Takedown Report

High School News (2021) – # 10

TDR Editor’s Notes ; This collection of articles is from a variety os states across the country. The first one is from Idaho and we have included more of it that we usually do before going to the link for the rest of the story. It is especially encouraging to read. Each of the aricles below are just part of or a start of the article and we encourage interested readers to link to the full articleas this will countas traffic and thus interest in wrestling.
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – (Idaho) After being talked into wrestling a few weeks ago, 98-pound Century senior Josh Stout earns a bid to state
POCATELLO – Standing in the middle of Century’s post-match team picture, the most-unlikely member of its roster was front and center, hoisting the first-place trophy just below his chin. On Wednesday, Josh Stout stood at the top of the podium and was told he was headed to state. It was the culmination of a goal about six weeks in the making, when Stout’s wrestling career began. The origin of the 98-pound senior’s journey on the mat is one brought about by divine intervention.
Stout is a runner. It’s perhaps the best sport for his body type. One-hundred-pound kids standing at about five-and-a-half feet don’t often find their calling on the basketball court, so Stout runs — both cross country and distance track. He was in offseason training about two months ago when Mark Mansfield first spoke to the small senior. Mansfield is often running late to practice, trying to book it from work to the wrestling room. He always saw the cross country or track kids warming up, sometimes noticing a small kid with glass stretching against the wall. One day, the pair crossed paths. “Hey you,” Mansfield shouted, using phrasing that isn’t the best to give off the impression of friendliness. “Hey buddy, I want to talk with you.”
“How much do you weigh?” Mansfield asked.
“I weigh 105 pounds,” Stout replied.
“What year are you?” “A senior.”
“Dang, I wish you were a 98-pound freshman,” Mansfield told Stout before asking the important question. “Well, anyway, I want to tell you about a sport that is just for you. Have you ever wrestled?”
Mansfield knew the answer to that one. Yet, he persisted. He told Stout how he was a small kid in high school, how he once wrestled in the 98-pound division, how wrestling has taught him skills and tools he applies to life. Then he started to get real with Stout, to not give him the runaround of what a newcomer will face in wrestling. “It’s going to be hard but you can do it,” Mansfield told him. “You will have a lot of bumps and bruises and we will push you to your limits. You’re going to lose a lot of matches and sometimes when you get pinned, it feels like some part of your soul just got beaten. However, if you even win one that’s not what we’re after. We just want to teach you the sport. Are you still willing?” “Yes,” Stout replied.
That Tuesday, the small senior entered a wrestling room for the first time in his life. The season was already a month in progress. Not exactly the ideal time to join a team. But Stout knew a few kids from cross country, which helped the transition phase. Yet, Mansfield’s description turned out to hold true. “I got my butt whooped on that first day,” Stout said with a chuckle. “Everybody was just pinning me at practice. I’m getting flipped around. But I was learning, so it was good. I didn’t mind it.” Century’s coaches didn’t care. They were just ecstatic they found a 98-pounder. See, wrestling has 15 weight classes ranging from 98 to 285 pounds. Numerous high schools have trouble filling the smaller weight classes, namely the 98-pound division, because, well, there aren’t many 98-pound high schoolers. Especially 98-pounders who want to wrestle or whose parents will let them wrestle.
“It’s been awesome because they needed me,” Stout said. “We didn’t have a 98-pounder until me. It’s just great when you’re a use. I’m a use around here. A 98-pound senior isn’t really useful on the football team. It’s different here, small kids are useful.” Mansfield wasn’t the only one giving his pitch for a small kid to join the wrestling team. A number of local wrestling coaches have done the same thing. Problem is, they rarely find a kid who’s willing to give it a shot, who’s humble enough to know it’ll be a learning experience, who works hard enough to persevere through all the pins and takedowns and butt-whoopings. It’s why Wednesday was so cool for the Century. After Preston’s 98-pounder failed to make weight by less than a pound, the Diamondbacks’ coaching staff knew Stout was going to state. But Preston’s 106-pound wrestler, A.J. Starks, also didn’t have a match, so he and Stout competed in an exhibition. In the third round, the 98-pounder who has wrestled for less than two months got his first pin. The referee held his arm up to a raucous celebration. “That was the best moment of this weekend,” Century head coach Mike Millward said. “To see him work and do all the things, it’s awesome for him.” … rest of story at _{^{https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/after-being-talked-into-wrestling-a-few-weeks-ago-98-pound-century-senior-josh-stout/article_e01612e0-18fd-5386-9020-e9ba199ab415.html?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – (Indiana) – Work ethic sets West Lafayette junior wrestling duo apart
WEST LAFAYETTE — Their wrestling experience is drastically different, what West Lafayette teammates Mariere Omonode and Connor Barket have that is eerily similar is their work ethic and desire to be great. Rick Roseman has coached the Red Devils for more than two decades and when he starts ranking the hardest workers he’s had, those two juniors are at the top of the list. “That is one of the great clichés of wrestling,” Barket said. “Whoever works harder is going to be better. “In football, sometimes one guy will outwork another, but that guy is lazier and 6-foot-5. In wrestling that is hard to do. If you don’t work hard, you aren’t going to perform very well. Usually the harder worker is going to win after six minutes.”
MORE:Lafayette Jeff’s Jacob Raub finds ‘true passion’ on wrestling mat
MORE:West Lafayette’s Mariere Omonode wins semistate title
Barket can speak from years of experience. Omonode can not.
But both can tell you that tireless effort is why they’re not only competing in this weekend’s IHSAA state wrestling meet, but why they’re expected to place highly in their respective weight classes. That is where the wrestling commonalities stop. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/2021/02/18/work-ethic-sets-west-lafayette-wrestling-duo-apart/6790180002/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Six years ago, Lutheran didn’t have a wrestling team. This week, it has a state finalist
Greg Hughes is standing next to a table at Lutheran High School trying to get the attention of prospective wrestlers. A sign on the table reads, “Are you tough enough?” Pictures of wrestlers accompany the sign. Some students stop by and inquire. Others scurry past before Hughes can approach them. Hughes has a passion for wrestling. He was captain at powerhouse Naperville North in the Chicago suburbs but decided not to wrestle in college. Now, roughly two decades later, he’s eager to share his knowledge and love for the sport with students at the small southside Indianapolis school. “What I learned from wrestling about hard work, motivation, mental toughness all that stuff, it served me really well in my life,” Hughes said.
Wrestling state finals:Keep an eye on these title contenders
More:See which Indy-area wrestlers punched their ticket to state finals
“God blessed me with three sons. When we were looking for high school options, my wife and I felt there was no finer school than Lutheran. But there was one problem — they didn’t have wrestling.” Lutheran had no wrestling culture. The school did not offer the sport for several years before Hughes expressed interest in coaching it.

Six years later, Lutheran senior Hayden Filipovich is aiming to make a name for the Saints wrestling program at the two-day IHSAA state finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse starting Friday. … rest of story at https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/02/18/ihsaa-wrestling-state-finals-hayden-filipovich-leads-resurrected-lutheran-indiana/6775734002/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – (Wisconsin) – Kaukauna defeats rival Stoughton for state team wrestling title
KAUKAUNA — The Galloping Ghosts’ wrestling team entered the WIAA Division 1 state team wrestling tournament as the No. 1 seed, and they ended the day as state champions.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/1ekklt74
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KAUKAUNA — It should be no surprise that the Kaukauna and Stoughton wrestling teams enter the Division 1 WIAA state team wrestling tournaments seeded No. 1 and No. 2. It’s been that way many times in past years. And this year will be no exception. The seeding means that if the two teams are to meet, it will happen in the finals with a state title on the line. Kaukauna High School hosts the Division 1 tournament Saturday, Feb. 20, while the Division 2 tournament is scheduled at Adams-Friendship High School and Division 3 at Wausau West High School on the same day. The Galloping Ghosts qualify for the 12th time in the last 14 seasons and for the 19th time overall. They had a string of five straight appearances from 1999-2003 and have now surpassed that streak with their current run of nine consecutive appearances. They have won a total of four State championships, all coming in a row from 2014-17. The Galloping Ghosts have also finished runner-up four times, including 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2013. … rest of story at _{^{https://kaukaunacommunitynews.com/2021/02/18/kaukauna-and-stoughton-showdown-looms-between-states-top-two-wrestling-teams/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Bird family of Burlington healing with help of wrestling community
KAUKAUNA — The only thing that’s small about Kevin Bird is his height. The man is a warrior with a heart of gold and the physical wrestling skills of an Olympic champion. Yet this powerful, overpowering man showed true, understandable vulnerability last week Saturday, Feb. 13, at the WIAA Division-1 State Individual Wrestling Tournament in Kaukauna. As Bird and his brother, Steve, walked slowly down the bleacher steps — they were about 10 rows up, perched with a view of the middle of three mats — nobody wanted them to leave. It seemed anybody who’s anybody in the Wisconsin wrestling community gave Kevin Bird a bear hug, not only bidding farewell and safe trip home, but also thanking him for giving so much back to them. Bird has touched so many lives in Wisconsin wrestling, thanks in part to coaching at the Higher Level club in Burlington. But his spiritual and emotional impact will live far longer than his physical abilities. The Wilmot alumnus is a former high school state wrestling champion. So was his son, Josh, a two-time WIAA Division-1 state champ, in 2013 at 120 pounds and in 2015 at 132. That’s why last Saturday brought tears to Kevin Bird’s cheekbones as he departed the gymnasium. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/bird-family-of-burlington-healing-with-help-of-wrestling-community/article_5bd05b2e-5484-5af2-821c-f53b64719834.html?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

4 } – (Iowa) – Hogans sharing one last championship run
DES MOINES – Charlie Hogan has shared a lot of special moments with his dad, Tom. He’s got to hug his dad after helping Don Bosco of Gilbertville win a state championship in football in 2019, and another embrace after his key hit helped the Dons win this past summer’s Class 1A state baseball championship.
Prep wrestling: Don Bosco’s Hogan stepping down
After winning three traditional and two state dual championships in 10 seasons, Don Bosco head wrestling coach Tom Hogan has announced he will retire at the end of the 2020-21 season.  Wednesday’s high-five after Charlie won a 195-pound match during Don Bosco’s 1A first-round state dual championship match against MFL Mar-Mac had a different feeling. For Charlie it was the last match of his high school career. It was also one of the last times Charlie would see his father sitting in the coaches’ corner as Tom announced his retirement from coaching in late January after serving as the Dons head coach the past 11 seasons leading the program to a combined six state titles (dual and traditional) and more than 225 dual wins. The night was made extra special when Don Bosco beat Lisbon, 34-25, to win the program’s 11th state dual title Wednesday and third in four years with Charlie contributing in each tournament championship. “This is very special,” Charlie said. “If not for wrestling we wouldn’t have had as much time together. To get to slap his hand after winning a match…that is pretty cool.” Tom, who has had two older children Jake, a two-time state medal winner for the Dons, and Lexie, a former wrestling manager, go through the program says the wrestling grind with Charlie has been a different experience. … rest of story at _{^{https://wcfcourier.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/hogans-sharing-one-last-championship-run/article_34448fa5-865e-5300-8c3d-97fb0f953f22.html?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

5 } – A dozen of the top developments from Thursday’s state tournament action
High school wrestling’s busiest weekend of state championship action ramped up Thursday. 
Here are a dozen of the top developments: 
1. Nebraska power Millard South cruised to the team title in the state’s largest classification, piling up 220.5 points with nine medalists who placed third or better, including champs Caleb Coyle (120), Conor Knopick (126), Joel Adams (138) and Antrell Taylor (160).  Taylor dominated his bracket with an 18-5 major decision in the finals after scoring falls in each of the first three rounds, including this dazzling toss in the semis. 
2. One of the most compelling Nebraska state finals pitted an Iowa state champ (Nick Hamilton of Papillion LaVista) against a Utah state champ (Scott Robertson of Millard South). Hamilton scored a late takedown to seal a 5-1 win in a battle of unbeatens. 
3. Virginia recruit Garrett Grice put on a show during his run to a third Nebraska state title. The junior scored three falls on his way to the finals before capping his title run with a 10-takedown outing in a 26-9 technical fall win in the finals against Millard South’s Aiden Robertson. 
4. The wildest finish of the day might have occurred in Utah’s 132-pound Class 5A title bout. A third-period takedown put Viewmont’s Karson Rees ahead 4-3. But Payson’s Deegan Palmer reversed Rees with 10 seconds left to go ahead. Just before time expired, Rees scored a reversal of his own to claim a 6-5 win. 
5. The Utah finals also featured an improbable comeback. Box Elder’s Caleb Marx trailed 9-3 with 65 seconds remaining when he rallied back with an escape, a takedown and a three-point near-fall to tie the bout with 22 seconds left. Alta’s Gabe Barraza regained the lead on an escape with 15 seconds left, but Marx scored the winning takedown five ticks later to claim an 11-10 victory. 
6. Cory Land, ranked fourth nationally at 126 pounds, extended his winning streak to 148 with a pair of falls at the Alabama state championships. The junior is 197-2 in his career and in pursuit of his fourth state title. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1613795062756&twSessionId=rnzlyudjpq&postId=1074783135&mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

6 } – (Virginia) – VHSL STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT: Legacy of the late Red Robertson looms large as Grundy tries to add more gold to collection
As the co-founder, benefactor, CEO and COO of the Grundy Wrestling Club, F.D. “Red” Robertson became a fixture at the VHSL state wrestling tournament for years and relished watching the Grundy High School Golden Wave collect those multiple first-place medals and trophies.
“ Each year one of his favorite events was the high school state tournament,” said Tass Robertson, Red’s son. “From the speculation of how many champs to being the first spectator at the event, this weekend was one of dad’s favorites. He would joke that the team’s goal was to go to the state tournament every year and for all the other teams to know before the first match, they were wrestling for second. Thankfully, we have had many of those tournaments to enjoy.”
Robertson died on Jan. 17 at the age of 86 and Grundy has dedicated its season in memory of the man who helped put the Golden Wave’s renowned wrestling program on the map. Twelve Grundy wrestlers have qualified for the Class 1 state tournament, which will be held today at the Salem Civic Center, as the Wave are the favorites to win their 24th team title. Among the headliners for the bunch from Buchanan County is 220-pound senior Peyton McComas, who is going for his third state individual championship and is nationally ranked. “ When I met Mr. Robertson the first time at the gym, I was in middle school,” McComas said. “I remember thanking him for letting me wrestle and for everything and he thanked me for wrestling for Grundy. … rest of story at _{^{https://heraldcourier.com/sports/vhsl-state-wrestling-tournament-legacy-of-the-late-red-robertson-looms-large-as-grundy-tries/article_139b403a-7317-11eb-8e1b-53c25627b23b.html?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

7 } – No change for high school wrestling in Connecticut
Time is running out for high school wrestlers in Connecticut to have some sort of season. The Connecticut Department of Health (DPH) has informed the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) that they have not changed their initial recommendation about wrestling. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to minimize the spread of the disease, DPH remains firm that there be no contact practices or competition of any kind in wrestling this winter. The CIAC had hoped to fit in a brief season for wrestling before the spring season begins on March 27 with practices for baseball, tennis, golf and track and field. While other states are planning to allow wrestling competition in the spring, the CIAC’s Board of Control also remains firm that wrestling will not be added to the spring sports schedule. The CIAC doesn’t want to impact spring sports since those programs lost their entire season last year due to the pandemic that began sweeping across the country last March. Following recently revised guidance from the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) that changed the risk factors for sports, the CIAC met with representatives from DPH and Gov. Ned Lamont’s office to discuss additional options to safely allow athletes to play. The CIAC asked DPH to reconsider their previous guidance regarding wrestling, boys lacrosse, jumping events in indoor track and field, competitive cheerleading and competitive dance. … rest of story at _{^{https://ctwrestling.com/2021/02/no-change-for-high-school-wrestling-in-connecticut/3926/?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – (Maryland) Francis Scott Key grad looks back on becoming Carroll’s first wrestling state champion 50 years ago
Harry Owings qualified for the inaugural state wrestling tournament in 1970 and placed second in his weight class. That meant a little more across the wrestling landscape back then, when far fewer postseason spots were up for grabs and all classifications competed against each other. Owings finished his junior season at Francis Scott Key High School with a flourish, and with one more year to go expectations were likely high for the Eagles’ top grappler. Owings did himself one better the following year when he won a state championship at 132 pounds. In doing so, the farm boy from New Windsor became the first Carroll County wrestler to be crowned a state champ. The county has produced 98 state titles since the tournament’s inception, with several wrestlers winning multiple times. But Owings was the first, and 50 years later he holds fond, if not faded, memories of his varsity career at FSK. “It was good knowing that I did it for the school,” Owings said while enjoying a recent lunch in Westminster with his wife Nancy, who brought high school yearbooks and photographs dating back a half-century. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association held its state tournament in 1971 for the second time. Owings and teammate Dick Harbaugh competed for the Eagles, who placed sixth out of 77 teams according to a March 11, 1971 Times article. This much is certain ― Owings defeated Tim Stewart of Churchill in the 132-pound final. Other details are fuzzy and conflicting when looking through record books and publications.
The MPSSAA’s site shows Owings winning the match 6-0 at what was then called Towson State College. Another site, mdhighschoolwrestling.com, has the final score listed as 6-3. The Times article went with a 7-0 decision. Owings doesn’t waste much time on specifics. The 68-year-old is more proud of how he got there. “If it wasn’t for the team, I would have never made it because we wrestled each other,” Owings said. “For the state tournament, me and Dick were the only two in it but everybody stayed for practice … We wrestled in practice, a lot of times you were wondering whether you were going to make it home or not after practice.” The grueling workouts were more than enough to get Owings and Harbaugh prepared for whatever was coming at the state tournament level. FSK coach Peter McDowell ran a tough practice, Owings said, but there was a reason for it. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/sports/high-school/cc-sp-harry-owings-state-champ-20210221-7tsq7e2rp5fsdeabhjbdwmeyhi-story.html?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – State wrestling: West Delaware’s Wyatt Voelker establishes himself as one of the state’s best talents in title run
Wyatt Voelker ran back underneath Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday night with beads of sweat dripping down his face. He had just spent six minutes playing catch-and-release with New Hampton’s Jacob Reicks, and looked like he could go another six. “That didn’t even feel like six minutes,” he said to his coach. Voelker steamrolled his way to a Class 2A state title this week, winning at 195 pounds. He beat Reicks, 15-7, a seven-takedown performance that mirrored the dominance he showed all week. The junior outscored his four opponents this week 63-23. After finishing fourth as a freshman and third last year, Voelker finally reached the top of the state podium, and did so in a way that secured his spot among the state’s current crop of top competitors. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/02/21/iowa-high-school-wrestling-wyatt-voelker-proves-himself-one-states-best-talents-2-a-romp/6777758002/?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – (Nebraska) Deaf wrestler blames referee miscommunication for state title loss
Renca Dunn, Daily Moth Reporter:
Paul Ruff (18) is a high school senior deaf wrestler from Gering, Nebraska, who lost at the state wrestling championship on Saturday, February 20th by one point because of what he claims was miscommunication with the referee. Paul uses a cochlear implant and takes it out when he wrestles. He says he mainly lip reads and does not know sign language. He said the issue was not being deaf, but it was the referee who refused to lower his mask. Paul was in the Class B 126 pound final match. He went up against Paul Garcia from Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Garcia is a 3-time state champion. After that final match when Paul lost, Garcia is now a 4-time state champion. Garcia is the 34th wrestler to win four state titles in Nebraska. In several articles, Garcia mentioned that he did not expect to win his 4th in this way.
That match between Paul and Garcia was a hot game. It went into double overtime. Yesterday, the Nebraska Association of the Deaf (NeAD) posted a Zoom video of 4 deaf people having a dialogue about this. With their permission, I will show you a short clip of one man named Brent Welsch who explained what happened in that match.
Brent Welsch, NeAD Representative: It was a hot match and it was running close, then there was a double overtime. During the overtime, there was what’s called a restart. That’s what happens when the wrestlers get out of bounds from the mat. The wrestlers return to the middle and start again. During that period, Paul chose to be the bottom, meaning he has to be on his hands and knees – all fours. Apparently his knee touched the line which it shouldn’t have, and the referee decided to give him a caution. In wrestling rules, one caution is simply a caution. A second caution means one point is given to the opponent. During that caution, Paul was trying to communicate with the referee to make sure he was doing it correctly and the referee did not pull his mask down. With no mask down, it was difficult for Paul to understand him. Later, after another restart… Again, Paul seemed to be touching the line which caused another caution. That automatically gave a point to the opponent. The other boy started celebrating, and Paul was puzzled, not realizing there had been two cautions. He had no idea and was lost because of miscommunication. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.dailymoth.com/blog/deaf-wrestler-blames-referee-miscommunication-for-state-title-loss}}

11 } – (New Jersey) Brick Memorial Special Needs Athlete Inspiring Others and Changing Lives
Four years ago, David Richards experienced a seminal moment in his life thanks to the sport of wrestling. Fast forward to today and it is Richards’ steadfast presence as a member of Brick Memorial’s wrestling program that continues to serve as an inspiration and set a positive example. In January of 2017, Richards, who has Down Syndrome and was then a student-athlete competing on Brick Memorial’s junior varsity team, wrestled in his first and only varsity match, which was set up by the coaches of Brick Memorial and Middletown North. In an additional bout following the match between the Mustangs and the Lions, Richards went out to face Richie Wall, who was a Middletown North freshman at the time. Richards scored a quick takedown, then another after Wall got to his feet. Soon after, Richards worked an underhook into a cement job to flatten Wall and secure the pin in the first period. He rose to his feet and let out a thunderous roar. It was his state-championship moment. Read More: David Richard Brick Memorial Wrestling | _{^{https://shoresportsnetwork.com/david-richard-brick-memorial-wrestling/?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral}}
AND (Colorado) — New History and English teacher at Meeker High School
MEEKER | Meeker High School English and history teacher Stryker Lane teaches only freshman for six periods a day. After those long days he continues to help students but this time through wrestling. Mr. Lane, as the students call him, only moved to Meeker this summer, but has effectively worked his way into the Meeker circle. Luckily, small town living is not anything new to Stryker Lane, coming from a small community called Redvale, which neighbors Nucla, Colorado. With his father a Nucla wrestling coach, wrestling was Lane’s go-to sport. The sport ended up giving him great opportunities later on in life. Lane was an accomplished wrestler all through high school, earning the Dave Schultz Award and being a three-time Colorado State champion. He also earned the title of Colorado High School Wrestler of the Year and the title of not having a point scored against him during his senior year. Those accomplishments ultimately led him to get recruited by Cornell University for wrestling. “I thought I was pretty good coming out of high school, then I started wrestling D1 and realized I wasn’t as good as I thought I was,” Lane said. After hard work, he got to the point where he was winning about 80% of his matches and was a one-time National College Athletics Association qualifier. While at Cornell he majored in developmental sociology with a minor in history, with no thought of becoming a teacher. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.theheraldtimes.com/new-history-and-english-teacher-at-meeker-high-school/meeker/?mc_cid=329018bca1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – (California) Colleagues stunned by death of De La Salle’s ‘unforgettable’ wrestling coach
Terry Eidson had a simple plan when he pondered a new coach for the De La Salle-Concord wrestling team in 1999. The school’s then-athletic director would hire Mark Halvorson and take the program “up a notch.” “Boy did he ever,” Eidson said. Halvorson, who suffered a fatal heart attack Monday at age 57, not only elevated the Spartans to unprecedented heights — 11 North Coast Section championships in the past 12 years — but he was also regarded as one of the nation’s most influential leaders within USA Wrestling’s national Greco-Roman program. As head coach for the Community Youth Center (CYC) of Concord, he produced hundreds of state, regional and national Greco-Roman champions. His teams traveled to France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Hungary and the Netherlands. Halvorson coached for Team USA Wrestling in Singapore, Mexico and Brazil, and in 2016 he was selected as a Greco-Roman volunteer coach on Team USA for the 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro. Halvorson, a 1981 Antioch High School graduate, called that experience “icing on the cake.” … rest of story at _{^{https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Colleagues-stunned-by-death-of-De-La-Salle-s-15961878.php?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

March 17, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized