Takedown Report

NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 22 {A.C.C.}

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A review of some of the awards, activities and plans of wrestling teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. We welcome questions, news, suggestions and input. Keep on Wrestling. Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog #2929 (6/8/21)
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1 } – {Virginia} Mueller Eager to Contribute in New Role
By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu) VirginiaSports.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE –– After nine months of intense training, former University of Virginia wrestler Jack Mueller came close to qualifying for last month’s U.S. Olympic Trials. But his dream ended in late March at the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier in Fort Worth, Texas, where two other wrestlers advanced in the 57-kilogram class. “It was heartbreaking,” Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. For now, at least, Mueller has paused his competitive career, but he’s still involved in the sport to which he’s devoted much of his life. He’s back at his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach. His home away from home is once again  Memorial Gymnasium, where Mueller works alongside Garland, associate head coach Travis Paulson and assistant coach Trent Paulson. “As great a competitor as he was, I think he’s going to be a better coach,” Garland said. “I think he can be that good at it.” Mueller, who graduated from UVA last year with … rest of story at https://virginiasports.com/news/2021/05/06/mueller-eager-to-contribute-in-new-role/?mc_cid=1c5f62dded&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – {Virginia Tech} Hokies sweep VaSID awards

Five Hokies named to All-State First Team FERRUM, Va. – Virginia Tech wrestling swept the three annual Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) awards Thursday and placed five wrestlers on the All-State First Team.  
Korbin Myers won Wrestler of the Year, Sam Latona was named Rookie of the Year and head coach Tony Robie earned Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time in the last five seasons. This is the fourth straight year that a Hokie was named VaSID Wrestler of the Year and third year out of the last four that the VaSID Rookie of the Year resides in Blacksburg.  
Myers, a graduate student, was named Wrestler of the Year after his breakthrough performance at the 2021 NCAA Championships. In his fourth year qualifying for NCAAs, Myers earned All-America honors for the first time in his career with his fourth-place finish at 133 pounds. The Carlisle, Pennsylvania native was named the ACC Championship’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after he won his first ACC title.
Already having earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors, Latona has been named VaSID Rookie of the Year after a debut season that saw the Alabama native go 14-3 and place sixth in his first NCAA Championships. Latona won his first ACC Championship and took an undefeated record with him to St. Louis. It was a historic regular season for Robie and the Hokies as they went 9-0, … rest of story at https://hokiesports.com/news/2021/5/6/wrestling-hokies-sweep-vasid-awards.aspx?mc_cid=987a3385bf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Pitt’s Wentzel Leads All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – National finalist Jake Wentzel of Pitt has been named the 2020-21 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year and headlines the sport’s All-ACC Academic Team announced by the league on Wednesday. Wentzel, a two-time ACC champion at 165 pounds, took the silver medal at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis and finished the season with a 13-2 overall record. The South Park, Pennsylvania, native has already earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and is now studying in Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business, where he posted a 3.7 GPA in the fall.  
Wentzel recently announced that he plans to return to the Panthers for the 2021-22 season, following the NCAA’s decision to award student-athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team and has earned ACC Honor Roll status four times.  
Repeat selections on this year’s All-ACC Wrestling Academic Team include NC State’s Hayden Hidlay and Daniel Bullard, and Virginia’s Louie Hayes, who were each recognized for the fourth time. Bullard and Hidlay are among a league-leading six wrestlers from the ACC Champion Wolfpack that earned All-ACC Academic Team honors. Virginia followed with five selections.  
This year’s All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team includes eight All-Americans, 20 NCAA qualifiers and student-athletes who earned a combined eight ACC Wrestler of the Week honors.
… rest of story at https://theacc.com/news/2021/4/14/athlete-awards-pitts-wentzel-leads-all-acc-academic-wrestling-team.aspx?mc_cid=41e05ef71b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – UVA Wrestlers Master Rigorous Academic and Athletic Schedule
The University of Virginia has earned the reputation of being one of the top academic institutions in the country and head coach Steve Garland wants his athletes to make the most of their time on Grounds. Coach Garland has designed the program around six pillars: Mind, Body, Relationships, Compete in Such a Way, Servanthood and Academics. However, at a school like UVA, academics are always at the forefront and Garland has high expectations in the classroom and on the mat. “As a program, we want our wrestlers to have the opportunity to not just graduate from the University of Virginia with one degree, but also to finish their Master’s degree at some of the top grad schools in the nation.” As a UVA grad, Garland has a unique perspective of the requirements of his wrestlers. Because UVA requires that students complete their degree in four years, those that choose to wrestle their fifth year have the opportunity to complete a graduate program. Garland credits his experience as a student-athlete with his focus as a coach. “When I was in my fifth year, I was in the continuing education program and didn’t complete my masters–it is one of my biggest regrets from my time competing. I don’t want them to make that same mistake”. That focus has led to multiple wrestlers leaving Grounds with a Master’s Degree since Garland took over in 2006. Louie Hayes, a redshirt senior from Illinois, earned All-American honors this season, finishing in eighth place in St. Louis. Louie will be the first to tell you that he wasn’t the best student before coming to Charlottesville. Coach Garland took a chance because he saw both the academic and athletic potential in Hayes. “During the recruiting process, Coach worked with me to lay out a five-year plan; I knew when I got to Charlottesville that I would be leaving with my master’s.” Hayes finished his Bachelor’s last year … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24519?mc_cid=831636c404&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – General McLane wrestler Jackson Spires headed to Division I Virginia Tech

Jackson Spires spent last week on spring break. The General McLane senior and his family, as they’ve done several times in the past, used that time to cast for tarpon and other aquatic game off the coast of Key West, Florida. Spires, though, was himself reeled in that same week. The middleweight for the Lancers’ wrestling team confirmed he’ll resume his career on the mat for Virginia Tech. The Division I Hokies are coached by Strong Vincent graduate Tony Robie. “It’s very exciting because I’ve put a lot of work into this sport,” Spires said. “Things haven’t gone my way a lot of times so I’m happy to get this chance (to compete) at the next level, and especially for coach Robie. Plus Virginia Tech is a really great school, so I’m getting a two-for-one deal.” Robie, who wrestled for Edinboro University in the mid-1990s, joined Virginia Tech’s wrestling staff in 2006. The former Colonel and Fighting Scot was promoted to head coach in 2017. Ryan Cook, McLane’s wrestling coach, has known Robie for years. … rest of story at https://www.goerie.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2021/04/19/ncaa-wrestling-virginia-tech-general-mclane-jackson-spires-headed-division-hokies-recruiting/7269290002/?mc_cid=5c73249ed8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Tony Robie – Virginia Tech Head Coach, 2x All American
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/231-tony-robie-virginia-tech-head-coach-2x-all-american/?mc_cid=a0d7657398&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Myers to return for final season
Reigning ACC Most Outstanding Wrestler to come back to Tech

BLACKSBURG – Thursday turned out to be a big day for Virginia Tech wrestling, as Korbin Myers announced he will return for his final year of eligibility. Due to Covid-19 implications during the 2019-20 academic year, student-athletes have been awarded an additional year of eligibility and Myers, who is working on his master’s degree, will come back to Tech for another year. The reigning ACC Most Outstanding Wrestler seeks to qualify for NCAAs for five years in a row, following his impressive four-year stretch, in hopes of winning a national title. This past season, Myers turned in another stellar year, placing fourth at NCAAs in St. Louis after winning ACCs at 133 in Raleigh. On the year, he went 12-2 overall, including a perfect 6-0 record in duals. … rest of story at https://hokiesports.com/news/2021/4/8/wrestling-myers-to-return-for-final-season.aspx?mc_cid=480d7959b9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Austin O’Connor plans move to 157 pounds, ‘praying’ for Shane Griffith to transfer

Austin O’Connor captured North Carolina’s first individual wrestling national championship since 1995 when he took out Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso 3-2 at the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in March. O’Connor finished the COVID-19 shortened season 13-0 and atop the 149 pound weight class. Moving forward, O’Connor won’t be staying at the weight as he said he doesn’t want the stress of cutting too much weight. The plan for 2021-22? Move up in weight. Speaking on the Baschamania Podcast with Justin Basch and Vincenzo Joseph, O’Connor revealed his plans for next year and the hope of another national champion possibly transferring to the school. “No, I’m definitely going up to 157,” O’Connor said. “Two reasons, last year I was cutting a good bit of weight every week. Also not knowing due to COVID when we were going to compete so my weight would fluctuate a lot. I would get up to 10, 15 pounds over sometimes and it’s just not something I want to do next year. I want to enjoy my time wrestling and not worry about the weight cut. Also we got some kids coming in. We got a kid from Canada coming in here, Lachlan McNeil, he went to Wyoming Seminary. Kid is really good, he’s already competing against me and (Zach) Sherman in our room. I think he’s going to do big things for the team. “Hopefully we can get Sherman to go up then, have him at 149 and me at 157. Hopefully we have some other big things in the works that we’ll get. I think our team is going to be pretty stacked next year. “(As far as things coming), we’re praying for Shane (Griffith) to come here. If we got Shane, I think, we got Clay Lautt, … rest of story at https://247sports.com/college/toledo/Article/Austin-OConnor-move-157-pounds-North-Carolina-wrestling-praying-Shane-Griffith-transfer-Stanford-national-champion-NCAA-165754964/?mc_cid=4a470838b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – #43 Overall Junior Mac Stout to Pittsburgh

Tonight, the Pittsburgh Panthers received an important commitment from the #43 overall wrestler in the Class of 2022, Mac Stout (Mt. Lebanon, PA). Stout, a 2020 PIAA AAA state runner-up, did not compete in the 2021 postseason after suffering an injury at the Powerade Tournament. Stout will follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Kellan, who was a 2019 national qualifier for the Panthers at 197 lbs. Mac projects at the same weight class, as well. They also have a brother, Luke, that is set to compete at 197 lbs for Princeton. Mac’s 2020 state finals appearance came in a 170lb weight class that was likely the deepest of any bracket in any state that year. In the semifinals, Stout scored a win over the returning state champion, Trey Kibe (Mifflin County), a 2021 Virginia Tech signee. On a national scale, Stout was a 16U National freestyle finalist in Fargo during the summer of 2019. He is also a three-time placewinner at the Powerade (7th, 4th, 6th). The sixth-place finish occurred at the 2021 tournament when Stout was injured in the consolation semifinals. Stout is the third member of the Class of 2022 to give a verbal commitment to Keith Gavin’s team. #120 Jared Kesler (Connellsville, PA) and Briar Priest (Hempfield, PA) have also pledged to the Panthers. As mentioned in our Class of 2022 recruiting feature, Keslar and Priest, … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24617?mc_cid=986c5e1566&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Wolfpack Wrestling Club Sends Pair to Poland Open
Gwiazdowski & Macchiavello to compete in freestyle action
RALEIGH, N.C. – A pair of former NC State Wrestling national champions, Michael Macchiavello (97 kg) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kg), will be in action this week representing USA Wrestling at the Poland Open. The 2021 Poland Open currently has 30 Olympians entered and will be the last major international competition before the Olympics in August. Some countries are using it to determine their final spots on their Olympic Team. Freestyle action for their two weights will take place June 8-9 in Warsaw, and the action will be streamed on FloWrestling. … rest of story at https://gopack.com/news/2021/6/7/wolfpack-wrestling-club-sends-pair-to-poland-open.aspx

11 } – {Duke} -Athletics Venues Return to Full Capacity in 2021-22

DURHAM — Duke Athletics announced Tuesday that venues will return to full capacity during the upcoming academic year. The announcement was made in conjunction with the sale of football season tickets for the 2021 season. Should state, local or campus regulations related to capacity, distancing and masking change prior to or during the season, operational policies at each venue could be altered. Those changes would be communicated via GoDuke.com and teams’ social media accounts. Duke University encourages all fans to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine prior to attending events on campus. The 2021 football schedule and ticket information have been announced. Schedules and ticket information for other Duke teams will be communicated at later dates. … rest of story at https://goduke.com/news/2021/6/8/duke-athletics-returning-to-full-capacity-in-2021-22.aspx

12 } – CAROLINA WRESTLING ANNOUNCES 2021 BANQUET AWARDS

Carolina Wrestling held its 2020-21 Awards Banquet this weekend in Chapel Hill, honoring its graduating seniors and celebrating the successes of the past season, including Austin O’Connor’s national championship at 149 pounds.  
Among the honors was the presentation of the Thomas A. Gorry Most Dedicated Wrestler award, which was given to senior Sawyer Davidson. The award is given to the student-athlete who the coaching staff believes embodies “Tar Heel hard work”. Past recipients of the award are Jaime Hernandez and Nick Lirette. O’Connor was provided with the Most Outstanding Wrestler award, as well as recognized for winning ACC Wrestler of the Year.
The full list of team awards: … rest of story at https://goheels.com/news/2021/5/25/carolina-wrestling-announces-2021-banquet-awards.aspx?mc_cid=4a470838b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

June 8, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized