InterMat Staff

Related: Rankings Blair Academy has finished No. 1 in the InterMat Fab 50 for the second straight season (Photo/Rob Preston) After a season of dominating their opposition, Blair Academy, N.J., has been crowned national champions for a second consecutive season. The Buccaneers will end the season ranked No. 1 in the InterMat Fab 50 national high school team rankings. This affirms a season in which they were dominant champions in three of the nation's top four tournaments: winning the Ironman by 80-plus points, almost doubling the second place team at the Beast of the East, and winning the POWERade by 130-plus points. At their season-ending tournament, the National Prep Championships, Blair Academy had six wrestlers win titles, four others finish inside the top three, and all fourteen wrestlers earned a podium finish. They also won the tournament by almost 90 points. The Buccaneers will also have six individual wrestlers ranked in the final national weight class rankings: No. 2 Matthew Kolodzik (120), No. 4 Joey McKenna (132), No. 15 Mason Manville (145), No. 3 Russ Parsons (152), No. 2 Frank Mattiace (195), and No. 4 Brooks Black (285). 2013 Final Fab 50 Team Rankings 1. Blair Academy, N.J. 2. Wyoming Seminary, Pa. 3. St. Johns, Mich. 4. St. Edward, Ohio 5. St. Paris Graham, Ohio 6. Canon-McMillan, Pa. 7. Brandon, Fla. 8. Clovis, Calif. 9. Carl Sandburg, Ill. 10. St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. 11. Oak Park River Forest, Ill. 12. Montini Catholic, Ill. 13. Apple Valley, Minn. 14. Collinsville, Okla. 15. Allen, Texas 16. Massillon Perry, Ohio 17. Southeast Polk, Iowa 18. Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. 19. Brecksville, Ohio 20. Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. 21. Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio 22. South Plainfield, N.J. 23. Poway, Calif. 24. Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. 25. Marist, Ill. 26. Marmion Academy, Ill. 27. Maple Mountain, Utah 28. Perry Meridian, Ind. 29. Central Dauphin, Pa. 30. Edmond North, Okla. 31. McDonogh, Md. 32. Park Hill, Mo. 33. Franklin Regional, Pa. 34. Bergen Catholic, N.J. 35. West Delaware Manchester, Iowa 36. Broken Arrow, Okla. 37. Don Bosco Prep, N.J. 38. Blue Springs, Mo. 39. Simley, Minn. 40. Bound Brook, N.J. 41. Tuttle, Okla. 42. Good Counsel, Md. 43. Davison, Mich. 44. Pope, Ga. 45. Kearney, Mo. 46. Hermiston, Ore. 47. Christian Brothers, Tenn. 48. Archer, Ga. 49. Vacaville, Calif. 50. Bettendorf, IowaFinishing second in the national team rankings is Wyoming Seminary, Pa. The Blue Knights were second place to Blair at the Ironman, Beast of the East, and National Prep Championships. They have four nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 18 Nicky Hall (170), No. 2 Eric Morris (182), No. 11 Garrett Ryan (220), and No. 10 Michael Johnson, Jr. (285). Ending the season No. 3 in the Fab 50 is St. Johns, Mich. The Redwings earned a fourth consecutive team title in Division 2, a title which is decided through a dual meet tournament. They had a banner season in the individual bracket tournament, as seven Redwings wrestlers came home with gold medals, while they had four other individuals place (one each in second, third, fourth, and fifth). Five members of their squad appear in the national rankings: No. 4 Zac Hall (126), No. 8 Jacob Schmitt (132), No. 5 Logan Massa (138), No. 1 Ben Whitford (145), and No. 12 Payne Hayden (195). Rounding out the top five are the Buckeye State perennials St. Edward and St. Paris Graham. The Eagles won a third consecutive Division I state title, which also was their 16th in the last 17 years; while the Falcons made it 13 consecutive titles in the Division II state tournament; and both squads also earned team titles in the inaugural state-sanctioned dual meet championships. Four members of each squad end the season in the national rankings. For St. Edward it is No. 3 Dean Heil (132), No. 9 Edgar Bright (145), No. 9 Markus Scheidel (152), and No. 1 Domenic Abounader (182); while St. Paris Graham is represented by No. 20 Eli Seipel (113), No. 2 Micah Jordan (132), No. 11 Alex Marinelli (152), and No. 2 Bo Jordan (160). Ranked No. 6 in the nation is Canon-McMillan, Pa., which won its third consecutive Class AAA (big-school) individual state championship and repeated as dual meet state champions. Up until the individual tournament, the Big Macs competed without Solomon Chishko, who would end up winning a state title. Even in his absence, Canon-McMillan finished fifth at the Ironman (which was only behind four of the nation's top five teams), won the Reno Tournament of Champions, finished one point out of second at the POWERade, and earned the state dual meet title. Four Big Macs wrestlers end the season in the individual rankings: No. 12 Dalton Macri (120), No. 3 Conner Schram (126), No. 4 Solomon Chishko (145), and No. 2 Cody Wiercioch (170). Rounding out the top ten squads nationally are Brandon, Fla., which won their 13th consecutive state championship; Clovis, Calif., which won its third consecutive state title and won/finished first in all of their competitions this year; Carl Sandburg, Ill., which repeated as state champions; and St. Michael-Albertville, Minn., which won the Clash on a tiebreaker and was joint state champions. Notable features in the team rankings are five teams from Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Four squads from Minnesota are featured in the Fab 50 as well. Five states have three squads in the national team rankings: California, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Oklahoma. It is a pair of states with two teams each in the rankings -- Georgia and Maryland.

With the IOC executive board's meeting in St. Petersburg coming in May, a meeting which will determine if wrestling has any hope of persisting as an Olympic sport, international wrestling needs to take every opportunity to showcase itself as a vital and relevant global sport. With the world championship months away, wrestling's continental championships are the best chance to provide such a showcase. As of this weekend, three of these continental championships have come and gone, the three most important, and I'm willing to bet that most of you didn't even realize it. The European Championships came and went some time ago. When and where exactly? I'm not entirely certain. I tried to look it up for the purpose of this article, when I went to the FILA homepage and clicked the freestyle drop menu at the top and selected "results" I found that this section was not updated with the European Championship results. The European Championship is arguably the second most important annual wrestling tournament in the world, and FILA, the sport's own international sanctioning body, has not provided results for it in its dedicated results section. I'm sure that somewhere on the site I could find results, but why should I have to dig through various reverse chronological updates and suffer the site's shoddy abysmal information architecture in order to procure results which ought to be readily available. Alarmingly, the last result recorded in this "results" section is the "Senior World Championship" in "Theran" on Feb. 21 and 22. Because I am a knowledgeable wrestling fan, I know that they really must mean the Senior World Cup in Tehran. Forgiving the misspelling of an important world capital, I am still very much taken aback by the fact that whoever enters this data does not understand the distinction between wrestling's World Cup and its World Championship. This is not a trivial difference. One is an individual tournament and one is a dual meet tournament. Forgive me if I can't shake the perception that large swaths of those in the employ of FILA have no real understanding of the sports they are meant to promote and protect. The crappiness of the design FILA website's design and maintenance is not just a nuisance to fans, traffic to the sanctioning body's website was also a criterion used by the IOC board to determine which sport they recommended for elimination from the Olympic core program in February. In manner of speaking, in February the IOC board told FILA that it was throwing its sport into the dustbin, in part, because of a lousy homepage. Wouldn't you think that some sort of meaningful overhaul of this webpage would have occurred by the third week of April? Let's return to the discussion of the continental championships. A few months ago an acquaintance sent me a link to a YouTube hosted webcast, provided by judo's international sanctioning body, of an important judo tournament held in Paris. Watching this, I knew that wrestling was in deep trouble. The video streamed in high quality, and was accompanied by impressive production elements. Scores and results were displayed on the screen with modern looking graphics, action was accompanied by competent commentators, the broadcast used multiple cameras, everything was in English and it cost me nothing to watch it. What really made my jaw drop was the crowd. A decent sized arena was filled to the brim with enthusiastic fans. I compared this to the webcast I watched when the finals of the World Wrestling Championships held in Denmark in 2009. On that stream, I remember the complete lack of commentary, the absence of production elements, the solitary immobile camera and the depressingly meager crowd. That was four years ago, things should be different now, but they are not. The Pan Am Championships in Panama of a couple weeks ago and the Asian Championships in New Delhi of this past weekend should have featured a high quality webcast much like the judo tournament listed above. What better way to expose wrestling in an area where it really shines-providing meaningful chances of competitive success to often neglected portions of the developing world. Unfortunately they didn't even get the Denmark treatment. In this era of information super highways and inexpensive live streaming technology, the only way to watch these two tournaments, marquee FILA events, was by seeing them in person. These tournaments may well have been wonderful displays of wrestling, a cornerstone of the world's athletic cultural heritage, at its very best, but the fifteen members of the IOC's executive board wouldn't know because they weren't there. This is the same fifteen people who may disdainfully drop wrestling into the bottomless pit of irrelevancy next month. Looking at the participants in the Asian Games, it's clear that FILA has not done a good job of incentivizing countries to send their very best wrestlers. Close to a third of freestyle wrestling medal winners in the 2012 Olympics came from countries represented at the Asian Championships. Not a single one of these medalists were in competition this past weekend. Only one wrestler who even placed in the top five in London wrestled in the Asian Championship. Thanks, Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan! This problem of attendance could be cured if FILA introduced some sort of world ranking system which affected seeding at World Championships and results in the continental championships impacted these rankings. As it stands right now, FILA provides no world rankings, and there is no way to ascertain what weight FILA places on its sponsored tournaments relative to others. FILA must have some sort of weighting criteria, as it does name a "Wrestler of the Year" annually. It appears that FILA's determination of this "Wrestler of the Year" is based on performance at the worlds/Olympics, the European Championships (apparently to be a FILA Wrestler of the Year you must be from Europe, or Azerbaijan, which competes in the European championships), and a "Golden Grand Prix." I'm pretty smart and know more than most about international wrestling, but the whole "Golden Grand Prix" thing remains utterly opaque to me. Coming soon to Chad-FILA's African Championships, a cool event where practitioners of myriad African folkstyles try to adapt their unique skills to freestyle and Greco. I'd love to be able to watch it, but I surely won't. Maybe by the time the leaves change, FILA will properly list the results.

John Stutzman

ELMHURST, Ill. -- Team USA won eight of the thirteen weight classes in a 27-16 victory over Team Illinois at the Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic hosted by Elmhurst College just outside of Chicago on Saturday night. The matches featured showdowns of nationally ranked wrestlers, with multiple cases of higher ranked wrestlers falling to defeat. Team USA 27, Team Illinois 16 220: No. 14 (at 195) Nathan Rotert (Spearfish/Lead-Deadwood, S.D.) dec. Tom Howell (Marist), 7-2 285: No. 2 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.) pinned Alex Fritz (Marmion Academy) 113: Sebastian Pique (Carl Sandburg) dec. No. 17 Paul Mascarenas (Cleveland, N.M.), 3-1 120: No. 17 Barlow McGhee (Rock Island) dec. No. 3 Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 3-1 SV 126: No. 2 Connor Schram (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. No. 17 Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem), 7-4 132: No. 15 (at 138) Jed Mellen (Payson, Utah) dec. No. 13 George Fisher (Marmion Academy), 6-1 138: Mech Spraggins (Belleville West) dec. No. 4 Mitch Bengtson (St. Cloud Apollo, Minn.), 8-5 145: No. 7 (at 152) Brian Murphy (Glenbard North) dec. No. 1 (at 152) Jake Short (Simley, Minn.), 3-2 152: No. 3 Oliver Pierce (Allen, Texas) dec. No. 6 Kyle Langenderfer (Lincoln-Way East), 4-3 160: No. 2 (at 170) Nick Wanzek (Simley, Minn.) dec. No. 9 Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg), 3-1 170: No. 1 Cody Wiercioch (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) dec. Dan Rowland (Willowbrook), 7-2 182: No. 4 (at 195) Ricky Robertson (Carl Sandburg) maj. dec. Matt Seabold (Burlington, Iowa), 9-0 195: No. 10 Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.) dec. No. 6 Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central, 6-2

Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling in the Brute studios. Takedown Wrestling is proudly presented by Kemin, Inspired Molecular Solutions! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m to noon ET. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Terry Cook, our own Jeff Murphy and Brad Johnson live from Des Moines, Iowa. This week's guests: 9:03 John Stutzman, Bloomsburg head wrestling coach 9:20 Richard Perry, Bloomsburg wrestler 9:35 Josh Veltre, Bloomsburg wrestler 9:50 Tyler Barkley- Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 515 661 9255 10:00 Nick Wilson, Bloomsburg wrestler 10:20 Dr. Amanda Stanec, Ph.D in physical education 10:35 Randy Kawa, Takedown Sportswear founder 10:50 Peggy Johnson, Wildrose Casino and Resort, Clinton Fans, athletes, coaches: This is your sport. Join in the conversation live. Ask questions. Call 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app. (Click on KXNO under Sportsradio.)

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. From the bombings in Boston to exploding fertilizer plants in Texas, this week has been filled with the heavy and insidious odor of frustration and sadness. In a parallel universe we could push the massive RESET button, and enjoy a weekend with our families. CNN and Fox News could go back to griping over the gun lobby, and wrestling fans could immerse themselves in the splendor of elite competition. There is no magical button and violence is an intractable part of the human experience. This weekend serves as another reminder of why wrestling competition is so special. It's a form of communication and non-violent conflict resolution that has been used for centuries to tell stories, to entertain and to solve social matters within modern and tribal societies. We should be able to grab out kids, point them at the computer screen and enjoy in a wrestling event with the rest of the world. We should be able to tell them, "Look, people can come together, solve their problems and become friends through wrestling." Unfortunately outside of Flo's commitment to coverage, the U.S. Open hasn't become such a fan-friendly event. Words are cooler than videos and photos, but sometimes there are juxtapositions to be made using multimedia that can amplify a point more than any well-placed metaphor, or exclamation point. The U.S. Open began yesterday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Below you can see a photo of crowd gathered to watch the opening matches. The U.S. Open is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center Of course, you don't see a crowd at all, you only see a guy in a green shirt looking for the Pai Gow table (he has a system!) but instead landed here in this tin can hopelessly lost and alone. Our attendance at this event is not just bad from a raw numbers and revenue level, it reinforces the arguments made by the IOC about the marketability of our sport. In a moment when we needed to be perfect, we've failed to deliver. The event has photographable banners, but no fan support and insignificant content. The pre-tournament hype was underwhelming. The event isn't fan friendly. And there is no significant national media coverage. Overall the event is lacking in the type of emotional appeal that our fans, (to say nothing of our Pai Gow pal) can find appealing. The tin can isn't just void of people, it's void of content. Modern sports are about making fans happy. Maybe as a sport we're too prideful to see that, and maybe we don't want to make the changes necessary, but in doing so we lose the right to complain about the failure of our product. Forget about the rule changes that need to happen in order to help the sport become marketable and mainstream, we can't even deliver to our fans an introduction to the personalities on the mat. Over the past several weeks wrestling has done well to play the victim well. We've trotted out weeks worth of "Isn't It A Shame (Insert your favorite Olympic hopeful) Might Not Earn Olympic Shot" stories in the local and national press. We played a martyr-worthy victim when placed opposite the cruel and shortsighted behavior of an all-powerful IOC. Nine weeks after the decision to eliminate wrestling the marketability of these stories has died off. Readers, even passionate wrestling fans, have experiences a fatigue. Readers want meaty, emotional topics. Right now they're getting Styrofoam peanuts. The movement to #KeepOlympicWrestling began 66 DAYS ago, yet in our first national tournament we didn't recruit a crowd, or promote a single appealing news story for circulation. It's not surprising. When compared with the promotion of the Pan Am Games, the European Championships and Asian Games it's become the status quo to let our continental championships languish. None were promoted, none were televised and none made even a ripple of attention among the international media. However, we did have banners. The outlook for overturning the IOC's decision is looking as depressing as an April day in Chicago, but wrestling still has time to improve. We can still, despite our early failings, make a significant media impact. Right now CPOW, USA Wrestling and Beat the Streets are preparing to host the tri-meet in Grand Central Station with the Iranians and the Russians. With hard work from those organizations that event has the opportunity to become something more than just a banner-hanging event. We can create significant media and hopefully add some pressure to members of the IOC. It's an opportunity we all hope isn't lost to inaction or the status quo. We aren't victims, we're the culprits. On to your questions ... Q: I'm not very impressed with the 84 and 96-kilo weights at the U.S. Open. Am I wrong? -- @mwlinder9935m Foley: You are exactly one-half wrong. The talent at 84 kilos is impressive and the expected matchups should lend to some top-flight action. I'm excited to see Ed Ruth wrestle, as well as Mike Pucillo, Phil Keddy and Max Askren. These are some brawlers with potential to medal at the World Championships. Well, maybe not Pucillo, but I love a comeback story Wynn Michalak has a win over Jake Varner at 96 kilos, but after him the weight class lacks the zing you like to see at the Open. And like stated before, I'd get more interested were there more back stories and plotlines built into the buildup. I think I'm with you ... It might be a yawn of a weight at the Open. Q: Do you think Logan Stieber will be the next four-time NCAA champ. Why or why not? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Yes, but only on the condition that he moves up at least one weight class before his senior season. Logan is talented enough to stay at 133 and win out, but we've seen a slowing of sorts in wrestlers that stay at a lighter weight throughout their careers (That Dude JO). Beers, pizza and Skittles can pack on the postseason tonnage and if Logan's body at the Grapple in the Apple last May was any indication, he's the first to get a little chubby in his downtime. Logan is an insanely talented wrestler -- possibly one of the all-time greats -- so it's likely he could compete at 133 for two more seasons and come away with four titles. Call it a personal preference that I bump up a weight to win his fourth title. It worked for Dake. Q: Were any Division I coaches fired this year? -- Andrew H. Foley: One. Jim Beichner of Buffalo. The rest made trips up the administrative ladder or stepped down to pursue other careers. The life of a college wrestling coach is full-time and in the words of now-former SIUE head wrestling coach David Ray, "Coaching wrestling is a young man's sport." Hallelujah. Let's see some of these hot shot assistants take over at SIUE, Brown and VMI. Big Idea No. 1 RULE CHANGE: Make a takedown worth 3 points and bring back the one count nearfall. This would change folkstyle as we know it, and make our wrestlers better prepared for freestyle. OLYMPIC RULE CHANGES: In my opinion, make a takedown worth 2-3 points. Enough of a high-risk, low-reward endeavor in our sport. No wonder Europeans are one-hundred percent dependent on defense and the ball grab. Now the IOC is taking the sport out of the Olympics. Reward risk and you have a sport! This is true even in folkstyle. Note: I remember when Lincoln McIlravy wrestled Gerry Abas in the NCAA finals. Gerry scored four takedowns in the first period, and cut Lincoln four times. Second period: Gerry cuts him, and gives up a close takedown, and BAM! It's an 8-7 match. That was when I realized the scoring was off. -- Tony Purler Foley: Thanks for taking the time to submit this week's Big Idea. You're on to something. There has always been an inequity in the amount of points you are given for launching an attack versus simply getting away. Your example was perfect. However, maybe there is something good in keeping matches close, even when there is some early parity. As we both know McIlravy came back to win that match in what would become one of the all-time most discussed moments in the history of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Boot scoot! Scoring should be reviewed, and maybe some select offseason tournaments could feature experimental scoring. Any objections to starting one of these tournaments yourself? Q: So in switching the name from "FILA Junior National Championships" to "ASICS Junior National Championships," do you think there will be some confusion regarding July's ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Championships (or Fargo, as most call it) and this month's tourney for a lot fans? To add to the possible confusion: I believe the ASICS Junior World Championships runs somewhere around the week that of the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Championships. Why do you think the name was changed? -- Nick B. Foley: Money. I'm not a branding expert, but I have to think that it causes you and me this much confusion, it would cause the general public to give up. Sometimes wrestling can't get out of the way of itself, even when trying to do something smart. You know, like make more money. FILA Junior is for 18 to 20-year-olds, while ASICS/Vaughan Juniors is for high school wrestlers. Boom! Simple, right? Q: I recently saw an article on NCAA.com that talked about NCAAs next season. One of the things brought up was the return of Andrew Howe and how some people are not sure what weight he will go. The article said it could end up being 165, 174, and 184. Many people have talked about Howe staying at 165 to take on the challenge of David Taylor which would be an incredible match. But what about a Howe-Ruth matchup? Howe was able to dominate or at least control Taylor at the Olympic Trials but if Howe wrestled at 184 that could set him up for being the main guy at 84 kilos in the future. Wahoowa! -- Thomas A. Foley: What about Howe versus Perry? That's the big action! OK, maybe not a lot of points, but there will be intrigue, media attention, and plenty of Brian Muir's betting lines. Howe will draw attention at any weight, but I think 165 will be too light and 184 too heavy for him to make the type of impact Coach Cody and he will want. I think Howe is capable of winning the title at 174, even if that means taking out my boy, Penn State "Superman" Matt Brown. Q: Is a wrestler always required to wear head gear for protection? How come sometimes they do not? What happens when they do not wear it? Are they more prone to injury? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Headgear is mandatory while wrestling in scholastically-sponsored wrestling competitions. However, some offseason freestyle tournaments don't require headgear for kids, and wrestling rooms are largely unregulated leaving them to be headgear-free zones. There is no headgear required for international competition and ninety-nine percent of wrestlers choose to go without them in local, national and international freestyle and Greco tournaments. Headgear helps keep ears protected, but like condoms they aren't a fail-safe against the unexpected. Cauliflower ear happens, and though wearing some plastic to protect your ears from the onslaught of your practice partner, or rival might reduce your risk, there is always the chance that your ear can be opened up. If you're concerned then it's always wise to wear headgears. If you hate the way the cauliflower looks, then there are surgeries. The only medical issues that could arise tend to be infections of the fluid trapped between the skin of the ear and cartilage. Also ear infections can come as the result of water trapped inside your ear. In some cases the ear hole becomes completely covered by scar tissue. I happened to suffer from the last of these ailments my senior year in college, and was forced to seek out a minor plastic surgery that removed a few cubic millimeters of scar tissue from directly in front of the ear hole. My doctor asked me if I'd want to go ahead and have the entire ear reconstructed. I declined. I'm much too proud of my ears and the immediate camaraderie they can inspire. Wrestling is a life choice, not something to be embarrassed about or surgically altered. We should all value the scars of sacrifice more than the scars of vanity.

The UFC on FOX 7 this weekend features an interesting dynamic. Ben Henderson. The current lightweight champion, once beleaguered for a questionable win over Frankie Edgar, now seems invincible after a dominating performance against Nate Diaz. Gilbert Melendez. The challenger, a perennial top ten fighter and longtime Strikeforce champion, himself has come under scrutiny lately during a long but somewhat routine win streak. Is Melendez going to simply rediscover his old form now that he's in the UFC and facing top-level competition? And is Henderson ready to establish himself as one of the pound-for-pound best in MMA, or was his dominance of Nate Diaz aided by a favorable style matchup? Richard and John break down the fight and the rest of the main card. Spoiler alert: Daniel Cormier will punish Frank Mir. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

The seeds have been finalized for the U.S. Open, which takes place Thursday through Saturday in Las Vegas. Greco-Roman Seeds 55 kilos: 1. Spenser Mango, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 2. Nate Engel, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 3. Max Nowry, Wheeling, Ill. (New York AC/USOEC) 4. Nikko Triggas, Moraga, Calif. (New York AC) Alternate - Dmitry Ryabchinskiy, Brooklyn, N.Y. (New York AC/USOEC) 60 kilos: 1. Joe Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 2. Jamel Johnson, Greensboro, N.C. (YES Wrestling) 3. Marco Lara, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 4. Jesse Thielke, Germantown, Wis. (Badger WC) Alternate – Nick Simmons, Bloomington, Ind. (Sunkist Kids) 66 kilos: 1. Kendrick Sanders, Homestead, Fla., (New York AC) 2. Ellis Coleman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 3. Ben Sanchez, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 4. Nick Alvarez, Miami, Fla. (USOEC) 74 kilos: 1. Justin Lester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 2. Ben Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 3. Jon Anderson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 4. Jake Fisher, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 84 kilos: 1. Jordan Holm, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 2. Peter Hicks, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 3. Zac Nielsen, Zimmerman, Minn. (Minnesota Storm/USOEC) 4. Mark Stenberg, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC/USOEC) 96 kilos: 1. Pete Gounaridis, Leominster, Mass. (U.S. Army) 2. John Wechter, Minneapolis, Minn.(Minnesota Storm) 3. Caylor Williams, Melbourne, Fla. (YES Wrestling) 4. Marcus Finau, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (New York AC/USOEC) Alternate - Charles Fish, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines) 120 kilos: 1. Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 2. Robert Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 3. David Arendt, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (U.S. Marines) 4. Erik Nye, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) Alternate - Parker Betts, St. Michael, Minn. (Minnesota Storm/USOEC) Women's Freestyle Seeds 48 kilos: 1. Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 3. Erin Golston, Lake in the Hills, Ill. (New York AC) 4. Emily Webster, Sedalia, Mo. (OKCU Gator RTC) Alternate - Candace Workman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOTC) 51 kilos: 1. Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Carlene Sluberski, Fredonia, N.Y. (Brock WC) 3. Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC) 4. Samantha Klingel, Kregsville, Pa. (King College) Alternate - Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, Calif. (Jamestown College) 55 kilos: 1. Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md (Sunkist Kids) 2. Sarah Hildebrandt, Granger, Ind. (King College) 3. Katherine Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 4. Shauna Isbell, Flagstaff, Ariz. (Lindenwood) Alternate - Kayla Brendlinger, Slippery Rock, Pa (King College) 59 kilos: 1. Alli Ragan, Carbondale, Ill. (New York AC/King College) 2. Jenna Burkert, Rocky Point, N.Y. (New York AC) 3. Deanna Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 4. Tiffany Sluik, Mason City, Iowa (Jamestown College) Alternate - Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn, S.C. (OKCU Gator RTC) 63 kilos: 1. Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 2. Jennifer Page, Orangevale, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 4. Amanda Hendey, Beaumont, Calif. (King College/Titan Mercury WC) Alternate - Monica Ramirez, St. Charles, Mo. (Lindenwood) 67 kilos: 1. Veronica Carlson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 2. Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC/King College) 3. Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Wayland Baptist) 4. Brittany David, Brentwood, Calif. (Lindenwood) Alternate - Demi Strub, Guilford, Ind. (OKCU Gator RTC) 72 kilos: 1. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 2. Brittany Roberts, Santa Fe, Texas (OKCU Gator RTC) 3. Christina Zamora, Orange County, Calif. (Jamestown College) 4. Melissa Simmons, Ridgefield, Wash. (OKCU Gator RTC) Alternate 1 - Mei Ling Keiki, Waianae, Hawaii (U.S. Air Force) Alternate 2 - Jackie Cataline, Corona, Calif. (Sunnyvale Scorpion WC) Men's Freestyle Seeds 55 kilos: 1. Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Ben Kjar, Orem, Utah (Titan Mercury WC) 3. Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 4. Mark McKnight, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 5. Brandon Precin, Evanston, Ill. (Wildcat WC) 6. Frank Perrelli, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC) 7. Kyle Hutter (HRWA/Virginia Beach RTC) 8. Steve Mytych, Coplay, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 9. Shawn Contos, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 60 kilos: 1. Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Logan Stieber, Monroeville, Ohio (New York AC/Ohio RTC) 3. Reece Humphrey, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 4. Tyler Graff, Loveland, Colo. (New York AC) 5. Andrew Hochstrasser, Boise, Idaho (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Sam White, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Team OTC) 7. Alan Waters, Kansas City, Mo. (Missouri RTC) 8. Danny Mitcheff (West Point WC) 9. Darrius Little, Raleigh, N.C. (Sun Devil WC) 10. Bebeto Yewah (Lehigh Valley AC) 66 kilos: 1. Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC) 2. Chase Pami, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 3. Adam Hall, New York, N.Y. (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC) 4. Jordan Oliver, Easton, Pa. (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Jason Chamberlain, Springville, Utah (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Phil Simpson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 7. Kevin LeValley, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 8. Drew Headlee, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 9. Kellen Russell, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) 10. Kyle Ruschell, Madison, Wis. (New York AC) 74 kilos: 1. Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Nick Marable, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) 3. David Taylor, St. Paris, Ohio (Nittany Lion WC) 4. Colt Sponseller, Glenmont, Ohio (New York AC) 5. Moza Fay, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 6. Ryan Morningstar, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 7. Dan Vallimont (Blue & Gold WC) 8. Nate Carr, Charlottesville, Va. (Cavalier WC) 9. Andrew Sorenson (Jackrabbit WC) 84 kilos: 1. Keith Gavin, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 2. Max Askren, Hartland, Wis. (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC) 3. Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 4. Jon Reader, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone WC) 5. Austin Trotman, Boone, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) 6. Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (Cowboy WC/GRIT Athletics) 7. Ed Ruth, Harrisburg, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 8. Cam Simaz, Ithaca, N.Y. (Finger Lakes WC) 9. Mike Pucillo, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 10. Kurt Brenner (Mountaineer WC) 96 kilos: 1. Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC) 2. Les Sigman, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 3. David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC) 4. Chris Pendleton, Laramie, Wyo. (Cowboy WC) 5. Dustin Kilgore, Berea, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) 6. J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC/Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC) 7. Trevor Brandvold, Verona, Wis. (New York AC) 8. Jack Jensen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) 9. Cayle Byers, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 10. Luke Lofthouse, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 120 kilos: 1. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids/Ohio RTC) 2. Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) 3. Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC) 4. Ryan Tomei, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) 5. Kyle Massey, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC/Cliff Keen WC) 6. Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Grand Canyon WC) 7. Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (New York AC) 8. Jeremy Johnson, Broadview Heights, Ohio (Bobcat WC) 9. Matthew Meuleners, Young America, Minn. (Aberdeen WC) 10. Riley Orozco (Dave Schultz Elite)

EDMOND, Okla. -- Grand Canyon heavyweight Tyrell Fortune put together a dominating season in 2012-13 and has been named the NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year, it was announced Wednesday. Tyrell FortuneFortune went 37-1 with a school-record 20 falls and five major decisions, going a perfect 20-0 against Division II opponents. The junior standout captured the Division II national championship on March 9 in Birmingham, Ala. with a 4-3 finals victory over two-time defending champion Matt Meuleners of Northern State. Fortune is sixth recipient of the award, sponsored by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Association and voted on by eight coaches from around the country. The Region IV representative edged St. Cloud State senior and Region III Wrestler of the Year Shamus O’Grady by one point for the top honor. O’Grady was the Outstanding Wrestler at the Division II Wrestling Championships after winning the 184-pound title to cap a 40-1 season. The other two finalists were Notre Dame freshman 165-pounder Joey Davis from Region II and North Carolina-Pembroke senior 174-pounder Mike Williams from Region I. “It’s an honor to be chosen the national wrestler of the year,” Fortune said. “It has been a great experience at GCU this season and I am grateful for the opportunity to finish my degree and my collegiate wrestling career here.” “Tyrell has done a tremendous job here at GCU,” head coach R.C. LaHaye said. “He has really stepped up and been a leader for our younger athletes and we are looking forward to even bigger things from him in the future.” Fortune gave up only one takedown all season and won regular season tournaments at the Cowboy Open and Roadrunner Open before taking the Super Region IV crown. He had a fall, major decision and 7-0 shutout at the national tournament before beating Meuleners in the title match. A two-time state champion at Lake Ridge High School in Portland, Ore. who has won 16 freestyle and Greco-Roman national titles, Fortune captured back-to-back junior college national championships at Clackamas Community College (Ore.) before going to Grand Canyon. Previous winners of the award were Nebraska-Kearney heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev (2008), Nebraska-Omaha 157-pounder Todd Meneely (2009), Pittsburgh-Johnstown 133-pounder Shane Valko (2010), Western State 197-pounder Donovan McMahill (2011) and Upper Iowa 133-pounder Trevor Franklin (2012).

Andy Hrovat joins the podcast for an honest discussion of USAW, FILA and both organization's shortcomings in preparing for the U.S. Open and the May meeting with the IOC. Brian Muir joins up to discuss his tan, wedding season and collegians competing at the Open. 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.

From the moment I stepped on the mat as a competitor in an elementary school, intramural wrestling tournament in 1956 until the time I sat in the stands as Penn State demolished Rider in a Feb. 17, 2013 dual meet, amateur wrestling has been the most exciting part of my lifelong sports experience. Although I hit more than my fair share of home runs during a highly successful teenage baseball career and garnered plenty of medals as a long-distance runner in my 30s and 40s, my heart never beat as hard as it did when I sat in the stands and watched my son win his second straight Cadet National Greco-Roman championship in 1988 by throwing future Olympian Cary Kolat to his back in the final 15 seconds of their all-Pennsylvania final and win a thrilling 10-8 match; or when I stepped on the mat to officiate my own very first bout as a FILA licensed mat official. Charles PrebishLike so many fervent Olympic wrestling fans, I was shocked and appalled by the statement of the IOC that it would seek to drop wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games. What follows is my attempt to explain what may have precipitated this outrageous decision and how it might be overcome. While I cannot comment on the political circumstances that may have contributed to this highly unpopular decision, I can start with the possibly controversial suggestion that the leaders of FILA uniformly place their shoes on the mat and respectfully retire from a sport they apparently no longer understand. It's time for a new generation of forward-looking administrators take over and pursue their own "vision quest" of returning Olympic wrestling to its previous, and hopefully future splendor. To some degree, this process has already begun with the resignation of Raphael Martinetti and his replacement with Nenad Lalovic as acting president. Clearly, I am no stranger to sports controversies. On Jan. 4, 1982 I published an essay in the New York Times entitled "Spirit of Sport Inspires New Faith," in which I argued that sport was the newest and fastest-growing religion in America. It raised havoc everywhere and was the focus of one of Howard Cosell's "Speaking of Sports" radio shows in which he lambasted my theory in front of a national audience. The following day, an Associate Dean at my university (Penn State) telephoned my office to accuse me of "blasphemy." Blasphemy notwithstanding, my 1993 book Religion and Sport: The Meeting of Sacred and Profane went on to become a standard volume on the relationship between religion and sport. I hope what follows will not be considered blasphemous, and that readers will resonate agreeably with the difficult ideas presented. A high-amplitude throwSo how did Olympic style wrestling wind up in this difficult dark place, and how can we remedy the situation? As an official during the 1980s and 1990s, there was nothing more exhilarating than watching a freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestler hit an astounding five-point throw. I saw these throws regularly, along with slightly less thrilling three-point "moves" a lot during my officiating career. Now we barely ever hear the word "suplesse" (or suplay); it's just not in our vocabulary any longer because it almost never happens. I imagine that some current officials in the USWOA will never even see a five-point throw during their entire officiating career. How sad! And for the fans, it's even worse. They can sit in the stands all day at a major tournament, and barely ever even see a gut wrench. In other words, Olympic style wrestling has become, sadly, a complete and total BORE! No action, no risk, and virtually no scoring. I'm sure when FILA changed the rules which have led to this situation, they intended quite the opposite ... but it just hasn't turned out that way. So we need to change the rules and promote scoring, excitement, and risk-taking. So here's three minor rule changes that I believe will change everything and restore our sport to splendor! My first suggestion is to eliminate the three-period format and return to the previous format of one five-minute period. That will do away with some of the highly unjustified results that emerge from the three-period format. Now, you can win the first period with four one-point takedowns, lose the second period by being pushed out of bounds once by your opponent, and lose the third period by again being pushed out of bounds. Total points: 4 for you, 2 for your opponent (and none on truly offensive moves), but YOU LOSE. In addition, the one period format does not interrupt the continuity of the match as the three period format does. No more! ONE period, winner takes all. My second suggestion involves re-emphasizing "passivity" calls on the part of the officials, including a disqualification following the third passivity warning. If a competitor knows that he/she will be disqualified following the third passivity warning, we'll start to see some of the offensive attacks that once made wrestling a beautiful and exciting sport. That also means officials will finally have to show some courage in actually enforcing the passivity rule. I remember many years ago when I went to my FILA qualifying tournament, a senior Class I mat official said to me, "If you EVER let a bout move into the final minute without either wrestler having scored any points or having disqualified one of the wrestlers for passivity, you will NEVER get your FILA license. Compare that mentality to what we see now in a 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 yawner. My third suggestion involves eliminating the "clinch." It's a silly, artificial, hard to articulate maneuver. Just watching the officials trying to start wrestlers from the clinch position is almost laughable. It interrupts the flow of the match and it places too much emphasis on the official's timing and accuracy. The match is supposed to be about the wrestlers. The best official is the one you never remember seeing. Speaking of officials, they need to change their approach as well. I was fortunate to work with several great officials when I was new to officiating. I worked with fellows like Mort Geller, Jerry Wager, and Eric Kopsch, and each was a remarkable mentor to new officials like myself. Curiously, they all said the same things. They always reminded me to (1) know the rules, completely and absolutely, (2) learn the mechanics of officiating so I could always anticipate the action and be in perfect position to make the correct call, and (3) to ALWAYS have the courage to enforce the rules of passivity, so each wrestler was expected to be aggressive continually throughout the match. Too many officials today, in both Olympic style and "folkstyle" wrestling simply do not do these three simple things. If we can institute the above suggestions, I think our great sport will never again be in danger of losing its important position as a thrilling member of all future Olympic Games. Charles Prebish is Professor Emeritus at both the Pennsylvania State University and Utah State University (where he held the Charles Redd Endowed Chair in Religious Studies). His research focuses on early Indian Buddhism, with emphasis on the monastic tradition and sectarian movement, and on the development of Buddhism in the West. He is the author of more than twenty books, and his books Buddhist Monastic Discipline (1975) and Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America (1999) are considered classic volumes in Buddhist Studies. In 1993 he held the Visiting Numata Chair in Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. Dr. Prebish has been an officer in the International Association of Buddhist Studies, and was the co-founder of the Buddhism Section of the American Academy of Religion. In 2005, he was honored with a "festschrift" volume by his colleagues titled Buddhist Studies from India to America: Essays in Honor of Charles S. Prebish. He recently published his memoir, titled An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer. Along with his wife Susan, who was also a USA Wrestling and FILA mat official, they officiated dozens of state, regional, and national Olympic-style wrestling tournaments. His son Rob is a multiple-time national champion, Freestyle and Greco-Roman champion at the 1989 World Maccabiah Games, and is author of the ebook The Solitary Wrestler: Methods for Safe Weight Control, about which former Olympic coach Greg Strobel has said, "Rob Prebish has done an outstanding job of researching and putting together the most comprehensive book on proper weight management I have ever read." Chuck is retired and lives in State College, Pennsylvania.

If an Olympic medalist loses in Panama and nobody was able to see it, did it actually happen? On April 6, the Pan American Wrestling Championships were contested. Among the most notable results, the U.S.'s top 60-kilo wrestler and Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott lost to a Cuban opponent in the semifinals. This was a great match, featuring two of the world's best wrestlers, but I was unable to watch it. Nobody outside those in attendance in Panama was able to see it. The event received no video coverage, either via television or Internet stream. The Pan Ams, at least in theory, crown wrestling champions for an entire hemisphere. FILA should treat this tournament as one of its most important events. This is a pivotal time in the history of wrestling where the sport's international sanctioning needs to provide the access to marquee events that modern fans demand. FILA needs to provide two things at the very least: first a way to watch the event, possibly in the form of a video stream hosted on YouTube or its homepage, and second, a means to get to know the key competitors at these events. On the FILA website, I can look up the wrestler who beat Coleman Scott and find some vital information about him. His name is Alejandro Valdes Tobier. He is 25 and has twice placed seventh at the World Championships. This resume ought to impress, but it is merely a resume. I am left with no ability to get to know this wrestler in any meaningful way. In my mind, and in the minds of most Americans, Coleman was defeated by a fairly anonymous Cuban opponent. FILA, sadly, has done nothing to change this. Compare this to another combat sports event held the day before the freestyle Pan Ams. In Sweden, the Ultimate Fighting Championships held what was perhaps its least consequential event in recent memory. Even so, the event came with incredible accessibility for interested fans. The non-televised fights could be found on video streams on number of popular websites. If I wanted to learn more about the fighters who were competing, all I had to do was view their rather extensive and easy-to-find profiles on the UFC homepage. The UFC now provides rankings to give a casual fan a better idea of the relative accomplishment of each fighter, something sorely lacking on the FILA site. If I really want to become invested in the event, I could have visited the UFC's Facebook or YouTube pages, which featured interviews of the fighters. The UFC understands that in order to build the popularity of a combat sport, first the events must be available for viewing by a wide audience, and second, that the combat athletes must be featured in a way that fans can get to know them on a personal level. These are lesson that FILA could stand to learn. U.S. Open While the wrestling community crows about the incredible attendance at the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament, we fail to address the elephant in the room: that the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament is the only annual American wrestling event which enjoys such huge crowds (though the Olympic Team Trials had nice attendance last time around). We don't see fans come out in terribly strong force for extremely important events such as college's National Duals and the freestyle and Greco World Team Trials. This weekend a very deep field will compete in the U.S. Open. This is our national championship in freestyle and Greco and features significantly higher talent levels than any college tournament, yet I fear that the crowds will be sparse. I don't know how to solve this problem, it confounds me. What I do know is that to remain healthy, particularly at the international level, our sport needs to draw substantive gates at more than one event a year. Remembering John Trudgeon This week head Virginia Military Institute wrestling coach John Trudgeon announced his retirement. While there is no doubt that VMI's wrestling team has not enjoyed meaningful success for a number of years, it would be unfair to neglect to mention what Trudgeon's significant accomplishments. In the 1990s one could argue that Trudgeon built a winning program at a school which offers the most natural obstacles to building a successful Division I wrestling program (natural would be opposed to schools which could be good but for the fact that they receive no institutional support). In an era where many state schools offer resort-style amenities, VMI offers its students a chance to sleep four to a room on a cot called a "hay." Where many colleges enjoy bustling and energetic off campus life, VMI sits in tiny and sleepy (and beautiful) Lexington, Va. In an era where the redshirt is so important to athletic success, fifth-year VMI seniors live in what appears to be a dungeon underneath their barracks. While other schools build success by attracting recruits from all over the nation, VMI offers little out-of-state appeal in state with good but not elite wrestling. Finally, while many big universities boast student bodies numbered in the tens of thousands, VMI claims only a little more than a thousand students. John Trudgeon (VMI Sports Information)In spite of these impediments, Trudgeon ran a program that was tough by any standard, regularly featuring nationally ranked wrestlers, even after the turn of the century. In the 90s VMI could claim status as a bona fide mid- major college wrestling power, earning three conference championships and even leading two wrestlers to All-American status. He achieved this largely with the in-state talent remaining after Virginia's occasional blue chipper understandably fled to the greener pastures of the Big Ten or Big 12. I hope that Coach Trudgeon is remembered for his amazing, almost impossible achievements of ten to fifteen years ago, and not for the leaner times he experienced near the tail end of his tenure.

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford head wrestling coach Jason Borrelli has received a contract extension, the university announced today. Details of the contract have not been disclosed. “We are excited with the plan and direction that Jason has for our wrestling program,” said the Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir. “He has done a tremendous job building his program over the past five years. We are looking to reach even greater heights under his leadership in the future.” Borrelli completed his fifth season as the head coach of the Cardinal in 2012-13. With the extension, he will become the second-longest tenured coach in program history behind Chris Horpel (1980-2001). Borrelli’s 42 career dual wins is the most in a five-year span by any coach in school history. “I am honored and thrilled for the opportunity to continue on as the head wrestling coach at Stanford University,” said Borrelli. “This is an amazing place and having the opportunity to work alongside many of the best coaches and student-athletes from across the country is very humbling.” Under the guidance of Borrelli in 2012-13, Stanford produced a Pac-12 champion for the fourth consecutive year, marking the longest streak with an individual conference champion in school history. The Cardinal sent three wrestlers to the 2013 NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, bringing the total number of NCAA qualifiers under Borrelli to eight wrestlers making 15 appearances. “We have made tremendous strides over the past five years, and support from our administration, alumni and friends is at an all-time high,” stated Borrelli. “I have no doubt that the wrestling program can mirror the success of other championship teams in this outstanding athletic department. Myself, our staff and the student-athletes remain committed to accomplishing great things on The Farm and I am excited for the future of Stanford wrestling.” Since 2009-10, Stanford wrestlers have captured six All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. Nick Amuchastegui (’12), just the second three-time All-American in school history, became the first Cardinal wrestler to reach the NCAA finals on multiple occasions (2011 & 2012). Current Stanford senior Ryan Mango, who redshirted the 2012-13 season, is a two-time All-American and will return in 2013-14 with the hopes of joining Amuchastegui and Tanner Gardner (’08) as a three-time All-American. Mango was 15-0 during his redshirt campaign. Wrestling unattached at 133 pounds, he captured three tournament titles, including the Reno Tournament of Champions and the prestigious Midlands Championship.

The United States will take on the national teams of Hungary, Lithuania and Serbia in a world-class international Greco-Roman wrestling event at the 2013 Curby Cup at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Ill. on Saturday, May 11. The event is held in honor of the late Jacob Curby, a Greco-Roman Team USA member who unexpectedly passed away at the age of 25 in January 2010. It will be a showcase competition as part of World Wrestling Month, which was declared by the international wrestling federation FILA. The U.S. team will feature the 2013 U.S. Open Greco-Roman champions which will be determined in Las Vegas, Nev., April 18-20. Lineups for the three international teams will be announced shortly, but will feature a number of Olympic and World Championship athletes with impressive international achievements. “Besides the great competition and honoring the memory of a fine young man, this will be a time to rally the entire wrestling family in our struggle to preserve our great sport in the Olympics,” said Dave Curby, founder of the Curby Cup and Jacob Curby’s father. The event is another major opportunity for the Keep Olympic Wrestling movement. On February 12, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board made a recommendation that wrestling not be a core sport at the 2020 Olympic Games. A final decision on the program of the 2020 Olympics will be made by the entire IOC in September. A worldwide effort has been launched by FILA, the international wrestling federation, and all of the 177 nations which participate in wrestling, to retain wrestling as an Olympic sport. Wrestling legend Dan Gable, an Olympic and World champion wrestler and one of the greatest coaches in history, is the honorary chair of the 2013 Curby Cup. A special guest will be Olympic and World champion Greco-Roman legend Rulon Gardner. Coach Gable has invited the wrestling community to take part in this exciting competition in the video linked below Dan Gable video invitation to Curby Cup Tickets for the Curby Cup are just $10 and can be purchased at www.CurbyCup.com This is the fourth annual Curby Cup competition. The first Curby Cup was held in 2010, and featured challenge matches between U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling stars on the Senior, Junior and Cadet level. In 2011, it became an international event, when Team USA battled an International All-Star Team in Greco-Roman. In 2012, the Curby Cup featured a USA vs. Georgia international dual meet, featuring numerous world-class competitors. All three of the previous Curby Cup events have drawn large crowds and have raised funds for the Jacob Curby Foundation, whose mission is “teaching strong values through wrestling participation, growing youth participation in wrestling as a path to success and personal growth, and the advancement of Olympic-style international wrestling competition in the United States.” As part of the event, there will be free wrestling clinics provided for young athletes. A special girls freestyle wrestling clinic will be hosted by 2012 World silver medalist and Team USA member Helen Maroulis starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Vaughan Gym at Lyons Township High School. Participants receive a t-shirt, clinich and lunch and a pass to watch the Curby Cup. There will also be a chance for the participants to ask questions of Helen Maroulis following the lunch. Also at 10:00 a.m. is a free youth and high school Greco-Roman clinic, conducted by athletes from the U.S. Olympic Education Center Greco-Roman program at Northern Michigan University. World Sport Chicago is a sponsor of the 2013 Curby Cup, providing funds for transportation so that Chicago-based youth can participate in the clinic portion of the Curby Cup. On Sunday, May 12, a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Champions Breakfast will be held at the host hotel, the Holiday Inn & William Tell Banquets & Conference Center in Countryside, Ill. starting at 9:00 a.m. The master of ceremonies is two-time Greco-Roman Olympian and Wheaton College coach Jim Gruenwald. The special guest is freestyle Olympian and World medalist Tervel Dlagnev. The breakfast is open to wrestlers and fans with a $10 donation. The Curby Cup is the second major international wrestling competition announced by USA Wrestling as part of World Wrestling Month in May. Another major event is the Rumble on the Rails, an international competition between the USA, Iran and Russia in historic Grand Central Terminal in New York City on May 15. USA Wrestling expects to announce other major events and activities as part of World Wrestling Month, and the effort to Keep Olympic Wrestling. CURBY CUP At LaGrange, Ill, May 11-12 Event Schedule Saturday, May 11 at Lyons Township High School 10:00 a.m. – Girls youth freestyle clinic with Helen Maroulis 10:00 a.m. – Youth and high school Greco-Roman clinic with U.S. Olympic Education Center athlete 1:30 p.m. – Curby Cup, preliminary rounds 4:00 p.m. – MAIN EVENT - Opening Ceremonies and finals round Sunday, May 12 9:00 a.m. – FCA Champions Breakfast featuring Olympians Jim Gruenwald and Tervel Dlagnev at Holiday Inn & William Tell Banquets & Conference Center in Countryside, Ill. ABOUT THE JACOB CURBY FOUNDATION The Jacob Curby Foundation has been formed to honor the memory of my son, and has as its mission, teaching strong values through wrestling participation, growing youth participation in wrestling as a path to success and personal growth, and the advancement of Olympic-style international wrestling competition in the United States. Before his sudden, tragic death, Jacob Curby had been working as hard as he could to attain the ultimate goals in Greco-Roman wrestling – becoming an Olympic and World Champion. Jake was taken from us too early and was unable to complete his quest, but he remains a champion in all our hearts. ABOUT USA WRESTLING USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation FILA. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. ABOUT KEEP OLYMPIC WRESTLING In the United States, the official website is http://www.KeepWrestlingInTheOlympics.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/officialkeepwrestlingintheolympics, and on Twitter @wrestlingvision. The international links for FILA are http://www.fila-official.com/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fila.official and on Twitter @FILA_Official.!

Destin McCauley won five state championships at Apple Valley (Photo/The Guillotine) After much speculation, Destin McCauley, a top recruit from the Class of 2011, has made his college decision. He will be enrolling at Nebraska, he announced on his Twitter page on Sunday night. McCauley considered a handful of schools in addition to Nebraska, including Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. He is expected to compete at 149 pounds. It's the third college commitment for the 20-year-old McCauley. He originally committed to Wisconsin as a high school senior in October of 2010 before enrolling at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Just over a year later, in November of 2011, McCauley announced that he would be enrolling at Iowa State. But after another year at the OTC, McCauley asked for his release from Iowa State. McCauley was a five-time state champion and six-time state finalist at Apple Valley (Minn.) High School. He has been a Junior National freestyle champion, FILA Junior National freestyle champion, and Junior World Team member.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- Virginia Military Institute head wrestling coach John Trudgeon has accepted an administrative position within the athletic department, athletic director Donny White announced Friday. Trudgeon, who served for 28 years as the Keydet wrestling coach and held the position the longest in school history, will begin his new duties immediately. Chris Skretkowicz, who has served as an assistant coach the program the last seven years, will be in the interim head coach for the 2013-14 season. “Coach John Trudgeon has provided outstanding leadership for our wrestling program,” said White. “I am happy that he will continue to serve cadet-athletes in a new role in athletic administration.” During his tenure as head coach, Trudgeon was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year four times- 1994, 1995, 1999 and 2000 - and was named Virginia Coach of the Year in 1993, 1994 and 2004. Under Trudgeon, the Keydets won three SoCon Co-Champions in a span of five years - 1995, 1997, and 1999. Trudgeon was recognized by his peers when he was inducted into the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in April 2009. Trudgeon mentored six Top 12 individual finishers in the NCAA Championships including a fourth place finish by 142-pounder Charlie Branch in 1994 and a sixth place finish by heavyweight Leslie Apedoe in 1999 – earning both All-America honors. Adam Britt finished in the top 12 of the 157 lb. weight class in 2002. Trudgeon coached VMI wrestling to 160 victories in dual match competition, the most in Institute history. Skretkowicz, a three-time CAA champion while at Hofstra, supervised the development of the VMI upper weight classes among his other duties on the Keydet wrestling staff. Skretkowicz as a collegian compiled a prestigious wrestling background, placing sixth at the NCAA tournament in 2003, and fifth in 2004. His 140-24 career record was accompanied by a perfect 26-0 mark against CAA opponents in his four years in the league. He qualified for the NCAA Championships each of his four seasons.

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- After a great deal of self-reflection and consideration for his young and growing family, SIUE head wrestling coach David Ray will give up his coaching duties and move to an administrative position for the remainder of his contract, SIUE Athletic Director Brad Hewitt announced Friday. "Coaching wrestling is a young man's sport," said Ray. "I have enjoyed my 23 years in the coaching profession. SIUE wrestling is now on solid ground, and I can see a bright, successful future for the program. I would like to thank everyone for this opportunity, but it is time to make a change for me and my family." "We are indebted to Coach Ray for bringing the SIUE wrestling program from NCAA Division II anonymity into an active NCAA Division I program and proud member of the Southern Conference (SoCon)," said Hewitt. "David has dedicated and sacrificed many hours to building our program from the ground up, raised significant dollars to create the first-ever dedicated wrestling team locker room, and opened channels of communication with hundreds of SIUE alumni." David RayTransition is tough, especially when tournament opportunities are what often motivate an individual sport athlete such as a wrestler. Hewitt said the wrestling program under Ray's leadership has noticeably improved. "We have quality young men in our program," he said. "They support their peers, are active in the community, and, most importantly, graduate." Coach Ray will assume administrative duties for the remainder of his contract and is exploring opportunities both at the University and in the private sector. "Assistant Coach Donovan McMahill will manage the program and recruiting process until a new head coach is named," said Hewitt. "We will conduct a national search to find an individual who understands and has demonstrated success in academic accountability, Division I Academic Progress Rates, and Division I recruiting. This individual must truly understand the 'philosophical' differences between a major and the mid-major level program." Hewitt believes, despite a potentially narrow market, the Cougars will find the right coach to take over the program – one of only 76 Division I wrestling programs in the country. "We are ready for the next step in our evolution to being a quality Division I program with individuals capable of competing in the national tournament," Hewitt said. "We wish David and his family all the best in the future."

Providence, R.I. -- Brown head wrestling coach Dave Amato has announced his retirement after guiding the Bears' wrestling program for the last 30 years. Amato is the most successful coach in Brown wrestling history with over 300 career victories. Dave Amato"It's been an honor to coach at Brown for the last 30 years," said Amato. "I've coached at Brown for the better part of my adult life and my two daughters grew up at Brown. Coaching the many outstanding young men at Brown has been a privilege, and I wish the program the best of luck in the future." "The entire Brown community thanks Dave for his 30 years of dedication to the Brown wrestling program," said Jack Hayes, Brown's Director of Athletics. "Legions of Brown wrestlers have excelled on the mat and have gone on to honor the university with success in the community. We all wish Dave the best for the future." Amato has posted a 30-year record of 379-298-7, but it's the quality of his wrestlers that define his career. He has coached two Ivy League Wrestlers of the Year - two-time winner Bob Hill '88 (1987, 1988) and Willie Carpenter '97 (1996) - and three Ivy Rookies of the Year - E.C. Muelhaupt '89 (1986), Carpenter (1993), and Bronson Lingamfelter '02 (1999). Amato has recruited and coached seven wrestlers who have been inducted into the Brown Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition, Amato's 379 career wins rank in the top three among all NCAA Division I active coaches. Ten of his wrestlers have captured EIWA Championships, while two have been named the Outstanding Wrestler at the Tournament. Amato's wrestlers have placed 116 times at EIWA Championship. A total of 27 of Amato's Bears have earned First Team All-Ivy honors 44 times, including four-time All-Ivy Joe Mocco '93. Two of Amato's grapplers have earned All-American recognition, Carpenter in 1996 and Tivon Abel in 1998. In 1992, Amato was named EIWA Coach of the Year after he led the Bears to a record 19 victories and saw four Brown wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. In 1993, Brown sent a record-setting six grapplers to the NCAA's, the most ever in Amato's career. In 1999-2000, five Bears qualified for the NCAA's. Amato's teams have also always performed well in the classroom. In 2005 and 2006, Brown's wrestling team was honored by the National Wrestling Coaches Association for having the country's highest GPA. In 2007, the Bears ranked third in the nation, but the team's GPA was still better than it was the previous year. Just last year, his squad posted the eighth best GPA in the nation.

Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling in the Brute studios. Takedown Wrestling is proudly presented by Kemin, Inspired Molecular Solutions! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio from 9 to 11 AM CT/10 a.m. to 12 noon ET. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Terry Cook, our own Jeff Murphy and Brad Johnson LIVE from Des Moines, Iowa. Guest host: Kurt Backes, Iowa volunteer assistant coach This week's guests: 9:03 Rob Hjerling, Citadel head wrestling coach 9:20 Ugi Khishignyam, Citadel wrestler 9:35 Odie Delaney, Citadel wrestler 9:50 Tyler Barkley- Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:00 Kurt Backes, Iowa volunteer assistant coach 10:20 Mike Rogers, Franklin and Marshall head wrestling coach 10:35 Jason Ford, NAIA Mgr. of Events 10:50 Tim Bollman, Wildrose Casino and Resort GM Fans, athletes, coaches: This is your sport. Join in the conversation live. Ask questions. Call 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app. (Click on KXNO under Sportsradio.)

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. Last week's comments about Carl Adams and why Boston University dropped wrestling caused quite a reaction. Fans of the program and former wrestlers were passionate in their defense of Adams and the job he was doing to groom his wrestlers to both graduate and become productive members of their communities. It was a pleasant outpouring that while tiptoeing the line of civility ended up producing constructive discourse. The comments had merit, but they reminded me of my favorite NCAA coaching moment. It was 2006 and Navy's John Cox had just lost a heartbreaking 13-11 match to Eric Tannenbaum in the All-American round. Cox, distraught at his inability to score late, had run into the hallway beneath the stadium, thrown his headgear against the wall and let loose a brief, tear-stricken string of curse words. Just then Navy head wrestling coach Bruce Burnett walked by in his black suit, face stoic and hands gently locked behind his back. He walked a few feet from the still angry Cox and asked in a calm voice, "Where was all that energy a few minutes ago, John?" Harsh. But I imagine it was effective at motivating Cox to create something positive from a negative moment. Nothing was going to change the outcome of his match, so there was the decision to be angry, or to learn from the mistakes he made that day on the mat and improve. According to Burnett, Cox suffered from a brief mental lapse that led to inactivity on the mat, and eventually a missed opportunity. For Boston University wrestling and their supporters the decision to cut the program came after their acceptance of the status quo. In the spirit of Coach Burnett, where was all this energy five years ago? The wrestling community needs to be proactive in finding solutions to the ongoing cuts to our sport. We are not being protected by athletic administrators, or alumni donations, and we are not free from criticism because our kids are nice and our work ethic top amongst a peer group. Wrestling needs to differentiate itself from other sports by supporting bold new ideas. Talking with fans, marketing matches and engaging the alumni base are the bare minimums and might not be enough to save every at-risk program. Wrestling needs to create unique change. To do that we need the young fans -- those just entering the workforce, and filled ideas about social media and future modes of connectivity -- to feel like they have a say in the future of the sport. As they tend to do, times have changed, but where before that change was individual behaviors and institutional transgressions like Title IX, we are now faced with shifting modes of communication. The young ones can help us be leaders in utilizing new technology for the enhancement of our sport. For the first-time ever, next week's mailbag will have a theme, "The Big Idea." Take time to draft a new idea in 250 words or less and send it in. They can be rule changes, or a wholesale overhaul to the NCAA. Whatever you choose to promote, make sure it's bold. On to your questions ... Q: Why does the NCAA tournament qualify 33 wrestlers at each weight class instead of the much more logical 32? -- John B. Foley: We finally have an answer! According to a member of the NCAA Wrestling Committee the number to think about is 330, not 33. When the new qualifier system was put in place and the at-large selections were no longer chosen by conferences the overall number of qualifiers (330) became evenly distributed across the ten weight classes. That number of qualifiers is determined by a percentage of how many Division I school have wrestling. Though there has been some contraction the number of qualifiers is, for now, safe. Q: I read a blog response in SI that said wrestling's arrogance is the reason for this possible elimination in 2020. I don't agree with that, but I do know that some of the freestyle and Greco rules are confusing and singlets are something that even some wrestlers do not like, so change is probably a good thing in some areas. Have you heard of any potential rule changes that are being discussed by FILA? Do you think some of these international rule changes, such as going to fighter shorts will be implemented in high school or college in the future? -- Dan A. Foley: I think you meant this article. We are arrogant. The leadership of International wrestling is completely out-of-touch with what makes the sports world spin clockwise. I'm not trying to belittle the fuddy-duddy group of septuagenarians for their lifelong commitment to the sport, but we need a serious infusion of uncorrupted forward thinkers (see above). Wrestling is excellent at acting high-and-mighty about being the oldest sport on the block, but when it comes time for inclusion we totally balked on adding a few more women's weights. We could have changed the rules, updated the singlets, added a women's style or done any number of other projects, but we instead sat by as leadership grew roots, and fresh ideas were left to rot and decompose. Perhaps the best anecdote is that until 31 days ago FILA didn't have an active Facebook or Twitter account. FILA and its supporters must've figured that wrestling's cave sketches and parchment scribblings were enough to protect the sport from the push of modern communication. Based on the above rant, I have no hope that any of the discussed rule changes (fight shorts, five minute matches, removal of Greco in favor of something watchable) will ever actually happen. Here is your outline of rule changes that have been implemented. To give you some contrast, in 90-percent of traditional standing style of wrestling the rule is as follows: First to touch their knee or hand to the ground loses. Any takers? More specifically to the inquiry about fight shorts and rash guards, this idea needs to be passed this year by the youth leagues, high school associations and the NCAA. Why wait? There is no reason. None. Figure out the details on the length of the shorts and garments and make them optional by team for the next three years. After which point it's mandatory. Not only do you create an entire market of clothing you immediately increase team sizes at the middle school and high school level. Multimedia Halftime Wrestling is competing against seven other sports this May in St. Petersburg. We are presenting the IOC with our outline for improvements and presenting arguments about healthy lifestyle, profitability and global reach. Here is what we're facing from just one of our competitors. And remember almost every member of the executive committee has played, or still plays squash. Q: Any chance Kyle Dake goes Greco? I know he's the ultimate competitor, but the chances of him beating Jordan Burroughs are remote and he has had a lot of success there. He would definitely bring some star power to a part of our sport that has struggled recently. -- Josh D Foley: I guess it's a possibility. As you know, Nick Simmons switched styles and went up a weight to compete in Greco. Less competition and he has four years to make the Olympics. Maybe Dake would take the same tact if he doesn't find himself beating Burroughs anytime in the next two years. Q: When are we going to get the scoop on Matt McDonough i.e. was he injured at NCAA's/before NCAA's? I was sitting next to some Iowa dude at a local brew pub in Des Moines after McDonough lost in the quarters. He said McD has a "torn pec." I was also told McD injured his labrum at some point during the season. What do you know about all of this? -- Matt R. Foley: I've heard girlfriend. I've heard grades. Maybe we should let the little guy reconstruct his life. He's been in the spotlight for a few years and whether it was any or all of the above reasons, or that he was cutting too much weight for too many years, it's of no consequence. McDonough was one of the best 125-pounders in NCAA history and should be celebrated. Besides, he seems disinterested in making excuses. Q: Do you think a version of the freestyle pushout rule would be applicable to folkstyle? What do you think the effects would be? -- John B. Foley: Ooh, I like where your head's at, but wrestling on the edge has been pretty incredible to watch since the rule change allowed action to continue even if there is only a toe in-bounds. Were the pushout rule brought it I think that anyone playing the edge would be pulling off these maneuvers in order to squirm points out of referees. Q: What is your outside view of the state of the WVU wrestling? What went wrong this year (3-10/4th out of 4 in Big 12)? What needs to happen to bring the program back? -- IndyWVU Foley: The Big 12 is a tough conference, but the team has been trending poorly for the last three years. Coach Turnbull, like Rande Stottlemyer, has been in place for several decades and a change at the top would probably serve to perk up recruiting and potentially earn the Mountaineers some much-needed hardware. As a side note, my uncle played tennis at WVU and always reminds me that no matter how good things look for the basketball or football team, they WILL find a way to screw it up. Maybe that's a known characteristic of WVU, but since he mentioned it I can't stop seeing all their almost-made-it moments. Let's hope that they start to see a programmatic turnaround in wrestling. Q: Obviously for years PA high school wrestling has been high on the national scene, but it wasn't until Cael Sanderson took over Penn State that the state has had a true national power. With the retirement of Rande Stottlemyer, hiring of Jason Peters, the move to the ACC and a great incoming class, is this Pitt's opportunity to finally be a perennial top 10 team? It seems with all the talent in the state there's no reason why they shouldn't be. Your thoughts? -- Jason R. Foley: Facts: Jason Peters is the man. The ACC is becoming a premier conference. Pitt has fan support and alumni involvement. The team placed two wrestlers in 2013. There isn't much more to write. Pitt is in position to make a jump in the rankings and have another 30 years of success under Peters. As a wrestling fan, and an ACC alum I'm even more excited about Pitt's move with Peters on board. Go Hoos. Q: Back in the mid '90s I read what I thought was a great article in WIN magazine by John Smith. In this article Coach Smith outlined a change in our season. He stated that we should start in January and end in April or May. With this change we would no longer battle the "Holiday Season," the clogged airports, March Madness, Frozen Four, and some travel conditions would improve. I am not a big fan of change, but I thought this was a brilliant idea. If we look back to the mid-'90s and would have implemented this idea then we would have had a better opportunity to garner more television time. We would not have been going head-to-head with March Madness, college baseball, and the Frozen Four has picked up some momentum. What are your thoughts about changing our season? -- Nick M. Foley: Absolutely sold on the idea. Your post explained to perfection what wresting needs to do in order to become a premier sporting event. Looking at the calendar, this weekend is the Frozen Four and the Masters, which means the NCAA is pretty busy and ESPN is choking up on their sand wedge. The third weekend in April is the start of the NBA playoffs, but that isn't until Saturday. My vote is the third weekend in April. Second? All in favor, reply "Aye!" Of course we'd have to completely re-imagine the course of the season and eliminate, or restrict the major mid-season tournaments. Or … those tournaments (Midlands and Southern Scuffle) could be our Daytona-like kickoff to the season. There are a million other things to consider, which I would write about, but I need to go watch the Masters. Q: The Big Ten is the ONLY conference where EVERY MEMBER SCHOOL sponsors wrestling. I just wonder how much pressure the Big 12 schools with wrestling or the conference is putting onto the schools that do not sponsor wrestling. It is not a secret of how Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue, and Penn State to name a few are able to maintain wrestling and still be Title IX compliant. You can't tell me that there is not a coach that would not want to spend their winters in Texas or Kansas. I have heard from a non-reliable source that the Big 12 is extremely lax and does not really care if other schools have wrestling. Your thoughts? -- Nick M. Foley: All conferences not named the Big Ten are lax in regards to membership and required sports. Wrestling is far outside their interests. Conferences align, realign, and realign again all in the name of profit. The schools want to create television channels that will create massive monies off the backs of their unpaid players. It's brilliant, but until wrestling creates a profitable audience base in the Big 12, I doubt the conference would ask member institutions to add new programs.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- USA Wrestling and Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. has announced that three of the world's wrestling superpowers, the United States, Russia and Iran, will come together in solidarity to compete in a unique wrestling event in Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Wednesday, May 15. Billed "The Rumble On The Rails," this international wrestling event will be a showcase competition as part of World Wrestling Month, which was declared by the international wrestling federation FILA. The competition will be held alongside the annual Beat the Streets Awards Gala, which will be held following the competition at Bryant Park Grill. A ticket will be required for both the competition and the Gala. The event will also be a major opportunity for the Keep Olympic Wrestling movement. On February 12, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board made a recommendation that wrestling not be a core sport at the 2020 Olympic Games. A final decision on the program of the 2020 Olympics will be made by the entire IOC in September. A worldwide effort has been launched by FILA, the international wrestling federation, and all of the 177 nations which participate in wrestling, to retain wrestling as an Olympic sport. Each year, the United States, Iran and Russia are among the world's best wrestling nations. Since the IOC announcement, these three nations have worked closely together to help support Olympic wrestling. Although their governments do not always agree, the wrestling leaders in these nations have a strong working relationship. "We are elated to bring together three nations this year to show not just how great the sport of wrestling is, but to exemplify how sport provides a common bond for countries who do not always see eye to eye on issues," Beat The Streets Chairman Mike Novogratz said. "Like our dual meets in Times Square the past two years, 'The Rumble On The Rails' will be an event that that will transcend the power of wrestling, while raising much needed funds for the inner city kids who participate in our Beat The Streets program year round. It will be a great night for our program and our sport, and an amazing night for The City of New York." "It is an exciting opportunity for wrestling to show the world its ability to bring together nations of different political, cultural and geographic backgrounds," said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "The unique venue as well as New York City's status as a media capitol of the world will provide one of the most compelling showcase settings our sport has ever had. We are excited to participate in World Wrestling Month, and pleased to partner again with Beat the Streets New York to bring wrestling to new heights." "The Rumble On The Rails," is a private event. Tickets are required for admission and they must be bought ahead of time from www.beat-the-streets.org. No tickets will be available on site at the event. There will be no standing room only opportunities and no view from the pedestrian walkway. Anybody who would like to see this outstanding competition must plan ahead and secure a ticket prior to the competition. This will be the fourth straight year in which a major international-style wrestling competition will be hosted as part of the Beat the Streets Gala activities. In 2010, an all-star challenge featuring top U.S. wrestlers was held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier docked on the west side of Manhattan. In 2011, the United States defeated World champion Russia, 5-2, the first sports event ever held in historic Times Square. In 2012, another U.S. vs. Russia dual meet was held in Times Square, along with the U.S. Olympic Team Wrestle-off for the 60 kg/132 lbs. position on the U.S. Olympic Team in men's freestyle. All of these events have been great showcases for international wrestling as well as receiving major media coverage. The United States and Russia have a long history of cooperative wrestling competitions on each other's soil, going back to the 1960's and the era of the Cold War. This relationship has been a true example of how wrestling transcends politics and cultural differences. Competition between the United States and Iran is much less frequent, but equally an example of international goodwill through wrestling. Iran has competed in wrestling in the United States 10 times in recent years, including two competitions in New York City. This included the 1995 World Championships in Atlanta, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and the 1998 Junior World Championships in Primm, Nev., the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York City and the 2003 World Championships in New York City. In addition, the Iranian team competed in the World Cup held in the United States five times (1995 in Chattanooga, 1998 in Stillwater, 1999 in Spokane, 2000 in Fairfax, Va. and 2001 in Baltimore). USA Wrestling sponsored the first American sports team to compete in Iran after an absence of nearly 20 years, when a U.S. freestyle wrestling team competed in the 1998 Takhti Cup in Tehran. In total, the USA has wrestled in Iran 11 times including the historic 1998 tour. The USA vs. Iran dual will feature the current international freestyle wrestling rules. In the USA vs. Russia dual meet, it is expected that some experimental wrestling rules will be used, as part of the international effort to improve the sport of wrestling. Lineups for all three teams will be released when available at a later date. Those who wish to see this event or to participate in the Awards Gala must purchase a ticket in advance at www.beat-the-streets.org. TENTATIVE BEAT THE STREETS WRESTLING SCHEDULE At New York, N.Y., May 15 3:30 p.m. -- USA vs. Iran, at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal 5:00 p.m. -- Beat the Streets youth exhibition matches at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal 6:00 p.m. -- USA vs. Russia at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal 8:00 p.m. -- Beat the Streets Awards Gala at Bryant Park Grill ABOUT BEAT THE STREETS The mission of Beat the Streets is to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and to strengthen the culture of New York City wrestling. BTSW works directly with the New York City Department of Education in a public-private partnership to help New York City's student-athletes achieve their personal and athletic goals. Through the operation of wrestling programs in middle and high schools in the five boroughs, BTSW and the DOE provide a safe, positive atmosphere in which disadvantaged and at-risk youth can learn the essential life skills of physical fitness, teamwork, and self-empowerment. The goal of fostering strong, dedicated, and optimistic kids is delivered through coaching, after-school programs, and mentoring. More information can be found at www.beat-the-streets.org. ABOUT USA WRESTLING USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation FILA. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. ABOUT KEEP OLYMPIC WRESTLING In the United States, the official website is http://www.KeepWrestlingInTheOlympics.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/officialkeepwrestlingintheolympics, and on Twitter @wrestlingvision. The international links for FILA are http://www.fila-official.com/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fila.official and on Twitter @FILA_Official.

Tony Nelson defeated Northwestern's Mike McMullan to win the NCAA title (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Minnesota junior Tony Nelson recently won his second NCAA championship at heavyweight and became the program's fifth two-time NCAA champion. Nelson finished the season with a 33-1 record to improve his overall record to 98-11 with one season remaining. InterMat recently caught up with the Golden Gopher big man. What has life been like since the college wrestling season ended? Have you taken some time off the mat? Nelson: Yeah, I've taken a couple weeks off from wrestling. Our spring break was during nationals, so I was right back into school and trying to get caught up on things. Tony Nelson is congratulated by his teammates after pinning Oklahoma State's Alan Gelogaev at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You entered this year's NCAAs as the No. 2 seed at heavyweight despite the fact that the top-seeded wrestler took a loss at the National Duals to a wrestler you defeated multiple times. Where you surprised that you weren't given the No. 1 seed? Nelson: Honestly, after Bradley lost to Gelogaev I thought I was going to get the No. 1 seed for sure. When I saw it come out that I was the No. 2 seed I kind of looked at how I was the No. 2 seed last year also. I had done it from there before. I knew I had been there and I was comfortable there. So I knew I could do it. Compare the emotions of winning your second NCAA title to your first. Nelson: When you win your first one some people think you could have gotten lucky. Being able to repeat really solidifies that you're one of the best. Maybe this year's title wasn't as exciting as last year's last-second takedown. But to me it was the more important one. It was fun to go out and do it again. USA Wrestling recently released senior level freestyle rankings and you earned a No. 2 ranking at 120 kilos, behind only Tervel Dlagnev. What was your reaction to that ranking? Nelson: It's pretty respectable. I didn't know that I would be that high. I've earned it through college wrestling, I guess. Tervel and those guys behind me are all great wrestlers. I'm going to have to put some work in. Obviously, I haven't done a lot of freestyle. I've been doing more lately. I'm focusing on college. But I'm trying to make that transition so when I'm done wrestling collegiately I can go right into freestyle and hopefully make a run at the 2016 Olympics. Do you plan on competing in freestyle events this spring and summer? Nelson: Yeah, I'm going to do some freestyle this spring. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to do the U.S. Open. I'm for sure going to go to the University Nationals. I may try to compete in the World Team Trials. Tony Nelson pinned Odie Delaney of The Citadel in the second round of the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You have been effective from the top position in college. You're able to ride many of the nation's top heavyweights. Obviously, in freestyle there is no riding time. Do you feel your style is better suited for folkstyle? Or do you feel as comfortable in freestyle? Nelson: I think I'm better in folkstyle, but I don't think there's too big of a difference for me. On the feet I'm very good with positioning. That's a big thing in freestyle. One thing I need to work on is just being able to score those points and maybe getting a pushout, or that one takedown that could make the difference. The Gophers will return eight All-Americans, which is more than any other program. How excited are you about the team's potential next season? Nelson: It's really exciting. Next year we're going to be one of the top teams. Penn State is still the team to beat, in my mind. It would be a great way to finish my career to have the team finish on top. Minnesota head assistant coach Brandon Eggum with Tony Nelson shortly before this year's NCAA finals match in Des Moines, Iowa (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Your head coach J Robinson missed some time this season because of his knee surgery, and Brandon Eggum served as the interim head coach. Compare Eggum's coaching style with J Rob's coaching style. Are they similar or quite a bit different? Nelson: Eggum has worked under J a long time, so he has kind of picked up a lot from him. But he has his own way. Nothing changed too much because they didn't want to throw us off. The season kind of just flowed once J went down. They did a great job of getting us ready for each week. Eggum is a great coach. He could be a head coach somewhere, but he loves Minnesota. I think that's why he's stayed here. You competed as a 215-pounder in high school. The high school weight classes have since changed. Now there is discussion about the possibility of eliminating the 220-pound weight class at the high school level in Minnesota. Do you have an opinion on that? Nelson: With the Olympic weights there is a 211-pound weight class. They kind of have a huge gap if they get rid of 220 pounds. It would go from 195 pounds all the way up to heavyweight, which is similar to college. In high school it allows the in-between guys a weight to compete at. High school is a lot about participation and letting kids get to know the sport. Cutting a weight class is just cutting participants you have. Cole Konrad won two NCAA titles at heavyweight for Minnesota (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Two past Gopher heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Cole Konrad spent some time in MMA. Both were champions in their respective organizations. Is MMA something you would ever consider? Nelson: I've thought about it. But right now it's probably not my first goal to pursue. If it's something that I decide to do I've got people around that will train me and prepare me for it ... with Brock, he's trained under Marty. There are connections. So it's a possibility. Have you wrestled with both Brock Lesnar and Cole Konrad? If so, compare the difference in wrestling each of them. Nelson: I've never wrestled Brock. Cole came in quite a bit when I was a freshman and sophomore, so I've wrestled him a little bit. He's one of the best. He beat me up when I first came here. He helped show me what college wrestling is all about. I respect the guy a ton. He's an amazing wrestler. There's a lot of respect there. Tony Nelson pumps his fist after winning the NCAA title (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)You joined an elite group of two-time NCAA champions at Minnesota, a group that includes Verne Gagne, Tim Hartung, Damion Hahn, and Cole Konrad. Now you have an opportunity to become Minnesota's first and only three-time NCAA champion. What would that accomplishment mean to you? Nelson: It would be amazing. Just to get to where I am now, it feels great. I can't thank the people around me that have helped get me here enough. I won that first one, and then I was able to overcome the big hump of repeating as champion in one of the tougher heavyweight weight classes ... but to win three would just be awesome for the program, for me, and for the people around me. It's a great opportunity. This story also appears in the April 12 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

UFC on FUEL 9 went down last weekend ... but Alexander Gustafsson didn't fight in the main event thanks to Sweden's extreme paranoia about healed cuts. So since the card was generally weak, Richard and John skip ahead to preview The Ultimate Fighter finale on April 13, headlined by a bantamweight bout between Uriah Faber and Scott Jorgensen. Spoiler alert: Faber should win. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Our gambling expert is back from his vacation in southeast Asia, but that doesn't mean Brian Muir is holding back any of his opinions on the NCAAs, effort to save Olympic wrestling, and the loss of Boston University's wrestling program. 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.