InterMat Staff

ZRENJANIN, Serbia -- Two U.S. wrestlers won bronze medals at the Cadet World Championships in Greco-Roman on Wednesday, Cade Olivas of California at 42 kg/92.5 lbs. and Jon Jay Chavez of Idaho at 69 kg/152 lbs. They were the first two medals for the United States at the event this year. Cade Olivas of California scored an impressive, come-from-behind 6-6 criteria win over Zelimkhan Usmanov of Kazakhstan in a bronze-medal bout. Trailing 6-1 after the first period, Olivas turned on the energy in the second period. He hit a duck-under takedown to make it 6-3, then another two-point takedown to make it 6-5. A pushout with one second left tied the match at 6-6, and Olivas won on criteria. Read complete story ...

Kyle Snyder, Junior World champ Kyle Snyder became the first American wrestler to win a Junior World title before his senior year since Jeff McGinness (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The biggest story of the past week is Kyle Snyder and his very impressive 96 kilos gold medal at the Junior World Championships. I don't want to spend too much time on Snyder as I essentially wrote an entire column about him a while back, and will write more in the future. I will, however, make three observations about his performance. In the finals he had to fight off his back for what seemed like an eternity. Afterward he got up and acted like nothing happened. He sort of just shrugged his shoulder and went about destroying his opponent. This level of composure amazes me, particularly when I think about the fact that he probably has not actually been in danger of being pinned in an actual wrestling match in a number of years. That Armenian he wrestled in the finals looked a bit long in the tooth to be wrestling in Juniors. I am not accusing anybody of anything, but wow. He looked at least 30. Now we really have to wonder if Kyle, who is still only 17 years old (until November, CRAZY, right?), can legitimately challenge for an Olympic spot in Rio. It is hard to believe that a 20 year old kid will be able to beat the Pendletons and Bergmans of the world, but if anyone can do it, it is Snyder. I know I said three points, but I would like to point out that I did some research, and I believe that Snyder is the first American to win a Junior World championship before his senior year of high school since Jeff McGinness did it more than 20 years ago. Is it 2 or 1? I understand that FILA wants to promote greater offense wrestling, but they need to realize the subservience of offense to simplicity. The past Junior World Championships featured different point values for different takedowns. For "offensive" takedowns, officials gave 2 points, and for "counters" they gave 1. I do not need to point out that sometimes in the sport of wrestling the lines blur between offense and counters. This way of scoring gives referees another way to foul up a match, and it makes Olympic-style wrestling even more indecipherable to anyone other than wrestling experts. Olympic wrestling, and FILA, have a tough task in front of them. They need to walk the knife's edge between simplifying freestyle and Greco, and preserving the nuances which make both styles great. This certainly will not be easy, but allowing for two different takedown values certainly does not represent a step in the right direction, no matter how much it encourages offense. Penn State recruiting class With the signing of Bo Nickal, Penn State has now assembled a whopper of a recruiting class for 2014. They have signed big, and they have signed small, and they have taken the best wrestlers from the East Coast, West Coast, and the middle of the country. This sets up Penn State's head coach Cael Sanderson to answer the one remaining question left in his career: can he win a national championship with only his recruits? It will be interesting to see how Penn State performs after next year when the last of Troy Sunderland's recruits (we are really talking about just Ed Ruth here) are gone. Sanderson and his staff have already done a spectacular job at cultivating talent, if they are able to continue to do so with this next crop of kids, then the national championships should keep on coming. Virginia's shameful 7 Sometimes, the worst part about governing bodies is that they actually do some governing. The Virginia High School League has decided to double the number of sized-based classifications in all sports from three to six. Including the private school state championship, this means that Virginia will have seven different state championships in wrestling. (The craziest part of this whole affair lies in the fact that Virginia, before this decision, had a whopping eight championships in football.) If you read Aristotle's Metaphysics, you might stumble upon a passage where the great philosopher says something to the effect of that which means everything means nothing. You may apply a similar principle to the Virginia situation. The more people who win state championships, the less it means. I have coached in the commonwealth of Virginia at the AA, AAA, and independent levels, and I can say with a certain level of expertise that Virginia would be better served by fewer state championships rather than more. Namely, I wish that Virginia held a single state championship, two at most if both are held side by side in the same arena. If private schools wanted, they should be allowed to compete; the VHSL hypocritically excludes them on fear of recruitment, then permits the most powerful public schools in the commonwealth to engage in what amounts to the same thing. The biggest problem with the separation of Virginia state championships has been that the AAA championship features the best wrestlers, while the AA championship features the greater quantity of fans, and passion. While the premier state championship, AAA , only found itself held in high school gymnasiums, the AAA and AA championships enjoyed the generous confines of the Salem Civic Center. A unified championships could have done even better and command the use of an even larger more modern arena, in the process creating a marquee event which would draw fans from Winchester to the beach. Sadly, this will never some to pass. Instead the Old Dominion will now hand out state medals like key chains. Each separate tournament will draw less interest from fans. The sum of attendance at seven state tournaments would not equal that of one state tournament. In the end, the sport of wrestling loses ... again.

Craig Sesker and Nate Carr will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, August 21. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on theopenmat.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments. Sesker is the communication manager for USA Wrestling. He will provide an update on wrestling in the Olympics and preview the 2013 World Championships. Carr was a three-time NCAA wrestling champion for Iowa State (1981, 1982, and 1983) and an Olympic bronze medalist in 1988. His brother, Jimmy, was a member of the 1972 Olympic freestyle wrestling team.

With the high school wrestling season's start nearing, InterMat is taking readers across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From mid-August until mid-November, InterMat is introducing readers to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. In this installment, Eric Johnson looks at the top senior wrestlers in Kansas. Once again Kansas produced two elite upperweight wrestlers in the Class of 2013. Junior National freestyle finalist Nathan Butler is headed to Stanford and NHSCA Nationals champion Will Geary signed with Kansas State to play football. Kansas will sure miss those two exclamation points on its national teams. Rounding out last year's Division I signees were four-time state champion Zac Gentzler, who is chasing his destiny in Stillwater at Oklahoma State, and Dakota Leach at Southern Illinois. This Class of 2014 is not short on talent. Kansas has two favorites to land their fourth state title, five Fargo All-Americans and two USAW folkstyle All-Americans. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Kansas' Top 10 and honorable mention! 1. Preston Weigel (Hays) Projected High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 Preston WeigelAnalysis: Weigel is a multi-sport elite athlete. He has dominated on the mat as well as the gridiron and will have quite a choice to make on whether he wants to wrestle or play football at the next level. With a career record of 122-4, he is a three-time state finalist and two-time state champion. After running the table in 42-0 fashion he placed second at the USAW Folkstyle Nationals in Iowa, coming within one point of bringing home the title. He passes everybody's look test and is sure to make another splash at the national level this season. Words from the Corner: "Preston is without a doubt one of the most talented wrestlers to ever come through Hays High. Not only is he talented, but he has a work ethic like no other. He is the kid staying after practice working one on one with coaches to improve. His dedication to lifting also shows. Preston was the first back-to-back champion in the 20-plus years I have been at Hays. What impresses me most about him is how humble he is. He approaches every match the same, never underestimating an opponent and win or lose his reaction after the match is always business like. Shake the opponent's hand, the opposing coach's hand and walk off the mat, no showboating." -- Coach John Hafliger 2. Tagen Lambotte (Rossville) Projected High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 141/149 Tagen LambotteAnalysis: Most everyone starts a description of Lambotte by calling him a training machine. If the periods were five minutes long, I think he'd enjoy that. Lambotte has had a stellar career at Rossville High School, compiling a record of 123-4 while standing on top of the podium all three years. Besides being a three-time state champion, he was also the USAW Cadet National folkstyle champion in 2011. He is a true artist on his feet and comes from a close-knit wrestling family. Some fortunate college coach will be getting themselves a gem in the fall of 2014. Words from the Corner: "Tagen will be looking for state title No. 4 this season. He worked his tail off this summer to separate himself from his competition. Off the mat Tagen is a great kid and great student. On the mat there are very few if any that work as hard as him. He has determination, grit and a motor that doesn't shut down. He will continue on after high school and be very successful at the next level." -- Coach Curt Brecheisen 3. Andrew Millsap (Junction City) Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 Andrew Millsap (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Analysis: Millsap is a two-time state champion and three-time state placer with a career record of 103-15. He finished runner-up at the InterMat JJ Classic last fall, losing by injury default in the finals. Millsap is a two-time Fargo All-American, making the Junior National Greco-Roman finals in 2013. He is also a FILA Cadet Greco All-American. Millsap has been a veteran of several of Kansas' national teams, going undefeated and making the All-Tournament Team in freestyle at the Junior Duals in Oklahoma City in 2013. Based on his performance last year, it could be argued that he's the best prospect in Kansas. Words from the Corner: "Andrew was an integral part of our success last season. He became our all-time career and season win record holder. This year he has an opportunity to become our second three-time state champion." -- Coach Robert Laster 4. Dustin Williams (Gardner-Edgerton) Projected High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157 Analysis: What a year that Williams had in 2013! He finished an undefeated 43-0 campaign without giving up a takedown! He beat four other state champions and won the Rocky Mountain Nationals in dominating fashion. This guy is a worker! His aggressive style has earned him national hardware, reaching All-American status twice in Fargo, including a runner-up finish in 2012 along with placing at the USAW Folkstyle Nationals in 2013. This three-time state placer has compiled a 119-11 career record to go with his two state championships. Words from the Corner: "Dustin is a very technical and explosive wrestler with tremendous drive! More importantly, he's a class act on and off the mat and excels in the classroom as well. It's an honor to coach Dustin and to have him represent our community." -- Coach Matt Yeamans. 5. Brogan Humphrey (Fredonia) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Brogan HumphreyAnalysis: You have to love this kid. A common theme in our top five is the dedication to training. Humphrey flat out puts the work in. Very little separates him from the first four as he is a three-time state champion that will likely cement his name in the four-time club in 2014. His career record is an impressive 131-2. He has been a valuable national dual team member and was very close to placing in Virginia Beach last season. Words from the Corner: "Brogan is one of those kids that has always been willing to work harder than everyone else and that's why he is in the position he's in. He has stayed on the mat all summer and we look forward to a dominant senior season as he chases his fourth state title." -- Coach Jordan Stewart 6. Michael Olsen (Lansing) Projected High School Weight Class: 138 Projected College Weight Class: 141 Analysis: Olsen is one of the most talented wrestlers in Kansas. He moved to Kansas after making the state finals in his freshman season in Missouri. In two seasons he has a career record of 78-15 and won a Kansas state title in 2012, dominating a very tough wrestler in the finals. He was a Fargo Cadet freestyle All-American in 2012 and a powerful force on our Junior Dual Team that year. Watch the videos on this kid. He's a crowd-pleaser! 7. Gavin Grater (Riley County) Projected High School Weight Class: 182 Projected College Weight Class: 174 Analysis: Grater is a three-time state placer and a 2013 state champion with a career record of 103-19. In 2011 he was a Fargo Cadet Greco-Roman All-American and has 14 career Fargo wins. He has also been named to Kansas' national dual teams. Gavin comes from a strong wrestling family as his older brother (and current coach) Danny was a three-time Fargo All-American. Words from the Corner: "Gavin is the model student-athlete, carrying a 4.0 GPA. His great work ethic, which he gets from being a farm kid, pays off for him in many areas of his life. Gavin not only excels on the mat but also on the football field. He has been a true leader by example on our team." -- Coach Danny Grater 8. Nick Wuthnow (Southeast Saline) Projected High School Weight Class: 170 Projected College Weight Class: 165/174 Analysis: Wuthnow won his first Kansas State title last season after placing in both of his first two years. He has a career record of 111-8, completing an undefeated 40-0 record as a junior. He had a huge win over a multiple-time Fargo All-American in the finals. Expect to see him on top again in 2014! 9. Brandon Ball (Hoisington) Projected High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 Analysis: Ball is a two-time state champion with an 80-2 record over two seasons. He ran the table in dominating fashion last year with a 43-0 tally. He missed his freshman season due to a home schooling eligibility issue in his area of Kansas. Chances are pretty high that he would otherwise be in line to win his fourth state title in 2014. 10. Justin Scott (Jefferson West) Projected High School Weight Class: 220 Projected College Weight Class: 197/285 Analysis: Scott is a two-time state finalist and won a state title last season while dominating Class 4A with a 39-0 slate. His two-year record is 78-3. He had some huge wins for Kansas All-Class Dual Team at the Rocky Mountain Nationals with his classic physical style. Words from the Corner: "Justin had one of the most dominating state tournaments I have ever seen last season. His four first-period pins were an amazing accomplishment. He is so strong that he can dominate most opponents. We have been working hard to add more finesse to his skill set to help him grow into a more complete wrestler. Our team has changed our schedule for 2014 to give Justin and our other seniors more challenging matches." -- Coach Shawn Dolezilek Honorable Mention: PJ Cheney (KC Turner) Reese Cokeley (St. James Academy) Tyler Dickman (Mill Valley) Parker Howell (Kapaun Mt. Carmel) Kaleb Konitzer (Prairie View) Tyler Mies (Andale) Cesar Regalado (Pratt) Josiah Seaton (Bonner Springs) Andrew Tujague (St. James Academy)

Dan Gable

Boiling Springs, N.C. -- Gardner-Webb second year wrestling head coach Daniel Elliott is pleased to announce the hiring of Nate Schiedel as an Assistant Coach, effective immediately. Schiedel comes to Gardner-Webb after stellar career on the mat at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, where he graduated from with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 2012. “I am excited to bring Nate on staff here at Gardner-Webb. I took a leap of faith in bringing him on right out of college, but he had a great collegiate career and is very motivated to get into coaching,” stated Elliott. “Adding another young passionate coach to the program will be huge. Nate was a part of a program that went from being dropped to finishing in the top-15 in the country, so he has experienced the growth that we want to take the GWU program too. I am ready to get to work with Nate and to keep our program moving forward.” A four-time NCAA Division I National Championship Qualifier for the Bearcats, Schiedel finished his career with an overall record of 121-32 and a dual match career record of 65-10, including going a perfect 17-0 hissenior season. Schiedel recorded a total of 35 pins over his final four years on the mat and posted 27 wins overall in each of his five years as a Bearcat. Competing at both 184 and 197 pounds over his intercollegiate career, Schiedel was a CAA Champion in 2009-10 and a three-time CAA Championship Runner-Up on the mat. The three-time Team Captain, who was ranked in the top-20 nationally for four of his five years at Binghamton, was ranked as high as fifth in the nation his redshirt-senior season in 2012-13. Schiedel was also a University Greco-Roman National Finalist and a FILA Junior Greco-Roman All-American. During his time as a student-athlete, Schiedel also served as a wrestling camp counselor, working extensively with Olympic Wrestling Gold Medalist Tom Brands and six-time World and Olympic Wrestling Champion John Smith. While working at camps such as Binghamton, Oklahoma State and Iowa, he instructed and was held responsible for the supervision of over 30 student-athletes each session, while he also assisted student-athletes in becoming successful wrestlers on the mat and valued community members off the mat.

Related: Schedule CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia wrestling head coach Steve Garland announced his team’s 2013-14 schedule Friday (Aug. 9). The schedule includes seven home duals, including a Nov. 24 clash against Virginia Tech at UVa’s John Paul Jones Arena. “This year’s schedule is pretty intense once again,” Garland said. “Last year we ramped up our schedule and this year we are taking another big step in ensuring our student-athletes get the chance to compete against the best of the best. We will take on teams represented from the Big 12, Big Ten, EIWA and of course a huge home dual with Virginia Tech – and this is all before Christmas. “On top of the tough dual schedule, we have two of the best tournaments in the nation on the schedule in the Las Vegas Invitational and Southern Scuffle and one the toughest dual tournaments in the nation with the Virginia Duals.” Virginia’s ACC dual schedule will be as tough as it ever has been. The ACC will feature seven programs this year as Pittsburgh joins the conference. UVa will wrestle at Pitt for the first time in program history on Jan. 24. The schools have competed against one another just once previously in dual action, with the Panthers scoring a 21-15 win on Nov. 27, 2010. UVa will take on rival Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. Nov. 24 at John Paul Jones Arena, the day after the schools square off in football at Scott Stadium. The two programs battled at JPJA two years ago, with the spirited dual coming down to an overtime match in the final bout. Tickets for the Virginia Tech dual are $7 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under), seniors and staff and will go on sale Oct. 14 through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office. All tickets are general admission. The remaining four home bouts will be contested inside Memorial Gymnasium; there is no admission charge for matches at Mem Gym. Virginia again will take part in three premier college wrestling events, Las Vegas Cliff Keen Invitational (Dec. 6-7), Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1-2) and Virginia Duals (10-11). The Cavaliers also will play host to Maryland (Jan. 31) and North Carolina (Feb. 7) in ACC action at Mem Gym. UVa also will wrestle on the road in ACC play at Duke (Jan. 17) and NC State (Feb. 9). The conference championships are slated for March 8 in Blacksburg, Va. Virginia has six home duals scheduled for Memorial Gymnasium. In addition to its ACC bouts, UVa entertains Anderson, Gardner-Webb and West Virginia in a quadrangular meet to open the season on Nov. 2 and takes on Bucknell on Feb. 2. UVa also will compete in the Hokie Duals on Nov. 10 in Blacksburg, with matches against VMI, Wisconsin and Kent State, as well as the Northeast Duals on Nov. 30 in Albany, N.Y., featuring duals against Lehigh, Rutgers and Clarion. The Cavaliers also have in-state dual matches on the docket against Old Dominion (Jan. 19) and George Mason (Feb. 16). The NCAA Championships will be contested March 20-22 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. UVa took 21st place at the championships last year and has recorded four straight top-30 finishes. The Cavaliers return 20 letterwinners for the 2013-14 season, including 2013 All-American Nick Sulzer (R-Jr., Cleveland, Ohio). 2013 ACC Freshman of the Year George DiCamillo (Highland Heights, Ohio) also returns after winning the conference’s 133-pound championship last season. 2013 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Stephen Doty (R-Sr., St. Louis, Mo.), Jon Fausey (R-Sr., Dalmatia, Pa.) and Joe Spisak (R-Jr., Boiling Springs, Pa.) also return to the lineup, as does 2012 NCAA qualifier Gus Sako (R-Jr., Cleveland, Ohio), who redshirted in 2013.

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The U.S. had no athletes competing in the Sunday night session, which included the repechage and the medal matches on the final day of men’s freestyle at the Junior World Championships. Three of the four U.S. wrestlers competing on Sunday earned a place in their weight classes, scoring team points for the United States, which finished fifth in the team standings. The USA had a gold and silver medalist and a fifth place on Saturday, and was in second in the standings after the first day. Russia won the team title with 62 points, with Azerbaijan in second with 49 points and Iran in third with 46 points. Placing fourth was Georgia with 36 points, edging the USA in fifth with 35 points. Read complete story ...

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The United States won a pair of medals on the opening day of the men's freestyle at the Junior World Championships, a gold medal from Kyle Snyder (Woodbine, Md./OTC) at 96 kilos/211.5 pounds and a silver medal from Alex Dieringer (Port Washington, Wis./Cowboy WC) at 74 kilos/163 pounds. Kyle Snyder and Alex DieringerSnyder won a wild final over Viktor Kazishvili of Armenia, falling behind early and almost getting pinned, but battling back for an impressive 11-4 technical fall in 4:04. Kazishvili, who was third in the 2013 European Junior Championships, went upper body with Snyder and threw him to his back, almost getting the fall, but the tough American got free, but was trailing 4-1. He started a barrage of takedowns, as well as a turn, to take an 8-4 lead at the break. In the second period, a two-point takedown and a one-point pushout put him at 11-4 for the technical fall victory. Read complete story ...

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team added Scott DelVecchio (South Plainfield, N.J.) to its 2013 recruiting class, raising the number of incoming freshmen to 12 for the 2013 season. DelVecchio, who was ranked the No. 7 132-pounder by Intermat, is the fourth South Plainfield, N.J. native to join RU in 2013. DelVecchio recorded an unblemished 44-0 record last season at South Plainfield HS en route to a state championship at 132 pounds. DelVecchio also qualified for the tournament in 2010 and 2011. The 132-pounder joins former South Plainfield HS teammates Anthony Ashnault, Dylan Painton and Corey Stasenko as members of the 2013 class. The Scarlet Knights open the season on Nov. 3 at Hofstra. Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers wrestling, follow the program on Twitter (@RUWrestling). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.

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. There are three weeks left in the fight to Save Olympic Wrestling, and in review of the year the wrestling community has come together like never before. We've created fundraising organizations, T-shirt campaigns, and letter writing initiatives. The international governing body fired their boss, hired a battalion of bright people and launched a six-month campaign to revise and improve governance. That's a lot of action, almost enough to bring a tear to your eye. Though not always permanent or popular, significant changes have been made. Most, like rules of governance and the hiring of extra staff have had minimal airtime, while other changes, such as the rules and 6-6-6, have received plenty of examination. All were made in the interest of winning over public opinion and the IOC, something that shouldn't fade on Sept. 9. Wrestling has nothing to lose. Nothing. Almost nobody expects a thing from wrestling except a bunch of knuckleheads who love cutting weight, wearing singlets and complaining about the Olympic Games. We are respected, but not beloved; known, but not watched. From a media perspective, it's been my experience that low expectations are perfect for creating attention and traction in popular culture. Let's address a few of the most ingrained assumptions about our sport and then quickly, without a complete autopsy, look at what could be done, in theory to change that thinking. 1. Title IX cuts men's opportunities, especially in men's wrestling. Of all the sports to be consistently singled out by administrations seeking Title IX compliance, only wrestling never enjoyed a companion sport. Now that there are dozens of women's programs, wrestling can emerge as a leader in equal rights for women. Solution: The wrestling community joins together to start a Division I program and fully fund it alongside a long dormant or eliminated program? That would be a PR coup for the school worth millions in advertising, and a net gain for the sport of wrestling. 2. Singlets are the traditional outfit and aren't going anywhere. Singlets are an easy issue with which to be beaten over the head by outside interest. It's equally simple to change. Don't be fooled, people have wrestled for millennia in a range of outifts, and outside of naked oil wrestling, singlets are the least popular option ever employed. Solution: USA Wrestling bans the singlet for all sub-Junior wrestlers. Clothing companies and sports organizations come together to create a rash guard and shorts combination, and the less-bulgy outfit attracts news participants, which swells the numbers in USA Wrestling, and adds more funding to the Olympic program. The clothing companies make millions more and begin selling to consumers who increase the fan base by wearing products at the gym, etc. Coverage of the sport doubles as the outfits make some otherwise awkward photographs more sellable. 3. Wrestling will never be as popular as other mainstream sports. Wrestling is just another of the non-profit sports that nobody understands or cares about, outside of a few cities and states. Solution: Create a league of SIMPLE rules wrestling that focuses more on regional disagreements and the joy of being geographically in support of a squad, and less about the minutia of rules. The new takedown-only style will create an easier access point for sports fans and allow them to discuss, and bet, with ease. This new league and attention then prompts more interest in the sport, which will eventually feed into freestyle and Greco-Roman. These are three quick ideas. The prompt is to start looking at every common assumption as an opportunity for improvement and change -- it's the area where inventions occur and dreams are made reality. If the wrestling community is happy with the status quo they can moan online and complain about rules and the future of the sport, or they can go out into the world and create products that are different and that might influence the future of the sport. Wrestling's future isn't up to the president of FILA or the president of USA Wrestling, it's up to a few individuals who'll stand up and not just nag about the stalemates that occur in wrestling, but find ways to change them. In short, be the change they want to see in the world ... of wrestling Q: So where does Thomas Haines end up? -- @CamoKidz Foley: Great question. Lock Haven? With Scott Moore at the helm of the program they could be on to great things in the near future. And for Haines, who is likely still upset about the situation with Penn State, it'll give him a chance to seek revenge. Ben Whitford won a FILA Junior National title this year (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: I hear Ben Whitford is not heading to Michigan. Is this true? If so, where will he end up? -- Raed K. Foley: The unfolding Ben Whitford drama has been the most popular mailbag question of the week, and yet looking around there is little solid and confirmable information. From my conversations I can tell you that it looks very unlikely that Ben will be at a Division I school in 2013, but beyond not enrolling I don't have much information on his plans for the following school year. I was ready to make Ben one of my favorite Division I wrestlers (MATT BROWN!), but it looks like I might have to wait a year, or two. Q: I'm an ex-wrestler from the day and currently a black belt in BJJ. I am currently involved in helping coach high school wrestling. How do you think we begin to make the move away from singlets toward rash guard/shorts? -- Jeff H. Foley: I'd start by asking if they would like to work with you to make a change, but if those earnest attempts fail, just object to wearing them in competition. Create a media storm. Call them obscene, profane, and outside the best interest of the student-athletes. The local organization will capitulate to your demands so long as you have the guts to stick with your side of the argument. Remember that they are wrong and you are right. Singlets are not traditional, and they were not created in the best interest of the wrestlers or the fans. As a fellow BJJ aficionado, I'm trusting you on this one. Go get 'em. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Jordan Burroughs Commercial Pieces that challenge common assumptions and are now extremely popular in today's media: White country band sings Whitney Houston Small-town Kentucky and the issue of gay rights Q: How do you think the USA will do at the Junior World Championships in men's freestyle? -- Josh B. Foley: Decent. I love our team and think it represents our current talent level. However, I've also been fortunate to see some of their competition and have been equally impressed with the young wrestlers from around the world. I've been looking forward to this event for a few months, but will not be able to attend due to a family wedding. My guess is that we get two gold medals and a bronze medal, which will be good enough for second or third place as a team, and a great overall team performance. Q: Is this the year that the Buckeyes can topple Iowa at Big Tens (as Iowa's schedule doesn't feature OSU)? It seems like the Hawkeyes have a revolving door of faceless All-Americans, but the Bucks are experienced, talented, and loaded for bear. It may be a stretch for anyone to knock off Penn State, so I'd like to shoot for Iowa first. -- Curt H. Foley: No. The Buckeyes are losing too many of their top guys, including 2012 All-American Cam Tessari and two-time NCAA qualifier Andrew Campolattano. In addition, two-time All-American Hunter Stieber is expected to redshrirt. Ohio State should be much stronger in 2014-15. Q: When the hell we gonna find out about the 2015 NCAA's? C'mon, Philly! -- Frank C. Foley: Well, we know that Louisville has thrown in their hat, and the NCAA should be releasing a list of cities for the final round of consideration. However, it'll be December before we hear back on the host city and the number of years they've been awarded. I'm all about a new host city for four years, but am not hopeful. The NCAA has plenty to consider, and I don't know that it is anything more than a simple mathematical calculation in terms of dollars spent versus dollars earned. RANT OF THE WEEK! By Tim H. Another contributing factor that no one talks about but also began in the early 70s was youth wrestling. Pee wee programs have resulted in a large number of underclassmen making the varsity squad. Other (team) sports do not tend to have the numbers problem wrestling has because, for the most part, classmates are grouped together: junior high kids play modified, freshman & sophomores play JV, and juniors & seniors play varsity. In many states, wrestling teams kill their modified programs by moving their best kids up to JV and varsity. (PA doesn't do this … that's probably why they're so good.) And in pretty much all states, their JV programs are killed by moving their best freshmen and sophomores up to varsity. When you move the good kids up, and their friends are stuck down on modified and JV, what do you think happens? They quit. When you move a freshman up to fill a varsity weight and he goes 5-30 against mostly older kids, what do you think happens? He quits. Not everybody is going to have a 40-3 record as an eighth-grader. Not everyone was a youth wrestler. We need the kids with losing records to stick it out and get better. What first-year wrestler would join a team that none of his friends are on and put on an embarrassing skin-tight singlet just to get pummeled by kids three or four years his elder? Not many; might as well join the bowling team. We need to replace the tournament classifications (Class AA, Class A, etc.) with age divisions. Instead of classes, wrestling tournaments should be separated by age divisions: 7th & 8th, 9th & 10th, and 11th & 12th. By doing this, you'll see more kids go out for the team because their friends are on the team, and some of them might even turn out to be fine athletes themselves. You'll start to see more freshmen, with zero experience, coming out for teams again as they did in the 1950s and 60s. Also, you can then have a separate set of weight classes for 9/10th grades vs. 11/12th grades, more concentrated in the lightweights for the younger division. (For example, 106 pounds might no longer be a weight class for 11/12th graders but it would be for 9/10th.) Don't get me wrong, I realize teams need to fill holes in their dual meet lineups. The suggestion is to use age divisions only for tournaments. For dual meets, where both JV & varsity typically attend together anyways, still allow underclassmen to fill holes as necessary. In the end, I think that by both (1) eliminating singlets and (2) introducing age divisions, over time, you'll see bigger teams overall and less and less of those holes that need to be filled.

Ryan Blees moved up over 20 spots after winning a Junior National freestyle title (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) With the conclusion of the ASICS/Vaughan Cadet and Junior National Championships, along with the AAU Junior Olympic Games, the summer offseason has come to a conclusion. On that note, the national grade rankings are being updated. Some wrestlers made a significant move up based on their performance during the offseason tournaments. Among the notable movers were Junior National freestyle champions Michael Pixley (Blue Springs, Mo.) and Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.). Both wrestlers moved up over 20 positions in the Class of 2014 rankings. All five No. 1-ranked wrestlers remain unchanged: Chance Marsteller (Kennard-Dale, Pa.) is on top of the Class of 2014, Cadet National double champion Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.) leads the Class of 2015, Junior National freestyle champion and OW Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) anchors the Class of 2016, Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) is first in the Class of 2017, while Cade Olivas (California) is the top junior high wrestler. InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. Class of 2014 | Class of 2015 | Class of 2016 | Class of 2017 | Class of 2018+ Sneak Peek Below is a sneak peek at the top wrestlers in each grade. Class of 2014 (Top Ten): 1. Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) 2. Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) 3. Bryce Brill (Mount Carmel, Ill.) 4. Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) 5. Jered Cortez (Glenbard North, Ill.) 6. Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) 7. Micah Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 8. Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.) 9. Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) 10. Hayden Tuma (Centennial, Idaho) Class of 2015 (Top Five): 1. Lance Benick (Totino-Grace, Minn.) 2. Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) 3. Logan Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) 4. Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) 5. Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) Class of 2016 (Top Five): 1. Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 2. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) 3. Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) 4. Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 5. Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) Class of 2017 (Top Five): 1. Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional, Pa.) 2. Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) 3. Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei, Ind.) 4. Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton, N.Y.) 5. Daton Fix (Sand Springs, Okla.) Class of 2018+ (Top Five): 1. Cade Olivas (California) 2. Ryan Thomas (Ohio) 3. Anthony Madrigal (Illinois) 4. Jake Ryan (California) 5. Gavin Teasdale (Pennsylvania)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tom Ryan, Ohio State wrestling head coach, announced the Buckeyes' 2013-14 schedule Thursday. "The schedule this year will challenge and prepare our student-athletes for the brutality of the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments," Ryan, who is entering his eighth season as head coach of the Buckeyes, said. "We are also proud to bring the National Duals to Columbus for the excitement of the many die-hard wrestling fans in this great wrestling state. We look forward to many great home crowds this season as we were third nationally in home attendance the past two years." Season Tickets Season tickets for new accounts and renewals will be on sale soon. Fans interested in becoming a season ticket holder can contact the Ohio State Athletic Ticket Sales Department at 1-800-GOBUCKS (select option 2) or AthleticSales@osu.edu for pricing, details and information. Information on season ticket renewals, single-match tickets and the National Duals will be available at a later date. Check back to OhioStateBuckeyes.com for updated information. The 2014 NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals highlights Ohio State's home schedule. The Buckeyes will serve as host of the prestigious two-day and 16 team event Feb. 16-17. Teams scheduled to wrestle at the Columbus site will be determined at a later date. The 2013-14 schedule features six home events, including two off-campus matches. Ohio State will host Northwestern at a site to be determined Jan. 17 and Michigan State in Perry, Ohio, Feb. 7. The Buckeyes will face three teams that finished in the Top 10 at the 2013 NCAA Championships, including three-time defending champion Penn State Dec. 15 to open Big Ten Conference competition. Ohio State also will face Illinois, who was a ninth-place finisher at nationals in 2013, Jan. 12. The matches against the Nittany Lions and Illini are on the road. Finishing 10th at the NCAA championships after winning the ACC Tournament title this past March, Virginia Tech travels to Columbus for a Feb. 23 matchup. The 2013-14 competition schedule begins Oct. 17 when Ohio State competes in the annual Varsity Wrestle-off in French Field House, which is the adjacent building just west of St. John Arena. Following the All-Star Meet at George Mason Nov. 2 and a pair of open tournaments - Clarion Open (Nov. 3) and Michigan State Open (Nov. 9) - the Buckeyes kick off the dual season Nov. 15 hosting Notre Dame College. Ohio State hits the road for seven consecutive matches and/or events, including the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Wrestling Invitational Dec. 6-7. The Buckeyes are the two-time defending champions. The road stretch begins at Duke Nov. 23, followed by the Davidson Duals Nov. 24. After an attempt at securing their third-consecutive Vegas invite title, the Scarlet and Gray open their conference schedule at Penn State Dec. 15. Closing out the 2013 portion of its schedule, Ohio State travels to Kent, Ohio, for an in-state match vs. Kent State Dec. 19. After the turn of the New Year, the Buckeyes return to conference action at Wisconsin Jan. 10 and at Illinois Jan. 12. For the first time in almost two months, the Scarlet and Gray will host a dual match, but not in Columbus. The Buckeyes welcome Northwestern Jan. 17. Ohio State returns to its roots in St. John Arena Jan. 24 when it faces Nebraska. The following week, Jan. 31, the Buckeyes host Michigan. Traveling for the final time in the regular season, Ohio State wrestles Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., Feb. 3. In continued Big Ten action, the Buckeyes host Michigan State in Perry, Ohio, Feb. 7 before hosting the National Duals Feb. 16-17. The regular season wraps up vs. the Hokies with the Big Ten championships commencing the postseason. The 2014 edition of the conference championships will take place in Madison, Wis., March 8-9. The much-anticipated NCAA championships are March 20-22 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Ohio State finished sixth in 2013 with 59.5 points behind Logan Stieber's second-consecutive national title at 133 pounds and third and fifth-place finishes by Hunter Stieber (141 pounds) and Nick Heflin (174 pounds), respectively. 2013-14 Ohio State Wrestling Schedule Date Opponent/Event Time Thurs.,Oct. 17 Varsity Wrestle-off1 7 p.m. Sat., Nov. 2 All-Star Meet2 TBD Sun., Nov. 3 Clarion Open3 All Day Sat., Nov. 9 Michigan State Open4 All Day Fri., Nov. 15 vs. Notre Dame College 7 p.m. Sat., Nov. 23 at Duke 1 p.m. Sun., Nov. 24 at Davidson Duals at Davidson 1 p.m. vs. George Mason TBD Fri.-Sat., Dec. 6-7 CKLV Wrestling Invite5 All Day Sun., Dec. 15 at Penn State 2 p.m. Thurs., Dec. 19 at Kent State 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 10 at Wisconsin 8 p.m. Sun., Jan. 12 at Illinois 3 p.m. Fri., Jan. 17 vs. Northwestern6 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 24 vs. Nebraska 7 p.m. Fri., Jan. 31 vs. Michigan 7 p.m. Mon., Feb. 3 at Purdue 7 p.m. Fri., Feb. 7 vs. Michigan State7 7 p.m. Sun.-Mon., Feb. 16-17 NWCA National Duals8 All Day Sat.-Sun., March 8-9 Big Ten Championships9 All Day Thurs.-Sat., March 20-22 NCAA Championships10 All Day 1French Field House; 2George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.; 3Clarion University, Clarion, Pa.; 4Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.; 5Las Vegas; 6TBD; 7Perry, Ohio; 8St. John Arena; 9Madison, Wis.; 10Oklahoma City, Okla. All times are Eastern.

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Erin Golston (Lake In The Hills, Ill./NYAC/USOEC) won a silver medal at 44 kilos/97 pounds on the first day of women’s freestyle at the Junior World Championships on Thursday. Erin GolstonGolston jumped to an early lead, but was defeated in the finals by Emilia Budeanu of Moldova, 10-7. In the first period, Golston was in control, scoring a three-point and two-point move on the way to a 7-2 lead. However, in the second period, Budeanu rallied back with three-point and two-point moves of her own to tie it at 7-7. With 40 seconds left, Budeanu scored a two-point takedown on a duckunder for a 9-7 lead. She added an additional point on a defensive takedown with 14 seconds to go for the 10-7 margin. Golston has now won three Junior World medals in her four trips to the event, also winning bronze medals in 2011 and 2012. She did not earn a placement in her first Junior Worlds in 2010. Read complete story ...

It's finally here, folks! UFC on FOX Sports 1 has arrived. Richard and John break down the fight card and congratulate Lew Polley on breaking a record at last weekend's WSOF without even stepping into the cage. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Aaron Pico is the nation's top-ranked sophomore wrestler. This past season as a high school freshman at St. John Bosco (Calif.), Pico went a perfect 42-0 en route to winning a CIF state championship. In December he won the Walsh Ironman title and finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally at 132 pounds. Pico has continued his dominance on the mat through the spring and summer. He won FILA Junior National titles in freestyle and Greco-Roman and was the Outstanding Wrestler in the FILA Cadet National freestyle competition. He also came out victorious in the Junior National folkstyle and freestyle competitions, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors in freestyle. Pico will wrestle at the Cadet World Championships in Serbia on August 20-25. InterMat talked to Pico about his accomplishments, coaches, training, goals, MMA, and more. Aaron Pico defeated Joey Ward to win a FILA Junior National title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Most wrestling fans know you as the high school freshman who beat an NCAA qualifier. How did you feel after beating Joey Ward at the FILA Junior Nationals this past spring? Pico: I honestly didn't know who he was going into the match. I looked him up on the Internet and saw that he wrestled for UNC, but I didn't know he was an NCAA qualifier. I took a shot and scored pretty easily, which gave me confidence to keep attacking and wrestle my match. I felt good about the win. You win a lot. What's the most important match of your career? Pico: The Dean Heil loss at Super 32 was the most important match of my career so far. It stung after that loss and it really fueled me to come back at Ironman. It fueled me every day because I knew I could be the best in the country. Every day I was saying, 'I'm the No. 1 wrestler in the country ... No. 1 in the country ... No. 1 in the country.' Every day. I'm a freshman, but it's still my goal to be the very best wrestler in the country and soon the world. Losing to Heil is what helped me take a leap in progressing as a wrestler. I wanted to wrestle him again, but he lost in Ironman semifinals to (Micah) Jordan. Aaron Pico was named OW in the Junior National freestyle competition (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)You're only 16, but fast becoming wrestling's 'next big thing.' How did you get into wrestling? Pico: My older brother used to race go-karts and part of the uniform was wrestling shoes. My dad looked into where to buy them and started to think that I could be a good wrestler. I was a little smaller at the time and he thought it made sense. Since then it's been the only sport I really love. My family is really tight. Our favorite thing to do is just hang out with each other and have barbeques. He's always kind of treated me like his son first. He wants me to be passionate and work hard, but he doesn't get mad if I lose, or yell or manage me, or anything. I love wrestling. I love technique and drilling and lifting and obviously competing. He just helps me make sure that I have the best coaches possible so that I can achieve my goals. If I wanted to play tennis, he'd try to find me the best tennis coach in the country. He's that type of guy, you know? Speaking of coaches, who heads up your training? Pico: I have a high school coach that I work out with, but primarily I train with Valentin Kalika. He knows how to get the most out of me and he has all these crazy techniques. I also see a strength coach a few times a week which really helps. Aaron Pico has MMA aspirations after his wrestling career (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)What about MMA? There are videos of you throwing your hands like a young Mayweather. Pico: MMA and boxing I'll definitely do after my wrestling career, trying to make 2016, and depending how everything goes with the #SaveOlympicWrestling movement, maybe 2020. That would be my peak, and I'm trying to make that team. MMA and fighting is my future, but first I want to win World and Olympic championships. I'm definitely going to be wrestling and trying to win championships. Plus I'd be too young. I'm still a little boy coming out of high school. These are men! You're dealing with a different thing than wrestling. You're dealing with a different type of sport. I definitely want to go into MMA, but wrestling in the Olympics is my goal. This is my first passion. I know it's not easy to make money from wrestling, But when the time comes I'll be prepared. I can't wait. Aaron Pico won by technical fall over New Jersey's Joey McKenna in the Junior National freestyle finals at 138 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)You suffered a broken elbow. What did you learn from that experience? Pico: I was wrestling and posted during a throw in the practice room. It sucked because I was really looking forward to those tournaments and I wasn't able to go. But I also learned a lot, because needed to rest my body, and I realized how important rest was to my career. It was a wakeup call for me and my body. There is this one hill that I run now that is right by house. I was hurt and I wasn't looking for a workout. I was just walking, but then I saw this thing and thought it might be a good workout. When I began feeling a little better I started running that hill every day. It's so hard! I get nervous just going to that thing. I know what I have to go through before I leave the house, so in that way it's kinda like a wrestling match, so it's good. That's why my conditioning is so good. The goal is to be on the 2016 Olympic Team. That'll be the same summer as your high school graduation, right? Pico: I'm taking extra courses right now so that I can graduate in 2015 and I'm taking some online course right now through a national university. It's an English class. After Cadet Worlds I'm doing all international stuff. That's my main focus ... freestyle. It's a must for me. So I'm taking the first semester off, but also trying to get more credits so that I can graduate in 2015 and have a full year to train. Aaron Pico gets his hand raised after winning the CIF state title at 132 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Do you expect to miss the high school experience? Pico: I love Bosco. I love that school. But I have a unique opportunity to travel the world and be able to compete at the world level. No offense to Bosco but it's tough to do that, to compete for a World title from only the high school room. It's incredible, and I'm lucky that I'm going to go off and see other countries and wrestling as the highest level. I have a unique opportunity and I have to take advantage of that. Are you a little older for your grade? Pico: I'll be 17 years old on Sept. 23. I did stay back in seventh grade because my test scores weren't where they needed to be and I don't think I was going to be mature going to high school. I'm glad I got that year to let my body grow and get my test scores up. And yes, I'd be eligible to compete senior season. So what makes you better than other guys your age? Pico: I love wrestling. I'm always excited about going to practice and learning new moves and trying new things. My support system gets whatever I need and they help me learn whatever I need. Valentin believes in me and I believe in him and I do everything Doc Kreis, my strength and conditioning coach, says. He's a big part of my strength. I see him five times a week. I've become a good wrestler, but I need a lot more work for what I want to do. I don't think I have a big head. I need to improve a lot before I can compete on the big level, and just focus on progressing. You're never too good. But again a lot of it has to do with my family. I always have my dad, brothers, mom and others and it's just fun. It's all fun for me. Of course it's serious, but it's a fun journey. My family is super close and that's what helps me relax and push through. You know it's funny because my grandpa drives me to practice most days. He's retired and lives with us and he'll get up at like 4:45 a.m. most days and take me wherever I need to go. (Pico laughs) How many grandparents take their kids out? Aaron Pico topped Micah Jordan to win the Walsh Ironman (Photo/Rob Preston)But does that mean you're primed for burnout? Pico: No! I love wrestling. I love the challenge. I'm not lying when I say it's fun. But do you have a personal life? Pico: Yes! I go to the movies. I go out with friends. It's not often, but it's mainly wrestling-type stuff. But like I said my family is so tight and we like playing basketball and doing other stuff. My social life is definitely not lacking. I get together with my friends and go shopping at the mall, and hang out, but it's always short because I'm getting ready for tournaments. I don't go out and party or anything like that. I'm not into that scene. I also love going to Dodger games. I love any LA teams.

Sam StollSOFIA, Bulgaria -- Sam Stoll (Kasson, Minn./Minnesota Storm) stormed back after a semifinal loss to win a bronze medal at 120 kilos/264.5 pounds in Greco-Roman at the Junior World Championships on Wednesday. Stoll secured a body lock, threw and pinned Behnam Shajaeiaghadam of Iran in the first period of their bronze-medal bout, ending the match at 2:15. It was the first medal for the USA at the Junior Worlds this year. Read complete story ...

STILLWATER --– Oklahoma State sophomore wrestlers Alex Dieringer and Austin Marsden will represent Team USA once again at the Junior World Championships, this time in Sofia, Bulgaria. Dieringer is set to wrestle on Saturday, and Marsden will compete on Sunday. Competition on both days is set to begin at 1 a.m. CT. Their draws will be announced later this week. The pair earned spots on the Junior World Team in front of a home crowd at Gallagher-Iba Arena at the World Team Trials back in June. After a successful freshman season that saw him place third at 157 pounds at the NCAA Championships, Dieringer breezed through his bracket to take home the 74 kilogram title, including two convincing wins over Dylan Palacio in a best-of-three championship series. Marsden, who took a redshirt for the most recent NCAA season, showed off with a five-point throw in his opening match and finished the tournament with two bonus-point wins over Adam Coon in the 120 kg finals. Last year, the two competed at the Junior World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, where Dieringer split a pair of bouts, while Marsden loss his only match of the tournament. Fans can view the action live from the FILA Facebook page or receive updates by following @USAWrestling on Twitter.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Steve Fittery has been named the new assistant wrestling coach at Lock Haven University. Fittery, a former standout collegiate wrestler at both Shippensburg University and American University, has had recent collegiate coaching stints at both the University of Maryland and American. LHU head coach Scott Moore is very excited about the addition of Fittery to the staff. "I am extremely excited about Steve (Fittery) coming on board here at Lock Haven as an assistant coach. He will be a great role model for our team and will lead by example on a daily basis," said Moore. "His achievements in wrestling and academics truly speak for his competitive nature. He has worked with some great coaches in Mark Cody and Kerry McCoy over the last couple seasons and has some great ideas for building the future of LHU wrestling. Steve is a professional in every aspect of life and will make an immediate impact on our program in both recruiting, development and fundraising." LHU Director of Athletics, Mark Sherburne echoed Moore's excitement. "We are very excited to have Steve (Fittery) join our wrestling program as an assistant coach," said Sherburne. "The success that Steve has been able to attain throughout his wrestling career, as both, a student-athlete and a young coach, will be a tremendous asset to the advancement of our student-athletes and wrestling program. He is a hard worker, tremendous competitor, outstanding teacher and clinician and well respected among his peers and colleagues. During the 2012-13 season, Fittery was on Maryland's staff and helped lead three Terps to Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) individual championships. This past season, Maryland had one All-American and finished 27th at the 2013 NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Fittery, a 2011 graduate of American University coached at his alma mater during the 2011-12 season. During the season, he helped lead two American Eagles to All-American status. American finished 19th at the 2012 NCAA Championships and took a program-best, third-place at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships during that same season. Fittery earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics & Secondary Education from American in 2011. While at American, Fittery enjoyed a standout career both academically and athletically. At American, Fittery was a two-time All-American finishing third in 2011 and fifth in 2010. He was named the American University Male Athlete of the Year in 2011. Fittery was the 2011 EIWA Champion and a two-time Midlands Champion. Prior to his career at American, Fittery spent several seasons at Shippensburg. While competing for the Red Raiders, he was a two-time NCAA Division II National Runner-up. He was named the Shippensburg Freshman-Athlete of the Year in 2007 and the Shippensburg Male-Athlete of the Year in 2008. He was the 2008 PSAC Champion and was a two-time East Region Champion. Most impressive, Fittery was a four-time First Team Academic All-American during his career as a student-athlete at both Shippensburg and American. Having spent time coaching at the collegiate level, Fittery also brings with him a strong camp and youth coaching background. During High School, Fittery was a two-time Pennsylvania state place-winner at Cocalico. Fittery is thankful for this new opportunity and is looking forward to the future. "I'm thankful to Scott (Moore) and LHU for this opportunity and I'm committed to helping Lock Haven continue its strong wrestling tradition," said Fittery. "Coach Moore has big goals for the program and has a relentless work ethic to make them happen. I'm pumped to be a part of it and for all the exciting things happening here at LHU."

Related: Schedule COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- A return trip to Madison Square Garden to participate in the Grapple at the Garden and a trip to Ann Arbor to face future Big Ten rival Michigan highlight the University of Maryland wrestling team’s 2013-14 schedule, which head coach Kerry McCoy announced on Wednesday. After facing Nebraska and Ohio State in the inaugural Grapple at the Garden last year, the Terps are scheduled to match up with Cornell and Rutgers at this year’s event. Maryland will also travel to Stanford as part of a west coast trip that also includes the Roadrunner Open at CSU Bakersfield. The Terrapins schedule features notable local showdowns against American and Navy, along with their New Year’s trip to Northwestern for the Midlands Championships. The home slate includes the annual Terrapin Duals (Alderson-Broaddus, Johns Hopkins, Kutztown) along with duals against American, Duke, NC State, Penn and Pittsburgh. "The schedule is a good mix of traditional opponents and new competition along with some exciting trips," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "We have our traditional ACC and local rivalries, and in preparation for our transition to the Big Ten we have Michigan on the schedule. "I think it will challenge our guys, but if we do what we are capable of doing it will be a very successful year." Maryland unofficially opens its 2013-14 campaign with the Red and Black Wrestle-Offs on Oct. 27 in preparation for the Terrapin Duals on Nov. 3. The Terps will square off against Alderson-Broaddus, Johns Hopkins and Kutztown in the season-opening event. Following a week off, the Terps head to Stanford to grapple with the Cardinal on Nov. 16 and wrestle in the Roadrunner Open the following day. Maryland returns home just before Thanksgiving and welcomes Penn to Comcast Pavilion (Nov. 22) before heading to New York City to wrestle the Big Red and Scarlet Knights at the Grapple at the Garden (Dec. 1). The Terps wrestle in their final home meet of 2013 against Pittsburgh on Dec. 6. After a break for finals and the Christmas holiday, the Terps head to Evanston, Ill., for the prestigious Midlands Championships. The two-day event (Dec. 29-30) features several of the nation’s top teams and wrestlers. Maryland opens 2014 with five consecutive road dual meets beginning with Michigan (Jan. 5). One week later, the Terps travel to Navy (Jan. 11) following by their ACC opener against Virginia Tech (Jan. 19). The road trip concludes with a dual at North Carolina (Jan. 24) and at Virginia (Jan. 31). Maryland has the first of three consecutive home meets against Duke on Feb. 8 and continues the homestand against NC State on Feb. 14. The Terps play host to the Battle of the Beltway against American on Feb. 16 in the final home dual of the season before closing the regular season at George Mason on Feb. 20. Virginia Tech plays host to the ACC Championships in Blacksburg on March 8. The NCAA Championships are set for March 20-22 in Oklahoma City.

It will take me a long time to come to terms with the recent International Olympic Committee decision to implement its 6-6-6 plan with weight classes across the Olympic wrestling styles. While I may eventually come to terms with it, I'll never get over it. Sometimes I curse the fact that I love wrestling so much. The sport treats its fans almost as callously as it treats its athletes. Sometimes I wonder if I write about a sport caught in the pull of some tragic Sophoclean destiny, unable to turn from the path of its own inevitable demise at, essentially, its own hand. Breaking the hearts of boys and girls To briefly explain the 6-6-6 plan, prior to the IOC decision, Olympic wrestling featured seven weight classes in men's freestlye, seven in Greco-Roman, and four in women's freestyle. The IOC has taken a weight class from each of the two men's styles and added them to women's freestyle. International Olympic Committee headquartersObviously, this limits the number of medal opportunities for men in Olympic wrestling. Since 1996, men's wrestling has lost forty percent of its weight classes. If wrestling gets voted back into the Olympics this September, which seems likely, and avoids its immediate demise, I am not sure it can stop the incremental death being visited upon it. This decision dealt a blow to women's wrestling as well. While in the short term, obviously the decision increased the number of women's weight classes. In the long term, however, it limits the number of weight classes. This decision tethers the number of women's freestyle wrestling weight classes to the dwindling number of men's weight classes. Beware of the IOC bearing gifts. Watching women's wrestling grow every year both in the number of participants and the sophistication of technique, I had high hopes for its growth as an Olympic sport. I looked forward to the day when women's freestyle would continue to obtain more weight classes on the Olympic level to the point where it would have added as to be equal with men's freestyle. This will never be the case. With the 6-6-6 plan, the IOC has clearly stated that it will not add weight classes to Olympic wrestling; instead they will only redistribute them. The IOC decision has reduced wrestling weight classes to a zero-sum game, and when you play this kind of game, nobody can win without someone else losing, and even worse, the overall level of prosperity The myth of imperative proportionality I understand that the IOC still thinks the 6-6-6 plan as unequal, after all, twelve men's weight classes remain as opposed to only six for women. This sort of thinking of shows a remarkable lack of consistency on the part of the IOC, which throughout the Olympic program recognizes that sexual proportionality is not, and should not be an imperative. A quick look at the Olympic program reveals an events list redolent with sexual disproportions in sports which favor both sexes. Favoring men: The Olympics includes no women's analogue event in all canoe events, three shooting events, one weightlifting weight class, 50-kilometer walk, seven boxing weight classes, one men's gymnastics event, two rowing events, four-man bobsled, all Nordic combined events and, all ski-jumping events. Favoring women: The Olympics includes no men's analogue event in all rhythmic gymnastics events, all synchronized swimming events, and three swimming events. These discrepancies should not act as evidence of some sort of inequity. I believe that some women's sports do not demand a men's analogue, and some men's sports do not demand a women's analogue. Based on the structure of the Summer and Winter Olympic programs, the IOC agrees with me, except, perplexingly, when it comes to wrestling. Solving the number of athletes problem The press release for the IOC 6-6-6 decision mentioned that weight classes were deducted from men's wrestling while being added to women's as a means of not running afoul of the arbitrarily established maximum number of athletes who may compete in the Olympics. If the IOC really wanted to help wrestling while keeping the number of overall athlete down, it could have done two things. First, they could have not added a team sport like sevens rugby to the program. The sport of rugby, in all its forms, seems like an odd fit in the Olympics to begin with, but the size of its teams demand the addition of a substantial number of athletes to the games. Second, they could have redistributed wrestlers to new women's weight classes. Current weight classes contain, on average, nineteen wrestlers. If you just took two wrestlers from each men's weight class, you would have freed up enough room to establish two new women's weight classes without having to eliminate a men's weight class. That last point I find particularly troubling. That solution seems so obvious. Certainly it occurred to the IOC. I can't imagine why they would not use that option. The fact that the qualifiers could have been easily distributed, and that the rest of the Olympic program sits filled with massive amounts of proportional representation among the sexes makes me suspect that the act of taking two weight classes from men was simply a punitive measure, and part of a pattern of hostile behavior the IOC has manifested against wrestling for a long time. I love Olympic wrestling, if only the Olympics loved it too.

SPALA, Poland -- The United States won three bronze medals in men's freestyle on the opening day of the Ziolkowski Memorial International on Saturday. Read complete story ...

Seven United States wrestlers won gold at the 2013 FILA Cadet Greco-Roman Pan American Championships, pacing the USA to the team title Friday, August 9 in Medellin, Colombia. The USA finished with 92 team points beating out Venezuela, 73, and Colombia, 69. 2013 Fargo double champions Daton Fix and Mason Manville won titles at 50 kilos and 69 kilos respectively. Christian Jenco at 100 kilos, Kaden Gfeller at 42 kilos, Paul Bianchi at 46 kilos, Kaid Brock at 54 kilos and Robert Steveson at 85 kilos also won weight class titles for the USA. Read complete story ...

SPALA, Poland -- American Alyssa Lampe won a gold medal, and U.S. wrestlers Victoria Anthony and J.D. Bergman earned bronze medals in international events here on Sunday. Lampe won the Poland Open championship in women’s freestyle at 48 kilos/105.5 pounds while Anthony took bronze in the same weight class. Lampe and Anthony are 2013 U.S. World Team members. Read complete story ...

Steve Martin