Takedown Report

NCAA Division III News (2021) – # 8

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Retiring coaches, new coaches, and recruits and much more news about Division III schools this summer are included in this blog’s collection of articles. Keep Wrestling upward!
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog # 2965 (8/20/21)
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1 } – Don Murray Steps Down as SUNY Brockport Wrestling Coach After 51 Years
Longtime SUNY Brockport Wrestling Coach Don Murray has stepped down from his coaching responsibilities.  
Murray has served as the head coach of Brockport’s wrestling program for the past 51 years. His success during that period included five NCAA team national championships, 27 individual national champions, and 147 All-Americans. He was the longest active tenured coach in any sport in NCAA Division III.  
“SUNY Brockport would like to thank Coach Murray for his dedicated service over his long and decorated career. Don built a strong wrestling program and cultivated an international reputation. But we would especially like to thank him for the tremendous impact he has had on the thousands of student-athletes he’s worked with over the years. They are his most enduring legacy,”  said SUNY Brockport Director of Athletics Erick Hart. Bill Jacoutot, who has been on Murray’s coaching staff since 2010, has been named interim head coach. Jacoutot spent 28 years as the wrestling coach at Spencerport High School … rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Don-Murray-Steps-Down-as-SUNY-Brockport-20-8-2021

2 } – Ryan Riggs Named Head Wrestling Coach at Mount Union
Ryan Riggs has been named the head wrestling coach at the University of Mount Union. Riggs, a native of Perry Township, Ohio, comes to Mount Union from Ferrum (Va.) College where he started in 2016 as an assistant coach, then promoted to associate head coach in 2018 before being named head coach in March of 2020. “Ryan’s experiences in coaching and his reputation in wrestling not only locally but throughout NCAA Division III was what separated him among our pool of applicants,” stated Mike Parnell, interim director of athletics. “All of us at Mount Union look forward to the future of our wrestling program under his leadership.” “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return home to Stark County, Ohio as the University of Mount Union head wrestling coach,” commented Riggs. “I would like to thank Dr. Jeffrey Bresse, Mike Parnell, Don Montgomery and everyone on the search committee for believing in my ability to lead the program.  I am ready to get to work and start building for the future.” In his time at Ferrum, he handled day-to-day operations of the program, including recruiting, fundraising, practice development and coordinating Ferrum men’s wrestling social media presence. He was instrumental in helping Ferrum host the 2019 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. … rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Ryan-Riggs-Named-Head-Wrestling-Coach-7-6-2021

3 } – Logan Meister Named Head Men’s Wrestling Coach at Ferrum
FERRUM, Virginia — Director of Athletics John Sutyak has announced that Logan Meister ’17 has been promoted to Head Men’s Wrestling Coach at Ferrum College. Meister assumes control of the Panther men’s wrestling program following the departure of Ryan Riggs, who accepted the head wrestling coach position at the University of Mount Union. Meister wrestled four years for the Panthers under Head Coach Nate Yetzer and was part of the inaugural graduating class of Ferrum men’s wrestling. He was a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-America in 2016 and 2017 and graduated from Ferrum with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy in 2017.
Upon graduation, Meister served as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2017-18 season before enrolling in graduate school at McDaniel College, where he served as a graduate assistant wrestling coach during the 2018-19 school year. He earned his Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from McDaniel in 2020. Meister returned to Ferrum in 2019-20 as a part-time assistant coach. He was promoted into the full-time assistant coaching spot the following year. “I am very excited to welcome Logan Meister as the new head coach of Ferrum College men’s wrestling,” said Sutyak. “Ferrum became a national program in a relatively short period of time since its inception and Logan was a part of that from day 1. His experience in recruiting, strength training and coaching make this an easy transition for us to name him our next head coach and I am thrilled we are keeping a valued individual, and alum, here at Ferrum.”
Meister is one of the pioneers of Ferrum’s men’s wrestling program. He was a freshman in Ferrum’s first varsity wrestling season in 2013-14. He placed third at 141 pounds at the 2014 NCAA East Regional to become Ferrum’s first NCAA Div. III qualifier. He qualified again for the NCAA Tournament in 2016 when he won the NCAA Southeast Regional, then … rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Logan-Meister-Named-Head-Men-s-9-6-2021

4 } – Former Hawkeye Wrestler Glosser Joins Wrestling Staff as Assistant Coach
June 1, 2021 – Loras College wrestling head coach TJ Miller announced the hiring of Jeren Glosser as the next assistant wrestling coach for the Duhawks. Glosser comes to Dubuque from Oskaloosa, Iowa after serving as an assistant coach at William Penn University and brings a wealth of experience as a former wrestler at the University of Iowa. “I’m really excited about Jeren,” said Miller. “He’s going to raise this team’s level on day one and he’s already hit the ground running.  He’s a coach that is going to build strong relationships with the entire roster on and off the mat.  I could tell almost immediately that he’s the right person for this job and so could a lot of the leaders on this team.  We are extremely lucky to have him, and I have never been more excited about the future of Loras wrestling.”  Glosser was a four-year letter winner for the Hawkeyes, posting a 74-19 record at 149, 157 and 165 lbs. with 20 career pins and wrestled unattached his first season at Iowa with an impressive 15-4 ledger. He is a two-time Flash Flanagan Open champion, hosted by Loras, and won the Luther College Open in his freshman season, pinning three of his four opponents to advance to the finals. He placed twice at the Midlands Championship during his career and won the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Jim Koch Open the same season, finishing his collegiate career six-straight wins.  During his time at Iowa, he also worked with the team’s summer camps, coaching youth wrestlers.
… rest of story at https://duhawks.com/news/2021/6/1/former-hawkeye-wrestler-glosser-joins-wrestling-staff-as-assistant-coach.aspx?mc_cid=4557ffe1b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Noah Nieman Added to Men’s Wrestling Coaching Staff
ADRIAN, Mich. – Head men’s wrestling coach Bill Schindel announced the addition of Noah Nieman to the Adrian College wrestling coaching staff. Nieman is a 2021 graduate of Adrian College.  “It means a lot to me,” said Nieman. “I’m grateful to be able to help build the program that I was apart of. Staying with my alma mater really shows the love that this program shows. It’s a family that has grown over the years, and I’m glad I can still stay close to that family. In his senior season with the Bulldogs, Nieman was named an All-American with an eighth-place finish at the NWCA DIII National Championships. Nieman was one of four Bulldogs to be seeded during prior to the NWCA National Championships. Also during his senior season, Nieman was featured as a contender in the top-10 individual rankings by D3wrestle.com. Nieman was also a star in the classroom finishing with a GPA of 3.25 with a 3.90 his final semester. He was named to First Team All-MIAA and was a 2020 Scholar All-American. … rest of story at https://adrian.prestosports.com/sports/m-wrestl/2020-21/releases/20210604k02xgq?mc_cid=0fb3325f19&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Wabash Adds Three To Fulltime Coaching Staff
Wabash College will welcome three new coaches to the ranks of fulltime assistants beginning July 1. Ian Disteldorf joins the Wabash swimming and diving program as the new assistant swim coach. Volunteer wrestling assistant coach Daniel Del Gallo and student assistant football coach CJ Ramsey have both been elevated to fulltime assistant coaching positions.
Disteldorf comes to Wabash from the University of Akron where he served as a graduate assistant coach and head recruiting coordinator for the 2020-2021 season. He worked as a graduate assistant director of operations for the Zips from 2019-2020. During that period Akron claimed its seventh consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) title and finished the season ranked in the top-30 in the Collegeswimming.com championship and dual-meet polls. Disteldorf spent two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Augustana College, where he helped the Vikings produce four individual College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) champions, six all-conference athletes, and the 2019 CCIW Swimmer of the Year.
Disteldorf earned a masters of sports science from Akron in 2021 after receiving a bachelor of arts in business administration and economics from Augustana in 2017. He was a member of the Augustana swim team for four seasons, earning all-conference honors in 2015 and 2016.
… rest of story at https://sports.wabash.edu/news/2021/6/24/general-wabash-adds-three-to-fulltime-coaching-staff.aspx?mc_cid=a01a119869&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Lycoming wrestling announces incoming class
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Paced by five state qualifiers, two state placewinners and three 100-match winners, 28^th-year head coach Roger Crebs will welcome 10 new wrestlers when the Lycoming College team begins practice in October, he announced on Friday, July 2. The full class features a well-balanced spectrum, as the 10 wrestlers can represent the Warriors in eight weight classes.
The Warriors had just two seniors on the active roster during the 2020-21 season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, returning five starters from 2019-20, when the team finished 12-5. The team has enjoyed 27 winning seasons during Crebs’ Hall of Fame tenure. Lycoming will enter 2021-22 needing just seven wins to become the fifth program in NCAA Division III history to claim 800 dual-meet wins, joining Springfield, Wilkes, Wartburg and Olivet.
… rest of story at https://lycomingathletics.com/news/2021/7/2/wrestling-lycoming-wrestling-announces-incoming-class.aspx?mc_cid=cbfa48fa54&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – After a Season Away, Wrestling Program Gears Up for 2021-22 Campaign
Following a 2020-21 academic year in which The University of Scranton wrestling team did not compete against outside competition, the Royals are primed to begin their 2021-22 campaign in a few months under head coach Al Russamano, who will enter his 16th season at the helm of the program this year. With 19 returnees and 11 newcomers entering the program, the Royals will open a strong 2021-22 schedule on Nov. 6 at King’s McGinley Invitational, then head to East Stroudsburg for a dual on Nov. 11. This will be followed by the biggest home event of the year for the Royals, as the annual Electric City Duals returns to the John Long Center on Nov. 14. On the day, Scranton will welcome four other teams (SUNY Oneonta, Alfred State, Lackawanna, and Keystone) as they hope to defend their 2019 crown in the event. From there, the Royals will take part in 11 events throughout the course of the year, with three home dates. On Dec. 11, Scranton will host Elizabethtown in the Long Center, followed by a match against Delaware Valley on Jan. 29. The Royals’ home schedule concludes on Feb. 12 against King’s. For the full 2021-22 schedule for the wrestling team, click here: https://uscranton.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2021-22/schedule
Top returnees for the Royals include the program’s three captains – graduate student William Laughlin (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) and seniors Matthew Murawski (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley – Old Tappan) and John Murphy (West Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell). … rest of story at https://uscranton.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2021-22/releases/20210722o9m8vp?mc_cid=608eaeea75&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Berlin, Candre, Kohn, Momont Earn Subway Athlete of the Year Honors
STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point athletics department has named the winners of the 2020-21 Subway Athletes of the Year awards.  UWSP track and field’s Tom Kohn (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) and Sylviann Momont (Auburndale, Wis./Auburndale) were recipients for male and female individual sports.  Wrestling’s Matt Berlin (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) and softball’s Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East) were named winners for male and female team sports.
Matt Berlin (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) (Wrestling)
Berlin repeats as Athlete of the Year as he did with most accolades in the shortened 2020-21 season.  He was named WIAC Wrestler of the Year for the second-consecutive season.  He went 8-0 on the year, extending his unbeaten streak to 40 after a 32-0 season in 2019-20.  He repeated as the WIAC Champion at 133 and was named WIAC Wrestler of the Meet.  Berlin was named WIAC Wresting Athlete of the Week for the week of Feb. 15-21. … rest of story at https://athletics.uwsp.edu/news/2021/6/29/general-berlin-candre-kohn-momont-earn-subway-athlete-of-the-year-honors.aspx?mc_cid=7334e288ab&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Here are the eight wrestlers who have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large teams. These wrestlers, along with the rest of the At-Large selections, move on to be considered for Academic All-America recognition. The CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large teams will be named on August 4th.
Full release with all At-Large selections
NCAA DIVISION III – DISTRICT 2 (CT, DC, DE, MD, NH, NJ, RI, VT, WV)
Brett Kaliner Stevens Institute of Technology Sr. 3.92 Quantitative Finance Kaliner finished 3rd at the NWCA Division III tournament at 149 lbs.
NCAA DIVISION III – DISTRICT 5 (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, MO, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, VA)
Bryce Crew Washington and Lee University Sr. 3.83 Biochemistry Crew is a 2x Regional placewinner. He did not compete this season, as his team had a single dual meet. … rest of story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/cosida-academic-all-district-2/?mc_cid=e094d4aecd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And INTERIM NIL POLICY ADOPTED
Starting July 1st, NCAA athletes in all three divisions can benefit from their name, image, and likeness. Athletes in states with NIL laws or executive orders can follow the guidelines in those states, and the rest may also participate while following the rules at their respective institutions. Athletes are required to report NIL activities to their schools.
… rest of story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/interim-nil-policy-adopted/?mc_cid=3c07ff5887&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And CAN WRESTLERS MAKE MONEY WITH NIL?
Summer is slow in the DIII wrestling world, so this post will focus mostly on Division I athletes. Several states have laws allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) going into effect July 1st. The NCAA Division I Council is meeting today and surely has NIL on its agenda. This is the makeup of the council. Seven members work at schools with wrestling, and one is the commissioner of a conference that sponsors wrestling. NIL is coming to the NCAA either through rule changes or legislation. … rest of story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/can-wrestlers-make-money-with-nil/?mc_cid=43f68cbfb0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Millikin begins navigating world of athletic sponsorship at the Division III level
DECATUR — When Millikin athletic director Dr. Craig White was playing in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in the 1980s, he didn’t have to navigate the world of athletic endorsements. “I was like the fifth receiver on a not very good team so there wasn’t a lot there,” White said. “I was on different shows and they give you a gift, that was the extent of it. But it was also a different time.” Times changed significantly this week, including those at Division III schools like Millikin, as the potential to make money on sports endorsements is here following the signage of Illinois legislation on college athlete name, image and likeness this week and the NCAA’s recent decision to allow athletes to pursue deals.
White, along with his coaching staffs, have started treading through the murky water of what these endorsements will look like.  “It is going to start out with everyone feeling their way. What does this mean exactly and what can we do? How will it impact what we do and how athletes deal with it? It will have a big impact at the high levels especially because they are more in the media,” … rest of story at https://herald-review.com/sports/college/millikin/watch-now-millikin-begins-navigating-world-of-athletic-sponsorship-at-the-division-iii-level/article_75e26343-4ee7-5307-808a-447d85d575b5.html?mc_cid=cbfa48fa54&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Fisher Announces the Return of Men’s Wrestling to its Athletic Offerings
Gift Funds Construction of New State-of-the-Art Joseph Pellicano Wrestling Pavilion
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the expansion of its athletic offerings with the addition of men’s wrestling back to its program. The Cardinals will now feature 25 sports at the varsity level and Fisher will join a group of 113 wrestling programs from across the Division III landscape.  The College will begin a national search for its next head coach with a full competition schedule set to begin in 2022. “We are very excited about re-introducing wrestling to our intercollegiate sport portfolio,” said Bob Ward who has served as Fisher’s Director of Athletics for more than 30 years.  “Not only is wrestling one of the fastest growing sports at the high school level, but this addition will allow us to continue to engage potential student-athletes in meaningful ways.” The Cardinals have a rich history in wrestling as Fisher competed from 1965 to 1983 where it was one of the region’s top programs.  Over its 18-year history, Fisher boasted numerous Catholic National Champions and had several wrestlers compete in the NCAA Division III Championship and NAIA Championship including All-American Sandy Spero ’80 and Jerry DeHey ’75 who have each been inducted into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame.  The return of the wrestling program is boosted by a $400,000 gift from alumnus and trustee William J. Pellicano ’80 and Tracy Pellicano to create a state-of-the-art wrestling room, which is currently under construction and will be open for use prior to the start of training. … rest of story at https://athletics.sjfc.edu/news/2021/7/27/general-fisher-announces-the-return-of-mens-wrestling-to-its-athletic-offerings.aspx?mc_cid=56e3c2ba9d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

August 21, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized