Takedown Report

USA WRESTLING TO PRESENT A MAJOR ANNUAL AWARD TO THE NATION’S BEST WOMEN’S COLLEGE WRESTLER

USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, will annually present a new award to the nation’s best women’s college wrestler. The first winner will be announced after the conclusion of the 2022-23 college wrestling season in March of 2023.

Women’s college varsity wrestlers from all of the recognized college organizations will be eligible, including NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA/junior college programs.

The award will be selected by a vote from three major constituent groups: wrestling journalists, women’s college head coaches and the fans. Each of these groups will account for one-third of the vote.

A committee of leaders from these constituent groups will be formed to finalize the details of this award program, as well as to determine an appropriate name for the new honor.

USA Wrestling’s goal is to develop the new award, reaching the same significance and impact as other college athletic awards, such as the Dan Hodge Trophy for men’s college wrestling, the Heisman Trophy for college football, … rest of story at USA-Wrestling/Features/2022/November/23/New-Womens-College-Award

METEORIC RISE OF GIRLS AND WOMEN’S WRESTLING ON DISPLAY AT MEN’S AND WOMEN’S FREESTYLE WORLD CUP IN CORALVILLE, IOWA, DEC. 10-11
November 23, 2022 – It’s a series of fortunate events—a synergy that can’t easily be explained.

Women’s wrestling is surging in popularity around the world, and Iowa City will likely be credited for taking it to the next level. That’s because for the first time ever, men and women will wrestle side by side on an international stage at the 2022 Men’s and Women’s Freestyle World Cup, December 9-11 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

The event will take place a little over a year after the University of Iowa became the first NCAA Division I, Power Five conference institution to add women’s wrestling to its athletic program and just months before women’s wrestling will become a fully sanctioned program.

“It’s hard to define the magnitude of this event,” said Clarissa Chun, head coach of the UI women’s wrestling team. “It’s so special and unique that the World Cup is being hosted in Coralville and to know that as it grows, this inaugural event for men and women will always be remembered as starting right here.”

In the past year, the state of Iowa, the University of Iowa, and the world have seen the interest in women’s wrestling grow exponentially … rest of story at USA-Wrestling/Features/2022/November/23/Womens-Wrestling-showcased-at-World-Cup

With emerging sport status from the VHSL, high school girls wrestling in Virginia takes ‘a great first step’

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Louisa County’s Taylor Waddy started wrestling at a young age, squaring off against mostly boys.

Waddy and other female wrestlers in Virginia will have more opportunities to compete against each other in the near future.

The Virginia High School League is on the verge of adding girls wrestling as a sanctioned sport in the Commonwealth. In September, the VHSL Executive Committee voted to designate girls wrestling as an “emerging sport” starting with the 2022-23 season. The sport now has three years to meet the 50% + 1 member schools that currently have wrestling for the sport to be sanctioned by the VHSL.

According to VHSL numbers submitted to the National Federation of High Schools, approximately 271 schools in Virginia fielded a boys wrestling team during the 2021-22 season, with 131 of those schools having at least one female on the team. … rest of story at Newsvirginian.com/sports/high-school/with-emerging-sport-status-from-the-vhsl-high-school-girls-wrestling-in-virginia-takes

Girls are leading high school wrestling into the future
Chad Dare is all about wrestling.

He lived on the mat as an athlete and now coaches the only high school girls team in District 51.

Just days from the first match of the season, the Phoenix have seen their largest turnout yet. And Dare is starry-eyed thinking of what this could mean for high school wrestling when its boys participation stagnated in the 2010s.

“As a wrestling guy, I think that girls wrestling is not just going to save wrestling in the U.S., but grow it. It’s opening opportunities for young girls to earn college scholarships,” said Dare, who has been the program’s only coach. “It’s important for my daughters to do this but as a wrestling fan, I also think it’s important.”

Open mats for the team were in September and by mid-October, the program had around 50 girls come out for practices. In its first year, 2020, the program had only 15 girls sign up and eight wrestle.

Dare has coached his daughters Mollie and Regan, who also play soccer, and has seen the sport’s benefits for them.

“What we noticed with Mollie is that she became stronger on the ball but wrestling is her No. 1 now. She’s stronger, faster and conditioning better,” Dare said. “It’s so mentally and physically demanding. I think they gained a greater appreciation for how much your body can endure.”

Regan, a senior, has been with the team since the beginning and has seen it grow in terms of numbers and competitiveness.

… rest of story at gjsentinel.com/sports/girls-are-leading-high-school-wrestling-into-the-future

December 15, 2022 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized