Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

National Wrestling News (2021) – # 3

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Selection of articles across the nation that are of interest to wrestling fans across the country. We have the title of each article and the first paragraph or so, (enough to grab your interest) then the link to where the rest of the article can be found, Read on and enjoy.
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1 } – Wrestling helps these three deal with real-life issues
By Sandy Stevens
This teacher addressed her kindergarten charges at home on their computers.
Teacher: “Use your sense of sight to help you draw a picture of something in your house that you can see that we cannot see.”
Kid 1: “I’m going to draw my tiny kitten.”
Kid 2: “Can I draw my brother? You can’t see him because he’s in his room.”
Kid 3: “But I didn’t get a turn.”
This article appeared in the late-November issue of WIN Magazine. Click on image to subscribe to WIN Magazine with a special holiday offer.
Teacher: “Ok, go ahead.”
Kid 3: “My private parts! You guys can’t see it because it’s my private.”
Teacher (struggling not to laugh): “Oh dear, please do not draw a picture of your private.”
Kid 3: “What do you want me to draw then?”
Teacher: “Um, how about a cool toy from your room?”
Kid 3: “OK!”
Another crisis averted. And just another day in the life of Toccara Montgomery, the 2008 Olympian, two-time World silver medalist, two-time Junior World silver medalist, two-time Pan American titlist … and kindergarten teacher at Hazelwood School in the St. Louis suburbs.
Montgomery is just one of the successful collegiate and international wrestlers who are using the lessons of the sport in their careers off the mat. “It makes 100 percent difference that I was a wrestler,” declared Montgomery, who graduated from Cumberlands in 2006 with a 29-0 dual record and a degree in elementary education, before earning a master’s degree in instructional leadership. … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/12/04/wrestling-helps-these-three-deal-with-real-life-issues/?mc_cid=876213e0a7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wrestling-helps-these-three-deal-with-real-life-issues

2 } – Young heavyweights Gable Steveson and Mason Parris shine at the RTC Cup
Two-time World medalist and returning World team member Nick Gwiazdowski had his hands full with age-group World champions Gable Steveson and Mason Parris.
The first official RTC Freestyle Cup was an incredible success. Sponsored by Titan Mercury Wrestling Club and streamed by FloWrestling, six of the strongest wrestling clubs and regional training centers in the United States squared off in a dual meet tournament for an attractive cash prize.
The tournament was contested in the dual meet “team vs. team” format – each club sent out six wrestlers at the Olympic weight classes. The winner of the round-robin in each of the two pools advanced to the semifinals, while the runner-ups wrestled again in a consolation match to put themselves back into contention. With only six weights, there were plenty of 3-3 duals that came down to criteria like “most technical falls” or “most points scored.” Every point mattered, adding significance to each match. The participants were the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, based out of Michigan, the Wolfpack Wrestling Club, based out of North Carolina, the Ohio RTC, Gopher Wrestling Club, based out of Minnesota, Spartan Combat RTC, based out of Cornell in New York, and the combined New Jersey RTC and Southeast RTC team.
There were plenty of standout performers – namely Wolfpack WC’s Trent Hidlay, a college redshirt sophomore who went undefeated and knocked off #12 world ranked … rest of story at https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2020/12/7/22158446/wrestling-breakdown-young-heavyweights-gable-steveson-and-mason-parris-shine-at-the-rtc-cup?mc_cid=6c7e360412&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – J’DEN COX DISPLAYS CREATIVITY ON THE MAT IN WRESTLING AND OFF IT WITH MUSIC
Each Tuesday leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, which will be held in the summer of 2021, TeamUSA.org will introduce you to an athlete you should know prior to Tokyo – as part of the “Tokyo Tuesday” series. There’s a lot to learn on your quest to becoming the ultimate fan. Follow along on social media with the hashtag #TokyoTuesday.
J’den Cox is known as a world champion freestyle wrestler, a powerhouse on the mat who won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and is looking for gold in Tokyo in 2021.  There’s another side that Cox also enjoys sharing with the world, especially the wrestling community. Whenever he gets the opportunity to step to the center of the venue at the start of a meet, hold the microphone and sing the national anthem, the gifted vocalist loves seeing the reactions of the people around him who only know him as Cox the wrestler.
“I think it goes to show there’s more to us than a couple minutes scrapping on a mat,” said Cox, 25, from Columbia, Missouri. “In general athletes are a lot more than what they do and have a lot more things they contribute to. I think it’s cool because it also allows me to show there isn’t one image that makes a wrestler.”… rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/News/2020/December/08/Jden-Cox-Displays-Creativity-On-The-Mat-In-Wrestling-And-Off-It-With-Music?mc_cid=372ecbefe1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – USA WRESTLING LAUNCHES LEGACY GIVING PROGRAM
USA Wrestling is excited to announce the launch of our Legacy Giving Program! This program has been in the planning phase since June of 2019 when Dr. Ken Lane handed a check to USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender and said, “Here; I want this to be a legacy gift.” Dr. Lane recently shared his thoughts about his legacy gift. “Wrestling not only changed my character, but it also changed my life. I cannot shoot a takedown, or throw a headlock anymore, but I can give back to my sport as a way of saying ‘Thank You’ for this wonderful life. When I saw the ‘Legacy Wall’ at the University of Nebraska, it inspired me to suggest to USA Wrestling to create an opportunity for all of us to financially reward our sport by creating a gift that will live forever,” said Dr. Lane. At the time of Dr. Lane’s gift, USA Wrestling did not have a formal program for these type of gifts. This led to USA Wrestling conducting research on how these programs worked and could impact the organization and the sport. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/December/08/Legacy-Giving-program-launched?mc_cid=6c7e360412&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Gophers heavyweight Gable Steveson moving up in Olympic pecking order
He is rising on the Olympic wrestling team’s radar after beating the No. 1-ranked heavyweight.  The coronavirus pandemic hit high-level wrestling hard this year, with the NCAA championships at U.S. Bank Stadium wiped out, the Olympic Games in Tokyo moved to the summer of 2021 and the college season delayed. For Gable Steveson, gone was the chance to win an NCAA heavyweight title in his backyard, and on hold was the opportunity to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Things, however, are looking up for the Gophers standout from Apple Valley as 2021 approaches. He made sure of it by seizing his latest opportunity. On Dec. 4 in Cincinnati, Steveson posted a key victory in his young career, defeating Nick Gwiazdowski, the nation’s top-ranked freestyle wrestler at 125 kilograms (275.6 pounds). Steveson used a pair of takedowns to top Gwiazdowski, a two-time world championships bronze medalist, 4-1 in the RTC Cup, a matchup of teams from regional training centers. “My reaction was not really relief, but I felt I had it in me to do it and now was the time to do it,” said Steveson, who was wrestling for the Gopher Wrestling Club. “Gwiz is a really good competitor, but I felt my time to step to the plate was next up.”
The victory — the first for the 20-year-old Steveson in three meetings against Gwiazdowski, 27 — … rest of story at https://www.startribune.com/gophers-heavyweight-gable-steveson-moving-up-in-olympic-pecking-order/573379281/?mc_cid=1d3b41c6e1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&refresh=true

6 } – Wattenberg ’03 Aims to Change Culture of Combat Sports
Clint Wattenberg ’03 took his first steps into the Cornell wrestling room in 1998 as a three-time section champion and two-time state place-winner at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, Calif. In 2017, after 19 years at Cornell both as a student and a full-time employee, Wattenberg took a leap of faith and left Ithaca to grow his impact on combat sports. Soon to be in his fourth year as the Director of Nutrition at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute, Wattenberg is already changing the game.  
Using his knowledge of performance nutrition and exercise physiology, Wattenberg hopes to change how combat athletes take care of their metabolic health throughout the duration of their careers. For Wattenberg and his team, long gone are the overly restrictive weight cuts that can be damaging to an athlete’s long-term health. Wattenberg has turned his focus towards helping athletes maintain a healthy lifestyle for all 52 weeks of the year rather than operating at an extreme caloric deficit leading up to a fight. “I want to drive home the importance of a performance paradigm that can support training, recovery, adaptation, and at the end of the day, health and performance,” Wattenberg said. “When athletes continue to be overly restrictive and prioritize weight cutting to such a degree, it will impact metabolic health and performance at some phase during their careers.” To understand his passion, you have to go back to Wattenberg’s time as a member of the Cornell wrestling team from 1999-2003. … rest of story at https://cornellbigred.com/news/2020/12/16/wrestling-wattenberg-03-aims-to-change-culture-of-combat-sports.aspx?mc_cid=4edc48d477&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Former wrestler Michael Madden plays Deck Hines in The Last Champion
Washington native and former University of Jamestown wrestler Michael John Madden joins the Short Time Wrestling Podcast to talk about his role as Deck Hines in The Last Champion. Madden was a 2009 state qualifier in Washington for White River High School in Buckley. He wrestled for a season at NAIA Jamestown in North Dakota before leaving school to pursue acting.
SHORT TIME SHOTS (it’s the scores and such, people)
In the NAIA, Grand View broke one of college wrestling’s oldest records as the Vikings went 3-0 at the Winter Clash Duals at Missouri Valley to break the all-time dual meet win streak mark. The old record of 92 by SUNY-Delhi was set from 1979-1982. Grand View tied the record earlier this month. In the first dual of the day, Grand View topped ninth-ranked Marian (Ind.) to earn the 93rd in a row to take possession of the record. The Vikings then beat Cumberland University 31-16 and shut out Texas Wesleyan 49-0. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/former-wrestler-michael-madden-plays-deck-hines-in-the-last-champion/?mc_cid=065f8820b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – GROSS BEATS GILMAN BY CRITERIA, HEATON, WICK, WELKER GET BIG WINS AT WISCONSIN RTC UNDERGROUND 2
In a battle of top lightweight stars, past NCAA champion Seth Gross scored a 4-4 criteria win over 2017 World silver medalist Thomas Gilman in the Main Event at Wisconsin RTC Underground 2 on Wednesday night. The card featured 12 freestyle matches, eight for men and four for women. Gilman was the aggressor on his feet the entire match, but was not able to complete a takedown on Gross. Gilman led 1-0 at the break when one of his single leg attacks led to a step out. In the second period, Gross scored a counter takedown to lead 2-0. A counter tilt by Gross, with a Gilman reversal made it 4-2. Gilman scored two more points on single legs that went out of bounds, each a caution and one point penalty, to tie it at 4-4. Gross won because he scored a pair of two-point moves. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/December/16/Gross-beats-Gilman-in-Wisconsin-RTC-Underground-2?mc_cid=4edc48d477&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Optimized training systems can take wrestlers to the next level
What if you could be intentional during your entire training session? What if you could maximize every second of your workout so it translates into elite performance? Jed Smith and Peter Smolianov — authors of the book “Fringe Methodologies in High Performance and Health” — are asking those questions as they work to advance effective training cycles to develop elite athletes. They want to use compounding as a way to develop high-level athletic performance.  Compounding is simply layered stress implemented over a long period of time. It’s a gradual approach that requires consistency, commitment, and patience. It’s a philosophy that’s less about immediate results and more about long-term gains. Nothing of value happens instantaneously — and compounding is a byproduct of that philosophy. Smith and Smolianov are particularly interested in how compounding can be utilized in wrestling given the dynamic nature of the sport. Many individual sports require repetitive motion (running, swimming, weight lifting) or equipment (tennis, golf, trapshooting) but wrestling is among the few sports where another human being dictates your movements through physical contact. A tennis player reacts to her opponent but never makes physical contact. Even boxing doesn’t require extended contact. A fighter can strike his opponent for a split second before setting up another offensive attack.  Wrestling is a multitasking sport that requires every available sense to be successful. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1607745426747&twSessionId=epsxlvhmrs&postId=900392135&mc_cid=afaeddd782&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – WIBN Speaker Series: Carl Eschenbach
Carl Eschenbach is a Partner at Sequoia Capital and a former wrestler originally from the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Episode 9 of State of Wrestling kicks off the Wrestlers In Business Network Speaker Series with Eschenbach as he talks about leadership, business and technology and our current state of business affairs. Eschenbach will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American in 2021, although he and his fellow induction class were set to be inducted in 2020 before the pandemic canceled Honors Weekend. Eschenbach explains his background, his plans to wrestle in college, but how a personal change altered the course of his career. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/state-of-wrestling/wibn-speaker-series-carl-eschenbach/?mc_cid=afaeddd782&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Casey Moss has more to his game than daytime TV and The Last Champion
Casey Moss was best known as J.J. Deveraux on the long-running daytime drama Days of Our Lives. As Moss was toward the end of his run on the show, he earned the role of Scott Baker in the recently released wrestling-themed drama The Last Champion. On Episode 639 of Short Time, Moss talks about his role as Baker in the movie, what it was like to gain the role, his background wrestling growing up in Arizona before we go way off the original topic and talk about his band, Inner Echo, and our favorite concerts of all time. Moss is an intriguing figure who we will hear more from in the years ahead in both music and wrestling.
SHORT TIME SHOTS (it’s the scores and such, people)
On the Grand View watch, the Vikings extended their win streak to 96 in a row with a 31-6 win over Morningside on Thursday. The NAIA also picked up a notable victory since the last time we met as Southeastern (Fla.)  upended The Citadel from Division I 22-14 in Charleston. Key wins registered by Coleman Bryant (no relation), Indiana transfer Blake Rypel and 197-pounder Trillyon Fils-Aim sealed the deal for the Fire! It was the first win over a Division I program in the short history of SEU wrestling. It’s just the second win over a D1 school in ANY sport, the other was a women’s volleyball win over Bethune-Cookman in 2013, that according to SEU SID Donnie Smith. The NWCA released the Preseason Division II Top 25 and to no one’s surprise, returning champion St. Cloud State sits atop the rankings, … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/casey-moss-has-more-to-his-game-than-daytime-tv-and-the-last-champion/?mc_cid=ed5fd11129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – PLETCHER DOMINATES HABAT, REID UPSETS THOMAS AT PWC 1
Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Pittsburgh Wrestling Club joined the ranks of RTCs hosting and streaming their own events this evening with their ten-match card “PWC 1”. The event, which streamed live on Rokfin, provided numerous thrilling bouts. In the main event, PWC resident athlete Luke Pletcher dismantled former NCAA finalist David Habat. Pletcher, a two-time NCAA All-American and 2020 NWCA First Team All-American for Ohio State, picked apart the Slovakian World Team member in a 9-0 decision. Pletcher scored shortly off the whistle with an explosive double leg takedown. He added two more takedowns and two step-out points, carrying an 8-0 lead into the break. In the second period, he tacked on one more step-out point. Habat was unable to mount any offense against Pletcher’s solid defense, rarely finding any opportunities to attack. In perhaps the biggest upset of the night, Lock Haven’s redshirt sophomore Issac Reid knocked off PRTC resident athlete Demetrius Thomas. Reid compiled a 16-13 record two seasons ago as a redshirt, but did not wrestle a single match last year, while Thomas claimed NWCA First Team All-American honors. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/December/22/Pletcher-dominates-Habat-Reid-upsets-Thomas-at-PWC-1?mc_cid=f9e49e1788&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 10, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment