Let them Wrestle: DII National Champs vs DI
By Bryce Villa
We all sit around going “What If” to any number of scenarios when it comes to wrestling. What if the Hawkeyes of the early 1990s took on Penn State of the last three years? What if Dan Gable fought a bear? What if Adam Coon had to fight an alien armada by himself? What if the champions from the other divisions were allowed to compete at the NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling national tournament?
This last one has been answered in the past. They were allowed up until 1990 and that is why you have Division II athletes among the ranks of All-Americans and champions. With the freshman being grandfathered in, the last athlete to compete in both national tournaments did so in 1994. Most Division II fans know why this happened, his name was Carlton Haselrig. Do you think Division I coaches and athletes liked seeing a wrestler come into their national tournament and dominate for three straight years? He was the end of an era, but what a way to go out. Gone are the days of Division II and III champions getting their shot, but after my first trip to the Division II national tournament, I find myself wondering, what if. If you are wondering as well, read along as I look at the field for each weight class in Pittsburgh and try to decide what would have happened. I am not about to reseed the entire weight class, but I will set them in the bracket somewhere based on their national championship and any Division I competition faced during the season. I even asked their coaches how they think they would have performed and I love the coach speak I received in each reply. Rest of the story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/let-them-wrestle-dii-national-champs-vs-di/73589?mc_cid=c1d91f7bc1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Looking to grow girls wrestling: Advocates are excited for prep potential
Girls wrestling has seen an increase in participation in recent years, but it’s still a few years away from being a sanctioned high school sport.Written By: Jeremy Karll of The Daily Republic (Mitchell, S.D.)
The number of female youth wrestlers in South Dakota has steadily grown, but many coaches believe the biggest spike is yet to come. Women’s wrestling becoming an Olympic sport in 2004 and colleges adding it has helped it gain notoriety, yet South Dakota still doesn’t offer high school girls wrestling. South Dakota has built up solid numbers of girls wrestlers, with 160 competing this year at the state youth tournament — a 19 percent increase over last year — and girls competing in national competitions for South Dakota. And while high school participation numbers for girls have improved in the last 10 years, the potential is likely capped if girls are left with no choice but to wrestle boys.
“Other states are putting their foot forward and finding out what works for them,” Pierre coach Shawn Lewis said. “We’ve kind of sat around and watched their states do their action. It’s not just a South Dakota trend, it’s a nationwide trend the last 5-to-10 years.” According to USA Wrestling, as of November 2018, there are 14 states with sanctioned girls high school wrestling. In the last year, formal talks about following the nationwide trend and making girls wrestling a sanctioned sport have grown. South Dakota High School Activities Association Assistant Executive Director John Krogstrand has also watched nearby states add girls wrestling at the high-school level. However, he said South Dakota won’t make it a sanctioned sport for the upcoming school year, though 2020-21 or 2021-22, “certainly are possibilities. Rest of the story at
Lander (S.C.) wrestling announces inaugural schedule, featuring five home dates
GREENWOOD – Lander wrestling will compete on 17 dates during its inaugural 2019-20 season, including five in Finis Horne Arena. “We are extremely excited for the first wrestling season in Lander University history,” said head coach RC LaHaye. “I feel like we have put together a schedule that will allow us to grow as a program and really hit the ground running.” The Bearcats will hold the first match in Horne Arena on Dec. 7 against Mount Olive, followed four days later with action against Keiser and Truett McConnell.
King and Emmanuel visit Greenwood on Jan. 24, followed by UNC Pembroke (Feb. 5) and Newberry (Feb. 20) Lander’s road tests will come at Belmont Abbey (Dec. 19), Kentucky Wesleyan (Jan. 9), Limestone (Jan. 17), Coker (Jan. 19), and Queens (Feb. 19). Six tournaments are featured on the schedule. Lander’s first wrestling competition in school history will come on Nov. 2 in the Georgia Open. One week later, the Bearcats head to Pembroke for the UNCP Classic. The month concludes with the King Open on Nov. 24. Lander makes its longest trip of the season on Dec. 14-15 for the Midwest Classic and participates in the NWCA Collegiate Open on Jan. 10. Rest of the story at
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 