Every State’s Most Decorated Fargo Champion
Get ready for Fargo by taking a look at every state’s all-time most accomplished wrestler at USA Wrestling’s 16U and Junior Nationals
Note: The following list was compiled by using data from The Fargo Almanac by Jason Bryant of Mat Talk Online. The almanac is the most complete record of each state’s history at the USA Wrestling Junior & 16U Nationals. The Fargo Almanac breaks down each state’s placewinners and champions by style and age group as well as lists the unique records, lists, facts and figures from the tournament since the first Junior Nationals began in 1971. The Fargo Almanac is a $40 digital publication and can be purchased at fargoalmanac.com.
Alabama: Sam Latona — No Alabamian had won a title in Fargo until Latona claimed a 16U Greco title in 2016. Latona followed that up a year later by winning a Fargo Junior freestyle title.
Alaska: Michaela Hutchison — The state’s only multi-time Fargo champion was a four-time Junior women’s freestyle finalist and won titles in 2006 and 2007.
Arizona: Henry Cejudo — Before he won Olympic gold, Cejudo racked up five Fargo titles — three in Greco and two in freestyle.
Arkansas: Leo Bogaj — Arkansas’ lone champ won a 16U Greco-Roman title at 83.5 pounds in 1998. He also earned All-America honors once more in each style.
California: Aaron Pico and Gracie Figueroa — A pair of five-time Fargo champs. Pico won his five titles, three of which came in freestyle, during a three-year span. Figueroa swept women’s 16U and Junior titles in 2015 and 2016 and added another Junior title in 2017.
Colorado: Malik Heinselman — Heinselman piled up four titles, including three in freestyle, over a three-year stretch beginning in 2014 as an 88-pounder.
Connecticut: Erin Clodgo and Anthony Valles — Before she made a pair of women’s freestyle Senior World Teams, Clodgo placed four times in Fargo and won a pair of Junior titles. Valles won a pair of 16U freestyle titles in 2004 and 2005.
Delaware: Sheldon Thomas — Thomas was a five-time All-American who never stood lower than third on the podium, highlighted by three freestyle titles and four finals appearances.
Florida: Anthony Artalona and Shawn McCoy — Artalona was a six-time All-American, five-time finalist and four-time champ, sweeping the 16U titles in 2015 before winning Junior freestyle titles each of the next two years. McCoy doubled up on 16U titles in 1994 and 1995.
Georgia: Sean Hage — Hage is responsible for nearly a third of Georgia’s 27 titles. He swept both styles for four consecutive years to become one of the event’s two eight-time champions. … rest of story at … Flowrestling.org/articles/11106177-every-states-most-decorated-fargo-champion
NWCA High School State, Section, and National Coach of the Year Awards Released
TDR Note : Chase Holleman of Havelock H.S. was named the state Girls wrestling coach in North Carolina.
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) proudly recognizes outstanding coaches and their remarkable achievements and dedication in the Scholastic Coach of the Year Awards Program. Each year, the NWCA honors head coaches and assistant coaching staffs in both boys and girls wrestling programs, highlighting their invaluable contributions to the sport.
The NWCA Scholastic Coach of the Year Awards Program begins with winners from each state, who then advance as finalists for the section Coach of the Year award. Finally, these exceptional coaches contend for the prestigious National Coach of the Year award, representing their coaching excellence.
NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer expressed his admiration for all coaches and their unwavering commitment to their athletes and the sport of wrestling, saying, “These coaches epitomize dedication and passion, investing countless hours in mentoring and guiding their wrestlers. They inspire and shape the future of the sport, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of their athletes.”
The NWCA is delighted to announce this year’s national winners: … rest of story at … NWCAonline.com/news/national-wrestling-coaches-association-high-school-state-section-and-national-coach-of-the-year-awards
2023 Class National Wrestling Hall of Fame State Chapter of North Carolina
(from left to right) David Barker, Paul Crouse, Sara Koenig, Ryan Blackwell and Billy Baker.
NWCA Partners with NFHS, USAW on Practical Wrestling Uniform Guide for Girls
SEATTLE- The NWCA, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and USA Wrestling have collaborated on a Practical Wrestling Uniform Guide for Girls, released as a part of the 104th annual NFHS Summer Meeting Saturday.
“We are enthused about the growth of girls wrestling and want to continue to grow the sport in any way we can,” Elliot Hopkins, NFHS Director of Sports, Sanctioning and Student Services said. “We know that education around topics like this are essential to that growth and we are glad to provide it.”
The guide, which is in a slide format, provides information as to the optimal one-piece uniform for girls wrestlers specifically, as well as guidance as to sports bras and the need for proper equipment to ensure all girls are confident in wrestling their matches at all times. It was presented to the wrestling liaisons from each state association office represented at the NFHS Summer Meeting, and also disseminated to them electronically for distribution in their state.
The guide is to be provided to the NFHS state association liaisons, … rest of story at … NWCAonline.com/news/2023/7/1/Practical_Wrestling_Uniform_Guide_for_Girls
Why The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee Nixed The ‘Turning Point’ Proposal
For a stretch this spring, college wrestling coaches, administrators and fans pondered the possibility of a radical change to one of the sport’s longtime scoring pillars.
In April, the NCAA wrestling rules committee proposed raising the bar for a riding time point. Instead of just needing a minute or more of advantage time, the group pushed forward a rule that would’ve also required a wrestler to score near-fall points — a proposal that became known by some as “the turning point.”
In the end, it was the only one of 14 rule change proposals that didn’t get approved for next season. The rule change process includes a two-week feedback period for coaches and administrators to weigh in on committee proposals before the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel decides whether to give the final stamp of approval. Ultimately, the riding time change never made it to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
The feedback period became a turning point in sinking the turning point. The rules committee pulled it off the table after an estimated 65 percent of respondents opposed the proposal, according to Rider coach and committee chair John Hangey.
“It opened our eyes and it was a lot of traditionalist thought — and that’s OK and that’s good because we have a great sport and we want to preserve it,” Hangey said. “But at the same time, the job of the committee is to take that feedback and decipher it and analyze it and make the proper decision for the sport. And we did just that. … rest of story at … Flowrestling.org/Why-the-ncaa-wrestling-rules-committee-nixed-the-turning-point-proposal
Three Former ACC Stars Compete Off of the Wrestling Mats
Completing a career in college wrestling is an incredible mental and physical feat that prepares these athletes for all types of challenges that they will face after graduation. While many grads will never step on the mat as a competitor again, some will continue on to challenge for World and Olympic Championships or continue their career in coaching. Others will enter the business world, relying on the work ethic and perseverance they learned through countless hours on the mat. There are a select few who have branched into a new sport after completing their wrestling career. We are going to take a look at the alternate athletic careers that a few ACC wrestling alumni have pursued since graduating.
Jacob Kasper: WWE NXT Julius Creed/Creed Brothers
Duke * ACC Champion * 2x All-American (6,4) * 3x NCAA Qualifier
Kasper left his name in the Duke record books and has left a lasting legacy with the program; a legacy Kasper is proud of after receiving very few opportunities out of high school. He was a two-time Ohio state placer but didn’t have many options collegiately. “I didn’t have any big results, and I grew late in my high school career, so I didn’t really stand out to many schools,” said Kasper, “but I knew I wanted to wrestle in college so I took the initiative to recruit myself.”
Kasper sent out emails to programs across the country, but it was two ACC coaches who expressed the most interest; Glen Lanham at Duke and Pat Popolizio at NC State. “I really clicked with both of them, and I had the opportunity to wrestle for both (Popolizo at the Wolfpack RTC). They are two men who I really respect.” Ultimately, Kasper felt that Duke was the better fit for him and he made the move to Durham, becoming the first in his family to leave Ohio for college.
He started his career in Durham at 184 lbs and made an impression as soon as he got on campus. “I was beating everyone else in the room, and I was the only person scoring points on (Conner) Hartmamn. Once coach saw that, he made it clear that I wasn’t redshirting”. … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/college/acc/three-former-acc-stars-compete-off-of-the-wrestling-mats
Ferraro enters 10th season with Golden Eagles
Brookville native Keith Ferraro enters his 10th season as head coach of the Clarion Golden Eagles wrestling team and 12th overall.
His Golden Eagles finished 11-6 in dual meets, 8-2 in the Mid-American Conference and third at the postseason tournament. He was named Intermat Wrestling’s MAC Coach of the Year this spring.
Monday, we spent some time talking about his coaching career, the state of Golden Eagles wrestling and reflecting on what’s influenced his career in wrestling.
Ferraro currently has two Brookville natives on his staff, including former Raiders state champion and Golden Eagles standout Brock Zacherl and Nick Deloia.
QUESTION: Where your program finished this spring has to feel pretty good. You were 11-6 in dual meets, 8-2 in the Mid-American Conference and finished third in the conference championships. Are you proud of what the Golden Eagles have accomplished?
FERRARO: Our approach the whole time has been slow with a 10-year plan. Every decision is made with long-term interest and what that leads to is very slow growth and quite honestly, it’s not that flashy, but it’s worked here. There was a time when the program struggled here and the one thing that was missing was that long-term vision. So that’s been good.
We’ve had this much talent on other teams, but the guys didn’t get hurt, our training was on the money and we didn’t over-train guys and we performed well at the end. … rest of story at … Thecourierexpress.com/the_leader_vindicator/Ferraro-enters-10th-season-with-golden-eagles
Donnie Stephens to Head Newberry Women’s Wrestling
NEWBERRY, S.C. — No stranger to the women’s wrestling world, the Newberry College athletics department has announced the hiring of Donnie Stephens to lead the program as it opens it’s inaugural season in 2024.
“I’m super excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Newberry family,” said Stephens. “Building a program from the ground up is an exciting challenge and I am confident that we can create something special here in South Carolina. Newberry has a strong athletic and educational tradition and I look forward to joining the Pack.”
Stephens comes to Newberry after spending the past 10 years at the University of the Cumberlands where he served as the head coach for the women’s wrestling program. During his time with the Patriots he coached three NAIA national champions, multiple NAIA and WCWA All-Americans as well as the sixth place team at the NAIA National Championship. His teams have had a consistent presence in the top-10 of the national polls. Academically, his teams have been three time NWCA NAIA Academic Team Champions while posting the second most Academic All-Americans among NAIA schools in 2023.
“We are thrilled to have Coach Stephens serving as the inaugural head coach of our women’s wrestling program,” said athletic director Sean Johnson. “His experience and success gives instant credibility to what we are starting here at Newberry College.”
Concurrently with his time at Cumberlands, Stephens served as a coach with the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club where he provided coaching and training assistance to elite club members, maintaining a partnership with the Olympic Training Center, the Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) and elite level women’s wrestlers. Before making the move to Kentucky, Stephens was the coach and co-owner of Adrenaline Fitness and Combat Sports in Colorado where he supervised the gym’s operation while teaching wrestling and mixed martial arts classes.
“Coach Stephens brings in a pedigree of success that was exactly what we were looking for in our first women’s wrestling coach,” said senior associate athletic director Wayne Alexander. “His connections throughout the women’s wrestling world will be a true asset to building a program here at Newberry College and will put the Wolves on the path to success early in his tenure.”
Stephens got his start in the coaching world at West Covina High School … rest of story at … Newberrywolves.com/news/donnie-stephens-to-head-newberry-womens-wrestling
Bono to be inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Florida
MADISON, Wis. — The National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Florida Chapter has announced that Wisconsin wrestling head coach Chris Bono will be inducted with the Class of 2023.
Hailing from Jacksonville, Fla., Bono will be inducted for Lifetime Service along with Sean Ballard, Don Knauf, Samuel T. Pruitt, Saul F. Tejada and Donald Weekley. The Honors Weekend event will be held in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on August 25-26 at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort.
Bono will begin his sixth season coaching the Badgers this fall and has compiled a 41-28 record at Wisconsin in five seasons at the helm in the nation’s toughest wrestling conference — the Big Ten. Bono is 144-86 overall record in 14 seasons as a head coach after stints at Chattanooga and South Dakota State.
Bono has coached six Badgers to 11 All-America honors. Most recently, sophomore Dean Hamiti earned his second national honor at 165 pounds in consecutive seasons and Trent Hillger earned his fourth All-America honor, the only UW heavyweight in school history to do so.
Both Hamiti (165) and Austin Gomez (149) have also earned the Badgers’ Big Ten titles during the past two seasons, earning back-to-back league honors under Bono’s tenure and the first titles since 2016. In total, Bono and the Badgers have qualified 32 wrestlers for the NCAA Championships in past five seasons and Wisconsin set a new record for highest single dual attendance (vs. Iowa, Jan. 22, 2023 – 5,256) during the past season at the UW Field House.
Bono was an NCAA champion, three-time NCAA All-American and a two-time Big 12 champion for Iowa State with a career college record of 128-34. He placed fifth at the NCAA championships as a sophomore in 1995 before winning the 150-pound crown in 1996 and placing second in 1997. Bono was a member of U.S. freestyle World championships teams in 2001, 2002 and 2005 and was … rest of story at … UWbadgers.com/news/bono-to-be-inducted-into-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame-florida
NCAA Division I Council proposes cutting transfer portal window in half
The NCAA Division I Council proposed changes to the transfer period windows that would reduce the total number of days that student athletes can enter the transfer portal from 60 down to 30.
As it stands now, there is a transfer window in college football that starts the day after the College Football Playoff teams are announced, which was Dec. 4 in 2022, and is open for 45 days. Another transfer window is open in the spring from April 15 to April 30.
For winter sports, there is a 60-day window that begins with a given sport’s championship selection and there is a 45-day window for spring sports that begins with that sport’s championship selection, as well.
The transfer windows were created this past year to limit the timeframe for which athletes can transfer from school to school.
Undergraduate student-athletes must enter their name in the transfer portal during those windows to be granted immediate eligibility at their next school of choice. They are not required to transfer within those dates, as long as their name is entered prior to the closing of the respective transfer window. … rest of story at … ESPN.com/college-sports/D1-council-proposes-cutting-transfer-portal-window-half
NCAA announces lesser penalties to punish sports betting — good news for Iowa, ISU athletes
Iowa State University and University of Iowa athletes being investigated for wagering on games received some good news Wednesday.
The NCAA’s Division I legislative committee significantly lessened penalties for offenders in what could be a game-changing decision.
Instead of Iowa and Iowa State athletes possibly missing an entire season for breaking the NCAA’s gambling rule, the NCAA now says for wagering-related violations reported on or after May 2:
More:Iowa, ISU gambling investigation: Amounts wagered key in possible athlete reinstatement
- Athletes engaging in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly providing information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This also applies to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.
- If an athlete wagers on their own sport at another school, sports wagering education will be required as a condition of reinstatement, and the loss of 50% of one season of eligibility will be considered.
For all other wagering-related violations, such as betting on professional sports, the total dollar value of the wagers will be taken into consideration with the following terms for reinstatement: … rest of story at … Desmoinesregister.com/iowa-state/cyclone-insider/iowa-isu-athletes-in-gambling-probe-received-good-news-from-the-ncaa-betting
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 