InterMat Staff

EDMOND -- A foursome of returning All-Americans looked in mid-season form in rolling to easy wins as the Bronze edged the Blue 23-21 in Central Oklahoma’s annual intrasquad dual Wednesday night at Hamilton Field House. The Bronze won six of the 11 matches to earn the victory, sparked by back-to-back technical falls from All-American Jordan Basks at 149 pounds and defending national champion Cory Dauphin at 157. Returning national tournament placers Casy Rowell and Chris Watson paced the Blue, with Watson picked up a technical fall at 165 and Rowell a major decision at 133. “Some of our veteran guys looked pretty good and they should have,” UCO head coach David James said. “They showed their experience and took care of business, which was good to see. Some of the matches were a little rough, but it’s a start for us and we’re ready to get going.” Dauphin, who opens the season ranked No. 1 after winning last year’s national title, racked up nine takedowns, seven in the first period en route to a 23-7 rout that ended at the 5:55 mark. The second-ranked Basks had six takedowns and a pair of near-falls in his 20-5 technical fall. Rowell, a two-time All-American for the Bronchos who enters the season ranked No. 4, had three of his five takedowns in the opening period in earning a 15-5 win. The third-rated Watson jumped out to a 10-1 first-period lead behind three near-falls and two takedowns in his 20-5 technical fall. The Bronze team also got wins from 125 Ryan Brooks, 174 Kyle Buckley, 174 Kasey Wilcox and 197 Garrett Henshaw, with Wilcox picking up a 10-2 major decision and Henshaw a 4-3 overtime triumph on a reverse in the third tiebreaker period. Other winners for the Blue were 141 Dustin Reed, 184 Dylan Harmon and heavyweight John Finn. Reed had a 12-5 major decision, while Finn ended the match with the lone fall of the night at the 2:16 mark. UCO will take 20-25 individuals to the Oklahoma City Open Sunday to open the season. Results: 125: Ryan Brooks, Bronze, dec. Cooper Finch, 2-1. 133: Casy Rowell, Blue, major dec. Gunner Laffoon, 15-5 141: Dustin Reed, Blue, major dec. Anthony Mica, 12-5. 149: Jordan Basks, Bronze, tech. fall Brett Dunning, 20-5 157: Cory Dauphin, Bronze, tech. fall LeSean Sanders, 23-7. 165: Chris Watson, Blue, tech. fall Kyle Driscoll, 20-5. 174: Kyle Buckley, Bronze, dec. Zach Aylor, 8-3. 174: Kasey Wilcox, Bronze, major dec. Jacob Lamb, 10-2 184: Dylan Harmon, Blue, dec. Cason Montgomery, 7-3. 197: Garrett Henshaw, Bronze, dec. Michael Conner, 4-3 (TB). Heavyweight: John Finn, Blue, pinned Quinn Hulsey

CHICAGO -- With the Big Ten seeking its eighth straight national championship, BTN’s 2013-14 wrestling coverage, presented by returning sponsor Cliff Keen Athletic, will be the most extensive in network history. The television schedule includes a dual between Penn State and Iowa, winners of the past six national titles, a Monday night meet in primetime between Ohio State and Purdue, and live coverage of the entire Big Ten Wrestling Championships hosted by Wisconsin. Although Penn State and Iowa were not originally scheduled to meet as a result of the Big Ten’s rotating slate of eight regular-season duals, the two schools agreed to arrange a non-conference dual. The two schools have met every year since 1982. Additionally, a record 48 events will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network (BTDN). A large number of those streamed events will also be televised on delay as Student U. BTN’s coverage of the regular season begins with Duke at Purdue, which will stream live on BTDN at 3 PM ET on Nov. 16. With the passionate wrestling community continuing to grow, more and more fans are turning to BTN as their home for Big Ten wrestling. Last year, BTN’s wrestling coverage saw a double-digit increase in ratings. “Wrestling attracts an extremely engaged and enthusiastic fan base,” said BTN President Mark Silverman. “With the strength of the Big Ten in the sport, the audience will only continue to grow.” According to InterMat’s rankings, the Big Ten is expected to open the 2013-14 season with the three top teams in the country with No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa and No. 3 Minnesota. Nebraska and Wisconsin are also included in the top-10, at seven and eight, respectively. The final session of the 2014 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be televised live at 2 PM ET on Sunday, March 9. With nine ranked individuals heading into the season, Penn State will look to capture its fourth-straight Big Ten Championship under Coach Sanderson. Minnesota and Iowa finished second and third, respectively, at the Big Ten Championships last season. *BTN/BTN2GO brodcasts in bold Saturday, Nov. 16 Duke at Purdue 3:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Nov. 17 Duke at Indiana 11:00 AM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Nov. 17 Oregon State at Michigan 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Nov. 17 Cleveland State at Indiana 3:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Thursday, Nov. 21 Eastern Michigan at Michigan State 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Nov. 24 Stanford at Michigan 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Nov. 24 Wyoming at Minnesota 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Dec. 8 Pittsburgh at Penn State 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Dec. 8 West Virginia at Indiana 11:00 AM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Dec. 8 SIUE at Indiana 1:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Dec. 8 Wisconsin at Michigan State 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Thursday, Dec. 12 Buffalo at Iowa 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, Dec. 14 Manchester at Indiana 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Dec. 15 Ohio State at Penn State 12:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Saturday, Dec. 21 Penn State at Iowa 9:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Friday, Jan. 3 Wyoming at Nebraska 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, Jan. 4 Indiana at Northwestern 4:30 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Saturday, Jan. 4 Michigan State at Iowa 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 10 Indiana at Nebraska 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 10 Minnesota at Northwestern 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 10 Oklahoma State at Iowa 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, Jan. 11 Pennsylvania at Nebraska TBA (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Jan. 12 Indiana at Iowa 3:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 17 Penn State at Indiana 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 17 Minnesota at Michigan State 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, Jan. 18 Iowa at Nebraska 5:30 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Sunday, Jan. 19 Minnesota at Michigan 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Jan. 19 Northwestern at Penn State 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 24 Wisconsin at Indiana 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 24 Michigan State at Michigan 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 24 Nebraska at Ohio State 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 24 Illinois at Penn State 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, Jan. 25 Minnesota at Iowa 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Sunday, Jan. 26 Illinois at Michigan State 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Jan. 26 Nebraska at Purdue 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 31 Purdue at Indiana 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 31 Penn State at Michigan State 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Jan. 31 Iowa at Northwestern 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, Feb. 1 Nebraska at Illinois 5:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Sunday, Feb. 2 Indiana at Minnesota 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 2 Penn State at Michigan 3:30 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Monday, Feb. 3 Ohio State at Purdue 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Friday, Feb. 7 Michigan at Nebraska 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Friday, Feb. 7 Illinois at Purdue 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 9 Michigan State at Indiana 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 9 Northwestern at Illinois 3:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 9 Michigan at Iowa 3:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 9 Penn State at Minnesota 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) Friday Feb. 14 Olivet at Michigan State 7:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 16 NWCA National Duals – Day 1 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Monday, Feb. 17 NWCA National Duals – Day 2 TBA (TBA) Friday, Feb. 21 Nebraska at Wisconsin 8:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 23 Virginia Tech at Ohio State 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 23 Iowa at Wisconsin 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, Feb. 23 Clarion at Penn State 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, March 8 B1G Championships – Session 1 11:00 AM (LIVE on BTDN) Saturday, March 8 B1G Championships – Session 2 6:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, March 9 B1G Championships – Session 3 12:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, March 9 B1G Championships – 3rd Place Match 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTDN) Sunday, March 9 B1G Championships at Wisconsin 2:00 PM (LIVE on BTN/BTN2GO) All dates/times of scheduled events are subject to change. Please check www.BTN.com for most updated listings. About BTN: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 800 events, all in HD, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. BTN2Go is the 24/7 simulcast of BTN that delivers live and on-demand programming via the internet, smartphones and tablets to customers of participating video providers. Events include football, men’s and women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events; studio shows; and classic games. The network televises and streams more Olympic sporting events and women’s sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is in more than 52 million homes across the United States and Canada, including carriage by all the major video distributors, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, Rogers Cable, Shaw and Shaw Direct (Canada) and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. For additional information, go to www.BTN.com.

The NCAA on Wednesday announced the host site finalists for the final round of 81 of its 89 championships for the 2014-18 championship seasons. The finalists were selected by the respective sport committees, which are made up of coaches and administrators from NCAA member schools and conferences, from an original pool of 1,948 bids. The committees will select the winning sites, which must then be approved by the appropriate divisional championships cabinets/committees before being announced via webcast at NCAA.com on Dec. 11. The announcement also will include all pre-determined regional host sites. “We had a tremendous response to the request for bids which made this an extremely difficult process for our sports committees,” said Mark Lewis, NCAA executive vice president of championships and alliances. “We really feel these sites will all provide a tremendous experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. Therefore there will be some really difficult decisions by the sport committees coming up as they determine who will ultimately host the championships.” The 150 cities named as finalists for at least one championship are spread across 39 states and the District of Columbia. Ohio led the way as the state with the most finalist selections with 24 championship sites, while the state of Florida had 22 selections and North Carolina had 21. Louisville was the city that received the most selections with 13, while Columbus, Ohio, and Birmingham, Ala., both had eight. There are 213 hosting opportunities for the finals site of the 81 championships. Cities were able to bid for one or more years of the same championship. Division I | Division II | Division III | National Collegiate

T.R. Foley and Brian Muir discuss the idea of Iowa style and if it affects the development of youth wrestlers, set lines for the NWCA All-Star Classic and bemoan the existence of Homeland's Dana Brody -- the worst character in television history. Check out our Tumblr page at backpoints.tumblr.com. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching "back points" and pushing SUBSCRIBE. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

February 12, 2013: The day the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board voted to eliminate wrestling from the Olympics after the 2016 Games. The decision -- made, incredibly, on the 204th anniversary of the birth of wrestler-turned-President Abraham Lincoln -- was shocking, stunning, seemingly out of nowhere ... and pretty much universally derided. Individuals who didn't know a takedown from a touchdown -- as well as sportswriters, sportscasters and other non-wrestling media who usually don't cover the sport were suddenly up in arms. "You're getting rid of wrestling? That's an ancient sport. What are those idiots at the IOC thinking/drinking/smoking?" Wrestlers, coaches and fans around the world were just as stunned -- and even angrier. They got up off the mat, they mobilized -- and, enlisted the help of media experts -- to see if they could get the IOC to reverse its decision. Nearly seven months later -- September 8 -- the IOC membership voted to make freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling a provisional -- not core -- sport for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. What happened in that time period to make the IOC reverse course, and save the ancient sport of wrestling? That's the story of "Saving Wrestling: The Inside Story of the Sport's Epic Fight to Stay in the Olympics," the new book by award-winning wrestling writers Jamie Moffatt and Craig Sesker, just published by Exit Zero Publications. Prior to this latest effort, Moffatt had written four other books: "A Turning Point" (about Penn State hosting the 1953 NCAAs; written with Roger Olesen); "Wrestlers at the Trials;" "Strobel: Stories From A Life With Wrestling;" and "Adam Frey: A Collection of Blogs and Stories." Sesker, Communications Manager for USA Wrestling -- the governing body for the sport in this country -- has penned the books "Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend," and "Driven to Excellence." How the book came together "When I heard the news, I was as stunned as anyone," Jamie Moffatt told InterMat. "However, it occurred to me pretty quickly that it was a recommendation, not a final decision. I also knew that wrestlers wouldn't take it lying down." Jamie Moffatt"I immediately thought, 'Someone should chronicle this story.' Then it occurred to me that the story deserved more -- a behind-the-scenes look, what was going on with the IOC, USA Wrestling, the Russians, and the other parties involved." "I made some quick calls to contacts, seeking help to get a background perspective," Moffatt continued. "They fed me information that wasn't confidential." "In the beginning I gave wrestling a 50-50 chance." "I called Craig Sesker within the first two or three days. I know him, but hadn't worked with him. I asked if he would be willing to help. He was on board within ten minutes." "I started collecting articles. Ended up with 500, 600, 700 articles, from multiple sources. Looked for articles, quotes, whatever, to get my arms around the story, trying to organize my thoughts, and see where it might go, and write a rough version as I went. I didn't have an outline." "I went to some events in person," said Moffatt. "The first was the presentation at the U.N. (United Nations), and the Rumble on the Rails at Grand Central Station in New York." "I was working on this in real time, collecting info as it was happening. But I didn't start the actual writing process until after St. Petersburg (the site of the IOC meeting in late May where eight sports made presentations for inclusion at the Olympics; wrestling, along with squash and a combined baseball-softball bid made the cut for a vote in September in Buenos Aires)." Craig Sesker"I wanted the completed book out within a month of Buenos Aires." A division of labor helped make that goal a reality. "Craig Sesker did lots of the interviews -- (Dan) Gable, the kids at Fargo, Rich Bender (of USA Wrestling). He also went to the wrestling events in Los Angeles and at Niagara Falls. I covered what went on in New York, interviewed Stan Dziedzic." "All along, we both realized that it was very important for us to provide a behind-the-scenes, behind-closed-doors point of view," said Moffatt. "We didn't want just a chronology, or a documentary." What Moffatt and Sesker uncovered One of the strongest elements of "Saving Wrestling" is its ability to provide readers with a strong sense that you are there, sitting in on the meetings, presentations, discussions that were taking place all over the globe. That comes across early in the book, at the meeting of FILA, the international governing body for wrestling, in the glamorous resort of Phuket in Thailand, held just days after the IOC bombshell announcement but had already been on the schedule. "Saving Wrestling" paints a picture of behind-the-scenes intrigue as long-time FILA head Raphael Martinetti is maneuvered out of his job through a no-confidence vote ... but manages to be an ongoing -- and troubling -- presence throughout the book, and the international fight to return wrestling to the Olympics. "The immediate reaction was, 'The IOC has no idea of what it's doing, what a bunch of goofs,'" Jamie Moffatt told InterMat. "But, within days, leaders like Bill Scherr, (Stan) Dziedzic, USA Wrestling, said 'We can only hurt ourselves and our cause by condemning the IOC or the other sports in contention.'" That realization led to the use of professional media types -- public relations firms, advertising agencies, media consultants -- that had worked with the IOC in the past, for example, in helping cities such as Beijing land an Olympic host bid. "Saving Wrestling" provides details on how these organizations -- and the dedicated individuals working for them -- employed their experience and expertise to coordinate various communications efforts from FILA and its individual national governing bodies such as USA Wrestling, not just to the IOC, but to the worldwide wrestling community. The level of coordination and cohesive strategy from these media types, bringing together seemingly disparate organizations and individuals who seemed only to share a love of wrestling, is a marvel to this writer, who worked in advertising for more than two decades, and is one of the more fascinating elements of "Saving Wrestling." Or, to quote former Binghamton University wrestler-turned-actor Billy Baldwin, "Wrestling has done something no sitting president could do: it brought together the U.S., Russia, and Iran." How did this happen in the first place? Why did the IOC decide to strike wrestling from the Olympic programme -- a sport with ancient roots, and one of the original sports at the first Modern Olympics in 1896? "FILA was arrogant, cut off," according to Jamie Moffatt. "They were the only sport not at the IOC's February meeting. Wrestling considered itself to be above being eliminated." "The IOC couldn't help but notice the difference in attitudes between wrestling and modern pentathlon, a sport that was walking the gangplank, the sport everyone outside the IOC expected would get the axe. They were doing all the little things right. They attended all the meetings. They hobnobbed with IOC members over drinks after the meetings. By contrast, wrestling was arrogant, couldn't be bothered, failed to make connections. Modern pentathlon was part of the IOC fraternity; wrestling wasn't even on campus." Saving Wrestling also goes into detail on decisions made by FILA since the February 12 IOC announcement, such as rule changes to make the sport more exciting for fans in the stands -- as well as at home – and how to increase the role of women in the sport, not just by offering more opportunities for women to compete on the mat, but also to make decisions at FILA and its individual national organizations. “There are still things that need to be worked out,” Moffatt told InterMat. “There are still differences among the countries who want the rules to suit their advantages. For example, we still need to sort out the weight classes.” Even for wrestling fans who were eagerly, obsessively following news developments on the issue of “Will wrestling return to the Olympics?” the Saving Wrestling book will provide revelations that are surprising and fascinating. We all know how the story ends… yet it still makes for powerful, compelling, page-turning reading. It all goes back to Moffatt and Sesker’s ability to provide that behind-the-scenes, you-are-there perspective; even if they weren’t actually there, say, inside a meeting, they managed to talk to those who were, and shared those insider views. One other note: For a book that was essentially written on the fly and available to readers one month after the IOC’s good news out of Buenos Aires in September, Saving Wrestling serves up a very polished, professional presentation. Despite being the work of two writers, the narrative is seamless and seemingly of one voice. Adding to the quality impression is the top-notch graphic design, typesetting and photo-reproduction quality that is a hallmark of Exit Zero Publishing products. Saving Wrestling is available in as an e-book for Kindle readers from Amazon.com, or as an iBook for iPad or iPhone. It’s also available in softcover print format; contact Jamie Moffatt via email at emoffatt@aol.com to order.

Amateur wrestling took center stage on Sunday night at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when Agon I debuted with its silver hexagon mat, high production value and pay-per-view stream. The event, which was held at the end of the Freakshow high school wrestling tournament, pit former collegiate wrestling stars in money matches in front of youth wrestlers and online subscribers. Though much of the attention was created by headliners Ben Askren and Quentin Wright, there were three other marquee matchups. The first match of the night saw 2010 NCAA champion Jay Borschel beat 39-year-old NCAA All-American and MMA star Aaron Simpson handily. Borschel, who is an assistant at Northwestern University, was in much better condition than Simpson and utilized several hi-crotch attempts to secure an 11-3 victory. Lance Palmer flexes at weigh-in (Photo/Urijah Faber)Two-time NCAA champion Jordan Oliver kept things going for the younger competitors, beating NCAA finalist and current undefeated RFA fighter Lance Palmer, 8-0. Oliver, who is considered one of the best 66-kilo freestyle wrestlers in the country, capitalized on several re-shots and quick finishes against the Team Alpha Male fighter. The third match of the night was saw 2004 Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas best 2011 World Team member Nick Simmons, 2-1. Abas, who won three NCAA titles for now-defunct Fresno State, was impressive enough for some to wonder if he should make a comeback on the freestyle circuit. Two-time NCAA champion Ben Askren earned a convincing 22-8 victory over recent Penn State graduate and two-time NCAA champion Quentin Wright, scoring quickly on a takedown and series of turns and holds. Looking to make a big splash in their first event, Agon offered larger than expected cash purses to several of wrestling's most marketable stars. Askren who is the current Bellator welterweight champion and the matchmaker for Agon, was paid $10,000 for his win over Wright. Though Agon wasn't willing to release the information for each of the purses, Askren confirmed that Oliver received $3,000 to show and another $3,000 for his win, while Jay Borschel was awarded $2,000 and $1,000. "Agon I put on a pro-level production value," said Askren on Monday. "And they paid wrestlers real money (for competing)." Though buffered by the monies collected by the high school fans in attendance, Agon struggled to promote the event outside of their distribution network on Flowrestling.com and through their Twitter feed. In addition to their promotional difficulties, the event was delayed an hour, leaving same fans to complain on Twitter. Though well short of the polish and professionalism of a major MMA or boxing promotion, Agon was mentionable among the best produced first-time wrestling events, outpacing what the NCAA produced in the early 90's. There were some preventable production mishaps (lack of pre-packaged highlights and an absence of on-screen scoreboards), but the variety of camera angles and addition of Daniel Cormier as a guest broadcaster were huge additions to the evening's event and appeal. "We were very disorganized before the event and there was lots of turmoil in getting this thing off the ground," assessed Askren. "It was very stressful. No full-time employees and no real exact responsibilities yet. That was part of the problem from an organizational level." "Lots of great ideas, though." Taking from the lessons they learned in Las Vegas Agon owners and operators, including Mike DiSabato and Ernie Ciaccio are already planning to host Agon II on Dec. 22 in Flint, Mich., in coordination with NUWAY's Mat Mayhem event. The lineup card is filled with compelling matchups, with a majority of the wrestlers hailing from the state of Michigan, a move Agon is hoping will attract more fans into the stands. Agon II lineup card: Chris Bono vs. Brent Metcalf Max Askren vs. Jon Reader Cam Simaz vs. Ben Bennett Andy Simmons vs. Kellen Russell

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Warner Pacific College Director of Athletics Jamie Joss has announced that the College will add men's and women's wrestling to its athletics program and begin intercollegiate competition in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 2014-15. The search for a head coach and recruitment of student-athletes will begin immediately. "We're thrilled to offer a robust athletics program that serves the needs of a wide variety of students," said Warner Pacific President, Andrea Cook. "I believe men's and women's wrestling will provide many students new avenues in which to pursue their higher education goals, while strengthening their character through the principles inherent in Knights Athletics." Warner Pacific previously fielded a men's wrestling program from 1968-75 led by local coaching legend and Warner Pacific Hall of Honor member, Dave Sanville. Under Sanville, the Knights amassed a 58-30-3 3 record in dual match competition and had 35 individuals qualify for the NAIA National Wrestling Championships including one NAIA All-American. Sanville continued to coach in the high school ranks for many years, including eight years at Bend High School (1976-84), and 17 years at West Linn High School (1984-2001). "Many top wrestlers in Oregon and Washington are forced to leave the state to pursue college wrestling, while others just stop wrestling after high school," said Director of Athletics, Jamie Joss. "The return of wrestling at Warner Pacific College provides wrestlers in our region with the opportunity to continue their pursuit of athletic excellence, while providing an outstanding urban Christ-centered liberal arts education. We are very excited to find the right coach to lead both programs and begin recruiting student-athletes who are ready to excel as champions on the mat, in the classroom, and in life." The College's decision to initiate a women's program is a historic addition for NAIA wrestling. Warner Pacific will become the 15th women's program in the NAIA, allowing women's wrestling to become a NAIA Recognized sport. Warner Pacific women's wrestling will be the third program in Oregon, joining non-NAIA programs at Pacific University and Southwest Oregon Community College. "Adding the women's program is a great opportunity for many of the top women's wrestlers from Washington to stay close to home, while also expanding the recruiting efforts of the College in California and Hawaii," Joss added. Women's wrestling is a recognized Olympic sport, and since 1994, the number of women participating in high school wrestling has grown from 804 to over 8,727. California, Guam, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington sponsor a girl's state high school championship, while many girls compete for boys high school teams across the United States. The Knights women will compete both regionally and nationally in the Women's College Wrestling Association (WCWA). The National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) added a Women's Collegiate Division in 2008. The WCWA is the current governing body for all collegiate women's wrestling programs at NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA institutions. The WCWA competes in freestyle Olympic wrestling and includes the following weight classes (in pounds): 101, 109, 116, 123, 130, 136, 143, 155, 170 and 191. The Knights, along with Life University (Ga.), Lyon College (Ark.), and Ottawa University (Kan.), have committed to adding women's wrestling beginning in 2014-2015. They will join current NAIA women's wrestling programs including: Oklahoma City University, University of Jamestown (S.D.), Missouri Valley College, Wayland Baptist University (Texas), Missouri Baptist University, University of the Cumberlands (Ky.), Midland University (Neb.), Waldorf College (Iowa), Lindenwood University-Belleville (Mo.), Menlo College (Calif.), and Campbellsville University (Ky.). Warner Pacific's men's program is the fifth intercollegiate team in the state joining Clackamas Community College, Oregon State University, Pacific University and Southern Oregon University. The men's sport, which was added by the NAIA in 1958, is currently sponsored by 43 institutions across the United States. The NAIA Wrestling National Championship has 10 men's weight classes (in pounds): 125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197 and 285. There are currently 280,000 high school students actively engaged in wrestling at the secondary education level. For information on recruiting and hiring within the Warner Pacific College wrestling program, contact Jamie Joss at 503.517.1261 or jjoss@warnerpacific.edu. Founded in 1937 in Spokane, Washington, as Pacific Bible College, Warner Pacific is a Christ-centered, urban, liberal arts college dedicated to providing students from diverse backgrounds an education that prepares them to engage actively in a constantly changing world. Learn more at www.warnerpacific.edu.

Finals Results: 70: Kellyn March (South Dakota) pinned Corey Gamet (Michigan) 75: Joshua Saunders (Missouri) maj. dec. Kurt McHenry (Virginia), 12-4 80: Colt Newton (Oklahoma) dec. Kyle Biscoglia (Iowa), 6-2 85: Adam Busiello (New York) dec. Colton Yapoujian (Colorado), 1-0 90: Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania) major dec. Patrick Glory (New Jersey), 14-0 95: Cade Olivas (California) maj. dec. Peyton Robb (Minnesota), 19-10 100: Thorius Robinson (Colorado) pinned Brian Stuart (Maryland) 105: Mitch Moore (Ohio) major dec. Andrew Merola (New Jersey), 10-2 112: Jarrett Trombley (Michigan) dec. Trevor Lawson (Ohio), 8-6 120: Grant Aronoff (Florida) dec. Sandro Ramirez (Ohio), 3-0 128: Ryan Thomas (Ohio) dec. John Manning (Utah), 4-2 136: Josiah Rider (Colorado) pin Cody Cochran (Georgia) 145: Mason Parris (Indiana) dec. Erich Byelick (Florida), 6-5 157: Brandon Whitman (Michigan) dec. Michael Beard (Pennsylvania), 4-2 180: Blake Barrick (Pennsylvania) dec. Anthony Walters (Pennsylvania), 3-0 235: John Holtzworth (Virginia) dec. Tanner Whitesell (Virginia), 2-0

106: 1st: Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) dec. Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.), 3-0 3rd: Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) dec. Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.), 2-1 5th: Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio) over Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) by default 7th: Kennedy Monday (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) pinned Brandon Cray (Steinert, N.J.), 2:27 113: 1st: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) dec. Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), 3-1, SV 3rd: Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio) dec. Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.), 5-1 5th: Dustin Warner (Claymont, Ohio) dec. Christian Moody (Collinsville, Okla.), 12-6 7th: Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Eric Hong (Georgetown Prep, Md.), 8-2 120: 1st: Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) dec. George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.), 5-2 3rd: Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.) dec. Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville, N.Y.), 4-3 5th: Bryan Damon (Jefferson, N.J.) dec. Troy Gregor (Hickory Ridge, N.C.), 6-5 7th: Evan Cheek (Milan Edison, Ohio) maj. dec. Anthony Cefolo (Hanover Park, N.J.), 11-3 126: 1st: Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.) dec. Domenic Forys (North Allegheny, Pa.), 3-0 3rd: Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) dec. Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 5-4 5th: Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.) dec. Kevin Jack (Danbury, Ct.), 8-4 7th: Anthony Tutolo (Lake Catholic, Ohio) dec. Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), 5-3 132: 1st: Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.) dec. Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), 2-1 TB 3rd: Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.) dec. Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), 3-1 5th: Chase Zemenak (Nazareth, Pa.) over Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen, N.J.) by default 7th: Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.) dec. Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.), 3-1 138: 1st: Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.) maj. dec. Brock Zacherl (Brookville, Pa.), 17-7 3rd: Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) dec. Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.), 8-6 SV 5th: Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa) pinned Kyle Lawson (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), 4:25 7th: Blake Clevenger (Kearney, Mo.) dec. Joseph Ghione (Brick Memorial, N.J.), 8-1 145: 1st: Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) dec. Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.), 4-3 3rd: Nick Bennett (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) maj. dec. Michael Longo (Santiago Corona, Calif.), 12-3 5th: Tommy Forte (Mishawaka, Ind.) over Malik Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) by default 7th: Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point, N.Y.) dec. Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.), 4-3 152: 1st: Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio) dec. Zach Kelly (Kiski School, Pa.), 4-3 3rd: Louis Hernandez (Mepham, N.Y.) dec. Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.), 3-2 5th: Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) pinned Isaiah Crosby (South Dade, Fla.), 2:47 7th: Zach Hertling (Ocean Township, N.J.) dec. Austin Eades (Jenks, Okla.), 4-3 160: 1st: Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) dec. Jonathan Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.), 5-2 3rd: Austin Reese (Mechanicsburg, Ohio) dec. Logan Breitenbach (Archbishop Spalding, Md.), 5-3 5th: Connor Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio) dec Bobby Fehr (Northampton, Pa.), 1-0 7th: A.J. Kowal (Princeton, Ohio) over Dayton Racer (Apple Valley, Minn.) by default 170: 1st: Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) dec. Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.), 9-3 3rd: Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Andrew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Ohio), 5-3 5th: Joe Heyob (Cincinnati St. Xavier, Ohio) dec Ryan Harris (Beachwood, Ohio), 1-0 7th: Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio) dec. Dylan Peters-Logue (Orange, N.C.), 4-1 182: 1st: Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) dec. Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), 5-2 3rd: Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic, Pa.) dec. Rocco Caywood (Perrysburg, Ohio), 4-2 5th: Tom Sleigh (DuBois, Pa.) over Tyler Wildmo (St. Johns, Mich.) by default 7th: Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs, Pa.) dec. Derek Hillman (Woodhaven, Mich.), 12-6 195: 1st: Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.) dec. Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.), 4-2 3rd: Tyler Worthing (Kiski Area, Pa.) dec. Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.), 4-3 5th: Ralph Normandia (Franklin, N.J.) dec. Michael Oxley (Christian Brothers Academy, N.J.), 5-4 7th: Corey Damiana (Lower Cape May, N.J.) dec. Wood Mancuso (West Carteret, N.C.), 4-3 220: 1st: Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) maj. dec. Ian Butterbrodt (St. John's Prep, Mass.), 11-0 3rd: Matthew Moore (Apalache, Ga.) dec. Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman, N.Y.), 4-3 5th: Jake Gunning (Bethlehem Liberty, Pa.) dec. Ben Cruz (Osceola, Fla.), 3-2 7th: Trent Allen (South Brunswick, N.C.) over Antonio Pelusi (LaSalle College, Pa.) by default 285: 1st: Patrick Garren (Bishop Ready, Ohio) dec. Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.), 2-1 TB 3rd: Antonio Underwood (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) dec. Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 6-3 5th: Daniel Leon (North Miami, Fla.) over Jake Scanlan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) by default 7th: Patton Gossett (White Knoll, S.C.) pinned Dakota Bell (North Wilkes, N.C.), 3:34

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The 15th annual Super 32 Challenge came to an end on Sunday afternoon with fourteen wrestlers being crowned as champion, and 112 in all earning placement medals. It was arguably as deep a field at the Super 32 has ever seen, and as deep a field for any scholastic aged event in the country. Seven individuals entered the tournament having won a Super 32 Challenge in the past; however, only three added a second Super 32 title to their resume. Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.), Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), and Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) are now multiple time champions; while Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.), and Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.) were unable to add a second title to their resume. Krivus earned his title in the 132 pound weight class, with a 2-1 (ultimate) tiebreaker victory in the ultimate tiebreaker over the previously mentioned Kemerer; that result makes Kemerer now runner-up in back-to-back years, after winning a championship in 2011. Krivus rode out Kemerer in the second period, but was hit for locking hands late in that period; Krivus then scored an escape midway through the third period. Overtime went scoreless, with Krivus hit for a stalling call. Having scored first, Kemerer had choice in the tiebreaker -- tournament format makes that one 30-second period. He chose top, but was unable to hold Krivus down. On Sunday, Krivus also had wins over a pair of New Jersey state champions, and top 100 seniors: 3-1 over Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills) in the quarterfinal, and 4-3 over Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen) in the semifinal. His last match win on Saturday came by 3-1 decision against returning Super 32 placer Colby Ems (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) Millhof was champion in the 126 pound weight class, earning a 3-0 victory in the final against two-time state placer Domenic Forys (North Allegheny, Pa.). Key to Millhof’s victory was a first period takedown at the end of a high-action period. He added a rideout in the second period and a third period escape for the final scoring. Other key victories were a 3-1 overtime decision over fellow top 100 senior Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) in the semifinal, a 6-0 decision against three-time state champion Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.) in the quarterfinal, and victories on Saturday over returning Super 32 placer A. C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) and two-time state placer Weston Basler (Seckman, Mo.) Marsteller, undefeated in three high school seasons to date, added a 2013 Super 32 title at 170 pounds to his 2011 championship at 160 pounds. The nation’s top senior had a fall, two technical falls, and two major decisions on his way to the final -- where it was a 9-3 decision over two-time state champion Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.) The tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler Award, sponsored by Flips Wrestling, was given to Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) -- champion of the 113 pound weight class with a 3-1 overtime victory over defending champion Suriano. This was a reversal of last year’s championship match, which was won 4-3 by Suriano on a late takedown. This go around, there was only an exchange of escapes in regulation before the Lee takedown in overtime. Earlier matches for Lee included a 6-2 semifinal victory over returning Super 32 placer, and state champion, Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry); a 15-0 technical fall over Cadet freestyle champion Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Tex.) in the quarterfinal; and a decision victory over state champion Jake Spiess (Delta, Ohio). Another overtime match that went to derail a repeat champion came in Sunday afternoon’s last match, when Patrick Garren (Bishop Ready, Ohio) upended Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.) 2-1 in the tiebreaker. Wrestlers in that match traded escapes during regulation, Garren getting the first escape, which enabled him to choose down and get the escape inside the last five or ten seconds. It also happened to avenge last year’s tournament semifinal, when Webb scored a pin in overtime on the way to a championship. Also knocking off a defending Super 32 champion in the finals was Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), who upended Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) 4-3. Massa gave up the first takedown, but scored an escape before the first period was over; and then scored a takedown to tie the match at the end of two after Leeth had the choice escape. Massa got an escape to start the third and then held to that lead for a title. Other wins during the tournament included a pair over state champions, another over a state runner-up, then yet another against a state placer. In all, eight wrestlers from the Keystone State ended up earning championship belts on Sunday in the high school division. Among those to join Lee, Krivus, and Marsteller were a pair of teammates from Greater Latrobe -- Luke Pletcher at 120 pounds and Zack Zavatsky at 182. After finishing third in the two prior seasons, losing both times in the semifinal round, Pletcher got the gold this year running through an impressive gauntlet of competition. Wins on Saturday included a 7-2 decision against two-time Cadet Greco-Roman champion Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), plus a decision and pin against state placers. Things were even tighter against even tougher competition on Sunday. His quarterfinal match was won by 4-2 overtime decision over Junior freestyle third place finisher Kyle Akins (Sycamore, Ill.). The semifinal was also won in overtime, this time it was a 3-1 decision over Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.), who was runner-up last year, and is now a three-time placer in the tournament. It would set up to a finals showdown against fellow sophomore and Pennsylvania state champion George Phillippi (Derry Area). He scored the go-ahead takedown with just under a minute remaining, and was able to keep Phillippi down for the duration and a 5-4 win. For Zavatsky it was also a rigorous journey, one capped off by a 5-2 finals victory over last year’s National Prep champion Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.). Keys to the match were takedowns in the second and third periods. His semifinal victory came by 5-2 decision over fellow state third placer and FloNationals placer Tom Sleigh (DuBois, Pa.). Zavatsky scored a 17-2 technical fall in the quarterfinals against a returning New Jersey state placer, and had an 8-1 round of 16 win over an Ohio state placer. Rounding out the Pennsylvania group of champions were Jason Nolf (Kittanning) at 138 pounds, Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin) at 160, and Jordan Wood (Boyertown) at 220. Nolf steamrolled his way through the field with three pins, two major decisions, and a pair of seven point decision victories; that includes the 17-7 major decision in the final against fellow top 100 senior Brock Zacherl (Brookville, Pa.). It was only 2-0 after one, but three takedowns in the second extended it to 9-2, while four in the third period made for the overall margin. Other wins for Nolf came against an Iowa state champion, three state runners-up, and a Cadet double All-American. After placing fifth and sixth the last two years, Peppelman made it to his first final, and then won the title with a 5-2 decision over fellow top 30 seniors Jonathan Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.). Peppelman’s takedown came in the second period, while it was two late penalty points against Schleifer to reflect the final margin. The last four wins for Peppelman came against wrestlers who finished top three in the state tournament. Wood earned major decisions in both the semifinal and final round, including an 11-0 finals victory over Christian Butterbrodt (St. John’s Prep, Mass.). Last year Wood was fourth at the Super 32 and a Pennsyhlvania runner-up at 220 pounds as a freshman. The championship match was a destruction from start to finish, with a takedown coming in each period and near fall points during the second period. Rounding out the weight class champions were Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) at 106 pounds, Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio) at 152, and Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.) at 195. Diakomihalis, who won the middle school division last year at 100 pounds before winning a New York high school state title in eighth grade at 99 pounds, now has a high school division belt to his credit. After winning 14-3 in the quarterfinal round, he would score a second period pin over state champion Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio). The championship final match was one in which the score belied the dominance. It was a first period takedown, a second period escape, and about three minutes of (unofficial) riding time in a 3-0 decision over state placer and FloNationals placer Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.). On Saturday, Diakomihalis had a technical fall and two pins, including one over a fellow top 25 freshman. Three-time state champion Danishek had to survive a very stern test in order to win his final 4-3 over National Prep runner-up Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.), who also finished third in Junior freestyle this summer. Danishek was unable to finish on deep attacks in the first and second period, gave up a second period takedown, then needed an escape midway through the third followed by a takedown in the last fifteen seconds. Other wins for Danishek included a pair over state champions, and another over a three-time state runner-up. Ness improved upon his fourth place finish in the Super 32 last year with a 4-2 finals victory over fellow top 100 senior Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.). All of White’s points came in the second period, when earned a reversal and takedown.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- After Day 1 of the Super 32 Challenge, the quarterfinal pairings have been established, so have the eight wrestlers in consolation also battling for placement positions. Both quarterfinal and consolation matches, which are listed here, begin at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday. 106: Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.) vs. Ian Parker (St. Johns, Mich.) Ty Agaisse (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) vs. Hunter Lucas (Lima Shawnee, Ohio) Dylan Artigues (Archer, Ga.) vs. Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio) Diakomihalis was champion of the Super 32 middle school division last year Kennedy Monday (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) vs. Jacob Wasser (Palisades, Pa.) Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) vs. Ben Freeman (Walled Lake Central, Mich.) Jared Reisenbechler (Jackson, Mo.) vs. Chris Cuccolo (St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) Brandon Cray (Rhino Wrestling, N.J.) vs. Paxton Rosen (Edmond North, Okla.) 113: Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) Dustin Warner (Claymont, Ohio) vs. Christian Moody (Collinsville, Okla.) Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Eric Hong (Georgetown Prep, Md.) Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Acaemy, Tex.) vs. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) Suriano was champion last year, Lee finished second, Stickley and Rodriguez were placers, while Hong was a middle school division champion Doyle Trout (Centennial, Neb.) vs. Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.) Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) vs. Patrick D’Arcy (Holy Spirit, N.Y.) Jacob Spiess (Delta, Ohio) vs. Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.) Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) vs. Michael Murphy (The Baylor School, Tenn.) 120: Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.) vs. Anthony Cefolo (Hanover Park, N.J.) Kyle Akins (Sycamore, Ill.) vs. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) vs. George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) Troy Gregor (Hickory Ridge, N.C.) vs. Nick Farro (Delbarton, N.J.) Russell was runner-up at the Super 32 last year, while Pletcher has finished third each of the last two years. Mitchell McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) vs. Bryan Damon (Jefferson, N.J.) Skyler Petry (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Minn.) vs. Evan Cheek (Milan Edison, Ohio) Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville, N.Y.) vs. Tyrone Klump (Nazareth, Pa.) Ricky Cavallo (Hempfield, Pa.) vs. Jonathan Furnas (Olentangy Liberty, Ohio) 126: Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) vs. Kevin Jack (Danbury, Ct.) Anthony Tutolo (Lake Catholic, Ohio) vs. Domenic Forys (North Allegheny, Pa.) Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.) vs. Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.) Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.) vs. Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) Millhof was champion last year, Jack is a returning placer, and Moisey has placed in this tournament two times prior. Jacob Grigg (East Gaston, N.C.) vs. Korbin Myers (Boiling Springs, Pa.) Ben Calandrino (Howell, Mich.) vs. Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.) Peter Lipari (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Justin Patrick (Kiski Prep, Pa.) David Bavery (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) 132: Caleb Ervin (Union County, Ky.) vs. Chase Zemenak (Nazareth, Pa.) Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.) vs. Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.) Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen, N.J.) vs. Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.) Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills, N.J.) vs. Sam Krivus (Hempfield, Pa.) Krivus was champion last year, Kemerer was runner-up last year after winning the year before, Ozias is a two-time placer in this tournament, while Giraldo is also a returning placer. Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) vs. Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.) Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.) vs. Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.) Keegan Moore (Putnam City, Okla.) vs. Colby Ems (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) 138: Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) vs. Joseph Ghione (Brick Memorial, N.J.) Brock Zacherl (Brookville, Pa.) vs. Jake Adcock (Pope, Ga.) Kyle Lawson (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) vs. Jacob Wentzel (South Park, Pa.) Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa) vs. Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.) Nolf placed third in last year’s tournament, while Lawson was champion of the middle school division. Josh Marcua (Franklin Regional, Pa.) vs. Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill, Okla.) Myles Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) vs. Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.) Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney, Pa.) vs. Blake Clevenger (Kearney, Mo.) Tyler Ponte (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Cody Burcher (Claymont, Ohio) 145: Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.) vs. Malik Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) vs. Michael Longo (Santiago Corona, Calif.) Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) vs. Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point, N.Y.) Tommy Forte (Mishawaka, Ind.) vs. Tanner Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.) Leeth was champion last year, while Massa placed third. Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.) vs. John Van Brill (Clearview, N.J.) Vincent Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) vs. Chandler Pyke (Woodward Academy, Ga.) Billy Barnes (Williamson, Pa.) vs. Chad Decker (Grass Lake, Mich.) Dewey Krueger (Oconto Falls, Wis.) vs. Nick Bennett (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) 152: Zach Hertling (Ocean Township, Pa.) vs. Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.) Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio) vs. Louis Hernandez (Mepham, N.Y.) Cody Hughes (Marshwood, Maine) vs. Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.) vs. Isaiah Crosby (South Dade, Fla.) Baldwin placed third in this tournament last year, while Kelly placed sixth. Dakota Greene (Brandon, Fla.) vs. Nate Higgins (Belleville West, Ill.) Jake Savoca (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.) Austin Eades (Jenks, Okla.) vs. Christian LaBrie (Exeter, R.I.) Paden Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.) vs. Dennis Ferro (East Islip, N.Y.) 160: Jelani Embree (Warren Lincoln, Mich.) vs. Bobby Fehr (Northampton, Pa.) Jonathan Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.) vs. Dom Scalise (Kiski Prep, Pa.) Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) vs. Dayton Racer (Apple Valley, Minn.) Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio) vs. Austin Reese (Mechanicsburg, Ohio) Peppelman has placed twice in this tournament, while Schleifer placed third last year. Kasey Caelwerts (Pulaski, Wis.) vs. A.J. Kowal (Princeton, Ohio) Logan Breitenbach (Archbishop Spalding, Md.) vs. Christian Stackhouse (Riverside, N.J.) Kyle Jolas (Huntington North, Ind.) vs. Richard Viruet (Springfield Central, Mass.) Kenny Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) vs. Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.) 170: Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.) vs. David Peters-Logue (Orange, N.C.) Brad Drover (North Andover, Mass.) vs. Andrew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Chance Marsteller (Kennard-Dale, Pa.) vs. Steven Schneider (MacArthur, N.Y.) Austin Repp (Pacific, Mo.) vs. Ryan Harris (Beachwood, Ohio) Marsteller seeks a second Super 32 title, having won in 2011, while Harris placed seventh last year. Jacob Weber (Clarence, N.Y.) vs. Jacob Cooper (Springport, Mich.) Austin Flores (Clovis North, Calif.) vs. Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio) vs. Sean Kennedy (Riverdale, Tenn.) Joseph Russo (Rocky Point, N.Y.) vs. Joe Heyob (Cincinnati St. Xavier, Ohio) 182: Steven Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic, Pa.) vs. Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Tyler Wildmo (St. Johns, Mich.) vs. Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs, Pa.) Phil Woods (Roselle Park, N.J.) vs. Tom Sleigh (DuBois, Pa.) Nicholas Costa (Brick Memorial, N.J.) vs. Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) Consolation matches are below. Derek Hillman (Woodhaven, Mich.) vs. Zane Black (Bishop McDevitt, Pa.) Antavian Leary (Ocean Lakes, Va.) vs. Rocco Caywood (Perrysburg, Ohio) Nick Weldon (Clay-Chalkville, Ala.) vs. Anthony McLaughlin (St. Ignatius, Ohio) Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown, Pa.) vs. James Bennett (St. Augustine, N.J.) 195: Tyler Worthing (Kiski Area, Pa.) vs. Ralph Normandia (Franklin, N.J.) Christian Dulaney (Benilde St. Margaret’s, Minn.) vs. Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.) Michael Oxley (Christian Brothers Academy, N.J.) vs. Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.) Cory Damiana (Lower Cape May, N.J.) vs. Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.) Ness placed fourth in this tournament last year. Ronaldo Abreu (Olympic Heights, N.J.) vs. Casey Cook (Upper Perkiomen, Pa.) Christian Colucci (St. Peter’s Prep, N.J.) vs. Clif-Steven Decius (North Miami, Fla.) Alex Foley (Shawnee, N.J.) vs. Tyler Oliver (United, Pa.) Zachary Smith (North Allegheny, Pa.) vs. Wood Mancuso (West Carteret, N.C.) 220: Jake Gunning (Bethlehem Liberty, Pa.) vs. Christian Butterbrodt (St. Johns Prep, Mass.) Vincent Feola (Walt Whitman, N.Y.) vs. Antonio Pelusi (LaSalle, Pa.) Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) vs. Jerry Thornberry (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio) Trent Allen (South Brunswick, N.J.) vs. Matthew Moore (Apalachee, Ga.) Allen has placed twice in this tournament, while Wood placed fourth last year. River Ullrich (Rhino Wrestling, N.J.) vs. Orey Humphrey (Springstead, Fla.) Christian Jenco (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. John Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.) Darius Bernhardt (Mastery Charter, Pa.) vs. James Russell (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.) Brian Mays (Leonardtown, Md.) vs. Seth McLenon (United, Pa.) 285: Logan Turner (Martinsville, Va.) vs. Antonio Underwood (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.) vs. Dakota Bell (North Wilkes, N.C.) Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. Jake Scanlan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Patton Gossett (White Knoll, S.C.) vs. Patrick Garren (Bishop Ready, Ohio) Webb was champion last year in this weight class, while returning placers include Turner, Underwood, and Garren. Nicholas Wimmer (North Davidson, N.C.) vs. Bucky Dennis (Charlotte, Fla.) Daniel Leon (North Miami, Fla.) vs. Chris McDermand (Libertyville, Ill.) Josiah Cleghorn (Wellington, Fla.) vs. Sammy Evans (Alcoa, Tenn.) Dane Drimmer (Chapparal, Colo.) vs. Nick Nader (Gahanna Lincoln, Ohio)

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri wrestling team opened up their season Saturday afternoon with their first-ever Alumni Black & Gold Match. Seven former All-Americans returned to Columbia to participate in a wrestling dual versus current Tigers. A total of 13alumni from all over the country returned to their alma mater, prepared to face the current Tigers. Crowd participation was encouraged in the event, including a rule stating that after one overtime period, fans would be asked to decide the winners of tied matches. This rule came into effect twice, during matches between Nick Marable (All American 2008/2009) and Johnny Eblen, as well as alumni Patrick Wright and redshirt freshman Parker Von Egidy. With help from the crowd, both Eblen and Wright were crowned victorious. The two McCormick brothers, Tyler (All-American 2006/2007) and Nathan (All-American 2013), got the alumni off to a fast start by winning each of their matches, 1-0 and 2-1 respectively. Two-time All-American Dom Bradley would follow suit with a win against sophomore Justin Heberlie, increasing the alumni’s lead to 9-0. The present Tigers would battle back, however, taking three straight wins, capped off by a Cole Baumgartner victory over Brooks Travis, the oldest alumni (graduating in ’97) that participated in the event. Wins by former grapplers Dorian Henderson, Mike Larson, and the overtime win by Patrick Wright would seal the dual, with the Alumni coming out on top. Despite the teams not actively keeping score, thealumni won seven of 13 bouts and unofficially won the dual 21-20. “It was a lot of fun,” said Head Coach Brian Smith following the inaugural event. “We saw some good wrestling. It’s good because we are such a young team, and they got to see some of the former wrestlers and wrestle with them and I think, being Homecoming, it was a good time to have this event. We open up next Friday, so to get a crowd like this, to have this many people here, and to be able to wrestle in front of a referee…it’s good.” Before any alumni took the mat, six wrestle-off matches between current Tigers took place to showcase new talent from the Tigers’ No. 2 recruiting class as well as provide a last-minute opportunity for a few grapplers to vie for a spot in the starting lineup. In the first wrestle-off, freshman Barlow McGhee took down redshirtfreshman Zach Synon as time expired in sudden victory, defeating Synon 4-2.Sophomore Trevor Jauch took the second match 5-3 against freshman Lavion Mayes after accumulating 2 minutes of riding time. An aggressive Joey Lavallee won against fellow freshman Robbie Mathers by major decision 14-5 after accumulating multiple takedowns, a near fall, and a riding time point as time expired. In the final wrestle-off, sophomore Cody Johnston topped junior-teammate Ty Prazma by way of two near falls and three takedowns, for a final of 13-9. Smith hopes that the event could be something that turns in to an annual thing. Many of his former Tigers loved returning, allowing them to put on the Black & Gold singlet one more time. “It was good to compete again,” said former 174-pounder Dorian Henderson. “It would be something annually to look forward to. It also brings back the old wrestlers and keeps everyone in contact, so it was a lot of fun. Missouri opens their regular season next weekend on the road. The Tigers will grapple with North Dakota State on Friday, November 1, before heading to the South Dakota State Open on November 3. The Tigers defeated the Bison last year in Columbia, 37-7. Stay connected with Mizzou Wrestling by following us on Facebook and Twitter, and right here on MUTigers.com. Past vs. Present Matches (Alumni in BOLD) Results: Tyler McCormick won by decision over Tony DeAngelo, 1-0 Nathan McCormick won by decision over Eric Wilson, 2-1 Dom Bradley won by decision over Justin Heberlie, 3-1 Johnny Eblen won by CROWD decision over Nick Marable, 1-1 Kyle Bradley won by major decision over Andrew Sherry, 10-2 Cole Baumgartner won by decision over Brooks Travis, 7-3 Dorian Henderson won by decision over Mikey England, 6-3 Mike Larson won by decision over Devin Mellon, 3-1 Zach Toal won by major decision over Amond Prater, 10-2 James Williamson won by decision over Jon Goerke, 5-0 Patrick Wright won by CROWD decision over Parker Von Egidy, 0-0 Drake Houdashelt won by decision over Todd Schavrien, 1-0 J’Den Cox won by decision over Matt Pell, 5-1

Related: WCWA Team Rankings | WCWA Individual Rankings OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Tabbed as the preseason favorites, the King University women's wrestling team lived up to that billing in their first event of the season. The Tornado cruised through pool play and both the quarter and semifinals before facing defending WCWA national champion Simon Fraser University in the finals of the Cliff Keen Duals. King didn't slow down, topping the Clan 35-9 to take the title. King won the Cliff Keen DualsThe day started with a near perfect team effort as King defeated McKendree University 48-0. King earned pins at eight of the 10 weight classes en route to the victory. At 116 pounds, freshman Haley Augello pinned Lindsey Spjut in 32 seconds while Sarah Hildebrandt pinned Anna Divins in the same amount of time at 123 pounds. At 136 pounds, Alli Ragan pinned Sonia Beri in 41 seconds while Daisy Santos (109), Kayla Brendlinger (130) and Amanda Hendey (143) all earned pins. In the semifinals, the Tornado squared off with Wayland Baptist University, and Shannon Constantine started the match with a pin in 2:45 at the 101 pound weight class. Santos followed with a pin in 1:49 at 109 and Ragan took a victory via pin in 53 seconds to give King a 28-0 lead. Lorrie Ramos and Malexis McAdoo capped King's 41-3 victory with tech fall wins at 170 and 191 pounds, respectively. King then took on defending WCWA National Champion Simon Fraser in the finals. The Tornado fell behind 4-0 early, but Santos gave the 5-4 lead to King with a pin at 109 pounds. Augello followed with a win by tech fall at 116, and King held a 9-5 lead that they would not relinquish. At 136, Ragan took another pin victory, defeating Mallory Velte in 1:32. Julia Salata and McAdoo earned the final two King victories of the day as Salata earned win on a tech fall at 155 while McAdoo ended the 35-9 triumph with a pin of Jenna McLatchy in 1:46. For the weekend, King win 7-0 en route to the Cliff Keen Duals championship. The Tornado will be action again next Saturday when they host their only event of the season. King will face University of the Cumberlands and McKendree University at the Student Center Complex starting at 9:00 a.m.

InterMat's Josh Lowe is tweeting updates throughout the 2013 Super 32 Challenge, which takes place Saturday and Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. Follow his updates on this page. Related Content: Results Refresh page to view latest updates Tweets by @JoshMLowe

AMES, Iowa -- The 125-pound bout ended the annual Cardinal-Gold Intrasquad Scrimmage with a bang Friday evening at the Lied Recreation Center. Sophomore Earl Hall pinned redshirt freshman Kyle Larson after pulling off a rare, explosive move called the cement mixer. The pin came at the 1:48 mark in the opening period and was the only first-period pin of the night. Hall, a Homestead, Fla. native, is entering his first season of collegiate wrestling after electing to train at the Olympic Training Center for a year right out of high school. Senior Boaz Beard also won by fall tonight as well, as he was able to run over an arm bar and pin redshirt freshman Cameron Thomson 4:03 into their match at 184 pounds. At 174, redshirt sophomore Tanner Weatherman picked up a 6-2 win over talented redshirt freshman Lelund Weatherspoon, racking up 1:19 seconds of riding time in the match. Returning starters Luke Goettl and Logan Molina earned impressive victories tonight. Goettl scored a 9-3 win over Luke Swalla and Molina a 13-4 major decision over Ben Swalla. All-Americans Michael Moreno and Kyven Gadson each notched decisive victories tonight as well. Gadson defeated freshman Dane Pestano 9-5 at 197 pounds and Moreno won by major decision 12-4 over Carson Powell at 165 pounds. Moreno was dominant from the top position as he had nearly three minutes of ride time in the match. “Michael Moreno is going to continue to be Michael Moreno, but what I really was impressed with tonight was our true freshmen,” head coach Kevin Jackson said. “They weren’t intimidated at all by our upperclassmen and All-Americans.” Jackson was pleased with what he saw tonight, but emphasized three areas where he’d like to see improvement. “We need to get better at riding,” Jackson said. “We need to be able to get out from the bottom and our hand fighting needs to improve.” Four former Cyclones were honorary coaches for the annual kickoff scrimmage: Nate Gallick, Dwight Hinson, Nick Britton and Zach Thompson. Iowa State, who is preseason ranked No. 8 by InterMat, opens the season on Nov. 7 with a double dual at Hilton Coliseum with Drexel and Grand View. Results: 125: Earl Hall fall Kyle Larson, 1:48 133: Dakota Bauer dec. RJ Hallman, 9-8 141: John Meeks dec. Bubba Hernandez, 6-5 149: Luke Goettl dec. Luke Swalla, 9-3 (1:18 RT) 157: Logan Molina maj. dec. Ben Swalla, 13-4 (2:26 RT) 165: Michael Moreno maj. dec. Carson Powell, 12-4 (2:50 RT) 174: Tanner Weatherman dec. Lelund Weatherspoon, 6-2 (1:19 RT) 184: Boaz Beard fall Cameron Thomson, 4:03 197: Kyven Gadson dec. Dane Pestano, 9-5 285: Ben Perna dec. Quean Smith, 5-4

Related: WCWA Team Rankings | WCWA Individual Rankings OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The King University women's wrestling team opened their season in impressive fashion on Friday as they swept through pool play at the Cliff Keen Duals, hosted by Oklahoma City University. The Tornado took victories over Wayland Baptist University (2), the mystery team, Lindenwood University (2) and Missouri Baptist University to move into Saturday's Gold Bracket. Sarah HildebrandtThe Tornado started the day with a 44-4 triumph over Wayland Baptist. King took a 10-4 lead following forfeits at both the 101 and 116 pound weight classes. Sarah Hildebrandt extended the lead to 14-4 when she defeated Dineesha Jones on a tech fall. Malexis McAdoo capped the 44-4 win by defeating Kierra Boyce on a tech fall. King then faced the Mystery Team, which is comprised of wrestlers from the schools competing, and took a 42-0 victory. Ashley Iliff got things off to a great start when she pinned Stephanie Martinez, of Oklahoma City in 2:42 at 101 pounds to give King an early 5-0 lead. Both Samantha Klingel (116) took a win by tech fall over Oklahoma City's Emily Ducote and Kayla Bartosch pinned the Stars Shilo Barrett. Stacy Martin (136) and Julia Salata (155) both took wins by tech fall while Lorrie Ramos (170) and McAdoo (191) both earned pins to cap the 42-0 Tornado win. King again earned a shutout victory as they defeated Lindenwood 44-0 in their next match. Shannon Constantine defeated Sabreener Shelton on a tech fall to give King an early 9-0 lead. Alli Ragan (136) and Amanda Hendey (143) both turned in impressive victories. Ragan defeated Noelle Pohina on a fall in 50 seconds while Hendey topped Anna McAleavy on a fall in only 20 seconds. In their final match of the day, King defeated Missouri Baptist 40-5 to earn the top seed in the Gold Bracket tomorrow. The Tornado earned three pins in the victory, starting with Daisy Santos at the 109 pound weight class as she pinned Kaylee Chavez in 4:52. The Final pins came by Ramos (170) over Aylin Hernandez in 0:47 and McAdoo (191) over Sharon Garcia in 1:23. King will face McKendree University in the quarterfinals at 9:00 a.m. The Tornado could face defending WCWA national champion Simon Fraser University in the semifinals and home standing Oklahoma City University in the finals.

Penn State's Ed Ruth, the nation's top-ranked 184-pound wrestler, is out of the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic, it was announced on Friday. The 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic takes place Saturday, Nov. 2, on the campus of George Mason University. Jake SwartzFifth-ranked Jake Swartz of Boise State will replace Ruth. His opponent will be No. 3 Jimmy Sheptock of Maryland. Sheptock defeated Swartz 3-2 at the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. "Jake Swartz is very tough, so Jimmy Sheptock will have his hands full with him," George Mason head wrestling coach Joe Russell told Takedown's Scott Casber on Friday. Swartz is a three-time NCAA qualifier. Last season he compiled a 33-5 record and reached the round of 12.

Related: Team Rankings | Individual Rankings KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Defending national champion Grand View (Iowa) opens the year as the No. 1 ranked team in the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Preseason Top 20 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday. The Vikings, who won their second-consecutive national title -- the 13th team in NAIA history to repeat as champion -- had 12 individuals earn preseason recognition. Of those individuals, there were three top ranked wrestlers to push Grand View's total points to 143. The Vikings' top-ranked wrestlers are defending national champions Gustavo Martinez (141 pounds) and Eric Thompson (285 pounds), along with 2013 national runner-up Isaiah Tatum (149 pounds). No. 2 Montana State-Northern moves up one spot from last year's postseason poll with nine ranked wrestlers and 123.5 points. The Lights boast the top two grapplers in the 125-pound weight class in Aaron LaFarge and Duell Stadel, while also owning the No. 1 individual at 133-pounds in Cameron Neiss. All three were All-Americans at the 2013 national championships. Missouri Valley checks in at No. 3 with 96 points and are tied with No. 6 Great Falls (Mont.), as both teams boast a poll-high 12 ranked wrestlers. The Vikings have three individuals that rank among the top three of their respective weight class, including Carl Lawrence and Josh Manu at 197 pounds. Lawrence, who tops the class, finished runner-up at last season's championships, while Manu took sixth after falling to the eventual national champion in the semifinals. Rounding out the top five are No. 4 Campbellsville (Ky.) and No. 5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) with 72 and 67 points, respectively. Campbellsville is the only team ranked in the top five to not have a No. 1 individual, however four of the Tigers nine ranked wrestlers are top-five in their class. Lindsey Wilson boasts two top-ranked individuals in 2013 national runner-up Joe Cozart (157 pounds) and national champion Jameel Bryant (184 pounds). Defending national champion Brock Gutches (174 pounds) of Southern Oregon and national runner-up Eric Lopez (165 pounds) of Menlo (Calif.) are the only No. 1 individuals not part of one of the top five programs. With seven returning All-Americans, the 141-pound and 165-pound weight classes are the most decorated of the ten levels. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the Qualifying Groups. For a complete look at the 2013-14 NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll calendar, click here. The first regular-season poll will be announced Nov. 20. Notes (all information dates back to 2000-01 season): Grand View's (Iowa) No. 1 ranking is its 13th all-time, which ranks third of all programs since 2000-01 ... The Vikings have held the top spot in nine-straight polls, which is the most since former member Notre Dame (Ohio) was No. 1 14-consecutive times from Nov. 24, 2009 to Feb. 22, 2011 ... Former member Lindenwood (Mo.) boasts the most all-time No. 1 rankings with 39, while Notre Dame is second with 14 ... Nine programs have appeared in the Top 20 for at least 20-consecutive polls, led by No. 4 Campbellsville's (Ky.) and No. 6 Great Falls' (Mont.) current run of 64-straight polls, dating back to 2005-06 ... No. 2 Montana State-Northern is the only other school with at least 50-straight appearances (55) ... Notre Dame and Lindenwood are the only programs to have spent an entire season ranked No. 1 (Notre Dame: 2010-11; Lindenwood: 2006-07).

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. Many wrestling fans spent last Saturday night watching UFC 166. Some forked over $55 for HD PPV and others trotted to a bar, but all were treated to a great display of fighting skills by NCAA All-American wrestlers Cain Velasquez (Arizona State) and Daniel Cormier (Oklahoma State). The event, which is now being hyped as the greatest in the promotion's history, saw Velasquez dispatch of former champion Junior dos Santos in the fifth round, while Cormier used a combination of wrestling and striking to earn the unanimous three-round decision over Roy Nelson. For the cauliflower ear masses the night was a great validation. The results are more than just more money for the fighters. It's a reminder that wrestling, and the training to become an elite wrestler, is without physical comparison. As wrestling heads argue about the minutia of changing weight classes, rules and coaching styles the result of the pursuit remains unchanged: Wrestling creates winners. While Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez earned Fight of the Night honors for their face-melting pummeling of each other's domes, it was the athletic and tactical avoidance and the exacting skills of Cormier and Velasquez that impressed most. After the fight, a tired and dehydrated Cormier cornered his best friend. His face left unscarred from the night's performance. Cain took a few elbows to his nose, but in the end avoided serious lacerations, bruises and breaks. He looked like a guy who'd been in a fight, but who'd been in control from whistle to whistle. Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier, both past NCAA Division I All-American wrestlers, are training partners and two of the top MMA fighters in the worldTraining inside the sport of wrestling creates skills that translate to the world a myriad ways -- fighting is just the most visible. One of the most reassuring moments of UFC 166 was the further proof that wrestling can create personal bonds stronger than money or fame. Though they are the top two fighters in the UFC's heavyweight division Cain and Cormier have remained best friends and training partners. Though a matchup of the two friends would be an enormous payday for the duo, Cormier has chosen to keep their bond of friendship intact by navigating a 50-pound cut to 205 pounds. Cormier is walking away from guaranteed millions to suffer through a massive weight cut and dredging up of old wounds in order to preserve a friendship forged through wrestling. Their friendship and Cormier's actions are impressive, inspiring and, I think, unique to wrestling -- the greatest sport in the history of man. To your questions ... Q: One of the best things I've read all year was your bold stance on the lack of success Boston University had prior to being cut while having a longtime coach. Our sport must protect our number of D1 programs, and one of the methods should be to demand success or change from long tenured coaches. I'm worried that what happened with Carl Adams & Boston could happen with Tom Minkel & Michigan State, and am looking for your thoughts. Michigan State only has 1 ranked wrestler in the pre-season rankings. The Spartans have been a last place team in the Big Ten more often than not, and have lost a dozen or so consecutive duals to Central Michigan. In what world should a Big Ten team in any sport be dominated by an in-state MAC school in any sport? If this job opened up, it would be a dream (Big Ten program in a wrestling state) for many talented young coaches. Having Franklin Gomez & Nick Simmons should not excuse the lack of success. Tom Minkel needs to go or Michigan State might not have much to argue if they ever look to cut the program. -- Tom B. Foley: Michigan State is almost certainly locked into a contract that restricts it from eliminating their wrestling program. There is money in the Big Ten, the school isn't under Title IX investigation, and their athletic budget shouldn't be an issue. I think they're safe. My instinct is to agree with you. There is certainly an element of retrospective shock that Minkel hasn't been released for the performance of previous seasons. However, Minkel took over a program that was in trouble and has since stayed out of trouble. That counts for something on college campuses and I'm willing to give Minkel and his staff this year to right the ship. You'll recall that only two seasons ago everyone was certain that Barry Davis was out at Wisconsin. This year his Badgers are ranked eighth in the country. The larger point is that we (media) do need to do a better job of keeping the coaching ranks on notice. I often shy away because it's not always obvious what a coach is doing to keep his job. Maybe he's sacrificing so that there is a program? Maybe he is beloved? College athletics is about more than results, and though I agree that we need to keep records in mind, I'd like to avoid a situation where we are rotating coaches in and out too fast. Still, no excuses, we all need to do better. College coaches, like their athletes, also need time to develop. On the other side, the men who've created program likely deserve better than to be booted without ceremony. We wrestling fans need to walk a fine line of respect and progress when discussing the future moves of an athletic department, because what we think we know, we normally don't. Q: Where the heck did Alan Waters go!? Why is he not on any college ranking list I have read? He wasn't a senior last year and I thought he had a redshirt already. Am I wrong or just unaware of certain situations pertaining to him? -- Pete D. Foley: He's redshirting, but Mizzou's got some talented freshmen and a secret weapon ... Sammie "The Bull" Henson. Q: The story from the D2 land is that National Duals may soon see D1 back in again. How long will D1 test Mat Mayhem before they scrap it and come back to National Duals? National Duals have been in Springfield, Ill., for the last two seasons and attendance has dropped drastically. Some say it is because of D1 not being there, but the fact was the closest school was four hours away. They have moved National Duals to Des Moines this season, and my guess is that attendance will be drastically different. Although the chants of UNO will no longer be heard in D2 wrestling, the "OOOSSS" is getting louder at Maryville University. Sure would be nice to see the 10,000+ Iowa Hawkeye fans roaring the stands. -- Chris B. Foley: Love a good rumor as much as the next guy, but can't say I can substantiate your story with any independent fact finding. As for the reasons Mat Mayhem was created, the way I understand things the tournament was supposed to be the precursor to the NCAA's adoption of a dual team format for deciding the team championship. By showing an ability to draw crowds and viewership independent of other divisions, Mat Mayhem would essentially become a test event for the NCAA. Even if it the event produced paltry attendance, it was intended to help gauge the excitement over the format and edit out the problems before a big release. However, your skepticism of the event's success is well founded and often discussed in hushed tones in the dark corners of the wrestling community. Last year's attendance was uninspiring, largely because the matches were on the same weekend as the Minnesota high school sectional tournaments and overall drew fewer fans than a well-attended Minnesota dual meet. I hope the best for the Division II warriors at the National Duals and have no doubt that Des Moines is the right place to host an event of that size. Hopefully Mat Mayhem will see an uptick in attendance. I'm sure they'd welcome the attention. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME All-Star Classic Preview Link: Billy Watterson is the kind of kid you want on your wrestling team I'm headed to South Sudan for a few weeks this December to use wrestling in helping to curb tribal violence in that young nation. Here is an article with several videos describing the first attempt at this event, including my partner in the endeavor, Peter Biar Ajak. Email me if you want to get involved! Q: As a fan of international wrestling here's my unique question: Jimmy Kennedy just won a car for his victory at Intercontinental Cup in Russia. How did he bring it home? Very curious to see if you can answer this one. -- Ralph C. Foley: The only answer I have is what Jimmy is telling his Twitter followers -- that he'd like to sell it and come home with straight rubles, homey! There is likely to be some catches, but if he takes ownership and isn't liable for taxes at home, he should be able to sell it -- albeit for less than the list price. I'm as interested as you to find out the answer, and will be sure to follow up the moment I know anything else. Q: I'm wondering if you ever heard of Jason Morris? He was a two-time NYS high school champ and only started wrestling as a sophomore back in the mid-80s. After high school he wrestled for two years at Syracuse, before leaving the university. He went on to become a four-time judo Olympian, silver medalist once, and U.S. Olympic judo coach. Anyway, his success in wrestling was largely due to his early judo training. His throws were awesome to watch. It'd be fun to see more of that style in wrestling. I'm wondering if you've seen much of a judo influence in your wrestling related travels around the world. -- Karl S. Foley: Wrestling is the broad, overarching term that absorbs disciplines like judo, jui-jitsu and even regional flavors like Chinese shuaijiao, Mongolian bokh and Indian kushti. The dress, rules and competition surfaces are all different, but that it remains a non-striking sport of control is universal. It's best to not get too caught up in the rules of each and how they are different, because in the end wrestling is the sport, and these disciplines are the games. Judo is a discipline that has the assistance (or detriment) of a gi. Points are scored in a different manner, but the idea of control remains constant. Though I've never heard of Jason Morris, I don't doubt that his success on the collegiate mat was in part due to his time in the gi playing judo. Likewise, I can see how his time on the wrestling mat was assisted him in his judo career. Learning to adapt to both rules makes you a more versatile grappler. Jason was sure to see this benefit. I think that young wrestlers should spend much more time in a gi and in a wrestling discipline with different rules. Learning to adapt on the sport helps them to create strategies on the go, and gaining distance from your own style helps you analyze the nuances of your own sport and find creative new solutions for scoring and defense. It also never hurts to test the balance of your body in a new way. Q: Since 1928 only three teams not from the Big Ten or Big 12 have won the D1 NCCA team championship. While impressive for the teams that have won, I think a lack of deep competitive parity for the team championship hurts the sport. Do you think the Big Ten/Big 12 hold on the team championship can be broken in the next 10 years? What team(s) have the best shot of making it happen and why? What will it take to create more competitive parity? -- Scott S. Foley: The lack of parity in team champions is a big part of the reason the NCAA is thinking of moving over to a dual format that combines dual team championship and the performance at the individual tournament. Wrestling is dominated by a few regions, schools and conferences, but in recent years we've seen a push east that could result in a school not in the Big Ten or Big 12 finding its way to a national title. My guess for the first to break the most recent streak? Cornell. Facilities, coaching, alumni backing, and support from the school. Cornell is in the best position of any school in the country to make a title run. If you add in that they have top five finishes over the last several season there is even more reason to believe they can make the final push to the top of the sport. Still, I'm hesitant to think that the recent geographical shift will conclude with a non-Big Ten school winning the NCAA title. Penn State has a monster recruiting class, and the rest of the Midwest is being fed top-notch talent from around the country. For Cornell, Lehigh, or any other non-Big Ten school to win, the NCAA might have to include the performances of the dual meet portion of the NCAA tournament. A task that we've learned isn't likely to be simple, or civil.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly’s Pacific-12 Conference dual wrestling meet against Oregon State on Jan. 30 will be held outdoors in the plaza of the University Union. The match will begin at 3 p.m. "There are few if any locations in the U.S. that can pull off an outdoor wrestling match,” said third-year Mustang head coach Brendan Buckley, “so to have this opportunity is quite exciting for all of us associated with Cal Poly wrestling. “This will be a great opportunity for us to showcase our historic wrestling program and our beautiful campus as we take on Oregon State,” Buckley added. The Citadel has hosted three outdoor dual meets, including one last season against Arizona State. The Sun Devils also wrestled Arizona outdoors in the 1970s. “There are but a handful of Division I wrestling programs that have a climate that would permit you to wrestle outside in January,” said Mustang director of athletics Don Oberhelman. “This is a very unique opportunity to showcase our program to some folks on campus who otherwise have not seen a wrestling match, and to introduce our university to wrestling fans who may not understand the paradise that is Cal Poly.” The match is one of seven home dual meets for the Mustangs. Cal Poly also will host Boise State on Jan. 12, Stanford on Feb. 9 and Arizona State in its homecoming match Feb. 14 for Pac-12 duals. The non-conference home duals are against North Dakota State on Jan. 4, Menlo on Jan. 18 and South Dakota State on Feb. 9. Cal Poly opens its 2013-14 schedule with a Pac-12 dual meet at CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 7. The Mustangs will compete in tournaments at Fresno (Roadrunner Open), Las Vegas (Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational), Reno (Reno Tournament of Champions), Evanston, IL (Midlands) and San Francisco (California Collegiate Open). Other dual meets on the road are at San Francisco State, Cal Baptist, Wyoming and Northern Colorado. “We are very much looking forward to the 2013-14 season, in which we will compete against our fellow Pac-12 opponents as well as those from the West Region,” Buckley said. “In addition, competing at the Las Vegas Invitational, the Reno Tournament of Champions and, for a few individuals, the Midlands, we will be able to compete against every major wrestling conference this season. “Each wrestler on our team will be given a great opportunity to see the type of competition that can lead to an NCAA berth,” Buckley added. Cal Poly returns 11 lettermen and eight redshirts off the 2012-13 squad which won two of 13 duals, finished sixth in the Pac-12 finals and sent one representative to the nationals. This year’s squad, which also includes 11 newcomers, all 2013 high school graduates, features a pair of Pac-12 champions -- Devon Lotito at 133 pounds in 2013 and Dominic Kastl at 165 pounds in 2012. Cal Poly will hold its annual Green and Gold intrasquad meet Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Mott Athletics Center. The Pac-12 Conference Championship will be held March 1 at Stanford and the NCAA Division I National Championship us scheduled for March 20-22 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Fans enjoyed their first look at the 2013-14 Lehigh wrestling team as the Mountain Hawks hosted the Brown and White Wrestle-offs Thursday night inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. After last year’s public wrestle-offs were cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, a crowd of nearly 1,200 fans were treated to ten bouts on the evening. "It was good to see a lot of competitive bouts out there,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. "It was good to see guys looking to score points in the third period. That was important. We saw a lot of things we have to work on tonight. We know we have a long way to go.” The evening began with a battle of true freshmen at 125 as Artem Timchenko met Darian Cruz. Cruz opened the scoring with a first period takedown, but Timchenko pulled even with a pair of escapes. A 1:33 riding time advantage for Timchenko sent the match to sudden victory, but Cruz secured the winning takedown 43 seconds in to win 5-3. Sophomore Mason Beckman delivered the only pin of the evening as he built a 13-2 lead early in the second period before pancaking freshman 125-pounder Dean Somers to his back and securing the fall in 3:44. In the first of two bouts at 141, freshman Will Switzer scored takedowns in the first and third period to defeat junior Jim Carucci 5-3. Sophomores Randy Cruz and Laike Gardner followed with an interesting bout at 141. Cruz led 2-1 behind a first period takedown and built up significant riding time before Gardner escaped in the second. Gardner answered with a quick takedown in the third period to go in front briefly but Cruz scored a reversal to regain the lead at 5-4. Gardner escaped late, but a healthy 2:49 riding time advantage gave Cruz the 6-5 victory. At 149, freshman Mitch Minotti posted a major decision 11-2 over junior Michael Stepien. Minotti broke open a 4-0 match with three third period takedowns and over four minutes of riding time to secure the major. Junior Will Sullivan (165) and freshman Billy Ramsey (157) met in an exhibition bout with Ramsey posting an impressive 10-3 win. Ramsey netted takedowns in each of the first two periods plus two more in the third, while allowing just three Sullivan escapes. A highly anticipated matchup between sophomore Ben Haas and freshman Brian Brill at 165 ended abruptly as Haas defaulted with an injury less than a minute into the bout. Freshman Elliot Riddick impressed in his first match in front of the Grace Hall crowd, downing classmate Zach Diekel 10-4 in an exhibition match. Riddick, who weighed in at 174, registered two takedowns in the first and two more in the third to defeat Diekel, who weighed in at 184. Another exhibition pitted junior Nathaniel Brown (184) against sophomore John Bolich. Brown made a first period takedown stand in a 3-1 victory as both wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods. The final bout of the evening matched sophomore Max Wessell and freshman Doug Vollaro at heavyweight. Neither wrestler was able to muster much offense as the score was knotted at one through regulation and 2-2 after the first set of sudden victory and tiebreaker periods. Two seconds of riding time proved to be the difference as Wessell escaped in the second 30 second period in the second round of tiebreakers to win by the slightest of margins. "No one seemed overwhelmed (by the atmosphere) so that was a good sign,” Santoro said. "We’ve got to continue to score points the whole match. We’ll do that as the year goes on.” Lehigh will send a contingent to the Knight Point Clarion Open on Sunday November 3, while Beckman will face A.J. Schopp of Edinboro at the NWCA All-Star Classic, November 2 in Fairfax, Va. The Mountain Hawks will open the dual meet season at home against Bucknell on Saturday November 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting LehighTickets.com. 2013-14 Lehigh Wrestle-offs 125 -- Darian Cruz (White) dec. Artem Timchenko (Brown) 5-3, s.v. EX -- Mason Beckman (Brown) Fall Dean Somers (White) 3:44 141 -- Will Switzer (Brown) dec. Jim Carucci (White) 5-3 141 -- Randy Cruz (White) dec. Laike Gardner (Brown) 6-5 149 -- Mitch Minotti (Brown) major dec. Michael Stepien (White) 11-2 EX -- Billy Ramsey (White) dec. Will Sullivan (Brown) 10-3 165 -- Brian Brill (White) injury default Ben Haas (Brown) 0:57 EX -- Elliot Riddick (Brown) dec. Zach Diekel (White) 10-4 EX -- Nathaniel Brown (Brown) dec. John Bolich (White) 3-1 285 -- Max Wessell (White) dec. Doug Vollaro (Brown) 3-3, r.t., t.b. 2 Attendance -- 1,193 Referee -- Scott Bricker

The first of the Agon Wrestling series begins this Sunday at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The event will feature four matches pitting past NCAA All-Americans and NCAA champions in a wrestling match that is adapted to meld together what the organizers believe is the best aspects of folkstyle and freestyle wrestling. The rules are not incredibly complicated, but as with Tour ACW there will be a learning curve for both wrestlers and fans. There is a 30-second riding clock on top and no points for an escape. Reversals are given, but based on folkstyle rules. Takedowns are also based on NCAA rules, but there is a one-point pushout so long as there are two supporting points out. Matches are broken into three three-minute periods. No word on stalling calls. The event is being funded in part by divisive Cage Fighter head honcho Mike DiSabato and Freakshow tournament director Ernie Ciaccio. The Askren Brothers have roles in marketing, matchmaking and match participation. The event will feature four matchups. A brief overview, predictions and lines via amateur wrestling's best oddsmaker Brian Muir. Aaron Simpson (+180) vs. Jay Borschel (-230) Simpson: A professional MMA fighter with 17 fights to his name, Simpson is also an established presence in collegiate wrestling. While a wrestler at Arizona State, Simpson was a two-time All-American. After his wrestling career Simpson went into coaching where he was an assistant coach for almost a decade before transferring his talents to the cage. He's almost 40 and with nine minutes of wrestling, it could be a tough challenge for Simpson to keep up the pace with Borschel. Borschel: Fresh off a runner-up finish at last weekend's Tour ACW in Pittsburgh, 2010 NCAA champion Borschel looked to be in pretty good shape for a post-collegiate wrestler. Now a coach at Northwestern where he is getting reps with 174 Lee Munster, Borschel's conditioning shouldn't be an issue. With solid top work, serviceable scrambling and a bigger tank, he should be the favorite. Prediction: Borschel will rely on his gas tank and find points late, but don't be surprised if Simpson's early attacks are solid and he finds a few takedowns of his own. Borschel by 4. Stephen Abas (+105) vs. Nick Simmons (-105) Abas: The Olympic silver medalist and three-time NCAA champion at Fresno State, Abas is the most decorated wrestler on the Agon card. Fast, slick and creative, Abas was one of the first wrestlers to use "funk" as a common and effective defense to solid leg attacks. He's a tilt-machine, but to hang with Simmons he'll need to stay away from the front head attacks and look for quick finishes. Simmons: The East Lansing Strangler earned that nickname after earning his four All-American crowns through a front headlock that seems to block off the oxygen and/or air to his opponents. A U.S. World Team member who placed fifth in 2011, Simmons has big move capabilities and can score from top. Prediction: Abas will take down Simmons early, but the Michigan State grad should be able to find some reversals, counters from his feet, and turns to secure a win. Simmons by 2. Lance Palmer (+220) vs. Jordan Oliver (-250) Palmer: A four-time All-American and NCAA finalist for Ohio State, Lance Palmer is now making waves in MMA. Under the fight promotion RFA and under the watchful eye of Team Alpha Male, Palmer has started to amass momentum that should carry him toward MMA's biggest showcase, the UFC. He's been back in Columbus to train for this matchup and should have a nice weight advantage over Oliver. Oliver: As an up-and-coming star for Team USA, Oliver was a two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma State. Quick, technical and a hard worker from top, Oliver can score in bunches. Solid defense, time spent wrestling with the international push out rules and John Smith on his side means Oliver might have a better strategy heading into the event. Prediction: Palmer is stronger and well-accomplished on the mat, but Oliver is quicker, younger and in the room with more consistency. Oliver by 2. Ben Askren (Even) vs. Quentin Wright (-150) Quentin Wright (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Askren: A four-time NCAA finalist and two-time champion at Missouri, Askren has created a nice career for himself as a rising MMA star. The Bellator welterweight champion is still active on the mats and has used much of his non-fight time teaching kids at his Askren Brothers Wrestling Academy. A creative and aggressive wrestler with a UFC contract on the horizon, Askren is motivated to make Agon a success, and his time on the mat a winning occasion. Wright: A two-time NCAA champion for Penn State, Wright is fresh off his last winning season. At 197 pounds last season, you can expect that Wright will be much larger than Askren. A big-move wrestler with great upperbody clinches, look for him to tie up Askren and make the smaller opponent come to a decision about how to get to the mat. Prediction: Askren might look to create the scrambles he likes, or in contrast to Wright's active style, try to keep it slow and methodical. Askren can do both as well as anyone. Askren by 2.

UFC 166 delivered plenty of action but not many upsets. At the top, Cain Velasquez defended his heavyweight title, but who's left for the champ with Junior dos Santos out of the way? And what's next for lightweight contender Gilbert Melendez and flyweight standout John Dodson? Richard and John discuss all of this and take a look at Agon, a wrestling event featuring NCAA standouts against MMA fighters that also earned their stripes on the mat. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

The 2013-14 scholastic wrestling season begins in earnest this weekend with the Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro, N.C. The 1400-plus wrestlers slated to compete in the high school division will check-in and weigh-in on Friday night, with wrestling slated to start at 8 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. Competition on that day will narrow the field in each weight class down to 16 total competitors -- eight in the championship quarterfinals, and eight also remaining alive in consolation. Then on Sunday morning, the on-day middle school tournament will occur, as will the journey to determine a champion -- and seven other placers -- in each high school division weight class. Many of the nation's elite wrestlers will assemble for a truly rigorous "pre-test" as they "Battle for the Belt." As of this Tuesday evening, 41 out of the nation's top 100 seniors are slated to compete in the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge. A similar proportion of nationally ranked underclass wrestlers also appear in the field: 18 out of the top 50 juniors, 20 out of the top 50 sophomores, and 9 out of the top 25 freshmen. Most notable is the field including the nation's top-ranked senior, Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.), and the nation's top-ranked freshman in Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) This is the 15th edition of the Super 32 Challenge in some iteration, an event that started as a local tournament at Morehead High School in North Carolina. It is the ninth year the tournament has been held at the Greater Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. The past history of this tournament field, and the subsequent performance of the participants, provides validation for the Super 32 Challenge as being arguably the best showcase of high school wrestlers in the country. At the end of the 2012-13 season, 96 participants from the 2012 Super 32 Challenge appeared in the top 20 of the InterMat national weight class rankings; the prior two editions of the Super 32 had 70 participants in that year's season end rankings. In addition, over the last three years, an average of 200 participants earned a state title, New England Regional title, or National Prep title at season's end. Based on the registration list as of Tuesday evening, the following is an overview of all fourteen weight classes, as well as a prediction for the top three finishers in each weight class. 106: Four sophomores who ended their freshman seasons ranked nationally at this weight class lead the way in this year's opening weight of the Super 32 Challenge. Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.) was a state champion, and won last year's Preseason Nationals in this weight class; Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Tex.) won a National Prep title, and also was a Cadet freestyle national champion this summer; Gage Curry (North Hills, Pa.) was fourth at state, and third at the FloNationals; while Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio) was a state champion, and champion at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. Top tier freshmen are also among the contenders in this weight class, led by Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.), who was a Super 32 Challenge middle school division champion before winning a New York high school state title at 99 pounds. Diakomihalis is ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2017, and is joined by another pair of ranked incoming freshmen in No. 24 Paxton Rosen (Edmond North, Okla.) and No. 25 Austin DeSanto (Exeter, Pa.) Notable veteran wrestlers in this weight class include state champion Devon Brown (Franklin Regional, Pa.), who was also champion at the FILA Cadet freestyle nationals in May; state runner-up Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), who was third in freestyle at the Junior Nationals this summer; state champion Toribio Navarro (Bradley Central, Tenn.); along with Junior folkstyle champion Christopher Lacayo (Santiago Corona, Calif.) Ten additional All-Americans from Fargo this summer are featured in this weight class, including Cadet National Greco-Roman champion Joey Prata (St. Christopher's, Va.) and Cadet National freestyle champion Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) Prediction: Yates over Mueller in a rematch of last year's Preseason Nationals final for the Super 32 title, with Curry finishing third. However, there is talk of Mueller bumping up to 113 pounds; if that happens Warner is next in the ladder. 113: Six of the eight placers in last year's Super 32 Challenge at 106 pounds return to the tournament in this weight class, led by the two finalists, Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) and Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.). Suriano went on to be an undefeated state champion during his freshman year of high school, and is No. 5 overall nationally in the Class of 2016; while Lee is the top incoming freshman nationally, was runner-up at the FloNationals, and was champion in freestyle at the FILA Cadet Nationals. Last year's final was a 4-3 classic won by Suriano on a takedown right before the end of the match. Among other returning placers, Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio) went onto win a state title, take third in Cadet freestyle, and is ranked nationally in the Class of 2015; Eli Stickley (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) won the Walsh Ironman, but was only third at his state tournament; Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.) went onto win a state title, was fourth in Cadet Greco-Roman, and is ranked nationally in the Class of 2016; while Hayden Lee (Marysville, Ohio) went on to place at state for a second consecutive year. This very deep weight class also features another nationally ranked wrestler from the Class of 2016 and two more from the Class of 2017 respectively. Two-time state champion Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.) is ranked No. 16 nationally among all sophomores, won a NHSCA Freshman Nationals title, and was a FILA Cadet National Greco-Roman champion; returning Super 32 Challenge middle school champion Eric Hong (Georgetown Prep, Md.) is ranked No. 7 overall among freshmen, and has a fourth place finish at the FloNationals along with a double All-American finish at the Cadet Nationals to his credit before starting high school; while Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) is ranked No. 11 in the Class of 2017. Seven other wrestlers in this weight class were All-Americans in Fargo this past summer, including Junior Greco-Roman champion Brandon Staley (Winter Springs, Fla.) and Junior double All-American Isaac Jimenez (Coronado, Tex.). Also meriting attention in this weight class are state champion Christian Moody (Collinsville, Okla.); three-time state placer Christian Clary (Dayton Christian, Ohio); and Ethan McCoy (Greater Latrobe, Pa.), who was a National Prep runner-up and placed at the Flo Nationals. Prediction: Look for a rematch of last year's instant classic of a final at 106 pounds between Suriano and Lee, with Rodriguez leading the rest of the field. 120: Among the favorites in this weight class are three of the nation's most elite seniors, all of whom finished the 2012-13 season ranked in the top five at 113 pounds. Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.) ended the season number one at the weight class, and is No. 25 overall among seniors nationally. He is a two-time state champion, and a FILA Cadet Nationals champion this past May. Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.) was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge last year, champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, and is a three-time state champion; he is No. 43 overall in the Class of 2014. Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) is a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, finished second to Russell at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, and has finished fifth twice in Junior freestyle; he is ranked No. 51 overall in the senior class. Six other wrestlers in this talent heavy weight class placed at the FloNationals this past April. Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe, Pa.) was champion of the 106 pound weight class, has also placed third twice in the Super 32 Challenge, and is ranked No. 6 overall in the sophomore class. Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville, N.Y.) was runner-up at 113 pounds, is a two-time state champion, and stands No. 30 overall in the Class of 2015. Jake Gromacki (Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa.) is now a two-time FloNationals placer, a three-time state placer, and placed in the Super 32 last year. Two-time state finalist Markus Simmons (Broken Arrow, Okla.) was fifth at 113 pounds. State champion George Phillippi (Derry Area, Pa.) finished sixth at 113, and is ranked No. 26 overall in the sophomore class. State champion Kyle Akins (Sycamore, Ill.) was seventh at 113 pounds, and followed that up with a third place finish in freestyle at the Junior Nationals. Finally, Tyrone Klump (Nazareth, Pa.) placed third at state and fifth in the FloNationals, both at 106 pounds. Eleven additional wrestlers were All-Americans this past summer in Fargo. Among that group are Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Skyler Petry (Watertown, Minn.), Cadet double finalist Mitch McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), and Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Chris Debien (Cleveland, Tenn.) Other notable wrestlers in the tournament include state champion and three-time state placer Luis Gonzalez (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), returning Super 32 Challenge placer Brandon Olsen (Indian River, Va.), and NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Radley Gillis (Archbishop McCarthy, Fla.) Prediction: Based on the registration list, Micic headlines the field; however, it is my understanding that he is in Russia and will not be in the tournament. As a result, look for a Russell vs. Fleetwood final, with Russell replicating results from last year's semifinal at 113 pounds and the NHSCA Junior Nationals 113 pound final from last spring. New Jersey state champ Gonzalez is my pick for third place. 126: If one thinks the 120 pound weight class was crazy deep with talent, just check out this one that features five top 100 overall seniors. That group is led by No. 23 Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) and No. 27 Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.). Thorn is a three-time state champion, who in 2012 was both a champion in freestyle at both Junior Nationals and the FILA Cadet Nationals; while Millhof is a two-time state champion, who won both the Super 32 Challenge and NHSCA Junior Nationals during the 2012-13 season. Other top 100 seniors include No. 67 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), a two-time state runner-up and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer; No. 68 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.), a three-time state champion who was runner-up at the Super 32 last year; and No. 88 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), a two-time state placer who placed fifth at the Super 32 in 2010. Further augmenting that group is four top 50 juniors and an additional top 50 sophomore. Leading the junior group is No. 23 Davion Jeffries (Broken Arrow, Okla.), a two-time state champion and 2012 Preseason Nationals champion; returning Super 32 placer Jared Prince (Palm Harbor University, Fla.) is No. 29 in the Class of 2015, and was third at the FloNationals; three-time state champion Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.) is No. 43 among juniors, and was runner-up at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals; while No. 49 Brandon James (Perry Meridian, Ind.) is a returning Super 32 placer, and was a Junior National freestyle All-American this summer at 126 pounds. That sophomore would be No. 31 Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.), a runner-up at National Preps and champion at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. 2011 Super 32 placer James Flint (Brandon, Fla.), a four-time state finalist, is among four other wrestlers in this field to have earned an All-American finish in Fargo this past summer. Other returning Super 32 Challenge placers include New England regional champion Kevin Jack (Danbury, Conn.), two-time state placer Christian Innarrella (Delbarton, N.J.), and state placer A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) Additional state champions meriting attention in this field are NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Anthony Tutolo (Lake Catholic, Ohio), Junior National folkstyle champion Trae Blackwell (Union County, Ky.), Deondre Wilson (Warren Central, Ind.), Eli Seipel (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), and FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Lincoln Olson (Davison, Mich.) Prediction: Look for a Thorn v Millhof battle of top 30 seniors in the final, with Thorn upending last year's Super 32 champ. 2012 FloNationals champ Moisey is my pick for third place. 132: Like the previous weight class, seven top 100 seniors are present in the field. This group is led by No. 34 Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.), a three-time state champion and three-time Preseason Nationals champion; No. 45 Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.) is also a three-time state champion, and this summer placed third in Junior freestyle; No. 55 Brock Ervin (Union County, Ky.) is a four-time state champion and was a NHSCA Junior Nationals champion this spring; No. 58 Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen, N.J.) won state this past year, is a three-time state placer, a returning Super 32 placer, and was third in both the NHSCA Junior Nationals and Junior Greco-Roman; No. 62 Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills, N.J.) won state in 2012, is a three-time state placer, and was third in the FloNationals; No. 66 Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.), a three-time state champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer; while No. 93 Bryce Meredith (Cheyenne Central, Wyo.) is a three-time state champion and two-time Junior National freestyle All-American. This field also gets a significant boost from the presence of three top 20 overall juniors, led by two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.). Ranked No. 6 in his grade, Kemerer was champion in this tournament at 106 pounds in 2011, is a two-time state runner-up, and was an All-American in Junior freestyle this summer. Another high end junior is No. 10 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), who was champion in 2012-13 at the Super 32 Challenge, Pennsylvania Class AAA tournament, and the FloNationals; while No. 19 Keegan Moore (Putnam City, Okla.) was a state champion this past year. A further talent injection is provided by four nationally ranked sophomores: No. 21 Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County, Pa.) was a Cadet Nationals double finalist, No. 32 Brent Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) placed third at state, No. 33 Chris Mauriello (Hauppauge, N.Y.) was a NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion, while No. 37 Griffin Parriott (New Prague, Minn.) is a two-time state placer and a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American. In addition, incoming freshman Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford, Pa.) is ranked No. 23 overall in that grade. Six additional wrestlers in this field have earned All-American honors in Fargo during the course of their high school careers. Notable among this group are Tate Robinson (The Baylor School, Tenn.), three-time state champion Will Steltzen (Collinsville, Okla.), and Cadet freestyle runner-up Jonathan Ross (Northern York, Pa.). Three others in the field were placers at the FloNationals this past year: two-time state placer Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.), three-time state champion Jamal Morris (Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.), and state placer Kent Lane (Southern Columbia, Pa.) Also meriting attention in this weight class are two-time state placer Chase Zemenak (Nazareth, Pa.), New England regional champion Christian Monserrat (Methuen, Mass.), and returning Super 32 Challenge placer Colby Ems (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) Prediction: Look for a battle of past Super 32 Challenge champions in the final between Kemerer and Krivus, with the 2012 champ Kemerer coming up on top in this battle of star WPIAL juniors. Three-time Preseason Nationals champ Adams is my pick for third. 138: A quartet of top 100 seniors anchor the field in this weight class, which led by No. 15 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.), a two-time state champion who placed third at the Super 32 last year and second at the FloNationals. Others in this group include No. 70 Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian, Ind.), a two-time state finalist and state champ this past year; No. 86 Brock Zacherl (Brookville, Pa.), a two-time state placer who was third at the FloNationals this spring; and No. 99 Tanner Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.), a three-time state placer and state champ this past year. Seven additional wrestlers in this field were All-Americans in Fargo this past summer, a group led by three-time state finalist Jonce Blayclock (Berryhill, Okla.), who was sixth in Junior freestyle at 138 pounds. Others include two-time state champion Justin Oliver (Davison, Mich.), who also finished third at the FloNationals; Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Blake Clevenger (Kearney, Mo.); along with Cadet Greco-Roman runners-up in Logan Kass (Benilde St. Margaret's, Minn.) and Patricio Lugo (South Dade, Fla.) Three other wrestlers -- in addition to Nolf, Zacherl, and Oliver -- placed at the FloNationals this past April: state placer Jesse Rodgers (North Allegheny, Pa.), who was sixth at 132 pounds; three-time state placer Cody Burcher (Claymont, Ohio), who was seventh at 126; and state runner-up Zac Carson (Uniontown Lake, Ohio), eighth at 132. Other notables in this tournament field include two-time state placer Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.), who is ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2015, and a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American; returning Super 32 placer Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional, Pa.), a two-time state placer and ranked No. 26 in the Class of 2015; two-time state champion Max Thomsen (Union, Iowa), ranked No. 45 in the Class of 2015; NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Clay Walker (Eastside, S.C.); state placer Justin Thomas (Santiago Corona, Calif.), who is ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2016; along with Super 32 middle school champion Kyle Lawson (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2017. Prediction: Last year Nolf was victim to an upset in the round of 32, which won't be the case this year, as he's my pick to win the tournament. Next in line are fellow top 100 seniors in LeCount and Zacherl, who both missed placement in last year's Super 32 Challenge by one round. 145: This is yet another very deep weight class with five top 100 seniors and three top 50 juniors, including the pair of wrestlers who met in last year's final for this weight class: Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) and Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.), Leeth winning the match by injury default. Ranked No. 12 overall in the senior class, Chishko is after a rare fifth Super 32 Challenge placement finish (previously 8-5-3-2), and is a three-time state placer after winning state last season. Leeth is No. 40 in the Class of 2014, a three-time state finalist (two-time champion), and finished fifth in both the FloNationals and Junior National freestyle championships this past off-season. Lead among the other ranked seniors is No. 18 Joseph Galasso (Father Judge, Pa.), a three-time state placer who won state this past year, and was eighth in last year's Super 32 Challenge after finishing second in the 2012 FloNationals. Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.) is ranked No. 20 in the senior class as a three-time National Prep placer, champion this past year, and also won Outstanding Wrestler honors at last December's Beast of the East; while two-time state runner-up Gary Dinmore (Hunterdon Central, N.J.) is No. 69 overall in the Class of 2014. In the anchor position among juniors is Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), who was fourth at the Super 32 Challenge last year and is No. 3 overall in the Class of 2015. Massa also was runner-up at the FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle, third in freestyle at the FILA Junior Nationals, and a state champion during 2013. Next among the juniors is No. 11 Tommy Forte (Mishawaka, Ind.), a state champion and Junior National folkstyle runner-up. Two-time state placer Paden Bailey (Broken Arrow, Okla.) is No. 34 overall among juniors. Five other wrestlers in this field earned an All-American finish in Fargo this past summer, head among them is Phil Downing (Broomfield, Colo.), a three-time state champion who has placed sixth in Junior Greco-Roman each of the last two years; as well as two-time state champion Josh Reyes (Parkrose, Ore.), who was seventh in Junior Greco-Roman this summer. Others in this field meriting attention are former National Prep placer Nick Bennett (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.); state runner-up Frankie Garcia (Norwich, N.Y.); two-time state runner-up Aaron Hartman (Palm Harbor University, Fla.); Cadet folkstyle champion Carver James (Dakota, Ill.); NHSCA Freshman nationals champion Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.), who is ranked No. 49 in the Class of 2016; and returning state placer Michael Longo (Santiago Corona, Calif.) Prediction: Look for Chishko to cement his name in Super 32 Challenge lore as a five-time placer with a title during his senior year, which is something that Taylor Massa -- NCAA round of 12 as a true freshman at the University of Michigan -- did in two years ago. With some irony, the prediction is here is that his opponent in the finals will be Logan Massa, who is Taylor's younger brother. Three top 40 seniors will battle it out for third place, with the pick here being Pennsylvania state champ Galasso. 152: A pair of top 100 seniors and a pair of top 50 juniors head the field in this weight class. Those two seniors would be No. 22 Jacob Danishek (Dayton Christian, Ohio) and No. 80 Zach Kelly (The Kiski School, Pa.). Danishek was runner-up at the Walsh Ironman this December, and is a three-time state champion; while Kelly is a two-time National Prep placer, was sixth at the Super 32 last year, and third in Junior freestyle this summer. Notable among the juniors is three-time state champion Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.), who is ranked No. 4 in the Class of 2015, placed third in last year's Super 32 and was a FloNationals champion in 2012 among three placing finishes in that tournament. The other nationally ranked junior is No. 50 Zach Hertling (Ocean Township, N.J.), a two-time state placer who also won a title at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. Six other wrestlers in this field have earned All-American honors in Fargo during the course of their career. Among that group is three-time state runner-up Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.), state champion Colstin DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.), and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Corbin Allen (Hanover, Va.). Two others join Hertling and Allen in winning NHSCA grade-level nationals titles this past April: Cody Hughes (Marshwood, Maine), a two-time New England regional placer who won at the sophomore level; along with Daniel Bullard (Archer, Ga.), who both won freshman titles. Additional notables in the field include returning Super 32 placer Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.), who has also placed three times at National Preps; state champion Louis Hernandez (Mepham, N.Y.), two-time former state champion Hunter Sutton (Churchill, Md.), New England regional champion Christian LaBrie (Exeter, R.I.), two-time state placer Jeric Kasunic (Benton, Pa.), and 2012 state champion Austin Eades (Jenks, Okla.) Prediction: Look for a dynamic, high scoring battle between the senior Danishek and the freshman Baldwin in the final, with Danishek coming out on top. Kelly is my pick to finish third. 160: Two of the nation's best seniors who did not win a state title during the 2012-13 season stand out at the head of this field. Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) is ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2014, and did win state as a sophomore before falling to Chance Marsteller in his state finals bout last year. Peppelman is a three-time state placer (5-1-2), and a two-time Super 32 placer. Jonathan Schleifer (East Brunswick, N.J.) is ranked No. 28 in the senior class, and a three-time state placer (8-3-2). During the 2012-13 season, he also finished third at the Super 32 Challenge and was a FloNationals champion. A third high profile senior in this field is No. 32 Jack Clark (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.), a two-time National Prep champion, who was runner-up at the FloNationals this spring. Three wrestlers in this field earned All-American honors in Fargo during the past summer. Among them are Christian Stackhouse (Riverside, N.J.), who was third in Junior freestyle; and Logan Breitenbach (Archbishop Spalding, Md.), who is also a two-time National Prep placer. Additional wrestlers to watch in this weight class are state champion and two-time state finalist Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.), state runner-up and FloNationals placer Jordan Atienza (Franklin, Mich.), National Prep placer Dom Scalise (The Kiski School, Pa.), New England champion Andrew LaBrie (Exeter, R.I.), Preseason Nationals champion and two-time state finalist (state champ this past year) Dayton Racer (Apple Valley, Minn.), two-time state finalist and state champ this past year Michael Hamilton (Bartlesville, Okla.), state placer and NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Ben Schram (Bellbrook, Ohio), and three-time state placer Austin Reese (Mechanicsburg, Ohio). Prediction: Peppelman was less than 20 seconds away from a finals spot last year, giving up a takedown very late in the match against 2011 champion Josh Llopez. However, the pick this year is for him to not only reach the final but to win it. Look for Schliefer, who was also a late match loser in the other 160 pound semifinal last year, to make the final this year and finish as runner-up; while the pick here for third place is Clark. 170: Chance Marsteller (Photo/Rob Preston)The nation's top-ranked senior Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) anchors the field in this weight class. Marsteller is undefeated for his high school career, a three-time state champion, and seeks a second Super 32 Challenge title having won this tournament at 160 pounds in 2011. His weight class does feature three other top 100 ranked Class of 2014 prospects in No. 75 Andrew Garcia (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), No. 92 Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and No. 96 Ryan Harris (Beachwood, Ohio). Garcia is a three-time state finalist, two-time state champion, and was seventh in Junior freestyle this past summer. White is a two-time National Prep placer, and has finished third the last two summers in Junior Greco-Roman. Harris is a three-time state placer, finishing as undefeated state champ this past year, and was seventh in last year's Super 32 at 152 pounds. Three wrestlers in this tournament placed in this past April's NHSCA Junior Nationals. Lead among them is state champion Adis Radoncic (Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy, N.Y.), who was fifth at 170 pounds. Others included two-time state champion Jake Henson (Pope, Ga.) and state qualifier Derek Holcomb (Newark Valley, N.Y.) Other notable wrestlers in this field include Travis Linton (Rootstown, Ohio), a state champion who was fifth at the FloNationals; two-time state finalist T.J. O'Hara (Tartan, Minn.), who won state in 2012 and was third at the Preseason Nationals; three-time state placer Seth Williams (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio); state placer and 2012 NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion David-Brian Whisler (Warren Howland, Ohio); two-time New England regional runner-up Brad Drover (North Andover, Mass.); state runner-up Steven Schneider (MacArthur, N.Y.); two-time National Prep placer Bryce Pappas (St. Mary's, Md.); two-time state champion and FILA Cadet double All-American Taylor Lujan (Carrollton, Ga.); and state champion Jacob Cooper (Springport, Mich.) Prediction: With the nation's top Class of 2014 wrestler Marsteller in the field, there is little debate about who will win. The pick is obvious -- Marsteller is projected to add a second Super 32 title to the one he won in 2011. It should be an excellent battle between top 100 seniors Garcia, White, and Harris for other spots in the top three -- with my picks being Garcia for second and White for third. 182: Two top 100 seniors headline the field in this weight class, No. 46 Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) and No. 71 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe, Pa.). Dixon is a three-time state placer, who won state this past year, and was sixth in Junior freestyle at 170 pounds; while Zavatsky is a two-time state placer, and was third in the FloNationals at 170 this spring. Four Pennsylvania state placers are among the other more notable wrestlers in this field: Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs), Tom Sleigh (DuBois), Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown), and Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic). Sponseller is a two-time placer, having finished third and second the last year years; Sleigh placed third this past year, and also took sixth at the FloNationals in April; Reynolds was fourth at state, and a match away from placing at the Super 32 last year; while Loiseau was fifth at state. Others to watch include National Prep champion Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who also placed fourth and second in New York the two years prior; Cadet Greco-Roman champion Hunter Ritter (John Carroll, Md.), who also was champion at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals and third at National Preps; Cadet freestyle runner-up Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio), who placed fifth at state as a freshman and is ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2016; two-time state placer Armani Robinson (Greeneview, Ohio), who also was an All-American at the FILA Cadet Nationals in freestyle; NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Malik McDonald South View, N.C.); state runner-up Jared Langley (Newton, Kans.); as well as state placers Tyler Wildmo (St. Johns, Mich.), and Nick Costa (Brick Memorial, N.J.) Prediction: Look for a battle of top 100 seniors in the final, with Dixon upending Zavatsky, while Hall finishes in third place. 195: Four of the nation's elite seniors anchor the field in this weight class: No. 57 Nathan Rose (Sibley East, Minn.), No. 72 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.), No. 78 Derek White (Edmond North, Okla.), and No. 81 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.). Rose is a two-time state champ, who won the Preseason Nationals title last year, and was champion at both the NHSCA freshman and sophomore nationals; Ness is a three-time state champ, who was fourth at the Super 32 last year, and runner-up at the FloNationals in April; White was a state champion this past year, and finished third in Junior freestyle this summer; while Dixon finished as a state runner-up, and was second in Junior freestyle this summer. Two excellent sophomores, both of whom were champions at this past April's NHSCA Freshman Nationals, are also among the field in this weight class: No. 22 Matthew Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.) and No. 36 Drew Phipps (Norwin, Pa.). Correnti placed eighth at state, and took third in Cadet freestyle this summer; while Phipps qualified for state and took sixth in Cadet freestyle. Another pair of wrestlers in this field placed eighth at the FloNationals: Teddy Warren (Dundee, Mich.), who was also a state champion in 2012-13; and Bailey Faust (Lexington, Ohio), who qualified for state in 2012-13 and also earned double All-American honors at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo. Additional notable wrestlers in this field include state placer Ralph Normandia (Franklin, N.J.), NHSCA Junior Nationals All-American Michael Oxley (Christian Brothers Academy, N.J.), state champions Alec Shunnarah (Hoover, Ala.) and Anthony Mancini (Salesanium, Del.), along with Cadet National double All-American Randy Scott (Mooresville, Ind.) Prediction: Four top 100 seniors are in this weight class, and should head the show; but when all is said and done, look for Rose to beat Ness in the final with White taking third. 220: Two of the wrestlers with an All-American finish in Fargo on the resume stand at the head of the field in this weight class. The first of the pair is Andrew Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), a two-time state finalist, state champion this past year, who also was a Junior freestyle All-American in 2012 and is ranked No. 30 overall in the Class of 2014. During his freshman season, Jordan Wood (Boyertown, Pa.) placed fourth at the Super 32 Challenge, second at the state tournament and FloNationals, and was a Cadet Nationals double All-American; he is ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2016. Another pair of wrestlers joins Wood as returning place-winners in the Super 32 Challenge. Christian Jenco (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) placed third in this weight class last year, while NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up Trent Allen (South Brunswick, N.C.) placed sixth. Other wrestlers to watch in this field include returning state placer Jake Temple (Avella, Pa.), two-time state finalist and NHSCA Junior Nationals third place finisher Matthew Moore (Apalachee, Ga.), New England regional runner-up Ian Butterbrodt (St. Johns, Mass.); Rafael Rokosz (Southampton, N.Y.), a Junior Greco-Roman All-American; two-time state placer Jerry Thornberry (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio); along with a pair of state runners-up in Ben Cruz (Osceola, Fla.), John Kramer (Wilson Central, Tenn.), and Oliver McKenzie (Waynesboro, Va.) Prediction: Look for a second Dixon triplet, this time Andrew, to be in possession of a championship belt with Keystone State natives Wood and Temple rounding out the top three. 285: Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) has been in the finals the last two years in the 220 pound weight class, winning as a sophomore before falling to future college teammate Kyle Snyder in last year's final at the Super 32. However, the three-time state champion and No. 9 overall Class of 2014 prospect, moves up a weight class for this year's tournament. He'll enter as the favorite, but a group of five notable seniors will be among the challenge pack. Leading that group is two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Jake Scanlan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who has placed fourth the last two years at the Iowa state tournament. Haines is also joined in this weight class by the defending weight class champion at the Super 32 in Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.), a New England regional champion who earned double All-American honors at the Junior Nationals this summer after placing fifth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals in April. State champion Patrick Garren (Bishop Ready, Ohio) placed fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals after finishing fifth at the Super 32 Challenge last year. Logan Turner (Cave Spring, Va.) missed the 2012-13 season, but placed third at state in 2012 and was sixth in the Super 32 last year; while Austin Underwood (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) was a state runner-up and seventh in the Super 32 down one weight class last season. Others to watch include state champion Patton Gossett (White Knoll, S.C.), FILA Cadet Greco-Roman champion Gavin Jolley-Little (Jeffersonville, Ind.), NHSCA Junior Nationals All-American Dakota Bell (North Wilkes, N.C.), and FILA Cadet freestyle runner-up Nick Nader (Gahanna Lincoln, Ohio). Prediction: Look for it to be a battle of past Super 32 champions in the final, with Haines winning his second title in three finals appearances; while defending champion Webb takes second. Projected to finish third is two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Scanlan. Follow InterMat throughout the weekend for updates on the Super 32 Challenge -- via Twitter (@JoshMLowe), and recap articles updating competition after both Saturday and Sunday.

Lost in the midst of the preeminent showcase that is the high school division of the Super 32 Challenge is the fact that excellent competition is to be found in the middle school division. That tournament will be held concurrent to the second day of the high school event, on Sunday October 27th. This year's event marks the ninth time in the last 12 years, fifth in a row, that a middle school event will be held. The field at present features approximately 400 wrestlers. Registration for the event was sold out in record time, within three weeks of it opening. Six wrestlers will be seeking to win yet another middle school division title at the Super 32 Challenge, with Cade Olivas from California seeking a record third such title (Eric Hong in 2010/2012 and Nick Suriano in 2010/2011 are the most recent to earn a pair of titles). Olivas, the nation's top-ranked junior high wrestler per InterMat, is registered at 95 pounds. There are 39 other wrestlers presently in that weight class, among those is Dustin Plott of Oklahoma, a 2013 Tulsa Nationals champion in the 12U division. Two of the other five with a past Super 32 middle school title are defending champions, Sam Hillegas of Pennsylvania and Adam Buisello of New York. Hillegas is registered in the 75 pound weight class with 30 other wrestlers, including three who won Tulsa Nationals titles in 2013: Caden McCrary of Georgia was a champion in the 10U division, while Kurt McHenry of Virginia and Mosha Schwartz of Colorado were champions in the 12U division. Busiello is entered in the 85 pound weight class with 47 other wrestlers, including Colton Yapoujian of Colorado; Yapoujian won a middle school Super 32 title in 2011, was a 2013 Tulsa Nationals champion in the 12U division, and is ranked No. 8 overall among junior high wrestlers. Joining Yapoujian as Super 32 middle school division champions from previous years are Trent Snader of Pennsylvania and Shane Griffith of New Jersey. Snader is registered in the 90 pound weight class, which features 37 other wrestlers including Gavin Teasdale of Pennsylvania; Teasdale is ranked No. 5 nationally among junior high wrestlers, and was a Cadet National freestyle champion at 88 pounds this past summer. Griffith is registered in the 120 pound weight class, which features 26 other wrestlers including Justin Ruffin of Georgia, who is ranked No. 14 nationally among junior high wrestlers. The field at present features eight of the nation's top fifteen junior high wrestlers. Already discussed have been No. 1 Olivas, No. 5 Teasdale, No. 8 Yapoujian, and No. 14 Ruffin. The others include No. 2 Ryan Thomas of Ohio, No. 6 Andrew Merola of New Jersey, No. 11 Brandon Whitman of Michigan, and No. 13 Josiah Rider of Colorado. Thomas is registered to compete at 128 pounds, a weight class with 15 other wrestlers, among them is Ryan Karoly of New Jersey, who won the 2013 Tulsa Nationals in the 12U division. Merola is registered to compete at 105 pounds with 24 other wrestlers, including Nick Raimo of New Jersey, a 2013 Tulsa Nationals 12U division champion. Rider, champion in the 15U division at the 2013 Tulsa Nationals, is slated to compete in the 136 pound weight class with 11 other wrestlers. Finally, Whitman is slated to compete at 157 pounds with six other wrestlers at present. In all, the Super 32 Challenge middle school division features 11 wrestlers that won Tulsa Nationals titles this past January. Already mentioned have been McCrary, McHenry, Schwartz, Yapoujian, Plott, Karoly, Raimo, and Rider. Others to win Tulsa Nationals titles in 2013 include 15U division champion Mason Turner of Kansas, who is competing at 100 pounds; while 12U division champions Colt Newton of Oklahoma and Mason Reiniche of Tennesee are competing at 80 and 112 pound respectively.