Montana High School Assoc. executive board to propose adding girls wrestling
TDR Editor’s Notes ; There are currently 18 states which have official Girls Wrestling Championships recognized as an official high school sport. We mentioned a couple of years ago how it would be a great goal to reach to have 20 states with girls wrestling in 2020. All states except Mississippi have Boys Wrestling recognized as an official scholastic sport.
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HELENA — Girls wrestling is one step closer to being an official reality in Montana. The Montana High School Association executive board will submit a proposal to add girls wrestling as an MHSA-sanctioned sport after reviewing a study constructed by a committee. The findings of the study recommended bringing the proposal to a vote from the membership during the MHSA’s annual meeting in January. Right now, female wrestlers compete against their male counterparts throughout the season.
MTN Sports interviewed five female wrestlers — four present and one former — last winter for the MontanaSports.com Original “Something to Prove,” which looked at the history of female wrestling in Montana. It’s believed less than 20 female wrestlers have qualified for the state tournament in Billings, while only three — former Laurel wrestler Abi Gontarek, Kalispell Glacier’s Tilynne Vasquez (formerly of Kalispell Flathead) and Chinook’s Rebecca Stroh — have placed at state. To view the MontanaSports.com Original: “Something to Prove” please click here .
“Wrestling has always been a part of my family,” Vasquez, whose fourth-place finish in 2017 is the highest finish for a Montana female, told MTN Sports last February. “I started at age 6 because I wanted to go experience the fun things, and ever since I’ve been hooked on it. It’s a part of my life.” Rest of the story at https://www.montanasports.com/high-school-sports/wrestling/mhsa-executive-board-to-propose-adding-girls-wrestling-boys-powerlifting?mc_cid=785dda8f52&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Gwiazdowski splits two matches in German Professional League action this past weekend
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | NOV. 25, 2019,
Two-time World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC) competed twice this past weekend in the German Professional Wrestling League DRL (Deutsche Ringerliga), going 1-1 in his matches. For the second straight year, Gwiazdowski has competed for the KSV Ispringen team, which is coached by past men’s freestyle World champion Alexander Leipold. KSV Ispringen won both of its matches this past weekend with Gwiazdowski in the lineup. On Saturday, November 23, competing in men’s freestyle at 130 kg, Gwiazdowski scored a quick 16-0 technical fall over German wrestler Marco Becker, who wrestled for the Germania Weingarten team. He scored a takedown and turned Becker multiple times to end the match in just 34 seconds. KSV Ispringen beat Germania Weingarten, 17-12, with each team winning five bouts, but KSV Ispringen getting bonus points in four bouts.
On Sunday, November 24, Gwiazdowski was edged by Russian Zelimkhan Khizriev, in a 7-7 criteria decision. Khizriev, representing KAV Eisleben, was third in the 2019 Russian Nationals and third in the 2019 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. KSV Ispringen beat KAV Eisleben, 16-13, with each team getting five victories but Gwiazdowski’s team getting the edge in team scoring. Gwiazdowski is expected to compete in two more dual meets for KSV Ispringen, with matches on Saturday, November 30 against KAV Eisleben and Sunday, November 31 against Germania Weingarten. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/November/25/Gwizz-goes-one-and-one-in-German-Pro-League-bouts?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
20th College News, Notes and Results
Nebraska Cornhuskers Persevere Against Panthers
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The No. 3 Nebraska wrestling team picked up bonus points in four of their five match victories on Sunday afternoon to defeat No. 17 Northern Iowa 23-19 at the West Gym in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Huskers’ first road trip to Northern Iowa (0-2, 0-0 Big Twelve) in nearly a decade started off unevenly. Alex Thomsen (125) scored three takedowns and led #9 Jay Schwarm 6-2 before the Panther grappler put Thomsen in a cradle and took the Husker redshirt freshman to his back. Schwarm’s pin gave the home team a quick 6-0 advantage. Rest of the story at https://huskers.com/news/2019/11/24/wrestling-uni-post-match-recap.aspx?mc_cid=a3b64c44ec&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Writing Time: A look inside Penn State’s jaw-dropping dual streak and the night Arizona State ended it
A couple hours after the giant fell Friday night and the mat-storming mob took the party to other parts around Tempe, Zeke Jones finally made his way home and began shifting his attention to what’s next for Arizona State wrestling. “We’re lifting at 9 o’clock,” the coach of the Sun Devils said after the biggest dual win of his six seasons at Arizona State. “No matter what happened tonight we were lifting at 9, so that’s happening.” The Sun Devils will have a little more spring in their step Saturday morning when they start tossing weights around. They’ll approach the post-Penn State portion of their season fueled by confidence this time around rather than shaking off a Nittany Lion nightmare. “Last year what they did to us, I never forgot it,” Arizona State junior 197-pounder Kordell Norfleet said, referencing a 41-3 loss in Happy Valley. “They embarrassed us. They toyed with us. … We couldn’t let it happen again.”
An Arizona State-record crowd of 8,522 poured into Desert Financial Arena. A good portion of them flooded the mat after time expired on a 19-18 Sun Devil victory that snapped a 60-dual win streak for the Nittany Lions. Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1574639489584&twSessionId=qgqnsczcrb&postId=1761573132&mc_cid=a3b64c44ec&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Presbyterian Blue Hose Get Set To Host Inaugural Women’s Wrestling Dual
The Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team will host its inaugural Tri-Dual on Saturday December 7th from the Templeton Center as the Blue Hose welcome in Limestone and Life beginning at 1 p.m…. “It is not often that any person has the opportunity to witness history in the making, let alone plan for it,” added athletic director Robert Acunto. “On December 7th any person can witness the first-ever NCAA Division I women’s wrestling team compete in their first home match, and PC is grateful for the opportunity to be able to plan a great event for everyone who attends. We are also anticipating a near-capacity crowd, so I encourage everyone to arrive early in order to get a good seat.” The dual will begin with the Blue Hose Battling Limestone at 1 p.m. which will be followed at approximately 2 p.m. by Presbyterian facing Life. The Tri-Dual will conclude with a match between Life and Limestone tentatively set for 3 p.m. Rest of the story and details at https://gobluehose.com/news/2019/11/25/blue-hose-get-set-to-host-inaugural-womens-wrestling-dual.aspx?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Immediate reactions from Little Rock’s dual meet debut
On Sunday, the eyes of the wrestling world were on two places – Ames, Iowa and Little Rock, Arkansas. When it comes to wrestling, one of those places is not like the other. While one saw over 11,000 fans come into the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa to witness one of wrestling’s greatest in-state rivalries, just under 1,500 fans came to the Jack Stephens Center to witness college wrestling, many for the first time, as the Trojans of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock wrestled the first dual meet in school history. This is the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, I’m your host, Hall of Fame wrestling writer, broadcaster and announcer Jason Bryant and I had the privilege of being in Little Rock to witness the berth of another Division I wrestling program. Rest of the story at http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/immediate-reactions-from-little-rocks-dual-meet-debut/?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Auggie women’s wrestlers win first-ever dual meet
STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Claiming two pins and a technical fall, the Augsburg University women’s wrestling team scored a victory in its first-ever dual meet, a 35-8 win at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Monday evening.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 35, Wisconsin-Stevens Point 8
LOCATION: Berg Gym, Stevens Point, Wis.
RECORDS: Augsburg 1-0, UW-Stevens Point 1-1
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Competing in her first collegiate match, Emily Shilson (FY, Maple Grove, Minn./Mounds View HS) was dominant in a 10-0 technical fall victory over Brooke Thurber, completing the win in just 60 seconds. She scored a takedown and quickly converted four two-point back exposures to end the match early. Rest of the story at https://athletics.augsburg.edu/news/2019/11/25/wwr112519.aspx?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Fresno City wins third straight CCCAA Team Dual State Championship
Boasting four wrestlers that are currently ranked #1 in their respective weight classifications in their lineup, the Fresno City College wrestling team captured their third consecutive CCCAA Team Dual State Championship on Sunday night. The Rams, ranked #1 in the state, defeated #2-ranked Cerritos College, 30-8 in the championship match in Norwalk. Fresno City won all three of their titles against the Falcons, while this was the fourth straight season the two squared off in the state championship match.
125 Pounds – Mario Moreno (FCC) def. Jonathan Prata (CERR), 5-2
In the opening match of the night, the #2-ranked Moreno handed #1-ranked Prata his first loss of the season. Prata got the scoring started with an early takedown in the first period. After Moreno worked out of the hold, he scored a reversal with 24 seconds left in the first period to take a 3-2 advantage. Starting the second period in the down position, Moreno added to his lead with an escape point and then rode Prata for the entire two-minute third period to add a riding time point to the final score.
133 Pounds – Andres Gonzales (CERR) def. Louie Bravo (FCC), 9-4
Gonzalez held a 4-0 lead after the first two periods on the strength of two takedowns, with the third period accounting for most of the scoring. It was a 5-0 lead for the #2-ranked Gonzales until Bravo, who’s ranked #3, recorded a takedown with 1:49 left in the match. Just 20 seconds later, Gonzales secured his victory with a reversal for a 7-2 lead. Although he surrendered a reversal with eight seconds left, Gonzales was able to escape and add a riding time point for the victory. Rest of the story at https://www.cccaasports.org/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20191124zjqyab?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
TOM’s College Wrestler of the Week – November 25th, 2019
Last week, Trent Hidlay made his debut in an NC State singlet, going 3-0 at the Wolfpack Duals after picking up a win in his season-opening dual against Old Dominion. It was difficult to gauge exactly where the redshirt freshman should land in the national landscape, as three of the four wins came against non-DI competition and his opponent from Old Dominion, while capable, has yet to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in three years with the team. Hidlay was able to assert his dominance in those four matches with two major decisions and two falls.
After Saturday’s two duals, there is a clear picture of where Hidlay fits in at 184 lbs, which is near the top of the rankings. Trent had a tall task with two of the top-ranked 184 lbers in Ben Darmstadt (Cornell) and Louie DePrez (Binghamton). The day started with a dual with Cornell and Hidlay and Darmstadt would be the first match of the meet. Darmstadt, an All-American in 2018 at 197 lbs, missed all of last season due to injury and has dropped down a weight class since. Trent wasted no time and got on the scoreboard with a takedown early in the first period. He would add two more points later in that same frame with a reversal. Late in the third, with five points showing for the Wolfpack wrestler and Darmstadt with four (though riding time was locked up), Hidlay managed to get a second takedown to go-ahead 7-4. Rest of the story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/toms-college-wrestler-of-the-week-november-25th-2019/75589?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Top 15 College Wrestling Performances of the Week – November 25th, 2019
In most years, the dual season really starts to heat up when we get into the conference schedule. This wasn’t most years and it certainly wasn’t a typical weekend. In last week’s edition of the top performances of the week, we highlighted dual upsets by Virginia Tech, Illinois, Northwestern, Rider, and Stanford. This time we had an even bigger upset when Penn State went down for the first time in 60 duals. In addition to the upsets, there were just some really good dual meets that took place. To put things in perspective, Minnesota at Oklahoma State, a match that in years past would have been one of the highlighted events of the year, was maybe the fifth-best match of the weekend. To make things even better, we saw the “coming-out parties” for some of the best freshmen in the country. Wait, that’s not it… there’s more. Also, the dual meet debut of the lone DI program in Arkansas and a mat storming in Arizona. Needless to say, there’s a lot to talk about. So much that, just for this week, we expanded the top 10 performances of the week into the top 15. Rest of the story and complete list at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/top-15-college-wrestling-performances-of-the-week-november-25th-2019/75594?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3rd Season Column 13: Deep South satisfied at the Navy Classic, In State hate fests in IA and PA, All over-looked and Under-rated team, 165 and 157, SoCon News, and…wine
DIXIE GETS ER DONE: SOUTHERN GOLD AND SILVER AT NAVY CLASSIC
Yeah, you and your drinking buddy had money down on two Southern teams taking Gold and Silver at the Navy Classic. And the author is tall, dark, devilishly handsome and possessed of a massive trust fund. That VA Tech was an odds on favorite going in to the 42nd version of the big mat showdown in Annapolis was maybe accepted, maybe. Since these events are always “all about the brackets” (i.e., who wrestles who and in what round) the Hokies perch atop the podium was in no way guaranteed. That’s what happened, though, as the dirty birds from Blacksburg took the team title with 2 individual champs. BHH* Head Coach Tony Robies team is chock full of different starters and missing multiple All Americans and a National Champ from last season. And they’re an undefeated, top 5 team in the early going. That Southern strength the Scribes bragging about? Well, more about that later. . .
CLOSE FOR BOTH, PRETTY FOR ONE
That’s the read on what went down in the PA Power tilt between Pat Santoros Lehigh Mountain Hawks and Keith Gavins Pitt Panthers. Rest of the stories in this column at https://morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2019/11/26/3rd-season-column-13-deep-south-satisfied-at-the-navy-classic-in-state-hate-fests-in-ia-and-pa-all-over-looked-and-under-rated-team-165-and-157-socon-news-and-wine/?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Arizona State snaps Penn State win streak; Iowa moves to No. 1 for first time since 2015
Manheim, Pennsylvania – Eleven years ago, Arizona State’s wrestling program was dropped for 10 days. This past weekend, a crowd of over 8,500 saw the Sun Devils knock off top-ranked Penn State and end the Nittany Lions’ dual meet win streak of 60. Couple that with Iowa’s 29-6 win over Iowa State and it was a recipe for a new No. 1 as Iowa (2-0) moved to the top spot for the first time since February 17, 2015 as the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday. The Hawkeyes received 13 of 14 first-place votes. Nebraska (4-0) moved up one spot to No. 2, while Penn State (1-1) slid to No. 3. Arizona State (5-0) vaulted up six spots to No. 4. Virginia Tech (3-0) was fifth. The Hilton Coliseum crowd in Ames checked in at 11,238, the 10th largest crowd to see wrestling at the venue and the first wrestling dual to draw at least 11,000 fans since December 2009, also against Iowa. Arizona State’s movement is significant, not just due to its near demise a decade ago, but it’s the highest the Sun Devil wrestling program has been ranked since February 5, 1998, when the Sun Devils were also ranked No. 4 in the country. It’s also the highest a Pac-12 (or Pac-10) team has been ranked since Boise State was ranked No. 2 in November of 2010. Rest of the story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/arizona-state-snaps-penn-state-win-streak-iowa-moves-to-no-1-for-first-time-since-2015/?mc_cid=785dda8f52&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
No. 21 UNC-Pembroke Holds On, Tops No. 17 Limestone
PEMBROKE – Garrett Hill (165 pounds) and Brandon Sloop (184) captured spirited wins to help the 21st-ranked UNC Pembroke wrestling team build a 20-9 lead, and the Braves held off a late push by 17th-ranked Limestone on the way to a 20-19 win over the Saints on Tuesday evening at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
The Braves (2-3) have now captured two of the last three series matchups with Limestone (1-1), and extended their home win streak over the Saints out to four matches with Tuesday’s triumph. The Black & Gold is now 5-1 at home in the series.
All-American Nick Daggett (125), eighth-ranked Jonathan Miller (141) and Sammy Peticos (149) all registered bonus-point victories to give the hosts a comfortable 17-3 lead, but Limestone used victories from both Sean Glasgow (157) and Garrett Beam (165) to trim its deficit back to just five points, 14-9, on the team scoreboard.
Hill got the Black & Gold back on track with a fast-paced 10-3 win at 174 pounds, and Sloop answered a short time later by toughing out a 12-9 decision in the 184-pound matchup.
Rest of story, box score, interviews and highlights at https://uncpbraves.com/news/2019/11/26/no-21-wrestling-holds-on-tops-no-17-limestone.aspx?mc_cid=785dda8f52&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Expanded Wrestling Opportunities
IRON EAGLES TO START GIRLS WRESTLING TEAM
SPRING MILLS — For a long time, the Iron Eagles youth wrestling program has opened up many doors for young wrestlers around the Eastern Panhandle. Aside from a few girls popping in the room here and there, most of those wrestlers have been boys. Story at https://www.journal-news.net/journal-news/iron-eagles-to-start-girls-wrestling-team/article_114d418b-0fad-5a5a-b63f-299da9eaed2f.html?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
GROWING THE GAME: GIRLS WRESTLING GROWING AT YOUTH LEVEL
In West Virginia — When Kaylee Anderson stepped into the wrestling room for the Jefferson Junior Wrestling Association five years ago, the coaches didn’t exactly know it would turn the program on its head. Anderson, one of the top female wrestlers out of local youth programs, has stepped up as a pioneer in the area on the mat. A pin leader at her middle school and competing on the national level, Anderson was once the first female wrestler in the JJWA and is now a leader on her high school team in Virginia. Rest of the story at https://www.journal-news.net/journal-news/growing-the-game-girls-wrestling-growing-at-youth-level/article_72537076-ca5e-520c-90a6-3eea3ecaa8dc.html?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Lake Norman athlete wins first college wresting gold medal
What an opening act this was. Lake Norman High School wrester Will Edmiston fashioned a first-place finish in the Open Division of the 133-pound weight class division for Gardner-Webb University’s wrestling team during participation in the annual Appalachian State University Mountaineer Invitational. Competing as an unattached entry in the affair, Edmiston logged in with convincing wins by decisions in each of his two matches for his first gold medal-winning performance during the early phases of his current freshman season with the Bulldogs. Rest of the story at https://www.mooresvilletribune.com/sports/high-school/lake-norman-athlete-wins-first-college-wresting-gold-medal/article_6a67d716-6c2c-5415-a492-100de8a7234e.html?mc_cid=d3b3a1a68e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
#6 NC State Heads to Las Vegas for Cliff Keen Invitational
Friday-Saturday Tournament to be streamed on FloWrestling
VIEW: NC State Notes Packet | #CKLV Pre-Seeds
LISTEN: #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast – #CKLV Preview
RALEIGH, N.C. – The sixth ranked NC State Wrestling team will head to Las Vegas this weekend, to compete in the prestigious Cliff Keen Invitational that runs Friday-Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
According to this week’s InterMat Tournament rankings, 14 of the nation’s top 25 teams, including six of the top-10, will be in Las Vegas. Each team is allowed one entry per weight class, and as many as 90 ranked wrestlers could be competing in the season’s most prestigious in-season tournament.
Rest of the story at https://gopack.com/news/2019/12/5/wrestling-6-packwrestle-heads-to-las-vegas-for-cliff-keen-invitational.aspx
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 