Takedown Report

Three takeaways from Ohio State wrestling’s 17-16 win over Arizona State

From the NCAA ;
Talk about starting the new year off on the right foot.  The Ohio State Buckeyes battled past Arizona State on Monday in front of 4,132 fans at the Covelli Center to pick up a crucial top-10 win and give the team a solid dose of momentum heading into the second semester. They were led by two-time All-American Luke Pletcher, who recorded a tech fall against Arizona State’s No. 15 Josh Kramer. 
True freshman Jordan Decatur, redshirt freshman Sammy Sasso, sophomore Kaleb Romero and senior Kollin Moore also recorded wins for Ohio State. The Buckeyes will face Rutgers on Jan. 10, but in the meantime, let’s take a look back at some of the key takeaways from the win over the Sun Devils. 
1. Luke Pletcher is a machine 
Ohio State senior captain Luke Pletcher was one of two Buckeye wrestlers to earn the first “Black Shirt” on the team, an honor bestowed upon an athlete who demonstrates grit and effort. He showed why on Monday night.  Pletcher attacked Arizona State’s Navonte Demisony non-stop, scoring repeatedly until he ended the match with a 19-4 tech fall. The win marks Pletcher’s 15th on the year and his second tech fall of the season. He’s also recorded a bonus percentage of 60.0, won the Cliff Keen Invitational and is currently ranked No. 1 in the country.  The Big Ten has a number of ranked 141-pounders who could challenge Ohio State’s scoring machine, but Monday’s performance suggests that Pletcher is on a different level. His biggest test will likely come when he faces Nick Lee, a two-time Penn State All-American scheduled to welcome Pletcher to the Bryce-Jordan Center on Feb. 15. 
2. New year, new lineup for the Buckeyes 

And that’s how you make a dual debut! Jordan Decatur ties it up for Ohio State #GoBucks
📷: @wrestlingbucks pic.twitter.com/OqcCQa4bAA— NCAA Wrestling (@ncaawrestling) January 7, 2020

The big news out of the Covelli Center was the pulling of freshman Jordan Decatur’s redshirt and the freshman’s subsequent win over No. 15 Josh Kramer of Arizona State at 133 pounds. The Buckeyes have Quinn Kinner at this weight for the first few duals before Dylan Koontz stepped in at the weight, but it’s Decatur’s time to shine. Decatur’s debut has been highly anticipated by Buckeye fans since the young wrestler stepped on campus, and while he’s wrestled in open tournaments, he hasn’t had his starting lineup moment until Monday night. His win brings his overall record to 9-1 and immediately puts him at No. 16 in the rankings. Decatur is still young, but look for this scrappy athlete to be a force over the next several months. 
3. The race for a team trophy at NCAAs is going to be wild
Ohio State’s win against Arizona State bumped the Buckeyes up from seventh to fifth, while the Sun Devils dropped from fourth to seventh with the loss. Penn State, last year’s national champion, sits in third behind Iowa and Nebraska. The Sun Devils beat Penn State earlier in the year to snap the Nittany Lions’ 59-match winning streak and knock the defending champs from the top spot.  But now that Ohio State has beaten Arizona State, the Buckeyes want a shot at the No. 1 team. The Hawkeyes still lead the country with all 14 first-place votes in the NWCA poll, but Ohio State will have a shot to take down this top-ranked squad team on Jan. 24 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Penn State will wrestle Iowa on Jan. 31, while Ohio State will face Penn State on Feb. 15.  Ohio State has finished in the top four at the NCAA tournament for the last five years, … Rest of the story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2020-01-07/college-wrestling-3-things-we-learned-ohio-states-win-over?mc_cid=01f5200826&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 15, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

ASUWrestling to Honor Hall of Fame Coach Bobby Douglas at Sun Devil Duals

TDR Editor’s Notes; Great to see Coach Douglas get this well deserved recognition. Our compliments to him for his lifelong efforts to bring out the best in wrestling.
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TEMPE – Before the Sun Devils face Iowa State on Saturday night, head coach Zeke Jones will honor ASU wrestling’s all-time winningest coach Bobby Douglas at Chase Field, January 11 at 7 p.m. MST.
Prior to the start of the meet against Iowa State, the Sun Devils will recognize Douglas with a ceremonial coin toss to kick off the ranked matchup against the Cyclones. Jones will also hold a tribute for the former ASU and Iowa State head coach at the Inner Circle reception starting at 6:15 p.m. MST. For more information on how to join the Inner Circle, visit https://thesundevils.com/innercircle
On Thursday, Douglas will be a special guest at the ASU Wrestling Clinic from 6:30 – 8 p.m. … Rest of the story at https://thesundevils.com/news/2020/1/9/-asuwrestling-to-honor-hall-of-fame-coach-bobby-douglas-at-sun-devil-duals.aspx?mc_cid=01f5200826&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 15, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

46th College News, Results and Reports

Heil takes another SoCon weekly honor
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – For the second time this season, Campbell’s Josh Heil has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week. Heil, already named the SoCon’s Wrestler of the Month for December, made a run to the Midlands finals at 141 pounds, becoming Campbell’s second ever finalist at the prestigious event. Heil ran his winning streak to 16 matches before dropping a 5-3 decision to No. 7 Max Murin of Iowa. The Brunswick, Ohio native made it to the finals with a 4-2 win over No. 8 Tristan Moran of Wisconsin, his fifth win of the season against a ranked opponent. Heil is now a staggering 20-2 on the season, ranking as high as No. 8 at 141 pounds (FloWrestling). This is the fifth time a Camel … Rest of the story at https://gocamels.com/news/2020/1/8/wrestling-heil-takes-another-socon-weekly-honor.aspx?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Wilkes Wrestling Cruises to 47-6 Victory over Hunter
SCRANTON, PA.- The Colonels won nine of ten matches on the afternoon to take home a commanding neutral site victory against Hunter at Scranton University.  The Colonels won six of their nine victories by fall or technical fall. The Colonels set the tone for the match by recording back-to-back pins at 125 and 133 pounds respectively.  Sophomore Nicholas Bauer (Coplay, PA/Wyoming Seminary) took 1:12 to get his pin at 125, while freshman Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) took 1:29 to get his own pin at 133 to earn the match-clinching points for the Colonels early on.  The Colonels would win the next five straight, … Rest of the story at https://gowilkesu.com/news/2020/1/8/wilkes-wrestling-cruises-to-47-6-victory-over-hunter.aspx?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Northwest Tech Names New Head Wrestling Coach
Goodland, KS. (01/08/2020) ? Northwest Tech has recently welcomed a new Head Wrestling Coach, Chris Guillot. He is coming to Goodland already having a fondness and familiarity for the area, having served as the head coach for Goodland High School from 1999-2001. During his time at the district, he developed state championship and a top five team. I am excited to be back in Goodland, and I am ready to put together a competitive program that helps mold young men in a positive way,? said Guillot, ?Goodland is a supportive community, and I will strive to build a program they will be proud to stand behind. Guillot graduated with his degree in Physical Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he wrestled and earned distinction as an NCAA Division II All-American. Before his time at the university, he spent two years wrestling under well-known area coach Steve Lampe while at Colby Community College, also earning honors as an NJCAA Wrestling All-American. Throughout his years of coaching and competing, he has built an extensive network of wrestling advocates, including former wrestling champions such as Ramico Blackmon, Willie Gadson, and Nate Carr. Beyond his wrestling achievements, Guillot has … Rest of the story at https://www.ntmavericks.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/Chris_Guillot?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Charger wrestling cruises 50-3 on senior night
Briar Cliff’s wrestling team honored its seniors on Wednesday night in the Newman Flanagan Center as the group of seven Chargers were part of a big 50-3 victory against Midland in GPAC action. The Warriors were open at seven of the 10 weight classes, leaving three matches on the docket. The Blue and Gold went 2-1 in those bouts, including a dominant technical fall by senior Brandon Meyer. Meyer took on Midland’s Bryson Jensen at 157 lbs. and stormed out to a 13-0 lead after the first period. He finished the contest early with a reversal in 14 seconds of the second stanza. The first match wrestled on the night came at 141 lbs. … Rest of the story at http://www.bcuchargers.com/article/6120.php?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Tiger Wrestling Victorious in First Dual of Season, 24-19
HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State wrestling team came away with an exciting 24-19 win over UNC Pembroke Wednesday evening (Jan. 8) in its first dual action of the year. It is the first time the Tigers have won their opening dual of the season since the 2014-15 season. The Tigers open the year 1-0 while the Braves move to 6-6 on the season. After forfeiting at 125 pounds, the Tigers quickly tied things up when Dy’Juan Carney won at 133 pounds via injury default. Competing for the first time this season, Brandon Ball handed the Tigers their first lead of the night with a 6-2 win over Jonathan Miller at 141 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Ball started the second period on top and maintained control for the entire frame. The senior made a quick escape in the … Rest of the story at https://fhsuathletics.com/news/2020/1/8/tiger-wrestling-victorious-in-first-dual-of-season-24-19.aspx?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NCAA debuts wrestling award standings for 2020 season
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released the debut standings for the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. For falls and tech falls to be counted for the awards they must come against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. Division I is led in falls by Cornell 197-pounder Ben Darmstadt with 11 this season, but close behind is 2019 award winner Matt Stencel of Central Michigan with 10 in the category. George Mason’s Colston DiBlasi rounds out the top three with nine falls at 149 pounds. Tiffin teammates Hayden Bronne and Nicholas Mason pace Division II with nine falls apiece. Bronne holds the early tiebreaker over 2019 197-pound national champion Mason with a 12-minute lead in aggregate time (13:20 – 25:42).  Jacob Robb of Mercyhurst is just one back as the only wrestler in Division II with eight falls. … Rest of the story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2020-01-08/ncaa-debuts-wrestling-award-standings-2020-season?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Pelham Earns Weekly MAC Honor
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan’s Landon Pelham has been named the Mid-American Conference West Division Wrestler of the Week for his performance in the Chippewas’ two dual meets last weekend.
Pelham, a junior who wrestles at 197 pounds, pinned Virginia Tech’s Stanley Smeltzer in 3:21 on Friday at McGuirk Arena and then posted a 5-3 victory over Gage Braun of Northern Illinois in a MAC dual on Sunday in DeKalb, Ill. … Rest of the story at https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2020/1/8/wrestling-pelham-earns-weekly-mac-honor.aspx?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Werner named MAC East Wrestler of the Week
CLEVELAND – Luke Werner (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) of the Lock Haven University wrestling team has been named this week’s Mid-American Conference (MAC) Eastern Division Wrestler of the Week. It marks the second time this season that Werner has taken home this honor. Werner made an exciting run to the 125-pound Southern Scuffle finals on January 1-2. The No. 6 seed finished second overall after going 4-1 in the top-level mid-year tournament. Werner’s only loss came in the finals after he fell to the top-seed. It marked the Bald Eagles second straight year with a Southern Scuffle finalist and Werner’s second-place showing helped Lock Haven finish 10th in the team standings. On Day 1 (Jan. 1), Werner returned to action for the … Rest of the story at https://www.golhu.com/news/2020/1/8/wrestling-werner-named-mac-east-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=6dbdbab726&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

DAVIDSON Falls to California Baptist
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Senior Noah Satterfield earned a major decision, but Davidson fell to California Baptist Thursday afternoon inside Belk Arena, 33-4. Satterfield was active in the third and final frame, using an early takedown and leveraging some early stall calls on CBU’s Cole Pruitt to pick up a 10-1 major at 165 pounds. With the win, the Marysville, Ohio, native moves to 5-7 on the season.  A pair of ‘Cats battled in sudden victory losses. Freshman David Loniewski and senior Hunter Costa each lost on takedowns in extra time at 141 and 157 pounds, respectively. With the loss, Davidson falls to 1-5 in dual matches, while with the win CBU improves to 3-2. … Rest of the story at https://davidsonwildcats.com/news/2020/1/9/wrestling-falls-to-california-baptist.aspx?mc_cid=01f5200826&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Augustana wrestling continues dominance at home with upset over Northern State
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Augustana wrestling team took down its third-consecutive nationally-ranked opponent in front of a packed house at the Elmen Center Thursday night. The Vikings defeated No. 17 Northern State, 20-14, to move to 4-2 on the season.

The Vikings jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the match, after junior Ethan Cota recorded a 13-3 major decision at 125 pounds that included three takedowns and a riding time point. Redshirt freshman Jack Huffman followed Cota’s performance with a 9-4 win of his own at 133 pounds. Augustana fell behind 11-7 after losing bouts at 141, 149 and 157 pounds. After the intermission, sophomore Dylan Schuck won a 12-5 decision to bring the score to pull within a point at 11-10. Junior Ben Kelvington proceeded to dominate every second of the 174-pound bout as the Vikings regained the lead 14-11. Kelvington recorded six takedowns and over three minutes of riding time. Augustana lost the 184-pound bout to bring the match score to 14-14 going into the final two duals of the night. Sophomore Daniel Bishop then recorded a 4-1 win in the 197-pound bout to put the Vikings up 17-14 and set the scene for a dramatic finish in the match-deciding heavyweight bout. With Northern State owning the match tiebreaker (a tech fall recorded earlier in the match), the winner of the 285-pound dual decided the winner of the match. Redshirt freshman Steven Hajas was trailing 3-2 with under a minute left in the third period before taking a shot and recording a ferocious takedown for the lead as the crowd went wild. Northern State’s Caleb Lefferdink escaped with just under 20 seconds remaining to send the heavyweights to overtime. … Rest of the story at https://www.ksfy.com/content/sports/Augustana-wrestling-continues-dominance-at-home-with-upset-over-Northern-State-566868761.html?mc_cid=01f5200826&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 15, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Jolly Roger well worth it: Fike, CBA get 2 champs each at Corinth Holders tournament

Fike senior Aaron Bancroft, bottom, goes for the takedown against Troy Weaver of D.H. Conley in their 170-pound championship match Saturday at the Jolly Roger Invitational at Corinth Holders. Bancroft won by fall to remain unbeaten and help the Golden Demons to a second-place overall finish in the 25-team tournament.

Posted Sunday, January 12, 2020 10:56 pmBy Jack Frederick jfrederick@wilsontimes.com | 252-265-7824 | Twitter: @_jackfrederick

WENDELL — A long weekend of wrestling at the Corinth Holders-hosted Jolly Roger Invitational was well worth it for C.B. Aycock and Fike by Saturday night. Out of 25 schools to participate in the proceedings, the two Wilson Times readership area teams finished near the top after some of the biggest performances of the night. Appearances by four Golden Demons in the title bout — and a pair of winning finishes by Kam McCullen at 145 pounds and Aaron Bancroft II at 170 — led the Golden Demons to a second-place finish in the team scores behind only Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons. “This weekend was long, tiring,” Bancroft said. “Ready to go home, but it was good. It was good team-wise as well. We had four people in the finals and two champions as of right now, so it was a very successful weekend.” The Golden Falcons finished not much further behind Fike in fourth, just six points behind the home-team Pirates, due in part by dominant performances by Tyler Hughes (152) and Christian Decatur (113) in the championship bouts of their respective weight classes. Rounding out the top 10, Central Davidson finished in fifth, Raleigh Athens Drive tied Southern Durham for sixth, while D.H. Conley finished eighth, South Central finished ninth and Hampstead Topsail took 10th.

NO LOSSES
By entering into what was a competitive tournament, Decatur, Hughes and Bancroft all put their undefeated records on the line. But the weekend saw no change to the loss column for any of the three as they ransacked through their own respective weight classes without much trouble and a medal around their neck. Of all the boys championship bouts, Bancroft was one of only three to win his first-place match by pin. Bancroft’s quick work of Greenville D.H. Conley’s Troy Weaver came after what was a slow start for the Fike senior wrestler. On the opening lunge of the match, Bancroft’s head met Weaver’s knee, producing a nasty stinger than ran from Bancroft’s neck down to his arm. The Fike wrestler said afterward that, for a brief time, all he could see was white. After a couple of minutes of injury stoppage time, though, Bancroft resumed play and dominated Weaver, pinning him by fall 1:33 seconds in. “I was happy. It’s my fourth year being here and my third time winning,” said Bancroft, who won the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A championship at 160 pounds last season. “Even though I didn’t win it four times, three times is a very good accomplishment. At that moment in time when I had my hand raised, it just felt like it was needed, like I deserved it, basically. Working hard and everything.” After the tournament, Bancroft now sits at a perfect 33-0. … Rest of the story at http://wilsontimes.com/stories/jolly-roger-well-worth-it-fike-cba-get-2-champs-each-at-corinth-holders-tournament,198938?

January 15, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

9th Women’s News, Notes & Results

Simon Fraser University dominates Menlo Open
ATHERTON, CA —Friday, The Simon Fraser University Women’s Wrestling Team took part in the Menlo Open at Menlo College in Atherton, CA.  Simon Fraser won gold in 7 of 10 weights at the event. Champions in their weight class were Ciara McCrae at 109, Karla Godinez-Gonzalez at 116, Alex Hedrick at 123, Nicole Depa at 136, Ana Godinez-Gonzalez  at 143, Alyvia Fiske at 155 and Emily Cue at 191. Simon Fraser also had runner up performances at 130 with Lauren Mason and at 170 with Rebekah Trudel. Placing 5th were Jocyln Bhatha at 109 and Sara Brinkac at 155. Also worth noting for Simon Fraser was the  return of 3X All-American Nicole Depa, who returned to action in California after 14 months off for ACL surgery with 5 straight 1st period wins. Additionally, Ana Godinez-Gonzalez (in her SFU debut) defeated 2019 NAIA and WCWA National Champion Solsan Piercy from Menlo College. Ana was a Junior World Bronze … Rest of the story at https://athletics.sfu.ca/news/2020/1/4/WRES-Menlo.aspx?mc_cid=8be8d92f8c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Wisconsin considers proposal for girls wrestling division
By Mark Palmer
Girls wanting to wrestle in high school in the state of Wisconsin may soon have a division of their own, as a proposal is under development to create a separate girls division with opportunities to win a state title. An ad hoc committee comprised of coaches and administrators — along with the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association (WWCA), and the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation — are crafting a proposal that then would go to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), the Wisconsin State Journal of Madison reported Thursday. “Girls wrestling is taking off all over the country with nearly 20 states sanctioning a girls division,” according to Stoughton athletic director Mel Dow, a proponent of expanding wrestling opportunities for girls in Wisconsin. “The WWCA has a proposal nearly complete that will allow for girls to join their schools wrestling team, train and compete against comparable opponents throughout the season and then have the opportunity to compete for a state title like the boys have been afforded for decades. The current proposal does not impact the current structure of the boys individual state series and would provide for greater attendance at the WIAA team state event.” Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22853?fbclid=IwAR0MzEVTU6wAJZqUXOcHX5_BGthmMnGqqBXLvhGz-Q-QNlWINUiKXCcxi5w

Lourdes University to Add Women’s Wrestling; Hill Named Head Coach
Lourdes University has announced that the school will add women’s wrestling to its varsity sport lineup beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year and that Kate Hill will serve as the team’s head coach. “Women’s wrestling has been growing on the collegiate level throughout the country,” Athletics Director Janet Eaton said.  “We are excited to add the sport here at Lourdes, as it complements our diverse athletics offerings already in place.” The Gray Wolves will compete in the NAIA, where the sport is in its second season as an invitational sport.  There are 28 NAIA institutions that sponsoring women’s wrestling for the 2019-2020 season, and several other schools have announced plans to add the sport for next season.
 Lourdes joins NCAA member Tiffin University as the only schools in the state of Ohio to sponsor varsity wrestling.
 Hill arrives at Lourdes after serving as a graduate assistant at Campbellsville University for since the summer of 2018.  During the 2018-2019 season, Campbellsville finished fourth at the NAIA National Invitational as a team while producing a national champion and a pair of national runners-up.  Upon her departure from Campbellsville midway through this season, the Tigers were ranked second in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Poll.
 “Coach Hill has a passion for wrestling,” Eaton stated.  “I am confident that she has the ability to start our program based upon our her enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport.  She was a successful student-athlete on the mat and will be able to bring that knowledge to Lourdes.”
 Hill wrestled four seasons at Campbellsville, helping the Tigers win a WCWA National Championship her senior season.  Individually, she earned All-American honors on the mat in 2018.   “I am very excited for the opportunity to start the women’s wrestling program at Lourdes University,” Hill said. … Rest of the story at  https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Lourdes-University-to-Add-Women-s-14-1-2020

January 15, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment