One Artemis II astronaut was once a two-sport college athlete years before space mission
There’s an athlete set to orbit the moon.
Victor Glover, a 1999 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, had a different career in mind before becoming one of four astronauts on NASA’s 10-day mission aboard Artemis II.
The Ontario, Calif., native played defensive back for the Mustangs’ football team and wrestled during his days at Cal Poly.
The latter, he said, was nearly as hard as rocket science.
“The hardest thing that I’ve ever chosen to do in my life was walking in space,” Glover told Cal Poly president Jeffrey Armstrong, per The Athletic. “The second-hardest thing that I ever chose to do in my life was wrestling practice with Lennis Cowell,” Cal Poly’s longtime wrestling coach.
His smarts were apparent to Andre Patterson, who coached football at Cal Poly while Glover was there, and now serves as the Giants’ defensive line coach.
“He may not have been the fastest guy out there or the most athletic guy out there, but he was going to succeed since he was the best technician out there,” Patterson told the Athletic. “That’s who he is at his core.”
Glover, who is set to become the first black man to orbit the moon, has maintained a connection to the university, giving speeches to various groups on campus, including the wrestling team. … more at … https://nypost.com/2026/04/02/sports/artemis-ii-astronaut-victor-glover-was-once-a-two-sport-college-athlete/
Moore Named Wrestling Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Belmont Abbey wrestler Caleb Moore was named the Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the league office Wednesday afternoon. Moore was selected by the Conference Carolinas Student-Athlete Affairs and Awards Committee for the Award.
He holds a 3.97 GPA and is a business management major at Belmont Abbey. In the 197-pound weight, class, he was a first-team All-Conference Carolinas selection and together another outstanding season for the Crusaders earning a regional championship as well as earning first-team All-Conference honors. He also qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships.
Prior to the regional tournament, he compiled a 21-3 overall record entering and was ranked No. 12 in the NWCA rankings for his weight class. He had five wins by pin this season, including one in just 14 seconds against Ferrum. … more at … https://abbeyathletics.com/news/2026/4/8/moore-named-wrestling-conference-scholar-athlete-of-the-year.aspx
Three Crusaders Earn NWCA Division II Scholar-All America Honors
MANHEIM, Pa. — Three Belmont Abbey wrestlers earned Scholar All-American honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) by the organization last week.
Skyler Caban, Austin Marry and Caleb Moore each earned the honor by the association. Caban is a graduate student studying leadership and Marry and Moore are both studying business management.
A total of 440 student-athletes, representing 64 of the 71 Division II institutions, were honored for their success in the classroom while competing throughout the season.
In order to qualify for recognition, wrestlers must have either been an All-American at the 2026 NCAA Division II National Championship with a 3.0 GPA, … more at … https://abbeyathletics.com/news/2026/4/7/wrestling-three-crusaders-earn-nwca-division-ii-scholar-all-america-honors.aspx
Bradyn McConneha Officially Signs To Wrestle For Appalachian State
By: Jared Barton
North Allegheny wrestling senior Bradyn McConneha has officially signed his letter of intent to wrestle for Appalachian State University next fall.
McConneha filled out the letter of intent on Wednesday, following his commitment to the institution back in December. He is set to study accounting.
The heavyweight division contender had a career high school record of 104-31, including a 42-4 mark this season. McConneha finished first place in the section, second place in the district, first place in the western region and was the PIAA runner-up in Hershey this winter. Last year, McConneha was 38-13 overall, finishing in 2nd place in the section, 4th place in the district, and 4th place in the region. In 2023-24, McConneha was 24-14 overall with a 2nd-place finish in the section and 4th place in the region. He is a three-time state qualifier, placed three times in the WPIAL playoffs, was a WPIAL runner-up, section champion and three-time section finalist.
Additionally, McConneha was the 21st-ranked heavyweight wrestler in the country and was a Fargo All-American. … more at … https://athletics.northallegheny.org/news/bradyn-mcconneha-officially-signs-to-wrestle-for-appalachian-state/
Leo Kocher to be Inducted in UAA Hall of Fame
CHICAGO — The University of Chicago will have one of its greatest coaches and one of its best student-athletes inducted into the 2026 class of the Richard A. Rasmussen UAA Hall of Fame, as announced by the University Athletic Association on Tuesday morning.
Leo Kocher has left one of the most enduring legacies in the history of University of Chicago Athletics through nearly five decades of excellence as both a competitor and coach. A standout wrestler at Northwestern University, Kocher achieved success at the national and international levels, including a title at the Montreal Open and a runner-up finish at the U.S. Freestyle National Open. He arrived at UChicago in 1979 and went on to build one of the premier programs in Division III over a 45-year head coaching tenure—the longest in department history.
Under the leadership of Kocher, the Maroons produced more than 30 All-Americans, NCAA champions, and over 140 individual conference champions, while capturing 18 team titles and earning multiple top-15 national finishes. Beyond competition, Kocher helped shape collegiate wrestling through service on the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee and national coaching organizations, and his contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including hall of fame inductions and lifetime service awards. Even after retiring from his head coaching role in 2024, he has continued to mentor student-athletes as a volunteer assistant, … more at … https://athletics.uchicago.edu/news/2026/4/7/womens-cross-country-rhaina-echols-and-leo-kocher-to-be-inducted-in-uaa-hall-of-fame.aspx
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
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