Takedown Report

NCAA Division III News (2021) – # 4

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Division III team and individual rankings (#1), Wrestler of the Week Awards (#6, 7, 8 & 9) and a new Hall of Fame Coach (#11) are included in this gathering of Division III wrestling news. While the regular annual NCAA National Championships have been cancelled for the 2nd consecutive year the NWCA will host a national level tournament for division III wrestlers (#2) on the same dates but in a new location in Iowa. All this and more included below. Keep on reading on wrestling!
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – D3WRESTLE.COM 2020-2021 RANKINGS #1
At long last, here are the first d3wrestle.com Rankings for the 2020-2021 season. This is a tough season to rank without large tournaments and much in the way of inter-conference competition. Some notes on the process: Wrestlers appearing in the rankings will only be ranked at a weight where they have wrestled. Adjustments will be made for guys who have not wrestled when teams start their schedules. Only wrestlers who appear as certified on Trackwrestling are ranked. Eventually, certified wrestlers will drop out if they do not compete with their teams. Since 30+ teams are not competing, the rankings have 18 wrestlers per weight class. As always, the top ten are in order, and the tiers after that are grouped but not numbered. If there are misspellings of names or mixed up schools, leave a comment so it can be fixed. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/d3wrestle-com-2020-2021-rankings-1/?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND NWCA Division III Releases Regular Season Poll #2
Manheim, PA – Significant shuffling took place in the latest NWCA Division III Coaches Rankings released on Friday as only teams and athletes that had taken to the mat this season were included.  Coming in atop the new team rankings is perennial DIII power Wartburg with eight ranked individuals.  Wisconsin-La Crosse, the US Coast Guard Academy, Mount Union, Baldwin Wallace, and John Carroll round out the rest of the top-five.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Many of the teams and athletes included in this set of rankings will find themselves finishing this season not at the NCAA Championships, as they were canceled earlier this month, but instead at the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships presented by ARMS Software, FloWrestling, and Reese’s.  While there will be no team scoring or awards, each athlete entered will be competing for NWCA All-American status with a top-eight finish.  A full listing of competing teams will be available at a later date. … rest of story at _{^{http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-division-iii-releases-regular-season-poll-2/?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } -NWCA Division III Coaches Association set to host National Championships in Coralville, Iowa, March 12-13
MANHEIM, Pa. — On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the creation of the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships presented by ARMS Software, FloWrestling, and Reese’s. The Xtream Arena (Coralville, IA) will play host on March 12-13 and will be allowing spectators. Tickets will go on-sale this Friday, February 26th at 10:00am through the Xtream Arena Box Office. Tickets may be purchased by visiting xtreamarena.com. All-session and single-day tickets will be available for $41 and $24, respectively. Fans not able to attend will be able to watch each match live on FloWrestling. On February 3, the NCAA announced the cancellation of the Division III winter championships for wrestling as well as basketball, indoor track and field, swimming and diving, and ice hockey. Following the NCAA’s announcement, the NWCA Division III Leadership Group, led by Chairman Lonnie Morris, Head Coach at Johnson & Wales, began working to provide a championship experience for athletes who had just had their championship tournament canceled for the second year in a row. Morris shared, “It is an honor to be part of the leadership group that helped create this opportunity for our student-athletes.” USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, announced on February 5 that it would host a tournament for Div. III wrestlers. With the assurance from the NWCA that this event will be held, USA Wrestling will help publicize the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships. The most important thing for the wrestling community is that these Div. III student-athletes have one season-ending event. … rest of story at _{^{https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24340?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – TERRY SHOCKLEY AND AUGUSTANA VIKING’S WRESTLING HISTORY: WRESTLER FOR LIFE STORY OF THE WEEK
USA Wrestling’s “Wrestler for Life” program is accepting submissions for “The Story of the Week”. It can be about anything wrestling related, whether it’s a particular wrestling match you’ll never forget, or a life lesson that the sport taught you. If your story is chosen, it will be featured on TheMat.com, and winners will receive a USA Wrestling t-shirt.
Send your submissions to: Wrestlerforlife@usawrestling.org
This week’s submission is by John Malvik.
Augustana College Men’s Wresting has a long and storied history. Prior to the 1950’s the NCAA sponsored the only National Championship in wrestling, beginning with the first national tournament in 1928. Except for the World War II years of 1943-45 the NCAA Championships in wrestling have been contested annually until the 2020 season, when the global pandemic interrupted the tournament again. In 1958, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) started its own national … rest of story at _{^{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/04/Terry-Shockley-W4L?mc_cid=fca48e06b8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

4 } – Podcast Episode 20: Jason McLean ’01
All of February, the Muhlenberg Mules Podcast joins the Office of Multicultural Life in celebrating the rich history and contributions of Black people to the world, the United States of America and to Muhlenberg College. Episode 20 features Jason McLean ’01. McLean was the first Muhlenberg wrestler ever to earn All-America honors when he placed eighth at 141 pounds as a senior. He returned to his alma mater as head wrestling coach in 2017 and compiled an outstanding record of 43-20 in his first three seasons. McLean was named Centennial Conference coach of the year in 2020 after leading the Mules to the CC dual-meet title and a second-place finish at the championship tournament. … rest of story at _{^{https://muhlenbergsports.com/news/2021/2/11/wrestling-podcast-episode-20-jason-mclean-01.aspx?mc_cid=b6bf9ab19d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Hawk Talk Episode 21: Jon Egan ’05 (Wrestling)
This week’s guest on Hawk Talk was Jon Egan ’05, the head coach of the Roger Williams University wrestling team. He joined Bryce Johnson and they discussed what attracted him to Bristol first as a player and later as a coach, his coaching philosophy and the Downtown Showdown. … rest of story at _{^{https://rwuhawks.com/news/2021/2/4/general-hawk-talk-episode-21-jon-egan-05-wrestling.aspx}}

5 } – Division III athletes press on, though frustrated by COVID restrictions
“They’re taking something away from us,” says Augsburg wrestler Solomon Nielsen.”
Augsburg wrestler Solomon Nielsen competed at the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional at Augsburg’s Si Melby Hall on Feb. 28-29, 2020. On March 12, 2020, Solomon Nielsen was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, preparing with his Augsburg teammates for the NCAA Division III wrestling championships that would start the next morning. He carried a 23-2 record and had his sights set on winning a national title. Then came the news: The NCAA announced all remaining winter sports and all spring sports were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Fast forward 11 months to Feb. 3, 2021, and disappointment rained down again for Nielsen and other Division III athletes when the NCAA canceled all winter sports championships. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.startribune.com/division-iii-athletes-press-on-though-frustrated-by-covid-restrictions/600022556/?mc_cid=ffcd6840e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&refresh=true}}
AND How D3 Wrestling Is Navigating Another NCAA Championships Season Lost
Division III wrestlers and coaches had been bracing for the news that became reality the evening of Feb. 3. To some, it felt like a family member with a terminal illness. They hoped for the best and feared for the worst. They wanted to believe the D3 season could get to the finish line this time around but knew what likely loomed ahead.  To others, it felt like a foregone conclusion months ago that this season would end much like last year’s — without a crowning championship event.  The news D3 wrestling fans feared became official on the first Wednesday night of February. The NCAA was cancelling Division III winter sports championships.  “We knew this would be the case,” Stevens coach Joe Favia said. “We entered the season with the mindset that we were preparing to practice and hopefully get some dual meets in. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6891066-how-d3-wrestling-is-navigating-another-ncaa-championships-season-lost}}

6 } – Murphy named MIAA Athlete of the Week for wrestling
FREELAND, Mich. – Olivet College junior Hunter Murphy has been named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Athlete of the Week for wrestling. Murphy posted a 3-0 record to help the wrestling team win three matches and capture the 2021 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship. He started his day with a 17-1 technical fall over Mason Priest from Alma College. Murphy then recorded a pair of first-period pins – 2:16 over Jacob Colbart from Adrian College and 57 seconds over Isaac Hawkins from Trine (Ind.) University. … rest of story at _{^{https://olivet.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210215k7kdfa?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

7 } – Dooley Named MAC Wrestler of the Week
Dooley posts a pair of victories to earn conference’s weekly award
ANNVILLE, Pa. (February 15, 2021) – Junior Michael Dooley of No. 11 Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling was named Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Wrestler of the Week Monday, the league office announced.  The recognition is the first career weekly award for the Hillsborough, New Jersey native and the fourth for the program since Stevens returned to the MAC in 2019. Dooley’s honor is also the first weekly award for Stevens Athletics since March 16 when five student-athletes (Melissa Alfonso (Softball), Kyra Bednarski (Women’s Lacrosse), Meredith Conlin (Women’s Lacrosse), David Lehman (Men’s Volleyball) and Brendan Monteleone (Men’s Lacrosse)) were honored by the conference in what would ultimately be the final weekly awards recognition of the 2019-20 academic year. … rest of story at _{^{https://stevensducks.com/news/2021/2/15/wrestling-dooley-named-mac-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND MAC Names David Stevens Wrestler of the Week
ANNVILLE, Pa. – On Monday morning, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) announced their first Conference Weekly Award Winner in nearly a year, naming David Stevens their Wrestler of the Week for the week ending on Feb. 7. Stevens went 1-0 in his first action since qualifying for the 2020 NCAA DIII National Championships back in February.
Wrestler of the Week – David Stevens
Stevens was dominate in his only match of the week defeating Shenandoah’s Derek Liddle at 184 lbs. by way of a technical fall … rest of story at _{^{https://gomessiah.com/news/2021/2/8/wrestling-mac-names-david-stevens-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – Briggs and Wright Earn A-R-C Weekly Honors
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced its weekly honors for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 14, with Wartburg wrestler Kyle Briggs (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa) named the Male Athlete and Wrestler of the Week, and Wartburg men’s track sprinter Dallas Wright (Sr., Carlisle, Iowa) awarded the Male Runner of the Week. The No. 1/2-ranked Wartburg wrestling team rounded out its 2021 American Rivers Conference schedule with a 47-3 win over Nebraska Wesleyan University along with a 28-5 victory over Loras College to finish 8-0 during conference action to clinch the A-R-C title on Saturday, Feb. 13 inside Levick Arena. Kyle Briggs, a fifth-year senior, completed the conference schedule with an undefeated 7-0 record. At 174 lbs. on Saturday, he won by fall over NWU’s Talan McGill in 36 seconds and followed with a 8-0 major decision over Loras’ No. 7-ranked Jacob Krakow. The conference wrestler of the week award is the fourth of Briggs’ career. … rest of story at ^{_{https://go-knights.net/news/2021/2/15/general-briggs-and-wright-earn-a-r-c-weekly-honors.aspx?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – Birt Named CCIW Wrestler of the Week
NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Millikin senior Bradan Birt was named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday. A native of Epworth, Iowa and Western Dubuque High School, Birt was named the CCIW’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning his second-straight 165-pound title at the conference championship on Saturday. It was Birt’s fourth individual conference title following wins at 149 pounds in 2018 and 157 pounds in 2019. He was 3-0 on the day, beginning with a Fall at 0:55 against Elmhurst’s Joe Carinfella, followed by another Fall at 0:16 over Carthage’s Quinn Hoopman. Birt won the title by Technical Fall (16-0) over North Central’s Rafael Roman in the championship match. The Big Blue won their second-straight team title with a score of 153.5. … rest of story at _{^{https://athletics.millikin.edu/news/2021/2/16/wrestling-birt-named-cciw-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – LaMontagne Legacy Fund Launched
Fund to Support Blue Jay Wrestling Announced in Honor of Bradlee LaMontagne
ALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins University wrestling coach Keith Norris has announced the launching of a campaign to support the Bradlee Hillier LaMontagne Legacy Fund.  Created in honor of Bradlee LaMontagne, a member of the Blue Jay wrestling program who died in a tragic boating accident in December 2020, the initiative was created to ensure his legacy and impact on the program continue into the future.  
LaMontagne, who had been elected a captain for what would have been his junior season in 2020-21, chose to attend Johns Hopkins so that he could make a difference in the world.  After arriving on campus as a freshman in the fall of 2017, he quickly established himself as a hard-working, exceptional teammate within the wrestling program.  More importantly, he became an active leader on campus and demonstrated four characteristics with everything he did:  Drive, Discovery, Balance and Passion. … rest of story at _{^{https://hopkinssports.com/news/2021/2/18/wrestling-lamontagne-legacy-fund-launched.aspx?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

11 } – BVU ALUM EARNS WRESTLING HALL OF FAME HONOR
1980 GRADUATE HELPED BEAVERS EARN COACH BAXTER’S FIRST LEAGUE TITLE
STORM LAKE, Iowa (February 18, 2021) -Ron Peterson ’80 will have many thoughts during his induction into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, minutes before the Grand March that opens the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. He may have visions of the 12 siblings he wrestled against while growing up in Webster City. There could be his high school Lynx teammates, his Triton teammates at Iowa Central Community College. Peterson will reflect on three team state titles he and his Clarksville High School wrestlers earned, or the two he was fortunate to guide while coaching at Cedar Rapids Prairie. He might also have memories of the student-athletes he coached at Simpson College, then later at Knoxville High School. … rest of story at _{^{https://bvuathletics.com/news/2021/2/18/bvu-alum-earns-wrestling-hall-of-fame-honor.aspx?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – The Noke Wrestling News Podcast – Episode 7 (The New York Recruits)
On this episode of Noke Wrestling News we talk to Coach Nate Yetzer along with two recruits from New York, Sawyer Dereszynski and Ethan Palanca. Sawyer and Ethan talk about their unorthodox senior season and their journey through wrestling. Later, we find out the results of the Fall Fund Drive and touch on the Polar Plunge. Earl and Coach Yetzer wrap up the show discussing the cancelation of the 2021 DIII National Tournament.  … rest of story at _{^{https://news.theopenmat.com/podcasts/noke-wrestling-news/the-noke-wrestling-news-podcast-episode-7-the-new-york-recruits/80061?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Abraham Named MIAA Wrestler of the Week
FREELAND, MICH.  —  Trine University men’s wrestler, Matthew Abraham (Seven Hills, Ohio/Padua Franciscan), has earned Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association “Player of the Week” honors for his efforts this past weekend. Trine competed against Manchester University in an unscored multiple-round style event at Hershey Hall this past Saturday (Feb. 6) that saw the Thunder win 13 out of 23 total matches against the Spartans. Abraham won his two matchups in the 197-pound weight class, both by pinfall, that included one pin in under a minute (55 seconds) against Alex Searfoss.  His second pin was against Alex Gronkiewicz in a time of 1:23. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trinethunder.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210208msia0u}}
AND Hollingsworth Named A-R-C Wrestler of the Week
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced its weekly honors for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 7, with Wartburg College wrestler David Hollingsworth (Jr., Owings Mills, Md.) named the Wrestler of the Week. The No. 1/2-ranked Wartburg wrestling team compiled a 3-0 record last week, defeating Luther, Buena Vista, and Central by a combined score of 102-13.  Hollingsworth, a transfer student-athlete from Baltimore, Md., is off to a 3-0 start in Orange & Black during A-R-C competition at 157 lbs. On Saturday versus Central College, Hollingsworth took down the No. 7-ranked and returning NWCA All-American Rob Areyano, with an 11-6 decision victory. … test of story at _{^{https://go-knights.net/news/2021/2/8/wrestling-hollingsworth-named-a-r-c-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

March 5, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized