NCAA champ Byrd to return for final season; U20 Worlds creeping closer

Catching you up on the day's wrestling news from around the world with Mat Talk Online's Daily Wrestling Newsletter sponsored by @Resilite.

Aug 14, 2025

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HEADS UP!

I got called into action for USA Wrestling this coming week at the U20 World Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria, so the newsletter may be sent out at erratic (U.S.) times. Will be providing some bonus content for premium newsletter subscribers (or at least plan to).

U20 World Championships

Brackets | Live Stream (Flo) | Entries

Returning medalists Blaze, Duke, Lockett, Rademacher lead U.S. men’s freestyle team at U20 World Championships - TheMat.com
The U.S. will send a star-studded men’s freestyle group to the 2025 U20 World Championships being held August 17-24 in Samokov, Bulgaria. Six-of-10 American entrants have earned at least one medal at a prior age-group World Championships, with two possessing multiple World medals.

Jimenez, Robinson, Simon among standouts on U.S. women’s freestyle team at U20 World Championships - TheMat.com
The U.S. will send a talented women’s freestyle group to the 2025 U20 World Championships being held August 17-24 in Samokov, Bulgaria. It’s a mashup of high-expectations and youth for this group, with six athletes already owning World Championships experience, and the other four competing on the World stage for the first time.

2025 U20 World Championships Preview & Predictions - Men's Freestyle - FloWrestling
A full preview with predictions for Team USA's men's freestyle team at the 2025 U20 World Championships.

2025 U20 World Championships Team USA Men’s Freestyle Athlete Bios
Team USA Men’s Freestyle Athlete Bios

2025 U20 World Championships Team USA Women’s Freestyle Athlete Bios - TheMat.com
2025 U20 World Championships Team USA Women’s Freestyle Athlete Bios

U20 Men's Freestyle World Team Members By School (Since 2010) - InterMat
The U20 World Championships are rapidly approaching! On Sunday, the first whistles will blow from Sofia, Bulgaria and the men’s freestyle competition will kick off the festivities. The U20 (Junior) World Championships have long been a place for the future stars of USA Wrestling and college wrestling to get to show off for a worldwide audience.

Returning MFS Medalists at the 2025 U20 World Championships - InterMat ($$)
With the U20 World Championships only a few days away, the anticipation of another big tournament for the Americans is building. Specifically in men’s freestyle. We have a loaded squad with four returning Junior world medalists - plus a former U17 medalist. Coming off a dramatic team win from the U17 squad, could the U20 team be next?

WRE | Ancheta Set to Compete at U-20 World Championships - sfstategators.com
San Francisco State wrestling's Hayden Ancheta will compete at the U-20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria at 57kg in Freestyle on August 18 and 19.

Remembering Al Bevilacqua

Hofstra Athletics Mourns The Passing Of Former Wrestling Coach Al Bevilacqua - Hofstra University Athletics
Hofstra Athletics mourns the passing of former Wrestling Coach Al Bevilacqua, who passed away August 10 at the age of 85.

Legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized by 'Seinfeld' dies - New York Post
The legendary Long Island wrestling coach immortalized in an iconic “Seinfeld” scene has died — and everyone from celebrity former students to athletes recalled Tuesday how he went to the mat for them.

College News

Division I Men
Defending National Champ Lucas Byrd Will Return to Illinois for Senior Season - Sports Illustraterd
Defending 133-pound national champion Lucas Byrd announced on Tuesday that he will return to Illinois for his final year of eligibility

Early Lineup Look: 2025-26 Nebraska Cornhuskers - FloWrestling
A breakdown of the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the 2025-26 NCAA season.

InterMat's All-Quarter Century Team: Arizona State - InterMat ($$)
Our All-Quarter Century team takes us out west to focus on the Arizona State program. This is a team that has gone through a couple of head coaches, had its ups and downs, and even was on the chopping block for a brief time in 2008. Despite all of that, there has been a lot to celebrate for the Sun Devils over the last 25 years.

Villaescusa Promoted to Development Coordinator - Iowa State University Athletics
Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser announced the hiring of Fernando Villaescusa as the program's development coordinator Tuesday. Villaescusa previously served as ISU's volunteer assistant coach for the last five seasons.

Ian Parker joins Panther wrestling staff - UNI Athletics
UNI head wrestling coach Doug Schwab on Tuesday announced the addition of Ian Parker as the program's newest assistant coach.

Division II Men

CSC Coach Brett Hunter Running 100 Miles this Weekend - Chadron Radio
Chadron State College Men’s Wrestling Coach Brett Hunter was a two-time state champion wrestler at Rushville High School and a two-time national champion at Chadron State, winning a total of 274 matches and at least 31 matches each of the eight seasons he competed in the sport.

USF Men's Wrestling Adds All-American Caleb Meekins to Coaching Staff - University of Sioux Falls Athletics
The University of Sioux Falls Men's Wrestling program is proud to announce the hiring of Caleb Meekins as its new Assistant Men's Wrestling Coach.

Division II Women
Summers Taking the Lead for Women’s Wrestling Program - Western Colorado University Athletics
Taylor Summers is returning to the Western Slope, announced on Tuesday, August 12 as the head coach of the new women's wrestling program at Western Colorado University.

Summers Resigns As CSC Women's Wrestling Coach - Chadron State College Athletics
Chadron State College Athletics announced Tuesday that women's wrestling head coach Taylor Summers has resigned his position in order to pursue another coaching opportunity.

Four-Time All-American Jennesis Martinez Named Assistant Women’s Wrestling Coach - University of Sioux Falls Athletics
The University of Sioux Falls Athletics Department is excited to announce the hiring of Jennesis Martinez as the new Assistant Women's Wrestling Coach. A four-time collegiate All-American, five-time Scholar All-American, and seasoned mentor, Martinez brings elite competitive experience and a passion for empowering student-athletes both on and off the mat.

Division III Men
Demetri Teddlie '25 Named Assistant Wrestling Coach - University of the Ozarks
Wrestling national qualifier Demetri Teddlie has been named University of the Ozarks assistant wrestling coach, the athletic department announced.

NAIA Men
SOU Sports Hall of Fame to add 6 new members - Southern Oregon University Athletics
The Class of 2025 comprises four-time national champion distance runner Eric Avila (2011-14); national champion wrestlers Brock Gutches (2011-15) and Matt McDowell (1990-94);

International News

Wrestling Enters a New Era in Southern Africa with Namib Storm and SADC Open Championships - United World Wrestling
July 2025 The Namibian Wrestling Federation (NWF), in partnership with United World Wrestling (UWW) and Olympic Solidarity, launched a landmark initiative to boost wrestling development in Southern Africa: the Namib Storm Wrestling Week and SADC Open Championships, held from 30 June to 5 July 2025 at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

Recruiting & Commitment News

Recent Commitment Listings
Men’s Transfer Portal (Flo) | Women’s Transfer Portal (Flo)
2026 Men (Flo) | 2026 Women (InterMat) | 2027 Men (InterMat) | 2027 Men (Flo)

High School & Youth News

TIER ONE of Idaho prep wrestling: Ivan Ivanov Jr. - WIN Magazine
In my TIER ONE series, the next wrestler introduced is Ivan Ivanov Jr. of Eagle, Idaho. Hailing from a globally-recognized wrestling family, and the son of Olympian and World silver medalist Ivan Ivanov Sr., the founder of Suples, Ivan Jr. is forging his own path towards international Greco-Roman excellence, having already established himself among the nation’s top-tier young wrestlers.

Olympic-sized event? Haledon set to welcome star wrestler Bruce Baumgartner - NorthJersey.com
Bruce Baumgartner, the heavyweight wrestling star and Olympic gold medalist, will return to his hometown for a charity dinner to raise money for upgrades to the recreation center.

Fargo father-son duos aplenty on the national stage - WIN Magazine
If one centralized theme emerged, especially from the 16U division, at the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., it was that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Nutley's DiPiano gets the call for Newark Athletic Hall of Fame - The Observer Online
Mike DiPiano admits he rarely answers his phone before games, but for some reason this time, roughly 45 minutes before the start of a Nutley softball game, he took the call and got the news that he will be inducted into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame.

Former Central High School wrestling standout identified as Lake Pueblo drowning victim - The Pueblo Chieftain
A Central High School graduate and former standout on the school's wrestling team died in an apparent drowning at Lake Pueblo on Aug. 12, Pueblo School District 60 officials confirmed to the Chieftain.

Hundreds of supporters demand Davidson County Schools reinstate 3 wrestling coaches - Thomasville Times
More than 200 people packed the Davidson County Board of Education meeting Monday night demanding that three wrestling coaches from Ledford and Central Davidson high schools be reinstated immediately.

The final U.S. Future Olympian Ranking top 12 in all divisions announced for 2024-25 season - TheMat.com
USA Wrestling has announced the top 12 athletes in each age division for the U.S. Future Olympian Rankings for the 2024-25 membership year.

More Wrestling News

Media Credential Application Open for Real American Freestyle Wrestling's RAF01 - InterMat
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Aug. 13, 2025) This a reminder the media credential application is open for RAF01 Real American Freestyle’s (RAF) inaugural event at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center on August 30.

USA Wrestling job opportunity: Customer Service Team Lead - TheMat.com
USA Wrestling is looking for a Customer Service Team Lead to provide front-line direction to our Customer Service Representatives and provide direct customer service support to USA Wrestling’s 340,000 members as they adopt and implement this software.

USA Wrestling Board of Directors in-person meeting held in Colorado Springs, Colo., August 8-9 - TheMat.com
USA Wrestling hosted an in-person Board of Directors meeting on Friday and Saturday, August 8-9, at the Hotel Polaris in Colorado Springs, Colo. USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner chaired the meeting.