Takedown Report

Women’s Wrestling News # 42

1 } – High school extra: Girls’ wrestling state tournament applauded locally
Wrestling is in Michaela Dykes’ blood. But it wasn’t any of Dykes’ male family members who encouraged her to take up the sport in fifth grade. It was Dykes’ grandmother. Not a surprise considering Dykes’ mother is Michelle Gilbert. Google her name and one will stumble upon a 1991 Chicago Tribune article discussing a then-24-year-old Gilbert’s ventures in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Wrestling Federation. “I really liked it and was good at it,” said Dykes, a senior-to-be at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley. “I picked it up really fast because I was messing around with my uncles and cousins and stuff before I really got into the sport.” Dykes is far from the only high school female wrestler in the area or state these days. It’s more common now than when Gilbert was grappling. That was further proven this past Monday when the IHSA Board of Directors approved the creation of a girls’ wrestling state tournament beginning in the 2021-22 school year. Dykes will be a Falcons alumna by the time that date rolls around, but she’s still excited to witness the future of girls’ wrestling in the state. “I’m happy the sport’s growing and more people are seeing it as its own thing,” Dykes said, “and that it’s becoming bigger and more popularized and more normal. … rest of story at _{https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/high-school-extra-girls-wrestling-state-tournament-applauded-locally/article_4aa2a39b-ff27-5618-bc30-0e628dbdc9e2.html?mc_cid=73ac0bc782&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

2 } – Southern Oregon Univ. WOMEN’S WRESTLING ADDS 21 SIGNEES
After an extremely successful first season as SOU’s Women’s Wrestling head coach, Joel Gibson is adding 21 recruits to the 2020-21 roster.
ASHLAND, Ore— After an extremely successful first season as SOU’s Women’s Wrestling head coach, Joel Gibson is adding 21 recruits to the 2020-21 roster.  “We’ve got a lot of returning talent and a very talented group of recruits, so we’re really looking forward to the upcoming season,” Gibson said. “We had our sights set on a national title and the expectation is the same for this year. This team is going to be very eager to get a chance to prove itself at the end of the season.”
Gibson will also be leading SOU men’s program in the 2020-21 season.
The complete group of signees is below:
JULIANNAH BOLLI | SAN JOSE, CA
Silver Creek High school | WT: 191
Notable: Two-time prep All-American and three-time California state placer
MIA BONOTAN | BENECIA, CA
Benecia High School | WT: 109
Notable: Three-time California state qualifier … rest of story at _{https://www.kdrv.com/content/sports/SOU-Womens-Wrestling-adds-21-signees-571477271.html?mc_cid=9af16a3b6d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

3 } – WIAA APPROVES GIRLS STATE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR 2021-22, BECOMING 27TH STATE WITH GIRLS WRESTLING
The wrestling community is celebrating an announcement from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, which will host a WIAA Girls Wrestling State Individual Championships in 2021-22. This makes Wisconsin the 27th state to approve an official state high school girls championships or make girls wrestling an emerging sport, or began the process to making girls wrestling a sanctioned sport. That means that more than half of the state associations among the 50 U.S. states now have girls wrestling … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/June/24/Wisconsin-approves-girls-wrestling-becoming-27th-state?mc_cid=9af16a3b6d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

4 } – Sally Roberts and Julia Salata talk about the next steps for women’s college wrestling
On June 17, the next major step towards an official NCAA championship in women’s wrestling was made. The NCAA Division I Council approve Acrobatics & Tumbling and Women’s Wrestling as Division I emerging sports. Earlier this year, NCAA Division II and Division III approved women’s wrestling for Emerging Sports Status. On Episode 608 of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, we visit with Sally Roberts and Julia Salata of Wrestle Like A Girl, one of the main driving forces into moving women’s wrestling forward on the college level. We’ll explain exactly what the next steps are for women’s wrestling among NCAA schools, … rest of story at _{http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/sally-roberts-and-julia-salata-talk-about-the-next-steps-for-womens-college-wrestling/?mc_cid=4a8eea0a01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

5 } – #WOMENSWEDNESDAY: LIFE U HEAD COACH ASHLEY SWORD ON COACHING COLLEGE WOMEN, BEACH WRESTLING AND MORE
By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling | June 24, 2020, 12:15 p.m. (ET)This week, we visit with Ashley Sword, head coach of the women’s wrestling team at Life University. Ashley was a National Team athlete for USA Wrestling, went into “the real world” for awhile, and got back into wrestling as a coach for women’s wrestling at the college level. Ashley talks about her experience leading a college women’s program and how to get more women into wrestling coaching positions. She explains the experience her Life athletes went through when the NAIA Nationals got cancelled. She also talks about representing the USA at the first World Beach Games in Qatar … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/June/24/WomensWednesday-Ashley-Sword-interview?mc_cid=9af16a3b6d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

6 } – North Allegheny becomes first WPIAL high school to add girls wrestling program
The full story at _{https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/hsother/2020/06/24/north-allegheny-first-wpial-high-school-girls-wrestling-program-dan-heckert-massimo-curry/stories/202006240145?mc_cid=4a8eea0a01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

7 } – Girls’ wrestling finding foothold in Delaware
CAMDEN — Makenna Dolt is a pretty competitive kid. The Caesar Rodney High freshman had to be to make the Riders’ starting lineup in wrestling. But when she took the mat against rival Smyrna last January, somehow the result seemed secondary. “I didn’t really care if I was going to win or lose,” said Dolt, “because I knew that being the first girl I wrestled in a varsity match, it was going to be a big deal.” Indeed, Dolt’s match against the Eagles’ Lindsey Elder may have been the first high school varsity wrestling match between two females in state history. But wrestling organizers around the state are determined to make sure it’s not the last such match. Now with a foothold in the sport, they’re convinced that they can make girls’ wrestling a bigger part of the state’s athletic landscape in the next few years. … rest of story at _{https://delawarestatenews.net/sport/girls-wrestling-finding-foothold-in-state/?mc_cid=12f1229b4b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

8 } – TOM’s Quarant-Interview with Limestone Signee Evie Berrington
TOM recently had the pleasure of speaking with Evie Berrington, a multi-faceted talent that has traveled much of the Northern Hemisphere pursuing a career in the music industry. Evie just started officially wrestling in 2018 and jumped into the deep end with her competition. We won’t spoil anything but trust us, Evie has some incredible stories about her world travels, her musical career, wrestling, and her outlook on life. At the end of the interview, Evie tells us about her upcoming trip from Washington state to Limestone College, where she has signed to wrestle and major in biology. … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/womens-wrestling/toms-quarant-interview-with-limestone-signee-evie-berrington/78345?mc_cid=c0a731c968&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Gannon Women’s Wrestling Announces 16 Signees Joining Program In 2020-21
ERIE, Pa. — Looking to continue the rapid rise of the program, Gannon women’s wrestling coach Christen Dierken announced the signees set to join the program for the 2020-21 year. The 16 newcomers will all be freshmen when the 2020-21 season kicks off in the fall. “Gannon women’s wrestling is thrilled for this strong start to our third year as a program,” Dierken said. “We have rising upperclassmen now with some experience under their belts, and a strong incoming freshman class. We have several heavy hitters, and young adults with strong moral character. We are also very proud to have such a diverse team with young women from across the country who will help strengthen and empower one another.” The Golden Knights made a big jump in just their second year of competition last season … rest of story at _{https://gannonsports.com/news/2020/6/25/womens-wrestling-announces-16-signees-joining-program-in-2020-21.aspx?mc_cid=c0a731c968&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

10 } – (Nevada) NIAA CREATES GIRLS INVITATIONAL ALONGSIDE NEVADA BOYS STATE MEET, BECOMING 28TH STATE WITH GIRLS WRESTLING
By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA), in its recent Board of Control meeting, approved a Girls Wrestling Invitational to be held alongside its Boys State Wrestling Championships, beginning next season. The organization issued the following statement today: “The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s Board of Control approved, during its regularly-scheduled summer season meeting, having a girls (specific / standalone) wrestling invitational during the traditional state meeting. Details of how many qualifiers — and how girls will qualify for their invitational — and how many weight classes will be determined at a later date. The NIAA is committed to the advancement of high school girls wrestling as a sport in the Silver State and will work cohesively with directors and coaches to include as many participants as possible in this invitational.”
— Donnie Nelson, Assistant Director, NIAA.
This makes Nevada the 28th state to approve an official state high school girls championships or make girls wrestling an emerging sport, or began the process to making girls wrestling a sanctioned sport. The state associations with girls wrestling (alphabetically) are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/June/29/NIAA-adds-girls-wrestling-invitational-to-become-28th-state?mc_cid=7ba10e0d72&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

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