National Wrestling News (2021) – # 7
TDR Editor’s Notes ; The following are a collection of articles covering a wide span of topics such 5 year olds first learning the sport to a champ seeking a pull ups record, and actors in wrestling movies to wrestlers in movies. The National wrestling sports writer of the year and how the addition of athletic programs can decrease financial woes for schools. Also many more topics. Keep wrestling on! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – What do you tell a five-year-old … and parents … learning the sport?
Editor’s Note: The following appeared in the Feb. 24 issue of WIN Magazine. Mike Clayton serves as manager of USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program, which helps wrestlers set goals, focus, gain confidence, organize and prioritize their training to help them reach their goals. He recently spoke with WIN Editor Mike Finn about how parents should introduce their children to the sport.
WIN: If a parent decides to introduce wrestling to their five-year-old child, what would you tell them?
Clayton: It’s got to be fun because it’s got to be long term. If Timmy goes out today and if it’s not fun or it’s not a positive experience, why does Timmy come back tomorrow?
Don’t tell me that your kid has to start at four or five to be a successful wrestler. Your kid’s not going to fall behind because he’s not winning national titles at age five. And even if he’s winning national titles at age five, it doesn’t mean he’ll still be winning at age 20. Early success is not a predictor of future success. So you might see your kid winning a lot right now. That doesn’t mean they’ll even be wrestling in high school.
WIN: When should winning and losing matter?
Clayton: It’s really up to each child and what’s important to each athlete. If a young child goes out and loses, he’s probably going to cry. And he may be crying because he thinks he’s letting mom and dad down because of the things mom and dad may say. Mom and Dad don’t intend to be that way. But they may say something, they may do something, they may say something that makes the child think I don’t get the same positive reaction from my mom and dad, when I lose, as I do when I win. Now, the kids associate winning with love for mom and dad. And that’s the problem.
Children think they have to win to make their mom and dad proud. We don’t need to add emotional anxiety onto these kids to think the only way that mom and dad love them is if they’re wrestling.
WIN: Some parents have never wrestled and may not know what to tell a child that is wrestling; that it’s more than just learning how to control another child. How do these parents educate themselves enough to help their child? … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/02/27/what-do-you-tell-a-five-year-old-and-parents-learning-the-sport/?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-do-you-tell-a-five-year-old-and-parents-learning-the-sport
2 } – Ex-ASU wrestling national champion Anthony Robles sets pull-up world record at his alma mater Mesa High
Anything that Anthony Robles has accomplished in his life is a fist-pumping inspiration for all athletes. No matter how far he goes around the world as a motivational speaker, he’s the most proud to be a Prodigal Son of Mesa High School’s wrestling program.
The former Arizona State wrestling national champion, born with one leg, added another footnote to his legacy earlier this month when he set his third world record for pull-ups since 2018. Robles, a 5-foot-9 strongman, did 30 pull-ups while having a 60-pound pack strapped on him within one minute, at his alma mater Mesa on Jan. 30.
He was officially declared the Guinness Book of World Record-holder officially on Feb. 3 for the most pull-ups, 62.
“This record is always going to hold an important piece of my heart,” Robles said to Arizona Republic. … rest of story at https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2021/02/18/anthony-robles-sets-his-third-pull-up-world-record-mesa-high-school/6789383002/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – College Fan’s Guide To 2021 NHSCA Nationals
All the committed and uncommitted wrestlers to follow at this year’s NHSCAs.
For the DI NCAA college fans, we’ve compiled a list of all the entrants at 2021’s NHSCA Nationals who listed a single school when they signed up for the event.
Committed Entries
| Division | Weight Class | Full Name | College | Rank |
| Senior | 182 | Aiden Warren | Air Force |
… rest of story at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6987523-college-fans-guide-to-2021-nhsca-nationals?mc_cid=a0d7657398&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – Journeymen’s Frank Popolizio goes On The Mat – OTM62
Frank Popolizio goes On The Mat
Successful New York high school and club coach Frank Popolizio has had great success in building teams, programs and events New York’s Capital Region. You’ve seen the Northeast Duals, Journeymen Fall Classic just to name a couple. What’s next on the horizon for the progressive wrestling leader? Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton as they talk about the world of wrestling on the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com.
Show Segments
0:37 – Andy “Go with the Flo” Hamilton
0:58 – Impressive Category: Wrestle D1 as a starter or D3 All-American? … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/journeymens-frank-popolizio-goes-on-the-mat-otm62/?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – USA WRESTLING NATIONAL COACHES COUNCIL LAUNCHES FIRST EPISODE OF “HEADS UP” PODCAST, FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST BRUCE BAUMGARTNER
The USA Wrestling National Coaches Council released the first episode of their new podcast “Heads Up” earlier today, and it is now available for streaming and download.
The podcast is hosted by Mike Hagerty, a founding member of the National Coaches Council and Mike Clayton, USA Wrestling’s Manager of the National Coaches Education Program.
Hagerty is a numerous-time World Team coach and a two-time USA Wrestling Developmental Coach of the Year. Hagerty served as head coach at DII Central Missouri for seven seasons, twice earning Midwest Coach of the Year honors. He also spent 24 seasons coaching at Blue Springs High School in Missouri, leading the team to three state titles and seven other top-three finishes. In addition to his coaching, Hagerty received the Meritorious Official Award in 2017 from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, after serving as an NCAA Division 1 official for over 25 years.
Prior to joining USA Wrestling in 2014, Clayton coached at numerous colleges and universities including Stevens Tech in New Jersey, where he was the 2008 NCAA Div. III Rookie Coach of the Year and the 2009 Centennial Conference Coach of the Year, and the Apprentice School in Virginia, where he was a four-time nominee for NCWA Coach of the year. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/03/Heads-up-Podcast-release?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – When ‘Match Day’ Comes: Nate Grimes & The Value Of Calm
He’s probably too nice to bristle at the thought of having triumphed “out of nowhere”. In order to become offended, one must first trudge around shackled to their ego. And simply put, Nate Grimes (77 kg, OPTC) doesn’t have time these days to remain trapped underneath the burden of external perspectives. Think what you want, say what you will. Outside noise rarely penetrates Grimes’ observance of his personal core values. At still just 21 years of age, he has already experienced enough wrestling-related tumult to understand which are the battles actually worth fighting.
Unsurprisingly, most of those have taken place between his own ears.
Following a high school tenure in Texas that concluded with a third-place finish at the state tournament, Grimes’ idea of wrestling soon veered towards a different, much more expansive direction. Instead of choosing to figure out a way to continue his career for a college folkstyle program, he found himself at Northern Michigan University. It was a whole new landscape, and not just in terms of topography and meteorological concerns. … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/greco-wrestling-interviews/nate-grimes-value-calm/?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – The Desert Preparation Zone: What Is Happening At ASU
On Monday morning, they got to work by drilling various technical mechanics for just over an hour. Then they broke for lunch, rested, hung out a little bit, and returned in the afternoon to hit the weights.
But not in Colorado Springs, Boise, or Tata. Instead, this latest gathering of United States Senior Greco athletes is taking place in… Arizona.
Arizona State University is not often associated with Greco-Roman wrestling these days, but that is gradually starting to change now that 2017 Cadet World Champion/two-time Junior World medalist Cohlton Schultz (130 kg, Sunkist, 5PM #2) has fully settled into his collegiate career. Two-time age-group World Teamer Chad Porter (97 kg, 5PM #8) was already a Sun Devil before Schultz arrived on campus, and the team’s 174 pounder, Trent Munoz, advanced to the semifinal of the US Open in October — in what was his first taste of Senior Greco action.
Schultz, who became a two-time Senior National champ this past October, … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/arizona-camp-natl-team/?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – Andy Hamilton – 4x National Wrestling Writer of the Year Winner
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Andy Hamilton is a wrestling media legend. He’s been with Track (now Flo) since 2016 and prior to that covered Iowa wrestling from both Des Moines and Iowa City. He’s a 4x recipient of the national wrestling writer of the year award. Please enjoy!
PRESENTED BY SPARTAN COMBAT
This episode is brought to you by the Spartan Combat Nationals, taking place this May 20-23 in Jacksonville Florida. Register now at SpartanCombat.com … rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/219-andy-hamilton-4x-national-wrestling-writer-of-the-year-winner/?mc_cid=1a80b5744e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – Could adding athletic programs decrease financial woes for some schools? FDU is banking on it
Karl France woke up on the first day of March, found something burgundy and blue to wear and embarked on a project that less than a handful of coaches have had since the start of the pandemic. The new men’s volleyball coach at Fairleigh Dickinson University is one of just a few people who are laying the foundation of a brand-new college sports team this spring.
France was hired a month after Fairleigh Dickinson, a small private university in New Jersey, announced plans in January to start sponsoring a men’s volleyball team in the 2021-22 academic year. The school also plans to add a women’s lacrosse program the following year and will start a search for a lacrosse coach this spring. Only five other Division I schools have announced plans to increase the number of sports they sponsor since COVID-19 arrived. Fairleigh Dickinson’s plans to grow from 19 to 21 teams were finalized during a time when cancellations and postponements have led to millions of dollars in lost revenue for many schools. Since the NCAA called off its money-making men’s basketball tournament in the early days of the pandemic last March, 35 Division I colleges have announced plans to shutter, indefinitely suspend or downgrade a total of 115 programs (22 of those teams have since been reinstated as the result of alumni fundraising and/or legal pressure). The last comparable culling of college teams came when the 2008 financial crisis led schools to hunt for ways to tighten their belts. … rest of story at https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31038654/could-adding-athletic-programs-decrease-financial-woes-some-schools
10 } – Casey Moss opens up about ‘The Last Champion,’ and digital age (Includes interview)
He played Scott Baker in the film The Last Champion, which was directed by Glenn Withrow. “It was an incredible experience, to say the least. From the beginning to the end, it was a ride that I was really grateful to be a part of. The intense physical preparation leading up to the film was something I’ve always wanted to tackle in this profession, to really earn it. And the people involved with The Last Champion from the cast to the crew were amazing to work with,” he said. “The Last Champion is a great story about family and redemption. Something I think we need a little more of in our current climate. So if you want to watch a heartwarming, uplifting film, check it out,” he said. … rest of story at https://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/casey-moss-opens-up-about-the-last-champion-and-digital-age/article/585781?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – Mack Beggs quotes Dr. Seuss to tell transphobic state lawmakers: ‘We’re here! We’re here!’
Collegiate wrestler Mack Beggs tag teams with a Kansas healthcare provider to build national networks of advocacy and resistance
Much has changed in three years for collegiate wrestler Mack Beggs. We remember seeing him first as a high school kid in Texas pushing through a storm of controversy at the intersection of being both an athlete and a transgender boy. Throughout 2017 and 2018, his story was the focus of numerous news stories, and he was profiled in-depth in two acclaimed documentary film projects, “Changing The Game” and “Mack Wrestles”.
Today, Beggs is a psychology major in his junior year at Life University in Georgia. In an interview this week on the Outsports podcast, The Trans Sporter Room, he discussed how he’s using his voice in the current fight over transgender rights in scholastic and collegiate sports. “I don’t want any other kid to go through what I went through,” Beggs said. “Trans kids need this chance to be who they are, so that I why I’m here.”
Legislation that would legalize discrimination toward transgender people is on the docket in 23 states as of today. Most of the bills, like the so-called Save Women’s Sports Act in South Carolina, are measures seeking to ban transgender student-athletes from interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics. Several others would criminalize affirming health care. … rest of story at https://www.outsports.com/2021/2/20/22291544/mack-beggs-trans-athletes-aclu-kansas-georgia-legislation-transgender-lgbtq-high-school-sports?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – ACTOR FRANK GRILLO: WRESTLING WITH CAREER SUCCESS
Frank Grillo may be the busiest actor in Hollywood as the Pandemic moves along. He has no fewer than eight projects finished or in the works, not to mention his popular recurring role as artist Nico Tanner on “Billions.” However, the Bronx, NY native is never far from the boxing ring, or the disciplines he learned early on in life around sports, to keep him focused and grounded.
And it all started on a wrestling mat.
“I got involved in wrestling when I was in the sixth grade,” Grillo told TheMat.com during a promotional tour recently for his new film “Boss Level,” out next week on Hulu. “I do know that I went to my first wrestling practice and said, ‘wow this is something I can do and I don’t have to worry about the team’ in the sense that I was responsible to other teammates for a result. And it just was something that made me want to do it the next day.”
Those early days made Grillo a fan of wrestling for life and set him up for a career that has seen him take prominent “tough guy” roles in everything from “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” to “The Gray” with Liam Neeson to his latest work, where he pairs with Mel Gibson on a bit of a fun sci-fi adventure where Grillo’s lead character, keeps reliving the same day over and over again. “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray it’s not; think more “Fast and Furious” or “The Matrix” recreated over and over again. Oh, and yes, there are lots of fight and action sequences, and even a good amount of
… rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/09/Frank-Grillo-feature?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Women’s Wrestling News (2021) – # 14 {High School}
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Newly sanctioned girls’ wrestling programs in Nebraska and North Dakota are described below. Since this happened Minnesota and Michigan have joined the over 30 states which have programs for scholastic girls’ wrestling. Also below are articles on the state championships in New Jersey, newly set NFHSA weight classes and girls’ rankings. We urge interested readers to check the full articles on the links provided after the introduction to each article. Keep on Wrestling! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Nebraska Votes to Sanction Girls HS Wrestling
This morning Nebraska joined 32 other states by sanctioning girls high school wrestling. A year ago, the Nebraska School Athletic Association (NSAA) voted to add girls wrestling as an emerging sport and it was on the state calendar as a winter sport. With sanctioning, the NSAA will host an official girls state tournament for the first time in 2021-22. For the past four years, a girls state tournament was held, but it was not officially sanctioned by the NSAA. Wednesday’s vote tally turned out to be 8-0 in favor of sanctioning girls high school wrestling. Nebraska is the second state in less than 10 days to approve the sport. Minnesota jumped aboard on May 11th.
While high school sanctioning just occurred, Nebraska already has a presence at the women’s collegiate level. In 2020-21, Hastings became the state’s third college to offer the sport, joining Midland and York. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24606?mc_cid=e6c3ba1225&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } – NSAA vote on upgrading girls wrestling to a sanctioned sport likely coming next month
It appears the Nebraska School Activities Association Board of Directors will decide next month whether girls wrestling will elevate to a fully sanctioned sport. Currently, girls wrestling operates under “emerging sport” status.
At its monthly meeting, held Thursday in Lincoln, it appeared the board is ready to sanction girls wrestling after its first year as an emerging sport, a designation that does not offer an NSAA-run state championship. An activity can be an emerging sport for up to three years under NSAA rules.
But NSAA executive director Jay Bellar wanted to give his staff and the wrestling committee time to put together details on a state championship date, venue and format, as well as the number of classes, before holding a vote of the board. “I think we need to put something together that you can visualize and say, ‘This is what it is,’’’ Bellar said. Some board members were ready to approve the promotion Thursday. … rest of story at https://journalstar.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/nsaa-vote-on-upgrading-girls-wrestling-to-a-sanctioned-sport-likely-coming-next-month/article_92cf64e3-df46-5733-9705-2c298597d2f5.html?mc_cid=480d7959b9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – North Dakota adds girls high school wrestling as sanctioned sport
Another state is adding girls high school wrestling as a sanctioned sport.

The North Dakota High School Activities Association Board of Directors met Tuesday and voted to approve the sanctioning of girls wrestling as a NDHSAA-sponsored sport starting in the 2021-22 school year. North Dakota becomes the 30th state high school association to sanction girls wrestling.
North Dakota has held non-sanctioned girls high school state wrestling championships for the past five years. Over 50 female wrestlers competed in the most recent non-sanctioned girls high school state wrestling championships held last month at the Fargodome.
Last season, North Dakota had about 80 girls participating in wrestling, which was up from about 20 in 2015-16. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24476?mc_cid=8b7957ea1f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – Another Hahn wins a state wrestling title at Lakewood as Jayla captures 143-pound girls crown
It was a big day for Jayla Hahn. The Lakewood High School sophomore wrestler avenged a loss in last year’s state tournament, captured her first state title in a dramatic final and added to her family’s legacy.
Hahn defeated North Hunterdon’s undefeated Jodi Holder, 10-8, in the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics 143-pound final at Phillipsburg High School. A stall point assessed to Holder tied the match with 15 seconds to go, then Hahn shot in for a match-winning takedown, fighting off a headlock attempt to score the winning points. … rest of story at https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2021/04/another-hahn-wins-a-state-wrestling-title-at-lakewood-as-jayla-captures-143-pound-girls-crown.html?mc_cid=0dc666bfba&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – Jess Johnson makes history, Jayla Hahn, Mia Lazaurs also win state wrestling titles
Manalapan senior Jess Johnson joined a special club in the history of New Jersey scholastic wrestling Saturday night at Phillipsburg High School. A senior 161-pounder, Johnson pinned Kittatinny’s Kierra Hubmaster with 17.2 seconds left in the first period to become a three-time state champion. “Getting the third win and being a part of history mattered,’ Johnson said. “When I look back I will remember all of it.” … rest of story at https://www.app.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2021/04/10/jess-johnson-manalapan-becomes-three-time-njsiaa-wrestling-champion/7130287002/?mc_cid=0dc666bfba&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – Princeton’s Chloe Ayres wins 114-pound state title, caps girls wrestling career with 3rd state crown
Chloe Ayres’ legendary girls wrestling career at Princeton High School ended the way it started – with a pin. Ayres decked Cedar Creek’s Riley Lerner in the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics 114-pound girls state final on Saturday to capture her third championship. She was 26-0 against New Jersey wrestlers – her only defeat coming last season at Rutgers in a feature match against Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)’s Caitlyn Walker. … rest of story at https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2021/04/princetons-chloe-ayres-wins-114-pound-state-title-caps-girls-wrestling-career-with-3rd-state-crown.html?mc_cid=0dc666bfba&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Trail blazing girls wrestling state champions continue to leave legacy
They are the trail blazers. Two years ago, the NJSIAA crowned 10 girls states champions in its inaugural season of competition. This season, just four remain – Parsipanny’s Sydney Petzinger, Princeton’s Chloe Ayres, Old Bridge’s Gabby Miller who won her previous title with Monroe and Manapalan’s Jess Johnson.
Ayres (114 pounds) and Johnson (161) will be trying to cap their careers with their third state title in three chances. Miller (128) – only a junior – will try to win her second championship after losing in the final last year. … rest of story at https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2021/04/trail-blazing-girls-wrestling-state-champions-continue-to-leave-legacy.html?mc_cid=0dc666bfba&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – Kennedy Blades – Age is Just a Number
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Kennedy Blades is the future of women’s wrestling. She’s a junior in high school and recently took second at the 2021 Olympic Trials. Prior to the Trials, Kennedy has been on a warpath, racking-up three Fargo National Titles, a 2019 Cadet World Team membership and numerous international tournament wins. Kennedy, along with her sister Korina, wrestle for Wyoming Seminary and are trained by Izzy Style. … rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/228-kennedy-blades-age-is-just-a-number/?mc_cid=3018ac16e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – NJSIAA girls wrestling sets path PIAA must follow | Commentary
It looks as if the closest Pennsylvania is going to get to a girls state wrestling tournament anytime soon is New Jersey having its tourney at Phillipsburg.
It’s only a short hop from the state boundary to the Stateliners’ wrestling city on a hill. But, for PIAA girls, it may as well be three thousand miles.
Pennsylvania girls could only watch with envy as their counterparts from New Jersey gathered for their own tournament, run by the state athletic association, in Phillipsburg’s first-class gym. The competition was compelling and fun, and the tournament was run in the efficient and effective way the Stateliner crew always does things (hats off to them, by the way). … rest of story at https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/highschoolsports/2021/04/njsiaa-girls-wrestling-sets-path-piaa-must-follow-commentary.html?mc_cid=d0f3fda251&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – Separate Weight Classes for Girls, Choice of Weight Classes Established in High School Wrestling
States will have a choice of 12, 13 or 14 weight classes for both boys and girls competition in high school wrestling, effective with the 2023-24 season. This will be the first separate weight classes established for girls in high school wrestling, and it marks the first time that state associations will have a choice in the number of weight classes.
The landmark change in weight classes was one of several significant revisions recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 2-3 meeting held virtually this year. All recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
States must select one of the three sets (12, 13 or 14) of weight classes for girls and one of the three sets (12, 13 or 14) for boys. States cannot adopt all three sets and cannot switch back and forth during the season. The following weight classes (in pounds) were established for girls competition (girls wrestling girls), effective July 1, 2023:
12 Weight Classes – 100, 107, 114, 120, 126, … rest of story at https://nfhs.org/articles/separate-weight-classes-for-girls-choice-of-weight-classes-established-in-high-school-wrestling/?mc_cid=1a96ae13a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – April 20 National Girls High School Rankings
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame, USA Wrestling and FloWrestling on Tuesday released the sixth national rankings for high school girls wrestlers for the 2020-21 season. This ranking evaluates all girls enrolled in grades 8-12, and athletes from all 50 states are eligible for selection. It has been a busy time for girls high school wrestlers. Since the last ranking in March, numerous states have completed their official or unofficial girls state championships. These state tournaments play an important role in setting the rankings during this time of the year. In addition, the major spring and summer national championships have already begun. The two events that had a tremendous impact on the April rankings were USA Wrestling’s High School National Recruiting Showcase and the Girls Folkstyle Nationals, both held in Coralville, Iowa. Two athletes who were No. 1 in March are now ranked No. 1 in different weight classes in April, based upon their amazing runner-up finishes at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling in Fort Worth, Texas: Kennedy Blades of Illinois at 152 pounds and Kylie Welker of Wisconsin at 164 pounds. Blades dropped in weight to 68 kg, where she reached the Olympic Trials finals against World champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock. Welker moved up to 76 kg, where she reached the Olympic Trials finals against five-time World champion Adeline Gray.
There are seven new No. 1 wrestlers in this ranking: Brianna Gonzalez of California (100), Olivia Shore of Ohio (106), Sage Mortimer of Utah (112), Katie Gomez of California (117), London Houston of Washington (132), Maddie Kubicki of Missouri (144) and Eliana Bommarito of Michigan (225). … rest of story at https://nwhof.org/news/april-20-national-girls-high-school-rankings
12 } – After Helping N.J. Girls’ Wrestling Gain a Foothold, Ayres Going to PU, Aiming to Grow Sport at Next Level
GOING TO THE MAT: Princeton High senior wrestling star Chloe Ayres enjoys the moment after she won the 114-pound New Jersey state girls’ wrestling title on April 10 at Phillipsburg High, joined by New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) representatives Howie O’Neal and Colleen Maguire near the mat. It was the third straight state crown for Ayres, who is headed to Princeton University this fall where she is looking to get a women’s club wrestling program off the ground. (Photo caption)
By Justin Feil
Chloe Ayres was thrilled to win a third state wrestling title, but was even happier with the news that came a few days before it.
The Princeton High School senior was accepted to Princeton University, where she plans to continue wrestling.
“I would say probably getting into Princeton was bigger,” said Ayres. “That’s been a goal of mine since fourth grade so it’s been a long time coming. The state title was definitely up there too.”
Ayres has a bigger platform in mind as she looks to the higher levels of wrestling. She will continue to develop her own wrestling, but also is fully invested in working toward opening Division I wrestling up for women to inspire young girls to take up the sport about which she’s so passionate. Opening up more opportunities for women to wrestle would be a bigger win than any on the mat.
“It’s definitely a process to develop women’s wrestling at that level,” said Ayres. … rest of story at http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2021/04/21/after-helping-n-j-girls-wrestling-gain-a-foothold-ayres-going-to-pu-aiming-to-grow-sport-at-next-level/?mc_cid=d92d6a4129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

