Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

The Life and Legacy of Dave Schultz, Chapter 1: The Day Wrestling Died

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Only had the pleasure of briefly meeting Dave Schultz twice and was most favorably impressed by his pleasant manner and friendliness to others. Then in August of 1995 I saw him compete at the World Championships in Atlanta. I believe that was his last time in international competition. He was cheered on by more wrestling fans than any other competitor. This could be expected by having the event in the U.S.A. yet he was cheered on by fans of his opponents. The Iranians had a large and quite noisy crowd with a leader of their cheers who used a rythmic little horn. At first they impressed me as being a bit annoying but eventually I came to see they were not only fans of their wrestlers but also true fans of the sport. They also gave Schultz a standing ovation as he came out to wrestle and after he jogged back to the showers after the matches. He repayed their respect with a waive and recognition of thanks to them. It was most memorable. As any other wrestling fan it was a sad kick in the gut when I heard the shocking news the following January. I wish I could have seen him in many other competitions in front of wrestling fans.
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Dave Schultz was one of the all-time greats. Not just because he was an NCAA champion or an Olympic gold medalist… but because of his genuine good nature and generous spirit.
Ten years ago, Dave’s life was taken in a senseless, bizarre murder that sounds straight out of a really awful movie. Only this was really awful real life.
RevWrestling.com seeks to pay tribute to Dave Schultz with a series of articles that address various aspects of his life and legacy. In this installment, we share the circumstances of his tragic murder… and outline his considerable wrestling accomplishments. In future chapters, we plan to paint a more complete picture of Dave, including reminiscences from some of the folks who knew him best.

Friday, January 26, 1996: The day wrestling died.
That date, US freestyle wrestler Dave Schultz was murdered by multimillionaire John du Pont at his estate in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia.

Dave SchultzDave, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist, was training for the 1996 Atlanta Games and coaching the Team Foxcatcher squad at du Pont’s state-of-the-art wrestling facility on the estate grounds. That dreary Friday afternoon, Dave was working on the radio in his Toyota Tercel in front of his house at du Pont’s estate when the heir to the chemical company fortune pulled up to the 36-year-old wrestler/coach’s car and fired a shot through the back window of the station wagon. At the sound of the gunshot, Dave’s wife Nancy bolted out of the kitchen in their home. By the time she reached the front door, there was a second shot. She saw her husband on the ground… and du Pont pointing his .38 out the open window of his Lincoln Town Car.
According to the account of the crime in the book No Holds Barred: The Strange Life of John E. du Pont, Nancy told du Pont to stop … but he fired off a third shot into the back of the prone wrestler. Then du Pont pointed the gun at Nancy, who took refuge inside the house while dialing 911. The life squad was there in minutes. However, Dave was pronounced dead at Mercy Haverford Hospital at 3:30 p.m. In the meantime, John du Pont fled the murder scene and barricaded himself in his mansion on the estate grounds … staying locked in the library that had been reinforced as a bomb shelter during the Cold War, and stocked with food and water in anticipation of a nuclear attack. Outside, approximately 75 police officers — including thirty SWAT team members — took up positions in the freezing rain. Negotiating by phone with the police, du Pont asked that he be addressed as “His Holiness” and referred to himself as the Dali Lama. In the meantime, all wrestlers at the Team Foxcatcher facility were evacuated. The standoff dragged on through the weekend. At least a dozen separate phone conversations took place between du Pont and the police. Earlier … Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/832/The-Life-and-Legacy-Dave-Schultz-Chapter-1-The-Day-Wrestling-Died?fbclid=IwAR0aIYJ5g9mo5Gin5TfQerU6ulQDfJygo6GvXS8es2kFS1JkMsy_Zk9sq1g

January 27, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Davidson Tops The Citadel 27-18

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Four pins powered the Davidson wrestling team to a 27-18 win over The Citadel on Senior Night Friday evening in Belk Arena. The Wildcats clinched their first Southern Conference victory of the season with back-to-back pins in the 174- and 184-pound matches. With the match tied 15-all, Davidson 174-pounder Steven Newell pinned Jacob Cooper in 1:04. Then Gavin Henry followed with a 45-second pin over Jared Zenie at 184, giving the Wildcats the 27-15 edge with one match remaining. At 125, Davidson’s Cian Fischer pinned Jordie White in 3:45, and Wildcat Kyle Gorant followed at 133 with a pin of Nathan Orosco in 1:46. The Wildcats’ other win came at 157, as Hunter Costa earned a 3-2 decision over Doug Gudenburr. Prior to the match, Davidson recognized the three members of the 2020 class: Costa, Noah Satterfield and Conor Fenn.

Davidson 27, The Citadel 18
125: Cian Fischer (DAV) fall over Jordie White (CIT), 3:45
133: Kyle Gorant (DAV) fall over Nathan Orosco (CIT), 1:46
141: Jacob Dado (CIT) dec. over David Loniewski (DAV), 10-5
149: Selwyn Porter (CIT) dec. over Will Baldwin (DAV), 9-3
157: Hunter Costa (DAV) dec. over Doug Gudenburr (CIT), 3-2
165: Dazjon Casto (CIT) tech. fall over Noah Satterfield (DAV), 18-2
174: Steven Newell (DAV) fall over Kyle Kretzer (CIT), 1:04
184: Gavin Henry (DAV) fall over Jared Zenie (CIT), 0:45
197: Cooper Youngblood (CIT) dec. over Lachlan Rosato (DAV), 4-1
285: Michael McAleavey (CIT) maj. dec. over Finlay Holston (DAV), 16-3
Full story at https://davidsonwildcats.com/news/2020/1/17/wrestling-tops-the-citadel-27-18.aspx?mc_cid=fa83504e36&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 27, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ezekiel Jones: The wrestling cellist of Southwest Onslow

By Chris Miller
Daily News StaffPosted Jan 17th
Junior won 152-pound Onslow Cup title earlier this month.
Just call him The Wrestling Cellist. When Ezekiel Jones is not tangling with his foe on the mat, the Southwest High School junior is putting bow to string as a cello player. The 17-year-old seems quite skilled in both areas. He recently won the 152-pound title in the Onslow County Cup tournament and is 31-7 this season and was named Honorable Mention All-County Orchestra.
Wrestling and playing the cello seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. One on end, Jones takes part in a combat sport, an activity where loud thuds on the mat can be heard as he methodically studies his opponent before utilizing what he said was his “skill and heart” in later rounds to earn victories. But Jones shows grace as he sits down behind his cello, his left hand placed on the top of the instrument and his right hand holding the bow. The sounds of pops and cheers are replaced by more mellow and eloquent tunes. Full story and photos at https://www.jdnews.com/sports/20200117/ezekiel-jones-wrestling-cellist-of-southwest?mc_cid=fa83504e36&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 27, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment