Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

College Coaches of the Year (2021)

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Started with gathering the Annual Coach of the Year Awards but have added in tournament results from the Fivision II and Division III (unofficial) championships last weekend. The last article is another look at the tragic dropping of the sport 10 years ago in what was a good school. Keep watching and enjoying the Division I Championships this weekend. Wrestling Onward! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 } – NWCA Announces 2021 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year
St Louis, MO – On Thursday the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year and six finalists as selected by their peers. The award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The NWCA National Coach of the Year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap. The recipient of this year’s NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year is Don Henry of Gannon University (PA).  Coach Henry is in his 37th year at Gannon and his achievements this season include capturing the program’s first Super Regional championship with six individual champions and qualifying eight athletes for the NCAA Championships.  He currently has 50 athletes on his roster. … rest of story at https://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-2021-ncaa-division-ii-national-coach-of-the-year/?mc_cid=1a80b5744e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – NWCA Announces 2021 NCAA Women’s National Coach of the Year
Tiffin, OH – On Saturday following the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the winner of the NCAA Women’s Defense Soap National Coach of the Year. NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer presented Sam Schmitz of McKendree University with the award after he was selected by his peers for a second consecutive year. The award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The NWCA National Coach of the Year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap. McKendree took home the team title for the second year in a row with 209 pts over second-place King University 171.5 pts.  The Bearcats of McKendree also brought home 14 individual All-Americans with eight national finalists and six national champions.  The NCWWC currently serves as the national championships for NCAA-affiliated women’s programs until the sport receives championship status.
“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, it is an honor to recognize Coach Schmitz as our Defense Soap National Coach of the Year,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer.  “What Sam has been able to build and sustain at McKendree is nothing short of amazing.  He truly is a wonderful ambassador for our sport and more specifically women’s wrestling.” … rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-Announces-2021-NCAA-Women-s-11-3-2021

3 } – NWCA Announces 2021 NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year
Park City, KS – On Thursday evening the NAIA hosted a virtual National Championship Coaches Social.  At the conclusion of the event, National Wrestling Coaches Association Executive Director Mike Moyer recognized the 11 finalists for the NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year and announced the winner as selected by his peers. The award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The NWCA National Coach of the Year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap.
The recipient of this year’s NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year is Nick Mitchell of Grand View University (IA).  Coach Mitchell is in his 13th year as head coach and his achievements this season include a 14-0 dual meet record which has pushed their collegiate all-time dual win streak to 103 consecutive victories. His squad also captured its sixth straight Heart of America Athletic Conference championship with eight individual conference champions while qualifying 12 athletes for the NAIA Championships.  His current roster has an incredible 66 wrestlers. … rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-Announces-2021-NAIA-Men-s-National-11-3-2021

4 } – NWCA Announces 2021 NAIA Women’s National Coach of the Year
Jamestown, ND – On Thursday evening the NAIA hosted a virtual National Championship Coaches Social.  At the conclusion of the event, National Wrestling Coaches Association Executive Director Mike Moyer recognized the five finalists for the NAIA Women’s National Coach of the Year and announced the winner as selected by their peers. The award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The NWCA National Coach of the Year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap.
The recipient of this year’s NAIA Women’s National Coach of the Year is Lee Miracle of Campbellsville University (KY).  Coach Miracle is in his 8th season as head coach and his achievements this season include an 8-0 dual meet record capped by a regular-season Mid-South Conference championship, a 3rd MSC Individual Tournament title with seven finalists, five individual conference champions, and 12 athletes qualified for the NAIA Championships.  His current roster is comprised of 43 wrestlers. … rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-Announces-2021-NAIA-Women-s-12-3-2021

5 } – NWCA Announces 2021 NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year
St Louis, MO – On Wednesday the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year and seven finalists as selected by their peers. The award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The NWCA National Coach of the Year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap.
The recipient of this year’s NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year award is Tom Brands of the University of Iowa.  Coach Brands is in his 15th year as Head Coach at Iowa and his achievements this season include a 5-0 dual record,  Co-Big Ten regular-season title, Big Ten tournament championship, nine wrestlers with automatic NCAA berths, and a tenth wrestler received an at-large birth.  Entering the NCAA tournament, four Hawkeyes have the top seed in their respective weight classes.

“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, it is my privilege to award Coach Tom Brands, for the second year in a row, the NWCA Division I National Coach of the Year award,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. … rest of story at https://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-2021-ncaa-division-i-national-coach-of-the-year/?mc_cid=058a64ca1f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Drew Black to be Inducted into CT’s Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Drew Black, head coach of the Wesleyan wrestling team, has been chosen for Connecticut’s 2022 class of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the induction event has been pushed back to April 30, 2022 in hopes of having a live ceremony at Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Black is in his 23rd season at the helm of the Cardinals’ program and is the winningest coach in the history of Wesleyan wrestling with 211 career wins. He was named the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Coach of the Year twice (2010 and 2012), and over the past decade, the Cardinals have been a consistent top-4 team in the NEWA. Black was also inducted to the NEWA Wrestling Hall of Fame in January 2020, and has had representation at the NCAA Division III Tournament in 13 of the last 15 years. … rest of story at https://athletics.wesleyan.edu/news/2021/1/20/drew-black-to-be-inducted-into-cts-chapter-of-the-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame.aspx

7 } – Huskies win third straight national championship
ST. LOUIS, MO. – It was supposedly a down season for the St. Cloud State University wrestling team. The perennial power had supposedly taken a back seat. Despite completing a perfect season in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play, the Huskies were ranked third in the final National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) rankings with just six wrestlers individuals ranked in the top-10. The University Nebraska-Kearney surged from third to first, with nine wrestlers nationally ranked in the final poll entering the Super Regional and NCAA Championship. 

In the words of Michael Jordan… St. Cloud State took that personally.  The Huskies proved just how dominant they are and put the naysayers to bed in the best way possible: by winning their third consecutive NCAA Championship. After seeing th 2019-20 championship cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and falling behind 58-51.5 after the opening day of the 2020-21 competition, St. Cloud State outlasted Nebraska-Kearney, winning the national championship with 107 total points compared to the Lopers 105.5. 
The Huskies did everything they needed to in Saturday’s morning session, as all seven wrestlers advanced to the championship round with wins in both the semifinal and consolation semifinal matches. In fact, four of those seven qualified for the … rest of story at https://scsuhuskies.com/news/2021/3/13/wrestling-threepeat-huskies-win-third-straight-national-championship.aspx?mc_cid=adf7973f0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – COE HAS THREE CHAMPIONS, WARTBURG AND LORAS GET TWO CHAMPIONS AT NWCA DIV. III COACHES ASSOCIATION NATIONALS
CCORALVILLE, Iowa – Last year, Loras ended Wartburg’s reign atop the American Rivers Conference. The Knights got back on top this season, but another conference rival proved Saturday night that it is ready to make a challenge for the top spot.

Coe won more championships than any other team, crowning three champions at the Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships at Xtream Arena. “That’s out goal; that’s what we train for, to take that top spot,” Coe’s Brock Henderson, who won at 133, said. “We’ve been working really, really hard, and everybody is buying into the program,” said Josh Gerke, who won the title at 149. Alex Friddle of Coe opened the finals with a 6-3 win against Wartburg’s Brady Kyner at 125, his second win this season against the Knight. “I love setting the pace being the first one out,” he said. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/13/NWCA-Div-III-wrap?mc_cid=adf7973f0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Wrestling Records Two National Champions, Eight All-Americans
CORALVILLE, Iowa – The top-ranked Wartburg wrestling team concluded competition at the NWCA Division III National Championships on Saturday, March 13 at the Xtream Arena with one third-place finish, four national runner-ups, two national champions and eight All-Americans.  No team scoring was recorded during the NWCA national meet, but unofficially Wartburg tallied the most team points with eight All-Americans.

Junior David Hollingsworth and senior Kyle Briggs highlighted the tournament with national championships at 157 and 174. Briggs ran through the first four rounds when he pinned all of his opponents and then won by major decision in the finals. Brady Kyner, Kris Rumph, Brady Fritz and Zane Mulder all finished in second in their respected weight class. After falling in his quarterfinal match, Joe Pins swept the consolation bracket and earned a third place spot on the podium.  During day two, the Knights went 11-6 with four pins, … rest of story at https://go-knights.net/news/2021/3/13/wrestling-nationals.aspx?mc_cid=adf7973f0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Kyle Briggs paced Wartburg to an unofficial team title at the D3 national championships
CORALVILLE, Iowa — Kyle Briggs of Wartburg didn’t get exactly what he wanted but his consolation prize was a major decision in the finals. Don’t feel too bad for Briggs, though. The 174-pounder crushed the field by picking up four falls before settling for a shutout win in his fifth match. The hometown favorite grew up just north of Xtream Arena where the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships were being held. This was the conclusion of a disappointing season for D3 wrestlers that saw the NCAA Championships canceled for the second year in a row. Just over 30 teams were in attendance with several top programs missing, but this was a nice way for several Division III programs to end the season. 

No team scores were being kept; however, Wartburg College — winners of seven of the past nine NCAA team titles — came away with the most hardware. The Knights pushed six wrestlers into the finals and came away with two titles. Perhaps no individual was more dominant than Briggs. His teammate, David Hollingsworth, secured a fall in the finals at 157 pounds. Coe won the championship gold rush by snagging three titles after sending four to the finals. Alex Friddle (125), Brock Henderson (133), and Josh Gerke (149) gave the Kohawks a nice send-off before making the 20-minute drive back to Cedar Rapids. 

Loras College was the only other school with multiple champions. Shane Liegel won at 184 pounds while Wyatt Wriedt secured the title at heavyweight. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615786249346&twSessionId=egzatbcpdq&postId=1124193135&mc_cid=adf7973f0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – St. Cloud State prevails again in down-to-wire D2 title race
Ever since St. Cloud State broke through six years ago to capture its first NCAA Division II title, the Huskies have been lockdown closers. Putting the finishing touches on this year’s title quest, however, required a little more time and final-round stress than usual. Kameron Teacher’s victory in the heavyweight title bout pushed St. Cloud State past Nebraska-Kearney — 107-105.5 — in the tightest D2 team race since 2008. A 4-for-4 semifinal round put the Huskies in a position where they needed just one win in the finals to secure their fifth team title in the last six D2 national tournaments. The clinching victory was difficult to find, though. 

St. Cloud State dropped title matches at 133, 141 and 149, leaving the team race in Teacher’s hands. “I had confidence in every one of those matches with the guys we put out there, it was just unfortunate we lost the first three in a row and it came down to Kam,” St. Cloud State coach Steve Costanzo said. “As I was watching him get ready for the match, I became more and more confident that we were in good shape going into that match. He was just very relaxed before he went out there. I’m sure he was a little bit nervous, but I could see a lot of excitement in his body language and I knew we were in great shape.” 

The three-time All-American, who placed second, second and third before transferring from Notre Dame College, scored a pair of takedowns in the opening minute against Weston Hunt of Colorado School of Mines and made the lead stand in a 6-5 victory. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615786249346&twSessionId=egzatbcpdq&postId=1124195135&mc_cid=adf7973f0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – UNO Wrestling still lives on 10 Years after the program has been dropped
It’s been ten years to the day since AD Trev Alberts and the Board of Regents put the darkest eye on the once respected institution. On March 12th, 2011 the University of Nebraska-Omaha, led by Alberts, dropped the storied wrestling program (along with football) to “cut costs and to better align with the sports sponsored by the Summit League.”
The Early Years
UNO’s program began in the 1948-1949 season, and like most young programs, got off to a slow start. Allie Morrison was the first coach and had a combined dual record of 5-10. They then went through a five year stint of no wrestling before coming back under the direction of coach Russ Gorman. Gorman went 24-16 in duals before Al Caniglia came in 1961. Caniglia only coached for two years, going 10-10 in duals. UNO was 14 years into their program and still had never had a top 25 finish. The only All American in that time frame was under Caniglia when George Crenshaw finished runner up in 1962 and won the national championship in 1963.
In the 1963-1964 season, UNO hired legendary head coach Don Benning. Benning, who was the first ever African-American college wrestling coach in history, coached UNO for eight seasons and changed the program forever. During Benning’s tenure, the Mavericks finished in the top 25 at Nationals every year and had a dual record of 87-24. After three seasons finishing outside the top 10, Benning’s teams never finished worse than eighth. In the 67-68 and 68-69 seasons, UNO finished as NAIA National Runner-Up. Benning led the team to their first national title in the 69-70 season. In his final season at UNO the Mavericks finished third. He coached 23 All Americans and had eight national champions. Roy Washington won three of those titles. Bernie Hospodka, Curlee Alexander, Mel Washington, and Wendell Hakanson were the other National Champions. Don Benning would later be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 
Benning was succeeded by Mike Palmisano. It was under his direction when UNO transitioned into NCAA Division II. Palmisano had a dual record of 144-47 in his eight years as coach. In his final three seasons with UNO his teams finished 15th, 7th and 7th in DII. Palmisano had 15 All-Americans, led by three time All American Paul Martinez. During Palmisano’s time as head coach, the Mavs had four wrestlers win national titles including Frank Gonzalez, Gary Kipfmiller, and Phil Gonzalez two times. … rest of story at https://newrestle.com/2021/03/12/uno-wrestling-still-lives-on-10-years-after-the-program-has-been-dropped/?mc_cid=adf7973f0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 18, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division I National Championships 2021

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The following are a gathering of preview articles about the Championships. One can literally see ALL mats, ALL matches while in the comfort one’s living room. Wow! Well one article (#10) is a look back at the Division II Championships last week yet the rest is all Division I. Need to get ready to watch the 2nd round in a few minutes. Almost as good as being in St. Louis. Keep on Wrestling!
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 } – ESPN To Provide Extensive Coverage Of NCAA Wrestling
AMES, Iowa – The 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships begin on Thursday, March 18 and run through Saturday March 20. Thanks to ESPN’s extensive coverage, fans will be able to take in all the action from every mat.

Broadcast Schedule
Thursday, March 18
Session IA (First Round) – 10 a.m. – ESPNU
Session IB (First Round) – 1 p.m. – ESPNU
Session IIA (Second Round) – 5 p.m. – ESPN2
Session IIB (Second Round) – 8 p.m. – ESPN2

Friday, March 19
Session III (Quarterfinals) – 10 a.m. – ESPNU
Session IV (Quarterfinals) – 2 p.m. – ESPNU
Session V (Semifinals) – 7 p.m. – ESPN2

Saturday, March 20
Session VI (Medal Matches) – 10 a.m. – ESPN2
Session VII (Finals) – 6 p.m. – ESPN or ESPN2

Individual Mat Links 
Session IA
Mat 1: https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=0302c1c9-dcc9-427d-973d-ee7fead1212c
Mat 2: https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=0349b2e9-46e5-48a4-9e34-2ad65b4014de … rest of story at https://cyclones.com/news/2021/3/15/espn-to-provide-extensive-coverage-of-ncaa-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
And Video: Shane Sparks & Jason Bryant talk about the Preview Guide
Prior to leaving for the NCAA Division I Championships, Mat Talk Online’s Jason Bryant and Big Ten Network’s Shane Sparks look at why the Mat Talk Online Digital Preview Guide is worth buying to supplement your championship experience!

Do you want to buy one ?Go to WrestlingPreviewGuide.com (and use promo code JB to save $5) … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/blog/video-shane-sparks-jason-bryant-talk-about-the-preview-guide/?mc_cid=e6d1159834&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – IAwrestle NCAA Championships Watch Party
When: March 18-20 – 10:00AM start time. Doors open 9:45AM
Where: Carl’s Place, 1620 Woodland Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309
RSVP: Tickets are not required but we ask fans to RSVP for food and prizes.

Stop by Carl’s Place as IAwrestle will be hosting daily live podcasts, raffle prizes, giveaways, and more throughout the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Multiple TVs will have wrestling on ESPN’s coverage along with one dedicated to ESPN3. We will do our best to go to any specific mat that will feature an Iowa-based school. Food will be available daily for free. (While it lasts)

Schedule (All times central):
March 18:
Session 1A (first round 125-157lbs), 10 a.m.
Session 1B (first round 165-285lbs), 1 p.m.
Session 2A (second round 125-157lbs), 5 p.m.
Session 2B (second round 165-285lbs), 8 p.m. … rest of story at https://iawrestle.com/2021/03/15/iawrestle-ncaa-championships-watch-party/?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – UNFINISHED BUSINESS: SPENCER LEE AND THE IOWA HAWKEYES LOOK TO MAKE UP FOR LOST OPPORTUNITIES AT THE 2021 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Iowa Hawkeyes were hands-down favorites going into the 2020 NCAA Championships. It would have been a fitting end to a sterling season for Iowa, who logged a perfect, 13-0, dual meet record and claimed the Big Ten Conference title, qualifying all ten wrestlers for the NCAA tournament and earning three No. 1 seeds.

However, the universe had other ideas. The COVID-19 global pandemic shut down most of the world, including college wrestling, and impacted nearly every facet of daily life. The Hawkeyes would have to wait for their opportunity to bring home their first NCAA team title since 2010.

Thankfully, it looks like Iowa will have their chance this weekend in St. Louis, Mo. The Hawkeyes finished an abbreviated season, 5-0, once again earning a Big Ten title and qualifying all ten wrestlers for the tournament. Iowa’s head coach Tom Brands is appreciative that even with less than ideal circumstances, his athletes have the opportunity to compete.

“First of all, you have to credit a lot of people. You have to credit the NCAA. You have to credit the Big Ten, the individual conferences that made this season happen. They did it under criticism. There’s a lot of people in the world that don’t look at sports as vital, and sports are vital. It teaches a lot, and young people they need that, especially young athletes,” Brands said during the NCAA pre-championships virtual press conference last Wednesday.
“Let’s keep making it happen, and let’s keep everybody safe as well. I’m not downplaying the safety factor. COVID is no picnic; … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/15/Iowa-and-Spencer-Lee-NCAA-story?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – TEN FIRST-ROUND MATCHES TO WATCH AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships begins in less than two days. Hurrah! After missing out on the tournament last year, wrestlers and fans are eager to once again engage in three glorious days of non-stop action. While every match of the tournament is must-see TV, check out ten opening round bouts that could provide some intrigue.

125 – No. 12 Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) vs. No. 21 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State)
DeAugustino was a First Team NWCA All-American as a redshirt freshman last season. This year, he’ll look to claim a spot on the podium and earn NCAA All-American status. In his first match he’ll see Oklahoma State’s true freshman Trevor Mastrogiovanni. A blue chip recruit, Mastrogiovanni is 13-4 this season and placed fifth at the Big 12 Tournament. DeAugustino is a sizeable favorite in this matchup, but how many times have we seen a talented freshman come into their own at NCAAs?

133 – No. 13 Zach Redding (Iowa State) vs. No. 20 Ryan Sullivan (West Virginia)
Going into the Big 12 Tournament, Redding was seeded seventh and Sullivan was seeded second. Redding, a true freshman, put together an impressive run and took third. Sullivan, a redshirt freshman, was injured during his first match and forced to default out of the tournament. Assuming Sullivan is close to full strength, this is a tossup bout between conference rivals.

141 – No. 21 Real Woods (Stanford) vs. No. 12 Grant Willits (Oregon State)
This one is juicy. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/16/Ten-first-round-matches-to-watch-at-the-NCAA-tournament?mc_cid=e6d1159834&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – OSU Wrestling: Five Thoughts On NCAA Tournament Brackets
On Wittlake’s low seed and how the Pokes can get some hardware
The NCAA released its wrestling brackets on Wednesday.
You can look at them here. Here are my five thoughts on them.

1. Wittlake’s seed was wrong, but he got an OK draw.
Travis Wittlake dropped all the way to the 10 seed after taking only one loss on the season at the Big 12 tournament. He has only lost three times as a starter in his career, as he lost twice in his redshirt freshman campaign.

It’s ridiculous that he’s a 10 seed. But, he ultimately wound up on the easier side of the bracket and could reasonably create a path for himself to becoming an All-American if he wrestles well.

2. Too many guys from the Big 12 in the top half of 197.
The Big 12 has looked like a powerhouse at 197 for most of the season. A.J. Ferrari, Stephen Buchannan, Noah Adams, Tanner Sloan and Jake Woodley all have looked like All-American candidates throughout this season. They’re all jammed up in the top half of the bracket?! … rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/osu-wrestling-five-thoughts-on-ncaa-tournament-brackets/?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast: Ep. 79 – NCAA Championships Preview
RALEIGH, N.C. – We’re just days away from blowing the whistle at the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. It’ll be almost two years to the day since we last had an NCAA wrestling championships and host Brian Reinhardt is giddy with anticipation and coach Pat Popolizio can barely contain his own excitement as it’s their favorite show of the year – the NCAA preview episode on episode #79 of the #PackMentality​ Pop-Ins Podcast.
… rest of story at https://gopack.com/news/2021/3/16/wrestling-packmentality-pop-ins-podcast-ep-79-ncaa-championships-preview.aspx?mc_cid=e6d1159834&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Penn State’s Cael Sanderson confident in freshmen heading into NCAA Wrestling Championships
The youth in the Penn State wrestling program didn’t have an optimal outcome in the Big Ten Wrestling Championships this year. The Nittany Lions saw their six freshmen struggle on the mat — going 16-14 in their conference tournament debut — and not live up to the usual standard set by a program that is used to winning, as the Nittany Lions finished a distant second to Iowa in the team race. But for five of those freshmen, the season isn’t over yet. And they’ll have another chance for success on an even bigger stage this week. In fact, Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson believes his team can peak at the right time and show what it can do at NCAAs this weekend in St. Louis.
“I think confidence levels, regardless of the outcome, jump,” Sanderson said Thursday morning. “… I feel like we had a great experience at the Big Ten. Kind of got our butts kicked a little bit, but still kind of showed that if we get a takedown here, finish this or do that then we’re close.”

Sanderson will need his guys to find that peak if he wants his team to successfully defend the 2019 NCAA Championship — the last title won after last year’s championships were canceled. Sanderson, for one, is confident that his wrestlers will make improvements, saying: “I still believe we’ll have our best tournament at the nationals.” … rest of story at https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/college/psu/2021/03/15/penn-states-cael-sanderson-confident-freshmen-wrestlers/4700700001/?mc_cid=e6d1159834&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
And Aaron Brooks heads to NCAA tourney as No. 1 seed
Although Aaron Brooks has never competed at the NCAA Division I championships, he already has been labeled as the wrestler to beat this weekend in St. Louis. The Penn State sophomore is seeded No. 1 in the 184-pound weight class. However, Brooks, a 2018 North Hagerstown graduate, said that won’t affect his mindset in his debut at the national tournament. “Wrestling is wrestling,” he said in a recent press conference. “Seeding, you know, is just numbers, just like rankings. When you’re not ranked No. 1, you have the same mindset. If you allow it to change your mindset, you’re doing the wrong thing. Just focus on wrestling and what got you there, and whoever is in front of you, focus on that, match by match. … rest of story at https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/sports/aaron-brooks-heads-to-ncaa-tourney-as-no-1-seed/article_5e9e8720-867e-11eb-9c86-270f1ac4fcf1.html?mc_cid=e6d1159834&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Gable: Iowa should win NCAAs but close matches showed vulnerability
Editor’s Note: Dan Gable, the legendary NCAA, World and Olympic championship wrestler and coach recently spoke to WIN editor Mike Finn about the upcoming 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships, March 18-20, in St. Louis.

Dan Gable

WIN: After leading Iowa to 15 team championships in your 20 years at Iowa, I am sure you would like to see the 2021 Hawkeyes, ranked No. 1, capture the school’s 24th all-time title and first since 2010. Iowa, which held a 58-margin over second place Penn State in WIN’s Tournament Power Index, appears to be a dominant team. Do you have any concerns about the Iowa team? Do the Hawkeyes have any weaknesses?

Gable: Weakness is not a word that I use. I would talk in terms of vulnerabilities or what they need to build on. I would call it fine tuning. One thing that should be noted is that Iowa’s wrestlers did not score a lot of bonus points at the Big Tens and the margin of victory was not large, even though there appears to be a large of margin (of potential NCAA team points) between Iowa and other teams.

(Note: Nine of Iowa’s 28 Big Ten wins were by bonus points.)

That (small margin of individual matches) keeps hope alive for other teams. Right now, it would be hard to beat Iowa because the Hawkeyes are consistent at every weight and Iowa is not an automatic champion at every weight.

Some other team could get hot and the level of coaching of those schools that want to be great is pretty high. There is going to be no conceding to Iowa from coaches, but it’s their issue to get their guys to a higher level.

WIN: What do you think of Penn State and Cael Sanderson’s use of so many young wrestlers?

Gable: I’m sure that Sanderson sees the abilities with those guys but there are also some uncertainties. … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/03/16/gable-iowa-should-win-ncaas-but-close-matches-showed-vulnerability/?mc_cid=e6d1159834&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gable-iowa-should-win-ncaas-but-close-matches-showed-vulnerability

9} – The Gable Steveson Story
Gable Steveson’s mother Laticia has always joked that Gable was born on the wrestling mat, and at times, it feels as though she might be right.  With each dominant performance Steveson puts on display, it becomes less far-fetched to believe that he learned snap-downs and double legs in the same days he learned to take his first steps and speak his first words.  Gable hasn’t been shy about the fact that he uses his wrestling career as an avenue to continue to build the legacy that he has worked so diligently to create, with every moment in the limelight being used as an opportunity to add to his story.  In fact, Gable’s story has been one that spans over the course of twenty years. It’s a story of adversity, a story of perseverance, a story of dominance, and this weekend in St. Louis, Steveson has an opportunity to finally add another chapter of that story: a national championship. 
This is the Gable Steveson story. … rest of story at https://gophersports.com/news/2021/3/16/wrestling-the-gable-steveson-story.aspx?mc_cid=e6d1159834&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from the 2021 NCAA DII National Championships
I finally arrived back in Jamestown, North Dakota, at midnight last night. It was the end of a five-day, two thousand-mile road trip. I spent more time with Division II programs over that span than I have with my own family since Christmas break. I traveled through the ice and then a rainstorm and was graciously given just a written warning for speeding on my drive home in Fargo, North Dakota. After an entire day of driving to reflect on the happenings in St Louis and if you like 90% of Division II men’s wrestling fandom were unable to attend, I will break down what you missed. And what you did not miss. And what you should be glad you missed.

The Good

Jackie Paquette is no longer the NCAA Division II Wrestling Committee Chair, but if you follow Division II, you know that this championship will always be hers. No one fights harder for the athletes and the programs or invests more of their own time and passion than the University of Indianapolis director of wrestling operations. She delivered again, fulfilling a promise made a year ago that “we will wrestle again.” Thank you.

The team race! Did you follow along? Despite there being no scoring controversy, this should be the greatest story coming out of this tournament. Headed into the championship finals, the University of Nebraska-Kearney held a slim 2.5 point lead. But it seemed that there was no way it could stand up to a St. Cloud State wrestling team that had four finalists. A champion for the Huskies would earn … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-from-the-2021-ncaa-dii-national-championships/80261?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – WILLIS NCAA WRESTLING BLOG: IT WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE NCAAS…
3/17 – It feels a little bit like Christmas Eve. I think it does every year before the NCAA Championships, but this year in particular, the tournament feels like something to celebrate. During last week’s pre-tournament Zoom press conference, you heard the word “grateful” used a lot by both coaches and wrestlers. It’s fitting. While the circumstances aren’t ideal, everyone is happy for the opportunity to compete.

I know I’m certainly grateful to be here in St. Louis doing coverage. To say I was bummed last year when the tournament was cancelled would be a gross understatement. However, I know my feelings, and those of wrestling fans across the country, paled in comparison to those of the wrestlers deprived of the opportunity to chase their dreams.

It’s gut-wrenching to think about the 2020 senior class who unceremoniously had their collegiate careers cut short. I’m sure the wrestlers taking the mat tomorrow will think about that too. They won’t be taking anything for granted.

Not having the Ivy League represented is going to be weird and sad. So is having a less-than-packed stadium. However, just about everything over the past 12 months has been weird and sad. As a whole, the 2021 NCAA Championships are the antithesis of that. It’s an event filled with joy and hope. A testament to the hard work and ingenuity shown by the NCAA, the conferences, the administrators, the coaches and their athletes. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/17/Willis-NCAA-Wrestling-Blog?mc_cid=058a64ca1f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – JOURNALISTS PICK THE 2021 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALISTS AND TOP FIVE TEAMS
TheMat.com has had another strong year of participation in its survey of journalists, who make picks for the 2021 NCAA Championships in St. Louis. A total of 27 journalists have submitted their picks this year.

Participants will get three points for every champion, two points for every runner-up and one point for a finalist in the wrong placement. The top five teams are used as a tiebreaker. Participants will get points for each correct placement (5-4-3-2-1).

The traditional journalist picks for the 2020 NCAA Championships were cancelled after the NCAA cancelled the Div. I Championships, which were scheduled for Minneapolis.

The last winner of the journalist picks came in 2019, when the event was held in Pittsburgh, and 30 journalists participated. The winner was K.J. Pilcher of The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rounding out the top four were No. 2 Ken Chertow of KenChertow.com, No. 3 Matt Levins of The Hawkeye Newspaper (IA), and No. 4 G. Wyatt Schultz of the Predicament.

This year, perhaps due to the shortened season or to the many challenges of the pandemic, there is a wide variety of opinions on the winners and runners-up. It should be one of the most interesting contests in memory.

There were two unanimous picks from the 27 journalists surveyed: Spencer Lee of Iowa at 125 and Gable Steveson of Minnesota at 285. While there were a variety of finals opponents selected against Lee, all but two of the journalists picked Mason Parris of Michigan to place second behind Steveson. Results will be posted shortly after this weekend. Enjoy the action starting tomorrow.

2021 NCAA JOURNALIST PICKS
Champion listed first, runner-up listed second … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/17/Journalists-pick-the-2021-NCAA-Championships-finalists-and-teams?mc_cid=058a64ca1f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 18, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 13

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The “Big Show” – The NCAA Division I National Championships in St. Louis start today! Here are some of the background and human interest stories in Division I wrestlers and teams to keep in mind during the tournament. The end of the season tournament has been eagerly looked forward to even more than usual this year as it has been 2 years since the last championships. So starting 11:00 a.m. Eastern it starts and can be seen on the ESPN channels. Let’s get Ready to Wrestle! (or Rumble if you prefer). Keep Wrestling On!
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 } – 2021 NCAA Division I Qualifiers with Home States and Hometowns
With the release of the at-large berths today, we know know the full field of 330 competitors that will be competing for 10 national titles. Here are all 330 wrestlers sorted by weight class, along with their home states, hometowns, and conference finish.

WeightNameSchoolYearHometownHome StateConferenceConf Place
125Sam LatonaVirginia TechFreshmanAlabasterAlabamaACC1st
125Jakob CamachoNC StateSophomoreDanburyConnecticutACC2nd
125Patrick McCormickVirginiaSophomorePoquosonVirginiaACC3rd
125Spencer LeeIowaSeniorMurrysvillePennsylvaniaBig Ten1st

Seeding and brackets for this year’s event will be revealed tomorrow, March 10, during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Selection Show on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. ET. … rest of story and details at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/2021-ncaa-division-i-qualifiers-with-home-states-and-hometowns/80190?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – NCAA announces at-large selections for Division I Wrestling Championships
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA announced the 64 at-large selections for the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The at-large selections, listed in alphabetical order by weight class, join the 266 student-athletes that qualified through their conference tournament finishes over the last two weekends. The at-large selections were made by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee using the following selection criteria: head-to-head competition, quality wins (defined as wins against wrestlers already in the field), coaches ranking, results against common opponents, conference tournament placement and winning percentage. The committee was also able to use subjective criteria such as, but not limited to, historical performance. MORE: Follow the 2021 NCAA wrestling championships | Complete brackets
Seeding and brackets for this year’s event will be revealed tomorrow, March 10, during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Selection Show on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. ET.
Click or tap here for more information about this year’s championship. … rest of story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-03-09/ncaa-announces-large-selections-division-i-wrestling-championships?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – THOMAS NAMED BIG 12 WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
NORMAN — Oklahoma redshirt senior Justin Thomas was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon. Thomas, ranked No. 10 in the country entering his match with Oklahoma State’s No. 15 Wyatt Sheets on Sunday afternoon, took control of the match early and then used a late third-period takedown to earn a major decision for the Sooners, winning 13-5. The win over Sheets comes two weeks after the 157-pounder defeated Sheets, then ranked eighth in the season’s first edition of Bedlam.  It’s the 51st wrestler of the week honor for an Oklahoma wrestler, the third-most in the conference. It’s Thomas’ second weekly honor of the season as he bookends the 2021 regular season with the accolade. He joins Dom Demas (2019), Kendric Maple (2013), Teyon Ware (2003) and Michael Lightner (2001) as the only Sooners to win the league’s wrestler of the week twice in a season. … rest of story at https://soonersports.com/news/2021/2/23/wrestling-thomas-named-big-12-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Mizzou head coach Brian Smith – OTM629
Missouri head coach Brian Smith goes On The Mat
Brian Smith and his Missouri Tigers are fresh off their 10th straight conference championship and ninth Mid-American Conference title. Coach Smith joins the show to talk about Missouri qualifying all 10 wrestlers to the Division I Championships the third weekend in March as well as setting a new MAC record and losing just six matches as a team the entire tournament. Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton as they talk about the world of wrestling on the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com. … restof story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/mizzou-head-coach-brian-smith-otm629/?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Freshman heavyweight makes surprising, impressive debut for Penn State wrestling team
UNIVERSITY PARK — Monday night may have been Penn State wrestling’s last dual meet of the season, but there was still plenty of time left for surprises. Redshirt freshman Greg Kerkvliet got the call at heavyweight in the Nittany Lions’ regular season finale at Rec Hall, after coach Cael Sanderson had previously indicated the former No. 1 recruit wouldn’t be available to wrestle this season. Kerkvliet started the dual out at 258 pounds with a pin as the Nittany Lions routed Maryland 44-0 for their first shutout since Dec. 2, 2018. One pin wasn’t enough for the four-time Minnesota state champ, as he got another in extra matches. Despite that performance, Sanderson still wasn’t ready Monday to publicly commit to a heavyweight between Kerkvliet and Seth Nevills for the postseason.
“It is something we’ll have to figure out between now and next weekend,” Sanderson said. “He was cleared to compete, so he competed.” Kerkvliet didn’t waste any time in his debut. He secured a takedown 15 seconds into the bout and proceeded to recorded two others. Kerkvliet locked up a cradle on his third takedown and stuck Maryland’s Garrett Kappes in 1:12. … rest of story at https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/college/psu/2021/02/23/freshman-heavyweight-makes-impressive-debut-penn-state/4559534001/?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Navy wrestler Tanner Skidgel finds an edge as he seeks third straight EIWA championship
Every wrestler is looking for an edge, a little something to get him going. Tanner Skidgel can seize upon an apparent slight going into the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championship tournament. Skidgel is the two-time defending champion at 165 pounds after beating Bucknell’s Zach Hartman in the last year’s finals. Despite that proven track record, Skidgel is seeded second behind Hartman going into the 2021 EIWA Championships, being held Friday at Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Manheim, Pennsylvania. “It definitely motivates me, although I don’t think anyone out there is purposefully trying to disrespect me,” Skidgel said. “That seed by my name is not going to change my approach. I know and everyone else knows that is my weight class, and come this Friday I’m going to do what needs to be done out on the mat.” To be fair, seeding for the EIWA Tournament was extremely difficult this season because of limited competition caused by coronavirus. Head-to-head matches or others used for comparison purposes did not happen often, forcing coaches to rely on results from the 2019-20 season in some cases. … rest of story at https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy/ac-cs-tanner-skidgel-feature-20210224-5yjw7zixy5hexli7pvpjdr6qz4-story.html?mc_cid=7c3cd1ad34&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Life as a Mountaineer – Peyton Hall
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Peyton Hall said his love of wrestling was nurtured at a young age growing up in Chester, West Virginia, at the top of the state’s Northern Panhandle. That is if you consider four to be young.  “I kind of loved it from the beginning,” he says. “I don’t think there was ever a time when I didn’t like it. Whenever I started getting older and competing at national tournaments and becoming more competitive, I really fell in love with it then.”  Hall said his No. 1 goal competing at Oak Glen High was to earn a college scholarship.  “I always knew I wanted to wrestle in college since I was little watching the NCAA Tournament on TV and just being around people that were in college wrestling,” he says. “I put way more time into (wrestling) than any other sport, and I knew I wanted to go to college to wrestle.”  West Virginia coach Tim Flynn believes Hall is the type of high-quality individual around which good programs can build. He’s already got one of those in junior Noah Adams, the nation’s No. 7 ranked 197-pounder. Presently, Hall is ranked 22nd as a 165-pounder.  “He’s a guy you can build a program around,” Flynn explains. “We’ve already got Noah here, who is doing all the right things, and now you get someone like Peyton to come in a few classes behind, and I think what it does is it gives us some peace of mind that we have leadership in our program for a number of years to come.” … rest of story at https://wvusports.com/news/2021/2/25/wrestling-life-as-amountaineer-peyton-hall.aspx?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – #214 Rob Koll – Cornell Head Coach, Dynasty Builder
Rob Koll is the head coach at Cornell University. Since taking over at Cornell in the early 1990’s, Coach Koll has created a dynasty: crowning 16 individual NCAA Champions, placing at least three wrestlers on the All American stand for 17 straight years, and Cornell is one of only two schools (Iowa being the other) to finish in the top 10 every year since 2008. Before coaching at Cornell, Rob Koll was a NCAA champion for UNC and qualified for the 1990 US World Team. Coach Koll is a real master and I hope you enjoy this podcast!
PRESENTED BY SPARTAN COMBAT
This episode is brought to you by the Spartan Combat Nationals, taking place this May 21-23 in Jacksonville Florida. Register now at SpartanCombat.com … rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/214-rob-koll-cornell-head-coach-dynasty-builder/?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – NCAA releases second coaches ranking for 2021 Division I Wrestling Championships
The NCAA has announced the second coaches ranking for the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each conference. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. For the second ranking, wrestlers must have three Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.  For the final coaches ranking that will be utilized during the at-large selection and seeding process, wrestlers will need a minimum of four Division I matches in the weight class. Eight different schools are represented by the 10 wrestlers ranked at the top of the weight classes.  Debuting at the top position this week are Daton Fix of Oklahoma State at 133 pounds and Ryan Deakin of Northwestern at 157 after not having enough matches to qualify for the first ranking.  Shane Griffith of Stanford is the new top-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds moving up from his ranking of No. 3 in the first release two weeks ago.
DON’T MISS: 2021 college wrestling championship: Selection show time, key dates
Remaining at the top spot for the second release of rankings are the Iowa trio of Spencer Lee at 125 pounds, Jaydin Eierman at 141 and Michael Kemerer at 174 as the only school with multiple top-ranked wrestlers.  Joining them are Sammy Sasso of Ohio State (149), Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech (184), Eric Shultz of Nebraska (197) and Gable Steveson of Minnesota (heavyweight). … rest of story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-02-25/ncaa-releases-second-coaches-ranking-2021-division-i-wrestling-championships?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – MAC PREVIEW: SEVEN WRESTLERS WILL ATTEMPT TO REPEAT AS CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS WITH NCAA BERTHS ON THE LINE
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Wrestling Championships kick off tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. EST at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, N.J. While there will be no fans in attendance this year due to COVID-19, the tournament will be streamed live. Below, let’s take a look at each weight class and the contenders.
125 pounds
2020 champion – Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan) NCAA Berths Available: 4
Wrestlers ranked in the D1 coaches rankings: No. 2 Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan), No. 19 Connor Brown (Missouri), No. 23 Jake Ferri (Kent State) No. 2 ranked Drew Hildebrandt of Central Michigan will look to repeat as the MAC champion at 125 pounds. Hildebrandt was also a 2019 MAC finalist. He is undefeated on the season, sporting a 7-0 record. Missouri’s Connor Brown, the No. 2 seed, had a tight 7-5 sudden victory match with Brown earlier this year and will be looking to exact revenge. Nationally ranked Jake Ferri of Kent State and 2020 NCAA qualifier Luke Werner of Lock Haven, who has not wrestled a match yet this year, will also be in the hunt.
133 pounds
2020 champion – Tim Rooney (Kent State) … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/25/MAC-Preview-Seven-wrestlers-will-attempt-to-repeat-as-conference-champions-this-weekend?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Stanford’s Nathan Traxler named 2021 Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO – STANFORD redshirt senior Nathan Traxler has been named the 2021 Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. Traxler, a graduate student from St. Charles, Ill., graduated from Stanford in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a cumulative 3.54 grade-point average. The seventh Stanford wrestler to be named the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Traxler is currently pursuing his master’s degree in computer science and will graduate this spring.  A three-time team captain for Stanford, Traxler has compiled a 74-25 career record as a member of the Cardinal. A three-time NCAA qualifier, he was named a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Second Team All-American in 2020. In 2019, he was an individual Pac-12 champion at 197 lbs., leading Stanford to its first Pac-12 team championship in program history. He’s also earned Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week on three separate occasions. … rest of story at https://pac-12.com/article/2021/02/25/stanfords-nathan-traxler-named-2021-pac-12-wrestling-scholar-athlete-year?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
And Brains and Brawn
Traxler named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
STANFORD, Calif. – Fifth-year senior Nathan Traxler has been selected the Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. A native of St. Charles, Illinois, Traxler graduated in 2020 with 3.54 cumulative GPA in computer science. He will complete his master’s degree in the same field this spring. He is a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American and a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree. A 2019 Pac-12 champion at 197 pounds, Traxler helped guide the Cardinal to its first-ever Pac-12 team title that same season. A three-time NCAA qualifier, he boasts a 74-25 career record and was tabbed an NWCA Second Team All-American in 2020. Traxler has held two internships as a software engineer at Apple (summer of 2019 and summer of 2020). In 2019, he worked on a team of integral engineers building and improving tools that are used to efficiently operate Apple data centers across the world. As a full stack engineer, he worked on frontend and backend of those tools. In 2020, worked on the Apple.com search bar incorporating AppleTV+ content into the search results. … rest of story at https://gostanford.com/news/2021/2/26/wrestling-brains-and-brawn.aspx

11 } – From Garage Gym To B1G Championships
Spartan wrestling used unique summer training to prepare for season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Last summer, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, a standard college student-shared home on Stoddard Avenue in East Lansing underwent an unexpected transformation. It became the new unofficial training facility for the Michigan State wrestling team, as the athletes tried to safely keep their training going.  Two large audio speakers, countless free weights, and up to eight wrestlers filled the garage, driveway and front lawn at any given time. The wrestlers worked hard, using the bench, dumbbells or even doing lunges across the length of the front yard with sandbags strapped on their shoulders. Their goal was simple: stay in shape for the upcoming wrestling season.  Roger Chandler, MSU wrestling head coach, heard about the home gym and had to see it for himself. He soon learned the house and gym will not be featured on HGTV for a sophisticated renovation reveal. “I’m sure we could use our best imagination to visualize what a typical college house looks like off campus. When I walked in, I told myself, ‘I will never set foot in this house ever again,'” Chandler said with a laugh. “When I went outside, I checked out their garage gym, I think I would have felt safer sleeping in the garage than their house.” The garage gym was at the home of redshirt-senior Jake Tucker. It was created to be the new training center for the wrestling team but out of necessity: Tucker wanted to keep training during the shutdowns due to COVID and keep up his preparations for the upcoming season as best as he could. MSU shut down its facilities, along with the state of Michigan closing gyms to prevent the pandemic from spreading. … rest of story at https://msuspartans.com/news/2021/3/2/wrestling-from-garage-gym-to-b1g-championships.aspx?mc_cid=bd28fec561&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
And Always Aggressive Podcast: Season 2, Episode 19
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Boilermakers welcomed a special guest to the Always Aggressive Podcast as they prep for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships. Willie Saylor of MatScouts joined to talk all things Purdue wrestling and conference tournament as Purdue sets sail for Penn State and the Bryce Jordan Center. A former employee of The Open Mat and FloWrestling, Saylor currently runs his own site through Rokfin.com, and offers content that varies from high school wrestling to NCAA predictions to his own podcast show, “The First Word.” … rest of story at https://purduesports.com/news/2021/3/3/wrestling-always-aggressive-podcast-season-2-episode-19.aspx?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } -‘It’s right in my sights’: Gopher wrestling star seeks perfect season
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Since his time at Apple Valley High School, Gable Steveson has been a man among boys in the world of wrestling.  But as a Gopher the last two years, he’s been a machine on the mat. Steveson has not lost a college match in more than 700 days.  The junior heavyweight star is undefeated heading into the Big Ten Championships this weekend, seeking a second straight heavyweight conference title in 2021. “I’m locked and I’m ready to take care of my business,” Steveson told FOX 9. “Whoever stands in front of me, I just have to take them out one man at a time.” This run is similar to Steveson’s last year. In 2020, he owned a perfect record while and pursing a national title in his home state. The NCAA Champions were set to be at U.S. Bank Stadium last year, but were cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Missing out on that opportunity a year ago continues to fuel this mission in 2021. “I wish my time would’ve come last year, but it didn’t,” Steveson said. “This year I came in with that mentality.” His mentality is also more mature too, growing on and off the mat since his first college season.  “Freshman year, I was just a little kid that wanted to create a highlight for everyone, and just be cocky,” Steveson said. “Now it’s all about just business and winning.” Steveson has the wins this season. He’s 9-0, including two pins in 34 seconds or less, but admits it’s been hard to win over some in the wrestling world. “The showmanship that I bring always comes out,” Steveson said. … rest of story at https://www.fox9.com/sports/its-right-in-my-sights-gopher-wrestling-star-seeks-perfect-season?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Hildebrandt Named MAC Scholar Athlete Of The Week
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan wrestler Drew Hildebrandt has been named the Mid-American Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the week. Hildebrandt, a senior from Granger, Ind., successfully defended his MAC championship at 125 pounds with three victories, including a major decision at the league tournament. His is a finance major who carries a 3.64 grade point average. The No. 1 seed in the tournament who is ranked fifth nationally by flowrestling.com, Hildebrandt has qualified for the NCAA Championships for the third-consecutive year and will vie to become a two-time All-American March 18-20 at the national tournament in St. Louis. … rest of story at https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2021/3/3/wrestling-hildebrandt-names-mac-scholar-athlete-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 18, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment