NFHS High School Sports Participation: Boys and Girls Wrestling make big gains in 2023-24
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 20, 2024) — More than eight million participants competed in high school sports in the 2023-24 school year – an all-time record and the first time ever that total participation has exceeded the eight-million mark.
The NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey indicated that 8,062,302 participants were involved in high school sports in 2023-24, which is up 210,469 from the previous year and tops the previous record of 7,980,886 set in 2017-18. The total includes 4,638,785 boys and 3,423,517 girls – both record highs – according to figures obtained from the 51 NFHS member state associations, which includes the District of Columbia.
The 2023-24 total marked the second consecutive increase after numbers tumbled during the pandemic. Since the initial survey after the pandemic, participation in high school sports has increased 444,248 in two years and represents a turnaround from the decline that started the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two of the biggest storylines are the increases in all forms of high school football – boys and girls – and the continued rise in both girls and boys wrestling.
Another highlight is the sizeable jump in wrestling – boys and girls – for the second consecutive year. An additional 32,443 boys were involved in wrestling last year, jumping from 259,431 to 291,874. Since the 2021-22 season, there has been a gain of 60,000 in boys wrestling – an amazing 25 percent increase. And participation on girls teams has continued its historic rise as well with 64,257 girls participants last year – an increase of 102 percent from the 31,654 in 2021-22.
Editor’s Note: Wrestling is the No. 6 sport for boys in terms of participants, with 291,874, behind only Football, track and field – outdoor, basketball, baseball and soccer. Boys wrestling remains the No. 8 sport in terms of schools, with 11,149 schools nationally. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/august/20/nfhs-high-school-sports-participation-boys-and-girls-wrestling-make-big-gains-in-2023-24
LeBlanc Touts 12 Additions for The Citadel Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2024
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Less than a year removed from a record-breaking 14-win campaign, The Citadel wrestling head coach Ryan LeBlanc officially closed out the program’s 2024 recruiting class, tabbing 10 undergraduate and a pair of graduate additions to join the Bulldogs for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Notably, the recruiting class of 2024 has posted a combined total of 22 state final appearances and 14 total state titles.
The Citadel Wrestling Class of 2024
Cadet-Athlete: Kyrel Leavell
Weight Class: 141 lbs
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
High School: Warren HS
Quick Hit: Four-time place winner and a two-time State Champion…two-time NHSCA All-American as well as a USA Wrestling Folkstyle All-American…recently announced as the #131 best D1 wrestling recruit on the Final MatScouts class of 2024 Big Board…combined high school record of 140-7.
Cadet-Athlete: David McEachern
Weight Class: 141 lbs
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, N.C.
High School: Mount Pleasant HS
Quick Hit: Four-time State Finalist and a three-time State Champion … more at … https://citadelsports.com/news/2024/8/22/leblanc-touts-12-additions-for-the-citadel-wrestling-recruiting-class-of-2024.aspx
OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALIST! Sebastian Rivera Delivers Historic Podium Finish for Team Puerto Rico
PARIS – Former Rutgers wrestling standout Sebastian Rivera delivered a bronze medal in 65kg freestyle for Team Puerto Rico at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Sunday in Paris. Rivera closed out an epic back-and-forth match against Tulga Tumur-Ochir (Mongolia) with a takedown at the buzzer to become the first Scarlet Knight wrestler to medal at the Olympics in school history.
Down 4-0 with less than three minutes to go in his bronze medal match, Rivera picked up a takedown and three rollovers for an 8-4 lead on Tumur-Ochir. Tumor-Ochir countered with a four-point move to tie the score at 8-8 and added a point for a 9-8 advantage with 1:18 on the clock. Rivera never wavered and continued to work on Tumur-Ochir in the closing seconds before he collected Tumur-Ochir for a takedown, which was initially not called when time expired. However, a challenge from coaches Jeff Buxton and Donny Pritzlaff reversed the call, confirming the last-second points for Rivera and a 10-9 victory for the bronze. … more at … https://scarletknights.com/news/2024/8/11/wrestling-bronze-medalist-sebastian-rivera-delivers-historic-podium-finish-for-team-puerto-rico.aspx
Former Ohio State Star Wrestler’s Impressive Olympic Medal Run Ends
After losing in the bronze-medal match in Paris, Kyle Snyder will not win a third Olympic medal. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star previously won gold in Rio and silver in Tokyo.
In the wrestling world, one former Ohio State Buckeyes star has continued to impress for years. Kyle Snyder is now 28 years old and holds numerous awards at both the collegiate and Olympic levels. The three-time national champion at Ohio State won the Olympic gold medal in 2016 in Rio. He also earned a silver medal in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Entering the 2024 Olympics, not only was Snyder looking to podium for a third Olympics in a row, but he was also ranked as the No. 1 freestyle wrestler at 97kg.
On Saturday, Snyder defeated China’s Awusayiman Habila 9-5 and then Cuba’s Arturo Silot Torres 5-0 in the quarterfinal. In the semifinals, he fell to Bahrain’s Akhmed Tazhudinov 6-4. This is not the first time Tazhudinov has defeated Snyder after winning in their 2023 World Championships match.
In the bronze-medal match, Snyder still had an opportunity to medal for his third-straight Olympic Games. With a bloodied forehead and numerous stoppages to wrap Snyder’s head, the match never had any sort of a rhythm. Despite being the aggressor, Snyder fell to Iran’s Amarali Azarpiar 4-1.
For the first time in 56 years, the six-member squad of United States men’s freestyle wrestlers leaves the Olympics having failed to win a single gold medal. … more at … https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/news/former-ohio-state-buckeyes-star-wrestlers-impressive-olympic-medal-run-ends
Montreat Women’s wrestling unveils 2024-25 schedule
MONTREAT, N.C.— Ready for its first action under new head coach Koby Reyes, the Montreat women’s wrestling team unveiled its upcoming 2024-25 competition schedule earlier this month. The slate is highlighted by numerous opens, duals and the first regular season home event in program history.
The action begins on Nov. 2 when the Cavaliers visit Mount Olive, N.C. for the Trojan Open. Just one week later, Montreat heads down to Georgia for a day of duals and an open tournament at Life University.
Following a pair of stops at Liberty University and Baldwin Wallace University to round out November, the Cavs kick off December with two days of showdowns at the Patriot Duals in Williamsburg, Ky. Montreat’s final action in 2024 falls on Dec. 13 as the squad swings through Virginia for the Wasps Open.
January proves to be busy for the women’s wrestling program. The Cavaliers return from Christmas break on Jan. 4 for the Red Lady Open in Alabama prior to visiting Brewton-Parker College on the 10th. Two days of competition at the Indiana Institute of Technology late in the month ultimately set up a historic February.
Montreat hosts its first women’s wrestling dual in program history on Feb. 6 when St. Andrews University comes to McAlister Gymnasium. The Cavs then follow up their initial home dual with the Mid-South Conference (MSC) Women’s Wrestling Championships on Feb. 28 in Bowling Green … more at … https://montreatcavaliers.com/news/2024/8/13/womens-wrestling-womens-wrestling-unveils-2024-25-schedule.aspx
Years of Hire for Every Current DI Head Coach (2024 Version)
We’re almost through August and we currently have no head coaching openings at the DI level after Bloomsburg’s job was filled last week. Barring an unforeseen situation leading to a vacancy, there will be no further head coaching changes during the 2024 offseason. With the leaders of each program set, it seemed to be a good time to look back to see when every current DI head coach was hired.
Note: We published a similar article in July of 2023 and then had the musical chairs of the North Carolina/Stanford/Princeton opening’s so anything is possible!
2024
Bloomsburg – John Stutzman
Buffalo – Donnie Vinson
Central Michigan – Ben Bennett
Columbia – Donny Pritzlaff
Hofstra – Jamie Franco
Oklahoma State – David Taylor
Utah Valley – Adam Hall
2023
North Carolina – Rob Koll
North Dakota State – Obe Blanc
Oklahoma – Roger Kish
Princeton – Joe Dubuque
Stanford – Chris Ayres
2022 … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/years-of-hire-for-every-current-di-head-coach-2024-version-r99486/
Burroughs to Enter 2024 World Team Trials
Omaha just got even better! This morning, seven-time World/Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs made an Instagram post that read “Can’t let you guys have all the fun without me. See you in Omaha.” The post was made in conjunction with a handful of pictures of him training.
Burroughs will presumably attempt to make his 12th World/Olympic team and his first since winning his seventh World/Olympic title in 2022.
The World Team Trials slated for September 14th and 15th in Omaha, Nebraska, are for the non-Olympic weights for the upcoming World Championships. Wrestlers who did not participate in the Games are eligible at those non-Olympic weights. For men’s freestyle, they are: 61kg, 70kg, 79kg, and 92 kg. Burroughs would enter the 79kg bracket which is where he won his world titles in 2021 and 2022. Burroughs last wrestled at 79kgs in Final X 2023 – losing to Chance Marsteller in an epic three-match series.
Recently, Burroughs was on the microphone doing commentary for the 2024 Olympic Games. While he sounded like a polished vet, Burroughs also didn’t come off like someone who was ready to retire and even dropped a couple of subtle (or not-so-subtle) hints that he wasn’t done competing. The 2024 Olympic Games marked the 12-year anniversary of Burroughs’ Olympic gold medal-winning performance in London.
Another layer of this story is that the Trials are back in Omaha, not far from his long-time home in Lincoln at the University of Nebraska. The location probably didn’t factor into Burroughs’ decision, but likely is an added bonus.
We last saw Burroughs in action at the 2024 Olympic Trials on the campus of Penn State University. At the Trials, Burroughs defeated Penn State star Mitchell Mesenbrink in a heated affair, before losing to former Nittany Lion great Jason Nolf. After each bout, Burroughs was met with boos … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/international/burroughs-to-enter-2024-world-team-trials-r99484/
Spencer Lee Earns Olympic Silver
PARIS – Former University of Iowa All-American and three-time National Champion Spencer Lee won a silver medal Friday at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the 11th Hawkeye wrestler in school history to medal at the Olympic Games.
Lee fell to top-seeded Rei Higuchi of Japan in the gold medal match, 4-2. Lee earned two push out points in the first period to lead 2-0 at the break. A scramble led to a Higuchi takedown to tie it at 2-2 and give the Japanese wrestler the lead on criteria. Higuchi countered a last second attack from Lee with a takedown to make the final 4-2.
The Murrysville, Pennsylvania, native earned a spot in the gold medal round winning a tight decision over China’s Zou Wanhao in the round of 16. Lee earned a passivity point and a takedown before Wanhao scored two pushout points at the end of the match. Lee rolled to a 12-2 victory in the quarterfinals over Bekzat Almaz Uulu of Kyrgyzstan. After Lee gave up an early takedown, he locked up the technical superiority with 12 unanswered points.
Lee defeated Uzbekistan’s Gulomjan Abdullaev in the semifinal with his second straight first period technical superiority winning 14-4. Lee used three takedowns and … more at … https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/08/09/spencer-lee-earns-olympic-silver/
Senior World Team Trials to be held September 14-15 in Omaha, Nebraska
Aug. 8, 2024, 5:13 PM (ET)
by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is excited to partner with Visit Omaha and the Omaha Sports Commission to announce that the 2024 Senior World Team Trials will be heading to Omaha, NE on September 14-15, 2024, at CHI Heath Center.
This event is a crucial part of the calendar, as it will determine the champions of the four non-Olympic weight classes in all three styles. Champions will represent the United States at the 2024 Senior World Championships – Non-Olympic weights in Tirana, Albania, from October 28-31. Only the 12 non-Olympic weight classes will be contested at the World Championships in October. The 2024 Olympic representatives are not eligible for this event.
The weight classes for the trials include men’s freestyle at 61 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, and 92 kg; Greco-Roman at 55 kg, 63 kg, 72 kg, and 82 kg; and women’s freestyle at 55 kg, 59 kg, 65 kg, and 72 kg. The event is scheduled after the 2024 U23 World Championships in the same location.
For those attending the trials, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/august/08/senior-world-team-trials-for-non-olympic-weight-classes-to-be-held-september-14-15-in-omaha-nebraska
USA’s Hildebrandt wins wrestling gold amid weight cut controversy
PARIS — The most unusual day of Sarah Hildebrandt’s wrestling career ended with her earning an Olympic gold medal. The American won the 50-kilogram women’s category Wednesday, defeating Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba 3-0 in the championship match to become the fourth U.S. woman to win a gold medal. For a while, she thought she wouldn’t even have a gold medal match.
Vinesh Phogat of India appeared to reach the finals of the 50-kilogram category after three wins Tuesday. But United World Wrestling, the sport’s governing body, disqualified her after she barely missed weight Wednesday morning. Measures such as cutting Phogat’s hair weren’t enough to shed the necessary weight. Team India said Phogat was 100 grams — about a fifth of a pound — over the weight limit. Hildebrandt originally thought she had won gold by forfeit. Instead, Guzman Lopez, who had lost to Phogat in a semifinal, was moved up from a bronze medal match. “There was a lot of celebrating,” the 30-year-old Hildebrandt said. “It was very strange. ‘Oh my God, I just won the Olympics.’ And then an hour later, it was like, psych, you did not win the Olympics. I was like, ‘Oh, this is very weird.’ So there had to be a reset.”
Phogat, who stunned four-time world and defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the first of her three matches Tuesday, would have been the first women’s wrestler from India to compete for a gold medal. Instead, she left empty-handed. “As a big weight cutter myself, yeah, I feel for her,” Hildebrandt said. “She had an amazing day yesterday, did an insane feat and, you know, I don’t think she saw that happening, ending her Olympics like that. So for sure, my heart goes out to her. I think she’s an amazing competitor, an amazing wrestler and person.”
Susaki eventually earned a bronze medal with a 10-0 win over Oksana Livach of Ukraine. Hildebrandt, a bronze medalist in Tokyo, … more at … https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40768385/usa-hildebrandt-wins-wrestling-gold-weight-cut-controversy
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
Takedown Report
