Liberty repeats as men’s champion at NCWA Nationals as Grays Harbor wins its first women’s title
By USA Wrestling and the NCWA | March 17, 2019,
By Scott Farrell, NCWA website
ALLEN, Texas – Liberty defended its NCWA title Saturday, and the suspense was gone shortly after the finals matches began. The Flames won their third overall championship and became the sixth team to repeat as NCWA champions in the association’s 22 seasons. The Flames entered Saturday’s bouts with a 21.5-point lead over rival The Apprentice School, and within three weight classes had expanded the separation enough to clinch the team title. Coupled with its title at the NCWA National Duals and team points earned there, Liberty also claimed the NCWA’s Collegiate Cup as its Grand National champion. The win was Liberty’s third team title in the last five years. All five of Liberty’s finalists won their matches, leaving the rest of the field in its wake.
By USA Wrestling
ALLEN, Texas – Led by five individual champion, Liberty repeated at the men’s champions at the NCWA National Championships on Saturday at the Allen Event Center. In the men’s team race, Liberty scored 201.5 points, with the Apprentice School in second with 164 points. Third place went to Central Florida with 129.5 points. Mott Community College was fourth with 119.5 points and fifth went to Grand Valley State with 110.5 points. The women’s team race was not determined until the finals ended. Led by two champions, Grays Harbor College edged Schreiner University by 2.5 points, as Schreiner finished with one champion. Rest of the story and results at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/March/17/Liberty-is-mens-champion-and-Grays-Harbor-womens-champion-at-NCWA-Nationals?mc_cid=95789d1a6c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
USA edges out Japan, 6-4, for third at the 2019 World Cup
By Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling | March 17, 2019
YAKUTSK, Russia – The United States took third at the 2019 Men’s Freestyle World Cup, claiming a 6-4 win over Japan in the bronze-medal bout on Sunday in Yakutsk, Russia. The whole dual was a back-and-forth battle with the USA prevailing in the end. The U.S. won by forfeit at 57 kg, but Japan snagged the win at 61 kg as National Team member Nico Megaludis suffered his first loss of the tournament, falling to 2018 University World champion Yudai Fujita on criteria, 4-4. At 65 kg, 2017 Senior World Team member and 2012 Cadet World champion Zain Retherford finished the weekend undefeated, producing a 10-0 tech fall against 2014 Junior World bronze medalist and 2011 Cadet World bronze medalist Daichi Takatani.
Japan evened up the team the score with a win at 70 kg as Final X runner-up Jason Chamberlain lost a 5-3 decision to 2018 Junior Asian bronze winner Kojiro Shiga. The U.S. picked up the win at 74 kg with a 10-0 shutout from Final X runner-up and 2017 U23 World Team member Isaiah Martinez, who defeated 2015 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Yuto Miwa. Japan won the next two bouts at 79 kg and 86 kg, but the Red, White and Blue finished strong, taking the final three matches. Rest of the results and story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/March/17/USA-edges-out-Japan-for-third-at-the-2019-World-Cup?mc_cid=95789d1a6c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Menlo, led by five individual champions, wins historic first NAIA Women’s National Invitational title
By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Led by five individual champions, three runners-up and a total of 12 All-Americans, Menlo College became the first-ever NAIA Women’s National Invitational team champion on Saturday night. This is a historic event, because it is the first officially recognized women’s college wrestling tournament by a national multi-sport organization at the college level. The NAIA gave women’s wrestling emerging sport status and created the National Invitational to be launched this year. This is the second national college women’s wrestling title for Menlo this year, as it also won the 2019 WCWA Nationals in February. The women’s college wrestling community has run national tournaments for teams from all college associations since 2005.
Menlo finished with 230.5 points, a full 76 points ahead of runner-up Oklahoma City with 154.5 points. Third went to the host University of Jamestown with 137.5 points. Campbellsville was fourth with 126.5 points and the University of the Cumberlands was fifth with 106.5 points. The five individual champions for the champion Oaks were Alleida Martinez (109), Tiana Jackson (123), Solin Piearcy (136), Marilyn Garcia (143) and Iman Kazem (155). Martinez and Piearcy were also WCWA national champions in February. Martinez, a freshman who has been dominant this year, scored a 10-0 technical fall over second seeded McKayla Campbell of Campbellsville in the finals. This was a rematch of the WCWA national finals, which Martinez won by pin. Piearcy, a junior, won her second national title of the year after defeating Erica Sotelo of Life, 8-1.
Rest of the results and story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/March/16/Menlo-wins-historic-first-NAIA-Womens-National-Invitational?mc_cid=95789d1a6c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Pitt tandem choose wrestling over basketball, become champions
When he was 14 at McCluer High School in Florissant, Mo., Pitt wrestler Demetrius Thomas thought he wanted to play basketball. Lucky for him, two McCluer coaches conspired to make sure that didn’t happen. Years earlier, Micky Phillippi — just like any 6-year-old would do — dutifully followed his father to the Derry basketball courts, even though the future Pitt wrestling champion had other ideas. “I saw (wrestling), and I said I want to do that,” Phillippi said. “My dad said, ‘I don’t know. You should play basketball.’
“We’d go to the park and play basketball, and I said, ‘I don’t want to do this. I want to wrestle.’ ” And so he did. “I went and tried it, and I loved it,” Phillippi said. “The whole family fell in love with it.” Rest of the story at https://triblive.com/sports/pitt-tandem-choose-wrestling-over-basketball-become-champions/?mc_cid=b1cccea619&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
As NCAA wrestling tournament heads to Pittsburgh, ties to 1957 event remain
The Division I competition hasn’t been held here in more than 60 years
Ann Peery Ritter doesn’t remember her first NCAA Division I wrestling tournament. “I was eight weeks old when I attended my first NCAA tournament, but I don’t remember it,” said Peery Ritter, who is now 73 years old. “My dad was coaching at the time, and my mom tried to attend all of his matches and tournaments.”
She does, however, vividly remember the 1957 tournament, which was held at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House. That event was the last time the Division I tournament was held in Pittsburgh. More than 60 years later, PPG Paints Arena will play host to this year’s tournament starting Thursday. Peery Ritter grew up in a well-known wrestling family. Her father, Rex, and brothers Hugh and Ed, are all three-time NCAA Division I champions and distinguished members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. No other family has combined to win nine NCAA titles in nine attempts. Rex Peery was the most successful coach in Pitt history. Rest of the story at https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2019/03/17/ncaa-wrestling-tournament-2019-pittsburgh/stories/201903180004?mc_cid=95789d1a6c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2019 Minnesota Girls High School State Championships
2019 Minnesota Girls High School State Championships Results. March 16th at Augsburg University – Minneapolis, Minn.
Brackets/Results on TrackWrestling.com
High School – 102
1st Place – Rian Grunwald of Owatonna
2nd Place – Annabelle Petsinger of New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Rest of the details at https://theguillotine.com/2019/03/2019-minnesota-girls-high-school-state-championships/?mc_cid=95789d1a6c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
In Virginia as the numbers of girls wrestling increases the hopes of having their own division increases. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/as-girls-interest-in-wrestling-increases-some-in-virginia-hope-for-their-own-division/2019/03/17/4a6c0872-48dc-11e9-9663-00ac73f49662_story.html?mc_cid=95789d1a6c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&utm_term=.aa986f390b39
Popolizio Named National Coach of the Year Finalist
NC State won ACC regular season trophy and ACC Championship in the same season for the first time since 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. – For the second straight season, NC State wrestling coach Pat Popolizio has been named a finalist for the 2019 NWCA Division I National Coach of the Year presented by Defense Soap. For the first time since the 2014 campaign, NC State won both the ACC regular season title and then the ACC Championship, with three individual conference champions for the second straight year.
This year’s finalists include:
ACC: Pat Popolizio (NC State)
Big Ten: Cael Sanderson (Penn State)
Big 12: Kevin Dresser (Iowa State)
EWL: Scott Moore (Lock Haven)
EIWA: Kevin Ward (Army West Point)
MAC: John Stutzman (Buffalo)
Pac 12: Jason Borrelli (Stanford)
SoCon: Cary Kolat (Campbell)
The National winner will be announced at the NWCA Coaches Social on Tuesday, March 19. The winner will be determined by a vote of all NWCA Division I Member Coaches.
The National Coach of the Year award presented by Defense Soap is in its second year of existence and is intended to honor the coach who has had the most outstanding season up to the NCAA Championship which includes dual meet success and conference tournament placement.
From Brian Reinhardt, Director of Athletics Digital Communications
bcreinha@ncsu.edu
Visit www.GoPack.com
Three from @PackWrestle with Top-10 Seeds for NCAA Championships
2019 NCAA Championships are March 21-23 in Pittsburgh
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State wrestling team is sending nine wrestlers to the 2019 NCAA Championships next week, and three received top-10 seeds with all nine seeded 23rd or better as the NCAA announced the brackets. In the 10 weight classes, all 33 wrestlers were seeded for the first time this year. Returning NCAA finalist R-So. Hayden Hidlay leads the way for the Pack, as he is the No. 5 seed at 157 pounds. Fellow R-So. Nick Reenan is the No. 7 seed at 184 pounds, while graduate student Justin Oliver is the No. 9 seed at 149 pounds (the third time in his career he enters ranked ninth). In addition to Oliver competing in his fourth NCAAs, R-Sr. Sean Fausz will also be returning for one final time, and is No. 15 at 125 pounds.
Retuning All-American, R-So. Tariq Wilson is the No. 11 seed at 133 pounds. 2019 ACC Champions, R-Sr. Jamel Morris was No. 14 at 141 pounds while classmate Malik McDonald was No. 13 at 197 pounds. Rounding out the Pack’s lineup, R-So. Thomas Bullard is No. 16 at 165 pounds, while twin brother Daniel is No. 23 at 174 pounds.
From Brian Reinhardt, Director of Athletics Digital Communications
Visit www.GoPack.com
Bareng Named NWCA / NAIA Women’s National Coach of the Year
TDR Editor’s Notes; Our congratulations to Coach Bareng in this national honor. It is great to have quality coaches and representatives of this growing Olympic sport.
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Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced on Saturday that Joey Bareng, Head Coach of Menlo College, is the recipient of the 2019 NWCA NAIA Women’s National Coach of the Year Award presented by Defense Soap. Defense Soap Owner, Guy Sako stated, “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Coach Bareng and his squad have had a season for the record books. In February, the Oaks captured Menlo College’s first National Championship in any sport when they captured the 2019 WCWA Title in Atlanta. They followed that title up with their second in as many months when this past weekend his squad ran away with the very first title at the NAIA Women’s National Invitational in Jamestown, ND. Rest of the story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Bareng-Named-NWCA-NAIA-Women-s-18-3-2019
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 