Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

59th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Scheduled For December 29-30

Tickets available for two-day event at NOW Arena

EVANSTON, Ill. (December 8, 2023) – The Ken Kraft Midlands Championships will return to the NOW Arena in suburban Hoffmann Estates, Ill., December 29-30.  For a second consecutive year, the 59th edition of the most prestigious non-conference wrestling tournament will feature both men’s and women’s divisions. 

BUY YOUR MIDLANDS TICKETS TODAY

Joining the women’s field will be 42 men’s programs.  Eight Big Ten Conference institutions will be represented, a group that includes host and reigning men’s team champion Northwestern, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.

READ MORE ON THE LEGENDARY KEN KRAFT … story at … NUsports.com/59th-annual-ken-kraft-midlands-championships-scheduled-for-december-29-30

December 17, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Girls Scholastic & Youth Wrestling News

Oklahoma Coaches Association Officially Adopts Girls Wrestling as a Part of the All-State Games
Big news for girls wrestling was announced today in Oklahoma as the Oklahoma Coaches Association has officially adopted girls wrestling as a part of the Oklahoma All-State games.
Very significant achievement for girls wrestling in Oklahoma as this event has only been done in an unofficial capacity in recent years for the girls. 
Congrats to the girls and “Thank you” to all of the coaches and other supporters that have helped make this happen. … story at … OWrestle.com/oklahoma-coaches-association-officially-adopts-girls-wrestling-as-a-part-of-the-all-state-games/

Gov. Mifflin holds clinic for girls wrestling hosted by former Olympian Kerry McCoy
Upwards of 70 girls attended the event to practice together and learn techniques from McCoy
In a palpable sign of the sport’s rising popularity, the emergence of girls wrestling was on full display Monday night as Gov. Mifflin held a clinic hosted by Kerry McCoy, a two-time national champ at Penn State and former Olympian. 
Upwards of 70 girls from across Berks County were on hand to learn techniques from McCoy, hear from local coaches and practice with other athletes. “When you come into a gym, and it’s full of wrestlers, it’s awesome,” McCoy said, “And then now you come in and you see female wrestlers, male wrestlers, it’s just great. Usually, if you went into a gym 20 years ago, and you saw a clinic, it didn’t matter, you might have four or five people in a clinic. “When you have a full room, it’s awesome. And then we throw in there the growth of women’s wrestling and I have a full room of women wrestlers, that’s really exciting.” … story at … Readingeagle.com/Gov-mifflin-holds-clinic-for-girls-wrestling-hosted-by-former-olympian-kerry-mccoy

Women Wrestling Continues To Pin Naysayers
Women wrestling is the fastest growing female sport in the U.S. according to the National Federation of State High School Association.
The trend is apparent locally as more schools, colleges and universities continue to add women’s wrestling programs. “I can’t believe how many girls are at this tournament,” said Joel Sopak, the head wrestling coach for Washington Middle School and a sixth grade teacher, after a recent middle school wrestling tournament. “This is a good thing; it means our sport is healthy and thriving.”
The tournament Sopak was speaking about was held at Jefferson Middle School this past Saturday, and hosted 14 teams with more than 110 wrestlers competing, and a rather large chunk – as compared to years before – composed of female grapplers. “I’m not sure how many girls are in this pool of wrestlers,” said Eric Sohl, Jefferson Middle School’s wrestling coach and teacher. “Each year we see more and more girls hitting the mats. The girls not only compete against other girls, but the males as well. But this is the most girls I’ve seen in one tournament.”
The National Federation of State High School Associations reported that the Wrestling Rules Committee has established separate weight classes, effective with the 2023-24 season for girls wrestling. The sport’s past five years of growth in participants and championships is greater than any other women’s sports team. The NFHS is reporting that girls’ participation in wrestling climbed nationally from 4,975 participants in 2005 to 7,351 in 2010. The most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey revealed participation almost tripled by 2018-19 with 21,124 girl … story at … Post-journal.com/news/An-exciting-time/WrestlingNews

December 17, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment