That seemingly simple question sparked what would become one of the most ambitious wrestling projects I’ve undertaken. Over the past year, I developed a series of articles examining California’s greatest wrestlers, beginning with the inaugural CIF State Wrestling Championships in 1973 and continuing decade by decade through 2026. The series highlighted athletes who made their mark not only…

When Head Coach Nikko Cataline took the helm at Roosevelt High School, the principal asked a defining question during his interview: What are you going to do differently? The answer was immediate: start a tournament. It would have been easy to launch a standard, run-of-the-mill event—a tournament specifically structured for the home team to win…

Author’s Note: This is the third article in an ongoing series highlighting the wrestling history of the community where I grew up. Over the course of this project, I will be covering the area’s state-level impact decade by decade, breaking down the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 2010s, and 2020s. If the 1980s were the decade…

Forging the Iron: The 1990s Roots of Southeast Los Angeles and Gateway Cities Wrestling (Part III) Author’s Note: This is the third article in an ongoing series highlighting the wrestling history of the community where I grew up. Over the course of this project, I will be covering the area’s state-level impact decade by decade.…

Author’s Note: This is the second article in an ongoing series highlighting the wrestling history of the community where I grew up. Over the course of this project, I will be covering the area’s state-level impact decade by decade, breaking down the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 2010s, and 2020s. If the 1970s poured the foundation…

Author’s Note: This is the first article in an ongoing series highlighting the wrestling history of the community where I grew up. Over the course of this project, I will be covering the area’s state-level impact decade by decade, breaking down the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 2010s, and 2020s. Growing up, you learn quickly that…

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – In the preliminary rounds, Isaiah Cortez, a 2024 U20 World silver medalist in Greco-Roman, picked apart 2024 U17 Asian bronze medalist Chengtao Wang of China with a 13-2 technical fall, and took a sound 6-0 decision over Nurassyl Assambek of Kazakhstan. Cortez, competing at 57 kilograms, took a tactical 4-3 decision over…

For Kinzie Williams, wrestling is more than a sport—it is part of her family’s DNA. A Class of 2027 standout at American Falls High School, Williams was raised in a family steeped in Idaho wrestling tradition. Her father was an Idaho State Champion, as were numerous uncles and cousins on both sides of her family.…

There are coaches who measure success by trophies. There are coaches who measure it by wins and losses. And then there are coaches who understand that the scoreboard is only a small part of the story. For Fred Bartlett, wrestling has never simply been about what happens on the mat. It is about relationships. It…