DIVISION III AND THE TRANSFER PORTAL

This is the second of a two-part series about NIL and the transfer portal. Today’s focus is on Division III wrestlers. Read Part 1 here.

There are 443 wrestlers in the transfer portal as of May 14, 2024. 31 of those are Division III wrestlers, and two of the 31 were 2024 NCAA qualifiers. Compared to Division I, there are very few Division III wrestlers using the portal. One of the reasons for this is that DIII athletes have other options than the portal to talk to other schools. These three options are as follows:

1. Fill out the DIII self-release form if the athlete wants to talk to another DIII school.
2. Get a letter from the current school granting permission to speak with other schools.
3. Withdraw from school, as unenrolled DIII athletes do not need permission to talk to other schools.

Another reason that there are fewer DIII athletes in the portal is that there are very few opportunities for Division III wrestlers to earn NIL money. There are not as many big money donors looking to buy athletes at the Division III level, so there is rarely a financial incentive for a successful DIII wrestler to transfer to another DIII school. This could change as NIL rules are clarified and DIII schools ramp up fundraising in the NIL era. Several Division III schools have collectives supporting them, but the numbers are small and often focused on a single sport (like Marietta Basketball’s Two Rivers Trust).

Wrestling is also different than some other sports in portal usage. There are over 1,100 DIII football players in the portal as of May 14^th. That means there are 37 times as many football players in the portal even though there are only about 7.5 times as many football players as wrestlers overall in Division III. The ratio in men’s basketball is even greater with 21 times as many players as wrestlers in the portal even though there are only about 2.5 times as many basketball players.

Why are there so many more basketball and football players in the portal? One reason is playing time. With multiple entry tournaments and multi-dual events, most Division III wrestlers get to compete, no matter how far down they are on the depth chart. The fourth string 141 might wrestle 15+ matches while the fourth string right guard never gets in a game. Also, wrestling teams often have wrestle-offs where the athletes determine who starts with direct competition. In other sports, the coach decides who plays, and many players on the football and basketball bench are sure they would be playing more if the coach were smarter. The other reason for the number of basketball and football portal entries is the attention the portal gets in the media in those sports. Something like 40% of Division I basketball players are or were in the portal this year. Division III athletes see countless stories about transfer athletes and decide to give the portal a try. Many of them are holding onto the belief that a DI or DII scholarship is a possibility, even though they lack the stats or game video to warrant that level of attention.

Division III wrestlers will enter the portal for several reasons. … more at … D3wrestle.com/division-iii-and-the-transfer-portal

May 29, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Oklahoma State wrestling lands NCAA pins leader Wyatt Hendrickson via transfer portal

STILLWATER — The first notable recruit for new Oklahoma State wrestling coach David Taylor is a big one in more ways than one.
Former Air Force heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson, who led the nation in pins the last three years, committed to the Cowboys over the weekend.
Hendrickson has one year of eligibility remaining following an Air Force career in which he qualified for the NCAA Championships all four years. 
He is a two-time All-American and two-time Big 12 champion with 84 wins over the last three seasons, 53 of which were via pin.
While it remains unclear how the OSU roster will shake out in the aftermath of coach John Smith’s retirement and the hiring of Taylor, the Cowboys had Konner Doucet as their starter at heavyweight last season, with highly touted freshman Christian Carroll backing him up. Doucet has two years of eligibility remaining and Carroll redshirted, so he has four seasons left. Carroll has already put together a strong offseason, winning the 97-kilogram weight class at the Last Chance Olympic Team Trials Qualifier last month. … more at … Oklahoman.com/Oklahoma-state-wrestling-lands-ncaa-pins-leader-wyatt-hendrickson

May 27, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2024 Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional Championships

May 20, 2024, 6:48 PM (ET) by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
DULUTH, Ga. – The USA Wrestling Regional Championships series continued with the Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional, held at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth, Georgia, last weekend.
In the Junior Boys division, there was a pair of double champions, victors in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, in Antonio Mills of Georgia at 120 pounds and Maximus Norman of Tennessee at 175 pounds. A pair of double champions highlighted the competition in the Junior Girls division: Evelyn Holmes-Smith of Alabama at 125 pounds and Shaylee Bachand of Georgia at 235 pounds.
There were a total of five double champions in the 16U Boys division. Ariah Mills of Georgia at 88 pounds, Jovanni Tovar of Florida at 113 pounds, Dale Corbin of Wisconsin at 126 pounds, Dylan Reel of Georgia at 175 pounds and Johnathan Rulo of Illinois at 285 pounds won both freestyle and Greco-Roman titles at the tournament. In the 16U Girls division, there were two double champions: Zoey McDonald of Florida at 112 pounds and Mackenzie Carder of Ohio at 118 pounds.
The top six boys and girls in each weight class of the Junior and 16U divisions have qualified for their respective state teams for the 2024 USMC Junior and 16U Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
There were also tournaments held in the 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U age divisions with both boys and girls competing in freestyle and Greco-Roman. An additional folkstyle tournament for the 8U, 10U 12U and 14U boys was held. Athletes that competed in the Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional Championships and meet the age group requirements are eligible for the 2024 Kid’s Nationals, held  at the ImOn Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa June 27-30, 2024. Visit usawrestlingevents.com for more information and to register for the event. … more at … Themat.com/Holmes-smith-mills-among-double-champions-at-frank-e-rader-southeast-regional

May 26, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Joseph Named Tar Heel Wrestling Club Head Coach

Last Friday brought us plenty of news relating to Penn State alums in the coaching world, now there’s more this week. Two-time NCAA champion and three-time national finalist Vincenzo Joseph will join North Carolina’s Tar Heel Wrestling Club as the head coach of the RTC. 
Joseph recently wrapped up his competitive career at the Olympic Trials where he was beaten in the opening round by Missouri alum Jarrett Jacques and forfeited out of the tournament. Joseph earned a spot at the Olympic Trials by defeating Yayha Thomas in the finals of the Last Chance Qualifier. 
The move to Chapel Hill reunites Joseph with Rob Koll who hired him for his first Stanford staff prior to the 2021-22 season. Joseph appeared to be done competing; however, he entered the 2022 US Open and advanced to the finals at 79 kg. At the 2022 World Team Trials, Joseph fell in an epic, three-match series to Chance Marsteller, who then went to Final X. 
After that showing at the Open and Trials, Joseph stepped away from coaching and moved to Arizona State to train with the Sunkist Kids. He would make the Open finals in 2023 – this time at 79 kg. 
Joseph caught the attention of the wrestling world at the 2017 NCAA Championships when he made the finals, as a redshirt freshman, and stunned two-time national champion Isaiah Martinez with a fall early in the third period. The two would meet in the 2018 national finals and Joseph prevailed again.
Joseph was a senior in the 2019-20 season who … more at … Intermatwrestle.com/Joseph-named-tar-heel-wrestling-club-head-coach

May 26, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2024 Olympic Wrestling Schedule Set!

2024 Olympic Wrestling Schedule Set!

The wrestling schedule for the 2024 Olympic Games is set. Check out when your favorite wrestlers will be competing.

For mobile, view the schedule here!

May 26, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Coleman Scott releases statement after departure from Oklahoma State wrestling

Former Oklahoma State interim head coach Coleman Scott broke his silence after the Cowboys opted to hire David Taylor.
The wrestling program took a big swing with the Olympic Gold Medalist and Penn State legend. Scott originally left his head coaching position at North Carolina after eight years to come back to Stillwater last year.
Now, he’ll leave his alma mater once again, but released a thoughtful statement on the decision.
“I wanted to take the time and space to share my heart today,” Scott wrote in a statement. “First, I want to say thank you Oklahoma State University for giving me the opportunity to come back and coach this last year. It was an honor to finally get to do what I love in a place that had always felt like my true home.
“I also want to congratulate John on his retirement. Thank you for the time and energy you committed to my career. Good luck to David Taylor and the new coaching staff at OSU. It’s a special place and a legendary program that deserves the absolute best. It shaped my life and made me the man I am today.”
Scott, a four-time All-American for Oklahoma State, won a national title in 2008 for the Cowboys prior to his coaching career. “I will surely miss being a cowboy,” Scott wrote. “I’m not sure what the future holds for myself and my family, but I am always faithful that although the ox is slow, the earth is patient.”
In his international wrestling career, Scott was a member of the 2012 Olympic Team and won a Bronze Medal. … more at … MSN.com/Coleman-scott-releases-statement-after-departure-from-oklahoma-state

May 25, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mark Harris Inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame!

Mark Harris – A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Harris attended Enka High School, where he wrestled under the guidance of both Jim Whitmer and Rex Wells. Harris was a two-time state champion (1989, 1990), three-time state placer, four-time state qualifier, and three-time conference champion for the Jets. He was also an all-conference soccer player and letterman in football.  He then wrestled at North Carolina State University from 1991-1996, where he was a four-year letterman and a member of an ACC Championship team and two teams finishing top-10 at the NCAA Championships. Graduating from NCSU with a bachelor’s in history in 1996, Harris began his coaching career at Fuquay-Varina High School (Wake County) as an assistant coach. Assuming head coaching duties in 1999, Harris’ Fuquay-Varina teams captured state tournament and state dual championships in 2000 and 2001. From 2000 to 2002, Harris’ Fuquay-Varina teams went 80-4 in dual matches.

After finishing his master’s in history at NCSU, Harris returned to Enka High in the Fall of 2002, becoming just the fifth head coach in program history. In 22 seasons with the Jets, his teams have captured 16 conference championships, reached the state dual finals twice, and won the state tournament championship in 2016 and 2020. In 25 seasons as a head coach, his teams have won over 600 dual meets, six state championships, 18 conference championships, seven regional tournament championships, and six regional dual team championships. To date, he has coached 148 state qualifiers, 69 state medalists, 26 state finalists, 12 state champions, and three high school All-Americans. His teams have qualified for the state playoffs in every season he has been a head coach.

Active in wrestling leadership at the state, regional, and national level, Harris is one of the founding members of the NC Wrestling Coaches Association, serving as its first president from 2007-2010. He has worked for the National Wrestling Coaches Association as State Chairman (2010-2016), Section Leader for seven Southeastern states (2016 – present), and the NWCA Board of Directors (2023 – present). Harris currently serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association, the North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2015 – present) and is the regional chairman for the charity organization Headlock on Hunger. Harris received the Toby Webb Coaching Excellence award from the NCHSAA in 2023, only the second wrestling coach to receive this award. In addition to the Lifetime Service Award of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, he will be inducted into the Enka High School Athletic Hall of Fame later this month. Harris coaches cross country in addition to wrestling.  Harris and his wife Esther have three boys: Levi (22), Greyson (20) and Asa (17).

May 24, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Neal Dorow Inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame!

Neal Dorow – Born in Palo Alto, California, Dorow was a standout wrestler at Mountain View High School in Mountain View California, graduating in 1972. He then attended Foothill Community College in Los Altos Hills from 1972-74, where he was a conference champion and a 6th-place finisher in the California Community College Nor-Cal Championships. After Foothill, he wrestled for the University of California at Berkeley where he was a two-time Pacific 8 Conference Runner-Up and a two-time NCAA Division 1 qualifier. In 1976, he was named the NorCal College Wrestler of the Year.

After graduating from Berkeley in 1977 with a degree in Physical Education, Dorow began his officiating and coaching career. He coached and officiated at the high school and collegiate level in Washington, Wisconsin, Oregon, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. In 1982, he joined the United States Wrestling Officials Association as a mat official, and by 1990, had attained his international officials license and reached the category of M1E (Exceptional), the highest possible in the USWOA. Between 1984 and 2014, Dorow officiated over 60 international wrestling competitions, including National Team overseas tours in 11 different countries. He officiated 66 USA Wrestling regional championship events and 109 USA Wrestling National Championship events from 1983 to 2017. In 1995, he was a timer and scorekeeper for the World Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, and in 1996, he was a timer and scorekeeper for the Atlanta Olympics.

In 2001, Dorow moved to North Carolina and was the first head wrestling coach at the newly opened Eugene Ashley High School in Wilmington. He was wrestling coach at Ashley until 2005. In 2002, he founded and still runs the annual Ashley High School Veterans Cup Tournament, which just completed its 22nd year. Soon after moving to North Carolina, he joined North Carolina USA Wrestling and is still active today. Dorow was the NCUSAW Officials Director and a Board member from 2001 to 2011 and the local organizer for the USA National and North Carolina State Beach Wrestling Championships held in Carolina Beach from (2012 – present).

In addition to his 2024 induction into the North Carolina state chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Dorow has received the USWOA Phil Portuese Award (2003), the USWOA Lifetime Achievement Award (2009), the NCUSAW Frank Rader Person-of-the-Year Award (2011), and the USA Wrestling Beach Wrestling Person-of-the-Year Award (2017). Currently, he lives in Wilmington with his wife Andrea and is the Virtual Academy Coordinator for Ashley High School.

May 23, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ed Duncan Inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame!

Ed Duncan – A native of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, Duncan attended Mitchell High School, where he excelled in wrestling, football, baseball, and track. Duncan was an all-conference lineman in football, a two-time state medalist in wrestling, and a wrestling state champion in 1988. He played a key role in the Mountaineers’ team state tournament championship run in 1988 and was named Mitchell’s male athlete of the year for 1988.

Duncan then attended Appalachian State University as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, majoring in Social Science and Secondary Education. He was a two-year starter for the Appalachian Wrestling team and reached the Southern Conference finals at 190 lbs. in 1989. In 1993, Duncan completed his student teaching at Ashe County High School. In addition to student teaching, he helped coach the wrestling team, which finished as state runner-up. Duncan then taught social studies and coached wrestling at Hickory High School from 1993 to 2004. During his tenure at Hickory, he started a middle school wrestling team before returning to Mitchell High School in 2005. At Mitchell, Duncan also started a middle school program in 2006 and assumed the role of head wrestling coach at the high school in 2010. Duncan’s Mitchell teams have captured 250 dual meet wins, five conference championships, two regional tournament titles (2014, 2015), two dual team state championships (2014, 2015), one state dual team runner-up finish (2016), one state tournament championship (2015), and one state tournament runner-up finish (2014).

In 2004, Duncan became the first-ever Administrative Director for Team NC Wrestling. He served in this role until being elected State Chairperson for NCUSA Wrestling in 2018. He has been the National Teams Coach and the event director for the Elementary and Junior High State Championships. In 2013, Duncan founded and currently runs the High Country Youth League, which serves over 20 counties in Western North Carolina. He serves as a Junior Olympic Wrestling Committee member (2022 – present) and has directed the North Carolina State Games for over 20 years.

Duncan’s efforts have focused recently on building men’s and women’s beach wrestling and high school girls’ wrestling in North Carolina and across the country. He is the founding organizer of the first beach wrestling state championships and has hosted the USA National and North Carolina State Beach Wrestling Championships at Carolina Beach (2012 – present). He was the Team Leader/Coach for Team USA at the 2019 World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, and has attended multiple world beach championships. Duncan is also the founder of the Beach Wrestling Tour of America (2022) and is the US Representative to the United World Wrestling Beach Wrestling Committee (2016 – present). Duncan was an organizer of the first girls’ high school invitational, hosted the first-ever open state championship for girls (2017) and worked with the Women’s Wrestling Task Force to sanction girls high school wrestling in North Carolina (2023).

One of the original members and key organizers of the North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association, Duncan served on the NCWCA Board from 2007 to 2014. He has also served on the Board of the state chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2016 – present). Retiring from teaching in 2023, Duncan remains both the head wrestling coach at Mitchell High School and the State Chairman for North Carolina USA Wrestling. Duncan’s children Eve Duncan, Solomon Duncan, and Marie Murphy are all actively involved in the wrestling community serving in various roles.

May 23, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ben Watson Inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame!

Ben Watson – A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Watson attended Independence High School from 1988 to 1991, where he excelled in football, wrestling, and track. Recruited to join the wrestling team in his junior year, Watson wrestled for two seasons at Independence High School and qualified for the state tournament in 1991. He then pursued his education at Appalachian State University, majoring in Physical Education, and wrestling for the Mountaineers from 1991 to 1995.

Watson began his teaching career at Coulwood Middle School in Mecklenburg County, where he also served as an assistant coach for the wrestling teams at Independence High School (1995-96) and West Mecklenburg (1996-99).  He later moved to East Mecklenburg, teaching and coaching from 1999 to 2007, before settling at Mooresville High School (2007 – present).

Throughout his coaching tenure, Watson has led his wrestling teams at East Mecklenburg and Mooresville to great success, including ten conference championships (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023). His teams have also won five regional championships (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023) and captured two state tournament titles (2018, 2019). Additionally, Watson’s teams reached the regional dual team finals in 2002, 2012, and 2019, and were regional tournament runners-up in 2021 and 2022.

Watson has coached 14 individual state champions, 70 state placers, and three high school All-Americans. With over 600 dual team wins, he has been recognized with various coaching awards, including Mecklenburg County Coach of the Year, Iredell County Coach of the Year, the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year for North Carolina (2018), and the NC Mat News Coach of the Year (2018, 2019). Outside of wrestling, Watson has been actively involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for over 30 years, served as an assistant football coach for 20 years, chaired the Mooresville Health and Physical Education Department since 2010, and has been a member of the North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association Board of Directors since 2015. Watson lives in Troutman with his wife Cindy. They have three children: Anna (30), Starr (21), and Ray (19).

May 22, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment