Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

NCWA hopes Tarleton State program helps others ‘Fast Start’ to varsity level

By Mike Finn
Jim Giunta, the founder of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association, still has the same mission and passion he had back in 1997 when the NCWA first provided college wrestling opportunities that the NCAA and NAIA could not.
“We have created a legitimate national championship for these schools and have men’s and women’s programs fully funded by their athletic departments,” said Giunta, who also does not want wrestling fans to look at the NCWA as a college club wrestling association.

This story appeared in the Nov. 2 issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover to subscribe.

One of the NCWA’s main goals is to help these programs reach varsity status. And with the help of the Texas Collegiate Wrestling Foundation, which he also oversees, they hope to make Tarleton State the Lone Star State’s first NCAA Division I program in what the NCWA has called a “Fast-Start Plan.”
Giunta, who lives in Dallas, is from a state that has over 10,000 boys and over 5,000 high school girls competing in wresting, but there are no NCAA Division I programs. He believes that can happen with Tarleton State, a smaller NCAA Div. I school that competes in the Western Athletic Conference.
“Our plan is designed to allow us to get athletes on the mat immediately, rather than wait a couple seasons,” said Giunta, adding that the 100-year-old school in Stephenville, Texas, could be that program. “We started the TCWF as a way to raise funds so that when we went to a college, we could show we are serious about building a program. There are so many false starts, not only in Texas, where people say they are going to have a program, but nothing happens. “We wanted to stop that trend, so we asked what it would take to get this program started at Tarleton, which was super open to talking about this. Their president (Dr. James Hurley) is very forward thinking and is kind of a visionary in what he sees that college becoming.
“He sees athletics as a big part of moving to the next level and becoming a larger school. Wrestling is one of the sports they are considering as part of that plan. “But they are also honest in saying, ‘We need some money to help us get this thing off the ground. The agreement was that we would come up with $5 million as a foundation to do that, including $2 million for them to do the launch.”
Giunta admitted that the TCWF had a “pretty short run” to get this all together. “We had about three months so they could announce it in August,” he said. “That was a pretty short runway for us to go find big donors. Normally, you have to develop a little bit of a relationship before they are going to give you a half a million bucks.
“We weren’t able to reach the Aug. 15 deadline, but (Tarleton State) was very nice and said they want the wrestling program but can’t do it until we get $2 million.”
Giunta said the school gave them an extension to raise the money and agreed to first start an NCWA program and find a way to make it an NCAA Division I program. The TCWF then hired Grant Leeth, the former Missouri All-American and Stanford assistant coach as its first head coach. … rest of story at … WIN-magazine.com/2023/11/01/ncwa-hopes-tarleton-state-program-helps-others-fast-start-to-varsity-level

November 7, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nebraska’s Peyton Robb overcame an “all-too-real” pain

By Mike Finn
After coaching NCAA Division I wrestling for a quarter of a century, Nebraska mentor Mark Manning has dealt with many different personalities. In Peyton Robb, the Huskers’ two-time All-American, Manning sees something unique about his sixth-year senior from Owatonna, Minn.. “He has a very confident demeanor and calmness about him,” said Manning, who is about to start his 23rd season in Lincoln, Neb. “What I see in him right now is a very focused, more mentally tough, grateful young man, who is happy doing what he loves.”

This story appears in the Nov. 2 issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

Fortunately, Robb is going to make the most of his final year in college wrestling at 157 pounds … and not just because the pandemic gave him and other college wrestlers an extra season to reach their goals. The 23-year-old Robb is also just happy to be alive. For the pain of settling for sixth place last March at the NCAA Division I Championships in Tulsa, Okla., paled in comparison to what awaited him a few days later in Lincoln, where a flesh-eating infection put him in the emergency room for several weeks; leaving many wondering if Robb’s health nightmare would allow him to ever leave that hospital alive, much less back into the Husker wrestling room. Many people knew the Husker was forced to injury default his sixth-place match in Tulsa, but few understood what was happening when social media reported that Robb was in critical condition a few days later. … rest of story at … Win-magazine.com/2023/10/31/nebraskas-peyton-robb-overcame-an-all-too-real-pain

November 7, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division III National Champion Speaks To Sidney Middle School Wrestlers

NCAA Division III National Champion and 2001 Dan Hodge Trophy winner Nick Ackerman spoke to Sidney Middle School wrestlers Oct. 19. He visited with them following practice in the Sidney High School wrestling room.
Ackerman is not a typical wrestler and not a typical champion. As a young child he was afflicted with spinal meningitis resulting in the amputation of both of his legs to save his life. It was only through hard work and perseverance that Ackerman reached the top of college wrestling.
He started his wrestling career in the third grade. “I got beat a lot. I had a lot of coaches that believed in me,” Ackerman said. “My freshman year of college they didn’t say this guy is going to win a national title and win the Hodge Trophy that year. Then go on to be this excellent, exceptional wrestler.”
Ackerman finished his college senior year with a 38-4 record with 13 pins. In the 2001 NCAA Division III finals he defeated defending national champion Nick Slack for the 174-lb title. Ackerman broke Slacks 60 match undefeated winning streak. Also, that year, he won the Dan Hodge Trophy along with four time NCAA Division I champion Cael Sanderson. The Dan Hodge Trophy is collegiate wrestling’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
Ackerman stressed three important steps to take to become successful. These steps include surrounding yourself with exceptional people, believe in yourself and don’t complain. “You can’t beat a guy that doesn’t quit,” Ackerman stated. … rest of inspiring story at … Roundupweb.com/sports/ncaa-division-iii-national-champion-speaks-to-sidney-middle-school-wrestlers

November 7, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment