#PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast: Ep. 49 – Talking Recruiting with Adam Hall
RALEIGH, N.C. – On episode 49 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, host Brian Reinhardt visits with associate head coach Adam Hall. This entire episode talks about recruiting as the summertime is busy for the staff in trying to lure new athletes to Raleigh. Rest of the article and podcast at
ASK KOLAT: Is U.S. Wrestling Changing for the Better?
Trials Format
This week Cary Kolat gives his opinion on the current World Team Trials process, what he thinks about Final X and if the changes being made are for the better. When Kolat first heard of the idea of doing Final X split between multiple cities and weekends he wasn’t sure and was curious as to how it would play out. The first year of Final X was split between three cities and that was probably one too many. Kolat believes this year with two cities was perfect. It allowed for sold out venues with equally exciting matchups.
Growing the Sport of Wrestling
When Kolat was making world teams, there were only about 300-500 fans in the stands and for the Olympic Trials about 5,000-6,000 people. Kolat likes the current format, believes it gets the best wrestlers on the team, and points to the U.S. recent success at worlds. The more USA Wrestling and the wrestling community dial in the process the better it will be and the faster the sport will grow. Rest of the story at
Bellarmine wrestling moving from NCAA Division II to Division I
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Good to see growth in Division I schools yet it would be more encouraging when the big universities obsessed with just football and basketball and the national TV coverage they hope to bring. Large Division I schools should offer a wide spectrum of sporting activities yet that view seems to be limited for now.
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Bellarmine University’s intercollegiate wrestling program will be making the move from NCAA Division II to Division I, the Louisville-based school announced Tuesday. The transition — which will start after the completion of the 2019-2020 season — will take four years. During that time, Bellarmine will not be eligible to compete in NCAA championship events. Once the transition is complete, the Bellarmine Knights will be the only Division I wrestling program in Kentucky. Most Bellarmine varsity sports will be competing in the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) conference which had officially invited the school to join the conference this week. However, for now, wrestling (along with field hockey) will compete in Division I with independent status because most ASUN member schools do not offer intercollegiate wrestling.
The oldest and greatest sport is actually a fairly new varsity sport at Bellarmine. Almost exactly three years ago, the school announced it would be absorbing the wrestling program at St. Catharine College, a tiny college in central Kentucky which had announced in June 2016 it would be closing its doors, effective immediately. Bellarmine stepped forward after another Kentucky-based school had said it would welcome athletes from three other sports but not wrestling. Head coach Spencer Adams, a three-time NAIA (National Association Intercollegiate Athletes) All-American wrestler at Campbellsville University of Kentucky, had coached at St. Catharine before taking the helm of the new Bellarmine program three years ago. For the past three seasons, Bellarmine wrestling had competed in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, compiling a 9-5 record during the 2018-19 regular season. In March, two BU Knights — 125-pounder Brandon Lucas, and Gage Branson at 149 — became Bellarmine’s first wrestlers to compete at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, both just missing becoming All-Americans. Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22052
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 