Takedown Report

Wrestling History – # 5

1 } – Hugo Otopalik – Wrestler, Coach, Organizer & Booster
By Don Sayenga and Jairus K. Hammond
Hugo Otopalik, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in the Charter Class of 1976, was the first collegiate wrestling star to go on to become a great collegiate coach.

At the age of 25, he played in the backfield of the fabulous 1915 Nebraska football team, the first undefeated Cornhusker team. He and fellow back Dick Rutherford also carried superstar status when they appeared on the mats for Dr. Raymond Clapp’s wrestling squad. …. rest of story at … https://nwhof.org/blog/otopalik-was-wrestler-coach-organizer-booster/?mc_cid=6299171a9e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – I Was Ready to Help Fight the Pandemic. Then I Got Sick Myself
As a surgeon, I anticipated seeing Covid-19 through the eyes of a medical professional. But being a patient was a different matter.
In 2016, Dr. David Hirsch, a maxillofacial surgeon, performed pro bono reconstructive surgery on Dustin E. Kirby, a Navy corpsman who was struck in the face by a bullet while serving in a Marine Corps infantry battalion in Iraq in 2006. In March he contracted Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. While recovering at home he shared the experience of his infection, and what he learned from it, by narrating to C.J. Chivers, who traced Dustin Kirby’s medical journey in a book, “The Fighters.”
When the coronavirus was spreading in China, Iran and Europe, Lenox Hill Hospital, where I’m the chief of maxillofacial surgery, was getting ready. I was impressed; they were on it. They were saying, “The disease is coming and it is coming fast.” …. rest of story at … https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/24/magazine/surgeon-covid-diary.html?mc_cid=9b182d31f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Wrestling part of Komac family’s DNA
(Editor’s note: Cascade Collegiate Conference media release)
With COVID-19 putting live sporting events on hold, the Cascade Collegiate Conference wanted to take the time to highlight families within our #ThisIsTheCCC community. Many of our member institutions have administration, coaches and student-athletes family members competing together, making the CCC truly a family affair.
CORVALLIS, Ore.– Steve Komac has been coaching for over 25 years, long before his sons were born and people used to ask him if he would want his kids to get into wrestling some day. “I would reply, ‘Oh, I don’t care. They can do whatever they want,’” said Steve, who is the Interim Head Men’s Wrestling Coach at the University of Providence. “Then I had kids that were running around on the mat everyday, then they start wrestling in the living room and it just happens. I am very fortunate my kids took to wrestling and made it their own. It has been a very rewarding experience over the years.”
The Komac house was definitely a wrestling house growing up. …. rest of story at … https://www.montanasports.com/frontier-conference/wrestling-part-of-komac-familys-dna?mc_cid=17ded1ad3b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Kevin Jackson: My Wrestling Hero
The 14th installment of My Wrestling Hero features three-time World and Olympic champion Kevin Jackson. Now USA Wrestling’s men’s freestyle developmental coach, Jackson shares his thoughts on his wrestling hero — 1988 Olympic gold medalist Kenny Monday. 
These are Jackson’s thoughts on his wrestling hero: 
“I have so many wrestling heroes, but Kenny Monday was my guy. He’s only a couple years older than I am, but I saw him when he came down to Louisiana State and he beat one of my best friends in a match and he really hammered him. I saw Kenny at Junior Nationals when it used to be in Iowa City and Kenny was in my weight class. I wrestled a guy named Mills who went to Tennessee and ended up becoming an All-American. Mills beat me good. I think he beat me by seven or eight points. I thought he was the toughest guy I ever wrestled. Then Mills wrestled Kenny and Kenny pinned Mills in about a minute. I was so happy I didn’t have to wrestle Kenny because he had just pinned the guy who had hammered me.  …. rest of story at … https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1588908058810&twSessionId=czejqskkqy&postId=780490135&mc_cid=8266d89c28&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Hofstra Mourns The Passing Of Joel Kislin
Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra University Department of Athletics and its wrestling program mourns the passing of Joel Kislin ’73. Kislin, an All-American as a senior, passed away May 7 after a battle with cancer. He was 68. A two-time Middle Atlantic Conference champion and NCAA qualifier at Hofstra after a stellar two-year career at Luzerne Community College that saw him win a Junior College National Championship in 1971, Kislin would place third in the heavyweight class at the 1973 NCAA Championships to take home All-America accolades. He was Hofstra’s second All-American in program history. “Joel was a loyal Hofstra wrestling alumni, fan and friend.  He took great pride in being one of our first All-Americans as well as all his accolades in our singlet.  He loved checking in, was always positive, and looked to help anyway he could.  He would bring his family to events, and clearly extended his family love to our program, that he was a big part of,” said head coach Dennis Papadatos. “Myself, as well with the Hofstra wrestling program, send our deepest condolences to his entire family, …. rest of story at … https://gohofstra.com/news/2020/5/9/wrestling-wrest-hofstra-mourns-the-passing-of-joel-kislin.aspx?mc_cid=924af05634&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – #127 John Fisher – 4x All American, 183 Collegiate Wins
John Fisher is a 4x All American for Michigan, compiling an incredible 183 wins for the Wolverines.  John was also the 1992 Olympic Trials runner-up, where he took John Smith to three matches.  Enjoy folks!
This episode is brought to you by the Beat the Streets Chicago Virtual Gala, which takes place on Saturday, June 6 from 8-9 pm.  It would mean the world to me if you registered to attend the gala. No donation necessary, just come and see what we’re doing with Beat the Streets Chicago. To register, go to WrestlingChangedMyLife.com and click on the Beat the Streets tile.  …. rest of street at … https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/fisher/?mc_cid=2bb0dedacc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – American wrestling legend Baumgartner retires after 36 years of university service
American wrestling legend Bruce Baumgartner has retired from his work at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania after spending the past 36 years in various roles. Baumgartner began working at the university as an assistant wrestling coach in 1984 and was promoted six years later to the head coach position. From there, Baumgartner took on more administrative roles, being named the director of athletics in 1997 and in 2018 the assistant vice-president of university advancement. As an athlete, Baumgartner is one of the most decorated wrestlers in American history, picking up medals in four separate Olympic Games.
In his Olympic debut at Los Angeles 1984, Baumgartner won gold in the 130-kilogram freestyle category. Staying a super-heavyweight, he added a silver medal at Seoul 1988, won gold again at Barcelona 1992 and finally finishing his Olympic run by winning bronze at Atlanta 1996. … rest of story at … https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1094081/bruce-baugartner-wrestling-retire?mc_cid=2bb0dedacc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Troy Steiner: My Wrestling Hero
The 23rd installment of My Wrestling Hero features Fresno State coach Troy Steiner. The four-time All-American and 1992 NCAA champion shares his thoughts on his wrestling hero: Milo Trusty.
These are Steiner’s words on his wrestling hero:
“I’d have to say it’s probably my club coach growing up. He had so much influence and impact on us growing up, so Milo Trusty would have to be the guy. He taught me the passion of the sport. There are so many other people you could put in there that have done a lot for me but I would say he’d be the one if I had to pick one guy. …. rest of story at … https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1589681963416&twSessionId=lwsxzctdvc&postId=781997135&mc_cid=73440286e7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9 } – Nahshon Garrett: My Wrestling Hero
The 16th installment of My Wrestling Hero features NCAA champion Nahshon Garrett. The four-time All-American shares his thoughts on his wrestling hero — Jordan Burroughs. 
“My wrestling hero definitely would have to be Jordan Burroughs, without a doubt. He was the first black male wrestler I saw that I could identify with. I started wrestling late, in eight grade. I remember my sophomore year I watched a video of Jordan Burroughs and it was legitimately the first guy who looked like me who is super, super good. I never got to watch the other greats like Kevin Jackson and all the other guys but he was the first one that I saw in college do amazing things. …. rest of story at … https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1589005918626&twSessionId=jvletchfto&postId=781755135&mc_cid=4570e96a5e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Kyven Gadson: My Wrestling Hero
The 21st installment of My Wrestling Hero features Kyven Gadson. The 2015 NCAA champion shares his thoughts on his wrestling hero: His father Willie, who passed away in 2013 after a battle with cancer. 
These are Gadson’s words on his wrestling hero: 
“My wrestling hero is my dad. The reason being is because he introduced me to wrestling and he poured his life into wrestling and wrestling was something that saved his life.
“The things he looked to implement in my life with wrestling were accountability as well as a work ethic. It was a very blue-collar work ethic. My senior year of college I created that mantra for myself: Be rare. I remember going to a gym as a kid and looking around and I was the only little black kid in the gym in small-town, rural Iowa. I said to my dad, ‘Where are the other kids that look like me? …. rest of story at … https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1589465489251&twSessionId=hzxxkbcdnh&postId=781946135&mc_cid=04edd3f4d0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

June 14, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized