaker said in a profile in the 2008 book "A Century of Penn State Wrestling." After describing a scene in which then Penn State coach Charlie "Doc" Speidel had stopped him on the way to class to demonstrate a move -- and how much that simple act meant to him -- Nunamaker said, "I doubt very much if I would have been a wrestling coach if I had not been for the influence of Charlie Speidel. He changed the direction of my career (I was in mechanical engineering) by suggesting I would make a good teacher and coach. He was instrumental in getting my first and only coaching job at Nazareth High School ... Doc's concern for his wrestlers impacted me and how I treated my wrestlers." Current Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson issued a statement, saying, "The Penn State wrestling family was saddened to hear of the passing of one of our own, Ray Nunamaker. Ray was a former Nittany Lion wrestler who went on to give back to the sport he loved as a coach. We send our condolences to his family and join them in mourning his loss." The family plans a 'Celebration of Life' for Nunamaker on Aug. 16.

The 2015 edition of USA Wrestling's Junior & Cadet National Championships from Fargo came to their conclusion this past Saturday. As is the case in every year, it is a defining tournament in the calendar year for many competitors. College coaches are present to evaluate, media members and ranking services are dissecting the results, and so forth. Performances in Fargo can shape the narrative about wrestlers headed into the next scholastic season, as well as the perception that college coaches will have about the prospective student athlete. They can also serve as important confidence and development boosts for the athletes themselves. Let's take a look at five young men from each the Junior and Cadet levels whose performances during the Fargo week enhanced their stock. Juniors Osawaru Odighizuwa (David Douglas, Ore.), 285-pound freestyle champion, Greco-Roman third-place finisher Already a verbal commit to play football at UCLA along the defensive line, the nation's No. 39 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2016 had little incentive to be at Fargo last week. However, Odighizuwa made the trip, performed rather well, and did so in both styles to boot. His freestyle tournament started with two shutout technical fall victories, continued with a 5-0 victory over fellow top 100 rising senior Carter Isley (Iowa), a 9-2 victory in the quarterfinal over 2014 Junior National double All-American Michael Rogers (Pennsylvania), then a 3-1 semifinal victory over top 25 graduated senior Austin Myers (Kentucky), and concluded with an 11-0 technical fall in the final over top 15 Class of 2017 wrestler Kevin Vough (Ohio). Odighizuwa went 8-1 in the Greco-Roman tournament to finish third. The lone loss was an early round fall against Brandon Metz (North Dakota), a Cadet Nationals champion in Greco-Roman last year. That outcome would be avenged with an 8-6 decision in the consolation semifinal. Among his six consolation wins was a first minute fall over another Cadet Nationals champion from 2014 in Kevin Vough. Among the most impressive things about this physical freak is that he doesn't turn 17 for another two weeks. Odighizuwa's older brother Owa was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round after being a two-year starter at UCLA. Osawaru's performance puts him in position to almost assuredly be the nation's No. 1 wrestler at 285 pounds come early November. California's Evan Wick reached the Junior freestyle finals at 152 before losing to Larry Early (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Evan Wick (San Marino, Calif.), 152-pound freestyle runner-up Let's cut to the chase here, the evidence to suggest a run to the Junior National freestyle final for Evan Wick prior to the event was rather faint. Among the resume points within the last year include failure to place at the Junior National folkstyle tournament in April (both losses to wrestlers outside the top 100 of the 2015/2016 classes, though Wick did have one win over a top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler in the tournament); two mid-placement finishes in the California state tournament (fourth as a junior, fifth as a sophomore); and a 1-2 record in last summer's Junior National freestyle tournament. However, a run to the Junior National freestyle final is exactly what happened. Ranked outside the top 100 for the Class of 2016, Wick had a pair of wins over top 25 wrestlers in his grade level during the tournament; 14-13 over No. 20 Hayden Hidlay (Pennsylvania) in the round of 16, and a pin at the 5:46 mark over No. 22 Griffin Parriott (Minnesota) in the semifinal. Additional wins included a 12-0 technical fall over two-time state champion Zemua Baptista (Nebraska) in the third round and an 11-0 technical fall over state placer Austin Hiles (Ohio), a wrestler that would have been considered a relative peer to Wick prior to the last week, in the quarterfinal. The championship final loss came 12-8 to Larry Early (Illinois), ranked as a top 50 Class of 2015 wrestler, in a match that was tied 8-8 late. It is almost a sure bet that Wick now moves into the top 100 for his grade level. He certainly garnered the attention of college coaches everywhere with the wins over Hidlay and Parriott, as well as the very well-contested finals match against Minnesota enrollee Early. Lucas Jeske (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), 160-pound freestyle runner-up Even though Jeske won a state title during this past high school season, he was not a truly known commodity on the national level headed into the Fargo week. Jeske's first four matches in Junior freestyle were one-sided outcomes; two shutout technical falls and a pin followed by an 18-7 technical fall over state runner-up Tristan Johnson (Iowa). His quarterfinal came against top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler Canten Marriott (Missouri), an opponent that Jeske had lost in overtime against at the Preseason Nationals; however, this go around, Jeske came through with an 8-6 victory. In the semifinal round, Jeske would come through with an 11-1 technical fall victory over Brandon Dallavia (New Jersey), who is ranked inside the top 25 for the Class of 2016. The championship match loss was a shutout technical fall against Oklahoma State enrollee Joe Smith (Oklahoma); however, that is what Smith did to everyone else during the tournament as well. It is almost a sure bet that Jeske now moves into the top 100 for his grade level. Any skepticism there was about his state title this past year in Minnesota should be totally vanquished at this point. Travis Piotrowski (Prairie Ridge, Ill.), 120-pound freestyle third place Piotrowski entered this year's Junior freestyle tournament having twice finished state third in the high school season, and a low-placing Cadet freestyle All-American (6th in 2013, 7th in 2014). He was also outside the top 100 for the Class of 2016. Piotrowski started the tournament with a pair of 11-0 technical falls before a pair of matches against wrestlers more of his caliber. It was a 10-0 technical fall over two-time state champion Matt Schmitt (Missouri), a returning Junior freestyle runner-up, in the round of 16; which was immediately followed by another 10-0 technical fall, this one over Ian Parker (Michigan), who is ranked No. 77 in the Class of 2016. The semifinal for Piotrowski was an expected 13-3 technical fall loss against Daton Fix (Oklahoma). However, Piotrowski ended the tournament with positive momentum, a 13-5 decision over Schmitt in the consolation semifinal, followed by a 13-0 technical fall over Parker in the third place bout. It is almost a sure bet that Piotrowski now fits into the top 100 for the Class of 2016 after placing third in a weight class that saw two top 100 Class of 2016 wrestlers fail to place, along with many other excellent wrestlers falling short of the podium. Dean Drugac (Morris Knolls, N.J.), 195-pound double All-American, fourth in freestyle, seventh in Greco-Roman Not only has Drugac yet to earn a state placement finish, he has yet to win a front side match in either of his state tournament appearances in the Garden State. Previously in Fargo, Drugac had a pair of Cadet All-American finishes in Greco-Roman, but was not an All-American in freestyle either of those two years. However, this year in Fargo at the Junior level, he was a double All-American. Drugac's freestyle tournament started with two shutout technical falls before a 15-5 technical fall loss to top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler Wyatt Koelling (Utah). The next match was an injury default win that left him two matches short of All-American honors. After an 18-7 technical fall over state runner-up Nick McShea (New York), it was a 10-8 win over returning Junior freestyle All-American, No. 100 ranked Class of 2015 wrestler Cash Wilcke (Iowa) to confirm the podium. The freestyle tournament for Drugac would end with a 9-7 decision over two-time state placer Christian Brunner (Illinois), advancement to the third-place match when Koelling defaulted the consolation semifinal, and then losing by 12-2 technical fall to top 100 Class of 2016 wrestler Jack Harris (Ohio). While it may not be enough to crack the Class of 2016 top 100 for Drugac, his success in Fargo certainly elevated his "stock" in the eyes of this national ranking coordinator and the vast majority of college coaches. Cadets Pennsylvania's Sammy Sasso claimed a Cadet freestyle title at 132 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.), 132-pound freestyle champion, Greco-Roman fifth-place finisher It's a little tough to say that a wrestler who is already ranked No. 14 in the Class of 2018 should be a "stock up" candidate. However, the Cadet freestyle tournament that Sasso had was most impressive, including wins over four of the next five in the placement standings at the event, with three of those ranked wrestlers in the Class of 2018. The tournament for Sasso started with a pair of 10-0 technical falls, those coming over a Michigan state placer and Florida state champion. In the round of 16, it was a 12-6 decision over Carson Kharchlava (Ohio), who placed fourth in the event. The quarterfinal was a 13-3 technical fall over Brayton Lee (Indiana), who finished third in the weight class and is ranked No. 30 in the Class of 2018. Next, it was a semifinal pin in 5:36 over Alex Lloyd (Minnesota), the Greco-Roman champ, who is ranked No. 21 in the Class of 2018. Finally, the championship match was a 4-1 decision over Cadet double runner-up Brock Hardy (Utah), ranked No. 19 in the Class of 2018. Carson Kharchlava (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio), 132-pound freestyle fourth place Though Kharchlava was not ranked among the top 25 in the Class of 2019, the incoming freshman was not a totally unknown commodity, as he won a middle school division Super 32 Challenge title in the fall. However, this was a performance that would certainly suggest that he should be ranked among the top 25 incoming freshman, and be a force at the state level during this upcoming high school season. His freestyle tournament started with a pair of 10-0 technical falls, the second of which was over state champion Brock Mauller (Missouri). In the round of 16 match, he lost by 12-6 decision to eventual champion Sammy Sasso (Pennsylvania) to drop to the consolation bracket. From there it would be five straight wins to reach the consolation final. Among those victories include a 14-1 technical fall over junior high state champion Baylor Fernandes (Illinois), an 11-0 technical fall over state placer J.J. Figueroa (California), and 8-4 victory over Alex Lloyd (Minnesota). The third-place match loss came by 10-1 decision to Brayton Lee (Indiana). Alex Thomsen (Underwood, Iowa), 120-pound freestyle runner-up, Greco-Roman fourth-place finisher Though Thomsen has already been distinguished in his short high school career, Preseason Nationals champion and undefeated state champion as a freshman, this week in Fargo marked more notches on the resume for the No. 45 ranked Class of 2018 wrestler. His freestyle tournament started with two shutout technical falls sandwiched around a pin, prior to an 8-1 decision over state placer John Burger (New Jersey) in the round of 16. The quarterfinal match was a 13-6 victory over two-time state champion Jacori Teemer (New York), who is ranked No. 27 in the Class of 2018. Next was a pin in 3:49 over UWW Cadet freestyle All-American Max Murin (Pennsylvania), a returning Cadet freestyle runner-up, in the semifinal. The championship loss to Nick Raimo (New Jersey), ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2019 and a double champion last week, came in a 15-13 slugfest that was one of the best matches of the whole event. During Greco-Roman, Thomsen went 7-2 with both losses coming to the same wrestler by 5-3 and 10-9 scores. Look for this Class of 2018 star from Iowa to shoot up the grade level rankings in the next update. Jake Boyd (Smithville, Mo.), 195-pound double finalist, champion in freestyle In two high school seasons, Boyd did not make the state final, third as a sophomore at 195 after a consolation quarterfinal appearance at 160 as a freshman. However, last week in Fargo, Boyd made both finals at the Cadet level. On his way to the freestyle final, the path started with three technical falls including one in the round of 16 over state qualifier Saylor Schmit (Minnesota). The semifinal match was a reversal of the Greco-Roman final, this affair being a 10-3 victory for Boyd over state champion Brady Daniel (Maryland). Then in the final, it was a 9-2 victory to confirm the championship. Anthony Artalona (Tampa Prep, Fla.), 145-pound double champion Artalona is ranked No. 44 in the Class of 2017, though that is in error, as he is a Class of 2018 wrestler. Already a two-time state champion and a double All-American at the UWW Cadet Nationals in the 63 kilogram weight class, this isn't so much a "stock up" as it is an enhanced awareness, which is something that Fargo tends to provide. The rising sophomore went 13-0 across styles in Fargo with a pin and four technical falls during each of the title runs. It was six wins in Greco-Roman and seven wins in freestyle. Notable victories in freestyle included those over Preseason Nationals champion Emille Shannon (Illinois), incoming freshman and Tulsa Nationals champion Brian Case (Michigan), and the 11-4 championship match victory over Jaryn Curry (Oklahoma), who is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2018.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) appears to be comfortable in Topeka. After having had its NAIA Wrestling National Championships in the Kansas state capital for the past two years, the organization will continue to have its mat championships in Topeka through 2017. The NAIA Wrestling Championships have been held at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka the past two yearsThe Nationals will continue to be held at the Kansas Expocentre. The 2016 NAIAs will take place March 4-5; the 2017 event is scheduled for March 3-4. There is one significant change: the 2016 NAIAs will now feature 240 wrestlers, an increase from 210 competitors in 2015. The 2015 NAIA Wrestling National Championships were notable because Iowa's Grand View University won its fourth straight team title ... and Brock Gutches of Southern Oregon University claimed his fourth individual NAIA crown. "The city of Topeka has displayed a tremendous effort in making the NAIA Wrestling National Championships a first-class event,'' said NAIA president and CEO Jim Carr. "The NAIA is excited to continue the partnership for another two years. "Every individual on the (local organizing committee) and in the greater Topeka community needs to be recognized for their commitment in offering our student-athletes, coaches and fans a great championship experience.''

Logan Storley, four-time NCAA Division I All-American for University of Minnesota, will be making his professional mixed martial arts debut this August. Logan Storley finished fourth at the NCAAs this past season at 174 to conclude his college career as a four-time All-American (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Storley, who is a six-time South Dakota high school state wrestling champ, will be fighting for Resurrection Fighting Alliance, described by the Sioux Falls, S.D. Argus-Leader as "the UFC's unofficial developmental league," at their RFA 29 event on Friday, Aug. 21 at the Sanford Pentagon. The former Golden Gopher, who will be competing as a welterweight at 170 pounds, does not yet know who he will be facing next month. RFA 29 is being promoted as "USA vs. Brazil," with the co-main events featuring featherweights Ricky Musgrave vs. Roani Barcelos, and welterweights Jordon Larson vs. Ackson Junior. "I had three amateur fights in high school, but this is different getting a real training camp in and working with some of best guys in the country," Storley told the Argus-Leader. Since announcing his plans to compete in MMA as a professional, Storley has been training with Power MMA & Fitness in Phoenix, working with UFC veterans -- and former Arizona State wrestlers -- Ryan Bader and C.B. Dolloway. "In college wrestling, the thing that worked well for me was keeping a pace and making them scramble on me -- make them make the mistake," Storley said. "I think I can take down about anybody at 170 and grapple with them and all that. But I've got to be able to strike and put it all together." The August RFA 29 event will be something of a homecoming for Storley. A native of Roslyn, S.D., Storley shares the same hometown -- and high school, Webster High -- as another former Minnesota wrestler who went on to find fame and fortune in UFC. "I grew up in the same town as Brock Lesnar," Storley told FoxSports.com back in April. "We had the same high school coach. I grew up watching him wrestle and then watching him fight, so I grew up around that. Then I had three amateur fights in high school and I've wanted to fight since my freshman or sophomore year of college. Now getting done with the NCAA tournament, it's time to actually get to it." After graduation from Webster High, Storley enrolled at Minnesota, where he compiled an overall record of 119-27. Storley was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American -- only the tenth Golden Gopher to do so -- racking up four top-six finishes in the 174-pound weight class. He placed sixth as a freshman, fourth as a sophomore, third as a junior and, fourth as a senior at the 2015 NCAAs in St. Louis. He also was a four-time placer at the Big Ten conference championships, placing fourth in 2015 and 2014, seventh in 2013, and runner-up in 2012. Storley isn't the only former college wrestler to enter pro MMA competition. Just a week before Storley's announcement in April, Ed Ruth, three-time NCAA champ for Penn State and top-ranked US men's freestyle wrestler at 86 kilos/189 pounds, told BleacherReport.com that he plans to start his fight career immediately after wrestling freestyle at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A number of other former NCAA champs and All-Americans now compete as professionals in MMA, including Chris Honeycutt, 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro University, Paul Bradley, two-time All-American at University of Iowa, Bubba Jenkins, 2011 NCAA titlist for Arizona State, and two-time NCAA heavyweight champ Steve Mocco.

LINDSBORG, Kan. -- The Bethany College Athletic Department announced the hiring of Larry Nugent as the new head wrestling coach Tuesday morning. Nugent brings collegiate and professional coaching experience to the position for the Swedes. Most recently, Nugent was the Director of Development at USA Wrestling, where he tracked private donor support, recorded corporate sponsorship revenue, and was in charge of special events. Prior to that, Nugent was the Associate Producer and on-air Talent with USA Broadcasting and USA Wrestling. Nugent worked with ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox Sports, Oxygen Sports, Public Television, and in 2001 was the NWMA Broadcaster of the Year. "Coach Nugent brings a wealth of experience to Bethany College. His depth of knowledge of wrestling will allow our program to reach new heights in the NAIA, and I am excited to see him continue our student-athletes' development on and off the mat. Coach Nugent is a tremendous addition to Bethany College and we welcome him to Swede Nation," said Dean of Athletics and Student Development, Dane Pavlovich. Nugent's coaching career started in 1980 when he was on the staff as an Assistant Coach at Southern Oregon University. While there, the Raiders won the Team NAIA National Championship in 1983, and finished in second place in 1986. Nugent then was the Head Wrestling Coach and an Adjunct Instructor at Pacific University from 1993-1995. In his first year with Pacific University, Nugent produced five All-Americans. In his second season, Nugent was voted as the Conference Coach of the Year and produced the first national champion at the college in five years. Next, Nugent moved to BYU to be the Assistant Wrestling Coach and was there for three seasons. During his time at BYU, Nugent helped qualify three wrestlers to the NCAA D-I Championships; they had none qualify the three previous seasons. As a team, BYU qualified for the NWCA All-Academic 2nd team in 1998. In all three years Nugent was with the Cougars, they had a Top-15 national recruiting class. Nugent also helped to start ticket sales and a ticket marketing program to boost attendance to an average of 900 people. "It is both an honor and very exciting to join the Bethany College family as its new Head Wrestling Coach. Athletics are a great compliment to education, and I consider it a noble mission to guide and mentor "Swede" student-athletes as they reach their competitive athletic and academic goals. Both will greatly assist them in life's challenges post-graduation. Special thanks to Dane Pavlovich and all of Bethany College leadership for this opportunity," said Nugent late Monday afternoon. Nugent holds his Bachelors of Science in Health-Physical Education and his Masters of Science in Education from Southern Oregon University.