Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

‘Tiger Style’ taught at West camp by Missouri coach

MOREHEAD CITY — The “Tiger Style” way of life came to the Crystal Coast this week in the first-ever Brian Smith Wrestling Camp. The University of Missouri wrestling coach is putting on a four-day camp this week at West Carteret High School, where his cousin Kevin Smith is the coach. Typically, the Patriot coach accompanies a dozen or more West wrestlers to the Tiger Style Wrestling Camp at Mizzou. This year, Brian Smith returned the favor and traveled over 1,000 miles to Morehead City. “We were sitting in the dorm room at Missouri last year,” Brian Smith said, “talking about the adventure it is of bringing 15 or so kids across the country. I said, ‘Hey why don’t I come out there for a change.’ I’ve never been to his home in North Carolina, so it became a thing.”

The 22-year Missouri head coach brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the sport. The Tigers of Columbia, Mo. are a perennial Division I powerhouse, finishing the 2018-2019 season with a 16-1 mark in duals. Smith has the most wins (283-94-3) and highest winning percentage (.744) in program history. The Tigers finished sixth this past season at the NCAA Wrestling Championships with four wrestlers earning All-American honors, including true freshman Brock Mauller (149 pounds), redshirt junior Jaydin Eierman (141) and redshirt seniors Daniel Lewis (174) and John Erneste (133). Rest of the story at http://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/sports/article_e94ccdcc-a42c-11e9-9435-f71c69862fa5.html?fbclid=IwAR2YZPGRAvLcJgiOlkf54TTFDG-0dCZDPCL1nfu2FNMM30qWF-JVJRM5q8I

July 27, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Celebration of life and legacy of Joe Seay set for August 14 in Stillwater, Okla.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Oklahoma State Wrestling will host Cheryl Seay and family of Joe Seay for a celebration of the life and legacy of Joe Van Seay on August 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Joe was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1998 and he was head coach of the Oklahoma State wrestling team from 1985 to 1992, leading the Cowboys to back-to-back NCAA Division I championships in 1989 and 1990.

Seay was volunteer head coach for the U.S. men’s freestyle World Teams which were World Team Champions in 1993 in Toronto, Canada and in 1995 in Atlanta, Ga. He also coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic men’s freestyle team in Atlanta, which won the medal count.
Rest of the story and details at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/July/25/Joe-Seay-celebration-in-Stillwater-August-14?mc_cid=10f2fb985a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

July 27, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Welch to join Mount Olive staff as assistant coach

Mount Olive, N.C. — Mount Olive head wrestling coach Jake Patacsil announced the addition of Luke Welch as an assistant coach on Wednesday afternoon. The announcement comes just months before the Trojans take to the mat for their inaugural wrestling season at Mount Olive. “I am excited to announce that Luke Welch has accepted the opportunity to join the UMO family as the assistant wrestling coach for the 2019-2020 season,” said head coach Jake Patacsil. “He brings with him a wealth of knowledge wrestling at the 125lb weight class for Purdue for the last five years while leading the team. Luke is dedicated to athletic excellence with an emphasis on academic achievement. Bringing in a young coach who is eager to learn and succeed is what I was looking for in a candidate and I know Luke will help take UMO to the next level in our upcoming years. It is an exciting time to be starting a program and Luke is the right guy to help bring us into the future.”

Welch comes to Mount Olive after completing his collegiate wrestling career at Purdue in 2018 with a 32-11 season and a strong performance at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships. At the 2018 Championships, Welch won his opening bout only to drop in the second round to No. 3 Spencer Lee of Iowa. He continued on in the wrestle backs winning a pair of matches before falling one round shy of the All-American rounds.
Welch’s overall career record came in at 93-64 between the 125 and 133-pound weight classes. He was the 2017 USA Wrestling University Nationals 57 kg national champion, a two-time USA Wrestling University Nationals All-American (2015, 2017), a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2015, 2018), and ranks 18th on Purdue’s career takedowns list (227).
Welch’s family has a deep history in the sport of wrestling. He joined his older twin brothers, Chad and Doug, on the mat for the Boilermakers while wrestling at Purdue from 2013-2018. Rest of the story at http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22186?fbclid=IwAR1jm9YXDjuXHkrDPodxrN1WDHeyD2CLR7f47i1Cqx393iqqmAeWb3ov_d8

July 27, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Party: Meet Your New DII Wrestling Programs

There may be those out there who are unexcited by the growth being shown by divisions that are not NCAA Division I. I myself and TheOpenMat are not those people. We celebrate and embrace the #GrowTheSport movement at all levels. Whether it be our expanded Division II coverage over the last 18 months, our coverage of Women’s Wrestling, high school, and international news, we are on board for any and all things that can help our sport grow. I am excited to introduce you to some new members of the fraternity/sorority this coming NCAA wrestling season. There will be three new universities and a college joining the NCAA Division II Men’s Wrestling ranks in 2019-20. In a couple of cases, they will be lead by names that Division I fans should remember. These programs are helping to lay down roots in the East and the South that are in areas full of talented wrestlers who can now continue their athletic careers at the next level. It will not be for lack of opportunities that a high schooler can choose to wrestle in college and that is how we help to grow the sport. Athletes stay as fans after they graduate and if they have alma mater to cheer for we can see programs attract future donors, sponsors, fans, and legacies. Two new programs break ground in West Virginia while the Carolinas each pick up a new program of their own. Growing the sport in the southeast is so important, there are only a few Division I opportunities in the south and until the addition of Little Rock, none outside of the Carolinas and Chattanooga. That leaves a lot of very talented wrestlers with few choices once they graduate. More often than not, it is moving away from home if they are not ready to hang up the shoes. Embrace these new programs, I know I am. Rest of the story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/welcome-to-the-party-meet-your-new-dii-wrestling-programs/73853?mc_cid=10f2fb985a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

July 27, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Thomas More Makes Official Move to NAIA and Mid-South Conference

(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) — Effective today (Monday, July 1, 2019), Thomas More University makes its official move to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Mid-South Conference from the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Thomas More was a previous member of the NAIA from 1947 to 1990 before joining the NCAA. “As a former college athlete myself, I have seen firsthand the impact that participation in athletics can have on the development of character,” said President Joseph L. Chillo. “I’m excited to be here for this transition to the NAIA and into the well-respected Mid-South Conference. I’m looking forward to watching our Saints compete.”

The NAIA has more than 250-member institutions, which have an average full-time enrollment of 1,700 students. The NAIA’s focus on character-driven athletics is exemplified in its Champions of Character program. Champions of Character provides training for student-athletes and professional development for coaches and staff. The values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership are put into play and accounted for at NAIA institutions. Part of the Champions of Character program is LIVE 5 Training for student-athletes, which focuses on modeling, leading, and building values-based skills for life after college. Academically the NAIA is known for its Play NAIA eligibility center. 

Rest of the story at https://www.thomasmoresaints.com/general/2018-19/releases/20190627j89b0k?mc_cid=7f734c0419&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

July 27, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mental Mondays with Ben Askren: How to Mentally Prepare on Match Day

Confidence Comes From Preparation

This week, Ben Askren answers the question, “What is the best mindset to have the day of the match?”. Askren talks about having a gameplan developed well in advance and even if you don’t have that opportunity the best thing is to constantly focus on yourself. Askren goes on to explain what he means by focusing on yourself. Constantly analyzing your skillset to see holes or places that need improvement as well as your strong points is important. The more confident you become in your diverse abilities the more you can successfully make game-time decisions.

Avoid This Pitfall

The best thing for Askren to perform at his best is to be relaxed. All the work has been put in all you need to do is execute on what you’ve been practicing on for so long.  Rest of the story and video at
https://therudis.com/ben-askren-mental-mondays-prepare-on-match-day/?mc_cid=7f734c0419&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

July 27, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment