Bonus Points - A Usa Wrestling Podcast

Episode 67 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features Duke University's high-flying heavyweight Jacob Kasper. Competing in his junior season for the Blue Devils, Kasper has compiled a 20-1 record with six wins coming by fall and three by major decision. He became Duke's first Southern Scuffle champion in January. Kasper was a NCAA qualifier and ACC runner-up in 2015. He also finished in seventh place at the 2015 U.S. Senior Nationals in Greco-Roman. Topics of discussion include his personal growth on the mat, taking on a new weight class, training Greco-Roman at the Olympic Training Center and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 67 guest Jacob Kasper on Twitter at @jacobakasper and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening application.

Episode 66 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features United World Wrestling's Tim Foley. Foley has covered wrestling at all levels for over a decade. His current role with United World Wrestling has him oversee the media operations for wrestling's international governing body. He was a NCAA All-American at the University of Virginia in 2004 and later coached at Columbia University while earning his M.S. in Magazine Journalism. Topics of discussion include his personal connection to wrestling, the promotional side of wrestling, the evolution of UWW and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 66 guest Tim Foley on Twitter at @trfoley and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening application.

Episode 65 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast takes a look back at many of the great wrestling moments from the 2016 calendar year. Richard Immel and Jason Bryant come together once more in a special Short Time-Bonus Points collaboration to reflect on their favorite moments of the past year. Topics of discussion include the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the NCAA Championsips in Madison Square Garden plus much more off-the-wall conversation. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 65 guest Jason Bryant on Twitter at @jasonmbryant and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening application.

Episode 64 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast, presented by KT Tape, features 2016 World Champion Logan Stieber. The four-time NCAA champion and 2011 Junior World silver medalist made his mark on the international wrestling world with an electrifying gold-medal performance at the 2016 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Stieber stared down an incredibly challenging draw at Worlds, with all four of his opponents ranked highly in the United World Wrestling men’s freestyle rankings at 61 kg/134 lbs. The U.S. gunslinger opened his World title run with a quick 10-0 technical fall over 2015 World bronze medalist Vasyl Shuptar of Ukraine. In the quarterfinals, he topped eventual bronze medalist Akhmed Chakaev of Russia, 13-11, scoring the deciding takedown with five seconds left in the match. Moments later, Stieber secured the match-clinching takedown on Asian silver medalist Behnam Ehsanpoor of Iran with one second remaining in the bout to pull out a 9-8 victory and qualify for the finals. Standing

Episode 63 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features University of Michigan freshman Logan Massa. The young Wolverine has taken the NCAA by storm this season, currently holding the No. 2 ranking at 165 pounds and an undefeated 15-0 record. Massa downed NCAA finalist Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas International to win his first major college tournament and solidify himself as a NCAA title contender. As a redshirt freshman, Massa posted a 13-1 record for Michigan. He won the Eastern Michigan Open, Michigan State Open and finished in second place at the Southern Scuffle. Massa has proven strong on the freestyle side as well. He qualified and competed at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials held last April and placed fourth at the 2016 U.S. Senior Nationals at 74 kg/163 lbs. Topics of discussion include Massa's Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational performance, the high's and low's of his wrestling career thus far, combatting winning with the rise in expectation and muc

Episode 62 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features current Campbell head coach and hall of fame wrestler Cary Kolat. Kolat finished his career among the most decorated wrestlers in U.S. history. Internationally, he won two World medals in men's freestyle and competed at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. In college, Kolat was a four-time NCAA All-American and two-time NCAA champion. He finished in second and third place at the NCAA Championships for Penn State during his first two years of college. Kolat then transferred to Lock Haven where he won his two NCAA titles. Kolat was a four-time Pennsylvania state champion, boasting an undefeated record in high school. In 2017, Kolat will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member. Topics of discussion include Kolat's wrestling career, his journey to grow the Campbell University wrestling program, what drove him to his success, how he combatted failure and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep

Episode 61 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast, presented by KT Tape, features Zain Retherford, 2016 NCAA Champion for Penn State. Retherford won his first NCAA title for the Nittany Lions last season at 149 pounds with a 34-0 overall record. Of his 34 wins, 15 were pins, eight came by technical fall and seven were major decisions. In 2016, Retherford was a finalist for the Hodge Trophy, awarded annually to the best college wrestler, and was awarded the NCAA's most dominant wrestler award. Retherford enters his junior campaign as a two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten finalist and Big Ten champion. He also finished in third place at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and was a 2012 Cadet World champion in freestyle. Topics of discussion include Retherford's wrestling journey, growing up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania, the outlook of Penn State this year and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 61 guest Zain Retherford on Twitter at @zaintrain_psu and follow show host Richard Imm

Episode 60 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features four-time NCAA All-American, U.S. World Team member and Indiana associate head coach Nick Simmons. Dubbed the East Lansing Strangler for his punishing wrestling style, Simmons was a staple on the U.S. men's freestyle scene from 2004 until he announced his retirement in 2015. Simmons finished in fifth place at the 2011 Senior World Championships held in Istanbul, Turkey. He was a runner-up at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Wrestling collegiately for Michigan State, Simmons earned four NCAA All-American honors with finishes of third, fourth, fourth and seventh at the NCAA Championships. He was a three-time Big Ten Champion for the Spartans, racking up 138 collegiate wins with 46 coming by fall. Simmons was one of the top high school wrestlers in U.S. history with 211 overall wins, only three of which not coming by pin or technical fall. He was a four-time Michigan state champion and three time Junior National champion. Topics of discussion i

Episode 59 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features author, motivational speaker and teacher Coyte Cooper. Cooper recently published his second book entitled Make Your Mark that examines the intricacies of living a remarkable life. He graduated with a PH.D. in sports marketing and management from Indiana University and recently finished a stint at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill as a marketing professor. On the wrestling mat, Cooper was a NCAA All-American at Indiana, a three-three time Washington high school state champion and three-time age-group World Team member. Topics of discussion include Cooper's Make Your Mark book, the marking side of wrestling and what he learned from his days on the mat. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 59 guest Coyte Cooper on Twitter at @coytecooper and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening applica

In Episode 58 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast Richard Immel and Jason Bryant take an in-depth look at the upcoming NCAA Division I wrestling season. Topics of discussion range from returning NCAA champions looking to repeat, potential newcomers who could shake the college landscape, how the team race will play out and, of course, predictions on who will win the NCAA Championships. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 58 guest Jason Bryant on Twitter at @jasonmbryant and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening application.

Episode 57 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. Bender has been an employee of USA Wrestling for 29 years and has served as the organization’s chief executive officer for 14 years, leading USA Wrestling through a period of growth and expanded service. Topics of discussion include the current state of USA Wrestling, the 2016 Olympic Games, growth of wrestling from the youth levels all the way to the Senior-level and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 57 guest Rich Bender on Twitter at @rsbender and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening application.

Episode 56 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features Olympic champion and three-time World champion in men's freestyle wrestling Jordan Burroughs. Already cemented as one of the greatest wrestlers in U.S. history entering the 2016 season, Burroughs found himself with a rare opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games for the second time after winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last April. Burroughs was one of the premier faces for Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as he attempted to grasp his second Olympic gold medal. On August 19, 2016 Burroughs competed in the Olympics as a heavy favorite in the men's freestyle 74 kg division. A day he invisioned as his grand statement to the world turned out to be his most difficult day on the wrestling mat. Burroughs was defeated in the Olympic quarterfinals by eventual silver medalist Aniuar Geduev of Russia, 3-2. He later fell in the repechage round to Bekzod Abdurakhmonov of Uzbekistan, 10-0 and left Rio without a medal.

Episode 55 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features two-time Cadet World champion in men's freestyle wrestling Gable Steveson. Steveson won men’s freestyle gold for the U.S. at the 2016 Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia at 100 kg/220 lbs. He picked up four wins on his run to gold, including a 5-1 decision over Adam Beterbiev of Russia in the gold-medal match. With the win in Tbilisi, Steveson became just the second U.S. wrestler to win the Cadet World Championships twice. The other occured on the very same day with Yianni Diakomihalis also going back-to-back. In addition to his two Cadet World wins, Steveson has ammased two Minnesota high school state titles for Apple Valley HS entering his Junior year. He also boasts gold medal finishes at the USAW Cadet Freestyle Nationals and USAW Folkstyle Nationals. Topics of discussion include his dominant Cadet Worlds performance, the pressures of repeating, how to become a successful wrestler and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points

Episode 54 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features 2016 Cadet World champion in men's freestyle wrestling Kurt McHenry. McHenry won men’s freestyle gold for the U.S. at the 2016 Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia with an electrifying performance at 42 kg/92.5 lbs. The Virginia native won four matches over the top Cadet wrestlers in the World to win his first World title. Two of McHenry’s four wins came by technical fall. He posted a last second victory over Mahir Mammadzada of Azerbaijan in the championship match. McHenry will be a high school sophomore this year at St. Paul's in Maryland. He was a state champion as a freshman at 106 pounds. Topics of discussion include his Cadet Worlds performance, wrestling as a lightweight, creating a successful wrestling style and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 54 guest Kurt McHenry on Twitter at @Kurt_McNasty and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bon

Episode 53 of the USA Wrestling Bonus Points podcast features 2016 Junior World champion in men's freestyle wrestling Mark Hall. The 19-year-old Hall won men’s freestyle gold for the U.S. at the 2016 Junior World Championships in Macon, France with a remarkable performance at 74 kg/163 lbs. Hall won five matches over the top Junior wrestlers in the World to win his first Junior crown. Two of Hall’s five wins came by technical fall with one other coming by pin. Hall adds Junior World champion to a resume that already included 2014 Cadet World champion, three-time age-group U.S. World Team member, three-time USAW Cadet Nationals champion and six-time high school state champion. Hall is attending college wrestling powerhouse Penn State where he will compete as a freshman this fall. Topics of discussion include his Junior Worlds journey, college recruitment, navigating early success and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 53 guest Mark Hall on Twitter at @BaybeeMarky_PSU and follow show host Richard

Episode 52 of Bonus Points features 2016 Olympic champion in men's freestyle wrestling Kyle Snyder. The 20-year-old Snyder won four matches at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to become the youngest American wrestler to win Olympic gold. Competing at 97 kg, Snyder defeated Javier Cortina of Cuba, Albert Saritov of Romania, Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia and Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan on his road to gold in Rio. Last Sept. Snyder became the youngest World champion in U.S. wrestling history, and followed that up by winning his first NCAA championship for Ohio State in March. Topics of discussion include the road to Olympic gold, a wild up-and-down season, mixing college and international wrestling and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 52 guest Kyle Snyder on Twitter at @Snyder_man45 and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening applicatio

Join host Richard Immel and special guest Jason Bryant for Episode 51 of Bonus Points as they preview the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wrestling in Rio will begin with Greco-Roman on Aug. 14-16, followed by women's freestyle on Aug. 17-18 and conclude with men's freestyle on Aug. 19-21. The Bonus Points Olympic preview show hits on the major storylines heading into the Olympic Games, weight-by-weight previews, medal predictions, the Team USA outlook and more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 51 guest Jason Bryant on Twitter at @jasonmbryant and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bonus Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening application.

Episode 50 of Bonus Points features 2016 U.S. Cadet World Team member in men's freestyle and USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner Travis Wittlake Jr. Wittlake won the UWW Cadet Nationals in Akron, Ohio this June to secure his place on the Cadet World Team that will compete at the Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia in September. Wrestling out of Oregon, Wittlake won the folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman national titles at the Cadet level this year to earn his fifth Triple Crown award. He won the Cadet folkstyle and Greco-Roman nationals last year, as well as finishing in third place in Cadet freestyle. Entering his Junior year at Marshfield High School this fall, Wittlake has won two Oregon high school state championships. Topics of discussion include wrestling at the Cadet Nationals in Fargo, N.D., winning the Triple Crown, competing for a Cadet World title this fall, college prospects and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 50 guest Travis Wittlake Jr. on Twitter at @WittlakeJr a

Episode 49 of Bonus Points features Ben Askren, 2008 Olympian in men's freestye wrestling and two-time NCAA champion. Askren competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China for Team USA. He was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time NCAA finalist for the University of Missouri. After competing at the Olympics, Askren made the transition to mma full-time. He was a multiple time Bellator welterweight champion and is currently the ONE FC welterweight champion. Askren also heads the Wisconsin based Askren Wrestling Academy alsongside his brother Max. Askren hosts the T-Row and Funky Show, a weekly wrestling podcast, with fellow U.S. wrestling great Tommy Rowlands. Topics of discussion include the the magnitude of the Cadet and Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., the Olympic Games, wrestling in mma and much more. Follow USA Wrestling Bonus Points Ep. 49 guest Ben Askren on Twitter at @Benaskren and follow show host Richard Immel at @Richard_Immel. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestlin

Episode 48 of Bonus Points features former wrestler and UFC Hall of Famer Frank Trigg. Trigg is a wrestling and mixed martial arts veteteran on top of several other career endeavors that include acting, stunt work and color commentary. He currently covers mma in several journalistic capacities and is now working in Hawaii as a stunt man for television drama Hawaii Five-O. Trigg grew up wrestling with mild success in Upstate New York. He posted college stints at Oklahoma State and Phoenix College before finishing his career as a NCAA qualifier for Oklahoma. He was highly competitive on the Senior level through 2000 before transitioning to mma full-time. On the mma scene, Trigg held championship titles for several different promotions. He fought in the famed Pride Fighting Championships and the UFC where he fought for the Welterweight crown twice against all-time great Matt Hughes. Other top-named opponents he battled in the cage were Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Condit, Robbie Lawler, Josh Koshcheck and Matt