College Wrestling News – 2021 – #2
TDR Editor’s Notes ; The following articles and polls are ones that involve groups of teams or all the teamsand the sport in general. News and articles that involve just one team or wrestler shall be posted in another grouping. Jump on in and look at the news that has explodedsince the beginning of this new year.
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1 } – Iowa is unanimous No. 1 in first NWCA Division I Coaches Poll of the season
Manheim, Pennsylvania – With the lion’s share of the abbreviated NCAA Division I wrestling season starting this weekend, the NWCA has released its first Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll for the 2020-21 season. Released weekly, the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll is based on dual meet results throughout the season.
After an undefeated dual season in 2019-20 and returning most of its starting lineup, Iowa received all 14 first-place votes and starts the season ranked No. 1 in the nation. As usual, the Big Ten dominates the Top 25 with 11 of its 14 teams ranked. The ACC and Big 12 Conferences each have four schools represented in the Top 25, while the EIWA, Mid-American Conference and Pac-12 each have two apiece.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by two coaches from each Division I wrestling conference. Each first-place vote is worth 25 points, 24 points for a second-place vote, 23 for a third-place vote and so on through to one point for a 25th-place vote. The poll is based on dual meet results. Teams who are not competing this season are not included in the voting process.
NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll — Jan. 1st, 2021
| Rank | Team (First) | 19-20 Record | Points | Conf. | 19-20 Final Dual Rank |
| 1 | Iowa (14) | (13-0) | 350 | Big Ten | 1 |
| 2 | Penn State | (12-2) | 326 | Big Ten | 2 |
| 3 | Michigan | (7-6) | 315 | Big Ten | 22 |
| 4 | NC State | (15-0) | 302 | ACC | 3 |
| 5 | Nebraska | (11-3) | 290 | Big Ten | 4 |
| 6 | Oklahoma State | (13-3) | 277 | Big 12 | 11 |
| 7 | Ohio State | (10-4) | 273 | Big Ten | 5 |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | (11-3) | 230 | ACC | 9 |
| 9 | Iowa State | (10-5) | 225 | Big 12 | 21 |
| 10 | North Carolina | (14-3) | 198 | ACC | 7 |
… rest of story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/iowa-is-unanimous-no-1-in-first-nwca-division-i-coaches-poll-of-the-season/?mc_cid=6915204714&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } – WIN’s Updated NCAA Division I TPI and Rankings (sans Ivy League)
Photo: Yianni Diakomihalis (celebrating with his Cornell coaches) won NCAA titles in 2018 and ’19 before taking an Olympic redshirt last winter. The Big Red junior, like his Cornell teammates and other Ivy League wrestlers, must now wait until 2021-22 to compete in college after the Ivy League announced it was cancelling its winter sports seasons. On Nov. 12, the Ivy League announced that it was cancelling its winter sports season, which includes six schools that compete in wrestling: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Penn and Princeton. The following is an update to WIN’s preseason Tournament Power Index (TPI) and individual rankings in the ten weight classes without those wrestlers.
WIN’S Late-November Tournament Power Index (TPI)
| Rk. | School | Tot. Rank | Top 8 | Pts |
| 1. | Iowa | 10 | 8 | 122.5 |
| 2. | Michigan | 8 | 5 | 77 |
| 3. | Oklahoma State | 7 | 7 | 64 |
| 4. | Nebraska | 8 | 5 | 56.5 |
| 5. | Iowa State | 8 | 6 | 53 |
| 6. | NC State | 8 | 4 | 46.5 |
| 7. | Penn State | 4 | 3 | 43.5 |
| 8. | Ohio State | 6 | 3 | 42.5 |
| 9. | Virginia Tech | 4 | 2 | 39.5 |
| 10. | Rutgers | 5 | 2 | 37.5 |
3 } – Five junior college hammers you need to know about
Every few years, freshmen rise up and steal the stage at the NJCAA Championships. There were five rookie champs in 2015, seven in 2017 and five again in March when Pratt’s Michael Spangler (125) and Jake Beeson (149), Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Blake Gonzalez (141), Harper’s Munkhtugla Zuunbayan (157) and Iowa Western’s Isaiah Crosby (165) took home titles.
Zuunbayan won the tournament’s outstanding wrestler award after knocking off top-seeded Joel Romero of Clackamas with an overtime takedown in the finals.
Here’s a look at five other junior college hammers to follow.
Jake Beeson (Pratt) — A two-time Kansas state high school champion who claimed the 149-pound national title at the NJCAA Championships last season, scoring bonus points in three bouts, including a major decision in the finals.
Zeth Brower (Clackamas) — Followed up an Oregon state high school title season as a prep senior by earning All-America honors in 2019. He returns this season to the Clackamas lineup at 133 after placing third as a freshman at 125.
Isaiah Crosby (Iowa Western) — Placed third in his regional tournament and entered the NJCAA Championships as the No. 18 seed at 165 before going … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606881591177&twSessionId=gjrpfqfumb&postId=880838135&mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – MAC Announcement Regarding Winter Sports
YORK, PA – The Middle Atlantic Conference released the following information in regards to the 2020-21 winter sports season. The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Presidents met this week and affirmed their support for moving forward with tentative plans for winter sports in a manner that prioritizes the health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, campuses and local communities.
Due to state and local restrictions and rising rates of infection across the MAC region, the conference leadership will meet over the next few months and continue to track the trajectory of the pandemic and resulting health and safety recommendations or mandates from local, state and national public health authorities to determine on-going plans and schedules. … rest of story at https://ycp.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20201202imdlnv?mc_cid=580d0bc2a3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – NCAA’s Mark Emmert says he hopes NCAA remains open to reform
NEW YORK — NCAA president Mark Emmert hopes lessons learned through navigating the pandemic will lead college sports leaders to be more open to future reform and to prioritize opportunities for athletes when it comes time to cut costs. In a 25-minute interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Emmert said the NCAA and its member schools have shown an uncommon ability to be nimble and responsive in addressing issues of eligibility, scheduling, recruiting, transfers and conducting championship events. “We’ve done a whole array of things, many of which member schools in the past have said, ‘No, no, no, we can’t do that. That’s not right.’ Well, we’re doing it. And the sporting world hasn’t collapsed,” Emmert told AP. “And so can we as we move forward, say, well, why can’t we continue to do that? … rest of story at https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/30479925/ncaa-mark-emmert-says-hopes-ncaa-remains-open-reform
6 } – 2020-21 NSIC WRESTLING PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
ST. CLOUD STATE PICKED IN NSIC PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
BURNSVILLE, Minn. – St. Cloud State, the nine-time defending NSIC Champions, was the unanimous choice to win the league in the NSIC Preseason Wrestling Coaches’ Poll. The Huskies had 81 points and all nine first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) to rank 13 points ahead of Upper Iowa, which was second with 68 points and the other first place vote. Augustana was third with 66 points while Minnesota State was fourth with 61 points. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside, which joined the NSIC this season as an associated member, ranked fifth with 45 points. … rest of story at https://northernsun.org/news/2020/12/7/2020-21-nsic-wrestling-preseason-coaches-poll.aspx?mc_cid=065f8820b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – OREGON STATE LAUNCHES FUNDRAISER FOR NEW MATS IN HONOR OF GREG STROBEL
Oregon State wrestling is launching a fundraiser for new wrestling mats, while also honoring a wrestling legend, Greg Strobel, who passed away in October.
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Strobel’s accomplishments stretch beyond the collegiate mats, but that is where he forever belongs. The goal is to raise $100,000 for Oregon State Wrestling. The funds raised will be designated toward the Oregon State University Wrestling discretionary fund to furnish the program with new mats for its practice facility and have them bear Strobel’s name. In addition, Greg will be honored within the facility with a commemorative plaque. Greg was a two-time National Champion and … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/December/16/ORST-mat-fundraiser-to-honor-Greg-Strobel?mc_cid=4edc48d477&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – 2020-2021 NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll – No. 2 — Dec 18, 2020
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grand View University (Iowa) claimed the No. 1 spot in the second poll of the 2020-21 season. Joining the Vikings in the top five was Life (Ga.), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Reinhardt (Ga.) and Indiana Tech. Poll Methodology
- The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the eight conferences.
- Two days prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top six individuals from each weight class in his conference into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a conference ballot are considered for the national ballot.
- The top 20 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first place vote, 19 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.
- The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot
- The postseason poll is determined using the individual and team results from the national championship
- For the complete Top 20 calendar, click here.
- 2020-21 NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll 2 (December 18, 2020)
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Grand View (Iowa) | 215 |
| 2 | Life (Ga.) | 157 |
| 3 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 147 |
| 4 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 133 |
| 5 | Indiana Tech | 90 |
… rest of story at https://www.naia.org/sports/mwrest/2020-21/Releases/Mwrest-National-Poll2?mc_cid=ed5fd11129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – 2020-21 NCAA DII National Rankings (12/16/20)
TOM has released our 2020-21 NCAA DII National rankings as of December 16th, 2020. Since there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the collegiate season, we could still see a lot of shuffling in the coming weeks. This edition has removed wrestlers whose teams will not compete during the 2020-21 season. … individual rankings and story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-rankings/2020-21-ncaa-dii-national-rankings-12-16-20/79648?mc_cid=4edc48d477&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – How will college’s dual season affect 2021 NCAA qualifying?
Note: The following story appeared in the December issue of WIN Magazine.
Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN.
By Mike Finn
Many of college wrestling’s leaders have been trying to promote duals as a better way of promoting the sport and something that can save some endangered programs. In this current age of a pandemic, dual meets could actually save a college wrestling season. Unlike past Division I wrestling seasons that begin in November and include many individual tournaments like the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational — which was held annually in December for the past 30 years — it appears that most NCAA Division I college programs won’t start competing until early January. And there will be only dual-meet competition before post-season tournaments begin in late February. But only a few programs like Iowa State had officially announced an official schedule as of mid-December. “It’s nice to get a schedule out, given everything that’s been thrown at us,” said Cyclone coach Kevin Dresser. “Like with other sports, this season will look different, however we are excited to get back on the mat in January.” At this point, wrestling programs … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/12/22/how-will-colleges-dual-season-affect-ncaa-qualifying/?mc_cid=f9e49e1788&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-will-colleges-dual-season-affect-ncaa-qualifying
11 } – CCIW PLANS TO PLAY
The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin announced plans to begin competition in all winter sports no sooner than January 23rd. “[I]f federal, state, local and campus conditions are at a point that student-athletes can return to competition safely and proper testing can be secured, then winter competition can commence.” Augustana, Carthage, Elmhurst, Millikin, North Central, and Wheaton are full members with wrestling, while Concordia Wisconsin, Lakeland, and MSOE are associate members. … rest of story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/cciw-plans-to-play/?mc_cid=daf3892c58&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – DIVISION III TEAM SITES
The 2020-2021 season is set to have 113 Division III teams.
Division III Wrestling Map – up to date for 2020-2021
New Teams for 2020-21
Carthage – Wisconsin
Elmira – New York
Emory & Henry – Virginia
Hiram – Ohio
Iowa Wesleyan – Iowa
New Jersey City University – New Jersey
Shenandoah – Virginia
New Teams for 2021-22
Albion – Michigan
Aurora – Illinois
Roanoke – Virginia … rest of story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/division-iii-team-sites/
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 