Takedown Report

College News — # 88

Two-time NCAA qualifier Orndorff transferring to Ohio State
Tate Orndorff, a two-time NCAA qualifier, is transferring from Utah Valley to Ohio State. The Washington native recently entered the NCAA transfer portal. He made the announcement of his transfer to Ohio State Friday on Instagram. Orndorff compiled a record of 18-4 this past season. He was ranked No. 11 at heavyweight in InterMat’s final rankings of the 2019-20 season. …. story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23499?fbclid=IwAR2guDXGdxK5lhHX_Dy52CbMDbghQgl5Hk8c_utTRBTu21LBly0wVeeiqIs

NCAA Decision Formally Concludes Cheeks Career
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Redshirt senior Evan Cheek of the Cleveland State University wrestling team saw his collegiate career officially come to a close earlier this week when the NCAA Division I Council declined to extend eligibility for those that compete in winter sports. Cheek, in his fifth year at CSU, had qualified for the NCAA Championships but was unable to compete at the event for the final time to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cheek had been slated as the No. 16 seed at 141 pounds in the 33-man field for NCAA’s. He finished 14th in the final RPI produced by the NCAA, which was the top spot held by a MAC wrestler and the second-highest of any athlete that did not hail from a Power Five school. …. story at https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm&ogbl#label/INBOX%2FaaResponseNeeded/FMfcgxwHMZSBbdXGLDgjCnVgzDZvhDPB

Grand View head coach Nick Mitchell – OTM604
Grand View tied a college wrestling record by winning its ninth consecutive national championship in Wichita, Kansas a couple of weeks ago. This week, head coach Nick Mitchell goes On The Mat as he talks about the Vikings’ championship and tying Iowa as the only other college wrestling program with nine straight national championships. Join Andy Hamilton and Kyle Klingman as they talk to our guest and topics related to the recent happenings in and around wrestling. …. http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/grand-view-head-coach-nick-mitchell-otm604/?mc_cid=db245e6947&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

National wrestling tournament bucked cancellation trend, but Apprentice School wrestlers were pulled before semifinals
Two wins away from a national championship, six Apprentice School wrestlers were suddenly pulled from the tournament as a precaution. While the sporting world’s house of cards collapsed into postponements and cancellations, the National Collegiate Wrestling Association, separate from the NCAA, kept its tournament going last weekend in Allen, Texas, and eventually completed it. But two-thirds of the way through the tournament, Apprentice School wrestlers ― six in the semifinals and six in the consolation round ― were kept from continuing as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. A request to interview Apprentice School athletic director Michael Allen was declined through media relations manager Duane Bourne. Tournament officials did have some recommendations in place, including referees not raising the arms of winners and having hand sanitizers readily available. However, the show went on. …. story at https://www.dailypress.com/sports/college/vp-sp-apprentice-school-wrestling-canceled-20200319-g2ap4cc6rfhz7elpjlxb3kx37q-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1zKeYsfMb04EwjJrbo-EqceOTYekM-L7NoeN_lh8t0vOLCGMR8S5RGSII&mc_cid=3137d16555&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

For Rider wrestling, a breakthrough season but ending ‘feels a little empty’
By Bill Evans | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com For coach John Hangey and the Rider University wrestling team, it was a memorable and historic season for most of the right reasons. But it was memorable and historic at the end for reasons nobody could have imagined. The Broncs knocked off No. 6 Minnesota, a Big Ten team, on the road to start the season. They won the Virginia Duals, beating a ranked Virginia team in the process, and captured the Mid-Atlantic Conference East Division championship while spending multiple stints in the national rankings. But the 12-3 season that started so promisingly and had many encouraging moments was robbed of a satisfying ending when the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis were canceled because of coronavirus concerns. “I’m heart-broken for the seniors,” said Hangey. “We understand why it was canceled and that it was the right thing to do. I know the (National Wrestling Coaches Association) was over the moon about having the tournament in a football stadium this year and excited for all of us to get there. …. https://www.nj.com/sports/2020/03/for-rider-wrestling-a-breakthrough-season-but-ending-feels-a-little-empty.html?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Becahi graduate Dunn named PSAC Wrestler of the Year
By Brad Wilson | For lehighvalleylive.com
Andrew Dunn Jr. may not have had a chance to defend his Division II national championship, but the Bethlehem Catholic graduate did bring home a major prize Thursday. Dunn Jr., a Kutztown junior was voted the 2019-20 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Wrestling Athlete of the Year in a vote of the league’s coaches. The PSAC announced the award Thursday afternoon in conjunction with the release of the all-conference wrestling teams. Dunn Jr. is the second Golden Bear to accomplish the feat after Ziad Haddad, another Becahi graduate, did so in 2014. Dunn Jr. is one of four Kutztown wrestlers to register an unbeaten season in school history after finishing the 2019-20 campaign with a 20-0 record. The junior is the defending national champion at heavyweight and has posted a 46-2 record in two years with Kutztown, including 46-0 against NCAA DII wrestlers. …. https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/2020/03/becahi-graduate-dunn-named-psac-wrestler-of-the-year.html?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Clemsen Adds Six to 2020 Recruiting Class
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Maryland head wrestling coach Alex Clemsen announced the addition of six wrestlers to the 2020-21 recruiting class. Dainon Kappes (Bowie, Md./Bowie HS), Will Berkowitz (Shelby, N.C./Shelby HS), Adam Pfeiffer (Olney, Md./Sherwood HS), Cole McCormick (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson HS), Dominic Solis (Laurel, Md./McDonogh School), and Maximus Bentley (Easton, Md./Easton HS) all signed their National Letters of Intent to attend Maryland and wrestle for the Terps. “I’m pumped to add theses six guys to our staff’s first recruiting class,” Clemsen said. “Incredible talent and depth late in the process! Each one of these guys are true student-athletes and will continue to help us build Turtle Power the right way. I know all 10 of our incoming freshmen will push our and elevate our room over the next few months and years. I can’t wait to get everyone back under one roof so we can get to work!” …. story at https://umterps.com/news/2020/3/23/wrestling-clemsen-adds-six-to-2020-recruiting-class.aspx?mc_cid=3137d16555&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Wrestling Announces Travel Partners Changes
The Big 12 Conference has announced its updated wrestling travel partners for nine of the league’s 12 schools through the 2023-24 season. Updated travel partners were requested and formed by the league’s 12 head coaches. The changes in travel partners was made to maximize the schools in a given area and cut down on multiple trips to the same region. The schedules were constructed so that each team will have at least one “travel partner,” while also ensuring that every affiliate has at least one home match annually against a Big 12 legacy member and that the four legacy members will face each other each year. …. story at https://big12sports.com/news/2020/3/23/wrestling-announces-travel-partners-changes.aspx?mc_cid=3137d16555&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Rutgers-bound Kyonte Hamilton already a model of success
It is not every day that a high school athlete is offered scholarships for more than one sport. It is even rarer when a high school athlete commits to play two sports at one college. That is precisely what has happened for junior Kyonte Hamilton of Georgetown Prep (Rockville, Md.). Hamilton committed to Rutgers Wrestling this past August and is currently the No.2-ranked 220-pound high school wrestler in the nation, according to Intermat rankings. Earlier in March, Hamilton also committed to play football at Rutgers as a three-star athlete with multiple Division 1 offers and the ability to play multiple positions. Before the spotlight shined so brightly, Hamilton was just a big kid trying to find his way on the wrestling mat. His father introduced him to wrestling at the age of five and it was not instant stardom. “Up until my seventh or eighth-grade year, I always got beat up on by the older kids,” Hamilton said. “I was big, so I had to wrestle in the unlimited age division. So I was in the sixth grade wrestling kids in the eighth grade because of how big I was. I lost a lot.” By the time Hamilton reached the eighth grade, losses were a rare occurrence. …. https://247sports.com/college/rutgers/Article/Rutgers-Football-Rutgers-Wrestling-Kyonte-Hamilton-model-of-success–145337773/?mc_cid=0750227b4f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

McGuire facing new challenges while building SU’s wrestling program
Tasked with building a first-year program from scratch, Shenandoah University wrestling coach Tim McGuire has seen that challenge evolve in the wake of the response to COVID-19. In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has prompted a nationwide halt to sports across all levels, SU announced on Friday that it was canceling the rest of its spring sports season. Peripheral athletic activities, like in-person recruiting trips and on-campus visits by recruits, have also been put on hold by school officials. That means McGuire has had to adjust as he works to build the Hornets’ first roster, which will begin official competition when school reconvenes later this year. He’s approaching the current state of affairs, he said on Monday, as a chance to turn a negative situation into a positive one. …. story at https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/mcguire-facing-new-challenges-while-building-su-s-wrestling-program/article_e9be83ca-0448-5588-88cb-f7ee13427f0c.html?mc_cid=0750227b4f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 6, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized