Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Davidson Wrestling Adds Ten in 2024 Recruiting Class

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Following his second season at the helm, head wrestling coach Nate Carr Jr. has announced his 2024 recruiting class. This year’s group features ten future Wildcats that hail from five different states, have combined for seven state titles and have made 30 individual state tournament appearances.

Coaching Staff’s Thoughts
Nate Carr Jr. – “We are extremely excited about the 2024 recruiting class. It’s a class that brings a lot of potential and talent to the room. Adding ten more Wildcats to our roster will provide depth, and it should raise the level of competition in the room.”
Ty Eustice – “This is a really an elite group of wrestlers. I’m so excited to get in the room and get to work with them. One thing that stands out with this group is where they are coming from. It’s great to see some of the strongest wrestling states being represented on our roster.”

2024 Recruiting Class
Bryce Griffin
Hometown: Bethalto, IL
High School: Civic Memorial High School
High School Record: 166-15
Projected Weight: 165 lbs
High School Career: Four-time IHSA 2A state placer (4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st )… Won the state title at 157 his senior year with a 54-2 record… Two- time team MVP and broke a school record with 37 pins in a season in 2023… Finished seventh in the 165-pound weight class at Super 32… Second overall seed at 165 at the Beast of East… First team St. Louis Post Dispatch All-Wrestling team selection… National Honors Society, Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society member… Silver Medallion Male Athlete of the Year.

Marley Washington

Hometown: Roswell, Ga.
High School: Mount Pisgah Christian School … more at … Davidsonwildcats.com/Wrestling-adds-ten-in-2024-recruiting-class

June 26, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

HIDLAY JOINS STANFORD STAFF

STANFORD, Calif. – Former NC State standout and North Dakota State assistant coach Hayden Hidlay has been named an assistant coach for the Stanford wrestling team, as announced by Chris Ayres, The Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach. “I could not be more excited to welcome Hayden Hidlay to the staff,” said Ayres, who enters his second season on The Farm in 2024-25. “Hayden had an amazing career at NC State and helped his team’s meteoric rise in the NCAA ranks. He is a young coach, but through the interview process as well as speaking to those who know him well, it became crystal clear that he was wise beyond his years and was going to become one of the best coaches in the nation.”
Hidlay replaces Ryan Deakin, who is stepping down to pursue career opportunities outside of coaching. Patrick Brucki, who joined the staff last fall, will assume the Patricia Miranda Assistant Wrestling Coach title previously held by Deakin. “I would like to thank Ryan for his work with the program this year,” said Ayres. “Personally, I faced a huge challenge travelling across the country to take over as head coach alone. Ryan was a huge help in my transition and we would not have had the success we did without his work. He will be incredibly missed by not only the Stanford wrestling program, but also the college wrestling community as he moves into a career outside of coaching.”
Hidlay was a five-time All-American, four-time ACC champion and one of the winningest wrestlers in NC State history. He spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach at North Dakota State after serving one season as the Student-Athlete Development Coordinator at NC State. “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the Stanford wrestling staff,” said Hidlay. “Coach Ayres is one of the most respected leaders in our sport and getting to work alongside him and the rest of the staff is an exciting endeavor. “Stanford University has a world class pedigree and championship culture that is evident as soon as you step foot on campus. I am ecstatic to get started developing student-athletes, and for my wife and I to be involved in this community.”
Hidlay finished his career second in Wolfpack history in winning percentage (.909), while his 110 career victories … more at … GOstanford.com/Hidlay-joins-staff

June 26, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Gable: Taylor should follow model created at Penn State, Iowa

Note: Similar to David Taylor being named head coach at Oklahoma State, Dan Gable was also hired to coach a college program (Iowa) shortly after a stellar career as a wrestler in the 1970s. Gable, who won 15 NCAA titles in 20 years with Iowa, recently spoke to WIN Editor Mike Finn about Taylor’s new position and the comparisons.
WIN: What did you think when you heard Oklahoma State hired Olympic/World champ David Taylor?
GABLE: Historically, Oklahoma State has been on the top of the list when it comes to all-time NCAA team championships (34). That record is impressive. But other schools have been catching up while Oklahoma State has not won a title for awhile (2006). I like to think the administration at Oklahoma State knew this and had to make something big happen when it came to naming a new head coach. He made a smart move because he had “blueprints” of what other schools have done to get back into contention … and that includes when Iowa hired me. And the same thing could be said when Penn State went after Cael Sanderson.

This Q&A appeared in the May issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

Like at Iowa and Penn State, Oklahoma State took their administration people full force and their money people full force and they had a name out there they went after. And David Taylor was among the most current credentialed wrestlers out there. Also, Penn State is dominating college wrestling now and who was tied with that domination? David Taylor.
WIN: Was it a gamble to hire David Taylor considering he has never coached college wrestling?
GABLE: He has coached young wrestlers at his academy, including some who are now at Penn State like Levi Haines. When Iowa hired me, I had the title of a graduate assistant at Iowa State while I was training to compete in the 1971 Worlds and 1972 Olympics. Taylor has been around college wrestlers while training at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
But the one thing that Iowa and Penn State provided was a model for programs to go after names like David Taylor. I have to give Oklahoma State a lot of credit. It was right in front of their face and now they are taking that model.
I also don’t think it’s a gamble by Oklahoma State. Everything is a gamble, but some things are so proven that the gamble becomes a reality. This does not mean Oklahoma State will take over college wrestling like Iowa and Penn State did. Because there are other places that also want to make that model come true. Kevin Dresser at Iowa State and Sean Bormet at Michigan are two examples and all coaches should be looking at this model of how to be successful. Even Little Rock has shown that by getting money people to invest in its program.
WIN: Similar to what happened at Iowa and Penn State in hiring you and Sanderson, Oklahoma State went outside its program to hire Taylor. Why is that important?
GABLE: Iowa State, hiring Dresser, a former Hawkeye, was also a good example of … more at … WIN-magazine.com/Gable-taylor-should-follow-model-created-at-penn-state-iowa

June 26, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment