Takedown Report

Women’s Wrestling Results & News — # 21

Pennsauken wrestler back on mat after life-threatening illness
PENNSAUKEN TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (WPVI) — A Pennsauken High School wrestler is back on the mat after battling a life-threatening illness. “It felt like good old times,” senior Amanda Lezcano. Lezcano still can’t walk without a crutch, but she still can get in her wrestling stance without help. Last year, she couldn’t breathe without the help. “Eventually, I wasn’t able to breathe on my own, I had to be on a breathing tube,” she said. She says it was July and she had a common cold but then unexpectedly lost control of her legs. “My parents took me to the hospital and they told me I had Guillain-Barre Syndrome and that’s when your immune system attacks your body,” said Lezcano. She went from a three-sport athlete, constantly surrounded by friends, to thinking she might die at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “I couldn’t move my legs or my arms. I wasn’t able to speak. I thought I wasn’t going to make it, to be honest,” said Lezcano. But on Wednesday night, it was a happy ending with a whole school and medical team of help. Amanda got better and gets to be a high school senior again. … story at https://6abc.com/5926495/?mc_cid=a84c1748d7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Greensboro College Becomes First College in North Carolina to Offer Women’s Wrestling as a Varsity Intercollegiate Sport
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Greensboro College will offer women’s wrestling as a varsity intercollegiate sport beginning in Fall 2020. It will be the first college or university in North Carolina to do so.  The proposal was approved Feb. 12 by President Lawrence D. Czarda, Ph.D., on the recommendation of Robin Daniel, interim director of athletics. “This is a great opportunity for young women wrestlers, especially in the state of North Carolina,” said head wrestling coach Kevin Birmingham, who will coach both the men’s and the women’s teams. “The sport is really taking off at the high-school level, and where are those women going? I want them to come to Greensboro College.” Greensboro College, which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division III, began its men’s wrestling program in 2015. Costs to add a women’s team will be minimal, with space and equipment already on hand. Division III schools, typically among the smallest, do not offer athletic scholarships.  
The NCAA has designated women’s wrestling as an “emerging sport,” one that it recognizes but for which it does not yet have sanctioned championships. Women’s wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 2004.
High-school girls’ wrestling is the fastest-growing girls’ sport in the country, particularly in the southeastern U.S. Nationally, the number of high school girls participating in wrestling grew from 804 in 1994 to 21,124 in 2019, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Currently, 20 states have sanctioned women’s state wrestling championships. … story at https://greensborocollegesports.com/news/2020/2/14/greensboro-college-becomes-first-college-in-north-carolina-to-offer-womens-wrestling-as-a-varsity-intercollegiate-sport.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Olympic gold medallist named provincial ambassador for sport and active living
Olympic gold-medallist Erica Wiebe has been named a provincial ambassador to encourage Albertans to take part in sports and live an active lifestyle. Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Minister Leela Aheer made the announcement during the Alberta Winter Games in Airdrie on Saturday. The year-long appointment will see Wiebe travel across the province to encourage underrepresented or marginalized populations to take up sport, and to raise awareness about the benefits of staying active “I truly believe sport has the power to change lives, has the power to unite communities, has the power to transform our economy and our people at the individual and community level,” said Wiebe. The world-class wrestler won gold at the 2018 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — the third Canadian to medal in wrestling at the Olympics and second Canadian woman to win gold after Carol Huynh in 2008. … story and video at https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/olympic-gold-medalist-named-provincial-ambassador-for-sport-and-active-living/?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

20 Days to Adrian: Jessica Medina
Jessica Medina
Nickname: Funky Gold Medina
College: University of the Cumberlands (Williamsburg, Kentucky)
High School: Diamond Ranch High School (Pomona, California)
Age: 33
High school and college credentials: The Cumberlands star won WCWA titles in 2006 and 2008 following a second-place finish in 2005.
International credentials: Medina was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team for six years (2009-15) and was a member of U.S. Senior World Teams in 2009 and 2010. She won silver medals at the 2010 and 2011 Pan American Championships and was a 2006 Junior World bronze medalist.
Where is Medina now? The 33-year-old currently serves as the National Women’s Wrestling Developmental Coach for USA Wrestling … story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1581823941135&twSessionId=xzsbqhuluj&postId=389516135&mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Former wrestling teammates now coaching history
MCPHERSON, Kan.— More than 200 girls competed at the Girls West Regional Wrestling tournament today in McPherson. Its the first year as a high school sanctioned sport and a lot of people have been waiting a long time for this, including two former wrestlers. In a sea of male coaches and referees, there are two female coaches sitting mat side cheering on their girl wrestlers, in the first ever West Regional tournament as a high school sanctioned sport. McPherson wrestling assistant. coach, Chandra Engle said, “Beth and I had wrestled together in high school.”
Holcomb wrestling coach, Beth Johnson said. “I’ve known her since I was nine or ten years old. I’ve known her for a long time, ten years and we’ve wrestled longer than that.” Johnson and Engle were both on the 2008 Kansas USA Wrestling team. “She ended up finishing first at nationals my senior year, I got fourth that year,” said Engle. “So it was a really neat team to be on. It was the biggest team that we’d had yet for Kansas. Probably the first time we started having a team go to Fargo was me and Beth.” More than ten years later, both still find themselves in the wrestling world but in a different role. “We’re just passing the flame pretty much,” said Johnson. “Our coaches passed it to us and now we’re passing it to the kids whenever they get older. Hopefully they continue wrestling as well.” Engle said, “The first time I saw her, I was surprised, I didn’t know she was coaching. It was at another tournament and we ran into each other in the locker room, it was a big hug fest. It’s neat to see her and be like where you coaching, how many girls you got?” …. story at https://www.kwch.com/content/sports/Former-wrestling-teammates-now-coaching-history-567917631.html?mc_cid=148f5f63fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Girls wrestling movement growing in Berks County
When Gov. Mifflin freshman Jayleah Pletz received her sixth-place medal at Reading High, fans throughout Berks County cheered. Although Pletz said she started wrestling only to have fun, she suddenly became one of the faces in a movement to help Pennsylvania grow the sport of girls wrestling. Pletz became the first female to earn a medal in the 22-year history of the BCIAA Individual Wrestling Championships when she went 3-3 to finish sixth at 106 pounds. “It was fun,” Pletz said. “It was a new experience. It’s cool to be the first one.” A movement to grow girls wrestling in Berks County has been spearheaded by former Gov. Mifflin wrestler David Roche, founder of Venom Wrestling Academy. Twenty-five girls, ages 5-14, from 10 different schools participated in the latest girls-only clinic at Muhlenberg High School. “A lot of girls have been denied opportunities,” said Roche, a 2006 Gov. Mifflin grad. “We just want to be the ones to say everybody can wrestle no matter what. We’re going to make sure they have an opportunity to be on the mat.” Seventh-grader Katalyna Borreli, whose successful battle to overturn the Tulpehocken School District policy excluding junior high and high school girls from wrestling against boys gained countywide attention in November, attended the clinic. Borreli’s father, Frankie, was there to support his daughter and talk to parents who might be apprehensive about their daughters wrestling boys. …. story and video at at https://www.readingeagle.com/sports/high-school/girls-wrestling-movement-growing-in-berks-county/article_bc08f574-4176-11ea-aa98-a34a2032d5fc.html?mc_cid=148f5f63fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 17, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

High School News & Notes – # 12

(In Michigan)
Coin flip could determine whether or not powerful Davison wins state wrestling title
FLINT — Winning district and regional championships have become mere formalities for Davison’s wrestling team. The Cardinals have won Division 1 district and regional titles for eight straight years, reaching the state championship match four times during that stretch while making it to the semis three times. In six of those years, they were eliminated by the eventual state champion. … story at https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2020/02/coin-flip-could-determine-whether-or-not-powerful-davison-wins-state-wrestling-title.html?mc_cid=e1e9966c02&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

High School Insider: A coast-to-coast sweep of the prep dual landscape
Last week, we prepped you for the upcoming run of team dual tournaments across the country. Today, we’ll recap some of those results as well as pick up on some other tidbits along the way. We start in Pennsylvania, which was the first of the tradition-rich wrestling states to host its state dual tournaments. The Keystone state breaks it down into two classifications, AA for the smaller schools and AAA for the larger schools and we were once again reminded that to be the best, you have to beat the best.  Heading into the AA tournament, a number of teams were thought to have a serious chance at a championship. Saucon Valley had just won District XI over Notre Dame, Southern Columbia rolled through District IV after finishing as the runner-up a year ago and winning the team title at the individual tournament, and three-time defending champ Reynolds was looking as good as ever out of District X. …. story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1581570946559&twSessionId=ccjagiuqhs&postId=389220135&mc_cid=e1e9966c02&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

(In Georgia)
Georgia OL signee Austin Blaske wins state wrestling title
Georgia added some depth to its offensive line in the Early Signing Period with the addition of in-state offensive lineman Austin Blaske (Guyton, Ga./South Effingham), a former N.C. State commitment. When he arrives the Dawgs will have a second wrestling state champion in its offensive line room. On Saturday, Blaske, at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, won the 5A heavyweight title in Macon (Ga.).
Redshirt freshman interior offensive lineman Clay Webb also helped his team to a duals wrestling state championship in high school, finishing with a 45-1 record and 38 pins. Check out Blaske, who was the state runner-up as a junior, in action from the match that sent him to this season’s state championship below. …. story at https://247sports.com/college/georgia/Article/Georgia-Bulldogs-Football-Austin-Blaske-wrestling-state-championship-highlights-143856708/?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Honoring former coach, DeSales has breakthrough showing at State Wrestling Championships
Competitiors hit the mat at the KHSAA state wrestling championships
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Gone since August, Travis Riley’s words still resonate on the chalkboard in the DeSales High School wrestling room: “Stay in the fight. Never quit.” “It’s hard to come into the room and not see him in some way,” Colts head coach Greg Miller said. Riley, entering his fourth year as DeSales’ assistant coach, died by suicide on Aug. 15 at the age of 43. The Colts dedicated their season to their former coach and finished the most successful year in program history Saturday in the State Wrestling Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Led by Dejuan Watkins’ runner-up finish in the 285-pound weight class, DeSales finished in 13th place with 68 points. …. story at https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/preps/kentucky/2020/02/15/khsaa-state-wrestling-meet-2020-desales-wrestlers-break-through/4719236002/?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2020 Indiana State Finals by the Numbers
Overall
Rankings always provide a great insight to the best of the best in the state. Arguments always ensue on who is the best and who should be ranked. Over the years our rankings have proven to be the best out there. On top of that our rankings are locked before the first whistle at sectional and they do not take into account the semi-state draws. This year only 9 wrestlers that advanced to state were not in our state or semi-state rankings. We also set a new record for most state ranked wrestlers advancing to state with 180 or just over 80%! Thanks to our rankings gurus Mike Reiser, Caleb Spires, Howard Cottey, and Dustin Bentz for another great season. Do not forget to download the IndianaMat brackets with rankings attached so it is easier to follow the state finals. Click here for our special IndianaMat brackets
Full story and more at https://indianamat.com/index.php?/articles.html/high-school-news/tournament-previews/2020-state-finals-by-the-numbers-r975/&mc_cid=148f5f63fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Garfield wrestling coach J.L. Williams retiring after 40 years on the mat
By Aaron Lommers, Special to The Seattle Times
Forty years ago, J.L. Williams was handed the keys to the Garfield High School wrestling program — literally. It was the start of something special, but more importantly for the countless wrestlers he coached, it might have been the best thing that ever happened to them. After moving to Washington from Stamford, Conn., at age 22 while working at Boeing, Williams was recruited by a friend, a Garfield alum, to help a program that hadn’t won a match in five years. In his first season in 1980, Williams helped lead the team to three straight wins to start the season. “After that fourth match, I got handed a set of keys,” Williams said. “I said, ‘I don’t need keys, I may or may not be coming back next year as far as helping out.’ I was told, ‘No, you’re the new head coach.’”
That started a 40-year career coaching at Garfield. That career will come to an end this weekend after Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome. Garfield senior and first-year wrestler Daniel Johnston will be the Bulldogs’ lone representative after qualifying at 145 pounds. “It’s time for some new blood,” Williams said. “I’ve helped out as many kids as I can. I found a young man named Terrell Minor to take over. I was looking for someone to come in and take over for the old guy.” … story at https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/high-school/garfield-wrestling-coach-j-l-williams-retiring-after-40-years-on-the-mat/?mc_cid=148f5f63fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 17, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Results — # 73

TDR Editor’s Notes ; We have listed 14 stories of end-of the regular conference season dual meets. Yes, these are quite delayed but we are catching up. It may be a retreat into the days when there was wrestling. Too much in denial to look at more recent news. Oh, well ….
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Runnin’ Bulldogs Defeat VMI, 23-15, Friday Night
LEXINGTON, Va.  – Gardner-Webb took the last four matchups of the evening to earn a 23-15 win over VMI in Southern Conference wrestling action Friday night at Cormack Hall in Lexington, Va. 
Gardner-Webb (4-7, 2-4 SoCon) earned its third straight dual win after trailing VMI (4-11, 1-2 SoCon) by a 15-6 margin after six bouts. … story at https://gwusports.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-runnin-bulldogs-defeat-vmi-23-15-friday-night.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

No. 11 Lehigh tops Bucknell 32-6 for ninth straight dual win
LEWISBURG, Pa. – No. 11 Lehigh kicked off a stretch of three duals in eight days with a strong 32-8 win at Bucknell Friday night at Davis Gym. The Mountain Hawks won eight bouts, scored bonus points in four of those wins, and held a 19-2 edge in takedowns as Lehigh wins its ninth straight dual, improving to 10-3 overall and 6-1 against EIWA foes. Bucknell actually finished the night with more reversals (three) than takedowns as the Bison fall to 9-5 overall and 8-2 in the EIWA. … story at https://lehighsports.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-no-11-lehigh-tops-bucknell-32-6-for-ninth-straight-dual-win.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
 
Panthers Cruise to 36-6 Win Over West Virginia
Cedar Falls, Iowa – In their last dual at West Gym, seniors Isaiah Patton, Bryce Steiert, Jay Schwarm, Paden Moore, Taylor Lujan, and Max Thomsen celebrated their careers with a 36-6 victory over West Virginia. Schwarm, Thomsen, Steiert and Lujan all earned bonus-point wins to spur the Panther victory. At 125, Schwarm started off the night with a fall 58 seconds into the first period against West Virginia’s Joey Thomas. Schwarm now leads the NCAA in pins with 13 on the season and 12 against D1 opponents. Schwarm currently sits at fifth in the UNI record book with 47 career pins. … story at https://unipanthers.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-panthers-cruise-to-36-6-win-over-west-virginia.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Monarchs Sink Midshipmen, 16-15 in Tie-Breaking Victory
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – In a match where both teams won five bouts by decision, the Old Dominion wrestling team (8-9, 4-2 MAC) came away with a hard-fought 16-15 victory over Navy (8-5, 3-1 EIWA) on Friday night, earning the tie-breaking win by way of criteria after collecting 41 total match points to Navy’s 29. “I thought we wrestled hard in enemy territory,” head coach Steve Martin said after the ODU victory, its fourth in its last five matches. “Navy always fights hard and we knew nothing would be easy going into this match.” … story at https://odusports.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-monarchs-earn-tie-breaker-sink-midshipmen-16-15.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Virginia Builds Early Lead To Take Down Duke 34-15
DURHAM, N.C. – The Virginia wrestling team (8-5, 1-3 ACC) went on the road and picked up the win on Friday (Feb. 14), taking a 34-15 victory over Duke (0-16, 0-4 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium.  The Cavaliers won seven weight classes with bonus-point victories in six of them, including a pin by Louie Hayes (Orland Park, Ill.) at 133 pounds, a tech fall by Justin McCoy (New Paris, Pa.) at 157 pounds and major decisions by Denton Spencer (Waverly, Ga.) and Michael Battista at 149 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively. Patrick McCormick (Poquoson, Va.) and Brian Courtney (Sayre, Pa.) both won by forfeit at 125 pounds and 141 pounds. … story at https://virginiasports.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-virginia-builds-early-lead-to-take-down-duke-34-15.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

No Love Lost in Northern Illinois’s Battle With Buffalo
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University wrestling team posted a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo in Victor E. Court Friday night. The Huskies (12-4, 7-2) scored a 19-16 victory over the Bulls in a contest that featured four overtime matches, three bonus point wins and went down to the final match. … story at https://niuhuskies.com/news/2020/2/14/no-love-lost-in-niu-wrestlings-battle-with-buffalo.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

No. 3 Duhawks Snap Knights’ Reign, Capture A-R-C Crown
Results (PDF)
Waverly, Iowa (February 14, 2020) – In a rematch of last year’s American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) championship , the No. 3 Loras College Duhawks made history Friday night by capturing the program’s first conference title, defeating No. 1 Wartburg 19-17 in a thrilling back-and-forth dual.
The Duhawk victory snapped Wartburg’s run of 27-consecutive conference titles that dated back to 1994 and also handed the Knights their first loss ever at Levick Arena. Head Coach TJ Miller, who wrestled for Wartburg and was coached by his father, put a high emphasis on the importance of what the win means for Loras College. … story at https://duhawks.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-no-3-duhawks-snap-knights-reign-capture-a-r-c-crown.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

UTAH VALLEY SNAPS SKID WITH 20-16 SENIOR NIGHT WIN OVER Northern Colorado
OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University wrestling snapped its losing streak with a 20-16 Big 12 Conference victory over Northern Colorado on Friday night at Lockhart Arena.   
The Wolverines (2-10, 1-7 Big 12) and Bears (2-7, 1-5 Big 12) split the contest at five wins apiece, but bonus points proved to be the difference as UVU got a pin from freshman Kainalu Estrella (141 pounds) as well as major decisions from seniors Kimball Bastian (174) and Tanner Orndorff (197), and another key win from Taylor LaMont (133) over a top-20 opponent in the final match of the night to seal the win for the Wolverines. … story at https://gouvu.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-utah-valley-snaps-skid-with-20-16-senior-night-win-over-unc.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Huskers Top Wolverines 25-15 in Senior Sendoff
LINCOLN — The fourth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team won six of ten bouts, scoring bonus points in four matches to defeat No. 22 Michigan 25-15 in front of 1,891 fans on Senior Night at the Devaney Center on Friday. Johnny Blankenship, Zak Hensley, David Jensen, Collin Purinton, Kyle Ruettiger and Isaiah White were all honored in a pre-meet ceremony.  … story at https://huskers.com/news/2020/2/14/wrestling-neb-wr-michigan-recap.aspx?mc_cid=aac8a693e2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE WINNING STREAK REACHES FOUR
South Dakota State wrestlers Zach Carlson and Tanner Sloan each won by major decision and the Jackrabbits picked up a pair of forfeits to defeat Fresno State, 26-12, in a Big 12 Conference dual Saturday night at Frost Arena. In winning their fourth dual in a row, the Jackrabbits improved to 11-5 overall and 6-2 in Big 12 action. Fresno State dropped to 9-9 overall and 4-3 against league foes. The Bulldogs forfeited at 125 and 149 pounds, allowing SDSU to build a 15-3 lead through four matches. Clay Carlson posted a 7-3 decision over Gary Joint in the 141-pound bout for the lone Jackrabbit victory in a contested match in the early going. … story at https://gojacks.com/news/2020/2/15/wrestling-winning-streak-reaches-four.aspx?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

As another woeful Big Ten slate comes to an end, Maryland remains focused
Five weeks separate Maryland wrestling from the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and with records of 2-14 overall and 0-8 in Big Ten duals, time is running out for the Terps to earn a statement win. Just three duals remain for Maryland, and, perhaps more importantly, coach Alex Clemsen’s team finishes up its Big Ten schedule Sunday against No. 24 Northwestern. The Terps will wrestle on the main floor of Xfinity Center as part of the Beauty and the Beast promotion with Maryland gymnastics. While It seems like the time for urgency within the program, the importance of Sunday’s dual is no greater than any others this season for Clemsen and his team — it’s just another match. …. story at http://dbknews.com/2020/02/15/maryland-wrestling-match-dual-northwestern-alex-clemsen/?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Nittany Lions Down #3 Ohio State in Sold Out Bryce Jordan Center
Nick Lee takes care of Luke Pletcher in dual’s marquee match-up at 141
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2, 8-1 B1G), ranked No. 2 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index, rode a string of three straight bonus wins at the second half to beat No. 3 Ohio State (10-4, 6-3 B1G) in the 2020 BJC Dual. Head coach Cael Sanderson‘s squad won its fifth-straight over Ohio State, posting a 20-16 win in front of a sold-out BJC crowd. The dual was a BTN national telecast.  
A sell-out crowd of 15,995 saw Penn State take down the Buckeyes.  The crowd is the third largest in Penn State history and the third largest for an indoor dual in NCAA history. Penn State owns the top two indoor figures in NCAA history (15,998 vs. Iowa on Feb. 10, 2018; 15,996 vs. Pitt on Dec. 8, 2013). The two largest attendance totals were both in outdoor/football stadiums. ….. story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2020/2/15/wrestling-nittany-lions-down-3-ohio-state-in-sold-out-bryce-jordan-center.aspx?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Hawkeyes Top Minnesota to Clinch B1G Regular Season Title
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Senior Michael Kemerer put the finishing touches on a Hawkeye route Saturday, pinning No. 9 Devin Skatzka in two minutes, 52 seconds to punctuate top-ranked Iowa’s 35-6 win over No. 13 Minnesota.
Kemerer, ranked No. 1 at 174, led 4-2 in the first period before rolling up a cradle, sending 12,608 fans home happy and clinching Iowa’s first outright Big Ten regular season title since 2015.
It was also the Hawkeyes’ third top-10 win of the evening, and the fifth match that ended in bonus points. …. story at https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2020/2/15/wrestling-hawkeyes-top-minnesota-to-clinch-b1g-regular-season-title.aspx?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

North Dakota State Defeats No. 21 Stanford 28-13
FARGO, N.D.–North Dakota State won six of 10 bouts including pins from 174-pounder Luke Weber and 133 Cam Sykora to defeat No. 21 Stanford in a non-conference dual on Saturday, Feb. 15, before 499 in Scheels Center. It marked the fourth straight season the Bison have knocked off a nationally-ranked team.
NDSU (8-3, 4-1 #Big12WR) is scheduled to Air Force (4-6, 1-5 #Big12WR) at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, for Senior Day. The Falcons lost 24-10 at Oklahoma on Friday night. …. story at https://gobison.com/news/2020/2/15/wrestling-ndsu-defeats-21-stanford-28-13.aspx?mc_cid=73f08c1943&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 17, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

USA grabs three men’s freestyle golds at Pan Am Olympic Qualifier

For the most part, the United States buried opponents Sunday under an avalanche of takedowns and turns on what turned out to be a near-perfect freestyle mission for the Americans at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier.  Thomas Gilman wore down two-time U23 World champion Reineri Andreu Ortega of Cuba and tore through a couple more opponents on his way to winning the gold at 57 kilograms. David Taylor punctuated his return to competition with two dominant performances against stingy opponents en route to the title at 86 kilos. Nick Gwiazdowski registered two shutout technical superiority wins during his run to gold at 125 kilograms.   Zain Retherford was on his way, too — until a stunning turn of events left the Americans facing one last chance to qualify the 65-kilogram weight class for Tokyo. Retherford scored a takedown 30 seconds into his semifinal match against Argentina’s Agustin Destribats was transitioned into a leg lace when he lost his lock and got reversed to his back for a fall. Destribats is just the fourth Argentinian to qualify for the Olympics in men’s freestyle and the first since 1996.  The United States, on the other hand, must now qualify a 65-kilogram participant through the World Olympic Qualifier, which was originally scheduled to begin April 30 but has since been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. has failed to qualify a weight class for the Olympics only once — 60 kilograms in 2008 — but Mike Zadick was added to the field that year as an alternate.  “Of course, I’m disappointed for Zain because he feels bad, I’m disappointed because we didn’t get the weight qualified, but given the situation, I think we’re about 30 seconds away from tech falling that guy,” USA Wrestling men’s freestyle coach Bill Zadick said. “We’ll look at it and see. Maybe we just got a little too greedy in a position or just got caught. I was talking to some of our other staff and sometimes you can pin people you can’t beat. Maybe Zain was in a unique situation, but I’m no less proud of him.”  Gilman did his part at 57 kilograms, registering a pair of technical superiority wins, along with a 4-3 victory in a quarterfinal slugfest against the Cuban. The 2017 World silver medalist went ahead on a kneetap midway through the second period and shut down Andreu the rest of the way.  … story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1584420799588&twSessionId=ujmxjpjihb&postId=778143135

March 17, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment