Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Averett, PSU-Behrend and Westminster bring their first-ever qualifiers to NCAA Div. III Nationals

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Missed on posting this earlier yet we seek to applaud and encourage new teams and the schools that restart their programs.
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Wrestling continues to grow at the Division III level. When the national tournament kicks off Friday in Roanoke, Virginia, 74 of the 108 D3 schools that offer wrestling will be represented. For several of the schools, it will be their first trip to the national stage. Averett leads that group with three qualifiers – freshman Jared Lough (157 pounds) and sophomores Sam Braswell (125) and Brandon Woody (141) – while Penn State-Behrend is sending sophomore Jake Paulson (184), and freshman Sean Sax will represent Westminster. It’s amazing, like going to state as a freshman in high school,” said Sax, an undefeated Missouri state champion last year for Waynesville High School. “I’ve been with Mike and Tony (the Eierman brothers who are Westminster’s coaches and also guided him with the Eierman Elite Wrestling club) for about seven years. They got me here, and it feels amazing.”

Sax won in dramatic fashion to place third and earn the final qualifying spot at 149 pounds at the Lower Midwest Regional. Tied with Millikin’s Tristan Birt in the overtime tiebreaker, Sax used one of his favorite moves and scored a four-point near fall that sealed the 9-6 win. ….
Two other schools that reinstated programs in recent years also will have their first national representatives in many years. Eron Haynes will represent Nebraska Wesleyan, which brought back wrestling when it joined the Iowa Conference (now the American Rivers Conference) in 2016, and Jordan Burkholder will compete for Muskingum. Both wrestle at 125 pounds. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/March/06/Averett-PSU-Behrend-and-Westminster-have-first-D3-qualifiers?mc_cid=e0eaa2fc3e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 23, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Can You Lead a Program Without Wrestling Knowledge?

Taking on the Challenge

Cary Kolat answers the question, “Can you lead a wrestling program without any prior wrestling knowledge?” For example, if the team needs a head coach and if they cannot find one the program will cease to exist. If you’re a parent or involved in the program and want the opportunity for your kid to wrestle, Kolat says absolutely step up. Obviously, prior experience with wrestling is ideal but at the end of the day it comes down to leadership. The courage alone to step up with no prior knowledge shows you’re a leader.

Putting the Right Pieces in Place

If you don’t have the necessary knowledge, look for … Rest of the story at https://therudis.com/can-you-lead-a-wrestling-program-without-prior-knowledge/?mc_cid=154493b531&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 23, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Miklus has embodied everything that’s good about college wrestling

His father taught him to put his head down and work, to be accountable, to set a positive example for others around him, and to look beyond the singlet color and admire the wrestler inside it. So in his pre-teen years, Willie Miklus flipped semi tires up a 500-yard hill on his family’s property south of Des Moines and followed that up with another series of strength and conditioning drills. He became one of the most dependable volunteers for his high school team’s fundraisers, never bowing out because he was a two-time Iowa state high school champion with a Division-I future. He helped elevate Southeast Polk into the national rankings for the first time before moving on to the University of Missouri, where he became a three-time All-American. Miklus left the Tigers last summer to come back home after his father’s health took a turn for the worse. Garry Miklus passed away Monday morning at the age of 58 after a three-year battle with ALS, a vicious motor neuron disease with no cure. Willie wanted to be closer to his father in his final months.  So he transferred to Iowa State and the Cyclones wound up with a guy who embodies everything that’s good about college wrestling. Miklus is working on a master’s degree in Family Financial Planning. The 25-year-old, sixth-year senior already a master’s in Educational Counseling Psychology. On the mat, he’s 19-2 this season heading into this weekend’s Big 12 Championships. He’s ranked sixth at 197 pounds and he’s been a key figure in Iowa State’s turnaround as a team. Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1552003909688&twSessionId=pissuaijsu&postId=1376409132&mc_cid=154493b531&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 23, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Group becomes first trio of Colorado HS wrestlers to win 3 state titles on same team

TDR Editor’s Notes; An interesting story about an interesting event in Colorado.
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Windsor High School (Colo.) wrestlers Will VomBaur, Dominick Serrano and Isaiah Salazar didn’t know they were making history. They were each just trying to win their third state wrestling titles Feb. 23 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. When all three did, they became the first trio of Colorado high school wrestlers ever to win their third state championships on the same team in the same year. “I didn’t know that it hadn’t been done before,” VomBaur said. “I didn’t think much about it. I just thought it was cool that we had three, three-time champions.” Coach Monte Trusty knew “it was something special” at the time but didn’t realize how special until he began to research it the following Monday. Tim Yount, who has compiled Colorado’s On The Mat high school wrestling rankings for 25 years, called it simply “amazing.”There just aren’t that many three-time state champions, period, and only three times before had two wrestlers on the same team won their third state titles in the same year.
Rest of the story at https://usatodayhss.com/2019/windsor-hs-first-3-time-state-wrestling-champions-same-team?mc_cid=d477afc52e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 23, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hidlay Falls in NCAA Semifinals to Top Seed Nolf 3-2

Two-time All-American comes back tomorrow for consolation semifinals
PITTSBURGH, PA. – Advancing to the NCAA Semifinals for the second straight year, R-So. Hayden Hidlay’s run to a championship came to an end after a highly-contested 3-2 loss to top-seeded Jason Nolf of Penn State. Hidlay will be the lone NC State representative in action tomorrow. In the Blood Round, R-Sr. Sean Fausz (125 pounds) and R-So. Tariq Wilson (133) both fell one win shy of All-American honors.
NC State Saturday Matchups – Session 5
CONS. SEMIFINALS
157: Bout #590 – #5 seed Hayden Hidlay (23-3) vs. #3 seed Ryan Deakin (Northwestern – 33-5)
Semifinals Recap
As the first period was winding down, Hidlay was awarded a takedown with four seconds left, but after a long video review by the officials, the call was overturned and the first 3:00 was scoreless. Nolf started the second with an escape, then secured the bout’s lone takedown. Hidlay scored the escape and then started the third with an escape to close the gap to 3-2. The period went on, and Hidlay was in on a late shot, but his takedown came as the period expired. Hidlay will be in action tomorrow afternoon, wrestling in the consolation semifinals and then in a placement bout. Rest of the story at http://www.GoPack.com

March 23, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment