On The Mats

K.J. Pilcher
K.J. Pilcher is a reporter for SourceMedia Group, and he covers prep sports and college wrestling, among other things. His wrestling podcast, called the "Pinning Combination" is available here at TheGazette.com and also on iTunes.

Blog Posts

In this photo taken on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 and released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, fourth left in front row, stands with members of the U.S. freestyle wrestling team at the awarding ceremony of the Wrestling World Cup 2013 in Tehran, Iran. In a rare gesture of goodwill, the U.S. wrestlers shook hands with Ahmadinejad on Friday after finishing third in the tournament. Iran and the U.S. found a common ground in wrestling lately after the sport was kicked out of the Olympics, with both countries intent on seeing it restored to the program. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Ahmad Halabisaz) NO SALES

Iran to face U.S. in international wrestling meet

Competition set for May 19 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena

International wrestling powers will join together in a competition to further efforts for the Keep Olympic Wrestling movement and the 2020 Vision: Wrestling, Keep the Dream Alive campaign. Iran will wrestle on U.S. soil when the two countries meet for an event being called “United 4 Wrestling” on Sunday, May 19 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, according [...]

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Dan Gable, retired Iowa wrestling coach, Olympic and world champion and two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State answers a question during a press conference held by the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling at the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Friday, March 22, 2013. Next to Gable are CPOW Chairman Olympic bronze medalist and NCAA champion for Nebraska Bill Scherr (left) and two-time NCAA champion for Wisconsin Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), center. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG TV9)

CPOW update from USA Wrestling

No less than 20 state governments passing resolutions to assist restoring wrestling to Olympic programme

USA Wrestling has released its latest update  on the effort to keep wrestling in the Olympic Games. No Less Than 20 States Passing Resolutions To Assist In The Restoration Of Wrestling To The Olympic Programme The Committee to Preserve Olympic Wrestling (CPOW) and USA Wrestling Working with State Governments to Raise Grassroots and Political Support [...]

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Phil Keddy with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club battles Jon Reader with the Cyclone Wrestling Club in their 84kg quarterfinal match in the challenge tournament at the 2012 USA Wrestling Olympic Trials Sunday, April 22, 2012 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

Keddy sticks with strengths for freestyle success

Keddy earned early No. 3 seed for upcoming U.S. Open in Las Vegas

Phil Keddy didn’t return to basics. He basically went back to what works best. The change resulted in freestyle success for the former University of Iowa three-time All-American. Keddy will look to continue his winning ways at the U.S. Open men’s freestyle tournament April 18-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. [...]

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Brent Metcalf with New York AC controls Gator WC's Jared Frayer in the 66 kg men's freestyle final at the US. Olympic Wrestling Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City  on Sunday, April 22, 2012. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

Wrestling: Metcalf top-seed for U.S. Open

Former Hawkeye Keddy seeded third after winning Pan Am Championships and USA Wrestling weekly honors

Two-time NCAA Champion and former U.S. World Team member Brent Metcalf is seeded first at 145.5 pounds for the U.S. Open of freestyle wrestling. USA Wrestling announced the seeds last week for the tournament that will be held April 18-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Metcalf, a two-time FILA Junior World [...]

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Iowa's Tony Ramos is defeated by Logan Stieber of Ohio State in the 133 pound championship match at the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Saturday, March 23, 2013. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG TV9)

Hawkeyes want immediate fix on the mat

Brands discussed season and Olympic wrestling at Iowa's Presidential Committee on Athletics

University of Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands made an appearance Thursday at a meeting with members of Iowa’s Presidential Committee on Athletics in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes completed a season witha  second straight third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in March at Wells Fargo Arena in Des [...]

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Wrestlers vie for spots on the U.S. Olympic Team during the Olympic trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena  in 2012 (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

Brands ‘optimistic’ on wrestling’s Olympic hopes

IOWA CITY — Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands said there’s muscle and money to garner support for his sport to regain its traditional slot in future Olympic Games. Wrestling was dropped as a core sport by the IOC in February and now must lobby for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics on a provisional basis against [...]

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Gable (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

FILA makes rules modifications

Wrestling: Adjustments made to both freestyle and Greco-Roman

Rick Tucci, the president of the U.S. Wrestling Officials Association. He was recently elected to the Board of CPLA, the Pan American Wrestling Association, shared modifications to both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling that will be applied for the 2013 season. It appears FILA is seriously encouraging more offense and providing wrestlers a chance to score [...]

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Shane Hanson, (37), leads the pack in the hornets heat race at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Friday, August 17, 2012. The 2013 weekly points series races begin May 3. (Nikole Hanna/The Gazette-KCRG)

Hawkeye Downs including community more for 2013

Mid-America Sportsman feature and Allison Legacy Cars among racing additions to 2013 season

Hawkeye Downs Speedway has always been anchored in the community. This season, it appears the Cedar Rapids auto racing facility wants to enhance that relationship. The track’s weekly Friday night points series will include multiple nights to attract community members and feature local organizations during the 2013 schedule. The season consists of 15 sponsored nights [...]

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Cuba's Livan Lopez Azcuy reacts after defeating Azerbaijan's Jabrayil Hasanov for the bronze medal of the Men's 66Kg Freestyle wrestling at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 12, 2012. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Greek Athletics Fed. wants wrestling kept in Games

ATHENS (Reuters) – The Greek athletics federation (SEGAS) joined on Tuesday the chorus of opposition to an International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board recommendation to drop wrestling from the Olympic Games. SEGAS said it fully supported an official petition from the Greek Wrestling Federation and the University of Thessaly urging the IOC to keep wrestling in the summer Games. Greek Wrestling Federation president Kostas [...]

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Miller documentary set for Saturday

Wrestling: Student-produced documentary highlights Jim Miller's legacy at Wartburg

Jim Miller created one of the nations top wrestling powers at any level during his 22 seasons at Wartburg College. The Waterloo native and NCAA champion for the University of Northern Iowa won 21 consecutive Iowa conference titles, coaching 145 All-Americans and 35 NCAA champions. The tradition was chronicled in a ocumentary called, “No Limits: Coach [...]

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