Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners Announced

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday announced the state winners of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA). 

The Hall of Fame’s High School Excellence Awards are proudly sponsored by the Hyman Family, whose generous support and passion for the sport help ensure the continued recognition and development of wrestling’s next generation. 

The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. 

Five Olympians, Eight 2025 World Team Members Headline Greco-Roman World Team Trials

The Senior Greco-Roman field for the 2026 U.S. Open Championships has a strong mix of experience and young, up-and-coming wrestlers looking to make the 2026 World Team at The Expo at World Market Las Vegas.

Over 200 athletes have entered the Senior Greco-Roman division, which is set for April 23-25. Olympians, past Senior World Team members, current National Team members, age-group World medalists and high school stars are all in the mix looking to take home gold next week.

The tournament will serve as the World Team Trials and establish the 2026 Greco-Roman Senior World Team. The winner of the best-of-three series final at each weight class will represent the U.S. at the 2026 World Championships in Manama, Bahrain, from October 24-November 1.

Iowa State Adds Women's Wrestling; Announces Wrestling Leadership Changes

Women's wrestling will debut as Iowa State University's 18th intercollegiate athletics program during the 2027-28 academic year, Endowed Cyclone Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced.

Two-time World Wrestling Championships silver medalist Alli St. John (Ragan) has been selected as the first head coach of the Iowa State women's wrestling program.

After a storied 20-year collegiate coaching career that saw Iowa State and Virginia Tech return to national prominence, Kevin Dresser will transition into a new role within the Iowa State Athletics Department as Director of Men's & Women's Wrestling.

Brent Metcalf, who has spent the past nine seasons helping Kevin Dresser methodically return the proud Cyclone program to national prominence, has been selected as the ninth head coach of the Iowa State men's wrestling program.

Eight athletes accept automatic bids to 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management

Final X will determine the 2026 U.S. Senior World Team in two-of-three international disciplines—men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle. In total, 20 weight classes will be contested, 10 in each discipline. The top two U.S. athletes in each weight class will wrestle a best-of-three series at Final X to determine the U.S. representative for the 2026 Senior World Championships in Manama, Bahrain.

20 athletes will be added to the Final X lineup at the U.S. Open, which is set for April 22-26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The champions in the Senior Men’s Freestyle and Senior Women’s Freestyle divisions advance to Final X.

Five World Medalists Declare for 2026 Senior Pan American Championships in Iowa

Levi Haines, Trent Hidlay, Zahid Valencia, Real Woods and Kylie Welker have declared to represent the U.S. at the 2026 Pan American Championships in Coralville, Iowa. The five reigning World medalists will guide Team USA on home soil, May 7-10 at Xtream Arena.

Reigning World champions Valencia and Hidlay look to defend their Pan American titles after winning gold in Monterrey, Mexico, last spring. Valencia enters this year’s tournament as a two-time Pan American champion after winning his first title in 2022.

Two-time World bronze medalist and three-time age-group World champion Welker returns to the Pan American circuit after a gold medal performance last year.

Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award State Winners Announced

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced the state winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA). 

The Hall of Fame’s High School Excellence Awards are proudly sponsored by the Hyman Family, whose generous support and passion for the sport help ensure the continued recognition and development of wrestling’s next generation. 

First presented in 2014, the award is named for Tricia Saunders, a four-time World Champion and women’s wrestling pioneer. Saunders was the first woman to be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011. 

Episode 2 of Stories From The Resilite Featuring Ben Askren Now Available

Longtime National Wrestling Hall of Fame partner and sponsor Resilite has released its second Stories From The Resilite, featuring two-time NCAA champion and Olympian Ben Askren, who will be inducted as a Distinguished Member into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.

Hosted by Shane Sparks, Stories From The Resilite offers a deeper look into the culture, the grind, and the legacy of our sport.

Levi Haines Accepts 79 kg Men’s Freestyle Berth at 2026 Final X, Presented by Kerberos Capital Management

2025 World silver medalist Levi Haines (Bellefonte, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) has accepted his automatic bid to 2026 Final X, presented by Kerberos Capital Management, and will battle for the men’s freestyle 79 kg spot on the 2026 U.S. World Team. Final X is set for Friday, June 19 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

In 2025, Haines reached the podium for the first time in his international career, earning three medals at World and Continental Championships. He finished as the runner-up at the Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, a result that automatically qualified him for Final X. He also won U23 golds at the World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, and the Pan American Championships in Queretaro, Mexico.

In March, Haines won his second NCAA title for Penn State, becoming a four-time NCAA All-American in the process. He was a U17 World Team member in 2021.