Takedown Report

NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 8

TDR Editor’s Notes ; News and Notes of Division I teams with Podcasts grouped under (#11), Wrestler of the Week honors under (#10) and a variety of other stories of teams from across the country. These stories are just some of the ones avaiilable to read on-line and in newsprint and magazines. We hope that these will encourage your interest in lookking further for more news from the college wresstling mats. E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – TOM’s College Wrestler of the Week – January 25th, 2021
Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina, played host to an ACC battle featuring fourth-ranked NC State and the seventeenth-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers on Friday evening. Four straight wins between 157 and 184 lbs helped lock the dual up for Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio’s team; however it was the 197 lb bout that shocked everyone on hand, along with fans around the country. Pitt junior, Nino Bonaccorsi, the ninth-ranked wrestler in the land, would square off with true freshman Isaac Trumble. Isaac entered the day with a 3-0 record and saw all three of those previous matches end in falls. Those contests came in “extra” competition, so this clash marked Trumble’s dual debut for NC State. 
The match started off slowly and neither wrestler was able to get on the scoreboard after the first period. Trumble started the second on top and that’s where he was able to blow the match open. The freshman from Springfield, Nebraska, was able to lock up a turk and force Bonaccorsi onto his back for four points as time expired in the middle stanza. In the final period, Trumble was able to tally an escape and secure riding time for a 6-1 win. … rest of story at _{^{https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/toms-college-wrestler-of-the-week-january-25th-2021/79901?mc_cid=4ec9be6c16&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – Top 10 College Wrestling Performances of the Week – January 25th, 2021
It was a strange weekend in a strange season as midway through the week, news broke that the dual between Michigan State and Penn State was postponed. That means we have to wait until this weekend to (hopefully) see the Nittany Lions in action for the first time. Also, due to COVID-related issued in their athletic department, #2 Michigan will not be able to compete for two weeks. That will either delay or cancel a meeting between the Wolverines and top-ranked Iowa, slated to take place this Sunday. Iowa saw the mat this week and didn’t disappoint, routing Minnesota by 30+ points. Other newsworthy items include NC State extending their winning streak, Little Rock making history, Illinois continuing their resurgence, a new King of New York, SoCon powers colliding, and a disaster averted in Columbus. We’ll talk about those and more in the top performances of the week. 
10) Chris Kober (Campbell)
197 lb senior Chris Kober made his season debut for Campbell in spectacular fashion. The Camels were in an early hole, trailing conference rival, Appalachian State, 17-3 after six matches. Campbell and Appalachian State have accounted for each of the last five SoCon team championships, so plenty was at stake. When Kober took the mat, Campbell was still behind 17-12. He was tasked with taking on sophomore Mason Fiscella who entered the match with a 5-3 record. In the third period, Kober thwarted a Fiscella attack then tossed him onto his back, where he secured a fall. That put the Camels in front by a point and a match later, Taye Ghadiali sealed the win at 285 lbs. Kober also got the nod against Gardner-Webb on Saturday and responded with a 16-4 major decision over Jack Trautman. … rest of story at _{^{https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/top-10-college-wrestling-performances-of-the-week-january-25th-2021/79904?mc_cid=4ec9be6c16&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – Deep previews of the 5 most intriguing college wrestling duals this weekend
The Hawks are back, the Heels are looking for a top-ten ACC win, and Oklahoma State takes on two top-15 ranked opponents. What more could you want in a college wrestling weekend? As season rolls on, the stakes increase and every match matters more, but here are five duals that are particularly interesting and worth watching this weekend. 
1. North Carolina vs. N.C. State: Friday, Jan. 29, 6 p.m. — ACC Network
North Carolina is a wrestling state.  At least, that’s the message UNC and N.C. State sent last year when the Pack raised the roof in Reynolds Coliseum after topping the Tar Heels at heavyweight in a barnburner dual that came down to the final bout. These two teams are back at it again, and this top-15 ACC dual will have it all: local rivalries, title contenders, redemption stories and action-packed matchups. Both squads will field similar lineups to last year with a few notable additions, and this dual is certainly one to watch. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-01-29/deep-previews-5-most-intriguing-college-wrestling-duals-weekend?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

4 } – Despite cancellations, Division I Wrestling keeps eyes focused on NCAAs
By Mike Finn
College wrestling fans have been looking for a few great match-ups in this shortened dual-only season and one of those moments was expected this Sunday, Jan. 31, when No. 2 Michigan as scheduled to travel to Iowa City, Iowa, to take on No. 1 Iowa. Unfortunately, that will not happen after the Wolverine athletic department announced that all Michigan winter sports would begin a 14-day pause from activities; dating back to Jan. 23 positive test results of a COVID variant in “several individuals linked to the U-M athletic department.”
That dual, which could have featured seven Top-10 individual match-ups, could be rescheduled this winter. But it also became the latest event to be impacted by the pandemic that also delayed the start of the Division I season from last October to this January … will is scheduled to conclude with the March 18-20 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Wrestling isn’t obviously the only college sport affected by the pandemic, but wrestling fans hope it does not impact the sport like it did with football when some post-season bowl games were cancelled. Wrestling fans learned last fall that the pandemic would impact the sport when the Ivy League announced it was cancelling all winter sports seasons. That included a group of six wrestling programs which included highly-ranked Cornell and Princeton. But since North Carolina saw its Jan. 1 season-opening dual with Campbell (as well as a Jan. 15 home dual against Virginia Tech) postponed because of COVID, the list of other notable programs affected by the infection has continued to grow. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/01/27/despite-cancellations-division-i-wrestling-keeps-eyes-focused-on-ncaas/?mc_cid=bf1f14c6db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=despite-cancellations-division-i-wrestling-keeps-eyes-focused-on-ncaas}}

5 } – GROWING UP BRANDS
by DARREN MILLER
IOWA CITY, Iowa — His uncle recalls a commotion in the back yard between cousins. A young Nelson Brands absorbed a solid hit to the nose and blood began to flow. “He got thumped pretty good,” said Nelson’s uncle, who happens to be Tom Brands, head coach of the top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team. “He was hanging his nose away from his chest so it wouldn’t bleed on his leg or chest. He was kind of laughing and giggling.” Tom knew then that his nephew was able to deal with pain and discomfort. Nelson became a pretty accomplished wrestler, too. After winning Class 3A state championships at 138, 152 and 160 pounds for Iowa City (Iowa) West High School, Brands joined his uncle and father, Terry, as a Hawkeye student-athlete. Terry is associate head coach. … rest of story at _{^{https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2021/01/29/growing-up-brands/?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND How does Iowa’s Spencer Lee make wrestling dominance look so easy?
The legend of Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee grows by the minute.
And, if you’re an opponent of Lee’s, a minute is about all you’ll get before he’s pinned you and said good-bye with a handshake and a smile. During last weekend’s broadcast against Minnesota, Big Ten Network announcers marveled at how college wrestling’s most dynamic star makes it look so easy. They’ve watched wrestling for decades. They know it’s not this easy.
Analyst Tim Johnson shared that a friend recently told him, “I would pay 50 dollars just to feel the pressure of Spencer Lee.” Shane Sparks replied that he would love to know what it feels like to try to get out from the bottom position against Lee, as the Hawkeye tilted Minnesota’s ninth-ranked Patrick McKee for a fourth four-point near fall in a span of 60 seconds before finishing him with a pin. … rest of the story at _{^{https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/columnists/chad-leistikow/2021/01/29/spencer-lee-iowa-wrestling-iowa-hawkeyes-ncaa-wrestling-big-ten-sports-college-athletics-olympics/4259023001/?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

6 } – D1 Insider: Cardani, fast-starting Illini set for big challenge against Iowa
Slowly and steadily, Justin Cardani has been making a name for himself.  Had last season’s NCAA tournament actually happened, the Illinois 125-pounder might’ve had this shot sooner. Now that it’s here, he knows nothing would vault him into the national spotlight like a top-notch showing against college wrestling’s most dominant 125-pounder. Cardani will face reigning Hodge Trophy winner Spencer Lee on Sunday when the Illini travel to Iowa City to wrestle the Hawkeyes in a battle of unbeatens. While Iowa’s path to this point has been predictable – the Hawkeyes boast national title contenders at a handful of weights – Illinois has gotten early results from a group of promising youngsters. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1611980660534&twSessionId=fsyrulnhln&postId=1016665135&mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

7 } – Cowboys Collect Two Ranked Wins on Road Trip
AMES, Iowa – The fifth-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team moved to 7-0 on the season, collecting two ranked wins in road duals against Big 12 foes No. 16 Northern Iowa and No. 13 Iowa State. The Cowboys began their day in Cedar Falls where they defeated No. 16 Northern Iowa, 20-12, to capture their first of two wins on the day before heading to Ames for a 16-15 win over No. 13 Iowa State. Oklahoma State was led by back-to-back major decisions from No. 12 Wyatt Sheets and No. 4 Travis Wittlake. In his first dual match of the season, Sheets looked sharp defeating UNI’s Cayd Lara 15-4. Leading 5-4 heading into the third period, he got a quick escape and followed with a takedown of Lara, a two-point near fall and a four-point turn, before adding riding time to close the match with 10 straight points. … rest of story at _{^{https://okstate.com/news/2021/1/30/wrestling-cowboys-collect-two-ranked-wins-on-road-trip.aspx?mc_cid=f12b64bb83&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND John Smith Recalls the Day of the Remember the Ten Plane Crash
20 years ago, OSU was wrestling in Iowa against the same schools they’ll wrestle this weekend.
Twenty years ago, the Cowboy wrestling team completed an Iowa road trip and picked up wins over Iowa State and Northern Iowa, but that isn’t how the day was remembered. Across the country in Colorado, a plane crashed on its way back to Stillwater from the Oklahoma State basketball team’s game in Boulder. Jared Weiberg, Bill Teegins, Pat Noyes, Denver Mills, Brian Luinstra, Daniel Lawson, Will Hancock, Nate Fleming, Bjorn Fahlstrom and Kendall Durfey died.
News didn’t travel as fast then as it did today, but the news of the crash made its way to Cedar Falls, Iowa as the Cowboys’ dual against Northern Iowa ended. … rest of story at _{^{https://pistolsfiringblog.com/john-smith-recalls-the-day-of-the-remember-the-ten-plane-crash/?mc_cid=bf1f14c6db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND John Smith, Pat Smith, Smith Family Etched In Stone Podcast Launches Monday
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling are excited to announce that their Etched In Stone – Stories of Wrestling Legends podcast featuring Distinguished Members and brothers John Smith and Pat Smith and the Smith family will launch Monday, February 1. The seven-episode series is hosted and produced by Ryan Warner, a former wrestler who produces the very successful Wrestling Changed My Life podcast. The episodes are: Episode I – 1984, Episode II – The Redshirt, Episode III – The King of the World, Episode IV – Pat’s Rise, Episode V – The Cuban, Episode VI – 36 and 0, and Episode VII – Cowboy For Life. … rest of story at _{^{https://nwhof.org/blog/john-smith-pat-smith-smith-family-etched-in-stone-podcast-launches-monday/?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – Penn State Wrestling’s Dual at Wisconsin Set for this Tuesday
Nittany Lions and Badgers tangle in Madison on Tuesday afternoon
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0, 2-0 B1G), ranked No. 3 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index, will head directly to Madison, Wis., to get ready for a dual with the Wisconsin Badgers (1-3, 1-3 B1G) on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
The dual was to be part of a tri-meet at Michigan on Feb. 7, but the Wolverines have paused all athletic activities.  With Penn State in Chicago after winning two duals at Northwestern, the team will now head to Madison to take on the Badgers on Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Central (local).
 Penn State is 2-0 on the year after winning two duals at Northwestern yesterday.  The Lions beat Indiana 24-15 and downed host Northwestern 29-13 in the tri-meet’s finale. Wisconsin is 1-3 on the season, having lost a close dual at Nebraska this afternoon, falling to the Cornhuskers 21-15. … rest of story at _{^{https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/1/31/penn-state-wrestlings-dual-at-wisconsin-set-for-this-tuesday.aspx?mc_cid=8755157a86&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – ‘Forever a Husker’: Nebraska wrestling to honor Christian Miller in season’s final home dual
Christian Miller is often in the thoughts of those in the Hendricks Training Complex wrestling room. Miller’s memory certainly will be on all the Huskers’ minds as they pay tribute to him during Sunday’s home dual against Wisconsin. Miller had been on Nebraska’s wrestling team since 2017 before he was killed in a car accident on Nov. 5. To honor Miller, the Huskers will wear custom shoes during their final home dual of the season.”Our guys were really tight with Christian. He’s an integral part of the team. He had a great opportunity to be a starter this year,” Nebraska coach Mark Manning said. “He really worked at it and showed a lot of determination and heart toward Nebraska wrestling. “That’s why the guys on the team love him, because he wrestled hard and wrestled with his heart.” The custom wrestling shoes the Huskers will wear were designed by Elkhorn artist Chris Eckley, a former Husker baseball player.
Each shoe features a portrait of Miller on one side, the words “Forever a Husker” on the other side and Miller’s name above the laces. Manning said Eckley, as well as Miller’s family, will be in attendance for Sunday’s dual. “It will be emotional Sunday,” Manning said. … rest of story at _{^{https://omaha.com/sports/huskers/wrestling/forever-a-husker-nebraska-wrestling-to-honor-christian-miller-in-seasons-final-home-dual/article_d675b0dc-635d-11eb-a7f1-c3b93e9ba5a2.html?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – Wrestlers of the Week
Missouri’s O’Toole Named MAC Wrestler of the Week
MAC Wrestler of the Week | 1.27.21 — Keegan O’Toole, Missouri, Freshman     
Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead HS), 165 lbs.Since being inputted into Tigers’ starting lineup on Jan. 8, O’Toole has continued to skyrocket up the 165-pound individual rankings. Entered last Saturday’s (Jan. 23) Mizzou Tri-Dual ranked as high as No. 12 in the country. In a pair of MAC contests against Ohio and Northern Illinois, O’Toole went 2-0, highlighted by a 5-1 decision over No. 18 Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois). Opened last Saturday with a fall over Sean O’Dwyer (Ohio), marking his third pin of the young 2021 campaign and sixth victory resulting in bonus points. His third win via fall is tied for first among Mizzou grapplers. .. story at _{^{https://getsomemaction.com/news/2021/1/27/wrestling-missouris-o-toole-named-mac-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=bf1f14c6db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Washington Earns Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Honors
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.  – Following a week where he went 2-0, including a victory over a No. 5 ranked wrestler from Penn State, sophomore Donnell Washington has been chosen the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. Washington started his day at the Northwestern Tri Meet with an emphatic victory over No. 5 Carter Starocci of Penn State. Washington got a take down and four-point near fall in the first period and led 10-1 early in the match. He hung on late for a 10-9 decision.  
Washington followed that up with a key win by fall to help the Hoosiers beat Northwestern, 18-16. Washington pinned Northwestern’s Troy Fisher with 18 seconds left in the third period to provide the Hoosiers with six points. … rest of story at _{^{https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2021/2/2/wrestling-washington-earns-big-ten-wrestler-of-the-week-honors.aspx?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Keckeisen Named Big 12 Wrestler of Week
IRVING, Texas – Northern Iowa redshirt freshman Parker Keckeisen was tabbed the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week after picking up a ranked victory over Oklahoma State’s Dakota Geer. Keckeisen earned a sudden-victory win over returning All-American and 2020 Big 12 third-place wrestler Geer. He earned a takedown in a wild scramble in the overtime period to give Geer his first loss of the season.  Keckeisen is 6-0 on the year and 2-0 in duals. He has two major decisions and a tech fall on the year. This is the first weekly award for Keckeisen. … rest of story at _{^{https://unipanthers.com/news/2021/2/2/wrestling-keckeisen-named-big-12-wrestler-of-week.aspx?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

11 } – PODCASTS – Always Aggressive Podcast: Season 2, Episode 14
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue wrestling team headed out on the road this past weekend and came up on the wrong end of duals at Illinois and Wisconsin. However, the trip was not without some bright spots as the Boilermakers got their first taste of travel and a few guys got some solid wins.
The weekend saw several season debuts, including freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis, junior Parker Filius and senior Max Lyon. Nijenhuis started his collegiate career 2-0, with a pair of dominant wins, while Lyon knocked off a highly-ranked opponent at Illinois and Filius put some points on the board at Wisconsin. … rest of story at _{^{https://purduesports.com/news/2021/1/27/wrestling-always-aggressive-podcast-season-2-episode-14.aspx?mc_cid=bf1f14c6db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND “A HIGHER STANDARD” PODCAST RETURNS WITH CHRIS AYRES & NATE JACKSON
Princeton Wrestling’s “A Higher Standard” podcast returns to kick off 2021 with head coach Chris Ayres and assistant coach Nate Jackson. The coaches discuss how the team is moving forward into 2021 and managed a relatively quiet holiday period as oppossed to their usual schedule as coaches. In the main segment, Nate Jackson discusses his growth as a senior-level freestyle wrestler, how he’s taken to his role as an assistant coach, and his work with the Black Wrestling Association. … rest of story at _{^{https://goprincetontigers.com/news/2021/1/28/-a-higher-standard-podcast-returns-with-chris-ayres-nate-jackson.aspx?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Triston Wills Tells His Story of Overcoming All Odds on Podcast
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock redshirt freshman Triston Wills shares his unique and almost unbelievable journey to the collegiate wrestling mat with Trey Schaap on the Big Talk on Little Rock podcast.  
Listen to Episode 26 with Triston Wills  
Wills shares his incredible story about how he fought several “no’s” to get back to the sport he loves and why Little Rock was the key to continuing his wrestling career. He also discussed what it’s like being an athlete during a pandemic, his background in the sport, and his excitement to compete at the Jack Stephens Center for the first time this Sunday, Jan. 17. … rest of story at _{^{https://lrtrojans.com/news/2021/1/13/athletics-triston-willis-tells-his-story-of-overcoming-all-odds-on-podcast.aspx?mc_cid=6b4820f7a2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – Iowa is still really, really good and 4 more college wrestling lessons learned
The consistent storyline thus far in the 2021 wrestling season is the dominance of the Iowa Hawkeyes. This team further separated itself from the rest of the Big Ten conference over the weekend with a dominating 36-6 win over No. 9 Illinois. Questions, however, still remain around how much of a threat Penn State will be to an Iowa title and how many All-Americans Iowa can put on the podium.  N.C. State, Oklahoma State and Nebraska also will attempt to put themselves in position to battle for a team trophy in March. Here’s what we learned from last week’s dual action and how these results could impact the rankings moving forward. 
Penn State shakes off rust with two wins
Penn State, the 2019 NCAA champions, went 2-0 in its first weekend back on the mats since March. But the wins were hard-fought and less dominant than some of Penn State’s previous performances. Senior Nick Lee and sophomores Aaron Brooks and Seth Nevills led the team with bonus points against Indiana and Northwestern. Junior Roman Bravo-Young, sophomore Brady Berge and freshman Joe Lee also notched two wins. Berge’s wins suggested that the veteran junior is healthy and ready to roll, while the Joe Lee wins also say good things about the future of the freshman and the potential for championship points at a weight where Penn State has been in the NCAA finals for the last three years. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-02-01/5-takeaways-weekends-college-wrestling-duals?mc_cid=3d847489c9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

February 16, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized