Fargo Feature: Wrestling finds a way to tie Guam and Mississippi wrestlers together
FARGO, North Dakota – In 2009, the fledgling state association in Arkansas formally brought its first team to Fargo, taking a school bus 1,000 miles to compete against the nation’s best.
Arkansas’ foray into wrestling in Fargo left just one gap left in the wrestling map – Mississippi. That gap is now filled – and then some.
Despite losing his first two bouts in Junior men’s freestyle on Monday, Bear Bryant Siegal donned a singlet with the word “Mississippi” emblazoned on it, making it the first time the state has had a representative in the 53-year history of the Junior national men’s freestyle tournament. A few hours later, Koa DeLoach did the same thing, but representing the U.S. territory of Guam in the 16U men’s freestyle division.
Wrestling has been sanctioned by the state high school association in Mississippi for decades, but it just didn’t really exist. It wasn’t until 2023 that we saw the formation of a state wrestling tournament at the high school level. “Ever since I first moved to Mississippi in 2010, I’ve been trying to push freestyle and Greco there,” said Andy Siegal, who was cornering his son in Fargo. “(Mississippi’s) only had officially high school wrestling for two years, so this is really the first year freestyle and Greco formed, so it’s a big thing.”
Bear isn’t a Fargo rookie, though. He’d wrestled for Florida the last two years – and he will continue to wrestle high school in Florida at North Bay Haven Charter in Panama City. He got a release from the Florida association to compete for the first Team Mississippi, but following his second loss, he was more worried about improving. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/july/16/fargo-feature-wrestling-finds-a-way-to-tie-guam-and-mississippi-wrestlers-together
NWCA Names Omi Acosta 2024 NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is proud to announce that Omi Acosta of Life University is the recipient of the 2024 NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year award. Selected by his peers, this prestigious award is presented to a coach who has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the regular season in developing and elevating their program both on campus and within the community. The award will be presented in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, at the NAIA Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, July 26. The banquet is held in conjunction with the NWCA’s Annual Convention. Tickets may be purchased by clicking here. Defense Soap, the official hygiene partner of the NWCA, is the presenting sponsor of the award.
Guy Sako, founder and CEO of Defense Soap expressed his pride in partnering with the NWCA to continue its mission of keeping wrestlers on the mat through hygiene products and educational resources.
Coach Omi Acosta took over as the Head Coach of the Life University Men’s Wrestling Team during the 2016-2017 season. Since then, he has produced ten individual NAIA National Champions, 14 NAIA National finalists, 47 NAIA All-Americans, and 78 NAIA National Qualifiers. This past season, Acosta led the Running Eagles to a second-place finish at the NAIA National Championships, bringing home his fourth NAIA Team Trophy. This year’s squad also won the NWCA National Duals Championship, defeating the #1 ranked Grand View squad and breaking their 162-win streak against NAIA competition. Acosta also guided the Running Eagles to a perfect 23-0 dual record for the first time. … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2024/7/9/national-wrestling-coaches-association-nwca-names-omi-acosta-2024-naia-mens-national-coach-of-the-year.aspx
Women’s Wrestling at Olympics: 20 years strong
PARIS (July 8) — Inside an academy located in the middle of a farm at a village in Haryana, the northern Indian state that’s the country’s wrestling capital, a bunch of teenage girls had scribbled the name of their hero on a wall – Helen MAROULIS (USA).
When women’s wrestling made its Olympic debut, some of these girls were not even born. There were no roads leading up to the academy where they trained until a few years ago — the best way to reach the academy was on foot from the nearest highway exit point roughly a couple of miles away. And internet connectivity was patchy at best.
Yet, the story of Maroulis’s dominance had traveled to this far-flung village and became a part of the folklore. Few stories illustrate better the impact and the reach of women’s wrestling. In less than three weeks, the eyes of the entire sporting – and wider – world will be fixed on Paris when the Olympic Games get underway. On the mat at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Champ de Mars, more stories of inspiration will unfold, paving the way for many young wrestlers to follow in the footsteps of their heroes.
At the Paris Olympics, women’s wrestling will celebrate its 20th year of being at the Games. Back in 2004, when it was included in Athens, there were only four categories. In Paris, as was the case in Tokyo, there will be six — the same as Freestyle and Greco-Roman. The 2024 Games will also be significant for the officials. As many as 11 female referees will be part of the officials. Back in 1988, it was only one. … more at … https://uww.org/article/womens-wrestling-olympics-20-years-strong
Bianchi Joins App State Wrestling as Assistant Coach
BOONE, N.C. — Paul Bianchi has been hired as an App State Wrestling assistant coach, head coach JohnMark Bentley announced Wednesday.
Bianchi comes to Boone from Minnesota State, where he had been an assistant coach for the previous two seasons. He was an NCAA Championships qualifier for both Little Rock (at 133 pounds) and North Dakota State (at 125 pounds) during a standout Division I wrestling career that lasted from 2016-21. “Paul was a tremendous competitor, and he brings that to his passion for coaching,” Bentley said. “His experience in recruiting and performing the various duties of a college assistant will help him hit the ground running. He will be a great coach for and a tremendous asset to our light weights.”
After becoming the first NCAA qualifier in Little Rock history and being named a Division I Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, he served as a graduate assistant with the Trojans the following season, then helped Minnesota State produce a third-place-finishing All-American at the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships in his first season on the Mavericks’ staff. Last season, they had seven wrestlers named Scholar All-Americans, and the team ranked fourth in Division II with a 3.438 GPA. “I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity here at App State,” Bianchi said. “I look forward to being part of a great community, wrestling program and coaching staff. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Bentley and the culture he has created, and I’m looking forward to contributing to more success in the future.”
In addition to his coaching experience at Minnesota State and Little Rock, Bianchi has also coached for the Central Arkansas Christian Schools (2021-22), the USA Wrestling-associated Wisconsin Wrestling Federation (2019 summer) and the Askren Wrestling Academy Camp (as a counselor/clinician in 2018-19). … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2024/7/10/-24-wrestling-bianchi-joins-app-state-wrestling-as-assistant-coach.aspx
Maylor Hired as Assistant Coach for App State Wrestling
BOONE, N.C. — Max Maylor has been hired as an App State Wrestling assistant coach, head coach JohnMark Bentley announced Monday. “Max is a great addition to our staff,” Bentley said. “I love the energy and enthusiasm that Max brings with a fresh perspective drawing from his college experiences. He will be a tremendous partner for our upper middle weights.”
Maylor is a mere months removed from completing his Division I wrestling career at the NCAA Championships. He represented Wisconsin at 174 pounds, winning one match as the No. 17 seed in Kansas City, Mo., after he qualified for the NCAAs as a seventh-place finisher at the Big Ten Championships.
Maylor was ranked as highly as No. 11 in the country at 174 pounds during his final season — he also made three dual starts at 184. Before concluding his career at Wisconsin as a graduate transfer, Maylor was a member of Michigan’s program for five years from 2018-23, with a starting role for the Wolverines at 174 in 2022-23 and 2019-20.
He won 58 matches as a Big Ten wrestler, going 44-22 over his final three seasons, including 19-9 in 2023-24. “I am excited to get started at App State,” Maylor said. “It’s a blessing to work alongside great coaches and learn from them. I’m looking forward to joining the program and contributing to its continued success!”
Maylor earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies through Michigan’s College … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2024/7/8/-24-wrestling-maylor-hired-as-assistant-coach-for-app-state-wrestling.aspx
Campbell wrestling announces addition of TJ Dudley to staff
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell wrestling and head coach Scotti Sentes have announced the hiring of TJ Dudley as an assistant coach. “TJ brings a wealth of wrestling and coaching knowledge with him,” Sentes said. “What I am most excited about though is his energy. He is just a great energy guy that seems to light up the room, and I think it is going to make him an excellent motivator. I think he’s going to be a big asset to our team.”
Dudley joins the Camels from Brown University, where he was on the staff for three seasons. Dudley wrestled collegiately at Nebraska, and he was a three-time All-American at 184 pounds. He finished eighth, second, and third in his sophomore-senior seasons. He qualified for the NCAA Championships in all four years, and he placed in the Big Ten Championships three times.
Campbell adds Dudley a year after qualifying five wrestlers to nationals and heavyweight Taye Ghadiali becoming the second Campbell wrestler to be named an All-American. Dudley’s emphasis will be coaching the higher weights, as he looks to help guide Ghadiali to more success at the national level. He’ll also help coach Levi Hopkins at 197 pounds, … more at … https://gocamels.com/news/2024/7/8/wrestling-campbell-wrestling-announces-addition-of-tj-dudley-to-staff.aspx
Diabe Named Head Assistant Coach for App State Wrestling
BOONE, N.C. —Randall Diabe has been promoted to head assistant coach for App State Wrestling, head coach JohnMark Bentley announced Wednesday.
The 2024-25 season will be Diabe’s sixth year as a coach on Bentley’s staff and his 10th consecutive year with the Mountaineers’ wrestling program. “I’m so happy to promote Randall to head assistant,” Bentley said. “Randall bleeds Black & Gold and has poured a ton of energy into our program for a number of years! He continues to grow and mature each year, and he is very deserving of the title.”
A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier as a wrestler for the Mountaineers from 2015-19, Diabe worked as a volunteer assistant during the 2019-20 season and became a full-time assistant the following year. He helped App State finish the 2023-24 season with a second straight top-25 dual team ranking (at No. 24), repeat as SoCon Championship tournament winners, send five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships and post three top-16 individual finishes.
Since Diabe graduated from App State and transitioned to coaching, the Mountaineers have won two SoCon regular-season titles and two SoCon Championship tournament titles while producing a 35-3 record in SoCon duals and 29 qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. Going back to his freshman year in 2015-16, App State’s record of 60-5 in SoCon duals ranks as one of the best league records in Division I wrestling. … more at … Appstatesports.com/Diabe-named-head-assistant-coach-for-app-state
Hawkeyes tops again in Division I men’s wrestling home attendance
New Brighton, MINNESOTA – After selling out another home schedule at the famed Carver-Hawkeye Arena, it’s no surprise that for the 17th consecutive college wrestling season, the University of Iowa led the nation in Division I men’s wrestling attendance as the National Wrestling Media Association released its annual figures on Monday.
The Hawkeyes’ allotment of 14,847 tickets were all snatched up for the six home dates during the 2023-24 college wrestling season, with a total attendance of 89,082.
Iowa was followed by Penn State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Oregon State.
Penn State’s Performance
Penn State, which won its third straight NCAA Division I national championship, was second in attendance for the 12th consecutive year. The Nittany Lions averaged 7,337 fans per dual, which included selling out each of their six dates at Rec Hall (cap. 6,846) and drawing a season-best 12,049 for a Monday Big Ten dual meet against Rutgers.
Historical Milestones
Iowa’s sellout against Minnesota on January 15 and Penn State’s 12,000-plus attendance against Rutgers were the first two Division I dual meets in recorded history to draw over 10,000 fans on a Monday.
Iowa State’s Highlights
Iowa State ranked third for the second time in the last three recorded seasons. The Cyclones averaged 6,691 fans over six home dates. The top date was registered against the rival Hawkeyes on November 23, which drew 14,267 fans, good enough for the fifth-best crowd in school history and the first crowd over 14,000 fans since the Cyclones hosted the Hawkeyes on February 19, 1982.
Oklahoma State and Oregon State
Oklahoma State drew an average of 5,871 to Gallagher-Iba Arena, with the best draw also coming against Iowa (13,721) on February 25, the final day of the regular season. That home crowd ranked as the third-largest in Oklahoma State history.
Oregon State had just two home duals this season, and with 8,540 showing up to Gill Coliseum for Penn State, the average ballooned to 5,240. The Beavers were one of just two schools with only two home duals tracked in the Top 25 attendance reports this season.
Road Draws
Iowa also was the top road draw, with the Hawkeyes bringing in the most fans to opposing venues seven of the eight times they hit the road for dual meets. They were the top draw at Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Penn, California Baptist, Illinois, and Northwestern. The Hawkeyes drew a total of 89,082 fans, followed by Oklahoma State’s 52,839 and Penn State’s 51,360. Iowa State was the only other school to draw more than 40,000 fans for the season, bringing in 40,150.
Other Top Schools
Oklahoma State was the top draw for five schools – NC State, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Penn State was also the top draw in five places – Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, and Oregon State, as well as being one of six sold-out opponents at Iowa. Ohio State had top crowds on the road for four opponents – Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, and Hofstra.
NC State, Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, and Missouri round out the top 10 schools. NC State’s average of 4,304 was the highest in school history and included three sold-out dual meets with Oklahoma State, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. The previous high for the Wolfpack was last season when they averaged just over 2,300. Michigan averaged over 4,000 for the first time in school history. The Wolverines averaged 4,196 over four home dates, topping the school’s previous high mark of 2,852 set in 2021-22. … more at … Mailchi.mp/3e7f90309c39/2023attendance
2024 North Carolina Fargo Roster Breakdown
It’s FARGO TIME!!!! Our Fargo teams are set, and we are just a few weeks away from the first the first whistle. We couldn’t be more excited to join this year’s squads in Fargo and give you exclusive footage of Team NC. Make sure to dial into our social media accounts and right here on Rokfin!!!! Let’s go Team NC!
Junior Boys freestyle
120 Ethan Brownlee
120 Elijah Dorsey
126 Devon Conner
132 Layne Armstrong
138 Jackson Rowling
138 Alexander Schweitzer
138 Kaleb Flores
138 Shawn Bass
144 Ashton Shields-Adams
150 John Schulz
157 Jeremiah Johnson
157 Braden Reynolds
157 Luke Osborne
165 Troy Shannon
175 Dominic Blue
175 Connor Reese
175 Noah Michael
190 Harrison Compton
190 Brock Sullivan
190 Troy Deniz
190 Tayshaun Glover
215 Hayden Haynes
215 Dantrell Williams
285 Sebastian Rivera
285 Austin Rivera
285 Damien Couture
The Overall:
Our Junior Boys Freestyle crew is full of hammers!!!! As you go down the list you see accomplished wrestler after accomplished wrestler. This sets up for what should be a great showing from NC in the deepest division this year.
The Favorite to Place:
Tayshaun Glover- At CTT, we are very bullish on Tayshaun. He has a style that translates to freestyle well and is continually improving. NDSU got a good one here.
The Deep Run Darkhorse:
Troy Shannon- Troy is so good in Freestyle and Greco! He has proven all offseason long that he contends and beat elite kids. No one in North Carolina should be surprised if we see him go on a deep run. … more at … Rokfin.com/North-Carolina-Fargo-Roster-Breakdown
Keaton Kluever Named Gardner-Webb Wrestling Assistant Coach
Kluever joins the Runnin’ Bulldogs following six seasons as a student-athlete and coach
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Keaton Kluever was named the new Assistant Coach of the Gardner-Webb University wrestling program, announced by GWU Head Wrestling Coach Daniel Elliott on Monday.
“We are excited to bring Keaton on board with the GWU Wrestling program.”, praised coach Elliott. “Keaton brings some new energy to our program and has a passion for coaching. He has spent time at three universities as an athlete and brings a unique background to coaching for a young guy. He has hit the ground running already and we are looking forward to him helping move our program forward.”
Kleuver joins the Gardner-Webb family after finishing his collegiate wrestling career at Hofstra University where he reached the national championships. A letter winner for the Pride, he led the team in wins and pins during the 2023-2024 season, and was named Academic All-American and All-EIWA. Kluever was also a letter winner at the University of North Carolina, and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities where he was named Academic All-Big Ten for the 2022-2023 season.
Additionally, Kluever continues his role as a coach for the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation where he has been since 2020. His key responsibilities include coaching their Freestyle and Greco National teams, assisting in recruiting, logistics, development, and conducting practices in preparation for national competition. He also served as a Volunteer Assistant Coach for Plainedge High School for the 2023-2024 season, and Assistant Coach for Eden Prairie High School from 2021 to 2023. … more at … GWUsports.com/Keaton-kluever-named-gardner-webb-wrestling-assistant-coach
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
