Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

College News & Notes – # 109

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Interesting article about what could happen this season for Oklahoma State leads off this collection. Yet the five ways could appy to many other schools. A look at Oklahoma City’s new coach and interviews with Ark.-Little Rock coaches and the NCWA’s President and shared below. Look them over and check them out. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 } – Five Ways Coronavirus Could end up Impacting Oklahoma State’s Wrestling Season
We’re currently living in one of the craziest times in history. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on sports everywhere, and with it basically everything has changed. Just announced in the last few days, we have some conferences that are going to be playing football and some that aren’t. Wrestling is an entirely different sport both financially and in other ways so I thought with all this crazy going on, I’d throw out some discussion on a few things that theoretically could happen as it relates to Big 12 wrestling and Oklahoma State. In reality just about anything could take place, but here are a few topics I thought I’d speculate on.
1. The season will be shortened
This is going to happen. Football, which draws in tons of revenue and is the lifeblood of most athletic departments, has cut two non-conference games and shortened the season to 10 games. This will certainly happen with wrestling, and all signs point to it being a spring sport instead of a split fall/spring sport as we’ve always known it. Ninety-two percent of NWCA D1 membership voted to postpone the season to spring.
I actually believe that this may become permanent. There’s been a push for this in the sport for a while and it does make a lot of sense for it to move to a spring-only sport. Having a few matches then practicing through Christmas and Thanksgiving breaks then getting back at it again afterward is not liked by everyone, and more than anything it puts wrestling conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament competing with the basketball tournament for fans. A lot of wrestlers and coaches don’t like that as it is right now, so if this goes to a one-semester sport this season and it works, it may become permanent.
2. Crowds will be minimized (but maybe still decent)
The crowds being minimized is certain to happen, but given that football is having fans, it’s reasonable to expect wrestling to. … rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/five-ways-coronavirus-could-end-up-impacting-oklahoma-states-wrestling-season/?mc_cid=503739b0f8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Gomez becomes Stars coach
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University has selected Nate Gomez as its men’s wrestling head coach.
Gomez became a part of a national championship wrestling team in college and a state finalist in high school.
In 2019-20, five Stars earned all-American honors to equal their program-best number in the 2020 NAIA Championships. Oklahoma City (8-3) took eighth in the team standings and the eighth spot in the postseason national top 25. OCU secured its first conference championship in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference-Sooner Athletic Conference Championships behind six individual league champions.
“I’m excited to have Nate Gomez joining our staff to lead the Oklahoma City University men’s wrestling team,” OCU athletic director Jim Abbott said. “Nate has a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to succeed as a student, athlete and person in our program, and I have no doubt that he will contribute positively to the tradition of success that we enjoy in men’s wrestling.”
Gomez was a member of Central Oklahoma’s 13th national championship team in 2001-02 and its … rest of story at https://www.ocusports.com/news/2020/8/18/mens-wrestling-gomez-becomes-stars-coach.aspx?mc_cid=503739b0f8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – TOM’s Quarant-Interview with Neil Erisman (Little Rock)
Today TOM caught up with the very first head coach of the Little Rock Trojans, Neil Erisman. Coach Erisman talks about some of the adversity his program featured in year one and his overall impression and takeaways from the 2019-20 season. The program also recently hired two-time All-American Chandler Rogers as an assistant coach. Erisman talks about what Rogers brings to the team, along with the strengths of Javier Maldonado. This staff is eager to work with a talented recruiting class that features a California state champion and a few other multiple-time high school All-Americans. Looking at Coach Erisman’s career, we remind him of the UFC champion that he defeated in the first round of his first NCAA Tournament … rest of story and video at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/toms-quarant-interview-with-neil-erisman-little-rock/78733?mc_cid=503739b0f8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Chandler Rogers Added to Little Rock Wrestling Staff
LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock wrestling has named Chandler Rogers as its newest addition to the staff, as announced by the program on Wednesday. Rogers, a former Oklahoma State wrestler, was also coached by current Little Rock head coach Neil Erisman in high school.

“Chandler brings an exciting new dynamic to our staff and program,” said Erisman. “His character, background and wrestling knowledge have instantly elevated us. We are already seeing dividends of having him here on staff and we are grateful for him and his wife, Tori, for believing in our mission and joining us here in Little Rock.”

Rogers joins the Trojans as an assistant coach after spending a year as Director of Operations for Air Force wrestling, where his duties included logistics, management, and social media support. Concurrently, Rogers spent his time in Colorado Springs pursuing his wrestling career as a 2020 Olympic Trials qualifier and fourth on the ladder in the nation.
His post-collegiate wrestling career is fairly new yet highly impressive. In April of 2019, Rogers represented the United States men’s freestyle team at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rogers was instrumental in the USA’s momentous showing as the squad swept all 10 gold medals in freestyle for the first time in history. Since then, Rogers took third at the U.S. Open in Senior Greco and later recorded a second-place finish at the U23 Greco World Team Trials.
Rogers graduated from Oklahoma State in 2019 with a degree in general education after a successful four years with the decorated Cowboy wrestling program. He was a four-year starter for Oklahoma State, … rest of story at https://lrtrojans.com/news/2020/8/19/chandler-rogers-added-to-little-rock-wrestling-staff.aspx?mc_cid=b69497687c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – State of Wrestling Podcast: NWCA Division I Leadership Group Chairman Troy Nickerson of Northern Colorado
Troy Nickerson, head wrestling coach at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, comes on the latest episode of State of Wrestling to discuss his role with the NWCA Division I Leadership Group, his tenure as head coach at Northern Colorado and what’s next for Division I wrestling.
Nickerson looks on his experiences as an athlete and an assistant as to what’s guided him in his career as well as the promotion of assistant Garett Kiley on the staff and what came from the recent NWCA Convention, which was held virtually at the end of July. … rest of story and podcast at http://www.nwcaonline.com/state-of-wrestling-podcast-nwca-division-i-leadership-group-chairman-troy-nickerson-of-northern-colorado/?mc_cid=b69497687c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – TOM’s Quarant-Interview with Dennis Papadatos (Hofstra)
FEATURE ARTICLES
ByEarl SmithPosted on 08/20/2020
TOM recently spoke with the head coach of Hofstra’s wrestling team Dennis Papadatos. Dennis is excited about the prospects of a Hofstra team that won seven of its last eight dual meets in 2019-20, went undefeated in conference action, and qualified a pair of wrestlers for the national tournament. His entire starting lineup returns, which includes a couple of wrestlers that narrowly missed automatically qualifying in 2020, as well. We talk about how Hofstra University and the wrestling team are preparing for an uncertain school year and wrestling season, what he learned from a rough 2019 campaign, and the relationship that former UFC champion Chris Weidman has with his alma mater. Straying from the wrestling mats, we also talk about Star Wars, … rest of story and podcast at https://news.theopenmat.com/05-feature-articles/toms-quarant-interview-with-dennis-papadatos-hofstra/78743?mc_cid=27a5988c78&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – #FREESTYLEFRIDAY: A LOOK AT THE NCAA DI COACHES AND THEIR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESSES
The college wrestling world is coached by some of the greatest wrestlers in U.S. history, including five Olympic medalists and two other Senior World medalists. Today, we’ll take a look at Division I college coaches that have collected World and Olympic medals during their athletic careers.
Olympic medalists
Zeke Jones (Arizona State)
Coaching at his alma mater, Jones has headed the Arizona State wrestling program since 2014, where he has been named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year three times. As an athlete, Jones was an NCAA finalist and three-time All-American for the Sun Devils. In his international career, Jones represented the USA at seven World Championships (1989-91, 93-95, 97) as well as the 1992 Olympics. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Jones claimed a silver medal at 52 kg. In addition to his Olympic medal, Jones also owns a gold medal from the 1991 World Championships as well as a bronze medal from the 1995 World Championships.
Read more about Zeke Jones here
Tom Brands (Iowa)
Brands has been at the helm of the Iowa wrestling team for 14 season, coaching the Hawkeyes to three NCAA team titles with 12 NCAA champions and 82 All-Americans.
During his wrestling days, Brands was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American. After competing collegiately, he dedicated himself to freestyle and earned spots on the 1993, 1994 and 1995 World Teams. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/August/21/Freestyle-Friday-NCAA-coach-international-success?mc_cid=3e7422f8f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Introducing James Green – VT99
James Green, a multiple-time World medalist, four-time Division I All-American at Nebraska and New Jersey native, has joined the Southeast Regional Training Center. On the 99th installment of Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling, we meet Mr. Green and talk about his expectations with this Olympic cycle and beyond, what he hopes to learn from the staff and athletes in Blacksburg and what it’s been like to move across the country during a global pandemic. … rest of story and podcast at http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/inside-vt-wrestling/introducing-james-green-vt99/?mc_cid=7d6595523f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Ken Bigley is on a mission to take New York wrestling to another level
Ken Bigley, an assistant coach at New York University who works with the PSAL sports coordinator, takes a progressive look at advancing wrestling. His outlook may be the future of the sport. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1598412488313&twSessionId=ftoqqqligb&videoId=861694135&mc_cid=0b16b413d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Interview with Air Force Academy Head Coach Sam Barber
By G. Wyatt Schultz for The Predicament
Interview with Sam Barber of the Air Force Academy. He was formerly head coach at Upper Iowa in Fayette and the head coach at Augsburg in Minnesota. He also at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. … rest of story and video at https://www.thepredicament.com/2020/08/interview-with-air-force-academy-head-coach-sam-barber/?mc_cid=45fdbe861d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

September 10, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

MIKE MATLOCK, 72, LONGTIME USA WRESTLING REFEREE AND COACH, PASSED AWAY TUESDAY

By Rusty Davidson, Special to TheMat.com, and other sources | Sept. 02, 2020,
The USA Wrestling community received and shared word on Tuesday of the passing of Mike Matlock, 72, a longtime volunteer in the USA Wrestling family.
Matlock was found early Tuesday morning in his home in New Bern, N.C. Reports indicate he passed peacefully. Details are pending notification of next of kin.
Mike Matlock was known to many in the wrestling world as “Mad Dog.” “The Dog” wore the nickname affectionately. He was apt to greet students and friends with a friendly “Woof.”
Matlock was known globally as a first category referee. Officiating under the banners of USA Wrestling and its predecessors, along with the current United World Wrestling, Matlock was known as a Teacher of his fellow officials. Many referees mentored by “The Dog” went on to represent several countries at the highest levels.
Matlock most recently served as a non-voting Honorary Board member for North Carolina USA Wrestling. The Board of North Carolina USA Wrestling honored him recently by naming North Carolina’s annual Official of the Year Award as the Mike “Mad Dog” Matlock Award.
“Mad Dog” also contributed as a high school and club coach, mentoring youth in Missouri, Nebraska, Michigan, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Florida, and North Carolina over the last 50 years. Countless youngsters, across multiple generations, credit Matlock for helping them make greater contributions in life through wrestling. … rest of this story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/September/02/Official-and-coach-Mike-Matlock-passed-away?mc_cid=48f6ce54f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

September 10, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment