Takedown Report

NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 27 {Big 10}

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Another round of looks at other Big 10 schools with Rutgers, Purdue, Penn State, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan in this posting. Challenging to cover all of the teams in the conference which used to have ten teams but then eleven for a long while and then 12 and at latest count 14. Yet with all the rumblings in the ‘money sports’ throwing conferences into a jumble or rumble as they recklessly makes changes in pursuit of the big TV bucks. Oh well Keep Wrestling On!
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog # 2962 (8/14/21)
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1 } – {Rutgers} Wrestling Announces 2020-21 Team Awards
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers wrestling revealed its team awards for the 2020-21 season. John Poznanski (184) and Sebastian Rivera (141) shared the Ted Petty Most Valuable Wrestler award after both secured fourth-place finishes and All-America honors at the 2021 NCAA Championships in St. Louis.  
Poznanski went 11-4 in his first collegiate season en route to All-America laurels and a third-place finish at the 2021 Big Ten Championships. Poznanski became the highest true freshman finisher at the national tournament in program history and helped RU secure two NCAA Championship semifinalists for the second consecutive national tournament. The Colonia, New Jersey, native finished with an 8-3 mark against ranked foes and a 3-1 record in dual action.  
Rivera wrapped up his first season with the Scarlet Knights with his third All-America honor … rest of story at https://scarletknights.com/news/2021/5/6/wrestling-announces-2020-21-team-awards.aspx

2 } – 2021 Purdue Wrestling: Season in review
The Boilermakers continued their upward climb in the Big Ten and NCAA in 2021, making more marks in the record book, while facing adversity the sport has never seen before.
The 2021 Purdue wrestling season will never be forgotten. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boilermakers dealt with the day-to-day possibility that their season could be cancelled at any time. They underwent daily testing for the virus for nearly seven months, going in-and-out of quarantine and isolation protocols, while fighting every day to improve and chase their goals in the classroom and on the mat. In the end the team was fortunate to compete in every single date on its schedule, including the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships. The team finished 4-5 in its Big Ten-only schedule, placed sixth at the conference tournament and finished tied for 26th at the national championships. … rest of story at https://spark.adobe.com/page/dGFcACcG5WUpx/?mc_cid=987a3385bf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Always Aggressive Podcast: Season 2, Episode 22
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Allowing enough time to pass, while still remaining close enough to the event to keep it relevant, head coach Tony Ersland and co-hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett look back at Purdue wrestling’s 2021 NCAA Championships performance … rest of story at https://purduesports.com/news/2021/4/14/wrestling-always-aggressive-podcast-season-2-episode-22.aspx?mc_cid=41e05ef71b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
And Season 2, Episode 24 story at https://purduesports.com/news/2021/6/9/wrestling-always-aggressive-podcast-season-2-episode-24.aspx?mc_cid=273e35accc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Max Dean to Transfer to Penn State
Perhaps the biggest name in the transfer portal is off the market! 2019 NCAA runner-up Max Dean will transfer to Penn State, as confirmed by his older brother Gabe on Chael Sonnen’s “Beyond the Fight” podcast today. The move presents plenty of possibilities for the Nittany Lions in 2021-22. They return undefeated NCAA champion Aaron Brooks at 184 lbs and NCAA seventh-place finisher Michael Beard at 197. Brooks will be a sophomore, while Beard retains freshman eligibility. Gabe mentioned the possibility of Max moving up to 197 lbs. Either way, there could be an All-American out of the lineup for Penn State.
Dean is a two-time All-American … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24582?mc_cid=812142449d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Rutgers Wrestling Welcomes Transfers Bulsak, Raimo to Program
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers wrestling added collegiate transfers Greg Bulsak (Clarion) and Nicholas Raimo (Arizona State) to its 2021-22 roster, head coach Scott Goodale announced today. A New Jersey native and two-time NJSIAA state champion, Raimo will have four years of eligibility for the Scarlet Knights, while Bulsak, a four-time NCAA qualifier, will have one as a graduate transfer.
“Both of these guys are high-quality student-athletes we believe can have an immediate impact for us next season and score points at the national tournament,” Goodale said. “Raimo gets an opportunity to return home to compete at the highest level, while Bulsak has proven he can beat some of the best kids in the country. Both add incredible talent to our room and we’re excited to have them here at Rutgers.”
A four-time NCAA qualifier at Clarion, Bulsak produced a 77-25 career record for the Golden Eagles from 2016-21. Bulsak finished this past season with a 12-3 record – including nine wins by fall – competing at 197 pounds and was the No. 14 seed at NCAAs this March in St. Louis. Bulsak was ranked as high as No. 8 in the country 
… rest of story at https://scarletknights.com/news/2021/4/20/wrestling-welcomes-transfers-bulsak-raimo-to-program.aspx

5 } – Illinois to Keep Kannon Webster In-State
Less than a week after elevating Mike Poeta to the head coach of Illinois’ Fighting Illini the program received their first win on the recruiting trail. One of Illinois’ top high school sophomores has decided to stay in-state and wrestle for the home team. Late last night, Kannon Webster (Washington, IL) announced via social media that he would wrestle for Illinois after his graduation in 2023. Webster is currently ranked 11th in the nation at 113 lbs by MatScouts and was an Illinois 2A state champion in 2020 as a freshman. Prior to his freshman year of high school, Webster was a third-place finisher at the Cadet World Team Trials in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Later in the summer of 2019, Webster went on to take third in Fargo in both styles in the 16U division. Last weekend, Webster was fifth at the Cadet WTT’s while competing at 55 kg’s. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24551?mc_cid=c1dee7f2bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – {Penn State} #12 Overall Junior Levi Haines to Penn State
Just yesterday InterMat went into detail about wrestlers from the Class of 2022 Big Board that have committed to DI schools. A name missing from that list was Penn State. That changed today as Levi Haines (Biglerville, PA), the #12 overall recruit in the Class of 2022, has given a verbal commitment to the Penn State staff. Haines made the announcement this morning on Instagram. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that Haines selected Penn State, as he’s a member of David Taylor’s M2 Training Center.
Haines is a three-time Pennsylvania AA state finalist that captured his first title this year at 145 lbs. Recently, Levi made the Cadet World team in freestyle at 71 kg as he outlasted Iowa’s Aiden Riggins in a three-match series, picking up wins 12-2 and 10-4. Prior to the finals, Haines blew through his first three opponents before getting by Lehigh-commit Enzo Morlacci 8-3 in the quarters and North Carolina’s Joseph Sealey 6-6 in the semi’s. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24610?mc_cid=3a3b8bc793&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Cael Sanderson cites recruiting philosophy on final night of Penn State’s virtual Coaches Caravan
When last we saw Cael Sanderson and his Penn State wrestlers, they were the talk of the tournament after the NCAA Championships concluded in St. Louis. The Nittany Lions did not win the team tournament – Iowa won its first since 2010 – but all four Penn State wrestlers in the NCAA finals won individual titles. Since then, with the gradual decline of the coronavirus pandemic, all of Penn State’s 31 sports have been on a progressive path to normalcy.
For wrestling, normalcy entails titles. On paper or on the mat, Penn State has managed to stay “in the news” since late March by having the No. 1-ranked recruiting class for 2021, attracting former Cornell star Max Dean to the roster and receiving a commitment from highly ranked Levi Haines of Biglerville in the high school class of 2022. Sanderson was on the public stage Thursday night during the final night of Penn State Coaches Caravan Virtual Series; he was joined by women’s volleyball coach – and office suite neighbor — Russ Rose, field hockey coach Char Morett-Curtiss, men’s soccer coach Jeff Cook and vice president for athletics Sandy Barbour. … rest of story at https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2021/06/cael-sanderson-cites-wrestling-recruiting-philosophy-on-final-night-of-penn-states-virtual-coaches-caravan.html?mc_cid=0fb3325f19&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Minnesota Adds Wisconsin Transfer Krattiger to Roster
University of Minnesota head wrestling coach Brandon Eggum announced the addition of Jared Krattiger beginning with the 2021-22 season. The Waterford, Wis., native will join the Maroon and Gold after spending three seasons at the University of Wisconsin.
A two-year starter for the Badgers, Krattiger compiled a 13-22 record, including a 4-5 mark in 2021. Seeded 11th at Big Ten Championships this past March, he finished in ninth place. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, Krattiger started 13 of 17 matches for the Badgers and finished ninth at the Big Ten Championships. Krattiger went 10-2 during his redshirt season with titles at the 2018 Cyclone and Luther Opens. … rest of story at https://gophersports.com/news/2021/5/21/wrestling-minnesota-adds-wisconsin-transfer-krattiger-to-roster.aspx?mc_cid=ce44cea415&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Minnesota Lands Second Top-Five 2023 Recruit in Cadet World-Teamer Gavin Nelson
The Minnesota wrestling program has taken the early lead in the 2023 recruiting arms race. Earlier this month, the Gophers landed the services of Cody Chittum, the nation’s top-ranked 145-pounder and the No. 2-ranked prospect in the 2023 class. On Wednesday, they added another large – literally – recruit to their haul. Gavin Nelson, out of nationally-renowned Simley High School, announced his commitment to the Gophers on Tuesday. Nelson’s addition gives Minnesota two top-five recruits in the 2023 class. Nelson is considered the No. 5 overall 2023 prospect, according to MatScouts, and the third-ranked 220-pounder nationally. He is a 2021 Minnesota state champ, and will represent the United States at the Cadet World Championships next month at 92 kilograms (202 pounds). Over the last two months, Nelson has showcased his top-tier wrestling talent at some of the country’s toughest competitions. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24708?mc_cid=4a8e8b94a2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – {Illinois} Carr Announces Return for 2021-22 Season
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illini wrestler Mike Carr has announced that he will be using his fifth year of eligibility to return for the 2021-2022 season. The 149-pound grappler will use his extra year of eligibility to compete for the Orange and Blue beginning this fall. The 2018 B1G Runner-Up is expected to be an important piece and play a big role once again in the 2021-22 lineup for the Illini.
Carr has been a staple in the Illinois lineup the past four years, despite battling injuries. During the shortened 2021 season, he recorded a 5-2 overall record while scoring 16 dual points for the team in his 149-pound bouts. The two-time NCAA qualifier owns a 39-16 career record with the Orange and Blue. He did not compete during the 2019-20 season due to injury. … rest of story at https://fightingillini.com/news/2021/6/8/wrestling-carr-announces-return-for-2021-22-season.aspx?mc_cid=9db4763a85&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Big Man Christian Carroll Has Found His College Home
Christian Carroll, the #3 recruit in the class of 2023, has made his college decision. Find out where the big man will train next. Just a day after Cody Chittum, the top recruit in the class of 2023, committed, another massive recruit came off the board. Super 32 champ Christian Carroll has announced that he’ll be joining Mike Poeta and company at Illinois. New Prairie, Indiana’s Carroll is currently the #3 recruit in the class of 2023, and he’s established himself as one of the top prospective 197-pounders in the country. He drove that point home at Super 32 in the fall when he won a loaded bracket and knocked off Cadet World Teamer Gavin Nelson in a tight battle in the finals. … rest of the story at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/7075352-big-man-christian-carroll-has-found-his-college-home?mc_cid=0fb3325f19&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – {Wisconsin} Ex-Patriot Braxton Amos keeping busy
PARKERSBURG — Wisconsin’s Braxton Amos is packing his bags a little sooner than expected. Since May 14, the former two-time Robert Dutton Award winner and Parkersburg South graduate has been training at the USA Wrestling team camp in Alpharetta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Following that experience, he had planned to fly back to Madison and do some relaxing along with working out at the Wisconsin Regional Training Center before leaving in June to fly to Croatia for a two-week training camp. After that, he’ll head back to Georgia for another Olympic team camp as he prepares to represent the United States during the August Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia. However, 97kg Olympian G’Angelo Hancock had to bow out of the Senior Pan American Championships in Greco-Roman, which opened the door for Amos to head to Guatemala City, Guatemala. … rest of story at https://www.newsandsentinel.com/sports/local-sports/2021/05/ex-patriot-braxton-amos-keeping-busy/?mc_cid=986c5e1566&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – {Michigan} U-M Heavyweight Great Coon Signed by NFL’s Tennessee Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former University of Michigan wrestling standout Adam Coon has been signed to the Tennessee Titans’ 90-man roster, the organization announced Friday (June 4). Coon, a three-time NCAA heavyweight All-American, had joined the Titans the previous day at their training camp, where he will compete on the offensive line. He has not played football since 2013 at Fowlerville (Michigan) High School, where he was an all-state linebacker (2012) and two-time honorable mention offensive lineman (2010, ’11). He was named the 2013 All-Livingston County Defensive Player of the Year and was a four-time all-league offensive lineman and defensive lineman/linebacker. Coon (2014-16, ’18) ranks among the best heavyweights in Michigan wrestling history. A three-time NCAA All-American, he twice reached the NCAA finals, and compiled a 116-15 career record, ranking him sixth in program history with a .885 career winning percentage. He was a two-time Big Ten runner-up, falling to Ohio State’s three-time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder both times, … rest of story at https://mgoblue.com/news/2021/6/4/wrestling-wolverine-heavyweight-great-coon-signed-by-nfls-tennessee-titans.aspx?mc_cid=0fb3325f19&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And The difference between the Adam Coon and Tim Tebow signings
With the Titans giving a shot to a former wrestler on Friday, some of the many Tebowmaniacs are arguing that Tennessee’s unconventional move is no different than Jacksonville’s decision to sign former baseball player Tim Tebow. It’s very different. Adam Coon, a three-time All-American wrestler, is a project. Yes, he’s older than the usual fresh-out-of-college athlete who excelled in some other sport. At 26, he’s still seven years younger than Tebow. But the idea is to see whether the high-level wrestling skills can translate to football. If they can, he’ll stay. If they can’t, he’ll be gone. While some would say that same standard applies to Tebow, Tebow ultimately will be judged by a coach who has known Tebow for years. And that coach continues to lay the foundation to find a way for a tight end who already has sold so many jerseys to be on the team in September. Coon comes to Nashville with no special consideration. He’ll make it or he won’t. He’ll earn a spot or he won’t. … rest of story at https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/06/05/the-difference-between-the-adam-coon-and-tim-tebow-signings/?mc_cid=0fb3325f19&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Top-Ranked Rylan Rogers Commits to Michigan
The University of Michigan received its first commitment from the Class of 2022 today when top-ranked 195 lber Rylan Rogers (Coeur d’Alene, ID) verballed via video on the True Wrestling Rokfin page. In addition to Rogers’ weight class ranking by MatScouts, the site has also deemed him the fifth-best recruit in the Class of 2022. According to the site’s School List article, Rogers also had NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, and Penn State among his final choices. Rogers is a 2019 16U freestyle national runner-up in Fargo and also a Cadet World Team Trials runner-up the same year. Rylan spent the first two years of his high school career at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where he placed twice at the National Prep Championships. As a freshman, Rogers was third at 195 lbs. A year later, he won the 182 lbs bracket. While at Blair, Rogers was a 2019 finalist at the Walsh Ironman and the Beast of the East. He ended up winning the Ironman. Even before entering high school, Rogers had already earned All-American honors by placing sixth in Cadet freestyle in Fargo. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24722?mc_cid=95cb484a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Big Ten Conference Report with Cody Goodwin (6/8/21)
Welcome to a new, regular feature for InterMat’s collegiate coverage. Each of our conference correspondent’s will release videos talking about some of the current events in their respective conference. Our Big Ten correspondent Cody Goodwin checks in to talk about some of the big commitments within the last week. Two top sophomores committed to B1G schools, along with Austin Gomez transferring to Wisconsin. We discuss some of the conference’s standouts from the U23 World Team Trials and close by discussing an upcoming dual meet between Purdue and Iowa State. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24656?mc_cid=9db4763a85&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

August 15, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized