Takedown Report

College Wrestling News – # 113

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Included are articles of individual schools in Oklahoma (#1 & 5), Wyoming (#4), and Iowa (#6). Others have a broader view as this season has had to make many adjustments in Division-III (#3), The MAC (#7), The NCAA adding another season (#9), and saving ptograms (#2). More hopeful is the announcement of future national tournaments (#8) and the video of a unique match (#10).
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1 } – OKWU grapplers boost numbers, potential for 2020-21
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s wrestling team is gearing up for what it hopes to be its most consistent journey since the program began four years ago, and the first campaign for which new head coach Thomas Carr will preside. The Eagles have set their opener for Nov. 7 in a dual meet tournament at York (Neb.) College. Details for later matches this season have to be finalized, due to possible responses this winter to the virus. The Eagles welcome back some proven talents, including Ridge Smith, who powered to fourth place, at 184 pounds, in last season’s combined Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference/Sooner Athletic Conference men’s championship tournament. … rest of story at _{https://www.examiner-enterprise.com/story/sports/2020/10/24/okwu-mat-coach-blends-veterans-and-newcomers-promising-squad/3744399001/?mc_cid=ab142e53b8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

2 } – What Could Save NCAA Programs From Further Sports Cuts? The Knight Commission Has An Idea
Just about all of Division I is in financial trouble. Furloughs and layoffs, salary cuts, and travel and spending deductions are some of the tools being used to try to balance a FY 2021 budget with minimal revenues but lots of fixed expenses. It’s ugly. When the Power 5 created the College Football Playoff in 2014, the media dollars poured in, to the tune of $450 million per year. Over the last six years, $2.7 billion has filled up their coffers, leaving the rest of Division I in the dust as they try to remain competitive. Yet some of those same juggernaut schools are dropping sports. I’ve written about the challenges facing schools that have resorted to cuts in 2020, like Stanford University, the University of Iowa and the University of Minnesota. You know it’s bad when the richest schools are bailing out. But it’s even worse for the non-Power 5 programs, which, if the big-time schools are swimming in debt, are drowning in it. Schools like William and Mary, George Washington University, LaSalle University, Boise State University and the University of Connecticut have thrown their hands up and said they can no longer have a program this broad. Many fans and athletic directors wish someone—anyone—would throw them a lifeline. … rest of story at _{https://www.forbes.com/sites/karenweaver/2020/10/07/what-could-save-ncaa-programs-from-further-sports-cuts-the-knight-commission-has-an-idea/?mc_cid=a13c46544f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&sh=75a9c82b4012}

3 } – QUESTIONS FOR A NEW SEASON
October 1st marked the first day of official training for the 2020-2021 season. Usually, the start date is October 10th, but the NCAA has allowed some additional flexibility due to the uncertainty imposed by COVID-19. Additionally, rather than allowing a 19 week season where activity on a single day uses up a week, DIII teams in all sports are instead working with a 114 day season where each day of practice or competition counts only for itself. Some schools are currently training without contact. Others are wrestling in small groups. Some are surely training as usual. Some schools are entirely or mostly online. If those schools are practicing, they are doing so without most of their wrestlers on campus. As each school navigates the pandemic in its own way, there are a lot of questions about how the season will look, and many of them do not have answers. … rest of story at _{https://www.d3wrestle.com/questions-for-a-new-season/?mc_cid=aeabd832c4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

4 } – Six COVID-19 cases prompt University of Wyoming wrestling to halt activities
University of Wyoming wrestlers have halted activities after six cases of COVID-19 were identified among the team, the school announced Wednesday. The team won’t engage in any athletic activities and members are being encouraged to shelter in place through Oct. 14, the university said in a press release. During that period, team members are supposed to only interact with people they live with, while attending classes remotely. The decision comes a week after the school halted cheer team activities after three members of the team tested positive for COVID-19. That team has roughly 40 members. The school also closed its law school in mid-September to in-person instruction after six students tested positive. … rest of story at _{https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/six-covid-19-cases-prompt-university-of-wyoming-wrestling-to-halt-activities/article_70af5756-3e73-554f-98ba-dec5dda5edf9.html?mc_cid=a2feb99899&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

5 } – Updated OSU Wrestling Roster Reveals a Few Program Losses
An updated look at the current roster
Oklahoma State updated its online roster for the 2020-2021 season and there were some changes. Naturally the graduating seniors are gone and no longer listed, but there seems to be a few other program losses. Brevin Balmeceda, Rhett Golowenski, Bear Hughes, Alex Kauffman, Triston Wills, Dallas Wilson, and Conner Wilson are all no longer listed on the roster.
Hughes and Wills were expected as both announced plans to transfer to Arkansas-Little Rock over the summer. The other roster changes were not as well known. Golowenski and Dallas Wilson were both listed at 125 last season which leaves the Cowboys with only one 125 on the roster who is not a true freshman with Colten Klein. … rest of story at _{https://pistolsfiringblog.com/updated-osu-wrestling-roster-reveals-program-additions-and-losses/?mc_cid=accb7cd38c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

6 } – Leistikow: Tackling your questions, Part 2 … wrestling worries

What is going to happen with college wrestling season?
Expanding on what colleague Cody Goodwin wrote last month, expect the NCAA Championships (scheduled for March 18-20 in St. Louis) to be protected at all costs. Coaches are looking at a start date around Jan. 1, a limited schedule (conference-only duals, probably) and perhaps fewer national qualifiers. Of all sports, close-quarters wrestling would benefit most from daily antigen testing that began Wednesday for Big Ten football programs. If football goes well, wrestling has a chance. One last thought on wrestling: I think the NCAA should allow this abbreviated-at-best season as a “free” year of eligibility, like in football. In that case, Iowa 125-pound phenom Spencer Lee would recover his shot at four NCAA titles. … rest of story at _{https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/columnists/chad-leistikow/2020/10/01/iowa-football-linebackers-after-djimon-colbert-run-game-creativity-under-brian-ferentz/3587509001/?mc_cid=a2feb99899&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

7 } – MAC Announces Operational Plan for Wrestling, and Swim & Dive Seasons
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference announced Monday an operational plan for Wrestling, and Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving to conduct the 2020-21 season. The plan, approved by the MAC Directors of Athletics on Friday, includes recommendations for Wrestling and Men’s and Women’s Swimming to conduct the 2020-21 season, while mitigating health and safety concerns related to COVID-19. 
The MAC Wrestling season is scheduled to begin January 1, 2021 with teams competing in an eight-week season with Conference Quad and Tri Meets scheduled by the Conference office during Weeks 4 & 5. The MAC Championships will take place February 27-28, 2021.
The MAC Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving seasons originally scheduled for late October will begin competition on November 5^th. Both the men’s and women’s Conference championships will pushed back (Men: April 8-10, Women: April 15-17) to accompany the delayed start date. Student-Athletes will remain eligible to compete at the NCAA Championships held in March.  
A full list of recommendations for each sport can be found below. These recommendations are and will be subject to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with state and local health guidelines.   

Wrestling

• Eight-Week Season (Jan. 1 – Feb. 21) with Conference Quad and Tri Meets scheduled by the conference office during Weeks 4 & 5 (Jan. 22-24 & Jan. 29-31).  
• Teams may independently schedule additional Conference meets as able or needed.
• Conference Championships moved to February 27-28, 2021(current dates March 5-6).  … rest of story at _{https://getsomemaction.com/news/2020/10/12/general-mac-announces-operational-plan-for-wrestling-and-swim-dive-seasons.aspx?mc_cid=9d92b7854a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

8 } – NCAA awards future sites for national tournament
The NCAA on Wednesday unveiled future sites for its wrestling championships and college wrestling’s showcase event is circling back to three familiar places and one new stop.  For the first time, Tulsa will play the role of the host city of the NCAA Championships in 2023 before Kansas City (2024), Philadelphia (2025) and Cleveland (2026) welcome the tournament back.  The NCAA Championships went to Kansas City for the first time in 2003 and Philadelphia in 2011, while Cleveland played host in 1998 and 2018.  The Division II NCAA Championships are headed to Cedar Rapids (2023), Wichita (2024), Indianapolis (2025) and Sioux Falls (2026), while Roanoke (2023), LaCrosse (2024), Providence (2025) and Cedar Rapids (2026) will host the D3 Championships. … rest of story at _{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1602705358203&twSessionId=uwwxmrsqam&postId=870485135&mc_cid=61e8f19369&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}
Oklahoma State Chosen to Host NCAA Championship Events
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State has been selected to host the 2022 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships, the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships, the 2024 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships and the 2025 NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals, it was announced today. In February of this year, schools across the country submitted bids to host NCAA Championships spanning from the 2022-23 academic year through the 2025-26 academic year. The Men’s Final Four and championships for baseball and softball were excluded from this bid process. … rest of story at _{https://okstate.com/news/2020/10/14/general-oklahoma-state-chosen-to-host-ncaa-championship-events.aspx?mc_cid=61e8f19369&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}
Penn, Drexel, PHL Sports Selected To Host 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championship at the Wells Fargo Center
PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with Drexel University and PHL Sports, has been selected to host the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championship at the Wells Fargo Center, the NCAA announced today. Philadelphia, and more specifically the University of Pennsylvania, has a long and storied history with wrestling, beginning with hosting the first intercollegiate tournament on Penn’s campus in 1905. … rest of story at _{https://pennathletics.com/news/2020/10/14/penn-drexel-phl-sports-selected-to-host-2025-ncaa-wrestling-championship-at-the-wells-fargo-center.aspx?mc_cid=61e8f19369&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

9} – NCAA grants winter athletes additional season
The NCAA’s Division I Council voted this week to grant all winter athletes, including wrestlers, who compete during the 2020-21 season, an additional season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spring athletes were previously granted an additional season of eligibility. “The pandemic will continue to impact winter sport seasons in ways we can’t predict. Council members opted to provide for winter sport student-athletes the same flexibility given spring and fall sports previously,” … rest of story at _{https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23928?mc_cid=61e8f19369&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}
NCAA Division I Council reportedly votes to grant additional year of eligibility to winter-sports athletes
Spencer Lee’s pathway to become a four-time NCAA champion could be cleared again, and the drive for five might be alive for Yianni Diakomihalis and Mekhi Lewis.  The NCAA’s Division I Council voted Tuesday in favor of granting an additional year of eligibility to winter sports athletes, college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman reported. Goodman tweeted that the decision could be brought back for reconsideration and won’t be official until the close of Wednesday’s meetings.  In August, the NCAA granted blanket waivers to athletes participating in fall sports, … rest of the story at _{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1602639465254&twSessionId=katzbfkdqt&postId=869451135&mc_cid=2844d9a77e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

10 } – Adventures with the AD – Wrestling
HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – “Adventures with the AD” is a video series in which each of our Centenary Athletics teams will get a chance to challenge Athletics Director Travis Spencer to complete a skill or drill that they are required to perform in practice or a game.
In Episode 4, the wrestling team puts Spencer through his paces including a challenge to climb the rope and do some drilling on the mat. Do you think he successfully completed the challenge? … rest of story and video at _{https://centenarycyclones.com/news/2020/10/14/adventures-with-the-ad-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=61e8f19369&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

November 26, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized