InterMat Staff

Another week and two more Division I coaching positions have been vacated. Joe Heskett, an NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Iowa State, spent four seasons as Army's head wrestling coach, and served as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State and Cal Poly (Photo/Mark Aikman)Joe Heskett, who has led the the Army wrestling program for the past four seasons, is leaving coaching to pursue an administrative position at West Virginia University. Rob Anspach, head wrestling coach at Hofstra since the departure of Tom Shiflett, also resigned this past week -- a move to a sales position outside the sport. The departures of Heskett and Anspach mark the 11th and 12th coaching vacancies of the 2014 offseason, by far the most in recent memory. So ... what's going on? Heskett's reasons for leaving Army are a combination of personal and professional opportunities. Leaving to take an administrative position at a growing athletics program like West Virginia is a natural fit for Heskett who is well-respected for his high character, work ethic and natural leadership. Coaching creates unique challenges, but for Heskett those challenges were no longer complicated enough to keep him motivated. Anspach is Hofstra wrestling and to see him go means the loss of continuity for a program that faces tough administrative challenges. His move -- reportedly to a sales position -- means that Hofstra alumni and administration will need to create new relationships. For Anspach it's a chance to make more money and spend more time with family. Add in that two weeks ago Penn head wrestling coach Rob Eiter resigned to pursue other professional opportunities outside of wrestling and that Derek DelPorto did the same at Eastern Michigan and a disturbing trend seems to emerge. College coaching doesn't meet the mid-life work/life balance that many professionals seek. What's interesting about these changes, as opposed to Shawn Charles' departure from Arizona State, is that they are voluntary. They show a waning desire of professional men in the later 30's, 40's and 50's to work the 70-90 hour weeks to try and create top 25 programs for athletic directors paying $60k-$100k for the effort. The talent it takes to balance the administrative and technical side of coaching is almost unmatched in the professional world. College coaches have administrators, alumni, parents and wrestlers all pulling on their time. Add to that a desire to be a good father, brother and husband and it's easy to see that after three or four decades the low pay and long hours aren't fulfilling. The danger for college wrestling is that the replacement hires will be frustrated by the amount of work, or otherwise incapable of recreating the diversity of successes it takes to manage a team internally. Wrestling needs more stability and that means that this latest trend -- the loss of mid-career coaches -- needs to subside. To your questions ... Q: What do you think of the new anti-stalling rules? -- Jeff P. Foley: YES! A million times YES! You think these guys are reading our mailbag?! No more #snoreride for the fans to suffer through and no more 3 second criteria wins for an NCAA title. I'm happy. The quasi pushout rule will be pretty interesting to see implemented. What constitutes defense on your feet? Couldn't a downblock be seen as active defense? Also it sounds like they won't allow a simple drive forward, but that isn't easy to gauge either. Overall, I'm the happiest I've been in years with the committee's idea for change. Q: Uniform uniforms are a seriously dumb idea, and it seems that only international wrestling uses that convention, with the boring alternated red and blue singlets. You note how exciting and popular World Cup FIFA soccer/football is... well, heck, note that their (non)uniforms proudly exclaim their nationality and culture, in exciting diversity of color and even design. Successful sports know how to package the product. Is there a reason that FILA has (apparently) mandated this 'uniformity'? And no one complains? Bucks the system? American kids proudly wear their school colors in scholastic and collegiate wrestling matches. Internationally, I guess that we're lucky that the red-blue was chosen for singlet options, but still. -- Jim F. Foley: There has been talk of changing the uniform combinations, but there are a few obstacles to manage before making a full change. First is to understand how most other uniform systems work, which is based on white and color jerseys. For FILA to implement that system would require every nation to come up with tasteful white singlets. That's not as easy as it sounds, and given the general dislike of singlets at large there is little reason to ask for a reinvestment by every governing body unless you're certain it will go well. The second major change would be to scoring displays. I know this is an easy fix for a professional league contained in one country, but when dealing with a worldwide outfit change that means the youth tournaments from Kazakhstan to Pago Pago will need to implement a band system and scoring display in line with each other. Not impossible, just not easy. The change will likely come. The need for a better product is at the front of the wrestling community's mind. To get there just might take more time, effort and cash. Q: What happened to Henry Cejudo? At one time he seemed to be unbelievably talented. Now he seems to spend his time not making weight for low-level MMA fights and tweeting bullshit inspirational messages. He could be preparing for his third Olympic gold medal. Instead he's content with giving speeches about his glory day back in 2008. -- Scott M. Foley: I've talked about Henry Cejudo in previous articles and would tell you that not much has changed since 2009. Cejudo did something amazing, and despite the efforts of promoters and agents, coaches and friends, he hasn't quite figured out his next journey in life. His gold medal, the incredible day of wrestling he had in Beijing, will stand forever, but for the moment that gold medal has become more of a noose than a buoy. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Vote for the Magic Man as the Best Male College Athlete Link: Title IX via Time Link: Important to celebrate Kangaroo Jui-jitsu Q: Looking at all the important occurrences to the wrestling community in the last year, how important has been the success of Flips Wrestling (headphones)? I haven't seen their QuickBooks, but it seems they're doing well while marketing a non-essential equipment product to the wrestling community. While we obsess about rules and equipment the fact someone is making money marketing to us is an extremely good thing. More money means bigger and better events and opportunities for grapplers, right? -- Tom B. Foley: Flips is a company that seems to be putting cash into the hands of top athletes while also providing a niche product. Though they spent heavily on advertising, I'd guess that they are generating some income after their first year, and that couldn't be better for the sport of wrestling. There are lots of brands out there, but Flips has created an online personality that is positive and energetic. Yes, they advertise on InterMat, but all things being equal they are the type of company wrestling needs and I'm sure most fans can agree. Q: Do you think if Aaron Pico continued to wrestle in high school and college he could have been a four-time time high school state champion and four-time NCAA champion? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Maybe a four-time NCAA champion, but not undefeated. The NCAA Division I wrestling tournament is too tough for any lightweight to make it through four times without a blemish. He's a talented future world-beater, but I don't see how he could escape the collegiate grind unscathed.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Wednesday approved four experimental rules in wrestling, including two that will be exclusively used at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic Nov. 1 at the University of Pennsylvania. The first experimental rule that will be implemented for the 2014-15 season focuses on a wrestler who is in an offensive position and locks or holds an opponent’s leg or legs and does not breakdown the opponent, execute an offensive move or work back up to the upper body for five seconds. That offensive wrestler will be called for stalling. The referee’s count on the call will be both verbal and visual. The other experimental rule regarding stalling will take place when an offensive wrestler applies a side headlock to the defensive wrestler and does not breakdown the opponent and/or execute an offensive move in five seconds. In that instance, the offensive wrestler will be called for stalling. Again, the referee’s count will be both verbal and visual. Both of the approved experimental rules are designed to promote offensive wrestling by limiting stalling tactics or a way to position oneself in a stalemate situation. National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic The panel also approved two experimental rules that will be implemented only at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic on Nov. 1. The first rule focuses on wrestlers who are in a neutral standing position and not actively engaged in an offensive attack, or a defensive counter to an offensive attack, while their feet are out of bounds. In that situation, the referee will call stalling. This rule is designed to keep the wrestling action in the center of the mat and away from the out-of-bounds line. The rule is not intended to be a “push out” rule. A wrestler not engaged in an offensive attack or a defensive counter to an offensive attack who is only attempting to push or pull the opponent out of bounds will be called for stalling. The second experimental rule to be used at the NWCA All-Star Classic focuses on wrestlers who gain the offensive position by being awarded a takedown or reversal. In those cases those competitors may, after a wrestling stoppage, choose to resume wrestling in a neutral position without an escape point being awarded to his/her opponent. Currently, a wrestler choosing a neutral position would give up a point to an opponent.

Kyle Dake (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) SINKING SPRING, Pa. -- Brute Wrestling announced that it has signed four-time NCAA wrestling champion Kyle Dake to an exclusive footwear endorsement contract. As part of the agreement, Brute will be introducing a new top-line wrestling shoe carrying Kyle Dake’s name. “We are excited to add the premier name in amateur wrestling to our team. Having a person of Kyle’s character and quality choose to join the Brute team is awesome for our company,” said John Purnell, President of Brute Wrestling, “Every school or club wrestler knows the drive, values and accomplishments of Kyle Dake. He has shown that he can win in all that he does and at the same time continue to give back to the sport. We are proud that those traits of Kyle’s are shared by Brute.” “Kyle’s signature shoe will be available in the spring of 2015,” continued Purnell, “Kyle is going to be involved every step of the way in the development of his shoe - from concept through to final product. The Kyle Dake signature shoe will be one that amateur wrestlers at all levels will be proud to wear.” “I’m anxious to get my relationship with Brute Wrestling started,” said Dake, “We share the same goals of growing the sport and showcasing what’s great about amateur wrestling to kids, teens, parents and coaches nationwide. The fact that my name is going on a top-line wrestling shoe is awesome. We are going to make it a shoe that champions will wear.” Dake continued, “As the main sponsor and creator of the Brute Nationals, and founder and a key supporter of R.E.A.C.H.E.S., an organization to promote the integrity of amateur athletics, my relationship with Brute will allow me to continue to give back to the sport that I love and that has given me so much.” As part of the agreement, Dake will make personal appearances on behalf of Brute. This may include conducting high school wrestling clinics, leading sessions at important wrestling gatherings or appearances with Brute dealers. Check the Brute website for Kyle’s upcoming personal appearances. About Kyle Dake Throughout his amateur wrestling career, Kyle Dake was a champion. While at Cornell, Kyle became the first wrestler in NCAA history to win four titles at four different weight classes. He was the first wrestler to win four championships without the benefit of a redshirt year. Recognizing his achievement, Kyle was named the 2013 Sports Illustrated Male College Athlete of the Year. A native of Lansing, N.Y., Kyle was a two-time state high school champion and was a 2008 Team USA Junior World Team Member. Off the mat, at Cornell, Kyle was a four time Academic All-American, a member of the Senior Honor Society, and coordinator of the Cornell Wrestling helps initiative. About Brute Brute Wrestling is the largest domestic wrestling gear manufacturer in the USA and through its extensive nationwide network of dealers, the leader in outfitting high school, college and club wrestlers throughout the country. Through its dealers, Brute Wrestling offers clubs and teams the ability to completely customize their wrestling gear with virtually any combination of colors and design. To find the nearest Brute dealer, visit www.brutewrestling.com/store-locator and follow us on Twitter @BruteWrestling.

Though Greco-Roman is arguably the more popular worldwide style of Olympic wrestling, in the United States it's a distance third in popularity to folkstyle and freestyle. That lack of attention has meant a dearth of big-time talent or consistent performances on the world stage. The 2014 team, while young and filled with promise, is not on par with the talent level of the top ten nations worldwide. The Americans did win their final match of the 2014 Greco-Roman World Cup when they defeated a depleted Armenian side. However, the more telling statistic is that the Americans haven't earned a medal in over four years. The last American World medalist in Greco-Roman was Dremiel Byers, who earned a silver medal in 2009 at 125 kilos. India, a country that only started their Greco-Roman program last decade, has a more recent medalist with Sandeep Tulsi Yadav (66 kilos) taking a bronze at least year's World Championships. Still, there is hope for the American side. In 2007 the United States won the team title at the World Championships with a silver-medal performance by Brad Vering and bronze-medal finishes by Justin Lester and Byers. The Americans can always surprise the world, but heading into the 2014 World Championships the odds are long and history is stacked against the Stars and Stripes. 59 kilos: Spenser Mango Gold: 5 percent Medal: 10 percent Spenser Mango won his sixth U.S. Open title this year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)One of the most tenured wrestlers for the Americans heading into Tashkent, Mango is a high-level competitor with quick takedowns and big throws. Despite his skill the domination many expected after his 2006 World University Games gold has seemed to fade. He's won medals in the states and placed in the top ten overseas, but has yet to earn a definitive career win. Standing in his way is an Asian contingent that is as good a grouping as any region can muster for a weight class. In addition to defending World champion Won Choi Yun (North Korea), the weight class also returns runner-up Choi Gyu-Jin (Korea) and the man who beat them both at this year's Asian Championships, Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan). As if that weren't enough firepower, the weight class also includes 2012 Olympic Champion Hamid Soryan (Iran) and a handful of Europeans looking to win their first World title, including No. 1-ranked Aleksandar Kostadinov (Bulgaria) The odds are stacked heavily against Mango both to make the finals and medal. Top wrestlers: Hamid Soryan (Iran), Shinobu Ota (Japan), Aleksandar Kostadinov (Bulgaria), Won Choi Yun (North Korea), Choi Gyu-Jin (Korea) and Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan) 66 kilos: RaVaughn Perkins Gold: 5 percent Medal: 5 percent The new wunderkind of USA Greco-Roman wrestling, Perkins has matched an aggressive, risk-taking style with an emerging maturity that allows him to also grind out wins. Known best for his wins over Ellis Coleman, Perkins could benefit from a streaky World Championships. Like most competitors, if Perkins finds the right hole in the bracket he can make a run before falling to a sure-fire finalist. The wrestleback rounds might be his best friends, as he showed at the World Cup with gutsy wins over Gevorg Sahakyan (Armenia) and Basar Enes (Turkey) -- both by fall. However streaky and capable of finding a fall, if Perkins is to place he will be facing a mighty uphill battle against a stacked field of competitors at 66 kilos. Leading the group is world No.1 Adam Kurak (Russia), who has been unbeatable in 2014 and is a heavy favorite to win the World title. Also in the weight class is defending World champion Ryu Han-Soo (Korea), Olympic champion Omid noroozi (Iran) and Georgian strongman Rezav Lashkhi. Top wrestlers: Adam Kurak (Russia), Hasan Aliyev (Azerbaijan), Ryu Han-Soo (Korea), Revaz Lashkhi (Georgia), Davor Stefanek (Serbia), Omid Noroozi (Iran) 75 kilos: Andy Bisek Gold: 5 percent Medal: 35 percent Tough-nosed and position-crazed, Bisek is one of Team USA's emotional and performance leaders. He's one of the only guys on the roster to earn international titles, taking home the Happaranda Cup and Pan American Championships in 2012. Bisek's World Cup wasn't impressive, but it also wasn't hugely disappointing. He earned a nice 6-0 win over Turkey's Furkan Bayrak and a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Karapet Chalyan (Armenia), while also dropping a close match to world No. 11 Laszlo Szabo (Hungary), 4-3. Bisek can place, but he will need the right matchups and scouting to make it past at least one former World or Olympic champion. The top wrestlers at the weight class include the World or Olympic champion from each of the past four years (Kim, Vlasov, Abdavali) and a field that can be difficult to bully and even tougher to take down. Top wrestlers: Kim Hyeon-Woo (Korea), Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia), Roman Vlasov (Russia), Mark Madsen (Denmark), Saeid Mourad Abdvali (Iran) 85 kilos: Jordan Holm Gold: 5 percent Medal: 50 percent Jordan Holm will be competing in his second straight Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Holm has shown considerable gains since a frustrating 2013 campaign. The former Northern Iowa wrestler had an impressive World Cup, picking up three separate wins. The Minnesota native earned a 5-0 win over Hrach Hovhannisyan (Armenia) in the ninth-place match while also racking up a technical fall against Alkhazur Ozdiyev (Kazakhstan), 8-0 and a DQ win over Methan Basar (Turkey) who spent the majority of the match backing up. Holm is America's best chance to medal at the 2014 World Championships. Consistent, strong ad courageous on the mat, Holm is assisted on his quest for a World medal by enjoying one of the weakest weight classes. The top wrestler is Ukraines Zhan Belenyuk who used an incredible array of throws to the win the European Championships, and the two guys he bested. Defending World champion Taelb Nematpour is out due to a drug suspension and the remaining top guys are talented but old. Holm is a 50/50 shot to make the podium and that's about as good as it will get for the Americans in 2014. Top wrestlers: Zhan Belenyuk (Ukraine), Rami Hietaniemi (Finland), Damian Janikowski (Poland), Alexej Mishin (Russia) 98 kilos: Caylor Williams Gold: 5 percent Medal: 5 percent Not much is known about what Caylor Williams can do on the world stage. A recent addition to the U.S. squad he hasn't won much overseas, though he's been dominant at home. His three years competing at the senior level have been relatively light -- though a lack of exposure may provide him some advantage over a very static field of competitors. No matter his background, Williams will face stiff competition from the world's upperweights. Leading this year's run will be defending World champion Nikita Melnikov (Russia) and current world No. 1 Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia), who has been on a mission in 2014. Also in the run will be Hungary's Balasz Kiss who owns a win over Melnikov in 2014. Top wrestlers: Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia), Cenk Ildem (Turkey), Balasz Kiss (Hungary), Nikita Melnikov (Russia) 130 kilos: Robby Smith Gold: 10 percent Medal: 60 percent Robby Smith is currently ranked No. 20 in the world (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The most entertaining performer for Team USA, Smith has an almost unstoppable front headlock and a flare for the dramatic that draws in fans and intimidating competitors. The only ranked wrestler for the United States at No. 20, Smith picked up a few wins at the World Cup, besting Vachik Yeghiazaryan (Armenia) by fall and Yessenkeidi Zhalgasbayev (Kazakhstan) by technical fall, 8-0. He also earned a mild upset over world No. 16 Vitalii Ilnitskii (Russia), 5-3. Though the wins are nice, Smith's biggest success might have been dropping one-point matches to world No. 4 Attila Guzel (Turkey) and No. 12 Balint Lam (Hungary). Those showed that he can keep it close with anyone, a talent that can help him in Tashkent. Smith has the ability to place. He would have a tough time with world No. 1 Riza Kayaalp, but matches up well with the aforementioned Tukish wrestler and the Swedish monster, world No. 3 Johan Magnus Euren. Top wrestlers: Riza Kayaalp (Turkey), Mijain Lopez Nunez (Cuba), Johan Magnus Euren (Sweden), Attila Guzel (Turkey), Mindaugas Mizgaitis (Lithuania)

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Eastern Michigan University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Heather Lyke announced Wednesday, June 25, that seven-year EMU associate head wrestling coach David Bolyard will take over the helm of the EMU wrestling program effective immediately. The search began following the resignation of eight-year head coach Derek DelPorto in late May. David Bolyard"It is exciting to be able to announce David Bolyard as our next head wrestling coach," said Lyke. "What stood out for our committee and me about David is not only his competitive passion for Eastern Michigan wrestling, but his focus on positively impacting our student-athletes through the sport of wrestling. David is well prepared to lead our team and continue to augment the success of the program." "I would like to thank Heather Lyke, Senior Associate Athletics Director Chris Hoppe and the entire search committee for their commitment through this process," Bolyard added. "Over the past seven years I have become extremely invested in the success of our student-athletes and this program. Being named the head wrestling coach at Eastern Michigan University is truly an honor and I am excited about the opportunity to help lead this program to the next level." Bolyard brings nine years of NCAA Division I coaching experience to his new position. Prior to earning the head job at EMU, he spent seven years as the associate head coach with the Eagles. During those seven seasons, he coached 16 NCAA National Qualifiers and 33 All-Mid-American Conference placers. In addition, six-of-seven teams that he coached earned spots in the top-30 of the National Wrestling Coaches' Association (NWCA) All-Academic Team Award. Prior to coming to Ypsilanti, Bolyard spent two years at his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach. At CMU, he saw two top-30 team finishes at the NCAA Division I Championships. In addition, he coached multiple individuals to stellar careers. The Chippewas were MAC Champions in both seasons that Bolyard coached and had 10 individual MAC Champions. On top of the success in conference action, Bolyard helped coach five All-Americans and 15 national qualifiers. Before beginning his coaching career, Bolyard was a wrestling student-athlete at Central Michigan. As a Chippewa, Bolyard joined the CMU 100 Win Club and earned a spot in CMU laurels by recording the 10th most wins in Central Michigan history. Bolyard also set a then-record of 21 straight wins during his senior campaign. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier, while earning All-American status in 2004. The two-time NWCA Academic All-American won an individual MAC Championship in 2005, while also being named CMU's Chick Sherwood Most Outstanding Wrestler. Bolyard graduated from CMU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship before continuing his education and earning a master's degree from Central in athletic administration in 2008.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University wrestling coach Sammie Henson has announced the hiring of Nicholas Marable and the retention of Danny Felix as assistant coaches. “Nick has gained valuable experience while at the University of Missouri as a wrestler and a coach. Over the past few years, his work on and off the mat has helped him develop into one of best young assistant coaches in the country,” says Henson. “With his knowledge, passion and experience, Nick will bring a lot of energy into the room and has a different perspective and relationship with the athletes because he is still competing on the international stage. “It is my pleasure to have coach Felix as a part of my staff. With his knowledge of WVU wrestling and the surrounding areas, it will only solidify our recruitment of the best student-athletes in the nation. Our relationship as wrestlers and now as coaches will bring about a true family atmosphere in our room and within the Mountaineer wrestling family.” Marable comes to Morgantown after spending the 2013-14 season as the volunteer assistant coach at Missouri, lending a hand in the Tigers’ 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City and helping two Missouri Tigers earn All-America honors, including true freshman J’den Cox claiming the National Championship at 197 pounds. Prior to his time as volunteer assistant, Marable spent three years as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tigers’ grapplers. “I am excited to join West Virginia and Coach Henson’s staff,” says Marable. “I have been working with Sammie for the past couple of years and have had the privilege to not only coach with him, but to be coached by him. I am ready to build a legacy at WVU and win some titles.” Marable is currently the top-ranked men’s freestyle wrestler at 70 kilograms (154 pounds) in the United States. He was named TheMat.com’s Wrestler of the Week in February after claiming Gold at the Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul, Turkey. Marable defeated the 2012 Olympic champion and two-time world champion Jordan Burroughs on his way to the title. The victory snapped Burrough’s 69-match win streak and was his first loss in his career at the senior level. Marable also won Gold at the Grand Prix in Paris, France, and Gold at the New York Athletic Club International this year. He finished third at the 2013 U.S. Open. “Nick is on the cutting edge of wrestling, as he is ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 5 internationally in freestyle at 70 kilograms,” Henson says. “He is one of the best in the country and the world. Along with great technique, Nick has great character and loyalty. Those are what we are looking for in a staff and it will spill over into the team.” Marable currently wrestles with the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club and will continue to do so while in Morgantown. A two-time All-American at 165 pounds for Missouri, Marable was a three-time NCAA qualifier and wrestled to a third-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. As a senior, he posted a 35-5 record, which included a 13-1 dual mark, and became the 17th Missouri wrestler in program history to join the elite 100-win club. Winner of three consecutive Big 12 titles, Marable finished his career with 116 wins, the eighth-most in Missouri history, and was awarded Missouri's Hap Whitney Coaches Award honor in 2007, as well as Most Improved Wrestler accolades in 2008. “Coach Marable has been under my system for two years, and not only has he gained personal success during this time, but he also can convey the system to student-athletes to get the most out of them on and off the mat,” Henson says. The Collierville, Tenn., native graduated from Missouri in the spring of 2010 with a degree in psychology. Felix will remain on the coaching staff under coach Henson. Felix has been with WVU since 2005 and has been a full-time assistant for the past five seasons. Responsible for the lower weight divisions, wrestlers under Felix’s guidance have made 20 trips to the NCAA Championships, including three in 2014. “I'm very grateful and blessed to continue my coaching career at West Virginia University. My family and I could not be more excited to stay connected with the Morgantown community and stay a part of Mountaineer Nation,” says Felix. “I'm truly excited to have coach Sammie Henson lead this program. We have a history and a friendship that started as long-time training partners. It is great how life comes full circle and that we are together again. As I look ahead, I see a bright future for this program. Sammie’s ability to win and motivate will take this team to a new level. With a relentless drive to succeed, we will put a team on the mat that our fans will be excited to watch.” In 2009, Felix was a member of the U.S. World Team. He was one of seven freestyle wrestlers to earn a spot on the team, and Felix competed in Herning, Denmark, at the 2009 World Wrestling Championships. In early 2008 in the professional ranks, Felix garnered the Bronze medal at the 2008 U.S. Open. A year prior, he wrestled in the 121-pound class at the New York Athletic Club Holiday International Wrestling Championships and finished with a Silver medal. That same year, he was crowned the 2007 Sunkist International Champion. Before coming to Morgantown, Felix was the club wrestling coach at the University of Virginia from 2003-05. He jumped into the coaching ranks in 1998 at the University of Oklahoma, where he served as a club coach for two years. In 1995, Felix earned All-America status at Arizona State in the 118-pound weight class. To add to his stellar college career, he also was a three-time Pac-10 champion. He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree from Arizona State in 1998.

The Junior National Duals kick off today in Oklahoma City with the Greco-Roman competition, which will happen over the next two days, and the freestyle competition that follows on Friday and Saturday. Illinois is the perennial power in this event, having won both tournaments in five of the last seven years (2007, 2008, and 2011-2013). The Land of Lincoln has won Greco-Roman titles in six of the last seven years (2007-2009, 2011-2013) and freestyle titles in seven of the last eight (2006-2008, 2010-2013). To put it simply, the Illinois USA Wrestling organization has been stellar over (at least) the last decade. There are many factors to which one can attribute the success of their program, but four simple ones stand out: (1) there is a strong talent pool within the state (2) there is excellent coaching for both Greco-Roman and freestyle (3) there is strong buy-in across the board as to the importance of the Olympic styles (4) there is a high priority level placed on success. Isaiah White (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)When looking at what it will take to beat an Illinois team at the Junior Duals, one knows that it is a tall task. Just how tall? Let's look back at the Ohio roster which won the Junior Duals in freestyle back in the summer of 2009. That team was anchored by two-time Hodge Trophy winner David Taylor and a very likely soon-to-be four-time NCAA champion in Logan Stieber. Seven other members of that lineup have gone on to earn at least one All-American finish at the Division I NCAA tournament: Hunter Stieber, Cam Tessari, Zach Neibert, Pierce Harger, David Habat, Nick Heflin, and Jeremy Johnson. Other notable members of that squad include Max Thomusseit, who has made the round of 12 at the NCAA tournament the last two years; Ryan Taylor, who was a NCAA qualifier this past year; and Felipe Martinez, who at the time was in a form reflecting a top national wrestler in the Class of 2012. While that group was stellar to the extreme, it does illustrate the general landscape of the Junior National Freestyle Duals: the top teams have high quality wrestlers at most/virtually all the weight classes. Illinois Let's look at the Illinois projected lineup/roster for this weekend's freestyle competition. Note: weight classes are somewhat speculative, as the Illinois roster does not list weight classes at present. 100: Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg) -- Cadet National freestyle 3rd/88 in 2013, FILA Cadet freestyle 3rd/101 in 2014 106: Kirk Johansen (Glenbard North) -- Illinois 3A state placer; Junior National freestyle 2nd/100 in 2013, Cadet National freestyle 6th/88 in 2012, FILA Junior freestyle 1st/110 in 2014, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/92.5 in 2013 113: Carlos Fuentez (Glenbard East) -- Illinois 3A state placer; Junior National freestyle 8th/106 in 2013, Junior National freestyle 2nd/100 in 2012 120: Kyle Akins (Sycamore/Univ. of Buffalo) or Michael Cullen (Cary Grove) -- each is a three-time state placer, and each placed 3rd in Junior National freestyle in 2013; Akins won 2A state in 2013, ended 2013-14 No. 20 at 120, while Cullen was 5th/113 in Cadet National freestyle in 2012 126: Stephen Polakowski (Libertyville/Minnesota) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 16 at 120, Illinois 3A state runner-up, and was Junior National freestyle 8th/120 in 2013 132: Jon Marmolejo (Glenbard North/Purdue) -- three-time Illinois 3A state placer, runner-up this past year at 126, and is a three-time Fargo All-American in Greco-Roman 138: Alexander Butler (Boylan Catholic) -- two-time Illinois 2A state placer, runner-up this past year at 132, and Cadet National freestyle 3rd/132 in 2013 145: Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest) -- Illinois 3A state champion, Cadet National freestyle champ/138 in 2013, ended 2013-14 ranked No. 12 at 138, and is ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2016 152: Larry Early (Oak Park River Forest) -- Illinois 3A state champion, three-time state placer, Cadet National freestyle 3rd/145 in 2013, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/138 in 2013, and is ranked No. 42 overall in the Class of 2015 160: Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel/Northwestern) or Garrett Sutton (Richmond-Burton/Michigan) -- Brill ended 2013-14 No. 1 nationally at 152 pounds, was the No. 3 overall recruit in the Class of 2014, and is a 2012 Junior National freestyle champion; while Sutton ended the season No. 11 overall at 160 and was No. 100 overall in the Class of 2014 170: Kamal Bey (Oak Park River Forest) -- Illinois 3A state champion, ended 2013-14 ranked No. 17 at 160, is No. 37 overall in the Class of 2016, and Cadet National freestyle 2nd/160 in 2013. 182: Colin Carr (Washington/Minnesota) -- Illinois 2A state champion 195: Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy) -- Illinois 3A state placer, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/187 in 2014, and is ranked No. 23 overall in the Class of 2016 220: Andrew Marsden (Crystal Lake Central) -- Illinois 2A state champion, Cadet National freestyle 5th/182 in 2013, FILA Cadet freestyle 2nd/220 in 2014, ranked No. 72 overall in the Class of 2015 285: Adarios Jones (Moline/Northern Iowa) -- Illinois 3A state champion, ended 2013-14 ranked No. 9 at 285, and two-time Fargo All-American in Greco-Roman From the way I look at that lineup overall, the easiest path to upending Illinois would be to have a dominant group of lower-weights. While each of the Land of Lincoln wrestlers in this area is credentialed, they are not "untouchable." However, the middle of the lineup is very strong; and the upper-weights are pretty solid, where it will take very elite opposition to knock them off. The question now becomes if there is another squad out there constructed to capitalize on Illinois (relative) vulnerabilities, while being able to contend with (and/or buffer) the superlative back half of the Land of Lincoln lineup. Let's look at four of the more notable contenders, and how they lineup against the defending champions from Illinois. Michigan While Dominic LaJoie (Gaylord) and Dalton Roberts (Fowlerville) were a state champ and state runner-up respectively in high school this past year, and Roberts was fourth in Junior freestyle last summer, each falls short in matchups with their Illinois peer in the opening two weight classes. Going through from 113-to-160 (and possibly 170 depending on how the lineup gets stretched), this lineup matches up very well weight class by weight class. 113: Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central) or Ian Parker (St. Johns) -- Freeman ended 2013-14 ranked No. 7 at 106, is No. 19 overall in the Class of 2017; while Parker is a two-time FILA Cadet freestyle All-American and earned Cadet freestyle All-American honors last summer. 120: Kanen Storr (Leslie) -- two-time state finalist, 2013 state champion 126: Lincoln Olson (Davison) -- No. 62 overall in Class of 2015 132: Cole Weaver (Hudson/Indiana) -- ended 2013-14 No. 13 at 138, No. 88 in Class of 2014 138: Zehlin Storr (Leslie/Michigan) or Justin Oliver (Davison/Central Michigan) -- Storr was No. 14 at 138, No. 97 in Class of 2014; Oliver No. 15 at 138, No. 99 in Class of 2014 145: Zac Hall (St. Johns/Michigan) -- ended 2013-14 No. 2 at 138, No. 15 in Class of 2014 152: Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central) or Alec Pantaleo (Canton/Michigan) -- Amine is No. 54 in the Class of 2015, while Pantaleo is a two-time state finalist and 2012 state champion 160: Logan Massa (St. Johns) -- ended 2013-14 No. 5 at 152, and is No. 2 overall in the Class of 2015 Given the personnel at 170, along with a pair of top 100 Class of 2014 wrestlers at 138, the temptation is great to flex Massa up to 170 more often than not. Within the back four/five weight classes, the Michigan team has a pretty solid wrestler in each weight class. There may be some struggles against the elite of competition, though that will be matchup-dependent and not the rule. 170: Tristin Zienkiewicz (Farwell) -- state champion 182: Tyler Wildmo (St. Johns) -- two-time state placer 195: Jake McKiernan (Richmond/SIU Edwardsville) -- state champion 220: Landon Pelham (Tecumseh) -- two-time state placer, Cadet National freestyle runner-up in 2012, FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/220 in 2014 285: Ryan Prescott (Whitmore Prescott) -- two-time state champion Minnesota In many ways this team is a mirror of the Illinois team with some question marks in the lower half of the lineup and a very strong back half. The opening two weights feature Victor Gliva (Farmington) and Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen), a state runner-up and Cadet folkstyle runner-up at 100 pounds, who would be characterized as underdogs against their peer from Illinois. Now let's look at the next five weights, which would be viewed by most as an opportunity against Illinois: 113: Brent Jones (Shakopee) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 16 at 106 pounds 120: Skyler Petry (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Minneosta) -- four-time state placer, 2014 state champion, Junior GR runner-up in 2013 126: Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 19 at 120, is No. 44 overall in the Class of 2016 132: Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville/Minnesota) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 3 at 126, No. 21 in Class of 2014 138: James Berg (New Prague) -- state runner-up Now to the back half of the Gopher State lineup, which represent an interesting match-for-match battle with Illinois. One possible flex over the course of the tournament is to see a bump from one of the 145-pound wrestlers to replace the 152 starter. 145: Mark Voss (St. Michael-Albertville/North Dakota State) and/or Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville) -- Voss was a four-time state placer, 2014 state champion, and FILA Cadet freestyle 4th/127 in 2013; while Berge ended 2013-14 ranked No. 15 at 145, and is No. 2 overall in the Class of 2017 152: Carlson Brolsma (Osseo) -- state runner-up 160: Paden Moore (Jackson County Central) -- two-time state placer 170: Mark Hall (Apple Valley) -- ended 2013-14 No. 3 at 170, and is No. 1 overall in the Class of 2016 182: Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central) -- ended 2013-14 No. 14 at 170, and is No. 10 overall in the Class of 2016 195: Bobby Steveson (Apple Valley) -- ended 2013-14 No. 8 at 182, and is No. 16 overall in the Class of 2015 220: Paul Cheney (Apple Valley/Minnesota State-Moorhead) -- two-time state finalist, 2013 state champion 285: Luis Pinto (Prior Lake) -- state champion New Jersey The squad from the Garden State seems to have the first part of the formula to beating Illinois down pat, an elite lower half of the lineup (beyond the opening weight class, this team is loaded through 138). 100: Daniel Percelay (Morris Knolls) 106: Brandon Paetzell (Phillipsburg) -- ended 2013-14 No. 14 at 106 113: Ty Agaisse (Delbarton) -- ended 2013-14 No. 3 at 106, and is No. 31 overall in the Class of 2016 120: Michael Russo (St. Peter's Prep/Brown) -- two-time state placer, runner-up this past year 126: Chaz Tucker (Blair Academy) -- ended 2013-14 No. 18 at 120, and is No. 53 overall in the Class of 2015 132: Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen/Rutgers) -- ended 2013-14 No. 6 at 132, No. 47 in Class of 2014 138: Joey McKenna (Blair Academy/Stanford) -- ended 2013-14 No. 1 at 138, No. 8 in Class of 2014 The back half of the lineup is clearly not as strong as the front, and will be asked to hang on to hopefully solid leads in the key dual meets. The middle portion will have to come through strong, as beyond 182 there is no guaranteed win against the elite/contending teams. A couple of stars are here, with the rest of the group being solid, but the threshold of the competition is such that solid isn't necessarily enough. 145: Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy) -- two-time National Prep placer, 2012 champion, and FILA Cadet freestyle champion at 101 in 2012 152: Mason Manville (Blair Academy) -- ended 2013-14 No. 7 at 152 pounds, and is No. 2 overall in the Class of 2016 160: Christian Stackhouse (Riveside/North Dakota State) -- state placer, Junior National freestyle 3rd/160 in 2013 170: Josef Johnson (Delbarton/Harvard) -- two-time state placer, Cadet National freestyle 5th/152 in 2012 182: Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) -- ended 2013-14 No. 6 at 170, and is No. 4 overall in the Class of 2015 195: Jeff Velez (David Brearley) -- two-time state qualifier, NHSCA Junior National champion 220: Christian Colucci (St. Peter's Prep) -- two-time state qualifier 285: Will Cooley (Blair Academy/Davidson) Oklahoma The hosts just may be the favorites, even over the three-time defending champions. The Sooner State had a very strong senior class this year, which makes up a significant chunk of the lineup. In addition, it also was a very good year for underclassmen in Oklahoma. Like every contending squad, there are a few relative holes. However, different than the other contending squads, there are elite level wrestlers in every part of the lineup (lower, middle, upper). Here is the projected lineup. 100: Mason Naifeh (Tulsa Union) -- state qualifier 106: Kaden Gfeller (Heritage Hall) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 13 at 106 pounds, and is No. 39 overall in the Class of 2017 113: Andrew Nieman (Stillwater) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 9 at 106 120: Daton Fix (Sand Springs) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 3 at 113, and is No. 3 overall in Class of 2017 126: Kaid Brock (Stillwater) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 15 at 132, and is No. 31 overall in Class of 2015 132: Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville/Oklahoma State) or Keegan Moore (Putnam City) -- Harding ended 2013-14 No. 7 at 138, and No. 60 in Class of 2015; Moore ended 2013-14 No. 18 at 132, and is No. 35 in Class of 2015 138: Wyatt Sheets (Stillwell) or Tristan Moran (Stillwater) -- Sheets is a two-time state champion, Cadet National freestyle 7th/132 in 2013, and FILA Cadet freestyle 3rd/138 in 2014; Moran is a three-time state finalist, two-time state champion 145: Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill/Oklahoma State) -- two-time state champion, Junior National freestyle 6th/138 in 2013, Cadet National freestyle 2nd/125 in 2011 152: Joe Smith (Stillwater) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 5 at 145, and is No. 8 overall in Class of 2015 160: Jacobe Smith (Muskogee/Oklahoma State) -- state champion, three-time state placer 170: Chandler Rogers (Stillwater/Oklahoma State) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 5 at 170, and No. 20 in Class of 2014 182: Lance Dixon (Edmond North/Oklahoma) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 11 at 220 195: Joel Dixon (Edmond North/Oklahoma) -- ended 2013-14 ranked No. 9 at 182, and No. 76 in Class of 2014 220: Andrew Dixon (Edmond North/Oklahoma) and/or Kyler Childers (Sand Springs) -- Dixon ended 2013-14 ranked No. 12 at 285; Childers is a two-time state placer, state runner-up this past year, and a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American (runner-up in 2012) 285: Korey Walker (Midwest City) -- state runner-up From a strategic standpoint, there may be some times where both weighed-in 132's wrestle at the expense of a 138. Same with one of the 220's bumping up to 285. In all, there will be over 50 wrestlers that either finished high school ranked in the top 100 of the Class of 2014, or are currently ranked in the Classes of 2015 to 2017. It should be a weekend chock full of elite-level competition, and with a dramatic battle for the team championship.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army assistant coach Paul Young has been named acting head coach for the Army wrestling program, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Boo Corrigan announced today. Young, who recently completed his third season at Army, will oversee the program while a national search for a head coach is conducted. Joe Heskett has decided to leave Army West Point to pursue an administrative opportunity at West Virginia University. "We want to thank coach Heskett for the past four years with us," said Corrigan. "With every change, comes a great opportunity to reinvigorate our program and find a new leader. We are deeply committed to our cadets and will find a great head coach."

OTTAWA, Kan. -- Ottawa University officially announced in the fall that it was starting both men's and women's wrestling and will begin intercollegiate competition in the 2014-15 academic year. The women's team will become the first and only four-year program in the state of Kansas. Both programs have recruited some outstanding wrestlers for the inaugural season. Starting up a new wrestling program is exciting and now the new programs have received a boost with a $5,000 start-up grant from the U.S. Wrestling Foundation which recognizes the value of adding men's and women's wrestling in a state with relatively few collegiate wrestling options. “The United States Wrestling Foundation, in partnership with the National Wrestling Coaches Association and USA Wrestling, is exceedingly pleased to provide financial support to Ottawa University as they initiate men’s and women’s wrestling,” said Jeff Waters, Board President of the Foundation. “Wrestling has a long and deep tradition in Kansas and we believe more college wrestling opportunities should be available to our men and women athletes.” “There has never been a more important time for the wrestling community to be working together,” said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “Over 110 new collegiate wrestling programs have been established/re-established since 2001 and now that we have this partnership with the US Wrestling Foundation and USA Wrestling, we are in a great position to establish many more college teams over the next decade.” The grant will be instrumental in off-setting the cost of much-needed equipment and supplies including competition mats for the start-up of the two wrestling programs. "I am very excited about this grant, which will help continue the great work Ottawa University has already begun to establish this new wrestling program," said OU head men's and women's wrestling coach Kevin Andres. "Ottawa has been strongly committed to creating excellent facilities for the team, and this grant will be a great asset in that endeavor." Head Coach Kevin Andres and graduate assistant coach Brandy Green continue to actively recruit wrestlers for Ottawa University's historic fall season and are well on their way to having 30-40 wrestlers on campus next year. Additional funds and support are being sought for the start-up of the programs and Ottawa University continues to work closely with several organizations the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association. Coach Andres can be reached at kevin.andres@ottawa.edu or 785-248-2646.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue head wrestling coach Tony Ersland assembled the first piece of his coaching staff with the hiring of three-time All-American and 2009 Big Ten champion Tyrel Todd as an assistant coach. A decorated collegiate career, combined with high caliber national and international freestyle experience, Todd brings a standard of excellence into the Boilermaker wrestling room. “Tyrel is a young man that I actually coached against for years at Nebraska,” Ersland said. “I always liked his intensity, his toughness, his competitive drive and I think he is going to bring that same mindset to the Purdue wrestling room. He has the right blend of experience and he’s young, he’s still in the room with the guys everyday wrestling and training. He just recently stopped competing and I think that there’s that blend that we want; being able to train in the room with the guys and still have that good coaching experience.” WATCH: COACH ERSLAND TALKS ABOUT TYREL TODD Todd comes to Purdue after serving as an assistant coach at Arizona State (2013-14) and Cal Poly (2010-11). "First of all, I'd like to thank Coach Ersland for this amazing opportunity," Todd said. "I am excited to be back in the Big Ten and to work with Coach Ersland. Everywhere he has been he's had success recruiting and worked with great coaches. He's a great leader, coach and person. I look forward to building a program with him. "Purdue is a great school and it's really nice to come into a good setup with a lot of positives. I can't wait to start recruiting guys that want to grind and aren't afraid to train with the expectation of high results. I want to recruit wrestlers that want to do something that hasn't been done before here at Purdue. We want to turn heads and create something new and exciting and to me as a coach, that's really exciting." A two-time team captain at Michigan, Todd made his mark on the Wolverine program wrestling at 184 and 197 pounds. In his first three seasons at 184, Todd posted an 82-24 record while placing fifth, third and second at the Big Ten Championships and earning as many trips to the NCAA Championships. Todd earned a spot on the podium his sophomore and junior campaigns, placing fifth and third, respectively. Bumping up to 197 pounds in his final season, Todd registered a 25-3 record en route to a Big Ten title and a fourth-place showing at the NCAA Championships. He finished with a career record of 121-30, with his 121 wins ranking 16th all-time at Michigan. In four NCAA appearances, Todd compiled a 16-7 mark, which ranks seventh in program history. He is also tied for third all-time with a 13-4 career record at the Big Ten Championships. Todd's pursuit of excellence extended beyond the mat and into the classroom. He was an All-Big Ten Academic selection and Athletic Academic Achievement Award winner in 2006, received the Snip Nalan Scholarship for Wrestling in 2008-09 and was named the team's Distinguished Scholar in 2009. Todd also found success wrestling freestyle at 84 kg. He took fifth at the 2007 ASICS U.S. National Championships, eighth in 2008 and was seventh in 2011. In 2008, Todd placed fourth at the Olympic Trials, narrowly missing a bid for the Olympic Games in Beijing. After a successful career at Michigan, Todd spent the 2010-11 season as an assistant at Cal Poly where he had four NCAA qualifiers (141, 157, 165, 197), including a runner-up finish from Borislav Novachkov at 141. Following the season he returned to Ann Arbor, Mich., and took a post with the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club where he trained alongside his former teammates, while also mentoring and aiding in their individual development. His position at the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club allowed Todd to spend extensive time training alongside the top freestyle wrestlers in the country and to tour and compete in Russia, Chechnya and Ukraine. In July 2013, Todd was named an assistant coach at Arizona State where he worked exclusively with the 165-285-pound wrestlers. He played a key role in recruiting, coordinating practices, developing training schedules and organizing team travel. Todd's background as a competitor and as a coach has prepared him for his return to the Big Ten Conference where he knows what it takes to succeed. "Recruiting will be the number one thing on my priority list at Purdue," Todd said. "I want to find the wrestlers that are excited to be in the Big Ten, it's the toughest conference out there and it's a grind week in and week out. I embraced that as a wrestler and I want to recruit the wrestlers that are ready to get after it every weekend. "Secondly, I want to work with and develop the upper weights on our roster. I want to build their confidence through tough work, but also mentally. There's so much that goes into wrestling in this league and at this level. Wrestling isn't just a technical chess match, it's also mental. I think this group has untapped potential and I can't wait to get to work with them." Todd is a native of Bozeman, Mont., and hails from a six-generation dairy farming operation. He received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from Michigan in 2009, majoring in history and minoring in psychology. He and his wife, Loni, are expecting their first child this fall.

There are many signs of a powerful linkage between Christian faith and the sport of wrestling. There is the story in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, of Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord (a battle depicted with numerous artworks, including a larger-than-life-size version greeting visitors at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa). A number of wrestlers openly profess their faith in public statements, in their tattoos, in their clothes, and in their memberships in organizations such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action. Michael Fessler -- a former wrestler for 16 years who now has a bachelor's degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Bethel University -- takes on the subject in his brand-new 103-page book, "Faith and Wrestling: How the Role of the a Wrestler Mirrors the Christian Life", published by CrossBooks. Meet Mike Fessler Fessler was born in Texas, but grew up in Missouri. He was raised in what he described as a wrestling family, first taking up the sport himself at age 6. All four Fessler brothers were Missouri high school state championship finalists; Mike won his state title for Oak Park High School in Kansas City as a freshman. Seeking a new start, the Fessler family moved to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area the summer after Mike won his Missouri championship; his father was employed by Northwest Airlines, which, before its merger with Delta, was headquartered in the Twin Cities. Mike enrolled at Apple Valley High School, one of the leading prep programs in the nation. He lost at the Minnesota high school state tournament his sophomore and junior year before winning the state title as a senior. Mike FesslerAfter graduating from Apple Valley, Fessler embarked on his college career at Cal State Bakersfield, sight unseen. "I was recruited by Cal State Bakersfield, met the coaches at the NCAAs," Fessler told InterMat. "I never visited the campus. In fact, the first time I saw the school was when I flew out there to enroll and start classes." When asked about his career with the Roadrunners, Fessler responded, "I started for a bit. The regular starter broke his hand, and I earned his sport on the team. I won my first two matches, then never won another match in college." "I struggled with injuries," said Fessler. "I lacked confidence." "The only reason I picked the school was to wrestle." "I was unhappy and in a bad place," Fessler continued. "I moved back to Minnesota, spent some time in community college. Then I started at Bethel." "My faith had been a part of me since I became a wrestler. I became a Christian at age 6." "When I stopped being a wrestler, I lost sight of who I was." "I started reading the Bible more, started studying theology more." "I thought the ministry would be something I could do," Fessler disclosed. "My intention was to possibly enter a pastoral ministry." The genesis of the book "I was not only engaged in religious study at Bethel, but also had reconnected with wrestling as a fan," Fessler said. "Wrestling and faith (as subjects) collided in my head. My experience as a wrestler and my faith became even more interconnected, an idea that I could not keep from swirling in my mind." The faith-and-wrestling bond grew even stronger in Fessler's mind, thanks to some outside sources. "I was watching the NCAAs," according to Fessler. "I couldn't help but notice that, in the finals interviews, about half of the winners specifically gave thanks to God." "The next day, I did an online search -- "faith and wrestling" -- and found your article," referring to this writer's August 2009 InterMat article titled "Christian faith serves wrestlers on and off the mat." Michael Fessler won a Minnesota state championship as a senior at Apple Valley High School in 2004Within the first couple paragraphs of that InterMat story was an explanation of how the article came together: "Over the years, a number of wrestlers have told InterMat in interviews about their Christian faith." The article went on to cite some notable examples from the past, including Olympic gold medalists Brandon Slay (2000 Sydney Olympics), Ben Peterson (1972 Munich Games), and Shelby Wilson (1960 Rome Olympics). For the article, this writer interviewed three wrestlers who openly expressed their Christianity: Derek Garcia (then a three-time high school champ in Washington State), Justin Kerber (at the time, a Cornell University wrestler), and Greco-Roman star Sam Hazewinkel. "The article was a springboard," said Fessler. "I thought, 'Readers might want to hear what I have to say.'" "I also looked at Flowrestling videos. So many wrestlers (interviewed) mentioned their faith. It was almost like I was getting knocked in the head about doing a book." "I continued to have things swirling around in my head about faith and wrestling. I could no longer think of them separately." Taking the first steps Fessler started work on his book, first writing the introduction that poses a question about the link between wrestling and faith. Here's the opening paragraph: "Faith and wrestling -- what's the relationship between the two? Rather than an inquiry that has people aspiring for answers regarding the relevance or functionality of this relationship, the connection between faith and wrestling becomes increasingly evident as one looks for it. Faith and wrestling have the tendency to contain somewhat of a mutual interplay, in that wrestling appears to be a physical mirroring of what so many of us combat with spiritually. And a great number of wrestlers have found it pertinent to express their faith alongside the competitive arena." Moving beyond the introduction was far from easy. In fact, it's fair to say that Fessler wrestled with the writing process. "My biggest difficulty was writing in sections," the former mat champ revealed. Fessler faced other challenges in bringing the book to life that forced him to put the project aside more than once. "I would shelve the book, thinking some who accomplished more in wrestling should be writing it, not a wrestling dropout," said Fessler. Then he came to a significant realization: "I believe God is using me to express a message." "Look at the Bible. It's full of people who failed, but they were the ones God used. That realization became an encouraging thing to me." That said, Fessler continued to wrestle with issues in completing the book. "Almost a year ago, 90% of the manuscript was done, but I shelved it again." Then he remembered a video interview that gave him new energy, and a renewed sense of purpose. "Years ago, I saw a Flowrestling interview with Jack Spates, telling how he was stepping down as (University of) Oklahoma coach to go into ministry," said Fessler. "I thought, 'If I could send him some of my manuscript, perhaps he could comment on it.'" "I attached a segment of my book in an email to OU coach (Mark) Cody, asking him to please forward it to Spates." "A couple weeks later, I got a random phone call from a number I didn't recognize," Fessler continued. "The caller left a voicemail. It was Jack Spates." "We talked about the manuscript. He loved it. We did a Skype interview, then I followed up by sending him a copy of the entire manuscript. He then forwarded it to Gene Davis and Rob Bronson. They reviewed it, and helped me get it published." (Davis was a 1976 Olympic bronze medalist who is now director of wrestling for Athletes in Action; Bronson is Athletes in Action's International Wrestling Team Coordinator.) "I hadn't even met any of these guys," said Fessler, seeming to marvel at how things came together. "Once Jack got back to me, the process accelerated." "I now talk to Jack on a regular basis." The purpose of the book When asked what result he would like from the book, Mike Fessler said, "To offer a unique perspective on what it means to be a Christian. Christian faith is often portrayed as being for weaklings. Christians are actually warriors." Fessler's biography in "Faith and Wrestling" has two lines that sum up the book simply and directly: "After stepping away from wrestling competitively, Michael engrossed himself in the world of theology and began to see his faith in a whole new light. To him, every Christian is a 'wrestler'; and wrestling itself contains a unique perspective in regard to the Christian faith." "I want wrestlers to use their faith to wrestle with more passion, to get more enjoyment out of the sport." "Wrestling is a gift to employ, not just for its own glory. It's for a greater purpose." "I wrote the book to be actually easy to read. That said, there are heavy issues within the book," Fessler admitted. "However, it is not a purely academic book. I've read plenty of those for my theological classes. Instead, I wrote this to have a practical element, to help wrestlers gain practical aspects of how they can apply their faith to their wrestling, and how their sport can impact their faith." Throughout "Faith and Wrestling", Mike Fessler brings together the Bible and the sport of wrestling to meld the two elements together in ways that speak to wrestlers, coaches, their families, and to the Christian community. In the introduction, Fessler sets the stage for the rest of the book: "Faith is something that we live out through a certain set of beliefs. If truly part of one's life, it should have a propensity to direct one's decisions, both big and small, and deeply influence how one approaches life. Wrestling, on the other hand, is a sport. Yet anyone who has experienced it knows it's so much more than that. It directly impacts other areas of one's life, whether related to diet, social life, sleep regimen, etc. Furthermore, it's a character builder. There's the saying, 'Anybody can beat anybody on a given day,' and given the talent and devotion of wrestlers, I find this to be true today now more than ever ... Even legends fall. And we know this to be true because we've seen it. From Dan Gable to Cael Sanderson, Buvaisar Saitiev to Alexander Karelin, every legend of wrestling has experienced the heavy weight of defeat. And it's how they've dealt with that defeat that speaks to their level of character." To further illustrate the faith-wrestling connection, here's a sample from Chapter 6 titled "Wrestling and the Human Experience": "In this chapter, we have recognized that wrestling is a part of the human experience. And as I have tried to show (and will continue to show) throughout this book, in relation to the proposed concepts, the sport of wrestling serves as physical imagery. Just as wrestling is a part of the human experience, so is the sport of wrestling a mini-life. It's sort of a life within a life. The ups and downs, wins and losses, mental lapses, growth and toughness, triumphs and setbacks, and, yes, even temptations, all take place within a single wrestling season. Moreover, the experiences all take place within a single wrestling season seem to move along a stream of time that allows no room for stagnancy. The season will continue to move along with or without you. In some respects, a wrestling season is like life at hyper-speed. There's a faster pace at play. And if you don't keep up, you'll find yourself lost, confused and altogether left behind ..." "Faith and Wrestling: How the Role of a Wrestler Mirrors the Christian Life" provides a thoughtful, thought-provoking analysis of the interconnection between Christian faith and world's oldest and greatest sport that will speak to wrestlers, coaches, families and wrestling fans as they continue their own unique faith journeys. "Faith and Wrestling" by Michael Fessler, published by CrossBooks, is available in both traditional printed book format as well as an e-book at major online book retailers such as Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, as well directly from the publisher at CrossBooks.com. And, be sure to check out the brief video below about Fessler and his book.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Nittany Lion wrestler David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) has been named the Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year. Taylor was joined on the women's side by Purdue's Dani Bunch, a track and field stand-out for the Boilermakers. Taylor is only the second Penn Stater to ever to be named Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year since the honor's inception in 1982, joining men's gymnast Luis Vargas, who won the award in 2005. He is the eighth wrestler to win the award. Six Penn State women have been named Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year, with the last being Megan Hodge (2010, women's volleyball). Taylor became the second straight member of head coach Cael Sanderson's Nittany Lion wrestlers to win Penn State Male Athlete of the Year earlier this month (teammate Ed Ruth won last year's Penn State honor), putting him on the ballot for the Owens Award. Taylor recently wrapped up one of collegiate wrestling's most historic careers. He won the 2014 Hodge Trophy as the nation's top wrestler and was Big Ten Wrestler of the Year for the third time. Taylor became Penn State's first-ever four-time NCAA finalist and won his second NCAA individual title at 165, leading Penn State to its fourth-straight NCAA Championship in Oklahoma City in March. Taylor's 2014 accolades were stunning: Hodge Trophy Award (won twice during his career), NCAA National Champion (for the second time), NCAA Finalist (for the fourth time), NCAA All-American (for the fourth time), Big Ten Wrestler of the Year (for the third time), NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler Award, NCAA Championships Outstanding Wrestler, Big Ten Champion (Penn State's first four-time Big Ten Champion, joining Ruth with that honor), three-time Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, Academic All-Big Ten (for the fourth time), NWCA First Team All-Academic (for the fourth time), Capital One First Team Academic All-American. His career numbers are a testament to Taylor's dominance throughout a landmark collegiate wrestling career. He leaves Penn State as a member of four NCAA Championship teams and four Big Ten Championships teams. Taylor went 34-0 this season to end the year as the nation's lone unbeaten Division I wrestler and closed out his career with a 134-3 record. His 97.8 career win percentage included an all-time Penn State best 53 pins (ties a school record), 42 technical falls and 30 majors, meaning 125 of his 137 career matches were won by a major or better. Taylor never lost in a dual meet and was a perfect 56-0 all-time against Big Ten competition.

The wrestling community has complained about a lack of coverage from the mainstream media as well as general sports publications and websites ... until a wrestler has a run-in with the law, or is suspended by his or her school. Collectively, fans seem to be of two minds when it comes to reporting on alleged rule-breakers, lawbreakers and those who post questionable material in social media who happen to be college wrestlers. It would appear that most mat fans would rather not know about these situations; this writer has heard from those who say, "You're ruining that kid's life" or "These kinds of stories hurt wrestling's image; why write about it?" Unless the fan supports a rival program. Then it's "Why don't you tell us what's really going on with this clown?" or "His coach should be fired!" or "Typical for that program." Arrests are part of the public record; in many college communities, arrest records are posted online at police websites and/or at the websites of local or college newspapers, for the entire wrestling world to discoverIn the past year or so, there have been a number of incidents involving reports of bad behavior on the part of college wrestlers. Among the examples: a Division III program was shut down for about a week after allegations of hazing and abuse of teammates emerged. A Division I champ was suspended for a month after being charged with DUI. Another Division I starter was suspended after posting anti-gay messages on his Twitter account. More recently, the NCAA revealed that wrestlers from three schools were issued letters of reprimand for inappropriate behavior at the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, including a wrestler who put a hole in the wall of a hallway at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Does this mean that college wrestlers are getting into more trouble off-the-mat than previous generations? What are the NCAA and individual programs doing about bad behavior on the part of student-matletes? Matmen behaving badly: A perspective Before we continue, let's provide some basic perspective. First, the focus of this article is to look at behavior outside of competition. We're not exploring illegal holds or allegations of unsportsmanlike behavior during wrestling events. Second, it would be misleading -- in fact, downright wrong -- to say that inappropriate or law-breaking behavior away from the mat is a rampant problem that is unique to college wrestling. It's not. Consider some of the sports stories that have been fodder for newspapers, sports networks, sports talk shows, blogs and online forums in the past year or so. A high school football player suspended from school for a sarcastic tweet about a teacher. A NBA team owner making racist and sexist remarks to his lover. A NFL star accused of murdering two men for bumping into him at a club. Another NFL player allegedly terrorized one of his own teammates. High school football players involved in a sexual attack on a female student, with some school coaches and administrators participating in a cover-up. Numerous athletes who have made racist, homophobic, sexist or otherwise offensive statements. This kind of activity isn't limited to athletes. Think of the hubbub caused by the statements or actions of any number of actors, singers, reality show stars or politicians, and you can see that one doesn't have to wear a jockstrap to get in trouble. Likewise, it would also be wrong to imply that stupid or rule-breaking behavior on the part of college wrestlers is something brand-new, an indicator of suddenly declining moral values or a current generation that's out of control. It was an issue five years ago (remember the two wrestlers at a major Division I program who were booted off the team for appearing naked in photos at a gay website?) and 50 years ago, too. As someone who has written about the history of college wrestling for the past decade -- and, in the process, read more than his fair share of vintage yearbooks, newspapers and magazines -- I've seen enough examples of wrestlers who found themselves facing punishment from an irate coach, college dean, local judge or even an offended nation to refute any notion that there was no bad behavior in the so-called good old days. It's safe to say that the vast majority of the situations I've come across in articles from school publications or Amateur Wrestling News involve suspensions for academic reasons -- failure to earn a minimum GPA (grade point average) or failing a required class. There are also the situations that may not have anything to do with grades, but where a coach may feel that some sort of public punishment may get a wayward wrestler to reverse course. One of the more unusual suspensions involved a collegiate mat champ of a half-century ago. The coach -- one of the all-time legends of the sport -- felt that the wrestler wasn't adequately invested in his college academic and athletic career, so the star was benched. After a couple weeks, the wrestler came back to the coach saying that he had refocused his energies towards the classroom and the practice room, and issued an apology to the coach and his teammates. The once-suspended wrestler went on to become a three-time NCAA champ. There are times when an athlete engages in behavior of such a serious nature that it brings national attention -- and shame -- to the individual and the school. One such incident of approximately 60 years ago involved a wrestler at one of the most storied mat programs in the nation ... for an incident on the football field. Said athlete deliberately threw more than one punch to the face of an athlete from the opposing team -- according to some sources, perfectly legal at the time -- which resulted in a broken jaw for the rival player. The incident was captured in a sequence of newspaper photos that won a Pulitzer Prize. Allegations swirled that the incident was racially motivated, something that was denied by both the white punch-thrower and the owner of the broken jaw, an African-American. That said, the incident rocked college football in the early 1950s, and resulted in rule and equipment changes. Why the appearance of MORE bad behavior? So, why does it appear that there are more examples of inappropriate or even law-breaking behavior in society in general ... and especially on the part of today's student-athletes? For starters, it may well be a matter of perspective. If you haven't spent endless hours in library archives or online, pouring over old-time newspapers, yearbooks and even coaches' files to see evidence of past incidents -- and have only seen uber-positive written or filmed tributes to wrestlers of the past -- you may think that there was no such thing as bad behavior in the so-called good old days. What's more, unlike, say, athletes in some sports, college wrestlers tend not to write tell-all books. A couple exceptions I've read involve amateur mat stars who become pro wrestlers, and write their memoirs with an eye to delighting their pro fans who suspect that college wrestling is as full of dirty double-dealing as what fans see from today's WWE. In addition, in the past, most sports writers had an almost worshipful attitude towards athletes -- what George Rugg, sports archivist at University of Notre Dame, described as the "gee whiz" era of sports reporting. Athletes were presented as heroes and role models; misbehavior on or off the field was rarely reported. (This all changed with societal attitudes in the late 1960s, and emergence of athletes such as Jim Bouton, Joe Namath and Jim Brown who were not afraid to speak their minds.) A plethora of potential pitfalls A major reason why it might SEEM there are more problem student-athletes is ... more coverage of the sport from designated wrestling media. More magazines and newsletters. More websites such as InterMat. More social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. More blogs. More online forums and discussion groups. Consider the exponential expansion of wrestling coverage since the early 1950s. Sixty years ago, Sports Illustrated, the first truly national sports media, was born, providing its annual wrap-up of the NCAA championships, and the occasional profile of a top wrestler or coach, for example, the 1957 cover story on Dan Hodge. In 1956, Amateur Wrestling News debuted as the first national wrestling magazine. Fifty years ago, ABC's "Wide World of Sports" provided the first national TV coverage of the NCAA wrestling finals (1963), albeit in highly edited form, weeks after the fact. Thirty-five years ago, ESPN became the first national sports network. Twenty-five years ago, the Internet was in its infancy. Less than a decade ago, ESPN started to provide live coverage of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Just this year, ESPN provided its first-ever "every match, every mat" coverage of the Division I Nationals. Before this explosion of coverage -- back in what is often referred to as the good old days -- if a college wrestler got in trouble, it's likely that no one outside the team, school or local community would have been aware of it, unless the athlete was a nationally-recognized star (a conference or national champ, for instance). Then Amateur Wrestling News and/or Sports Illustrated might have written about his suspension, since fans across the nation might otherwise wonder, "Why isn't Joe Blow at the NCAAs?" Now, thanks to the Internet, the world is a much smaller place. News of alleged bad behavior now travels well beyond the wrestler's school or hometown. In a matter of minutes, fans across the country and around the world know what would have been very much a local story, "just among us friends" a quarter-century ago. Another aspect -- there are more online opportunities for athletes to find themselves in trouble. Think about all the new venues of communication now available to athletes -- not just online forums, but also Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine, to name a few -- that could take down a wrestler if he were to post a message, photo or video judged inappropriate. Social media seems tailor-made for today's athletes. To those of us who would be considered members of an "older generation", current athletes would appear to be more open and disclosing than their parents or grandparents. These athletes may view those connected to them on Twitter or Facebook as all being friends. This writer has observed numerous occasions where a wrestler has revealed information that, in previous generations, might not have been known outside an athlete's circle of closest friends or teammates. Some are amusing: wrestlers who publicly revealed they were receiving a major honor in advance of an official announcement ... or another who told the world he spotted his first chest hair. Sometimes, athletes post public comments on upcoming opponents or match outcomes that heretofore would have been unknown to wrestling fans and journalists. A changing landscape beyond new technology Newer technology tools such as the Internet and the proliferation of wrestling websites, forums and social media aren't the only reasons why it appears that college wrestlers may have more opportunity to get in trouble. Societal norms about what is "bad behavior" have changed. A prime example is attitudes about drinking and driving. Yet another: incidents in the past that might have been dismissed as "boys being boys" are now being prosecuted as sexual assault. In addition, in the past, there was also a line of thinking that sought to protect young people -- especially athletes -- from having to endure public humiliation or punishment. Not that many years ago, situations involving alleged inappropriate or illegal behavior on the part of teenagers or even college-age students were not reported in the local media, and, if not handled in the juvenile justice system, might not be prosecuted at all. It was rare for cases involving minors to be handled in the adult criminal justice system. In an extreme example from fifty years ago which took place less than two miles where this writer lives, a teenage girl was bludgeoned to death on her way home from a dance, allegedly by her teenage boyfriend. A local judge essentially adopted the accused teenager, sparing him a potential trial and jail time. The alleged killer is now a successful local businessman. This "spare the child" attitude may have sprung from outrage at how some young people were treated (and mistreated) by the criminal justice system 80-100 years ago ... as well as reform movements that sought to rehabilitate young offenders with the idea that could prevent future crime. However, increases in crime rates in the 1970s, 80s and 90s paved the way for tougher sentencing and more situations in which youthful offenders were treated as adults. What are the rules? Asking the NCAA ... With changes in technology and societal norms seeming to provide more opportunities for student-athletes to get in trouble, what are the rules to protect college wrestlers from situations that could, at minimum, cause embarrassment, and, at maximum, result in expulsion from school or even prison time? The NCAA puts out a rulebook -- officially titled "Wrestling: 2013-14 and 2014-15 Rules and Interpretations" -- which has over 140 pages devoted to the regulations governing collegiate wrestling for NCAA Divisions I, II and III. In words -- and, when necessary, in photos and diagrams -- the book provides clear explanations of the fundamental rules for everything from eligibility to weigh-in procedures to acceptable uniforms to mat requirements to how matches are to be wrestled. Within the opening pages of the rulebook -- immediately after the table of contents and a recap of what's new in this edition -- is a page with the header "Codes of Conduct" with separate sections for Coaches, Referees, and Student-Athletes. The "Student-Athletes' Statement of Conduct and Responsibility" reads: "It is the responsibility of all wrestlers to conduct themselves in such a way as to reflect credit upon their institutions, the sport and themselves. Further, all wrestlers should realize that their personal appearance, behavior and standards are related closely to the image of the sport as perceived by all segments of the public and wrestling communities. This applies to conduct as a competitor on the mat, while attending the event, while traveling to and from the event, while both on and off campus. Moral obligation and ethical conduct are part of winning and losing. Good sportsmanship, pride, honor, and personal behavior should be placed above all else. The rules have been established in the spirit of this statement." As one would expect in a rule book, there are dozens of pages devoted to inappropriate or rule-breaking on-the-mat behavior -- everything from what constitutes stalling to dangerous, illegal holds, as well as acts which are considered unsportsmanlike, such as taunting, or a wrestler pulling down the straps of his singlet after a match but while still on the mat. However, I was unable to find any material regarding inappropriate off-the-mat behavior within this 140-page book ... a fact confirmed by Ron Beaschler, Secretary of the NCAA Rules Committee responsible for producing the rulebook, who said, "I only work with the playing rules for wrestling." Beaschler was kind enough to forward my query to Chris Radford, Associate Director of Public and Media Relations for the NCAA, who responded, "I'm not aware of any such communication from the national office. Generally speaking, it is the responsibility of each respective school to provide such guidance and education for their student-athletes." Other factors governing athlete behavior Beyond the NCAA wrestling rulebook, most colleges and universities have a Code of Conduct (or similarly-named document) which governs the behavior of all students at that institution; many also have a specific set of rules which apply to their student-athletes. In addition, schools usually have some sort of review board or other judicial body which hears cases of alleged rule-breaking and determines appropriate sanctions when warranted, including expulsion from school. Nowadays, for on-campus matters, students -- even athletes who are nationally recognized -- are protected from potential public humiliation or embarrassment by a federal law known as FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which prohibits colleges and universities from releasing personally identifiable information derived from education records, including information regarding student disciplinary matters. FERPA is the reason that wrestling fans -- and wrestling writers -- don't always know the reasons for the departure of a college wrestler, whether it's a temporary suspension, or a permanent parting of the ways. Especially in cases that involve an on-campus situation, whatever it may be -- a coach benching a wrestler for failing to show up for practice, or failing a class, for example. Sometimes the truth is revealed later -- a wrestler returns to the team without any advance notice, or suddenly shows up on another campus. Or the wrestler reveals the story himself on Twitter or Facebook. However, under FERPA, the school itself is not to disclose disciplinary action taken against a student-athlete. If the student-athlete chooses to reveal the reasons for his or her absence, that's not a violation of FERPA. Of course, alleged crimes which take place off-campus -- on a public street, in a bar, or in an apartment or home within the community -- are no longer under school jurisdiction and FERPA rules, but are subject to handling by local law enforcement and possible prosecution within the criminal justice system. (Though the college may choose its own punishment for such students -- suspension or expulsion, for example -- above and beyond any fines, probation or jail time from local courts.) Arrests are part of the public record; in many college communities, arrest records are posted online at police websites and/or at the websites of local or college newspapers, for the entire wrestling world to discover. Schools share their guidelines InterMat reached out to sports information directors at a number of college wrestling programs competing at all levels -- from NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) to NCAA Division I -- to ask about what kind of rules and programs they have in place to guide wrestlers in their off-the-mat behavior, including use of social networks. Chas Dorman, Associate Director of Athletic Communications at the University of Pennsylvania, is the media's point-of-contact for the Penn wrestling program. When asked about instruction in the use of social media on the part of Quaker wrestlers, Dorman said, "I handle this with the team. Each fall, I have about a half hour with the team which covers social media and general media processes. I cover how privacy works/doesn't work in social media, impart what being an Ivy League student-athlete means, and the higher standard our student-athletes are held to. I try to focus on how social media is the same as giving a quote in a media interview and how you should approach social media as if you are in your singlet/warm-ups and at a microphone. Last year with the other teams I work with, I started using a PowerPoint presentation which includes examples of inappropriate social media from across the country, inside the Ivy League and at Penn. This will be used with wrestling this year." In terms of preparing wrestlers for media interviews, Dorman said, "I handle this in conjunction with the social media presentation. We explain what the media is all about, why they are covering us, and go over proper tactics for interviews. Once a year, our captains and head coaches across all sports meet with a group called The Speaking Specialists who are a widely-regarded media relations training firm." Dorman also addressed on-campus behavior issues, such as attending classes, maintaining grades, and showing up for classes. "Our coaches run through a lot of this with the team, but representatives from our Academics and Compliance office also meet with the team at the beginning of each season to make sure all formal policies on those areas are covered," said Dorman. "Academics also runs workshops on selecting majors, internships, etc." As for off-campus behavior -- and what might constitute illegal behavior vs. something that may be perceived as inappropriate but not necessarily illegal -- Dorman responded, "Our Academics group helps run these workshops with our public safety office. All incoming student-athletes have a meeting and then each team meets as well." Steve LomanginoSteve Lomangino, sports information director for wrestling and football at Lehigh University, said, "Instruction and information on use of social media and training for conducting interviews with members of the media are initiatives led by our sports information department. We try to meet with all of our teams during the preseason to go over our list of media relations topics (who covers us, TV/radio/internet coverage, tips for conducting interviews, social media education etc.) ... "I do, however, try to work with the guys during the season about conducting interviews and I do try to provide some level of social media education when we're on road trips during the season." Lomangino provided some perspective regarding other sports he serves at Lehigh: "I do a 10-15 minute session with our football team in August during training camp. In addition to preseason team talks, my assistant does a 30-minute media-training session with our men's basketball and men's lacrosse teams in the preseason to prepare them for in-season interview requests." "As for the on and off-campus behavior topics, I'm not as certain," Lomangino continued. "Our office does not advise student-athletes on those matters. Our coaching staff provides most of the education on proper on-campus behavior. I think the off-campus behavior is probably a combination of our coaching staff and our top department administrators, who go over a lot of the expected on/off-campus behaviors of ALL of our student-athletes at a student-athlete orientation meeting during the first week of classes in the fall." Travis Chell, sports information director for the men's and women's wrestling programs at King University in Bristol, Tenn., has been in the position for only one year, so some of that school's initiatives in preparing its student-athletes for dealing with issues beyond the wrestling mat or playing surface. When asked about use of social media, Chell responded, "I'm trying to get someone on campus to talk about that. If that doesn't happen, I hope to give a short presentation to our student-athletes." In terms of providing guidance regarding on-campus and off-campus behavior on the part of King athletes, Chell said that this is the responsibility of each team's coaches, and that each program has specific rules governing student-athlete behavior. Wrestlers weigh in, too In addition to reaching out to college sports information directors, InterMat sought the input of individuals who wrestled in college, whether it was recently, or some time ago, to see what kind of instruction they received in terms of off-the-mat behavior, if any. Curran JacobsCurran Jacobs wrestled at Michigan State from 2008-2012, and now resides in the Los Angeles area, pursuing his acting career. He played the wrestling coach for the Luke Dunphy character in a February 2014 episode of the hit ABC-TV series "Modern Family," which was highlighted in a 2014 InterMat article. The former Spartan wrestler said that they were not given specific instructions as to use of social media, or regarding interviews with the media, saying, "If the media wanted to speak with us, such as the 'State News' or the Big 10 Network, we were free to speak our minds about our training and our competition." Jacobs went into greater detail about guidance in non-media behavior issues. Addressing the question concerning on-campus behavior, Jacobs -- who starred in MSU productions of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" -- said, "We were heavily encouraged by our coaches and the athletic program to attend classes and to be on our best behavior. If we didn't attend class, then we were punished by not being able to attend practice. If your grades were really bad and you rarely attended class, you were suspended and possibly kicked off the team. It just wasn't tolerated." "The athletic program at MSU made it mandatory for all the athletes in every sport to attend a three-hour seminar at the beginning of the year where we had to sit and listen to men and women speak about the importance of being leaders," Jacobs continued. "We were told that we represented Michigan State University on and off the field. And our actions spoke not only for ourselves, but for our coaches, classmates and our University itself. We covered subjects like alcohol abuse, drug use, hazing, sexual assault, etc. And the penalty for misbehaving in a serious way regarding these subjects resulted in the athlete being stripped of their scholarship and kicked off the team." Mike Fessler, author of the brand-new book "Faith and Wrestling", wrestled at Apple Valley High School in Minnesota -- one of the highest-ranked prep programs in the nation -- and at Cal State Bakersfield before earning a bachelor's degree in Biblical and Theological Studies from Bethel University in St. Paul. "Both in high school and in college I was provided instruction about interviews with the media, on-campus behavior and off-campus behavior," said Fessler. "However, all the instruction came from the coaching staff. Particularly in high school, I recall gathering a handful of times as a team, before practice, and receiving this sort of instruction. I wrestled for Apple Valley, and our coaches would continuously tell us, 'As an Apple Valley wrestler, you are in a fish bowl. Everybody is watching you, and that includes your behavior and communication in interviews as well as your behavior on and off the mat. Be on your best behavior. Be respectful of yourself and others.' They would then offer instruction about how to put this proper behavior into action." "I was not provided such instruction, however, with regard to social media use," Fessler continued. "Primarily because social media had not yet made a large impact on society. I graduated from high school in 2004, and wrestled just a year in college. Facebook, Myspace, and other mainstay social media platforms were not implemented until 2005 or so." Another former wrestler who had no instruction in social media but got sound guidance in how a college matman should behave was Jack Alkon. The just-retired dentist from Connecticut whose college mat career was in the late 1960s shared his experiences in a 2008 InterMat article about how developments in wrestling gear and mats have affected competitor strategy over the years. "I wrestled at Tufts College from 1965 thru 1969," said Alkon. "Our program would now be classified as Division III, although those divisions didn't exist at the time." "As I recall, we received no instruction or materials regarding communication with the media or behavioral guidelines, but pretty much the only medium interested in us was our school newspaper." "Our coach did let us know in the course of coaching what was expected of us," Alkon continued. "Early in my college career, I was in a close match with a very good opponent. I was on top and he bridged back and pinned me while I was 'in control.' I came off the mat and said an expletive which could be heard by the fans. My coach came over to me and I expected him to console me on a tough loss, but instead he laid into me for not accepting my loss gracefully and reacting poorly. This was an important lesson that taught me that my actions and reactions affect others' perception of wrestlers and wrestling." Alkon offered some timeless advice that seems appropriate for wrestlers of any era, at any type of school. "In my opinion, wrestling -- and all amateur sport -- is a means to an end and not an end in itself. Striving to learn techniques, get in shape, and hopefully defeat opponents is the means by which athletes learn discipline, respect (for opponents, officials and self), work ethic, facing challenges, accepting victory and defeat gracefully, and so many more life lessons. If these lessons aren't learned, all the medals and trophies are meaningless." Student-athlete social media use: One school's guidelines Use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter may well be the final frontier in terms of student-athlete behavior. Most of these services are less than a decade old. While colleges, coaches and other authority figures try to set rules or guidelines on social media use, it's ultimately up to individual wrestlers and other student-athletes to discover the best ways to use these technology tools without injuring their own image and reputation -- and that of their school and wrestling program. (Think of it this way: back when all-time greats like Dan Hodge and Dan Gable ruled the college mats, they had to abide by various rules and codes of conduct during their college mat careers ... but never had to worry about possibly posting a message, photo or video online that others might find questionable or offensive.) A website -- SocialMediaGovernance.com -- provides links to dozens of websites featuring rules (or at least some guidelines) on use of social media for employees of organizations ranging from city governments to major worldwide corporations. Only one is a college sports-related link: a two-page policy document from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Athletics, governing "social networking and media use." The Tarheels document opens with this statement: "The UNC Department of Athletics recognizes and supports its student-athletes' rights to freedom of speech, expression, and association, including the use of online social networks. In this context, however, each student-athlete must remember that playing and competing for the University of North Carolina is a privilege, not a right. As a student-athlete, you represent the University and you are expected to portray yourself, your team, and your University in a positive manner at all times. Any online postings much therefore be consistent with federal and State laws, and team, Department, University, and NCAA rules, regulations and policies." The UNC document goes on to provide guidelines for student-athlete use of social media, including: "Everything you post is public information -- any text or photo placed online is completely out of your control the moment it is placed online -- even if you limit access to your site. Information (including pictures, videos, comments and posters) may be accessible even after you remove it." (In their social media guidelines, a number of corporate and institutional websites stress that online material is often instantly archived and retrievable long after a poster has taken it down, or the website has disappeared.) "Use caution when adding someone or inviting someone to be a friend. Many individuals are looking to take advantage of student-athletes, to get close to student-athletes to give themselves a sense of membership, or to gain information about you, your teammates, or your team for the purposes of sports gambling or negative publicity." (Some "friends" may simply want to bask in a wrestler's reflected glory, or feel as if they are part of a college wrestling program. However, others may have criminal intent in mind.) "Limit information about your whereabouts or plans to minimize the potential of being stalked, assaulted, or the victim of other criminal activity." (Some smartphone apps provide an athlete's social media followers with a "real-time roadmap" of his or her daily activities such as boarding a particular airline flight, checking into a specific hotel, or simply his/her location on a map.) "What you post may affect your future. Many employers and graduate school admissions officers review social networking sites as part of their overall evaluation of an applicant. Carefully consider how you want people to perceive you before you give them a chance to misinterpret your information (including pictures, videos, comments, and posters.)." In addition, the UNC document to say that, "Similar to comments made in person, the Department of Athletics will not tolerate disrespectful comments and behavior online," listing examples such as "derogatory or defamatory language" ... comments that could be considered threatening, with the potential of causing physical or emotional injury to others ... and comments, photos or videos that describe or depict unlawful or prohibited conduct, including assault, abuse, hazing, harassment, or discrimination, along with selling, possessing or using controlled substances. (It can be as seemingly innocent as photos of a college wrestler hoisting a beer in a state where he would be underage for alcohol use. From this writer's observation, these types of photos, once a staple of a number of college wrestler Facebook and Twitter accounts especially during conference and NCAA championship events, have pretty much disappeared online as today's athletes seem to recognize the potential perils of posting these kinds of images.) According to its student-athlete policy on social media use, University of North Carolina states that each sports team "must identify at least one coach or administrator who is responsible for having access to and regularly monitoring the content of team members' social networking sites and postings." Social media use: Learning from the corporate world Use of social media isn't an issue that only colleges and student-athletes are wrestling with; governments and corporations are also seeking rules that allow individual employees a measure of freedom of expression, while wanting to be protective of the organization's overall image. Forbes.com columnist Jeanne Meister has written about corporate use of social media. In a 2013 column, Meister wrote, "Companies like Unisys, Sprint and HP have caught on to this fact. They've created social media training programs that show employees how using social media can be a valuable business tool, and even can increase performance and productivity." Meister went on to list her "5 Rs of Social Media" that, while primarily geared to workers in large corporations, provide good guidance for any user of social media. I've modified some of her explanations to make them uniquely appropriate to student-athletes, including college wrestlers: 1. Reason: "Use reasonable etiquette, the same as you would offline." 2. Represent yourself: Don't pretend to be someone you're not ... and don't be anonymous, as, according to Meister, "anonymous profiles lend themselves to more negative content." 3. Responsibility: What you post could be online forever (even if you post it, then quickly delete it). Don't post anything you wouldn't be willing to defend in person. Don't reveal any team secrets. 4. Respect: Don't disrespect opponents, your teammates or your coaches. 5. Restraint: "Before you hit that 'send' button, pause and reread. If you wouldn't want that particular thought [or photo or video] forever associated with your name, don't post it." InterMat contacted two business consultants with ties to amateur wrestling to get their dual perspective on use of social media among college wrestlers. Matt Krumrie, who has written for a number of wrestling publications and websites (including InterMat) and penned the book "The Ultimate Guide to Wrestling Camps", counsels business professionals on putting together resumes and other job-seeking strategies with his own consultancy as well as through columns for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the online news service Examiner.com. When asked about social media use on the part of college wrestlers, Krumrie responded, "Schools know it's a ticking time bomb because they can't control when a student-athlete gets on social media." "An athlete, like it or not, is under scrutiny." "Corporations have social media policies for employees -- don't tweet while at work, for example," Krumrie continued. "That being said, even they can't control others, so it can be a real mess." Mark Dollins, subject of a 2013 InterMat profile as a lifelong wrestler and fan who was one of two winners of "The Ultimate Dan Gable Experience" from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, had worked in corporate communications for major utilities and top consumer goods companies such as Quaker Oats and Pepsi during his professional career before launching his own consulting business in 2011. "I'm all for free speech and believe that's everybody's right. But I also believe people should be held accountable for their words and actions," said Dollins. "Wrestling -- or playing any college sport for any college team -- is a privilege," continued Dollins, who continues to wrestle in veteran events. "These athletes worked hard not only to earn the right to compete, but to represent the honor and dignity of their college or university. As such, they are accountable to the standards those institutions have in place." "Free speech is a right, but so, too, is the right of every American to judge the institution that sends any athlete out to compete under its name," Dollins added. "(A school) is a brand, and every brand has the right to defend itself with disciplinary actions against people (students on university sponsored teams included) who misrepresent it."

Hempstead, N.Y. -- Hofstra University Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeffrey A. Hathaway announced today that Head Wrestling Coach Rob Anspach has resigned his position to pursue professional opportunities outside of coaching. Rob Anspach (Photo/Hofstra Athletic Communications)Anspach has accepted a commercial sales representative position with Advantage Sport & Fitness. "I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to Hofstra University, President Stuart Rabinowitz and Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeff Hathaway for the opportunity to be part of the Hofstra Athletic Department and lead the wrestling program," stated Anspach. "It was a very difficult decision to leave Hofstra, where I have spent the last 18 years as a student-athlete and coach, but this is the best situation for my family. I know Jeff will do a thorough search to find the right candidate for the job and I look forward to supporting the wrestling program for many years to come." "I want to express my thanks to Rob for his passion and commitment to the Hofstra Wrestling program as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach," commented Hathaway. "We wish Rob and his family the very best as he moves to his new position in the fitness equipment business. I know he will enjoy the same success there as he has as a wrestling coach." Anspach just completed his third season as head coach and his 12th year on the Pride staff in 2013-14. Anspach concludes his Hofstra tenure (assistant and head coaching) having helped lead the Pride to a 136-86-6 dual meet record and 10 conference championships. In addition, he assisted in the development of 41 league champions and 76 student-athletes reached the NCAA Championships during his time on the Hofstra coaching staff. Of that 76, 15 have earned All-America honors. A 2001 graduate of Hofstra, Anspach compiled a 69-51 record during his five-year career as a student-athlete with the Pride. Zach Tanelli, who has served as the head assistant coach for the past two seasons and just concluded his fifth season on staff, has been named the interim head coach. Tanelli is a 2009 graduate of Wisconsin where he was a member of the Badgers wrestling squad. During his undergraduate career, Tanelli posted an 88-31 overall record and earned All-American accolades in 2009. He also qualified for the NCAA Championships on three occasions. Hathaway also announced that a national search for the next head coach of the Hofstra Wrestling program will begin immediately.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State University will be hosting some of the best wrestlers in the country and the world as USA Wrestling comes to the Riches Wrestling Complex, June 22 to July 2, for its World Team Training Camp. Participants include U.S. qualifiers for the World Championships, Sept. 8-14 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Junior World Championships, Aug. 5-10 in Zagreb, Croatia, and World University Championships, July 8-12 in Pecs, Hungary. The University World Team Wrestle Offs are set for June 22 and 23 at ASU’s Riches Wrestling Complex. Sunday’s 65kg wrestlers will compete at 11 a.m. PT, while Monday’s 57-kilo, 97-kilo, and 125-kilo competitions are set for noon PT. Flowrestling will be in town to cover the wrestle offs and the other events surrounding the training camp.

Who wants to talk about World Cup soccer? This week saw the kickoff of one of the world's most-watched sporting events: The FIFA World Cup. Essentially a representative World War, the world's largest and most important soccer event has become a multi-billion dollar spectacular that in 2014 has reached a stratosphere of coverage and promotion in the United States many sporting experts would have told you ten years ago was impossible. Now, in what will feel like an overnight success, soccer is the third most-watched sport in the States and is trending hotter than every sport outside of American football in terms of television contracts and endorsements. So if soccer can succeed in the United States and the World Cup is the largest and most profitable sporting event in the world, what lessons should wrestling learn? What elements of soccer make it the world's most popular game, and can wrestling imitate those values to create a product that the entire world will want to watch? The first acknowledgement is to understand that wrestling will never overtake soccer as the world's game. That's OK, because there is plenty of money for the runner-up and we aren't in direct competition for sporting dollars. The next is to know that any plan for making wrestling more marketable worldwide won't be freestyle or Greco-Roman, but a grass or sand takedown tournament with five or seven team members to each side. Simple and tension-filled action. Unlike most sports, wrestling is already being practiced in every country around the world, and since the sport is organic to the human experience there is little explanation. Yes, some rules will need to be clarified, but with a 32-foot circle pushout rules and a single takedown format it will be easy for viewers to buy-in to the spectacle. No confusion, no singlets, no referee interference and no judges. Wrestling, like soccer, enjoys an advantage over sports like American football and baseball because it's found everywhere and has a very low cost of operation. If a worldwide governing body like FILA (soon to be United World Wrestling) can orchestrate the regional tournaments over the ten years then there is a real chance for massive advertising dollars at a world level, which means more money to support the Olympic styles and more influence in the Olympic discussion. Soccer works because you can't take your eyes off the field. Wrestling, with rules done well, can have that same effect. For marketers and advertisers, that type of live sporting event is gold because it's impressionable 18-35 year-old men who watch sports and are creating their lifelong brand loyalties. Television money filters into every crack of sports, from $2 billion teams like the NBA's LA Clippers and developing domestic leagues like the MLS, live sporting events are becoming the most valuable items in entertainment. Wrestling can earn a slice of that ever-expanding money cake. With time, energy and creativity wrestling can build a larger worldwide audience, create a marketable event, and become one of the largest and most profitable sports in the world. I believe. To your questions ... Q: In your latest mailbag edition, someone supported the pushout rule in high school and college wrestling. I am a high school coach and wouldn't want the rule. Too often, high school mats are much smaller than college mats. I have kids who will come from the bottom position and are trying to hit a standup, and are driven out of bounds by the top wrestler because we are on smaller mats from time to time. To me, collegiate and high school wrestling is about controlling your opponent, and pushing someone out of bounds isn't controlling someone. -- Mike C. Foley: There are valid arguments against the pushout rule and you stated the most obvious: freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling are primarily standup styles while American folkstyle is both stand-up and ground. As you noted, the transition between the two can cause some difficulties when you have an out-of-bounds rule that can be easily manipulated. The idea behind a pushout point would be to keep wrestlers in the action and prevent stalling. The failure of the current American folkstyle rules is that they have become needlessly complicated and nuanced. The history of the rules reflects the NCAA's larger mindset, which is to answer a bad rule with two more. That's a needlessly complicated mindset, which over time adversely affects a sport whose motto for improvement continues to be "simple." A pushout heaped on a pile of poorly conceived rules and matches determined by razor-thin riding time margins won't improve wrestling's commercial and competitive viability. Folkstyle needs an overhaul from the mat to the feet -- a reassessment of what values we want to show the world about America. We can accomplish the change as a community, but it will require some difficult change -- something which, fortunately for our community, is part of the American folkstyle psyche. Q: I watched Ed Ruth's matches against Keith Gavin, then went back and watched him against Robert Hamlin and Phil Keddy. I was about to draft a question saying essentially "HOLY CRAP, did we just find the answer at 86 kilos that we haven't had since Cael???" and then I watched his match against Clayton Foster and I decided to slow down a bit. Foster and Gavin both have a more European style and I could see that giving Ruth trouble at Worlds. Ed's potential is so ridiculous and I could see him anywhere from winning the thing, to losing in the first round. I literally have no clue. What do you think? What's your prediction for Ruth? -- Brandon J. Foley: Ed Ruth would end up with a World silver medal or suffer a quick technical fall defeat. Given his lack of international competition there is almost no way to know. Ed Ruth with Nittany Lion Wrestling Club coaches Cael Sanderson and Casey Cunningham at the World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The truth behind Ruth's rise to the starting position is only that the younger generation made it past Keith Gavin -- a tough-nosed wrestler often underestimated and rarely appreciated for the stability he provided the USA lineup. With Ruth cracking his code it will likely make room for Ruth and Foster to engage in a protracted yearly battle for the starting spot. Though I don't agree Gavin has a European style, I can see that Foster is creative and wily in a way that harkens to some of the better Russian lower weights. Though Ruth had trouble with Foster, the sample size just isn't large enough to draw any broader conclusion about his ability to adapt. Hell, I'm not even sure Ruth or his coaches have a one-hundred percent understanding of his abilities on the international level, which means they also don't have his style finalized. The elements of his style that are most enjoyable are his quick entry into single legs, powerful driving finishes and typically calm behavior. The worrisome components are his frequent failures on the edge of the mat and an inability to limit scoring opportunities when most necessary. When watching Ruth wrestle I often get the urge to scream "No!" as he locks up something goofy on his feet. Equally discomforting is that I often find myself thinking that Ruth can score at any moment and that it is just a matter of him making the choice. In my opinion, he's good enough on his feet to plow through most of the international competition. Most. Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev is the only wrestler in the bracket who can absorb all of Ruth's physical threats. The No. 1-ranked wrestler in the world, Sadualev is only 18 years old, a two-time Cadet World champion and only has one loss at the senior level, a semifinal match at the 2012 Ali Aliyev. He's not "kind of" talented, he's giggle-worthy with an impressive combination of strength, flexibility and technique that inspires cheers and raised eyebrows from fans around the world. I've had the chance to watch Sadulaev wrestle at three tournaments and each time he's taken the mat I've stopped whatever I was doing and just enjoyed his performance. I'm not overstating it when I say that he could be a once-in-a-generation talent. Ruth should focus his career goals on being Sadulaev's competition -- the guy who takes the Russian the extra mile and finds a few wins. If Ruth can steal wins and tournaments against the Russian he will have reached a level that would make him, Cael and the USA very happy. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Cross-trainer wrestling shoes? I'm totally in. Link: Best goal of the World Cup? Link: Passion Q: Is the NCAA wrestling tournament going to an individual and a dual meet championship? If so, is this a good thing or a bad thing for the student-athlete? Why? Or why not? -- Greg Y. Foley: Dual meets are happening, but in what format is still being discussed. I like that you inquired about the student-athletes. Too much of the disagreement and discussion has been about team points and how it affects smaller programs. Though I agree those are serious issues, I haven't read or seen any breakdown of how the format change would affect the wrestlers. My instinct is that there will be a similar number of competition dates and with more emphasis on dual meets we will see the average number of matches per wrestler drop by as much as 5-8. In a five-month season that drop in matches should help preserve these guys for the end of the season. What concerns me is that immediacy of the preparation for a week-to-week advancement team tournament. Plenty of sports endure that format, but it would be a psychological shift for some wrestlers who are used to a set schedule of events. Will the new dates coincide with exams? Papers? Other things? Probably. We'll have to get more data, but in the meantime the NCAA and the thought leaders in the discussion should consider how the change will affect the wrestlers. They might have, but I haven't seen any literature. Q: The UFC card this past weekend was pretty boring. Are we experiencing MMA overload? Exhaustion? Could this happen in wrestling if it got big? -- Steve T. Foley: Product overload would be a great problem for wrestling! The UFC has more than 50 events in 2014 and if you're a fan, especially on Twitter, the constant chatter around the sport can be too much to endure week-to-week. I'm pulling back from my interest in the sport, but not because of the exhaustion as much as the product's inability to impress me. Wrestlers are the greatest athletes in the world. Our need to combine strength, flexibility and mental toughness is unequaled in any sport or spectacle -- to control another human without strikes is the most fundamental and therefore difficult thing to accomplish. Basketball players? Congrats on putting the ball through the hoop as nobody is allowed to touch you? Football players? I'm no longer impressed with four-second spurts of action. Wrestling is also beautiful in comparison to the UFC and MMA at large because it requires fidelity and commitment to training. There are no shortcuts. Fighters can make their way into the UFC with padded records and advance through trash talk. As we well know there is no combination of words that will get you to the finals of a wrestling tournament. You want to be the champion then you will need to wrestle past everyone in your bracket. MMA has become a showcase for low-class, no-talent clowns with too many tattoos to thrash each other on social media in an effort to earn, or promote, their fights. Wrestling could always use more promotion and the lowest common denominator stuff is there for the mimic, but it will never happen because what we watch on a wrestling mat is sport. What you watch in a match is entertainment -- mere spectacle. As a side note, it's important to note that the world can no longer deny that American wrestlers are among the toughest humans on the planet. Wrestlers from the States currently hold six of the eight UFC titles and with Chad Mendes fighting for the belt in a few weeks, it may very well become seven of eight.

As most expected, Demetrious Johnson defended his flyweight title against Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174. Meanwhile, Rory MacDonald continued his march toward title contention with a comfortable decision victory over Tyron Woodley. In this week's episode, Richard and John analyze what's next and preview this weekend's World Series of Fighting card. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Troy Nickerson and Wes Brisco will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, June 18. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on theopenmat.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments. Nickerson was named the head wrestling coach at Northern Colorado after a stint as an assistant wrestling coach at Iowa State. He was an NCAA champion for Cornell in 2009. Brisco will participate in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame weekend. The son of Hall of Famer Gerry Brisco, Wes was a two-time state place winner at the Florida high school state wrestling tournament.

Anthony Valencia recently won the Junior World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) InterMat released updated high school grade rankings on Wednesday morning. Junior World Team member Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) takes over the No. 1 ranking in the senior class. Four-time state champion Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) remains on top of the junior class. Undefeated state champion Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) keeps his No. 1 ranking in the sophomore class. Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) is the nation's top freshman wrestler. Adam Busiello (New York) is the No. 1 junior high wrestler in the U.S. InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. InterMat ranks the top 100 seniors, top 50 juniors, top 50 sophomores, top 25 freshmen, and top 15 junior high wrestlers. Sneak Peek Senior: 1. Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 2. Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) 3. Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill, Mo.) 4. Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) 5. Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.) 6. Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 7. Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) 8. Joe Smith (Stillwater, Okla.) 9. Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.) 10. Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa) Junior: 1. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) 2. Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) 3. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) 4. Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) 5. Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) Sophomore: 1. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) 2. Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) 3. Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) 4. Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) 5. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) Freshman: 1. Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 2. Ryan Thomas (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 3. Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, Pa.) 4. Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) 5. Rocky Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) Junior High: 1. Adam Busiello (New York) 2. Colton Yapoujian (Colorado) 3. Anthony Jackson (Minnesota) 4. Nick Raimo (New Jersey) 5. Beau Bartlett (Arizona)

GREELEY -- The future of Northern Colorado Wrestling begins on Monday as Director of Athletics Darren Dunn announced Troy Nickerson as the program's seventh head coach in its 35 year history. "After a lengthy, diligent process, we found a great leader for our wrestling program in Troy Nickerson," Dunn said. "He is a bright star in wrestling, familiar with Colorado Wrestling and he will be a great mentor for our student-athletes. I am truly excited Troy will be joining our UNC family." Nickerson comes to Northern Colorado after coaching the past two seasons at Iowa State and finishing a remarkable collegiate career with Cornell from 2006-10. His recent history in the sport includes NCAA Championships and All-American statuses; along with off-the-mat initiatives to build relationships in his community. "I'm extremely excited to join the Northern Colorado Wrestling community," Nickerson said. "I want to thank Darren Dunn and the search committee for believing in me and providing me with this opportunity. I will work tirelessly to make UNC Wrestling a force to be reckoned with in the future." Troy Nickerson (Photo/Larry Slater)Nickerson's main responsibilities at Iowa State included the lightweights of 125-149 pounds. During his two seasons, he coached one NCAA All-American and one NCAA qualifier in 2013-14 and finished all of his starters with a record of at least .500 in 2012-13. Prior to joining the Iowa State wrestling program, Nickerson served as an assistant coach at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club from 2011-12 in Ithaca, N.Y. He was also the head coach of the FLWC college team during 2010-11. During his four seasons as a member of the Big Red wrestling program at Cornell, Nickerson finished as an NCAA Champion in 2009 at 125 pounds, a four-time All-American, a two-time NCAA Tournament finalist and racked up a 97-8 career record, placing himself 20th all-time in wins in program history. Nickerson inherits the program that went down to Arizona State and won on the Sun Devils' home opener, 24-15. The team finished the 2013-14 season with a 5-13 record and a Western Wrestling All-Conference third team selection to upcoming senior Henry Chirino (Brandon, Fla.). Chirino and fellow senior Mitchell Polkowske (LaJara, Colo.) recently finished fifth in their weight divisions at the ASICS National Championships in late May. Teammate Trey Andrews (Safford, Ariz.) will also participate in late-season matches, heading to the Junior Pan American Championships with USA Wrestling from June 27-29. Originally from Chenango Forks, N.Y., Nickerson graduated from Cornell in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in biology & science with a minor in nutritional science. What they're saying ... "What a great day for wrestling! The fact that the Darren Dunn and the leadership of the University of Northern Colorado went to such great lengths to go out and hire a coach of Troy Nickerson's reputation and character sends a strong message about their commitment to wrestling. I'm confident that Troy will bring an energy and professionalism to the program that will set UNC Wrestling up for long term success. USA Wrestling welcomes Troy back to Colorado, we're excited for him as he takes this next step in his wrestling career." – Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling "Coach Nickerson is a phenomenal wrestler, coach, and mentor. There is no doubt that he will lead the University of Northern Colorado wrestling program to extraordinary success." – Mike Moyer, Executive Director of National Wrestling Coaches Association "Troy is a legend in New York state and is certainly known nation-wide. He was a phenomenal high school wrestler and an equally sensational college career for Cornell. He was a gutsy competitor and found a way to win a national title, literally with one arm, and that's what I'll always remember about Troy. He's very intelligent, and Cornell's tough as it is, but to be a pre-med major and to be a four-time NCAA All-American gives you the idea of the type of focus and time management skills and discipline that Troy possesses." – Rob Koll, Cornell Head Wrestling Coach "Troy's got a passion for wrestling. I think he sees the sport for more than just wrestling. I think he really enjoys the particulars of the administrative duties that he'll be taking on in Northern Colorado. I know that was really attractive for him and building a program is something he's really excited about. He's a straight worker, initiator, innovator and he'll do a great job for the Bears. He's been to two very successful, historically traditional wrestling programs in Cornell and Iowa State, and he's going to try and initiate some of those things to make Northern Colorado his own." – Kevin Jackson, Iowa State Head Wrestling Coach

Kamal Bey (Photo/Jason Bryant)DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When Kamal Bey steps on the wrestling mat, you can expect plenty of action. And a heck of a show. The explosive and flashy Bey capped a phenomenal week with a technical fall win to propel Team Illinois past Pennsylvania Red 49-27 in the Cadet National Duals freestyle finals. Bey capped an unbeaten week in Greco-Roman and freestyle by scoring an 11-0 first-period win over Jared Seigrist of Pennsylvania Red on Saturday afternoon at the Ocean Center Exhibit Hall. Read full story ... Results Championship Illinois 49, Pennsylvania Red 27 152: Jake Lanning (Illinois) tech. fall Gage Thomas (Pennsylvania Red), 14-3 160: Jacob Warner (Illinois) dec. Drew Peck (Pennsylvania Red), 11-8 170: Kamal Bey (Illinois) tech. fall Jared Seigrist (Pennsylvania Red), 11-0 182: Zane Black (Pennsylvania Red) tech. fall Matthew Wroblewski (Illinois), 17-7 195: Christian Brunner (Illinois) pinned Dymir Davis-Carruth (Pennsylvania Red), 1:46 220: Allen Stallings (Illinois) tech. fall Cole Nye (Pennsylvania Red), 12-0 285: Bryan Ditchman (Illinois) tech. fall Andrew Gunning (Pennsylvania Red), 10-0 88: Jaret Lane (Pennsylvania Red) tech. fall Luke Pradel (Illinois), 14-1 94: Peter Ogunsanya (Illinois) tech. fall Ryan Green (Pennsylvania Red), 10-0 100: Matt Parker (Pennsylvania Red) tech. fall Markus Pavlick (Illinois), 14-4 106: Anthony Madrigal (Illinois) pinned Will Klades (Pennsylvania Red), 2:59 113: Austin Gomez (Illinois) tech. fall Ellis Popiolkowski (Pennsylvania Red), 10-0 120: Travis Piotroski (Illinois) dec. Colby Kenderdine (Pennsylvania Red), 16-13 126: Dylan Duncan (Illinois) tech. fall Victor Kenderdine (Pennsylvania Red), 13-2 132: Eric Hong (Pennsylvania Red) tech. fall Shayne Oster (Illinois), 13-2 138: Cameron Coy (Pennsylvania Red) dec. Trevell Timmons (Illinois), 7-4 145: Jared Verkeleen (Pennsylvania Red) tech. fall Logan Gruszka (Illinois), 11-1 Third Place Ohio Red 42, Oklahoma Red 30 152: Nick Vestal (Ohio Red) tech. fall Zane Basma (Oklahoma Red), 10-0 160: Ben Darmstadt (Ohio Red) tech. fall Bear Hughes (Oklahoma Red), 10-0 170: Drew Hinkle (Oklahoma Red) pinned Colin Keil (Ohio Red), 2:31 182: Dan Baker (Oklahoma Red) dec. JT Brown (Ohio Red), 12-11 195: Matt Stencil (Ohio Red) pinned Dakota Carnes (Oklahoma Red), 0:55 220: Wyatt Hillard (Ohio Red) dec. Delvin Jordan (Oklahoma Red), 9-6 285: Kevin Vough (Ohio Red) pinned Trenton Lieurance (Oklahoma Red), 0:42 88: Jordan Crace (Ohio Red) tech. fall Billy Simpson (Oklahoma Red), 10-0 94: Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio Red) dec. Rhett Golowenski (Oklahoma Red), 8-0 100: Josh Breeding (Ohio Red) tech. fall Wes Ahrberg (Oklahoma Red), 10-0 106: Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma Red) tech. fall Drew Mattin (Ohio Red), 13-2 113: Josh Copeland (Oklahoma Red) tech. fall Tommy Hoskins (Ohio Red), 11-0 120: Daton Fix (Oklahoma Red) tech. fall Garrett Lambert (Ohio Red), 11-0 126: Corey Shie (Ohio Red) pinned Noah McQuigg (Oklahoma Red), 1:09 132: Beau Bratcher (Oklahoma Red) tech. fall Noah Mattin (Ohio Red), 10-0 138: Jaren Curry (Oklahoma Red) tech. fall Jake Henderson (Ohio Red), 10-0 145: Georgio Poullas (Ohio Red) dec. Payton Scott (Oklahoma Red), 13-12 Fifth Place New Jersey 42, Michigan Blue 36 152: Bryan McLaughlin (New Jersey) tech. fall Kam Bush (Michigan Blue), 13-0 160: Luke Drugac (New Jersey) tech. fall Dylan Briggs (Michigan Blue), 12-0 170: Dean Drugac (New Jersey) by forfeit 182: Brandon Dallavia (New Jersey) tech. fall Connor Cox (Michigan Blue), 10-0 195: James Potts (New Jersey) by forfeit 220: Lucas Ready (Michigan Blue) pinned Junid Homsi (New Jersey) (YELLOW CARD) 285: Chase Morrison (Michigan Blue) by forfeit 88: Rayvon Foley (Michigan Blue) tech. fall Michael Colaiocco (New Jersey), 10-0 94: Cole Janes (Michigan Blue) tech. fall Michael Kelly (New Jersey), 29-18 100: A.J. Facundo (Michigan Blue) dec. PJ Gohn (New Jersey), 16-8 106: Zach Sherman (New Jersey) tech. fall Dominic LaJoie (Michigan Blue), 13-2 113: Ben Freeman (Michigan Blue) tech. fall Andrew Merola (New Jersey), 15-5 120: Kanen Storr (Michigan Blue) tech. fall Garrett Beam (New Jersey), 12-2 126: Dresden Simon (Michigan Blue) by forfeit 132: Kris Lindemann (New Jersey) pinned Jon Martin (Michigan Blue), 1:49 138: Stephan Glasgow (New Jersey) tech. fall Brett Fedewa (Michigan Blue), 10-0 145: TJ Calas (New Jersey) dec. Sage Castillo (Michigan Blue), 16-10 Seventh Place Indiana 48, Utah 28 152: Connor Kirkland (Utah) by forfeit 160: Burk Van Horn (Indiana) tech. fall DJ Cohen (Utah), 13-0 170: Ashton Seely (Utah) tech. fall Cameron Jones (Indiana), 11-0 182: Wyatt Koelling (Utah) pinned Andrew Davison (Indiana), 0:50 195: Kobe Woods (Indiana) pinned Brandon Closson (Utah), 3:00 220: Gunnar Larson (Indiana) tech. fall Jordan Crofts (Utah), 13-1 285: Riley Taylor (Utah) tech. fall Givoni Murillo (Indiana), 10-0 88: Sammy Fair (Indiana) pinned Dalton Stutzman (Utah), 5:55 94: Kory Cavanaugh (Indiana) tech. fall Trevor Cluff (Utah), 12-0 100: Alec White (Indiana) tech. fall Kade Zorn (Utah), 10-0 106: Paul Konrath (Indiana) tech. fall Jaxon Cole (Utah), 11-1 113: Mason Miranda (Indiana) dec. Carlitos Nava (Utah), 9-6 120: Joe Lee (Indiana) tech. fall Taten Ringel (Utah), 10-0 126: Taylor LaMont (Utah) dec. Chad Red (Indiana), 6-2 132: Jaron Jensen (Utah) tech. fall Brayton Lee (Indiana), 10-0 138: Isaac Eicher (Indiana) by forfeit 145: Denzyl Prentice (Indiana) pinned Cole Clark (Utah), 2:29

DUBROVNIK, Croatia -- FILA, the international governing body of wrestling, is one step closer to approving a significant change to its brand identity. The FILA Bureau, a 23-member executive committee overseeing the international governing body of wrestling, voted Friday to approve "United World Wrestling" as the new name for the sport's international federation. The bureau also approved a new logo and steps to better improve the brand consistency of marquee wrestling events around the world. In approving the changes the FILA Bureau accepted that international wrestling needed to create a globally recognized brand that represents the core values of wrestling as well as the new energy behind an organization that only a year before was battling for its spot on the Olympic programme "I think in order for us to move forward, we needed to identify the shortcomings of the past and work hard to improve them," said FILA President Nenad Lalovic. "I think that with a new visual identity that is both distinct and represents the values of wrestling, we all have another reason to be excited for the future of our sport." FILA has been working for the past several months with the branding agency Olive Grove to help develop the new name and visual identity. The plan includes a strategy for creating visual consistency among the wrestling organization's several World and Continental Championships. The new name and logo won't be activated until they receive the approval of the full FILA Congress. The annual meeting of the FILA Congress will take place Sunday, September 7, one day prior to the start of the 2014 FILA World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Once approved, United World Wrestling will immediately become the new name for the international governing body of wrestling.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Spenser Mango won the battle of Olympians. And did it in a big way. Mango used huge second periods in both matches to sweep Sam Hazewinkel in two straight matches in the finals of the U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Trials on Friday night at the Ocean Center. Both matches were scoreless after the first period before Mango prevailed 13-2 and 8-0 over Hazewinkel, a 2012 Olympian in freestyle who was second at the U.S. World Team Trials in freestyle two weeks ago. "Me and Sam have wrestled so many times," Mango said. "He has a good arm throw, and he's kind of sneaky with it and it's almost impossible to stop. I was ready for him. The more competition we have at this weight the better we will be internationally." Read full story ... Finals Results 59 kilos: Spenser Mango over Sam Hazewinkel, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Mango tech. fall over Hazewinkel, 13-2 Match 2: Mango tech. fall over Hazewinkel, 8-0 66 kilos: RaVaughn Perkins over Bryce Saddoris, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Perkins dec. Saddoris, 5-0 Match 2: Perkins pinned Saddoris, 3:21 75 kilos: Andy Bisek over Jon Anderson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Bisek tech. fall over Anderson, 9-1 Match 2: Bisek dec. Anderson, 5-0 85 kilos: Jordan Holm over Zac Nielsen, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Holm tech. fall over Nielsen, 9-1 Match 2: Holm tech. fall over Nielsen, 8-0 98 kilos: Caylor Williams over John Wechter, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Williams dec. Wechter, 3-0 Match 2: Williams pinned Wechter, 2:28 130 kilos: Robby Smith over Toby Erickson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Smith dec. Erickson, 3-0 Match 2: Smith dec. Erickson, 11-2

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Sam Hazewinkel was more than eager to have another shot to make a U.S. World Team. Two weeks after falling in the finals of the World Team Trials in freestyle, Hazewinkel landed a spot in the World Team Trials in Greco-Roman on Friday at the Ocean Center Exhibit Hall. Hazewinkel defeated Max Nowry 2-2 on criteria to win the Challenge Tournament on Friday afternoon at 59 kilos/130 pounds. "I feel good -- I can't complain," said Hazewinkel, a 2012 Olympian in freestyle. "My timing is just a touch off, but for not doing Greco for a while I feel real good out there. Freestyle has helped me where I'm used to moving around more, and it helps me with level changes and creating angles in Greco. My conditioning's real good from training for the freestyle Trials." Hazewinkel advances to face a familiar foe in the finals in two-time Olympian and four-time World Team member Spenser Mango in the best-of-3 final-round series. Read full story … Finals matchups: 59 kilos: Spenser Mango vs. Sam Hazewinkel 66 kilos: RaVaughn Perkins vs. Bryce Saddoris 75 kilos: Andy Bisek vs. Jon Anderson 85 kilos: Jordan Holm vs. Zachary Nielsen 98 kilos: Caylor Williams vs. John Wechter 130 kilos: Robby Smith vs. Toby Erickson