Takedown Report

NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 19

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Variety of articles about Division I schools across the country from recent months. Keep supporting wrestling! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Some Big Names Choose Their Transfer Destinations
Former Penn Stater Jarod Verkleeren, who started 19 duals at 149 pounds during his three years and qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year, will don a Virginia singlet next season, he announced late Thursday. _{^{https://twitter.com/verkleeren_j/status/1382805864835395585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1382805864835395585%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.collegian.psu.edu%2Fsports%2Fwrestling%2Fformer-penn-state-wrestler-jarod-verkleeren-announces-transfer-destination%2Farticle_73e1861c-9e31-11eb-ac85-1f02f65d5e6b.html}} Over his career, Verkleeren went 32-14 at Penn State and spent several weeks ranked inside the top-20 wrestlers at 149 pounds in 2020, his first full season as a starter.
There has been chatter that the reigning 141-pound national champ, Nick Lee, might bump up to 149 in 2022. The Verkleeren news marks the second time in as many weeks that Penn State has announced that a starter from its 2021 lineup will not be returning in 2022. Former Lion 157-pounder Brady Berge announced he would be stepping away from the mat due to a medical retirement.
Elsewhere, Greg Bulsak announced on Instagram he is transferring to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from Clarion University for his final season of eligibility. 
A three-time NCAA qualifier and a redshirt senior, Bulsak wrestled at 197 pounds the last two seasons. He became Clarion’s first Mid-American Conference champion in 2020 and was seeded 10th in that year’s NCAA Tournament before the tournament was canceled. … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/some-big-names-choose-their-transfer-destinations/80899?mc_cid=82e9baddf8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Shane Sparks – Relationships are the Currency of Life
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Tony Robie is the head wrestling coach at Virginia Tech. Prior to being named the head coach in 2017, Tony was an associate head coach under Kevin Dresser.  As a wrestler, Tony competed for Bruce Baumgartner at Edinboro University. He was a 2x All American, taking second in 1997 to Iowa’s Joe Williams.  Please enjoy! (Picture: Tony Rotundo)
Connect with Tony
-Twitter & Instagram: @ROBIEwrestling
-Tony’s wrestling camps: RobieWrestling.Com … rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/230-shane-sparks-relationships-are-the-currency-of-life/?mc_cid=a0d7657398&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – SEAN RUSSELL RETURNS TO HIS HOME REGION AS THE NEW HEAD COACH OF RTC SOUTH
RTC South, the Regional Training Center affiliated with Chattanooga wrestling, announced the hiring of Georgia native Sean Russell as its new head coach. RTC South tweeted the following:
We are excited to welcome Georgia native Sean Russell as our new Head Coach of RTC South. Sean has a huge passion for the sport and has excelled as an athlete both collegiately & on the senior level.
Welcome back to the south Sean!
Russell was a four-time state high school champion for Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga. He was a 2017 NCAA All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier for Edinboro, before transferring to Minnesota for his senior year, where he was third in the Big Ten, and reached the blood round at the NCAA Championships.
Russell made his run in Senior freestyle as a member of the Gopher WC. He was fourth at the 2020 Senior Nationals at 57 kg, then punched his ticket for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by winning the title at the Last Chance Qualifier this March. At the Trials in Fort Worth, Russell went 1-2, with a win over fellow Gopher WC veteran Zach Sanders, and losses to Daton Fix and Nathan Tomasello. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/21/Sean-Russell-to-coach-RTC-South?mc_cid=d92d6a4129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – The Hypothetical Division I Wrestling Super League
I’m not sure if any of you wrestling fans are soccer enthusiasts as well, but suffice to say, it’s been a strange couple of weeks (and a public relations nightmare) in the soccer world. 
On April 18, ESPN reported rumblings that 12 top clubs around Europe intended to form a breakaway Super League in which they’d compete, consequence-free, outside the UEFA Champions League where these teams were all currently competing.
Within a matter of days, this grandiose and revolutionary plan for a 15-team soccer Super League of sorts folded as teams pulled out in the face of public scrutiny and backlash. While the soccer Super League is no more, it got me thinking….
If such a Super League were formed for college wrestling at the Division I level, who are the 16 teams that would make the cut?
For clarification, there is zero indication such a scenario would or could ever materialize, but here are the 16 teams I would want to break away from the NCAA and form a Super League if it were up to me. 
The 16 teams I would choose (in alphabetical order) for my hypothetical Division I wrestling Super League.
The A-Team … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/the-hypothetical-division-i-wrestling-super-league/81246?mc_cid=c1dee7f2bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Some Familiar NCAA Faces Join the Wrestling Coaching Ranks
Penn State and Cornell have been the two most discussed Division I wrestling programs this week. The primary headline was the announcement that Max Dean officially transferred to Penn State.
However, the transfer was not the only news concerning both powerhouse programs. Former Penn State four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion Quentin Wright was announced as the head wrestling coach at Tyrone Area High School in Tyrone, Pennsylvania.
Penn State and Cornell have been the two most discussed Division I wrestling programs this week. The primary headline was the announcement that Max Dean officially transferred to Penn State.
However, the transfer was not the only news concerning both powerhouse programs. Former Penn State four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion Quentin Wright was announced as the head wrestling coach at Tyrone Area High School in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/high-school-wrestling/some-familiar-ncaa-faces-join-the-wrestling-coaching-ranks/81706?mc_cid=cc121404a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – 10 EIWA Wrestlers I’m Excited to See Return in 2021-22
If you follow EIWA wrestling, you noticed something was missing last year. The league lacked the usual firepower that it produces year in and year out. The conference was founded in 1904, making it the oldest in the country. At 17 teams, it is the largest conference based on quantity, after having only four member schools at its inception. Because of the rich tradition of the conference, one would suggest it produces numerous All-Americans (AAs) every year. And that assumption would be correct, as there has been an average of 10 AAs from the conference between 2010-2019. With the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, 21 AAs were crowned from the EIWA. Since these were based on rankings, I will ignore this number, as it is certainly an outlier. Let me be clear about that last statement, I certainly do not discount the individual wrestlers who earned this status. It is an amazing achievement, and anyone who wrestled at any level probably knows how hard this is to do. Obviously, they did earn it based on the season’s results. But I am sure nearly 100% of these guys would agree that it’s “different” than actually standing on the podium after three days of battle. As the old saying goes, “That’s why they wrestle!”
This brings us to the 2021 season. The EIWA only had 2 wrestlers on the podium in St Louis. Zach Hartman wrestled in the semifinals, eventually losing to the champion (Shane Griffith of Stanford) and placing sixth. The other placer was Lou Deprez of Binghamton, who placed eighth after earning the third seed to begin the tournament. Why the huge drop in the number of All-Americans? The answer is simple, unfortunately. Seven schools were forced to sit out the entire 2020-2021 season. This includes the 6 Ivy League Universities, plus Franklin and Marshall College. If you are like me and not smart enough to apply to the Ivy League schools with wrestling, I got you covered. They are Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Penn, and Princeton. Below is a list of the wrestlers I’m most excited to see, who were unable to compete last season due to their respective schools cancelling the season. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24587?mc_cid=cc121404a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – InterMat’s Mother’s Day Special
To celebrate Mother’s Day, InterMat sat down with five prominent mothers in the wrestling community, Allyson Schwab, Kaille Grey, Lyndsey Beasley, Jaime Dubuque, and McKayla Engel. All five are married to DI coaches, as well. These women talk about how and when they met their husbands and some difficulties involved with being the wife of a DI coach. From new jobs, moving, criticism in person/on social media, time spent on the road, distance from family, these ladies hit plenty of angles that many fans forget about. They also share some fun stories about their husbands that you probably don’t know (and their husbands probably don’t want you to know). … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24577?mc_cid=6292a9adee&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Columbia Wrestling’s Class of 2025 Earns National Ranking
NEW YORK — Following time well spent on the recruiting trail, Columbia Wrestling’s Class of 2025 has earned a pair of top 25 national rankings, being ranked No. 25 by both Intermat and MatScouts as announced by both publications on Tuesday, May 11.
Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Zach Tanelli and his staff worked hard during the offseason to earn the ranking, and it’s the second straight season that Columbia’s recruiting class has fallen inside more than one Top 25 ranking.  Columbia’s Class of 2025 is made up of 10 incoming Lions, with five hailing from Pennsylvania, and one from New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.  Adding to the domination of the Northeast region, Columbia also added a incoming Lion from California, giving the “Nation’s Oldest Program” a presence on the West Coast.
Among the 10 incoming Lions’ eight have earned Top 250 individual recruiting rankings within their respective weight classes.  But two of the 10 cracked the Top 100, with Jack McGill (165) coming in at No. 79 and Aaron Ayzerov (184) earning the No. 87 ranking at 174 pounds. … rest of story at https://gocolumbialions.com/news/2021/5/12/wrestlings-class-of-2025-earns-national-ranking.aspx?mc_cid=cc121404a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Ervin Looks to Solidify Family Legacy at SIUE
“Wrestling is a big thing in our family. My dad, brothers, uncles, and cousins all wrestled; it’s just what we do” said Saul Ervin, a redshirt sophomore at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Saul, the third youngest of the Ervin family, was born in Morganfield, Kentucky, where he continued the Ervin legacy at Union County High School. He was coached by his father, Robert Ervin, who has won 13 Kentucky state wrestling championships, including six-in-a row since 2016. His accomplishments gave way to his nomination as the 2021 Coach of the Year.
The Ervin family name is synonymous with both Kentucky wrestling and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a public university located in Edwardsville, Illinois. Robert Ervin competed for the Cougars during the 1985-1986 national championship season. Saul’s uncle, Tim Ervin, competed for the Cougars and became a three-time Division II All-American from 1979 to 1981. Finally, Saul’s older brother, Isaac Ervin, competed for the Cougars during the 2010-2011 season, where he, unfortunately, suffered a season-ending injury.
“Growing up, there was always a wrestling match going on in my house. I was eager to wrestle because my big brothers were already in the game. I saw them transition throughout the different stages of wrestling and traveled to different places right alongside them” said Saul. His earliest memories warrant “family vacations” to wrestling tournaments around the country, where the Ervin family bond became stronger and the boys became tougher. Saul and his older brother have had a friendly competition going since high school. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24563?mc_cid=f2268a753e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Binghamton University’s Lou DePrez reflects on the NCAA Wrestling Championships
VESTAL, NY – The Binghamton University Athletics Department has a lot to smile about after the last week they’ve had. After seeing cross country runner Emily Mackay finish 14th at the NCAA Championships, earning All-American honors in the process, this past weekend the campus was fortunate enough to have a 2nd student-athlete join Mackay with that distinction. Bearcats wrestler Lou DePrez was the lone BU representative at the NCAA Wrestling Championships this year, but he made the most of it.
DePrez, seeded 3rd in the 184 weight bracket, made his way onto the podium after finishing 8th overall, and was named an All-American for the 2nd-straight year. DePrez represented BU at the NCAA’s in 2019, and was set to wrestle in them again last year before the COVID pandemic broke out. After making his return last week, DePrez described what it was like to be back in the tournament.
“Any time that I get to wrestle in that kind of atmosphere is always fun. It’s just always a good opportunity. You’ve got all the teams in the NCAA there. They’re battling to try and get into a top 8 seat, places. It’s just a good time. There’s nothing like it,” he said. One positive that came out of last year’s COVID cancellation was the NCAA granted all winter Division I athletes an additional year of eligibility. … rest of story at https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/sports/binghamton-universitys-lou-deprez-reflects-on-the-ncaa-wrestling-championships/?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jason Borrelli Named Head Wrestling Coach at American University
WASHINGTON – Coming off 13 successful seasons as head wrestling coach at Stanford University, Jason Borrelli is switching coasts. American University Director of Athletics & Recreation Dr. Billy Walker has announced Borrelli, the two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year, as the head coach of AU Wrestling.

I’m tremendously excited to announce Coach Jason Borrelli as American University’s Head Wrestling Coach. He has demonstrated excellence in all facets of running a nationally respected program. He takes great pride in cultivating a family atmosphere in his program, and has a laser-like focus on ensuring his student-athletes succeed on and off the mat. Most importantly, Coach Borrelli has proven he does things the right way—with integrity, respect, and a deep sense of caring for the development of each of his student-athletes. I’m thrilled to welcome Jason, Jenna, Carter, Lincoln and Jackson to the AU Eagles Family!
Borrelli leaves Stanford following a historic season for the program. The Cardinal swept the Pac-12 awards including Borrelli’s second Coach of the Year honor, seven of 10 Cardinal starters qualified for the NCAA Championships, and Stanford finished with two All-Americans and its first national champion since 2004 in redshirt sophomore Shane Griffith. 
Over Borrelli’s 13 seasons, the Cardinal sent 35 different wrestlers to the NCAA Championships a total of 64 times. In 2016-17, Stanford set a program record with nine NCAA qualifiers. … rest of story at https://aueagles.com/news/2021/4/13/two-time-pac-12-coach-of-the-year-jason-borrelli-named-head-wrestling-coach-at-american-university.aspx?mc_cid=d0f3fda251&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – The debate over the University of Hartford isn’t just about Division I sports but about the future of a school with major financial challenges
Behind the ongoing debate over whether the University of Hartford should move its athletic program from Division I to Division III lies a university whose enrollment issues, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, threaten to undermine its future. Enrollment had dropped at UHart even before the 2020-21 school year, numbers from the school indicate, a product of the university’s struggle to compete for a declining pool of college applicants. The result, industry observers say, has been a decline in tuition revenue that has strained the campus and forced cuts.
It is against that backdrop that UHart, led by president Gregory Woodward, commissioned a report on potential paths forward for the athletic department — a report that ultimately recommended the school save money by moving to Division III. The study has drawn outrage from current and former UHart athletes who argue that sports bring value to a university beyond dollars and cents, as well as from critics who say the report may overstate the potential savings from a move to Division III. Dozens of students marched through campus Monday to advocate against the proposed change, while hundreds of alumni have signed petitions demanding that the school remain in Division I.
Advocates of shifting to Division III say UHart should focus as many resources as possible on its academic mission, rather than continue to underwrite a relatively modest Division I sports program.
Either way, the broader issues facing the school are undeniable and inescapable, say those who follow the university closely, including former administrators. “The real problem at the university is that they have declining enrollment, and because of declining enrollment they have declining revenue,” says Michael Gargano, a former administrator at UHart and elsewhere who now counsels university boards of trustees. “And it is impacting all operations, of which athletics is a small part of it.” … rest of story at https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-university-hartford-finances-enrollment-20210425-ccl2loxr2ncsbaoa5s2osw5xiu-story.html?mc_cid=9e2c82acd7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

May 26, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized