Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

2019 LSU Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Class: Kevin Jackson

TDR Notes : Our congratulations to Kevin Jackson on this well deserved honor. It would be great if LSU and and the Southeastern Conference would wise up and bring back wrestling to those schools.
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by Tayler Pierre / LSU Athletics Communications
LSU wrestling All-American Kevin Jackson is a member of the 2019 LSU Athletics Hall of Fame induction class and will be formally enshrined on Friday, October 11, at the Louisiana State Museum in downtown Baton Rouge. The other inductees are Walter Davis (men’s track & field), Ashlee Ducote (softball), Meredith Duncan (women’s golf), Susan Jackson (gymnastics), Bradie James (football) and Jason Williams (baseball).
Kevin Jackson’s catch phrase is “be in it to win it.” Throughout his wrestling and coaching career, he has been able to do just that. “Kevin Jackson was one of the greatest wrestlers our nation has ever produced,” said USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach William Zadick in his letter of recommendation for Jackson, who will be inducted into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night. Jackson attended LSU for his first three seasons as a collegiate wrestler until the university discontinued the sport. He transferred to Iowa State for his senior season and completed his collegiate career with four All-America honors and a runners-up finish in the 1987 NCAA tournament.
Following his graduation from Iowa State, he captured an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. He was also a two-time World Championships Gold Medalist and a two-time Pan American Games Gold Medalist.
“It’s a true honor to be inducted into LSU’s Hall of Fame, especially after all the years and the changes,” Jackson said. “The big thing for me is that I’m really excited. Rest of the story at https://rshv.news/2019-lsu-athletics-hall-fame-induction-class-kevin-jackson/?mc_cid=863baad934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

October 12, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Five teams that finished outside the top 20 to watch out for this NCAA season

BY MIKE WILLIS, USA WRESTLING | OCT. 09, 2019, 

Every year there are programs that make big leaps in the rankings. Here are five teams that finished outside the top 20 at last year’s NCAA tournament that are poised to make some noise in the 2019-2020 season.

Wisconsin Last year’s finish: 21
In Chris Bono’s first year as Wisconsin’s head coach, they finished one spot away from a top-20 placement. The Badgers have been red hot on the recruiting trail recently, picking up commitments from Braxton Amos and Joey Zargo, the No. 3 and No. 36 prospects in the class of 2020 (according to Flowrestling). Additionally, they’ve received commitments from ranked wrestlers in the class of 2021 including, No. 9 Hayden Copass and No. 48 Dean Hamiti. While these wrestlers won’t be on campus for the current season, the Badgers still look to be in good shape for the present as well as the future.

At 125 pounds, it’s very possible Wisconsin rolls out true freshman Eric Barnett. The Wisconsin native was the No. 36 recruit in the class of 2019.
In the offseason, 2018 NCAA champion and 2017 NCAA runner-up Seth Gross received a sixth year of eligibility after missing the entire 2018-2019 season. He transferred to Wisconsin from South Dakota State, Bono’s previous school, for his final year of eligibility. Gross will be one of the favorites to win a title at the weight class, especially with a lot of the top-tier talent eyeing Olympic redshirts.
141 pounds will most likely be redshirt junior Tristan Moran. A transfer from Oklahoma State, Moran finished in the round of 12 last season.
It looks like three-time NCAA qualifier Cole Martin will once again cover the 149 pound spot. Martin will look to become a four-time qualifier and punch through to earn his first All-American honors.
157 pounds is a weight class that might still be in contention. Zander Wick announced his retirement after having his last two seasons cut short due to injuries. When Wick went down last season, redshirt freshman Garrett Model took over and went 10-14. He did not qualify for the NCAA tournament.
165 pounds should feature two-time All-American Evan Wick. The past two seasons, Wick has finished fourth and third at the NCAA tournament. Rest of the teams and story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/October/09/Five-teams-that-finished-outside-the-20-to-watch-out-for-this-NCAA-season?mc_cid=863baad934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

October 12, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

#WOMENSWEDNESDAY: Q&A with Dany DeAnda, women’s coach at NCAA Div. I Presbyterian College

BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | OCT. 09, 2019, 
Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., became the first NCAA Div. I athletic department to add a varsity women’s wrestling team. Presbyterian also added a men’s Div. I varsity team. This past weekend, Presbyterian’s women’s team had its historic first competition, travelling to Ferrum, Va. for a pair of duals, beating Ferrum and losing to Gannon.
Dany DeAnda is the head women’s wrestling coach at Presbyterian. A native of Hawaii, she was a two-time Junior World medalist as an athlete. DeAnda was an assistant coach for the University of Jamestown and the University of Providence before taking over the Presbyterian women’s team. Her husband Tony DeAnda is head coach of the Presbyterian men’s wrestling team. We visited with Dany shortly after their historic first competitions.
Q: You are the first coach of the first NCAA Div. I team with women’s wrestling. What has it been like getting that program up and running?
DeAnda: Between me, Tony (DeAnda) and (Director of Wrestling) Mark (Cody), we all work together to get out there and recruit. It has kind of been a slow process. Last year, we had three athletes that came in before we got hired. Since Tony and I were hired, we now have 15 on the women’s team. There has been a lot of positive feedback. A lot of people want to wrestle at a D-I level. Like any program, whether you are D-I or NAIA, there is a lot of legwork getting your name out there, getting the school out there so they know we have a program.
Q: You have college coaching experience. How has being at Presbyterian College been different from the places you have coached?
DeAnda: The main difference is that this is Div. I, and with Div. I comes with bigger budgets with what we can do recruiting-wise and travel-wise. It looks a little different than with an NAIA school, since we have coached NAIA schools. Presbyterian is the same size school, student-body wise, as any other school I have been with, between 1,200 and 1,300 students. It is a unique situation here. Rest of the story and interview at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/October/09/Womens-Wednesday-Dany-DeAnda-of-Presbyterian?mc_cid=863baad934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

October 12, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Five U.S. wrestlers to compete in historic first ANOC World Beach Games in Qatar, Oct. 14-15

TDR ; We will highlight the one paragraph of special interest to wrestling fans in North Carolina.
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BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | OCT. 11, 2019
The United States will enter five talented Senior wrestlers in the historic first ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, Oct. 14-15. This is a launch of a new major multi-sport event featuring beach sports. Beach Wrestling is one of only 15 sports which will be included in this historic first-ever event. … The Team Leader and Coach of the U.S. wrestlers is Ed Duncan of Spruce Pine, N.C. Duncan is the chair of the USA Wrestling ad-hoc Associated Styles Committee and a member of the UWW Beach Wrestling Committee. He is a USA Wrestling Silver Certified Coach, and a high school and club coach in North Carolina. Duncan is state chairperson for North Carolina USA Wrestling and has been event director for the U.S. Beach National Championships since 2013. … Rest of the story and details at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/October/11/Five-USA-wrestlers-in-historic-World-Beach-Games-in-Qatar?fbclid=IwAR29ry79ueCRdYLz6Yy92zlXP4m1nrZjzXHjh9urlR0WZUvDdNJCGJeEjAM

October 12, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment