Takedown Report

College Awards

MAC Announces Wrestling Postseason Awards
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE NAMES 2020 WRESTLING POSTSEASON AWARDS
Central Michigan’s Borrelli and NIU’s Ludwig share Coach of the Year, Central Michigan’s Stencel Named Wrestler of the Year and NIU’s Olejnik Named Freshman of the Year
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced today the wrestling postseason awards for the 2020 season.  Sharing the honor as MAC Coach of the Year is Central Michigan’s Tom Borrelli and NIU’s Ryan Ludwig as Co-Coaches of the Year.  Central Michigan junior Matt Stencel was named MAC Wrestler of the Year and NIU’s Izzak Olejnik was named MAC Freshman of the Year.  The awards were voted on by the Conference’s 15 head wrestling coaches.  
In his 29th year at Central Michigan, Borrelli led the Chippewas to a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships and an 8-4 overall, 7-2 MAC, dual-meet record. Three of Borrelli’s charges won individual MAC titles, including Dresden Simon at 141 pounds, who was named the MAC Championship Outstanding Wrestler Award. Central Michigan was the only MAC program with more than one MAC Champion. Six Chippewas earned a berth in the NCAA Championships, which ranked second in the MAC among the 15 league teams only behind Missouri’s eight selections.  
Borrelli has amassed a 337-155-7 dual-meet record in 29 years at Central Michigan. His 337 Division I dual-meet victories are second to Oklahoma State’s John Smith among active coaches and currently ranks 17th in NCAA history. NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig guided the Huskies to one of their most successful seasons as NIU amassed 13 wins on the season, the most by a Huskie wrestling team since 2004-05. The Huskies saw four of their wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships and had its first MAC champion since 2013, as Brit Wilson defeated Dylan Wisman of Missouri for the 184 pound championship. …. story at https://getsomemaction.com/news/2020/4/13/mac-announces-wrestling-postseason-awards.aspx?mc_cid=48a895b9a1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2020 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AND ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
The d3wrestle.com Freshman of the Year award is given to the top Division III wrestler who competed in high school in the previous season. The 2020 Freshman of the Year is Ryan Anderson of Centenary University. Anderson came to the Cyclones from Bethlehem Catholic High School where he was a two-time state champion and three-time placewinner, helping his team to a pair of state duals championships. Anderson was the #1 seed at 149 lbs. in the canceled NCAA Championships and was ranked 1st in the final d3wrestle.com Rankings. He finished the season with a 31-3 record and did not lose to a DIII opponent. He won his last 28 matches in a row to finish his season with a title in the Mideast Regional. He also won the Doug Parker Invitational, Bob Quade Cyclone Open, and the Shorty Hitchcock Open. He had 15 falls this season with 13 coming in the first period. His final regular season victory came against the previously #1 ranked wrestler at his weight, and his final victory of the season was a win over a 2018 NCAA champion. Anderson is the second winner from Centenary after Chris Burdge in 2011. …. full story and listing at https://www.d3wrestle.com/2020-freshman-of-the-year-and-all-freshman-team/?mc_cid=eb28f2fdb6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NWCA DIVISION I COACHES GROUP ANNOUNCES 2020 ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the 2020 Division I All-American teams.  Each year the NWCA recognizes the outstanding work of the DI Student-Athletes by naming the All-Americans based on their achievements in the national championship, however, this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic the championships were canceled. All-American honors were based on each wrestler’s overall body of work through the conference tournaments and up to the national championships. …. story and full lists at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-division-i-coaches-group-announces-2020-all-america-teams/?mc_cid=845f982bf2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

J’den Cox named 2019 John Smith Award winner, as USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Wrestler of the Year
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | APRIL 17, 2020, 
J’den Cox (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) has been named the winner of the 2019 John Smith Award as the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that he has won this prestigious award. The award is named in honor of two-time Olympic champion and four-time World champion John Smith. Cox won his second straight World Championships gold medal, when he powered through the 92 kg bracket to win the World title in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan in September. He defeated Ali Reza Karimimachiani of Iran in the gold-medal finals, 4-0. Cox had a 4-0 record at the World Championships without allowing a point, defeating his four opponents by a 26-0 margin. It was his fourth straight medal at the World and Olympic level, to go along with his 2016 Olympic bronze medal, his 2017 World bronze medal and his 2018 World gold medal. Cox went the entire 2019 year without a loss. …. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/April/17/Jden-Cox-named-2019-John-Smith-Award-winner-as-top-mens-freestyler?mc_cid=845f982bf2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Hayden Hidlay Named ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State redshirt-junior Hayden Hidlay, who two weeks ago was named the 2020 ACC Wrestler of the Year, has also been tabbed the 2020 ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year and heads up the sport’s 19-man All-ACC Academic Team. Hidlay, a business administration major from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, is a three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team. He posted a 3.846 grade point average for the most recent fall semester and earned Dean’s List honors. Hidlay is a three-time member of the ACC Honor Roll and was named an NC State Scholar-Athlete.
 “This is a great achievement for Hayden,” said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. “He is a class act that represents himself, our wrestling program and NC State well. He continues to strive for greatness both on and off the mat. I’m proud and happy that the ACC recognizes his hard work and commitment.” Hidlay, who earned a No. 2 NCAA seeding at 157 pounds, finished the year 28-1 overall, including a 12-0 record in dual matches. …. story at https://gopack.com/news/2020/4/16/hayden-hidlay-named-acc-wrestling-scholar-athlete-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=c40241fd14&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Blessing in Disguise
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For any average four time All-American and Dan Hodge Trophy recipient, a world without wrestling may seem rather empty– but for Bo Nickal, it’s more of a blessing in disguise.
 As one of Penn State’s most notable wrestlers to come through the program, Nickal had graduated with the hopes of trading his Nittany Lion blue and whites for a USA singlet and a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He trained alongside legends in Rec Hall as a part of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
 But his dreams of Olympic glory would soon move to the back burner as the world would bear the brunt of a widespread global pandemic – sending professional athletes, like Nickal, into a tailspin.
 “At the beginning, it was tough because we didn’t know when we were going to get back,” Nickal said. “But at this point, we know it’s going to be a while, so I’ve been able to set a schedule and get more of a routine. It’s been enjoyable to do something different.”  While athletes, coaches and spectators alike scrambled to make sense of lost seasons and broken dreams, Nickal took an alternative approach to coping with the change – with a positive attitude that’s fueled success throughout the majority of his career. “At this point, it’s said and done. We know what to expect and I can look at it with a little bit of gratitude,” Nickal said. “This happened for a reason. I now get the chance to rest, recover and let my body heal up, so I can get ready to get back on and grind whenever I’m allowed to start practicing again.”  But until he gets the green light to slip back into his wrestling shoes and hit the mat, Nickal has to get a little creative with maintaining his Olympic physique, with only the means he has available in his State College residence.  Now that we know the quarantine is going to be long term, I’ve been in my backyard chopping down trees and trying to be creative with different ways to get exercise,” Nickal said. “I’m just the type of person who likes to be active, so that’s like the start of it. Even though the Olympics and everything was postponed, it’s still a year and a half away, so I’m always going to be prepping for that.”
 Even with years of rigorous training to grapple the strongest of competitors, nothing could’ve prepared even world-class athletes, like Nickal, for the challenges of a stay-at-home order. But with so much uncertainty spread throughout the athletic community, Nickal doesn’t think he or his teammates will be at much of a disadvantage come go-time. …. story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2020/4/13/wrestling-blessing-in-disguise.aspx?mc_cid=2380a36a7a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 20, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized