InterMat Staff

The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee recommended three experimental rules, including two that involve stalling, be implemented at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic Nov. 1 at the University of Pennsylvania. The committee met this month in Indianapolis. All rules proposals, including rules used on an experimental basis, must be approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel, which is scheduled to discuss wrestling recommendations during a conference call June 25. The first experimental rule focuses on wrestlers who step out of bounds with both feet while in a neutral position. In this scenario, the referee will call stalling on that wrestler. The other experimental rule will result when, from a kneeling starting position on the mat, the wrestler in the top position drops to a lower extremity or uses a side headlock. In either of these situations, the referee will make a visual five-second count using his arm. If the wrestler who started in the top position doesn’t make an attempt to engage in action before the referee reaches the count of five, the referee will call stalling. The protocol for all stalling calls includes a warning for a first offense and a point awarded to the opponent on the next offense. The stalling penalty sequence is warning, one point, one point, one point, disqualification. Both of the rules are being looked at on an experimental basis because the Wrestling Rules Committee wants to encourage the wrestlers to create action and not use stalling tactics to preserve a lead. "The Wrestling Rules Committee is trying to be forward-thinking in their approach to potential new rules," said Ron Beaschler, the NCAA secretary-rules editor for wrestling and the head coach at Ohio Northern. "The committee is looking at ways to ensure there is action during matches to make it fun and exciting to watch and easier to understand to the casual fan, yet easier for the officials to officiate." The final experimental rule involves a wrestler earning a position of control, such as a takedown or a reversal to earn the top position, and the action comes to a natural stoppage. An example of a natural stoppage would be when the wrestlers go out of bounds. In the proposed experimental rule, instead of beginning in a kneeling position on the re-start, the wrestler who earned the top position can indicate to the referee that he elects for the next action to begin in the neutral position. Currently, the referee awards a point to the opponent of a wrestler who makes this choice. Under the experimental rule, the point will not be awarded. In positions of control that are not earned – for example, at the start of the second or third periods -- a wrestler can elect to release his opponent after a break in the action, and the opponent will receive a point. Committee members want to gather data on the matches at the NWCA All-Star Classic, a one-day event featuring one all-star matchup in each of the 10 weight classes, to see if the experimental rules should be something they consider for permanent changes in the future.

A lot has changed in international wrestling since last year's U.S. Open. Wrestling is back in the 2020 Olympic Games. There have been rule changes, format changes, and FILA redistributed its weight classes to provide more opportunities for female wrestlers. There are now six weight classes in each of the three styles in Olympic years. Previously there were seven weight classes in both men's freestyle and Greco-Roman, and four weight classes in women's freestyle. In non-Olympic years, like this year, there are eight weight classes in all three divisions at the World Championships. Each weight class at the U.S. Open is now contested over two days (Friday and Saturday), as opposed to one day in previous years. Wrestlers who finish in the top seven in each of the six Olympic weight classes will qualify for the U.S. World Team Trials on May 30-June 1 in Madison, Wis. The winners in that event will compete at the World Championships, which take place Sept. 8-14 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I have compiled a list of what I see as the 10 most intriguing matchups that could happen at this year's U.S. Open in Las Vegas. Obviously, none of the matchups listed below are assured to happen, but most, if not all, should could happen. Men's Freestyle Jordan Burroughs topped David Taylor at the 2013 U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Jordan Burroughs vs. David Taylor Jordan Burroughs vs. David Taylor is arguably the most anticipated matchup of this weekend's U.S. Open. Kyle Dake will not be competing, and Burroughs and Taylor will likely be on a collision course to meet in the finals at 74 kilos. Burroughs, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion, has never lost at the U.S. Open and will be looking to win his fourth straight World (or Olympic) title in September. His remarkable 69-match win streak was snapped earlier this year by Nick Marable (who is now competing at 70 kilos), but Burroughs has been nothing short of dominant since. He went 5-0 at the World Cup, which included two technical falls, two pins, and a 7-1 victory. Taylor is fresh off winning his second NCAA title in his senior season at Penn State. He was recently named InterMat Wrestler of the Year and also earned his second Dan Hodge Trophy. Burroughs and Taylor met in the U.S. Open finals a year ago, with Burroughs winning in two periods, 3-1, 1-0. Logan Stieber edged Jordan Oliver in the NCAA finals in 2012 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Jordan Oliver vs. Logan Stieber In 2012, Logan Stieber edged Jordan Oliver in the NCAA finals at 133 pounds, and at the time many believed it would be the last time the two wrestlers would compete against each other since they were wrestling in different weight classes in freestyle. Stieber, a student-athlete at Ohio State, was competing at 60 kilos, while Oliver, a 2013 graduate of Oklahoma State, was settling in at 66 kilos. However, now that FILA has changed the weight classes, both Stieber and Oliver are back in the same weight class, 65 kilos, at least this weekend. Oliver and Stieber are both past Junior World medalists looking to get on their first senior World Team this year. Brent Metcalf vs. Reece Humphrey While Oliver and Stieber are two of the young, rising stars at 65 kilos, Brent Metcalf and Reece Humphrey are the established veterans looking to earn their first World hardware. Both have represented the United States at the World Championships on multiple occasions. Humphrey was on the U.S. World Team in 2011 and 2013 at 60 kilos, while Metcalf represented the red, white and blue at the Worlds in 2010 and 2013 at 66 kilos. Metcalf was unbeaten at this year's World Cup in Los Angeles. Humphrey competed down a weight class at 61 kilos for the World Cup, where he went 1-1. He opened with a win over Valodya Frangulyan of Armenia. In his second match he faced World bronze medalist Masoud Esmailpoor Jouybari of Iran, and raced out to a 7-1 lead before surrendering that lead and eventually losing 10-8. Coleman Scott is looking to regain his form from 2012 when he won bronze in London (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Jimmy Kennedy vs. Coleman Scott Jimmy Kennedy and Coleman Scott have a rivalry that goes back several years. In 2008, Scott defeated Kennedy in the NCAA semifinals at 133 pounds en route to winning his NCAA championship. The two wrestlers have met numerous times since in freestyle. Kennedy has begun to blossom as a freestyle wrestler under the guidance of Andy Hrovat at the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was a runner-up at the U.S. World Team Trials last year. In October, Kennedy claimed a gold medal at the Intercontinental Cup in Russia, and won a new Lada Granta car in the process. He also captured a gold medal at the Yasar Dogu International in February. Scott is looking to regain his form from 2012 when he was an Olympic bronze medalist in London. He struggled with an arm injury in 2013 that hindered his performance and caused him to bow out of the U.S. World Team Trials early. Scott wrestled in the Dave Schultz Memorial, where he finished fourth, losing to Amit Kumar of India and Kennedy's teammate B.J. Futrell in the bronze-medal match. Scott and Futrell could meet again in Las Vegas, with the winner facing Kennedy in the finals. Jake Varner vs. J.D. Bergman Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner has returned to competition this year after a long layoff. He competed in the Yasar Dogu International in mid-February, where he won his first match over Faruk Akkoyun of Turkey, but early in his second match was forced to withdraw from the competition due to injury. Bergman, a two-time U.S. World Team member, is currently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. at 97 kilos. Last year he made the U.S. World Team for the first time since 2010 after battling injuries in 2011 and 2012. Bergman went 2-2 at this year's World Cup. There is no denying the fact that Varner is the more accomplished wrestler of the two on the world stage, but interestingly J.D. Bergman has had the upperhand in the series. In 2010, Bergman defeated Varner in the finals of the U.S. Open, U.S. World Team Trials, and New York AC International Open. Keith Gavin earned victories over Clayton Foster in the finals of both the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials last year (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Clayton Foster vs. Keith Gavin Clayton Foster has emerged as not only a favorite to make the U.S. team at 86 kilos, but also a serious threat to win a medal at the World Championships in September. He opened a lot of eyes last year by finishing runner-up at both the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials. But it was Foster's performance at this year's World Cup that has U.S. wrestling fans excited about his potential on the world stage. At the World Cup, Foster went undefeated in four matches. He crushed two-time World champion Ibragim Aldatov of Ukraine, 7-2, and also notched a win over Olympic and World bronze medalist Ehsan Lashgari of Iran. It's Keith Gavin, though, that currently holds the top ranking in the U.S. at 86 kilos. Last year he defeated Foster in the finals of both the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials. Gavin is savvy veteran who is looking to stay on top. He was a runner-up at the Grand Prix of Paris earlier this season, but saw action in only one of five matches at the World Cup, with Foster getting the other four matches. Greco-Roman Justin Lester defeated Kendrick Sanders last June (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Justin Lester vs. Kendrick Sanders The 30-year-old Justin Lester and 23-year-old Kendrick Sanders are two of the most explosive and dynamic Greco-Roman wrestlers in the U.S. Both are expected to compete at 71 kilos this weekend in Las Vegas and will likely meet in the finals on Saturday night. Lester, a two-time World bronze medalist, has bounced between 66 kilos and 74 kilos, and many believe 71 kilos will be a perfect fit for him. Sanders has been on fire, winning both the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup and Dave Schultz Memorial, and finishing undefeated at the Jack Pinto Cup. The two wrestlers met at last year's U.S. World Team Trials, with Lester winning that match 2-1. Joe Betterman vs. Spenser Mango Joe Betterman and Spenser Mango have been two of the most consistent U.S. Greco-Roman wrestlers over the past five years. The two wrestlers have combined to win nine U.S. Open titles. Betterman's four titles have come at 60 kilos, while Mango's five titles have come at 55 kilos. Their careers have followed similar paths. They were teammates in the USOEC program at Northern Michigan University, and now both are in the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). With the weight class changes, Betterman and Mango now find themselves in the same weight class, 59 kilos, competing for the same spot. Earlier this year Betterman and Mango faced each other in the finals of the Dave Schultz Memorial. In that match Betterman overcame an early deficit to win a 4-2. Women's Freestyle Clarissa Chun defeated Alyssa Lampe in the best-of-three finals at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Clarissa Chun vs. Alyssa Lampe Clarissa Chun, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and 2008 World champion, missed all of last year because of an injury, but has returned to competition this year. She won a bronze medal at the Grand Prix of Paris, with her lone loss coming to World champion and two-time Olympic medalist Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan. Chun is the most accomplished woman in the competition, but is not the favorite in the U.S. in her weight class based on world rankings. Two-time returning World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe is currently ranked No. 1 in the world. Chun and Lampe have met several times throughout their careers. Chun edged Lampe at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the best-of-three finals, two matches to one. Randi Miller vs. Veronica Carlson Both Randi Miller and Veronica Carlson are ranked in the top 15 in the world at 69 kilos in women's freestyle. Miller stepped away from wrestling after capturing an Olympic bronze medal in 2008. During her time away from wrestling she dabbled in MMA and won a match in the Invicta organization in April of 2012. The 30-year-old Miller returned to wrestling this season and seems to be getting better each time she steps on the mat. Miller was a runner-up at the New York AC International in November, and then won gold medals at both the Minnesota Storm Holiday Cup and Dave Schultz Memorial. In 2013, Carlson was a U.S. Open champion and also represented Team USA at the World Championships. Carlson seems to be coming into her prime as a wrestler at age 23, which makes a possible showdown between Miller and Carlson very intriguing.

EDMOND, Okla. -- Kutztown heavyweight Ziad Haddad has been selected the 2013-14 NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year, it was announced Monday by the Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Association. Ziad HaddadThe junior from Orefield, Pa. was ranked No. 1 all year and capped a perfect 25-0 season with a 5-4 victory over previously unbeaten Jacob Mitchell of California Baptist in the national tournament finals March 15 in Cleveland, Ohio. Hadded had seven major decisions, five falls and two technical falls while not giving up a takedown all season. “I am very blessed,” Haddad said. “This is a very prestigious award that holds great magnitude in our sport. I am a product of not giving up and people not giving up on me. Not only to achieve my dream of winning a national title, but everything that has come along since then is more than I could have every imagined.” Haddad is the seventh recipient of the award that is voted on by eight coaches from around the country – two from each region -- and the third heavyweight winner, including the second straight. He edged Central Regional Wrestler of the Year Casy Rowell of Central Oklahoma by one point for the top honor. Haddad spent two years at North Carolina and was a Division I national qualifier for the Tar Heels in 2012 before transferring to Kutztown. He’s 51-5 in two years with the Golden Bears and placed fourth in the national tournament as a sophomore in 2013 before winning the title this season. Previous winners of the award were Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev (2008), Nebraska-Omaha 157-pounder Todd Meneely (2009), Pittsburgh-Johnstown 133-pounder Shane Valko (2010), Western State 197-pounder Donovan McMahill (2011), Upper Iowa 133-pounder Trevor Franklin (2012) and Grand Canyon heavyweight Tyrell Fortune (2013).

Guests: Tony Ersland, Matt Azevedo, Joe Warren, Ralph Winnie, Kevin Ward Hour 1: Hour 2:

Participants of the 2014 Dream Team Classic pose for a photo (Photo/Cliff Keen Athletic) MARIETTA, Ga. -- On Sunday afternoon, Team USA handled Georgia, 37-15, at the 2014 Wrestling USA/Cliff Keen Dream Team Classic held at Lassiter High School in Marietta Ga. Team USA won nine of the 13 matches. However, Team Georgia had two of the highlight victories in the dual meet, both coming from Collins Hill wrestlers. At 120, No. 3 Sean Russell topped No. 5 Scott Parker (Pennridge, Pa.), 5-2. At 126, No. 7 Ryan Millhoff edged No. 3 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 5-3. Anchoring Team USA's victory was a pin from No. 11 Billy Miller at 285 pounds, and four major decision victories, including the one earned by No. 2 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) in the featured match of the dual meet at 182 pounds. Results: 220: No. 19 Matthew Moore (Apalachee) pinned Sage Hecox (Machesney Park Harlem, Ill.) 285: No. 11 Billy Miller (Perry, Ohio) pinned M.J. Couzan (Archer) 113: Alonzo Allen (Rockdale County) dec. No. 7 Brian Rossi (Lockport, Ill.), 9-4 145: No. 2 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.) dec. Jason Alfau (Camden County), 14-8 132: No. 11 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional, Pa.) maj. dec. Tyler Marinelli (Jefferson), 15-7 152: No. 3 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) maj. dec. Matthew Moody (Lowndes), 14-6 160: No. 3 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) maj. dec. Jake Henson (Pope), 15-6 138: No. 6 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. Cameron Perry (Gilmer), 8-4 126: No. 7 Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill) dec. No. 3 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 5-3 195: No. 3 Nathan Rose (Sibley East, Minn.) vs. No. 3 at 220 Chance McClure (Commerce), 5-4 170: No. 6 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.) pinned Damarko Dixon (Appling County) 120: No. 3 Sean Russell (Collins Hill) dec. No. 5 Scott Parker (Pennridge, Pa.), 5-2 182: No. 2 at 170 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) maj. dec. No. 4 at 195 Chip Ness (Buford), 12-3

Joe Warren

The Friday Mailbag turns 2 years old today. Thank you to the readers, emailers and commenters who have helped make this weekly discussion of wrestling topics so popular. I would have expected writing a weekly column would be mind-numbing repetitiveness, but you have kept it fresh and provided adept insight into our sport's biggest issues. Thanks again for all your support and loyalty. -- Tim Zeke Jones shook up the wrestling world this week when he left his post as head freestyle coach for USA Wrestling to take over the head coaching job at Arizona State. The move made sense for Jones, but for USA Wrestling it left an uncertain future. Jones deserves a lot of praise for the job he did with the USA Wrestling men's freestyle program. A 1991 World champion and silver medalist at the Barcelona Olympics, Jones used his passion and insight into international freestyle to help revamp and retool a struggling USA program. His 2012 Olympic team was one of the country's most successful, earning two gold medals and a bronze. Jones oversaw the development of Jordan Burroughs and was brilliant in giving Mark Manning the space to coach his wrestler the way he saw appropriate. He leaves Colorado Springs with America as the No. 3 freestyle squad in the world. ASU coach Zeke Jones and wife Renee have four children (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)I ran into Jones a few months ago at the Yariguin tournament in Krasnoyarsk and he was open about the challenges of running the national team. As you might expect, bi-weekly international travel is taxing physically and emotionally. The work takes you away from your family and the home life that we often take for granted. With four children, Jones wanted to spend more time at home, but he also wanted to win. College coaching won't mean a ton of free time for Jones. But after pushing hard for several years, Jones was fortunate to be presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach at his alma mater. Even the most die-hard USA Wrestling fans would find it tough to blame Jones for making the move. But those same fans might also see the danger of making a switch mid-Olympic cycle. Jones was a master organizer and did well to get his wrestlers into a system where they knew what to expect and what was expected of them. With a coaching change the attitude and direction of the team are sure to change. Some wrestlers will enjoy and progress, while others will resist and leave. The balance between the former and the latter will depend on the transition team and how well the rules are carried over. Since Jones did such a great job, it's likely that much of his system will remain. So who's next? That's tough to predict since the job COULD appeal to any coach in the country. I would like to see Cael Sanderson take a shot at coaching the international team. He's proven that he can win several consecutive NCAA titles as a wrestler and coach, and can even lead an individual Olympic wrestler to gold. Could he also lead a team to the freestyle title? John Smith, Tom Brands, Mark Manning, Sammie Henson, Lou Rosselli, and Sean Bormet are all great names from the college ranks. Then there are those already on staff like Bruce Burnett (who is heading the transition), Brandon Slay, and Bill Zadick. Whoever USA Wrestling chooses they'll have an uphill climb in 2014. The world is getting more competitive with teams like India, Mongolia, Georgia and Azerbaijan reloading for the upcoming World Championships in Tashkent. Then there is an Iranian team that is arguably the best freestyle team to take the mat since the USSR teams of the 1970's. The Russians are deep enough to field four top-ten teams. The new freestyle coach will have to play a head-spinning game of catch-up on scouting likely opponents and figuring out which of our wrestlers are best suited for competition. He'll have to play politics, travel 200k miles a year and work his butt off just to keep the team at the level it's enjoyed during Jones' tenure. I'm cautiously optimistic that everything will be ironed out by early summer, but if it's not, that's just our luck. To your questions ... Q: I would love to see a postseason all-star/charity event that brings in one or two top-ranked wrestlers at each weight class from Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA to compete against each other. I think it would be exciting to see them go at it. -- Jared W. Foley: Agreed, though I'm sure that after five months of knocking heads that some of these guys just want to relax and enjoy college life. As many fans remember, the NCAA tournament once invited the best from Division II and Division III. Probably made for an interesting event, but the NCAA hates fun and segregated the tournaments. Q: Rank all the Big Ten programs (1-14) in terms of most desirable head coaching position. -- Mike T. Foley: There was only one way to make the list with any slant towards equality, and that was to create the scenario in which every position was open and you were asked to bid on becoming the coach. To do this you also have to assume their current statue within the league, the possibility of adding funding and support, and all other options I'm sure a coach weighs when choosing a job. In essence, this is as much about how I think everyone else would rate the jobs, as it is my own read. 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Michigan 4. Minnesota 5. Ohio State 6. Nebraska 7. Illinois 8. Wisconsin 9. Northwestern 10. Michigan State 11. Maryland 12. Indiana 13. Rutgers 14. Purdue Q: How does the University of Texas not have a wrestling team? The Big 12 could really use another team and that athletic department has money to burn, plus I've read where high school wrestling is getting better in Texas. -- Tim J. Foley: High school wrestling in Texas is improving. The teams are performing better at the national level and the Division I talent produced seems to indicate there is more on the way. The biggest battle for wrestling in a state like Texas (and the entire Deep South) is to overcome the popularity of football and the pervasiveness of the NFL-type protect-the-shield culture. Football will always be legal in the state of Texas. Long after Connecticut moves over to flag football leagues, Texas will still allow their 9-year-old sons to ram head-first into each other. This affects wrestling because the more the sport is attacked, the more a place like Texas is likely to double-down on their love for their sport and push away anything that seems like a threat. Also, with the recent developments of student-athletes getting closer to earning a paycheck from their work, schools like Texas are going to be much more careful about how and where they spend their monies. I think that when we talk about adding Division I college programs we have to look first at the schools with proud traditions whose teams were lost to Title IX in the 90's, or to budget cuts in the Aughties. For me it's easier to imagine the reinstatement of a program because the alumni base -- which is significant in raising funds and awareness -- is already in place and motivated to achieve. Places like Clemson, Syracuse, Fresno State, Notre Dame and even Yale are the lead candidates for navigating the difficult task of reviving a lost program. Q: I read on InterMat (interview with Drew Pariano) that Jason Tsirtsis and Aaron Pico are going to wrestle at Beat the Streets on May 7. How do you see that match playing out? -- Mike C. Foley: Whoa. Love it. This is (I think) going to be freestyle so I give the edge to Pico. If he does win that also means that fans will be yapping for months about how the California Kid would have been the world's greatest ever collegiate wrestler. Except I'm choosing him because he's really, really good and been training exclusively in freestyle for more than a year. Pico's win over Russia's Emeev was impressive, especially after the latter's runner-up performance at Yariguin in January. His progression will be vital to showing the next generation of American high schoolers that they don't have to wrestle in college to win the Olympics. Should be a fantastic match. Q: In freestyle, with all the recent changes to the rules and scoring again and again ... and finally again, and with the U.S. Open just around the corner, is there a link you could share that shows the current freestyle wrestling rules as they apply today? -- Randy B. Foley: The freestyle rules are more-or-less unchanged since the end of last year. Here is the quick and dirty. 2-point takedowns 1-point reversals 1-point pushout 2-point shoulder exposure, 1-point hand-to-hand exposure All exposures from feet are now counted as point (no 5-point or 3-point) 10-point technical superiority First criteria is highest scoring maneuver As most people came to see with the World Cup in Los Angeles, the new rules have created plenty of action. No more ball draws and clinches and very few matches decided by criteria. To set the record straight on the perceived awfulness of criteria, there is criteria in college wrestling. It's just that international wrestling doesn't add a point to the winning side at the end of the match, like what happens at the end of a double OT rideout. I know we all hate the idea of no overtime, but what is gained far outweighs whatever you think is lost. If wrestling wants to get tournaments on television it needs to control the times of the matches. Though a lack of overtime might feel unfair, there is no way to implement the addition of a period without de-motivating the wrestlers from action. When the score is tied late the action is incredible, but when there is overtime, wrestlers often cruise -- choosing instead to have a quick rest and sudden victory scenario. Q: Do you reckon David Taylor of Penn State is the best four-time finalist/two-time champion in NCAA history. He's a Cyborg. Who were some other four-time finalists/two-time champions or three-time finalists/two-time champions? -- Big Iron Foley: Reckon so. The domination of opponents and only tripping up against the two opponents for a total of three losses makes Taylor and Ben Askren the top two choices. For what it's worth, I think of Taylor as a Gumby not a Cyborg. He's loose and long, where as a Cyborg is someone who can cause internal damage with a single look. Like ... Roberto "Cyborg" Abreau. This man is a Cyborg. Roberto "Cyborg" Abreau Q: I just got finished watching Boris Novachov's match against Toghrul Asgarov and I was wondering if to solve this new type of top ride/stall and to increase our success on the Olympic level (I acknowledge that we are steadily improving) do you see the NCAA ever instituting the standup rule like in freestyle if the top man is not working for the turn? I know it might sound like an extreme change but maybe one to consider! -- Jim D. Foley: Big win by Boris. When you watch the match you can FEEL Asgarov getting more and more tired. Boris' stuff was working and his four-point double leg was one of the best techniques of the weekend. Asgarov was wrestling in his first tournament since winning the 2012 Olympics, where the rules were still a little funny. He was up to a new weight and rusty, but when all was done is was Boris's training that proved the difference. The NCAA does need to consider the standup rule. Here is the history lesson on why America has mat wrestling. Ready? Set. Go! The current form of American traditional wrestling came from Irish collar-and-elbow style that showed up first in the northeast but eventually trickled across the country. Early matches would happen during March meetings when farmers and associated businessman would meet in rural New England locations to talk logistics and pricing, but would be entertained by the meeting of each town's best wrestlers. There were no points. Pin to win and on the ground wrestlers could use a variety of catch wrestling holds to incapacitate opponents. Eventually the talent gap shrank and the sport split off into two avenues: Professional and amateur wrestling, with a third much smaller catch wrestling which combined elements of both, but allowed for submissions. Amateur wrestling still wanted to see the fall, but over the years began to shed some of the more painful ways to turn over an opponent. Just like guillotines are a recent exclusion due to the pain inflicted, there are several dozen maneuvers used in the barns and backyards of the early 20th century which are now illegal. Without those holds and with points mattering more wrestlers began to feel satisfied with points victories. Pins have always been sexy, desirable and incentivizes, but as time has ticked past the 6-2 match is more common than the 62-second fall. That seems to have reached a pinnacle in 2014 with riding time playing the slim margin in an increasing number of matches. By gaming the system using maneuvers that allowed top wrestlers to move perpendicular without really trying for a fall, there were 100s of hours of college wrestling that looked like a man vs. man rodeo. Riding time dulled the action, but was ever-important in deciding the victor of razor thin matches. (Side note: riding time is also technically a criterion since no points are being scored.) The NCAA needs to address the riding time issue and the dearth of scoring in general. Though I dislike the idea, I'm willing to trust that they will find a solution to create scoring. Wrestling is a difficult sport to manage because the very essence of the sport asks for gamesmanship. Rule alterations are necessary to keep up the action on the mat. The only question left will be "how" they decide to incentivize action. I'm with you in thinking that a few more standups might not be a bad idea. Q: Do you think Nick Sulzer will become Virginia's first national champion next season? The top three placewinners at 165 pounds are graduating, clearing the way nicely for Sulzer. However, I have heard that Dieringer is moving up to 165 pounds. Sulzer vs. Dieringer in the NCAA finals perhaps? Also, supposedly J'den Cox is moving up to heavyweight next year. How do you think he will fare against guys like Adam Coon, Nick Gwiazdowski, Bobby Telford, and Mike McMullen? -- Dave T. Nick Sulzer (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: Sulzer has the talent to make the NCAA finals and with an offseason of improvements comparable to gains he made last summer, he should be in the hunt. He didn't finish the season well, and wrestled tentatively at NCAAs. As an alum it's my hope that he takes a killer's attitude into next year's tournament and doesn't stop until he wins the national title. I hadn't heard much about his move up to heavyweight. Will he be big enough? I think that Gwiazdowski would have world's more trouble with Cox than he would with a heavyweight like Telford. What I like overall is that the division is getting more athletic. NCAA wrestling is better when our heavyweights are moving around and scoring points. COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK By Brian W. Regarding stalling at the college level, if it's going to be called more often (which I absolutely agree, as a high school and college official myself, needs to be done), one major thing needs to be done. A great deal of power needs to be taken away from coaches in terms of who officiates their matches. At all levels, coaches have way too much pull with assigners with regard to blackballing officials from their duals, or keeping them off their mats in tournaments. Should a coach have an assigner/commissioner as a recourse to vent frustrations and call attention to potential errors or issue? Of course, but to be able to say that a referee will not work your matches? It's cherry-picking your own guys on some level, and it also means that the referees who work the matches are very cognizant of not pissing off the wrong guy. Has to stop, or else it's not going to get better. By Clint W. You had a few defensive pin topics/arguments in your mailbag as of late ... I have a rule that I feel would solve that inequity. If you have control (i.e. are in the top position), a pin is one-second. All other positions, it is two seconds. This would eliminate the injustice when a superior wrestler gets touch falled on a roll-through or when scrambling, etc. If you take somebody down to their back, you are awarded a two-point takedown before backs are counted, so this would not change that as you would have control, so this would just apply to scrambles and pins from the bottom position, which you should need to demonstrate an extra level of control for.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- The interim tag is off for Chris Skretkowicz. After spending the 2013-14 season as the interim head coach for the Virginia Military Institute wrestling team, athletic director Dr. Dave Diles has promoted Skretkowicz as the newest head coach for the program. “I am excited to have the opportunity to guide the VMI wrestling program into the future, said Skretkowicz. “As countless great coaches have done before me, I look forward to developing young men to become successful wrestlers as well as leaders in all walks of life. I would like to thank Dr. Diles, General Peay, and the Institute for this opportunity.” Skretkowicz becomes the 15th head coach since the program earned varsity status in 1921. “I'm very pleased to appoint Chris as our permanent head coach. He has an exceptional competitive background, a proven track record as an assistant coach, and he demonstrated excellent leadership during his interim tenure,” said Dr. Diles. “In addition, Chris' values and integrity make him a great match for VMI. The team responded very well to his coaching style and I'm looking forward to working with him to advance our wrestling program.” Skretkowicz concluded his eighth season on Post as a coach, spending his first seven years in Lexington as an assistant. This past season, he served as the interim head coach, stepping in for John “Rocky” Trudgeon, who guided the team for 28 years and logged more than any other coach in program history. In his season as an interim head coach, Skretkowicz saw red-shirt junior Juan Adams reach the podium at the 2014 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships as the heavyweight finished third overall, just missing a berth in the NCAA Tournament. During his time on Post, Skretkowicz mentored the program’s most recent Southern Conference champion, Josh Wine, who won the heavyweight title three times at VMI (2008, 2009, 2011). A 2005 graduate of Hofstra, Skretkowicz earned CAA Tournament Outstanding Wrestler honors as a senior, along with CAA Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman. Among individual tournaments, Skretkowicz was a three-time placewinner at The Midlands, while also capturing the 197 pound championship at the 2004 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Skretkowicz brings a prestigious wrestling background to the Institute, placing sixth at the NCAA tournament in 2003 and fifth in 2004. His 140-24 career record was accompanied by a perfect 26-0 mark against CAA opponents in his four years in the league. He qualified for the NCAA Championships each of his four seasons, and continues to help train Keydet wrestlers to do the same.

The Northwestern Wildcats are trending upward. They are coming off a top-10 finish at the NCAAs and return all five NCAA qualifiers, including three All-Americans. Northwestern also signed three of the nation's top 20 recruits from the Class of 2014. InterMat catches up with Northwestern coach Drew Pariano and talks to him about this past season, Jason Tsirtsis, incoming recruits, NCAA championship proposal, and more. Drew Pariano celebrates after Jason Tsirtsis wins the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Northwestern is coming off a ninth-place finish at the NCAAs. Overall, were you and your staff pleased with the team's finish this past season? Pariano: Pleased is probably a good way to put it. But we're never satisfied. We had several guys wrestle above their seeds. Obviously, we were in some tight spots with the seeding. I feel like we're not totally taking into consideration the grind of the Big Ten tournament anymore when it comes to the seeding. We had our work cut out for us and tough guys all the way through. I'm very proud of the guys. My assistant coaches Jay Borschel, Matt Storniolo, Conor Beebe, and Tim Cysewski were instrumental to our team's success at the NCAAs. Mike McMullan coming back for third after he was disappointed, and then Pierce Harger getting his first All-American status was great. He worked really hard with Borschel and got it done, but he's not satisfied. He wants to win a national title. When the NCAA brackets were you released and you saw that Jason Tsirtsis was seeded No. 5 after winning the Big Ten title, what was your reaction? Pariano: A little bit of confusion. He had just beaten Nick Dardanes head-to-head. He lost to him in the dual. I get that. But when you beat him at Big Tens on a bigger stage that should carry a little more weight. I felt like Dardanes was sitting down there in a pretty good spot. Jason ends up getting a national champion in the quarters, and even Busler in the first round. That's a tough match. Then English in the second round, and that kid was wrestling great. Jason just really earned that championship. He beat Houdashelt in the semis, the No. 1 guy. Jason Tsirtsis defeated top-seeded Drake Houdashelt of Missouri in the NCAA semifinals at 149 pounds in Oklahoma City (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)What kind of impact has Tsirtsis had on your program since he arrived? Pariano: He's a guy that you knew was going to be very good. I think there are a lot of guys like him now that you just know are going to very good. You knew David Taylor was going to be very good, Kyle Dake ... Some of these younger guys you just know they're going to be very good. But at the same time, you have to make some adjustments. Many of those adjustments he made this season were just getting acclimated to the grind of the long season. A redshirt season doesn't necessarily prepare you for the grind of the Big Ten season. He did a good job toward the end of the year doing everything right ... dieting right, sleeping right, studying right, watching video, doing extra workouts. He did it right. Tsirtsis mentioned after winning his NCAA title that he's going to start training for freestyle. What are his competition plans for this spring and summer? Pariano: He just took a match with Aaron Pico at the Beat the Streets event in New York City on May 7, which I know is going to be heavily talked about. Then probably University Nationals, and then the Senior World Team Trials. So he has a full docket. Mike McMullan dropped a tight match in the second round to Austin Marsden, but came all the way back to finish third. What was your takeaway from his performance in Oklahoma City? Pariano: Just toughness. He knows he didn't wrestle a good match against Marsden. Marsden did what he had to do to win. There was so much frustration there. But at the same time he took it in ... and took it literally one match at a time, beats Medbery, pins Chalfant in 18 seconds, and then beats Telford, who is a hard guy to beat. He just did a great job coming back through. He did not have an easy road. You look at that heavyweight bracket ... there aren't too many easy spots in there. Stevan Micic recently won his third straight state title (Photo/Paul Tincher, IndianaMat.com)You have signed three of the nation's top 20 recruits in Bryce Brill, Johnny Sebastian, and Stevan Micic. What kind of impact do you expect those wrestlers to have on your program? Pariano: It just continues to build. I give credit to my assistant coaches and the current guys on the team for creating that environment. I think they've created an environment where we now expect to challenge for a trophy. The days of just wanting to finish in the top 15 are long gone, and I think the recruits see the vision. Another thing the recruits said is they like the fact that they can be a part of something special here at Northwestern, kind of like what we had in 2007 when we were fourth with Herbert, Lang, Tamillow, and Fox. That was a very special time for our program. Those guys felt like they earned that. They had some ownership in that. I think these guys feel the same way. I think they feel like they can make a difference. They were recruited by everybody ... Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Michigan, whoever. But they just decided that Northwestern was the place for them academically and athletically, and we're excited to get them up here as soon as possible. Do you expect the incoming recruits to challenge for spots in the lineup next season? Pariano: It's a case-by-case situation. We have to look at who we have coming back at the weight class, but at the same time we want to put our best team out there. Sometimes redshirting isn't always the best answer. Redshriting sometimes takes you out of your element. It takes you away from competing every weekend. I think we do a really good job of sitting down with the guys and figuring it all out. It's not like a dictatorship where the coach just says, 'Hey, you're going in there.' We sit down collectively as a staff with the student-athletes and decide what's best for them. Maryland and Rutgers are both competing in the Big Ten starting next season. What are your thoughts on the addition of those two programs? Pariano: I think they're both on the rise. Kerry McCoy and Scott Goodale are both doing a great job. Rutgers had an All-American this season, and then they're getting Ashnault off resdshirt and a lot of other good guys. Maryland had a national finalist this year. You're just adding two more hammers to the conference. It's going to make the conference tournament that much tougher. Now we're doing nine duals a year. There's no easy road in the Big Ten. How are plans coming along for the 52nd Ken Kraft Midlands Championships? Pariano: It's going well. I think we're going to have some teams back ... obviously, we have the mainstays. I think teams are bouncing back and forth between the Scuffle and Midlands, and for me that's OK. We're going to get a lot of East Coast teams this year and Big Ten teams. We would like to get Iowa State back. Adding Michigan a few years ago was great because they had taken kind of a long hiatus from the Midlands. It's kind of a rotating thing. We would love to see independent guys enter. I would love to see Joey Davis from Notre Dame College come in and put it on the line. That would be awesome. That's what Midlands is all about. The Division I Wrestling Committee released a recommended proposal that the championships include a team component and an individual component. Where do you and your coaching staff stand on that proposal? Pariano: People are glued to the team race at the NCAAs. If you give the top teams 50 points, 42 points, 35, whatever the break down was, I think that takes away some of the unsung heroes ... programs like Clarion, Binghamton, and Appalachian State that want to break into the top 20. I just don't see how that works. I know people say change is necessary, well, I do believe that. But let's go back to the model where we were having some success with National Duals. It was a big event at Northern Iowa. Most of the top teams were going, and then you include the other divisions. And then what I think you could do is with the Virginia Duals invite teams 17 through 32, and then that event becomes viable. I don't want to call it like the NIT, but it would still be a great national event. What's your opinion of the mat-side review and challenge system in place in college wrestling? Very few calls were overturned by challenges at the NCAAs. Pariano: Refs don't want to overturn themselves. It's like a professor admitting they're wrong after giving an exam. Who wants to overrule themselves? If that's truly going to work they need an independent ref that's watching the match, or you just take the assistant official out of there and they watch the review and make an educated decision. It's all about the kids. We want the calls right. I'm not against video review in any way, shape, or form, I just feel like we have to find a better way to do it. If you're the ref making that call and you get overturned six times in the tournament, that's going to get back to Pat McCormick and you might not be reffing the NCAA tournament the next year. Mike Mullan earned his third straight All-American honor (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Obviously, next season you return all five of your NCAA qualifiers, including three All-Americans. What's the team goal? Pariano: The team goal is to challenge for a trophy. Once you set that goal I think you even set the goal higher once you get to the tournament. This year we were in like 20th place, then 17th place, then 11th place ... We didn't get into the top 10 until after Jason won in the NCAA finals. I think that shows great resiliency on our team's part. But at the same time, after the first round next year we want to be in the top four. We want to be in a place where we can do a lot of damage. We need to qualify eight or nine guys next year. Thanks for making time to do the interview, Drew. Is there anything else you want to add? Pariano: We're very excited about the future. Alex Tsirtsis does a great job with our club. The Chicago Regional Training Center is going to be growing. Jason Welch is still training with us. My assistant coach Conor Beebe is as well. We're hoping to get more guys to move to Chicago. I think a lot of the major programs need that. We have Aaron Anspach training at the Chicago Regional Training Center. He's not necessarily competing, but he's a great resource and role model for Mike McMullan. I think that's an aspect of our program that's really going to grow. We want World teams to conduct their camps at Northwestern. We don't start school until late September, so in August that room is completely open for our guys to work out, and then also have Cadet, Junior, and senior level World teams come on in and do their thing in Chicago.

Related: Rich Bender Video Interview | Zeke Jones Video Interview Arizona State announced today that USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones of Colorado Springs, Colo. has been named as the new head wrestling coach at his alma mater Arizona State. Jones returns to Arizona State after serving 5.5 years as National Freestyle Coach with USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport. Under Jones leadership, the USA was able to reestablish its place among the top freestyle wrestling nations in the world. Zeke Jones talks to Nick Marable at the World Cup (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"This is a positive step forward for wrestling in America. The USA freestyle program is heading in a great direction, thanks to Zeke's efforts. The storied program at Arizona State will get a great leader to strengthen an important college program for the future. We are grateful for Zeke Jones' passion and commitment for USA Wrestling and the national freestyle program, and we wish him great success with his new opportunity," said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. "It was always my goal to come back to college wrestling. Six years ago, Rich Bender and I talked about serving our country and getting our freestyle program back on track. I wanted to take on that challenge. I feel we are at a better place than we were. Now, I am ready for a new challenge, helping elevate Arizona State's program into one of the best in the country and position its wrestlers for World and Olympic medals," said Jones. Under Jones leadership at the 2012 Olympic Games, the United States won three medals, including gold medalists Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner and bronze medalist Coleman Scott. The USA was also third in the unofficial team standings. In the four World Championships during Jones' tenure, the USA came home with a World Championships trophy once, placing third at the 2011 World Championships. The USA was also in the top seven teams in three of those years, also placing fifth in 2013 and seventh in 2009. He led the USA to five individual World Championship medals, including two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs. The United States competed in three Freestyle World Cups during the Jones era, placing third in 2012 and 2013 and sixth in 2010. Under Jones and his national staff, the USA was also successful on the world level on the age-group level. During the Jones staff era, the USA won eight Junior World medals, five University World medals and four Cadet World medals, including five gold medalists. USA Wrestling will begin its search for a new National Freestyle Coach immediately. Prior to joining USA Wrestling, Jones served as the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania for three years. Jones coached Penn's Matt Valenti to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007. Penn set school records for most points scored in an NCAA Tournament and having eight returning NCAA qualifiers. Jones was named the Rookie Head Coach of the Year by Amateur Wrestling News his first season there. He served seven years as an assistant coach at West Virginia, helping coach three NCAA champions, five NCAA finalists and 12 All-Americans. He helped lead the team to three conference titles (2002, 2003 and 2005). He also served on the coaching staffs at Arizona State and Bloomsburg. Jones was an Olympic Freestyle Coach for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Athens, Greece. The U.S. won three medals in Athens, with a gold by Cael Sanderson and silvers by Stephen Abas and Jamill Kelly. Jones served as head coach for the American team at the 2001 World Championships. The U.S. placed fifth in the team standings and featured a pair of silver medalists. Jones was the head coach for a pair of U.S. teams that won titles at the World Cup. He was named 2001 and 2002 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. He has made numerous contributions as the head coach with the Sunkist Kids, one of the most successful wrestling clubs in the world. Jones was head coach of the 2003 Pan American Games team, which won the team title and captured four individual gold medals. He also was on the U.S. coaching staff for the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. Among the athletes he coached were 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kendall Cross and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Sammie Henson. Jones had an outstanding career as a wrestler at the international level. He won a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships. Jones also claimed a silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He added a bronze medal at the 1995 World Championships. He placed fourth in the 1990 and 1993 World Championships. He was a member of the U.S. squads that won World team titles in 1993 and 1995. A four-time World Cup champion, Jones was the No. 1 ranked freestyle wrestler in the USA for seven straight years. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Jones was voted "World's Most Technical Wrestler" by FILA. Jones wrestled at Arizona State, where he was a NCAA finalist and was a three-time All-American for the Sun Devils. Jones was a member of the 1988 Arizona State team which won the NCAA Div. I title under coach Bobby Douglas, the first national champion team in wrestling from the Western United States. He was top-ranked freestyle wrestler in the USA while still competing in college. Jones is excited about serving as head coach at his alma mater, and helping lead the Sun Devil program to prominence. "Arizona State has made it very clear. They want to not only have the best college wrestling program in America, but they also want to have the best freestyle program in America, which produces NCAA champions and World and Olympic medalists. Our goals are simple. We want to be the best we can be. We want to challenge for national championships. We want our athletes to graduate, to be leaders in society and the community and to be proud Sun Devils. We have a lot of work to do, and we want to do it the right way," said Jones. The Arizona State athletic department is excited to bring back one of its Sun Devil wrestling heroes to lead the program moving forward. His appointment will commence pending approval from the Arizona Board of Regents. "I think it's a tremendous day for the sport of wrestling in the state of Arizona," Arizona State Athletics Director Ray Anderson said. "The hire of Zeke Jones makes a statement to the wrestling community within our state that Arizona State University is seeking to reestablish its program among the elite in the country. We are thrilled to welcome Zeke back to his alma mater." "I've known Zeke Jones since he was a student-athlete here," senior associate athletic director Don Bocchi said. "I've certainly been proud of his accomplishments through his coaching career and his career as a world-class athlete. He is one of the most accomplished coaches in the sport. There are few people in any sport that have single-name recognition. In the sport of wrestling, when you say Zeke, you don't have to say Jones, and that's worldwide. That says something to his accomplishments both as an athlete and as a coach." Jones is originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., where he was a state high school champion, a three-time Junior National All-American and a Dream Team selection by Wrestling USA Jones and his wife, Renee, have four children, Jessica, David, Rebecca and Jacob.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue head wrestling coach Scott Hinkel has announced his resignation, effective immediately. Scott Hinkel (Photo/Purdue Sports Information)"Purdue University has been my home for most of my adult life, but there comes a time when you feel it is in everyone's best interest to move away from home," Hinkel said. "I appreciate the support I have received from everyone at the university and our fans. It is difficult to walk away from my wrestlers and fellow alumni, but I know they will persevere and do what they can to keep this program on the right track." Hinkel, who just completed his seventh season as head coach, posted a 74-57-2 record (.564 winning percentage). Highlights included a 23rd-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Championships and a sixth-place finish at the 2010 Big Ten Championships. He is the only head coach in Purdue history to post a winning dual record in each of his first three seasons. Hinkel coached three All-Americans: Jake Patacsil (2009), Cashé Quiroga (2010) and Ivan Lopouchanski (2013). At the same time, Hinkel elevated the academic success of the Boilermakers. The program achieved its first NWCA top 30 All-Academic team ranking in 2010, and his wrestlers earned 46 Academic All-Big Ten honors. "Scott has worked tirelessly to build our wrestling program and elevate its popularity on our campus and throughout the community," said associate athletics director Calvin Williams, who oversees the wrestling program. "He cares deeply about his student-athletes and their well-being both on the mat and in the classroom. It has been a pleasure working with him the last three years." Before being selected as head coach in 2007, Hinkel served as a Purdue assistant coach for 14 seasons. As a student-athlete at Purdue, Hinkel earned All-America honors in 1987 at 126 pounds and received Academic All-Big Ten accolades, becoming the first of only two wrestlers in school history to accomplish both in the same season. He ranks first in school history in career falls (45) and second in career wins (127). "Scott is a Boilermaker through and through," athletics director Morgan Burke said. "He has been a tremendous ambassador for Purdue University for 25 years. In addition to his work with our wrestlers athletically and academically, Scott has been a strong advocate for the John Purdue Club and recruiting former student-athletes to join the Varsity P Club. I want to personally thank Scott for his contributions and wish him and his family all the best." A national search will begin for Hinkel's replacement. Hinkel will serve in an administrative capacity with the athletics department through June 30. Assistant coaches Pete Rogers and Chris Fleeger will continue in their current roles pending the hire of a new head coach.

It'll be a busy day of MMA on Friday, with both the UFC and Bellator holding events. The UFC card is anchored by a heavyweight bout between Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, an entertaining fight but not a contest that will have an impact on the title picture. Things don't get much better in the co-main, with perennial head bobber Clay Guida likely to pick up a lackluster decision win over a faded Tatsuya Kawajiri. Bellator, meanwhile, will bid farewell to respected veteran Vladimir Matyushenko. Rounding things out, former Sambo practitioner Blagoi Ivanov could be the most intriguing fighter to watch this weekend as he seeks to reach the heavyweight tournament finals. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Zahid Valencia (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) It's been exactly a month since the conclusion of the state wrestling championships season -- New Jersey wrestled their state finals on March 9. While the state championships are a major pinnacle of each season, it is not the endpoint for scholastic wrestling in the least. There's been a slew of wrestling since then -- some (senior) all-star meets, along with a couple of key national-level tournaments (NHSCA grade-level nationals, FloNationals, and the USA Wrestling Junior & Cadet Folkstyle Championships). Below is a look at five wrestlers that have had significantly positive performances over this period of time. Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) The nation's top 132-pound wrestler, and sixth-ranked overall Class of 2015 prospect, moved up four weight classes for the Junior National Folkstyle Championships this past weekend in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Competing at 152 pounds, he won the title with an impressive performance. Valencia's tournament run started with two pins; continued with a 7-3 win over two-time state placer Dan Kelly (Cedar Falls, Iowa), who was third this past year at 138 pounds; upended Joe Smith (Stillwater, Okla.), the nation's No. 11 Class of 2015 wrestler, 2-1 in the tiebreaker of the quarterfinals; beat nationally ranked Tagen Lambotte (Rossville, Kan.), a four-time state champion, 3-1 in the semifinals; and then beat two-time state champion Jared Scharenbock (Sun Prairie, Wis.) 7-3 in the final. Nick Piccininni (Ward Mellville, N.Y.) Nick Piccininni (Photo/Joe DAquila, Phototrens.com)Currently ranked No. 4 nationally at 120 pounds, and No. 13 overall in the Class of 2015, Piccininni put himself right into the middle of the calculus for the No. 1 position at his weight class with performance in the postseason. It started with a decisive 7-1 victory in the Pinning Down Autism dual meet against state runner-up Michael Russo (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.). He then strung together seven victories on way to winning a very tough FloNationals bracket at 120 pounds this past weekend. The tournament started with three decisive wins over relative unknowns -- a 7-1 decision, followed by a 46 second pin, and then a 19-2 technical fall. The round of 16 bout was a 5-3 victory over state champion Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.); Piccininni then upended No. 14 George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.), runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge this fall, by 3-2 decision in the quarterfinals; and it was then a 3-1 win over four-time state placer, and 2013 state champion, Luis Gonzalez (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) in the semifinal. This set up a championship bout against No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), the defending FloNationals champion and winner of the Super 32 Challenge this fall. This bout ended up as a one-sided destruction, one in which Piccininni came through with a 10-2 major decision victory. Kenneth Brinson (Marist, Ga.) Though Brinson had very strong productivity -- two straight undefeated state title seasons, NHSCA Freshman and Sophomore Nationals titles -- the junior from Georgia made his debut in the national rankings during the 2014 portion of the scholastic season. He entered the NHSCA Junior Nationals two weekends ago ranked No. 17 nationally at 220 pounds and outside the top 50 overall in the Class of 2015. In said event, he emerged as champion. Brinson's run started with a pair of first period pins, before a closer than expected 4-3 victory in the quarterfinal round over state champion Patrick Grayson (Colonial Forge, Va.). The semifinal match was a decisive 11-5 victory over New England regional champion and Super 32 Challenge runner-up Ian Butterbrodt (St. John's Prep, Mass.). That was all in prelude to the championship match against Austin Myers (Campbell County, Ky.), who is positioned No. 23 overall in the Class of 2015 and No. 7 in this weight class. It was a bout won 8-6 by Brinson. Two reasons why Brinson is not as heralded as some of his productivity suggests he should be. First, he is floating in a medium-school Georgia classification. Second, he doesn't really compete during the spring/summer, as he is nationally ranked in his age group for the discus and javelin. Brinson was a high school state champion in the discus as a sophomore. Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.) It's been a very productive cycle for Wisman, starting with a double fourth place finish at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D. this summer. He won his first state title this season after finishing runner-up as a freshman and sophomore. The last two weekends have been stellar for the nation's No. 45 ranked Class of 2015 prospect, and the No. 15 ranked 182-pound wrestler. First it was a title at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, including a pin at the 5:00 mark against state champion Jared Langley (Newton, Kan.) in the semifinal, and then a 3-1 decision over fellow three-time state placer and 2014 state champion Cash Wilcke (OA-BCIG, Iowa) in the final. Then, he also won the title at the FloNationals this past weekend. Key victories came by 6-3 decision in the semifinal against three-time state champion Boomer Fleming (Ridgeview, Ore.), and then a 7-3 victory over No. 11 Christian Dietrich (Greene, N.Y.) in the championship final. Jairod James (Bedford, Ohio) Never even a finalist in his state tournament, placing only seventh and fourth, James is not a nationally ranked wrestler, nor will he likely end up as one next week. However, the non-committed wrestler had a superlative NHSCA Senior Nationals tournament on the way to finishing as runner-up at 152 pounds. Leading in the championship bout, James had three very high quality wins. The first was a 9-4 round of 16 win over state placer Dennis Ferro (East Islip, N.Y.), then it was a first period pin in the quarterfinals over three-time state placer -- and this year a state champion -- Travis Willers (Pleasant Valley, Iowa), and capped off by a 7-1 win over three-time state placer Maaziah Bethea (Trenton Central, N.J.) in the semifinal. The championship loss was 4-3 in the tiebreaker against No. 13 Paul Fox (Gilroy, Calif.), despite James scoring the lone takedown in the match.

The 2014-15 NCAA Division I wrestling season is still seven months away, which makes forecasting the season both premature and speculative. A lot can (and will) change in the summer and fall months. Decisions will be made on redshirting, injuries will occur, and wrestlers will shift weight classes. For some teams, projected lineups in April will look much different than actual lineups in November. With that said, here is my early projection on the trophy (top four) teams at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. The trophy teams are not listed in projected order of finish. Ohio State Ohio State's Logan Stieber celebrates after defeating Virginia Tech's Devin Carter to win his third NCAA championship (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The Buckeyes have the "it" factor right now despite not winning a team trophy at the NCAAs since 2009. Expectations are sky-high in Columbus for good reason. Tom Ryan's Buckeyes are loaded with talent and experience. Logan Stieber returns for his senior season and will be looking to become just the fourth wrestler in NCAA Division I wrestling history to win four NCAA Division I titles. Logan's younger brother Hunter, a two-time All-American, will return to the Buckeye lineup after a redshirt season. However, what makes the Buckeyes both a title contender -- and a bit of a question mark -- is their uber-talented freshman class. Two No. 1 overall recruits Bo Jordan (Class of 2013) and Kyle Snyder (Class of 2014) will step in the lineup for Ohio State at 165 pounds and 197 pounds respectively. Jordan, a four-time state champion, is coming off an undefeated (23-0) redshirt season, while Snyder, a Junior World champion, has spent the past year battling with the nation's top senior level wrestlers at the Olympic Training Center. In addition, three-time Junior National freestyle champion Nathan Tomasello will be looking to make an impact at 125 pound after an 18-0 redshirt season. The Buckeyes also return NCAA qualifiers Nick Roberts (125), Johnni DiJulius (133), Josh Demas (157), Mark Martin (174), Kenny Courts (184), and Nick Tavanello (285). Projected lineup: 125: Nathan Tomasello, 133: Johnni DiJulius, 141: Logan Stieber, 149: Hunter Stieber, 157: Josh Demas, 165: Bo Jordan, 174: Mark Martin, 184: Kenny Courts, 197: Kyle Snyder, 285: Nick Tavanello Iowa Iowa's Tom Brands coaches heavyweight Bobby Telford at the 2014 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Madison, Wis. (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Hawkeye fans are getting restless after four straight seasons of finishing third or lower at the NCAAs. It goes without saying that that the expectation in Iowa City is for the Hawkeyes to be contending for a national championship every season, even as college wrestling enjoys more parity than ever. Iowa finished fourth this past season, 31 points behind NCAA champion Penn State. The Hawkeyes return All-Americans Cory Clark (125), Mike Evans (174), Nathan Burak (197), and Bobby Telford, as well as NCAA qualifiers Josh Dziewa (141), Brody Grothus (149), and Nick Moore (165). Coach Tom Brands certainly has some major voids to fill in his lineup with the graduation of NCAA champions Tony Ramos (133) and Derek St. John (157), as well as two-time All-American Ethen Lofthouse (184). The blow of losing Ramos (133) is softened a little bit by Clark taking over at 133 pounds, with Thomas Gilman taking over at 125 pounds. With St. John graduating, the 157-pound weight class remains a question mark at this point for the Hawkeyes. Iowa should be in good hands at 184 pound with Sammy Brooks replacing Lofthouse. Projected lineup: 125: Thomas Gilman, 133: Cory Clark, 141: Josh Dziewa, 149: Brody Grothus/Brandon Sorensen, 157: Michael Kelly/Brandon Sorensen, 165: Nick Moore, 174: Mike Evans, 184: Sammy Brooks, 197: Nathan Burak, 285: Bobby Telford Minnesota Minnesota coaches J Robinson and Luke Becker celebrate with Logan Storley after a quarterfinal win at the 2014 NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)This year's NCAA runner-up Minnesota is losing some heavy hitters with the graduation of multiple-time All-Americans David Thorn (133), Kevin Steinhaus (184), and Tony Nelson (285), plus 2014 All-American Danny Zilverberg (165). For most college wrestling programs, the loss of four All-Americans -- one being a three-time NCAA finalist -- would almost assure a subsequent rebuilding season, but that's far from the case with the Gophers. Multiple-time All-Americans Dylan Ness (157), Logan Storley (174), and Scott Schiller (197) return, and all three are coming off top-three finishes in Oklahoma City. In addition, Chris Dardanes (141) is a multiple-time All-American, while twin brother Nick Dardanes (149) was an All-American in 2013. The Gophers also have some talented and experienced wrestlers waiting in the wings. Brett Pfarr, a fourth-place finisher at the Southern Scuffle, is expected to replace at Steinhaus at 184 pounds. Michael Kroells will take over for Nelson. Talented young wrestlers like Jake Short (149), Brandon Kingsley (157/165), and Nick Wanzek (165) will be looking to make an impact for the Gophers in 2014-15. Projected lineup: 125: Tommy Thorn/Ethan Lizak, 133: Sam Brancale, 141: Chris Dardanes, 149: Nick Dardanes, 157: Dylan Ness, 165: Brandon Kingsley/Nick Wanzek, 174: Logan Storley, 184: Brett Pfarr, 197: Scott Schiller, 285: Michael Kroells Penn State Penn State coaches Cael Sanderson and Casey Cunningham coach David Taylor in his 2014 NCAA finals match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The four-time defending NCAA champion Nittany Lions lose two college wrestling greats in David Taylor (165) and Ed Ruth (184). The two wrestlers combined to compile a record of 270-6, win five NCAA titles and reach the NCAA finals seven times. The duo scored 51.5 team points for the Nittany Lions at the 2014 NCAAs in Oklahoma City, which accounted for 47 percent of Penn State's team points. However, even with the loss of both Taylor and Ruth, Cael Sanderson has enough talent in his stable for Penn State to make another championship run in 2015. Penn State has five wrestlers returning who have earned All-American honors either this past season or in previous seasons. Three-time All-American Nico Megaludis will be after the elusive NCAA title after two runner-up finishes and a third-place finish this past season. Zain Retherford, an NCAA fifth-place finisher as a true freshman, will look to climb the podium at 141 pounds. Matt Brown has been an All-American in each of his two seasons in the Penn State lineup, and Morgan McIntosh (197) is coming off a seventh-place finish. Dylan Alton (157) will look to regain the form that made him an All-American in 2012. Projected lineup: 125: Nico Megaludis, 133: Jimmy Gulibon, 141: Zain Retherford, 149: Andrew Alton/Zack Beitz, 157: Dylan Alton, 165: Garett Hammond, 174: Matt Brown, 184: Matt McCutcheon, 197: Morgan McIntosh, 285: Jimmy Lawson/Jon Gingrich Four teams outside looking in ... Cornell: There is too much talent training in the Freidman Wrestling Center Ithaca to not include the Big Red in the conversation for a team trophy in 2015. Two-time All-American Nahshon Garrett returns and will be looking to solve the Jesse Delgado puzzle and win an NCAA title at 125 pounds. Brian Realbuto (157) and Gabe Dean (184) were freshman All-Americans, and two other freshmen, Mark Grey (133) and Dylan Palacio (165), reached the round of 12. EIWA champions Chris Villalonga (149) and Jace Bennett (197) also return. This past season Rob Koll's squad exceeded expectations in large part because of the performances of their freshmen. If Cornell's new faces in the lineup in 2014-15, like Alex Cisneros (141), exceed expectations, the Big Red could be hoisting the NCAA championship trophy on Saturday night in St. Louis. Edinboro: The Fighting Scots, under the guidance of Tim Flynn, have flown under the radar in recent seasons, but that won't be the case any longer. Edinboro nearly knocked off Iowa in an early season dual meet, which opened some eyes. Then the Fighting Scots opened even more eyes with a fifth-place finish in Oklahoma City. Edinboro returns the most points from the 2014 NCAAs. Three All-Americans return -- A.J. Schopp (133), Mitchell Port (141), and Dave Habat (149) -- plus 2014 NCAA qualifiers Kory Mines (125) and Vic Avery (184). If Schopp and Port can reach the NCAA finals, and Mines, Avery, and a few others can step up and make noise in March, Edinboro could finish in the top four in 2015. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys lose a couple major point scorers in two-time NCAA champion Chris Perry (174) and four-time All-American Tyler Caldwell (165). Jon Morrison (133) and Blake Rosholt (197), both All-Americans in 2013, also graduate. The good news for Cowboy fans is that three of Oklahoma State's 2014 All-Americans return to Stillwater: NCAA champion Alex Dieringer (157), NCAA runner-up Josh Kindig (149), and eighth-place finisher Austin Marsden (285). NCAA qualifiers Anthony Collica (141) and Nolan Boyd (184) are also back. Northwestern: Drew Pariano's Wildcats, fresh off a ninth-place finish at the NCAAs, are on the rise and should be in the hunt for a team trophy in St. Louis. They return all five NCAA qualifiers from this past season, including three All-Americans. Jason Tsirtsis (149) claimed an NCAA title as a freshman, Mike McMullan (285) earned his third All-American honor with a third-place finish, and Pierce Harger (165) earned his first All-American honor with an eighth-place finish. Northwestern also signed a tremendous recruiting class that includes three wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the Class of 2014. Whether any of those wrestlers step in the lineup as true freshmen and make an impact remains to be seen.

Minnesota's state high school wrestling tournament takes place at the Xcel Energy Center (Photo/David Peterson) From an outsider standpoint, the first weekend of March in Minnesota is just another state tournament for wrestling junkies. I understand we are a small minority of the population, but this time of year wrestling fans don't leave the state. There are roughly 10,000 of us not going on cruises, not going to Florida, Arizona, or Mexico. We stay put and settle in for the best three days of the year in Minnesota. St. Paul has been the host for this event every year for a long time. There was a one-year hiatus while the current home to the Minnesota Wild, the Xcel Energy Center (or simply the X as we call it), was being built. That year the tournament was hosted at Target Center, home to the Minnesota Timberwolves in downtown Minneapolis. It was awkward and almost everyone is glad it moved across the river where it belongs. Although the format has changed over the years, the weekend in its current form, crowns three state team champions and 42 individual champions. The dual meet (team) tournament has been running all day on Thursday for several years. There is argument whether it should be moved to Saturday to prevent forfeits that are inevitable. No one argues for the team and individuals to take place on separate weekends. Having them both on the same weekend is unusual nationwide, but Minnesota fans are hooked. There are always plenty of subplots going on. Usually everyone pays attention to the numbers and throws around phrases like, "He's a two-timer." There are a few numbers that deserve special attention. This year three wrestlers have a chance to become four-time state champions. One of them will have a chance to become a five-timer next year, while another has a chance for six in two years. We are talking hallowed ground here and it's a little too early to talk about. Tommy Thorn of STMA won his fourth state championship (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Tommy Thorn of STMA finished a perfect 49-0 and easily rolled through his bracket to finish at the top of the podium. He had three pins leading to the finals and finished with a convincing 12-0 win in the championship. No one scored a point on him. Thorn capped off his career with a gaudy 199-6 record, but there was something deeper going on here. Tommy and his older brothers Mike and David combined to win 11 state championships, which set a Minnesota record for the most number of state wrestling championships won by brothers. Mike and David were both two-time All-Americans at the University of Minnesota, and Tommy has signed to wrestle for the Gophers. Cameron Sykora of Border West also cruised to his fourth state championship, outscoring his opponents 57-1. He had four technical falls and finished his junior campaign with a perfect 35-0 record. Sykora will enter his senior year with a 176-13 career record. Mark Hall of Apple Valley capped off an undefeated season (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)The final athlete to win the coveted fourth was Mark Hall of Apple Valley. Hall, who is ranked No. 1 among all sophomore wrestlers in the United States by InterMat, rolled through the tournament as easily as he seemed to roll through the season. He capped off a perfect 48-0 season hitting the bonus trifecta with a pair of pins, a technical fall and a major decision. Like Thorn and Sykora, Hall did not come close to losing. Thorn, Sykora, and Hall showed the fans why every Division I wrestling coach would welcome them as future students. For most of the past two seasons in the large-school division (AAA), there has been a hot rivalry brewing at 220 pounds. Alex Hart of Prior Lake and Paul Cheney of Apple Valley have traded wins. They each have two victories over each other and most fans opened their tournament programs to that bracket to see if they were on opposite sides. Sadly, Minnesota is one of the last states to ignore seeding and it's simply a draw based on sections. Most fans drew a collective sigh of relief when they noticed these two big bruisers were on opposite sides and would likely meet in the finals. These two guys couldn't be more different. Hart is about as easy-going a young man as you will find. He's extremely laid back and has a smile that could melt snow. He's really a football player in a wrestler's body. When asked about his accomplishments, he smiles and says he has two losses he's proud of. "I lost to Destin McCauley and Broc Berge. Pretty cool, huh?" He has no intention of wrestling in college. Instead he will put on the shoulder pads and should attract a generous scholarship. Wrestling doesn't burn in his veins, but he's deeply proud of his accomplishments. He wants this title and he's certain he's going to win it. Paul Cheney is the returning gold-medal winner and the favorite. He has a distinctive personality that borders on eccentric. He will be wrestling for a Division II program, Minnesota State University-Moorhead. This will be Cheney's last match of his high school career, while Hart has one more season to go. Alex Hart won his first state championship at 220 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)In his opening match, Hart drew a tough opponent and survived a 7-6 win. He went on to pin his way through the quarterfinals and semifinals. Cheney opened his tourney with a pin and scored a pair of convincing wins to make the finals on Saturday night. When the time came for these two to square off, almost all the fans were on the edge of their seats. Hart scored a pair of takedowns in the first period and took a 4-2 lead. Neither wrestler could hold the other down as the match was decided by takedowns. Hart walked off the mat with a tough 8-5 decision and a big smile. It was his first state championship. There was plenty of intrigue in the 120 AAA bracket. There were no returning state champions, but there were some national stars: Fargo Greco-Roman champion Mitchell McKee of STMA and Cadet Triple Crown winner Gannon Volk of Apple Valley. In addition a future star, Alex Lloyd of Shakopee, an eighth-grader that entered the weekend with a perfect record of 37-0. Most experts predicted a Volk vs. McKee showdown in the quarterfinals with the winner getting Lloyd in the semifinals. Again, since the tournament is not seeded, the premier matches were going to take place early. There are deep emotions all over this anticipated McKee vs. Volk matchup. Gannon Volk fell to Mitchell McKee in the state quarterfinals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Volk is a quiet and respectful senior. He has always been small and it took many years to get big enough to make the Apple Valley lineup. It finally happened last season. He was easily the favorite at 113 pounds and spent most of the season ranked No. 1. Two weeks before sections, his teammate Maolu Woiwor dropped to 113 pounds and Volk lost the wrestle-off. He was forced to put on weight and knew he would face Tommy Thorn to get that coveted state title. He came up short in the finals, losing 9-1, as Thorn won his third title. This senior season was the year for Volk. He was at the correct weight class and there wasn't going to be a teammate in the way. Although Apple Valley has a giant target on their back and is often called the "Evil Empire," Volk is one of the good guys. He's a serious student and wants to be an engineer. He handles himself with dignity and grace. Mitchell McKee's story was everywhere by the time the state tournament arrived. There were newspaper stories printed and local TV stations clamoring in on the young man who recently found out his dad is dying of cancer. The medical experts gave Mitchell's dad, Steve, the bad news about his life expectancy. He wasn't supposed to make it to the state championships. But here was Steve being pushed around in a wheelchair, cheering his son on. He was not going to miss this. No chance. Many expected McKee to already have a state title before this season, but it had not happened. He lost a close 7-4 final to Cameron Sykora as an eighth-grader. Last season, as a freshman, McKee took a surprising upset loss to Taylor Venz of Farmington in the semifinals, 9-6. So this season we had a pair of wrestlers that no one really wanted to see lose. The pressure was high on both. This was Gannon Volk's last chance. This was Mitchell McKee's chance to win it for his dad. As expected, McKee and Volk met in the quarterfinals. Volk knew he would need to win with takedowns and get out from bottom. It wasn't meant to be. The match was anti-climactic. McKee won convincingly, 7-0. In the semifinals, McKee took on Alex Lloyd and won 6-2. It wasn't as close as the score since these two wrestlers belong to the same wrestling club, PINnacle, and know each other well. Lloyd would go on to take third over Volk. Mitchell McKee hugs his father Steve after winning his title (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)In the finals, Mitchell McKee's opponent was Malik Stewart of Blaine. By this time the only people cheering for Stewart were his teammates, friends and family. The other 10,000 fans wanted the storybook ending. McKee made quick work of Stewart with a first-period pin. After shaking hands with opposing coaches, McKee made it over to the front row where his dad was waiting. Steve McKee struggled to rise from his chair and embraced his son. They held each other as Mitchell's shoulders trembled as he finally let the emotions drain from his body. The crowd rose to its feet as these two men continued with their arms wrapped around each other while they both cried. Those tears were shared in some fashion with all of us. That special moment, shared with us, will live in Minnesota wrestling history long after we remember the wrestling matches.

Brian Smith

Guests: Pat Popolizio, Tom Ryan, Brian Smith, Jim Heffernan, Damion Hahn, Rich Bender Hour 1: Hour 2:

Related: Brackets Yianni Diakomihalis (Photo/Bob Blair)INDIANA, Pa. -- The 2014 edition of the FloNationals, the fifth year for the event being held, came to a conclusion on Saturday evening at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Winning repeat titles at the FloNationals were No. 8 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) at 126 pounds and No. 6 (at 152) Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.) at 145. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) was able to confirm his No. 1 ranking with a championship at 106 pounds; however, Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) lost by 10-2 maj. dec. in the final to No. 4 Nick Piccininni (Ward Mellville, N.Y.). Championship and Medal Match Results 106: 1st: No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) dec. No. 16 at 113 Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.), 7-4 3rd: Lucas Hall (Lowell, Mich.) maj. dec. Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio/8th grade), 13-2 5th: Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa./8th grade) dec. Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.), 7-3 7th: No. 4 Justin Mejia (Clovis, Calif.) dec. Brian Courtney (Athens, Pa.), 13-4 113: 1st: Devin Schroder (Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.) dec. No. 11 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.), 7-3 3rd: Ryan Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.) dec. Logan Griffin (Erie Mason, Mich.), 4-0 5th: Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip, N.Y.) dec. Alex Martinez (Ida, Mich.), 1-1, ultimate tiebreaker rideout 7th: Cornelius Elliott (Perry Meridian, Ind.) dec. Damian Short (Archbold, Ohio), 4-0 120: 1st: No. 4 Nick Piccininni (Ward Mellville, N.Y.) maj. dec. No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), 10-2 3rd: No. 18 at 132 Brandon James (Perry Meridian, Ind.) dec. Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.), 6-3 5th: No. 14 George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) dec. Luis Gonzalez (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), 7-5 OT 7th: Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.) dec. Todd Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.), 7-6 126: 1st: No. 8 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) dec. No. 16 Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.), 2-1 3rd: No. 18 A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) dec. No. 15 at 138 Jaydin Clayton (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.), 8-7 5th: Boo Lewallen (Yukon, Okla.) dec. Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), 3-2 7th: William Koll (Lansing, N.Y.) dec. Khristian Olivas (Clovis, Calif.), 5-1 132: 1st: Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.), 6-3 3rd: No. 16 Keegan Moore (Putman City, Okla.) dec. Trae Blackwell (Union County, Ky.), 3-0 5th: Tommy Cash (New Palestine, Ind.) by injury default over Jesse Rodgers (North Allegheny, Pa.) 7th: Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) over Kent Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.) by medical forfeit 138: 1st: No. 5 Brock Zacherl (Brookville, Pa.) dec. Chandler Pyke (Woodward Academy, Ga.), 3-0 3rd: Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) dec. Sergio Enloe (Poway, Calif.), 7-1 5th: Joe Grable (Deer Park, Wash.) by injury default over Chris Garcia (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 7th: Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.) dec. Louie DePrez (Hilton, N.Y.), 7-2 145: 1st: No. 6 at 152 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.) dec. No. 10 at 138 Michael Longo (Santiago Corona, Calif.), 8-5 3rd: No. 20 Ralphy Tovar (Poway, Calif.) dec. D.J. Hollingshead (Altoona, Pa.), 2-1, ultimate tiebreaker 5th: Adam Martz (Mountain Ridge, Md.) dec. Collbran Meeker (Crook County, Ore.), 5-3 7th: Vincent DePrez (Hilton, N.Y.) dec. Austin Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), 5-2 152: 1st: No. 9 Louis Hernandez (Mepham, N.Y.) dec. Kyle Bova (Coudersport, Pa.), 5-4 3rd: Devin Skatzka (Richmond, Mich.) pinned Dayton Racer (TBD, Mo.), 1:01 5th: Cole Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa.) dec. Max Elling (Phillipsburg, N.J.), 7-1 7th: Anthony DePrez (Hilton, N.Y.) dec. Ricky Padilla (Northview, Calif.), 4-2 OT 160: 1st: No. 16 at 170 Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic, Ill.) dec. Josh Ugalde (Bound Brook, N.J.), 7-5 OT 3rd: Josef Johnson (Delbarton, N.J.) maj. dec. Dylan Lydy (Benjamin Davis, Ind.), 12-4 5th: Brett Donner (Wall, N.J.) over Ryan Preisch (Milton, Pa.) by injury default 7th: Tony Palumbo (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) dec. Austin Bell (Belle Vernon, Pa.), 7-5 170: 1st: No. 10 Josh Llopez (St. Mary’s Ryken, Md.) dec. No. 13 Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.), 3-1 3rd: Evan DeLong (Kane, Pa.) by injury default over Travis Linton (Rootstown, Ohio) 5th: Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.) over Austin Flores (Clovis North, Calif.) by forfeit 7th: Jared Walker (South Fayette, Pa.) dec. Dakota Geer (Franklin, Pa.), 4-3 182: 1st: No. 15 Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.) dec. No. 11 Christian Dietrich (Greene, N.Y.), 7-3 3rd: Boomer Fleming (Ridgeview, Ore.) dec. Derek Hillman (Woodhaven, Mich.), 7-4 5th: Jacob Cooper (Southport, Mich.) tech. fall Willie Bivens (East Guilford, N.C.), 19-4 7th: Drew Kasper (Lexington, Ohio) dec. Shane Rodenburg (New Kent, Mich.), 6-3 195: 1st: Tom Sleigh (DuBois, Pa.) dec. Bailey Faust (Lexington, Ohio), 4-2 3rd: Tyree Sutton (Keansburg, N.J.) dec. Edgar Ruano (Montini Catholic, Ill.), 7-0 5th: No. 9 Kyle Conel (Ashtabula Lakeside) by injury default over Cody Vigoren (Lake Stevens, Wash.) 7th: Tyler Love (Centerville, Va.) dec. Anthony Mancini (Salesanium, Del.), 7-0 220: 1st: No. 5 Michael Boykin (Coatesville, Pa.) dec. Youssef Hemida (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), 11-4 3rd: Seth Brennock (Loveland, Ohio) dec. No. 16 Jordan Brandon (John Glenn, Mich.), 5-1 5th: Reynold Maines (West Branch, Pa.) dec. Carl Neff (Exeter/West Greenwich, R.I.), 10-6 7th: Landon Pelham (Tecumseh, Mich.) pinned Thomas Alcaro (Emmaus, Pa.), 3:36 285: 1st: Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) dec. Ryan Prescott (Whitmore-Prescott, Mich.), 7-5 OT 3rd: Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.) dec. Tyler Poling (Brick Memorial, N.J.), 3-2 5th: Scot Augustine (Erie McDowell, Pa.) dec. Deaken McCoy (Galion, Ohio), 5-2 7th: Stephen Johnson (Bound Brook, N.J.) dec. Brian Darios (East Lansing, Mich.), 3-2

Related: Brackets CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The 2014 USA Wrestling Cliff Keen Junior & Cadet Folkstyle Nationals came to a conclusion on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa on Saturday afternoon. Here are the results of the championship bouts, as well as the if-necessary matches for true-second place. Championship Matches Junior: 100: Randon Miranda (Quartz Hill, Calif.) dec. Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.), 5-1 106: Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) maj. dec. Drews Hildebrandt (Mishawaka Penn, Ind.), 13-0 113: Joey Cisneros (Redwood, Calif.) dec. No. 14 at 106 Matthew Schmitt (Platte County, Mo.), 6-4 OT 120: Doyle Trout (Centennial, Neb.) dec. Daniel Shear (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), 2-1 126: No. 18 at 120 Mitchell McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) pinned Sean DeShazer (Wichita Heights, Kan.), 3:36 132: Sean Cannon (Green Valley, Nev.) dec. No. 19 Dusty Hone (Cedar City, Utah), 2-1 138: Tristan Moran (Stillwater, Okla.) maj. dec. James Berg (New Prague, Minn.), 13-4 145: No. 8 at 152 Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) dec. Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.), 9-2 152: No. 1 at 132 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Jared Scharenbock (Sun Prairie, Wis.), 8-3 160: Matthew Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) dec. Paden Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.), 3-1 170: No. 6 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.) maj. dec. No. 3 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.), 11-2 182: Blake Rypel (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) dec. Chase Singletary (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.), 5-3 195: No. 7 Preston Weigel (Hays, Kan.) maj. dec. Carter Isley (Albia, Iowa), 8-0 220: No. 10 Fletcher Miller (Kokomo, Ind.) dec. Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa), 8-2 285: No. 9 Adarios Jones (Moline, Ill.) dec. Matt Halverson (Kiel, Wis.), 6-2 Cadet: 88: Jason Holmes (Arizona/junior high) dec. Riley Gurr (Washington/junior high), 10-4 94: Cody Phippen (Kansas/junior high) dec. Michael Millage (Iowa/junior high), 6-3 100: Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif./junior high) maj. dec. Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.), 20-8 106: Paul Konrath (Mount Vernon, Ind.) dec. Brandon Courtney (Desert Edge, Ariz.), 3-2 113: No. 7 at 106 Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.) dec. Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.), 3-1 120: No. 3 at 113 Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) dec. Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah), 4-2 OT 126: Corey Shie (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) dec. Colby Smith (Holt, Mo.), 8-7 132: Jaden Enriquez (Mission Oak, Calif.) dec. Parker Fillus (Havre, Mont.), 7-1 138: Devin Bahr (West Salem, Wis.) dec. Connor Penka (Mulvane, Kan.), 8-1 145: Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.) dec. Layne Van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) 5-4 152: Oscar Ramos (Kenosha Bradford, Wis.) dec. Jacob Gray (Delta, Ind.), 4-2 OT 160: Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) dec. Tucker Leavitt (Highland, Idaho), 3-2 170: No. 12 Beau Breske (Hartford Union, Wis.) maj. dec. James Handwerk (Lutheran West, Ohio), 14-3 182: No. 14 Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) pinned Haydn Maley (Roseburg, Ore.), 4:43 195: Kobe Woods (Mishawaka Penn, Ind.) pinned Jacob Cavins (Milan, Ind.), 3:02 220: Gannon Gremmel (Hempstead Dubuque, Iowa) dec. Evan Ellis (Eastern, Ind.), 6-4 285: Michael Kelly (Oakes, N.D.) maj. dec. Ethan Lape (North Fayette-Valley, Iowa), 9-1 True-Second Matches Junior: 100: Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) maj. dec. Robert Fairchild (Archbishop Rummel, La.), 18-5 106: Drews Hildebrandt (Mishawaka Penn, Ind.) dec. Bryce Brimhall (Syracuse, Utah), 6-5 113: Matthew Schmitt (Platte County, Mo.) dec. Garrett Pepple (East Noble, Ind.), 2-0 OT 120: Sean Nickell (Bakersfield, Calif.) dec. Daniel Shear (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), 7-3 138: Griffin Parriott (New Prague, Minn.) by injury default over James Berg (New Prague, Minn.) 145: Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) by injury default over No. 12 Kamaal Abdush-Shakur (Parkview, Ga.) 152: No. 5 at 145 Joe Smith (Stillwater, Okla.) dec. Jared Scharenbock (Sun Prairie, Wis.), 5-2 160: Dustin Williams (Gardner Edgerton, Kan.) dec. Paden Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.), 3-2 182: Chase Singletary (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.) by injury default over Tyler DeMoss (Hononegah, Ill.) 195: Jacob Aven (Zionsville, Ind.) dec. Carter Isley (Albia, Iowa), 2-1 TB 220: Ryan Parmely (Maquoketa Valley, Iowa) pinned Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa), 0:18 Cadet: 88: Kyle Biscoglia (Waukee, Iowa/junior high) pinned Riley Gurr (Washington/junior high), 3:55 94: Mason Phillips (Eau Claire, Wis./junior high) maj. dec. Michael Millage (Iowa/junior high), 9-1 100: Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.) dec. Cameron Hunsaker (American Fork, Utah), 5-3 120: Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) dec. Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.), 6-3 138: Steven Lawrence (Portage, Ind.) dec. Connor Penka (Mulvane, Kan.), 5-3 145: Layne Van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) dec. Johnny Blankenship (Platte County, Mo.), 7-3 152: Casey Randles (Sandpoint, Idaho) pinned Jacob Gray (Delta, Ind.), 2:30 160: Tucker Leavitt (Highland, Idaho) dec. Andrew Berreyesa (Reno, Nev.), 3-0 170: Gary Jantzer (Henley, Ore.) by forfeit over James Handwerk (Lutheran West, Ohio) 182: Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah) pinned Haydn Maley (Roseburg, Ore.), 3:44 220: Evan Ellis (Eastern, Ind.) by forfeit over Nick Mosco (Jesuit, Fla.)

The 18th edition of the Cliff Keen/Wrestling USA Magazine Dream Team Classic will be held on Sunday, April 13 at Lassiter High School in Georgia. Wrestling will begin at 2 p.m. ET. Below are the scheduled matchups for the Team USA vs. Georgia dual meet. 113: No. 7 Brian Rossi (Lockport, Ill.) vs. Alonzo Allen (Rockdale County) 120: No. 5 Scott Parker (Pennridge, Pa.) vs. No. 3 Sean Russell (Collins Hill) 126: No. 3 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. No. 7 Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill) 132: No. 11 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional, Pa.) vs. Tyler Marinelli (Jefferson) 138: No. 6 Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) vs. No. 12 at 145 Kamaal Abdush-Shakur (Parkview) 145: No. 2 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.) vs. Jason Alfau (Camden County) 152: No. 3 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) vs. Matthew Moody (Lowndes) 160: No. 3 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) vs. Jake Henson (Pope) 170: No. 6 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.) vs. Damarko Dixon (Appling County) 182: No. 2 at 170 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) vs. No. 4 at 195 Chip Ness (Buford) 195: No. 3 Nathan Rose (Sibley East, Minn.) vs. No. 3 Chance McClure (Commerce) 220: Sage Hecox (Machesney Park Harlem, Ill.) vs. No. 19 Matthew Moore (Apalachee) 285: No. 11 Billy Miller (Perry, Ohio) vs. M.J. Couzan (Archer)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Day 1 of the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior Folkstyle Nationals came to an end at the UNI-Dome. Semifinal matches will start at 8:30 a.m. CT. Also on Day 1, the top eight finishers were determined, and the All-Americans will also be wrestling consolation quarterfinal matches concurrent with the semifinals. Consolation semifinals and medal matches will be wrestled during the morning session as well. Championship matches, as well as if necessary true second matches will be wrestled at Noon in the McLeod Center. Junior 100: Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg, Ill.) vs. Trevor Giallombardo (Petoskey, Mich.) Robert Fairchild (Archbishop Rummel, La.) vs. Randon Miranda (Quartz Hill, Calif.) 106: Jordan Aquino (Vacaville, Calif.) vs. Drews Hildebrandt (Mishawaka Penn, Ind.) Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) vs. Bryce Brimhall (Syracuse, Utah) 113: No. 14 Matthew Schmitt (Platte County, Mo.) vs. Dillon Swift (Dakota, Ill.) Joey Cisneros (Redwood, Calif.) vs. Derek Holschlag (Union, Iowa) 120: Daniel Shear (Walled Lake Central, Mich.) vs. Jacob Gardiner (Justin-Siena, Calif.) Sean Nickell (Bakersfield, Calif.) vs. Doyle Trout (Centennial, Neb.) 126: No. 18 at 120 Mitchell McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) vs. Josh Temple (Green Valley, Nev.) Sean DeShazer (Wichita Heights, Kan.) vs. Skyler Petry (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Minn.) 132: Sean Cannon (Green Valley, Nev.) vs. Jordan Biehn (Jackson County Central, Minn.) Will Roark (Seneca, Mo.) vs. No. 19 Dusty Hone (Cedar City, Utah) 138: Jake Woods (Lee’s Summit West, Mo.) vs. James Berg (New Prague, Minn.) Tristan Moran (Stillwater, Okla.) vs. Zander Wick (San Marino, Calif.) 145: Carlson Brolsma (Osseo, Minn.) vs. Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) No. 8 at 152 Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) vs. No. 12 Kamaal Abdush-Shakur (Parkview, Ga.) 152: No. 1 at 132 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. No. 20 Tagen Lambotte (Rossville, Kan.) Chase Straw (Independence, Iowa) vs. Jared Scharenbock (Sun Prairie, Wis.) 160: Mason Reinhardt (Merrill, Wis.) vs. Paden Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) Matthew Rundell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) vs. Dustin Williams (Gardner Edgerton, Kan.) 170: No. 3 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) vs. No. 20 Bryce Martin (Bakersfield, Calif.) Kieffer Taylor (Mesa Mountain View, Ariz.) vs. No. 6 Chandler Rogers (Stillwater, Okla.) 182: Blake Rypel (Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind.) vs. Jordan Dieringer (Stillwater, Okla.) Chase Singletary (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.) vs. Eric Schultz (Tinley Park, Ill.) 195: No. 7 Preston Weigel (Hays, Kan.) vs. Kez Flomo (Totino Grace, Minn.) Carter Isley (Albia, Iowa) vs. Wesley Schultz (Sun Prairie, Wis.) 220: No. 10 Fletcher Miller (Kokomo, Ind.) vs. Ryan Parmely (Maquoketa Valley, Iowa) Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk, Iowa) vs. Tyler Scott (Hanover Central, Ind.) 285: No. 9 Adarios Jones (Moline, Ill.) vs. Dalton Mortensen (Granger, Utah) Jake Minshew (Casa Robles, Calif.) vs. Matt Halverson (Kiel, Wis.) Cadet 88: Blaine Rodolf (Sheldon, Ore./junior high) vs. Jason Holmes (Arizona/junior high) Riley Gurr (Washington/junior high) vs. Patrick McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn./junior high) 94: Michael Millage (Iowa/junior high) vs. Holden Richards (Bear River, Utah) Cody Phippen (Kansas/junior high) vs. Mason Phillips (Eau Claire, Wis./junior high) 100: Cade Olivas (St. John Bosco, Calif./junior high) vs. Cameron Hunsaker (American Fork, Utah) Rylee Molitor (Sartell-St. Stephen, Minn.) vs. Marcus Povlik (Illinois/junior high) 106: Paul Konrath (Mount Vernon, Ind.) vs. Ian Timmins (Wooster, Nev.) Alexander Crowe (Shakopee, Minn.) vs. Brandon Courtney (Desert Edge, Ariz.) 113: Justin Ratkovec (Waterford, Wis.) vs. No. 7 at 106 Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.) Josh Portillo (Clarion-Goldfield, Iowa) vs. Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) 120: Taylor LaMont (Maple Mountain, Utah) vs. Ryan Leisure (Clear Lake, Iowa) Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) vs. No. 3 at 113 Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) 126: Colby Smith (Holt, Mo.) vs. Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) Corey Shie (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) vs. Gaige Torres (Portage, Ind.) 132: Logan Wood (Rapid City Stevens, S.D.) vs. Jaden Enriquez (Mission Oak, Calif.) Michael Peters (Quincy, Ill.) vs. Parker Fillus (Havre, Mont.) 138: Connor Penka (Mulvane, Kan.) vs. Jace Brownlee (Stillwater, Okla.) Colin Clingenpeel (Council Bluffs Jefferson, Iowa) vs. Devin Bahr (West Salem, Wis.) 145: Layne Van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) vs. Jacob Covaciu (Merrillville, Ind.) Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert, Calif.) vs. Johnny Blankenship (Platte County, Mo.) 152: Jerod Novak (Aitkin, Minn.) vs. Jacob Gray (Delta, Ind.) David Engstrom (Social Circle, Ga.) vs. Oscar Ramos (Kenosha Bradford, Wis.) 160: Jack Jessen (Illinois/junior high) vs. Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) Tucker Leavitt (Highland, Idaho) vs. Sam Loera (Bakersfield, Calif.) 170: No. 12 Beau Breske (Hartford Union, Wis.) vs. Gary Jantzer (Henley, Ore.) James Handwerk (Lutheran West, Ohio) vs. Mason Stokke (Menomonie, Wis.) 182: No. 14 Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.) vs. Guy Patron, Jr. (Jesuit, La.) Jordan Will (Bishop Ryan, N.D.) vs. Haydn Maley (Roseburg, Ore.) 195: Bailey Kelly (Topeka Seaman, Kan.) vs. Jacob Cavins (Milan, Ind.) Kobe Woods (Mishawaka Penn, Ind.) vs. Ethan Hofacker (Spring Valley, Wis.) 220: Gannon Gremmel (Hempstead Dubuque, Iowa) vs. Nick Mosco (Jesuit, Fla.) Evan Ellis (Eastern, Ind.) vs. Nick Rueth (Neillsville/Greenwood/Loyal, Wis.) 285: Michael Kelly (Oakes, N.D.) vs. Aaron Costello (Western Dubuque, Iowa) Ethan Lape (North Fayette-Valley, Iowa) vs. Michael McCauley (Vacaville, Calif.)

INDIANA, Pa. -- Wrestling on Friday at the FloNationals set up the quarterfinals, which will be wrestled starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Indiana University in Pennsylvania. Consolation wrestling made it so that only sixteen wrestlers remain in each weight class. Below are the quarterfinal pairings. 106: No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) vs. Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio/8th grade) Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.) vs. Brian Courtney (Athens, Pa.) No. 16 at 113 Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.) vs. Vincent Vespa (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa./8th grade) vs. No. 4 Justin Mejia (Clovis, Calif.) 113: No. 11 Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) vs. Cornelius Elliott (Perry Meridian, Ind.) Logan Griffin (Erie Mason, Mich.) vs. Jesse Dellavecchia (East Islip, N.Y.) Ryan Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.) vs. Alex Martinez (Ida, Mich.) Tito Colom (Dunkirk, N.Y.) vs. Devin Schroder (Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Mich.) 120: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) vs. Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.) No. 20 Jake Gromacki (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.) vs. Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.) Todd Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.) vs. Luis Gonzalez (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) No. 14 George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) vs. No. 4 Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville, N.Y.) 126: No. 8 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) vs. William Koll (Lansing, N.Y.) Jamel Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) vs. Boo Lewallen (Yukon, Okla.) No. 13 Travis Passaro (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) vs. No. 16 Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.) Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.) vs. No. 15 at 138 Jaydin Clayton (Father Tolton Catholic, Mo.) 132: No. 16 Keegan Moore (Putman City, Okla.) vs. Jesse Rodgers (North Allegheny, Pa.) Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Kent Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.) Trae Blackwell (Union County, Ky.) vs. Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) Tommy Cash (Lawrence North, Ind.) vs. Robert Lee (Kaukauna, Wis.) 138: No. 5 Brock Zacherl (Brookville, Pa.) vs. Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.) Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) vs. Sergio Enloe (Poway, Calif.) Chris Garcia (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Joe Grable (Deer Park, Wash.) Chandler Pyke (Woodward Academy, Ga.) vs. Louie DePrez (Hilton, N.Y.) 145: No. 6 at 152 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.) vs. A.J. Pedro (Phillips Exeter, R.I.) No. 20 Ralphy Tovar (Poway, Calif.) vs. Vincent DePrez (Hilton, N.Y.) Austin Kraisser (Centennial, Md.) vs. Adam Martz (Mountain Ridge, Md.) Jakob Restrepo (Sachem North, N.Y.) vs. No. 10 at 138 Michael Longo (Santiago Corona, Calif.) 152: No. 9 Louis Hernandez (Mepham, N.Y.) vs. Dominic Lampe (St. Xavier, Ky.) Cole Walter (Mifflinburg, Pa.) vs. Dominic Kincaid (Clovis, Calif.) Kyle Bova (Coudersport, Pa.) vs. Devin Skatzka (Richmond, Mich.) Andrew McNally (Uniontown Lake, Ohio) vs. Dayton Racer (TBD, Mo.) 160: No. 16 at 170 Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Devon Pingel (North Branch, Mich.) Josef Johnson (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Josh Hokit (Clovis, Calif.) Josh Ugalde (Bound Brook, N.J.) vs. Connor Lawrence (Duanesburg, N.Y.) Brett Donner (Wall, N.J.) vs. Ryan Preisch (Milton, Pa.) 170: No. 10 Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.) vs. Jared Walker (South Fayette, Pa.) Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.) vs. Evan Delong (Kane, Pa.) Travis Linton (Rootstown, Ohio) vs. Austin Flores (Clovis North, Calif.) Dakota Geer (Franklin, Pa.) vs. No. 13 Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.) 182: No. 11 Christian Dietrich (Greene, N.Y.) Willie Bivens (East Guilford, N.C.) Shane Rodenburg (Kent City, Mich.) vs. Derek Hillman (Woodhaven, Mich.) Boomer Fleming (Ridgeview, Ore.) vs. Jacob Cooper (Springport, Mich.) Drew Kasper (Lexington, Ohio) vs. No. 15 Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.) 195: No. 9 Kyle Conel (Ashtabula Lakeside, Ohio) vs. Tyree Sutton (Keansburg, N.J.) Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.) vs. Bailey Faust (Lexington, Ohio) Edgar Ruano (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Toby Cahill (Berlin, Pa.) Anthony Mancini (Salesanium, Del.) vs. Tom Sleigh (DuBois, Pa.) 220: No. 5 Michael Boykin (Coatesville, Pa.) vs. Seth Brennock (Loveland, Ohio) Landon Pelham (Tecumseh, Mich.) vs. Carl Neff (Exeter/West Greenwich, R.I.) Reynold Maines (West Branch, Pa.) vs. Thomas Alcaro (Emmaus, Pa.) Youssef Hemida (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) vs. No. 16 Jordan Brandon (John Glenn, Mich.) 285: Ryan Prescott (Whitmore-Prescott, Mich.) vs. Jake Beistel (Southmoreland, Pa.) Scot Augustine (Erie McDowell, Pa.) vs. Brian Darios (East Lansing, Mich.) Stephen Johnson (Bound Brook, N.J.) vs. Kevin Vough (Elyria, Ohio) Tyler Poling (Brick Memorial, N.J.) vs. Tate Orndorff (University, Wash.)

POMPTON LAKES, N.J. -- He's been on NCAA promos with them, tweeted pictures of them, and been interviewed on FloWrestling with them. Now, he'll formally endorse them. FlipsWrestling is proud to announce that David Taylor has signed a multi-year endorsement agreement to represent FlipsWrestling. And, not just for headphones, but for FlipsWrestling's burgeoning line of signature socks. "We started this company 1 year ago with the hopes of getting some attention in the wrestling world, and I think we have started to meet that goal," says FlipsWrestling's Don Beshada. "To kick-off year 2 by signing the biggest name in college wrestling is, obviously, huge for us and we are as excited as we have ever been as a company. While we think David's signature headphones will be a ‘must have' for young wrestlers, we are equally excited about his line of M-Squared signature wrestling socks. Compound Clothing did an amazing job designing them and we expect that they will become the staple in the community." "I used FlipsWrestling headphones all year and love the product, so, when they approached me after NCAAs, I was thrilled to do a deal with them," said Taylor. "FlipsWrestling came in and did a ton for wrestling this year, and it is that type of company that I want to partner with." Commenting on the socks, Taylor said, "Socks have always been a really important part of my persona on and off the mat. I truly believe in the ‘look good, feel good, wrestle good' philosophy, and my M-Squared signature socks are, bottom line, sick!" Taylor is a staple of the Penn State wrestling program, having made four (4) NCAA finals in his 4 years there, winning twice and collecting two (2) Hodge Trophies in the process. He will continue his wrestling career with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and chase his Olympic dreams in freestyle wrestling. "David Taylor represents everything that we admire – excellence, passion, and a down-to-earth personality that is contagious. We look forward to working with him over the next few years," concludes Beshada.