Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

NCAA Division II Programs & News – # 5


TDR Editor’s Notes ; A gathering of articles of NCAA Division II wrestling programs. Some are about many or all the schools in the D-II division such as rankings (# 8) and expanding eligibility (#1). Ohio schools such as Lake Erie (#3 & 7), and Ohio Valley (#6). Colorado School of Mines (#9), Minnesota Moorhead (#4) and Newman in Kansas (#5) are highlighted in an article featuring them. The two articles on Nebraska schools focus on recruiting at U.N.-Kearney (#10) and the postponed schedule at Chadron State (#2) that affects all the Division II schools.
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1 } – NCAA grants DII winter athletes further season-of-competition relief
Division II winter sport student-athletes who compete during the 2020-21 academic year will receive an additional season of competition through a waiver the Division II Management Council approved this week. In addition, student-athletes eligible for this waiver also will receive an extension of eligibility, according to a waiver previously approved by the Division II Administrative Committee. The same flexibility was provided to spring sport athletes after their 2020 seasons were canceled and to fall student-athletes after the Division II Championships were canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, the Administrative Committee approved a pair of waivers permitting all student-athletes who competed during the 2020-21 academic year an additional year of eligibility and season-of-competition opportunities if their team completed 50% or less of their sport’s maximum contests/dates of competition. That flexibility still applies for spring sport student-athletes in the 2021 season. … rest of story at https://hayspost.com/posts/72303568-8b63-4ef5-bf20-da6922e746f9?mc_cid=a5e2a6cc0d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – No wrestling for Eagles this fall
CHADRON, Neb. — November 17, 2020 — Because of COVID issues and its recent spread, the Chadron State College wrestling team will not have any matches until January, Coach Brett Hunter said Monday. Earlier this month it was announced that the Eagles would host the Colorado Western Mountaineers on Dec. 4 and dual Nebraska-Kearney there on Dec. 11 before expanding the schedule in January. But Hunter said recent upticks in the virus have caused the sport to back away from competition the remainder of this calendar year.  It’s hoped the season can open in January.
Chadron State, which has a 31-man roster, began practicing in mid-October, but no practices are taking place this week. Hunter also said in order to keep his wrestlers in shape … rest of story at https://chadroneagles.com/news/2020/11/17/no-wrestling-for-eagles-this-fall.aspx?mc_cid=97ab69a0c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Lake Erie Storm Welcome in the Signing Class of 2021
PAINESVILLE, Ohio) – The Lake Erie College Athletic Department announced and welcomed the signing of 23 student-athletes across five different sports on Wednesday during National Signing Day. The Storm Wrestling team led the day with 10 signees followed by Women’s Soccer with 9 new members joining the team next season. The 2021 signing class brings in athletes from Ohio, Michigan, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Texas, and North Carolina. … rest of story at https://lakeerie.prestosports.com/general/2020-21/releases/20201111paelk7?mc_cid=ebacab18d4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Getting II Know a DII Program: MSU-Moorhead
The Minnesota Moorhead wrestling program was established in 1952, and has competed in NCAA Division II since the 1995-96 season. In 25 years as an NCAA Division II program, the Dragons have 28 All-Americans after sending 83 total National Qualifiers to the NCAA Division II National Championships. Kris Nelson closed out his 11th season as the head coach at Minnesota Moorhead in 2019-20.
The Dragons had one National Qualifier in 2019-20, with Braydon Ortloff finishing third at 165 at the Super Region 5 Tournament to make his first trip to Nationals. The Moorhead sophomore was the first to qualify for the Dragons at 165 since 2009. Two of the 83 National Qualifiers in Dragon history have come back as National Champions, with Nate Baker winning the 165 lbs title in 2006 and Nate Henrickson taking the 167 lbs championship in 1997. Jordan Magnuson joins Ortloff back in the Dragon starting lineup for 2020-21, having qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2019 at heavyweight. … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/getting-ii-know-a-dii-program-msu-moorhead/79222?mc_cid=1abb33fe3e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Getting II Know a DII Program: Newman
Newman’s wrestling program was established in 2004, and became an NCAA Division II program for the 2008-09 season. The Jets have qualified 15 to the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in 12 years in D2, with seven of those student-athletes returning to campus as All-Americans. Noel Torres is the lone National Champion in program history, winning the 184 title in 2018 for head coach Ryan Smith, who will enter his 13th year at the head of the Newman program in 2020-21.
“The Newman University Wrestling Staff provides student-athletes with the best possible environment to be a champion on both the mat and in the classroom,” Smith said. “We are striving to ingrain a championship mindset from enrollment to graduation.”
Smith has coached all seven of the Newman All-Americans, with all seven coming since the 2016 season. Kameron Frame is the latest in the string of Jet All-Americans, earning his second AA finish last season via entering the 2020 NCAA Division II National Championships as the four-seed at 157. Frame finished sixth a season earlier, and returns for his redshirt junior season in 2020-21 as a two-time D2 All-American. … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/getting-ii-know-a-dii-program-newman/79131?mc_cid=1debff05aa&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Getting II Know a DII Program: Ohio Valley
The Ohio Valley Fighting Scots program was established in 2011, with OVU sending five national qualifiers to the NCAA Division II National Championships in nine years as a D2 team. Two wrestlers have four of those qualifications, with Chase Long becoming the first to qualify for the Fighting Scots in 2013, with the 197 again making it to Nationals in 2015. Dalton George also qualified twice for Ohio Valley, and became the program’s first and only All-American with a sixth place finish at 174 in 2017. The injury-laden Fighting Scots sent just three to the 2020 NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Tournament last February, with none of the trio making it out of the regional for OVU. The last National Qualifier from the Fighting Scots was Anthony Tripke, who made the trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships at 125 in 2019. Ohio Valley will look to build upon its roster of 10 from a season ago for the upcoming 2020-21 season, … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/getting-ii-know-a-dii-program-ohio-valley/79016?mc_cid=bbb5286d21&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Randolph heading to Division II Lake Erie College
CLINTON — Friday was a day Clinton senior Brayden Randolph won’t soon forget. The running back/linebacker ran for 113 yards and knocked down a Blissfield lateral to secure the 16-13 win for the Division 6 district championship. But prior to the game, Randolph signed his National Letter of Intent to wrestle at Lake Erie College, an NCAA Division II program located in Painesville, Ohio.
“It fells great,” Randolph said. “Especially to do that and then come out (to Blissfield) and get a great team win. It was a great feeling and a great day.” Randolph is all about team and family and those were the deciding factors for the three-time Division 4 all-state honoree.
Randolph, who is 151-13 during his high school career with two runner-up finishes, one third place finish and a team state title to go with a team runner-up title, was sold by the family atmosphere around head coach Jeff Breese’s program. “It was that family aspect,” Randolph said. … rest of story at https://www.sentinel-standard.com/news/20201117/randolph-heading-to-division-ii-lake-erie-college?mc_cid=97ab69a0c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Basford Division II Wrestling Rankings – Preseason
The annual Basford Division II Wrestling Rankings have been released. Rankings compiled by Chris Basford (Basford22@yahoo.com) … rest of story at https://rokfin.com/ranking/946/Basford-Division-II-Wrestling-Rankings–Preseason?mc_cid=c33f4da146&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Mines Welcomes Ecker As Wrestling Assistant Coach
GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines has announced the hiring of Seth Ecker as assistant coach for the wrestling program. Ecker will join head coach Austin Devoe’s staff looking to help carry the momentum of a program returning to national prominence. Over the past three seasons, Mines has gone 30-7 in duals while winning consecutive RMAC championships. The Orediggers have been a fixture in the national rankings peaking at #9 in 2020, and have produced nine NCAA qualifiers and a pair of All-Americans since 2018. 
Ecker arrives at Mines with a diversity of experience at all three divisions of NCAA wrestling. Most recently, Ecker spent the 2019-20 season as a graduate assistant at Kutztown University, where he helped produce a pair of NWCA All-Americans and two NCAA qualifiers last season. Prior to that, Ecker was the first-ever head coach at Alvernia University in Pennsylvania, where he spent the 2018-19 season recruiting and fundraising for the start-up program. Ecker has also had assistant coaching stops at the University of Maryland, where he coached the program’s first all-American in four seasons; at Ithaca College, where the program produced six NCAA qualifiers in consecutive seasons with six total all-Americans; and at Ursinus College, … rest of story at https://minesathletics.com/news/2020/11/16/mines-welcomes-ecker-as-wrestling-assistant-coach.aspx?mc_cid=97ab69a0c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Wrestling Adds Three Nebraskans, Five Out-of-State Newcomers
Kearney, Neb. – Nebraska-Kearney head wrestling coach Dalton Jensen today announced the names of eight high school seniors who’ll take to the mats next winter for the Lopers. The in-state newcomers are Drew Arnold (Beatrice H.S.), Daniel DeRosier (Bellevue East H.S.), and Dylan Vodicka (David City H.S.). Coming from outside Nebraska are Tyler Collins (Wray, Colo.), Beau Hostler (Broomfield, Colo.), Jackson Kinsella (Creston, Ia.), Fabian Lopez (Ovid, Colo.), and Briar Reisz (Logan, Ia.). Jensen noted UNK will add some more newcomers to the 2021-22 roster later this academic year.  UNK’s current roster features a stellar senior class. The NCAA Division II Presidents Council has granted an eligibility waiver (i.e. a “free year”) for winter sport student-athletes this year due to the ongoing COVID pandemic.
Arnold (Blue Springs, Neb.) will compete at 133/141 pounds for the Lopers. He has 119 career wins to date and is a three-time state placer, finishing third in Class B last winter at 120 pounds. Outside of the high school season, Arnold placed in the top five at the 2019 USA Pre and Post Season Nationals. “Drew is a very savvy and confident wrestler. The way he approaches his training and matches, he is sure to have success at this level,” Jensen said. … rest of story at https://lopers.com/news/2020/11/13/wrestling-adds-three-nebraskans-five-out-of-state-newcomesr.aspx?mc_cid=870ca1d130&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 24, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment