Takedown Report

NCAA Division II News (2021) – # 5

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The NCAA Division II Championships start TODAY! after almost a 2 year wait since the 2019 Championships. As we all know last year’s event was cancelled as the Pandemic crashed down in the USA. Thus the following articles have links, updates, previews and all that sort of stuff for the championships. The last three articles are from a sad disheartening championships ten years ago. It felt like a punch in the gut or a kick received even lower when the *&%$# Athletic Director of the University of Nebraska-Omaha (henceforth known as UNZero) cancelled wrestling moments after they won a third consecutive championship. It was the same spring in which UNC Greensboro cancelled their Division I program. It was a dark and depressing event. Shall not write more at this time as I want to enjoy watching the matches. Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – DIV. II PREVIEW: WITH 10 QUALIFIERS, NEBRASKA-KEARNEY IS NO. 1 GOING INTO NCAA DIV. II NATIONALS IN ST. LOUIS, MARCH 12-13
This year’s NCAA Championships are slated for March 12-13 at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Mo. The Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney have 92 points in the latest D-2 polls, 14 points ahead of Lindenwood, Mo. with 78 points. Defending national champion and former No. 1 St. Cloud State comes in with 73, Gannon, Pa. has 65, and McKendree, Ill. has 64, to round out the top 5.
For the Lopers, senior Matt Malcom from Iowa moved up a spot to number one at 165 lbs. with fellow Iowa native Josh Portillo, now second at 125 lbs. Next, senior Wesley Dawkins from Nebraska (3rd/133 lbs.), redshirt freshman Nick James of Nebraska (11th/141 lbs.), and senior Sam Turner from Colorado (5th/149 lbs.) maintained their ranking. Finally, senior Jacob Wasser from Pennsylvania (5th/157 lbs.), junior Terrell Garraway of Kansas (6th/174 lbs.), redshirt junior Austin Eldredge of Kansas (10th/184 lbs.), and Sredshirt freshman Joseph Reimers of Nebraska (6th/197 lbs.) each moved up a spot or two in their respective class.
UNK showed why they are to top team in D-2 as the Lopers advanced its entire starting lineup into the finals at the 2021 NCAA Super Region VI Championships Sunday night in Grand Junction, Colo. Nebraska-Kearney scored 121.50 points to win this meet for a third straight year. This also marks UNK’s 17th region title since 2000.
To reach that Kearney went a combined 24-5 on the day, winning its first 15 matches. UNK went 5-5 in the finals and capped the long day with a win in a “true” second place match. Atop the regional awards stand this year is Dawkins (133 lbs.), Wasser (157 lbs.), Garraway (174 lbs.), Lee Herrington of Nebraska (285 lbs.), and James (141 lbs.). Dawkins and Wasser repeated as regional champs. Coming in second in their respective class were Malcom (165 lbs.), Portillo (125 lbs.), Turner (149 lbs.), Eldredge (184 lbs.) and Reimers (184 lbs.). … rest of story at _{^{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/10/NCAA-Div-II-preview?mc_cid=2a2fd7a25b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – Live coverage of the 2021 DII wrestling championship selections
2021 DII wrestling championship at a glanceKeep up with the latest news and results from the DII wrestling championship right here. The selections were announced on Monday, March 1. The championship is March 12-13 at America’s Convention Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Championship schedule and live streamBoth days of the championship will stream live here on NCAA.com. Live coverage starts at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 12, and TBD on Saturday, March 13. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/wrestling/d2/2021-ncaa-dii-wrestling-championship-selection-release-schedule?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – Curreri Poised to Compete at NCAA Championship
ST. LOUIS, M.O. – Noah Curreri, of the Queens men’s wrestling team, is locked in and poised to compete at the NCAA DII Men’s Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday, March 12-13, at the America’s Center Convention Complex. Curreri, a senior, clinched his second career trip to the NCAA Championships after finishing second at NCAA Regionals last weekend. He will compete in the 174-pound weight class and will take on top-seeded Abner Romero, of Lindenwood University in Round One on Friday. Curreri enters with a 12-3 record this season. “I know Noah is happy to be back and get a chance to prove what he is capable of,” stated Queens head men’s wrestling coach Rob Tate. “We’re all happy to be able to represent Queens University of Charlotte at another national tournament and looking forward to bringing back some hardware.” … rest of story at _{^{https://queensathletics.com/news/2021/3/11/mens-wrestling-curreri-poised-to-compete-at-ncaa-championship.aspx}}

4 } – Colby Teague Selected To NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championship
MOUNT OLIVE, North Carolina — The NCAA announced the selections for the 2021 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships and Mount Olive’s Colby Teague earned a spot in the field. The NCAA Division II Men’s Wrestling Championship is scheduled for March 12-13 at America’s Convention Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Both of the days of the Championship will stream live on NCAA.com. Teague in the 157-pound weight class recovered after a loss in the round of eight. He went onto defeat Matthew Sloan (Belmont Abbey), Dallas Boone (King) before making it to the third-place match. Teague made quick work of Alex Miller of Coker University getting a fall in 1:19 to put him in the 3rd place match.He then defeated Juaquin Olivas from Lander securing his third place finish and selection into the national championship. “Colby showed tremendous heart and toughness, which resulted in a great tournament. He was unseeded going in, but wrestled like I knew he was capable of wrestling. After losing in the first round, he won four consecutive matches to place third. This is not only an honor for Colby and his family, but also for the UMO program,” said Head Coach Dan Willis. … rest of story at _{^{https://umotrojans.com/news/2021/3/1/colby-teague-selected-to-ncaa-division-ii-wrestling-national-championship.aspx}}

5 } – Belmont-Abbey’s Dean Region Champion
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Mitch Dean captured first place in the 165 lbs. weight class at the Super Region II Championships. The Crusaders finished fourth as a team at the tournament held at Emmanuel College.
BAC Top Finishers
125         Brandon Crowder            Fourth Place
133         Benjamin Fielding           Second Place
165         Mitch Dean                         First Place
174         Logan Branham                 Fourth Place
… rest of story at _{^{https://abbeyathletics.com/news/2021/2/28/wrestling-dean-region-champion.aspx}}

6 } – Newberry Wrestling Dominates SACC All-Conference Awards
Cy Wainwright named SACC Coach of the Year, six Wolves named All-Conference
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Newberry Wrestling team was dominant this season, recording their first-ever undefeated season and winning their third straight South Atlantic Conference Carolinas championship. They continued their domination on Friday with the announcement of the SACC All-Conference awards. The Wolves had a total of six athletes named to the All-Conference team, while head coach Cy Wainwright was named the conference Coach of the Year for the second time since Newberry joined the conference. Nominations and voting were conducted by the league coaches. 
125 pounds – Zach Shupp (First Team)
Shupp burst onto the scene this season for the Wolves, compiling a 9-2 record, with a perfect 7-0 mark in conference action. He ran a streak of five straight wins via fall through the conference season and ended up with a second-place finish at the Super Region II Tournament, punching his ticket to the national tournament in St. Louis, Mo. next weekend. This is the first all-conference award for the redshirt sophomore from Fairfield, Ohio and will be his first D2 national tournament appearance.
133 pounds – Austin Neal (First Team)
Neal is 10-1 on the season, and is on a nine-match win streak heading into the D2 national tournament. He has five wins via major decision and one win via fall, which came in the semifinals of the Super Region II Tournament. He ended up winning the super region championship at 133 pounds, securing his second career appearance in the national tournament. The senior from Rutherfordton, N.C. is making his third appearance on the All-SACC awards list. … rest of story at _{^{https://newberrywolves.com/news/2021/3/5/newberry-wrestling-dominates-sacc-all-conference-awards.aspx}}

7 } – Van Alst Ready to Represent Coker at the NCAA Division II National Championships
HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Zachary Van Alst is ready to represent Coker University at the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships! Check out the preview below! 
… rest of story at _{^{https://www.cokercobras.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210311xvmohq}}

8 } – New Mexico Highlands Head Wrestling Coach Announces Retirement
Las Vegas, NM — After 15 seasons of blood, sweat, and tears on the wrestling mats at New Mexico Highlands University, head wrestling coach Doug Moses has decided to retire at the end of the Spring 2021 semester.
“Coach Mo has been an influential member of the wrestling community for a long time” Athletics Director Andrew Ehling commented. “The impact that he has made on NMHU’s wresting program is unmeasurable. I wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.”
The Doug Moses era began as the programs head coach during the 2006-2007 season and, without a doubt, has made an impact on every student-athlete that has ever hit the mat for the Cowboys. His leadership and intelligence within the wrestling community has earned him the honors of being inducted into five different Hall of Fames, which include:

• NCAA II Coaches Association Hall of Fame
• Adams State College Hall of Fame (2007 Team & 2009 Individual)
• University of Southern Colorado Hall of Fame
• Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame (National Championship Team)

Doug’s coaching career started in 1973 after graduating from Adams State with a degree in Physical Education. Moses served as a student-assistant coach for the 1973 National Championship team while also competing internationally as a member of two World Cup Freestyle teams in 1973 and 1975. … rest of story at _{^{https://nmhuathletics.com/news/2021/3/9/new-mexico-highlands-head-wrestling-coach-announces-retirement.aspx?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – Turriff Earns NSIC Elite 18 Award
Mankato, Minn. — Minnesota State’s Trevor Turriff was named the 2020-21 NSIC Elite 18 Award winner for wrestling. Turriff joins Carah Drees (2021- WBB), Alex Goettl (2019 – FB), Amber Kral (2019 – SB), Maggie Knier (S&D 2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20) and Erica Ellstrom (S&D 2016-17) as NSIC Elite 18 Award winners from Minnesota State.
As part of the NSIC 25th Anniversary celebration, the NSIC Elite 18 Award was instituted to recognize the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the NSIC Championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The NSIC Elite 18 award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point from the regular season championship team or an All-NSIC performer. Turriff is a junior majoring in finance and holds a 3.72 grade point average. … rest of story at _{^{https://theguillotine.com/2021/03/turriff-earns-nsic-elite-18-award/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – Destruction of a Dynasty: The Bombshell That Rocked Nebraska-Omaha Wrestling
 Destruction of a Dynasty: The Bombshell That Rocked Nebraska-Omaha Wrestling
By every surface indicator, Nebraska-Omaha’s wrestling program was on rock-solid footing 10 years ago.  The Mavericks were arguably college wrestling’s top dynasty at the time. On the mat, they’d won six Division II national titles in eight years. Off it, they were involved and embedded in the Omaha community. Their roster had a heavy local flavor, and they were helping support themselves with their fundraising efforts. 
Longtime coach Mike Denney led the Mavericks to their first national title in 1991 and they were perennial contenders before another championship breakthrough in 2004. That’s when UNO really got it rolling, and there seemed to be no end in sight for the Mavericks’ mastery of Division II wrestling.  Until a bombshell decision landed on Denney’s voicemail on March 12, 2011, roughly an hour after the Division II NCAA Championships in Kearney, Nebraska.  Denney was delivering a speech at UNO’s post-tournament party when he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. The call was from the school’s 40-year-old athletic director Trev Alberts, a former Nebraska football star whose once-promising NFL career was cut short by injuries after three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Alberts grew up in the heart of wrestling country, a Cedar Falls, Iowa, native who attended Northern University High, one of the few schools in the area that did not offer wrestling. He attended high school across the street from the UNI-Dome, where Nebraska-Omaha won the National Duals each year Alberts headed up its athletic department.  Minutes after Denney delivered his speech at UNO’s 2011 post-tournament celebration in Kearney, he reached into his pocket to check his messages. The voicemail from Alberts — and phone conversation that followed — rocked Denney, his wrestlers and sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling community.  Nebraska-Omaha was dropping wrestling. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615247260479&twSessionId=cfpyxrcouu&postId=1113516135&mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

11 } – Destruction of a Dynasty: A title locked up and a team locked out
 Destruction of a Dynasty: A title locked up and a team locked out
The shockwaves were still rippling through the wrestling world on the second Sunday morning in March of 2011 as news of Nebraska-Omaha’s stunning decision to drop its most successful athletic program spread across the country.  Fresh off their sixth Division II national title in eight seasons, the Mavericks were an hour into their championship celebration when athletic director Trev Alberts broke up the party with a bombshell phone call to longtime coach Mike Denney. 
Alberts informed Denney of the school’s decision to cut wrestling — an almost inconceivable fate for the sport’s top college empire at the time. 
To this day, wrestling is the only men’s sport to win an NCAA title at Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks won their first national championship under Denney in 1991. It took them 13 years to get back to the D2 pinnacle, but once they got there, they purchased property at the top, reeling off three straight titles on two occasions. 
Denney and company thought they were set up for long-term dominance when the Mavericks pulled away in the 2011 championship round to capture their seventh title. UNO’s post-tournament festivities came to an abrupt end after Alberts informed Denney of the decision.  This is the second of a three-part oral history series by Andy Hamilton and Kyle Klingman chronicling the stunning elimination of a powerhouse program at the peak of its dynasty and the aftermath as told by Denney, his former wrestlers and others connected to the decision. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615524133965&twSessionId=imovdvwczw&postId=1115939135}}

12 } – Destruction of a Dynasty: The aftermath in Omaha and an opportunity for an upstart
 Destruction of a Dynasty: The aftermath in Omaha and an opportunity for an upstart

It became clear in the days after Division II powerhouse Nebraska-Omaha won its third straight national championship that the Mavericks were facing a battle they had no chance to win.  An hour into the team’s celebration of the 2011 D2 title, the Mavericks learned their school was eliminating wrestling and football. Almost immediately, they shifted their thoughts to program preservation. But the more they learned about the situation, the more apparent it became there was no wrestling out of this position. 
The day after the tournament they arrived back on campus to find the locks on Sapp Fieldhouse — which housed the UNO wrestling room — had been changed out of fear wrestlers and football players would turn destructive in the wake of the decision.  The same day, UNO athletic director Trev Alberts announced the school was transitioning to the Division I Summit League. What’s more, he also revealed UNO was adding men’s soccer and men’s golf.  The Maverick wrestlers still had hope then that the state Board of Regents would block UNO’s decision to drop the two sports. Instead, they supported it with a 6-0 vote. 
A decade later, it remains unclear exactly why UNO would drop the most successful athletic program in the school’s 113-year existence.  Was it a dollars-driven decision as school officials have suggested? Was it a move to balance the Mavericks out on the gender equity scale? Was a fractured relationship between Alberts and longtime wrestling coach Mike Denney to blame? Or was UNO’s move to the Summit League and the absence of a strong wrestling presence in the conference the primary factor? … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615522185015&twSessionId=cfpyxrcouu&postId=1118886135}}

March 12, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized