Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Women’s Wrestling News # 48

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Young women seeking to wrestle today are often inspired by those who challenged to seek success in this male-dominated sports. The opportunities for women to wrestle continues to expand even in these trying times. We all hope that things get better and we are able to meet and to wrestle again soon.
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1 } – WORKING HARD TO MAKE YOUR PLACE: WRESTLER ERICA WIEBE’S ADVICE TO YOUTH
Erica Wiebe knows how it feels to doubt and question yourself. Being female in a traditionally male-dominated sport comes with several challenges, and women often have to fight to be respected or valued at a competitive level. In some countries, where traditional gender roles are systematically reinforced, deviating from societal norms is seen as an act of rebellion. … rest of story at https://www.olympic.org/news/working-hard-to-make-your-place-wrestler-erica-wiebe-s-advice-to-youth?mc_cid=3e7422f8f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – WLAG/HMA Interview #47: Maya Nelson
On the 47th edition of the HMA Interview Podcast, Maya Nelson joins the show to give us an insight on what her training looked like during this summer, her struggles with injuries throughout her career, and her opinions on the growth of women’s wrestling. … rest of story at http://www.hmawrestling.com/podcast/wlag-hma-interview-47-maya-nelson/?mc_cid=3e7422f8f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Whitney Conder: My Wrestling Hero
Today’s installment of My Wrestling Hero features Whitney Conder. The five-time World Team member shares her thoughts on her wrestling heroes: Afsoon Johnston and Cael Sanderson. 
These are Conder’s words on her wrestling heroes: “I grew up respecting Cael Sanderson. He’s an amazing person, always wanting to help others and trying to show any person, any technique he can. He’s always been a really nice guy.
“One of the women’s wrestlers that I really respect is Afsoon Johnston. She coached me at the World Championships and I really got to know her. I  got to find about her story and find out about her story when she left Iran and how her family dealt with everything and then her starting wrestling in high school. Her coach went to her parent to tell them she was wrestling and they were excited about it. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1598506564797&twSessionId=axzkollmof&postId=861832135&mc_cid=1f5a8a16f5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Megan Black’s wrestling career is pure country
From growing on a farm in Iowa to becoming the first female to place at the Iowa state wrestling championships to joining the World Class Athlete Program — Megan Black has a life that would make George Strait proud. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1598506591489&twSessionId=rycocqcsgv&videoId=861833135&mc_cid=1f5a8a16f5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – .Alli Ragan induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum
The first female wrestler to be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Dan Gable Museum. Alli Ragan being introduced by Sandy Stevens and her induction acceptance speech. … rest of story at https://www.thepredicament.com/2020/08/alli-ragan-induction-into-the-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame-dan-gable-museum/?mc_cid=1f5a8a16f5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – #WOMENSWEDNESDAY: WCWA NATIONALS TO CONTINUE IN 2021, WITH DETAILS OF ITS MULTI-DIVISIONAL EVENT TO COME
The Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association, which oversees the annual WCWA National Championships for women’s college wrestling, has announced plans to continue the tournament in 2021.
The WCWA Board sent a letter to women’s college wrestling programs across the nation, outlining its plan for the year ahead. The organization will continue to host the WCWA Nationals in 2021, although the specific date and location has not yet finalized.
At this point, the WCWA Board is considering a spring event, rather than its traditional February time frame. The organization will work with USA Wrestling, the women’s college wrestling programs and other stakeholders to determine the ideal timing for the competition.
The timeline to decide when the tournament will be held will be in September. A bid packet will be provided for interested hosts, with a target date for the location to be announced in October. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/August/26/Womens-Wednesday-WCWA-Nationals-to-continue?mc_cid=1f5a8a16f5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – OpEd | Challenging Gender Bias in Male-Dominated Sports
BY ELLEN KRASIN
We often tell children that they can grow up to be whatever they want to be, but is that really true? Is our society set up to allow such an idealistic theory? In the case of young women in male-dominated sports, this is being put to the test. Can girls compete with the boys? Should they?
In the past, there has been a stigma against young women playing on boys’ teams. Sports like football, wrestling, rugby, and hockey didn’t have many, if any, female participants. Now, Title IX guarantees that every sport offered to boys at the high school level must allow girls a fair shot at tryouts. More girls than ever are taking on the challenge of these sports, but according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, female players still only make up 0.2% of participants in high school football. Girls’ wrestling is seeing a huge surge in the United States, but female wrestlers are still rare to see on high school teams. With more opportunities opening for young women to play these sports, people’s attitudes towards that participation need to evolve. The perceived lack of availability combined with the lack of visibility of female players as role models keeps a lot of girls from even considering a male-dominated sport as an option. Stories about female athletes … rest of story at http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2020/08/27/oped-challenging-gender-bias-in-male-dominated-sports/?mc_cid=3ae5d43d10&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Alyvia Fiske: My Wrestling Hero
Today’s installment of My Wrestling Hero features Alyvia Fiske. The three-time age-group World Team member shares her thoughts on her wrestling heroes, including Katherine Shai, Justina Di Stasio and Helen Maroulis.  These are Fiske’s words on her wrestling heroes:
“I feel like it has changed as I’ve gotten older, but I feel at this point it’s Katherine Shai. I really look up to her as far as everything she’s gone through and continued to wrestle — having kids and everything with her dad. She’s definitely someone I look up to as well as Justina Di Stasio since I train with her and know how awesome she is and I love her. She’s an amazing person on and off the mat. I would say those two I really look up to.  “Justina and I are obviously friends now since … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1599103750581&twSessionId=qldjtnbeil&postId=864534135&mc_cid=48f6ce54f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Make no mistake: Amy Hildebrandt is carving out her own legacy at Trine
Amy Hildebrandt gets mistaken for her older sister, Sarah, at virtually every wrestling event. Amy has blazed her own path by starting women’s high school and college wrestling programs. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1599103750581&twSessionId=qldjtnbeil&videoId=864532135&mc_cid=48f6ce54f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Former Champion Wrestler And East County Mom Hopes To Inspire
El Cajon’s Afsoon Johnston is the topic of a new book, which details her personal journey from Iran to the United States where she helped break barriers in women’s wrestling.
Afsoon Johnson is the first to admit, she embodies the American Dream. She is an entrepreneur, wife, and mom who just so happens to be a former wrestling champion. Johnson was born in Iran where wrestling is the national sport, so long as you’re a man.
But Johnson’s father, as a progressive thinker and champion wrestler himself, wouldn’t deny his daughter the chance to follow in his footsteps. “And when his only child ended up being a girl, not too many dads — especially not too many Iranian dads, I would imagine — would take their little girl and say ‘come over here let me teach you some wrestling,'” said Johnson. In 1984, Johnson’s parents came to San Jose seeking political asylum. In Northern California, she learned English and pursued the all-American dream as a cheerleader.
But at Independence High School, a school known for its state championships in wrestling, cheerleaders doubled as stat girls. … rest of story at https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/former-champion-wrestler-and-east-county-mom-hopes-to-inspire/2397893/?mc_cid=48f6ce54f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

September 25, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

National Wrestling News – Sept. # 2

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A variety of stories with some podcasts included. Take a look and see what is going to happen or has happened. Recognition for a top officials in Virginia is included. Amother story from a pro football player who took the lessons learned in wrestling to make him a better football player.
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1 } – Klingman: Needless judgements are an unnecessary distraction in a sport driven by respect
It’s strange how wrestling works sometimes. Our community loves to celebrate the merits of the sport but there are those who are quick to chime in with a disparaging remark or a swipe at our past. 
This is more a function of human nature than anything, but it gets magnified when it plays out on social media and other public forums. There is always the hope that the sport you love can be above all of the pettiness — but it can rear its ugly head behind a faceless wall of comments.  If you win your fourth state title in Wyoming then someone will say you wouldn’t place in California. If you win a New York state championship in the 99-pound weight class as a seventh-grader then someone will say it’s not a legitimate weight class and that it could never happen at 160 pounds. 
If you won an NCAA title in the 1960s then some will say it looks like two junior varsity wrestlers going at it and they could never compete with today’s wrestlers. Some call the 1984 Olympics the “JV Olympics” since the Soviet bloc countries were not in attendance. Kyle Snyder won the 2015 World Championships at the age of 19, the 2016 Olympics at 20, and the 2017 Worlds at 21. Then he won a silver medal at the 2018 Worlds and a bronze in 2019 — losing to only Olympic champions, mind you — and somehow he has lost a step. We quickly forget that he is the youngest World and Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history and that he has five World/Olympic medals before the age of 24. 
If someone wins an Olympic gold medal then the person who beat him or her in grade school is immediately validated. Nevermind that the person bragging couldn’t make it happen. A lone win at a local wrestling tournament as an eight-year-old is good enough.
If a wrestler wins two NCAA titles and goes undefeated for two years then it was because he didn’t face the best competition. If you win an NCAA title without a leg then you have an advantage because your body is naturally heavier. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1598057948343&twSessionId=vkuhpehiqw&postId=861004135&mc_cid=3e7422f8f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Zac Dominguez: ‘We have to make wrestling fun’
Zac Dominguez, head coach of MWC Wrestling Academy, talks about his love for Greco, how to motivate kids and cutting edge wrestling gear. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1598057948343&twSessionId=vkuhpehiqw&videoId=860945135&mc_cid=3e7422f8f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Nonrevenue NCAA college sports grapple with an uncertain future
The absence of football in the Big Ten and Pac-12 this fall could endanger the existence of many nonrevenue sports, including baseball, soccer, tennis, wrestling and volleyball, which rely on football money to cover their annual budgets.
According to recent NCAA financial filings, football at those two conferences is typically responsible for at least 70% of schools’ sport-specific revenue. “If football doesn’t play this year, the economic damage will be so profound that all bets are off,” said American Volleyball Coaches Association Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “I don’t know what they’re going to do. When you have a $150 million budget and you don’t have $100 million of it, that’s not like furloughing an assistant coach. There isn’t a way to make that up.”
Even before the fall sports cancellation, athletic directors were attempting to streamline budgets. In June, Pac-12 member the University of Washington announced it would cut its operating budget by 15%, reduce head coach salaries by 5% and implement staff furloughs. The University of Iowa, part of the Big Ten, later trimmed its planned spending by 12%, and its announcement included an ominous warning: “The current reductions assume complete football and basketball seasons with fans in attendance. Any interruptions or reduction in these seasons would lead to more significant cuts.”
For many schools, “significant cuts” have included the outright elimination of Olympic programs. As of last week, 21 Division I schools had cut 68 sports to tighten budgets.  … rest of story at https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2020/08/20/nonrevenue-ncaa-college-sports-grapple-with-an-unc.html?mc_cid=3e7422f8f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – WRESTLER FOR LIFE STORY OF THE WEEK: WEEKENDS AND WEIGH-INS
USA Wrestling’s “Wrestler for Life” program is accepting submissions for “The Story of the Week”. It can be about anything wrestling related, whether it’s a particular wrestling match you’ll never forget, or a life lesson that the sport taught you. If your story is chosen, it will be featured on TheMat.com, and winners will receive a USA Wrestling t-shirt.
Send your submissions to: Wrestlerforlife@usawrestling.org
This week’s submission is by USA Wrestling for Peace ambassador Doug Webb.
Most kids spent their formative years bonding with their dad on Saturdays throwing out a fishing line or finding a good camping spot. For my father and me, it was different. My fondest memories are the Saturdays we spent together at wrestling tournaments all over the state.
I had entered the sport on my own volition at nine years old and was lucky enough to have landed at one of the area’s premier clubs – a place where the kids were gritty and the coaching was great. The first few years were rough in terms of wins and losses. There were Saturdays in which we showed up to a tournament and left abruptly, having been eliminated, after I lost the first two initial matches; in wrestling parlance this is called “going two and out.”
During the spring freestyle wrestling season, there were tournaments every Saturday around the state for those willing to commit an entire day to wrestling. And during those years there was a familiarity and rhythm to those Saturday mornings. My father and I would leave the house pre-dawn, … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/August/20/Wrestler-for-Life-Story-of-the-Week-Weekends-and-Weigh-ins?mc_cid=27a5988c78&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Raiders DT Maliek Collins’ skills as state champion wrestler ideal to be ‘dog’ NFL 3-tech
Anyone who’s wrestled in their life can tell you that the skills learned are invaluable in life and most any other sport. There’s no ball, no club, bat, or stick, and there’s no teammates on the mat with you vs. another person. As for football, the skills learned in wrestling translate directly to those linemen utilize every day. No doubt those skills are a predominant factor in what makes Maliek Collins such a dominant force on the interior defensive line. Collins wasn’t just a wrestler, he was a damn good one. As a senior at Center High School in Kansas City, the 285-pound heavyweight was a perfect 48-0 and won the State 2A Championship. Here, a local station did a feature on Collins after he had gone 48-5 his junior season and made it to the state quarterfinals. … rest of story at https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2020/08/20/raiders-dt-maliek-collins-skills-as-state-champion-wrestler-ideal-to-be-dog-nfl-3-tech/?mc_cid=3e7422f8f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } -USA WRESTLING UTAH ANNOUNCES FALL SERIES OF FOUR EVENTS OPEN TO ATHLETES OF ALL STATES
USA Wrestling Utah, the USA Wrestling state association in Utah, has announced a fall series of competitions which will provide a variety of opportunities for wrestlers to compete in the next few months. Wrestlers from all states are welcome to compete in these events and test themselves during the pre-season time frame. Each event has a unique focus, so athletes and their families can match the competition to their age-group and interests.
USA Wrestling Utah conducts its events using USA Wrestling’s Return to Events Guidelines and following the requirements of local and state health and government agencies. The series begins with an event on September 12, and runs through late November. USA Wrestling Utah will add additional events as the new membership season moves forward. The featured events include: … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/August/25/Utah-USA-Wrestling-to-host-series-of-four-events-open-to-all-states?mc_cid=0b16b413d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – NEW YORK GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES THAT YOUTH WRESTLERS CAN PRACTICE BUT NOT COMPETE YET
In his announcement concerning youth and high school sports in New York, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that wrestling, and other sports he considers high risk, may practice but are not yet cleared to compete. A graphic posted by Dr. Robert Zayas, the Executive Director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYPHSAA), said the following: Higher risk sports with full-physical contact like tackle football, wrestling, rugby and ice hockey, may continue to practice but are not authorized to play.
The Cuomo annoucement allows for what Cuomo calls “lower risk” sports, like tennis, soccer, cross country, field hockey and swimming to practice and play beginning September 21. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/August/25/NY-Governor-Cuomo-wrestling-can-practice-but-no-yet-play?mc_cid=0b16b413d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – A Wrestler’s Sister’s thoughts on Anthony Robles
All of us will come up against adversity in our lifetime; odds stacked so high against you that it will seem nearly insurmountable. But “don’t let it be your excuse,” says NCAA Champion Anthony Robles. “Don’t let your opposition be the reason you fall short of your goals. Acknowledge the hardship and attack it with purpose to become unstoppable.” My name is Abby Swisher, I’m fourteen years old, and although I’ve never wrestled, I come from one of the best wrestling locations in the world and a die-hard wrestling family. After recommending Anthony Roble’s autobiography to me, my older brother Jude (the one and only) suggested I give a short review.  … rest of story at http://www.hmawrestling.com/article/a-wrestlers-sisters-thoughts-on-anthony-robles/?mc_cid=0b16b413d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – #TEAMUSATUESDAY: CATCHING UP WITH NATIONAL TEAM MEMBER ANTHONY ASHNAULT
By Mike Willis, USA Wrestling
On this edition of #TeamUSATuesday, we caught up with Men’s Freestyle National Team member Anthony Ashnault. A 2019 NCAA champion for Rutgers, Ashnault is currently No. 3 on the National Team at 70 kg, although he plans to compete at 65 kg for the Olympic Team Trials. In this interview, Anthony discusses how he’s dealt with injuries throughout his career, his preparation to make 65 kg and the significance of winning the New Jersey state tournament as an undersized freshman. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/August/25/TeamUSATuesday-Catching-up-with-National-Team-member-Anthony-Ashnault?mc_cid=0b16b413d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Apprentice Wrestling Alumni Named Official of the Year by the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Justin Gilliard, Apprentice Alumni and 3-time All American.  Named “Official of the Year“ by the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Apprentice wrestling Alumni Justin Gilliard was just named Official of the Year by the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The Va Beach native wrestler had an impressive record as a Builder. He was a two-time NCWA Conference Champion, a three-time NCWA All-American, between the years of 2004-2008. He was also the 2012 MAWA Eastern Region Champion. 
In 2012, the pipefitter decided to pursue his passion for wrestling even further. He began officiating in Southeastern Region then took his talents to Northern Virginia and established himself as a premier referee. According to the NVWOA commissioner, Ed Rawlins: “Justin has distinguished himself as one of the top officials in the Northern Virginia Wrestling Officials Association, as well as the state.  He is given the more difficult matches in the area and continues to be a sought-after official.” … rest of story at https://gobuilders.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20200826k7nu3m?mc_cid=1f5a8a16f5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

September 25, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment