Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Lehigh breaks back into NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll after five-match win streak

Manheim, Pennsylvania -Lehigh has been the streakiest team in Division I wrestling this season. The injury-riddled Mountain Hawks jumped back into the Top 25 in the most recent NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday after winning five duals in a row after starting the year with seven straight losses. Lehigh (5-7) started the year ranked No. 6 and with a combination of a brutal schedule and as many as six starters out of the lineup, it made for a rough first semester. After weekend wins over American and Navy, Lehigh returns to the Top 25 for the first time since January 1. Virginia (11-6) also moved into the Top 25 for the first time in two years after weekend wins over VMI and Ohio.

Penn State (7-0) won its 52nd dual in a row with a sluggish 25-6 win over No. 9 Nebraska at sold-out Rec Hall. The dual was highlighted by top-ranked Jason Nolf of Penn State picking off second-ranked Tyler Berger at 157 pounds. Third-ranked Oklahoma State ventured east and picked up wins over West Virginia 40-3 and then-No. 14 Pittsburgh 36-9. The Cowboys improved to 9-0 while the loss was Pittsburgh’s first of the season, dropping the Panthers to 8-1. No. 4 Iowa drew 8,500 fans despite the weather and defeated then-No. 20 Rutgers 30-9 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The big result there was at 133 pounds where Austin DeSanto of Iowa upended Nick Suriano 6-4. Fifth-ranked Missouri extended its win streak to 33 in a row with a pair of wins over the weekend. The Tigers (13-0) beat No. 14 Northern Iowa 29-12 and Central Michigan 32-15. Missouri also leads all Division I schools with 13 dual wins on the season.
Rest of the story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/lehigh-breaks-back-into-nwca-division-i-wrestling-coaches-poll-after-five-match-win-streak/?mc_cid=46b9491cc4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 30, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NIC officials refuse to explain reasons for firing wrestling coach

North Idaho College officials won’t explain why they would fire a three-time national champion coach of a wrestling team that is ranked No. 4 in the nation so late in the season. Midseason firings are rare, but sometimes occur after a team fails to perform. Idaho punted football coach Robb Akey in 2012 after the Vandals limped out to a 1-7 record. Florida canned former Eastern Washington quarterback Jim McElwain in 2017 after a 3-4 start as coach of the Gators. But former NIC wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb said he was fired for what he believes are his efforts to upgrade facilities for a disabled athlete, for speaking up for a co-worker who was assaulted on campus and because school leaders want to drop wrestling in favor of baseball.

If true, NIC would be cutting one of the most successful sports programs in the North Idaho and Spokane region. And that includes Gonzaga men’s basketball, which also is ranked No. 4 in the nation. “We are all extremely proud of Gonzaga basketball. A lot of people are responsible for that,” former NIC wrestling coach John Owen said. “I really believe everybody benefits from quality. I’ve got to believe that if NIC is winning national titles, it is an advantage to that school.”
Rest of the story at http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/jan/23/nic-wrestling-coach-pat-whitcomb-claims-school-fir/?mc_cid=9d399d46d4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 30, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Perry wrestling makes more history with 1,000th dual victory

TDR Ed’s notes ; This school is far away in Oklahoma. Yes way out there near Stillwater, the home of Oklahoma State and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 1,000 dual meet wins is rare.
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PERRY – It’s been a historic season for the tradition-rich Perry High wrestling program. And on Tuesday, the tradition grew even greater. The Maroons picked up the program’s 1,000th dual victory, making them just the fourth high school wrestling program in the country to eclipse the mark.

“It’s kind of hard for it to sink in because there has been nearly 100 years of Perry wrestling, and to just be a small part of that and coach the team that actually did it is pretty special,” said Perry wrestling coach Ronnie Delk, who was a two-time state champion wrestler for Collinsville High. Perry reached the milestone in emphatic fashion. In each of the contested victories for the Maroons, Perry picked up pins to roll to a 78-3 victory over Guthrie – the most a team can score in a high school dual is 84 points.

The moment could have happened earlier that Tuesday with the Maroons wrestling at the Owasso Duals over the weekend, but lost its last two duals in the championship round robin which set up for the program to reach the 1,000 mark in front of the home crowd inside John Divine Hall. “Obviously, you want to win every dual … but to get it done at home for all the people that aren’t able to travel, for them to see it and be a part of it was pretty special,” said Delk, who is the 11th coach in program history.

Perry is looking to build on its already national record state championship tally come the end of February at the Class 3A state tournament in Oklahoma City. The Maroons have won 42 state championships – which doesn’t include the 19 dual state titles the program has claimed – which is the most of any high school sport in America. Rest of the story at https://www.stwnewspress.com/sports/high_school_sports/perry-wrestling-makes-more-history-with-th-dual-victory/article_61279a92-d02d-54ea-be0f-4a2564d348ca.html?mc_cid=9d399d46d4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 30, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Steve Gabriel selected to be inducted into N.C. Sports Hall of Fame

BOONE — The late Steve Gabriel, who coached Appalachian State’s wrestling program to a 90-24-2 record from 1965-74 after competing in both football and wrestling as an App State student from 1948-52, has been announced as a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s 2019 induction class. Gabriel, Ernie Barnes, Willie Bradshaw, Eddie Bridges, Rod Broadway, Gene Corrigan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dee Kantner, Davis Love III, Paul Miller, Neill McGeachy and Thell Overman will be enshrined during the 56th annual induction banquet on May 3 at the Raleigh Convention Center. Rest of the story at https://www.wataugademocrat.com/sports/asu_sports/steve-gabriel-selected-to-be-inducted-into-n-c-sports/article_2dffde2d-88e6-58a2-9acc-1683530bafea.html?mc_cid=46b9491cc4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 30, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Task force seeks girls division for wrestling in N.C.

There are plenty of sports that are offered in North Carolina high schools for both boys and girls, including basketball, golf, tennis, track and field and cross country. But there’s only one sport where girls are forced to compete against the boys: Wrestling. That may soon change, according to Cheryl Baynard, who is a member of the N.C. USA Women’s Wrestling Task Force. “We are dedicated to developing and promoting the growth of women’s wrestling at the grassroots level across North Carolina,” Baynard said.

And although there isn’t a division for girls wrestling yet in the state, there is a state championship set for the girls in less than two weeks. The first annual Women’s Wrestling State Tournament is set for Feb. 1-2 at Greensboro Coliseum. “NC USA Wrestling had been running a state girls tournament for a few years, and the NCHSAA decided to do it this year on a trial basis,” Baynard said. While the state tournament is a step in the right direction, Baynard and plenty of other area girls wrestling supporters want to see the North Carolina High School Athletic Association make a permanent change.

“We want to get a division for girls wrestling, so they won’t have to always be competing against the guys,” Baynard said. “In order to do that we have to prove to the NCHSAA that there is growth for girls wrestling, and then we will start a petition to ask for the division.” Rest of the story at https://www.blueridgenow.com/sports/20190121/task-force-seeks-girls-division-for-wrestling-in-nc

January 30, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment