Takedown Report

New Head Coaches and New Teams

Cal Poly Humboldt Welcomes Lennie Zalesky as New Men’s Wrestling Coach
By Drew Gwerder
ARCATA, Calif. — Cal Poly Humboldt Executive Director of Athletics, Dr. Nick Pettit announced the hiring of Lennie Zalesky as the new Head Men’s Wrestling Coach on March 11, 2024. Zalesky comes to Humboldt after following head coaching stints at Division I California Baptist University and UC Davis over the past two decades. 
“Coach Zalesky is an outstanding fit for our university, athletic department, and community,” said Pettit.  “His ties to California wrestling along with his coaching and teaching experience, commitment to academic excellence and desire to create a championship culture and experience for our student-athletes made him the clear choice for Cal Poly Humboldt.”
Zalesky was named the California Baptist University wrestling head coach in June 2011. In 11 seasons, Zalesky led CBU to a 71-70-1 overall record, 17-7 in conference and four top-three national finishes. He was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2016, and was also named Division II Coach of the Year in 2017. He has coached his wrestlers to a total of 35 All-American awards and seven individual national championships, including three at the NCAA level. The Lancers also won a program-best 13 duals in the 2014-15 season. 
As an NCAA Division I member, CBU has produced nine All-American finishes in two seasons at the National Collegiate Open. Zach Schrader was the top finisher of them all, as he won the 2019 heavyweight championship. 
More than athletics, the program has excelled academically, as well. In Division II, the Lancers finished in the top 14 of the All-Academic team standings four times, including three top-10 performances. Nolan Kistler won the Elite 90 Award – presented to the wrestler with the highest GPA competing at the NCAA Championship site – for the third year in a row in 2018 to become the first student-athlete to win it three consecutive years at the same sport.
Zalesky went to CBU after nine years as the head coach at NCAA Division I UC Davis. He was a three-time NCAA All-American and a former assistant coach at powerhouse Iowa and has extensive coaching experience at both the prep and collegiate levels as well as international experience as an athlete.
Zalesky coached nine seasons at UC Davis before the program was dropped prior to the 2010-11 season. … story at … Humboldtathletics.com/Cal-poly-humboldt-welcomes-lennie-zalesky-as-new-mens-wrestling-coach
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Elmhurst University to Add Women’s Wrestling in Fall 2024
By: Matthew Haufe, Director of Athletic Communications
ELMHURST, Ill. – Elmhurst University has announced the addition of women’s wrestling to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics program. The team is slated to start competition in the fall of 2024, and will increase the total number of athletic offerings at Elmhurst to 21 varsity sports.
“This is a historic day for Elmhurst University Athletics. We are very excited to add women’s wrestling as a varsity sport. The sport of wrestling has a rich tradition here at Elmhurst University and we look to build a nationally competitive women’s wrestling program,” Director of Athletics Glen Brittich said. “The student-athlete experience is always at the forefront of our minds and we are excited to offer this opportunity to all the women wrestlers across the country looking to have a rich and competitive Division III collegiate athletic experience.”
“Elmhurst University is thrilled to add women’s wrestling to our athletic offerings. The program will provide an increased opportunity for women on our campus to participate in varsity sports, and we are excited at the prospect of being on the forefront of the growth of women’s wrestling,” said Elmhurst University President Troy D. VanAken. “It is great to join the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin as the league’s fifth core member school offering the sport, and we are excited to begin competition in the near future.”
Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, … story at … Elmhurstbluejays.com/Elmhurst-university-to-add-womens-wrestling-in-fall-2024
Ad …

Northampton Athletics to Add Men’s and Women’s Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Northampton Community College Department of Athletics is excited to announce the addition of Men’s and Women’s Intercollegiate Wrestling, set to begin competition in the fall of 2024. Northampton will become the NJCAA’s 3rd men’s program and 2nd women’s program in the state of Pennsylvania. With the addition of the two wrestling programs, Northampton will now sponsor nine (9) intercollegiate sports, beginning in the 2024-25 academic year (Men’s Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Volleyball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Men’s Wrestling and Women’s Wrestling). “We are extremely excited to launch men’s and women’s wrestling at Northampton,” stated Director of Athletics Troy Tucker, “I believe it is a natural fit for the college given the strength of high school wrestling in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. I think we can be competitive on a national level very quickly.” … story at … NCCspartans.com/Northampton-athletics-to-add-mens-and-womens-wrestling
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Chris Freije named Head Wrestling Coach
Frejie comes to Highlands
Las Vegas, NM- Chris Freije has been named the Men’s Head Wrestling coach at New Mexico Highlands University, the announcement made today by Shanna Halalilo and Jim Deisler, Co-Athletic Directors at NMHU. Freije will take over the program following the conclusion of the NCAA Championships in March.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Chris be our Head Wrestling Coach. He’s not only experienced, but extremely passionate about Wrestling and we’re excited to see him find success with the program.”
Chris brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to NMHU’s wrestling program. He is a NCAA DII National Finalist for Western Colorado University, an RMAC/Super Region 4 champion who has competed both for Arizona State University and Western Colorado University.
During his coaching tenure, Chris has coached over 30 National Qualifiers, 3 NCAA DII National Champions, 16 NCAA DII All-Americans, 15 NCAA DII Super Region Champions, and Multiple NCAA DII Super Region finalists. Chris currently serves as the Associate Head Coach at Lander University and has been instrumental in their rise to a top program in the country in only three seasons. Chris is originally from Arizona and will use his ties to the Southwest community in developing the wrestling program at NMHU. “I’m ecstatic to be named the next head coach of New Mexico Highlands University Wrestling. … story at … NMHUathletics.com/Chris-freije-named-head-wrestling-coach
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Rio Grande adds Women’s Wrestling, names Ward head coach
By RANDY PAYTON
Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The University of Rio Grande has announced the addition of women’s wrestling as a varsity sport for the 2024-25 school year and has named Alexia Ward as the program’s head coach.
Rio Grande athletic director Jeff Lanham made the announcement Thursday morning. “This is an historic day for the University of Rio Grande Athletics. We’re very excited to add women’s wrestling as a varsity sport,” Lanham said. “Women’s Wrestling is the fastest-growing sport in the country. With the hiring of coach Ward, Rio is prepared to provide an increased opportunity for women on our campus to participate in a varsity sport and to be a part of leading the growth of women’s wrestling.” Ward is a 2020 graduate of McKendree University, an NCAA Division II school located in Lebanon, IL.
     She was named a Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association All-American in 2015-16 and was an NCAA National Champion in the 130-pound bracket during the 2019-20 season. Ward served as a volunteer assistant coach at McKendree for each of the past four seasons. “I’m beyond excited to start a women’s program at Rio Grande. My passion for fostering the growth of women’s wrestling and guiding others towards achieving their goals runs deep,” she said “I am confident that we can cultivate an exceptional program where our main focus is to provide young athletes with opportunities for personal growth both on and off the mat.” … story at … RIOredstorm.com/sports/wwrest/2023-24/releases

March 22, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized