Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Mat Mayhem heading to Louisville for annual festival of collegiate wrestling

TDR Editor’s Notes ; This like a great event and a chance to see quality wrestling on a variety of levels. Hopefully we can attend it in the 2019-2020 season. Just think over 80 teams in 5 collegiate divisions, in a dual meet advancement format sounds quite impressive.
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By Jason Bryant
Manheim, Pennsylvania – A frenzy of wrestling competition will descend upon the Kentucky Expo Center and its Freedom and Exhibition Halls on Jan. 4-5, 2019 as NUWAY hosts the 2019 NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals in its new location. The event will feature 84 teams in five collegiate divisions, wrestling in a dual meet advancement format to crown a national dual meet champion.
After spending the last several years in Fort Wayne, Indiana, NUWAY and the NWCA have moved Mat Mayhem, as the event is known, to Kentucky, a state that’s seen eight new college wrestling teams since 2001 and five of them coming since 2013.
“Louisville has been a target for wrestling events for a long time,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “They’ve had interest in hosting the NCAA Championships and we’re very excited to bring Mat Mayhem to a state that’s thirsting for more college wrestling competition.”
“Fort Wayne was a great place for this event, and in order to showcase the growth of wrestling and expose the entire field of college wrestling opportunities, Louisville has already shown itself as a place that will check all the boxes, not just for the event, but for the fans looking to enjoy some fantastic and exciting college wrestling,” added Moyer.
The field of 84 consists of teams from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, NJCAA, and Women. The largest division is the 24-team Division III field, which is also the largest division among NCAA divisions, with over 100 schools competing. In Division II, NAIA and NJCAA, there are 16-team fields, while 12 teams will compete in the women’s division.

Rest of the story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/mat-mayhem-heading-to-louisville-for-annual-festival-of-collegiate-wrestling/?mc_cid=0eafe9e21b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 29, 2018 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wrestle Like A Girl to open new headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Organization Seeks to Grow Female Wrestling in Nation’s Capital and beyond 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wrestle Like a Girl, an organization that empowers girls to become leaders in life through the sport of wrestling, is moving its headquarters to Washington, DC.
U.S. Army combat veteran Sally Roberts, a 3x National Champion and 2x World Bronze Medalist in women’s wrestling, launched the organization in 2016 to introduce the sport to more girls and young women, and to expand opportunities for their participation across the country.
“The benefits these girls and young women get out of wrestling are profound,” said Roberts. “Through wrestling, they learn where their self-confidence is; learn what resilience means; and learn about healthy choices both physically and mentally.”
Wrestle Like a Girl host camps and clinics for girls ages 5-18; supports the development of new high school wrestling programs and tournaments; and is working with organizations to bring women’s wrestling to the NCAA.
“Washington, DC is the perfect home for Wrestle Like a Girl,” said Roberts. “The nation’s capital is full of women leaders, and we’re an organization dedicated to inspiring young women to dig deep within themselves to become leaders both on and off the mat.”
Formerly based in Colorado Springs, Wrestle Like a Girl’s new DC headquarters is located in the District’s burgeoning NoMa neighborhood in the recently refurbished Uline Arena Building at 1140 Third Street, NE, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20002.
Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2018/December/21/WLAG-moves-to-Washington-DC?mc_cid=0eafe9e21b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 29, 2018 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Finesilvers are a gem of a family; Happy Holidays from WIN

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A great article from a great publication. Check out the subscription opportunities.
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By Mike Finn
There are plenty of wrestling families and then there is the Finesilver family, whose gem-like surname more than fits the above definition.
The only differences is that one might call them “nine times fine” — considering there are nine family members from Greenwood Village, Colo. — and they certainly are not weak, especially the four sons, who all wrestle for Duke and made NCAA history a year ago when they all qualified for the NCAAs in Cleveland.

And all four return this season in hopes of at least duplicating that feat in Pittsburgh; from the two seniors — Mitch and Zach, who wrestle at 149 and 165 pounds — and their two sophomore brothers: Josh and Matt, who compete at 141 and 174 pounds. And while none of the four have earned All-American honors for the Blue Devils, they certainly have made an impact on many in their lives, whether it was growing up in the Denver suburb or in Durham, N.C., where their very presence more than motivates their teammates. “It’s super to have them on the team,” said Duke coach Glen Lanham. “When they first came in, I told them to be careful because they were always going to have the numbers.”
Rest of the story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2018/12/finesilvers-are-a-gem-of-a-family/?mc_cid=0eafe9e21b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 29, 2018 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Buena wrestler chooses to cut dreadlocks instead of forfeit match

TDR Editor Notes; Well, this is a wrestling story that has certainly brought much attention to the sport. No need to review the mistakes and negative coverage. It is admirable that the wrestler made the sacrifice and won one for the team yet it should not have come to this. Use the publicity to share with others the positive aspects of the sport and what it can do for students. Also the governing officials in the sport need to made corrections and changes to remedy this incident and to prevent it from happening again.
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A wrestling official who required an African-American grappler from Buena Regional High School to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit his bout in a match against Oakcrest was acting in accordance with the rules, according to multiple South Jersey referees.
A video of the incident published by SNJ Today went viral on social media Friday, igniting concerns that the white referee’s actions were racially motivated. Due to that intense interest, the association that oversees high school athletics in New Jersey has recommended that the referee not be assigned to officiate any other matches until the incident is investigated further. Rest of the story at https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2018/12/21/wrestler-cut-hair-dreadlocks-buena-regional-high-school-alan-maloney-referee-nj/2387662002/?mc_cid=0eafe9e21b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Ward: Impromptu haircut not a good look for wrestling

Caryn Ward 12/21/2018
If you’re on Twitter you’ve probably seen it, the video, that as of Friday night had been viewed nearly six million times, of a black high school wrestler who had to cut off his dreadlocks in order to compete in a match. The rules call for anyone who has hair longer than a certain length to wear a hair net. In this case the referee, who is white, said the hair net wasn’t enough and a trainer or coach cut Andrew Johnson’s dreads moments before he took the mat. Johnson competed, won the match, was cheered by the crowd and supported by his teammates.
Story at http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/20998?mc_cid=0eafe9e21b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 29, 2018 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment