Takedown Report

Wrestling History (2021) – # 5

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A look at history of amateur and collegiate wrestling across the decades from the beginning of the sport in the U.S.A. up till the present day. While seeking and making new records and achievements it is wise to remember and look at and learn from the history in our sport and our country. Keep on Wrestling! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog #2924 (6/3/21)
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1 } – Wrestling hall of famer, Bobby Douglas, remembers his time in the Ohio Valley
BRIDGEPORT, OHIO (WTRF)- Growing up in Bridgeport Ohio, the community helped wrestling Hall of Famer, Bobby Douglas, realize his potential at a young age.  ““I was very fortunate to have one of the all-time great coaches, George Kovalick and not only was it Kovalick but there were other good coaches at Bridgeport high school.  

Most of the men around there, kind of looked after me because they knew I didn’t have father and my mother wasn’t with me. I was being raised by my grandmother so I had too many parents,” said Douglas. Bobby made his way to West Liberty University. As a member of the inaugural Hilltopper wrestling team in 1962, he made headlines, winning the NAIA national championship at 130 pounds. He then transferred Oklahoma State University. He says going out west was an eye opener for racism in America.  “I got to Oklahoma and I found out just how bad racism was. It was different. Totally different and I adjusted, it was a real adjustment but I did adjust,” said Douglas. 

Still, Bobby remained focused on wrestling and his studies while in Oklahoma.  “My teammates which are too many to even try to remember were responsible, they stood by me and we were an athletic family,”  said Douglas. Bobby made it to the Olympic teams in 1964 and 1968. But it was here, he realized the truth about wrestling in the Olympics at that time.  “The Olympics in wrestling was somewhat corrupt and it wasn’t because of race, it was because of various countries and how wrestling was controlled by the officials,”  said Douglas. … rest of story at https://www.wtrf.com/top-stories/wrestling-hall-of-famer-bobby-douglas-remembers-his-time-in-the-ohio-valley/?mc_cid=7fbcdf9574&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Throwback Thursday: Was the 2016 NCAA final between Snyder and Gwiz the best ever?
The 2016 NCAA Division I Championships in New York City’s Madison Square Garden ended with an epic heavyweight championship clash for the ages. Ohio State’s two-time champ and World freestyle champion Kyle Snyder moved up a weight to take on NC State’s two-time champ Nick Gwiazdowski.

The match more than lived up to the billing as Snyder beat Gwiz in sudden victory. WIN founder and historian Mike Chapman compared that bout with other great head-to-head matchups in this story that appeared in the March 2016 issue of WIN Magazine. You can find this issue and other WIN Magazines back to 2011 (by purchasing a WIN Digital Subscription, opening up the last 9 years of archives to you on any device for only $14.95/year). Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine.

And MAT CHAT PODCAST EPISODE 91 FEATURING NATE JACKSON IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING AND DOWNLOAD
Episode 91 of Mat Chat with David Mirikitani is now available for streaming and download on most major podcast platforms. This is the third episode released since Mat Chat moved to USA Wrestling. In this episode, David interviews Black Wrestling Association founder and President Nate Jackson. Currently, an assistant coach at Princeton, Jackson is one of the country’s top 86 kg wrestlers. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/16/Mat-Chat-episode-91-with-Nate-Jackson?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Valley’s first All-American collegiate wrestlers came from Davis
While collegiate wrestling programs have been on the budget-cutting decline in recent years, the Valley’s rich prep history has produced 35 All-Americans at four- and two-year programs across the country. The pioneering wave of this elite group was a trio from Davis — Mike Carr (Class of 1965), Don Pleasant (’66) and Thurman Landers (’67) — that excelled at three different in-state colleges. Carr, also a standout lineman for the Pirates, became the Valley’s first All-American when, as a senior at Whitworth, he finished second in the heavyweight division at the 1969 NAIA national championships. The Yakima native, who was 20-1-1 with 15 pins that final collegiate season, went on to place seventh at the 1972 Olympic Trials.

Carr then enjoyed a successful teaching and coaching career, and after 25 seasons at Medical Lake High School — with a state title in 1992 — he was inducted into the wrestling coaches Hall of Fame in 2005. Pleasant is one of Davis’ most dominant wrestlers ever, having won the 141-pound state title in 1966 with a pin and shutouts of 15-0, 6-0 and 10-0. He and Landers were both state medalists in 1965. At Yakima Valley College, Pleasant was voted the MVP of the 1970 NWAC tournament with more dominance, ending with a fall at 1:32 in the 158 final to cap a 13-0 season. He was YVC’s second state champion following his coach, Wayne Purdom. … rest of story at https://www.yakimaherald.com/sports/prep_sports/cbbn/davis/valleys-first-all-american-collegiate-wrestlers-came-from-davis/article_7250edda-0f5e-51e6-bfc4-b7ab96b72a0f.html?mc_cid=ffcd6840e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Ned Blass to Receive 2021 Gallagher Award
Cowboy wrestling coach John Smith announced Tuesday that Ned Blass will be the recipient of the 2021 Gallagher Award. The award, given annually to an OSU alumnus who has exemplified the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions, will be presented during the Cowboys’ final home dual against Oklahoma on Feb. 21. “I’m really touched and honored by it,” Blass said. “My original reaction was way out there. It’s been a long time ago since I’ve been around, so I was surprised. It goes along with if you wait long enough in life everything comes around, but I’m 88 years old and I’ve been fortunate and received a lot of accolades and felt they had run out. This was one that was a major one.”

A member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Ponca City HS Hall of Fame, Tulsa Edison HS Hall of Fame and the Citizens Savings Athletic Hall of Fame, Blass spent 40 years in the sport, from the time he began wrestling to when he finished his coaching career in 1982. A two-sport standout at Ponca City High School, Blass had offers to play football from Oklahoma, OSU, Nebraska and more, but ultimately decided to leave them behind and pursue wrestling at Oklahoma State. In his four years at OSU, he went 28-3-1 and won back-to-back championships at 177 pounds in 1953 and 1954.
 
Soon after graduating from OSU, he became a player-coach at the Naval Training Center in San Diego, California, where he qualified to be an alternate for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. It was during that time when he grew a love for coaching, that led him to spend the next 30 years of his life as a coach and send multiple wrestlers to big-time college programs, including Charlie White at Oklahoma and Cowboy legends J Robinson and Roy Brewer. … rest of story at https://okstate.com/news/2021/2/16/wrestling-ned-blass-to-receive-2021-gallagher-award.aspx?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Harold Henson: First Black wrestler to compete at NCAAs
Before Mekhi Lewis, Mark Hall, J’den Cox, Phil Davis, Kerry McCoy, Joe Williams, T.J. Williams, Lee Kemp, Jimmy Jackson, Bobby Douglas, Joe James or Simon Roberts wrestled a single match, there was Harold Henson, who led the way for these men to become wrestling champs simply by stepping out onto the mat at the 1949 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The 136-pounder from San Diego State University didn’t win a national title that year … and, in fact, lost his opening-round match. However, as the first Black wrestler to compete at a national collegiate wrestling championship, Harold Henson made it possible for generations of wrestlers to step up to success in wrestling in high school, college and international competition.

First, a bit of a history lesson: The 1949 NCAAs were just two years after Jackie Robinson became the first Black to compete in Major League Baseball … but five years before the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” segregated public schools were unconstitutional … and eight years before Simon Roberts of the University of Iowa became the first Black wrestler to win an individual national collegiate wrestling championship, claiming the 147-pound title at the 1957 NCAAs at the University of Pittsburgh. (Click HERE to read a profile on Simon Roberts.)

In fact, until the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma reported Harold Henson’s pioneering status in their press materials for Black History Month in February 2008, it was generally assumed that the first college matmen of color made their appearance in the mid 1950s … including Simon Roberts, Ellie Watkins for the Iowa State Cyclones, and Kent State’s Clarence McNair. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24267?mc_cid=b6bf9ab19d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Munich 1972 Olympic silver medallist dies from COVID-19 complications
Russian wrestler Gennady Strakhov, winner of an Olympic silver medal at Munich 1972 when he represented the Soviet Union, has died following complications caused by a COVID-19 infection. Strakhov, the runner-up in the men’s freestyle 90 kilograms category nearly 50 years ago, was confirmed dead at the age of 76, as reported by the Russian Wrestling Federation (FSBR).

“The Russian Wrestling Federation, athletes and coaches of national teams in women’s and men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling sincerely condole with the family and friends of Gennady – we deeply mourn with you,” said a FSBR statement. Strakhov won six rounds to the reach the final of the Olympic tournament at the Fairgrounds, Judo and Wrestling Hall in Munich. In the final he met the United States’ Ben Peterson. … rest of story at https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1104121/gennady-strakhov-wrestling-covid-19?mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Former DeSales wrestler Mark Zimmer, Ohio’s first four-time state champion, dies from ALS at 59
The former DeSales High School wrestler who never lost a state tournament wrestling match finally succumbed to a fierce opponent. Mark Zimmer, Ohio’s first four-time high school state champion, died Tuesday after a three-year fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The Lewis Center resident was 59.

Zimmer made history in 1979 when as a 119-pound DeSales senior he collected his fourth consecutive title, a feat never previously accomplished in Ohio and one achieved only twice before by other wrestlers across the nation. Thirty wrestlers in Ohio have won four titles since Zimmer, who had only one close call in four trips to St. John Arena. As a sophomore he was almost pinned but escaped and rallied to win in the third period.
Zimmer, who went on to wrestle at Wisconsin and Oklahoma, told The Dispatch in 2019, “I was very lucky in life. Like Forrest Gump, I showed up at the right time and the right place.” Michael Zimmer was more effusive with praise of his older brother. “He was my hero,” Michael Zimmer said. “People didn’t mess with me, because Mark would knock the crap out of them. Mark was one of those guys you hear about — the quiet one in the corner you didn’t want to mess with.” But Zimmer also had a tender side, his brother said. 

“Mark sought out people who were not necessarily in the clique in high school. He would sit and listen to people, which was one of his greatest skills,” Michael Zimmer said. “He would tell me, ‘Everybody has a story they want to tell.’ There are always kids on the outside. But not to him.” … rest of story at https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/2021/02/16/wrestling-legend-mark-zimmer-dies-als-ohio-columbus-desales/6762371002/?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – PEACOCK ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY “MY PURSUIT: LIFE, LEGACY & JORDAN BURROUGHS” TO PREMIER APRIL 1st
NEW ORK, NY—March 29, 2021— Peacock Original documentary, My Pursuit: Life, Legacy & Jordan Burroughs tells the story of American freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs as he attempts to make his third Olympic team. Fans will be able to stream the documentary for free on Peacock April 1 as part of NBCUniversal’s Countdown to Tokyo programming on Peacock.

“As one of the most storied Olympic sports, wrestling has always held a prominent place in the Olympic Games, uniting fans from around the world,” said Rick Cordella, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, Peacock. “Jordan Burrough’s is one of USA Wrestling’s brightest talents, and his iconic story is an exciting addition to Peacock for fans who are eager to watch the Tokyo Olympics this summer.”

Jordan Burroughs has lived the ups and downs of the Olympic experience, returning home a hero after winning gold in London and then dealing with deep personal disappointment following a loss in Rio four years later, setting the stage for attempt to make the team for Tokyo.
My Pursuit: Life, Legacy & Jordan Burroughs will examine these competitive moments, introduce viewers to the people who have made Burroughs the man he is today, and include interviews with the wrestler ahead of one of the most challenging Olympic Trials of his career. For a preview of the documentary, click Jordan Burroughs Peacock Trailer …. rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/29/Burroughs-documentary-on-Peacock?mc_cid=a2abe03ca2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL SECTION
Each day during the month of February, USA Wrestling will highlight a black wrestler, who has had or is having a significant impact on the sport. Fans can see the daily posts on Twitter (@USAWrestling) or on Facebook (facebook.com/usawrestling). USA Wrestling will update this article daily of each athlete featured.

Feb. 28 – Melvin Douglas
Melvin Douglas was a dominant freestyler for the USA, making six World teams (1989, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98) and two Olympic squads (1996, 2000). In his 1996 Olympic appearance, he took seventh in the World. More notably, Douglas was a 1993 World champion and collected three other World medals, including a silver in 1989 and bronzes in 1994 and 1995. Douglas also scored a gold medal at the 1995 Pan American Games as well as a silver at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Domestically, Douglas won seven national freestyle titles and earned a spot on 11 National Teams.
Feb. 27 – John Matthews
John Matthews was a two-time Olympian for the USA in Greco-Roman. He competed at the 1976 Olympics at 74 kg but was unable to wrestle at the 1980 Olympics when the U.S. boycotted the Moscow Games. In between his two Olympic bids, Matthews represented the United States at the 1978 World Championships, where he took fourth, and he also won the 1979 Pan American Games. He also claimed a bronze medal at the 1980 World Cup. Domestically, he was impressive, winning eight national Greco titles. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/01/Black-History-Month-Special-Section?mc_cid=3d847489c9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Renowned sports writer Joe Posnanski reflects on telling the story of Rulon Gardner’s epic win over Russian legend Alexander Karelin
Renowned sports writer Joe Posnanski reflects on telling the story of Rulon Gardner’s epic win over Russian legend Alexander Karelin
Multi-time national sports writer of the year Joe Posnanski looks back on his favorite day in sports writing: The day when Rulon Gardner stunned Russian legend Alexander Karelin at the 2000 Olympics. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1612155764829&twSessionId=onwpzuzaav&videoId=1020315135&mc_cid=8755157a86&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – John Smith, Pat Smith Etched In Stone Podcast Surpasses 26,000 Downloads
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and USA Wrestling’s “Etched In Stone – Stories of Wrestling Legends” podcast featuring Distinguished Members and brothers John Smith and Pat Smith and the Smith family has had over 26,000 downloads since it launched on Monday!  LISTEN to all seven original episodes and bonus content at etchedinstonepodcast.com and through Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher. In addition to extensive interviews with John and Pat, the podcast includes brothers Lee Roy and Mark, their mother, Madeline; sisters, Cathy Perry and Rita White; in-laws Mark Perry Sr., Lisa Smith and Chuck White; Distinguished Members Kendall Cross, Dan Gable, Randy Lewis; Bruce Burnett, who will be inducted as a Distinguished Member in 2021; and coaches, competitors and teammates.  Seven-episode series is hosted and produced by Ryan N Warner, a former wrestler who produces the very successful Wrestling Changed My Life podcast.
The brainchild of 1976 NCAA wrestling champion Pat Christenson, the EIS audio series features legendary wrestlers discussing the trials and tribulations they encountered on the way to becoming one of wrestling’s best. … rest of story at  www.NWHOF.org

And MAT CHAT EPISODE 93 FEATURING KENDALL CROSS IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING AND DOWNLOAD
Episode 93 of Mat Chat with David Mirikitani is now available for streaming and download on most major podcast platforms. This is the fifth episode released since Mat Chat moved to USA Wrestling. In this episode, David interviews Kendall Cross, a 1996 Olympic champion and 1989 NCAA champion for Oklahoma State. Cross currently serves as the head coach of the NYCRTC. …. rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/02/Mat-Chat-Episode-93-featuring-Kendall-Cross-is-now-available-for-streaming-and-download?mc_cid=bd28fec561&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Kyven Gadson: What I Learned from Willie Gadson
Kyven Gadson was a three-time All-American for Iowa State and a 2015 NCAA champion. He will compete at the upcoming freestyle Olympic Trials at 97 kilograms. His father, Willie, was a two-time All-American for Iowa State who coached his son in high school at Waterloo East. He died on March 10, 2013, at the age of 59 after a lengthy battle with cancer. 

The following are Kyven’s words on what he learned from his father. 
GOING OLD SCHOOL

“I learned how to be better. My dad was someone that loved to coach hard and he wanted me to be better than him. I spent a great amount of my time listening to him to try to be better. “I learned how to push through adversity, struggles, and disappointments. I learned how to overcome. I’ve learned how to love from him. There’s so much — not just one thing. I learned how to be disciplined, how to encourage people, how to be positive in tough situations.

“I really started to listen to my dad after the state finals my sophomore year. He knew what he was talking about but he had an old-school way of saying it so it didn’t always resonate with me. When I did start listening to my dad it made a huge difference in my growth and development. He would always say stuff and it didn’t always click right then and there. “Now, as an adult, it makes more sense.” … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1616729463548&twSessionId=bmmfhzvycj&postId=1141094135&mc_cid=e6e4e842ef&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

June 3, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

High School News (2021) – # 15

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Articles from 12 different states as we look across to see what worthy news we have missed reporting earlier. Traditional wrestling states such as Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Iowa lead off this assembly of high school news articles. Southern states such as Virginia, Louisiana, New Mexico, Florida and Arizona are included below. Smaller states such as Massachusetts and Delaware have strong wrestling traditions while Missisippi is the only state currently without wrestling as a sanctioned sport. Thus we cheer on the efforts as detailed in the 10th article. Keep Wrestling growing! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog # 2923 (6/3/21)
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1 } – {Pennsylvania} Cumberland Valley head coach Dave Heckard announces retirement after 17 years, four state champions
Cumberland Valley head wrestling coach Dave Heckard announced Wednesday he is retiring after 17 years leading the program. The decision comes just weeks after the end of the 2020-21 wrestling season where 215-pounder Jake Lucas finally won his state crown. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunities provided to me by Cumberland Valley High School. CV is a great place to coach with outstanding support,” Heckard said in a statement sent out by the school district. “In my 17 years as the head wrestling coach, I have met a lot of outstanding parents, wrestlers and coaches who have impacted and supported me along the way of which I am thankful.”  
 Waiting for this feeling: Cumberland Valley’s Jake Lucas ends career with dramatic sudden victory win for PIAA Class 3A 215-pound gold
 The place to be: How Cumberland Valley stepped up to host PIAA wrestling, swimming championships in a pandemic

Heckard’s teams racked up a record of 272-84 in those 17 years, earning him the title of the school’s winningest wrestling coach. Under his watch, CV wrestling produced four PIAA Class 3A champions, 55 sectional champions, 23 District 3/southcentral regional champions, 28 state medalists and 62 state qualifiers.
His teams qualified for the District 3 team tournament 16 times and produced five District 3 titles. Out of 17 seasons, his teams also qualified for states 14 times with two second-place finishes, a third-place finish and a fourth-place finish. In 1996, Heckard captured his own state wrestling title as a senior at CV. That same year, he graduated from CV and attended Villanova University where he played football. He also wrestled at Penn State for one year. … rest of story at https://cumberlink.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/hs-wrestling-cumberland-valley-head-coach-dave-heckard-announces-retirement-after-17-years-four-state/article_32e656a6-01fc-512c-b65f-c3ba319810cf.html?mc_cid=69381deb62&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – {Florida} Mariner wrestling coach Dave Phillips retiring after 31 years in Lee County
Dave Phillips thought teaching was long in his rearview mirror after doing it for five years in Cleveland before moving to Southwest Florida in 1981 and running a few gyms for 10 years.  Then his son, Jason, said he wanted to be a state wrestling champion for North Fort Myers High School. Phillips joined Frank Drake’s coaching staff as a volunteer in 1991. Jason won a state title in 1995 and his father didn’t stop coaching in Lee County for 31 years. Phillips, the head coach at Mariner for the last 21 years, announced his retirement to his team during a season-ending banquet.

“You know when it’s right,” Phillips said. “It’s time to step down and let younger guys lead this program.” … rest of story at https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/04/05/mariner-wrestling-coach-dave-phillips-retiring/4806369001/?mc_cid=a167ed32cf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – {Delaware} Natarcola’s third DIAA wrestling title featured unprecedented achievements
Joey Natarcola closed his high school wrestling career with an unprecedented accomplishment on March 3 in the Cape Henlopen High gym. But that alone didn’t measure the breadth of the three-time state champion’s triumph. Natarcola’s overtime takedown gave him a 6-4 decision over Caravel Academy junior Nick Hall in the 160-pound final at the DIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. It was the first meeting of two-time champions in the 64-year history of the state tournament. “Nick’s a great competitor and it was fun to wrestle, a little nerve-wracking at the same time,” Natarcola said this week.

After being voted the DIAA meet’s Outstanding Wrestling Award winner by coaches, Natarcola has also been selected The News Journal’s 2021 state Wrestler of the Year. The Smyrna High senior had previously won state titles at 120 pounds as a sophomore and 145 as a junior. With the other three wrestlers who accomplished the feat before him March 3, Natarcola became the state’s 39th three-time state champion. Another 10 have won four state titles.
HISTORIC NIGHT: Natarcola-Hall match highlights finals
But none of those other 48 wrestlers succeeded at the range of weight classes … rest of story at https://www.delawareonline.com/story/sports/2021/04/09/natarcolas-3rd-diaa-wrestling-title-featured-first-time-achievements/4835319001/?mc_cid=e835860738&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – {New York} : Gouverneur’s Baer prepared for wrestling season in whatever form it takes
GOUVERNEUR — Right now the only thing Gouverneur junior Carter Baer knows for certain about his sport is that there will be some form of Section 10 wrestling starting soon. What form the competitions will take and when they will start have not been decided. Due to wrestling being moved to the Fall Sports II season for Section 10, the number of wrestlers will be smaller than usual, which means the tradition dual meets between schools may not occur this season. One option could be a handful of invitationals instead. Each section’s approach to wrestling during the COVID-19 pandemic varies. Frontier League schools wrestled during the winter season but all events were scrimmages.
“It’s a little weird,” Baer said of preparing for the unknown. “I guess it’s better than nothing. Even if it’s not super-competitive, at least I will be able to cherish another year with my teammates.”
Baer has already won two state championships since the last time he was in a dual meet as a Wildcat, and he will head to Virginia Beach, Va., from April 23-25 to compete in the high school national championship tournament.
Last spring he won a NYSPHSAA championship in Division II at 138 pounds, beating Tioga’s Brady Worthing 6-4 as wrestling was fortunate enough to finish a full season before the initial COVID-19 shutdowns. The state has held no end-of-season finals in any sport this year, so wrestling got creative and held an unofficial state championship in Manheim, Pa., recently where Baer won the 160-pound title by beating Section 2’s Jack Spahn 5-1. Unlike a traditional NYSPHSAA meet, there was no Division I or Division II in the Pennsylvania meet, so Baer proved to be the best overall wrestler in his class. … rest of story at https://www.nny360.com/sports/highschoolsports/high-school-wrestling-gouverneur-s-baer-prepared-for-wrestling-season-in-whatever-form-it-takes/article_53386f88-d2eb-5625-831f-4f2edd16ed9f.html?mc_cid=831636c404&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – {Iowa} Assumption alum takes over wrestling program
Davenport Assumption has turned to one of its alums to lead its storied wrestling program. Sonny Alvarez, a two-time state place winner and a member of the 1999 Assumption squad which was ranked No. 1 in the country by multiple publications, was named Tuesday as its new coach. “There are big shoes to fill, but I don’t necessarily think it is pressure,” Alvarez said. “What I guarantee and promise is a lot of hard work and being consistent from day to day. That is going to kick open a lot of doors, and we’ll just see what is the next door to kick down to be successful.”
Alvarez takes over for Jon Terronez, who spent the past three seasons leading the Knights after Pete Bush stepped down. During Terronez’s time, Assumption finished fifth, third and seventh, respectively, at the Iowa Class 2A state dual tournament and compiled a 62-17 dual mark. Assumption declined to give specifics for Terronez’s departure.
… rest of story at https://qctimes.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/assumption-alum-takes-over-wrestling-program/article_a0778e49-40b6-544d-a09a-d45901970122.html?mc_cid=69381deb62&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – {New Jersey} Barnegat wrestling coach Ken MacIver gets 300th career win: Roundup
The Barnegat High School wrestling team beat visiting Salem 60-12 on Tuesday to give Bengals coach Ken MacIver his 300th career win. MacIver, 62, who coached at several northern New Jersey high schools previously, is in his fifth year at Barnegat. The Bengals improved to 4-4 on the season.
“I’m proud of my guys,” MacIver said. “Three hundred feels great. We were at 298, and we beat Keansburg (43-24) on Monday, and now we won today. I was at 296 to begin the season, and people knew I was going to hit 300, and the kids embraced it. Barnegat is a great school system with a lot of support. We have a great football program, and football and wrestling are joined together. We get a lot of wrestlers from football. Two parents per wrestler were there watching, so there were only about 48 people there. That’s sad.” Barnegat will host New Egypt at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Bengals’ last match of the season.
“We had some great seniors last year, and now we have a strong young group,” MacIver said. “My lineup has two freshmen, nine sophomores, one junior and two seniors. We’re hoping to make some noise next year.” … rest of story at https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/high-school/barnegat-wrestling-coach-gets-300th-career-win/article_25425fb3-ad89-5c63-9ef5-f09068b568fa.html?mc_cid=d0f3fda251&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – {Massachusetts} MIAA wrestling competition for the spring season is still a question mark
Will there be a competitive high school wrestling season this spring in Massachusetts? The answer keeps getting pushed back, much to the dismay of coaches and members on the MIAA’s Wrestling Committee. On Monday, the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs approved wrestling activities for Level 1 and Level 2 cohort play, which means wrestlers can participate in socially-distanced activities and full practices in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. But the sport is still not approved for Level 3 play, which allows for full competition.
Those in the wrestling community contend there is an an ever-tightening race against the clock to schedule any semblance of a season. On Monday, Wakefield athletic director Brendan Kent, chair of the wrestling committee, along with vice chair Ann Palumbo (Tyngsborough AD), and MIAA wrestling liaison Phil Napolitano were scheduled to meet with the association’s Sports Medicine Committee to discuss rule modifications.
But the meeting did not take place because the EEA has not approved Level 3 competition. In a statement, the MIAA said a decision, with updated guidance, will not be finalized until the end of the week, or early next week — which, for the majority, is a school vacation week. So rule modifications might not take place until Monday, April 26.
“We might spend three hours coming up with those modifications and then the state might come back and say you can’t do that,” Kent said. “I know a lot of coaches are starting to get frustrated. They just  … rest of story at https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/12/sports/miaa-wrestling-competition-spring-season-is-still-question-mark/?mc_cid=3018ac16e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – {Arizona} Roman Rozell inducted into Apache Junction High School Wall of Fame
By Scott Bordow
Years before Roman Rozell became a Green Beret and the oldest man to compete in an NCAA wrestling match, he was an overweight and troubled kid at Apache Junction High School. Mr. Rozell’s upbringing was, in a word, horrific. His parents divorced when he was 6 years old. His mother, who raised him, got into drugs and the family sunk into poverty. Mr. Rozell was homeless and hungry, a meal at times consisting of sprinkled cheese and sauce packets from Taco Bell.
He drifted from school to school, never finding roots or any modicum of self confidence. As a freshman at AJHS in 2000 he was picked on and bullied. “I was an overweight kid and I had a history with broken homes and stuff,” Mr. Rozell said. “So when I came here I just wanted people to see something in me.”
Mr. Rozell is standing under a shade tree on a lawn just outside the main office at Apache Junction High School. Minutes earlier, principal Dr. Chris Lineberry had inducted Mr. Rozell, 36, into the Apache Junction High School Wall of Fame. To come back here, to be honored in such a way, nearly brought Mr. Rozell to tears.
“This means probably more to me than anything,” he said. “I am so happy to be one of those guys that came out of this place. We need people to inspire. I went to ASU and became a Green Beret, but this is my hometown and I always wanted to make it better.“I’m very grateful to be here and be looked up as somebody great from this city. It means a lot. It does. That’s all I ever wanted to do, be that hometown hero.”
Hero is a word that’s thrown around far too often, but in Mr. Rozell’s case it’s not an empty compliment. After graduating from Apache Junction and wrestling at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, Mr. Rozell enlisted in the Army. He suffered six concussions and … rest of story at https://www.yourvalley.net/apache-junction-independent/stories/roman-rozell-inducted-into-apache-junction-high-school-wall-of-fame,227207?mc_cid=22fcb0de91&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And ‘Blessing in disguise’: He knew something had to change when he became a teenage dad
Gabe Elias remembers getting the letter in the mail in the summer of 2019. A couple of weeks after turning 16, and just a few days before starting his junior year, the Sahuarita High School star wrestler and football player found out he was a dad. His son, Giovanni, was born July 6; the letter from a lawyer was the first he knew of it.
The news could have been devastating to a young man whose life was built around sports and landing a college scholarship. Instead, it gave him motivation, focus and perspective. And with a lot of help from his family, he found he could still hold on to some of his dreams. “At first I was filled with negative thoughts, but I was thankful to have parents who supported me and they understood that it’s life and we’ve got to play the hand that’s dealt,” he said. “I can’t picture my life without him now.”
It was all about football and wrestling when Gabe Elias was growing up. He played on three Pop Warner teams and wrestled at Anza Trail middle school. He was good and he had a future, he just didn’t think it would come at him so quickly. Gabe made the varsity wrestling team as a freshman in the 132-pound weight class where, he said, “I took my fair share of beatings.”
Suddenly, winning didn’t come easily. “It was a rude awakening going into high school,” he said. “It really humbled me because I thought I was going to come in and do really good just … rest of story at https://www.gvnews.com/news/blessing-in-disguise-he-knew-something-had-to-change-when-he-became-a-teenage-dad/article_ee0b54a4-a976-11eb-a36b-97383022a519.html?mc_cid=6d9f324080&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – {New Mexico} Wrestling is back from the dead, but it’s not all fun and games
Will Webber, The Santa Fe New Mexican
Apr. 21—After spending most of the last 40 years coaching wrestling in some form or fashion, Jeff Howley had an experience last week unlike anything he’d ever faced. It’s safe to say he’d never like to go through it again. “That was a stressful thing, yes,” Howley said while standing inside Perez-Shelley Memorial Gymnasium on Tuesday afternoon.
He’d just coached the St. Michael’s wrestling team through its season-opening meet, an abbreviated three-team exchange that ended less that two hours after it began. The fact that his Horsemen were even on the mat competing spoke volumes about how weird and emotionally draining the past week had been. When dawn broke Thursday, the state was preparing to announce it had suspended the high school wrestling season over safety concerns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. The state’s governing body for high school athletics, the New Mexico Activities Association, had no choice but to comply.
The NMAA passed that information along to its athletic directors, who then met with their coaches to tell them the news. “With COVID going on the way it has been, that right there sounded like the death punch,” Howley said. Within an hour or two of Howley talking to his team, the state reversed course and lifted the suspension, saying the season was free to resume Friday. … rest of story at https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/wrestling-back-dead-not-fun-150100916.html?mc_cid=d92d6a4129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – {Mississippi} is the Only State Without Wrestling with Brian Fox
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Mississippi is the only US State without high school wrestling. Brian Fox is looking to change that.  Over the past year, Brian created the Mississippi Wrestling Federation and has been instrumental in creating a wrestling culture in Mississippi.  Before Brian’s efforts, just two high schools had wrestling. Now, there are seven and we need your help to keep the momentum going.  To Support Brian’s efforts, visit TupeloWrestling.Com
Enjoy!
PRESENTED BY SPARTAN COMBAT
Register for the Spartan Combat Nationals, taking place May 20-23 in Jacksonville Florida: REGISTER … rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/234-mississippi-is-the-only-state-without-wrestling-with-brian-fox/?mc_cid=2136f7bdf1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – {Virginia} He’s a three-time state champ in wrestling. But Poquoson’s Karon Smith has emerged as two-way star in football
Poquoson’s Karon Smith made his name on the Bull Island as an individual state titlist in each of the Islanders’ past three Class 2 wrestling tournament championships. But surprisingly, Smith’s favorite sport is football. Then again, from a glance it might surprise many that Smith plays football at all. Even if you believe the Islanders’ football roster, which generously lists him at 5-foot-7, 140 pounds, Smith is at least an inch shorter and 10 pounds lighter than anyone else on the team. Yet, it’s undeniable that Smith is the biggest reason the Islanders (4-2) are Region A champions and will host Stuarts Draft in the Class 2 state semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday at Bailey Field in Yorktown. Nottoway and Amelia County, Poquoson’s victims in the Region A playoffs, won’t argue the point.
Smith ran for 60 yards, made eight tackles and had a crucial interception to set up a key field goal late in the first half of the No. 4 seed Islanders’ 16-12 win at No. 1 Nottoway in the semifinals. He followed with eight tackles, a strip fumble he returned 96 yards for a touchdown, three touchdowns and a momentum-generating interception in the 49-18 win at No. 3 Amelia in the region final.
“That interception gave us first and goal at their 6, three plays into the game,” Poquoson coach Elliott Duty said. “He jumped the route and gave us a big momentum-booster. “Karon puts his 130 pounds wherever he needs to get the job done.” … rest of story at https://www.pilotonline.com/757teamz/football/vp-sp-poquoson-football-karon-smith–20210420-rott7x2fkfdsdaxxo77ncq4bnm-story.html?mc_cid=1a96ae13a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And High school notebook: Longtime coach, administrator Swink to retire
Bill Swink planned to work two more years as the Spotsylvania High School athletic director. But after a year of uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swink has decided to call it a career. Swink was hired by the Knights in 2016 after a Hall of Fame career as Colonial Forge’s wrestling coach.
During his five-year stint with the Knights, Spotsylvania captured the Class 3 state baseball championship in 2019, reached the girls soccer state semifinals that same year and rebuilt its football and wrestling programs into Battlefield District contenders. “I like what I do, I like working at Spotsy and working with the kids and the coaches,” Swink said. “But I have not liked the fluidity of COVID and all the changes and everything that’s gone along with that—the inconsistency with the way school operates, kids not in the building. It just creates challenges for somebody that’s been around athletics for 30-plus years.”
Swink began his coaching career in Pennsylvania in 1984. He moved to Virginia in 1991 and was a volunteer assistant wrestling coach at Stafford. He also coached at C.D. Hylton and North Stafford.
He took a job as the defensive coordinator and head wrestling coach at a school in Maryland in the 1990s while attempting to sell his Spotsylvania County home. … rest of season at https://fredericksburg.com/sports/high-school/high-school-notebook-longtime-coach-administrator-swink-to-retire/article_1bcb4724-1e6c-5dd7-8bb6-afb757044711.html?mc_cid=db281dc0f1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – {Louisiana} Check out the All-Metro wrestling team for the 2020-21 season
ALL-METRO WRESTLING
OUTSTANDING WRESTLERS EVAN and JACOB FROST
Holy Cross
Each twin has won three successive Louisiana state championships. As juniors, Evan won the Division I state title at 132 pounds and was named Outstanding Wrestler after his victory at the Louisiana Classic. Jacob won the D-I title at 138 pounds.

COACH OF THE YEAR MATT PINERO
St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s won the Division I state championship, giving the Wolves their first team title since they were Division II champions in 2001. With an emphasis on scoring team points early in the tournament, the Wolves had the title clinched before championship matches began.

THE TEAM
DYLAN MOSER
Brother Martin
Division I runner-up at 106 pounds took undefeated record into state.

MASON ELSENSHON
Brother Martin
Division I runner-up at 113 pounds placed third at Louisiana Classic. … rest of story at https://www.nola.com/sports/high_schools/article_7d7942ec-ac7c-11eb-ab8a-23a4c8da6480.html?mc_cid=2f6eda67bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

June 3, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment