2019-20 Notre Dame College Team Preview* 2.0
ByBryce Villa
You may notice a very large asterisk at the end of the top line. That is in large part to the fact that I have had to completely redo their projected lineup and after we add up the points, they will no longer be the second-ranked team in NCAA Division II wrestling. I am not saying I got everything wrong, but I certainly made mistakes on some things that will immediately impact their team point total. I take full blame for this, there were resources outside of the coaching staff I could have explored, but instead, I decided to soldier ahead on my own. With no guidance I was made my best guesses, which it turns out were wrong. That being said, I have made some changes.
What is going on at Notre Dame College? The early favorite to win the title in 2019-20, it seemed like it would take a miracle to unseat them. It turns out that miracle was the slow death of the Wheeling Jesuit wrestling team and the subsequent transfer of two national titles to the University of Pitt-Johnstown lineup. That should not have been enough though to seemingly knock Notre Dame out of the top five though. Whatever has happened since the promotion of Sonny Marchette to head coach of the Falcons, this much is clear, Notre Dame College is in trouble. It began with the defection of seventh-ranked Cornell Beachem to Division III to play football. Not the end of the world, but certainly creating a hole that needed to be filled. Then came the news that seventh-ranked Jashon Hubbard would be transferring and now suddenly Marchette’s team needed a 165 and a 174-pound wrestler. Ok, that is tough, but it is not like they do not have the depth to fill two spots on the roster. Then came strike three, three-time All-American Kam Teacher parted ways with Notre Dame College and drove north to rival St Cloud State University. We will probably not see Teacher as a Huskie this season, but the loss of his points meant Notre Dame was down a potential finalists points. I know what you are saying, what else could go wrong for Marchette in his first year at the helm? I am glad you asked. Rumors abound that not only is 2018 All-American Taylor Misuna ineligible until second-semester, they will also be without 2019 National Champion Jose Rodgriguez for the same reason. Rest of the storya t
Friday at the Bill Farrell Wrestling Center at USOPTC: The longest day in the busiest wrestling room on earth
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | AUG. 24, 2019
Yesterday, Friday, August 23, could have been declared Wrestling Day in America. All three U.S. Senior World Teams are conducting training camps at the Bill Farrell Wrestling Center at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center (USOPTC) in Colorado Springs, in preparation for the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan in September. All three of wrestling’s Senior National Teams programs are here: men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. In addition to the 30 Senior World Team members, there are numerous members of USA Wrestling’s National Teams at these camps, as well as other elite wrestlers. Included in the mix were three top women’s wrestlers from Canada, joining in the USA women’s workouts.
Add in dozens of coaches, families, the medical staff and other USA Wrestling staff, and the room is as busy as it gets. In addition, USA Wrestling broadcast partners FloWrestling and Trackwrestling are here collecting content for their World Championships coverage. They needed every one of the eight mats in the Bill Farrell Wrestling Center to accommodate all of them. Another unique person in the house was U15 World champion Aden Valencia, a lightweight wrestler who was working out with many of the top U.S. women lightweights in the room. The future learning from the present. Rest of the story and pictures at
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/August/24/Longest-day-in-busiest-room-on-earth?mc_cid=88b8f0180f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Why hire a new head coach in May: The Lindenwood situation
by Gabrielle Lord-KleinPosted onAugust 23, 2019
In May, Lindenwood University—Belleville announced plans to eliminate most undergraduate programs at the conclusion of the 2019-20 academic school year, citing ongoing financial issues. The idea was that LU-Belleville’s sister program, Lindenwood University, would absorb undergraduate transfers. Initial statements indicated the full continuation of athletic programs through 2020 with the exception of swimming and ice hockey. Separately announced was the promotion of Graham Karwath to the position of head men’s and women’s wrestling coach; Karwath was tasked with recruiting and leading both programs through the sport’s final year in Belleville.
Several weeks ago, coach Karwath and the women’s wrestling team were notified the program would be discontinued immediately. Women wanting to compete this year would be required to transfer to the St. Charles location or find another home. If remaining at either LU location, scholarships will remain intact. So why hire a new head coach at the Belleville location in May only to announce a last-minute consolidation to St. Charles at the end of July? It turns out that on the St. Charles campus, Andrey Rodriguez resigned from her position as head coach mid-summer. Administration found the future of the St. Charles program coach-less, with the tail end of the Belleville location sporting a new head coach with just one season of competition left.
Tom Wagganer, LU’s Senior Associate Athletic Director, said, “Instead of splitting our resources, we decided it would be the perfect opportunity to consolidate the programs right now, with a more focused investment in a long-term coach to take our program into the future . . . we are excited to move forward with the team as a stronger unit, together, rather than dispersed at sister schools waiting for an inevitable junction just a year down the road”. Rest of the story at
https://www.transitionwrestling.com/why-hire-a-new-head-coach-in-may-the-lindenwood-situation/?mc_cid=78081b2102&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Mike Mena Named Women’s Wrestling Coach
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Wachler has named Mike Mena as the new women’s wrestling head coach. “Coach Mena has a wealth of coaching experience and a great track record of success both academically and athletically,” Wachler said. “With his personal accomplishments on the mat and his lifelong involvement in the sport, I know he will energize our women’s wrestling program and position it for great things in the future.”
Mena brings 18 years of collegiate coaching experience to Lindenwood, most recently as the assistant wrestling coach at California Baptist University in Riverside, California. After winning the RMAC Team Championship and the 2018 NCAA Division II Super Regional, the program finished third at the National Championship, producing four NCAA Division II All-Americans, three finalists, and the 149 pound NCAA Division II National Wrestling Champion. Rest of the story at https://lindenwoodlions.com/news/2019/8/23/mike-mena-named-womens-wrestling-coach.aspx?mc_cid=78081b2102&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
How to Celebrate Wins, When One Kid Isn’t Winning
Content from TrueSport
A young athlete’s teammates, siblings, coaches and teachers can leave a lasting impression, but parents have the greatest impact on how a child feels about his or her performance in sport, says Joel Fish, PhD, sports psychologist and author of101 Ways to Be a Terrific Sports Parent. When you have two or more children in sports, it can be a challenge to give each one the same level of positive attention – especially when one seems to be winning all the time, while the other is struggling. Fish shares advice on how to find the right balance between celebrating success and prioritizing progress rather than just winning.
Praise Effort Not Results
It’s natural to be excited about a win, and there’s nothing wrong with celebrating it. “But focus more on your core values versus results,” continued Fish. “Make sure you’re praising other successes, like developing new skills or putting in a strong effort. You have a great opportunity to teach children multiple goals – there are other ways to define success that aren’t results-driven.” This applies to both your winning child and the one who’s struggling in sport – it’s a great way to give both children equal amounts of praise and attention.
Check Your Reaction
Understanding how important your reaction is, and becoming aware of it, can go a long way toward promoting good behaviors on your part. Rest of the story at https://www.thepredicament.com/2019/08/how-to-celebrate-wins-when-one-kid-isnt-winning/?mc_cid=78081b2102&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
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 