RUDIS Wrestling Podcast

#160: Exclusive Interview with Tom Ryan - Chosen Suffering May 13, 2020

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 2015 National Champion head coach for the Ohio State University, Tom Ryan. In a final RUDIS Wrestling Podcast before a hiatus, Ryan and Dernlan discuss Ryan's new book, Chosen Suffering. The book can be preordered beginning May 17, and more information is available at https://www.chosensuffering.com/

#159: Logan Stieber Breaks Down His Historic Senior Season May 13, 2020

On today’s LIVE episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 4x NCAA Champion and 2016 World Champion Logan Stieber. Stieber, a coach at the Ohio RTC and founder of the Stieber Elite Wrestling Academy, has transitioned into serving the sport after capping off one of the most successful competitive careers in American wrestling history. Dernlan and Stieber discuss Logan’s entire senior season which culminated in his fourth NCAA title.

#158: Naming a 90th Anniversary Team - Heavyweights May 06, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant pick up where they left off on debating the NCAA’s 75th Anniversary Wrestling team, but put a new spin on it with taking it upon themselves to name a 90th Anniversary team. The 90th team considers wrestlers at all levels up through the 2019 season. On this episode, Dernlan and Bryant break down the heavyweights and discuss which of the members of the 75th team would remain, and which recent-era wrestlers would replace some of the all-time greats.

#157: LIVE with Logan Stieber - Breaking Down His Junior Season May 06, 2020

On today’s LIVE episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 4x NCAA Champion and 2016 World Champion Logan Stieber. Stieber, a coach at the Ohio RTC and founder of the Stieber Elite Wrestling Academy, has transitioned into serving the sport after capping off one of the most successful competitive careers in American wrestling history. Dernlan and Stieber discuss Logan’s entire junior season which culminated in his third of four NCAA titles.

#156: Coach Tom Ryan on Life May 01, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by Ohio State wrestling head coach Tom Ryan. The two discuss various aspects of life, ranging from how to manage an elite mentality, becoming the CEO of your own life, and how the Buckeyes are separating themselves from the rest of Division I wrestlers during this time of quarantine due to COVID-19.

#155: Naming a 90th Anniversary Team - Middleweights Apr 30, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant pick up where they left off on debating the NCAA’s 75th Anniversary Wrestling team, but put a new spin on it with taking it upon themselves to name a 90th Anniversary team. The 90th team considers wrestlers at all levels up through the 2019 season. On this episode, Dernlan and Bryant break down the middleweights and discuss which of the members of the 75th team would remain, and which recent-era wrestlers would replace some of the all-time greats.

#154: Isaiah Martinez on Growth and Belief Apr 30, 2020

On today's special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by 2x NCAA Champion, 4x All-American and 2x National Team Member Isaiah Martínez. Martínez discusses how he's handling quarantine as an elite athlete, the difference an extra year of development can make, his thoughts on the importance of belief and what it takes to be the best. Dernlan and Martínez also break down the Burroughs/Dake ambush from a few weeks ago on Flo Radio Live, and Isaiah's thoughts of his 74kg opponents.

#153: LIVE with Logan Stieber - Breaking Down His Sophomore Season Apr 28, 2020

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined live in the studio by 4x NCAA Champion Logan Stieber. The second episode of a four-part series, he and Dernlan break down the sophomore season which culminated in Stieber's second of four NCAA titles.

#152: Naming a 90th Anniversary Team - Lightweights Apr 25, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant pick up where they left off on debating the NCAA's 75th Anniversary Wrestling team, but put a new spin on it with taking it upon themselves to name a 90th Anniversary team. The 90th team considers wrestlers at all levels up through the 2019 season. On this episode, Dernlan and Bryant break down the lightweights and discuss which of the members of the 75th team would remain, and which recent-era wrestlers would replace some of the all-time greats.

#151: Mike Moyer on the Future of College Athletics Apr 23, 2020

On today’s episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Executive Director Mike Moyer. Dernlan and Moyer break down who the NWCA serves, how it is structured, and the ways in which it betters the sport of wrestling. Moyer provides an administrative point of view on how the Coronavirus has impact college athletics, as well as institutions in general. Moyer suggests a full restructuring of the institution of college athletics in order to preserve Olympic sporting programs and provides details of how the NWCA is working with other coaches associations in order to advocate for the preservation of Olympic sports as the NCAA prepares to make a decision which could lead to catastrophic cuts across all sports.

#150: Dake vs Burroughs, D1 All-Americans and Program Cuts Apr 23, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the fallout resulting from COVID-19 on wrestling programs as well as athletic programs across all sports being dropped from schools with the uncertainty ahead. The two also discuss the semantics and caveats that have come with the awarding of All-American and Honorable mentions to athletes from the 2020 season and how this will be looked at from a historical and statistics perspective in the future. Lastly, Dernlan and Bryant tackle the topic of celebration and trash talk in the sport of wrestling through the lens of the Dake and Burroughs podcast orchestrated by Ben Askren.

#149: LIVE with Logan Stieber - Breaking Down His Freshman Year Apr 23, 2020

On today’s LIVE episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 4x NCAA Champion and 2016 World Champion Logan Stieber. Stieber, a coach at the Ohio RTC and founder of the Stieber Elite Wrestling Academy, has transitioned into serving the sport after capping off one of the most successful competitive careers in American wrestling history. Dernlan and Stieber discuss Logan's entire freshman season which culminated in his first of four NCAA titles.

#148: Coach Bolyard on Program Cuts Apr 17, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant are joined by former Eastern Michigan head wrestling coach and current volunteer assistant coach at the University of Michigan, David Bolyard. Bolyard held the reigns on one of the most successful EMU wrestling programs in recent history before the program was cut in April of 2018.

#146: 75th Anniversary Team Part 3 - Heavyweights Apr 15, 2020

In this final episode of the series, Dernlan and Bryant break down the heavyweight team members, discuss wrestlers who they think should have made the cut, and who they'd replace. The heavyweights are Clarion’s Kurt Angle, Iowa’s Ed Banach, Pittsburgh-Johnstown’s Carlton Haselrig, Oklahoma’s Dan Hodge and Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson.

#145: LIVE Q&A with Logan Stieber Apr 13, 2020

On today's LIVE episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 4x NCAA Champion and 2016 World Champion Logan Stieber. Stieber, a coach at the Ohio RTC and founder of the Stieber Elite Wrestling Academy, has transitioned into serving the sport after capping off one of the most successful competitive careers in American wrestling history. Dernlan and Stieber discuss the transition from athlete to coach, how he's coached his athletes through the postponement of the 2020 Games and how people can get better physically and mentally while stuck at home. The two field questions from the live viewers to address a variety of other topics as well.

#144: Exclusive Interview with Lehigh Head Coach Pat Santoro Apr 10, 2020

Matt Dernlan is joined by Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro to discuss the current state of Lehigh athletics, staying motivated during Coronavirus quarantine, and the importance of Regional Training Centers to the advancement of American wrestling.

#143: 75th Anniversary Team Part 2 - Middleweights Apr 09, 2020

In this episode, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant break down the middleweight members of the NCAA's 75th Anniversary Wrestling Team, discuss wrestlers who they think should have made the cut, and who they’d replace. The middleweights are Lee Kemp of Wisconsin, Lincoln McIlravy of Iowa, Wade Schalles of Clarion, Pat Smith of Oklahoma State, and Joe Williams of Iowa.

#142: Exclusive Interview with Dominick Cruz Apr 08, 2020

Matt Dernlan is joined by UFC bantamweight legend Dominick Cruz to discuss his career, overcoming injuries and how wrestling has prepared him for fighting and life.

#141: Breaking Down the NCAA's 75th Anniversary Team - Lightweights Apr 07, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant break down the 75th Anniversary Team, as presented by the NCAA in conjunction with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The team, named at the 2005 NCAA Wrestling Championships, is comprised of 15 of the all-time greats, as voted on by college wrestling fans.
A panel of collegiate wrestling experts built a list of 45 former wrestlers, classified in three divisions: lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight. Of the 45 nominees, the top-five vote getters in each division was named to the team. The lightweights named to the team were Fresno State's Stephen Abas, Iowa's Tom Brands, Iowa State's Dan Gable, and Oklahoma State's John Smith. The middleweights consisted of Lee Kemp of Wisconsin, Lincoln McIlravy of Iowa, Wade Schalles of Clarion, Pat Smith of Oklahoma State, and Joe Williams of Iowa. The team was capped off with heavyweights Kurt Angle of Clarion, Ed Banach of Iowa, Pittsburgh-Johnstown's Carlton Haselrig, Dan Hodge of Oklahoma, and Iowa State's Cael Sanderson.

#140: Chris Pendleton Takes the Helm at Oregon State Apr 03, 2020

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Jason Bryant is joined by 2x NCAA Champion at Oklahoma State and new Oregon State University head wrestling coach Chris Pendleton. Pendleton led Arizona State for the past six seasons as an assistant coach under Zeke Jones, and during that time he helped produce countless upper-weight All-Americans. Prior to ASU, Pendleton was an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming for four years. A three-time All-American at Oklahoma State, Pendleton was a member of a Cowboy team for three of the = four consecutive team national titles from 2003-2006.
SHOW NOTES
0:00 Show Introduction
0:40 Virtual Job Interview
3:05 Going Against Former Teammates for Jobs
6:25 Oregon State's Tradition + Community
9:53 Finally Becoming a Head Coach
11:15 Administration Support + Vision
14:20 Regional Recruiting
22:07 Next Steps for Program
25:50 Learning from Previous Programs
33:10 Staying in the Pac12

#139: Campbell Wrestling Head Coach Scotti Sentes Apr 02, 2020

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by new Campbell wrestling head coach Scotti Sentes. Sentes, a two-time NCAA All-American for Central Michigan University, served as head assistant coach at Cal Poly before spending five seasons at Campbell under then head coach Cary Kolat. Together, they brought the Campbell program back from the ashes, transforming the SoCon team into a regional powerhouse. Dernlan and Sentes discuss the transition from head assistant to head coach, how Sentes has been leading his team virtually and what the future looks like for the Camels.
SHOW NOTES
0:00 Show Introduction
0:50 First Steps as Head Coach
4:36 Support from Athletic Department
5:55 Get to Know Scotti Sentes
9:40 How Career at Campbell Eased the Transition
11:15 Rebuilding the Program in Six Years

#138: Coaching Changes and NCAA Decisions Apr 01, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant dive into the whirlwind of head coaching changes across college wrestling, highlighting two of Division I’s biggest hires: Cary Kolat and Chris Pendleton. Dernlan, who has an extensive history in serving on and leading Division I coaching staffs himself, breaks down what makes a head coach applicant attractive to athletic directors, and the crucial next steps of building a staff and recruiting athletes. The two then move on to discuss the NCAA’s recent decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to spring sport athletes, but take no action for athletes of winter sports, leaving many careers at their abrupt and unexpected end.
SHOW NOTES
0:00 Show Introduction
1:03 Cary Kolat Hired as Navy Head Coach
4:20 Chris Pendleton Hired as Oregon State Head Coach
11:40 What Do Head Coaches Look For When Hiring Staff?
14:56 What Makes a Head Coach Candidate Desirable?
16:34 Oregon State Wrestling’s History and Tradition
21:10 Recruiting Challenges
23:35 Addressing the NCAA’s Eligibility Decision

On Deck with Ben Askren #12: Canaan Bower, Stephen Neal Apr 01, 2020

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by wrestling vigilante Canaan Bower and revered hall-of-fame wrestler and Superbowl Champion, Stephen Neal. Bower, a 16-year-old from Las Cruces, New Mexico recently went viral across the country for a video showing him storming into a gas station and physically taking down an alleged kidnapper, pinning him down until the police arrived. Bower is a district wrestling champion for Mayfield high school. Neal, a 2x NCAA Champion, 1999 Hodge Trophy Winner, World Champion, and 3x Superbowl champion, started his wrestling career relatively late, but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most revered athletes in the wrestling community. He and Askren discuss everything from the importance of participating in multiple sports to how he applied what he learned in wrestling to becoming an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots.
Show Notes
0:00 Show Introduction
0:41 Canaan Bower
7:33 Stephen Neal
10:48 Specializing in More Than One Sport
14:54 California High School Career
16:18 Getting to Cal-State Bakersfield
17:17 Winter Sports Played in High School
19:28 Playing Football in College Too?
23:23 Reacting to Tom Brady’s Move
24:52 CSU-Bakersfield Contributing to Success
30:31 NCAA Titles
33:23 Freestyle Career
36:38 Goals for 1999
43:48 Lessons Learned in 2000
46:20 NFL Career

#137: Exclusive Interview With Cary Kolat Mar 30, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan gets an exclusive look into the factors that drove Cary Kolat to leave his post at Campbell to take the head coaching job at the U.S. Naval Academy. Kolat served as the head coach for the Campbell Camels for six seasons, leading his team to three SoCon Tournament titles and two regular-season SoCon Championships in the past four seasons alone.
SHOW NOTES
0:00 Show Introduction
0:43 Why the Naval Academy?
3:20 What the Conversation with Navy’s A.D. Was Like
5:20 What Did You Learn About Running a Successful Program?
8:22 What Perspective Did You Gain Coaching at Campbell?
11:18 What Message Did You Have for You Team at Campbell?

#136: Kyle Snyder on Current Mindset Mar 28, 2020

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by three-time World and Olympic champion Kyle Snyder. The two discuss the postponement of the 2020 Games, his mindset during present adversity, Kyle’s decision to train at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and more.
Show Notes
0:00 Show Introduction
0:50 Last Two Weeks
2:30 Performance at Pan-Am Qualifier
4:38 What’s Contributed to Kyle’s current state as a wrestler
8:01 Developing a Technical Mentality
10:43 Differing Mindset from Last Year
13:09 What’s the Threshold Each Match?
15:20 Goal for Your Opponents?
18:04 The Mind Controls the Body
21:32 Breaking Opponents
24:00 Turning Postponement Into a Positive
26:17 No End in Sight
28:15 Always Having a Student Mentality
32:11 Being Grateful for Rivals
33:25 Kyle’s Move to State College
37:00 Getting on the Same Page
39:15 Difference Penn State Has Made

#135: Picking the Brain of Coach Lou Rosselli Mar 28, 2020

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 1996 Olympian and University of Oklahoma head coach Lou Rosselli. A veteran coach of numerous powerhouse programs, Rosselli has served the sport of wrestling as a collegiate and freestyle coach for over a decade. Rosselli and Dernlan dive into a variety of topics including recruiting, his career at Oklahoma, international wrestling and the silver linings which come out of the cancellation of sports for the foreseeable future.
Show Notes
1:46 Virtual Recruiting Realities
4:58 Virtual Academic Support
6:48 Missing Social Component
9:10 Silver Linings
16:54 Reflecting on OU Career
21:35 What Type of Wrestler is Right for OU?
26:37 Transition from Edinboro
31:15 Differences in Recruiting at Larger Schools
35:23 Education As a Priority
38:13 Differing Philosophies
41:40 Skills Needed to Transition to Freestyle
47:30 Tactical Execution
50:35 Growth of the Sport from RTCs
1:02:38 Qualifying 65kg for the Games
1:05:32 2021 Team Trials Procedure

#134: First NCAA Championship Experiences Mar 26, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant reflect on seasons past and remember the first NCAA Championships they attended or participated in. The two take a trip back in time to championships from the 90s and early 2000s and discuss unforgettable moments in wrestling history.

#133: What the 2021 Games Means for Wrestling Mar 26, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant react to the Summer Games being delayed to 2021. The two discuss the global impact of a sports-less 2020 summer, what the postponement means for the sport of wrestling, and what the future landscape looks like for athletes.
Show Notes 0:00
Show Intro 6:20
Postponement of 2020 Games
11:42 Oly-Redshirt Eligibility
21:09 Benefits to the Games in 2021
25:05 RTCs Impact on Training Opportunity
27:06 Where Will Athletes Train?
28:50 Logistics + Global Impact of Delay
33:05 What Will Happen With NCAA Wrestling?
39:02 Why a Final Decision About NCAA Eligibility is Important
41:25 Details About Our Exclusive Interview with Cary Kolat

#132: Gabe Dean on Coaching at Cornell Mar 25, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by 2x NCAA Champion Gabe Dean. Dean, an assistant coach at his alma mater Cornell, talks how the past few weeks have changed his perspective as both a coach and fan of the sport. Dernlan and Dean dive into Gabe’s transition from athlete to coach, Cornell’s success on and off the mat, Olympic redshirts, and more.
0:00 Show Intro
2:23 Wrestling and Life Lessons
7:48 Transition From Athlete to Coach
11:58 Cornell’s Success This Year
15:41 Princeton-Cornell Beef
18:05 What Separates Cornell?
26:33 Finger Lakes RTC
30:24 Olympic Redshirts
34:27 Qualifying 65kg
40:35 Switching to Online Classes
47:07 Physical Activity During Quarantine

The Way #35 | 2020 Games Postponed Mar 25, 2020

On this episode of The Way, Matt Dernlan and Cary Kolat react to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from this July to the summer of 2021. Kolat, an Olympian who competed at the Sydney Games in 2000, reflects on his own adversity at the Games and predicts what the prospective athletes representing the United States are thinking and feeling.

On Deck with Ben Askren #11: Jody Strittmatter Mar 24, 2020

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by 4x All-American, 2x NCAA Champion, and co-founder of Young Guns Wrestling Club, Jody Strittmatter. Strittmatter, current assistant coach at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, has coached Division I prodigies including Penn State’s Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph and Iowa’s Spencer Lee to name a few. Askren and Strittmatter discuss all things club wrestling from athlete development to how to get athletes and parents to buy in.
Show Notes
0:00 Show Introduction
2:37 Coaching Influence
4:57 Recruitment Out of High School
7:16 Transferring to Iowa
11:20 Dan Gable
14:05 Tom + Terry Brands
15:42 Jim Zalesky
16:54 Young Guns Wrestling Club
20:31 Club + Development Morals
23:20 Tailoring Coaching to Athletes
27:05 The First Big Name From YGWC
28:10 Jason Nolf
33:10 Spencer Lee
35:49 Vincenzo Joseph
37:47 When Did You Go From Good to Great?

#131: Frank Molinaro on Suffering and Mindset Mar 19, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro. Molinaro, a 2012 NCAA Champion for Penn State and coached by Dernlan, is currently training for the 2020 Games at the Oklahoma Regional Training Center. The two discuss training at the highest level from all angles, ranging from diet and nutrition to the mindset that has propelled Molinaro late in his career.
0:00 Show Intro
2:43 Life at Oklahoma RTC
4:36 Training Through a Health Crisis
11:00 Weight Cutting
17:00 Buying into Smart Nutrition and Training
31:06 Importance of Mental Training
33:33 Perceived Effort Ratio
37:24 Pushing Mental Limits
43:25 Coach-Athlete Relationship
52:18 Suffering
1:04:53 Finding the Right Place to Train
1:11:15 Reasons for Still Competing

#130: March Sadness Mar 19, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the cancellation of the NCAA Wrestling Championships due to Coronavirus concerns, bringing the 2019-2020 collegiate wrestling season to an unexpected and disappointing end. The two discuss the cancellation from the perspective of athlete, coach, fan and member of the media, and break down the possibility of the NCAA granting extra years of eligibility.
0:00 Show Intro
2:40 History of Disruptions to Wrestling
10:50 Impact on the Athletes
15:35 Reality of an Extra Year in All Divisions
19:35 Economic Implications of Extra Years
23:57 Is March Really All That Matters?
28:22 Setting Precedents for the Future
31:40 Cancelling Events vs. Postponing
59:24 2019-20 Season Isn’t a Loss
0:00 Show Intro
2:43 Life at Oklahoma RTC
4:36 Training Through a Health Crisis
11:00 Weight Cutting
17:00 Buying into Smart Nutrition and Training
31:06 Importance of Mental Training
33:33 Perceived Effort Ratio
37:24 Pushing Mental Limits
43:25 Coach-Athlete Relationship
52:18 Suffering
1:04:53 Finding the Right Place to Train
1:11:15 Reasons for Still Competing

#129: Reactions to the Season Ending Mar 18, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Cary Kolat joins Matt Dernlan to discuss the abrupt end to the 2019-2020 NCAA Wrestling season, what it means for the athletes and for the sport as a whole. Dernlan and Kolat provide a coach’s perspective to the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament, and discuss the pros and cons of the possibility of the NCAA granting extra years of eligibility.
0:00 Show Intro
0:31 NCAA Wrestling Tournament Cancelled
2:37 Eligibility: Pros and Cons to an Extra Year
9:05 Campbell’s Progression as a Program
11:25 No True End to the Season
11:50 What’s Day-to-Day Life Like?
14:37 -Athletes Losing Structure
17:53 Resources Going Virtual
20:50 Reality of 5- and 6-Year Careers
22:58 Moving On Past Competing

On Deck with Ben Askren #10: Kayla Miracle Mar 17, 2020

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren sits down with 2019 U23 World Silver Medalist and Olympic hopeful Kayla Miracle. After qualifying the 62kg women's freestyle spot for the United States at the 2020 Olympics at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier, Kayla reflects on her performance, and looks ahead to the coming weeks of training for an Olympic Trials with no set date. Askren and Miracle also discuss life at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and reactions to the NCAA Wrestling Championships being cancelled.
Show Notes:
0:00 Show Introduction
3:40 Kayla Miracle Intro
7:00 Wrestling Events Being Cancelled
10:20 Pan American Olympic Qualifier Recap
11:38 Hawkeye Wrestling Club Depth
17:58 Preparing for a Delayed Olympic Trials
21:35 Iowa Training Partners
24:00 Reaction to Cancelled NCAA Championships
24:57 Things To Do During Quarantine

#128: Big Ten Conference Championship Reactions Mar 12, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant break down the Big Ten Conference Championship, talk ideal NCAA Finals matchups at various weights, and discuss an array of factors which contribute to the added pressure of performing at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
0:00 Show Intro
1:25 Weather Predictions for NCAAs
2:25 NAIA National Championship
6:20 NCAA Division I Wrestling Media Guide
7:45 Big Ten Championship
8:14 Iowa's Performance
11:16 Did Nebraska Peak Too Early?
12:48 Overtraining in the Postseason
19:57 Marinelli vs. Joseph
22:38 Pletcher vs. Lee
24:17 Hall vs. Kemerer
29:04 Pressure of the NCAA Finals
31:36 Seabass vs. RBY
35:47 Parris vs. Steveson
40:53 Other Big Ten Teams' Performances
47:10 Big 12's Underwhelming Performance
50:15 Remaining Conference Tournaments

On Deck with Ben Askren #9: Thomas Gilman and Purdue Head Coach Tony Ersland Mar 10, 2020

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren sits down with World Silver Medalist, former Hawkeye, and Olympic hopeful Thomas Gilman to discuss his trip to Russia, relationships with Iowa wrestlers in the light of Big 10’s and the Olympics, as well as his mindset approaching the Pan American Games. Then Askren talks with Purdue Wrestling Head Coach Tony Ersland to recap Purdue’s impressive performance over the past wrestling season as well as at the Big 10’s, and what’s behind Purdue’s rise over the last five years along with what to expect for the future of the program. Show Notes: 0:00 Show Introduction 0:58 Thomas Gilman 19:57 Thomas Gilman Recap 22:06 Tony Ersland 36:00 Tony Ersland Recap 36:23 Show Close

#127 Championship Season Pt. 2 Mar 10, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the upcoming NAIA Championships, as well as the Big 10 Championships. Dernlan and Bryant discuss the caveats and conditions that will come into play for this year's Big Ten Championships as well as go weight by weight with their picks and predictions on the outcomes for the tournament.
Show Notes:
0:00 Show Introduction
0:36 NAIA
11:37 Big 10 Championship Overview
21:36 125lbs
21:54 133lbs
27:05 141lbs
31:05 149lbs
36:41 157 lbs
40:23 165lbs
43:58 174lbs
49:51 184lbs
54:38 197lbs
1:00:26 Heavyweight
1:05:36 Show Close

#126: Championship Season Pt. 1 Mar 04, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the upcoming championships across all of college wrestling. Bryant gives a lay of the land for the next few weeks as collegiate wrestling wraps the regular season and we head into conference tournaments and each division’s respective national championship. Dernlan and Bryant break down the pros and cons of the Division I NCAA Wrestling Championship being held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and address other fan concerns.

On Deck with Ben Askren #8: Reece Humphrey and Cary Kolat Mar 03, 2020

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren sits down with Campbell Camels Head Coach Cary Kolat to discuss the way he and his staff have been able to make tremendous progress in developing the team in just a few short years. In addition, Askren also gets Kolat’s thoughts on the Iowa State controversy as well as what is different about this generation’s wrestlers vs previous generations. Then Askren talks to NJRTC Head Coach Reece Humphrey about the turnaround at Princeton and Rutgers as well as how the NJRTC is able to flourish. Askren picks Humphrey’s brain on the addition of an “insta-death” rule concerning excessive riding time during matches as well as his predictions for NCAA’s and more.
Show Notes:
0:00 Show Intro
0:50 Cary Kolat
19:14 Cary Kolat Wrap Up
20:10 Reece Humphrey
40:50 Show Wrap Up

On Deck with Ben Askren #7: Keith Gavin and Pat Popolizio Feb 27, 2020

On this episode Ben sits down with the Head coach of the undefeated NC State wrestling team, Pat Popolizio to discuss the benefits of a Dual Meet National Championship alongside the current system as well as talk over the recent controversy with Iowa State. Then Askren talks to Keith Gavin head coach of the Pitt Panthers to recap his season and look ahead to Pitt hosting the ACC’s for this year. Show Notes 0:00 Show Introduction 0:50 Pat Popolizio 17:30 Pat Popolizio Wrap Up 18:20 Keith Gavin Intro 32:20 Show Wrap Up

#125: Zahid Valencia, Kevin Dresser & More Feb 25, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant break down one of the craziest weeks in college wrestling this season. Starting off with a weekend recap, they discuss dual meets won, records broken, and conference depth for programs across the country. At 26:15, Dernlan provides a coach's perspective of the handling of 2x NCAA Champion for ASU Zahid Valencia's failed drug test. Dernlan and Bryant close out the show with an analysis of Iowa State's Last Chance Open and the controversial 184-pound bracket.
SHOW NOTES
0:00 Show Introduction
3:03 Iowa's Record-Breaking Season
4:00 Other Collegiate Wrestling Records
5:13 Iowa vs. Oklahoma State Dual Meet
8:00 NC State Caps Undefeated Season
9:00 ACC's Depth as a Conference
16:55 Wrapping up Iowa vs. OKST
20:55 Princeton Pulls Off NJ Dual Meet Sweep
26:15 Zahid Valencia's Failed Drug Test
45:28 Controversy at Iowa State's Last Chance Open

#124: All Things NCAA Rankings Feb 21, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant talk all things rankings. With both having longstanding experience in the world of rankings, the two break down everything from the difference between the multitude of types of rankings and sources of rankings, as well as discuss coaching and program biases that seem to be present in some rankings.

#123: Penn State vs Ohio State, Iowa vs Minnesota Feb 20, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant catch up after a short break to recap Ohio State vs Penn State and Iowa vs Minnesota, as well as look ahead to the final week of Dual Meets to come. They discuss in detail the matchup between Luke Pletcher and Nick Lee along with the astounding performance of “Gas Tank” Gary Traub as well as some highlighting stand out matches from Iowa vs Minnesota. Show Notes 0:00 Show Introduction 6:09 Premiere Wrestling Events to come 10:21 A look ahead to the final Dual Meets 12:08 Advancements in Women’s Wrestling 16:24 Penn State vs Ohio State Recap 17:00 141 lbs Lee vs Pletcher 35:00 149 lbs Sasso vs Verkleeren 37:07 157 lbs Kinner vs Berge 42:14 165-197 lbs Recap 45:49 Heavyweight Traub vs Nevills 50:00 Iowa vs Minessota Recap 1:04:22 Show Close and Look Ahead

The Way #32 | Peaking from a Coaches Perspective Feb 20, 2020

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss the intricacies and strategies behind getting college athletes to be able to peak correctly through their competition season. Kolat brings a unique perspective as his first recruiting class as a coach in Campbell are now Seniors and his strategy for getting his athletes to peak has changed over the course of his career. The two discuss the importance of balancing the mental and physical aspects of helping athletes to peak in the critical moment, along with the value in trusting the system and not making drastic changes near the end of the year.

On Deck with Ben Askren #6: Jake Sueflohn, Dennis Papadatos, Ned Shuck Feb 18, 2020

On this week’s episode of On Deck, Ben Askren sits down with coaches from three of the NCAA’s top up-and-coming programs. Jake Sueflohn, assistant coach with #10 Purdue wrestling, Hofstra head coach Dennis Papadatos and associate head coach from Army Ned Shuck all discuss their seasons up through this point, and look forward to their conference tournaments and the NCAA championships.

On Deck with Ben Askren #5: Chris Ayres and Cameron Caffey Feb 14, 2020

On this episode of the On Deck Podcast, Ben Askren sits down Princeton head coach Chris Ayres and #8 at 184lbs for Michigan State, Cameron Caffey. Ayres, hot off an Ivy League title win over Cornell, talks all things wrestling from growth and development in both the sport and in his own program over the past few years, to what factors played into the decision to pull senior Matthew Kolodzik’s Olympic redshirt. Caffey and Askren discuss their similarities on and off the mat, from wrestling style to hairstyle. Caffey also breaks down his growth in collegiate wrestling.

The Way #31 | Navigating the Sophomore Slump Feb 14, 2020

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss the reasons behind what is commonly referred to as the “Sophomore Slump” when it comes to Collegiate Wrestling. With both having competitive and coaching backgrounds they bring insight into the potential causes and solutions to what causes athletes to feel a lack of development or excitement after they make it past their Freshman year of competition and don’t immediately experience a continued high level of success.

#122: Previewing Top-10 Matchups and Postseason Predictions Feb 07, 2020

On episode 122 of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant preview duals between UNC and NC State, recap Nebraska's win over Ohio State as well as Wisconsin vs. Purdue. They talk ACC Wrestling from top to bottom, and predict future outcomes and rankings heading into the tail end of the regular season.
Show Notes
0:00 Show Intro
1:46 ACC Wrestling Breakdown
3:35 Duke Wrestling's Challenges
9:40 UNC vs. NC State Preview
9:51 Big 10 Talk
11:38 Nebraska vs. Ohio State Recap
25:35 Luke Pletcher a Top Condender
33:21 Wisconsin vs. Purdue Recap
38:08 Concussion Talk
40:29 Rankings at 149 and Beyond
50:00 Tournament vs. Dual Meet Impact on Rankings
1:04:40 - Show Wrap Up

#121: Iowa vs. Penn State Recap Feb 04, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant sit down to go over their picks and predictions from the most anticipated dual meet of the season between the #1 Iowa Hawkeyes and #2 Penn State Nittany Lions. Dernlan and Bryant go in depth weight by weight with their predictions and individual matchups from 125 through heavyweight and will be back on Monday to recap the results from one of the most exciting matchups of the year. Show Notes 0:00 Show Intro 1:27 Weekend Dual Meet Rundown 8:28 Iowa vs Penn State Preview 22:18 – 125lbs 26:20 – 133lbs 32:48 – 141lbs 38:33 – 149lbs 42:59 – 157lbs 45:56 – 165lbs 53:02 – 174lbs 1:02:32 – 184lbs 1:06:20 – 197lbs 1:13:01 – Heavyweight 1:18:52 – Show Wrap Up

On Deck with Ben Askren #4: Evan Wick, Doug Schwab, and Bryan Snyder Feb 04, 2020

On this Episode of the On Deck Podcast, Ben Askren sits down with #3 at 165lbs Evan Wick, Northern Iowa Head Coach Doug Schwab, and Nebraska Associate Head Coach Bryan Snyder. Askren Discusses Wick’s upcoming match with Vincenzo Joseph, Northern Iowa’s success in the latter half of January, along with the NCAA policy on celebrations in wrestling with Bryan Snyder.

#120: Iowa vs Penn State Picks and Predictions Jan 30, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant sit down to go over their picks and predictions from the most anticipated dual meet of the season between the #1 Iowa Hawkeyes and #2 Penn State Nittany Lions. Dernlan and Bryant go in-depth weight by weight with their predictions and individual matchups from 125 through heavyweight and will be back on Monday to recap the results from one of the most exciting matchups of the year.
Show Notes
0:00 Show Intro
1:27 Weekend Dual Meet Rundown
8:28 Iowa vs Penn State Preview
22:18 - 125lbs
26:20 - 133lbs
32:48 - 141lbs
38:33 - 149lbs
42:59 - 157lbs
45:56 - 165lbs
53:02 - 174lbs
1:02:32 - 184lbs
1:06:20 - 197lbs
1:13:01 - Heavyweight
1:18:52 - Show Wrap Up

#119: Iowa vs Ohio State, Penn State vs Nebraska and North Carolina vs VA Tech Jan 29, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the results and individual matchups from the previous weekend's Dual Meets between Iowa and Ohio State, Penn State and Nebraska, as well as NC State vs Virginia. Special spotlights are given to Sammy Sasso, Kennedy Monday, and Mark Hall.
Show Notes:
0:00 Show Introduction
4:36 Iowa vs Ohio State
19:40 Pat Lugo's vs Sammy Sasso
29:07 Penn State vs Nebraska
45:53 North Carolina vs VA Tech
52:40 Show Wrap Up

On Deck with Ben Askren #3: Zahid Valencia, Coleman Scott, and Pat Popolizio Jan 28, 2020

On this episode of On Deck with Ben Askren, Ben sits down with NC State Head Coach Pat Popolizio, UNC Head Coach Coleman Scott, and number 1 ranked, 2x NCAA Champ and Hodge frontrunner Zahid Valencia. Askren discusses the Hidlay brothers impact on their team as a whole, the growing strength of the ACC, along with admiring Valencia's response to Aaron Brooks, along with his underground MMA history.
Show Notes
0:00 Introduction
0:30 Pat Popolizio
14:32 Coleman Scott
29:24 Zahid Valencia
42:40 Show Wrap-Up

#118: The Rise of the ACC and Preventing Match Forfeits Jan 23, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan is joined once again by National Hall of Fame inductee Jason Bryant to discuss the events of the previous weekend, along with the silent rise of Virginia Tech and the overall depth in the ACC. In addition the two also cover the hosting of the NCAA Tournament being hosted in Minneapolis Minnesota for 2020, and the different options that are available to prevent forfeits during dual meets that has been seen in recent weeks. Show Notes: 0:00 Show Introduction 19:26 Virginia Tech in the Top 5 24:48 NC State Potential 32:45 Big 10 Wrap Up 36:33 2020 Vision for Steveson 44:10 Eliminating Forfeits 1:04:43 Show Wrap-Up

On Deck with Ben Askren #2: Luke Pletcher, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, and Sarah Hildebrandt Jan 22, 2020

On this episode of On Deck with Ben Askren, Ben sits down with World Silver Medalist and Matteo Pellicone Champion Sarah Hildebrandt, World Gold Medalist and 2x U.S. Open Champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock, as well as #1 ranked at 141lbs Luke Pletcher of Ohio State. Askren Discusses Hildebrandt's big move to 50 KG for the upcoming 2020 Olympic trials, Mensah's experience in Rome and her adjustments following the Matteo Pellicone, as well as Pletcher's most anticipated opponents in the coming weeks.
Show Notes
0:00 Introduction
1:54 Sarah Hildebrandt
13:20 Tamyra Mensah
30:46 Luke Pletcher
39:25 Show Wrap-Up

#117 Iowa vs Nebraska Jan 21, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan welcomes his new co-host, National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee and 11 time National Award-Winning Journalist, Jason Bryant. During this episode of the podcast, Matt and Jason discuss the nature of ducking matches, the injury policies and the nature of fatigue for athletes during a college season, in addition to the results of the Iowa and Nebraska Dual meet that took place over the past weekend.

#116: Iowa Style Coming to Fruition Jan 15, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan talks with NCAA Champion and 3x All American Max Askren about the factors behind Iowa's rise to #1 in the NCAA team race for 2020. The two focus on the importance of the culture that has been established at Iowa that has allowed them to remain a top contender for the last several years, and discuss what factors have fallen into place for this season making the team race Iowa's to lose. Along with focusing on Iowa's culture specifically they also discuss whether or not Jaydin Eierman will be pulled out of redshirt in light of the decision with Abe Assad, how certain teams have managed to remain strong at specific weights throughout the years regardless of overall team strength, along with the still looming threat of Penn State's long track record of pulling everything together come March.

On Deck with Ben Askren #1: Chris Bono, Bryan Snyder, and Brian Smith Jan 14, 2020

RUDIS is proud to introduce the brand new podcast On Deck with host Ben Askren. On Deck will be a weekly podcast featuring interviews with the top athletes, coaches, and personalities of the wrestling world discussing current events, life stories, and everything in between. On this first episode of On Deck, Ben Askren interviews Wisconsin Badgers Head Coach and NCAA Champion Chris Bono, 2017 USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year and Nebraska Assistant Head Coach Bryan Snyder, and Ben Askren's own former coach Brian Smith of Missouri.
Show Order
0:00 Show Introduction
2:10 Chris Bono
16:50 Bryan Snyder
32:50 Brian Smith
Subscribe to the On Deck with Ben Askren Feed for future episodes.

The Way #30 | The Importance of Realistic Goals Jan 10, 2020

On this episode of The Way, Matt Dernlan and Cary Kolat weigh in on the topic of realistic goals and dreams for athletes during competition. With both having a deep background in coaching they discuss the caveats of keeping it honest with your athletes about what goals are realistically achievable while also giving them the opportunity to put in the work and dream big enough to accomplish something great

#115: Arizona State vs Ohio State Recap Jan 09, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by special guest host, NCAA Champion, 2x BIG 12 Champion, and 3x All American Max Askren to recap the down to the wire dual meet between Arizona State and Ohio State.

#114: Southern Scuffle Recap Jan 06, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan recap the results of the 2020 Southern Scuffle matches weight by weight. In addition to covering the results, Askren also announces his new RUDIS podcast in which he will be recording interviews with high profile coaches and athletes over the coming year, along with his continuation of the Mental Mondays series with RUDIS.

#113: Midlands Championships Recap Jan 03, 2020

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan bring in the New Year with a recap of the 2019 Midlands Championships results. To kick off the podcast, the two discuss the tendency of college coaches to try and sway the officials, and then the increased amount of programs giving their athletes time off around the holidays to spend with their families. Digging into the matchups by weight, Dernlan defends Spencer Lee's medical forfeit citing his performance two weeks prior at the U.S. Open, and the two make a prediction that Iowa will win the team race if Penn State continues to be plagued by injury.

#112 LIVE: 2019 Senior Nationals Recap Day 2 Jan 03, 2020

Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan LIVE from Fort Worth Texas at Senior Nationals. Championships Recap

#111 LIVE: US Senior Nationals Day 1 Recap Jan 03, 2020

Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan LIVE From Fort Worth Texas at Senior Nationals

The Way #29 | Discipline vs Sacrifice Jan 02, 2020

On this episode of The Way Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss the problems that come up as coaches when you're a third of the way through the season and issues of rest and recovery come to the surface. Kolat stresses the need for athletes to have perspective on the lucky position that they have while also valuing the importance of resting and recovering outside of the practice room.

The Way #28 | The Importance of Rest and Recovery Dec 27, 2019

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss the differences between Discipline and Sacrifice when it comes to being a wrestler. The discussion begins with Matt recalling a conversation with Kyle Snyder, in which Snyder states that he does not believe he is sacrificing anything in order to be the caliber of wrestler that he is because he loves everything that he does to be that wrestler. Cary agrees with Snyder’s point of view using his experience as an elite competitor as well as a coach, saying that he didn’t begin to have to make sacrifices until he had children and gave things up for them.

#110: 2019 Walsh Jesuit Ironman Recap Dec 17, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan go through a recap of the results of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament that took place over December 13th and 14th. The Ironman Tournament is one of the most anticipated high school wrestling tournaments in the country and brings in the most elite wrestlers and competition at the high school level to one place for a single weekend to compete in a way that comes around only once a year. Askren and Dernlan also discuss the potential picks for the upcoming U.S. Senior Nationals in Fort Wroth Texas this coming weekend.

The Way #27 | Early Wrestling Season Adjustments Dec 13, 2019

#109 Las Vegas Invitational Recap Part 2 Dec 13, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan wrap up their breakdown of the matches at the Las Vegas Invitational from the past weekend. Timestamps by weight can be found below
125lbs 16:25
133lbs 17:33
141lbs 19:00
149lbs 34:34
165lbs 41:55
174lbs 43:36
197lbs 46:07
Heavyweight 50:50
In addition to covering the results of the Invitational, Dernlan and Askren discuss the advantages in wrestling on the East Coast when it comes to opportunities at the D1 level, the sparse Penn State competition schedule, and Cael Sanderson's continued secrecy with his knowledge. The two wrap up the episode with recaps of the Iowa Princeton, Oklahoma Princeton, and the Cougar Clash dual meets, and with a look ahead to a live podcast coming up for the 2019 US Open.

Podcast #108: Las Vegas Invitational Recap Dec 10, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Ben Askren begin by discussing the recent news that Russia has been barred from competing in and hosting international sporting competitions in response to the abuse of P.E.D.’s and cheating scandals in recent years. The two then move on to cover the results of the Las Vegas Invitational with a focus on the incredibly dominant performance at 184 lbs by Zahid Valencia. In addition to the U.S. results over the weekend, Askren and Dernlan get in contact with coach Matt Storniolo to get answers on Sebastian Rivera’s plans after he made the Puerto Rican Olympic team at 61kg.

#107: Las Vegas Invitational Picks and Predictions Dec 06, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Ben Askren discuss the nuances between the NCAA tournament format and the team race during the college wrestling season covering the pros and cons of each. During the second portion of the podcast, the two share their picks and predictions for all of the weight classes participating in the Las Vegas Invitational.

#106: Is a New Era of Hawkeye Wrestling Emerging? Dec 06, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan recap the Wisconsin Iowa Dual Meet with a particular focus on the DeSanto Gross match. Askren and Dernlan debate whether or not Gross is spreading himself too thin trying to compete at an Olympic weight as well as in NCAA competition, and Ben Askren reveals his rankings for the 2020 Hodge.

#105: Will Iowa Win the 2020 Title Riding the Back of PA Recruits? Nov 29, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan cover the remainder of Dual Meets from the previous week and address Spencer Lee's dominant performance. The two also discuss whether or not Cael Sanderson and Penn State's program should have been able to influence Pennsylvania natives that committed to Iowa to stay in their home state. Finally the wrap up the podcast with news that Russia may be facing consequences in the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games for issues concerning performance-enhancing drugs throughout the country.

#104: Arizona State Ends Penn State 60 Dual Meet Streak Nov 26, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan cover the 4th week of NCAA wrestling results focusing on the end of Penn State's 60 dual meet win streak, as well as the increase in attendance to college wrestling meets as a whole in the recent years.
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The Way #26 | Maintaining Focus While on the Road Nov 22, 2019

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss the struggles and variables that come along with traveling for competition and how to deal with them in order to perform at the highest level possible while on the road. Cary pulls insight from his experience coaching at Campbell University through competition in the early 2019 season as well as from his experience as a college and senior-level competitor himself.

#103: College Wrestling Week 3 – The Black Knight Invitational Nov 21, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan cover the results of the previous weekend’s College Wrestling competition including The Black Knight Invitational, Rider vs Minnesota, Army vs Penn State and more. In addition Dernlan congratulates Ben Askren on his retirement from two decades of wrestling and fighting and calls attention to the tremendous amount of benefit Askren has brought to the sport of wrestling.

The Way #25 | The Problem with NCAA Wrestling Officiating Nov 15, 2019

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss the current state of officiating in college-level wrestling. Both agree that officials are held to unreasonably high expectations in relation to their compensation for working wrestling meets, and that fans harassing officials for missed calls leads to officials leaving the sport. Kolat and Dernlan emphasize that officials are often working as a service because the pay is so low and they often have to cover their own travel and lodging expenses, and the way to draw more high level officiating to the sport is to increase the pay scale for officials. The two wrap up their discussion by explaining that coaches should take the time to understand how an official is going to call a match so that they can best serve their team and avoid butting heads with an official unnecessarily.

#101: College Wrestling Week 2 – Journeymen Tournament Nov 14, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan cover the results of the 2nd week of NCAA wrestling beginning with the 2019 Journeymen Tournament. The two cover Valencia’s slim victory, Dom Demas’ highlight reel performance and finally Luke Pletcher’s difficult match with Real Woods.

#100: Jaydin Eierman to Iowa and the Future of RTCs Nov 13, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan discuss the implications of Jaydin Eierman leaving Missouri and transferring to Iowa in his 5th year. The two also speculate that some athletes will abuse the portal, especially when factoring in RTC’s. From here they discuss the benefits RTC’s have in raising the United States talent level for Olympic competition and whether or not the close relationship between college programs and RTC’s is intrinsically fair to those with fewer resources.

#99: The Princeton Open and the Impact of True Freshmen Nov 13, 2019

On this Episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Benn Askren and Matt Dernlan continue their coverage of the opening week of college wrestling season. They begin their discussion with a continuation on the topic of talent in sports and then move into a discussion of the advantages of starting your sport at certain ages vs holding athletes back from a sport. Askren and Dernlan also cover the results of Missouri vs Virginia Tech, as well as the Princeton open, noting the large impact of Freshman specifically on Cornell’s team stepping up in the place of Olympic redshirt athletes.

The Way #24 | Coaching from the Corner Nov 06, 2019

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss what the best ways of coaching from your athlete’s corner during competition are. The two begin by discussing the process of wrestle off’s and how to determine starters and move into talking about their preferred methods of coaching from the corner as well as how to deal with officials and questionable calls during a match or tournament.

#98: College Wrestling Week 1- Sammy Sasso for 2020 Hodge Nov 06, 2019

#97: 2019 World Championships Scoring Breakdown Nov 06, 2019

The Way #23 | The Importance of Doing it On Your Own Oct 25, 2019

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss the benefits and requirements for having “On Your Own” workouts in the wrestling room. With their combined coaching experience the two talk about how the sign of a healthy program and healthy team is when the athletes are able to not only believe in the program but take the reins and know what work they need to put in independently of coaching.

#96: Exclusive Interview with Tamyra Mensah-Stock Oct 24, 2019

On this Episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren sits down with 2019 World Champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock to discuss her introduction to the sport of wrestling, the growth and development that led to her becoming a World Champion, and her future goals in the sport.

#95: 125-149lb College Wrestling Rankings and Predictions Oct 23, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan break down the current ratings for the NCAA wrestling season for 125 lbs 133 lbs and 149 lbs

#94: 157-174lb College Wrestling Rankings and Predictions Oct 22, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan break down the current ratings for the NCAA wrestling season for 174lbs, 165lbs, and 157lbs. 6:10 At 174lbs the two discuss the lack of depth in the weight class with Mark Hall being the only remaining clear #1 at the weight, as well as the top rated athletes being majority seniors. They also discuss the performance of Anthony Valencia, and what the future may hold for Ohio State’s Carson Kharchla. 19:20 Askren and Dernlan also take a few minutes to attempt to name the 9 four time NCAA finalists as of 2001. 26:10The two then discuss the potential at 165lbs spending some time breaking down the success of Wisconsin’s Evan Wick and what he will need to do to remain successful in the coming season. The two finish up by breaking down 157lbs and have high hopes and excitement for the high volume of talented freshmen entering the scene including Jacori Teemer.

#93: Snyder to NLWC & Super 32 Breakdowns Oct 15, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan discuss the decision of RUDIS Athlete Kyle Snyder to make the move to the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club from Ohio State and the advantages of changing up your environment in the sport to gain an edge. They also briefly discuss the recent world record-shattering marathon by Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge who ran 26.2 miles in 1:59:40 seconds, and the mental implications and parallels this has in the world of wrestling, specifically with Jordan Burrough's raising national expectations for the United States in the past decade. Lastly the two break down performances of several athletes in competition at Super 32's and discuss the increased attendance by college coaches who are looking to recruit, as well as the growth of Super 32's compared to Fargo.

The Way #22 | Establishing Discipline in the Wrestling Room Oct 15, 2019

On this episode of The Way, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan divert from their traditional format of the podcast and dive into the concept of discipline in the wrestling room from the perspective of their combined years of experience as both athletes and coaches of top tier wrestling programs.
The two break down how the concepts of discipline in the sport has changed from the time that they were actively competing, as well as discuss ways that they practically applied discipline during their time as coaches, weighing the benefits and downfalls of certain methods.

#92: College Wrestling Top Contenders Oct 10, 2019

On this episode of the podcast, Ben and Matt break down their predictions for the top contenders in the upcoming college wrestling season for each weight class.

#91: Who’s Number 1 Recap Oct 08, 2019

This week on the podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan discuss the results of Who’s Number 1, breaking down several different matches. They also debate the idea of whether or not talent is a legitimate factor in success as an athlete when compared to environment and work ethic overall. To wrap up the show they also explain why they believe that the Pat Downey and Nicky Rodriguez Supermatch was detrimental to the sport of grappling as a whole.

#90: 2020 College Wrestling Season Preview Oct 04, 2019

On this episode of the podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan cover a wide range of topics spanning from a preview of the statistical breakdown from World Championships, the committed recruits for the upcoming college season, potential changes that could be made to redshirt policy, as well as the subject of athlete rights.

#89: 2019 World Championships Recap Oct 01, 2019

On this episode of the podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan go over the results from the U.S. Team’s performance at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships and cover topics like Daton Fix’s performance as well as speculation on which weight class J’Den Cox will be moving to for his 2020 Olympic run. Wrapping up World Championships the two also discuss the bright future of the Wisconsin Badger RTC as well as the decision that Greg Kerkvliet will not take a redshirt despite a persistent injury.

The Way #21 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Leaders Eat Last: Protection From Above Sep 27, 2019

Protection From Above
Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan introduce a new book they will be discussing, Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek. In this episode, they discuss Ch. 1 “Protection from Above”. Throughout the chapter, Sinek utilizes examples from military combat to teach in clear terms of life and death but shows that the same principles can be put to use in all of life, especially in leading a team. Kolat and Dernlan reflect on the idea that the best teams come about as leaders build respectful relationships with those under them and put the welfare of their athletes above their own in order to build trust. They also discuss the importance of relying on their senior athletes to act as the “managers” of the team in order to help lead their younger teammates on a smaller level. Kolat finishes by emphasizing the importance of empathy in leadership. He relies on more experienced seniors to lead and push the younger athletes but stresses the importance of not forgetting where they started and to help the next athletes in line to maintain a cohesive, united team.

#88: Exclusive Interview with Seth Gross Sep 24, 2019

This episode Ben Askren sits down with 2018 NCAA Champion and 2017 NCAA Finalist Seth Gross who is preparing to start his 6th collegiate season and his first season with the University of Wisconsin. They breakdown Gross’s journey starting with how he began wrestling through his troubles and tribulations all the way to the recruitment process and becoming a national champion.

#87: 2019 World Championships Breakdown Part 3 Sep 23, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Ben Askren continue their breakdown of the results of the 2019 World Wrestling Championships. Dernlan reports in from Nur Sultan for the final time and the two recap the last of the Men's Freestyle matches. They discuss the dominant performances of world Champions J'Den Cox and Kyle Dake, as well as the Bronze medal match for Kyle Snyder. Askren comments on Dake's elusiveness as to which weight class he will be moving to for 2020, and the two discuss the deep field of talent and matchups that will be competing to represent the United States for the coming Olympic cycle.

#86: 2019 World Championships Breakdown Part 2 Sep 23, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Ben Askren continue their breakdown of the results of the 2019 World Wrestling Championships. Dernlan is reporting in from Nur Sultan Kazakhstan where the competition is taking place. The two first recognize the dominant performance put on by Tamyra Mensah Stock, as she barrels through the competition to secure her very first World Gold Medal. Askren comments on her versatility as well as her bright future should she continue on her current path. Askren and Dernlan also comment Jordan Burroughs' semi-finals loss and compare the current state of seeding for World Championships to decades previous. Dernlan also speculates on the disappointing results from Nick Gwiazdowski's final match, and what tendencies he will need to change to perform to his full potential in the future. The two will continue their coverage of 2019 World Championships with the final weight classes of Men's Freestyle beginning competition on Saturday 9/21.

#85: 2019 World Championships Breakdown Part 1 Sep 19, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Ben Askren give a breakdown of the results of the 2019 World Championships after 6 days of competition. Dernlan is reporting in from Nur Sultan Kazakhstan where the competition is taking place. The two cover the results of Greco Roman, Women’s freestyle, and the early matches of Men’s Freestyle wrestling, focusing on Tamyra Mensah Stock’s dominant performance as well as questionable officiating in the early Men’s Freestyle competition. The two will continue coverage of World Championships throughout the competition.

#84: 2019 World Championships Preview Sep 18, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Ben Askren make predictions about what they expect to see for each weight class in this year’s World Championships as well as talk college wrestling and how next year being an Olympic year will impact rosters.
125kg: (16:13) The minimum expectation is that Nick Gwiazdowski medals which would qualify the weight class for the Olympics. Askren isn’t confident in Gwiazdowski’s ability to beat Taha Akgul or Geno Petriashvili. Dernlan agrees it will be tough to get into the finals as they have equivalent athleticism, yet Akgul and Petriashvili have a size advantage. Dernlan says the expectation, however, is to win the bronze medal and that it would be a “monumental effort to make the finals”.
97kg: (18:55) Abdulrashid Sadulaev vs Kyle Snyder is set up to be the feature final match of the tournament. Both Askren and Dernlan agree that whoever comes out on top of this series will go down as the greatest of all time.
92kg: (24:19) “World Title or bust” Dernlan states. Both Dernlan and Askren agree that for this weight class the realistic expectation is that J’den Cox wins.
86kg: (27:43) Askren doesn’t believe Pat Downey will place for the U.S. at this weight class. Dernlan says it is unrealistic to expect to qualify the weight for the Olympics.
79kg: (31:59) Both Dernlan and Askren say they will be highly disappointed if Kyle Dake doesn’t come home with the gold medal. Dernlan says he doesn’t see anyone coming close to him in his bracket.
74kg: (33:21) The weight class Askren is most excited about, you can’t overstate how difficult this weight class is. Jordan Burroughs’ goal is to be the greatest ever and to beat John Smith’s highest number of World Titles record of 6.
70kg: (36:57) Askren believes that James Green can beat the others but has, in fact, struggled a bit this year. Dernlan believes that to expect a gold medal is a reach, but there is hope here.
65kg: (39:29) Super deep weight class, “unbelievable” according to Dernlan. Askren believes it’s hard to predict what Zain Retherford will do. The US hasn’t medaled in this weight class since 2006.
61kg: (45:33) Neither Askren or Dernlan have a definite prediction for this weight class. Askren doesn’t believe Tyler Graff will place. Dernlan says either 0-1 or a medal wouldn’t surprise him either way.
57kg: (48:00) Askren admits that Daton Fix is very young and it’s possible for him to lose to one of the top guys. Dernlan believes the opposite in this weight class and says he wouldn’t be surprised if Fix medals.

#82: Yianni vs Zain Wrestle Off with Kyle Snyder & Logan Stieber Sep 04, 2019

RUDIS Wrestling Shoes and Stieber Elite Wrestling Academy
On this special episode, Kyle Snyder and Logan Stieber join Matt Dernlan as they discuss the brand new 2019 RUDIS Wrestling Shoes. Stieber and Snyder breakdown the process of making, developing, and everything that goes into making a shoe. Snyder will also be giving away 2 free pairs of KS Infinity Shoes on his Instagram: @Snyderman45 and his Twitter @Snyder_man45
Stieber and Dernlan get into how the official first week of Stieber Elite Wrestling Academy went. They also talk about the future of Stieber Elite such as tournament season and what the future looks like for a Stieber Elite Dual Team. Stieber explains his ideology on leading and coaching these kids and how it also ties into coaching the parents.
Yianni Diakomihalis vs Zain Retherford Wrestle Off
Dernlan mentions how he can’t think of anyone better to get their insight and opinion on the Yianni vs Zain than Logan Stieber who was the U.S. world representative at 65 kg last year. Stieber gives Zain a lot of credit and talks about how cool it was to see Zain’s emotion after his win. He breaks down Zain and Penn State’s gameplan and Zain’s ability to adapt quickly. He talks about Yianni’s offense and his future looking forward to next years Olympic run.

#81: Exclusive Interview with Daton Fix Aug 22, 2019

Daton Fix Podcast
On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren sits down with 4x Oklahoma State Champion, 2017 Junior World Champion, NCAA Finalist, 2019 Senior World Team Member, and 7x World Team Member Daton Fix. Fix holds many, many more accolades including the most recent Gold Medal at the Lima Pan American Games. Despite Fix’s reputation of winning, he didn’t start wrestling until 5th grade and had to catch up to the other kids who had been wrestling since they were 5. Fix says his dad was a great coach for him and set the foundation for him to succeed. He was told not to focus on results but on progression and if you do that the results will follow. He’s kept that mindset since and is something he claims has helped him throughout his career. Askren talks about how he can’t think of anyone else that wrestles in as many events, tournaments, or duals as Fix. They breakdown Fix’s decision to commit to Oklahoma State as well as his battle in the NCAA finals against Nick Suriano. Fix and Askren also breakdown his U.S. Open and Final X series with Thomas Gilman. Wrapping up the podcast Fix gives an inside look at his training for this year’s World Championships in Kazakhstan and Askren talks John Smith.

#80: Kyle Dake vs Alex Dieringer Wrestle Off Recap Aug 20, 2019

Team USA - One Step Closer to Final Form
This episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan detail and breakdown Dake vs Dieringer, Diakomihalis vs Retherford, wrestling protocol, Junior Greco, and Daton Fix joining Askren on the podcast. Askren commends Dake on his gameplan, execution, and all-around wrestling. Dernlan talks about Dake's ability to adapt to his opponent. He says he has one of the best pushouts in the world, he's great at controlling center and wrestling from space as well as controlling tempo and pace. Next, they get into the topic of Yianni vs Zain and wrestling rules protocol. They mention Cholton Schultz and acknowledge his tremendous potential at the next level. The last topic they discuss is Daton Fix and how the wrestling community has been able to witness his career from such a young age.
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#79: 2019-20 Olympic Redshirts & Junior Worlds Recap Aug 15, 2019

Olympic Red Shirt and Jr. Worlds
This episode Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan cover Yianni Diakomihalis / Zain Retherford arbitration process being dragged out, Mekhi Lewis taking an Olympic redshirt, Vito Arujau at Junior Worlds, and Collegiate rosters for next season. Askren and Dernlan First get into Yianni vs Zain. They believe by the length of time the arbitration process is taking that there will a wrestle-off. What the board is trying to figure out most likely is if they count the second Final X match for Yianni and the series is tied 1-1 or if they call it a nullified match and force Yianni to win two straight matches. They’ll also have to decide when the match will happen with limited time remaining before the World Championships. The next topic they discuss is the domestic battle in the U.S. at the 57kg weight class for the Olympics. The list of elite wrestlers filtering into 57kg is extremely long from Daton Fix, Spencer Lee, Thomas Gilman, Nick Suriano, to Tyler Graff, Nathan Tomasello, and the list goes on and on. For Daton Fix it’s extremely important for him to medal in order to put himself in a final wrestle-off for the Olympic team spot. They also announce they will be going LIVE on YouTube from the RUDIS Wrestling HQ this Saturday, August 17th as they watch the Kyle Dake vs Alex Dieringer wrestle-off. Lastly the breakdown Junior Worlds and the potential of these amazing wrestlers.

#78: Exclusive Interview with Spencer Lee Aug 08, 2019

Spencer Lee Before Iowa
On this special episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren sits down with 2x NCAA Champion and Iowa Hawkeye Spencer Lee for an exclusive interview. Askren first met Lee at Young Guns Camp when Lee was a sophomore or junior in high school. Even at that time, Lee was a wrestling prodigy with 3 Pennslyvania State Titles a Cadet World Title and 2 Junior World Titles. They talk about Lee’s beginning experiences with the sport of wrestling, how he developed his skills and the mindset ingrained in him from his father. Next, they get into Lee’s experience winning Cadet Worlds. Askren and Lee also talk recruitment and how it was between Iowa, Iowa State, and Penn State when he was deciding where he wanted to wrestle in college. Lee talks about the process of getting back into competition and rehabbing his knee injury.
Austin DeSanto and Wrestling Conditioning
Askren brings up the topic of Austin DeSanto. Ever since high school and DeSanto beat Lee at states they had mutual respect. Lee talks about wanting DeSanto to come to Iowa and how it all worked out in the end. The next topic Askren and Lee get into is wrestling conditioning and lifting weights. Lee works with Iowa’s strength and conditioning coach but overall doesn’t stress strength and is more focused on being a technician with a gas tank that won’t fail him during the crucial moments of a match.
Freestyle Career and Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Style
Askren asks Lee to talk about his future plans competing in freestyle and chasing Olympic Gold. Lee says he does not have plans set in stone. He will continue to discuss with the people around him and his coaches to figure out what’s best for him and his career. The last topic is about the Iowa Hawkeyes and their style of wrestling. Askren has picked Iowa to win next years team title. Lee agrees that they have more than enough talent and the opportunity is there for the taking they just have to execute and avoid injury to the best of their ability.

#77: The Future of Regional Training Centers Aug 07, 2019

RTCs
On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan discuss the main topics from the NWCA coach’s convention including changes/recommendations for how RTCs are being run, monitored, regulated and enforced by the NCAA. They kick off the podcast by bringing up current news of Zain Retherford not wrestling at the 2019 Pan Ams. They also briefly discuss the news of Yianni Diakomihalis officially announcing he will taking an Olympic redshirt year. Next, Askren and Dernlan talk 2019 Cadet Worlds held in Sofia, Bulgaria. Notably our women’s team performance.
The Future of the Sport
Getting into the discussion of RTCs, Askren asks “Do we care more about elevating and growing the sport as well as bringing up the level of competition for the US senior-level athletes to compete internationally? Or do we care more about the fairness of the college competition?” The answer to this question will help determine the future state of RTCs. Next years NCAA Championships being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the U.S. Bank Stadium will be the first time in its history the championships are held in a stadium as opposed to an arena. Dernlan talks about how he heard at the NWCA Coach’s Convention that they have sold close to 20,000 seats and are working on unveiling a plan to grow it to close to 40,000.
One Semester Season
Another hot topic surrounding last weekends convention is switching the college wrestling season to a one-semester sport. This would benefit the academic side of the sport by not pulling athletes away from the classroom over two semesters and allowing them to schedule their classes easier. It would also allow wrestling to bump the national championship back to April instead of “competing” against basketballs march madness. Lastly, there was talk about two types of championships stretched over two semesters. One would be a dual meet champion season and the other would be a tournament championship. Askren talks about when you can win a team race with 4 wrestlers that is probably not the best way to judge the best overall team. Coming up on the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Askren will be interviewing 2x NCAA Champion, Spencer Lee.

The Way #20 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: Never Ever Quit Aug 02, 2019

You Will Always Regret it
This episode Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Ch. 10 “Never Ever Quit” from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. This chapter talks about not giving up on your dreams and having the fortitude to stick to the process. Refusing to give up and standing tall against the odds makes life what you make of it. Kolat talks about the part in the book during SEAL training where the drill instructor tells the trainees if they quit now they will live with that regret forever. Kolat thinks this is a powerful statement and one many people don't bring up when motivating others to not give up.
Bear the Burden on Your Own (2:34)
Being self-sufficient is crucial. Kolat talks about how he prepped for competitions and what he took with him so even if no one had Gatorade/snacks or dry clothes for him he was prepared. When you do get help it's a welcomed relief but you have to be mentally and physically prepared for life. Dernlan talks about the role wrestling plays in teaching kids self-reliance. In a day and age of helicopter parents watching and fixing every problem or lawnmower parents knocking down obstacles in their children's way it's no wonder, kids haven't learned to be self-sufficient. This ties back to essentially teaching kids to quit. Instead of allowing them to figure it out all they have to do is step back and allow the parents/teachers/adults to fix all problems. This is not to be confused with abandoning or not helping but rather it's leading.Be
Brutally Honest with Yourself First (11:34)
Kolat and Dernlan break down the role of a coach specifically a college coach preparing their athletes for the rest of their lives. While coaching one of Dernlan's priorities was to prepare kids for the non-cushioned real life after college. If he could get them to hold themselves to a high standard with a strong sense of self-honesty he knew they would be successful.

#76: Exclusive Interview with University of Maryland Head Coach Alex Clemsen Jul 30, 2019

Why Maryland?
On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan sits down with newly named University of Maryland Head Wrestling Coach Alex Clemsen. Dernlan asks Clemsen why Maryland was the right choice for him to take his storied coaching career to the next level. Clemsen speaks about the close relationships he has with many of the instrumental administration and staff surrounding Maryland. He also mentions just how good of a school it is academically on top of being in the BIG 10 wrestling the best schools in the country. When you combine great people, great education, and great competition you can’t go wrong.
The Difference (6:42)
Dernlan asks Clemsen about the things that have jumped out to him immediately as the difference moving from an associate head coach position to head coach. Coming from a unique four-year position at Missouri, Clemson was empowered with a lot of responsibility and included in decision making that most coaches in that position wouldn’t be. This had made the transition to head coach seamless.
Learning from Legends (13:22)
Since Clemsen’s athletic career at Edinboro being coached by Tim Flynn and Lou Roselli where he was an All-American and 4x NCAA qualifier he has been surrounded by legends in the sport. Clemsen goes on to tell how Flynn and Roselli played a crucial role in shaping him as a young man and ingraining into him many of the principles he lives by today. He also speaks about his time at Oregon coaching under Troy Steiner. Overall Clemsen is thankful he’s had the opportunities to be around not just good wrestling minds but good human beings.
Recruiting (26:45)
The topic of recruiting is brought up and Clemsen gives his thoughts on the ongoing trend of recruiting kids at a younger and younger age. He doesn’t believe it’s healthy for a few reasons. One reason is pushing kids to compete more is not good for their bodies or minds. From weight cutting to injuries to mental fatigue, too many repetitions and competitions are not beneficial. Another unspoken about factor about competing more is the money and time required to travel to and compete in tournaments and showcase events. Lastly, the younger you recruit the harder it is to divide your scholarships into a team without holes in the roster. You may recruit a kid thinking they’ll be a 125 lbs wrestler but they grow and become a 144 lbs.
What’s to Come (35:09)
Clemsen talks about the task ahead of him at Maryland and all that he’s excited for. He speaks on the culture he is building, the type of wrestler he is recruiting, and what it means to be a Terrapin.
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The Way #19 | Make Your Bed: Rise to the Occasion & Give People Hope Jul 26, 2019

The Harsh Reality
This episode Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Ch. 8 “Rise to the Occasion” and Ch. 9 "Give People Hope" from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. Ch. 8 deals a lot with giving respect to those soldiers who don't make it home, the realities of war, and the true dangers involved. Kolat and Dernlan don't entertain the idea that this is comparable to wrestling. They move on to Ch. 9 that covers a topic many people are fascinated with when it comes to SEAL training, Hell Week. Kolat relays what some of his SEAL friends have told him about Hell Week and that is that Hell Week is actually not the hardest part of BUD/S but getting through the entire 6 months of being wet, cold, and sandy is.
Hell Week (8:50)
Dernlan talks about how wrestling programs draw from the idea of a "Hell Week". You have to make sure the athlete understands what they're getting into entering a collegiate program right away. The worst thing for both the program and the individual would be if they had a false reality of what they were getting into and end up quitting. Everyone's going to question if going through this is really worth it, or if they're getting out what they're putting in but that's normal. Dernlan would remind his athletes this and tell his team to lift up their teammates when they're on the edge or ready to give up. Admiral McRaven talks about how it only takes one individual to be the change in everyone's attitude, morale, and motivation. This is true in wrestling as well. Kolat says one guy becoming a national champ can motivate the entire program to be great and achieve their goals. It also only takes one guy to quit to allow others to rationalize in their head to quit.
You're Always Under Attack (17:20)
Kolat speaks on how you're always going to be mentally tested. Who you surround yourself with is extremely important. If you're serious about your goals surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals is crucial for your success.

#75: Exclusive Interview with Yianni Diakomihalis Jul 25, 2019

Developing a Wrestling Prodigy
On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren is joined by Yianni Diakomihalis for an exclusive interview. Diakomihalis explains how he started wrestling at the young age of five and by ten began training seriously with his father former Rochester Institute of Technology All-American Ilias Diakomihalis. They would watch film on YouTube of all-time greats like Buvaisar Saitev, learn what they're doing successfully, and practice their moves. Ilias's philosophy was to help Yianni become the most skilled wrestler he could possibly be and let speed and strength come secondary to skill and technician.
U.S. Recent Success on International Level (10:56)
Askren brings up the recent news of Artur Taymazov testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs for a second time after re-analysis of stored samples. He asks Diakomihalis if he believes some of the United State's recent success on the international level could be due to the fact other countries like Russia have potentially stopped using PEDs and the competition is more level now. Diakomihalis says while that isn't the only reason it is for sure a contributing factor. The next question Askren has is if Diakomihalis believes the restructure of weight classes at the Olympic Level has helped our hurt the United States. Adding 79 kg and 92 kg couldn't have been better for the U.S. For example, Kyle Dake was able to find a home and went unscored upon last year at Worlds.
Middle School and High School Success (17:10)
Diakomihalis' first high-level national success came in 2013 when he won Super 32. Sophomore Year of high school Diakomihalis won UWW Cadet Nationals against one his close friends and teammates Vitali Arjua. That year he went on to win his first UWW Cadet Gold. Diakomihalis didn't let the fact he admired many of these wrestlers impact the way he wrestled against them. In his mind, he understood and used their moves so he had the best skills from all of them so how could they beat him? After losing to Daton Fix in the 2015 Flo Nationals, Diakomihalis began training at the NY RTC. He wanted high-level training partners and prepare himself for college while also preparing for the best wrestlers in high school. Diakomihalis broke his elbow attempting a collar tie in practice near the beginning of his senior year season. He also had preventative surgery on his other elbow right after and was forced to sit out for 4-5 months.
Freshman Year of College (28:37)
During Diakomihalis' true freshman year of college at Cornell, he won the 141 lbs NCAA Title. He only lost one match and ended his rookie season 37-1. Diakomihalis breaks down his matches from the 2017-2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships. He tells the story of him tearing his ACL at the beginning of the quarterfinals and asking his trainer to spare him the details and let him wrestle without knowing how bad it was. He goes on to win two tough matches on a blown ACL and secure his first NCAA Title.
Sophomore Year of College (36:05)
Sophmore season Diakomihalis goes undefeated 29-0 securing his second NCAA Title. After the college season, Diakomihalis then moves into freestyle and wins the U.S. Open defeating Zain Retherford. Diakomihalis talks about getting his weight down post knee surgery and how once he dialed it in it all manifested at the Open.
Yianni vs Zain Announcement (40:27)
Askren asks for an update on the ongoing arbitration over the Final X controversial second match between Diakomihalis and Retherford. Diakomihalis says the decision was scheduled for last Friday but was pushed back to July 29th. There are three possible outcomes that could be announced. One would be they do not reverse the call and Retherford remains the representative at 65 kg. Another could be they decide Diakomihalis, in fact, won match 2 and the series is tied 1-1 requiring a third match. Lastly, they could decide that match 2 was an illegitimate match and require them to re-wrestle match 2 with the possibility of Diakomihalis forcing a match 3 if he wins.

#74: Fargo Junior Nationals Recap Jul 24, 2019

Why Fargo Is So Important
This episode Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan recap Fargo Junior Nationals and Askren Wrestling Academy results. They discuss how much Junior Nationals has grown in the past 5 years. They attribute the growth to national media coverage and high-level coaching/training partners through Regional Training Centers. Askren talks about how Fargo is the only tournament where there is a true state team feeling. Dernlan expands on the life experience and memories gained by these kids getting into busses and airplanes and traveling as a team to a national tournament. It really brings states together as one and memories you’ll talk about for the rest of your life.
Askren Wrestling Academy (17:45)
Askren talks about AWA’s results at Fargo. He elaborates on his Mental Monday from this week about balance, knowing when you’re on the right track and staying the course. This comes after AWA representatives dropped three semifinals in a row on the junior side. On the flip side, they had nine All-Americans and 27 kids win three matches or more. Askren details all the data into spreadsheets in order to compare results from previous years and overall he is pleased with the results from this year and proud of his athletes.
Phenomenal Talent (22:12)
The first result Askren brings up is Angelo Rini from Ohio who ended up winning 14-4 in the finals. The match Askren was impressed by was his semifinal match against Wyatt Henson that ended up 23-13 in Rini’s favor. Rini was down 9-13 with 25 seconds to go in the second and was able to get come back and win big. Another match they dive into is the 182 lbs semifinal between AWA’s Parker Keckeisen and Dustin Plott where Askren feels the officials made a bad call with 53 seconds left in the first. Overall, Askren thinks 182 lbs was the bracket of the tournament. Another standout performance came from Padraic Gallagher who rolled through the tournament at 160 lbs. The last guy Askren brings up is Heavyweight Braxton Amos who dominated and didn’t allow a single point scored against him the entire tournament. Dernlan explains the complexities involved when evaluating 220 lbs wrestlers moving into college. Will they go down to 197 lbs or grow into heavyweight? How much is there physical maturity helping them at the high school level and how can you develop their skills to match the collegiate level they’ll have to face.
Upcoming Podcasts (43:30)
Askren talks about upcoming podcasts including Cadet Worlds and special guest Yianni Diakamihalis getting on the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast this week.
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#73: Live from Fargo with Isaiah Martínez Jul 22, 2019

Training with Team USA
This special episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan are joined by Isaiah Martínez in Fargo at Junior Nationals as they talk Yasar Dogu, Dake vs Dieringer, and share wrestling stories from their past. Dernlan begins by asking Martínez what he’s been up to since his matches with Jordan Burroughs at Final X. Martínez has been helping the world team training and Askren talks about how different the process is since his time wrestling internationally. Martínez also gives some insight into what training camp is like and the importance of team comradery with everyone focused on a universal goal.
Alex Dieringer vs Kyle Dake (14:50)
Martínez is asked about his thoughts on the Alex Dieringer vs Kyle Dake Controversy. Imar doesn’t get into the politics of whether or not Dake should be allowed to push the match back yet at the same time compete internationally. He does say he believes if Dake is not at 100% he will have a really hard time and most likely not be able to beat Dieringer. If Dake isn’t ready to go fully Martínez gives the edge to Dieringer. Martínez doesn’t see the severity in the fact that by delaying the process both Dake and Dieringer lose the time to prepare for the international opponents.
Jumping Levels (25:17)
For Martínez balancing a college wrestling season and classes was a major distractor for his progress in freestyle. Now that his sole focus is on freestyle he feels he had the opportunity to really grow into his own and it has shown. He has dialed in his sleep and nutrition but also focuses on technical positions and details.
Yianni Diakomihalis vs Zain Retherford (30:52)
Askren asks Martínez his thoughts on the Yianni Diakomihalis vs Zain Retherford topic. He loves the drama/attention and the high-level wrestling these two are bringing to the sport.
Weight Cutting (40:13)
Martínez, Askren, and Dernlan share their worst/most memorable weight cutting stories.

#72: LIVE From Fargo Yasar Dogu Recap Jul 22, 2019

Matt Storniolo Joins
On this special LIVE episode from the RUDIS Booth at Fargo, North Dakota Junior Nationals Ben Askren, Northwestern Head Coach Matt Storniolo, and Matt Dernlan talk collegiate wrestling and Yasar Dogu results. They kick-off by asking Storniolo about how Freestyle training is going at Northwestern. Northwestern currently has Yahya Thomas and Lucas Davison representing them on the world stage both of whom made the Junior World Team. They also discuss Sebastian Rivera’s future in freestyle wrestling and the possibility of him wrestling for Puerto Rico on the world stage. Northwestern also just had Ryan Deakin make it all the way to Final X. Askren talks about how impressive it was and what can Storniolo equate to how Deakin came off a 6th place NCAA finish to being extremely close to representing the US at Worlds. Storniolo talks about the grind of a season Deakin went through with every week taking on a top 10 opponent. He also talks about the balancing act that is the college wrestling season and the plans for 2020.
Yasar Dogu (12:15)
After Storniolo gets back to coaching, Askren and Dernlan talk about Fargo Junior Nationals, the history, and energy surrounding it and how important it is for wrestling. They then get into the 2019 Yasar Dogu wrestling tournament. The U.S. had an incredible showing and came out with great results. They first talk about how much we learned about seeing Yianni Diakomihalis compete in his first senior-level national tournament. They also breakdown Frank Chamizo defaulting out of the finals against Jordan Burroughs.
Zain vs Yianni (25:14)
The topic goes to Zain Retherford and Diakomihalis’ ongoing arbitration over the Final X official call. After Diakomihalis beat Retherford at Yasar Dogu, it opened the conversation back up from the public that these two need to wrestle match 2 from Final X again.
Dake vs Dieringer (30:25)
Askren asks how Alex Dieringer’s results impact Dernlan’s view on Dieringer vs Kyle Dake. Dernlan says it’s hard to say until you see it and either of the two will most likely be gold medalist. Askren predicted that Dieringer could and would beat Dake in a close match at Final X and Dieringer’s performance internationally solidifies his prediction.
J’Den Cox Calls his Shot (33:40)
Dernlan talks about how J’Den Cox called his shot like Babe Ruth was known for by saying he was going to show the world there is no hope for anyone else at worlds. Cox didn’t get scored on once at Yasar Dogu and beats the world 42-0.
Kyle Snyder Wins Gold (40:13)
Dernlan talks about Snyder’s concentration on his preparation for Worlds. It’s exciting to watch Snyder’s gut wrench and par terre wrestling jumping levels since last year.

#71: Logan Stieber Partners with RUDIS Jul 11, 2019

The Next Chapter
On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan sits down in the studio with 2016 World Gold Medalist, four-time NCAA Champion, 2018 World Cup Champion, and 2018 Pan American Champion Logan Stieber. Stieber recently announced his retirement from active wrestling and will focus on coaching at the Ohio RTC as well as at his newest endeavor Stieber Elite Wrestling Academy. Stieber will start workouts this September and you can register at https://stieberelite.com/register?fbclid=IwAR2ffAdP0_lPR-34iTlhZHZFCaZC8JCnk-RvDmqezlpZ0xvVgTRGI90FP_M. Stieber Elite will be held at the brand new Jennings Family Wrestling Facility three times a week.
Guiding the Parents (8:52)
Stieber talks about how one of his main focuses with his academy is to help the parents of wrestlers. He has seen talented wrestlers with enormous potential form a negative connotation around competing or be hindered because of the stress put on them from parents. Wrestling is tough and as a coach, Stieber’s goal is to prepare, motivate, teach, and support. He also touches on how a drive to be a successful wrestler stems out into everything else in your life. A passion for wrestling can create so many opportunities that wouldn’t present themselves otherwise.
Having Fun by Getting Better (20:20)
Dernlan talks about how coaching youth wrestlers can be harder than coaching at the collegiate level. By the time a wrestler is recruited to a D1 program, they’re already motivated to win. Being the person that sparks love and appreciation for the sport as well as the one to give them the skills to be successful is a tough task and a huge responsibility. Part of building the love for the sport is the friendships you gain from being involved. Anyone who grew up playing sports can attest the fact that they form bonds and friendships that last a lifetime. One way Stieber speaks about having fun while wrestling is by sparring or play-wrestling. Drilling is important but things don’t happen perfectly in a match and learning to flow from position to position is crucial. Teaching young wrestlers to not get frustrated during play-wrestling and learning to be defensive is also important. Overall, developing a passion for knowledge and development is something that will not only help your wrestling but everything else in your life.
Wrestling is Evolving (30:45)
Speaking on the passion for knowledge and getting better everyday Dernlan says one of the best things about the sport is constantly looking to get better. The sport evolves at an incredible pace because the people involved are always pushing each other to grow. The way to get better in the practice room is to let your ego go at the door. Dernlan speaks on not thinking about winning or losing in the practice room but focusing on getting better.
Being the Example (41:47)
Stieber talks about his passion for wrestling and how it’s evolved into a way of life for him. Being a good mentor, coach, and role model for young athletes and their parents aligns perfectly with what he wants to be.
Balance (44:00)
Speaking on the importance of balance Dernlan knows parents have the best intentions but sometimes fall into the trap of thinking their kid needs to be 100% focused on one thing only. Balance is important and while your goals will never leave you understand that your life needs balance. Dernlan talks about going all in on everything in your life. If you’re hanging with friends focus on being the best friend you can be or if you’re in class focus on being the best student you can. When it’s time to practice, wrestle, and prepare focus on being the best wrestler you can be.
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#70: Kyle Dake Controversy & Askren’s UFC 239 Breakdown Jul 10, 2019

Where You Find Wrestling, You Will Find RUDIS
On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan discuss Fargo Junior Nationals, UFC 239, and the controversy surround Kyle Dake’s decision to delay his match with Dieringer but compete internationally. Dernlan starts by announcing RUDIS will be in Fargo, North Dakota for Junior Nationals. The RUDIS booth/tent will be located across the street from the Fargodome in the Applebee’s parking lot the same as last year. Anyone who has experienced the RUDIS booth in Fargo knows that it is an event in itself including athlete/legend appearances and poster signings. Askren won’t only be signing posters at the RUDIS booth but also coaching the 48 wrestlers attending Junior Nationals from Askren Wrestling Academy. This year beats AWA’s previous record of 30 athletes participating.
A Living Example (3:48)
Askren discusses the aftermath of UFC 239 and shares more of his thoughts on the entire situation including how to handle loss as an athlete, coach, and parent. Following his loss, Askren did exactly what he’s been teaching and speaking about for years which is not sulking or hiding but facing it and learning from adversity. Overall, it’s about harnessing the lessons and motivation from failure and using it to move on and work towards your goals as a stronger individual.
Fargo Junior Nationals or College? (10:28)
Generally speaking, most colleges have their athletes come to school early and not compete at Fargo. This is to get kids acclimated to the college scene quicker as well as get them into summer session classes in order to take the stress off of them during the season. Another benefit is the earlier you can get them into the wrestling room the better. Askren speaks to how important those extra three months can be. What college coaches really want to avoid is a high school senior athlete taking the summer off. If the athlete’s goal is to win a Junior National Freestyle Championship that is great but if it’s not it’s important to start them getting ready for college.
The Kyle Dake Disaster (19:35)
Askren jumps into the Kyle Dake wrestle off situation. Askren is frustrated with what Dake (or any returning medalist) is being allowed to do even being the returning gold medalist. Originally in order to postpone a wrestle-off for the world team spot against Alex Dieringer, Dake had a note from his Doctor stating he would not be able to compete until August 17th to allow him to recover from surgery. That was approved by the commission board and a wrestle-off date was set. He then produces a second note supporting his recovery in order to compete internationally July 6th. This is not an ideal situation for either Dake or Dieringer. By delaying the match, you’re eating away at the time focused on international competition because you have to focus on making the team against another top-tier individual.
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The Way #18 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: Stand Up to the Bullies Jul 05, 2019

Lean into Discomfort
This episode Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Ch. 7 “Stand Up to the Bullies” from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. This chapter goes over standing up and overcoming adversity. Not only reacting and learning from tough situations but really leaning into discomfort in order to grow. Kolat says, if you want to get stronger you lift weights and the only way to improve is to put more weight on the bar. Once that new number becomes easy you have to put more weight on. The same process applies to wrestling. In order to get comfortable in a wrestling position, you have to put yourself in it enough times until you harness the technique and understand what to do enough to be comfortable there. Then you move on to the next area you’re not comfortable in.
Seek out the Bully (3:00)
Dernlan and Kolat talk about the idea of bullying yourself and creating bully situations. What they mean by this is pushing yourself to and past your conceived limits. Not allowing yourself to settle for mediocracy and ultimately achieving the goal you’re working toward. Admiral McRaven talks about during training they would swim in shark-infested waters. It’s a real-life scenario of literally seeking out and swimming with the sharks (your fears or bullies), not backing down, and overcoming. Kolat talks about the teaching moment for parents when your child is bullied. Bullying is a fact of life that is as old as time but it’s also an opportunity to learn, improve, and get stronger. The life lesson you’re teaching is the power in standing up for yourself. Overcoming bullies is something people deal with their whole lives and learning early on how to handle them is important.
Getting Bullied on the Mat (10:55)
Kolat uses his experience at a recent event as an example. A friend’s son was being bullied on the mat. Kolat’s advice for him was that part of wrestling is not allowing that to happen. When it does you come back and show your opponent you won’t allow it and return the favor. A part of wrestling is not only physically but also mentally dominating your opponent. Going through these tough matches is how you get stronger and learn how to not let it happen again.
Be an Overcomer (15:00)
Just as there are physical bullies there are metaphysical bullies surrounding us every day. The more we lean into the discomfort in them and learn to overcome the better we’ll become as people. Do Dernlan and Kolat approve of bullying? No. What they do approve of is standing up and the learning from those situations. They will ascend you to greatness.

#69: Exclusive Martin Floreani Interview Jul 04, 2019

The Very First Interview
On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren sits down for an exclusive interview with founder and former CEO of FloSports and current founder and CEO of Rokfin Martin Floreani. Askren kicks off the podcast by asking Floreani how the past year has been moving away from Flo and to reflect on his new endeavor with Rokfin. Askren thinks back to when he was first introduced to FloWrestling when he was competing at Missouri being able to watch interviews with the best college and Olympic coaches. This was information, entertainment, and coverage that hadn't ever been done for the sport of wrestling. Floreani talks about one of the very first interviews with John Smith and how accommodating Smith was to a kid he didn't know and who didn't have a product or legitimate company yet but came to him with an idea of what he wanted to create for wrestling. Floreani expresses his gratitude for all of these individuals that were so helpful and accessible to him during the beginning days.
Cael Sanderson (8:03)
Askren asks Floreani his opinion on coaches like Cael Sanderson who are very protective of information and don't tell the media much of anything. Floreani understands Sanderson's thought process of not allowing even the smallest crack in the dam for his competitors to get an edge on how they can better compete against Sanderson and Penn State. Askren hopes that in the future Sanderson will feel comfortable talking about the way he is able to run such a successful program for so many years.
First Live Event (11:57)
Askren asks at what point did Floreani get the idea to execute on live streaming wrestling events. Floreani takes it back to the first event he filmed, Midlands 2006. He filmed it on a tape camcorder, drove back to Texas, uploaded all the matches and the site started to gain a lot of attention. The first live streamed event came 6 years later when Kyle Dake beat David Taylor in a super close match at the All-Star Classic. This was when Floreani was able to step away from advertisers support and turn to a subscription-based company. An idea is meaningless without the proper and best execution of that idea. Floreani was extremely detail oriented in how he went about developing this idea.
How We Can Grow the Sport (20:43)
The topic is brought up about how much Flo has contributed to the growth of wrestling. Floreani thinks back to the people that told him while they love wrestling, it's a boring sport and not for the masses. He talks about how context is everything for sports. Knowing the different storylines, drama, and adding the production adds enormously to the energy and enjoyment. He wanted people to witness the sport the way he was and he knew once they did they'd know there isn't anything more exciting out there. Speaking on the different ways the sport will and can grow over the next decade Floreani talks about women's wrestling and improving upon the competition experience for not only fans of national wrestling but local and youth wrestling.
Floreani's Newest Endeavor (32:13)
Floreani founded and is the CEO of Rokfin. Rokfin is a subscription media company and live digital platform that rewards it's content creators for the full value they generate. This is opposed to a non-subscription platform such as YouTube that can be monetized based off a percentage of Ad click revenue and deals with a host of issues that arise from external advertiser influence.

The Way #17 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: You Must Dare Greatly Jul 01, 2019

Great Wrestlers Dare Greatly
This episode Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Ch. 6 “You Must Dare Greatly” from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. This chapter talks about pushing your limits, taking risks, believing and going out and executing on your goals and dreams because if you never take the leap you'll never know what's possible. Kolat says one attribute that he doesn't like in a coach is one that steers his athletes away from "high-risk techniques" when that athlete has found success there before. When Kolat was competing he had the ability to learn technique quickly and also had the confidence to try it out in competition. Kolat says there is no such thing as a bad move if you've put in the reps and practice and there's no hesitation or doubt in competition.
Two Things Everyone Can Control (8:55)
It's easy to say what you want but it's difficult to really commit to it. It's hard to commit because there's a risk you won't reach that final goal. Dernlan explains something he would tell all his athletes, "You can't control your natural given talent but you can control your effort and attitude." If you're controlling your effort and attitude every day you'll be prepared and have the freedom to take the risk when the moment arrives. A coach will not begrudge you or be upset if you put in the effort and keep a positive attitude.
Make Mistakes. Be Vulnerable. It's Good for You (12:13)
The time to be daring first is in the practice room. Some athletes fall victim to practicing safely and not allowing themselves to fail therefore not growing and learning. Dare in practice and it'll come out when it matters in competition. vulnerability turns into comfort which turns into confidence which turns into execution. You don't take a loss as a failure you should look at it as an opportunity to learn and improve.

The Way #16 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: Failure Can Make You Stronger Jul 01, 2019

It's All About Perspective
This episode Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Ch. 5 "Failure Can Make You Stronger" from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. This chapter talks about persevering through failures and allowing those moments to teach you and strengthen you. Dernlan starts by asking Kolat how about his summer training at Campbell and how it's developed from his first few seasons there. Dernlan points out there are a lot of parallels between learning from failure and running a wrestling program. During SEAL training, they have something called "Circus" where people who came in last during the different training they did throughout the day had an extra few hours of training. Admiral McRaven was consistently in the back of the pack and was forced to do extra training. By the end that extra training made him one of the best swimmers. Kolat breaks down and relates this to a coach and athlete relationship. You have a choice between viewing a coach pushing you as a punishment and develop a bad relationship or you can understand the necessity and reasoning to get you better. The only way to improve is to spend extra time and it comes down to the perspective you decide to take.
Put in the Work (10:08)
Kolat talks about the people who are afraid to put it on the line and fail or lose a match. You can't enter a competition with the fear of losing. The athletes who don't put the extra time in are the ones with the highest anxiety entering a match. If you know you put in the work you can have full confidence stepping on the mat knowing you did everything you could to prepare. Dernlan brings up the fact that if you're focusing on doing everything you can do that's recognized by everyone in the group. You can't go wrong with the mindset of being the first one in and the last one to leave the practice room.

#68: Top 5 RTC Power Rankings Jun 27, 2019

How Do You Rank the Top RTCs?
This week, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan have a unique episode where they give you their Regional Training Center (RTC) power rankings. One question while coming up with this list Askren had was if they should count international wrestlers or only USA wrestlers. Another was how exactly do you qualify the strength of these RTCs. They bring up the New Jersey RTC and everything Scott Goodale is doing there. They have a true Regional Training Center in the sense that they have both Rutgers and Princeton training there whereas most others are only one school. Askren thinks it would be beneficial if more schools combined and had that added benefit of more high-level athletes learning from one and other. Dernlan brings up the concern of most regions just don’t have schools within a close enough proximity to each other. If there is an opportunity to pool resources together it would help with funding and supporting more athletes.
Number 5 (16:01)
Depth played a big factor for Askren while making his picks. Number five for Askren is Michigan RTC. Michigan will have multiple wrestlers competing at the World Championships this year not only representing the USA such as Adam Coon in Greco but also internationally like Stevan Micic, Myles and Malik Amine, and Dave Habat to name a few. Dernlan also took Michigan as his number five choice.
Number 4 (19:55)
Dernlan picks the Hawkeye Wrestling Club as his number four. When considering the HWC you have to weigh in the fact they have three women that just secured their spots on the world team. Askren’s number four is the Minnesota RTC or the Minnesota Storm. They have someone at almost every single weight class that is high level and right at the door of being world team members. Dernlan speaks about how MTC is creative with how they have their athletes play a bigger role within the organization. They might be a part-time coach or hold other roles and this could be extremely beneficial for them and their lives after competing.
Number 3 (26:55)
Askren’s number three is the Ohio RTC. When you’re talking about the Ohio RTC you compare them to their recent success and as an absolute powerhouse of producing World and Olympic team members. This year Logan Steiber announced his retirement, Nathan Tomasello has been dealing with injuries and a few other athletes didn’t have the results they hoped. One year’s results doesn’t discount the level of depth and talent they have on their roster. Since 2011 they’ve put 16 wrestlers on World and Olympic teams. Dernlan also puts Ohio RTC at number three based off this year’s results.
Number 2 (30:20)
Dernlan picks the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club at number two. NLWC has a lot of top guys but has struggled with getting their college national champions onto World teams with the exception of David Taylor. Askren takes New Jersey RTC. This was a great year for NJRTC. They have Tyler Graff and Pat Downey on the World Team as well as a stacked roster of top contenders on the national level.
Number 1 (35:45)
Dernlan takes NJRTC as his number one because of their success in the last three years. Askren has NLWC as his number one. He talks about the unparalleled depth the NLWC has and the opportunities for athletes to train together. They also host a number of top international wrestlers.
UFC 239 Askren vs Masvidal (38:40)
Askren talks a little about his upcoming fight Saturday, July 6th at UFC 239 against Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal recently missed his second UFC press conference promoting the fight and the UFC 239 card. Askren talks about how from a mental perspective if you think playing games will impact your opponent that means games likely work on you. He talks about his path to a shot at the title and how he is set up nicely after the fight on July 6th to get chance at the belt next.

#67: Askren’s 2019 World Medalist Picks Jun 20, 2019

Securing the Lineup
This episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan talk NCAA Wrestling, World Team Trials Format, and who is most likely to medal at the World Championships. Askren starts by discussing the news 2018 All-American Shakur Rasheed announced he will be returning for another year of collegiate wrestling. This comes a few days after 2019 NCAA Champion Anthony Cassar announced his return. This secures Penn State’s lineup at the upper weights for this upcoming season. Dernlan says the lower weights are always hard to recruit and when you get interrupted by injuries and transfers it’s hard to rebuild. These announcements tip the scales in Penn State’s favor continue their dominance and win yet another team title. That being said, it will a tough task for the upper weights to carry especially losing bonus point machines in Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf.
Final X Format (17:54)
Askren talks about the benefit of having Final X added to the world team trials format. Dernlan discusses the much deserved raised exposure and visibility Final X brings to the senior level athletes. The access to watch these events and follow them on social media allows fans to really get into wrestling more than ever. Getting to know the athletes through their college careers is huge for growing a fan base that follows you after graduation. As women’s wrestling grows and schools start adding NCAA women’s teams their fan base will grow.
Most Likely to Medal at Worlds (24:49)
Askren and Dernlan give their predictions on the most likely U.S. team members to get a medal at the World Championships. Askren’s No. 1 is Kyle Snyder being that every world championship he’s been a part of he’s got a medal. Dernlan agrees and adds the improvements we got to see at Final X with Snyder’s parterre offense. Askren’s No. 2 is J’Den Cox who is also in the club of medaling every time at Worlds. Dernlan agrees and says in a list of most likely to medal you have to have Snyder and Cox tied for first. Dernlan’s No. 3 pick is Daton Fix. Fix has made 6 consecutive world championship teams. Askren’s No. 3 pick is the winner of Kyle Dake vs Alex Dieringer and Dernlan takes this as his No. 4. Askren’s No. 4 is Jordan Burroughs. Burroughs has had a lot of close matches recently but Askren still thinks he’ll likely medal. Dernlan agrees talks about the undeniability of Burroughs and his ability to win. No. 5 for Askren is Nick Gwiazdowski he sees the toughness at heavyweight and if he receives a hard seed it’ll be a tough path to the top. Dernlan’s No. 5 is our representative at 65 kg whether that is Yianni Diakomihalis or Zain Retherford.
No. 6 for Askren is Fix and he’s excited to watch him at the first Team USA international tournament. With a mix up in the numbers, Dernlan and Askren both take James Green at No. 7. No. 8 for Askren is either Diakomihalis or Retherford. Dernlan’s No. 9 is Tyler Graff and Askren agrees. Lastly, that leaves Pat Downey. Having Downey at the bottom of this list of world beaters is not a slight to Downey. Compared to the rest of the team he doesn’t have as much international experience. Askren and Dernlan wouldn’t be surprised if he goes and shocks the world as that has been his thing as of late.

#66: Final X Lincoln Recap Jun 18, 2019

Final X Lincoln
During this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan recap Final X Lincoln and breakdown all the exciting moments. Askren talks about the excitement surrounding United States Wrestling and the level our team is at compared to previous years and the world. Dernlan gives some insight behind the four RUDIS athletes that competed at Final X Lincoln and the RUDIS + MARVEL singlets they were wearing.
Sarah Hildebrandt (5:08)
Hildebrandt didn't give up a single point in her two matches against a crafty veteran Katherine Shai winning 3-0 and 8-0. Speaking to how elite of a competitor Hildebrandt is, Dernlan talks about how Hildebrandt still sees the small mistakes she made even in the wake of not giving any points up.
Kayla Miracle (6:32)
Miracle wins by Tech Fall in her first match 12-2 and then allows zero offense from her opponent in her second win 4-0 over returning bronze medalist Mallory Velte. Miracle had been the alternate the previous two years and had been so close to making a senior world team at such a young age. Miracle said it best in her post-victory speech “About damn time, We’re from Iowa. We don’t get tired. We live for this two-out-of-three, but I wanted to make it two, make a statement, and create that separation.”
James Green vs Ryan Deakin (11:50)
Green came out with an 18-second tech fall in the first match. Deakin was able to slow Green down in the second match but ends up losing 4-3. Askren talks about how Green is one of the United State's best chances to medal.
Tyler Graff vs Joe Colon (13:54)
Colon took the first match but Graff dominated the next two. Dernlan talks about Graff's perseverance and determination. It was a great and heartwarming moment to see Graff earn his first world team membership. The New Jersey RTC has made a statement this year with multiple world team members on the senior level. Askren doesn't see NJRTC slowing down in the slightest.
Isaiah Martínez vs Jordan Burroughs (20:30)
Askren gives credit to how much Martínez closed the gap between him and Burroughs this year. When you look at their battles last year compared to this year it's incredible and Askren was impressed. Burroughs doesn't claim his weight cut impacted his performance. Stopping a weight cut and then having to get a sweat going again in 15 minutes is not easy. During their first match, Burroughs is down 3-4 and gets a takedown with 10 seconds left. Dernlan and Askren talk about how many times they've seen Burroughs do this. You can never count him out especially at the end of a match. Next year will be extremely exciting with elite wrestlers from three world weight classes filtering into the Olympic 74 kg weight class. Burroughs will have to fend off the likes of Kyle Dake, Isaiah Martínez, James Green and many more.
Daton Fix vs Thomas Gilman (34:57)
This series was one of the most exciting of the entire night. Fix dominates in the first match winning 9-1. Match 2 Gilman comes back and gets a second-period takedown to win 3-2 making adjustments from the first match. Fix then battled and got the 6-3 win in the third match. Fix beat the best version of Gilman we've seen. The level of scrambling in these matches was through the roof and always makes for some of the best wrestling you'll see anywhere. Fix has a great chance of medaling at worlds if not winning it all.

The Way #15 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: Life’s Not Fair. Drive On. Jun 14, 2019

Failure Is a Product of Long Term Success
This episode Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Ch. 4 "Life’s Not Fair. Drive On." from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. This chapter talks about the way you look at life and how you react to adversity and obstacles in your way. It's hard to be confronted with this so directly but it's a reality. Success is built up by a series of failure and struggle that you learn to overcome. This is why you need to learn to embrace failure and truly reflect on those times in order to improve.
Take a Risk (6:45)
Kolat has always advocated for self-sufficiency. You can't be fully dependent on another person or group and you can't blame them when something doesn't go right. When coaching, Kolat won't discipline a wrestler who is doing everything right by getting good grades and competing his hardest the same as one who is lacking in the classroom and not giving their all on the mat. Kolat talks about life not being fair and uses the example of the workplace rewarding the best. Being forced to take accountability you are going to fail but you'll reap the rewards of learning from those experiences. A good parent and coach have a balance between knowing when to hold someone's hand and when it's better for them to try themselves and learn.
Failure Is Giving Up (15:40)
Navigating his career, Kolat distinguishes the differences between a setback and a failure. If you give up, that's a failure but if you get up and try again or learn for the next time that's a setback. Kolat also discusses reality is everyone is clawing their way to the top and people don't have a problem stepping on you to get there. Where success becomes a real possibility is when you're comfortable being uncomfortable. If you learn how to truly lean into discomfort is when you open up opportunities for success. The last thing Kolat mentions is not giving up doesn't mean you endure discomfort for a week it means you dedicate months and years to the goal you're working towards.

#65: Exclusive Interview with Cornell Head Coach Rob Koll Jun 11, 2019

Great Competitors, Controversial Call.
On this special episode, Matt Dernlan sits down with Ivy League’s all-time winningest wrestling coach, Cornell Head Coach Rob Koll. Along with being the Head Coach at Cornell he also coaches his wrestlers as they pursue Olympic and World Championship dreams in Freestyle wrestling. Koll was in Yianni Diakomihalis’ corner during the very controversial match between Diakomihalis and Zain Retherford at Final X Rutgers. Koll begins by talking about how great of a competitor Retherford is as well as how good of an overall person he is. Koll doesn’t believe Retherford or is coaches corner including Cael Sanderson did anything wrong by challenging the call.
After the first period and a series of exciting scrambles, Diakomihalis was up 8-6 at the end of the match. Retherford’s coach Cael Sanderson challenged the sequence that awarded Diakomihalis two exposure points with just under a minute left in the second. After a long review, they took away the points and awarded Retherford the win 6-6 with criteria.
Not Given a Chance (1:52)
Koll states that if they would have thrown the brick right after what they were challenging happened, Diakomihalis would have had a chance with those 50 seconds to wrestle and make up the points. Koll believes the head official should be sanctioned and not be able to be in a position to make these mistakes again in the future. After diving deep into the rule book and realizing all the mistakes that were made it is frustrating. It’s also frustrating when an official is rationalizing a call that contradicts another call.
Initial Reaction (5:08)
Dernlan attended Final X Rutgers and while watching his initial reaction was questioning why they didn’t stop the sequence and get a unanimous decision when the two side judges had a different score than the official on the mat. There shouldn’t be a need for a challenge from a corner when there is a score discrepancy between officials. Initially, they thought the challenge was looking at the exposure points at the very last seconds. Once they saw the officials going back 50 seconds is when they attempted to challenge the challenge. This was denied and they were told you are not allowed to do so.
USOC (11:30)
Koll asked who he can petition this call with and was told, Rick Tucci. The person that denied the protest on the mat and allowed a challenge to go back 50 seconds is who Koll was told to petition to and make his case to. Yesterday, Koll had a meeting with the United States Olympic Committee and is in the process of writing up his argument. At the end of the day, Koll is still unclear how far up he’ll have to go up through USA Wrestling, USA Olympic Committee, or UWW to get an official decision.
Life Changing (17:38)
Dernlan and Koll speak to the ramifications this has on an athletes life. It is a huge advantage to medal and sit out until the Olympic Trials next year. It is life changing to be a world medalist but even more so an Olympic Medalist. That comes with opportunities that wouldn’t present themselves otherwise so this is not a small decision without consequences on either side. They go on to discuss how much the rules change year to year. This is why it’s almost impossible to take years off and then jump into a high-level match and be expected to make the right calls.

#64: Final X Rutgers Recap Jun 11, 2019

Elevating the Sport
On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan talk about and recap all of the exciting stories revolving around Final X Rutgers. Dernlan attended Final X Rutgers at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) and speaks about how phenomenal of an event it was. Dernlan’s opinion echos the online consensus of how much everyone enjoyed it. Wrestling is a winter sport which makes tailgating very difficult so having a huge wrestling event during summer is a welcomed change. Dernlan also gives kudos to the RAC for staging the event and making the environment spectacular.
Yianni vs Zain (4:19)
Wasting no time Askren jumps into the topic everyone is talking about the controversial official call during the second match of Yianni Diakomihalis vs Zain Retherford. After the first period and a series of exciting scrambles, Diakomihalis was up 8-6 at the end of the match. Retherford’s coach Cael Sanderson challenged the sequence that awarded Diakomihalis two exposure points with just under a minute left in the second. After a long review, they took away the points and awarded Retherford the win 6-6 with criteria. Askren’s first issue is that in the rule book although ambiguous clearly states you only have five seconds after the scoreboard changes to challenge it.
Controversy (8:40)
In Askren’s estimation, he sees the scramble as a 2-2 scenario. Dernlan talks about how the three officials all had different scores and from his understanding whenever that happens they should meet automatically and make a call. He also states that even if Sanderson would have thrown the challenge brick during the sequence they wouldn’t have stopped the wrestling until the sequence was over. In freestyle, they don’t restart the clock to the time of the challenge like they do in folkstyle. If that would have been the case, Diakomihalis would have had 45-50 seconds of time to wrestle with the knowledge he needs to score. This is why Dernlan says they should have stopped the sequence because they know they have to get the score right because they can’t restart the clock.
Technicalities (22:30)
Reading from the rule book Askren talks about the rule that states no challenge can be requested after the regular time of a period (In this case it was). It goes on to say, except when the points are added to the scoreboard after the referee’s whistle (ending the period). In this case, it was not because the points were added about 50 seconds before the end of the period. Overall, both Askren and Dernlan are on board for a third winner take all match and have the wrestlers decide and not leave it up to the officials.
Bo Nickal vs J’Den Cox (28:08)
Bo Nickal weighs in at 87.7 practically 10 kg underweight and extremely close to 86 kg weight class. This is surprising because it means he most likely could have made that weight and wrestled against Pat Downey instead of facing J’Den Cox. This is if he had a heads up from his close friend David Taylor when he knew he wasn’t going to be able to compete this year. Askren understands the concept and principal of not wrestling one of your best friends but if they’re the same weight class they may not have a choice in the future. All this being said, Cox didn’t win the matches because he was the heavier wrestler, he won because he was the better wrestler. Askren’s advice for Nickal would be to go wrestle-off for a spot on the U23 team at 86 kg and get some world experience.
Gwiz vs Steveson (38:18)
Askren gives credit to Dernlan for calling Nick Gwiazdowski’s ability to get second and third re-attack points in their Final X Technical Breakdowns. Askren was also extremely impressed with Gable Steveson and his athleticism.
Golden Era (40:55)
Askren speaks about how this is the first time in a long time the U.S. has second and third guys that could medal at Worlds. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific reason why the U.S. has the depth of talent we do right now but we are not taking it for granted.

The Way #14 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: Only the Size of Your Heart Matters Jun 07, 2019

Determination Over Talent
This episode Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan continue onto Ch. 3 “Only the Size of Your Heart Matters” from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. This chapter speaks about the size of your heart being a direct correlation and causation to the level of success you achieve in wrestling, life, and business. What McRaven means by your heart is your determination, resolve, grit, and ambition. It’s not the person with the most talent or genetic gifts but the person who does the most with what they’ve been given.
Prove Yourself To Yourself (4:35)
Kolat talks about how many of his favorite athletes he’s coached were not the starters. You can’t go wrong surrounding your program with people who are willing to give you everything they got every day. While Kolat was competing he was the starter who got a lot of attention. He’s not sure if he was a backup for four years if he would have stuck it out. It takes a tough kid to show up every day and pour their heart into their training knowing they probably won’t start. SEAL training is about proving something every day to yourself and everyone around you. The best wrestlers understand this as well. They continue to set new limitations and expectations on themselves.
A Mindset for Life (15:46)
McRaven gives an example in the book of seeing a skinny gentleman in a waiting room and thinking to himself how hard of a time that gentleman will have in training. He later finds out he was a retired SEAL who had won a medal of honor. It’s a perfect lesson of not judging a book by its cover. Kolat says this is true within wrestling. You can’t judge your opponent or anyone by their body shape or looks. He also points out that some of the best wrestlers in the world are long and thin and use their leverage in their favor. Dernlan and Kolat discuss how all-encompassing being a coach is. They also speak on how as a coach if you instill within your athlete the mindset of going all in and being the hardest worker in the room. This mindset will not only help them win wrestling matches but they can carry it throughout their life and find success anywhere.

#63: Final X Technical Breakdown Jun 06, 2019

On this special episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan are in the wrestling room to breakdown the Final X matchups between Yianni Diakomihalis vs Zain Retherford, Gable Steveson vs Nick Gwiazdowski, Bo Nickal vs J'Den Cox, and the postponed match Kyle Dake vs Alex Dieringer.
Tune into our YouTube Channel: RUDIS or the Media Page on therudis.com to view the breakdown step by step and keys to victory.

#62: 2019 UWW Cadet & U23 Nationals Recap Jun 04, 2019

Anthony Cassar
On this episode, Ben Askren is in the studio with Matt Dernlan as they discuss some recent events such as the UWW Cadet & U23 Nationals, collegiate wrestling news, and. They kick off by talking about big news for Penn State, Anthony Cassar was granted two years of eligibility by the NCAA if he so wishes to compete. Judging off the quotes from Cassar he doesn't sound unequivocal about a decision to utilize both of those years wrestling in college. Dernlan talks about how hard a college wrestling season is and it is sure to drain anyone. Cassar has also had about three major surgeries. Askren brings up the school aspect of the decision as well. Grad school will take a lot of dedication in of itself. That being said, when Cassar sits down with Cael Sanderson and they discuss Cassar coming back it will be a very convincing argument from Sanderson and Askren believes Cassar returns for one more year of college wrestling.
Transfers (13:30)
133 lbs Seth Gross officially transferred from South Dakota State to Wisconsin for his 6-year Senior season. Gross won the NCAA title in 2018 but missed last season due to a back injury. The 133 lbs division, especially in the BIG 10, was the most talked about, action-packed division. Adding Gross back into the mix will only make this division even crazier. They go on to discuss how difficult it is to win a team trophy and why it takes such strategizing to even put yourself in the conversation of possibly winning.
U23 Nationals (20:03)Askren talks about how for whatever reason the U23 team isn't as sought after as the UWW Juniors or UWW Cadets. Askren guesses that the reason might be due to the fact that the best 23 and under wrestlers are making the senior world team or in strong contention. For example, Yianni Diakomihalis, Daton Fix, Gable Steveson, Zahid Valencia, Mark Hall, Jason Nolf. In order to get the best representatives at U23, Askren suggests having a special wrestle-off for athletes that place at the U.S. Open or World Team Trials.
Heavyweight (29:43)Daniel Kerkvliet beats Lehigh's Jordan Wood in a best of three championship. Askren and Dernlan were impressed by Kerkvliet's tech fall 10-0 over Aj Nevills in the semifinals. He still has a lot to learn as you can tell by him throwing a body lock the wrong way in the first match of his round-robin with Wood causing a cut on his face as well as on Wood's chin. Overall, it's positive Ohio State has a young promising heavyweight.
61 kg (33:04)Charles Tucker doesn't allow Micky Phillippi to score any points in their two matches and gets the win. Askren found this interesting because Phillippi had a better season last year. Another exciting match from this bracket was the third place match between Josh Kramer and Louie Hayes with an outrageous score of 33-22 in Hayes favor.
65 kg (35:44)Jaydin Eierman beats Luke Pletcher in two of their three matches to get the win. Askren talks about how insane these matches were and how difficult they are to officiate.
74 kg (37:28)Brady Berge hammers through this division with a finals win over Philip Conigliaro.
79 kg (38:06)
Muhamed Mcbryde beats Anthony Mantanona in a close first match and a tech fall in the second.
86 kg (38:45)
Matt Dean beats Devin Skatzka in the finals in dominant fashion.
92 kg (39:32)
Oklahoma's Jakob Woodley beats Christian Brunner in the finals.
UWW Cadet (40:25)
Askren describes this as the toughest High School tournament. Dernlan talks about how interesting it is to see these athletes compete throughout the years because of the difference in maturation that happens. Dernlan also talks about the officiating at this level and what that means for coaches and athletes and how you navigate bad calls.
Cadet Results (46:00)
41 - 45 kg: Blair Academy's Marc-Anthony Mcgowan is really promising. Askren was really impressed with him. 48 kg: Stevo Poulin tech falled his way the entire tournament. 51 kg: Richard Figueroa ll has a good chance of being a world medalist. 55 kg: Robert Howard makes his third straight world team. 60 kg: Jesse Mendez gets the win over Anthony Ferrari. 65 kg: Ryan Sokol who has dealt with some injury dominates his bracket. 71 kg: Previous world medalist Alex Facundo makes his second world team in a row. 80 kg: Clayton Ulrey looks outstanding in this tough weight class. 92 kg: Kyle Haas gets the win 110 kg: Askren refers to Hunter Catka as an animal. He has a good chance to medal at worlds.

The Way #13 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: You Can't Go It Alone May 31, 2019

Team Work Makes the Dream Work
This episode Cary Kolat, and Matt Dernlan continue onto Ch. 2 "You Can't Go It Alone" from the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. The name of this chapter says it all, you need people in life to help you through difficult times, motivate, and support you. Dernlan talks about how many people think they are capable of getting through and accomplishing their goals without anyone's help and that's just unrealistic. Kolat says he was very self-sufficient when it came to training and pushing himself when no one was around to do so. You can only do so much on your own, Kolat tells his team to find a partner on the team that can be their go-to guy for training.
Trust and Comradery (3:45)
From Kolat's first year at Penn State, Sanshiro Abe was his guy, they trained, worked out, motivated, and coached each other. After Abe retired Kolat struggled to find another deep connection with a training partner that could help him in the same way. This is when he realized how much he depended on the people around him. In the book, McRaven gives the example of a Navy Seal training tactic where they make trainees all carry a rubber boat. They know someone will either get hurt or sick and they want to see if the team turns on them or helps them and carry his load. Kolat says this is exactly like a wrestling dual meet. Sometimes a guy the team usually relies on isn't performing and everyone else needs to step up and pick up the slack.
Coaching (11:45)
Kolat says a lesson he learned early on in his coaching career was that you have to let your assistant coaches, coach. You can't micromanage and allow them to create wins for the program but also make mistakes and learn. Another thing is keeping your number two guys in check. You never know when the starter will suffer an injury or get a skin infection day before the dual. The backups have to be ready to go and understand the starter needs someone behind them pushing and chasing them. Kolat builds unity and commitment through team bonding so when one person achieves something the whole team feels it.
Wrap-up (17:05)
If you're an athlete you need to find a like-minded partner. Kolat says sometimes you have to create that partner. Hold someone accountable and ask they do the same for you. Another key lesson from this chapter is understanding a team can't rely on a few key guys. It takes everyone's full effort. You never know what's going to happen.

#61: Exclusive Kayla Miracle Interview May 30, 2019

A Family Business
On this special episode, Matt Dernlan sits down with 4x WCWA National Champion, 3x U.S. Open Champion, 2x Junior World Medalist and recently signed RUDIS athlete Kayla Miracle. Coming off a U23 World Team Trials win and a Senior World Team Trials win, Miracle is heading to Final X Lincoln to earn her spot on the senior world team. Dernlan grew up wrestling with Miracle's dad Lee Miracle who is currently the head coach at Campbellsville University. Kayla grew up going to her brother's practices while her dad coached and after some time, she asked if she could wrestle too.
Mark Perry (7:05)
Even with all the success she had up until and throughout college, Miracle says making the decision to train with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club was when she truly dedicated everything to the sport. Miracle talks about Hawkeye Wrestling Club Coach, Mark Perry and his ability to recall specific moves or outcomes from his vast memory of matches. Dernlan affirms this about Coach Perry as well and speaks about just how unique he is and how lucky the Hawkeye Wrestling Club is to have him.
Small Circles, Big Impacts (14:55)
Miracle speaks about her friendship with Sarah Hildebrandt. In a growing sport where your hometown may not have many women wrestlers especially at the caliber these two were at it you cherish the friendships you make. It's a testament to the common saying of surrounding yourself with like-minded, supportive, and motivated individuals.
HWC (17:55)
Dernlan asks Miracle about her beginnings with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. She was invited to train with Lauren Louive, Alli Ragan, Michaela Beck, and Forrest Molinari and after a training camp was proposed with joining as a full-time resident athlete. Miracle says out of all the things that she's improved upon after making that commitment the biggest is her mental game. She believes now looking back the only thing that potentially held her back in the past was having some self-doubt in herself at the senior level. You're always your biggest critic but Miracle has turned a new page this past year and seems more than ready to go out and show everyone she's the best in the world.
Outside Wrestling (31:55)
Miracle says the people in wrestling is what makes it the best sport in the world. One thing about wrestling at the level Miracle is on, you travel the world. These are business trips first and then if you have time you can explore the culture. Miracle says one of her favorite trips was Japan for last years World Cup. But, the best meal she ever had internationally was from a small restaurant in France.

#60: 2019 U.S. Open Scoring Breakdown May 29, 2019

Download the full scoring breakdown at therudis.com
Current Events
This episode Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan present detailed statistics pulled from data collected by Askren and his team of the 2019 U.S. Open. Before getting into the numbers Askren talks about the sad news that hit the wrestling community this week, David Taylor will not compete at Final X as he recovers from an injury suffered at Beat The Streets. This gives Pat Downey the nod to take the 86 kg spot on Team USA. Askren talks about the importance of Taylor taking the time to heal because although it seems far away, the Olympic Trials are only 10 months away. Askren did think that if David Taylor was hurt we would have seen Bo Nickal drop down to 86 kg and take his chances beating Pat Downey over staying at 92 and facing J'Den Cox. When Nickal didn't drop down, Askren thought Taylor wasn't hurt.
How to Compare (13:26)
Askren and Dernlan will breakdown scoring statistics taken from the 2019 Men's Freestyle U.S. Open. Dernlan mentions if you're comparing the U.S. Open Stats to the 2018 World Championships Stats you should compare the percentages over the amount. Askren recorded more matches from the 2019 U.S. Open than he did from the 2018 World Championships. There are more points scored in the round of 16 at the U.S. Open. Askren says this could be due to the U.S. being more offensively aggressive but most likely it's because the defense at the international level is better.
Trends (19:20)
The two categories that scored the most points in both sets of data by a long shot is Shots and Shot Defense. Knowing how to get to the legs and finish and knowing how to defend against them getting to your legs are still the best ways to score. Another similarity is that there isn't a trend in techniques or ways of scoring by weight class. One thing Dernlan points out is that when you're looking at the wrestlers competing at the U.S. Open most of them don't have international experience and their freestyle is limited to their domestic experience.
Defensive Scores (27:58)
The number one biggest difference for Askren comes in defensive scores. At the World Championships, the number four shot defense was a dump whereas dump at the U.S. Open was number one. This shows the international wrestlers aren't as familiar with folkstyle defense. It also shows wrestlers with a folkstyle background fresh out of or currently competing in college are less dialed into and more loose with their defense not worried about giving up back exposure.

The Way #12 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Make Your Bed: Start Your Day with a Task Completed May 24, 2019

Keep it Simple
Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan introduce a new book they will be discussing, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven. This episode they will discuss Ch. 1 "Start Your Day with a Task Completed". McRaven gave a commencement speech at his alma mater The University of Texas at Austin and Dernlan explains this is where the genesis of this book originated. The clip of this speech went viral of McRaven summarizing his military career and everything he learned from his 37 years of service in 10 simple points. Kolat and Dernlan agree when people are searching for solutions they often over complicate matters when in reality a simple approach is probably the best.
Wake Up, Get Better
This chapter talks about the best way to start your day is with a completed task. This way you begin your day with a positive frame of reference and know you're doing something productive right from the beginning. It's a reminder that at the end of the day you've done something well and to be proud of no matter how small the task. It kicks off the mentality you start your day with, doing something right and perfect. Kolat says every athlete should start their day with something similar. For example, if you start your day with a run you feel like you're starting off being productive, doing what others aren't, getting ahead of the competition, etc. Kolat breaks down the importance of trust and comfortability between coach and athlete. Kolat and his coaching staff start the day now that it's not wrestling season by getting in contact with their wrestlers. If you're not getting to know your athletes on a personal level then you can only build so much trust. It also helps you understand how to help them improve.
Don't Just Do the Work. Do it Right.
Dernlan talks about how most people working towards a goal are seemingly doing all the major things right. The difference is not just going through the motions but really being intentional and holding accountability to yourself even during the most mundane things. The attention to detail is everything. When you can condition yourself to do the little things right the bigger ones fall into place.
Above and Beyond Expectations.
Kolat dives into discussing that you shouldn't expect to get a pat on the back for doing what's expected. The way you train and the way you work is what motivates everyone around you. That's when you get a pat on the back. Dernlan talks about how well informed and misinformed this day in age everyone is with the spread of information on the internet. He urges to be dialed in and disciplined on what's beneficial for your end game. If it's a distraction, distractor or takes away from your primary focus you need the discipline to stop. Pay attention to the small things and they won't steer you wrong.

#59: World Team Trials Junior’s Tournament Recap May 24, 2019

The Future of Heavyweight
This episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan breakdown the World Team Trials Junior’s tournament. Askren really enjoys watching the Junior tournament because it gives you a sneak peek on the talent that is entering college. One standout performance during the Greco-Roman tournament was heavyweight high schooler Cohlton Schultz who beat Olympian 32-year-old Robert Smith in the finals. To have this amount of success at the senior level while in high school is extremely impressive. There is an enormous amount of young talent at heavyweight which has Askren and Dernlan excited for the college season.
Juniors 57 kg (6:05)
Vitali Arujau tech falls Michael Colaiocco in the finals of the mini-tournament and then is very dominant in his two wins over Malik Heinselman. Arujau showed he can compete at the senior level in the U.S. Open and according to Dernlan made the right choice by dropping down to the junior division and was able to get the win.
Juniors 61 kg (9:28)
Askren says the story of the mini-tournament is Roman Bravo-Young. During the U.S. Open, he lost to high schooler Gabe Tagg and in this tournament, he loses to 10-5 to Jaime Hernandez. Askren brings up something off topic, all Iowa Hawkeyes wrestlers didn’t participate in the Juniors World Team Trials.
Juniors 65 kg (15:16)
Keegan O’Toole wrestling out of Askren Wrestling Academy had an extremely dominant road to the best of 3 finals including 2 tech falls and an 11-6 decision. He then drops to Yahya Thomas in the finals. Askren may be biased in his opinion but tells everyone to keep and eye on O’Toole these next few years as he makes huge level changes.
Juniors 70 kg (17:57)
Brayton Lee is the story of this weight class. He went down in each match and battled back tremendously each time. Dernlan talks about how maybe the strategy for his opponents should be to keep it close don’t go up too much because Lee will start dominating. Lee beats Sam Sasso in the best of three finals. Askren says Lee is right there at the top of the heap to compete for an NCAA title next year.
Juniors 74 kg (22:14)
Someone who wasn’t on Askren’s radar in high school was Shane Griffith who tech falled his way to the finals but lost to David Carr in the best of three finals.
Juniors 79 kg (23:50)
Another wrestler out of Askren Wrestling Academy makes the finals. Parker Keckeisen who loses to Aaron Brooks in the best of three finals. Dernlan thinks Brooks ready and good enough to compete at the senior level but Askren needs some convincing. That being said Brooks is the most likely to not only medal this year but win gold on the junior team.
Juniors 86 kg (27:28)
Fourth seed Victor Marcelli makes the finals but doesn’t have quite enough to beat Trent Hidlay in the best of three finals.
Juniors 92 kg (28:43)
Askren could see the champ Lucas Davison getting a world medal this year.
Juniors 97 kg (30:41)
Tanner Sloan gets the win at 97 kg and Dernlan talks about how well the national team coaching staff is at getting guys ready to win medals.
Juniors 125 kg (31:51)
Mason Parris beats Trent Hillger. Askren and Dernlan bring up just how good heavyweight is looking.

#58: World Team Trials Mini Tournament Recap May 22, 2019

57 kg – 61 kg
On this episode Ben Askren and Dernlan breakdown the mini-tournament of the 2019 World Team Trials. They start out at the 57 kg weight class where Thomas Gilman beat Darian Cruz to head to the best of three finals. They also discuss the 61 kg weight class which is not an Olympic weight class and where some of those guys will go whether that’s up in weight to 65 or down to 57. Nico Megaludis who lost to Tyler Graff in the mini-tournament finals is an example of a guy who announced he will be going down to 57 kg. Moving down in weight is not a small task by any means and takes a lot of time upwards of a year.
65 kg (10:17)
The first match they break down is Jason Ness who got tech falled by Dom Demas. That is not something we’ve come to expect to happen to Ness although Demas has proven himself a force to be reckoned with. Demas went on to battle Jaydin Eierman in the consolations losing in a huge scoring match 20-15. Overall there are a lot of extremely talented young wrestlers at this weight class.
70 kg (17:08)
Askren didn’t expect to Anthony Ashnault to make the finals here but he is another really young wrestler immediately making an impact on the national scene. Ashnault will most likely go down to 65 kg next year. Askren and Dernlan disagree on if James Green will go up or down in weight.
74 kg (22:00)
Askren was blown away when Logan Massa beat Thomas Gant in the semi-finals of the mini-tournament 5-4. Dernlan talks about the difference in responsibility when you’re competing for a team vs when you’re competing representing yourself in freestyle. Jason Nolf looked great throughout the tournament. Askren likes that Nolf made the move to 74 kg now and didn’t wait.
79 kg (25:20)
Askren trains closely with Nick Becker who recently signed with the Badger RTC and took third place dropping to Mark Hall. In the finals, Mark Hall lost to Zahid Valencia 5-0. Even with such a close score Askren and Dernlan agree Valencia’s win was pure dominance. After this match, no one would have expected the outcome of the best of three finals against Alex Dieringer. These three guys are all wrestler who cannot get down to 74 kg which makes 86 kg a brutal weight class to be in as the 2020 Olympics approach.
86 kg (35:35)
Nick Heflin looked good throughout the mini-tournament but couldn’t get it done in the finals. Askren and Dernlan hope David Taylor is ready to compete at Final X.
92 kg (36:37)
Michael Macchiavello beat Hayden Zillmer in the finals. Askren and Dernlan agree Macchiavello has a good opportunity to go down in weight and compete.
97 kg (38:40)
Ty Walz turned it around from the U.S. Open and did well throughout the mini-tournament to make the finals.
125 kg (39:41)
Heavyweight was an exciting weight class during the World Team Trials. Gable Steveson being the shining star throughout. Given Steveson’s age and skill Dernlan and Askren are fully on board the Steveson train and are excited for Final X.

#57: World Team Trials Finals Recap May 21, 2019

Heavy Weight
On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan will break down the Finals of the World Team Trials. Askren doesn't waste any time jumping right into his opinion on Gable Steveson vs Adam Coon in the Heavy Weight Finals. some people picked Steveson to beat Coon but not in the dominant fashion he did. Dernlan says if you had no frame of reference you would think Coon was the 18-year-old college wrestler and Steveson was the recent graduate who has proven their abilities at the senior level. Coon felt the most comfortable wrestling upper body with Steveson but once he sensed danger he tried to get out of bounds. Overall Steveson ran through the World Team Trials in such a way no one could have predicted.
97 kg (8:36)
Kyven Gadson took on Ty Walz in the best 2 of 3 finals with Gadson getting the win in two close matches. Askren and Dernlan agree Gadson has proven himself to be a clear number two at this weight class as Kyle Snyder has proven himself a clear number one.
92 kg (10:29)
Bo Nickal beat Michael Macchiavello first match by tech fall and second match 5-0. Dernlan talks about how Macchiavello attempted to slow it down in the second match but still couldn't get any offense going. The set up of Nickal vs J'Den Cox at Final X is one of the most anticipated and exciting match ups.
86 kg (14:39)
Pat Downey gets a flurry at the end of match number one and then holds off Nick Heflin in the second match to get the win.
79 kg (16:13)
Alex Dieringer dominates NCAA Champ Zahid Valencia getting two tech falls in the finals. Dernlan talks about how Dieringer was definitely injured last year and how he made a big-time statement this year with his dominance. Askren thinks 100% Kyle Dake vs 100% healthy Dieringer will be a scrap and it'll be super interesting to see how these two approach their Final X match up.
74 kg (18:10)
One of the most anticipated finals came at 74 kg Isaiah Martinez vs Jason Nolf. Imar dominated the first match and the majority of the second match but Nolf was able to get a head pinch at the very end and come up big to send it to a winner take all third match. Imar wasn't rattled and remained focused and got the tech fall in the third match.
70 kg (23:30)
Anthony Ashnault goes down in the first match and is forced to injury default out of the second giving James Green the win. James Green was on a mission throughout this tournament to show the separation he has from the rest of this weight class and just how good he is.
65 kg (24:16)
Zain Retherford beats Jordan Oliver in two 7-6 matches. Askren talks about the strategy behind deciding when to challenge a call and when to not. Overall these two matches were so high level and technical by both guys especially during the first period it is hard to believe Oliver won't be moving on to Final X.
61 kg (30:48)
Tyler Graff beats Cody Brewer in this high scoring final. Askren breaks down the controversial referee calls. Dernlan talks about something they've talked about all Folkstyle season which is the importance of the referees understanding wrestling and not just making black and white calls.

#56: World Team Trials Preview May 17, 2019

Current EventsThis episode Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan preview the 2019 World Team Trials. Askren starts the podcast by telling Dernlan how much he enjoyed Dernlan's interview with Anatoly Beloglazov on episode #55. Dernlan gives some insight on the interview and all the interesting pieces he took from it. Some news since the last podcast that has come out includes Jason Nolf moving up a weight class and Nick Suriano deciding not to compete at World Team Trials. Dernlan and Askren see such a great opportunity for Suriano to make the world team and don't know his reasoning why he is choosing not to wrestle. 57 kg (8:23)Dernlan gives an update on Nathan Tomasello's status and how he is choosing to take time off, heal his injuries, and return next year for an Olympic run. They also discuss the strict qualifying criteria to make the World Team Trials and how smaller brackets allow for less possible injuries. Askren and Dernlan agree the pick for this weight class is Thomas Gilman hands down. 61 kg (13:37) Askren picks by his performance at the U.S. Open Nico Megaludis will beat Cody Brewer in the finals and head to Final X to take on Joe Colon. Dernlan agrees with this pick especially with a best of three series.65 kg (16:55)The topic is brought up about where Jordan Oliver should be seeded. Askren breaks down why seeding matters and how much of a difference it makes. There is also rumors that say Oliver could jump up to 70 kg. Overall Askren and Dernlan picks Zain Retherford to get the win at World Team Trials.70 kg (24:20)Both Askren and Dernlan pick James Green to win.74 kg (25:20)In the finals, Askren picks Jason Nolf vs Isaiah Martinez with Martinez getting the win and heading to Final X. Dernlan talks about how Martinez is on a new level and has opened up a gap between him and the rest of the weight class.79 kg (27:58)Dernlan has Mark Hall breaking onto the Senior level scene with a win at World Team Trials. Askren picks Zahid Valencia to win.86 kg (32:47)Both Dernlan and Askren pick Myles Martin to get revenge on Pat Downey and head to Final X. 92 kg (35:05)Dernlan says he has to take Bo Nickal to win and Dernlan agrees.97 kg (36:16)Askren picks Ben Honis to win the trials. Dernlan has been a Honis supporter for a very long time and also picks him to win. 125 kg (38:55)With a surprise pick, Dernlan takes Gable Steveson to win the trials. Askren takes Adam Coon over Steveson.

#55: Exclusive Anatoly Beloglazov Interview May 14, 2019

Spreading the MessageOn this special episode, Matt Dernlan sits down with Olympic Gold Medalist, 3x World Champion, and International Coach, Anatoly Beloglazov as well as Anatoly's son Alex for an exclusive interview. Beloglazov is currently in the middle of his second tour around the USA putting on world-class wrestling clinics. Dernlan starts by asking Beloglazov what his overall goal is and why he's willing to travel across the world to share his knowledge. Beleglazov says he wants to promote wrestling around the world. He enjoys working with and teaching all levels of wrestlers.How it All Began (4:20)Dernlan asks how most kids are introduced to wrestling in Russia. Beloglazov says it is very similar to the USA but Russia doesn't have many brands that represent, sponsor, and uplift wrestling like other sports have. From an outsiders perspective, it seems wrestling is the premier sport of Russia but Beloglazov says this is far from reality. There are pockets of Russia such as Dagestan where wrestling is entrenched in their traditions and culture. Beloglazov talks about schools in Russia where athletes live, learn, and train and how every sport not only wrestling has that. The recruiting process for these schools is similar to the college one in the USA. The athletes are fully funded and paid for also similar to college athletes. Beloglazov was walking home from soccer practice and happened upon a building where they were having a wrestling practice. He was invited in and enjoyed it so he brought his brother back with him the next day.Build the Foundation (14:58)In Russia, after young wrestlers learn the basics, coaches start to introduce more difficult and technical techniques. Beloglazov says the older you get the more individualized your training becomes and you get put together with others on your level. He says in the USA he has many more parents asking him to have their very young wrestlers go live instead of technique drilling. This is different than in Russia where parents and coaches don't push inexperienced wrestlers in that way. Beloglazov's parents were very hands off when it came to wrestling and never saw a single match of his.Sports Academy (25:45)Circling back to the topic of sporting schools and the process that system entails, Dernlan asks about what the next step after an athlete has been at the school for 3-4 years. In Russia, College is between high school and University and you can get a 2-year education before moving to University. There are sporting Universities where they specialize in careers within athletics. For example, Beloglazov was a wrestler and his other classes were sports science, nutrition, history all geared towards wrestling. a difference between the USA and Russia is that most of our coaches are elected because of their accomplishments as an athlete competing in the sport. In Russia, this is not the case and to be a high-level coach you must get certification via a degree.Wrestling Then vs Now (55:08)The conversation shifts to how Russian wrestlers make money by wrestling in different countries, wrestling leagues. In the United States, we have regional training centers and high-level athletes can get paid to train there. This is not state sponsored but rather community sponsored through donors who are passionate about wrestling. While Beloglazov was coming through the ranks he was not allowed to go wrestle for another country that is no longer the case. This brings up how when the Soviet Union broke apart into different republics it was easier for Russians to make their respective national teams but harder for the USA because instead of wrestling against one super team we had to defeat up to fifteen wrestlers representing their country. Beloglazov says it was harder to make the national team than to win Worlds. Beloglazov gives insight on how the world team selections are made. Even if you're the number one ranked wrestler or win nationals it doesn't mean you make the team. If coaches don't think you'll be ready they will find someone else who is.Snyder vs Sadulaev (1:07:00)Dernlan asks how Russians reacted when Kyle Snyder beat Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Beloglazov says they told Sadulaev the things he needed to work on and get better at. In today's world wrestlers can watch any match they want online and don't have to travel to watch the best wrestlers in the world.Dave Schultz (1:15:50)Beloglazov talks about his history with Dave Schultz. He first met him in the USA in the 1970s. Russian's had a hard time figuring him out because he always had a relaxed presence and didn't get nervous. It took them time to realize Dave was a different person on and off the mat. What made Dave great was not his power or strength but rather his mind for wrestling and his relentless studying, drilling, and perfecting of technique.Featured RUDIS Gear:Matt is wearing the KS Journey Soft Shell Jacket found here: https://therudis.com/product/ks-journey-soft-shell-jacket/Anatoly is wearing the RUDIS Wrestler Block Hoodie found here: https://therudis.com/product/rudis-wrestler-block-adult-hoodie-2/Alex is wearing the RUDIS Essential Hex Performance Quarter Zip found here: https://therudis.com/product/essential-hex-performance-quarter-zip-rudis/

#54: Askren’s Beat the Streets Recap May 09, 2019

New Wrestling Data
On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan talk about Beat the Streets, as well as all the exciting upcoming events surrounding the podcast. Askren starts off with the news that he along with a handful of wrestlers from Askren Wrestling Academy have finished collecting data from the U.S. Open Wrestling Championships. Dernlan is surprised when Askren says that are a lot of similarities in the numbers when you compare the new data to the 2018 World Championships data. He thought there would be drastic differences in certain areas when comparing an international tournament to a domestic one. One interesting difference was under defensive scores, down block go behind went from being the number one at Worlds to number four at the Open. Another point brought up is if in the future they can breakdown the data round by round to see how techniques change from the level of competition being faced.
Kayla Miracle (6:05)
4x WCWA National Champ and 3x U.S. Open Champ Kayla Miracle stopped by Columbus before heading down to Dallas for the U23 Team Trials. Miracle has an extremely busy upcoming schedule. She will compete at the U23 Trials then the Senior World Trials, and then Final X.
Giving Back (8:39)
Dernlan gives his respects to Askren for using his platform to help grow the sport and bring a lot of eyes to a great cause that is Beat the Streets. Askren had every reason not to compete including being in the middle of training camp for his upcoming UFC fight but he chose to dedicate his time to shine a light on the sport of wrestling. Askren elaborates on his quick speech after the Jordan Burroughs match when he talked about supporting not only Beat the Streets but all of wrestling because it changes lives. Askren talks about all the ways wrestling can have an amazing influence on a young person. One example is having something in your life that challenges you and forces you to be better than you already are. Askren talks about how much wrestling has done for him and his life and that is the reason why he feels it is so important to give back.
Beat the Streets (19:42)
Breaking down the event Askren brings up the electricity in the air when Yianni Diakomihalis took on Bajrang Punia. He feels like you could replicate that energy every year if you did nation vs nation, for example, USA vs Russia. Another point is that this event showed beyond a few upsets that it really takes some time to develop at the senior level to rise to that elite status. Another impressive showing at BTS was from Jack Mueller. Mueller put on a clinic against Nick Piccininni winning 10-0. Mueller is qualified for the World Team Trials for being last year’s U23 world team member. The last match they breakdown is James Green vs Anthony Ashnault. It looked like to Dernlan that James Green had motivation due to the expectations of a competitive match that came from Ashnault dominating at the Pan American Championships.
Nick Suriano vs Joe Colon (36:58)
2019 NCAA Champ Suriano beats World Bronze Medalist Colon 3-1. Dernlan breaks down Colon’s game and how Suriano’s defensive style didn’t allow for Colon to execute where he’s best at. The question before Beat the Streets was how good is Suriano at Freestyle and while that question isn’t fully answered, he looked really good and it poses the next question will we see Suriano at World Team Trials? Askren doesn’t know why Suriano wouldn’t. He has beaten Daton Fix who he would face if he drops to 57 kg and now he has beaten Joe Colon if he decides to stay at 61 kg.
David Taylor (42:44)
31 seconds into his match against Drew Foster, Taylor suffers an injury and is forced to injury default in order to not cause any further damage. Everyone is hoping the injury was not serious and Taylor can continue his dominance at Final X. Dernlan talks about how the end goal is next years Olympics so if he has to forgo the 2019 Worlds in order to get healthy and compete for Olympic Gold he’s sure he would. Overall it was very unfortunate.
J’Den Cox vs Patrick Brucki (45:26)
Dernlan talks about how Cox might be one of the most under-appreciated wrestlers in the world. He is one of the best wrestlers to come out of the United States in recent years and has a resume that can stand up to anyones. On top of all of that he’s only 24 years old.
Yianni Diakomihalis (48:26)
It’s crazy to think about the last 8 weeks Diakomihalis has had winning an NCAA Championship, U.S. Open Championship, and beating one of the best wrestlers in the world at Beat the Streets. Askren and Dernlan discuss the levels Diakomihalis has already grown and to think he’s only 20 years old is amazing.

#53: UWW Men’s Junior Freestyle Recap May 09, 2019

57 & 61 kg
On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt talk about the UWW Junior Freestyle U.S. Open Wrestling Championships. They kick off the podcast by talking about the 57 kg weight class. Ohio State’s Malik Heinselman dominated his way all the way through this tournament. It’s great to see Heinselman competing and working to get on a world team. Moving to the 61 kg bracket brings one of the best matches of the whole tournament, Roman Bravo-Young vs Gabriel Tagg. After a close match, Tagg ends up getting the pin with 1:45 left in the second period. Dernlan talks about the dramatic improvements Tagg has made in the last year.
65 kg (7:33)
Yahya Thomas gets the win over Andrew Alirez 4-0 in the finals. Even though Thomas’s defensive style was able to get it done in the finals Askren and Dernlan were equally impressed with both wrestlers throughout the tournament.
70 kg (9:15)
Another Buckeye getting the finals win was Sam Sasso tech falling Brayton Lee in the finals 10-0. Ohio State has to be extremely happy with this considering Sasso has a huge task ahead of him in filling Micah Jordan’s roster spot. With a lot of schools graduating top ranked 157 lbs wrestlers there is a real opportunity for Sasso. One of the wildest matches of the bracket came in Lee’s semifinal match against Jacori Teemer ending 9-9 in Lee’s favor. Another incredible storyline from this bracket was Quincy Monday who was matched up against Sasso first round but battled all the way back 8 matches to take fourth place.
74 kg (14:44)
Iowa State’s David Carr beats Danny Braunagel in the finals 12-1.
79 kg (17:23)
Last years 79 kg junior world team member Aaron Brooks dominates this tournament yet again at no surprise to anyone. The debate gets brought up that if you medal as a junior why does that not give you a by to trials as it does for the seniors.
86 kg (21:00)
This was a stacked weight class and NC State’s Trent Hidlay beat Zachary Braunagel in the finals 10-3. Askren says he wouldn’t be surprised if Hidlay went up in weight for NC State.
92 kg (25:22)
Lucas Davison beat Jakob Woodley 6-3.
97 kg (23:18)
Two unknown guys to both Askren and Dernlan make it to the finals Sam Schuyler takes out Tanner Sloan 17-13.
125 kg (24:26)
Anthony Cassioppi dominated this bracket with a win over Seth Nevills in the finals 13-0. Askren talks about how when you look at this year’s overall potential team there isn’t a huge amount of confidence in getting a world team medal. There really isn’t any previous world medalist on the team besides Aaron Brooks.
Rule Change Proposals (27:00)
One proposal is counting medical forfeits as losses. Askren says this rule is hard to stick to when a seeding committee is looking at wrestlers records. Dernlan talks about how the seeding committees have already been doing this without an actual rule being in place. Medically forfeiting is run on the honor system and this rule poses to enforce it more strongly. Another rule being proposed that Dernlan is confident will get passed is allowing the use of sauna during the offseason. Originally this rule was put into place to protect wrestlers from unhealthy and unsafe weight cutting. In today’s age sauna would be used more for recovery than cutting water weight.

#52: BTS & Final X with Kyle Snyder May 01, 2019

When Should You Enter the Open?
On this special episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Kyle Snyder joins Ben Askren and Matt as they discuss the U.S. Open, Beat the Streets, and Final X. Askren starts by asking Snyder what his takeaways were from watching the U.S. Open. Snyder was surprised by a few wrestlers who wrestled even better than everyone already knew they were. One of those wrestlers being Yianni Diakomihalis who beat Jordan Oliver and then Zain Retherford who were favorites in the 65 kg weight class. Snyder is of the belief that as a college wrestler you should only enter the U.S. Open with the intentions and belief you're going to win. This is opposed to the idea of entering the tournament and testing the waters against the best senior level freestyle wrestlers. Snyder then breaks down his journey to making the world team and how he knew through reassurance in the practice room and from coaches that he was ready.
Diakomihalis vs Oliver (13:11)
From Snyder talking about his time where he knew he could surpass the best in the world, Dernlan brings up the Jordan Oliver vs Diakomihalis match. Askren talks about how some wrestlers don't let the big stage and bright lights impact their wrestling or mindset and rise to the occasion. Snyder elaborates on this point that just because you haven't beaten an opponent in the training room doesn't mean you aren't ready to beat them when it counts.
Jordan Burroughs (18:30)
Askren and Dernlan disagree on Askren's statement that the Burroughs of 2018-2019 has lost a slight edge compared to the Burroughs of previous years like 2012-2013. Dernlan says you can't use the Franklin Gomez match as a fair comparison because you're looking at one of the most athletic competitors in wrestling when you're watching Gomez. Snyder speculates that Burroughs could have been affected by the new weigh-in rules during the last World Championships. After watching him compete at Dan Kolov, Snyder says Burroughs looked just as good as he ever has if not better.
Young Guns Make a Splash (23:37)
Dernlan switches the topic back to the U.S. Open and asks Snyder if he had any surprises from the younger guys at the tournament. Snyder was impressed with Bo Nickal because he knows the level of wrestlers he was beating in Michael Macchiavello and Hayden Zillmer. He was surprised but happy for Pat Downey as he's overcome a lot of adversity. Snyder was also impressed with Daton Fix beating a strong Thomas Gilman. He noticed Fix's improvements in hand fighting and made adjustments since the NCAAs. Askren picks Fix to beat Gilman again at Final X.
Beat the Streets (34:26)
This will be Snyder's fifth time competing at Beat the Streets. Snyder talks about some of the things he loves about competing at Beat the Streets. One of those being the unique experience of competing outside at Times Square. Overall he loves the exciting matchups you won't find anywhere else and what that does for growing wrestling and strengthening its community. Snyder was surprised to hear the announcement of Jordan Burroughs vs Ben Askren and loves the conversations it has started.

#51: 2019 U.S. Open - Finals Recap Apr 29, 2019

#50: 2019 U.S. Open - Men's Semifinals Recap and Finals Preview Apr 29, 2019

Yianni Is Living in the Matrix
On this special live broadcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan breakdown all the wrestling from the U.S. Open leading up to the finals and make their predictions for the finals. The first topic they jump into is someone everyone is talking about, Yianni Diakomihalis. Diakomihalis has had an amazing tournament thus far highlighted by his tech fall over Jordan Oliver. It’s exciting to see considering Diakomihalis hasn’t had many opportunities to show what he can do in freestyle. Askren and Dernlan break down his mat and body awareness. The 65 kg final between Diakomihalis and Zain Retherford will be one of the most exciting matchups of the entire tournament.
65 kg (15:18)
After talking about Diakomilhalis vs Retherford, Askren and Dernlan discuss other key matches that went down in the 65 kg bracket. One great match was Joey McKenna vs Dean Heil. Heil came up big with two, four point moves in the second period getting the win 12-9. Heil then only had 15 minutes until his next round match against Jordan Eierman. Askren says in order to save time and allow more time between matches they should consider getting rid of challenge blocks before the quarterfinals.
57 kg (21:07)
The first match they break down is Nathan Tomasello vs Thomas Gilman that ended with Tomasello cautioning out in the second period. Askren was surprised at how dominant Gilman looked after Tomasello tech falled his way to the semifinal match. Tomasello and Gilman always had very competitive matches in college. They go on to talk about Daton Fix. They point out how many tournaments Fix shows up to which is a lot more than most wrestlers.
61 kg (25:35)
Askren and Dernlan give credit to Joey Palmer making it all the way to the semifinals as a fairly unknown wrestler. He got past Tyler Graff in the quarterfinals which is a very tough task. Another wrestler Askren highlights in this bracket is Beau Bartlett. Bartlett is a high school junior and ended up finishing 8th place beating some notable collegiate wrestlers.
70 kg (29:02)
Ryan Deakin has been on a storm through this star-studded bracket. Deakin was Dernlan’s pick as a guy that could be a major disrupter at NCAAs but he faded off during the NCAA Championships. He’s been showing the world what he can do in Freestyle and will face James Green who beat Jason Nolf in their semifinal matchup.
74 kg (32:54)
Isaiah Martinez has been hammering everyone on his way to the finals. He faces Thomas Gantt in the finals. Askren says the most interesting thing about this weight class is to see what the wrestlers at non-Olympic weight levels decide to do.
79 kg (35:02)
Askren coached Nick Becker who’s wrestling out of Askren Wrestling Academy. Becker dropped to Chance Marsteller and now he will face Matthew Finesilver in the third-place match. Marsteller faces Alex Dieringer in the finals. Askren predicts Dieringer going down to 74 kg and Marsteller going up to 86 for the Olympics.
86 kg (35:43)
Pat Downey beats Myles Martin in the semis 9-7. It was all Martin in the first period up 7-0 but wasn’t able to hold off Downey in the second. Downey faces Nick Heflin in the finals.
92 kg (38:03)
Hayden Zillmer has been really impressive all tournament but he has a tough task in the finals against Bo Nickal. Askren calls for fireworks in the finals and wants to see how Nickal wrestlers a bigger wrestler in Zillmer.
97 kg (38:43)
One of Dernlan’s top wrestlers, Ben Honis has made it to the finals and will face Kyven Gadson. Honis beat Ty Walz in the semifinals. Walz is a guy many thought could give Snyder a run which shows how good Honis is.
125 kg (40:03)
Adam Coon made his way to the finals as expected and he’ll face Anthony Nelson.

#49: U.S. Open Wrestling Preview Apr 29, 2019

#48: 2018 World Championships Men’s Freestyle Scoring Breakdown Pt. 3 Apr 18, 2019

#47: 2018 World Championships Men’s Freestyle Scoring Breakdown Pt. 2 Apr 16, 2019

Positive Encouragement
This episode is the second part in a series of statistical scoring breakdowns by Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan. The wrestling communities positive reaction to this analysis and data gathered by Askren has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. It shows the demand and interest in this topic of tangible wrestling data. This podcast will focus on the largest category of points scored which was shots.
Double Legs (3:17)
An interesting stat from this data is that double legs outscored single legs. This is contrary to most technique studies Askren and Dernlan have seen in the past. They're interested to see if this tournament was an anomaly and what the statistics would look like with even more data. If you do add in the low single and knee pull then single legs are number one over double legs. When there's so much emphasis put on one stat, as a wrestler and as a coach you need to get extremely proficient in that technique and scoring areas.
Rule Changes Impacting Stats (7:07)
Another point of emphasis Askren brings attention to is that if you shoot a double leg and keep your hands locked, you'll be awarded four points. This was not the case until 2018 and because of this, it gives a giant incentive to favor doubles over singles. Something else that comes from this is if you're the defensive wrestler and you chest wrap the offensive wrestler when they shoot their double, you'll most likely turn down and give up two points instead of four. The defensive wrestler bailing and giving up two shows the pendulum swing to the opposite side from just five years ago. Askren and Dernlan talk about their stories of the danger of shooting a double in the past because you didn't know the way the officials would call it.
No Difference by Weightclass (15:54)
Askren brings up a good point that for many of these techniques and finishes it is not isolated to one or two weight classes. The light and heavy guys are both using these techniques. This goes against Askren's preconceived notions about the techniques that would make for example a heavyweight successful.
High Crotch Finishes (22:40)
Something Askren feels is easy to defend and therefore doesn't teach a lot is a high crotch to drive across double leg. This technique scored 54 points at the 2018 World Championships so obviously, it is a useful and effective technique. This is an example of something coaches can take away from this data. Although you may feel something isn't worthy, if the numbers are undeniable then you should probably listen to them. This could also be due to the proficiency of defense at this level.
Where the Fight Begins (32:51)
Askren uses an example of a wrestler he was coaching who kept shooting a head inside single leg and getting shut down. After losing the match the wrestler was satisfied with the fact he got to his opponent's leg 5 times. The point to his story is that the goal is not to shoot and get to the leg the goal is to shoot and score. The fight only begins once you get to the leg.
Setups (36:26)
There are three types of setups. Open with separation, middle which is wrist or bicep control, and collar ties, and control ties like underhooks, overhooks, etc. Askren says the most important is being good in the middle. At a high level, wrestlers aren't coming out of position for no reason.
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#46: 2018 World Championships Men’s Freestyle Scoring Breakdown Introduction Apr 12, 2019

Download Infographic Here: https://therudis.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/0322-ben-infographic-13.jpg
Askren vs Burroughs
During this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan break down. First, they jump into talking about the announcement of Ben Askren vs Jordan Burroughs at Beat The Streets New York City. Askren will take on Burroughs in the main event May 6th at Madison Square Garden weighing in at 79 kg. Beat The Streets is a non-profit organization that's mission is to help youth reach their full physical, cognitive, and social potential. They do so by providing a positive atmosphere where kids can learn teamwork, exercise, and responsibility. It's the best of both worlds, an extremely entertaining matchup that fans want to see and it's all for a good cause.
If You Want it Done Right (6:17)
Last year after the Men's Freestyle World Championships Askren saw people putting up technique statistics but he wasn't sure if they were correct. He decided to hire some help and create a scoring form for 172 matches. They noted every single point scored and categorized them. During this podcast, Askren and Dernlan will talk about the overview of this project. Over the next few podcasts, they will discuss specifics and breakdown the interesting information you can pull from this data. In the future, Askren will do the same analysis for a folkstyle tournament. This will hopefully inform everyone about the scoring differences between folkstyle and freestyle.
Surprising Statistics (12:11)
Something that stood out to Dernlan in the data was that out of all matches there was only one time where someone scored with a crotch lift. This is one of the top moves taught in youth wrestling. In par terre, Askren was shocked that gut wrenches beat out leg laces almost five to one. This is surprising considering the potential to score multiple points from leg laces whereas you have to earn every gut wrench point.
Comparing Categories (20:20)
Askren points out to keep in mind when comparing categories that certain moves score points for each category. For example, if a wrestler used a control tie to get to the shot to push their opponent out that is points in all three categories. This shows you what setups give the best opportunities to score. Askren and Dernlan will be able to break down the setup, shot, and the finish. Not only is the data broke down this way but it's also broke down by weight classes. We can see the different techniques that are the most effective at each weight class. Askren thought there would be more noticeable differences in weight classes but the trends by weight class just aren't there. It goes to show you have to be proficient in every position no matter your weight.
Attack, Attack, Attack (30:10)
Askren brings up something Isaiah Martínez and him talked about in the last podcast, aggressiveness. Especially at a young age being fearless and constantly attacking will allow you to figure out the areas you're struggling. If you put yourself in situations where you're making mistakes eventually you'll figure it out and improve.
Shot Clock & Penalty Points (32:30)
Dernlan is interested in these two categories because of the possibility of a shot clock or penalty point being the difference maker in the match. We see this often where a penalty point such as hands to the face gives one wrestler the edge. Askren discusses how only one match was there more than two points scored in this category.
Point Totals (42:00)
Askren and Dernlan take a look at the categories totals. Breaking down the par terre scoring is simple, 2 points from a crotch lift and 270 from either a gut wrench or a leg lace. Push out either came from a control tie or a shot. Shot clock had 82 points. A category Askren thought would produce more points was front headlock which only had 56 points. Another category that has many variations and produced 36 points was slide by.
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#45: Exclusive Isaiah Martínez Interview Apr 09, 2019

Ben Askren sits down with Isaiah Martínez for an exclusive interview.
Everyday Training (0:00)
Fighting Career (5:08)
How it All Began (6:38)
Just Attack (8:20)
Young Wrestlers (13:31)
Early College Career (18:03)
Freshman Year (24:18)
Sophomore Year (26:38)
Vincenzo Joseph (31:59)
Professional Career (33:08)
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The Way #11 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Keep the Switch Going Apr 05, 2019

On this podcast, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Chapter 11, “Keep the Switch Going” from the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath. This is the last chapter of Switch. The book has been about how to enact change within an organization or team. Dernlan and Kolat have tied these strategies and ideas into wrestling. Kolat specifically has shown how he utilizes these lessons and tactics in everyday life at Campbell. Kolat says this book has definitely helped him be a better head coach. To make a change you have to start with yourself by walking the walk, and talking the talk.
Evolution of the Sport (3:05)
Setting the Bar Correctly (5:40)
Know When to Hold the Line (9:08)
Find the Bright Spots (17:20)
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#44: Askren & Dernlan's Season Ending Awards Apr 05, 2019

Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan break down their picks for the best dual, match, rivalry, upset, top wrestler, pinner, scrambler, freshmen, most exciting, and overall best wrestler.
Best Match (7:10)
Best Rivalry (11:03)
Best Upset (17:35)
Best on Top (22:03)
Best Pinner (26:57)
Best Scrambler (28:33)
Best Freshmen (32:08)
Most Exciting (34:54)
Overall Best Wrestler (39:42)
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#43: Top 10 Coaches of the Year Apr 03, 2019

Beat The Streets
In this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan discuss the top 10 coaches of the year.
How to Judge (6:23)
Number 10 - Troy Steiner (12:15)
Number 9 - Chris Ayres | Coleman Scott (17:37)
Number 7 - Kevin Dresser | Scott Moore (28:03)
Number 6 - Scott Moore | Tom Brands (32:10)
Number 5 - Doug Schwab | Brandon Eggum (38:35)
Number 4 - Brian Smith | Scott Goodale (39:22)
Number 3 - Cael Sanderson | Chris Ayres (44:51)
Number 2 - Kevin Dresser | Tom Ryan (49:13)
Number 1 - Cael Sanderson | Scott Goodale (51:23)
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The Way #10 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Rally the Herd Mar 29, 2019

Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Chapter 10, “Rally the Herd” from the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip and Dan Heath.
Body Language (6:35)
Hostile Environment (11:40)
Tweak the Message (16:50)
Transfers (21:32)
Building the Herd (25:53)
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#42: 2019 NCAA Team Performances & 2020 Expectations Mar 28, 2019

Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan breakdown team performances and preview the 2020 season for the top teams.
Sarah Hildebrandt | Beat The Streets (5:30)
Next Year's NCAA Champions (6:48)
Bonus Points are Not an Option (14:40)
Ohio State (20:38)
Penn State (25:52)
Cornell (34:13)
Oklahoma State (40:35)
Michigan (42:45)
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#41: NCAA Wrestling Championships Finals Recap Mar 26, 2019

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan recap the finals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
133 lbs
Hypocritical Calls (5:39)
Headgear Grab (15:13)
Heavy Weight (19:30)
125 lbs (23:00)
141 lbs (26:25)
149 lbs (29:09)
157 lbs (31:42)
165 lbs (35:33)
174 lbs (41:42)
184 lbs (43:57)
197 lbs (45:00)
Nickal Calls out Askren (46:02)
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NCAA Wrestling Championships Semi Finals Recap Mar 23, 2019

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NCAA Wrestling Championships Quarter Finals Recap Mar 23, 2019

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NCAA Wrestling Championships Session 2 Recap Mar 22, 2019

Session 2
During this live broadcast Thursday night at 10:30PM EST from Pittsburgh, PA, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan breakdown Session 2 of the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
125 lbs (3:40)
133 lbs (7:37)
141 lbs (12:38)
149 lbs (15:30)
157 lbs (17:28)
165 lbs (19:15)
174 lbs (23:27)
184 lbs (25:46)
197 lbs (30:07)
Heavy Weight (34:37)
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NCAA Wrestling Championships Session 1 Recap Mar 21, 2019

Session 1
During this exclusive live broadcast on Thursday at 4:00PM EST from Pittsburgh, PA, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan breakdown their thoughts on Session 1 of the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
133 lbs (6:59)
141 lbs (9:23)
149 lbs (11:47)
157 lbs (15:33)
165 lbs (18:33)
174 lbs (21:35)
184 lbs (23:40)
197 lbs (26:12)
Heavy Weight (28:47)
Team Score (31:15)
Hodge Trophy Contention (35:10)
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#40: Askren & Dernlan NCAA Picks Mar 19, 2019

NCAA Bracket Breakdown
With the release of the NCAA Wrestling Championships brackets, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan discuss, debate, and breakdown their thoughts on what will go down next weekend.
Supposed Seeding Criteria (1:16)
Heavyweight 285 lbs (7:05)
197 lbs (12:48)
184 lbs (17:09)
174 lbs (22:29)
165 lbs (27:28)
157 lbs (34:34)
149 lbs (37:15)
141 lbs (39:42)
133 lbs (41:05)
125 lbs (41:18)
Stay tuned for Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan going live on YouTube after every session of the NCAA Tournament this weekend.
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The Way #9 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Build Habits Mar 15, 2019

Don't Change Habits That Got You Here
On this podcast, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Chapter 9, “Build Habits”, from the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath.
Environment is Crucial (5:10)
Action Triggers (12:20)
Build Your Reputation (21:30)
Autopilot (34:09)
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#39: Wrestling Conference Championships & NCAA Seeding Mar 14, 2019

125 lbs
On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan talk about NCAA Wrestling Championships qualifiers beyond just those from the Big Ten.
133 lbs (9:44)
141 lbs (18:05)
149 lbs (22:07)
157 lbs (27:59)
165 lbs (29:06)
174 lbs (35:58)
184 lbs (39:46)
197 lbs (40:30)
Heavy weight (43:03)
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#38: Big Ten Championship Recap Mar 12, 2019

125 lbs
Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan jump right into breaking down the Big Ten Wrestling Championships.
133 lbs (5:07)
One of the biggest matchups in the tournament went down in the quarterfinals Luke Pletcher beating Roman Bravo-Young 8-5.
141 lbs (16:20)
The biggest story out of this bracket was the No. 8 seed Chad Red beating the No. 1 seed Michael Carr and then Kanen Storr to get to the finals.
149 lbs (20:31)
No. 1 and No. 2 faced off in the finals with Anthony Ashnault beating Micah Jordan 8-6.
157 lbs (27:30)
Dernlan was impressed with Alec Pantaleo all weekend and surprised by Ryan Deakin's performance.
165 lbs (31:49)
Another 1 vs 2 championship matchup went down at 165 lbs.
197 lbs (48:00)
Bo Nickal won 10-3 over Kollin Moore.
Heavy Weight (48:59)
Props are given to Youssif Hemida for going through the gauntlet wrestling six matches to take 3rd.

#37: Exclusive UFC 235 Breakdown with Ben Askren Mar 06, 2019

On this episode, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan breakdown UFC 235, Askren vs Lawler, the Oklahoma State Rogers vs Smith wrestle off, as well as their predictions for the BIG 10 conference tournament.
A Champion Mentality (6:31)
Dernlan asks how Askren felt about going from the build-up of his previous fights in promotions such as Bellator and ONE Championship to the press/media monster that is the UFC.
Simplify and Adjust the Game Plan (13:45)
There is no controversy, in Askren’s eyes, in his win over former UFC Champ Robbie Lawler.
The Responsibility of a MMA Referee (18:45)
In the moment, Askren was not worried about the referee, Herb Dean, stopping the fight.
Analyzing the Choke (21:04)
In Askren's situation, the bulldog choke was locked up across Lawler's chin and wasn't fully cutting off the flow of air in his windpipe.
Future Plans (26:59)
Askren is headed to London to watch UFC Fight Night 147.
BIG 10 Conference Championship (31:43)
With the final seeds being released for the BIG 10 Championship, Askren and Dernlan give their predictions on the outcomes.
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The Way #8: A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Tweak the Environment Mar 01, 2019

High School vs College Wrestling
Put in the Work (4:35)
Weight Control (10:18)
Consistency is Key (20:54)
Creating a Positive Work Environment (31:45)
Learn from Competition (34:27)
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#36: Okie State vs Iowa Wrap Up Feb 26, 2019

A Sport of Emotional Expression
In this episode Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan breakdown the Oklahoma State vs Iowa dual. Oklahoma State’s Gallagher-Iba Arena was packed with over 13,000 fans in attendance. They watched their Cowboy’s secure a 15-0 regular season record defeating Iowa 27-12. Askren doesn’t know if he’s ever witnessed Gallagher-Iba Arena that loud. Dernlan and Askren also appreciated the energy and display of emotion in John Smith. Coach Smith has been a part of Oklahoma State’s program, and this rivalry, his entire career. To see him overwhelmed with pure joy was something special.
Spencer Lee vs Nick Piccininni (4:00)
Piccininni escaped in the second period then locked up a cradle to pin the defending NCAA champion, Lee, who hadn’t been pinned since 2009. Dernlan talks about how difficult it is for anyone to replicate a dominant freshman season their sophomore year. Your sophomore season, everyone has already studied all the details and tendencies in your game. On record, Lee is having a better season this year so far but the pair agree his competition has shown better performances against him. Askren says even with Lee’s opponents in the know of how he comes out the gate, with high energy and how good he is off bottom, they don’t realize his strength until they’re faced with it. Overall, the rest of the 125 lbs weight class is not allowing Lee to get the early takedown or take it easy when they’re on bottom. Dernlan refers to this another level of desperation.
Adjustments Don’t Happen Overnight (12:45)
Askren talks about how hard adjustments are to make especially if you’re used to doing something really well for so long. Dernlan has a feeling that Lee mostly needs to sort out his mental game and the physical part will come along.
Austin DeSanto vs Daton Fix (14:56)
No. 2 Fix got the 2-0 win over No. 3 DeSanto. Askren and Dernlan agree Fix secured the takedown at the end of the 2nd period. They’re not sure how the ref missed it but they can sympathize with the unenviable position the ref was in. In front of 13,00+ screaming fans and two head coaches in your ear, this ref did a good job overall. Fix was able to hold DeSanto double laced the entire 3rd period. Askren and Dernlan agree that after about 10-15 seconds it should be stalemated in that situation.
Max Murin vs Kaid Brock (21:03)
Brock got the close win 6-8 over Murin. Brock seemed more dominant than the score entailed. Dernlan talks about how great of a start to the dual this was for Oklahoma State with three straight wins.
Pat Lugo vs Kaden Gfeller (21:59)
Lugo got the decision win over Gfeller 7-4. Askren’s take is that Gfeller isn’t looking great recently more than Lugo is looking better. Stylistically, it was a fun matchup with Lugo being more fundamental and Gfeller having more funk. Dernlan thinks it was a matter of Lugo being able to impose his style and not allow openings for Gfeller.
Chandler Rogers vs Mitch Bowman (28:00)
Rogers pinned Bowman at 174 lbs. Dernlan thinks it’s possible the Oklahoma State coaching staff, when deciding whether to put Rogers or Jacobe Smith at 174, thought Rogers had a better chance at getting bonus points. Askren likes Jacobe at 184 and thinks he’s just as good as he is at 174. It will be interesting to see Coach Smith talk after the season what the strategy was heading into the postseason with his lineup.
Missouri vs Iowa State (33:00)
Missouri beat Iowa State 23-15. A key match that stood out to Askren was John Erneste and Austin Gomez. Erneste won by tech-fall 22-6. No matter what Gomez did he kept getting put on his back. Gomez has beaten DeSanto, Roman Bravo-Young and looked good against Daton Fix this year, but he really struggled against Erneste.
Joey McKenna vs Yianni Diakomihalis (41:05)
Yianni secured his undefeated record with a 7-5 win over McKenna. Dernlan says Yianni was more dominant than the score showed and he really controlled the match. Askren still thinks No. 3 McKenna will beat out No. 2 Nick Lee if faced against him in the NCAA Tournament.
What the Future Holds (43:57)
Wrapping up the podcast, Askren and Dernlan discuss what the upcoming podcast schedule looks like. There is a lot happening even with the break before NCAA conference championships. Askren’s debut UFC fight will take place at UFC 235 March 2nd. Also, Kyle Snyder and Sarah Hildebrandt will head to Ruse, Bulgaria to compete in their 2nd ranking series at the Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov International.

The Way #7: A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Grow Your People Feb 22, 2019

Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Chapter 7 “Grow Your People”, from the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath.
Growth Mindset (0:00)
Initiate the Change (4:26)
Changing Perspectives (8:36)
Successful Teams (16:00)
Generating Buy-in (21:22)
Prove Your Worth (27:10)
Creating a Culture (32:40)
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#35: Okie State is Going Down Feb 21, 2019

Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan begin by talking about Sarah Hildebrandt, her new clothing line, and the interview Askren did with her on the last episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast.
New Gear New Technique (0:00)
Oklahoma State vs Missouri (7:15)
Jaydin Eierman vs Kaid Brock (11:23)
Brock Mauller vs Kaden Gfeller (14:20)
Oklahoma State is Going Down (22:05)
It's Daniel Lewis Time (29:10)
Iowa vs Wisconsin (33:22)
Myles Martin (40:00)
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#34: Exclusive Sarah Hildebrandt Interview Feb 19, 2019

On this episode, Ben Askren sits down with World Medalist and newly signed RUDIS ambassador Sarah Hildebrandt. Fresh off winning gold at the Yarygin Grand Prix, Hildebrandt tells Askren how she got started in the sport of wrestling.
Where It All Began (0:00)
High School Wrestling (4:31)
College Wrestling (11:45)
Discipline Through Self-Reflection (24:01)
World Championships (12:38)
Growing Women's Wrestling (34:24)
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The Way #6: A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Shrink the Change Feb 19, 2019

Developing Life-Skills for Athletes (0:00)
The Magic of Momentum (3:43)
Adjust the Clock (14:00)
Segmenting Outcomes (21:00)
Getting the Most Out Of Practice Time (35:44)
Shrink Change (38:59)
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#33: Spreading the Love Feb 14, 2019

Sebastian Rivera vs Stevan Micic (0:00)
Ryan Deakin vs Alec Pantaleo (4:45)
Showing Some Love (12:39)
Missouri vs Arizona State (28:50)
Zahid Valencia vs Daniel Lewis (31:02)
Missouri in the MAC (35:43)
Sarah Hildebrandt (42:33)
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#32: Breaking Down the Blowout Feb 12, 2019

Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan reflect on their predictions for the Ohio State vs Penn State dual last Friday.
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OHIO STATE vs PENN STATE Wrestling Match Predictions Feb 08, 2019

Special live video with Ben Askren, Matt Dernlan, and guest Tommy Rowlands discussing possible outcomes for the Ohio State vs. Penn State match tonight, 02/08 at 8:30pm EST.

#31: Entertainment or Unsportsmanlike? Feb 07, 2019

Entertainment vs Unsportsmanlike (0:00)
Ben Askren addresses a main news story that wasn't brought up last podcast, Austin Desanto's antics, and suspension. Matt Dernlan's take on what happened at the Nebraska dual is that it was kind of justified. Earlier in the dual, after a sudden victory win, Tyler Berger went over to the Iowa bench and blew them a kiss while saying "This is my house". Dernlan believes Desanto's similar actions don't justify the harsh reaction of the public. This is the third time Desanto has been hit with team point deductions. Once you get a reputation, people start watching and waiting to overreact. Tuesday the news broke that Desanto will serve a one-game suspension and not wrestle in the upcoming dual against Maryland.
Sam Stoll (04:15)
Iowa's Sam Stoll was upset by Nebraska's David Jensen 3-0. Askren and Dernlan agree that since Stoll's knee injury he hasn't been quite the same. Askren questions if a loss like this is a sign that Stoll won't place in March.
Alex Marinelli vs Isaiah White (11:15)
At 165 lbs Marinelli captured a win over Isaiah White 3-0. Dernlan relates this matchup to a lot of the matches that took place between Michigan and Penn State. It was really close but Dernlan doesn't see White beating Marinelli this season. Askren advises White to not choose bottom against Marinelli.
Tough Matchups and Injuries (13:00)
Iowa vs Oklahoma State and Ohio State vs Cornell are tough matchups to end the season. Dernlan questions if this is a good thing for a team heading into the finals or if it makes it harder. You do have a two-week break before conferences but traveling can be hard for the away teams. Joey McKenna was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Askren questions Dernlan to see if he has any inside information if McKenna will wrestle against Penn State. It brings up the topic that with only 6 weeks until the NCAA tournament it's important to heal up and not risk further injury. Playing on the side of caution gets more important the closer you get to the end of the season.
Kaid Brock vs Josh Alber (24:30)
Kaid Brock lost his match at 141 lbs on a last-second takedown to Josh Alber. When Brock wrestles his style it's exciting to watch. Askren thinks Brock was holding himself back in this match.
Joe Smith Drops 2 (31:46)
No. 5 Joe Smith lost both of his bouts over the weekend. First losing to No. 8 Taylor Lujan of UNI 5-4. He then lost to No. 6 Jordan Kutler 3-1 after getting hit with a hands-to-the-face call. Dernlan thinks Smith wrestled to the style of his opponents and got caught up not being active. After such an impressive performance at the Southern Scuffle, it was easy to believe Smith could really be dangerous for the top-ranked guys. After a weekend like this, maybe those predictions were premature.
Fast Predictions (37:27)
Askren is heading down to Columbus to do a live broadcast of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast with Dernlan for the Ohio State vs Penn State dual. The pair goes through the matchups and makes quick predictions on who they think will win. 125: Ohio State, 133: Ohio State 141: Ohio State 149: Ohio State 157: Penn State 165: Penn State 174: Penn State 184: Ohio State 197: Ohio State 285: Penn State.

#30: Number 1 for a Reason Feb 07, 2019

Don't Limit Athletic Performance
Ben Askren kicks off this week's podcast by getting Matt Dernlan's take on Certainty vs Truth which was Askren's Mental Mondays topic. Dernlan agrees that if you're telling a wrestler exactly what to do in a match, you're limiting them. You should encourage your wrestler to be able to think for themselves. If you don't learn to think for yourself when you’re in the middle of a match, you will not succeed. If a coach tells a wrestler exactly what to do, they're only setting themselves up to be questioned later if that technique does not work.
Penn State vs Michigan
No. 1 Penn State defeated No. 5 Michigan 25-11 in front of nearly 16,000 fans in the sold-out Bryce Jordan Center. Askren would like to see the average attendance numbers from this season compared to 10 years ago. It seems like many big teams are selling out their venues this season.
Nolf, Next Topic?
At 157 lbs, Penn State's No. 1 Jason Nolf took out No. 5 Alec Pantaleo 9-2. What Askren read online and social media was that Nolf utterly dominated Pantaleo but Askren didn't feel that way when he watched the match. Starting the 2nd period, Nolf had two escapes and Pantaleo had a takedown. Dernlan thinks Pantaleo spent the match attempting to keep Nolf at bay and Nolf was more the aggressor. Askren believes this was a very winnable match for Pantaleo. He didn't think he'd be saying that about any Nolf matchup this season but he's excited about a possible rematch.
Vincenzo Joseph vs Logan Massa
Another No. 1 vs No. 5 matchup took place at 165 lbs. No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph beat No. 5 Logan Massa, 4-2 with a last-second takedown in sudden victory. Askren says every time these two meet it will be close. While Joseph brought the pressure Massa was actively attacking. Dernlan believes because Joseph was putting the pressure with his snap-downs Massa found the way to get out of that was to attack.
Mark Hall vs Myles Amine
No. 1 Mark Hall defeated No. 3 Myles Amine in a close 3-2 victory. Askren thinks Amine held his own in the scramble. That being said he doesn't see Hall losing in a future match and thinks he has Amine's number.
Mason Parris vs Anthony Cassar
Anthony Cassar had a dominating win over Mason Parris with a 19-8 major decision. Both Askren and Dernlan were extremely impressed with the power Parris showed as he flipped Cassar off of him in the first period. Overall, Askren believes in a year or two Mason Parris will improve technically and be really hard to beat. Cassar and Penn State have been working on attaining a sixth season via a medical redshirt. Askren talks about how heavyweight is only going to get tougher next year with new up and coming heavyweights including Parris and Gable Steveson. Parris never gave up during his match against Cassar. Dernlan is of the mindset that you should never fall down and take the rest of a match off even if you know it's technically out of reach. Making your opponent wrestle you is the only way you can close the gap and figure them out for the next time you meet.
Rutgers vs Princeton
Rutgers' No. 2 Anthony Ashnault got a major decision to win the dual over No. 1 Matthew Kolodzik. Dernlan and Askren talk about the Rutgers Athletic Center (Rac) and the energy it contained at that moment. Ashnault was able to control the match in every single aspect. Dernlan can't recall a time where Kolodzik got dominated in that fashion.

The Way #5 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Find the Feeling Feb 04, 2019

Appreciate Your Experiences
Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan discuss Chapter 5 of the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath. The chapter is about using positive emotion to create change. Dernlan has found this book extremely helpful and relatable. Kolat asks if Dernlan was able to enjoy his business trip overseas. When Kolat competed he was focused on competition and didn't take the time to appreciate the cultures he was traveling to. Relating to this, Dernlan talks about learning to appreciate your surroundings even if your main focus is business or competition.
Emotion Drives Changes
Our lives are defined by our memories. Everything we do, including laughing at jokes, cooking dinner, or calling a friend relies on our prior knowledge of similar events. Kolat speaks on memories and how positive emotions can drive change. When reviewing film with an athlete Kolat prefers to watch matches where the athlete won. The thought process is that by appealing to the positive emotion associated with that memory, that action will lock in change. Most wrestlers are very tough on themselves. They are constantly trying to improve by remembering the mistakes they've made and want to prevent. Dernlan talks about how important it is to point out the actions the wrestler does successfully. The wrestler might be minimizing or taking those successes for granted.
Success Cements Habits
Kolat uses the example of a youth wrestler who gains success because they are either stronger or more aggressive than the other kids. Sometimes a young wrestler wins matches with bad technique and is then celebrated by family and friends. Then when that young wrestler gets to the next level and pure aggression doesn’t work, it's really difficult for a coach to retrain them the right way. That past positive emotion reinforced a lot of poor habits that will later need correcting.
Feeling the Vision
In order to grow a program and rationalize why money should be spent you have to use statistics and analytics to support your task. When you're trying to appeal to athletes, you can speak stats to them all day long but what will actually create change is making them feel it and see it. An example of emotion moving a large group of people simultaneously is when someone gets a pin in a big match. The entire bench stands up, the crowd stands up to cheer and it's all driven by the emotion of what just happened.
Managing Down Time Before an Event
One important thing Dernlan states is you also have to be mindful of your emotional balance. You can't burn yourself out but you can't be timid either. You have to find that emotional center that drives success. Kolat agrees about not letting excitement or anxiety drain your energy for the match. For an athlete that hasn't been in a situation like the day before the NCAA tournament, it's important for the coach to structure the athlete’s day. One really helpful thing Coach Pat Santoro told Kolat was not to panic when you discover that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. If you're laying down your body is resting and the other guy is going through the same thing. This put Kolat's mind at ease to not allow the fact that it's hard to sleep before a big event to cause panic or doubt.
Perfect Timing
From high schoolers heading to states to college athletes heading to NCAA Tournament, the biggest emotional moments in wrestling are coming up in the next 6 weeks. A book like Switch and a podcast like The Way can help guide coaches and athletes on how to properly and effectively navigate these times. Next week Dernlan and Kolat will tackle Chapter 6 of Switch, Shrink the Change.

#29: Askren Predicts Most Controversial Weight Class Finalists Jan 31, 2019

Ohio State vs Michigan
Ben Askren starts off the podcast saying Ohio State vs Michigan was the college wrestling dual of the season so far. It was an action-packed rivalry match where the No. 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes fell 19-17 to No. 6 Michigan, after losing six of ten weight classes. Kicking off the dual at 125 lbs was No. 15 Drew Mattin of Michigan defeating Ohio State's Malik Heinselman 12-6. Askren and Matt Dernlan had discussed the decision of pulling Heinselman's redshirt on a previous podcast. Dernlan still believes it was a positive move and uses Mattin as an example. Mattin's redshirt was pulled his freshman season and that gave him experience against the best guys to prepare him for a successful sophomore season.
Stevan Micic vs Luke Pletcher
In the 2nd match of the night, Ohio State's Luke Pletcher fell to Michigan's Stevan Micic 14-1. Askren was not expecting such a dominating win over Pletcher. Dernlan believes Micic wanted to make a statement to why he is ranked No. 1.
Joey McKenna vs Kanen Storr
After Ohio State dropped the first 2 matches scoring 0 team points, Joey McKenna gave the home crowd something to cheer about. Ohio State's No. 2 Joey McKenna defeated No. 5 Kanen Storr by Tech Fall 18-3. On paper, Michigan was most likely going to win this dual. Dernlan's takeaway was that Ohio State's captains knew what they needed to do in order to give them a chance. All 3 captains including McKenna answered the bell and won in dramatic fashion.
Myles Amine vs Ethan Smith
At 174 lbs Michigan's Myles Amine defeated Ethan Smith 3-2. Askren and Dernlan agree Ohio State needs to choose the main guy at 174 lbs. Not through a wrestle-off because that can create a bad dynamic and add unneeded stress.
Kollin Moore vs Jackson Striggow
At this point in the dual, the score was 16-17. No. 2 ranked Kollin Moore faced off against Michigan's unranked Jackson Striggow. In order to put his heavyweight in a good position to win the dual, Moore needed to dominate. Dernlan talks about how in these situations you tell the wrestler before they go out what's expected and that he controls the destiny of this dual. In Dernlan's opinion, he didn't see the urgency in Moore's wrestling.
133 lbs Weight Class
Askren says the 133 lbs weight class is either a disaster or glorious depending on how you look at it. Everyone is beating everyone and it is arguably the most exciting weight class in college wrestling right now. From a coaching standpoint that creates a lot of anxiety because you don't know exactly what the outcomes are going to be. From a fan perspective, it creates intrigue and heated discussions. Askren and Dernlan try and map out the possibilities of what could go down come March at the NCAA Tournament and it's impossible. The 133 lbs weight class has too much talent to tell. One thing Askren and Dernlan agree on is that with so much talent in the top 25 you can't expect an unranked guy to make a surprising run.
Dave Schultz Memorial International
Moving on, Askren breaks down Aaron Brooks performance at the Dave Schultz Memorial International. Coming off a poor performance at Midlands, he came back and looked great with a championship win over Princeton's Nathan Jackson. Dernlan is excited and believes Brooks is going to be interesting to watch as he grows and develops.

#28: Ducking the Tough Matches Jan 29, 2019

Is "Ducking" Bad?
Wasting no time Ben Askren jumps into one of the biggest stories from this weekend, a match that didn't even happen. The main takeaway from the Northwestern vs Iowa dual wasn't about any of the matches that actually took place, it was about the ones that didn't. Neither Spencer Lee or Kaleb Young wrestled in this dual. Spencer Lee vs Sebastian Rivera was one of the most anticipated matches of the season. An explanation for these sort of absences in dual meets is seed protection. A wrestler is "ducking" another opponent in order to protect his seed. Askren does not like this strategy put forth by wrestling programs at all. If you're healthy you should wrestle and not worry about the possibility of losing. Askren didn't miss a single high school match and only one match during his entire college career.
Matt Dernlan understands what coaches like Iowa's Coach Tom Brand's is doing by making these choices. They can't afford to put certain things up to chance and have to put their wrestlers in the best situation for the NCAA wrestling tournament. Askren counters that thought with the argument that getting another chance to wrestle a guy who you most likely will end up against at the end of the year can be really beneficial. This way you can figure out why and how they're beating you so you can make the right adjustments for when it really matters. Dernlan talks about how the culture of wrestling is shifting towards stats and numbers but at its core its always been to just go out on the mat and settle it. So what does make up a true champion mentality? Getting the trophy at any cost, or wanting to wrestle every match no matter the opponent?
Calling Stalling by the Book
The norm this season with referees seems to be they're not truly thinking about what a stalling call should mean. Askren watched the Lehigh vs Arizona State dual and was impressed with the referee. Instead of calling stalling on a wrestler who can't move without putting themselves in a vulnerable position the ref called a stalemate. You can't make perfect rules there are variables to every situation. So when you try to call the rules the way they're written it doesn't work. Askren and Dernlan think there needs to be a better avenue for communication between officials and coaches during a match. Sometimes a coach wants clarification on a call and they'll receive a warning for asking for it which causes more frustration. Askren has an idea of possibly setting up a dialogue between coaches and referees after matches, to recap any questions or clarifications a coach might have.
Side Headlock
Another rule that has been bugging Askren is the calling of the side headlock stall. When an offensive wrestler applies a side headlock and fails to break down the opponent or execute any other offensive move within five seconds a stalling call is placed on the offensive wrestler. Askren believes this shouldn't be the case. A side headlock is not every single thing that encompasses the head and arms.
Penn State's Tournament to Lose
Dernlan believes this is the first time Penn State has had to deal with some complacency. It takes a different approach and mentality to wrestle with the mindset that you should win. It can be easier to be the hunter or challenger. Askren talks about not wrestling like there's a target on your back. So far Penn State has shown that they haven't changed the mentality and keep competing against their opponents but also themselves. If their teammate went out and tech-falled their opponent, they want to go out and pin theirs. Roman Bravo-Young is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after he suffered an injury during the Michigan dual. Askren believes with RBY getting back healthy around the BIG10 tournament Penn State is going to struggle at 133 lbs.

The Way #4 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Point to the Destination Jan 25, 2019

With Matt Dernlan absent, Cary Kolat tackles chapter 4 of the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard By Chip and Dan Heath and how he uses its lessons every day as a wrestling coach. Kolat breaks down the examples used in the book and applies them to his own life. Remembering to appeal to both the rational and emotional mind when motivating and setting goals for a team. Being easy to collaborate and work with will help you in achieving your goals. Holding true to standards and giving ownership to team members is critical in creating a culture.

#27: Exclusive Kyle Snyder Interview Pt. 2 Jan 22, 2019

Kyle Snyder and Ben Askren discuss Snyder's collegiate wrestling career. The journey from being pinned in the NCAA Finals to winning 3 NCAA Wrestling Championships and 2 World Wrestling Championships as well as an Olympic Gold Medal before graduation. They also talk about Snyder's post-college career and what he has planned for the future.
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The Way #3 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: Script the Critical Moves Jan 18, 2019

Appreciate the Process
Before getting into chapter 3 of the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard By Chip and Dan Heath, Matt Dernlan and Cary Kolat discuss recent wrestling events at Campbell. Kolat's team finished 10th at Midlands. The pair talk about appreciating the process. When you're young and hungry all you can think about is getting to the top but, you forget how you got there. You have to build your foundation, if you rush you'll make more mistakes.
Scripting is Communicating
Kolat elaborates on what exactly the authors mean by scripting the critical moves. As a leader and as a Coach, in order to motivate your team, you should eliminate choice and give simple steps to success. Scripting is communicating clearly and as Coach you should simplify the path. If you only give a goal or task without concrete steps on how to get there people suffer from decision paralysis. Dernlan speaks on this topic saying with too many choices, people sometimes opt to do nothing. Uncertainty makes the emotional mind anxious therefor people may opt to just do the status quo. It's easy to overthink decisions as a Coach. Something as simple as deciding to pull a freshman's redshirt can have dire positive or negative consequences. In order to simplify these decisions, Kolat explains how you need ground rules that you stick to, to run your program. The same goes for an athlete. For example, trying to find which program you want to commit to. Find the things you'll judge a program on and then go with your gut.
The Doctor Example
One of the examples of decision paralysis given in the book is about doctors who are about to perform hip surgery. Kolat explains how they presented doctors with 1 drug that can take the pain away and eliminate the need for surgery. Most doctors decided to try it. When they presented doctors with 2 drugs and they had to choose one they decided to opt for surgery.
Saving Mental Capacity for What Matters
As a Coach, something as simple as an itinerary makes a huge difference. If you fail to organize your team at an event it could end in disaster. Overall, what you're doing is eliminating your athletes need to think, question, or stress about the small stuff. This way they can focus on the most important part, wrestling. Tournament management is critical. There are many things that if it's not laid out for an athlete can trip them up in a tournament. They might forget to eat or not have enough time to recover. Kolat had this down to a science when he competed and continues to implement this at Campbell.
Finish Strong
Talking about the details Kolat and Dernlan breakdown the importance of finishing strong. Just like making sure the windows on your house are straight after building it or the icing on the cake, the details matter. Some wrestlers come back after winter break different. Kolat is always more motivated because he realizes there are only 2 months left. Just because you're not a starter doesn't mean you can take your foot off the gas. At any time the starter could go down and you need to be ready. In order to script the critical moves as a Coach, you need to lay out what they need to be doing and hold them accountable.
Don't Over Coach
Yelling in the corner and giving an athlete too much direction can be detrimental. The more concise you can be with direction and calm the situation the better response you'll get. To be able to reassure your athlete with ultimate confidence can be really beneficial. Breathing down some's neck is not helpful in any other aspects of life. So why would it be in wrestling?

#26: Exclusive Kyle Snyder Interview Pt. 1 Jan 17, 2019

Elite Youth Wrestling Teams
On this edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren sits down with Kyle Snyder for a 2 part exclusive interview series. The conversation begins with Snyder telling his history with Cary Kolat. Around 5th grade Snyder started to see Team Kolat competing at the different tournaments he was attending in Maryland. Snyder admired the toughness and skill level of the kids on Team Kolat. He then began training there periodically throughout high school.
Hardship
Askren asks Snyder to talk about some hardships and adversity he's faced in his wrestling career. The first major hurdle Snyder faced was getting pinned in the NCAA Finals his freshman year. Before that, growing up, he would mostly wrestle older kids that were at his size and skill level. Wrestling older kids was not good for his win-loss record but it was good for developing his skills and mindset. Askren brings up J'Den Cox. While living in Columbia Missouri, Askren noticed how unique and good Cox was at a young age. Seeing Cox and Snyder going head to head in high school is what first got Askren's attention about how good Snyder is. These two are ultimate competitors which made the Snyder vs Cox matches throughout their high school careers extremely entertaining.
Making the Move
Snyder did something in high school that was not as common as it is today. He made the move to be able to train at the Olympic Training Center. Looking back, at the time it didn't set in how big of a decision it was for Snyder and his family. There weren't high enough level training partners for Snyder at his high school so the decision was easy. Especially with the level of coaching he would have access to from Coach Brandon Slay and Coach Bill Zadick.
Committing
The conversation shifts to how Snyder ended up at The Ohio State University and what he was thinking of making the leap from high school to college. Initially, the top school he was looking at was Virginia Tech. This stemmed from Virginia Tech being the first school to really reach out and begin a recruiting process with Snyder when he was junior in high school. He was invited down to participate in camps and got to know the coaching staff. Snyder had visited a handful of college programs and was ready to commit to Virginia and become a Hokie. His dad asked if he would visit one last school, Ohio State. What really set Ohio State out among its competition was the availability of the Ohio Reginal Training Center. During Snyder's visit to Columbus, he participated in an RTC clinic. He got to wrestle against elite older competition. Ohio State already had Bo Jordan and Nathan Tomasello coming in so Snyder knew the potential was there to win an NCAA team title.
The Early Committing Process
Speaking on the trend of earlier and earlier college recruiting. Snyder committed early his junior year of high school. Being a head coach wouldn't be Snyders dream job. The idea of recruiting and spending a big chunk of your day on the phone attempting to get the best athletes to join your program doesn't entice Snyder. He would rather be on the mat wrestling. Askren understands why coaches are forced to recruit kids at an early age but he doesn't like it.
Ohio State
Freshman year, Snyder roomed with Nathan Tomasello. They lived together for the next 3 years as well. Also during Snyder's freshman year, he got the opportunity to wrestle and drill with 2x NCAA Champion, Ohio State Alum, and Askren's co-host from the T-Row and Funky show, Tommy Rowlands. Askren's strategy when wrestling against college guys is to slowly ramp up the pace and gas out his opponent. Part 2 of the exclusive Kyle Snyder interview will be released next Tuesday. The pair will share more stories including Snyder's wrestling career post-college and the upcoming Yarygin tournament.

#25: A Controversial 133 lbs Finish Jan 17, 2019

Did Anyone Really Win in Daton Fix vs Nick Suriano?
This weekend was filled with exciting collegiate match ups. With streaming and broadcasting services the availability of watching these duals are at your fingertips. This wasn't a reality a short time ago when it was hard to find live college wrestling. One of the highly anticipated wrestling matches this weekend was between Oklahoma State's Daton Fix and Rutgers' Nick Suriano. These two have a deep history growing up in New Jerse. They also hold claim to one of the most talked about high school matches of all time. This weekends matchup followed theme with the match lasting 34 minutes. The match actually lasted even longer than that if you include all of the time spent reviewing by the officials. Ben Askren isn't surprised that every time these two meet it goes this way due to their similar high-pressure styles. The bout finally came to a controversial close with Fix serving Suriano his first loss of the season 3-2 due to a hands-to-the-face call. Askren is excited to see Fix and Suriano wrestle other top-ranked opponents but not each other due to the way their styles match up.
Kaden Gfeller vs Anthony Ashnault
Askren feels Kaden Gfeller vs Anthony Ashnault was the most exciting match of the Oklahoma State vs Rutgers dual. Gfeller fell to Ashnault 9-6. Askren thinks Gfeller is losing to these top guys because he struggles to generate enough of his own offense. After the win, Ashnault celebrated by doing the pistol fingers at Gfeller. Gfeller then pushes Ashnault at the handshake and both sides got a one-point deduction as a result.
Patrick Glory vs Nick Piccininni
Glory vs Piccininni was another exciting match this weekend. Glory lost to Piccininni with a final score of 9-4. Askren begs Glory to stop choosing bottom until he gets better. Glory has the potential to place 3rd at the NCAA Finals which would be a remarkable achievement considering the competition and Glory's age.
Nick Lee vs Tristan Moran
Wisconsin's Tristan Moran went to Rec Hall and gave Penn State's Nick Lee his first loss of the season in second sudden victory 12-10. This was a huge upset not only in the rankings but also Moran has been struggling with his weight at the 141 lbs weight class.
Jason Nolf vs Ryan Deakin
Nolf was able to stop all the chatter surrounding his bout with Deakin with a 17-7 major decision victory. Askren talks about how many people believed No. 3 ranked Deakin was the guy to finally beat Nolf. It will be exciting to watch the rest of Nolf's season.
Austin Desanto vs Ethan Lizak
The final score of 6-1 doesn't tell the story of how dominant No. 10 Desanto was against No. 8 Lizak. Desanto, at the end of the match, shoved Lizak’s head into the mat and then started taunting the crowd. Askren is always in favor of celebrations and showmanship and didn't really have a problem with what happened after the match.

#24: Myles Martin & Ohio State Remain Undefeated Jan 11, 2019

Ohio State vs North Carolina State
Ohio State begins 2019 with a 26-10 win over NC State. Ben Askren starts the podcast with a mention of the business as usual Joeseph McKenna 10-2 major decision over Jamal Morris. This win moved McKenna to 11-0 on the season. Moving on to more memorable match from this dual Micah Jordan versed off against No. 4 ranked Justin Oliver. Jordan was able to put pressure on Oliver and hit the go-ahead takedown with only six seconds remaining. Matt Dernlan notes on McKenna's ability to make split-second adjustments and not get caught fully committed to a move.
Hayden Hilday vs Ke-Shawn Hayes
Moving onto 157 lbs and Hayden Hilday's 7-2 win over Ke-Shawn Hayes, Askren was surprised Hayes got called for stalling. He was surprised because it was blatant and Ohio State was at home but he believes it was the right call. Hayes was able to shut down Hilday's under hook for the first 2.5 periods. Dernlan doesn't think Hayes was intentionally backing out of bounds rather he was in a position that didn't allow him to be grounded and dig in. Hayes is also small for his weight class. Simply relying on a few stalling call points is not a reliable mechanism for offense. Askren and Dernlan suspect Hilday will have a harder time implementing this technique on bigger opponents.
Bullard Twins Split
At 165 lbs NC State's Thomas Bullard won out in a scramble for the 4-2 win over Ohio State's Kaleb Romero. Then at 174 lbs, Te’Shan Campbell was able to get his fifth win in a row as he came through a 4-1 winner over Daniel Bullard. Both brothers have found it tough to compete against the top 10 ranked wrestlers.
Myles Martin vs Nick Reenan
The 185 lbs matchup was a battle of two undefeated wrestlers. No. 1 Myles Martin facing off against No. 3 Nick Reenan. Martin secured the win 12-5 over Reenan. Askren is suspicious of the health of Reenan. Reenan was grimacing after the first takedown and Martin may have sensed that. Askren thinks Martin was aggressive and was wrestling to finish the whole match but Dernlan believes he had another gear to give. Martin very rarely hits the same attack twice. This makes it extremely difficult to defend against his unpredictable attacks.
Malik Heinselman
The discussion briefly shifts to Freshman Malik Heinselman and Ohio State's 125 lbs weight class. Dernlan believes pulling Heinselman's redshirt is a good idea. At very least it will give a morale boost to the team that they have a chance of starting off duals with a win. Askren thinks back on his own college wrestling career. He notes about how important his redshirt year was and how much it helped him improve. Since it is unlikely Heinselman wins a national title this year at 125 lbs Askren says he should sit back, learn and grow this year. Dernlan's rebuttal to this is if Heinselman can potentially get a win or two at the NCAA tournament can be the difference between Ohio State placing 2nd or 5th.

#2: Switch: Finding The Bright Spots Jan 11, 2019

Bright Spots
Building off the last episode Matt Dernlan and Cary Kolat continue the discussion of the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard By Chip and Dan Heath. Recapping the last episode Kolat describes the basis of the book. Chip and Dan Heath use the analogy of a rider and elephant to describe the two systems in your brain. The rational side is the rider and the emotional side is the elephant. Switch discusses how to create a leadership plan that gets both sides in sync. This episode will focus on Chapter 2: Find The Bright Spots. Bright spots or successes worth emulating is a philosophy that can be described in a question, "What is working and how can we do more of it?".
Don't Have to Reinvent the Wheel
In the book, they use the example of a gentleman whom in 1990 was tasked with fighting malnutrition in Vietnam. The foreign minister told him he only had 6 months to make a difference. Instead of having to much pride, he found an impoverished woman with healthy children and spread her knowledge to the rest of the country. Dernlan can relate this short term situation to coaching. Coaches are assigned to making huge changes in a 4-year span for an athlete and a program. When Kolat first took over at Campbell the program was not doing good and did not have much funding. He had to put a short term plan together in order to build for the future. Similar to the gentleman in the story, he found bright spots. In Kolat's case, it was looking at other programs and analyzing what they are doing that makes them successful. From that Kolat learned how to implement techniques into his own program. Kolat also used this in his athletic career. He had no problem copying a move another wrestler did or going to where they train.
Lay the Right Foundation
When Dernlan went from Penn State To Clarion he made the mistake of not scaling the goals to the program size. He figured out quickly he couldn't just implement a blanket philosophy and culture into another program. You have to take one step at a time. You can't make unrealistic promises. Success is defined differently by different programs. It's important to highlight the smaller victories. It's easy to get caught up in the big picture. As your program grows and changes your goals and standards should too.
Finding Bright Spots
Kolat coaches this technique to his wrestlers. He has had a few examples of freshman wrestlers with bad records that went on to be extremely successful later on. Those are the type of guys he makes captains. Kolat tells incoming freshman to replicate what they did and grow from it. Dernlan mentions pulling appropriate examples for young wrestlers. In order to apply to a wrestler's rational mind, you should appropriately choose who you use as a model. This makes it tangible for them to believe that success is possible. Going along with this, Kolat chooses to focus on his wrestler's successful matches over their failures. It's harder to say this is what you're not doing and how to fix it than to duplicate your success.

#23: Amine vs Facundo 2, Michigan Fighting to Win a Team Trophy Jan 08, 2019

Homer or Game Changer?
Getting right into the episode, Ben Askren begins to break down the Detroit Catholic Central vs Davison rivalry match between Cameron Amine and Alex Facundo. This was an exciting yet controversial match from the finals of the DCC Invite. It was between two of Michigan's best high school wrestlers. The match ended up going to an ultimate tiebreaker round tied 1-1. Facundo hits a stand up immediately into the UTB. Amine is behind him for about 15 seconds and the ref calls a stalemate. Askren believes Amine was trying to return Facundo to the mat. Therefore, Amine was progressing towards the score and not just stopping action. Going off this, Askren suggests a change in the rules. He thinks the referee may have made the right call. If the bottom wrestler knows he can just wait 5 seconds and the wrestler on top will most likely get a stalling call, he doesn't actually have to try and escape. Instead, Askren suggested not calling the stalling call so quickly. Referees like to have a rule in place that they can defer to. This takes the scrutiny off the referee for the final call.
6th Year Senior
Continuing with Michigan wrestling the conversation shifts to the collegiate level. Specifically, Mason Parris and his dominant upset of the No. 1 ranked Amar Dhesi of Oregon State, 11-4. This will surely bring Parris into the top 10 rankings at heavyweight. Dhesi is a 6-year senior. This was granted to him from suffering an ACL injury and not being able to compete. Dernlan acknowledges how many wrestlers struggle during this 6th year. He believes this could be due to the accumulation of wear and tear from competing every week on top of having suffered an injury. You need to realize your capabilities and train smarter not harder. This is also a responsibility of coaches. After some thought, the two had a hard time naming multiple athletes with an extremely successful 6th year of collegiate wrestling.
Michigan vs Oregon St.
Overall, Michigan ran away with their 2019 debut with a 32-8 win over Oregon State Wrestling. Breaking down the majority of the lineup and weight classes includes the Steven Micic's tech-fall of Kegan Calkins 18-2. Michigan's current lineup could find themselves on the podium at the end of the year in the NCAA Finals. That being said for those teams that are in similar positions as Michigan, they have to rely on every single one of their guys if the team wants to place.
Nebraska vs Northwestern
Moving on, discussion shifts to Tyler Berger and Nebraska's 26-14 dual victory over Northwestern Sunday at the Devaney Center. Berger faced off against Ryan Deakin giving Deakin his first loss of the season. It looked like Deakin was not being aggressive. Deakin had good hand fighting in the first period but went away from hand fighting and collar ties in the second and third. Moving away from his left-handed collar tie, Ryan Deakin switched to just diving in later in the match. Berger was more strategic overall. The 157 lbs weight class is extremely exciting this year with no one stepping away from the pack beyond Jason Nolf. Next Podcast will feature the exciting Ohio State vs NC State dual.

#22: Southern Scuffle and Midlands Watered Down Jan 04, 2019

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast #22: Southern Scuffle and Midlands Watered Down by RUDIS Wrestling

The Way #1 | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast: Switch: The Rational and Emotional Mind Jan 04, 2019

The Search for Excellence
Introducing something unprecedented to the wrestling community, Cary Kolat and Matt Dernlan kick off their new venture "The Way | A RUDIS Wrestling Podcast". The way is something everyone is searching for. Whether that is an athletic, personal, or professional achievement. Coming from Coaching backgrounds, Cary and Matt are always looking for better ways to lead athletes and elevate them. "The Way" will be breaking down different forms of literature to generate discussion and different perspectives. Then taking these lessons and knowledge and applying it to all aspects of life.
Rational vs Emotional Mind
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard By Chip and Dan Heath is the first piece of literature that will be featured. Cary begins breaking down the different parts of the book. The book begins explaining the two different "systems" in the brain. It has a rational system and an emotional system. The rational system is a thoughtful, logical planner. The emotional system is emotional, impulsive and instinctual. Connecting this to wrestling Cary relates to how when a wrestler is cutting weight and makes the emotional decision to break their diet. Athletes do this while the rational part of their brain knows they shouldn't. Once you understand everyone has these two systems working in their brains you can put together a plan catered to both logic and emotion. A lot of wrestlers tend to rely on one or the other. If you appeal to both systems you can achieve great things and help others achieve their goals.
A Clear Direction
Establishing a clear direction and organization is something the rational part of your brain can understand. Cary relates to this by how he organizes his practices as the Head Coach at Campbell University. A few months ago he implemented writing down on a whiteboard what the practice will consist of. This gives a clear direction, a starting point and a finish-line for his athletes. Matt builds off this idea and explains how explaining the plan gives ownership to the athlete. including them in the process takes away the fear of the unknown. Sometimes what appears on the surface as resistance is just a lack of clarity. The far majority of athletes are involved in a program because they want to be there and they want to win. Some guys need clarity and comprehension of the message to get behind the goal and unlock their full potential.
Wrap-up
Kolat and Dernlan go over the main points discussed in this episode. To change someone's behavior you have to change their situation or path. What often looks like laziness is exhaustion and how to distinguish the difference between the two. As well as what looks like resistance is actually a lack of clarity. Next episode will talk about "the bright spots". Bright spots are not best practices. One way Dan Heath explained it is: “The question is not 'How can my organization be like my best peer?' The question is 'How can my organization be like itself at its best moments?' ”

#21: Midlands Breakdown Jan 02, 2019

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast #21: Midlands Breakdown by RUDIS Wrestling

#20: UWW Rule Changes,The Reno Tournament of Champions & Beast of the East Dec 27, 2018

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Ep 20: UWW Rule Changes,The Reno Tournament of Champions & Beast of the East by RUDIS Wrestling

#19: UNI vs Cornell, Nebraska vs NCST and UNC Dec 20, 2018

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Episode #19: UNI vs Cornell, Nebraska vs NCST and UNC by RUDIS Wrestling

#18: Proficiency In All Three Positions, PSU Vs ASU & How Good Is RBY? Dec 18, 2018

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast #18: Proficiency In All Three Positions, PSU Vs ASU & How Good Is RBY? by RUDIS Wrestling

#17: Ironman Wrap Up & Weekly Collegiate Recap Dec 13, 2018

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#16: The Gable Stevenson Persona and Ironman Recap Dec 11, 2018

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#15: Las Vegas INVITATIONAL PART 1 Dec 06, 2018

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast #15: Las Vegas INVITATIONAL PART 1 by RUDIS Wrestling

#14: Iowa vs Iowa State Dec 04, 2018

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#13: One on One with Cary Kolat Nov 30, 2018

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast #13: One on One with Cary Kolat by RUDIS Wrestling

#12: Penn State Seemingly Unstoppable - Collegiate Recap Nov 30, 2018

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#11: Weekly Collegiate Wrestling Recap Nov 22, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast Episode #11: Weekly Collegiate Wrestling Recap by RUDIS Wrestling

#10: Oklahoma State vs. Minnesota, Collegiate Wrestling Nov 21, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast #10: Oklahoma State vs. Minnesota, Collegiate Wrestling by RUDIS Wrestling

#9: Decommitments, Scholarships, and the Top Recruiting Classes 2019 Nov 15, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast #9: Decommitments, Scholarships, and the Top Recruiting Classes 2019 by RUDIS Wrestling

#8: Week 2 of Wrestling Season Nov 13, 2018

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#7: UFC 233 & Collegiate Wrestling Week One Wrap Up Nov 08, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast #7: UFC 233 & Collegiate Wrestling Week One Wrap Up by RUDIS Wrestling

#6: New Rules and New Wrestlers Nov 06, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast #6: New Rules and New Wrestlers by RUDIS Wrestling

#5: UWW Improvements and Super 32 Nov 01, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast #5: UWW Improvements and Super 32 by RUDIS Wrestling

#4: Ben's Big Announcement & World Championships Wrap Up Oct 30, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast #4: Ben's Big Announcement & World Championships Wrap Up by RUDIS Wrestling

#3: World Championships Day 3 & 4 Recap Oct 30, 2018

Rudis Wrestling Podcast #3: World Championships Day 3 & 4 Recap by RUDIS Wrestling

#2: World Championships Day 1 & 2 Recap Oct 30, 2018

RUDIS Wrestling Podcast #2: World Championships Day 1 & 2 Recap by RUDIS Wrestling

#1: New NCAA Legislation Oct 19, 2018

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