Takedown Report

Women’s Wrestling News – # 53

TDR Editor’s Notes ; It is important to recognize and celebrate individual women wrestlers such as in the first three articles. A transfer from a school without women’s wrestling to Arizona State in article #4. The schedule for Life University team in #5. A look at the top wrestlers and the latest college poll in #6 & #7. It has been fascinating and amazing to look back over the history is shown in #8. Possible growth to the Ivy League in #9 and a look forward for the sport in general in # 10.
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1 } – Sarah Hildebrandt – 3x Team USA, 2018 World Silver Medalist
About This Episode
Sarah Hildebrandt (@sarhilde) is currently the #1 50kg wrestler in the US. She recently dominated the 2020 Senior Nationals, winning OW in the process.  Back in 2018, she won a World Silver medal and is currently gunning for a spot on the 2021 Olympic Team.  Please enjoy folks! (Photo: Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers are Warriors)
FANS: If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews! … rest of story and podcast at _{https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/174-sarah-hildebrandt-3x-team-usa-2018-world-silver/?mc_cid=5358e83a0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

2 } – Sarah Hildebrandt: What I learned from Amy Hildebrandt
Sarah Hildebrandt, a 2018 World silver medalist and a two-time WCWA champion for King, shares thoughts on what she has learned from her younger sister by two and a half years: Trine University head women’s wrestling coach Amy Hildebrandt.
TRY. FAIL. WHO CARES?
“What I’ve learned from Amy is to chase your dreams. Go after them. Who cares what your past is? Who cares what people are saying in the present? I think about my sister and she didn’t wrestle in college and didn’t love wrestling until later on in life and now she is so in love with it and chasing her dream. It’s different than what she ever anticipated and she’s out there doing that.
DON’T PRE-SUFFER
“This is specific but it stuck with me for a long time. … rest of story at _{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1604026332825&twSessionId=eizsageqbn&postId=872416135&mc_cid=8d4526dbd7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

3 } – BOOK REVIEW: AFSOON IS A GREAT READ FOR ALL WRESTLERS, OR ANYBODY WHO REALLY WANTS TO BE INSPIRED
I was very hopeful when I heard that there would be a book written about Afsoon Roshanzamir Johnston, the Iranian immigrant who became a pioneer for women’s wrestling in the United States.
To be transparent, I consider Afsoon a friend. I have had a number of opportunities to hear different aspects of her amazing life story, which she shared with me over the years. I was already a staff member at USA Wrestling back in 1989 when Afsoon was in high school and started her international wrestling career. I have known Afsoon ever since, witnessing first-hand her career on the mat, her development as an Olympic coach, and her role as a volunteer leader in USA Wrestling over the last three decades.
The book, aptly named Afsoon, and written by respected wrestling author Craig Sesker, came out earlier this season. I brought the book with me for a recent vacation flight and never put it down. … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/October/26/Book-Review-of-Afsoon?mc_cid=5358e83a0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

4 } – Arizona State University Is the Next Destination For Jess Battilochi
WHEELING — The sport of wrestling has allowed Jess Battilochi to travel to different parts of the world during her days as an athletic trainer at Wheeling University. She has been to Beijing, China; Panama City, Panama and Klippan, Sweden. However, all of those journeys were roundtrips. Her next trip will be a one-way shot. The 2009 Buckeye Local graduate recently accepted an assistant trainer’s position with the wrestling program at Arizona State in Tempe. Her last day at WU will be Nov. 3. “This is truly my dream job. I was notified last Tuesday and I’m still in shock,” Battilochi said in a telephone interview Monday night. “I saw the job posting and applied. I went through three zoom interviews with various members of the athletic department and wrestling program. Then I received notification that they had hired me.”
Battilochi has been working at Wheeling University for the past three-plus years. In addition to the wrestling program, she has also worked with the women’s soccer; rugby and softball programs. … rest of story at _{https://www.theintelligencer.net/sports/top-sports/2020/10/asu-is-the-next-destination-for-jess-battilochi/?mc_cid=2e944b01db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

5 } – Life University Women’s Wrestling Announces 2020-21 Scheduling
MARIETTA, Ga. —- Life University women’s wrestling head coach Ashley Sword announced the completed 2020-21 schedule Wednesday afternoon. Sword mentioned, “Our ladies have been eager to compete since the cancellation of the 2020 NAIA National Invitational. As coaches, we are excited to see what this very young, but very talented group of athletes has in store.” Starting off the year, Jordan Nelson will compete in the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open on November 1. She will match up with Precious Bell in the event that has captured the attention of the international wrestling community. Sword added, “It seems right that our only senior Jordan will take center stage at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open to kick off our year. We are proud of her tireless work ethic, and honored for this opportunity to show what we can do on the national stage.” The Running Eagles as a team will open up competition in late November … rest of story at _{https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2020/10/28/womens-wrestling-announces-2020-21-scheduling.aspx?mc_cid=aa8061392c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

6 } – LOOKING AT THE WOMEN’S FREESTYLE WRESTLERS REGISTERED FOR THE U23 AND UWW JUNIOR NATIONALS
The UWW U23 and Junior Nationals will take place in Omaha, Nebraska, next week from November 13-15. Each division will feature all three Olympic styles (men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman) with 10 weight classes in each style. The tournament was initially slated to act as a World Team Trials for the Junior and U23 World Teams. However, both age-group-level World tournaments have been cancelled by United World Wrestling. While registration doesn’t close until Tuesday, November 10, a strong contingent of athletes already lined up to compete. … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/November/06/Womens-freestyle-registration-U23s-and-Juniors?mc_cid=b6ed949da8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

7 } – NCAA WOMEN | Pre-Season Poll
Manheim, PA – On Monday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the pre-season individual and tournament team rankings for the NCAA Women. This is the second season that the NWCA has sponsored a poll for the NCAA Women’s division. 
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Freshmen are not included in the preseason polls. Of note, many athletes are coming off redshirt years.
With NCAA women competing in freestyle competition, it has been determined that results from sanctioned freestyle events such as USA Wrestling’s U23 Championships will be factored into the individual rankings throughout the season. … rest of story at _{http://www.nwcaonline.com/ncaa-women-pre-season-poll/?mc_cid=41fa5d2268&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

8 } – A thread on King women’s wrestling and intrasquad results
King University has been a staple program in women’s wrestling for a decade. 
When the program was added in 2010 there were just 12 teams competing that season: 9 NAIA, 3 NCAA. There are 87 programs a decade later and NCAA women’s wrestling has emerging sport status. 
Some of the current most dominant freestyle wrestlers have roots in Bristol—think Sarah Hildebrandt, Alli Ragan and Forrest Molinari, to name a few. Not to mention the coaches that have grown there as well. Assistant Coach Julia Salata is a lead voice in women’s wrestling and contributes cross-functionally as a coach, athlete and pioneer with Wrestle Like A Girl. Travis Mercado leads at Colorado Mesa, Breonnah Neal at Ferrum, Nick Goebel and Jessi Kee at Tiffin. … rest of story at _{https://www.transitionwrestling.com/a-thread-on-king-womens-wrestling-and-intrasquad-results/?mc_cid=5c187c6cfd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

9} – .Are Ivy League programs ready to add women’s college wrestling?
Join Chris Ayres of Princeton, Zach Tanelli of Columbia, and Jacque Davis for a round table discussion on bringing Division I women’s college wrestling to Ivy League schools. .. rest of story at _{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1605239724849&twSessionId=hfguqgcrvd&videoId=875254135&mc_cid=b4122c2e60&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

10 } – Women’s wrestling continues to march forward in 2020
Trackwrestling recently hosted a 30-minute round table discussion with Columbia head coach Zach Tanelli, Princeton head coach Chris Ayres and women’s wrestling advocate Jacque Davis on bringing Division I women’s college wrestling to Ivy League schools.
Although the round table discussion was simply a starting point to create momentum for women’s college wrestling, the conversation offered insight into growing the entire sport. Below are a few takeaways from the call.
You can watch the entire interview here.
Jacque Davis, women’s wrestling advocate
“We’re in an incredible place (for women’s wrestling). We’re at nearly 30,000 girls across the country that are wrestling at the high school level. We have 87 colleges — and growing — that are offering women’s wrestling.
“If we can get them in this space, maybe they’ll know it’s possible.”
Chris Ayres, Princeton head coach
“The benefit of wrestling is the same for women as it is for men. I just want women to have those opportunities. We’ve ignored the other half of humanity. This is good for wrestling, not just men or women. When you add a woman to your program you don’t just add one fan. You add her parents, her grandparents, her aunts, her uncles.  “For anyone who will listen, I will tell them the story of what’s going to happen down the road because we kind of know how this story is going to end. … rest of story at _{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1605239724849&twSessionId=hfguqgcrvd&postId=875923135&mc_cid=b4122c2e60&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

December 6, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized