Takedown Report

Sara Koenig inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame State Chapter of North Carolina

Sara Koenig – Born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Koenig grew up in Chapel Hill, attended Chapel Hill High School, graduating in 1990. While her mother Kaye was working for the Rams Club at UNC Chapel Hill, at the age of seven, Sara saw her first Tar Heel wrestling match. After high school, Koenig attended UNC Chapel Hill, earning a degree in Peace, War, and Defense in 1994. In the mid 1990’s Kaye Koenig began working for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Accompanying her mother to the NCHSAA state wrestling tournament in 1995, Sara volunteered to help with data entry during the tournament. This began almost three decades of service to the North Carolina
wrestling community. Koenig was both contributor (1995-1999) and editor (1999-2010) for NCMat.com, at the time one of the most comprehensive and viewed wrestling websites in the country. Koenig served as a member of the Board of Directors (1996-2003) and as National Teams Director (1998-2003) for NC USA Wrestling. In 1999, Koenig was named USA Wrestling Person-of-the-Year for North Carolina and in 2003 was named Wrestling USA’s Person of the Year for North Carolina. For 25 years (1995-2019), Koenig was a member of the NCHSAA state tournament staff, serving as the official scorer of the state wrestling championships. In 1999, Koenig along with Dave Barker, launched a pre-season tournament at Morehead High School. In 2000, this tournament was renamed the “Super 32 Challenge”. Over the past 23 years, the Super 32 has evolved into the largest and most prestigious preseason high school and youth event in the country. In 2022, the Super 32 included over 2800 of the top high school, middle school, elementary,
and girl wrestlers in the country with over one hundred colleges and universities in attendance for recruiting. Since 2010, Koenig has worked for UNC-Chapel Hill’s athletic department, serving as administrative assistant for the Tar Heel field hockey, volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, and men’s lacrosse programs. In addition to her passion for wrestling, Koenig is a huge fan of sports and Broadway musicals, taking several trips per year to New York to see all the newest shows.

May 31, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

3x All-American Samantha Miller Transfers To Mount Olive

Samantha Miller has found a new home after three successful seasons at Presbyterian

Former Presbyterian standout Samantha Miller entered the transfer portal in March, and now she has a new home. Miller will compete for Mount Olive next season after placing sixth, fifth, and fifth at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships from 2021-23 at 101 pounds.

Presbyterian (located in Clinton, South Carolina) is one of four Division I schools to offer women’s freestyle wrestling. Mount Olive (located in Mount Olive, North Carolina) is a Division II university that placed 23rd at the 2023 championship tournament for all NCAA programs that offer women’s wrestling (NCWWC).

This is good news for head coach Dan Willis. The Trojans have one All-American in program history, so the addition of Miller will likely elevate the team’s output next season. 

“College is one of the most important times in your life to explore opportunities and to set yourself up for optimal success,” Miller said immediately after she entered the transfer portal. “I’ve grown and developed as a person and athlete at Presbyterian, but it’s time to further my education and athletics elsewhere to set the best future for myself.”

The Parkersburg, West Virginia, native was one of three place winners at this year’s national tournament on a Blue Hose team that placed ninth. Miller will complete her senior season of eligibility at Mount Olive and then attend graduate school. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/3x-all-american-samantha-miller-transfers-to-mount-olive

May 31, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment