Takedown Report

College Results — # 83

(Big 10 Network)
BTN CLOSES OUT RECORD WRESTLING SEASON WITH B1G WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE
On the heels of a record-breaking year for wrestling ratings, which saw the average audience per broadcast increase +38%, BTN today announced its plans for the 2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. This year’s tournament features eight of the top 10 teams in the country, according to FloWrestling. On March 7, sessions one and two will stream live on BTN+ with cameras on all mats and live commentary to accompany the broadcast. On March 8, session three, along with the third and fifth place mats, will stream live on BTN+, while the championship matches will air live on BTN and the FOX Sports app at 3:30 p.m. ET. Prior to Sunday’s championship matches, BTN will air a special 30-minute BTN Live from Piscataway hosted by Shane Sparks and featuring analysts Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons. …. rest of story at https://btn.com/2020/03/05/btn-closes-out-record-wrestling-season-with-b1g-wrestling-championships-coverage/?mc_cid=0e049afe50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Big Ten Championships brackets released after seeding meeting
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Big Ten Conference has released the official brackets for the 2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, set for the RAC at Rutgers University on Saturday and Sunday. There will be 79 automatic NCAA tournament berths on the line, the most of any conference. Twelve of the 14 teams competing are ranked in the top 40 in the Trackwrestling tournament rankings (six in the top ten) and 10 teams are also ranked in the top 25 of the National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings. Penn State was the 2019 Big Ten champion, and went on to win the 2019 NCAA Championships. Coming into the tournament this year, Iowa is No. 1 in all of the wrestling rankings. This event will be aired on the Big Ten Network and digital platforms, as well as by FloWrestling.
Big Ten Championships brackets (pdf)
Big Ten Championships brackets on Flowrestling …. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/06/Big-Ten-brackets-released?mc_cid=1a400a2613&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Eyes on First-Ever PAC-12 Championships for Little Rock Wrestling
LITTLE ROCK – Championship season is finally here, and Little Rock is set to appear in its first-ever PAC-12 Conference Championship. The single-day, three-session tournament takes place in Stanford, California at Maples Pavilion. Results will be posted on TrackWrestling and both mats will be live streamed for free for all rounds with the exception of the finals and third place matches, which will be televised on the PAC-12 Network. … story at https://lrtrojans.com/news/2020/3/5/eyes-on-first-ever-pac-12-championships-for-little-rock-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=0e049afe50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Southern Conference releases tournament pre-seeds, set for Appalachian State
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Seeding for the 2020 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship has been released, the league office announced Tuesday. The tournament will take place Sunday at the Holmes Convention Center in Boone, North Carolina, with the SoCon title and 14 NCAA allocations on the line. Campbell will look to defend its tournament title from 2019 after taking this year’s regular-season title, with Appalachian State finishing as a close second. Six of last year’s SoCon individual champions will be back in the field this year, attempting to defend titles in their respective weight classes. Campbell’s Korbin Meink (125), Josh Heil (149) and Chris Kober (184) all return after titles last year, with Heil dropping down to 141 pounds this year. Appalachian State’s Codi Russell (133) and Cary Miller (HWT) are back for another year, while VMI’s Neal Richards (174) attempts to defend his title. The SoCon was allocated 14 spots in the NCAA Championships, one for each weight class except for the 149, 174, 184 and 285-pound weight classes, which were awarded two each. …. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/05/SoCon-pre-seeds?mc_cid=0e049afe50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Nine top-ranked wrestlers headline loaded Big Ten Championship
BY MIKE WILLIS, USA WRESTLING | MARCH 05, 2020, 
Two-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee will look to bring home his first Big Ten title.
Objectively, the Big Ten is most loaded conference in the country, and the numbers reflect that. 79 NCAA tournament berths will be on the line this Saturday and Sunday at the RAC at in Piscataway, N.J., the most of any conference. 12 of the 14 teams competing are ranked in the top 40 in the Trackwrestling tournament rankings (six in the top ten) and ten teams are also ranked in the top 25 of the National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings. Overall, there will be 22 returning All-Americans competing, not including Wisconsin’s 2018 NCAA champion Seth Gross who missed all of last season with an injury. Gross, who competes at 133 pounds, won his title with South Dakota State and transferred to Wisconsin this offseason. Other former NCAA champions in the brackets include two-time champ Spencer Lee of Iowa at 125 pounds, two-time champion and three-time finalist Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State at 165 pounds and 2017 NCAA champion and three-time finalist Mark Hall of PennState at 174 pounds. At every weight class besides 184 pounds, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country will compete. At 125 pounds, Spencer Lee will look to earn his first Big Ten title. He is the only All-American in the bracket. Competing in freestyle earlier this year, Lee also won the 2019 Senior Nationals. …. rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/05/Nine-top-ranked-wrestlers-headline-loaded-Big-Ten-Championship?mc_cid=0e049afe50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Missouri seeks to win eighth straight MAC title, against a balanced and expanded field of 15 teams
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | MARCH 05, 2020, 
MAC Tournament pre-seeds
National power Missouri seeks its eighth straight MAC title, in the first year of an expanded conference, when the 15-team Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships is held at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., March 7-8. This season, the eight team MAC wrestling conference added in seven new teams, all which previously competed in the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL). This makes the MAC the second-largest Div. I college wrestling conference in terms of teams, behind only the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA). …. rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/05/MAC-Conference-preview?mc_cid=0e049afe50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

WVU’s Adams Chasing History As Championship Season Begins
By John Antonik
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University’s Noah Adams will be chasing some history when the NCAA Wrestling Championships begin later this month in Minneapolis. You can count on two hands the number of West Virginia natives to earn All-America honors in the sport, and you only need one hand to cover the Mountaineers. Wheeling’s Jimmie Cox did it in 1929, Williamstown’s Mike Mason duplicated the feat 68 years later in 1997 and again in 1998, Elkins’ Sam Kline did it in 1999 and Parkersburg’s Brandon Rader earned All-America honors in 2006 and 2007. Beyond WVU, you are looking at Huntington’s Ken Chertow at Penn State, Charleston’s Mark Samples at Edinboro and Parkersburg’s Jared Haught at Virginia Tech.  That’s it.
 Coal City’s Noah Adams, once an Independence High standout for coach Jeremy Hart and today the nation’s second-ranked 197-pounder heading into this weekend’s Big 12 Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, could very well be the next one. …. story at https://wvusports.com/news/2020/3/5/wrestling-wvus-adams-chasing-history-as-championship-season-begins.aspx?mc_cid=0e049afe50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Gonser tabbed Wrestler of the Year, five named All-SoCon
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell’s Noah Gonser has been named the 2020 Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year, highlighting five Camels on the league’s all-conference team. Joining the 133-pound Gonser on the 10-man All-SoCon team are Josh Heil at 141 pounds, Quentin Perez at 165, Andrew Morgan at 184 and Jere Heino at heavyweight. Jason Kraisser at 149 pounds was also named to the league’s all-freshman team. Gonser is the first Camel to be named SoCon Wrestler of the Year, while the team’s five all-conference selections is also a single-season program record. A redshirt senior, Gonser finished the 2019-20 regular season 27-5 overall and 10-2 in dual matchups, including a perfect 6-0 SoCon ledger on the way to his second All-SoCon team honor. All six of his SoCon matches ended in bonus point victories, including five pins. …. story at https://gocamels.com/news/2020/3/5/wrestling-gonser-tabbed-wrestler-of-the-year-five-named-all-socon.aspx?mc_cid=0e049afe50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Huskies to Pursue MAC Title at Home
NIU Wrestling to host 15 league schools
DEKALB, Ill. – Fifteen schools will converge on DeKalb to compete for 10 individual championships and one team title when the 2020 Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships takes place at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center this weekend. The two-day event, which begins on Saturday at 10 a.m. and runs through Sunday afternoon, will feature 150 wrestlers vying for 41 bids to compete in the 2020 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. March 19-21. Tickets for the event are on sale now through Ticketmaster. A two-day pass is available for $40, while single day tickets are $25. A group rate of $20 can also be purchased. … rest of the story at https://niuhuskies.com/news/2020/3/6/wrestling-huskies-to-pursue-mac-title-at-home.aspx?mc_cid=1a400a2613&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Army West Point Secures 3 NCAA Qualifiers on Day One of EIWA Championships
BETHLEHEM, PA – The Army West Point wrestling team made their presence known during day one of the EIWA Conference Championships, as they secured nine wins in the opening round of competition. The team followed it up with seven wins and three NCAA qualifiers in the quarterfinal round, finishing second out of 17 teams overall, with 73.5 points. After capturing their fourth straight Star Meet over Navy to end the regular season, the Black Knights entered Friday’s competition with a vengeance. Senior captain Trey Chalifoux started things off for the Black and Gold with an 11-3 major decision victory in the 125 lb. slot,  …. rest of story at https://goarmywestpoint.com/news/2020/3/6/wrestling-secures-3-ncaa-qualifiers-on-day-one-of-eiwa-championships.aspx?mc_cid=1a400a2613&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Seven Mids Advance at EIWA Championship, Four Qualify for Semifinals
Semifinalists Casey Cobb (133 / Jr / Kuna, Idaho), Cody Trybus (141 / Jr / Elkton, Md.), Tanner Skidgel (165 / Jr / Tulsa, Okla.) and Spencer Carey (174 / Sr / Ringwood, N.J.) are among the seven Navy wrestlers who will advance to Saturday’s competition as the opening day of the 116th EIWA Championship held at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. came to a close Friday evening. The Midshipmen stand fourth in the team standings with 61.5 points. In addition to the semifinalists, Navy has three wrestlers – Jared Prince (149 / Sr / Safety Harbor, Fla.), Jack Stanton-Taddeo (157 / Jr / Wading River, N.Y.) and Jacob Koser (197 / Fr / Dillsburg, Pa.) – who advanced via the consolation bracket. …. story at https://navysports.com/news/2020/3/6/wrestling-seven-mids-advance-at-eiwa-championship-four-qualify-for-semifinals.aspx?mc_cid=1a400a2613&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Host Stanford seeks to defend Pac-12 title, with Arizona State as highest ranked team in conference
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING |
In 2019, Stanford did something it had never done in the history of the Pac-12 Championships, which went back 58 years. Stanford wrestling won its first Pac-12 wrestling title, in one of the closest team races in history. This year, Stanford has an opportunity to repeat as champions, when it is hosts the tournament at Maples Pavillion on Saturday, March 7. Based upon the entire 2019-20 season, Arizona State has been the strongest Pac-12 team at the national level, finishing at No. 6 in the NWCA Coaches Poll based upon dual meets, and holding down No. 4 in the final Trackwrestling NCAA Tournament rankings. Arizona State had its first 15-win dual meet season in 35 years. The Sun Devils snapped Penn State’s 60-match dual meet streak with a 19-18 victory in Tempe on November 22. Arizona State finished a perfect 5-0 in Pac-12 duals this year. …. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/05/Pac-12-preview?mc_cid=1a400a2613&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3rd Season, Column 27: Bids are in; Big names in and out; Another Team or Two to Tout; & First Hand Forum, TX Coaches Edition
It’s like Christmas times 7 this week as the NCAA sent out their Golden Tickets, allocating spots for 278 out of 330 wrestlers who will be competing at the NCAA Championships later this month. Now, the athletes need to show they’re up to the task. They’ll do that by either winning their weight class at their Conference Tournament championships (10 weight classes, 7 conferences, so that’s 70 spots filled) or by (here’s where it gets a bit tricky) finishing in the next highest spot or spots (fill in the blank, the number is a variable) their conference was awarded at that particular weight class. How many spots are allocated to each weight class in each conference is a carefully calculated variable. One of the measurements is, obviously, the season long results of each wrestler in their own weight class and only for matches against other Division 1 opponents. Then there’s the R.P.I., the Ratings Percentage Index. The R.P.I. is a won-loss measurement carried out 3 levels deep. It takes into account a wrestlers record, his opponents records, and all their records. WHOA. But wait, theres more! There’s the Coaches Poll, where the votes from 14 Head Coaches (you hope), 2 from each of the seven conferences, are added up. Solve for X(3). Or, well, you get it. Its complicated, fairly accurate, and causes a lot more consternation and teeth gnashing than a Regional dog show or a Ms. Hawaian Tropic Bikini Contest.(1) In short, if “Conference A” wrestlers have a better cumulative rating than “Conference B” wrestlers, Conference A will get more automatic bids that their wrestlers can earn than Conference Bs wrestlers in that same weight class. Wait a minute…what if most or all of Conference Bs wrestlers, at whatever weight, beat Conference As wrestlers at that weight class if they competed head to head? No es importante, mi amigos y amigas, me v. you is a small part of this season long calculation of competence. It’s all about the season long competition unless it’s about what tournament or school your match was contested at, or when during the season the match was wrestled or, maybe, just maybe, a wee bit, that uniform you’re wearing or the conference your team is in. There’s bias in everything, but this is the methodology our sport has chosen for now. So here we go! The bid allocations for this season: BIG 10 Conference, 79; Big 12 Conference, 54; E.I.W.A., 44; MAC, 41; ACC, 35; PAC 12; 16, SoCon, 14. COME ON POST SEASON!

ROSTER REDACTIONS

LOTS of interesting changes have and are affecting a whole lotta teams as the post season begins this week. …. With that massive understatement we pause until the rest of the story at https://morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2020/03/02/3rd-season-column-27-bids-are-in-big-names-in-and-out-another-team-or-two-to-tout-first-hand-forum-tx-coaches-edition/?mc_cid=0403468de8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

 

March 28, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized