Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

BARANIK STEPS DOWN AS WRESTLING COACH; NICHOLAS SOTO USHERS IN NEW ERA

Laurinburg, NC – St. Andrews University has hired Nicholas (Nick) Soto to be the new Head Coach of the Men’s Wrestling team.  The Spring Hill, Florida native will start coaching the Knights wrestling team this upcoming season.  Soto comes to us after coaching as a graduate assistant coach at Seton Hill University.  Soto also has experience coaching in high school, where he helped Cleveland High School (who became State Champions), Jesuit High School and Springstead High School.  

Soto attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he was a decorated wrestler.  While at Chattanooga, Soto was a four-time NCAA Qualifier and four-time SoCon Champion.  Soto was ranked in the top 15 every year and was undefeated in conference competitions in his four years at Chattanooga.  Soto is fourth on UTC’s All-time Win’s list.  He’s a Reno Tournament of Champions winner, a Southern Scuffle finalist and multiple time place winner, and a Hokie Open Champion and multiple time place winner.  In high school, Soto was an NHSCA three-time All American, a two-time Florida State Champion and a three-time place winner. Soto’s high school team at Springstead High School was the first athletic team in their county to win a state title. 

Soto graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor’s in business administration in 2015.  While at Chattanooga, Soto was a continuous member of the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s List.  Rest of the story at http://www.sauknights.com/article/mens-wrestling/baranik-steps-down-as-mens-head-wrestling-coach-nicholas-soto-ushers-in-new-era

October 22, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hokies host first ever Mat on the Mound

Virginia Tech takes its match vs. Northwestern outside to English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park
BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech wrestling announces that for the first time in its history the Hokies will hold a meet outside on English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. The Hokies welcome Northwestern Nov. 10 for the first Mat on the Mound at 1 p.m. “As a program we are always looking for new ways to improve the experience for both our student-athletes and our fans,” said Tech wrestling head coach Tony Robie. “Much like wrestling at the Moss Arts Center, I think that English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park offers a very unique opportunity for us to do something different and continue to be creative in how to showcase wrestling at Virginia Tech. 

“I want to thank Coach John Szefc [Tech baseball head coach] for his willingness to work with us on this.  I think that Atlantic Union Bank Park is the ideal outdoor venue for this type of event.  We need the Hokie Nation to come out and pack the park on Nov. 10.”  The wrestling mat will be placed in the infield between the pitching mound and the backstop. Admission will be free for the historic event. This won’t be the first time Hokies wrestling holds a match in a unique venue.  Rest of the story and links at https://hokiesports.com/news/2019/10/15/wrestling-hokies-host-first-ever-mat-on-the-mound.aspx?mc_cid=69e6c039f5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

October 22, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

These are 5 college wrestling storylines that have our attention right now

With the start of every wrestling season comes fresh faces, new stars and breakout athletes to watch. What can you expect in 2019-2020? These are five storylines to know heading into this year’s wrestling season. 

1. Seth Gross returns, this time for Wisconsin

Seth Gross has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows as a college wrestler, but his collegiate journey will come to an end this year in March; the question is, can he end up on top? A sixth-year senior who started his career at Iowa, Gross is now ready to finish his final year with a second national title, now representing Wisconsin.
INSIDE THE MIND OF A CHAMPION: Q&A with Seth Gross after his 2018 NCAA title
In 2018, two years after transferring from Iowa City, Gross became the first wrestler in South Dakota State history to win an NCAA wrestling championship trophy when he topped Stevan Micic in the national finals. Following the tournament, Gross’ coach, Chris Bono, accepted the head coaching job at the University of Wisconsin and left Brookings to coach the Badgers. His star athlete, on the other hand, struggled with back problems back in South Dakota and sat out the following year while rehabilitating his injury. Rest of the stories in this article at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2019-10-15/these-are-5-college-wrestling-storylines-have-our-attention-right?mc_cid=69e6c039f5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

October 22, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment