Takedown Report

National Wrestling News – Nov. # 1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A variety ofarticles from this fall that could have an impact or interest across state boundaries. Admittedly these are from a while back as we are catching up on the news and events.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 } – Looking to make a difference with BTS Chicago’s Mike Dixon
Mike Dixon had a long coaching career across Division I and Division II with the lion’s share of it coming at Old Dominion before he returned to his alma mater at Indiana. On Episode 618 of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, Dixon talks about his newest move as he’s the new Director of Wrestling and Enrichment at Beat the Streets Chicago. Dixon talks about his introduction to wrestling as a sophomore in high school, his first college coaching job at Division II Indianapolis and then getting into D1 coaching officially at James Madison before stopping at ODU for more than a decade. What’s on the horizon for Beat The Streets Chicago? Why is it important to help provide educational enrichment opportunities through wrestling to at-risk youth? We’ll find out what drives Mike Dixon. … rest of story at _{https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/looking-to-make-a-difference-with-bts-chicagos-mike-dixon/?mc_cid=9754f989b3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

2 } – Hall of Fame & USA Wrestling team up to Produce Audio Podcast Series
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has joined forces with USA Wrestling on an exciting new initiative, Etched in Stone – Stories of Wrestling Legends. Scheduled to launch in November, the series of audio podcasts and digital magazines will share the untold stories of Hall of Fame Distinguished Members.
Listeners will hear Distinguished Members recount their trials and tribulations on the way to being honored as one of wrestling’s best. Competitors, coaches, teammates and others who were part of the journey will also provide insight on the legend and their accomplishments.
Podcasts and magazines will be created and produced by wrestlers and wrestling insiders, who will utilize their knowledge and unique perspective to extract the stories that fans want to hear. EIS will be distributed by the Hall of Fame, USA Wrestling and major podcast distribution channels, helping increase exposure for wrestling.
The series is the brainchild of 1976 NCAA wrestling champion and Hall of Fame board member Pat Christenson. “As I made my first walk through the Hall, … rest of story at _{https://nwhof.org/blog/hall-of-fame-usa-wrestling-team-up-to-produce-audio-podcast-series/?mc_cid=8e7f0f219d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

3 } – Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine’s Mike Finn goes On The Mat – OTM616
W.I.N. Magazine’s Mike Finn goes On The Mat
Longtime editor of Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine Mike Finn comes back On The Mat. Finn’s covered the sport for decades and provides one of the sharpest beards in all of wrestling. Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton On The Mat, the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com. … rest of story at _{https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/wrestling-insider-newsmagazines-mike-finn-goes-on-the-mat-otm616/?mc_cid=8e7f0f219d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

4 } – Men’s college track is being threatened in budget-strapped Division I athletic departments
By Ken Goe | The Oregonian/OregonLive
The news hit Ben Blankenship earlier this month with the force of an airborne, 16-pound shot.
The University of Minnesota was responding to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting a $75 million athletic department budget deficit by cutting several men’s sports, among them track and field. Minnesota is only the latest Division I athletic program to deal with the financial crisis in college sports by cutting men’s track. If this becomes a trend, it would threaten the viability of one of the Olympic movement’s bellwether sports at the college level. Critics also contend it would fall disproportionately on athletes of color and is tone deaf given money lavished on college football. Blankenship honed his running talent at Minnesota. It ushered him to a professional career with Oregon Track Club Elite and to the 2016 Olympics, where he competed for Team USA in the 1,500 meters. It was as if all the pride Blankenship took in wearing a Minnesota singlet, of representing his home state, and in everything he has accomplished during and since were of no importance to Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle and university president Joan T.A. Gabel. … rest of story at _{https://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/2020/09/mens-college-track-is-being-threatened-in-budget-strapped-division-i-athletic-departments.html?mc_cid=9754f989b3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

5 } – Jonny Ruggiano: ‘It’s easy be passionate when you have a leader like Andy Barth’
Jonny Ruggiano explains the jobs he has held within Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, the Washington Mat Classic, and the magic of Andy Barth. … rest of story at _{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1601321928180&twSessionId=xrtnlwgumg&videoId=867850135&mc_cid=8e7f0f219d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

6 } – BAUMGARTNER ANNOUNCES USA WRESTLING AD-HOC DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE MEMBERS
By Taylor Miller, USA Wrestling |
USA Wrestling President Bruce Baumgartner announced today the members of the organization’s newly revived Ad-Hoc Diversity and Inclusion Committee, made up of 15 people, including seven women and eight men.
USA Wrestling’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee’s mission is to lead, and support athletes in achieving excellence by inspiring all levels of USA Wrestling to embrace unique perspectives and practices that create awareness, appreciation, acceptance and celebration of diversity, equity and inclusion. According to USA Wrestling by-laws, President Baumgartner has the authority to create and populate ad-hoc committees. To populate the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Baumgartner carefully reviewed applications from interested USA Wrestling members as well as several outside of the wrestling community and also sought out recommendations from a variety of USA Wrestling constituencies.
Baumgartner selected USA Wrestling Secretary and Executive Committee member Kerry McCoy as the chairperson of the committee. McCoy is a two-time Olympian and 2003 World silver medalist in men’s freestyle. After his athletic career, McCoy focused on coaching, with head coaching stints at Stanford and the University of Maryland. … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/October/02/Baumgartner-announces-Diversity-and-Inclusion-committee?mc_cid=accb7cd38c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

7 } – Hermiston’s Trevor Wagner overcomes gunshot to excel in three sports
HERMISTON — A tragic accident when he was 9 years old had doctors telling Trevor Wagner he may never play sports again. Not only did Wagner prove them wrong, he is a star three-sport athlete at Hermiston High School. “He’s always been a hard worker and a good kid,” Hermiston football coach David Faaeteete said. “He doesn’t talk much, he just works, and his work ethic is infectious. He is a good teammate.” Wagner, who plays football and baseball, and wrestles for the Bulldogs, had just finished third grade when he was involved in a shooting accident that led to a helicopter ride to Portland, three surgeries and a two-week stay in the hospital. “We live about 25 minutes out of town,” Wagner said. “My grandma told us there was a badger in our yard and we (with 14-year-old brother Andy) went full Army to get it.”
They never found the badger and eventually gave up the fight. Their parents, Tammy and Lucas Wagner, were heading out, and told the boys to clean the guns and put them away. That didn’t happen right away, but when the boys got around to it, Andy tripped, and the gun he was holding dropped and discharged, firing a .22 caliber bullet through his brother’s left leg right below the knee. … rest of story at _{https://www.eastoregonian.com/townnews/sport/hermistons-trevor-wagner-overcomes-gunshot-to-excel-in-three-sports/article_7895a388-f69c-11ea-a3b7-d709fe3182aa.html?mc_cid=72c2868447&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

8 } – Coach Lindland’s Weekly Report: What Matters Now
Five Point Move is proud to host USA Greco-Roman National Team head coach Matt Lindland each week for Coach Lindland’s Report. Here is where you will find detailed perspectives from Coach Lindland pertaining to recent results, upcoming events, training plans, and other Greco-related news that isn’t available anywhere else. ALSO — if you would like to donate directly to the US Greco-Roman program, just click here. Your support is appreciated! The times couldn’t be stranger for US National Team head coach Matt Lindland. Depending on the day, it may seem as though nothing is going on, or more than enough is unfolding on a moment-to-moment basis to occupy his thoughts. For starters, the Senior World Championships, scheduled for December in Serbia, is not yet a done deal. Despite by all appearances being written in stone two months ago by United World Wrestling, the tournament’s status is still questionable. … rest of story at _{http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/lindland-what-matters-now/?mc_cid=72c2868447&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

9} – EXCITING NEW USA WRESTLING-SANCTIONED WISCONSIN WRESTLING LEAGUE FOR YOUTH TO LAUNCH THIS WINTER

The Wisconsin Wrestling League has been formed to provide safe and reliable wrestling practice and competition opportunities to youth wrestlers across the state of Wisconsin. Creation of the league is largely the work of Justin Tritz, Scott Kluever (State Coach Coordinator for the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation) and Dave Black (chairperson of the WWF).
Regular season league competition is slated to begin in early December 2020 and culminate on January 31, 2021, with postseason competition starting on February 7, 2021. All events will be sanctioned with USA Wrestling and will use Trackwrestling event management software. Divisions for the league will be based on the current grade of the participants (K-2, 3-5 and 6-8), and all events will be conducted in accordance with COVID-19 related regulations. Competing teams will be limited to 40 wrestlers on their roster to ensure proper scheduling and pairing of the event.
Tritz, the founder and former CEO/president of Trackwrestling, has a long history of wrestling in Wisconsin. After an incredibly successful prep career at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln, he has remained connected with the sport, not only with Trackwrestling, but also with the youth and high school programs in Rapids and more recently with Beast Cage Wrestling. … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/September/29/Wisconsin-Wrestling-League-formed-this-winter?mc_cid=72c2868447&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

10 } – AYALA WINS IN SUDDEN VICTORY, FACUNDO IN ULTIMATE TIEBREAKER, JORDAN BURROUGHS VS. ZAHID VALENCIA ANNOUNCED FOR NOV. 14 AT FLOWRESTLING’S WHO’S #1
Austin, Texas – FloWrestling’s 14-match Who’s #1 card delivered a night of relentless high school wrestling action. In particular, the main and co-main events were must-see wrestling.
In the co-main event at 120 pounds, Drake Ayala knocked off the pound-for-pound No. 1 wrestler in the country Richie Figueroa. Ayala led 3-1 going into the third period on the strength of a first period takedown and a second period escape. Figueroa, who was looking to become the first three-time Who’s #1 winner, escaped quickly to start the third period. While it looked like Ayala locked up the match with a late takedown, Figueroa’s corner challenged, and Ayala was called for grabbing Figueroa’s shirt, sending the match into sudden victory tied at three.
In overtime, Ayala could not be denied, scoring … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/October/03/Whos-Number-1?mc_cid=9e55d26136&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

November 15, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized