Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Coaching Changes

Sentes named head wrestling coach
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After helping Campbell’s wrestling program to unprecedented heights, Scotti Sentes has been named head coach, announced today by director of athletics Omar Banks. Since arriving at Campbell, Sentes has helped the Camels to three Southern Conference tournament championships, as well as back to back dual titles over the last four seasons, the program’s first NCAA Division I championships. “I am thankful to Omar Banks, Wanda Watkins, and Hannah Bazemore and the entire CU athletic department for affording me this incredible opportunity,” said Sentes. “I would also like to thank Cary Kolat and the CU alumni who encouraged and recommended me for this position. Campbell is a special place and I will do everything I can to continue making this program proud.” “The Campbell community is very pleased to have Coach Sentes as our next head wrestling coach,” …. story at https://gocamels.com/news/2020/3/26/sentes-named-head-wrestling-coach.aspx?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Chris Pendleton to Lead Beaver Wrestling
Corvallis —Chris Pendleton, one of the most successful collegiate wrestlers in the history of the sport, has been selected to lead the Oregon State program, Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Monday. His appointment is contingent on the completion of all university hiring processes. Coach Pendleton arrives at Oregon State after spending the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils have won three of the last four Pac-12 titles, including scoring 141.5 points (most by ASU since 1993) on its way to the conference crown earlier this month. ASU finished the shortened season ranked No. 6 in the country and defeated seven top 20 teams, including snapping No. 1 Penn State’s 60-match win streak. “The interest in this position was incredibly high, but as the process moved forward Coach Pendleton quickly rose to the top,” Barnes said. “Coach Pendleton’s focus on the development of student-athletes on and off the mat aligns with the Oregon State culture. …. story at https://osubeavers.com/news/2020/3/30/chris-pendleton-to-lead-beaver-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Mike Evans and Blaize Cabell Join Navy Wrestling Coaching Staff
ANNAPOLIS, Md. —  Navy head wrestling coach Cary Kolat announced today that former Campbell assistant coaches Mike Evans and Blaize Cabell have joined his coaching staff at the Naval Academy. Mike Evans, a former three-time All-American at the University of Iowa, begins his tenure in Annapolis after spending the last three seasons on the Campbell wrestling staff, including last season as head assistant coach. Serving alongside Kolat, he helped lead the Campbell wrestling program to unprecedented success in recent years. The Camels wrapped up the 2019-20 season by posting an 11-2 record that featured wins in each of their last nine duals. Among that nine-match winning streak, CU put together an undefeated mark (7-0) in Southern Conference action. Campbell secured its second straight and third overall SoCon Tournament Championship in four years thanks to crowning five individual champions. A program-record six wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championship for a second consecutive year. Among those qualifiers were three wrestlers seeded among the top 10, including 133-pound Noah Gonser, a three-time NCAA qualifier who was named the 2020 SoCon Wrestler of the Year.  …. story at https://navysports.com/news/2020/3/30/mike-evans-and-blaize-cabell-join-navy-wrestling-coaching-staff.aspx?mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

TIGER ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES THE ADDITION OF CONTOS TO THE IOWA WESLEYAN WRESTLING PROGRAM
Mt. Pleasant, IA – March 27,  2020 – To continue to expand the Tiger Athletics Department and to give our students the best opportunities possible to succeed, IW announced on May 9, 2019, that Men’s and Women’s Wrestling would be added to the athletic department.  Robert Powell was hired as the wrestling coach this past September to get the program going and begin recruiting for the fall of 2020. To give the programs the best ability to become successful, plans were in place to hire a second coach in the spring of 2020.   After a national search, the Iowa Wesleyan Athletics Department would like to announce that Shawn Contos has been given the title of Head Coach of the Tiger Men’s Wrestling program. “I am thrilled to announce the addition of Coach Contos to our coaching staff.  His wealth of knowledge in freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, combined with his high energy and professionalism, make him an ideal candidate for this position”, said Director of Athletics, Derek Zander. “Under the combined leadership of Coach Contos and Coach Powell, I expect the Iowa Wesleyan wrestling program to grow and produce high-quality results, both on and off the mat.”  Coach Powell will take over the reins for our newly formed women’s program, as Coach Contos will lead the men’s program. Both will work collaboratively to lead and grow men’s and women’s wrestling at Iowa Wesleyan University.   Contos brings with him over 20 years of experience as a wrestling coach. He has coached and competed alongside many notable wrestlers throughout his years. Contos coached at Iowa State with Cael Sanderson and at Penn State with both Cody Sanderson and Casey Cunningham. While at PSU, Contos helped lead the team to four NCAA National Championship Titles. At ISU, he was with the team when they won the Big 12 Conference Championship, were third in the NCAA, and as they produced a USA NCAA National Champion. …. story at https://www.iwtigers.com/article/2751?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Roanoke Tabs Nate Yetzer to Lead Wrestling Program
Salem, Va. – Roanoke College Director of Athletics Scott Allison has announced the hiring of Nate Yetzer to serve as the College’s first Head Wrestling Coach.   Allison announced in January the addition of wrestling as the College’s 22nd NCAA Division III sponsored athletic program.  The Maroons will begin competition in the Fall of 2021.
“We’re fortunate to have Nate Yetzer lead our wrestling program,” said Allison. “His ability to build a program is proven.  The energy he brings to the table is off the charts.  We know he’ll fit in well with his colleagues on our hallway!” Yetzer joined the Ferrum coaching staff in July 2012 as Head Wrestling Coach. In the last eight years at the helm of the new Panther mat program, Yetzer has sent 13 individuals to the NCAA Div. III Wrestling National Championships. Four wrestlers have earned All-America honors under Yetzer, Logan Meister in 2016 and Zach Beckner in 2017, with Beckner being the College’s first-ever NCAA finalist in any sport. Levi Englman and Mario Vasquez became the third and fourth All-Americans in 2019. Yetzer’s 2017 team won the NCAA East Regional and he was named NCAA East Region Coach of the Year. …. story at https://www.roanokemaroons.com/general/2019-20/releases/20200325k7mkzo?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

OSU wrestling search committee got its man in Chris Pendleton: ‘No doubt, we got the right guy’
Oregon State has hired a wrestling coach who will bring the Beavers back in prominence, members of the selection committee say. Arizona State assistant coach Chris Pendleton was named Monday to replace Jim Zalesky as the man in charge of OSU’s mat wars. “Chris has the experience and the name, he can recruit, and he has good vision for where the program can go,” said Greg Strobel, a two-time national champion for the Beavers in the 1970s. “That vision coincides with what we as alums would like to see — consistent top-10 teams, All-Americans and national champions. He has the ability to make that happen.” “He is going to bring an exciting brand of wrestling to Oregon State,” ex-OSU All-American Bob Tomasovic said. “He has a great philosophy on how to wrestle. …. story at https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/459794-374152-osu-wrestling-search-committee-got-its-man-in-chris-pendleton-no-doubt-we-got-the-right-guy?fbclid=IwAR3_zCzET5zx2jWrYvd07i8ykqFkFOZQhgXi3U3ITs6_Z25FiPzHh1MwzM0&mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Chris Pendleton to Lead Beaver Wrestling
Corvallis —Chris Pendleton, one of the most successful collegiate wrestlers in the history of the sport, has been selected to lead the Oregon State program, Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Monday. His appointment is contingent on the completion of all university hiring processes. Coach Pendleton arrives at Oregon State after spending the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils have won three of the last four Pac-12 titles, including scoring 141.5 points (most by ASU since 1993) on its way to the conference crown earlier this month. ASU finished the shortened season ranked No. 6 in the country and defeated seven top 20 teams, including snapping No. 1 Penn State’s 60-match win streak. “The interest in this position was incredibly high, but as the process moved forward Coach Pendleton quickly rose to the top,” Barnes said. “Coach Pendleton’s focus on the development of student-athletes on and off the mat aligns with the Oregon State culture. …. story at https://osubeavers.com/news/2020/3/30/chris-pendleton-to-lead-beaver-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Coronavirus outbreak has Oregon State wrestling coach Chris Pendleton waiting for his campus debut and a job he says ‘is big’
Chris Pendleton says he worked more than a decade as an assistant wrestling coach to find the right college head coaching job. In recent years, he’s passed on several opportunities. When Oregon State had an opening, it felt right. The former Arizona State assistant applied, won over the interview committee and earlier this week, accepted the job. But it wasn’t until Monday around noon that Pendleton fully understood what he had agreed to do. The former two-time NCAA wrestling champion was simply trying to order lunch, but text messages and phone calls continually interrupted the process. …. story at https://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2020/04/coronavirus-outbreak-has-oregon-state-wrestling-coach-chris-pendleton-waiting-for-his-campus-debut-and-a-job-he-says-is-big.html?mc_cid=1f2298c90d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Aurora University announces addition of Men’s and Women’s Wrestling
Aurora University, an NCAA Division III institution, announced the return men’s wrestling and addition of women’s wrestling to the varsity sport offerings at AU. The Spartan wrestling program’s will begin in the 2021-2022 season and become AU’s 23rd and 24th collegiate sport. “We are thrilled that women’s and men’s wrestling will be the newest programs at AU,” said Assistant Vice President / Director of Athletics Jim Hamad. “It is exciting to be a part of both the rapid growth of women’s wrestling and the steady resurgence of men’s wrestling. We have been able to start new programs that quickly find success in recent years and we are confident that our wrestling programs will follow a similar timeline. Our goal is to become successful in the competitive national wrestling landscape.” AU will see men’s wrestling return to campus after a 35 year hiatus, becoming an official NCAA Division III program and according to the NCAA, in the 2020-2021 season a total of 116 men’s wrestling programs will compete in NCAA Division III. Men’s and women’s wrestling is currently classified as a winter sport, with competition beginning in October and running through February with the men having a NCAA Division III Championship in March. …. story at https://athletics.aurora.edu/news/2020/3/27/general-aurora-university-announces-addition-of-mens-and-womens-wreslting.aspx?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

A Look Back at 1983
Well, we had planned on today, Sunday – March 22, to be a travel day for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team.  Junior Fabian Gutierrez and sophomores Tanner Smith and Matthew Waddell, along with the coaches and staff, were set to make the trip home from the 2020 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. 
All three had favorable draws in the brackets that were released on March 11, so who knows what could have happened over three days in U.S. Bank Stadium.  With all NCAA sports being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is not much news coming out of college athletics.  We thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the Mocs’ most successful showing at the NCAA Division I Championships.  The Mocs had some really strong Division II squads in the 1970s, but made the jump to Division I for the 1977-78 season. UTC had some individual success early in the 1980’s, including the 1983 squad that seven qualifiers to the national tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla.  The Mocs scored 20¼ points, tying for 14th overall in the team race with Arizona State.  It is still the highest Division I finish in school history at UTC. That year was highlighted by junior Charlie Heard’s runner-up at 118 pounds.  It was the second of three All-American honors for the LaGrange, Ga., native and 1992 inductee into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame. …. story at https://gomocs.com/news/2020/3/22/wrestling-a-look-back-at-1983.aspx?mc_cid=e20a7e57a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 12, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Coaches’ Awards

NWCA ANNOUNCES NCAA DIVISION I NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR WINNER
Manheim, PA – On Wednesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year Award winner.  This award was scheduled to be presented at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis, MN, however, the championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This award, presented annually to a coach who has demonstrated outstanding effort in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community, is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA.  “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap
The recipient of this year’s NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year is Tom Brands from the University of Iowa, his second time to win the award as he took home this honor in 2008.  Coach Brands is in his fourteenth year as head coach and his 2020 squad captured the Big Ten team title and held the #1 Ranking in the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll much of the season and leading up to the NCAA Championships. …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-ANNOUNCES-NCAA-DIVISION-I-NATIONAL-8-4-2020

NWCA ANNOUNCES NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR WINNER
Manheim, PA – On Wednesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year Award winner.  This award was scheduled to be presented at the NWCA 2020 Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame Banquet on the eve of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Unfortunately, the event was canceled along with the Division II Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented annually, this honor goes to a coach who has demonstrated outstanding effort in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The coach of the year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA.“In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder, and CEO of Defense Soap The recipient of this year’s NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year is Steve Costanzo of St. Cloud State University.  Coach Costanzo is in his fourteenth year as head coach and his 2020 squad captured its fourth consecutive NWCA Division II National Duals championship and his teams have won four of the past five NCAA Division II National Titles. …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-ncaa-division-ii-national-coach-of-the-year-winner/?mc_cid=2b0e4cf56d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Shawn Nelson Wins Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award
Findlay, Ohio – On Tuesday, April 7, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award for the 2019-20 season. University of Findlay wrestling coach Shawn Nelson has been named as the recipient of this year’s award, which was scheduled to be handed out at this year’s NWCA Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame banquet which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence award is presented annually to one coach across each division of collegiate wrestling and is intended for an outstanding coach who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes. This season, a pair of Nelson’s wrestlers were named all-G-MAC and three were headed to the NCAA Division II National Championship before the event was cancelled. As a team, Findlay had a GPA of 3.19 which ranked 15th in the country and placed six athletes on the Academic All-American list. …. story at https://athletics.findlay.edu/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20200407gwd5f9?mc_cid=9b0303e966&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NWCA ANNOUNCES NCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR WINNER
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the 2020 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Coach of the Year Award winner. The award was given following the conclusion of the inaugural Cliff Keen WCWC National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships hosted by Arian College. The award, which is presented to a coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community, is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.”
Guy Sako, Founder, and CEO of Defense Soap
The recipient of this year’s NCAA Women’s National Coach of the Year is Sam Schmitz of McKendree University. Coach Schmitz has served as the head coach since the announcement of the program in 2013. The 2020 campaign was a banner year for the Bearcats as they captured both the NWCA National Duals Championship (NCAA Women) as well as the WCWC National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship title with five athletes winning individual titles. …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-ncaa-womens-national-coach-of-the-year-winner/?mc_cid=1f2298c90d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NWCA 2019-2020 NAIA MEN’S SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICAN AWARDS
Manheim, PA – On Friday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the full slate of 2019-2020 Scholar All-American Team and Individual honorees for NAIA Men with awards going to 80 individuals representing 30 institutions. 
LINK: Top 15 Scholar All-American Teams
LINK: Individual Scholar All-Americans
“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, I am excited to honor the amazing academic achievement demonstrated by this year’s Scholar All-American teams and individuals,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer.  In the team race, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University finished atop of the field with a 3.397 GPA followed by Montana State University-Northern (3.368) and Morningside College (3.358).  For the individual awards, Reinhard University led the list of honorees with eight All-Americans, while Grand View University and Menlo College followed with five honorees receiving recognition. …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-2019-2020-naia-mens-scholar-all-american-awards/?mc_cid=1f1b7bdc6e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Jones Named ECWC Rookie of the Year, Nichols Tabbed ECWC Coach of the Year
ECWC Year-End Awards
 ITHACA, N.Y. – The Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference (ECWC) officially announced its annual year-end major award winners on Monday afternoon. For a fourth consecutive year, Ithaca had representation in the release, as the Bombers took home two of the three major awards from the conference this season. First-year Travis Jones was tabbed ECWC Rookie of the Year, while head coach Marty Nichols was selected as the Coach of the Year in the conference. The announcement comes after a week-long process of voting amongst the conference’s head coaches and athletic communications personnel. …. story at https://athletics.ithaca.edu/news/2020/4/6/wrestling-jones-named-ecwc-rookie-of-the-year-nichols-tabbed-ecwc-coach-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=91538a90c1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

DeVoe Repeats As Regional Coach of the Year
MANHEIM, Pa. – Colorado School of Mines head coach Austin DeVoe has been named the NWCA’s Super Region VI Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. DeVoe guided the Orediggers to their second straight RMAC championship as Mines compiled a 9-2 overall dual record and a perfect 7-0 conference season for the first time ever. Mines hit its highest-ever national ranking this year (#9) and qualified four wrestlers for the NCAA Championships. DeVoe was also named the RMAC Coach of the Year. Mines ultimately finished fourth at the NCAA Super Region VI Championships on Feb. 29, a spot better than 2019 and an exceptional 10-place jump from 2018. The Orediggers qualified four to nationals for the second straight season; prior to the last two years, Mines hadn’t sent that many to NCAAs since 2001, and the last time the program had eight qualifiers over two seasons was in 1989 and 1990. …. story at https://minesathletics.com/news/2020/4/1/wrestling-devoe-repeats-as-regional-coach-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=2b0e4cf56d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Lee Miracle named 2019-20 NWCA NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coach of the Year
MANHEIM, Pa. — On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced the NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Coach of the Year Award and Campbellsville’s Lee Miracle earned the honor.  Coach Miracle is in his seventh year as head coach and his squad took home a runner-up trophy from the NWCA National Dual Championships while capturing their second Mid-South Conference and WCWA National Championships. “The NWCA is proud to honor Coach Miracle, and for the amazing job he has done at Campbellsville. He has built the CU Tiger program into a national powerhouse,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. Presented annually, this honor goes to a coach who has demonstrated outstanding effort in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The coach of the year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. Miracle has led the Lady Tigers to two WCWA National Championships and now has 14 WCWA Individual National Champions in just seven seasons.  In 2019-20, the Lady Tigers won their second WCWA National Championship including three individual national titles – Mariah Harris, Abby Nette, and Alexandra Castillo. Campbellsville ran away with the national title by over 130+ points over Life University, which finished runner-up. CU set a new WCWA record with 13 All-Americans as well. …. story at https://campbellsvilletigers.com/news/2020/4/3/lee-miracle-named-2019-20-nwca-naia-womens-wrestling-coach-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=1f1b7bdc6e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NWCA ANNOUNCES NCAA D – I NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Manheim, PA – On Wednesday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year Award winner.  This award was scheduled to be presented at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis, MN, however, the championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This award, presented annually to a coach who has demonstrated outstanding effort in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community, is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. ….. award finalists and story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-ncaa-division-i-national-coach-of-the-year-winner/?mc_cid=8b4f87fbcb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 12, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Wrestlers’ Awards — # 2

NWCA 2019-2020 NAIA MEN’S SCHOLAR ALL-AMERICAN AWARDS
Manheim, PA – On Friday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the full slate of 2019-2020 Scholar All-American Team and Individual honorees for NAIA Men with awards going to 73 individuals representing 25 institutions.
LINK: Top 10 Scholar All-American Teams
LINK: Individual Scholar All-Americans
“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, I am excited to honor the amazing academic achievement demonstrated by this year’s Scholar All-American teams and individuals.”
Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director
In the team race, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University finished atop of the field with a 3.397 GPA followed by Montana State University-Northern (3.368) and Morningside College (3.358).
For the individual awards, Grand View University and Menlo College led the list of honorees with 5 All-Americans. In addition, seven other institutions had four honorees receiving recognition. …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-2019-2020-NAIA-MEN-S-SCHOLAR-3-4-2020

Eight undefeated wrestlers named Hodge Trophy finalists
Despite the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships, it is once again time to select the top wrestler in the collegiate ranks as voting will soon begin for the 2020 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy.
Eight Division I wrestlers, who finished the season undefeated going into the NCAAs, have been named as finalists for the award, which is presented each year by ASICS and called by many the “Heisman Trophy of wrestling”. This year’s finalists are (alphabetically) West Virginia sophomore Noah Adams (197), Northwestern junior Ryan Deakin (157), Princeton sophomore Pat Glory (125), Stanford freshman Shane Griffith (165), Iowa junior Spencer Lee (125), Ohio State senior Kollin Moore (197), Minnesota sophomore Gable Steveson (Hwt) and Cornell senior Charles Tucker (133). Official ballots for the Hodge Trophy Voting Committee made up of past all past Hodge winners, a retired college coach from each region, and national media members will begin on Monday, March 23. The ballot will include a breakdown of each wrestler’s record from this past season. …. story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/03/eight-undefeated-wrestlers-named-hodge-trophy-finalists/?mc_cid=db245e6947&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2020 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy Fan Vote
Fan voting for the 2020 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy has begun. The Hodge Trophy is the top award in college wrestling and has been presented annually since 1994 to the nation’s most dominant collegiate wrestler.
The award is named after Dan Hodge, the former three-time (1955-57) NCAA champion from the University of Oklahoma, who did not allow a takedown in his career and pinned 36 of 46 victims.
Voting Criteria
Criteria for the award include:
A wrestler’s record;
Number of pins;
Dominance on the mat;
Quality of competition;
Past credentials;
Sportsmanship/citizenship; and
Heart
The first four criteria are the primary criteria. Number of pins is an extremely important criteria. Part of the reason the award was created was to elevate the importance of the pin, and to motivate top collegians to go for the fall. The Hodge Trophy is a single-season award. However, if you have two candidates who are virtually equal, consideration can be given to past credentials, which is criteria No. 5. The last two criteria should be used to help guide voters to select a winner who also is a good representative of the sport. …. story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/03/hodge20/?mc_cid=e20a7e57a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Spencer Lee named finalist for James E. Sullivan Award
BY CHRISTOPHER BREWER, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | MARCH 23,
IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa junior Spencer Lee has been named one of 10 finalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Lee’s 2019 season included a NCAA wrestling championship and a United States Senior Nationals tournament title. He was a 2019 Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a member of the NWCA Academic All-America team. Fans can vote for finalists by visiting aausports.org. The public voting portal is open from Monday, March 23 at 11 a.m. (CT) through Monday, March 30 at 11 p.m. Fans can vote once per day. During the final round, hashtag voting will also count. Tweets and RTs using #VoteForSpencer and #AAUSullivanAward will count in the final tally.
The winner is determined by public vote, media vote, and committee vote.
The 10 finalists include Lee, Evita Griskenas (USA Rhythmic Gymnastics, Grant Holloway (Florida track & field), Markus Howard (Marquette basketball), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon basketball), Trevor Lawrence (Clemson football), Dana Rettke (Wisconsin volleyball), Kyla Ross (UCLA gymnastics), Megan Taylor (Maryland Lacrosse), and Abby Weitzeil (Cal swimming & diving). …. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/23/Spencer-Lee-named-Sullivan-Award-finalist?mc_cid=3137d16555&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Nick Baumler Named NSIC Co-Wrestler of the Year
Nick Baumler was named the NSIC’s Co-Wrestler of the Year along with Kolton Eischens of St. Cloud State University. Both seniors are two-time NCAA Division II All-Americans and won their respective weight class titles at the NCAA Division II Super Region V Championships at the end of February. …. story at https://uiupeacocks.com/news/2020/3/24/wrestling-nick-baumler-named-nsic-co-wrestler-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=a94878ac8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4bhttps://gopack.com/news/2020/3/24/wrestling-packwrestles-night-of-champions.aspx?mc_cid=a94878ac8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

St. Cloud State’s Bianchini, Costanzo & Eischens earn NSIC Awards
The St. Cloud State University wrestling team made a clean sweep of the 2019-20 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference awards as the Huskies claimed the league’s top three honors.  SCSU senior Kolton Eischens (Pierz, Minn./Healy H.S.) was named the 2019-20 NSIC Co-Wrestler of the Year, freshman Joey Bianchini (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Immaculate Conception H.S.) was named the NSIC Rookie of the Year and SCSU’s Steve Costanzo was named the NSIC Coach of the Year. …. story at https://scsuhuskies.com/news/2020/3/24/wrestling-st-cloud-states-bianchini-costanzo-eischens-earn-nsic-awards.aspx?mc_cid=a94878ac8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NCAA announces the 2020 NCAA wrestling award winners
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released the winners and final standings for the 2020 NCAA wrestling awards in Divisions I, II and III.  
The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes who have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular season, conference tournaments and NCAA super regionals.
Leading the way as the Most Dominant Wrestler in each division are Spencer Lee of Iowa in Division I, Jared Campbell of Notre Dame (Ohio) in Division II and Troy Stanich of Stevens in Division III.
2020 RECAP: Here’s how Iowa won the Big Ten wrestling tournament
The award for most falls went to Jacob Schwarm of the University of Northern Iowa with 16 in Division I, Hayden Bronne of Tiffin in Division II with 20 and Marvin Cunningham of Johnson & Wales University (Providence) with 24.
The most tech falls award was earned by Alex Madrigal of George Mason with 14 in Division I, Ryan Vasbinder of McKendree with 10 in Division II and Stephen Maloney of Messiah with 16 in Division III.
Iowa’s Lee went 18-0 in Division I matches at 125 pounds for an average of 5.00 team points per match to edge out Mark Hall of Penn State (4.70) and Pat Glory of Princeton (4.54) for most dominant in Division I. The two-time NCAA champion had nine tech falls and four falls, while only having one match all season where he did not accumulate bonus points for the Hawkeyes. …. full list and story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2020-03-24/ncaa-announces-2020-ncaa-wrestling-award-winners?mc_cid=a94878ac8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NWCA 2019-2020 NJCAA Scholar All-American Awards
Manheim, PA – On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the full slate of 2019-2020 Scholar All-American honorees for the NJCAA with awards going to 94 individuals representing 28 institutions
LINK: Individual Scholar All-Americans
“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, I am excited to honor the amazing academic achievement demonstrated by this year’s Scholar All-Americans,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “We are proud to work with our NJCAA member coaches to honor outstanding student-athletes from across the country.”
The West Central District paced the field, with 27 individuals receiving honors followed by the North Central District with 15. The remaining districts were Eastern-A (11), Eastern-B (11), North (11), Central (8), Rocky Mountain (6), and West (5).
Pratt Community College (KS) led the list of honorees with 9 All-Americans. At the same time, Henry Ford College (MI) and Western Wyoming Community College had six honorees, and four other institutions had five. …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-2019-2020-njcaa-scholar-all-american-awards/?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Pac-12’s Best
Griffith named Newcomer and Wrestler of the Year
STANFORD, Calif. –Shane Griffith has been selected the Pac-12 Wrestler and Newcomer of the Year, the conference announced Thursday. Griffith becomes the third Cardinal to be named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year, joining Matt Gentry (2004) and Nick Amuchastegui (2012), and the fifth to earn the Newcomer of the Year honor along with Gentry (2002), Zack Giesen (2007), Jim Wilson (2014) and Joey McKenna (2016). “Shane is a tremendous student-athlete and an overall great example of someone that does the little things right,” said head coach Jason Borrelli. “He is very disciplined and consistent. He works hard, has tremendous passion, and is incredibly competitive.” Griffith was 28-0 in his rookie campaign – the best start to a career in program history. The Westwood, New Jersey, native, is also a finalist for the Dan Hodge Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate wrestler. The Pac-12 champion at 165 pounds, Griffith’s 28-match winning streak is the second-longest in school history. He led the team in wins and falls (9) this season. Eighteen of his 28 wins were by bonus points and he registered six wins over ranked opponents. In addition to his conference title, Griffith won the Battle at The Citadel, the Roadrunner Open and the Southern Scuffle. He earned Co-Most Outstanding Wrestler honors at the conference championships and was twice named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week. …. story at https://gostanford.com/news/2020/3/26/wrestling-pac-12s-best.aspx

Berlin Earns WIAC Wrestler of the Year Nod
MADSION, Wis. – UW-Stevens Point wrestling junior Matt Berlin (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) was named the WIAC Wrestler of the Year, the league office announced on Friday (March 27).  Berlin becomes the second-straight and sixth overall UWSP recipient of the top honor in the conference.
 WIAC Release
 Berlin went 32-0 on the year at 133 for the Pointers, the second UWSP wrestler to go an entire season undefeated.  He had win over foes from Division I, Division II and an NAIA two-time All-American.  Berlin was the only WIAC wrestler to go undefeated on the year with 30 or more wins.  
He was the WIAC Champion at 133 and won the Upper Midwest Region in the only weight class with four nationally-ranked wrestlers.  Along the way, Berlin was the 133 champion at the Pointer Open, Dan Gable Open and Pete Willson Invitational.  Berlin was headed to the NCAA Championships as the No. 2 ranked wrestler in his weight class and the only undefeated competitor in the 133 bracket. …. story at https://athletics.uwsp.edu/news/2020/3/27/wrestling-berlin-earns-wiac-wrestler-of-the-year-nod.aspx?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 12, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment