Takedown Report

College Wrestlers’ Honors & Individual Stories – (2021) – # 2

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Stories of individual wrestlers and their award, achievements, recognitions, challenges and human interest are included. Included as the first story is an award to aSID who supports wrestling as hecommunicates with media and fans.
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Navy’s Stacie Michaud Named 2019-20 Division I Wrestling SID of the Year
Congratulations to Navy Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information Stacie Michaud for being named the 2010-20 Division 1 Wrestling SID of the Year by the National Wrestling Media Association. Michaud is in her 23rd year at the Naval Academy.
Division I Wrestling SID of the Year
2019-20 – Stacie Michaud, United States Naval Academy
2018-19 – Brian Reinhardt, North Carolina State University
2017-18 – Leah Howard, University of Michigan
2016-17 – Chas Dorman, University of Pennsylvania … rest of story at _{^{https://navysports.com/news/2020/12/21/navys-stacie-michaud-named-2019-20-division-i-wrestling-sid-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=e96ed12e50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – Family, determination and a dream: The Real Woods story
If you click pause at the split second right after redshirt sophomore Real Woods pins his opponent down, right before he springs up to pound his chest in victory, you might be able to see the tattoo on his upper back peeking out of his Cardinal singlet. It’s a W, symbolizing Woods, the family name, struck through by two linked diamond shapes, representing sacrifice.  “We’re all gonna do it,” Woods said about getting the tattoo. “All the boys in the family.” For Woods, family is everything, and sacrifice is the norm. To get to Stanford, he had to give up four years with his family for a chance to wrestle against elite competition, forego carefree high school afternoons for tireless hours in the gym and leave his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, for … rest of story at _{^{https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/12/13/the-real-woods-story/?mc_cid=2646a1a5c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – WIN Magazine to present Hodge Trophy to Spencer Lee on Jan 5
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa head coach Tom Brands and two-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee will host a news conference at the McCord Indoor Club Level of the Iowa Football Press Box on Tuesday at 1 p.m. (CT). Brands will address the upcoming 2021 season for the top ranked Hawkeyes, and representatives from WIN Magazine will present Lee the 2020 Hodge Trophy. Lee was named winner of the 2020 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s most dominant college wrestler, on March 31, 2020. He earned 51 of a possible 56 first-place votes and became the third Hawkeye to win the award since its inception in 1995. Mark Ironside was honored in 1998 and Brent Metcalf earned the award in 2008. Ironside and Metcalf were both NCAA champions. Lee dominated the 125-pound weight class in 2020, outscoring opponents, 234-18. He scored bonus points in 17 of 18 wins, recorded four first-period falls and nine technical falls, and averaged 5.0 team points per match.
… rest of story at _{^{https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/01/04/win-to-present-hodge-trophy-to-spencer-lee-on-jan-5/?mc_cid=ea644fcb33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=win-to-present-hodge-trophy-to-spencer-lee-on-jan-5}}

4 } – Sophomore Cole Urbas stepping into leadership role for Penn wrestling
Urbas qualified for the NCAA Championships as a rookie last season
Cole Urbas has been wrestling for as long as he can remember. “When I was around five, we got a letter in the mail from the local wrestling club, and I thought it was going to be something like WWE, so I signed up,” Urbas said.  When asked how it compares to WWE now that he actually knows what it is like, Urbas laughed.
“It’s way better. It’s way more beautiful,” he said. “And it’s real.”
RELATED: A coronavirus check-in with Penn wrestling
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Despite considering wrestling just another sport among the many that he took part in when he entered high school, Urbas realized how much he truly loved wrestling as time went on. “At first, I really didn’t know how it was going to turn out for me and it was something that I did. I was a wrestler, I went to wrestling practice. I worked hard, I was someone that did the extra,” he said. “And then my sophomore year I really broke out and separated myself from the pack and people realized that I was going to be something special.” … rest of story at _{^{https://www.thedp.com/article/2020/11/penn-wrestling-cole-urbas-leadership-sophomore-ncaa-championships?mc_cid=638194e439&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

5 } – Best of Both Worlds
Despite ending his collegiate career as a Penn State wrestling legend, Nico Megaludis always knew he was destined for more.  A four-time All-American, Megaludis enjoyed one of Penn State’s most successful lightweight careers. And while he could’ve relied on the achievements granted through his time as a Nittany Lion, the former 125-pounder desperately wanted to help others achieve their own personal goals.
 So, when he wasn’t spending ample hours training in Rec Hall, Megaludis studied business administration and finance, before securing a career as a financial planner at Megaludis Financial.
 “I like to be busy working out and training still, but I also have a passion for helping people and families with finances,” Megaludis said. “At the same time, I have also had a goal to be the best in the world with wrestling – and I’ve found that my two polar opposite passions actually complement each other. I got the best of both worlds and I’m pretty busy, but I like it that way.”  After rounding out a successful collegiate tenure with a first-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden, Megaludis pursued a career on the international wrestling circuit. Already having so many achievements notched on his belt, he then set out to cinch an allusive Olympic gold medal. … rest of story at _{^{https://gopsusports.com/news/2020/12/3/wrestling-best-of-both-worlds.aspx?mc_cid=29548697b5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

6 } – Neil Schuster Recipient of the OrthoVirginia Student Achiever Award
FAIRFAX, Va. –George Mason wrestler Neil Schuster has been selected as a recipient of the George Mason OrthoVirginia Student Achiever Award, an honor that recognizes outstanding student-athletes for their efforts in the classroom and out in the community. The redshirt junior was recognized at the George Mason men’s basketball game against Towson on Wednesday. A native of Westminster, Md., he has been a leader in the team’s community service and outreach initiatives. He is a mentor at the NOVA Wrestling Club, working with young wrestlers learning the sport and helping with homework. He participates in the team’s efforts at the Patriots’ adopted school, Lanier Middle School. “Neil optimizes what it means to be a student-athlete,” said Head Coach Frank Beasley. “He works extremely hard both academically and athletically.  He is a leader both within the team and in the Fairfax community.  He is a shining example of what our student-athletes should strive for.” A top-tier performer on the mat and in the classroom, Schuster earned the teams’ 2019-20 Most Improved Player award, after a breakthrough season with a career-high 22 wins, … rest of story at _{^{https://gomason.com/news/2020/12/23/wrestling-neil-schuster-earns-orthova-student-achiever-award.aspx?mc_cid=0d946e15c0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

7 } – With Five Honorees, App State Voted SoCon’s Preseason Favorite
BOONE, N.C. — With five preseason all-conference selections among the 10 weight classes, App State Wrestling has been voted the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference.
 The preseason poll and all-conference selections came from voting by the league’s nine head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes. The SoCon has expanded to nine teams this season with the addition of Bellarmine.  Under head coach JohnMark Bentley‘s direction, in the past six seasons, App State’s 37-4 conference record ranks No. 5 nationally in all of Division I wrestling behind just Missouri, Oklahoma State, Cornell and Penn State. The Mountaineers received six of nine first-place votes in the SoCon preseason poll and totaled 61 voting points – four more than second-place Campbell (two first-place votes) and eight more than third-place Chattanooga (one first-place vote).
 The App State wrestlers to receive preseason All-SoCon recognition were … rest of story at _{^{https://appstatesports.com/news/2020/12/28/wrestling-with-five-honorees-app-state-voted-socons-preseason-favorite.aspx?mc_cid=c19dc39a02&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – Riley Shaw: When Love Meets Perseverance
Written by: Justin Lee
Love is an indescribable feeling that’s often difficult to put into words or perspective. Most of us struggle with expressing our love, as it is a challenge for us to open up with our words. That’s why many of us express our love through our actions or gestures to show our appreciation for what and for whom we love. Former Cleveland State University wrestler Riley Shaw is a fine example of this as he demonstrated love and passion for his alma mater through his actions. Now, his love begins at home with his wife, Anna, and young son, Frazier, but CSU remains close to home as one quickly gathers from his aptly-named dogs—his pit bull Vike and his retriever mix Magnus.
Shaw started wrestling at the age of eight and was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing football and competing in the shot put and discus for his track team along with wrestling. Although he was a great high school wrestler, Shaw’s focus was not always on the mat. “If I had my pick, I would have played football in college. It didn’t happen because I was too slow,” Shaw said, laughing! Though his initial dreams of playing on the gridiron didn’t happen, Shaw was recruited by colleges for all three sports before eventually deciding to wrestle at Cleveland State. … rest of story at _{^{https://csuvikings.prestosports.com/sports/m-wrestl/2020-21/releases/20201223kc1lqc?mc_cid=e4f16a9e0e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – Iowa State’s Austin Gomez – OTM624
Iowa State Cyclone Austin Gomez goes On The Mat
After a history of injuries and concussions, Iowa State’s Austin Gomez announced last month he was stepping away from the sport of wrestling after a short lifetime competing within it. Gomez was a 2019 NCAA qualifier, finishing a match away from placing in Pittsburgh. A four-time champion in Fargo and a three-time Illinois high school state champion, he was one of the top recruits in the nation. Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton as they talk about the world of wrestling on the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/iowa-states-austin-gomez-otm624/?mc_cid=afb669e366&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – PITT’S JAKE WENTZEL EARNS ACC, NATIONAL WEEKLY AWARDS
PITTSBURGH—University of Pittsburgh senior wrestler and team captain Jake Wentzel received two significant weekly awards Tuesday following his impressive season debut on Sunday at Navy.  
A native of South Park, Pa., Wentzel was named the ACC Wrestler of the Week for the first time in his career and also received National College Wrestler of the Week honors from The Open Mat.
Wentzel’s recognition resulted from his outstanding and pivotal performance in Pitt’s 22-14 dual victory over the Midshipmen on Sunday evening in Annapolis.  Facing Navy’s No. 7-ranked Tanner Skidgel at 165 pounds, Wentzel stepped up when Pitt needed a spark in the dual, earning an individual victory over a Top-10 opponent by a 5-2 decision while accumulating nearly two minutes of riding time in the process.
 That result helped the No. 14-ranked Panthers turn around a 14-3 deficit against Navy. After Wentzel’s win shifted momentum, Pitt’s upper weights won the next four matches to secure the team victory. … rest of story at _{^{https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2021/1/5/wrestling-pitts-jake-wentzel-earns-acc-national-weekly-awards.aspx?mc_cid=afb669e366&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

11 } – For Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee, 2020 Hodge Trophy represents 2021 motivation
IOWA CITY, Ia. — The Hodge Trophy is truly a marvel up-close. The wooden base has wrestlers at each corner, all with their left hands lunging forward, attacking. The body is all bronze, a slim neck with a small bowl. A chiseled man stands at attention on top.
Spencer Lee finally held his version of the award Tuesday. He was formally presented with the 2020 Hodge Trophy, given annually by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine to the most dominant college wrestler. Had his name on it and everything. Lee, now a senior — crazy, right? — smiled and posed for pictures. Make no mistake, this moment was well-earned after his remarkable 2019-20 season. He won a Big Ten title with an 18-0 record. In 17 contested matches, he outscored his opponents by a staggering 234-18, with four pins, nine technical falls, three major decisions, plus a win by forfeit. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2021/01/05/iowa-wrestler-spencer-lees-2020-hodge-trophy-represents-2021-motivation/4140481001/?mc_cid=afb669e366&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – Mizzou Wrestling’s Hart Named MAC Wrestler of the Week
Tiger redshirt junior tallied two ranked wins in season-opening duals
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Wrestling 141-pound redshirt junior Allan Hart was named Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week, announced Wednesday by the league office. The Akron, Ohio, native was fantastic in the Tigers’ season-opening matchups at the North Dakota State Quadrangular last Sunday (Jan. 3), tallying victories over No. 23 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) and No. 16 Grant Willits (Oregon State). Hart posted bonus point wins in each bout, securing a 14-4 major decision over Carlson and pinning Willits in only 36 seconds. Dating back to the 2019-20 campaign, Hart has tallied victories in 10-of-11 matches and 12 of his past 14 individual contests. Hart enters Friday’s (Jan. 8) home-opening duals for Mizzou ranked No. 14 nationally at 141 pounds. The Tigers will welcome MAC foe No. 21 Central Michigan and Wyoming to the Hearnes Center with action slated for 3 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. CT starts, respectively. … rest of story at _{^{https://mutigers.com/news/2021/1/6/mizzou-wrestlings-hart-named-mac-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=4295bf0eb8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

January 19, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized