Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

NCAA Division I team updates – 2021 – # 1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Many articles and topics linked in with this group. Oklahoma State in the group under (#1). Other schools included in the Division I news with brief one topic posts are Iowa State (#3), Lehigh (#4), Missouri (#6), and Stanford (#7). Some selections havemore than one link such as Oklahoma State, Minnesota (#12) and several Podcasts together in (#9). Look them over and feel free to contact us by e-mail at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Five Takeaways from OSU Wrestling’s Media Availability
Smith provides some clarity on the upcoming season
Oklahoma State head wrestling coach John Smith spoke with the media this week about the upcoming season and here are five big takeaways from what he had to say.
1. “We’re Definitely Having a Season”
All indications were there would be some sort of season this year but in December, which is normally already the start of the season, we still didn’t even have a schedule from Oklahoma State. So there was still a bit of uncertainty about that. Now we know definitively as John has said “We’re definitely having a season.”
2. It’s going to look a little different
We all knew that this would be the case. Every sport at every school across the country so far has looked different as COVID-19 has ravaged what we’ve been used to seeing in college athletics.
Coach Smith was able to provide some additional clarity on this, stating, “We’re definitely wrestling one day a week. It looks like we’re going to have four home dual meets and be on the road 3-4 times.” … rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/five-takeaways-from-osu-wrestlings-media-availability/?mc_cid=29548697b5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
1,995 miles: Travis Wittlake’s Journey from Coos Bay to Stillwater
Coos Bay, Oregon. Population 16,615
One of those residents? Redshirt sophomore wrestler Travis Wittlake Jr.
Wittlake, 20, is a native of the small coastal city in Oregon, a city that is more well-known for fishing than producing wrestling talent, but Wittlake is helping turn that narrative around. “Oregon, they don’t really care about it too much,” Wittlake said. “They’re not very fond of it. There’s just not a ton of high-level wrestlers coming out of Oregon, but there’s always a few individuals.” Wittlake was one of those few individuals, as his wrestling journey began at the age of 4 after his father, Travis Wittlake Sr., who was the head coach at the local mat club, started to have him wrestle. … rest of story at https://www.ocolly.com/sports/1-995-miles-travis-whittlake-s-journey-from-coos-bay-to-stillwater/article_701156f0-456e-11eb-9259-bf3fa5e06671.html?mc_cid=fecb1aa0c2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Check Out This Remarkable Collection of OSU Wrestling Cards
Card collectors and Oklahoma State fans will want to see this.
Just about every sports fan at some point in their life has collected trading cards. I personally grew up in the 1990s when collecting sports cards was probably at its peak in popularity and just about everyone was doing it. A few days ago I stumbled across a Twitter account that had shared some pictures of John Smith trading cards. … rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/check-out-this-remarkable-collection-of-osu-wrestling-cards/?mc_cid=1d3b41c6e1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
John Smith Provides Some Details on the Cowboy Challenge Tournament
OSU will host the tournament on Valentine’s Day
The Oklahoma State wrestling schedule was released Wednesday, and one of the biggest events listed is the Cowboy Challenge tournament on Feb. 14. Teams coming to Stillwater for the event are the University of Central Oklahoma, Missouri, Wyoming and West Virginia. The release from OSU stated the following. … rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/john-smith-provides-some-details-on-the-cowboy-challenge-tournament/?mc_cid=fecb1aa0c2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Launching the Keep Fresno State Wrestling campaign
On October 16, California State University, Fresno announced it was dropping men’s tennis, women’s lacrosse, and for the second time in school history, men’s wrestling. After a decade-long quest to bring the sport back to campus in 2016, a new quest has been started by Keep Fresno State Wrestling. In conjunction with USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Flowrestling, the Keep Fresno State Wrestling group will kickoff its official efforts on Monday, December 21 at 6 p.m. Pacific with a panel of wrestling coaches, athletes, and alumni. That discussion will be streamed live on Flowrestling.org and also available via Zoom.  The panel will highlight and celebrate the strong history of Fresno State wrestling, not just with its on the mat successes, but the post-collegiate success and leadership of its alumni … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/launching-the-keep-fresno-state-wrestling-campaign/?mc_cid=0d946e15c0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Iowa State Wrestling Media Day
AMES, Iowa — Ahead of the 2021 season, Iowa State wrestling head coach, Kevin Dresser, and his team hosted Media Day on Wednesday. Hear from Coach Dresser, Ian Parker, Jarrett Degen, Gannon Gremmel and David Carr as they recap the offseason and look ahead to the 2021 schedule. Print Friendly Version … rest of story at https://cyclones.com/news/2020/12/30/iowa-state-wrestling-media-day.aspx?mc_cid=e4f16a9e0e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Season Preview: No Matter The Circumstances, Lehigh Wrestling Excited For Opportunity To Compete
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The last time the Lehigh wrestling team competed on the mats, the Mountain Hawks navigated a challenging field to claim their third straight EIWA team title. Three wrestlers claimed individual titles and ultimately nine qualified for the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis. Five days after the triumph in Stabler Arena, the sports world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA Championships were canceled and college athletics took a long pause.  
It has been nearly nine months since Lehigh’s EIWA triumph and the athletics department’s last competition. But finally, on Saturday January 2, Lehigh athletics and Lehigh wrestling return. “We’re just excited to have some competition,” head coach Pat Santoro said. We didn’t see our guys for six months at one point and then we lost them again for five weeks. The fact that we’re even competing. We weren’t sure this was going to happen. We’re really thankful and grateful it is. It’s going to look a lot different. I’m just excited to see out guys go out and compete.”   Lehigh will face a curveball right out of the gate. … rest of story at https://lehighsports.com/news/2020/12/31/season-preview-no-matter-the-circumstances-lehigh-wrestling-excited-for-opportunity-to-compete.aspx?mc_cid=b46d50bbf8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – With Lewis and Bolen back, Virginia Tech wrestling aims for good year
Last year, the lineup for the Virginia Tech wrestling team boasted one of the better wrestlers in the country. This year, it has two of them. Tech opens its abbreviated, delayed season Saturday with two wrestlers who are ranked No. 1 or No. 2 nationally in InterMat’s preseason rankings. Mekhi Lewis, who won the 2019 NCAA title at 165 pounds as a redshirt freshman, is ranked No. 1 in his weight class. Lewis, the first NCAA champ in the program’s history, did not compete for the Hokies last year. He took what the NCAA terms an “Olympic redshirt” year last season to train for the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials, which wound up being postponed until this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Tech coach Tony Robie, whose eighth-ranked Hokies open the season Saturday against visiting Campbell, is glad to have Lewis back in the lineup. “It’s huge,” Robie said this week. … rest of story at https://roanoke.com/sports/college/va_tech/with-lewis-and-bolen-back-virginia-tech-wrestling-aims-for-good-year/article_371ab5f0-4c60-11eb-958c-a3550847f73e.html?mc_cid=6915204714&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Mizzou wrestlers hoping for another successful season
Brian Smith has been the head wrestling coach at the University of Missouri since 1998-99 and has never seen anything like it. Last season, after his squad captured its eighth consecutive MAC Tournament championship – the Tigers also won the tourney title in their final season as a Big 12 squad back in 2011-12 – the sports world shut down due to the coronavirus. That meant no NCAA Tournament. “It was awful, especially for the guys who saw their careers come to an end,” Smith recalled. “And even now, it’s still crazy. In the last two weeks, our schedule has changed daily; in fact, it changed three times today. “On the positive side, the NCAA has announced that everybody gets a free year this year. … rest of story at https://www.examiner.net/story/sports/college/2020/11/25/mizzou-wrestlers-hoping-another-successful-season/6401319002/?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – A STATEMENT FROM STANFORD WRESTLING
STANFORD, Calif. – On July 8th, our student-athletes and coaches were blindsided when Stanford announced its intention to eliminate wrestling and ten other varsity athletics programs at the conclusion of this season due to fiscal concerns. Though shocked, our team immediately decided that it would band together and do what wrestlers do best—work to persevere through adversity. We began developing and executing a plan to reverse the university’s decision and establish an endowment that would not only ensure wrestling’s place at Stanford, but help preserve collegiate wrestling’s presence on the West Coast and nationally. The resilience and determination our team has demonstrated has been inspiring. We have raised over $12 million and counting since September when our fundraising efforts began in earnest. We have established working relationships with many allies within the university and across the country. We have the support of 36 Sports Strong and other prominent Stanford alumni. These successes now have us more optimistic for the program’s continued future at the varsity level than ever. … rest of letter and story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/December/08/A-statement-from-Stanford-Wrestling?mc_cid=6c7e360412&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – 24 HAWKEYES TO WATCH: JAYDIN EIERMAN
By DARREN MILLER hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Jaydin Eierman hasn’t wrestled a match in a University of Iowa singlet, but the transfer from Missouri already possesses a Hawkeye mindset. The three-time All-American talks of winning an NCAA championship and an Olympic gold medal. Then there is this:
“We are going to try to break the (NCAA Championship) scoring record,” Eierman said. “If we wrestle to the best of our ability, we are going to shock the nation.”
Sure sounds like a Hawkeye. Eierman reinforces an Iowa lineup that graduated 149-pound All-American Pat Lugo, but returns nine All-Americans, including Max Murin at 141. Murin projects to move up a weight, allowing Eierman to compete at 141, where he has placed third (2019), fourth (2018) and fifth (2017) nationally. “Jaydin being in our room makes us better. Him being in our lineup is instant credibility because of his history of results,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said. “He is a good wrestler; he wants to be a great wrestler and he wants to be an icon in the sport.” As a redshirt sophomore and junior, Eierman advanced to the national semifinals, but lost to eventual champion Yianni Diakomilhalis of Cornell, 6-4 in sudden victory (2018) and 6-5 (2019). “It hurt, but I have to work on my things every day and I feel this year I will be the one with a target on my back,” Eierman said. “I’m at Iowa now and they know I will be one of the best in the country.” … rest of story at https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2021/01/06/24-hawkeyes-to-watch-jaydin-eierman/?mc_cid=4295bf0eb8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – “A HIGHER STANDARD” PODCAST RETURNS WITH CHRIS AYRES
It has been a whirlwind 2020 for Chris Ayres and the Princeton Wrestling program. The Tigers claimed their first Ivy League championship since 1986 in February and saw two wrestlers win EIWA titles in March only to have a magical season come to a halt as the world grappled with COVID-19. Ayres joins host Chas Dorman to discuss how the program has responded to unforeseen challenges and continues moving forward on the mat and off. … rest of story at https://goprincetontigers.com/news/2020/11/24/wrestling-a-higher-standard-podcast-returns-with-chris-ayres.aspx?mc_cid=1348aad4fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Purdue : Always Aggressive Podcast: Season 2, Episode 10
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – While Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland hasn’t had much new news since the U23 and Junior national freestyle championships, the Boilermakers are getting closer to the reveal of the 2021 schedule and wanted to share what we do know about the coming season on the latest episode of the Always Aggressive Podcast. Ersland dives into the format of the pending Big Ten schedule, along with some of the potential additions and match structures of the coming season. The conference is tentatively planning to open action on the weekend of January 9, and feature a seven-week format with nine events. … rest of story at https://purduesports.com/news/2020/12/18/wrestling-always-aggressive-podcast-season-2-episode-10.aspx?mc_cid=ed5fd11129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Mocs on the Mic 49 – Wrestling Update
Mocs on the Mic is back again this week with Episode No. 49, presented by SmartBank.  Wrestling head coach Kyle Ruschell joins host Chris Goforth to talk about the state of the program and what the 2020-21 schedule looks like. COVID testing, practice schedules and more make up the topic of conversations with the third-year head coach of the Mocs.  They also go through a rundown of the lineup and talk about where the most competition for starting spots is as we enter the season.  Also joining this week’s podcast is senior Fabian Gutierrez.  He talks about his goals for the year and what it has been like training and preparing in this unusual environment.  Fans can check out the interviews … rest of story at https://gomocs.com/news/2020/12/16/mocs-on-the-mic-49-wrestling-update.aspx?mc_cid=4edc48d477&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Always Aggressive Podcast: Season 2, Episode 11
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The first Always Aggressive Podcast of 2021 comes with a wonderful holiday present as the Big Ten released the 2021 schedule on New Year’s Eve and unveiled the nine dates for head coach Tony Ersland and the Boilermakers. Ersland and co-hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett walk through the schedule, talk challenges of the pending season and take a look at some of the team’s preseason rankings.
With the Boilermakers set to start competing in just over a week, Ersland dives into the team’s five duals and two tri-duals for the regular season, specifically commenting on how the structure of the slate worked out. … rest of story at https://purduesports.com/news/2021/1/6/wrestling-always-aggressive-podcast-season-2-episode-11.aspx?mc_cid=4295bf0eb8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Adam Lynch: From Penn State Wrestler to Director of Operations
Penn State alumnus checks in with GoPSUsports!
Former Nittany Lion wrestler Adam Lynch never would have guessed he would be the Director of Operations for Penn State Wrestling. Now entering his 10th year with the program, Adam continues to be an important member of the Penn State wrestling family.    Unsure of exactly what he wanted to do after college, Lynch knew he enjoyed being involved with athletics and earned his graduate degree in sports management and sports administration in 2013. He thought he might become a high school athletics director or pursue a career in collegiate athletics. When the director of operations position opened up, Adam recalls, “I was in the right place at the right time.”   
“This has been a great learning experience,” says Adam. “I’ve learned a lot about athletics.” Adam’s responsibilities vary depending on the time of year, as he is always busy doing a lot of different things. In season, some of his tasks include making sure tickets are in order for the team and preparing pass lists for home matches. To get ready for an upcoming competition on the road, he ensures meals and travel are arranged, confirming the team knows exactly who is traveling and where they are traveling to. … rest of story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2020/12/9/wrestling-adam-lynch-from-penn-state-wrestler-to-director-of-operations.aspx?mc_cid=372ecbefe1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Bears to travel to Utah Friday, cancel California trip
Northern Colorado will no longer wrestle in California on Monday, will make the trip to Utah Friday instead.
GREELEY, Colo. — Northern Colorado Wrestling will no longer be making the trip to wrestle in a non-conference event against Cal-Poly and California Baptist on Monday, January 11.  The Bears will instead travel to Orem, Utah Friday, January 8, where they will wrestle California Baptist at 12:45 p.m. and Utah Valley at 2:30 p.m. UNC enters Friday’s contests ranked No. 25 in both the NWCA Coaches Poll and FloWrestlings rankings. The Bears cracked the NWCA poll for the first time in 51 years following the season-opening win over Wyoming.  Northern Colorado will work with the Mustangs to schedule an event for the 2021-22 season. … rest of story at https://uncbears.com/news/2021/1/6/wrestling-bears-to-travel-to-utah-friday-cancel-california-trip.aspx?mc_cid=4295bf0eb8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Live Stream Schedule for NCAA Division I Wrestling: Jan. 8th – Jan. 10th
38 NCAA Wrestling duals featuring Division I teams are live streaming on the internet this week. Where can you watch? There are many outlets scattered around the web that will provide college wrestling this weekend, some free, some for a fee. Here is the list of all NCAA Division I wrestling events we’ve found streaming starting Friday, January 8th through Sunday, January 10th. As of now, there are no links for a few ESPN+ matches. If you spot any streams not listed, let us know by sending an email to support@theopenmat.com Enjoy!
Friday, January 8: … rest of story and schedule at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/live-stream-schedule-for-ncaa-division-i-wrestling-jan-8th-jan-10th/79766?mc_cid=4a4f0e7778&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
For now, Gophers wrestlers just happy to have a season
The U’s 2019-20 season was canceled days before Minnesota was set to host the NCAA championships at U.S. Bank Stadium
As the Gophers’ wrestling team readies for their first competition since March, the resounding feeling around the program is gratitude. For months, student-athletes and coaches felt in limbo as the possibility of a college wrestling season teetered on the edge. When Big Ten football was first canceled, they thought their season was as good as gone. When football came back, so did their hope. … rest of story at https://www.twincities.com/2021/01/07/for-now-gophers-wrestlers-just-happy-to-have-a-season/?mc_cid=4a4f0e7778&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Gable Steveson Previews the 2021 Season
Gable Steveson has been one of the most prolific wrestlers in the country. Wherever Gable goes, the camera has followed, and after an exciting offseason that included knocking off the No.1 freestyle heavyweight in the country Nick Gwizdowski, Gable is now set to toe the line once again at the collegiate level. In this installation of “Going for Gold w/ Gable”, we caught up with the man himself to preview … rest of story at https://gophersports.com/news/2021/1/7/wrestling-gable-steveson-previews-the-2021-season.aspx?mc_cid=4a4f0e7778&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 13, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Cornerstone University adding Men’s Wrestling in 2021

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Cornerstone University and Director of Athletics, Aaron Sagraves are proud to announce the addition of the university’s 20th varsity sport.  Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, men’s wrestling joins the list of Golden Eagles’ teams.

The wrestling program will reside within a new training facility near De Witt Baseball Field.  The space will include a wrestling practice room and a locker room, along with an indoor space for other sports to more effectively train during the winter months. The wrestling team will host competition inside Mol Arena beginning in the winter of 2021-22.  

“Over the last few years, we have explored many different sports that could add to our community here at Cornerstone and we feel that this will be one that will build into young men with their personal relationships with Christ, challenge them in their academic endeavor and also reach new heights in their athletic performance,” said Sagraves. “Wrestling is one that has stood out because of how successful it is in the state of Michigan and surrounding states, as well as it being one of the fastest growing sports in the WHAC and NAIA. I am excited to help start a varsity collegiate wrestling program here in West Michigan that features some of the best high school programs in the state.”

Sagraves and the Cornerstone athletics department will begin the search immediately for a new head coach to run the wrestling program. The hired coach will then look to recruit an initial cohort of wrestlers to enroll at Cornerstone in the fall of 2021 with the expectation to begin individual competition based on roster numbers and conference/national affiliation within the WHAC and NAIA. ….

Wrestling is a sport that continues to grow at the collegiate level, as 74 NAIA schools sponsored the sport in 2019-20. At the high school level, men’s wrestling is the eighth most popular sport with 10,843 participating schools and seventh largest men’s sport in terms of participants with 247,441 athletes according to the National Federation of High School Sports (NFHS). In the MHSAA alone, there are 465 schools that provide wrestling, making the state of Michigan one of the premier locations across the country to recruit the sport at the collegiate level. … rest of the story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Cornerstone-University-adding-Men-s-13-1-2021

Also at https://cugoldeneagles.com/news/2021/1/13/general-cornerstone-to-add-mens-wrestling-program-beginning-in-2021.aspx

January 13, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Results – 2021 – #3

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Quick review of some of the latest college matches. Will be posting more results daily. We welcome input sent by e-mail to us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Seven D1 scores that grabbed our attention over the weekend
The Big Ten joined the Division I fray as college wrestling’s powerhouse conference kicked off its season while other leagues returned to competition for the second straight weekend. We looked at 570 D1 match results from the weekend and found seven that stood out.  
125 pounds — Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) pinned No. 12 Nic Aguilar (Rutgers) 1:01
Ragusin has been terrific since stepping on campus at Michigan. The two-time Illinois state champion reached the U.S. Senior Nationals finals and won the UWW Junior Nationals in the fall. His debut with the Wolverines didn’t last long. He whipped Aguilar over for a 61-second fall that jump started Michigan’s 26-10 win at Rutgers. 
133 pounds — Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa) pinned No. 9 Zach Price (South Dakota State) 6:22
Price was on this list last week after toppling a pair of top-10 opponents during his red-hot start to the season. This time around, wound up on the other end against an old high school rival. These two grew up competing against each other in the Des Moines outskirts and battled three times when they were high school freshmen. Price won all three then, but Biscoglia, who’s vying for a starting job with the Panthers, gained the upper hand Sunday when he cranked Price over for a fall shortly after taking a 5-4 lead in the final minute. 
165 pounds # 26 Will Formato (Appalachian State) dec. # 6 Thomas Bullard (North Carolina State) 4-0 
Formato is off to a formidable start, posting a pair of wins against returning NCAA qualifiers. He took control early against Bullard, scoring a takedown midway through the opening period and adding a two-point near-fall later in the first. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1610425090606&twSessionId=abugxxqymc&postId=951538135&mc_cid=01186bea70&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – College wrestling: Here’s what we learned from the first weekend of Big Ten action
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE 2021 WRESTLING SEASON
Seven Big Ten teams — Michigan, Rutgers, Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois and Maryland — kicked off the 2021 season over the weekend, offering fans a first look at this year’s stars. Despite the empty stands and the quiet arenas, the wrestlers stepped up, shook off the rust of the post-season and put up some serious points. Here’s what you need to know about the first weekend of Big Ten wrestling and what these matches suggest about the rest of the season. 
Gable Steveson and Sebastian Rivera are back 
Minnesota battled No. 5 Nebraska tough in the season-opener on Friday night, but despite the team loss, the spotlight remained on Minnesota heavyweight Gable Steveson. He’s the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country and a likely contender for the 125kg spot on the 2021 U.S. Olympic team. Steveson cruised to a tech fall in the first match of his junior campaign, and his performance showed the Big Ten that he’s back and better than ever. A conference champion and two-time All-American, Stevenson missed out on the chance to battle for a national title last year, but his mind is squarely focused on 2021 and putting up as many dominant performances as possible.  All eyes will be on the Gopher heavyweight throughout the season, but he’s not the only top-ranked guy aiming to make some noise in this shortened dual schedule. … rest of story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-01-11/college-wrestling-heres-what-we-learned-first-weekend-big-ten-action?mc_cid=01186bea70&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Amateur Wrestling Block | College Wrestling is Back!
NCAA Wrestling is back! With an abbreviated season that will not count against the athlete’s eligibility, the college dual meet season is underway. The third-ranked University of Michigan, whose Regional Training Center won the RTC freestyle duals last month, head into the folkstyle season looking to win their first NCAA team championship. The Wolverines kicked off the year in two dual meets over the weekend against Big Ten foes.
On Friday night, Head Coach Sean Bormet’s Wolverine squad traveled to New Jersey to take on the 15th-ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Michigan defeated Rutgers 26–10. Freshman 125 lbs. Dylan Ragusin, fresh off a Junior National Freestyle Championship and a runner-up finish at the Senior level, pinned Nicolas Aguilar in 1:01. At 133 lbs, 12th ranked Jack Medley won by decision. The Wolverines won four matches in a row from 149-174 as #6 Kanen Store, #9 Will Lewan, #17 Cameron Amine, and #2 Logan Massa collected victories. 2nd ranked heavyweight Mason Parris closed the night with a major decision over Christian Colucci. … rest of story at https://fightgamemedia.com/2021/01/amateur-wrestling-block-college-wrestling-is-back/?mc_cid=01186bea70&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – NCAA announces health and safety plans for all other winter championships
Following the recent announcement of health and safety protocols for the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, the NCAA has announced protocols for its remaining winter championships. “This is the next step in being able to have our student-athletes compete for national championships in the safest manner possible,” said Dr. Brian Hainline, the NCAA’s chief medical officer. “These protocols have been put in place after extensive discussion with some of the leading members of the medical and scientific community who have the utmost expertise in public health and COVID-19.” The first portion of the plan calls for all rounds of the winter championships to be held at predetermined sites, rather than at traditional sites that are not predetermined. Bids for predetermined preliminary rounds will be accepted now through Jan. 25, with the host sites to be announced the week of Feb. 8. For championships that typically have predetermined sites that have previously been announced, those sites will continue to host as long as local public health authorities determine it is safe to do so. … rest of story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/article/2021-01-11/ncaa-announces-health-and-safety-plans-all-other-winter-championships?mc_cid=01186bea70&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Bucknell Wrestling Excels in Debut
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell wrestling team returned to the mat on Sunday by hosting LIU and VMI in a round-robin tournament at Gerhard Fieldhouse. Vincent Andreano’s performance at 174 pounds was a highlight for the Bison. The sophomore went 3-0 with a pair of pins; his first, of LIU’s Tom DiGennaro, came in the first period while his second, of VMI’s Joel Diaz, came with just two seconds remaining on the clock.  
Andreano was one of six Bison to go undefeated on the day, joining Darren Miller (3-0 at 133), Brandon Seidman (2-0 at 125), David Campbell (2-0 at 141), No. 11 Zach Hartman (2-0 at 165) and Dorian Crosby (2-0 at 285). Five freshmen who made their collegiate debut picked up their first career victories. Joining Crosby in that group were Kurt Phipps (141), Logan Sanom (149), Nick Delp (157) and Austin Walley (184). Sanom and Delp’s came by fall while Walley and Crosby’s came by major decision. Walley impressed in his debut. He rattled off three-straight victories, with two coming by commanding major decisions, en route to a 3-1 record. In total, Bucknell racked up bonus points in 16 bouts, winning seven by fall, one by technical fall and eight by major decision. … rest of story at https://bucknellbison.com/news/2021/1/3/bucknell-wrestling-excels-in-debut.aspx?mc_cid=d8fa13dc26&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Iowa State Opens 2021 With A 35-6 Victory Over Wartburg
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State wrestling team (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) opened the season with a 35-6 victory over Wartburg (0-1, 0-0 ARC). The day consisted of a varsity dual, junior varsity dual and extra matches. In total, the Cyclones went 22-3 in individual matches.
How It Happened
In the varsity dual, the Cyclones won eight of the 10 bouts, with seven of their eight wins coming by bonus-point variety. Three true freshmen got the nod in the starting lineup, with all three coming away victorious. At 133 pounds, Zach Redding posted a 16-1 technical fall over Joe Pins. The Manorville, N.Y., native tallied four takedowns and a trio of two-point nerfalls en route to victory. Cam Robinson followed suit at 149 pounds. He won by 15-3 major decision over Brady Fritz, scoring on four takedowns and a four-point nearfall to cap off the match. At 197 pounds, Yonger Bastida began his Cardinal and Gold career with a 15-8 win over Kobe Woods. Bastida racked up six takedowns in the match, cruising to victory.
Along with those ISU rookies, sophomore Tate Battani also made his debut in the Cyclone lineup. The Huxley, Iowa, native recorded a15-7 major decision over Jordan Bushey. Battani scored all of his points in the second and third periods, which included six takedowns. … rest of story at https://cyclones.com/news/2021/1/3/wrestling-iowa-state-opens-2021-with-a-35-6-victory-over-wartburg.aspx?mc_cid=d8fa13dc26&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Top 10 College Wrestling Performances of the Week – January 4th, 2021
The first full weekend of the 2021 wrestling season has come and gone and it was much different than most fans are accustomed to seeing. Two duals (Campbell vs. North Carolina; Hofstra vs. Lehigh) were canceled the day of, based on a positive COVID test from one of the teams. Like collegiate and professional sports over the past few months, some venues had limited fans, but many had none. We were introduced to the term “extra matches.” Not exhibition matches, because exhibitions don’t count in official statistics. After/during dual meets, teams held extra matches, some of which included their starters, others consisted of backups or freshmen. As the season progresses, we’ll see more tri’s and quads than we’re accustomed to seeing at the DI level. At the end of the day, wrestling is wrestling and we got to see some great action and remarkable performances. The first weekend of the year normally has some great freshmen, stunning upsets, and exciting duals. Though it was delayed by two months, this opening weekend had all of the above. We’ll take you through a large chunk of it with the top performances of the week. 
10) Codi Russell (Appalachian State)
After qualifying for the NCAA Tournament twice at 133 lbs, Codi Russell has dropped down to 125 for his senior season. The early results for the Mountaineer are promising as he went 3-0 at Appalachian State’s Individual Quad event. Codi was one of four ASU wrestlers to finish unbeaten on the day. Russell outscored the opposition 46-8 in three bouts and he notched two major decisions and a tech. All three of his wins came against wrestlers from the University of Virginia, including a 17-4 major against the Cavaliers probable starter, Patrick McCormick. Codi is a 2019 SoCon Champion that earned the 29th seed at nationals in 2020. He has an event bigger ACC matchup looming on Friday as he’ll meet #8 Jakob Camacho (NC State). … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/top-10-college-wrestling-performances-of-the-week-january-4th-2021/79747?mc_cid=ea644fcb33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Five D1 scores that caught our attention on the opening weekend of the season
It’s a short sprint to March this season for college wrestling’s top stars, but March quickly popped onto the college wrestling radar during the opening weekend in January.  The Division I season kicked off over the weekend with more than 400 matches. Here are five that grabbed our attention. 
133 pounds — Kellyn March (North Dakota State) major dec. No. 7 Devan Turner (Oregon State) 14-5 
How’s this for a college wrestling debut? March is a true freshman who won four South Dakota State titles. His first assignment Sunday came against Turner, a returning Pac-12 champion. March scored a go-ahead takedown midway through the first period and rode Turner out and then blew open the match with a six-point move in the second. It didn’t get an easier for Turner, who later got majored by Missouri’s Matt Schmitt and lost to South Dakota State’s Zach Price. 
133 pounds — No. 23 Zach Price (South Dakota State) dec. No. 10 Matt Schmitt (Missouri) 7-5
Price’s undefeated day included a pair of wins against top-10 opponents. He took down Turner 6-3 and also rallied back to beat Schmitt, using a late takedown and two-point near-fall to secure the win. 
149 pounds — No. 17 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 7 Josh Heil (Campbell) 12-9 
Andonian struck first in the battle of Cleveland-area products, scoring in the opening seconds and pushing his … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1609822988905&twSessionId=rctdmojucs&postId=930617135&mc_cid=ea644fcb33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – COWBOYS RALLY FALLS SHORT IN SEASON OPENER
Final Results (PDF)
LARAMIE, Wyo. (Jan. 3, 2021) – The Wyoming Cowboy Wrestling team opened its 2020-21 season Sunday afternoon as they hosted Big 12 foe Northern Colorado. The Cowboys won five matches in a row to end the dual, but fell to the Bears 19-24. “I was proud of our bigger guys coming back and taking care of their individual matches.” Said Head Coach Mark Branch “Moody stepping out there after the way the meet started was really big.”  The Cowboy comeback started with Cole Moody at 165 pounds. Moody faced off against Billy Higgins in a match that was tied 2-2 heading into the third period. After an escape from Higgins, Moody would put the match away by taking Higgins down and pinning him with 45 second left in the match to put the Cowboys on the board.  At 174 pounds No. 17 Hayden Hastings put on a solid performance against Northern Colorado’s Damen Pape. Hastings scored a takedown early in the match and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. He would then add a point for an escape along with a stalling point and riding time point for a 5-0 shutout victory.  … rest of story at https://gowyo.com/news/2021/1/3/wrestling-cowboys-rally-falls-short-in-season-opener.aspx?mc_cid=d8fa13dc26&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – PITT RALLIES TO OPEN SEASON WITH DUAL VICTORY AT NAVY
PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team needed a spark on Sunday evening in the season-opening dual match against the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. And senior leader and team captain Jake Wentzel provided that boost for the Panthers (1-0, 0-0 ACC). With his team trailing 14-3 after dropping four of the first five bouts to the Midshipmen (0-1, 0-0 EIWA), Wentzel won his opening match of the season against No. 7 Tanner Skidgel of Navy by a 5-2 decision, sparking a furious Pitt rally that saw the visitors take the last five contests of the dual to triumph 22-14.  “Jake found a way tonight, even when it didn’t look like it was going to go his way,” Pitt head coach Keith Gavin said of Wentzel. “The upper weights did a really nice job. We know we can count on the likes of Wentzel, Harvey and Bonaccorsi, but it was great to see McGill and Slinger win as well.” … rest of story at https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2021/1/3/wrestling-pitt-rallies-to-open-season-with-dual-victory-at-navy.aspx?mc_cid=d8fa13dc26&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – UVU OPENS STRONG, CROWNS SIX CHAMPS AT CAL POLY TOURNAMENT
DEMETRIUS ROMERO (174), JACOB ARMSTRONG (197), KEKANA FOURET (165), DANNY SNEDIKER (157), AND TY SMITH (133) ALL WON TITLES OUTRIGHT, WHILE KASE MAUGER AND DAWSON COLLINS SHARED THE TITLE AT 125.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Utah Valley University wrestling team opened its 2020-21 season with a bang by crowning six champions at the season-opening Cal Poly Round Robin Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo. Senior 174-pounder Demetrius Romero and redshirt freshmen Ty Smith (133 pounds) and Kekana Fouret (165) all went 3-0 en route to winning their respective weight classes, while freshman 157-pounder Danny Snediker and sophomore Jacob Armstrong (197) each went 2-0, and freshmen Kase Mauger and Dawson Collins each compiled 1-0 records to share the 125-pound title.  “We are grateful for the opportunity to compete and it felt great to get back out on the mat today,” head UVU coach Greg Williams said. “With this format, we had the opportunity to get more matches—not only for our starters but also our backups. This is necessary this season so that we can see where they are at, … rest of story at https://gouvu.com/news/2021/1/3/wrestling-uvu-opens-strong-crowns-six-champs-at-cal-poly-tournament.aspx?mc_cid=d8fa13dc26&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – No.5 McKendree Defeats Kentucky Wesleyan Tuesday Night, 51-0
(OWENSBORO, KY – Jan. 5) – The No.5 McKendree men’s wrestling team opened up their 2021 schedule with a non-conference dual against Kentucky Wesleyan, Tuesday night. The Bearcats held the Panthers from scoring and record their first win of the season, 51-0. James Kisgen‘s Team picked up from where they left off last season. Christian Mejia (Elkhart, IN/Elkhart Memorial) dropped a weight class this season and started at 125-lb for the Bearcats, recording his first win of the season, and setting the tone for the remainder of the dual. Five Bearcats would record their first victory of the season by pin, first from Devin Schwartzkopf (St. Louis, MO/Francis Howell Central and Greenways Academy) in his first start for the team. No.6 Nate Smalling (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) and … rest of story at https://mckbearcats.com/news/2021/1/5/mens-wrestling-no-5-mckendree-defeats-kentucky-wesleyan-tuesday-night-51-0.aspx?mc_cid=afb669e366&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 13, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment